Another day of rain in Nor Cal. Ugh! I'm really ready for some 100deg heat that's for sure. Today my eating felt completely out of wack. I kept pretty busy getting some detailed cleaning done around the house as we are getting ready to put it up for sale so my "normal" times of eating were WAY off.
And in the promise of full disclosure, I slipped tonight. I let my kids have a movie night and I allowed them a small treat while they watched, they picked M&M's which they shared. This mom with apparently ZERO will power caved for the candy. Of course I waited until they went to bed then I got them from the hiding place that I had convinced myself I would forget about them there. As I sat in the chair eating them, I had a "Come to Jesus" talk with myself.
Self:"What the hell are you doing?!?!?"
Rationlization Self: "It's just one slip tomorrow I will be back on track no harm no foul nobody will ever know"
Self: "You cannot do this! YOU CANNOT DO THIS!"
I promptly got up from the chair and dumped the remaining candy into the garbage disposal. Tomorrow is another day and thankfully there isn't any candy left in my house. A continuous work in progress.
Todays eats (aside from above)
Breakfast:
2 eggs
2 left over meatballs from last nights dinner
Lunch:
1 avocado with balsamic and olive oil
4 meatballs with remaining dressing from the avocado
Dinner:
Baked chicken with tomato
Roasted veggies (zucchini and eggplant)
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Whole 30 Day 4
Day 4
I'm feeling good and definitely less sluggish than I was a day or two ago. I'd like to think that this gets easier each time you do it. My will power seems to be holding up. Today was my sons last day of kindergarten and as I usually do on Fridays I helped out in the class. Today, his teacher supplied root beer floats for all the children and a small cookie. I hope my cringing was something that I kept on the inside but all I could do was shake my head in wonder. Don't get me wrong I love root beer floats and I believe that her intention was good however at 11am 35 minutes before they are dismissed for lunch than home I just don't think that it is the best idea. My sons class has several children with very big behavioral issues and one could only think that giving them junk food can only contribute to this bad behavior. I definitely see a big difference in my own children's behavior based upon the food they eat. I know that when they come back from grandmas house that it will be a miserable few days with tantrums and what not. So anyway, enough of my little rant on to what I ate for day 4.
Breakfast
3 eggs 1/2 avocado. My breakfast doesn't usually vary much. I'm often on the run in the mornings and usually find myself eating in the car-terrible habit but I just can't bring myself to wake us any earlier. This morning I maybe only finished half if what I made as I wasn't very hungry. Late snack of protein and fat caused no morning hunger?? Coffee 12 oz w/2 oz of coconut milk.
Lunch
2 salmon cakes over cabbage slaw same as yesterday however today I added a 1/2 of Roma tomato.
Dinner
Curried Meatballs
Sweet potato fries with tossed in coconut oil, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and a dash of cinnamon
Green salad with kalamata olives and olive oil balsamic vinegar dressing.
Snack:
Kale Chips
I'm feeling good and definitely less sluggish than I was a day or two ago. I'd like to think that this gets easier each time you do it. My will power seems to be holding up. Today was my sons last day of kindergarten and as I usually do on Fridays I helped out in the class. Today, his teacher supplied root beer floats for all the children and a small cookie. I hope my cringing was something that I kept on the inside but all I could do was shake my head in wonder. Don't get me wrong I love root beer floats and I believe that her intention was good however at 11am 35 minutes before they are dismissed for lunch than home I just don't think that it is the best idea. My sons class has several children with very big behavioral issues and one could only think that giving them junk food can only contribute to this bad behavior. I definitely see a big difference in my own children's behavior based upon the food they eat. I know that when they come back from grandmas house that it will be a miserable few days with tantrums and what not. So anyway, enough of my little rant on to what I ate for day 4.
Breakfast
3 eggs 1/2 avocado. My breakfast doesn't usually vary much. I'm often on the run in the mornings and usually find myself eating in the car-terrible habit but I just can't bring myself to wake us any earlier. This morning I maybe only finished half if what I made as I wasn't very hungry. Late snack of protein and fat caused no morning hunger?? Coffee 12 oz w/2 oz of coconut milk.
Lunch
2 salmon cakes over cabbage slaw same as yesterday however today I added a 1/2 of Roma tomato.
Dinner
Curried Meatballs
Sweet potato fries with tossed in coconut oil, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and a dash of cinnamon
Green salad with kalamata olives and olive oil balsamic vinegar dressing.
Snack:
Kale Chips
Friday, June 3, 2011
Whole 30 Day 3
Day 3
Thankfully today was just a busy but relatively uneventful day. I focused on having a little variety in my foods. I did have a bit of a "cheat" with the Whole 30 plan but all in all I consider it to be pretty minor-butter. Grassfed butter at that. So here is Day 3's meals.
Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled 1/2 avocado 8 oz coffee black
Lunch: 2 salmon cakes over cabbage slaw with homemade creamy olive oil dressing which was really just a spicy mayo with extra apple cider vinegar to thin it out to a dressing consistency.
Dinner: Better Butter Chicken courtesy of Everyday Paleo. I had to make a few modifications in the spices but it was delicious. I served it with zucchini sauteed in coconut oil, herbs de province and onions.
Snack: At 9:00 I found myself starving so I actually had some leftovers from tonight's dinner.
Thankfully today was just a busy but relatively uneventful day. I focused on having a little variety in my foods. I did have a bit of a "cheat" with the Whole 30 plan but all in all I consider it to be pretty minor-butter. Grassfed butter at that. So here is Day 3's meals.
Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled 1/2 avocado 8 oz coffee black
Lunch: 2 salmon cakes over cabbage slaw with homemade creamy olive oil dressing which was really just a spicy mayo with extra apple cider vinegar to thin it out to a dressing consistency.
Dinner: Better Butter Chicken courtesy of Everyday Paleo. I had to make a few modifications in the spices but it was delicious. I served it with zucchini sauteed in coconut oil, herbs de province and onions.
Snack: At 9:00 I found myself starving so I actually had some leftovers from tonight's dinner.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Whole 30 Day 2
Yippee for me I survived day 2!! Today was a challenging day and I made it even though I wanted chocolate something fierce (exactly why I can't keep it in the house). Between my 5 1/2 year old that changed overnight into a 3 year old and an almost 3 year old well acting like a 3 year old, HVAC people at my house ALL day for a project that was only supposed to take 1 day is now going into 3 days oh and a 7 year old that thought it was great to torment the other kids. Let me just say I was glad when the day was over.
I kept my meals pretty basic just for the sheer fact that I was tired yesterday (sugar detox?)
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 3 meat balls broken apart and heated and served with the eggs topped with 1/2 an avocado. 8 oz coffee black.
Lunch: Leftover meatballs cooked the same way as breakfast.
Snack: Shared an apple with my son and a 1 tbsp of almond butter.
Dinner: Umm...leftover meatballs and a huge dinner salad with kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes and a very small handful of toasted almonds. Balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. I pretty much just ate the salad as I wasn't all that hungry.
I will make day 3 a priority to have a little variety in my meals.
I kept my meals pretty basic just for the sheer fact that I was tired yesterday (sugar detox?)
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 3 meat balls broken apart and heated and served with the eggs topped with 1/2 an avocado. 8 oz coffee black.
Lunch: Leftover meatballs cooked the same way as breakfast.
Snack: Shared an apple with my son and a 1 tbsp of almond butter.
Dinner: Umm...leftover meatballs and a huge dinner salad with kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes and a very small handful of toasted almonds. Balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. I pretty much just ate the salad as I wasn't all that hungry.
I will make day 3 a priority to have a little variety in my meals.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Day 1 of the Whole 30
I have been eating clean/paleo for a year and a half now. I will freely admit that the last several months have been nothing but a struggle for me to maintain the eating lifestyle that I know is the healthiest way for me to live. My goal is to maintain paleo 80-90% with the occasional splurge. Unfortunately my splurges have turned into binges. I will eat clean then completely derail and eat crap and then deal with the physical consequences afterwards. In fact, while I'm eating this food that manufacturers should just label "crap" I know exactly what it will do to me over the next 24 hours. Do I like being bloated? Do I like being gassy? (TMI sorry but full disclosure here). Do I like feeling sluggish and dehydrated? I can continue but I think the point is there. I have determined that I really need to focus on a good healthy relationship with food and finally accept that there is just food that I should never eat again. Is there a 12 step program out there for unhealthy eaters???? Seriously, I'm not trying to make light of those with addictions because I really feel like sugar and processed food is addictive. This is where the whole 30 is coming into play. If you have never been to the Whole 9 's website, check it out and try not to be overwhelmed with the information that they have available.
My goal for the next 30 days is this:
1. Say good bye to 10 pounds. I will not miss you, please don't come back for visits you are no longer welcome.
2. Work on establishing the self control that I have been lacking which has created a very unhealthy relationship with food. Food will not make tears and sadness go away. Food will not ease the daily stresses that is called life.
3. Ease the aches and pains that have snuck back into my body and aren't being fixed with rest.
4. Have a plan of how I can reincorporate the occasional splurges back into my life without becoming derailed again.
I'm not going to lie. This next 30 days may be challenging to me. I can and have survived well without grains, dairy, legumes and gluten. I am saying good bye again to sugar in all forms except what is natural in fruit and veggies. This will also included artificial sweeteners. No alcohol, sadly I will admit that I will miss the occasional glass of wine over the next 30 days.
Day 1 is over and tomorrow is a new day.
My goal for the next 30 days is this:
1. Say good bye to 10 pounds. I will not miss you, please don't come back for visits you are no longer welcome.
2. Work on establishing the self control that I have been lacking which has created a very unhealthy relationship with food. Food will not make tears and sadness go away. Food will not ease the daily stresses that is called life.
3. Ease the aches and pains that have snuck back into my body and aren't being fixed with rest.
4. Have a plan of how I can reincorporate the occasional splurges back into my life without becoming derailed again.
I'm not going to lie. This next 30 days may be challenging to me. I can and have survived well without grains, dairy, legumes and gluten. I am saying good bye again to sugar in all forms except what is natural in fruit and veggies. This will also included artificial sweeteners. No alcohol, sadly I will admit that I will miss the occasional glass of wine over the next 30 days.
Day 1 is over and tomorrow is a new day.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
BBQ Pulled Pork w/ Coleslaw
I love pulled pork sandwiches. I mean really what isn't there to love? Yummy slow cooked pork, drenched in sweet and tangy BBQ sauce add some melted mozzarella cheese and coleslaw and you will end up in what may seem like heaven but for me it will be in a carb and gluten induced belly ache.
The above scenario was my inspiration for this dish and it turned out to be a hit with the entire family.
BBQ Sauce
1/2 purple onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground mustard
Couple twists of fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp organic raw honey (optional-I use it because it seems to "cut" the tartness of the tomato sauce)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 cans organic tomato sauce
5lb pork shoulder blade roast bone-in
In a sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions 3-5 minutes until they become translucent. Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes, be careful with the garlic so it doesn't burn. Add oregano, red pepper, cayenne, ground mustard and cumin. Mix well and cook another 1-2 minutes. I like to add the herbs and spices and heat or cook them a bit; it seems to release the flavor a bit more. Add tomato sauce, mustard, vinegar, honey and pepper. Simmer approx 10 minutes. While mine simmered I prepared my meat. The pork shoulder I bought had quite a bit of fat on it (must have been why it was on sale and so cheap) so I trimmed a good portion of the fat from the meat. Cut the meat away from the bone and cut in large chunks. I found that this produces a more tender meat once the cooking is complete. Add the meat, including the bone (The remaining meat will cook off the bone. My dogs love to eat the bone afterwards) pour sauce over the top and cook for 8 hours on low.
Coleslaw
1 head green cabbage
4-5 carrots
1 1/2 cups Paleo Mayo (See recipe below)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tbsp raw apple cider
Splash of pickle juice
Shred cabbage and carrots, I used my food processor which was much quicker. Mix remaining ingredients, add to cabbage and carrots and blend well. Serve pork over the cabbage and here is your pulled pork sandwich minus the bun! Enjoy!!
Paleo Mayo
1 egg
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground mustard
Olive oil approx 2/3 cup
Add egg, lemon juice and ground mustard to food processor. Blend for 30 seconds; slowly add olive oil until mixture begins to thicken. Use within 2-3 days.
The above scenario was my inspiration for this dish and it turned out to be a hit with the entire family.
BBQ Sauce
1/2 purple onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground mustard
Couple twists of fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp organic raw honey (optional-I use it because it seems to "cut" the tartness of the tomato sauce)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 cans organic tomato sauce
5lb pork shoulder blade roast bone-in
In a sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions 3-5 minutes until they become translucent. Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes, be careful with the garlic so it doesn't burn. Add oregano, red pepper, cayenne, ground mustard and cumin. Mix well and cook another 1-2 minutes. I like to add the herbs and spices and heat or cook them a bit; it seems to release the flavor a bit more. Add tomato sauce, mustard, vinegar, honey and pepper. Simmer approx 10 minutes. While mine simmered I prepared my meat. The pork shoulder I bought had quite a bit of fat on it (must have been why it was on sale and so cheap) so I trimmed a good portion of the fat from the meat. Cut the meat away from the bone and cut in large chunks. I found that this produces a more tender meat once the cooking is complete. Add the meat, including the bone (The remaining meat will cook off the bone. My dogs love to eat the bone afterwards) pour sauce over the top and cook for 8 hours on low.
Coleslaw
1 head green cabbage
4-5 carrots
1 1/2 cups Paleo Mayo (See recipe below)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tbsp raw apple cider
Splash of pickle juice
Shred cabbage and carrots, I used my food processor which was much quicker. Mix remaining ingredients, add to cabbage and carrots and blend well. Serve pork over the cabbage and here is your pulled pork sandwich minus the bun! Enjoy!!
Paleo Mayo
1 egg
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground mustard
Olive oil approx 2/3 cup
Add egg, lemon juice and ground mustard to food processor. Blend for 30 seconds; slowly add olive oil until mixture begins to thicken. Use within 2-3 days.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Chilli and a Smoothie
My daughter has been sick which has been miserable for both her and I. I hate when any of my kids are sick but there is something about a toddler being sick that just makes my heart break. It's only a cold but she has been miserable for the last 4 or 5 days. She is a big eater and she hasn't had much of an appetite for anything so I decided that maybe a smoothie would make her feel just a little better if only temporarily. I got the idea while listening to the Everyday Paleo/Growing Up Paleo podcast. I find it so encouraging to listen to other mothers choosing to feed their children Paleo and succeeding. You can find their podcast at itunes or at http://www.everydaypaleo.com/.
I'm not sure if on the Everyday Paleo blog the actual recipe is posted but just hearing was enough to try it. It ended up being perfect for my little one who hasn't had much of an appetite over the last few days. I used the fruit that I had available in the house today, no experiment with what you have available.
The chili on the other hand was my idea for dinner as soon as I woke up this morning. As the day progressed I realized that the 4:30 doctors appointment that my daughter had wasn't going to work with coming home and hour + later and trying to get dinner ready. I briefly succumbed to having pizza for dinner as a way out. About 2 seconds later I said out loud "what the heck am I doing?" (my children must really think I am crazy). Putting together this chili took about 15 minutes and I let it simmer on the stove until we had to leave for my daughters appointment covered it and when we came home reheated it and voila a hearty paleo dinner was ready to serve.
Smoothie:
1 banana
small handful of blackberries
3/4 -1 cup of frozen blueberries
1 tbsp coconut oil
full fat coconut milk
4-5 ice cubes
I added all the fruit and ice to the blender. Added enough coconut milk to cover the fruit and blended away. Add more of the milk as needed to get the consistency you want. The results were very tasty and full of such healthy fats. I froze the left overs and discovered that just before it is completely frozen solid it get the consistency of ice cream. I believe that I also discovered a new dessert for myself on those days where I really want some ice cream!
Chili:
1 lb organic grass fed beef
1 1/4 lb ground turkey
1 red onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
3-4 tbsp** chili powder
2 tbsp** paprika
1 tbsp** cumin
2 tsp** sea salt
black pepper
2 cans organic diced tomato's-don't drain the juice
2 cups gluten free beef stock
Brown the meat in a large pot, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the spices and mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. I like adding the spices first and letting them cook because it seems to bring out their flavor better than just immediately adding the liquids. Add tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil turn to low and simmer for an hour or two. As a little treat to the kids tonight I served this with crushed sweet potato chips on top and it was delicious. I can't wait to have this in the morning with a couple of poached eggs on top. Enjoy!
**Now here is my disclaimer: Unless I'm following a specific recipe I don't usually use measuring spoons. I eyeball it in the palm of my hand so amounts may need just a little tinkering since the measurements aren't exact.**
I'm not sure if on the Everyday Paleo blog the actual recipe is posted but just hearing was enough to try it. It ended up being perfect for my little one who hasn't had much of an appetite over the last few days. I used the fruit that I had available in the house today, no experiment with what you have available.
The chili on the other hand was my idea for dinner as soon as I woke up this morning. As the day progressed I realized that the 4:30 doctors appointment that my daughter had wasn't going to work with coming home and hour + later and trying to get dinner ready. I briefly succumbed to having pizza for dinner as a way out. About 2 seconds later I said out loud "what the heck am I doing?" (my children must really think I am crazy). Putting together this chili took about 15 minutes and I let it simmer on the stove until we had to leave for my daughters appointment covered it and when we came home reheated it and voila a hearty paleo dinner was ready to serve.
Smoothie:
1 banana
small handful of blackberries
3/4 -1 cup of frozen blueberries
1 tbsp coconut oil
full fat coconut milk
4-5 ice cubes
I added all the fruit and ice to the blender. Added enough coconut milk to cover the fruit and blended away. Add more of the milk as needed to get the consistency you want. The results were very tasty and full of such healthy fats. I froze the left overs and discovered that just before it is completely frozen solid it get the consistency of ice cream. I believe that I also discovered a new dessert for myself on those days where I really want some ice cream!
Chili:
1 lb organic grass fed beef
1 1/4 lb ground turkey
1 red onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
3-4 tbsp** chili powder
2 tbsp** paprika
1 tbsp** cumin
2 tsp** sea salt
black pepper
2 cans organic diced tomato's-don't drain the juice
2 cups gluten free beef stock
Brown the meat in a large pot, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the spices and mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. I like adding the spices first and letting them cook because it seems to bring out their flavor better than just immediately adding the liquids. Add tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil turn to low and simmer for an hour or two. As a little treat to the kids tonight I served this with crushed sweet potato chips on top and it was delicious. I can't wait to have this in the morning with a couple of poached eggs on top. Enjoy!
**Now here is my disclaimer: Unless I'm following a specific recipe I don't usually use measuring spoons. I eyeball it in the palm of my hand so amounts may need just a little tinkering since the measurements aren't exact.**
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