Since I feel I was successful in my baking endeavors this week, I thought I would post the recipe I used to make my muffins. I know this recipe comes from a cookbook, but I don't know what cookbook because the recipe I have is just a copy from the book. Perhaps my honey will tell me what book it came from if I ask him.
Banana Bread
2 Cups of Brown Rice Flour or any combination of gluten free flours
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (all-spice works well here too if you don't have nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 medium or 3 large)
1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cooking oil (I used olive oil, but any vegetable based oil would work with the exception of peanut)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used shredded coconut, but any nut would work)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3 inch or two 7 1/2x3 1/2x2 inch loaf pans, or two muffin tins with 12 muffin cups apiece (if you do muffins, just use the paper muffin cups - saves time and grease). In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (Batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan(s).
3. For the larger loaf pan: bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
For the two loaf pans: bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Muffins: Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
A Baking Success
I am not very good at baking. I do fine with the cooking part but baking things like cake, cookies, bread, or anything else like that - I fail miserably! I do okay with the boxed mixes, and I make good chocolate chip cookies, but anything beyond that I cannot do.
So, I was given a challenge this week. My boyfriend texted me the other day and told me he had some bananas that were no longer fit for eating, but were perfect for banana bread. The last time I made banana bread the bread crumbled and was not done in the middle. He said he was going to bring me the bananas along with the recipe. So, I took it as a challenge to be successful in this baking endeavor.
Instead of using the gluten all-purpose flour I opted to use brown rice flour. I then had to come up with something in place of the sugar. I have been doing a lot of research on natural sweeteners and whatnot and the other day I came across one I hadn't heard of - coconut sugar. Apparently coconut sugar is made from the nectar of the coconut blossoms that bloom before the coconut grows in its place on the tree. I am able to have coconut, so I figured its sugar counterpart was fine. Just like refined sugar, though, it has as many calories and needs to be eaten in moderation. The plus side is that it has a very low glycemic index score, which means that it won't make your blood sugar spike as quickly as regular sugar does and it is easier for the body to digest. So needless to say, I went and bought some coconut sugar.
Now I was ready to make this banana bread. I whipped up the batter according to the instructions and then put the batter in the fridge. This morning I got up a little earlier than usual and pulled out the muffin pans. I put in muffin papers and proceeded to fill twenty four muffin cups with banana bread batter made with rice flour and coconut sugar. I then put in the muffin pans into the oven and while the muffins were baking, I went and got ready for work. After I was done getting ready for work, the muffins were done.
They turned out really well and they are tasty too! I am happy to say that this baking challenge was a success! People at work liked the muffins and so did my honey! And I have a lot left for tomorrow too! Yay!
I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year! See you all "next year!"
So, I was given a challenge this week. My boyfriend texted me the other day and told me he had some bananas that were no longer fit for eating, but were perfect for banana bread. The last time I made banana bread the bread crumbled and was not done in the middle. He said he was going to bring me the bananas along with the recipe. So, I took it as a challenge to be successful in this baking endeavor.
Instead of using the gluten all-purpose flour I opted to use brown rice flour. I then had to come up with something in place of the sugar. I have been doing a lot of research on natural sweeteners and whatnot and the other day I came across one I hadn't heard of - coconut sugar. Apparently coconut sugar is made from the nectar of the coconut blossoms that bloom before the coconut grows in its place on the tree. I am able to have coconut, so I figured its sugar counterpart was fine. Just like refined sugar, though, it has as many calories and needs to be eaten in moderation. The plus side is that it has a very low glycemic index score, which means that it won't make your blood sugar spike as quickly as regular sugar does and it is easier for the body to digest. So needless to say, I went and bought some coconut sugar.
Now I was ready to make this banana bread. I whipped up the batter according to the instructions and then put the batter in the fridge. This morning I got up a little earlier than usual and pulled out the muffin pans. I put in muffin papers and proceeded to fill twenty four muffin cups with banana bread batter made with rice flour and coconut sugar. I then put in the muffin pans into the oven and while the muffins were baking, I went and got ready for work. After I was done getting ready for work, the muffins were done.
They turned out really well and they are tasty too! I am happy to say that this baking challenge was a success! People at work liked the muffins and so did my honey! And I have a lot left for tomorrow too! Yay!
I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year! See you all "next year!"
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Chicken And Curry - YUM
So last night for dinner I decided to make something different. Wednesdays typically are my day to try different recipes, so I decided to make coconut-ginger curried chicken. This was based on a recipe I saw on one of the many blogs I have recently discovered that have recipes galore of foods that I can eat.
This recipe was definitely a hit! I didn't have coconut milk like the recipe called for and I wasn't about to spend four dollars on something I would only use once, so I used almond milk and added a little bit more coconut to the recipe. It was good! My boyfriend even liked it, but he tends to like food with a little kick to it.
I didn't have any cayenne pepper either, so I used chili powder in place of it. It still provided enough spice in the recipe. But if you want it to be very spicy, then cayenne pepper is definitely the way to go.
This week I noticed a flare-up cause I had a little too much sugar so for the last couple of days, I have been on the base anti-inflammatory diet and I am starting to feel better again. So there is definitely truth to what you eat will determine how you feel. Of course everyone is different, but this is what I have noticed. I have not weighed myself yet, but I will tomorrow so I will see if I have lost any weight. I am not that concerned with the weight loss. I am more concerned about feeling healthy and having the energy I once had. But if I lose weight in the process, I am definitely not going to complain.
Well that is all for now. I have one more major holiday to get through and then I should no longer be tempted by the bad foods for awhile. Yay!
This recipe was definitely a hit! I didn't have coconut milk like the recipe called for and I wasn't about to spend four dollars on something I would only use once, so I used almond milk and added a little bit more coconut to the recipe. It was good! My boyfriend even liked it, but he tends to like food with a little kick to it.
I didn't have any cayenne pepper either, so I used chili powder in place of it. It still provided enough spice in the recipe. But if you want it to be very spicy, then cayenne pepper is definitely the way to go.
This week I noticed a flare-up cause I had a little too much sugar so for the last couple of days, I have been on the base anti-inflammatory diet and I am starting to feel better again. So there is definitely truth to what you eat will determine how you feel. Of course everyone is different, but this is what I have noticed. I have not weighed myself yet, but I will tomorrow so I will see if I have lost any weight. I am not that concerned with the weight loss. I am more concerned about feeling healthy and having the energy I once had. But if I lose weight in the process, I am definitely not going to complain.
Well that is all for now. I have one more major holiday to get through and then I should no longer be tempted by the bad foods for awhile. Yay!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Learning To Cook Again
I have always prided myself in my cooking abilities, and I have always enjoyed cooking, but since I have changed my eating habits and dietary needs I feel like I am eight years old again learning how to cook again.
It hasn't been easy, but it has been an adventure for sure. I am so thankful that there are people in this world that have figured things out and have posted recipes, blogs, tips, and other helpful hints on the internet for me to find. This has helped me in learning how to cook again.
I went grocery shopping last night and I really paid attention to the different kinds of health foods and alternatives there really are. I have to do the bulk of my shopping at a health food store so I can get exactly what I need, but it has been an eye-opener for sure.
And while I have given up a lot of foods that I love I have discovered new foods and new combinations of foods that I love. For example, if I hadn't had to give up dairy, I would have never learned how much I love almond milk. It is so delicious and works as well as cow milk in most of my recipes. And because it has a mild flavor, it doesn't overpower or change the flavor of other foods that call for milk.
Well, that is about it for today. Tonight for dinner I am trying a new recipe. I am making curry-coconut chicken with sweet potatoes, carrots, and collard greens. I whipped up everything last night and it is sitting in my fridge waiting to be cooked in the oven. It had to marinate anyway, so I thought making it last night would cut down the prep work this evening. This way I won't be eating dinner at 8:00PM either. I plan to also cook some quinoa and serve it with the chicken as well.
Hope it goes well. Have a great day everyone!
It hasn't been easy, but it has been an adventure for sure. I am so thankful that there are people in this world that have figured things out and have posted recipes, blogs, tips, and other helpful hints on the internet for me to find. This has helped me in learning how to cook again.
I went grocery shopping last night and I really paid attention to the different kinds of health foods and alternatives there really are. I have to do the bulk of my shopping at a health food store so I can get exactly what I need, but it has been an eye-opener for sure.
And while I have given up a lot of foods that I love I have discovered new foods and new combinations of foods that I love. For example, if I hadn't had to give up dairy, I would have never learned how much I love almond milk. It is so delicious and works as well as cow milk in most of my recipes. And because it has a mild flavor, it doesn't overpower or change the flavor of other foods that call for milk.
Well, that is about it for today. Tonight for dinner I am trying a new recipe. I am making curry-coconut chicken with sweet potatoes, carrots, and collard greens. I whipped up everything last night and it is sitting in my fridge waiting to be cooked in the oven. It had to marinate anyway, so I thought making it last night would cut down the prep work this evening. This way I won't be eating dinner at 8:00PM either. I plan to also cook some quinoa and serve it with the chicken as well.
Hope it goes well. Have a great day everyone!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Christmas Weekend - Some Good, Some Bad
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and if you celebrate Kwanzaa and Hanukkah I hope you are still enjoying your holidays! I made it through Christmas better than I thought I would. I was surrounded by a lot of wonderful things to eat and for the most part I did okay.
One of my family's Christmas traditions is to make aebleskivers for breakfast on Christmas. Aebleskivers are little round Danish pancakes and they are usually served with syrup, jam, powdered sugar, or anything else that sounds tasty to dip them in. Well, they are loaded with gluten and dairy and I cannot have gluten or dairy so I was not really happy about possibly missing this breakfast. I made a decision and decided I was going to eat them regardless, but on Christmas Eve morning I decided to get online and see if I could find a recipe for a different version of aebleskivers. Since I can have brown rice and corn, I figured I might be able to find a replacement.
I logged online and did a search for "gluten free, dairy free aebleskivers" and I found a wonderful recipe which uses whole grain gluten free flours and apple cider vinegar and milk alternatives instead of white flour and buttermilk. I printed off the recipe and decided to try them. I went to the health food store I typically shop at and bought some brown rice flour and combined it with my buckwheat flour. You have to mix the flour, milk alternative (I used unsweetened almond milk), and apple cider vinegar together and leave the mixture out to age overnight. You then mix the mixture with some egg yolks, baking powder, baking soda, sweetener, and then add in whipped egg whites and then cook the aebleskivers up in the pan. These aebleskivers turned out fantastic! I had them with a little bit of fruit jam and had some turkey sausage and an egg to eat on the side. I have posted the recipe, a picture, and a link to the original recipe as it isn't my own.
Now for the bad - I did indulge a little. I did have some sugar over the weekend. That is about the only bad thing I ate, but I am definitely feeling the after affects of the sugar. However, I didn't have as much sugar as I usually do over Christmas, so I feel like I was mildly victorious!
Aside from the wonderful food, I have to say I was very spoiled this Christmas! My parents gave me the Rachael Ray pans I have been wanting for the last three years or so! The bulk of my pans I have been using are ones I bought back in college and they were cheap pans anyways, so I am so excited I have new ones to cook with. They also gave a Christmas decoration and a new shirt. My boyfriend spoiled me all over the place. He bought me a gorgeous pink sweater and a purplish blouse from my favorite clothing store, and then bought me a couple of puzzles, and a lot of lotion and some candles. He is wonderful! I love him lots!
So I hope everyone has a great New Year! See the recipe below and if you have the hankering to try it and don't have a pan, you can buy an aebleskiver pan at Bed Bath and Beyond, or any kitchen stores that carry specialty things like that.
Gluten and Dairy Free Aebleskivers
2 1/2 cups of gluten free whole grain flour ( I used 1 cup of freshly ground amaranth, and 1 1/2 cups of freshly ground millet)
1 1/2 cups of water or dairy free milk of choice
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
1) Mix together the above ingredients and leave out, covered in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours.
3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sweetener (whole cane sugar, coconut sugar, or maple sugar)
1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2) In a clean bowl whip the egg whites into soft peaks.
3) Mix together the egg yolks, baking powder and soda, and salt with the flour mixture until well combined. Fold in the egg whites. Cook according to the directions below.
Directions for Cooking
Heat a seasoned, cast iron pan over medium heat until a sprinkle of water jumps and sizzles on the pan. Grease with palm shortening, olive oil, coconut oil, or butter, and fill 3/4 full of batter. Allow the bottom to brown and set. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, turn a quarter turn. It sounds strange, but it’s not hard! Then turn once, or twice more, as it continues to brown . You should be left with a round pancake! Adjust heat as needed as you continue cooking and serve right away, as they will deflate some as they cool.
One of my family's Christmas traditions is to make aebleskivers for breakfast on Christmas. Aebleskivers are little round Danish pancakes and they are usually served with syrup, jam, powdered sugar, or anything else that sounds tasty to dip them in. Well, they are loaded with gluten and dairy and I cannot have gluten or dairy so I was not really happy about possibly missing this breakfast. I made a decision and decided I was going to eat them regardless, but on Christmas Eve morning I decided to get online and see if I could find a recipe for a different version of aebleskivers. Since I can have brown rice and corn, I figured I might be able to find a replacement.
I logged online and did a search for "gluten free, dairy free aebleskivers" and I found a wonderful recipe which uses whole grain gluten free flours and apple cider vinegar and milk alternatives instead of white flour and buttermilk. I printed off the recipe and decided to try them. I went to the health food store I typically shop at and bought some brown rice flour and combined it with my buckwheat flour. You have to mix the flour, milk alternative (I used unsweetened almond milk), and apple cider vinegar together and leave the mixture out to age overnight. You then mix the mixture with some egg yolks, baking powder, baking soda, sweetener, and then add in whipped egg whites and then cook the aebleskivers up in the pan. These aebleskivers turned out fantastic! I had them with a little bit of fruit jam and had some turkey sausage and an egg to eat on the side. I have posted the recipe, a picture, and a link to the original recipe as it isn't my own.
Now for the bad - I did indulge a little. I did have some sugar over the weekend. That is about the only bad thing I ate, but I am definitely feeling the after affects of the sugar. However, I didn't have as much sugar as I usually do over Christmas, so I feel like I was mildly victorious!
Aside from the wonderful food, I have to say I was very spoiled this Christmas! My parents gave me the Rachael Ray pans I have been wanting for the last three years or so! The bulk of my pans I have been using are ones I bought back in college and they were cheap pans anyways, so I am so excited I have new ones to cook with. They also gave a Christmas decoration and a new shirt. My boyfriend spoiled me all over the place. He bought me a gorgeous pink sweater and a purplish blouse from my favorite clothing store, and then bought me a couple of puzzles, and a lot of lotion and some candles. He is wonderful! I love him lots!
So I hope everyone has a great New Year! See the recipe below and if you have the hankering to try it and don't have a pan, you can buy an aebleskiver pan at Bed Bath and Beyond, or any kitchen stores that carry specialty things like that.
Gluten and Dairy Free Aebleskivers
2 1/2 cups of gluten free whole grain flour ( I used 1 cup of freshly ground amaranth, and 1 1/2 cups of freshly ground millet)
1 1/2 cups of water or dairy free milk of choice
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
1) Mix together the above ingredients and leave out, covered in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours.
3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sweetener (whole cane sugar, coconut sugar, or maple sugar)
1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2) In a clean bowl whip the egg whites into soft peaks.
3) Mix together the egg yolks, baking powder and soda, and salt with the flour mixture until well combined. Fold in the egg whites. Cook according to the directions below.
Directions for Cooking
Heat a seasoned, cast iron pan over medium heat until a sprinkle of water jumps and sizzles on the pan. Grease with palm shortening, olive oil, coconut oil, or butter, and fill 3/4 full of batter. Allow the bottom to brown and set. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, turn a quarter turn. It sounds strange, but it’s not hard! Then turn once, or twice more, as it continues to brown . You should be left with a round pancake! Adjust heat as needed as you continue cooking and serve right away, as they will deflate some as they cool.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
A New Chapter
So today I had another doctor's appointment, but I actually went to the doctor's office instead of having the appointment via phone. I learned today that I lost another pound which brings my total weight loss thus far to 16 pounds! Oh yeah! I haven't lost weight at all in like that last two years and I have been steadily gaining, so to see this kind of dramatic weight loss is very thrilling to me! The doctor was very pleased with my progress. I honestly cannot tell that I have lost weight, but the doctor said that he can tell after not seeing me for like three weeks as all of my appointments until today were done over the phone. YAY!
I am starting some new supplements and was also given the go ahead on trying corn in my diet. I have been successful with the brown rice, so I was able to get some bread made from brown rice flour. I have tried it a few different ways already and I decided that I like it toasted best. I toasted some of the rice bread for dinner tonight and I couldn't even tell that it was rice bread instead of wheat bread. I will definitely be having some for breakfast!
If all goes well with the corn, it will mean I can have corn chips (as long as they are cooked in sunflower oil), corn tortillas and anything else that has corn in it so long as everything else is diet friendly. I have learned from this journey that our bodies are amazing things and if we feed it the right things, it can heal itself. For the first time in almost eight years, I finally have some control over my digestive issues that have plagued me for so long. They are almost completely eliminated and I am so thankful for that. Of course, if I eat things I shouldn't then they come back almost immediately.
Well, that is where we are at with the progress so far. This week is Christmas and I am bound and determined to be a good girl! We will see how it goes. I will keep everyone updated! Have a great Christmas, an awesome Hanukkah, and a fabulous Kwanzaa everyone! And Happy New Year!
I am starting some new supplements and was also given the go ahead on trying corn in my diet. I have been successful with the brown rice, so I was able to get some bread made from brown rice flour. I have tried it a few different ways already and I decided that I like it toasted best. I toasted some of the rice bread for dinner tonight and I couldn't even tell that it was rice bread instead of wheat bread. I will definitely be having some for breakfast!
If all goes well with the corn, it will mean I can have corn chips (as long as they are cooked in sunflower oil), corn tortillas and anything else that has corn in it so long as everything else is diet friendly. I have learned from this journey that our bodies are amazing things and if we feed it the right things, it can heal itself. For the first time in almost eight years, I finally have some control over my digestive issues that have plagued me for so long. They are almost completely eliminated and I am so thankful for that. Of course, if I eat things I shouldn't then they come back almost immediately.
Well, that is where we are at with the progress so far. This week is Christmas and I am bound and determined to be a good girl! We will see how it goes. I will keep everyone updated! Have a great Christmas, an awesome Hanukkah, and a fabulous Kwanzaa everyone! And Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
An Update On My Goals
Well, I haven't posted in a week or so. I have been busy getting ready for Christmas. I have some time to post right now so I will.
My diet restrictions have been eased a little, but not much. But the things that have been added back in have allowed me to eat and enjoy more things and also be more creative in my meal prep. I think the biggest challenge this week has been the bread. Once I have determined I can handle brown rice, the doc says I am free to eat any gluten free breads made from rice flour, so I am getting very excited about that! I enjoy sandwiches and it will be wonderful to have them again. I have never really liked condiments on my sandwiches, so that is something I won't miss.
Today I decided to weigh myself because the doc kept asking me every time he would if I had weighed myself. I don't own a scale and haven't had a chance to weigh myself anywhere since I started this adventure. So I took some time and wandered up to the scale on the third floor of my office. This scale adds ten pounds to your weight (because it isn't weighted properly), but I did weigh myself on that scale right before I started this adventure so I did have a starting number to go off of. I stepped on the scale and put it at that starting number. It was too heavy, so I moved the little thingy down some more. Still too heavy! Then it finally evened out! I have lost almost fifteen pounds in a month! In all of my weight loss goals I have never lost that much weight in a month and I am proud to say I have done this healthily and I haven't felt deprived. I think the biggest things that have helped has been giving up the refined sugars (aka candy) and the soda and caffeine. I feel much better about this treatment.
Well, I am hoping to start trying to new recipes next week - just haven't had time to whip up anything with the up and coming holiday, but I will find time! Have a great weekend everyone!
My diet restrictions have been eased a little, but not much. But the things that have been added back in have allowed me to eat and enjoy more things and also be more creative in my meal prep. I think the biggest challenge this week has been the bread. Once I have determined I can handle brown rice, the doc says I am free to eat any gluten free breads made from rice flour, so I am getting very excited about that! I enjoy sandwiches and it will be wonderful to have them again. I have never really liked condiments on my sandwiches, so that is something I won't miss.
Today I decided to weigh myself because the doc kept asking me every time he would if I had weighed myself. I don't own a scale and haven't had a chance to weigh myself anywhere since I started this adventure. So I took some time and wandered up to the scale on the third floor of my office. This scale adds ten pounds to your weight (because it isn't weighted properly), but I did weigh myself on that scale right before I started this adventure so I did have a starting number to go off of. I stepped on the scale and put it at that starting number. It was too heavy, so I moved the little thingy down some more. Still too heavy! Then it finally evened out! I have lost almost fifteen pounds in a month! In all of my weight loss goals I have never lost that much weight in a month and I am proud to say I have done this healthily and I haven't felt deprived. I think the biggest things that have helped has been giving up the refined sugars (aka candy) and the soda and caffeine. I feel much better about this treatment.
Well, I am hoping to start trying to new recipes next week - just haven't had time to whip up anything with the up and coming holiday, but I will find time! Have a great weekend everyone!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Time For Rice
I had another phone appointment with the doc today and today he told me he wants me to start eating brown rice. Which means I now have another carb source in the diet. I have never really been a big fan of brown rice, so this will be an adventure. But I am sure I will like it if I prepare it myself.
Yesterday was good day overall for me diet. I did very well all day other than I nuked my turkey for too long at lunch and didn't get a chance to eat it cause it turned into rubber, but that was my bad. Tonight I have plans of making chicken strips. I found a good recipe online on Food Network's website. I am going to be modifying it a bit, but I think it will work for what I want to do. I will be combining it with another recipe so I have a good chicken strip recipe. I am hoping it turns out. I also plan to make some sweet potato fries as well. And then maybe I will come up with something for dessert.
Sorry today's post is short. I don't really have much to say, but I will let everyone know how the chicken turns out tomorrow!
Yesterday was good day overall for me diet. I did very well all day other than I nuked my turkey for too long at lunch and didn't get a chance to eat it cause it turned into rubber, but that was my bad. Tonight I have plans of making chicken strips. I found a good recipe online on Food Network's website. I am going to be modifying it a bit, but I think it will work for what I want to do. I will be combining it with another recipe so I have a good chicken strip recipe. I am hoping it turns out. I also plan to make some sweet potato fries as well. And then maybe I will come up with something for dessert.
Sorry today's post is short. I don't really have much to say, but I will let everyone know how the chicken turns out tomorrow!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Yesterday Was Not A Good Day For Eating
Do you ever have a day where something in that day seems to just not go right? Well, that was me yesterday. I woke up late and therefore barely got out of the door to make it to work on time. As a result of running late, I did not have breakfast or my vitamins or anything. So, I was pretty hungry when I was finally able to go to lunch. I ate a hamburger and fries for lunch and then for dinner I went to Hot Dog On A Stick! I knew it was a bad thing! I felt these meals come back to haunt me too this morning! I am thinking I am intolerant to gluten - not allergic, but intolerant, because I woke up with my 3:00AM itches that I used to get in the past. I don't have hives or anything - I just itch all over the place. Or it could have been the starch or peanut oil - needless to say, the foods I ate yesterday made their presence known in a bad way.
Today I decided to start over. Because of my itches I really only managed another hour of sleep or so, so I decided to get up. I had seen a recipe on Pinterest (my new internet love) that I was eager to try. It was a recipe for gluten free, dairy free, and even egg free drop biscuits. The recipe encouraged the person making the biscuits to use a combination of gluten free flours, but most of the gluten free flours are made from things I can't have right now, so I had to use all buckwheat flour even though the recipe discouraged it, but I did anyway. I mixed the ingredients and made the dough and then put the dough on my Pampered Chef stoneware and baked them. Buckwheat flour is kind of dark all by itself so it is really hard to know when things made from it are done. But they did bake up and they looked fine to me. I then cooked up some turkey sausage, sweet potatoes, and an egg for breakfast. I then paired a couple of the biscuits with everything else and also got some almond butter for dipping the biscuits in.
It was like eating a real big breakfast this morning. I typically don't make big breakfasts for myself only but since I had loads of time this morning I decided to get creative. I have quite a few biscuits left, but I have bread now! And the recipe stated that buckwheat flour can have an aftertaste, I didn't really taste one. If you aren't used to the flavor of buckwheat, these may taste different, but they tasted like any other drop biscuit I have had before. And if you dip them in almond butter or any nut or seed butter for that matter, they are even more tasty! I packed some of the leftover ones in my lunch today. I plan to see if my boyfriend and best friend like them. I am planning on using these biscuits as part of my breading for my chicken strips I plan to make tomorrow. So glad I tried this recipe! See pictures below for the biscuits (they look like cookies, but they really are biscuits) and my delicious breakfast!
And here is the link to the recipe: http://wholenewmom.com/recipes/easy-drop-biscuit-recipe-w-gf-df-options/
Today I decided to start over. Because of my itches I really only managed another hour of sleep or so, so I decided to get up. I had seen a recipe on Pinterest (my new internet love) that I was eager to try. It was a recipe for gluten free, dairy free, and even egg free drop biscuits. The recipe encouraged the person making the biscuits to use a combination of gluten free flours, but most of the gluten free flours are made from things I can't have right now, so I had to use all buckwheat flour even though the recipe discouraged it, but I did anyway. I mixed the ingredients and made the dough and then put the dough on my Pampered Chef stoneware and baked them. Buckwheat flour is kind of dark all by itself so it is really hard to know when things made from it are done. But they did bake up and they looked fine to me. I then cooked up some turkey sausage, sweet potatoes, and an egg for breakfast. I then paired a couple of the biscuits with everything else and also got some almond butter for dipping the biscuits in.
It was like eating a real big breakfast this morning. I typically don't make big breakfasts for myself only but since I had loads of time this morning I decided to get creative. I have quite a few biscuits left, but I have bread now! And the recipe stated that buckwheat flour can have an aftertaste, I didn't really taste one. If you aren't used to the flavor of buckwheat, these may taste different, but they tasted like any other drop biscuit I have had before. And if you dip them in almond butter or any nut or seed butter for that matter, they are even more tasty! I packed some of the leftover ones in my lunch today. I plan to see if my boyfriend and best friend like them. I am planning on using these biscuits as part of my breading for my chicken strips I plan to make tomorrow. So glad I tried this recipe! See pictures below for the biscuits (they look like cookies, but they really are biscuits) and my delicious breakfast!
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| Buckwheat Flour Drop Biscuits |
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| Turkey Sausage, Egg, Drop Biscuits, and Sweet Potatoes |
And here is the link to the recipe: http://wholenewmom.com/recipes/easy-drop-biscuit-recipe-w-gf-df-options/
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Now The Fun Begins
I have been freed somewhat from my strict diet! I can now enjoy tomatoes, beef, and eggs. I know there are some people who think that is still very restrictive, but having those three items back in my diet open a world of new possibilities! You just have to take time to think about it.
For example, there are eggs. Eggs are versatile little things and can be used to make lots of things. You can just cook them up and eat them or you can use them in a lot of recipes and other things as well. I have made my own chicken strips in the past and one of the crucial things was the egg\milk wash, so now that I can have eggs I can combine them with my almond milk and make the egg\milk wash. And I can make my breading from buckwheat flour, nuts, and herbs. I then pan fry the chicken in olive oil or bake it.
With the tomatoes I can now add more to my turkey burgers and I can have salsa! One of my favorite things to eat is salsa chicken. I take a chicken breast and cook it part of the way on the stove and then I put some salsa on top of it and then finish cooking it in a 350 degree oven for about twenty minutes and it is delish! So I get to have that again! YAY!
I have never been a huge red meat eater so having beef back in my diet isn't really going to impact me much other than I can now have a beef burger if I go out to order one. I can also use ground beef in my tacos at home when I make tacos. I also make these fabulous meatballs so I can use ground beef in those too even though I usually prefer ground turkey!
Well, I will update on how my attempt at my chicken strips went as I plan to make those tonight! Have a great day everyone!
For example, there are eggs. Eggs are versatile little things and can be used to make lots of things. You can just cook them up and eat them or you can use them in a lot of recipes and other things as well. I have made my own chicken strips in the past and one of the crucial things was the egg\milk wash, so now that I can have eggs I can combine them with my almond milk and make the egg\milk wash. And I can make my breading from buckwheat flour, nuts, and herbs. I then pan fry the chicken in olive oil or bake it.
With the tomatoes I can now add more to my turkey burgers and I can have salsa! One of my favorite things to eat is salsa chicken. I take a chicken breast and cook it part of the way on the stove and then I put some salsa on top of it and then finish cooking it in a 350 degree oven for about twenty minutes and it is delish! So I get to have that again! YAY!
I have never been a huge red meat eater so having beef back in my diet isn't really going to impact me much other than I can now have a beef burger if I go out to order one. I can also use ground beef in my tacos at home when I make tacos. I also make these fabulous meatballs so I can use ground beef in those too even though I usually prefer ground turkey!
Well, I will update on how my attempt at my chicken strips went as I plan to make those tonight! Have a great day everyone!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Day 19 - Day 21: The End!
Today is my last day of being on the very restricted diet. This weekend proved to be a challenge, though. Friday evening I had a bit of a breakdown and ended up eating some Chinese food. While I ordered grilled chicken with veggies and cashews, the whole dish was dripping with a sauce made from soy sauce. Saturday I had a flour tortilla and fries. I was a very bad girl, but somehow I still managed to avoid everything else and still not have my Pepsi. I have been impressed with myself that I have avoided caffeine for so long. In the past I have told myself I am not going to drink caffeine and that last oh about a day and then I am right back to nursing my habit. In the last 21 days I have had a Pepsi twice. That's incredible! I have never gone that long before - 19 days with no caffeine! I am awesome!
People have been asking me if I have noticed a difference since I started this diet and I have noticed a few things. As far as my energy goes, it seems to be a progressive thing. Before I started this diet, getting out of bed was an absolute challenge. I would literally cry because it was so hard to get out of bed and face the day because I was exhausted even after sleeping 11 hours the night before. Since I have started, getting out of bed hasn't been nearly as difficult and I am not so ornery about it anymore. Also, my best friend and my boyfriend have both caught colds within the last week and I haven't gotten sick because of all of the Vitamin C and Zinc I have running around in my body as a result of the supplements the doctor has me on. I have a swollen spot in my left leg that just seems to be always swollen and since I have started this it has gone down in size. It isn't gone but it is a lot smaller than it used to be. And a lot of my digestive issues have seem to have resolved as well.
As far as my diet goes, yesterday (Sunday) was the best day I had all weekend. I ate very well and avoided everything I can't have and didn't cheat at all. YAY! I did actually drink a glass of almond milk all by itself with nothing added to it and I do like it, but the taste on it seems to be backwards to me. When I drink cows milk the flavor of the milk kind of comes to me as I am swallowing and has that satisfied taste. With the almond milk, the flavor came first and then it didn't taste like anything as it went down. I just wanted more to the flavor. I am also drinking Unsweetened Almond Milk so that may be part of the problem. While I plan to incorporate Almond Milk into my diet going forward, I still love my cows milk.
Tomorrow I get to start eating the other foods I mentioned in a previous post. I am thinking tomorrow I will be adding tomatoes back into my diet and see what happens. If I am good there, then I will be doing eggs and so on. Maybe one day I will be able to have cows milk again.
People have been asking me if I have noticed a difference since I started this diet and I have noticed a few things. As far as my energy goes, it seems to be a progressive thing. Before I started this diet, getting out of bed was an absolute challenge. I would literally cry because it was so hard to get out of bed and face the day because I was exhausted even after sleeping 11 hours the night before. Since I have started, getting out of bed hasn't been nearly as difficult and I am not so ornery about it anymore. Also, my best friend and my boyfriend have both caught colds within the last week and I haven't gotten sick because of all of the Vitamin C and Zinc I have running around in my body as a result of the supplements the doctor has me on. I have a swollen spot in my left leg that just seems to be always swollen and since I have started this it has gone down in size. It isn't gone but it is a lot smaller than it used to be. And a lot of my digestive issues have seem to have resolved as well.
As far as my diet goes, yesterday (Sunday) was the best day I had all weekend. I ate very well and avoided everything I can't have and didn't cheat at all. YAY! I did actually drink a glass of almond milk all by itself with nothing added to it and I do like it, but the taste on it seems to be backwards to me. When I drink cows milk the flavor of the milk kind of comes to me as I am swallowing and has that satisfied taste. With the almond milk, the flavor came first and then it didn't taste like anything as it went down. I just wanted more to the flavor. I am also drinking Unsweetened Almond Milk so that may be part of the problem. While I plan to incorporate Almond Milk into my diet going forward, I still love my cows milk.
Tomorrow I get to start eating the other foods I mentioned in a previous post. I am thinking tomorrow I will be adding tomatoes back into my diet and see what happens. If I am good there, then I will be doing eggs and so on. Maybe one day I will be able to have cows milk again.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Day 18: Almost There!
Three days, people! Three days! While I know next week I won't be able to go back to eating whatever I want, I do know it will be a little easier just for the fact I will be able to have a little bit more variety in my diet. One of my favorite breakfasts of all time is hashbrowns, sausage, and fried eggs. Well, I have been able to eat chicken and turkey sausage and the potatoes, but no eggs. Starting next week I can have eggs! I crave protein in the morning more than any other time of the day. I don't want carbs - I just want protein. In fact if I go out to breakfast to like IHOP or Denny's, I will always be the one at the table that orders the all meat and egg breakfast - bacon, sausage, chicken fried steak - all the meat and eggs! It's really the only time I am a huge meat and protein lover!
So, this is why I am glad I will be able to have eggs again. Eggs are so versatile and you can do so much with them. I know there are a lot of people out there who don't think eating eggs is right because it is an animal product, but if a chicken doesn't lay her egg she will die as I have witnessed first hand. You also cannot leave the unfertilized eggs with the chickens or they may get cracked open and if a chicken tastes the egg they go crazy! They will do anything in their power to get the other eggs and eat them - they basically get Mad Chicken Disease and have to be removed from the rest of the flock or put down. So this is why I am not opposed to eating eggs and this is because I have seen firsthand why it is important for the hens to lay their eggs and secondly why they need to be removed. The eggs I eat come from free range chickens. The eggs themselves cannot be considered organic because these chickens do not eat organic feed and they also eat all of the fruit and veggie leftovers my mother has. I think since my father got chickens my mother has not had to throw away and fruit, veggies, or bread away. The chickens eat it all!
I am also looking forward to eating tomatoes as well. One of my favorite things to make is my own fresh salsa - well I like tomato based salsas better than any other kind of salsa, so I am very excited about having salsa again and marinara sauce. I will be able to make meatballs again now that I can have eggs. I make these awesome Italian inspired meatballs and I have tried other things to get them to stick together and nothing really works better than an egg.
I also found a recipe online for buckwheat flour drop biscuits which I am itching to try. That would make a delicious breakfast option. Serve some of those bad boys up with almond butter and a slab of turkey sausage - yumness!
I keep talking about how I crave protein for breakfast in the morning - well, today was an unusual day. As I getting ready for work I found myself craving a bowl of fruit. So I stopped and a local bakery and cafe here on my way to work and ordered their bowl of fruit. It had cantaloupe, honey dew, pineapple, and red grapes in it. It was delish! Once in a while I crave lighter fare, but most of the time I like meat!
Have a great weekend everyone! I know I will!
So, this is why I am glad I will be able to have eggs again. Eggs are so versatile and you can do so much with them. I know there are a lot of people out there who don't think eating eggs is right because it is an animal product, but if a chicken doesn't lay her egg she will die as I have witnessed first hand. You also cannot leave the unfertilized eggs with the chickens or they may get cracked open and if a chicken tastes the egg they go crazy! They will do anything in their power to get the other eggs and eat them - they basically get Mad Chicken Disease and have to be removed from the rest of the flock or put down. So this is why I am not opposed to eating eggs and this is because I have seen firsthand why it is important for the hens to lay their eggs and secondly why they need to be removed. The eggs I eat come from free range chickens. The eggs themselves cannot be considered organic because these chickens do not eat organic feed and they also eat all of the fruit and veggie leftovers my mother has. I think since my father got chickens my mother has not had to throw away and fruit, veggies, or bread away. The chickens eat it all!
I am also looking forward to eating tomatoes as well. One of my favorite things to make is my own fresh salsa - well I like tomato based salsas better than any other kind of salsa, so I am very excited about having salsa again and marinara sauce. I will be able to make meatballs again now that I can have eggs. I make these awesome Italian inspired meatballs and I have tried other things to get them to stick together and nothing really works better than an egg.
I also found a recipe online for buckwheat flour drop biscuits which I am itching to try. That would make a delicious breakfast option. Serve some of those bad boys up with almond butter and a slab of turkey sausage - yumness!
I keep talking about how I crave protein for breakfast in the morning - well, today was an unusual day. As I getting ready for work I found myself craving a bowl of fruit. So I stopped and a local bakery and cafe here on my way to work and ordered their bowl of fruit. It had cantaloupe, honey dew, pineapple, and red grapes in it. It was delish! Once in a while I crave lighter fare, but most of the time I like meat!
Have a great weekend everyone! I know I will!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
YAY For New Foods!
I spoke with the doc this afternoon and I discussed with him what foods I will be allowed to eat when I am done with this diet in four days! I will for the most part still be continuing this diet, but the goal is to slowly figure out what foods my body can handle and which ones it cannot. So, starting next week I will be allowed to have eggs, tomatoes, and beef again. I am most excited about the eggs and tomatoes part! So, starting next week I won't be nearly as miserable. I still can't have dairy or gluten, but where I can have eggs, I can make some batters with my almond milk and buckwheat flour for like pancakes and stuff. So, happy day! Maybe I can even get my grandfather to make his famous pancakes using my buckwheat flour and almond milk. . . .hmmm. . . .
Day 17: Bacon Burgers Are Better With Cheese!
I tend to like to celebrate little occasions when I can. I don't necessarily need to celebrate them in a big way, but I don't like them to pass quietly into the night. So yesterday was my two month anniversary since I started dating the boyfriend and I wanted us to have a special dinner. Well, everything that we would have normally done could not be done because of this diet, so I had to get creative.
In the booklet thingy the doc gave me there are recipes and one of the recipes was for bacon burgers. I decided to do those. I also purchased some sweet potato fries from the grocery store and made sure they were okay to eat. They were good to eat and since I baked them I didn't have to worry about any oils or anything like that as well.
So for dinner, I cooked up some turkey hamburger patties and then also cooked up some turkey bacon as I could also eat that as well. After the meat was done, I took the patties and put each one inside a big lettuce leaf and then topped it with some bacon. I then put chipotle Tabasco sauce, cucumbers, and a couple of fries on my bigger and then wrapped the rest of the lettuce around the burger. My boyfriend did the same but also added mustard and onion to his as well. We then served the burgers with the fries. All in all things tasted fairly well, but the while I was eating I kept thinking that it would taste better with a big fluffy bun, cheese, tomatoes, and ketchup as well.
It's nice to know that when we hit the three month mark in our relationship, I should be able to eat more things again. I have four full days left in addition to today, and I am very much excited to be done. Today when I speak with the doc I am hoping to find out what they would like me to add back into my diet starting next week. The end is near!
I shall continue to blog about this because I find it has helped me a lot. I suspect that if I hadn't had this blog, I probably would have failed all over the place. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my words and support me in this endeavor quietly. It has been very much appreciated!
In the booklet thingy the doc gave me there are recipes and one of the recipes was for bacon burgers. I decided to do those. I also purchased some sweet potato fries from the grocery store and made sure they were okay to eat. They were good to eat and since I baked them I didn't have to worry about any oils or anything like that as well.
So for dinner, I cooked up some turkey hamburger patties and then also cooked up some turkey bacon as I could also eat that as well. After the meat was done, I took the patties and put each one inside a big lettuce leaf and then topped it with some bacon. I then put chipotle Tabasco sauce, cucumbers, and a couple of fries on my bigger and then wrapped the rest of the lettuce around the burger. My boyfriend did the same but also added mustard and onion to his as well. We then served the burgers with the fries. All in all things tasted fairly well, but the while I was eating I kept thinking that it would taste better with a big fluffy bun, cheese, tomatoes, and ketchup as well.
It's nice to know that when we hit the three month mark in our relationship, I should be able to eat more things again. I have four full days left in addition to today, and I am very much excited to be done. Today when I speak with the doc I am hoping to find out what they would like me to add back into my diet starting next week. The end is near!
I shall continue to blog about this because I find it has helped me a lot. I suspect that if I hadn't had this blog, I probably would have failed all over the place. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my words and support me in this endeavor quietly. It has been very much appreciated!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Day 16: Late Night Dinner Sucks!
So my evening last night did no go according to plan. I was going to go home, make dinner, and then do a little shopping, but that is not what happened.
My boyfriend wasn't feeling well yesterday so I went and took him some nasal spray and a hug per his request after work. I spent a couple of hours with him, and then I returned home and was hungry. I really didn't want to make dinner, so I meandered over to Burger King. It's really hard to order food at fast food establishments when they hardly have anything you can eat. I managed, though and ordered the tendergrill chicken sandwich (which looks twice the size on the menu than it really is, btw). And I had it with lettuce only and my water.
I would really like to be able to order whatever I want some days when I go out to eat but I don't. Today our company brought in Wendys for their cafe here and I have been watching people walk by with their food and today I realized I don't eat very much apparently. I have seen both men and women walking by with two or three burgers or more. Even when I was eating whatever I never ordered more than one burger at any restaurant because I always felt that was more than sufficient. But what do I know?
Today I am hoping to get some groceries for dinner and get the rest of my Christmas shopping done as well. So this way I won't be tempted by all of the gazillion fast food places I live near. Within less than a half a mile I live by a Wendys, a McDonalds, a Burger Kind, a Taco Bell, a Subway, and about three other Mexican places and two other sandwich shops as well. See why it is so easy to just go and get dinner instead of make it?
Well, I have only five days to go and for the most part I feel like I have done well. Yes I have slipped a little bit, but there hasn't been a day where I have completely blown it, so I am thinking that overall I have been successful.
My boyfriend wasn't feeling well yesterday so I went and took him some nasal spray and a hug per his request after work. I spent a couple of hours with him, and then I returned home and was hungry. I really didn't want to make dinner, so I meandered over to Burger King. It's really hard to order food at fast food establishments when they hardly have anything you can eat. I managed, though and ordered the tendergrill chicken sandwich (which looks twice the size on the menu than it really is, btw). And I had it with lettuce only and my water.
I would really like to be able to order whatever I want some days when I go out to eat but I don't. Today our company brought in Wendys for their cafe here and I have been watching people walk by with their food and today I realized I don't eat very much apparently. I have seen both men and women walking by with two or three burgers or more. Even when I was eating whatever I never ordered more than one burger at any restaurant because I always felt that was more than sufficient. But what do I know?
Today I am hoping to get some groceries for dinner and get the rest of my Christmas shopping done as well. So this way I won't be tempted by all of the gazillion fast food places I live near. Within less than a half a mile I live by a Wendys, a McDonalds, a Burger Kind, a Taco Bell, a Subway, and about three other Mexican places and two other sandwich shops as well. See why it is so easy to just go and get dinner instead of make it?
Well, I have only five days to go and for the most part I feel like I have done well. Yes I have slipped a little bit, but there hasn't been a day where I have completely blown it, so I am thinking that overall I have been successful.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Day 15: I Can See The Light At The End Of The Tunnel!
In many ways I am very glad I started this diet right before the holiday season! Why, you ask? Because the less money I spend on take-out and other eating establishments means I have more money to spoil people for Christmas! :-)
But really I am glad I am working on this diet during the holidays because this time of year is always accompanied with good food and a lot of it! Cookies, cake, ham, turkey, and all those other yummy things we all love to eat during this time of year! I am thankful to be on this diet because I am learning how to enjoy different foods and not feel deprived. I can honestly say that I have not felt deprived on this diet. I thought I would feel deprived but in all honesty I have not. I get chocolate every day which is very important and with my almond milk and my frozen bananas, I can make fabulous smoothies that are almost as good as my beloved oreo shakes!
This diet has also allowed me to develop my cooking skills even further. I have been getting creative as of late with my meals too! So if anyone needs healthy yet delicious ideas for meals, let me know. I have had some real winners as of late such as roast chicken and carrots, stuffed peppers, and mashed sweet potatoes.
I will admit, though, that I am so glad the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer, because I am looking forward to having a few more things back in my diet. What I am mainly hoping for is to have dairy and eggs back in my diet and pork too. The gluten I honestly won't miss as there are other things out there to replace that and I am also hoping to be able to have rice back in my diet too. I love rice and hope I can eat it again as well as tomatoes. How I have missed my salsa and ketchup!
Overall, I am not feeling any sicker or worse than I was before. I don't necessarily feel any better, but I don't feel worse and I am thankful for that.
Today I have another appointment with the doc and we will see if anything is going to be changing. We may even discuss my custom diet plan a little today. I am hoping so, because I plan to eat something fantastic after this diet is over, but I also will not eat anything that could screw up all of the work I have done either. But if he says I can have dairy, I am so celebrating with some sugar free frozen yogurt!
But really I am glad I am working on this diet during the holidays because this time of year is always accompanied with good food and a lot of it! Cookies, cake, ham, turkey, and all those other yummy things we all love to eat during this time of year! I am thankful to be on this diet because I am learning how to enjoy different foods and not feel deprived. I can honestly say that I have not felt deprived on this diet. I thought I would feel deprived but in all honesty I have not. I get chocolate every day which is very important and with my almond milk and my frozen bananas, I can make fabulous smoothies that are almost as good as my beloved oreo shakes!
This diet has also allowed me to develop my cooking skills even further. I have been getting creative as of late with my meals too! So if anyone needs healthy yet delicious ideas for meals, let me know. I have had some real winners as of late such as roast chicken and carrots, stuffed peppers, and mashed sweet potatoes.
I will admit, though, that I am so glad the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer, because I am looking forward to having a few more things back in my diet. What I am mainly hoping for is to have dairy and eggs back in my diet and pork too. The gluten I honestly won't miss as there are other things out there to replace that and I am also hoping to be able to have rice back in my diet too. I love rice and hope I can eat it again as well as tomatoes. How I have missed my salsa and ketchup!
Overall, I am not feeling any sicker or worse than I was before. I don't necessarily feel any better, but I don't feel worse and I am thankful for that.
Today I have another appointment with the doc and we will see if anything is going to be changing. We may even discuss my custom diet plan a little today. I am hoping so, because I plan to eat something fantastic after this diet is over, but I also will not eat anything that could screw up all of the work I have done either. But if he says I can have dairy, I am so celebrating with some sugar free frozen yogurt!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Day 10 - 14: Thanksgiving Break
I am so glad the long weekend is over! Too much good food floating around, but all things considered I think I did fairly well. Friday was probably the worst day for me as I did have a little bit of white potato and a small Diet Pepsi with lunch, but that was the worst thing I ate all week.
The mashed sweet potatoes and quinoa stuffing I made for Thanksgiving were a hit. A good many people in the family tried both and enjoyed it. I still have leftovers and I am glad because I enjoy leftovers from Thanksgiving. Yum!
Over the weekend I ran out of my "protein" shake so I had to run to the doc's office this morning and get some more. This was probably the worst weekend to run out of that, but I survived.
Well, I have only one week left of this strict diet! Some time next week after I am done with this diet, the doctor will be customizing a diet for me, so I am sure that there will be things I will be able to have again that I haven't been able to have during this time and I am sure that some things will remain restricted. My suspicions on what I cannot eat lie with gluten and anything deep fried in animal based oil or peanut oils. I also think caffeine and refined sugar will be out as well which is good as I need to kick my caffeine habit once and for all. If anything, this diet has been a blessing for kicking the caffeine. I honestly didn't see how I could go more than a day without my Pepsi, but I have learned that I can and I have also learned that I am the master of what I eat.
So, here is to the rest of the week! Today for lunch I have packed some leftover dill-lemon infused cod and some cooked zucchini. I made this for dinner last night and it was yum-o! So I am having it again for lunch today!
The mashed sweet potatoes and quinoa stuffing I made for Thanksgiving were a hit. A good many people in the family tried both and enjoyed it. I still have leftovers and I am glad because I enjoy leftovers from Thanksgiving. Yum!
Over the weekend I ran out of my "protein" shake so I had to run to the doc's office this morning and get some more. This was probably the worst weekend to run out of that, but I survived.
Well, I have only one week left of this strict diet! Some time next week after I am done with this diet, the doctor will be customizing a diet for me, so I am sure that there will be things I will be able to have again that I haven't been able to have during this time and I am sure that some things will remain restricted. My suspicions on what I cannot eat lie with gluten and anything deep fried in animal based oil or peanut oils. I also think caffeine and refined sugar will be out as well which is good as I need to kick my caffeine habit once and for all. If anything, this diet has been a blessing for kicking the caffeine. I honestly didn't see how I could go more than a day without my Pepsi, but I have learned that I can and I have also learned that I am the master of what I eat.
So, here is to the rest of the week! Today for lunch I have packed some leftover dill-lemon infused cod and some cooked zucchini. I made this for dinner last night and it was yum-o! So I am having it again for lunch today!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Day 9: I Can't Eat That, Or That, Or Even That
Yesterday went fairly well. I had my sweet potato and turkey sausage for breakfast. And I had my leftover white chicken chili for lunch. The caffeine headaches started yesterday and they got so bad I went home early from work. I laid down and was out like a light bulb. My calendar notification on my phone woke me up and reminded me I had a wedding reception to go to. I love going to wedding receptions, but not when I am on a restrictive diet. I went to the wedding and the bride and groom were lovely. As I made my way to the food table, everything on the table looked fabulously yummy and delicious but there was not one thing on the table I could have except for the water spiked with fresh orange slices, so I got a cup of that.
We sat down and I watched my mother eat a plate of yummy food and even have a very positive reaction to a chocolate cake ball. For a fleeting moment I was a little jealous. I did make it through the wedding without breaking my diet though. This is the first major social function I have been to since starting this diet and it helped me realize I am my own master and conquer this! Tomorrow (Thanksgiving), will be the ultimate test, however. I made some mashed sweet potatoes today for our work potluck and I think they will be good. I tried some of them last night and they were pretty tasty, so now I can have at least turkey and potatoes for lunch. Yay!
Tonight I am venturing my way to my grandparents cause my aunt and I are going to the movies and she wants to go to dinner, so tonight I have to be strong again and order a salad or grilled chicken. Wish me luck!
We sat down and I watched my mother eat a plate of yummy food and even have a very positive reaction to a chocolate cake ball. For a fleeting moment I was a little jealous. I did make it through the wedding without breaking my diet though. This is the first major social function I have been to since starting this diet and it helped me realize I am my own master and conquer this! Tomorrow (Thanksgiving), will be the ultimate test, however. I made some mashed sweet potatoes today for our work potluck and I think they will be good. I tried some of them last night and they were pretty tasty, so now I can have at least turkey and potatoes for lunch. Yay!
Tonight I am venturing my way to my grandparents cause my aunt and I are going to the movies and she wants to go to dinner, so tonight I have to be strong again and order a salad or grilled chicken. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Day 8: One Week Down, Two To Go!
I have crossed the one week mark! It has been rough but for the most part I have been triumphant! The doc said I may experience fatigue and headaches. Well, that hit today. I am so tired and it has nothing to do with going to be late and I have a lack-of-caffeine headache this morning as well.
Yesterday wasn't too bad of a day. Doing some of my meal prep on Sunday helped a lot. I enjoyed a hearty breakfast of sweet potatoes and turkey sausage which I paired with a banana smoothie. I brought some of the leftover peppers I made for dinner the night before for lunch. I however, didn't think dinner through last night. The power company had to do some repairs in my neighborhood last night so the power was out and all of my appliances are electric so I couldn't make anything for dinner. The boyfriend and I went to my church activity and then we went and got some salads from Zupa's. I was hoping to get some soup, but they didn't have any soups that didn't have tomato, dairy, or noodles. All of the soups had at least one of these components.
I am now drinking my "protein" shake three times a day the doc has me taking. After this week I will go back down to twice a day and then once a day.
I am looking forward to going shopping for my Thanksgiving things today after work. It will be awesome! I enjoy cooking, so I will enjoy helping with the Thanksgiving feast this year and providing some alternatives to the dinner table!
Well that is all I have for today. Yesterday was easy to a degree even though I was a little frustrated with things I can't have. But alas, I will survive.
Yesterday wasn't too bad of a day. Doing some of my meal prep on Sunday helped a lot. I enjoyed a hearty breakfast of sweet potatoes and turkey sausage which I paired with a banana smoothie. I brought some of the leftover peppers I made for dinner the night before for lunch. I however, didn't think dinner through last night. The power company had to do some repairs in my neighborhood last night so the power was out and all of my appliances are electric so I couldn't make anything for dinner. The boyfriend and I went to my church activity and then we went and got some salads from Zupa's. I was hoping to get some soup, but they didn't have any soups that didn't have tomato, dairy, or noodles. All of the soups had at least one of these components.
I am now drinking my "protein" shake three times a day the doc has me taking. After this week I will go back down to twice a day and then once a day.
I am looking forward to going shopping for my Thanksgiving things today after work. It will be awesome! I enjoy cooking, so I will enjoy helping with the Thanksgiving feast this year and providing some alternatives to the dinner table!
Well that is all I have for today. Yesterday was easy to a degree even though I was a little frustrated with things I can't have. But alas, I will survive.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Day 6 & 7: The Weekend
I made it to the weekend! This has been a typical weekend full of activities and all sorts of fun! And like always these activities include good food. Since I am on this diet, I have had to be very choosy about what I eat. On Friday, my boyfriend and I went to the movie with some friends and we went to dinner before. We did go to a soup and salad place that has a fabulous salad bar, so I was able to get a green salad with lots of yummy veggies and chicken and nuts on it! Saturday my friend and I went to another movie and after the movie we went to lunch. Fortunately, we went to a place that has a huge a menu so I was able to order a veggie burger and I left all the condiments off and just got lettuce and onions on it. The other veggie they put on their burgers is tomatoes and I can't have those so it was a very boring burger by even my standard and I don't like a lot on my burgers to begin with. For dinner, though, I made white chicken chili in the slow cooker. My co-worker found the recipe for me and it was fabulous! I will have to post the recipe when I remember to.
Today (Sunday) has been a little easier and that is only because I typically don't eat out on Sundays and since I live alone I am able to control what I eat more than most. For breakfast I sliced up a sweet potato and put in a skillet with some olive oil and salt and pepper and cooked the potato until it started to get crispy. I then added some sweet Italian turkey sausage to the potato and finished cooking the potatoes with the sausage. I was a little worried it wouldn't taste good because of the natural sweetness of the potato, but it actually turned out really well and I loved it! I loved it so much I cooked another batch this afternoon and portioned it out into containers so I have breakfast all ready to go this week. For lunch I just had some of the leftover chili I made last night. I then put the rest of the chili into some containers and froze it. I will have some yummy lunches this week. For dinner I cooked my first quinoa. I made stuffed peppers which were stuffed with quinoa, ground turkey, carrots, and some various spices. I then baked the peppers in the oven. They turned out great! I had stuffed peppers leftover, so I will be taking some to work tomorrow for lunch for both the boyfriend and myself. I have made stuffed peppers before and those stuffed peppers re-heated well, so I am confident these will as well.
I then whipped up a batch of my banana almond milk smoothies. Instead of making them one at a time, I decided to make a large batch that will last about a day. I want to have some with breakfast and since I would rather sleep than get up and prepare breakfast I took advantage of my free afternoon to get ahead in my food preparation. That is the biggest thing that has changed. I have had to take time to prepare almost every meal I have eaten at home or at work. In the past, I could just grab one of my tv dinners or something from the fridge\freezer for easy lunch, but now I have to take time to prepare. During the week I don't have much time to do advanced meal prep, so I was glad I had today to do some. I am set til Wednesday in terms of breakfast and lunch. Dinner doesn't need to be prepared beforehand as I tend to make that up on the spot anyways.
Tomorrow I will have been on the diet for one week and I must say I am feeling pretty good about reaching my goals. Thanksgiving is this week and I have already found some great recipes to do, so I will not be deprived of any of my favorites.
Have a great week everyone and I will be back with more diet updates!
Today (Sunday) has been a little easier and that is only because I typically don't eat out on Sundays and since I live alone I am able to control what I eat more than most. For breakfast I sliced up a sweet potato and put in a skillet with some olive oil and salt and pepper and cooked the potato until it started to get crispy. I then added some sweet Italian turkey sausage to the potato and finished cooking the potatoes with the sausage. I was a little worried it wouldn't taste good because of the natural sweetness of the potato, but it actually turned out really well and I loved it! I loved it so much I cooked another batch this afternoon and portioned it out into containers so I have breakfast all ready to go this week. For lunch I just had some of the leftover chili I made last night. I then put the rest of the chili into some containers and froze it. I will have some yummy lunches this week. For dinner I cooked my first quinoa. I made stuffed peppers which were stuffed with quinoa, ground turkey, carrots, and some various spices. I then baked the peppers in the oven. They turned out great! I had stuffed peppers leftover, so I will be taking some to work tomorrow for lunch for both the boyfriend and myself. I have made stuffed peppers before and those stuffed peppers re-heated well, so I am confident these will as well.
I then whipped up a batch of my banana almond milk smoothies. Instead of making them one at a time, I decided to make a large batch that will last about a day. I want to have some with breakfast and since I would rather sleep than get up and prepare breakfast I took advantage of my free afternoon to get ahead in my food preparation. That is the biggest thing that has changed. I have had to take time to prepare almost every meal I have eaten at home or at work. In the past, I could just grab one of my tv dinners or something from the fridge\freezer for easy lunch, but now I have to take time to prepare. During the week I don't have much time to do advanced meal prep, so I was glad I had today to do some. I am set til Wednesday in terms of breakfast and lunch. Dinner doesn't need to be prepared beforehand as I tend to make that up on the spot anyways.
Tomorrow I will have been on the diet for one week and I must say I am feeling pretty good about reaching my goals. Thanksgiving is this week and I have already found some great recipes to do, so I will not be deprived of any of my favorites.
Have a great week everyone and I will be back with more diet updates!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Day 5: A Little Better
I am doing much better this morning than I did yesterday. The doc warned me there would be days when I would crave lots of bad for me things and yesterday was definitely one of those days. I made it through though.
Yesterday I ate my first sweet potato! It was quite tasty and since I can't have butter or anything like that, I nuked the thing in the microwave and then sprinkled some of my "candied" pecans on top. It was quite delicious. I am glad I liked the sweet potato because now I know that I will be able to have mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.
In preparation for the most difficult Thanksgiving ever eating wise I started looking on the internet for recipes. I have never ventured much into the vegan free, gluten free, or dairy free world and so I was quite astonished as to the amount of recipes and blogs out there with recipes! I have a co-worker who is vegan so she gave me some resources too! And some of the recipes I stumbled upon looked absolutely delicious! I am thankful that there are people out there who eat this way either because of personal beliefs or for health reasons who have done the leg work for me. I don't think I could be this restrictive in my diet forever - I enjoy food too much! But I am glad I have this opportunity for a little while to understand that I can still eat well!
Here are some of the blog\recipe sites I found that I really liked:
- For the Love of Food Blog: A food enthusiast's journey to find community, health, and joy through eating.
- My Real Food Life
These two sites have a lot of resources on them, especially the second one. It has gluten free, vegan friendly, dairy free, and even soy free recipes on them.
Today will be better! I got more bananas, so I was able to have my new favorite thing with breakfast - my banana almond milk smoothies! I had that with the rest of my chicken sausage. Today I start having my "protein" shake twice day - once before breakfast and once before dinner. I am kind of glad I get to have it more right now cause it is the only sweet chocolatey thing I get all day! I will take my chocolate fix any way I can get it! By Monday I will be having this shake three times day with each meal.
I can't believe I almost through my last week. I have started to see some results, but right now I am still working through the caffeine and sugar withdrawals. Hopefully by Monday those will be more manageable. Here is to the next week!
Yesterday I ate my first sweet potato! It was quite tasty and since I can't have butter or anything like that, I nuked the thing in the microwave and then sprinkled some of my "candied" pecans on top. It was quite delicious. I am glad I liked the sweet potato because now I know that I will be able to have mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.
In preparation for the most difficult Thanksgiving ever eating wise I started looking on the internet for recipes. I have never ventured much into the vegan free, gluten free, or dairy free world and so I was quite astonished as to the amount of recipes and blogs out there with recipes! I have a co-worker who is vegan so she gave me some resources too! And some of the recipes I stumbled upon looked absolutely delicious! I am thankful that there are people out there who eat this way either because of personal beliefs or for health reasons who have done the leg work for me. I don't think I could be this restrictive in my diet forever - I enjoy food too much! But I am glad I have this opportunity for a little while to understand that I can still eat well!
Here are some of the blog\recipe sites I found that I really liked:
- For the Love of Food Blog: A food enthusiast's journey to find community, health, and joy through eating.
- My Real Food Life
These two sites have a lot of resources on them, especially the second one. It has gluten free, vegan friendly, dairy free, and even soy free recipes on them.
Today will be better! I got more bananas, so I was able to have my new favorite thing with breakfast - my banana almond milk smoothies! I had that with the rest of my chicken sausage. Today I start having my "protein" shake twice day - once before breakfast and once before dinner. I am kind of glad I get to have it more right now cause it is the only sweet chocolatey thing I get all day! I will take my chocolate fix any way I can get it! By Monday I will be having this shake three times day with each meal.
I can't believe I almost through my last week. I have started to see some results, but right now I am still working through the caffeine and sugar withdrawals. Hopefully by Monday those will be more manageable. Here is to the next week!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Day 4: My Resolve Is Weakening
Well, I had my first follow-up appointment with the doc yesterday and was able to report that I am doing okay on the diet, but I must say my resolve is weakening!
I don't know what is causing my resolve to weaken. It could be what I discussed with the doc yesterday or it could just be my body craving certain foods and the cravings are almost more than I can stand.
I had a couple of questions about some specifics on the diet - mainly if there were some foods I could have since the diet guidelines didn't clarify on them. The first one I asked about was honey. I know I was told I couldn't have sweeteners but I thought maybe honey was different as it is nectar and bee spit. The doctor said no honey. So basically the only sweet thing I can eat is fruit and I can use spices and herbs and there are some spices like cinnamon and vanilla that are kind of sweet. The next thing I asked about was rice. I know the diet said no rice, but I wasn't sure if that meant white rice or all rice. Doc said it was all rice. And then I asked about oatmeal as I wasn't sure if this was a grain or what. Apparently oatmeal has gluten in it - who knew? So since I can't have gluten, I can't have oatmeal and I love oatmeal. The doc said I could have fruit juice, but only if I juiced it myself and made sure the pulp from the fruit was put back in. But I can buy orange juice at the store, but have to buy 100% juice with lots of pulp. So, that was nice to find out.
The doc then asked me how I was feeling overall. He asked if I was getting any headaches. I had told him I hadn't had any headaches, but then last night one hit me hard. Let the caffeine withdrawals begin! He also asked me if I had any brain fog - well, I didn't yesterday but my brain is a little fuzzy today, but I think it is just because I am tired. I didn't realize that when you are going through a detox how hard it can be on your body.
The first thing I thought about doing this morning was cheating on my diet. I was craving a breakfast sandwich from the sandwich shop that is literally a half a block from my home. They are so good, but I persevered and didn't fall for the craving. I had my "protein" shake this morning and then I had some almond butter with celery sticks and apple slices for dipping. I also ate an orange too. So, I have survived this morning so far.
For lunch I have packed a sweet potato which I plan to "bake" in the microwave. I also have some grapes and cashews. But I am thinking of running out on my lunch and getting a grilled chicken breast from like Wendys or Chik-Fil-A (or as my nephews call it: the Chicken-Cow place).
So, this brings me to my next point. I LOVE to eat out because I enjoy trying to new foods and I really enjoy a few places. Last night I found myself in the food court at the mall. I always knew mall food wasn't very good but when you are on a strict diet what do you eat? I was able to order a chicken sandwich from Chik-Fil-A and I ditched the bun and just ate the chicken breast with the lettuce. Not as filling as I had hoped, but I did feel satisfied in that I got to eat out. I also have plans to eat out for dinner tonight too. I am thinking I am going to get the steamed veggies and mandarin chicken from Panda Express, or I will get a salad from Subway. I will decide when I get there.
So, here is to the rest of the day - I hope I survive. And if anyone is interested in nut butters, check out this site for more information on how to make them yourself. I am exploring this new world of food and nut butters and so I am willing to share what I find. Click here for the information on the nut butters.
And since the doc told me I can't have the traditional Thanksgiving dishes other than Turkey and Veggies, I am going to be finding a rice stuffing recipe but substitute quinoa in place of the rice and I am going to get some buckwheat flour so I can have gravy and I will be attempting to make some mashed potatoes from sweet potatoes as well. And I think I will make enough in case other people in the family want to try it.
I don't know what is causing my resolve to weaken. It could be what I discussed with the doc yesterday or it could just be my body craving certain foods and the cravings are almost more than I can stand.
I had a couple of questions about some specifics on the diet - mainly if there were some foods I could have since the diet guidelines didn't clarify on them. The first one I asked about was honey. I know I was told I couldn't have sweeteners but I thought maybe honey was different as it is nectar and bee spit. The doctor said no honey. So basically the only sweet thing I can eat is fruit and I can use spices and herbs and there are some spices like cinnamon and vanilla that are kind of sweet. The next thing I asked about was rice. I know the diet said no rice, but I wasn't sure if that meant white rice or all rice. Doc said it was all rice. And then I asked about oatmeal as I wasn't sure if this was a grain or what. Apparently oatmeal has gluten in it - who knew? So since I can't have gluten, I can't have oatmeal and I love oatmeal. The doc said I could have fruit juice, but only if I juiced it myself and made sure the pulp from the fruit was put back in. But I can buy orange juice at the store, but have to buy 100% juice with lots of pulp. So, that was nice to find out.
The doc then asked me how I was feeling overall. He asked if I was getting any headaches. I had told him I hadn't had any headaches, but then last night one hit me hard. Let the caffeine withdrawals begin! He also asked me if I had any brain fog - well, I didn't yesterday but my brain is a little fuzzy today, but I think it is just because I am tired. I didn't realize that when you are going through a detox how hard it can be on your body.
The first thing I thought about doing this morning was cheating on my diet. I was craving a breakfast sandwich from the sandwich shop that is literally a half a block from my home. They are so good, but I persevered and didn't fall for the craving. I had my "protein" shake this morning and then I had some almond butter with celery sticks and apple slices for dipping. I also ate an orange too. So, I have survived this morning so far.
For lunch I have packed a sweet potato which I plan to "bake" in the microwave. I also have some grapes and cashews. But I am thinking of running out on my lunch and getting a grilled chicken breast from like Wendys or Chik-Fil-A (or as my nephews call it: the Chicken-Cow place).
So, this brings me to my next point. I LOVE to eat out because I enjoy trying to new foods and I really enjoy a few places. Last night I found myself in the food court at the mall. I always knew mall food wasn't very good but when you are on a strict diet what do you eat? I was able to order a chicken sandwich from Chik-Fil-A and I ditched the bun and just ate the chicken breast with the lettuce. Not as filling as I had hoped, but I did feel satisfied in that I got to eat out. I also have plans to eat out for dinner tonight too. I am thinking I am going to get the steamed veggies and mandarin chicken from Panda Express, or I will get a salad from Subway. I will decide when I get there.
So, here is to the rest of the day - I hope I survive. And if anyone is interested in nut butters, check out this site for more information on how to make them yourself. I am exploring this new world of food and nut butters and so I am willing to share what I find. Click here for the information on the nut butters.
And since the doc told me I can't have the traditional Thanksgiving dishes other than Turkey and Veggies, I am going to be finding a rice stuffing recipe but substitute quinoa in place of the rice and I am going to get some buckwheat flour so I can have gravy and I will be attempting to make some mashed potatoes from sweet potatoes as well. And I think I will make enough in case other people in the family want to try it.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Day 3: Breakfast
Oh the humanity! I am sure some question my motives in posting a blog everyday about this diet I have to follow. Well, it helps in so many ways! Whenever I have tried to do a diet for weight reasons or health reasons in the past I have always failed miserably as I have never felt like I have had to be accountable to anyone. I know a lot of people can diet and do what they need to do without sharing it with anyone, but I need people around me to know what is up and to encourage me in my goals. It also helps me be more accountable.
My boyfriend has been very supportive in this diet. He has even decided to try and give it a go. I didn't ask him to, but he felt it was a way he could be supportive. And my mother and my grandmother have both been talking to me about Thanksgiving and have been brainstorming on what to make for me so I don't feel like I am going without. So yeah, my boyfriend and my family are awesome!
Today I just really wanted to throw in the towel on this diet. It has been very difficult and I am only on Day 3, but then I remembered I am speaking with the doctor today. I want to be able to tell him that I have been doing my best and have only faltered once since Monday. I plan to let the doctor know I have a blog so he can check my progress if he so desires as well. But this diet will not get the best of me - I will win and be triumphant!
This morning I got up early and got ready for work, so I had a little more time to make breakfast. I was able to get some free apples yesterday so I decided to cook up some chicken sausage and add the apples at the very end. I typically don't like sweet and savory together, but I have always enjoyed the combination of apples and sausage. I was going to make them into a breakfast burrito by wrapping the sausage and apples up in some romaine lettuce, but that didn't work out, so I ditched the lettuce and just ate the sausage and apples with a fork. I also had my "protein" shake which I have found stirs up more easy if I put in the almond milk first and then the powder. Yesterday I put in the powder first and then the milk and I had a big gloopy mess on my hands.
So I know when the doc calls this afternoon I will be able to report my successes so far. For my mid morning snack I have brought some celery sticks and an apple to to dip into some almond butter. And then for lunch I will be having my leftover taco stuff from last night. It will be delish!
Chicken Sausage and Apples (I ditched the lettuce after I took the picture, but at least it makes it look pretty):
My boyfriend has been very supportive in this diet. He has even decided to try and give it a go. I didn't ask him to, but he felt it was a way he could be supportive. And my mother and my grandmother have both been talking to me about Thanksgiving and have been brainstorming on what to make for me so I don't feel like I am going without. So yeah, my boyfriend and my family are awesome!
Today I just really wanted to throw in the towel on this diet. It has been very difficult and I am only on Day 3, but then I remembered I am speaking with the doctor today. I want to be able to tell him that I have been doing my best and have only faltered once since Monday. I plan to let the doctor know I have a blog so he can check my progress if he so desires as well. But this diet will not get the best of me - I will win and be triumphant!
This morning I got up early and got ready for work, so I had a little more time to make breakfast. I was able to get some free apples yesterday so I decided to cook up some chicken sausage and add the apples at the very end. I typically don't like sweet and savory together, but I have always enjoyed the combination of apples and sausage. I was going to make them into a breakfast burrito by wrapping the sausage and apples up in some romaine lettuce, but that didn't work out, so I ditched the lettuce and just ate the sausage and apples with a fork. I also had my "protein" shake which I have found stirs up more easy if I put in the almond milk first and then the powder. Yesterday I put in the powder first and then the milk and I had a big gloopy mess on my hands.
So I know when the doc calls this afternoon I will be able to report my successes so far. For my mid morning snack I have brought some celery sticks and an apple to to dip into some almond butter. And then for lunch I will be having my leftover taco stuff from last night. It will be delish!
Chicken Sausage and Apples (I ditched the lettuce after I took the picture, but at least it makes it look pretty):
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Day 2: Lunch and Dinner
Lunch today was anti-climactic as it consisted of my leftover chicken and carrots from dinner last night, a bag of grapes, and some cashews for my afternoon snack.
Dinner tonight, however was fantastic! One of my favorite dishes is tacos! I love tacos A LOT! And I especially love hard tacos! Today as I was driving home contemplating what in the blazes I was going to make for dinner, a thought came to my mind, "What about turkey tacos?" Of course, though, this meant I had to get creative as I couldn't have taco shells, tortillas, salsa, cheese, sour cream, or even tomatoes!
In low carb diets, it is very common for people to substitute lettuce leaves in place of the bun or tortilla or whatever. So, I decided to borrow from this. I turned some iceberg lettuce leaves into taco shells. And I had ground turkey (which personally I have always liked in tacos) and some taco seasoning. The taco seasoning must be purchased from a health food store so you can ensure you are getting natural herbs and spices with no artificial crap. I shop at Sunflower Market where I live and they have some taco seasoning that I just love! It is the Simply Organic Spicy Taco seasoning! This stuff packs a punch but it is so good! So I cooked my turkey with my seasoning.
Cheese is a wonderful thing on tacos, but I can't have cheese, so I had to come up with something else. I also wanted a lettuce substitute as I was using the lettuce for my shells. I also felt like I needed tomatoes, but I can't have tomatoes, so I thought on this while I cooked my meat. For my cheese I shredded some carrots, so it even looked like cheese. It used to be common practice to use carrots for the orange coloring in cheese, so it works. For my lettuce I used red cabbage. It has a similar flavor and shreds nicely. For my tomatoes I settled on black beans. After the meat was done, I pulled out a lettuce leaf, put some meat on it, and then I topped it with my cheese, lettuce, and tomato substitutes. I rolled lettuce up like a burrito and took a bite and it was so delicious! I didn't think it would be, but it was quite good. The taco seasoning is so spicy you really don't need hot sauce or salsa or anything else like that unless you absolutely want it. The lettuce and carrots help keep my mouth cool, but it was still on fire when I got done eating!
Because my mouth was on fire I knew I needed something more than a glass of water to cool my mouth off, so I decided to make a banana smoothie for my dessert. I am addicted to these banana almond milk smoothies! I think they are my new favorite thing! And I freeze the bananas so the frozen banana in the milk makes it taste ice creamy! So, I whipped up a smoothie and to make it a little more fun I added some of the "candied" pecans I made last night for dessert! I put in a fun glass and then put in a bendy straw! Banana heaven it was!
Overall, I am feeling better about this diet today than I was yesterday! I will be taking my taco stuff from tonight and will be turning it into a taco salad for lunch tomorrow! I could eat tacos forever and never get bored so lunch tomorrow will definitely be awesome!
Turkey Taco Meat:
Taco Toppings And "Shells":
Banana Almond Milk Smoothie With "Candied" Pecans:
Dinner tonight, however was fantastic! One of my favorite dishes is tacos! I love tacos A LOT! And I especially love hard tacos! Today as I was driving home contemplating what in the blazes I was going to make for dinner, a thought came to my mind, "What about turkey tacos?" Of course, though, this meant I had to get creative as I couldn't have taco shells, tortillas, salsa, cheese, sour cream, or even tomatoes!
In low carb diets, it is very common for people to substitute lettuce leaves in place of the bun or tortilla or whatever. So, I decided to borrow from this. I turned some iceberg lettuce leaves into taco shells. And I had ground turkey (which personally I have always liked in tacos) and some taco seasoning. The taco seasoning must be purchased from a health food store so you can ensure you are getting natural herbs and spices with no artificial crap. I shop at Sunflower Market where I live and they have some taco seasoning that I just love! It is the Simply Organic Spicy Taco seasoning! This stuff packs a punch but it is so good! So I cooked my turkey with my seasoning.
Cheese is a wonderful thing on tacos, but I can't have cheese, so I had to come up with something else. I also wanted a lettuce substitute as I was using the lettuce for my shells. I also felt like I needed tomatoes, but I can't have tomatoes, so I thought on this while I cooked my meat. For my cheese I shredded some carrots, so it even looked like cheese. It used to be common practice to use carrots for the orange coloring in cheese, so it works. For my lettuce I used red cabbage. It has a similar flavor and shreds nicely. For my tomatoes I settled on black beans. After the meat was done, I pulled out a lettuce leaf, put some meat on it, and then I topped it with my cheese, lettuce, and tomato substitutes. I rolled lettuce up like a burrito and took a bite and it was so delicious! I didn't think it would be, but it was quite good. The taco seasoning is so spicy you really don't need hot sauce or salsa or anything else like that unless you absolutely want it. The lettuce and carrots help keep my mouth cool, but it was still on fire when I got done eating!
Because my mouth was on fire I knew I needed something more than a glass of water to cool my mouth off, so I decided to make a banana smoothie for my dessert. I am addicted to these banana almond milk smoothies! I think they are my new favorite thing! And I freeze the bananas so the frozen banana in the milk makes it taste ice creamy! So, I whipped up a smoothie and to make it a little more fun I added some of the "candied" pecans I made last night for dessert! I put in a fun glass and then put in a bendy straw! Banana heaven it was!
Overall, I am feeling better about this diet today than I was yesterday! I will be taking my taco stuff from tonight and will be turning it into a taco salad for lunch tomorrow! I could eat tacos forever and never get bored so lunch tomorrow will definitely be awesome!
Turkey Taco Meat:
Taco Toppings And "Shells":
Completed Taco Before Rolling:
Banana Almond Milk Smoothie With "Candied" Pecans:
Day 2: Breakfast
For breakfast this morning, I decided to have the last half of my chicken sausage and an orange. I love oranges this time of year! I swear the stores sell us crappy oranges all year but then at Thanksgiving and Christmas, they bring out the best of the best!
I learned how to cook buckwheat yesterday and considering what I learned, I didn't do half bad. I should have toasted the buckwheat though before boiling. I will know this for next time.
For my morning snack I have another banana almond milk smoothie and for lunch I am having leftovers from dinner last night! I had my little protein shake thingy this morning as well. In a few days I will be having this drink twice a day and then three times a day and then I will work back down to once a day. Out of all of the protein shakes or similar I have had this has probably been the best one I have ever had. Most of them I can taste the protein powder and it grosses me out. This one has balanced things out nicely and is very chocolatey, which is my favorite part - chocolate in the morning!
Today is also my first day without any caffeine. I hope I can survive the withdrawals that are sure to follow!
I learned how to cook buckwheat yesterday and considering what I learned, I didn't do half bad. I should have toasted the buckwheat though before boiling. I will know this for next time.
For my morning snack I have another banana almond milk smoothie and for lunch I am having leftovers from dinner last night! I had my little protein shake thingy this morning as well. In a few days I will be having this drink twice a day and then three times a day and then I will work back down to once a day. Out of all of the protein shakes or similar I have had this has probably been the best one I have ever had. Most of them I can taste the protein powder and it grosses me out. This one has balanced things out nicely and is very chocolatey, which is my favorite part - chocolate in the morning!
Today is also my first day without any caffeine. I hope I can survive the withdrawals that are sure to follow!
Day 1: Dinner
I must admit I was pretty hungry when I got home from work and eating mainly vegetables sounded extremely unsatisfying and boring to me, so I decided to let the creative juices flow! There may be restrictions in what I can and cannot eat, but that doesn't mean I can't be creative with it.
Thank the heavens above for Rachael Ray's Magazine! Her staff who put together this amazing magazine really do take the time to bring together recipes that anyone can enjoy regardless of their dietary needs, restrictions, or preferences. I was flipping through the December edition when I found a recipe for Roasted Chicken and Carrots. I reviewed all of the ingredients and they were all things I could eat, so I decided to make it for dinner!
While it was only Day 1, I can honestly say that I felt like dinner was a cheat on the diet, but it wasn't. The marinade\sauce that I put on the chicken and carrots was so yummy. It was basically a chili\lemon sauce with garlic! Oh it was heavenly! For anyone who loves garlic, this recipe has a lot of garlic - 16 cloves! That is like a full bulb of garlic! But it is so good!
The only thing I didn't do that I probably should have was split the baby carrots in half. The recipe said to, but for whatever reason I didn't read that part, so I didn't cut them in half. The smaller carrots cooked through just fine and were tender and sweet, but the larger baby carrots were still a little crunchy. Next time I will remember to cut them up first.
Typically after I eat dinner, I always crave something sweet. I looked around and thought about what I could have that would satisfy my sweet tooth. In the group of recipes the doctor gave me there is a recipe for sweet potato mixed in with pecans that have been fixed in vanilla and cinnamon. So I decided to take my pecans I had bought and cover them in vanilla and cinnamon. I then took some peaches and banana and cut them in and put them in a bowl and sprinkled the "candied" pecans on top. The cinnamon made me think I was eating cobbler and then crunchy nuts just added that little texture I like when I sweet things! It was so good and I think the boyfriend liked it too!
So, all in all, I feel like dinner was a big success! I am ready for Day 2!
Roasted Chicken and Carrots:
Thank the heavens above for Rachael Ray's Magazine! Her staff who put together this amazing magazine really do take the time to bring together recipes that anyone can enjoy regardless of their dietary needs, restrictions, or preferences. I was flipping through the December edition when I found a recipe for Roasted Chicken and Carrots. I reviewed all of the ingredients and they were all things I could eat, so I decided to make it for dinner!
While it was only Day 1, I can honestly say that I felt like dinner was a cheat on the diet, but it wasn't. The marinade\sauce that I put on the chicken and carrots was so yummy. It was basically a chili\lemon sauce with garlic! Oh it was heavenly! For anyone who loves garlic, this recipe has a lot of garlic - 16 cloves! That is like a full bulb of garlic! But it is so good!
The only thing I didn't do that I probably should have was split the baby carrots in half. The recipe said to, but for whatever reason I didn't read that part, so I didn't cut them in half. The smaller carrots cooked through just fine and were tender and sweet, but the larger baby carrots were still a little crunchy. Next time I will remember to cut them up first.
Typically after I eat dinner, I always crave something sweet. I looked around and thought about what I could have that would satisfy my sweet tooth. In the group of recipes the doctor gave me there is a recipe for sweet potato mixed in with pecans that have been fixed in vanilla and cinnamon. So I decided to take my pecans I had bought and cover them in vanilla and cinnamon. I then took some peaches and banana and cut them in and put them in a bowl and sprinkled the "candied" pecans on top. The cinnamon made me think I was eating cobbler and then crunchy nuts just added that little texture I like when I sweet things! It was so good and I think the boyfriend liked it too!
So, all in all, I feel like dinner was a big success! I am ready for Day 2!
Roasted Chicken and Carrots:
Peaches, Banana, and "Candied" Pecans:
Monday, November 14, 2011
Day 1: Lunch
I just finished my lunch. Nothing too exciting for lunch: grilled chicken salad with some grapes. I drank water and took my supplements I have to take at lunch. I did end up drinking the smoothie and it was yummy! Up until today I have never found a non-dairy milk replacement that I have liked. I hate soy milk, rice milk - any kind of milk that doesn't come from a cow. But today I had almond milk and it wasn't that bad. I don't think I will be able to drink it by itself but it is okay in stuff. So, I am glad for that as I was really concerned I wouldn't like it.
For my afternoon snack I get to enjoy a baggie filled with raw cashews, raw pumpkin seeds, and raw sunflower seeds. Raw means they have not been roasted or salted. To some reading this that probably sounds disgusting to them, but I personally love raw cashews over the roasted and salted counterparts. I love how cashews are kind of sweet and the raw ones are way sweet! Roasting and salting them takes away from that. I also enjoy the raw sunflower seeds as well because it takes me back to my childhood when I used to go with my sister and we would pull the seeds out of the big sunflowers and eat them. The raw pumpkin seeds also have a very Pumpkin taste to them and I love pumpkin! So my take on raw nuts and seeds - fabulously yummy!
At this point I have not decided what I am going to be eating for dinner, but right now I am leaning towards stuffed peppers with quinoa and pecans and cinnamon for dessert. Check back later for my report!
For my afternoon snack I get to enjoy a baggie filled with raw cashews, raw pumpkin seeds, and raw sunflower seeds. Raw means they have not been roasted or salted. To some reading this that probably sounds disgusting to them, but I personally love raw cashews over the roasted and salted counterparts. I love how cashews are kind of sweet and the raw ones are way sweet! Roasting and salting them takes away from that. I also enjoy the raw sunflower seeds as well because it takes me back to my childhood when I used to go with my sister and we would pull the seeds out of the big sunflowers and eat them. The raw pumpkin seeds also have a very Pumpkin taste to them and I love pumpkin! So my take on raw nuts and seeds - fabulously yummy!
At this point I have not decided what I am going to be eating for dinner, but right now I am leaning towards stuffed peppers with quinoa and pecans and cinnamon for dessert. Check back later for my report!
Day 1: Breakfast
Breakfast has always been a challenge for me since I have been out of college. I would rather sleep that extra ten minutes than get up and prepare breakfast. Needless to say my breakfasts are either really bad for me (stopping somewhere and getting fast food breakfast) or I just don't eat breakfast.
The most important thing in this diet I am on is to eat three meals a day and to have snacks if I get hungry between meals. So, I made sure I got up earlier this morning than I usually do so I could make breakfast. This posed another challenge for me as well -- what was I going to eat that would keep me full for more than a couple of hours? I have a job where I can't just get up and walk away and get something to eat whenever. So, this is one of the reasons breakfast has always been challenging. When I was younger and even in college I would just have cereal, but I could eat basically whenever I wanted, so it didn't bother me to only eat cereal. Cereal doesn't keep me full at all these days. I eat it and an hour later I am starving. I find I have to have a combination of carbs and protein for breakfast. If I just eat protein, I am starving in a couple of hours. This morning definitely presented a challenge for me. This is why I started preparing breakfast ideas last night.
I settled on a half of one of the chicken sausage links I bought this weekend, and some buckwheat cooked and mixed in with some homemade canned peaches. Buckwheat is very interesting. I am not sure if I cooked it right or what, but it has a nutty flavor to it and definitely has a hot cereal\oatmeal feel to it. I don't like plain oatmeal, so I wasn't sure I would like the buckwheat plain, so I mixed in some peaches with it and it made it palatable. The chicken sausage was very spicy, but I loved it! So after drinking a full glass of water with my supplements, my "protein" shake (which is not a meal replacement as I don't drink a lot of it), the sausage, and the buckwheat with peaches I was very full. I packed a banana\almond milk smoothie for my morning snack, but I am still very full and not feeling hungry at all.
I am feeling a little dizzy from the supplements, but I am sure I will adjust to that. As for the bad things - I had to have a Diet Pepsi because I can't work with those headaches. Starting tomorrow I will go caffeine free.
Here is the recipe for the buckwheat and fruit and banana smoothie.
Creamy Buckwheat With Fruit
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup of buckwheat
Fresh fruit or canned fruit (if you use store bought, make sure it is no sugar added and in light syrup).
Add the buckwheat and water to a pan. Bring to a rolling boil and then continue to cook for 2-4 minutes until desired creamy consistency. Pour in a bowl and add the fruit and mix it together.
Almond Banana Milk Smoothie
1 Frozen Banana
1 cup of almond milk (unsweetened and unflavored)
Add banana and almond milk to blender or food processor and blend until mixed together.
Again, I will be researching how to cook buckwheat because I don't think I did it right because my cereal looked more like grape nuts than cream 'o' wheat. It was good, just different.
On the menu for lunch: Grilled chicken salad with sesame ginger dressing and grapes. And a baggie of cashews, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds for my afternoon snack. Check back later for the report on that!
The most important thing in this diet I am on is to eat three meals a day and to have snacks if I get hungry between meals. So, I made sure I got up earlier this morning than I usually do so I could make breakfast. This posed another challenge for me as well -- what was I going to eat that would keep me full for more than a couple of hours? I have a job where I can't just get up and walk away and get something to eat whenever. So, this is one of the reasons breakfast has always been challenging. When I was younger and even in college I would just have cereal, but I could eat basically whenever I wanted, so it didn't bother me to only eat cereal. Cereal doesn't keep me full at all these days. I eat it and an hour later I am starving. I find I have to have a combination of carbs and protein for breakfast. If I just eat protein, I am starving in a couple of hours. This morning definitely presented a challenge for me. This is why I started preparing breakfast ideas last night.
I settled on a half of one of the chicken sausage links I bought this weekend, and some buckwheat cooked and mixed in with some homemade canned peaches. Buckwheat is very interesting. I am not sure if I cooked it right or what, but it has a nutty flavor to it and definitely has a hot cereal\oatmeal feel to it. I don't like plain oatmeal, so I wasn't sure I would like the buckwheat plain, so I mixed in some peaches with it and it made it palatable. The chicken sausage was very spicy, but I loved it! So after drinking a full glass of water with my supplements, my "protein" shake (which is not a meal replacement as I don't drink a lot of it), the sausage, and the buckwheat with peaches I was very full. I packed a banana\almond milk smoothie for my morning snack, but I am still very full and not feeling hungry at all.
I am feeling a little dizzy from the supplements, but I am sure I will adjust to that. As for the bad things - I had to have a Diet Pepsi because I can't work with those headaches. Starting tomorrow I will go caffeine free.
Here is the recipe for the buckwheat and fruit and banana smoothie.
Creamy Buckwheat With Fruit
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup of buckwheat
Fresh fruit or canned fruit (if you use store bought, make sure it is no sugar added and in light syrup).
Add the buckwheat and water to a pan. Bring to a rolling boil and then continue to cook for 2-4 minutes until desired creamy consistency. Pour in a bowl and add the fruit and mix it together.
Almond Banana Milk Smoothie
1 Frozen Banana
1 cup of almond milk (unsweetened and unflavored)
Add banana and almond milk to blender or food processor and blend until mixed together.
Again, I will be researching how to cook buckwheat because I don't think I did it right because my cereal looked more like grape nuts than cream 'o' wheat. It was good, just different.
On the menu for lunch: Grilled chicken salad with sesame ginger dressing and grapes. And a baggie of cashews, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds for my afternoon snack. Check back later for the report on that!
New Menus Ahead
So, I have really slacked in my blog as of late! I really don't have an excuse other than I just didn't feel like it. To be honest, I haven't felt like doing much of anything lately. For the last few months I have just felt icky and after I get home from work all I want to do is just be lazy and play with my iPod.
I have been going to the doctors a lot these past few months searching for answers because no one in their twenties should feel like they are a 100 years old! I found a chiropractic physician who seems to know what he is talking about, so I am going to give him a chance. As a result of this treatment, he has put me on a very strict diet. It is the anti-inflammatory diet, so there is a lot of things that I cannot eat.
So I am going to be using this blog to post the new recipes I am having to learn out of plain necessity. This strict diet will be lasting three weeks only. I started today.
Basically here is the run down of the diet. These are the foods I cannot eat: dairy, eggs, gluten, tomatoes, corn, peanuts, soy, beef, pork (in all of its forms), canned meat, coldcuts, rice, potatoes (except for sweet potatoes), shellfish, dried fruit, fruit juices (unless I make them from the fresh fruit myself and don't anything else to them) caffeine, soda, and sugar and other artificial sweeteners.
The foods I can eat are: Fresh fruits and veggies (except for tomatoes and soy), peas, legumes and beans of any kind (except edamame which is soy), raw nuts (except for peanuts), fish (except for shellfish), turkey, chicken, lamb, water, herbs, sweet potatoes, spices, herbal teas, buckwheat, quinoa, and almond milk.
So looking at the lists above it probably seems like there are more foods that I cannot eat than I can eat. I enjoy chicken and I like a lot of fruit and veggies, so I know I will be able to survive. There are a few things on the CAN EAT list that I have never had before, so I am looking at this as an opportunity to try new foods. And there is also a variety out there so I will be getting all of the nutrition my body needs, so if anyone was worried about that, I am good.
I addition to this diet, the doctor also has me on some supplements and a "protein" shake. So I will be getting the additional nutrients that I may not get from some of the foods I am permitted to eat. My biggest challenge is going to be no caffeine. I usually drink at least one 20 oz. Diet Pepsi at work every day. I know I can do it - I am just not looking forward to the headaches and withdrawals.
Now you know what I am being faced with for the next few weeks and in the months to come. I am thankful I can have turkey cause if not I don't know what I would do this coming Thanksgiving!
I have been going to the doctors a lot these past few months searching for answers because no one in their twenties should feel like they are a 100 years old! I found a chiropractic physician who seems to know what he is talking about, so I am going to give him a chance. As a result of this treatment, he has put me on a very strict diet. It is the anti-inflammatory diet, so there is a lot of things that I cannot eat.
So I am going to be using this blog to post the new recipes I am having to learn out of plain necessity. This strict diet will be lasting three weeks only. I started today.
Basically here is the run down of the diet. These are the foods I cannot eat: dairy, eggs, gluten, tomatoes, corn, peanuts, soy, beef, pork (in all of its forms), canned meat, coldcuts, rice, potatoes (except for sweet potatoes), shellfish, dried fruit, fruit juices (unless I make them from the fresh fruit myself and don't anything else to them) caffeine, soda, and sugar and other artificial sweeteners.
The foods I can eat are: Fresh fruits and veggies (except for tomatoes and soy), peas, legumes and beans of any kind (except edamame which is soy), raw nuts (except for peanuts), fish (except for shellfish), turkey, chicken, lamb, water, herbs, sweet potatoes, spices, herbal teas, buckwheat, quinoa, and almond milk.
So looking at the lists above it probably seems like there are more foods that I cannot eat than I can eat. I enjoy chicken and I like a lot of fruit and veggies, so I know I will be able to survive. There are a few things on the CAN EAT list that I have never had before, so I am looking at this as an opportunity to try new foods. And there is also a variety out there so I will be getting all of the nutrition my body needs, so if anyone was worried about that, I am good.
I addition to this diet, the doctor also has me on some supplements and a "protein" shake. So I will be getting the additional nutrients that I may not get from some of the foods I am permitted to eat. My biggest challenge is going to be no caffeine. I usually drink at least one 20 oz. Diet Pepsi at work every day. I know I can do it - I am just not looking forward to the headaches and withdrawals.
Now you know what I am being faced with for the next few weeks and in the months to come. I am thankful I can have turkey cause if not I don't know what I would do this coming Thanksgiving!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Harvest Time - Does It Get Better?
I maintain that my favorite season of the year is summer because it is warm and toasty and not a lot of snowflakes in site. I also enjoy all of the summer time fruits and veggies you can get. Probably my favorite vegetable in the summer is asparagus and strawberries are my favorite summer fruit!
This time of year is in a close second to the summer because I love all of the yummy foods that come on this time of year with two my all time favorites - apples and pumpkins! I am a huge Rachael Ray fan and I was thrilled that October's magazine is filled with apple and pumpkin recipes. Awesome!
I could live off of pumpkins and apples all through the autumn season and right into the holidays. I love just about anything with pumpkin in it - pie, cookies, cocoa, pasta; if a pumpkin is in it I will most likely eat or drink it. I also love apples as well. I love applesauce, juice, cider, pie, chutney, and my favorite guilty pleasure - caramel and candy apples! I love going to the fair and getting these! They are so yummy and I can justify eating it because it is "healthy."
I want to expand my baking skills as they are quite lacking (ask my sister or mom about the time I added too much salt to the cookies) and I found this decadent pumpkin recipe on Rachael Ray's website: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies! It is an Amish recipe and pumpkin - best of both worlds! And then I want to try and make my own caramel or candied apples. I love candied apples because it is like eating your favorite hard candy over an apple and the caramel apples are delicious because they are!
What are your favorite recipes that incorporate all of the yummy fall fruits and veggies?
Pumpkin Whoopie Pie:
Candied Apples:
This time of year is in a close second to the summer because I love all of the yummy foods that come on this time of year with two my all time favorites - apples and pumpkins! I am a huge Rachael Ray fan and I was thrilled that October's magazine is filled with apple and pumpkin recipes. Awesome!
I could live off of pumpkins and apples all through the autumn season and right into the holidays. I love just about anything with pumpkin in it - pie, cookies, cocoa, pasta; if a pumpkin is in it I will most likely eat or drink it. I also love apples as well. I love applesauce, juice, cider, pie, chutney, and my favorite guilty pleasure - caramel and candy apples! I love going to the fair and getting these! They are so yummy and I can justify eating it because it is "healthy."
I want to expand my baking skills as they are quite lacking (ask my sister or mom about the time I added too much salt to the cookies) and I found this decadent pumpkin recipe on Rachael Ray's website: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies! It is an Amish recipe and pumpkin - best of both worlds! And then I want to try and make my own caramel or candied apples. I love candied apples because it is like eating your favorite hard candy over an apple and the caramel apples are delicious because they are!
What are your favorite recipes that incorporate all of the yummy fall fruits and veggies?
Pumpkin Whoopie Pie:
Candied Apples:
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Oatmeal Awesomeness!
Sometime ago I cooked up some baked oatmeal as featured in the Amish cookbook called Amish Heritage Cookbook by Beverly Lewis (due to copyright, I cannot post the recipe, but you can buy the book or see if your library has it). The oatmeal was very simple to make -- it basically consisted of rolled oats, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and butter. I baked it and then served it up with some dried fruit and milk. This was so good!
I plan to make it again. I think next time I will try it with strawberries and bananas. I also liked this recipe because it freezes well and keeps well in the fridge. All you have to do is re-heat it and add it to some milk and you are good to go.
Because it has been so long since I made this, I don't really have anymore to say about this. But if you are looking for a new oatmeal recipe - this one is it! It doesn't take much longer to prepare than your standard instant oatmeal and it tastes way better!
Baked Oatmeal:
I plan to make it again. I think next time I will try it with strawberries and bananas. I also liked this recipe because it freezes well and keeps well in the fridge. All you have to do is re-heat it and add it to some milk and you are good to go.
Because it has been so long since I made this, I don't really have anymore to say about this. But if you are looking for a new oatmeal recipe - this one is it! It doesn't take much longer to prepare than your standard instant oatmeal and it tastes way better!
Baked Oatmeal:
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Ole! Squashamole!
I haven't blogged in forever, I know. What a busy summer it has been! Last night, though, I was finally able to do some cooking. Last night I made a dip called Squashamole. It is like guacamole but made with squash and zucchini instead of avocado.
This dip has very unique taste. The veggies are cooked before they are pureed so there is a little bit of sweetness but the garlic and salt and pepper even that out. The recipe said it makes five cups, but I would surmise there may be a little bit more than that.
This dip is awesome with tortilla chips, but as I was eating it last night I was thinking it would be really good with a quesadilla or taco. There is also walnuts and parmesan cheese in the dip, and those alone would make an awesome coating to some fish, chicken, or pork. But the walnuts and cheese do get pureed with the veggies, so except for the taste, there is no noticeable texture from the nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, the best thing to do would be to omit the nuts. I definitely think the dip can stand on its own without the nuts.
If I make this again, next time I will cut the veggies up a little bit more after they are cooked as it took a very long time to puree everything in the food processor. This dish is vegan friendly as there are no animal products in this, so this dish is crowd pleaser for all! Happy dipping!
Squashamole:
This dip has very unique taste. The veggies are cooked before they are pureed so there is a little bit of sweetness but the garlic and salt and pepper even that out. The recipe said it makes five cups, but I would surmise there may be a little bit more than that.
This dip is awesome with tortilla chips, but as I was eating it last night I was thinking it would be really good with a quesadilla or taco. There is also walnuts and parmesan cheese in the dip, and those alone would make an awesome coating to some fish, chicken, or pork. But the walnuts and cheese do get pureed with the veggies, so except for the taste, there is no noticeable texture from the nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, the best thing to do would be to omit the nuts. I definitely think the dip can stand on its own without the nuts.
If I make this again, next time I will cut the veggies up a little bit more after they are cooked as it took a very long time to puree everything in the food processor. This dish is vegan friendly as there are no animal products in this, so this dish is crowd pleaser for all! Happy dipping!
Squashamole:
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
I have not gone away!
Summers tend to be very busy for me and this summer has been no exception!
Just to recap what I have done so far: I have worked on my favorite TV show ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"), met a favorite author (James Rollins), gone to many parties, got a clean bill of health from the foot doc, and have done a lot of swimming and general playing.
So, as you can see, this has left very little time for cooking. But I plan to be cooking up a storm very soon. I am going to be incorporating a new element into my cooking, but that will be something for another day.
Just to recap what I have done so far: I have worked on my favorite TV show ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"), met a favorite author (James Rollins), gone to many parties, got a clean bill of health from the foot doc, and have done a lot of swimming and general playing.
So, as you can see, this has left very little time for cooking. But I plan to be cooking up a storm very soon. I am going to be incorporating a new element into my cooking, but that will be something for another day.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Fall Apart Chicken
Today at work we had a potluck and in honor of Cinco De Mayo we had "Mexican" food. I signed up to bring meat and so I decided to bring shredded chicken. Everyone loved the chicken and wanted the recipe, so I decided to post it here. This recipe is painfully easy and the results are fall apart, tender chicken breast. This recipe can easily be modified for any types of marinades, seasonings, or anything else you would like in the chicken. I like this shredded chicken recipe for a variety of dishes. Everything from casseroles to nachos! I think you will like this recipe too.
Shredded Chicken With Taco Seasoning
Shredded Chicken With Taco Seasoning
Boneless Chicken Breasts (today I used about 3.5 lbs. of chicken, but you can use more or less depending on how many people you are feeding and if you want leftovers)
Taco Seasoning of choice – 1 packet per pound, plus one extra
Water
Put the chicken in the crock pot, dump the taco seasoning on top (reserve the extra packet), add enough water until the chicken is covered.
Cook on low for 8-12 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Strain the liquid off into a bowl or another pot as you will need it.
Stab a fork in the chicken and shred it until desired consistency. The chicken will be so tender, it will take about two minutes to shred the chicken.
Add the extra taco seasoning and add some of the taco liquid back into the chicken until the chicken is well covered and is to a desired look and taste.
Serve as desired – refrigerate leftovers, if any.
Tips: If you want a little sweeter chicken flavor (like they have at Bajio or Café Rio), add a few teaspoons of honey to the crock pot before cooking. If you want it a little spicier, add some chili powder, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce before cooking as well. This chicken also refrigerates well for up to two weeks. I use it in everything – tacos, burritos, salads, quesadillas, and nachos and anything else that sounds good.
You can also omit the taco seasoning and just cook the chicken and water in the crock pot for shredded chicken for other recipes, but if you do leave out the taco seasoning, make sure you salt and pepper the chicken so the flavor of the chicken is enhanced.
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