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.
Showing posts with label nuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nuts. Show all posts
Monday, December 5, 2011
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!
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:
Monday, January 10, 2011
A Dish To Make Sam I Am Proud!
So you know the book Green Eggs And Ham by Dr. Suess? Remember how Sam I Am kept trying to get his friend to try the Green Eggs and Ham? Well, this is how I feel about this dish. For dinner tonight, I made Cashew Pasta Pesto. I must be honest in saying that unless the food is green naturally (i.e. ex. lettuce, green beans, asparagus, etc.) I don't usually care for it. There is something about green food that kind of grosses me out.
I have always wanted to try pesto sauce, but I never have before because it is green. Well, tonight, I put my personal food color prejudices aside and decided to try this pasta pesto. I was not disappointed. Just like Sam I Am's friend, I have found a new appreciation for a green food. Most pesto sauces are made with pine nuts, but I like that this one had a twist. Instead of pine nuts, this pesto sauce had cashews in it. Cashews are like my favorite nut ever (next to pistachios as we all found out in an earlier post) and so I was happy to see cashews in this recipe! The pesto also had parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and Parmesan cheese in it! Oh, I must take a moment to say that thanks to the Christmas monies my grandparents gave me, I was able to buy a new toy -- a food processor! I have always wanted one! So, I used my food processor tonight to make the pesto sauce! I think I enjoyed making it a little too much as I got to use my new toy today! Without the food processor, this dish would not have happened! I also was hesitant to try pesto, because unlike most pasta sauces, this one is served cold. The warm pasta warms up the sauce, but I just don't it is the same thing. In combination with the roasted tomatoes and pasta, the pesto was quite pleasant. I know a lot of people don't like nuts in things because of texture, but with the nuts being chopped up and mixed into the pesto, you could hardly tell there were nuts in the dish. The nuts had the same texture as the garlic and parsley. The olive oil really brought everything together nicely in the food processor. The only thing I may have changed up a little with the pesto is that I would have added more cashews. I couldnt' really taste them and I would have liked the flavor of the cashews to come out a little more.
I also loved the tomatoes in this recipe. The grape tomatoes were roasted separately and then mixed in with the pasta and pesto at the end. The roasted tomatoes would be so good on their own or mixed into a different recipe. To those of you who do not like tomatoes on their soft tacos (and yes, I mean you!), I encourage you to try these tomatoes. Be like Sam I Am's friend and take a chance! You may be surprised! Don't knock it before you try it.
The pasta in this dish was Farafelle, or bow-tie pasta. I liked the bow-ties because they held onto the pesto really well and complimented the tomatoes. With any pasta, the bow-ties must be baby sat when cooking so they don't get overcooked. The biggest mistake most people make when cooking pasta is they walk away and forget about it or they think it is done when it sticks to the wall. In both of these cases, the pasta is WAY overcooked. Pasta turns out best when you stay near the pot and can check it for the right texture. If your pasta sticks to the wall, you have cooked it too long -- trust me. The starches start to break down and create a sticky mess!
I am excited to have the leftover pasta for lunch! I have been trying to eat a little more healthy and this dish definitely is healthy. To change up this recipe, you could add a protein to it such as chicken, but I think it stands on its own fairly well!
Cashew Pasta Pesto:
I have always wanted to try pesto sauce, but I never have before because it is green. Well, tonight, I put my personal food color prejudices aside and decided to try this pasta pesto. I was not disappointed. Just like Sam I Am's friend, I have found a new appreciation for a green food. Most pesto sauces are made with pine nuts, but I like that this one had a twist. Instead of pine nuts, this pesto sauce had cashews in it. Cashews are like my favorite nut ever (next to pistachios as we all found out in an earlier post) and so I was happy to see cashews in this recipe! The pesto also had parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and Parmesan cheese in it! Oh, I must take a moment to say that thanks to the Christmas monies my grandparents gave me, I was able to buy a new toy -- a food processor! I have always wanted one! So, I used my food processor tonight to make the pesto sauce! I think I enjoyed making it a little too much as I got to use my new toy today! Without the food processor, this dish would not have happened! I also was hesitant to try pesto, because unlike most pasta sauces, this one is served cold. The warm pasta warms up the sauce, but I just don't it is the same thing. In combination with the roasted tomatoes and pasta, the pesto was quite pleasant. I know a lot of people don't like nuts in things because of texture, but with the nuts being chopped up and mixed into the pesto, you could hardly tell there were nuts in the dish. The nuts had the same texture as the garlic and parsley. The olive oil really brought everything together nicely in the food processor. The only thing I may have changed up a little with the pesto is that I would have added more cashews. I couldnt' really taste them and I would have liked the flavor of the cashews to come out a little more.
I also loved the tomatoes in this recipe. The grape tomatoes were roasted separately and then mixed in with the pasta and pesto at the end. The roasted tomatoes would be so good on their own or mixed into a different recipe. To those of you who do not like tomatoes on their soft tacos (and yes, I mean you!), I encourage you to try these tomatoes. Be like Sam I Am's friend and take a chance! You may be surprised! Don't knock it before you try it.
The pasta in this dish was Farafelle, or bow-tie pasta. I liked the bow-ties because they held onto the pesto really well and complimented the tomatoes. With any pasta, the bow-ties must be baby sat when cooking so they don't get overcooked. The biggest mistake most people make when cooking pasta is they walk away and forget about it or they think it is done when it sticks to the wall. In both of these cases, the pasta is WAY overcooked. Pasta turns out best when you stay near the pot and can check it for the right texture. If your pasta sticks to the wall, you have cooked it too long -- trust me. The starches start to break down and create a sticky mess!
I am excited to have the leftover pasta for lunch! I have been trying to eat a little more healthy and this dish definitely is healthy. To change up this recipe, you could add a protein to it such as chicken, but I think it stands on its own fairly well!
Cashew Pasta Pesto:
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Merry Berry Christmas!
I have lived in my condo for a year and last year I didn't do anything for the neighbors at Christmas, because I didn't know anybody. Well, that has changed. I know quite a few neighbors now and you would be surprised what a freak carport accident will do to help you get to know your neighbors. They first wonder how the carport could fall down and smash your car, and then they come and admire the hot new sexy car later! Want to know the rest of the story? E-mail me.
I have always enjoyed treats at Christmas and so I wanted to make treats for my neighbors this year. I didn't want to do the typical cookies and brownies, though. I wanted to do something different. In the December\January 2010 edition of "Everyday With Rachael Ray" there was a recipe for granola -- a nut and fruit granola! So, I decided to make this. They officially call it Berry Christmas Granola. This recipe is very easy to make and tasty to!
My favorite part of this granola is the pistachio nuts! I love pistachios! I could eat a whole bag to myself without even thinking about it! There is also dried blueberries, dried cherries, sliced almonds, sesame seeds, rolled oats, butter and honey in this recipe. The oats, sesame seeds, and almonds are coated with the honey and butter and then gets baked for about a half hour. After it is baked and cooled you mix the oat mixture with the fruit and pistachios! Delicious! If you do buy pistachios still in their shells, do keep in mind you will be shelling for awhile and the salt on the nuts can dry out your hands, so I had to take a couple of breaks while shelling the nuts. Some stores sell shelled pistachios but they are typically more expensive than those in the shell.
I wanted to have a cute presentation for my granola and I wasn't sure what I would do initially. The magazine suggested using cellophane bags and tying them with some ribbon. I was going to do that as I was not getting any inspiration, but then I was perusing around the Dollar Spot at Target and saw them! Target had these cute Chinese take-out boxes with Christmas decor on them, so I bought some those! I put the granola in a sandwich bag and then put that inside the take-out boxes! I am now going to make a cute little tag to go with them and then I will be delivering them.
Neighbor Christmas gifts work well if you need to get to know your neighbors a little better. While I know my neighbors, I don't know know them. This will be the opportunity to formally introduce myself. This recipe also does have multiple people in mind, so it makes quite a bit! Happy munching!
Finished Granola in bag:
Granola in Chinese Take-Out Container:
Finished Gifts:
I have always enjoyed treats at Christmas and so I wanted to make treats for my neighbors this year. I didn't want to do the typical cookies and brownies, though. I wanted to do something different. In the December\January 2010 edition of "Everyday With Rachael Ray" there was a recipe for granola -- a nut and fruit granola! So, I decided to make this. They officially call it Berry Christmas Granola. This recipe is very easy to make and tasty to!
My favorite part of this granola is the pistachio nuts! I love pistachios! I could eat a whole bag to myself without even thinking about it! There is also dried blueberries, dried cherries, sliced almonds, sesame seeds, rolled oats, butter and honey in this recipe. The oats, sesame seeds, and almonds are coated with the honey and butter and then gets baked for about a half hour. After it is baked and cooled you mix the oat mixture with the fruit and pistachios! Delicious! If you do buy pistachios still in their shells, do keep in mind you will be shelling for awhile and the salt on the nuts can dry out your hands, so I had to take a couple of breaks while shelling the nuts. Some stores sell shelled pistachios but they are typically more expensive than those in the shell.
I wanted to have a cute presentation for my granola and I wasn't sure what I would do initially. The magazine suggested using cellophane bags and tying them with some ribbon. I was going to do that as I was not getting any inspiration, but then I was perusing around the Dollar Spot at Target and saw them! Target had these cute Chinese take-out boxes with Christmas decor on them, so I bought some those! I put the granola in a sandwich bag and then put that inside the take-out boxes! I am now going to make a cute little tag to go with them and then I will be delivering them.
Neighbor Christmas gifts work well if you need to get to know your neighbors a little better. While I know my neighbors, I don't know know them. This will be the opportunity to formally introduce myself. This recipe also does have multiple people in mind, so it makes quite a bit! Happy munching!
Finished Granola in bag:
Granola in Chinese Take-Out Container:
Finished Gifts:
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