Master of the Small Appliance

My goals after I surpassed the first 100 days of real food were to cook more and spread the love to the big guy and little girls.  Goals are really good to have... give you something to work towards...

...can you tell I haven't done too well?  I'm half-way through another 100 and still getting started.

But the New Year is another chance to tackle goals.  Santa brought the girls each a new lunchbox to help us switch from hot lunch to cold.  And something else has happened- we signed up for Netflix, where there are dozens of documentaries on the food industry, diet industry, benefits of raw food, perpetuation of obesity by the media and medical fields... etc.  The big guy and I have parked our butts in front of the tv and watched, jaws dropped, as we've learned that the situation is far worse than we could have imagined. 
So, family on board, I've finally made some progress.

Cold lunches this week have gone over well with their all-natural whole-wheat sandwiches (but not the whole-wheat-waffle-and-cinnamon-cream-cheese sandwiches-wth?) and cheese and grapes and white milk (the rule is chocolate milk on Fridays only). 

I've cooked- my famous chicken soup, whole-wheat pasta (something that will be more rare in this house), and real breakfasts in the morning. 

I acquired a few new tools as well.  Drum roll please..... a meat slicer!  The MIL really pulled through on that one.  I have used it and love it- the crock pot roast sliced thick for dinner and thin for leftovers was amazing!

And a juicer- we had to err on the side of budget, so it is plastic instead of steel and a little difficult to clean.  But, I have the option of raw juice whenever I want it, and the carrot/celery/apple/pear/grape juice I made on my first attempt was incredible.

To the average person, a blender might not be a big deal.  But I happen to love my blender, to the point of storing it on the counter right next to the hallowed Keurig.  Today I used my blender to work on moving to plain whole yogurt instead of the fat-free fruit (sugar) flavored stuff I used to eat.  1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries, 2 Tbsp raw local honey, 1/4 cup half-n-half, and 1 1/2 cups plain whole organic yogurt gave me a jar of the most amazing yogurt smoothie for breakfast and another jar to take to the office for lunch.

So I have made progress towards perfecting my planning/shopping/cooking skills while bringing my family over to the real food world.  They are cooperating, bar the fact that the big guy DID bring home corn syrup ice cream yesterday.  Baby steps.

Meanwhile- I'm still doing great and loving food.  My weight loss has leveled off at 15 lbs, still staggering when I think about the fact that that was 15 lbs of chemicals and bloat.  I am loving a full-fat menu, eating more raw veggies, and moving away from bread... without tears, even.

And I've found that I really enjoy eating all I want all day long, to the point that I have developed a rather interesting routine.  Meal planning, hobbit style:

Really Real Thanksgiving: Your *Whole* Holiday Menu

I am one week away from my 100th day of real food.  I have found this un-diet to be one of the most incredible lifestyle changes I have ever made.  I have more energy, thicker hair, brighter skin, a clearer, sharper mind, and 12 lbs less of bloat and blubber.

This week is Thanksgiving, my first big holiday while eating only real food.  Am  I worried?  NO.  I have found it easy as pie to resist fake food.  It isn't hard when I can indulge all I want in the real stuff- all natural ice cream makes everything seem a.o.k. with the world.  However- I have given it some thought, and since I am hosting a day-long Thanksgiving weekend extravaganza of a family get-together on Saturday, I did some looking for real holiday recipes. 

Here, all in one place, is some inspiration for the healthiest, most wholesome Thanksgiving dinner ever!

TURKEY:
via Multiply Delicious


1 heritage or responsibly raised Turkey

Inside the turkey:

2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 apple, sliced into wedges
1 orange, sliced into wedges
4 garlic cloves, peeled, whole

Under the Bird:
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot. diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, whole
3 sprigs each of sage, rosemary, thyme
6 sprigs Italian parsley
3 bay leaves

On the Bird:
4 tablespoons natural, unsalted butter, sliced into pats – plus 1 more tablespoon
5 cups low sodium free-range chicken broth
2 tablespoons rosemary, diced
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
sea salt and black pepper to season

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

 

Salt and pepper the turkey and cavity. Fill the cavity with carrots, celery, apple, orange, and garlic; bind the legs with kitchen twine.

In a large roasting pan, spread onion, carrot, celery, garlic, sage,rosemary, thyme, parsley and bay leaves. Place the turkey on top of the bed of vegetables and herbs.

Put butter on turkey, or between skin and breast meat (or a combo of both). I usually melt the butter slightly if I place on the outside of the turkey.

Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Pour half the chicken stock over turkey; roast an additional 45 minutes. Pour remaining stock over turkey and roast 45 more minutes; it will start turning golden brown. Baste with pan juices.

In a small bowl, mix together honey, rosemary, and 1 tablespoon melted butter. With a pastry brush, brush mixture on the turkey.

Cover loosely with foil and roast an additional 45 minutes. When the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 165 or 175 degrees, remove from oven, keep covered and let rest at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Transfer to platter and serve.

AN ALTERNATE- AMAZING SWEET POTATO STUFFING:

 4 medium apples cored and diced
4 celery stalks, sliced
2 lbs of sweet potatoes or yams, diced
½ cup of fresh chopped fresh sage leaves, loosely packed
1 tbsp of dry thyme
1 cup of dry cranberries
1-2 cups of walnuts
2 tbsp of butter reserved from the turkey rub
2 tbsp of coconut oil

COPYCAT STOVETOP STUFFING:

1 small onion, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
1 tablespoon butter for sauteing
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon natural garlic powder
1 cup all natural chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
2 cups whole grain sourdough bread crumbs (cubed and baked for 8-10 minutes)

In a saucepan, sauté onion and celery in butter until tender.  Stir in remaining ingredients, except bread crumbs, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add bread crumbs, cover, turn off heat, and allow to sit for 8-10 minutes.

 

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE:

via Paleoaholic
 
4 cups sweet potato, cubed
1/2 cup honey

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1/3 cup almond flour
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Step 1

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.

Step 2

In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, honey, eggs, salt, coconut oil, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Step 3

In medium bowl, mix the maple syrup and almond flour. Cut in the coconut oil until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

MASHED POTATOES:

Oh come on now.  You can't tell me you are making your Thanksgiving mashed potatoes from a box!

Real potatoes, duh, scrubbed well, skin on.  Mashed and blended with real butter (a superfood), cream, milk, or sour cream (full fat), sea salt, and a little ground pepper.

 

ROASTED ROOT VEGGIES:

Three large sweet potatoes

Eight red potatoes
Five organic carrots

One medium onion

One clove garlic

Sea salt

Olive Oil

Fresh ground black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Wash and dice all ingredients (skin on).  Place in bowl with a dash of oil, some sea salt, and ground pepper.  Stir to coat.  Line large cake pan with foil and spread veggies evenly.  Roast uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until tender. 

DEVILED EGGS- TWO WAYS:

Hardboiled Eggs, chilled
All natural Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, or other hummus flavor
Paprika, for sprinkling

Remove shell from hardboiled eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Carefully remove egg yolks and place in a small bowl. Mash yolks thoroughly until well combined.
Add 2 Tbsp of hummus per yolk used, mash and stir until creamy.
Fill egg whites with yolk/hummus mixture to create a heaping mound. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

**OR**

Use mayonnaise, but read labels.  You can find *real* mayo.  I think I might try the hummus version this year.  Also, my family recipe calls for adding a touch of mustard and some sugar, so I might even experiment with whole ground mustard seed and a little honey.  The consistency might turn out just right if I use hummus and honey- we will see!

CRANBERRY APPLE CRISP:

via Cavegirl Cuisine
 
 2 cups fresh cranberries
2 Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 tsp sea salt

Topping:
1T unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
2T creamy almond butter
1T raw honey
1 tsp cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, mix first four ingredients. Spoon into an 8×8 greased pan.
In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients (topping). This mixture will be thick…just gently stir until all is combined. Spoon small lumps of sticky topping mixture over the cranberry-apple mixture.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve.

 

STEAMED VEGGIES:

Fresh, organic green beans and carrots washed and trimmed.  Place in a basket in a pot with an inch or two of water, bring to a boil while covered.  Steam to desired texture (crunchy or mushy?).  Serve with real butter and sea salt.
**Short cut:  Bagged frozen peas and carrots or mixed veggies, steamed.  Flash frozen veggies are actually more nutrient rich in the off-season.  Read the label to watch for any extra ingredients.

 

THE PUMPKIN PIE:

via Crunchy Living

Pie Crust:
1 ¼ cups raw walnuts

1 cup almond flour
1 egg white
Pinch of sea salt

Pie: 1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree (read labels to find pure pumpkin or make your own)
2/3 cups raw walnuts
1/3 cup raw cashews
3 eggs + 1 egg yolk
¼ cup honey
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup water
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp salt

 

Puree walnuts and cashews until you are starting to get a butter forming. Add eggs and honey until smooth. Add water if needed. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend. Pour into cooled pie crust and spread. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes and allow to cool before serving.

Don't forget to serve with all natural ice cream!

COP-OUT-STORE-BOUGHT BREAD:
You HAVE to find a source for whole, real sourdough bread.  Check your local bakeries, but ask questions about their flour and read the ingredients.  I love Stone House Bread made here in northern Michigan, and I can buy it at our local Meijer.  I don't think I could make a bread at home at this point that is this wholesome, so my solution is to buy, slice, and serve with butter. 
I suggest Stone House's Cracked Wheat Sourdough. 
Ingredients:  Organic whole wheat flour, well water, organic unbleached wheat flour, organic cracked wheatberries, sea salt.


Happy Thanksgiving :)

30 Days and Counting....

As of today, I have been eating a real food diet for 30 days. 
Mostly.

Of course, for the first 10 I was strict in order to discover what it really felt like to only eat real food.  I can't live like that forever, though.  First of all, I'm not that type of person- I need some wiggle room!  Second of all, that would be no fun.  I mean, come on- I can't imagine life without DQ.

However, as you know, at the end of the 10 days I wasn't ready to swing back through junktown right away.  So, I continued on. 

I feel like "real" is my new normal.  I am still without cravings- sugar, salt, or otherwise.  I am still feeling more balanced and as if I have finally come to the end of the blood-sugar rollercoaster.  I am actually even able to go longer without food, because hunger is no longer an emergency, but that isn't necessarily a good thing.  I think my metabolism has suffered there.  So, still working on making sure I eat breaky, taking the time to eat instead of working through the day, and cooking whole/natural ingredient meals.  I'm a failure in that department.  I think a new set of stainless steel cookware would help motivate me to get in the kitchen, hint hint... so maybe after I open my birthday presents I'll become a chef. 

Instead, I am still eating a lot of grapes and bananas and I LOVE all natural peanut butter for it's protein, good fat, and crunch.  I still rely on my new comfort foods: organic, non-GMO whole wheat bread, natural cheese, and my coffee with milk and honey. 

I have eaten out several times- I will usually order a steak, veggies and baked potato with real butter, or chicken fajitas, in which case I let a few flour tortillas slide.  I've had ice cream cone- and ate the cone.  I've had turkey noodle soup, and ate the noodles and usually one package of crackers.  I often order breakfast at restaurants- eggs, fruit plate, whole wheat toast (probably still crappy bread, but better than the alt.), bacon.  Bacon is good.

And.... I had pizza this weekend.  Wonderful, cheesy, greasy Spanky's pizza.  And a bread stick.  And marinara sauce.  It was delicious, and I pigged out a little.  Oh, and then I had one of those Little Debbie pumpkin-face cookies that come out in the fall- it was pretty damn good, too.
Big guy said I fell off the wagon, but I don't think so.  I think I have found a nice balance of whole/natural food as my daily routine with an occasional fake-food treat.  That is the way it is supposed to be- not the other way around, which is how I was eating before.

The family is still not really reaping the benefits of my new way of eating- and that is my next goal: to bring home ingredients that will *poof!* magically morph into healthy home cooked meals.  So stay tuned for that!

Day 10: What Do You Call Someone Who Eats Only Real Food?

My 10 Day Real Food Challenge has come to an end!  Here are a few things I've discovered:

• Real food tastes darn good
• Eliminating processed foods and additives improves energy levels
• Coffee, however, is still a necessity
• Honey makes an excellent whole-food sweetener in coffee, tea, and recipes
• Without MSG, HFCS, added salt, artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, and white flour, hunger feels different and less bothersome, blood sugar levels even out, water weight disappears, and addiction behaviors subside
• It is possible to eat only real food while orchestrating a busy family life, working full time, traveling with family, eating out, and snacking.
• I don't want to stop

I thought this would be a difficult 10 days because of the will power it would take to NOT eat what I want and restrict my diet.  I haven't felt deprived at all.  I zip past Dairy Queen without even a twinge of regret.  I order salad without dressing and baked potatoes while everyone else munches on fries and I honestly don't struggle with that "Oh, one won't hurt" fight.

The challenge has been in figuring out what to cook, what to make for the family, what to buy.  But that is nothing new.  It is a bit harder when frozen pizza and a bag of Caesar salad aren't on stand-by, but not all that much harder. 

I almost made this a 30 Day challenge but thought that was too unrealistic.  Maybe I would have failed if I thought I had a month ahead of me.  However, now, at the end, I am not ready to be done.  I think I will continue indefinitely.  I might just become a... hmm.  What do you all someone who eats only real food?  A Naturtarian?  I'm not saying I won't have the occasional cookie or ice cream cone or piece of cheesecake.  But I think I will continue to seek out whole sources of food and natural recipes and maybe even enforce my diet on my family (evil laugh).

I say this means my 10 Day Challenge has been a SUCCESS!  I am thrilled to have experienced this.  Thank you SO VERY MUCH to my readers, whomever you are, and for your support.  Just knowing I had 30 sets of eyes on every post kept me accountable. 

That's it!  And it's time for a snack!  The big guy has finally changed his ways and has stopped bringing me home Kit Kats.  He bought me the most delicious red grapes today.  So, snack time with P-Daddy, and the on to Day 11!

Thanks again for reading!

I'm at McDonald's

Day #9! 

I'm sitting at our oh-so-stylish McD's.  Don't get all excited- I'm not eating.  I'm using the wi-fi to blog about my real food diet while I kill a little time waiting for Paul and the girls to eat dinner at Pizza Hut.  @@  (That's the emoticon for eye roll, in case you didn't know that.)  By the way, I'm not so silly/obsessed with this diet as to avoid going to Pizza Hut with my family.  We have separate cars, I'm not hungry, and I just wasn't sure if Pizza Hut has wi-fi.

So- anyway- Day 9.  I had to be up and on the road early, and guess what?  I was running late.  I grabbed 2 no-bakes and a mug of milk on the way out the door.

I had a long day of teaching in Reed City ahead of me.  Reality: nothing in the house to bring along for lunch.  I needed petrol, so I stopped at Meijer.  I ran in (don't have to go much farther than 10 steps in the door for real food!) and grabbed an apple, a bunch of bananas, an organic whole grain Stone House baguette, and some Babybell cheese (natural cheese).  I love eating this way!  NO COOKING!  THIS is convenience food.  There isn't even much garbage to throw away after I eat this way.  Apple core, banana peel, wax shell from the cheese, paper package from the bread- all biodegradable. 

I love bread.  I.  Love.  Bread.  Especially this bread- three ingredients, crusty and chewy.  The best bread is the kind that cuts up the roof of your mouth!

So I gobble up some major bread calories for lunch, but I don't care.  I'm down 5 lbs in 8 days, so hey- I might even gnaw on some bread for a bed time snack.

And I'm not hungry yet at nearly 8:00 pm!  Sitting here at McD's I'm not temped AT ALL to cram fries in my face.  I don't even really notice the smell of the food.  I'm telling you- hunger is a completely different experience without the additive addictions.  I'll eat when I eat, and it won't be a big deal.  I really like it that way.

Did you notice I didn't mention the turkey breast?  I didn't get it in before my dash out the door this morning.  Reality.

How boring is this post?  No recipes, nothing I can share with you about healthy family meals.  The family defaulted to pizza tonight, but I'm still on track.  This is most success I've ever had with any diet in my life.  I'll focus on the family next.  Look out big guy!

Tomorrow is the last day of my Real Food Challenge.  I will try to end with a bang and include some recipes, but I think I have fallen in love with the whole fruit + whole bread + natural cheese diet.  Sorry if that's lame!

Day 8: The Cultural Significance of Tomato Sauce

I don't know... I saw a book with that title once- Catching Up With Ketchup: The Cultural Significance of Tomato Sauce.  It is not totally random... you'll see.

For breakfast I made boiled eggs.  I know, gourmet!  I made organic whole wheat toast with butter and had a glass of 100% orange juice.  The girls had the same thing, except I wanted all the OJ for myself so they had organic apple juice.

I looked at little E at one point and it struck my how nice it was that she was only putting goodness into her body.  I wish it could be like that all the time!

That simple breakfast lasted me allllllll day.  I didn't start to get hungry until close to 5:00.  I was excited to get home from work and boil some whole wheat pasta and try my homemade pasta sauce!

Well..... it was okay.  I think next time I will get the food processor out and puree.  I didn't like the big chunky onions.  Not quite Prego-like enough for me.  I'll also add a little honey.  But it tasted alright.  The slice of whole grain bread with broiled with butter, garlic, and natural cheese was wonderful.  But I wasn't head over heels for the sauce.  I don't know if I'll eat the rest.

So I need to work on that recipe I guess.  Tomato sauce is one of those specialty recipes that Italian grandmothers perfect and consider their legacy (hence the cultural significance); I can't expect to get it perfect right out of the gate.

Although, that little let-down has reinforced my dislike for cooking.  Tomorrow morning I put that turkey breast in the crock pot.  Simple as it gets.  That will last me through Day 9 and 10!

One Week: It's Been Real

Woke up in Kentland, Indiana to a banana and a tiny cup of coffee (I travel with honey now).  That's all I could rustle up, and we had some sights to see.

After a morning in Illinois we headed back north.  We stopped to eat lunch at an Applebee's around 2:30.

I was ready for some protein (and some FLAVOR) so I ordered a 7 oz steak with broccoli/carrot/squash medley and a baked potato with sour cream and butter (not margarine, I asked).  I was so happy to have something that was not served over iceberg lettuce!  The sour cream and butter were hopefully not too laced with additives- I choose to believe it was pure butter and simple sour cream, and therefor all natural.  There was salt added to the dish, for sure.  But all-in-all a simple, whole meal.

Wow, was I full. 

But after a weekend of bananas and salads I was ready for more.  I got home and gobbled up a slice of Stone House organic honey wheat bread and natural cheese (the big guy went shopping!) with a glass of milk and some grapes.  I am low on supplies, but I think I will also whip up a 1/2 batch of no-bakes tonight too, my first sweet treat in days.

So, it's been a week.  I'm not ready to give in by a long shot- but after a weekend of just getting by I'm ready to seek out some simple but satisfying whole recipes for this week.  Again, nothing to wild- I'm not into it.  I think I'll make a stew and slow cook a turkey breast and find another cookie recipe or two.  I'd love to try some whole food/all natural rice crispy treats. 
You know what?  Time to make those no-bakes.