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.

Day #6: Face to Face With My Favorite Pizza

I could have made this trip to Illinois much easier on myself if I had had time to pack a cooler full of real food.  Unfortunately, in REALITY, I didn't have time.

We usually get to go to Monica's Pizza once or twice a year.  We plan our trips to Illinois/Indiana around our Monical's meal.  We stuff our faces with the thin crust and salad with "red" dressing.  We purchase extra red dressing to take home with us.  This love affair with crispy corner pieces and shredded iceberg lettuce has been a long-term relationship- we've had special family dinners at Monical's for as long as I can remember.

Obviously, I wasn't sure how I would handle going to Monical's, ordering family pleasers, resisting filling my  bowl with way too much dressing, and eating more than I have in the past six days combined.

Thankfully, though, after six days without exposure to hfcs, msg, preservatives, etc. I am certain I have broken through the shackles of additive addiction.  I am only feeling hunger on a honest level- there is no craving, no additional chemical depletion in my brain.  No constant focus on what am I eating next and how yummy (sugary/salty/msg-y) will it be.  Still, I really didn't know I could handle a 280 mile road trip that would end at the Kentland Monical's.

It ended up being pretty easy.

Breakfast was grabbed on the way out the door- a banana and a 1/2-ish cup of coffee.  I sipped on a jar of lemon ice water and had bananas on stand by in the car while the kids were allowed to munch on Nilla Wafers and Twizzlers during Horton Hears a Who (yes, I resisted Twizzlers).  We stopped for gas- kids got to pick some snacks- I just got a car wash. 

We stopped near the Indiana line for lunch at Wendy's.  I feel free from those endorphin-driven urges to gobble up fries, ketchup, burgers, and pop.  I ordered a plain potato and a BLT salad (lettuce, spinach, egg, tomato, bacon, cheese, grilled chicken) with no dressing.  I can't be sure how many ingredients were in the cheese, or if there were additives in the bacon (almost certainly), but I did my best.  I ate almost all of the tomato!  I refilled my jar of lemons with more ice and water and we got back on the road.

Dinner.  There were 14 of us (yeah- lots of kids between me, Heather, and Kevin) so we ordered three 16 inch pizzas, one cheese, one peperoni, one sausage.  Three family sized salads just waiting to be doused in red dressing.  Sprite, Coke, Rootbeer.  

I went back and forth.  What's the big deal?  This is MONICAL'S were talking about!  It is ridiculous not to enjoy a family dinner at our favorite restaurant, 10-Day-Challenge or no 10-Day-Challenge.  I could have one piece, one bowl of salad (unheard of). 

OR I could just not. 

I went with that.  I ordered a personal salad with grilled chicken, tomato, 2 cheeses, and carrots.  No dressing.  It was a big salad, and again- I can't be sure the chicken wasn't minced-and-glued, and the cheese was probably laced with preservatives.  I didn't eat all the tomatoes.  But it was still as a real as I could manage and very very very very low in additives compared to the alternative.  Who know- maybe Monica's franchisees use only natural cheese and free-range chicken breasts.

I passed the red dressing to and fro, and at one point Erika tried to dump an entire peperoni pizza into my salad bowl, but I was able to resist.  ;) 

When I feel myself sliding into that "aw, what the hell- one bite won't hurt" thought, I used a technique that I have found HIGHLY effective.  I learned this the first of four times I lost 40 or more pounds (lost 70 lbs when I was in college, and then 40 after each of three pregnancies):  visualization.  I use my keen imagination to pretend I am eating a Snickers, Zebra Cake, or mouth full of Monical's.  I know exactly how they taste and how it feels to indulge in those foods.  I can re-create that experience and trick myself into thinking I have just had some.  Try it.  Think about how the food feels in your mouth.  Pretend to chew and swallow.  Think about that food in your stomach, the package/plate empty.  Think about eating one too many- and regretting it.  What is left?  A little guilt and a lot of self-loathing?  Nope, because you didn't really eat it.  And now you don't need to.

Still- will power isn't the point.  Deprivation isn't the point.  The point is this: experiencing 10 days of real food to see how that feels.  A stop at Monical's could have negated the whole experience, but that didn't happen because it is easier to eat healthy now that fake food is out of my system.  That is the bottom line.

Tomorrow morning we feast on a Red Roof Inn complimentary continental breakfast.  I am in danger of being really hungry and am running low on bananas.  Wish me luck!

Pasta Sauce for Dummies

I don't like tomatoes.
I love pasta sauce, salsa.... yeah, ketchup.  But unless I'm really lazy or really starving I pick the tomato off of my party sub, (Monical's) salad, drive-thru chicken sandwich even though I told the lady "no tomato" (those were the old days; no more drive-thrus for me), etc.

That really needs to change.  Tomatoes are easy to buy and easy to grow and easy to cook (come to find out) and are really pretty. 

My Day 1 shopping list include roma tomatoes.  I thought I would FORCE myself to cook with them- if I buy them, I can't waste them!

Well, it worked.  I, at nearly 33 years of age, just learned how to blanch, peel, seed, and cook tomatoes.  I added:

1/2 chopped onion
garlic powder (I had a jar of minced garlic on hand too but it is packed in phosphoric acid- fail)
sea salt
basil
oregano
ground black pepper
I simmered and smelled it for about 30 minutes.

My house smells like Prego!  The girls even came downstairs to ask if I was making a pizza (if only).  I tasted it- it is really yummy!  Next time I will experiment with adding a little honey- it could use brown sugar but no, not if honey will work.

The real test: the big guy's opinion.  He gave it a sniff and thinks it smells like Prego, too.  Can't ask for better than that. 

It is only enough for one mason jar, and is going in the fridge for dinner some time next week.  I would post a picture, but I'd have to hang myself afterwards.  Food picture posts are one of my many pet peeves ;)

Day #5: Over the Hump

Today is Day 5, and I expected a challenge.  Early morning in the car, fast food joints wizzing by as I passed through town after town.  Long meeting, lunch at a restaurant.  Then another long afternoon drive home- recipe for disaster!

I only had time to grab 2 bananas and a jar of ice water on my way out the door.  I saved the 'nanas to eat just before I arrived to teach a workshop at GVSU's Children's Enrichment Center on childhood obesity and nutrition.  Holy cow, do bananas fill me up!  The workshop went great, btw- I really do prefer to teach on this topic while not feeling like a hypocrite.
Then came the part I was worried about: lunch with the Bos.  We met at Main Street Pub near campus.  Ordered a water with lemon.  Took one look at the "summer salad" menu and chose the Strawberry Walnut salad.  Baby spinach, walnuts, grilled chicken breast, and sliced strawberries.  It listed a vinaigrette of some sort, but I couldn't be sure it didn't have added sugar, so I went with no dressing.  I've never done that before, but I didn't miss a beat.

It is just amazing how food tastes good all by itself.  My brain has been liberated from the effects of MSG, HFCS, biphenyl, calcium citrates, calcium phosphates, caramel color, preservatives, etc. and I don't think I've ever experienced life this "clean" before.  It really is changing my relationship with food.
Got home to a much needed cup of coffee and dinner: good old organic whole wheat bread and natural cheese.  And the best grapes I've had in like ever.  Simple.  Good.  Seriously, I could be happy eating bread, cheese, and grapes for dinner every day.

But- my energy is zapped.  Maybe from using my brain while teaching?  Maybe while sitting 3 hours in the car?  Whatever- it's Friday night and I'm prepared to veg.  Hope my new-found early morning bounce returns tomorrow- we will be hitting the road for a weekend in Illinois where I will face my biggest challenge yet!  Two days of travel with a combined number of 4 kids, a festival, and dinner at our favorite pizza place- MONICALS. 

Monicals!

What have I gotten myself into????

Oh. My. God.

Simple.

Simple breakfast today- I made scrambled eggs and cantaloupe and the girls and I gobbled it up.  I wasn't hungry again until after my 1:00 meeting and had lunch at about 2:30- more cantaloupe and the last no-bake cookie. 

My energy held out until my usual mid-afternoon slump.  My hero, my best buddy, the big guy himself heard my cry for help and delivered a delicious honey-and-milk coffee to me from Redolencia. www.redolencia.com I stood at my computer (I stand at my computer) and bounced on my stability ball (I sit on a ball) and zipped through my afternoon high on my drug of choice.  Praise be to P-Daddy!

And then came dinner.  I worked late again and made it home around 6:00.  Kids were hungry, big guy was starved.  And we have nothing at the house.  So here is where REALITY comes in- what can we do with what we've got on hand?

Grilled cheese.  I made the peeps grilled ham-n-cheese with ketchup and strawberries.  Not the worlds most wholesome meal, here's how it panned out:

2% milk American singles
Keplinger's All Natural 100% Whole Wheat sandwich bread
Oscar Mayer Selects thin sliced Ham (no preservatives or HFCS)
All natural butter
"Simply" Heinz Ketchup (tomato concentrate from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, sugar, salt, onion powder, spice, natural flavoring)
Fresh strawberries

Again, not whole food, but better-than-otherwise choices.

But that's not what I ate for dinner.  My grilled cheese dinner looked like this:

All natural Monterrey jack cheese
All natural butter
Organic whole wheat bread (whole wheat flour, water, sea salt)
Fresh strawberries
And here is where the OMG comes in- this was hands down the most delicious grilled cheese sandwich I have ever had.  It was amazing!

You must be thinking I am an idiot for getting excited about a three-ingredient grilled cheese sandwich.  Sorry, this is not your typical food blog full of ground-breaking recipes!  This experience is about eating real food while hanging on to real life with both hands.  I am totally proud of myself for scraping together a lame dinner for the family and managing to eat real food in the same pinch... real food that I was DROOLING over! 

This is exciting for me.  Simple is good.  Melty cheese is good.  Day #4 was a success.

Now, stay tuned for Day 5- I am up early, on the road all day, out to lunch with the Bos (spelled that way), and home to no groceries for dinner.  Wish me luck ;)

Day #4: I Was Wrong (It Happens)

It is a beautiful morning!

Today is Day 4, and I think I can make some pretty concrete observations regarding changes that are occurring due to my new real food diet.

Energy:
First, let me say, I have the reputation in my innermost circle (the one that includes me and the big guy) of being able to fall asleep anywhere, any time.  And not without reason.  I can fall asleep during the first five minutes of a movie.  I can fall asleep before a conversation is over.  I can fall asleep at 10:00 a.m. 

I am always tired.  I think about sleep all day.  All I ever want to do is come home and cuddle up in one of my favorite sister-in-law-made quilts in the quiet of my room and sleep for about an hour.  On weekends we all sleep in, and I'm too ashamed to tell you how late!  I have visions of productive Saturday morning farm-style breakfasts and early loads of folded laundry and leisurely Pride & Prejudice style walks around the pond through the sun-rising mist, book in hand... but instead I wake up in time to shower before lunch.  And I wouldn't turn down a nap afterwards.  I am just exhausted all the time.

The past two days have felt different.  I still love that cup of coffee- I only made it 1 day without it- but there has been a change in my energy overall.  It started yesterday- my alarm went off and I actually contemplated getting out of bed!  I didn't.  I snoozed for about a half hour, but the thought of an early breakfast quietly watching the sun come up actually crossed my mind. 

And then today it happened.  For the first time in my life the alarm woke me and I was ready to get out of bed without robbing another 10 minutes (which turns into 30 minutes) from my day.  In case the sensation was fleeting I grabbed my phone and checked facebook, forcing myself to come to completely.  And it stuck.  I got up and put a load of laundry in.  It was miraculous.

I haven't napped in a few days.  I've stayed awake every night this week during our "it seems like we just got home and now it is already 11:30 and all we want to do is relax on the couch and watch something good together" time.  And let me tell you, this is the time of the month when I SHOULD be zombie-like and bed-headed.  I have always experience unfortunate fatigue at this particular point in my cycle (I'm assuming all of my women friends are reading this and maybe only Dad minds the girl talk).  So I am totally astonished that this change in my energy level has taken place despite being premenstrual. 

Cravings:
None, really.  I did take a good long look at those mozzarella sticks, but come on.  Mozzarella sticks.  I have had some sugar cravings, but thank goodness for the no-bakes.  I might be making another batch; they are so wholesome they are almost a breakfast bar.  Aside from that- I am feeling as if food has loosed its grip on me.  Before, if I wasn't thinking about a nap, I was thinking about the next yummy thing I would get to eat.  Now- I just kinda feel like something simple is fine, and it will be easy to come up with.  Like last night- just grab some fruit, cheese, and bread.  I love that, suddenly, simplicity is satisfying.

Weight:
Last night I mentioned that I felt lighter- but not like I had lost weight.  Well, I was wrong about that.  I climbed on the scale (early!) this morning  in my typical naked and pre-breakfast style (for optimal results) and had lost 4 lbs since the weekend.  And that is after having started my period yesterday.  Now, I KNOW that cutting out all processed food, all refined sugar, all salt, and all preservatives will cause one to lose water weight.  But that's part of the point.  I don't want all that water weight slowing me down, making me tired.  Will I lose some REAL weight too?  Maybe.  That would be fabulous.  But it isn't even my goal in doing this.  My goal is to see if there is a significant difference between life on the American diet and life on a real food diet.  (I'm thinking yes.)

So, 4 days, 4 lbs, more energy, less cravings.  Time for work!

You Want to Go to Bortell's?

Day #3... and the sister-in-law (TC) texts to see if we want to go to our favorite lake-side fishery for fried fish and french fries.  I am not about to deny the husband something so yummy (he's not hard core like me), especially at the end of the season, and we always have a great time with our much older siblings, so we went. 

I had way too much to do and worked well past 5.  I knew TC would be there early and would be annoyed if we were late ;) so when I finally got home I had about 40 seconds to grab some real food to take with me.

This was my dinner tonight:
A mason jar full of 100% Orange Juice
A slice of organic whole wheat bread
2 chunks of all natural cheese
A banana

I glanced at JC's basket of mozzarella sticks with a few thoughts about delicious hot greasy squishy melty cheese, but aside from that, I didn't feel like I was missing much.  I felt plenty full afterwards.  We took a fun family walk along the shore of Lake Michigan after dinner- it was a beautiful evening.

Now, you might be thinking, "Poor deprived girl.  She won't stick with this much longer.  Bread and a banana?  Puh-lease.  That's not dinner."  But don't worry- I am really loving this.  I came home and had like six of those no-bake cookies.  I'm all good!

I can't believe I'm not starving!  Something is happening here.  I feel different.  Or something.  I feel lighter, but not light I've lost weight.  Like a weight has been lifted.

Can't wait to see how day 4 feels.

There's Always a Song

Here are two songs from my frequently played list that are part of my 10 Day Real Food Challenge soundtrack:

Sugar Will, Dave Matthews Band
Duh, like you didn't see that one coming.  I have always loved this song, of course, mostly for Stefan Lessard's live base solo intro.

"Sugar ain't poison, but
Sugar will kill you
Too much of a good thing.
Maybe not so sweet."

It's a song, so it's obviously a metaphor.  But, taken literally, I was never sure I agreed with it.  Sugar won't kill you- there's nothing wrong with a sweet treat now and then!  But now, after what I've read about high fructose corn syrup, yeah.  Sugar just might kill us in this form.  The corn sugar industry is being likened to the tobacco industry in its methods.  Scary.

Sweet Tooth, Dave Rawlings Machine
Go download this song and you'll think I'm a little strange.  Genre: country.  But oh, it's not what you think!  No honky-tonk midwest Walmart album here.  Henry Rawlings and Gillian Welch play new country fashioned after old-timey bluegrass backhills harmony-pickin'.  I LOVE old-timey music (think Oh Brother soundtrack) and really enjoy their stuff.

"Sweet tooth, crying shame.
Sweet tooth, crying shame.
Sweet tooth, crying shame.
Gotta feed a sweet tooth ten times a day
Just to hear the wind blowing on a windy day."

Another metaphorical song- this one's about drug addiction.  But, I am beginning to think that I hadn't been as mellow dramatic as I had thought during my cold-turkey Pepsi break.  HFCS does wonderful things to our brains and terrible things to our bodies- how is that any different from heroine on some level? 

Anyway- there's always a song going through my head, and these two are good background noise on a day like today- Day #3!

A Cookie is a Cookie is a Cookie

Day 2, and I need chocolate.  I found a recipe for a super healthy no-bake and gave it a try.  It is all natural, whole grain of course, and contains no refined sugar or artificial sweetners.  No-bakes are my favorite because, well, you know- you don't have to bake them and all that crap.

Combine in a sauce pan and melt over low/med heat:
½ cup honey
4 tbsp cocoa powder
½ cup all natural butter
½ cup organic plain yogurt
1 cup all natural peanut butter
1 tbsp all natural vanilla
Stir in:
2 ½ cups oat meal
Drop onto wax paper, chill.

They are GOOD.  The kids even loved them.  The king of the castle is still deliberating... but I'll bet you a Canadian quarter he'll have another before bed time.  :)

Side note- and I don't mean to spoil a perfectly good cookie post with potty talk, but I have to add- I must be experiencing some kind of detox because, in addition to a wicked headache prior to my mercy coffee at lunch, my body has done a thorough job of emptying out today.  Nothing that might suggest illness... just a lot of waste that I'm not carrying around with me anymore.  Is that related to eliminating all additives and processed foods?  Ha ha eliminating; pardon the pun!

I'm No Foodie

No, I don't like to cook.  And I don't like the fancy stuff.  I prefer someone else to do the thinking, prep, cooking, and clean up- hence my over-reliance on my husband to do the shopping and cooking (and further hence our poor diets- sorry, honey).  Restaurants are the perfect place for me!

But I'm a smart girl.  And creative enough.  I can handle planning.  I can measure.  I can even convert, given the right smart phone app.  But simple is better as far as I'm concerned, so I went with that for dinner on day #2:

Chunky Chicken Soup, Strawberries, Organic Whole Wheat Bread, Natural Cheese

Chunky Chicken Soup
3 large all natural boneless skinless chicken breasts (poached with olive oil and sea salt)
1 lb baby carrots (what we had on hand- I'll buy whole carrots from now on)
1/2 large yellow onion
2 boxes all natural organic chicken stock
3 TB chopped organic parsley
dash sea salt
dash ground black pepper
3 bay leaves

See?  Simple. 

Okay, truth be told, I wasn't satisfied after that meal.  Probably because I had skipped lunch.  So I had a banana and a glass of milk for dessert.  I'm not counting calories here; one step at a time!  ;)

Life Without Caffeine is NOT Worth Living

Several weeks ago I cut Pepsi out of my life.  Cold turkey.  In order to be successful I also banished coffee and tea while I was breaking the sugar/caffeine habit that kept me coming back for can after can. 

It worked- I was successful.  I have had two Pepsi's since then- both treats during fun family meals... and I was happy to be able to enjoy it as a treat and not completely fall off the wagon.  However, I have not been able to maintain a caffeine free lifestyle.

I need it.  I rely on it.  Today has been hard, and I have to say I don't really like myself in my un-medicated state. 

Coffee beans are a whole food.  Tea leaves are a whole food.  So, I hereby decree that ground coffee beans and ground tea leaves are officially on the Real Food diet.  Added flavorings are not,though, so I need to find an alternative to my delicious cinnamon hazelnut brew. 

Next challenge:  sweetener.  I drink my tea english with milk and sugar (one more lump, please) and can't stand black coffee.  I ALMOST caved today and added refined, white sugar to the coffee I let myself have, but then thought again.  I decided to try honey, something I have learned to love by putting it on my REAL oatmeal.  I was really surprised to find that honey in coffee is lovely!  Perfectly sweetened, and I could barely tell it was honey and not sugar.  Honey is a whole food!  SCORE!

I am so pleased that I can now add coffee to my real food diet without ANY guilt or compromise. 

'K, I'm energized!  Back to work!

What's for Dinner?

Day 1 of my 10 day challenge went really well.  Aside from that Kit Kat.

I hadn't gone shopping yet at breakfast time, so I had 3 scrambled eggs, and that lasted me through lunch.  After work, I did my shopping and was pretty pleased with the bill- pretty typical, not too much more than usual.

For dinner I made the family grilled italian herb chicken breast (sea salt, basil, oregano), steamed sweet corn, salad with shredded carrots, monterey jack cheese, and ranch (all natural, simple ingredient cheese and dressing), and cantlope chunks.  This was no shock to anyone- we have had this meal before, and simply making sure the seasoning, cheese and dressing were all natural was an easy fix.  (I was obviously starved by the time I was making dinner, so I had a piece of the organic whole-wheat bread with the all natural peanut butter... it was YUMMY.)

Grapes for a snack during True Blood, and I had made it through- even though I did discover a Kit Kat in the fridge, and even though HE ate it in front of me.  I maintained and allowed him to enjoy his chocolate-chemical sticks.

Monday:  Shopping List
onions
potatoes
steam-in-bag sweet corn (ingredients: corn)
tomatoes
eggs
lettuce
whole oat meal
plain yogurt
unsalted butter
milk
basil
oregano
sea salt
100 % orange juice
organic apple juice (for kids)
simply dressed all-real ranch
lemons
bananas
watermelon
apples
strawberries
organic simple ingredient bread
natural chicken breast
natural turkey breast
fresh green beans
grapes
cantelope
organic natural chicken broth
all natural peanut butter (ingredient: peanuts)
natural cheese

Starting Off: 10 Day Real Food Challenge

Here's the short and sweet: I've gained 20 lbs in 2 years.  I know there are several factors at play; around 2 years ago I turned 30 and took a full time job.  I sit at a desk and drive here, there, and everywhere.  My metabolism has slowed, I'm sure.  Meanwhile, however, I don't want this trend to continue.  I am happiest when I am in my comfort zone, and I am several zones away from comfort at this point! 

I've tried daily exercise, I've tried a food journal/calorie counter.  I've stopped drinking my daily Pepsi.  Nothing.  I've increased my water consumption.  Nothing.  I participated in a biggest loser contest at work.  I gained.  I got really grouchy.  

So- in an attempt to really change my relationship with food I am going to buck American tradition and go all natural.  I am kicking off a 10 day real food experiment today.  I will eat whole foods and only natural ingredients when non-whole food is necessary.  I will not stress, but I will stick to it.  I may have to give a little here and there (caffeine!) but I am serious about giving this a full 10 days to really experience what eliminating processed foods can do for me.

Now, this is going to be difficult for me.  I am a busy mom of three daughters and a wife to a very busy daddy.  I work more than full time.  I am writing my second novel and re-editing my first.  We have a hobby farm, a renovation project on our hands, and we like to be both really active and super lazy all in the same day.  And don't let me forget full-time grad school. 

Oh, and I hate grocery shopping and don't particularly like to cook. 

This is why this blog is called Real Food for Reality.  I am going to attempt to make this happen in the simplest, most sustainable way possible.  If that means bananas for breakfast every day, so be it.

Stay tuned for my day 1 shopping list!