The other day on my Facebook page, Clean Eating -- It's a Lifestyle, I mentioned that I had planned to post a jerk chicken recipe but it was such an epic failure that I wasn't going to bother. My sister posted, "Thank you for saying not everything you make is fabulous. I was having some kitchen envy there."
So let me be totally clear! I am not a chef. I have no training in health or nutrition. I am not a professional anything-to-do-with-food! I am a wife, a mom, a sister, a daughter. I work full-time outside the home. I am worn out by Friday evening. I get up early all week, so like to sleep in a little on the weekends. I prefer red wine, although if I'm going to drink white, I love me some Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio! I prefer the beach to the mountains, but any place I can get quiet time works for me. I am just a person who got tired of fighting my weight, tried every eating plan and diet you can imagine, and finally found one that works really well for me. So, basically, I am just like you. Or your neighbor. Or someone you know. Just someone who is learning along the way and wants to share a clean eating lifestyle so others can see that is can truly just become part of your life. While I have a great life, no need to be envious. Especially of my cooking!! No expert here.
I hope you will "like" my Facebook page and follow my (very) occasional blog, and come along the journey with me. We can share recipes or a glass of wine (no, it's not clean). We can learn together and laugh together. And, with any luck or effort, we might even lose some weight together!
Have a clean eating day!!!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Sharing the Clean!
I started on my clean eating lifestyle about a year ago. On our walk the other evening, MR and I were talking about how it really is easy now to just eat the right thing. It has truly become our lifestyle! After I had been doing this for a while, one of my sisters was asking a lot of questions about it, so I decided to set up a Facebook page where I could share what I learned. Amazing enough, almost 800 other people were also interested in knowing what I had discovered along the way! Among those ~800 is a Long Time Friend (LTF).
We only get to see LTF and his wife (LTF2) about every 3 months or so. When we saw them this past summer, about 4 months into our new journey, they noticed right away that we had lost weight and were feeling good! They had some questions, which we gladly answered. Then LTF started following my Facebook page, Clean Eating -- It's a Lifestyle, and following a clean eating lifestyle himself. When we saw them again in November for a weekend away, he brought along his Magic Bullet and whipped up his smoothies each morning for breakfast. Definitely starting to see some weight loss there!
We just got together with them again in February for dinner and cards. Turns out LTF2 has also joined in and you could see right away they were both looking slimmer and healthier! LTF was shrinking out of his work shirts, so took some of the ones MR couldn't wear anymore. LTF reported he was under 200# for the first time in a long time! MR spoke to LTF again the other day and he said his shirts are getting too big again, even the slim fit ones! And LTF2 is cooking a lot of Paleo recipes as part of their journey.
I am so very pleased for them, and for anyone who just takes on the challenge of their weight, their fitness, whatever challenge they face, and does something about it. It's easy to eat junk because it's cheap, easy and available everywhere! Eating clean takes more thought and planning, but I can personally attest to the benefits, and that truly, today, it is now just a part of who I am. I just do it. And, even better, it is a part of MR's life too. Past "diets" have resulted in me eating one thing while the family ate something else. So, you think eating clean is hard and time consuming? Try cooking two separate meals every night! MR embraced this one without hesitation. It was easy because I cook things he likes! Just CLEAN! And he lost the weight right along with me (even though he's always been hot!). Even #1 son will eat what the clean foods I cook. He is 24 (and skinny as a rail), so he still eats some junk, but when he eats what I cook it is healthy and he doesn't complain, so that's a start! Same thing for Baby Girl. She is away at college and does her own cooking. It's hard for her because of her class schedule and work, but she really makes the effort, and it shows! (She's going to run in her first half marathon next weekend!)
I am so thankful that through this I have been able to share it with others and they are seeing the benefit as well. I know firsthand that badgering people into losing weight, quitting smoking and/or drinking, or whatever other vice they may have, will not work. What works is modeling the behavior and sharing the information when asked.
And just to reiterate something I have said before... Clean eating has not only helped me lose weight, it has allowed me to reduce my medication level for my thyroid (down from 125 mcg to 88 mcg) and I also sleep so much better. For years I was happy to get more than 4 hours straight of sleep. Now I routinely sleep 7 hours without waking up. If I do wake up, I go right back to sleep. That used to never happen! So there are many benefits to eating clean. Try it out and you'll see what I mean!
We only get to see LTF and his wife (LTF2) about every 3 months or so. When we saw them this past summer, about 4 months into our new journey, they noticed right away that we had lost weight and were feeling good! They had some questions, which we gladly answered. Then LTF started following my Facebook page, Clean Eating -- It's a Lifestyle, and following a clean eating lifestyle himself. When we saw them again in November for a weekend away, he brought along his Magic Bullet and whipped up his smoothies each morning for breakfast. Definitely starting to see some weight loss there!
We just got together with them again in February for dinner and cards. Turns out LTF2 has also joined in and you could see right away they were both looking slimmer and healthier! LTF was shrinking out of his work shirts, so took some of the ones MR couldn't wear anymore. LTF reported he was under 200# for the first time in a long time! MR spoke to LTF again the other day and he said his shirts are getting too big again, even the slim fit ones! And LTF2 is cooking a lot of Paleo recipes as part of their journey.
I am so very pleased for them, and for anyone who just takes on the challenge of their weight, their fitness, whatever challenge they face, and does something about it. It's easy to eat junk because it's cheap, easy and available everywhere! Eating clean takes more thought and planning, but I can personally attest to the benefits, and that truly, today, it is now just a part of who I am. I just do it. And, even better, it is a part of MR's life too. Past "diets" have resulted in me eating one thing while the family ate something else. So, you think eating clean is hard and time consuming? Try cooking two separate meals every night! MR embraced this one without hesitation. It was easy because I cook things he likes! Just CLEAN! And he lost the weight right along with me (even though he's always been hot!). Even #1 son will eat what the clean foods I cook. He is 24 (and skinny as a rail), so he still eats some junk, but when he eats what I cook it is healthy and he doesn't complain, so that's a start! Same thing for Baby Girl. She is away at college and does her own cooking. It's hard for her because of her class schedule and work, but she really makes the effort, and it shows! (She's going to run in her first half marathon next weekend!)
I am so thankful that through this I have been able to share it with others and they are seeing the benefit as well. I know firsthand that badgering people into losing weight, quitting smoking and/or drinking, or whatever other vice they may have, will not work. What works is modeling the behavior and sharing the information when asked.
And just to reiterate something I have said before... Clean eating has not only helped me lose weight, it has allowed me to reduce my medication level for my thyroid (down from 125 mcg to 88 mcg) and I also sleep so much better. For years I was happy to get more than 4 hours straight of sleep. Now I routinely sleep 7 hours without waking up. If I do wake up, I go right back to sleep. That used to never happen! So there are many benefits to eating clean. Try it out and you'll see what I mean!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Brisket with Onions - Slow Cooker Recipe
4 large carrots, peeled, and cut into 2" chunks
4 or 5 large onions, rough cut
1 T kosher salt
2 tsp ground white pepper
6 T whole wheat flour (may omit, if desired)
1 T ground ginger
2# brisket
4 T oil (I use coconut oil)
1 cup red table wine (may omit, if desired)
1 cup beef consomme
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and separated
1 T dried thyme
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Put carrots and onions in bottom of slower cooker.
Mix salt, pepper, flour and ginger in a large bowl and mix well. Coat the brisket on all sides with flour mixture.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place coated brisket in skillet and brown well on all sides, including edges.
Put meat over onions and carrots in slow cooker.
Add the wine and consomme to the skillet and stir to scrape the bits from the bottom of the pot. Add garlic and thyme to the liquid and simmer 10 minutes.
Pour the liquid over the meat in the slow cooker.
Cook on low for about 8 hours. In the last 30 - 60 minutes, add the balsamic vinegar and cover again.
4 or 5 large onions, rough cut
1 T kosher salt
2 tsp ground white pepper
6 T whole wheat flour (may omit, if desired)
1 T ground ginger
2# brisket
4 T oil (I use coconut oil)
1 cup red table wine (may omit, if desired)
1 cup beef consomme
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and separated
1 T dried thyme
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Put carrots and onions in bottom of slower cooker.
Mix salt, pepper, flour and ginger in a large bowl and mix well. Coat the brisket on all sides with flour mixture.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place coated brisket in skillet and brown well on all sides, including edges.
Put meat over onions and carrots in slow cooker.
Add the wine and consomme to the skillet and stir to scrape the bits from the bottom of the pot. Add garlic and thyme to the liquid and simmer 10 minutes.
Pour the liquid over the meat in the slow cooker.
Cook on low for about 8 hours. In the last 30 - 60 minutes, add the balsamic vinegar and cover again.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Comfort Food!
Today MR and I both worked from home. Because of that, I had the time to make something especially yummy for supper. We went with mac and cheese and also mock chick-fil-a nuggets. Talk about your comfort foods!
The recipe for the chicken nuggets can be found here. http://thedomesticman.com/2012/12/27/gluten-grain-and-garbage-free-chick-fil-a-nuggets/
I did not take the time to marinate for an hour (just let them marinate while I mixed together the dry ingredients).
The macaroni and cheese was adapted from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook
Clean Eating Mac and Cheese
1 cup whole wheat pasta (shells or elbows)
1 T butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 T corn starch (or other thickener)
1-1/4 cups milk (I used cow's milk, but you could probably use almond or soy)
1-1/2 cups cheese (I like to use sharp cheddar)
Cook pasta as directed. While that's cooking, melt butter in saucepan. Add onions and saute until tender. Mix in corn starch. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Add cheese and continue to cook until cheese is melted. Drain pasta and stir into cheese mixture. Transfer to a baking dish. Cook uncovered at 350 for about 30 minutes. If desired, garnish with tomato slices and bake 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and let stand about 10 minutes.
The recipe for the chicken nuggets can be found here. http://thedomesticman.com/2012/12/27/gluten-grain-and-garbage-free-chick-fil-a-nuggets/
I did not take the time to marinate for an hour (just let them marinate while I mixed together the dry ingredients).
The macaroni and cheese was adapted from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook
Clean Eating Mac and Cheese
1 cup whole wheat pasta (shells or elbows)
1 T butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 T corn starch (or other thickener)
1-1/4 cups milk (I used cow's milk, but you could probably use almond or soy)
1-1/2 cups cheese (I like to use sharp cheddar)
Cook pasta as directed. While that's cooking, melt butter in saucepan. Add onions and saute until tender. Mix in corn starch. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Add cheese and continue to cook until cheese is melted. Drain pasta and stir into cheese mixture. Transfer to a baking dish. Cook uncovered at 350 for about 30 minutes. If desired, garnish with tomato slices and bake 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and let stand about 10 minutes.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
New Year - New Recipe
I did my traditional New Year's Eve celebration again this year. For many of the past 30 years, I have done exactly the same thing. This year was not an exception. Around 9:00 I started falling asleep on the couch. At about 9:30 I went to bed. Slept straight through and woke up around 6:30. Whoo hoo! Happy New Year! Lame, I know. But it is by choice, so that's okay. What really warmed my heart was checking Facebook this morning and seeing that my (grown) children spent it together. That was not part of the original plan, and they live about 2-1/2 hours from each other, so it was awesome to see that they we able to connect last night. Truly... Happy New Year!
But before I got comfy on the couch last night, I did make supper. We spent the weekend at Baby Girl's place, so the groceries are limited. Poor college students don't usually have much in their fridge. We had bought a few things, but didn't want to buy a lot and then have it not get used. So the other day I took some chicken out of the freezer (don't worry, I bought it a long time ago... can't be cutting into the college kid's budget). When it came time to make it into something, I had lots of ideas, but limited ingredients. I am happy to say this was very tasty, and is more proof that you can eat clean on a limited budget. I don't typically drink store bought juice, but if I do, it needs to be 100% juice and no added sugar. If I were at home, I might have used fresh squeezed oranges (but probably not, because besides being cheap I am also lazy), and fresh pineapple (this is more likely just because I love fresh pineapple). So this is what I did....
Pineapple-Orange Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup pineapple-orange juice (100% juice with no added sugar)
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP butter
olive oil
Mix the juice and honey together, then add the chicken. Marinate for an hour or so (you can probably skip this step if you're really pressed for time). Drizzle a little olive oil in a pan with burner on med high heat. Brown chicken on both sides in the olive oil then add about 1/4 cup or so of the juice from the marinade. Cover, turn heat back to med low and cook chicken through, about 10-15 minutes on each side (turning once). When chicken is done, remove to a plate. Turn heat back up to med high and add 1 TBSP butter and remainder of marinade. Deglaze pan, scraping up any bits in the bottom. Continue to stir and sauce will get bubbly and slightly thick. Pour over cooked chicken and serve.
But before I got comfy on the couch last night, I did make supper. We spent the weekend at Baby Girl's place, so the groceries are limited. Poor college students don't usually have much in their fridge. We had bought a few things, but didn't want to buy a lot and then have it not get used. So the other day I took some chicken out of the freezer (don't worry, I bought it a long time ago... can't be cutting into the college kid's budget). When it came time to make it into something, I had lots of ideas, but limited ingredients. I am happy to say this was very tasty, and is more proof that you can eat clean on a limited budget. I don't typically drink store bought juice, but if I do, it needs to be 100% juice and no added sugar. If I were at home, I might have used fresh squeezed oranges (but probably not, because besides being cheap I am also lazy), and fresh pineapple (this is more likely just because I love fresh pineapple). So this is what I did....
Pineapple-Orange Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup pineapple-orange juice (100% juice with no added sugar)
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP butter
olive oil
Mix the juice and honey together, then add the chicken. Marinate for an hour or so (you can probably skip this step if you're really pressed for time). Drizzle a little olive oil in a pan with burner on med high heat. Brown chicken on both sides in the olive oil then add about 1/4 cup or so of the juice from the marinade. Cover, turn heat back to med low and cook chicken through, about 10-15 minutes on each side (turning once). When chicken is done, remove to a plate. Turn heat back up to med high and add 1 TBSP butter and remainder of marinade. Deglaze pan, scraping up any bits in the bottom. Continue to stir and sauce will get bubbly and slightly thick. Pour over cooked chicken and serve.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Back to Basics
Yesterday on my Facebook page, the chat turned to smoothies. To respond to a request, I returned to some of my original sources for recipes. GreenSmoothieGirl.com and an e-book called Try-It Diet: Eating Clean: A Two-Week Healthy Eating Plan were two resources I used heavily early on, along with www.thegraciouspantry.com and www.thenakedkitchen.com.
Truth be told, the holidays have been a bit of a challenge, healthy food-wise. I made some clean cookies and other treats but, as I often say, everything in moderation. I don't think I was very moderate with my cookie intake. And, oh, yes, I certainly did eat a small piece of shoo-fly pie (decidedly UNclean!) and a bit of Breyer's vanilla ice cream. (Shoo-fly pie is best when warmed slightly and accompanied by ice cream, just so you know.) So, long story short, it doesn't appear that I will be meeting my holiday goal, which was to not gain any weight from Thanksgiving to New Year's. I wasn't expecting to lose, but I really wanted to stay stable. Uh,yeah, no. As of right now, I am up 2.6 pounds. That does not make me happy, but I do have until the morning of Jan. 2 to lose it, so we'll see.
Anyway! Returning to my original inspirational books and websites made me realize that I may have gotten a bit far afield on my lifestyle. I needed to get back to the basics and quit trying something new all the time. So as of yesterday (Dec. 29) I am back to green smoothies for breakfast. This was always a great kick starter to my day. Gave me tons of energy first thing in the morning. And when you are out the door at 6 a.m., it's nice to have energy! Lunch will be leftovers from a previous night's dinner, as usual. And dinners needs to go back to the basics again too. That means a serving of protein (grilled chicken or beef, most likely) and lots of steamed veg.
Eating clean doesn't have to be complicated, and I think I was complicating it a bit. I can probably save some money, too, if I am not always trying new recipes! Coconut flour and coconut crystals are expensive!! Not to say I won't still be doing some baking and making the occasional treat, but I think I need to dial it back for 2013. Simplify my life. Simplify my lifestyle.
Truth be told, the holidays have been a bit of a challenge, healthy food-wise. I made some clean cookies and other treats but, as I often say, everything in moderation. I don't think I was very moderate with my cookie intake. And, oh, yes, I certainly did eat a small piece of shoo-fly pie (decidedly UNclean!) and a bit of Breyer's vanilla ice cream. (Shoo-fly pie is best when warmed slightly and accompanied by ice cream, just so you know.) So, long story short, it doesn't appear that I will be meeting my holiday goal, which was to not gain any weight from Thanksgiving to New Year's. I wasn't expecting to lose, but I really wanted to stay stable. Uh,yeah, no. As of right now, I am up 2.6 pounds. That does not make me happy, but I do have until the morning of Jan. 2 to lose it, so we'll see.
Anyway! Returning to my original inspirational books and websites made me realize that I may have gotten a bit far afield on my lifestyle. I needed to get back to the basics and quit trying something new all the time. So as of yesterday (Dec. 29) I am back to green smoothies for breakfast. This was always a great kick starter to my day. Gave me tons of energy first thing in the morning. And when you are out the door at 6 a.m., it's nice to have energy! Lunch will be leftovers from a previous night's dinner, as usual. And dinners needs to go back to the basics again too. That means a serving of protein (grilled chicken or beef, most likely) and lots of steamed veg.
Eating clean doesn't have to be complicated, and I think I was complicating it a bit. I can probably save some money, too, if I am not always trying new recipes! Coconut flour and coconut crystals are expensive!! Not to say I won't still be doing some baking and making the occasional treat, but I think I need to dial it back for 2013. Simplify my life. Simplify my lifestyle.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Cherry Crumble Pie
Topping:
1-1/3 cup whole oats - ground to flour in a food processor (about 1 cup oat flour)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted whole almonds, coarsely ground or chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1-1/3 cup whole oats - ground to flour in a food processor (about 1 cup oat flour)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted whole almonds, coarsely ground or chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Filling:
3/4 cup coconut sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/4 pounds fresh sour cherries, pitted, or 2 cans (14-1/2 ounce) canned sour cherries (make sure there is no sugar added)
3/4 cup coconut sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/4 pounds fresh sour cherries, pitted, or 2 cans (14-1/2 ounce) canned sour cherries (make sure there is no sugar added)
Whole wheat pie crust
Roll out pie crust and fit into 9" pie pan. Cut and crimp edge as desires.
In a large bowl, mix cherries with coconut sugar, cornstarch and kosher salt.
Prepare topping by grinding oats to an oat flour in a food processor, add coconut sugar, cinnamon, salt and almonds. Grind together until the nuts are coarsely ground. Stir together with melted butter in a bowl.
Pour the cherries into your unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle the almond crumble topping over the cherries. Place the pie plate on a foil-lined cookie sheet (really important! It can make a mess!). Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling and thick. Remove to a rack to cool to room temperature before serving.
Adapted from SmittenKitchen.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)