Meat & Veggie Spaghetti Sauce

You can use this recipe for any Italian dish... very easy, very yummy!

Meat & Veggie Spaghetti Sauce (can be used for lasagna or any Italian Dish)

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (I love to use portabella)

--you can add chopped zucchini or celery and it tastes good too... just make sure they cook well enough to soften them

1 Tb Olive Oil

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Seasonings:

1 Tb Oregano

1 Tb Basil

1 Tb Marjoram

1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic

(If you want the meat to taste more sausage like - add 1 tsp fennel seed, but only on the meat)

1/2 tsp salt, to taste

1/2 tsp pepper, to taste

     1. You'll add seasonings twice... once on the meat and once in the sauce

     2. Brown Meat... near the end, add onion, pepper, mushrooms, other veggies and first round of seasonings. Cook until veggies are slightly tender

     3. Add canned tomatoes and second round of seasonings. Simmer 20 minutes or more

     4. Serve over pasta (my favorite brand is Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta)

Variations:

~you can add the pasta shortly after adding the tomatoes, and cook the pasta in the tomato sauce rather than in a separate pot on the stove. Add just a little extra water (maybe 1/4 cup).

~Try different kinds of pasta... spaghetti, shells, elbow noodles, penne, lasagna, whatever you'd like!

~Add your favorite cheese on top (sharp cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack, ricotta, parmesan, etc.)

~If you want to bake it, after browning the meat and cooking the veggies, mix together with tomatoes, second round of seasonings, cheese, and pasta OR layer in a casserole dish for lasagna (place uncooked pasta near the tomatoes... tomatoes, pasta, tomatoes, meat, cheese, pasta, tomatoes, meat, cheese, etc.). Place in 350˚ oven for about 45 minutes or until the sauce is a little bubbly and the pasta is cooked.

Fresh Fruit Salad

Lovely fresh fruit, great for any meal!

Fresh Fruit Salad

Choose three or four of your favorite fruits, chopped

1/2 tsp Lemon Juice to prevent browning (if you use pineapple, then you don't need the lemon juice)

Favorite combinations:

banana, strawberry, blueberry, 

banana, strawberry, blueberry, pineapple

banana, strawberry, apple, orange, 

banana, strawberry, apple, grape

apple, orange, grape

apple, orange, blueberry

... also try adding peaches or pears or other berries when in season

     1. Combine chopped fruit and lemon juice

     2. Eat! (Let sit for 10-20 minutes to let the flavors soak in together)

Freezer Meals

In today's busy world, there's not always time to make a scrumptious meal for yourself or family. Instead of always turning to pre-packaged, processed food, make a plan to stock your freezer with precooked meals. Some ladies I know spend an entire day making freezer meals, but I've never had that kind of time or energy. Here's a few ideas I've found manageable:

~Pull out an extra pound of meat (beef, turkey, chicken, pork, whatever) when preparing a meal... cook and season all the meat, setting aside half to cool and freeze. With hardly any extra effort, you now have a pound of already cooked meat ready for a future meal. Tip: Write what seasoning you used and the date cooked so you'll remember!


~Making meat loaf or a casserole? Why not make two?! This may take an extra 10-20 minutes, depending upon the meal, but you can eat one and freeze the other. Tip: You can either bake both meals that day or put the uncooked meal directly into


~Don't like left overs? Place them in single serving sized plastic freezer bags or containers and store them in the freezer for a rainy day!

Chicken Curry Stir Fry

Colorful and beyond yummy! The trick with this meal is a fairly hot pan, stirring often, and having all chicken and veggies chopped before beginning to cook. I lay out my veggies on a cookie tray in the order I'll be cooking them. Be careful not to overcook veggies or they'll become too soft... they should have a little crunch to them.

Chicken Curry Stir Fry

1 lb chopped Chicken (I usually use breast, but thighs or tenders are great too) - keep chicken chunks fairly small

2-3 Tb oil (grapeseed, sesame seed, coconut, or peanut oil - whatever I'm in the mood for... just not olive oil!)

2-3 Tb liquid aminos (you can use soy sauce for your own meal, but I use a gluten-free soy sauce which is Bragg's Liquid Aminos)

1/2 cup or so Chicken Broth (I usually use organic) - depends on how much sauce you want

Seasonings:

2 tsp Curry Powder

(sometimes I'll add about 1 tsp paprika and/or cumin for a change in flavor)

1 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp minced Garlic 

1/2 tsp Ginger, powder or fresh ginger juice

1/2 tsp Salt

Veggie Order:

Chop veggies fairly thin and small for faster cooking... truly, you can use whatever veggies you have! Try different ones each time for different flavors and colors... here's the basic veggies plus additional ones you can try in parenthesis:

Carrots

Celery

(Zucchini or squash)

(Asparagus)

Red Pepper

Onion

(Water chestnuts)

Snow peas or snap peas

Leafy veggies:

small amounts of Cabbage or Spinach

Bok Choy (type of cabbage - really adds to the Asian flavor) - keep leafy part here, but place thicker stem near celery

     1. Heat wok or stir fry pan until hot (be careful, oil may pop), add enough oil to cover bottom - about 1 Tb or so

     2. Add chopped Chicken, stirring frequently

     3. Once outside of chicken is cooked, add 1-2 Tb liquid aminos and first round of seasonings - keep the chicken fairly moist

     4. When chicken is barely done (takes only 5-7 minutes or so), place on a separate plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm

     5. Heat pan once again, adding another 1-2 Tb of oil

     6. Begin adding veggies, one type of veggie at a time... Constantly stir, adding the next veggie after about 30 seconds... keep it moist by adding liquid aminos or a little chicken broth as you add in veggies

     7. Once all veggies but the leafy ones are added, add remaining chicken broth and seasonings... continue to stir for another 30-40 seconds

     8. Add cooked chicken and leafy veggies, cover, and turn off heat but keep pan on the stove... let sit for a minute or two while placing cooked rice on the table

     9. Serve over your favorite rice (jasmine, basmati, brown, wild, etc), spooning sauce over rice. 

Guacamole

Fresh, yummy, eat-the-whole-bowl-full, guacamole. Try both mashed and diced avocados for different effects.

Guacamole

2 avocados, mashed or diced (leave pit in bowl if not eating right away or storing some in the fridge for later)

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

1 tomato, diced

1/2 cucumber (sounds strange, but we like it)

1/2 red pepper (I always try to add in more veggies if I have them)

1/2 Sonora Pepper, diced, or Anaheim Pepper or canned green chilies or  1 tsp Chili Powder

Fresh Cilantro, chopped (optional... can also use oregano for a different flavor)

Lime Juice - about 1/4 of a lime squeezed or 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp minced Garlic

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt, to taste

     1. Mash or dice, then mix together... avocados, onion, tomato, cucumber, red pepper, sonora pepper, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and salt.

     2. Eat! (Let sit for 10-20 minutes to let the flavors soak in together... you can make while cooking dinner or earlier in the afternoon)

Mexi Dish

Yummy Chili, or use the seasoning combination for tacos, enchiladas, or fajitas. James and I don't like things really hot, so feel free to add additional Chili Powder or actual hot peppers to increase the kick!

Mexi Dish

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

--sometimes I add other veggies if I have them or I'll use frozen veggies (I've even used canned green beans or corn too)

1 large can crushed tomatoes (use only diced tomatoes when you want less sauce and more chunkiness!)

1 large can diced tomatoes (Furmano's has a yummy cilantro and lime diced canned tomato)

Seasonings:

2 tsp Chili Powder

1 Tb Cumin

1 tsp Mustard Powder

1 Tb Oregano

1 tsp Garlic

1/2 tsp Salt

Fresh Cilantro (optional)

Lime Juice - about 1/4 of a lime squeezed or 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Additional items for toppings:

8 oz cheese, shredded (we like sharp cheddar or monterey jack)

1 tsp sour cream per person

freshly made guacamole

fresh chopped veggies: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers

open a can of salsa if you'd rather not make your own!

     1. Brown meat, add diced veggies, cooking until tender

     2. Add tomatoes and seasonings, letting them boil, then simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally

     3. Eat with rice, tortilla chips, over tacos, in corn tortillas, etc.

     4. Top with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and fresh chopped veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers

Oven-Baked Pork Chop Casserole

This makes some tasty, tender pork! Tastes great with rice (or pasta), especially if you spoon the drippings over the rice.

Oven-Baked Pork Chop Casserole
4 pork chops
marinade
1 cup chicken broth (or water)
1 medium onion, sliced into rings
1 red bell pepper, sliced


     1. In a casserole pan, drizzle some marinade on the bottom of the pan
     2. Arrange pork chops in the casserole pan and brush on marinade
     3. Pour chicken broth or water into pan for moisture
     4. Spread onions and peppers on top
     5. Cover and bake 350˚ for 45 minutes or until the pork is done (170˚)

Mustard Marinade or Dressing

This is my favorite marinade! I use it on chicken, pork, or beef. It can also be used for a great-tasting salad dressing on pasta or fresh greens.

When I couldn't have any more pre-made marinades and sauces, I discovered a love for mustard... something I didn't have before. It's amazing how your taste buds change over time, especially when you no longer saturate everything you eat with mixes. You learn what food actually tastes like and you learn to love the taste of food! ;)

1 Tbl dijion mustard (yellow mustard works well, watch ingredients - some brands are better than others)
½ Tbl vinegar, balsamic or any other flavored vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbl olive oil (double for dressing)
2 tsp oregano or Herbs de Provence or parsley (they all taste great)
½ tsp sea salt
A little garlic


     1. Mix together and brush on meat of your choice or use as a salad dressing

Egg Muffins

There are two ways you can make this yummy breakfast meal, and since breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day, I thought I'd share more of my favorites!

My SIL, Jill, does this in bulk and then freezes the extras for her children to eat during the week. Here's her recipe:

Sausage Egg Muffin
Night before mix together:
     12 eggs
     1 lb cooked breakfast meat
     2 cup cottage cheese
Refrigerate over night


Next morning, mix together:
     ½ cup flour
     1 tsp baking powder
     Stir in ¼ cup butter


Bake in muffin tin that are well greased or use silicone muffin cups
Bake 350˚ for 20 min or until a knife comes out clean

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's my recipe I make in the morning when I'm low on time:

6 eggs
1/8 cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup almond flour
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 cup cheese - shredded, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese...
1 Tbl oregano or dill seasonings (either seasoning is yummy)


     1. Mix together eggs and grapeseed oil
     2. Carefully combine flour, salt, and soda before mixing the dry ingredients to the wet
     3. Stir in the cheese and seasonings
     4. Spoon into mini muffin pan (silicone is the best - otherwise the egg mixture sticks really bad)
     5. Bake 350˚ for 10-12 minutes

Mini Blueberry Muffins

Gluten Free Recipe comes from elanaspantry.com


I love these for breakfast or any snack time! They take only minutes to whip up and are ready in just over ten minutes! Make sure you turn on your oven before you begin mixing the batter. ;)


Gluten Free Blueberry Mini Muffins
½ cup almond flour (or ¼ cup almond and ¼ cup coconut flours)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup honey (or agave nectar)
3 eggs
½ cup frozen blueberries (we like to also use frozen raspberries)


     1. In a medium bowl, combine grapeseed oil, honey, and eggs.
     2. In same bowl, place flour, salt, and soda, carefully combining the dry ingredients before stirring dry and wet together. Then fold in the blueberries.
     3. Grease a mini muffin tin with grapeseed oil (I like to use mini silicone muffin pan instead or you can use mini muffin papers).
     4. Spoon the batter 1 tablespoon at a time into the mini muffin pan.
     5. Bake at 350˚ for 10-12 minutes, or until firm (until lightly golden)
     6. Cool and serve.

A few side notes:
~I use only one bowl for both wet and dry ingredients because I don't like doing more dishes than absolutely necessary.
~I have stopped using agave nectar due to it's special "birth control" properties that can also cause early miscarriages. If you'd like to learn more about this subject, drop me a line. Instead, I use darker honeys with more robust flavors. I don't like the light, highly sweet flavor of honey, but that's my own preference.
~I LOVE using grapeseed oil because it doesn't change the flavor of the food and it's quite healthy, similar to Olive Oil. I use it most often in cooking, especially stovetop cooking because it has a high flash point. Grapeseed oil is extremely expensive, so I buy it online in bulk at http://www.bulknaturaloils.com/
~The best Almond Flour around is Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour. I also buy this online at http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/blanchedalmondflour5lb.aspx. Other brands of almond flour just can't compare. It's also expensive, but with a husband that doesn't handle gluten, you find a way to make the budget work! Besides, it has a higher protein content, which is great for me and my "reactive hypoglycemic" diet.
~Sea Salt is a little more coarse than traditional salt and seems to work better in gluten-free recipes. Not sure why, but I've tried both and I like the flavor better with sea salt. I buy mine from the local grocery store. A hint... it needs to be ground sea salt, not the coarse kind, otherwise its too large, like kosher salt.

Reactive Hypoglycemia

Shortly after Christmas, my energy levels decreased rapidly. Yes, pregnancy causes you to become more tired, but this was a bit ridiculous! I literally slept all day and all night for weeks. Not normal.

Having the previous history I do with fatigue, I knew something wasn't right.

Thankfully, James began a rotation that month with Dr. Similario, a diabetic. James shared with him some of the sugar issues I've had and that I was struggling with food and my energy levels. He referred me to one of the best diabeties clinics in the US located at Penn University Hospital. Although I don't have diabeties, no where close to it, they know their sugars and how to deal with imbalances.

It was truly a blessing from heaven to be sent there! I met with a wonderful doctor, Dr. Cardillo, who just had her own baby this month, and was diagnosed with "reactive hypoglycemia," which just means that my blood sugar drops below 70 when I eat simple sugars. The treatment, stay away from too many simple sugars and combine every starch I eat with a protein & fiber. Truthfully, it's the same diet I've had for years, but now I have a name for it! ;)

Dr. Cardillo sent me to see the clinic's nutritionist, Linda, to help me expand my food intake and make sure my pregnant self was getting all the calories it needed... which I wasn't, and still struggle with eating as much as I need to eat. Living on a tight budget and having to actually make almost everything I eat can be a bit of a deterrent.

I love Linda! She was most helpful and gave me so much liberty!! ;)

Here's what my eating life consists of now:

Breakfast: no more cereal without eating extra protein with it. I can have eggs and toast, peanut butter and pancakes, cereal with greek yogurt (with some extra protein from nuts or such)... Usually I have a couple of eggs with toast or cereal/milk and save the peanut butter and greek yogurt combos for snacks.

Lunch: left overs, usually. But I have to make sure I eat 3-4 oz of protein combined with some kind of carb (bread, pasta, rice, fruit, etc.), plus eat plenty of veggies!

Dinner: Again, 3-4 oz of protein combined with a serving of carbs, plus veggies.

Snacks: I eat snacks at 10am, 2pm, 4pm, 8pm ...ish. Basically, you eat every two hours! Especially being pregnant, I can't eat a whole lot at one time, so I eat smaller snacks throughout the day. This is what Linda helped me with the most. Here's my snack ideas:
     ~peanut butter with fruit (best with apples and pears - they have less sugar than oranges and bananas)
     ~greek yogurt - love it! Chobani is my favorite. Carb to protein ratio is almost equal. Add a few nuts and you're set!
     ~Blueberries have hardly any sugar, so I can eat them by the handfuls and not have much of a reaction! ;)
     ~Protein bars, mainly Luna or Purebar. Chocolate's not good for me or the baby so I stick with nuts & berries. And these actually taste good, amazingly.
     ~Cheese (cottage or ricotta or any type of block cheese) with crackers, bread, cereal, fruit, etc.
     ~more leftovers is always good

I try to rotate so I don't get too sick of any one thing, but these snack ideas have been a life saver for me! Much of my energy has return, although I still have the normal tiredness that comes from pregnancy... but it's not over-the-top exhaustion... most of the time. ;)

One great thing I learned from Linda is that I don't have to completely avoid sugar! As long as I eat it with protein I do alright. I still feel a bit of an affect from actual sugar, but it's getting better.

I also learned that eating a protein source all by itself (like just an egg or a handful of nuts) also causes a drop in the blood sugar. They must be combined... when you eat sugar, the body absorbs it quickly into the blood stream; when you eat protein, the body takes time to absorb it so your body doesn't get the sugar it needs quick enough. When you combine the two, the body doesn't absorb the sugar too quickly to spike your blood sugar, but it sustains the level of blood sugar over the course of two hours or so, hence why you must eat small meals all day long. ;)

Summary: Combine protein with every starch you eat! Eat small meals every two hours or so to maintain energy levels. Be creative with meal combinations to add variety and try new flavors!

Back to blogging

Sorry about my hiatus from blogging so shortly after I began. Pregnancy and other things took over my life, but I'm back... at least until the baby comes! ;) We'll see what life is like after that.

For now, I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes... cookies, breads, muffins, one-pot meals, and the like.

My goal is to fill this blog with several recipes before my baby is born so all of you can enjoy the yummy goodness! :)

Breakfast!

The most important meal of the day!


Many of us grew up running out of the house with a bagel in one hand and a banana in the other.


Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. If you begin the day with enough fuel, and the right kind of fuel, the rest of the day seems to run smoother. If you're anything like I am, life is better when I'm not physically drained... emotionally, I'm much more stable and able to deal with the ups and downs that come every day.


In my diet, protein is a must! Eggs are my favorite... simple, easy to vary, lots of protein, filling but not heavy on the stomach.




The Best Scrambled Eggs Ever:
My favorite, and the easiest, scrambled eggs are Gordon Ramsey's, which I found on youtube. Although I don't add the butter and cream he does every time, I find my eggs are much fluffier when I cook them in a sauce pan and continue stirring them while moving the pan on and off the heat source. I also wait to season until the end, right before I put it on my plate. So... watch this video and then read below.





What you need:

• Sauce pan
• Oil/Butter
• 2 Eggs (3 Egg whites if you're worried about cholesterol)
• Spatula
• Seasonings: my favorites are either 1) sea salt, dill; 2) sea salt, oregano; 3) add garlic to either one of these.

What I do...

• I cook more with oil than butter, usually grapeseed oil because it has a higher flash point than olive oil (meaning, it doesn't sizzle or "spark" as easily and it doesn't flavor the food).
• Begin with medium to low heat, drizzle a little oil in the pan.
• Crack eggs directly into pan. If you're doing only egg whites, spoon out the yolks.
• Immediately begin stirring with the spatula, following Ramsey's instructions of on and off the heat. 
• ~This really doesn't take as much time as you might think, nor is it much work. Your focus on the eggs is only for about 1-2 minutes max, then they are "done" and finish cooking off the heat as you stir in the seasonings. The entire process takes five minutes from the time you begin to warm up your pan.
• Once the eggs begin to take shape, almost done but still wet looking, take them off the heat and "fold in" in your seasonings (about a 1/4 tsp or so of each). You can use fresh seasonings or dried. I mostly use dried because they're quick and easily accessible.
• Slide the eggs out onto a piece of toast, any kind of bread you'd like. My favorite is Ezekiel Bread or Bran for Life from Wholefoods' freezer section.

Variations:

1) If you'd like to add some veggies to this meal for a scrambled-omelet feel, use a skillet pan and begin with a touch more oil/butter. Add diced veggies of your choice. Let them cook 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat. Add a little more oil and crack eggs directly into pan, stirring in the same way as before. Turn down your heat and use the same on/off heat as before until eggs are almost done. Season the same way.

To make this easier for you so you're not chopping several vegetables every morning, use frozen diced veggies from the store or spend some time chopping your own and freeze them.* 

2) Instead of cooking veggies with the eggs, have them on the side. Cook a mixture of vegetables, the best are stir-fry veggies. You could even use the frozen packages of stir fry vegetables or use your own frozen veggies. 

Walk the freezer section of your grocery store to glean ideas of vegetable combinations. Anything to give you new ideas.

3) Cook your scrambled eggs and eat them with a bowl of healthy cereal (Kashi 7 Grain Flakes or Cascade Farms Purely O's or hot cereal) or a hearty buckwheat pancake with peanut butter and fresh fruit spread. **

Tasty Veggie combinations:

red peppers, onions, portabella mushrooms

red peppers, onions, celery

mixture of squashes

just add a Tbl or two of salsa

tomatoes, broccoli, peppers

really... whatever you have is great - I've even used frozen green beans :)

*Tips for freezing vegetables:

• My favorite, must-have, kitchen gadget for chopping is Vidalia Chop Wizard from Target. Only $20 and makes chopping quick and fun!
• Great veggies to freeze: onions, peppers, celery, carrots, squashes.
• If you freeze mushrooms, cook them a little before freezing - they do better.
• Place them in quart sized freezer bags.
• Don't fill them too full, then you'll have room to "break them apart" as they begin to freeze and won't freeze in a giant heap.
• This tip takes a little more time, but is well worth the effort: lay veggies out on a tray in your freezer (if you have room). Allow them to mostly freeze and then place them in freezer bags. They'll stay "loose" and separate rather than freeze in a huge block.

**Fruit Spreads and Syrups

If you want a break from eggs, eat a healthy pancake/waffle with healthy peanut butter (my husband blends his own or you can check labels to find a brand with only peanuts, oil, and salt) and some kind of fruit spread. 

Here's my favorite quick spreads and syrups:

• Blend together 2 Tbl of Apple Juice Concentrate (yep, right from the container), a couple handfuls of berries or red cherries (any berry will do... use a couple if you wish), and a cup or so of water. Once blended, you can either serve cold or pour into a small sauce pan and cook on medium until it begins to thicken, stirring almost constantly. To help it thicken quicker, whisk in some arrow root powder or corn starch in the beginning, about 1-2 tsp.
• Use the Vidalia Chop Wizard to dice a cup of fruit (as much as you need to cover your pancake/waffle). Strawberries, peaches, and nectarines are my favorites. Then mash a cup of fruit and combine it with the diced fruit, spreading across your pancake/waffle. Using ripe fruit create a sweeter spread and the need for more sugar or honey is lessened. 
• Plain old diced bananas or strawberries taste great on top of peanut butter. Just remember, the more sugar you add, the more protein you need... keep it balanced.

Buckwheat Pancake Recipe

My husband is mostly gluten free, so I no longer do whole wheat pancakes, but a combination of Buckwheat and Almond Flour. The basis for my recipe comes from http://www.elanaspantry.com/, her flapjack recipe. Buckwheat is extremely hearty and filling, soaking up liquid easily, so I've had to change it up a bit. Also, I don't use Agave Nectar anymore since James learned at school that it is used as Birth Control in other countries. Here's my recipe:

• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup water or milk (I like milk)
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (again, it doesn't flavor it, just keeps it from sticking)
• Heaping 3/4 cup Buckwheat Flour
• Heaping 1/2 cup Almond Flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• grapeseed oil for sauteing if making pancakes (waffles are fine as they are)

Blend liquids in a bowl. Add Flours, salt, and soda, lightly blending with a fork the dry ingredients on top first, then the whole thing together. Batter will be thick. For pancakes, warm pan and drizzle 1 tbl oil in pan. When scooping batter into pan, use the fork to shape it into a small circle. Keep the pancakes small otherwise they're too difficult to flip. Continue to add oil between each pancake, since the buckwheat flour will soak up the oil. For waffles, use the fork/spoon to scoop batter into the waffle iron, spreading it the best you can.

This recipe makes for a very filling breakfast, especially when topped with peanut butter and fruit, with a side of 1 scrambled egg. I don't feel hungry again until 1 pm when I fix this breakfast. Cook extras, if you can, and eat them as a snack or for breakfast the next day. They are great either cold or warmed up in a toaster/microwave.

Real Life

Now that I've blow you all away with these long lists of information, let's get down to the real life stuff... actual meals, recipes, and menu plans: what I actually eat on a day-to-day basis.

For all you organizational junkies out there, here's my goals and what you can expect from me the next few weeks/months:

~Meal Plans, including recipes & tips, for tasty, fairly quick and inexpensive meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

~Special dressings, marinades, sauces, etc. that have become my favorites.

~Snacks to pick you up or can take on the go.

~Tasty treats and party ideas - elegance, simplicity, delightful, and nourishing.

~Social events, holidays and traditions, and the emotional roller coaster of eating healthy foods.

~Ideas to make eating healthy and frugally more simple and less time consuming.

~My favorite things: foods, seasonings, and hardware for cooking and prepping.

Foods I limit...

Even though you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, there are certain veggies and fruit that have a higher sugar/starch content than others. When choosing your meals, be careful not to overload your meal or day with foods that have higher starch contents. Instead, spread them out over the course of the week, eating these foods only 3-4 times a week. 

THE VEGGIES:

The highest starch content:

Corn

Beans - all but green or wax
Dried Peas
Parsnips
Potatoes (red seem to do better than russett)

Sweet Potatoes and Yams

Close to the highest:
Artichokes
Beets

Carrots

Green Peas

Onions

Pumpkin

Rutabaga

Turnips

Winter squash

Veggies you can have more often:

Asparagus

Bean sprouts

Green or wax beans

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Celery

Chicory

Cucumbers

Escarole

Eggplant

Greens (beet, chard, collard, dandelion, kale, mustard, spinach, turnip)

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Okra

Peppers (red or green)

Radishes

Sauerkraut

Summer squash

Tomatoes

Watercress

FRUITS:

Pineapple and watermelon seem to have higher amounts of sugar verses apples and peaches. Here's the glycemic index for fruit if you want to check it out yourself: http://www.lowglycemicdiet.com/fruitsgi.html. Whatever fruit you have, eat it with your meal rather than as a snack and you'll be fine.

OTHER THINGS TO AVOID or Limit:

Whey proteins and vegetable protein meat substitutes

Cream soups or anything that comes from a can!

Pancakes, waffles, sweet rolls, coffee cake, and doughnuts

~If you want waffles or pancakes, make them with whole wheat or buckwheat flours and eat them with fruit and peanut butter rather than syrup

Ice cream, sherbet, sweetened gelatin (jello), custards and puddings, pie, pastries, candies, chocolate, cake and cookies

Jelly, sugar, honey, molasses, candy, coconut

Sweet pickles

~Please don't freak out after reading this... once you get a handle on the foods you eat, I'll share with you some "sweet" recipes that you can have for special occasions that taste wonderful but don't have all the sugar and processed goods.

MORE THINGS I CAN HAVE!:

All meats, fish, and poultry

Eggs ... anyway you like them

Homemade cream/cheese sauces

Jelly made from real fruit and sweetened with fruit juices

Butter and oils

Milk and cream... yes, even sour cream in limited quantities

Dill pickles, olives, hollandaise sauce (homemade), butter sauces

Herbs, spices, flavorings, lemon, mustard, vinegars, etc...

Anything you can make from scratch, that isn't high in starch, is on the okay list!

My Daily Menu Plan

I have found that if I think in food groups throughout my day, it's easier for my brain and less stuff to think about. The most basic way to think about meals is to combine a meat-sourced protein with a carb: 1:1. If you add more carbs, increase your protein. Beans count as a carb not a protein in this diet plan... sorry. Fill the rest of your meal with a couple servings of veggies and one serving of fruit.

Eat 3 meals a day... no more than 4-5 hours a part. You need to eat a good sized breakfast, even if you need to spread it over the course of the morning. The goal of this menu plan (increase your energy and shed off unwanted pounds) is to increase your protein to become balanced with your carbs, and eat 75% of your daily calories before 2 pm. When you limit your starch intake to one or two servings a meal, you need to increase your fats to maintain the correct number of daily calories. So, it's okay to put butter on your toast or use oil to cook your eggs. If you're worried about cholesterol with eggs, use 3 egg whites instead of 2 whole eggs. You can even leave one yolk with 3 egg whites. You'll find you have more energy in the afternoon when you eat more protein in the morning/lunch-time hours. Sometimes, when I'm dragging my feet in the late afternoon, I double up on my snacks or have another bowl of cereal (non-sugar cereal with higher protein) to get me through til dinner.


Breakfast:
Protein: Eggs/Meat
Starch: Bread/Cereal
Use oil or butter
Use seasonings... dill, oregano, basil... don't just eat plain food. It's gross! Add seasonings or veggies to help the flavor.*
Add some veggies on the side or in the eggs. :)
If you add fruit to this meal or anymore sugar/starch... just increase your meat.**
*I love using salt... when you no longer use processed foods, you don't have to worry so much about using salt to flavor your foods. Sea Salt is my favorite!
** I only have one, or maybe two, servings of fruit a day. Usually its my "dessert" but I always eat fruit with my meal.


Snack:
Protein: milk or something with 8+ grams of protein
Grain: Bread/Cereal... as wholesome as you can


Lunch:
Protein: Meat (chicken, tuna, turkey, beef, whatever... just not processed with added ingredients)
Grain: Bread, pasta, crackers, something yummy
2 servings (at least) of veggies (stay away from high-starch foods like potatoes, carrots, beets, etc).
1 serving of fruit if you haven't had one yet today.
remember your fats and seasonings to help it taste great!


Snack:
Veggies (I love pickles and cucumbers) with some seasonings or vinegar
Bowl of cereal (I love Kashi Flakes and 1% milk)


Dinner:
Protein: one serving
Grain: you can have two grains servings if you'd like, just eat a little more meat
Veggies: three servings
Fruit for dessert: one serving... be careful not to eat a big bowl of ice cream later in the evening. Your morning will be more difficult if you do. If you must have sugar, eat it with your dinner (right at the end), but at the same time. Then the affect won't be as great.


Snack:
Around 8 or 9 pm, it's fine to have a small protein serving to help you have more energy first thing in the morning. Keep the portions small... about 2 servings or so.
Milk, Cheese, Bread


Of course I vary this menu plan, but I would suggest starting with this layout and stick to it for an entire month. See how you feel. If there's no change and you still have no energy, then this Menu Plan isn't your answer. Don't despair, keep trying to find the answer! If you feel a little better and have more energy by dinnertime, then keep going! :)

The Love of Food

For years I've been asked...

"How do you do it? How do cook and eat and live
with your diet?"

"You must have a sad life without sugar
and other processed foods."

"You must spend all your day in the kitchen!"

"What exactly do you eat?"

A smile always comes to my lips when I'm asked about my food. Yes, I don't eat sugar, corn, and limit my starch intake. No, I'm not a crazy fanatic, I've just learned that my body doesn't react well to sugar/starchy foods. I try to have a balanced meal of veggies, meat, starch, and fruit, without over-emphasizing any one food group. I eat healthier fats, drink milk and some juice, eat pretzels, crackers, and chips, and have found my life to be complete without snacking on junk food everyday or eating ice cream and cookies after dinner.

Changing the way I view my food and the importance of food in socializing and family traditions has been one of the major stumbling blocks I've had to overcome. When your body rejects such basic ingredients as sugar or corn or wheat or yeast (for those who have other allergies or intolerances), basic traditions established years ago are now in jeopardy and the accepted mindset of food comes crashing down. It's not easy to accept that you may never make sugar cookies with your children, or eat hot homemade rolls on Thanksgiving, or share the joy of trick or treating with your family. Even social events become a challenge when everything that is served makes you physically ill! Avoiding offending someone causes us to consume what our bodies can tolerate and we suffer in our effort to be "social."

In our fast-past world, home-cooked meals are a thing of the past. If you want to make meatloaf, tacos, or alfredo sauce, you either order out or buy a package from the store. Do you even know what ingredients are used to make some of your favorite packaged goods? When I began my diet, I was shocked at two realizations:

1) those who eat processed goods, consume an awful lot of stuff you can't even name, and it seems like corn or modified food starch is in everything!

2) once I learned what seasonings made what food, I found it so much easier & cheaper to make the food myself.

It's taken me the last couple of years to hone in my cooking skills and learn how to utilize basic, natural ingredients to cook yummy, delightful food that tastes mouthwatering-good. My road hasn't been easy, but I've discovered that many are on a similar path as me... searching, testing, trying, suffering, and finally succeeding in cooking delicious food that causes you to go back for seconds and thirds because it's SOOO good! :)

For several months, I have contemplated beginning my own food blog... a place where I can record recipes I create and to talk about my food life. It seemed like a good idea and maybe something I'd eventually get around to create. But in the last few months, I have found many others struggling as I have struggled, to find a better way of living. Most of these "others" have been dear family members and close friends that have been diagnosed with difficult allergies or have noticed a huge dip in energy over the past few years.

Making the first step-this giant leap into the world of homemade cooking-isn't easy. It's been one of the hardest journeys I've had to walk. But, I know it can be done and I've felt the benefit of living a life of increased energy and free of substances that are harmful and addictive.