Meatza

Tags

low carb, meatza, paleo, paleo diet, sausage

 

Pizza is one of Brent’s favorite foods. His top three favorite foods are Pizza, Ribs and Chicken Wings. Pizza is by FAR his absolute favorite. On nights when take-out is in order, I have to actually protest pizza before the idea is even brought up… Its a good thing we live in NY – the pizza here is good enough to eat at on a weekly basis. But when we were on Paleo, I could tell Brent was going to have a hard time giving up his pizza. It was a good 2 months in to our Paleo regiment when Brent saw the pizza delivery guy in the hallway of our apartment building and the guy said “HEY! We Thought You Moved!!!! Long time no see!”

And that’s when he started to request pizza again. Because I really wanted us to stick to the 90 day plan, I started to do some research on pizza and found a paleo pizza crust (review coming soon) but with a 2 week wait for shipment, I got sought instagram for inspiration. Stupid Easy Paleo had a gorgeous photo of a mediterranean meatza….oh, what is meatza, you ask? Meatza is a pizza made with a meat “crust”. It is in no way a crust but more like a meat party with some sauce and veggies. Basically, Brent’s dream meal.

Meatza supreme (feeds 2-4 people)

1 lb hot italian sausage, casings removed

1/2 cup marinara sauce

3 leaves of fresh basil

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

handful of pitted sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 400*. In a large skillet (i used a 9 inch), prep pan with a spray of olive oil and add sausages to pan. Create one giant meat patty in the pan and heat over medium heat. The idea here is to get the meat on the bottom caramelized.

drain any excess liquid in the pan.

Assemble the Meatza with sauce, mushrooms, olives, peppers, onions and basil leaves.

Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are wilted.

Cut into 4 pieces and dig in. Served with a side salad.

Knife and fork are a must.

This was really good. And filling. But I’m a NYer, i need my crust.

Getting back on track

Tags

cabbage, chicken, healthy, low carb, paleo, paleo diet, plantains, sweet plantains

 

Its been a while.

Between getting engaged, losing my wedding venue and moving (yes, moving!) I haven’t had the time nor the mental energy to sit down and commit to a post. But in the weeks that have passed, a lot has changed. I am sitting in my new living room with my new view of the Manhattan sky line, I have appointments with potential wedding venues and my healthy diet has been on track. Everything gets put into perspective when you go through trials. Before Brent and I moved, the potential move hung over my head and stressed me out. I was depressed over having to start over looking for a new wedding venue. But that all changed when we got the keys to our new home and started the moving process. Moving in general sucks. The only good thing is the fresh start and forcing yourself to get rid of things you don’t need. For five long days, we made a million trips from one apartment to the other with a shopping cart and a dolly. I didn’t think of our wedding once during the move and when the move was finally done, I was so appreciative that I could check one thing off my list. And you can imagine my relief after Brent and I moved heavy furniture with just the two of us and one out of two elevators out of order. One thing is certain, looking for a venue will be a cake walk compared to this move.

I won’t lie, the next few posts are back logged from when i was cooking regularly. Brent and I have been surviving on take-out for 3 meals a day, for 7 days straight. The day we moved in, I made a breaded tilapia filet with broccoli and mac and cheese. It was all we had in the new place but was so happy to use my new kitchen! Below is a hearty low-carb dinner that was thrown together last minute. If you’re paleo, this is 100% paleo. If you’re not paleo, this is 100% delicious and just so happens to be low carb.

Roasted chicken with sauteed cabbage and sweet plantains.

 

To start, I preheated the oven to 450*. I lined a baking pan with foil (for easy clean up) and placed well seasoned chicken thighs and drumsticks in a single layer. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes on each side.

 

While the chicken is roasting, prepare the sides. For the cabbage, i shredded half a head of cabbage and sauteed with a sliced of chopped bacon. The bacon drippings made for a nice base for the cabbage. Season the cabbage with salt and pepper and saute over a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until cabbage reaches desired texture.

To plate, i served B 3 pieces of chicken, a cup of the sauteed bacon cabbage and half of a plantain that was lightly fried in olive oil. I had 2 pieces of chicken.

A simple, healthy, and delicious dinner for any week night. Just give yourself a little extra time for the chicken. I like mine with a nice crispness on the skin.

Paleo Pumkpin Pie Spice Donuts

Tags

dessert, donuts, doughnuts, healthy, paleo, paleo diet

Happy Valentine’s Day, Loves!

Whether you’re single, attached or don’t like to talk about it, I hope you have a lovely Valentine’s day filled with comfortable pajamas, warm blankets and delicious eats! oh, and lovey feelings!

This year, BR and I are opting for a night in on Valentine’s Day. We have reservations for the sofa and plan on sharing a cozy blanket while watching whatever is on our Netflix queue.

But before I was attached, I used to love Valentine’s Day. My best valentine’s day was when i was dumped a few days prior and I decided to throw a “love stinks” party at my apartment with all my single friends. We had tons of wine, tons of eats and had a blast.

One thing that I have kept going strong, is making a dessert for the equally loved and hated holiday. Some occasions, i ate the whole damn thing by myself (because love stunk) and other times, i shared the goodies (because sharing the love gives me the warm and fuzzies)

I got the warm and fuzzies for sure when I discovered a paleo donut recipe from  the Against All Grain blog.  It had surely been some time since I enjoyed a baked food of the dessert variety since I started paleo and i was itching for donut. This recipe delivered. And I shared them with some non-paleo, sugar loving coworkers who loved these babies.

So, this Valentines Day, skip the heart shaped chain donuts mass produced and chemically processed in favor of these super simple, super delicious, gluten free donuts. Be sure to visit Against all grain to get the complete recipe here.

I had intended on frosting these babies but after sneaking a taste when they were done, they were perfect just as they were. So I left them as they were. 

I shared a few of these donuts with some co-workers, though i wanted them all for myself, and enjoyed them with my morning coffee!

Make a batch for you and your valentine, whether your valentine is yourself, your dog or your boo, make them.  These babies are awesome.

 

Paleo Sweet Plantain Bun

Tags

paleo, paleo diet, plantain, sweet plantains

I LOVE instagram! I have made mention in previous posts how Instagram inspired a lot of my Paleo experiments. While following the hashtag “Paleo”, I came upon a ton of great recipes and meal ideas.

I had an instant love for Stupid Easy Paleo’s instagram who turns out to also have a blog AND a cookbook. Her recipes are nothing short of amazing and she features a lot of dishes turned paleo- and I have to say, her posts always make me hungry and always make me laugh.

Somewhere between 80 and 90 days of straight Paleo eating, I was jonesing for a SANDWICH. Like, two slices of bread, fluffy texture and all- sinking my teeth into them with something heavenly in between. It was getting ridiculous. And lo and behold, I happened upon Sweet Plantain Buns.

Bread made of sweet plantains!?!?!

Hold me!

Her instructions could not have been easier!

1 large ripe plantain

1 egg

3 Tbsp coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

I combined all the ingredients in my bullet (that I dropped and shattered shortly after using it that very morning ::cries::). Then placed the “dough”, which is more like a batter, in a large plastic baggie with a corner snipped to make a pastry bag. Then I piped circular “pancakes” of the batter into a hot and lightly buttered skillet. i cooked for a couple of minutes on each side. I served the buns with some bacon and eggs. I might need a new vessel to combine the ingredients because the buns were a little crumbly and not as “sturdy” as I had hoped.

HOWEVER. it  was definitely tasty. Just need to work on the method of preparation since my bullet is toast.

MMM. Toast.

 

Easiest Paleo Pesto Shrimp Ever

Tags

healthy, low carb, paleo, paleo diet, pesto, shrimp, zoodles

You know the drill. You are starving. You’re on your way home from work. And the commute that should have taken 35 minutes just took an hour. You are THIS CLOSE to ordering take out when suddenly, you remember the shrimp that you defrosted.

This recipe was put together in a record 20 minutes. From start to finish.

Paleo Pesto Shrimp -serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 cup pesto (homemade or store bought)

Optional side: Zoodles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450*. Prepare a shallow baking dish with cooking spray and arrange shrimp in a single layer. Pour the pesto all over the shrimp and stir around till shrimp are coated with pesto.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until shrimp are no longer opaque. Serve with pasta or zoodles.

An absolutely delicious dinner that was ready in 20 minutes.

The zoodles were prepared with garlic oil.

Pepper Party: Sauteed Bell Pepper Coconut Curry Soup with Coconut Crusted Tilapia

Tags

curry, dinner, paleo, paleo diet, recipes, soup, thai

Here we are, the third and final part of the #PepperParty! This was the first time I have ever participated in a project like this and while I have had a fair share of hiccups and mishaps, I am really happy with how it all came together. And a pat on my back for dealing with all the lovely surprises that came my way (RIP Laptop).

I would be remiss to say I didn’t learn anything- there are so many fantastic pepper recipes out there! One recipe I am particularly interested in is the Quiche Provencale that Lauren from Healthy. Delicious posted during the first week   I also thought the people over at Divemex were incredibly generous! Show them some love on Facebook. The growers of Divemex specialize in greenhouse grown peppers in state of the art facilities that facilitate the production of the highest quality peppers in some of the safest facilities anywhere. But most importantly, as a Fair Trade Certified company, they have an unwavering commitment to social responsibility that puts workers first.

So for today’s final installment in the #PepperParty, A lucky reader will win $200 in Food Magazine Subscriptions and the best part, its winners choice. Think of all the issues of Cooking Light, Food Network, Food and Wine and Bon Appetit you can get!!! Don’t forget to enter with the rafflecopter below!

And that’s not the only prize up for grabs! Join us today for a Pin Chat Live from 8-9pm tonight for chances to win one of 10 Divemex Pepper Corers and a Subscription to Food Network Magazine!

For my final post for the #PepperParty, I used my beautiful red bell pepper in a coconut curry soup. It was a long day. I had just had a painful procedure on my back and really just wanted to curl up in bed. This soup was so easy to put together and the addition of the bell peppers is necessary. Absolutely.

But, before I get into the warmth and goodness of the soup, check out what the other talented bloggers put together!

Roasted Bell Pepper Slow Cooker Soup by Cook the Story

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Stuffed Peppers by What Jew Wanna Eat

Roasted Red Pepper Ravioli {with Bacon} by Chocolate & Carrots

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

Texas Caviar by Juanita’s Cocina

Parmesan Soufflé with a Citrus Pepper Sauce by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Peppers by Mother Thyme

Mini Meatloaf Sandwiches with Roasted Peppers, Caramelized Onions and Mozzarella by Cravings of a Lunatic

Shrimp & Garlic Rice Stuffed Peppers by White Lights on Wednesday

Canned Roasted Red Peppers by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Sauteed Bell Pepper Coconut Curry Soup with Coconut Crusted Tilapia by Food Snob 2.0

Steak Fajita Bell Pepper Boats from It’s Yummi!

Balsamic Chicken & Pepper Sandwiches by Mom’s Test Kitchen

Kielbasa with Peppers and Onions by {i love} my disorganized life

Bacon Chili with Peppers by poet in the pantry

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja by Cooking In Stilettos

Red Pepper Sriracha Quiona Cakes by Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine

Peppers Stuffed with Everything Good by Healthy. Delicious.

Bell Pepper Slaw by The Redhead Baker

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken and Peppers by Take A Bite Out of Boca

This soup is totally paleo and totally delicious!!!When I started to make it, BR’s nose immediately picked up the curry and his eyes widened with excitement. When I confirmed what his nose was sensing, he was so excited. We love us some coconut curry. It’s soothing, warm, comforting and extremely satisfying. What’s not to love? And it was a nice change of pace from all the meat we were eating.

My local thai place makes fantastic Thai food and the one thing that sets their red coconut curry from anywhere else is there addition of slightly sauteed bell peppers. Not only does it give it burst in bright color, but it adds a great texture as well as flavor. It’s the reason that all of my homemade curry soups and stews are filled with bell peppers. It makes it totally perfect for this final installment of the #PepperParty. And because BR said I hadn’t make fish in a while, i made some paleo friendly tilapia to completely make this one nap inducing soup.

Sauteed Bell Pepper Coconut Curry Soup with Coconut Crusted Tilapia (makes 2 BIG portions)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp coconut oil, or preferred cooking oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, (3/4 diced, the remainder sliced into thin strips or rings)

2 heaping tbsp red curry paste (i used 3 for extra heat)

1 can of coconut milk

1/2 cup chicken broth

Optional: 1 head of kale, sliced into thin strips

2 cups of cooked noodles (ramen, spaghetti, or in my case, julienned zucchini noodles)

For the Tilapia:

2 tilapia fillets (6-7 oz each)

1/2 cup coconut flour (or flour of choice)

salt and pepper

2 -3 tbsp of preferred cooking oil

Directions:

In a medium sauce pot, heat coconut oil (or preferred cooking oil) over a medium heat. Add the diced portion of the red bell pepper and allow to sautee until softened in the pot, stirring constantly- about 5 minutes.  Once the peppers have softened, add the red pepper paste to the pot and stir to coat peppers (not necessary, but i like to do that). Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth and stir to combine the curry and the coconut milk. Lower the heat and allow the broth to simmer. (if you are using kale, add it now)

While the broth simmers, heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil to the pan and allow it to get hot.

Dust the tilapia with salt and pepper and bread with coconut flour (or flour of choice).

Gently add the tilapia to the pan. When it hits the pan, it should sizzle. Lower the flame to medium or right between low and medium and let the tilapia fry undisturbed for 4 minutes. Flip over and fry for 4 more minutes. When it’s done, let it rest on a plate lined with paper towels.

Remove red coconut curry broth from heat.

Fill 2 big bowls with preferred noodles. If you are using zoodles, add the zoodles raw since the hot broth will soften them. Fill the bowls of noodles with red coconut curry broth and garnish with sliced bell pepper. Serve tilapia on top of the soup, or on the side to keep the crispness.

Here is an extreme close up of the zoodles and tilapia in the red coconut curry soup.

And best of all, it was paleo-friendly!

Want a chance to win a sweet stack of Food magazines??? Hit up this Rafflecopter! Good Luck!

Paleo Week 4: I can see it!

Tags

paleo, paleo diet

A lot of people are chiming in on Facebook and Instagram (which I use as a food diary right now) asking if this “diet” (they are skeptics) works.  I still get a few comments that really piss me off but I am seeing results so I take the comments with a grain of salt.

So here is the thing. I didn’t weigh myself when I started this journey. I didn’t take measurements. I also didn’t take a before and after photo. Why? Well, there is a reason most of my pics are of food. I hated taking pics before. Avoiding taking pics and letting others take pics of me. I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. Not to say I hated myself but I just couldn’t face the reality that I gained weight. Out of sight, out of mind, right? In the past, I have always had a DAY 1 start. I’d get on the scale, see a number I didn’t like and then slip later in the day which only made me want to eat my feelings. And by Day 2, what diet?

I made the choice to start Paleo and just go with instinct. My bra is loose? Good. My tight pants aren’t tight? Very good. To most, it didn’t, and still doesn’t make sense.

“But how will you track your progress?” (by using how I feel to stay motivated and not by playing the numbers game)

“But don’t you want to tell people how much weight you lost?” (I’d rather show them how I have transformed)

“How much weight have you lost, anyway?” (I still don’t know)

Now that I have completed my 30 days, my face feels slimmer, my stomach feels less bloated and little more “flatter” (I’ve still got some gut to lose), and those pants I was about to donate to good will because they were just too tight, can zip again and feel great. So much of what I have been doing is paying off.

Even BR, who claimed he wasn’t seeing any results has been slimming down in his face and tummy. He looks amazing. He feels amazing and the other day he zipped up a pair of pants that haven’t fit since November 2012. And while he is working out, he isn’t very faithful to working out (he works late a lot). But if I may say so, those are some real results with or without working out. He is listening to his body now.

My goal now is to keep our meals mostly paleo and allow myself a cheat every now and again. And my recipes and meal plans will be for the most part: Paleo but every bit Delicious. The secret to our success was keeping our eats interesting. Nothing was boring (steamed chicken and broccoli-no thanks) and we ate different things every day. This felt NOTHING like a diet. And I loved it. We are eating clean and healthy.

Day 22: Since the smoked herring is not tasting as good to me anymore, I am still eating it but I decided to scramble it into my eggs to decrease the strong flavor. Scrambled smoked herring and eggs with mangu and onions with some almond milk coffee. BR craves chicken wings all the time and decided to pick up a huge batch of wings to bake whenever the craving hits. We had roasted wings for lunch. Since it was a Sunday, I like to make big batch foods so I made a new dish: Pastelon. A comfort food from since I was a kid. It’s a Puerto Rican Lasagna made of sweet plantains, eggs and ground beef. SO GOOD. Froze half of it for emergency dinners/lunches. Had a square of dark chocolate with some raw cashews for dessert. Total Cal Intake: 1501

Day 23: Hardboiled egg for breakfast with slices of organic black forest ham, half of an avocado and a banana. The weather has been changing and was damn near freezing out. Had leftover beef stew with cauli-mash and it was heaven sent. Perfect for the crappy weather. For dinner I made a New York Strip with a baked sweet potato topped with grass fed butter and some bok choy. Felt a little snackish after dinner. Had a cup of plantain chips, a square of dark chocolate and a handful of raw almonds. Total Cal intake: 1493

Day 24: Leftover mangu for breakfast with smoked herring and egg scramble for breakfast. Huge mug of coffee with pumpkin spice, almond milk and raw honey. Lunch was leftover pastelon, more bok choy, and a banana. Not a big lunch. Felt really hungry right after work. Tended to a sick dad and made him roasted butternut squash soup (paleo style), then made BR and I honey Dijon wild caught salmon with green beans and browned butter zoodles. BR had two filets and some leftover pastelon. Lunch was definitely too small. Had another snack attack. Cup of plantains. A banana with sunbutter and natural jam. Total Cal Intake 1473 (shockingly under 1500)

Day 25: Opened up a new brand of sardines for breakfast. They were disgusting. Smashed them into an egg scramble alongside some fresh avocado. Mom came over last night with leftover chicken stew– my favorite- so I had it for lunch with kimchi, green beans and an Asian pear. Came home and made some beef stir fry with green beans and bok choy. Not my favorite dinner. Was really hungry around 8 pm and shared an order of pork chops and plantains with BR. Total cal Intake: 1558

Day 26: Bacon and eggs with coffee!!! Oh bacon, how I have missed you. Grilled salmon over mixed greens salad and a balsamic vinaigrette for a healthy food diner with a kale and apple juice and baked sweet potato fries. Got injections in my lower back so wanted something comforting for dinner. Coconut Crusted Tilapia fried in coconut oil and a bowl of red pepper coconut curry with red bell peppers and zoodles. Most delicious and filling dinner ever! Snacked on dark chocolate and raw cashews. Total cal Intake: 1462

Day 27:  Leftover pork chop with a fried egg and avocado with coffee. Treated myself and BR to lunch at Chipotle! Haven’t been there in forever. Had mammoth salads topped with shredded pork and grilled steak with pico de gallo, salsa and a glob of guacamole. Didn’t even need dressing. Boy was it delicious! For dinner I went out with some friends for Ramen. I was quite victorious in ordering a bowl of bone broth ramen sans noodles but with extra vegetables and extra pork belly. The absence of the noodles made finishing the delicious broth extremely easy! After dinner ended up at a bar and drank a patron on the rocks… felt SOOOO guilty about it but I walked a ton that day and didn’t want to be THAT GIRL drinking water at the bar. Plus the bartender was much nicer to me after I ordered an $18 drink. Total Cal Intake: 1694 (did a ton of walking though so not sorry)

Day 28: Mangu, eggs, a TON of bacon, and avocado for breakfast with a mug of almond milk coffee. Went shopping with the parentals and spent way too much money. Came home and made asian marinated chicken thighs with homemade sweet potato oven fries. Went back out with mom to Shecky’s girls Night Out and decided to walk from midtown to the Lower East side. Came home to take out from a nearby café. Grilled salmon over veggies. Total Cal intake: 1350, Total cals burned: 1202

Day 29: Ordered in from the diner. Worst western omlette I have ever had. Had some sausage and bacon with it- that was the saving grace. Had our weekly chicken wing fix for lunch. Along with some leftover sweet potato fries. Cheated with a non paleo treat and felt sick to my stomach. Drank some mint tea to soothe my stomach and had 3 pan seared scallops for dinner. Total Cal Intake: 1336

Day 30: The LAST official day! Scrambled eggs in ghee with sardines. Grilled chicken breast with sea scallops, bacon Brussels sprouts, and bok choy. Came home to crock pot roasted chicken with buttery carrots and celery along with some roasted acorn squash. Snacked on some dark chocolate, plantain chips and a banana. Total Cal Intake 1514

Overall: I posted an unofficial before and after photo on facebook and instagram and got a lot of great positive feedback. I have a long way to go and really love how paleo has worked for me in the last 30 days. Not once (okay, maybe that time during my monthly) did I feel deprived or out of control with my eating. I have gotten very creative with my menu planning and have cooked at least 90% of our meals, leaving 1-2 meals out of the week to come from Seamless.

I have welcomed the F word. Fat. Healthy fats. I still get raised eyebrows and looks of disgust when I eat my Brussels sprouts that were sautéed in bacon fat, or the steak I ate with a spoonful of ghee on top. These fats are what helped me get to where I am and will keep me going where I need to go.

I also look at all the labels. I actually see friends drinking diet soda, which was my crack and just see it now as a can of chemicals. I only buy treats or snacks that have ingredients I am familiar with and look forward to experimenting with paleo baking.

I made a non paleo treat (recipe testing for the Halloween treats) and ate a small piece for quality control. BR ate a piece too. We both loved it and then 20 mins later felt like we had rocks stuck in our bellies. Nausea followed. An alarming, yet fascinating side effect. We are surely deterred from “cheating”. (for now anyway)

Is Paleo for you? Paleo required a TON of planning. I was on a budget so opting for grass fed/ antibiotic free meats that were on sale forced me to incorporate the sale stuff first. I froze a lot of the excess stuff for emergencies and prior to paleo, planned All of my meals anyway. It also requires a ton of cooking. This is a clean diet. You must know what you are putting in your body.

Paleo Week 3: Itchy. Scratchy.

Tags

paleo, paleo diet

Another week, Another menu. Being over the 2 week hump was great. Realizing that there are only 2 weeks left was surreal! We are at a point right now where we want to continue to eat this way and be somewhat flexible when we go out with friends and the occasional cheat day. It’s all about balance and how we feel.

BR has zero side effects from this new change in our diet. I on the other hand seem to be going through all the motions of my body adjusting to this. It’s easy to hear my side effects and then someone says “just stop doing this and eat normal again!” but these things seem minor.  Things like, my monthly cycle coming early and more ferocious than ever… sucks. But I am getting older and it will always change. It’s also sticking around for longer than normal. Again, it’s not the end of the world. I have also become very itchy. Not just everywhere but in different, and odd places of my body. My inner thigh itched like crazy. Then a spot on my ankle. Then a spot on my pelvis… even a spot on my butt. After a few applications of hydrocortisone cream, no more itch. I am well into the 3^rd week as I am writing this and for now, nothing else has gone wrong.

Before you go and think I am crazy, I will add that I have noticed after eating a meal, I no longer feel gassy. Before Paleo, I would eat cauliflower and be in agony for hours after. Now, BR and I split a head of cauliflower for dinner and suffer zero effects. ZERO. No belly aches. No bloaty gas. And No dutch ovens at bed time. He would rather not have any veggies… but he is impressed by how well he is digesting.

Day 15: We had a brunch date with an old friend of mine. She was awesome to be flexible with our dietary requests and picked a place for late afternoon. Since we are early risers, I made us a quick and light breakfast to hold us over. Pan Seared flounder with tomato fondue. It was perfect for breakfast. When we headed out for brunch, we had the Farmers Breakfast from Prime Meats. Eggs, thick cut bacon, ham and sausage. It came with potatoes and toast but they happily swapped it out for a side salad. And for good measure, we each ordered a fruit salad. We behaved. Then ended up a Trader Joes where I stock piled canned sardines. PROTEIN Powerhouses!  For dinner, I roasted some free range chicken and paired it with sautéed cabbage with bacon and sweet plantains. I ate way too much. I still felt bloated from the kani salad.

ay 16: Did not feel like making bacon in the AM. Boiled and egg instead topped with guacamole and opened a can of sardines with olive oil. It was very filling. I only ate half of the sardines. Felt ridiculously satisfied all the way up until lunch!! Enjoyed eating the meal from the night before at lunch time, bento style. Decided to start counting my calories to make myself more accountable for what I put in my mouth since I am starting to feel entitled to 2^nd helpings. Dinner was awesome! Grilled lamb chops with roasted creole cauliflower, bacon swiss chard and an Asian cucumber salad. Total cal intake for the day: 1419

Day 17: I decided to elevate my canned fish for breakfast game and opened a can of smoked trout. Took one bite and fell in love. Did not share with Brent. Ate the entire can. Had a cup of coffee after. Dreamt about smoked trout all day. Lunch was leftover bolgnese, defrosted and served over ZOODLES with a peach, some cauliflower and swiss chard. I am in love with the zoodles. I also am in love with midday tea breaks. I haven’t had afternoon coffee in weeks. I am so happy! (Although the aroma of a cup of coffee light and sweet, still makes me swoon).  For dinner I pan seared some grass fed steak, served it on top of an arugula salad dressed in honey mustard vinaigrette with a side of plantains. I was very satisfied today! Total Cal intake: 1416

Day 18: Against my own advice, I forgo the magical smoked trout and opted for 2 slices of bacon, a soft boiled egg and an overripe nectarine. I ate at 7:30am and was hungry around 11. I ate a banana and drank a mug of Earl Grey. I watched the minutes tick by in anticipation of my lunch. Roasted free range chicken breast smothered in sautéed peppers and scallions accompanied by some kimchi, roasted cauliflower and turnips sautéed with bacon.  For dinner I made some beautiful pork chops with garlicky sautéed bok choy with broccoli. I went to the gym and banked 600 calories by kickin ass on the elliptical. Total cal intake: 1626

Day 19: Woke up feeling super parched. Added a glass of coconut water to breakfast. 1 hard-boiled egg, half a can of smoked herring and half of a sliced avocado. The herring tastes different to me so I had a hard time getting it down. BR has decided to stop eating breakfast (against my own advice) because it makes him feel queasy. He has a mug of tea with a spoon of raw honey. Lunch is a leftover pork chop, with leftover bok choy with the addition of sautéed mushrooms from our CSA, a peach and some more kimchi. I skipped the gym today. For some reason coming home to dinner in the slow cooker made me ravenous. I could think of nothing more than diving into the slow cooker and relaxing. SO, I did. Spanish Style Beef stew with sweet potatoes, cauliflower mash and a sweet plantain. So awesome. And there has been a chill in the air that made devouring this stew a dream. Tea and chocolate for dessert. Total Cal intake: 1470

Day 20: It’s Friday. In a great mood. Looking forward to my CSA delivery and groceries. Who doesn’t love a freshly filled fridge! Smoked trout (my favorite), a hard boiled egg, and a sweet nectarine for breakfast. Love my some trout! Lunch was leftover beef stew with cauli-mash with the addition of leftover veggies. Sauteed turnips, roasted cauliflower and boiled broccolini. BR loves to order in on the weekends and using a new app: Healthy Out, we can search for dishes in our area that are paleo-friendly. I find a café nearby that does grilled salmon and vegetables. He has a craving for chicken wings and orders from a Salad and Grill place. When my salmon arrives, its covered in a mystery cream sauce. Extremely off putting. I pulled the salmon out of the sauce and scraped off all the sauce. I salvaged most of my veggies and go to town. BR’s dinner arrived completely wrong. The salad and grill place is actually a fried chicken place. He receives an order of breaded chicken wings. He’s not happy. But it was there, we paid for it and it was an accident. So I told him to enjoy the cheat and we will move on tomorrow. He ate the chicken then proceeded to feel nauseous, headachy, and lethargic.  The salmon ruined my stomach. I had a terrible stomach for the entire evening that lasted throughout the following day. Morale of the story: don’t cheat.  Total cal intake: 1287

Day 21: Big breakfast day! BR and I like to have a brunch-style breakfast on the weekends. It’s a nice treat. I make a plate of bacon, a pot of mangu with caramelized onions, and sunny side eggs. A very satisfying meal. Even my dog benefitted from the bacon love. We hit the gym and do some weights, some elliptical and some treadmill. Had good fuel in our belly. Burned 700 calories. Was hungry around 2 so I made lamb meatballs with swiss chard and sweet plantains. For dinner I planned to make steamed mussels with marinara sauce and kelp noodles. No plan B. The mussels were amazing. The kelp noodles were AWFUL.  Zoodles are SO MUCH BETTER. Just eating mussels didn’t cut it for us so we ordered in some steaks with guacamole and plantains. A lot of plantains today. Total cal intake: 1792

Discoveries: Healthy Out App! Love it for emergencies.

Overall: We are eating well.  BR asked that we incorporate more fish into our diets. I am definitely okay with this. Our grocery budget is about $50 higher per week, which considering how much organic and grass fed stuff we buy now, I say that’s not bad at all. 

Got a haircut this week. Love my haircut and on days when its pulled back, a lot of people are asking if I changed my hair. My face is going in. Makes my haircut more obvious. Woot!

One more week go to go!!! Crazy!

Paleo Week 2: Must. Have. Water!

Tags

paleo, paleo diet, whole 30

Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback on my first week of Paleo. It seems to have sparked a curiosity for a lot of people. While I am certainly no expert on the Paleo diet, I certainly have had my fair share of experiences that are worth sharing.

So, How am I feeling?

Great! I have a lot of energy. Good days are just that; really good. I feel excited about going to the gym when I plan accordingly. On gym days I set up the slow cooker or heavily prep for a meal the day before/morning of so I can quickly assemble dinner when my work out is complete.

Am I doing Crossfit?

Hell No. I know a lot of Paleo peeps raving about cross fit but I made the personal choice to just do what felt good for myself. I don’t need to lose 50 lbs by tomorrow. Slow and steady suits me just fine.

Working out regularly is new for me. If I do something that is too challenging I am less inclined to do it again. If you do anything, make sure you enjoy it.

 

Day 8: I woke up on a beautiful Sunny day. Received my bounty of organic meats and vegetables from FreshDirect. Experimented with my new coffee creamer: Paleo Pumpkin Spice Creamer and immediately fell back in love with coffee! I also added a new item to breakfast: Mangu. A super filling plate of bacon, eggs, mangu and fried onions. BR’s first time trying Mangu- he loved it. So did I. We hit the pool and did 45 minutes of laps. It felt awesome. We brought turkey burgers to the pool to grill up and had a protein feast of turkey burgers and grilled chicken breasts with a side of fruit. That evening I experimented with a zucchini and discovered zoodles with pesto shrimp. Angel-hair like strands of zucchini. Amazing. I noticed on this day that I had an insatiable thirst. My lips are dry and cracked and I couldn’t speak for long periods of time without needing water to moisten my mouth.

Day 9: Leftover Mangu for breakfast with bacon and fruit; plus, my morning coffee. At work I am super thirsty and drink 5 bottles of water. I barely feel relief from my thirst. My lunch consisted of leftover pesto shrimp and zoodles, a banana with sun butter (I love you sun butter!), cucumbers and watermelon. I drink a ton of water some more and can’t stop peeing. (TMI- sorry.) My mom thinks this is a good thing. I think something is wrong. Later that evening I get home to a slow cooker FILLED with tender garlicky pork waiting to be shredded and devoured. Freshly pulled pork over a raw cabbage slaw and a few sweet plantains. The constant thirst made my side hurt terribly while starting my work out. I decided to not work out this evening.

Day 10: I discovered I am dehydrated. Despite drinking SO MUCH WATER, the spike in protein and the drop in carbs put my insides on alert and my electrolytes out of whack. Research is important! Breakfast consisted of a banana, ½ a peach, and a hard- boiled egg with a glass of coconut water. Coconut water helped a ton, as did the banana. Not feeling crazy thirsty. Lunch consisted of leftover pulled pork, a brown avocado, ½ of a peach, and 2 slices of sweet plantain. I went home and did some zumba. A 20 minute beginner session on the Wii. Gasping and sweating like crazy. Dear endurance, where you at?? BR was working late but while I was dying, my grass fed beef Bolognese was simmering on the stove for… ZOODLES Bolognese! A great comfort after such a grueling 20 minutes. Also, coconut water. MMM.

Day 11: I woke up feeling really hungry. Like I want an entire plate of bacon. BR doesn’t stay for breakfast so I am on my own. I don’t feel like cooking so I reheated some pulled pork and slice a peach. I had a cup of coffee with paleo pumpkin spice creamer. Reheated some leftovers zoodles Bolognese for lunch. Didn’t get to eat my lunch on time and was grumpy. I hate feeling grumpy. But once I ate my lunch I felt better. Dinner was massive. A 6 oz grass fed steak, seared to juicy deliciousness, sautéed swiss chard, half a baked acorn squash with cinnamon and grass fed butter as well as a ¼ of an avocado. It’s delicious and it’s satisfying. However, my body wasn’t done. I felt like I could eat way more. While my stomach wasn’t growling, my body needed more food. I was thinking about bread. Sandwiches. Cookies. And Cakes. Oh no, I was having a craving. My BF asked if I was expecting my monthly visitor; lo and behold, I was. So, I eat a handful of raw cashews, a few plantain chips and then finally, have a spoonful of pulled pork and drink water. The hungry beast was satisfied. For now. Feeling guilty. BR applauds my “paleo” snacking despite wanting a warm baguette smothered with melted cheese.

Day 12: I felt a lot better this morning than the night before. I started with some bacon. It’s the last few slices before our delivery in 3 days. I pair it with an egg poached inside of a pepper- a trick I learned on instagram- and a healthy cup of watermelon. Getting the dry mouth feeling again so I have a few squigs of coconut water and keep pushing fluids. Had leftover pulled pork and cabbage for lunch with a handful of cashews, ½ a peach, and leftover swiss chard. There was so much pulled pork left at home that I decided to freeze it. Was super cranky after work and was taking it out on the pots and pans. BR ordered us dinner from a local restaurant. Skirt Steak with onions, baked sweet potato, plantains and guacamole. I read that during those “hungry days”, having a sweet potato helps. It certainly did on day 12.

Day 13: I felt terrible on this day. Achy. Nauseous. And intense back pain. (TMI warning, my monthly visitor is an entire week early and its being mean! Paleo forums tell me this is normal in the beginning and to expect it to be heavy and unpleasant.) I went for a really long walk with the dog. 10,639 steps long. Didn’t want to cook so I picked up a Rotisserie chicken from the super market. BR wanted his own. We both sat in the living room with our own personal rotisserie chicken and ate caveman style. Goooo Paleo. I managed to eat half the chicken. BR’s chicken never stood a chance. I went to bed midday with a heavy dose of motrin in my system. I took several naps throughout the day and around 7pm felt hungry for dinner. I pan seared some mammoth porkchops and served with whipped pumpkin puree and garlicky baby bok choy. I discovered I have an addiction to baby bok choy when its sautéed in garlic and ginger and finished off with some coconut aminos. Yum.

Day 14: Can’t believe it’s been two weeks. A few people have mentioned my face and tummy going in. I noticed my gut is not feeling bloaty- crampy yes, bloaty no. It’s a gym day and despite the bad back, I made a big breakfast to fuel up for my time at the gym. Mangu, eggs, a lean steak with some guacamole. Went to the gym, did the treadmill for 40 minutes (no running), felt good about it. Got home to BR cleaning the house. Best feeling ever. He suggested we order in. I really wanted sushi. I order cirashi, seaweed salad and kani salad. The cirashi was delicious. The seaweed salad was amazing. I looked it up and realized it was def not paleo thanks to the mirin its seasoned with. I didn’t beat myself up too much about it… but then that kani salad was SOOO not paleo. Artificial crab meat. Cucumbers. Mayonaise. Siracha. And Panko. I took a bite and couldn’t stop eating it. It was only about a cup of it but it was loaded with panko. My stomach gurgled all evening. And I felt bloated. BR was craving chicken wings and couldn’t find any on seamless that weren’t covered in sauce or deep fried in bad oil. He picked up some fresh wings from the supermarket and baked some smoky paprika and garlic wings. We ate 5-6 wings each. I was feeding my PMS monster and picked up some paleo-approved dark chocolate. A handful of raw almonds and a square of dark chocolate (70%) were fab!

Overall: Time is flying by! I am making new paleo friends on Instagram and starting to add more paleo peeps to my blog reader. This week was tough towards the end of it with the intense cravings and lethargy. I am really trying to push forward and listen to my body. I drink tons of water and if I feel thirsty despite that, I have a banana and coconut water and that puts me in check. Looking to branch out with the menu more. And feeling good… except for when I had kani salad. 

Paleo Week 1: ALL OF THE BACON!

Tags

bacon, diary, paleo, paleo diet, whole 30

Paleo?

What made me start this diet? Instagram. Partially. And even some bloggy friends who are amazing fitness warriors. Also, desperation.

BR and I are good eaters. When I cook, we eat well. When left to our devices, we are assholes about it (truth). Bowls of mac and cheese, for comfort. Buckets of fried chicken, because protein (lies! Pure Comfort). And bread. Bread everywhere. Warm bread with cheese and sausage. Toast with breakfast. Big doughy sandwiches for lunch. At 5pm every day we were grumpy, bloaty, tired and unhappy. The solution? Eat More.

My bloggy friend as well as longtime friend, Sarah- healthy mom on the run- took on a NO sugar detox challenge over the summer. So, lots of paleo-esque recipes. I was looking at those recipes, and I liked them a lot! But, I still couldn’t decide to make the full leap to trying a paleo diet. Then, someone I keep in contact with via Facebook and instagram started his paleo journey and after 2 months still has amazing results!

BR and I decided together that we needed to try this. Not a fad diet, but to change our lifestyle a bit. I started doing my research (I love research) and thanks to hashtags on Instagram like: #paleo, #paleodiet, #paleorecipes, and #whole30, I had tons and tons of inspiration. Enough to get the ball rolling for us. I also decided to use Instagram to keep myself accountable, which means TONS of food pics. Everything I eat goes on instagram.

I won’t lie, some people don’t take kindly to news of “diets”. With every positive comment, you get two negative ones.

“I don’t believe in those kind of diets. I eat what I want. Just exercise more!”

“Wow, you are going to have really high cholesterol”

“Who needs a diet, just use common sense and eat everything in moderation”

And more times than not, the people that should support you without a doubt are usually the first ones in line to discourage you.

Despite it all, I persevered. And it’s not to prove anyone wrong. It’s to finally stick to something and decide for myself this is what I want. For anyone out there who doesn’t support what I am doing, I just ask that you please respect my decision. This is my platform. This is my life. There is no room for negativity. There will be plenty of non-paleo posts to come as I have a back-log of things to share with you.

But let’s start with week 1. It’s a constant learning curve and I love it. Learning how to eat. Learning what’s going on in my body. For the first 30 days, I will be strictly paleo.

No Dairy. No Grain. No Beans. No soy. No Sugar.

But there’s meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts and healthy oils on the YES list.

Bacon. That sold BR immediately.

My coffee was the hardest thing to adapt. I found a raw and grass fed half and half at the farmers market but minus sugar, it was pretty disgusting. I then added cinnamon and it helped a little.

Day 1: Bacon. Eggs. Coffee with raw milk with breakfast. Feeling Really motivated! Went for a 45 minute swim. Wasn’t hungry until about 4pm (shocking) so I baked some chicken wings with sautéed swiss chard and steamed cabbage. 3 chicken wings to be exact. Then around 8pm was STARVING. BR and I were ready to eat a jar of peanut butter (no-no) until he had the brilliant idea of ordering in. Steak with onions, green plantains, and a side salad. All paleo. Very satisfying- didn’t eat all of it.

           

Day 2: Won’t make the mistake of not eating enough! Can’t make that mistake. Used the leftover steak with avocado, leftover swiss chard scrambled into an egg alongside some… bacon. Extremely full. Went to the gym for the first time in months. Did the elliptical for 10 minutes, then started Day 1 of Couch to 5K. It was painful. Had lots of water after the gym and went for a swim too! Snacked on a juicy watermelon. Didn’t eat lunch. Dinner was a meatloaf made of grass fed beef and topped with sautéed mushrooms (in grass fed butter), more steamed cabbage, roasted beets and a cucumber salad dressed in coconut aminos, vinegar and a drop of sesame oil.

(Recipes are coming soon.)

    

Day 3: bacon. soft-boiled egg, watermelon, and a nectarine. Half a cup of coffee with raw milk. The coffee is probably the worst I have ever had. Decided to look into alternatives. Lunch is a breaded chicken cutlet (almond flour and coconut flour are approved and make for a great alternative!!!) with roasted sugar snap peas, leftover beet salad, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Finally my CSA veggies are getting ALL THE LOVE. Went to the gym after work and did a HIIT elliptical session for 30 minutes. I kept losing track of the minutes. Then I walked home briskly (1/2 mile). Made Bahn Mi Style burgers with ground pork and lettuce buns, sautéed baby bok choy (my new fave!) and half of a baked sweet potato with grass fed butter and cinnamon. Not super full after dinner but feeling content.

Day 4: Breakfast and lunch were the exact same as the day before. The thing I was looking forward to most, as was BR, was the oxtail simmering in the slow cooker the entire day. When I got home, I took a long walk with the dog then went home to make a cauliflower mash to go with it. It was perfection. It did not taste like diet food. A few slices of avocado sealed the deal. Was perfectly content all night.

Day 5: steamed broccoli rabe, scrambled egg, and- you guessed it- more bacon for breakfast. Didn’t waste my time on the coffee. Had a plan B for the coffee… just needed coconut milk. Lunch was leftover oxtail and cauliflower puree. With an overripe nectarine, sliced cucumbers, and sliced avocado. The envy of the office. After work, I went to the gym and had a great idea. Used my couch to 5K, week 2 podcast to time my HIIT on the elliptical. For a warm-up, I did level 1. For the brisk walk, I did level 3. For the Run, I did level 12. Felt AMAZING after. Went home for some pan-seared salmon, sautéed green beans and plantains. I love plantains!

Day 6: Bacon, eggs and broccoli for breakfast. A midday banana. Leftover salmon, green beans, with cucumber and watermelon. A big test today as we are going to a farewell party after work at a nearby pub. Did my research. The pub has bacon, grilled chicken and salad. Not prepared in the approved oils but still sticking with the plan for the most part. Grilled chicken, an avocado, bacon and a mixed green salad lightly dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette. BR has chicken wings with bacon. A man’s man. We sip lemony water while everyone does shots. We get high fives all around. I leave extremely proud.

Day 7: I have a splitting headache. Attributing it to the change of weather, although feeling guilty about the non-approved oils and the non paleo salad dressing. BR tells me to shut up. Had a big breakfast of steak and eggs with avocado from the local diner. Going to the gym after breakfast makes me feel better. More HIIT on the elliptical – and some weights! Went to the pool but no swimming. Snacked on some juicy cantaloupe. Skipped lunch (seems to be the weekend trend) and came home to a slow roasted chicken alongside some bacon Brussels sprouts.

Thoughts on week 1.

– You can love bacon all you want, but it’s nice to not have it every day. There is always STEAK

– I really love my coffee milky and sweet but have been okay not having it.

– My stomach doesn’t feel bloated. At all. Not gassy either, despite all the roughage (TMI).

– Despite Saturday morning’s icky headache, I haven’t had a headache in over a week- had headaches/migraines DAILY

– So much energy. Going the gym 3-4 times per week and feeling good. Mentally and physically.

– Starting to get REALLY thirsty. I need ALL of the water.

– Resisted Free pizza at work! CELEBRATE ALL THE THINGS!

– So many Bakers at work just decided to bake everything I love on the same day- said NO to it all. Rejoice. Bring me all cute fluffy things!

Hopefully this entire post doesn’t bore you to death. But I hope it can help if you were considering a paleo diet. And if not, hang tight- regular stuff is coming too.