Bob and I took the summer off! We did this for several reasons:
-I lost a lot of weight January-May on the unprocessed diet. I burn at least twice as many calories in the summer months as I do in winter and eating healthy is a commitment in cooking. When I work 13 hour days, I don't have time to cook OR even to eat. I've mentioned before just how much eating I do on an unprocessed diet- A LOT of eating to get the calories I need. Not having time to get that calorie intake would have been both stressful and detrimental to my health as I only had about another 10lbs between me and an unhealthy weight. In the off months, I've maintained a weight about 3lbs over what I weighed on the diet, which is just right.
And...
-Summer food is fun. Summer is a fun time for food. Not only is there an abundance of fresh local produce, but there's carnivals, parades, vacations, and -for us- birthdays and anniversaries. We LIKE cupcakes and cheese curls, fresh bread and funnel cake. Part of my goal in going unprocessed was to strengthen my digestive system so I COULD indulge every now and then without incident.
So...What did we eat?
We're still a soy-free household both because my allergy still affects me and because we believe in a soy-free diet, but GAPS cut out all grains, all starches, all processed sugars. We love hummus, and guacamole, and salsa- so we finally started eating them with corn chips again! I LOVE to bake which means fudge, and cupcakes, etc. reappeared. Usually, I take half a batch of anything I make to work and share it there so there isn't just a whole pan of fudge on our counter. French fries and mashed potatoes were definitely missed. We also joined a CSA (Crop Share Agreement) in which we pay a membership fee that helps support a local farm, and each week we pick up a box of fresh produce. This runs May-October so we've been receiving it since we went back to traditional eating.
How are we eating NOW?
We both agreed that while there are great benefits to an unprocessed diet, we like moderation. Our general diet is farm-to-table scratch cooking. If baked goods are there, they are homemade with control over ingredients and portions. We still don't eat soy, and we generally don't eat things from a bag. However, we're allowing ourselves organic cornchips for dipping in all those yummy dips, and there is no limit on produce (potatoes, sweet corn, green beans, etc are all back on the table). During our time off, our local grocery store started carrying organic and nitrate free meats which we are super thrilled about. We still take the same digestive aids (fiber, probiotics, enzymes, gelatin).
I've started a new blog, The Copper Kitchen, following our new lifestyle. When I find a new favorite recipe, I post it there and try to mark them as paleo, vegetarian, etc. ALL of it is delicious!
Follow us in our new lifestyle- which we are hereby dubbing "Scratch!" eating!
Monday, August 18, 2014
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Honeyed Cayenne Chicken
This is a dish that I've made for years (pre-diet) and a favorite in our house. I have put all the ingredients into a pyrex and baked it for ~15 minutes in the past, but since I've been cooking up chicken breasts once a week to keep in the fridge, I just left 2 in the pan to make dinner tonight.
*You can use other honeys, but I find floral honeys to add extra dimension, be less cloyingly sweet, and smell divine when cooking.
Sidedish;
This week I served this with sliced button mushrooms and bokchoy, sautéed in olive oil with montreal steak seasoning.
- 1 boneless chicken breast per person
- 1 Tbs floral "blossom" honey (orange blossom, cherry blossom, plum blossom, etc)
- Cayenne Pepper to taste
*You can use other honeys, but I find floral honeys to add extra dimension, be less cloyingly sweet, and smell divine when cooking.
Sidedish;
This week I served this with sliced button mushrooms and bokchoy, sautéed in olive oil with montreal steak seasoning.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Getting Enough Calories on an Unprocessed Diet
In a previous post, I mentioned that I've lost more weight than I wanted to. I'm not sickly, but I was an appropriate size when I started this diet and I've lost 10lbs which means my pants are too big. I would like to add some toning exercises to my life (pushups and squats) but am afraid of burning more calories when I'm already having trouble keeping up. Whether I add more exercise or not, I spend ~8hours a day on my feet as a waitress speedwalking at least an hour of that time. In the summer I spend closer to 12 hours a day on my feet speedwalking around 8-10 hours a day, which means like it or not, I'm going to need to find more calories.
I started pre-cooking chicken breasts and leaving them in the fridge as a grab and go option when I don't have time or don't want to cook. everytime I make soup, I make 4 servings and freeze half. I also keep uncured, nitrate-free deli meats in there (pepperoni and salami) and cheese. I keep cups of pudding and pot de crème in the fridge beside the chocolate. I have freeze-dried fruit and nuts around the house, but I'm still hungry a lot, so I've been adding smoothies (mango, banana, juice, and flax) and a paleo friend suggested adding healthy fats (olive or coconut oil) to my smoothies to up their fat content without adding bad cholesterol. I'm using the coconut water left from the pot de crème once a week too.
The obvious truth is that eating well takes a lot more effort, not just in grocery bills and prep times but in the amount of food you need to consume to get the same calories you got from grains and starches. Having easy access to immediate calories is helpful, but I still have a long way to go.
I started pre-cooking chicken breasts and leaving them in the fridge as a grab and go option when I don't have time or don't want to cook. everytime I make soup, I make 4 servings and freeze half. I also keep uncured, nitrate-free deli meats in there (pepperoni and salami) and cheese. I keep cups of pudding and pot de crème in the fridge beside the chocolate. I have freeze-dried fruit and nuts around the house, but I'm still hungry a lot, so I've been adding smoothies (mango, banana, juice, and flax) and a paleo friend suggested adding healthy fats (olive or coconut oil) to my smoothies to up their fat content without adding bad cholesterol. I'm using the coconut water left from the pot de crème once a week too.
The obvious truth is that eating well takes a lot more effort, not just in grocery bills and prep times but in the amount of food you need to consume to get the same calories you got from grains and starches. Having easy access to immediate calories is helpful, but I still have a long way to go.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Acorn Squash Soup
Roasted squash has the texture of mashed potatoes and the sweet nuttiness of pumpkin pie. This was my first foray into Acorn Squash and I found it surprisingly easy. Start by cutting your squash in half, scooping out the seeds and roasting it cut side down at 400* for ~30-40 minutes. Let it cool for 20 minutes.
Scoop your squash into a medium-large saucepan with a spoon. *If you do not have an immersion blender (I bought mine for $15 on amazon and I love it), put these items directly into a food processor instead of the pan. It should scoop out very easily and leave you with a clean shell. Top with 1 carton of chicken stock (we buy organic and read the ingredients labels, but you can make your own or use veggie stock). Add 1 tsp cinnamon. We also added 1/2 tsp cayenne for a little kick. Use your immersion blender to puree til smooth. This is going to be very thick on its own. If you'd like a bisque, you can add cream but it really doesn't need it. Heat through at medium heat and reduce to a simmer. Serve whenever you're ready to eat it.
Scoop your squash into a medium-large saucepan with a spoon. *If you do not have an immersion blender (I bought mine for $15 on amazon and I love it), put these items directly into a food processor instead of the pan. It should scoop out very easily and leave you with a clean shell. Top with 1 carton of chicken stock (we buy organic and read the ingredients labels, but you can make your own or use veggie stock). Add 1 tsp cinnamon. We also added 1/2 tsp cayenne for a little kick. Use your immersion blender to puree til smooth. This is going to be very thick on its own. If you'd like a bisque, you can add cream but it really doesn't need it. Heat through at medium heat and reduce to a simmer. Serve whenever you're ready to eat it.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
2 Months- What I've learned
yesterday was my 8 week mark and Friday is my 2 month mark, so I thought I'd summarize some of the ups and downs on my journey.
I am hungry ALL the time. And I eat ALL the time. I am officially down 10 lbs since the beginning of this diet and that really wasn't my goal. Some of my pants are too big. I can pinpoint those last few pounds to this past weekend. Work was really busy- I left around 1:30am each night and had very little time to eat so my calories out v calories in was way unbalanced. Working on ways to address this. One of those ways is that I intend to start adding smoothies to my mornings. ADDING not in place of anything. I think I'm also going to start keeping some pre-cooked proteins in the fridge in addition to hardboiled eggs.
My system is healing!!! We've mentioned here that I have "cheat days" a couple times a month because my goal is to be able to partake in food life, not have to abstain from it. Ultimately, I intend to maintain a healthy gut lifestyle with weekend cheats. Some things that I used to react badly to pre-diet were jalapenos and beer. I am happy to report that jalapenos no longer affect my system at all and beer has a much much lessened effect. The 2 month cheat was pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) and summer rolls. The grain here is primarily rice which is the easiest grain. I could only eat about half of my normal order, because I was full very quickly. DH had no problem with his usual order but mentioned that he could probably switch to a smaller size. I am a fan of cheat days, because you don't feel as regretful about giving up little things when you get to have bigger things. I do, however, have cheat rules:
It seems like more coconut than it is. Everytime I see a recipe calling for coconut milk/cream/butter, I tilt my head and think, this much coconut does NOT seem like moderation to me. At the beginning of this diet I bought a 12-can case of coconut milk. In 2 months, I've used about 8 cans if you include the 2 I bought before the case, so about 1 can/week. Not as big of an overload as I thought. I don't bake a lot on this diet and on cheat days (like cupcakes for st. pattys day) I still bake with wheat flour (sorry but nut flours just aren't the same). Nut flours have definite flavors and textures and I have to report that coconut flour just doesn't behave the way I want it to. it has an obvious coconut flavor and texture, and is highly absorbent of fluids. When choosing for a recipe, I definitely pick almond flour over coconut flour any day. So as it turns out, my coconut consumption isn't that crazy. I don't bake a lot in general, but because I use almond flour for baking, I choose other nuts (cashews, pistachios, walnuts) for my snacking. Moderation, my friends
I am hungry ALL the time. And I eat ALL the time. I am officially down 10 lbs since the beginning of this diet and that really wasn't my goal. Some of my pants are too big. I can pinpoint those last few pounds to this past weekend. Work was really busy- I left around 1:30am each night and had very little time to eat so my calories out v calories in was way unbalanced. Working on ways to address this. One of those ways is that I intend to start adding smoothies to my mornings. ADDING not in place of anything. I think I'm also going to start keeping some pre-cooked proteins in the fridge in addition to hardboiled eggs.
My system is healing!!! We've mentioned here that I have "cheat days" a couple times a month because my goal is to be able to partake in food life, not have to abstain from it. Ultimately, I intend to maintain a healthy gut lifestyle with weekend cheats. Some things that I used to react badly to pre-diet were jalapenos and beer. I am happy to report that jalapenos no longer affect my system at all and beer has a much much lessened effect. The 2 month cheat was pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) and summer rolls. The grain here is primarily rice which is the easiest grain. I could only eat about half of my normal order, because I was full very quickly. DH had no problem with his usual order but mentioned that he could probably switch to a smaller size. I am a fan of cheat days, because you don't feel as regretful about giving up little things when you get to have bigger things. I do, however, have cheat rules:
- Don't bring your cheats home-cheats are supposed to be special occasions and bringing it home may make you want to do it all the time
- Don't cheat at work- I work in a restaurant and am used to buying myself dinner, but I don't let myself cheat at work because that is a slippery slope to step onto
- If you have obsessed over the same cheat item for more than 20 minutes, just eat it- it's not worth messing with your psyche over.
It seems like more coconut than it is. Everytime I see a recipe calling for coconut milk/cream/butter, I tilt my head and think, this much coconut does NOT seem like moderation to me. At the beginning of this diet I bought a 12-can case of coconut milk. In 2 months, I've used about 8 cans if you include the 2 I bought before the case, so about 1 can/week. Not as big of an overload as I thought. I don't bake a lot on this diet and on cheat days (like cupcakes for st. pattys day) I still bake with wheat flour (sorry but nut flours just aren't the same). Nut flours have definite flavors and textures and I have to report that coconut flour just doesn't behave the way I want it to. it has an obvious coconut flavor and texture, and is highly absorbent of fluids. When choosing for a recipe, I definitely pick almond flour over coconut flour any day. So as it turns out, my coconut consumption isn't that crazy. I don't bake a lot in general, but because I use almond flour for baking, I choose other nuts (cashews, pistachios, walnuts) for my snacking. Moderation, my friends
Pudding/Flan/Panna Cotta
I've been craving pudding lately, but haven't really been keeping liquid dairy in the house (I didn't eliminate dairy for my healthy gut diet, but I have primarily cut it back to cheese with very occasional yogurt, sour cream, or butter) and if you've ever made real custard- the whole egg thing is kind of a pain in the ass. I was a big fan of instant pudding pre-diet so I wanted something just as easy as instant pudding, if not as fast. I adapted this Coconut Panna Cotta recipe for my pudding and was pretty pleased with the results. It uses gelatin (remember how great gelatin is for you! healthy amino acids and anti-inflammatory properties!) and texture-wise comes out similar to flan.
- 1 can of Coconut Milk (I actually used the whole can, but you could just use solids)
- ~1tsp Gelatin (I use grass fed gelatin but I wouldn't stress over that too much)
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1-2 tsp of Honey
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Crackers
One of the things I crave the most is salty crunchy stuff. I've adapted this recipe for crackers with great results.
In a food processor:
Blend everything in a food processor and remove sticky dough. Form into a ball and roll it out between sheets of waxed paper to 1/8" thickness. Place on a baking sheet and use a knife to score out a grid of squares on the dough. Bake at 350*F for ~15 minutes turning halfway through. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool for approx. 10 minutes before breaking apart.
In a food processor:
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- 1/2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 2 Tbs Cold Water
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 Tbs of textural seed such as: sunflower, hemp, flax, or mustard seed
- Cayenne Pepper and Garlic Powder to taste
- ~3-4 sundried tomatoes with 4-5 big basil leaves
- 1/4 c grated cheese (these will take longer to bake and are generally chewier)
- 3-4 Dates and 1 sprig Rosemary
- 1 tsp of cumin or curry
Blend everything in a food processor and remove sticky dough. Form into a ball and roll it out between sheets of waxed paper to 1/8" thickness. Place on a baking sheet and use a knife to score out a grid of squares on the dough. Bake at 350*F for ~15 minutes turning halfway through. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool for approx. 10 minutes before breaking apart.
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