Loving Leftovers

I know I've mentioned this a bunch of times already, but I am really having fun with my Spiral Slicer. As a result, I've been noodling up a bunch of zucchini each week and then mixing and matching them with Italian, Asian, and other miscellaneous types of sauces with various veggies and proteins. I have yet to get bored! 

Between all the noodling and my other cooking exploits, my fridge has been quite stocked lately. I've taken to using these BPA-free, freezer-safe containers in addition to my regular Rubbermaid Set (although, if I were to buy these again now, I'd go with the glass version). I keep a little Sharpie and these awesome Post-it Label Pads in a drawer in the kitchen so I can easily mark the food and date on each container. This cuts way down on the mystery food phenomenon in which the food just sits there and I'm never sure if it's still good. There's something about these bright cheery labels identifying the contents that makes me actually eat pretty much everything before it goes bad. It takes just an extra few seconds to mark the container and it's working like a charm. 

At the risk of looking like a crazy person, here is a shot of my fridge from a little while ago. It's almost empty now, due to having gobbled these contents! 

This Week's Internet Eats

I’ve come across a few new recipes that I’ll be trying this week as well as indulging in my current favorite Orange Chicken. It’s clear that I have a hankering for Thai food in general and chicken dishes; the crockpot will get some use as well. I’m saving the meat and Thai dishes for later in the week because I’m waiting on a delivery from US Wellness Meats as well as some Red Boat Fish Sauce that I ordered online. I guess in the meantime, I’ll chow down on the little egg pizzas – they look sooooo good! As usual it’s mostly the dinners I have noted here. I usually wing it for breakfast (often just a coconut oil laced hot cocoa) and take leftovers or lunch meat or hot dogs and veggies for lunch. The exceptions are the Paleo Breakfast Bread and Pumpkin Bacon Pancakes, which both looked way to easy and delicious NOT to try. They will be weekend whip-ups. So here’s a look at what’s on the menu this week.

Paleo Breakfast Bread

Pumpkin Bacon Pancakes

Mini Egg Pizzas

Paleo Orange Chicken
    (I add a tablespoon of honey to this recipe per Holly's advice)

Honey Garlic Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe
    with Parmesan Creamed Onions

Most Simple Thai Beef Crockpot Recipe

Paleo Thai Basil Meatballs

This Week in Food

Being away in San Francisco, it was interesting to see how I handled being out of my routine, food-wise. It went rather well, surprisingly! The place where I was staying offered in-room breakfast that you could pick. So... I picked an egg, bacon, and sausage for each morning. It was perfect! I cannot say enough about HomeAway.com, by the way. I found this great place in a great location for a great price! They had this cool gadget which poached my eggs and had space to heat up the pre-cooked breakfast meat. This went a long way in starting me off on the right foot each day.


I did also bring along a carton of Quest Bars, which I relied on during the days when I was out and about. I still have some lingering “issues” with food. Even though I no longer have the crazy blood sugar crashes, I do get a bit panicky if I don’t have something on hand, just in case. The bars aren’t Real Food and aren’t something that I plan to incorporate into my daily eating, but they were terrific for traveling. The sweet taste did spark some carb cravings, though, so I’m not sure if I will go this route again. As for carbs, I did eat some white potatoes, rice, and rice noodles during the trip (a medium to large serving about once per day, usually at dinner). I also ate a little more chocolate than usual. With all the walking I did, it wasn’t anything to really worry about. The only issue for me is the slippery slope factor. I didn’t go crazy with the carbs at all and start stuffing my face but I did notice an increase in my overall appetite while including them. As a result, I’m going to pull back again and stick to veggies, nuts, and some grain-free baked treats for my carb sources for now.

It always helps to have a plan, so I’m back at it! Since this is a weird week after coming back from the trip, we’ve been using up what we have in the freezer: lots of meat/seafood plus frozen vegetables. Not very creative, but definitely good and filling. I am looking forward to hitting the store over the weekend to get myself prepared for a bit of a more varied menu. As usual, I don’t assign things to specific days. This plan is to take us through the next couple of weeks.

To make over the weekend for quick grab and go lunches and dinners:

Chicken Salad/stock from a whole chicken
Butternut Squash Soup (using some of the aforementioned stock)
Burgers made with BBQ spice (bought in San Fran)
Baked Wings painted with melted butter and sprinkled with seasoning blend and salt
Curried Meatballs
Brown Rice*

Easy weeknight dinners to cook on the fly:

Taco Salad
Orange Chicken with broccoli
Pan seared sirloin steak over salad
Salmon with green beans and almonds
Shrimp cocktail with ketchup and a side salad

Breakfast items

Eggs to poach in my new microwave poacher
Bacon (have on hand from US Wellness Meats)
Hot Chocolate (almond milk, coconut oil, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and stevia + mini blender = filling and delicious)

Snacks

Homemade trail mix with assorted nuts, raisins, and coconut flakes
Salami
Hot dogs
Hard boiled eggs
Chips and Salsa*

Treats

Peanut Butter Cashew Butter Squares
Chocolate Chip Muffins

*For Cute Man

Carnitas - the Crockpot Killer

I seem to have killed my crockpot. It gave its life so we could eat Carnitas. Although I forgot to make them on Monday, I did successfully chuck all of the ingredients in the slow cooker before racing out the door on Tuesday. I’m not normally much of a pork eater (except for bacon – bacon doesn’t even count, right? Or, sausage. Sausage is good – whatever!) but I’m trying to branch out. The results were pretty good. I kept it super simple by just eating the shredded meat with some sliced avocado and grape tomatoes.

The only problem is that when I went to put the leftover chicken bones, water, apple cider vinegar, and garlic in the crockpot last night to make chicken stock, the darn thing wouldn’t turn on. Now, I’ve been known to declare small appliances dead, when they are really just not properly plugged in (I’m only human, after all), but I think this one is actually a gonner. Good thing I had my double slow cooker on hand (it has two smaller pots on one base) that I normally use to keep stuff warm during parties. In went all the chicken stock goodness which is bubbling away all day as I type. I look forward to getting home to the smell of Jewish penicillin. I plan to add a few sprigs of rosemary for the last hour or so before letting it cool and straining it. There is absolutely nothing better than homemade stock. Best health food ever!

Turkey Day Test Kitchen: Stuffing Edition

I had this bug in my ear about wanting to come up with a grain free stuffing worthy of Thanksgiving. When I saw this Paleo Bread recipe, I knew I was on to something. So, yesterday, I baked up a loaf of bread and set about adapting my favorite cornbread recipe. I paired the creation with a delicious whole chicken, roasted broccoli, and topped it off with gravy (I added a dollup of tomato paste, an effect I liked). Here’s what I did for the stuffing:

2 tbs grass fed butter
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped (sage is great instead, but I didn’t have any)
1 egg
¼ c milk of choice (heavy cream, coconut milk…)
¼ c chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Paleo Bread, cubed (I made mine with butter instead of coconut oil)

Preheat oven to 375*. Because I’m lazy very efficient, I do this all in one oven-safe casserole pan. On the stovetop, melt butter and add onions, cooking on low heat for 30 minutes or so until they caramelize. Add in the rosemary and stir. In a bowl, combine the egg, milk, chicken broth, salt and pepper and set aside. Mix the cubed bread in with the onions and then pour the egg mixture on top. Stir the stuffing just a bit to combine but not too much, which would cause your bread cubes to get mushy and break apart. Put the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until the stuffing is crispy on top. Try not to eat half of it before your husband comes home (or is that just me?)

Simple Dinner

Can't get easier than this! You know those Carnitas that were on the menu for yesterday? Guess who forgot to put on the crockpot yesterday! Yup. That’s me. As a result, I made the easiest dinner on record: I defrosted some cooked shrimp, made some ketchup, threw together a salad and called it done. I did get slightly fancy with the dressing since I went to the 2 minute “trouble” of making ketchup…

2 tbs ketchup
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 tbs olive oil

Stir all ingredients with a whisk and declare it “Catalina” dressing. Mix it with bagged lettuce and grape tomatoes and call it "Salad".

The good thing about the slip-up is that I now get to come home to all the Tex-Mex goodness today. I set myself up for success last night by premixing the ingredients for the Carnitas in a Ziploc bag. I got to just toss it in the slow cooker with the meat and run out the door. It was a good thing, too, since I got out of bed at 6:55 when I had to leave by 7:10. I managed to get out the door at 7:15, jogged to the metro (amazingly easy – this exercise thing is actually working!) and got to my bootcamp class just after 8:00. Not too shabby!

Also, in other news, I got my very own copy of Make it Paleo yesterday! If you are on the fence about trying out this way of eating or wondering what cookbook to buy, BUY THIS ONE! It has 450 pages of gorgeous recipes - each one with an awe inspiring photo. I cannot wait to start going through it. These guys came up with my beloved pumpkin cookies, so the bar is high.

On the Menu This Week

The pumpkin curry soup turned out really well. I used canned organic pumpkin and frozen veggies and shrimp to make this a truly quick and simple Friday night dinner. But that was last week. On to the upcoming week's menu. I'm making some pretty big batches of food this week to carry us through with some leftovers.

Sunday

Curried Meatballs and Sliders

Monday

Crockpot Carnitas

Tuesday

Brisket (Adapted from this Lamb Shoulder Recipe)

Wednesday

Whole Chicken and Grain Free Stuffing

Thursday

Maple Balsamic Salmon

Friday

Old Bay Shrimp and Salad

Pistachio Salmon

I got the idea to try this from Paleo Comfort Foods' Pecan Crusted Fish which I made last week. I fell in love with the technique that resulted in a crunchy nutty crust that stayed put, even during flipping. For this recipe, I just swapped out the kind of fish and nuts. I paired it with some roasted cauliflower for the win. The combo was a big bit with Cute Man and certainly will become part of our rotation. Here’s what I did:

1 tbs Grass Fed Butter
2 Wild Caught Salmon Filets
½ c Almond Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 egg white
1 c Pistachio nutmeats, coarsely chopped
2 slices of fresh lemon

Heat a pan over medium heat and add butter. While the butter melts, set up a station like so from left to right: plate with almond flour, salt and pepper; wide bowl with beaten egg white; and the cutting board with chopped pistachios. Dip the top of each filet in each station, going from left to right, creating a crust on the non-skin side of the filet. Put both pieces of fish into the buttered pan, crust side down (skin side up). Let cook for 5-6 minutes until the crust is toasted, then flip and cook 4-5 minutes more. Remove and serve with a slice of lemon. The fish should be cooked through and flake with a fork.

Grain Free Pizza

Having this pizza on the menu this week was a real treat. Cute Man isn’t a huge fan of the almond flour crusts, so I made his on two small flat breads he normally uses for his sandwiches. He was raving about it, so I think it’s safe to say he liked them. I used this recipe for the crust, but came up with the toppings myself based on what was on hand. Using the recommended parchment paper was the key to making this easy and week-night doable. The last time I made a pizza, the crust was super sticky and it was just an annoying process.

On to the toppings! I made a quick “sauce” with a small can of tomato paste, a bit of water, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a drop of Stevia. I kept it thick so it wouldn’t make the crust soggy. Atop the sauce, I lovingly placed some onions I had caramelized in grass fed butter for 45 minutes over low heat as well as the julienned yellow squash I had added to the onions for the last 5 minutes. Lastly, I topped this baby off with some defrosted crumbled sausage I had in the freezer. The combination was terrific! Oh, and I also sprinkled some Parmesan Cheese on top after I took the finished product out of the oven. That picture didn’t look as good so I went with the pre-cheese version.

Items like “Paleo Pizza” are a bit controversial among some. They see them as a crutch, keeping people from letting go of the modern foods that are just simply no good for us. That may be true, but I don’t think this makes me any more likely to go out and want the real deal again. Instead, these types of treats are fun to create and let me have a taste of a food that I really like and sometimes miss. Also, I have no illusions of doing this thing perfectly. I’m just doing the very best I can, making better choices whenever possible. The great thing is that my efforts are starting to show real results. The proof is in the (dairy free, grain free, omega 3-rich) pudding, my friend!

Shrimp Egg Foo Young

This is a great easy and quick option that never disappoints. The photo is of Cute Man's plate so the eggy goodness is piled on top of a heap of brown rice. I ate mine plain, but also made some pureed tomato soup as a starter. The two elements did not go together at all, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. Here is how I made this quick and dirty creation that makes two separate omelets...

6 eggs

1 c frozen shrimp, thawed

1 c frozen veggies, thawed (I used Frenched green beans)

2 tbs wheat free soy sauce or tamari

1 tbs 5 spice powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Heat a small skillet over medium/high heat with fat of choice (I used chicken fat). Ladle half the mixture into the pan, turn the heat down to low and cover for 5-10 minutes until the omelet begins to puff up. Remove the lid, flip the omelet allowing the other side to sear just a bit before cutting it into four triangles and plating. Add some chopped scallions or chives to the top for garnish. Repeat the process with the other half of the egg mixture for your second serving.

Fish Tacos, PCF Style

Unlike last week, I took the time to crack open my trusty copy of Paleo Comfort Foods before actually starting to make my tacos. I’m so glad I did! Their recipe is super simple and offers a great technique. The main difference was that it called for me to marinate the fish for a short while before cooking it up. Not rocket science but also not something I’ve bothered to do before. It really made it better. Two tasty thumbs up!

In other news, I’m so determined to stick with my meal plan and not go out and buy more food before the weekend that I’ve taken to rationing eggs! With Shrimp Egg Foo Young and Grain Free Pizza dough on the menu as well as the need for an egg white wash for the Pistachio Salmon, those babies are in hot demand. I thought I had a ton of them until Cute Man and I both wanted scrambled eggs for breakfast. As a result, I counted out what I needed for the week and made scrambled eggs with the rest. It all worked out and I’m glad to know we’re still on track.

I’m hoping that I’ll get my new copy of Make it Paleo sometime this week so that I can use it for meal planning next week. That book looks amazing and I cannot wait to try out a bunch of their goodies. These are the people who brought me my beloved Pumpkin Cookies, so I have high hopes!!!

Curried Meatball Cookies

I adapted these from an Everyday Paleo recipe and they came out really well. I decided to add a heaping tablespoon of coconut flour to help them hold their shape and to caramelize the onions before adding them into the mixture, which imparted some great flavor. The flat shape was also a hit with the Cute Man. Plus, they cooked super quickly under the broiler. I had a batch of some of the sauce in the freezer from the last time I made the meatballs, so I didn’t have to make that again. The only problem with this whole meal was that those leftovers I was so excited about? Didn’t happen. I have like two little guys in a Tupperware. They were so good that we pretty much gobbled them all up. Whoops!

This Week in Food

For this week, I’ve come up with a selection of favorites based on what we still have in the house. I will be incorporating the Fish Tacos and Shrimp Skillet recipes from Paleo Comfort Foods, since I didn't get to try them last week. I am really enjoying having a concrete plan, even if that plan needs tweaking based on the reality of what each day brings. We stuck pretty close to the plan last week, the only notable exception was Chinese food Friday night. I did my best by ordering a seafood soup, to try to avoid extra sugar and/or gluten in any sauces. I was excited when my meal arrived but it turned out to be kind of bland. Too bad the soy sauce on the table clearly stated it contained wheat or else that may have helped the situation. It’s always a bit of a shame when you don’t love the food when you a paying to go out. That being said, I was still glad to have a night off from cooking and it was a fun night out with the Cute Man.

Sunday
Curried Meatball Cookies
(I'll be making these meatballs into sliders for easy grabbing of leftovers)
Monday
Fish Tacos (PCF p. 256)

Tuesday
Shrimp Egg Foo Young

Wednesday
Grain Free Pizza

Thursday
Shrimp Skillet (PCF p. 252)

Friday
Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Squash Soup

This is not the most glamorous photo, I know. But the soup? The soup is terrific. Cute Man is not the biggest fan of pureed soups so I got to enjoy the fruits of my labor on Monday a few times this week as part of my lunch. There is just something so yummy and comforting about butternut squash soup on a rainy day. It certainly hit the spot today. I think this will make its way into the rotation over the next few weeks of fall. This is my favorite season and the spicy undercurrents in this soup evoke it so well. I’m glad I dug this gem out of the recesses of Paleo Comfort Foods (p. 140) this week!

Pecan Crusted Fish

This one is a definite winner! The nuts really stuck to the top and even survived flipping in the pan. The crunchy deliciousness of the pecans meshed well with the light buttery lemon/wine sauce. I chose to use some wild caught Alaskan Cod that I picked up at Trader Joe's recently. It had a great texture and paired very well with this recipe. The roasted broccoli I served with it almost didn't survive until Cute Man got home. I just love that stuff inexplicably!

This was another hit from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook (p. 250). I must say that I've really been enjoying this experiment. It's nice to come home and already have a plan in place. It takes out all the decision making angst. Without a plan, it's much too easy for me to just phone it in and not put much effort into the meal. This is way more fun and results in some tasty excursions away from the old standbys.

Farmer's Pie

My big day of cooking yesterday also included this recipe from Paleo Comfort Foods (p. 290). I forgot the second pound of meat, but used the same amounts of other ingredients. It came out great! As a stroke of genius, I decided to sprinkle the top with some Parmesan cheese and broil it for a minute to get a nice crusty top. It was a hearty dinner last night and made for a terrific lunch today. I love leftovers, especially when from a tasty meal!

First Quarter Update

As of today, I’ve been tracking my weight, calories, and activity through FitDay for 3 full months! I feel so proud of myself for sticking with it. Although the process is not quick, it has been methodical. My goal is to lose an average of 5 pounds per month and I’m just shy of that average right now with a grand total of (drum roll, please!) 14.3lbs! I am very happy with my progress so far and with the fact that I haven’t given up when it (often) feels like I’m getting nowhere fast. I weigh myself daily but in terms of checking how I’m doing, the monthly number is the most meaningful to me.

The backbone of this whole process is monitoring what I eat. I have come to terms with the fact that I need to track my food meticulously in order to stay on track. I used to fight that truth and resent it to the point where I’d just give up. I’d think, “it’s just too much work! It’s so unfair that I have to do this. It’s not worth it.” I’ve found a way to let that go and just make it a part of my life. Keeping track of the money I spend isn’t necessary fun, either, but it’s key if I don’t want to overdraw my account. Part of being a grownup is doing things that are necessary, whether or not they’re fun.

To get an idea of what this looks like for me, here’s my food entry for today. You can see that I’ve already plotted out what I’m having the rest of the day. That makes things so much easier for me so I do it whenever possible. I also try to work in a treat at the end of the day. Today it’s a piece of chocolate with peanut butter. Yum!


One of the biggest changes I’ve made that has contributed to my success so far is the consistent exercise. The fitness class focused mostly on strength training that I take three times a week is the anchor of my schedule. That combined with yoga and some cardio really has me feeling so much better and much stronger. I did 18 (girl) push ups without stopping last night! My goal is to work up to 20, then start working on doing them with my legs straight. Here is a snapshot of my activity for today:


Although I haven’t changed sizes yet, I definitely feel better within the clothes that I have. Before starting up in January, I must admit that they were starting to show some strain. Now most are loose and comfortable but not sloppy. I did put on a pair of jeans on Saturday that I haven’t been able to wear in quite some time. That felt terrific. Last time I wore them, I was more like 215lbs (as opposed to my 229.4 today) so I know that the strength training is having a bigger effect than just making me stronger. I am toning up and building muscle.

Whoever first said that slow and steady wins the race was not kidding. Being patient is the hardest part of this whole journey. I’m good for one day and then wonder why I’m not down a pound the next. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way so looking at the cumulative effect is the only way to stay sane.

So these are my tricks of the trade. What works for you? What kinds of mental and physical obstacles have you hurdled to wrap you mind around getting healthier. Please share your tips/experience in the comments!

Checking My Progress

I love looking at all the different charts and graphs available on FitDay. It's good to see that I'm on the right track, even though my weigh-ins seem so stagnant on a daily basis. So far, my weight loss is following along with my goal pace, as you can see on the graph above. It’s only been one month but I am feeling really motivated by what I’ve done so far.

This week has been a little harder, though, and my calorie counts have been further up towards 1800 (the top of my range). I continue to be enthusiastic about tracking and I make sure to input everything, no matter what. This is a big step for me because I have tended to stick my head in the sand whenever I didn’t follow my plan exactly. The key right now is to use this data as a learning tool, rather than an instrument with which to judge myself. So far, so good!

Tonight is a bit of a challenge: I’m going to an event at Cute Man’s program. I’m looking forward to hearing his cute middle-schoolers read their literary love poems in honor of Valentine’s Day. But it just so happens to take place during my usual dinner hour. There will be refreshments, but that might be more of a hindrance than a help. I feel a bit anxious whenever I’m out of my normal routine. To counteract this, I’ve brought along a bit more food to eat during the day at work as well as a Luna Bar to have while others indulge in whatever is there at the event. When I get home, I plan to have a small cheese omelet and a salad. Cute Man generally doesn’t like eggs for dinner, so he can have chicken if he feels up to cooking it. In the past, I would have automatically made sure to go along with his preferences so we could have the same meal. But I need to address my own needs first and a lighter, faster meal is what I’m going to need.

Taking the time to not only plan ahead, but to anticipate my needs in various situations is the most important lesson I’ve learned so far. I’ve decided to view my health and fitness goals as a type of hobby. It’s just what I do apart from spending time with Cute Man and work. I don’t see the time/effort of planning meals, shopping, cooking, and exercising to be something annoying I just have to do. These tasks can be fun and are extremely rewarding. Whenever I start to feel frustrated, I focus on that aspect and I bring my attitude around.

Meal Planning

It’s now the second week of Sally’s year of self care series and it’s time to Commit to Weekly Grocery Planning. I started with Step One at The Path to Gradual Change.

I have not been planning out each meal for the whole week, although I have done that in the past. Due to the nature of what Cute Man’s eating plan is like right now (VERY simple eating – low carb, no sauces, etc.), I just buy staples of whole foods that we mix and match. I make a big batch of a veggie/bean based soup each weekend to use for our lunches. This week I incorporated fresh turkey sandwiches for my lunch (CM stuck with soup, I think). I have a bunch of fresh chicken and fish in the freezer that we eat each night with a side veggie and a salad. I will start cooking more elaborate recipes soon but for now, this is working well for us. I often use dinner leftovers for our lunches the next day.

As for the grocery list – we keep one on the fridge so Cute Man can add things he wants/needs and I can jot down things as I think of them. Sometimes, I type it up in the order in which I can find them in the store (when I’m feeling overly ambitious!)

Sally mentions a CSA for local produce. I use www.washingtonsgreengrocer.com, which delivers my fresh stuff weekly. I LOVE this. Ideally, this allows me to only do the Trader Joes/Whole Foods/Safeway (usually I pick one) run every two weeks. Lately, I’ve indulged myself in going more often but I should be able to cut back on the impromptu trips as I get more organized. Sticking with a set plan will certainly help me keep food budget more in line.

This step has inspired me to get even more proactive in my planning and has encouraged me to start incorporating/planning for recipes throughout the week. This weekend will be a big travel one but the following one should give me the time to plan out our meals more methodically. I will bring out my Ellie Krieger cookbook again and try something new. I like that she has calorie counts/other nutritional info included, which makes it easier for me to keep track.

Working on my eating and exercise habits is my number one priority right now so I am at peace with making/using more time to plan and implement strategies that will help me do just that. Meal planning is a great way to organize not just what we’re going to eat, but how we live and manage our days as a whole. I know it can only help!

Fresh Start

Things going well:

Personal Training Class 3 x per week.

Yoga 2 x per week.

Fresh fruit and veggies delivered to the house by www.washingtonsgreengrocer.com.

Things to work on:

Monitoring calorie intake/staying within planned menu.

Avoiding eating when bored, upset, or otherwise not really hungry.

Eating slowly without distractions to really enjoy my food.

To help me reinforce the things that are going well and get me moving on the things I need to work on, I’ve picked up The Complete Beck Diet for Life. I realize that my issues with losing weight are completely in my head. I know what to do, but for some reason, have difficulty with the implementation. So, finally there’s a program that addresses that first and foremost. I am going to give it my best shot and see if it makes a difference. I’ve also enlisted my mom as my “diet buddy”, so hopefully, she’ll chime in with updates in the comments as well.