Weekly Menu

After breaking out in a rash on my arms last week, I have tried to eat more home cooked meals, do some restorative deep breathing and take some time for some fun amidst all the chaos and stress that is my life right now. All this stress is taking a toll on my physically, not to mention I am gaining weight! The rash is still there but it seems to be clearing up. I'm just grateful it was contained to one area and not terribly obvious. What a wake up call.

We went to the Farmer's Market again today. I think we will go every weekend until I leave. Aside from the wonderful produce, I like chatting with the farmers and I always run into someone I know! This trip we picked up two heads of lettuce, some mint, a loaf of sourdough, a banana muffin (we ate it there), and 4 Snickerdoodles. I also bought some iced tea and a grass-fed burger for lunch. I plan to make some tea with the mint and eat salad every meal until I use up all the lettuce. I may make some croutons out of some of the sourdough.

Menu:
1. Monday is a holiday so we may go to a BBQ or we'll eat leftovers and fruit
2. Salad and spaghetti
3. Salad and hamburgers on the George Foreman
4. Tunafish salad
5. Salad and veggie burgers on the GF grill

We went to a BBQ on Saturday night and I had so much fun. I hardly get out anymore and miss it! I told the hostess that I'd love to come but I didn't have a sitter. She told me to come and bring Almi so I did. I kept her out a bit too late but I needed some time with friends and my miniature social butterfly had a great time. Here are a couple of pics from the night.

Man, do I miss going out!! I kind of forgot how much fun it is (ok, not really). It was just really great to spend time with friends I have known for such a long time. I am going to miss them! And it was really nice to hear what kind things people were saying about me and my daughter! Compliments about Almi included:

She is so independent
She is so mature
She is so adorable

The things said to me were a bit overwhelming. I felt like I was at my wedding or something the way people were being so complimentary. I don't know why I am posting them but I guess I don't hear such nice things very often. It's amazing how far kind words can go in making someone's day. Those wonderful people were saying sweet things like:

You are beautiful
You have a great body
(I mention these because I have felt anything but beautiful and in good shape lately. In fact, I have spent a lot of time lately focusing on my shortcomings and flaws. They were really nice to hear even if they were said to question why I don't have a man. LOL But seriously, it was nice to hear them from women because coming from a man you kind of roll your eyes and wonder what their motives are; coming from females they just seem sincere. And yeah, why don't I have a man?! Who knows! I think he is across the ocean waiting for me to arrive. But I digress. Back to the compliments).
Then one friend went on to say that she was impressed by me and that she "worships me". Seriously. She said she is so full of admiration for me because I go out and do what I say I am going to do and get what I want out of life. She said each time she heard I was going after a new job or moving or buying property she was impressed. But now, she says, it's on another level with having adopted and now moving overseas.

I don't mention these things to brag or draw attention to myself. I am simply putting them down in print to remind myself that I should continue striving to live the life I want to live, to go for the goals I have set, to be proud of what I have accomplished thus far and to look at my future as being positive and bright. I have a decent amount of self esteem and confidence in my decisions, but honestly it really felt good to not only have the compliments heaped upon me last night but to have the decisions I have made affirmed by people whose opinions matter. Hearing that they are impressed with what we are doing has given me the extra push I so desperately need right now to look at this overwhelming and stressful time in the most positive of ways. We are down to the final stretch of this move and I still have an incredible amount of things to do in a very, very short time. I know there is a beautiful, bright light at the end of this tunnel but right now I can't see it. I know it's there so that is keeping me going but the details are heaped so high that it is blocked. June is going to be really, really crazy busy with the school year ending and Almi's birthday along with me needing to wrap up some very important details like her readoption, getting the house rented and getting our stuff shipped. I know I can do it, but all positive thoughts are welcomed!

Ok, I must get back to work! I hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend.

As Much as I Thought I Hated it..

I think I actually like it. Menu planning, that is. I never really hated it--that's a strong word-- but I never really enjoyed it. I just want to eat what strikes my fancy at any given moment. But the reality is, that spur of the moment life style is over and instead I have a very hungry toddler when I pick her up from daycare. The days of lingering over sushi and sake are over. Wait, I never liked sake.. but you know what I mean. So I have learned to like it. Menu planning that is. So much easier on both of us if dinner is ready or I can rush right in and get it prepared. It's healthier. I know exactly what ingredients are in it. There are leftovers which are great when we are in a hurry (read:famished) and I am getting better at cooking. I like honing this skill, frankly. I always liked to bake, but cooking? Not so much. But you know what? It's not so bad.

So, here's this week's menu:

Sesame chicken
Pan fried fish
Thai chicken
Leftovers
Leftovers again ..or I may go out (her teacher promised me next weekend.. maybe the 6th time's the charm. heehee)

Stats? Let's give that a rest this week. I am just so happy that all recent labs indicate I am healthy. And you know what? Nothing else really matters right now!!

Food and Menus

I try very, very hard to prepare my daughter's meals from scratch using as many real food ingredients that I can. I research recipes, read food labels and try my best to feed her as few processed foods as possible. I also try hard to steer clear of high fructose corn syrup, food coloring, chemicals, trans fats, etc. I am proud of this fact and as her mother I make these decisions with careful thought and consideration. I do not know the details of her nutritional past but I feel like she (or any child for that matter) should be fed nourishing meals as much as possible to aid in growth and brain development. The occasional store-bought cupcake, slice of pizza, juice box won't completely undo my hard work and is totally allowed (since I can't say no to all junk forever!) but for the most part it's not a part of her daily diet. I feel the need to make up for lost--or shall I say unknown--time. She was supposedly breast fed as an infant, which is great, but the list of foods they say she enjoyed in the orphanage only included bananas, cookies, juice, injera & wot and tea with sugar. Some families put more of an emphasis on exercise, cultural exposure, teaching academics, playing, socializing, spirituality or other things which are also important. For me, nutrition is very important to do now though while she's still under age 3 and growing so much and it's something that I can do fairly easily.
tasting mango for the first time March 26, 2011 (it was a big hit!)

To accomplish this, I pack her breakfast and lunch every day. This takes work and sometimes I have to set my alarm extra early if I haven't prepared it the night before. A daily meal plan is available at her daycare (both breakfast and lunch) so it would be so much easier to just sleep in and write a check but it's the same thing served by my school district so I know exactly what it is. It's highly processed foods with white sugar and white flour and rarely any enticing fruits or veggies. The breakfasts are processed dry cereals, sweet rolls laden with sugar, white flour bagels filled with cream cheese and egg wraps made with white flour torillas. The breakfasts also include fruit and bottled cow's milk. The fruit is rarely whole (usually individual serving cups of fruit in heavy syrup) but if it is, it's often not ripe. The lunches are similar. Most often they serve chicken nuggets or pizza. More fruit cups and milk. I feel much better sending her to school with yogurt, fresh fruit, nut butter sandwiches on homemade almond flour tortillas, sliced veggies with dips, hard boiled eggs, slices of baked chicken, etc.

Foods that will keep her satiated and focused in school and full of nutrition. I know exactly what she eats for breakfast and therefore how much she needs packed in her lunch. When I prepare her sandwich with almond butter on an almond flour tortilla, I know how incredibly filling it is on its own so the side of vegetables, fruit and almond milk and an occasional treat I know it's more than enough. She is two and doesn't need an adult-sized meal but this is on the larger size compared to what her classmates eat. So it really annoys me when her teachers decide that she is still hungry and supplement it with more food! Of course I don't want my child to be hungry but I know she can't possibly be with all that plus what I send in for her breakfast. Yes, she eats fast and finishes way before her classmates who are typical toddlers who pick at their meals. But this doesn't mean feed her more!

I need to suggest to them ways to occupy her and give her the emotional support she may be craving, like perhaps through a snuggle or special one on one time with the teacher after meal time. Because by the time she finishes her lunch, I am sure she's not hungry anymore. I feel so controlling, but when they tell me "she didn't want to eat her carrots but was still hungry so we gave her some fruit" I want to scream! First of all, if she is still hungry then have her eat the rest of what I put into her lunch! The fruit they give her is that heavy-syrup laden stuff from the cafeteria. I have seen her take a few bites of the fruit and happily slurp down the sugar water. I know they're just trying to be helpful but it annoys me.

I'm OK with letting her eat as much as she feels she needs, as long as it's not sugary or starchy. I don't want her addicted to sugar and carbs like me!! And food is a big thing with her. I pay attention to the fact that she has done the following:

She ate (or tired to eat) the button off one of her sweaters once
She ate one of my hairs of of her shirt
She will occasionally take food out of the trash can or eat food off the floor
She must carry her breakfast with her in the car so it's in her eyesight or she cries
She crunches on crayons
She must carry her lunchbox and hold it in the car on the way home

Those are just a few that come to mind immediately and may be typical toddler behaviors --or they may be somehow connected to her institutionalized past. I just take note and continue to provide healthy choices and try to create a healthy attitude about food as much as possible. Moving for my new job will make it easier. We will eat healthy foods and be outside in warm weather year round. I can't wait!

On to this week's meals that I have planned:

1. Coconut Flour Pizza
2. Spaghetti Squash chili
3. Raw Pad Thai or baked chicken and spinach
4. leftovers or change out one of those dishes for coconut flour pan fried fish
5. Almi to her teacher's house (rescheduled for the 4th time!!) and I will eat out

Stats:
Weight - 149
Vitamins - 1x
Work outs - none
Joint Pain - minimal
Stress level - on the lower side

Coconut Oil and the Weekly Menu

I am in love with coconut! I didn't used to be (except for Almond Joys) but now it's on. I eat food fried in coconut oil, I add it to our smoothies, I bake with it and I use it as moisturizer. I have also read it can aid in weight loss. And it's good for you!! And it's sooo yummy!!! It's my new love.

Over at Wellness Mama, you can read about all the health benefits of coconut oil and sign up for a free coconut oil giveaway!! If you haven't tried it yet, I highly suggest that you do. It could change your life!

And now for the weekly menu.

I ate a TON of sugar this week. Like, seriously out of control. And I had the worst joint pain ever! What is going on with me? Ugh. I'm thinking there is a connection to sugar and joint pain now. Or maybe it's from stress? I don't know but I think after I get a handle on no grains I really need to move on to sugar-free. On a positive note, though, I think Almi's eczema is going away. It seems less prominent since being grain-free so perhaps she is gluten-intolerant? I'm going to continue to keep her off of them and see if it clears up altogether.

Menu
1. coconut fried fish (in coconut oil) and butternut squash fries
2. veggie, turkey or portobello mushroom burgers and mashed cauliflower
3. chicken in crock with leftover veggies
4. salad with leftovers meats on top
5. Almi to her teacher's house (rescheduled again)

And no baking any desserts this week. We will only have fruit or dark chocolate.

Stats:
weight: 147.8
workouts: none :(
vitamins: 3 days
joint pain: really, really bad
stress level: high

Weekly Menu

First things first. I did not work out.
OK, glad I got that out of the way.

On to the menu...

Noodle-less Crock Pot Lasagna
Pan-fried fish (a huge hit last week!) and spinach
Trader Joe's barbecue chicken and mashed cauliflower
Lasagna leftovers as tacos (with Romaine as taco shells)
Friday - Almi to her teacher's house (rescheduled from last week)

We started eating grain-free on Monday and have been going strong ever since. We even had grain-free waffles for Shrove Tuesday! However, I am doing what you are not supposed to do when you go grain-free: I am substituting coconut and almond flour in recipes and still eating like I used to. Ideally, one would just stop eating cookies and waffles and bread but I feel the need to ease into that so I cook a lot of recipes with coconut and almond flour.

I'm also eating waaay too much sugar. A pint of Haagen Dazs anyone? So, this week I am going to try to scale back on both wheat flour replacements and desserts.


Look at Pumpkin praying before breakfast at daycare. Awwww. Cutie pie.

Stats: 147.8 (Exactly the same? I don't know about my scale..)
Vitamins: 4 days
Joint Pain/inflammation: Less than last week..
Exercise: Well, you read how this post started out. What can I say? I'm busy!!!

Weekly Menu

I am going to try something for the next six weeks. We are going to go grain free!! Yep, I said it so now I have to stick to it. OK, don't be too impressed. I actually wanted to go grain, sugar, dairy and processed-foods free but I didn't think I could stick to that! I read on a blog about going grain free for Lent and I think that's a good idea. It's always easier if I have something other than my own will power to motivate me.

Now what grains am I talking about? All grains. And potatoes. Including sweet potatoes. We are also going to go mostly sugar free. What sugars? White sugar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn sweetener of any kind. I will allow, however, maple syrup and honey. And coconut sugar and stevia. This way I can still bake and have yummy desserts but they will all be healthy and we won't feel totally deprived. And I can have dark chocolate. Hey! I make the rules! :)

You see, we are carb and sugar-lovin' girls up in here and it's not good. I have been reading everywhere how grains aren't really good for you. I gave them up for a few weeks right before Thanksgiving but I broke down with all the grains offered around the holidays and never went back. Thing is, when I was grain-free I felt better, I had no cravings, I didn't have to worry about calories, I was never hungry, I had less joint pain and I lost a ton of weight. Fast forward to today. I am tired, in pain, irritable and have crazy strong cravings. And the little tyke here? Well, she has a strong preference for them as well. She would be perfectly satisfied with a diet of bread, bananas, cereal, pizza, crackers and cookies. And she makes that clear at every meal. And it's gotten to the point where she is refusing most veggies and screams and cries when she can't have cereal or crackers. Sure, most 2 year olds prefer carbs and sweets. But that doesn't mean we should cave in. I know she'll rebel at first but from what I have been reading they convert pretty easily and before you know it they are eating what they are served. And that's what I want. For both of us.

I feel it's my duty as a mother to provide my child with healthy foods. I do now but it can be even better. They commented about her healthy meals to me at the daycare last week. She was eating some fruit for breakfast and they were impressed. They said many kids there won't even eat fruit let alone veggies. I told them that in her lunch that day were some homemade crackers (made with almond flour), some apple slices, a dollop of sunflower nut butter to dip them in and a clementine. Then they were really impressed! Ha! She will eat healthy foods because that's usually all she gets but I want to expand her palette and get her to the point where she readily eats an assortment of veggies and isn't disappointed when she's not getting a sugary treat. She won't get there unless I eliminate the grains and remove the junk sweets. And this goes for me, too. I'd be happy eating pizza and chocolate chip cookies 5 days a week so I am looking forward to changing my eating habits as well.

Ideally this would expand beyond six weeks or at least the grains and bad sugars would be eaten in extreme moderation. I can't really see never eating pizza again (grain-free versions do not compare) and holidays are so very difficult but we'll see. For now I am just concentrating on the next six weeks. Lent starts on Wednesday so for the next few days I am going to eat up the rest of the junk I purchased in preparation, though the meal plans will not reflect that.

The last time I gave up grains the hardest part is I got bored with the food selection. This time since I have joined the grain-free challenge I will get recipes delivered to my inbox each week. That will help considerably!

Wanna join us in going grain-free for Lent? C'mon! We need the support! Click here to sign up with Wellness Mama and join in the 40 Day Grain Free Challenge.

Here are our dinners this week:

(recipes in a separate post... I have an antsy toddler ready for lunch!)

Sheperd's Pie

Fish Sticks and salad

Tuna Salad and Butternut Squash soup

Leftovers

Friday she goes to her teacher's house and I get to go out!!! Woo-hoo!!

Desserts I want to try:

Thai custard

Apple Crumble

Something with chocolate

And now for the sad stats.

I am 147.8 (but who knows if this is correct cause my scale is acting up)

I took vitamins once I think.

I slept too little most nights (though one night I got 9 hours!)

And, no, I DID NOT DO 30 DAY SHRED. I know, I know...

Next week's goals:

1. Go grain free starting Wednesday. And sugar free as much as we can.

2. Do 30 Day Shred at least once! (I can handle that, right?!)

3. Take vitamins and probiotics every day!

Weekly Menu

146.4
I ate way fewer grains but still didn't exercise.
Took vitamins twice.
Inflammation and bad joint pain.
A lot of stress.
Slept poorly.
It was a busy week and next week will be a bit calmer but I have still have way too much going on to do much cooking this week so I am going super simple.

Meals:

Spaghetti
Ethiopian food to celebrate ALMI DAY! -- OUR FIRST YEAR TOGETHER!
Sweet and Saucy Chicken
leftovers
Tomato soup and tuna melts

Sweet and Saucy Chicken (from the Moms Who Think website)

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups salsa
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons honey dijon mustard

>Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine all ingredients and place in 13x9" pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Next week I will do 30 Day Shred!!
Have a great week!

Weekly Menu

It's easy this week. I only have to plan two dishes. Yay!!!

Monday - Navy Bean Bacon Chowder (already in the crock)
Tuesday - We are meeting a blog buddy for dinner
Wednesday - Chicken Ricotta dish from last week
Thursday - leftovers and salad
Friday - my date (and she will eat at her teacher's house)

For the Navy Bean Chowder I modified the recipe. I tasted it as it was cooking and it seems pretty good. I threw three carrots I chopped up, some greek vinagrette and vegetable broth into the crock. Then I added a can of drained black beans and a can of drained canelli beans. I cooked 5 pieces of bacon and added that topped it off with black pepper and garlic powder. I cooked it on high for about 2 hours and low for another 2. The recipe says to add a cup of milk before serving. I may try this with some of the soup (cause I don't want to ruin it) but use some of the cream that's left over from the cream of broccoli soup I made last week.

No junk food this week and I will break the seal on my Thirty Day Shred!!

Weekly Menu Overhaul

I have got to start doubling and tripling recipes and freezing them cause this weekly cooking is too much of a lifestyle change for me and I am losing steam. Why is eating healthy so much work?!

In an effort to make things easier I have to come up with a schedule. Something like certain nights for soup and salad, specific ethnic cuisines and leftovers and just keep to the schedule. I remember my sister used to do menu planning back in the day when I lived with her in St. Thomas. She did seafood pasta one night, homemade pizza one night, beans and rice one night and some other set dishes which she then repeated the next week with occasional variations. No one complained or thought twice because they were recipes we all enjoyed.

I need to do something similar so I am devising a plan. First of all, I am only planning five dinners a week. Next I need to figure out inexpensive, nutrient dense meals that freeze well. And third, they need to be prepped ahead of time or easy to prepare after a long day at work. Sundays will be relegated to shopping, chopping, prepping and baking bread and dessert.

Here are some thoughts:
One night of Asian food
One night of Italian food
One Mexican food
Two American

Or this:
Two nights of Crock Pot Soup recipes
One night of breakfast for dinner (like pancakes and bacon or omelettes and toast)
Chicken
Fish

Or this:
Prepare one or two soups or stews for the week and supplement each night with veggie, meat or homemade bread or rolls.

Here are my Crock Pot ideas for next week's menu. (page numbers are for me to find--will post recipe when I make the decision)


Beef Brisket Stew p.260
Hamburger Soup p.258
Navy Bean Bacon Chowder p.244
Vegetable Medley Soup p. 204
Wild Mushroom Beef Stew p.262
Beef Stew with Molasses and Raisins p.266
Chicken Fiesta Soup p.274


Last week started out right but then it all fell apart. There were many factors that led to my derailed healthy eating but just these two would bring anyone down: Thin Mints and the arrival of Aunt Flo. Who can compete with that double whammy?! And I guess I don't have to even mention that I did not even open 30 Day Shred... I'm not even going to post my stats and instead give myself a pass.

But no worries! Next week is going to be better. Here's to less food prep, healthy choices and working out! And an added incentive? I have my first date with M. next week.

Weekly Menu

GAPS
Specific Carbohydrate Diet
Weston A. Price
Paleo Diet
Nourishing Traditions
BED

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone out there? I'm telling you I have spent hours doing research on nutrition. Hours and hours and hours. I've been reading that the things we have been told to eat for weight loss/health (soy products, low fat dairy, butter substitutes, whole grains, canola oil for example) are actually things we should avoid. And the things we have been told to avoid for weight loss or because they are unhealthy (such as bacon, lard, full fat dairy products, eggs, coconut oil, butter) are actually good for us! Who knew?! Not me. Basically they all say that it's not saturated fats that are the link to heart disease, it's the over consumption of processed foods and grains.

It's exactly the opposite of what I have been told for years and it's certainly not what the US food pyramid reflects so it's hard to wrap my mind around it, but the one thing that is hard for me to ignore is they all embrace real food and home cooked meals which I know are better for us. I still have so much to learn about this, but I must say I feel better cooking my daughter's meals from scratch because I know exactly what she's eating and I like eating real foods, too. Doesn't hurt that I have read many, many testimonials that say that eating like they do has cured people of all sorts of ailments. And I know I feel more energetic and have been getting lots of compliments. At least three people have said I look younger!

I kind of chuckled to myself when my friend was over this weekend and I was preparing grain- free waffles. She said something to the effect of, 'You know you are teaching your daughter that you should cook and prepare all these goodies. You should be careful.' I was like, "That's exactly what I want to teach her! That things should be prepared at home from scratch because they are healthier." My goodies are typically grain-free and prepared with maple syrup or honey. They are tens times healthier than anything store bought and I am proud of that.

Anyway, on to this week's menus. From now on I am only planning five. Two days can either be leftovers or I will eat out when I have a sitter. I have decided we will have soup twice a week for the rest of the winter. It's economical and filling.

Monday- Spaghetti
We will eat jarred sauce from Trader Joe's (can't cook everything from scratch!) and serve it with rice noodles (yes, we are trying to eat fewer grains -- starting with wheat)

Tuesday - Roasted Chicken and Carrot Kugel.. still haven't made it!
Will pick up a roasted chicken from Whole Foods on the way home as well as some fish and lettuce. Chicken is on sale on Tuesday.

Wednesday - Broccoli Cheese Soup. I am hoping she will like broccoli this way.
Or maybe Egg Drop Soup.

Thursday - Spinach Ricotta Chicken Bake

Friday - Butternut Squash Soup (using the chicken bones to make the stock) and Green Salad

Other things I may make this week if I have the energy:

Bread.
Baked apples.
Pumpkin bars.

I'll post the recipes in a separate post.

And there you have it! Now on to the stats:

Weight - 147.6 My scale is acting kinda wonky and giving me totally different readings each time. This weight came up twice though so I went with it. Maybe it's time for a new battery? I need to edit last week's comment based on what I have learned this week. Nuts and fats are fattening, yes, but when you eat grain-free (which I was not) weight gain doesn't happen. I did eat better last week though, hence the weight loss... even though I ate Reese's Cups and pizza! Next week will be better. I have my cream cheese brownies to bring to work for my sugar cravings. ;-)
Vitamins - most days
Joint Pain - minimal
Exercise - none... but look what I bought:



Wish me luck!
Have a great week!

Weekly Menu

I liked lots of last week's meals! We ate fewer grains and less refined sugar and for most of the week I felt good! Having three snow days probably helped my mood, too, of course! ;-) but I really think there is something to this eliminating grains thing. I feel better--less stuffed-- and without refined sugar I feel more calm. I guess because my blood sugar is more stable? Thing is, towards the end of the week both of us had some *ahem* bowel issues. It could have been the antibiotics she is on for her ear infection, but it could be the increase in dairy and/or nuts that we ate. I have read that eating more fat helps one feel better but I think we went overboard in that area. I like butter and cheese and products made with almond flour but clearly they need to be consumed in moderation (and we suck at that). Next week we will strike a better balance! There's that word again--balance!

I am going to continue to make steel cut oats for her breakfast because she really likes oatmeal and it's so easy to prepare ahead of time for her take it to school each morning. I even soaked the oats last week to make them even healthier! Apparently oatmeal (and other grains) contain phytic acid which can block absorption of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. If you soak them first it allows for better absorption of those vitamins and minerals. Did not know that til last week! Well, she liked them soaked and not soaked so I will continue soaking them. And if I can't get it together to whip myself up a smoothie or some eggs in the morning, I won't feel too too bad eating soaked oatmeal in a pinch. So it's win-win.

Dinner plans:

Sunday - pizza. I'm going to try this crust. I hope it's good. I bought store bought pizza sauce (found one without high fructose corn syrup) and will add cheese and possibly some veggies.
Monday - turkey burgers and carrot kugel (didn't make the kugel last week)
Tuesday - soup and tuna melts (gotta use the bread in the freezer)
Wednesday - leftovers
Thursday - bbq pork (will throw homemade sauce over the leftover pork and simmer)
Friday - hope to be out to make up for last week's snow interference (she can have leftovers)
Saturday - breakfast foods :-D


Homemade BBQ Sauce
1 c. ketchup
¼ c. sweet mustard
⅛ c. honey

Again, any day can be interchanged depending on mood/energy level/cravings.

Weight- 148.2 (dairy products and nuts are fattening~duh!)
Workouts - none
Vitamins - 6/7 days
Body Fat/Measurements - no clue
Joint Pain - none several days (yay!); worse on Friday & Saturdaymorning.. not sure why

Have a great week!

Weekly Menu

I overcrocked the pork. (like my word? overcrocked? me, too.) Well, even though it was a bit dry I still thought it was edible. But Almi didn't. She took a bite said, "Yucky," then she spit it into her hand and said, "No thank you." LOL

The lentils, on the other hand, were fantastic! So cheap, too.

All this cooking is great except these meals produce waaay too much food and we have waaay too many leftovers and I can't eat the same thing over and over and over again. Since she wouldn't eat any of the pork there is a ton of it in my freezer. I'm thinking some sort of bbq pork dish but I'm not sure. Maybe in a few weeks all we will eat will be leftover food from the freezer. I need to learn the art of using leftovers in future meals.

Onto the stats. Well, I learned that I need to pack more for lunch or an after school snack cause I hit the vending machine several times for Coke and other processed junk. Boo. But somehow I still lost weight.

Weight: 145.5
Vitamins: most days
Exercise: none
Measurements: unknown
Body Fat: Unknown
Joint Pain: minimal.

Speaking of joint pain, I keep reading that autoimmune diseases/ joint pain/inflammation (which I have) is caused by problems in the gut. A GAPS diet is recommended to eliminate these conditions. More reason to go grain free. Now that I know she can eat almonds, it's going to be a whole lot easier.

I was so very bored by last week's menu quite a few days. I'm not sure why but I ended up in Trader Joe's buying some prepared bbq beef and 5 layer dip. In an effort to not hit the vending machines and not be bored, I have come up with meals that sound yummy. Problem is, next week is going to be very, very busy with report cards due so I am sure I will be working late every night. Coming home and having to prepare home-cooked meals isn't looking very likely. I won't be mad at myself if I end up ordering out a few times. But just in case I muster the energy, here are the meals I have planned:

Sunday - baked salmon, leftover ravioli & steamed brocolli and carrot fries if I feel inspired
Monday - carrot kugel and leftover beef bbq
Tuesday - chicken picatta or green curry (from a jar) chicken and green beans
Wednesday -something that can't get overcooked in the crock
Thursday - quiche
Friday - I have a babysitter. I will be out on the town. Woo-hoo~!!
Saturday - leftovers

Have a great week!

Weekly Menu

Someone is snuggled in my lap as I search for recipes in assorted scattered cookbooks. She picked up a cold this week which escalated into a fever. The fever finally broke but Little Miss is still coughing, a bit lethargic and in need of snuggles. No problem. I got that.



Here's this week recap and menus.

Vitamins?
Sun & Mon-yes

Tues,Wed, Thurs -no
Fri & Sat -yes

Workout?
Mon-Sat: no

Joint Pain- moderate
Weight - 146.0
Bodyfat? A lot.
Measurements? Still no clue.


I am am digging the menu planning! I am learning to cook new things and I love feeding her (and myself) real food. And frankly, with my our health concerns it's necessary.

Last week, instead of the coconut rice with raisins to go with the curried chicken, I made a Tanzanian dish of chickpeas in coconut milk. I thought she would love it because she loves garbanzo beans and she did at first. She called it "soup". It did kind of have a soupy consistency. But the recipe said to prepare it a day ahead so the flavors melded and this was very true. Day 1 it was very average (more bland) and but she loved it. And on day 2 she was no longer a fan.

The curried chicken, also average on day 1, was fantastic however on days2, 3 and 4. She wasn't excited about it but I loved it! Here's the recipe:

Curried Chicken
1.5 pounds on skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs
3 T oil
3 T curry powder
1c unsweetened coconut milk
¼ salt
2 T lime juice

Cut chicken into 2" pieces. Heat oil in frying pan. Add chicken with curry. Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken begins to brown. About 5 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to medium and stir in coconut milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken. abut anther 5 minutes or so. Season with salt. Then stir in the lime juice. Cook for 1 minute longer. Serve. Yum!! (Warning: Your house will smell like curry for days if that sort of thing bothers you.)

The onion soup is in the crock. I hope it's good.

This week's menu plan -- dinners

Sunday - onion soup and leftovers

Monday -stir fried rice with chicken and broccoli

Tuesday - onion soup and leftovers

Wednesday -mango ginger pork roast with spinach

Thursday -bunless turkey burgers and salad or leftover veggies

Friday -leftovers or tuna salad

Saturday - some appealing veggie crock pot dish which i haven't found yet

Here's the pork recipe. It looks amazing in the cookbook photo.

Mango Ginger Pork

1 pork shoulder roast (about 4 pounds)
½ - 1 t. ground ginger
2 c. mango salsa
2 T honey
¼ c. apricot preserves
salt and pepper to taste

Season roast with ginger, salt and pepper. Transfer to the Crock Pot.
Combine salsa, honey and preserves and pour over roast. Cover.
Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Turn Crock Pot to high and cook 3-4 more hours or until the roast is tender.
Serve over rice if desired.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Weekly Menu

Last week's menu was pretty boring. This week I have yummier meals in mind. But before I get to that, here's the progress from last week:

Viatmins? Monday-yes; Tues-Sat: no
Work Out? Monday-Saturday: no

Weight: 148.2 (lost .3 whilst downing red wine, cookies and dark chocolate)
Body Fat: unkonwn
Measurements: unknown

Not impressive in the least. Moving on.

Breakfast last week was super easy thanks to a comment left last week with a link. I can't remember who sent it right now, but thanks to the link she had baked oatmeal every day. Thanks for the tip! I also loved how much easier our nights were. No last minute trips to the grocery store. No take out. No scrambling to find something with a hungry toddler at my feet. So much easier on me. I think menu planning is here to stay. I spent $115 in the grocery store today but I won't have to shop at all next week or next two except for maybe produce or milk. I have so much food in my fridge and cupboards and in January and February I will be using it!

So on to this week:

Breakfasts: baked oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, fruit, smoothies, eggs and/or leftovers
Lunches: leftovers, sandwiches or frozen meals
Dinners:
1. Curried Chicken with raisin coconut rice and salad
2. sushi (to use my Groupon)
3. apple cider onion soup with homemade corn tortilla chips and salad
4. sushi (to use my second Groupon--why did I wait til the last week?!)
5. spaghetti and salad
6. leftovers
7. leftovers (if there's anything left) or turkey burgers with salad or broccoli

Pumpkin is napping and the week is starting out right. This week I will improve on the vitamins and workouts. Have a good one!

Menu Planning/Stats

I never thought I would say I would be ready to go back to work. But a week of being off schedule and visitors and new toys and excessive stimulation and junk food and not enough running around has not been good. Don't let this sweet face fool you. She was off the chain today and I have had enough! I can not wait to drop her off at daycare tomorrow and get back to our routine!!!

But I digress.

I keep reading that menu planning is such a great way to save money so I am going to try it. I got another great tip which is to put the menu in Google Calendar and it can be emailed to you. I use AOL mainly so this may just be additional work and ineffective but I am trying it this week.

Breakfast will be steel cut oatmeal, yogurt, cereal or leftovers

Lunch will be Lean Cuisines or leftovers or rice cakes/sunflower nut butter (for her)

Dinner
(I will list seven meals but will change them around according to what I am craving):

Sunday
butternut squash soup with spinach and tortillas and edemame and hummus and carrots (this wasn't planned but it's what we ate)

Monday
spinach salad (w roasted butternut squash, goat cheese and craisins and pecans) for me
spaghetti for her

Tuesday
chicken and carrots (made in the crock today) for her
spaghetti for me

Wednesday
soup and leftover spinach salad

Thursday
tuna melts with spinach

Friday
chicken burgers and some veggie in freezer or leftovers (if any)

Saturday
use the Groupon I purchased before it expires

I am going to ease back into being grain free as I eat up the junk in my house. I did give away all the candy that was sitting around and I am going to take in the leftover cupcakes from my Open House to work tomorrow. Though I got three compliments this week on my weight loss, the reality is I have already gained back 5 of the pounds that I lost. I had only 5 to go and now I am back to needing to lose ten. And Naomi has become more and more demanding at mealtime and it's gotta be nipped in the bed. After eating all kinds of goodies over Christmas, all she will ask for now is cookies, cake, candy, cereal or crackers! Clearly we both need to lay off the carbs!!! Time to get the focus back to fruits, veggies, lean meats, nuts and seeds!!

Wait! What? Does that include Cheeri0s?

Starting weight: 148.6
Body Fat: unknown
Measurements: unknown

This weekly update will also include (if I can keep it up) what workouts I did from the past week, level of joint pain/exhaustion, how I slept, what workouts I did throughout the week, etc. Must be accountable to someone! Why not you?!