Do we call it starting over??

Has it really been almost 3 years??!!!

Well friends, to say it’s been a little while since I’ve put some words down, would be a complete understatement. The last couple of years have proven (as if I didn’t know it before) what a hell of a roller coaster life can be.

Thinking about it now, it’s a bit overwhelming to try to recall everything.. So, I apologize in advance for the ramblings that are about to come next, HA!

There’s been good times and bad times alike, but it’s only been in the last couple of months, that I can see that shiny sliver lining just ahead of me, within reach.

I don’t really know how deep I’m trying to get today, cause I have way to much on my mind and plate, and not sure if I’m ready to share it all yet, but if this little intro post is the first step to getting back out there, then here I am 🙂

 

W.I.B.E.L. (What I’ve Been Eating Lately) / Paleo 30 day challenge

So, as much as I would love to have a recipe everyday to share with all of you beautiful people, it’s been a lot of eating like a carnivorous rabbit for the last couple of weeks….

Allow me to explain. On July 1st, I started the Paleo 30 day challenge. While normally a healthy eater, I thought it might be fun (or torture) to push myself a little further. While I’m not a sweets kind of girl (I don’t even remember the last time I ate cookies or cake) I had felt like I may have been slacking off a bit and was starting to feel a little… full?? So I figured.. what’s 30 days out of my life? Give my body a bit of a reset and see how far I can go.

The only real guidelines I set for myself was that I would eat mostly veggies, with lean protein and minimal fruits thrown in here and there. No carbs no dairy (p.s. I LOVE CHEESE!!) and no sugar. I’m halfway in, and I have to say, It has been surprisingly easy (ish).  I had about an ounce of cheese last weekend, but I’ve stuck to it like glue otherwise.

 

Curried Cauliflower with shrimp saute’ and cucumbers ……… Filet Mignon with roasted Asparagus

When I have dinner with this much flavor and deliciouness, I don’t miss anything.

Here’s a few other plates from the last couple of weeks. Remember.. Healthy doesn’t have to be boring 🙂

                

 

Turkey and Zuchinni Burgers… Blackened Salmon… Grilled Pork Chops…. Ain’t nothin wrong with that!

And apparently I’m a fan of fanning my cucumbers and tomatoes, HA! Presentation is key, my friends 😉

The only real condiment that I’ve allowed myself to have is creole mustard. No salad dressings, BBQ sauces or anything with too much sugar.

And to prove that you can still eat out while watching what you eat….  The Hubster and I went to I ❤ Sushi for lunch last week.

 

If you look at the menu before hand and see that there are a couple of things that you can have, you can go in knowing that and not be tempted to stray from your plan.

I settled on the Sumomono Salad (Cucumbers and seaweed lightly dressed in  rice wine/mirin) and Chicken Yakitori, dressing on the side. Hubster had a couple of sushi rolls that he said were delish!

 

This was our first time trying the restaurant out and we will definitely be back!

 

What have you been eating lately??

 

 

How do you eat enough, when you’re never hungry??

So I have this dilemma… I know that I need to eat, but 20 hours out of the day, I’m not hungry. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have the occasional hunger pains, but usually by the time I’m done fixing my meal, they have passed. I think the meals I DO eat are Le-Git, but am I getting enough??

I’m SO not a breakfast eater! Never have been, probably never will be.

I Like lunch, it’s my big meal of the day, even though it’s usually around 2 or 3 o’clock, at the earliest, but better late than never, right?

I’ve heard that you are supposed to eat at least 1200 and up to 2000 calories a day…. Confession, I can’t do that! If all I eat is vegetables and lean protein, there is NO Way, that I can hit that number, unless I stuff my ever.loving face with food.

So I ask myself…

Is it hurting my weight loss goal because I don’t eat ENOUGH?? It seems so contradictory to me!

I’m baaaaack… with a 7 day cleanse :)

Welcome back fellas. I know I’ve been gone for a while, and I’ve been meaning to come back and say hello.. I just didn’t know how to jump back in it.

I’ve been in a weird sort of funk, that I think I’m finally over. I don’t know if it was the stress of everything (Holidays, Birthdays, Wedding planning) or what, but I’m done with that. Time to get ME back!

The wedding is a month away, now, and I felt like it was time for a new start for my body to get back to where I was happy with it. In my state of Funktasticness, I wasn’t as diligent with my eating habits as I had been, and that made me feel even worse about myself.

I saw this cleanse on Pinterest a good year ago. It claimed that you would lose 10-17 lbs in 7 days, and no crazy starvation days, but eating REAL food! Fruits vegetables, and BEEF! It’s a strict plan, but you can customize it to fit You.

I could honestly eat like this every. single. week. I didn’t crave anything, I was never starving, and for the first 4 days I didn’t even miss the meat (and we all know what a self proclaimed carnivore I am).

By the beginning of the second day, I was already down 3 lbs. and by the fifth day, I had lost 6. All together, at the end of the Seventh day, I was down a total of 11 lbs. (Have I mentioned that I need to fit into a wedding dress in a month… yeah)

And who wouldn’t want to eat this beautiful cornucopia of natural goodness, anyway?

I’ll put up my daily eats for the 7 days first, and then, I’ll post the guidelines and specifics on why this works

Day 1. 10 oz. watermelon, 1 large honeydew melon, 1 grapefruit

(-3 lbs)

Day 2. 3 stalks celery, 1 med. zucchini, 1/4 c leeks, 1c broccoli, 1/2sm. Onion, 5 baby carrots

Day 3. 1/2 pear:1/2 apple:1/2 avocado smoothie, 1/2 apple, 1 c okra, 1 1/2c brussel sprouts, 1 grapefruit

Day 4. 6 Bananas, 20oz skim milk, cabbage soup

(-6 lbs.)

Day 5. 16 oz Lean Beef, 6 whole tomatoes

Day 6. 12 oz Lean Beef, Cabbage soup, 8 baby carrots, kale chips, saute’d bok choy

Day 7. 1 sm. avocado, 4 cherry tomatoes, 3 stalks celery, 1c roasted okra, saute’d kale, 1/4c leeks (I couldn’t bring myself to having brown rice and juice after I had worked so hard all week, so I just stuck to the veggies)

(-11 lbs)

MY Cabbage Wonder Soup Recipe

2 med onions – chopped

1 green bell pepper & 1 yellow bell pepper – chopped

3 stalks celery – chopped

1 head cabbage – shredded

1 14.5 oz can tomatoes

1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix

24 oz. water

*Saute all vegetables until tender, add tomatoes, soup mix and water. Simmer until desired doneness.

This plan can be used as often as you like without any fear of complications. It is designed to flush your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well being. After seven days you will begin to feel lighter because you will be lighter by at least 10 lbs. You will have an abundance of energy and an improved disposition.During the first seven days you must abstain from all alcohol
You must drink 10 glasses of water each day

Day One All fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and cantaloupe. If you limit your fruit consumption to melons, your chances of losing three lbs. on first day are very good.

Day Two All vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.

Day Three A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.

Day Four Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with the special soup which may be eaten in limited quantities.

Day Five Today is feast day. You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.

Day Six Beef and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your hearts content.

Day Seven Today your food intake will consist of brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.Tomorrow morning you will be 10-17 lbs. lighter than one week ago.

If you desire further weight loss, repeat the program again. You may repeat this program as often as you like, however, it is suggested that you are allowed two glasses of white wine in addition to the instructions on the program. You may substitute champagne for white wine. Under no circumstances are you to drink any other alcoholic beverages with the exception of beer which is allowed. Any liquor (bourbon,vodka, rum) is forbidden. Cream drinks are especially forbidden. You may have an occasional cordial such as creme de menthe or schnapps, but you must always limit yourself to two drinks. If you wine, drink only wine that day. If you have beer, drink only beer that day, etc. Alcohol adds empty calories to your diet. However, after the first week it will help your digestion and settle your stomach.

G.M.’S Wonder Soup  is intended as a supplement to your diet. It can be eaten any time of the day in virtually unlimited quantities. You are encouraged to consume large quantities of this soup.

Additional CommentsVegetables as may be taken in the form of a salad if desired. No dressing except malt, white or wine vinegar, squeezed lemon, garlic, herbs. No more than one tea spoon of oil.

You have been given a recipe for the WONDER SOUP which can be eaten in unlimited quantities. This soup is a supplement while you are on the program and it should be a pleasure to eat. Not everyone likes cabbage, green peppers, celery etc. This recipe is not inflexible. You may substitute vegetables according to your taste. You may add any vegetables you like: asparagus, peas, corn, turnips, green beans, cauliflower, etc. Try to stay away from beans (lima, pinto, kidney, etc.), however, because they tend to be high in calories even though they are very good for you.

Beverages you may consume while on the program :

1. Water (flavored with lemon/lime if desired).
2. Club Soda is OK.
3. Black Coffee. No cream or cream substitute. No sugar or sweetness.
4. Black Tea = Herb or Leaf.
5. Absolutely nothing else except the fruit juices which are part of day seven. No fruit juices before day seven.

How and Why It Works

Day One you are preparing your system for the upcoming  program. Your only source of nutrition is fresh or canned fruits. Fruits are nature’s perfect food. They provide everything you could possibly want to sustain life except total balance and variety.

Day Two starts with a fix of complex  carbohydrates coupled with an oil dose. This is taken in the morning for energy and balance. The rest of day two consists of vegetables which are virtually calorie free and provide essential nutrients and fiber.

Day Three eliminates the potato because you get your carbohydrates from the fruits. Your system is now prepared to start burning excess pounds. You will still have cravings which should start to diminish by day four.

Day Four, bananas, milk and soup sound the strangest and least desirable. You’re in for a surprise. You probably will not eat all the bananas allowed. But they are there for the potassium you have lost and the sodium you may have missed the past three days. You will notice a definite loss of desire for sweets. You will be surprised how easy this day will go.

Day Five, Beef and tomatoes. The beef is for iron and proteins, the tomatoes are for digestion and fiber. Lots and lots of water purifies your system. You should notice colorless urine today. Your allowance calls for the equivalent of five “quarter pounders”. Do not feel you have to eat all this beef. You must eat the six tomatoes.

Day Six is similar to day five, Iron and proteins from beef, Vitamins and fiber from vegetables. By now your system is in a total weight loss inclination. There should be a noticeable difference in the way you look today, compared to day one.

Day Seven finished off the program like a good cigar used to finish off Victorian meals, except much healthier. You have your system under control and it should thank you for the flushing and cleaning you just gave it.

Issues… what issues??

I wish it were that easy! Having gone from a size 22 at my heaviest, and now being a size 8, I WISH I was able to look in the mirror and be happy with what I see. Thing is, I think even the thinest of people “see” something that they could improve on. Me…. I know I got issues. I was 100lbs heavier than I am now, at one point… I’ve had a child. And even though I’ve kept the weight off for more than 7 years now… it’s a daily struggle.

Back at my Mom’s a week ago, I was looking through some old pictures. Initially only wanting to bring them back to show my favorite neighbor (cause she don’t belive me when I say I used to be F.A.T. 😉 ), I got to thinking, why not show all you bloggy friends that IT. CAN. BE. DONE.! With hard work, dedication and a willingness to maintain once you’ve gotten there, it is definitely possible!

So, Here goes it!

the before….

Goodness Gracious! I don’t even recognize myself! It’s like I was trapped in this fat body, and I am so happy to be out of it! It was only about 3 years of my life, around age 20, that I feel like I ballooned out of control and gained like 60 lbs. Granted, I was never a skinny girl, but this was just insane. I think I have blocked out or purposely forgotten that time, because I was so traumatized in more ways than one.

And here’s me today 🙂

BIG Difference, eh?

Me and my Fav Neighb

And my Beautiful little family 🙂

BUT…. I still see the Fat Girl when I look at myself! You would think that I would have overcome this by now…

So, I ask… How does this “change of perception” actually happen? Will I ever feel comfotable in my own skin?

Damn, I sure hope so

We all have crazy eating habits, right???

Growing up, you always heard “3 square meals a day”… who really does that anymore?

I’ve never been a breakfast girl…  when I wake up, I always drink a MONSTER glass of water and refill and drink it all day long. If I am famished, I take a handful of fruit out of the fridge, cause it’s always there…but then I’m FULL till like 1:00.

Lunch is my big meal, and always a nice sized salad.

Topped with whatever meat I cooked for the men, the night before, and a “dressing” of spicy salsa or Sriracha or some type of mustard (I have 12 different varieties 😉 ). I like to feel the burn…. and it ain’t good enough if my nose isn’t running when I’m finished 😉 Glutton for punishment, remember.

I mean what’s not to like about crisp Romaine, chopped sweet tomatoes, ripe avocado… with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.. and adorning all that fresh vegetable goodness.. strips of grilled steak… roasted pork loin… marinated chicken breast.. OR If I roll my own way, which has been known to happen a time or two.. Spicy saute’d shrimp or fish. YUM! Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow 🙂

Thing is… I only eat twice a day, but always healthy and never a whole lot at a time. I guess it’s on my mind right now, that it might not be the “proper” way of eating .. (cough cough, since I’ve allllways been so Proper before… NOT!) But THIS girl has got to look Super Fabulous in a wedding dress in less than 8 months!!! Can we say max out on push ups and crunches, much???

Granted, If I may say so, I look better now than I have EVER looked, in my entire life, but I want to look THE.BEST. in my dress.

So maybe my eating habits should change??? Even if I like my schedule now? I try to eat as Paleo as possible, meaning all veggies, meats and some fruit. No carbs, sugar or dairy.

I eat around noon for lunch, cook dinner around 7:00pm and might taste a bite or two, but because I’m usually up until 2am, I don’t eat dinner until 11 or 12pm.

Unhealthy, I don’t think so… Unorthodox?? That would be me 😉

What are your eating habits? Do you follow a certain eating plan? I’d love to know what works and what doesn’t 🙂

Lunch Date and Restaurant Review

Today, I got a summer vacation… took off of work for the rest of the summer. Hubs just started a FABULOUS job, the office had already cut my hours, and having a 5 year old with you at work all day=no productivity! So it was basically a mutual understanding of sorts, and we’ll check back in August.

Since we had some extra, and much needed time on our hands, the little man and I went galavanting around town. There’s this super cool outdoor mall, called Bridge Street, full of shops and restaurants.. a hip and happenin movie theatre at the end and even a pop-up fountain for the kids to play in. Snazzy place.

We hit up Toy’s R Us, DSW shoes (’cause now I’m on the hunt for the perfect blue “party” shoes 😉 ) and Old Navy.

I knew that I wanted to try this fresh Mexican grill in the mall, so with all that walking around, we were famished come lunch time.

I’ve lived here right at a year and a half now, and I could probably count on one hand the restaurants I’ve eaten in. I just don’t go out to eat, becuase I cook so much here, and mine is always better, haha, no really though, I’m totally serious 😉 and if I don’t cook it, I don’t know what’s going into it!

With having been in Louisiana for a long weekend, today being our first day back in Alabama, the 85′ weather with a cool breeze and little to no humidity, was a more than welcomed perfect summer day. I was finally not MELTING in my own skin being in 95′ / 100% humidity! That madness ain’t no joke!

Since it was such a gorgeous day…..

We decided on a lovely little table next to the water

Food just seems to taste better with a view like this 🙂

Since I’m doing the whole no carb/paleo thing (Which I am SUPER proud of myself for sticking to it like a madwoman, and LOVING it!) I knew I didn’t want the tortillas, or the beans, or the corn, or the cheese or the rice, that usually is all evident in Mexican food. LIME  fresh mexican grill, was over and beyond oblidging! I ordered the

SOUTHWEST SALAD

Grilled chicken on a bed of fresh greens with crispy bacon, black bean corn salsa, tomatoes and carrots topped with crispy tortilla strips. Served with a side of chipotle honey lime dressing

with no black bean and corn salsa and no tortilla strips (it didn’t come with cheese)

And the Boy ordered the kids cheese quesadilla

The kicker to all this was the salsa bar!!!! Can you say heaven???

It was basically a salad bar of salsa! For this condiment queen, absolute bliss! They had varying spice levels, flavors, and fresh toppings. What totally sold me (as if I wasn’t sold before)… was that you could see the employees behind the counter, hand chopping fresh batches of Pico! My kind of place!!!

You could get as many 1.5oz sample cups as you wanted, and load up on your poison! I decided on Pico de Gallo, the Seasonal Salsa (made with pineapple), Habenero salsa (I’m a glutton for punishment….. have you heard about my love of Sriracha???? 😉 ),  Salsa Suave (chipotle based.. the red, and my kid’s favorite), Salsa Asada (fire roasted) and Salsa Verde (tomatillos).

I used a bit of ALL of them, plus a wee bit of a drizzle of the honey lime dressing, a top my salad. It was fresh/spicy/sweet/smokey/grilled deliciousness in every bite!

They  even had jammin music, that my lil’ drummer boy was gettin’ all Gangsta with 😉

I’ll definitely be going back 🙂

Not so Cajun Crawfish Etouffee’

Having grown up in Louisiana, we always had fresh seafood anywhere and everywhere. Now that I’m all tucked into the armpit of the USA.. (not really, but surely not by the coast) It’s not as easy to get my hands on the good stuff.

My Mom came up and visited a couple of weeks ago and brought some goodies from home. 2lbs of local crawfish tails and a few links of boudin. Since it was technically a late birthday celebration for me and Memorial Day weekend as well, I may have had 1… or 2 links of boudin.

Shoot me now, I know, but it’s a weakness of mine, and a very rare and special treat 🙂

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Cajun boudin, you’re missing out.. BIG TIME. Good chit, right there!

Pronounced BOO-DAN, it’s basically a spicy porky ricey dressing stuffed into a casing. No utensils needed, if you’re a barbarian like me, you squeeze the stuffing right out of the casing with your teeth. If you think you need to be more civilized… you can cut it open with a knife and eat it with a fork… but what’s the fun in that?? Wash it down with a good cold beer, ain’t nuthin betta 😉

Now that I’ve gained a pound just by writing this….

Back to the Crawfish!

I knew I wanted to make some etouffee’ with one of the pounds of crawfish, but I also knew that I wanted to put my own spin on it.  Typically, Etouffee’ is made with a roux (flour and butter), more butter and cream of either Celery or Shrimp soup. I knew I wasn’t having any of that. A few weeks ago, I made a red coconut curry with pork and veggies, and The Hubs had suggested how it might be with crawfish. GENIUS!!

(He might just be good for something after all 😉 Love Ya, Babe 🙂 )

The base of any good Cajun dish is the trinity. Simple, basic 3 ingredients, onion/ bell pepper/ celery. Makes it taste like home.

Shall we get on with how it all came together, already?? 😉

CRAWFISH COCONUT ETOUFFEE’

1 medium Onion (diced)

1 medium Green Bell Pepper (diced)

2 stalks Celery (diced)

2 cloves Garlic (minced)

1 lb Crawfish tails

1 can light Coconut milk

1 Tbsp Tomato paste

1 tsp Corn starch mixed with 1 Tbsp COLD water

salt, black pepper, cayenne, Tabasco – to taste

In medium pan heat 1 tsp olive oil, and add onion, bell pepper and celery

Salt and saute’ until soft, and add garlic. Cook until fragrant. DO NOT BURN GARLIC!

I REPEAT…. DO NOT. EVER. In Anything 🙂

Add Crawfish Tails, fat and all. To you crawfish virgins, fat is not really fat here, it’s flavor, no seriously 😉

Since the crawfish is already cooked, you only need to heat through before adding the coconut milk.

I only used about 3/4 of the can… cause it looked like enough, and I didn’t want it to get too soupy. Stir to combine, and add tomato paste.

Mix together until well combined and thoroughly heated through.

Here’s where I add a tsp of corn starch mixed with about a Tbsp of COLD water, just to thicken it up a bit. Season to your liking with salt, black pepper, and cayenne and a dash or 2 of Tabasco 😉

The typical Cajun way is to serve over cooked white rice. Which is how The Hubs had his… with a couple extra shots of Tabasco 😉

But since I don’t roll that way, and I’m jumping on the crazy….errr… Paleo train, I took mine a step further.

I had a few leftover button mushrooms, so I stuffed them with the crawfish mixture and baked them for about 20 minutes

TALK….. ABOUT….. GOOD!!!!

Sledge- Hammer Time

I’ve come to the conclusion, that I need a big ole’ window in my kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my kitchen, I could use a little more counter space, though 😉 But seriously, one day, I’m gonna get a wild hair and knock out a back wall with a sledge hammer, so I can take pictures of food in natural light, haha. YES! THAT is the main reason.

I guess it doesn’t help that I cook later in the evening, and the sun is already going down by the time dinner is ready, so a Huge Arse window wouldn’t do me a lick of good anyway, but a girl can dream, right?

I mean… how snazzariffic would this be?

 or this? 

or even..    then I could have a real pantry!!

Doesn’t help/ hurt that I have the PERFECT place for it, already there.

Behind this wall is the laundry room, with a window in it!

 See??? 

PERFECT!

Move the washer and dryer to the garage, and make my little ole’, not conducive to laundry, laundry room my new window… hmmmmmmm 🙂

The Hubs better watch out if I start playing Peter Gabriel’s – Sledgehammer or MC Hammer’s – Can’t Touch This: Hammer Time.  Then it means business 😉

I have also come to the conclusion that I use descriptive words, commas and Emoticons ( 🙂 😉 😛 ) WAY more than normal… get used to it, HA! 😛

Fruit….cake??

A little fruit lovin’ silliness 🙂

From my little fruit cake…

That’s my boy 😉