21 Days...WHAT?!

So I decided to do a 21-day sugar detox.

No, this isn't going to turn into a food blog. Although, I do happen to write about food a lot. What kind of blog is this, anyway? Hm.

I decided to do it because it's a limited amount of time and I thought it would be good for me. I won't be eating like this forever. I'm hoping to learn what I can do without. I can do anything for 21 days. Or, we'll see, I suppose.

Hello, my name is Laura. I have a problem with sugar. And overeating things with sugar.

Even my spinach salads have to include dried fruit. And though I try to make healthy choices, I sabotage myself due to a lack of self-control. One piece of dark chocolate turns into a cookie. That cookie multiples into a few (ahem) more. Then it seems like a good idea to eat frosted mini-wheats for dinner (but it's with soy milk!).

So I'm on day 3. I didn't purchase the book, but I did read about a lot of other people's experiences online. I'm following the basic plan as closely as I can, including no simple carbs, dairy, or fruit as well as obvious sugary products like cookies.

So spinach, not oatmeal. Almond milk, not cheese. Fish, not my beloved Ezekiel bread. The original plan does exclude some things I have chosen not to, such as black beans and natural peanut butter. Both are organic and do not include sugar.

It is pretty close to Paleo, except for the whole "no fruit" thing. I will be adding fruit in after 21 days, in case anyone was wondering. Here is another helpful resource I found that was just a smidge less restrictive than the original plan.

I know I am only a few days in, but I'm feeling pretty good. Certainly nothing close to some of the nightmarish accounts I found online. I am enjoying a good variety of foods, such as tuna, mashed cauliflower, spaghetti squash, chicken, carrots, salsa, hummus, & eggs. Knowing myself, I have to mix it up and not try to eat 2 salads every day. I am also cooking a lot of veggies, since raw veggies tend to make me mean.

So why am I posting this on my blog? Partly because it helps me be accountable. Partly because someone may find it interesting or helpful. Partly because it's my blog, and, well....

Wish me luck! Especially as 3 days without ice cream is kind of a record for me.

And happy season premiere of The Biggest Loser! I am loving the new shortened episode format. I realize that show is not perfect (or always accurate...), but I sort of love it.

Source

Reading Blogs & Eating Oatmeal. At Times Simultaneously.

I'm trying to eat healthy.

This isn't necessarily a New Year's resolution. I just want to be mindful of what I'm putting in my mouth. (For more on me and nutrition, click here)

So I've been chowing down on fruits and vegetables. I've been drinking lots of water. I've been avoiding processed foods and sugars.

I've also been experimenting in the kitchen.

Some new blogs have been extremely helpful to me during this time. It's very cool to read about women like me who are working to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

My current favorites are:

Carrots 'N Cake

Kath Eats Real Food 

The Great Fitness Experiment

Lots of recipes, pictures, workout tips, and advice. Unlike some of the wacky food or exercise writers out there, these three ladies are down-to-earth.

I've been inspired to try new things at the gym and eat new foods (flaxseed, anyone?) because of these blogs.

I've been making some really rockin' awesome food recently, so I thought I'd share just one recipe today so this blog post isn't a million paragraphs. I do like short paragraphs, in case you haven't noticed.

This muffin recipe is one I found on the blog Chocolate-Covered Katie. She has some, um, interesting recipes on there. She's into making healthy versions of desserts. Some are pretty out there. However, her chocolate chip cookie dough dip with chickpeas isn't bad. I actually like it, but it does not taste like cookie dough. I know my cookie dough.

So here's the muffin recipe! I modified it a bit, so check out Katie's original recipe if you want.

In a big bowl, stir together:
2 1/2 cups mashed banana (extra soft and ripe for best flavor)
2 2/3 cups water
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract

I know it looks gross. It's wet banana mush!

Now stir in:
5 cups rolled oats
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Now throw in whatever you think would taste good with oatmeal! Dried fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, etc. For my batch, I used raisins, shredded coconut, walnuts, ground flax, and wheat germ.

Now pour the oatmeal into muffin tins (with liners if you want, or just spray the tins) and bake at 380 degrees for about 20 minutes.This makes a lot, so Katie recommends freezing them. I stuck some in my freezer and have been snacking on the rest all week.

Warning: if you don't like cooked oatmeal, don't make these muffins! Basically they're like mini bowls of oatmeal in muffin form. I happen to be in love with oatmeal, so these were perfect.

Let me know if you try them and what you think! Have a great weekend.

Source

Wake Up and Smell the Oatmeal!

I've always liked oatmeal. In a variety of ways - baked, in cookies, crumbled over top of a delicious appley dessert.

But it's always nice to just have it hot in the morning. It feels simple and good. Wholesome and right.

Here's what I do most days:

1. Mix half cup oatmeal and one cup water together in a microwave-safe container. I'm sure it's better on the stovetop but honestly, who really wants to spend all that time in the morning?

2. Microwave for a few minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't overflow and create a sticky mess to clean up. I do this all the time, by the way.

3. Once your oatmeal is cooked, adorn it. If I have fresh or frozen blueberries, I like to sprinkle those on. Currently, my favorite ingredients are milk, cinnamon, and brown sugar. But honey will do as well. Pop in a few chocolate chips if you want to crave chocolate for the whole rest of the day.

4. Stir it all up and enjoy!

Yum, oatmeal! Cook it yourself - I promise it's better than those instant packets.

The Network of Food

There's just something about the food network.

Something calming. soothing. lulling.

Honestly, I could just die happy sitting in front of the tv, with someone cooking in front of me.

(I mentioned this particular happy place in an earlier blog post briefly, while talking about reality cooking shows. Which you'll find here.)

I love watching, even just for background noise. I can work on other things while the food network is on. I love to watch people cook and bake and decorate.

Even those lame infomercials where people are cooking meals in fancy schmancy gadgets or grinding up a strange combination of vegetables in a juicer. I find it nice and easy to watch.

Okay, confession time: I have an odd fascination with Man vs. Food. I know technically this show is on the travel channel, but it's about food. So it counts.

What is it about watching some nutty guy attempt enormous quantities of food that makes me so happy? I have no idea.

I also like to wonder to myself if I could ever attempt something like a burrito the size of my arm or a burger the size of my head.

Probably not. Unless the food challenge was ice cream, in which case there would be no stopping me.

How Do I Love Thee, Grocery Store?

Five Reasons Why I Love the Grocery Store:

1. Produce section. What a fresh, healthy-looking place! The produce section is full of possibilities. Lots of colors, lots of shapes. Just being in the middle of it makes me feel energetic. Not to mention those awesome water spray things that mist down onto the lettuce.

2. Carts. Hunching over the handle thing (what's that called?) at the front, you can race around corners with both speed and precision if you have the right kind of cart. If you get stuck with a nasty old cart that always wants to go left, you have a different kind of challenge.

3. Atmosphere. Everyone's shopping! For food! That means, lots of people to give you advice if you're trying to decide on a type of spaghetti sauce when faced with a wall of six dozen kinds.

4. Bakery. Hellooooo! Fresh bread smell? I'm there. I just like to wander around and look at all the delicious baked goods and check out the designs they'll put on a cake for you. Dora the Explorer, anyone?

5. Food. Hey, I'm there to shop for food! Which usually means that I'm helping out my mom and making dinner. So I need different ingredients to whip up a new recipe, or some delicious favorite. As you may know, I love being in the kitchen, so I see the grocery store as the first stop on the way to a good meal I can feed my family!



I got this picture off this site that gives healthy shopping tips. It includes not shopping while hungry, which YES I do, okay? Click here if you want to read it!

The Scallops Are Raw!

I have a soft spot for cooking shows. From Martha Stewart baking a cake, to amateur chefs battling it out for a prize. I like to watch people make food. And duel in food challenges. And create stunning dishes. And be judged on their risotto. And such.

(Incidentally, one day, I really need to eat risotto. And beef wellington. And pavlova. And other dishes that I now feel ashamed I have not had.)

Caution: Too many cooking shows may result in me hearing Gordon Ramsey yell at me while I'm messing something up in the kitchen. I'm just making an omelette for myself. There's not $100,000 on the line, here. Why am I chopping green peppers in such a frantic way?

After watching cooking shows, I sometimes become inspired to "create my own dish." Because of how daring I am, this is usually something like putting peanut butter chips in the cookies instead of chocolate chips. Woo-hoo.

I like those "boring" cooking shows kind of the same way I like infomercials. They kind of lull me into a haze of relaxation and calmness. But I also get excited about the reality cooking shows. "With only thirty seconds remaining, Jenna still has not plated! And Gary's souffle just collapsed! And Andrew slices open his hand!"

This is probably an appropriate time to bring up Curtis Stone. Tee-hee-hee! Sorry, it's just that it's impossible to mention his name without giggling like a twelve-year-old girl. Thank you, Curtis Stone for making an appearance on pretty much every cooking show. Thank you for being so adorable. And for having that accent. And also, will you marry me?

 

My Place is in the Kitchen, Apparently

Mmm, I love being in the kitchen - especially this time of year.

Cooking and baking allow me to create something while following a recipe. Structured creativity! I have a recipe, I have a picture of what the finished product should look like, and then I can peel and cut and stir and make something stupendous!

The danger is watching the Martha Stewart dvds I borrowed from the library. I watch Martha for a while - watch her toss spices and oil into bowls and pans without measuring. Then, for some reason, I begin to believe that I too am above measuring ingredients. So far nothing terrible has happened, but I have to hold myself back and use the right tools so I don't get myself into trouble.

Not only do I love the actions that go along with working in the kitchen, but I love presenting the fiinished product. I don't bake for myself, I bake for my family and friends. Sharing the food I make brings me great satisfaction. Plus, they're usually so grateful that they do the dishes for me! I enjoy doing the dishes once in a while, but after whipping up something delicious and time-consuming in the kitchen, the dishes can stay in the sink forever for all I care.

If you ever happen to be in the kitchen when I'm making something, get out. Get out now. If you're just standing there taking up space or getting in my way, it makes me antsy. Stay back and give me elbow room. Better yet, here: peel these carrots. Do something useful.

So, my place is in the kitchen. Behind-the-scenes work appeals to me. I'd rather roll up my sleeves and work hard back there than come out and do a lot of socializing.

If you want to talk with me, come back to the kitchen. Just keep back and grate this cheese, will you?

And Just a Dash of Incomprehension

Occasionally, at the library, a cookbook will catch my eye. One with a slice of the most perfect chocolate cake featured on the cover. But, as I look through it later, I realize that almost every recipe in the book includes at least one ingredient I lack.

I don’t HAVE fresh spices growing in boxes on my windowsill. I’ve never HEARD of that specific kitchen utensil. And I refuse to use ingredients I can’t even PRONOUNCE.

To me, Rachael Ray’s cookbooks are prime examples of my cooking dilemma. I turn to a stromboli recipe in Rachael Ray’s Big Orange Book:

“1 large loaf of semolina bread.” Okay, let me just google that real quick. Um..guess I’ll need to run to the store.

“2 bunches of broccoli rabe.” Is this a typo? Am I really that ignorant? Google...

“1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.” Cheese. It’s got to be some kind of cheese. Maybe if I open and close the cupboard 3 times, I will find this “hard, granular cheese” which is “cooked but not pressed” (thank you, Wikipedia).

You know what? Forget it. Once in a while it’s fun to go to the store to get several specific ingredients for one special meal. I just hope I can use up each bag, box, and jar because otherwise they will sit and never be touched again.

My favorite place to search for new recipes is http://www.allrecipes.com/. At this site, you can search for recipes by ingredients you want along with those you don’t want. Also, I choose to search only the recipes that have pictures. I can’t make anything if I don’t have a picture of what it’s supposed to look like. I need affirmation in the kitchen, not confusion.