I made some pretty good unbaked cookies yesterday. The best result I've had with using honey in them actually. I cut the sugar in half and used honey (3/4 cup honey instead of 1.5 cups sugar) and then kept everything else the same. Well I didn't measure the oats. I measured the coconut and then added oats until I thought it looked good. I think I used about 1/2 cup less oats than was called for. And they are pretty good! Different than if they had been made with sugar, but pretty good none the less!
And on top of that, I made monster cookies and they actually turned out more than edible. They were actually pretty good!
Either I am finally getting the hang of baking with honey, or it's been so long since I've had the sugared kind that my baking is starting to taste better to me. Either way, it's a good feeling to make something that tastes good :)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Honey here I come!
I've been trying with little success to bake with honey (in complete place of sugar). I say little success because I want my baked goods to taste good. My wonderful husband has so far eaten most everything I've been baking, but I haven't been too impressed with the results. I want it to turn out like I expect it to. But alas, my baked goods have a mind of their own now and I never know what the outcome will be like.
But I'm not giving up! I refuse to be bested by honey. So I've ordered every cookbook the library has on honey (don't worry, it's only about 5) and I'm going to try those recipes and see if I have better luck. (In all honesty it's not just honey that I've changed. I also use whole wheat straight from the farmer and that makes a big difference in baked goods too.)
So, I'll try to keep you posted on how the new recipes turn out :)
But I'm not giving up! I refuse to be bested by honey. So I've ordered every cookbook the library has on honey (don't worry, it's only about 5) and I'm going to try those recipes and see if I have better luck. (In all honesty it's not just honey that I've changed. I also use whole wheat straight from the farmer and that makes a big difference in baked goods too.)
So, I'll try to keep you posted on how the new recipes turn out :)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sweet and Sour
I tried to make sweet and sour meatballs this past week. I say tried, because, well, it didn't exactly turn out :(
On a happy note, TR liked it. He said it tasted really good, just they didn't taste at all like sweet and sour!
My problem I think, is that I didn't take the time to properly think about the recipe. I decided that it should be easy enough to simply substitute healthier ingredients and that the outcome would be about the same. Yikes! Was I ever WRONG!
Okay, so the first problem I ran into was the tomato soup. My recipe calls for tomato soup. That's not something we have in our house anymore - so I thought, okay, I will just add whole tomatoes. And I didn't measure. I just threw them in (way too many turns out!).
Next I used honey instead of brown sugar. Shouldn't be too big of a deal, right?
Then it was real soy sauce instead of artificial.
I think the rest of the ingredients were about the same as normal.
I taste tested it after a while. YIKES! It was AWFUL!!!!!!!
Way too tomato-ie. I tried adding some organic sugar. That helped a bit. A bit more soy sauce.
In the end the sauce was edible. TR liked it more than I did. But it was NOT sweet and sour by any means.
So until I find a new recipe that calls for some ingredients that we have in the house, I don't think that sweet and sour will be on the menu again any time soon :)
On a happy note, TR liked it. He said it tasted really good, just they didn't taste at all like sweet and sour!
My problem I think, is that I didn't take the time to properly think about the recipe. I decided that it should be easy enough to simply substitute healthier ingredients and that the outcome would be about the same. Yikes! Was I ever WRONG!
Okay, so the first problem I ran into was the tomato soup. My recipe calls for tomato soup. That's not something we have in our house anymore - so I thought, okay, I will just add whole tomatoes. And I didn't measure. I just threw them in (way too many turns out!).
Next I used honey instead of brown sugar. Shouldn't be too big of a deal, right?
Then it was real soy sauce instead of artificial.
I think the rest of the ingredients were about the same as normal.
I taste tested it after a while. YIKES! It was AWFUL!!!!!!!
Way too tomato-ie. I tried adding some organic sugar. That helped a bit. A bit more soy sauce.
In the end the sauce was edible. TR liked it more than I did. But it was NOT sweet and sour by any means.
So until I find a new recipe that calls for some ingredients that we have in the house, I don't think that sweet and sour will be on the menu again any time soon :)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Homemade Chocolate Syrup
Chloe has been asking for chocolate milk. She LOVES it. We never really had it much at home, it was pretty rare even when we were on our 'normal Canadian' diet. But when we were at Nana's, or sometimes at her cousins she would see it there. So at home she would ask. Well, I don't know if you've looked at the ingredients in the commercial chocolate syrup, but it does not fit into our new diet at ALL :) So here's my healthy twist on it.
~ Melt honey in a pot. Don't be too skimpy, this forms the base of the syrup. When you're just trying it out do maybe 1/2 cup - 1 cup. This last time I did it, it was around 2 cups.
~ Add chocolate pieces. I use 72% chocolate. Not too much, just a bit.
~ Add cocoa. Add LOTS more than you think. That honey is sweet and needs lots of chocolate.
~ Whisk together until smooth. Add a bit of water. With about 2 cups honey I think I did about 1/3 cup or so.
~ Taste. Add more cocoa if needed. You want it to taste way too strong so that it is concentrated for your milk. Make sure that it boils so that the honey doesn't go hard again.
~ Add it to milk, on top of ice cream, or wherever!
It was awesome! TR says it's even better than the store's version. And I can give my baby girl some chocolate milk :)
~ Melt honey in a pot. Don't be too skimpy, this forms the base of the syrup. When you're just trying it out do maybe 1/2 cup - 1 cup. This last time I did it, it was around 2 cups.
~ Add chocolate pieces. I use 72% chocolate. Not too much, just a bit.
~ Add cocoa. Add LOTS more than you think. That honey is sweet and needs lots of chocolate.
~ Whisk together until smooth. Add a bit of water. With about 2 cups honey I think I did about 1/3 cup or so.
~ Taste. Add more cocoa if needed. You want it to taste way too strong so that it is concentrated for your milk. Make sure that it boils so that the honey doesn't go hard again.
~ Add it to milk, on top of ice cream, or wherever!
It was awesome! TR says it's even better than the store's version. And I can give my baby girl some chocolate milk :)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
My twist on Summaborsht
I have been craving summaborsht. CRAVING. But what to do when it involves pork?
Make it with beef :)
Here's my version of Summaborsht:
~ Boil chopped potatoes in water. Add chopped onions. Add dill, salt and pepper, celery seed (fresh would've been better). Add chopped carrots (I did these really fine, more for nutrition than for flavour).
~ Let it simmer on the stove for a while.
~ Add cooked ground beef. I put mine through the processor first so that it was really fine, but if you like chunks than skip that step.
~ Let it simmer for as long as you like. Add cream and enjoy!
I LOVED it. It totally hit the spot and tasted great. If I hadn't grown up knowing that Summaborsht was a soup that was meant for ham or varsht, I never would have thought twice about this soup.
Make it with beef :)
Here's my version of Summaborsht:
~ Boil chopped potatoes in water. Add chopped onions. Add dill, salt and pepper, celery seed (fresh would've been better). Add chopped carrots (I did these really fine, more for nutrition than for flavour).
~ Let it simmer on the stove for a while.
~ Add cooked ground beef. I put mine through the processor first so that it was really fine, but if you like chunks than skip that step.
~ Let it simmer for as long as you like. Add cream and enjoy!
I LOVED it. It totally hit the spot and tasted great. If I hadn't grown up knowing that Summaborsht was a soup that was meant for ham or varsht, I never would have thought twice about this soup.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
It's becoming a habit
So, after some good advice, I have been trying very hard. And it's quickly becoming a habit! I used to do it some, but now I am doing it way more often.
I am freezing.
Cooking extra in order to freeze.
Here's some examples:
~ Cook 1/2 a chicken. Whatever we don't eat I take off the bones and freeze, or plan to use in the next couple of days. Usually I just left the meat for leftovers, but taking it off the bones makes it so much easier to use and less gets wasted. We usually have enough for leftovers and a new meal.
~ Made meatloaf and formed a few hamburger patties to freeze.
~ Made twice as many perogies as I needed in order to freeze some.
~ Made twice as much chicken pot pie filling as I needed and froze it in a casserole dish. Added some mashed potatoes and threw it in the oven for a super quick potluck meal this week!
~ Make a big batch of waffles whenever I make them and throw the leftovers in the freezer. I freeze them on a cookie sheet and then throw them in a bag when they're frozen.
~ Made homemade cream of chicken soup the other day and froze what I didn't need for that recipe for later.
~ Cooked up 2 salmon instead of just one. Saved energy from using the oven only once instead of twice and now I have extra de-boned salmon in the freezer just waiting to be made into patties!
~ I save all my bread crusts now to be made into crumbs.
It is becoming second nature to me to think about how I can stretch everything so that less is wasted and my time is better used. It makes things way less stressful in the kitchen and I usually end up with a couple of quick simple meals a week just from cooking more on other days and preserving it. I LOVE IT!
Thanks Leanne for giving me a good swift nudge in the right direction!
How do you save time in the kitchen? When you make more and save for another meal do you try to make the new meal different?
I am freezing.
Cooking extra in order to freeze.
Here's some examples:
~ Cook 1/2 a chicken. Whatever we don't eat I take off the bones and freeze, or plan to use in the next couple of days. Usually I just left the meat for leftovers, but taking it off the bones makes it so much easier to use and less gets wasted. We usually have enough for leftovers and a new meal.
~ Made meatloaf and formed a few hamburger patties to freeze.
~ Made twice as many perogies as I needed in order to freeze some.
~ Made twice as much chicken pot pie filling as I needed and froze it in a casserole dish. Added some mashed potatoes and threw it in the oven for a super quick potluck meal this week!
~ Make a big batch of waffles whenever I make them and throw the leftovers in the freezer. I freeze them on a cookie sheet and then throw them in a bag when they're frozen.
~ Made homemade cream of chicken soup the other day and froze what I didn't need for that recipe for later.
~ Cooked up 2 salmon instead of just one. Saved energy from using the oven only once instead of twice and now I have extra de-boned salmon in the freezer just waiting to be made into patties!
~ I save all my bread crusts now to be made into crumbs.
It is becoming second nature to me to think about how I can stretch everything so that less is wasted and my time is better used. It makes things way less stressful in the kitchen and I usually end up with a couple of quick simple meals a week just from cooking more on other days and preserving it. I LOVE IT!
Thanks Leanne for giving me a good swift nudge in the right direction!
How do you save time in the kitchen? When you make more and save for another meal do you try to make the new meal different?
Friday, November 5, 2010
Fried
So I fried the sweet potato. And it was a big hit! I cut it up like I was making fries and then put it on a well oiled cookie sheet in the oven. Turned it over a couple of times and when it was crispy and soft it was done. The kids and TR enjoyed dipping them in ketchup and the kids never even knew it was the same food that they had disliked only days before ;)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sweet
Sweet potatoes. Do you like them? I can't say that I do. But that is what TR came home from the grocery store with. 1 sweet potato.
So like a good little wife, I cooked it up for supper. Actually I only cooked up half of it, 'cause those things are massive and I had no idea how it was going to go over. Benjamin tried it, spit it out. Chloe wouldn't try it and we didn't push it (you can criticize my parenting later). I only put three little pieces on my plate. TR took a big helping.
I finished mine. But that last bite was a chore. I just can't quite get past the mushy texture. The flavour is not that bad. But I think that it will be an acquired taste for me. But the nutrient content is superb and it's really not that expensive, so I think that we will be eating in our house a little more. TR really liked it and that's enough to make me want to make it for him.
So, do you like sweet potatoes? If you do, please give me suggestions as to have to make it more creatively! Maybe I could even grow to enjoy them :)
So like a good little wife, I cooked it up for supper. Actually I only cooked up half of it, 'cause those things are massive and I had no idea how it was going to go over. Benjamin tried it, spit it out. Chloe wouldn't try it and we didn't push it (you can criticize my parenting later). I only put three little pieces on my plate. TR took a big helping.
I finished mine. But that last bite was a chore. I just can't quite get past the mushy texture. The flavour is not that bad. But I think that it will be an acquired taste for me. But the nutrient content is superb and it's really not that expensive, so I think that we will be eating in our house a little more. TR really liked it and that's enough to make me want to make it for him.
So, do you like sweet potatoes? If you do, please give me suggestions as to have to make it more creatively! Maybe I could even grow to enjoy them :)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Answer to you questions
Hey Leanne, just thought I would answer your questions here so you would for sure see it.
~ I don't think that organic corn is GM. I will have to do some more research as to whether all other corn is. I'm not sure where I heard it (maybe Jordan Rubin's book??) but corn and soybeans are usually GM. I'll have to check into that again, 'cause I really can't remember the source.
~ I liked your suggestion for the stuffing. Today I made a chicken casserole (gravy, chicken, veggies all mixed together and put in a dish topped with mashed potatoes and then topped with stuffing) I used to just put stovetop stuffing on the top, but alas I can't do that anymore. Today I just cut up some bread and added it to a butter/broth/spices mixture and coated it. Then I added it single layer on top of the potatoes. It was AWESOME! Even better than stovetop. They were nice and crunchy and tasted a little like stuffing seasoned croutons. LOVED IT!
~ I don't think that organic corn is GM. I will have to do some more research as to whether all other corn is. I'm not sure where I heard it (maybe Jordan Rubin's book??) but corn and soybeans are usually GM. I'll have to check into that again, 'cause I really can't remember the source.
~ I liked your suggestion for the stuffing. Today I made a chicken casserole (gravy, chicken, veggies all mixed together and put in a dish topped with mashed potatoes and then topped with stuffing) I used to just put stovetop stuffing on the top, but alas I can't do that anymore. Today I just cut up some bread and added it to a butter/broth/spices mixture and coated it. Then I added it single layer on top of the potatoes. It was AWESOME! Even better than stovetop. They were nice and crunchy and tasted a little like stuffing seasoned croutons. LOVED IT!
Hamburger Soup
I made the most AMAZING hamburger soup the other day for supper. As in AMAZING! But you might not think so, so if you don't think it's amazing don't blame me! But it really hit the spot for me and I just find my taste buds wanting more!
The recipe came from the Health and Hospitality book: It's simply called 'Hamburger Soup'. Here's my version:
~Cooked hamburger (I put it through the chopper 'cause I like it fine)
~Green lentils
~Pot barley
~Carrots
~Onions
~Tomato juice (I used some of my garden tomatoes. I just skinned them and cooked them, strained them and added the juice to the soup)
~Taco Seasoning
~Celery salt (real celery would have been good but we didn't have any)
~Salt and pepper
Now you'll notice that I didn't add any amounts and that is because I didn't measure! I just did it until it looked/tasted right. I thought it was perfect, but TR said it would have been better with some potatoes.
The lentils and barley take the longest to cook, so I cooked them for a while in water and then when they were mostly soft I drained most of the remaining water and added the other ingredients.
Served with whole wheat biscuits fresh from the oven.
We are out of ground beef, but I seriously want to make this again soon so I think I will try it with some of the moose steak I have in the freezer. I'll let you know if it as good :)
The recipe came from the Health and Hospitality book: It's simply called 'Hamburger Soup'. Here's my version:
~Cooked hamburger (I put it through the chopper 'cause I like it fine)
~Green lentils
~Pot barley
~Carrots
~Onions
~Tomato juice (I used some of my garden tomatoes. I just skinned them and cooked them, strained them and added the juice to the soup)
~Taco Seasoning
~Celery salt (real celery would have been good but we didn't have any)
~Salt and pepper
Now you'll notice that I didn't add any amounts and that is because I didn't measure! I just did it until it looked/tasted right. I thought it was perfect, but TR said it would have been better with some potatoes.
The lentils and barley take the longest to cook, so I cooked them for a while in water and then when they were mostly soft I drained most of the remaining water and added the other ingredients.
Served with whole wheat biscuits fresh from the oven.
We are out of ground beef, but I seriously want to make this again soon so I think I will try it with some of the moose steak I have in the freezer. I'll let you know if it as good :)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
My new favourite lunch!
Okay so I just had to post my new favourite lunch!
Tuna, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, grated organic cheese, garlic powder.
I mix all that together and then eat it with Tostito chips.
YUM!!
Tuna, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, grated organic cheese, garlic powder.
I mix all that together and then eat it with Tostito chips.
YUM!!
Turkey Dinner
How do you make a healthy turkey dinner? Easy. Well, mostly easy.
~ Organic Chicken or turkey. No this is not going to be from your grocery store :) We used chicken that we bought this summer from a local farmer. I'm not entirely certain if it's organic, but definitely healthier than the grocery store variety.
~ Mashed potatoes. From the garden of course! Mashed with butter and cream. Ideally this would have been organic cream, but alas G.P. is so far away :(
~ Corn. I would love it if I had a place to buy organic corn. But since I just couldn't imagine our supper without it, the stuff from the can just had to suffice. I say this because corn is genetically modified and therefore a big "no-no" on our list.
~ Stuffing. Made from homemade brown bread. Seasoned with the regular spices, butter, chicken broth that I made myself. (It also had some store bought chicken broth because the first time we ate it was at Mom's and I forgot to bring my own. When we had it for leftovers I added some more spices and broth 'cause it was lacking in flavour)
~ Gravy. Made from the broth I made from our chicken bones. Thickened with organic oat flour. (super good! I think I will always use oat flour as a thickener. It is a lot smoother than whole wheat flour)
~ Pumpkin pie. Homemade crust made with butter and whole wheat flour. Homegrown pumpkin, spices, cream, local eggs.
So, altogether it was really good. The only thing I want to experiment with is the stuffing. The bread got really crumbly when it was being mixed and didn't stay in squares very well. Good flavour but a little mushier than I like it.
~ Organic Chicken or turkey. No this is not going to be from your grocery store :) We used chicken that we bought this summer from a local farmer. I'm not entirely certain if it's organic, but definitely healthier than the grocery store variety.
~ Mashed potatoes. From the garden of course! Mashed with butter and cream. Ideally this would have been organic cream, but alas G.P. is so far away :(
~ Corn. I would love it if I had a place to buy organic corn. But since I just couldn't imagine our supper without it, the stuff from the can just had to suffice. I say this because corn is genetically modified and therefore a big "no-no" on our list.
~ Stuffing. Made from homemade brown bread. Seasoned with the regular spices, butter, chicken broth that I made myself. (It also had some store bought chicken broth because the first time we ate it was at Mom's and I forgot to bring my own. When we had it for leftovers I added some more spices and broth 'cause it was lacking in flavour)
~ Gravy. Made from the broth I made from our chicken bones. Thickened with organic oat flour. (super good! I think I will always use oat flour as a thickener. It is a lot smoother than whole wheat flour)
~ Pumpkin pie. Homemade crust made with butter and whole wheat flour. Homegrown pumpkin, spices, cream, local eggs.
So, altogether it was really good. The only thing I want to experiment with is the stuffing. The bread got really crumbly when it was being mixed and didn't stay in squares very well. Good flavour but a little mushier than I like it.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
2 Carts
This may get to be a bit long-winded. So beware!
I am about to let you in on a little secret: You can get some healthy foods right here at our own grocery store!
I am trying to reduce how often I go to the store so the new system I am trying is this: Buy as many non-perishable items as I think we'll need at the beginning of the month so the rest of the month is just quick trips. That makes for one big trip at the beginning of the month! Luckily my inlaws were able to come with me this time as we piled two carts to overflowing :)
~1 box of diapers -$28.99 (Huggies brand. I like buying the 'green' brand, but just had to settle this time since I know Benjamin will hardly ever be in them and therefore exposed to their chemicals.
~Green Peppers - $4.09
~Broccoli -$0.96
~Rubber Ball - $1.34 (a purchase for Chloe from her grandparents)
~ Romaine Lettuce - $1.49
~ Heinz Organic Ketchup - $5.79
~ p/Corn - $2.98 (puffed corn twists. A treat for the kids)
~ 2 boxes of Knox Gelatin - $2.89ea (I will be attempting to make healthy jello:)
~ 3 bags of dried white beans - $2.38ea
~ Organic Wheat Square cereal (like Shreddies) - $4.59
~ 3 boxes Organic Corn Pops - $4.99ea
~ bag of dried pot barley -$2.38
~ Real block of Parmesan - $11.21
~ 4 PC bittersweet chocolate bars - $4.49ea (I chop this for chips and use it for baking too)
~ 2 boxes of Power cereal - $9.99ea
~ PC organic Raisin Bran - $4.69
~ Hellman's Real Mayonnaise with olive oil - $6.29
~ 5 bags of Krinkle cut regular chips - $5.99ea
~ 6 blocks of PC organic old cheese - $5.99ea
~ Toilet paper (PC green) - $8.09
~ Sparkling juice - $ 2.99 (this is a splurge. It has the least amount of additives and is a nice treat for us when we'd like to have something special.)
~ 3 bags of tostitoes - $2.97ea (read the labels, the whole grain ones have more additives than the regular!)
~ 1 Lactania Whipping cream - $4.19
~ 5 bags of organic Gala apples - $4.39ea (on sale! Hooray!)
~ 10 2L jugs of PC Unfiltered 100% Apple Juice - $3.99ea
~ 3 Healthy Harvest Whole grain pasta boxes - $1.97ea (on sale! Hooray!)
~ 2 Ocean spray 100% Cranberry-Grape Juice - $9.19ea
~ 2 PC Celeb Margarine - $2.99ea (for Chloe while she is off dairy)
~ 15 1lb block of Neilson Butter - $3.99ea ($59.85 altogether!)
~ 1L Pure Maple Syrup - $18.89
~3 Orange Juice - $2.35 (50% off for near expiry date)
~ 2 PC Peach Tangerine Juice - $1.65 (50% off for near expiry date)
~ 3 Tropicana Grapefruit Juice - $4.98ea
I received my $15 off for coupon day, along with a gas coupon. The total of all these groceries was . . .
$427.88
*I would just like to add a little side note: All the juice I buy is 100% juice, not from concentrate. The only exception to this is the 100% Cranberry Juice from concentrate, which is for Chloe to aid in her digestive tract.
**I have a few more items I need for this month at from S.A. and the drug store. I will keep you posted as to what else gets stocked in my cupboard :)
I am about to let you in on a little secret: You can get some healthy foods right here at our own grocery store!
I am trying to reduce how often I go to the store so the new system I am trying is this: Buy as many non-perishable items as I think we'll need at the beginning of the month so the rest of the month is just quick trips. That makes for one big trip at the beginning of the month! Luckily my inlaws were able to come with me this time as we piled two carts to overflowing :)
~1 box of diapers -$28.99 (Huggies brand. I like buying the 'green' brand, but just had to settle this time since I know Benjamin will hardly ever be in them and therefore exposed to their chemicals.
~Green Peppers - $4.09
~Broccoli -$0.96
~Rubber Ball - $1.34 (a purchase for Chloe from her grandparents)
~ Romaine Lettuce - $1.49
~ Heinz Organic Ketchup - $5.79
~ p/Corn - $2.98 (puffed corn twists. A treat for the kids)
~ 2 boxes of Knox Gelatin - $2.89ea (I will be attempting to make healthy jello:)
~ 3 bags of dried white beans - $2.38ea
~ Organic Wheat Square cereal (like Shreddies) - $4.59
~ 3 boxes Organic Corn Pops - $4.99ea
~ bag of dried pot barley -$2.38
~ Real block of Parmesan - $11.21
~ 4 PC bittersweet chocolate bars - $4.49ea (I chop this for chips and use it for baking too)
~ 2 boxes of Power cereal - $9.99ea
~ PC organic Raisin Bran - $4.69
~ Hellman's Real Mayonnaise with olive oil - $6.29
~ 5 bags of Krinkle cut regular chips - $5.99ea
~ 6 blocks of PC organic old cheese - $5.99ea
~ Toilet paper (PC green) - $8.09
~ Sparkling juice - $ 2.99 (this is a splurge. It has the least amount of additives and is a nice treat for us when we'd like to have something special.)
~ 3 bags of tostitoes - $2.97ea (read the labels, the whole grain ones have more additives than the regular!)
~ 1 Lactania Whipping cream - $4.19
~ 5 bags of organic Gala apples - $4.39ea (on sale! Hooray!)
~ 10 2L jugs of PC Unfiltered 100% Apple Juice - $3.99ea
~ 3 Healthy Harvest Whole grain pasta boxes - $1.97ea (on sale! Hooray!)
~ 2 Ocean spray 100% Cranberry-Grape Juice - $9.19ea
~ 2 PC Celeb Margarine - $2.99ea (for Chloe while she is off dairy)
~ 15 1lb block of Neilson Butter - $3.99ea ($59.85 altogether!)
~ 1L Pure Maple Syrup - $18.89
~3 Orange Juice - $2.35 (50% off for near expiry date)
~ 2 PC Peach Tangerine Juice - $1.65 (50% off for near expiry date)
~ 3 Tropicana Grapefruit Juice - $4.98ea
I received my $15 off for coupon day, along with a gas coupon. The total of all these groceries was . . .
$427.88
*I would just like to add a little side note: All the juice I buy is 100% juice, not from concentrate. The only exception to this is the 100% Cranberry Juice from concentrate, which is for Chloe to aid in her digestive tract.
**I have a few more items I need for this month at from S.A. and the drug store. I will keep you posted as to what else gets stocked in my cupboard :)
Friday, October 1, 2010
Celebration!
So I am officially done babysitting!
In order to celebrate this exciting moment in my life I decided to splurge.
I bought a salmon. You know the expensive fillet. The one that's farmed and not as healthy as the whole wild salmon, but much tastier!
And . . . It was AWESOME. I have sure missed those salmon. With some Mrs.Dash lemon pepper. YUM!
It's going to be hard not to buy another one. It's really too bad that it's not wild salmon. Then it would be healthier and much easier to justify.
But altogether I'd say it's a pretty good way to celebrate :)
In order to celebrate this exciting moment in my life I decided to splurge.
I bought a salmon. You know the expensive fillet. The one that's farmed and not as healthy as the whole wild salmon, but much tastier!
And . . . It was AWESOME. I have sure missed those salmon. With some Mrs.Dash lemon pepper. YUM!
It's going to be hard not to buy another one. It's really too bad that it's not wild salmon. Then it would be healthier and much easier to justify.
But altogether I'd say it's a pretty good way to celebrate :)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Better Health Store
Here is a list of the products that I've ordered from The Better Health Store found at
www.thebetterhealthstore.com
All of the products are from Garden of Life - this is the company that Jordan Rubin started.
Acid Defense: $21.99
~ A good product for TR as he deals with a lot of acid reflux. Not for the faint of heart though as it is a powder that needs to be mixed with liquid and then swallowed. TR can do it no problem but he is a pro at swallowing gross things as he has to crush all of his pills. Jessica tried this and nearly gagged.
Coconut Oil Extra Virgin: $9.57
~ The only way to buy coconut oil is the extra virgin. This is as unprocessed as it gets. Super healthy. We like it a lot, but it is expensive so we use it only sparingly. TR's Mom got us a bigger container in the city so I need to compare prices and see which is cheaper. You can get a bigger container of this from the better health store.
Ocean Kids DHA Chewable: $13.45
~ Really like this. Cheaper than Shaklee. It is little round gell-type balls. The kids can chew them. They like them, never said anything about it tasting funny.
Old World Icelandic Cod Liver Oil: $10.17
~ Not nearly as bad as I thought! It tastes like minty oil. TR really doesn't like it though as he burps fishy taste for a while. I don't have that problem. I don't experience much of an after taste.
Omegazyme: $23.49
~ This is a great product! TR finds he has a much easier time digesting things when he takes this first.
Perfect Food Chocolate Raspberry: $2.69
~ Probably the best whole food bar I've tried. This was coated in chocolate! Loved it!
Perfect Food Organic Bar: $2.69
~ Not as big a fan of this one as it didn't have chocolate :) But it was still good.
Primal Defense Ultra: $53.49
~ Cheaper than Shaklee these probiotics contain a lot more probiotics too. They are in a gel capsule which is great 'cause then TR can just empty it into his liquid, and I can hide it in the kids' juice (with a lid on as it is dark).
Probiotic Smile: $18.70
~ I really liked these. Little mint-type 'candies' that you take twice a day after brushing. My mouth felt way cleaner and smelt better too! A little expensive so I'm not sure I'll get these again for a while. But man were they nice!
Raw Cleanse: $29.95
~ I can't really give a good review of this product as TR never finished it. He found it just tasted too foul.
Wobenzym N: $119.97
~ Super expensive, but it has been lasting a long time. This is to help with TR's inflammation in his body. If you experience of any kind I would recommend it.
So that's the list of what I've ordered from this site. I've made another order but it hasn't been shipped yet. I'm going to be trying more of their bars, and then some products from a few different manufacturers. Some conditioner, toothpaste and some more bars.
www.thebetterhealthstore.com
All of the products are from Garden of Life - this is the company that Jordan Rubin started.
Acid Defense: $21.99
~ A good product for TR as he deals with a lot of acid reflux. Not for the faint of heart though as it is a powder that needs to be mixed with liquid and then swallowed. TR can do it no problem but he is a pro at swallowing gross things as he has to crush all of his pills. Jessica tried this and nearly gagged.
Coconut Oil Extra Virgin: $9.57
~ The only way to buy coconut oil is the extra virgin. This is as unprocessed as it gets. Super healthy. We like it a lot, but it is expensive so we use it only sparingly. TR's Mom got us a bigger container in the city so I need to compare prices and see which is cheaper. You can get a bigger container of this from the better health store.
Ocean Kids DHA Chewable: $13.45
~ Really like this. Cheaper than Shaklee. It is little round gell-type balls. The kids can chew them. They like them, never said anything about it tasting funny.
Old World Icelandic Cod Liver Oil: $10.17
~ Not nearly as bad as I thought! It tastes like minty oil. TR really doesn't like it though as he burps fishy taste for a while. I don't have that problem. I don't experience much of an after taste.
Omegazyme: $23.49
~ This is a great product! TR finds he has a much easier time digesting things when he takes this first.
Perfect Food Chocolate Raspberry: $2.69
~ Probably the best whole food bar I've tried. This was coated in chocolate! Loved it!
Perfect Food Organic Bar: $2.69
~ Not as big a fan of this one as it didn't have chocolate :) But it was still good.
Primal Defense Ultra: $53.49
~ Cheaper than Shaklee these probiotics contain a lot more probiotics too. They are in a gel capsule which is great 'cause then TR can just empty it into his liquid, and I can hide it in the kids' juice (with a lid on as it is dark).
Probiotic Smile: $18.70
~ I really liked these. Little mint-type 'candies' that you take twice a day after brushing. My mouth felt way cleaner and smelt better too! A little expensive so I'm not sure I'll get these again for a while. But man were they nice!
Raw Cleanse: $29.95
~ I can't really give a good review of this product as TR never finished it. He found it just tasted too foul.
Wobenzym N: $119.97
~ Super expensive, but it has been lasting a long time. This is to help with TR's inflammation in his body. If you experience of any kind I would recommend it.
So that's the list of what I've ordered from this site. I've made another order but it hasn't been shipped yet. I'm going to be trying more of their bars, and then some products from a few different manufacturers. Some conditioner, toothpaste and some more bars.
What we buy: Can't talk now, but will talk later.
Well, I just read your comment Leanne about what I've been buying and a review for it. Unfortunately I have to go and change a dirty diaper! (not that you wanted to hear that!) So I will try to get back to this very soon. If I don't get to it today feel free to harass me (kindly of course!) so that I don't forget!
A quick update
So I've been forgetting again. Here's a brief overview of what we've been eating:
~ Chicken soup with lentils, dried peas, barley, rice, chicken, carrots, onions, garlic. Served with whole wheat biscuits.
~ Teriyaki Sauce stir fry. The sauce was from this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Teriyaki-Sauce-2/Detail.aspx - It was served with chicken, broccoli, carrots, onion, garlic and rice. It was super good! Next time I will make more of it. I didn't want to make too much sauce if it wasn't good as the soy sauce we buy now is more expensive. But it would definitely be worth it to have more sauce next time :)
~ I've been having fried potatoes a lot lately. It's so good with eggs!
~ Of course we had to have chocolate chip pancakes :) I love grinding my own flax. Leanne suggested I use the coffee grinder and it works like a charm! It grinds it so fine you don't even know it's in there. And it has a lot more oils that way, so way healthier :) Thanks Leanne!
~ Chicken soup with lentils, dried peas, barley, rice, chicken, carrots, onions, garlic. Served with whole wheat biscuits.
~ Teriyaki Sauce stir fry. The sauce was from this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Teriyaki-Sauce-2/Detail.aspx - It was served with chicken, broccoli, carrots, onion, garlic and rice. It was super good! Next time I will make more of it. I didn't want to make too much sauce if it wasn't good as the soy sauce we buy now is more expensive. But it would definitely be worth it to have more sauce next time :)
~ I've been having fried potatoes a lot lately. It's so good with eggs!
~ Of course we had to have chocolate chip pancakes :) I love grinding my own flax. Leanne suggested I use the coffee grinder and it works like a charm! It grinds it so fine you don't even know it's in there. And it has a lot more oils that way, so way healthier :) Thanks Leanne!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
A Week in my life
Well, I was very gently reminded that it has been a LONG time since I posted anything on here. So in order to appease you my wonderful family I will try posting again :)
I figured I would start with what we've been eating.
Sunday:
Breakfast was a mix. The kids had toast with peanut butter (the natural kind) and honey. I had omelets with organic cheese and toast (sprouted whole grain bread).
Lunch: The kids and I had pancakes. I usually follow my old recipe and just adapt it. I use flour from a local farmer, butter, b.powder, eggs, cream. Of course I added chocolate chips :) These were simply chopped from a large chocolate bar (PC brand), as I have yet to find artificial free chocolate chips.
Supper: Canned chicken, mashed potatoes, corn.
Monday:
Breakfast was about the same.
Lunch: Cream of wheat :)
Supper: Spag. and sauce with chicken and red peppers. I have to admit that I cheated on this meal. I love angel hair pasta. We all do. As yet we have been unable to find a whole grain angle hair pasta. So yesterday we had pasta made with white flour :(
Tuesday (today):
Breakfast: The kids had organic corn puffs with cream. I had cream of wheat.
Lunch: The kids had leftovers from supper last night. I had omelets and an apple with almond butter.
You'll notice that I don't list on here what TR's been eating. For breakfast he usually has toast with p.butter and honey or cereal and cream. Lunch lately has been sandwiches made with either meatloaf or chicken.
I figured I would start with what we've been eating.
Sunday:
Breakfast was a mix. The kids had toast with peanut butter (the natural kind) and honey. I had omelets with organic cheese and toast (sprouted whole grain bread).
Lunch: The kids and I had pancakes. I usually follow my old recipe and just adapt it. I use flour from a local farmer, butter, b.powder, eggs, cream. Of course I added chocolate chips :) These were simply chopped from a large chocolate bar (PC brand), as I have yet to find artificial free chocolate chips.
Supper: Canned chicken, mashed potatoes, corn.
Monday:
Breakfast was about the same.
Lunch: Cream of wheat :)
Supper: Spag. and sauce with chicken and red peppers. I have to admit that I cheated on this meal. I love angel hair pasta. We all do. As yet we have been unable to find a whole grain angle hair pasta. So yesterday we had pasta made with white flour :(
Tuesday (today):
Breakfast: The kids had organic corn puffs with cream. I had cream of wheat.
Lunch: The kids had leftovers from supper last night. I had omelets and an apple with almond butter.
You'll notice that I don't list on here what TR's been eating. For breakfast he usually has toast with p.butter and honey or cereal and cream. Lunch lately has been sandwiches made with either meatloaf or chicken.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Next time around
Next time I start a new way of eating I'm doing it in the winter! This is hard!!!!! It is so hard to keep this family stocked up on good things to eat, and stuff for TR to take to work when all I want to do is go outside and be in my garden. I am having to learn a whole new way of doing things and it is very overwhelming. I am forgetting everything, my brain is on overload. On top of this I started babysitting full time this week. AAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No grocery store to fall back on, they hardly have anything healthy. So what to do? Spend more time in the kitchen, and less time outside. I don't think it would be so bad if I already was used to this . . . but I'm not. I am trying new recipes, trying to find new recipes and trying to find time to still do everything that I like doing in the summer.
So I've been neglecting this blog.
One thing I will quickly say is this. I am re-evaluating the Rx for Woman's health diet. I just read "Maker's Diet"(same author) and I think it would be even better for TR. It starts out a lot more restricted and slowly allows more foods in. I've ordered some supplements that will hopefully arrive in a few days that should really help TR too.
But, the kitchen is calling me. More bread to bake and some sort of snack so that my husband has something to take to work tomorrow.
Until next time . . .
No grocery store to fall back on, they hardly have anything healthy. So what to do? Spend more time in the kitchen, and less time outside. I don't think it would be so bad if I already was used to this . . . but I'm not. I am trying new recipes, trying to find new recipes and trying to find time to still do everything that I like doing in the summer.
So I've been neglecting this blog.
One thing I will quickly say is this. I am re-evaluating the Rx for Woman's health diet. I just read "Maker's Diet"(same author) and I think it would be even better for TR. It starts out a lot more restricted and slowly allows more foods in. I've ordered some supplements that will hopefully arrive in a few days that should really help TR too.
But, the kitchen is calling me. More bread to bake and some sort of snack so that my husband has something to take to work tomorrow.
Until next time . . .
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Bad Day
So yesterday was a bad day. All I wanted was chocolate and junk. Luckily we don't have too many bad foods left in our house - but I think that almost everything I ate was in the 'average' category. And I couldn't seem to stop snacking.
So today is going to = more work, and less eating. It is hard to change my mindset from 'live to eat' to 'eat to live'. I don't have to give in to my cravings and desires. I don't have to justify it and say 'it's okay, it's sort of healthy anyway.' I am just trying to lie to myself. It does matter.
Now you may say that I am being too hard on myself, and perhaps I am, but I do not want to be controlled by food. I don't want to have to eat comfort foods in order to feel better. So I will forgive myself for yesterday - and move on to today! Today is a new day with no mistakes in it yet. Jesus has given me a clean slate!
So today I am going to do my best to eat because I'm hungry and my body needs nourishment. And I'm sure that in the end my mood will be better for it - because you know what? Eating all those comfort type foods didn't do a thing for me. They didn't stop the craving, they didn't improve my mood.
p.s. I'm not sure why you thought TR couldn't eat pasta. Maybe you're thinking about the Specific Carb. Diet? That is the diet I was considering before I saw this. The SCD is much much much stricter and doesn't include pasta of any kind, potatoes or rice of any kind (along with a bunch of other things)
So today is going to = more work, and less eating. It is hard to change my mindset from 'live to eat' to 'eat to live'. I don't have to give in to my cravings and desires. I don't have to justify it and say 'it's okay, it's sort of healthy anyway.' I am just trying to lie to myself. It does matter.
Now you may say that I am being too hard on myself, and perhaps I am, but I do not want to be controlled by food. I don't want to have to eat comfort foods in order to feel better. So I will forgive myself for yesterday - and move on to today! Today is a new day with no mistakes in it yet. Jesus has given me a clean slate!
So today I am going to do my best to eat because I'm hungry and my body needs nourishment. And I'm sure that in the end my mood will be better for it - because you know what? Eating all those comfort type foods didn't do a thing for me. They didn't stop the craving, they didn't improve my mood.
p.s. I'm not sure why you thought TR couldn't eat pasta. Maybe you're thinking about the Specific Carb. Diet? That is the diet I was considering before I saw this. The SCD is much much much stricter and doesn't include pasta of any kind, potatoes or rice of any kind (along with a bunch of other things)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
What in the world am I eating??
So what am I eating these days? I told you what I am not eating. Here's a mini list of some of the foods I've been consuming:
- lots of water. Some herbal teas with honey. Juice that is NOT from concentrate. Apple juice that is 'pressed'.
- I love having an organic apple with almond butter as a snack.
- I have been eating Kettle brand regular chips. These are not super good for you, but they are made with safflower and sunflower oil which is in the 'average' category, and they contain no trans fat. So when I am needing something "junk" like, I eat some of these.
- Rice crackers. Not just any rice crackers. Watch out for the ingredients. Most products made with rice had just as many bad things added in. I can tell you the exact brand if you like, but I don't know it off the top of my head.
- Brown rice. Yesterday we had whole wheat pasta.
- Quinoa instead of rice or pasta. This is actually really good, a little bland, but the texture is nice. It went really good with chili the other day.
Okay, so these are some of the foods that have replaced our old foods. Here's a few meals.
Breakfast: I like having omelets (fried in coconut oil) with organic old cheese, sea salt and pepper. It's good to throw some red peppers in too. I usually have water. Sometimes I will have pressed apple juice.
Lunch: One day I had a salmon salad. Sometimes we have leftovers, or eggs with fresh fruit and veggies on the side. Today we had oatmeal. Not the best of meals, but not too bad. Instead of brown sugar I put in the real brown sugar cane stuff.
Supper: Yesterday we had jack fish with a butter/cream sauce over whole wheat pasta. For dessert we had whole wheat cream puffs with a chocolate sauce.
I will try to remember to tell you more about what we're eating, but now I need to go. The thing to remember is that just because you think something is health - doesn't mean it is. And the reverse is also true - just because you think something is unhealthy - doesn't mean it is. For example: It's not that we can't eat sweet things. It's that we can't eat things made with white sugar. So I use honey and dried sugar cane. Date sugar is also really good, but I haven't been able to get that yet.
Milk is not bad, it is what kind of milk you are drinking. For example: Skim or 1% or 2% is more unhealthy than 3.25%. This is due to the fact that your body has a harder time digesting the milk without the fat in it. (according to Jordan Rubin, I am no scientist, but it makes sense to me). Goats milk is a really good alternative to pasteurized milk.
- lots of water. Some herbal teas with honey. Juice that is NOT from concentrate. Apple juice that is 'pressed'.
- I love having an organic apple with almond butter as a snack.
- I have been eating Kettle brand regular chips. These are not super good for you, but they are made with safflower and sunflower oil which is in the 'average' category, and they contain no trans fat. So when I am needing something "junk" like, I eat some of these.
- Rice crackers. Not just any rice crackers. Watch out for the ingredients. Most products made with rice had just as many bad things added in. I can tell you the exact brand if you like, but I don't know it off the top of my head.
- Brown rice. Yesterday we had whole wheat pasta.
- Quinoa instead of rice or pasta. This is actually really good, a little bland, but the texture is nice. It went really good with chili the other day.
Okay, so these are some of the foods that have replaced our old foods. Here's a few meals.
Breakfast: I like having omelets (fried in coconut oil) with organic old cheese, sea salt and pepper. It's good to throw some red peppers in too. I usually have water. Sometimes I will have pressed apple juice.
Lunch: One day I had a salmon salad. Sometimes we have leftovers, or eggs with fresh fruit and veggies on the side. Today we had oatmeal. Not the best of meals, but not too bad. Instead of brown sugar I put in the real brown sugar cane stuff.
Supper: Yesterday we had jack fish with a butter/cream sauce over whole wheat pasta. For dessert we had whole wheat cream puffs with a chocolate sauce.
I will try to remember to tell you more about what we're eating, but now I need to go. The thing to remember is that just because you think something is health - doesn't mean it is. And the reverse is also true - just because you think something is unhealthy - doesn't mean it is. For example: It's not that we can't eat sweet things. It's that we can't eat things made with white sugar. So I use honey and dried sugar cane. Date sugar is also really good, but I haven't been able to get that yet.
Milk is not bad, it is what kind of milk you are drinking. For example: Skim or 1% or 2% is more unhealthy than 3.25%. This is due to the fact that your body has a harder time digesting the milk without the fat in it. (according to Jordan Rubin, I am no scientist, but it makes sense to me). Goats milk is a really good alternative to pasteurized milk.
Monday, July 12, 2010
One Week Down
The first week is done. And guess what?!?!? I mostly followed the diet. There were a few things I shouldn't have eaten, but overall I did good. And so did TR. There are some things that are a little frustrating - TR is having a hard time with giving up pop. I am finding it hard to find things for the kids to snack on. I am craving chocolate like crazy, but most chocolate has some bad stuff in it. For example, the semi-sweet chocolate chips I used to buy like crazy that I thought were actually healthy - contain too much sugar and actually have artificial flavour! So now I need to find something else that is not straight cocoa, but is still healthy. I am struggling with drinking enough water. I find that the days I remember to drink water are the days I feel the best. I am also finding that it's hard when things get busy. Starting on Tuesday afternoon and going right through to Saturday things were pretty busy around here. It's hard not to fall back on old habits when it comes to what I cook - and there's not enough time to make a salad. I think this week when I buy our veggies I will wash them and put them in my fridge smarts so that I am more prepared when things get crazy. I think it would also be a good idea to fill enough cups for all the water I should be drinking, in the morning so that I can see them and be reminded.
This next week includes the diet, along with adding supplements. So I will be trying to add multivitamins, calcium magnesium, omega 3 oil and alfafa. They recommend using whole food vitamins, whole food calcium magnesium, whole food supergreens, and cod liver oil. Whole food supplements are actually super expensive and since I already know of Shaklee and trust their research (their vitamins are very easily absorbed into the body) I will be using that instead, along with their Omega 3 fish oil capsules.
So, here is a list of my goals for this week:
- figure out some healthy snacks that are easy to pack for the kids (dried apricots are good, but a little variety is nice))
- drink enough water
- figure out something for TR to drink that will help him when he's craving a pop.
- plan my menu and stick it up on the fridge, and do as much pre-work as possible to make it easier when things get busy.
This next week includes the diet, along with adding supplements. So I will be trying to add multivitamins, calcium magnesium, omega 3 oil and alfafa. They recommend using whole food vitamins, whole food calcium magnesium, whole food supergreens, and cod liver oil. Whole food supplements are actually super expensive and since I already know of Shaklee and trust their research (their vitamins are very easily absorbed into the body) I will be using that instead, along with their Omega 3 fish oil capsules.
So, here is a list of my goals for this week:
- figure out some healthy snacks that are easy to pack for the kids (dried apricots are good, but a little variety is nice))
- drink enough water
- figure out something for TR to drink that will help him when he's craving a pop.
- plan my menu and stick it up on the fridge, and do as much pre-work as possible to make it easier when things get busy.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Overwhelmed
Do you ever feel overwhelmed? The more I try to make healthier choices, the more frustrated I become when I cannot find the healthier version. My main concern right now is our dairy. There are so many chemicals and preservatives in our dairy products and try as I might I have been unable to find better sources. I know that organic milk exists - but the stores here seem to be having trouble getting it onto their shelves. The one product I was able to get here much to my surprise was non-pasteurized, non preservative old cheese. And boy is it ever good! WOW! Not sure I could go back to regular chemicalized cheese after this. And it makes me wonder, have all our taste buds been de-sensitized? So much that we don't even know what food was meant to taste like?
It fills me with saddness when I think that for hundreds of generations people had healthy food. Yes they toiled over it, but it was healthy. Now we don't really have to work hard for our food and the food we eat is very unhealthy. I wish I knew all the ways to make things myself - things that girls a hundred years ago would have learned from early on. But I have to try to teach myself these things now. At least my Mom taught me about gardening and canning. Some women don't even have that experience to draw back on. So I am also overwhelmed with wanting to learn so much, and the amount of time it's going to take before it all feels second nature.
But I'm not giving up. I am ready for this new adventure in my life. I'll just take it one step at a time. After all, that's how I got to this place of wanting to be healthier. One step at a time.
It fills me with saddness when I think that for hundreds of generations people had healthy food. Yes they toiled over it, but it was healthy. Now we don't really have to work hard for our food and the food we eat is very unhealthy. I wish I knew all the ways to make things myself - things that girls a hundred years ago would have learned from early on. But I have to try to teach myself these things now. At least my Mom taught me about gardening and canning. Some women don't even have that experience to draw back on. So I am also overwhelmed with wanting to learn so much, and the amount of time it's going to take before it all feels second nature.
But I'm not giving up. I am ready for this new adventure in my life. I'll just take it one step at a time. After all, that's how I got to this place of wanting to be healthier. One step at a time.
The Dirty Dozen
So what exactly are TR and I eating? Well I will tell you what we are NOT eating in this blog entry. What we are trying to avoid at all costs. Jordan Rubin calls them the Dirty Dozen.
1. Pork Products
2. Shellfish, and fish without fins and scales such as catfish, shark and eel, lobsters, crabs and clams
3. Hydrogenated oils
4. Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, splenda etc)
5. White flour
6. White sugar
7. Soft drinks
8. Pasteurized, homogenized skim milk
9. Corn syrup
10. Hydrolyzed soy protein (found in imitation meat, and I think it's in most soy sauces too)
11. Artificial flavours and colours (this is probably the hardest one. It is in EVERYTHING packaged!)
12. Excessive alcohol
There are more foods that he recommends you eat very sparingly, but this is the avoid-at-all-costs list.
1. Pork Products
2. Shellfish, and fish without fins and scales such as catfish, shark and eel, lobsters, crabs and clams
3. Hydrogenated oils
4. Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, splenda etc)
5. White flour
6. White sugar
7. Soft drinks
8. Pasteurized, homogenized skim milk
9. Corn syrup
10. Hydrolyzed soy protein (found in imitation meat, and I think it's in most soy sauces too)
11. Artificial flavours and colours (this is probably the hardest one. It is in EVERYTHING packaged!)
12. Excessive alcohol
There are more foods that he recommends you eat very sparingly, but this is the avoid-at-all-costs list.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
1st Supper
Yesterday was Day 1. The only thing they recommend that you change is supper. I tried to eat healthier all day, but I admit, I failed a few times. I guess it is good that it starts out slowly!
We started the meal with a green salad - lettuce, red peppers, cucumbers, bean sprouts, celery (TR had mushrooms too) with oil based dressings. I need to get a better dressing, but these were the best I could do for yesterday. (greek feta and orgegano and italian)
After the salad we had the main course which turned out awesome! The meat dish was one I've done before, but this time I made some healthy adjustments and WOW! It was even better. Here's what we ate:
Anne's Fabulous Grilled Chicken (recipe originally calls for Salmon)
Brown Basmati Rice (bought at our drug store)
Lightly steamed broccoli
Instead of soy sauce on the rice I just made extra sauce that the chicken was in, instead of margarine on the broccoli we used butter. Instead of regular salt, we used sea salt.
So here is the recipe for the chicken. I found it on www.allrecipes.com
1 tbsp vegetable oil (I used butter)
1 tbsp soy sauce (I used organic REAL soy sauce from our drug store)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (I omitted this)
1 lemon, juiced.
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root (so much better than powder!)
2 tbsp honey
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves (straight from my garden :)
1 tbsp finely chopped shallots (I used fresh onions and their greens from my garden)
1 (3 pound) salmon fillet, with skin (I used pieces of chicken)
And then for dessert we had organic blueberries I got from the grocery store with whipped cream sweetened with real vanilla extract and real maple syrup (just a tad of this)
It was amazing. And I actually had some energy when supper was over. I really liked the three course thing. Didn't plan it that way, the supper just took longer than I had anticipated (the brown rice took longer to cook than the stuff I usually used) so we had the salad first, and we don't usually have dessert, but it was nice. It was a good incentive for Chloe to finish her meal, and it was a good way to end a good meal.
Now I have to go, my stomach is growling and I'm anxious to try my organic apple with my almond butter :)
We started the meal with a green salad - lettuce, red peppers, cucumbers, bean sprouts, celery (TR had mushrooms too) with oil based dressings. I need to get a better dressing, but these were the best I could do for yesterday. (greek feta and orgegano and italian)
After the salad we had the main course which turned out awesome! The meat dish was one I've done before, but this time I made some healthy adjustments and WOW! It was even better. Here's what we ate:
Anne's Fabulous Grilled Chicken (recipe originally calls for Salmon)
Brown Basmati Rice (bought at our drug store)
Lightly steamed broccoli
Instead of soy sauce on the rice I just made extra sauce that the chicken was in, instead of margarine on the broccoli we used butter. Instead of regular salt, we used sea salt.
So here is the recipe for the chicken. I found it on www.allrecipes.com
1 tbsp vegetable oil (I used butter)
1 tbsp soy sauce (I used organic REAL soy sauce from our drug store)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (I omitted this)
1 lemon, juiced.
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root (so much better than powder!)
2 tbsp honey
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves (straight from my garden :)
1 tbsp finely chopped shallots (I used fresh onions and their greens from my garden)
1 (3 pound) salmon fillet, with skin (I used pieces of chicken)
And then for dessert we had organic blueberries I got from the grocery store with whipped cream sweetened with real vanilla extract and real maple syrup (just a tad of this)
It was amazing. And I actually had some energy when supper was over. I really liked the three course thing. Didn't plan it that way, the supper just took longer than I had anticipated (the brown rice took longer to cook than the stuff I usually used) so we had the salad first, and we don't usually have dessert, but it was nice. It was a good incentive for Chloe to finish her meal, and it was a good way to end a good meal.
Now I have to go, my stomach is growling and I'm anxious to try my organic apple with my almond butter :)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Everything is about to change . . .
Many things have been happening in my life in the last year and a half. Good things I think, but so many changes. Lately I just think 'Who am I? How did I get to this place?"
Well, it's been changes, little tiny baby steps in some places, and huge big jumps in others. The latest change is our diet. As some of you are aware, TR was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis about 7 months ago. Recently I came across a big entitled "The Great Physician's Rx for Woman's Health" What I read in there sent shock waves throughout my brain. The author of this book (Jordan Rubin) challenges his readers to live their life in a Godly manner that is pleasing to God. And that involves health. I thought I was healthy - until I read that nearly everything has sugar in it, and preservatives. And then I checked my cupboards and fridge and discovered he was right. The really great part is that he suffered from Crohns when he was 19 years old. The doctors wanted to remove most of his intestines. After changing his lifestyle and his diet he is now in perfect health with a very healthy intestine! For those of you who don't know, Crohns and Colitis are similar diseases. So, we are giving it a go. He has designed the diet for 7 weeks. So for now our goal is to eat and live how he outlines in his book and after the 7 weeks to re-evaluate.
I love talking about this. It is quickly becoming my passion. I can get quite long winded. So, in an effort to save my relationships with those people whom I love dearly, but who are not as excited about this as I am :) I will be sharing with you on this blog how our journey is going.
Well, it's been changes, little tiny baby steps in some places, and huge big jumps in others. The latest change is our diet. As some of you are aware, TR was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis about 7 months ago. Recently I came across a big entitled "The Great Physician's Rx for Woman's Health" What I read in there sent shock waves throughout my brain. The author of this book (Jordan Rubin) challenges his readers to live their life in a Godly manner that is pleasing to God. And that involves health. I thought I was healthy - until I read that nearly everything has sugar in it, and preservatives. And then I checked my cupboards and fridge and discovered he was right. The really great part is that he suffered from Crohns when he was 19 years old. The doctors wanted to remove most of his intestines. After changing his lifestyle and his diet he is now in perfect health with a very healthy intestine! For those of you who don't know, Crohns and Colitis are similar diseases. So, we are giving it a go. He has designed the diet for 7 weeks. So for now our goal is to eat and live how he outlines in his book and after the 7 weeks to re-evaluate.
I love talking about this. It is quickly becoming my passion. I can get quite long winded. So, in an effort to save my relationships with those people whom I love dearly, but who are not as excited about this as I am :) I will be sharing with you on this blog how our journey is going.
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