Completion Reflection

Soooooo, I completed my 30 day Paleo challenge and I think that I am hooked!

1)  I am still less hungry, more energized and overall just feel better.
2)  I will stick with Paleo eating but add some cheese here and there.  It is just a must.
3)  I fell off the Paleo wagon yesterday and ate some pizza....it was delicious.  I went out for Mexican with Bob and some friends.  I fell off again---darn  never ending baskets of tortilla chips.  And pizza of course led to drinking a soda---1st one in 31 days.  It tasted like syrup.  It was not as good as I remembered.
4) Superbowl Sunday is not easily Paleo modified, I sort of gave up trying.
5) I will be back on full Paleo tomorrow.
6) Just out of curiosity, I started counting weight watcher points to make sure that with all of the protein I am consuming that I am not blowing my daily calorie target out of the water.  Most days, I didn't even come close to using using all of my "points."
7)  My fitness class yesterday was one of the hardest that I have done.  Cardio Kettle bell.  I am feeling it today.  Any question of whether I had abs in their somewhere has been cleared up because I feel every single one.
8) When I tell people that I am eating Paleo, they look at me funny.  It makes me laugh.
9) I got a ricer to make cauliflower rice and a vegetable spiral slicer to make zucchini noodles.  I am really excited to try both.  I will post recipes.
10) My February goal is to eat Paleo 6/7 days a week and allowing cheese or other "treats" on 1 day.  We will see how that goes.

This is my story.  My slightly modified PaleOMG story :-)

Hail to the Kale

Mother Nature's wrath strikes again.  As a teacher, I have had way too much time to experiment with Paleo recipes due to the many late starts, early releases and cold days (notice not snow days).  I would rather be in school now while it is cold!  But, I have made the most of working from home and using time to look for and try out new recipes that I wouldn't normally have the luxury of extra time to do.

On the list of things I have wanted to try for some time now:  kale chips.  My sister-in-law posted a very yummy status on Facebook about the kale chips that she made.  She even said, and I quote, "Move over Lay's!"  So, Lara, thank you, I used your recipe!  They are actually quite good!  I don't know if I am as close to move over Lay's yet, but definitely a nice salty, crunchy snack packed with nutrition!

Here's how she and I both made kale chips.  It really was quite simple :-)

You'll need:
-Fresh Kale in bite sized pieces (I bought a big bag of pre cut, pre washed and dried kale at the grocery)
- 1/2-1 tsp of olive oil
-your choice of seasoning (I used garlic powder and sea salt)

Preheat the oven to 300.  Place the kale (enough to cover a baking sheet in 1 layer) in a bowl and coat well with the olive oil.  Lay on a greased baking sheet and then sprinkle with your favorite seasonings.  I am definitely going to play around with different flavors.....I am thinking spicy next time.  Heat for 11-12 minutes.   I put mine on a cooling rack and the were perfect.  Even hours later I just walked by and grabbed a few and they are still crunchy and good.

Tonight for dinner I am making sweet potato nachos again.  This time I am going to bake my chips rather than pan fry.  I found a a recipe on my bestie (Pinterest) that showed baking them 15-20 minutes at 350 and then flipping and reducing the oven to 300 and cooking another 15 minutes, so I am going to try that.

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

Oui Oui VEGETABLES!

I realized yesterday the extent of how much less I feel hunger.  I was home all day with my sick little one and in the past, being home all day brings on my boredom eating.  I am a pro at boredom eating. Walk past the cupboard, grab a snack.  Walk past the refrigerator, grab a snack.  Stand up, grab a snack, sit down, grab a snack.  I am really quite good at finding any reason to grab a snack.  I have never really been able to tell the difference between boredom and hunger.

Yesterday, I had my typical smoothie for breakfast and a handful of dried fruit and nuts mid morning.  I let the sick little one have ice cream for lunch 1) because her throat hurts and 2) because I am a total sucker for sick little ones.  Around 4:00 I realized that I forgot to eat lunch.  I don't think I have ever forgotten a meal in my life.  Been too busy, yes, but forgotten, NEVER!  My stomach usually screams at me if I miss feeding time!

For dinner I decided to make the "French" vegetables recipe that Bob brought back from his trip to Europe.  When he made them earlier in the week, he used mixed vegetables that included corn so I had to do a lot of picking.  I decided to bake chicken and use a California blend for the veggies.

• First, I pounded 3 chicken breasts and then cut slits on the top.  After placing them in a baking pan, I sprinkled basil, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder and then baked uncovered for 40 minutes at 375.  
• Then, I cooked the frozen California blend in the microwave and after the chicken was done, I was ready to make the yummy sauce for them.  
• Next, I poured the chicken drippings into a sauce pan and then added about 8 oz of plain tomato sauce.  I whisked it together over medium heat and added the same seasonings that I put on the chicken.  After it came to a light boil, I added the cooked California blend stirred until the veggies were all coated in  yumminess and then covered and turned to low heat for about 5 minutes.  

It was DELICIOUS!  A friend who is a self proclaimed vegetable hater tried them and even she couldn't deny that they were YUMMY GOOD EDIBLE (even this is big for this true vegetable hater)!  I was more excited than one should ever be that there were enough leftovers for a lunch this weekend :-)!!

Once again, I was up and at it early this Saturday morning for my hour of torture fitness.  I was even there EARLY and got in 20 minutes of cardio before the torture toning commenced.

My littlest one turns 6 today so the rest of the crew had our family's traditional birthday pancakes (pancakes with sprinkles).  I have a Paleo pancake recipe but I have not yet tried it so I enjoyed 2 scrambled eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon and a banana.  As I sit and write this, I am feeling quite stuffed.  Later on we will go out for a birthday dinner where I will do my hunting and gathering via a local restaurant menu.   I am adamant that I can make this Paleo eating work at home, at work and on the go....even eating out!

Day 25 and still going strong.  I still have more energy, I still feel less hungry, I still feel like I am sleeping better and I am down 19 pounds.

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

A Hit and a Miss

Tonight on the menu for dinner was meatloaf green pepper rings.  They were very tasty!

After I browned them on both sides, I baked them uncovered for 30 minutes at 350.  It was tasty and VERY filling, so this was a hit for me.

The miss.....mashed cauliflower.  Epic. Fail.  I was SO excited for them and they were just, well, nasty, there is no getting around that.  I used this recipe and it was just not what I expected.  Using both coconut milk and coconut oil gave them a coconut flavor that I did not think meshed well with the garlic and chives.  The consistency was too lumpy and it was just very disappointing.  After one bite, I opted for a small green salad.  Bob was brave and tried them too, he also opted for a green salad.

Also on the agenda today was Step and Pump class.  This is another torture session that I put myself through.  Although it was EXTREMELY tough, after this 4th class, I can feel it getting a little easier each time.  But, I'm not going to lie, it kicked my out of shape butt tonight!  Once again, I was introduced to more ways in which the weighted body bar can be used---who knew?

I also registered for the Dirty Girl race in Milwaukee on 8/16.  A group of friends and I will join together to run and take on whatever challenges this course brings our way.  It should be very fun and very interesting.  I envision many future stories starting with "Remember at Dirty Girl..."

So, a hit, a miss, an hour of cardio and weight torture, and registration for a goal to keep me motivated. Just another hump day.

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

Smoothies, and Wraps and Nachos, Oh MY!

Today was a superbly yummy food day.  Having a sick little one at home gave me a little extra time to try some new things.  I was also able to spend a little time with my bestie (Pinterest) and revisit some recipes that I had pinned that I really wanted to try.  

Breakfast:  'Smoothie' Sailing

Smoothies are something that I have always enjoyed, but they never used to fill me up.  Getting out of the house in the morning with 3 kids in tow typically means that I am running behind late screaming my head off for everyone to get in the van and therefore I NEED a Pale-on-the-go breakfast.  So, smoothies have been my Paleo go-to make and take breakfast.  I think I posted before that when asked to get frozen fruit at the grocery store, Bob brought home 1 of every kind, so I have had the opportunity to play around with a few flavors.  My base is always the same, coconut milk (1 cup), I typically add about a teaspoon of raw honey.  If I am not having another source of protein with my smoothie, then I add a scoop of RAW protein powder that I got at the Food Co-OP (it is Paleo friendly).  I also ALWAYS add a banana.  Some favorites have been my base with plain strawberries and base plus mango and peaches.  I learned the hard way that when I drink raspberry or blackberry smoothies on the go, I end up with chunks of seeds between my teeth as pointed out by my coworker and my students (1 of the many benefits of being an elementary teacher--complete honesty about boogers, zippers down, food on your face or in your teeth and my favorite "What is that big red thing on your face?") 

Lunch:  It's a Wrap!

I finally was able to make the Paleo wraps that I pinned weeks ago.  I ordered Arrowroot Flour on my last Digital Hunting and Gathering expedition and had a little extra time to prepare the wraps for my lunch today.  It was a lot like making crepes.  I found that the more I rolled the batter around in the pan, the thinner the wrap and I preferred the wraps that had a thinner texture.  Although the wraps were more spongy than I am used to, they were a nice change from salads and soups.   I made small wraps and had 2 of them for lunch paired with egg salad.  I only had 1 hard boiled egg on hand so I paired it with 1/2 smashed avocado and it was the perfect amount to fill my belly (in fact I could not finish both so the dog got a little treat).  I also added a little Dijon mustard and some romaine lettuce.  It was a yummy lunch!  

Nacho Normal Taco Tuesday

It's widely known that every Tuesday is taco Tuesday at our house.  The kids love it and it is a great meal for leftovers for the lunches.  We have found that the girls enjoy hard shell tacos, soft shell tacos and even nachos supreme.  Bob makes and cans yummy salsa from our garden 'harvest' and it is a delicious addition to our taco Tuesdays!  This morning a friend texted me a suggestion for a taco substitution, Sweet Potato Nachos.  I decided I would give it a try tonight since, again, I had a little extra time for meal prep today.  I thinly sliced the sweet potato into chips and then pan fried them in some olive oil.  When they were fresh out of the pan I added a little sea salt and some chili pepper.  I was a little leery because, I will admit, they didn't smell very yummy.  But I piled on 1/2 cup of lean ground beef that I seasoned with homemade taco seasoning again ( I have now tried 3 different recipes for the seasoning and this is my favorite).  On top of the 'chips' and beef, I added some shredded lettuce, green peppers, Bob's salsa and avocado dressing (1/2 avocado, 1/4 cup salsa, fresh lemon or lime juice and coconut milk in the blender...I added the coconut milk through the top as the other ingredients blended until it was creamy.  These nachos were CRAZY good.  The little big of crisp with the sweet potato chips was DEVINE!  Next week I think I will try baking them and see how that goes.

Today as I poured my little one gatorade, water, sprite, water, gatorade, water....I had a wave of nostalgia for pop....mmmmm, the yummy carbonation was calling to me.....but I held strong.  21 days no carbonation, no refined sugar, no artificial flavoring, no processed foods, no dairy, no wheat and no legumes.   I continue to  have more energy, I'm sleeping better, my mood seems better (although my husband and kids might disagree), I am less hungry and I have lost 15 pounds.  My 30 day challenge comes to an end in 9 days, but at this point, I definitely plan to continue.  I have a couple of colleagues who are checking into starting the Paleo way and I think it is fun to swap recipes! 

So that was my food day.  Smoothies and Wraps and Nachos, OH MY!  

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

Cooking Plans Take the Backburner

First of all, I would like to happily report that I DID in fact make it to fitness class on Saturday morning where I learned that body bars can be used to torture hurt tone EVERY muscle in your body.  Who knew?  I had big plans to cook this weekend but errands, laundry and ski lessons for kids took front seat, so this week should be interesting.

On the menu this week for dinner:
Chicken and vegetables 
Bob went to Europe last summer and enjoyed mixed vegetables cooked in chicken broth, tomato sauce and seasonings and it is one of his new favorites.

Tacos
This time I will tone down the red pepper flakes as to not blow the taste buds off the girls.

Sirloin and Fries 
Baked potato fries for Bob and the girls, and either zucchini or sweet potato fries for me.

Paleo Meatloaf Rings and Mashed Cauliflower 
I am tweaking a recipe that my sister shared with me years ago.  The link is not the actual recipe but it is the general idea.  Form meatloaf, sans breadcrumbs, into round patties and place in 1 inch green pepper rings. Pan fry to sear and then bake for 30-40 minutes in the oven.  I found a great recipe for Mashed Cauliflower that I can't wait to try!

I hope that I can find the time to make some of these delicious sounding wraps so that I can have breakfast burritos and chicken wraps for lunch and maybe even a taco wrap on taco Tuesday.

Day 19 and going strong.  Still down 13-15 pounds.  I feel good overall.  I am sleeping better, I have more energy, I am rarely hungry between meals and I am finding that I don't have to be afraid to eat out and about.  Although I am probably not a 'pure' Paleo, I am following the principal guidelines of this type of eating.

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

Peer Pressure

One of my closest friends is a fitness instructor and I have rejoined her Saturday morning torture chamber fitness class.  Two facts about me 1) I hate getting up early, not necessarily the waking up, it's the getting out of bed and heading out into the cold part that really gets me.  2) If I put out my clothes for class the night before, the likelihood of me actually going to class increases by about 75% (this of course is a rough estimate however I may run a test for more accurate results)  Well this afternoon, I made a comment that may have led this friend to think that I might not be coming to class (I believe the comment was "I don't think I am coming to class tomorrow").  That didn't go over so well with her. She not only cheered and badgered me, but also wrangled in another friend and I do believe that I have officially caved in to peer pressure.  Clothes are out.  6:15 torture chamber fitness class, I truly plan to make it.

Thank you to my friends for their encouragement and support.

This is my story.  MY PaleOMG story.

P.S.  In food news, there is little to report.  It was a pretty boring day of eats.  I need to make some yum yummy meals this weekend.