Saturday, September 15, 2012

Fancy Mexican Salad with Serrano Grape Vinaigrette Dressing and Mango Mint Relish

Help!  I need a name for this….the inspiration came from El Toritos Mexican Restaurant,
grilled chicken and avocado salad.  I removed the chicken and added beans.  Had lunch there
Friday, had them hold the Avocado, Chicken, Cheese and add 1 C of boiled beans…It was so good
I had to recreate it.  I am telling you, I had NO idea, how UNHEALTHY that dressing was.  Will NEVER
do that again…..unless of course it’s this version!  If you have an idea for a name, please comment below.

 

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Serrano grape vinaigrette dressing

What you need

  • 2 C White Grape (Put fresh grapes in blender, until you have 2 C of juice)
  • 5 Serrano chilies Seeded. 
    • I m very sensitive to heat and it was a tad to hot for me, next time I am going to only use 3)
  • 1/3 of large Red Onion
  • 5 Garlic Cloves
  • 3 Oz of Fresh Lime Juice
  • 4 T Rice Vinegar
  • 4 Medjool dates, seeded
  • 1 Avocado

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What you do

  • Blend the fresh grapes until you have 2 C of Juice, add remaining ingredients. 

 

Mango Mint Relish

What you need

  • 1 cup finely diced ripe mango
  • 1/2 C finely diced red bell pepper
  • 1/3 C finely diced red onion
  • 1 T finely chopped fresh mint
  • 1 seeded and minced jalapeno
  • 1/2 t minced ginger
  • 2 T lemon juice

 

What you do

  • Combine in medium bowl
  • Cover and refrigerate until serving time

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Salad:

What you need

  • Romaine
  • Crisp Jacama
  • Red Bell Peppers
  • Pasicca Chilies
  • Corn
  • Red Onion
  • 1 Boiled beans (I use pinto beans)

What you do

Toss, add Serrano Grape Vinaigrette Dressing and serve with Mango Mint Relish

Swiss Cherry Oatmeal

Just loved this!  It was yummy hot, because I sneaked a taste!  I just tasted it cold, wonderful!  This will be a nice change, for the summer.  I also think this would be a wonderful healthy dessert. 

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This recipe came from Dr. Fuhrman Website

 

Swiss Cherry Oatmeal
Serves:Preparation Time: 10 minutes (active prep time)
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup frozen cherries or berries (I used about 3 T Cherry butter instead)
3/4 cup unsweetened soy, hemp or almond milk
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
4 pitted dates
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped almonds

Instructions:
Heat water to boiling. Add oats and cook for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place frozen cherries, milk, flax seed and dates in a high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Combine oats, fruit mixture and vanilla. Cover and chill overnight.
Serve topped with raisins and chopped almonds.
Can be stored up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

 

Drink in Syle!


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Saturday, September 8, 2012

Quinoa Salad–My Whole Foods Experience

I spent a day with my sister…well not such a day; you would have expected….I could not drive this day, so she volunteered. All you big sisters know that little sisters, never volunteer, they are Coerced.
Sisters
We went to Whole Foods, as there is not one close to her home. We needed to go, because she needed lots of things. Little Sister, forgot to make a list, and is very cautious, I on the other hand, am completely motivated to make a decision, and on to the next thing, as quickly as possible. Yeppers, that is me. My list is on my iphone. Only had to pick up a few things, like Chipolte…. (I will create a post, how to do this)  If I own it, a check mark is present, if I need to buy it…it is blank.  I organize this list by location in stores…quickly scan for all “no checks…using one note (fav program)

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She spent about 10.00 and I spent about 100….starting to pick up on our personalities? I love her so, she is so careful with her money, cautious, plans everything and smart as a whip….me, I am all over the place!
keenya
Well, back to the story, we walked into Whole Foods and #$%^, being on a Nutritarian diet, I have found I HAVE to eat three times a day and I do not snack….well, wait, I am lying, I do after dinner with a yonana…, I WAS STARVING! I know that is why my bill was higher than hers….

2
The deli was calling my name….I bought all three Quinoa salads. I always wanted to make one, I told my cautious little sister who sticks to grocery lists, and besides, if I buy them I will actually save money, what if I don’t like it…you see, then I don’t have to buy all those ingredients and toss…so…I will just buy a little bit of each….See how smart I am?
4
 
As soon as we were home, we drug them out and had dinner!  Oh so good.  So I went looking for a recipe on the internet and found the Turn it on Cook!  She was my inspiration for my salad.  Her recipe is the exact match to whole foods! 
 
If you have never tried Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah), here is a little info on it: Quinoa has a delightful characteristic that is all it’s own: as it cooks, the outer germ around each grain twists outward forming a little white, spiral tail, which is attached to the kernel. The grain itself is soft and delicate and the tail is crunchy which creates and interesting texture combination and pleasant “crunch” when eating the grain. Quinoa has a fluffy consistency and a mild, delicate, slightly nutty flavor that borders on bland. The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids.  Quoted from:   Karen Railey

What you’ll need:

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 t Garam Masala (I bought mine, at FoodMAX, in the Indian section)
  • 1T Better Than Bouillon reduced Sodium Vegetable Base (Substitute Salt Free Vegetable Base, if you are NOT using this as your 10%, I almost never eat salt, I love this base, so I use it J) (I bought mine at whole foods)
  • 1 1/2 cup quinoa (I bought at Vons grocery, grains area or better yet bulk)
  • 1 ½ C Black Beans (I cook mine from dry, but you can use canned…remember BPA, and salt complications) or use Any bean of your choice! Okies always have Pintos. . . .
  • 2 C of Onion Mixture for the Week (or use about 2 C of your choice of onions, bell peppers Green onions)
  • ½ C “Sour Cream” (or leave out, if you prefer a salad that is not creamy….are ya kidding me? Ooppss, Im just sayen….
  • 1/2 t Chipotle Paste purchased at WholeFoods…this shipping trip…yum and if you know anything about me…HOT is NOT me. Anything hot at all, I can’t eat…so add more or less according to YOUR taste buds
  • 1 C Frozen Corn

What you’ll do:

  • Turn on the stove and heat the 3 cups of water in a pot
    • Add to the water, Bouillon and Garam Masala
    • Rinse the quinoa and add to boiling water
    • Lower heat and simmer until all the water is absorbed (around 15 minutes)
  • While that stuff is going on
    • Into another bowel
    • Rinsed beans
    • Veggies
    • Mix the chipotle paste into the ”sour cream” so you won’t find a hot spot….ummmm that would turn me off in a heartbeat
  • Check your pot of Quinoa!!!!!
    • By this time the Quinoa pot probably has all the water gone…you know, just like you do when you make old fashioned oats, or rice…
    • Mix all together!!!
Yummy warm or cold!
 
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Well, Kitchen WAS clean…back to Saturday cleaning!  Hope you enjoyed this, as much as I have writing it for you!  It really makes me better about doing the dishes!
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'Eat To Live!' by ladycne

Drink in Syle!


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$12.28

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$12.28

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$4.00

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Nutritarian: Oatmeal Cookies, Sour Cream

Oatmeal Cookies


oatmeal cookies

 

I decided to start with a cookie today!  Don't ask :)

My inspiration for the cookie came from Hubbie wanting oatmeal cookies.  So here goes!  3 mashed bananas, make sure hey are good and ripe....I had two, and had to steal from the freezer in my yonana bag...sadly...

The first batch, I used a ice cream scoop, bad idea....they never flattened.  So I flattened them and put them in for 5 more minutes.  Yum, but ugly....so you are going to have to wait on a photo!

 

Those of you who know my hubbie, know, that he is the pickiest eater alive….I refer to him as “mikey”

 

He has ate almost 1/3 of the cookies…simply amazing.  First thing he says “is it your food”.  I say, “No, it’s our food.  Bananas, applesauce, oats, raisins, coconut, pecans, milk, vanilla and cinnamon”  What part of that will you not eat?  Stay away from them honey, on second thought it IS my food.”  Well, “mikey”   visited us again.

So now here comes the 25 year old son…..Did dad eat it?  Yes, he did….1/2 of what was left,  went out the door with him on  fishing trip. 

 

 

3 soft bananas

1/3 C Applesauce, unsweetened

2 Cups of Old Fashion Oats

1/4 C Almond Milk

1/2 C Raisins

1/2 C Unsweetened Coconut

1/2 C Slivered pecans

1 vanilla bean scraped

1 t of cinnamon

Use spoon and flatten  on silicon mat.

Substitutions:  Christine, is trying this by swapping out the applesauce for pineapple.  She will get back to us, with results…sounds wonderful!

 

Now, you must remember, I am not a photographer!  My pan was clean and so was my mat, I took this after the first batch….

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Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes

Now of course, you could swap out the vanilla bean with 1 t vanilla...I am just funny trying to use all natural foods in my diet.  They are cooking now...I am having a hard time keeping my spoon out of the batter....

 

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I am so excited...eating this way, not only has me off all my maintenance drugs, but I have lost 29 lbs as of today. If you enjoy my posts, please please click the follow me button to the right (I think) and please take the time to comment. Tell me what you like and what you don't! Now, as typical, I will go ahead and post this page, and continue to edit it all through this weekend.

 

 

 

 

Sour Cream

SourCream

Ok!  Now on to “Sour Cream”.  I used up all mine this week, and I am so missing it.  I love this on just about anything.   Addicted to Veggies blog, by  Caution. Please follow Gloria’s directions EXACTLY.  I did not have quite enough cashews and tried to adjust the water accordingly and failed.  Tasted like sour cream, but the texture was off.  So, today….I am prepared to follow Gloria’s directions and hints  EXACTLY….. as she stress’s in her blog.

 

Soaking first…1 3/4 C of Cashews in 2 cups of water…now the wait, 6 to 8 hours….

 

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Cashews are so good in any sauce.  Sometimes when I need to make my soups thick, or creamy, I will put 1/3 of the soup in my Vita Mix along with about a cup of Cashews.  I tell you!  It tastes like I have added cream.

I have a little 3 cup food processor…this recipe is too large for it.  So talk about a mess, started in the food processor, you can see it in the photo, it’s black, just to the right of the Mason Jar of Sour Cream, then finished in the Vita Mix.   The next time, I am going to make it in my Vita Mix, I think it will be fine.  All Done!  Tastes great.  I will not know if the texture is correct until it sits in the refrigerator for one hour.

Do you see my Vita Mix, I think it is near 20 years old, not sure…I took this puppy every time we camped at Pismo, CA as my son was growing up.  See the chip on it…still works like new.  Love that baby.  Best purchase in the kitchen I have ever made…with the exception of my chest freezer that WILL NOT BREAK.  This weekend is going to be nice, as Hubby has finally consented to replacing the chest freezer (manual defrost).  I bet you know what I am going to bring home!  After this ordeal with my baby food processor, ya think I could get him to go down that isle?

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Medical Information

I was in Arizona and had a bit of an accident last year.  Of course, the out of state doctors, hospital, urgent care, etc wanted the same old thing.  All my conditions, all the times I have ever been in a hospital, all my medicine including dosage, etc….so!

I found an application called Capzule PHR.

This software on my Ipad, Iphone and even my computer, allows me access to all my data anytime.  I can scan documents such as test into this app.  I can enter my medications, hospital visits, lab tests, vitals and they can be emailed to my doctor!  No more, looking and searching!

This is really helping me with my new journey.  Now, I can enter my weight, measurements, along with all my labs and see my progress!

What’s even better, is that you can create a profile for all members of your family, and they can have the same data, that you have entered in, so in emergency they will have their records with them!  AWESOME!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Menu Planning Made EASY!

I was having the worst time, while working a 40 hour week + and then some, to shop, prepare, and cook my meals….so here is my solution to that problem!

I use Outlook and Pinterest.

As I find recipes I post them to my pinterest…or simply use yours, if you have them on the internet.  Smile

I created a new calendar, and named it “Menu Planning”

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Then I created a new appointment for Lunch lets say:

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Notice the location….I simply pasted the page that has the recipe there.

Notice I said to remind me 1 day ahead….so I remember to purchase, or cook if I need to.

In the note area, I copy pasted some notes….

Notice the “recurrence” is used….

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I wanted to “cycle” this recipe each week, on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays….

I could have said recur every 2 weeks…..

or monthly..

or when Thanksgiving or Christmas get’s here…I will have some that reoccur yearly….

Or I had a mess on my birthday, because my dear hubby purchased a bakery cake…carrot, my favorite………..which I did not have the will power to pass up.  So, next year, I will have my Nutritarian cake listed for this day.  This will be a once a year item.

Get the idea? 

 

 

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I schedule in my hubby, so he knows what’s for dinner!

 

Many Many options for printing for the refrigerator, or datebooks or shopping lists!

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If you have any questions at all, just comment below and I will help you!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Bored!!!!

I can’t eat this way for life!  BUT I am committed to six weeks!  I had to do something..

I started looking up recipes.  Even began posting them on my Pinterest site.  Saved me!

I have finding that I have to cook very differently.  Off shopping!

 

Tumeric
Oil Free Dried Sun Tomatoes
Sun dried Tomato Powder
ChickPeas
Tofu
Asian Garlic Chili sauce
Cashews
Ground sesame seeds
Tahini (sesame paste)
Sesame seeds
Hemp
Miso lowest sodium, look at south river brand
Tamari
Unsweetened Cherry Butter
Red Lintels
Unsweetened Coconut
Nutritional  Yeast

Will let you know!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

On to Reno!

Well my dear Sister and hubby came to spend time with us in Oregon.  Hubby was miserable after 5 days of the coast.  The dampness really bothered his arthritis. So off we went from 58 degree weather to 110…Crazy. 

Now, I was having a problem.  I could not cook my own food, so….. we visited coffee shops and for breakfast was eating oatmeal raisins and nuts.  I also ordered a fresh bowel of fruit to eat with it.

Lunch and dinner was a challenge.  but I handled it with salads and my dressing (had one more left!) and for dinner, steamed veggies and fruit bowels. Not the best but not the worst choices.  Still, really not a problem!

Monday, July 2, 2012

BBQ!

Uncle Floyd came and visited us at the cottage.  I had brought my vita-mix and new instant pot.  Each time everyone was hungry, I made smoothies, just before I put in the spinach, I had everyone sample.  They loved it, so they joined me in eating smoothies!  We found the best mix of frozen fruit at a store named Fred Meyers.  It had strawberry's, grapes, pineapple and mangoes! 

 

Vacation Smoothies:

1 C Blue Diamond Almond Milk – Coconut flavored
2 C frozen fruit mix (strawberry's, grapes, pineapple and mangoes)
1 T Flax
2 Banana’s
As much spinach as I could get in the blender

 

Tonight Uncle Floyd and Larry had steaks, baked potatoes with all the trimmings and salad.  I had, veggie burger (without the bun) sweet potatoes baked on the grill, and my huge salad.

Visited a local casino, and choose to drink a diet coke.

Not finding it a problem with my new life style!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Vacation!

Oh boy!  We have rented a cottage in Gold Beach Oregon, starting today until next Friday!  On the road!

My plans for being on the road, was to take a dressing with me.  I have my salad in a jar and soups in a jar, in our icebox.  We have a 10 hour drive.

Of course, we took the long way there…..we failed to stop to eat in Redding CA and 3 hours later still on the road without restaurants anywhere in site.  I was dying!  We finally came across a Burger King.  I should not have done this but have not ate for hours.  I had a veggie burger and sweet potatoes fries and water. 

Monday, June 25, 2012

13 Pounds down!

So far, so good!

 

I have been eating either oatmeal, steel cut with fresh or frozen fruit thrown in.  Cut my coffee down to 1 cup.  No diet soda’s at all!  Can you believe that? This is a girl that you never seen her without one!

For lunch I have been eating salads with homemade dressings.  I was finding it so hard to prepare for the week, so I started making a huge salad and putting in mason quart jars and throwing in the outside refrigerator.  I purchased some wonderful  containers for the dressings.  I have found that these make it so simple to throw in my purse, when eating out!  They do not leak!  Sometimes I do not even put a dressing on.  I go to our work cafeteria and get a cup of pinto beans and throw them on the salad.  This reminds me of Tostadas!

For dinners I have been eating soups that I have made.  I have lost 13 pounds eating ONLY this way. 

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Shopping List–One Note

Have you ever gone to the store to pickup something, get home, bought everything else under the sun, but the one item you went for!

Here is my solution:

I have a IPad, Iphone, and a windows machine at home.  I use Microsoft One Note and Sky Drive.

Here is how simple it is!

Create a notebook in one note.  Save it to your Sky Drive.  Download one note for your phone and ipad.  Now, anywhere you go, you have your shopping list!  I share my Nutritarian notebook with my sister.   We have lots of fun pages. 

Here is a small bit of my shopping list.  Once I purchase the item I simply check it off in the store.  When I run out of the item, I simply uncheck it.  Every time I am in a store, I look at this list to see what I need!  I also use this for my paper crafting.  That way I do not buy more than one item.  Example, I might forget I have a cobalt blue ink pad, so in the store, when they run the cobalt inkpad on sale, I simply look at my craft inventory and see if I already have that color BEFORE buying!

 

If you have any questions, comment here, and I will help you.  This really organizes me!

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Thursday, June 14, 2012

Learning what NOT to do!

Had to laugh today!  I have not finished reading Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  Just jumped right in there!  My first day was yesterday.

 

I had oatmeal today, it was horrible, so I added bananas and apples and cinnamon and almonds.  Yumm.  I did not even miss the Brown Sugar!  HA.

Well, today for lunch I brought a huge sack of baby carrots and walnuts.

I also discovered a new chat room in Facebook, that looks good.  I learned here that, I am only to eat 1oz of nuts a day….woops!

I retyped this form.  It is saving me!  It named “Eat to Live Template.  I have put this on the side of my fridge!

 

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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

My Journey

June 13, 2012, must have been a strange day for me.  My sister, mentioned something she has seen on Oz, so I decided to take a peek.  While looking at the article she suggested, I noticed another article about an Author named Joel Fuhrman.  This man was saying you could eat without measuring things.  Well that grabbed my attention.

February 2003, I fell and crushed both wrists.  From 2003 to June 13, 2012, I gained 105 pounds.  After many visits to the Doctor, he finally found I had a thyroid problem.  After starting thyroid medication, I quit gaining.  HOWEVER, I could not loose.

I tried everything…you know…up to this time in my life I had  probably found and lost 1000 lbs.  What was different since 2003, is I no longer could loose even 5 lbs.  I had given up long ago.

Back to Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  He wrote some book, named Eat to Live.  Since it was free for a few chapters on my Ipad or Amazon, I decided to read a few.  Well, I was willing to give this 6 weeks.

I am in my 7th week now, and have lost 21 lbs, over 13 inches.  Two weeks after starting I had my blood drawn.  Here is the result:

 

Date Cholesterol HDL LDL Triglyceride
12/12/09 139 50 64 125
6/28/12 127 43 54 150

 

Needless to say, I am impressed.  Onward with my journey…..