Showing posts with label Healthy Living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthy Living. Show all posts
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Thanksgiving Menu







Fresh Cranberry Relish

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Meal Planning

If you're new to all this, the easiest way to start is by planning a week's worth of dinners. Once you develop a routine, it becomes second nature. Here are some suggestions on how to get started.
  • Consult a cookbook for tips on using leftovers. For example, use Sunday's pot roast for Tuesday's roast beef hash or vegetable beef soup.
  • Plan around the basic food groups: whole grains, meat and poultry, dairy and eggs, veggies and fruits. Keep your pantry and fridge stocked with staples like brown rice and whole-wheat pasta, and common vegetables that will keep fresh for a while, like potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic.
  • Cook double or triple portions to prepare extra food for the next day or so.
  • Try to plan around your family's activities. Save the easiest meals, like soup and sandwiches, for the busiest days.
  • Once you have a few recipes in mind, print out a blank calendar for the week, and write down meals for each day.
  • Before you shop, jot down all of your recipe ingredients, and inventory your pantry and fridge to avoid buying duplicate items.
  • Keep a notepad attached to the fridge, and write down ingredients as they're used up. If you're like most cooks, you tend to use the same things repeatedly.
  • Don't worry about deviating from your meal plan. If you come across a good deal at the grocery store, take advantage of it. For example, if rotisserie chicken is on sale and cheaper than a whole fryer, pick up one or more and freeze the extra.• 
  • Repeat your menu every two weeks for a season. Most of us don’t mind eating a meal twice a month, and when you create a two-week menu plan, you can be set for a few months. Try creating a two-week plan for the summer.
  • Rather than starting from scratch each week, I have a template of the general types of foods I cook each day of the week and the number of times I use each main food. In other words each week I cook:
    • 1-2 Chicken meals
    • 1 slow cooker or soup meal
    • 1 beef
    • 1grain/pasta based meal
    • 1meatless meal
    • 1 Turkey/Pork based meal
  • As you find recipes your family enjoys, make them core recipes that get re-used every few weeks. Try to build up about 20 of these and you won’t ever be bored with your meals.
  • Protein is typically the most expensive part of the meal so if you can use less expensive cuts of meat and stretch them, it might allow you to buy organic and grass-fed rather than conventional meats.
  • A basic easy recipe can taste completely different just by changing the spices. 
  • Don't let the kids be picky! Encourage them AND reward them to TRY everything! Kids are required to try one bite of everything cooked before they can have more of any one food.

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Meal Planning 2

Here's MY plan!

Mondays – Meatless Monday!
Tuesdays – Beef/Turkey Meal

Wednesdays – Chicken Meal
Thursdays –Slow Cooker

Fridays – Take-out (left-overs/home-made pizza in a cash strapped week)

Saturdays – Left-overs, Soup, Salad, and/or Sandwiches

Sundays – Pork, Ham, Chicken or Fish Meal

 

I plan a month out, and repeat for 3 months (a full season).

Spring time Menu (March, April & May)
  1.  Cheese Quesadilla with rice & beans
  2.  Beef empanadas, with leftover rice & beans
  3.  Honey-glazed chicken stir fry  
  4.  Slow cooker Minestrone Soup (leftover beans)
  5.  Home-made Caramelized Onion Pizza
  6.  Left-over Honey-glazed Chicken Panini 
  7. Tomato Basil Salmon 
  8.  Bow Tie Pasta w peas 
  9.  Beef Stir fry with veggies & brown rice
  10. Paprika chicken & baby greens 
  11. Chicken and sausage gumbo (over brown rice)
  12. Ratatouille (leftover stir fry veggies)
  13. Baked Eggplant
  14. Beef stroganoff and sauteed asparagus in olive oil
  15. Chicken spaghetti casserole; sauteed broccoli in olive oil
  16. Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers
  17. Home-made Mushroom, ricotta pizza
  18. Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato-basil soup
  19. Baked spiral ham, steamed veggies, baked potatoes (freeze leftovers for soup)
  20. Spring Panzanella 
  21. Hungarian Goulash and mixed green salad
  22.  Broccoli chicken bake and salad (additional baked chicken set aside for pizza)
  23.  Slow Cooker Turkey Gumbo
  24. Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza (baked chicken)
  25. Baked Potato Soup (add ham)
  26. Maple Salmon with asparagus
  27. Sun-dried tomato and oregano pasta with salad
  28. Grilled Turkey Burgers with oven-baked veggie fries
  29. Chicken fettuccine with broccoli and salad
  30. Slow-Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
  31. Pizza pinwheels 
  32. Avocado, Chicken Lime Soup 
  33. Baked Pork Tenderloin, baby spinach & baked veggies




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40 Days to a better me!

Is it time for Lent already? Giving up something for Lent sometimes evokes head-scratching in non-Catholics and often even Catholics...

Lent, the period of 40 days that precedes the celebration of Easter, has its origin in the early days of the Church. It is a symbol for final period of “purification and enlightenment” for the 40 days before their baptism at Easter for new Christians. 

Today we acknowledge he ways we have turned away from God in our lives and we focus on turning our hearts and minds back during Lent. Hence the three pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  Giving up something for Lent is ultimately a form of fasting. We can deprive ourselves of some small pleasure or indulgence and offer that sacrifice up to God. Or we might “give up” a bad habit such as smoking as a way of positively turning our life back towards what God wants for us.

An experience of want, however temporary, can help us to appreciate the true abundance in our lives. And a small positive change can have a big impact that lasts beyond the 40 days of Lent.

This year during Lent, I am striving to be my best self, adding an additional challenge each day that I will continue until Easter. My FIRST task, challenge and sacrifice will be fasting from electronic media during daytime hours.
7 to 7 my time will be devoted to those who really matter. This is going to be fairly hard considering I have a business to run, but I need my family more! Anything else can wait until morning, or evening. 

How will you better yourself this season? Is there something you enjoy that you want to sacrifice for a while? Or is it a bad habit you want to conquer? Find something that works for you, and whatever it is, may it help you to turn towards God in this holy season of Lent.

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Detox take 2...

I do not like failure. I like even less when I have to admit it to myself and least of all when I have to share news of failure with others.

My first attempt at a sugar detox was a complete failure! There, I said it. Failed.

After talking to some friends I realized I was not alone. Kicking the sugar addition is hard to do!

The hardest part for MOST people was the morning coffee, for me it was lack of breakfast options.

It's no secret that too much sugar is bad for our health. The FDA recommends about 70g of sugar a day for men and 50g for women but many of us are exceeding this. Even this is HIGH. Dietitians and physicians recommend no more than 24g (or 6 teaspoons) a day for a healthy diet. 

I FIRST started thinking, hey I can swing this. And with no official plan (or grocery trip) I started off reading labels, EVERYTHING has sugar. Everything! 

And all of my knowledge about health and fitness points to the fact that excess sugar consumption can cause weight gain, energy slumps and even wrinkles, so its totally worth the pain and suffering for a tiny bit of time.

In round two - for the standard days; breakfast consists of eggs - scrambled, poached or hard boiled (with tons of veggies - peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes) - Lunch is salads, such as tuna or poached or grilled chicken on a bed of leaves, and dinner comes in the form of protein, such as grilled fish, chicken, pork or steak, with a selection of vegetables, and if necessary a starch like quinoa or sweet potato.
 
The only snacks allowed over the three days include nuts and vegetable sticks with hummus, celery with peanut butter or sliced, or raisins and you can only drink green/herbal tea and one black coffee per day (along with lots of water that can be jazzed up with a slice of lime or lemon) and unsweetened almond or coconut milk.

I suggest BEFORE the first 3 days there is a trial period. During this trial it is essential to limit sugar as much as possible, no processed, no carbs and no more than 1/4 cup of fruit a day. One the 3 days are up, rotate to ALL IN! While sticking to the plan is not easy, the mild modification from 'cold turkey' and cutting out all sugar - including that found in fruit - for subsequent days is necessary to set people on the right path.

The Sugar Fix doesn’t allow any bread, rice, or pasta, but that is because starchy carbohydrates are a major contributor to sugar addiction. These are replaced with good carbohydrates that are full of fiber, such as vegetables, and can actually help lower blood sugar.
After the initial 10-day detox, some sugar is then re-introduced as the diet progresses to make it more manageable. Fruit in limited amounts is the first to be re-introduced. Here beginning slowly is key, begin at 1/8 cup, increasing 1/8 every 3 days until a max of 1 cup is reached. At which point 1/8 up of full fat dairy can be re-introduced, followed by 1/8 cup of complex carbs (after the full cup of dairy is reached). Processed and packaged foods should remain rarities if ever. Substitutions for sugar should become honey (localized) or stevia whenever possible and limited to 1 small item per day or week if possible.


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Week 3 of Detox! (Days 15 - 21)

LAST week!

DAY FIFTEEN

Breakfast: Fried eggs, bacon & kale
Lunch: Beef & broccoli & quinoa
Dinner: Roasted butternut squash, Garlic Chicken

Garlic Chicken
  • 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
  • sea salt & black pepper to taste
  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or other cut, cooking time will vary)
  • 1 small onion, finely sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder or fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds (omit for autoimmune friendly)
  • 1-2 pinches chili flakes (*omit for nightshade-free/autoimmune friendly)
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos (available at most Whole Foods Markets or local organic grocers/co-ops for around $5-7/bottle)
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • In an oven safe cast iron or stainless steel skillet, melt the ghee, then season both sides of the chicken with sea salt and black pepper, and place skin side down into the pan for 5-6 minutes or until the skin browns and releases easily from the pan.
  • While the chicken cooks, combine the onion, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, chili flakes, coconut aminos and more sea salt and black pepper in a small mixing bowl.
  • Flip the chicken thighs over so that they are now skin side up in the pan, then pour the sauce mixture over the chicken evenly and place the pan into the oven for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.

DAY SIXTEEN

Breakfast: Egg with vegetable salsa & avocado
Lunch: Turkey Burger in Lettuce Wrap with side of mixed vegetable
Dinner: Julienne squash & zucchini with diced tomato "sauce" & meatballs

DAY SEVENTEEN

Breakfast: Egg, bacon, sausage & avocado scramble
Lunch: Julienne squash & zucchini with diced tomato "sauce" & meatballs
Dinner: Roasted parsnips, turnips, onions and steamed shrimp with side spinach salad

DAY EIGHTEENTH

Breakfast:  Fried eggs, bacon & spinach
Lunch: Tuna lettuce wrap, vegetable sticks
Dinner: Stew with mushrooms, onions & carrots

DAY NINETEEN

Breakfast: Hard boiled Egg, & bacon, sausage, tomato, avocado mix
Lunch: Stew & salad
Dinner: Pulled Pork, sweet potato & mixed roasted vegetables

DAY TWENTY

Breakfast: Pulled Pork Scramble w diced tomato.avocado salsa
Lunch: Pulled pork &sweet potato
Dinner: Roasted chicken, spinach & carrots, onion diced and baked

DAY TWENTY-ONE

Breakfast: Home-made applesauce, blueberries, fried egg, & sausage
Lunch: Pulled Pork over spinach salad
Dinner: (Leftover) Chicken, spinach, carrots & onion

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Week TWO of Detox! (Days 8 - 14)

Here goes NOTHING...


DAY EIGHT

Breakfast: Sausage & onion Frittata  
Lunch:  Bacon Bowl
Dinner: Beef & Cali-flower "Rice"


Frittata
2 Tsp cooking fat (bacon fat, coconut oil, palm oil, butter, or ghee)
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
1 pre-cooked sausage (any kind will do!) or leftover meat from last night’s dinner
4 eggs
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives (optional, for garnish)
sea salt & pepper to taste
  • Preheat your oven or a large toaster oven to 400 degrees.
  • Dice the sausage into 1/4″ pieces. Thinly slice the onion.
  • Stovetop: Place 1 Tsp of the cooking fat into your pan and allow it to heat up over medium heat before dropping in the onion. Allow the onion to cook for a few minutes, then add the sausage to the pan to heat it through.
  • While the onions and sausage are cooking/heating, beat the eggs in a small bowl.
  • Add the remaining cooking fat to the pan and then add the eggs. Transfer the pan to your pre-heated oven and set a timer for 5 minutes.
  • Your frittata will rise a bit and become slightly browned on the edges. Remove it from the oven and serve whole or cut into portions either hot or at room temperature.
Bacon Bowl is simple, dice cooked Bacon, tomato, avocado & Lettuce tossed with 1 tsp lemon juice & 3 tbs hummus.

 Asian Beef and Fried Cauliflower Rice Bowls
For the meat:
  • 1-1.5 lbs stew meat
  • 1/4 c. tamari or coconut aminos
  • 1/4 c. green onions
  • 1 large orange, peeled and diced (or 1 can mandarin oranges in own juce)
  • 1 c. beef stock
  • 4 tsp sucanat (non-refined organic dehydrated cane juice similar to brown sugar), sub equal amount honey
  • 1 tbsp. garlic
For the “rice”
  • 1 head cauliflower, “riced”
  • 2 tbsp fat (I used butter)
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 1/4 c. yellow chopped onions
  • 2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
  • 1 tbsp green onion, diced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds, optional
What you do:
For the meat
:
  1. Quickly sear meat to brown on all sides.
  2. Add to pot with all other ingredients. Set crockpot to low for 6-8 hours or simmer on stove for 1-2 hours.
  3. When meat is done, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in the oven or covered with foil to keep hot.
  4. Strain off the juice the meat cooked in and bring to a boil on the stovetop.
  5. Add an additional 1 tbsp tamari and 1 tbsp honey and reduce to half.
For the rice:
  1. To make the cauliflower rice, you can use your food processor and pulse coarsely chopped pieces until they are small, the size of rice.
  2. You can also use a box grater or just chop very finely with a knife.
  3. Melt butter on medium in large frying pan and add garlic yellow onion, cook until translucent.
  4. Add cauliflower rice and stir well, coating.
  5. Drizzle the tamari over the rice.
  6. Stirring constantly, cook for 3-5 minutes.
  7. Make a small hole in the middle of the pan and crack your eggs.
  8. Break yolk with spatula and stir in the circle until it starts to cook.
  9. Gradually work the egg through the rice.
  10. Stir and cook until egg cooked and texture desired is reached. I prefer mine a bit crispy so I cook it longer.
  11. Put your “fried rice” into a bowl and top with your cooked beef.
  12. Drizzle with your reduction and top with green onions for garnish.


DAY NINE

Breakfast: Zucchini Pancake
Lunch: Grilled Chicken Salad
Dinner: Baked Pork Chops, Carrots, Green Beans & Sweet Potato

zucchini pancakes
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 4 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 large or 4 small)
  • 1/4 cup ghee or bacon fat for cooking
  • Sift the coconut flour into the eggs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and beat them together. Note: Coconut flour often has clumps, which is why you want to sift it.
  • Place the zucchini into a cheese cloth, nut milk bag, or paper towels and squeeze some of the water out.
  • Mix  the shredded zucchini, salt, and pepper into the egg mixture.
  • Use a large enameled non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-low heat with ghee or bacon fat  coating the pan.
  • Spoon the mixture into the pan into 4″ cakes, 3 at a time. Allow them to cook through on one side for 3-4 minutes before flipping to finish the other side for 3-4 minutes. When the cakes are golden brown and cooked through, remove them from the pan and start on the next batch.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature/on-the-go- alone or with sausage or bacon.


DAY TEN

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Sausage & Salsa
Lunch: (Leftover) Pork chops with spinach salad
Dinner: Rib-eye, Carrots & Broccoli 

DAY ELEVEN

Breakfast: Fried egg, bacon & spinach
Lunch: Tuna spinach/lettuce wrap
Dinner: Meatloaf, Brussels sprouts, shredded/roasted vegetables


DAY TWELVE

Breakfast: Hard boiled egg with side of avocado & glass of almond milk
Lunch: Meatloaf, spinach salad
Dinner: Roasted Chicken, Sauteed kale & onion & broccoli/cauliflower

DAY THIRTEEN

Breakfast: Mushroom, spinach, peppers & egg scramble with bacon
Lunch: Turkey lettuce wrap, tomato, avocado, pepper & carrot slaw
Dinner: Stuffed Red pepper (ground meat, diced vegs & tomato)
 

DAY FOURTEEN

 Breakfast: Diced vegetable Egg Scramble
Lunch:  (Leftover) Roasted chicken salad

Dinner: Roast with Carrots, Onions & Sweet Potato

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Symptoms of Cleansing and What You May Feel During and After A Cleanse

Sometimes feeling worse means you are actually getting better.
These detox symptoms are called a “healing crisis” and usually only last 2–3 days of the cleanse or fast. When a person is cleansing or detoxing his body, it is common to experience these different symptoms. Our bodies clean from the inside out. Sometimes we take a step back before we take a leap forward in our health. Many times people experience no symptoms. Every time you do a cleanse your body will react differently.



Most Commonly Reported
positive Effects DuRInG The Cleanse:

Fat loss
Less bloating
Clearer skin
Less craving for sugar / food
Increased sense of taste (healthy food starts tasting better)
Increased energy
More consistent energy
More regular bowel movements
Increased sense of wellbeing
Elevated mood/less depression
Lower cholesterol
Better sleep
Old memories / emotions resurfacing

Most Commonly Reported
negative Effects  DuRInG The Cleanse:

(these symptoms pass after a day or two)
Headaches
Flu / Cold-like symptoms / Chilling
More emotionally sensitive
Lethargic / Low energy
Diarreahea/ Constipation
Gas / Bloating
Body odor / Bad breath
Skin breakouts / Rashes
Irritable
Sporadic sleep
Old memories / emotions resurfacing
Mucus dranage

Most Commonly Reported
positive Effects AFTER The Cleanse:

Fat loss
Less bloating
Clearer skin
Less craving for sugar / food
Increased sense of taste (healthy food starts tasting better)
Increased energy
More consistent energy
More regular bowel movements
Increased sense of wellbeing
Elevated mood/less depression
Lower cholesterol
Better sleep
Old memories / emotions resurfacing

Most Commonly Reported
Negative Effects AFTER The Cleanse:
Although you may experience negative effects during the cleanse, we have received no reports of negative effects after the cleanse is over



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Day 5 (6 and 7) Detox!

DAY FIVE 

YOU made it to an easier day! It gets better everyday from here! Your body is not craving sugar like it had, and your energy is returning! You are probably in a better mood too! WAY TO GO!

Breakfast: Egg muffin, cashews & V8
Lunch: Broccoli Rabe, & grilled Chicken
Dinner:  (Feeling adventurous? Try Octopus) Not? Have Sausage, Avocado & roasted mixed vegetable

Don't forget Black Coffee, Green Tea (or Black) is okay daily, even more than once!

 DAY SIX

Breakfast: Egg scramble with sausage & side of avocado & V8
Snack: Almonds & Goji berries, maybe even a square of unsweetened chocolate (usually used for baking)
Lunch: Lettuce Wrap of turkey & bacon, celery sticks with peanut butter
Dinner: Coconut-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Mixed Pepper/Onion Stir Fry


DAY SEVEN

Breakfast: Egg muffin
Lunch: Spring mix salad, hard boiled eggs, sliced ham & avocado
Dinner: Turkey Carrot Burger & mashed cauliflower


Peanut Carrot Curry Turkey Burgers

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1/2 c. shredded carrots
  • 1/2 c. unsweetend/unsalted almond butter
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. yellow curry
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 2-3 tbsps coconut oil, for frying (optional)
  1. Mix all ingredients together (except coconut oil).
  2. Heat skillet on medium and melt coconut oil.
  3. Add medium-sized patties and press down to flatten a bit. These will be a bit gooey from the almond butter and easier to flatten once you’ve flipped them once.
  4. Cook around 4 minutes on each side and flip.
  5. If you choose, you can put these on greased pan or parchment and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

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Day 3 (and 4) Detox!

WELCOME to day THREE!
TODAY will be hard, you might feel tired, even grumpy... but do this FOR you! You will feel better when this is allll over! (Keep that peanut butter and spoon handy)

Breakfast: Egg muffin!
Lunch: Bean/quinoa salad over spinach
Dinner: Mini metloaf & roasted squash

If you find yourself hungry between meals, make a healthy choice: a spoonful of peanut butter (or 3) over celery, seeds and nuts "trail mix", carrots and hummus, V8 (no added sugar) and PLENTY of water (add a fresh lemon or lime for flavor)!

If you want to try something "sweet-ish" and "chocolate-ish", make your own chocolate nut butter! Take a cup of nuts of your choice, throw it in your food processor, add some cocoa powder, and mix until it resembles a grittier nutella.

Min Meatloaf!
COOKING TIME: 40-50 minutes

for the sauce topping:

  • 4oz tomato paste
  • 4oz water
  • 2 Tbsp red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 2 tsp cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 2 pinches of sea salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil,
  • 1 small onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, pressed or grated (1/2 Tbsp)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp corriander
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper – or more to taste
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 1 bell pepper, any color, grated (or very finely diced)
  • 1/4 c cilantro, chopped

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, combine the tomato paste, water, bell pepper, cilantro, chili powder, sea salt, and black pepper and simmer for about 5-10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients into the meatloaves – stirring occasionally to prevent burning. If your sauce reduces too far and looks like it may burn, add more water 2 tablespoons at a time and whisk to combine. The sauce should have a fairly thick consistency, almost like ketchup, not loose like a pasta sauce.
  • In a medium skillet, melt the duck fat and sautée the onions over medium low heat until they are translucent and the edges begin to brown. Add the minced garlic and stir for about a minute.
  • In a large-sized mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and then place the ground meat into the bowl with the beaten eggs. In a small mixing bowl, combine the spices, carrots, bell pepper, and cilantro. Then add the spice and vegetable mixture to the meat and egg until well combined.
  • Divide the meatloaf mixture into 2 parchment paper lined mini loaf pans (or use 1 large tin, baking time may vary), filling them up and slightly over the top as the mixture will shrink a bit in cooking.
  • Spoon about 1/4 cup of the sauce onto each loaf, spreading it into an even layer to coat the top and reserve the remaining amount for dipping after the loaves are baked.
  • Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the loaves reaches 160 degrees F.
 DAY FOUR

It is getting harder! Today should be the worst day yet... SO, IT WILL get better from here!

Breakfast: Start of the day with an egg muffin (you might need 2 today) and a V8 (non sugar), follow with some peanut butter on celery within the next few hours.
Lunch: Quinoa greens salad (add some Salmon if it is leftover and your co-workers or children won't cringe with the leftover fish smell).
Snack on some cashews and goji berries
Dinner: Kale (in olive oil) and sweet potato with grilled organic chicken

Despite the way you feel, YOU WILL NOT die from lack of sugar! Chin up! We ARE in this TOGETHER!


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Day 1 (and 2) Detox!

On day one, it is important to stay FULL to curb your cravings...
Full means 20 minutes AFTER putting down the fork/spoon you feel satisfied. It does not mean gorging yourself until your pants are snug or you cannot force another bite. (That's where many people go wrong).
Be sure you snack between meals (ONLY when hungry) and always have a glass of water BEFORE eating or grabbing a snack (often your mind THINKS you are hungry when you are only thirsty or even dehydrated).

Today's Meals are:
EGGS w/ spinach & Sausage for Breakfast
Quinoa and vegetables of choice for lunch
Lemon Garlic Chicken (& Kale (or Spinach) with olive oil) for Dinner

If you find yourself hungry between meals, make a healthy choice: a spoonful of peanut butter (or 3) over celery, seeds and nuts "trail mix", carrots and hummus and PLENTY of water (add a fresh lemon or lime for flavor)!

Eggs Stacy

Ingredients
  • For the spinach:
    • 2 C baby spinach
    • 2 TBSP bacon fat or lard
    • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
    • salt and pepper to taste
  • For the sausage
    • 1/2 pound loose sausage (the Maple Breakfast, Italian or Chorizo Sausage from Beyond Bacon will work or make or buy your own! Perhaps our Licorice Sausage will work!)
  • For the poached egg
    • 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tsp kelp salt (or sea salt)
    • 2 duck eggs (or chicken eggs)
  • For the Hollandaise Sauce:
    • 4 chicken egg yolks (or 3 duck egg yolks)
    • 1 TBSP lemon juice
    • 1/2 C melted butter, ghee or lard
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp white pepper
    • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper(optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form sausages into 2″ wide patties and place in pyrex baking dish; bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until sausages are cooked through (about 20 minutes for patties 3″ in diameter and 1″ thick).
  2. Melt bacon fat in a medium skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add spinach, garlic powder and salt and pepper and saute until greens are softened and wilted.
  4. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat; once boiling, add vinegar and stir. Prep your Hollandaise ingredients.
  5. Turn down to medium and carefully crack eggs and gently slide into the hot water, as close to the surface without burning yourself.
  6. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes (2-3 for chicken eggs) until white is cooked, but yolk is still runny. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon.
  7. Using the bottom of a double boiler or small saucepan, simmer water over medium heat.
  8. With a whisk scramble egg yolks with the lemon juice in the top of the double boiler or a small bowl that fits on top of your saucepan (without touching the water, or your eggs will scramble).
  9. Place the bowl on the simmering water and gently whisk while the egg yolks warm.
  10. When yolks are warm enough to keep butter melted, continue whisking while pouring melted butter into the yolks.
  11. Continue whisking until butter is fully incorporated and sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; then, immediately remove from heat and whisk in salt, pepper and cayenne. If you cook your sauce too much the eggs will scramble and the sauce cannot be recovered.
  12. To assemble, create a base of the spinach, place the sausage on top, then gently add the egg before finally pouring some of the sauce over all of it.

Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
An easy slow cooker recipe for Lemon Garlic Chicken.
Ingredients
  • 4 lemons
  • 2-3 heads of garlic
  • 1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds
  • Fresh rosemary, or any fresh herbs
  • All-purpose steak seasoning or salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Cut garlic heads and lemons in half and lay in bottom of slow cooker.
  2. Cut the bottoms off the lemons so they lay flat.
  3. Add a sprig of rosemary, or any herbs.
  4. Remove insides from chicken, rinse chicken and pat dry.
  5. Season chicken well, inside and out, with all-purpose steak seasoning or salt and pepper.
  6. Lay chicken on top of garlic and lemon slices and stuff the chicken with a garlic head cut in half, and a lemon cut in quarters.
  7. Cover top of chicken with additional lemon slices and rosemary.
  8. Turn slow cooker to high, and cook for about 4 hours, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
  9. Slow cooker cooking times vary.
  10. Important: Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
  11. When chicken has reached 165, turn off slow cooker and let chicken rest for about 15 minutes.
  12. Remove from slow cooker, carve and serve.
  13. Liquid from slow cooker can be strained and served over chicken. 




    DAY TWO!



    STAY STRONG! You CAN do it!

    Egg Muffins for breakfast
    Quinoa, black beans & veggies for lunch
    Dinner is Salmon, sweet potato & greens salad

    If you find yourself hungry between meals, make a healthy choice: a spoonful of peanut butter (or 3) over celery, seeds and nuts "trail mix", carrots and hummus and PLENTY of water (add a fresh lemon or lime for flavor)!

    Egg Muffins 
    Yield: 4 large muffins or 8 small muffins
    Ingredients
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 1/2 tsp Coconut Oil, Organic
    • 1 cup Broccoli, chopped
    • 1/2 Onion, chopped
    • 1/4 whole Green Bell Peppers, chopped
    • 1/4 whole Red Bell Pepper, chopped
    • 1 tsp Black Pepper
    • 8 Eggs,
    1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
    2. Grease the muffin tin with coconut oil.
    3. Rinse and chop all vegetables into 1/4-inch pieces.
    4. Divide vegetables evenly between muffin tins.
    5. Whisk the eggs, then pour into the tins, dividing it evenly.
    6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then stir the vegetable and egg mixture briefly to evenly disperse the vegetables throughout the egg.
    7. Bake the egg muffins in the oven for 18–20 minutes.
     Lemon Rosemary Broiled Salmon
    • 2 Tbsp butter, ghee or coconut oil
    • 1 lb wild salmon
    • 1 lemon
    • 1 tsp Rosemary Salt Blend
    1. Preheat the oven to a low broil setting.
    2. Place thinly sliced pats of butter in a baking dish where you will place the salmon (or spread ghee or coconut oil down).
    3. Place the salmon in the dish and sprinkle with the rosemary salt. Place more thin pats of butter on top of the salmon, then top with slices of lemon.
    4. Broil on low for approximately 10-15 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. A thicker piece of fish may take closer to 15 minutes while a thin piece will take just around 10.











 

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