I really don't know. I don't know what to do next, how long to continue, or what I plan for when it's over. :/
I started this as a way to have a clean slate. A fresh start. A reboot. A renewal of the system.
Do I feel better? Yes. Do I have more energy? Yes. Do I still feel like I'm 90? No! Have I lost weight? Not really. Two lbs. I guess that's ok since today is only day 5. After all, I still haven't given up my coffee. I probably should but I don't want to. (tantrum-like face)
I'm leaving to go on vacation in 8 days. My family is worried I'll have tummy troubles on my trip if I don't stop beforehand. My hubby (God love him for his supportive nature) says we can buy a juicer when we get there and I can continue. But family dinners will be really hard. I come from a long line of serious eaters and much of our time together is food related. My mom has had the menu planned for two months. My brother (who you'll remember is hands-down the best cook I know) is making us ribs at his ranch and who knows what other delicious wonders he'll have. I'll be staying with one of my sisters (who you may also remember is the one who taught me how to cook and gave me a love of gourmet food.)
So here I sit, with my mornin' joe, trying to figure out where to go next. I'm five days in. I hear it gets easier. I know I feel better. But I am having ridiculous cravings for all things bad. Will I be able to resist those cravings when I'm not home, where just driving past the ihop makes me crave a giant stack of pancakes loaded with butter and syrup? (I don't even like pancakes, really.)
What do I want?
I want to feel better and continue to feel better. I want my headaches, joint pain, stress level, anxiety issues, skin issues, and digestive issues to go away. I want to drop 2 cup sizes. I'd like to drop 2 sizes in just about everything. I'd like to skid into my 50's feeling like I'm 25. (I've got 3 1/2 years for that but still, I know I'll wake up tomorrow and be 50.) I want to get back to running. hmmm...Maybe I should start that now. I just haven't been sure what kind of exercise I should be doing right now. I've been swimming every day, but probably not vigorously enough.
So how long do I continue? Should I plan to quit before I hit the road to avoid failure on the road. Or do I power through and see what happens? Is 40 days my goal? Or will I be ok with only 8?
Do I really have to quit spending my mornings with my frothy friend? Ugh...
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
3rd Juicy Day
What a day it has been. Went to church this morning, where Pastor Kevin had bacon as a prop! Yes. BACON. My favorite food on the planet. Really? Not just a piece or two of bacon, but a skillet of still sizzling, hot bacon.
Torture.
But the Lord got me through it. That's the only way I can describe it. I have had a day of serious food cravings. I came home from my sister's house this afternoon and told my husband I want bacon, eggs, potatoes & tacos, please. Ugh.
I went in the house, begged my husband and son to fix themselves lunch, and took a nap. I woke up from my nap and yes, had a second cup of coffee. :\ Not a great choice. I had a 20oz glass of water first, but still probably shouldn't have had the coffee.
Sat down to watch a movie with my family, but had to get up and make a juice. This one was particularly lovely. Still, I need to figure out how to get some protein involved so I can stop craving it.
Anyway, here's my juice for today. I read some really good info on juicing today from another blogger telling me how to get great skin. Going to have to try that this evening. I'll be using frozen because that's what I have on hand. Setting out to defrost now.
Italian Flair
1 med tomato
1 stalk celery
1 stalk kale
1 clove garlic
1 small zucchini
5 carrots
Fruitilicious
Strawberries
Blueberries
papaya
mango
peach
(I used frozen mango & papaya. Remove the seed from the peach.)
Love the ones you feed!
Torture.
But the Lord got me through it. That's the only way I can describe it. I have had a day of serious food cravings. I came home from my sister's house this afternoon and told my husband I want bacon, eggs, potatoes & tacos, please. Ugh.
I went in the house, begged my husband and son to fix themselves lunch, and took a nap. I woke up from my nap and yes, had a second cup of coffee. :\ Not a great choice. I had a 20oz glass of water first, but still probably shouldn't have had the coffee.
Sat down to watch a movie with my family, but had to get up and make a juice. This one was particularly lovely. Still, I need to figure out how to get some protein involved so I can stop craving it.
Anyway, here's my juice for today. I read some really good info on juicing today from another blogger telling me how to get great skin. Going to have to try that this evening. I'll be using frozen because that's what I have on hand. Setting out to defrost now.
Italian Flair
1 med tomato
1 stalk celery
1 stalk kale
1 clove garlic
1 small zucchini
5 carrots
Fruitilicious
Strawberries
Blueberries
papaya
mango
peach
(I used frozen mango & papaya. Remove the seed from the peach.)
Love the ones you feed!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Day Two and I'm a Little Pooped
Well, I gotta say, yesterday I had this nutty sort of energy about me that didn't allow me to sit still for any amount of time. Today though, I'm a slug. I've had to do some reading from other bloggers who have fasted and apparently I'm feeling about the way I should on the second day - crappy. LOL
The process of fasting helps flush out all the nasty stuff you put into your body and in doing so, it can make you feel as though you have a flu or something of the sort. The good news (or so I read) is that in a few days, that will be replaced by unmitigated joy and feelings of good health. Those are the days for which I wait.
While I wait, I focus on the good. I've had bouts of hunger and real aggravation of not being able to just walk into the kitchen and eat something. In all, we eat pretty good around our house. But in trying not to eat anything, I realize how delicious a buttery cracker with peanut butter would be. Stop that. I know that even though I am hungry at times, I don't really know the depths of starvation. God has blessed me with an abundance of food. So much food that I had to commandeer the hall closet to hold "overstock". Much of the world would never know what that is like. Thank you, Lord, for the favor. Walk away from the pantries. Stop staring into the refrigerator. Stop and thank God for all He does for me and for all He will do with me during this fast.
So how long will this fast be? Got me. I don't really have a plan. I think I'm really happy I began documenting it because it gives me a layer of accountability. Maybe God's using my pride for something good here. You see, my pride would never let me tell others about something that I couldn't possibly stand by and do. Somehow not putting a number of days on it helps give me that little bit of an out, a way of showing myself some grace. But maybe there are other plans in the works. We'll see. I'm back to an hour by hour basis.
I did come up with a new recipe today that I have to share. Give it a try! Even if you're not fasting, it's a cool & refreshing drink on a hot summer afternoon. I had it this afternoon after being out in the sun for a couple hours. It really gave me a boost to get some things done before I collapsed for a couple hours of rest. Which reminds me, God reminded me through another blog post one of my favorite scriptures. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28) Go easy on yourself. You do nothing alone if you let the Lord into your life. :)
Summertime Pick Me Up
1. 1/2 a cantaloupe, (I scooped the seeds and peeled)
2. 1/2 a cucumber
3. 3 strawberries
4. a couple sprigs of mint
My cantaloupe had been in the refrigerator so it was nice and cold. You could probably add ice to it if you like, but I didn't give it time. It only made about 10 oz of juice and I drank it in about 10 seconds flat. DELICIOUS.
The process of fasting helps flush out all the nasty stuff you put into your body and in doing so, it can make you feel as though you have a flu or something of the sort. The good news (or so I read) is that in a few days, that will be replaced by unmitigated joy and feelings of good health. Those are the days for which I wait.
While I wait, I focus on the good. I've had bouts of hunger and real aggravation of not being able to just walk into the kitchen and eat something. In all, we eat pretty good around our house. But in trying not to eat anything, I realize how delicious a buttery cracker with peanut butter would be. Stop that. I know that even though I am hungry at times, I don't really know the depths of starvation. God has blessed me with an abundance of food. So much food that I had to commandeer the hall closet to hold "overstock". Much of the world would never know what that is like. Thank you, Lord, for the favor. Walk away from the pantries. Stop staring into the refrigerator. Stop and thank God for all He does for me and for all He will do with me during this fast.
So how long will this fast be? Got me. I don't really have a plan. I think I'm really happy I began documenting it because it gives me a layer of accountability. Maybe God's using my pride for something good here. You see, my pride would never let me tell others about something that I couldn't possibly stand by and do. Somehow not putting a number of days on it helps give me that little bit of an out, a way of showing myself some grace. But maybe there are other plans in the works. We'll see. I'm back to an hour by hour basis.
I did come up with a new recipe today that I have to share. Give it a try! Even if you're not fasting, it's a cool & refreshing drink on a hot summer afternoon. I had it this afternoon after being out in the sun for a couple hours. It really gave me a boost to get some things done before I collapsed for a couple hours of rest. Which reminds me, God reminded me through another blog post one of my favorite scriptures. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28) Go easy on yourself. You do nothing alone if you let the Lord into your life. :)
Summertime Pick Me Up
1. 1/2 a cantaloupe, (I scooped the seeds and peeled)
2. 1/2 a cucumber
3. 3 strawberries
4. a couple sprigs of mint
My cantaloupe had been in the refrigerator so it was nice and cold. You could probably add ice to it if you like, but I didn't give it time. It only made about 10 oz of juice and I drank it in about 10 seconds flat. DELICIOUS.
Think FAST! Juice Fast!
Well, I've gone and done it! For some time I've talked about doing a juice fast. WHAT? I know, I know, but it's something I've been feeling the need to do. My background includes a once militant way of eating. I was vegan for a while, vegetarian for a long time, no processed foods, no sugar, no caffeine, and no salt. Then I got pregnant and the baby growing in my belly demanded bacon at all costs and things pretty much went downhill from there. I've been a full on meat-eater for 10 years now.
But as I've gotten older, my health has been on a steady decline and I've added 50lbs to my 5'3" frame. Not good. My joints ache all the time, my skin is a mess, digestion is not pleasant, and my migraines are a nightmare.
Time for a detox. The time is NOW.
A few months ago we watched Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead. Now, you gotta understand, this was not news to me. I spent years in the natural foods world. My favorite job ever was at Rollin' Oats Market, in St. Petersburg, FL. I was completely intolerant of people who would come in sickly and ask for health tips only to leave the store and go back to their normal lives & crappy food choices. I never could understand how one could have the knowledge of the right thing to do, yet knowingly choose the other path.
Then it happened. I became one of them! So now I'm trying to right myself a little bit. I don't imagine going back to the extreme because (also as I've gotten older) I'm not much into extremes in any direction. I'm pretty happy hovering around the center mark seeing the good and bad in both sides of all aspects of life.
With that in mind, I decided 2 nights ago that Friday morning was going to be the beginning of my change in myself. I'd like to drag my family along, but I'm not going to force them. They'll come along for the ride when it's their time. For now, it's about making my quality of life better so I can make their quality of life better.
Friday morning, I woke up and made my usual latte', after all, I'm not going to extremes. I realize a real fast wouldn't include coffee - unless it was in the form of an enema - but coffee is my vice and I'm just not ready to give it up. I don't usually eat breakfast until late in the morning anyway, so I didn't wake up hungry which I found to be a huge blessing. I always start my day with water while I make my coffee. Friday was no different. Along about 10, I decided to have my first juice.
OK. Time to talk about juicers. In my former, more militant life, my juicer cost a fortune and was available for making juices, hummus and peanut butter. But when I left Florida all those years ago, I just didn't want to take that beast with me. It was just another heavy thing to pack and we already had a truckload of heavy. So now it was time to buy a new one. Would I like the Vitamix or the Jack LaLane juicers? Yes, of course! But I was just getting started on this again and if you're not ready to commit, please don't spend that kind of money. You can get a cheap version of a centrifugal juicer that will do the job for about $50. Do that. Or check Craigslist for an even cheaper one. Make sure that it does veggies though. A citrus juicer won't do the job.
I made myself a juice and was totally satisfied on the hunger front. Along about 11:00 though, I was hungry so I broke down and had a peach. Not juiced. Just a peach. I wanted something and figured even though it didn't fit into the "juice" category, it was at least a healthful snack and was a raw food, so it couldn't be all that bad.
I happened to have a houseful of my favorite children that day (I only have 1, so 5 was an enormous number of kids for me but I love them all very much.) When lunch time rolled around I made them all their sandwiches to order, but didn't really have much on hand for juice and I was starving at this point. I ended up cheating again and having a smoothie. I thought a little protein boost would get me through the afternoon. (This is why planning ahead for these things is a good idea.)
Later in the afternoon while the kids were having cheese & crackers for a snack, I broke down again and had 5 green beans (leftover, steamed & with garlic). Again, not a juice and this time not raw, but still thought it was a good idea. Turns out - not so much. Those little beans turned me into a mess! All I could think about was food and I still had hours before my next juice. (Remember, I still needed to go to the store for more veggies.)
I waited. It wasn't until 6:45 that I got to the store, bought a pile of veggies and headed home to juice them. I was so hungry, I didn't even take the time to wash them. PLEASE WASH THEM. I read somewhere to fill your sink with water and add a little hydrogen peroxide to it to clean them of sprays and germs. I'm going to try that today. You can also buy veggie wash at the store, but I'm cheap, so I'll try the peroxide first. But please do something. There's a new strain of e.coli going around and they haven't found the source yet. Please make sure your food is clean.
I had my juice and felt great. But I also happened to have steak on the grill for my hubby. I didn't cook anything to go with it, but I had a new pile of veggies so I diced up an avocado & a tomato, sprinkled with salt and fresh cracked black pepper, drizzled on some lime juice and stirred it up. I put that on the plate with his steak as a side dish. It actually looked lovely. That was the breaking point for me. I ate the avocado/tomato mix. So. Yummy.
So it wasn't a TOTAL juice day. Grace is the word I try to live by. As bummed as I am that I broke down and "ate" a few things, I give myself grace for it. (Thanks, Carrie.) Also, I don't have a number of days set. I'm taking it a day at a time. Sometimes, an hour at a time. Allow yourself that and focus on what you DO accomplish, NOT what you don't.
Today is day 2. I'll keep you posted. Here are some of my concoctions so far. Each mixture has yielded about 16 oz of juice.
* I don't peel anything & buy organic when possible. *
My Favorite:
1. 3-4 carrots
2. thumb sized hunk of ginger (VERY spicy - you may want to start much smaller)
3. 1/2 a beet (I keep reading that you should peel them because the skin is bitter, but I've never peeled them and I love them.)
4. handful of curly parsley
5. 2" or so piece of parsnip (looks like a white carrot, if you've never had them)
6. 1 small apple (granny smith or gala, unless my favorite "pink lady" are available)
7. 2 stalks celery (including leaves)
My Version of V8:
1. 2 tomatoes
2. 1 zucchini
3. 1 bunch parsley
4. 1/2 cucumber (probably should have peeled, but I was too hungry to worry about it.)
5. 1/2 beet
6. celery heart & leaves
7. red bell pepper
8. 2" parsnip
Cheater's Smoothie:
1. 8 oz of almond milk (plain)
2. 2 cups frozen strawberries
3. 1 Tbsp. raw peanut butter
Blend in a blender for about 2 minutes.
*** Be sure to remember that beets are bright red. When you are suddenly frightened by severe rectal bleeding, that you are not bleeding. It's the beets. The same pigment in the beet that makes your juice a lovely ruby red makes everything ruby red. :) ***
Let me know how you do yours, if you do it. And please, go easy on yourself.
Peace and well wishes!
Love the YOU you feed! <3
But as I've gotten older, my health has been on a steady decline and I've added 50lbs to my 5'3" frame. Not good. My joints ache all the time, my skin is a mess, digestion is not pleasant, and my migraines are a nightmare.
Time for a detox. The time is NOW.
A few months ago we watched Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead. Now, you gotta understand, this was not news to me. I spent years in the natural foods world. My favorite job ever was at Rollin' Oats Market, in St. Petersburg, FL. I was completely intolerant of people who would come in sickly and ask for health tips only to leave the store and go back to their normal lives & crappy food choices. I never could understand how one could have the knowledge of the right thing to do, yet knowingly choose the other path.
Then it happened. I became one of them! So now I'm trying to right myself a little bit. I don't imagine going back to the extreme because (also as I've gotten older) I'm not much into extremes in any direction. I'm pretty happy hovering around the center mark seeing the good and bad in both sides of all aspects of life.
With that in mind, I decided 2 nights ago that Friday morning was going to be the beginning of my change in myself. I'd like to drag my family along, but I'm not going to force them. They'll come along for the ride when it's their time. For now, it's about making my quality of life better so I can make their quality of life better.
Friday morning, I woke up and made my usual latte', after all, I'm not going to extremes. I realize a real fast wouldn't include coffee - unless it was in the form of an enema - but coffee is my vice and I'm just not ready to give it up. I don't usually eat breakfast until late in the morning anyway, so I didn't wake up hungry which I found to be a huge blessing. I always start my day with water while I make my coffee. Friday was no different. Along about 10, I decided to have my first juice.
OK. Time to talk about juicers. In my former, more militant life, my juicer cost a fortune and was available for making juices, hummus and peanut butter. But when I left Florida all those years ago, I just didn't want to take that beast with me. It was just another heavy thing to pack and we already had a truckload of heavy. So now it was time to buy a new one. Would I like the Vitamix or the Jack LaLane juicers? Yes, of course! But I was just getting started on this again and if you're not ready to commit, please don't spend that kind of money. You can get a cheap version of a centrifugal juicer that will do the job for about $50. Do that. Or check Craigslist for an even cheaper one. Make sure that it does veggies though. A citrus juicer won't do the job.
I made myself a juice and was totally satisfied on the hunger front. Along about 11:00 though, I was hungry so I broke down and had a peach. Not juiced. Just a peach. I wanted something and figured even though it didn't fit into the "juice" category, it was at least a healthful snack and was a raw food, so it couldn't be all that bad.
I happened to have a houseful of my favorite children that day (I only have 1, so 5 was an enormous number of kids for me but I love them all very much.) When lunch time rolled around I made them all their sandwiches to order, but didn't really have much on hand for juice and I was starving at this point. I ended up cheating again and having a smoothie. I thought a little protein boost would get me through the afternoon. (This is why planning ahead for these things is a good idea.)
Later in the afternoon while the kids were having cheese & crackers for a snack, I broke down again and had 5 green beans (leftover, steamed & with garlic). Again, not a juice and this time not raw, but still thought it was a good idea. Turns out - not so much. Those little beans turned me into a mess! All I could think about was food and I still had hours before my next juice. (Remember, I still needed to go to the store for more veggies.)
I waited. It wasn't until 6:45 that I got to the store, bought a pile of veggies and headed home to juice them. I was so hungry, I didn't even take the time to wash them. PLEASE WASH THEM. I read somewhere to fill your sink with water and add a little hydrogen peroxide to it to clean them of sprays and germs. I'm going to try that today. You can also buy veggie wash at the store, but I'm cheap, so I'll try the peroxide first. But please do something. There's a new strain of e.coli going around and they haven't found the source yet. Please make sure your food is clean.
I had my juice and felt great. But I also happened to have steak on the grill for my hubby. I didn't cook anything to go with it, but I had a new pile of veggies so I diced up an avocado & a tomato, sprinkled with salt and fresh cracked black pepper, drizzled on some lime juice and stirred it up. I put that on the plate with his steak as a side dish. It actually looked lovely. That was the breaking point for me. I ate the avocado/tomato mix. So. Yummy.
So it wasn't a TOTAL juice day. Grace is the word I try to live by. As bummed as I am that I broke down and "ate" a few things, I give myself grace for it. (Thanks, Carrie.) Also, I don't have a number of days set. I'm taking it a day at a time. Sometimes, an hour at a time. Allow yourself that and focus on what you DO accomplish, NOT what you don't.
Today is day 2. I'll keep you posted. Here are some of my concoctions so far. Each mixture has yielded about 16 oz of juice.
* I don't peel anything & buy organic when possible. *
My Favorite:
1. 3-4 carrots
2. thumb sized hunk of ginger (VERY spicy - you may want to start much smaller)
3. 1/2 a beet (I keep reading that you should peel them because the skin is bitter, but I've never peeled them and I love them.)
4. handful of curly parsley
5. 2" or so piece of parsnip (looks like a white carrot, if you've never had them)
6. 1 small apple (granny smith or gala, unless my favorite "pink lady" are available)
7. 2 stalks celery (including leaves)
My Version of V8:
1. 2 tomatoes
2. 1 zucchini
3. 1 bunch parsley
4. 1/2 cucumber (probably should have peeled, but I was too hungry to worry about it.)
5. 1/2 beet
6. celery heart & leaves
7. red bell pepper
8. 2" parsnip
Cheater's Smoothie:
1. 8 oz of almond milk (plain)
2. 2 cups frozen strawberries
3. 1 Tbsp. raw peanut butter
Blend in a blender for about 2 minutes.
*** Be sure to remember that beets are bright red. When you are suddenly frightened by severe rectal bleeding, that you are not bleeding. It's the beets. The same pigment in the beet that makes your juice a lovely ruby red makes everything ruby red. :) ***
Let me know how you do yours, if you do it. And please, go easy on yourself.
Peace and well wishes!
Love the YOU you feed! <3
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Cereal Madness
Happy Summer, Friends!!! Since our temps are already climbing above 100 and the wind is blowing ferociously, my migraines are really taking a toll on me. (Not to complain, just sayin', and you'll see why in the next sentence.) Over the years I've toyed with going gluten free but haven't really been ready to take that plunge before now. Having said that, please understand that I'm only trying it for a week right now and then maybe another, and so on. I didn't really realize how many ways gluten can negatively affect the body. Once I found out there may be a link to gluten & migraines, I started thinking about how much less important gluten is to me verses the chance to live without migraines.
So I begin at the beginning, and most important meal of the day - breakfast! I am a breakfast fiend, let me tell you, and starting the day with a hot hunk of bread or bagel or toast or french toast, or waffles, or any other number of gluten-laden delights, is my favorite way to begin. But, I'm learning to change that by making the things I begin my day with a little easier on the body. Enter, cereal.
So I begin at the beginning, and most important meal of the day - breakfast! I am a breakfast fiend, let me tell you, and starting the day with a hot hunk of bread or bagel or toast or french toast, or waffles, or any other number of gluten-laden delights, is my favorite way to begin. But, I'm learning to change that by making the things I begin my day with a little easier on the body. Enter, cereal.
Starting the day gluten free has meant for me a beautiful bowl of cereal rather than my standard egg sandwich. This time of the year brings an abundance of berries to throw into a bowl of my favorite Chex cereal. Add to it some golden raisins and the day starts colorfully and so delicious! But don't stop with just berries. Remember to also add peaches or mangoes to your bowl. Plus, now that I actually have a backyard, every day starts outside. It won't be long though that it will be 104 at 6 in the morning and I'll stop this ritual, but for now it's me, the dogs, the birds, my java and my bowl of beauty. No guilt. No bloat. No cranky joints. All goodness.
Start your day right and feed the ones you love something beautiful!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Tilapia Topped Polenta
I love Tilapia. It's so mild you can fit it to nearly every type of dish. You can spice it up and make wonderful fish tacos with it, or bake it and serve it alongside something bright green like broccoli. Even my 11 year old, who hates fish, will eat tilapia. There's very little oil, unlike catfish (my favorite.)
Polenta is the same way. I've made it homemade before and it's yummilicious, but sometimes a pre-bought roll is just what I need to add a little flair to my table. My sister makes these little individual tostadas from polenta. I was going to make them one day, but of course didn't have the same ingredients so mine was something altogether different. Here's what I ended up with:
It's very simple because it was mostly pre-made ingredients (aka, canned stuff & pre-seasoned tilapia.) I had a roll of sun-dried tomato polenta, which I sliced up into 1/4" sliced and saute'd in a large skillet with a little drizzle of olive oil & a sprinkling of kosher salt. Cook them until they are a lovely, golden color.
While the polenta is cooking, fire up a small pot with some olive oil, onions & garlic. Slice up 2-3 roma tomatoes and toss them in too. This will be the beginning of some super easy, super yummy beans.
Once you get these cookin' put a large skillet on the stove and drizzle lightly with a little olive oil. Put your tilapia in and cook on med/high heat. (Yeah, I'm still getting used to electric stoves.) I buy these tortilla crusted tilapia when they're on sale, so that's what I used this day. Most of the time, I just use normal tilapia and cook it with a little lime & cilantro. Cook the tilapia until it's a crisp brown on both sides.
While the tilapia is browning, go ahead and add a can of beans to your small pot. I had kidney beans on hand, though I would have preferred black beans. I also added about a 1/4 cup of frozen corn for a little more texture.
While those things were going on, I went back and checked my polenta. At this point, it was the color I was hoping for, so I plated them and set them aside. I did a quick chop of some cilantro and sprinkled them with it to give them a little extra flavor. I have to admit, I had one just like that and it was a delightful treat!
Since I was chopping cilantro anyway, I just added a handful of it to my beans. At this point, I also added a little kosher salt & some crushed red pepper.
That's pretty much it. I plated 3 polenta slices, topped with a serving of beans and crumbled part of the tilapia on that. It was so yummy and it only took about 30 minutes to make, wasn't too bad on the fat/calorie scale and made a beautiful presentation. You can wow your friends and family with a little help from canned or frozen things here and there. Fresh is always my favorite, but let's face it - I live in the desert. There's no such thing as fresh fish here. (Unless my buddy Dave brings me fresh caught trout. But that's another tale.) If it comes down to using canned/frozen vs. fast food - well, you know my answer! Fast food at home is my answer. Even from a can, your food from your kitchen is better than any joint on the street.
Feed the ones you love!
Polenta is the same way. I've made it homemade before and it's yummilicious, but sometimes a pre-bought roll is just what I need to add a little flair to my table. My sister makes these little individual tostadas from polenta. I was going to make them one day, but of course didn't have the same ingredients so mine was something altogether different. Here's what I ended up with:
It's very simple because it was mostly pre-made ingredients (aka, canned stuff & pre-seasoned tilapia.) I had a roll of sun-dried tomato polenta, which I sliced up into 1/4" sliced and saute'd in a large skillet with a little drizzle of olive oil & a sprinkling of kosher salt. Cook them until they are a lovely, golden color.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
My Husband Won't Eat Brains
First of all, thank you so much for all your requests that I get back to blogging! I really appreciate the encouragement a ton! Things have been crazy busy for us for the last few months so I haven't actually had time to write. This would mostly be because I talk too much, which brings me to my second point. In the interest of just getting back to writing, I'll try to keep things brief and to the point. I tend to not write because I don't have time for my normal ramblings, which got me thinking, your lives are probably also busy and don't have time to read my ramblings. After all, The Hunger Games is out and if you want it read before you hit the theaters, you don't have time for my wandering words. Also, sometimes I don't write because I didn't take pictures. :/ Well, sometimes I whipped up something on accident and I don't have pics, but I'd still love to share. So from now on, I'll share anyway. So if you see random pics of my dogs rather than my food, it's simply a ploy to keep you entertained. :)
Now - on with the brains. They are NOT brains! Fish don't fry in the kitchen, Beans don't burn on the grill, took a whole lotta tryin' just to convince my husband cauliflower ain't brain matter! (Wait for it...there. You're welcome. You'll be hummin' the Jefferson's theme song all week.)
Cauliflower gets a bad wrap. People love it or hate it and I find very few who truly love this underestimated flower. Low in fat, high in fiber, folate, water & vitamin C. Also high in phyto-nutrients, which means it can help reduce risk of cancer. "Yeah, all that and no flavor," say most people. Rather than thinking it has no flavor, think of it as extremely versatile! It can go into any soup or kick up the vitamin power of your mashed potatoes. Spice it up with crazy curried sauces, stir fry it or roast it. But please, I beg of you, don't steam it to death and pour some gooey "cheese food" over it. You know the one - it's in a certain yellow/orange box and sits in the middle aisles of the grocery store. If it's in a box, has a 12 year shelf-life and never need be refrigerated, it's not cheese. It's a heart attack waiting to happen. Just thinking of it perks up the plaque in my arteries!
I rarely buy cauliflower because there's such a revolt in my house when I do. But last week I bought some for myself with no intention of sharing. Last night though, I baked some tilapia with a little salt/pepper & lime, cooked up some arroze y gandules, and yes ladies and gentlemen - cauliflower.
It came upon me suddenly after I put the fish in the oven and glanced at the nearly empty bottle of Riesling on my counter. I had a little treat for myself in the fridge and tonight was the night. So, I pulled it out, cleaned it, broke up the fleurettes, dropped them in a bowl, poured about a 1/2 cup of wine over them, drizzled some olive oil, sprinkled with kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, crushed two cloves of garlic & mixed it all up with my hands. I then removed my pan of fish from the oven, dumped the cauliflower all around it randomly, cranked up the heat to 400 and put it back in the oven for 30 minutes.
YUMMMMMMMMM!!!! My darling hubster even asked for some because it smelled so good. When I took it out of the oven, it had a lovely gold-kissed color to it, it was slightly tender and oh so delicious.
So next time you think you can't eat cauliflower because it looks like brains - keep in mind that brains don't grow in the ground.
Feed the ones you love!
Thanks for reading!
xoxoxox
I LOVE YOU!
Now - on with the brains. They are NOT brains! Fish don't fry in the kitchen, Beans don't burn on the grill, took a whole lotta tryin' just to convince my husband cauliflower ain't brain matter! (Wait for it...there. You're welcome. You'll be hummin' the Jefferson's theme song all week.)
I rarely buy cauliflower because there's such a revolt in my house when I do. But last week I bought some for myself with no intention of sharing. Last night though, I baked some tilapia with a little salt/pepper & lime, cooked up some arroze y gandules, and yes ladies and gentlemen - cauliflower.
It came upon me suddenly after I put the fish in the oven and glanced at the nearly empty bottle of Riesling on my counter. I had a little treat for myself in the fridge and tonight was the night. So, I pulled it out, cleaned it, broke up the fleurettes, dropped them in a bowl, poured about a 1/2 cup of wine over them, drizzled some olive oil, sprinkled with kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, crushed two cloves of garlic & mixed it all up with my hands. I then removed my pan of fish from the oven, dumped the cauliflower all around it randomly, cranked up the heat to 400 and put it back in the oven for 30 minutes.
YUMMMMMMMMM!!!! My darling hubster even asked for some because it smelled so good. When I took it out of the oven, it had a lovely gold-kissed color to it, it was slightly tender and oh so delicious.
So next time you think you can't eat cauliflower because it looks like brains - keep in mind that brains don't grow in the ground.
Feed the ones you love!
Thanks for reading!
xoxoxox
I LOVE YOU!
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