Last night we had a potluck. And Italian themed potluck. Now that's not a minefield for a gluten free eater is it? I made my famous lemon chicken. It was inexpensive for a meat dish. And, after it was done, I just piled it in my crockpot and poured all the dripping over it. So, it stays warm. Here's the recipe - sub lemon for lime. Yummy Lemon/Lime Chicken. There was a bunch of the "juice" and a little chicken leftover. I kept it all. If you are buying pastured meat/poultry from a good source, never throw away the drippings.
For lunch today I was hoping I could talk the kids into going somewhere where I could get a big pile of fajitas with a mountain of guacamole. No deal. They wanted hot dogs. I am fine with them eating Applegate grassfed hot dogs. So, we came home. I took the leftover Lemon chicken and all the juice and made an amazing soup.
Mom's Quick Lemon Coconut Soup:
1 Tbsp Coconut oil
1/2 Yellow onion - chopped
1 medium Zucchini or yellow squash (or any vegetable that tastes good sauteed and goes with lemon chicken) - cut slightly larger than the onions
Pinch of Celtic sea salt
1 can of Coconut Milk
1.5 cups Leftover lemon chicken drippings (yes, the chicken schmaltz, the gelatinous goo, everything)
1 cup leftover chicken
1 Tsp of red curry paste
1.5 cups of Spinach
Heat coconut oil over medium heat. Cook chopped onion and squash until onions are translucent. Add a little Celtic sea salt. Add the chicken drippings. If straight from the frig and mixed in with the chicken, just scrape around the chicken. Pull the chicken off the bone and tear into pieces. Once it comes to a simmer, add chicken and coconut milk. Mix the red curry paste with a bit of the warm broth and add to your pan. Add spinach just before serving.
It took me about 10 minutes to make and was seriously amazing.
Fall is here. Enjoy, Mom
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Scale and Trail Mix
Last weekend something happened. I did something that I had purposely avoided for almost two years. I stepped on a scale. Now, by the way my clothing fits, I had a number in mind. I understand I have added a good deal of muscle. But, still the number on the scale (143 for the record) shocked me to the point where tears came to my eyes. Yes, fine, the number on the scale made me cry.
And that is ridiculous. I am fit. I eat well. I am working on sleeping well. The number on the scale can't tell me if I am fat or thin or even if I am healthy or unhealthy. I took that number as an insult, as a sign of failure.
I still stand by my assertion that the number on the scale means nothing and 98% of the time stepping on the scale is of no value. Throw away your scale. And if you do have to step on a scale, it's just a number. If you step on a scale everyday, stop that now.
Ok, I make great trail mix. I have been getting requests for the recipe. Here you go:
Mom's Trail Mix
raw almonds
raw macadamia nuts
raw pumpkin seeds
dark chocolate (I buy bars and chop them. But, you can use chips too)
beef jerky chopped to same size as chocolate
dried mango (in bite size pieces)
During the hot Texas summer, I keep this right next to my cold bottle of water.
Have a great weekend. Spend it with loved ones, Mom
And that is ridiculous. I am fit. I eat well. I am working on sleeping well. The number on the scale can't tell me if I am fat or thin or even if I am healthy or unhealthy. I took that number as an insult, as a sign of failure.
I still stand by my assertion that the number on the scale means nothing and 98% of the time stepping on the scale is of no value. Throw away your scale. And if you do have to step on a scale, it's just a number. If you step on a scale everyday, stop that now.
Ok, I make great trail mix. I have been getting requests for the recipe. Here you go:
Mom's Trail Mix
raw almonds
raw macadamia nuts
raw pumpkin seeds
dark chocolate (I buy bars and chop them. But, you can use chips too)
beef jerky chopped to same size as chocolate
dried mango (in bite size pieces)
During the hot Texas summer, I keep this right next to my cold bottle of water.
Have a great weekend. Spend it with loved ones, Mom
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Rough Morning and Bacon Goat Muffins
So, my four year old decided to paint her nails this morning. She was hysterical while I was cleaning off the nail polish from her arms, wrists, and legs. I had forgot so get my coffee maker all loaded up and the timer set last night. No coffee was ready for me. And, to really top things off, my cooktop is not working. I just wanted some eggs and coffee.
I brewed some coffee. By the way, I use Noble Coyote Coffee , Cultivar Coffee , or White Rock Coffee. Beans are sourced to fair trade farms. Roasting is done in small batches. My favorite is Costa Rican beans. I like that bit of citrus. I blended my coffee with Kerrygold butter, coconut oil, and goat butter.
Mom's Bacon Goat Muffins:
1 pound of Applegate Bacon
9 eggs
4 oz goat cheese
Muffin Pan
I cut the bacon into workable strips. A trimmed piece of bacon went into the bottom of nine of the muffin cups. I lined each of those cups with more bacon on the sides. I baked for 5 minutes on 425. I then changed the oven temperature to 375. As the oven cooled, I put one egg into each of the cups and a big dollop of goat cheese. Bake until the yolk is cooked to your liking. I crumbled a little more goat cheese on top and served with fruit.
These are also good with spinach or kale added before the eggs.
Have a good morning and stay out of the nail polish, Mom
I brewed some coffee. By the way, I use Noble Coyote Coffee , Cultivar Coffee , or White Rock Coffee. Beans are sourced to fair trade farms. Roasting is done in small batches. My favorite is Costa Rican beans. I like that bit of citrus. I blended my coffee with Kerrygold butter, coconut oil, and goat butter.
Mom's Bacon Goat Muffins:
1 pound of Applegate Bacon
9 eggs
4 oz goat cheese
Muffin Pan
I cut the bacon into workable strips. A trimmed piece of bacon went into the bottom of nine of the muffin cups. I lined each of those cups with more bacon on the sides. I baked for 5 minutes on 425. I then changed the oven temperature to 375. As the oven cooled, I put one egg into each of the cups and a big dollop of goat cheese. Bake until the yolk is cooked to your liking. I crumbled a little more goat cheese on top and served with fruit.
These are also good with spinach or kale added before the eggs.
Have a good morning and stay out of the nail polish, Mom
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Heavy
So, this weekend I read the book Heavy - a mother, a daughter, a diet - a memoir, by Dara-Lynn Weiss. As the mother of two little girls, I found this book chilling and disturbing. For those who might remember, this is the mom who was featured in Vogue in 2012 for her radical weight loss strategy for her 7 year old daughter.
The first thing I want to make clear is I have no idea what it is like for the author. My kids have always been healthy. The author did not have the same experience wi her daughter. Like the author my own experience with my weight and food has not always been healthy. But, I do think the author thought she was doing the right thing for her overweight daughter. It was really heartbreaking though to read how misguided this woman was in terms of nutrition and health. What a tough year her family had as the author forced calorie restriction upon her daughter as the only means of that girl losing weight.
That is my first concern. Why is weight the measure of health? This woman was obsessed with the scale. She could look at her daughter and see a belly when the rest of the children her age had thinned out. Success and failure was based on what the scale said each week. Now, I haven't stepped on a scale in 18 months. I don't see a need to step on a scale. When my clothes are tight, I know that I have been indulging too much. I watch my kids playing and I can see tiny muscles. But, I am pretty strict about what they eat. They are growing. They are building who they will be. They are building the bodies that will get them through what will hopefully be long, healthy lives.
Weight may or may not be a measure health. It would not be the only indicator of health I would use in my own family. Using weight as the only indicator of health is how I think the author got to the point that she would rather feed her growing daughter low calorie junk food that whole, real foods. The thing is, she knew is was a bad choice. She knew her daughter should not be eating that highly processed "food". But she felt she had no choice.
The author had lots of opinions on foods and even exercise. Why exercise when it will just cause one to eat more? Instead, she believes that some people are just predisposed to overeat. I hope along the way, she has spent some time learning the difference between cardio and strength training and the effect on the body.
I also hope that she has learned about food quality. She leaned on highly processed foods so her daughter could feel normal. But, the author also pointed out that childhood was not in fact about cookies and cupcakes. She sees that food is a part of family life, a part of a community, a way to show love. But instead of finding the wonder is real food, she picks apart processed foods to discover their calorie content. Nourishment and nutrients mean nothing to her. I hope the lack of real nutrition and good fats do not have a long term effect on her daughter. I hope that both mother and daughter can find ways to eat real food in healthy portions.
It's not that I don't see the emotion in food. I feel like one way I show love to my husband and kids is cooking a great meal for them. But, my focus is using high quality ingredients, cooking to enhance the food, and making sure all appreciate that a good deal of effort goes into every bite. From the farmer that raised the animals that became our meat to the farmer or gardener who raises our produce.
I hope that my daughters do not seek food as comfort. I hope that they will not see their bodies as imperfect. My daughters and I discuss being strong, being healthy, and the beauty of being female. i have a feeling this book will haunt me. As a mother who focuses on healthy food, I say no, a lot. But, since my children has no health issues, I also let go when we are outside of the home. A few times when reading Heavy, I worried that I might sound that obsessed at times. But, I realized that I do not carry around the level of guilt and responsibility as the author.
I am glad I read the book. I had really demonized this mother after reading her Vogue article. It reminded me that most parents are doing the best that they can and what they believe is right. It also reminded me that the general public doesn't understand the importance of what we eat.
Stop worrying so much, Mom
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Gather
Today I received a present in the mail. My brand new copy of Gather, the Art of Paleo Entertaining by Hayley Mason and Bill Staley.
I like to brag about all of the good food I eat. And all people hear is what I don't eat. Gather shows how cooking high quality food in your home can create traditions and memories. There are some great recipes. There are two cauliflower rice recipes that sound yummy, shrimp fried rice and saffron rice. I make cauliflower all the time but would not have thought of a saffron rice.
I am most looking forward to the Yorkshire Pudding. My grandmother learned to make Yorkshire Pudding when I was in high school. I didn't like bread but, I loved that rich puff. I feel like I should send the authors flowers as a thank you for recreating a version that won't give me a migraine or kill my stomach.
I like Bill and Hayley's recipes. They use ingredients I can find. They cook simply. Ok, maybe there is a little more intensiveness compared to Make It Paleo. But, this is a book for special occasions. So, like others will do, I will make their General Tso's Chicken for a special occasion for someone special. But, I will likely make Eggs Benedict piled on Roasted Asparagus often.
This book is a keeper. This book shows what creative food folks with a great eye can do with food. Yeah, you should buy this book.
I like to brag about all of the good food I eat. And all people hear is what I don't eat. Gather shows how cooking high quality food in your home can create traditions and memories. There are some great recipes. There are two cauliflower rice recipes that sound yummy, shrimp fried rice and saffron rice. I make cauliflower all the time but would not have thought of a saffron rice.
I am most looking forward to the Yorkshire Pudding. My grandmother learned to make Yorkshire Pudding when I was in high school. I didn't like bread but, I loved that rich puff. I feel like I should send the authors flowers as a thank you for recreating a version that won't give me a migraine or kill my stomach.
I like Bill and Hayley's recipes. They use ingredients I can find. They cook simply. Ok, maybe there is a little more intensiveness compared to Make It Paleo. But, this is a book for special occasions. So, like others will do, I will make their General Tso's Chicken for a special occasion for someone special. But, I will likely make Eggs Benedict piled on Roasted Asparagus often.
This book is a keeper. This book shows what creative food folks with a great eye can do with food. Yeah, you should buy this book.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Childhood and gummy snacks
It's been a long week.
It has been a week that made most of America weary, tired, and bleary eyed. I have never been so grateful for law enforcement and first responders. But, I have had to talk to my children about tragedy and about helpers.
When I was explaining the now well known Mr Rogers quote about looking for ones who help in times of chaos and tragedy, my six year old gave me a great analogy. When you are at a big dinner at someone's house, someone has to get the kids more milk. It is always the same people who get up and help. But, someone always helps. When a kid falls on a playground, a grown up always checks on the kid. People help. I love that she has faith in fellow man after this week. I love that she knows that though there are bad people; there are more people who are good. I don't try to shelter her from the world. She will have to go into that world. I can't control whether I get to be by her side. Unfortunately, she realizes that there are things neither of us can control.
What does all of this have to do with the current recipe? Well, today I took a break from spring cleaning to make some gelatin snacks. They are jiggly, silly, and yummy. I need to get cool shapes. That is what everyone wants kids to have - silly, jiggly fun.
The basics of gummy snacks are easy. You should have some high quality gelatin. I buy Great Lakes orange label gelatin. The ratio of liquid to gelatin is for each cup of liquid, you need one tablespoon of gelatin. Now a lot of times I add liquids like kombucha which I do not want to heat. Not a problem, I warm one cup of liquid, dissolve the 2 tablespoons of gelatin, then let it cool before adding the kombucha.
Today's treat - Orange Kombucha Gummy Snacks:
I squeezed 2 oranges and got almost a full cup of juice. Since it wasn't a full cup and I was out of orange, I juice a lime. Yeah that made it tart. I warmed the juice and dissolved the 2 tablespoons of gelatin. It was tart so I added 1/4 teaspoon of honey. I wouldn't have needed the honey if I would have left out the line juice. I poured it in a bowl to let it cool a bit, like 5 minutes. Then I stirred in the kombucha. I have a silicone mini muffin pan. It makes a perfect mold. I poured the mixture into the mold which I had resting on a cookie sheet. The whole thing went into the frig for 30 minutes. Yeah, this is yummy. I pop them put with a butter knife and store in the frig. I don't know how long they keep because they get eaten in about 3 days at my house.
Another versions- sub grapefruit juice for orange juice - YUM!!
- purée over ripe strawberries and sub for the orange juice. (You can also use blackberries but strain out the seeds).
- you can make these with over ripe bananas but you need to strain well and add pomegranate juice.
- blood oranges seem a bit tart so I add a little honey.
Actually, pomegranate juice is great to add anytime it will have an odd color.
Have some yummy gelatin post workout!
Have fun and don't take life too seriously, Mom
It has been a week that made most of America weary, tired, and bleary eyed. I have never been so grateful for law enforcement and first responders. But, I have had to talk to my children about tragedy and about helpers.
When I was explaining the now well known Mr Rogers quote about looking for ones who help in times of chaos and tragedy, my six year old gave me a great analogy. When you are at a big dinner at someone's house, someone has to get the kids more milk. It is always the same people who get up and help. But, someone always helps. When a kid falls on a playground, a grown up always checks on the kid. People help. I love that she has faith in fellow man after this week. I love that she knows that though there are bad people; there are more people who are good. I don't try to shelter her from the world. She will have to go into that world. I can't control whether I get to be by her side. Unfortunately, she realizes that there are things neither of us can control.
What does all of this have to do with the current recipe? Well, today I took a break from spring cleaning to make some gelatin snacks. They are jiggly, silly, and yummy. I need to get cool shapes. That is what everyone wants kids to have - silly, jiggly fun.
The basics of gummy snacks are easy. You should have some high quality gelatin. I buy Great Lakes orange label gelatin. The ratio of liquid to gelatin is for each cup of liquid, you need one tablespoon of gelatin. Now a lot of times I add liquids like kombucha which I do not want to heat. Not a problem, I warm one cup of liquid, dissolve the 2 tablespoons of gelatin, then let it cool before adding the kombucha.
Today's treat - Orange Kombucha Gummy Snacks:
I squeezed 2 oranges and got almost a full cup of juice. Since it wasn't a full cup and I was out of orange, I juice a lime. Yeah that made it tart. I warmed the juice and dissolved the 2 tablespoons of gelatin. It was tart so I added 1/4 teaspoon of honey. I wouldn't have needed the honey if I would have left out the line juice. I poured it in a bowl to let it cool a bit, like 5 minutes. Then I stirred in the kombucha. I have a silicone mini muffin pan. It makes a perfect mold. I poured the mixture into the mold which I had resting on a cookie sheet. The whole thing went into the frig for 30 minutes. Yeah, this is yummy. I pop them put with a butter knife and store in the frig. I don't know how long they keep because they get eaten in about 3 days at my house.
Another versions- sub grapefruit juice for orange juice - YUM!!
- purée over ripe strawberries and sub for the orange juice. (You can also use blackberries but strain out the seeds).
- you can make these with over ripe bananas but you need to strain well and add pomegranate juice.
- blood oranges seem a bit tart so I add a little honey.
Actually, pomegranate juice is great to add anytime it will have an odd color.
Have some yummy gelatin post workout!
Have fun and don't take life too seriously, Mom
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Treats
I have spent a few years trying to lose the "baby weight". But, really, that is a lie. I gained weight because I was eating really awful food. I was employing as many short cuts as possible in the kitchen. I mean, I was tired. I was making and having babies. And nursing those babies.I thought eating these fake foods was a good idea. I kept gaining weight and I hated my body.
I decided to fix that. I didn't want to be sick like older family members. I didn't want my daughters to grow up with such a complicated relationship to food and their bodies. I heard about the work of a fellow Chico State grad, Robb Wolf. Seemed to make sense; eat real, whole foods. Stop eating processed foods.
A few years in - I have to say it is going great. I love food. I am done with worrying about being thin. It doesn't measure my health, it doesn't measure my worth, it doesn't measure my happiness. There is one ongoing thorn in my side - snacks and treats.
If you have been to my home in the last few years, you know that for parties, we will have chips and sweet treats. But, in everyday life, I don't keep those things in the house. (yeah, babysitters bring their own food) Chips, goldfish crackers, 100 calorie snack packs, - it's not food. If someone is hungry in my home, they can have some food. But, treats are typically not good nutrition. I am not a eat purely for fuel person. I love food. I love yummy food. I have lots of yummy food at my house without having it filled with junk food.
I am surprised by the amount of treats offered to my children, many times as a snack. It should be obvious that candy is not a snack. Well, that's not obvious to a three year old. And, if candy is given to a six year old by a doctor or a dentist (I am currently changing pediatric dentists but that is another story), it can be construed as good as other food. But, something without real nutrition shouldn't be a snack either. A snack should quell hunger between meals. An active child needs to not only eat enough to fuel their play and learning but also their growth.
Think about that. The food a child eats becomes their body. It literally becomes them.
Besides the fact that a snack should be providing nutrition, what would I be teaching my children about food if I give them a treat when they ask for a snack? I consider treats to be a maybe once a week thing.. Making them a daily thing replaces a time when my children cold be eating real food. It also gets them in the habit of eating treats often. Eating treats often didn't work out well for me. If I can prevent my kids from going down that path, I did a good thing.
Have a nice cup of bone broth (it's my favorite snack), Mom
I decided to fix that. I didn't want to be sick like older family members. I didn't want my daughters to grow up with such a complicated relationship to food and their bodies. I heard about the work of a fellow Chico State grad, Robb Wolf. Seemed to make sense; eat real, whole foods. Stop eating processed foods.
A few years in - I have to say it is going great. I love food. I am done with worrying about being thin. It doesn't measure my health, it doesn't measure my worth, it doesn't measure my happiness. There is one ongoing thorn in my side - snacks and treats.
If you have been to my home in the last few years, you know that for parties, we will have chips and sweet treats. But, in everyday life, I don't keep those things in the house. (yeah, babysitters bring their own food) Chips, goldfish crackers, 100 calorie snack packs, - it's not food. If someone is hungry in my home, they can have some food. But, treats are typically not good nutrition. I am not a eat purely for fuel person. I love food. I love yummy food. I have lots of yummy food at my house without having it filled with junk food.
I am surprised by the amount of treats offered to my children, many times as a snack. It should be obvious that candy is not a snack. Well, that's not obvious to a three year old. And, if candy is given to a six year old by a doctor or a dentist (I am currently changing pediatric dentists but that is another story), it can be construed as good as other food. But, something without real nutrition shouldn't be a snack either. A snack should quell hunger between meals. An active child needs to not only eat enough to fuel their play and learning but also their growth.
Think about that. The food a child eats becomes their body. It literally becomes them.
Besides the fact that a snack should be providing nutrition, what would I be teaching my children about food if I give them a treat when they ask for a snack? I consider treats to be a maybe once a week thing.. Making them a daily thing replaces a time when my children cold be eating real food. It also gets them in the habit of eating treats often. Eating treats often didn't work out well for me. If I can prevent my kids from going down that path, I did a good thing.
Have a nice cup of bone broth (it's my favorite snack), Mom
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