21 Day Sugar Detox - Getting Started

Yep, I am at it again.
I have had a ton of fun - lots of treats and wine. Yeah, I need to get focused. So, 21 Day Sugar Detox here I come.

Here are some resources.

If you want to buy the books or have the books but want the extra resources Just CLICK HERE.
I have a Facebook Group going. you can find it HERE.

Ok, it's time to clean out your kitchen. Here's some help Clean out your kitchen

It's only 3 weeks. It's just food.
Mom

This is the end.....

Do you have that Doors song in your head now? No? Just me. great.

 I need you to do something for me - go into your kitchen. Actually I need you to do that A LOT over the next few weeks. This weekend, let's clean out the bad stuff and fill your kitchen with good stuff. For those of you who live with folks who are not along for the ride, ask for their help. My family and I have a compromise. Food in the home is super clean. They can do whatever they want outside of the house. And, if their choices give them a tummy ache, I will make them bone broth. Figure out what works for you and the people in your life.

Let's start cleaning out your kitchen. Get a bag or a box. Put anything bad for you in that bag or box and take it out of your house. Anything unopened, sure, give it to a food pantry. Anything opened, well, maybe you have a friend or a neighbor you can give it to. But, don’t finish that last bag of Doritos and that last six pack of Coke simply because you paid for it. You bought something faulty. It is broken and toxic. Do not eat it. Start with the frig. Throw out most of your condiments. Yeah, I see the HFCS, and nasty oils in there. You know what a great condiment is? Fresh salsa. Or homemade mayo. Oh, you don’t like keeping those because they go bad? Your food should go bad if not eaten. Food should not last for weeks on end. Food should be living – it is what you are using to keep you alive. Now some foods take on special powers through fermenting and those may last for a bit longer. Ok, what is in your butter tray? If the answer isn’t butter (ok, maybe ghee), then throw it out. That fat-free butter like substance has no heath benefit. Fat will not make you fat. Buy some good butter. Butter make from the milk of pastured animals has some great health benefits. And, you know what is amazing? Butter!! Personally, I like Kerrygold. Now, look at your eggs. What? No eggs? Come on. Good eggs will be expensive compared to the mass produced eggs from sickly chickens. But, eggs from pastured, free range chickens are really inexpensive sources of protein. The yolks are fluffy and an amazing golden, almost orange color. Now, for the tough one. Your milk. Are you so excited when you find the carton of milk with the expiration date that is two months away? Yeah, that is not food. The nutrition in that food has been killed by the high temperature pasteurization. So they add some vitamins back. Oh, but you like skim milk? Well those vitamins they added back are fat soluble. Without fat in the milk, you are not getting benefit from those vitamins and minerals. Buy a smaller container of milk. And, find some non-homogenized milk. If you can find low temp pasteurized or raw, even better. (If you are doing level 3 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox skip the dairy).

Next go to your freezer. Oh, you thought you thought you could keep those Hot Pockets? You have got to be kidding me. Your freezer should be used for ice, frozen meat, frozen fruit, frozen veggies, frozen homemade stock, and well, maybe a good vodka. Keep going. You are already determined/whiney. The pantry/cupboard. Yeah, most of that should be tossed. It has food colorings that are not allowed in most countries. There are oils that are awful for you. What oils do I have in my pantry? Coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, a lighter olive oil. In my refrigerator, I always have butter, a jar of chicken fat, a jar of bacon fat, and a bottle of sesame oil. When I cook, I grab either the coconut oil, butter, or animal fat. The EVOO is for drizzling on anything. And, the light olive oil is for making mayo.

Eating better requires planning. We have gotten lazy about food. Convenience has become more important than flavor or nutrition. Good food takes time. It takes planning. This will mean different things for different people. Some people will need to sit down and plan each meal. I cook pretty simply. So, I make sure I have enough meat & veggies on hand and every morning I figure out lunch and dinner as I stand in front of the frig/freezer. The tough one besides meals is snacks. Unless you are growing, you don’t need snacks. But, sometimes your meal timing is off or you just need a little something extra. Do not eat crap. Have a hard cooked egg, some nuts, some cut up veggies, a piece of fruit. Chips are not a snack.

Another one that is tough in my home is drinks. The rule in my house is soda is only to be used as a mixer with alcohol. Too young to drink alcohol? Yeah, too young for soda. Growing bodies do not need that sugar nor those chemicals. So, we drink water. Lots of water. I buy good water. I also keep different waters on hand. Sweet spring water. Mineral water for after working out. Milk is allowed whenever growing bodies want it. It is full fat and raw when I can get raw milk. The grown ups in my home drink iced tea. For the guy who insists it be sweetened, he uses local, raw, unfiltered honey. Eating clean is not a diet. Yeah, you might lose weight; you might not. You will definitely feel better. You will sleep better. You will also be able to figure out if you eat too much (then eat less) or eat too little (eat more). When I cleaned up my diet, I figured out I did not eat enough. This made no sense to me as I was chubby. But, I have learned that “fat-free” way of life had me so worried about calories that I would starve and then indulge.
Put down those pizza bites and go grill a steak, Mom

New Year's resolutions are dumb

I am currently on a quest to lose weight. It started at the beginning of the month. I did a CrossFit competition and noticed that I was a good bit heavier than my competitors. I don't have a problem with my fluffy 41 year old body. It made two awesome babies. It's freaking strong. And, my tush is awesome. But, I want to get stronger and be faster. So, I cut out wine, corn tortillas and cut back on chocolate. Then, Christmas arrived. Yeah, I have went into indulge mode. But, two days after Christmas, I am starting to get the goodies out of my house. I won't open another bottle of wine until my mother in law arrives.

I am not waiting for January 1st to make miraculous changes in my life. I am starting now.

Part of the altering of the food on my plate is to go a step further and follow the 21 Day Sugar Detox by Diana Sanfilippo. This used to be available via ebook. Now, it's a real book and she also has a cook book (I have some amazon.com affiliate links below). Why follow a meal plan? For me, it is the structure at the beginning. Also the ease of finding recipes in the new cookbook.

I don't think of this as a diet. If i eat something I am not supposed to, I don't stress about it. The world will not end because I have rice one night. Still, I do need to get out of this indulgent stage. Knowing I shouldn't have that glass of wine will keep me on track.

Don't stress but, figure out one thing that will get your health on track. 2014 will be a great year, Mom

Leftovers and Quick Lemon-Coconut Chicken Soup

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Spring - just kidding (easy soup)

Dallas is having two days of the cold spring that most of the US has been living through. Instead of chili (who doesn't love chili when it's cold outside), I made some easy beef soup.

This morning I threw a package of meaty stew bones from Slankers into the crock pot. Yes, I went straight from the freezer to the crock pot. If you aren't comfortable with that, then thaw in the refrigerator first. Also into the crock pot went an onion, garlic, and sea salt & white pepper. At lunch time I added enough filtered water to cover the bones.

After the gym, I cooked some turnips and carrots in butter over medium heat. I added Celtic sea salt, white pepper, chili powder Once slightly browned, I added the broth from the crock pot. I pulled the meat from the bones. and added that right as I served it.

Why did I use turnips and carrots? Yeah, that's all I had in the veggie drawer that I didn't need for a meal later this week. And, I am not going to lie, when I have the leftovers tomorrow, I am going to stir in a spoonful of sour cream.

After I pulled the meat off the bones, the bones went back in the crockpot. I added a beef knuckle, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and filtered water. I will let it cook about 36 hours.

Keep it simple, Mom

Need to reboot

I had a great weekend. I was in Austin for Paleo f(x). Now I don't totally identify my way of eating as paleo or primal. Really because my focus is eating whole, real foods and arguing about a label doesn't help anyone.

This year I listened in on some of the speakers and panels but I also did some of the Strength and Conditioning classes. Last year I walked away from PaleoFX wondering about very low carb and how much liver consumption is too much. Through out the year I figured out that very low carb is not for me. And because of the synergy between vitamin A & D, I don't worry about eating too much liver. This year I am left wondering about adrenal fatigue. Most importantly, I am super focused on not going down that path.

Most people are exhausted. Most are confused by the latest and greatest diet. Most people have an unhealthy relationship with food. Most people don't sleep. Ok, I can see why people are winding up with adrenal fatigue.

So, I am declaring now that I am going to rest more. I am going to take some down time every day. I am going to stop trying to be the most productive person. I need to stay healthy. I need to take care of my family. I need to take care of my clients. This can all be done with less stress. That is my focus.

I am feeling super tired and run down from the weekend and the business of the last few months. So, I am going to do the 21 Day Sugar Detox. If anyone would like to join me and needs the guides, Click to buy 21 Day Sugar Detox guides.

Time for me to get back on track. take a break today, Mom

The Answer

What is the most important thing to eat everyday? Bone broth. Make your own. Use bones leftover from the meals you make. Buy bones and knuckles from animals that were pastured.

Making bone broth is easy. I put a pile of bones in the crock pot to that I add about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and water. For chicken bones, I let it go 12-18 hours. For beef, 24-48 hours. I freeze some of it so that I always have it on hand. If I have some garlic, I throw that in.

Bone broth can be heated in the morning and sipped. It's a great afternoon snack. It is awesome for after your post workout meal. If I am feeling tired and run down, I drink a cup. If my tummy is upset, I drink a cup. Are you following this? Bone broth is the answer for everything.

Drink up, Mom

Day 22

So, you have spent 21 days eating clean (maybe a slip up or two). 

What are your plans for day 22? A binge to make up for lost time? Maybe adding in some potatoes? Getting back to having a glass of wine with dinner? 


Add foods back slow. If you have been without dairy for 21 days, don't start with a giant pot of fondue. As you ease back into a less restrictive way of eating, think about the gains you have made. 

Also, you have been really thoughtful about what you ate and drank for the last 21 days - why would you stop now? 


Start simple. Increase your carb intake. How do you feel? How is your sleep? How is your digestion?


Ok, yeah, I know a few of you can't make it another minute without food X. Sure, have it. How do you feel after? 


Don't throw this away. You have done a lot of work. 

I have had several slips. So, I am going through this week - after a little break this weekend. I really did not do great this Detox. I had wine several times. And, to my dismay, it messed with my digestion and my sleep. I still have some work to do. 

Please share your experience with the 21 Day Sugar Detox.

Cure for what ails you.....

This post is recycled from a couple of years ago. It's yummy. Make some then eat it. And wash your hands. 

Ok, once more. Make your own bone broth from some chicken. It's not that hard AND it makes your food so much yummier. AND you are going to get some great nutrition. 

Bone broth is easy. Save the bones from your roasted chicken, put them in your crockpot with water and a splash of apple cider vinegar, cook for 24-48 hours, drain and store. 

Chicken (I either use a whole chicken or chicken thighs.). 
Grassfed butter or chicken fat
1 large Yellow onion - chopped
4 Whole carrots (big ones not those baby ones. WITH skin) – cut into half inch pieces
3 Celery Stalks – cut into half inch pieces
1/2 Tsp of Celtic Sea salt
1/4 Tsp of white pepper
1/8 Tsp of chili powder
1 Tsp of Garlic Powder
2 cups of Summer Squash (I like the starburst or yellow squash) cut into big bite sized chucks
Big Apple – cut into small pieces (all your veggies should be cut to about the same size but, the apple pieces should be half the size of the veggie pieces)
Chicken broth

Roast the chicken. As I am lazy (or we can say busy. Yeah, let’s stick with busy), I roast the chicken in the crockpot. I leave the skin on and just add salt and pepper. After the chicken is done roasting, you will need to pull all that tender chicken off the bones. Keep all the drippings. Seriously, if you skip that step, I can’t help you. You can roast the chicken at any time and then just throw it in the refrigerator until ready to make your soup.  KEEP THE DRIPPINGS. Also, keep the fat. 

In a pot, over medium heat, melt a nice spoonful of your chicken fat. Really? No chicken fat? You are not making this easy. Next time, ok? Heat butter. Add onions, carrots and celery. Saute about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and spices. Once it is simmering, add the squash and apple. Add the drippings from when you roasted the chicken. 
Simmer until carrots are done to your preference. Toss in the chicken that has been removed from the bone. 

Have a nice bowl of soup, then call your mom and say something nice, Mom (yeah, I'm not your mom)

You are right and a challenge

It has been pointed out to me that I do not post or generate very many recipes. Well, you are right (please, do not tell my husband that I know how to speak these words). I think that people who read this, who are seeking to learn, who actually follow this blog or my facebook page are better served learning food.

What do I mean by learning food? People are very disconnected from food. I can see this from the people who want to eat healthy but refuse to learn to cook to the meat eaters who find hunting or even many cuts of meat to be gross. Or, people come to me wanting lots of recipes - something fun or super flavorful and very easy. What about not having a recipe? What about preparing some high quality food with as few ingredients as possible and enjoying the flavor of the food. One thing I learned when I started buying pastured meat was meat has flavor. A pastured chicken has tons of flavor. Vegetables are sweet, bitter, spicy, savory, and lots of other descriptive words. And you can bring out other flavors by the cooking method.

Through Friday, I am looking for your favorite meal from the last week. You can post on my facebook page Eating With Mom. Scroll down to the highlighted thread. On Friday, January 18th, I will randomly select a winner to receive the cookbook Make It Paleo.

Our next challenge? For the next week, for one meal a day, eating as simply and yummily as possible. Meat, high quality fat, and veggie. Scale back on the seasonings - focus on complimenting rather than masking.

Let work on eating simply together. Mom

Butter

I love food. I think of it fairly simply. My favorite food groups are butter, pate, ribeye steak, and everything else. I love butter. People are shocked when they here the my family of 4 goes through 1/2 pound to a 1 pound of butter in a week. I buy grassfed/pastured butter and honestly, it tastes like heaven.

As I support some folks doing the 21 Day Sugar Detox , I am getting lots of questions about clarified butter. If you are doing Level 3, this is your only dairy. If you are doing Level 3, yes, you can make bulletproof coffee with clarified butter. You can also use Ghee. Making clarified butter is really quite easy. Keep in mind you will lose about 25% of the volume when removing the milk fats and some of the moisture. You can make any amount. I make a good bit. It lasts in the refrigerator about 6 months. 

In a pan on the stove, heat your unsalted butter over very low heat. It will melt and then simmer gently. It can splatter sometimes so please be careful. There will be foam rising to the top. I skim off while it is heating. when all the splattering is done, take off the heat and skim off the rest of the foam. 

Place cheesecloth in a strainer. pour the warm butter through the cheesecloth into a bowl or your storage container. I like to store in glass jars. After cool, place in the refrigerator. 

Now, how to do a bulletproof coffee? Make a high quality coffee, add grassfed butter/clarfied butter, add high quality coconut oil, and then blend in a blender or with an immersion blender. 

I love Kerrygold Butter. In Dallas, the price can range from $3 -$5 for a half pound. So, I buy about 2-3 pounds at a time at the lower price. 

Welcome to San Angelo CrossFit !!

Eating With Mom is excited to announce  21 Day Sugar Detox is coming to San Angelo Crossfit. We have have a quick orientation. The guides can be purchased by  Clicking Here.

First a little about me....

After having 2 babies, I was overweight, had horrible insomnia, stopped working out, and was exhausted. So, I cleaned up my diet, my kitchen, and my cooking. As I went through this process, I have met some super smart people. What I learned helped me make those changes. But, change is hard. Over time I have helped friends stop eating processed foods, learn how to cook, what real food is, and how to enjoy food. It is really amazing to help people change their lives.

A little about 21 Day Sugar Detox.....

Even those of us who focus on eating clean can lose our way. In 21 days, you can change habits - so, why not change how you treat your body? 21 Day Sugar Detox focuses on eliminating carb carvings, leveling out insulin, and getting back on track.

There are three levels. Level 1 is appropriate for anyone transitioning from the standard American diet. Those currently eating Paleo should do Level 3 which is a strict paleo program. Level 2 is the primal level. Currently, I am doing a Level 2 detox which I am going to continue through with San Angelo Crossfit.

All levels will eliminate processed foods, wheat, bread, pasta, corn, soy, rice, potatoes, alcohol, natural and artificial sweeteners, and fruit. Well, small exception to the fruit, a green tipped banana or green apple. Level 2 and Level 3 have additional restricted foods.

So, what do you eat? Meats, vegetables, some nuts, and high quality fats. Do you cook? This is a great time to learn or to cook more.

Please email me any questions. I can be reached via email at diana @ eatingwithmom.com 

I look forward to meeting you all, Diana, aka Mom

Day 1 and a little honesty

Today was not smooth. I know some women do the work/kids balance like it's easy. Yeah, I am not that person. Today my friend and I traded our kids back and forth so we could each get some work done and get through this last day of winter break. My kids were great today. Her kid was great today. Ok, they were way better for me but, I took morning and lunch time. Then, I tried to fit 10 hours of work into 5 hours. It was like me trying to fit into a size 0. I was discouraged and cranky.

I know a big reason I was cranky is because I have been living the carboholic dream. Potatoes with my eggs in the morning. Tortillas with every meal. Wine every evening. Crackers, chips, and even candy. Boy, oh boy, I was living the high life. Except the fact that I couldn't sleep, my digestion is not good, and my big jeans fit a bit snug. So, now you know why I am totally on board with the 21 Day Sugar Detox.

And, I am feeling like I am missing something. I have done this "detox" enough times to know that this is hard. Going into it this way is hard. Eating the right things so that I can feel better and get back on top of my game feels like work right now. But, I also know that about 5-10 days from now, a busy day won't be confused with a stressful day.

I am going to start tomorrow with another awesome breakfast. I am already looking forward to it. It will be a cup of bulletproof coffee with a plate of eggs cooked in duck fat sitting on top a huge pile of kick ass kale.

Mom's Kick Ass Kale:

2 bunches of kale
half of a small onion diced into small pieces
2 tablespoons of bacon fat/duck fat/chicken fat/tallow/coconut oil
1 1/2 cups of bone broth (vegetarians, if you are using a vegetable broth then use a whole onion)
Celtic Sea Salt

Heat the fat over medium heat. Cook the onion until translucent. Add washed kale and cover. Let it cook about 2 minutes and use tongs to flip it all over. Add the broth. Cook covered for 10 minutes. Stir well and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Add a pinch or two of sea salt. When done, it will have a darker color and will be tender.

To wash kale, I use my salad spinner. I tear or cut the kale and put in the strainer. The bottom and the strainer are filled with water. I swooch around (like you are hand washing clothes) all the kale. I dump the water and do it again 2 more times. To remove that water, use the spinner part.

Cooking the kale in an animal fat and then the bone broth gets it a richness that pairs well with a flavorful meat. I cook extra as it heats up well in a skillet to go with eggs.

Have some greens, Mom

The Big Prize

So, I was asked "what's the big prize for the 21 Day Sugar Detox/Nutrition Challenge?" and I admit I stood there a little perplexed. I had been trying to explain that it is not a contest, it is about one's health. I love doing a nutrition challenge with others because it reminds me that the most important thing about food is nourishment. It also reminds me to cook. It reminds me that wholesome, nutritious food can be really yummy.

So, what are my goals for my 21 Day Sugar Detox?

1. 100% compliance. No slip ups. What will be my greatest temptation? Wine and Crispin.
2. 8 hours of sleep a night.
3. Work out 5 days a week.
4. No wine.

Yep, wine does need to be on there twice. I love a nice glass of wine. The cooking every meal will grind on me a bit. But, it will be not pouring a glass of wine in the evening or ordering sparkling water when out that will cause me to whine.

It is just 21 days. I will likely drink LOTS of herbal tea. My crock pot will barely get put away. My family will long for dinner out. But, I can do this for 21 days.

Tomorrow night will be roast in the crock pot.

In the morning, I will sear the roast for some of that good carmelization flavor. Also into the crockpot will go chopped onion, carrots, some thyme, sea salt, garlic, and lamb stock. It will cook on warm all day. The sides will be sauteed mustard greens and butternut squash roasted with onions. Tomorrow, dinner will be right after my workout. So, the squash is timed so that I can have some too.

Sleep well, Mom