Last year, I went on a no-carb diet.
It lasted all of a few weeks. You may remember it, as I brought you all along. In those few short weeks, I felt slimmer, healthier and more energized than I had in a long time.
Then... bread happened.
I missed it so much. I thought I was fastened securely inside the wagon only to be violently chucked to the curb, unable to get back on.
Cut to today, and I'm a hot mess.
Why? Well, because last week, we enjoyed a nice relaxing vacation in Atlantic City. Nothing big, just a little reset button after I finished school for the semester. When I got back, I was horrified to find that the scale in my bathroom was hovering on a number I hadn't seen since my senior year of high school.
Now, mind you, after I graduated high school, I got good and small. Apparently, I looked really good. In a case of what I self-diagnosed as mild body dysmorphia (the altered perception of one's body), I never saw what other people saw when I looked in the mirror. I never felt thin, or good in my clothes. I still saw the same girl from high school.
Now, I am officially the same girl as I was in high school.
People, this is a terrible thing for me. I see exactly what my problem is. An intense addiction to food. A severe lack of willpower. A million stressors on my plate. All day. Every day.
So, today, I have decided to change everything. First and foremost, I'm going to allow this website and it's readers to hold me accountable. I've set plans in motion for the sake of my health and I intend to prove to you that I can achieve my goals.
I watched a couple documentaries about food on Hulu and Netflix so I've officially scared myself off some foods for the next 3-4 days. I've made a list of 5k runs and 1 sprint triathlon in August that I plan to accomplish. This should help motivate me to improve my fitness. I'm also going to get back into the habit of searching out lean protein and vegetable ideas to try and share with you. This helped me last time, so I'm hoping to do well again.
Send words of encouragement because I'm descending into the low-carb vortex again and it's going to be awfully dark and sad for a while. Hope to see my slimmer, healthier, sunnier disposition on the other side!
Maple Dijon Chicken
1 lb. chicken breasts
Maple Dijon Sauce:
3 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp onion powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a large bowl.
Combine the chicken in a plastic bag with half the sauce.
Marinate for at least one hour.
Grill chicken breasts on a grill until thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat.
Pour the second half of the sauce over the chicken prior to serving.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
Bulletproof Coffee
Can we talk about sleep?
Recently, I've been trying to improve my overall health and well-being by changing my eating and fitness habits. Since I was taking a long break from work to go on vacation, I thought it would be a good time to start my new plan.
Then... I went back to work.
Being a night-shifter for several years, I never realized the toll that a lack of sleep could have on me.
The days leading up to my return to work were great. I didn't feel hungry. I had a new goal in life and it felt realistic. I was exercising. I was LIKING vegetables, like, at every meal. It was only a few days, but it felt like a huge positive change.
Then, the morning following my first shift back, everything changed.
My energy was gone. My willpower was gone. I felt it dissipate as soon as I got to work. The constant temptation of office desk candy and late-night pizza deliveries loomed over me. Working night shifts is something I truly feel contributed to my obnoxious and embarrassing weight gain. The sleep cycle changes screw up my metabolism. The meal time changes screw up my mindset.
It seems wholly unfair that you can mistake bored for hungry, but also tired for hungry. Why is it that at 3AM, I just want to plow 150 grams of carbs into my face? And, sometimes, I do. And, it never helps.
So, I wanted to come up with something I could make in the middle of the night that could stave off cravings, keep me energized and get me through until morning.
First, I tried vegetables. Now, I'm not calling myself a genius, but my mind does know the difference between candy and cucumber slices. My mind was also unwilling to be satiated by veggies made of mostly water.
I researched ketogenic fat bombs, but the ingredients list is far too specific. My pantry consists of things that I can use in several recipes. I don't have baking chocolate made with 99% cocoa, or MCT oil, or whatever erythritol is. If I need a fat bomb that bad, it's going to be the real thing!
Then I found bulletproof coffee. It sounded...disgusting. Butter in coffee? What???
Trying to be a little less cynical, I decided to, at least, look it over. No harm in a little reading, right? I had coffee at home. I had butter. I had coconut oil, which has these MCTs in them that everyone seems to be raging about these days. If it sounded somewhat legit, I'd be worth trying it.
I had to sift through a ton of a debatable "research" and just decided to go with it. Everyone, it seems, on the internet has an opinion about what type of ingredients to use. Grass-fed vs. Grain-fed butter. Coconut oil vs. MCT oil. Espresso vs. Coffee. I don't know that I believe there is a huge nutritional benefit one way or another. Plus, I'm not using this as a stand-in for my veggie-laden omelets or my vitamin-packed smoothies. I need something to keep me from drowning in carbs at random hours of the night while I work. I used grass-fed butter because I buy it from a local Amish establishment that sells it. I buy coconut oil because it has several other applications in my life. And, I drink coffee normally, so I stick with that over espresso.
So, this is the recipe I tried, and it's actually... not that bad. It definitely doesn't compare to a Frappuccino or an Iced Capp from Tim Horton's, but it's an easy meal/snack replacement I can do at work that does make me feel a little fuller. I can't say that it's a true meal replacement option for me. I wouldn't sacrifice my normal breakfast options for this. But, I think it gets me over the 3AM hump, so I can get out of work in the morning without reaching for candy. It keeps me awake, and keeps me away from the snacks.
Bulletproof Coffee
1 cup of brewed coffee
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
Combine ingredients in a coffee mug and sip as you would coffee.
I tend to use a little natural sweetener in this also. I've read some posts about using cinnamon and cocoa powder as well, but I have not tried it. You can sweeten and flavor this any way you want!
It seems wholly unfair that you can mistake bored for hungry, but also tired for hungry. Why is it that at 3AM, I just want to plow 150 grams of carbs into my face? And, sometimes, I do. And, it never helps.
So, I wanted to come up with something I could make in the middle of the night that could stave off cravings, keep me energized and get me through until morning.
First, I tried vegetables. Now, I'm not calling myself a genius, but my mind does know the difference between candy and cucumber slices. My mind was also unwilling to be satiated by veggies made of mostly water.
I researched ketogenic fat bombs, but the ingredients list is far too specific. My pantry consists of things that I can use in several recipes. I don't have baking chocolate made with 99% cocoa, or MCT oil, or whatever erythritol is. If I need a fat bomb that bad, it's going to be the real thing!
Then I found bulletproof coffee. It sounded...disgusting. Butter in coffee? What???
Trying to be a little less cynical, I decided to, at least, look it over. No harm in a little reading, right? I had coffee at home. I had butter. I had coconut oil, which has these MCTs in them that everyone seems to be raging about these days. If it sounded somewhat legit, I'd be worth trying it.
I had to sift through a ton of a debatable "research" and just decided to go with it. Everyone, it seems, on the internet has an opinion about what type of ingredients to use. Grass-fed vs. Grain-fed butter. Coconut oil vs. MCT oil. Espresso vs. Coffee. I don't know that I believe there is a huge nutritional benefit one way or another. Plus, I'm not using this as a stand-in for my veggie-laden omelets or my vitamin-packed smoothies. I need something to keep me from drowning in carbs at random hours of the night while I work. I used grass-fed butter because I buy it from a local Amish establishment that sells it. I buy coconut oil because it has several other applications in my life. And, I drink coffee normally, so I stick with that over espresso.
So, this is the recipe I tried, and it's actually... not that bad. It definitely doesn't compare to a Frappuccino or an Iced Capp from Tim Horton's, but it's an easy meal/snack replacement I can do at work that does make me feel a little fuller. I can't say that it's a true meal replacement option for me. I wouldn't sacrifice my normal breakfast options for this. But, I think it gets me over the 3AM hump, so I can get out of work in the morning without reaching for candy. It keeps me awake, and keeps me away from the snacks.
Bulletproof Coffee
1 cup of brewed coffee
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
Combine ingredients in a coffee mug and sip as you would coffee.
I tend to use a little natural sweetener in this also. I've read some posts about using cinnamon and cocoa powder as well, but I have not tried it. You can sweeten and flavor this any way you want!
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Roasted Carrots with Maple Dijon Sauce
Last year, I went on a no-carb diet.
It lasted all of a few weeks. You may remember it, as I brought you all along. In those few short weeks, I felt slimmer, healthier and more energized than I had in a long time.
Then... bread happened.
I missed it so much. I thought I was fastened securely inside the wagon only to be violently chucked to the curb, unable to get back on.
Cut to today, and I'm a hot mess.
Why? Well, because last week, we enjoyed a nice relaxing vacation in Atlantic City. Nothing big, just a little reset button after I finished school for the semester. When I got back, I was horrified to find that the scale in my bathroom was hovering on a number I hadn't seen since my senior year of high school.
Now, mind you, after I graduated high school, I got good and small. Apparently, I looked really good. In a case of what I self-diagnosed as mild body dysmorphia (the altered perception of one's body), I never saw what other people saw when I looked in the mirror. I never felt thin, or good in my clothes. I still saw the same girl from high school.
Now, I am officially the same girl as I was in high school.
People, this is a terrible thing for me. I see exactly what my problem is. An intense addiction to food. A severe lack of willpower. A million stressors on my plate. All day. Every day.
So, today, I have decided to change everything. First and foremost, I'm going to allow this website and it's readers to hold me accountable. I've set plans in motion for the sake of my health and I intend to prove to you that I can achieve my goals.
I watched a couple documentaries about food on Hulu and Netflix so I've officially scared myself off some foods for the next 3-4 days. I've made a list of 5k runs and 1 sprint triathlon in August that I plan to accomplish. This should help motivate me to improve my fitness. I'm also going to get back into the habit of searching out lean protein and vegetable ideas to try and share with you. This helped me last time, so I'm hoping to do well again.
Send words of encouragement because I'm descending into the low-carb vortex again and it's going to be awfully dark and sad for a while. Hope to see my slimmer, healthier, sunnier disposition on the other side!
Roasted Carrots with Maple Dijon Sauce
6 large carrots
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Maple Dijon Sauce:
3 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp onion powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat oven 400F.
Arrange carrots on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil on both sides and season to taste.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients.
Set carrots out onto a serving dish and drizzle sauce over them. Serve hot.
It lasted all of a few weeks. You may remember it, as I brought you all along. In those few short weeks, I felt slimmer, healthier and more energized than I had in a long time.
Then... bread happened.
I missed it so much. I thought I was fastened securely inside the wagon only to be violently chucked to the curb, unable to get back on.
Cut to today, and I'm a hot mess.
Why? Well, because last week, we enjoyed a nice relaxing vacation in Atlantic City. Nothing big, just a little reset button after I finished school for the semester. When I got back, I was horrified to find that the scale in my bathroom was hovering on a number I hadn't seen since my senior year of high school.
Now, mind you, after I graduated high school, I got good and small. Apparently, I looked really good. In a case of what I self-diagnosed as mild body dysmorphia (the altered perception of one's body), I never saw what other people saw when I looked in the mirror. I never felt thin, or good in my clothes. I still saw the same girl from high school.
Now, I am officially the same girl as I was in high school.
People, this is a terrible thing for me. I see exactly what my problem is. An intense addiction to food. A severe lack of willpower. A million stressors on my plate. All day. Every day.
So, today, I have decided to change everything. First and foremost, I'm going to allow this website and it's readers to hold me accountable. I've set plans in motion for the sake of my health and I intend to prove to you that I can achieve my goals.
I watched a couple documentaries about food on Hulu and Netflix so I've officially scared myself off some foods for the next 3-4 days. I've made a list of 5k runs and 1 sprint triathlon in August that I plan to accomplish. This should help motivate me to improve my fitness. I'm also going to get back into the habit of searching out lean protein and vegetable ideas to try and share with you. This helped me last time, so I'm hoping to do well again.
Send words of encouragement because I'm descending into the low-carb vortex again and it's going to be awfully dark and sad for a while. Hope to see my slimmer, healthier, sunnier disposition on the other side!
Roasted Carrots with Maple Dijon Sauce
6 large carrots
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Maple Dijon Sauce:
3 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp onion powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat oven 400F.
Arrange carrots on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil on both sides and season to taste.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients.
Set carrots out onto a serving dish and drizzle sauce over them. Serve hot.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Greek Bean Salad
Last year, I went on a no-carb diet.
It lasted all of a few weeks. You may remember it, as I brought you all along. In those few short weeks, I felt slimmer, healthier and more energized than I had in a long time.
Then... bread happened.
I missed it so much. I thought I was fastened securely inside the wagon only to be violently chucked to the curb, unable to get back on.
Cut to today, and I'm a hot mess.
Why? Well, because last week, we enjoyed a nice relaxing vacation in Atlantic City. Nothing big, just a little reset button after I finished school for the semester. When I got back, I was horrified to find that the scale in my bathroom was hovering on a number I hadn't seen since my senior year of high school.
Now, mind you, after I graduated high school, I got good and small. Apparently, I looked really good. In a case of what I self-diagnosed as mild body dysmorphia (the altered perception of one's body), I never saw what other people saw when I looked in the mirror. I never felt thin, or good in my clothes. I still saw the same girl from high school.
Now, I am officially the same girl as I was in high school.
People, this is a terrible thing for me. I see exactly what my problem is. An intense addiction to food. A severe lack of willpower. A million stressors on my plate. All day. Every day.
So, today, I have decided to change everything. First and foremost, I'm going to allow this website and it's readers to hold me accountable. I've set plans in motion for the sake of my health and I intend to prove to you that I can achieve my goals.
I watched a couple documentaries about food on Hulu and Netflix so I've officially scared myself off some foods for the next 3-4 days. I've made a list of 5k runs and 1 sprint triathlon in August that I plan to accomplish. This should help motivate me to improve my fitness. I'm also going to get back into the habit of searching out lean protein and vegetable ideas to try and share with you. This helped me last time, so I'm hoping to do well again.
Send words of encouragement because I'm descending into the low-carb vortex again and it's going to be awfully dark and sad for a while. Hope to see my slimmer, healthier, sunnier disposition on the other side!
Greek Bean Salad
2 cups green beans. cooked and blanched
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup diced kalamata olives
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup Spiedie sauce
Combine everything in a serving dish. Serve cold.
It lasted all of a few weeks. You may remember it, as I brought you all along. In those few short weeks, I felt slimmer, healthier and more energized than I had in a long time.
Then... bread happened.
I missed it so much. I thought I was fastened securely inside the wagon only to be violently chucked to the curb, unable to get back on.
Cut to today, and I'm a hot mess.
Why? Well, because last week, we enjoyed a nice relaxing vacation in Atlantic City. Nothing big, just a little reset button after I finished school for the semester. When I got back, I was horrified to find that the scale in my bathroom was hovering on a number I hadn't seen since my senior year of high school.
Now, mind you, after I graduated high school, I got good and small. Apparently, I looked really good. In a case of what I self-diagnosed as mild body dysmorphia (the altered perception of one's body), I never saw what other people saw when I looked in the mirror. I never felt thin, or good in my clothes. I still saw the same girl from high school.
Now, I am officially the same girl as I was in high school.
People, this is a terrible thing for me. I see exactly what my problem is. An intense addiction to food. A severe lack of willpower. A million stressors on my plate. All day. Every day.
So, today, I have decided to change everything. First and foremost, I'm going to allow this website and it's readers to hold me accountable. I've set plans in motion for the sake of my health and I intend to prove to you that I can achieve my goals.
I watched a couple documentaries about food on Hulu and Netflix so I've officially scared myself off some foods for the next 3-4 days. I've made a list of 5k runs and 1 sprint triathlon in August that I plan to accomplish. This should help motivate me to improve my fitness. I'm also going to get back into the habit of searching out lean protein and vegetable ideas to try and share with you. This helped me last time, so I'm hoping to do well again.
Send words of encouragement because I'm descending into the low-carb vortex again and it's going to be awfully dark and sad for a while. Hope to see my slimmer, healthier, sunnier disposition on the other side!
Greek Bean Salad
2 cups green beans. cooked and blanched
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup diced kalamata olives
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup Spiedie sauce
Combine everything in a serving dish. Serve cold.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Wintergreen/Spearmint/Mint Extract
I am obsessed with homemade extracts.
I see you rolling your eyes at my dramatic use of the word "obsessed", or perhaps you're just bored with it because I'm seemingly obsessed with everything I make.
But seriously, I'm so so so so so into making my own homemade extracts.
They taste so much better than store-bought versions, and I've been placing them in these cute little corked bottles and using them as decorative accents in my kitchen. It's called killing two birds with one stone, people. I need extracts, and I need cute decorations.
Classy and crafty.
Previously, I've made vanilla extract, habanero extract and a slew of citrus extracts. Now that I've been experimenting with my herb garden, I'm ready to try some green extracts that introduce a lot of fresh flavor into dishes even out of season.
I'm trying out wintergreen leaves, which you can easily grow in your own herb garden. This extract could do in a pinch when you don't have any fresh herbs on hand and you don't want to use the dried variety.
So, here's an excellent recipe for you to use to make your own batch of homemade wintergreen extract!
Wintergreen Extract
1/2 cup wintergreen leaves
2/3 grain alcohol
Insert wintergreen leaves into a mason jar or decorative glass bottle.
Pour alcohol over the wintergreen leaves. Seal with a lid.
Let sit for 2-4 weeks before using, shaking the bottles every couple days.
I see you rolling your eyes at my dramatic use of the word "obsessed", or perhaps you're just bored with it because I'm seemingly obsessed with everything I make.
But seriously, I'm so so so so so into making my own homemade extracts.
They taste so much better than store-bought versions, and I've been placing them in these cute little corked bottles and using them as decorative accents in my kitchen. It's called killing two birds with one stone, people. I need extracts, and I need cute decorations.
Classy and crafty.
Previously, I've made vanilla extract, habanero extract and a slew of citrus extracts. Now that I've been experimenting with my herb garden, I'm ready to try some green extracts that introduce a lot of fresh flavor into dishes even out of season.
I'm trying out wintergreen leaves, which you can easily grow in your own herb garden. This extract could do in a pinch when you don't have any fresh herbs on hand and you don't want to use the dried variety.
So, here's an excellent recipe for you to use to make your own batch of homemade wintergreen extract!
Wintergreen Extract
1/2 cup wintergreen leaves
2/3 grain alcohol
Insert wintergreen leaves into a mason jar or decorative glass bottle.
Pour alcohol over the wintergreen leaves. Seal with a lid.
Let sit for 2-4 weeks before using, shaking the bottles every couple days.
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