Sisters Work For Chocolate: 2012

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Farm Fresh and Active

After months of blogging at sisters work for chocolate, our focus has changed with our new found Paleo lifestyle. It has been 6 months and things are going fantastic. We have now dedicated our eating habits to a cleaner, healthier and more natural way of eating. Check our my new site at

www.farmfreshandactive.com

Hope you enjoy the new site, I look forward to hearing your feedback and comments soon!

Monday, June 11, 2012

8 out of 21 Days Without Sugar, Dairy and Fruit Completed

I am going to be brutally honest- this sucked (at first)! I can't imagine how miserable one might be if they started this while they were eating a SAD (Standard American Diet). Luckily, I was already primal and was only hooked on natural sugars, fruits and dairy. Here is a little synopsis of my week with no sugar. I promise it is only 2 days that were bad- I am guessing they were my days of full detox.

Day 1: I was on an encouragement high and felt excited to start. I didn't crave sugar, dairy or sweets at all and this was an easy day.

Breakfast: I got up early and made eggs with chicken, avocado, tomato and peppers.
I sipped on decaf coffee throughout my morning.
Lunch: a huge salad with lots of veggies and sunflower seeds
Snacked on some cashews and almonds
Dinner: Grilled Chicken and sauteed carrots

Day 2: I was okay until a kid brought me some chocolates- he walked out of the room and I ran to them and threw them in the trash shouting AWAY TEMPTATION AWAY! I wasn't too upset or mad about not eating the junk food. I was actually still feeling pretty good

Breakfast: Eggs and tomato with my decaf coffee
Lunch: Grilled chicken breast, Broccoli and a tomato/cucumber salad with balsamic vinegar
Snacked on some carrots or nuts in the mid afternoon
Dinner: We had dinner with friends and they cooked us some Korean Beef Lettuce wraps, Salmon, green beans and squash medley. All approved-they were so thoughtful to ask about our eating before they cooked. They even left the seasoning off of our salmon since it had sugar in it.

I brought fruit and dark chocolate for dessert- Brandon and our friends enjoyed that while I sipped my water. I was so stuffed from dinner that I didn't even mind.

Day 3: I knew I was going to have my first real challenge today- Happy Hour with my girls. Today was another fairly easy day but after my crappy dinner I wanted to come home for some Coconut ice cream or chocolate bar.

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and a glass of Unsweetened ice tea with lemon
Lunch: A huge salad with fresh turkey, Egg, Avocado, tomato and green peppers.
Dinner: We ate at this not so good for paleo on a budget restaurant called "Season 52". It had terrible service and was overpriced. I mis-read the menu and ordered a flat bread (thinking it was a sandwich I could just take the bread off.) I basically paid $20 for 8 bite size chicken pieces some red peppers and onion.

Needless to say I was starving and this started my downhill trek on this detox. Going to bed hungry!! I don't recommend this because I didn't sleep well and my stomach was growling.

Day 4: I was tired and had a headache. I was very low on energy and extremely agitated (SORRY BRANDON!)

Breakfast: Scrambled egg with chicken. I ran out of decaf coffee and had to just drink water.
Lunch: Big salad full of veggies and pepperoni.
Dinner: I was so angry about my previous nights meal that I decided to make my own paleo version. I made a nice flat bread and topped it with chicken, parsley, balsamic red peppers and onions. It was so good and my attitude improved after dinner.

After dinner Brandon cut up this huge yummy pineapple and that made me a little bitter so I just went to bed.

Day 5: The worst of all the days. I was feverish, achy, depressed and just an unpleasant person to be around. I did go to a little happy hour at Dogfish with some friends but I had a glass of water while we vented about our work week and I left before the shots started.

Breakfast: I had loss of appetite and decided to just nibble on some almonds and cashews and I treated myself to a coffee on my way to school.
Lunch: Broccoli, chicken breast and a little garden salad
Dinner: Because I was so grumpy, Brandon surprised me while I laid on the couch miserable with a sweetener free, dairy free dinner. He usedthis recipe minus the cheese and added a seasoned venison and tomato on mine. He called them Mini- Burgers and they were awesome and filling.

Day 6: Another bad day but not due to sugar. I woke up feeling great, no cravings and ready for my 5k with Brandon. Turns out I should have gone to a physical therapist and I shouldn't have tried to fix my knee myself. This was a hill filled course and my knee got injured even more. I had trouble running and really wanted to quit. Surprisingly my time was still under 30min and Brandon even got 3rd place for his division. The rest of the day I spent icing and elevating my knee. I did a little gardening and yard work but it was hard to move around.

Pre-Race: I had a some nuts and water and a bite of an Thunderbird energy bar (did have dates but no other sweeteners)

Breakfast: Giant 3 egg omelet with Venison, peppers, onions, tomato and guacamole
We had a late breakfast so I just had some carrots and veggies in the afternoon when I felt hungry.
Appetizer: We had an engagement party for my friends Kendayl and Mike. She is gluten free so I knew this would be a somewhat safe party. It was awesome meat on a stick, veggies and lots of water.
Dinner: After the party Brandon and I were both still a little hungry so we walked over to Sweet Green for a salad and a beautiful evening walk in Reston town center.

I didn't feel tempted by alcohol and actually realized that I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything by not drinking. I would have downed a few glasses of wine in the past. Besides my knee, I could feel my body getting settled into the no sugar, no dairy and no fruit. I was drinking a lot more water and I noticed I was using the bathroom more- probably not retaining all that water or substituting fruit for my water intake.

Day 7: I woke up feeling refreshed and happy just like Saturday morning. I wasn't starving but knew I needed some energy because I was going to be at church from 8:00-12 without food.

Breakfast: I made myself a smoothie with some nut butter, coffee and Coconut milk. This did the trick and I was fine without food until about 1:30.
Lunch: I made a Fajita Salad with venison, chicken, sauteed peppers and onions and fresh salsa and guacamole.

We spent the whole day at the pool and we swam and played and got some wonderful Vitamin D sunshine. I felt pretty good in my swimsuit because all the bloating is starting to go away. We took some water, carrots and macadamia nuts to snack on. After the pool we did a little shopping for clothes and food and realized it was 8:30 and we were finally getting hungry.

Dinner: BGR joint burgers, asparagus fries (for Brandon) and Sweet potato fries (for me)

Day 8: I am feeling fantastic! I woke up refreshed and energized. I got up early again and felt so prepared and organized. My thoughts were clear and I was able to make it through my day without craving any sweets. My body feels clean and healthy.

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with Guacamole
Lunch: Big salad with turkey and lots of veggies- no dressing
Snack: carrots and nuts
Dinner: Bacon and Fried Eggs made by my wonderful husband.

While my body feels great and I have energy, my leg is in a lot of pain after working all day. I made my first Physical Therapy appointment for tomorrow at 5:45. I am not looking forward to it but I realize I need to take care of my body so I can continue staying active. I HATE sitting around when my body just wants to go go go.

So it was a hard week but I had tons of encouragement from readers, family, friends and my amazing husband. My body feels great and I am ready to continue another week of a Sugar free, Dairy free and Fruit free diet. Reflecting on my week, I ate a lot of eggs and chicken. This week I am going to incorporate some more smoothies, tuna, fish and venison in my diet. I didn't feel bored with the foods I was eating these 8 days because it was yummy but 21 days of the same and I would give up.
Here are a few photos of some of our yummy meals. Enjoy and if you are addicted to sugar- keep following for the next few days to see what this experience has taught me. I think paleo, primal or SAD- you should try this.
This weeks goal is sleep. Sleep is just as important as the food you are putting in. I am trying for 7 hours a night!

Brandon's cheesy venison omelet- I would have had this but cheese doesn't settle with me.

My veggie filled omelet- so good and I didn't miss the cheese

Fresh hebs from my Garden and flat bread chicken triangles

Pasta sauce option

Brandon's mini- burger creations

Thursday, June 7, 2012

21 Day Sugar Detox- 4 Days Strong

On Monday I started a 21 day sugar detox and I wish I could say it is no big deal. This is hard!!!!!
I was okay on day 1 but day 2-4 were not so easy. I was eating fruit daily and allowing myself dark chocolate just about every day. While I never gained weight from eating this way, I wasn't losing anymore weight either. I decided that I have 23 days to work on my beach body before our OBX trip and I wanted to feel good. I know what you are thinking- you eat Paleo so you aren't eating sugar anyway. Right but I this is cutting out way more:

No Sweeteners (even natural)- Honey, Agave Nectar, Maple Syrup, Raw Cane Sugar
No Fruits
No Dairy

I am trying to teach my body not to depend on sugar as a meal replacement or a quick snack when I am hungry. We should be filling our meals with vegetables and proteins. When I was eating it daily I noticed that I was always hungry and always needed to eat. I felt bloated and was having some image hiccups because of the bloating.

So here I am at the last few moments of day 4. This was the worst day so far and I am praying tomorrow is better. Today I was on edge from about 2pm-8pm. I was short tempered, easily irritated, tired, under my eyes got real dark, I was tired, cold and honestly just wanted to cry.
I am not sure if this was solely detox related or if the other factors in my life played into this (menstruation, last few days of school before summer, etc...) either way, it was not a good day and I have a headache.
I came home made a yummy Chicken, balsamic red peppers and onions Flat bread for Brandon and I. Then I packed our lunches and once I was able to finally sit down, I noticed my mood change a little.

I am proud that I have made it 4 whole days but I am really praying it gets easier because I do notice less bloating and my stomach has a little more definition. I was able to keep my size 4 Capri's on despite being that time of the month! I am not very motivated to workout but I have been playing a lot with my kids- running, playground, monkey bars and pull up bars. When I come home though, I want to cook, pack my meals for Lunch and then go to bed. Watching Brandon cut up a delicious pineapple tonight in the kitchen was not very helpful but he looked like he was enjoying it and I couldn't bring myself to be grumpy with him.

In need of prayers and encouragement- 17 days to go!!!!

I will post some meals after my first week is complete.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Collard Greens and Chicken

Brandon and I have picked on my mom for years about her love of Collard Greens. I always thought it sounded so gross and we refused to try my mom's from Jimmy's Bar and Grill in Bridgeville. We used to meet there for breakfast when Brandon and I went to Salisbury University. Who knew this classic soul food actually tasted good. Brandon liked them more than I did but we both enjoyed them and would make them again.
Tonight's dinner was herb grilled chicken, sauteed carrots and sauteed collard greens.

Collard Greens

Ingredients:

Sea Salt
Garlic Powder
Chef Salt (I use The Stone Broke Chef but any spices and herbs will do, you could try Lawry's season salt)
1-2 TBS Butter
1 group of fresh Collard Greens

Process:

Heat butter in a sauce pan over medium to low heat.
Cut off the leaves of the Collards and cut into bite size pieces.
Place Collards in the sauce pan and allow them to heat and wilt.
Occasionally mix the collards.
Once they have been cooked to a wilt, add sat, garlic, pepper, Chef Salt.
Cook to your liking, I like them with a little crisp but Brandon likes them cooked all the way through.
Keep warm and enjoy!

Horrible phone pictures but this was a delicious meal!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

4 Year Anniversary Weekend

Hard to believe this was 4 years ago!

This weekend we took off for Rehoboth Beach, DE and stayed at Brandon's grandmothers place. We did a lot of laying around on the beach, walking around the shops and boardwalk, paddleboarding and eating! It was a great way to have some alone time away from our busy lives to reflect on the past 4 amazing years.

We have been through a lot (mostly good) and we are looking forward to many more wonderful years together.

One of the changes has obviously been our diet and our healthier lifestyle changes. While we were sitting and chatting over a basket of nachos at Arenas, I told him that it was crazy that this is our "cheat" food. This led to a long conversation about what we would have eaten compared to what we eat now. Here is our list:

Pre Primal Primal

Day 1- Day 1-

App: Meal:Nachos and water

Beer, Nacho's (cheat)

Meal:

Turkey Club w/ more chips

Fish Taco's w/ more chips

Dessert:

Brownie fudge sundae

Day 2-

Breakfast: Breakfast: Apple and

Fractured Prune Donuts( 4) banana, a litte trailmix

Lunch: Lunch:

Grotto Pizza and Sodas Italian sub Salad and water

Dinner: Dinner:

Shrimp and Beer Shrimp and unsweet. tea

Nachos Crab cake on cobb salad

Fried seafood Fish tacos (cheat)

Dessert: Dessert: Coffee

Candy Kitchen

Gummy worms

Licorice

Chocolate covered oreos

Day 3-

Breakfast: Breakfast:

Wawa Breakfast sandwich Western Omelet with

Starbucks frappe ham, peppers, onion and

homefries (cheat)

Bacon and cheese omelet

with cantaloupe

Water and Coffee

Lunch: Lunch:

Hardees burgers and fries apples and tralmix

Dinner: Dinner:

Take out when we got home. Chicken and Green beans

Dessert:

Dark Chocolate bar!

What a difference in our eating habits. I can't even imagine being able to eat all that food that we use to eat. Just after this weekend I feel a little icky and I am going on a 21 day sugar detox (just back to basic paleo) No dairy or chocolate or honey for me. I am hoping to get myself into gear in time for OBX vacation in a few weeks.

This was a fun game to play! Look at your daily foods, weekend eating and especially your vacation meals. Try to play this with your family and congratulate yourself on your improvements.

June 2, 2008

June 2, 2012

Some Rehoboth Beach photos!

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Are you wasting your strength?

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/inspiring-elementary-schooler-cerebral-palsy-runs-amazing-400-154523256.html

Watch this video, cry and realize that sometimes getting up off the couch to do a lap around the block shouldn't be a chore. Be thankful for what you have and don't let your health slip away by sitting back and wasting your good legs, your strong back and your strength. Watch this video and think: How easy do I have it? What is "Matt's" goal now that he has achieved that 400M? What is my goal? Have I been selfish with the body I have been given?

I cried when the coach walked out to encourage him and then I lost it when the whole class began walking and cheering. What a great encouragement for that little kid!

Get off the couch, get up and move!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Memorial Day Weekend Fun

Beautiful Hydrangea's that my mom brought me from her garden!

I posted about Brandon all weekend and that was mostly for family and friends. What did I do? Watched and photographed Brandon's swims, cleaned, cooked, blogged, school work and got to hang with my parents. They decided to come down Sunday night and play! My dad and I got up at 6:30am and went for a 3.5 mile walk around my neighborhood. I love spending time with my dad- he is the best dad in the world! We talked about lots of stuff and enjoyed the beautiful morning weather. Brandon and I also made dinner for my parents on the grill and some dessert.

Here is something for my foodies!

On the Grill-

I marinated grilling steaks for about 2 hours with salt, pepper, garlic, Chef Leo's meat rub and coconut amino's.
Brandon grilled them with a little Chef Salt for a kick of flavor (chef salt is another one of our friend the stone broke chef's creations that will be for sale soon!)
We had grilled brussel sprouts and a large Garden salad.

Dessert was delicious and easy. After making Lemon Bread I decided that it kind of tasted like pound cake and then all I could think about was pound cake with berries and cream.

Lemon Almond Pound Cake

(Red, White and Blue for memorial day)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 C. Almond flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Lemons Zest

2 Lemons, juice

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 C Honey

2 Tbsp Coconut Milk

1 tsp Cinnamon

5 Eggs

Process:

Combine Eggs, Milk, Honey, lemon juice and Vanilla in a mixer, beat well
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, lemon zest and cinnamon, mix well
Mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, beat well.
Grease an 8x8 cake pan (or any cake pan) and pour batter into the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes (time varies but start watching closely after 25 minutes) You want the top to be a nice golden brown and for a toothpick to come out clean.
Top with fresh berries, coconut ice cream and a little dark chocolate drizzle.

Crappy Phone Picture

This is an easy recipe and I ate it without berries and cream and still enjoyed it. Non- paleo friends loved it with the berries and ice cream but people who aren't use to the almond flour thought it was too nutty. (I had to make my mom ice cream, berries and chocolate instead because she didn't give me a chance to prepare the dessert properly for her without digging in!)

Memorial day Monday- I spent at an auction house in Ashburn with Brandon and my parents. It was really fun bidding on antiques and watching bidding wars. I am still amazed at what some people buy- stamps, old letters, ugly lamps and broken plastic dolls! Crazy but fun. Afterwards we went to the All American Steakhouse in Ashburn and enjoyed delicious salads. This is a photo of what I had to turn down (Brandon couldn't resist and neither could my parents.)

Happy Memorial Day weekend

My mom loves fresh hot gluten rolls!

The Hooch bottle Brandon got at auction for $7.00.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

More Swimming Pictures

Today Brandon swam a 2 mile race and then a 1 mile race. They call this weekend a "Triple Dipper" for him since he participated in all three race. 66 people signed up for the triple dip but only 46 completed it. Brandon got 29th! He finished 4th in his division for both the 2 miler and the 1 miler. Again relying a good meaty burger and veggies the night before and a Thunderbird Energetica Bar, banana and TONS of water for a pre-race breakfast. I am so proud of him and it was a great accomplishment for someone who was told it would be a long time, if ever, that he would be able to swim competitively again.

2 Miler Race and Opening Ceremonies