What do I do when.. Q&A time.

Our Fridge  prepared for lunches and Breakfasts for the next day

I have had some great feedback from my previous blogs. I have also had a lot of questions from people trying to eat healthier. Here are a few of the questions with some of my advice. Before you read this- go to Costco and invest in TUPPERWARE. I hope you find some answers to any questions you had. If not, ask me questions and I will do my best to answer them.  

1.) If I buy veggies and fruits and just throw them in a drawer- I tend to forget about them and they go bad before I can salvage them for a meal. Do I have to grocery shop every day for fresh veggies?

I have gotten into the routine of washing it all, cutting it, packaging it for lunches or putting it with the other foods that I am going to make a meal with. This is my OCD showing but it is a great way to make sure I don't waist great food. This only takes about 30 minutes once you've got your Tupperware/baggies and routine set in place.

2.) I eat more fruit because it is small and it seems more easily accessible. How can I get more vegetables in my diet?

In an attempt to eat less fruit, I decided to cut and package veggies, pre- cook and package veggies and keep them more accessible than my fruits. I have been grabbing the carrots, tomatoes and celery over the pineapple and strawberries.

3.) Lunch is HARD to do because I work, what do you do for lunch?

My best advice here is- make extra! I always make extra pieces of chicken or extra meat for leftovers. I throw it on a salad or with some steam fresh veggies and it is a perfect lunch. Another great idea is to make some soup on Sunday and pre-package it into Tupperware for the week. Most soups can be frozen and saved for later in the week.

4.) What Can I do for Breakfast besides Eggs?

Eggs can raise your cholesterol so I have been told to eat no more than 6 a week. Other options are muffins- check out some of the muffins on the blog, Meat (sausage, bacon, ham, leftover steaks etc.) and sweet potato hash, fruit with some nuts and seeds or pancakes (we have had pancakes leftover from dinner and they are fine reheated in the morning.)

5.) How do you work all day, come home, exercise and prepare meals?

I have an amazing husband who helps me, motivates me and encourages me daily. He will jump in and cook meals if he is home first. We have an I cook, you clean system. We generally help prepare the menu's, grocery shop and organize our meals together. I prepare our lunches and get the coffee set up the night before. I pre-make a lot of the meals on Sundays. Because I eat healthy, I have more energy and (a lot of days Brandon begs me to go run off my energy). I think the keys here are: Preparation and a partner who encourages you or joins in your healthier lifestyle with you(it doesn't have to be a spouse, it could be a friend- I have a friend who does Sunday cook day with her daughter and then they package the meals and distribute for the week).

Eating healthy can work for you and to stay consistent, you have to stay organized. If you go to your fridge and there isn't any food, you will devour anything you can find. There have been days where I walk in and will literally eat whatever is in front of me. On my prepared days, it is veggies or fruit but on my unprepared days it is chocolate or less healthy items.

What are your healthy tips for others? What do you do that helps you to eat veggies over fruits or chocolates?



Creation Diet is the new Paleo!

My Friend was doing an Esther Bible study and thought today's was interesting.  Esther 2:9~ says the girls were given "Special foods". She is currently doing the Beth Moore study on Esther and this is what  Beth Moore says about the foods they were eating and why:

"In all probability the "special foods"..involved fattening the girls up.  What a refreshing thought!....Esther and her royal cohorts were under royal command to eat!  The fattening foods they were served, however, were probably not the Persian version of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy.  Since they were intended to enhance beauty, their meals were probably rich in olive oil and the tables spread with assortments of nuts and higher density fruits and vegetables like our bananas, avocados, and yams."

Since we have decided to eat Paleo, I have felt really uncomfortable with all of the sites and books we are reading to learn more about the foods we should eat, why we should eat them and the science behind it. Paleo: is shortened from "paleolithic era". The times of cavemen millions of years ago. As a christian, I do not believe the world has been around for millions of years. I don't believe in Evolution. I hate that the way we eat is associated with Evolution because people assume that we are somehow going to become Evolutionists. - I JUST WANT TO EAT NATURAL!!! I am a creationist and I am a firm believer in God creating the heavens and the earth and I don't believe the world has been around for millions of years.
 I don't want to get into a biblical discussion on a food blog but if you are interested in my theories- read the Bible or check out Ken Ham.  He is the best because he compares and contrast Creation and Evolution and gives wonderful insight to both theories. I remember reading his book when I was younger- Answers in Genesis and even had the privilege of seeing him speak. 

I would prefer to call the way that I eat the CREATION diet! 

So here are a few Bible verses that I feel align with how we are currently eating. I am going to try to transform our "PALEO" diet to my own version of "Creationist diet". What would Adam and Eve eat? What was in the Garden of Eden? What was at the last supper? What did God  provide for his people when they needed healing and new life? 

Let's start with my personal Favorite: 

• Daniel 1:12-17~"Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.  Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see."  So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.  So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

The rest of these I got from Robert Kolar's site

• Song of Solomon 2:5~ Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love
• 1 Samuel 30:12 ~  part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.
• Deuteronomy 14:9~Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales.
• Luke 24:42-43~They gave him a piece of broiled fish. And he took it and ate it in their presence.
• Numbers 11:5~We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.
• Deuteronomy 8:8~a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey;
• Matthew 23:23~"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
• Luke 11:42~"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone

• Genesis 1:11~Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.
• Genesis 1:29~Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Flour from this bible was not the typical WHITE processed flour that we can buy today- it was made by the people from Manna or grains. When eating "CREATION" style- we use almonds, coconut, flax and other naturally produced flours for baking. This means that we do eat bread- it may not be the bread that America is used to but it is a bread and I think it would probably be more like the bread that they ate in the Bible.

• Numbers 11:7 -9~The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. 8) The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. 9) When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

• John 19:29-30~A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30) When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
• 1 Samuel 14:27~But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.
• 2 Samuel 17:29~honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows' milk for David and his people to eat. For they said, "The people have become hungry and tired and thirsty in the desert."
• Genesis 43:11~Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift--a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.
• Genesis 9:3~Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."

I am going to continue my research and align my eating from a biblical standpoint. But God gave us Fish, Meat, Fruits, Nuts, Vegetables and Water to be healthy. From now on I will be trying my hardest to refer to my eating as the "Creation diet" rather than the Paleo diet. What are your thoughts? What else can you tell me about Foods in the Bible? What are your favorite Food Bible verses? 

Thursday motivation

“80 percent of success is showing up.” – Woody Allen

I tried Boot camp at my gym tonight and Monday I am going to my first Cross Fit session. I really am not a strong person, I have ZIP, ZERO, ZILCH upper body strength but I am interested in the different classes and strategies that will help me gain some strength. I would not normally go to classes that I can't walk in and stand in the back until I am comfortable with them but I had some friends invite me to tag along. Thanks to my friends for always encouraging me and helping me out. Especially my wonderful Husband and Tim Morrill for your demanding workouts for my push up/pull up goals :) OUCH!

If you are struggling with getting  out, joining a gym, walking/running a race- The best advice I can give you is to invite a friend, force your significant other or just show up and force someone in the class to be your friend!!!

Why YES, This was how I felt tonight!

Crab topped Talapia

Only a few months til OBX and I can't wait! I am getting excited to put my feet in the sand and listen to the ocean by day. Chow down on some fresh seafood and chase ghost crabs by night. Tonight I decided to prepare a little OBX favorite- Fish and Crab.

My litte ghost crab from Avon, NC in 2009 :)

Crab Topping   

Ingredients:

• 1/4 of an Onion, chopped finely
• 1 Tbs. Grass fed butter (any butter will do)
• 1tsp parsley
• 1tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 cup almond flour (bread crumbs will work too)
• 8 oz. Crab meat
• 1/2 Lemon, juice only



Spine of Talapia- place this down in pan

• 1Tbs Old bay Seasoning (yes I am from Maryland- that's how we roll)
• 4 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets , approximately 6 oz each
• 2 Tbs. Butter, Melted (optional)
• Old Bay or Paprika for a sprinkle on the top. (Optional)

Fish Process:

• 2-4 Talapia filets, thawed

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Put 1 Tbs butter and onion in a pan and sautee until tender.
3. Add parsley and Garlic Powder, mix well, remove from heat
4. Put crab meat in a medium bowl, add onion and seasons. 
5. Grease an oven safe dish and place fish in seam side down.
6. Top the fish with Crab meat for a "Topped" fish or if you want "stuffed" - fill fish with a little crab meat and fold the fish over.
7. Put any leftover stuffing on or around the fish to cook along.
8.  Sprinkle with butter and old bay seasoning for garnish and extra flavor
9. Allow fish to cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes

  



                                           

                                                             Place in the oven



Enjoy!

Fresh Blueberry Pancakes

Looking forward to my usual Wednesday night Breakfast for Dinner night and thought I would share this from last weeks meals! 

Fresh Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients

·         4 eggs

·         1 cup milk (raw, organic or coconut)

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         1/2 cup coconut flour

·         1 tsp baking soda

·         1/2 tsp sea salt

·         coconut oil or butter for frying

·         1/2 tsp Cinnamon

·         Optional: 1 c. Fresh Blueberries, fruit of your choice or Chocolate chips

Process:

·         Beat eggs in a bowl until well blended

·         Add in Vanilla and Milk, mix well

·         Add in the rest of the ingredients, mix until no lumps are left.

·         Optional- You can add in fresh fruit or chocolate for extra flavor-stir gently with a spoon.

·         Grease a skillet and pour small pancakes in. Cook on medium heat until lightly browned.

Brandon decided to turn his into a Pancake, egg, sandwich type thing that he thought was an incredible creation! Must be a guy thing but it looked pretty cool! 

His and Hers! 

Pizza Night

                                         Perfectly Delicious Primal Pizza

Pizza Crust-

2 cups Blanched Almond Flour

3 Eggs

3 TBS Olive Oil

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 TBS Oregano

1 tsp Sea Salt

Combine all of the Pizza Crust ingredients with a fork until it is thick and begins to form a ball.

Once you have made a ball with the crust place it on a olive oiled pizza stone (or cookie sheet).

Cover with Parchment paper and roll flat.

Brush the crust with fresh minced garlic and olive oil.

Bake the crust for about 15 minutes at 350F.


Pizza Sauce- 
I used the Pizza Sauce from my last Pizza Here 


Top pizza with whatever toppings you enjoy. Tonight I did a variety of toppings for Brandon and I. I love Veggies and he was in the mood for cheese. 


Our Toppings-
Brandon's half:
Raw Organic cheddar cheese- grated
Raw Organic Mozzarella- Grated
~Grate these two cheese right on top of the crust and sauce
Sprinkle the top with a little Italian seasoning


Kimberly's half:
Raw Organic Cheddar Cheese- grated (trader Joe's)
Raw organic Mozzarella- sliced into thin pieces (trader Joe's)
Sliced pepper, onion and tomato


Place toppings on the pizza and Bake for another 15minutes until cheeses are melted.
Enjoy! 





This crust is a fluffier chewier crust- my last pizza was more like a drier flat bread pizza. Brandon liked this one the best and said it fixed his Pizza craving. He kept walking around saying- that pizza was awesome- delicious- yum! Thanks for making this pizza. I think this is a new staple and we might be able to bring back Friday night pizza night! :) 

Paleo/ Primal Eating- Why do it?

Weight loss, Healthier, more energy, No more medications, Better hair, better skin, better achievements at the gym, A fun challenge, Try something new that you don't have to pay for a meal plan or a gym membership! Brandon lost a pants size without stepping foot in a gym!

Try it for 21 days and I garuntee that you won't regret it!!

Typical week for us:

Paleo Meat staples:
Venison
Free- Range chicken or game birds
Nitrate free bacon or ham
Roasted Turkey
Pork
Try to go with Grass fed, lean meats for the bulk of your meat eating. Breakfast meats are tricky- we do ham, bacon or even left over pulled pork or steaks with eggs or in an omelet.

My Paleo Snack or side dish staples:

Cauliflower
Salad
Asparagus
Fresh Salsa
Guacamole
Carrots
Celery
Squash
Cucumbers
Onion
Peppers
Grape tomatoes
sesame seeds
almonds
Macadamia nuts
Cashews
 Berries or in season fruits
Almond flour (buy in bulk)
Coconut flour
Any fruit in moderation
a little dried fruit in moderation
Dark chocolate 72% or higher in moderation
*Eat all the veggies you want- some days I eat an entire container of cherry tomatoes for a snack.
Dijon mustard's
oil and vinegar
Herbs and spices


Try to avoid:
Dairy products (If full Paleo, if just primal- you may have full fat, raw organic milk products- Brandon is more Primal because he still does cheese and cream in his coffee)
Sugar (yes sugar is not paleo) replace with honey, agave nectar, palm sugar or maple syrup- all natural
Juices- make your own
White/ wheat flour
Grains- your body cannot naturally digest them
Starchy vegetables- no white potatoes or corn
Legumes- What the heck is a legume?
Soy
*When buying dark chocolate- try to get soy, dairy free - or make sure soy lechtin is last on the list*
Trans-fats
Processed- pre made foods.
Vegetable oil
Butter- unless grass fed
Best tip- Read the labels and make sure you know what all of the ingredients are before you buy them. Buy foods with the least amount of ingredients.

*I've noticed that if I pre-slice some of the veggies and keep them in an easily accessible container- I am more likely to snack on them rather than opening up a chocolate bar or a bag of nuts and dried fruits.
For a great description and shopping list check out Mark Sisson. For some great inspiration and to see what your foods are doing to your body, read the Friday success stories- make sure you have a box of tissues!
For a good recipe book check out: Make it Paleo
Or check out these blogs: nomnompaleo.com, http://www.primal-palate.com/, http://www.paleocomfortfoods.com/, http://www.balancedbites.com/, http://www.everydaypaleo.com/ or continue to follow our blog! :)

Let me know if you try it!

Perfectly Paleo Pumpkin swirl cakes

Tonight I made some muffins to incorporate into our meals this week. These were delicious!! Brandon told me to make about 4 more batches to make sure that he really does like them ;)

These came from blending a few recipes together. My friend has a blog and she posted about cinnamon swirl muffins. I thought it sounded great but I really wanted to try some pumpkin spice muffing instead. So I combined the two recipes and got "Perfectly Paleo Pumpkin Swirl Cakes".

Preheat oven to 350F

 

Ingredients:

1/2 C Coconut Flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie spice

1/2 can of Canned Pumpkin

6 Eggs

1/3 cup Agave Nectar or pure Honey

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 C Coconut oil, melted

Cinnamon swirl Ingredients:

1/4 C. Honey

1/4C Coconut Oil, Melted

2 Tbs Ground Cinnamon

Muffin Process:

· Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.

· Combine Pumpkin and eggs (one at a time) and wet ingredients into a bowl

· Pour Wet mixture into the dry ingredients and use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients until it is well blended, no lumps.

· Pour batter into muffin tins, 2/3 of the way up. *Paper tends to be a bit stickier, try tin or just grease a pan.*

Cinnamon Swirl Process:

· In a separate bowl combine all the ingredients and whisk until well blended. *you can add chopped walnuts if desired*

· Top each muffin with about a teaspoon of swirl mixture. Use a toothpick to swirl the mixture into the pumpkin muffin.

Bake:

·  Place the muffins in the oven 350F.

· Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

· Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, these are delicious warm!

Holy Guacamole BLT

One of my favorite foods in the whole world is a BLT sandwich. Unfortunately, I do not eat bread anymore so I have really been missing them. This morning I woke up craving it so bad that I actually looked around my kitchen for some bread. Alas, no luck. I got a little creative and came up with this a BLT burrito. This was delicious. I got my Bacon, Lettuce, tomato and was even able to add some leftover Guacamole from the Giants game last night. (GO GIANTS!!) It was filling, satisfied my BLT craving and gave me a new favorite breakfast that isn't bad for me. Enjoy!

Holy Guacamole BLT     (for 2)

Ingredients: 

• 5 eggs (I used 2 for me- a thinner burrito, 3 for Brandon- thicker and more hearty for a "Manly" breakfast.)
• 1 LB. Bacon
• 2 Vine tomatoes
• 1 cup of shredded lettuce
• Fresh Guacamole (See Football Guacamole on previous post)

Process:

• Cook Bacon in a skillet and set aside for later
• Grease a skillet well (you can use bacon greased pan if you LOVE bacon flavor) 
• Put 2-3 eggs in a bowl and a little Salt and pepper for taste. Whisk well until the entire egg is blended.
• Heat skillet to mid-low heat (I used 2.8 setting)
• Pour eggs into the skillet and make sure they are spread evenly. 
• Allow to cook for 6 minutes on one side without touching, flipping or scrambling them. 
• Remove the egg and put it on a plate. 
• Fill the egg like a burrito with Bacon, Tomato, Lettuce and Guacamole

You could do several variations of this. Maybe you hate Guacamole- try it with just the BLT, you could even use these for tacos with ground beef or chicken fajitas. 

If you are looking for a lot of protein and energy for a busy day- this is the perfect breakfast. It was filling and gave me a great energy boost!

Game Day Feast!

I am a firm believer that Football was made for good food! This should not change just because you are eating healthier. Today I made a Game Day Chili, Guacamole and Chocolate Chip cookies. Let's Go Giants!

Game Day Chili

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Lb Ground Venison (can use ground beef or turkey)
4 small Venison Steaks (can use 1Lb Ground chuck) cut into bite size chunks
3 Vine Ripe Tomatoes
1 (15 oz). can of Tomato Sauce + 1 Can of water
1 (6 oz.)can Tomato Paste
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Onion
1 Fist, Minced Garlic
1 Habanero Chili
1 Jalapeno Pepper
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbs Sea Salt

Process:
1.) Brown Meat in a pan, Drain well
2.) Pour Tomato sauce, paste and meat in Crock Pot.
3.) In a food processor- chop each Peppers, Veggies, Chili's (can hand chop too) and Add to Crock-pot.
4.) Add spices and seasonings to Crock-Pot.
5.) Mix well and allow to cook on High for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.

Football Guacamole


Ingredients:
2 Avocado's
1/4tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Red Onion
1 tsp/ Garlic Powder
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Habanero Chili
1/2 Lemon Juice

Process:
Mash 2 Avocado's in a bowl and add the juice of one lemon.
In a food Processor (or high powered blender) Add Habinaro, onion and Garlic cloves. Chop well.
Add Chopped ingredients to the mashed Avocado. Mix well and then add Garlic powder and Salt, Pepper (to taste).  Mix well and serve with carrots, peppers, tomatoes, celery or if non-paleo you can have Corn chips.

Enjoy Game Time- Go Giants!!

                        Same Jersey Before and After shots! 

giants 2011~2012 

Giants 2009~2010