With the New Year rolling in quickly a lot of people are planning their resolutions. Mine is just to keep up the motivation and to find strategies to get me through the rough spots. Writing this blog is really helping me identify those rough spots and their triggers. The feedback from you all is wonderful and if this helps you just a little bit, it is a twofold happiness for me!
I read lots of journals and sometimes seeing the situation from someone else's perspective helps me view things much more clearly. The biggest downfall I see is that a lot of people simply aren't prepared mentally for success. Here are the things I have learned throughout my short journey. These thoughts took 40 years to pop into my head and root there but now I feel armed to meet my goals!
Eating well is self love. You have to reach a point where you look at yourself and feel like you deserve to be treated well. Sometimes you reach a level of disgust with yourself that causes you not to care about your well being. You just want that weight gone! But overeating is a way of abusing yourself. It is a way of putting yourself down. So is starving yourself or going on some horrible exteme diet. If you begin to eat well as a way to cherish yourself and bring forth your good health, the road is a lot easier. I'm not saying self-hatred can't motivate you, but if you don't deal with your dislike of yourself then you will be hard-pressed to find lasting results.
We all stumble. The difference between success and failure is getting right back up and starting again the very next meal. Being angry with yourself and disappointed with yourself leads to the same feelings that cause you to binge in the first place. The downward spiral I was caught up in was binge, feel bad, binge some more, feel worse, binge yet again. The chemical crap in your binge foods can also have a serious effect on your mental state. I am absolutely convinced that a lot of depression issues I have dealt with were related to a buildup of the nasties that I was putting into my body.
Very few, if any, people eat clean 100% of the time. We all have families with birthdays, the holidays come once a year for every single one of us and we all get stuck without food and eat a meal out now and again. It is what you do on the next meal that counts. It is what you do 90% of the time that makes your body reach its potential, not the 10% of the time you decide to indulge.
Make indulgence a decision. Don't let life just happen to you. Decide that on Saturday, when the in-laws are taking you out to dinner, you are going to enjoy some pasta and even a little bit of dessert. If you have been eating clean, overeating will be difficult, even painful, since you just ate 2 hours previously. Sometimes I plan to have dessert and nothing really looks that great or I take a bite and find it painfully sweet. This way I am controlling the food, the food is not controlling me.
Make the best of things when life happens. Did you forget to turn the crockpot on to make your healthy dinner? Did you work late and now you are dashing around trying to get Sally to piano and Sam to hockey? Well, it's going to happen, if not today, then next week. Life just does that to us. Arm yourself with knowledge and make the best choices you can under the circumstances. Some days the best choices end up being your weekly cheat, sometimes they are squeaky clean. But don't beat yourself up. You are only human and life will give you a little poke now and then just to make sure you're awake!
Since I have started really thinking about why I do the things I do, and writing it all down, I see why I failed before on the approximately 7.1 million diets I have tried. These key factors above were missing.
If you are ready, don't wait until New Year's day - start making your changes at your very next meal. Why put off caring for yourself? Would you not bathe your kid for a week because the holidays were here and you just wanted to have a certain starting date? NO! Would you say, "Well, he's just going to get dirty again on New Year's Eve when he goes out sledding!" NO!!!
Look after yourself the way you would look after any other loved one! Eat well, plan for your party and love yourself! This is it! This is the way to lose it and keep it off! It's all about LOVE!!!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Dec. 28 - Cookie Misdeeds
I had such a wonderful plan for yesterday. It was nice, it was spotlessly clean. And what did I do? I ate cookies!!! I must get rid of these thrice-damned cookies! And I don't mean by putting them into my tummy!
I was feeling wretched in the morning so I didn't plan my food like I should have. So, later in the day I was absolutely starving! Because I didn't prepare the right type of food, I just began to eat everything in sight. So add to yesterday's menu an apple, an orange, 1 shortbread meltaway cookie and 2 pieces of peanut brittle. NOT on the menu, especially those last two. I was trying to kill the sweet craving with all the fruit, which usually works but yesterday was also quite short on protein. OK - I'm done whining - it's all out of my system. Today is a new start and everything is going well.
I did the weigh in and measurements and I regret to say I am back up .2 so I am exactly 200 pounds today. Yuck. Not where I wanted to be, but to put an optimistic light on it, I can honestly say I lost a pound the week of Christmas. My measurements are down slightly - I am -1/2 inch on my hips and 1/2 inch in the chest (hey - I wanted to keep those!) My waist stayed the same.
The only serious temptation I'm expecting to face this week is New Year's Eve - we always have a big foodfest and sleepover. So that will be my planned cheat this week. I won't go crazy because I know it makes me feel really bad the next day - NOT how I want to start my New Year!
Today's Eats:
M1: ww toast w/ natural pb, banana
M2: Broccoli pita pizza
M3: Trail mix
M4: Broiled chicken breast, baked brown rice, steamed veggies (green beans, zucchini and carrots)
M5: Fruit
The pizza is a quick and easy clean meal. Like all of the quick clean meals, it is all about having the ingredients at your finger tips. This is so simple I'm not sure it could be considered an actual recipe; it's more of a list of ingredients.
I was feeling wretched in the morning so I didn't plan my food like I should have. So, later in the day I was absolutely starving! Because I didn't prepare the right type of food, I just began to eat everything in sight. So add to yesterday's menu an apple, an orange, 1 shortbread meltaway cookie and 2 pieces of peanut brittle. NOT on the menu, especially those last two. I was trying to kill the sweet craving with all the fruit, which usually works but yesterday was also quite short on protein. OK - I'm done whining - it's all out of my system. Today is a new start and everything is going well.
I did the weigh in and measurements and I regret to say I am back up .2 so I am exactly 200 pounds today. Yuck. Not where I wanted to be, but to put an optimistic light on it, I can honestly say I lost a pound the week of Christmas. My measurements are down slightly - I am -1/2 inch on my hips and 1/2 inch in the chest (hey - I wanted to keep those!) My waist stayed the same.
The only serious temptation I'm expecting to face this week is New Year's Eve - we always have a big foodfest and sleepover. So that will be my planned cheat this week. I won't go crazy because I know it makes me feel really bad the next day - NOT how I want to start my New Year!
Today's Eats:
M1: ww toast w/ natural pb, banana
M2: Broccoli pita pizza
M3: Trail mix
M4: Broiled chicken breast, baked brown rice, steamed veggies (green beans, zucchini and carrots)
M5: Fruit
The pizza is a quick and easy clean meal. Like all of the quick clean meals, it is all about having the ingredients at your finger tips. This is so simple I'm not sure it could be considered an actual recipe; it's more of a list of ingredients.
Broccoli Pizza
1 cup of steamed broccoli, cut small
whole wheat pita bread (read your label to steer clear of white sugar and preservatives)
tomato paste
feta cheese
other low fat cheese
Spices of your choice
Spread the pita with tomato paste. Sprinkle on the spices of your choice. I use garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, and sea salt. If I am in the mood for spicy I also use a little bit of crushed chili peppers. Make certain your steamed broccoli is well drained, and place it on the pizza. Top with a mixture of shredded low fat cheese and feta cheese. Bake in the oven at 425 for about 10 minutes.
This is a kid pleaser also (at least it is if your kids like broccoli - mine LOVE broccoli!) I think it is really important to have some go-to recipes for those times you will be tempted to dial Pizza Hut, so this is one of our favorite quickies. For the kids, I leave off the feta and just put a little more mozzarella or cheddar on theirs.
Dec. 28 - Good, Bad & Ugly in My Fridge
To all of you who read my Blog: I have ONE PROMISE: I am going to post it all: the good the bad and the ugly. So bearing that in mind, realize this is not a glossy magazine "perfect fridge" - that stuff is staged. This is the fridge of a real person with real kids. It has affordable food that is easy to access. Welcome to my fridge!
The fridge door, or, as I like to call it, "Where the Wild Things Are". Top shelf: real butter (none of this margarine chemical crud!), one last remaining Jello pudding for the little one's lunch box, mustards, liquid smoke (it was so pricey I haven't convinced myself to throw it out - so good in bean soup), an open tin of tomato paste for pita pizzas, hm hot pepper jelly (a Christmas gift - I'll be using it up as an appetizer for our NY Eve party)
Fruit drawer - it's all good in here - apples, oranges, a grapefruit that probably will not get eaten (we don't like 'em)
Veggie drawer ( Mixed greens, baby spinach, tomatoes, bell pepper)
Cheese and meat drawer: Feta cheese, all natural New Zealand cheddar, icky orange food coloured cheddar, turkey breast from Christmas dinner
Top shelf of fridge: Big water container, Brita filter, skim milk, yogurt, baby carrots, all-natural peanut butter, leftover broccoli pizza, leftover roasted potatoes.
So there you have it. I didn't go through and do a huge purge like they said in the books. I have two reasons for that:
2nd shelf: Meat and cheese drawer (detailed below) extra bag of skim milk, whole grain, all natural bread (it goes bad too quickly if I keep it in the bread box - no preservatives!)
3rd shelf: Bowl contains 2 steamer bags of veggies - one with cabbage to steam and add to a stir fry or soup, the second has green beans, carrots, zucchini and Mrs. Dash, family pack of chicken breasts, leftover fruit salad, 2 dozen eggs
The fridge door, or, as I like to call it, "Where the Wild Things Are". Top shelf: real butter (none of this margarine chemical crud!), one last remaining Jello pudding for the little one's lunch box, mustards, liquid smoke (it was so pricey I haven't convinced myself to throw it out - so good in bean soup), an open tin of tomato paste for pita pizzas, hm hot pepper jelly (a Christmas gift - I'll be using it up as an appetizer for our NY Eve party)2nd shelf: Caesar dressing (going to live with a friend - I won't be eating it!) real Parmesan cheese - all natural, lemon, lemon juice (contains preservatives - it will not be replaced when it is gone), light mayo, all natural salsa
3rd shelf- Raspberry jelly (kids eat it on their toast - it won't get replaced once it's gone), BBQ sauce, (I know, SUGAR!!!) Newman's OV dressing (for me), 2 bottled dressings (for kids - also will not be replaced), Ketchup (will be replaced with all natural no sugar ketchup when it's gone, Tupperware of my homemade salad dressing (CLEAN!)
Fruit drawer - it's all good in here - apples, oranges, a grapefruit that probably will not get eaten (we don't like 'em)
Veggie drawer ( Mixed greens, baby spinach, tomatoes, bell pepper)
Cheese and meat drawer: Feta cheese, all natural New Zealand cheddar, icky orange food coloured cheddar, turkey breast from Christmas dinner
Top shelf of fridge: Big water container, Brita filter, skim milk, yogurt, baby carrots, all-natural peanut butter, leftover broccoli pizza, leftover roasted potatoes.So there you have it. I didn't go through and do a huge purge like they said in the books. I have two reasons for that:
#1: I can't afford it. I am a single mom, and I just opened a business. I refuse to throw away food. Some things I knew I would never eat again went to the food bank and some things went to a friend. Others, we will replace with healthy alternatives when they are used up (like the ketchup).
#2: I felt like it would be easier to change my kids to EC if it was gradual. I didn't suddenly want all their goodies to disappear at once. That is the surest way I know to have them stage a mutiny and overthrow the kitchen! (Okay, that last part was for dramatic effect!) Anyhow, if they have their raspberry jelly on toast until its gone and then it gets replaced with an all-fruit spread, I think that is a gentler way to introduce this lifestyle to them. A couple more weeks of real jelly after years of consumption is not going to kill them. Little by little I am improving their meals, and they aren't feeling as though they are 'missing out'.
And there you have it, justifications and all. The things I got rid of were the ones that were too hard for me to resist -things like soda pop and chips are simply not things I can have in the house without eating them. I find it easy to resist the icky fatty chemically salad dressings so they get to live here til they're gone. I never really enjoyed jelly that much, so the jelly, too can stay. Chocolate truffles, ice cream, that type of thing, no freakin' way am I strong enough to keep it in my fridge and not eat it - so again - HISTORY!
I'll be back later to post today's food and to confess last night's cookie misdeeds!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Dec. 27- Flu
The flu has finally struck our household. Luckily we don't have it as badly as most people we know have gotten it, but still badly enough to feel cruddy. We woke feeling achy and lethargic, accompanied by pounding headaches.
DD9 and I still got up and went to church but I changed right back into my PJs when I got home. We've decided to have a movie marathon for the rest of the day. The housework, I am quite certain, will stick around to be done tomorrow.
I'm keeping it clean again today. Here is the food plan:
M1: ww toast w/ natural pb, apple
M2: 1/2 ww pita, hm tzatziki, turkey, veggies, light feta cheese
M3: hm trail mix (I was craving candy)
M4: Turkey soup w/ ww noodles, spinach and carrots
I'm not exceptionally hungry today. If I'm starving I will work in some yogurt and fruit.
I make my soup stock from scratch in the crock pot. Here is the recipe:
I cook the combination on high in the crockpot for about 6 hours. Use a colander to strain the broth into another container. Remove remaining turkey from bones to add to soup. This makes a very tasty rich stock which I then use as a base for soups or when cooking rice. After it cools I pour it into Ziploc bags in 1 cup increments and put them in the freezer to use as needed.
DD9 and I still got up and went to church but I changed right back into my PJs when I got home. We've decided to have a movie marathon for the rest of the day. The housework, I am quite certain, will stick around to be done tomorrow.
I'm keeping it clean again today. Here is the food plan:
M1: ww toast w/ natural pb, apple
M2: 1/2 ww pita, hm tzatziki, turkey, veggies, light feta cheese
M3: hm trail mix (I was craving candy)
M4: Turkey soup w/ ww noodles, spinach and carrots
I'm not exceptionally hungry today. If I'm starving I will work in some yogurt and fruit.
I make my soup stock from scratch in the crock pot. Here is the recipe:
~~~~~~~
Clean Soup Stock
Turkey or chicken carcass
6 cups of water
whole onion, whole carrot, half red bell pepper, 6 cloves of garlic, smashed
Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
I cook the combination on high in the crockpot for about 6 hours. Use a colander to strain the broth into another container. Remove remaining turkey from bones to add to soup. This makes a very tasty rich stock which I then use as a base for soups or when cooking rice. After it cools I pour it into Ziploc bags in 1 cup increments and put them in the freezer to use as needed.
~~~~~~~~
Homemade Tzatziki
1 cup Greek Yogurt or drained natural yogurt
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 large cucumber
sea salt to taste
In a food processor, puree the garlic and cucumber until it is a paste. Stir the paste into the yogurt and salt to taste. Use this as a healthy spread or dip.
~~~~~~~~~~
I wanted to share those recipes with you today. I find that if I make things that seem familiar my kids eat them a lot better than if I pop some kind of flax seed and tofu concoction on their plate. To that end I will be constantly experimenting on ways to remake our favorites. Ethnic food is always a big hit in our house. Because ethnic food is so flavorful a lot of it is very easy to clean up.
I'm still hoping to get the fridge and pantry photos up this week. As for now, I'm going to curl up in front of the fireplace and watch some more movies. Enjoy your Sunday, everyone!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Dec. 26 - What makes you a clean eater?
I've written a lot about guilt lately. I know that despite all that a lot of people are beating themselves up today. DON"T!!! What makes a person a clean eater is what they do most of the time, not the occasional cookie they dip into.
I'm a clean eater. I had my fun food over the past couple of days. For me, I was at home so it was a lot easier to keep it sort of clean. For those of you at the mercy of other cookies it would have been difficult if not impossible. Some of my meals were clean, some were not at all. However, today is NOT a holiday and I am back to eating clean.
The mistake I've made in the past is writing off a whole day, a whole week, or whatever amount of time until a certain deadline occurred. This happened nearly any time I stepped off of whatever plan I was on. Now I eat clean my very next meal. Think about the logic behind that. I read a great analogy on the Tosca Reno forum (and I'm sorry, I can't remember which of you ladies said this, but it was so brilliant I had to share.) If you got a ticket for running a red light, would you say, "Well, I already got a ticket so I might as well not stop at red lights for the rest of the day." Or the rest of the week, or the rest of the month? That would be just plain silly. And that is why giving yourself an opening like this is also just plain silly.
Please assess your goals. Don't wait until you have gained 3 more pounds eating everything in sight between now and New Year's Day. That is just 3 more pounds you have to lose. As for me, I am hoping to be down 2 more pounds by New Year's Day. I'm eating clean until our annual NYE sleepover - my kids always invite a bunch of girls over for that. With a bunch of teen and tween girls around we will definitely be splurging. I'll work on that menu and let you know what we decide.
This morning I got up and did my new Biggest Loser Cardio Max DVD. I loved it. I want Bob Harper to be my best friend! He is just a darling. I have a good solid plan of eats today:
M1: WW toast, nat pb, apple
M2: Leftover fruit salad (blueberries, blackberries, banana, cantaloupe), natural 1% yogurt
M3: Salad w/ turkey breast, lettuce, spinach, tzatziki, tomato, cucumber, and feta
M4: HM trail mix
M5: WW natural pita bread spread w/ 7 layer dip (clean), veggies
I'm trying to up my water intake too. The people I really admire drink a gallon which I was told is 3.5 liters. I have to figure out how to down 1 more litre of water every day. If you need me, I'll be in the bathroom.
I have a ton of housework and organizing over the next couple of days. I thought you might be interested in seeing my fridge, pantry and spice cabinet. (This will also require me to have them organized - I am far from selfless) So over the next couple of days I'll post those pics - the good, bad and ugly, like always. There are sure to be some things that are less than stellar but I think mostly things are pretty good.
Enjoy Boxing Day!
I'm a clean eater. I had my fun food over the past couple of days. For me, I was at home so it was a lot easier to keep it sort of clean. For those of you at the mercy of other cookies it would have been difficult if not impossible. Some of my meals were clean, some were not at all. However, today is NOT a holiday and I am back to eating clean.
The mistake I've made in the past is writing off a whole day, a whole week, or whatever amount of time until a certain deadline occurred. This happened nearly any time I stepped off of whatever plan I was on. Now I eat clean my very next meal. Think about the logic behind that. I read a great analogy on the Tosca Reno forum (and I'm sorry, I can't remember which of you ladies said this, but it was so brilliant I had to share.) If you got a ticket for running a red light, would you say, "Well, I already got a ticket so I might as well not stop at red lights for the rest of the day." Or the rest of the week, or the rest of the month? That would be just plain silly. And that is why giving yourself an opening like this is also just plain silly.
Please assess your goals. Don't wait until you have gained 3 more pounds eating everything in sight between now and New Year's Day. That is just 3 more pounds you have to lose. As for me, I am hoping to be down 2 more pounds by New Year's Day. I'm eating clean until our annual NYE sleepover - my kids always invite a bunch of girls over for that. With a bunch of teen and tween girls around we will definitely be splurging. I'll work on that menu and let you know what we decide.
This morning I got up and did my new Biggest Loser Cardio Max DVD. I loved it. I want Bob Harper to be my best friend! He is just a darling. I have a good solid plan of eats today:
M1: WW toast, nat pb, apple
M2: Leftover fruit salad (blueberries, blackberries, banana, cantaloupe), natural 1% yogurt
M3: Salad w/ turkey breast, lettuce, spinach, tzatziki, tomato, cucumber, and feta
M4: HM trail mix
M5: WW natural pita bread spread w/ 7 layer dip (clean), veggies
I'm trying to up my water intake too. The people I really admire drink a gallon which I was told is 3.5 liters. I have to figure out how to down 1 more litre of water every day. If you need me, I'll be in the bathroom.
I have a ton of housework and organizing over the next couple of days. I thought you might be interested in seeing my fridge, pantry and spice cabinet. (This will also require me to have them organized - I am far from selfless) So over the next couple of days I'll post those pics - the good, bad and ugly, like always. There are sure to be some things that are less than stellar but I think mostly things are pretty good.
Enjoy Boxing Day!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Dec. 25 - Reflections
I can't believe I forgot to post this earlier. My first mini goal was to weigh under 200 pounds for Christmas. My weight today? 199.8!!!!!
Victory dance!!! I am so happy to have accomplished my first goal deadline. I still have a very long way to go, but this energizes me to keep up the hard work.
My kids have gone to dad's so I've had time to do some thinking this evening. I've had an awful headache off and on all day today. I'm considering this a "food hangover". I simply can't tolerate refined foods. I probably never could, and I just got used to feeling terrible and lethargic. After less than a month of eating clean, my body is begging me to keep it up.
Weight loss is just a pleasant side effect to this lifestyle. I am high on the feeling - the energy, the cheerfulness, and the all-around health.
Last year I got new life insurance. I did all the requisite blood work and had the physical, and I am very fortunate to report that my health was so good - (cholesterol, etc.) that the company actually offered me a LOWER rate than normal. How fortunate could I be? I had abused my body with food for years. I was 60 pounds overweight. I wasn't working out much. And yet somehow, I remained healthy. I have been given a second chance to make the rest of my life different. I now have the opportunity to model a healthy lifestyle for my kids. I hope I can undo the past and help them to see that healthy is better and much more fun than the way things were before. I won't throw away the second chance I have been granted. I thank God every day for the way I am feeling right now.
This change is for LIFE. A life that is full of energy and new challenges. A life brimming with good health.
Okay, ***stepping down off soapbox***
Here is today's food, the good, the bad and the ugly. I figure if I am going to post on here, it's important to admit to the bad stuff and not just boast about the good stuff. A (*) denotes foods that are not clean. Otherwise I made a clean version of the food.
Victory dance!!! I am so happy to have accomplished my first goal deadline. I still have a very long way to go, but this energizes me to keep up the hard work.
My kids have gone to dad's so I've had time to do some thinking this evening. I've had an awful headache off and on all day today. I'm considering this a "food hangover". I simply can't tolerate refined foods. I probably never could, and I just got used to feeling terrible and lethargic. After less than a month of eating clean, my body is begging me to keep it up.
Weight loss is just a pleasant side effect to this lifestyle. I am high on the feeling - the energy, the cheerfulness, and the all-around health.
Last year I got new life insurance. I did all the requisite blood work and had the physical, and I am very fortunate to report that my health was so good - (cholesterol, etc.) that the company actually offered me a LOWER rate than normal. How fortunate could I be? I had abused my body with food for years. I was 60 pounds overweight. I wasn't working out much. And yet somehow, I remained healthy. I have been given a second chance to make the rest of my life different. I now have the opportunity to model a healthy lifestyle for my kids. I hope I can undo the past and help them to see that healthy is better and much more fun than the way things were before. I won't throw away the second chance I have been granted. I thank God every day for the way I am feeling right now.
This change is for LIFE. A life that is full of energy and new challenges. A life brimming with good health.
Okay, ***stepping down off soapbox***
Here is today's food, the good, the bad and the ugly. I figure if I am going to post on here, it's important to admit to the bad stuff and not just boast about the good stuff. A (*) denotes foods that are not clean. Otherwise I made a clean version of the food.
M1: Pumpkin bread, yogurt icing*, fruit salad with cantaloupe, blackberries, blueberries, and banana
M2: More fruit salad (no protein)
M3: Roast turkey, roasted potatoes, tzatziki, Greek salad w/ feta and hm dressing, 1 triangle white pita*
M4: Dark chocolate truffle* (You probably did not require the star on that one)
M5: leftover 7 layer dip from last night, multi-grain tortillas (these are hard to classify - they are all-natural with clean ingredients but they are high in fat - if I had a button for it I'd mark this with half a star)
So to analyze the day, it was high in sugar ( I had it twice) and low in protein (only present at 2 meals). Aside from that I'm very pleased. I feel like I conquered Christmas eating today!
Having Ourselves a Clean Little Christmas
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Christmas this year is so different. Last night for Christmas Eve, I cleaned up a recipe that is a regular of ours. I made 7 layer dip. (I'm counting the veggies as 2 layers!)
~~~~~
7 Layer Dip
Layer these ingredients in the following order
Fat free re-fried beans
Drained plain yogurt
HM guacamole
Diced peppers
Diced tomatoes
Mrs. Dash
Shredded cheddar
I serve these with baked multi-grain tortilla chips. The leftovers (when we have them) are wonderful fillings for wraps!
~~~~~~~~
So that was dinner on Christmas Eve - we had this before church. After church we came home and had cheese and crackers, veggies and cookies. Yes, cookies. I'm a clean eater - not a saint!
I paid for it a bit this morning with what I like to call a "food hangover" - woke up with a nasty headache and feeling of general laziness. I'm going to enjoy today but I'm not going overboard. I like feeling good!
This year, like I wrote yesterday, I am streamlining a little. So last night I prepped my breakfast. Our Christmas morning breakfast was Pumpkin Bread with Yogurt Cheese Icing and fruit salad. I mixed the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately last night for the pumpkin bread so that this morning I only had to stir them together and bake. The Pumpkin Bread recipe was clean. I got if from Tosca Reno's The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids. http://www.eatcleandiet.com/about_the_diet/the_books.aspx#The+Eat-Clean+Diet+for+Family+and+Kids I love the recipes in that book because they are not so exotic and "health-foody" that my kids refuse to eat them.
I had to modify the Pumpkin bread because DD9 is allergic to eggs, but it turned out very nicely. It made 2 loaves so I put one immediately in the freezer for a treat on a school morning. The fruit salad contained Blueberries, Blackberries, Cantaloupe and Banana. The kids had seconds of everything. One thing that pleased me: The icing is not specifically clean, as it contains confectioner's sugar. They thought it was too sweet. I felt like that was a major breakthrough - their taste is changing too!
For Christmas dinner (which is actually lunch in our house) we are having Greek food, instead of the traditional turkey, stuffing and casseroles. (We refer to this as our "Tradition of Non-Tradition). See the photo above! Here's the menu
Turkey Breast roasted with Lemon, Garlic and Oregano
Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes with feta cheese and tzatziki sauce drizzle
Greek Style Pita triangles brushed with olive oil and roasted garlic
Greek Salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, and red onion (we share a universal hatred of olives)
I'm not sure if I will have the pita bread - that is more for the kids. For dessert, if wanted, we have an abundance of cookies and fudge floating around, and I have one perfect, fabulous dark chocolate truffle to savor.
I feel very blessed this year to be on the road to health. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything, and in years past, when I have been "dieting" I either felt horribly guilty or horribly deprived. Life is good when you eat clean.
Merry Christmas - remember - NO GUILT! Whatever you have done, not done or eaten yesterday and today, what makes you a clean eater is eating clean again tomorrow!
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