Author: christietracy

Whole30 Diary Entry: Day 3 – SO IRRITABLE!!!

General Attitude/Mood:
OMG – KILL ALL OF THE THINGS!!!!!

I guess that I posted a bit too early last night – my poor hubby! I got SO grumpy and irritable after dinner last night, it’s not even funny. I ended up getting about 7.5 hours of sleep last night, but woke up again this morning feeling like I had only taken a brief nap. I had a headache all of last night, and this morning, and have had no energy all day today – BUT I soldiered through!

I snacked a bit more today (trying to eat my way to more energy?). For dinner, I made a butternut squash hash that was TO DIE FOR with ground beef, kale, and swiss chard. Thank goodness for starchy vegetables is all I’ve got to say . . . . I felt SO much less irritable and more “sane” almost immediately after eating dinner 🙂

Meals:
A bit hungry all day long today (hence the extra snacking), but plenty of variety in my meals, and didn’t feel “bored” with any of them. I felt so ridiculously much better after eating butternut squash with dinner tonight, I think I may try to work a few more startchy veggies into my earlier meals tomorrow, and stick to the leafy greens with dinner.

Cravings and/or “Issues”:
I craved sugar ALL DAY LONG today!! OMG – it was so horrible. After lunch, I got THIS close to hoovering a Lara Bar just to shut up the voices in my head demanding sugar . . . but I drank a cup of water, took a few deep breaths, and filed it away as “craving” rather than “hunger”.

Exercise:
I REALLY didn’t feel like working out today, but I dragged my butt to the Natatorium tonight after work, and got a swim workout in. Although I didn’t have much energy, and it was far from my best swim workout ever, I did feel MUCH better after I finished 🙂

I also did my hamstring bridges and foam rolling this evening after dinner.

Injury Update:
I finally got my butt into the Dr’s office, and got a referral for an MRI and PT for my knee. I just can’t wait to find out for sure whether I’ve got anything “major” wrong w/ my knee, or if this is just a stubborn case of tendinitis that needs more rest!

Other:
KILL ALL OF THE THINGS . . . . Need I say more? Hopefully I wake up in a better mood tomorrow!

Whole30 Diary Entry: Day 2

General Attitude/Mood:
I had a really hard time falling asleep last night. I went to bed in plenty of time to get 9 hours of sleep, but I tossed and turned, and then ended up checking emails and facebook on my iPhone. . . . by the time I actually was able to fall asleep, it was 12:30, so I only ended up getting 6 hours of sleep last night.

I woke up this morning feeling like I hadn’t slept AT ALL! It took me a good hour (after breakfast and 2 cups of coffee) before I felt clear-headed.

Once I finally “woke up”, I felt pretty good throughout the rest of the day, although a little bit low on energy around 3pm.

Work was pretty busy, and I was feeling a bit cold/achy around 11-ish, so I heated up a cup of bone broth. It was very soothing, and just what I needed to tide me over till lunch. Lunch and Dinner were  both yummy and filling, but I did find myself craving that “sweet something” for about 30 minutes after each meal. Thankfully, the cravings passed fairly quickly though.

Cravings and/or “Issues”:
As mentioned above – I definitely craved the heck out of some sugar after both Lunch and Dinner. At first, I thought I was still hungry, but then realized that I was just really craving sugar. Once the craving passed, I realized that I was actually pretty full!

Meals:
I only had 1 egg left this morning, so I improvised and ate leftover meatloaf and spinach muffins for breakfast (along w/ the 1 lonely egg). I missed my eggs though. I really love my morning eggs . . . will have to be more careful not to run out again!


Exercise:
Still no working out due to shoulder/knees. I considered going for a swim after work today, but I ended up working late, and didn’t have time to make it to the Natatorium and get a swim in before they closed.

I did do my shoulder PT this evening, as well as my Hamstring Bridges, and am getting ready to do about 15 minutes of Foam Rolling before bed.

Injury Update:
Knee is still bugging me. It doesn’t hurt under the kneecap so much anymore, but almost feels like the entire kneecap is “floating”. . and just loose. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but I’m hoping that this means it’s starting to heal?

I did take ibuprofen twice today, and also took 2 tsp of SFH Fish Oil to help with inflammation

Other:
I did better about drinking water today 🙂 I ended up drinking about 70 oz, and that included about 1/2 L of sparkling water by Central Market with a very faint citrus flavoring.


Onward and Upward to tomorrow 🙂 I’m going to make it a point to get in bed early tonight. I’m drinking some Calcium Magnesium as well, and hoping that helps me to fall asleep a little bit more easily. Day 2 – Success!

Whole 30 Diary Entry: Day 1

General Attitude/Mood:
I woke up this morning feeling just a bit “foggy” due to last night’s NYE festivities, and got a later start to the day than usual, however feel like my Day 1 went pretty well in general.

My energy levels were okay throughout the day, with a bit of an energy lull in the afternoon around 4pm.

I’m ending the day in a generally good mood and feeling optimistic about the 30 days in front of me.

Meals:
Meal prep was no problem because I knocked out all of my shopping and “weekly prep work” over the weekend. Also, today was a holiday, so I didn’t have to work, which of course made everything easier!

I felt like I had plenty of variety to my meals today – none of them were bland or boring, and I felt satiated after each meal (happy dance!)

Cravings and/or “Issues”:
I did find myself craving sugar throughout the day, but the cravings weren’t very strong or long-lived, and I was (pleasantly!) surprised to find that I really wasn’t that hungry in between meals.

Exercise:
I’m still unable to do much working out due to my shoulder injury and knee issues, but I did do my shoulder PT and a few floor bridges (hamstring strengthening exercises) . I also spent about 15 minutes rolling out my legs really good (quads, hamstrings, IT bands and calves), and stretching my hamstrings & quads.

Injury Update:
I iced my knees 2x today – unfortunately my left knee is still bugging me – really, really hoping that cutting the gluten out will help eliminate the knee issues I’ve been having.

My shoulder, on the other hand felt really great, and only got a little tweaky once as I was throwing Jake’s toy for him 🙂

Other:
I didn’t drink nearly enough water today – I need to work on making this more of a habit. I find that when I’m not exercising as much, I forget to drink throughout the day.

Whole30 Diary Entry: Day 0

The

 Well – I’m back. . again. . . at least for 30 days!

You see, I’ve decided to do another Whole30, and I realized looking back that I’ve never really chronicled any of the Whole30s that I’ve done in the past, so after a while my memory gets a little foggy, and I forget about all of the little milestones and feelings of accomplishment that are experienced along the way – and that’s really the best part of a Whole30 – at least for me! So I decided that this time around, I’m going to do 1 blog entry every day. Most will just be very short and will simply summarize my feelings, cravings, thoughts, and experiences as I move through my Whole30 Journey.

For my Day 0 Entry, I thought I’d lay out why I’m doing another Whole30, what my goals are for the next 30 days, and what benefits I hope to see by the end of it.

Why am I doing the Whole30?

  • I’d rather ride my bike pain free than eat cookies and cakes 
    • I’m hoping that my knee pain will go away after I cut out all of the gluten & processed foods again
  • I went a little “off the rails” during the holidays, and I feel SO much better in general when eating “Paleo”, so I’m pressing the reset button
  • I’d like to become fat-adapted again before the start of the race season, so now is the time to make it happen
  • I’ve had great success with the Whole30 Program multiple times in the past – I KNOW it works 🙂

Goals for my Whole30:

  • Log every bite that I eat in my pictoral food log
    • Will help with accountability and 
    • Will make me think twice about whether I’m satisfying a craving or eating b/c I’m actually hungry
    • May help others see that this is really very doable and/or provide meal ideas for other
  • Comply 100% with the Whole30 guidelines (Including staying off the scale!!)
  • No SWYPO Snacks. For me, this means not even the 100% Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Squares
  • Help provide support for my group of friends who are also doing a January Whole30
  • Completely Lay off any exercises that could aggravate my knee for at least the next two weeks
    • Giving my body time to heal/recover is just as important as putting it through rigorous training, and I have to remind myself of this (regularly!)
Benefits that I hope to see at the end:
  • Knee Pain Gone or significantly diminished
  • More consistent energy levels (no afternoon crashes)
  • Reduced or Eliminated Sugar Cravings
  • Fully Fat Adapted (hopefully eliminating the need to “carbo-load”)
  • Clearer Skin
  • Get back to my “fighting weight” – just lean out a bit to improve my performance on the bike

Tropical Sushi Rolls! (w/ Cauliflower Rice)

I think this is my first blog post in over a year! Life has just been sooo crazy, and I had to prioritize my “have to’s” and my “want to’s”, and cut a few things out. . . 

Anyway, I recently created the most amazing Sushi using Cauliflower Rice, and it turned out so well that I just HAD to share 🙂
I have been craving the heck out of sushi lately, but have been feeling SO good following a 99.9% squeaky clean Paleo Diet that I just didn’t want to cave and risk taking a few steps back on the health front to satisfy a craving. So I decided to get creative and try my hand at Sushi made w/ Cauliflower Rice. The idea popped into my head about a month or so ago when I made my first batch of Juli Bauer’s Coconut Caulflower Rice (If you haven’t checked out www.PaleOMG.com yet – do it now!)

Anyway, I made her version of Coconut Cauliflower Rice, and found that the texture reminded me a little bit of “sticky rice” – I think due to the use of a little raw honey. Sticky Rice made me think Sushi, and a month later I finally got to play with the idea!

You can use whatever fillings that you’re in the mood for – I chose to use Sashimi Grade Wild Tuna, Avocado, Pineapple, and a little bit of Spicy Paleo Mayo. I know . . most people will see the pineapple and go eeewwww. . but I had some leftover Grilled Pineapple from another recipe of Juli’s that I made earlier in the week – and I saw it in the fridge as I was grabbing the ingredients to assemble my rolls, and thought – “Why Not?” – I love sweet and spicy stuff, and the sweetness of the pineapple w/ the spiciness of the mayo really made my taste buds sing!
Ideas for other fillings would be matchstick carrots and/or cucumbers, smoked salmon (if you’re not into raw fish), or crab meat (REAL Lump Crab mixed w/ spicy mayo would be yummy! Just avoid the overly processed gluten filled fake stuff).
This Recipe is kind of like a 3-in-1. I’ll include the Sushi Roll Assembly Instructions, a recipe for the Cauliflower Rice (pretty much straight off Juli’s site w/ just a minor modification), and a recipe for the spicy mayo.
Tropical Sushi Rolls:
Suggested Ingredients:
1 batch Cauliflower “Sticky” Rice (recipe below)
3 Tb Spicy Paleo Mayo (optional – recipe below)
Sashimi Grade Tuna or Salmon. . or Both!
Fresh Pineapple (sliced into long, slender strips)
1 Large Ripe Avocado
Instructions:
Place 1 Nori Sheet on a Flat, Dry surface 
Spread 1/4 cup (give or take) of Cauliflower Rice up and down the center of it
Slice off a strip of Tuna about 1/4 inch thick, and lay down the center of the rice
Lay 2 slices of Avocado alongside the tuna down the center of the rice
Lay a strip of pineapple down the center along the other side of the tuna
Drizzle a little bit of Spicy Mayo over the Tuna/Avocado/Pineapple
“Smear” a little avocado along one edge of the Nori (this will help seal it)
Watch This Video from 6:45 to 7:20 for “rolling” instructions
Once rolled tightly, use a very sharp knife to slice into 6-8 pieces
Additional Options/Variations:
Spread a little Wasabi Paste along the edge instead of or in addition to the Avocado (if you like it SPICY!)
Sprinkle individual pieces with toasted sesame seeds
Make a Spicy Crab Roll by replacing Tuna w/ Lump Crab Meat that has been mixed w/ the Spicy Mayo
Serve with Wasabi Paste, Pickled Ginger, and Coconut Aminos for dipping
Coconut Cauliflower “Sticky” Rice
Ingredients:
1 Head Cauliflower
1 Tb Coconut Oil (or sesame oil would be good too, I think!)
1/4 – 1/3 cup Full Fat Coconut Milk (depending on size of cauliflower head)
1/8 cup finely shredded coconut (unsweetened)
2 Tb Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Raw Honey
Instructions:
Remove Stems and Roughly Chop Cauliflower. Place florets in Food Processor and Pulse until you get a rice-like consistency. 

TIP: Don’t Over-do it! If you pulse too much, you’ll end up with a bit of a “mush” instead of a “rice” and the consistency will be a little to wet for the sushi rolls. 

Warm 1 Tb oil in large pot – dump in “rice”, sprinkle with sea salt, stir until well combined, and cover with lid to let steam. Steam with lid on for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Honestly? I didn’t set a timer. . . it’s not an exact science though – 8 to 10 minutes should do the trick!). 
Remove lid and stir in coconut milk, vinegar, and shredded coconut. Then drizzle w/ honey and mix well. Let cook about another 8 minutes without lid, stirring frequently. It should be about the consistency of sticky rice when it’s done. 
Remove from heat and set aside

Spicy Mayo (Optional)
Ingredients:
3 Tb of your favorite Paleo Mayo (I like Melissa Joulwan’s recipe)
1/ 2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (more or less to your taste) 
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
splash of coconut aminos (optional)
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well (or blend w/ a hand blender if you’d prefer)

Rough Chopped Cauliflower in Food Processor

“Riced” Cauliflower

Ingredients for Coconut Sticky “Rice”

Sticky “Rice” (after cooking)

Assembled Sushi Roll before Rolling
Basic Sushi Roll 1
Basic Sushi Roll 2
Tropical Sushi Roll!

Hello World . . . Again!

I am well aware that it’s been a little bit over 3.5 months since my last blog post, in which I proclaimed to “have my routine back”. . . but I guess I spoke a bit to soon! To anyone and everyone out there following my blog – I really am sorry to have been MIA for so long!
Over the last few months, I’ve been on a bit of a roller coaster – one that I know I haven’t been riding alone. I would eat really well for a few weeks, and then get sucked back under by one of many different “justifiable reasons” (insert sarcastic tone here!). Among the things that have derailed my good intentions – high-stress periods at work, business trips, birthday parties, summer bbq’s, and a plain old-fashion lack of will-power. I temporarily lost sight of the REAL reasons behind my decision to stick to a Paleo “diet”, and without those reasons as motivation, I “fell off the wagon” repeatedly.

On a positive note, I have managed to stick to my training, but on the flip side, my nutrition has definitely been lacking.
But, I’ve finally come to the point where enough is enough. I need to get back on the right track, and I’ve recently been reminded of exactly why it is that I decided this path in the first place. The primary reason that I have chosen to follow the Paleo “diet” principles for life is that I want to live a long and healthy life, as free from illness as possible. As many of us have a tendency to do, I’ve taken my health for granted to date. Up until about a year ago, I’d always been very healthy, and the most severe ailment I’d ever had was a case of appendicitis. This has made it easy to ignore the fact that some of the things that I’ve chosen to put into my body very likely could contribute to health problems in the not-so-distant future, especially if I continue to consume them on a regular basis. It’s so easy to ignore the facts about gluten’s involvement in auto-immune disease, among other things, when there isn’t much of an immediate consequence upon consuming it (other than maybe some gut discomfort which can easily be chalked up to overeating, and over time is barely even noticed as anything outside of “normal”).
So I’m making my good intentions public once again. Beginning right now, this minute – I plan to clean up my act and eliminate all gluten, grains, dairy, soy, legumes, and processed foods. I’ve got a fridge full of veggies, chicken, fish, and Grass Fed Beef. Food Prep for the week (Spinach muffins, guacamole, etc) is done. My Meal plan for the week is complete, and I’m ready to go 🙂
This week’s meal plan includes:
Breakfasts:
Omletes stuffed w/ tons of veggies and homemade guacamole
Lunches:
Salads w/ wild tuna, tons of veggies, avocado, HB eggs, homemade may dressings
Leftovers from previous nights dinners
Snacks:
Spinach Muffins w/ Guacamole
Limited fresh fruit & raw almonds
Raw veggies & Paleo Hummus (zucchini & tahini based rather than chick pea)
Dinners (M – F) are:
Crock Pot (Grass Fed) Meatballs & Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Wild King Salmon w/ Tomato Basil Relish and a salad of field greens
Chicken & Broccoli Coconut Curry Stirfry (From Paleo Recipe Book by Sébastien Noël)
Curry Shrimp over Zucchini noodles
“Salsa Chicken” over Shredded Cabbage topped w/ Avocado
I’m not starting another Whole30 just yet, but plan to do so within the next few weeks. I’m working to get back into the routine of planning and prepping all of my meals first. After a week or two of 95%, I’ll be jumping back into another Whole30 head first!
Training is going to stay about the same. I’m going into my second cycle of Wendler 5-3-1 Training, which I’m combining w/ bodyweight assistance exercises and complimentary CrossFit WODs. I’m also really focusing on my “goats”. I got my first HSPU about a month ago (BIG happy dance!!), and have been working them regularly ever since to increase the # that I can do in a row, and decrease the amount of rest that I need in between sets. I’m also working on improving my ring dips (I can still only do 2-3 in a row, and after a few sets of 2-3, I’m done. . . I’m still working on my Olympic Lifts also, but not as regularly. I’m really focusing on increasing my strength first and foremost. Once I get some of my baseline #’s up a bit (squat, shoulder press, deadlift), I’ll switch my focus back over to improving my technique and form on the Olympic Lifts – I truly enjoy training the Olympic Lifts more than just about anything . . . but I feel that I’ve hit a wall and won’t break through it until I increase my strength.
I’m really going to try to check back in regularly in the upcoming weeks and months to share my successes & struggles, ask for advice, and maybe even give a little from time to time 😉 If all goes according to plan, I’ll also be sharing some new Paleo Recipes as I get back into the routine of “playing w/ my food”.
One last thing that I have to share – and this little bit of news has got me grinning from ear to ear – we’re talking Cheshire cat grin here. . . My wonderful Hubby has decided to give CrossFit a try! He started about a week ago, and so far he loves it. I am so very proud of him and excited for him, and it is SO wonderful to be able to share something with him that has become such a large part of my life.
Well, I’m signing off for now – but will do my best to post again before another 3 months roll by!

I’ve Got My Routine Back!

Hello World – It’s nice to see you again 🙂

Yes, I’m alive and well – but I have been MIA from my blog for a few months, and I would like to offer a sincere apology to anyone who had been following my posts. I initially planned on taking only a week away, but a week turned into two, and then three . . and now here I am 3 months later – embarrassed and apologetic.

I don’t plan on going into a lot of detail in my blog posts regarding the reason for my absence, but I will be brutally honest: Over the last few months, I have made some less-than-stellar food and fitness choices. I won’t make excuses for why this happened – regardless of extenuating circumstances, I am responsible for the choices that I made.

On to the GOOD news: I’m 100% back on track and feeling awesome! I’m reminded once again that we sometimes don’t realize how much our bodies are affected by our bad food choices until we eliminate them, and then: SHA-BANG!! It feels A-Mazing to have a “clean” body again! I didn’t realize how bad my body felt until it didn’t feel bad anymore . . does that even make any sense? It may not if you’ve never experienced it – but I think anyone who’s done a Whole30 can relate.

I learned several lessons from my mistakes during my little hiatus, and will gladly share these with the world with the hopes that I can help one person avoid having to learn these lessons the hard way.

Lesson Learned #1: I am a Creature of Habit, and I love having a routine!

I think that a lot of us are creatures of habit. If you’ve done a Whole30 before, I’m sure that you will agree – the first week is rough because you’re not used to prepping all that food. You’re used to the convenience of Grab-and-Go Processed foods, and your cravings really kick in when you suddenly realize that it’s lunch time, and you don’t have anything already prepped – Am I Right?

By the end of a Whole30, a lot of people describe the last week as being “fairly easy” and finally feeling “normal”. This is because they have learned to set time aside to prepare meals, and always have something on hand prepped in advanced that they can eat in a pinch. Setting time aside to cook is no longer a chore, but just simply part of the day-to-day routine.

But some people fall off the wagon, and then find it very hard to get back on because they lose that “routine”. Once I got out of the habit of cooking breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, it seemed like such a CHORE! I was tired, and Subway was easy – I would cook tomorrow night. This soon became my mantra nearly every night.

The same thing went for my workouts. Once I got out of the habit of going to bed by 9:15 and getting up at 5 to go work out, I forgot how to do it! Suddenly, I was staying up till 11:30 every night, and getting up with just enough time to shower and get to work. Once I broke my routine, it was really, really, really hard to fix it again!

This time around, I had to sit down and pencil out my schedule for the first week. I wrote in my work hours, grocery shopping times, meal prep times, workout times, and my going to bed and waking up times. I had to FORCE myself to stick to this plan for the first few days, and it was aweful! But now it’s feeling “normal” again, and I love it. I’m back to the point of wondering why I ever lost this routine in the first place, because it feels so darn good 🙂 Starting a new routine (or getting back to one that’s been abandoned for a while) is never easy, but once it’s established, boy does it feel great!

Little Victories are the BEST!

Little Victories – I’ll Take ’em!!

I just had to share. I’m currently sitting on top of Cloud 9 as a result of a workout for the first time in a LONG TIME!

Tonight’s WOD:

“Erin”
15 DB Split Cleans (Female RX 25 lb DBs)
21 Pullups

5 RFT

I know that I’ve done this WOD before, but I refuse to look at my previous time. I’m sure I finished much slower than before “It”, but I’m only concerned with doing my best in the moment with what I’ve got to give right now.

Before the workout, I was just hoping to make it through the whole thing w/o having to go to a band. My pullup performance has decreased a lot recently and I’ve found that in workouts with more than about 50 pullups, I can only get about 1-2 in a row towards the end w/o having to fall off the bar in between. At that rate, I’d be better off using a band and stringing more together.

Tonight, I DID make it through the whole thing RX.

And the BEST part of it was that I was able to string between 5 – 8 pullups together all the way through the end of the workout! I never got less than 5 in a row – THAT is progress, and I’ll take it. Official time was 21:16.

The Little Victories, after such a long time spent going down hill, feel pretty freakin good.

Thyroid Update

I’ve had several people ask me how I became aware that I had problems with my Thyroid. In short, there were several “warning signs” that I should have noticed (Fatigue, Muscle Weakness, Difficulty Concentrating, Cognition Problems), but the thing that really clued me in was the golf-ball sized knot on my neck. The picture above is not me, but the girl’s neck looks very similar to the way that mine did.

As the knot began to grow, it started to hurt, and I knew I had to get it checked out. Long story short, My blood tests showed that my TSH #’s were so low that they barely registered (0.02), an ultrasound verified the existance of several large nodules, a Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy ruled out cancer (thank goodness!), and I underwent Radioactive Iodine Therapy to “kill” the nodules.

The hope was that the majority of the iodine would be “sucked up” by the nodule which was in overdrive mode, and that it would leave my Thyroid alone, but I was told that it was possible that my thyroid would absorb some of it, and as a result, it would reduce the ability of my Thyroid to function properly. Unfortunately, it appears as though this is what happened.

Fast Forward 6 months and I have gone from having “Hyperthyroidism” to having “Hypothyroidism”. This has NOT been a fun roller coaster ride! It has significantly affected:

  • My emotions – think crazy mood swings and unexplainable sobbing episodes for no discernable reason whatsoever
  • My ability to concentrate –I feel like a teenager who desperately needs a ritalin prescription much of the time
  • My cognition – I feel just plain dumb a lot of the time lately – I’m having a hard time absorbing new information, and this is NOT like me at all – I’m usually a pretty smart cookie – really!
  • My Athletic Performance – My strength and endurance have both decreased significantly over the last several months, at an even faster rate than they were decreasing when I was “Hyper”
  • My Energy Levels – Some days it takes everything I have just to get out of bed, even after 8-9 hours of sleep. It doesn’t make any logical sense and it’s been very frustrating!

Apparently, that little teeny tiny butterfly-shaped organ controls just about EVERYTHING. . . who knew!?!

Sooo, when my Doc called me on Monday to tell me that my most recent blood tests showed
that my TSH levels have risen to 4.8 and I was officially “Hypo”, I was not at all suprised, and actually rather relieved to have a firm scientific reason for the way I had been feeling (You mean I’m not really going crazy – that’s GREAT news!).

According to some scales, a TSH level of 4.8 is just barely outside of the normal range, but by the way I’ve been feeling, I could tell that something was waaayyyy off. Thank goodness, I have a great Endocronologist who confirmed that we should be trying to get my TSH levels down below 3, and preferably in the 1-2 range, and a friend of mine who has been through a similar situation assured me that the symptoms that I’ve been experiencing are perfectly normal for someone w/ my TSH levels. (More affirmation that I’m not really going crazy is always a good thing!! – THANK YOU – you know who you are)

So I started a Syntroid dose on Monday and have hopes that I will soon notice a difference. We’ll be checking my TSH levels monthly and adjusting my dosage accordingly until we’ve got me in the TSH “sweet spot” 🙂 I’m already starting to notice little differences – my ability to concentrate seems to have improved dramatically already, and I couldn’t be happier about that. I’ll take every little improvement I can get!

Ode to Guacamole

I L-O-V-E Guacamole.

Anyone that has been checking out my food blog can attest to this.

I eat Guacamole with everything. On top of Eggs, Chicken, Steak, and Salads. Mixed in with canned Wild Tuna or Ground GF Beef. Scooped onto Raw Jicama Strips, Carrots, and Celery. Spread on top of a Spinach Muffin. It is my firm belief that guacamole would make just about anything taste better!

So in an attempt to profess my undying love for this creamy, delicious, wonderfully chock-full-of-good-fat condiment, I have written a brief poem.

Ode To Guacamole

Guacamole is so Yummy
I love to put it in my Tummy
When I run out I feel just Crummy
My fingers start to get all Drummy!

Don’t have to share it with my Honey
Because he thinks that it tastes Scummy
(But I think he’s a big ‘ol Dummy!)
His taste buds must be wired Funny 🙂

That’s right Folks – A Poet I am not!

Well, after all that talk of Guacamole, I figure it’s only fair that I share my recipe. Please note that I rarely measure spices when making guacamole. I typically just sprinkle until it looks right, taste, and then sprinkle some more if neccesary. So the spice measurements below are estimates – adjust to your own tastes 🙂

Christie’s Homemade Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients:
4 large Avocados (or 7-8 small)

Juice of 1 Lime (sometimes 1.5 – 2 limes if I’m in the mood for a more tangy guac -play with it to match your tastes)

3 Cloves Garlic, finely minced

2-3 tsp Ground Cumin

1.5 tsp Chili Powder (Substitute .5 tsp for Cayenne Pepper if you like it spicy)

Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (I buy mine from the farmer’s market, and it’s really strong because it’s picked w/in 12 hours of purchase. If you’re using “grocery store” cilantro, you may need to adjust this amount up)

1/4 – 1/2 of a small red onion, finely diced

3 Serrano Peppers, seeded and finely diced (Omit if you don’t like any spiciness at all – this just adds a little “kick”)

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered (Optional – I usually leave out b/c they seem to make it brown faster. Sometimes I’ll stir them into a single serving)

Directions:

I start by chopping/prepping all of my veggies, peppers, and cilantro ahead of time so that I can just stir them in when I’m ready. You don’t have to do this, but if you mash your avocados first, and then they sit out while you chop your veggies, they will have a greater chance of browning due to exposure to the air.

Peel and Remove Seeds from avocados. Mash together with lime juice in large plastic or glass bowl , using wooden spoon. Mash until desired consistency. I like to leave mine pretty chunky.

Stir in Cumin, Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper (if using), Garlic, Cilantro, Sea Salt, & Pepper. Mix Well.

Taste. Add Spices as needed.

Stir in Red Onion & Serrano Peppers. Mix Well.

Fold in Tomatoes Gently (if using).

Chill and Serve.

On Everything.

Really!

Recipe: Grilled Broccoli

I LOVE vegetables 🙂 But sometimes I get tired of eating “sauteed this” or “roasted that” and I want to do something a little bit different.

I recently discovered “Roasted Broccoli”, and it is absolutely delicious, but it stinks up my house something aweful whenever I cook it. Enter Grilled Broccoli!

Grilled Broccoli tastes very similar to roasted broccoli, and it gets nice and crispy outside but soft inside, like roasted broccoli as well. The advantage is that the cooking is done outside, and my house doesn’t smell like dirty socks for 3 hours after I’m done preparing it 🙂

I also like the fact that I can cook this alongside some steaks, chicken breasts, or turkey burgers on my grill, and not have to worry about monitoring both a grill and a stove simultaneously.

And Great News! This is yet another recipe that even Picky eaters will likely eat without complaints (Yes, I know this from experience . . . . )

Grilled Broccoli

Ingredients:

Several Heads of broccoli cut into florets (but leave about 1 – 2 inches of stem intact)

EVOO (the amount will depend on how much broccoli you are using. I’d guesstimate about 1 Tb per full head of broccoli)

Freshly Minced Garlic (1 clove per head of broccoli)

Sea Salt to taste

Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (1/2 lemon per head of broccoli)

Instructions:

Toss Broccoli in a big bowl with EVOO, Sea Salt, and Minced Garlic. Mix well (toss for at least 2-3 minutes to make sure that all florets are coated w/ Olive Oil. The longer you toss, the better the end results will be!

Spread Broccoli out on a Grill Pan (I use disposable grill pans like the one pictured below. If you don’t have a grill pan, you can cook without, but you’ll want your stalks to be a little bit longer so that you don’t have to worry about them falling through the grates)


Grill Pan

Place Grill Pan with broccoli on Grill over low heat, and cook for about 5* minutes, or until underside begins to brown/crisp.

Using Thongs, flip each piece of broccoli over, and cook for another 2-3 minutes**

Remove from the Grill, Sprinkle with Lemon Juice, and Serve!

*If you like crisper (less cooked / al dente) broccoli, turn after about 3 minutes. I like my broccoli pretty “well done”

**You don’t absolutely have to cook both sides if you’re in a hurry – grilling just one side is fine – that side will just be a little crispier while the other side will be a bit softer.

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Middle Eastern Chicken

I’ve continued to have fun playing with food and my new toy, the Pressure Cooker over the last week, and have come up with another winner!

I’m by no means a Pressure Cooker Expert yet, but I’m definitely getting the hang of this thing, and I really love the fact that foods cooked in it seem to be so much more flavorful – I think that Jamie (my hubby) has actually licked his plate after every single pressure cooker meal that I’ve prepared – and that’s saying something considering he typically is not a huge fan of any “Paleo Meals” that I prepare for him.

The following recipe took a lot of modification from the original, which called for yogurt, flour, potato starch, and rice – so I knew I was taking a “risk”, but it turned out great – so good that I felt it was “share-worthy”.

I was a little hesitant to add the mint because it just really seemed like an odd combination, and I’ve never used mint in a recipe before, but it was very good and I don’t think the dish would have been the same without it.

Pressure Cooker Middle Eastern Chicken (Paleo Version)

Ingredients:

3 lbs Chicken Breasts or Tenders
1/4 cup Olive Oil
6 Green Onions, Minced
5 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
1/2 cup Parsley, Minced
1 Tb Dried Mint
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 cup Organic Free Range Chicken Broth (read label to avoid sugar/soy/gluten/etc)
3 Tb Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice
3/4 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk (Divided into 1/2 cup & 1/4 cup portions)
Sea Salt to taste
1/2 tsp White Pepper (ground black pepper would work if you don’t have white)
2 Egg Yolks
1.5 Tb Arrowroot Powder

Instructions:

Heat Olive Oil in bottom of pressure cooker, and then briefly brown chicken on both sides (in batches).

Remove chicken to a plate, and set to the side.

Add Green Onions, Garlic, & Parsley, and saute in hot oil for 2 minutes, then add Chicken & Stir.

Sprinkle with Mint & Cumin.

Add Broth, Lemon Juice, 1/2 cup Coconut Milk, Salt, & Pepper, and stir well.

Secure lid and bring to pressure over high heat (will take approx 10-12 minutes).

Reduce heat to medium (but maintain pressure), and cook 10 minutes.

Remove Pressure Cooker from heat and let pressure release naturally (natural-release method).
Remove lid, Remove Chicken, and set on a plate (leaving sauce in pressure cooker).

Ladel out 1/2 cup of the broth, add remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk, and whisk into egg yolks.

Whisk ArrowRoot Powder into the egg yolk mixture, and then stir back into cooking liquid in Pressure Cooker.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until thickened (about 10 minutes?)

Spoon over chicken, and serve.

This dish is tangy, savory, and creamy all at the same time!

I served mine with grilled broccoli and Mel’s Creamy Spicy Greens, and this was a great combination.