Almost week 2

This Sunday will be 2 weeks whole30 for me. I have noticed some changes in this short amount of time. I am drinking much more water. Not only that, the taste of the water has become very very sweet. I have zero, read, big fat ZERO sugar cravings. I was making an annoying clear the throat sound many times a day, gone. I have more energy and an less moody miserable and emotional. I am more patient with Aviv, my almost 3 year old who really does require a patient Mama.

I have committed to exercising 3 times a week. Two Stroller Strider classes and 1 Mama baby Yoga class. The stroller strider classes just about wreak me at this point. I am the slowest, least in shape Mama in the class. I just keep on going though and I will not give up. There are just to many reasons I could come up with to stop. Idan, my otherwise happy chill baby, screams the whole time. Utter humiliation about how far I have let myself go down the fitness scale. It's too cold. My face gets to red and puffy, and on and on and on. I am so very committed now and have reached my stubbron place. I will not stop. I will continue and watch it all become easier and easier.

I had Lior take some horrible pictures of me for the record the other day, 1 week into whole 30. I am so looking forward to seeing the AFTER shots 1 year from now.

The reason for my writing is to have a record for myself. I am writing unedited, straight through. Going for the authentic and raw flow of head to hands.

BTW: whole 30 has cut my grocery shopping time in half. It has also re inspired me to cook and create. Here's what I have been making lately.

Ground Beef Coconut Curry

Fry, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, tumeric and salt in Ghee
Add 1 can coconut milk, heating on low.
Transfer to a jar.
Saute ground beef.

The reason I do this in this order is that I am also cooking for my husband who is vegetarian. Otherwise I would saute the beef first, set aside use the same pan to fry the spices and add the coconut milk.

I ate this next to a pile of garlicky kale drizzled with lemon.

Chicken Thighs

rinse and dry
toss with garlic powder, salt and herb de' provence
optional: coat with sesame seeds, almond flour and salt
fry in oo and Ghee

Marinade on the side to drizzle once cooked: Lemon, oo, salt parsley, flower black pepper

Sweet Potatoes

heat oven to 375 with pizza stone inside the oven
cut sweet Potatoes 1/2 inch thick
toss in coconut butter, salt, flower black pepper and thyme
roast turning once after 20 minutes when 1 side is golden

Salmon

coat with egg
mix almond meal sesame seeds and salt
dip in above mixture
fry in gee, cast iron works wonders

Pork Chops (bone in)

dry and season with salt and pepper
saute until brown in some oo
place in crock pot
same pan, saute 1 onion, 1 fennel bulb, mustard seed, cumin seed salt and flower pepper
when soft add 2 cups broth, veggie, chicken or beef.
low boil.
add to crock pot
7 hours on low

That's all for now...

it is due time

One full year has passed in a blink. I decided to write again. Here goes a brief recap since last year.
Had another baby. He's the kind of baby parents wish for and idealize about before they know what they are in for. Having had 2 babies in 2.5 years my body is a visual catastrophe.
I am 192 pounds. A heavyweight champion of excess. I broke 200 while I was pregnant.
Four days ago I decided to reverse the direction of the poundage.
I took a Stroller Strider class. A rude humiliating wake up call. It is worse than I imagined.
I spoke to Scott, a lifetime friend on Saturday morning. He mentioned something I had never come across. Later that night I ran across the same information on line. I decided to jump in. Whole30 began a few hours later. I read deeply inspiring testamonials and realized/decided there is a way out. The first day I increased my water intake and noticed that water tasted sweet again. A memory I had forgotten. I crave it now.
A good time for my goals here. I am going to complete a 30 day cycle. I am going to physically move my body through walking, stroller strides class, bike or Yoga 6 days a week. I am logging a visual food diary. I am.documenting this journey. Here's yesterdays food photos.

Roasted Cauliflower & Carrots with Fennel

This is so ridiculously simple and delicious I had to tell you about it.

This recipe was created for a friend who is eating very simply right now. I asked her for a list of some of her favorite things to eat and this was the result.

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, sectioned into chunks
1 bulb of fennel, sliced into 1/8 slices
1/2 white onion, large chop
handful of baby carrots, cut diagonally in half
2 teaspoons course sea salt
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup large flake dried coconut, toasted in a cast iron skillet with 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 360
Place cauliflower, carrots, onion, coconut oil and salt into the pan and toss.
Cook 30 minutes, toss
Add fennel
Cook 15 minutes, toss
Place on highest rack and broil for 5-10 minutes to achieve a golden brown color

Cut green wispy part of the fennel and scatter and toss.
Serve with toasted coconut flakes on top.

Enjoy, this one is going to visit my kitchen again and again.

Nanny Roses' Zeppoles

Finally created Nannys Zepploes! Two times in a row over the Christmas Holiday. Both times emulated Nannys originals.

Here's what I used:

2 Pound bag of Flour + 1 cup for adjusting consistency
1/2 cup peanut oil
2 packets of active yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
approx 2 1/4 cups warm water

Place 2 packs yeast in bowl and add 1/4 cup warm h2o, stir
Mix flour salt and sugar together in a large bowl
Make a well in the middle
Add the yeast water mixture, peanut oil and some of the h2o to the middle
Work more water in gradually to create a ball of dough
Place on a floured counter and kneed into dough
When the magic spot (the time where it all comes together) is hit stop
Place the dough on an oiled pan and allow to rise or place in the refrigerator to rise the next day
Fry in peanut oil at 350 degrees
Place on paper towels and top with powered sugar

This is a tradition in our family coming from my dearest Nanny Rose.

Our family has Zeppoles every Christmas morning for breakfast and in the past had them every Eve. May the tradition live on!

I love and miss you Nanny Rose!

Golden Beet Salad with Feta

Today's salad was inspired by a new friend, Amy. I met Amy through a fantastic new mother's group that I put together because I was feeling a lack of community here in the Bay Area. All that has changed now as an incredible group of women has begun to gather and momentum is building. Amy is a fellow kitchen lover, we have already shared laughs, connection and deliciousness in this special room of the house we love.

I got 3/4 of the way through this delicious salad before snapping a shot of it, sooooooo excuse the presentation which was being digested in the little ones home!

Organic Ingredients (taste better for you and the planet):

3 Golden Beets, boiled, de-skinned and cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 head of romaine, chopped
1 Roma tomato, diced
2" Square Feta, crumbled
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Hawaiian pink clay course salt
2 Teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 wedge lemon, squeezed

Mix, Toss, Enjoy! Add more of anything you love!

Roasted califlower with herbs

I love the oven and being able to roast delicious goodies in there. This dish took about 15 minutes and there are left over goodies to play with for tomorrows breakfast.

Preheat oven to 400
Prep all ingredients
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl except the chives, parsley and lime

1 head Califlower, chopped into chunks
4 roma tomatoes, sliced into thin wedges
6 stems fresh oregano, taken off the stems
1 stem rosemary, taken off the stems and chopped
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon agave
10 chives
5 stems parsley
1 wedge lime
Fresh black pepper to taste

2 red bellpeppers, whole

Place the mixed veggies and the whole red bell peppers on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or tin foil for easy cleanup.
Bake for 10 minutes
Stir once and turn bell peppers
Set oven to broil, broil on high for 5 minutes or until slightly golden brown
If the peppers are not charred keep them in the oven and remove the cauliflower.

Top the roasted veggie with the chives, chopped fine and the parsley, squirt with lime a twist of black pepper and enjoy!

These veggies are great over Fusilli pasta as well, topped with Parmesan, Olive oil and salt.

After dinner peel the bell peppers and place them in a jar with the juices thrown from them and the roasted veggies.

Tomorrow morning I will make a roasted red pepper fritatta with cauliflower. It will be smashing!

visual eye candy coming soon...

Just thought I'd drop a line here about the lack of visual accompaniment in these beginning posts! I will be adding photos to the past posts, (if I can figure out how to and when the edibles are recreated)

Moving forward to the future posts I also intend to be posting snaps of the edibles!

For now, exercise your imagination and enjoy!