tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43873352102569950932024-03-05T08:59:29.061-08:00The Modern Domestic DivaCasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-48598475654125293282014-02-23T21:19:00.002-08:002014-02-23T21:19:50.258-08:00City Girl Learns - Basics on How to Can and Preserve<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a city girl. I WANT to be a country/farm girl. But the closest to camping I've ever been is staying in a cabin in the woods (no it wasn't the premise of a horror movie, but hey there was a giant carpenter ant nest above my bed, that counts for something, right?) and the closest to livestock I've been is a petting zoo (or eating livestock...I'm so sorry cows and chickens and pigs and turkeys and lambs and man let's not even get started on my oceanic offenses...). If you'll please recall, I was a vegetarian for 9 years. I'm very very aware of animal suffering and the cost on the environment and I try to make the best decisions possible with the money I have available.</div>
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Anyway, this year I am working to get more familiar with homemade things and being a little less "urban." In that spirit, I took a canning class at my local co-op (and omg I've wanted to be one of those people who is part of a CSA/co-op forever and finally there is one near me!). With that in mind, after work the other day I went to my local <a href="http://urbanacresmarket.com/">Urban Acres</a> and got ready to get my hands dirty. </div>
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We got some handouts, including the recipe we were going to make - a kohlrabi and radish relish, because both of those are super in season right now and you use what's fresh, right? Then it was time to get our hands dirty.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't this beautiful?? I love fresh produce!!!</td></tr>
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Before we could can we had to clean and prepare our vegetables including peeling the kohlrabi. In case you didn't know, you really need to peel kohlrabi. Eating the skin won't kill you or anything, but I mean, it's not going to improve whatever you're making either. As you can tell from the above picture, I failed at peeling with a traditional peeler. In my defense, my mom got me a ceramic peeler ages ago and you use it differently than a regular peeler so I have very little experience with a regular peeler. Maybe one day I'll be able to peel in one long curly thing. Until then, see the above...</div>
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I was in charge of zesting all the lemons. There were more lemons than pictured above (some were being juiced at this point) but apparently graters are super scary to inexperienced grater people. Also, peelers are scary to inexperienced people. I'm just going to state that you have to use them over and over and just suck it up because I guarantee you will in fact grate a finger and knock a peeler into your thumb at least once in your lifetime if you want to cook with any sort of frequency.<br />
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I can also tell you that - even though I'm not a doctor - it's pretty unlikely that any permanent damage will occur with a peeler or grater. I've grated a chunk out of a knuckle or two, I've grated fingertips, I've peelered my thumb, they were all superficial injuries. It hurts (like paper cuts hurt even though they are totally not major damage at all). You'll heal and move on. What WILL possibly amputate you are mandolins (amputated a finger with that one), knives, sticking hands in gadgets that are running, etc. So you know try to be cognizant of where your fingers are when grating/peeling, but it's not going to hurt the worst if you mess up. What sucks more is if you contaminate what you're trying to prepare. That's super disappointing. Or if you get citrus/acids or salt in your wound. That smarts. <br />
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After we prepped all of the ingredients, they had to be weighed (see the bowls on the scales on the left side of the above picture?) because getting your ratios right is important. I also learned that you can use kosher salt or sea salt in place of canning salt, but you have to <b>weigh it, not measure it, </b>as compared to canning salt so you use the right amount. A lot of getting a recipe right is about weight so you'll need to invest in a food scale. You also have to consider that sea salt for instance, has a saltier taste than canning salt. So some trial and error might be needed. Last thing about salt - your stuff will turn out pretty unappetizing looking apparently if you use salts with iodine or anti-caking agents in them. I don't know if it affects taste; I do know that we were told not to use those kinds of salt. Morton's Kosher Salt has anti-caking agents in it just FYI. Morton's makes canning salt though and I got a big box for $1.44 at Wal-Mart. So for a newbie like me, I just want to stick to the recommended salt until I get comfy enough to experiment.</div>
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This recipe called for cooking the ingredients, and then it was time to fill the jars! I should mention at this point that you should NOT cook your ingredients in the ceramic pots that are frequently used to water bath your jars. It will ruin the pot real quick. If you have a lovely Le Creuset pot (I wish!!!!) then that would be great for cooking your ingredients since it heats super evenly and is meant for that use. Don't use aluminum cookware as it can leach into the ingredients and discolor them and make the flavor icky. When you fill the jars you use a funnel that has markings inside it to help you determine how full the jars need to be. Once filled to the appropriate level, you need to push out the air pockets (and fill a bit more if the ingredients settle lower).</div>
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The funnel also helps you not touch the rims of the jars with whatever you're filling them with, which is important for sanitation and ensuring a proper lid seal. Before you fill your jars, you need to sanitize your jars (you can "bake" them in your oven to sanitize instead of boiling them, which while recommended, is a good recipe for disaster if you're accident prone like me). From what my instructor says, oven sanitation is totally fine and doesn't cause problems. <br />
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You also need to sanitize your lids, which you can do by pouring hot - NOT boiling - water over the lids in a bowl. You should wash both lids and jars with soap and warm water before these processes. When you are ready to put lids on your full jars, wipe the rims of the jars with a linen towel or something similar, dry your lids with a clean towel - do NOT touch the food safe part, that's what needs to be clean!!! - and place the lid on your jar. Then secure with a lid rim. The rims do not need to be sanitized and you just need to get them tight with your hands, don't get some crazy tool and make them super tight, it's just unnecessary.</div>
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Then it's time to use your water bath! You don't want your jars to touch the bottom of the pot. Most canning kits come with a metal contraption to help you raise/lower your jars into the water which also keeps them off the bottom. If you don't have said contraption, you can soak a towel and put that at the bottom of the pot, or you can take some extra jar rims and connect them with some wire or whatnot and put those at the bottom of the pot to support your jars. When you lower your jars into the pot, they need to be covered with at least an inch of water. Return the water to a boil (with the lid on), and then begin your 10 minute timer. You have to have boiling water for the full 10 minutes. <br />
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In the meantime, take a towel and spread it out on your counter. When your jars are done pull them out and place them on the towel. After they've cooled to room temperature, you can remove the rims and check that the lids have sealed. The lids have a slight rim and you can apply a little pressure with a fingernail. If it doesn't move your seal is good. If it does move, you have to do the whole wipe rim/boil jar business all over again. </div>
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If you don't have enough ingredients to fill a jar properly, just stick it in the fridge and use it in the next couple months. It is not safe to can things that are not filled to the appropriate level. Air = bacteria breeding ground. And nobody wants that. Apparently if you don't have a proper seal on your jars, they could turn into a nasty science experiment that will literally explode in your pantry. And who wants a science experiment all over their pantry? Nobody...and if you do it might be time to reexamine your life choices...just saying... ALSO you need to wait a certain amount of time before trying your goods. I know I know, in this age of instant gratification, waiting is the worst. Depending on your recipe, you could enjoy your work in 24 hours, or it could take up to 2 weeks as is the case with my relish. But I think waiting is probably best because it lets the flavors mellow and set. Patience is definitely a virtue on this one (sigh).</div>
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Some other tips - check your jars thoroughly before you start. Even a tiny chip or hairline crack can lead to an explosion in your water bath, and who wants to strain broken glass and food out of boiling water and redoing everything with your other jars??? Also, check your lids!!! They tend to glomp together when you sanitize them, and if they get scratched that could affect their food safety. It could potentially lead to corrosion inside the jar and that's definitely not good. Lastly (for now), water bath canning is only used for acidic ingredients. You have to use a 5% acid or more vinegar when pickling even (apple cider vinegar is definitely recommended). If you want to can alkaline foods, you have to use the pressure cooker method. Once I gain some confidence and have the money for a pressure canner, I'll get one and learn how to do that too! But for now, I hope I've taught you a couple things. Feel free to comment below with any suggestions/corrections/requests/questions!!!</div>
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-26943122336556061332014-02-19T12:37:00.000-08:002014-02-19T12:37:15.819-08:00Paleo Comfort Food - Kielbasa and Potatoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently joined a food co-op and have been getting a half share of local, organic, seasonal produce every Saturday morning. This amounts to approximately 15 pounds of all organic produce for $30. That seems like a pretty good deal to me especially considering how much 15 pounds of organic produce costs at Whole Foods (hint: a lot). It's also a lot of fun and I am learning about new foods and also about proper storage techniques. Also, because I am getting new and different foods, I'm coming up with my own recipes to use what I've gotten. I want to share with you my successes (and failures) and hopefully you'll try out some of these great foods or join a CSA/co-op and get fun things to try too! I made this hearty kielbasa and potatoes meal last night for instance.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paleo Kielbasa and Potatoes. Yummm!</td></tr>
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tried to take a video of my latest share but it's awful quality because
like a dummy I used the wrong setting on my phone. Then I didn't check
it til after I put everything away. Boo! But, here's a picture of the weekly email I get in advance of my weekly pickup day, letting me know what will be in my share:</div>
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My first week, all of my leafy greens wilted before I had a chance to use them because I stored them the completely wrong way. Oopsie! I am so used to leafy things being packaged at the grocery store I didn't really think about getting them unpackaged straight from a farmer! Things are going much more smoothly now, all I needed was to store them in plastic bags with some dry paper towel. Easy enough, right? So the above picture shows what I received in my share on Saturday, February 15. I also had a couple yellow onions and a random lime which is fine by me. My co-op is also a small grocer, so I picked up some additional things to try out:</div>
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Last night I decided to put some of these foods to good use and made up a recipe based on the idea of Kielbasa and Potatoes, but which is Paleo-friendly (if you're low carbing it, this won't be for you unfortunately).</div>
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<b>PALEO KIELBASA AND POTATOES*</b><br />
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<li>2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, or other cooking fat* </li>
<li>14 oz. Kielbasa (a little less or more is fine; I used the big link pictured above)</li>
<li>3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces </li>
<li>2 bunches leafy greens; I used my baby bok choy</li>
<li>1 small onion</li>
<li>2-3 cloves garlic </li>
<li>3 tbsp. water</li>
<li>3-4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar</li>
<li>1 tbsp. dried thyme</li>
<li>2 tbsp. kosher salt</li>
<li>1-2 tbsp. dijon mustard</li>
<li>black pepper to taste</li>
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Chop up the onion and set aside (when you first cut into your onion, if it's super pungent try running the cut sides under cold water, that usually helps make my eyes sting and water less). Mince two cloves of garlic (if the cloves are small you should probably use 3). Slice the kielbasa into 1/4-inch "coins."</div>
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Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, then place in a microwave-safe casserole dish (I just used a pie plate) with the water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 4 minutes, or until fork-tender. If you prefer not to use a microwave, boil in water until tender (start checking around 10 minutes; it really shouldn't take more than 20 minutes). When the potatoes are ready drain and set aside.</div>
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While your potatoes are cooking, heat oil over medium heat in a sauté pan (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Circulon-anodized-aluminum.jpg">this is what a sauté pan looks like</a>). Add the onions and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and the vinegar, and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until the vinegar has cooked off (there shouldn't be a pool of it in your pan in other words). Add in the kielbasa, potatoes, thyme, salt, dijon mustard, and black pepper. Allow to cook for 5 more minutes, until the kielbasa starts to brown. Add your leafy greens in and cook until wilted and tender. I used baby bok choy that I tore into pieces. I think a couple good-sized handfuls of spinach would work really well instead though. At this point you're ready to eat up a delicious meal! You may want to season with additional salt and pepper (P and I loooove salt but when I make recipes I go with less and then we can season to our tastes when a serving is on our plates).</div>
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*For information on why I use a number range for certain ingredients, e.g. 1-2 tbsp. seasoning, and information on cooking fats, please see the <a href="http://themoderndomesticdiva.blogspot.com/p/about-cooking-information.html">About This Blog page</a>.<br />
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Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!</div>
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P.S. this makes tasty leftovers too, just microwave about 3 minutes, stirring halfway through!</div>
Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-11609427675132381952014-02-08T18:21:00.000-08:002014-02-08T22:11:52.467-08:00Let's Talk Love. Or try to.<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b> I am NOT a love expert AT ALL. </b> I have been heart broken a few times in my short life though and my dear girlfriends have been through their love and heartbreak too. From these experiences I'd like to share some insights with you on love that I've come to learn over the course of years and relationships and a lot of eff ups. About fighting and different personalities and why people want to be with people who don't always agree with them.<br />
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But let's back up a bit...</div>
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<b>I had a few flings</b> in middle school and high school, but I was so uncertain of everything. Then I was in a serious relationship for about 5 years, but our life goals simply were not aligned. We were fantastic friends and hardly ever disagreed on things, it just wasn't meant to be. I can see both sides of the coin years later, but...it was hard at the time. I went from my only serious relationship outside of high school to a seriously awful experience, to guys in law school approaching me and me being total awkward, to trying to date a bit, to a brief but serious tryst, to hating dating, to trying online dating for awhile, to wanting to be single forever, to having the smallest spark of hope and inviting a then friend (P) to visit me. And now we live together and things are normal. Not in the boring way, in the good way!!!</div>
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<b>P is the first guy that I've had several significant fights with.</b> He has a strong personality AND so do I so guess what? FIGHTS. Not all the time. But it happens. We are also more vocal about things that matter to us. And it has given me a greater understanding of what "love" really is, at least insofar as I've experienced it. So here are my insights on love for what it's worth.<br />
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<u><b>Lov</b><b>e is Difficult</b></u></div>
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Love is so complex, so dynamic, and so organic; it is just this insane crazy creature and it's like we're constantly trying to tame
this crazy ass thing by being with someone who will stoke the flames without causing a boil over OR causing the flames and the creature to die; it's such a balancing act.</div>
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From my experiences, I think you should try to find someone that balances you, and that doesn't mean being total opposites, it means complementing each other. For instance, I have a weird obsession with expiration dates, which P doesn't really care about, but he has his own "weird things" that work with my expiration date fixation.</div>
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<span title="cassidy.d.harrington@gmail.com"><span title="cassidy.d.harrington@gmail.com"><u><b>Reconciling a "Planner" with a "Free Spirit"</b></u> </span></span></div>
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<span title="cassidy.d.harrington@gmail.com"><span dir="ltr">I am a planner. I have friends who are also planners. We feel most comfortable with a general idea of our month with specifics for the next 4-7 days. But our other halves are sometimes "free spirits." They want to "go with the flow" and figure things out as events unfold. This is hell on planners. And this is also a source of a lot of fights in relationships that involve planners and free spirits. I am a huge planner. This is at least in part due to the fact that control makes me feel safe and secure. My anxiety spikes a crazy amount when there aren't plans. P is a free spirit. He wants to change plans as events unfold and he gets really frustrated when I question things or want him to tell me what's going on - he feels
it's me trying to be controlling. </span></span></div>
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<span title="cassidy.d.harrington@gmail.com"><span dir="ltr"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span title="cassidy.d.harrington@gmail.com"><span dir="ltr"><b>Us planners do NOT want to control everyone's life minutiae. </b> We do want to at least know generally what the heck is going on, as it does in fact impact us. When about you might show up for instance. It causes us intense distress without these details. And it's hard to be with us when you just want to go with the flow. I think the answer is that we have to accept SOME discomfort while free spirits need to have just a bit of accountability. Not a "I will be home at exactly X time" but a "hey, staying out later than expected, be home around 10 or 11." Or as another example, say P wants to have friends over, tell me a day or so in advance "hey, thinking about having the guys over on Saturday" - this puts me on notice that something is likely to occur this weekend and I should prepare. <b>There has to be a compromise</b>, but I think before a compromise can occur, we need to acknowledge our preferences and work on finding a middle ground.</span></span></div>
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<span title="cassidy.d.harrington@gmail.com"><span dir="ltr"><u><b>Fights and Friends Who Want You to End Things</b></u></span></span></div>
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<span title="cassidy.d.harrington@gmail.com"><span dir="ltr">As I mentioned previously, in my current relationship, we definitely argue and fight. I have friends in a similar situation. It sucks (nobody WANTS to get in a fight!) but we are always arguing in an effort to get along better and create a better relationship. Over time we definitely fight less and we are becoming better at articulating our frustrations.</span></span></div>
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<span title="cassidy.d.harrington@gmail.com"><span dir="ltr"><b>Unfortunately, our society tends to focus on negative qualities it seems like (gossip magazines and tv shows exist for a reason, amiright???). </b> This means your friends may have a shitty opinion of your significant other if you've vented to them about some annoyance, and so when you fight, they are like "BREAK UP!!!" Friends who think this, please think a little deeper. Look at the length of the relationship and ask your upset friend to provide a list of pros to go with the cons. You may have NO CLUE what all the good things their significant other is doing, because your friend counts on you as their "venting to" friend. It's important to brag about those positives my friends, or your crew is going to have a false opinion of your significant other. So it's not fair to get mad at them for saying "break up" if you've been venting. You need to have an honest conversation. </span></span></div>
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<span title="cassidy.d.harrington@gmail.com"><span dir="ltr">Then you might explain to your friend that they need to understand that with fights in serious relationships (I'm not talking about a chick who met a dude 2 weeks ago and they want to live together but dude hates chick's cat or something), <b>serious relationships have a foundation.</b> It's well-built, it's solid. There is a NEED for these two people to be together. They will not accept substitutions. </span></span></div>
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<span title="cassidy.d.harrington@gmail.com"><span dir="ltr">"But Cassidy, why are you guys fighting then? Doesn't fighting mean you aren't meant to be together and should break up???</span></span>" Remember!!! There's this ground work, this foundation, and it's
solid. We're fighting over curtains and counter tops. We just have different opinions over whether we should use granite or wood or some nouveau recycled material. We don't have a disagreement over the foundation and the house we want to be in. PLEASE understand the difference!</div>
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So here are some random insights by yours truly. I am always learning things and trying to understand relationships and working together because guess what? Your soul-mate might not be this person who is in total alignment with you! That's really wonderful but it doesn't always happen, and that's ok too. Sometimes the differences are what keep us interested. <b> Either way, we love who we love.</b></div>
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I think my overarching point of this all is that we really need to stop thinking about ourselves 24//7 and try to consider what the people we care about are thinking too. And maybe somewhere in this mess we call life, we'll find a happy content medium.</div>
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-30411853934129753312014-02-05T13:53:00.000-08:002014-02-08T22:12:55.341-08:00Slow Cooker Party Eats!<div style="text-align: justify;">
We didn't have a Super Bowl Party this year, but we did decide to pick a couple recipes to indulge in. I made our menu really short AND addressed my desire to try at least one new recipe. We also had miscellaneous desserts from Whole Foods.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whole Foods had Super Bowl themed desserts! </td></tr>
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Of the stuff we made, we used both my slow cookers (doesn't everyone have more than 1??? I sense a giveaway in the future...). I have to tell y'all, these recipes are winners. I asked for constructive criticism and there was none. All I got was "chompchompchomp" noises (and yes I gave people besides P some). <br />
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I unfortunately don't have pictures for these recipes because they are rather ugly and only require a few steps (when has a slow cooker recipe EVER been beautifully plated???). You're just going to have to trust me and my expanding waistline.<br />
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<u><b>P'S QU</b><b>ESO</b></u><br />
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Ok, this is 100% processed food action (it tastes GREAT but is with not so great ingredients) but it gets rave reviews so if you're up for cheating or need a solid queso recipe, look no further. I will of course experiment until I find a real food equivalent or better for this down the road :)</div>
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<li>1 pkg. Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes</li>
<li>2 cans Original Rotel*</li>
<li>1 can cream of celery soup </li>
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Place all of the ingredients in a 4.5 quart slow cooker.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the one I used, it works great and is only about $20 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SCR450-PT-2-Quart-Cooker-Demask-Pattern/dp/B007K9OI9I/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1391637099&sr=8-9&keywords=crock+pot">on Amazon</a>!</td></tr>
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Place on high, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a really melted consistency (takes about an hour). Reduce to warm. Get out some tortilla chips and prepare to be amazed!<br />
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<b>* Note:</b> if you cannot handle some spice, get Mild Rotel instead of Original.<br />
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<u><b>PULLED PORK</b></u> </div>
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<li>Pork Picnic/Sirloin Roast</li>
<li>1/2 c. apple juice</li>
<li>1/2 c. apple cider vinegar</li>
<li>1 tbsp. kosher salt</li>
<li>1 tbsp. garlic powder</li>
<li>1 tbsp. black pepper</li>
<li>1 tbsp. ground cumin</li>
<li>1 tbsp. chili powder </li>
<li>1 tbsp. brown sugar</li>
<li>1 tbsp. paprika</li>
<li>1 tbsp. cayenne pepper</li>
<li>1 tbsp. Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning<br />
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This recipe is my modified version of a recipe passed down through a few employees at my office. I have no idea who created the original but this is what I tinkered out of the not-so-well-written recipe I got. The Pork Picnic Roast is huge, it's a really great deal price-wise. I have a 6.5 quart slow cooker and this sucker was still a little too big. So, take your roast, <b>trim off the skin parts</b> (mine still had plenty of Babe's flesh so I sliced that business right off; if you want to be a badass make some chicharrones with all that skin!). If you need to cut a part of the meat off to get it to fit in your crock pot, go ahead and do it. I'm not a master butcher but I cut against the grain and away from the bone. I wanted the meat surrounding the bone intact because bones impart flavor and health benefits when slow cooked. </div>
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Next, <b>combine all of the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl:</b> salt, garlic powder, black pepper, ground cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, and the Creole seasoning. If your roast can fit in a freezer bag awesome, use that for this next step. Mine was too big so I used a 9x13 casserole dish. Set your roast in the dish and rub the seasoning all over it. <b>Make sure to get all the sides.</b> I sliced off part of my roast and covered that part in seasoning as well. Cover your roast with plastic wrap (or seal it up in a freezer bag) and let it marinate over night. </div>
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The next day, place your roast in a slow cooker, pour the apple juice and apple cider vinegar over it, and turn it on low for 10 hours. (At this point I took my extra sliced off meat and put it in a freezer bag and froze it for future use). After 10 hours, shred your roast with two forks and serve alone or on a sandwich. Adding barbeque sauce is super delicious! </div>
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<b>Note:</b> part of my roast ended up above the juices so it wasn't as tender. I went ahead and shredded the rest to start serving and then got that part under the juices. It needed an extra hour and then shredded apart easily, so no big deal and being on low for an extra hour didn't hurt the rest of it either. Also, when I was finished cooking it seemed like there was a LOT of liquid. I did discard a few ladle-fuls of the liquid but then I poured a bunch of barbeque sauce in. The meat seems to soak up the juices and they taste good so I'd keep them if I were you. Nothing worse than dried up meat! </div>
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<b>Other Note:</b> there is a big bone in the Picnic Roast as well as some smaller bones. You should be able to find them and fish them out of your crock pot as you are shredding without trouble. I saved mine to make bone broth. We did get just a couple teeny bones that weren't fish-out-able but it wasn't a big deal, nothing that would pose a choking hazard. I am sure you could do this recipe with a couple of pork tenderloins, but the Picnic Roast is a cheaper cut of meat that will yield terrific results. In my opinion, you shouldn't buy expensive cuts for the slower cooker, it's just a waste and a poor use of higher end meat.</div>
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This pulled pork fed us for a few days, and that's with my neighbors eating some and giving my sister some (fyi she does not have much of a spice tolerance and <b>the spice rub for the pork was not too spicy</b> for her). Both the queso and the pork heat up really well in a microwave if you have one (I didn't have one in law school so I am used to heating up the slow way!).</div>
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I hope you give these recipes a try and love them as much as we do!</div>
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<span id="goog_56877370"></span><span id="goog_56877371"></span>Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-10961763488188855712014-01-29T11:19:00.000-08:002014-02-08T22:13:28.740-08:00Valentine's Day - Gift Guide with Deals!!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I previously wrote about a great gift idea for your beau <a href="http://themoderndomesticdiva.blogspot.com/2014/01/21-day-sugar-detox-day-14-valentines.html" target="_blank">here</a>. However, there are a lot of deals popping up, recipes to try, and crafts to do, so I thought I'd provide a list of some of them over the next week. And hey, if you don't have a significant other, you can still do something for yourself right? Loving you is the most important. And who wouldn't want an edible arrangement, amiright?? Yeah, I totally thought about getting myself one, not even going to lie (I might still do it, just sayin...). </div>
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Without further ado, here are some gift suggestions that just happen to be discounted right now to help you find the perfect
gift for your love (even if that love happens to be of the four-legged variety).<br />
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<a href="http://ediblearrangements.com/" target="_blank"><u><b>EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS</b></u></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKic3MNpjvjKMJz7qud6jN-FxmXMei0xhOPejRLwNJn2ItpR65A31n0eeNDMMtdDPHVtUZ0q7ZK548MK6WeTkJ3a6p18D8sA9esfnAIKWfP9Q3CitXBujcbJYjUEmMhnCCm-u9ZgBkeDg/s1600/ediblearrangement.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKic3MNpjvjKMJz7qud6jN-FxmXMei0xhOPejRLwNJn2ItpR65A31n0eeNDMMtdDPHVtUZ0q7ZK548MK6WeTkJ3a6p18D8sA9esfnAIKWfP9Q3CitXBujcbJYjUEmMhnCCm-u9ZgBkeDg/s1600/ediblearrangement.JPG" height="154" width="320" /></a></div>
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Right now Edible Arrangements has some really cute Valentine's offerings that would be suitable for women OR men, and if you order by the end of January 31st, you'll get a coupon code for a free box of six chocolate-dipped fruits just for you. The only caveat is that you have to pick up the box, you can't get it delivered. So make sure you are close to an Edible Arrangements store before going with this deal.</div>
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<a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/special-offers" target="_blank"><u><b>SHUTTERFLY</b></u></a></div>
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If you want to do something personal and meaningful with a photo or photos, Shutterfly has a TON of deals going on right now, as you can see from the above picture. They have some really nice stuff that you can have your photos printed on, so check it out!</div>
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<a href="http://ww11.1800flowers.com/" target="_blank"><u><b>1-800 FLOWERS</b></u></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbhE9FlddH-KwkpSO84afo6KGd5BGIWq4GJXpUps9Z7WRK-qBY9k9IuAAyhSLGy4scrTiOV3GrtMaSXegyLNpzaolCQXQRHzmUk-g1_Az3tR7Bus_k-_uc_F3WoRnfPyFxypO4Tvz-ew/s1600/1800flowers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbhE9FlddH-KwkpSO84afo6KGd5BGIWq4GJXpUps9Z7WRK-qBY9k9IuAAyhSLGy4scrTiOV3GrtMaSXegyLNpzaolCQXQRHzmUk-g1_Az3tR7Bus_k-_uc_F3WoRnfPyFxypO4Tvz-ew/s1600/1800flowers.JPG" height="97" width="640" /></a></div>
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1-800 Flowers has a 25% off deal going on right now. They don't just sell flowers though, you can also get gourmet treats, jewelry, frames, crystal flowers, and more. The 25% off deal is applicable to 1-800 Flowers' sister stores too, which include 1-800 Baskets, Fruit Bouquets, Cheryl's, Fannie May Berries, The Popcorn Factory, and #JustBecause. There are a lot of fun and cute things at these shops. I have ordered numerous times from 1-800 Flowers and always had good results and their prices are competitive to boot.</div>
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<a href="http://www.personalizationmall.com/Romantic-Personalized-Gifts-s16.store" target="_blank"><u><b>PERSONALIZATION MALL</b></u></a></div>
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Personalization Mall customizes all sorts of things. They have robes, crystal, frames, doormats, keepsakes, mugs, you name it. They also are offering 15% off from their Valentine's store right now. I have received a gift from here before and I love it!</div>
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<a href="http://www.redenvelope.com/valentines-special-deals-RSPDL?ref=HomeNoRef&tile=C5_RSPDL" target="_blank"><u><b>RED ENVELOPE</b></u></a></div>
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Red Envelope doesn't have a coupon code right now, but they do have a lot of nice stuff on discount (linked in the name). They also have a Valentine's Day specific store if you just want some gift ideas for men and women.</div>
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<u><b>CHOCOLATE</b></u></div>
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If you're intent on getting your special someone chocolate, I would recommend either <a href="http://www.godiva.com/all-vday-gifts" target="_blank">Godiva</a> or <a href="http://www.sees.com/Cat.cfm/valentines_day_gifts" target="_blank">See's Candies</a>. Neither have any great deals for their Valentine's items, but the do offer free shipping on orders over $50. </div>
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<u><b>DOGGY AND KITTY VALENTINE</b></u></div>
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There are no deals here but you can get absolutely fun and adorable dog valentine treats like this <a href="http://www.bubbarose.com/product_info.php?cPath=20_49&products_id=376&osCsid=c6d5c2d25d088bb09e34a3646e9355a6" target="_blank">heart box of cookies</a> from Bubba Rose. Plus, they use really great ingredients and no filler. Now that's showing your pup some love! Don't worry cat lovers, I've got you covered too. <a href="http://www.thecatnipcafe.com/unique-valentines-day-gifts-for-cat-lovers/#!/~/product/category=2975067&id=19185500" target="_blank">Check out these catnip filled "cupcakes"</a> for the feline love (or loves if you're on the crazy cat lady train) in your life.</div>
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Hope these deals and suggestions help you out!</div>
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<span id="goog_1837786292"></span><span id="goog_1837786293"></span><span id="goog_1837786294"></span><span id="goog_1837786295"></span>Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-89986383053057879372014-01-27T20:06:00.003-08:002014-02-08T22:18:32.006-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Wrap Up & Book Review<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, I didn't make it all 21 days (sadness). The night of Day 19 (last Friday) we went out and I splurged at Max's Wine Dive. It was a HUGE mistake. Then on Day 20 I was ok but then we went out to celebrate a friend's birthday and I cheated again which was an even BIGGER mistake. Due to those cheats, I was miserable all weekend. By Sunday I was back to being good because seriously, EFF THAT!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCEhZOvi3TgdIsbDnozyOkw6_Q9SKrKu5oMvdIq7eR6xTLscwNO4iddv_gX7vMCe5hd7nrF8FIbJgiUVtNjvxWeKPArwBvgigqJ81gICNJX9ynbQl5h_s0yNMFtNsJRfXQs0HX1tP_A0/s1600/whatdefines.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCEhZOvi3TgdIsbDnozyOkw6_Q9SKrKu5oMvdIq7eR6xTLscwNO4iddv_gX7vMCe5hd7nrF8FIbJgiUVtNjvxWeKPArwBvgigqJ81gICNJX9ynbQl5h_s0yNMFtNsJRfXQs0HX1tP_A0/s1600/whatdefines.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let me tell you how awful eating crap makes a person feel when they've been eating healthy for awhile. I was in physical pain. I think I said "I'm dying!" at least 10 times to P. There were multiple trips to the bathroom. I got inexplicably exhausted and spent the majority of the weekend in bed sleeping or napping instead of getting my to-do list under control. It was ugly. I regret all of it. So back to the 21 DSD style of eating. There are still so many recipes I want to try in the books so I really doubt it's going to get boring any time soon.<br />
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<b>THAT BEING SAID, HERE IS MY REVIEW OF THE BOOKS:</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRG_Vpqpf3u7kFN1kXAjzBW2kFp2j4p8XpdMFlk1fvWUmzSWMhNWUD1IQ3dawgZCZKHOlQnCbVn_ZU7XSCEayKKky7TdmIgSAK7YBrhp2GuvX2dfgHSL1Zsar-Ccsjn3HEaT5PfVcJnk/s1600/20140127_180730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRG_Vpqpf3u7kFN1kXAjzBW2kFp2j4p8XpdMFlk1fvWUmzSWMhNWUD1IQ3dawgZCZKHOlQnCbVn_ZU7XSCEayKKky7TdmIgSAK7YBrhp2GuvX2dfgHSL1Zsar-Ccsjn3HEaT5PfVcJnk/s1600/20140127_180730.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The 21 Day Sugar Detox book does a really great job of explaining how sugar negatively impacts your health. It's rather astonishing how many areas of our physical health can be impacted by sugars and processed foods. You first read through the author's battle with sugar and how it impacted her health. Then you get a simplified explanation of the science of sugar and how it affects the human body. There is then a preparation checklist complete with suggested supplements, what to expect each day, and support options. The book also provides one page quick reference guides on replacing foods, sneaky sugar synonyms, dining out, fats and oils. <br />
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Then you get to the dietary part of the book. There are 3 different levels of the detox, depending on your current lifestyle and relationship with food. I did Level 1. There are also modifications for pescatarians, pregnant and nursing mothers, and active individuals. In the back of the book you get a list of recommended products, useful websites and blogs, egg-free breakfast ideas, sources of information, and thumbnails of all of the recipes.<br />
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Almost all of the recipes are fantastic as written; most don't require anything more than what the recipe provides. On occasion I added some extra seasoning (usually salt) but otherwise I did not feel a great need to tinker with any of the recipes. That is usually not my experience with recipes so it was a very pleasant surprise.<br />
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Here is a list of all of the recipes I have tried so far (just since January 5...crazy!!!) in the order they appear in the books, and whether I'd make them again (the "yes," "maybe," or "no"):<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Naturally/dp/1936608111">21 DS</a></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Naturally/dp/1936608111" target="_blank"><u><b>D Book</b></u></a></div>
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<li>Bacon and Root Veggie Hash - yes</li>
<li>Pumpkin Pancakes with Vanilla Bean Coconut Butter - yes</li>
<li>Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins - yes </li>
<li>Apple Streusel Egg Muffins - maybe</li>
<li>Tomato-Basil Quiche with Bacon and Spinach - maybe (probably not, the leftovers are icky)</li>
<li>Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breast - yes</li>
<li>Mustard-Glazed Chicken Thighs - yes</li>
<li>Mini Mexi-Meatloaves - maybe</li>
<li>Ginger-Garlic Beef and Broccoli - yes</li>
<li>Shepherd's Pie - yes (with ground beef since turns out I don't really like ground lamb)</li>
<li>Asian-Style Meatballs - no</li>
<li>Double Pork Tenderloin - yes</li>
<li>Shrimp Pad Thai - yes</li>
<li>Salmon Salad with Capers & Tomato - yes</li>
<li>Broccoli and Bacon Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing - yes</li>
<li>Fresh Cabbage and Bok Choy Slaw - no</li>
<li>Creamy Herb Mashed Cauliflower - yes</li>
<li>Golden Beets with Crispy Herbs - yes</li>
<li>Savory Herb Drop Biscuits - yes</li>
<li>Baked Kale Chips - yes</li>
<li>Cinnilla Nut Mix - no</li>
<li>Bittersweet Hot Cocoa - no</li>
<li>Grain-free Banola - maybe</li>
<li>Italian Sausage Spice Blend - yes</li>
<li>Healthy Homemade Mayonnaise - yes</li>
<li>Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing - yes<b> </b> </li>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Cookbook/dp/1936608138" target="_blank"><u><b>21 DSD Cookbook</b></u></a> </div>
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<li>Banana Vanilla Bean N'oatmeal - yes</li>
<li>Apple Pie Smoothie- yes</li>
<li>Salmon with Creamy Tzatziki Sauce and Dill Carrots - yes</li>
<li>Kombucha Gelatin - maybe</li>
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As you can see the bulk of my experience is with the 21 DSD book. However, the same caliber of recipes seems to be represented in the Cookbook and I am excited to try lots of new stuff!<b> </b><br />
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<u><b>21 DSD PROS:</b></u></div>
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The book is well-written and easy to follow. It's engaging without being dumbed down and it is not repetitive. The detox itself really did make a difference in my health and
well-being. My chronic heartburn became a distant memory, I was
sleeping a lot better, I never felted bloated or that overly full
feeling. I also was feeling happier and more energetic because I was being healthy. I
think allowing myself to eat healthy fats (in moderation!) and proteins
left me feeling satisfied with less food too so I wasn't binging or
scarfing down more than one serving of whatever I made. I also learned to cope with stress without turning to comfort foods or alcohol. Getting away from sugar, gluten, processed foods, etc. did not cure my joint pain, but overall my knees have bothered me less. Lastly, I lost about 7 pounds in under 3 weeks without exercising, just sticking to the detox.<br />
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after going out and eating whatever on Friday and Saturday, I have confirmed that I want to follow the 21 DSD framework for eating from now on, because <b>all that junk makes me feel like crap!</b><br />
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<u><b>21 DSD CONS:</b></u></div>
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One thing I have noticed with the 21DSD books is that sometimes they assume you have culinary knowledge under your belt, and maybe you should know the basics, but I try to write for someone who's not knowledgeable but wanting to learn. For example, they assume you know what the "grain" of beef is when butchering it and there aren't always hints to let less knowledgeable people know that you do in fact need to peel certain things like parsnips and carrots. Or if you're cooking something with high heat there is no suggestion to tent it with foil if it starts to get too dark. Just little things here and there that might make a difference to people who don't cook that often.<br />
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Another thing that I wasn't always a fan of was when a recipe called for "1 lb. of chicken breasts." That's maybe 2 chicken breasts but then the meal plan says I should have leftovers after feeding 2 adults? Pretty sure that's not going to work out. While measuring meat in pounds is professional and extra useful for things like ground meat or beef that you're going to end up chopping up, it's really unhelpful for things like chicken breasts or chicken thighs or steaks or what have you.<br />
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Lastly, I am not a ninja chef who can chop an onion in 2 seconds. I have never worked at getting faster with a knife because I am extremely accident prone and really don't need more ER bills related to cutting/slicing/chopping part of my hand up again (yes it's happened before). Thus sometimes recipes take me awhile to prep and cook and it's not all magically done in 15 minutes. Some days I was left exhausted from all my time cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. Read through the recipes and save the more complicated stuff for the weekend.<br />
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These are really really minor complaints though. And they have nothing to do with the sugar detox itself. That part is pretty solid. For example, I used to hate dark chocolate and then I had some dark chocolate on Saturday and it was sooo good. So I do think by detoxing you reprogram your taste buds. You also benefit health-wise as I discussed above.</div>
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<u><b>TIPS AND MORE:</b></u><br />
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I went with the suggested meal plan for week one to see how it worked out. My grocery bill was about $275 and it only fed us (just P and I) for 7 days. That's not ok for us because that's a huge chunk of money for one week's worth of food. The following 2 weeks I looked at the "Yes Food List" and some recipes and crafted my own meal plan based on what meats and produce we could get at better prices. <b>Use the Yes list!</b><br />
<b><br />To save money on groceries I also took to the internet.</b> You can get stuff like vanilla beans, almond flour, coconut butter, etc. much cheaper on the internet than in your average store. For instance, at my local grocery store one vanilla bean was $5.49. You can get a lot of vanilla beans for much less on Amazon and if you have Prime there's not much of a wait. <br />
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Another thing is that I didn't make very many of the snacks or desserts. I am not much of a snacker, especially when I'm eating 3 satisfying meals a day. It seems excessive. Also, I really don't think anyone needs dessert on a regular basis.<b> So to save some money don't make all of the snacks and desserts under the sun.</b> A serving of nuts is sufficient, cheaper, and less time consuming than the snack recipes in the book. Just weigh your priorities. If you're working out a lot you may indeed need snacks!</div>
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<b>If you love soda, I would try Perrier, San Pellegrino, or some other sparkling mineral water. </b>Not the flavored kind, just plain. You get that carbonated drink sensation and it's totally healthy. I slice up a lemon in the morning and then add a couple slices to my water or sparkling water throughout the day too. Slices of cucumber are also yummy. Another drink option is herbal teas. I stopped drinking caffeine on my detox so I stuck with caffeine free blends from Traditional Medicinals. Be aware that some of the more name brand teas have some weird stuff in the ingredients (not even tea is safe!). </div>
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<b>Follow 21 DSD guidelines on eating certain foods. </b> Don't eat a ton of green bananas and apples all day. If you're on Level 1, you can have ONE of those fruits PER DAY. Also, don't eat nuts by the handful. You should eat to satiety, don't let yourself start mindlessly consuming tons of nuts or nut butters. Sure they're healthy, but they're also full of fat. A single serving of nuts is not very much, as this chart illustrates.<br />
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The same goes for avocados. <a href="http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/30-greatest-flat-belly-tips-all-time/slide/20" target="_blank">Yes, they are really good for you.</a> But unless you're working out a lot, you probably <a href="http://www.avocadocentral.com/nutrition/avocado-nutrition-health-facts-label" target="_blank">don't need to be eating an avocado a day</a>. </div>
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<b>If you do try the detox and don't make it to 21 days or even 7 days, just know that a lot of people don't make it the full 3 weeks on their first attempt (including me!). </b>The important thing is that you're trying and if you work at it you'll make it all 21 days eventually, I just know it! And if you decide to do this detox and want any support or recipes from me, comment below or catch me on twitter (you can follow me with the twitter button on the top right side of the screen). </div>
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I hope you give this detox a shot or at least try to incorporate these recipes into your life on a regular basis. You won't regret it (I haven't so far!).<br />
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P.S. The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/21daysugardetox" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a> people don't know anything about my review or use of the books. I sure wish I was known and getting paid though!
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I survived Day 18! It is definitely getting harder to stick to it as I approach the finish line. I'm getting that "isn't 18 days good enough??" feeling. But then I remember...</div>
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I want to succeed most and lose some weight. So my cravings and laziness need to shut up! Day 18 was a little un-fun though, thanks to a surprise chicken issue when I went to make dinner.</div>
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I started out the day with my yummy yum Banana Vanilla Bean N'oatmeal. Paleo Parents has provided this recipe so <a href="http://paleoparents.com/2014/review-and-giveaway-21-day-sugar-detox-cookbook-banana-vanilla-bean-noatmeal-recipe/" target="_blank">check it out there</a>. It's really great warm or cold, is packed with nutrients, and I'm definitely going to make a lot more of it, and maybe try different flavorings too. For lunch I had some Savory Herb Drop Biscuits, prosciutto, and a little cottage cheese. </div>
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Then came dinner. UGH. So as you may recall in an effort to save some moolah we decided to make our meat purchases at Sam's. Last night I decided to make Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs again because YUMM. However, in our effort to save we unknowingly sacrificed a bit in the quality department. What I'm getting at is, there was still some feather action going on with my chicken thighs. Plucking out feathers and bits of quill is SUPER unappetizing, especially when you're a city girl like me. But you know, a lot of people in the world have to slaughter their own chickens and de-feather them so I shut up and sucked it up. The final result tasted great as it did previously:</div>
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I also made dill carrots again from the tzatziki salmon recipe I made last week and those were delish. I was really tired by the end of the chicken prep and cooking so I slept really well last night. We had a cold front come in yesterday and it was nice to be under all the blankets and cuddling with my puppies.</div>
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As a side note, I have really been learning to seek comfort outside of food and alcohol on this detox. I'm a huge comfort food eater, so if I was stressed/upset/anxious/feeling accomplished I usually would have a drink or eat some unhealthy stuff or worse - both. But with the 21DSD that's not an option. I'm learning new ways of coping, slowly but surely. </div>
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I feel like I could easily slide back into those bad habits though, so I need to keep mostly with the 21DSD plan past just 21 days. I've also been considering joining <a href="https://giveit100.com/" target="_blank">"Give it 100"</a> as kind of a fun way to motivate myself to start exercising. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5FkshLcNLQ" target="_blank">This is the video</a> that inspired me to consider joining. So I may start doing that this weekend. Check it out and if you do join let me know and I'll follow and support you!<br />
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My gosh, I can't believe I've made it 2 1/2 weeks! How crazy is that? I have definitely felt like throwing in the towel (like on Day 16) but I've done so well it would be a terrible waste to call it quits. At least that's what I'm telling myself. I also try to remember this:</div>
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<b>Today I didn't have any cravings. It was nice...really nice. </b> The thought of eating pastries and ice cream and the like at this point is actually sort of unappetizing. Which is weird, but in the good way. This morning I gave the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Cookbook/dp/1936608138/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390420957&sr=8-2&keywords=21+day+sugar+detox" target="_blank">21DSD Cookbook's</a> Apple Pie Smoothie another shot and added a bit of water this time. I also let it blend for a bit (probably about a minute or so straight). It was still kind of fiber-y due to the apple, but it tasted good and GOOD GRIEF it was so filling. You most definitely could split this between 2 people, I couldn't finish mine.</div>
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<b>APPLE PIE SMOOTHIE</b><br />
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<li>1 green (granny smith) apple</li>
<li>1 cup coconut milk</li>
<li>1/4 cup water</li>
<li>1 tsp. vanilla extract</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon</li>
<li>2 tbsp. almond butter</li>
<li>small handful of ice</li>
<li>nutmeg (optional)<b> </b></li>
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Peel your apple and then chop it up. Add the chopped apple and all other ingredients to a blender except the nutmeg. Blend for 1 minute, or until smooth. If you want to garnish, sprinkle a little nutmeg on top.</div>
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For lunch I had leftover coconut curry, which was so-so. I ran to a Wal-Mart neighborhood store after an appointment (it was on the way home) and wow, it was so not well stocked. I've been there before and it was nice enough so I don't know what was going on, tons of empty shelves in the produce department especially. I grabbed a couple things I needed like more eggs. I also looked at the lunch meat they had. Good grief I never realized sliced roast beef could have 15 ingredients!!! That was a pretty shocking realization. I've become a lot more cognizant of the "Ingredients" list. I saw some super cute Valentine's stuff so I'm pretty sure I'm going to go back and grab some to give to my co-workers. </div>
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For dinner I had prosciutto and pepperoni, a tiny bit of goat cheese, and a couple Savory Herb Drop Biscuits from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Cravings-Naturally/dp/1936608111/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390452285&sr=1-1&keywords=21+day+sugar+detox" target="_blank">21 DSD book</a>. I made these with little modification from the recipe as written and they are really tasty! I definitely had to tell myself "no more!" after two because I was ready to go for a third.</div>
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Then I decided it was finally time for me to cook the Banana Vanilla Bean N'oatmeal. I think I didn't temper my eggs well enough, or maybe I did and it just gets this way, but during cooking it got very lumpy and gross and literally looked like some nasty alien thing and it didn't sound much better as it bubbled up. I was ready to toss it out but I remembered that I used one whole vanilla bean that cost me over $5 so I rolled with it and figured the part where I throw everything into a blender would sort out the lumpy-ness. And guess what? The blender fixed it all and it tastes freakin amazing. </div>
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P was like "this is good shit!!!" which is guy code for "make more" I believe. It definitely did not result in as large of a quantity as it looks like in the book. The book says you could fill 4 jars with it. I netted about 2 cups worth of the N'oatmeal so that's 1 cup for each of us tomorrow for breakfast. Definitely not enough to fill 4 mason jars. I think I'll just double the recipe when I make it again which will probably be right after I get <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Madagascar-Vanilla-JR-Mushrooms/dp/B000CR1ELU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390452721&sr=8-1&keywords=vanilla+beans" target="_blank">my order of vanilla beans</a> from Amazon (thank goodness for Prime!).</div>
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Anyway, that was my day, and it was crazy enough that I went way past my goal on my Nike FuelBand, hurray! Tomorrow I'm making chicken thighs so be prepared for a tasty recipe coming your way.</div>
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-76007842810671211452014-01-22T08:18:00.001-08:002014-02-08T22:16:01.293-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 16 - Toughing It Out<div style="text-align: justify;">
Day 16 was really unremarkable except for the fact that I was miserable to the point of tears, but on a happier note, I got some good deals online shopping. At any rate, I hate to be negative, but right now I'm just so very exhausted, I'm tired of spending almost my entire evening on most nights cooking and then cleaning from cooking. I want something easy like a pbj to eat for dinner, just for one day to give me some breathing room. No muss, no fuss. That's not really possible when you want to be healthy though. One thing that helped me not give in last night was hearing from P that the reason he hasn't been cheating is because I'm setting such a good example, that if he was going it alone he wouldn't be as accountable and wouldn't be as strict with eating healthy. I think the only thing that is keeping me going at this point is sheer mental will-power.</div>
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<b>My stubbornness is actually benefiting me for a change. </b> I can't promise that I'll make it through Sunday though. I think we're going out on Saturday and I would really love to be able to order some good tasting food and maybe even a drink instead of just sitting there poking at an undressed salad. I have already decided I need this 21DSD sort of framework to define my lifestyle, so it's not really a detox for me anymore, it's what my life needs to be from now on. I just want a cheat now and again, a little relief from being so stringent. I can say that I know this 21DSD has changed my life for the better. I'll give you a review of the books at the end of my detox period with pros and cons so you can be more informed about whether you want to give it a shot.</div>
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As P says though, <b>we didn't gain all this weight overnight, so losing it won't happen overnight either. </b> This is the price I have to pay for being so lax about my body. Don't get me wrong, I've really enjoyed most of the recipes I've made on this journey. But like I said, I'm burnt out. </div>
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My day, as I said, was nothing special. For breakfast I had some greek yogurt with slices of a green tipped banana (again). Then I had leftover pork tenderloin and brussel sprouts for lunch. I got a LOT of compliments on my leftovers in the kitchen and people were definitely jealous. Makes me wonder if other people never cook for themselves or something? I guess most people go out to eat a lot unlike me also, so they cook less because of that. </div>
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Anyway, like I said I wasn't feeling so hot yesterday, or today for that matter, so for dinner I just pulled a bunch of veggies from the fridge and pantry that looked like they were on the way to going bad and made a red coconut curry out of them.<br />
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I would have done a whole recipe up on this because it's so easy and flexible the way I make it, but I just didn't have it in me to do all of the photos and such. I'll do better next time, promise!</div>
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In fun news, I got some great stuff on sale yesterday with some online deals with <a href="http://www.zulily.com/" target="_blank">Zulily</a> and <a href="http://www.shoedazzle.com/" target="_blank">ShoeDazzle. </a>On Zulily I got a couple Rachel Ray kitchen utensils, a cute scarf, a summery dress in a size just a bit smaller than I am now (hey motivation!), a ceramic tumbler so I can be less wasteful at work with my tea drinking (right now I use styrofoam cups which is really bad!), some Life is Good lounge pants (I don't have any really cute ones right now and I like to walk the dogs in comfy stuff when I'm home), and a grey dolman top with belt for a total of $75. Then I also got 2 pairs of shoes and 2 purses for a total of $14 on ShoeDazzle! Yeah deals! Also, if you like Vince Camuto, <b>Zulily is totally having a sale on Camuto accessories right now</b> including some super cute purses that I would love to own. Check it out!</div>
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<br />Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-89066504470018402932014-01-20T19:58:00.000-08:002014-02-23T21:14:40.795-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 15 - Double Pork Tenderloin and Brussels<div style="text-align: justify;">
Let the countdown begin, less than a week to go! Today was another consistent day. I am happily de-bloated and feeling a lot better. Since I was lazy this weekend I didn't have anything prepped for breakfast or lunch. This resulted in greek yogurt with a green tipped banana sliced over it for breakfast, and Applegate lunch meat and some celery with almond butter for lunch. Not that fancy, but it worked.</div>
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I definitely wanted a drink after work which isn't that unusual, it helps me de-stress and get my mind refocused from work to enjoying my time at home. I grumpily did not act on that desire though. Instead I set out to make Double Pork Tenderloin, modified from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Cravings-Naturally/dp/1936608111/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390272362&sr=1-1&keywords=21+dsd" target="_blank">the 21DSD book</a>, and Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts, modified from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/ina-garten/index.html" target="_blank">Ina Garten</a>'s recipe, for dinner tonight. </div>
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I'm going to share both of these recipes with you, and I hope you enjoy them. I promise both are pretty easy but seem fancy. </div>
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<b>BALSAMIC ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS</b></div>
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<li><b>1 1/2 pounds of brussel sprouts </b> </li>
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<li><b>1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil</b></li>
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<li><b>dried minced onion </b></li>
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<li><b>dried minced garlic </b></li>
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Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Clean your brussel sprouts, trim them, and slice them in half through their core. Spread them out on a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil, and then sprinkle the seasonings over the brussel sprouts to taste. You can use other seasoning or just stick with salt and pepper, I happen to like garlic flavors so this is what I went with. It probably would've been even better with a couple cloves of freshly minced garlic, but this was quicker. I use kind of a lot of seasoning because it doesn't all stick to the sprouts. Using your hands, mix the brussel sprouts and the oil and seasoning to ensure an even coating. Put the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, shaking/turning the brussel sprouts halfway through. </div>
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Once your sprouts are in the oven, pour your balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. When it starts bubbling reduce the temperature to medium-low and simmer until the amount of vinegar is about halved (so around 1/4 cup) and syrupy (I simmered mine until the sprouts were done). When your sprouts are done roasting they'll look like this:</div>
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Toss the brussel sprouts with 1tbsp. or more of the balsamic vinegar (to your desired taste) and serve immediately. Note: I made the sprouts first and then cooked the pork tenderloin. Because of this, while my pork was resting I took out a sauté pan, dumped the sprouts and balsamic in, and heated it up til it was hot again. They are best when served immediately but this worked out pretty well too.</div>
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They may not be that pretty, but they taste really good!</div>
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<b>DOUBLE PORK TENDERLOIN</b></div>
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<li><b>Italian Sausage Spice Blend</b></li>
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<li>1 tsp. kosher salt</li>
<li>1 tbsp. ground sage</li>
<li>1 tbsp. garlic powder</li>
<li>1 tbsp. onion powder</li>
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<li>2 tsp. dried parsley </li>
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Combine all the spices in a bowl and store in a small container (you won't use it all for this recipe). </div>
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<li><b>2-3 lbs pork tenderloin </b>(when I buy pork tenderloin it's 2 tenderloins in one package around 2.5lbs and I use both)</li>
<li><b>about 10 slices of bacon</b></li>
<li><b>string, or if you're fancy, cooking twine </b>(I literally used that string that you used to make ankle bracelets with when you were a kid...was that just me? err...moving on...)</li>
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Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Take out your beautiful tenderloins, and rub the Spice Blend onto them, making sure they are evenly coated on all sides. Put the two tenderloins together like they were in the packaging, and wrap the slices of bacon around the tenderloins, with the ends meeting. I don't have an exact measure on the length of string you should use, I just wrapped the string around the bacon a couple times and then tied it on top. Tie a piece of string around each slice of bacon, going down the tenderloin. It should look something like this when you're done:</div>
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Place a large cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet on the stove-top over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, sear the tenderloin on all sides until the bacon is browned, approximately 2 minutes per side:<br />
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It won't fit perfectly in your skillet but it'll be close. To turn it I didn't use any fancy chef skills, I just took two wooden spoons and had one on each side of the tenderloin and would use them to rotate it, and also to hold it up to sear the narrower sides. It may not look cool, but it worked.</div>
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Once you've browned all the sides, place the pan in the oven and roast for 35-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 150ºF. When you take your tenderloin out of the oven, move it to your cutting board and cover it with foil for 10 minutes. This will allow the meat to finish cooking and to rest. BE CAREFUL - if your cutting board doesn't have sides that can catch juices, your tenderloin may leak juices; you can wrap it in foil starting underneath it and then fold it over to help keep the juices in while it rests. </div>
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Then serve that beauty up with a delicious side of veggies.</div>
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I'll have seconds please!!! You can make this with just one tenderloin which will obviously cook for less time. I just like to cook it with 2 tenderloins because one slice of the double tenderloins with the bacon is pretty much the perfect serving size - and I save on bacon (because you use the same amount of bacon for 2 tenderloins together as one tenderloin, seriously).</div>
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I hope you enjoy these recipes. Paul and I were both really impressed with the Double Pork Tenderloin, so much so that I have decided to have a dinner party featuring it. It was super moist and tasty. I had mine with a little bit of dijon mustard only because I'm a weirdo and I really like sauces and dips with everything, no matter how perfectly cooked the meat or whatever may be. So if you like dips too, dijon is a really good companion to the pork. But seriously, it is stand alone greatness, sooo moist (you can see juices coming from it in some of my pictures). If you have any questions or recipe suggestions, leave me a comment below!</div>
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-11726324418336847142014-01-20T11:12:00.000-08:002014-02-08T21:57:18.177-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 14 - Valentine's Gift Idea<div style="text-align: justify;">
My Day 14 was pretty uneventful and lazy. In the sad news department, I'm still having cravings. I just remind myself that I shouldn't be a cheater and I'll just disappoint myself. Then I make some tea which for some reason helps the cravings go away a bit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Medicinals tea and my NOLA mug, yummm.</td></tr>
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For Day 14 I spent most of the day watching football (go Broncos!), putting a dent in my Perrier stash from Sam's, and working on my Valentine's gift for P. P if you're reading this, don't read the next part or your gift will be ruined!!!</div>
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...are you still reading?! You better not be. You know I'll know!!<br />
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Ok, so I got my brilliant gift idea by stealing it from one of my best friends. So it's really not my idea but that's ok because it's my favoritest gift idea for Valentine's ever, and since it's unique to each person, nobody will have a copy! <b>What I did was I made P a photobook on Shutterfly.</b> <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/" target="_blank">Shutterfly</a> has a photobook deal going on right now through the end of January 22, 2014 with the code UP40PB. They also offer free standard shipping on purchases over $30 (the photobook will cost a bit more than that) with the code SHIP30. </div>
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It takes a lot of time to upload the pictures, arrange them, and put in narration - if you want it to look nice. But I loved the end product, worth every minute! If you have a laptop and a Netflix addiction, this will all work in your favor. You can save your project as you go and just work on it a little at a time too. Anyway, I've decided I'll give him a sort of "yearbook" every Valentine's now, documenting all of the things we did together the previous year. Since this is the first year I made one, I made it from the beginning of our friendship to the end of 2013. Next year will be a "2014 Yearbook" sort of thing. Here is a couple page spread from the book I made to give you sort of an idea what I'm talking about:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wV0bN5yO-WzU7SX7zRsnJfcWY7IaDDJ1s12PYglqR-OtSCq-m_AxdBHs5fkVsAenyUqNNpAr9UJJuzeUcO65xWsC0dnvcG6Dhv9Dd2UJXGIg8yXVr26dWfPnFXLDO0Oy-hhQrsdDXSE/s1600/photobook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wV0bN5yO-WzU7SX7zRsnJfcWY7IaDDJ1s12PYglqR-OtSCq-m_AxdBHs5fkVsAenyUqNNpAr9UJJuzeUcO65xWsC0dnvcG6Dhv9Dd2UJXGIg8yXVr26dWfPnFXLDO0Oy-hhQrsdDXSE/s1600/photobook.JPG" height="202" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Reasons I love this gift idea:</b> It's from the heart. It's sort of homemade and it's definitely personal. It's not chocolate! We are trying to be healthy and even if we weren't, nobody needs all that chocolate. Guys aren't really into flowers. And I've already done the lingerie thing, which, while sexy and fun, isn't memorable in the long run. Plus, as time passes we tend to forget events and things, so it's a nice reminder of the good times we've had. I included personal pictures in my book too, you know those pictures you take but don't share with everyone, just of every day stuff like P making breakfast or playing with the dogs. They're meaningful to us but everyone on the internet doesn't want or need to see them. Valentine's is also the perfect time for this gift because you'll have photos through New Years to use.</div>
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Shutterfly doesn't even know I'm writing this about them and I'm sure you can get photobooks elsewhere. But Shutterfly has tons of different styles of books you can start with and tons more free stuff like stamps, such as the "Life is Sweet" one I used above, to add to your pages. They have really cute and colorful layouts, different themes, or sleek and modern styles. It's really flexible and it doesn't take too long to figure out how to work all the features to make your book. I chose the 12x12 style and made a 35 page book. It was originally over $90 (yikes!) but I got 40% and free shipping so my total price was just over $50. Expensive, but not ridiculous. There are a few smaller book options and you'll probably use less than 35 pages (remember, I had more than a year's worth of photos in mine) so yours could be loads cheaper. </div>
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<b>Now, on to my detox! </b> I was lazy as I mentioned before, so I didn't cook anything that exciting. For breakfast I had 21DSD pumpkin pancakes with almond butter:</div>
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The original recipe called for making a vanilla bean coconut cream spread. I made it, but wasn't the hugest fan of it. I did save it to try again later, but the almond butter just worked better for me (see its gooey goodness in the picture? NOM!). Then I decided I wanted a snack for the afternoon so I made baked kale chips from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Naturally/dp/1936608111/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390244391&sr=8-1&keywords=21dsd" target="_blank">21DSD book</a>. </div>
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I made it in two batches because one of my baking sheets is too long so I can't fit my baking sheets in my little oven side by side (I know I know I should buy another sheet). The first batch I cooked too long (20 minutes) and sort of burned it. I would recommend baking for 12 minutes, and then checking and going up a little at a time from there. I baked the second batch for 12 minutes and it was just right. The seasoning is really tasty, and P even requested it as one of our Super Bowl party snacks (yup, we're throwing a party which means LOTS of recipes coming to you soon!). </div>
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I did not use brewer's yeast as the recipe suggests. Rather, I just used 5 tbsp. of almond meal and we thought it tasted great. So don't sweat getting 2 specialty items, the almond meal will work with lots more 21DSD and Paleo recipes than the yeast anyway. For dinner I was lazy and just made more zoodles (zucchini noodles) with more spicy peanut sauce. I ate a little too much nut butter over the course of the day, but I'm not going to sweat it, it's not an everyday occurrence. 2 weeks down! Woo-hoo!</div>
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<br />Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-11733507936137899952014-01-18T18:53:00.000-08:002014-02-08T21:59:44.916-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 13 - Asparagus 2 Ways<div style="text-align: justify;">
According to my daily 21DSD email, I should be noticing improvements in my mood and energy and should "ride the wave." I feel pretty much the same though except for the whole <a href="http://themoderndomesticdiva.blogspot.com/2014/01/21-day-sugar-detox-day-12-thinking.html" target="_blank">soy incident</a>. Sorry to burst any bubbles but yeah, been pretty consistent! I still have cravings for fruit and pastries and alcohol, but it gets easier to ignore them the longer I eat healthy. </div>
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As I mentioned previously, we got a TON of groceries today for plenty of healthy eating to come. I had the Apple Pie Smoothie out of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/1936608138/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390096332&sr=1-2&keywords=21+dsd" target="_blank">21DSD Cookbook</a> this morning. I forgot to add water and didn't have the protein powder (costs too much) but it was pretty tasty! I didn't take a picture because it wasn't that attractive looking (the cinnamon turned it a brown color). The apple made it kind of fibrous though so you sort of drank/chewed it? I also made bacon for P but then he insisted I have some eggs and bacon with him so it was a big big breakfast (no need for lunch because of that!). </div>
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For dinner P decided to grill some steaks so I made asparagus two ways to go with. We got a lot of asparagus. So here are two easy quick ways to make asparagus!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xqm9DsEWedUhpr_UO927RpcL1vJCbGH8nfIqUyaT3aVIw-sA0tKQFPjvYimZ1roLuJKDK6hmH8Q-9Qb0oxepyERvZ6AkBVPMX7MxY39YMqsWoY6ri6dgJS7cnw8AsJtBJyI0XHX8UG4/s1600/20140118_174013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xqm9DsEWedUhpr_UO927RpcL1vJCbGH8nfIqUyaT3aVIw-sA0tKQFPjvYimZ1roLuJKDK6hmH8Q-9Qb0oxepyERvZ6AkBVPMX7MxY39YMqsWoY6ri6dgJS7cnw8AsJtBJyI0XHX8UG4/s1600/20140118_174013.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<b>ROASTED ASPARAGUS</b><ul>
<li><b>1 bunch of asparagus</b></li>
<li><b>cooking oil of your choice, I used EVOO</b></li>
<li><b>Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning</b></li>
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Preheat oven to 400ºF. Clean your asparagus and trim the ends. If you've never trimmed asparagus before, you want to chop off the woody ends. If it's hard to cut through, move up the stalk a bit, you don't want to have any woody parts left because you'll notice and it's not fun to chew on. Spread the asparagus out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with your cooking oil, and sprinkle the seasoning on the asparagus. Use your hands and kind of mix it up so all the asparagus is coated with oil and seasoning. It should look something like this:</div>
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Cook the asparagus for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, shake the pan or use a spatula to turn the asparagus to prevent one side from burning. When it's done, serve it up and try not to choke while you scarf it down! P.S. if you don't like spicy stuff, use some other seasoning blend that you enjoy (I like it with a garlic blend too but P prefer's Tony Chachere's).</div>
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<b>PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED ASPARAGUS</b></div>
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<li><b>12-18 asparagus spears</b></li>
<li><b>6-9 prosciutto slices (you need half as many slices of prosciutto as asparagus)</b></li>
<li><b>cooking oil of your choice</b></li>
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Take each slice of prosciutto and slice it in half lengthwise (sorry these pictures are bad, I really need to find a solution to my weird kitchen lighting).<br />
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Put the slice of prosciutto at about a 45º angle from the asparagus spear.<br />
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Then start wrapping the asparagus spear up (it's super easy!).<br />
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Once you have them all wrapped up, heat some oil in a pan over medium-hot heat (my stove was set just a bit above medium, you don't want it burning hot).</div>
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<b> </b>Depending on the size of your pan you might want to do this in two batches. If you put too much asparagus in the pan and keep the pieces too close together, they'll steam instead of crisp. You want to crisp up each side of the asparagus, cooking about 1.5-2 minutes per side. </div>
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When you're done serve immediately. And there you have it, asparagus two ways:<br />
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Hope you enjoy these super easy recipes!<br />
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<br />Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-49634933046910777402014-01-18T11:19:00.000-08:002014-02-08T19:34:10.634-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 12 - Thinking About the Future<div style="text-align: justify;">
Day 12 done! I have almost 2 weeks under my belt of healthy eating, and today (Saturday) we were supposed to do our weigh-in. We were in a rush to get to Sam's early though and totally forgot, so tomorrow will have to do. I hope I'm still beating P, mwahahaha! But if I'm not I'm still proud of me for making a serious move towards a healthier lifestyle (even though making pbjs for meals WOULD save a lot of time and taste delicious). Gotta invest in yourself if you want better things down the road.<br />
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According to the 21DSD book, I should be over any cravings for sweets/bread/etc. at this point. I'm going to be honest and say that's just not the case, at least for me. I want those things, I just want to be healthy more.<br />
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Also, I survived the cake and pie! And my leftovers were actually good. If you want to reheat salmon in the microwave, start with 1 minute or less and just heat in 30 second increments, I reheated mine in 1 minute flat and it was perfect. You don't want to overcook it. Since I totally scarfed down all the carrots I made the night before, I paired my piece of salmon with a mixed greens salad with a little cheese (it's on the yes list, I checked!) and some kalamata olives. It was good so I'm pretty happy about that. For breakfast I had some Greek yogurt with slices of a green-tipped banana. I think I'm going to make Vanilla Bean N'oatmeal tonight for breakfasts for the next few days, so I'm excited about that because vanilla bean sounds tasty.</div>
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<b>More importantly, I've been thinking about the future. As in - what happens on Day 22?</b> I'm happier with myself eating healthy and I don't want to just undo all my hard work by going hogwild on Day 22 and eating whatever I want. I have considered reintroducing things slowly, especially because that will help me figure out what causes my heartburn and bloatedness. I've been looking at both the Paleo way of eating and the Eating Clean way of eating. Neither are "diets" - the focus is on improving overall health, NOT getting yourself to a size zero. I've read pros and cons. I've come to the conclusion that I want to do sort of a hybrid of the two in my everyday life.<br />
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<b>I think some people misunderstand what "Paleo" means though, and I'm no expert. </b> But what some people seem to think is that Paleo followers just eat a lot of meat and don't eat carbs at all and it's all hunky-dory. To me it's actually about eating wholesome, nutrient dense foods, while trying to avoid processed foods and food allergens such as gluten and soy. Most Paleo recipes I've seen do not use really fatty or rich meat for the majority of recipes. You often use leaner cuts. And you eat a lot of veggies. It's not just some giant bacon-fest (although bacon is allowed but you know, be reasonable). You also don't eat substitute food like on the Atkins diet. For example, there is no "Paleo Peanut Butter Cups" product on store shelves. There are some Paleo cookbooks and recipes out there that do create Paleo desserts to copy regular desserts<b>. Paleo or regular, dessert is dessert and it's going to be bad for you. So use some common sense - moderation!</b></div>
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My only issue with super Paleo-ing is that I want to eat some carbs such as fruit and sweet potatoes more. This isn't because I'm addicted to carbs, it's because it will help my food budget while giving me variety and satisfying my occasional desire for sweet things. Again, the key is moderation. I also don't personally have big issues with dairy, especially butter, yogurt, and goat-type cheeses, so I'd like to include those in my food rotation. I don't have an issue with grains such as rice or quinoa either. All of these things I want to integrate into my current 21DSD way of eating, but I want to integrate them as not an every day thing, not even an every week thing per se. I just know that I'd like to have them now and then. </div>
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I want to eat like this, with occasional grains (rice, quinoa, etc.)
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More importantly is the fact that I don't want to go back to bread with everything, crackers, pastas, etc. Or any "light," "fat free," or "sugar free" type foods. I also don't think I'll be buying processed convenience foods anymore, such as Lean Cuisines or deliciously unhealthy nut butters like JIF (sorry my love, but we're breaking up). <b>Because when my diet was rich in these I could eat and eat and eat and eat and never be satisfied.</b> Now I have a rationally portioned meal e.g. a salmon fillet with a little sauce on top and a salad, and I'm not already thinking about what I'm going to eat next and when can I eat next. I don't get insanely hungry 1-2 hours after eating. I don't even need coffee or soda for caffeine anymore. And I certainly don't need the packets of Equal I was adding to my coffee or the artificial sweeteners in Diet Coke (sorry my other love, but we're breaking up too).<br />
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I was exhausted when I got home from work last night so I decided to make zoodles (zucchini noodles) with a modified version of this spicy peanut sauce I make with almond butter instead of peanut butter. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough coconut aminos to make the sauce the right consistency and <b>I was tired and frustrated so I added some not-allowed soy sauce. BIG MISTAKE.</b> While it was a tasty meal, today I feel bloated, my knees hurt more today than usual (which makes no sense since the weather is decent) and overall I just feel blech-y. I would NEVER have guessed that I am sensitive to soy and wheat (i.e. gluten), especially just the amount that's in a bit of soy sauce, but apparently I am because my body is not happy today, and all the other stuff I ate yesterday I've eaten previously with no problems.<br />
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<b>Au revoir soy sauce, bienvenue coconut aminos! </b> After our mega-trip to Sam's I tetris-ed everything into our fridge and freezer and went to Whole Foods to get specialty items like coconut butter, unsweetened coconut flakes, coconut aminos (I got 2 bottles so it lasts longer), some traditional medicinals herbal teas since they were on sale and I'm getting more into tea, a bottle of kombucha to make kombucha gelatin, some more almond butter, a spaghetti squash, and some scallops.<br />
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I've never cooked scallops before so I thought that might be a nice change of pace. Since we're not so close to an ocean I hope they're good. I mean Texas has the Gulf Coast right there but we're in North Texas which is like a 6 hour or so drive from the coast. For those not in the know, you can drive for 8 hours in one direction in Texas and still be in Texas. Part of Texas is even in a different time zone than the rest. <br />
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Anyway, I didn't make anything really awesome on Day 12 but I did survive mostly unscathed with a new revelation under my belt regarding soy sauce. I think Day 13 will be pretty standard fare too, but I'll try to get some good pics!<br />
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-13920673451594087432014-01-17T16:20:00.001-08:002014-02-08T19:42:52.073-08:00Favorite Friday<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've decided to start a feature called Favorite Friday, to showcase some of my and my friends' favorite things, so you can find some cool and interesting stuff! It won't be regular right away since I need to get my blog back on course after the 21DSD, but I did want to post this tonight instead of my Day 12 musings (those will come tomorrow!) for a change of pace. So here goes - some of my favorite not so average kitchen things!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/NexTrend-Generation-Clear-Garlic-Twist/dp/B0044TLKMK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390001936&sr=8-1&keywords=garlic+twist" target="_blank"><b>The Garlic Twist</b></a></div>
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My mom recently bought this for me and at first I was like "Oh it's<b> </b>another one use thing that does something I can already do." I'm against buys that only have one use, it's a waste of money and frequently impractical. For an example of a stupid kitchen buy:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Banana Slicer."</td></tr>
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Seriously?? WHY on Earth would you buy something this stupid? A) you can use a knife, even a butter knife, to slice a banana, and B) this has only one, very specific use and only if your banana fits in the stupid thing a.k.a. it's a total waste of your money. I follow Alton Brown's theory that - with very rare exception - you shouldn't buy a kitchen utensil/device/gadget/whatever if it can only perform one task. Further, don't buy a device that can do something that you can accomplish better with your basic kitchen tools. So with this garlic thing, I was skeptical. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRV0-RGbLOdvt_Kf0mZJyhDJuTlQJhBEh5Z2YkmXXBz0RZ9nPgxMuVFCI3-_XjXJBeFyIJe9UCJZ9u-YE748wBy8xa64BeIgLRYeZsxwOGR_Dk_mwwqcihBTEuRcos6UqPJOddHaQFb4g/s1600/garlictwist.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRV0-RGbLOdvt_Kf0mZJyhDJuTlQJhBEh5Z2YkmXXBz0RZ9nPgxMuVFCI3-_XjXJBeFyIJe9UCJZ9u-YE748wBy8xa64BeIgLRYeZsxwOGR_Dk_mwwqcihBTEuRcos6UqPJOddHaQFb4g/s1600/garlictwist.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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But it works on garlic, ginger, small firm peppers - and it minces them really easily. If you keep turning it, you'll get a result like if you used a garlic press, but with zero waste and easier clean up. So it's like a better garlic press. It's phenomenal and super easy to use and clean. I really hate getting that sticky garlic residue on my fingers and knife when I'm mincing and have more stuff to chop after so this does add convenience. I also hate the waste that happens when I use a garlic press. So do you absolutely need it? Nah. But if you are mincing garlic/ginger on a regular basis (like me) it's pretty nice. </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390001210&sr=8-1&keywords=paderno+spiralizer" target="_blank"><b>Paderno Spiralizer</b></a></div>
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It does take up a little space, but if you want to stick to a healthier diet that is woefully void of pasta, noodles, and curly fries, meet your new best friend:<br />
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I've already talked about this and used it <a href="http://themoderndomesticdiva.blogspot.com/2014/01/21-day-sugar-detox-day-4-oh-what-day.html" target="_blank">here</a> so check it out. This baby can lead to so many recipes that there is actually a <a href="http://www.inspiralized.com/" target="_blank">blog dedicated to spiralizer recipes</a>. I can't make this stuff up. <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.flirtyaprons.com/" target="_blank">Flirty Aprons</a></b><br />
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I have three, I admit, and it might be turning into an addiction. But when you're cooking a lot you're likely going to get splattered with something eventually (one time I sloshed a bunch of boiling hot butter on me...) so having an apron is pretty important when you're kitchen-ing. But having a CUTE apron is more fun. These all have pockets too should you need them. And for the bustier gals *coughmecough* they do cover you pretty darn good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywIINVEDExauG5ABDYDS_tjCerqDl5uigaU0RKM3rFj96O-Ahrm3YqtSCNZsEiF20JoUR_YC3NJDNalbpYdMRTUyrd1T0rn7JKXlu761pF2DOBIdY_K5PH48eyBbEVjVlhZhP6jvW2SA/s1600/aprons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywIINVEDExauG5ABDYDS_tjCerqDl5uigaU0RKM3rFj96O-Ahrm3YqtSCNZsEiF20JoUR_YC3NJDNalbpYdMRTUyrd1T0rn7JKXlu761pF2DOBIdY_K5PH48eyBbEVjVlhZhP6jvW2SA/s1600/aprons.JPG" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pretty sure we can all agree on this assessment. Way cuter. It's ok to be feminine! But, if that's not how you roll and you want a clean, utilitarian sort of look, this might just fit the bill:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgB2H-kl9mAm4-EBzYH_IQTXnlOLzVKXfvYrp50sivR4RxaHLjSytolrn8FQtXBMUU_57uOOcYTSR1p-li526Z2NvjO34YbrwCFsYsLfwKosLZvYf-ko2B45nmRdmpcuiJVtzWDrhrmS8/s1600/exclusive-alton-brown-designed-apron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgB2H-kl9mAm4-EBzYH_IQTXnlOLzVKXfvYrp50sivR4RxaHLjSytolrn8FQtXBMUU_57uOOcYTSR1p-li526Z2NvjO34YbrwCFsYsLfwKosLZvYf-ko2B45nmRdmpcuiJVtzWDrhrmS8/s1600/exclusive-alton-brown-designed-apron.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alton Brown being awesome as usual.</td></tr>
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You can get this beast <a href="http://www.opensky.com/hedley-and-bennett/product/exclusive-alton-brown-designed-apron" target="_blank">here</a>. I'll probably get one for P soon. And one for me, not for cooking but for painting in. Either way, having a good, thick apron is important unless you have some clothes you like grease stains on or blood (I once sliced the tip off a finger, see below) or whatever. <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kitchenaid-Classic-Mandoline-Slicer-Red/dp/B005D6G5HS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390002704&sr=8-1&keywords=kitchenaid+mandolin+slicer" target="_blank">A Mandolin Slicer</a></b><br />
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I have a love-hate relationship with this slicer. Basically if you know anything about mandolins you know <b>they are a VERY DANGEROUS kitchen tool. </b> The slicing blade is extremely sharp and if you're not paying attention you can and will amputate something. And then you'll end up like this:<br /><br /> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxiGVIrarvWMCF1lxp8qM0u3sfXWCFajQUPSdsX-LPaP5E4SbLC0vye9yP4LgpENbKMz9nFKEVUm-No16Jra3iGRUjzvXLSzTdWIIi1cMUieBSUZ2yBv-BomiVGhrZobg-d_ZwpEIWJg/s1600/finger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxiGVIrarvWMCF1lxp8qM0u3sfXWCFajQUPSdsX-LPaP5E4SbLC0vye9yP4LgpENbKMz9nFKEVUm-No16Jra3iGRUjzvXLSzTdWIIi1cMUieBSUZ2yBv-BomiVGhrZobg-d_ZwpEIWJg/s1600/finger.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Yup, that's me. Yup I sliced the tip off my long finger a.k.a. my middle finger. I've had kidney stones and the pain from this was on par. I had to have surgery to graft skin onto my finger tip, lots of follow-ups for various continuing treatments, physical therapy, and now I have a finger tip that, while my surgeon was amazing and made it look really good, does not feel good. The nerve damage will take a year and a half to heal, if it heals at all. It's no fun if I whack my finger on something, sometimes it's hard to carry heavy things when I need a firm grip, I hate cutting my nails because just the pressure of the nail clipper on my finger feels awful, to name just a few un-fun things. <b>That being said I used my mandolin improperly - without the safety features.</b> I couldn't get the safety handle to work the first time I used it so I said to hell with it and did it like professional chefs do - sans a safety of any kind. And this is what happened. Did I mention that I'm exceptionally clumsy and accident prone? Yeah.<br />
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I finally got around to using my mandolin again for Thanksgiving. This time, I took the time to figure out the safety handle, and it worked beautifully.<br /><br /> <br />
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Mine is black instead of this fun red color but I love it. I can't wait to use it more because the results were great, and the safety features definitely do keep amateurs like me SAFE. My sister got me cut-resistant gloves for Christmas just as an extra precaution. I haven't tested them out yet, but I'm pretty sure P wishes I wore them 24/7.<br />
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<b>Lastly, My All Time Favorite Kitchen Thing</b><br />
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A sharp chef's knife. Buy yourself one and bask in the wonderfulness that is being able to prepare foods with ease. You won't regret it. There are different price points, I'd start with a cheaper one (not dirt cheap you know just not in the triple digits) until you get an idea of what weight you prefer, what kind of grip you prefer (there's wood, resin, squishy stuff, all sorts), how big a grip you prefer (if you're a guy you'd probably prefer Wusthof over Shun knives for example). And never ever ever ever ever dish wash your knives. Just don't do it!!! <br />
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-84851029410799276502014-01-16T20:43:00.001-08:002014-02-08T19:47:40.019-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 11 - Halfway There!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Day 11, the halfway point, only 10 days to go! This is immediately what I thought of when I woke up this morning: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg443SzGRg_95klb-6_Q85se1rd0AT92IPs0BjVUHc7zpxQilFnSYShtHod-smDy3CVa5cujX7cSL3i-x0R3xromFI88yARgIdty9_44WQL4rbwje0p6AC1trEz38RokAxSBL620WadP1E/s1600/cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg443SzGRg_95klb-6_Q85se1rd0AT92IPs0BjVUHc7zpxQilFnSYShtHod-smDy3CVa5cujX7cSL3i-x0R3xromFI88yARgIdty9_44WQL4rbwje0p6AC1trEz38RokAxSBL620WadP1E/s1600/cat.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes, I'm a huge nerd. If you haven't figured that out yet, let the above cat picture serve as proof. At any rate, I can't believe I've
lasted this long. It's been tough at times, especially when I want a
Starbucks Cheese Danish or a drink at the end of a long day. What's helped is positive self-talk. Self-talk is basically just talking to yourself, checking in with YOU. <br />
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What I'm saying is, <b>you've got to constantly remind yourself why
you're making changes or you'll lose the motivation to follow through.
That's Lesson #10 by the way.</b></div>
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Also, yesterday and today I used my "1 fruit" allowance for my breakfast because I didn't have anything else for breakfast. I had a green tipped banana today and 2 hours later I was already hungry. I still had 2 hours to go until I could eat lunch if I didn't want to get sick like on Monday, so I decided to sip on some herbal tea - caffeine free, I checked! - which helped. Plus I had to go grocery shopping for some stuff tonight before I went home, including food for breakfasts, so it was an even longer wait til I could eat. But I did eat my leftover beef & broccoli and it was actually a little too much food, whoops!</div>
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I have $200 for groceries for the rest of the month, so I've got to make this work. That means making some decisions about whether to get organic or pasture-fed and what I can live with eating conventional. I<b>n an ideal world, I would definitely only eat:</b></div>
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<li>Organic dairy - conventional dairy is full of antibiotics and hormones, and the livestock it comes from is fed GMO feed;</li>
<li>Organic, pastured meat - for the same reasons as organic dairy;</li>
<li>No products containing corn, soy, or canola, because they are usually GMO;</li>
<li>Organic produce when it matters (think the Clean Fifteen and the Dirty Dozen); and</li>
<li> no chemical additives or artificial sweeteners - if you can't
pronounce it and/or it sounds like something that came from your high
school chemistry class, you probably don't want to eat it either.</li>
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More about why these types of food matter <a href="http://themoderndomesticdiva.blogspot.com/2014/01/what-do-food-labels-mean.html" target="_blank">in this post</a>. Unfortunately, this is just not possible with a realistic grocery budget for the average household. I also have some "specialty" items I need (e.g. coconut aminos) that I can't get at my usual store, but I have resolved not to spend a cent more than necessary at Whole Foods. I made the decision to get the majority of my groceries tonight at Tom Thumb then make the stop at Whole Foods tomorrow. We're getting our meat at Sam's this weekend.<br />
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I have to tell you, I got a LOT of food for about half the price of my massive Whole Foods haul at the beginning of this month. I hardly bought anything organic because I have to look at my bottom line, which is that I can eat grass-fed, organic everything and have enough food for 5 days and then have to eat rice and pbjs for the rest of the month, completely undoing the good my detox has done, or I can do the best with what I've got and buy the not organic produce and not grass-fed meat. I've said this before and I'll say it again - <b>do the best with what you have. </b> Don't let people who might get judgy because you didn't buy organic this and grass-fed that make you feel bad. You're doing great with any efforts you make! Also, I got a good deal on asparagus, and I have a specific mug that fits a bundle of asparagus perfectly so I use it to help my asparagus keep longer:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaeqap2h3A9h9wVINWnxdWcTdP52N0yo0E97KxLQVjEUTn-Ofs0G3R68h3xQzE4UGdtw7TI1ZbmJM4HXS5cxJksxpiupdZxhZgYUJlQ3PLLqHSgrXM7uaN71kJqL3vpM3L6lxaMVZFLA/s1600/20140116_191754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaeqap2h3A9h9wVINWnxdWcTdP52N0yo0E97KxLQVjEUTn-Ofs0G3R68h3xQzE4UGdtw7TI1ZbmJM4HXS5cxJksxpiupdZxhZgYUJlQ3PLLqHSgrXM7uaN71kJqL3vpM3L6lxaMVZFLA/s1600/20140116_191754.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used to have this mug at my old job, but I'm in a much bigger company
now, and I don't think some of the people with more delicate
sensibilities would put up with my awesome mug.</td></tr>
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I got some "weird" food things I was surprised to find at my regular store, including a kombucha knock off (same ingredients) and chia seeds. Win! I finally decided to buy some vanilla beans. DANG they are expensive. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Madagascar-Vanilla-JR-Mushrooms/dp/B000CR1ELU/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1389932031&sr=1-1&keywords=vanilla+beans" target="_blank">I should have ordered off of Amazon</a>. This is what I got instead:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-kPRD0jT3Hac0NUKYYQ6g41sFk7eXLXvTlYyAByVZ-PrlZFS3RjDgxA5BI_AH8nqIzJlsHlZjKy_nRv-DIsuJLe7D8NSzuVsJzUeCfwklbeFJwFmB6t_VGDBj2VlgdVzUhER0Gki76Q/s1600/20140116_192822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-kPRD0jT3Hac0NUKYYQ6g41sFk7eXLXvTlYyAByVZ-PrlZFS3RjDgxA5BI_AH8nqIzJlsHlZjKy_nRv-DIsuJLe7D8NSzuVsJzUeCfwklbeFJwFmB6t_VGDBj2VlgdVzUhER0Gki76Q/s1600/20140116_192822.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Each of those containers was $5.29 and each of them contains ONE vanilla bean. The other option at the store cost a bit more. The only good thing that came out of buying these is that it was buy 2 get 1 free, and so I got another spice I needed to restock for free.<br />
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Also before the work day was over, we all got an email saying that we would be celebrating January birthdays tomorrow with catered pies (one of my favorite of all desserts) and cake. I am feeling a bit crestfallen because I'm afraid someone might point out that I'm not eating any birthday foods, and well <b>I've been craving something pastry-ish LIKE PIE.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLyOVkb_hKmdIB89cjmaUJiIJSmZ0J0Wn2n_wdQNCVN6QkI3rqIcnv05yMlt6YBPX3PhDKcrWUlc-w1HgJAkir1PQ5XNi7dUTz2Tmbe93ucV1OFr3KLocNv5jyrtUD2U3qSmhKY3o7MM/s1600/pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLyOVkb_hKmdIB89cjmaUJiIJSmZ0J0Wn2n_wdQNCVN6QkI3rqIcnv05yMlt6YBPX3PhDKcrWUlc-w1HgJAkir1PQ5XNi7dUTz2Tmbe93ucV1OFr3KLocNv5jyrtUD2U3qSmhKY3o7MM/s1600/pie.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want this. All of it. RULL BAD.</td></tr>
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My resolve to not mess up is pretty strong, but I worry that anything I eat won't be satisfying because I'll just be thinking about eating tons of pie. At least I know in advance so I can sort of mentally prepare. Hopefully I can just stick to my work and avoid the kitchen.</div>
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One thing I forgot to mention yesterday is the portion sizes I've been eating. Mostly I stick to one serving of food. What I'm saying is, if I cook 4 chicken breasts, I don't chow down 2 of them, I just eat one, with some of whatever side I've concocted. In the past, I'd eat that 2nd one. I'd frequently make large meals and then eat more than my share instead of saving leftovers. It wasn't good. It was like I just couldn't be satisfied. I think it might've had to do with the fact that I was trying to avoid fat at every turn, when fat actually increases satiety! <b>So I'm not saying go eat half a container of peanut butter or something, but fat isn't all evil. </b> Especially when it's not paired with 20 grams of sugar, because the sugar will win that battle my friend, and you'll just keep on eating.</div>
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Well onto my day right? I got a little tired today, but otherwise it was another good day without heartburn, bloating, grossness. My skin has been doing well although a bit dry which may have something to do with the weather. Also, since I've started this detox, I've been thirsty a lot. So I drink a LOT of water, which is fine since I like water.</div>
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Tonight I made my first recipe out of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/1936608138/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389932332&sr=1-2&keywords=21+day+sugar+detox" target="_blank">21 DSD companion cookbook</a>. The original book has 90 recipes in it, and some are repeated in the cookbook, but overall they are mostly new recipes. I made "Salmon with Creamy Tzatziki Sauce & Dill Carrots." This recipe didn't take too long to prepare and cook which was welcome since I got home late. I did set off our VERY loud smoke detectors though (you broil the salmon which creates a lot of smoke). I used thawed frozen salmon. Like I said - you do the best with what you have!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqrF1RuZX0C3D7SAAdY1iSivAJNuOnHknWJVh7H4aC4qCR-ump-1wzve7PAgwnS52VY0FkSNnGu63GkPShsbOCs3hfiy0q-xro1AnjAQwLEsrPIO3gsn4haDljdEagUdlVu9CNI-EkR4/s1600/20140116_202401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqrF1RuZX0C3D7SAAdY1iSivAJNuOnHknWJVh7H4aC4qCR-ump-1wzve7PAgwnS52VY0FkSNnGu63GkPShsbOCs3hfiy0q-xro1AnjAQwLEsrPIO3gsn4haDljdEagUdlVu9CNI-EkR4/s1600/20140116_202401.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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I lined my baking sheet with foil because the last few things I've made on my baking sheets from the 21DSD book has really caused a lot of trouble in the cleaning department. I am sick of scrubbing and soaking and scrubbing, so hello foil, my new best friend. <b>The carrot portion of this recipe - double it. </b>You will not have enough if you follow the recipe as written for leftovers, especially if you're feeding two people. The tzatziki sauce, while watery, tasted really good. Here's the final result:</div>
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See those carrots? That's the whole recipe and I ate them all; no leftovers for tomorrow. They were DELICIOUS. I want more. Lots more. Good thing carrots are cheap. The salmon was perfectly cooked. I'd never broiled salmon (or any fish) before, but wow, it was perfect. New skill learned! Speaking of skills, I do have some criticisms of the books in that department, which I'll discuss at the end of my detox. </div>
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So hopefully it's all downhill from here! If you'd like a detailed list of all that I bought at the store or certain product suggestions, comment below. </div>
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<br />Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-20709715101606487812014-01-15T21:56:00.000-08:002014-02-08T19:54:32.812-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 10 - In the Swing of ThingsYay I've made it to Day 10!! Most importantly, this happened today:<br />
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<a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you?bffb"><img alt="http://www.buzzfeed.com/jenlewis/which-muppet-are-you?bffb" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-n4k2lOiTrRptEIBc4mpHQEZUAbO15NZFoTSV5aophmELFUQTBNs3-WyOQiFqeEzIay2ZGyMUtiGD5q1d9Mk1HaLq9uMRiuAOy73CTNCozuFfUPEMF6MEfdT6rrsOGtUpp7thuxT9ic/s1600/wtfmuppet.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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I definitely didn't anticipate getting Crazy Harry, but such is life...excuse me while I go blow up something. Just kidding-ish! Click on the pic to find out which Muppet you are and share below. This is obviously the most important thing you'll do today. Also, it's Wednesday! Halfway through the week and also about halfway through my 21DSD. So what pearls of wisdom have I gleaned from detoxing today?</div>
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None really. My day was crazy busy in the GOOD way. I have lots of good, happy points stocked up in the bank so I'm better equipped to deal with things like the aforementioned HR drama. I'm also feeling pretty good about myself for sticking to this detox and being healthier, which never happens to me. I have terrible self-esteem and usually don't feel great about me. So I think in terms of helping with depression, it sort of is helping, mostly because I'm proud of my accomplishments, not because of the dietary changes themselves, if that makes sense.</div>
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Due to my schedule today, I just ate a green apple for breakfast. For lunch I had leftover chicken and broccoli & bacon salad. They were still tasty and good unlike my <a href="http://themoderndomesticdiva.blogspot.com/2014/01/21-day-sugar-detox-day-8-figuring-out.html" target="_blank">awful Monday leftovers</a>. I am also prepping a grocery list to include things I had to leave behind on my last store visit, and I'll give you an idea of what I bought and how much it cost coming from a regular grocery store instead of Whole Foods.</div>
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The stuff I did manage to buy this past weekend is lasting for a lot more meals than I thought it would, which pleases me greatly. I also reviewed some of the stuff we have in our freezer and know I can get us to the weekend between my own recipes and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Naturally/dp/1936608111/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389811675&sr=8-1&keywords=21+day+sugar+detox" target="_blank">21 DSD recipes</a>. I think I forgot to mention yesterday, but P greatly approved of the chicken although he wasn't so big on the broccoli salad. That's ok by me though because I really liked it so more for me! </div>
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So I tried yet another new recipe for dinner tonight - "Garlic Ginger Beef and Broccoli." My favorite part of this recipe was that it was easy and quick to prepare. My least favorite thing about this recipe is that the instructions on butchering the meat made no sense to me. I mean, maybe I was reading it wrong? But I just ended up cutting the meat in a way that made sense to me with how the recipe was structured. The marinade was super yummy and easy to put together. <br />
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While you marinate the beef, you can get your water boiling and chop your broccoli to steam it, When your broccoli is close to done steaming, you heat oil in a large pan and cook up the beef. Then you add in the broccoli and serve it up!<br />
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Yum! Lastly, I was craving a drink after my day but I made some tea instead. Unfortunately I wasn't paying attention and ended up drinking a bunch of black tea, which as you know, has caffeine in it. I haven't had caffeine since I started the detox so it has left me VERY wired. My bad!</div>
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So today wasn't very exciting, but everything is going well and hopefully tomorrow will go smoothly.</div>
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-54186349026981410142014-01-15T14:57:00.000-08:002014-02-19T12:25:35.802-08:00What Do Food Labels Mean?<div style="text-align: justify;">
In my quest to start eating "healthy" and less processed foods, I've been exposed to a lot of food terms, some of which really didn't make sense to me. They're vague and ambiguous. Wow that was so lawyer-y. But it's true. You've probably been bombarded with tons of these food terms too: "organic," "hormone free," "antibiotics free," "grass-fed," "GMO," "natural," "pesticide load," "free-range," "cage-free" AHHHHH it can drive you nuts! What do these terms ACTUALLY mean? How are we supposed to know what is ok to consume and what is potentially harmful to us?<br />
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For starters, let's look at pesticide loads, because you've probably heard about this and don't realize it. This is best considered with a chart showing what produce is "dirty" - having a high pesticide load, and what is "clean" - having little to no pesticide load:<br />
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According to the <a href="http://ewg.org/" target="_blank">Environmental Working Group ("EWG")</a>, the Dirty Dozen are the most pesticide loaded produce sold in grocery stores. They have even added two more items to the Dirty Dozen list, stating that "...we have expanded the Dirty Dozen with a Plus category to
highlight two crops – domestically-grown summer squash and leafy greens,
specifically kale and collards. These crops did not meet traditional Dirty
Dozen criteria but were commonly contaminated with pesticides exceptionally
toxic to the nervous system." <b>So seriously, if you can afford it, the Dirty Dozen are the ones you want to buy organic.</b></div>
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<b>The Clean Fifteen are the produce items at your grocery store that will be the safest, least chemically laden</b> (if at all, some of the Clean Fifteen cannot be treated with pesticides and chemicals because of the nature of the plant). These are OKAY to buy "conventional," without an "organic" label on them. However, there's a separate problem with the Clean Fifteen. Some of the items are well-known GMO plants.<br />
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The EWG states:<br />
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"Genetically modified plants, or GMOs, are not often found in
the produce section of grocery stores. Field corn, nearly all of which is
produced with genetically modified seeds, is used to make tortillas, chips,
corn syrup, animal feed and biofuels. Because it is not sold as a fresh
vegetable, it is not included in EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in
Produce. Nor is soy, another heavily GMO crop that makes its way into processed
food.
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The genetically modified crops likely to be found in produce
aisles of American supermarkets are zucchini, Hawaiian papaya and some
varieties of sweet corn. Most Hawaiian papaya is a GMO. Only a small fraction
of zucchini and sweet corn are GMO. Since U.S. law does not require labeling of
GMO produce, EWG advises people who want to avoid it to purchase the
organically-grown versions of these items."</div>
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<b>But what IS GMO? GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. </b> GMOs appear in a wide variety of applications, some of which can be good, like gene therapy, but our interest here is how GMOs affect our food. Essentially GMO foods are those in which scientists have altered genetic material of the food item, by deleting genetic material, mutating genetic material, or by using genetic material from another source and incorporating it into the food item, creating a new version of it. For example, the Flavr-savr tomato was the result of a tomato's genetic material being spliced with recombinant FISH DNA. Doesn't sound very natural does it? <br />
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If you don't know much about the health concerns involving GMOs, <a href="http://www.theorganicprepper.ca/gmos-not-even-in-moderation-02072013" target="_blank">this blog article</a>, while a bit alarmist, does summarize some pretty interesting studies regarding the potential effects of ingesting GMO foods. <b>Another worrisome concern is that companies are experimenting with producing genetically-engineered animals</b>, which could be introduced for human consumption eventually. You can read about developments with GE animals <a href="http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/developmentapprovalprocess/geneticengineering/geneticallyengineeredanimals/ucm113672.htm" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/25/canada-genetically-modified-salmon-commercial" target="_blank">here</a> to give you an idea of some of what's going on.<br />
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But what about all of those other food labels?</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's just say this isn't the usual scenario with livestock...</td></tr>
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According to our friend the EWG some terms related to animals and animal products are defined as follows:</div>
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<b> Cage-free:</b></div>
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"The term refers to hens that are not raised in cages, but it
does not necessarily mean they have access to the outdoors. There is no
standard definition of “cage-free,” but it generally implies that the birds are
free to perform natural behaviors. <b>Many cage-free claims are not certified,</b>
though some cage-free eggs are certified by American Humane Certified label."</blockquote>
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<b>Free-range:</b> </div>
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"In the United States, this term applies only to poultry and
is regulated by the US Department of Agriculture. It indicates simply that the
animals have been “allowed access to the outside.” <b>The USDA does not specify
the quality or size of the outside range</b> nor the duration of time an animal
must have access to the outside."</blockquote>
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<b>Grass-fed:</b> </div>
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"This term technically refers only to animals fed a diet of
natural grass and other forage, not grain, but it often includes other
healthier farm practices not associated with industrially produced meat, such
as local butchering, more range time for livestock and less crowded conditions.
The three leading “grass-fed” labels, certified by the Food Alliance, the
American Grassfed Association or the USDA, require that animals eat a diet
exclusively of forage. Some companies that market their meat as “naturally
raised” or grass-fed actually feed their animals grain for significant periods.
USDA’s grass-fed marketing standard requires only that animals “must have
continuous access to pasture during the growing season.” It does not
necessarily mean that the animals spent their entire lives in pastures or on
rangeland. <b>Some cattle marketed as USDA grass-fed actually spend part of their
lives in confined pens or feedlots."</b></blockquote>
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<b>Hormone-free/No added hormones:</b><br />
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"This means that the animals were never given hormone
treatments. To boost profits, some farmers give hormones to beef cattle and
sheep to speed their growth and to dairy cows to increase milk production. The
U.S. Department of Agriculture does not allow hormones to be used in chickens,
turkeys or hogs. The European Union does not allow hormones in any meat. The
extensive use of hormones in meat and dairy may increase
the risk of cancer in humans and result in higher rates of infection in
animals. There
is no specific hormone–free certification, though organic and grass–fed labels
as well as many humane certifications do not allow hormone use. <b>The label does
not indicate whether antibiotics were used appropriately in animals.</b></blockquote>
<b>Natural:</b><br />
<b> </b> <br />
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"The USDA defines a natural product as one that contains “no
artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed.”
Processing must not fundamentally alter the product. The label must include a
specific explanation such as “no artificial ingredients; minimally processed.”
All fresh meat qualifies as natural. This term does not require that animals be
raised in sufficient open space or indicate that antibiotics have been used
prudently. <b>It does not bar growth hormones. It does not mean organic.</b> The term
can mislead consumers to believe that the product is healthier and more humane
than it is."</blockquote>
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<b>Organic:</b><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Food labeled
organic must be third-party certified to meet USDA’s criteria. <b>Organic foods
cannot be irradiated, genetically modified or grown using synthetic
fertilizers, chemicals or sewage sludge. Organic meat and poultry cannot be
treated with hormones or antibiotics</b> (sick animals must be treated but cannot
be sold as organic) and must be fed only organically grown feed (with no animal
byproducts). Organic meat animals must have access to the outdoors, and
ruminants must have access to pasture. There are two ways to identify organic
fruits and vegetables: by the “100% organic” or “organic” label and by the
unique Price Look-Up (PLU) code sticker. Instead of a 4-digit number beginning
with a “4,” organic produce has a 5-digit number that begins with a “9.”"</blockquote>
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If you'd like to see these and more terms defined by the EWG, <a href="http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/decoding-meat-dairy-product-labels/" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.<br />
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<b>Some other interesting terms:</b> <br />
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The terms “natural
flavor,” “natural flavoring,” “flavor” or “flavoring”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>include essential oils, oleoresins, and spice
extractives. 9 C.F.R. § 317.2(f) (1)(i)(B) (meat); 9 C.F.R. §
381.118(c)(2) (poultry).</div>
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<b>"Antibiotics free" is subject to different interpretations,</b> and different producers use different practices. The EWG discusses this a bit on their website (linked above). Fortunately, the FDA has implemented a voluntary plan with industry to phase out the use of certain antibiotics for enhanced food production. The keyword in there is <u><i><b>voluntary</b></i></u>. Kind of takes the wind out of those sails of hope, huh? But there is some reason to believe that producers will start cutting back on antibiotic usage. The harms it has and continues to cause are well-documented as is just briefly mentioned in the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm378100.htm" target="_blank">FDA's notice</a>. </div>
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So basically I just wanted to give you this knowledge so you know what you're buying, and can decide what matters to you and what is less of a priority. While I'm sure we'd all love to buy everything organic, on the average household budget, that's just not possible. So weigh what matters most to you and go from there!</div>
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Hope this helps.</div>
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-18890152510795863132014-01-14T20:05:00.001-08:002014-02-08T20:07:52.783-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 9 - Perfectly Grilled Chicken<div style="text-align: justify;">
Day 9 WOOOOO!!! Tomorrow I will have made it to the double digits AND almost the halfway point of this detox. I'm so proud of me right now for not giving in or giving up when things got tough and exhausting and frustrating. <b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2Vr_T-Pajq8dEhglnrJw-H3AtbsFg9-O3l6UlVPbQfxwSQp6vflFS2wBLB4vJpHSmCV_xVr22Q7Om9_KXB_kIqKco0-RX0mrajgw7NpJdWb36OZmjgGST3Ep5Slb4hBqc8bfVf-qdy4/s1600/day+9+dont+give+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2Vr_T-Pajq8dEhglnrJw-H3AtbsFg9-O3l6UlVPbQfxwSQp6vflFS2wBLB4vJpHSmCV_xVr22Q7Om9_KXB_kIqKco0-RX0mrajgw7NpJdWb36OZmjgGST3Ep5Slb4hBqc8bfVf-qdy4/s1600/day+9+dont+give+up.jpg" height="314" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>I am that girl that "goes on a diet" for like a week and then cheats on the weekend and throws in the towel only to start over again months later. I am that girl that says "I'll start going to the gym" and goes 4 or 6 times and then "gets too busy." </b>But not this time my friends. Every day I stick to this detox I realize I DO have the determination to improve my health and it IS possible to make changes. I'm starting to actually feel good about "me" and that in turn is making me a happier person. What is different this time though?</div>
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For one, I'm not telling people I see every day that I'm doing a detox or a diet or anything. Sometimes telling people (e.g. co-workers, acquaintances, friends, family), especially people you see on a regular basis, that you're trying to lose weight or get healthy results in people trying to sabotage your efforts. I don't think saboteurs are malicious. People just don't like change, it makes them uncomfortable. People also don't like feeling bad about not taking their own steps to get healthy, which could lead to them subconsciously attempting to sabotage. </div>
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Also, you really don't need people questioning your every bite, arguing over what "diet" or "detox" is best or if it's a load of BS and you're wrong, or putting their nose in your every meal and asking you for details of everything you're eating. Or worse, suggesting that "just one cookie" or "having a cheat day" is totally ok. Lastly, studies show that the mere act of announcing your goals to
others makes you less likely to accomplish them, because the sense of
satisfaction you get from publicizing your intentions gives you a premature
sense of accomplishment (<a href="http://www.psych.nyu.edu/gollwitzer/09_Gollwitzer_Sheeran_Seifert_Michalski_When_Intentions_.pdf" target="_blank">see this research article on making your intentions public</a>). <b>Lesson #7 - don't tell everyone you're on a detox or diet. </b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0cRfq1YdQOiMvkbMJ59cOgOPDV3Zy_C5b1JfAXHgy17YVsynzPrTqcFtWXMkzJ3EDFe3PgXTt9meKRh_fNK7FkNgMsV3q5Z5izsNJgMPDLZUel_6b42Zgv5Ynh4TmIhArHaAiHs3A_c/s1600/shh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0cRfq1YdQOiMvkbMJ59cOgOPDV3Zy_C5b1JfAXHgy17YVsynzPrTqcFtWXMkzJ3EDFe3PgXTt9meKRh_fNK7FkNgMsV3q5Z5izsNJgMPDLZUel_6b42Zgv5Ynh4TmIhArHaAiHs3A_c/s1600/shh.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a></div>
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I DID tell my boyfriend - obviously, we live together - that I wanted to do this and <a href="http://themoderndomesticdiva.blogspot.com/2014/01/young-successful-and-fat-my-decision-to.html" target="_blank">explained why</a>. He is in agreement that only good can come of this and has been very supportive. In fact, he even hid the drink menu on our date night last Friday to discourage any cheating. I also am blogging about it for anyone doing this detox or interested in doing this detox so you know how the average person might handle the detox. T<b>hese two things make me feel accountable, without having everyone I know in my business.</b> This can also extend to your good friends or family, if they are the type who will support, not sabotage. Another way you can be accountable just to you, is to make a weekly weigh-in chart, measurement chart, or have something you can SEE that tracks your accomplishments. For instance, I have these two jars in my bathroom so I can see where I'm at:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Current Weight" and "Weight Lost" - each stone represents a pound.</td></tr>
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I made them with a few supplies from Michael's craft store. Super easy, and it makes me really want that "Weight Lost" jar to have more stones in it! <b>Lesson #8 - find a way to be accountable. Even if you're just accountable to yourself. </b></div>
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The last thing that's starting to really sink in, is that <b>my body won't stay young forever,</b> and quite frankly, it's the only body I have. I don't get to go buy a new one when this one gets all crappy (maybe in the distant future but for now, no such luck). Everything bad I put in my body is another mark against me. And when the bad is outweighing the good, long-term-wise, things are not going to be good or happy. So even though my self-esteem is pretty crappy and I haven't learned to love myself yet, I do care about myself. And that's a start. </div>
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Consider making changes for the better as an investment. An investment in more time to do the things you love. An investment in more time to be with the people you love. An investment in not being on 18 drugs a day and being poked and prodded and hospitalized in your 40s or 50s. <b>Lesson #9 - care about yourself enough to give a damn about what's happening to your body, and realize that a lot of what happens to it is up to you. </b></div>
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So anyway, those are the things that are different this time around, and what is helping me stick to this detox. Now on to less serious things like my Day 9 progress! </div>
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Today was pretty good overall. I had more yogurt and another green tipped banana for breakfast, and then I had leftover <a href="http://themoderndomesticdiva.blogspot.com/2014/01/21-day-sugar-detox-day-8-figuring-out.html" target="_blank">spaghetti squash and caramelized onions</a> for lunch. For dinner, I decided to make "Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breast" with "Broccoli and Bacon Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing" out of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Naturally/dp/1936608111/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389728620&sr=8-1&keywords=21+day+sugar+detox" target="_blank">21DSD book</a>. These recipes BOTH turned out delicious:<br />
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But for tonight, I will share with you:</div>
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<b>PERFECTLY GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST</b><br />
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<li><b> 4 chicken breasts</b></li>
<li><b>juice of 2 lemons</b></li>
<li><b>2 tsp. dried oregano</b></li>
<li><b>1 tsp. kosher salt</b></li>
<li><b>1 tsp. black pepper</b></li>
<li><b>2 tbsp. coconut oil</b></li>
<li><b>2-4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil</b></li>
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Place a chicken breast on your cutting board, so the short side is closest to you (the chicken breast shouldn't be sideways basically). Place your hand on top of the chicken. With your knife, slice horizontally through the center of the chicken so you're cutting the chicken in half horizontally (essentially butterflying the chicken). Slice almost completely through the chicken breast, leaving it connected on the other end so you can open it like a book. Repeat this with the remaining chicken breasts.<br />
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In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly; allow to marinate at least 5 minutes, but no longer than an hour.<br />
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While the chicken is marinating, heat a grill pan or grill to medium heat. Brush the hot grill with coconut oil. Cook the chicken about 5-6 minutes per side. When the chicken starts turning white on the sides and middle, flip it. Once you take the chicken off the grill, brush it with olive oil and let it rest for 5 minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSyCs1Hc6W00vvHuAoOW84RuTuRpUc7V2tLR-IkPOEzxhLnVyOrSSiLrxRK223I7eXzwLnRD9XbmuBIsho8ZzPpeIpkpwhrh8FCkWbFVZkFzrRUqcoCahQS1rPGLDXpKLPEfkMLi7LMI/s1600/IMG_20140114_200630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSyCs1Hc6W00vvHuAoOW84RuTuRpUc7V2tLR-IkPOEzxhLnVyOrSSiLrxRK223I7eXzwLnRD9XbmuBIsho8ZzPpeIpkpwhrh8FCkWbFVZkFzrRUqcoCahQS1rPGLDXpKLPEfkMLi7LMI/s1600/IMG_20140114_200630.jpg" height="320" width="279" /></a></div>
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Serve it with a delicious veggie side, and you'll have not-your-mama's-chicken-and-broccoli!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvUXxvqemVVqXRxnd62gZP34yEp17LgotVEp_acW7VxVlikCFTx5ybX9oIxqLoFBx5tThMs22LjC7MJ6AAY25nF9wkpPn7mLkVXQPrORlG5yNIWIKVGbJ9FjBzv13CN5g6pk0BOZy4q0/s1600/20140114_193047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvUXxvqemVVqXRxnd62gZP34yEp17LgotVEp_acW7VxVlikCFTx5ybX9oIxqLoFBx5tThMs22LjC7MJ6AAY25nF9wkpPn7mLkVXQPrORlG5yNIWIKVGbJ9FjBzv13CN5g6pk0BOZy4q0/s1600/20140114_193047.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Lastly, in the TMI realm, I keep forgetting to say this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfNnGPrRD5vSfIE7X0h4f8wxW9HNPaeEaVQKIKVi1Wq4HZTetrd9ncr-sETqLwlFBgZN8uSEPbY_KyCjCn4pP4lqu3irMB-FeEGBRIXXjfPejS-JryiAEd1e4REwtxfKdd7p7aKSmLwc/s1600/tmi+alert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfNnGPrRD5vSfIE7X0h4f8wxW9HNPaeEaVQKIKVi1Wq4HZTetrd9ncr-sETqLwlFBgZN8uSEPbY_KyCjCn4pP4lqu3irMB-FeEGBRIXXjfPejS-JryiAEd1e4REwtxfKdd7p7aKSmLwc/s1600/tmi+alert.jpg" height="312" width="320" /></a></div>
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So far my digestion has been fine. According to the 21DSD book and daily emails, some people may experience bloating, diarrhea, or constipation. I have not had these issues so I guess it's one of those individual things. I do try to have a balance of protein and fiber in my meals though, and you'll get a decent balance by following the recipes in the book, which may help with those issues. <br />
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-40696414825654573752014-01-13T20:30:00.002-08:002014-02-08T20:16:02.937-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 8 - Figuring Out Issues<div style="text-align: justify;">
Did anyone see the drunkfest that was the Golden Globes last night? It was HIGHLY entertaining, got my mind off those bread cravings real well. I didn't tune in til about halfway through, and then P was like "whaaat? They drink and THEN accept awards??" And I'm like hell yeah that's why it's so awesome at least one trainwreck WILL happen. So I'm pretty sure next year we'll have an official viewing of the Golden Globes in all of its drunken glory. Maybe I'll even write up a Golden Globes drinking game (I need to share with you some movie drinking games I've made, but they'll have to wait until after this detox). ANYWAY, on to business... <br />
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Day 8 has proved challenging. <b>In part I think it's because I wasn't totally in love with everything I made yesterday</b>, so eating leftover versions that didn't heat up well made eating really not fun and only done out of necessity so I didn't pass out in the middle of work. Just FYI, that quiche doesn't heat up so great. It got all stiff and so the texture was really unpalatable. I kind of just picked at it til it seemed like I ate enough to make it to lunch and chucked the rest. Then the reheated meatballs were just dry, and screaming for some sauce. I'm also really not in love with that cabbage slaw, the amount of lime juice in it just makes it really acidic and it becomes sort of one-note acid flavor. In fact, I am so not into it that I ended up chucking the rest unfortunately. I hate that because it is literally throwing money away. Live and learn - not a fan of red cabbage and lime juice.<br />
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I think that this is at least part of the reason I'm really unhappy on this detox right now. I'm pretty sure I've identified the other, MAIN REASON that I'm unhappy though, thanks to chit-chatting with a friend.</div>
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I was talking to a good friend of mine today who is really fit and healthy (she's quite the inspiration!) and I came to the realization that maybe the reason I'm so grumpy with this detox right now is that <b>I'm OVERMEATED </b>(yes I just made up a word, so??). What I'm saying is, I naturally prefer a balance of meat and non-meat aka vegetarian meals. <b>I think this may be due to the fact that for the majority of my adult life, I was a vegetarian. </b> It's what I'm used to and I often prefer meatless options. I would tofu simply because I like it even though there is research about soy and its evils (a girl can't win!). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DdGdXRu_sU8kmuCeiB2gZ5aTMkDRLYDj3MrmboYvSdcq1zNNcjMOIzvdMjdKvUcmwj8WkLt0hGShmbtOiKwIY3deveTgYQbS-LtNq575BKTtf8K-U95qsi3mCe5Zcjv61JcbBJuznS0/s1600/food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DdGdXRu_sU8kmuCeiB2gZ5aTMkDRLYDj3MrmboYvSdcq1zNNcjMOIzvdMjdKvUcmwj8WkLt0hGShmbtOiKwIY3deveTgYQbS-LtNq575BKTtf8K-U95qsi3mCe5Zcjv61JcbBJuznS0/s1600/food.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My idea of delicious.</td></tr>
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Normally, when I'm not watching what I eat closely, I do not eat a ton of meat. I don't eat meat even every day necessarily and that's not on purpose, it's just the kinds of foods I go for. For instance, on the weekends I might make bacon for us as part of our breakfast, but on weekdays I'd usually have a protein shake or a meal bar or some oatmeal, maybe an English muffin with some peanut butter for breakfast. Lunch would often be a frozen meal (convenience), soup, or a sandwich (usually pbj because I love them). Or I might bring snackie foods like veggies and some sort of dip, fruit, and some cheese or a yogurt or both.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNXv57e87gQz2wCwwosZ3roUv05-1b_rfkZf2ci7j3fAxbr3QnIvYbMvw0oVHr3iY9xhyphenhyphenm6BtT0wdnAanA5NxPoQU-vk99ohs8rhAmbNJmOuP6x7-_FoJ__I_B8gJ7xofYj94G4lN4Oc/s1600/rawlunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNXv57e87gQz2wCwwosZ3roUv05-1b_rfkZf2ci7j3fAxbr3QnIvYbMvw0oVHr3iY9xhyphenhyphenm6BtT0wdnAanA5NxPoQU-vk99ohs8rhAmbNJmOuP6x7-_FoJ__I_B8gJ7xofYj94G4lN4Oc/s1600/rawlunch.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've even eaten this healthy for lunch before...it doesn't happen often though hahaha.</td></tr>
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For dinner I usually make stir fries, coconut curry, sandwiches, pasta, rice dishes, a cheese plate, etc. Sometimes I'll pick up a rotisserie chicken, or we'll have steaks or brats once in a blue moon. Or I'll make us some other meat-centric dish for dinner maybe once or twice a week (like steak and roasted asparagus). And then if we go out to dinner, I'll order something with meat in it usually. </div>
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But mostly, I don't eat a lot of meat. And now, on the 21DSD, where meat is in every meal, <b>I am getting really sick of meat.</b> Like bacon doesn't even sound good right now. And normally I LOVE bacon. I don't know if I'm the only person out there on the 21DSD who is sick of meat, but if you're out there, I sympathize.</div>
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With that in mind, I present to you, my non-meat cheap and delicious dinner because sometimes not eating meat is A-Ok! And I totally made this recipe up so I can share it without feeling like a recipe thief, holler!</div>
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<b>SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND HERB BUTTER</b><br />
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<li><b>1 spaghetti squash</b></li>
<li><b>2 yellow onions (1 will work but I wanted extra for other stuff)</b></li>
<li><b>Cooking oil (e.g. olive oil if you're unhealthy like me, or coconut oil)</b></li>
<li><b>4 tbsp. grass-fed butter</b></li>
<li><b> 1 clove garlic</b></li>
<li><b>1/2 to 1 tsp dried parsley </b></li>
</ul>
I did a really bad job at photos for this, mostly because by this point I wasn't feeling hungry, but I was starting to feel physically ill. That being said, preheat your oven to 350ºF. Get 4 tbsp of butter out of your fridge, put it in a small mixing bowl, and set it aside for later use.<br />
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Then start with the onions because caramelizing takes FOREVER. For this recipe, you probably can get away with just one onion. I used two because I really like onions, and I wanted some leftover for other uses. Also, just so you know, yellow onions caramelize much better than other types of onions such as red onions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR3sIhyphenhyphenRLKI8rJwRK_fRXxAWBIrrIIIl5jdhyphenhyphenb6Kz88dE0gh0dc2rG4FnsNDm9foaOMXFyrMWsWEH95Lte34o-sXG9oyz6G9RFe-7fCR9ENEYQ47ubjvZgNomrmoML6Nhf8sXq2mU0SU/s1600/20140113_182328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR3sIhyphenhyphenRLKI8rJwRK_fRXxAWBIrrIIIl5jdhyphenhyphenb6Kz88dE0gh0dc2rG4FnsNDm9foaOMXFyrMWsWEH95Lte34o-sXG9oyz6G9RFe-7fCR9ENEYQ47ubjvZgNomrmoML6Nhf8sXq2mU0SU/s1600/20140113_182328.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I only had one red onion and one yellow onion though, so I said eff it and threw them in together.</td></tr>
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Use a large skillet or something similar to cook the onions (I used a 12" with rim). Slice the onions up, and put about 1tbsp of your oil in the skillet per onion. Heat your oil over medium heat, put the sliced onions in the skillet, toss to coat the onions with the oil, and reduce to medium-low heat. You'll need to turn your onions about once every 10 minutes, give or take. <b>Don't poke at them and stir them a lot</b>, they need to just sit there and let the heat work its magic. Eventually you'll get them to a point where they look like this or even browner:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBj9PT-FQp87qs7GRKOqsqWGGEBnmHp9mpR05wzpde6ax2S_BkSNGTsHOa1KK20SoPo8HQnS54_A0UwQmJy1-9NTv26xduhxkWJHTmk_vCFVOu__sLZeUVS-qIFbclGYoAQUvGhF3Iv4/s1600/20140113_203241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBj9PT-FQp87qs7GRKOqsqWGGEBnmHp9mpR05wzpde6ax2S_BkSNGTsHOa1KK20SoPo8HQnS54_A0UwQmJy1-9NTv26xduhxkWJHTmk_vCFVOu__sLZeUVS-qIFbclGYoAQUvGhF3Iv4/s1600/20140113_203241.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Perhaps due to the amount of onion I was cooking (2 large onions) or a misfortune on my part, it took 2 hours for my onions to get to this point. <b>Generally people tend to reach this stage at 45 minutes to an hour</b> though so never fear. Just don't try to shortcut by making the temperature hotter, you'll burn your onions and it won't come out right. Also, don't add sugar or salt or anything. Just let the onions cook. If they seem to be getting dried out, add a little more oil.<br />
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Once you've got your onion cooking underway, <b>microwave your squash for 4-5 minutes.</b> Seriously, you don't need to poke any holes or anything, just stick it in the microwave and nuke it. If it starts making noise, stop microwaving it, it's ready to be cut open. If you don't have a microwave, sharpen your knife up before slicing the squash in half. I have cut many a spaghetti squash in half raw, it can be done. Microwaving just makes it easier.<br />
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<b>So cut your squash in half lengthwise.</b> Then, get a baking dish that can comfortably fit both squash halves. Before you set your squash halves in the dish, fill it with about 1/4 inch water. Then put both halves in the dish, cut side down. Place the baking dish in the oven on the middle rack and bake for approximately 40 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through to ensure even cooking. Your squash should be kind of soft by the time you're taking it out, so if there's no give when you press on it, cook it 5-10 more minutes. Also, if the squash starts to burn for some reason, tent some foil over it. I've never had this happen, but you know, be prepared and such.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8L1nwIlrk80VH9IgRjpGK7jBJ7wHa7dqN-A6ReDTshBBOYoMqG68_R4djpCBkK9pmFDbos-GaTm-LsQzRKaOnwf_JV1cL2qBqZlV3wBHIJ5bXr31IJMSLYIM7-WOzKYJY87O0LzVfV8/s1600/20140113_182338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8L1nwIlrk80VH9IgRjpGK7jBJ7wHa7dqN-A6ReDTshBBOYoMqG68_R4djpCBkK9pmFDbos-GaTm-LsQzRKaOnwf_JV1cL2qBqZlV3wBHIJ5bXr31IJMSLYIM7-WOzKYJY87O0LzVfV8/s1600/20140113_182338.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay baking squash!</td></tr>
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While your squash is baking, get your butter. By now it should be around room temperature. Mince a clove of garlic and add that to the butter, and then measure out the amount of dried parsley you want, about 1/2 to 1 tsp, and add that to the butter too. Using a fork, work the ingredients together thoroughly so you have a nice herb butter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Azz5Oh1l0-PI540MCDn0kj11MyTHWeTVnQaqEnvO5lMvwWh5IBdub9oSNbCzcIjcOgPlYBNS2SHJ5KF4P6Noi7XnP4wng3gejRRcx_QupUMqa0qAX7659kVbfhRuteQwl5lP8BjtYZI/s1600/20140113_185916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Azz5Oh1l0-PI540MCDn0kj11MyTHWeTVnQaqEnvO5lMvwWh5IBdub9oSNbCzcIjcOgPlYBNS2SHJ5KF4P6Noi7XnP4wng3gejRRcx_QupUMqa0qAX7659kVbfhRuteQwl5lP8BjtYZI/s1600/20140113_185916.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm butter.</td></tr>
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When your squash is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes. They will cool faster if you can flip them over. I usually take a fork and stick it under a half and use the fork to flip it because they will be REALLY HOT. Otherwise, just let the dish cool for a bit. When you can handle the halves without getting burned in the process, turn them over and scoop out the seeds part with a spoon. Then get a couple bowls and scrape out the strands of one squash half into each bowl. Top each bowl of squash with some caramelized onions and 2 tbsp of butter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_qJhAtA8OEh0yfHrL-RovJXtVy3_LBd99PCrsvXtg2zVOEc-9RedTYBLOP2mAd962iex-4AS04qdrWkuL6k-enulnl7vY345WxqP1npeKWJLzYWW-GvKpRdXVQsa0Zb4Yb5TFhlX21U/s1600/20140113_194259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_qJhAtA8OEh0yfHrL-RovJXtVy3_LBd99PCrsvXtg2zVOEc-9RedTYBLOP2mAd962iex-4AS04qdrWkuL6k-enulnl7vY345WxqP1npeKWJLzYWW-GvKpRdXVQsa0Zb4Yb5TFhlX21U/s1600/20140113_194259.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My onions were only halfway caramelized at this point, but I needed food and didn't care. Still tasted yummy.</td></tr>
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<b>It's not the prettiest or most colorful dish</b>, but I mixed my bowl up and then ate it! I would have scarfed it down, but unfortunately by the time my food was ready, I was feeling sick. As in ready to throw up sick. I knew it was because I didn't eat much today, so I slowly ate my dinner. By the time I finished, I was feeling much better. But, since this meal is pretty light on calories, I did add in a "dessert."<br />
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I scooped some full fat plain yogurt into a bowl and topped it with slices of a green tipped banana. It was really nice as far as sugar free healthy desserts go hahaha.<br />
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<b>And the meat-free meal really hit the spot.</b> In fact, I don't think I will be eating meat until tomorrow night and I couldn't be happier. This little break is exactly what I needed. And in my planning for the rest of this detox, I now know that I need more meat-free meals (and my wallet and the environment will thank me!).</div>
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As an aside, I just want to state, in regard to recipe thieving, <b>this is why I haven't been sharing recipes from my detox. </b> I've been trying to figure out what is allowed, what isn't, and how best to give credit where credit's due. After reviewing copyright laws applicable to recipes though, and considering my own views on the topic, I will be providing <i><b>reviews</b></i> of different recipes from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Naturally/dp/1936608111" target="_blank">21DSD book</a> and other books I love <i><b>with my version of how to cook the recipe</b></i> in the future, and any ingredient modifications, so look forward to more recipes soon!<br />
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<b>Also, I'm really stubborn, so of course I'm not quitting the detox even though I was hating food today.</b> Still feeling good physically minus the major nausea before I finally had a real meal. <br />
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-33056728602203711502014-01-12T19:55:00.000-08:002014-02-08T20:38:36.668-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 7 - Bread Please<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have officially completed one whole week of the detox. Two more weeks to go! We are really enjoying the recipes for the most part and I'm certainly enjoying the health benefits I've experienced so far. I must admit though, today I am craving something bread-y. A muffin, a pbj, some flour tortillas dipped in queso, or some ravioli. I just really want that bread! And possibly cheese...I tried to satisfy my cravings by making "Apple Streusel Egg Muffins" for a snack this afternoon. But when I bit into one, all I could think was that it needed sugar, and wasn't the texture I wanted. SIGH. Stupid cravings! So what's a girl to do? </div>
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Today I slept in and then decided to to make one of the 21DSD quiches for a brunch, because quiche you guys! There were a lot of greens in this quiche, including chives, basil, and spinach. The quiche recipe also called for cherry tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes), garlic, and loads of bacon.</div>
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There wasn't any skimping in the egg department either:</div>
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P had to run to work for a bit and it was ready when he got back. I baked it in a smaller casserole dish but it still came out pretty flat. It was fairly tasty though considering there was no cheese or crust involved.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">21 DSD Quiche - Ta-da!</td></tr>
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Like I said, it was pretty flat, and we scarfed down about 2/3 of it - oooops. I was still hungry though so I got a small bowl and put some full fat plain yogurt in it and topped it with some banola, which turned out better than my last foray into eating banola, and the tang of the yogurt was really nice.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrLNdb5vV4gC6mK_s97D6x5anp1V_EZA99bgzasDdSjKFJCHKXgc9IJPSjLKIB6SK3HD6_OJrsTEb8PLgGqxlhr95xYxExqFoh0q5HRByJ3K4dEo73Wq80Fsx8xASXuzeGPjCYRlAveQ/s1600/20140112_123235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrLNdb5vV4gC6mK_s97D6x5anp1V_EZA99bgzasDdSjKFJCHKXgc9IJPSjLKIB6SK3HD6_OJrsTEb8PLgGqxlhr95xYxExqFoh0q5HRByJ3K4dEo73Wq80Fsx8xASXuzeGPjCYRlAveQ/s1600/20140112_123235.jpg" height="301" width="320" /></a></div>
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After this I was still unsatisfied though, which is when I made the egg muffins, which smelled like french toast while they were cooking. </div>
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But after I ate a couple of those, I was STILL unsatisfied. SO I decided to sit and drink some water and watch some football and look at recipes online. P wants me to figure out if we can make fried onions with a dredge that is more "Paleo" instead of using regular old flour so I might have to do some kitchen experimenting after my detox to figure that one out. On the other hand, if you're going to be making fried onions, why not just do it the unhealthy way and call it a cheat meal? We'll see, if I come up with something amazing I'll certainly share it!</div>
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Anyway, I ate too much already today but then I decided to make Asian-style Meatballs with a Cabbage Slaw. I didn't have the exact ingredients for the slaw but made do:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPh_w1HkqUN9dcvPP9K1NE1CUgC5ZG69DOzxx3oE48YsLs95Ugt50XOvxhUK7v9u-VvKaqbQf7s94rqeqClZHT3xvk2Z1k0J0ETgQ-sIRLdLnUB1h-jWyJ7k4V5YnhEBBosW0BcaCljEM/s1600/20140112_174312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPh_w1HkqUN9dcvPP9K1NE1CUgC5ZG69DOzxx3oE48YsLs95Ugt50XOvxhUK7v9u-VvKaqbQf7s94rqeqClZHT3xvk2Z1k0J0ETgQ-sIRLdLnUB1h-jWyJ7k4V5YnhEBBosW0BcaCljEM/s1600/20140112_174312.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a LOT of cabbage.</td></tr>
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And then I put together the Asian-style Meatballs from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Naturally/dp/1936608111/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389552197&sr=8-1&keywords=21+day+sugar+detox" target="_blank">21DSD book</a>. They were pretty quick and easy to make and I had them with my slaw:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">P says I get points for presentation on this one. Score!</td></tr>
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A little tip if you're cooking these - line your pan with foil. SERIOUSLY. I scrubbed and scrubbed and I still have crap stuck to my pan. I'll give it another go later or tomorrow. They turned out ok. I wasn't blown away but maybe that's because I really just want some freaking bread today and nothing can satisfy that but bread of course!<br />
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Hopefully tomorrow will be easier and less craving-esque. On the bright side, I am sleeping well, I don't feel bloated still, I still haven't gotten heartburn. My face is breaking out a bit but hopefully that will pass. <br />
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Anyway, I've finished week 1 and I took lots of pictures for you, woo-hoo!<br />
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-11492035243763493832014-01-12T11:28:00.001-08:002014-02-08T20:43:56.354-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 6 - Making Up My Own Recipes<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, I succeeded through Day 6, and I'm no worse for wear due to my <a href="http://themoderndomesticdiva.blogspot.com/2014/01/21-day-sugar-detox-day-5-cheater.html#more" target="_blank">cheats from Friday</a>. Saturday morning I had bacon and eggs for breakfast. Also, we did our first weekly weigh-in for our 12 Week Weight Loss Challenge (minus the weigh-in for our starting weights) and guess who's a winner this week? Oh yeah, this girl! </div>
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After breakfast I did an assessment of what food we had left from my ridiculous Whole Foods shopping last Sunday, and what I would need to go buy to get us to payday (this detox is NOT cheap). We actually really did eat all the food I bought, and that's a bit
ridiculous cost-wise for ONE WEEK and TWO PEOPLE. I don't know about you guys, but I
don't have $1,000+ to spend on groceries every month. With that in mind, I checked out the suggested Week 2 Menu, took some of those recipes, and then browsed through the book to add in some more affordable recipes, as well as considering some of the things I normally cook that we could eat. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />For instance, there are some smoothie recipes with pretty cheap ingredients that I could make for breakfast instead of making every breakfast with meat. There's also a marinara sauce recipe that I could make and eat with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash for a few meals, which also helps save with meat. I also have my own coconut curry recipe that I can make on this detox, I just have to change up some of the veggies (i.e. no sweet potato). Also, certain brands of guacamole (or your own homemade kind) as well as certain brands of cold cuts are 21DSD-approved. I could bring those for lunches, OR make my own salads with some of the dressing recipes provided in the book. In fact, that's what I made for lunch today:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple, fresh ingredients.</td></tr>
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I just chopped up a bunch of stuff I had on hand and used the 21DSD "Balsamic Vinaigrette" for my dressing. It was easy and tasty. </div>
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For dinner I made "Shepherd's Pie" from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Naturally/dp/1936608111/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389552197&sr=8-1&keywords=21+day+sugar+detox" target="_blank">21DSD book</a>, which was my first experience using ground lamb. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon, sage, garlic, cauliflower mash, and some peas and carrots too!</td></tr>
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I have to say, while the recipe was a good recipe, I'm just not the hugest fan of the taste of ground lamb. I hadn't had it before and was willing to try it, but it's not my favorite. Unfortunately we still have about half the pie left but P seems to like it so hopefully he'll handle the leftover-eating on this one hahaha.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta-da! 21DSD Shepherd's Pie! And my 21DSD book in the background in my spiffy cookbook stand :)</td></tr>
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I did go to Whole Foods to get a few things to tide us over, but realistically I am going to have to switch our groceries to our normal store and not everything will be grass-fed, organic, etc. You do the best with what you've got, right? I got a few meat items, a ton of zucchini (it's affordable and makes "noodles"), more lemons, some mixed greens for salads, celery, guacamole, some plain full fat yogurt (going to give the "Banola" another go because I hate wasting and have a ton of it), some green bananas, and a couple other things. I indulged in a big bottle of sparkling mineral water too. I loooove Perrier and San Pelligrino and you name it, sparkling/carbonated mineral water is yummy, especially with some lemon. BUT it's definitely in the "indugence" column so I try not to get it very often.</div>
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<b>I have been trying to think of ideas to help save money too. So far some ideas I have for lowering cost include:</b></div>
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<li>buying some produce frozen (I'm not a big fan of frozen fruit/veggies but for certain recipes/uses it really is the smart thing to buy);</li>
<li>not shopping at Whole Foods; </li>
<li>not getting everything organic/grass-fed, so prioritizing what has the worst stuff in it or is the most inhumane and going from there;</li>
<li>Bulk buying meat at Sam's and filling our freezer with said meat to supply us for several weeks (we plan on doing this next weekend); </li>
<li>buying produce twice a week to help prevent waste;</li>
<li>following meal plans because just buying random stuff always results in waste for us; and</li>
<li>making meatless meals more. Gosh meat is expensive (as it should be, we're taking lives to eat here, it's important to respect your food sources).</li>
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So we will be implementing some of these pretty soon and I'll let you know if it helps with the bills. We don't eat out much, I basically only go out to eat on date nights, so I think that also makes our grocery bills a bit higher, but our overall bills for the month lower. </div>
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Anyway, please comment below if you have any suggestions on other ways to save some moolah! </div>
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-49858436899729501982014-01-11T15:27:00.000-08:002014-02-08T20:46:45.916-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 5 - Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm a bit late in recapping my Day 5 experience, but suffice to say I unfortunately cheated twice on Friday. I didn't eat any pumpkin though...that would've been tasty. But that's the saying so let's roll with it! This is also where I got my "daily lesson" which I'll discuss after the jump.</div>
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The best part about Day 5 was that for one dinner I finally didn't have to cook and do dishes. P took me out for a date night at a Paleo restaurant here in Dallas. It was fantastic! I'm so lucky to have a partner who believes in date nights. Just because you're in an established relationship doesn't mean you should give up doing things for each other, going on dates, making out like teenagers (but with more skill), or taking care of yourself and each other. That's another reason I wanted to do the 21DSD, I want to look good again for my partner, else the whole dating period was really a load of false advertising, don't you think?</div>
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I started the day out pretty tired, which I think was a result of having such a horrible and exhausting Thursday. I brought a green apple and some almond butter to work for breakfast, and also brought leftover "Shrimp Pad Thai" for my lunch. When I got to work, I forgot that every Friday the office caters fresh fruit (usually tons of bananas, some apples, some pears, and some oranges or similar citrus). I was feeling so tired I grabbed a green banana and had that with the apple and almond butter for breakfast. <b>This was my first cheat. On level one of the 21DSD, you are only allowed ONE of the approved fruits per day. </b> So having two was definitely a no-no. Sure tasted good though, and at least my apple was small. </div>
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The rest of the work day was pretty average and I had cold Shrimp Pad Thai for lunch. I was concerned about heating it up because I didn't want the shrimp to get rubbery, and honestly, it tasted good cold, so that worked out pretty well, huzzah! After work I ran home and got ready for our date night. P made reservations at HG Sply Co., which is a pretty new restaurant that is focused on Paleo eats. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hgsplyco.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpMp0hJEbPW96rpVEkT5zLw8ooDYxXLBrikY2WOMxQ1QrJuJevxsweS-AkDMYTY2PKYu88Lj0b9PY-5BgoEIM5Ln0QvfKISvQeul1kl41PxOUNQ1-qr3o6kImangwbF9lG2-8rjlAT2k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-11+at+4.47.52+PM.png" height="198" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hgsplyco.com/">If you're in North Texas, check this place out.</a></td></tr>
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The food was so fresh, not full of weird ingredients, and simply delicious. I was able to order off their menu with ease, the server was super helpful and didn't mind explaining what ingredients were in different dishes, and we had such a good time. <b> I also cheated a second time here. I decided to have ONE drink.</b> I got their Moscow Mule, which had vodka, ginger kombucha, lime juice, and some turbinado syrup in it. The vodka and turbinado were definite no-nos, but the rest was 21 DSD approved. So it could've been worse I suppose, and <b>I relished that drink!</b> But guess what? Unlike what I would normally do, which would be to order a second round and/or drink some more at home, I stopped at that one. <b>It was good, satisfied my "this was a crappy week I want a drink" desire, and I moved on.</b> </div>
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Taking my cheats into consideration though, I don't think they were the worst cheats ever and I got it out of my
system, it's over, I'm still going strong, which is what I think matters
most. <b>Lesson #5 - if you cheat or mess up, it's really not the end
of the world. It also isn't an excuse to throw your hands up in the
air, go hogwild and cheat even more, or worse yet - call it quits. </b>
Giving up because of one little slip up is no good, and you'll just end
up being really disappointed. Enjoy your cheat for what it is,
acknowledge it, stop cheating, and move on, there's really nothing else
to be done! I would like to think that a green banana and a shot or two of vodka won't derail my long-term detox efforts. </div>
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As an aside, sorry no pictures of our epic meal, the lighting was more for mood and less for photography, so nothing would've looked good in the pictures. Plus, the seating was pretty tight, like in a lot of New York restaurants, so it would've been rude to our neighbors, which is not cool.</div>
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Afterward, we walked around and stopped into a couple shops because the weather was to die for. 60 degrees in January? Heck yeah! I also picked up some good looking dark chocolate from Trader Joe's for when I transition to a more Paleo diet at the end of this detox. <b>What a great end to this crazy week! </b></div>
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I'll give you a rundown of Day 6 soon, and with more pictures, promise. Until then -</div>
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-78841668461870714582014-01-10T11:39:00.001-08:002014-02-08T20:54:01.782-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 4 - Oh What A Day<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yesterday I successfully completed Day 4. Unfortunately, it's been a rather long, not-so-fun week this week. I was reminded of this book yesterday evening, because it basically described my day perfectly:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oSOpDz1PG2mo3ILADS0ayg_kRTkusowsMNAkaiSlIcEZv-ckwJWpJaqGWEq4TrBcrpkeJsaAvMaaxfrhl468vJPOAboiQFSSsEY3PZR0DTX0foc-bUkoII6G5ztC0dsvNEDUrukQViU/s1600/ALEXANDER_TERRIBLE_HORRIBLE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oSOpDz1PG2mo3ILADS0ayg_kRTkusowsMNAkaiSlIcEZv-ckwJWpJaqGWEq4TrBcrpkeJsaAvMaaxfrhl468vJPOAboiQFSSsEY3PZR0DTX0foc-bUkoII6G5ztC0dsvNEDUrukQViU/s1600/ALEXANDER_TERRIBLE_HORRIBLE.jpg" height="243" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anyone else remember this book? Wish I could've stayed in bed!</td></tr>
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I'm surprised I've managed to stick to this detox with all the personal stress I have going on right now. I think that, more than anything, speaks volumes as to how badly I want this to work and how good I'm already feeling. I feel that people have to be ready and willing to change to be successful at it. <b>Lesson #4 - your heart has to be in it if you're going to be successful, otherwise it feels like a drag and you get resentful and ultimately quit! </b></div>
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<b>Think to yourself - do you REALLY want to do this, or do you just
feel guilty</b> for gaining weight/eating sugar/eating processed foods/not
doing some sort of detox like your friends or coworkers/whatever?
Because if you're doing this out of guilt, it's probably not going to
work. I am doing this as a service to myself, I consider it an exciting
opportunity to improve my health and see if cutting out certain things
can fix some chronic issues I have (e.g. joint pain and inflammation, back pain and inflammation, insomnia, depression, anxiety...whoa, I'm a wreck!). What I'm getting at, is that you should try to put things like a detox or a
change in eating habits in perspective. You are honoring your body and taking care of it for a change. <b>And no dieting! We should make changes that can become a
regular part of our lives, not a temporary fix.</b> Because any gains you make by living off a specific diet, will eventually be lost. I cannot tell you the amount of times of done the fat free, sugar free, diet everything and it really won't be permanent. You'll get sick of it, I always do when I've tried the "diet" approach.</div>
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Okay okay enough preaching, let's go over my food and health now shall we?</div>
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First of all, I forgot to mention this previously, but since I have started the detox I have only had water, or water with lemon to drink. Herbal teas are allowed and I have a bunch, so I may start drinking some of those, but I'm pretty darn content with lemon water (I'm one of those weirdos that really likes water, but only if it's ice water). I also fancy cucumber water, or lemon water with some mint, so if you're looking for water "variety" try those out! I'm not a big lime person - unless it involves margaritas or pad thai.</div>
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A second thing I've forgotten to mention, is that, at least if you're doing level one of the detox like me, you are occasionally allowed to eat a green apple or green tipped banana. This is as "sweet" as things get. I have had 2 apples and one green banana so far this week (including today, Day 5).</div>
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Yesterday my meals were mainly convenient leftovers. For breakfast I had leftover hash and a couple of over-easy eggs, and for lunch I had two leftover mustard-glazed chicken thighs. For dinner though, I got to try something completely different! I ordered this contraption that was recommended on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/21daysugardetox" target="_blank">21DSD facebook page</a> to make veggie noodles, and I finally got to try it out last night for "Shrimp Pad Thai." Check out how cool this is:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wZDj4Mef3hVcRwlsnSag2G4O_f-0bpWnuq9icKYGuvscQrvlYtNA4w-C6_MAEDZuKy1t0f8PuLqpGorQKQ7fz0HIykfbsFTlK1fUlXYN6olx17DA6ob0YhhM1mLYnfbmIJzxU2Yin1c/s1600/noodles2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wZDj4Mef3hVcRwlsnSag2G4O_f-0bpWnuq9icKYGuvscQrvlYtNA4w-C6_MAEDZuKy1t0f8PuLqpGorQKQ7fz0HIykfbsFTlK1fUlXYN6olx17DA6ob0YhhM1mLYnfbmIJzxU2Yin1c/s1600/noodles2.JPG" height="320" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zucchini "Noodles"!!!</td></tr>
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Ok, I'm a kitchen nerd, so maybe this is way cooler to me than to everyone else, but it's super easy to use, there are 3 different blades, and if you're feeling unhealthy, you can even make curly fries! Hello! Delicious! Did I mention that it won't totally break the bank either? It's currently $29.75 on Amazon. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Here's a link if you're interested!</a> There's also a "Spirelli" spiral cutter for about $6 less but it can't hold a wide array of vegetable sizes and it only has one blade type. </div>
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Anyway, I made the "Shrimp Pad Thai" out of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Cravings-Naturally/dp/1936608111/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389380829&sr=1-1&keywords=21+day+sugar+detox" target="_blank">21DSD book</a> for dinner last night (you can see the book open to the recipe in the above picture). Due to a collision of craptacular days, I'm the only one who tried this recipe. Some issues with the recipe as written - <b>if you get 4 dozen jumbo shrimp, then it's gonna be like a giant bowl of giant shrimp on a bed of some green stuff.</b> That's ridiculous. I went with medium shrimp and used about 50 and it wasn't totally insane but still a bit more shrimpy than I would've liked. Also, I got frozen shrimp and thawed them. I've bought fresh before and I really can't taste a difference (then again, I'm in a landlocked city) when they're already peeled and deveined. So at any rate, save some dough and get frozen and just run the amount of shrimp you want under cold water in a colander until they are thawed.</div>
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Another issue is that the picture of the recipe is totally inaccurate for a few reasons. The number one reason being there are only like 4 shrimp shown in each bowl, (where are the other 40 giant shrimp??) and also, the shrimp in the picture are not peeled as you are told to buy for the recipe. Also, you can't tell there is a brown nutty sauce on those "noodles." So some artistic license was definitely taken on this one. Regardless, it was a pretty decent recipe. Not my favorite, but pretty good. I got to try yet another new food item in the form of "coconut aminos" which is basically a non-GMO, gluten free, soy free, "soy sauce." It was surprisingly good - I was skeptical when I bought the bottle. This is the kind I used:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZmNwBsavdhCAtMMBEAMNso2PZdDBcwVV9CBKcB8F0DuU9zqyQ7W5adIoZrdPtLjRu-RovnHBoPra6qZBTANzQHvvmAu_mATxq4hztyXSfWL9wRu921U0nLVQTpihs0QSNbzUXK-9Vq0/s1600/coconutaminos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZmNwBsavdhCAtMMBEAMNso2PZdDBcwVV9CBKcB8F0DuU9zqyQ7W5adIoZrdPtLjRu-RovnHBoPra6qZBTANzQHvvmAu_mATxq4hztyXSfWL9wRu921U0nLVQTpihs0QSNbzUXK-9Vq0/s1600/coconutaminos.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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The sauce part of the recipe called for almond butter, so I used roasted almond butter (usually you'd use peanuts or peanut butter in a regular recipe). Instead of buying a jar of the stuff, which I've had before and BLECH, I decided to buy some freshly made in one of those "peanut butter machines" at Whole Foods. It tastes worlds better than jarred almond butter, so if the thought of almond butter is gross to you,<b> try the fresh roasted kind. </b> Anyway, this recipe was pretty straight forward and here is my ugly, not fancy, picture of the final product:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkUrS-N5inOCd0OulpeZcClRhWWWjo-VurLst7w3WDywFunb37so2VHR46gFKRpqb43m2ATkVnCi5BT66gTwNzsY5l1miFeE6nIVi1RsDHd4dFoOfNhQNLtbAi5EVW1sju8KGseqRa_k/s1600/dinnerday4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkUrS-N5inOCd0OulpeZcClRhWWWjo-VurLst7w3WDywFunb37so2VHR46gFKRpqb43m2ATkVnCi5BT66gTwNzsY5l1miFeE6nIVi1RsDHd4dFoOfNhQNLtbAi5EVW1sju8KGseqRa_k/s1600/dinnerday4.jpg" height="243" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was lazy and didn't take the tails off my shrimp before cooking, so
that was some extra effort in the whole "eating" department. Still
tasty!</td></tr>
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<b>Enough with what I ate though, what's up with my body?</b> I have lost a little bit of weight so far this week. I will give you a final number after Day 21 though, so you'll have to wait and see! The book encourages you to not weigh yourself at all on the detox, but I'm in a weight loss competition with P so I want to see if there's a chance of beating him. To be clear though, <b>the detox is first and foremost about improving your overall health, not about weight loss.</b></div>
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<b>I also feel nice and not bloated.</b> I have not felt bloated at all since starting the detox which is quite lovely. I don't feel weighed down or overfull ever. I never feel insanely hungry either. Sometimes when I get home and have to make dinner I'm legitimately hungry and might munch something small that I'm cooking with (e.g. last night I had a bit of almond butter). But my hunger is like "hey, time to eat. Just fyi. K thx." Unlike what it usually is where it's like "YOU WILL DIE IF YOU DON'T EAT ALL THE FOOD NOW!!! STOMACH CRAMPING ACTION!!!!" I also don't get tired after eating. It's easier to do the dishes and clean up, whereas before I'd be all "I hate you dishes!" and go lay on the couch for awhile. I still hate dishes, but I have more energy to take care of the cleaning portion of things.</div>
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<b>Another great benefit I've noticed is I don't have heartburn. </b> I normally have heartburn about 4-6 days a week. Seriously. It runs in my family, it's like a badge of throat burning honor. And I'll get heartburn even when I eat really bland, seemingly innocuous foods. It never made sense to me and still doesn't. Lastly, I normally drink about 4 or so diet cokes in a work day, maybe some coffee too. But this week, I have only been drinking water, and I don't feel more tired. In fact, my daily energy level has mostly been consistent with my days of caffeine consumption. And no crazy headaches. Pretty weird, right?</div>
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Lastly, sorry this is a bit late coming up, yesterday really was just awful and when I went to write this blog post my brain was literally like "today sucked. the end." which isn't a very compelling or informative recap of the day. <b>But today is Friday, hooray!</b> Hope you all are getting ready for wonderful weekends!</div>
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<br />Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-80408863782602492132014-01-08T20:23:00.000-08:002014-02-08T20:59:24.846-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 3 - Golden Beets With Crispy Herbs<div style="text-align: justify;">
First of all, I overhauled my blog!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you like the new look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, some interest has been expressed in me
recording every day of my detox journey so I'm going to go ahead and try to do
so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully you will get a picture of
what changes can happen from the average American diet to something much
healthier. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPE1BvZ3jY4s0a9zgSq2MONpnQoRPgSudQE6VOXmF2OJpposZWSY3GJNQfovpc5xFrB7a_UypcBlwZIoX-BYVwZTQXx-xMsYPNXG84YZ6viKJJOwN2DzMhbdt4pATrYCv-xxBSJovTWzE/s1600/youarewhatyoueat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPE1BvZ3jY4s0a9zgSq2MONpnQoRPgSudQE6VOXmF2OJpposZWSY3GJNQfovpc5xFrB7a_UypcBlwZIoX-BYVwZTQXx-xMsYPNXG84YZ6viKJJOwN2DzMhbdt4pATrYCv-xxBSJovTWzE/s1600/youarewhatyoueat.jpg" height="320" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add some protein to the picture on the left and that's where I'm headed!</td></tr>
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With that in mind, according to the 21DSD emails which I get
every morning, this is what was in store for Day 3:<br />
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<b>YOU MAY EXPERIENCE: Fatigue, cold- and flu-like symptoms, low
blood sugar, or self-doubt.</b> Day 3 is the beginning of some of the hardest days
for most folks! Just know that this reaction is common and will subside
within a few days. Focus on the positives that are ahead—liberation from your
cravings and a healthier you inside and out.</div>
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Not exactly the morning inspiration one would hope for!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the day ended pretty well.</div>
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I can attest to the tiredness part at least, because most of
the day I was feeling fatigued and achy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had more resolve today and less insane cravings thankfully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was a little hungrier than the last
couple days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then again, my lunch was
pretty disappointing so that could be why I was hungry - more on that in a
minute.</div>
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We started this hectic day out with a Bacon, Parsnip and
Carrot hash, which I ate with an over-easy egg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was really good!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'd actually
never used parsnips before and I'm glad I finally have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>P enjoyed the hash too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet another victory from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-21-Day-Sugar-Detox-Naturally/dp/1936608111" target="_blank">21DSD book</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think we say something akin to <b>"why
haven't we been eating like this all along" </b>to each other at least once a
day since I started this detox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also
say <b>"we'll have to make that recipe again"</b> more than once a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be clear, P is not doing the detox, but
who's going to turn down fresh made hot meals?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nobody, that's who.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he is
striving to be healthier too so this works out nicely.</div>
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Now, onto the one recipe so far that I have not liked one
bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For lunch I had "Banola"
which is kind of like a mix of 21DSD approved nuts and seeds with a green tip
banana puree made with vanilla, cinnamon, and an egg, that you bake into a sort
of close version of "Granola."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Despite the green bananas, vanilla, and cinnamon, it really just tastes
like a mouthful of nuts and seeds to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I tried the suggested "eat it like a cereal with some coconut
milk" and it just tasted like nuts covered in coconut milk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AKA not good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was the one time so far I was like "Blech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just eat it so you're not hungry and hope
dinner rocks."<b> </b><br />
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<b>And my friends, dinner did rock.</b> We had "Mustard-Glazed
Chicken Thighs" and "Golden Beets with Crispy Herbs."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'd never cooked chicken thighs before but
man, they are tasty with that glaze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
refrained from overindulging only because we wanted some for lunch
tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the beets, wow, they did
not taste like boring old beets at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, without further ado, I present to you, a delicious side dish recipe
(even if you aren't detoxing!):<b> </b><br />
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<b>GOLDEN BEETS WITH CRISPY HERBS</b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3-4 medium golden
beets</li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3 tbsp. coconut
oil, divided</li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1/2 tsp. sea salt</li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1/4 tsp. black
pepper</li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1-2 sprigs of fresh
rosemary</li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>12-14 sage leaves</li>
</ul>
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<![endif]-->Preheat the oven to 425ºF.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Slice the tops and bottoms off the beets, and peel the skin off of them.
Next, cut them in half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then take each
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coconut oil and the salt and pepper in a small bowl.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApsN0zFrL5lNHtsuh0A3v-LRc2pGZ7VC1Kc3e12r7IJ295fkqhIFlEJy2TxaPWa-B59iOWcpTHNnssMjco9vWQQqu8-gFwb8T7L11T0xpS4bSSvrSnmIUAGBnQcnW_Ytd3P0_7H_1ztQ/s1600/20140108_185527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApsN0zFrL5lNHtsuh0A3v-LRc2pGZ7VC1Kc3e12r7IJ295fkqhIFlEJy2TxaPWa-B59iOWcpTHNnssMjco9vWQQqu8-gFwb8T7L11T0xpS4bSSvrSnmIUAGBnQcnW_Ytd3P0_7H_1ztQ/s1600/20140108_185527.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half moon slices!</td></tr>
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Spread the beets in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet
and roast for 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flip the beets
and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the edges of the beets are
golden brown.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOpP9vnu7drevXy775ijOcZ2vIY26lYOmBZTEJhziKahWc3gEjYSSClmjcWBTWF4jRz9GdgVfpLCsYJgm4JflQSLzerwZOwZY3OI5YfqTyXZ_PgsnCcKulSofccKMYycMaf1qTr5saJA/s1600/20140108_192638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOpP9vnu7drevXy775ijOcZ2vIY26lYOmBZTEJhziKahWc3gEjYSSClmjcWBTWF4jRz9GdgVfpLCsYJgm4JflQSLzerwZOwZY3OI5YfqTyXZ_PgsnCcKulSofccKMYycMaf1qTr5saJA/s1600/20140108_192638.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted goodness.</td></tr>
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While your beets are roasting, get your herbs ready.<br />
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<br /></div>
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</xml><![endif]-->Melt the remaining 2 tbsp. of coconut oil in a small skillet
over medium high heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the oil is
hot and a bit of smoke is coming off of it, add the herbs - watch out, this
WILL splatter - and cook for about 30 seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Scoop the crispy herbs out of the oil and serve over the beets.<br />
<div class="CTNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1vGu3-u-O36pIx01jL8GbmCVvmqchIIw4IITw5S1Qd_eix3l2rEXB9WCYqkK0C74NQ4d4_buc7uRonH1dGiDbpX-H0iBJN264idj9i4BnCzavabk-DSGfl0a9hCzTGArka5LQZLc3FE/s1600/20140108_192836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1vGu3-u-O36pIx01jL8GbmCVvmqchIIw4IITw5S1Qd_eix3l2rEXB9WCYqkK0C74NQ4d4_buc7uRonH1dGiDbpX-H0iBJN264idj9i4BnCzavabk-DSGfl0a9hCzTGArka5LQZLc3FE/s1600/20140108_192836.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll probably double this recipe in the future - YUM!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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</xml><![endif]-->The beets recipe works really well with the chicken recipe
since they cook at the same temperature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And then you can have a yummy delicious meal without taking up tons of
time, hurray!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant for me that I
got some sitting on the couch time tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh it was so very nice to not be doing tons of dishes and prepping more
food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have leftover hash for breakfast
tomorrow and leftover chicken for lunch so I'm set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which brings me to <b>Lesson #3 - Plan Ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously, plan out some meals and figure out
things that go together to make your life easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also prepare enough food to have leftovers so
you aren't cooking every single meal.</b><br />
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For more amazingness, please check out the <a href="http://www.21daysugardetox.com/" target="_blank">21DSD website</a> (I'm
not sponsored or even known by that website, I'm just saying...the recipes are
really good so far).<br />
<br />
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4387335210256995093.post-29493805128180375132014-01-07T20:54:00.000-08:002014-02-08T21:05:39.565-08:0021 Day Sugar Detox - Day 2 - WTF am I doing?<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's the end of Day 2. 19 more days to go. To be clear, I want to provide a realistic and honest picture of how your average working person deals with this detox. So if the following seems a little complainy, I hope you understand that I'm providing context to this detox, not just saying how great it is for my body and tra-la-la everything is peachy and full of healthy wonderment. MOVING ON.</div>
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Last night, I got home from work, walked my sweet puppies, and then proceeded to spend HOURS in my kitchen preparing meatloaf and cooking it and then making other food to have on hand for today. At the end of kitchen-ing, I took a shower and got in bed. Seriously from the time I got home til the time I got in bed, I was essentially entirely in the kitchen. This evening, a repeat of that, with a work crisis and insane stress thrown in whilst trying to prepare food for tomorrow morning. P - who has a trial tomorrow - was even helping with my work crisis. But it gets better *sarcasm*...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Fias-88Fkbm4q3OqknR9So13sBY3o-Rlxr8zdFCSuhATcz-VvME2REFsUW7nuV1bSYPRCKqDj4vaYUiFmaq7rXAeWs2wr_FCQMqLz_p0hoieNK7_O5WMNer_-ZCGzjQjBFw3t3l5x1E/s1600/puppies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Fias-88Fkbm4q3OqknR9So13sBY3o-Rlxr8zdFCSuhATcz-VvME2REFsUW7nuV1bSYPRCKqDj4vaYUiFmaq7rXAeWs2wr_FCQMqLz_p0hoieNK7_O5WMNer_-ZCGzjQjBFw3t3l5x1E/s1600/puppies.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My "puppies" a.k.a. tangible happiness. I am sharing this with you to counterbalance all of the unhappiness that follows.</td></tr>
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All this morning I wanted fruit. A big bowl of mango or a giant thing of red grapes. When I crave sweet stuff I usually want fruit or fruit juice. I don't get insane chocolate cravings. But fruit. I WANT IT. It's the food I always overbuy when I'm hungry at the grocery store. I didn't have any fruit today though. It feels like a crap victory right now because I'm exhausted. I'm writing this in bed as a matter of fact.</div>
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And then work crisis happened this afternoon into this evening. And all I could think is "I REALLY want some wine, I could just grab a bottle from the giant case of wine I got for Christmas because YES I like wine THAT much that it was my main Christmas gift this year from my wonderful stepmom." (Ok it was a gift to me AND P but let's be real it's for me). </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKSS1k3MiMegYihWg0EGv10CVier6hm-AcZucxvVRBaW7DCghqIPeviPmaF4lpJamsJ-nvJ1sMp-OKADWkRRN-Aig3aNKmAt19vKhu0_aRMXxZvx_A-z7NKSG-ll1EVTedy7nMfLQnso/s1600/2010-dominus-napanook-cabernet-sauvignon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKSS1k3MiMegYihWg0EGv10CVier6hm-AcZucxvVRBaW7DCghqIPeviPmaF4lpJamsJ-nvJ1sMp-OKADWkRRN-Aig3aNKmAt19vKhu0_aRMXxZvx_A-z7NKSG-ll1EVTedy7nMfLQnso/s1600/2010-dominus-napanook-cabernet-sauvignon.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Please sir, may I have another [bottle]?"</td></tr>
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But then I thought - "Self, are you just going to give up on yet another attempt to be healthy? And only on your second day? You always cheat and then give up because you get so disheartened and disappointed. You know the second that wine touches your lips you'll be really disappointed in yourself for giving up yet again when things got crappy." So I continued angrily grating things for tomorrow and attempting to not grate a finger (again) or attack a wine bottle. Victory!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUmScKg1juGkz1NszqeUke-6aQV3mbho8MSWdl-XLTsc77FZ7hyphenhyphen240T8o8BigxxaUu7VlxZ10IoYufFNS6t4PPDCfVEmb7I4CtaoJTjyxy9MhVq3Uf97miGuDbmXaHS2ft0OGD_u4dFk/s1600/victory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUmScKg1juGkz1NszqeUke-6aQV3mbho8MSWdl-XLTsc77FZ7hyphenhyphen240T8o8BigxxaUu7VlxZ10IoYufFNS6t4PPDCfVEmb7I4CtaoJTjyxy9MhVq3Uf97miGuDbmXaHS2ft0OGD_u4dFk/s1600/victory.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who has two thumbs and didn't grate one off? THIS GIRL!</td></tr>
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<b>I'm already only loosely following the meal plan</b> because if I strictly followed it I'd be even more kitchen-bound (is that even possible??) and it would be an insane amount of food that P and I just wouldn't eat. We ate meatloaf leftovers tonight with some <b>cauliflower mash from the book which was AMAZING.</b> I would've taken a picture but it just looks like white mashed potatoes, which isn't that exciting looking. Anyway, according to the meal plan I was supposed to make a whole new meal tonight and the meatloaf leftovers would never be eaten. </div>
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<b>SO Lesson #1 - Do NOT follow the meal plans in the book. </b> Make your own plan based on your knowledge of how much you and anyone else who may be eating the food you make actually eat. I am so glad I didn't buy for all the recipes in the meal plan because my gut instinct was right, it would've been a total waste of food. <b>I will however provide a meal plan that is more sensible for just one or two people and hopefully more affordable</b> sometime next week! Yay! </div>
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<b>Lesson # 2 - have an honest dialogue with yourself, especially in moments of weakness.</b> Take a step back and assess why you are doing this, and why it is important that you succeed. I have to remind myself that this could potentially resolve some chronic health issues I have and that is certainly worth sucking it up for awhile. Additionally, the benefit of probably losing weight because I'm getting full more easily and with less food on this plan (hurray fiber and protein!) is not something I take lightly, this weight really needs to come off.</div>
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I doubt that I'll provide this crazy detailed account on a daily basis, but starting out there are some revelations worth sharing, because, well: </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVT9AynFAcMx-ztl7ReyjnqDynLS6NRdA6S1nq8ZtRtmToPt4R5lkPuaPv2h1-YQtSfvHa6wRleOVrVSwe5Ntl5bJOpVvuylQCEA-Nn7dDhwJprxPe6nzUnEq4k4U0pp36Ffn1pu5snrc/s1600/The-more-you-know.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVT9AynFAcMx-ztl7ReyjnqDynLS6NRdA6S1nq8ZtRtmToPt4R5lkPuaPv2h1-YQtSfvHa6wRleOVrVSwe5Ntl5bJOpVvuylQCEA-Nn7dDhwJprxPe6nzUnEq4k4U0pp36Ffn1pu5snrc/s1600/The-more-you-know.png" height="232" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*insert tons of Ke$ha-esque sparkles here*</td></tr>
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Casshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413182868874793236noreply@blogger.com0