I am looking forward to not doing this diary anymore, I'll be honest. It is so hard to do this every day!! But only one more after this!!! I m working more hours now that I was when I first started the challenge...so my new challenge is to try to make sure I do not break down and do more processed foods cause I don't have the time. I am going to MAKE the time!!! Yes I am!
Breakfast: steel cut oats with fresh strawberries & cinnamon
Morning Snack: strawberry Chobani
Lunch: leftover pasta from last night, apple
Afternoon Snack: nothing...at work
Dinner: Hebrew National Hotdog with cheddar cheese leftover home made chili I had in the freezer...on a store bought bun (but it had no high fructose corn syrup in it...better, right??); organic white corn
Evening Snack: nothing - went to bed early
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
October 29
I was having some MAJOR caramel cravings yesterday. MAJOR. I had to run to the grocery to pick up some food for my son's lunch, and right next to the dairy case was a big rack of "marked down" items. In that rack was an entire box of Milky Way Simply Caramel bars...I was weak and I bought one. I thought if I ate it in the car on the way home no one would know. When I put the bags in the car, without thinking, I put them in the back of my SUV and started driving home. When I realized I did that, I was almost home and so alas I could not eat my candy bar. I came in, my kids took the bags to put away. I grabbed the Milky Way before they saw it; stuck it in the cabinet. I'd sneak it later once they were not around. Well, it's now the next day and I am not craving it anymore. I even took it out of the cabinet to make sure I had the name right. No temptation at all. My brain wanted to cheat so bad...but my subconscious took care of me yesterday by constantly putting it out of my reach. In 2 days, that candy bar will be in my Halloween candy pot and one "lucky" kid will get a full-sized bar for a treat.
Breakfast: store-made bagel with butter, coffee with half n half
Morning Snack: lemon Chobani
Lunch: peanut butter & jelly sandwich
Afternoon Snack: nothing
Dinner: whole wheat pasta with home made alfredo sauce, salad with white basalmic vinegar & olive oil
Evening Snack: Angie's Kettle Corn & 2 glasses of wine. I needed it!
Happy Eating!!
Kathy
Breakfast: store-made bagel with butter, coffee with half n half
Morning Snack: lemon Chobani
Lunch: peanut butter & jelly sandwich
Afternoon Snack: nothing
Dinner: whole wheat pasta with home made alfredo sauce, salad with white basalmic vinegar & olive oil
Evening Snack: Angie's Kettle Corn & 2 glasses of wine. I needed it!
Happy Eating!!
Kathy
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
October 28
I've narrowed down my breadmaker to two choices. I don't know which one to choose!!! Sigh
Here is choice one by Panasonic: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005QFL0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Here is choice two by Cuisinart: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009VELTQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Which one do I get?? I don't know!! Sigh. I really want/need to make a decision ASAP.
Breakfast: steel cut oats with cinnamon
Morning Snack: strawberry Chobani
Lunch: grilled chicken breast with brown rice & snow peas
Afternoon Snack: Angie's Kettle Corn
Dinner: (not clean) sausage link with grilled asparagus & smashed potatoes
Evening Snack: Turkey Hill All Natural Salted Caramel ice cream. I am pretty sure this passes the kitchen test...well, almost. :)
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Here is choice one by Panasonic: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005QFL0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Here is choice two by Cuisinart: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009VELTQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Which one do I get?? I don't know!! Sigh. I really want/need to make a decision ASAP.
Breakfast: steel cut oats with cinnamon
Morning Snack: strawberry Chobani
Lunch: grilled chicken breast with brown rice & snow peas
Afternoon Snack: Angie's Kettle Corn
Dinner: (not clean) sausage link with grilled asparagus & smashed potatoes
Evening Snack: Turkey Hill All Natural Salted Caramel ice cream. I am pretty sure this passes the kitchen test...well, almost. :)
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Monday, October 28, 2013
October 27
Almost there!!! I hope to order my breadmaker within the next couple days. I think I finally have enough saved up to pay tax & shipping, LOL. Next comes the pasta attachment for my Kitchen Aid!!
Breakfast: Vermont english muffin with peanut butter on one side, butter & jam on the other.
Morning Snack: blueberry Chobani
Lunch: nothing...was working
Afternoon Snack: Unreal Loaded One at work
Dinner: hubby grilled organic chicken wings, mine without any BBQ sauce. I wasn't home to make a clean sauce, so hubby put buffalo style tobasco sauce on his and my oldest son's. Me and the younger one ate them plain. And a yummy salad, complete with organic croutons I found at Costco.
Evening Snack: handful or three or five Unreal Nutty Ones
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: Vermont english muffin with peanut butter on one side, butter & jam on the other.
Morning Snack: blueberry Chobani
Lunch: nothing...was working
Afternoon Snack: Unreal Loaded One at work
Dinner: hubby grilled organic chicken wings, mine without any BBQ sauce. I wasn't home to make a clean sauce, so hubby put buffalo style tobasco sauce on his and my oldest son's. Me and the younger one ate them plain. And a yummy salad, complete with organic croutons I found at Costco.
Evening Snack: handful or three or five Unreal Nutty Ones
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Sunday, October 27, 2013
October 26
Football game today!! GO RU!! Football food can be a tough challenge when trying to stay unprocessed. We tailgate before every home game, and are limited to foods we can cook in a grass lot. It's different than camping, in a way, as we are limited to the small grill and what you can cook on it. This is the only home game during October, so I guess I got off kind of easy. :) The game was at noon, which also presented a challenge. We leave the house at 9:30am; so do you cook breakfast or lunch foods? We usually do breakfast for a noon game. Lunch if it is later.
So we went with egg sandwiches for the tailgate. I bought store-made hard rolls; our grocery, while they do not claim to use whole wheat/non-GMO, do claim that their breads are made with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They "claim" they follow the same homemade recipe we do. Since football was a deliberate exception, I gave in and we used the hard rolls. Still working on my breadmaker. On those rolls, we used cage-free local eggs, fried in organic olive oil, with organic ketchup and sliced cheddar cheese. My husband and boys added a slice of pork roll - Taylor Ham for those of you not from NJ. I tried to hold true and didn't eat it. So I did good, not great. Beverage was a mojito; tradition that can now be broken, since we lost the game. Getting too cold for them anyway, :)
During the game, I ate and drank nothing.
After the game, for dinner we indulged in cleaning out all the leftovers from the fridge.
Evening snack: vanilla Chobani
Happy Eating!!
Kathy
So we went with egg sandwiches for the tailgate. I bought store-made hard rolls; our grocery, while they do not claim to use whole wheat/non-GMO, do claim that their breads are made with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They "claim" they follow the same homemade recipe we do. Since football was a deliberate exception, I gave in and we used the hard rolls. Still working on my breadmaker. On those rolls, we used cage-free local eggs, fried in organic olive oil, with organic ketchup and sliced cheddar cheese. My husband and boys added a slice of pork roll - Taylor Ham for those of you not from NJ. I tried to hold true and didn't eat it. So I did good, not great. Beverage was a mojito; tradition that can now be broken, since we lost the game. Getting too cold for them anyway, :)
During the game, I ate and drank nothing.
After the game, for dinner we indulged in cleaning out all the leftovers from the fridge.
Evening snack: vanilla Chobani
Happy Eating!!
Kathy
October 25
Okay...I CAN do this!! We are almost at the end of the challenge and almost at the end of my food diary. My life suddenly got crazy this week; went from having a part-time weekend job to having 2 part-time weekday jobs!! And I still have some hours I will be putting in on the weekends. I am going to try really hard to make it to October 31st with my diary,
Breakfast: Vermont english muffin, jelly, peanut butter; coffee, half n half
Morning Snack: blood orange Chobani
Lunch: hubby's leftover Chinese food :(
Afternoon Snack: nothing
Dinner: pancakes & bacon
* all food items are organic, as all-natural as possible or made with non-GMOs unless otherwise noted.
We're going on a walking ghost tour tonite that includes snacks & cider. Bringing an apple just in case...
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: Vermont english muffin, jelly, peanut butter; coffee, half n half
Morning Snack: blood orange Chobani
Lunch: hubby's leftover Chinese food :(
Afternoon Snack: nothing
Dinner: pancakes & bacon
* all food items are organic, as all-natural as possible or made with non-GMOs unless otherwise noted.
We're going on a walking ghost tour tonite that includes snacks & cider. Bringing an apple just in case...
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Friday, October 25, 2013
October 24
Only one more week of my food diary! I gotta admit this was harder to do than I thought it was going to be. Crazy day today - out almost the whole day. I packed a bag with lots of healthy snacks to get me through it!!
Breakfast: steel cut oats with cinnamon & pure maple syrup. Not in a fruit mood.
Morning Snack: nothing - at interview for a second part-time job.
Lunch: peach Chobani
Afternoon Snack: nothing - at training meeting for first part-time job
Dinner: salad with organic caesar dressing - yes, from a bottle. But had to be done; working. Apple
Evening Snack: wine. 12 hour day between the 2 jobs!!!
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: steel cut oats with cinnamon & pure maple syrup. Not in a fruit mood.
Morning Snack: nothing - at interview for a second part-time job.
Lunch: peach Chobani
Afternoon Snack: nothing - at training meeting for first part-time job
Dinner: salad with organic caesar dressing - yes, from a bottle. But had to be done; working. Apple
Evening Snack: wine. 12 hour day between the 2 jobs!!!
Happy Eating!
Kathy
October 23
The next couple of days are going to be a bit busy...Thursday crazy busy. Yikes.
Breakfast: steel cut oats, cinnamon, blueberries & skim milk; coffee with half and half.
Morning Snack: nothing, had to work
Lunch: Applegate uncured black forest ham, cheddar cheese, lettuce & organic mayo on Organic whole wheat wrap. Lemon Chobani. Half of an organic cucumber.
Afternoon Snack: nothing, still at work
Dinner: pasta with hubby's home made pesto sauce
Evening Snack: wine & Unreal Nutty Ones
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: steel cut oats, cinnamon, blueberries & skim milk; coffee with half and half.
Morning Snack: nothing, had to work
Lunch: Applegate uncured black forest ham, cheddar cheese, lettuce & organic mayo on Organic whole wheat wrap. Lemon Chobani. Half of an organic cucumber.
Afternoon Snack: nothing, still at work
Dinner: pasta with hubby's home made pesto sauce
Evening Snack: wine & Unreal Nutty Ones
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
October 22
Have I mentioned I have terrible acid reflux? Combine that with GERD & a hiatal hernia and I have tons of tummy troubles. So once a year I need to go in for an upper endoscopy. And today was the day.
Breakfast: nothing
Morning Snack: nothing
Lunch: Lorna Doone cookies at the hospital with water. Don't even get me started on what my options were.
Afternoon Snack: home made chicken soup
Dinner: plain (blech) grilled chicken breast & organic peas
Evening Snack: nothing.
Tomorrow I will be able to eat normally again. :)
Morning Snack: nothing
Lunch: Lorna Doone cookies at the hospital with water. Don't even get me started on what my options were.
Afternoon Snack: home made chicken soup
Dinner: plain (blech) grilled chicken breast & organic peas
Evening Snack: nothing.
Tomorrow I will be able to eat normally again. :)
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Monday, October 21, 2013
October 21
I can't believe we're down to the last 10 days of the challenge! One third left to go. Since we have been eating pretty clean for two years now, but as we all know there is always room for improvement. The wonderful Facebook community that we have has taught me so much in the last 20 days that would have taken me a very long time to research myself online. While I am not at the point that I am ready to start making my own cheese, I am saving up for a breadmaker and the pasta attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer.
Breakfast: steel cut oats with blueberries, cinnamon, skim milk
Morning Snack: nothing
Lunch: leftover corned beef, potatoes & carrots (since I didn't eat it yesterday)
Afternoon Snack: banana
Dinner: beef stir fry with brown rice, red peppers, onions & green chilies. Sauce was mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce & fresh grated ginger)
Evening Snack: Unreal Nutty ones & glass of wine
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: steel cut oats with blueberries, cinnamon, skim milk
Morning Snack: nothing
Lunch: leftover corned beef, potatoes & carrots (since I didn't eat it yesterday)
Afternoon Snack: banana
Dinner: beef stir fry with brown rice, red peppers, onions & green chilies. Sauce was mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce & fresh grated ginger)
Evening Snack: Unreal Nutty ones & glass of wine
Happy Eating!
Kathy
October 20
Another busy day at work...got to serve at a "chef event" today. What that means is, we have a chef come and cook a 4 course meal & the winery pairs wines to go along with it. For a nice fee, you get a great meal and a few glasses of wine. Benefit to working this event? I get to eat too. :) My deliberate exception for the challenge was anything work-related...haha.
Breakfast: steel cut oats with cherries & cinnamon, thinned with organic skim milk
Morning snack: peach Chobani
Lunch: all courses are handmade; that being said, I do not think it was organic or non-gmo.
pumpkin tortellini & ravioli baby greens salad with chopped mangos/avocodos
braised short ribs with gnocci pumpkin cheese cake
There were sauces and other stuff in the courses but I don't have all the details at home.
Dinner: still full.
Evening snack: roasted potatoes & carrots; still full!
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: steel cut oats with cherries & cinnamon, thinned with organic skim milk
Morning snack: peach Chobani
Lunch: all courses are handmade; that being said, I do not think it was organic or non-gmo.
pumpkin tortellini & ravioli baby greens salad with chopped mangos/avocodos
braised short ribs with gnocci pumpkin cheese cake
There were sauces and other stuff in the courses but I don't have all the details at home.
Dinner: still full.
Evening snack: roasted potatoes & carrots; still full!
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Saturday, October 19, 2013
October 19
Well...today I worked an 11 hour shift. Needless to say, it's tough on the tummy. And the feet!
Breakfast: steel cut oats with cinnamon, skim milk & cherries
Food eaten throughout the day - basically I had a snack when I could get the time for it:
peach Chobani
sandwich - Vermont wheat bread, organic peanut butter & natural jelly
Cascadian Farms organic granola bar http://www.cascadianfarm.com/products/granola-bars/chewy-granola-bars/sweet-salty-peanut-pretzel
banana & apple
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: steel cut oats with cinnamon, skim milk & cherries
Food eaten throughout the day - basically I had a snack when I could get the time for it:
peach Chobani
sandwich - Vermont wheat bread, organic peanut butter & natural jelly
Cascadian Farms organic granola bar http://www.cascadianfarm.com/products/granola-bars/chewy-granola-bars/sweet-salty-peanut-pretzel
banana & apple
Happy Eating!
Kathy
October 18
Today I went to visit my "local" university's Friday Farmer's Market. My state university has a big agricultural program, and as part of it the sell the meat from the animals that the students raise. This seasonal market is open through the end of November, but by mid-October the vendors start dropping out as their products are dwindling. We have some great fall crops here in New Jersey, but one can only use so much kale. My goal today was to stock up on some meats for winter. Their prices are really great, and the money goes back to the university.
Breakfast: whole wheat bagel (that my son didn't want yesterday) with organic peanut butter & jelly
Morning Snack: blueberry Chobani
Lunch: homemade chicken soup with veggies
Afternoon Snack: none
Dinner: cheese burger (grass fed beef) with cheddar on Vermont sandwich roll with organic corn on the cob from the farmers market!
Evening Snack: Angie's kettle corn!
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: whole wheat bagel (that my son didn't want yesterday) with organic peanut butter & jelly
Morning Snack: blueberry Chobani
Lunch: homemade chicken soup with veggies
Afternoon Snack: none
Dinner: cheese burger (grass fed beef) with cheddar on Vermont sandwich roll with organic corn on the cob from the farmers market!
Evening Snack: Angie's kettle corn!
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Friday, October 18, 2013
October 17
So yesterday I questioned the FRUCTAN in the breakfast cereal. Spent some time reading all sorts of articles, blogs, with both pros and cons. One, http://fructosefriendlyfoodie.com/food-guides/fructan-content, even goes as far of listing different fruits & veggies I should avoid because of them. Apparently, a fructan is a naturally occurring part of our food, that our intestines can't digest. Big cause of stomach & intestinal problems for sensitive people. Not sure how to kitchen test this ingredient, since the ingredients specifically name a brand & that is sold in vitamin form. http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-probiotics-nutraflora-prebiotic-enhancing-formula-750-mg-60-veg-caps May take this query to the Facebook group and see what wisdom they can offer.
Breakfast: made the steel cut oats I was craving...the cereal can wait. :) added a bit of organic skim milk to thin, cinnamon & blueberries. Yum!!
Morning Snack: strawberry Chobani
Lunch: toasted whole wheat bagel with melted cheddar cheese and Applegate uncured ham.
Afternoon Snack: nothing...not hungry!
Dinner: roasted pork tenderloin, steamed broccoli, brown rice
Evening Snack: wine. :)
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: made the steel cut oats I was craving...the cereal can wait. :) added a bit of organic skim milk to thin, cinnamon & blueberries. Yum!!
Morning Snack: strawberry Chobani
Lunch: toasted whole wheat bagel with melted cheddar cheese and Applegate uncured ham.
Afternoon Snack: nothing...not hungry!
Dinner: roasted pork tenderloin, steamed broccoli, brown rice
Evening Snack: wine. :)
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Thursday, October 17, 2013
October 16
Spent some time today wandering through my local Weis store. I have started to make lists of which stores carry what products I want to buy, because of course none of the three in town carries everything I want. Next week I am trekking out to the Wegeman's - I know they carry a lot more good choices, but the driving time is not usually worth the effort.
Breakfast: I really wanted oatmeal this morning, but decided I should finish more of the cereal my kids didn't like. Healthy-er cereals tend to be a bit more expensive than the yucky ones, and wasting money is not on my agenda. Good thing I made an exception when this process started for using up what I had in the house. Haha. So today I ate some of the Snackimals Cinnamon Crunch by http://barbaras.com/ Here is a direct link to the cereal: http://barbaras.com/products/snackimals-cereal/snackimals-cinnamon-crunch-cereal/ It ALMOST passes the kitchen test. Natural flavor, of course, is a fail but I need to research one of the other ingredients...FRUCTAN (NutraFlora, Natural Dietary Fiber.) Will report back on this when I can.
Morning Snack: peach Chobani
Lunch: finished up yesterday's soup
Afternoon Snack: I baked sugar cookies so I admit I nibbled on the dough. But these pass the kitchen test when I sub in white whole wheat flour and use organic sugar.
Dinner: Chicken enchiladas - we loved them, the kids not so much. I have a lot of leftover sauce so I want to find something creative to use it for.
Evening Snack: wine Wednesday & a handful or three or five of Unreal Nutty Ones.
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: I really wanted oatmeal this morning, but decided I should finish more of the cereal my kids didn't like. Healthy-er cereals tend to be a bit more expensive than the yucky ones, and wasting money is not on my agenda. Good thing I made an exception when this process started for using up what I had in the house. Haha. So today I ate some of the Snackimals Cinnamon Crunch by http://barbaras.com/ Here is a direct link to the cereal: http://barbaras.com/products/snackimals-cereal/snackimals-cinnamon-crunch-cereal/ It ALMOST passes the kitchen test. Natural flavor, of course, is a fail but I need to research one of the other ingredients...FRUCTAN (NutraFlora, Natural Dietary Fiber.) Will report back on this when I can.
Morning Snack: peach Chobani
Lunch: finished up yesterday's soup
Afternoon Snack: I baked sugar cookies so I admit I nibbled on the dough. But these pass the kitchen test when I sub in white whole wheat flour and use organic sugar.
Dinner: Chicken enchiladas - we loved them, the kids not so much. I have a lot of leftover sauce so I want to find something creative to use it for.
Evening Snack: wine Wednesday & a handful or three or five of Unreal Nutty Ones.
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
October 15
Half way through the challenge!! How is everyone doing? I'd love to hear from some of you. Now that we made it half way, it's all downhill to the end and we can do this!! My blog counts have been going up and up since the challenge started, so thanks for stopping by everyone!!!
I'm curious as to how much of this challenge will stick when the month is over. I read a lot of posts in the Facebook group from people who are overwhelming themselves with making everything from scratch - many all in one day. They are making bread, and cheese, and butter...the whole kitchen going at once. I hope they don't get discouraged at the end saying it was too much work. I envy those who make the attempt at cheese - looks like fun!! While I do have the time, I do not have the drive. Not yet, anyway. I am in awe of those who are putting forth all the effort.
I am really close to buying a breadmaker. More on that in future posts.
Breakfast: Finished up the Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Crunch that my kids didn't like, with organic skim milk, coffee & half and half
Morning Snack: banana Chobani
Lunch: ~hangs head~ french fries at Costco. I was really hungry & was getting lightheaded. :( But I did avoid every single sample lady!! I thought I'd make it home to eat but then in line I started feeling weird...and of course nothing in my cart was something I could pick on. So...~hangs head~
Afternoon Snack: none
Dinner: chicken soup with broth made from last night's chicken, with barley, organic mixed veggies & leftover chicken; Kirkland Lake Country cheese, Fiorucci All Natural Uncured hard salami & fresh crusty bread.
Evening Snack: handful or three or five of Angie's Kettle Corn
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
October 14
Today I listened to the October Unprocessed Q&A conversation and the guest today, Yoni Freedhoff from weightymatters.ca and he made some really good points about this whole process. Striving for perfection, for that A+, while it is a great goal, actually achieving a good solid B is just as great. We should not be ashamed for the B. It's our job to do our best, and our best changes day by day. I am really going to keep this in mind as I continue on with this journey. If you did not get a change to participate live, go back and listen to it when you get a chance.
Today's food diary:
Breakfast: whole wheat bagel (from bagel shop) with that All Natural jelly I'm trying to use up. Still looking for a better choice.
Morning Snack: banana Chobani
Lunch: leftover ham & peas from yesterday's dinner
Afternoon Snack: cinnamon muffin - made by me!!
Dinner: my favorite roasted chicken http://nutritionfor.us/2011/08/esbs-lemon-rosemary-roasted-chicken/
with a big yummy salad and Annie's Macaroni & Cheese on the side.
Evening Snack: nothing!! I was so full from dinner I wasn't hungry. Plus, I had stock going on the stove from the chicken so I was busy tending that, and enjoying Monday night tv. :)
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Today's food diary:
Breakfast: whole wheat bagel (from bagel shop) with that All Natural jelly I'm trying to use up. Still looking for a better choice.
Morning Snack: banana Chobani
Lunch: leftover ham & peas from yesterday's dinner
Afternoon Snack: cinnamon muffin - made by me!!
Dinner: my favorite roasted chicken http://nutritionfor.us/2011/08/esbs-lemon-rosemary-roasted-chicken/
with a big yummy salad and Annie's Macaroni & Cheese on the side.
Evening Snack: nothing!! I was so full from dinner I wasn't hungry. Plus, I had stock going on the stove from the chicken so I was busy tending that, and enjoying Monday night tv. :)
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Monday, October 14, 2013
October 13
Yesterday my hubby & I went to the farm that I visited last week. He was curious about what meats they offered. That, and he loved the kale chips I made so much he wanted me to get more kale to make them again today!! In addition to the curly kale you find at the grocery, this farm grows two other kinds of kale; they recommended using TUSCANO kale to make kale chips. OMG it was so good!! You didn't have to deal with the curly edges not crisping and was much easier to clean & dry.
So while we were at the farm, we picked up breakfast for today...last night's dinner...in addition to the kale. :) I need to learn to bring my camera places with me, so I can take pictures to post.
Breakfast: fresh from the farm eggs & bacon. The bacon is made from pastured pork, is all natural with no nitrates or preservatives or any of that other yucky stuff we are avoiding. It was so good I can't even tell you. Even though it was really expensive, $10 a pound, it was worth it. We don't have bacon all that much anyway, so I can work this into my food budget. It's amazing how much money you save when you are not buying bags of potato chips and other junk. We also had a loaf of ciabatta bread I had in the freezer. I defrosted it last night then popped it in the oven this morning; the package claims "All Natural" but we know that means nothing. It says on the package if you don't use that day you are to freeze it. But I am saving for a breadmaker, I should have it by Thanksgiving the latest!!
Morning Snack: lemon Chobani
Lunch: 2 apple cider donuts from a farm stand we drove buy. All I can say was if I can help it, I am never buying a farm stand donut again!!! The ingredients list was just as bad as the donuts from the orchard near me!! This time of year, the donuts were the only thing available we could eat at that moment. They had a few lettuces but we had no where to wash it, and everything else needed prep. We were not in an area with any places to stop & eat, plus we were running short on time. They did sell pies too, but without forks, not a option.
Afternoon Snack: pretzels at a winery
Dinner: The last two ham steaks we had in the freezer and organic peas. Not in the mood to cook!
Evening Snack: Unreal Nutty Ones. This is becoming a habit, I think. :)
Didn't get to the kale chips, so making them tomorrow.
Happy Eating!
Kathy
So while we were at the farm, we picked up breakfast for today...last night's dinner...in addition to the kale. :) I need to learn to bring my camera places with me, so I can take pictures to post.
Breakfast: fresh from the farm eggs & bacon. The bacon is made from pastured pork, is all natural with no nitrates or preservatives or any of that other yucky stuff we are avoiding. It was so good I can't even tell you. Even though it was really expensive, $10 a pound, it was worth it. We don't have bacon all that much anyway, so I can work this into my food budget. It's amazing how much money you save when you are not buying bags of potato chips and other junk. We also had a loaf of ciabatta bread I had in the freezer. I defrosted it last night then popped it in the oven this morning; the package claims "All Natural" but we know that means nothing. It says on the package if you don't use that day you are to freeze it. But I am saving for a breadmaker, I should have it by Thanksgiving the latest!!
Morning Snack: lemon Chobani
Lunch: 2 apple cider donuts from a farm stand we drove buy. All I can say was if I can help it, I am never buying a farm stand donut again!!! The ingredients list was just as bad as the donuts from the orchard near me!! This time of year, the donuts were the only thing available we could eat at that moment. They had a few lettuces but we had no where to wash it, and everything else needed prep. We were not in an area with any places to stop & eat, plus we were running short on time. They did sell pies too, but without forks, not a option.
Afternoon Snack: pretzels at a winery
Dinner: The last two ham steaks we had in the freezer and organic peas. Not in the mood to cook!
Evening Snack: Unreal Nutty Ones. This is becoming a habit, I think. :)
Didn't get to the kale chips, so making them tomorrow.
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Sunday, October 13, 2013
October 12
One of my biggest challenges since switching to a cleaner lifestyle is breakfast for my kids. My boys are teenagers now, 14 & 16, both in high school. Around here, that means school bus pick ups before 7am. It's really had to get up early enough to cook breakfast for them every day. By Friday I am exhausted!! For them to have breakfast on the table by 6:30, I am up between 6 & 6:15 to cook it. The later time is heating pre-made (by me, of course) pancakes or toasting a bagel (not made by me, I am SO bad with breads) and the earlier time is cooking eggs and such. A couple days a week I really need them to have a bowl of cereal. They are being really stubborn with what cereals they like!!! They have not had a bowl of anything by Kelloggs in almost two years, yet they still complain about how what I give them tastes. The only one they will eat happily is made by Mom's Best Cereals http://momsbestcereals.com/ called Crispy Cocoa Rice. They do not pass the kitchen test, but they are better than the Cocoa Krispies made by Kelloggs. I find that I am eating the rest of the box every time they turn up their noses. To me, they taste fine, LOL. I don't intend on giving in, but the battle is definitely wearing me down.
Anyone out there deal with this successfully at home?
Breakfast today: http://www.cascadianfarm.com/ Cinnamon Crunch cereal that the kids didn't like, with organic skim milk. Coffee with half and half.
Morning snack: lemon Chobani
Lunch: football time today, Go Big Red!!! leftover taco meat with mango peach salsa & organic tortilla chips; fresh baked kale chips from local organic farm; Unreal Nutty Ones
Dinner: country style ribs smoked on the grill. ribs come from a local grass-fed farm with organic mixed veggies on the side.
Evening Snack: wine (yeah I like wine but we went to see a band play at a winery) and Unreal Nutty Ones.
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Anyone out there deal with this successfully at home?
Breakfast today: http://www.cascadianfarm.com/ Cinnamon Crunch cereal that the kids didn't like, with organic skim milk. Coffee with half and half.
Morning snack: lemon Chobani
Lunch: football time today, Go Big Red!!! leftover taco meat with mango peach salsa & organic tortilla chips; fresh baked kale chips from local organic farm; Unreal Nutty Ones
Dinner: country style ribs smoked on the grill. ribs come from a local grass-fed farm with organic mixed veggies on the side.
Evening Snack: wine (yeah I like wine but we went to see a band play at a winery) and Unreal Nutty Ones.
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Saturday, October 12, 2013
October 11
Last busy day - work, appointments, but challenge still going strong. I am learning so much from the Facebook group! What a wonderful group of people.
Breakfast: steel cut oats with cinnamon, thinned a bit with skim milk.
Morning snack: blood orange Chobani right before my flu shot. Have you got yours yet? Not sure how it fits into the challenge, haha!!
Lunch: Boars Head ham & cheddar on the last of the Nature's Own bread with lettuce & organic mayo.
Afternoon snack: working, so no snack.
Dinner: was supposed to work tonite, so I had nothing planned. My family was going to order pizza in my absence and I was going to eat the above sandwich for dinner, but my hours got shifted so had to last minute plan. Last minute plan was stopping for pizza & calzones. :( But one of my exceptions was eating out once a week. At least it's not frozen pizza, right?????
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: steel cut oats with cinnamon, thinned a bit with skim milk.
Morning snack: blood orange Chobani right before my flu shot. Have you got yours yet? Not sure how it fits into the challenge, haha!!
Lunch: Boars Head ham & cheddar on the last of the Nature's Own bread with lettuce & organic mayo.
Afternoon snack: working, so no snack.
Dinner: was supposed to work tonite, so I had nothing planned. My family was going to order pizza in my absence and I was going to eat the above sandwich for dinner, but my hours got shifted so had to last minute plan. Last minute plan was stopping for pizza & calzones. :( But one of my exceptions was eating out once a week. At least it's not frozen pizza, right?????
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Friday, October 11, 2013
October 10
Boy did this day go by fast!!! Worked all day, so not much food stuff to report in.
Breakfast: leftover potatoes (wish I had made even MORE extra, cause they were good!) with eggs, coffee with half and half
Lunch: apple cinnamon Chobani, leftover applesauce, 4 pieces of Vermont cinnamon raisin bread. Yeah, that was lunch. I totally forgot as I was running around trying to get there on time (and run the couple errands I needed to run before hand) that I didn't make lunch. There is no were close to go to eat, not that I am eating out much right now anyway, so I threw in what I could.
Afternoon snack: As I'm sure you figured out, I was starving by the time I was almost ready to leave. I found a Hershey's with Almonds at work, leftover from a private party the weekend before, so I ate it. Blech...so does not taste good anymore. I would have totally skipped it but my stomach was growling loud enough for my co-workers to hear and I still had to go pick up my son from an after-school club!! So I ate it. :(
Dinnner: tacos made with taco seasoning from Weis. I had purchased their taco shells before, only three ingredients, so thought I'd give their packaged seasoning a try. It was a little bland for our taste. We have been trying very hard to eliminate the packaged seasonings, but we've never liked any of the recipes I've tried! I've made so many different ones, as we have tacos at least once, if not twice, a month. Oh well...we'll keep trying!!
The shells.
Evening snack: mojito for the football game & some Angie's Kettle Corn.
Happy Eating!!
Breakfast: leftover potatoes (wish I had made even MORE extra, cause they were good!) with eggs, coffee with half and half
Lunch: apple cinnamon Chobani, leftover applesauce, 4 pieces of Vermont cinnamon raisin bread. Yeah, that was lunch. I totally forgot as I was running around trying to get there on time (and run the couple errands I needed to run before hand) that I didn't make lunch. There is no were close to go to eat, not that I am eating out much right now anyway, so I threw in what I could.
Afternoon snack: As I'm sure you figured out, I was starving by the time I was almost ready to leave. I found a Hershey's with Almonds at work, leftover from a private party the weekend before, so I ate it. Blech...so does not taste good anymore. I would have totally skipped it but my stomach was growling loud enough for my co-workers to hear and I still had to go pick up my son from an after-school club!! So I ate it. :(
Dinnner: tacos made with taco seasoning from Weis. I had purchased their taco shells before, only three ingredients, so thought I'd give their packaged seasoning a try. It was a little bland for our taste. We have been trying very hard to eliminate the packaged seasonings, but we've never liked any of the recipes I've tried! I've made so many different ones, as we have tacos at least once, if not twice, a month. Oh well...we'll keep trying!!
The shells.
Evening snack: mojito for the football game & some Angie's Kettle Corn.
Happy Eating!!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
October 9
Hand's feeling a bit better today, happily!! But still taking it easy with typing.
Breakfast: steel cut oats with milk, cinnamon & blueberries
Morning Snack: banana Chobani
Lunch: Scrambled cage-free egg whites with leftover potatoes
Afternoon snack: none - had to work
Dinner: Cavatelli & Broccoli. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cavatelli-and-broccoli/
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: steel cut oats with milk, cinnamon & blueberries
Morning Snack: banana Chobani
Lunch: Scrambled cage-free egg whites with leftover potatoes
Afternoon snack: none - had to work
Dinner: Cavatelli & Broccoli. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cavatelli-and-broccoli/
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
October 8
Today started out as a quiet day; taking some much needed "me" time to read, watch a movie (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) then I went to the library. Quick stop at the farmers market to pick up a couple of potatoes and some broccoli & cavatelli for tomorrow's dinner and I was in for the day. I even started prepping dinner early; getting some of the chopping and such done so I wouldn't have a mountain of dishes at the end of the night. Good thing I did, since while I was doing the last of the breading of the chicken cutlets I reached for my glass of water, and in my haste I dropped it and it broke. And cut my hand. In a few places. Sigh, Happily my 16 yo was able to finish the egg dip & breading of the cutlets while I tended to my wounds & cleaning of the glass. One cut may need stitches, but going to see how it looks tomorrow. Got the bleeding stopped & covered it with a liquid bandage. Hard to type so going to be quick with this post.
Breakfast: steel cut oats, thinned with a bit of organic skim milk; cinnamon & some of yesterday's applesauce mixed in
Morning Snack: strawberry Chobani
Lunch: grilled ham& cheese on http://www.naturesownbread.com/ dipped in organic ketchup.
Afternoon snack: applesauce
Dinner: breaded chicken cutlets (bread crumb comes from bakery) I add seasonings; roasted potatoes with onion & rosemary, string beans.
Evening Snack: glass of wine, Unreal Gimme Ones candies
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Breakfast: steel cut oats, thinned with a bit of organic skim milk; cinnamon & some of yesterday's applesauce mixed in
Morning Snack: strawberry Chobani
Lunch: grilled ham& cheese on http://www.naturesownbread.com/ dipped in organic ketchup.
Afternoon snack: applesauce
Dinner: breaded chicken cutlets (bread crumb comes from bakery) I add seasonings; roasted potatoes with onion & rosemary, string beans.
Evening Snack: glass of wine, Unreal Gimme Ones candies
Happy Eating!
Kathy
October 7
Week one if the challenge is done!! I found out about the challenge only a few days before it started; so I didn't have a lot of time to prepare or plan what my goals were going to be. We have been eating as clean as we could as a family for a long time now - and as the week has gone by I have thought about it and came to the following conclusions:
1 - I want to be more aware of the little ingredients that are in my food I had been over looking and find out more information about them
2 - I want to build a larger network of clean eaters for support
3 - I want to see what areas we have been lacking in, with choosing our foods
4 - I want to find new products and brands that my family will enjoy
How's that...to start!
Breakfast: 3 slices Vermont cinnamon raisin bread spread with local honey, coffee with half n half
Morning snack: banana Chobani
Lunch: salad with organic Caesar salad dressing, leftover grilled pizza from last night
Afternoon snack: a few handfuls of Angie's Kettle Corn
Dinner: Barilla White Fiber thin spaghetti (ingredients: SEMOLINA, DURHAM WHEAT FLOUR, WHOLE DURHAM WHEAT FLOUR, CORN STARCH, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE, MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID) - does not pass kitchen test - with home made pesto sauce. The pesto was made with organic basil and organic olive oil. The pine nuts and garlic are not organic. Romano cheese is also in the pesto. Garlic bread made with butter and fresh ground garlic on the side.
Dessert: home made applesauce!! Grabbed a bunch of apples at the farmers market today, threw in a couple pears that were over ripe, and a couple cinnamon sticks. Tada!! Fresh applesauce. NO ADDED SUGAR!
Evening snack: glass of wine
Happy Eating!
Kathy
1 - I want to be more aware of the little ingredients that are in my food I had been over looking and find out more information about them
2 - I want to build a larger network of clean eaters for support
3 - I want to see what areas we have been lacking in, with choosing our foods
4 - I want to find new products and brands that my family will enjoy
How's that...to start!
Breakfast: 3 slices Vermont cinnamon raisin bread spread with local honey, coffee with half n half
Morning snack: banana Chobani
Lunch: salad with organic Caesar salad dressing, leftover grilled pizza from last night
Afternoon snack: a few handfuls of Angie's Kettle Corn
Dinner: Barilla White Fiber thin spaghetti (ingredients: SEMOLINA, DURHAM WHEAT FLOUR, WHOLE DURHAM WHEAT FLOUR, CORN STARCH, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE, MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID) - does not pass kitchen test - with home made pesto sauce. The pesto was made with organic basil and organic olive oil. The pine nuts and garlic are not organic. Romano cheese is also in the pesto. Garlic bread made with butter and fresh ground garlic on the side.
Dessert: home made applesauce!! Grabbed a bunch of apples at the farmers market today, threw in a couple pears that were over ripe, and a couple cinnamon sticks. Tada!! Fresh applesauce. NO ADDED SUGAR!
Evening snack: glass of wine
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Monday, October 7, 2013
October 6
I work at a winery - very cool job. It's only part-time, but it's fun (most of the time.)
Fall arrived in between my last day and today: I love this time of year!
So days I work it's hard to eat, so here is how I tried to meet the challenge today:
Breakfast: Vermont english muffin with cage-free egg & organic ketchup for breakfast
Lunch: blood orange Chobani, small salad with organic caesar dressing, plum
Dinner: grilled pizza with whole wheat crust, organic olive oil, organic ground garlic, mozzarella cheese
Evening snack: glass of wine
No time for snacks on work days!
Happy eating,
Kathy
Fall arrived in between my last day and today: I love this time of year!
So days I work it's hard to eat, so here is how I tried to meet the challenge today:
Breakfast: Vermont english muffin with cage-free egg & organic ketchup for breakfast
Lunch: blood orange Chobani, small salad with organic caesar dressing, plum
Dinner: grilled pizza with whole wheat crust, organic olive oil, organic ground garlic, mozzarella cheese
Evening snack: glass of wine
No time for snacks on work days!
Happy eating,
Kathy
October 5
Big football day here today! Both my teams play, at the same time of course. Can't expect anything else, right? Sigh. Go RU! Go Huskers!!
Okay, now that is out of the way, no time for much else today except for a quick review in the Facebook group of cornstarch vs arrowroot.
http://girlmeetsnourishment.com/arrowroot-vs-cornstarch/
Arrowroot passes the kitchen test, cornstarch does not.
Breakfast: Vermont english muffin with butter and jam. Coffee with half n half
Morning snack: mojito as the games are starting
Football food:
mozzarella sticks - brought by friends for the game - was polite and only had 2
peach mango salsa by Sabra on Kirkland organic tortilla chips
Hebrew National hotdogs http://www.hebrewnational.com/products/hot-dog-beef-franks.jsp
Vermont hot dog buns with Wegemans organic ketchup
Dinner: a glass of wine; so full from eating during game!
Happy eating!
Kathy
Okay, now that is out of the way, no time for much else today except for a quick review in the Facebook group of cornstarch vs arrowroot.
http://girlmeetsnourishment.com/arrowroot-vs-cornstarch/
Arrowroot passes the kitchen test, cornstarch does not.
Breakfast: Vermont english muffin with butter and jam. Coffee with half n half
Morning snack: mojito as the games are starting
Football food:
mozzarella sticks - brought by friends for the game - was polite and only had 2
peach mango salsa by Sabra on Kirkland organic tortilla chips
Hebrew National hotdogs http://www.hebrewnational.com/products/hot-dog-beef-franks.jsp
Vermont hot dog buns with Wegemans organic ketchup
Dinner: a glass of wine; so full from eating during game!
Happy eating!
Kathy
Saturday, October 5, 2013
October 4
Hello everyone!!
Got an interesting lesson in tonic water tonite. I had no idea it was a "drink" as opposed to water. I was very surprised to find this out! I've always thought of tonic water as a drink mixer. That's it. Fizzy water. I had no clue it would contain high fructose corn syrup...or something called quinine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonic_water This challenge is really opening my eyes!!
Breakfast: french toast made with http://www.vermontbread.com/ Cinnamon Raisin bread. I picked this up at the grocery yesterday and thought I'd give it a try. It's in the organics section. No high fructose corn syrup, artificial ingredients or preservatives. Batter made with organic skim milk, local free range eggs, all natural vanilla and Saigon cinnamon. My kids thought the whole wheat flavor was too strong, even with the coating.
Ingredients in bread (from company website:) INGREDIENTS: Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Raisins, Vital Wheat Gluten, Honey, Barley Malt, Yeast, Salt, Cultured Wheat Starch, Cinnamon, Soy Flour
Morning snack: blood orange Chobani
Lunch: grilled cheese sandwiches made with Boars Head white american and http://www.naturesownbread.com/ Honey Wheat bread. Lightly buttered. The bread is not the best choice, but has no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors or high fructose corn syrup. But I sent my husband out for bread, and once again he thought he did good. :) I can say he didn't bring home Wonder bread...haha. (Yes, I know it's not made anymore. But you know what I mean.)
Afternoon snack: couple bowls (small) of Angie's Kettle Corn http://angiespopcorn.com/
Dinner: fried chicken (made by me) and a salad
Evening snack: glass of wine...and more popcorn. :)
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Got an interesting lesson in tonic water tonite. I had no idea it was a "drink" as opposed to water. I was very surprised to find this out! I've always thought of tonic water as a drink mixer. That's it. Fizzy water. I had no clue it would contain high fructose corn syrup...or something called quinine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonic_water This challenge is really opening my eyes!!
Breakfast: french toast made with http://www.vermontbread.com/ Cinnamon Raisin bread. I picked this up at the grocery yesterday and thought I'd give it a try. It's in the organics section. No high fructose corn syrup, artificial ingredients or preservatives. Batter made with organic skim milk, local free range eggs, all natural vanilla and Saigon cinnamon. My kids thought the whole wheat flavor was too strong, even with the coating.
Ingredients in bread (from company website:) INGREDIENTS: Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Raisins, Vital Wheat Gluten, Honey, Barley Malt, Yeast, Salt, Cultured Wheat Starch, Cinnamon, Soy Flour
Morning snack: blood orange Chobani
Lunch: grilled cheese sandwiches made with Boars Head white american and http://www.naturesownbread.com/ Honey Wheat bread. Lightly buttered. The bread is not the best choice, but has no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors or high fructose corn syrup. But I sent my husband out for bread, and once again he thought he did good. :) I can say he didn't bring home Wonder bread...haha. (Yes, I know it's not made anymore. But you know what I mean.)
Afternoon snack: couple bowls (small) of Angie's Kettle Corn http://angiespopcorn.com/
Dinner: fried chicken (made by me) and a salad
Evening snack: glass of wine...and more popcorn. :)
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Friday, October 4, 2013
October 3
So today I went to visit one of my local grocery stores and spent a lot of time looking up and down the organic/natural refrigerated sections. One of the things I don't have any interest in making myself are things like sausage, pepperoni, salami...that kind of thing. I spent a lot of time reading packages, taking pictures, and looking at websites when I got home. Some brands do a great job explaining their products online, like http://www.applegate.com/ and others not so much, like http://www.fioruccifoods.com/. I found another brand of sausage that looks good http://www.bilinski.com/ in addition to learning more about the sausage I have been buying from Costco for a couple years http://www.aidells.com/. Overall, a great trip!! Next week I am going to hit up another store and see what I can find there.
Meals for today:
Breakfast: the Mallow Oats are finally gone - last bowl consumed this morning, with local organic milk. Coffee with half n half.
Morning Snack: strawberry Chobani
Lunch: Boars Head roast beef & provolone on whole wheat bread with a bit of organic mayo & lettuce
Afternoon Snack: Starbucks pumpkin spice latter (I know, I know; I was weak)
Dinner: grilled steak seasoned lightly with fresh ground pepper & Himalayan sea salt, organic peas
Evening Snack: a handful or three or five of Unreal Nutty Ones
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Meals for today:
Breakfast: the Mallow Oats are finally gone - last bowl consumed this morning, with local organic milk. Coffee with half n half.
Morning Snack: strawberry Chobani
Lunch: Boars Head roast beef & provolone on whole wheat bread with a bit of organic mayo & lettuce
Afternoon Snack: Starbucks pumpkin spice latter (I know, I know; I was weak)
Dinner: grilled steak seasoned lightly with fresh ground pepper & Himalayan sea salt, organic peas
Evening Snack: a handful or three or five of Unreal Nutty Ones
Happy Eating!
Kathy
Thursday, October 3, 2013
October 2
Breakfast: Honeydew from my local farmers market, followed at bit later with a cup of coffee with half n half, and a whole wheat bagel. The bagel has organic peanut butter on one half, and butter & "all natural" jelly on the other. My husband came home with this jelly one day, thinking he did a good thing. It's made by Welch's...here is the link: http://www.welchs.com/products/jams-jellies-and-spreads/natural/natural-concord-grape-spread jury is still out, but I guess it's better than anything else I've tried. I've had a difficult time finding a jam-type product I like. I've tried a few different organic types, but no luck. May try making my own one day!! As for the butter, I use: Land O Lakes Butter with Olive Oil. http://www.landolakes.com/Products/Custom/15179.aspx Opinions?
Morning Snack: blueberry Chobani
Lunch: Boars Head roast beef with provolone on whole wheat roll from farmers market.
Afternoon snack: Unreal candy - a handful or three or five - The Gimmie Ones. :)
Dinner: last minute company for dinner tonite! I had a roasted turkey breast in the freezer I quickly defrosted, since I did not have enough to feed my guests with what I had originally planned to make. The turkey breast is from Kirkland, no preservatives, chemicals or fillers. Mashed potatoes and organic white corn on the side.
Evening snack: more wine...
Happy eating!!
Kathy
Morning Snack: blueberry Chobani
Lunch: Boars Head roast beef with provolone on whole wheat roll from farmers market.
Afternoon snack: Unreal candy - a handful or three or five - The Gimmie Ones. :)
Dinner: last minute company for dinner tonite! I had a roasted turkey breast in the freezer I quickly defrosted, since I did not have enough to feed my guests with what I had originally planned to make. The turkey breast is from Kirkland, no preservatives, chemicals or fillers. Mashed potatoes and organic white corn on the side.
Evening snack: more wine...
Happy eating!!
Kathy
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
October 1
Here we go...day 1.
For breakfast today I already failed. Haha! I have been searching for alternative breakfast cereals my teen boys will actually eat, so a couple weeks ago I found an alternative to Lucky Charms made my Mom's Best Cereals. They make "Mallow Oats" - aka Lucky Charms - with natural colors. My kids like their marshmallows, but not the oats part. So they left the box to me to eat. Since I am not throwing my money away, I will finish them for my own breakfast today & tomorrow. Why do they not pass the kitchen test? They contain corn syrup. Hard to have a decent marshmallow without it. But I did see a recipe that makes them with agave I may try when the challenge is over. I use organic cows milk in my cereal bowl - it's local and of good quality. Cup of Starbucks coffee with a bit of half n half - just a bit.
Here is where you can find this brand of cereal: http://momsbestcereals.com/
Morning snack: Peach Chobani. Does it pass the kitchen test? Ehhhhh...probably not. But not negotiable in my eating plan. I need the dairy mid-morning due to my acid reflux problems...otherwise I can't have that one cup of coffee I so desperately need each day. I get really grumpy without it!! I can make my own yogurt if I try...but one of my concessions is the Chobani.
Lunch: leftover organic chicken sausage from the previous day's dinner. I don't have the package to read the ingredients, but since it's organic I'm going to pretend it's okay. :) And a salad with a bit of white balsamic vinegar and grapeseed oil. There are sulfites in my vinegar. :(
Afternoon snack: the end of a container of Turkey Hill All Natural Salted Caramel Ice Cream. I had a small portion left and now it's gone. While it is the better of the choices on the market, it does contain sugar which does not pass the kitchen test.
Dinner: cheeseburger with Boar's Head sliced cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, no bun. Problem with this meal - the PICKLES!!! Did not notice before that there are artificial food colors in pickles. Ugh. So now I am on the search for pickles made more cleanly. Never thought I'd have to read that label before. So I have learned something!!!
Evening snack: glass of cab sav from the winery I work at.
Overall, not a great first day but tomorrow will be better!!!
Happy eating,
Kathy
For breakfast today I already failed. Haha! I have been searching for alternative breakfast cereals my teen boys will actually eat, so a couple weeks ago I found an alternative to Lucky Charms made my Mom's Best Cereals. They make "Mallow Oats" - aka Lucky Charms - with natural colors. My kids like their marshmallows, but not the oats part. So they left the box to me to eat. Since I am not throwing my money away, I will finish them for my own breakfast today & tomorrow. Why do they not pass the kitchen test? They contain corn syrup. Hard to have a decent marshmallow without it. But I did see a recipe that makes them with agave I may try when the challenge is over. I use organic cows milk in my cereal bowl - it's local and of good quality. Cup of Starbucks coffee with a bit of half n half - just a bit.
Here is where you can find this brand of cereal: http://momsbestcereals.com/
Morning snack: Peach Chobani. Does it pass the kitchen test? Ehhhhh...probably not. But not negotiable in my eating plan. I need the dairy mid-morning due to my acid reflux problems...otherwise I can't have that one cup of coffee I so desperately need each day. I get really grumpy without it!! I can make my own yogurt if I try...but one of my concessions is the Chobani.
Lunch: leftover organic chicken sausage from the previous day's dinner. I don't have the package to read the ingredients, but since it's organic I'm going to pretend it's okay. :) And a salad with a bit of white balsamic vinegar and grapeseed oil. There are sulfites in my vinegar. :(
Afternoon snack: the end of a container of Turkey Hill All Natural Salted Caramel Ice Cream. I had a small portion left and now it's gone. While it is the better of the choices on the market, it does contain sugar which does not pass the kitchen test.
Dinner: cheeseburger with Boar's Head sliced cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, no bun. Problem with this meal - the PICKLES!!! Did not notice before that there are artificial food colors in pickles. Ugh. So now I am on the search for pickles made more cleanly. Never thought I'd have to read that label before. So I have learned something!!!
Evening snack: glass of cab sav from the winery I work at.
Overall, not a great first day but tomorrow will be better!!!
Happy eating,
Kathy
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
October Unprocessed Challenge
I have decided to participate in the Unprocessed Challenge hosted by Eating Rules.
The challenge is for the month of October; starts today!! I think it's going to be tough on Halloween, when I have leftover candy from my own door, as well as whatever my kids bring home. Last year our Halloween was spoiled by Hurricane Sandy; in NJ we didn't trick or treat until well into November. Neither of my teen boys had any interest in the festivities by then, so they did not trick or treat. Maybe they will not want to go again this year?? Otherwise, I will have to wait until the morning of November 1 to eat what they don't like. We eat so clean everyday, that this once a year treat is not going to hurt us. I'll talk about what I am giving out at my door when we get a bit closer to the holiday.
My plan is to document my journey through the month; since we eat clean normally, it should not be too difficult, but this challenge encourages a but stronger adherence to the clean eating rules than I may normally follow.
So if you are interested in participating too, here is the link to the challenge:
http://www.eatingrules.com/october-unprocessed-2013/
The challenge is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill, one of my favorite manufacturers of whole grain products. If you sign up, they will send you some coupons to help stock your pantry.
Here is where you can find the official guide to the challenge: http://www.eatingrules.com/2013/09/official-guide-to-october-unprocessed/
One thing the challenge encourages you to do is set your own rules and limits as to what you can really hope to achieve. They encourage you to do as much as you reasonably can within your own family guidelines.
My exceptions to the challenge: (I'm going to try my best to stick with these and only these - but as the month goes on I may have to edit as situations arise)
Chobani - I need it every day to help manage my acid reflux
Wine - I work at a winery and have to be able to taste our wines & we have a glass each night with dinner
Bread - I don't have a breadmaker YET so I have to reply on store bought breads
Unreal Candy - cause I am being realistic; can't give it up
Good luck everyone, and happy eating!!
Kathy
The challenge is for the month of October; starts today!! I think it's going to be tough on Halloween, when I have leftover candy from my own door, as well as whatever my kids bring home. Last year our Halloween was spoiled by Hurricane Sandy; in NJ we didn't trick or treat until well into November. Neither of my teen boys had any interest in the festivities by then, so they did not trick or treat. Maybe they will not want to go again this year?? Otherwise, I will have to wait until the morning of November 1 to eat what they don't like. We eat so clean everyday, that this once a year treat is not going to hurt us. I'll talk about what I am giving out at my door when we get a bit closer to the holiday.
My plan is to document my journey through the month; since we eat clean normally, it should not be too difficult, but this challenge encourages a but stronger adherence to the clean eating rules than I may normally follow.
So if you are interested in participating too, here is the link to the challenge:
http://www.eatingrules.com/october-unprocessed-2013/
The challenge is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill, one of my favorite manufacturers of whole grain products. If you sign up, they will send you some coupons to help stock your pantry.
Here is where you can find the official guide to the challenge: http://www.eatingrules.com/2013/09/official-guide-to-october-unprocessed/
One thing the challenge encourages you to do is set your own rules and limits as to what you can really hope to achieve. They encourage you to do as much as you reasonably can within your own family guidelines.
My exceptions to the challenge: (I'm going to try my best to stick with these and only these - but as the month goes on I may have to edit as situations arise)
Chobani - I need it every day to help manage my acid reflux
Wine - I work at a winery and have to be able to taste our wines & we have a glass each night with dinner
Bread - I don't have a breadmaker YET so I have to reply on store bought breads
Unreal Candy - cause I am being realistic; can't give it up
Good luck everyone, and happy eating!!
Kathy
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