Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Green Smoothie experiment - Days 7-10

I woke up each day and made my smoothies with bananas, strawberries, kale, blueberries, and cucumbers.

My daily average was $6.80 per day.  Sorry for not doing a breakdown of each day, but I have been taking care of a sick child, and a brief blurb while she naps is about what I have time for today.

Through the 10 day Green Smoothie Experiment, I noticed an increase in energy, and an almost total lack of bloating.  It has been lovely.  So, it begs the question as to why I ate a piece of pizza the other day.  It was nice to have the pizza, do not get me wrong.  It was not even paleo pizza, so I do nt know what I was thinking at all.  I was laid low for 2 days with tummy upset and bathroom habits that I will not bore/gross you out with.  It goes without saying that it was a stupid move, and I regret having done it.  Kind of.  What I do not regret is find out out what would happen if I ate a slice of Little Caesars pizza.  Now I know, and the mystery of "what if" is gone forever.

The other benefit of green smoothing for me has been losing 6 pounds in 10 days.  I had been reading of the benefits to be had in juicing versus the benefits to be had in smoothing, and was prepared for a lesser weight loss than if I had been straight juicing.  I was a little surprised to have had the results that I did have.  A little over half a pound a day is none too shabby!!

All in all, it went well, I decided to do another 10 days.  :-)

t

Monday, February 24, 2014

So, I have been hitting Youtube a little bit...

I have been perusing Youtube for paleo-friendly ideas for freezer meals.  I have been been impressed by "debtisdum"'s videos, because so many of their ideas can be transitioned to paleo so easily, plus I just love how adorable they are.  This is one of my favorites of theirs, and it goes through a brief explanation of how they eat all of their dinners for $22.00 per week.  Please excuse the kiddo-s in the background.  I like them, because I totally know how kids can act up when the video cameras come out; but when I sent it to a friend, she said that she could not watch it all the way through because the kids were so distracting.  Oh well, I like it, so I am sharing it. :-)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdL6cYpBw1k  I made the recipe featured in this video lat night, and it turned out great!  I used Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin as my thickening agent. ( http://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Unflavored-Gelatin-16-Ounce/dp/B0008D6WBA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393260139&sr=8-2&keywords=great+lakes+gelatin )

One of the side links on that page was to the "Thrifty Farmer"'s youtube page, and I clicked on it.  A man and his wife made the decision to see if they could live off the amounts offered by the USDA's "Thrifty Plan".  I had never heard of such.  In all of my looking up for the SNAP challenge, I somehow did not find this helpful chart that lays out the four levels of plan set out by the USDA.  I have to say that I was kind of pleasantly surprised to find that I have never gone over the "Liberal Plan" that the USDA sets forth for our family of 4.
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/usda_food_plans_cost_of_food/CostofFoodJun2014.pdf

If you want to look at other months, here is a grid that covers the 4 levels from 1994 to 2013: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/USDAFoodCost-Home.htm  As always, I found it interesting to click on different months to see how the prices have changed over time.

The Thrifty Farmer's video for Day #7 included an overview of how their week on the Thrifty Plan as set forth  by the USDA (which, but the way, happens to be the same amount of the SNAF benefit - so no difference at all to what I have already been doing) and he had a couple of reflections that folks (read:lawmakers) seem to be missing.

He said that his goal was not to prove that you can eat healthfully on the SNAP budget (although all of their meals did look to be healthy - Weston A Price approved, actually - if I am understanding him correctly) but to see if he and his family could just do it, and they did.  He did bring up the fact that they are lucky in the fact that they can get to a fully stocked store.  By "fully stocked" I am talking about his point of seeing if there are vegetables that you can buy, not even thinking about organic - can you buy produce?  Some people live in food deserts, and do not have the most basic of produce available to them.

Oh, and he and his wife work on Polyface Farms!  The Paleo Parents first introduced me to the fact that Polyface Farms was an entity out there, and then I started seeing Joel Salatin on documentaries that I was watching, so it was kind of cool to see that random tie in.  :-)  Well, here is the Day #7 video...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8F31MhOdCg&feature=c4-overview&list=UUQGYBeA2CMgzxK7XHPl3knA I hope you enjoyed it like I did.

I read the blogs associated with the one week experiment, and was surprised to find out that seeds are included on SNAP, as well as the ingredients for canning.  Sadly, mason jars, lids, and such are not included, but hopefully people can eek out enough money in their budget for the things they need if they do want to start canning or gardening - even if it is container gardening by the window in their home.  Check out the FB page for The Container Gardening Alliance if you are interested in getting some containers going for yourself...  https://www.facebook.com/willemvancotthem

This year, as I buy produce, I am keeping some of the seeds.  I already have a plethora of green pepper seeds, and I have the seeds from a single butternut squash.  As I process my produce, I plan on keeping the seeds to see if I can grow my own without having to buy seeds at the store, thereby making my produce this summer "free".  I will let you know how it goes.  :-)

t

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

A life of attrition right now.

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of Attrition is:

at·tri·tion

  [uh-trish-uhn]  Show IPA
noun
1.
a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength: Our club has had a high rate of attrition because somany members have moved away.
2.
a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure orharassment: The enemy surrounded the town and conducted a war of attrition.
3.
a gradual reduction in work force without firing of personnel, as when workers resign or retire and arenot replaced.
4.
the act of rubbing against something; friction.
5.
a wearing down or away by friction; abrasion.


Right now, I am living a life of deliberate attrition.  I am not looking for grand gains (or losses) in the immediate. I hope that my body is changing incrementally with the small things that I am doing.   I am giving my body the kinds of fuel that I have been starving it of for years, and my issues will not change overnight, so I am looking at taking on the long game - attrition.  I am wearing away at my ill health, and most notably the physical manifestation of that ill health - my weight - every day.  Today, I am giving my body vitamins and minerals in amounts that it has not see in years, and I think my cells are starting to wake up.

I feel sharper. It might be totally psychosomatic, a placebo effect, but even if it is just that, I will take it!

t

Green Smoothie Experiment Day #6

I made some Pork / Kale / Butternut Squash soup for dinner, and I did not use the entire butternut squash.  I probably had about half a pound of butternut squash left that I did not put into the soup.  So, at $1.18 per lb, I had 59 cents worth of butternut squash to toss into my smoothies for today.

4 bananas                             $  .80
1/2 lb butternut squash        $   .59
1 cup blueberries                 $ 2.00
12 asparagus                        $  .65
12 strawberries                    $ 1.20
4 fists full kale                     $ 2.60
water to fill line                    FREE
                         TOTAL       $ 7.84

The butternut squash was a nice addition.  It gave some sweetness and bulk that was nice and made me feel full, almost to the point of overly full.

Again, I am always surprised by the fullness that I feel on the green smoothies.

t

Green Smoothie day #5

I had 2.5 mason jars of smoothie today, so I only loaded up the Nutribullet once and made another 32 ounce mason jar's worth of green smoothie.

1 babana                                $  .20
1/4 cup blueberries                $  .50
4 strawberries                        $  .35
5 spears asparagus                 $  .25
1 fistful kale                          $  .65
                          TOTAL =   $ 1.95  for today

My energy levels are pretty steady, and have been throughout this entire experiment.  I have not had a "carb flue" issue, and I have not felt a flagging in my ability to keep up with my day.  Twice, I have looked around at about 8 and said "Okay, I want to go to bed", but I have not been tired and lackadaisical throughout my day.  I hope that makes sense.

I feel like I am sleeping better, because I am more alert when I wake up.  I have not historically been on to take a long time to wake up, but now I sit up and am pretty much alert right off the bat.  No longer need about 5 minutes to orient myself.  It's nice.  Husband might not agree, since he is on the 30 minute wake up plan on most days.  :-)

t

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Groceries 2/11/14

I absolutely needed some more ingredients for my green smoothies, so off to Aldi and Wal-Mart I go!


Aldi -
Granny Smith Apples  3 lb bag 2 @ 2.99                        $ 5.98
Frozen Strawberries 2 @ 2.29                                         $ 4.58
Frozen blueberries  3 @ 2.29                                          $ 6.87
Green Grapes 2 lb clamshel                                            $ 3.38
Bananas 17.23 lbs @ .29 per lb                                       $ 5.00
                                                                    TOTAL =   $ 25.81



Wal-Mart -
2 bags kale @ 2.78                                 $  5.56

t

Green Smoothie Day #4 (Oh, and TMI - sorry in advance)

1 cucumber                                   $  .35
3 bananas                                      $  .60
3 fists full of kale                          $ 1.95
9 large strawberries                       $  .90
3/4  cup blueberries                      $ 1.50
water to fill line                             FREE
                                   TOTAL =  $ 5.30


Now, THAT'S more like it!  Plus, I had some left over from yesterday, so I wound up having 2 rollover containers from yesterday, added to the 3 from today, and I should have a rollover mason jar for tomorrow.

I like doing my green smoothie experiment so far.  I am feeling better, more clear headed, and it only took 2 or 3 days to stop feeling bloated all of the time.  I am kind of intrigued by the thought of what this experiment would have been like if I had gone from a standard American diet directly to the green juicing.  I am fairly certain that it would not have gone as well as transitioning from Paleo to Green Smoothing has.  I have had a few headaches, but I have not felt absolutely awful, or had to take to my bed with any stomach or intestinal issues during a transitional phase; while my system was getting used to processing "good for me" things.

I am also surprised by the fact that my system seems to really love what I am giving it.  I would have thought that by drinking only smoothies, I would have ....um.... fluid bowel movements.  I am surprised by the robustness of my production - and the amount!  I swear I come off the toilet lighter than I am when I sit just about every time!

I feel comfortable that what I am doing is working for me, because I feel really good.  If I start feeling bad, I will change what I am doing, but for now, I like it.  Oh, and because a friend of mine asked - I did go to my doctor and clear this with him.  I let him know that I am doing this as an alternative to a serious look at weight loss surgery, and he is cool with my plan.

10 days.  10 days to start, and 10 day increments after that.  Each 10 days, I will weight myself, and see if doing all of this has been worth it.  I will evaluate how I am feeling; how is my energy, is my hair falling out, how is the health of my skin, how are my bowel movements, and do I feel like it is worthwhile to keep going?  So, in 6 days, I will evaluate where I am.

t

Green Smoothie Day #3

For the entire day, I blended...

16 spears asparagus                            $  1.60
1 cup frozen blueberries                     $  1.10
4 fists full of kale                                $  2.60
6 bananas                                            $  1.20
12 large strawberries                           $  1.20
olive oil drizzle                                   $    .40
1 cup 100% Aloe Vera Juice               $  2.00
                                    TOTAL =       $  10.50

Okay, so I went a little crazy today with the ingredients.  I wound up making almost 5 containers of green smoothie, so I have some of tomorrow's juice too.

I added the Aloe Vera Juice because I had it on hand.  I purchased it in order to make a facial acne spot treatment for my daughter.  I bought the exact same Aloe Vera Juice that is in the video...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRCI-16C7R4

I do not think I will be doing that again, since the amount that I used added 2 bucks to my day!

The flavor of today's batch of smoothies was great!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

This body made by fillers....

The more I learn about the food (or food like products) that I have eaten for the vast majority of my life, the more I am kind of surprised that I am not fatter.  Do not get me wrong, I am a larger woman. Obese.  Some days I feel downright gelatinous.  Especially at water aerobics.  I love my classes, and am getting back into them after 8 months away,  but when I am jogging underwater, I feel like my body is loose, like gelatin.  But, I am getting off topic.

Going Paleo helped to alleviate the bloated feeling that I had lived with for so long that I did not even realize it was there.  Doing this green smoothie experiment, I felt even less of a bloated feeling after three days.  It might all be mental, I am not sure.  It might be a placebo effect, but I will take it.  I feel mildly leaner, and non-bloated.

Filler are everywhere.  I used to use fillers daily - pastas and rices in order to make my meals last longer, to make them more economical.  I stopped doing that, and now am seeking the fillers present in any processed foods that I purchase.  I am now much more careful about which spaghetti sauces I will buy.  The cost is going up, but I feel better about what I am feeding to my daughters.  I want to point them in the right direction where nutrition is concerned, so that they will, I pray, never feel gelatinous.

t

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Dinner for the family tonight...

I have been looking for slow cooker friendly recipes that are also Paleo, and I seem to have found a treasure trove of them at www.lovingmynest.com

I am going to try this one tonight...  http://www.lovingmynest.com/food-love/chunky-chili-with-veggies/

As I was reading it, it occurred to me that I have everything I need to make it tonight.  I am going a little lean on the meat.  I have a couple of minute steaks that I am going to be cubing myself, and I think I will be adding only 1.5 lbs between the two of them, and not 2.5 lbs.

1 medium onion, diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 bell peppers, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 small cans tomato paste
2 cans diced roasted tomatoes with green chilies 14oz
Half jar of spaghetti sauce
8oz mushrooms
½ tbsp. chili powder
½ tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp dried basil
½ tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste
Add all ingredients to two gallon zip lock bags, freeze flat (or you can omit the cans of diced tomatoes and add them on the day of cooking and it should all fit into 1 bag). This makes a lot! Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Serves 7-9 people.
I do not think that the lack of meat will be that big of a deal.  It has plenty of other things that will make this a good cold-weather "stuck to your ribs" meal for the family.  
Meat   2 "minute" steaks @ 2.20 each                                       $  4.40
3 carrots - diced                                                                         $    .40
1 bag diced and frozen zucchini                                                $     .75
2 Medium onions                                                                       $    .70
6 large stalks celery                                                                    $   .60
3 Bell peppers                                                                            $  1.99
3 tsp minced garlic                                                                     $    .20
2 small cans tomato paste @ .39 each                                        $   .78
2 cans diced tomatoes @ .59 each                                              $  1.18
1 cup green enchilada sauce                                                        $    .30
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce                                                                 $    .50
16 oz mushrooms  2 8oz clamshells @ .99 each from freezer    $  1.98
Spices                                                                                          $  1.00
                                                                         TOTAL =          $  14.78

A little on the expensive side, but I hope to get quite some leftovers from the recipe so that the per-meal cost is less than 2 dollars per generous serving.

t

Green Smoothie Day #2 - redux!

I am going to combine all of the ingredients that I have used to make today's smoothies.  I wound up making 4 smoothies.  I filled 3 different 32 ounce wide mouthed mason jars, filled my 22 ounce White Water travel cup, and topped off the mason jars to beyond their 32 ounce lines, so I believe that I am close to a full gallon of smoothie for today.  I am also working on increasing my water intake.  I am working on developing the habit of finishing my smoothie, then filling my cup with water  That way, I get the last little bit of my smoothie; and all of the nutrients therein.  Win/win - I get green flavored water, all the nutrition, and my water intake goes up to almost a gallon, so that my body can more readily process all of the stuff it is dumping back into my system that has been stored for quite some time.

4 bananas                                      $   .80
2 kiwi fruits                                  $   .70
5 fists full of kale                          $ 3.25
17 strawberries                             $ 1.36
2 cucumbers                                 $   .70
4 drizzled olive oil                       $   .40
cucumber water to fill line           $   .80
                             TOTAL =       $  8.01

Yikes, a little expensive today!  I knew that I was kind of tossing in everything but the kitchen sink, but I had not realized that I had gone quite that crazy.  :-)

It is interesting the perspective that I get from these monetary experiments. I think of 8 dollars as extravagant for an entire day, based on my SNAP thinking.  In Arkansas, the Allocation for SNAP is 189.00 for a single person, or 6 bucks a day.  It is in the back of my mind, and it is a bar to which I often compare food pricings and meals.  Knowing that is my perspective, I keep in mind that it is not unusual for families to regularly spend that much on a child's meal several times a week dining out, not to mention the cost of the adult meals out.

The other week, Husband took me out for dinner for my birthday. We went to Taziki's Mediterranean  Cafe.  It was extraordinarily good!  I had chargrilled lamb with greek salad and cucumber salad.  It was $11.49.  For one meal.  For the two of us, dinner was something like 30 dollars, since Husband and I shared an appetizer of Spicy Pimento Cheese and another of stuffed grape leaves @ $4.99 each, in addition to our meals.  It was a FABULOUS meal, and well worth the splurge.  :-)

And, now I am back to my smoothies and really liking them.  Yesterday, I ended the day with a bit of a headache, so I took a tablespoon full of coconut oil, thinking that my body was craving fat above and beyond what I am providing in olive oil.  I think my theory was right, because my headache went away.

t

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Green Smoothies - Day #1 - again!

So, thanks to snowmageddon, I was off my green smoothies for three days.  I still stayed Paleo, so it is not like I was not doing healthy stuff, but I surely missed my green smoothies.  It is funny how quickly I got used to my smoothie kick.  That is not to say that while smoothing, I do not have the impulse to also eat other things, I just appreciate the way that my smoothies make me feel.  Hopefully, once I get on track and have been doing only green smoothies for several days, I will be able to put aside cravings.

I want this to be a healthful detox of my system, which I have been abusing for years and years.  I want a systemic reset to get to a place of health, so that I can live a better life.  I want to be a good role model of health for my daughters.  I want to minimize the food issues that they may have in the future.  Society will do all that they can in order to teach my daughters that they are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, that unless they have 4 gold medals, teach physics at MIT, and also happen to be a swimsuit model in their spare time, there is no way that they will ever be living a "fully optimized" life.

There will be so many unrealistic expectations thrown at them for all of their lives, that I want to teach them a healthy way to deal, one that does not include eating away their pain on cream puffs.

Towards those goals, I have made my green smoothies for the day already.  I forgot to buy frozen blueberries, so I will not be adding them until my next run for smoothie goodies is made.  Or, I might break down and get a large bag sometime in the coming week.  Who knows.  Anywhoo, this is what is fueling me today...

2 bananas                            $  .40
1 fistful kale                        $  ..65
drizzle olive oil                   $  .10
1/2 cucumber                       $  .15  (back to regular prices - no more 20 cent cucumbers :-(  )
6 strawberries                       $  .50
cucumber water to fill line   $  .20
                        TOTAL =    $ 2.00  x 3 for a daily total of $ 6.00

The day is not done, but I believe that I am ready for it!

t

Cucumber water

A few months ago, I was at a friend house, and she offered me cucumber water.  I had heard of it before, and was happy to try it.  It tastes really good!  I add a sprinkle of pepper to my glass, because it gives it an added dimension, and increases my feeling of satiety.  I have made it a few times, but not as often as I really should have.  It increases the nutritive value of my water, and gives a flavor punch that I like.  Of course, I also really like cucumbers, and eat them often sprinkled with pepper.  Sometimes mixed with tomatoes.  Mmmm.

So, the way that I make my cucumber water:

2 quarts of water
1/2 a good sized cucumber sliced thinly

It is totally up to you as to whether or not you peel your cucumber.  Sometimes, I get one that has been so thoroughly waxed that even a brief soak in vinegar water will not take it off.  I peel those.  Otherwise, a good vinegar wash and dry off will do the trick and let me keep the peel on.

Slice your cucumber thin, drop 1/2 the sliced cucumber into your 2 quart pitcher, and add water.  The cucumber slices will float to the top.  When they sink to the bottom - that is when the nutrients have been leeched out, and your water is ready to drink.

I plan to start using my cucumber water in my green smoothies.  I like the idea of more nutrients in my smoothie, and not just the regular minerals to be found in filtered water.

t

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Groceries 2/6/14



Aldi - Bananas were 29 cents per pound, and I stumbled on 1 pound bags of mini sweet peppers for $1.50 each, marked down from $2.49.  I have recently seen a youtube video of stuffed bacon wrapped jalapeño peppers, and thought that testing out the recipe with sweet peppers was worth a go.  I am very glad that I did!  They are tasty!


Bananas    14.71 lbs @ .29 per lb                           $  4.27
Mini Sweet Peppers 1 lb @ 1.50 x 2                      $  3.00
Shark Gummies                                                      $  1.39
Blueberry cereal bars  2@ 1.89                              $  3.78
Diced Tomatoes  6 @ .59                                       $  3.54
Tomato Paste 4 @ .39                                             $  1.56
Infuse 32 oz drinks    3 @ .71                                 $  2.13
Sour Cream  2 @ 1.29                                            $  2.58
Almond Milk  3 @ 2.49                                         $  7.47
Cream Cheese                                                         $  1.29
Premium Bacon  3 @ 3.89                                    $  11.67
Sliced Bacon                                                           $  3.69
Carrots 2lb bag                                                       $    .99
Shredded Cheddar                                                  $  3.49
Feta Crumbles                                                        $  1.99
Guacamole 3 @ 2.99                                             $  8.97
                                                          TOTAL =    $ 61.81

Harps

Best Choice Brand Frozen Okra  2 @ 1.75         $  3.50
Andouille                                                             $  3.89
Best Choice Thyme                                             $  1.00
Spaghetti Sauce 6 @ 1.00                                    $  6.00
                                                        TOTAL =    $ 14.39


Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market

Reading over the receipt from WMNM, it does not state the price per lb on the sweet potatoes.   Juat a line item for the total.  I got 5 large sweet potatoes.  Lemon Juice is going to be used in order to make dishwasher tablets.  I price matched cantaloupe at WMNM because I forgot to grab them at Aldi.  There was something simply labeled "C" on my receipt.  Whatever it was, it cost $1.98, and I will assume it is food, so I will add it to the list...

Sweet Potatoes                                                    $  3.51
Great Value Lemon Juice    2 @ 2.28                 $  4.56
C                                                                         $  1.98
Kiwi  5 @ .35                                                     $  1.75
2 Kale Bags @ 2.78                                            $  5.56
Cantaloupe  2 @ 1.59                                         $  3.18
Butternut Squash  2.22 lbs @ 1.18 per lb          $  2.62
Tomato  3 large - 1.44 lbs @ 1.74 per lb           $  2.51
                                                    TOTAL =      $ 25.67


Total for the day...  101.87

So much for shopping from my own pantry.  Will try to do better.  Ugh...

t

Paleo freezer meals...

A lot of people do once a month meal preparations, and I have done it myself in the past as  way to save both time and money.  You assemble crock pot friendly meals in gallon sized freezer bags, stow them in the freezer, and when you are ready to use them, take them out the night before, put into the refrigerator overnight to thaw, and dump them in your slow cooker in the morning.

A lot of these recipes incorporate beans, and other non-paleo foods.  I miss the convenience of being able to do that, so I am making it a mission to gather together more paleo-friendly crock pot meals.  I have been watching youtube videos about saving money on food.  A lot of rice and pasta dishes in these, but I have stumbled on a vlog that I like.  This family is not Paleo, by any stretch of the imagination, but a lot of their recipes - if you take out the rice or pasta, are easily converted to Paleo.  They also have a FB page (debtisdum) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiLbQqVodII

Their vlog on youtube had a link to another page www.lovingmynest.com , where they got a lot of the recipes they utilize, meal plans, and grocery lists.  I followed her link, and found this recipe... (I really hope that I do not offend the sweet lady at www.lovingmynest.com by cutting and pasting her recipes here. - Keep your fingers crossed!)

Meat Stew

2 lbs Meat (beef, pork, whatever is on sale), cubed
2 Onions, chopped
5 Carrots, sliced
3 Zucchini, sliced
2 Celery stalks, chopped
2 Red Bell Peppers, chopped
2 tsp Salt
.5 tsp Pepper
2 tsp Minced Garlic
1 14 oz can Canned Tomatoes
1 can Tomato Sauce
Put all ingredients in a large ziploc bag and freeze. Thaw bag and add contents to slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8. Stir occassionally.
Serve with warm cornbread. Serves approx 5-6 people.
Forget the cornbread, and this is a good, solid, Paleo meal!  :-)  I also got the following recipe from www.lovingmynest.com

Pork and Veggies

1 lb Pork Roast, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 Onion, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced
4 Carrots, sliced
½ pound Fresh Mushrooms, sliced
1 8oz can Tomato Sauce
1.5 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Combine ingredients in a large ziptop bag, freeze. Thaw contents of bag and place in a slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over hot rice. Serves approx. 5-6 people.
DO NOT serve over rice, and still enjoy!  :-)
The great potato debate of 2013 (as Sarah Ballantyne has called it - how CUTE is that??) has shown that some potatoes are perfectly acceptable on a Paleo plate.  Right now, Husband and I are in the weight loss mode, so Sweet Potatoes are the only ones we are allowing ourselves right now.   So, make the following recipe ( www.lovingmynest.com ) and add extra carrots, celery, and sweet potatoes.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch slices
1 can (28 ounces) whole stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup nonfat, low-sodium chicken broth
1⁄4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Combine ingredients minus broth and add to gallon Ziploc bag. Freeze. Thaw add broth and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Serve over hot rice. Serves 6-8 people.
OKAY - THIS ONE sounds REALLY GOOD!  I plan on leaving out the corn and the green peas, but everything else sounds SO YUMMY!!!!

Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Garden Soup

1/2 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium zucchini, sliced
2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup half-and-half (or non-dairy milk for dairy allergies)
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free chicken broth
Put all ingredients in a Ziploc bag except chicken broth and milk. Freeze. Thaw and put in slow cooker and add chicken broth and milk. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in 3 cups prepared noodles. Serves 7-8 people.
Also, I will not be serving over noodles ;-)
Another one that I will be trying is Chicken Curry with Cabbage and Peppers.  This brings me to 5 crock pot recipes that I can make Paleo friendly with very few problems.  
2 cups of milk (use a dairy free option if needed)
2 tsp curry powder
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
Add all ingredients except milk to a gallon zip lock bag. Freeze flat. On day of cooking add milk and cook on low for about 4 hours or until done.

I will definitely be checking out www.lovingmynest.com repeatedly to find recipes that I want to try.

I will be making posts about freezer meals for the slow cooker as I make them.  I am also doing my green smoothie stuff.  Starting again as of today, as a matter of fact.

t

Snowmageddon and Smoothies did not mix....

Day #6 tripped  tripped me up fairly badly.  I was iced in my house (and had been for some days) and ran out of fruit.  I still had enough kale for 2 or 3 days, but with nothing to put into the smoothies with it, those smoothies would have been bitter indeed.

I finally got to the store again today, and have re-loaded with bananas and strawberries to go with my Kale.  Starting again in the morning.  My day count will start at #1 again, and I would like to apologize in advance for any confusion this may cause in the future.

t

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Green Smoothie experiment - Day #4

Woke up this morning thinking about how I get to try asparagus in my smoothies today.

Also, I was talking about my Green Smoothie adventure to a friend of mine.  She is allergic to bananas, so it is my mission this morning to make a green smoothie sans banana to bring to church with me for her to try.  I LOVE experimentation!!!

This is what I came up with for her...
4 spears asparagus
1/3 of a cucumber
1/2 a zucchini
3 pitted prunes
handful kale
1/4 cup blueberries
4 large strawberries
1 tbsp sunbutter
water to the fill line

I hope that she likes it.

For my own green smoothies, I blended

1 fist kale                           $  .65
5 large strawberries           $  .50
1/4 cups blueberries          $  .50
1/2 cucumber                    $  .10
6 asparagus                       $  .30
1 banana                           $  .20
water to fill line                FREE
                       TOTAL =  $ 2.25   x 3 = $ 6.75  for my green smoothies for the day.  :-)

I had a salad when my last mason jar of green smoothie ran out today.  Lettuce, some raisins, and red wine vinegar.  I figure that eating the exact things I would put into a smoothie are not verboten, so if I absolutely have to have some "chew" in my day, I think that I will grab an apple, a carrot, or a salad exactly like the one described above.

I do not want green smoothing to become yet another tricky food situation.  Food is my addiction, you do not get to be obese without having some food "issues", and I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of thought that I give to food daily.  I make my smoothies first thing in the morning, fill my mason jars, and nurse them all day long.  When I finish a glass of green smoothie, I fill it with water, so that I drink as much water as I do juice.  I plan meals for the family, and I cook for them, but it is with less pressure.  Not sure exactly why that is, but I am sure that I will make some mental connections that will make it make more sense at some point.

I have talked to friends before about food issues, and have said "If I were addicted to drugs, or alcohol, it would be possible to simply not partake.  You cannot *not* eat."  I think that this is as close as you can go to quitting food "cold turkey".

I have to admit...  I am liking the convenience, the taste, and the ease of green smoothing.  It is a little disconcerting, this thing that is happening on the other end of the digestive tract, but it was not anything that I had not already read about, and was prepared for, as much as can be prepared for.

t

Monday, February 3, 2014

Shopping my own pantry

One of the first frugal websites that I really started reading when I got serious about being a good steward of my kitchen was "Purposefully Frugal"

The blogger and her husband are training to be missionaries, they have a young daughter, and she shares tips that she is learning along the way as a young wife and mother, and foster parent.  Today, her post was about saving money by shopping her own pantry.  It struck home, since I cannot open my refrigerator without risking something falling out.  Since the holidays, I have been generously provisioned in my home, which is wonderful.  That will allow me to shop from my own pantry for a couple of weeks, and ONLY buy the barest of necessities.  :-)

Of course, my idea of "bare necessities" will now include ingredients for my Green Smoothies!

Here is a link to the blog post that is inspiring me to do some pantry shopping...  http://purposelyfrugal.com/2014/02/03/how-were-eating-for-42-this-week/#.UvAYW3khJUR

As always, I will update y'all with how it goes.  :-)

t

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Chia Seeds, oh good golly, Chia Seeds!

After watching "Hungry For Change" I bought Flax Seeds and Chia Seeds, and have added them to my smoothies occasionally, when I remember.

I would like to state emphatically that I understand that Chia Seeds are NOT strictly Paleo.  I am utilizing them for right now in order to help my body get rid of toxicity, and I do not yet have an aloe vera plant from which to harvest my gelatinous absorbable detoxifier.  I may stop using them at some point in the future, when I am no longer trying to de-toxify my body and stop being morbidly obese.  Then again, I might keep using them for the rest of my life.  I am not sure right now.

A few days ago, one of the Facebook sites that I follow had a recipe for a chia seed oatmeal slurry thing.  I remember that the recipe was 1 cup of almond milk, 2 tbsp chia seeds, a tsp of pure vanilla extract, and an optional tbsp of honey.  I mixed it up, then put it in the refrigerator for the requisite 30 minutes for it to "gel".  What I got was a mass at the bottom of the cup.  I did eat it like a porridge, and it was good.  But, in the future, for the porridge effect, I will use only 1/2 a cup of almond milk.

 In waiting for photos to be downloaded from my phone (technical difficulties), I have had the opportunity to make this a few ways.

I have found that I like to mix a cup of almond milk with 2 tbsp of chia seeds and mix them for a few minutes, then drink.  When I do this, I stir with a spoon before each time I drink, so that chia seeds are in each sip.  This eliminates the gloppy effect.

I also like to warm the milk a little bit, pour into a mug, then add the chia seeds.  This winds up feeling very luxurious, and it really hits the spot on those cold mornings that we have been having so many of lately.


t


Vacation on Paleo AND on a budget

I am blessed.  I have available to me a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo in Branson pretty much any time I want it as part of a bonus time program with our timeshare.  Once we get our season passes to Silver Dollar City and White Water, my cost for a 5 night vacation is the cost of food and gas, plus whatever incidentals we need, or souvenirs that I buy.  I KNOW that this is an incredible blessing and I am grateful for it.

At the timeshare, I can also get a blender and a hand mixer sent to my unit, so I am set to make smoothies and paleo pancakes (with this recipe... http://paleoonthecheap.blogspot.com/2013/01/waffles-and-tikka-masala.html) for breakfast.  There are multiple pools and playgrounds at the resort itself, and they have a wonderful activity center with games that you can check out and books to lend.

Holiday Hills has a very cool thing - they noticed a long long time ago that people left books in their units when they left after their vacation.  So, they started keeping the books in the activity center, and now when I go, I grab a book to read during my trip.  I can normally finish it before I leave, since I read fairly fast.  If I do not, then I take the book home and return it on my next trip.  In the past, I would guestimate that I have brought two fairly large boxes (paper box sized boxes) with me to basically dump in the activity center when I arrived.

Long story short I have taken a couple of trips to Branson this summer, and have loved the ability to control the foods that my kids eat while we are there.  Thing1 and Thing2 have had fewer melt downs and mood swings than they have had in the past while on vacation.

They also have a sister property, Ozark Mountain Resort, and they have mini golf there.  I can take the kids to either resort and utilize their facilities for free.  This allows us to have a lot of fun for not a lot of money.

For breakfast, I like to go a little heavy, so that can sustain us well into the day.  I make some Paleo Pancakes, bacon, and fruit smoothies with almond milk in order to get us going.  Or, I make eggs and bacon with smoothies.  Either way, we load up on protein and fruit to get us going.  I bring home made trail mixes, raisins, and some other snacks with us to the park, but if we are going to be there open to close, then I will get something at the park.  Silver Dollar City has these skillet restaurants, and they make what my Grandmother used to call succotash http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/2907909-Silver-Dollar-City-LUMBERCAMP-FALLS-HARVEST-SKILLET

It is affordable at roughly 6 bucks per serving, and I found out recently that 3 servings will feed 5 people.  It has potatoes and corn in it, so I try to pick around those in the serving that I am eating from.

If there is more money in the budget, I will splurge at Riverside Ribhouse, where I get the half a smoked chicken with 2 sides.  They have grapes and apple sauce as sides on hand for the kids meals, and they will allow adults to order those sides too.  So, that is what I do.  1/2 a roasted chicken and 2 sides of grapes.  If I do not finish everything, I de-bone the chicken and put it into the ziplock baggies that I keep in my purse when I go there.  I do not always keep ziplock baggies in my purse, but I try to be sure that I have 4 or 5 of them in there every time I go to SDC.  http://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/attractions/dining/Riverside-Rib-House.aspx
The kids meals will set you back 6 bucks, and the adult meals will set you back between 10 and 15, but it is still a great deal for a VERY filling sit down meal.  The ribs have a sauce, which I am sure is all brown sugared up, so I do not get the ribs.  The chicken is WONDERFUL, and I highly recommend it.  I have also looked at the smoked sausage sandwich and at some point, I will get it, and just not eat the bread.

When we get back, I can make dinner.  I have made Spaghetti Squash with Bolognese, lettuce wraps, peppers and onion caramelized with steak and lettuce cups (paleo fajitas), and other goodies.  I have been known to make a couple of dinners the day we arrive, put them into the refrigerator, and then eat off of them for dinners.  That way, everyone can have what they want and heat it up themselves whenever they want it.

Basic message - if you find yourself at Silver Dollar City, you have options to stay on track with your paleoness. YAY!

t






Saturday, February 1, 2014

Green Smoothie Experiment - Day #3

I got up this morning and made my smoothies...

1 banana                                     $  .20
1 fist full kale                             $  .65
5 strawberries                             $  .50
1/4 cup blueberries                     $  .50
1/2 cucumber                              $  .10   (again, Aldi special)
heaping tablespoon sunbutter     $  .35
water to fill line                          FREE
                               TOTAL   = $  2.30  x 3  $ 6.90 for a full day of green goodness!

In preparation for family meals, I warmed some turkey that a dear friend's husband had generously smoked for me.  He smoked 2 whole turkeys for me.  I made paleo enchilada bake (recipe to come at some point in the future) already, and want to make some more, so I took time to get everything off the bone, and into baggies.  I put the bones in the freezer to make bone broth from at a later date.  Bone broth made from smoked meats is AMAZING, but, I digress.

I never really considered how automatically I eat.  I was de-boning all of the meat, and do not know how much meat I had eaten before I realized that I was randomly popping small bits of meat into my mouth.  If I had to put an amount to it, I know I probably did not eat less than a quarter pound of meat, and I might even put it close to a half pound.  So, I definitely blew the idea of only green smoothies, but I am not going to beat myself up about it.  I will try to be more aware of my "automatic eating" habit.

Going through the freezer for something else, I found a bag of frozen asparagus.  I have out it into the refrigerator to thaw and use in my smoothies.  I love asparagus, and my family does not.  Hence, the languishing bag of frozen asparagus.

I was talking to a friend about doing a Green Smoothie fast for 10 days (not even clueing her into the idea that it could go on as long as 100 days if all things happen well) and she asked "Isn't that kind of extreme?"  I told her that I did not think so.   I said that if I were to have bariatric surgery, I would be on a liquid diet for several days afterwards.  I asked her if Medifast was extreme, and she said not really.  I told her gently that I have made a decision to do a Green Smoothie fast, and I was going to put into my body ingredients that I could identify, and not a chemical slurry.  I think she understood a little better by the time we stopped.  Or, at least I felt like I had represented my point of view in a way that I was satisfied with.

I am feeling the bloat from the turkey.... ugh.  Tomorrow will be better.

t

Green Smoothie experiment - Day #2

Got up, made my smoothies.

1 banana                   $ .20
1 fist full Kale          $  .65
5 Strawberries          $  .50
1/4 cup blueberries   $  .50
1 cucumber              $  .20   (weekly produce special from Aldi"s!!)
drizzle EVOO          $   .10
water to fill line        FREE
TOTAL                    $ 2.15  x 3 green smoothies  $ 6.45 per day for all of my sustenance!!!

Friday, I woke up and did not feel bloat-y at all.  It was nice.

On Fridays, if the girls have good weeks at school, we take a break at a local serve yourself frozen yogurt place.  We have been going there for a couple of years now, so we have become friendly with the owners.  It is family run, and they obviously have a passion for what they do.  The parents make up their own recipes.  They use all natural products and probiotics.  It is not a place where they put a slurry in the machines from a big bag that they get shipped to them.  I like that, and have always liked that, about Kikiberri.  That is what it is called.  Kikiberri Frozen Yogurt, named for their delightful daughter, Kiki.  Kiki and her brother are also both employees/partners (?) in the family business.   Everyone is affable, friendly, and relaxed.  There is a really nice vibe there that I enjoy.   If you ever find yourself in Bentonville, Arkansas, you must go.  https://www.facebook.com/kikiberri

So, I walked in on Friday, with my green juice.  The girls did their thing, and got their yogurts.  We sat down, and I was talking to the Dad, and we started talking about Green Smoothies.  He is apparently into them too, so I was able to get quite a bit of information from him.  Remember - this is a guy that researches everything.  I learned a lot about Stevia, Xylitol, and other sweeteners.  I am not using them, but it was nice to have the information in my cranium.  :-)

He offered to make me a green smoothie.  No sweetener added.  he went into the back room and proceeded to make magic.  BEST GREEN SMOOTHIE EVAH!!!!!!!!  My taste buds died, went to heaven, then came back because they wanted some more of that smoothie!  He used almond milk and not water (something I had not thought of for a green smoothie), and he also added almond butter.  I will be using the almond butter idea in my own smoothies, but I will be using sun butter, since that is what I have.  It gave a satiety that was nice.  I do not think I am going to be using almond milk, because I like either water or coconut water.  But, sun butter - I will definitely be trying that.  It was super smooth too!!  And, at about 5 or 6 bucks, it was much more my speed in the financial area than the other smoothie was from the place in Fayetteville.  I also bought 2 fro-yo's and the total bill was $14.97 for everything, so it is my best guestimate that the smoothie was 5ish dollars, but don't quote me on it.  If you go in, and it is 7 bucks, it will still be worth every penny!!

All in all, I spent $6.45 for smoothies that I made myself, and $5.00 on a professionally made one, so my daily Green Smoothie total is $11.45.  Still less expensive than a single meal out at Applebees.  :-)

I drank all of my 96 ounces of green smoothie, plus a 20 ounce green smoothie from Kikiberri, and about a half gallon of water.  I am surprised that I am not hungry during the day.  Of course, to get a huge volume of smoothie and water into me, I am pretty much constantly drinking.  I carry around a 22 ounce sipper cup with a lid that I got at White Water in Branson over the summer.  It is a good size for me, I like the convenience of it, and it is infinitely portable.

I went to bed on Day #2 without any sign of a headache, and not being hungry.  So far, so good.


t

Green Smoothie experiment - Day #1

Having watched "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" more than once, I have been tempted to try a juice fast on several occasions.  I have finally bit the bullet and decided to go for it.  I have been making smoothies with my trusty Nutribellet for a while now, and I have made green smoothies for myself on many occasions.  I find them to be a tasty treat.  On Thursday (January 30th, 2014) I decided to go for it.  I had looked in the refrigerator and freezer, looked hard at my 2 bags of kale (around 3 bucks at Wal-Mart for huge bags of roughly chopped Kale Greens) and decided that it was time.  I had everything at hand - what was I waiting for?

I have been hesitant to really get into a Green Smoothie experiment, because I did not feel that I had enough information.  So, on Wednesday, I made the decision to get informed.  I turned to the internet.

I had seen this video before, but could not remember if he gave specific information...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjt3bxyKcCI  Not a while lot of info, but lots of inspiration!  Once the video was over, I saw on the right side of the screen "60 Day Juice Fast - How Much Juice Daily"  It was like manna from heaven.  Angels sang, and I clicked on the link from Raw Raw Life..  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D707pPrBWGc  The lady is super enthusiastic, and engaging to me.  She clued me in to using my mason jars and having my juice on the ready.  I also would probably not thought to drink as much water as she suggests, because I would have felt like the Green Smoothies would keep me hydrated.  Plus, who does not like someone that titles one of her videos "Juice Fasting & Detox - The Beginning Sucks"????  Adorable!

Thursday morning, I woke up and made breakfast for husband.  While I was doing that, I used the largest cup that came with my Nutribullet to make some green smoothies.  In each smoothie, I put...

1 banana
1 huge fist full of kale
4 strawberries
1/4 cup of blueberries
1 drizzle of EVOO
Water to the "max" fill line, and put it on the base and blend it to liquid.

It was nicely serendipitous that the large Nutribullet cup is just about a perfect fill of a large Ball jar, so three Green Smoothies made three Ball jars FULL of my daily Green Smoothie intake.

Not being used to carting my Ball jars yet, when I had to go into Fayetteville, I forgot to bring my extra jars.  I used my phone to search for a juice bar.  I wound up at Berry Natural, (https://www.facebook.com/BerryNatural) which I feel blessed to have encountered, even thought it was VERY much more expensive than I had thought it would be.  I pulled into the drive through, and a lovely young woman with jet black hair popped her head out of the window to help me.  I explained that I JUST started a Green Smoothie fast, and she asked me what I use at home.  I told her what I had used, and that I was worried that there might be powders and things that I did not want in the smoothie.  She told me that she would not put anything into my smoothie that I did not want in it "I promise."  Then, she smiled.  I wound up with a 20 ounce smoothie with pineapple, strawberry, banana, and kale (they were out of blueberries) with Coconut Water.  I was SO GOOD!  It was also 12 dollars.  UGH!  No wonder people think that  Green Smoothie fast is cost prohibitive!  Being caught unawares is cost prohibitive.  Improper prior planning is cost prohibitive.  Green Smoothies are not expensive - once you get the blender or Nutribullet.

As of right now, I have spent about 3 bucks per bag for 2 bags of kale, and $2.69 per bag for 2 bags each of frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries.  Bananas have run me about $7.00 for 4 bundles of bananas.

So...
Kale                                       $ 6.00
2 bags blueberries                  $ 5.38
2 bags frozen strawberries     $ 5.38
Bananas                                 $ 7.00
TOTAL SO FAR                   $23.76

I made my 3 Ball jars of smoothie this morning, and would guestimate that I have 3 or 4 more days worth of stuff.  So, a total of 4 or 5 days worth of food for $ 23.76.  Not too shabby!  That's like only 2 professionally made Green Smoothies.  :-)

Day number one brought a bad headache, for which I took Aleve.

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