I'm a smooth(ie) operator...

My number one goal for the year is to have breakfast every day...extra points if it's healthy.  :)  I figured smoothies were something I could manage, and would add more fruits and vegetables to my day.  I've been buying fresh fruit as well as frozen and using fresh vegetables.

I just noticed that my piece of ginger root looks like a little lobster.  :)

I love the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers for keeping the fruit in the freezer.  With the lid as well as the container being clear, I can tell easily what is in each one, and the way the lid is designed they stack easily and don't tumble around every time I open the freezer drawer.  (This opinion is not sponsored, I just really like them.)  I bought these specifically for this purpose, because I didn't want my fruit in the freezer confused with Carey's work meals.  

This one has a banana, a small orange, a few slices of frozen peach, some frozen blueberries, a handful of spinach, and a piece of sliced ginger.  I pour some coconut milk and some Just Black Cherry juice (100% juice good for inflammation from arthritis) over the top as well as a scoop of organic egg white protein powder, and blend.  If it's too thick, I add some ice cubes and/or a little water and blend again.

So far I have been really good at getting this made and consumed first thing every morning, even on the mornings that I've had to be out of the house by 7 a.m. for work.

Just one more, I promise...

I know, I know...enough about the jars of salad!

But I wanted you to see what a massive amount of salad fits in just one quart jar!

Yeah.  That's a LOT of salad.  Not to be confused with a salad plate...the plate above is a full size dinner plate.

The sheer volume surprises me every time I plate it up.

An apple a day...

I haven't been writing much, because I have been tired...exhausted...fatigued...pooped!  All week last week, I came home from work, went directly into the bath tub, and then straight to bed.  My previous weekend of non-stop cleaning and bargain hunting just about did me in.  (I've said it before, and I'll say it again..."Housework [not to mention tax season] is hazardous to your health!")  Anyway, I was feeling so awful, that I made an appointment to see my doctor.  She will, of course, tell me that I need to lose weight.  Duh.

So Sunday, when I finally started feeling better, I decided to spend some of my energy stocking up on healthy foods.  

What better way to start the week than with an apple a day.  Yes, I hear you.  "Why do you have a rubber band around your apple, Kathleen?"  Well, it's an awesome little tip I came across...probably on Pinterest...and thought worthy of sharing.

I'm always looking for ways to eliminate morning tasks.  If I try to add one little thing to my morning routine, it WILL be skipped in favor of one more slap to the snooze button.  Therefore, I am ALWAYS looking for ways to do things the night before.

Take breakfast for example.  I'm not really a breakfast person, but I like an apple with almond butter once I get to work.  Kind of hard to eat a whole apple at my desk...and REALLY messy to try to dip it in almond butter.

Enter my trusty apple slicer...

Sunday night, I sliced my apple, but instead of taking it apart, just kept it together and slid a rubber band around it.  I popped the whole thing into a ziplock baggie, and then into my lunchbox in the refrigerator.

Ta-da!  This is how it looked when I got to work this morning...hardly any browning at all.  Crisp and perfect slices for dipping.

The salad in a jar I posted about a couple of weeks ago worked great.  Sunday, I also made up enough to last me through another week.  This week's salad didn't look as pretty in the jar...not colorful enough.  The tomatoes are hiding in the bottom, and all the other ingredients...baby corn cobs, celery, mushrooms, roasted chicken, lettuce mix...all kind of blend into one another colorwise.  (Good move, Kath, forgot to put in the shredded carrot and radish...sheesh.)

As for the doctor, I will keep my Friday appointment.  I will take my lecture.  I will ask about a sleep study.  I will discuss rescheduling some tests.  I will act on her advice.

I have reached a jarring conclusion...

This is the first week at my latest attempt at a healthier lifestyle.  I found this idea for salad in a jar on Pinterest.  Supposedly it stays fresh all week.  You put the dressing in the bottom of a wide-mouth quart jar first.  Then you add layers; first the things that won't get soggy while sitting in the dressing (cherry tomatoes, radishes, celery, cucumbers?), then the meat and/or cheese, and last the greens.  Then when you're ready to eat it, just shake it up to distribute the dressing, and pour it into a bowl.  I'll let you know how it works out.

Since going back to working full time, my schedule is really out of whack.  I usually don't get home until 7:30 pm at the earliest, so I either end up grabbing dinner for us out, or throwing something really quick together.  The slow cooker comes in really handy, and the guys have been helping out, but even if I am ready to eat the moment I walk through the door, that still puts it very near bedtime.  Then I don't sleep well.  And all those calories consumed right before a prolonged period of inactivity are probably contributing to my weight gain.  :(

So I'm thinking that I will eat a good lunch, either out or leftovers from home, and then right before I leave work at 6:00, I will eat one of my jars of salad for my dinner.  Being consumed earlier than my arrival home and being fresh fruit and vegetables should be healthier all around.

It seems very logical...I hope it keeps well, and helps my situation.

Back to Paleo...

I'm jumping back on the Paleo wagon.  I felt so much better while I was doing it before.  I cannot even count the number of times I've been to the chiropractor in the past month.  Aches and pains...back and joints.  I've read that Paleo helps rid the body of inflammation.  I know my knees felt a lot better last time, as well as my energy level.

Paleo is eating fresh, unprocessed food: meats, vegetables, nuts & seeds...some fruit and a little starch...no sugar, grains, or dairy.

I feel like I've taken a zillion photos of salad with berries, red onion, and salmon, homemade honey mustard dressing, and just a tiny bit of feta.  Can't help it, it's SO good!  This one would please Elaine Benes.  And there's some in the fridge to take to work tomorrow for lunch.

I need to find more Paleo recipes for the slow cooker!

 

Playing with my food...

I've been experimenting.

If you like squash, keep reading.  If not, look away.

Since I've given up wheat (among other things), I kind of miss pasta.  So this invention I call Zucchini Fettuccine.

I started by slicing a zucchini and a yellow squash into thin lengthwise slices, and then cut those slices into thin strips.

I halved grape tomatoes.

And I sliced some sun-dried tomatoes into strips too.

I fried 2 slices of bacon till crisp.  (Forgot to take a pic.)  I set it aside, and then drained most of the grease from the pan.

  

I cut an onion into thin strips, and added it to the pan that I fried the bacon in.  I stirred it till it started to caramelize.

Then I added in the zucchini and yellow squash, the sun dried tomatoes, the crumbled bacon, and four sliced cloves of garlic.  (No pic of the garlic either...things were moving pretty quickly at this point.  I added a little salt and cracked pepper and a tiny bit of Italian seasonings.

I stirred it several times, to cook all the squash evenly, but very lightly.  I didn't want it too done...just nicely al dente.  Then for the last couple of minutes, I added the grape tomato halves to the pan and stirred one more time.

I plated it, and put just a tad of Parmesan cheese on top.

Yum!

I was home alone for this meal, so going almost meatless was fine with me.  I will definitely make it again.  I think when the guys are home, I'll serve some grilled chicken breasts alongside.

Paleo progress...

Mixed greens.  Avocado.  Blackberries.  Dried cranberries.  Feta.  Spicy sauteed shrimp.  Homemade honey dijon dressing.

Two weeks doing Paleo.  Here is the strangest thing I have noticed:  I have to go to the grocery store much more often, and I don't mind!  The only reason I can come up with is that the food options doing Paleo keep me mostly in the produce and seafood/meat department and not having to maneuver down every aisle. 

I've said for a long time that the reason I hate grocery shopping is because the stores are SO huge and have an overwhelming amount of choices.  Eliminating everything containing wheat, sugar, and dairy from my list makes it much less overwhelming.  Also I feel more energetic now, so the mere thought of going to the store doesn't make me crawl back into bed and pull the covers over my head.

The feta cheese (dairy) I added to the salad tonight is not Paleo approved...neither was the tortilla (wheat) that I ate with lunch today.  C'est la vie.

Going Paleo...

Tilapia dusted with almond flour and pan browned in olive oil

Zucchini sliced lengthwise, topped with a tiny bit of parmesan and baked til just browning

Grape tomatoes and sliced avocado

I've resisted for a long time.  Kasey and Beau have been eating the Paleo way for over a year now, I think.  The kids too, except that they aren't overly strict with the kids.  The children still drink milk and eat cheese, and no worries about what's eaten away from home.

I'm finally jumping on the bandwagon due to constant aches and pains.  I'm hoping that the dairy-free and gluten-free change may help with that.  So for the next thirty days I'm giving it a trial period.

Quick description of Paleo: meats, vegetables, nuts & seeds...some fruit and a little starch...no sugar, grains, or dairy.

Photo above was dinner last night.  Yum!  The almond flour that I used to dust the tilapia browned beautifully and tasted great...I just added a little salt, pepper, and dill.  The Parmesan on the squash was not on plan, but it was minimal (maybe a teaspoon on the entire pan of squash).

The zucchini couldn't be fresher.  It was delivered to my office yesterday by a great friend...one who shares the produce of their garden and the eggs from their chickens!  Of course she'd be a great friend even without those perks, but the perks are lovely!  Thanks, V...your generosity couldn't have been more timely!