tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65345027769870256532024-03-19T05:50:15.388-07:00Musings of a Microwaved MarshmallowAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-45276175453733590002014-02-22T08:57:00.001-08:002014-02-22T08:57:17.120-08:00Here we go again . . .Hmmmm . . . Okay, so I admit it, I did not do the 21 Day Sugar Detox AGAIN! Ugh! I did wind up having to have surgery February 10 to have some additional tissue removed from the areas where I had some moles removed in January. The surgery went well, and the doctor says my healing is on target. However, I wasn't sure how that was going to go, so I just decided to postpone the healthy eating. In all truthfulness, I probably did that so I could continue to eat my feelings. I am sure I had a better excuse than that at the time I made my decision to put off my healthy eating. I wanted to get back to healthier eating this week, but I found out that I am going out of town for work next week. It is so hard to eat healthy while traveling so I am just going to go for the first Monday of March.<br />
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Brad and I have been eating out way too much lately, so I definitely want to get back to cooking more frequently, etc. Spring Break will soon be here so I am definitely going to have to plan really well in order to stay on track! It is a gorgeous day out today, but it is a little chilly to really be outside much. I think I am going to open the doors to let the sunlight and fresh air in, and get in the kitchen and do some kitchen cleaning and organizing. I need to see what I have, and what I may need to purchase. I will be in Tallahassee next week so I plan to stop by Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc before heading back home. That way I can start March off right!<br />
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I'll keep you posted. Sorry I have been so lazy, but I think I am ready now! Surgery is behind me, and summer is ahead. No excuses! I am ready to feel and look better. I am hopeful that will be the motivation I need to keep me going in the right direction! Have a happy weekend!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-64498663686541964932014-02-01T21:38:00.000-08:002014-02-01T21:38:55.668-08:00But, Moonlight's Not Really My Thing . . .Hello! I have not been making good food choices lately! I truly did want to start out the new year with a newer, healthier me, but life just seemed to get in the way. However, I am starting the 21 Day Sugar Detox (again) on Monday, February 3. I am excited and looking forward to it. I honestly think I will stick to it this time! Unfortunately, there is a not so happy reason why. :-(<br />
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As you probably know, I have a very light complexion, and I am VERY mole-y. My dad has worked in the sun a good part of his life, and he tends to have sun spots, etc. He goes to the dermatologist quite frequently, and growing up my parents made sure I did as well. However, as I grew older and moved around and such, I found that I went to the dermatologist way less often. I have been saying I was going to go for a check up for YEARS, but I just haven't. It was nearly impossible to get an appointment with a dermatologist in Georgia. However, I was given a great recommendation for a guy to see in Panama City, and I was able to make an appointment with little issue at all. . . . yay . . . I guess. :-)<br />
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My appointment was set for a couple of Thursdays ago, and as expected he found some spots that he didn't like. (I don't think I have EVER been to the dermatologist without them finding something to remove . . .haha). What I didn't expect was for him to get out his knife and start cutting on me right then and there! It wasn't a big deal, but I did walk out with four band-aids that I didn't have when I got to the appointment. As is typical for a dermatologist I was warned of the dangers of being in the sun, and told to get all the moonlight I wanted. Anyway, this past Thursday I got a call, from the doctor's office. Everything was fine until I was asked to hold while they went and got the PA that I saw on my recent visit. I don't think anyone has ever gotten better news from the doctor than from the secretary so needless to say the next few minutes were not fun. As I sat on hold, I prayed and did my best to convince myself that everything was going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine, but I do have to go to a plastic surgeon to have more removed from three of the spots they removed in the office a couple of weeks ago. Lab reports suggested getting more of them out so the doctor's office went ahead and made an appointment for me to see the plastic surgeon this Tuesday for a consultation. I don't know what that entails, but the PA assured me that I will be fine. He just warned me again that under no circumstances do I need to be in the sun in a bathing suit. He said I should always be fully covered AND slathered in sunscreen. Boo! Me no likey.<br />
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This news is completely a bummer for me! I am not excited about such. I absolutely love the sun. My happy place is sitting in my beach chair, feeling the sun rays warm my skin, listening to the ocean waves while reading a book or hanging out with a friend. The beach is a place where I can feel God's presence and see His majesty. I can experience peace, joy, happiness, renewal and relaxation on the beach. Too many cloudy, rainy days and I get down. However, give me a warm, gorgeous, sunny day like today, and it just puts me in the best mood. I know it is not the end of the world. I know I will survive, but I will have to say this is not the best news I have ever gotten. I am believing that God is teaching me something through this, and I just hope that I have the ears to hear it and the heart/mind to understand it.<br />
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All this being said, I believe that a healthy lifestyle is key to a healthy life. I have been doing research, and it does seem that there are things that you can do to help prevent getting melanoma, etc. I definitely want to do what I can to help prevent any issues that I can! Of course, there is the usual warning to use sunscreen and stay out of the sun, but much of what I have read has to do with food choices. There are lots of foods that can help your body fight off cancer cells, reverse them and prevent them from forming. So, I plan to start this journey of prevention now!<br />
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Many of the recommended foods are not an issue for me, and they fit hand in hand with a Paleo lifestyle or the 21 Day Sugar Detox. It is recommended that you eat green leafy vegetables as well as yellow and orange vegetables. Peppers, broccoli, cauliflower are recommended and so are artichokes and foods with selenium. The list goes on, but the one little item that I am not excited about is seafood. I have read that you should eat at least one serving of seafood per week. I pretty much avoid anything that grows in the water, but I am going to start experimenting to see if I can come up with some form of seafood that I like well enough to eat once a week. If you have any great seafood recipes that a non seafood lover may like please do share!<br />
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I'll keep you posted so that you know how my appointment goes Tuesday, and how I am doing on this journey to eating for health and fuel! In the meantime, I am going to try and talk myself into loving moonlight as much as sunlight! :-)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-15259323042724246182014-01-21T18:31:00.000-08:002014-01-21T18:31:54.332-08:00A Walking Taste of Athens Tour! Athens, Georgia that is . . . Hello friends! This weekend was such fun! My sister and I decided to take our mama on a mother/daughter trip instead of buying her a birthday gift for her last birthday. Her birthday is in September, but we just got around to the trip. It was worth the wait! We couldn't decide where to go. Our preference would be to go somewhere none of us have been before, however, that was tough to find within driving distance for a weekend. My manager let me pick a gift certificate for a two night stay somewhere from her stash that was leftover from our Christmas party. There were some good options so it was hard to decide. We settled on Athens, Georgia. We stayed at the <a href="http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/georgia/hilton-garden-inn-athens-downtown-AHNDTGI/index.html" target="_blank">Hilton Garden Inn Athens Downtown</a>. What a perfect location! It was walking distance to tons of shops and restaurants. My niece Lauren lives close by so my sister suggested inviting her as well. She joined us on Saturday and stayed for the weekend. We enjoyed visiting with her, and since she went to college in Athens, she was the perfect tour guide.<br />
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We packed a lot into the long weekend, but it felt like all we did was walk and eat :-). On Saturday morning we browsed in the local shops. Lauren joined us in time for lunch. We went to <a href="http://www.lastresortgrill.com/" target="_blank">Last Resort Grill</a>. I definitely recommend this jewel of a restaurant. It has fabulous desserts, and the lunch is great, too! Prices were also good at lunchtime. Four of us ate and one of us got dessert (I won't tell which one), and it was still only around $50 with tip. That afternoon we went to the <a href="http://botgarden.uga.edu/" target="_blank">State Botanical Garden of Georgia</a>. The gardens are free they just have a recommended donation of $2/person so that was an inexpensive way to spend a little time. Since it was winter, there wasn't a ton to see, but it would be a great place for a spring wedding I am sure. That evening Lauren's dad and fiance met us for dinner at <a href="http://www.depalmasitaliancafe.com/" target="_blank">DePalma's Italian Cafe</a> downtown. This was another great dining choice. Food was wonderful, and prices were reasonable!<br />
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Sunday morning we slept in, and then walked to the <a href="http://mayflowerrestaurant.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Mayflower Restaurant</a> for a late breakfast. From there we drove to Helen, Georgia, for the day just to walk around downtown. We stayed in Helen for a few hours, and headed back to Athens in time for supper ;-)! There were so many good food options in Athens it was difficult to decide where to go. However, we knew that we all wanted dessert tonight so we were on the hunt for a light dinner. We finally decided on <a href="http://pauleys.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Pauley's Original Crepe Bar</a>. Definitely a great choice for lighter/lunch-y type fare. They had desserts that looked great, but I didn't want a crepe for dessert and dinner. We then proceeded to walk all over downtown Athens in search of the PERFECT dessert(s). Tammy mentioned getting tiramisu each day, but she never did. I thought for sure tonight was tiramisu night for her. However, she passed up tiramisu for frozen yogurt from <a href="http://yoforia.com/" target="_blank">Yoforia</a>. Lauren settled on Yoforia as well, but I couldn't decide. When I couldn't find the perfect dessert, and had almost given up, we happened upon <a href="http://www.neworleansnathens.com/" target="_blank">New Orleans 'N Athens</a>. Their dessert special for the evening was bananas foster beignets with icecream. Sign me up! I LOVE bananas foster so this had to be a winning combination. We actually ordered two orders to take to the hotel room. It came with 2 beignets per order so it was the perfect amount to split evenly among the four of us. We each had an icecream and bananas foster topped beignet. OH.MY.YUMMINESS! What a perfect end to our last evening in Athens.<br />
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Monday morning we decided to have an early lunch at <a href="http://www.bluewillowinn.com/" target="_blank">Blue Willow Inn</a> in Social Circle, Georgia. It was a little out of the way for us, but we wanted to give it a try as we'd heard good things. It was definitely worth the drive! A friend recommended the lemon meringue pie. I was scared I would be too full for dessert so I ate dessert first! Lemon meringue is not usually my favorite dessert, but it did not disappoint! It lived up to her compliments. Blue Willow reminded me very much of the restaurant at the Tarrer Inn in Colquitt, Georgia. Both are equally delicious. After lunch everyone headed back home after what was a very nice weekend. I was excited to make a pit stop in Cordele, Georgia, to see an amazing family! I wasn't sure if I would get to see them or not, but it turned out that I got to see the entire family. This was the icing on the cake for my weekend.<br />
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What a wonderful, fun, food-filled weekend. However, I am now home, and it is time to get back on track. No more bananas foster beignets for me for quite a while!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-87074338158043766042014-01-11T17:56:00.003-08:002014-01-11T17:56:39.977-08:00Veggie Day = Clean out the Fridge Day! Yay! Wednesday is veggie day! I get yummy organic fruits and veggies from <a href="http://anniesbuyingclub.com/" target="_blank">Annie's Buying Club</a>, and I love the variety of things that show up in my box each time. However, in order to make room for an entire box of fresh produce, I must first clean out the fridge! Wow, it's amazing what I find in there on veggie day :-)!<br />
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Wednesday was a SUPER long day, but I am proud of myself because I was really productive. I got to work around 8:00 AM, and I was busy from the time I got there until I left around 5:30. I got home and walked sweet puppy girl, and then I started on project clean fridge! I haven't gotten a box from Annie's in awhile which also means I haven't cleaned the fridge in awhile! I found some items that were still good, but needed to be used or frozen ASAP so that is what I did! I had a bag of onions that was still good, but I thought it would be nice to have some already chopped and in the freezer ready for use at a moments notice. I also had some green bell peppers that were heading south quickly if not put to good use soon! In addition, I had a pound of grass fed beef that needed to be cooked or frozen. I am sure there may have been some other items, but that is what I can think of off hand. So, I diced some of the bell peppers and onions as well as some celery. I lightly sauteed each in a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. I then put them in individual baggies so I will have them in the freezer when needed. I then took some of the onions and bell peppers and cut them into to strips which would be good for fajitas. I sauteed those the same way along with a couple of fresh jalapenos and they are in the freezer ready for fajitas. In my Annie's box this week we got red bell peppers and shishito peppers so I am definitely feeling some fajitas on the menu very soon! I cooked the ground beef with onions and garlic, and put it in the fridge for a quick meal later in the week. There was some turkey broth I made in the fridge, so I put it in baggies in the freezer. I also de-boned a ham. We at leftover ham for supper and the bone is in the freezer for some yummy soup or something soon. I cleaned the kitchen when I was done, and I was ready for Brad to bring the goodies. It was so nice to know there was already room for them in the fridge when they arrived! </div>
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Did I mention that for some strange reason I love veggie day? It is fun to open up that box and see what goodies are inside. Yes, I get a list, but I forget. And, sometimes, I don't know what that stuff is even though I have a list. This week's box came with three new to me items: celery root, sunchokes and parsnips. I was aware of celery root and parsnips, but I have never cooked with them. I had no idea what sunchokes even were! I had to google them! They look strange . . . a little like ginger root. You can do substitutions with Annie's, but I don't. I like to try new stuff. However, I rarely get around to actually trying the new stuff so it is usually a waste. I am proud to report that I did put a parsnip and some celery root in my slow cooker roast that I made Thursday. I told Brad ahead of time that they were not potatoes, however, I am not sure we would have been able to tell a difference if we didn't know that they were not potatoes. Yay! I have plans to make celery root/parsnip mashed "potatoes" sometime this week to see how that turns out. I hope it turns out better than my cauliflower mash! I have no idea what to do with the sunchokes, but I will figure something out and let you know.</div>
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In addition to all the things I had going on in the kitchen, I also did a little cleaning in other parts of the house while I had stuff cooking, etc. I started working on an embroidery project although I didn't get far. I am okay with that. At least I got something accomplished. </div>
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Whew! Wednesday wore me out! I was ready for bed early. I was so tired, that I woke up Thursday thinking it was Saturday so I went back to sleep instead of getting ready for work at my usual time. Oops. . . I was only a little late ;-)! Thankfully I have a wonderful and understanding boss.<br />
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I guess I better get to work. I just realized that I needed to have something ready to cook in the slow cooker for lunch tomorrow. Thankfully, a friend sent me this awesome <a href="http://divinehealthfromtheinsideout.com/2013/12/80-gluten-free-slow-cooker-recipes/" target="_blank">link</a> earlier this week. I have all the ingredients for this <a href="http://melissaknorris.com/2012/04/18/pioneering-today-slow-cooker-cabbage-rolls-recipe/" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll recipe</a> so I am heading to the kitchen to get everything prepared. That way I just have to pull it out of the fridge and let the Crock-Pot work its magic while we are at church tomorrow. I hope it is yummy! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-49085115298048203312014-01-07T19:56:00.000-08:002014-01-07T19:56:00.863-08:00Still no "meal plan", but I have made some tasty meals! Hello! I do apologize that I haven't done an actual meal plan. I have however, made some pretty tasty meals this week, and I wanted to share them.<br />
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Sunday night I made the <a href="http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/AllRecipes/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=8808&mealGroupId=1000" target="_blank">chicken over warm kale asparagus salad</a> from the <a href="http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/AllRecipes/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=8808&mealGroupId=1000" target="_blank">Publix Apron's Simple Meals</a> program. It was very good. I didn't add the sugar, but I pretty much followed the recipe spot on otherwise. Oh, I also was unsure as to what seasoning they were referring to, so I just used garlic and italian seasoning. It was really good!<br />
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Last night we wanted some yummy, hearty, warming soup. I have some ground beef so I thought about making chili. However, I had a lot more chicken so I decided on a version of this <a href="http://thepaleoprize.com/?p=1520" target="_blank">Chicken Chili from Paleo Prize</a>. I didn't decide to make it ahead of time so I didn't use the slow cooker. Instead, I boiled some chicken. I used the broth from boiling the chicken as the base of my soup. I was scared Brad wouldn't be a fan of the coconut milk so I didn't add that, but I otherwise made it pretty much as suggested in the blog. I topped mine with avocado, lime juice and cilantro. I thought it was perfect. Brad thought it was bland. Maybe the slow cooker is the way to go with this soup. It may give the foods a better chance to meld together.<br />
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Tonight's meal was probably the winner of the week so far! YUM! YUM! I made this <a href="http://www.peaceloveandlowcarb.com/2012/01/pan-seared-chicken-with-balsamic-cream.html" target="_blank">pan-seared chicken with balsamic cream recipe from Peace, Love and Low Carb</a>. You should make it ASAP! Wow, it was delicious. It was rich and flavorful. Brad really enjoyed it, too. He told me it was good before he even sat down with his plate to actually begin eating. I served it over rice and with a side of sauteed zucchini and onions. We had a tad bit of rice and sauce from the chicken left, but that was it! I am already excited about chowing down on those leftovers at lunch tomorrow. This will make it into the dinner rotation I am pretty sure!<br />
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Tomorrow night the plan is to have leftovers or either unstuffed cabbage rolls. I haven't decided that one yet. Thursday I plan to do a roast with carrots in the Crock Pot. Brad and I are often late getting home on Thursday nights due to praise band practice so it is the perfect night for a slow cooker meal.<br />
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All of these meals are level one of the 21 Day Sugar Detox friendly or they can be easily converted to be detox friendly. I hope this helps to give you some ideas for your own meal planning! What have you cooked lately? Feel free to share you recipes! If you try any of these recipes let me know what you think!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-961334407840289172014-01-05T18:08:00.000-08:002014-01-05T18:08:21.549-08:00Happy New Year! Hello! I hope your 2014 is getting off to a great start. I am on the right track, but maybe not as successful as I have wanted to be thus far. I had a difficult time deciding exactly what I wanted to do this year to help make positive changes in my life. There were some general ideas I wanted to work on, but I have had a difficult time getting the specifics together. Typically I tend to have too many goals at the start of the year, and like the rest of the world I don't typically keep them up for very long at all.<br />
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This year is no exception, I have a lot of areas in my life that I want to work on. However, I have attempted to make my goals a little more flexible than normal. I hope this helps me stay on track. So far, I have been faithful in reading my Bible daily, and I have spent time working on sewing / embroidery projects. I haven't spent an entire 30 minutes on a project, however my crafting nook needed some cleaning/organization before I could get too involved in a project. I did complete an embroidery project last night that I have been working on since before Christmas. It should have been a simple project, but it was not. This thing did NOT want to cooperate, as I had to try on two different towels and went through three needles, but it is finally done! Yippee!<br />
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The most difficult decision I have tried to make is what exactly I wanted to do to get back on track with my eating. Brad can't seem to decide if he wants to get on board with a Paleo lifestyle, and so I just couldn't decide what to do. Part of me wanted to start a Whole 30 on January 1. However, I also had some black eyed peas I really wanted to eat on New Year's Day, which are not Paleo friendly. We also had a bit of leftovers from various meals that I didn't want to go to waste. After doing some research, I decided to give the 21 Day Sugar Detox a try. <a href="http://balancedbites.com/" target="_blank">Balanced Bites</a> does a group 21 Day Sugar Detox on the first Monday of the month. I decided this was a good option. We could eat through the "unclean" leftovers that we had on hand from the holidays and not have to worry about wasting food, etc. For those of you unfamiliar with <a href="http://the21daysugardetox.com/" target="_blank">the 21 Day Sugar Detox</a> there are three levels. The third level is more Paleo oriented and is the strictest level. I originally decided to go with that option, however, since Brad is still on the fence I think I am going to go with level 1. It is the least strict of the three plans and so maybe it will be a better choice for us as a family. I am still not sure that Brad is going to follow this detox with me, but I will be buying and preparing foods that are detox friendly. He will not have as many "unclean" options in the house so he will probably eat healthier simply because that is what we have around.<br />
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I have been to the grocery store, and I have purchased enough food that we should be set for most of the week. I haven't made an actual meal plan yet, but I do have some meals in mind such as a slow cooker pot roast with carrots, <a href="http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/AllRecipes/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=8808&mealGroupId=1000" target="_blank">chicken over warm kale and asparagus salad</a> (this is a <a href="http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/SimpleMeals.do" target="_blank">Publix Aprons</a> meal that I am going to modify to fit the detox), and <a href="http://www.peaceloveandlowcarb.com/2012/01/pan-seared-chicken-with-balsamic-cream.html" target="_blank">pan seared chicken with with cream sauce</a> from the <a href="http://www.peaceloveandlowcarb.com/2012/01/pan-seared-chicken-with-balsamic-cream.html" target="_blank">Peace + Love & Low Carb</a> blog (which may also need some modifications to be detox compliant).<br />
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I will continue to flesh out my meal plan, and I will share it when I have it ready. Let me know if you have any EASY, healthy go to lunch and dinner options. They do not have to be detox compliant, as I don't mind tweaking them if needed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfW93KkKt73K6SVRjQzA6ZKM2GVpJeZmW6JU1n5WWiXPtSeyf2-s4aiafIXW0T5H7BKKPAU2p9irbS8LjvvhMTaZRhYIcsudycmA9xRsgO4yo5n38_idxqRm8_cxFHDac_AEVUU9Dp-K8/s1600/Embroidered+Word+Christmas+Tree+Dish+Towel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfW93KkKt73K6SVRjQzA6ZKM2GVpJeZmW6JU1n5WWiXPtSeyf2-s4aiafIXW0T5H7BKKPAU2p9irbS8LjvvhMTaZRhYIcsudycmA9xRsgO4yo5n38_idxqRm8_cxFHDac_AEVUU9Dp-K8/s1600/Embroidered+Word+Christmas+Tree+Dish+Towel.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Embroidered dish towel that DID not want to cooperate ;-)! </td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-5726678574940570792013-12-30T18:50:00.000-08:002013-12-30T18:50:11.158-08:00How NOT to cook a turkey! Oh my! Since Christmas was in the middle of the week this year, and I only get one day off for the holiday, Brad and I decided not to go home for Christmas until the weekend after Christmas this year. We didn't decide this until the day or two before Christmas Eve. I scrambled to the store, and I bought a turkey as soon as we decided this so that I could cook a traditional Christmas dinner. According to the turkey packaging, this should have been enough time to thaw the small turkey that I purchased for Christmas lunch. However, when Christmas Eve rolled around, I still had a pretty frozen turkey. I was scared that we were going to have to have day after Christmas turkey, but it thawed out just in the nick of time! Christmas morning I got up to prepare the turkey. I found the turkey neck . . . no problem! I had already located the gravy packet as I accidentally cut it open when trying to remove the wrapper from the turkey. I searched and searched and searched the inside of that turkey to find the giblets . . .no luck! After rinsing, and seasoning, and buttering the bird I still found no sign of the giblet packet. I even called my mom to see if it was possible to get a turkey sans giblets. She said yes, they could have left the packet out, or it could have been in the gravy packet. I went with that thought, and proceeded to put the turkey in the oven. Turkey was done at just the right time, and Christmas lunch went smoothly. We enjoyed the turkey, and we had some leftovers for later.<br />
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On my way home from work today, I decided that turkey noodle soup would be the perfect easy meal for this chilly evening. We had just enough turkey left, and I had the broth that I saved when I pulled the turkey out of the oven. I got home, pulled the turkey out of the fridge, and I uncovered it. I went to pull the first chunk of meat off the bird to add to my simmering broth and SURPRISE! I found the giblet packet! It was not in the turkey, but instead, it was opposite the open side of the open turkey cavity. It was lodged in an indention in the back of the bird. I have no idea how I didn't see this earlier! It was completely in tact! Oh my goodness! Well, my general manager cooked the giblet packet in her Thanksgiving turkey so I immediately sent her a text, and we had quite a laugh! Oh geez! I served a turkey at Christmas with a giblet packet stuck in its butt! How embarrassing! We did have a family from church over, and I really hope no one noticed.<br />
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Once I got it together and quit laughing enough, I continued making my turkey noodle soup. I figured if the turkey hadn't killed us yet, it wasn't going to. The soup was quite easy and very good, so I will share the recipe with you. However, just make sure you remove the giblet packet next time you cook a turkey! If you can't find it inside the turkey . . . keep looking until you do find it!<br />
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<b>Turkey Noodle Soup</b><br />
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Sautee veggies of your choice in a little butter or olive oil. I used 2 rainbow carrots, 2 stalks celery, 1/4 onion and 1/2 zucchini finely diced because that is what I had on hand. Add in diced turkey meat to your liking . . . some people like it meatier than others. Then add 1 package of egg noodles. Cover with turkey broth/drippings if you have it. I used about 1/3 turkey broth, 1/3 water, and 1/3 chicken broth until noodles were covered well. If you don't have homemade turkey broth you can use whatever you have such as chicken broth and/or water. After adding my broth, I added a handful of chopped parsley leaves. I did not have to season my soup at all as the broth was very flavorful. However, if you use water or bought broth you may have to season the soup to taste. I brought the soup to a rolling boil. Once boiling, I lowered the temperature and simmered for about 15 minutes. Ummm, Ummm, GOOD! Enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-91318869991706199562013-12-30T12:05:00.002-08:002013-12-30T12:05:57.156-08:00New Year Brings New Routines . . . (I HOPE!)Hi there! It has been awhile since my last post! I apologize. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I have been pretty bad over the past month or so. I have been eating whatever I want, and it has not been good! Well, it's tasted good, but my body is not loving it! Since neglecting my healthier eating habits, I am tired, and it is tough to stay focused and on task. In addition, I am puffy, and I just don't feel as good as I know I could. So, like the much of the rest of the world, my husband and I are on mission to be much healthier in 2014.<br />
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However, food and exercise are not the only areas of our lives where we want to make improvements. We spend a lot of money on eating out, especially on the weekends. We have decided that at least for a while we will rarely if ever eat out on the weekends. This will hopefully encourage me to be more creative in the kitchen, and we hope to save quite a bit of money this way, not to mention this will be healthier! I got some cool kitchen stuff for Christmas, and this will give me an opportunity to use my new toys! My sweet, hubby has decided to give up his Starbucks habit, and he wants to be more creative. (Hope it's okay that I am divulging his goals for 2014 and not just mine . . .LOL). I guess I want to be more creative, too. In 2014 I want to devote a minimum of 30 minutes per week to spending some time using my sewing or embroidery machine. I want to be more organized, more clutter free, and most importantly, I want to wake up early enough in the mornings for time with God and breakfast!<br />
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I can't wait to share how I am accomplishing my 2014 goals. I hope you will help keep me on track :-)! What are your New Year's Resolutions?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-25511854754220972392013-11-24T16:54:00.000-08:002013-11-24T16:54:04.724-08:00Score . . . Paleo Dressing, and the hubby likes it! One of my FAVORITE things about the Thanksgiving or Christmas meal is my mama's dressing. It is heaven on a plate, and so I wanted to see if I could come close to recreating this yummy dish while remaining Paleo friendly. I haven't hit perfection, but Brad likes it. In fact, he says not to change a thing . . . he's scared I will mess it up. I did enjoy it, and I am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow. I think the bread may be a little sweet, but I am going to leave it alone for now. Okay, so here's what I did (to the best of my memory!).<br />
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I made one batch of Empowered Sustenance's <a href="http://empoweredsustenance.com/paleo-cornbread-muffins/" target="_blank">Paleo Corn(less)bread</a>, and I doubled the recipe. I also made one loaf of this <a href="http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-bread/" target="_blank">Paleo bread</a> from <a href="http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-bread/" target="_blank">Elena's Pantry</a>. There are two recipes on this page. I used the bottom or old recipe. My mom makes her dressing with one pan of crumbled cornbread, and also uses Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix. So, I needed the bread to be like the Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix. I wasn't sure what spices they use in the Pepperidge Farm stuffing so I kinda guessed. To make the "stuffing mix" I sliced the bread and laid the slices out on a baking sheet. I used a pastry brush to brush olive oil onto one side of the bread. I then sprinkled the side coated with olive oil with spices such as sage, garlic, salt, pepper and tarragon. I then flipped the bread slices over and repeated with olive oil and spices. Next, I cut into crouton sized cubes with a pizza cutter. Bake in oven on about 400 degrees for about 5-6 minutes. Flip croutons and bake another 5 or 6 minutes or until starting to crisp.<br />
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Okay, so now that your bread is done here comes the easy part. Recipe is below.<br />
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Ingredients<br />
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Double batch of Empowered Sustenance's <a href="http://empoweredsustenance.com/paleo-cornbread-muffins/" target="_blank">Paleo Corn(less)bread</a> cooled and then crumbled<br />
One batch of Paleo Stuffing/Croutons made from <a href="http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-bread/" target="_blank">this</a> Paleo Bread recipe from Elana's Pantry<br />
One tablespoon fat of your choice (I used bacon grease)<br />
One large onion chopped<br />
Three stalks of celery chopped<br />
Sage, tarragon, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and other spices to taste<br />
Chicken broth - Approximately one cup. Vary according to how moist/dry you like your dressing<br />
Two eggs<br />
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Directions<br />
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Grease an 11 X 17 casserole dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sautee onion and celery in oil/fat of your choice. I had fresh and jarred spices. I added a couple of cloves of fresh minced garlic, a few sprigs of fresh sage and thyme to the onions/celery and sauteed the herbs/veggies together for a few minutes. Once sauteed, I then set aside. In a large bowl combine crumbled "cornbread", "stuffing mix", sauteed veggies/herbs, and chicken broth. Again, I used 1 - 2 cups of broth. This will vary depending on how moist you want your dressing. Mix all ingredients with a potato masher until well combined. I want my dressing to be very fluid when you slightly shake the bowl. This will give you a fairly moist end result. If you like yours more dry, you would mix until everything is well coated and moist. At this point you can add additional spices, salt, pepper, etc. as you like. Once you think the flavor and consistency are correct add in two eggs. Mix well to incorporate egg into your dressing (you don't want egg-y spots in your dressing). Pour dressing into a greased casserole dish. Bake on 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Dressing should firm up and start to bubble around the sides.<br />
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Yummy! I hope you enjoy! If you make a version of this recipe let me know how it turns out! Happy Thanksgiving!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-22466596994466762692013-11-24T16:12:00.000-08:002013-11-24T16:12:47.319-08:00Moderation: My Slippery SlopeOkay, so I admit it, I have been bad! I got off plan, and I have basically got to start over. I was doing moderately well, when I had to go out of town for work. I decided to eat what I wanted while out of town, then it was my husband's birthday, etc. So, I basically just ate whatever I wanted for the past week.<br />
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I have found that I have to be strict with myself or I just slide right off the road. Some people have no problem with a little piece of cake here and jumping right back on the bandwagon. I however, think, well my day is messed up so I may as well have what I want now. That one slip up then turns into a day, a week, a month, and so on. So, I find that I have to have a plan, and I can not deviate from the plan. That is not to say that if I have roast planned for dinner on Monday that I couldn't switch that out and just do leftovers, etc. However, I can't sneak in that one bad food and not go down hill.<br />
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My husband turned 40 this weekend, and he set a goal to exercise daily for the next year. He was planning to also diet by counting calories starting today. However, he has had a couple of episodes where he didn't feel very good after eating some meals recently. I think he is now willing to jump on board and eat a Paleo/Primal diet with me. I hope he does. Mealtime will be simpler if we are both eating the same thing. I think he will feel better going Paleo/Primal over calorie counting, too.<br />
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So, he and I are back on track starting with tonight's dinner. I have some meals planned from now through Wednesday lunch. We are going home for Thanksgiving, and we will be doing a lot of traveling. We will try to make better choices over the holiday, but since we will be traveling so much we have already accepted the fact that we will probably eat whatever we want from Wednesday evening through Saturday evening. We will try to start back over the Sunday after Thanksgiving.<br />
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So here are some meals we are planning starting with tonight's dinner.<br />
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Sunday Dinner: Crock pot roast with carrots, paleo dressing, and green beans.<br />
Monday Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with chicken sausage.<br />
Monday Lunch: Leftovers from Sunday.<br />
Monday Dinner: Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls<br />
Tuesday Breakfast: Egg Muffin Cups<br />
Tuesday Lunch: Leftovers.<br />
Tuesday Dinner: Something with stew beef . . . unsure what this will be, I just have some meat I need to use! I would do beef stew, but don't want to do that since having roast tonight. Any recipe ideas . . . let me know!<br />
Wednesday Breakfast: Egg Muffin Cups<br />
Wednesday Lunch: Leftovers<br />
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I will keep you posted on how our week goes!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-73488370445403426562013-11-16T19:10:00.000-08:002013-11-16T19:10:18.472-08:00Chai Spiced Banana Muffins . . . these could only be YUM! I absolutely LOVE vanilla chai lattes! I don't love how unhealthy they can be so I rarely have them these days. I ran across some chai spice one day in the grocery store . . . it was in the spice aisle with the regular spices. I wasn't sure what to do with it, but I was certain I could find a use at some point. Of course, I bought it, and it has been sitting in the kitchen unused . . . until today!!! I have also seen <a href="http://primalbitesblog.com/2013/08/17/chai-spiced-banana-bread-muffins/" target="_blank">this</a> Chai Spiced Banana Bread Muffin Recipe on the <a href="http://primalbitesblog.com/2013/08/17/chai-spiced-banana-bread-muffins/" target="_blank">Primal Bites</a> blog. I have wanted to try it for a long time, but finally decided today was the day. Well, I got in the kitchen and realized that I only had two bananas and the recipe called for three. Hmmm, what to do? Well, I looked around and found <a href="http://www.rubiesandradishes.com/2012/08/08/banana-cacao-muffins/" target="_blank">this</a> Banana Cacao Muffin recipe from <a href="http://www.rubiesandradishes.com/" target="_blank">Rubies and Radishes</a> so I basically took this recipe and modified it to banana chai instead of banana chocolate. <div>
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I haven't had a ton of luck with Paleo baking. I have only tried a few things, but they usually wind up really dense, and they don't seem to rise much. I was REALLY impressed with how this recipe turned out. I WILL use it again. The only think I tweaked about the recipe itself is that I used 1 teaspoon of baking powder instead of baking soda. I had baking soda, but as I said earlier, I haven't had much luck with my paleo baking. Most of it calls for baking soda. I did some research and read somewhere that baking powder makes paleo goodies more like the "real" thing. So, I tried it . . . IT WORKED ;-)! Oh yeah! These muffins are a little dense, but much fluffier than my normal paleo sweet treats, and they actually did rise a little during baking . . .double yeah! So below is what I did. </div>
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<span style="color: #252525;">Servings: 9 muffins - </span><span style="color: blue;">(</span><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">I used a mini muffin pan & it made 24)</span></strong></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span><span style="color: #252525;">Ingredients</span></strong><span style="color: #252525;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525;"><br />2 ripe bananas, mashed </span><br /><span style="color: #252525;">1/4 cup honey </span><br /><span style="color: #252525;">3 eggs </span><br /><span style="color: #252525;">1/3 cup coconut oil, melted </span><br /><span style="color: #252525;">1 teaspoon vanilla </span><br /><span style="color: #252525;">1/4 cup almond butter </span><br /><span style="color: #252525;">1/2 cup coconut flour </span><br /><span style="color: #252525;">1 teaspoon cinnamon </span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525;">2 teaspoons chai spice - </span><b><span style="color: blue;">(I will probably use more next time. If you don't have chai spice use spices from <a href="http://primalbitesblog.com/2013/08/17/chai-spiced-banana-bread-muffins/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>)</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #252525;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda -</span><b style="color: #252525;"> </b><span style="color: blue;"><b>(I used 1 tsp baking powder)</b></span><br />1 banana sliced for topping</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Preheat oven to 350F</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a mixing bowl, mash bananas until smooth, then add eggs, honey, coconut oil, vanilla and almond butter and mix thoroughly.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Add coconut flour, chai spice(s) and cinnamon, mix really well.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Let batter sit for 5-10 minutes </li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Add in baking soda or baking powder. Mix until baking soda or baking powser is mixed through.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fill muffin tins all the way. This made 24 mini muffins. You don’t need muffin wrappers for these, the muffins slide right out of the tray.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Add a slice of banana on top of each muffin.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Regular muffins may take 25 minutes or so. </li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Remove muffins from the muffin pan and let cool.</li>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">Recipe adapted from a combo of Rubies & Radishes and Primal Bites recipes . . . .I am going to go try Rubies & Radishes' Paleo Pumpkin Spice Poppers now! I can't wait! I will let you know how those turn out, too! </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-1060406532410425832013-11-09T09:36:00.000-08:002013-11-09T09:36:02.505-08:00Oh.My.Yum! Paleo Bacon Pancakes! I have tried paleo pancakes before, and they have been not so desirable. However, <a href="http://organicallypaleo.blogspot.com/2013/01/blueberry-pancakes.html" target="_blank">these</a> paleo friendly pancakes from <a href="http://organicallypaleo.blogspot.com/2013/01/blueberry-pancakes.html" target="_blank">Organically Paleo</a> are delish! I followed her recipe pretty much to the letter. I did make one major change. She made blueberry pancakes, and I made bacon. I didn't have any blueberries. I couldn't decide if I was in the mood for salty or sweet this morning. I thought about making bacon to eat with my pancakes to give me a taste of both, then I just decided to throw the bacon in the pancakes. I love the taste of bacon or sausage when it gets syrup on it from your pancakes, waffle or french toast so I thought it would taste great to just throw the bacon right in the batter. It was good!!! One side note, if you do eat the pancakes without the maple syrup they don't have much sweetness to them without the fruit. They then taste a little like hoe cakes or lacy cornbread. If you are from the south, you definitely know what I am talking about, right? In fact, I think I may try them again, add a little salt and a little more liquid and see if I can make some paleo friendly hoe cakes! Oh yay!<br />
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It is an absolutely beautiful day today. Typically, on such a gorgeous day, I would want to be outside doing something. Today is a bit chilly and windy though. So, I think I will stay in and try out some paleo holdiay-ish sides. Dressing is definitely on the list. We have had turkey this week already so I will probably cook pork chops to go with the dressing. I may even get creative and try a broccoli casserole with cauliflower rice. Something sweet is on the list, too. I am headed to the kitchen now. I will let you now how my experiments turn out!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-4970814536245417792013-11-09T05:39:00.001-08:002013-11-09T05:39:55.209-08:00Have you registered for The Gluten Summit yet? Do you have questions about gluten? If so, you should definitely check out this FREE series by Dr. Tom O'Bryan of theDr.com! There will be online talks November 11-17 by some of the most renowned names in the gluten world. Don't miss out on this chance to get all your gluten questions answered! You'll be glad you joined in! Go <a href="http://theglutensummit.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a> now to register for this great event! It's free so get going ;-)!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-36859566270535233482013-11-08T18:52:00.000-08:002013-11-08T18:52:14.349-08:00Kitchen Fail! :-(<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, it's not often that I have a true, kitchen fail. My friends, family and husband typically enjoy my cooking. Well tonight was my lucky night (yes, insert sarcasm here)! A friend and I were on the phone as I was getting ready to cook dinner, and she was talking about how she missed my cooking. She claims I can whip up a full blown meal out of a seemingly empty kitchen. Tonight I was not on my "A" game for sure! As soon as I was done eating, I had to text her to let her know she must have jinxed my cooking skills . . . haha! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Brad recently decided that he may try Paleo . . . YAY! However, we have quite a bit of processed foods in our cabinet. He doesn't want the food to go to waste so he's trying to eat through that first. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We decided to have steak for dinner tonight. YUM! I stopped by the grocery store on the way home to pick up the meat. I decided to have leftovers as my sides, and Brad said he was good with rice from the cabinet. While I was rummaging through the fridge for my leftovers, I found some spinach that needed to be eaten. When I was on the phone earlier, my friend was talking about sauteed spinach. I have never made sauteed spinach, but I thought, how hard could this be? In the meantime, I was also cooking some Rice-A-Roni for Brad. I've cooked it tons of times! Well, I burned it! Completely stuck to the bottom of the pot!!! Then I look over, and my half a bag of spinach was a mere tablespoon. I guess maybe I overcooked it, because it was GONE! I had like two bites, and that was it. I will say that although the amount of my spinach was minute, it was very flavorful. I just cooked it in olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper. If someone can give me some pointers on how to NOT cook it down to nothing, I will definitely have to try that again! Or maybe I just didn't cook enough of it??? Who knows? Apparently not me . . .haha. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I will say, the steak turned out great! I heated my cast iron skillet in the oven. I seasoned my meat while that was preheating. Then I seared the steaks on both sides in the hot cast iron skillet on the stove. After they were seared I moved them back to the oven to finish cooking. They were tender and tasty! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So have you had any kitchen fails? I'd like to hear about them! What's your favorite way to eat spinach? And other than grilled, what's your favorite way to cook steak? </span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-17052480514587487572013-11-06T19:52:00.002-08:002013-11-06T19:52:37.705-08:00A Taste For Turkey<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I know that Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but the minute my brain registers that Fall is in the air, I start craving turkey! I've been in the mood for turkey for about two weeks now. I don't want to have a huge turkey this close to Thanksgiving, but I decided to cook a turkey breast in the Crock-pot. Oh, what a great idea that was. It hit the spot, and there are some leftovers, but not so much that I will be tired of turkey by Thanksgiving! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I decided that since I had the turkey thing going, that it was the perfect time to test out some Paleo friendly holiday favorites as well. Time got away from me, so I didn't get to try EVERYTHING on my list, but I did try mashed cauliflower for the first time as well as green bean casserole. The mashed cauliflower is good, but it needs a little perfecting. First, I don't have a food processor, so I used my blender. Second, I got inspiration from here<a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1657598867/best-make-ahead-side-garlic-cauliflower-mashed" target="_blank">(nomnompaleo)</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> and here (<a href="http://detoxinista.com/2012/11/mashed-cauliflower-vegan-paleo/" target="_blank">thedetoxinista</a>), but didn't follow either recipe very well :-). Next time I will TRY to follow a recipe, but I am soooo bad at that! I like to add my own flare! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oh my, the green bean casserole is a keeper! It may need get some tweaks along the way, but it was a great substitute for the "traditional" canned version. In fact, I may even like it better than the other version (if that's possible!). Don't get me wrong, this from scratch concoction is a LOT more work, but for the health benefits, I think it's totally worth it. I looked and looked for the perfect recipe, but I couldn't decide on just one. This <a href="http://www.againstallgrain.com/2012/03/22/cream-of-mushroom-soup-scd-paleo-vegan-option/#comment-21191" target="_blank">Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe</a> from <a href="http://www.againstallgrain.com/2012/03/22/cream-of-mushroom-soup-scd-paleo-vegan-option/#comment-21191" target="_blank">Against all Grain</a> really caught my attention. She has a green bean casserole posted on her site, but I didn't really want to fry the onions/shallots for the toppings so I modified this <a href="http://fedandfit.com/2012/11/20/paleo-green-bean-casserole/" target="_blank">recipe</a> from <a href="http://fedandfit.com/2012/11/20/paleo-green-bean-casserole/" target="_blank">Fed & Fit</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">FYI, I didn't have cashews so I couldn't make the cashew cream for the soup recipe. My husband is not on the Paleo bandwagon (YET)! He noticed a slight coconut taste the first day, but I didn't. I ate leftovers later, and I did notice it a little. That being said, you may want to try the original Against All Grains version if you think that will bother you. Oh, and I didn't intend to want to eat the soup by itself so this recipe is modified for the casserole specifically. However, after tasting the soup . . . I SHOULD have made the entire batch and just used what I needed for the casserole! It was soooo good! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am not always so good at measuring . . . I am a little of this and some of that kind of girl. I am going to do my best to give you accurate measurements so please bear with me. If you have any questions just let me know! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Cream of Mushroom Soup</span><br />
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<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 slices of bacon</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4-6 ounces mushrooms, chopped</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 onion, chopped</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3-4 cloves garlic, chopped</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">⅛ cup sherry cooking wine (may not be paleo friendly)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">salt and pepper to taste</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">½ teaspoon dried thyme - I used the leaves from one or two stems of fresh thyme</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1-2 teaspoons arrowroot powder</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 cup milk - I used coconut milk, could use almond, etc. </span></li>
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<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-position: 0px 50%; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cook bacon and remove bacon from pan - feel free to eat the bacon now if you like . . . yum yum!</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-position: 0px 50%; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic over medium heat (in the bacon grease) for 10 minutes, until the liquid has mostly evaporated.</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-position: 0px 50%; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pour in the cooking wine, then bring to a boil and wait until it has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-position: 0px 50%; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pour in the broth, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the coconut milk (or milk of your choice). </span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-position: 0px 50%; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Use a whisk to incorporate the coconut milk. </span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-position: 0px 50%; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whisk in arrowroot powder a little at a time until you get desired consistency.</span></li>
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<b style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Paleo Green Bean Casserole</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 1.8em;">1 lb Fresh Green Beans </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 cup Thinly Sliced Yellow Onions</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cream of mushroom soup</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 - 2 Tablespoons of Almond meal</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Salt & Pepper to taste</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)</span></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Instructions:</span></span></b></div>
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<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Grease a small casserole dish. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350 F.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Drizzle 1 Tbl EVOO on the thinly sliced yellow onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Massage the EVOO and salt evenly into the onions with your hands.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Coat the onions with almond meal. This may take more or less than the amount listed. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Spread the onions out on the baking sheet evenly.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bake until starting to to brown/crisp. Mine were sliced thin so they didn't take long (10 minutes or so).</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Put a large pot of water and salt on high heat and bring to a boil.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cut the green beans into thirds or so (according to the size you like), and add to the water when it starts boiling.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Boil for 5 minutes then remove from the water, strain and place in greased cooking dish.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Add the mushroom soup to the green beans and stir until well coated.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cover with aluminum foil & the lid (if you have one) and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Remove the foil/lid and sprinkle the dried onions evenly on top.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Place back in oven for 5 minutes at 350 F uncovered.</span></span></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-69519816550100969532013-11-05T08:12:00.001-08:002013-11-05T08:12:21.946-08:00Thanks Cavegirl Cuisine! Dinner was Great last night!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hello again! I didn't take pictures of last night's dinner, but it was delicious! I made this <a href="http://cavegirlcuisine.com/2012/04/14/stuffed-chicken-breast/">Stuffed Chicken Breast</a> from Cavegirl Cuisine. I didn't have coarsely ground almond meal so I used almond flour instead. It was good, but I can see how the more coarse would give it a nice texture. I thought about chopping some pecans really fine and adding them to the flour. I didn't but maybe next time. I hadn't made this before so I was unsure as to how strong the flavors would be. I wanted some veggies to go along with it, but I didn't want to overwhelm them with flavor since I didn't know what to expect from the chicken.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I went through the fridge to see what my options were. I started by heating my pan on medium heat. Once preheated, I added some olive oil. Next I tossed in one small chopped onion followed by 3 or 4 cloves of minced garlic. I added chopped zucchini, carrots, and asparagus. I then added salt and pepper, a dash of red chili paste, one or two chopped basil leaves and a few dashes of coconut aminos. I just sauteed until all vegetables were tender. It was delish! </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I plan to try the stir fry veggies again soon with some almond butter. I will go heavier on the basil, chili paste and coconut aminos to see if I can give it a Thai flare! Yum. I will let you know when I try that one. I'll try to take some pictures, too.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-41421998302701847222013-11-05T07:46:00.000-08:002013-11-06T06:59:01.783-08:00Musings of a What??????<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I woke up recently, after having dined on extremely, yummy Papa John's pizza late the night before, and the first thing I noticed was how swollen my hands were. I told my husband I felt like a microwaved marshmallow. I got to thinking about that and realized that a microwaved marshmallow was a pretty good metaphor for my diet. Your typical store bought marshmallow is extremely processed and sugary. No real food or nutrition to be found in a marshmallow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Much like the marshmallow, my diet has often consisted of highly processed, super sugary, non-foods. When I think about it, it is amazing that I or most Americans are as healthy as we are. Where are we getting the nutrition to survive? In a typical day, I am likely to consume several servings of soft drinks, chips, candy, and grains. I am far less likely to consume any "real" foods like organic veggies and grass fed, pastured meats. The vegetables and meat that I do consume are probably covered in bad for me condiments and dripping with more non-food calories. So, I am surviving on chemicals and junk! Go me . . . </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After completing a Whole 30 diet plan for 30 + days I realized that I was not nearly as swollen as before eating Paleo/Primal. Then after stuffing myself with bad for me foods, I start to puff up like a microwaved marshmallow. Now, this is not weight I am referring to. This is some sort of inflammation or swelling. My weight could remain the same, but I notice after eating "off plan" at dinner I wake up puffy and swollen the next day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I will admit that I did not incorporate foods back into my diet one at a time after doing my Whole 30 so I don't know what causes the swelling. My inclination is grains, however, it could be grains, dairy, legumes, sugar or any combination of these items. Maybe I will try a proper reintroduction of foods in the near future to see if I can figure this out. In the meantime, I am trying to get back on the Primal/Paleo plan to help keep me from looking and feeling like the picture below! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdmImcxrsjGwVyX8eA7uVYTKt81dQloby1vowIxniZY71EX41e6aHOcRxqccKr-kVNF_Biui5JWWGnJhh0JU6lJIVCfgncgPdFdQXeAogc0W3cocKEOAJz2V2a9MkqS8F-4apSSjR1qk/s1600/microwaved+peep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdmImcxrsjGwVyX8eA7uVYTKt81dQloby1vowIxniZY71EX41e6aHOcRxqccKr-kVNF_Biui5JWWGnJhh0JU6lJIVCfgncgPdFdQXeAogc0W3cocKEOAJz2V2a9MkqS8F-4apSSjR1qk/s320/microwaved+peep.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor microwaved Peep</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328083099615063728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534502776987025653.post-14622257840200238482013-11-05T07:05:00.001-08:002013-11-05T07:05:38.843-08:00Hello My Name Is . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLL9bvuQ1jhksIiVi7K4Np8Z0uqp_UptbL4sP_apuHPJMofIhmmfXrbk0k_NF9ZSIqS08_jMG-oTVazeMo0raWElhVBUC0wYcWNhpkuW7B3FSXV454_nusnn_Uezr0EK6kH32PuDBqAg/s1600/Hello-My-Name-Is-Label-LB-1992.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLL9bvuQ1jhksIiVi7K4Np8Z0uqp_UptbL4sP_apuHPJMofIhmmfXrbk0k_NF9ZSIqS08_jMG-oTVazeMo0raWElhVBUC0wYcWNhpkuW7B3FSXV454_nusnn_Uezr0EK6kH32PuDBqAg/s320/Hello-My-Name-Is-Label-LB-1992.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hello, my name is Elizabeth! Welcome to my blog! With a long name like Elizabeth, I get asked all the time, "is that what you go by" or "what do you like to be called"? My typical response is, "I introduce myself as Elizabeth, but people usually find their own nicknames for me". You have NO idea how many nicknames I have. They range anywhere from the normal, Liz, Beth, Lizzie, LizzyBeth, Lizzy Lu, Lizzy Lu Who, Lizzie Ann (my middle name IS Ann), and "E", all the way to Lizard Breath and Bubba. The latter two are, of course, both family given :-)! I truly think I have a different nickname from just about every person I know, so pick something that works for you . . . I'll probably answer! However, it does make my husband happy when people call me Elizabeth. He's not so keen on being married to a "Bubba". I don't guess I can blame him! :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Okay, so you are probably wondering what is this "Musings of a Microwaved Marshmallow" blog all about anyway? I decided to write this blog because I am trying to be healthier. I turned 35 in May and set a goal on my birthday to let 35 be my healthiest year yet. So far that's not going so great! However, I recently did a "Whole 30" challenge. I actually lasted about 40 days following the true "Whole 30" guidelines. During that time I lost weight and felt great. I had more energy, and I really enjoyed the Paleo/Primal lifestyle. I have tried to maintain the Paleo/Primal eating habits since then, but I find myself off track quite frequently. Since reverting back to my old habits, I have gained most of that weight back, I am tired and just don't feel as good. So, with 6 months left until I turn 36, it's time to get in gear! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have made a meal plan for the week, and I intend to get back on track starting with dinner tonight! This weekend was busy, and I did not get to the grocery store, or I would have gotten started this morning. I know . . . excuses, excuses, excuses! Anyway, I intend to use this blog as a form of accountability, and you my friends, will hopefully be my accountability partners. I will share various things on here such as my meal plans, recipes, health tid bits, and other things I find (or think you may find) of interest. Please follow this blog and let's encourage one another on our life journeys! Have a happy day! </span></div>
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