I've been gone too long...aka bought a house and haven't postedanything!!!

Starting simple with some food pics. Will post some other fun ones soon. Hope you're doing #alittlebitbetter xo

Exploring Fat Cat in Quincy, MA. That is a seriously big burger! It was pretty good, but the BBQ Pulled Pork nachos were the star of the show. 

Pesto chicken with avocado, asparagus and sundried tomato risotto

Scrambled eggs with cherry tomato, asparagus, leeks and a touch of cream cheese

Homemade turkey burgers with sirracha

SUPERBOWL! We were cauchon dengue. Taco dip (8 layer), homemade guacamole, queso dip. So bad!!!!!!

Cauliflower "pizza"

Cauliflower pizza crust - first try! 

Sage sausage, mushrooms, onions, plum tomatoes, cheese. 

Semi-cook cauliflower (6-7min in oven) then mix in egg, cup cheese, spices. 425 deg in oven for 15 minutes. Brown crust. 

Add toppings. 

Put back in oven for another 10-15 minutes.

#alittlebitbetter

Some recent bites...

Merry Christmas! I hope you and yours had a magical holiday season filled with love, health and laughter. 

Some bites of late! #alittlebitbetter

Low-carb homemade Tom Khah soup

Mojo chicken stirfry with kale and baby bok Choy 

Stuffed peppers with sage-sausage, mushrooms, spinach and pesto

Stuffed salmon with red peppers and feta and spinach, baked Brie with peach preserves and spices and pecans, shrimp Piri Piri in zucchini pasta

Shabu shabu

Baked salmon, broccolini and sweet potato "fries"

Brewster oysters with Mom's homemade mignonette 

Our Christmas tradition - fresh lobsters and raw oysters. All picked up from fishmongers around the Cape

Speaking of fresh - Nantucket bay scallops with raspberries and fennel salad with leftover mignonette as dressing. Diving!

Time to reset!!!!

Bad girl. I have fallen off the wagon face-first. Moving had us eating out all the time, tons of takeout and almost zero gym. Haven't really been grocery shopping with the move in over 3 weeks! We both are craving a reset back to our good ways so tomorrow we are back to basics. 

Disgustingly fried and yet delicious. We decided to go big for a "last meal" to remind ourselves how bad the belly will feel after. 

Amazing - tried a pomelo for the first time for breakfast:

M "king of the world" at the grocery store. Don't try this at home ;) it's hard to steer but very funny 

Our glorious new grown-up sized fridge packed with healthy food to start our week - we are back!!!!

#alittlebitbetter

Catching Up

Whole 30 Days 8-9

MONDAY: Day 8

Breakfast - handful of almonds, banana, coffee with almond milk

Lunch - leftover chicken curry (mmmmmmmm....)

Dinner - M made stuffed peppers with grass-fed beef, sweet potato shavings, red pepper, pecans, egg, and love. Huge delicious dinner bomb!

 TUESDAY: Day 9 and HOME INSPECTION DAY!
(cue trying not to stress snack!!!)

Breakfast - Few almonds before the gym. Met up with my friend Cindy for breakfast and asked them to create something (instead of breakfast sandwich) so had two eggs, slice sausage, tomatoes and sliced avocado. Awesome and hearty. Coffee with almond milk and a cup of tea.

Lunch - heading to home inspection - few more almonds. Around 2:30pm when we finally finished headed to a local bar and had a chicken cobb salad with no dairy and oil and vinegar dressing.

Afternoon - ADMISSION - I was totally NOT hungry at all. I just ate because I wanted a treat and 'deserved' one after being so good and making it through the home inspection. Found these and thought it would be a nice change (also while at grocery store talked myself out of buying medjool dates to have at the house as that would lead to snacking whereas this was one little treat).

 Lunch - feeling something lighter. Oven roasted salmon cooked over two pieces of bacon I had left just for a little flavor (didn't really add anything). Zucchini 'pasta' with garlic, onion, lemon, spinach and grape tomatoes. Topped with an invented tapenade (M's idea) - chopped up olives, garlic, onion, dijon mustard, S & P. Not a bad outcome!

Still chugging along. Still a little miserable, but getting much better and snacking urges are going away. Coffee with coconut milk is tasting better. Still none of the euphoric happy-happy-joy-joy 'I feel so amazing' that others online seem to report, but again the clothes fitting better is keeping me focused and in the game. It's possible too that #Whole30 combined with purchasing a condo isn't the best combo, because I'm stressed already. Although, on second thought, having rules about what I can and can't have is probably saving me a zillion calories in lo-carb but calorie bomb snacks and martinis galore. Hmmm...maybe I'm on to something here....

#alittlebitbetter

Whole 30 Day 7

Ok ok - I caved - there is no way I want to go 30 days without a weigh-in to monitor progress. I will do the rest but that's the one thing. 

So, week one: DOWN SIX POUNDS. M down THREE. Oh, I guess it isn't so terrible after all...perhaps will now work on complaining and bad attitude? 

SUNDAY DAY 7

BREAKFAST:

Two eggs, two pieces of nitrate-free bacon and two slices of avocado with coffee and coconut milk. 

LUNCH:

Leftover veggie salad with olive tapenade and lemon olive oil

DINNER:

OOOOHHHHMYYYYYGOOOOSHHHH. Make this. Make this now. Crock-pot Chicken Masaman Curry with cauliflower "rice."

Shut the front door it was awesome! 

#alittlebitbetter

Whole 30 Days 4-6

THURSDAY Day 4:

Tired. Grumpy. Hungry.

BREAKFAST: egg 'muffins' and a banana

LUNCH: 'no bun no fries' from our restaurant at work

DINNER:

Pork loin, roasted sweet potatoes, rainbow swiss chard with onions

FRIDAY DAY 5:

Woke up feeling HUNGOVER today. M did too. Terrible headache, exhausted, both slept through the alarm for the gym. Not nice. So odd. We both spent 15 minutes googling possibilities of a sweet potato hangover or half-joking that the cat fed us drinks while we were sleeping. What the $%^& good is not enjoying a cocktail for 30 days if we are going to wake up feeling like we got schmammered the night before? Almost all of the negatives without the fun. Great. Needless to say we were pretty pissed this morning and really missing some greasy food and sugar-bombed coffee. Yes. I get that this is missing the point. We didn't do it alright?! I'm just saying...

Breakfast: plum, mix of cashews and pecans with some salt

Lunch: salad from the restaurant Chicken Cobb without cheese with oil and vinegar

Dinner: bunless burger from FOUR BURGERS with fried egg on top and a side salad with oil and vinegar and dijon mustard. 

DYING for a treat, so at the movies instead of popcorn and a diet soda (my usual treat) I brought mixed nuts (no peanuts) with a vita-coco

SATURDAY DAY 6:

Breakfast: bowl of cashews, coconut shreds and a few strawberries mixed together

Lunch: green salad with shredded chicken, olives, cauliflower and shredded carrots, oil and vinegar

Dinner: Pot roast with bacon (slow-cooked), celery, carrots, onions. With a side of asparagus and artichoke hearts.

I have been struggling with beverages, missing the different flavors. I didn't realize how much I would miss that. I've been crushing as many different flavors of club soda as I can find. We have also been really craving foods that we normally wouldn't eat. Example, Saturday night we nearly caved when we both suddenly wanted chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream (mint chocolate for M) AND ruffles chips with french onion dip. We were literally both GIDDY talking about it and I think both waiting for the other to just say 'screw it' and sprint to the corner store. This is crazy.

I am getting a little sick of all of the cooking. M is getting sick of doing so many dishes. We are spending all weekend in so we're avoiding temptation. Damn this Whole30.

I know it's good for us, enjoying some of the new recipes but tired. Tired of cooking. Tired of reading labels. Tired of no sauces on anything. Tired of being one of those obnoxious 'oooooh we don't eat that we are paleo, mmmmmmk?' people. I actually watched Ted talks yesterday debunking paleo as not being authentic to the cavemen at all. So mentally we are not doing well with this.  All this complaining and we're not quitting yet? Why you ask? I have no idea. Just that we said that we would do 30 days so #$%^& it we are going to do it. $%^&*^%$!!!! 

Arrrrrrrgh #alittlebitbetter

Whole30 Day 3

Day 2 Whole 30

WHOLE 30 DAY 2: Tuesday, October 1

BREAKFAST: Monday night I made egg mini-frittatas to make breakfast happen a bit faster. But dairy free? No cream and no milk in these (*sigh* missing lo-carb, but also realizing how many extra calories that is)?!

8 eggs, splash coconut milk (unsweetened), italian chicken sausage (comes pre-cooked and don't forget to read the labels of the different brands), swiss chard, onions, asparagus. Dropped all solid ingredients into the muffin tins, used the baster to get the egg/coconut milk mixture (with bit of salt, pepper, nutmeg, red pepper and parsley dashed in) into the muffin tin.  Baked for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Could have gone maybe a few minutes less?  RESULT? Still delicious. Consistency was a little different without the dairy, and a little less filling, but the combo of the veggies and the chicken sausage was nice and they have held up well in the fridge. Strawberries (about 4 medium berries) as a fruit. Yummmmmm I have missed Strawberries. One cup of Mango black tea.

Tried black coffee from the Caf' at work. Now free coffee is nothing to complain about (wait for it...) but it's delicious with cream and a ton of splenda so it really tastes like a sugar bomb instead of coffee at all. I tried it black. It is not my thing. That's the nicest thing I can say. At work I am going to have to stick with tea..

LUNCH: takeout from Amhreins in Southie. Roasted turkey salad with no cheese and oil/vinegar. Missing the avocado we were hoping for, but the egg was nice. Romaine lettuce, O/V, an egg, carrot strips, onions, S/P, roasted red peppers.

We were out condo shopping during lunch and then ran back to work for a meeting so I didn't start to eat until nearly 3pm. I will admit, I was completely moody, grumpy and irrationally nearly in tears. I have no clue if I can blame this on the diet, house shopping, busy work day, halving the caffeine I normally have, or what...but I was pathetic. Eating helped a lot. 

DINNER: After snooping around Pinterest a bit looking for ideas, I came up with this one on Sunday. It was pretty easy to make, super flavorful, and the ONLY thing I would do differently next time is to find a sugar-free hot sauce I could add to it (or make one to add).

LETTUCE TACO WRAPS: 

Rediscovered my little Cuisinart processor. Beautiful for this!

• Brown chicken breast, one onion and garlic in a pan. Once it's browned, add chicken broth (watch the ingredients), juice of two limes, and a splash of coconut milk to cover the chicken. Simmer for 30 minutes or so until you can shred the chicken with a fork. *disclaimer: i meant to do this with the crock pot in the morning but forgot. That would have added to the juiciness of the chicken.
• Break 1 head iceburg lettuce into "shells"
• In the Cuisinart chop up shredded carrots (about 1 small carrot), handful cilantro, orange pepper, few stalks of celery (adds volume and nearly no calories) and set aside.
• In a separate bowl mix a small handful of cashews and unsweetened coconut flakes
• Slice an avocado into small pieces.
• Shred chicken and remove from the broth
• Mix it all up in your little shells and enjoy!

We also decided that the broth was so good (and with great nutrients/protein leeched from the chicken from what I've been reading) that we would add the leftover shredded veggies to it and have a cup of 'soup' to finish off the meal. Delicious!

Bon appétit!

Overall day 2: feeling pretty good. Discovered that great coffee we have at home with a touch of coconut milk does the trick and doesn't make you feel like you're completely missing out. Very nice. A little moody and headachey today which is strange, but feel like I'm less puffy in the middle today. 

#alittlebitbetter

Whole30: Day 1 September 29, 2013

Whole 30 Challenge:

Decided to start Day 1 yesterday Monday September 30th. 30 days of only whole foods. Paleo to the extreme, yet it's really simple. Focus on fresh veggies, fruit, fish, meat, chicken, eggs. However, you can also say: no alcohol, no dairy, no gluten, no grains, no legumes, no sugar, no preservatives.

 

So spent Sunday afternoon planning meals for the week to make it easier on us. M has agreed to try the challenge with me (he's so supportive, it's pretty damn amazing). Went grocery shopping, put all of the dairy in the freezer (what kind of crazy person throws away dairy?!), wrote up workouts for the week and here we go!

CONCERNS: Feeling a little challenged by missing out on dairy. Looking forward to a little cleanse for 30 days from alcohol, though I know there is a party or two in there where I'll struggle to not. Already wishing I had one more Starbucks iced coffee with a shot of sugar-free caramel, half and half and two splenda (um, I know that's not a health food thank you. Stop judging me.) Black coffee is not awesome. Let's be honest.

PROS: With Fall in the air, and having done lo-carb for so long, I'm really excited to reintroduce some vegetables we've been staying away from for a long time like some of the squash family and sweet potatoes. Also really excited to eat some fruit! Hellooooooo apples, plums, apricots and berries.

MONDAY BREAKFAST:

Smoothie with frozen berries, sunflower butter, coconut milk, pea shoots, cayanne pepper, ginger, nutmeg, frozen peaches.   Feeling great throughout the morning, though wanting to snack a bit.  

LUNCH:
Free lunch in the caf. Green salad, two pieces of chicken (removed the skin), fresh lemon juice, little bit of OO, salt and pepper.

 

This afternoon started to get sad about the diet, and laughing at myself for being emotional about it. Just wanting to snack - had an apple - little better - about an hour later I wanted some nuts, string cheese, or a little something.    

DINNER:

Veggie salad: celery, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, pea shoots, black olives, olive oil, white balsamic. Surprisingly delicious.  

Stuffed green peppers: grass-fed hamburger, onions, shredded carrots, sliced white mushrooms, garlic, corriander, salt, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, parsley, dijon mustard, nitrate-free bacon piece on top.

I pre-cooked the ingredients, stuffed into the pepper and topped with the raw bacon, then cooked at 375 for 40 minutes. Next time I wouldn't pre cook and maybe add an egg to hold it all together? Something. Flavor was delicious but once it was cooked it all fell apart.

Overall - great start. Finished dinner, made breakfast frittatas for next few days, and headed off to sleep.

1 down, 29 to go. #alittlebitbetter

42 Reasons I La-La-Love Switzerland