Thanks to my dear friend Keli, I now have a wonderful recipe for homemade granola. I have tried many many recipes and haven't been to thrilled with any of them. A few of them were ok, but this one is absolutely awesome...so great that I'm not sure I will ever buy store bought granola again! I hope you enjoy it also!
Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats (I used thick organic oats)
1 cup shredded or chipped coconut
1 cup nuts of choice, chopped coarse (I used walnuts)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil or 1 stick butter (I used coconut oil)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
To stir in AFTER baking:
1 cup dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, apricots, raisins, etc.) optional...(I did NOT use any)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, silpat or grease.
In a large bowl combine oats, coconut, nuts and salt
The directions call to melt butter or oil in saucepan and blend remaining ingredients into oil, then pour over dry ingredients, but I skipped this step and dumped everything into the large bowl by accident. Fortunately, it turned out great.
Spread onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes (min took about 40 minutes), stirring every 5 minutes until golden brown. Do not overbake!
When it comes out of the oven it will still seem soft, but as long as it is nicely golden brown in color it should crisp up nicely upon cooling.
Place baking sheet on wire rack to cool. Once the granola has completely cooled, stir in dried fruit if desired and store in airtight container or plastic bag. It will keep for several weeks.
Makes about 5 cups of Granola
NOTE: Recipe from http://www.cookingforseven.com
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Today's Menu
Now 4 days after successfully completing the raw/green smoothie cleanse I am continuing to make healthy choices. Surprisingly to me, it hasn't been too difficult. It does require thought and staying ahead of my hunger! That is one thing I have learned...don't allow yourself to get too hungry without having a plan or temptation could get the best of you! Grab an apple, a stick of celery, a cup of low fat cottage cheese, or 8 oz of water before you grab a handful of chips or cookies! It is amazing how water can fill in the gap sometimes and most of us don't drink enough water on a regular basis anyhow, so it would be great to drink an extra glass or 2 each day...I know I was guilty of this (and am now slowly getting better). :)
So, on to today's menu:
Breakfast-1 cup 0% fat greek yogurt, 1/2 cup homemade granola (recipe to follow) and 1 cup sliced strawberries
NOTE: I left the house so I took a Trio bar and 32oz. of water with me in case I got hungry (I did NOT end up eating the Trio bar, but drank all of the water)
Lunch - 1 baked potato with 1 t butter, 1 t light sour cream and 1 wedge of chipotle laughing cow cheese
Snack - 1 whole roasted beet with goat cheese crumbles and 1/4 cup light wheat thins
Dinner - 3 slices of grilled eggplant with EVOO, 1/2 cup cooked quinoa and 1 small romaine and spinach salad with avocado, onion and 1 strawberry sliced with 1 T fat free organic poppyseed dressing.
Throughout the day I had 64 oz of water total.
I felt satisfied today and one step closer to a few inches smaller! :)
So, on to today's menu:
Breakfast-1 cup 0% fat greek yogurt, 1/2 cup homemade granola (recipe to follow) and 1 cup sliced strawberries
NOTE: I left the house so I took a Trio bar and 32oz. of water with me in case I got hungry (I did NOT end up eating the Trio bar, but drank all of the water)
Lunch - 1 baked potato with 1 t butter, 1 t light sour cream and 1 wedge of chipotle laughing cow cheese
Snack - 1 whole roasted beet with goat cheese crumbles and 1/4 cup light wheat thins
Dinner - 3 slices of grilled eggplant with EVOO, 1/2 cup cooked quinoa and 1 small romaine and spinach salad with avocado, onion and 1 strawberry sliced with 1 T fat free organic poppyseed dressing.
Throughout the day I had 64 oz of water total.
I felt satisfied today and one step closer to a few inches smaller! :)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
A new kind of typical
Since the green smoothie fast I have found myself with a new kind of typical. One of my biggest challenges used to be finding something healthy to eat in the middle of the day when I am busy preparing food for my 2 children, trying to clean up after them and trying to get SOMETHING accomplished during the day. Somehow, what I ate and how I took care of myself always took the back seat position. I would preach to my kids about making healthy choices, then scarf down a handful of pretzels or maybe a bowl of cereal and call it a meal. Well, since I learned that green smoothies don't taste so bad, they are really good for you, and they are quick to prepare...they are now an everyday part of my diet! They take the place when I find myself hungry, but lacking time to prepare an entire plate of food. I can blend something up and take it with me in the car. I actually might say I crave green smoothies now!
A typical day of eating before the cleanse consisted of lots of carbs, a no holds bar sweet tooth and maybe a decent dinner with a vegetable...followed by various snacks after dinner! I always thought we ate healthy and probably compared to much of the USA we did. But we were designed to eat far more fruits and vegetables than we consume.
Anyhow, last night I took the kids out to Jason's Deli. I ordered a chicken wrap and was only able to consume half. I also got a fruit cup, instead of the chips that were supposed to come with it and I passed up the free ice cream that I would usually put in a large cup to be able to eat as much as I could! How did I do this? Well, it wasn't will power. I didn't even want it! It is really absolutely crazy, but the cleanse did something to my system to reduce my craving and change my desires.
I think since the cleanse allowed me to drop 7 pounds, I am more determined than ever to keep it off and keep dropping more lubs!
A typical day of eating before the cleanse consisted of lots of carbs, a no holds bar sweet tooth and maybe a decent dinner with a vegetable...followed by various snacks after dinner! I always thought we ate healthy and probably compared to much of the USA we did. But we were designed to eat far more fruits and vegetables than we consume.
Anyhow, last night I took the kids out to Jason's Deli. I ordered a chicken wrap and was only able to consume half. I also got a fruit cup, instead of the chips that were supposed to come with it and I passed up the free ice cream that I would usually put in a large cup to be able to eat as much as I could! How did I do this? Well, it wasn't will power. I didn't even want it! It is really absolutely crazy, but the cleanse did something to my system to reduce my craving and change my desires.
I think since the cleanse allowed me to drop 7 pounds, I am more determined than ever to keep it off and keep dropping more lubs!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Peach Pie Recipe
Everyone that tasted this pie enjoyed it! I was truly surprised, as this whole "raw" thing is still very new to me. I would definitely make this again! It was terrific!!!
Crust:
1 3/4 cup raw almonds
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
4-5 dried dates
2 T honey
1 T almond or canola oil
Filling:
4 peaches
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 T coconut flakes
4 dried dates
1 T honey
Directions:
Finely chop the almonds in a food processor or Vita-Mix.
Add the rest of the crust ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Spread the dough out evenly on the bottom of a pie dish.
Put 2 peaches in the food processor or Vita-Mix. When they are finely chopped, add the rest of the filling ingredients, EXCEPT for the last 2 peaches. Blend thoroughly, and remove from processor.
Slice the remaining 2 peaches and mix with filling mixture. Stir gently by hand.
Pour filling into pie dish.
Garnish with mint sprig if desired.
Recipe slightly adapted from: "Raw Food" by Erica Palmcrantz and Irmela Lilja
Crust:
1 3/4 cup raw almonds
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
4-5 dried dates
2 T honey
1 T almond or canola oil
Filling:
4 peaches
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 T coconut flakes
4 dried dates
1 T honey
Directions:
Finely chop the almonds in a food processor or Vita-Mix.
Add the rest of the crust ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Spread the dough out evenly on the bottom of a pie dish.
Put 2 peaches in the food processor or Vita-Mix. When they are finely chopped, add the rest of the filling ingredients, EXCEPT for the last 2 peaches. Blend thoroughly, and remove from processor.
Slice the remaining 2 peaches and mix with filling mixture. Stir gently by hand.
Pour filling into pie dish.
Garnish with mint sprig if desired.
Recipe slightly adapted from: "Raw Food" by Erica Palmcrantz and Irmela Lilja
What does a 7 day green smoothie - raw cleanse look like?
I followed the "raw diva" cleanse, which men can also do! This is a link to the materials page, which will help you make better (for your stomach) smoothie combinations and teach you some of the basics of raw eating. http://www.therawdivas.com/7daydetox/downloads.php
I chose to do mainly green smoothies during my cleanse out of ease.
I only ate 3 "meals" a day, but you must consider that each smoothie was approximately 24 ounces.
The night before starting at 7pm I did a 24 hour water ONLY fast. You are supposed to break the fast at 7pm the following night with a single fruit dinner. Melon is what they encourage you to eat that night. That is what I did. I ate 1 whole medium sized cantaloupe for dinner, drank more water, then went to bed.
The next morning I would start consuming 3 green smoothies per day!
NOTE: When making smoothies add at least 2 ounces of water to the blender and more after blended when necessary, as the smoothies can get quite thick the longer they sit. I liked to put my smoothies in a large 32 oz. Nalgene bottle, then add a bit of water and shake as my smoothie thickened.
My second day consisted of:
Breakfast green smoothie #1 - 3 bananas, 2 handfuls of spinach and 1 handful parsley!
Lunch green smoothie #2 - 3 kale leaves, 1 carrot, 1 stick of celery and one granny smith apple. (not the yummiest)
Dinner green smoothie #3 - (a treat for gulping down all of smoothie #2) 2 1/2 peaches, 8 strawberries, and enough spinach to stuff the blender full! Delicious!
Other things eaten during the remaining 5 days were:
Green smoothie: 4 large kale leaves, 5 strawberries and 1 1/2 cup blueberries
Green smoothie: 1 celery stick, 1 peach, 1 golden delicious apple, and a blender full spinach! I'm enjoyed this one!
Green smoothie: 1 handful of romaine lettuce, 1 handful spinach, 1 celery stick, 3 inches of cucumber, 1 peach, and 1 golden delicious apple (same as above, just romaine and cucumber added and it was still good)
Favorite smoothie: 1 mango, 1 chunk pineapple, 1/4 cup shredded coconut and the remaining part of the blender packed with as much spinach as I could fit!
I also ate a plate of avocado, tomatoes and cucumber simply sliced as one meal.
On day six we were planning to have a cookout with some friends who would be eating burgers, hotdogs, chicken, salmon, potato chips, and chocolate chip cookies...so I prepared in advance!
I marinated a portabello mushroom in some organic garlic/apple cider vinegar dressing, along with some sweet red bell peppers. I had some cucumber, tomato and carrot sticks. For dessert I ate fresh watermelon and I prepared a raw peach pie (recipe to follow). I was completely satisfied and felt great that I averted the various temptations.
If you choose to do the cleanse you can tailor it to your needs, but remember that whatever you eat, it must grow naturally from the ground and be in a raw state. I chose not to eat any nuts or add any sweeteners, except for what was in the peach pie on day 6, because I wanted to get the maximum benefit from the cleanse.
I'll tell you after the 7 days were over, I felt terrific!!! I have more energy and just feel more vibrant!
I will continue to incorporate green smoothies into my every day life as I work to drop the remaining 33 pounds!
I chose to do mainly green smoothies during my cleanse out of ease.
I only ate 3 "meals" a day, but you must consider that each smoothie was approximately 24 ounces.
The night before starting at 7pm I did a 24 hour water ONLY fast. You are supposed to break the fast at 7pm the following night with a single fruit dinner. Melon is what they encourage you to eat that night. That is what I did. I ate 1 whole medium sized cantaloupe for dinner, drank more water, then went to bed.
The next morning I would start consuming 3 green smoothies per day!
NOTE: When making smoothies add at least 2 ounces of water to the blender and more after blended when necessary, as the smoothies can get quite thick the longer they sit. I liked to put my smoothies in a large 32 oz. Nalgene bottle, then add a bit of water and shake as my smoothie thickened.
My second day consisted of:
Breakfast green smoothie #1 - 3 bananas, 2 handfuls of spinach and 1 handful parsley!
Lunch green smoothie #2 - 3 kale leaves, 1 carrot, 1 stick of celery and one granny smith apple. (not the yummiest)
Dinner green smoothie #3 - (a treat for gulping down all of smoothie #2) 2 1/2 peaches, 8 strawberries, and enough spinach to stuff the blender full! Delicious!
Other things eaten during the remaining 5 days were:
Green smoothie: 4 large kale leaves, 5 strawberries and 1 1/2 cup blueberries
Green smoothie: 1 celery stick, 1 peach, 1 golden delicious apple, and a blender full spinach! I'm enjoyed this one!
Green smoothie: 1 handful of romaine lettuce, 1 handful spinach, 1 celery stick, 3 inches of cucumber, 1 peach, and 1 golden delicious apple (same as above, just romaine and cucumber added and it was still good)
Favorite smoothie: 1 mango, 1 chunk pineapple, 1/4 cup shredded coconut and the remaining part of the blender packed with as much spinach as I could fit!
I also ate a plate of avocado, tomatoes and cucumber simply sliced as one meal.
On day six we were planning to have a cookout with some friends who would be eating burgers, hotdogs, chicken, salmon, potato chips, and chocolate chip cookies...so I prepared in advance!
I marinated a portabello mushroom in some organic garlic/apple cider vinegar dressing, along with some sweet red bell peppers. I had some cucumber, tomato and carrot sticks. For dessert I ate fresh watermelon and I prepared a raw peach pie (recipe to follow). I was completely satisfied and felt great that I averted the various temptations.
If you choose to do the cleanse you can tailor it to your needs, but remember that whatever you eat, it must grow naturally from the ground and be in a raw state. I chose not to eat any nuts or add any sweeteners, except for what was in the peach pie on day 6, because I wanted to get the maximum benefit from the cleanse.
I'll tell you after the 7 days were over, I felt terrific!!! I have more energy and just feel more vibrant!
I will continue to incorporate green smoothies into my every day life as I work to drop the remaining 33 pounds!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Dropping Lubs
As my 6 year old daughter was learning about sharks and reading their stats, she commented on how it was amazing that one shark could weigh 3,000 "lubs". She was phonetically reading the lbs! It made me laugh, so I decided to put a lub tracker on the top of the page. Lets drop some lubs friends! :)
1 year 9 months later!
After 1 year and 9 months, I was STILL struggling with my weight! Lacking motivation to exercise. Lacking self discipline to eat properly. And here I am fatter than I was before.
With a recent diagnosis of hypothyroid and the viewing of a documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead...I finally was spurred on to action!
I'm up 40 pounds from what my target weight really should be and feeling lousy to boot!
So, last Sunday night 7.10.11 (weighing in at 170 lbs), I started a 7 day green smoothie/raw food cleanse. I successfully completed it last night and weighed in at 163! I finally have done it...I finally jump started my weight loss...I finally have less cravings...I finally have more motivation...I'm finally ready to make a FOREVER change. 1 year and 9 months (maybe sooner) from today I hope to post a hot picture...not a fat picture! No more excuses!
With a recent diagnosis of hypothyroid and the viewing of a documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead...I finally was spurred on to action!
I'm up 40 pounds from what my target weight really should be and feeling lousy to boot!
So, last Sunday night 7.10.11 (weighing in at 170 lbs), I started a 7 day green smoothie/raw food cleanse. I successfully completed it last night and weighed in at 163! I finally have done it...I finally jump started my weight loss...I finally have less cravings...I finally have more motivation...I'm finally ready to make a FOREVER change. 1 year and 9 months (maybe sooner) from today I hope to post a hot picture...not a fat picture! No more excuses!
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