Spring "Cleaning", Paleo-Style!

Spring Break broke me...

I ate a cupcake.  A gluten-free wrap (which still contains grains).  Some delightful (and deadly) frozen 'snow' concoction that I'm pretty sure contained dairy, but I thought it better to not ask...  Some rice.  And TWO orders of sweet potato fries that I did not share. 

Not enough veggies.  Not enough fruit.  And definitely not enough lean protein. 

I did drink lots of water.  I had fresh fruit every day.  I stayed away from cheese (thank goodness). 

And now I am ready to clean up my act!  My body was screaming at me yesterday and the day before.  And then last night after watching game after game of March Madness, we gave the remote to Peanut and she landed on "Momma June, From Not to Hot".  Like a car accident...I somehow couldn't look away.

And she was binging.  And hiding food from her family and friends and support group.

And I was reminded of a time when I was addicted to food and had a very low self-image because of my choices and my body.

And I don't ever want that again.

I will never be model-thin.  I love food too much.  But I am proud of myself.  Never ashamed to go out in public.  Able to wear jeans and a t-shirt comfortably.  Okay putting on my swimsuit to swim laps.  Shopping in regular stores and departments.  Pretty much the size I was in high school again... with some laugh lines and scars to document a great life!  And, I have a healthy relationship with food...something I didn't think was possible and it's all because I have been able to rid my diet of things that are addicting and toxic.

So, anyway....

Monday I am doing another CleanLeanMean15 to get back to my proud, happy place.

15 days (which is nothing in the grand scheme of things) of squeaky clean eating.  No gluten.  No grains.  No dairy.  No soy.  No peanuts.  No legumes.  No sugar (refined or other).  And absolutely no artificial sweeteners!

The first day is easy.  You will be driven.  You will be excited.  Hopefully you will be doing this with a buddy or family member and you will congratulate each other.

Day 2 will be stressful.  Day 15 will seem so far away....

Day 3, 4 or 5 will be your biggest challenge. 

Depending on how much junk you are giving up and how much you "go out with a food bang" this weekend - you will go through sugar or dairy or gluten detox...or all of the above.  You will have a headache.  You may be a bit shaky.  You will probably be very snack-y and want to eat everything.  And you will probably experience REAL hunger for the first time in a long time because you have taken out all the stuff that messes with your receptors and metabolism and insulin.

You will survive it if you are prepared.

I will be helping you with that throughout the process.  Thursday I posted some easy meal ideas (some that you can order in restaurants) and the weekly menu (that is entirely CLM15 compliant) and today I am going to post a shopping list to help you get ready!

Make sure you like Wildflower Kitchen's Facebook Page to keep up with recipes, meal ideas and some "how do I navigate a restaurant menu" ideas along the way!

I have to hit the farmer's market, so I will end now with more coming later....You CAN DO THIS!

Sweet Potato Toast...what a good idea!

I think it's safe to say that I am in the Paleo Groove.  I've been eating this way for nearly 2 years, feeding my family this way for nearly 2 years (with 2 teenagers!) and preparing meals and doing meal prep and catering events for 18 months.  It's second nature.

I no longer grab for the loaf of bread or the bagels or get out my rice cooker to fill out a meal or make it more convenient.

As a matter of fact, until yesterday, I had my toaster wrapped in plastic and stored away in my garage.  Who needs a toaster when you haven't purchased a single loaf of bread or English muffin or bagel in 2 years?

And then I watched, as I do every morning, the Today Show and saw a segment with Joy Bauer that featured sweet potato toast.  Her's was covered in peanut butter, which I don't eat, but it got me thinking.

And the thought that ran through my head first and then again and again was "I miss avocado toast...sigh..." 

Sprinkled between my longing for avocado toast were thoughts about the convenience of toast, of tuna melts and breakfast sandwiches and after school snacks and things the kids can hold in their hands and eat on the way to their many activities.

And so, I braved the cold of the garage and dug out and unpacked my trusty toaster, sharpened my chef's knife and decided to experiment with sweet potato toast.

I did not want to go to the market, so I only used things I had in my fridge and pantry for my first trio of toasts.  Sadly (or not), I was home alone, so there was no one to test my creations on.  On the bright side, every last drop of mashed avocado was MINE!

I love the ease of sweet potato toast and I loved the results of my first 3 creations.

The most difficult part of this was deciding how thick to slice the sweet potato and how long to toast it in the toaster.  I decided that my favorite sweet potato toasts were cut to just under 1/4" thick and were toasted 2 1/2 times on high.  That got them done in the middle with just a touch of brown crispiness around the edges, but left them sturdy enough to pick up to eat.  No utensils was a must for this experiment!

I made a breakfast toast of scrambled eggs, salt and pepper, topped with a bit of parsley for pretty.

I also created a lunch toast of tuna salad with line-caught tuna, hard-cooked eggs, dijon mustard, homemade paleo mayo, celery and pickled cucumber, salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

And, of course, I made my favorite mid-morning or after-school snack - Avocado Toast.  I just mashed a ripe avocado, added a squeeze of lime (not even half the lime), a good sprinkle of kosher salt and cracked black pepper.  Then I drizzled on some homemade dump ranch.  It was heaven.  Then I made a tuna salad, mashed avocado combo with the leftovers...oh my!

The toaster now has it's place of honor back on my counter.  I think it is going to be getting a lot of work now that I have discovered the yumminess and ease of making Sweet Potato Toast!

What would you put on sweet potato toast?  I'm thinking taco meat and salsa, pulled pork with a little extra sauce, sliced turkey and bacon with roma tomato, chicken salad (of course), almond butter with sliced banana and a touch of raw honey....I can't wait to try them all!

Clean Eating for My Family v. Clients (aka everyone else in the world...)

Yesterday was a day. 

A beautiful day - it SNOWED in Texas!  Not much, but enough to fill this Midwestern girl's heart with joy!

A bit of a lazy day - I got to enjoy my coffee and the Today show and my iPad for a full hour before I had to get up and accomplish things.

A productive day - shopping for clean eating basics (I forgot how much ghee and eggs and organic almond butter we go through when the entire family is doing 30 days of clean eating!) at Trader Joe's (bonus!), walking the dogs in the crisp flurries, writing some way overdue notes and slogging through a webinar (ugh... I got scammed out of an hour of my life...).

And a challenging day.

The challenge was one I am SO familiar with...I spend a huge portion of my days talking to people about Paleo eating and its benefits.  And 90% of the time I get to hear all the reasons why they CAN'T.  Can't give something up, can't make it 30 days, can't get their family to do it with them, can't find the time....can't, can't, can't.

And, believe it or not - I get it.

I don't know what flipped my switch and made me able to accomplish nearly 2 years of clean eating.  To get through that first 2 weeks of super-squeaky-clean eating that changed my life.  To allow me to break up with sugar and heal a life-long dysfunctional relationship with food and lose 80+ pounds.

Maybe it was the cancer I didn't even know I had.  Maybe it was God.  Maybe it was timing, or losing my mom, or boredom, or logic, or the realization of what "I would do ANYTHING to feel better about myself...." meant.

Who knows?  Who cares anymore...no matter the stories I tell or the facts I site or the examples I share - if someone isn't ready - there is nothing I can say to convince them to give it a go.

I love what Melissa and Dallas Hartwig say in the Whole30 book....don't tell me giving up sugar and drinking your coffee black is HARD.  Battling cancer is HARD, birthing a baby is HARD, losing a parent is HARD....you've been through much harder things in your life than giving up sugar!  It's only 30 days...you can do ANYTHING for 30 days.

That phrase help me up during my first 2 weeks of "what the hell was I thinking" clean eating back in April of 2015!

But the reality is - if you don't want to - you won't.  You'll say you can't - but you can.  You won't.

Maybe I should push harder to help more people...but I don't.  I don't waver - at all.  I believe all the way down to my toes that this is the healthiest way to live.  The healthiest, most natural way to feed my body.  The key to longer, more vibrant life.  And I continue to preach, but I don't push.  I suggest.  I remind.

Except when it comes to my family!

I PUSH!

And yesterday - I had to push hard!

There has been more thumb-sucking than usual about this January's clean eating.  Poor me - there's nothing to eat.  Poor me - all my friends are meeting at _____ and having _____.  Poor me - I want a food reward and YOU won't let me have it.

Ugh!

But family is different than everyone else.

Strange at it may seem to some - I genuinely want good health and riches and joy and happiness for everyone.  I am a glass way more than full girl and want to share that with the world.  But I don't like to be pushed, so I don't push.  I absolutely want others to share their good fortune and secret tricks and opportunities with me, but I want to be the one to decide if I take advantage of them....so I don't push.

But with my family - it's more.  It's about quality of their lives.  It's about not falling victim to Alzheimer's like my mom and her mom and her mom.  It's about not getting cancer.  It's about not having old lady knees at 40.  It's about feeling good about your body and your appearance and in your clothes at any age.  It's about taking control of their health.  Knowing the power of "You are what you Eat".

It's about loving them so much I am willing to have them not like me a couple of months and probably a hundred other meals out of every year (most of the time, they are totally understanding, but sometimes there is a LOT of eye rolling and heavy sighing...). 

It's about wanting a better, easier, more passionate, sprightly (is that a word anyone uses anymore???) life.  It's about creating a NORM that is healthy.  A baseline that is lean and clear and full of vitality. 

It's the hope that they will be armed with this knowledge and power and these habits to take them through their lives.

Parents do it all the time.  We want a better life for our children. 

Why does that have to mean finances and material things?  Or a bigger city?  Or a more advanced degree?  Or a bigger house?  Fancier car?  Unlimited mobile plan with the latest phone?

Why not a healthier better?

And so I push.  And I struggle with pushing, but I believe in it and I believe in them - just like I do with grades and volunteer opportunities and rescuing pets and sharing kindness...

And now I feel better because I wrote it down.  I wonder what brings out the "PUSH" in you?

Thinking About Paleo in the New Year???

Last year I published 10 Prepping for Paleo posts for anyone thinking about trying the Paleo style of eating to clean up their act in the New Year.  I thought I'd go ahead and share the links for all of the tips for anyone who (like me 2 years ago) feels like they have tried everything and failed again and again to get rid of stubborn weight (mine was lots and lots of belly fat), reclaim their energy (and not crash at 2pm and 8pm every day!), to stop the aches and pains in their joints or migraines or sinus pressure or whatever ailments were stemming from all the inflammation in your system, to sleep better, to feel better, to have clearing skin and healthier, stronger hair and nails, to eliminate bloat...

I could go on...because it really has been life changing for me and my family...

But I'll let you check it out for yourself!

My New Year's gift to you is a few of the things that made it work for us and the assurance that you can do ANYTHING for 30 days (I felt the difference in 11 days!) and it might just be the thing that works for you!

So, here are the links for each of the 10 posts from last December...pick and choose or read them all.

Happy, Healthy New Year Everyone!

1.  Considering Switching to a Paleo Diet?

2.  Phase It Out

3.  Do Your Research

4.  Buddy Up

5.  Focus On the Positive!

6.  Pantry Purge

7.  Journal

8.  Meal Plan

9.  Shop, Chop and Prep

10.  Start!

Feel free to message me through my Wildflower Kitchen Facebook page if you have questions...I do my best to answer within 24 hours.  I am NOT a nutritionist or doctor or any other type of "expert" - I just have 2 years under my belt living this new life and cooking for others - so I do know where to find ingredients and how to substitute to make your favorite recipes Paleo friendly (do not ask me how to make a grilled cheese sandwich...just let it go!).  I love food, I love to cook, we love to eat out and I never feel deprived...and I have experienced so many wonderful benefits.  I am always happy to share what I know.

Good luck.  #livehealthyeathappy

Paleo Roasted Mixed Veggie Soup

Today is the day after the day after Christmas...sigh...I love Christmas and I'm always sad to see it end.  But...or should I say BUT, my stomach is beyond ready for this holiday season to be over.

I overindulged.

On sweets.

Cookies (ones that I baked, ones that were gifts, ones that I walked by at a party or event...), pie (the traditional requested Christmas dessert that cannot be ignored), Blue Bell Peppermint Ice Cream (it only comes to town once a year and I refuse to resist...totally my choice, but oh my goodness!), candies (the ones we decorated gingerbread houses with, the ones we bought for gifts and stocking stuffers, the movie candy I totally snuck into the theatre and those darned kisses and hugs that were supposed to be just for baking cookies and snacks) and probably other things I have blocked out.

And presents.

I bought too much...I didn't charge a thing, but I took our checking account all the way to the edge.

And so...I must cleanse...on a budget!

We opted for super-easy "Cozy Christmas" this year.  It was just us and we wanted to relax and just spend the day watching movies and playing games.  So the menu was pretty make ahead and reheat...perfect, if you ask me.

No big leftover containers of traditional holiday dishes.  And not much else to create with.

But my produce drawer had some miscellaneous veggies and I always have chicken stock in my freezer and spices in my cabinet.

And soup (even though it's really pretty warm here in Texas) seemed like just what the doctor ordered to ease my tummy, kick start my post holiday clean eating and use up that produce so I didn't have to grocery shop (or spend) and I wouldn't have to throw anything out (bonus!)

So, this morning, bright and early, I got out everything that I thought would go great in soup, took a quart of chicken stock out of the freezer to thaw and got to work.

I am extremely pleased with the results and am going to share the recipe I used...but remember - you can make this with whatever you have on hand or whatever you like.  I think you could also make this a bit quicker and in one pot by sauteing the veggies on the stove top in some avocado or coconut oil (in the pot you plan to boil the soup in) - just cut the veggies into smaller pieces and stir, stir, stir.

I decided to roast the veggies because I love the extra richness and depth of flavor I get when I roast anything.  I had a roma tomato, 4 carrots, 2 russet potatoes, one huge onion and a red bell pepper.

I cut the veggies into 1 1/2 - 2 inch pieces (except the tomato, which I halved) and I placed them on a parchment-line baking sheet.  I tossed them in about 1 T of avocado oil and added a good sprinkling of sea salt and cracked black pepper.

You will notice the red pepper is not in this picture.  It takes less time to roast, so I added it 20 minutes into the roasted process, right when I needed to pull the tray out, rotate it and toss the veggies around to get even cooking and browning.

When I added the red bell pepper, I added a bit more avocado oil and a tiny bit more sea salt and stirred the veggies around.  In my oven, whatever is touching the sheet pan browns first and quickest.  I love those browned edges...but not burnt!  So, if I toss them every 20 minutes (I like to roast the veggies for about an hour at 400°), I get lots of perfectly browned edges and no burned parts!

While the veggies were roasting, I put 32 ounces of chicken stock into a large enamel, heavy bottomed dutch oven to bring to medium heat.  I also added a few spices to suit what I was craving...1 tsp of garlic powder, a pinch of red pepper flake and 1 tsp of turmeric.  (You could add Italian seasoning and garlic powder or smoked paprika, cayenne and onion powder or dried mustard, garlic powder and oregano...play around with it!)  I didn't salt my stock because I had salted the veggies pretty liberally and I always add salt when I am making my stock.

Once the stock has come to temp and the veggies are roasted to your liking (I roasted mine for one hour exactly at 400­°) - combine them into the pot with the chicken stock.  Then bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to medium low, mostly cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.  This helps the flavors to come together and the spices to flavor the entire mixture.

 Now it's time to really combine the flavors...I use an immersion blender - because it's so easy, less messy than a food processor or blender and is much quicker!  It's also a lot less likely to make a huge bubbling mess!  If you don't have an immersion blender, you can combine the veggies and stock into a smooth mixture by placing the mixture in your blender or food processor - you'll have to do it in batches and you'll need to cover the lid of each with a kitchen towel...because hot liquid does not like to be blended without making a fuss - it can spew up and blow the lid right off a blender.  If you're not sure how to do this - google it please.

Once the soup is blended - taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper if needed.  I did not.  My soup was a bit acidic, which surprised me since I only had the one tomato...so, to create the flavor I was looking for, I added 2/3 cup of full-fat coconut milk.  I love a creamy flavor and texture in almost any soup and coconut milk does the trick every time.  I always turn the heat off before I add the coconut milk...I'm not sure why, I think I read it somewhere...but I always turn the heat off first.  Up to you!

And, because I had leftover bacon crumbles from Christmas and bacon makes everything better - I topped my soup with bacon bits. 

This recipe made 2 12-ounce bowls for my son and I for lunch PLUS 32 ounces to pop in the fridge for lunch tomorrow.  This is also the perfect soup to freeze.  Why toss out perfectly good produce when you can make a big pot of soup and have a nice container of soup for later in your freezer or fridge?  It's so nice to come home after a busy day and have a hot bowl of soup without having to actually make it!...Just heat it up!



Here's the specifics of this pot of soup:

32 ounces of chicken stock (make sure you look for organic, sugar free stock if you're buying it)
1 large onion, rough chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium roma tomato, halved
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 T avocado oil
Sea salt (1 tsp) and cracked black pepper (1/4 tsp) to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp turmeric
pinch red pepper flake
2/3 cup full fat organic coconut milk
Nitrate-free, sugar-free bacon, fried and crumbled (about 1/2 slice per bowl)

Toss veggies in avocado oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400° for 1 hour, stirring occasionally
Heat chicken stock over medium heat and add spices (garlic, turmeric, red pepper)
Combine roasted veggies and warmed stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover with lid, leaving it a bit vented and simmer for 15 minutes.
Blend ingredients with an immersion blender until smooth.
Turn off heat and add coconut milk and blend again.
Serve topped with bacon crumbles

Cleaning Up My Act - or at least venting about it!

Today is Day 3 of a CleanLeanMean15 - so 15 days of squeaky clean Paleo eating (minus even the low-glycemic sugars) to get me ready for the holidays.  To get my body free of the junk I consumed looking for comfort at the end of chemo and radiation.  To just feel better!

I've been a Paleo convert for well over a year and I know exactly what I need to do.

But temptation is temptation and sugar addiction is sugar addiction and gluten withdrawal is gluten withdrawal.  So today, I am dealing with the funny, salty taste in my mouth.  The teeny, tiny headache and the wandering, sweet treat craving brain.  And let's not forget convenience....Paleo eating is not as convenient as a classic American diet of bread and cheese and things deep fried in vegetable and peanut oils.  So - I have to plan on top of everything.

But I am determined.

I know the benefits of clean eating first hand.

I already feel lighter and healthier and proud of myself for my resolve.

But...isn't there always a but when we are trying to do what's right and maybe not easy????...of course there is!

But, when I am tired (and I am tired today) and over-booked (and I am over-booked this week) and still fatigued from radiation (sigh...ready to be done with this...), I find myself wanting to quit.

I think it's because this is the very first bout of clean eating I have done without my family.  I am alone in this endeavor in my house.  So, there are fruit snacks being put into lunches and coconut-sugar-sweetened tea in my fridge and some tempting organic maple syrup calling my name whenever I made barbeque sauce...

So, I have a few Clean Eating buddies that I can text when I feel weak.  A phone that allows me to post pictures of the healthy choices I am making.  And a Facebook Page that I can use to encourage myself as I encourage others to stick to it until the 15 days are done.

When I first started Paleo eating - I did 30 full days of squeaky clean eating - I was 100% over my cravings by day 11.  I was celebrating lots of extra energy and better sleep and no more bloat and clearer skin and shinier hair and let's be honest...a tinier wasteline!

SOOOOO...if that holds true - I only have about a week to go until I am out of the temptation woods.  I can do anything for a week.  We all can do anything for a week - even giving up drive-thru's and candy bars and soft drinks and coconut sugar in our morning coffee (yes, that is what I miss most of all!!!).

Sorry for the venting, but it helps me get through things and put things in perspective and strengthens my will to do right...yep, I think it worked.  I no longer feel like I may sneak out and buy a dozen cupcakes and eat them in my car.  I am going to post this and grab some chopped veggies and a touch of unsweetened almond butter and be proud of myself.

Happy Clean Eating!

Chemo is Cumulative

Chemo is not what I expected.  Even after asking all the questions I had typed meticulously into my phone - it was not what I expected.

It was harder and easier than I expected.  It was less personal.  It wasn't like the movies. I wasn't as scary, but it was terrifying if I let myself think about it too much.  And - worst of the worst - it didn't follow my rules!!!!

I took good notes through each session, each week leading up to each session and every hour (or so it seemed) after each infusion so I could prepare for the next one. 

Guess what?  The days after forgot that I like things organized and planned.  The days after forgot that it would be easier for me if they followed a pattern...what the...???

After my second treatment, day 6 after my second treatment, during a call to Krystal The Beautiful Soul (my oncologist's nurse) the light bulb went off when she said...

Chemo is CUMULATIVE.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

So, even though they space the chemo treatments out by 21 days exactly (that's based on the type of treatment I got specifically and the insurance company's policy on payment - NOT about needed recovery time, etc) - it's not because it takes your body 21 days to recover from the last infusion and be ready for the next infusion...It doesn't work like that.

The first treatment - I was out of the weird in about 7 and a half days.

The second treatment - it took me more like 12 days to feel right again.

The third treatment - it took every second of the entire 21 days...and I probably could have used a couple more.

This last treatment - well...I guess we'll see!

I asked some questions, did some reading, did some online research and have decided that the poison or chemo or whatever just sort of soaks up in your system and because it's poison - it also slows down all the stuff that might help get it out of you quicker with each treatment.

So, tired became exhausted.  A head cold turned into a 2 week battle with snot and sneezing and a scratchy throat.  That tinny, aluminum taste in my mouth turned into the bottom of a bird cage.  The emotional, teary side became this weeping, openly sobbing, crazed person who was incapable of watching commercials or those human interest stories during the Olympics...I was terrifying!  And my chemo brain has morphed into a blob that was slightly frustrated by not being able to finish sentences to a jiggly, jell-o mass that breaks into hysterical laughter because I'm too tired to care that I can't remember!

I belch in front of my kids and don't care.  It happens and I am too full of chemo to waste energy hiding it.  Heck, sometimes I don't even say "Excuse me!"  I let a swear word slip out in traffic a couple of days ago and to their credit - the kids gasped and then both sent me looks to say "It's okay mom"...until they both started giggling and screaming with laughter.  I un-apologetically take midday naps.  I get up in the middle of conversations to go to bed.  I chomp ice in front of and around the entire world.  I don't care.  I'm full-up with chemo and need all my extra strength to get it out!

The good news is - every day is about getting better.  No more chemo going in, only chemo going out.  It's a lot easier to handle the weary, wobbly days when I know they are the last of their kind.  They may last longer than the last time, but from here on out - each and every day is going to be better.  No more build up.  No more poison.  

Clearly, chemo kicked my butt...because I started this post nearly 2 months ago...and then, radiation kicked my butt...my chest and armpit, to be specific.  And now it's over.  I am getting prepared for the next phase...the crazy lady drugs.  Not really excited about them, but the deal I made with myself and my children is - whatever it takes.

For those who care to read about chemo and cancer treatment...I'm going to go ahead and post this because it's important information.  The idea of cumulative.  The idea that cancer treatment doesn't have to and rarely follows any rules.  That the reason doctors and nurses and techs say "Everyone's experience is different" is because Everyone's Experience IS Different!

The tinny taste is 100% gone (JOY!), the fatigue lingers, the weeping is waning and I can complete sentences and tasks and thoughts and remember birthdays, etc.  All is well in my cancer world - On with the FIGHT!