Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Atkins Crock Pot Pork Stew

2 lb pork, cubed
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, cut in 2 inch pieces
2 cups chopped cabbage
2-4 quarts chicken broth
Rosemary to taste
Salt/pepper to taste

Combine all, cook low 7-9 hours.

Paleo Mirepoix Chicken Stew Crock Pot

1 whole chicken
1 small onion chopped
2 carrots peeled and diced
2 celery stalks diced
3 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
5 sprigs fresh thyme (2 whole, 3 diced)
1 lemon, juiced
Sea salt, pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper inside and out of chicken generously. Juice lemon over chicken. Place leftover lemon halves, one garlic clove and 2 whole sprigs thyme inside chicken. Use half diced vegetables (onion, carrot, celery) to cover bottom of crock pot and put chicken on top. Sprinkle diced thyme and add remaining vegetables. Pour chicken broth on top of chicken. Cook low 6 hours. Serve hot with the vegetables.

Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Soup

1 TB olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. shredded chicken, cooked (can use rotisserie)
4 cup chicken broth
3 TB buffalo sauce
6 oz. cream cheese, room temp, cubed
1/2 cup half and half, or heavy cream

CROCK POT

Heat oil in pan and cook onion and celery til translucent and browned.

Add garlic 1 min. til fragrant

Place all in crock pot and stir (except cream cheese and cream)

Cook 3-4 hours on low

Ladle out 1 cup liquid without chicken and pour in blender with cream cheese. Puree until smooth (may add more liquid).

Pour mix in crock pot with cream and stir til smooth.

Low Carb Coconut Pancakes

4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
5 TB coconut flour
2 TB coconut (or almond) milk
1 tsp. baking powder

OPTIONAL:

1 tsp. sweetener
1 tsp. pumpkin (mixed) spice or cinnamon

Melt coconut oil and mix with egg yolks, coconut flour, coconut milk, baking powder, and sweetener/spice if using.

Whisk egg whites til stiff peaks form. The stiffer they are, the fluffier the pancake!!

Fold egg whites into mixture.

Heat coconut oil in pan. Makes 6 pancakes using 3 TB batter per pancake.

Per pancake: 3.7 g, 2.1 g fiber

Atkin's Steak Sauce

Makes 11 TBS

1/2 cup tomato puree1/
1/4 cup water
5 tsp. distilled vinegar
1/4 tsp orange extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 small garlic clove crushed
1 tsp grated onion
1/2 tsp. Maggi serving
20 drops Tabasco sauce

Blend well and refrigerate.

Total grams: 13.2
Per serving (TB): 1.2

Rubs

SAVORY:  1 TB garlic, 1 TB crushed dried oregano, 1 TB cayenne, 1 TB black pepper.

CAJUN:  1 TB black pepper, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. cayenne, 1/2 tsp. salt.

CHILI:  1 TB paprika, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. coriander, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. cayenne.

BBQ: 1 TB brown sugar, 1 TB chili powder, 2 tsp. onion powder, 2 tsp. garlic salt, 2 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. dry mustard powder, 1 tsp. cayenne.

CHIMICHURRI: 1 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves, 1 cup firmly packed fresh flat leaf parsley, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 2 clove roughly chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper. With processor or blender running, slowly add 1/4 cup olive oil through opening in lid in a thin, steady stream til mixture creamy and smooth.

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

What 2014 Has Taught Me

In the year 2014, I did a lot of soul searching, learning, growing, changed my diet and started exercising. 

As of today, December 31, 2014, I have lost a total of 19.8 pounds. I started my diet and exercise program January 12th of this year. I had lost a total of 30 pounds, then lost my motivation and went off my diet/exercise program. I also changed my medication, which helped put on a few of those pounds. I am still happy that I have lost this much weight. I still have a long way to go, but am getting back on track.

Mentally, I have had numerous ups and downs. I have found out things about myself that I don't necessary like or care for; I have found out things about myself that I absolutely love. While I can't change the past, I can change the here and now. My new mantra this year was: "Not my monkey, not my zoo", whenever drama would present itself. It has helped me to remember that I can only control what I think, say, and do, and that what others think, say, and do are out of my control. While I may offer advice when asked, I stay out of drama as much as I possibly can. 

The past several days I have spent in reflection of things I have done in the past - from raising my kids, to when I was growing up, as well as the recent past. While I realize that I cannot change what happened, I can change how I react upon those things. I do not have to carry the burden of past mistakes. I can forgive those that hurt me - including myself. I can try to mend relationships with those that I hurt with my actions and words. 

I do not make any promises or resolutions for the coming new year. It is too easy to set yourself up to fail, knowing you won't do one tenth of what you resolve to do. I do however plan to continue to laugh, love, and live my life to my standards, whether they match up to someone else's or not. This is my path, and it is mine to walk. Whether or not I measure up to someone else's ideal does not concern me.

Spiritually, I have been seeking and growing, as well. Ever the seeker, yearning for knowledge. This can be a bad thing. 'Ignorance is bliss' as the saying goes - is true. The more you know, the more you question, the less you believe; this is my experience. I was never one to be spoon-fed or told what to believe or how I should believe. I always wanted to know: WHAT to believe, WHY I should believe it, HOW I should practice my beliefs. I am not sure what I believe anymore at this point, if anything. My quest is to find that original belief system, and why they felt the need to believe in those things/beings, and where the idea that they needed to do so came from in the first place. Maybe if I could find that out, I would be satisfied. I do not believe, however, that I ever will figure that out. I continue in my ever present search for inner knowledge, spirituality and peace.

I have many lessons to be taught and learned this coming year and the years to come, and I look forward to them. Life is hard, and nothing comes easy. It is the little things that you gain along the way that make it all worth it - the friendships that you make and cultivate, the milestones that come and go, the goals that you set (and actually meet!), the love, laughs, tears and joy. Things end, things begin. 

Enjoy the journey you are on, and don't worry about the journey that others are on. Each one of us has their own path to walk in life. Reflect on what you have learned this year. Forgive others, as well as yourself. Learn from your mistakes, and grow and build upon that knowledge. I wish for all that 2015 will bring love, health, happiness, and spiritual growth.