chcolate cake-to try

.5 cup oat flour
.5 cup rice flour
1.5 tbs flax
2 tbs oil
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbs honey
3 tbs sweet pot
3/4 milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbs vanilla
.5 cup chocolate
 .5 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
.5 tsp baking soda
2 tbs coconut flour (almond flour)

mix flours, sugar, flax, cocoa powder, salt, choc chips, baking powder and baking soda

whisk milk, sweet potato, honey, vanilla, and oil

mix- bake as cupcakes- 35-40 mins

chocolate cake

chocolate covered cake balls- success

cake
1 cup almond milk
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup oil
.5 tbsp vanilla
1 cup sugar (could be less)
1.5 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

cake balls
1 can coconut cream
200-255 grams dark chocolate

1. put coconut cream in fridge overnight
2.mix vinegar and milk
3. beat oil, vanilla, sugar and milk
4. add dry ingredients until smooth
5. bake 20-30 minutes
6. let cake cool, crumble into bowl
7. add 1/2-3/4 cream and mix in with hands
8. shape into balls and freeze 30-60 minutes
9. melt chocolate and dips balls- put in fridge to harden

chickpea noodle soup-option 2

peas and thank you

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 1/2 c. celery, chopped
• 1/2 c. carrots, chopped
• 1/2 c. onion, chopped
• 4 c. vegetable broth
• One 14 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 t. dried basil
• 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1/4 t. dried sage
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 1/2 t. vinegar
• 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 2 c. cooked pasta noodles or egg noodles
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Spritz the bottom of a medium pot with cooking spray or oil and place over medium high heat. Add chopped celery, carrots and onion, and sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, drain your chickpeas and reserve half.
• Place the other half in a blender with your vegetable broth, and blend until smooth.
• Add the basil, oregano, sage, and garlic to the pot with the vegetables and cook for an additional minute.
• Add the bean broth mixture to the pot, along with the remaining chickpeas and the frozen peas.
• Bring soup to a simmer and continue to cook until heated through and flavors have melded, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in already cooked pasta noodles and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

skillet biscuits

1 cup milk
1 tbs cider vinegar
1 1/3 cup rice flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbs applesauce
2 tsp honey
1 tsp vanilla

set milk and vinegar to curdle
heat skillet
mix dry
mix wet
mix together
cook 4 minutes on each side

"brownies"

2 cups walnuts
2 cups dates
carob powder (start with 1 tablespoon)
maybe cocoa powder if needed
1/4 tsp salt

process wlanuts until finely ground
add carob and salt
add dates one at a time while processor is on
mix with other add ins- nuts, craisins et.

put in fridge

protein bars- try again

2.5 cups oats
2/3 nut butter
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sweetner (1/2 cup water and 5-6 chopped dates)

did not measure
did not harden into bars (maybe could have as balls)
too sweet
very decadent

almond honey cookies

2 cups almond flour
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 tbs peanut butter
1 tbs honey (?)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbs water
1/2 cup raisins/craisins

mix dry
whisk PB, honey, vanilla and water
add wet to dry
bake 15-20 minutes

to make- oatmeal pancakes

1/3 cup quick oats
1/3 cup water/milk
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt

mix oats with other dry ingredients
add water/milk
cook on heated pan

to make- pancakes

1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup applsauce
2 tbs oil
1/2 cup milk

mix ingredients and cook
1-2 mins of each side

chickpea noodle soup- option 1

happy herbivore

2 carrot
4 celery
2 onion
2 tsp miso
2 tsp tamari
4 cups chickpeas
pasta
8 cups of water

saute veggies
add water, tamari, miso and pasta
when pasta is done add cooked chickpeas

succesful granola

1 kilo

625 grams of rolled oats
188 grams raisins
125 grams sunflower seeds
50 grams flax
5 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
375 grams of applesauce

Twisted Sweet Potato Soup

I added a new twist to sweet potato soup (which is my fav)

Now that the weather is cool enough to breath and one roomie got sick I was inspired to make soup. I enjoyed it so much I decided to make more.

Usually when I make sweet potato soup it consists of onion, sweet potato, red lentils and apple.

Yesterdays looked like this.

1 small onion- chopped
2 cloves garlic- chopped
1 large sweet potato- chopped
1 small white potato
2 large broccoli stems
1/4-1/2 cup broccoli florets
tablespoon olive oil
tablespoon coriander
tablespoon cinnamon
salt and pepper
3-4 cups water

1. heat oil and add in onions and garlic. cook until browned
2. add in all other ingredients and stir
3. add water, lower heat and let simmer for 30-40 minutes
4. when everything is soft, turn off heat and let cool for a few minutes
5. use a hand blender to blend soup.

add water if you like your soup thinner.
you can also add milk, yogurt and non dairy milk for a creamier soup.

Rice and Veggie bake

Ingredients
1 large zuchinni
1 small butternut squash (half of a big one)
1 cup frozen spinach
2 tablespoon fresh basil
3 cups of cooked rice
3 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

1) Grate zucchini and set aside in colander/strainer to drain (or squeeze liquid out with a cheesecloth)
2)grate butternut squash and set aside in colander/strainer to drain
3)while veggies are draining cook 2 cups of rice. Put 2 cups rice in pot on low heat with a tablespoon of oil. after about a minute or 2 add 4 cups of water.bring to a boil, then put on low heat and cover for about 30-40 minutes.
4) when rice is cooked mix all ingredients and bake for 20-25 minutes. check to make sure it is set and dry throughout.
(any veggies and spices can be alternated. The most successful was tomatoes, spinach and basil, made in a muffin tin)

My New Guru

Ok that's a little extreme but I just finished reading Kris Carr's book Crazy Sexy Diet and am reinvigorated with new tools and suggestion on how to deal with my digestion problems.

A lot of the stuff she wrote about I already knew. I already don't eat meat and have cut gluten and dairy out but some definetely solidified my decision. I found the stuff about upping veggie intake significantly while lowering fruit intake was interesting and something I am going to try. I am also trying food combining to see if that works. Eating veggies with either a grain or a protein and not both. That will be somewhat difficult but I am going to try and much as I can.

I also really liked the stuff about chewing your food fully, helping your bodily functions and meditation. I am going to start doing meditation before bed every night and see if it helps.

So far I have added veggies to my morning smoothie and lowered my fruit intake. I have been having 1 fruit and 2 veggies in my smoothies and have been trying to make that the only fruit I have.

I am really impressed by her story and I hope that the stuff she write is actually true cause it is really mind blowing but I don't want to be taken for a ride.

So far today

carrot, mango, spinach smoothie (one of my best)
lettuce, tomato, carrot, cuke, lentil salad with nutritional yeast
carrot with cashew butter
rice cereal with rice milk and a few almonds

Also my gym class was super hard today. It still surprises me when this happens especially when I don't add new weight. Is this what happens after a week of not going to the gym? Am I not a strong as I think I am? I guess I'll just have to keep it up more regularly and be more motivated to do bodyrock.

Rice and Lentils...I'm in love

So I decided it was time to be more conscious of what I am eating...again.

Food journaling doesn't work because at this point my only regular symptom is bloating and mild constipation. So I don't really experience pain or gas or discomfort when I eat certain foods. Most times that I eat I feel bloated and I feel the worst when I overeat.

I have been doing a better job at not binging and overeating.

So this week I tried something new. Pretty much all of my meals had rice and lentils in them. I wish I had remembered to take pictures.

For breakfast I have been having rice, fruit, nuts and flax. And for lunch/dinner I have been eating a variety of cold and cooked veggies with rice and lentils. I think my rice to veggie ratio is tipped a bit too much to the rice but there has definitely been a difference. First my digestive system freaked out a bit but today wasn't so bad. I have also really only been eating 2 real meals and then small snacks. Usually I have breakfast and sometimes a snack between 9-11 am and then don;t get hungry until 3 when I usually end up eating a big lunch and then I'm not hungry again.

For example today I had a breakfast rice bowl and 8:30 with green tea. Then a carrot juice at around 11:30. And then lunch at 3 with a snack at around 4. Now it's around 8 and I'm not hungry.

It's interesting figuring out how to listen to my body when it is so unpredictable and I don't know what I am listening for. But I think I am doing a better job I just wish I could feel real big change.

Continuing the search for the upset stomach culprit

I am still not feeling great most of the time, always bloated, feel very heavy after meals. going through a phase now where i don't feel hungry and I can only tell after I have eaten that it was the right decision, which sometimes leads me to eat too much.

I have been doing well at eating smaller meals though which has been positive.

Some thoughts
Tonight I had popcorn, which I usually don't eat but it is a nightly staple in our house and have had a few times in the last month. tonight I have an awful stomach ache after eating the popcorn.
lessons
1. you can't trust what other people make- must be vigilant about asking what is in it
2. avoid late night snacky junk food
3. avoid popcorn

I am going to try and avoid chickpeas. I have had them a lot in the last week and think they might be causing discomfort. If I have a sensitivity I will cry a lot cause I love chickpeas and they are super easy and all over the place in this country.

I want to cut out processed sugar for a bit and see what happens. Stick to fruit and applesauce as sweetener.

Here is a new list of my diet starting Sunday

No-Nos
gluten
dairy
sesame
coffee (this is also sad because I like drinking coffee and I prob won't stick to this very well)
chickpeas
almonds and pecans
processed sugar

I also want to avoid as much as possible night shades- tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers. This is going to be hard but if I focus on making my own food I'll be fine.

Contrary to Popular Belief

Lots of weight loss strategists will tell you that eating while doing something like watching tv or blog stalking on the computer leads to mindless eating and inhibits weight loss. This may be true but I realized something tonight. I already knew that I eat fast. All of a sudden out of nowhere this happened. I used to be the last one done. Maybe my bro and I had some Freaky Friday thing happen cause now he eats super slow. Anyway so I eat fast and then I feel awkward or haven't even started digesting so I take seconds. Both of these things are bad for my stomach. But tonight as I was catching up on blogs and news in front of the comp and eating dinner I realized I was eating slowly because I was also concentrating on something else. Now I assume that the "mindless eating" thing refers mostly to snacking when you have a bad of chips in front of you and are just putting them in your mouth without any thought. Anyway that's a realization I had, now I just need to eat slower when I am not distracted and have super strength willpower in general.

Re-Realizations

So since I have been trying to be more conscious of my nutrition an food intake there have been some changes. Not the really important ones but definitely little ones. A really specific one actually that I took note of a few months ago and re-realized today.

A few months ago a friend asked if i wanted dressing with my salad and I said no. I prefer my salad undressed. She was surprised and asked "don't you think its too dry"? I hadn't thought about it. What I did think about was that I like the taste of vegetables so why try to mask it. I kind of feel that way about cheese and other sauces and dressings as well. I like to spice my food not drench it. I like to taste what it originally should taste like (usually, sometime I get a little heavy with the salt, pepper and cinnamon).

Today I am going to the boyf's house for dinner and am bringing some food just in case. I decided to try out black rice noodles that I picked up on my trip to the natural food store.

I made cinnamon roasted sweet potato and salted broccoli along to go with the noodles and added leftover lentils.

But the meal plan really started with this sauce.
I read about it yesterday and wanted to try it. I am looking for sauces and spreads that don't have tahini in them because I felt really sick after having it a few weeks ago so I am abstaining to see if I have a sensitivity to it. Really I think the problem is that it is so damn tasty that I eat too much of it in one sitting.

So while I was making the food I realized that the sauce will probably mask the flavor of the cinnamon sweet potatoes and that it might just flat out taste bad on the veggies. So I left it on the side and will probably add a little bit or add it bite by bite like I usually do with spreads.

But in general I like that I don't require extras. It makes it a lot easier to get food and stay away from the dairy because if I am having Mexican I want to taste the beans and veggies not the sour cream.

To Eliminate?

Or not.

Now that I know I am not across the board sensitive to fruit and dairy I am back at square one.

It seems I will need to do some eliminating and testing. As of now I am on a no dairy, no gluten diet. I also haven't have sesame seeds/tachina since July 14. I also haven't had peanut butter in I don't know how long. I have decided to stay away form dried fruit aside from raisins and cranberries.

I guess the next step is to try something more serious like certain fruit or night shades. The only fruit right now that is available that is on the list of "inflammatories" is pineapple which I could live without. I could also cut out is processed sugar. yikes. I basically do this already. Up until last week when I started baking I hadn't really made anything that had sugar. I haven't had white or brown sugar in months. I have had honey, maple and agave. I am sure I can find substitutes using fruit and unsweetened fruit products. We'll see if our budget can handle it. Some days I feel like such a burden because I can live without dessert but should I have to. I am striving to live a healthier lifestyle than those I live with and than what my budget can handle. I guess that means I am going to live without.

Away today was another day of not really being hungry but eating a bunch.
after drinking 25 grams of fruit sugar (woah, it was super sweet, I think I got a cavity and I think it made me a bit hyper) and finding out I am not allergic to fruit sugar I had more fruit. Probably not the smartest move. I had an energy bar and quinoa, pecan butter, pineapple and mango. Then when I got home I sort of snacked for the rest of the day. Had one rice cake with pecan butter before working out.

Then at around 4 I felt weak/hungry sort of so I had leftover green quinoa salad. I also had a few grapes. We had people over for dinner and I didn't think I was going to be hungry but I had some room for salad so that is what I ate for dinner. Then as a little prize/treat I had a chickpea blondie. I felt bloated like normal today.