Mexican Rotini

MEXICAN ROTINI

12-16 oz whole wheat rotini
15 oz can black beans, drained
16 oz can refried beans
9 oz can diced green chilies
2.25 oz can black olives
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder

Cook rotini according to package directions. While rotini is cooking, put the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and mix until they form a thick sauce. When rotini is done, drain and return to pot. Mix in sauce.

Good News and Bad News on the AC

The bad news came in multiple parts:
1. The ac fan is going out
2. I have a slow freon leak in a hose
3. $200 for one problem, $250 for the other...

But the good news did too:
1. They showed me where to pop with a hammer to get the fan going when it stops. That should work for a while still.
2. The freon leak is not bad at all right now. They recommended I spend less than $20 every few months to get freon put back in until I can pay to get it fixed.
3. They didn't charge me to look at it! Seeing as how I spent $1000 on that stupid ac last month...

Breakfast - canteloupe
Lunch - steak salad w/my honey mustard; Ghirardelli square
Supper - Mexican Rotini (new recipe); Cal veggies w/butter; bread and butter; chocolate chip pancakes; cookie

No AC again :(

The AC in my car went out again this afternoon! I called the mechanic and they said they couldn't check it till tomorrow. So I'll be up early to drop it off...

"Breakfast" - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual
Lunch - taco seasoned lean ground beef and carrots in Romaine salad w/my honey mustard
Before supper - couple bites of fudge (at my mom's - and it tasted way too sweet!)
Supper - the last chili burger - fixed same as last night; green beans (frozen, seasoned with salt and Mrs. Dash); cookies

A Craving Satisfied!

For months I've been craving my mom's recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I bought the ingredients last week and Ethan helped me make them today :) We ate too much batter and too many cookies but we had fun ;) And they were really yummy!

Breakfast - apple juice; few sips of coffee w/stevia
Lunch - steak in Romaine salad w/my honey mustard; Ghirardelli square
"Between" - Cookie dough and cookies
Supper - chili burger on whole wheat bun w/avocado, mayo, mustard; fries; more cookies

Today's Food

Breakfast - canteloupe
Lunch - chicken breast in Romaine salad w/my honey mustard; Ghirardelli square
Supper - Quick Mushroom Rice; canned biscuits w/butter; mocha pie

Summary of My Eating Plan + Evaluation

Breakfast - fruit and/or juice ONLY
Lunch (noon or after) - 1 protein and veggies
Supper (before 8) - carbs and veggies
Snacks - fruit

Other - must eat at least one salad a day

Forbidden - pork in any form - not sure why other than it has a lot of toxins...


How I do realistically...

Breakfast - I do pretty well just having fruit. Although I do have 1/2 cup of coffee w/Stevia and a splash of heavy cream about twice a week...
Lunch - I almost always have my salad here. A HUGE one! I eat a whole Romaine heart a day or 3 big handfulls chopped. And about 6 oz of lean meat. Any less than that and I get hungry and snacky later and am more tempted to cheat.
Supper - I frequently mix my carbs. I had beans a lot at the beginning but am eating them less often now. I'm feeling more satisfied with just grains and veggies although I still eat beans some days.
Snacks - I tend to snack on carbs if it's not long till supper.
Salad - I have a salad every day, except sometimes on days I cheat.
Pork - The only time I've had it is if it's seasoning a veggie when I'm not eating at home.

I allow myself 1-2 cheat meals a week - usually lunch. That way my body has a long time to digest everything before bed. I try to eat just a salad those nights, although sometimes I'll have a small portion of my regular supper.

Tuna and Heartburn

For years I would get heartburn whenever I ate tuna. It didn't matter how I ate it - tuna helper (even organic ones), tuna salad w/lowfat mayo or yogurt, w/lowfat crackers... But I haven't had heartburn ONCE after eating tuna lately! The difference? I'm only combining it "properly" now! I'm not eating it with carbs, and no heartburn :-)

To me this is more proof that I'm following the eating plan that works for my body! And I'm very happy to be able to enjoy tuna again without regretting it later :-D

Today's Food

"Breakfast" - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual
Lunch - tuna salad salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - sweet potatoes w/butter; chocolate chip pancakes (1/2 homemade mix, 1/2 Bisquick, Ghirardelli 60% chips)

(3 oz chocolate per 1 c. mix)

Fairly Quiet Day!

Breakfast - banana
Lunch - lean ground beef w/red and green bell peppers and onions and Essence in Romaine salad w/my honey mustard; Ghirardelli square
Supper - chili burger on whole wheat bun w/mayo, mustard, avocado; fries w/ketchup and mayo
Dessert - leftover chocolate chip pancakes

Long Busy Day

The boys, my mom and I were gone almost 9 hours today! It was a productive day at least!

Breakfast - apple juice
Lunch - Italian buffet
Supper - creamy tomato pasta

A Bit More Energy!

I think the hormones are leveling out a little! I had more energy today than I have. The cravings have been less, and I'm wanting to eat on plan :)

Breakfast - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual, canteloupe later
Lunch - usual; Ghirardelli square
Supper - mashed potatoes (instant), corn cooked in rice milk and butter; spice cake

Recipes

Just curious if anyone has tried any of the recipes I've posted? Let me know! And if you changed them up a bit, tell me what you did!

Creamy Tomato Pasta

CREAMY TOMATO PASTA

1 pk. (12-16 oz) macaroni
Salt
4 c. rice milk
1/2 c. cornstarch
Seasonings - mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, salt
1/2-3/4 c. heavy cream
12 oz tomatoes, chopped

Cook macaroni in salted water, subtracting a few minutes from the normal cooking time. While macaroni is cooking, heat 3 c. rice milk over medium heat. Mix the other cup with cornstarch until dissolved. When milk is hot, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Continue to cook over medium heat until thick. Add seasonings to taste.

Drain macaroni and return to pot. Add rice milk sauce and boil until desired thickness. Stir in heavy cream. Gently stir in tomatoes.

Zzzzz?

Two nights in a row I've had strange, vivid dreams and haven't slept good :( And overnight we had a bad lightning storm go through so that didn't help! Hopefully I'll get better sleep tonight...

I came up with a new meal tonight. Definitely a keeper!

Breakfast - banana
Lunch - the old usual ;) w/homemade honey mustard
Before supper - bread (from Outback) w/butter
Supper - Creamy Tomato Pasta; mocha pie

Today's Food

Breakfast - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual; banana later; apple juice later
Lunch - rotisserie chicken (breast + wings); broccoli w/butter
Supper - waffle (Bisquick recipe) w/butter and grade B maple syrup

BTW, real maple syrup is allowed in moderation! Honey too :)

The Beginning of Relief?

The past couple days I've felt a little better. I've had a bit more energy. Which is surprising considering last night started a new month for me...

So I'm wondering if the hormone treatment is starting to work? I've still had my symptoms but they seem to be less intense. Having more energy means I'm getting some stuff done which means I'm less stressed out which means I'm not using as much energy... A pleasant cycle compared to the spiral everything has been recently! I just hope it continues in this direction...

Another Favorite Kitchen Toy

A few years ago I was telling my mom that I wish I had a wafflemaker with removable plates so it would be easy to clean. For Christmas that year she gave me this -
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Decker-3-in-1-Waffle-Maker-Indoor-Grill/2684038

In the words of Weezie from Dragon Tales, LOOOOOVE IT! (And if your kids are fans, you just heard her voice say it in your head LOL)

Here's what I like about it:
Ready light - no more guessing if the waffle is done
Adjustable temperature - the correct range for waffles is marked on the dial - light to dark
Yummy grilled cheese sandwiches quick
Consistent quality
And the best thing... Super easy to clean!

The only thing I wish was different on it is I wish it had a cool-touch exterior. Especially considering Ethan bumped it tonight while watching me cook and burned his arm :-( George's Aloe to the rescue again!

Busy Day!

Busy busy day today! I got up at 8:30 and relaxed for the first time at 6! Then did more. Seems I barely put a dent in what I needed to do though :( At least I made progress! I was looking forward to ending the day with a long, hot shower - wash my hair, shave, etc - but it was too late. I'll get it in the morning but it will be quick.

Breakfast - banana (nonorganic)
Lunch - tuna salad salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - chili burger on whole wheat bun w/mayo, mustard; fries (frozen, baked) w/mayo and ketchup; 1/2 Twix

Friday's Food

I suspect an MSG reaction is what caused my upset stomach Thursday night. When I ate the Blooming Onion there was something about the taste that I couldn't put my finger on. I wonder if I'm starting to taste the MSG? That would be nice! Sure would help me avoid it!

I wanted a mixed meal for lunch. That's been happening the day after I have an upset tummy. Don't know why. This time I wanted a plate lunch from the health food store though. I tend to crave organic food immediately after an MSG reaction.

Breakfast - banana
Lunch - plate lunch - shrimp etouffee w/brown rice, kale, zucchini/yellow squash, romano beans; mocha pie
Supper - McDonald's - grilled chicken Caesar salad (minus cheese) w/ranch; Ghirardelli square

All Fried Onions Are Not Created Equal

Frozen? Yuck
Chili's? Good
Logan's? Yum
Outback? Yucky tummy...

Nighttime Routine

Here's what's working for me:

1. Feed/water birds (pets) - they eat and settle in for the night while I do the rest
2. Take vitamins; prep bottle
3. Neti pot - any residual comes out while I do the rest
4. Hormone balance - I keep it in the bathroom since I count drops that go under my tongue and need the mirrow
5. Brush teeth
6. Update this blog and BLC
7. Make bottle
8. Change Gabriel for bed
9. Go to bed and start feeding Gabriel while Jesse changes Ethan and brings him to bed

Food Today

It was a busy day, full of dirty dishes, so we smorgasbord'ed lunch. No salad prepped so none eaten...

Breakfast - banana
Lunch - steak w/honey mustard/worcestershire/liquid smoke dipping sauce; carrots w/butter and salt; Ghirardelli square
Supper - homemade pancakes w/Ghirardelli 60%

Meat Sale!

I'm so happy! We were running really low on meat in the freezer and I caught a good sale today! I picked up boneless skinless chicken breasts, eye of round steaks (buy a pack, get TWO packs free!), and 93/7 ground beef :) After I go to Walmart and buy more freezer bags I'll get everything in the freezer.

Breakfast - apple juice
Lunch - steak salad w/homemade honey mustard; Ghirardelli square
Supper - Bloomin' Onion, slice of mocha pie

The mocha pie uses instant pudding. I found out it doesn't set up as good with rice milk... Next time I make it I'll do the crust separately and just crumble it over the top.

(Okay, big brain fart - I misspelled separately and had to look it up in the dictionary :P Very unusual for me...)

I Really Should Be Sleeping...

But that chocolate did something to me... I can't remember the last time I felt this relaxed! I bet that hormone balance stuff is starting to kick in too. But what a coincidence that this happened right after I ate the chocolate ;-)

Blame It On the PMS!

Breakfast - plum - it was the size of an apple and sooo good!
Lunch - rotisserie chicken in salad w/homemade honey mustard; Ghirardelli square
Supper - Quick Mushroom Rice - added a can of water chestnuts
Dessert - bittersweet Ghirardelli w/coconut - melted a 4 oz bar, added sweetened shredded coconut, then let it set up - I ate about 3/4 of it - I ate some, put it away, then went back and ate the rest

I didn't have a sugar high after, just this intense feeling of well-being... Google the effects of dark chocolate on brain chemicals to see why this is ;)

ETA Here's an interesting article explaining chocolate's effects on brain chemicals http://www.livestrong.com/article/121084-effects-chocolate-body/

Monday

Just now getting around to posting meals... We were at my in-laws' last night so it was a cheat.

Breakfast - OJ
Lunch - rotisserie chicken in salad w/homemade honey mustard; Ghirardelli square
Snack - donut
Supper - rice and gravy, green beans, smothered potatoes, very small piece of pork (few bites), bar cookies

Today's Food

Breakfast - 3/4 cup coffee w/usual
Lunch - Italian buffet
Supper - Amy's black bean and veggie burrito; Ghirardelli square (first one in 2 days!)

Saturday's Food

My mom, the boys and I ended up going to see my uncle in the hospital again. Mental note - McDonald's does not fill me up enough! I was STARVING by supper :-(

Breakfast - banana
Lunch - McDonald's - grilled chicken caesar salad (no cheese, ranch dressing)
Supper - hospital cafeteria - rotisserie chicken (breast and wing - kinda small), green beans, new potatoes, onion rings, 1/2 Twix

Today's (Better) Food

Breakfast - banana, 1/2 cup coffee w/usual
Lunch - tuna salad salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - peas w/butter; monkey bread

Today's (Awful) Food

I dreamed about donuts... Then I mentioned it to Jesse when I got up. Guess what we ended up with for breakfast :P Lunch we planned on Chili's before bringing the boys to the movies since I had a coupon.

Breakfast - donuts
Lunch - Chili's - chicken fajitas; fried cheese; chocolate chip paradise pie (very little ice cream)
Supper - Three-Pepper Pasta; donut

And I just gotta mention it here - my baby said his first word today! I left the room and heard a very pitiful "Ma-Ma" as he called after me...

Hormonal Therapy

I started on a natural hormone treatment last night. It's some kind of extract from wild yam - the same one they make the creams from. It's in an alcohol base and I put a few drops under my tongue. I start with twice a day, then go to once a day. They said my symptoms may get worse for about a week but they'd get better after that. So we'll see how it does. I expect it to help a lot!

Creamy Three-Pepper Pasta

CREAMY THREE-PEPPER PASTA

1 pk. (12-14 oz) pasta (I used Healthy Harvest angel hair)
6 tbsp. butter
1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
6 tbsp. flour
4 c. rice milk
Salt
Pepper
Heavy cream

Cook pasta according to pasta directions. Melt butter over medium heat. Add bell peppers and saute until tender. Stir in flour. Cook for one minute or until slightly browned. Slowly add milk, stirring until smooth. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Combine drained pasta and sauce. Stir in pepper and a couple splashes of cream to each serving.

Another Yummy Brainstorm

I came up with something new at supper tonight and it was yummy!

Breakfast - banana
Lunch - ground beef (seasoned w/Essence, garlic powder, onion powder) in Romaine salad w/homemade honey mustard; Ghirardelli square
Snack - chocolate chip pancakes (my recipe)
Supper - Creamy Three-Pepper Pasta; bittersweet truffle

"Coincidence"

The more I feel like my hormones are messed up, the more I'm craving pizza and chocolate...

Tuesday

The boys and I left about 930am and didn't get back home till after 8pm! I was so exhausted I didn't post my food from yesterday. So here it is.

Breakfast - apple juice
Lunch - Italian buffet - usual
Supper - granola bar - I was on the road and knew I wouldn't make it home in time to eat :-(

Better :)

Not normal yet, but better! My cold that is! Last night was the first time since last Saturday I didn't have to use Cepacol before bed :) The hormones are still kicking my butt :P Hoping to be able to get the hormone balance stuff tomorrow!

Breakfast - watermelon
Lunch - tuna salad salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - rice w/parsley, oo, butter; lima beans; roll w/butter; oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Update on my cold (TMI warning)

I've been a bit better the past couple days. Still not close to over it though! I got the sore throat last Saturday and this is Sunday so it's been 8 days I've been sick. I know I'm not sleeping enough and therefore my body doesn't have as much opportunity to heal, but REALLY! The past few days I've wondered if my cold was turning into a sinus infection. Even if it did, I'm getting better so it doesn't matter I guess.

So here's the TMI - I'm going to talk snot here. The last half of this sickness, when I would blow my nose sometimes, especially during the night or in the morning, it would be a fluorescent yellow-green color. I've had some drainage of that color when I've done my neti pot too, but usually just from the right side. The left side is the one that's been more stuffy, the side my throat gets the tickle, and the one that the neti pot goes so slowly through. I also get a tickle in my sinuses sometimes lately when I flush that side. But this morning... I watch what's coming out when I do my neti pot Especially when I'm fighting a cold. Well, as much as I can. This morning my right side flushed some of the fluorescent mucus. But my left side... I really wish I had the sink plugged to get a good look. I felt the tickle and then I saw a HUGE, thick clump of dark green mucus come out! I don't think I've ever seen mucus that ominous looking come from my body! So I wonder if that was a pocket of infection that I was able to clear out!

I'm anxious to see how I do tonight...

Hormonal Imbalance?

Sure seems like it... I know my hormones are still fluctuating but this is the second month in a row that things have been bad. And they're not getting better. Last month and this month I've had the following symptoms:

Insomnia (usually when I wake up during the night to feed Gabriel)
Mood swings
Anxiety (including OCD - it usually kicks up right before my period but I notice it other times too)
My usual ovulation symptoms twice a month, about 5 days apart
Rosacea getting worse - painful actually :(
Carrying extra weight around my stomach - despite losing everywhere else (don't get me wrong, I've lost there, just not nearly as much as everywhere else - if I could lose a bit more in the waist, I could go down at least one more size!)

The 2 weeks I was on the zinc should have helped my rosacea and my hormones a bit, but I can't tell any difference. Which is unusual! I always react well and quickly to the mineral treatments.

I'll be going this week and getting a natural hormone balance formula. One of the ladies that works at my natural health place has told me the past few years it might help with some of the problems I've had. I don't remember if it's herbal, mineral-based, or a combination. I'm just anxious to try it!

Today's Food

After church we ate with my best friend's family. We went to Cracker Barrel which we NEVER go to! I briefly considered being good but quickly decided against it :P

Breakfast - 1/2 cup coffee w/Stevia and whipped cream; apple juice later
Lunch - Cracker Barrel - chicken fried chicken w/white gravy on the side; hashbrown casserole; green beans; turnip greens; apple dumpling dessert (split it)
Supper - nada - still full from lunch since we didn't finish eating till 3:30

Long Day

My Mom and the boys and I took a day trip an hour away to visit my aunt and uncle. They live about 2 1/2 hours away but my uncle is in the hospital so that's where we saw them. He's waiting on test results but it looks like cancer :-( It was great to see them (and my cousin and his family) but I wish it had been under better circumstances...

I did good with food today till supper. We went to Picadilly and I planned on getting the veggie plate. But almost all the "veggies" had meat or milk in them. So I ended up just eating a standard meal.

Breakfast - apple juice
Lunch - McDonald's - grilled chicken salad (mixed lettuces) w/ranch
Supper - Picadilly - fried cod w/tarter sauce; broccoli casserole (broccoli, rice, cheese, mushrooms, ?); carrot souffle; few bites roll w/butter; few bites pie

Slowly But Surely...

I'm getting better! It's just taking me a long time to get over this! But I feel better today than yesterday so that's a start!

Breakfast - watermelon
Lunch - back to my old usual :) - chicken breast cooked in oo w/Essence in Romaine w/homemade honey mustard dressing; Ghirardelli square
Supper - leftover fries (frozen, baked) w/mayo and ketchup; sauteed mushrooms; 1/2 Twix

Sick/No Energy + A Really Dirty Kitchen =

Pizza for supper :P I'm not as stopped up today but everything that's been stopping me up is draining down my throat. So I have that constant tickle that makes me cough. Which irritates my throat more. Which makes me cough more. Actually I haven't coughed a whole lot. If I start, I'll use the Cepacol spray during the day too. I'm using more of it at night than it says to but I have to for it to numb my throat like it's supposed to. I wish I could suck a Cepacol lozenge but they make me nauseous :(

Breakfast - watermelon (yellow-skinned organic from farmer's market)
Lunch - tuna salad salad; Ghirardelli
Supper - (ordered but not here yet) pizza - veggies + extra cheese; cinnamon dessert (might be too sweet)

Tuna Salad Salad

TUNA SALAD SALAD

2 cans tuna, drained
Mayo
Dill relish
Pepper
Bell pepper, chopped
1 Romaine heart, cut up

Combine everything except lettuce. Mix well. Add lettuce and mix together.

Air-Fried Okra

AIR-FRIED OKRA
adapted from Food Network

Egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs
1/2 pound okra, sliced
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 450.

Pour egg substitute into a medium bowl. Add okra and toss to combine. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine bread crumbs and seasonings. Shake to combine well. Add the okra and egg substitute mixture to the bag and shake until coated.

Place a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet. Arrange okra on rack and bake until crisp, 10-20 minutes.

Note: I used coarse bread crumbs I made from stale multi-grain French bread

I Forgot...

... Just how miserable it is to have a cold! The stuffiness started last night, let up at bedtime when I took a couple ibuprofen, and came back as soon as it wore off. I was so congested this morning that my neti pot did nothing but barely drip! I did it again this afternoon and it was a bit better. I took an Aleve a while ago. I'm hoping since it's an anti-inflammatory like the ibuprofen it'll help the swelling and congestion, but that it will last a lot longer. I've also taken my natural anti-viral so that should help too.

Breakfast - 1/2 cup coffee w/Stevia and heavy cream (new usual)
Lunch - pancakes (my recipe) w/bittersweet chocolate and butter
Supper - leftover rice, air-fried okra, lemon biscotti

Lunch didn't even taste that good to me... Supper did though :-)

ETA Forgot to mention... I did two carb meals on purpose today. The thought of a protein meal did not appeal to me at all! Maybe because it takes more energy to digest and my body is using extra energy to heal? I can hope :-)

Off to Bed

It's been a roller coaster kind of day and I'm just ready for it to be over...

Breakfast - banana
Lunch - tuna salad in salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - Rice w/oo, butter, parsley; corn w/butter; brownie cake

Monday's Food

I woke feeling a little better and I was hungry! At lunchtime I felt like my body needed a balanced meal so we ended up getting plate lunches from the health food store. Then I had Mom's Night Out so cheated again but supper definitely was not a healthy cheat like lunch was! I was a bit nervous because the last time I ate at the Mexican restaurant we went to last night, I ended up with a gallbladder attack :-( But I didn't have so much as a twinge last night! Last time I ate the tortilla soup and it was extra salty. Wonder if it was extra MSG-y and that's what caused the attack?

Breakfast - apple juice
Lunch - smothered chicken w/brown rice, eggplant, cookie
Supper - Posado's - appetizer sampler - steak fajita quesadilla - fajita-seasoned steak and cheeses in flour tortilla (delicious!); 2 each beef and chicken flautitas; queso; nachos - tricolor tortilla chips w/melted cheeses and seasoned ground beef; guacamole; tomatoes; sour cream. Sopapilla w/honey sauce

Sick :-(

My throat is swollen and sore. I feel awful! I took a 2 1/2 hour nap this afternoon. I've barely eaten anything. Nothing tastes good to me. I'm trying to listen to my body. Eating very little usually throws me into a mild detox so I'm hoping that'll help me get better faster! At least I'm not stuffy!

Breakfast - applesauce
Lunch - nothing
Supper - instant mashed potatoes (made with rice milk)

OUCH

I woke up this morning with a slight sore throat but nothing big. Tonight it started really hurting :-( It hurts to swallow. It hurts to talk. It hurts to whisper. I made some I Love Lemon hot tea and have it in an insulated mug by the bed. Right next to the Cepacol spray that I've already used once tonight.

Okay, on to happier things :-) Ethan and I went to the farmer's market this morning. It was really hot so we didn't stay real long. But we came home with red and green bell peppers, watermelon, okra, and home-canned figs (all organic), along with homemade bagels (3 kinds) and homemade oat chocolate chip cookies w/nuts. We'll definitely go back!

Breakfast - banana (nonorganic), coffee w/usual later
Before lunch - cookie
Lunch - homemade mushroom swiss burgers - ground chuck seasoned w/Essence and onion powder, mushrooms sauteed w/butter, swiss cheese, mayo, whole wheat bun; fries w/ketchup, cookies
Supper - salad - baby Romaine w/honey mustard; onion bagel (from this morning) w/butter - so yummy!