Day 11

Yesterday was good! My eating was right on point with the exception of the following processed ingredients:

1. Mayo (tuna salad)

2. Coke Zero - I had the most wicked caffeine headache I've ever experienced.

So, onward I trek. So far today, I have had a banana, a handful of mixed nuts and carrots. Lunch will be a cinnamon crusted steak salad and for dinner... well, I haven't gotten that far yet. George and I have a romantic moon date tonight after a trip to Ikea. Maybe I can find something half-healthy to eat there?

Holy Mary, mother of slacking.

So, I've been slacking on the blog game! Obviously.

The first week was CAKE. This past weekend I caved and had a full-blown Moe's experience. Then, I went to Denny's at like 2 in the morning and had one of those "skillets" with veggies, potatoes and eggs... and some of George's strawberry pancake puppies dunked in some kind of cream cheese icing. Then I had Dan's for breakfast the following day which consisted of 2 slices of bacon, 1 piece of sausage, 1 scrambled egg and a pancake. THEN I sealed the day with a visit to Olive Garden for the never-ending pasta bowl.

After the weekend, things have been perfect. Nothing unprocessed with the exception of a piece of cheese.

4, 5 & 6

So, for dinner on Tuesday night I had the salad bar at Ruby Tuesday's and shared a low-calorie (530ish) grilled chicken dish with Pnut. Later that night, I was SO thirsty... so, I had a diet Coke when we rolled through the drive-thru at McDonald's to feed Jeni after her long flight.

Yesterday I woke up and had the rest of my lox on some of that flax bread. Then I had a handful of almonds for a snack during the mid-morning. Aaaaand for lunch I had a salad (had to eat those greens before they went bad) and the last of my spaghetti squash. In the afternoon I went for some hummus (Sabra's Roasted Red Pepper) and carrots. The hummus was awful compared to mine, so I threw it away.

Last night I ended up eating at Whole Foods while I picked up greens for the next week's salads. My plate was a medley of veggies with 3 chicken wings.

This morning I woke up and made myself a couple of eggs for breakfast. I went downstairs to Nature's Table for lunch. They had a chicken salad wrap on special, so I had that with some vegetarian chili and a Coke Zero. Now, I kinda feel it all moving through my digestive track. I probably could have just had vegetarian chili and some water. Hindsight. Oh, sweet, sweet hindsight.

Day 3 & 4

So much to do. So little time. Trying to relax my mind, though. There's no use in worrying about getting it all "checked off of my list".

Last night's steaks were really good. I probably didn't need to eat the ENTIRE steak and baked sweet potato, but I did. And had some organic spring mix to throw on top of it.

After that, George's sweet tooth activated itself. So, he wanted to go to Jeremiah's Italian Ice. Then he realized that we couldn't because it was all high-fructose corn syrupy. So, we looked up the ingredients for Menchie's fro-yo online and decided that it was processed, but much better. So, I had a little swirl of vanilla, cherry and the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup flavors. Topped with a few chunks of pineapple, a cherry, a few pieces of strawberry and some almonds. Definitely satisfied my sweet tooth.

Though it's processed, I'm not ridden with guilt today. Posting my dietary "transgressions" here make me realize that I'm doing a pretty great job all in all. I guess I've got to celebrate the victories here:

1. I didn't bury my face in the bag of mint Milano cookies sitting in my pantry when I got home
2. The can of regular Coke sitting on the top shelf of my fridge is still there
3. I can't remember the last time I had cows milk (the expired jug is sitting in my fridge as a congratulatory reminder)
4. I haven't touched the heaping mound of macaroons on my counter

So far today, I've had a piece of whole grain sunflower/flax loaf with lox and a large coffee (sweetened with agave nectar). Lunch is more spicy spaghetti squash with half of a hass avocado and a salad (hopefully the stuff in the fridge hasn't gone bad).

I'm feeling pretty good (could be the large coffee, though) and remarkably rested. Managed to score a new bed yesterday! So, until next time...

Day 2 & 3

"Hello again. To all my friends. Together we can play some rock and roll." - Skrillex

I've eaten a very natural diet and I feel alright, but no esoteric glow has overwhelmed me yet.

I've eaten:

Spaghetti squash with sauteed veggies [dinner for day 1]

Indian food

Mushroom lasagna [no noodles] with green beans

Fancy cheese with Lyzz [cambozola, some kind of swiss and gouda] with grain crackers

2lb bag of carrots with homemade garlic hummus

Pineapple, strawberries, bananas and cantaloupe [hold the listeria, please]

Smoked Alaskan Sockeye Salmon [wild caught]

Almonds

So far, so good! Some of the things that I wasn't so sure about:

1. The Sriracha Sauce that I dumped into my spaghetti squash

2. The grain crackers [though, I only had a few before I began to just eat the cheese in cubes]

Still going strong, though. Tonight I'm going to make some steaks and baked sweet potatoes. Until next time...

Reunited

Oh, hey blog!

Listen. I know, I know! I've been a little... "not in posting mode" for a while. All that's changing, though. Initially, this blog was to capture all of my creative kitchen happenings. Now, I'm not saying that I'm repurposing my blog... but, I'm repositioning its focus.

In the last year or so, I've been interested in learning more about food. Some of the things that I've watched/followed are:

• Food Inc.
• The Beautiful Truth
• How to Cook Your Life
• Supersize Me
• Fat Head
• Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
• Forks Over Knives
• The Future of Food conference at Georgetown (where Prince Charles spoke about the need for reform in our world food system) *I think he's a dreadful speaker, but the transcript of what he had to say is definitely worth the read.
• UCSF's Osher Center for Integrative Medicine's "Mini Medical School for the Public" - "Sugar: The Bitter Truth"
• Discussions from Dr. Andrew Weil (a medical doctor/botanist)
• ...and some more stuff that I'm sure I'm forgetting

The end result of this heightened awareness is a growing desire to consume a more whole diet. At first, my learning was propelled by a desire to lose weight. So far, I'm down about 60 pounds (and I've still got a pretty good way to go). Now, my attention and focus is really on what it means to be HEALTHY. To be well nourished.

So, in an attempt to make an effort to be in better health, I'm participating in "Unprocessed October". That basically means that I'll consume nothing processed for the length of the month. I'm pretty excited about it despite the challenges that lie ahead. Some things that have come to my attention:

• There are several special events going on - engagement parties, bridal showers, etc...
• My best friend is coming to visit on October 4th and has a LIST of places she wants to eat
• Halloween candy
• McDonald's Monopoly
• My recent obsession with almond milk

I'm actually EXCITED about the prospect of trying to eat more naturally and working THROUGH these real-life challenges. I intend to try to capture as much of the experience in this blog. I'm not making any promises, but I'll do my best to keep it updated!

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

So, I've been a little busy lately. Haven't posted as much as I'd like to! The other night I did make incredible chicken tacos with a fresh avocado salsa. Unfortunately, I was drinking wine all day and talking to a friend on Skype. The meal was delicious, but it's a miracle that I didn't slice my hand off or burn the house down. Shawty crunk.

Anyway, tonight I set out on a soup journey. A few years ago, someone made a similar dish and I swore that I'd try to do it myself one day.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup. The name alone is intimidating. I had no idea what I was getting in to when I made this one. I'm tired beyond belief, so I could have taken MORE pictures... but, let's take a look anyway, shall we?

First order of business: Taking the trash out. I *might* have a love for booze.

This would be a delicious pile of onions, a sweet potato, a giant squash (which I will call SASQUASH) ANNNNDDD a shake weight. Don't judge me.

Trail of tears.

Garlic, bruh. You need it. Mince it. 2 cloves.

Have you ever tried cutting one of these things?!?! They're RIDICULOUS. We should be making bulletproof vests out of butternut squash skin. Jesus.

FINALLY got it skinned, seeded and chopped into small one inch cubes. Conclusion: I NEED A PEELER. IMMEDIATELY. Using a knife to do this was horrendous. This picture is a visual display of my attitude toward the process.

Now, it's a sweet potato's turn to go. I didn't take a picture of it, but I ended up throwing these in a foil boat with three tablespoons of butter, dark brown sugar, honey and cinnamon. Baked it for about 25 minutes at 425 while everything cooked.

That would be six cups of chicken stock (I used four cups of a coconut curry stock and two cups of regular sodium free chicken stock).

The squash cubes.

The onions and garlic (which was sauteed [but not browned] in this pan until it was soft).

Curry powder --- about 1.5 tablespoons of spicy curry (I recommend madras curry powder).

Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the squash is soft. Then, you throw about two tablespoons of fresh honey in the mix.

Now it's all softly and cooked... time to blend it. You can use an immersion blender (which I don't have) or a food processor (as seen here). I took this ladle and pulsed the soup until it was almost puree. I also added the sweet potato cubes from the oven into the food processor.

Add nutmeg and cinnamon... and cayenne pepper!

I threw a little cream in there to tone the spice down a bit. I wanted the sweet element to shine.

Serve with a good crusty bread and an optional spoon. I minced fresh ginger and chopped fresh cilantro to throw on top, too.

It was truly delicious. I can't wait to eat it tomorrow lol.

aaaand a more flattering picture of myself. I needed a redemption shot after the hangover face from the Veggie Tuscan Bake entry the other day. Oi vey.

Give this a shot! It's worth the effort. Seriously.

Breakfast of Champions

So, I made that huge dish of veggies... now, I have to eat it all before it goes bad. That's what sucks about being single and loving to cook, I guess. This means I'll have to get crafty for the next couple of days.

Let's see what we can do for breakfast, shall we?

Why, yes. That IS two cans of Big Flats Walgreens Brand beer. Do yourself a favor and never buy it... it's awful.

Dear cast iron skillet, I love you. Let this humble offering of bacon be proof. Love, Rachel

O HAI, you! Let me get some of that.

Threw it on the cutting board. Let the chopping commence.

A wise man once said, "Pork fat rules."

Take said chopped veggies. Toss them in a warm frying pan.

I beat this egg like it owed me money.

Decided that I'd make myself a corn pancake, too! Have you ever tried these?!? They are DELECTABLE.

Aaaaannnnddd they're not that bad for you. Anything with like 5 ingredients that tastes this good = doing something right.

Hot pork fat covered skillet, meet corn pancake. Corn pancake, meet hot pork fat covered skillet. Play nicely.

Awww yeah!

Pour that egg all over the veggies and do as my friend Bob Marley once said, "stir it up".

Mmmm. It smells delicious.

Serving suggestion. Lulz.

BONUS!!! That veggie dish I made had some mozzarella in it... Check this cheese bridge, bro! :)

That's right. Mama's got the camera.

Okay, so maybe I should start making the titles of these entries... what the DISH is that I've made? Nah, screw that. This is my blog. I do what I want. I like funny titles way better.

On that note, I had a food adventure yesterday that I wanted to share. While I laid in the sun by the pool, I decided that I really wanted to make a veggie dish for dinner. I'd seen this recipe the other day in a cookbook I have for a Tuscan Veggie Bake. Winning! So, I scurried to Publix (where shopping is a pleasure) and picked up the goods. I only had a little bit of time before I had to run out the door to meditation... you will see the hurried mess below:

Procure peppers as seen here. Wash them.

MAH KITCHEN: WHERE PEPPERS GO TO DIEEEE!! Cut them. De-rib them (that means cut out the little white parts from the inside). Remove the seeds.

Learned a valuable lesson here: clean your oven before you start a food blog. Fuck. That's kinda gross. LOL! Anyway, bake the peppers for about 10-15 minutes at 425.

Slice zucchinis like it's your job. Chop garlic like it's also your job.

Get frustrated that the baking process isn't giving you the blistering results you need and turn on the broiler at 500 instead. Place the peppers on the rack about 6 inches from the broiler for about 3-5 minutes. Remove blistering peppers from the oven.

Word of advice: If you ever find a recipe that asks you to peel the skins from a freshly roasted pepper, do yourself a favor and turn the page. Longest part of this whole process was peeling the skin from these LAVA BOMB peppers. Jesus.

While the camera wasn't looking, I mixed 6 tbsp of EVOO with freshly chopped basil (from my lovely friend Lyzz's garden) and that chopped garlic. I also chopped up some black olives from a can. The recipe I found didn't say to put eggplant in the dish, but I really wanted to try it... so, I added a slice from a medium sized eggplant. After you arrange it all, it basically looks like this:

Mind you, I was in a crazy huge hurry trying to make this before I had to rush out for meditation. Usually, I clean as I go... but, I wanted to share the chaos I created! LOL.

The recipe asks that you slice some fresh mozzarella and throw it on top. I sprinkled some goat cheese in here, too... because... well, why not? Salt, pepper. The end. Except I drizzled a little more EVOO on top.

Then, you throw it in the oven at 420 for about 25 minutes. Then, you broil it at 500 for about 3-4 minutes to get a nice bubbly, golden brown on that mozz. This is what it looks like after it's all said and done:

VOILA!

Recommended serving suggestion: In a sports bra in the kitchen while you have a hang over from too much Kirin the night before. I do it for the LAWLS, people.

I was gonna take some pictures, but then...

Well, yesterday was a fun day. My good friend Sarah came over for some chilling by the pool. Inevitably, we ended up in the kitchen.

I made us a salad and a Kashi frozen Mediterranean pizza. I can't leave well enough alone, so I also chopped up one of my home grown tomatoes, some red onion and fresh garlic to throw on top. The tomatoes from my plant are SO vibrant and delightfully red. It looked beautiful... but, I wanted something else.

So, I grabbed the fresh mozzarella from the fridge and sliced a couple pieces. I ripped them up into smaller strips and spread them over the pie. Threw the pizza in the oven for about 11 minutes (though the package only calls for 8 minutes) and then broiled it for another 2 so that the cheese would get melted and browned. Success. That pizza LOOKED as delicious as it tasted.

Again, I failed on the photo taking. Please forgive me! LOL I was a little crunk, okay?

Don't talk about it, be about it.

There are those who can and there are those who can't... and those who can but don't want to... and those who want to but won't. The point's becoming diluted. I digress.

My name is Rachel and I'm starting my food blog. For a while, I've toyed with the idea of making one. Here it is.

Yesterday, I came to a couple of valuable conclusions:

1. I should leave my camera in the kitchen

2. Food blogs without pictures suck

So, I promise I'll take pictures from now on. This kinda sucks because you missed out on panko fried zucchini with a mayo based lemon dipping sauce. You also missed out on an extremely attractive chicken parm dish. Sigh.

Guess I'll be forced to make them again one day! Shame, right? ;)