It's that time again.
As I sit here with the remnants of my peppermint tea on this rainy day (day off, mind you), I am encouraged to, once again, pick up my cyber pencil and get to blogging. I suppose it is a good thing that I don't write only when it rains, seeing as we are having a much needed drink here on the Golden Coast (a little too Golden...more like parched).
Anyhoo, enough with the parenthetical remarks. It has been some time since I have updated you.. okay since October. Meaning, much has happened over the holidays and the beginning of a new year! Thus, I will (attempt to) keep it sweet and simple and clue you in with many photos and recipes!
Since October, I went to Georgia to see my family for the birth of my new nephew Sawyer Levi. He was born on Oct. 28th and is the most precious baby, since my other sweet Nephew Kyler Gage, of course!
I was able to stay for a week with the help of community in my travels and it was such a restful and joyous time to share with my family. What's more, I got to see my sweet sister who is growing a baby of her own and I am glad to announce that I will be having another nephew come May!
I find it amazing the way that God works in bringing about growth. My prayer is now to just listen to his heart in this season, because I so much want to be in Georgia for the arrival of sweet Gus Gus (that is what we are calling the baby for now). ;]
Upon arriving back to Cali, much excitement has taken place! We have had snow, sun, drought, and hopefully a flood of rain to fill us up today! I am working closer to my husband now, which is awesome, because we are sharing a car so this way we can easily walk to each other!
More great news is that we were given a real, live bed for Christmas from my brother and his girlfriend! I mean, it's not really alive... but it doesn't deflate like the air mattress we had been sleeping on since our arrival in July! I didn't even realize that I wasn't having that "aaahhh" moment that you get when you lay down at the end of a long day and your whole body just melts into the bed. You know which moment I'm talking about. With an air mattress, it is the one doing the exhaling until you reach the floor...
Needless to say, we have much to be thankful for. So much so, that I might share that we have just moved into a new place! Our landlords at our previous home were deciding to make changes in housing and so we went on the search and, quite truly, stumbled upon this gem. She needed a bit of sprucing up and TLC, but she met all of our needs and requirements and we couldn't be happier to call her home. I have decided the status of "she" because I am now the only girl in the house and need a teammate, seeing as the "we" consists of 4 other guys. Fortunately, one is my husband so we are a team! And unfortunately, I do not have any great photos of the abode, yet, but I will share some in the near future, seeing as I am attempting to keep this blogging thing at a consistent pace from here.
Other changes, for me, have just been focusing on a greater level of health in this new year.
It has been a long 3-ish years of regaining my health, and much of that has been due to dietary changes and seeking more natural remedies. These steps have made a world of difference and I have been able to gain back lost weight and eat things that used to affect me adversely. However, there are still areas that I am choosing to address for full recovery in this new season. I have been fighting off SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth) for the past year, due to all the trauma done by parasites in my digestive system, so I have decided to take another step and kick out carbs for a while. This is due to the nature of the bacteria to thrive off the sugar from the carbs and I am no longer treating symptoms but, instead, kicking this junk to the curb! And I have noticed a difference in my gut feelings (not intuition) since making these changes. What's more, I am claiming back my muscle weight. I really felt the Lord speak clearly about fighting back in this new year and reclaiming what's been stolen and so my husband has been joining me for little run-walks around our new neighborhood and down the river trail (a beautiful recreational area along the Sacramento River that goes along the back of our neighborhood). Again, we have been so blessed to be in an area where we can have these privileges. It has become one of my favorite things for us to head out after getting home from work and running up the hills to see the sun setting pink and purple over Shasta to the North and Lassen to the West. What's more, just a year ago, Mike and I couldn't even go for a 1-mile walk without me getting faint and having to lie down for the afternoon. Now, we have started at about 2 miles and I feel better than ever afterwards! I truly can feel The Lord's grace as he has been guiding us in this new season!
Now, I want to get to the fun stuff and share some pics and recipes that have become staples in my new routine, since cutting out carbs. Such as, for breakfast, I used to always have almond butter and banana toast, but now I am fueling up with a banana-protein smoothie or, now, a fruit bowl with psyllium-chia "yogurt," since we don't have a blender. They are both delish! I have also been exploring more carb-free alternatives for dinners, like baked eggs in portobellos, creamy carrot soup, sprouted tofu and veggie stir fry, and, of course, cauliflower crust pizzas! And one of my new favorite, and must-share dessert recipes is cashew cookies!! My older brother (who is like anti-anything I make) actually requests them now! So here goes!
Mornings usually look something like this..
These are a few variations of my fruit protein smoothies! The base for many of these is my simple banana smoothie or Almond Love, as I like to call it in reminiscence of our vacation to Seaside, Florida where we had the best smoothies and juices from this airstream food car called Raw & Juicy!
For this smoothie to serve one you only need 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice), 1 banana (nice and ripe with lots of spots and at room temp), and 1 Tbsp. almond butter.
I usually like to add in about 1 Tbsp. flax seed meal and CINNAMON! So good and a great anti-microbial to fight bacteria! Now, you can also use frozen banana in this and it is awesome and really more like dessert, as it takes on a creamy ice cream texture. The only reason I choose room temp. is because it is easier on the digestive system early in the morning.
Using this simple banana recipe, I like to spunk up my smoothies on the daily with fresh papaya, mango, berries, and maybe even a little spinach.
The top left is the papaya version, while the one on the right has blueberries, and the bottom one is my green hulk smoothie with spinach and hemp protein powder! I also like to top these off with any nuts or seeds on hand and extra cinnamon. More cinnamon please!
As of more recently, my breakfasts have taken on the shape of a deconstructed and unblended smoothie, seeing as we do not have a blender at the moment. So her are a few variations of my yummy fruit bowls or fruit cereal i like to serve up in the morn!
For the base of many of these, I did some experimenting to develop my own simple yogurt-esque base.
For this, I do one of two options.
The top left depicts a more pudding type texture.
For this, I use 1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk, about 1 Tbsp. chia seeds or meal, and 1 Tbsp. psyllium husk ( But I warn you now, easy on the psyllium bc it gets sticky quick!). I make sure to mix this well. You will witness a magical exchange as it develops into a thick pudding-like texture. I then like to add-in some almond butter (ALWAYS), cinnamon (ALWAYS), and maybe some vanilla extract (alcohol free) or raw honey!
The next step is so easy. Put yo favorite fruit on it! bam.
For me, this looks like papaya, banana, mango, blueberries, guava, and types of dried fruit- my favorite being Goji berries. hands down.
I have also learned that I am not too passionate about passion fruit. Whoever named them should be put in exotic fruit jail... too much?..
The second version I like to do is depicted in the bottom right and is a bit lighter and creamier. Many people call this chia pudding and it works well for mixing into smoothies as well.
Simply mix 1/2 cup milk of choice with 1 Tbsp. chia seeds/ meal. The longer it sits, the more it will congeal. You can even put it in a jar and add in some honey, shake it well, and leave it over night and it makes for a clean dessert! As always, top it with all the added nutrients of fiber and protein that you like- pumpkin seeds, cashews, pistachios, flax seed, chia, dried fruit, honey, and any nut butter or sweetener of your liking.
Now, I will share two of my favorite dinner recipes developed as of recent.
This is my creamy carrot soup! The first is done by using a blender and, well, the second I resorted to an early 19th century method. Yes, I may have just used a pestle to mash up the cooked carrots for this soup. Just call me Mrs. Patmore (any Downton fans out there..no?... ok nevermind).
For this soup, I will share the left version because, let's be honest, it was the winner.
It's very simple, too, given you have a blender of some sort.
You will need:
3-5 whole carrots, peeled and sliced, 1/2 yellow onion, chopped (does not need to be fine bc remember we are just throwing it into the blender!), 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 Tbsp. oil of choice (coconut works great for this one, but I also like to add in some earth balance vegan butter for a creamier flavor), about 1 inch fresh ginger, chopped (this is optional, but great for flavor and even more for healthy digestion), 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (to control seasoning), 1 can full-fat coconut milk, and a good helping of salt and pepper. I also like to add turmeric for its health benefits and rosemary for its yummy flavor!
First, heat the oil over med-high heat in a large stock and add the veggies (minus the garlic and ginger). Let cook until lightly brown and becoming tender. Add the garlic and ginger in towards the end so as to keep from burning. Let cook just another 30 sec. to one minute. Next, add in the broth and seasonings and stir to mix well. This next portion is really dependent on how hungry you are and how long you want to wait. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a med-simmer for anywhere from 5-20 mins. I may have opted for the first option seeing as I was quite hungry. Once done simmering, slowly transfer to a blender ( may need to do in 2 batches) and blend away! Finally, transfer back to the pot and add in the coconut milk (minus the watery part at the bottom of the can). Let it heat through and taste to adjust seasoning. Now dig in! I like to garnish mine with either cinnamon or honey (or both) or a little dukkah (yes, its a funny word and mike does not pronounce correctly, but this is an indian style garnish of nuts, seeds, and herbs like fennel, coriander, and pepper). You can also go spicy like Mike's preference and add in some serrano peppers or a dash of hot sauce!
If you would like to bulk this soup up, I have also roasted cauliflower and tossed into the finished product or roasted a red pepper and pureed it with the soup and added cumin and lime for a version with a little kick! Also, if you noticed, I served my soup with a slice of bread. Mind you, I am doing low-card so this was a grain free bread made from coconut butter, yes, butter! not the flour!
You can go to this great blog for the recipe and it is bombtastic! Mine looked a little like this...
My next favorite concoction is what I like to call creamy cashew-curry-coconut acorn squash stew. Say that five times fast. Or just acorn squash stew. Anyhoo, it is delicious and super simple!
It looks a lil something like this!
Now, all you need is:
1 acorn squash cut into wedges ( be careful not to cut your fingers off, for they can be quite persnickety; a husband/ someone a little stronger than you comes in handy at this point.. just saying), oil for roasting, 1/2 yellow onion, sliced, 1-2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 cup greens of choice (optional add in eg: kale or spinach), 1 can full-fat coconut milk, about 1/4 tsp. turmeric, 1/2 tsp. yellow curry, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp ground ginger and salt and pepper. Cashews for garnishing.
This is so simple.
Preheat the oven to 425 F, while you are prepping the veggies.
Place the sliced squash on a baking pan and coat in olive oil or melted coconut oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on oven and let roast 15-20 mins.
While the squash is roasting, add oil of choice into a medium stock pot (again, I like to add in some earth balance for flavor) and heat over med-high heat. Add in the onion and let cook until almost transparent and add in the garlic in the last 30 seconds. This should only take a few minutes so turn off to keep from burning while squash finishes. Check on the squash half way through and flip to brown each side. Once the squash is cooked to tender, let cool a bit and peel the skin off. If you are impatient, like me, you may end up just burning your fingers. ( Cooking can be a bit dangerous for me, but I still love it!) Once peeled, add into the pot with the can of coconut milk (holding back the watery bottom), and add in seasonings and stir while increasing the heat to med-high. Mash the squash with your cooking utensil to break it up a bit and allowing all the flavors to meld together. If adding greens, then stir them in 10 mins, till finish. Divide into bowls and garnish with chopped cashews! This serves about 3-4 people. Enjoy!
Now, I must leave you with a very simple and a new favorite dessert! While going low-carb, I still find a place for sweets and a way to sneak good fats, such as coconut oil. These have been requested on several occasions by my older brother and, if you know anything about him, health food is not always the way he rolls. So with that as a testimonial, check out this page and make these ASAP!
I like to fancy mine up a bit by dipping them in a clean and simple chocolate sauce.
Just mix 1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil with 1 Tbsp. cacao powder, 1/2 Tbsp. raw honey, a splosh of vanilla extract, and a dash of instant coffee and salt. Tada! You have just made magic shell sauce!
And this is what you get!
Oh, and this would be my favorite thing that has happened since I last wrote.
These are my sweet nephews and coolest kids on the block.
Thanks for reading and bearing through the long saga (or should I say blog-a! oh I shouldn't?.. bc that's lame? Gotcha....) of material, but I do hope you have been inspired and found some gems to help shake things up. And always feel free to ask questions or share information, because I love learning more, myself.
Grace to you.
