Oh yes I am....

'Nuff Said

This made me laugh although it is pretty true.  I had another successful grocery shopping trip.  Everything I bought went into the refrigerator except for one can of Mexican beans and two cans of fire roasted tomatoes.  That makes me very happy and self-righteous.  Ha Ha......                                             

I am amazing myself

I am doing so well in only buying "real" food at the grocery store.  I don't throw anything out anymore.  We use everything.  I may be spending the same amount but I know that I am nurturing my body and psyche.  Here is a pic of a mid-week stop at the store:

2 bags of shrimp, 1 dozen eggs, 1 bag of washed greens, 2 bags of frozen okra, 1 bag of frozen

peppers and onions, 1 avocado, a chicken, beef, mozarella cheese, 5 cans of fire roasted tomatoes,

6 Larabars, 1 box organic cereal for snacks for the kids and 1 package of low carb tortilla wraps.

Technically the tortillas and cereal would not be consider a nekkid food.  But considering all the junk

I used to buy, this is a HUGE change.                                                                                             

Oh. My. Goodness

Several of my family members are studying the Paleo way of eating and it's pretty amazing.  My daughter Katy told me that a lot of paleo people are touting Larabars.  Larabars qualify, in my opiniion, as a Eat Nekkid food.  They all have 3-4 ingredients and they are real foods.  They all have some sort of fruit and a nut.  The nuts, being a fat and protein, help balance the glycemic load of the fruit.  Plus, they are SO yummy.

The best price I've found is Kroeger's on sale for $1 a bar.  I think they would be awesome in a kid's lunch or to take along as a quick snack if you are away from decent food.

Cookin' Cajun....

Ooooie!  I made a yummilicious 10 minute meal tonite that I will definitely be eating on a regular basis, especially once the weather cools off.

Saute some garlic, onion, celery and peppers in a tinch  of olive oil.  This didn't take long because I like my veggies crunchy.  I used a leftover orange pepper tonite.  Of course I added salt & pepper.

Add in some thawed okra & continue to stir.  Yum Yum.

Add in one can of fire roasted tomatoes.

Add in creole seasoning to taste.  I like things spicy & research has proven that spicy hot foods actually increase your metabolism because your body has to work to cool off.

Time for the shrimp to dive in.  I hate it when people overcook shrimp.  I turned off the burner once I added the shrimp and they quickly cooked in the hot broth.  Only cook them until they turn pink.  They should NOT have texture like a pencil eraser!!

Done and slap yo mamma good.  I actually had enough for leftovers tomorrow minus the shrimp.  I love the variety of veggies and their amazing colors.  This recipe is extremely low calorie and is very satisfying.  Let the good times roll, bebe!!!

My new toy

http://www.amazon.com/World-Cuisine-48297-99-Tri-Blade-Vegetable/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312845302&sr=8-1

I bought this spiral vegetable cutter and tried it tonite.  I am in love.  I made pasta out of zucchini!!!  If we are big kids, we will admit that zucchini can be tasteless so why not add some flavor and BUCK UP and try it?

So tonite I sauteed in a tiny bit of olive oil, some onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes, the zucchini and some raw shrimp.  The veggies released quite a bit of moisture so next time I may try it without the oil.  The whole meal took me minutes.  I topped off the creation with some capers.  It was so nice to "slurp" some "pasta."

My new plates

I waited MONTHS for these to be shipped to me.  They are called Slimware plates.  Each flower bud represents a portion size.  There are flowers for veggies, protein, grains and a leaf for fat.  I don't agree with some of their portion sizes (as in the tiny leaf for fat) but how FUN is this?  Once I lose all my weight it will be a good reminder to watch my portion sizes.  In any event, they are adorable.

Breakfast for Carnivores

My husband NEEDS to eat first thing in the morning.  And I mean NOW.  My daughter Katy showed me how to make low carb breakfast burritos so now I make 10 at a time and never have to think about having anything on hand for breakfast. 

I tear off 10 sheets of waxed paper and place the burrito on the paper.  I split a half a slice of cheese on each shell.

I fry up some sausage and one egg per burrito.  I added some mushrooms to these.  If I were eating them myself I would add all sorts of veggies.  I run some water around the top of the shell to seal it once I roll it up.

Ta Da!!  Breakfast done for 10 days.  If I had kids at home this would be their breakfast too.  There would be no blood sugar spikes and it is a hearty way to start off the day.  The more I study the more I understand how blood sugar spikes affect mood and overall health.  The protein in this burrito prevents any of these issues.

REBOOT

Boo.  Hiss.  I ate VERY much off the plan for 2 days.  Horrible side effects.  I woke up many times last night ,  feeling very hot.  Stomach pain, etc.  I will spare you the rest.  I am STILL amazed at how poorly I react to food that is not good for me.  One would think I would catch on at some point.  But I am closer than I have ever been to figuring it all out for myself.  Now to hit it HARD and coast on it to the finish line.

I love this....

This drives me CRAZY!!!

Last night I was reading my new issue of "Cooking Light" magazine & I noticed a two page ad for Splenda.  They have a new product called "Splenda Essentials."  This is some nutso propaganda to make us think that by adding B vitamins, or fiber, or antioxidants, they have made a pure chemical acceptable.  INSANITY!! 

I read a book recently that said we should run from any label that shouts "healthy", "improved", etc.  If it was a "real" food it wouldn't need any enhancement.  Is it too much to just be honest about what a food contains?  No more hiding the names for sugar or preservatives.  We all have to "own" what we choose and that is our right, but B-S ing us into thinking something that is full of fillers and chemicals is healthy for us is enough to give me a stroke.

Really proud of myself.....

Wow, after several weeks of trying to only buy "real" food, I am doing quite well.  I am definitely shopping the outside aisles of the store.  Mark, who is following a high protein diet, still likes processed sausages and  bacon but at least you kind of, sort of , know what ingredients there are in those.  I feel very virtuous, filling the crispers in the fridge with all sorts of fresh veggies. 

We leave  for Colorado next week and we'll see how well I do.  Since we are taking the 5th wheel I will have more control over what we eat.  On my agenda this weekend is to prepare a trail mix, breakfast burritos for Mark, tuna salad loaded with veggies for me, etc.    Part of both of our plans is to go almost 100% gluten free.  So no more wasting money on bread and chips and pastries. 

So wish me luck!!!

It's all in the frou frou

I tend to get into ruts very easily. My husband and I have very different tastes when it comes to food. So for years I have cooked different meals for each of us. This hasn't always been the case. When we were both eating poorly, I could definitely find something we both liked.

Now we are on different eating plans and it suits us well. HOWEVER, it doesn't leave me time or desire to make our food look "purty." My friend Pete has inspired me to make the effort to eat with my eyes also. So my goal is to make an effort to make meal time a sensual pleasure. When you are on a calorie restricted plan it makes sense to make the food something special. I feel very strongly that we need to nurture ourselves as best we can and this is an excellent way for me to start.

Just sayin'

Pete's Perfection

My best friend's hubby Pete is a wonderful chef. Once his kid's were gone he started playing around in the kitchen and has taken it over as his own turf.

I shared with them my passion for trying, as best as I can, to eat nekkid. Here is his stuffed eggplant which beats my salad that I inhaled standing at my kitchen sink last night.

Welcome

This blog is created to keep my conviction that most of my meals should be "nekkid" as in the fewest possible ingredients and "real" food, as much as possible.