Quick status update

I haven't written a status update since returning from England so I figured it was time to catch up and get my progress down so that I do not start to slide to old habits. It's amazing how accountable I feel when I have to put this to type.

Pounds: I had reported on the 10th that I had gained 2 lbs on the trip. Happy to say that those are now gone again. And 1 more lb I wasn't expecting! 

Exercise: The Couch to 5K ended up being a little much for me right out of the gait. I am approaching 40 and haven't done any real exercise other than chasing after my toddler and stairs to do laundry since he was born two and half years ago. I realized that I don't bounce back from exercise the way I used to and my hips were taking a beating even with a good amount of stretching and warm up. 

My new exercise love, you may ask.. or not... but I am telling you anyway is Zombies Run! I have never been into the whole zombies thing, I don't watch the The Walking Dead, or get into games, etc. BUT I came across this following a thread one day and thought an interactive exercise game sounded pretty cool.

You follow a story line of being dropped in the middle of a zombie infested territory (I can't believe I am writing these words) and you need to run to the protected township and pick up supplies along the way. There are episodes that you follow where you are sent on various missions. 

It's an app I have on my Android phone and I use while having my favorite Spotify playlist, Nike Running Tempo Mix, and the game lowers the music volume for announcements like "Run you are being chased by a zombie from the east!" and you better run or you loose some of the supplies that you have gathered during the game. 

It's really a lot of fun and makes the time go by really fast. 

Frustrations: Not having more time to prepare meals. That hurdle will never go away until I retire or until we move to a place where we could afford for one of us to have a reduced schedule or work from home. It is hard keeping it all together planning and cooking the meals as well as packing lunches and snacks and trying to do it all on a very tight budget. It can be done, and we are doing it, but I would just love to sit down every once in a while before 9pm. That's not the fault of Paleo but circumstance. Still a pain point for me none the less. 

All in all doing great, feeling motivated, and happy it's the weekend. 

Breakfast is a huge weakness for me. I have the day off today and it wasn't that long ago that I would have dropped my son my son off with the sitter and found myself driving to McDonalds for a hash brown.  Btw, that still sounds good to me, but I will not be heading there. Sorry Ronald, it was you, not me. hahah. Instead I have made a Paleo friendly granola.

This is pretty hearty and when served with cold coconut milk and fruit to top, it is a very satisfying breakfast. Make sure the milk is cold, and I used full-fat. It is so thick that when you put it on, it has the consistency of yogurt. The picture I took below has it with almond milk, which is also good, but I much prefer the coconut milk.

Today's ingredients came down to what I had on hand so I just went for it. Once it is baked, it breaks up into chunks. I will keep the bigger pieces as a snack and use the rest for cereal.

Once the ingredients are mixed and flattened out in the pan give it a press with your hands or the back of a spatula so even it out.

Paleo Granola with Coconut Milk

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 mins

Ingredients:
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts
1/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 egg white
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract (or how ever much you like)
Optional items - cinnamon or dark cocoa chips, or any other flavorings you like.

For Serving:
1 can of cold coconut milk - unsweetened and full-fat.
Fresh fruit of choice for topping.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300℉.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Add all the nuts and seeds to your food processor and pulse to chop the nuts, but just enough for a rough chop  - they can turn into dust quickly if you chop too long.
4. Add the shredded coconut, and any optional flavorings to the nut mix and stir well.
5. In a large, separate bowl, beat the egg white until slightly frothy then mix in the coconut oil, honey, an vanilla.
6. Add the nut mixture to the egg mixture and stir until everything is covered.
7. Press the mixture down into the lined baking sheet and give it a good press with your hands or back of a spatula to flatten it out.
8. Into the oven for 25 mins.
9. When done, remove from the oven and let it completely cool before breaking it up into pieces.
10. Store it in an air-tight container.
11. Serve it with the coconut or almond milk and fresh fruit.

Avocado Pesto Zucchini Noddles

A new favorite to report. Zucchini noodles or "Zoodles,"new term to me, with an oh so creamy avocado pesto sauce. so I had this recipe to make on my calendar for Monday and Monday came and went, Tuesday came and went and finally on Wednesday I had to stop procrastinating before the zucchini went bad. There was some little meat devil sitting on my shoulder telling me that I would not be satisfied with just veggie noodles. I was so wrong. Maybe it was that junk food part of me still fighting the Paleo monster. :)

I found this recipe on The Iron You, and the images on the site, as always, do this dish justice, but I always like to show how mine came out.  I will change a few things that I did the next time that I make this. First off, I have a cheap vegetable spiralizer that makes flatter cuts instead of rounder noodles. It doesn't effect the taste, but it definitely effects presentation.

Mike, from "The Iron You" warns about the quick oxidation of the avocados, but it was much faster than I thought. I am used to the normal guacamole brown setting in, but because the avocados went in the processor it happened almost immediately. Once you spoon into the sauce, it will be the expected beautiful avocado green again, but it will oxidize like a dickens.

Lesson: make the sauce at the last possible second. 

I might sprinkle a few extra pine nuts on top too the next time.

I didn't change a thing, so go get the recipe for Creamy Avocado Pesto Zoodles.

Items in this post:

Eggs with Avocado, Tomato, and Bacon

A simple meal? Yes Please. Sometime I just get tired of cooking. It is a lot between the planning, preparing, freezing/defrosting, and cooking. Sometimes I just need to "keep it simple, stupid!"

I got home around the usual time from work, 7, and had to be out the door for my book club by 8. That meant getting my toddler fed and working out dinner for myself and hubby. That calls for the glorious BFD: "Breakfast for Dinner." There is no recipe for this really because it's scrambled eggs with whatever mix-ins you want!

Growing up, I always beat milk into my eggs to make them fluffier, so now I opt to put a little almond milk. This is one spot I would say to not use coconut oil as your cooking fat. It's isn't really a pleasant taste with an egg. Go with avocado oil or ghee with eggs.

My mom also introduced me to cooking bacon in the oven which is seriously genius. It cuts down on the stovetop mess, you can cook more of it at once (who doesn't love that?) and, if you line the pan correctly there is no grease to bother with in the pan.  Read more about baking bacon on my recent post. I do not want to take away from these eggs!

Back to the incredible, edible egg.... I start with the heat on medium low and heat preferred cooking fat in a skillet. Grind a little fresh pepper and salt into the beaten eggs before cooking and then in the last 30 seconds I added the avocado and tomato. I do it at the end because I prefer to try and keep as much of the nutrients in the veggies and fruits I add as I can.

The only thing missing from this photo is that I can't have eggs with out sriracha sauce. This is where I am "paleo-ish" I don't use a lot because unless you make it yourself, sriracha sauces will usually have cane sugar.  There are recipes out there to make your own that is Paleo friendly. I just haven't gone down that road yet. Maybe someday. Until then, this is one teaspoon full of splurging that I won't fight.