Breakfast:
-water with lemon when I first got up
-fresh peach
-coffee with honey
Lunch:
-Leftover snap peas with scrambled eggs
Snacks:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-crispy peanuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and prunes
Dinner:
-Seared Ahi Tuna with Mango Salad
-beet tops sautéed in virgin coconut oil with crushed garlic, Celtic salt and ground black pepper.
-peanut butter with honey (I was craving cookies or something baked so I mixed a bit of p.b. and honey together and ate that. It did the trick. Pretty sure I got cravings from having the sparkly wine.)
-sparkling wine (not GAPS legal)
Dairy:
Day 20 no dairy
Energy Level:
Low energy again today.
Mood:
OK, but easily frazzled.
Brain Power:
In the realm of foggy.
Back pain:
Back was pretty stiff this morning.
Pain between the shoulder blades was at full force.
Foot pain:
Sharp pains in my right foot when I first got up.
Mild pain in both feet through the day.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
18
(.) weirdness. It appears my (.) may have actually started. Really not sure what is going on. Very confusing and a bit upsetting.
OK, it's not starting, just more spotting.
More weirdness, not sure where to list this... vertigo. When I got up to head to bed I had vertigo. What next??
Last nights sleep:
Good. More weird dreams.
Comments:
Tuesday was our 9 year anniversary. 9 years and we haven't gotten around to getting married yet. Yikes.
In lieu of going to a restaurant to celebrate, like we would normally do, I made us a special dinner at home. Yes, I still had to cook, but I took my time so it wasn't too bad. The sparkly wine helped.
20100731
Full-Gaps Day 22 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-water with lemon when I first got up
-fresh peach
-coffee with honey
Lunch:
-Salad with chunks of fresh pineapple, yellow bell pepper, tomato, and cucumber. Plus kalamata olives, crispy almonds, walnuts and cashews. Splashes of fresh lemon juice and olive oil and a sprinkle of garlic salt.
Snacks:
-none
Dinner:
-Ground Lamb Patties
-Leftover Curry Mayo
-Oven Roasted Snap Peas, tossed with virgin coconut oil, garlic powder, Celtic salt, and fresh ground pepper
-Homemade Sauerkraut
-chicken broth
-fresh raspberries with honey
Dairy:
Day 19 no dairy
Energy Level:
Felt good again when I first got up this morning, but now feeling sleepy.
Mood:
OK.
Brain Power:
A step up from foggy.
Back pain:
Was sore when I went to bed last night, but felt fine when I got up this morning.
My neck is doing better.
Had to take several breaks while working in the kitchen due to that pain between the shoulder blades.
Foot pain:
Sharp pains in my right foot when I first got up.
Mild pain in both feet through the day.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
17
(.) weirdness. Spotting has stopped, again.
Last nights sleep:
Good, but I stayed up wayyyy too late again. 1 am. Yikes. No wonder I'm tired today.
Comments:
Just finished watching New Moon. Didn't enjoy it as much as the book, but still fun.
-water with lemon when I first got up
-fresh peach
-coffee with honey
Lunch:
-Salad with chunks of fresh pineapple, yellow bell pepper, tomato, and cucumber. Plus kalamata olives, crispy almonds, walnuts and cashews. Splashes of fresh lemon juice and olive oil and a sprinkle of garlic salt.
Snacks:
-none
Dinner:
-Ground Lamb Patties
-Leftover Curry Mayo
-Oven Roasted Snap Peas, tossed with virgin coconut oil, garlic powder, Celtic salt, and fresh ground pepper
-Homemade Sauerkraut
-chicken broth
-fresh raspberries with honey
Dairy:
Day 19 no dairy
Energy Level:
Felt good again when I first got up this morning, but now feeling sleepy.
Mood:
OK.
Brain Power:
A step up from foggy.
Back pain:
Was sore when I went to bed last night, but felt fine when I got up this morning.
My neck is doing better.
Had to take several breaks while working in the kitchen due to that pain between the shoulder blades.
Foot pain:
Sharp pains in my right foot when I first got up.
Mild pain in both feet through the day.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
17
(.) weirdness. Spotting has stopped, again.
Last nights sleep:
Good, but I stayed up wayyyy too late again. 1 am. Yikes. No wonder I'm tired today.
Comments:
Just finished watching New Moon. Didn't enjoy it as much as the book, but still fun.
20100730
Tuna Salad
There are loads of ways to make tuna salad, this is how I do it. I love having leftovers so I always make enough to have the next day too.
4 - 170g tins, chunk light tuna (Skipjack), sustainably caught and dolphin friendly
1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 - 2/3 cup mayo
1 tsp GAPS legal dijon mustard
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Drain the tuna. You don't have to squish every last drop of mositure out of it, a little juice won't kill you. I use the kind packaged in water because I can't find any packaged with decent oils. Put the tuna into a medium sized mixing bowl. Break the chunks up with a fork. Give a few chunks to the cat that is wailing at your feet.
Add the rest of the ingredients, starting with 1/3 cup mayo. Mix it up. Add more mayo if it isn't goopy enough for you.
Serve with veggie sticks to dip or wrapped in lettuce leaves or on coconut flour pancakes.
4 - 170g tins, chunk light tuna (Skipjack), sustainably caught and dolphin friendly
1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 - 2/3 cup mayo
1 tsp GAPS legal dijon mustard
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Drain the tuna. You don't have to squish every last drop of mositure out of it, a little juice won't kill you. I use the kind packaged in water because I can't find any packaged with decent oils. Put the tuna into a medium sized mixing bowl. Break the chunks up with a fork. Give a few chunks to the cat that is wailing at your feet.
Add the rest of the ingredients, starting with 1/3 cup mayo. Mix it up. Add more mayo if it isn't goopy enough for you.
Serve with veggie sticks to dip or wrapped in lettuce leaves or on coconut flour pancakes.
20100729
Oven Roasted Veggies w/ Balsamic & Garlic
From what I've read, some balsamic vinegars have added sugar and thickeners and are therefore GAPS illegal. If you look, you can find them without the additives. They are higher quality, usually certified organic, and therefore pricier. I love balsamic and cook with it often so if anyone has information about why I shouldn't use an additive free one while on Full GAPS please share.
3 bell peppers, red, orange and yellow
1 medium zucchini
1 large onion
8 cloves garlic
a few tbsp olive oil
a few tbsp balsamic vinegar (GAPS legal)
1 tsp garlic salt (look for one that uses sea salt and is non-irradiated)
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Prepare a large cookie sheet, with edges, by lining with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Prepare your veggies. To ensure everything cooks evenly, chop the bell peppers and zucchini into chunks about the same size. Around 1". Chop the onion slightly smaller, about 3/4". And chop the garlic into 1/4" chunks.
Put all the veggies in a large bowl. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil and balsamic over them. Sprinkle with half of the salt. Mix them up. If you think they need a little more oil and balsamic fire away. Add the rest of the salt and mix again.
Pour the veggies onto your prepared cookie sheet. Try to keep everything in a single layer. If you don't, they will end up quite wet. Still tasty, but wet. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes, depending on how roasted you like them. A little black showing on the edges of a few of the peppers and onions is how I like them.
3 bell peppers, red, orange and yellow
1 medium zucchini
1 large onion
8 cloves garlic
a few tbsp olive oil
a few tbsp balsamic vinegar (GAPS legal)
1 tsp garlic salt (look for one that uses sea salt and is non-irradiated)
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Prepare a large cookie sheet, with edges, by lining with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Prepare your veggies. To ensure everything cooks evenly, chop the bell peppers and zucchini into chunks about the same size. Around 1". Chop the onion slightly smaller, about 3/4". And chop the garlic into 1/4" chunks.
Put all the veggies in a large bowl. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil and balsamic over them. Sprinkle with half of the salt. Mix them up. If you think they need a little more oil and balsamic fire away. Add the rest of the salt and mix again.
Pour the veggies onto your prepared cookie sheet. Try to keep everything in a single layer. If you don't, they will end up quite wet. Still tasty, but wet. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes, depending on how roasted you like them. A little black showing on the edges of a few of the peppers and onions is how I like them.
Homemade Ketchup
So far I have two versions. A cheater method using tomato paste and a longer drawn out version using a food mill. I'll probably come up with a third once I dust off my Champion juicer.
The Cheater Version
Maybe I shouldn't call it the cheater version. Maybe I should call it the quick and easy, tastes really, really good version. The drawback is that it comes from a can and we all know can liners contain BPA.
Makes about 1 cup. Haven't tried doubling or tripling it, but I imagine it would work. This ketchup isn't like the stuff that comes out of a plastic squeezy bottle. It is thick and full of tomato-y flavour. A little goes a long way.
1 156ml/5.5 fluid oz can of tomato paste
1 tbsp water
3 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp honey or stevia to taste
1 1/2 tsp Celtic salt
Pinches (literally) of finely ground black pepper, cinnamon, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and allspice.
Dump the tomato paste into a small bowl. Stir it a bit to smooth it out. Add the water and vinegar and stir. When smooth add the honey (if you are using stevia, wait until the end to add it) and stir until smooth. Add the salt and seasonings and mix them in. Let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours and then take it out and taste. If necessary add more seasoning, vinegar, or honey to your preference.
I've had it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks without any fuzz growing on it. If you aren't going to use it up quickly it freezes well.
The Food Mill Version
This one is good too, although it takes considerably more time so it doesn't get made as often around here. When I say "more time" I mean you have to simmer the water out of it and that can take an hour(s). It depends on what type of tomato you started out with. I would recommend using a paste or romano tomato, they have less water, but any type will do.
This recipe is made with a food mill which means the pulp is included along with the juice. Skins and most seeds are discarded.
You can double or triple this, just mind the ratios of other ingredients. Keep in mind that the more tomatoes you process, the longer you have to simmer it.
8 medium sized tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Celtic salt
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
pinches (literally) of cinnamon and allspice
3 tbsp honey or stevia to taste
Set a large saucepan filled 3/4 with water on the stove to boil. Set up your food mill. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
Once the water is boiling, place a few whole tomatoes into it. Let them boil for about 2 minutes. When the time is up, place them into the ice bath. Put more tomatoes into the boiling water and set your timer for 2 minutes. Take the cooled ones out of the ice bath and coarsely chop them. Feed them through your food mill. Repeat this process until you've done all of your tomatoes.
I find that I can get even more juice out of the discarded skins if I put it them the mill a couple more times.
Dump the juice and pulp into a saucepan. Add the bay leaf and and vinegar and simmer over med-low heat. Stir occasionally. When it starts to thicken, add the seasonings and the honey. Keep simmering until it gets to the consistency that you associate with ketchup.
Let cool then bottle it up. Eight tomatoes makes about 1 cup of ketchup. This recipe also freezes well.
The Cheater Version
Maybe I shouldn't call it the cheater version. Maybe I should call it the quick and easy, tastes really, really good version. The drawback is that it comes from a can and we all know can liners contain BPA.
Makes about 1 cup. Haven't tried doubling or tripling it, but I imagine it would work. This ketchup isn't like the stuff that comes out of a plastic squeezy bottle. It is thick and full of tomato-y flavour. A little goes a long way.
1 156ml/5.5 fluid oz can of tomato paste
1 tbsp water
3 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp honey or stevia to taste
1 1/2 tsp Celtic salt
Pinches (literally) of finely ground black pepper, cinnamon, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and allspice.
Dump the tomato paste into a small bowl. Stir it a bit to smooth it out. Add the water and vinegar and stir. When smooth add the honey (if you are using stevia, wait until the end to add it) and stir until smooth. Add the salt and seasonings and mix them in. Let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours and then take it out and taste. If necessary add more seasoning, vinegar, or honey to your preference.
I've had it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks without any fuzz growing on it. If you aren't going to use it up quickly it freezes well.
The Food Mill Version
This one is good too, although it takes considerably more time so it doesn't get made as often around here. When I say "more time" I mean you have to simmer the water out of it and that can take an hour(s). It depends on what type of tomato you started out with. I would recommend using a paste or romano tomato, they have less water, but any type will do.
This recipe is made with a food mill which means the pulp is included along with the juice. Skins and most seeds are discarded.
You can double or triple this, just mind the ratios of other ingredients. Keep in mind that the more tomatoes you process, the longer you have to simmer it.
8 medium sized tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Celtic salt
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
pinches (literally) of cinnamon and allspice
3 tbsp honey or stevia to taste
Set a large saucepan filled 3/4 with water on the stove to boil. Set up your food mill. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
Once the water is boiling, place a few whole tomatoes into it. Let them boil for about 2 minutes. When the time is up, place them into the ice bath. Put more tomatoes into the boiling water and set your timer for 2 minutes. Take the cooled ones out of the ice bath and coarsely chop them. Feed them through your food mill. Repeat this process until you've done all of your tomatoes.
I find that I can get even more juice out of the discarded skins if I put it them the mill a couple more times.
Dump the juice and pulp into a saucepan. Add the bay leaf and and vinegar and simmer over med-low heat. Stir occasionally. When it starts to thicken, add the seasonings and the honey. Keep simmering until it gets to the consistency that you associate with ketchup.
Let cool then bottle it up. Eight tomatoes makes about 1 cup of ketchup. This recipe also freezes well.
Full-Gaps Day 21 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-fresh apricots
-coffee with honey
Lunch:
-eggs fried in coconut oil
-homemade ketchup
-chicken broth
Snacks:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-crispy peanuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried apricots, figs, dates, and raisins
Dinner:
-Leftover Oven BBQ'd Chicken Thighs
-Oven Roasted Veggies w/ Balsamic & Garlic
-Homemade Sauerkraut
-blueberries
Dairy:
Day 18 no dairy
Energy Level:
So far, so good. I feel like getting stuff done today. That's a good sign.
Feeling slower this afternoon. Have to make dinner. Thank goodness for leftovers!
Mood:
OK, but easily flustered.
Brain Power:
Foggy.
Back pain:
Was a little stiff this morning.
My neck is still sore.
Regular pain between the shoulder blades keeping me company this afternoon.
Foot pain:
Feels like my feet are getting a bit worse. I'll have to check back in a few weeks to see if it happens around the same time of the month.
Mild pain in both feet through the day.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
A little after lunch. The eggs? The ketchup? The broth? Who knows.
Day of cycle:
16
(.) weirdness. Yep, still spotting.
This evening I started getting what felt like (.) cramps. Hmmm.
Last nights sleep:
Good. More crazy dreams. In one there was some kind of scary animal hiding around a corner. I could hear it growling and grunting. When I woke up I realized The Fiancé's snoring had worked it's way into my dream. Tee-hee.
Comments:
I really hope that the between-the-shoulder-blades pain takes a hike soon. It's debilitating. It feels like someone is sticking a knife in there and twisting it around. It makes my arms and shoulders feel weak and keeps me from getting things done. Grr.
I guess this past few days I've been experiencing die off. I'm not a crier, unless I'm reading a Hallmark card or watching a goofy romcom, but this week there have been a few points where I though I might burst into tears. That's new for me. My "normal-crazy" emotions are more in the range of blind rage and anxiety induced panic. Tears huh. Guess I can handle that.
Had a bit of fermented sauerkraut today too. Every time I've had a ferment since starting GAPS I've felt pretty crappy later. It amazes me how powerful this "diet" is. I ate ferments several times a day pre-GAPS and always felt fine.
We purposely started with full GAPS and advanced foods to slow die off. For the last month or two I'd started cutting back on grains and starches to the point of not having them in the house for a few weeks before we even started GAPS. I can't imagine starting with intro. It must be killer to start with it. I'm trying to convince myself to work toward intro this fall/winter. Hopefully my gut will be in a better place by then.
-fresh apricots
-coffee with honey
Lunch:
-eggs fried in coconut oil
-homemade ketchup
-chicken broth
Snacks:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-crispy peanuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried apricots, figs, dates, and raisins
Dinner:
-Leftover Oven BBQ'd Chicken Thighs
-Oven Roasted Veggies w/ Balsamic & Garlic
-Homemade Sauerkraut
-blueberries
Dairy:
Day 18 no dairy
Energy Level:
So far, so good. I feel like getting stuff done today. That's a good sign.
Feeling slower this afternoon. Have to make dinner. Thank goodness for leftovers!
Mood:
OK, but easily flustered.
Brain Power:
Foggy.
Back pain:
Was a little stiff this morning.
My neck is still sore.
Regular pain between the shoulder blades keeping me company this afternoon.
Foot pain:
Feels like my feet are getting a bit worse. I'll have to check back in a few weeks to see if it happens around the same time of the month.
Mild pain in both feet through the day.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
A little after lunch. The eggs? The ketchup? The broth? Who knows.
Day of cycle:
16
(.) weirdness. Yep, still spotting.
This evening I started getting what felt like (.) cramps. Hmmm.
Last nights sleep:
Good. More crazy dreams. In one there was some kind of scary animal hiding around a corner. I could hear it growling and grunting. When I woke up I realized The Fiancé's snoring had worked it's way into my dream. Tee-hee.
Comments:
I really hope that the between-the-shoulder-blades pain takes a hike soon. It's debilitating. It feels like someone is sticking a knife in there and twisting it around. It makes my arms and shoulders feel weak and keeps me from getting things done. Grr.
I guess this past few days I've been experiencing die off. I'm not a crier, unless I'm reading a Hallmark card or watching a goofy romcom, but this week there have been a few points where I though I might burst into tears. That's new for me. My "normal-crazy" emotions are more in the range of blind rage and anxiety induced panic. Tears huh. Guess I can handle that.
Had a bit of fermented sauerkraut today too. Every time I've had a ferment since starting GAPS I've felt pretty crappy later. It amazes me how powerful this "diet" is. I ate ferments several times a day pre-GAPS and always felt fine.
We purposely started with full GAPS and advanced foods to slow die off. For the last month or two I'd started cutting back on grains and starches to the point of not having them in the house for a few weeks before we even started GAPS. I can't imagine starting with intro. It must be killer to start with it. I'm trying to convince myself to work toward intro this fall/winter. Hopefully my gut will be in a better place by then.
20100728
Full-Gaps Day 20 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried apricots
Lunch:
-Salad with mixed greens, cabbage, cilantro, and olive oil w/lemon for dressing
-restaurant decaf w/ honey
Snacks:
-none
Dinner:
-Oven BBQ'd Chicken Thighs
-Carrot Fries w/ Curry Mayo Dip
-blueberries
Dairy:
Day 17 no dairy
Energy Level:
OK this morning. Had to get up and go somewhere so I was able to force some energy. I might pay for the excursion tomorrow... or I might tonight. We'll see.
I was OK this evening. Not good energy, but not low.
Mood:
Much better today.
Back pain:
Didn't feel stiff this morning.
Slept weird on my neck, again, so it's a little sore.
Pain was back between my shoulder blades while working in the kitchen.
Hmm... maybe I have an allergy to housework. Wonder if The Fiancé would buy that?
Foot pain:
Mild pain in both feet.
Had a few sharp pains in my right foot this morning, again.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
15
(.) weirdness. Still spotting.
Last nights sleep:
Good, but I had lots of crazy dreams.
Comments:
After a few weeks of avoiding restaurants I found myself eating from them twice within 24 hours. That's life right? I'll be able to resume my avoidance tomorrow.
Forgot our chicken broth again today. Also need to remember to get fermented foods into the menu daily.
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried apricots
Lunch:
-Salad with mixed greens, cabbage, cilantro, and olive oil w/lemon for dressing
-restaurant decaf w/ honey
Snacks:
-none
Dinner:
-Oven BBQ'd Chicken Thighs
-Carrot Fries w/ Curry Mayo Dip
-blueberries
Dairy:
Day 17 no dairy
Energy Level:
OK this morning. Had to get up and go somewhere so I was able to force some energy. I might pay for the excursion tomorrow... or I might tonight. We'll see.
I was OK this evening. Not good energy, but not low.
Mood:
Much better today.
Back pain:
Didn't feel stiff this morning.
Slept weird on my neck, again, so it's a little sore.
Pain was back between my shoulder blades while working in the kitchen.
Hmm... maybe I have an allergy to housework. Wonder if The Fiancé would buy that?
Foot pain:
Mild pain in both feet.
Had a few sharp pains in my right foot this morning, again.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
15
(.) weirdness. Still spotting.
Last nights sleep:
Good, but I had lots of crazy dreams.
Comments:
After a few weeks of avoiding restaurants I found myself eating from them twice within 24 hours. That's life right? I'll be able to resume my avoidance tomorrow.
Forgot our chicken broth again today. Also need to remember to get fermented foods into the menu daily.
20100727
Full-Gaps Day 19 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-apricots, fresh
-coffee w/honey
Lunch:
-Salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, orange bell peppers, kalamata olives, fresh pineapple, and Crispy Almonds and Walnuts
-Annies Goddess Dressing, not GAPS legal, but needed to get rid of it. (contains soy sauce)
-Chicken Broth
Snacks:
-none
Dinner:
-Prawn Souvlaki
-Greek Salad, no feta
-red wine
Dairy:
Day 16 no dairy
Energy Level:
Really didn't want to get out of bed this morning. Still feel tired.
Stayed tired for the rest of the day. Drat.
Mood:
A little crabby, but not bad.
Umm... got a little more testy as the day progressed. The wine with dinner helped.
Back pain:
Back was stiff again this morning like usual.
Neck feels better.
Was too tired to do much in the kitchen today so no pain between the shoulder blades.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in both feet.
Had a few sharp pains in my right foot this morning.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
14
(.) weirdness. Spotting has resumed. Gonna have to Google this.
Googled it and I'm going to go with hormonal changes. It was the least scary. Adopting a wait-and-see approach.
Last nights sleep:
Good, but I stayed up too late.
Comments:
Brain is foggy again today. I've cut down on some responsibilities that were weighing on me and now don't feel as overwhelmed.
In all, I'm really surprised how easy it's been to give up grains. I imagined it being almost painful, but I haven't really thought about bread that much. There were a few days where I felt a craving, but it seems to have gone away with using the coconut flour pancakes.
Today was The Fiancé's and my 9 year anniversary. Yikes. Time to get married or what? We ordered out tonight for the first time since starting GAPS. Excuses? My head was fuzzy plus it was a special day and nice to not have to cook.
We quizzed the restaurant to make sure we wouldn't be cheating. The Fiancé had roast lamb and I had prawn souvlaki. Both of us had Greek salad without feta. The meal was GAPS legal, but expensive for what we got. The prawns were probably not acquired sustainably or from clean waters and who knows where the lamb came from. It was still a nice break after 18 days of making 3-4 meals a day :-)
-apricots, fresh
-coffee w/honey
Lunch:
-Salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, orange bell peppers, kalamata olives, fresh pineapple, and Crispy Almonds and Walnuts
-Annies Goddess Dressing, not GAPS legal, but needed to get rid of it. (contains soy sauce)
-Chicken Broth
Snacks:
-none
Dinner:
-Prawn Souvlaki
-Greek Salad, no feta
-red wine
Dairy:
Day 16 no dairy
Energy Level:
Really didn't want to get out of bed this morning. Still feel tired.
Stayed tired for the rest of the day. Drat.
Mood:
A little crabby, but not bad.
Umm... got a little more testy as the day progressed. The wine with dinner helped.
Back pain:
Back was stiff again this morning like usual.
Neck feels better.
Was too tired to do much in the kitchen today so no pain between the shoulder blades.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in both feet.
Had a few sharp pains in my right foot this morning.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
14
(.) weirdness. Spotting has resumed. Gonna have to Google this.
Googled it and I'm going to go with hormonal changes. It was the least scary. Adopting a wait-and-see approach.
Last nights sleep:
Good, but I stayed up too late.
Comments:
Brain is foggy again today. I've cut down on some responsibilities that were weighing on me and now don't feel as overwhelmed.
In all, I'm really surprised how easy it's been to give up grains. I imagined it being almost painful, but I haven't really thought about bread that much. There were a few days where I felt a craving, but it seems to have gone away with using the coconut flour pancakes.
Today was The Fiancé's and my 9 year anniversary. Yikes. Time to get married or what? We ordered out tonight for the first time since starting GAPS. Excuses? My head was fuzzy plus it was a special day and nice to not have to cook.
We quizzed the restaurant to make sure we wouldn't be cheating. The Fiancé had roast lamb and I had prawn souvlaki. Both of us had Greek salad without feta. The meal was GAPS legal, but expensive for what we got. The prawns were probably not acquired sustainably or from clean waters and who knows where the lamb came from. It was still a nice break after 18 days of making 3-4 meals a day :-)
20100726
Full-Gaps Day 18 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-apricots, fresh
-coffee w/honey
Lunch:
-Leftover Salmon Salad wrapped in lettuce
-Homemade Sauerkraut
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and apricots
Dinner:
-Leftover Sweet and Sour Meatballs
-Leftover Oven Roasted Cauliflower
-Herbal Iced Tea
Dairy:
Day 15 no dairy
Energy Level:
Felt tired this morning and afternoon, but perked up this evening.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Was a little stiff this morning, but not like normal.
My neck is still a little sore from sleeping weird on it.
The pain between my shoulder blades was really bad this afternoon. If GAPS helps anything I hope it is this.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in both feet.
Had a few sharp pains in my left foot this evening.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
13
(.) weirdness. Still spotting. Not sure what is happening there. I'll take it as a sign things are "shifting".
Spotting seems to have stopped this evening.
Last nights sleep:
Good. Except for the neck thing
Comments:
MAJOR brain fog today. I'm having trouble finding words and stringing them together into something that makes sense.
I'm feeling all discombobulated and overwhelmed.
I've been slowly adding more probiotic foods into our diet and I wonder if that is what is doing it. Funny thing is we ate way more of them pre-GAPS. Can eliminating grains and processed sugars really make that much of a difference?
-apricots, fresh
-coffee w/honey
Lunch:
-Leftover Salmon Salad wrapped in lettuce
-Homemade Sauerkraut
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and apricots
Dinner:
-Leftover Sweet and Sour Meatballs
-Leftover Oven Roasted Cauliflower
-Herbal Iced Tea
Dairy:
Day 15 no dairy
Energy Level:
Felt tired this morning and afternoon, but perked up this evening.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Was a little stiff this morning, but not like normal.
My neck is still a little sore from sleeping weird on it.
The pain between my shoulder blades was really bad this afternoon. If GAPS helps anything I hope it is this.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in both feet.
Had a few sharp pains in my left foot this evening.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
13
(.) weirdness. Still spotting. Not sure what is happening there. I'll take it as a sign things are "shifting".
Spotting seems to have stopped this evening.
Last nights sleep:
Good. Except for the neck thing
Comments:
MAJOR brain fog today. I'm having trouble finding words and stringing them together into something that makes sense.
I'm feeling all discombobulated and overwhelmed.
I've been slowly adding more probiotic foods into our diet and I wonder if that is what is doing it. Funny thing is we ate way more of them pre-GAPS. Can eliminating grains and processed sugars really make that much of a difference?
Oven Roasted Cauliflower
Don't be afraid to let it get a little brown, even black, in a few places. The caramelized bits are the tastiest.
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
4 - 6 tbsp melted virgin coconut oil, depending of how big the cauliflower was
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a cookie sheet, that has edges, with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
Prepare the cauliflower and put it into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the coconut oil over it. Stir between spoonfuls to ensure it is evenly distributed. The cauliflower is probably cold from the fridge and the coconut oil will start to solidify on it.
Sprinkle the garlic salt and pepper over the cauliflower mix and stir well. Spread it over the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until cooked and browned to your liking.
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
4 - 6 tbsp melted virgin coconut oil, depending of how big the cauliflower was
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a cookie sheet, that has edges, with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
Prepare the cauliflower and put it into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the coconut oil over it. Stir between spoonfuls to ensure it is evenly distributed. The cauliflower is probably cold from the fridge and the coconut oil will start to solidify on it.
Sprinkle the garlic salt and pepper over the cauliflower mix and stir well. Spread it over the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until cooked and browned to your liking.
20100725
Mom's Greek Salad
My mom's Greek Salad recipe is a little loosey-goosey, but oh so good once you get the hang of it. This recipe can easily be adjusted to serve however many you need it to serve. If it is to be a side salad, make it in the ratio of one tomato per person. If it is to be the main course make it in the ratio shown per person.
If we weren't doing GAPS, the salad would also have a nice thick layer of feta cheese on top. I don't think feta is GAPS legal so it may be a while feta, sigh.
2 large tomatoes
1 red, yellow, or green bell pepper
1/2 medium sized cucumber
1/2 sweet onion
1 small clove garlic, crushed
dry oregano
dry basil
olive oil
lemon juice, fresh squeezed
red wine vinegar
balsamic vinegar (check the label to make sure it doesn't have sugar added)
Celtic salt
fresh ground black pepper
GAPS legal kalamata olives
Chop up the veggies and put them in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the dry oregano and dry basil. Use 3 times more oregano than basil, don't be stingy. Drizzle a generous amount of oil over the veggies too.
Add a spoonful of lemon juice and of both vinegars. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
This salad is "to taste" so adjust seasoning until you think it tastes good. Top with olives.
One other thing, if you wish to make this in advance you can have all the veggies prepped and add the dry herbs. Add the dressing just before you are going to serve it. You can add the dressing earlier, but the salad will get watery.
If we weren't doing GAPS, the salad would also have a nice thick layer of feta cheese on top. I don't think feta is GAPS legal so it may be a while feta, sigh.
2 large tomatoes
1 red, yellow, or green bell pepper
1/2 medium sized cucumber
1/2 sweet onion
1 small clove garlic, crushed
dry oregano
dry basil
olive oil
lemon juice, fresh squeezed
red wine vinegar
balsamic vinegar (check the label to make sure it doesn't have sugar added)
Celtic salt
fresh ground black pepper
GAPS legal kalamata olives
Chop up the veggies and put them in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the dry oregano and dry basil. Use 3 times more oregano than basil, don't be stingy. Drizzle a generous amount of oil over the veggies too.
Add a spoonful of lemon juice and of both vinegars. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
This salad is "to taste" so adjust seasoning until you think it tastes good. Top with olives.
One other thing, if you wish to make this in advance you can have all the veggies prepped and add the dry herbs. Add the dressing just before you are going to serve it. You can add the dressing earlier, but the salad will get watery.
Salmon Salad
Another saving-time-in-the-kitchen thing I do is make more than we are going to eat in one sitting. Leftovers are a hot commodity around here. Leftovers mean I don't have to prepare every single meal from fresh ingredients. Leftovers are our fast food.
3 - 213g tins wild salmon, drained and smashed, including the skin and bones
1/2 cup sweet onion or green onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp GAPS legal dijon mustard
1/2 cup mayo
Dump the drained salmon into a medium sized mixing bowl. Break it into small pieces and resist picking out the bones and skin. I know they're gross, but they're good for you so close your eyes and leave them be.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serve on coconut flour pancakes or lettuce leaves or with veggie sticks to scoop it up like dip.
3 - 213g tins wild salmon, drained and smashed, including the skin and bones
1/2 cup sweet onion or green onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp GAPS legal dijon mustard
1/2 cup mayo
Dump the drained salmon into a medium sized mixing bowl. Break it into small pieces and resist picking out the bones and skin. I know they're gross, but they're good for you so close your eyes and leave them be.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serve on coconut flour pancakes or lettuce leaves or with veggie sticks to scoop it up like dip.
Full-Gaps Day 17 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-water with lemon when I first got up
-eggs fried in coconut oil
-Homemade Ketchup
-coffee w/honey
Lunch:
-Salmon Salad
-raw zucchini, carrot, and red and yellow bell pepper
-Bubbies pickles (fermented)
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-none
Dinner:
-Sweet and Sour Meatballs
-Oven Roasted Cauliflower
-Chicken Broth
-blueberries
-Herbal Iced Tea
Dairy:
Day 14 no dairy
Energy Level:
A bit better today, but still dragging.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Wasn't stiff again this morning. Nice.
I slept weird on my neck though and now it doesn't want me to turn my head.
The pain between my shoulder blades was back this afternoon when I was working in the kitchen.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in both feet.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None. Lovely.
Day of cycle:
12
More (.) weirdness. I'm spotting. Never had that happen before in my life. GAPS, what are you doing to me?
Last nights sleep:
Good. Except for the neck thing
Comments:
Feeling more productive today. I made crispy nuts this morning. (I cheat and cook them at 350F) Did some dishes and laundry. Also want to catch up on my recipe posting. I guess I could go on forever with all the things I want to do :-)
-water with lemon when I first got up
-eggs fried in coconut oil
-Homemade Ketchup
-coffee w/honey
Lunch:
-Salmon Salad
-raw zucchini, carrot, and red and yellow bell pepper
-Bubbies pickles (fermented)
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-none
Dinner:
-Sweet and Sour Meatballs
-Oven Roasted Cauliflower
-Chicken Broth
-blueberries
-Herbal Iced Tea
Dairy:
Day 14 no dairy
Energy Level:
A bit better today, but still dragging.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Wasn't stiff again this morning. Nice.
I slept weird on my neck though and now it doesn't want me to turn my head.
The pain between my shoulder blades was back this afternoon when I was working in the kitchen.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in both feet.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None. Lovely.
Day of cycle:
12
More (.) weirdness. I'm spotting. Never had that happen before in my life. GAPS, what are you doing to me?
Last nights sleep:
Good. Except for the neck thing
Comments:
Feeling more productive today. I made crispy nuts this morning. (I cheat and cook them at 350F) Did some dishes and laundry. Also want to catch up on my recipe posting. I guess I could go on forever with all the things I want to do :-)
20100724
Roast Lemon Chicken with Carrots and Onions
We're missing our favourite Greek restaurant, so here's my take on Greek Lemon Roast Chicken. It was super tasty.
The Rub:
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp Celtic salt
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried basil
The Bird:
1 3-5 lb chicken, rinsed and patted dry
2 halves of the squeezed lemon
The Rub
The Veggies:
5 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
4 medium cooking onions, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
the peeled cloves from 1 head of garlic
1/2 tsp Celtic salt
3 tbsp olive oil
The Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Start with the rub. If you don't have any lemon zest hiding in your freezer, zest a teaspoon worth off the lemon you are about to juice. That's one of my time savers, by the way. I zest and then juice about 6 lemons at a time. The zest goes into the freezer in a small jar. If you don't pack it down it freezes nice and fluffy and is easy to dig out as needed. The juice goes into another jar and stays in the fridge. It lasts at least 2 weeks, as I've always manged to use it up before then. Yes, you can buy lemon juice from the store in the little plastic lemon bottle, but that has been pasteurized. As in, everything beneficial in the juice has been boiled to death. It's dead food.
After zesting, cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Set the lemon halves aside. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to mix, and let sit on the counter while you attack the bird.
Rinse and pat the chicken dry. I like to use a Pyrex lasagna pan for this recipe, I think it's 9x13 inches. Any roasting pan will do, remember you are going to be laying veggies around the bird so make sure there will be room.
Put the chicken in the pan, boobs down. Take your rub and rub some all over the bird's back. Flip the bird and rub the rub all over her front. If there is some left, add it to the cavity along with the lemon halves and a couple of cloves of garlic.
Get some cotton kitchen string and truss the bird. I described how to do it here. After reading what I wrote again, I would advise you to Google "how to truss a chicken" :-)
Place the carrots, onions, and garlic in a large bowl. Sprinkle the salt over them, followed by the olive oil. Mix it well and then spoon the veggie mix around the bird. Place in the oven and baste everything every 1/2 hour until done.
How long should you cook it for? Until a thermometer placed into the thigh reads 185F. It usually takes 1.5-2 hours for me to do it like this. Sometimes, when I get impatient, I turn the oven up to 375F for the last 20 minutes or so.
The Rub:
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp Celtic salt
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried basil
The Bird:
1 3-5 lb chicken, rinsed and patted dry
2 halves of the squeezed lemon
The Rub
The Veggies:
5 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
4 medium cooking onions, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
the peeled cloves from 1 head of garlic
1/2 tsp Celtic salt
3 tbsp olive oil
The Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Start with the rub. If you don't have any lemon zest hiding in your freezer, zest a teaspoon worth off the lemon you are about to juice. That's one of my time savers, by the way. I zest and then juice about 6 lemons at a time. The zest goes into the freezer in a small jar. If you don't pack it down it freezes nice and fluffy and is easy to dig out as needed. The juice goes into another jar and stays in the fridge. It lasts at least 2 weeks, as I've always manged to use it up before then. Yes, you can buy lemon juice from the store in the little plastic lemon bottle, but that has been pasteurized. As in, everything beneficial in the juice has been boiled to death. It's dead food.
After zesting, cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Set the lemon halves aside. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to mix, and let sit on the counter while you attack the bird.
Rinse and pat the chicken dry. I like to use a Pyrex lasagna pan for this recipe, I think it's 9x13 inches. Any roasting pan will do, remember you are going to be laying veggies around the bird so make sure there will be room.
Put the chicken in the pan, boobs down. Take your rub and rub some all over the bird's back. Flip the bird and rub the rub all over her front. If there is some left, add it to the cavity along with the lemon halves and a couple of cloves of garlic.
Get some cotton kitchen string and truss the bird. I described how to do it here. After reading what I wrote again, I would advise you to Google "how to truss a chicken" :-)
Place the carrots, onions, and garlic in a large bowl. Sprinkle the salt over them, followed by the olive oil. Mix it well and then spoon the veggie mix around the bird. Place in the oven and baste everything every 1/2 hour until done.
How long should you cook it for? Until a thermometer placed into the thigh reads 185F. It usually takes 1.5-2 hours for me to do it like this. Sometimes, when I get impatient, I turn the oven up to 375F for the last 20 minutes or so.
Full-Gaps Day 16 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-water with lemon when I first got up
-apricots, fresh
-coffee w/honey
Lunch:
-Leftover Roast Lemon Chicken with Carrots and Onions
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-Chicken Broth
Dinner:
-Chicken Pecan Salad
-raw carrots, zucchini, and red and yellow peppers
-blueberries
-red wine
Dairy:
Day 13 no dairy
Energy Level:
Still not great.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Didn't feel as stiff when I got up this morning.
I noticed yesterday that it's easier to bend over. As in, my back doesn't do the achy thing and I don't have to hang onto stuff to to support myself to keep it from freaking out.
The pain between my shoulder blades was back this afternoon when I was working in the kitchen, again. I will be one happy lady when that goes away.
Foot pain:
Foot pain wasn't as bad this morning.
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
That was the other thing I noticed. There were times ickiness would come up my throat and fill my mouth. That hasn't happened since starting GAPS.
Day of cycle:
11
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
Having a lazy day. I think I needed it.
-water with lemon when I first got up
-apricots, fresh
-coffee w/honey
Lunch:
-Leftover Roast Lemon Chicken with Carrots and Onions
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-Chicken Broth
Dinner:
-Chicken Pecan Salad
-raw carrots, zucchini, and red and yellow peppers
-blueberries
-red wine
Dairy:
Day 13 no dairy
Energy Level:
Still not great.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Didn't feel as stiff when I got up this morning.
I noticed yesterday that it's easier to bend over. As in, my back doesn't do the achy thing and I don't have to hang onto stuff to to support myself to keep it from freaking out.
The pain between my shoulder blades was back this afternoon when I was working in the kitchen, again. I will be one happy lady when that goes away.
Foot pain:
Foot pain wasn't as bad this morning.
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
That was the other thing I noticed. There were times ickiness would come up my throat and fill my mouth. That hasn't happened since starting GAPS.
Day of cycle:
11
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
Having a lazy day. I think I needed it.
20100723
Full-Gaps Day 15 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-water with lemon when I first got up
-apricots, fresh
-coffee w/honey
Lunch:
-Scrambled Eggs with Veggies, today was onion and zucchini
-Homemade Ketchup
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and apricots
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-none
Dinner:
-Roast Lemon Chicken with Carrots and Onions
-blueberries
-red wine
Dairy:
Day 12 no dairy
Energy Level:
Energy is a bit better today, but not great
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Stiff this morning until I moved around a bit.
The pain between my shoulder blades was back this afternoon when I was working in the kitchen.
Foot pain:
Sharp pain in right foot when I first got up.
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None. Ya-hoo.
Day of cycle:
10
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
Not feeling as discombobulated today. Got a few things done around the house that were bugging me. Sigh. Still so much to do.
-water with lemon when I first got up
-apricots, fresh
-coffee w/honey
Lunch:
-Scrambled Eggs with Veggies, today was onion and zucchini
-Homemade Ketchup
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and apricots
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-none
Dinner:
-Roast Lemon Chicken with Carrots and Onions
-blueberries
-red wine
Dairy:
Day 12 no dairy
Energy Level:
Energy is a bit better today, but not great
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Stiff this morning until I moved around a bit.
The pain between my shoulder blades was back this afternoon when I was working in the kitchen.
Foot pain:
Sharp pain in right foot when I first got up.
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None. Ya-hoo.
Day of cycle:
10
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
Not feeling as discombobulated today. Got a few things done around the house that were bugging me. Sigh. Still so much to do.
The I'm-Tired-And-Don't-Feel-Like-Cooking Easy Ground Beef Dinner
I was feeling pretty tired yesterday. Back in the old days, two weeks ago, it would have meant picking up the phone and ordering take-out (Japanese or Greek food most likely). Last night it meant I had to suck it up and come up with something that felt manageable. This is it.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 large cooking onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef or bison from pastured animals
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 tsp Celtic salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup dairy-free pesto, fresh or frozen
Method:
In a large frying pan, warm the coconut oil over medium heat for a minute or two. Add the onion and let it cook until just starting to brown. This took about 15 minutes for me, stirring every 5 minutes or so. My timer is my friend.
If you've managed to think far enough ahead to have the beef defrosted, good for you! Otherwise just chuck it in the pan frozen.
Cook the beef, breaking it into small pieces as you go. If it's frozen, scrape the sides as it cooks so you don't end up with a log.
When the beef is almost cooked, as in still has a little pink showing, add the beans. They will need to cook for another 10-15 minutes or so. I don't mind them crunchy, but The Fiancé commented.
When the beans are cooked dump everything into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the mix and stir it in. Next add the pesto. (If it was frozen, add it to the pan and let it melt a bit before dumping everything into the mixing bowl).
Mix the pesto in well. I think I ended up using about a 1/2 cup. Serve.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 large cooking onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef or bison from pastured animals
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 tsp Celtic salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup dairy-free pesto, fresh or frozen
Method:
In a large frying pan, warm the coconut oil over medium heat for a minute or two. Add the onion and let it cook until just starting to brown. This took about 15 minutes for me, stirring every 5 minutes or so. My timer is my friend.
If you've managed to think far enough ahead to have the beef defrosted, good for you! Otherwise just chuck it in the pan frozen.
Cook the beef, breaking it into small pieces as you go. If it's frozen, scrape the sides as it cooks so you don't end up with a log.
When the beef is almost cooked, as in still has a little pink showing, add the beans. They will need to cook for another 10-15 minutes or so. I don't mind them crunchy, but The Fiancé commented.
When the beans are cooked dump everything into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the mix and stir it in. Next add the pesto. (If it was frozen, add it to the pan and let it melt a bit before dumping everything into the mixing bowl).
Mix the pesto in well. I think I ended up using about a 1/2 cup. Serve.
20100722
Full-Gaps Day 14 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-water with lemon when I first got up
-watermelon
-apricots, fresh
-coffee w/ honey
Lunch:
-Leftover Tuna Salad
-Leftover Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and apricots
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-chicken broth
Dinner:
-The I'm-Tired-And-Don't-Feel-Like-Cooking Easy Ground Beef Dinner
-blueberries
-peanuts roasted in the shell
Dairy:
Day 11 no dairy
Energy Level:
Feel sleepy. Energy is low. This is supposed to be my "high" time. What's going on GAPS?
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Stiff this morning until I moved around a bit.
Didn't get the pain between my shoulder blades today.
Foot pain:
Sharp pain in right foot when I first got up. It's gone now. Oh, it came back a bit tonight.
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None. Which is nice.
Except I had a bit before dinner and I think it was because I waited too long before eating. Again.
Day of cycle:
9
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
I feel tired and overwhelmed today. My house is messy and it feels like I'm never going to have a chance to catch up on cleaning. This is how it feels, not how it is. (Not that my house isn't messy, it is. Its just that at some point I'm bound to catch up. Right?)
-water with lemon when I first got up
-watermelon
-apricots, fresh
-coffee w/ honey
Lunch:
-Leftover Tuna Salad
-Leftover Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and apricots
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-chicken broth
Dinner:
-The I'm-Tired-And-Don't-Feel-Like-Cooking Easy Ground Beef Dinner
-blueberries
-peanuts roasted in the shell
Dairy:
Day 11 no dairy
Energy Level:
Feel sleepy. Energy is low. This is supposed to be my "high" time. What's going on GAPS?
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Stiff this morning until I moved around a bit.
Didn't get the pain between my shoulder blades today.
Foot pain:
Sharp pain in right foot when I first got up. It's gone now. Oh, it came back a bit tonight.
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None. Which is nice.
Except I had a bit before dinner and I think it was because I waited too long before eating. Again.
Day of cycle:
9
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
I feel tired and overwhelmed today. My house is messy and it feels like I'm never going to have a chance to catch up on cleaning. This is how it feels, not how it is. (Not that my house isn't messy, it is. Its just that at some point I'm bound to catch up. Right?)
The Best Coffee
Yes, I know I have adrenal fatigue and should be avoiding coffee altogether. I'm just not there yet. Here is how I justify my coffee addiction...by drinking really good coffee. Ta-da!
I make mine in a cheap-o French Press I got from Ikea years ago. The price has come down on them a further $10, so I'm not sure of the current quality. I love mine though.
All coffee is not created equal. I make sure the stuff I buy is organic, fairly traded, Swiss water decaffeinated, whole bean, and shade grown.
Next is taste. My two current faves are Kicking Horse Coffee and Salt Spring Coffee.
My press holds 1 litre of liquid so the following instructions are for that. To make it, place 5 level tbsp of beans into your coffee grinder. I pulse 9 times. Not sure how that originated, but it makes the perfect grind.
Dump the ground beans into your French Press. Pour almost, but not quite, boiling water over your beans to within 3/4" from the top. Take a long handled spoon and give the grounds and water a little stir. Then rest the press part of your press over the top of the liquid. Do not press down yet!
Not sure what's with the 9s, but wait 9 minutes and then press the press down slowly. Yay! Coffee.
I sweeten mine with a hint of honey, maybe a 1/4 tsp. We are off dairy right now otherwise I might be seen putting a drop or two of cream into it as well.
Maybe if I made crappy coffee I'd have a better time getting myself off of it... something to think about :-)
I make mine in a cheap-o French Press I got from Ikea years ago. The price has come down on them a further $10, so I'm not sure of the current quality. I love mine though.
All coffee is not created equal. I make sure the stuff I buy is organic, fairly traded, Swiss water decaffeinated, whole bean, and shade grown.
Next is taste. My two current faves are Kicking Horse Coffee and Salt Spring Coffee.
My press holds 1 litre of liquid so the following instructions are for that. To make it, place 5 level tbsp of beans into your coffee grinder. I pulse 9 times. Not sure how that originated, but it makes the perfect grind.
Dump the ground beans into your French Press. Pour almost, but not quite, boiling water over your beans to within 3/4" from the top. Take a long handled spoon and give the grounds and water a little stir. Then rest the press part of your press over the top of the liquid. Do not press down yet!
Not sure what's with the 9s, but wait 9 minutes and then press the press down slowly. Yay! Coffee.
I sweeten mine with a hint of honey, maybe a 1/4 tsp. We are off dairy right now otherwise I might be seen putting a drop or two of cream into it as well.
Maybe if I made crappy coffee I'd have a better time getting myself off of it... something to think about :-)
20100721
Full-Gaps Day 13 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-water with lemon when I first got up
-banana
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-Leftover Tuna Salad
-Leftover Coconut Flour Pancakes
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-chicken broth
-blueberries
Dinner:
-Oven BBQ'd Chicken Thighs
-Leftover Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
-Simple Veggie Salad, tonight was tomato, avocado & lime juice
-blueberries
Dairy:
Day 10 no dairy
Energy Level:
Better today.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Stiff this morning until I moved around a bit.
Back no long has that "gonna go out" feeling.
Didn't get the pain between my shoulder blades today.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in both feet.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
Had some after lunch. It went away on it's own. I think it may have been because I waited too long to have lunch.
Day of cycle:
8
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
Feeling much better today. The tummy troubles are gone. Though my brain is still super foggy and I've had a bit of heartburn.
-water with lemon when I first got up
-banana
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-Leftover Tuna Salad
-Leftover Coconut Flour Pancakes
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-chicken broth
-blueberries
Dinner:
-Oven BBQ'd Chicken Thighs
-Leftover Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
-Simple Veggie Salad, tonight was tomato, avocado & lime juice
-blueberries
Dairy:
Day 10 no dairy
Energy Level:
Better today.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Stiff this morning until I moved around a bit.
Back no long has that "gonna go out" feeling.
Didn't get the pain between my shoulder blades today.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in both feet.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
Had some after lunch. It went away on it's own. I think it may have been because I waited too long to have lunch.
Day of cycle:
8
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
Feeling much better today. The tummy troubles are gone. Though my brain is still super foggy and I've had a bit of heartburn.
Oven BBQ'd Chicken Thighs
Our apartment is under a big green tarp (construction) right now and we are unable to access our patio. No summer barbecues for us. So sad. I've been craving barbecued chicken. This will have to do.
4 chicken thighs, with bone and skin, from pastured birds
coconut oil, melted
Sauce:
1/2 cup homemade ketchup
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp Frank's Red Hot
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare a pan to cook the chicken in. I like to cook it on a rack over the pan so it doesn't cook in it's juices and stay soggy. No soggy skin thanks. Line the pan with aluminum foil to save on cleanup after.
Arrange the chicken on the rack and pat dry with paper towel. Brush some of the coconut oil over the chicken and then put it in the oven to cook for 20 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, mix the ingredients for the sauce together and let it sit on the counter.
After the first 20 minutes, take the chicken out and brush a little more oil on it. Put it back in for another 20 minutes.
It's been cooking for 40 minutes now. The thighs we get are usually pretty big and will probably take longer than that to cook, but you should check about now with a meat thermometer. Chicken parts are done when they get up to 165F.
I like to put the sauce on them for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time. They can be pretty much finished cooking when you brush the sauce on. Cooking the sauce caramelizes the sugars in it, darkening the colour and making it taste soooo good.
4 chicken thighs, with bone and skin, from pastured birds
coconut oil, melted
Sauce:
1/2 cup homemade ketchup
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp Frank's Red Hot
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare a pan to cook the chicken in. I like to cook it on a rack over the pan so it doesn't cook in it's juices and stay soggy. No soggy skin thanks. Line the pan with aluminum foil to save on cleanup after.
Arrange the chicken on the rack and pat dry with paper towel. Brush some of the coconut oil over the chicken and then put it in the oven to cook for 20 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, mix the ingredients for the sauce together and let it sit on the counter.
After the first 20 minutes, take the chicken out and brush a little more oil on it. Put it back in for another 20 minutes.
It's been cooking for 40 minutes now. The thighs we get are usually pretty big and will probably take longer than that to cook, but you should check about now with a meat thermometer. Chicken parts are done when they get up to 165F.
I like to put the sauce on them for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time. They can be pretty much finished cooking when you brush the sauce on. Cooking the sauce caramelizes the sugars in it, darkening the colour and making it taste soooo good.
Chicken Strips
A while back I made Coconut Flour Pancakes and while checking out the page I got the recipe off of, I saw this one for Coconut Crusted Chicken. (It's the last recipe on the page)
I boned and skinned chicken breast and cut them into strips. Save the bone and skin for stock!
Don't deviate from the recipe... yes I did. I tried to make a thicker batter, but it doesn't work. It falls off. The way it is written works best. I fried ours in coconut oil.
They were really good. I served them with Curry Mayo and Sweet Chili Sauce to dip in. Yum.
I boned and skinned chicken breast and cut them into strips. Save the bone and skin for stock!
Don't deviate from the recipe... yes I did. I tried to make a thicker batter, but it doesn't work. It falls off. The way it is written works best. I fried ours in coconut oil.
They were really good. I served them with Curry Mayo and Sweet Chili Sauce to dip in. Yum.
20100720
Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
I made this to take to my mom's for dinner on our first meal out while on GAPS. Armed with the knowledge that mom was making "her" potato salad, the best potato salad ever IMHO, I set out to create a legal version for us. It was really good. I almost didn't feel bad about not having any of hers. Almost.
1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into large chunks
4-6 boiled eggs, from pastured chickens
1 large carrot, shredded
1/2 cup Bubbies dill pickle or other GAPS legal pickle, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1/2 cup sweet onion, finely diced
1/2 green onion, finely diced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4-1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2-1 cup mayo
Celtic salt
fresh ground black pepper
Steam the cauliflower. When cooked put it in a large bowl and cut up the chunks with a butter knife. They should break apart easily as the cauliflower will be soft. The chunks should be about bite sized, they will break down further as you mix stuff in. Try not to completely obliterate it. Let it cool off for about 1/2 hour.
Roughly chop up the boiled eggs and add them to the cauliflower. I used 6 eggs with a large head of cauliflower.
Then add the carrot, pickle, dill, and onion. Mix everything up.
Sprinkle the vinegar and lemon juice over everything and mix it up again.
Add 1/4 cup of mustard and 1/2 cup of mayo and mix it up. You can add more of each if needed.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. I think I added around 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. I didn't add this much all at once. I add a bit and mix it up, then let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. Then take it out and taste it and add more seasoning if needed. Repeat until it tastes good.
Try to make this the day before you want to eat it as it always tastes better the next day.
1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into large chunks
4-6 boiled eggs, from pastured chickens
1 large carrot, shredded
1/2 cup Bubbies dill pickle or other GAPS legal pickle, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1/2 cup sweet onion, finely diced
1/2 green onion, finely diced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4-1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2-1 cup mayo
Celtic salt
fresh ground black pepper
Steam the cauliflower. When cooked put it in a large bowl and cut up the chunks with a butter knife. They should break apart easily as the cauliflower will be soft. The chunks should be about bite sized, they will break down further as you mix stuff in. Try not to completely obliterate it. Let it cool off for about 1/2 hour.
Roughly chop up the boiled eggs and add them to the cauliflower. I used 6 eggs with a large head of cauliflower.
Then add the carrot, pickle, dill, and onion. Mix everything up.
Sprinkle the vinegar and lemon juice over everything and mix it up again.
Add 1/4 cup of mustard and 1/2 cup of mayo and mix it up. You can add more of each if needed.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. I think I added around 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. I didn't add this much all at once. I add a bit and mix it up, then let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. Then take it out and taste it and add more seasoning if needed. Repeat until it tastes good.
Try to make this the day before you want to eat it as it always tastes better the next day.
Full-Gaps Day 12 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-banana
-watermelon
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-eggs fried in coconut oil with homemade ketchup
-chicken broth
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, & apricots
Dinner:
-Tuna Salad
-Coconut Flour Pancakes
-Zucchini Noodles with Dairy-Free Pesto
-cherries
Dairy:
Day 9 no dairy
Energy Level:
Not so great.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Stiff this morning until I moved around a bit.
Got the "my back is going to go out" feeling a few times this afternoon.
Didn't get the pain between my shoulder blades today.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
A little after the broth. It went away on it's own.
Day of cycle:
7
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
Today is the first day I've felt like I'm having a die-off reaction. I woke up with a headache and felt nauseous. Had a couple trips to the loo for downstairs digestive disturbances. I feel like crap.
I haven't been feeding us much in the way of probiotics and wasn't planning on really starting them until we had gone through intro. We've been having the odd Bubbies pickle, but yesterday we had a little sauerkraut. Could that be it? Or is my gut finally noticing it hasn't been getting any starch or grains?
-banana
-watermelon
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-eggs fried in coconut oil with homemade ketchup
-chicken broth
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, & apricots
Dinner:
-Tuna Salad
-Coconut Flour Pancakes
-Zucchini Noodles with Dairy-Free Pesto
-cherries
Dairy:
Day 9 no dairy
Energy Level:
Not so great.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Stiff this morning until I moved around a bit.
Got the "my back is going to go out" feeling a few times this afternoon.
Didn't get the pain between my shoulder blades today.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Mild pain in left knee when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
A little after the broth. It went away on it's own.
Day of cycle:
7
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
Today is the first day I've felt like I'm having a die-off reaction. I woke up with a headache and felt nauseous. Had a couple trips to the loo for downstairs digestive disturbances. I feel like crap.
I haven't been feeding us much in the way of probiotics and wasn't planning on really starting them until we had gone through intro. We've been having the odd Bubbies pickle, but yesterday we had a little sauerkraut. Could that be it? Or is my gut finally noticing it hasn't been getting any starch or grains?
20100719
Full-Gaps Day 11 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-banana
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-Chorizo Turkey Sausage, from JD Farms
-Leftover Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
-Homemade Sauerkraut
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-peanuts roasted in the shell
Dinner:
-Leftover Chorizo Turkey Sausage, from JD Farms
-Leftover Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
-red wine
-cherries
Dairy:
Day 8 no dairy
Energy Level:
Good.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Low back felt like it might "go out" this morning, but hasn't.
Continued feeling like my back might "go out" during the day, but it didn't.
Didn't get the pain between my shoulder blades today.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Left knee pain when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
6
(.) over.
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
Wanted chocolate this afternoon. Had a glass of red wine with dinner instead.
Forgot to have broth today. Oops.
-banana
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-Chorizo Turkey Sausage, from JD Farms
-Leftover Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
-Homemade Sauerkraut
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-peanuts roasted in the shell
Dinner:
-Leftover Chorizo Turkey Sausage, from JD Farms
-Leftover Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
-red wine
-cherries
Dairy:
Day 8 no dairy
Energy Level:
Good.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Low back felt like it might "go out" this morning, but hasn't.
Continued feeling like my back might "go out" during the day, but it didn't.
Didn't get the pain between my shoulder blades today.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Left knee pain when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None.
Day of cycle:
6
(.) over.
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
Wanted chocolate this afternoon. Had a glass of red wine with dinner instead.
Forgot to have broth today. Oops.
Mom's Marinated Flank Steak
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
2 tbsp honey
1 flank steak
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, garlic, and honey.
Put your flank steak in whatever you plan on marinating it in. I usually use a Pyrex lasagna pan. Pour the marinate over it and refrigerate overnight. Try to remember to turn it a few times. The longer it marinates the better.
You can either broil it for 4-5 minutes per side or grill it over high heat 5-6 minutes per side. It should be nice and rare in the middle.
When done, let it rest for about 5 minutes before carving. To serve, slice cross grain at an angle making the slices as thin as you can.
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
2 tbsp honey
1 flank steak
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, garlic, and honey.
Put your flank steak in whatever you plan on marinating it in. I usually use a Pyrex lasagna pan. Pour the marinate over it and refrigerate overnight. Try to remember to turn it a few times. The longer it marinates the better.
You can either broil it for 4-5 minutes per side or grill it over high heat 5-6 minutes per side. It should be nice and rare in the middle.
When done, let it rest for about 5 minutes before carving. To serve, slice cross grain at an angle making the slices as thin as you can.
20100718
Full-Gaps Day 10 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-watermelon
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-Leftover Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs
-Leftover Mashed Cauliflower
-Herbal Iced Tea, had a little vodka in it today
Snacks:
-chicken broth
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and apricots
Dinner:
-Mom's Marinated Flank Steak
-Grilled Veggies with Orange and Tarragon
-Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
-Greek Salad
-red wine
-cherries and pineapple for dessert
Dairy:
Day 7 no dairy
Energy Level:
Good.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Low back was stiff this morning. Back to not bending until I move around a bit.
Didn't have the pain in between my shoulder blades this evening, but then I wasn't the one making dinner.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Left knee pain when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
Had some right after my yummy vodka drink. Boo hoo. No more vodka for me. It got bad enough that I had to take an antacid. Grrr.
Day of cycle:
5 (.)
(.) almost gone. Again.
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
This was our first dinner away from home while on GAPS. We went to my mom's and she went out of her way to make sure we could eat most of what she made.
-watermelon
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-Leftover Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs
-Leftover Mashed Cauliflower
-Herbal Iced Tea, had a little vodka in it today
Snacks:
-chicken broth
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and apricots
Dinner:
-Mom's Marinated Flank Steak
-Grilled Veggies with Orange and Tarragon
-Faker Potato Salad with Cauliflower
-Greek Salad
-red wine
-cherries and pineapple for dessert
Dairy:
Day 7 no dairy
Energy Level:
Good.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Low back was stiff this morning. Back to not bending until I move around a bit.
Didn't have the pain in between my shoulder blades this evening, but then I wasn't the one making dinner.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Left knee pain when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
Had some right after my yummy vodka drink. Boo hoo. No more vodka for me. It got bad enough that I had to take an antacid. Grrr.
Day of cycle:
5 (.)
(.) almost gone. Again.
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
This was our first dinner away from home while on GAPS. We went to my mom's and she went out of her way to make sure we could eat most of what she made.
20100717
Full-Gaps Day 9 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-watermelon
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-Leftover Chicken Strips
-Leftover Curry Mayo
-Cherries
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-fresh pineapple
-chicken broth
Dinner:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and apricots
Dairy:
Day 7 no dairy
Energy Level:
Good.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Low back was stiff this morning. Back to not bending until I move around a bit.
Pain between my shoulder blades is amping up this afternoon. Got really bad when cleaning veggies this evening.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Left knee pain when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None today.
Day of cycle:
5 (.)
(.) almost gone. Again.
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
So far so good.
-watermelon
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-Leftover Chicken Strips
-Leftover Curry Mayo
-Cherries
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-fresh pineapple
-chicken broth
Dinner:
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-dried figs, dates, and apricots
Dairy:
Day 7 no dairy
Energy Level:
Good.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Low back was stiff this morning. Back to not bending until I move around a bit.
Pain between my shoulder blades is amping up this afternoon. Got really bad when cleaning veggies this evening.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in left foot.
Knee Pain:
Left knee pain when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None today.
Day of cycle:
5 (.)
(.) almost gone. Again.
Last nights sleep:
Good.
Comments:
So far so good.
Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs
The first time I looked at raw short ribs I remember thinking, "Oh boy. That's a lot of fat." This was even after I'd retrained my brain to think of animal fats as nourishing healthy foods. Despite what they look like raw, and the fiddling you have to do with them cooked, short ribs are some of the tastiest bits of beef and worth the effort.
Trust me on this, do not try to cut some of the fat off your short ribs. Leave it alone. Seriously.
These can be cooked in the oven or a crock pot. The directions for the oven are below. For the crock pot, put everything in and cook for 8 hours on low. The rest of the directions are the same.
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs short ribs, pastured beef
1 large cooking onion, chopped into large chunks
5 cloves garlic, cut in half
1 tbsp honey
1" piece ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup beef broth
splash of apple cider vinegar
Method
Preheat the oven to 300F.
Place the ribs in a large dutch oven. Sprinkle with the onion and garlic chunks.
In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Mix and pour them over the ribs. Cook with the lid on for about 3 hours. The meat will be falling off the bone when done.
Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid and let cool for about 15 minutes. At the same time, pour the cooking liquid into a clear jar or measuring cup.
When the ribs have cooked a bit, get in there and separate the bones out and trim off the excess fat. You can save this in the freezer for future stock. Cut the meat into bite sized pieces and put it into a saucepan.
The cooking liquid should have settled a bit by now and there should be a nice layer of fat on top. I use a small ladle to skim the fat off and into another jar to save for cooking.
Pour the cooking liquid over the meat in the saucepan. Reserve some of the cooking liquid and/or fat for any veggies you might have made if you wish.
Gently reheat the meat on the stove top. I like to serve this with Mashed Cauliflower. This recipe makes enough for 4 adults.
Trust me on this, do not try to cut some of the fat off your short ribs. Leave it alone. Seriously.
These can be cooked in the oven or a crock pot. The directions for the oven are below. For the crock pot, put everything in and cook for 8 hours on low. The rest of the directions are the same.
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs short ribs, pastured beef
1 large cooking onion, chopped into large chunks
5 cloves garlic, cut in half
1 tbsp honey
1" piece ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup beef broth
splash of apple cider vinegar
Method
Preheat the oven to 300F.
Place the ribs in a large dutch oven. Sprinkle with the onion and garlic chunks.
In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Mix and pour them over the ribs. Cook with the lid on for about 3 hours. The meat will be falling off the bone when done.
Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid and let cool for about 15 minutes. At the same time, pour the cooking liquid into a clear jar or measuring cup.
When the ribs have cooked a bit, get in there and separate the bones out and trim off the excess fat. You can save this in the freezer for future stock. Cut the meat into bite sized pieces and put it into a saucepan.
The cooking liquid should have settled a bit by now and there should be a nice layer of fat on top. I use a small ladle to skim the fat off and into another jar to save for cooking.
Pour the cooking liquid over the meat in the saucepan. Reserve some of the cooking liquid and/or fat for any veggies you might have made if you wish.
Gently reheat the meat on the stove top. I like to serve this with Mashed Cauliflower. This recipe makes enough for 4 adults.
20100716
Full-Gaps Day 8 (Pre-Intro)
Breakfast:
-water with lemon when I first got up
-watermelon
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-Leftover Chicken Strips
-Leftover Curry Mayo
-Simple Veggie Salad, todays was cucumber, yellow pepper, Kalamata olives
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-dried apricots
-beef broth
Dinner:
-Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs
-Mashed Cauliflower, used short rib juice
-Steamed green beans with short rib juice
-red wine
Dairy:
Day 6 no dairy
Energy Level:
Good.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Low back was stiff this morning. Back to not bending until I move around a bit.
Pain between my shoulder blades is really bad today. Grr.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in left foot. Back to normal.
A bit of pain in right foot toward the evening.
Knee Pain:
Left knee pain when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None today.
Day of cycle:
4 (.)
(.) was almost gone this morning and then this evening started up again like crazy. Another new Adrenal Fatigue symptom. Yay.
Last nights sleep:
Good. Slept through the night. Didn't wake up till 9am.
Comments:
No more bread craving. Guess those coconut flour pancakes wiped it out.
-water with lemon when I first got up
-watermelon
-coffee w/ honey
-Herbal Iced Tea
Lunch:
-Leftover Chicken Strips
-Leftover Curry Mayo
-Simple Veggie Salad, todays was cucumber, yellow pepper, Kalamata olives
-Herbal Iced Tea
Snacks:
-crispy walnuts, Nourishing Traditions pg. 513
-crispy almonds, Nourishing Traditions pg. 515
-dried apricots
-beef broth
Dinner:
-Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs
-Mashed Cauliflower, used short rib juice
-Steamed green beans with short rib juice
-red wine
Dairy:
Day 6 no dairy
Energy Level:
Good.
Mood:
Good.
Back pain:
Low back was stiff this morning. Back to not bending until I move around a bit.
Pain between my shoulder blades is really bad today. Grr.
Foot pain:
Mild pain in left foot. Back to normal.
A bit of pain in right foot toward the evening.
Knee Pain:
Left knee pain when climbing stairs or sitting.
Heartburn:
None today.
Day of cycle:
4 (.)
(.) was almost gone this morning and then this evening started up again like crazy. Another new Adrenal Fatigue symptom. Yay.
Last nights sleep:
Good. Slept through the night. Didn't wake up till 9am.
Comments:
No more bread craving. Guess those coconut flour pancakes wiped it out.
Hamburgers with Coconut Flour "Buns"
I was jonesin' for bread. Big time. I missed my homemade whole grain sourdough, hot from the oven and slathered with raw butter. Sigh.
During a Google search to see if anyone has made hamburger buns with GAPS legal flours, I came across a post on Mark's Daily Apple for Coconut Pancakes. You have to scroll down the page to find the recipe. Somewhere in the comments someone used these for hamburger buns. Good enough for me.
I made the pancakes according to the recipe, but left out the vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and honey. It made thin and tasty little pancakes. They worked well for the burgers, as in they didn't tear or get over-saturated with burger juice. But they were a little thin. I went back and read the comments and the person that used them as "buns" forgot to add the coconut milk. That might help thicken the batter up. I'll try that next time.
Also, I think this recipe would make great wraps if a little more coconut milk or another egg was added to thin it out. I'll try that at some point too.
The hamburger patties were from Sumas Mountain Farms. The turkey bacon was from JD Farms and isn't GAPS legal, but we need to use up what we have. The Fiancé doesn't eat pork so no regular bacon for us.
coconut flour pancakes
hamburger patties
turkey bacon
mayo
homemade ketchup
mustard
caramelized onions, fried in coconut oil
lettuce
tomato slices
Bubbies pickles, sliced
Assemble. Scarf.
During a Google search to see if anyone has made hamburger buns with GAPS legal flours, I came across a post on Mark's Daily Apple for Coconut Pancakes. You have to scroll down the page to find the recipe. Somewhere in the comments someone used these for hamburger buns. Good enough for me.
I made the pancakes according to the recipe, but left out the vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and honey. It made thin and tasty little pancakes. They worked well for the burgers, as in they didn't tear or get over-saturated with burger juice. But they were a little thin. I went back and read the comments and the person that used them as "buns" forgot to add the coconut milk. That might help thicken the batter up. I'll try that next time.
Also, I think this recipe would make great wraps if a little more coconut milk or another egg was added to thin it out. I'll try that at some point too.
The hamburger patties were from Sumas Mountain Farms. The turkey bacon was from JD Farms and isn't GAPS legal, but we need to use up what we have. The Fiancé doesn't eat pork so no regular bacon for us.
coconut flour pancakes
hamburger patties
turkey bacon
mayo
homemade ketchup
mustard
caramelized onions, fried in coconut oil
lettuce
tomato slices
Bubbies pickles, sliced
Assemble. Scarf.
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