The Journey Starts Again.................

If you looked at my other page it now says that I am going back to my individual blog pages.  That page was not going to turn out like I wanted so we are back to individual pages.  I hope you will follow me on this journey and if needed hold me feet to the fire.

A couple of years ago I spent a lot of money to work with Dr. Scott.  He taught me a lot and I taught myself a lot during that journey.  I have talked with Dr. Scott a couple of times since than and his comment as to why I succeeded then was because of where I was at that point in my life.  He said I am at a better place now and thus it is hard for me to get my head in the weight control game.  I have gained back a little over half the weight I lost then.  That being said I am going to work at doing what I know and prove to myself that I can do as my sister says anything I put my mind too.

My friend Blake and I attended an informational presentation put on by St. Mark's Hospital for Bariatric Surgery last week.  Blake is seriously considering it but I don't get a warm fuzzy about it.  I guess that is because I know what to do and just need to get my head back in the game and do it. Having looked at a lot of options I think I will be following the plan put out by the Mayo Clinic.  It ranks number three on Web MD's list of top 15 Diets.  It doesn't  count calories but concentrates on portions.  My goal is to lose between 1-2 pounds a week.  I a a membership to a local athletic club with a pool.  I love to swim so I need to make use of my membership.  Dr. Hardman wants me working less and spending more time in the gym.  I go to see her in April and I want my weight down and my gym time up.  I will probably add walking into this exercise plan.  Part of my goal is to show myself I can lose the weight without the surgery.  

I will have at least 3 people I report to on a daily basis, 1. My good wife, Vickie, 2. my friend Blake and 3. my boss, Carri.  Carri is very concerned and wants me to succeed as do all of these people plus a bunch that are not on this list.  I may add my my daughter and sister to my reporting list as they are both nurses and aware of what this fat guy should be doing for a healthy lifestyle.

The journey begins tomorrow, January 12th.  I will be adding healthy recipes to this blog as well as regular recipes to my Favorite recipe blog.  I will also be adding healthy information to this site. These blogs are therapeutic for me even if no one reads them.

I will be posting a before picture in the next couple of days and hope to post to this blog at least three to four times a week.  With all that being said, I am signing off for the night. And the journey begins.....................

Giada's Chia Seed Breakfast Pudding

I have promised several people over the last couple of weeks this recipe would be posted.  I am sorry to be so slow.  This recipe comes from the Food Network web site and the link is posted following the recipe.  After doing yoga, Giada De Laurentiis eats this protein rich breakfast.  Chia seeds are packed with fiber, protein and antioxidants.
 

Giada's Chia Seed Pudding (4 servings)

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla flavored unsweetened almond milk
1 cup plain low fat (2 per cent) Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (preferably grade B), plus 4 teaspoons for serving
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Kosher salt
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 pint strawberries, hulled and chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

In a medium bowl, gently whisk the almond milk, yogurt, 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, vanilla, 1/8 treaspoon salt until just blended.  Whisk in the chia seeds, let stand 30 minutes.  Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled.  Cover and refrigerate over night.

The next day, in a medium bowl, toss the berries with remaining 4 teaspoons maple syrup.  Mix in the almonds.

Spoon the pudding into 4 bowls or glasses, mound the berry mixture on top and serve.

http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2014/01/15/giadas-chia-seed-breakfast-pudding/

LOL

Random Thoughts

Just in case you couldn't tell this post is about the Golden Arches or Mickey D's or McDonald's or anything it may be known as.  I have several friends that can't stand the Golden Arches but personally I love the place.  I could eat there three times a day and not get tired of the place but I would end up looking like the guy in Super Size Me  http://www.hulu.com/watch/63283  So to that end and the cost, I don't eat there.

But along the same vane I read an article the first of the year that science teacher, John Cisna, lost 37 pounds in three months eating nothing but McDonald's.  His students planned his menus using daily recommended daily allowances of calories, etc. http://usat.ly/19aMyAW  But just as quick an article ran stating it is a bad idea to eat at McDonald's everyday  http://read.bi/1eKSUoC  I don't know to many people that would actually eat at Mickey D's everyday but I guess there are some who would.

There was another article on why the fountain Diet Coke tastes better at McDonald's.  http://bit.ly/1dgQk7S  I am not a Diet Coke drinker but I do enjoy the other fountain beverages and I always thought they tasted better at the Golden Arches and now I know they do and why.

I know with the fact that I am  trying to change my lifestyle as far as what I eat goes my trips to McDonald's will be severely cut back but that is okay because actually I would rather go to Burger Bar.  Burger Bar was even on the Food Network Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives   http://bit.ly/1cJgFLf

No matter where you where you get your burger, enjoy it.

Mediterranean Carrot Salad

This recipe comes from Spry Living.  It is very good and quick, too.  It is called  Mediterranean Carrot Salad.


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound carrots, peeled
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

With a box grater, coarsely grate carrots.  Combine with remaining ingredients and toss to caot.  Serve chilled or at room temp.  Enjoy.  Makes four servings.

Each serving contains 90 calories, 7 g of fat, 2 g of fiber, 3 g of sugar and 150 mg of sodium.

Rest Stop - Quinoa and Garbonzo Beans

I am adding a couple of more recipes to this site.  One is Cranberry Orange Quinoa.  It has about 200 calories per 1/2 cup serving.  I am beginning to use more Quinoa.  My wife, daughter and granddaughters really like the stuff.  This recipe comes from the web site: My Food Diary. 

     http://myfooddiary.com/blog/cranberry-orange-quinoa-recipe

Cranberry Orange Quinoa

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

1 orange, peeled and chopped

1 tsp orange zest

juice of one orange 

juice of one lemon

1 1/2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Place the cooked quinoa in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

Put the cranberries in a small food processor and pulse until all the berries are chopped.  Add the cranberries to the quinoa.  Next add the chopped orange, and stir the fruit together with the quinoa.

In a small dish, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, and honey.  Pour this dressing over the quinoa.  Add walnuts, if desired.

I have already posted a recipe for honey glazed chickpeas and someone asked if I had one for a savory one.  I found this on the Big Red Kitchen Blog:  http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2009/02/roasted-chickpeas/  I like the chickpeas either honey glazed or savory because they have a great nutty flavor.  I haven't brought myself to eating them as a bean yet, but that will come.

Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients

2 cans chickpeas(garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed, and dried a little

1 Tbsp olive oil

cinnamon

cumin

smoked paprika

smokey seasoned salt

chipotle powder

(no measurements, just to taste)

Directions

On a jelly roll pan lined with foil, place peas in a single layer and sprinkle with oil and spices.  Toss well and bake in 450 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes depending on doneness you like.  Place in an air tight container.

Rest Stop - Santa Fe Style Quinoa Salad

This Quinoa Salad Recipe comes from the web site Once A Month Meals.   http://bit.ly/18tpBnC   I made this for dinner tonight and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Vick is trying to eat better also and is trying to hold her calorie count to 1000.  I am having a hard time convincing her that is not smart and she should eat at least 1200 calories a day.  Any way back to the recipe:

Santa Fe Style Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup picante sauce

1 cup quinoa, well rinsed

1/2 tsp ground cummin

1/4 tsp salt

ground black pepper, to taste

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/5 cup fresh or frozen corn, cooked, drained and cooled

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 medium scallions, thinly sliced

1 small jalapeno chili, seeded and finely chopped

In a medium saucepan, stir together water, picante sauce, quinoa, cumin, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Uncover pan and toss quinoa with a fork.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly.  While still warm, add the remaining ingredients to the quinoa mixture tossing well to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve slightly warm or let cool to room temperature.  

Here is a little food for thought:  I read a short article about nixing temptation.  It is titled  "Control Your Urges with a Ride on the Mind Bus".  A very interesting read.  I will have try to try it and post about how it worked for me.  The link is:  http://bit.ly/1dKPTbE

Rest Stop - LOL

  Answer to the trivia question:  Oreo's, what else would it be?

Rest Stop - Carbs

I wanted to post an article I came across about carbs.  I usually think of bread, buns, donuts, cake, pies etc. I know that carbs also come from fruits, veggies and meat, and they are a better chooice.  To say I will give up bread and those type of treats for life is a stretch and isn't going to happen.  As I have said before I will make different and better choices.  I will pick my battles and choose my fights.  Anyway, back to the link for the article titled: All Carbohydrates Are Not Created Equal, Using the Glycemic Index  http://bbcom.me/pes3fq

Rest Stop - Rice Cakes

Rice Cakes.  A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object.  And, yes I know everybody says they taste like Styrofoam but they are not bad. I know this might be a crazy thing to write a blog post about but they have become a part of my eating lately.  I checked with Dr. Scott and he didn't see a problem with them but while reading one of the health blogs I follow I found out that rice cakes are high on the glycemic index and thus not very healthy. http://yhoo.it/X51Psb   They always make the list of foods that are making you fat http://bit.ly/iD4rxh  and   http://bit.ly/Lo692B    And yet I am also reading that even though they are high on the index they are good to eat before a work out and maybe a perfect snack  http://bit.ly/OJw31h   I haven't quite decided which story is the truth and even though they are high on the glycemic index I will continue to eat them for now.  I usually add a little almond butter to mine.  Vick can't believe I eat them and enjoy them.  I haven't been able to get her to try them yet.  I will let you decide for yourself.

Rest Stop - Good Eats

When I had My appointment with Dr. Scott earlier this week I took the girls in the office a treat and one of them wanted the recipe and I promised her it would be posted to this blog within a couple of days, so Leslie, this post is for you.

The first recipe comes from Nutritionist in the Kitch.  http://www.nutritionistinthekitch.com/  Great web site, with lots of recipes and info.

Soft & Chewy Banana Nut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

6 Tbsp all natural peanut butter  
2 Tbsp all natural almond butter
1 small banana, mashed well in a bowl
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
dash salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash banana in a bowl until nice and smooth.  Add nut butters, spices, and salt, and mix until very well combined.  The dough should stick together into one big ball by the time it is all mixed together.  Nothing should stick to the side of the bowl.  Grease a cookie sheet with healthy oil.  Plop into little balls on the cookie sheet and press down with a fork.  Bake 12-14 minutes or until firm...but watch that the bottoms don't burn.  Let cool and enjoy.

You can add chocolate chips, raisins, coconut, cooked quinoa, flax seed or chia seeds if you chose.

The second recipe is very simple.  I made these and took them to a friends dinner we have every month with 3 or 4 other couples.  It comes from the Dietitian Drive Web site. http://dietitiandrive.com/  Another great web site for healthy  recipes and ideas.

Chocolate Cherry Bites

Ingredients

2 Qts Raspberries

12 oz bag Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions

Rinse the Raspberries.  Let Dry.  Insert 1 dark chocolate chip in the raspberry opening.  Enjoy a sweet treat.

The third recipe for this post is something I made a couple of weeks ago when we had dinner with our friends.  I took the left overs to my daughter's house and shared them with her family.  I wasn't sure she would like them but she loved them. I guess I will be making these again.  The source of this recipe is HeatOvento350.  http://www.heatovento350.com/

Mini Pepper Chicken Nachos

Ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 green onions, sliced. white parts and green parts seperated
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 tsp chili powder
1 cup salsa
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound mini bell peppers
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/jack cheese blend
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/2 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup cilantro

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat the oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and the white parts of the green onions and cook and stir for 1 minute.  Mix in shredded chicken and chili powder.  Toss until all ingredients are well coated with chili powder and chicken is warm, about 1-2 minutes.  remove from heat and stir in salsa.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Slice the ends off the mini bell peppers and slice in half length wise.  Remove seeds and ribs and press each half open so the peppers are as flat as possible.  Arrange close together in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Spoon chicken mixture evenly over pepper halves.  Top with black olives and cheese.  bake nachos for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.  Remove from oven top with tomatoes, cilantro and remaining green onions.  Serve.


The last recipe comes from the Modern Parents Messy Kids web site.  http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/  Again, I shared these with the staff and ChroniCare of Utah, located in Layton.  The thing that was great is they thought I had used nuts and couldn't believe they we chick peas or garbanzo beans.  I made the Honey Cinnamon recipe.



Roasted Honey Cinnamon Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1- 15 oz can organic garbonzo beans
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a  Silpat silicone mat.  Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander.  Place them on a towel to dry off.  Spread chickpeas on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake approx. 45 minutes or until crispy.  While chickpeas are hot, toss them in a bowl with oil, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Enjoy as is or for a caramelized effect, place them back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.  Store leftover chickpeas in an air tight container.





                                                                                                                                                                   

Rest Stop - New Toy

I got a new toy today.  I broke down and bought a Ninja Kitchen System from Costco.  I have been using my Magic Bullet to make smoothies and I don't think is made for the use it has been getting from me lately.  I was afraid it was going to die and it seems now that both Vick and I are eating better , it wasn't going to last much longer.  When we went to Costco today they had the Ninjia on sale.  It is not what I really want but I just can't justify spending the money for a Vitamix or Blendtec.  Anyway, I bought a NInjia today and have already made two smoothies in it.  I will say it does work better than my Magic Bullet.  I am including the recipes for the smoothies I made and both of them fit in my journey.

The first one is an Apple Smoothie and the second one is a Cucumber Blast.


APPLE SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:
2 Apples, core removed and cut into large cubes (don't peel)
6-7 Frozen Strawberries
10 Seedless Black or Red Grapes

Directions:
Put all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.


CUCUMBER BLAST

Ingredients:
2 grapefruits, peeled and quartered
2 oranges, peeled and quartered
1/2 cucumber, peeled
4-6 ice cubes

Directions:
Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.

Rest Stop - Apricot Bites

The recipe for these treats come from the site Wholefood Simply   http://bit.ly/12ZRmS8   I made these for my wife and she loved them.  I shared them with a number of people including the girls at Dr, Scott's office and everybody loved them.  I finally got around to posting the recipe.

Apricot Bites

1 cup dried apricots

2 cups desiccated coconut

Add the ingredients to your blender or food processor.  Blend, blend, blend!  This takes

a while to come together, you may need to use a high speed blender.  Press the mixture into a lined loaf pan.  Refrigerate to set.  Once set chop into pieces and store in the fridge,  Enjoy!

Rest Stop - LOL

Rest Stop - What 200 Calories Look Like

WiseGeek   http://www.wisegeek.com/    is a great web site for as they say clear answers to common questions.  One of the questions was what does 200 calories look like?

Some foods have significantly more Calories than others but what does the difference actually look like.  When you consider that an entire plate of broccoli contains the same number of Calories as a small spoonful of peanut butter, you might think twice the next time you decide what to eat.

The following link will take you a page on WiseGeek that has photos that represent 200 calories of a type of food.  They are arranged from lowest to highest in calorie density.  The link is   http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-200-calories-look-like.htm

Rest Stop - Yonana

One more rest stop tonight.  This stop is because I told the girls at Dr. Scott's office I would have this information on this blog within a day or so.

I don't know how many of you recognize this machine or how many of you will admit to owning one.  It is a Yonana machine.  If you have to ask what a Yonana machine is you must have been living under a rock.  If I remember right, the Christmas of 2011 this was the must have gift.  It was advertised on TV all the time.  It claimed to make ice cream out of bananas along with other fruit.  The commercial showed kids loving the ice cream it made.  I ended up with a Bed, Bath and Beyond gift certificate that year and so I thought what the heck, I am not out anything if I don't like it or it doesn't work.  (I can say that because over the years I have wasted a lot of money on the latest and greatest cooking gadget, only to put it a cupboard for a few years and then donate it to the local Deseret Industries.)  I did try it and wasn't impressed and so into the back of the cupboard it went.  Then along came this journey and for some reason I pulled it out to give it another chance  because I can't have dairy and I wanted a frozen ice cream type treat of some kind.  And you know what, it actually works and the treat is good.  I made some to share with Dr. Scott's office and they enjoyed it.

I have made a two or three treats and plan to try many more.  I was surprised how many recipes and blogs exist that are dedicated to the Yonana.

The one I made for the office was an Apple Pie Yonana.

Ingredients:
2 Bananas
2 Red Delicious Apples
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
Freeze bananas and apples.  Mix the cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and sprinkle it over the frozen bananas and apples.  Run it through the Yonana machine.  Enjoy.

The first one I made was a Blueberry Ice Cream.

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen bananas
2 cups frozen blueberries

Directions:
Allow the fruit to sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes.  Put the bananas and blueberries through the Yonana machine and into a medium bowl.  Enjoy.

The last batch I made was like the Blueberry Ice Cram except I used mixed berries and threw in about 1/2 cup almonds.  It was good too.  I will be using my Yonana a lot.  In fact it is out on my counter now.

Yonana blog:  http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/yo-nana-does-the-yonanas-work/
                      http://kristenbentson.com/blog/recipes/yonanas-desserts/

Yonana recipes:  http://www.yonanas.com/recipes/
                          http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/07/yonanas-treat-machine-giveaway-soft.html
                          http://pinterest.com/jlsvendsen/yonanas-recipes/
                          http://pinterest.com/yonanas/yonanas-recipes/
                          http://blog.womenshealthmag.com/dish/yonanas/

Rest Stop - Biggest Loser Recipes

I have a few people tell me i would have done very well on the Biggest Loser and ask me if I had ever gone to any of the casting calls.  The answer is Yes, I went to one of the casting calls a couple of years ago and boy was it an experience.  I went with a good friend of mine.  We had a pass to get us to the front of the line, that was thanks to a skinny friend, and she said she wished she was big enough to qualify to be on the show. I told her to be thankful she wasn't because trying to lose the weight is a real pain and not to mention hard.  After my buddy and I had finished our paperwork, we waited for our turn to be interviewed.  They interviewed 12 people at a time and the entire interview with all twelve took about 15 minutes.  One question they asked was to tell them something about each of us that nobody would guess.  I told them I was the city Santa Clause.  Anyway, neither of us got a call back, which in the long run was fine with me.

As I have searched the internet about the Biggest Loser, I have come to realize that most of the contestants seem to gain back their weight and some of them end up weighing more than they did before the show.  I have come to understand that unless the change comes from within and it is done in a real world setting that it can be awful hard, if not impossible to keep the weight off.  I say this as I worry about being able to continue to lose the weight I want and then keep it off for the rest of my life.  I do know that if I don't keep it off it may shorten my life considerably.

Anyway, I have found some interesting ideas and thoughts on different Biggest Loser sites.  The first site is actually the official NBC site for the Biggest Loser.  There are some great recipes on this site that I willbe trying in the future.  Since tomatoes and eggs are back in my diet I will be trying the Smoked Sausage Breakfast Scramble real soon.  The link is: http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser/exclusives/nutrition/chef_devin/recipes.shtml

The next link is http://www.oprah.com/food/Healthy-Recipes-from-the-Biggest-Loser-Family-Cookbook  It is from Oprah and has four recipes .  I may make one of them tomorrow night, since Vick has a Relief Society Garden Party to go to. I told her she will probably get a healthy recipe rather than the sweet, gooey ones I am known for.

This one is a write up by US News and World Report.  http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/biggest-loser-diet
Lots of good info and the do's and don'ts along with some recipes and menus.

There is even a Pinterest board with 40 recipes from the Biggest Loser cookbooks.  http://pinterest.com/whimsicaldreams/biggest-loser-recipes/

So as you can see there is a lot of information having information having to do with the Biggest Loser, mostly recipes, but it gives ideas for food to eat while following the journey Dr. Scott has started me on.

Week Eleven - Day Two - Spiced Almonds

Second visit at Dr. Scott's office this week.  One more week of twice a week visits.  I will also end my Clearvite program next Tuesday.  i had the first beef I have had in two and a half weeks tonight. Dr. Scott had told me I could have beef again when I ended my vegetarian week of Clearvite.  When I told him I was still eating only fish, chicken and turkey, he told me to go home and have some beef and that is exactly what I did.

Today I made some Chili Lime Almonds and shared them with Dr. Scott's office and they loved them.  I told Dr. Scott's wife I would have the recipe on my blog by tonight.  both her and the good Dr. said they liked almonds and these are okay on this phase of my journey.  I did not use the whole amount of honey called for.  I figured honey would be okay since I had maple syrup on the modified water fast.  This is the first time I have had any sugar or sugar type product since this journey began.

  Chili Lime Spiced Almonds

Ingredients:
3 cups almonds
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs honey

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread almonds on a large baking sheet.  In a small bowl mix together everything but the almonds.  Pour mixture over nuts, and stir evenly to coat.  Make sure the nuts are in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Bake 15-20 minutes.  Cool completely, then store in an air tight container.

This recipe comes from the web site Dinners Dishes and Desserts:  http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/chili-lime-spiced-almonds/

I noticed that Jello now has a label on the boxes of Jello that say that Jello contains no Aspartame.  Tonight I came across an interesting article about how dangers of Aspartame:  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx

Rest Stop - Clean Eating / Coconut Oil

Just a short stop tonight for a couple of notes.  The first one has to do with 50 Clean Eating Snacks.  The ideas come from skinnyms web site: http://skinnyms.com/50-clean-eating-snacks/  and the second comes from Swanson Vitamins and has to do with 50 Uses for Coconut Oil.  Coconut oil is one thing I have been able to have all along.  The web site is:http://www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/natural-health-tips/using-coconut-oil

Rest Stop - Recipes for Rice, Avocado Dip, Quinoa and Nuts

I have been asked again to post recipes for some more of the things I am eating, so here they are.  And again I will omit or substitute for things I can not have.

This recipe for this http://naturallyella.com/  A good tasting change from plain brown rice.
Ginger Brown rice comes from the web site "Naturally Ella"

Carrot Ginger Rice

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
11/2 cups shredded carrots, about 2-3 large carrots
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (about 3/4 cup uncooked)
1 Tbs minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs honey
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tbs sesame seeds, toasted
Unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

Directions:
In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium low heat.  Add in garlic and ginger, cooking until the both become fragrant, roughly two minutes.  Stir in shredded carrots and cook 1-2 minutes.  Whisk together soy sauce, honey, vinegar and sesame seeds.  Pour over carrot mixture and cook until heated.  Finally, stir in rice and cook for 3-4 minutes or until rice is warm.  Serve with toasted coconut.

Since I am now allowed to have raw nuts, I been enjoying a lot of them.  I do have to watch how many nuts I eat in a day because of the fat content.  But I am learning to enjoy raw nuts, though I would not turn down salted nuts later in this journey.

I found a recipe for some great tasting almonds on Pinch My Salt   http://pinchmysalt.com/  I just omit the Stevia at this point, because sweeteners are not part of my journey at this point.

Sweet and Spicy Chinese Five Spice Roasted Almonds

Ingredients:
2 cups raw almonds
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
1/2 packet stevia (or1/2 to 1 tsp sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Direction:
In a large bowl, toss the almonds with the olive oil.  Spread almonds out on a sheet pan in a single layer.  (Keep mixing bowl handy - you will need it again.)  While oven heats, mix the spices and salt, and stevia (or Sugar) in a small bowl, set aside.  Bake almonds in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and carefully pour the hot almonds back into the mixing bowl.  Sprinkle spices over the nuts and toss well with a spoon.  Pour the seasoned almonds back onto the sheet pan and return to the oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let nuts cool completely on pan.  Store nuts in a covered container.


Pea and Avocado Dip

Ingredients:
1 can green peas
1 avocado, seeded and peeled
1 clove of garlic
1 Tbs lime juice or the juice from 1 lime
Kosher or Sea Salt and pepper to taste
Hot Sauce to taste

Directions:
Place all the ingredients into a food processor and mix to the consistency you prefer.

Makes a great dip for carrots and celery and other raw veggies.  The recipe comes from Make the best off everything   http://makethebestofeverything.com/


One thing this journey has done for me is open my mind to a lot of new products I have been hearing about and reading about.  One of them is Quinoa.

PursuitOfHealthiness's Note:
Quinoa(pronounced Kin-Wa) is an ancient grain that was a staple food of the ancient Incas of South America.  This recipe is cooked cereal somewhat like oatmeal, but it's even healthier!  It is gluten-free and according to Bob's Red Mill, is the most nutrious of all grains.  The added flax meal is for boosting your omega-3s.

I already have a couple of recipes using this grain and there will probably be many more.  The recipe for this Quina cereal comes from Food.com  http://www.food.com/recipe/quinoa-breakfast-cereal-251953



Quinoa Breakfast Cereal


Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa (whole grain)
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/3 cup dried apricot, diced
2 Tbs sunflower seeds

Directions:
Heat water in a covered pot to boiling.  Dice dried apricots and measure other ingredients.  Add all ingredients to boiling water, stir well and return to boil.  Cover and reduce top simmer for 12 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed, stirring once or twice in the middle.  Remove from heat, fluff(like you would rice), cover and let stand for 10 minutes.  Serve in a bowl with milk (or dairy free milk alternative), and a drizzle of honey if desired.