Smoothie Recipe 1

There will probably be a lot of smoothie recipes on this blog because I have grown fond of them and because I bought a Blendtech blender and my good wife wants me to use it. Along with my wife, my grand kids like smoothies too.  Hopefully by mid April I will be off the Coumadin and go back to my green smoothies.  I wasn't drinking them regularly last fall when I developed a blood clot and was put on the drug and my Dr.'s have asked that not start drinking green smoothies again until I get off the medication in mid April.  I told them if I don't get off in April then we will have play with my numbers because the green smoothies are coming back into my life.  As strange as it sounds they did satisfy my hunger all morning.  I did drink a number of them before the clot, but I could not get my wife to try them, due to the color.  Those recipes will be included here too in the future.

The first recipe is for a smoothie I made this morning.  It is for a Strawberry Banana Smoothie. It comes from the GIMME SOME OVEN blog.  Check out Ali's blog at http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/strawberry-banana-smoothie-recipe/

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:
 2 cups frozen Strawberries
 1 fresh banana, peeled
 1 cup milk ( I used unsweetened almond)
 1 cup ice
 1 Tablespoon honey, if needed (I did not use any)

Directions:
 Add all ingredients to a blender, and pulse until combined.  Serve immediately.
(if the smoothie is too thick, add more milk.  If it is too thin, add more fruit and/or ice.)

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/

Eggs Baked in Avocado

                                                                                                                                   

This recipe comes from fitsugar.com  I am fond of eggs and avocado. The two togther are really good.  I don't eggs often, mostly egg whites. The thing I like is the recipe has a lot of protein and for two eggs and a whole avocado the calorie count is pretty good.      

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe avocados
4 fresh eggs
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped chives

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Slice avocados in half, and take out the pit.  Scoop out about two Tablespoons of flesh from the center of the avocado, just enough so the egg will fit in the center.   Place the avocados in a small baking dis, making sure they fit tightly.  Crack an egg into each avocado half. Try to crack the yolk in first.   Place in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes.  Time will depend on the size of the avocados and eggs.  Make sure the egg whites have enough time to set.  Remove from the oven, season with pepper, chives and garnish of your choice.  Makes two servings.

449 calories, 38.2 g fat, 137 mg sodium, 2 g sugars, 13.6 g fiber and 15.2 g protein.                  

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 - Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

The recipe for these cookies comes from the http://www.welltraveledwife.com  web site.  I know they are technically not healthy but by using coconut oil in them I felt they fit on this blog in an obscure way.  Any way they were very good and even my daughter couldn't leave them alone and she doesn't care for coconut.

coconut chocolate chip cookies

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup + 1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed

2 eggs(room temp)

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded coconut(optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray cookie sheet or line with a silpat.

In a mixing bowl, use a mixer to beat the coconut oil and brown sugar.  Add in the eggs and beat until fluffy.  Add in the vanilla extract.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder with whisk.  Mix the flour mixture into the coconut oil mixture a little bit at a time with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated.  Add in the chocolate chips + coconut and mix well.

Drop by small rounded spoons onto prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 8 - 9 minutes or until slightly browned around the edges.  They will be really soft and chewy, with a slightly crispy edge.  Let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing to rack to cool completely.

ENJOY

Here is an interesting article  http://nydn.us/15rGCMQ   about the Mars Candy Company asking a small fish shop to post a disclaimer that deep-frying the Mars bar is not in line with company's supposed commitment to "healthy active lifestyle" and that Mars Inc does not endorse the deep frying of their candy bars. As if Mars bars are part of a healthy life style.  Who are they kidding?

Now the answer to the trivia question I asked in my last post.  To find the answer good to the Rest Stop - LOL from Aug 18th.  I posted the answer on that post because if I put it here you would read the answer before you rear the question.

Rest Stop - Healthy Banana Cookies

I made these cookies yesterday.  And actually, they tasted pretty good.  I will be taking them and sharing them with the staff at Dr. Scott's office tomorrow and then I will see if they pass the test of a keeper.  So far his staff has been very happy with the treats I take them, but there is always a first time.

Healthy Banana Cookies

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup dates or raisins
2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup oil (i used coconut oil)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and let sit for 15 min.  Drop by spoonfull on greased cookie sheets.  Bale at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

As you can see it is a very easy recipe.  With the cookie scoop I used I got about 3 dozen cookies and each one is about 65 calories.

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 - 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.

Rest Stop - Smoothies

Just a short note for now.  I am big on smoothies now and yes I even add spinach to my smoothies.  I have posted a couple of recipes in the past and will be posting more but I saw thee two charts on the internet and wanted to post them on this blog.  The infographics came from skinnyme.com   http://www.superskinnyme.com/

This link will take you to a printed version of this infographic:  http://www.superskinnyme.com/how-to-make-a-smoothie.html

Here is the link to the printed version of this one:  http://www.superskinnyme.com/smoothie-recipes.html

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.

Rest Stop - Quinoa Recipe

Last rest stop for the night.  I am into the last couple of days of my week of being a vegetarian during my Clearvite phase.  It hasn't been as hard as I thought, but I am not sure I will show much of a weight loss this week.  I know that at some point I will hit a plateau and maybe this is it, but that means I have to work extra hard the last week of the phase of my journey.  I also need to be a little more serious about keeping track of my calories and make sure I am walking every day.

As I posted recently, I have started eating Quinoa.  Here is a breakfast idea.  The recipe comes from http://www.turntablekitchen.com/2009/07/quinoa-breakfast-bowl-a-fresh-start/   This is the Turntable Kitchen Recipe collection.

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients:

1 cup milk (I used coconut milk)

1 cup water

1 cup red or yellow quinoa rinsed

1 pint mixed blackberries and blueberries

1/2 tsp ground cinamon (more to taste)

1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans

honey, to taste (I omitted this)

Directions:

Pour the milk, water and quinoa (stirring to combine) in a medium pot and bring the ingredients to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until 3/4 of the liquid is absorbed by the grains.  Meanwhile, toast the nuts by spreading them on a cookie sheet and baking at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.  When the quinoa is done, take the pot off the heat and let it stand, with the cover on for about five minutes.  Take the pecans out of the oven.  Pour in the blackberries, sprinkle with cinnamon and stir in the pecans.  Next, add about 1 tsp honey and stir to mix.  Serve.

As a side note, my sister is following this blog and has told me if she catches me eating oneof the Dunkin Dounut Breakfast Sandwiches I blogged about a couple of days ago, she will ninja kick that sandwich and probably me into the middle of next week.  I guess I may have to eat one into disguise or in secrect.

Rest Stop - Chia Seeds / Smoothie Recipes

Last night I decided to buy some Chia Seeds.  I have read that they are the super food of the year.
ABC News did a story on Chia Seeds: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/eating-chia-seeds/story?id=18296119#.UbTHAfnVCmg
So I went to my local Good Earth Health Food Store and bought some Chia Seeds.  I made two things with them today.  The first was Vanilla and Chia Pudding and the second was a smoothie from Daphne Oz.   I tld the guy I talked to at Good Earth that the recipe for the pudding would be on this blog within a day or so.   They were both pretty good.  Vick wasn't so excited to try them but she did.  She is not so sure about some of the things I have begun to make along this journey, but I told her she is the one that wants me to lead the way in eating better.

The First recipe is for the smoothie:

Daphne Oz's Super Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1 Tbsp Chia seeds
1/2 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup fresh Mint leaves
1 Banana (peeled cut into 2 inch pieces and frozen)
1/2 cup Cranberry juice
1/2 cup water (plus more if needed)

Directions
Place all of the ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add extra water as needed.

The recipe comes from the Chew web site. http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Super-Green-Smoothie-Daphne-Oz

The second recipe is for the pudding:

Vanilla & Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients:
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
3/4 cup Almond Milk
1 tsp stevia or authentic maple syrup

Directions:
Add almond milk to a glass.  Stir in chia seeds, vanilla extract and stevia.  Place in the fridge for 30 minutes but keep stirring the mixture every 10 minutes.  It will start to thicken up.  I left mine in the fridge for about two hours.

Garnish with dried nuts or any fruit of choice.

This recipe comes from the web site Fit and Fancy  http://fit-n-fancy.com/2013/03/16/vanilla-chia-seed-pudding/


As a closing thought:

"Our food sholud be our medicine and our medicine should be our food." ~ Hippocrates