Primal Thanksgiving With The Help From A Friend

Since I began my new Primal life I have been one of it's biggest cheerleaders.
Obnoxiously so.
If you happened to ask about my weight loss or ask why I was not eating the bun...God help you.
I am more than happy to tell you about my journey, the reasons you should not be eating that processed goo, and the newest scientific facts I had just read about grains and fasting.
Just try and stop me!!
You have to know my friends were my first victims to attack with my new found knowledge...enthusiastically so.
To my great surprise most of our friends and family have come on board and given it a try.
All of them to great success.
Our good friends Matt and Sheila were some of the first people I told all my new found information to. I knew Sheila would be interested but never thought that Matt would listen or even give it a second look.
Matt did not like anything green, and was not interested in veggies at all.
What he did like was the fact that he could eat bacon, steak, sausage, and butter.
As he and his wife explored their eating possibilities within the Primal sphere they taught my husband and I a few things.
Matt and Sheila found Luigi's, which sells grassfed beef and free range Amish chicken, and they have the most amazing buffalo chicken flavored sausage that we all love.
The best thing that Matt has given to us is his recipe for Brussel Sprouts, which is a green veggie, if you remember!
I was shocked to come home from Hawaii to my husband raving about this fabulous dish that Matt had made for him while I was gone.
My mom is even a huge fan of this dish which is why it will be one of the sides we share at our Primal Thanksgiving this year.
I wanted to give the recipe to anyone who was looking for a flavorful and filling Primal side dish to serve at their holiday table.

I chop the brussel sprouts apart and any other veggies we like to throw in. Today it was carrot shreds, peppers, broccoli , snow peas, and as always some great sausage.

I add a flavored olive oil or coconut oil to the pan first and then add in the sprouts as they take the longest to cook.

After 5 minutes I add the all the veggies but the carrots and peppers. I then pour on the balsamic vinegar. We also add in the chopped garlic and a handful of spices at this time.

After 3 more minutes in goes the sausage. It is precooked and goes in to get heated through.

The carrots and peppers are added last as my husband likes a bit of a crisp to those two veggies when it's all done.

Primal Brussel Sprouts and Sausage

Here is the finished dish, plated and ready to enjoy!

Primal Meaty Brussel Sprouts:

1 cup of brussel sprouts cleaned and halved
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup of mixed veggies (broccoli, snow peas, and others)
1/4 cup of sliced peppers
1/4 cup of flavored olive oil or coconut oil (we used a basil olive oil)
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons of chopped garlic (ours came from a jar)
2 large precooked sausage links (your choice of flavor)
spices (choose your favorites, we added Italian types of spices)

• Heat your pan over a medium high heat and add your flavored oil
• Next add in the brussel sprouts and cook for 5 minutes stirring continuously
• Add in the mixed veggies, the balsamic, garlic, and spices and cook for 3 minutes
• The sausage goes in next and gets stirred for 2 minutes
• Now add in the veggies you like crisp and saute for a few minutes until they are done to your taste

That's it! Ten minutes on the stove and you have an amazingly flavorful main or side dish.

Thank you again Matt.
He has made us proud by meeting his goal weight and losing over 30 pounds!
At the last band concert Matt played the entire night without a shirt and looked smoking hot!!

Matt as Jimmy Page at our Halloween gig...sexy!

I hope you give the Primal life a try and enjoy looking and feeling better like we all do.
Have a wonderful holiday.

Getting Ready for Primal Thanksgiving With Primal Apple Crisp

It's Thanksgiving this week and I have spent some time getting the place all dolled up for the big day. Our son will be home from college and I wanted the house to look especially pretty and warm to welcome him back. Here are a few pictures to show you what it looks like here this year.

The buffet will be filled with Primal yummies on Thursday

I spent too much time on Pinterest trying to figure out how to update the look of our bookcases for fall

I have Pinterest to thank for the ideas on putting together the Thanksgiving mantle

It is also our first Primal Thanksgiving, so I have had to remove some old carb filled recipes and replace them with our new favorites.
I am exchanging the flour made Parker House Rolls for Herb and Cheddar Coconut Flour Biscuits.
We are giving up the white mashed potatoes for just having sweet potato casserole (who needs two kinds of potatoes in one meal anyway?)
My mom is making the pumpkin and pecan pies with crusts made with almond meal and coconut flour.
I tried out a new recipe this weekend to see if it might be good to have on the big day.
Primal Apple Crisp was amazing! Warm and filled with fall spices, it is gluten free and will be perfect to serve on Thursday along with the pies.

I cut four very large honey crisp apples up into small pieces and sauteed them in butter and a bit of raw sugar.

I added in some lemon juice and a load of cinnamon.

I then mixed the almond flour, coconut flour, spices, salt, brown sugar, and soft butter together in a separate bowl to make a crumb.

I placed the warm apples in a coconut oil rubbed baking dish.

I covered the apples with all of the crumb mix and baked for 35 minutes until warm and bubbly.

I served ours in a pretty martini glass.
It was a wonderful treat! We don't eat much sugar now days and this was almost too sweet to me, but my husband thought it was perfect!

Primal Apple Crisp:

4 large apples cut into pieces
1.5 sticks of butter (grassfed is best)
1/4 cup raw sugar (I use raw organic fair trade)
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
3 tablespoons of cinnamon
(I also used cake spice, apple pie spice, and pumpkin pie spices in mine)
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour

• Cut the apples into the shape and size you enjoy
• simmer the apples on the stove top in 1/2 stick of butter, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon,and the raw sugar until they loose their crispness
• In a separate bowl mix the almond and coconut flours with the brown sugar, 1 stick of softened butter, salt, and any extra spices you enjoy
• In a baking dish rub generously with coconut oil to coat and add the apples, cover evenly with the crumb mixture
• Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and warm

I hope you try this apple dish and enjoy your Holiday with the ones you love!

Primal Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms and Gearing Up For A Gig, Plus A Before And After Weight Loss Picture

My husband's band is once again gearing up for their annual Halloween Gig.
Our good friend Eric Brown created another amazing shirt design, Psycho Bunnies for The Stone Bunnies 2012 Halloween Show.
He has been a great friend to the band and myself (he designed my Primal Martini gear also!), if you need an amazing graphic designer let me know and I can put you in contact with him.
With the show getting closer I have been on the treadmill longer, and hitting my workout DVD collection more often because I have a costume idea in mind.
I would like to have a smooth and smaller shape in my dress and not so many lumps and bumps.
I put together a side by side picture of myself to show how far I have come in my weight loss.

Weight Loss Before and After Picture

You can really tell that I have less neck and chin now.
I have to admit I am happy with the dark hair, I am less washed out.
The first picture is from March 3rd 2012 and the second is from September 20 2012.
I am looking forward to taking a picture on December 26th of this year to show the difference that one year of being Primal makes on me.
I am also hoping for at least 100 pounds lost.
I am commited to making it happen.

Last night to appease my husband (who is tired of a piece of protein and a salad) I made his favorite Chicken Marsala with mushrooms.

It was creamy, dreamy, and delicious!

I started by lightly sauteing the mushrooms in grass fed butter. I then removed them to a plate and added the chicken into the pan.

I then added a whole load of spices to both sides of the chicken in the pan (I threw more in just for kicks and giggles...we are spicy people!).

I then removed the chicken to a plate with the mushrooms and added in the chicken broth (I was out of my homemade stock and had to use the dreaded processed stuff!) Marsala wine, and heavy cream. I whisked it for a few minutes over a medium/high heat to burn off some of the alcohol, and then added the chicken and mushrooms back into the pan.

I let this simmer over a medium/low heat with a lid for ten minutes to meld the flavors together.
It was delicious!

I enjoyed my Chicken Marsala with the usual spinach and apple side dish.

PRIMAL CHICKEN MARSALA:

• 4 skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen so I baked them at 350 for 20 minutes to soften them up for the pan)
• 1 container of sliced white button mushrooms
• 1/2 stick of grass fed butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic power (or fresh) basil, oregano, or any spices that you enjoy
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Add butter to a large saute pan over medium/high heat
2. Add in the mushrooms and cook until just beginning to get soft, remove to a side plate
3. Add in the chicken breasts and spices, cook for 5 minutes on each side in the butter
4. Once cooked remove the chicken to the plate with the mushrooms
5. Add the broth and wine to the pan and whisk over a higher heat for a few minutes to burn off most of the alcohol
6. Reduce the heat down to medium and add in the cream, whisking it for a minute to incorporate
7. Add the chicken and mushrooms back to the pan, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid
8. Let cook for 10 minutes on low, stirring occasionally to let the flavors meld
9. Serve hot!

I hope you try this warm and creamy dish soon.
Enjoy!

My Morning Magic Brew and A Bit Of Ohio Fall

Ok...I have to admit it...fall in Ohio is pretty this year.
It has been cooler than normal, so I have been able to wear fall clothes...IN the fall!
Usually it's freezing in the morning and then 85 degrees in the afternoon.
When I took my little dog for a walk the other day this stunning beauty was waiting for me...wow!
With the weather brisk but pleasant I have been dragging my poor little guy out for an hour to two hour walk almost everyday, he's exhausted!
After a summer of 95+ degrees most days, he hasn't been on such extended walks for a very long time.
I have noticed a huge difference on my body when walking outside versus the treadmill.
The treadmill cushions my joints from the pounding my body weight puts on them, the pavement is non forgiving on my entire body. I'm just not sure which is better for me in the long run.
I'm sure pulling my weight on my own versus the treadmill doing the pulling is burning more calories, but is it worth tearing myself apart?
Oh well...it's too pretty to forgo the walks!

The neighborhood looking fall splashed!

I thought I would share how I start my day...everyday.
Even if it is a non eating day I still have coffee. It fills me up and gives me enough energy to make it sometimes to the next day, which is great for our bodies to take a rest from constant food processing to work on healing and restoring our systems.
Mark Sisson of marksdailyapple.com has some amazing information on intermittent fasting and the good things it can do for your body and life.

I start with one tablespoon of organic free trade raw sugar (I would rather have natural organic sugar and the weird processed stuff out there) I also have one and a half tablespoons of Dutch Process High Fat Dark Coca Powder.
The cocoa has antioxidant protection, antioxidants protect the body from damage by unstable oxygen molecules called free radicals that can cause many illnesses and diseases.
It also can benefit the cardiovascular system by enhancing blood flow and thereby lower blood pressure. 
My favorite thing about it is that it is a mood enhancer...always good to start the day in a happier state of mind.
I then add in my coconut oil, almost three tablespoons.
Coconut oil has been found to help normalize blood lipids and protect against damage to the liver by alcohol and other toxins. It can play a role in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases, and is associated with improved blood sugar and insulin control and therefore the prevention and management of diabetes.
Coconut oil has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. 
Coconut oil is thought to help strengthen mineral absorption, which is important for healthy teeth and bones, and can also help improve the condition and appearance of the scalp, hair and skin when ingested or rubbed on the skin (I use it everyday as a moisturizer. When I found out how many chemicals were in my face creams I dumped them all and started up with the coconut oil.)
The oil has also been studied as a help to Alzheimer patients. Since our brains are made of fat the thought is that the lower fat diets have starved our brains of an essential ingredient that we need.
I then add in organic heavy cream. I'm not even sure of how much, I just wing it every morning!

This yummy brew is what I dream about before I go to bed, and is one of the reasons I wake up happy in the morning.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful fall day as well.

Primal Chicken Bacon Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

I know fall is pretty in Ohio and all...but I am missing Hawaii again.
I think I would not mind being island bound for a few years...I mean turning leaves and fresh snow fall is something great to many people, but I'm just done!
Give me ocean breezes, constant temperatures, palm trees...heck! Just give me the ocean!!
Oh well, the reality is I live in Ohio and it's cold this morning...as it was last night.
I decided to make more than just a piece of protein for my husband for dinner.
I have been seriously uninterested in food lately and it has harshed his world.
My husband would love to cook and create marvelous and varied meals together.
Bleh.
I don't want to think too much about food, it has lost it's appeal and hold on me and I am not anxious to go back to that place.
But for him I made a comfort meal extraordinaire last night...Chicken Bacon Spaghetti Alfredo.
It was as creamy and satisfying as if it was made with pasta, but didn't have that heavy and bloating after effect that true carbs give you.

You start buy cutting your spaghetti squash in half...

I have to use an electric knife...so much quicker.

Once the squash is open, scrape out the seeds and discard (or clean and roast if you like)

I salt and pepper mine and then roast it in a 350 oven face down on a foil lined cookie sheet for 50-60 minutes.

While the squash is baking I gather all the ingredients for the Alfredo sauce and get it started.

Finally smooth and creamy, ready for all the other good things to be tossed in.

The squash is done, but as always the cooking has released the water in the gourd and now the strands are mushy. I can fix that!

After all the strands are scooped out down to the skin, I put mine in a fine mesh colander.

I place a bowl on top of the squash, wrap my hand in a towel (because that stuff is a boiling hot mess!) and press out as much of the liquid as I can.

My husband cut and chopped up all of the chicken breasts and bacon for me while I was squishing the squash within an inch of it's life.

Looking warm and yummy with almost everything added in, it's just missing the bacon now.

Here is my plate (with my two handfuls of spinach I have everyday!) all that is missing is my apple.

Primal Spaghetti Squash Alfredo with Roast Chicken and Bacon:

1 Spaghetti Squash
3 Large chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
8 Pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
1 Stick of butter (grassfed if possible)
1 cup of heavy whipping cream or half and half
1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup of shredded cheese (I used Kerrygold Dubliner grassfed cheese, for it's flavor)
3 Cloves of minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley or fresh (I was out!)

Slice the squash in half and scrape out the seeds and middle parts.
Salt and pepper the squash, placing it face down on a foil lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.
Scrape out all the strands into a fine mesh colander and with a bowl push out as much water as you can get out of it.

Sauce:

In a sauce pan melt the butter over a medium heat
Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until it has melted together
Slowly pour in the heavy cream and whisk quickly for a few minutes
Add in the cheese a little at a time, and then add the spices, whisking continuously.
As it begins to thicken add in the squash, chicken, and bacon.

Serve warm with your favorite salad or veggies.

I hope you enjoy this casserole as much as we did.

Still Going Strong and 70 Pounds Down Plus Weigh Loss Before And After Pictures

Good morning!
I have been thinking everyday of blogging, but feel I have not much to say.
I eat almost the same thing everyday...a meat, spinach, an apple, maybe some nuts...some days some cheese, and almost everyday a little dark chocolate.
I really have no interest in other foods right now, no interest in meal planning either.
If I look on Pinterest or Foodgawker for ideas, that gets my stomach thinking about food.
I am almost never hungry anymore so I avoid looking at those pages to keep away from the pictures of food :)
I am losing weight, but to me it seems so slow.
I know that is better for my body in the long run...but it's making me nutty!
I just want to be a normal size...walk in to any store and be able to fit in to something.
I went from a 3x last December to and XL or L in tops, so that is a drastic improvement.
My butt was a 22/24 pants and sadly I am still in most 18's. I do have 2 pairs of 16's that I can get into, but mostly a solid 18.
PFFFFTT!
This is killing me.
I only just started to exercise in August. I am diligent and do either cardio or weights everyday.
I am trying to follow Mark Sisson's advice to not overdo the exercise...but I am going crazy in my head wanting to be a size 14 and under 200 SOON!
I truly thought that I would be further by now...sigh...
I know I did not put it all on in a year and I have a few months until the first year is up...but still...I am impatient some days...I guess today is one of those days.
I keep looking on Mark's Daily Apple for information on how to shed more fat, and the information that came up was about intermittent fasting...which I already do.
I eat one Primal meal a day.
But being the impatient whiner I am...I am thinking about skipping a day eating once a week...just to see if that kicks things up a bit.
I try not to let the scale get to me, because I am getting muscle under that flabby skin I carry around.
But if I could drop a size in pants...who am I kidding? I want to drop two sizes! I would feel much more accomplished in my weight loss.
I have to say, I will never eat The Standard American Diet ever again.
I have been healthier, happier, not sick once, not one zit or breakout, and have been building muscle since I changed to living Primal, I will never go back to the old way of living.
I just had a fantasy in my head that I would be a size 10 already...but when you have over 100 pounds to lose it takes time and work.
I am so proud of my mom, she has gone from a size 14 to a size 6 in just six months time.
She looks amazing and has finally lost her dependence on food to make her happy or fulfilled.
I will finally get the courage to show a before and during picture.




Me at my heaviest :(

 

looking better, but still a ways to go

I have more of a chin now instead of a mass of flesh

These weight loss before and after pictures show I have done a good job, but am looking forward to seeing my results in December at the one year mark.
Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a great day and keep eating clean.

What Happened Thursday...

 

Today I worked hard.
I walked and ran on the treadmill for an hour.
It has gotten much easier as the weeks have fallen away.
It was skanky whore day on that treadmill :)
I ran to some terribly dirty System Of A Down songs, and then cooled down to MGMT's Electric Feel. I got my wind back and ran again to Silvertide's Maryjane and some super skanky Buckcherry songs. Cooled down again to Robin Thicke and some great Passion Pit songs.
I worked out with hand weights for a few minutes because my upper arms are still the size of Easter hams :(
I cleaned my son's room out...completely.
Boys are gross...just sayin'.
He is coming home from college for the first time on this long holiday weekend, so I wanted him to walk into a clean room with fresh sheets. Just to remind him what he's missing.
I'm not kidding myself...he's not missing anything!
It took forever to get that room spic and span, and I was sweating as much as when I had run on the treadmill by the time I was done.
Tonight was volley ball night.
Truthfully, I have not played since junior high.
So I might have misrepresented myself when I said I could play well.
Sorry ladies, but this mom needed to get out of the house, hopefully my team mates will be patient as I get into the swing of the game again.
After a few hours of trying to push my bod around in that deep sand in the heat and sun, I'm pretty sure a good deal of calories were burned!
Today I ate a burger without bun, bowl of spinach leafs, some pistachios, and a small hunk of Kerrygold Dunbliner cheese.

I hope you had a good day too!

Coming Farther Than I Ever Thought

It has been a wonderful summer.
My son's graduation party went very well, and was a blast.

I was forced to take my son to college...and leave him there.
His choice, not mine.

 

I had a bit of a break down after he left and went back to being a brunette after almost two decades of being a bottle blond.
The biggest change out of all this is that I have gone from a 3x top to a size large.
Dropped ten more pounds, and found the strength inside myself to start exercising.
I really had hoped deep inside myself that it would not come to this...because I hated exercising!!
Eeeewwww!
To be sweaty, sore, and have absolutely no results is how it always was in the past.
This time I have noticed some interesting things that make it all quite different.
1. My joints, knees, wrists, and ankles don't hurt anymore when I work out. (no grains, or packaged foods makes this possible)
2. Even the next day, my soreness is minimal. (see...no grains...no inflammation!)
3. I don't feel gross while I'm doing it, just stronger.
4. For the first time ever...I look forward to it.


I have not been a great blogger.
I have slacked off, not because I was too busy (even though I kind of was) or uninspired.
I have found a new place inside of me and it does not jive with what I wanted my blog to be in the beginning.
I most likely will not post recipes on here anymore.
I don't feel like trying out new things, cooking constantly, or even full meal planning.
I am not hungry.
I found that sometimes eating every other day works better for me.
I am hungry when I smell food being cooked, but if I walk away from it, the feeling goes away.
I only want a small piece of meat, some spinach, an apple, and some nuts.
That makes me feel good and satisfied.
So from now on I am going to post pictures of what I ate that day, exercises that I did, and progress photos.
Progress photos...that is a tricky thing.
I want to see them of other people...but slapping one out on the Internet for all to see...my huge...everything...well that might take me a few more weeks of progress.
Thank you to everyone who has viewed my blog and not made fun of me!

Have a wonderful day...and ditch the grains!!