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.