I was going to do a post about my new grocery routine which is saving me about $50 a week but then the Norovirus struck our house. When the bathroom floor seems like the most inviting place ever, blogging is definitely not going to be taking place.
I'm 3-days poke pukefest though and am starting to get a little energy back. Obviously, I haven't eaten much these past few days, and unfortunately what I have eaten yesterday and today have been carby and salty. I've tried chicken broth and a bit of protein here and there but it just doesn't set right. Water, grape juice, Gatorade, Ramen noodles and Cheez-Its seem to be about the only things that don't re-upset my stomach.
While trying to look at the bright side, I'd hoped that the torture that is the Norovirus would at least help me get past my weight hump at which I seem to be stuck, but with all the carbs I'm eating, I'll probably stay about where I've been.
I'll be back at some point about my grocery budget!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Vegetable Soup - 7.4g
This is yet another one of my mom's recipes that I make regularly, especially when the weather gets cold. It makes a huge batch and is even better-tasting the next day after it's had time to marinate in itself over night.
The next time I make this, I'm going to tweak it a bit, adding more sirloin and low carb vegetables (celery and carrots) and putting in less potatoes (4 instead of 6 so it doesn't become so potato-heavy for the rest of the family). I also pick out the corn since it's a very carby vegetable.
Vegetable Soup
1/4 cup salad oil
1 small onion
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 small head of cabbage, shredded
1 medium zuchinni, cut in 1/2" chunks
1 1/2 pounds sirloin, cut in 1/2" chunks
6 medium potatoes
6 cups of water
1 28 oz can of tomatoes
1 16 oz can of corn
1 16 oz can of green beans
4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
In an 8-quart pot over high heat in very hot salad oil, cook the onion, celery, carrots, cabbage and zucchini until veggies are lightly browned, stirring frequently. With slotted spoon, remove the vegetables to a medium bowl and set aside.
In same pot over high heat in the remaining oil, cook beef chunks, stirring frequently until meat is well browned on all sides. Meanwhile, cut potatoes into 1" cubes. To the meat chunks, add reserved vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes with their liquid and remaining ingredients. Heat to a boil then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until beef and potatoes are fork-tender.
As is, makes about 16 servings or more. Without the potatoes, it makes about 12 2-cup servings.
The counts (without potatoes and corn)
The next time I make this, I'm going to tweak it a bit, adding more sirloin and low carb vegetables (celery and carrots) and putting in less potatoes (4 instead of 6 so it doesn't become so potato-heavy for the rest of the family). I also pick out the corn since it's a very carby vegetable.
Vegetable Soup
1/4 cup salad oil
1 small onion
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 small head of cabbage, shredded
1 medium zuchinni, cut in 1/2" chunks
1 1/2 pounds sirloin, cut in 1/2" chunks
6 medium potatoes
6 cups of water
1 28 oz can of tomatoes
1 16 oz can of corn
1 16 oz can of green beans
4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
In an 8-quart pot over high heat in very hot salad oil, cook the onion, celery, carrots, cabbage and zucchini until veggies are lightly browned, stirring frequently. With slotted spoon, remove the vegetables to a medium bowl and set aside.
In same pot over high heat in the remaining oil, cook beef chunks, stirring frequently until meat is well browned on all sides. Meanwhile, cut potatoes into 1" cubes. To the meat chunks, add reserved vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes with their liquid and remaining ingredients. Heat to a boil then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until beef and potatoes are fork-tender.
As is, makes about 16 servings or more. Without the potatoes, it makes about 12 2-cup servings.
The counts (without potatoes and corn)
Net Carb: 7.4g
Protein: 19.5g
Fiber: 3.9g
*All counts listed are based on my best
guesstimation and not necessarily correct. Remember to check the specific
nutritional content of the brands you are using as each one is
different.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Oops... I did it again
I had a moment of stupidity yesterday and completely forgot that I had splurged a bit at Red Lobster for lunch with a biscuit and some dessert. I had such a huge meal then that I wasn't hungry come dinner time, so by 9 p.m. my stomach started growling. I then stupidly forgot that I hadn't eaten dinner so instead of throwing together some sort of healthy meal, I snacked.
And chose pickle-flavored Pringles and Oreos.
The Pringles aren't too bad... 14g for 16 chips. My plan was to have like 5 chips, which would have only been like 6g. However, I wasn't paying attention as I snacked and the next thing I knew, I'd eaten almost half the container.
The Oreos... well, I have no explanation there. They were the tiny ones so I guess my thinking was that I'd just have a few but I grabbed the bag and just kept snacking while I was distracted doing some research online. I don't even know how many I ate. :(
Anyway, so this morning I woke up feeling completely hungover. Luckily, the kids spent the night at my parents last night so I was able to sleep in and basically just take it slow and easy all morning. By the afternoon, I was starting to wonder if I was getting sick - queasy, headache was coming back, dragging, etc., but I just kept drinking water and taking it easy. By about 7 p.m. I started feeling well enough to do some cleaning.
I'm hoping by tomorrow morning I'll feel completely back to normal. We ended up taking a day off today - no chores, no exercise, no school, bare minimum cooking, no errands, etc. - so now I'm behind on all that.
I did finish reading a book though! Here's to a new day!
And chose pickle-flavored Pringles and Oreos.
The Pringles aren't too bad... 14g for 16 chips. My plan was to have like 5 chips, which would have only been like 6g. However, I wasn't paying attention as I snacked and the next thing I knew, I'd eaten almost half the container.
The Oreos... well, I have no explanation there. They were the tiny ones so I guess my thinking was that I'd just have a few but I grabbed the bag and just kept snacking while I was distracted doing some research online. I don't even know how many I ate. :(
Anyway, so this morning I woke up feeling completely hungover. Luckily, the kids spent the night at my parents last night so I was able to sleep in and basically just take it slow and easy all morning. By the afternoon, I was starting to wonder if I was getting sick - queasy, headache was coming back, dragging, etc., but I just kept drinking water and taking it easy. By about 7 p.m. I started feeling well enough to do some cleaning.
I'm hoping by tomorrow morning I'll feel completely back to normal. We ended up taking a day off today - no chores, no exercise, no school, bare minimum cooking, no errands, etc. - so now I'm behind on all that.
I did finish reading a book though! Here's to a new day!
Saturday, January 12, 2013
berry green smoothie - 10g
I kept hearing about these green smoothies everywhere and decided to try making one that was low carb.
The first go around didn't turn out too hot. I drank most of mine by sheer willpower and the kids did not drink theirs. I used too much spinach and not enough water so after sitting for a bit, it got really, really thick. Yuck. It did keep me full all morning/afternoon though! I just had a light lunch and ended up having a late dinner because I just wasn't that hungry.
Today I tried again, and I'm really happy with this one. I made it for myself, but my son tasted it and wanted some, too, which he promptly downed. I just finished this one with my lunch and expect to be pretty full the rest of the day!
Berry Green Smoothie
1 cup strawberries
3/4 cup blueberries
1/2 gala apple (for sweetness)
1 cup spinach
1 CARBmaster Raspberry YumBerry Yogurt
1 cup water
handful of ice cubes
Throw it all in and blend!
If it comes out tasting a little bitter, you can add more fruit or 1 tsp of sweetener of your choice.
Makes 3 8-oz servings.
The counts
The first go around didn't turn out too hot. I drank most of mine by sheer willpower and the kids did not drink theirs. I used too much spinach and not enough water so after sitting for a bit, it got really, really thick. Yuck. It did keep me full all morning/afternoon though! I just had a light lunch and ended up having a late dinner because I just wasn't that hungry.
Today I tried again, and I'm really happy with this one. I made it for myself, but my son tasted it and wanted some, too, which he promptly downed. I just finished this one with my lunch and expect to be pretty full the rest of the day!
Berry Green Smoothie
1 cup strawberries
3/4 cup blueberries
1/2 gala apple (for sweetness)
1 cup spinach
1 CARBmaster Raspberry YumBerry Yogurt
1 cup water
handful of ice cubes
Throw it all in and blend!
If it comes out tasting a little bitter, you can add more fruit or 1 tsp of sweetener of your choice.
Makes 3 8-oz servings.
The counts
Net Carb: 10g
Protein: 3.5g
Fiber: 3g
*All counts listed are based on my best
guesstimation and not necessarily correct. Remember to check the specific
nutritional content of the brands you are using as each one is
different.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Massive Freezer Cooking!
Pinterest rocks.
I came across some pins where people show you how to do freezer cooking... putting together bags of food so meals are prepared ahead of time, either completely cooked and just needing thawed and heated up or ready to be thrown in a crockpot.
The kids are at my parents' house tonight, so I decided to give it a go.
I made up a list of needed items, hit the grocery store and then came home and got to cooking! I spent about 4 hours putting everything together.
I came across some pins where people show you how to do freezer cooking... putting together bags of food so meals are prepared ahead of time, either completely cooked and just needing thawed and heated up or ready to be thrown in a crockpot.
The kids are at my parents' house tonight, so I decided to give it a go.
I made up a list of needed items, hit the grocery store and then came home and got to cooking! I spent about 4 hours putting everything together.
Each bag will probably yield 2-3 meals for my family of four so that's a total of at least 26 easy meals!
1) Two bags + four single-serve meals for the husband to take to work of spaghetti. This is completely pre-cooked and will just need thawed out and heated up and topped with cheese. It includes pasta, extra meat, zuchinni, summer squash, mushrooms and my sauce.
2) Two bags of shredded chicken and salsa for chicken tacos. I love this crockpot recipe. You just put half a jar of salsa in the crockpot with 1 pound or shredded chicken. Let it cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours and done! Serve it with taco shells or tortillas and all of your favorite toppings. (I'm partial to colby cheese, sour cream, avocados and tomatoes!)
3) Two bags of savory chicken. I found this recipe here and it sounded low carb and yummy so I thought I'd give it a try. It smells great and I can't wait to try it soon. It'll just need thrown in the crockpot, cooked on low for 6-7 hours, with broccoli added during the last 30 minutes.
4) Two bags of chicken with italian dressing and garlic for Parmesan Chicken and Broccoli. This is a recipe I got from Kraft and I haven't made it in forever. It's low carb if I use Dreamfield's pasta. The prepared bags I made just have diced chicken, Italian dressing and garlic. When I make it, I'll throw that stuff into a pan, add broccoli until done, serve over pasta and top with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
5) 1 lb of ground chuck and onions to use as base for chili or spaghetti sauce.
6) Two bags of teriyaki chicken. (Only one is pictured because we're having the other one tonight - it smells sooooo good!) I got this one from here, too. Throw in crockpot for 4 hours on high and serve over rice. I'm adding broccoli and mushrooms to mine.
I ran out of chicken or I would have done a chicken pot pie. I also ran out of steam and didn't get to my mini meatloafs.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
low carb lemon squares - 3g
My friend, Lauren, has an (awesome) food blog. Since 2009, when she originally posted this recipe, I've commented 3 times about how I want to make it and yet I had never tried.
Today, she mentioned it again on Facebook so while the kids were outside playing in the snow, I set out to try to turn it low carb.
I looked around online for some recipes, and found one that I combined with Lauren's to tweak it and make it my own.
The crust needs some tweaking. It tastes good, but it came out falling apart. (I didn't have any guar or xanthan gum, which just would help hold it together.) Edited to add: After it cooled completely and was refrigerated, it firmed up more and was fabulous!
The topping is yummy! Not as lemony or sweet as I thought it would be, but very mild and tastey! My husband even commented on how delicious it was!
Low Carb Lemon Squares
For the crust:
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup Carbquik
1/4 cup + 1/8 cup Swerve (erythritol)
5 Tbs softened butter
For the filling:
2 large eggs
2/3 cup Swerve
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tsp lemon juice (substituted for 1 tsp lemon zest)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Blend crust ingredients using a pastry cutter. Press crust into an 8 x 8-inch foil-lined baking pan spayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for about 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly.
Filling: Lightly beat the eggs, sugar, and flour together in a bowl. I used a fork. Add lemon juice, heavy cream, and salt and mix well.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Stir filling again, then pour filling over warm crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until filling no longer appears wet and shaky.
Set on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into 12 bars.
The counts
Today, she mentioned it again on Facebook so while the kids were outside playing in the snow, I set out to try to turn it low carb.
I looked around online for some recipes, and found one that I combined with Lauren's to tweak it and make it my own.
The crust needs some tweaking. It tastes good, but it came out falling apart. (I didn't have any guar or xanthan gum, which just would help hold it together.) Edited to add: After it cooled completely and was refrigerated, it firmed up more and was fabulous!
The topping is yummy! Not as lemony or sweet as I thought it would be, but very mild and tastey! My husband even commented on how delicious it was!
Low Carb Lemon Squares
For the crust:
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup Carbquik
1/4 cup + 1/8 cup Swerve (erythritol)
5 Tbs softened butter
For the filling:
2 large eggs
2/3 cup Swerve
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tsp lemon juice (substituted for 1 tsp lemon zest)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Blend crust ingredients using a pastry cutter. Press crust into an 8 x 8-inch foil-lined baking pan spayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for about 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly.
Filling: Lightly beat the eggs, sugar, and flour together in a bowl. I used a fork. Add lemon juice, heavy cream, and salt and mix well.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Stir filling again, then pour filling over warm crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until filling no longer appears wet and shaky.
Set on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into 12 bars.
The counts
Net Carb: 3g
Protein: 3.5g
Fiber: 1.8g
*All counts listed are based on my best
guesstimation and not necessarily correct. Remember to check the specific
nutritional content of the brands you are using as each one is
different.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
New Year, new start... again
The holidays got the best of me and I once again fell off the low carb bandwagon.
It started at Thanksgiving with my mom's pumpkin pie and was just downhill from there. I've gotten back into daily cups of tea with real sugar in them, have added clementines and apples (with parmesan cheese on top... mmm!) back to my snack list and just yesterday had a raspberry-filled Krispy Kreme donut, half a McDonald's pancake, a handful of McDonald's French fries and two oatmeal creme pies.
Yikes. (For the record, yesterday was supposed to be my "Start Over Again Day." Obviously, I failed miserably.)
The good thing is that I haven't gained weight. I mean, my smaller-sized pants that I just bought two weeks ago are now tight, but the scale is the same. I know with just one week of eating low carb, they'll be back to fitting nicely again.
I partly blame my lack of will power on us being out of our regular routine for the entire month of December. We have done so much running (which translate into "eating out") that we're just all over the place right now. Even the kids have been acting up a bit. So, with the New Year, I am very excited to get back into our (new) daily routine. I've tweaked our schedule and have worked in exercise, cleaning time, family time and school time. I know it all can be done - I just have to stick to it.
It started at Thanksgiving with my mom's pumpkin pie and was just downhill from there. I've gotten back into daily cups of tea with real sugar in them, have added clementines and apples (with parmesan cheese on top... mmm!) back to my snack list and just yesterday had a raspberry-filled Krispy Kreme donut, half a McDonald's pancake, a handful of McDonald's French fries and two oatmeal creme pies.
Yikes. (For the record, yesterday was supposed to be my "Start Over Again Day." Obviously, I failed miserably.)
The good thing is that I haven't gained weight. I mean, my smaller-sized pants that I just bought two weeks ago are now tight, but the scale is the same. I know with just one week of eating low carb, they'll be back to fitting nicely again.
I partly blame my lack of will power on us being out of our regular routine for the entire month of December. We have done so much running (which translate into "eating out") that we're just all over the place right now. Even the kids have been acting up a bit. So, with the New Year, I am very excited to get back into our (new) daily routine. I've tweaked our schedule and have worked in exercise, cleaning time, family time and school time. I know it all can be done - I just have to stick to it.
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