New Discovery

I found this salad dressing at my local health food store, Chamberlin's.  It is the bomb diggity.  I have tried the Lemon Herb dressing, as well.  It is delish, also.  Give them a try but don't just limit yourself to eating them on salads.  They make great sauces for grilling, too!

Friday Shrimp Dinner

Friday was a good dinner night.  The meal got 3 thumbs up in the Smith house.  We had oven baked shrimp, sautéed zucchini and onions, sweet potato oven fries, and tossed salad.  The entire meal is approved for all phases of The Virgin Diet.

Here is how I did it:



 

Oven Baked Shrimp

 



 

2 lbs Shrimp

2 Tbs Earth Balance Soy Free "Butter" Spread

1 Tbs Sesame or Olive Oil

1 Tbs Old Bay Seasoning

1 Tbs Garlic Powder

 

Directions:

Melt butter in microwave and combine with oil, Old Bay, and garlic powder.  Pour over shrimp and toss to coat.  Transfer shrimp to a baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 - 10 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sautéed Zucchini and Onions

 





4 Zucchini, diced
1 large Onion, diced
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in skillet.  Add zucchini, onion, salt, and pepper.  Cook over medium high heat until zucchini and onion are browned and tender.

 

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

 

 

3 large sweet potatoes

2 Tbs Olive Oil

Sea Salt, to taste

 

Directions:

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into strips.  Mine were approximately 1/2" x 1/2" x 3".  Tossed in oil and put onto at cookie sheet, sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then turn the fries over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.  **The key to getting crispy oven fries is to spread them out on the cookie sheet.  The fries should not be touching each other.  If so they will steam instead of crisping.  In the photo above I pushed them together to get the photo.

 





Moooove Over Fake Cheese, The Real Deal is Back!

When I read the Virgin Diet for the first time, I knew one of the 7 HI foods was going to be very hard for me to do without.  No, it wasn't Gluten that I feared living without. No, it wasn't eggs or sugar either.  The one thing that had scared me the most was Dairy.  Now, I couldn't care less about drinking milk and even though I ate yogurt everyday, I could easily do without it, as well.  I really only ate it because I thought it was a healthy choice.  Giving up butter was a little intimidating but I have sense found a delicious substitute from Earth Balance. 

The one dairy item that I didn't think I could give up was cheese.  I know if it made me sick, I would have/need to give it up but man-o-man that would be a toughie.  You see, cheese and I go way back!  When I was little my parents jokingly referred to me as a little mouse because of the amounts of cheese I ate.  I remember the highlight of our vacations in Tennessee were taking a trip to Uncle Roy and Aunt Jean Ownby's Cheese Shop in Gatlingburg.  You would think it was a candy shop by my excitement.  Aunt Jean would always let my sister and me pick out what ever flavors we wanted and she would cut off  chunks and hand them to us to eat.  Oh, and of course, she would wrap up more for us to take home with us.  The worst part of the visit was trying to decide which cheeses to pick.

Lucky for me, I am having success as I am reintroducing dairy (cheese) this week.  I started on Tuesday with a GF cheese pizza and Wednesday I had a grilled turkey and brie sandwich.  So far I have not had any stomach aches, headaches, sinus problems, or joint pains.  I am so relieved that cheese isn't affecting me, YAY! 

As I wrap up the end of the Reintroduction Phase of The Virgin Diet, I feel a lot more in control of my body and the various forms of discomfort I felt before.  I have learned which things to avoid at all costs (SOY); which things I need to try to avoid as much as possible (Gluten, Sugar, Corn, Peanuts); and which things I need to keep testing (Eggs, and other forms of Dairy).  I also need to concentrate on following the Virgin Plate rules, focus on eating well balanced meals, and incorporating exercise into my life.  Just because I am at the end of Phase II, this doesn't mean I am done.  It's actually quite the contrary; I am just beginning.

I still need/want to lose about 40 pounds and my weight loss has slowed down a lot while I have been reintroducing foods.  I was told to expect this, so I am not getting discouraged.  I am ready to start living the program and using the tools and knowledge I have gained through this 7 week process.

Stay tuned........

Birthday Celebration Cleaned Up

Yesterday was my dear husband Barry's birthday.  I made a menu for his birthday dinner and then changed it twice.  I felt I was facing three major hurdles with his celebration meal. 

• First, I wanted the meal to be healthy. 
• Next, I wanted it to be enjoyable for everyone.  (That seems to be something that I struggle with these days.  I am always afraid that guests will not enjoy eating the food that I have switched to.) 
• Finally, I needed to come up with a dessert worthy of his birthday celebration.

The final menu looked like this:

Mojo Grilled Chicken Breasts
Organic Chicken Italian Sausage
Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes
Oven Roasted Broccoli
Tossed Salad
   ........and, drum roll please...........

Gluten Free Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream (SO Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk Ice Cream)


I know you are dying for the recipe, so here it is...

Ingredients:
4 large Apples, I used Fuji Apples
1 Tb. Lemon Juice
1 Tb. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Allspice
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Ginger
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 Tb. Arrowroot
2 Tb. Coconut Sugar (you might need more if you use an apple that is tart)

Topping:
1 c. Gluten Free Oats
1/4 c. Earth Balance Soy Free Butter, melted
1 Tb. Brown Rice Flour
1 tsp. Honey

Directions:
Peel, core and slice apples.  Toss with lemon juice, then rinse with water.  In a bowl toss apples with spices, vanilla, arrowroot, and coconut sugar.  Transfer into an 8 x 8 baking dish.  In a small bowl mix the topping ingredients.  Sprinkle topping over apples.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

I tried the SO Delicious Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream and it was fabulous.  Honestly, it tasted like regular ice cream.  I highly recommend it!

My Barry loves apple pie and that is normally his request for dessert on his birthday.  He prefers it to cake anytime.  He is not a huge sweets eater and will almost always pass on dessert.  So, when he woke up this morning and again complimented me on the Apple Crisp, I knew it was a keeper.

Chicken, Eggs, Soy, and Corn....Why Must You Guys Go Hand In Hand?

Last week was my reintroduction of eggs and unfortunately it wasn't very successful.  HOWEVER, I don't feel I can say with 100% certainty that I am egg intolerant.  You see, from what I have learned from JJ, the old saying, "You are what you eat," needs to have a disclaimer added or really needs to be changed to, "You are what you eat eats!"  With regards to chickens, most are fed a vegetarian diet which consists of corn and/or soy.  The problem being that chickens (and pigs) can't filter out a majority of allergens from their feed like animals with a rumen digestive system can (beef, lamb, deer).  So, if the chickens are fed soy, which I am intolerant to, the soy will be present in their eggs.  I searched locally and was unable to find soy-free, corn-free eggs.  This type of egg is difficult to find in markets because chickens are typically fed these items to help them produce more eggs which are needed by companies selling eggs to make a profit. 

I found a farm in Wisconsin that sells soy-free, corn-free eggs and I have ordered them.  I should receive them by the end of the week and I will be able to try the reintroduction again.   If I find I can eat the eggs without having any stomach issues, I will be one happy girl.  I will keep my fingers crossed!

To say I am getting educated is an extreme understatement.  I told Barry we just need to sell the condo and buy some acreage where we can grown our own fruits and vegetables and have a few chickens to produce eggs.  I feel like that is the only way I will have complete control over what I put in my body.

Progress Is Being Made

Today is Day 37.  I started The Virgin Diet on June 25th and had no idea how much it would change me.  I look at food differently; I feel better; and I am beginning to look better.  As of today, I have lost 12.4 lbs.  It doesn't sound like much when I say it but when I rationalize it I am proud of my accomplishment.  I haven't noticed a lot of changes in my size, other than my shorts are sagging and I am able to wear a size smaller in pants.  Yay!  Out of curiosity, I decided to take a selfie today and compare it to a picture of me from the beginning of the summer.  I was really surprised when I looked at the side by side.  Here it is.........

 

 

I still have quite a ways to go but I feel I am well on my way.  This excites me!

Balsamic Chicken

I saw this recipe on Facebook and thought it sounded wonderful.  With a few tweaks and additions it turned out delicious.  As you all know, I am Soy intolerant so Chinese food it out of the question for me.  Imagine my surprise when I tasted this chicken and it resembled a more robust sweet 'n sour chicken.  No, there isn't any fruit or sugar or corn syrup.  It is just good clean ingredients.  I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as my family did.

Balsamic Chicken

2 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tsp. Dried Basil
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
3 tsp. Dehydrated Onion
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar
8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 Packets Stevia or Splenda
2 Tbs. Arrowroot or Corn Starch dissolved in 1/4 c. water, for thickening

Directions:
Mix together garlic powder, basil, salt, pepper, and onion in a shallow dish.  Coat both sides of chicken with spices.  Put olive oil and minced garlic in crock pot.  Lay seasoned chicken over top.  Sprinkle any remaining spices over top.  Pour balsamic vinegar over top of chicken.  Cook on High for 4 hours.  Place chicken pieces on a serving platter.  Pour liquid from crock pot into a small saucepan.  Add sweetener of choice and heat to boil.  Whisk in the thickening solution and continue to cook on high until liquid has thickened into a sauce.  Once thickened, pour over chicken and serve.

I served this with brown jasmine rice and it was wonderful.  Just add a salad and enjoy!!!