my own personal disneyland!

there's no mickey mouse here, so keep the kids at home.
we've stumbled upon a ridiculous amount of micro brews, and food that you'll go home dreaming about.
ahhh...
the flying saucer.
i'm pretty sure this is my favorite place on earth. well, favorite place, that is, within reach after five during the week.
this salad may have been bumped down after the whole "scallop salad saturday" happening, but flying saucer side salad with goat cheese, no tomatoes, and jalapeno vinaigrette (on the side), i'll love you forever!
i promise.
here we are. a plate of mixed greens, red onions, kalamatas, and goat cheese. doesn't seem like anything to stop the bus over, aye? this (side) salad is so perfect together! it doesn't need dressing, the dressing is an integral part to the flavor. it's got that sneak-up-on-you spicy kick that is complimented by the goat cheese, perfectly.
i won't lie, salad.
i fantasize about you.
regularly.
now, onto the next one. i can see you not wanting to get behind me on a side salad. i mean, that is completely understandable. but this, you have no choice! the powers-that-be call it, "the kick ass chicken sandwich", and it's very appropriate. i've been known to have a torrid love affair with it in the past. katie is still having a love affair. and everyone turned onto it, will be turned on... forever!
we think it's the bread. some type of crusty ciabatta type roll, with grilled chicken, deliciously melted white cheese... jalapeno-pesto mayo! lettuce! no tomato for me!
oh god, i'm drooling.
this sandwich is warm and delicious, stacked & stuck together with golf tees, and will force you to over eat based solely on how wonderful it is.

oh yeah, and there's 200 beers on the menu.
so, this is heaven.

42 days = 1008 hours = 60,480 minutes

sound the horns!
drop the balloons!

bitches! i've made it six weeks on the brontosaurus diet!
thought i couldn't do it, aye?
well, here i am!
a month and a half older, and....
*drum roll*
18 lbs (exactly!) lighter!

woot!

i could not be happier for myself! i really went into this thinking i was walking to my own execution. heading the guillotine! preparing to not eat 'normal' food... ever! devastating!
but, not so much.
changing my eating habits to exclude processed food, dairy, meat, most grains, sugar, salt, & fat... the effects have really reached into many aspects of my life. number one, i sleep so freakin' well! i sleep hard. and long. and i'm rested! to me, this is a huge deal. i was having a really hard time sleeping before, and staying asleep. now, it's a piece of fruit. (remember, no cake.)
also, my skin rocks! few to no breakouts, which means... no greasy faced monster over here!
i love it!
i feel better. i'm happier. i'm more energetic. i'm lighter on my feet. i'm more motivated. my nails look good. stomach issues have gone away....
oh yeah, and i lost a bunch of freakin' weight!
my favorite part!
now, i've graduated out of the six-week plan, and moved into the life plan. i'm allowed to bring fat free dairy back into my life (how i've missed thee!) and a minimal amount of meat. so far, i've added some goat cheese in almost everyday, but the meat, that might need to happen in a couple weeks.
i started this diet by looking at it as some sort of fat-kid punishment. but in the end, i really believe that i've adopted it's core principles as a way of life. of course i see myself eating a cupcake. or a piece of cheese. or even.... a slice of pizza! but i'll be happy to eat... and most specifically ENJOY those things in a completely new way from now on. i'm happy to say that i'm going to keep myself primarily on the brontosaurus diet for... well, for as long as i can keep myself on track. i don't doubt that i'll never veer off, but i know that this way of eating and way of life, will keep me happy, healthy, and keep food in perspective for me.

*i'd like to give love to everyone who read the book, got inspired, ate my food, and to those who jumped on board.

magical mystery dinner!

i have to say, for this, i am very proud of myself.
i made an excellent stir-fry with broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and pineapple. that's pretty much my go-to delicious & easy meal. i seasoned it with some cayenne powder, garlic, and whatever else i haphazardly picked out of the spice cabinet. i cooked the onions first, so they'd caramelize. yum! then, i cooked down some frozen broccoli & cauliflower. once it was heated through, i added the onions, mixed, then threw in the pineapple. i use the rings and cut them down. i like how the pieces aren't the same size. yes! i'm neurotic!
once my stir-fry was screaming hot & ready, i added the best part.
this, is where i have to give myself a round of applause.
i made.... satay sauce!
one may think: no big accomplishment, monster!
alas, i made satay sauce with... pb2!
powdered peanut butter?
yes! it's fantastic! it has no preservatives and has 85% less fat AND calories than regular peanut butter. genius!
so, to make my outstanding pb2 satay sauce:
(holy crap! an actual recipe! with measurements!)
1/4 c pb2
1/8c low sodium soy sauce
1/8c low sodium chicken broth (to get to desired consistency)
1 tbs chopped garlic (i buy pre-chopped in the jar. yep, i'm a cheater)
1tbs cilantro (i buy the paste in the tube. busted again.)
mix it all together. yum!
i think i added a little more soy to give it a kick.
plus, i made a double batch.

not only was it delicious!
but i'm just so creative!

what's that i hear?
oh, it's your stomach growling!
roar!

she's back for round two, ladies & gentlemen!

she's done it again, folks!
how exactly?
i'm not so sure...
my sister has, once again, managed to cook something.... and it's delicious!
here you have:
tofu / brown rice / onion / tomato stuffed colored peppers!
i'm led to believe that she made the mix of tofu, brown rice, diced tomatoes, onions, basil, etc, and then stuffed the peppers and baked them.

everyone,
*round of applause*

sopa.

at one point, i had a recipe for red pepper soup.
then, i threw it away.
so, here we go....
5x cups of fat free / low sodium chicken broth
2x red peppers sliced
1x orange pepper sliced
1.5x cup of onion
1x chopped jalapeno (i should have gone with 2 or 3)

cooked down for just under an hour.
cool.
blender time!
liquefy.

killer tofu!

i was always under the impression that tofu was for those weird hippies in college.
i can't lie, i'm a huge fan of morning star's array of fake meat. but, tofu?
no thanks, buddy!
then, it happened. i cozied up to tofu.
i had no choice!
brontosaurus diet plainly said that i was allowed one ration of tofu a day.
...to whole foods!
i had enough sense to know that i wanted extra firm tofu. just looking at it reminded me of some delicious miso soup. extra firm it was! that's where the easy part ended. i had this spongy white mass in my kitchen, and nothing to do with it! so, i enlisted the help of brother.
brother, a vegetarian from the time of the brontosaurus, would know what to do! the best piece of advice he gave me, was to 'press' the tofu. he said that making a sandwich out of a cutting board, paper towels, the tofu, more paper towels, another pan, and a set of 5lb dumbbells works just perfectly! pressing the tofu gets most of the excess moisture out of it, allowing it to crisp up better. i feel that it makes the tofu 'denser' if you will, giving it a more 'meaty' quality.
(my press is fashioned out of a cutting board, paper towels, tofu, paper towels, baking pan, stacked stone-wear, and my fruit tray.)
typically, i'll cut my tofu into thick sticks, and marinate them in some delicious concoction i create. i'll blindly pull out random jars & bottles of condiments from our refrigerator door. my most favorite: pineapple juice and recaito. delish! other tasty options: spicy bbq sauce, or thai sweet chili sauce. i'll marinate for a day, press for at least an hour (reserving the marinade), throw the pressed tofu in a pan, let it brown up on all sides, then dump in the marinade.
yum!
sticky, crispy, tofu!

i promise, you'll be a believer.

desserts with no chocolate? blasphemous!

sometimes, i even eat it for breakfast!
i've been eating jonagold apples. yum! mostly because they're gigantic!
i cut up an apple and throw it in a pan with some cinnamon and cooking spray. after the apples 'sear', if you will, i take them out, then throw in a few tablespoons of shaved coconut flakes, and some nuts. lately, i've been using pine nuts. they have such a sweet taste when you toast them.

viola! dessert!
...or breakfast!

lunch was always my favorite period...

This is unheard of!
sound the horns!
not only did my sister make something, but it was so delicious that it's worthy of being displayed to the internet!
*applause*
so here it is, alfalfa sprouts, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and.... the sauce, the sauce! she processed cashews, chicken broth, garlic, and cayenne pepper. that sauce was so absolutely delicious, i've been begging her to bring me leftovers all week. eating a plateful of this a day, would be ideal.
taking matters into my own hands, i'd like to make a play on the sauce. right now, i have some jalapeno peanuts in my cabinet. how could that not be delicious? that's it! it's official! next week, there will be bowls of shredded cabbage & shredded carrots and that delicious sauce!

nom nom nom.

now, for something i have been enjoying at work the past couple days...return of the cucumber and red onion salad! yum!
this is where i get my serving of whole grains for the day. mini whole wheat pitas stuffed with avocado, cucumbers, & onions make this sandwich delicious and filling.

don't lie.
i know you're drooling.

be a smoothie monster!

plain and simple.
do it. i promise, you'll love it.

the first smoothie i had was kale, mixed berries, flax seed and some ridiculous array of protein powder. i looked into this glass that was bubbling thick bubbles at me, as if it were some cartoon animated tar pit, and i, was revolted. so, after giving it the good 'ol tequila treatment ---- believe it or not... it didn't totally suck!

for starters, i loathed smoothies. they were all thick, heavy, and gross. alas, i have discovered the secret to outstanding smoothies!
wait for it ---- make them with tea! i prefer apple cinnamon celestial seasonings. that's my favorite. i start off with steeping a couple cinnamon apple celestial seasonings in barely-warm water for a good ten minutes. then, bring on the fruit!

peaches + mixed berries
mango + blueberry
peaches + strawberries
mango + kale + blueberries
kale + blueberries + banana
raspberry + unsweetened chocolate almond milk (delicious for dessert!)
banana + strawberry + unsweetened chocolate almond milk + pb2 (this one too!)

our possibilities are endless!
the biggest bonus to this whole half-frozen early-morning extravaganza, is how long these smoothies keep me full.

so bust out your cuisinart, ninja master prep, or mortar and pestle.
it's smoothie time, bitches!

and don't forget the rangers cup.
its the only way that these smoothies will work.

mushrooms! cucumbers! red onions! oh my!

i realize that i haven't been getting nearly enough raw vegetables in. so i made two salads this week to help me better work them into my diet.

i've been making this cucumber, red onion, red wine vinegar, dill salad since the first week. it's quite tasty. i'll eat it plain, on a small pita with avocado, or on top of lettuce. it's tangy, crunchy, and has an excellent kick of fresh flavor.

oh, i'll be the first one to admit it.
i have never-ever been one to eat raw mushrooms. my sister has always eaten them, and i'd watch her, and i'd want to barf.
then! on a late february day, came my mushroom revelation!
on a trip to Whole Foods, the capital of all things fantastic, they had some type of cold, whole mushroom salad with red onions, balsamic, and parmesan . clearly, cheese was not an option for this dinosaur.
let me just tell you, that big, fat, marinated mushroom cap was all it took to turn me onto mushrooms.
so i eased myself into the fantastic field of fungus, by opting for sliced mushrooms. i diced up some shallots, and let it stew in the fridge all weekend. i'll add some balsamic just a few hours before eating.
so here i am. advocating for mushrooms.

just don't tell my sister.
she'll say something like, "i told you so."

yeah, i have a rice cooker. her name is katie!

dinner tonight served with salad. delicious.

roasted asparagus with some of that pampered chef garlic & basil on it
whole grain brown rice
pan fried shallots
sauce: reduced chicken broth & a little bit of bearnaise powder

guess i didn't do too much cooking on this one.
whoops.

scallop salad saturday.

brontosaurus diet says that you're allowed fish (and eggbeaters... just not necessarily together) one to two times a week, if you have to.
after six days on, i had a piece of tilapia. i made it with just a bit of garlic in the pan, pressed half a lemon, and some basil. considering i had eaten only fruits, veggies, & beans all week, my taste buds couldn't have been more thrilled with my dinner choice that saturday. like i had said earlier, with limiting myself to natural foods, it has really retrained me and my palate to enjoy what i'm eating, instead of just mindlessly eating whatever i can get my hands on.
eating this piece of lightly prepared tilapia, was fantastic!

my saturday fantasy dinner started tuesday, when morales let me try the salad she made the night before. hardly seared bay scallops, mixed spring greens, avacado, goat cheese, and a bit of balsamic. i was sold when she told me that between the salad and her burger, she couldn't decide which perfect bite she wanted to end her meal with.
i was sold!
so, this week, i treated myself to scallops. while i don't exactly recall shellfish being on the brontosaurus plan, nutritionally scallops aren't too bad. according to thedailyplate.com,
bay scallops - raw / 100 calories / 1g fat / 35g cholesterol / 18g protein
so i seared me some scallops, threw them on a mix of spring greens and iceberg, added an ounce of goat cheese (yeah, i cheated there too, and it was so worth it) and some avacado. i drizzled a little balsamic on the top, which was gratuitous at that point. i had cut my avocados friday night and let them sit in lemon juice (so they didn't brown) and cilantro. they were a little too acidy in the salad, and so i left the job to plain avocados for sunday.

the best salads are the ones that don't even need dressing.
and this one did not.

oh, the places you'll go!

believe me, i truly am a fat kid at heart. i love food. all kinds of food. especially the super-delicious bad for you kind. lately i've found that i, for the most part, was just eating food and not always enjoying it. so i decided to do something for myself, my palate, and my body.
i'm detoxing, bitches!
so here i am, in week 4 of Joel Fuhrman's, Eat to Live. in brief, Eat to Live outlines ways to keep your body healthy and getting all the nutrients it needs by being a herbivore & eating natural foods (ie: fruits, veggies, beans, and lots of them!) you start on the brontosaurus diet for six weeks (which is very similar to a vegan diet, but allowing yourself only one serving of whole grains a day) before you start incorporating fat-free dairy and small portions of meat.
now, aside from having your body practically melt fat away, Fuhrman says that if you obey his every eating command, your body will naturally start working out health ailments, and will reduce your risk of cancers, diseases, and ailments.
sign me up!
after my first week, i already noticed how my change in diet helped me to sleep better & keep my skin clearer than a crystal ball. i've been consistently losing three to four pounds each week, i feel better, and there is no doubt that my body is operating better.
i absolutely love that i'm eating foods that i'd usually dismiss, because i'd rather be eating fats, sweets, meats, grains, sugar, booze... anything but fruits and vegetables! so, here i am, cooking with produce i've never used before, enjoying fruits i never would've tried, and actually.... *gasp* liking it!
don't get me wrong, any day of the week i'm ready to smack somebody for a steak.

but here i am, i'm retraining myself to enjoy food, and enjoy food in it's simplicity.
(and i like it!)