4-30-08 Um. Yum?
Originally uploaded by darnlucky
Tonight I made raw zuchinni pasta (zuchinni peeled into thin strips) with a creamy basil sauce. Served with a side of giant button mushroom filled with tomato. Garnished with edible carrot sticks, sliced with love.
This was so delicious and satisfying. UNTIL BASIL COOKED A CORN DOG and MADE THE ENTIRE HOUSE SMELL LIKE PORK HEAVEN ON EARTH!
It's not easy being married to the skinniest man on Earth.
Today I reveal the results of my nutrion tracking. Ohh, ahhh. It's so exciting! Come on over, you might learn a thing or two about raw food nutrition, selenium, niacin, calcium, and how vegans get their B-12
Today I track my food intake on FitDay.com to see how my nutrition breaks down on a typical raw food day. Results coming tomorrow.
Today I Google to find out who the hottest A list celebrity raw foodist are out there. Hello, Barbara! I'm looking at you, dahling!
Hi. My name is Beth, and I am a food addict. I haven't always been a food addict. In fact, when I was single and living alone, I would forget to grocery shop and wind up on the super model diet (coffee, cigarettes, and red wine) without even noticing. I know when my addiction started, and I now realize that ending it will be a lifelong commitment.
A few months after my husband and I got married we moved to Hawaii. We are both adventurous and a little insane, so we quit our jobs and packed a suitcase, and moved 5,000 miles away from our life in Atlanta. We lived on Oahu for 3 years, and felt like our time there was a long extended honeymoon. But after our son was born, we decided we wanted to be closer to home, and moved back to the Mainland.
While I was living in Hawaii I became a food addict.
I didn't really realized the impact that moving so far away from my family and my dearest friends was going to have on me emotionally. I always thought I was not the sentimental type. I felt like I'd be fine moving to a new city and that I would make new friends to keep me company and keep me from missing the ones I had left behind. But that's not how it happened for me. I found a job quickly, and made friends at work, but not the kind of friendships that were really important to me. They were mainly superficial work type friendships. After the first year away from Atlanta, I was very lonely, and nothing was filling up the void of having meaningful relationships outside of my marriage.
I started to eat ice cream at night when I got home from work.
I packed on a few pounds, but then did a Body for Life Challenge and worked off the pints of ice cream. I was getting in good shape, and feeling good about myself. Then I found out I was pregnant. That was a hard thing to find out. My husband and I hadn't planned on having kids, and even though we were excited about the news, there was a definite sense of "What have we done?" surrounding the early days of my pregnancy.
I started eating ice cream for breakfast AND when I got home from work!
I put on 80 pounds during my pregnancy. I ate because I was scared of becoming a mother. I ate to mourn the loss of my wild and crazy party girl days. I ate because "Hey, I'm pregnant! Let's eat!" And by the time I had that baby, I was a full blown food addict. Once the baby was born, I ate because I was tired. I ate because I didn't know what I was doing. I ate and ate and ate. And I never lost one of those baby pounds. In fact, the weight has just kept on coming. Now here I am, almost 90 pounds overweight. Fat, fatigued, and feeling like a big time loser.
Some people may not believe that food addiction real. And I think that for a long time I was in denial about it, too. I would joke that I just needed to go on the hottest new diet fad out there, The Quit Eating So Goddamned Much Diet. But I know that addiction runs long and deep in my family. My brother is a cocaine addict, and is probably 90 pounds underweight right now. And the more time I spend with him, the more I see into the mindset of an addict, and the more I know that I am one.
Let's take this weekend for example. We went downtown to the Summer Soiree. While Basil and Beckett were riding the rides, I walked through the festival. I stopped into my favorite coffee shop, and ordered a Mango Smoothie. Once I started drinking it, I could tell that it wasn't a pure fruit smoothie. I could feel the sugar coating my tongue. Now, I've been raw for 13 days, and have done great so far. You would think that I would have just tossed the smoothie out, and move d on with my Raw Challenge. But oh no. That is what a non addicted person would do. Instead, I rationalized in my mind that one little smoothie wouldn't derail my entire 2 week efforts. And then later that night, after the sugar crash, I went right for a handful of CheeZ Itz. I could hear my addiction talking to me loud and clear, "You've already blown it for the day. Fuck it, just have a couple of handfuls."
Once that voice of addiction starts talking to you, man, you are in for it!
So yeah. This Challenge is about way more than the food. It's about admitting failures. Dealing with emotional pain in new ways. Quieting the voice of addiction. And moving forward without beating myself up or giving in. That's why I call this a Challenge.
Today I made Gorilla Sanwiches for the family, and we go on a picnic, but wow, what a rough raw food day. I was having serious cravings and was not a happy camper.
Raw Tostados with Guacamole
Originally uploaded by darnlucky
Monday I made my first batch of raw tostados. I used the recipe from Rawsome, and got the chance to use my borrowed dehydrator. I was dying to try out the tostados once they were ready, but I wanted to save them to have with guacamole. So, I had to be patient and wait for my avocados to fully ripen.
Today was the magic day. For lunch I made Basil and I two tostados topped with romaine lettuce, guacamole, and tomato. I ran out of tomato, so I topped the other with a little tapenade and alfalfa sprouts.
This whole raw food experience is an exciting break from my normal freezer cooking and is forcing me to branch out and experiment with new ingredients, flavors, and textures. It's so up my alley. I'm loving it.
Today I take a trip to Target and to Publix, and you come along with me! Watch me buy a peeler and some organic cucumbers.
4-24-08 Green
Originally uploaded by darnlucky
Since I embarked on my 100 Day Raw Food Challenge, I have been seeing a lot more green in my everyday life. Green smoothies, dark leafy green salads, and it's exploding with spring green outside of the kitchen as well.
The leaves are all coming in, and are that lovely baby neon green that will eventually turn dark and become our summer shade. This morning when I made my green smoothie, it was the same color as those young green leaves. I hope the greens that go into my body will help to jump start a spring season of their own, and will give me the energy to rejuvinate from the inside out.
Yesterday I completed my first 10 Day Raw Food Mini Challenge. I've lost 7 pounds so far, and the skin on my face is getting super soft. I haven't been plagued with heartburn, and I have been learning to cook in a whole new way.
I feel so good about what I'm doing. I actually think after the first 10 days that I can DO THIS THING!
I'm the Little Bunny That Could!
Summer Squash Rawvioli
Originally uploaded by darnlucky
I am really enjoying learning how to make delicious and satisfying raw food meals. This week I'm on a bit of an Italian kick.
Summer Squash sliced really thin, filled with red pepper & raw cashew filling. Covered with a tomato, basil, spinach sauce.
I dehydrated the ravioli for a little too long, so they lost some of their umph. But...
Um. YUMMMMM.
Today I weigh in for the first time since starting my 100 Day Raw Food Challenge. Will I be happy? Well, watch and find out!
Raw Zuchinni Pasta with Rosemary Pesto
Originally uploaded by darnlucky
One Zuchinni, peeled into strips
Fresh Rosemary
Handful of Raw Cashews
Handful of Raw Pinenuts
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Diced Tomato
Dab of Olive Paste on top (mmmmm)
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I've been surfing raw food dishes on Flickr this afternoon and getting inspired! So, I went into the kitchen and whipped up this raw zuchinni pasta dish with rosemary pesto. It's in the fridge waiting for me. Now to cook some bowties and marinara for the boys.
It's really important to me that we all still sit down and eat together, even though I'm doing this challenge.
I'm on day 8 of my Raw Food Challenge. Spend the weekend in Atlanta, and had dinner at the Flying Biscuit Cafe. Then came home on Sunday and made sunflower power balls out of the Rawsome Cookbook. Delicious!
I've noticed that over the past few days, everytime I am preparing something to eat, I look at the food and feel like, "Ew. I don't want this. This doesn't look appetizing to me." But then when I start eating, that feeling goes away. The food I've been eating is delicious! I just need to get used to the fact that my life isn't going to be filled with smells that linger throughout the house after the meal is long gone. And that a salad is sometimes going to be the reality of my dinner.
I'm a very creative cook, and I know that I can make meals that look great and taste great. I've even learned a little trick over the last week that is helping me out. When I decide what I'm going to eat, I let it sit out on the counter for a while before preparing it, so that everything I'm eating isn't cold. I even set my guacamole in the window so that the sun would hit it and warm it up a little. It made me feel like I was eating something rich and warm.
I know I'm losing weight. I can feel it in my face. I'm proud of myself for making it through the first week! 92 glasses of carrot juice on the wall...
I have lunch with Black Spiderman (Venom) at Moe's Tex Mex Burrito joint. I stay raw, but have to rant about shredded lettuce.
Raw Almond Hummus
Originally uploaded by darnlucky
Raw Almond Hummus
1 Cup Soaked Raw Almonds
1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 TBS of Garlic
1/3 Cup Tahini
Sea Salt to Taste
The raw almond hummus turned out to be yummy, and plenty left for my after work snack attack. As you can see, I had lunch at my desk today.
I try not to eat in front of the TV or in front of the computer, so that I don't zone out and wind up eating an entire bag of Doritos. But hey, I'm not eating Doritos! And much to my surprise, last night I even turned down a Diet Coke. I was just about to pour myself a big glass when I thought, "I've eaten nothing but good healthy food all day? Am I really going to wash it all down with a big giant glass of Diet Chemicals?"
That is not to say that my will against the Diet Coke will last for another 96 days. But last night, there was a small victory.
Spinach Beet Salad
Originally uploaded by darnlucky
Last night's dinner: spinach greens with raw beets and amazing kick ass Rosemary Dressing.
This salad was delicious, but practically gave me carpal tunnel with all of the chopping. In fact, I'm a little miffed that out of all of the websites I've visited, and all the YouTube videos I've watched, not one person has mentioned that eating a raw food diet should come with a warning label.
"Beware, eating raw foods could cause hand cramping and carpal tunnel from all of the damn chop chop chopping, and the slicing, and the dicing, and the mincing. "
I kind of freak out about how long 100 Days really is, and then I make hummus. (Video: 2 minutes)
An explanation of why you should soak your raw nuts before eating them.
Juiced
Originally uploaded by darnlucky
I'm on Day 3 of my 100 Day Raw Food Challenge, and this morning when Basil left the house, I heard him singing, "97 glasses of wheatgrass on the wall...".
Yesterday was a much better day as far as cravings were concerned. I made guacamole for lunch, and saved some for my after work snack. It was the perfect thing to get me through wind down time without me wanting to go binge on the leftover hamburger that Basil and Beckett had for dinner.
I wasn't tempted to have a burger at dinnertime because I made my famous & amazing kick ass rosemary salad dressing that I have to share with you because OH MY GOD it will change your life. A salad is only as good as the dressing you put on it, my dear.
Beth's Most Amazing Rosemary Dressing
2 TBS Italian Parsley, chopped into tiny tiny pieces
2 TBS Fresh Rosemary chopped into tiny tiny pieces
4 TBS Olive Oil
4 TBS Red Wine Vinegar
4 TBS Rice VInegar
Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste
Combine all ingredients in sealed container, and shake shake shake until blended. Pour over salad, and toss.
This dressing is the same one I use on the Pear Salad over at Lazy Day Gourmet. So, don't think that it can only be used on savory salads. The dressing itself is very savory, but when you throw in pears or apples, it's a flavor sensation.
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I feel like there are a few things that I need to admit up front about my raw food challenge. Like, first of all, I'm not giving up my morning coffee with milk. But I promise to chase it with carrot juice! And I am not investing in a dehydrator or any kitchen equipment that I don't already own. So, I suspect I'll be dipping my quacamole with Wasa crisps instead of raw flax seed crackers on occasion.
I am on a mission to feel better, and am using raw foods as part of that prescription. I am not pretending to be a raw food expert or purist. But, man, am I eating a lot of Bunny food!
Last night I learned something significant about my relationship with food. I am a serious night time snacker. I work for a company in a different timezone, and don't get off of work until around 10pm. After work, while I'm winding down, I snack. I think between 10pm and whenever I fall asleep is probably when I have done the most damage to my daily calorie intake. I literally pig OUT during that two hour snack attack. I'll eat chips, ice cream, chocolate bars, fruit, bread with jam, while I'm sitting in front of the TV trying to numb out the day.
So, last night on my 1st day of the raw food challenge, I found myself sitting on the couch trying to figure out what the hell would satisfy my snack cravings. And honestly, nothing in the house was going to do it. So, I drank another glass of water. And I had to stave off cravings and snack temptations until I finally broke down and convinced myself that an apple with a little salt would be a tasty snack. And of course, it was!
This morning I went in search of some local produce. The Daily Harvest is a new produce and flower market that just opened up, so I was hopeful. Maybe it's too early in the season to get any of our good old local grown produce, but the Daily Harvest was a big let down. I wound up at Publix where everything looked better and was cheaper.
Tonight I'm making guacamole in preperation for the late night munchies.
Corn & Cucumber Salad
Corn
Gourmet Cucumbers
Red Pepper
Carrots
Olive Oil
Rice Vinegar
Dijon Mustard
Served with side of cucumbers and a Fuji apple.
4-14-08 Let The Games Begin
Originally uploaded by darnlucky
Today is the first day of my 100 Day Raw Food Challenge. This was breakfast. Grapefruit and a nice fresh glass of carrot/orange/ginger juice. It was fun breaking the Juiceman back out. I haven't juiced with it in years. And when I heard that old familiar hum, I got really excited.
If you want to know why I'm taking a 100 Day Raw Food Challenge, I've got three words for you. Fat. Fatigued. Fed Up. Okay, that's four words. Now, go eat a carrot!
