Day # 12 and the only thing Stuffed is Cabbage

Well, I have made it to day 12. This Cleansing diet is really pretty easy.   I said before its  fruits, vegetables and lean meat.

Which has been easy for me.. I love salads and a lot of my lunches are salads...

For dinner however...I must say.."Only the cabbage is stuffed.. What a good feeling.."

I made this recipe from cleansing menu last week.  It was a bit bland.  Tonight I will Spice it up a bit and I am sure it will be much better.

If you like cabbage rolls I am sure you will enjoy this recipe. I spiced mine up with a chili sauce and replaced the broccoli with shreaded cabbage.(for more cabbage flavor.

Doesn't it look good?

Stuffed Cabbage
4 large cabbage leaves
1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 cups mushroms, washed& sliced
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 teasp. chopped parsley
 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dry onion flakes
1/2 cup tomatoe sauce.
Cook the cabbage leaves in boiling salted water until tender. Rince in cold water,  drain&  set side.
Heat nonstickskillet, add ground beef,mushrooms,broccoli,parsely oregano, salt& pepper.
Cover & cook on medium heat. stirring occassionally until vegetables are tender & beef is no longer  pink.
Preheat oven to 350  remove about 1 in. from core end of cabbage leaf. Place 1/4 mixture in center of each leaf. Roll tightly tucking inth esides to enclose filling.
Place filled  rolls seam side down in a baking dish. Combine the onion flakes & tomato sauce and pour over the stuffed cabbage.  Bake 20 minutes. 
Bon Appetite!

I love being in the kitchen

I switched dinner last night because  I forgot to take the pork out of the freezer ..DUH!
So tonight we eat Pork. I have not been hungry all day.. but had a nice breakfast of poached eggs, turkey bacon, oven tomato and orange slices, Lunch was a tuna salad, with lots of free veggies, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, pear slices .

Dinner will be fun because I get to cook... ready lets do it....

Pork with Chili Sauce
1 green oinion
3 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup chopped sweet pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper
1/2 cup fat free beef stock
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 lbs pork loin trimmed and cut into cubes
1 Tablespoon paperika
Preheat broiler. Combine all ingredients except the pork & paperika
in a food processor and process until well blended
 Transfet to sauce panand bring to a boil
lower heat and simmer 10 minutes
 Meanwhile rub the pork with the paperika place on broilpan and broil for 6=8 minutes turning frequently to brown all sides. Transfer the pork to a serving plate and pour the hot sauce over it.

Along with this we will have steamed brocolli, salad wedge with cleansing mayonnaise,  and a baked apple.. later...( it's inthe oven now)
Sounds pretty darn good  right?

Day #3 Weight Management Plan

 I have had some readers inquire as to what this weight loss  is & where I got it.. The answer is from Ventana Wellness Center .. Where our Dr's practice. It is a Body Anaylysis Medical Weight & fitness Management at Rogue Endrocrinology & Metabolic Clininc   suggested by Clay's Dr.  for him to do. The first two weeks is a Cleansing Plan. After the initial cleansing, more foods will be added to the menus and some of our old favorites with moderation...I decided to support his efforts ( I need it as much as he does and since I love to cook , it gives me  opportunity to do so for both of us.) and day three I honestly feel really yukky... but I know this is part of the Cleansing process ridding myself of toxins.. and eventually we lose fat not muscle It will balance my blood sugar levels through out the day more Fat burning than Storing..I really don't need more Stored...I know we were not eating properly  and were protein deficient which cause us to be over weight. Nervous, irritable, depressed  and just sluggish with  little or no energy.  Our bodies were retaining water & thus on came the weight. Body Analysis  encourages us to take stock in a new way of eating.. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day.

Eating a balanced diet promotes excellent health benefits. These include FAT loss, improved skin, hair, nails, reduced fatique healthy joints less water retention: stable mood and Improved hormoal balance.

Today even though the weather outside is unseasonably Cold with Snow of all things... we decided to take a drive to Crater Lake. Taking along our lunch and snack, rather thansit at home and feel lethargic and feeling the Cleansing work.. Tomorrow is Day 4 and according to the "plan" we should start feeling better .... a brighter outlook and look forward to feeling Great. I know this is all part of the plan and I can Do this..and it's Pepper steak for dinner... How can that be bad?  Tomorrow just might be my turning point....

Day 2 and counting... & many potty trips!

Well, I made it through the first day of  The cleansing  Plan.    I was not hungry once yesterday. I even enjoyed the after dinner snack.. of 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese & 1/2 a pear..I took on this commitment out of Need. Here is what I am learning..... and because  I have trouble drinking enough water.. and this PLAN (I prefer to call it instead of DIET.). requires getting juice from one lemon daily. It also requires  2 Tablespoons of Olive oil or safflower oil as Essential.  I am not to heat the oil but use it on salad dressing precipes  only... There is a definite requirement for linoleic acid when the body is losing weight. The richest and best sourse is safflower or olive oil.
The cleansing plan is designed to balance fruits & proteins. The oil is necessary for the break down and metabolism of fat for energy. Eggs are proteins and I can have one yolk a day with 3 egg whites.. the limit is on the egg yolk only. The lemon for detox and for me makes the water go down better.. Sadly but also a good thing right now no wine or alcohol.. as that adds empty calories. The starchy carbs like bread..pasta & rice ( Oh How I love these) have been eliminated from my eating plan because they cause the body to burn glucose rather than stored body fat. The fruits & veggies  ( are also carbs) on my plan have been carefully selectedbased on the level of sugar, starch and fiber content. After this initial two week cleansing I can incorporate them gradually into my eating plan.. * This is something to look forward to! For Breakfast this morning I had sirloin steak scrambled egg and orange and herbal tea with lemon.

Lunch today a Spinach  Mushroom Salad and apple.

The dressing for the salad was very good and the sald was enough for two serving.

Spinach Mushroom Salad

3 cups spinach leaves washed & dried

1 cup thinly sliced muchrooms

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon style mustard

1/2 clove garlic minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried basil.

1 teaspoon  sweetner Stivia ( I was told not to use Splenda, as my body would react to it as Sugar and thats a no -no  right now.

I was surprised how good the salad was * many veggies are " free foods" another words I can have unlimited amount, so I tossed in a few asparagus spears blanched slightly.

I did  have a headache this morning but it has finally passed.. Thinking maybe my body is "Shouting at me" But I can do this....Now  I am in Control! Just no Goodies right now...

Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement... Until tomorrow... I gotta go drink some more Water....

Today is the beginning to eating right.

Okay my foodie friends.. I have made a commitment  to make some positive changes in my life where food is concerned and hopefully lose some WEIGHT... I love to cook, I lets face it I love food.. The first thing I will be doing is to keep a journal of what I am eating.. With the help of my Dr and my husband *He also has made this commitment* We start with a Cleansing plan for two weeks.. I have looked at the recipes for the next two weeks and even though I can alter the menu plan. I have decided to follow it to a T.  The recipe for a very good  mayonnaise  is the first thing I have made. It will be used in place of a higher fat commercial mayonnaise to make favorite traditional foods like Chicken salad, cole slaw, crab salad, deviled eggs, egg salad, potato salad,shrimp salad stuffed tomatoes and tuna salad. All on this meal plan.

Cleaning Mayonnaise
1 egg (or egg substitute) I couldn't go there
1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspon salt
1 cup safflower or olive oil..( I chose olive oil)
Place the egg, mustard,vinegar, salt in a blender. With the blender running, add the oil VERY slowly in a steady stream. Blend at high speed until the mixture is incorporated. Careful not to add quickly or it will "break".
 You may season it with black or white pepper,onion or garlic powder,dried dill,or paperika.( my choice)'
The chopped leaves of green herbs add a fresh flavorful note. Like basil,lemon tyme,or a mixture of kitchen herbs.
Store in refrigerator.

I used this mayonnaise today in my lunch menu.  Lunch menu:
Curried chicken salad with cucumber and an orange. Fruit with every meal and choice of oranges, pears or apples this first two weeks only.

Curried Chicken salad with cucumber
1 Tablespoon "cleansing mayonnaise"
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1Tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 /2 cup peeled seeded & chopped cucumber

Stir together the mayonnaise,vinegar,onion,parsley,curry powder,salt & pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken,celery and cucumber.. toss well. the salad can be served at once or made a day ahead and kept covered in refrig.overnight.,
With a yummy salad like this I think I will not mind this meal plan and will see great results... Oh yeah I also must drink 8-10 glasses of water a day and the jucie of one lemon.. ( added to the water)... Yeah it means a lot of trips to the bathroom but hey, flushing the toxins out is the first start. Sorry I do not have any pictures of the salad.  I forgot and ate before taking a shot.. next time..I encourage you to try the dish..  Keep following as I will add each day's Breakfast, Lunch or dinner... Bon appetite

Yum! Asparagus and Zuchinni Crudi

Taken from one of my favorite chef's recipe book "Giada'Kitchen"

A really yummy summer salad. I know it's not summer yet but the asparagus is so good right now and "crudi" means raw and the freshness of raw vegetables is a welcomed accompaniment to the pasta dish I  am preparing tonight with oven baked pork chops. I am trying to incorporate more fresh vegetables into my meals and this is one of my favorites. Look at those pretty curled zuchinni strips.. Sliced with a peeler.. to resemble thin pale noodles..I substituted a 3 year aged cheddar for the 1 oz Pecorino Romano Cheese called for.
Bon Appetite!


Asparagus and Zuchinni Crudi

4 -6servings
2 medium zuchinni trimmed
4-6 stems of asparagus
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
dash of salt
fresh ground pepper
1 ounce Percorno Romano Cheese.

In small bowl combine  olive oil, lemon juice,salt & pepper. Mix well. then drizzle over the vegetables. toss to coat. Use the veetable peeler to shave the cheese over the salad & serve immediately

Sugar & Spiced Bacon treat

I am back to cooking... Today I had my Charming Chick chapter of Mary Janes Farmgirls over for a Spring Brunch  & Meeting. I served these delicious, and simple bacon strips. * recipe from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade May -june issue
Delicious and a real crowd pleaser.  I Lined a baking sheet (with sides ) with foil.  Placed a rack in on top of the foil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl mixed 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of Black pepper and 1/4 cup (oven roasted to bring out the flavor) pecan bits chopped kinda fine..  place in shallow baking pan, pressed 12 slices thick   bacon strips  laid them on the rack on the baking sheet & placed them in the hot oven baked for 25 minutes.. Yummy! I served them with blueberry muffins and a recipe I posted an earlier time of German Cream of Wheat pudding. and Mimosas.. A great Spring brunch. I hope you will try  the recipe..I know you will love it.