Stuffed Acorn Squash

I saw a picture in a magazine recently of acorn squash stuffed with some type of meat pilaf.. Unfortunately I did not get the recipe. So I created this instead and it is a new family favorite. 

You will need:

1 Acorn Squash

Ground Lamb Meat

Butter (we use an olive oil based butter)

Quinoa

Brown Rice

1 Red Onion

Cumin

Basil

Garlic

Italian seasoning

First prepare the squash:

Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds ( I save our Halloween pumpkin carving tools and they work great for this.) Put the halves cut side down in a covered dish with just a little water in the bottom. Cover and cook on high in the microwave for 15 minutes. The skin should easily give to a fork when done. Next turn right side up and put butter along the rim and inside the bowl of the squash.
Cook the Quinoa and rice up and set aside.
Dice the onion up and cook till translucent and then add lamb. Cook the lamb on the stove with onion and seasonings. When it is done stir in rice and Quinoa. Scoop into squash and serve. Enjoy!

Sumac Tea

 

 Sumac Tea of Summacaid is a lovely and refreshing drink to make in the late summer early Autumn. It is made from those lovely red plums of berries you see on top of the Red Sumac, blooming in the early fall. YOu will want to harvest them before the rain washes away all the tartness. TO test a plant for tartness rub your fingers over the berries and lick your fingers, if it's still tart, it's still good. Clip off 8 bunches or so, shake well (lots of spiders love to hide in these) and bring home..

 Put then in a pitcher and pour COLD water over the tops of the berry clusters. ( Hot water will pull out the tannins and make the drink bitter). Place in your refrigerator overnight.

In the morning take out the berry clusters and drain the rest through a sieve or fine material like an old T-shirt to strain out the tiny hairs of the berries and other particles. 

Add sugar or another sweetener to taste (I like it unsweetened) add a sprig of fresh mint and serve over ice on the last dog days of summer. Enjoy!

Crockpot Pot Roast

I made this for Bear last night and it was absolutely wonderful. It's quick to throw together but takes all day to cook so plan ahead. Tastes of Autumn.

You will need:

1 Teaspoon of Basil

1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

2 Teaspoons of Garlic

1 Teaspoon of Italian Seasoning 

1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder

1 Teaspoon of Sage

2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon of Tarragon
5-7 oz beef

1 small bag of peeled baby carrots

1 small bag of red potatoes

1 yellow onion

1 cup of hot water

1 cup of Apple Cider

Take the seasonings and mix them together on a plate. Next stab the meat several times with a fork and then rub and press the meat into the seasonings. Make sure to coat it well and work the seasonings into the meat. Next cut up the onion and lay it on the bottom of the crockpot, place the meat on top of the onion, place the carrots to the sides of the meat, and the potatoes on top. Pour the water and cider over the top, cover, and heat on low for 5 hours. The meat should be tender, juicy, and cooked when the timer is up. Pull the meat apart slightly to check for doneness and Enjoy!

GF Rye Bread

Bob's Red Mill You've done it again! This mixture for Gluten Free Hearty Whole Grain Bread is absolutely wonderful. It makes a nut filled rye type of bread that is dairy and gluten free and absolutely wonderful. Yes you heard right, I said Rye! It has become a staple in our home in the past month or so. A slice of this makes any fall meal into an Autumn Feast! Enjoy!

No Bake Oatmeal Bars

Constantly trying to find new ways to include oats and brewers yeast to boost breast milk production, I created this scrumptious bar.

You will need:

1 bag of marshmallows

4 1/2 cups GF Oats (we use Bob's Red Mill)

4 TBSP butter (we use an olive oil based butter)

1/4 cup of honey

1 cup sun dried tart cherries

1 cup mini chocolate chips ( we use the dairy free brand 'Enjoy Life"

1 TBSP Ground Flaxseed

2 TBSP Brewers Yeast

1 TSP Vanilla Extract or Essence 

Melt marshmallows and butter together in the microwave; then stir in other ingredients. Press the mixture into a greased pan and put in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours. Cut and serve. Enjoy!

Pizza Pasta Salad

Pizza Pasta Salad:

It's summer. It's hot. We don't want to cook and heat up the kitchen in the evening. This is a cold meal that even my finicky Bear likes. The recipe has few measurements because it is all up to your own tastes on how much to add,

Cook up a bag of your favorite GF noodles add in black olives (sliced), half a cup of olive oil, turkey pepperoni (cut up), one zucchini and one yellow squash (diced and cooked),  veggie shred cheese substitute (or real mozzarella if you eat dairy), Italian seasoning, black pepper, oregano, and garlic (optional: add sun dried tomatoes). Stir, chill, and serve. We will be having this tonight over a simple spinach salad with iced tea and a fruit salad on the side. mmmmmm.

Enjoy!

Increase your Breast Milk Supply With Breakfast

Increase your breast-milk supply with this delicious, hot, and savory breakfast.

Make a bowl of steel cup oats using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats leaving out the salt. 

Add a tablespoon of brewers yeast made from red beets, add a tablespoon of ground flax seed, and a slice of coconut butter on top (sometimes I also add a tablespoon or two of natural peanut butter and mix well). On the side I have a cup of almond milk to pour over the top of this scrumptious breakfast and a cup of 'Mother's Milk Tea' (although I enjoy Red Raspberry tea far more). 

This really does work (at least it does for me). I've been doing this for a month and a half now and I do notice a difference in my supply on days when I start with this breakfast vs days that I don't.

Enjoy!

Gluten and Dairy free Smores!

 Bear loves Smores. The dairy in chocolate and the dairy and gluten in graham crackers do not love him back. Using S'moreables graham crackers (gluten and dairy free), Enjoy life Mega Chunk chocolate (dairy free), and Jett Puffed Marshmallows (dairy and gluten free), you can make your own delicious and safe summer campfire treat.

First, put down one S'moreable square

Next, put a couple of chocolate chunks on the square.

Then, top the chocolate with a campfire roasted marshmallow (or pop it into the microwave)

Top with another S'moreable square..

And Enjoy!

No Yolk Deviled Eggs

I'm back!... again. Our Panda was born 4-14-13 and we are doing well. I had to be away because I went on bed rest shortly before his birth and for two weeks after. That being said, here we are.

During my pregnancy I needed to increase my protein intake. Due to many dietary restrictions there was not much I could do. A nutritionist suggested this wonderful recipe: 

Take a hard boiled egg, 

cut it in half. 

Throw away the yolk. 

Put a spoonful of hummus in the egg yolk hollow,

 top with roasted paprika, 

pepper, 

and salt to taste.

I love serving them on top of a fresh salad with lunch. Enjoy!

Getting better..

 7:10am

Breakfast: 1 cup almond milk, 1 scoop of whey protein powder, 1 slice of whole grain toast, 1 egg, 3 black olives, 1/8 cup spinach, 1 petite button mushroom, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal:403.38 /Carb: 35.23g /Chol: 232.5mg /Fat: 19.9g /Sugar: 7.52g /Protein: 24.11g

 

 9:24am

Snack: 1/2 cups blueberries, 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese, 5 whole grain crackers, 2 cups of water.

Total:

Cal: 94.2 /Carb: 24.7g /Chol: 5mg /Fat: 3.25g /Sugar: 11.35g /Protein: 8.05g

 12:00pm

Lunch: Mushroom pesto sandwich (contains olives, pesto, cheese, mushrooms, and spinach, on rosemary panini bread), 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal: 364/ Carb: 37g /Chol: 10mg /Fat: 12g /Sugar: 5g /Protein: 21g

 5:50pm

Dinner: 1 cup spinach, 3 oz carrots, 2 petite button mushrooms, 1/2 a small avocado, 1 egg white, 2 oz chicken, 1/4 cup walnuts, 2 TBSP blue cheese dip, 1/2 cup raspberries, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal: 717.5/ Carb: 26.47g /Chol: 79mg /Fat: 65.35g /Sugar: 5.92g /Protein: 28.9g

 9:15pm

Snack: 2 cups almond milk, 1 scoop whey powder, 1/4 cup walnuts.

Total:

Cal: 320/ Carb: 8.5g /Chol: 17.5mg /Fat: 27.5g /Sugar: 1.5g /Protein: 15g

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Daily Total (rounded up):

 Cal: 1899/ Carb: 95g /Chol: 344mg /Fat: 138g /Sugar: 27g /Protein: 87g

My 2 Cents: I followed my midwife's advice and cut out a lot of the dairy, I am not eating fruit or dairy (with the exception of the slight amount in whey protein powder) before 10:30 am, and I exercised like crazy today and even picked up a pregnancy belt to continue exercising long after it hurt... And I kept getting sicker.  I decided enough was enough and skipped my after lunch snack and ate what I wanted for dinner... And got better! I think I'm going to go back to my old menu and just try to keep my calories up because I was doing so much better then. 

A Bad Day..

 7:10am

Breakfast: 2 cups Almond milk, 2 scoops of Whey protein powder, 2 cups of water.

Total:
Cal:160 /Carb: 5g /Chol: 35mg /Fat: 8g /Sugar: 1g /Protein: 18g

 

 9:07am

Snack 1: 3oz carrots, 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese.

Total:

Cal:125 /Carb: 14g /Chol: 10mg /Fat: 1.5g /Sugar: 9g /Protein: 14g

 9:30am

Snack 2: 1 slice whole grain toast, 2 TBSP peanut butter, 1 cup blueberry pomegranate juice with 1 cup seltzer water. 

Total:

Cal: 400/Carb: 63g /Chol: 0mg /Fat: 13.5g /Sugar: 37g /Protein: 10g

 12:00pm

Lunch:  Applebee's half sized Chicken Santa Fe Salad, 2 cups water.
Total:
Cal:336 /Carb: 13.3g /Chol: 60mg /Fat: 23.35g /Sugar: 5.6g /Protein: 19.55g

 3:15

Snack: 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 a small avocado, 5 crackers, 2 cups water.

Total:

 Cal:71.2 /Carb: 25.7g /Chol: 0mg /Fat: 9.1g /Sugar: 9.35g /Protein: 2.55g

 

 5:55pm

Dinner: Half a grilled cheese sandwich, 1 cup Dr. McDougall's Roast Red Pepper soup, 2 cups water.

Total:

 Cal:250 /Carb: 39g /Chol: 15mg /Fat: 6g /Sugar: 12g /Protein: 9g

8:55pm

Snack: 1 slice whole grain toast, 2 TBSP Peanut Butter, 1 cup almond milk, 2 scoops whey protein powder.

Total:

Cal: 400 /Carb: 36g /Chol: 35mg /Fat: 18g /Sugar: 8g /Protein: 27g 

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Daily Total:

 Cal: 1742 /Carb: 166g /Chol: 155mg /Fat: 79g /Sugar: 82g /Protein: 100g 

My 2 Cents: This was a bad bad day. Warning, much TMI ahead... I spent all day throwing up or laying on the sofa in much pain. The reason there is an extra snack is because I lost the first one right after having it. A very bad day and I'm not quite sure what brought it on.

 

Still here..

 7:05am

Breakfast: 2 cups Almond milk, 2 scoops of Whey protein powder, 2 cups of water.

Total:
Cal:160 /Carb: 5g /Chol: 35mg /Fat: 8g /Sugar: 1g /Protein: 18g

 9:08am

Snack: 5 whole grain crackers, 1 TBSP natural Skippy peanut butter, 1/2 cup almond milk, 2 cups of water.

Total:
Cal:312 /Carb: 21g /Chol: 0mg /Fat: 28.25g /Sugar: 6.5g /Protein: 12g

12:15pm

Lunch: 1 cup spinach, 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, 2 oz chicken, 1/2 a small avocado, 3 grape tomatoes, 2 petite button mushrooms, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup blueberries, 2 cups water.

Total:
Cal:330.7 /Carb: 29.93g /Chol: 25mg /Fat: 28.8g /Sugar: 8.68g /Protein: 14.19g

3:00pm
Snack: 1/2 cup raspberries, 1 oz cheese, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup almond milk, 2 cups water.
Total:
Cal:362 /Carb: 13.34g /Chol: 30mg /Fat: 31.15g /Sugar: 3.72g /Protein: 13.24g

5:55pm
Dinner: Applebee's half sized Chicken Santa Fe Salad, 2 cups water.
Total:
Cal:336 /Carb: 13.3g /Chol: 60mg /Fat: 23.35g /Sugar: 5.6g /Protein: 19.55g

9:30pm
Snack: 1/2 cups walnuts, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 oz cheese.
Total:
 Cal:552.2 /Carb: 13.7g /Chol: 90mg /Fat: 27g /Sugar: 9.35g /Protein: 17.55g
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Daily Total:
  Cal: 2053 /Carb: 96.27g /Chol: 240mg /Fat: 118g /Sugar: 34.85g /Protein: 94.53g
My 2  Cents:  Yippee, I finally brought my caloric intake up, but boy did it shoot up! I'm sure my midwife will be happy, but I would like to see it a little lower. I have to take into consideration that 800 calories are walnuts and I need to go a little easier on them, but they are full of protein, low on carbs, and 200 calories per 1/4 cups. A good things to keep in mind.

I'm back

Ok, rotten couple of days. I received some pretty bad news from my midwife on the 13th and everything was pretty much blown after that, but I'm back to blog again. Now I'm afraid to eat, exercise, sit up, lay down, move in general, take my medications, and so on and so forth... Moving forward from that if I can. Here are yesterday's meals.

6:53am

Breakfast: 1 slice toast, 1 egg, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal:170 /Carb: 19g /Chol: 215mg /Fat: 6g /Sugar: 3g /Protein: 9g
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I forgot to take a picture....

9:50am

Snack: 5 whole grain crackers, 1/2 a small avocado, 1 TBSP peanut butter, 2 cups of water.
Total:

Cal: 119/Carb: 22.5g /Chol: 0mg /Fat: 15.1g /Sugar: 4g /Protein: 5.5g

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 12:00pm

Lunch: 5 whole wheat crackers, 2 TBSP blue cheese dip, 3 oz carrots, 1/2 small avocado, 2 cups water.

Total:

 Cal: 344 /Carb: 25g /Chol: 30mg /Fat: 12.1g /Sugar: 9g /Protein: 5g

 3:27pm

 Snack: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup baby spinach, 1/4 cup blueberries, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal: 111.24/Carb: 18.35g /Chol: 10mg /Fat: 2.6g /Sugar: 8.88g /Protein: 14.14g

 6:10

Dinner: 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 oz cheese, 1 cup spinach,  3 grape tomatoes, 1/2 a small avocado, 2 petite mushrooms, 2 oz chicken, 1/4 cup walnuts, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal: 388.7/Carb: 30.43g /Chol: 40mg /Fat: 33.3g /Sugar: 9.68g /Protein: 22.69g

9:00pm

Snack: 5 whole wheat crackers, 1 oz cheese, 1/2 cup almond milk.

Total:

Cal: 137/Carb: 13g /Chol: 30mg /Fat: 12.8g /Sugar: 2g /Protein: 8.5g

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Daily Total:

Cal: 1270/Carb: 128g /Chol: 325mg /Fat: 82g /Sugar: 37g /Protein: 65g

Not logging today

I am not logging my food today. There is not point in it. Today I took my gestational diabetes test. The drink is horrible (like drinking NyQuil) however, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I had to fast and miss my breakfast, morning snack, and lunch; so my log would have been drastically off if I recorded it today. I did however make it through the test with no problems. The blood draws all went smoothly (all 4 of them). I hate needles, but my veins behaved this time, and actually let them get the blood instead of clamping off. I find out the results tomorrow (that's fast!), but for now I'm going to take a nap. I feel like I just ran a race and lost. Take care. I'll be back to posting tomorrow. Whatever is on your plate today, Enjoy!

Day 4 logging

 6:05am

Breakfast: 1 slice whole grain toast, 1 slice cheese, 1 egg, 2 cups water.

Total: 

Cal:/280 Carb: 20g /Chol: 245mg /Fat: 15g /Sugar: 3g /Protein: 16g

 

9:10am

Snack: 1 slice whole grain toast, 2 TBSP peanut butter, 1 green apple, 1 lemon JELLO taste sensations, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal: 396 /Carb: 71g /Chol: 0mg /Fat: 15.5g /Sugar: 34g /Protein: 11.4g

 12:10pm

Lunch: 2 oz chicken, 5 kalamata olives, 2 mushrooms, 1 cup spinach, 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, 3 grape tomatoes, 1/2 small avocado, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal: 227 /Carb: 23.16g /Chol: 10mg /Fat: 9.9g /Sugar: 4.77g /Protein: 15.07g

 3:20

Snack: 2 TBSP blue cheese dip, 3 oz carrots, 5 whole grain crackers, 1 oz cheese, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal: 432 /Carb: 22g /Chol: 60mg /Fat: 41.5g /Sugar: 9g /Protein: 11g

 6:12pm

Dinner: 1 6inch flour tortilla, 1 oz cheese, 6 black olives, 1TBSP sour cream, 1/4 cups black beans, 1 lettuce leaf, 1/2 cup blue berries, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal: 332 /Carb: 37.25g /Chol: 40.9mg /Fat: 31.5g /Sugar: 8.9g /Protein: 14.4g

 9:00pm

Snack: 1 oz cheese, 1/2 cup raspberries, 5 whole grain crackers, 1/2 cup almond milk.

Total:

Cal: 169 /Carb: 20.3g /Chol: 30mg /Fat: 13.65g /Sugar: 4.72g /Protein: 9.24g 

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Daily Total (rounded up)

Cal: 1827 /Carb: 194g /Chol: 356mg /Fat: 117g /Sugar: 64g /Protein: 77g
My 2 Cents: If that looks like more than 1oz of cheese for my bedtime snack, it's because it is. Bear was sweet enough to prepare my snack ahead of time for me, but forgot to set the kitchen scale to 0 before weighing out the cheese. I caught the error before bed and only had one of the slices. It weighed about 1 oz. The rest I've put away for other meals. On a good note, I've managed to get my caloric intake up to a more reasonable level for a pregnant woman, yipppee!!!

Day 3 logging

6:50am

Breakfast: 1 slice whole grain toast, 1 slice of cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 a small avocado, 3oz carrots, 1/2 cup almond milk, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal:/357 Carb: 33g /Chol: 245mg /Fat: 23.35g /Sugar: 8g /Protein: 18.5g

 9:30am

Snack:  1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, 1 green apple, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal: 126/ Carb: 27g /Chol: 10mg /Fat: 2g /Sugar: 18g /Protein: 13.4g

 12:45pm

Lunch: 1 whole grain pita,  2 TBSP hummus, 3 grape tomatoes, baby spinach, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1 veggie burger patty, 3 baby dill pickles, 5 green olives, 1 cup blueberry pomegranate juice with 1 cup sparkling water.

Total:

Cal: 468/ Carb: 132.3g /Chol: 5mg /Fat: 16.85g /Sugar: 33.63g /Protein: 20.71g

3:19pm

Snack: 3oz carrots, 2 TBSP blue cheese dip, 5 whole grain crackers, 1 oz cheese, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal: 292/ Carb: 21g /Chol: 45mg /Fat: 26.5g /Sugar: 8g /Protein: 9g

5:30
Dinner: Roasted Garlic and olive oil Quinoa, 1 cup steamed peppers and onions, 2 oz chicken, 2 cups water.
Total:

Cal: 235/ Carb: 33g /Chol: 20mg /Fat: 3.5g /Sugar: 5g /Protein: 16g

 8:30

Snack: 5 whole grain crackers, 1 oz cheese, 1/2 cup almond milk.

Total:

Cal:137 /Carb: 13g /Chol: 30mg /Fat: 13.25g /Sugar:2g /Protein:8.5g

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Daily Total (rounded up)
Cal: 1615 /Carb: 259g /Chol: 355mg /Fat: 85.5g /Sugar: 75g /Protein: 86g
My 2 Cents: Doing better, but still low on the caloric intake. Today I added extra bits all over my daily meal, proved to be inept with a calculator, and noshed like crazy. Thank you Bear for figuring out I missed a whole meal while calculating. I feel slightly better now. I was never good with calculators to start with and I know once we have this baby I won't miss pregnant brain ;)

Day 2 of logging

 7:25am

Breakfast: 1 egg white, 1 slice whole grain toast, 1/2 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup almond milk 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal:152 / Carb: 21.24g /Chol: 0mg /Fat: 5.95g /Sugar:4.23g /Protein:8.1g

  9:30am

 Snack: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup raspberries, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal:154 / Carb: 20.7g /Chol: 10mg /Fat: 2.3g /Sugar:9.4g /Protein:14.5g

12:00pm

Lunch: Veggie burger, 2/3 cup mixed vegetables, 5 whole grain crackers, 1 oz cheese, 2 cups water.

Total:

Cal:397 / Carb: 62g /Chol: 0mg /Fat: 12.5g /Sugar:12g /Protein:24g

 3:13pm
Snack: Slice of whole grain toast, 2 TBSP peanut butter, 1 green apple, 2 cups water.
Total:
Cal:316 / Carb: 54g /Chol: 0mg /Fat: 14g /Sugar:21g /Protein:10.4g

5:30pm

Dinner: Mushroom pesto sandwich (contains olives, pesto, cheese, mushrooms, and spinach, on rosemary panini bread), 2 cups water.
Total:

Cal: 364/ Carb: 37g /Chol: 10mg /Fat: 12g /Sugar: 5g /Protein: 21g
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Daily Total (rounded up)
Cal: 1383/ Carb: 195g /Chol: 200mg /Fat: 47g /Sugar: 52g /Protein: 78g
My 2 cents. We went out to get my favorite sandwich for dinner. Mmmm Mushroom pesto, unfortunately the trade off was I was so tired when we got home that I missed a snack before bed. Nothing to keep me going at night and my calories are still to low. Not good.