A Very Familiar Struggle

Desserts by Jacquelyn West

I had the pleasure of attending a tasting party on Saturday evening to celebrate Jacquelyn West's expanded menu. Jacquelyn is a friend and baker extraordinaire. I have enjoyed her cakes in the past at a couple of different parties, so when she asked me to attend this event I knew I was in for a treat. She had two layer cakes and six cheesecakes for us to sample and evaluate. It was really tough duty! But I dutifully sampled all eight desserts and tried to provide helpful feedback. Honestly, I liked them all. Her cheesecakes are spectacular; the texture is heavenly. I thought I didn't really like cheesecake, but that was before I tried Jacquelyn's. I'm planning to order a pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving. I thoroughly enjoyed myself Saturday evening. Eating dessert and hanging out with good friends -- two of my favorite things.
I was a little nervous about eating all that sugar; afraid that it might set me off on a no-return sugar binge. While it didn't send me on a binge, I have craved sweets everyday since. Rather than getting right back on track the next day, my eating was a little sloppy. And a little sloppier still the next day. I started to feel cranky and blue. I began to focus on everything that I don't like about myself. I turned into a pessimist almost overnight. Yesterday I found myself wondering around Whole Foods, talking to myself [ in my head ;-) ], and fighting the temptation to buy something sweet. It was a real struggle. A very familiar, very real struggle. The craving won. I bought a chocolate bar and ate the whole thing. The package said it was three servings. Yeah, right.

So I'm done with the sugar for a while. I was reminded again that I am very sensitive to sugar, and that it is way too easy for one splurge to turn into days of indiscretion. No regrets though. I had great fun on Saturday. I'm back on track and feeling better already now that I have decided I will not have sugar or other refined carbohydrates today. Pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving, yes. But sugar today, no.

Eternity in an Hour

The Beautyberries at Mama's house were gorgeous yesterday.
Botanical name: Callicarpa americana

It's going to be a beautiful fall week! Clear, sunny days and temps in the 50's at night. Perfection! It started yesterday with a clear, mild, breezy day. I drove to the cabin for the afternoon and dropped by Mama's and stepdad Lamar's house on the way home. My sister and I call Mama and Lamar "LaMama" for short (and for fun) when we are referring to both of them. :-)

LaMama's garden had me snapping photo's left and right. The Beautyberries, pictured above, are awesome right now. I like them best when the berries have turned that outrageous, screaming purple and before the leaves drop. And before the birds get all the berries!

Hopefully you are fortunate enough to have some mums and asters in your garden. Mine are just starting to bloom, but LaMama's were in full swing. I snapped this photo of Aster 'English Countryside'. That's just one little plant. It was this big after one year. Awesome plant. I have it in my yard too, but it is only just starting to show color.

Aster 'English Countryside'

I don't have a cultivated garden at the cabin. Just nature at it's best. I noticed the dogwoods are starting to turn, and the fruit has ripened to a bright red. Golden rod was blooming all along the dirt road that leads to the cabin. And the oaks have dropped tons of fresh, bright green acorns.

I love fall. I hope you won't wait for the one or two weekends that are deemed "peak" for fall foliage. Savor this season. Take time each day to slow down and appreciate the beauty of autumn. In the words of William Blake, "...see a world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour."

Ripened Dogwood Fruit

Fall Still Life of Golden Rod, Fresh Acorns, and Fallen Leaves

When Biscuits Fly

Lettuce Wraps
Bacon, avocado, and tomato topped with avocado-mayo

This rain has been crazy! I was so glad to see some blue sky and sun today. I hope it sticks around and gives everyone time to dry out. I'm praying for my friends and neighbors who are dealing with flooded basements and dens.

Today for lunch I made the lettuce wraps pictured above. I chopped up 1/2 an avocado, drizzled it with fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. Then I added some chopped tomato and several slices of crumbled bacon. Topped it off with avocado-mayo -- which is just a little mayo with smashed avocado mixed in. It was yummy, quick, and easy.

I also wanted to report on a meal I had last week at Flying Biscuit. If you are like me, having good options for dining out is important. I went there for lunch and ordered an omelet. Choices for sides include grits, potatoes, and mixed greens. I opted for the mixed greens which made it easy to keep the carbs low. Of course Flying Biscuit is known for their biscuits. I had a small bite of one after the meal, but decided it just wasn't worth it. It did not taste as good as I remembered, and I was perfectly satisfied after my omelet and mixed greens. I left the fluffy, sugar-topped biscuit sitting on the plate. Six or seven weeks ago, I could not have imagined that I would resist that biscuit so easily, that it would not even be a big temptation to me. I thought such a change was impossible -- something I might attain when biscuits fly . . . Well, apparently they do.

Mediterranean Sea Bass

Mediterranean Sea Bass
Recipe courtesy of Erica Stelten,
Registered Dietitian and Life Coach

My friend, Erica, who also happens to be a registered dietitian and life coach, gave me several of her favorite fish recipes. I've never been a fish-eater, and I certainly don't know how to prepare it. So I asked Erica for help, and she came through with several easy, yummy-sounding recipes. Wednesday night I tried Mediterranean Sea Bass. I bought wild-caught sea bass at Whole Foods. It was pre-cut into 6-ounce portions. That's good for me; even though I've gone mostly paleo, this "cave-woman" doesn't like to handle raw meat or fish anymore than she has to. Erica said this recipe also works well with halibut. And I think it would be great with chicken too. While I was eating it, I thought to myself, "I love this sauce so much, I could just eat it with no meat . . . or over some pasta!" =o) Temporary mental relapse. But that's no surprise since eating lots of carbs and very little protein is how I got to where I am today. I won't be serving this sauce over pasta, but I will be making it again soon. Canned tomatoes, capers, and black olives are now staples in my pantry.

Mediterranean Sea Bass

1.5 pounds of sea bass fillets
3 T fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 T olive oil
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped (or use canned)
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
½ cup pitted black or green olives
½ cup capers
¼ tsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sea bass in a single layer in a 13- X 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Bake, covered, for 20-25 minutes.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, olives, and capers; saute until onions are translucent and tomatoes and bell pepper are tender. Stir in oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over fish. Bake, covered for another 15-20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: Bake time may vary depending on the thickness of the fish.

It's The Little Things

Lunch
Chicken salad, mixed greens, grape tomatoes, and blueberries

I had my annual physical today at 11 am. When I scheduled it, I asked for an earlier appointment; I wanted the earliest available since I would have to fast for it. 11 am was the best they could do without a 3-month delay so reluctantly, I agreed. In the past, I had found it difficult to fast for a 9am exam. By the time the appointment rolled around, I would be feeling nauseated and weak. I've always been one who needed her breakfast within an hour or so of rising to avoid feeling sick. But not today. I got up around 6am, had black coffee and made it through to my 11am appointment with no problems. I attribute this to my new paleo-ish lifestyle. My blood sugar is much more stable now, and skipping a meal is just not a big deal like it used to be. I know that's a little thing. But add that to the list of other little things -- like reduced cravings and hunger, more energy, improved mood, better sleep, gradual weight loss -- and what do you get? A long list of little things that make such a big lifestyle change worth it.

Of course my doctor asked about my nutrition so I told her I had mostly eliminated grains from my diet. She was very pleased to hear my positive results, but expressed concern that I wasn't getting all those nutrients from grains. I didn't bother to explain to her that [in reality] grains are a poor source of nutrition as compared to vegetables and fruits. Plus there's the added nutrition I'm getting now from the increased protein and fat in my diet. I didn't try to convince her, and I won't try to convince you either. Check it for yourself. Why do you think all those cereals and breads are fortified? And besides, my results are so life-changing that I'll take a multi-vitamin over the food cravings, sluggishness, and depression any day.

I'm anxious to get the results of my blood work back. It's only been five and half weeks since I made this dietary change, but I'm curious to see the impact so far. Hopefully there will be more little things to add to my list.

Happy Anniversary, Blog

Blooming in my garden:
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

Write it on your heart that everyday is the best day of the year.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

One year ago today I did the first post for this blog. It started out as a weight loss blog; I was hoping to garner support for my own efforts and maybe help some others with their goals at the same time. It turned out to be much more than that. A journal. A scrapbook. Therapy. A search for answers. A prayer of gratitude. A truth telling (and some of it ain't pretty). One year in the life, documented. A treasure.

Happy Anniversary, blog.

Primal Breakfast Muffins

Primal Breakfast "Muffins"

Today's Primal Breakfast "Muffins" are inspired by recipes I've used in the past and one that I saw recently on Mark's Daily Apple. You can make up a batch of these on Sunday, and then have them for breakfast all week. Two of these with a little fruit makes a great breakfast. I will just pop two in the microwave for a few seconds, add some berries or orange slices, and I've got breakfast. Following is my recipe.


Primal Breakfast "Muffins"

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan. Be sure to grease well. Or you could use disposable muffin cups I suppose. I placed a spinach leaf in the bottom of each muffin cup...just for fun and because I thought it would be pretty. Pretty is important to me. ;-)

3/4 pound ground pork (or whatever meat you choose)
fennel seed crushed (couple of teaspoons)
salt & pepper
Combine the above ingredients in a non-stick skillet. Cook until meat is browned. Set aside.

a little olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
2 hands full of fresh baby spinach, chopped
salt & pepper to taste (optional)
1/3 cup grated cheese (I used a sharp cheddar)

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the onion and red bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Add the mushrooms when the onion and pepper are almost ready. Add the spinach at the very end for just a minute or two. Combine the vegetable mixture with the prepared meat. Add the cheese and mix well. Divide among 12 muffin cups.

6 eggs
a little milk, cream, or half & half
salt and pepper

Combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well. Divide among the 12 muffin cups, pouring over-top the meat & vegetable mixture. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so.

I ate one before I remembered to take the picture. Two make a meal (for me). One is good for a snack or mini-meal.

Caught Off Guard

Primal Energy Bars
Recipe from Mark's Daily Apple

I was caught off guard by the depth of my sadness over the loss of Teddie. I tried going to the cabin for a change of scenery, but it was just too quiet and lonely. The heartache followed me there, and I longed to be back at home. Rudy, my other cat, seems a little blue so I am giving him extra attention. It's good for both of us. I know Melvin misses Teddie. Rudy has always held Melvin in contempt -- unlike Teddie who loved Melvin despite his being a dog and all. He seemed oblivious to Melvin's canine affiliation and often treated Melvin like a great big cat, sleeping with him and washing Melvin's ears. Melvin didn't like this, but he tolerated it out of respect for Teddie since he was here first. We all miss Teddie. I said I wouldn't get another cat, and I probably won't, but if I could have my Teddie back, I would jump at the chance.

Despite my low energy, I managed to try out a new recipe that I found on Mark's Daily Apple -- Primal Energy Bars pictured above. This seems to be a good, versatile recipe that you can modify according to your taste and what you have in the pantry. I'm glad to have these on hand this week for a snack with coffee or when I'm in a rush and need to grab something on the go. They are not sweet at all really - more salty than sweet. Which is good for me. I don't want the temptation or the insulin spike. But if you wanted them to be slightly sweet, you could add a bit more raw honey or even stevia I suppose. Or use a sweet dried fruit or dark chocolate chips to turn this into more of a dessert. You can probably tell that I am getting a kick out of trying new recipes. And it made me happy to fuss over these and wrap them in parchment and twine. It occurred to me that these would make a great gift for health-conscious friends during the holidays. I'll work on perfecting the recipe . . . I think it could be better. I will probably omit the salt next time. And maybe try dried blueberries in place of dried cranberries. (For the recipe, click on the link beneath the picture.)

He Was A Good Cat

Teddie
March 1995 - September 5, 2009

Teddie came to live with me on a cold Saturday in November, 1995. I had gone to the Northlake Pet Smart with the intention of adopting a female kitten. I was thinking a sweet little calico would be nice. But Teddie had other ideas. The minute I entered the adoption area, Teddie began working it. He was in a crate about eye level, and he pleaded with his whole body for me to choose him. He leaned into the front wall of the crate and stroked it hard with his head. He poked a paw through the bars and tried to touch me. I noticed him and responded to him, but he was a big male cat. Eight months old already; I would have guessed older because of his size. Not at all what I came for, so I kept looking. I held a couple of other kittens and played with them. But I kept returning to the large, awkward, furry ball of love who I would later name Teddie. He won me over in short order that day, and I brought him home with me, along with a younger kitten-companion, Rudy.

Teddie lived a good life and did what cats do. He and Rudy played a lot when they were young and got into mischief. But as they aged, they slept more and more, usually side-by-side. Teddie always came and sat next to me on the sofa in the evening. And he always joined me for my first cup of coffee in the morning, purring loudly. Even this morning, the last morning of his life, he managed to make it out to the back porch where I was sitting with my coffee. I helped him up so that he could sit beside me. We enjoyed one last morning together. He was a good cat, and I will miss him.

Tasted Like a Smile

Pancakes and Bacon

Having eggs for breakfast every morning gets old so I'm on a mission to find some other healthy, low-carb breakfast options. This morning I made pancakes using a recipe I found on Mark's Daily Apple. Here it is:

1 cup of almond meal (simply ground almonds)
3 eggs
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Just mix it all up and cook as you would regular pancakes. I added a little water to thin the batter. This batch makes 5 or 6 three-inch pancakes. I topped mine with butter, strawberries, and the tiniest bit of raw honey. I have leftover batter; I'll let you know if it keeps and works for a second batch. Next time I'll experiment with cutting the recipe in half.

So here's my critique. I enjoyed these, and I will make them again. It's a nice way to have an old favorite occasionally, without resorting to eating wheat flour. But Sheryl, your children would likely stage a revolt. I think these may be an acquired taste. Acquired after a lifetime of eating sugary nothingness. Acquired about the same time you acquire type II diabetes, or in my case, shortly before. So to me, these tasted like good health, freedom, and sobriety. They tasted like a smile.

Almond Meal from Trader Joe's.

Welcome, September!

Cardinal Flower is in bloom now at Lullwater Park, signaling that Fall is just around the corner.

Welcome, September! I love fall, and even though it's not officially Autumn yet, September starts the season for me. On my walks recently at Lullwater Park, I felt a hint of fall with the late season wildflowers starting to bloom. If you can, treat yourself to some walks there and watch the season change. (I've written previously about Lullwater Park. If you are new to the blog, check out my post, "A Lost Treasure Found" for more information.)

September
by John Updike


The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-

Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.

The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze.