Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Cooking Curry! Pictures included!

 Ingredients: cauliflower (half), onion, 3 oz frozen squash, half that chicken package, 1 can coconut milk, 4 potatoes, curry paste (I used green today)
 I prefer dicing first
 Boil the potatoes
 Chop the onions and cauliflower
 this is the curry paste I love! No extra ingredients such as preservatives or HFCS.


 Coconut milk (try to find one that the ingredients is literally coconut water and coconut - you don't need guar gum to make it taste good)
 Spice and brown the chicken.


 After the potatoes finish, steam the cauliflower.
 Browning still
 When the edges are browned a little, perfect! Save the chicken AND the juice in a bowl.
 Saute the onions.

 This is how I like them, they are mostly translucent with a little purple left and tender.
 Cauli is soft.
 Add the chicken back to the pot, along with the potatoes, and add much curry as you like (it will get softened out by the coconut milk) and let it cook into the chicken and onions until it is fragrant (or you are really hungry). Then add the coconut milk, the frozen squash and let simmer.
 Fork the cauliflower until it is "ricelike" and delicious. Add your curry and YUM!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Friday Articles (8)

The Boys in the Bunkhouse
This article is heartbreaking but worth a read to see how disabled or handicapped individuals are treated. This is not so old.

Gov't Workers
It is interesting to read this as a state worker.

Audacity
This is awesome. It is so descriptive of everything I felt and didn't know how to express.

The Truth about Travelers
✌️


Friday, March 14, 2014

Friday Articles (7)

Africa
I love this! Africa is so beautifully diverse. I miss Africa with my entire heart.
Related: Problem with little white girls and boys
Travel Related: Surreal America

Butter Coffee
I am intrigued! I can't imagine this would taste good, but who knows? Since I have been doing Whole30, I am fascinated by the science behind it all.
Related: WHO Sugar Guidelines  Oil Pulling Happy Meal Facts

"Convenience Fees"
Definitely information that is not well known. I need to start paying more attention to the receipts!
Related: Five Banking Secrets  10 Characteristics of Debt-Free People Frugal Habits of the Super Rich

Cancer and brownies
Consideration is something that is not often thought about. Compassion and goodwill are common, but not common enough. This puts a whole new perspective to respect and understanding.
Related: Prove it! Dating with HIV Dress your Today Body

Sharks
I have had a fear of sharks for a long time. I honestly cannot remember when it began. I remember at 15 diving in the Keys with my parents on either side. My parents saw a shark (I think a nurse shark) and tried to steer me away but I saw it and began hyperventilating underwater. There is a certain beauty about sharks and this woman's video eases a little of my fear.
Related: 35 Surprising Shark Facts Shark Crossing

Have a good weekend!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Fave Whole30 Recipes!

These are the recipes I made up (adapted in the curry case) to eat happy.

Tomato Sauce
7-8 tomatoes (add more if you use Roma tomatoes)
1 tablespoon (more to taste- I use this liberally) of garlic powder
1/2 an onion (I use the purple onions)
sprinkle of Italian seasoning (take your pick - I am unorthodox and love cilantro)
I also found this awesome chicken seasoning (lemon chicken) that I add in.
Clarified butter

Get a pot, and heat some clarified butter. Chop the tomatoes and onion. Toss in the pot and stir around to coat in butter. Let it boil, drop down to a simmer and let it simmer for a while until your desired thickness. I usually stir it occasionally for about 30 minutes.

Meatballs
8 oz of Ground meat of choice (I prefer turkey but I imagine this would work for beef or chicken as well)
quarter of an onion
one egg
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
sprinkle of the lemon chicken seasoning

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mash the meat, onion, egg (leave out the yolk at first to make sure it won't be too runny) and spices. Shape into balls, put on a roasting pan and stick in the oven. 15 minutes and flip. Another 7 minutes or so, and then they are delicious and ready to eat!

Chicken Curry
8-10 oz raw chicken
1 whole onion
10 oz bag of frozen veggies
Curry paste of choice (red, green or yellow or whatever other flavors they have)
Coconut milk (I believe the can I use is 10 oz)
Coconut oil or clarified butter

Heat the oil or butter in a large wok-style pot. "Brown" the chicken (till not pink at least). Remove and save the juice as well as the meat. Using the same pot, cook the onions until close to translucent. Add the chicken and juice back in. Add in two tablespoons of curry paste (I like it spicy so I usually use four tablespoons). Cook until you can smell the curry flavor. Make sure to stir the curry in with the chicken and onion. Add coconut milk and stir. Add the vegetables and let simmer. Simmer everything until the veggies have absorbed some of the sauce and are tender.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Whole30 - end of day 15

So I have officially completed day 15 of Whole30. I am halfway finished. I am starting to think about how I want to eat after I finish. Whole30 is a feasible lifestyle, but difficult to maintain.
My body is constantly energetic. I am thankful for that. It is nice to have nice, even energy throughout the day. I don't require snacks anymore. I might notice my attention flagging and have a carrot or apple, but for the most part, I leave work with the snacks I packed, only having eaten the breakfast and lunch I brought along. I find that cooking does not require a huge output of time. Even tonight when I didn't get off work until 530 and home at 645/7, I still was able to cook meatballs (from scratch, Whole30 friendly) and tomato sauce (from scratch) and breakfast sausages for the rest of the week. I feel much more satisfied eating real food than ever before, and the food is SO good.
I have learned to make chicken/veg curry, meatballs, tomato sauce. I primarily just throw raw veggies in my lunch bin and leftovers from dinner and that is my lunch. Breakfast consists of eggs (which are SO satisfying) or/and fruit. Dinner is usually a big one-pot kind of meal I make on Monday or Tuesday and it lasts me for lunch and dinner for a few days. I haven't noticed a huge change in my body.
The past few days I have been sick, since Wednesday. Miserable sick. I left work early twice last week. I was going to bed at 8 and sleeping hard until my alarm went off. On Friday night, I went to bed at 9 and woke up (because a friend texted me) at 9. I have been eating extra fruit to see if I can get the extra vit C to kill off this sickness, cause I am sick still. However, I am recovering more or less, and since I am in the last half - my goal is to run or do yoga every day.
I am much more even-keeled, although I do get hangry (angry-hungry portmanteau). As long as I eat breakfast and lunch, I am usually good to go.
So I will update you next week on how my next 7 days go!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Friday Articles (6)

#AlcoholIsNotConsent
This buzzfeed list features a fantastic ad campaign of something near to my heart. I hope everyone will read this, relate to it, and share it. Become an effective bystander. Prevent rape.
Related Articles: Men, Drinking and Consent 

1200 Calories
I think this article is thought provoking. It is interesting because this is a widely-held belief (American). I am not sure I don't believe it. Health is so judgmental and talked about but still getting healthy can be a taboo. I feel shame and fear to share my health and fitness triumphs and successes.
Related Articles: "Rules" to Break

Every Border is a Crime Against Humanity
Oh, I have dreamed about a world with no borders, just cultures. Beautiful, beautiful cultures!
Related Articles: 6 ways America is like a Third World Country

Baby possibly cured of HIV
I read No Going Back There is Only Forward as a fellow medevac'ed and medsep'ed RPCV. I understand that tragedy, frustration, anxiety (well, I can relate - everyone's experiences are different). This article reminded me of this blog and of the ridiculous stigma faced every day. Shame.

Paper Dresses
How adorable is she?!

Dalai Lama and Homosexuality
:)

And one final article about my hometown.
31 Reasons why Philadelphia is underrated

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

The transformation is complete!



I am so excited to have this beauty here! It is super comfortable and the shape is still beautiful. I love it!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Week One of Whole30

Today is the end of my 7th day of Whole30. I am loving Whole30 - I haven't binged in 7 days and I can't remember the last time I said that. I am so excited! I stop eating when I am full, and eat full meals, and don't snack 4 times a day like I used to! This is a fantastic change I am excited to share.
I also have more energy and I haven't had a headache in a while either (usually a two or three times a week problem). I went running on Tuesday and was able to run almost a full mile without breaking. I haven't seen a noticeable difference in my clothes, but that's okay. The lack of binging is working for me right now.
I am craving junk like crazy, like oreos or a big loaf of crusty bread, but I haven't indulged. I am still getting used to cooking everyyyything. That part stinks a little. My food is fresher, but in consequence I have to take longer to make it.
I will keep you updated on my progress as I continue with my 30 days.