Is gluten-free worth it?

Is avoiding gluten worth it? The only answer is: It depends. Your body may be able to handle gluten just fine. Me? I know that gluten does bad things to me: migraines, upset stomach, bloating, mental fog, tiredness - all of these things happen when I eat gluten. I’ve known this for years thanks to first going gluten-free for a month four years ago, and then to going Paleo three years ago. Despite this knowledge, I kept eating grains for the last eight months. I’ve been cutting down significantly since January 1st of this year, but hadn’t completely given it up because I kept craving bread. This past weekend was a bit of an eye-opener for me though. Let me share…

On Saturday, I went out to lunch at a Tex-Mex restaurant with a couple friends. I ate chips and salsa and queso, and then the taco salad. The food was good, and the conversation was better. We ended up sitting in the restaurant for two-and-a-half hours, and by the time we got around to leaving, all of us felt like we needed a serious nap. I’m not much of a napper; I usually only take naps when I’m ill. So, I fought to stay awake and be productive Saturday afternoon. I felt miserable though. My head felt pinched and throbbing, I was having trouble keeping my eyes open, and my sinuses started acting up - my nose, cheeks, eyes, and ears all became a burning type of pain. I ended up laying down, but not sleeping for an hour Saturday evening before heading to a friend’s house for a Candlemas party. My friends and our conversations kept me there for the duration, but I felt worse and worse as the night wore on.

On Sunday, I ate no gluten and no cheese. I still ate some grains, like quinoa, but I managed to steer clear of the pizza, brownies, and bread at the superbowl party. The result? No headache. No stomachache. No lethargy. I didn’t notice it during the day, but by the time I was heading to the party, I realized how much better I felt then than I had 24 hours before. It was incredibly satisfying to feel energetic and not to have a low-grade headache in the background of my life. So I made a pit stop at My Fit Foods and picked up a gluten-free salmon dinner to eat instead of the pizza I had been planning on eating. It’s only been five days so far, but reminding myself of the huge improvement in how my body felt between Saturday and Sunday has been giving me enough motivation to say no to those urges to eat a cookie or stop at the store on the way home to buy some pita bread and cheese.

Here’s hoping I can keep it up…

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a recipe:

Butter Chicken
1.5 lb chicken, cut into 1-2" chunks
2 Tbls coconut oil

1 - 14 oz can coconut milk
0.5 cup tomato paste
1 sweet onion, diced
5 cloves, garlic, smashed and minced

3 Tbls arrowroot flour

1 Tbls garam masala

1.5 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp chili powder

0.5 tsp cinnamon

0.25 tsp cayenne

salt and pepper to taste - I used about a pinch of each

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the diced onion and garlic, cooking until the onion becomes translucent.
3. Mix all of the ingredients except for the chicken into the pan. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
4. Mix the chicken into the sauce and transfer to your slow cooker. Set on low and cook for 6 hours. Then enjoy.

I seem to have a think for Indian food these days. Stay tuned for my next post on Paleo naan.

W30D15

I woke up this morning and decided that I wanted to fast today. At the time of this post, I'll have gone without food for 27 hours. I don't know all of the reasons why, but I always feel GREAT when I fast. I have no stomach issues, no headaches, and consistent energy levels. I even worked out tonight. I did 45 minutes on my rowing machine and then spent 15 minutes doing yoga stretches and working on inversions (a.k.a. head stands).

I really need to research fasting some more, because as great as I feel now, not eating for extended periods of time is just not going to work for me. So I need to figure out what it is that I'm eating that is causing me to have lingering stomach issues. Thoughts anyone?

Roast Chicken

4 lb free-range chicken

2 Tbls olive oil

3 tsp salt

3 tsp pepper

1 lemon

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 sweet potatoes, chopped into 2" pieces

10 carrots, roughly chopped

1 yellow onion, thickly sliced

1 bunch celery, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven or roaster to 350 F.

2. Rinse the inside and outside of the chicken. Pat dry and then coat with olive oil.

3. Rub 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper into the skin of the bird. Make cuts in the skin near the wings of the bird and use the holes to rub salt and pepper under the skin as well.

4. Rub the remaining salt and pepper on the inside of the bird.

5. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the lemon on the inside of the bird. Then place the lemon halves and the smashed garlic cloves into the chicken.

6. Spread the sweet potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery chunks across the bottom of the pan. Use a rack to place the chicken above the vegetables.

7. Cook for 1 hour (roughly 15 minutes per pound of chicken). Halfway through, baste the chicken and drain off the liquid in the bottom of the pan; this will make sure the bottom of the chicken gets crispy as well.

ECD7: 45 minutes rowing machine, 15 minutes yoga

W30D10

Well, I managed to wake up at 4:58 a.m. to get my ass over to my Krav Maga studio for their 5:25 a.m. Meta (metamorphosis/boot camp) class, followed by the 6 a.m. Krav Maga 1 class. In the 30 minutes of Meta, I did 66 burpees, 54 hollow rocks, 54 kettle bell push-presses, 54 up-down planks, and 54 Krav get-ups. We were supposed to do more, but I did move fast enough... for good reason, I was exhausted. We worked on elbows, knees, head-butts, and side choke holds today. By the time I got done with my Krav class, I had scraped off the skin of my right elbow due to throwing elbows against a pad, had gotten elbowed in the head more times that I could count, and had a slightly rug-burned neck from snatching my partner's hands away from it and out of the choke hold. Yeah, it can get a bit violent, but I always leave feeling happy and energetic. Right now, roughly 16 hours after the start of my first workout, I'm starting to feel the muscle soreness. I can only imagine what tomorrow is going to be like.

I'm thinking about getting a Fitbit. Any thoughts? Suggestions? Is it worth getting one?

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stuffed Peppers

(this is pretty similar to a recipe I posted last year, with some differences)

1 1/2 lb chicken, cut into 1" pieces

3 bell peppers, whichever color you want

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

2 small jalapeno, finely diced

2 tsp chili pepper

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbls lime juice

2 Tbls olive oil

1 sweet potato

1. Mix your ingredients together in a large bowl or gallon-sized plastic bag. Toss/shake until the chicken is evenly coated. Cover/seal and place in the fridge for an hour or two. Take a break, read a book, or cook other things.

2. In the meantime or after you get back to cooking after your break, heat your oven to 400 F. Prick your sweet potato with a fork all over and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool. Then chop up half to all of the sweet potato into 1 cm chunks. Set aside.

3. Remove for chicken/veggie mixture from the oven and spread on a pan. Cook in the 400 F for 25-30 minutes until almost completely done.

4. While this is cooking, slice the tops off of the bell peppers and remove the seeds.

5. Mix together the chicken and the sweet potatoes and stuff into the peppers.

6. Place on a pan and cook for 30 minutes, or until peppers have softened.

ECD2: 30 minute boot camp style + 1 hour Krav Maga

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

I think this may be one of the dishes that I was most excited about making. It's been on my list of foods to Paleo-ify for over a year, but I just never got around to it. I think I was a bit intimidated of attempting an Indian dish, which I've never ever tried before. And there's a large number of ingredients, but it's all pretty easy to throw together, especially when you do a slow-cooker version. Win! It tastes delicious. And if you're like me and don't eat a ton of meat at each meal, this concoction can last you for a while. I made this last Thursday. So far, I've had it for breakfast on Friday, breakfast and dinner on Saturday, breakfast and dinner on Sunday, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner today. And I've still got enough left for another 4-5 meals. That's a total of 12-13 meals, that I got out of one crock pot. Double win!

Anyways, I hope you LOVE this as much as I do! And did I mention that this is Whole 30 and 21DSD-friendly? Well, now I have...

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

3 lb chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbls grated ginger

2 small jalapeños, stemmed, sliced in half, and seeded

1 - 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, salt-free

1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, whole

3 Tbls tomato paste

2 Tbls coconut oil

2 Tbls lemon juice

2 Tbls Garam Masala

1 Tbls cumin

1/2 Tbls paprika

2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper (for extra spice, add an extra 1-2 tsp)

2 bay leaves

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 can coconut milk (shake well before opening)

cilantro, chopped for serving

1. Mix all of the ingredients, excluding the chicken in a large bowl.

2. Pour half of the tomato mixture and half of the can of coconut milk into the slow-cooker. Add the chicken, then cover with the remaining ingredients.

3. Set on low for 8 hours.

4. Remove bay leaves and jalapeño.

5. Serve by itself or over cauliflower rice.

Whole 30 - Day 30

Tonight, a few friends and I went to a Mumford and Sons concert. It wasn't intentional, but I guess you could say that it celebrated the end of my Whole 30 (though I'm keeping it going for a few more days). Because it's late, and I'm tired, I'll leave you with a few photos of which you can be jealous. Enjoy.

LMR and I - former roommates unite!

As the concert ended...

And because this post wouldn't be complete without some food... Here's what I ate for lunch today. Pre-baked sweet potato, half of a grilled chicken breast, orange bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes. Super easy. And a bit more starch than I needed since I didn't workout today, but it'll do in a pinch.

Whole 30 - Day 28

Man do I love lazy Sundays. It took me a little bit of time to fall asleep last night due to what I'm attributing to a dehydration headache and the after-effects of a day of physical exertion. And I'm pretty sure my shoulder is bruised from carrying boats around yesterday. So I dealt with roughly 20 minutes of muscle soreness and headaches and then slept solidly for 9 hours, waking up at 8. It was glorious. I then relocated to the couch where I promptly started watching movies and knitting. I snacked on some unsulfured, sugar-free dried mango and some roasted, unsalted pistachios, finally making myself an actual meal around 4. It ended up being almost the same as Friday's post (Whole 30 - Day 26: http://adventurepaleo.blogspot.com/2013/09/whole-30-day-26.html), though I didn't add any mixed greens or cabbage to the egg scramble. Here it is...

Orange Bell Pepper and Asparagus Scramble

1/2 orange pepper, chopped

12 stalks asparagus, bottom inch cut off, then cut into thirds

1/2 chicken breast, grilled, then sliced/shredded

2 eggs

1 Tbls ghee

salt and pepper

1. Heat ghee in pan over medium-low heat (I used setting 4 on my stove).

2. Add the asparagus and pepper to the pan, cooking until soft. Sprinkle a couple shakes of salt and pepper to the pan.

3. Add the pre-cooked chicken to the pan (just to warm the chicken.

4. Whisk the eggs, then add to pan.

5. Cook for 3 minutes or until eggs are thoroughly cooked. Stir often.

Whole 30 - Day 25

I dragged myself out of bed at 5:25 yesterday morning. My alarm had gone off at 5:15, but I guess I snoozed it twice before my brain really kicked on. I had the same thing happen today, but it took me 20 minutes to finally wake up from the alarms. I hate that groggy feeling in the morning. I really need to start going to bed earlier. I've been pretty forthcoming with my friends and family that I have a 9 p.m. "Go to Bed" alarm, but lately I seem to be ignoring it. Part of the problem stems from the fact that I'm not getting home until 8 p.m. and it's really difficult to shower/get ready for bed, cook, and eat, and then rush to sleep. I'm really not a fan of eating immediately before bed. It kind of seems like a waste. You're fueling your body to sleep? Seems strange to me. Plus, after eating your body will send blood to your digestive system instead of throughout your extremities, and sleep is the perfect time for your body to focus on itself and repairing any damage done to it throughout the day, such as a really tough workout.

Sleep helps to:

1. Improve memory

2. Increase metabolism and weight loss

3. Improve your mood

4. Improve your cardiovascular health

5. Fight illness (everyone knows when you're run down, you're more likely to catch a cold)

6. Improve alertness

Harvard Health Publications: Importance of Sleep : Six Reasons Not to Scrimp on Sleep, Jan 2006. http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/importance_of_sleep_and_health

And though this isn't evidence from any particular study, one of my co-workers told me that while he was being very dedicated about tracking his calories, he always seemed to gain weight during the week when he was averaging 4 hours of sleep per night. However, he consistently lost weight over the weekend when he was sleeping 7 hours per night. So at least extra sleep works for one person's weight loss.

If you're snacking right before bed, it's probably not as healthy as if you were preparing and consuming a healthy balanced meal, so it's possible that you're consuming a lot of calories. Late-night eating can also cause trouble falling or staying asleep, though if you haven't eaten all day, some food (again, a few hours before bed) may help you sleep better so you don't lay in bed thinking about how hungry you are.

From what I've read, you should eat at least two hours before bedtime. In other words, I should be finishing up my dinner in the middle of my Krav Maga classes or my evening rowing practice. Somehow, I don't think that pulling out my steak knife to dive into a juicy sirloin is really going to work so well during Krav or while rowing. Though I guess we could use the knife for practicing blocks in Krav. It would make Krav a lot more intense and if you mess up once, you won't be messing up again, though you may also be out for the rest of class due to profuse bleeding... just maybe.

Baked Chicken and Veggies

2 lb grass-few chicken breast tenders

1/2 bag frozen Brussels sprouts

1/2 bag frozen artichokes

3 stalks carrots, roughly chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp oregano

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Microwave the Brussels sprouts and artichokes to thaw them (30 sec - 1 min). Pat dry with paper towel to remove excess water.

3. Toss everything into an oven safe baking dish, stir, and cover with a lid.

4. Put into hot oven for 35 - 40 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked, but not dry.

Whole 30 - Day 19

So far this week, I've been physically active every day. On Monday I started off the day with a 6 a.m. row with my one of my double's partners for next week's regatta, followed by the club row at 7:30 a.m. On Tuesday evening, I went to Krav Maga. On Wednesday, I had another practice with my double partner, and on Thursday, I had an even club row. Today, I spent some time on the erg practicing for my regatta next week. It's been a lot of rowing for one week, and my hands are complaining. During last night's row, I got two fresh blisters that ripped open during the row, and one of those ripped-open blisters got a blister beneath it. Yep, my blister got a blister. Yikes. Anyways, despite my hands being a bit tender, it was a good week. It's nice to remind myself that I enjoy working out so much. If I could, I'd spend hours every day working out. Remember, endorphins make you happy, and I could always use more happy in my life.

Last night after crew practice, I threw together some Hot Wing Chicken Wraps. Here's how it went a 1-person serving.

3 slices of chicken breast (from the whole chicken I cooked the other day), ripped into small pieces

1 Tbls hot sauce (Franks or Tabasco)

1 tsp ghee

1. Melt the ghee in a large bowl in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.

2. Once melted, stir in the hot sauce.

3. Add the shredded chicken. Toss until well coated.

4. If the chicken isn't already hot, then heat on the stove.

5. Place on large leaves of lettuce. Wrap. Eat.

Whole 30 - Day 16

Want an easy and inexpensive family meal? Go for a roast chicken. It's one of the least expensive options and it can easily feed your family. Oh, you're single? Join the club, and congrats! You now have enough chicken to last you for the next few days. I've posted recipes for roasting a whole chicken in the past, but here we go again. Slight variation from what I made when I went to Atlanta in April for my family's first round of chemo, so here you go.

Crispy Roast Chicken

1 whole chicken ~5-6 lb

2 small lemons, cut in half

1/2 bunch of thyme

salt and pepper - I used roughly equal portions, probably 2 Tbls each

3 Tbls olive oil

1 onion, halved and sliced

4 carrots, cut into 1" pieces

3 stalks celery, cut into 2" pieces

1 leek, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 425 F and set rack in the middle of the oven - if you have two racks in the middle, pick the upper one.

2. Thoroughly rinse the inside and outside of the chicken. Pat dry.

3. Sprinkle the entire inside and outside of the bird with salt and pepper. Rub in with your hands.

4. Make two small slices in the skin near the legs, and use your fingers to rub salt and pepper under the skin.

5. Stuff the inside of the bird with the thyme and three of the lemon halves.

6. Spread olive oil over the outside of the bird, rubbing it in (of course).

7. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper, and rub into the skin, yet again.

8. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the bird to get some lemon flavor on the outside. Use a zester to add lemon zest to the outside of the bird.
9. Put the bird into a roasting pan if you have one, breast side down. If not, you can use a lasagna pan. 

10. Surround the bird with the onion, carrots, celery, and leek. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a little bit of thyme if you have any leftover.

11. Cook for one hour, then flip over the bird. Use a baster to remove some of the liquid to a leftover glass jar. Remove the veggies from the tray.

12. Cook for another 30 minutes, then remove more of the liquid from the pan. Flip the bird over again, and cook for another 10 minutes. This is mainly to get the skin crispy and brown. Congrats, you're done.

Whole 30 - Day 3

Baked Herb Chicken

1-2 lb chicken breast tenders

1 Tbls lemon juice

1 Tbls olive oil

2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp oregano

pinch of salt and pepper

1. Place all of the ingredients, other than chicken in a plastic bag. Seal and shake to combine.

2. Add the chicken to the bag and place in the fridge, allowing it to sit for a couple hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the chicken in a baking dish and bake for 8 minutes on each side. Check to make sure the chicken is fully cooked.

I ate some of this chicken yesterday in a salad, which just happened to be a red and green salad. As I ate it I was thinking it was a Christmas-colored salad. It must be the fact that I was just in Atlanta over the weekend where the weather was rainy and 65 degrees Fahrenheit and it felt like autumn. Obviously, my calendar has sped up and I'm already a few months ahead of schedule.

Christmas-Colored Chicken Salad

1 strip of Baked Herb Chicken

1/4 cup chopped red pepper

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup chopped cucumber

handful of grape tomatoes

2 cups mixed greens

What I'm absolutely loving these last few days is "Red Hands" by Walk Off the Earth. The music video is awesome, too. Check it out.

Here's the uncut version:

And the final product:

21DSD Day 7 - Paleo Chili

Slow Cooker Paleo Chili
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
24 oz. can of diced tomatoes

2 cups beef broth

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 poblano pepper
1 jalapeno

1 small yellow onion

2 Tbls parsley, chopped

1 Tbls cumin

1 Tbls chili powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1. Toss everything together into the crock pot. Set for low - 8 hours. And you're done. (Don't you just love it when there's only one step? At least after you chop everything.)

21DSD Day 4 - Temptation

So I didn't manage to get this posted last night... forgive me?

Anyways, last night was probably the most I've been tempted to break the 21DSD/Whole 30 so far. I got out of my training session early so I made it on time to a happy hour in honor of one of my co-workers leaving my company and moving a few miles down the road to a different company. And do you know how lame it is to go to a happy hour and not drink? Super lame. It was fine at first, but as the evening wore on and everyone around me was drinking, it became not as much fun for me. I stayed strong against peer pressure, but it ended up with me heading home early.

Dijon Mustard Chicken

1 lb chicken breast, chopped into ~ 1" pieces
1 Tbls olive oil
1 and 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup water

1. Once you've cut the chicken, place it in a Ziploc bag with the olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, and dried basil. Let sit in the fridge for a couple hours.
2. Heat a tsp of a fat of your choice (olive oil, coconut oil, bacon fat) over medium heat in a pan. Toss in the chicken breast, cooking until done.
3. Add in the Dijon mustard, water, and lemon juice, stirring to combine. Let the mustard mix bubble around the chicken until it's reduced down to your desired consistency.

21DSD Day 2 - Chicken, Spinach, and Artichoke Frittata

Chicken, Spinach, and Artichoke Frittata

6 eggs

2 Tbls ghee

1 Tbls olive oil

1/2 cup diced artichoke hearts

1 cup frozen chopped spinach

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 lb chicken breast, diced

1 leek, green and white parts, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Heat 2 Tbls ghee over medium-low heat in a pan. Once melted, add in the sliced leeks. These will cook while the frittata is cooking.

3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in an oven-safe pan. Once hot, toss in the chicken and cook until thoroughly cooked.

4. When the chicken is cooked, add in the artichokes, spinach, garlic salt and pepper, cooking until thawed.

5. Whisk the eggs and pour into the pan with the chicken, spinach, and artichokes. Cook for about 5 minutes until the eggs on the bottom have solidified a bit. (Pssst... Don't forget to stir the leeks)

6. Transfer the pan to the oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until the entire concoction has solidified. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes. By this time the leeks should have caramelized. Serve with a topping of leeks.

Chemo - Part 9 - Day 8

This morning I woke up at 5 am to get ready to drive back to Texas. I took the dogs outside and continued to pack up my car. At around 5:45 am, my parent walked into the hallway and was not looking so good, so we made the decision for me to stay in Atlanta for an extra day. I brought my suitcase back into the house, headed up to my old bedroom, and climbed back into bed. I didn't go back to sleep though. Maybe because of the lack of sleep, we haven't done too much today. I've been trying to catch up on work emails from the past week. Unfortunately my mailbox is so full that I can't even send emails. No good.

On the bright side, today was better than the previous two days. Things get worse as the day goes on though. Maybe it's just because of getting tired throughout the day, despite a few naps/lie-downs. We did go for a short walk today (just part of the way down our street), so that's really good! And we've been pushing fluids today (I even managed to gulp down over 5 L of water), which is almost always recommended by doctors for well, almost everything.

I was out of the house for a little while this evening. I met up with my friend Darby for gluten-free pizza at Mellow Mushroom (Yes, this is the place I rave about every once and a while!). Then, I swung by LF's house to return the dress that she let me borrow for Steeplechase on Saturday. In the two hours that I was gone, we hit a fever of 101.5 F and were applying ice packs and cold washcloths to cool down. When I last checked about 5 minutes ago, the temperature was down to 98.7 F.

The plan is to return to Texas in the morning. So let's hope all goes well tonight. And to finish off, here's part of the results from my day of cooking and cleaning on Sunday...

Chicken Broth
2 chicken carcasses (from 5-lb chickens)
1 onion, cut into eighths, and layers peeled apart
5 carrots, scrubbed, peeled, and cut into ~ 2" pieces
4 stalks celery, scrubbed and cut into ~2" pieces
10 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled, but whole
sprinkle with black pepper
water



1. If you have a whole roasted chicken, pull the meat from the bone and save for a different recipe. It's fine if some meat remains on the bones. Place the bones in your slow-cooker.

2. Toss in the chopped veggies and seasonings.

3. Fill water up to the brim of the slow cooker. Cover and set on low for 8 hours. Stir occasionally.

4. Use a large strainer to remove the bones, veggies, and herbs. Then pour through a cheese cloth to remove all of the little remaining bits.

5. Cool in the fridge before attempting to freeze.

Chicken broth is good for constipation, dehydration, fatigue, nausea, sore mouth, and difficulty swallowing. It's easy for your body to digest and is generally rich in minerals since it's made from bones. For that reason, it also provides iron.

Chemo - Part 3 - Day 2

Today was pretty similar to yesterday's visit to the doctor, except that we got an actual room and I knitted instead of blogging. Yes folks, I knit. I find it relaxing. We were only at the doctor for two and a half hours today. I guess things go faster once you get the procedure down. Things are going well so far - a bit more tired, but overall still staying active (we took the dogs for two walks today - the dogs are out cold right now because they're so worn out). Fingers crossed that things continue to go well.

Now to food... While I was at Whole Foods the other day I picked up a chicken to cook and make chicken broth out of (recipe to come). Because my co-worker BA was so unhappy with me for using a whole chicken to make my last chicken broth instead of using just the bones, I decided to follow his advice and roast the chicken first. Here's what I did for the roast chicken:

Roast Chicken

1 5-lb chicken
Inside the chicken
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 lemon, cut in half
1 head garlic (yes, the whole head), with the outer layers peeled and cut in half
Outside the chicken
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tbls olive oil
1 onion, sliced (~3/8" thickness)
6 carrots, cut into large chunks
2 bags of Brussels sprouts, rinsed and trimmed
1 bulb fennel
Both inside and outside
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Remove the giblets/whatever they're called from the inside of the chicken. Rinse both the inside and outside of the chicken, and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle salt and pepper inside the chicken. Stuff the chicken with the thyme, lemon, and garlic. Use kitchen string/twine to tie the legs together, or use something like the metal prongs that I found in one of my parents' kitchen drawers to skewer the poor thing closed. Rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil so that the chicken is thoroughly coated, then rub with salt and pepper. Don't be stingy.

Spread the carrots, Brussels sprouts, onion, fennel, and thyme in the roasting pan. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Make a hole in the center of the veggies and position the chicken in the opening. Place the roasting pan in the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the inside of the chicken reaches 170 F with a meat thermometer.

Remove the chicken from the roasting pan and transfer to a platter, covering with tinfoil. Let rest for 20 minutes.

Then cut and serve. It's so yummy!

I also want to point out that this is the first time that I've ever cooked a whole chicken. Or whole anything for that matter. The last time I had to deal with a whole raw bird was Thanksgiving three and a half years ago. My parents had come out to Texas with the dogs to celebrate with me. My mom took charge of the bird and called me over to help out at the sink. I tried. I really tried, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't reach inside to pull out the giblets and whatnot. I actually shrank away... I was too chicken (yes, that horrible pun was intended).

However, thanks to Paleo and my need to eat meat, I've learned to handle raw meat, in particular raw poultry (I'm still working on fish). So when I roasted this chicken, I passed with flying colors, though I washed my hands like 15 times over the course of prepping the chicken. So I'm a bit crazy about germs right now... or technically always... it just means that I'm a safe chef, right? You're welcome, kitchen counters and bottle of olive oil for keeping you clean.

Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers

I had an open can of chipotle peppers from the Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes I made the other day, so I decided to use a few more of the peppers. I also happened to stop by Sam's Club after work last Friday and found mini sweet bell peppers, and I stopped at the Whole Foods on the way home from crew practice and bought pasture-raised split chicken breast. And so I decided to combine the results of my grocery shopping sprees.

Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers

1 lb chicken breast, pasture-raised, grass-fed (Paleo)
2 1/2 cup spinach, thoroughly rinsed and dried
1/3 + 1 Tbls cup olive oil
2 Tbls lime juice
5 small cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1/4 onion, chopped (you can use more if you like, but I don't really like onion)
3 chipotle peppers, minced
3 tsp adobo sauce (the sauce that the canned chipotle peppers come in)
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
20 mini peppers (you can only see 14 in the photo, but trust me, you'll make enough for 20)
1 quart-sized Ziploc bag

1. Chop 4 cloves of garlic and the chipotle peppers. Put into a small bowl and mix with 1/3 cup olive oil, lime juice, oregano, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
2. Place your chicken breast into the Ziploc bag and add 2 Tbls of the mixture. Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
3. While the chicken sits, chop off the tops of the mini peppers, and scrap out the seeds and fleshy insides. Set aside.

4. After the chicken has soaked in the chipotle seasoning for a couple hours, heat the oven to 350 F. Cook the chicken for 20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to let the chicken cool.

5. While the chicken cools, heat 1 Tbls olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and 1 clove of garlic, minced. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the spinach and wilt the spinach.
6. After the chicken has cooled, shred with your hands. Add into the pan with the onions, garlic, and spinach. Mix in the remaining sauce. Cook for another few minutes until the sauce has been absorbed into the chicken.
7. Stuff the mini peppers with the chicken mix and spread on a tin foil-lined baking sheet. Place the pan into the oven and cook for 20 minutes at 350 F.

Which is worse: gluten or dairy?

My friends (BK and DK) and I went to a basketball game last night. As you can see, I wore my glasses so that I could actually see what was happening on the court. The most exciting part of last night was that we magically got upgraded from our level 4 seats to level 1. And by magic I mean that as we were riding the escalator up to the 4th floor, a guy on the escalator (who works for the team) asked us if we wanted better seats. We said yes. We got new tickets, and all was well with the world.

Anyways, I got myself a G&T and was Paleo-bad and ordered a buffalo chicken tender basket. Surprisingly there was a separate  "restaurant" for gluten-free food available, but most of it was hot dogs (I shudder at the meat) and cheese-covered options. And for me, I choose gluten headaches over dairy-induced stomach cramps.

I often wonder which is worse for me, and I'm not really sure. I know that I react poorly to both, but overall it's a person-by-person sort of decision. I fell like every time I eat dairy, it's with gluten, but no necessarily the other way around. So if I have to pick one or the other, I choose gluten, plus I love bread. Though a lot of Paleo people out there would say gluten is worse.  What's your thoughts on the matter?

(Of course after I got my food, I realized that there was a salad place just past the gluten one. I smacked myself in the head for that smart move. Note to self: put on glasses when looking at things far away.)

I'm being healthy at work though. Here's what I ate for lunch today:

Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (recipe to come soon), Thrive Brussels Sprouts, and salad with carrots, celery, and a hard-boiled egg.

My snacks for this week have been: celery, carrots, plantain chips, roasted unsalted pistachios, bananas, oranges, and almond butter.

Whole 30 - Paleo Thanksgiving

I returned to the grand state of Texas on Friday night. On Saturday, I couldn't stop from weighing myself. And I'm happy to report that I'm one of the few people who lost weight over Thanksgiving break. I know most people would say that it's because I cut out carbs, but that's not really true. The main thing that changed last week was cutting out alcohol and chocolate.

On Saturday night, my friends, LMR, LD, DD, and I held a Paleo Thanksgiving. LD was in town from Oklahoma and he also does Paleo. Yay for another friend who follows Paleo. Our dinner menu consisted of chicken with homemade Paleo cranberry sauce (courtesy of DD), roasted Brussels sprouts (LMR), and mashed cauliflower (DD). So it was almost identical to my Thanksgiving dinner.

But LMR sets a much fancier table than my paper plate Thanksgiving...

I made the non-Paleo chocolate chip bars because Laura requested that I make the extremely non-Paleo pumpkin trifle from a few weeks back, but then I ran out of time and forgot to get more pudding mix. So I regret to report that I did not stick to Paleo/Whole 30 for the evening. I did eat some of the pumpkin bars. Judge away. I'm judging myself. And wishing I could take it back. But it made me feel better that my Paleo friend went a bit crazy on those bars. They're just THAT good.

I'm also realizing that my version of Paleo is much stricter than others. The mashed cauliflower was made with a LOT of heavy whipping cream, which I normally wouldn't have. Also, I think LMR put some Parmesan cheese on the Brussels sprouts. And I ate some of the pumpkin chocolate chip bars - I felt bad contributing something that I wouldn't eat. So basically, the only thing that I would have eaten if I was following strict Paleo would be the chicken. I didn't want to be rude, so I relaxed my rules a little bit. I'm back on though. Definitely.

Whole 30 - Thanksgiving

So my family really likes Crock-pots. We're from the Midwest... it's a thing. We love us some Crock-pots.

And here's my Thanksgiving plate: Turkey, ham, mashed cauliflower, and roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon. And I drank chamomile tea almost constantly for the last few days.

Shortly after eating, my cold took over and I fell asleep on the couch, with my head on my father's shoulder while watching a football game. He fell asleep, too. And his snoring woke me up. Thanksgiving Day was not a good one for my cold. But tea made my throat feel better.

On Friday, my family celebrates Christmas (a.k.a. Thankmas). My uncle's family (kids, grandchildren, and great grandchildren) all gather for Thanksgiving, and it makes more sense for them to celebrate Christmas at the same time so that they don't have to travel to the same place twice within a month. Starting Thursday night, Thanksgiving decorations start getting switched out for Christmas ones. And on Friday, we go for Scandinavian foods, like pickled herring and Swedish meatballs. Though I didn't eat the meatballs, because they come in a cream-based sauce. It was killing me, trust me. I love Swedish meatballs. They're delicious!

Whole Foods Dinner

Go USA Women Soccer Team! Gold medal! Woo hoo!

As I'm sure most of you know, Whole Foods is pretty awesome. The store provides a wider selection of grass-fed meats as well as organic foods, some of which is local. However, there are some disappointing things about Whole Foods. Their pre-made dishes tend to have tons of hidden surprises for us Paleo followers. Just so you know.

Despite this, LMR and I met up at her local Whole Foods to grab some dinner and head back to her place for former-roomie bonding time. I picked up some plantain chips (I've been craving them lately), some super dark chocolate, as well as some Hatch Chile Chicken Salad, a grilled chicken breast, and some sauteed kale.

My dinner plate ended up like this: