Rainbow Curry Recipe

Wow, so many LIKES on my Curry Dish I just had to share the recipe. Although it isn't much to share it is that EASY! I am also including the 21 Day Fix portions to make it even easier.

Makes 2 servings
Veggies - 2 cups (2 GREENS) of what you have on hand. I used purple onions & red, orange and yellow peppers.
Coconut Oil - 1 teaspoon
1/2 can Coconut milk (2 BLUES)
1 1/2 Cup (2 REDS) precooked protein of choice. I like grilled chicken or white fish.
2 teaspoon Curry powder
Optional: Spinach - 2 Handfuls

Heat skillet to medium with coconut oil. Add veggies and cook until tender about 2-5 minutes. Add protein to warm. Add coconut milk and curry powder. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes. If adding spinach add right before serving and cook until wilted.

You can also add more with a serving a couscous or rice (1 YELLOW) or rice cauliflower (1 GREEN).

ENJOY!

Training for Runs without Carbs - My Story

A lot of people in my running group would consider me crazy but I started doing my Whole30ish/Food Trigger Detox program right at the beginning of my half marathon and marathon walk training. Last year I gained 7 pounds when I did my training because I let myself eat granola bars filled with sugar on my runs and then would eat to my heart content when I got back. This year I want to focus on doing this to make me feel good while I was training and the reason why I am focusing so much on how I fuel myself.

Because I am doing so much running/walking I am really careful about making sure I do get enough fuel and especially those carb filled vegetables that have so much of the good stuff in it. So far into week 3 of my plan I have had summer squash. Spaghetti squash, beets, sweet and white potatoes to support me.

You do have to think outside the box sometimes to make sure you are getting in the right food. This morning before my early run I had a hard boiled egg and sweet potato soup with coconut milk in it. During runs I drink HYDRATE and carry a dried fruit bar for additional fuel as needed (only on runs 6 miles or longer). After my run I had a RECOVER Protein Shake, omelet with summer squash topped with salsa and avocado and watermelon.

Week 2 I felt the effects of low energy as my body adjusted to this new way of eating but overall it hasn't effected my run times. Week 3 I feel much better. Although I haven't weighed myself since I started and I am not plannign to until after my half marathon I am feeling lighter which makes running even easier.

Interested in learning how to fuel yourself right, how to do a Food Trigger Detox program or to learn about the products I use email me at sarah@lifestyleforward.com.

Not your Grandma's Tuna "Noodle" Casserole

Peas are not something I usually eat but I was looking forward to shelling the farm fresh version and eating them up. The first thing that pops into my head for peas is tuna noodle casserole which again is not something I typically eat but given the challenge I wanted to see if I could come up with a healthy 21 day fix version.

 

I have been wanting to try a version of cashew cream for a while now. It sounded like a great way to get the same texture of cream but in a healthy version. And I was right tha like tofa the "cream" takes  the flavor of what you put into it. I made savory for this recipe but also a sweet version with maple syrup and cinnamun.  The recipe turned out great and even my toddler was begging for more. That is when you know a recipe isa keeper .

 

Not your Grandma's Tuna "Noodle" Casserole
Makes 2-3 servings

 

1/4 cup cashews soaked

1/4 to 1/2 cup water (and more as needed)
1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Garlic

1 packet/can tuna (Drain if needed)

1 cup cooked peas

Zucchini for noodles

 

Soak Cashews overnight or for at least 3 hours. Rinse and drain then combine in blender with water until smooth. Add Olive oil and garlic and blend again.

 

Make zucchini noodles. Toss cream with peas, tuna and noodles. Heat until warm on stove top or microwave.

 

21 Day Fix: 2 Green, 1 Blue, 1 Red

Fighting the CSA - Taking down the Spinach, Herbs and Zucchini

I am into Week 3 of my half share CSA and although I love the fresh produce it is a battle to keep up with everything that I get. This week the box seemed to be getting bigger and I am getting scared, but I spent today fighting hard trying to take it down.

Breakfast - Most days I start out with my Shakeology. It is easy to fix and I love that I can throw in some spinach to add to the nutritional value. Green is the new Pink. Handful of Spinach Blended. Boom!

Breakfast #2 - What can I say I like to eat. I usually have a bigger snack/ second breakfast in the morning to keep me going. Today it was an omelet with sautéed zucchini, garlic scrapes and spinach. 3 down. Bam, Bam, Bam!




Baking Time - I had time today to bake some things while I worked from home so I gave these 2 recipes a try. Muffins came out awesome, the chocolate bread a little dry. Zucchini shredded and taken down!

Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Lunch - A little later than usually because I may have done a little too much taste testing with my baked goods : ). I had some left over spaghetti squash so I made up some pesto using the huge bag of basil leaves and topped it with Mahi-Mahi.

Paleo Pesto (I used Walnuts)

Dinner - Really wanted Homemade Chicken nuggets. Paired it with a spinach salad and these zucchini parmesan fries. Also roasted up the beets I got to use on salads and for my famous beet berry smoothie (you either love it or hate it).

Zucchini Parmesan Fries

Beet Berry Spinach Smoothie

At the end of the day I am feeling full and happy but face more challenges in the days ahead. My fridge is busting at the seems with lettuce, dill and peas so I will continue on my journey until every vegetable is taken down!

Joining the CSA – Dare to be Adventurous

I have been thinking about joining a CSA for a while now but just couldn’t get myself to sign up. Since this year my life is focusing around the one Word CHANGE, I decided this summer it was time to take the leap of faith and give it a try. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. A farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

 Here are the reasons I wanted to give it a try:

Fresh Produce
Let’s face it, it doesn’t get much fresher then right from the farm. Since I was born with a black thumb and lack of patience to grow my own garden this seems to be a good answer. I also have found it very confusing to find the right from the farm products at grocery stores and produce stands now. You really have to ask questions to make sure it is right from the farm or if it was trucked in from somewhere else.

Food Adventure
With a CSA you have an idea of what is going to be available that week but you don’t know exactly what you get until you get it. It sounded like a great way to force me to try some new veggies and ways to cook up my old favorites since I will be eating them a lot.

Forced to Eat my Veggies
Because I am also super cheap I am hoping that instead of letting my veggies go bad each week I will be forced to eat them. Eating more veggies can only be a good thing.

For my CSA this year I have loved what I have gotten so far. I am making a lot of salads, omelets and smoothies to use up the amble supplies of vegetables I am given each week. It has given a little more structure to my weekly meal plans because I plan our meals around what we are given.

Ideally you want to start a CSA at the beginning of a growing season (Spring, Summer or Winter) but many farms let you sign up during the season for a prorated fee. I encourage you to give it a try for one season and see if it changes your eating and shopping habits. 

Why I went Paleo

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes with Nuts and Bacon, Oh My!

Normally I am not a big fan of fad or extreme diets. I like to stick to clean eating and portion control to keep my body in check. But recently talk of the paleo diet as occurred between friends and family and I decided I would give it a go. My usual diet is pretty close to it anyways but I was finding lately it has been more dirty than clean. I set up a 21 day challenge group and recruited a mix of paleo virgins and more experienced players to the group. It was fun to learn from each other and I know the challenge setup would keep me honest.

The first few days went pretty well. I kept to the basic rules and even gave up coffee. I wasn't hungry because I let myself eat whoever I wanted as long as it was paleo. The key was planning ahead and trying some new dishes to keep things interesting like:
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Butternut Squash Soup
Almond Milk

The hardest part for me was the coffee. I was feeling tired and sluggish. By day seven I caved and I felt so much better with my first sip.

Week two went pretty well except I felt myself slowly getting thicker. Lack of portion control and too many paleo treats did it. Also I was eating too many nuts and bacon.  Some of the treats included:
Almond Butter Banana Muffins
Paleo Granola
Date Bars
Chia seed pudding

By week three I had enough. The lack of variety and my sugar cravings got ahold of me. I ended the challenge weighing the same and not feeling any different. In the end I felt that the diet has some good key features for people to help focus on the clean eating but not enough variety for me.