Look at that, I'm blogging two days in a row! Go me.
These next two weeks are going to be kind of strange, and hopefully not busy outside of work. We've got some CRAZY changes happening at work. I mean, we already did when we switched databases, but now that we have such a ginormous backlog of work to get through, all the managers are scrambling, trying to figure out how we can get all the work done. I feel like the instructions change every hour! But they are figuring it out, and I'm glad to help out any way I can.
I'm also glad that, for the next two weeks, we get to work overtime!! Big, fat paycheck for me. Well, a little fatter anyway. Unfortunately, it also means that I get home so much later, and my already short evenings will be cut in half.
Also? Today? I was so glad to get home and see Art, because I missed him (I'm quite attached to him, you know). And the minute I walk in the door, he's about to leave to go to a Bible study! To be fair, it was a last-minute invitation, so he wasn't really prepared either. So here I am, alone with my small, cold dinner, blogging, and avoiding a totally-not-intimidating small pile of dishes.
I'm happy for him, though. And it's only fair. I just joined a women's Bible study that meets every Tuesday evening. So I think he's allowed to attend a men's Bible study every Monday evening. And we'll both make more friends, and get our respective, much needed girl time and guy time.
He's also taking a class at the local community college every Wednesday evening, so that's three evenings that we won't see much of each other, plus all this overtime that I'll be doing. But the overtime is only for 2 weeks. And all this missing each other will just make our evenings together so much sweeter!
On a bit more serious note, will you remember to pray for Art's mom? She had a stroke on Saturday night. We still don't know what happened, other than I guess she figured out something was wrong, called 911, and has been in the hospital ever since. But at least she's relatively okay (we hope). They're doing tests, and other than that, we haven't heard much of anything.
Thankfully, Art's siblings are both there with her, and Art's dad's weekend is from Sunday to Wednesday, so he's around to take care of her these first few days as well. We're just praying that she'll bounce back from this, and that there won't be any permanent damage.
Anyway, I should probably be a little bit productive this evening, before Art gets home. I also need to get to bed at a decent hour. We still haven't done that since our holidays!
January 11, 2010
January 10, 2010
Paleo Pizza and Paleo Pie
Yesterday was such a good day. Art and I decided to make dinner together, and we made a healthy dinner that was still delicious. Yes, pizza and pie can be healthy! I will tell you how.
We use blanched (skinless) almond flour instead of wheat flour. Almonds are a great source of fat, and they won't cause an insulin spike because they contain very little carbohydrates. They're also just delicious. Click here, here, here, here, or here to purchase blanched almond flour in bulk.
Here is how we made our super healthy delicious pizza crust:
-2 cups almond flour
-2 eggs
-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 tsp salt.
If you want, you can leave out the salt completely. We found that even with that little amount, we could taste the salt. I think I'll leave it out next time. Now, the only complaint I have with almond flour is that I have had trouble coming up with a good consistency. I find that almond flour it doesn't hold together as well, but it certainly won't deter me.
So you've got your dough, just roll it out onto whatever you want to bake your pizza on. You can make the crust quite thin, because almond flour is quite dense. It might not look like much pizza, but I promise: it WILL fill you up.
Bake the crust at 350 for 15 minutes, then add your tomato sauce (we made our own with canned tomato paste, water, oregano, and garlic powder), meat, vegetables, and shredded cheese. Bake that for 15 more minutes, and you're ready to enjoy healthy pizza!
Oh, two side notes:
1.When using chicken or beef on the pizza, cook the meat before you put it on the pizza. We used pre-sliced deli ham last night, so that's definitely an option.
2.Be sure to grease the pan that you will be using. We have forgotten to do this twice now, and the crust stuck to the pan, and we had the joy of scraping it off.
Now for the apple pie! Here is the recipe for the crust:
-1.5 cups of almond flour
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-1/4 grapeseed oil (it's sweeter than olive oil or butter or shortening, healthier, and can withstand higher baking temps)
-2 tbsp agave nectar (we use this as our sweetener instead of sugar. It's natural, and lower on the glycemic index, so again, it won't cause an insulin spike)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, then add one to the other. Because I made an apple pie last night, I also added 1 tsp of cinnamon to the crust mixture. I thought it would add an interesting element. Press the dough into a pie pan, and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. You might want to put foil around the edge so that the edge of the crust doesn't burn.
Depending what kind of pie you are baking, you could double the recipe and set half of it aside for the top crust, like I did.
For the filling, I made it up on the spot, so these are my best guesses at measurements:
-2 apples, sliced and diced
-1 tsp cinnamon
-a pinch of nutmeg
-a pinch of cloves.
-2 tbsp agave nectar (to sweeten them a little bit, and to make sure that they wouldn't dry out when they baked. You could probably add more agave nectar if you wanted to)
Pour the mixture into the baked bottom crust. You could roll out the second crust and put it on top, or crumble it over the top like I did. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Then take the foil off and bake for about 10 more minutes. Cool and enjoy!
So there you go. No unhealthy sugar, no unhealthy carbohydrates, no unhealthy fat. Still delicious and filling. Like I said, healthy eating doesn't have to be boring. It doesn't have to feel like punishment. It should be interesting, fun, delicious, and totally possible.
We use blanched (skinless) almond flour instead of wheat flour. Almonds are a great source of fat, and they won't cause an insulin spike because they contain very little carbohydrates. They're also just delicious. Click here, here, here, here, or here to purchase blanched almond flour in bulk.
Here is how we made our super healthy delicious pizza crust:
-2 cups almond flour
-2 eggs
-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 tsp salt.
If you want, you can leave out the salt completely. We found that even with that little amount, we could taste the salt. I think I'll leave it out next time. Now, the only complaint I have with almond flour is that I have had trouble coming up with a good consistency. I find that almond flour it doesn't hold together as well, but it certainly won't deter me.
So you've got your dough, just roll it out onto whatever you want to bake your pizza on. You can make the crust quite thin, because almond flour is quite dense. It might not look like much pizza, but I promise: it WILL fill you up.
Bake the crust at 350 for 15 minutes, then add your tomato sauce (we made our own with canned tomato paste, water, oregano, and garlic powder), meat, vegetables, and shredded cheese. Bake that for 15 more minutes, and you're ready to enjoy healthy pizza!
Oh, two side notes:
1.When using chicken or beef on the pizza, cook the meat before you put it on the pizza. We used pre-sliced deli ham last night, so that's definitely an option.
2.Be sure to grease the pan that you will be using. We have forgotten to do this twice now, and the crust stuck to the pan, and we had the joy of scraping it off.
Now for the apple pie! Here is the recipe for the crust:
-1.5 cups of almond flour
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-1/4 grapeseed oil (it's sweeter than olive oil or butter or shortening, healthier, and can withstand higher baking temps)
-2 tbsp agave nectar (we use this as our sweetener instead of sugar. It's natural, and lower on the glycemic index, so again, it won't cause an insulin spike)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, then add one to the other. Because I made an apple pie last night, I also added 1 tsp of cinnamon to the crust mixture. I thought it would add an interesting element. Press the dough into a pie pan, and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. You might want to put foil around the edge so that the edge of the crust doesn't burn.
Depending what kind of pie you are baking, you could double the recipe and set half of it aside for the top crust, like I did.
For the filling, I made it up on the spot, so these are my best guesses at measurements:
-2 apples, sliced and diced
-1 tsp cinnamon
-a pinch of nutmeg
-a pinch of cloves.
-2 tbsp agave nectar (to sweeten them a little bit, and to make sure that they wouldn't dry out when they baked. You could probably add more agave nectar if you wanted to)
Pour the mixture into the baked bottom crust. You could roll out the second crust and put it on top, or crumble it over the top like I did. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Then take the foil off and bake for about 10 more minutes. Cool and enjoy!
So there you go. No unhealthy sugar, no unhealthy carbohydrates, no unhealthy fat. Still delicious and filling. Like I said, healthy eating doesn't have to be boring. It doesn't have to feel like punishment. It should be interesting, fun, delicious, and totally possible.
January 2, 2010
New Year's (and Every Year's) Resolutions
I was thinking of doing a month-by-month recap of 2009 like some of you have done, but I'm too excited about this next year, so I'm going to write about that instead. I have a few resolutions, and for the first time in my life, I can actually see myself accomplishing them. Probably because these have been goals of mine for a while, and I just happen to be starting them in the new year.
The first goal has to do with finances. Art and I purchased the Financial Peace University kit (by Dave Ramsey), and we did our first session today. We already read the book, but now we're actually going to go through the steps. This guy is a genius. Everybody should go through it. FPU teaches you how to budget, save for emergencies, pay off debt, invest, save for big purchases, buy everything with cash, and retire with plenty of money. It's better to start young (and hopefully before you get into overwhelming debt) but if you're middle aged or older, it's not too late.
Our first piece of homework was to write out a general budget. He provides a form and everything. It's sobering to see those numbers on paper, but at least I know where we're at.
Anyway, I guess my financial resolution for 2010 was to have a set budget, start paying for everything with cash, save up $1000, and start paying off debt. It feels good to know that we'll finally have a firm handle on our money, and to know that we have a lifelong plan in place to save and build wealth. A plan that actually works!
The second goal is fitness related. Art's brother Joe is very likely going to move out, (and Mari's friend is likely taking his place), so that means I can have Joe's CrossFit membership! I've been wanting to be a part of the gym for a while, and people always ask when I'm going to start working out. It hasn't been in our budget. But now I finally get to be "one of them"! I know it's going to be super tough, but I love the people at the gym. They are truly like a family. Everyone is so encouraging, no matter where you are at.
I am a little afraid of failing or looking like a wuss, but I want to get to that place where I love it and I'm addicted to it. I'm looking forward to truly being fit for the first time in my life. As of right now, I can barely run a block to save my life (it's sad). In 2010, I'm going to get to that place where I can run 400 meters without stopping to die, and dead lifting 150 pounds. And maybe even doing my first pull up!
My third goal is diet-related, and goes hand-in-hand with my fitness goal: I'm determined to eat more healthy than I ever have before. My fitness performance will depend on it. And I'm starting to really realize that what we eat truly affects us, either immediately, or way down the road. I don't want to be old and on all sorts of meds when I could have done everything in my power to prevent it. And here's how I plan on doing that.
Art and I follow what's called The Paleo Diet. Let me clear: we're not ON a diet, at least not in the way most people think of being on a diet. Because everyone is on a diet. What you eat on a regular basis is your diet. We eat according to the Paleo diet. I don't necessarily agree with the premise behind it, but the science is solid.
The Paleo Diet is based on the belief that the earth is billions of years old (which I don't think it is) and that people who lived in the Paleolithic era were the healthiest and fittest humans because of their hunter-gatherer lifestyle. I don't believe that the Paleolithic era ever existed because I believe in creation and that the earth isn't more than 8000 years old. But I do believe that the hunter-gatherer lifestyle is the best lifestyle.
The diet of a hunter-gatherer is balanced and healthy, and accounts for the three major nutrients that the body needs: meat for protein, fruits and vegetables for carbs, and seeds and nuts for fat. Their fitness is also balanced, because they have to be fit in every way: long distance cardio, short distance sprints, jumping, climbing, weight-lifting, and anything relating to gymnastics. And that's exactly what the CrossFit model is based on.
Notice I didn't list anything grain or dairy-related. I know that this is a controversial subject, because grains and dairy have been around since the beginning of creation. But we believe that grains are unhealthy sources of carbs. They cause the insulin to spike too high, which causes progesterone to spike to combat the insulin, which causes an insulin crash. It's a vicious cycle, and when your hormones go crazy like that, it has some serious consequences.
Also, anything grain-based contains gluten, which is an anti-nutrient. It actually blocks nutrients from being able to absorb into your body. I know that gluten-free foods are available, but the insulin spike is still a problem.
And we don't consume a lot of dairy, because it contains a little TOO much fat. We do drink raw milk sometimes, (which is surprisingly good) but that's about it. To put it simply, we don't want to eat anything processed (which most grain and dairy products are). I only want to eat real foods, because I'm a real human being. Processed (i.e. fake) foods don't provide nutrients, and the body isn't designed to ingest fake food. It just makes sense to me.
And I've been finding out that eating healthy food doesn't have to be boring! There are hundreds of spices out there, and ways to make your own sauces using real (unprocessed) ingredients. There is no reason that healthy food should be gross. So my goal is to eat perfectly healthy at least 5 days a week, and not cheat too badly on the weekends.
What's funny is that I'm starting to work on all three of these goals in 2010, but they are actually life-long habits. I don't just want to be fit, healthy, and financially stable in 2010. I want to be fit, healthy, and financially stable for the rest of our lives. And it doesn't overwhelm me at all. I know it can be done. So here's to a more healthy, wealthy future!
The first goal has to do with finances. Art and I purchased the Financial Peace University kit (by Dave Ramsey), and we did our first session today. We already read the book, but now we're actually going to go through the steps. This guy is a genius. Everybody should go through it. FPU teaches you how to budget, save for emergencies, pay off debt, invest, save for big purchases, buy everything with cash, and retire with plenty of money. It's better to start young (and hopefully before you get into overwhelming debt) but if you're middle aged or older, it's not too late.
Our first piece of homework was to write out a general budget. He provides a form and everything. It's sobering to see those numbers on paper, but at least I know where we're at.
Anyway, I guess my financial resolution for 2010 was to have a set budget, start paying for everything with cash, save up $1000, and start paying off debt. It feels good to know that we'll finally have a firm handle on our money, and to know that we have a lifelong plan in place to save and build wealth. A plan that actually works!
The second goal is fitness related. Art's brother Joe is very likely going to move out, (and Mari's friend is likely taking his place), so that means I can have Joe's CrossFit membership! I've been wanting to be a part of the gym for a while, and people always ask when I'm going to start working out. It hasn't been in our budget. But now I finally get to be "one of them"! I know it's going to be super tough, but I love the people at the gym. They are truly like a family. Everyone is so encouraging, no matter where you are at.
I am a little afraid of failing or looking like a wuss, but I want to get to that place where I love it and I'm addicted to it. I'm looking forward to truly being fit for the first time in my life. As of right now, I can barely run a block to save my life (it's sad). In 2010, I'm going to get to that place where I can run 400 meters without stopping to die, and dead lifting 150 pounds. And maybe even doing my first pull up!
My third goal is diet-related, and goes hand-in-hand with my fitness goal: I'm determined to eat more healthy than I ever have before. My fitness performance will depend on it. And I'm starting to really realize that what we eat truly affects us, either immediately, or way down the road. I don't want to be old and on all sorts of meds when I could have done everything in my power to prevent it. And here's how I plan on doing that.
Art and I follow what's called The Paleo Diet. Let me clear: we're not ON a diet, at least not in the way most people think of being on a diet. Because everyone is on a diet. What you eat on a regular basis is your diet. We eat according to the Paleo diet. I don't necessarily agree with the premise behind it, but the science is solid.
The Paleo Diet is based on the belief that the earth is billions of years old (which I don't think it is) and that people who lived in the Paleolithic era were the healthiest and fittest humans because of their hunter-gatherer lifestyle. I don't believe that the Paleolithic era ever existed because I believe in creation and that the earth isn't more than 8000 years old. But I do believe that the hunter-gatherer lifestyle is the best lifestyle.
The diet of a hunter-gatherer is balanced and healthy, and accounts for the three major nutrients that the body needs: meat for protein, fruits and vegetables for carbs, and seeds and nuts for fat. Their fitness is also balanced, because they have to be fit in every way: long distance cardio, short distance sprints, jumping, climbing, weight-lifting, and anything relating to gymnastics. And that's exactly what the CrossFit model is based on.
Notice I didn't list anything grain or dairy-related. I know that this is a controversial subject, because grains and dairy have been around since the beginning of creation. But we believe that grains are unhealthy sources of carbs. They cause the insulin to spike too high, which causes progesterone to spike to combat the insulin, which causes an insulin crash. It's a vicious cycle, and when your hormones go crazy like that, it has some serious consequences.
Also, anything grain-based contains gluten, which is an anti-nutrient. It actually blocks nutrients from being able to absorb into your body. I know that gluten-free foods are available, but the insulin spike is still a problem.
And we don't consume a lot of dairy, because it contains a little TOO much fat. We do drink raw milk sometimes, (which is surprisingly good) but that's about it. To put it simply, we don't want to eat anything processed (which most grain and dairy products are). I only want to eat real foods, because I'm a real human being. Processed (i.e. fake) foods don't provide nutrients, and the body isn't designed to ingest fake food. It just makes sense to me.
And I've been finding out that eating healthy food doesn't have to be boring! There are hundreds of spices out there, and ways to make your own sauces using real (unprocessed) ingredients. There is no reason that healthy food should be gross. So my goal is to eat perfectly healthy at least 5 days a week, and not cheat too badly on the weekends.
What's funny is that I'm starting to work on all three of these goals in 2010, but they are actually life-long habits. I don't just want to be fit, healthy, and financially stable in 2010. I want to be fit, healthy, and financially stable for the rest of our lives. And it doesn't overwhelm me at all. I know it can be done. So here's to a more healthy, wealthy future!
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