I don't have this weeks meals planned out just yet, but I wanted to share this amazing recipe before I forget.

Its deliciously lime-cilantro-avocado goodness is amazing. Its so amazing My husband didn't realize it was low-carb. Like REALLY low carb. 18.8g of carbs per serving (with no added cheese or sour cream - honestly it doesn't need it)! And so easy to make. It took me a bit longer than the estimated half hour cook time when I made it, but it was my first time with the recipe.

I'll come back and post a picture next time I make this.

January's EPIC Adventure - Meals for 2/5/2017

One of my New Years Resolution this year is to do something EPIC once a month. I don't really know what they will be, but I decided I needed to start enjoying life more and do something to get my adrenaline up (ironic because my adrenal gland is already overly active- thank hypothyroidism).

January's experience came on suddenly - I had the opportunity to join the Women's March in Salt Lake City with my kids. The main theme of the march was ending sex trafficking, but there were also many other empowering messages shared. My kids and I made signs the morning of, skipped school, and spent the day in Salt Lake. Baby A slept the entire march in her baby sling and the kids and I marched from the City Creek mall all the way up hill to the capital steps in heavy snow along with an estimated 10,000 protestors. As cool as the experience of my first protest was, the true high came from the feelings of love and community I felt marching up the street with my three kids. It not only felt wonderful to be physically stand up to misogyny and show my kids that they have a voice, but to do it surrounded by so much support and unity. All around us were empowered women, men, and children standing up for ourselves and our people. Epic!

At 5, my daughter sees gender discrimination all the time and asks me about it. "Why did he say police MAN? Can't girls be police?" "Why is pink a girl color? Max likes pink too." "Why can't boy wear dresses?" I don't prompt these thoughts, but you can bet I answer these questions with truth. She now knows that some people think boys and girls aren't equally capable and that these people are dead wrong. She chose the words for sign by herself (see above). I think its important to not hide truth from my kids, especially when they recognize and question injustice. She's so young and already experiences bias on a weekly basis; it's only going to increase from here. I want to arm her with the knowledge that any resistance she meets can and should be ignored. She can climb trees, get dirty, build sky scrapers, fight crime, become a heart surgeon, be a working mother, and be smart with no apology or explanation. Knowing that her teachers, family members, or friends who might say otherwise are wrong gives her the freedom to move beyond them with confidence and understanding. She's already doing this in kindergarten and I am so happy for her. The march was another way for me to actively reenforce that she is powerful and that there are others who support her.

I am really happy with my choice to bring my kids and the experience they got to have. I will continue to look for more ways to get my kids involved in worthy causes and serve others. Let me know if you have any ideas!

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Meals for 2/5/2017

BREAKFAST: Another morning of Waffles and Experimental Syrup (40g)

LUNCH: Butternut Squash Soup (20g)

This soup is one of my favorites. I slice a butternut squash in half, cover with a tent of foil,  and roast  until tender, scoop out the insides, puree with one sautéed chopped onion, and just enough chicken stock to get the blender to puree. Add a dash of salt and cinnamon. DONE. And its the best. So filling and hardy. Most the grocery stores I've seen only carry organic butternut squash, so this one is so easy to make work. The squash can take a while to roast depending on size, but its so worth it to get the sweet roasted flavor lost in boiling or steaming. This also freezes really well and reheats with no issues, making it a great meal to bring to someone in need. Its also dairy and gluten free and easy to make vegan if you go with veggie stock. I usually eat about 2 cups.

DINNER: Fajita Salad (20g) with Guac (5g)

I like to use lots of cilantro and guacamole as my dressing on this salad. It make it so filling and compliments the spicy meat well. If the chipotle gets too spicy this meal is also good with a tablespoon or two of Ranch dressing too cool things down.

Fajita Salad (20g)

Steak marinated in pureed chipotle peppers (1g)

Lettuce and bunch of Cilantro (1g)

1/8c corn (5g)

1/4c black beans (10g)

⅛ bell peppers (2g)

⅛ onion (1g)

Guacamole (5g)

1/4 Avocado (5g)
1T Salsa (0g)
juice of 1/4 lime (0g)
salt


EXTRA: 35g If we have any leftover Strawberry Shortcake I might eat that for dessert, or perhaps some hot coco.

Us the Duo - Meals for 2/4/2017

For Christmas Randy bought me concert tickets to see Us the Duo! We are going to see them this night. We'd planned on a big fancy dinner, but with Ellie's ski school we will end up with only 30-60 minutes to eat. I'm considering going to the Cheesecake Factory even if we have to order food to go. The classed location is on our way to Salt Lake City. I am obsessed with their avocado egg roll appetizers! I planned my breakfast and lunch to be lean in the carbs to make room for a yummy dinner. After being pressed, my doctor said that once a week I can go over my car. Tonight will be that night!

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Meals for 2/4/2017

BREAKFAST: Cherrios with whole milk (25g) Half Banana (14g)

LUNCH: Fiesta Salad (11g) with leftover BBQ Chicken (5g)

DINNER: Out! (55g)

Obligatory Meal Out - Meals for 2/3/2017

This day is the last day of my daughter's ski lessons. She's gone up to Park City with her dad and brother every Saturday for 6 weeks now for private, locals-only ski lessons. She LOVES to ski. It's adorable to see her so passionate about something at age 5. With today being her last day we have a fun breakfast planned. To be honest though, my husband plans special breakfasts at least once a week. It's hard to resist his steaming heaps of gourmet pancakes, so I make sure to make my breakfast first thing before I get too hungry and he finishes cooking. Today I will join the family to celebrate my daughter's completed goal - we are big into celebratory meals in this house!

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Meals for 2/3/2017

BREAKFAST: Joy of Cooking Buttermilk Pancake (32g) with toppings (6.5g)

One Joy of Cooking Buttermilk Pancake (32g)
Syrup (1g see below)
1/4c fresh blackberries (3.5g)
2 slices of bacon (2g)

Today I'm going to enjoy ONE amazing waffle and try my hand at a "maple syrup" made with stevia and Mapeline. It will be very thin! I hope its good. If it is I'll post it here. If it fails maybe I'll go with some peanut butter and homemade raspberry jam. FYI, I just discovered that Sprouts has nitrate free bacon. 

LUNCH: Yogurt (14g) and Goldfish (11g) Fiesta Salad (11g)

One container of Chobani berry Yogurt (14g)
1/3c Whole Grain Fish Crackers (11g)

Yogurt and goldfish is one of my favorite childhood meals. My grown up version is with greek yogurt and whole grain goldfish, but still. It's one of my comfort foods!

Fiesta Salad (11g)

1 handful of red leaf lettuce (1g)
hefty sprinkling of cilantro (1g)
1T black beans (3g)
1/4 avocado (5g)
1T basic salsa (1g)
juice of 1/8 lime (0g)

This is one of my favorite salads to make with left overs. You can sub the beans for halved kidney beans and/or cashews too. The more cilantro the better! It's also the base for my fajita salads which top this with some fabulously marinated meat.

DINNER: OUT (51g best guess)

For this meal my husband and I will be eating at a banquet. I was able to choose my meal from a couple options (standard, vegan or gluten free). This meal will be at BYU and for their vegetarian dishes their food staff usually sub the meat in a dish with more carbs, so I chose standard instead of vegetarian. Boo. I selected the following meal and have done my best to guess the carb count of each dish: pot roast (3g) smashed potatoes (16g) kale (2g) dessert (30g if I stick to a small portion. Those BYU brownies can getchya). This of course doesn't include any juice drinks or appetizer rolls. I'm not a huge fan of BYU's food so I doubt it will be tempting to really binge here. I'll eat my Fiesta Salad a bit later in the day just incase dinner is served late. 
This is a unique situation - its a meal out that I have no control over, similar to eating at a friend's home. I'm not choosing the restaurant or dish and I don't have a way to ask how the meal was prepared or whats in dressings or marinades. I also usually eat dinner at 5:00 but this even doesn't even begin till 7:30pm. And that's okay. That's life. I'll do my best and try to stay in my carb budget and blow it all on the watered down drinks just because they are there.

EXTRA: None today. If I'm accurate in my assumptions I am actually 5g over. With my awesome meal planning I can see this coming and choose to not eat any snacks today. 

Guinea Pigs and Bonding - Meals for 2/2/2017

Throughout my life I seem to be one of the guinea pigs of my generation; I was born the oldest of three girls,  I started babysitting at age 11, I had my first job at 15, I got my first serious boyfriend at a younger age than my friends, got married young, graduated college early, had babies before anyone I knew my age, have had post-pardom depression twice and now have 3 kids at age 27. I am the first person I know with PCOS, the only I know with both that and hypo-thyroid, and have dealt with other relationship and mental health challenges earlier than my friends. I don't mind it. Growing up as the eldest I am used to finding my own way. Somehow though it still surprises me how these challenges have prepared me to be a guide for friends, family, or strangers who are going through similar issues after me. All those times when I felt lonely and like I didn't have anyone to trusted to turn to who "knew the way" have prepared me to have compassion for those just entering new waters. Without these difficult times I think I would be just so ignorant and inadvertently cruel to those around me. I am grateful to be the person to ease the unknown for my loved ones. I think that my life experience, as short as it is, has opened my eyes wide enough to expand my compassion to people in situations I haven't personally experienced. I think I pause before judging others longer than I would otherwise. I am grateful for my illnesses, pains, suffering and loneliness! They help me live deeply rooted in this world and tie me to the others around me. What a great place to be it is inside me.

These are just some of the reasons I chose to start writing about my food relation to PCOS. I don't claim to be any kind of genius when it comes to food. I think my meals are well balanced throughout the day, but one of the reasons I want to record my meals in such detail is so I can view them from a higher level. Am I eating enough whole grains? Am I eating 50% fruits and veggies? I will continue to record my meals and after a few weeks I will do a deep analysis and really see what MY plate actually looks like compared to the recommended "My Plate." Today I am still coming out of my detox and introducing some healthy gut bacteria. 

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2/2/2017

BREAKFAST: Cherrios with whole milk (24g) half a banana (13g)

This combo is a classic, am I right? Another quick morning as I get stuff DONE!

LUNCH: Chicken Kimchi Lettuce Wraps (26g) recipe found here and grapes (15g)

After my detox I am in need of some healthy gut-boosting lactobacilli bacteria, which kimchi provides. Mixed with some leftover chicken from Tuesday, this should be a very tasty and energizing lunch. Easy too! I am already planning on eating two servings.

DINNER: BBQ Chicken and fixings (29g) Basic Ranch Salad (9g)

Leftover from yesterday

EXTRA: 4 carbs, for a bit of dark chocolate.

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Well I am several days into writing about my meals. I have to say its been very therapeutic. I didn't expect to talk about PCOS so much or really much of my personal life in these food posts. I guess it just goes to show how closely my food choices are to my heart. And I haven't even begun to address the social aspects of food. My husband and I started our relationship as friends cooking together. We still eat dinner together every night as a family. I teach my kids in the kitchen and enjoy the legacy of good cooks on both sides of my family with inherited recipes and practices. I have felt a little left out the past month as I have been eating different meals from my family. I am realizing that cooking and eating are bonding experiences for me to a degree that I never fully appreciated. No wonder our food habits can be so challenging to change!

Officially Strawberry and Season! - Meals for 2/1/2017

YAYAYAYAY! Strawberries! You'd never know that they actually give me migraines they way I down them so fast. WORTH IT. I saw some dark melting chocolates at Target and had to really refrain from taking them home. My detox would have ended that night if I had! Hah. Anyway, my leftover Strawberry Shortcake will be legit tonight. 

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Meals for 2/1/17

BREAKFAST: Breakfast Apple Oatmeal (32g) and Green Girl Smoothie (6g)

Same as Monday but I'm adding a green smoothie to the mix.

Green Girl Smoothie (6g)

1 handful spinach (1g)

1/4c mixed berries (4g)

⅓ lemon (.5g round to 1g)

Shot of stevia (0g)

You can add an entire extra bunch of spinach to this smoothie if you want it thicker. I had no idea before my detox how many greens my basic blender could handle!

LUNCH: Chicken soup (10g) and one toasted, buttered slice bread (15g)

Leftovers from yesterday plus my favorite organic bread. Breads can really kill a low carb diet. When I DO go for a slice or sandwich I find myself always coming back to Dave's Killer Bread. The Sprouted Whole Grain loaves only have 15g carbs a piece as well as 4g of protein, 3g of fiber, 70 mg of omega-3, and 19g whole wheat. Plus they are always moist and fluffy, unlike the many other brands I've tested. All of Dave's breads are organic and are great though. Just make sure you check the carb count as they vary widely. Dave's also has thin sliced loaves with fewer carbs but I have yet to taste them.

DINNER: BBQ Chicken and fixin's (29g) and Basic Ranch Salad (9g)

Chicken (1g)

2T Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce (18g)

1/4c Corn (10g)

Even 2 years into this diet I am still shocked at the carb count of some common condiments. 18g of carbs in 2T bbq sauce?! YIKES. But yum. I work around it. We turnup the BBQ and baste those bad boys with each flip. I like to get organic thigh meat when I can. The fats of non-organic meats hold all the icky antibiotics and hormones given to the animal, as well as the pesticides the animal ate with its food. So when using non-organic meat I always cut off the fats. With organic meats you can afford to enjoy some of that juiciness! Organic chicken thighs are the bomb for BBQing. They don't dry out and they require less sauce to make them delicious. And what BBQ would be complete with out corn? Add a salad and enjoy life. Leftover chicken on top of a salad is always a good leftover meal too.

DESSERT: Strawberry Shortcake (14g)

Leftovers! Because life is better with dessert.

EXTRAS: 5g leftover Maybe some carrots and hummus today? Before you run out and buy "baby" carrots, please please please try buying a whole large carrot and slicing it up. It will change your carrot out look on the world. If its organic you don't even have to peel it, just scrub the dirt off and enjoy. Also, explore your local farmers market for some hummus. My favorite so far was a homemade cilantro and avocado blend. Oh but then there was a black bean and jalapeño one I also loved...hmm. I think I need to go back and do a taste my taste comparison...

Dessert Today! - Meals for 1/31/2017

Every 3-6 months I meet again with my endocrinologist and he teaches me more about how to properly care for my particular group of needs. Because PCOS is a auto-immune disease, my doctors has taught me that, as best I can, it serves my body to eat organic foods as much as possible. My body is already fighting itself, I don't need to also have it working harder to combat pesticides. So as much as I can I choose organic dairy products, meats, fruits, veggies, and anything else I find (Did you know theres an organic virgin olive oil spray available now? Sahweet!). We live in Provo, Utah right now, not exactly the throbbing heart center of fresh, organic foods, but I do the best I can. Sometimes its a choice between fresh lettuce and wilting organic lettuce; I choose the fresh stuff.

I also recently met with a great dietician Paige Smathers. She gave me ideas for healthy habits I can use. She even has a great cookbook I was just gifted over Christmas that I plan to use once I'm off my detox. She introduced me to the idea of intuitive eating. This is still a new concept for me, but from what I understand, you try to eat according to My Plate (1/2 your meal is fruitys/veggies, 1/3 protein, 2/3 grains) but allow yourself to vary on the exact amounts using your intuition to guide you. Some days you might not be as hungry, or you may need a little extra protein or grains, etc. The idea is to listen to your body and give it what it needs to be healthy because no one is a robot!
I feel like this is what I used to do before I was given strict carbs to count. I have always had a desire to be healthy, just of the sake or caring for my body. I knew about My Plate before and have used it with my kids in the past 5 years. When my doctor told me I needed to restrict my carbs I did so, but at the cost of the quality of the carbs I did eat. For a while there I saved up my carbs for processed junk and white breads. I was more concerned about staying within my limits than the quality of the fuel I was giving my body. It was a learning process and I've been patient with myself as over that past few years, but its been important for me to marry the ideas of eating balanced (my plate) and eating according to my body's needs (intuitive eating) while maintaining quality foods AND staying within my carb limits. Its just all a lot of work! But I'm trying to do better.

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Meals for Tuesday 1/31/17

BREAKFAST: Cherrios with whole milk (24g) and half banana (17g)

1c Cherrios

1/4c whole milk

½ banana (17g)

I could lie here and say I'm eating a fruit or veggie with this meal, but its just not going to happen this morning. Tuesdays and Thursdays Randy and I have our time worked out so that I get 8am-noon to do anything I need or want to. We've only been doing this for a couple of weeks, so mostly I'm just chomping through all the chores that have been backing up with a young baby in the house. I wake up ready to go those mornings and the longer I'm around at breakfast time the more the kids miss me, especially if my projects are in the house that day. I'm trying to go for quick and enjoyable meals on these days. I am also starting to reintroduce some "normal" foods back into my diet after my detox. Cheerios are made with whole grains and milk allows for a decent amount of dairy to be introduced to my system. I also choose to use whole milk now as the carb to fats ratio is more in my favor. The less fat in your milk, the higher the sugar content.

LUNCH: Classic chicken soup (8g)

Chicken plus broth (1g)

1/2c carrots (4g)

1/4c onions (2g)

1/4c celery (1g)

salt or chicken bullion as desired

Herbs as desired (bay leaf, parsley, thyme, oregano, really anything. I bet curry powder would be yummy!)

Makes 2 cups

This soup is THE BEST for a low low carb meal. I've planned one of my favorite desserts for tonight (strawberry shortcake!) So I'm choosing to eat fewer carbs throughout the day to allow for an indulgent dessert. This soup is perfect for a day like today! It is so filling and I really don't miss the noodles or potatoes that most people add. I cook an entire chicken in a crock pot with a cup of water and onions until its cook thoroughly, remove the bones (and skin if I couldn't find an organic bird), save the extra meat for another meal, and add in everything else cooking until tender. Its a great meal to prep ahead of time and make the day before. Plus is smells amazing while it cooks! If I'm not saving up my carbs sometimes I also eat some hot buttered toast with this meal. Heavenly.

DINNER: Chuck Roast with fixins (27.5g) and Basic Ranch Salad (9g)

Leftovers from yesterday! YUM!

DESSERT: Strawberry Shortcake (11g)

1 biscuit (6g)
1/3c strawberries (4g)
1/2c whipped cream (1g) - 1/4t vanilla extract, half dropper of stevia, and cup of heavy whipping cream. Whip until stiff. This took a bit longer than usual, perhaps because I replaced the sugar with stevia? It was just an additional 30 seconds of though. Made for a sweet and stiff sugar-free delight!

I never used to like Strawberry shortcake. That was until I discovered a more enlightened path - biscuits instead of angle food cake. YUM! Make the biscuits and whipped cream from scratch and you have pure bliss. This makes it into my husband's top 5 dessert easily. Strawberry season doesn't technically start until February, but mid-January, without fail, I just can't wait any longer and home they come. When we lived in Camarillo we would by boxes of just-picked-that-morning strawberries at the farmers market and they'd be gone with in a few days. Ah, miss those days. Now in Provo, Utah I cheerfully take what I can get, but they are never nearly as good.

Oh also, shout out to the husband; I was getting my hair done so he made the biscuits tonight. Totally rocked them while on kids duty too!

EXTRA: 23.5 grams today. I'll eat another helping of dessert and call it good. I'm stuffed!

*ACTUAL* Low Carbohydrate Meals - Meals for 1/30/2017

Spring 2017 will mark the second year I have been striving to eat a low carb diet. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2015 which means I am automatically pre-diabetic. My endocrinologist, with whom I work closely, has instructed me to eat no more that 120 grams of carbohydrates per day and lean more on proteins and healthy fats to make up for the calories I loose in skipping the sugars and starches. This has kept me fit and energetic all through my third pregnancy as well as kept my thyroid in check with no thyroid medication in a year and a half! 

I've searched all over online for ideas and most "low-carb" recipes have laughably HUGE servings of carbs. Here I will present 3-4 meals per day that can fit into my 120 allotment; most meals will equate to 30-40 grams of carbs. If you need an even lower carb idea, you can always cut the meal in half and add a salad or green smoothie. I usually make 2-3 meals worth for my entire family of the lunch and dinner dishes, although occasionally I eat something different than the family for lunch.
I make most all my meals from home and try to eat only whole foods. You'll see that I am not perfect in this (mother of 3, hello!) but I'm doing my best. I'm finally getting tired of counting out my carbs at every meal and/or eating the same things over and over again, so I'm making my now little go-to low-carb meal list for my own benefit.These are meals I *actually* eat. I meal plan out every week and shop accordingly, ensuring I make room for any treats I feel are worthy of my belly. One of my main issues is that I do NOT like eggs. Major issue when going low-carb! I also am not a huge fan of raw tomatoes, cheddar cheese, fish, or mushrooms as will be reflected in my meal planning. Maybe you're like me and need ideas. Maybe this can help someone who was like me 2 years ago. I hope so! Enjoy.

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Meals for 1/30/17 

BREAKFAST: Breakfast Apple Oatmeal (32g)<----carbs counts ;)

1/2c dry oatmeal (25g)

1/8c golden raisins (10g)

⅕ medium apple (6.4oz) (5g)

Dash of cinnamon (0g)

Teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (0g)

⅛ avocado (1oz) (2g)

Cook oatmeal (or do overnight oats) and add the rest in! The avocado is a great creamer and adds wonderfully healthy fats that will keep you full for a long time! The apple cider vinegar and apples make for wonderful flavor, as well as the pops of raisins. I really don’t desire this meal any more sweet, but if you do add a few drops of stevia and enjoy!

LUNCH: Roast beef sandwich (43g)

2 slices Dave’s killer bread, Sprouted Whole Grain (30g total)

½ large avocado (10g)

Lettuce (1g)

Roast beef deli meat (2g)

1T Mayo (0g)

DINNER: Chuck Roast with fixins (27.5g) and Basic Ranch Salad (9g)

Chuck Roast with fixing (27.5g)

Chuck roast (1g)

1/4c gravy (2.5)

1/8c onions (2)

1c carrots (6)

1/2c mashed potatoes (16g)

Cook roast, onions, carrots, and cup of water in a crock pot on low till cooked thoroughly. Salt as desired. Make gravy with dripping and flour. Add beef bouillon to taste if desired. Mash potatoes with a dash of whole milk and butter to taste.

Basic Ranch Salad (9g)

1 handful Lettuce (1g)

2T Ranch (2g)

¼ avocado (5g)

⅛ bell peppers (1g)

I'm currently using Hidden Valley Ranch in the bottle because I'm too lazy to make it from scratch this week. Making it from scratch with buttermilk is the best though!

EXTRA: Theres an extra 8.5g of carbs leftover for this day. Maybe use it towards a snack midday? Or a nice piece of dark chocolate after dinner? I have been purposefully cultivating a taste for dark dark chocolate over the past two years. The higher the cocoa ration the fewer the carbs (usually) :)

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Oh man, I'm looking forward to next Monday! I will have just completed my 26 day Green Smoothie Girl Detox. I am looking forward to some MEAT! Pot Roast is my favorite.

By the way, I recommend this detox. Its well thought out and in a total different camp than the crappy "detox" diets you find in magazines. Its a vegan, mostly-raw, organic plant based diet with easy modifications for those with blood sugar issues. I made this work for me easily and it showed me how to fit more veggies into every meal. And my doctor approved it! I ended up loosing 10 pounds, but that wasn't my goal. As I say, I've been eating right and didn't need to loose weight. But, if you do, its supposed to lower your body natural weight equilibrium. We'll see!