Staying the course~

Can you believe it's been about two months since we started this journey?  Two easy months at that.  The only thing that interferes with good choices for us is convenience, you know those days everyone works late and nobody wants to cook.  In fact, we had a little mini meeting about it last week.  Every Wednesday we go out to eat and last week the Mr. brought home Mexican from a local family restaurant.  It's all very fresh and I wasn't too concerned that we were too far off track.  But on Thursday we had planned to grill chicken, I got stuck at work and he was feeling worn out from ten hours in a hot factory.  He picked up take out ribs.  Could be worse, certainly, but still not a good trend for the week. 
We talked about remembering when we are grilling chicken, to grill  ALOT for the freezer for those worn out nights.  The salad supplies are all cleaned and prepped, ready for assembly.  Had we prepared our chicken ahead, we could've had grilled chicken salads with about ten minutes of work.  The ribs may not have been the worst thing ever, but grilled chicken salad would've been miles better. 
I'm happy to report that when I got home last Friday evening, Dean had dinner waiting (he's off on Fridays.)  Grilled chicken, fresh corn on the cob and salad.  And it was wonderful. 
My parents blessed us with a freezer for the basement as they were getting a new one and just in time for our clean-eating!  That will make the plan and prep ahead so much easier for us.  I am thinking we'll store the bulk of our supplies in the basement and lots of "ready to use" stuff in the kitchen freezer; like pre-grilled chicken, frozen fresh sauces and vegetables, frozen fruit, etc.  It's actually a lot of fun (really it is!) to discover another method to utilize our resources even better.  It has me thinking of future plans, like taking a week off in the Autumn to can.  I won't be able to do it this year, I took a medical leave in January that chewed up a lot of vacation time.  But I can still look forward and just think how much more we'll know in a year's time. 
I'm also so so so happy and thankful because I feel that more than anything, the Lord is giving us wise hearts.  And by us, I mean all of use, daboyz included.  I am getting absolutely no arguments or push-back.  At the start, I asked that we honor clean-eating principles in our home and any "cheats" should happen outside the house, every man for himself.  I expected lots of drive-through moments for the Mr.  But that doesn't seem to be happening!  We took the no fast food step a month ago and since then, he hasn't indulged in what was his favorite guilty pleasure.  AND, he is regularly talking about taking things we formerly ate and making them clean and whole.  He looks up recipes and reads labels and is starting to approach this as a way of life.  This week he was figuring out how to make tater salad without Miracle Whip!  Glory be!  Yes, I know that it isn't really the most difficult thing to accomplish but it means he is taking this seriously. 
We go on vacation in a month and after we return, I believe we'll take the next important step of really cutting back for the sake of healthy weight loss.  And I believe that when it's time to take that step, we'll be ready.

Repurposing veggies in a broken omelette

I heart brown eggs!

On Saturday morning we usually have a substantial breakfast before starting our day.  This Saturday, I decided to finish off a few lingering vegetables and make broken omelets.  A broken omelet, by the way, is simply pouring eggs over the omelet ingredients instead of that pain in the egg omelet creating procedure. 




Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• Milk
• Fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 1/2 tomatoes chopped (because that's what I had on hand)
• 1 cup or so diced boiled potatoes (also on hand)
• 1/2 yellow onion
• Feta cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Butter

Technique

• Melt butter in pan, add potatoes, onions and green peppers.  Cook until soft & taters are a bit crispy.
• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with about a cup or so of milk
• Spread potato mixture in bottom of pan, turn heat to medium
• Beat eggs & milk together (like scrambled eggs,) pour over entire veggie & tater mixture, top with spinach & tomatoes
• Allow to cook for a few minutes
• Using a spatula, finish cooking the broken omelet like you would scrambled eggs.
• When cooked through, spread in pan again, cover with feta cheese.
• Turn heat off and allow feta to melt for a few minutes.  Stir into egg mixture.  Salt & pepper to taste.

Tips

• Broken omelette's are a great way to use up any leftovers, the ingredients I used were only what I had on hand. 
• Even leftover taco meat can be repurposed, add cheddar and top with salsa. 
• Although the Mr. doesn't like it, I also think these are a great dinner item. 
• Did you know that kielbasa is great in eggs?  Well, it is.  You're welcome.
• This may seem like a lot of detail for a fairly easy "recipe,"  but there are folks who are trying to eat from scratch for the first time.  Hopefully these kind of ideas will make it less intimidating!

The week~

I'm not sure what order the meals will fall in, but here is what we'll be enjoying this week!

Menus

• Spaghetti & green salad
• Grilled burgers, potato salad, pintos
• Pork chops, mushroom & brown rice casserole, broccoli
• Chicken fajitas, black beans, brown rice
• Flat iron steaks, rosemary red potatoes, green salad
• Grilled flat bread pizzas (sauce premade & frozen), green salad

Weekend prep ahead

• Brown rice
• Spaghetti sauce
• Pintos
• Potato salad
• Salsa for fajitas
• The usual cleaning and prepping of fresh produce

Shopping list (Fresh produce from Farmer's Market)

• Whole wheat spaghetti
• Whole wheat tortillas
• Ground beef (for spaghetti and grilled burgers)
• Flat iron steaks
• Crushed tomatoes, tomato paste for spaghetti sauce
• Whole tomatoes, Rotel for salsa
• Dried seasoning: oregano, basil, bay leaves
• Fresh Parmesan (for spaghetti)
• Cheddar cheese (for fajitas)
• Sour cream
• Whole wheat tortillas
• Black beans (dry)
• Pinto beans (dry)
• Bell peppers (for pizza, spaghetti and fajitas)
• Garlic
• Parsley (fresh)
• Dill (fresh)
• Basil (fresh if available)
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes (Yukon Gold for potato salad)
• Red skin potatoes
• Mushrooms (for casserole & pizza)
• Lettuce-romaine
• Fresh fruit

The Mr. does the grocery shopping after we've worked on menus and made a master list. The way I've written it here is basically the way he gets it from me except I may specify amounts instead of "for..."   I make the list with the menu on one side and the items I need on the other and (OCD alert,)  I also make it in the order in which the store is laid out.  The reason I include the menu is so that Dean knows why I need what I do and if he sees something I didn't think of or can't find something I listed, he can improvise.
I spared you the specific amounts but if you'd like any of those details leave a comment and I'll post the recipes and shopping lists for them. 

Products that I love

Clean eating is about back to basics simplicity so let me start with a disclaimer, you don't need anything you don't already have in your home to eat clean and whole.  That said, these are the items I find myself using every week when I do my weekend prep.  I didn't actually go out and purchase these products for our clean eating project.  As you read the information below each item, you'll see a running theme of birthday gifts or Christmas gifts. I'm one of those weird people that asks for home appliances for holidays.  If I had to go out and actually spend the money, I probably wouldn't have any of these except for wooden spoons and my grandmother's old skillet.  If you're just getting started, give a lot of thought to spending a lot of money on this kind of stuff.  Our food bills are actually lower with clean eating so you won't go into debt that way but it would be kind of crummy if you dropped $200 on a standing mixer that you used once and never again.  Before you spend money on big ticket items, think about sticking with the lifestyle for about a month to be sure it works for your family.  Once you've done that, adding these "toys" to your kitchen will just make the process all the easier and more enjoyable. 
Finally, I've pictured & linked the actual models of each item I own and use.  There are cheaper or more expensive as well as just different options.  I only chose the ones below because I can vouch for these specific products. 





http://www.target.com/p/kitchenaid-classic-plus-stand-mixer-empire-red-4-5-quart/-/A-14264291?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=%7C14264291&CPNG=Appliances&kpid=14264291&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14264291
At Target, $229.99-4.5 qts.
This is a workhorse!  I didn't have one until a few years ago, a Christmas gift from the Mr. that he doubted I'd use.  Well, this sucker sits permanently on my counter top and I use it every single week.  If you are seriously clean eating and making lots of stuff from scratch, save your money and invest in a standing mixer.  You can buy attachments as you need them and do everything from making bread with the bread hook to making sausage with the sausage attachment.  I've had mine for a few years but I understand this is likely to be a once in a lifetime purchase.  And if you are making meringue, it will make your life easier and your meringues higher! 



http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17609181
Bed, Bath & Beyond.  $99.99-72 ounces
I've had less expensive blenders, you can get them as low as $15 or so.  They were fine for very basic smoothies & milk shakes but burned out quickly with frozen ingredients or hard vegetables.  I have a food processor but I don't have enough counter space for every gadget to be kept at my finger tips.  I've found the Ninja can do a lot of what my food processor does in addition to the traditional blender functions so it's almost a 2 for 1 appliance.  I use it to puree vegetables to add to gravy and it's the perfect size to whip up salsa.  The Ninja isn't cheap but it's tough, I can throw frozen fruit in for smoothies or milk shakes and the motor doesn't burn out. 

http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_011W111325110001P?sid=KDx01192011x000001&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=31-148480465-2
$9.99-12 jars (16 oz)
First things first, who doesn't love the look look of a Mason jar?   They're just so sweet, I use them as vases, glasses and candle holders.  I also use them to keep fresh vegetables and herbs fresh in my fridge.  Fill them with water and after you've cleaned and trimmed your herbs, set them into the Mason jar in the fridge and snip off what you need as you need it.  Also great for mixing and storing salad dress and I keep a jar of coffee concentrate for iced coffee.  Oh, and they work really well for canning too ;)



http://www.target.com/p/6qt-cast-iron-covered-casserole-pot/-/A-10514667#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=dutch+oven
$53.99 at Target-6.5 quart.
The Mr. got this for me as a birthday gift a few years ago at my own request but even I am amazed at how often I use this baby.  In fact, it stays on my stove top.  It's perfect for soups and stove-top items but it's really wonderful for those things you want to start on the range top and finish in the oven.  I like to braise my roast in this dutch oven and then into the oven to finish.  It is recommended not to wash cast iron in the dish washer but this cleans up so easily, you won't care. 




 

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=207214
$29.00-keep an eye out for their 20% off coupons or get one online
I've just about beat this horse to death but here it is one more time!  This infusion pitcher, which is the one I have, has a tea/coffee basket and freezer thing to keep it cold in addition to the fruit infuser.  Do you need this?  Nope.  Will you like it?  I think you will. 



http://www.target.com/p/lodge-cast-iron-pre-seasoned-skillet-12-inch/-/A-10291923?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=%7C10291923&CPNG=Kitchen&kpid=10291923&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=10291923
$17.99 at Target (12 in.)
Full disclosure, I didn't purchase my cast iron skillet, I claimed on I found in my grandmother's basement when she passed.  No one else wanted it because it was grody and rusty, but you can't destroy these babies!  I scoured and seasoned it and it's good as new.  You can probably find one in your dad's camping gear and if not, I'm told they are often in thrift shops for less than a buck.  I use my skillet all of the time, for everything from eggs to sauteed vegetables to corn bread.  Like the Dutch oven, don't use the dishwasher.  If you keep it seasoned, your skillet will easily wipe clean with each use.



http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=13835831
$7..99 (6 pice set) on Amazon
It might seem strange to include such a kitchen basic in my list of products but I believe the wooden spoon is under appreciated!  I don't like the idea of metal utensils with nonstick pans because I worry about scraping the Teflon into my food.  Also, when you are cooking fresh vegetables, the wooden spoons are less damaging than the metal ones would be to the veggies themselves.  Plus, you can't beat the price! 

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=18054400&RN=939&
$29.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond for 4-1 salad spinner.
I got this from Santa in 2012 but didn't even open the box until about a month ago.  Since then, I can't imagine how I lived without a salad spinner!  It's especially useful since I do all of my produce clean and prep on the weekends, it makes everything move more quickly through the process by drying it in the spinner.  I have the one pictured so I can only speak for its usefulness but I've never used the mandolin/grater attachment.  You can get one without the fancy extras for $16.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  If I use the mandolin, I'll let you know if it's worth the extra money.  If you clean your veggies a week in advance, like I do, using the spinner will get rid of extra moisture that will shorten the shelf life of your produce. 

So there it is, a quick tour through my kitchen helpers.  Again, you DO NOT NEED any of these items to start clean eating today.  One of the best things I've done is to take 15 minutes to sharpen my knives-zero dollars!  If you have a product that makes everything easier and that you would recommend, please share it in comments. 
On my to-do list is to go through my cabinets and get rid of the items I don't use since I find myself going back to my favorite items day after day, but that's a blog for another time!

Planning for the week~

Around here, preparation is KEY to success.  I even post menus on the refrigerator (which daboyz then rate, although no one ever asked their opinion.)  A person has to be flexible, so the plans don't always happen exactly as...planned.  When that happens, I try very hard to rethink any perishables that weren't used as planned and make sure they get re purposed before they go bad-I hate it when food and money are wasted.  That's why almost every weekend there's a pot of soup on the stove, a great way to use veggies and left overs that might otherwise end up in the trash bin. 

My prep for this week

• Clean all fresh produce in a mixture of water/vinegar/baking soda & air dry on counter top
• Cut, chop and prep veggies for use throughout the week.
• Clean & prep fresh herbs, put those in Mason jars of water in fridge for easy use.
• Clean & trim green onions, into Mason jars of water and into the fridge with those too.
• Boil about a half dozen eggs, into the fridge for the week.
• Freshen pitchers of infused water, tea, lemonade, iced coffee, etc.
• Clean out fridge, wash Mason jars from prior week, toss or freeze items not used.
• Create menu & then shopping list from menu
• Keep a running list on fridge for shopping items
• Make salsa
• Make decaf coffee concentrate cold brewed in French press for use as base for iced coffee or coffee milkshakes.

Dinner Menu  (Our menu starts on Saturday)

• Saturday-Chicken & brown rice with gravy, green beans, green salad, coffee milkshakes for dessert
• Sunday-Pot roast with roasted vegetables & gravy, green salad
• Monday-Grilled chicken (make double for Thursday), baked potato, green beans, Armenian bean salad.  Changed of plans-ate the Tuesday meal on Monday because it was too HOT to grill!
• Tuesday-Baked Tilapia, steak fries, slaw.  Ate grilled chicken from Monday's meal.  Changed out the potato for veggie stir fried brown rice because we had potato on Sunday and Monday.  Changed out the bean salad for a greek salad, just felt the need for veggies and complex carb, wandered a little off track Sunday and Monday but easily remedied.
• Wednesday-Out to dinner (late work night)
• Thursday-Chicken Florentine over wheat fettuccine, salad
• Friday-Take out from clean eating restaurant (Moo Cluck Moo, La Pita, Mati's Deli)

Snack Options

• Chips & salsa
• Pita chips or vegetables and hummus
• Smoothies
• Fresh fruit

Shopping list~

They say the best way to switch to clean eating is to do a sweep of your pantry and throw away everything that isn't "clean."  Well, I honestly couldn't bring myself to do that.  Yes, I know that it isn't wasted money; it's an investment in my health.  In my mind, it's still wasted money.  I think that's really an individual decision.  And there are items that will always require use of those refined/white items like baking.  So we have minimized our use of the processed and refined items and as we've used them up, we are not buying more of the same.  I thought today I'd post some clean eating basics with which I'm stocking my cabinets and refrigerator as we clear out the items that we want to use less often.

1.  Dried beans/legumes
2.  Fresh fruit and veggies
3.  Whole grain bread
4.  Whole grain crackers
5.  Green tea bags
6.  Agave, honey, molasses, raw sugar, pure maple syrup, organic syrups (like Boysenberry)
7.  Whole wheat flour
8.  Organic eggs
9.  Steal cut oats
10.  Plain Greek yogurt
11.  Whole grain pasta
12.  Brown rice
13.  Real butter
14.  Olive oil
15.  Low/no sodium broth (read label for added ingredients!)
16.  Nothing added stewed/sauce/pureed tomatoes
17.  Fresh herbs:  parsley, dill, cilantro, mint, rosemary, basil, oregano...  They are relatively inexpensive at farmer's markets so try them in small batches in salads, warm dishes and soups.  Experiment!


Canned veggies or frozen ones are fine, just read the label and be sure you're not inadvertently eating something you'd rather not.  As always, the nutrition content is higher the closer to nature you get.