Recipe : Easy, Peasy Mac & Cheesy Casserole

Growing up, I was raised in a mostly single parent household. I did however, have the good fortune of spending LOTS of time with my Nanny while my mom juggled several jobs to make ends meet. One of my favourite dishes was this macaroni & cheese. It's by no means fancy, but it's an inexpensive quick & easy meal.

Ingredients:

Elbow macaroni
1/4 - 1/2 of a 500g block of cheddar cheese - the older the better
1 can condensed tomato soup (buy Campbell's if you can, i've tried the generic brands before, it's not the same)
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Boil macaroni according to package directions.  Strain and place in a square casserole dish, I think mine is four cups.  Stir in cheese, reserving a bit for the top. Mix in undiluted tomato soup.  Sprinkle grated cheese generously over the top. I then mix some breadcrumbs with a cheesy parmesan and bacon seasoning mix, but this is completely optional.  Basil would be ok here too.

This is what it looks like before it goes in the oven.

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, basically you are trying to make melty cheese goodness on the top, crisping up the edges as much as you like.

When it comes out of the oven.  YUM.

You could definitely jazz this up, add some taco seasoned ground beef and some diced tomatoes, onion and peppers for a tex-mex mac & cheese, or use various types of cheese ,sometimes I use a combo of parmesan, cheddar and gruyere - whatever you've got.  It's a nice base for a quick and easy dinner.

Recipe : French Onion Soup

It's only been in the last couple of years I've started to like french onion soup.  I was a very picky eater as a child, but as I get older, my palate seems to be more willing to try new things.  Mushrooms, onions, and squash are just a few tastes I now enjoy I previously hated.

Whenever I wanted the taste of French Onion soup, I'd pick up a frozen version from M&M Meat Shops.  I always assumed french onion soup would be difficult to make myself -- hey, it's french!.  One day, I was watching Chef Michael's Kitchen on the Food Network and he made this french onion soup. What's that?  An actual cooking show on Food Network? I know, I know. It's like MTV never plays music videos anymore, and the Food Network only shows cupcake and cake decorating. competitions.

Anyway, I digress.  I was totally like, yeah, I can do that!  I just needed to procure the ingredients, namely some good cheese and the sherry vinegar.    On the weekend, I met my friend at the Western Fair Farmer's Market.  I stumbled across The Cheese Poet booth which deals with Ontario cheeses.  She recommended that the Fleur-en-Lait from Glengarry Fine Cheeses would be similar to what I was looking for - either an emmentaler or gruyere.  So, I though I'd give it a try. I got the sherry vinegar at Jill's Table,

And of course, there are PICTURES!

First I sliced a ton of onions and put them in my cast iron pot in browned butter.

I started to caramelize them, this was after about an hour.  I wanted them darker, so I cooked them longer.

After about 2.5 hrs, this is what they looked like.  I would have liked a bit darker, but  the kids were getting spazzy.

Next, I added the sherry (left), the sherry vinegar I used is on the right.

The soup, after adding the sherry and chicken broth.

 Next I added the fresh thyme, salt, pepper & sherry vinegar.

I placed two toasted baguettes in each bowl

Grated on the cheese

And broiled, til deliciousness ensued.

Complete and Utter Derailment

So, as you may have already guessed by the lack of posts the for the last couple of days, I have completely derailed the sugar detox.  I was really, really having a hard time with it.  I was constantly hungry, incredibly irritable, grouchy, mean, and downright miserable.  So, it's obvious my sugar addiction is pretty hardcore, and after my little dizzy episode the other day, I am just not able to tough it out, especially while nursing a little one pretty much around the clock.

Instead, I am going to make a conscious effort to try and reduce the amount of refined sugars I am having, cut down on my refined carbohydrates, and just make smarter choices.  I am disappointed in myself for not following through, but, it just wasn't the right time for me.  Doesn't mean I can't try it again in the future, but right now, just isn't it.

Level 1, Day 3

Well, yesterday wasn't quite so hot.  The day started off well with a good breakfast.  I then started to feel really shaky and light-headed just before I was to make lunch, like I was going to faint or pass out.

Breakfast

• Bacon & Eggs
• Black coffee

Just before I was about to make lunch, I started to feel really lightheaded and shaky, as if I was going to faint. I grabbed a banana thinking it might help, but I still felt weird afterwards, so then I had a glass of milk.  I still felt really weird, so I caved and shoved 1/4 of my son's peanut butter and jam sandwich in my mouth and ate a chocolate mini easter egg.  I started to feel somewhat normal, and ended up making myself a proper lunch.

Snack

• Green tipped banana
• Glass of milk
• 1/4 of a peanut better & jam sandwich
• 1 chocolate mini egg

Lunch

• Cottage cheeese
• Cucumber with balsamic
• Sliced cheddar cheese

Dinner

• Baked chicken breast
• Asparagus
• Sweet potato (I am breastfeeding so this is allowed)

I was really disappointed about eating the PB&J and the mini egg, but I panicked and felt really weird, considering my 2 month old was in the middle of a scream attack as well.  Looking at what I ate overall however, all things considered, I think I did pretty good and redeemed myself.  I was pretty close to throwing in the whole towel and eating a carb heavy meal.

But I didn't.  I must just take one day at a time, and see how it goes.

Level 1, Day 2

I found it challenging yesterday, to come up with a quick & easy meal when I was faced with cranky children. I'm just so used to grab & going with whatever. I got out to the grocery store and picked up a couple more items to make the food choices easier.

Here's what I ate:

Breakfast

• Creamy Green Apple Smoothie
• Black coffee

Lunch wasn't so hot today.  I wasn't hungry when I made bacon & eggs with the rest of the family - I was still stuffed from my morning smoothie - so I munched on a couple pieces of bacon, but didn't really eat much.  By late afternoon, I was famished, so I ate a green-tipped banana. 

Dinner

• Lettuce taco wraps
• Water with lemon

We went visiting my in-laws this afternoon. She was baking cookies, and there were also cupcakes. Agh! It's funny as I don't normally crave sweets but between that and the Easter candy taunting me all day, I'm surprised I didn't cave. Instead, after dinner, I baked the cinnamon coconut cookies from the 21DSD Program Manual. At first, it seemed like I forgot to add sugar - I love me some cinnamon sugar! I paired it up with my coffee to which I added a splash of heavy cream and some cinnamon and cocoa powder. It was actually pretty satisfying. It will be so nice to have some quick grab easy treats.

I'm discovering the key to success with this program is pre-planning. Don't wait until you are hungry to decide what you are going to eat. You'll want to grab the first quick thing you see and it's probably not 21DSD friendly. Toast, noodles, perogies are all some of my quick fix weaknesses. Be prepared.

Now, I'm off to search for more recipes on Pinterest. That place is a foodies' Mecca. Whether you are doing the detox or not.

Level 1, Day 1

Well, the first day of The 21 Day Sugar Detox was a success.  It was a bit of a challenging day, I had a cranky baby that just wouldn't let me put him down, and by lunch time I was looking for something quick and filling to eat - this is usually toast, or a Mr. Noodle.  Carbs have always been my go-to meal, cheap, filling and heavy.  But, I did not cave.  I was probably was a bit egg heavy for the day, but at least I stuck to the plan. I'm better prepared today.

Breakfast

• Black coffee
• Bacon Egg Muffins

Lunch

• Scrambled eggs
• Sliced mozzarella cheese

Dinner

• Apple Cider Pork Chops
• Roasted Asaparagus with Lemon

I was not a fan of the Bacon Egg muffins, I prefer my yolks cooked a bit more.  I will use this recipe as a base however to make my own variation, perhaps with a more scrambled egg.   I however, LOVED the Apple Cider Pork Chops and hope to make these again soon.

I sipped on water with lemon slices for most of the day and it was so refreshing.  My water consumption had taken a nosedive since I had our baby at the end of January and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed an ice cold glass of water.  I am totally missing my morning glass of orange juice though.  Here's hoping Day 2 is a success as well.

A Challenge

I have always been a terrible eater.  I've always been able to eat whatever foods I wanted without having to worry too much about my waistline.  I've noticed however, over the years, my average weight has began to slowly increase to 10 - 15lbs heavier than what I used to consider "normal".

With the recent birth of my second son, I watched twelve pounds melt off in days following my labour.  I was curious to see where my weight would fall naturally, so I pretty much just ate whatever, and took it easy while I adjusted to life with two kids.  I was feeling pretty great, even though I just had a baby.  Weight slowly crept back up, I am currently seven pounds heavier now, and I feel worse now than I did the day after I had a baby.  My joints are back to being constantly sore and inflamed,  my skin looks terrible, and I have zero energy.  And it's not that I'm not getting enough sleep, my new little guy sleeps like a champ.  I feel generally like crap, and frankly, I'm sick of it.

I decided I could either let the weight keep creeping back up until I was back up my heaviest non pregnancy weight at 165lbs, or I could start doing something about it now.

One of my close friends, who happens to be pretty health conscious told me about The 21 Day Sugar Detox (21DSD).  She had cut most sugar and bread from her diet for about six weeks at the time, and noticed her weight coming down, and feeling generally great.

So, I started reading.  I started with the manual, then articles online and testimonials. Over the years, I have been diagnosed with various disorders - ADHD, rosacea, arthritis, and most recently, fibromyalgia.  It seems many with similar issues are benefiting from cutting refined sugars and eating a more paleo type diet. What appealed to me in particular is that Diane Sanfilippo, the creator of the 21DSD, has made modifications to the detox for pregnant and nursing mothers. I have never been a fan of "diets", especially ones that tell you eliminate certain foods. I like to eat what I want to eat.  I consider myself somewhat of a "foodie" and do not want to deny myself the pleasures of food.  I am particularly fond of breads and carbs.  AND RED WINE.  Bread, crackers, potatoes, rice, noodles, I could probably give up everything else, and live off of these alone.  But, I know these things in excess aren't good for me.

I am a bit of a sceptic.  But, I'm also sick of feeling the way I feel. So, I have decided to give this 21DSD a whirl.  It's 21 days.  It's going to be difficult, as my husband and kids will still be eating "normal", but if it does what it claims to do, I will lose some weight, have clearer skin, and have more energy.  Worst case scenario?  I don't make it and end up eating a huge plate of perogies.

So, you are likely to see me blogging more frequently over the next few weeks, talking about what I ate, what I feel like, etc.  I'd love to hear stories from those of you that may have done the Detox, or eat a more Paleo diet.  If you are interested in checking out the 21 Day Sugar Detox for yourself, click here, or follow the link on the side of my blog.