Loana's Cave Kitchen

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2009-10-03T13:33:00.002-04:00

So I have been gone for a while and in that time I got interested in zero carb. As anyone can see from reading my food log, I eat a lot of chocolate! And other things. So I am now severely limiting carbs to see if I can manage cravings more efficiently. I will be posting my meals here if I get a chance but seeing as how I am trying to be less obsessive about it I may not post very often.
Brunch today was 3 slices of roast beef (eye round, my fave) and about half a cup of coconut milk with a couple of handful of almonds. I imagine the carbs for this meal were around 20g.

FOOD v.8

2009-09-15T08:19:00.002-04:00

Brex 8:30am:
1 slice of bacon
1 egg
1/4 c ground beef

Lunch 3:00pm:
1/2 steak salad with onions, tomatoes, and feta, dressed with tahini and tzadzaki
1 asian pear
10 g dark choc

FOOD v.7

2009-09-14T11:16:00.007-04:00

Brex: IF
Lunch 11:00am:
1 deviled egg half
1 slice of bacon
1 egg fried in bacon grease with a little onion and green pepper and 1/3 c broccoli
10 almonds with a bite of dark chocolate ganache

Snack 1:30pm:
20g chocolate

Later snack/meal thing 4:30:
3/4 cup butternut squash with butter
1 1/2 cup arugula salad mix with 1 slice of bacon, 1/4 avocado, gorgonzola dressing

Dinner 7:30pm:
1 cup butternut squash with butter
1 slice halloumi
leftover piece of camembert
30 g chocolate

FOOD v.6

2009-09-13T15:01:00.005-04:00

Pre-workout snack 9:30am:
2 deviled egg halves
coffee with cream

Lunch 2:30pm:
1 small asian pear
leftover Vietnamese chicken broth (about 1-2 cups) with bean sprouts (are bean sprouts paleo?)
20g dark chocolate

Snack 4:30 pm:
small bowl of yogurt with blueberries, almonds, flaked coconut

Dinner 7:00pm:
French restaurant (yayayayay)
3 escargots with butter and garlic
1/2 piece of bread with butter
a duck leg (confit)
a few grapes
a couple of bites of Camembert
a couple of bites of bf's chicken and truffled potatoes
dark choc pot de creme (came in an espresso cup so pretty small)
glass of white wine

also ate an airhead. not a good choice.

FOOD v.5

2009-09-12T11:31:00.007-04:00

Pre-workout snack 8:30am:
1 deviled egg half
coffee with cream

Lunch 1:00pm:
1/2 c ground beef with avo mayo and 1 oz pepper jack
1 deviled egg half
1 slice of bacon
10 g homemade chocolate thing

Pre-work snack 4:30pm:
big slice of chocbread with butter
bite of British Crunchie bar from my sister
1/3 c yogurt with almonds, blueberries, coconut

Dinner 7:30pm:
Soup from the Vietnamese restaurant
20 g chocolate thing
1/2 crunchie bar

Still too much chocolate, but at least the candy from my sister is gone now. Also am done with the homemade chocolate almond stuff. So we'll see.

FOOD v.4

2009-09-11T11:13:00.009-04:00

Brex 11:30am:
4 deviled egg halves (all the broken ones!)
a spoon of brownie batter (recipe from Elana's Pantry http://www.elanaspantry.com/brownies/) (the recipe calls for a lot of agave nectar, gross, so I used apple sauce instead. I bet bananas would work too)
2 tiny European chocolates that my sister sent me for my birthday (dark chocolate coated marzipan, my favorite)
coffee with local half n half

Lunch 3:30pm:
1.5 cup butternut squash
1 brownie-bread with 2 tb butter
1/2 c ground beef with avo mayo

Dinner 9:00pm:
1 cup butternut squash with butter
2 deviled egg halves
a handful of almonds
a few bites of yellow curry
20 g homemade chocolate almond cherry thing

I did well on not snacking today, but ate a lot of carbs thanks to the squash. Gotta eat more protein.

note: the brownies came out tasting a bit like chocolate bread... not sure why. They are pretty good with butter though!

FOOD v.3

2009-09-10T12:45:00.004-04:00

Brex 8:00am:
1/2 cup ground beef with avo mayo
1 cup coleslaw

Lunch 1:30pm:
1/2 cup ground beef with avo mayo
1 slice of bacon
15 g homemade dark chocolate thingie

Snack 4:30pm:
ENTIRE CHOC BAR (70% lindt)

Dinner 7:30pm:
pkg of beef jerky
1/2 local apple
handful of almonds

Blarg, too much chocolate today. I tend to eat it all the time because I have such a sweet tooth. Really have to cut down on that. Also the beef jerky was not ideal but it was what I could get in a pinch.

FOOD v.2

2009-09-09T13:36:00.005-04:00

Brex 9:00am:
leftover coleslaw (prob a cup)
leftover homemade chocolate bar with almonds and cherries (about 20 g)

Lunch 1:00pm:
1 can of tuna with 1-2 tb mayo and dill
1 oz monterey jack cheese
1 gala apple (oh my god I love apples and can't stop eating them! It is truly fall!)

Snack 3:30pm:
1/2 cup whole milk local yogurt with local wild blueberries, cinnamon, organic flaked coconut, and raw almonds
coffee with local half n half

Dinner 9:00pm:
small serving of yellow curry chicken and veggies
coleslaw (about 1.5 cups)
about 30 g homemade dark chocolate with almonds and cherries

Snack 10:45om:
1/3 c local whole milk yogurt with almonds, local wild blueberries, and organic flaked coconut

Lots of snacks today which is weird and a bit lame. I also wish I ate more protein today... Have to work on that.

FOOD

2009-09-08T09:58:00.009-04:00

Brex 9:30am:
1/4 red pepper and 1 tb minced white onion fried in beef tallow
1/2 cup ground beef (burger)
1 tb mayo plus 1/4 avocado (mashed together= avocado mayo)

Lunch 2:00pm:
1/2 cup ground beef (burger)
1 tb mayo plus 1/4 avocado
1 slice of Trader Joe's uncured thick'n'delish apple smoked bacon
1/2 large locally grown apple
bite of yellow curry veggies

Dinner 6:30pm:
2 cups homemade coleslaw (red cabbage with about 1 tb of mayo and 1 tb white vinegar)
small serving of yellow curry chicken and vegetables

Snack 9:30pm:
1 beer (Dogfishhead 60 Minute IPA, delish)
about 40 g almond cherry dark chocolate (70% and 85% melted together with almonds and dried cherries made at home)

Not a bad day. I don't usually drink but my boyfriend was playing a concert tonight and I felt like having a beer.
I would like to be eating a bit more protein; maybe I will make deviled eggs tomorrow.

More On The Upcoming Journal

2009-09-08T00:20:00.002-04:00

So just a brief outline for the upcoming month (it's like a little challenge). I will be focusing on eating locally produced eggs, vegetables, fruits, and meats. I am going to try to cut out dairy for real this time and also cut down on my chocolate and nut consumption. I am really pleased with my progress so far and would like to jumpstart it again.

Food Journaling

2009-09-07T20:53:00.002-04:00

I know that food journals are super boring to read, especially when there aren't any food porn pictures included. But I feel like I need to start tracking what I eat, at least for a little while (a week or so). I haven't been that primal in the past week, and today I even ate a piece of corn on the cob and a slice of birthday cake with ice cream. While I don't feel too bad about those slip-ups, I would like to exercise a little more control. I am hoping to get to my goal weight/size/feel (what defines a goal? I guess it's a combination of these 3 things. I figure I will know it when I get there) by December. I already feel a lot better and I think that has contributed to my laziness lately. Now that I don't feel miserably fat (and am actually comfortable leaving the house) I have lightened up a little and that's fine.
BUT starting tomorrow I will be posting everything I eat for a week... just to see.

Hawaiian Burger

2009-08-21T08:30:00.001-04:00

MMMM Breakfast! I just made this one up.
Hawaiian Burger:
Hamburger with bacon and pineapple on top. You won't miss the bun. Plus, two meats in one meal!

Finally Back!

2009-08-12T18:23:00.001-04:00

So I went hiking in New Hampshire for several days and it was great! I stayed fairly primal while I was up there, with the exception of some green tea ice cream and homemade wild blueberry pie. But it's good to be back. I have some acorn squash and a chicken roasting in the oven right now and I can't wait to eat them!

Health update:
I am feeling stronger (easier to walk up hills, carry things, etc). I never talk about exercise because I try not to think of what I do as working out (I hate working out....except for the endorphin rush of course). But I walk at least two miles, more often four (plain old walking outdoors, I don't wear a pedometer in everyday life or go on the treamill) pretty much every day. I don't drive and I am afraid to bike in the street, so I walk. Everywhere. Aside from this, I do housework, I garden, and I play with my cat. I would be interested in resistance training but just haven't fit it into my life yet.
I have been maintaining at 154. I am hoping to drop into the mid 130's before Christmas, but I'm not in a huge rush.

Day Off

2009-08-06T09:22:00.003-04:00

I'm taking the day off work today to see if I can make some primal concoctions. I really want to try to make my own mayo (and subsequently deviled eggs and tuna salad).
I am also participating in the marksdailyapple 30 day challenge. I'm trying to cut down on my fruit and dairy intake for the next 30 days, as well as add some intermittent fasting. We'll see how it goes.

Farmer's Market

2009-08-05T08:59:00.003-04:00

I went to the farmer's market yesterday. I picked up a head of broccoli, a yellow tomato, about a cup of yellow and red grape tomatoes, a head of purple cabbage, and a package of locally made raw whole milk yogurt (the best!!). I think I might spring for the cage free pastured organic locally created eggs next time (zomg they cost a million dollars aka $6.00 for a dozen).

Update

2009-08-05T08:45:00.003-04:00

The truffles turned out great. Too great. I ended up eating the equivalent of about six of them during the prep. But it was my dad's birthday last week and he loves really really dark chocolate so I killed two birds with one stone and gave a bunch of them to him. His response: "Wow, I love how not sweet they are. Very little sugar!". If only you knew how much unsweetened baking chocolate was in there, Dad.
I had another tough day yesterday anyway though. Ate 4 more of the truffles, plus a bunch of fresh mozzarella balls (the little ones. They go so well with cherry tomatoes!!), in addition to more primal choices. I love dairy but I am thinking maybe I should cut down a bit. Like have it only once a day instead of ALL THE TIME. Yum, dairy.
In other news, I am back to my pre-quitting-cigarettes weight, which is awesome (lower 150s). My new goal is to break into the 140s by my birthday, which is at the end of the month. I think I can do it.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

2009-08-03T16:20:00.002-04:00

I am making dark chocolate truffles right now. I am sort of using a Food Network recipe and sort of just trying random stuff out. I want to make different "flavors". One way of doing this is rolling the ganache in different items like crushed walnuts, crushed almonds, coconut flakes, or baker's cocoa. I am also going to melt a little 85% chocolate on the double boiler and coat a few in that. SHOULD BE AWESOME.

Favorite Supplies

2009-08-02T22:43:00.002-04:00

I find that I vary some aspects of my diet a lot, others not at all. I stock up on these essentials, especially when I can find them at a good price:
-unsweetened coconut flakes
-raw almonds
-very dark chocolate (70-90%)
-eggs
-onions
-ground beef
-avocados
The first three make up my favorite "dessert"- combine them in trail mix fashion and it's almost like eating an Almond Joy (that's what my boyfriend says anyway). Eggs are super versatile and an important staple as far as vitamins go. Onions add delicious flavor. I use yellow onions for stir-fries and letting them caramelize gives the dish a sweeter taste. Ground beef is important to me because I love burgers!! So convenient and speedy to prepare. I often put avocados on my burgers.
I give myself lots of variety when it comes to other meats, fruits, and vegetables, usually relying on what's in season/what's on sale.

Supplements

2009-08-02T11:05:00.003-04:00

As far as supplements go, I am not very religious about taking them. I keep a stock of assorted supplements (vitamin D gelcaps, fish oil gelcaps, iron, calcium, multivitamin, vitamin C chewable, vitamin E, "women's formula" multivitamin, and "high potency multipack with omega-3s") and sort of just take what I feel like when I remember to. I hate the way the multivites taste so I rarely take those. I've read a fair amount on the importance of supplements, esp. fish oil, vitamin D, and vitamin K2. I guess I just feel like randomly supplementing is more primal/paleo than supplementing every day at the same time. For me the emphasis is on supplement... as in, something that augments and complements your diet, but is not necessarily super important. That's also just an excuse for absentmindedness, but I think it's valid. Plus, supplements are expensive.

Mini Quiche

2009-08-01T16:12:00.004-04:00

I made mini quiches this morning, based off the recipe at marksdailyapple. I used 5 eggs, 3 slices of Trader Joe's uncured bacon, swiss chard, zucchini, onion, red pepper, a tiny bit of jalapeno, Monterey Jack cheese, and some half and half. They turned out great and I really recommend this recipe. I can't wait to have these in my bag lunches for work!

Egggggs

2009-07-30T08:33:00.003-04:00

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 tsp butter, 1 slice swiss cheese. I love eggs. I'm down 10 lbs now. Only 25 to go til I reach my goal BMI of 20.5! And I'm feeling better than ever. No hunger pangs, few cravings. I'm reading Good Calories, Bad Calories right now. It is a bit dry but also really interesting and kind of scary.

How to get those omega-3s

2009-07-27T20:32:00.005-04:00

I made a fish chowder for dinner tonight in an attempt to introduce fish (and more omega-3s) into my diet. I've never had anything against fish and in fact love sushi, but I never eat out and I never buy fish at the store, except for a very occasional can of tuna. I made the chowder with canned salmon and fresh wild cod fillets (both are oily fish), carrots, onion, red pepper, water, butter, and half+half. It's delicious and really filling-after a half cup serving I couldn't eat any more! I feel satisfied with the recipe, which I got from recipezaar and tailored to fit what I had/my primal needs.

Best Snack

2009-07-26T21:51:00.004-04:00

70-85% Chocolate + Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (large type). Oh this is addictive and delicious. I'm making lentil/chicken/carrot soup for my boyfriend's mom right now- she has a CSA this summer and gives us a bunch of vegetables. It's hard being in the kitchen without wanting a snack!

Bfast

2009-07-26T09:15:00.004-04:00

Mmmm. Half the soup leftovers from last night (enough to fill a whole bowl!), 10 of the tiny local strawberries, 1 deviled egg. I may have another deviled egg later, they are so good.
I also weighed in at 7 pounds lighter than I was the last time I went to the doctor (2 months ago). I hope, with this endeavor to change my lifestyle, not only to lose weight but also to gain a better knowledge of how my body works at full capacity. I would like to be more efficient and have better control over the quality of food that I consume.
I have had no problem giving up grains and starches- I was never that into bread, pasta, or potatoes. I do, however, love me some candy. I especially enjoy chewy things and chocolate things. Going cavewoman means that instead of Starburst and Riesen, I'm going to be looking at dried cranberries and 85% cocoa chocolate bars. This will be interesting.

Dining Out: Vietnamese/Food, Inc.

2009-07-25T21:43:00.005-04:00

I had to work my once a week shift at the local independent movie theater tonight. The primal pickings are few and far between for what to eat while at work (from surrounding restaurants) and I contemplated bringing a snack. However, we also don't have an employee fridge at my job, and ordering out is a social tradition with my coworkers. As I only work this job on Saturday nights, I can justify spending $ on dinner. So tonight I got Vietnamese chicken soup, a favorite, but primal style (-noodles). The soup was amazing!! Such a big portion that I have plenty left for tomorrow's lunch. It was a rich herbed chicken broth with chicken, sprouts, green hot peppers, fresh lime quarters, white onion, plus a fresh leafy herb that I did not recognize. The soup is a sort of make it yourself deal too- the broth comes separately and you add different ingredients as you go along depending on personal taste. A delicious primal meal!
By the way, the theater currently is showing Food, Inc. right now. This film is somewhat relevant to the sustainability aspect of the paleo lifestyle and really important for anyone who cares about what they eat.

Grocery Goods

2009-07-25T12:40:00.005-04:00

So I picked up:
2 packets of organic raspberries
1 box of local (very small and sweet) strawberries
1/2 lb wild cod
1 packet organic unsweetened coconut flakes (lg)
1 packet organic unsweetened coconut flakes (sm)
4 cans of salmon (on a budget here!)
1 bottle of organic olive oil
1 green pepper

yummmmm.
Also just made deviled eggs and promptly ate 3. And I made up a tiny snack plate of 1 square of 85% cocoa chocolate, a few raspberries, and several almonds. I love not caring about how many calories I consume.

Breakfast!

2009-07-25T10:02:00.002-04:00

Whole milk unpasteurized yogurt form the local dairy (I know, not strictly primal, but I love whole milk yogurt!!), four strawberries, some almonds and walnuts. I am obsessed with tea right now (two months ago I was a seasoned coffee drinker: large with soymilk and honey usually, but in the past month or so I have transitioned painlessly to unsweetened black and green teas with the occasional mint thrown in for flavor. I hate fruit teas.) and have had about a million cups this morning. I'm about to head down to the local meat market, Whole Foods, and specialty market to see what they have to offer. I will report!

Primal/Paleo/Caveman etc.

2009-07-25T08:08:00.005-04:00

I decided to try the primal/paleo/caveman diet last week, and I'm making this blog to track the experience and as a nod to the strong primal blogging community here on the interweb.
My mom had given up all grains and refined sugar after a serious blood pressure/cholesterol reality check four months ago. After being on a basically primal diet (I think a bit higher in vegetables and nuts with less emphasis on fatty meats) she got rid of her blood pressure problem, her cholesterol problem, and forty pounds. She is a convert and I have to say I am too. She looks better than she has in many, many years: younger, better proportioned, happier. She is excited to get dressed up now and is wearing clothes she hasn't touched since before she gave birth to me nearly 25 years ago. Our family has a history of heart disease, so her new health (after chronic issues with blood pressure, cholesterol, and overweight/obesity) is kind of a big deal.
So I'm trying it. I have flirted with dieting before (I've always had a BMI in the 24-25.5 range), but after quitting smoking this New Years I packed on 15 pounds (!!) by eating a bunch of crap (read: chocolate and fruit candy) to distract me from cigarette cravings. After eating as much meat, olive oil, vegetables, fruit and nuts as I want for a mere 10 days, I have dropped 4 pounds, putting me back in the "normal" category of BMI's (instead of the "overweight" one). This feels awesome. I can't wait to continue the paleolithic journey.

Loana