Brewer5: A Fresh Start

[ladyshanny]

 

 

See, that is so easy... now I feel dumb.  

 

Haha -- just kidding.  I already knew it was dumb that I hadn't cooked an entire chicken yet.  I've been feeding THREE boys for the past NINE years!

 

But did you see my follow-up post?  I did it!    

 

 

I did see that you did it after I posted my comment!  

 

It's not dumb though, if you don't know or are intimidated, it can be a bit paralyzing.  It's also trial and error.  I prefer my roasted chickens closer to "over cooked" because otherwise the meat has a texture I'm not a fan of.  Didn't learn that for a few chickens worth.  

[Brewer5]

I've been busy checking out this site, since I saw GFChris post it:  http://www.fatworksfoods.com

 

Has anyone ever ordered from them?

 

I'm really ready to try out some new fats -- especially since cutting out dairy.  I've heard a lot about duck fat.  Apparently so has everyone else... they are all sold out!

[Kmlynne]

YES!!!!!  I loved their stuff - unfortunately, I find it too expensive.  The Lard was beautiful - pure, smooth.  The duck fat gave a little bit more "richer" taste (I was going to say gamier, but that is not quite right).  I also got the beef tallow, but didn't use that as much.  The duck fat doesn't set up like the other do, but stays more liquid.  They were out of the duck fat when I ordered too, but I went on the waiting list and was able to get it a couple months later.  Good company - never had any problems with them of any kind.

[Brewer5]

I found some duck fat on Amazon that has great reviews, and I went ahead and bought it.  The price equaled out to almost exactly $1.00/oz.   

 

That may sound insane.....  but it actually looks a lot cheaper than that other site!

 

It will be here Thursday.  No one expect to hear from me Thursday.  I will be too busy experimenting.  

[Carlaccini]

Duck fat IS awesome.  I use duck fat regularly.

 

Roasted vegetables are simply awesomer   with duck fat.

[Brewer5]

I think I'll just randomly start throwing out this TED talk.  18 life-changing minutes.  It can help so many people who are struggling.....

 

Watch it again.  Send it to friends and family.  Let it really sink in.  I love it.

 

[JessRN]

Hey everyone!  I'm Jessica, I'm a nurse, and I'm going keto!  Brewer5 invited me here, thank you lady!  I started Whole30 60 days ago, and I've learned tons and tons!  A picture I wanted to post that cracked me up was a pic of my first (very well-intentioned) Whole30 breakfast 60 days ago, and my first (also very well-intentioned lol) keto breakfast this morning.  My my, what we've learned in 60 days! 

[Brewer5]

LOL, Jess...  Thanks for sharing!  And welcome!  

[kirkor]

Coconut oil in the coffee in the 2nd pic? (and you still have the Jack Skellington mug I hope! )

[JessRN]

Kirkor, it's heavy cream in tea haha.  And yes, I love my Jack mug!  One of my treasures.  And that one in the second pic is a Haunted Mansion mug haha.  

 

Ok guys- Keto, I'm doing it wrong lol.  Here is a screen capture from my My Fitness Pal account where I put in all my food for today to see how I was doing on carbs.  WOW.  JUST WOW.  

[Brewer5]

Jess, I cannot get that thumbnail to get big so I can see it.  I have tried multiple times, and it locks up the entire site for me.  

 

What the heck are you doing?!  haha  

[Brewer5]

Okay, Jess did NOT have 2 cups of heavy cream for breakfast.  We all know where that can lead.............  LOL.  She meant 2 tablespoons.  

 

Tablespoons.  That's better.    

[JessRN]

Jess is special.  Jess tried to enter her foods on her little iphone 5 screen while Jason was careening down the freeway at questionable speeds.  Mistakes were made.  LOL

[JessRN]

For the rest of the class LOL

[Kmlynne]

Ok - so maybe I am coming in late and you have fixed it - or maybe you are worried because you are over your "allotted" carbs for the day.....

However, when you look at the ratios, you are GOLDEN!

kirkor has on his KETwhOle30 thread - on the first log, a link to a site flexibleketogenic where you put in your carbs, fats, and protein amounts and it figure you ketosis ratio (higher the better. I used it a lot before I got my ketonix. Your ratio was 2.14. >2 is consisdered "very ketogenic"

[Brewer5]

Karen -- yes, she made some changes to her little one and then posted that BIG one, once she got it all sorted out.  She had overestimated some things.....  A LOT.  

 

That's really helpful for you to mention the calculator you used.  Since I never used it, I forgot all about it.  A nice tool to get a ballpark idea in the beginning, as you did.

 

---------------

 

So -- I haven't mentioned my middle son lately...  Well, we haven't been 100% with his Feingold, and it's showing.  I can't decide how much of it is his diet and how much of it is the fact that he is almost 11 (!) and is just getting more of an attitude with me.  

 

Anyway, today I decided to really focus on him getting more fat with breakfast.  He's so damn picky (although of course he says he's not) but I got him to agree to try out these salmon cakes I had not made for awhile.  I can't think when the last time was that we fried anything, and the coconut flour had to be dug out of the refrigerator and inspected to make sure it was still good.  Lol.  We just haven't been making things that use flour.  {shrug}

 

I think I may have originally gotten a sardine cake recipe from Karen (?) and we do make them like that, too, sometimes -- but here is what I used today:

 

6 oz. can of salmon

2 eggs

2 Tbsp coconut flour

1/2 tsp salt

 

^ This is a bit heavy on the salt, but we all like it that way.  If you like less, definitely go with 1/4 tsp instead.

 

 

Fried up in coconut oil.  Yum.

 

What's great about this recipe is that they are SO filling.  Coconut flour is so fibrous, it makes you feel FULL.

 

I ate 4 of them and then I was done.  My son ate 3.  We'll see how his mood is today.  

[Carlaccini]

Oooh - this looks like it's going to be breakfast tomorrow (or soon!)

[littleg]

I am sitting here trying to decide on lunch.  Done

[kirkor]

...the coconut flour had to be dug out of the refrigerator and inspected to make sure it was still good.  Lol.  We just haven't been making things that use flour.  {shrug}

 

Man, I've got over a pound of coconut flour that I've had for over a year now ... every now and then I add a Tbsp to meatloaf or something ... sheesh!  

[littleg]

[JessRN]

Day 2 of my little Keto experiement!  Breakfast was delicious, and boy DID I MISS BACON! hahaha.  I didn't have any at all during my Whole60, and it was kind of like crack to me this morning lol.  I actually only ended up eating half the portion of avocado you see in this pic.  The numbers for breakfast are good!  Let's see how it holds me, how I do on energy, etc.  Feeling a little carb flu-ish this morning, but I'll take that as a good sign!  I was PM-ing with Brewer5 last night, and I started plugging in some of my more typical Whole30 meals into MFP.  Holy cow, the carbs!  Even at my lowest carb point in my Whole60, I was at around 50 grams a day.  WOW.

 

So I'm starting with 20g as Keto Clarity suggests.  I have a feeling my magic number is closer to 30-35, since there were some days on Whole30 I was feeling good, and others I was NOT.  I think I was hovering in "no-man's land" most of the time.  

 

Friday is payday (yay!), so I can consider getting a glucometer.  I really want a Ketonix, but that is going to be a miracle feat considering the financial demands of Christmastime.  

[Brewer5]

Loving the pictures, ladies!  

 

littleg, what did you think of the salmon cakes?

 

FYI everyone -- my son has been like a completely different person from yesterday.  It's insane.  I have had zero problems.  He is completely cooperative.  

 

Yesterday was huff, puff, sigh, groan... about everything.  He had started his day with 2 Shelton's chicken dogs (these are nitrate free and on his list), and mixed "veggies" of the corn, pea, carrot, green bean variety (he LOVES these so sometimes I buy them -- probably no more) with grass-fed butter and coconut oil.

 

I am pointing my finger at everything but the coconut oil.  LOL  ...Actually, I have no clue.  He was that way all. day.

 

What matters is that today is better!  Salmon cakes are back on the menu, folks.  

[littleg]

They were good!  I bet yours your better - I didn't seem to use as much oil in the pan so they were more baked almost... but tasty and easy

[JessRN]

Alright, my friends- You're looking at the most delicious thing I've eaten in WEEKS!!! Chicken drumsticks rubbed in all sorts of goodness and baked in the oven. I went rogue on the recipe and basted them with butter in the last 10 minutes. SO GOOD! Recipe credit to the everclevermom blog.  Recipe can be found at: http://everclevermom.com/…/easy-weeknight-paleo-chicken-be…/

[Brewer5]

So, yesterday was the BIG trip to Costco & Trader Joe's to stock up before Christmas.  We have to travel ~an hour to do this.

 

I just wanted to share what I bought... and comment about the SO SO SO many things I did not buy.  I remember where I was at mentally with food at this time last year -- and I have come so far.  ...So, so far.

 

My home is now full of:

 

eggs

carnitas

guacamole

spinach

pork tenderloin

burger patties

nitrate-free sliced chicken

red peppers

salmon

tuna

nut wheels for Christmas parties

beef sticks

olives 

coffee

sardines

frozen wild blueberries

mushrooms

almond-stuffed olives

bacon

sausage

macadamia nuts

chicken

unsweetened tea

rack of pork

toasted sesame oil

sauerkraut

chopped veggies

kale chips

roasted hazelnuts

plantain chips

sunbutter

unsweetened baking chocolate

pepperoni

beef "cocktail pups"

jicama sticks

lemons

brussels sprouts

 

Now, I won't bore you with the gifts, dog treats, and household items that are on my receipts.  

 

And some of these items ^ are for my kids -- clearly not keto, and not for me.

 

But I'm posting because it was a pretty big deal for me to leave those stores without ANY DAIRY.  No butter, no cheese, no yogurt... also no gluten-free pizza for my husband.  (<-- This is huge... it is one of his favorite things in the whole world.)  Rocket is getting to the age where we can stop the dairy with him (according to my book) -- so I no longer need to buy the cottage cheese and yogurt for him, that the kids were getting into.  We're finishing it up and it's done.  No more.

 

...Last year, during the Holidays, I got into the gingerbread houses we made.  Multiple occasions.  I ate a lot of tortilla chips and salsa.  I had some sickeningly sweet cherry vodka.  We had popcorn at the movies.  I don't even remember what else.  The point is:  All of that stuff is OUT again, and I don't miss it.

 

I walked around the stores and looked at all the junk, and I wasn't tempted -- I was (as always), a bit disgusted.  My teenager went with me on this trip, and we had great talks.  We shook our heads about how we basically have to put blinders on, because there is just absolute BS everywhere we look.

 

We ate at Five Guys and we both had plain burgers with bacon, lettuce, and mayo.  And I was really, really disappointed that I forgot to bring my own mayo.  I ate theirs -- and I didn't die -- but I really wanted to take my own.  ...I've never been in a place before where I even thought about transporting mayonnaise in my purse.  haha

 

I know there are folks reading here who've already got their stuff together -- and I know there are those who are reading who are struggling.  I just wanted to let you know that we should never stop trying.  Don't get stuck in a rut.  Keep moving forward until you find a path that really suits you.  I feel so amazing, so mentally and emotionally clear and stable -- I wish I had never deviated from this when my keto Whole 30 ended almost a year ago.  However... it is through that wandering that I've been able to reassess and solidify my plan.  So no ra-grets, people.  No Ragrets.