A Vampires Friend-lol-Cilantro Pesto with LOTS of Garlic!

Ok, so I goofed around it the kitchen today, cooking for one is not fun while the boys go fishing! (Boo)! BUT-Alas-I created something super yummy....Cilantro Pesto

Here it is Quick and easy, just how I like it!

In a food processor add the following: (eye balled measuring)

1 Cup Cilantro tightly packed (leaves and/or stems)1/2 Cup of Raw Almonds

2-4 Cloves of Garlic-depends on HOW garlic-ee you like your food

1/2 tsp. of Salt

Blend until fine...mine was chunky at first, but I reblended, add about 1/4 cup of Olive Oil, Blend again! blend until smoothe!

I placed about 2 T of Pesto in the bottom of a bowl, then added HOT pasta to the top of it, so it would spread easily. Stir pasta and mixture together and eat! Store leftovers in a glass jar!Super good for you and healthy!

The Almonds provide a small amount of protein, High in Vitamin E, Folate, Magnesium & Potassium.

Garlic provides Vitamin C, Potassium-Aids in Heart health and Cancer prevention - Keeps vampires and certain friends away too!

Cilantro has almost ZERO calories, high in Vitamin K for blood and Vitamin A for skin and eyes!

Olive oil has essential fatty acids in it, PLUS the fat in olive oil is a healthy fat AND it keep you feeling full longer!

Fibromyalgia Is NOT My Friend!

One thing I don’t like to talk about is Fibromyalgia. For various reasons, one is either you believe in it or you don’t. Many people say it is a “waste paper basket” diagnosis, I say “Yeah? Well, try having it for about 3 months and then get back to me on how you feel afterwards!”

Mayo Clinic defines it as this: “Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points — places on your body where slight pressure causes pain.” They forgot the COGNITIVE issues…like forgetfulness, brain fog, tongue twisting or my favorite…*Drum roll here* word substitution. When you mean to say one word in the context of the conversation and say something totally off the wall…as in you hear your phone ringing and you say out loud to the missing device and others…”Where’s the house?”

I was diagnosed about 7 years ago with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Osteo Arthritis. Heck, I was only 34 years old at the time, had 3 children at home, hurt like H*** and was beyond exhausted infrequently. When I say exhausted, I mean ZERO gas in my tank!

For people like me with Fibro, it is an exhausting disease (pardon the pun)! We live day in and day out with pain that migrates all over the body-hence I call it “Pain du Jour.” There are days I feel great and live life normally, and then there are days I feel as if an elephant has walked on my back, hands, wrists or knees! It’s a feeling of achiness and burning, are the main ways I would explain it. We call it “Flares.” Sometimes it comes with swelling, redness or heat. Any way it comes…it stinks!

I have found that what works for me, (and I say me, because no two patients are alike) is this;

1. Learn to manage stress
2. Sleep is the ESSENTIAL tool to keeping Fibro flares away.
3. Motrin and Alleve are your best friends!
4. Don’t wear yourself out, physically!!!
5. Giving all your worries to God!!!! (Some we still internalize over, but knowing things are in His hands is comforting)

Aiding in Diet and Fibro:

1. Eat a healthy diet-Avoid sugar! Sugar when converted from ANY POOR FORM causes MORE inflammation. More inflammation equals more pain!
2. HIGH nutrient dense foods (Fruits & Veggies)
3. Stay far-far-far away from all preservatives and just crap food! You are what you eat!
4. Learn to moderate exercise. (Hard for this former martial arts & gym rat!)
5. Take good supplements: Fish oil, Multi-vitamin, B-stress vitamins, Vitamin D in liquid form, magnesium and Vitamin C (I also take Arnica Montana & Bromelain, along with prescribed Armor Thyroid-helps aid in neuropathy pain sensitivity (fine nerve pain).

** If you know of someone who suffers from Fibromyalgia, PLEASE don’t discount it, or think it’s all in their head. Trust me, we have doubted it ourselves and had many friends, family members and doctors on our quest to find out what is wrong with us, tell us the same thing, until we have found the RIGHT doctor who is knowledgeable, compassionate and helps us!

Darn Close El Pollo Loco Beans

It’s “Bean” awhile since my last "confession" aka blog…personal vacation came for me just in time (I will blog about it later)-but just this morning I made beans for my family dinner tonight (boys are having Chicken fajita’s with tortilla’s, rice & beans) but these beans are so good and were ultra quick to make AND cook, I had to run upstairs to blog it!

Here’s what you’ve “Bean” needing for good Beans..get it “bean vs been” ok, never mind…onward!

In a crock pot:
2 Cups of Dry Pinto Beans
1 T Cumin
1T Garlic Salt
½ T Chili Powder
2-3 T Dried Onions
1 2-3 inch (halved& NOT seeded) Serrano Pepper

Rinse beans, then cover beans with up to 3 inches of water. Add remainder of ingredients, stir, place on HIGH for about 3-4 hours & Viola` Finished! **Add salt to taste at serving time** It may be a little “Soupy”-Just drain and save for Mexican soup broth later.

NO Cream of Potato Soup

This recipe is 100% mine & Taste-tested by one of my BFF’s "Dupli-Kate"-who has been asking for the recipe…so here it is folks! It is a great version for a “Cream of whatever” soup base without the use of Flour, Milk, Butter or Cream. Just add in which ever veggies you would like and omit the ones you want also. “*” represents things that can be substituted or replaced.

In a large stock pot boil until tender: You can keep the skins on the potatoes!!!
2 Large Idaho Potatoes diced (these break down and offer a thickening starch naturally)
8-10 Small Red or Golden Potatoes diced
1 tsp. Salt

After potatoes are started, In a stock pot sauté the following diced veggies together:
2 T. Olive Oil
½ Large white or yellow Onion
1 Leek stalk (light green-white) Dark green portion is tough!
2 Ribs of celery
1 Cup of Mushrooms*
2 Cups of Swiss Chard*
¼ tsp Dill
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Rosemary
2 T fresh Parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste

Sauté all veggies and herbs together. As potatoes cook in the water and sautéed ingredients have softened up, place about 3 cups of potato water in with veggies you will know when the potato water turns a bit cloudy. (The starch will aid in thickening, along with helping to create a vegetable broth.) Place lid on pot to keep moisture in.

When potatoes are soft- Place ½ of potatoes on stock pot with veggies and broth. Reserve the other half and place in blender with small amount of water to “emulsify” the mixture on high. CAUTION: Place a thick towel over top lid of blender BEFORE blending. The heat will cause it to burst thru the top if not careful!!!! Blend on high until there are no lumps and pour mixture into stock pot with veggies! Stir and let this cook a few minutes –about 10- stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. And serve!

Let me know if you make it and how it turns out!

Bon Appetit!

Carnivore vs. Herbivore!!!

My Best Friend (http://www.rawsierra.blogspot.com/) “dared” me to post this picture! And of course being the girl I am,…I took the dare! One may ask “how do you live in a household of men who are Carnivore’s (Major-meat-eaters) as an Herbivore (Vegan)?” Easily!!! I am the Chef in the house; therefore all our meals are based around MY MENU!

My lifestyle change is “MY” change. I would not impress my feelings or desires about meat in my house on my men. A caveman is still a caveman…even in 2010! It just means that as the shopper for my cavemen, their meat is as ethically treated as possible and hopefully without chemicals, antibiotics, and preservative free. {Trader Joe’s Plug inserted here :o)} As much as possible, I try to provide beans, legumes and "other" protein sources as substitution for them, but ultimately they want meat!...So I say give them meat-but make it a good lean-free of "crap"-substitution. The human diet requires only 3 oz. of protein a day to manufacture all necessary Amino Acids and needs for the body-the size of a deck of cards. With propper diet and meal planning, a caveman and an herbivore can live happily ever after!

xox
Leslie

Where (WHO) Is My Umbrella?

My heart has been heavy with “rain in my life” for the last week. I felt compelled to pen this and share with others who may feel the same way.


Sometimes we are faced with multiple “issues or rain” in our lives all at once, like a deluge of unexpected rain or we may be faced with a light drizzle of “constant rain” pouring down. How we deal with it is up to us and our direct relationship to God.

If your local weather reporter personally called you on the phone and said “(insert your name here) there is going to be a 100% chance of rain and I advise you to take an umbrella, rain coat, boots and a change of clothes" -would you? Or would you head out the door to run your errands, go to work, meet with a friend and then panic and suffer through them all while you're cold, uncomfortable, dripping & soaking wet?

I believe God wants us to be prepared ahead of time, have faith and rely on Him ever BEFORE the rain comes. All the while when the outpouring of "rain" does come, expected or unexpected, we will praise Him through the storm, rely on him for the guidance and direction for our lives with whatever “issue or rain” is at hand. There is no problem too big for God. (Period!!!)  Sometimes we wait until the “deluge of rain” comes to be reminded that we need God. I encourage all to grow closer, seek Him, and have a personal and daily relationship with Him. If you do not have a relationship with Him and are burdened at this time with some “rain” in your life, ask him into come in to your life and give Him your “rain”. You will find He has just what you need!

xoxo
Leslie

Isaiah 43: 2 ”When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.”

Why Eliminate It ALL And Become Vegan?

A few of my friends have recently asked me why I have chosen to be Vegan...There are a multitude of reasons for many but here are mine:

1. To become healthier.
2. Sharper mental accuity (I am a full time student & I have felt like I have had a combination of "forgetfulness" aka "Brain fog" and ADD-LOL)
3. Utilize an Anti-inflammation diet due to Fibromyalgia and Arthritis in my body from years of (self) physical abuse from working out.
4. Focus more on Nutrients of organic and whole sources going in my body for utilization!
5. And With all of that will come the weight loss...
6. I also believe in the ethical treatment of animals (A totally different blog for another day)
7. I quiver at the thought of all of the additives, preservatives, fillers, hormones, antibiotics in our mainstream diet!...Hormone disruptors, cancer stimulants.....oh I could go on and on!

I was diagnosed 6 years ago with Fibromyalgia and Arthritis in my hands & wrists.  If you are unaware of what Fibromyalgia is --->Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterized by long-term, body-wide pain and tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues and at times leaves you feeling like you have body aches similar to the flu, random "rundown" and just pooped feeling.  Frequent illnesses (Since it is an Auto immune disease like Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus-NOT as severe or life threatening but still painful and exhausting).

In the spring of this last year I contracted Mycoplasma Pneumonia while visting my Dad in the hospital.  I returned to be so ill that it took me 4 months to recover from TWO bouts of Pneumonia, Pleurisy, 2 broken ribs from coughing, 23 different prescription medications in 30 days, an inflamed gallbladder and then finally gallbldder removal surgery in August of '09. AND then to top it off, my immune system was completely shot, energy was non existant and I was a train wreck, feeling like crap and eating crap...two steps forward,... three steps back was my cycle...I went no where, but backwards.

In the fall of last year I took a Nutrition class with my daughter while at school-what an enlightening experience!  In class we focused on where and how our food sources come from-Bottom line SCAREY as HELL! I am not here to preach that everyone should forgo the Dorito's and munch on organic celerey...but do the research and try to figure out what the ingredients are in your food!  We watched a movie "Food Inc" (You can see the trailer here http://www.foodincmovie.com/ ) So engrossing and gross at the same time! Everyone in the United States should watch  to see where our food comes from, how it is handled and how our farmers are treated...It's HORRIFYING! General consumer has NO IDEA!!! Let me know if you view it! I would love to know your thoughts...

In the journey I am on, here is what I have given up:

• Meat (all animal)
• Dairy
• Artificial sweeteners
• Processed food
• Fast food
• Gluten laiden products
• The "White's" Sugar, Flour & Salt are gone!
• Mostly 95% organic food...

After one week of being Vegan...what is my conclusion:

• Do I miss it or feel like anything is missing in my diet? Absolutely not.
• How do I feel? I actually feel better than I have felt in a long time, granted it has only been one week.
• Mental focus? Headaches? Nope not one headache-Mental focus feels sharper and more acute daily.
• Feelings of "Flares" (thats what we Auto immune patients refer to as feeling like crap)? A little on the achey side, but nothing that is not manageable or tolerable or just NORMAL for us.
• General response & feeling of my body? I was dealing with SEVERE congestion in my sinus's before I started (this was the catalyst for me) I was using Afrin 3-4 times daily, a nettie pot, decongestants along with Benadryl and was waking only to feel as if I was suffocating! With in 3 days of being vegan, all symptoms are GONE!
• Weight loss? Down 3.8 pounds in less than a week!

Being Vegan isn't for everyone.  My best friend Judy is completely raw! (All uncooked fruit & veggie diet -you can view her blog at http://rawsierra.blogspot.com/ ).  I couldn't do a raw diet per say,....I love warm food too much! But I have adopted MANY of her recipes to incorporate into my new vegan life!  there is NOTHING like fresh Avocado dressing...and so simple! Another Blog for another time! Oh and Juicing! Yikes! A fresh Juiced drink is absolutely amazing!

At anytime if you have any questions, please feel free to ask...
Much love and many blessings,
Leslie
xoxox