Once a Week Batch Cooking / Freezer Meal Meat Starters / Specific Carbohydrate Diet SCD Legal

Batch cooking saves time and keeps this girl on her Specific Carbohydrate Diet, SCD legal!  When I started making my Freezer Meal Meat Starter Batch Cooking recipes, the hubs wasn't sold on the idea but now he realizes it is the best way to keep me on my diet.  This weekend he cooked chicken breasts and shredded them and also made chicken meatballs.  It is so nice to look in the freezer and see the freezer safe mason jars with shredded cooked chicken, and chicken meatballs ready to eat! No running to the store last minute, or worse, eating out.

The idea I had when I came up with the Freezer Meal Meat Starters / Batch Cooking is to cook and freeze enough of one type of meat recipe to last for a month.  It works for us, but does get pretty boring sometimes.  We do occasionally cook other meat, but not often as my tummy doesn't tolerate most other meats.  I would love to hear from others who might be trying this type of batch cooking. 

Tzatziki Sauce SCD Legal

Tzatziki Sauce SCD Legal      Cooking for 2 Recipe

Prepare 24 hours ahead of time to allow time for cucumber and yogurt to drain

1/2 to 2/3 cup  SCD 24 Hour Yogurt (homemade)
1 Organic Cucumber
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 TSP fresh squeezed Lemon juice
1 TSP Olive Oil
1/4 TSP dill or to taste

• Drain Yogurt overnight, refrigerated.  Drain using any method you like.  I like to put a coffee filter in a wire mesh strainer over a bowl.  Place the yogurt on the filter then cover with plastic wrap or a cloth so it doesn't dry out too much on the top.
• Cut the cucumber in half and deseed using a spoon.  Peel cucumber (or leave peel on if you like more crunch).  Chop into small chunks (about 1/4 inch square.  Drain using any method you like.  I like to put the pieces in cheesecloth and suspend over a bowl to drain.  Drain overnight, refrigerated
• Several hours before serving combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and dill.
• Cover and chill several hours before serving.

 This is a recipe that you can make to your taste.  I like mine with very little dill and on the dry side.  You can also add salt to taste. 

10 Foods That Help Fight Depression

I came across this story on Facebook today, 10 Foods That Help Fight Depression.  Most of the time I skip over this type of feed on Facebook, but today I decided to read this one.  I am really glad I did because it is a gentle reminder of why I am feeling so much better than I did just 2 short years ago! 

I have told quite a few friends and family members what I am doing to fight the pain I had in my feet, hips, knees, shoulders and back that kept me from walking more than a few minutes without having to sit down or kept me home entirely.  But I don't think they are listening to me.  Change is hard for all of us but sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns...or in my case, start with little changes and build upon them until you can "feel" the difference.  Take a look at my grocery list, even if you can't afford organic groceries, at least eat non processed foods. 

I have also stopped having inflammatory bowel issues that I have had since I was 16 years old.  I love being able to know I can get up in the morning and not have to allow for 3 hours of diarrhea and stomach pain before I can leave my house or be afraid to leave my house on bad days!

My food journey to better health started 2 years ago. It all began with my new doctor asking me to read the book by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Eat to Live.  I have since modified that diet to include foods that help my particular health needs (in my opinion, Specific Carbohydrate Diet) and exclude foods that I feel are inflammatory to my gut and body (ie. processed foods, gluten, nightshade vegetables, most raw vegetables and processed sugar).  I know I am doing something right because I am off all medications except a B/P pill, my labs are normal and two months ago I started walking and can now walk 2 miles without pain (my new walking/running shoes might be helping also)!

After reading the article, 10 Foods That Help Fight Depression, I decided to make a one day menu based on those foods and a few more of my favorites to show how easy it is to eat healthy.  Try this menu several days a week.  It is just this simple to eat foods that are good for you! (time saver tip: wash 3-4 cups of spinach using white vinegar with water rinses, just the amount you will need for the day, spin or pat dry then store in a mason jar (it only keeps one day like this).

BREAKFAST: 
EGGS, ONION, GARLIC, SPINACH SAUTE

• 1 onion sliced and sautéed with 1 clove of minced garlic in olive oil
• 1 cup organic spinach or kale washed, chopped really fine like herbs,  added to onion and garlic mixture cooking it just until it wilts
• 1-2 organic eggs scrambled and mixed into onions, garlic and spinach/kale (or if you can't eat eggs, add cooked beans to the mixture, it is delicious for breakfast or lunch)
• if you tolerate tomatoes and mushrooms, chop some up and add to the cooked ingredients

MID MORNING SNACK:

• 1 ounce walnuts (or sunflower seed butter spread on apple)
• 1 apple

LUNCH:
CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD

• 1 cup organic washed spinach
• 1 cup chopped strawberries (blackberries or blueberries or a combination of them fresh or frozen)
• 3 TBSP sunflower seeds (or walnuts)
• a few sliced mushrooms
• dressing of your choice or use my strawberry dressing recipe
• 2-3 ounces chicken breast from my freezer meal starter recipes (or cooked shrimp or any kind of leftover meat)

MID AFTERNOON SNACK:

• an entire avocado sliced, sprinkle with lime juice and salt of your choice)
• chopped tomato (if you can tolerate them)

DINNER:
HOMEMADE BLACK BEAN SOUP/VEGETABLES AND CHICKEN

• 1 to 2 cups black beans cooked with sauted onions, shredded carrots and celery, chopped spinach and garlic
• a side of mushrooms sautéed or cooked however you like them or leave them raw if you like
• a vegetable side of your choice
• 2-3 ounces chicken breast from my freezer meal starter recipes (or any other meat from my freezer meal starter recipes)

AFTER DINNER SNACK:

•  Chia seed and blueberry smoothie made with your recipe of choice (I use homemade yogurt and frozen blueberries (or a combination of berries) with a little local honey if needed to sweeten)

Clean Eating, Non Processed Foods, Weight Loss



This is one of my favorite meals.  I love planning colorful, fresh, non processed meals.  I generally eat six to nine vegetable servings per day.  I know that sounds like a lot, but it isn't hard once you get started, there are five vegetables on the plate, plus I had a strawberry spinach salad.  The photo is not very clear, but the squash is stuffed with caramelized onions, a cup of minced spinach, black olives and ground beef.  That flavor combination always reminds me of pizza but since I cant eat pizza crust, sauce or mozzarella cheese, this is the next best thing.

Strawberry dressing for spinach, strawberry and lettuce salad (not shown)
Stuffed Squash  (without nomato sauce like in recipe)
Green Beans
Baked Carrots