Memorial Day weekend and few other random things.

It is Memorial Day weekend and we go camping in "2 more sleeps" as my kids say. Last year at camping I wasn't as strict about food dye because it was the beginning of our adventure but now that I have seen the results it will not graze my kids lips until they are all grown and out of the house if I have anything to say about it! So this year thanks to someone who commented on an earlier post I have stocked up on Wal-mart brand marshmallows. Dye free, normal size and only $1! Thankfully there is a Wal-mart not to far from where we stay so if I run out I can restock. We always bring junk food camping along with our good for you food and we are set on everything like frozen treats, smores and chocolate. I think I will make one more stop to Safeway for bulk gummy bears that are dye free. I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend with the family.

For you gluten free people out there I think I have found the best gluten free flour known to man. It is called "Better Batter" www.betterbatter.org and I made pizza crust last night that was amazing. Even Bob liked it. It was fluffy like normal pizza and not just an over sized cracker! I have even made cinnamon rolls with it before. And for all you who aren't a natural in the kitchen like me, I made the pizza crust following the directions and it turned out the first time! Their website has a ton of recipes too. So check it out if gluten makes you less than what you want to be!

One little story and I am done for the morning. I was driving back from taking my oldest to drivers ed AGAIN the other day. My 9 year old who is the pickiest thing in the world and likes only nasty processed food starting talk about our day. We had gone on a field trip with her class to Pike Place Market in Seattle. While there she wanted some of those yummy mini donuts, so I got her some as a treat. I had some too and they were not good, usually those donuts are but they were way too greasy. She ate more than she should have so as we were driving that evening she tells me, "Mom, I still feel like I could throw up form those donuts. I think they had too much grease. I don't usually eat bad stuff like that and I don't think my body likes it!" As I was doing cartwheels inside that yes some of this is sinking in, she continues, "Ya know I am eating a lot healthier lately mom, have you noticed? I used to go downstairs and sneak candy from the candy drawer all of the time (lol she is admitting it) but now I don't even want to, I would rather eat fruit!" Success! Such a breath of fresh air. Will she never eat bad again? No, and I don't expect that, I do desire though for my kids to know what real food is, and know how to eat it and enjoy it. Treats are so fun and rewarding when you know you have nourished  your body first and haven't gone overboard on the sugar when you do have it.

Lately my sweet tooth has been gone and I am craving more savory things, I think it is rubbing off on my kids! Yay!

My love...obsession with food!

Food, it is my love, passion, okay...maybe my obsession. I love everything that has to do with food. I love buying it, prepping it to be frozen, cooking it, finding the best prices on it, sharing it, and most of all eating it!

I work out usually 5 days a week at boot camp here in Snohomish. I love it. They have some eating suggestions for you and also some different programs you can do to achieve different results you are looking for. So I am on a 10 day cleanse, I have done it before as part of the 24 day challenge but this time I am just doing the cleanse getting all of the toxins out. There are strict eating guidelines while on this cleanse. No refined sugars, no wheat, no dairy, no red meat, no corn. You can have fruit, veggies, lean proteins, hummus, oatmeal, brown rice, so healthy complex carbs, healthy fats, etc you get the point. Really this shouldn't be that hard for me right? I eat pretty healthy, I love fruits and veggies, I got this, no problem!

PROBLEM! I love food, I mean I am obsessed about it. From when I wake up until I go to bed I think about it. My morning starts by feeding my 5 girls breakfast and making 3 lunches to take to school because the food there, well it isn't food. The next thing I have to think of is what to make for dinner because if I don't we will go homeless eating out all of the time. Which by the way isn't a treat really anymore when you have to practically go into the kitchen of the restaurant to make sure nothing has food dye or gluten. Add in grocery shopping, planning meals, eating for myself and all I think about is food.

I have discovered in these last 5 days (the first half of the cleanse) which has felt like an eternity, just how much I am addicted to sugar! Seriously I knew I loved the stuff but wow I think about it more now that I can't have it for these short (well for some people) 10 days. I don't pig out on sugar but I do need to have it everyday. Dark Chocolate is my favorite and I just need a little. I feel like a drug addict rationalizing reasons why it is ok to have just a little fix. I haven't cheated and I am proud. I feel better and this isn't for forever (even though it seems like it right now) and soon I will be back in the land of sugar, I will regulate hopefully a little better. I do know that after not having sugar for 10 days everything will taste sweeter when I do have it.

So I have been eating tons of raw food. Which I love of course because I am obsessed in case you missed that earlier. It is amazing the creative things that you come up with to eat when some foods are off limits. I love hummus and usually have it with multi grain chips, but chips are a no-no right now, so I tried them with celery...too watery...carrots, AMAZING! So every day I have been eating anywhere from a half of a pound to a whole pound of carrots. See I told you I was obsessed! And the hummus is so flavorful you don't need that much at all.

I am also an over eater. I know it seems a little weird because I am "little" but really I overeat often. I texted one of my trainers from boot camp today to ask if sweet potatoes were okay to eat on the cleanse because you guessed it, I love them! She said "Yes but don't OD on them!" PL, you know me too well! I didn't OD though, I probably would have but my 9 year old who doesn't like any veggies really loves sweet potatoes and ate more than half the pan!

All of this to say that in my days of reflection I feel much better when my diet is 50% or more raw food, and this cleanse has reminded me of that. To keep up on the same eating when the cleanse is over and not forget how much I love raw food and how good it is for me, well that is the reason for this random blog tonight.

So I leave you with my 3 favorite cleanse approved foods that I couldn't survive without...
#1 Carrots with hummus, my favorite is Trader Joe's Mediterranean hummus.
#2 Granny Smith apples with Adam's All Natural chunky peanut butter
#3 Popcorn, cooked on your stove top, or "Lori Pelham Popcorn" as we farm folk affectionately call it.