PALEO STYLE SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH PANCETTA & FRESH DILL!

I LOVE SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH CHEESE MELTED THROUGHOUT! 

 

I never thought that I could re-create this long time Ukrainian family recipe in true paleo fashion but here it is!  

 

I made both versions for dinner, my Paleo version and my family's usual version of scalloped potatoes and I can honestly say the paleo version won hands down!

Ingredients:

4 Sweet Potatoes sliced thinly
1/2 Spanish onion sliced thin
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped pancetta
1/4 cup fresh dill
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
sea salt
pepper
Daiya Mozzarella shredded cheese
2 tbsp bacon grease for sauteing the onions and garlic.
I was also making a bacon Brussels sprout salad so I saved the bacon grease to use here in my scalloped potatoes.

Instructions:

• Over Medium heat saute the onions and garlic in bacon grease until clear 
• Add the coconut milk to the saucepan and stir until it comes to a slow boil
• Reduce heat and add the nutritional yeast flakes, sea salt and pepper, stirring constantly, it will thicken nicely.
• Add some of the coconut milk/onion mixture to the bottom of your dish ( I used an 8" round corning wear)
• Layer the sliced sweet potatoes, pancetta, and fresh dill
• Add more of the coconut milk/onion/garlic mixture and layer again with sweet potatoes, pancetta and fresh dill.
• Keep layering until all of your ingredients have been used up!
• Add additional sea salt and pepper if you wish 
• Sprinkle some shredded daiya cheese over the top ( you could use any cheese, or leave this off completely)
• Cover with lid or aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 85 minutes or until you can easily Peirce the potatoes with a fork.   

This is my favorite brand of canned coconut milk, it is lower in fat than some other versions

 

DISCLAIMER-NO FOOD PORN....If I can do this, so can you!

I decided to start writing a blog because so many people kept asking me how I was losing so much weight so fast!

My long time friends and family know that I spent my entire life skinny, fit, athletic and in great health.

I played hockey and lacrosse since a very young age. I ran cross country, competed in triathlons, and was the captain of my high school hockey team.  After high school I continued to run and roller blade regularly.

All this changed in 2005 when I was diagnosed with Wolff Parkinson white syndrome.

I tried every exercise regime and every fad diet possible with little success.  I would always lose 20 or even 30lbs but as soon as I put sugar or grains back into my body, the cravings would begin again and I would gain back all of the weight.  I now know that health and fitness is a mindset and is more psychological than physical.  Until I healed on the inside, I could never have been successful on the outside.

With 4 children at home, 2 on the autism spectrum, a full time job, and night school, I thought it would be impossible to get back in shape and take control of my life!

The purpose of this blog is to inspire and demonstrate to career women and working mothers that it is possible to take control of your life without sacrifice!

My blog will never contain professional looking photographs of food.  Kudos to all the amazing blog writers out there who have the time to be able to stage and photograph amazing food porn!

And thank you because you all inspire me to cook!  However, I do not have the time to do this.  My photos are taken on the fly as I am cooking in real time after a long day at work or school. The food is in the pot or pan that it is being cooked in and often on the plate that it is being served on to my family.

It is important to me that I inspire busy working moms!

My boys play hockey, lacrosse, wake board, snow board on top of all the usual teenage boy stuff and my youngest daughter dances tap, jazz, hiphop, ballet, gymnastics, swimming and plays hockey.

If I can manage autism therapy appointments, night school, a 40 hour a week career as a professor, four kids and all their extra curricular activities and still follow a Paleo and cross fit lifestyle then anyone can!

PALEO NUTTY PUMPKIN SPICED PALEO ENERGY BARS!

PALEO NUTTY PUMPKIN SPICED LARA BARS

This recipe is shared with permission from Trina at @PaleoNewbie 

If you have not yet had the opportunity to check out her blog, its a must!! 

http://www.paleonewbie.com/nutty-pumpkin-spiced-paleo-energy-bars-recipe/

I love this recipe because it is nutty, sweet, dairy free, gluten free, and totally adaptable!

They are a fabulous source of protein and perfect for that pre-game snack! My boys are requesting enough for their entire hockey team prior to their game on Saturday.

When I came home from work today, there were mysteriously 2 more bars missing from the fridge lol.

You could add @enjoylifefoods mini chocolate chips or carob chips or cacao nibs! You could substitute the dried cranberries for any other dried fruit such as dried cherries:)

PALEO BUTTER CHICKEN WITH CAULI-RICE

An amazing recipe that can be adapted to meet many different dietary requirements!  

 

Paleo Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

1 can tomato paste
2 lb boneless skinless grass fed chicken thighs chopped into bite size pieces
1 cup coconut milk 
4 tbsp vegan becel margarine (I am lactose free) or substitute Ghee or grass fed butter
1/2 Spanish onion sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp garam Marsala
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp sea salt
This was for the non-spicy version so that all of my kids would enjoy it,
please add 2 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper for the spicy version

Instructions:

melt butter in sauce pan on medium low heat

saute onions and garlic until onions are clear

add sea salt, garam Marsala, cumin, and ginger, continue to saute for 5 minutes stirring constantly

add coconut milk, tomato paste and let simmer 5 minutes

add chicken pieces and simmer for an additional 20 minutes on med-low stirring occasionally

For the Cauli-Rice:

steam 1 head of cauliflower florets only cut into small pieces
let cool completely
squeeze florets in a clean tea towel or paper towel to remove every last drop of moisture (This may take a while)
add dry florets to food processor and pulse for a few seconds until cauliflower is the consistency of white rice.

Serve butter chicken over cauli-rice! I also made a batch of regular white rice for my hubby and kids as they would never touch cauliflower lol!

SLOW COOKED ROAST BEEF DINNER PALEO STYLE!

I just love this comforting home cooked Saturday roast beef dinner!

Today has been one of those cold, damp fall days where I can feel the chill right against my spine.  The fireplace has been on all morning. 

Perfect day for a pot roast! 

The biggest challenge for me is to prepare a meal that suits my paleo lifestyle and at the same time meets the demands of my picky eaters! 

My 13yr son old has sensory issues and therefore many textures of meat are impossible for him to eat.  His meat must be tender and very juicy.  He must have a dip, sauce or gravy of some kind with every meal.  He also hates potatoes of any kind!

My 14yr old son eats any kind of meat, loves potatoes but only eats broccoli, corn, rice, pasta and Caesar salad as a side dish. 

My 6yr old daughter will eat any type of meat but insists on dipping everything in ranch.  She also hates all types of potatoes.   I have just recently been able to convince her to try a bite of mashed potatoes and gravy.

My husband's theory is "the cows eat the grass and we eat the cows".  According to him that is how we follow the food chain.   He will not eat vegetables accept potatoes and corn.  He doesn't like anything different.  I cant get too creative because he's not truly happy if the sauce or spices are slightly different than usual.  Although he does not complain, he will make subtle comments about the food having a different flavor than usual.  He wont also eat any type of salad or seafood.  

Given everything I just told you about my picky eaters, this meal is always a huge hit with my family~!  

However, I do prepare corn, and white rice to along side the pot roast which satisfies even the pickiest of them all.

SLOW COOKED ROAST BEEF WITH ROASTED DILL CARROTS, ASPARAGUS, ONIONS AND SWEET POTATO.

Ingredients:

3lb Eye of round roast
3 cups Bone Broth (Homemade) Recipe to follow soon
1 diced Spanish onion
4 cloves garlic minced
1tbsp course sea salt
2tbsp fresh rosemary
1tbsp fresh thyme chopped
1tbsp fresh oregano chopped
Pepper
2tbsp EVOO

1package organic baby carrots
2 cups fresh asparagus spears
1/2 thick sliced Spanish onion
Fresh Dill
2tbsp EVOO
1tsp course sea salt

4 peeled small sweet potatoes

Instructions:

Add the bone broth, diced Spanish onion and garlic to the slow cooker.  Turn on low. (This is for a 7 hour cook time)

Mix together the EVOO, fresh herbs and pepper together to create a rub.  Massage the rub all over the roast taking care to get some rub into all creases. 

Let sit for 30 mins at room temperature then add to the slow cooker.

With 3.5-4 hours left to go in your cooking time, add the peeled chopped sweet potato to the slow cooker.

With 1 hour left to go in your cooking time, toss the carrots with fresh dill, course sea salt and EVOO in a Pyrex or cast iron dish.  

Roast in oven at 375 for approx 1 hour or until carrots are tender.


With 15 mins left of cooking time, add the onions and asparagus spears and toss with the carrots and the dill.  I am picky about my asparagus, 15 minutes top, just long enough to give it that nice bright green colour while remaining crisp!

Remove roast from the slow cooker and let sit on cutting board covered in aluminum foil for 10 minutes to allow it to absorb its own juices and the flavor to settle in.

Serve roast with sweet potatoes and onions from the slow cooker, carrots, asparagus, onions and dill.  Use the remaining juices from the slow cooker to make gravy if desired.  We prefer to use the slow cooker juices as Au Jus sauce.  I don't add anything to my remaining juices.  But you could add red wine, or Worcestershire sauce if you don't have allergies or sensitivities to these ingredients.

BREAST RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY #4 CAPSULECTOMY

Recently I underwent  a surgical procedure called a capsulectomy.

 

What is ‘breast capsulectomy’ surgery?

This is the name given to the surgical procedure to remove capsules which have formed around breast implants. These capsules can thicken and so squeeze the implants which will distort the appearance of the breasts.

When a breast implant is performed on a patient, the body will wall it off and form a capsule that surrounds the implant. This capsule can vary in thickness from patient to patient. Patients with capsules that contain muscle cells have the ability to contract and misshape the breast altogether. This contraction is called a capsule contraction. It may cause pain, break, rupture, and deform the shape of the breast altogether. The removal of this capsule is done through breast capsulectomy surgery.

What is involved in a breast capsulectomy surgery?

A capsulectomy will involve total or partial removal of the capsule and will usually involve the replacement of the implants. The goal in this surgery is to allow the body to form a more favourable capsule and to place a breast implant that will last longer than the previous one.

My breasts were hard, the right breast more so than the left.  They also had a sever rippling effect occuring when I bent over.  My breasts took on a very round ball like shape and were unnatural looking.  This was a result of capsular contracture.

During this surgery, my surgeon removed my right breast implant entirely.  She then surgically removed the capsule surrounding the implant and then  placed the implant back into my chest.  She was able to position the implant better.  My surgeon also adjusted the positioning of my left implant.  She then performed fat grafting once again to give the implants a softer cushioning and a more natural look.

The results are amazing!  I am so pleased.  They are softer, have a more natural slope and most importantly look real.



CAUTION.........................NUDITY AHEAD!!!!   IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE MY NAKED BREASTS DONT READ ANY FURTHER!!  

HERE COME MY BREASTS.....................

 

I have chosen, hesitantly, not to cover my nipples.  I think it is important for women to see a very realistic photograph of the results!  Plus you can also see the horrible swelling and puffiness all around my abdomen, the water retention from countless IV D5W during surgery.  I always feel so fat after reconstruction surgery.  I want women to know that they are not alone!

You can see the bruising around my hip bone area where fat was removed last week and then deposited around my implants.  

You can see where my areolas were tattooed and my nipples constructed.  The stitches surrounding my nipples and areola have not completely dissolved.  That usually takes about 5 weeks. 

My nipples were actually grafted from some of the excess skin that was left behind from the original mastectomy.

I found out today at my post-op appointment that the nipples will need to be done again.  They have flattened quite a bit.  This could be a result of too much pressure applied to the graft area either by the gauze or my bra.  Thankfully the surgeon left enough excess skin to complete the nipple reconstruction again.....I hope.

This procedure will thankfully be performed under a local anesthetic in the minor OR.  However, it takes a long time to get an appointment for the minor OR.  I may be looking at 4 months!  

Next time, I will take special precautions such as covering the nipples in a very loose, fluffy gauze, and not wearing a bra at all for 2 weeks and dressing in a very loose type of T-shirt taking care not to apply any pressure at all on the nipple area. It is safest to keep them completely dry for 2 weeks.  I really wish this was explained to me after my surgery.  I was quite upset about this today, because the nurses in the recovery room did not fully explain how to care for my nipples at home.  

I will also have to endure a long course of antibiotics.  Since capsular contracture can be caused by an infection of the implant itself, it is very important that I am compliant and take my antibiotics as prescribed and for the complete duration.  I also must apply polysporin ointment to my nipples and cover with a loose gauze pad. 

No matter how much you hate the look of the excess skin, you will be so thankfull that it is there!  Especially after having the capsule cut out, my implant reinserted and fat grafting performed.  If there wasnt enough excess skin remaining we would have been in trouble!

The areolas will be made a little larger in diameter and will be tattooed again.  The colour usually fades after the 1st and even the 2nd tattooing.  

I have done quite a bit of research since coming home from the hospital and I am determined to get my hands on this plastic splint for nipple reconstruction.  It is obvious that any type of dressing will eventually lead to the flattening of my nipples.  It seems that the best results are to wear a Nipple Guard for 3 months following the nipple reconstruction.  

I found this great advice on a breast reconstruction blog.....

As far as caring for nipples-- essential rules...
1. do not remove, play with, or even sneak a peek at the dressing that your surgeon has put on you after surgery.

2. When the bandage comes off, you should have an idea of what to expect-- discoloration, a big nipple that is swollen, scabs, stitches sticking out, etc. Dont panic.

3. The first two to three weeks are the critical ones.  You don't want to compress the nipple. So whether you use the Dr scholl pads, or stack gauze and wear loose tops, its essential not to compress the nipple.

4. If your breast was radiated, you should have a reasonable expectation for the nipple.  Sometimes it is harder to achieve a lot of volume, and projection, depending on the skin on the breast mound.

5. Nipples take a long time to totally heal and look normal, and even at that- the tattoos can further enhance the look of the nipple and areola, and can make a perfect circle for the areola as well.

6. At about 6 weeks the nipple is usually at the desired size.  It will flatten.  This is a fact.  But, many women will tell you, that even if the nipple flattens over time, it still makes the breast look very real.  

There are a lot of options to give projection to a flattened nipple.  The most common are a dermal filler injection-- but now, surgeons that work with AlloDerm and Strattice are using them to give nipples lasting projection.

The care that goes into nipples and tattoos can be frustrating.  It's technically the easy part surgically, but it takes a lot of after care.

Again, why am I finding this out now and why am I discovering this on my own?  Another example of how women must take matters into their own hands some times and be prepared to advocate strongly for what you believe in!

For the sake of cost, I think I will purchase Medela nipple shields that are used during breast feeding.  They seem to get positive reviews when used for nipple reconstruction.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00266-009-9426-9

The surgery took about 2.5 hours with a 2 hour recovery.  The pain was about 6/10 on a scale of 1-10.  I had quite a lot of nausea and vomiting as usual.  I was recommended to take 2 weeks off work, but that was not possible.  I returned to work the next day.  Thankfully I have the support of an amazing co-worker and friend! 

My breasts are now measuring a 34 DD, and are healing nicely.  

DO NOT CALL ME BRAVE

Do not call me brave.   

Do not call me a hero.

Lately when I have been running into friends, they have been using terms like brave and hero to describe me.  As sweet as I know they are trying to be, I prefer not to be called brave.

Brave was my father whom I watched suffer in pain for months while trying his hardest to put on a face, a smile, even let out a laugh all the while knowing his life was ending soon.  He died of cancer at age 51,  before watching his children grow up and become successful and before meeting his gorgeous grandchildren.

Brave was my father in law who died of cancer at age 57.  I saw the bravery first hand as he lay in the hospital bed with tumors crushing his bones.  He held on as long as he could, he died 1 week to the hour after my own father died.

Brave was my grandmother who suffered the most for years and years with parkinsons disease.  Her mind strong, her sense of humour never ceased and her unconditional love for her grand/great grandchildren was uncanning.  Not once, not ever did I see her without that beautiful smile on her face.  I watched her bravery as she shook with tremours day after day in the nursing home until eventually her muscles gave up and she died.

Brave are my 2 children who face the world every day with autism spectrum disorder.

Brave is my husband who goes to work day after day in a horrible, unsafe, environment where his morals and values are challenged day in and day out.

I am a previvor.  I had a double skin sparing mastectomy.   I beat cancer.  I stared cancer right in the face and said "You took everyone else, I won't let you take me." 

My pain is temporary.  

That’s not brave.

That’s doing what you can to ensure your own existence.  There really was no option. It was just common sense.

BREAST RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY #3

Yesterday I underwent my third attempt at bilateral breast reconstruction.  

 

Fat grafting, nipple and aereola recontruction was to finally take place after 7 months.  

 

I cant believe it has been this long, 7 months of not feeling whole, not feeling like a woman.  

The surgery went well, the anesthesiologist was different than the last 2 times and didnt do as good a job with pain and nausea control.   

The surgeon used what little abdominal fat she could harvest to graft around my breasts trying to give them a more natural sloped look and feel. 

She did a great job giving me a little more natural cleavage.  She used any remaining loose skin to create a nipple.  

This was kinda fun actually getting to pick the size and shape of my nipples!  How big and how errect I wanted then to be, it was a big decision! 

Also, she tattooed my aereola.   This was also really cool.  I got to pick how large of an aereola I wanted and what colour even!

I am fair skinned and always loved my pinkish tone nipples.  Something I was proud of, as I have never been fond of brownish tone nipples lol.  

Before they put me to sleep my doctor brought out about 9 different colours of tattoo ink to choose from.  We started with a natural flesh colour and then she added a little peach, and a little pink and voila!

She used a marker and ruler to measure the areas to ensure that my nipples would be level and not lopsided.  Again making them even more perfect than my natural breasts.  After breastfeeding 3 kids, my breasts were a little saggy, and my areolas seemed to grow larger after each child birth.  It was a positive aspect to this entire experience to be able to recreate younger looking breasts!

I am covered in bandages and cant yet see the final product.  I have been instructed to leave the bandages on and let them fall off naturally.  They are waterproof so I can shower tomorrow.  

There is a great deal of pain around my abdominal area where fat was removed.  The surgeon claimed she had to really dig and took everything she could find.  I guess thats a positive thing.  All that is left from my paleo and TRX lifestyle is loose skin.  I plan to have the surgeon remove that loose skin next spring.  I think I've earned that! 

This weekend,  my husband and I have planned 2 nights away alone.  No kids!

Downtown Toronto for a work related conference!  A hotel room, romance, a dinner date, and most importantly alone time with the man who has stood by my side since my very first mammogram.   

I couldnt possibly love him any more!

CAUTION!!!  

NUDITY AHEAD!! 

IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE MY BREASTS 

DONT READ ANY FURTHER............................

MY BOOBIES ARE COMING...............

 

Previvor 

BREAST RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY #2

In late August, 5 months after my bilateral skin sparing mastectomy, I underwent my 2nd attempt at breast reconstruction.  

 

As usual we were given completely wrong information leading up to the surgery.  We were told it would be performed under a local anesthetic, my husband wouldnt need to take time off work, and I wouldnt need to take time off work.  

Well that couldnt have been further from the truth.

When I arrived, the nurse informed me that I would be heavily sedated and kept for 2 hours min in recovery.  My husband would need to pick me up and they laughed when I told them I had to work the remainder of the day!

My plastic surgeon explained that she would use a syringe type of instrument to extract fat from my abdominal area and graft it into the divots and depressed areas of my breasts.  Next she would remove 50cc of saline from each implant to give my breasts a softer more natural look and feel.   Then she would cut away my excess skin, tighten the skin that is covering my breasts and pull my breasts closer together.  I could finally come back in a month to get my nipples.  

When they wheeled me into the operating room the surgeon joked with the nurses about me saying I was going to work after the surgery hahaha.  I told the doctor to do her best to take a little extra fat! She laughed and said she would "try" but that it wasnt a cosmetic surgery and that she needed to be very gentle when removing the fat so that it could be relocated.  

The surgery went pretty uneventful, the drugs they gave me were wonderful. 

When I looked at my breasts the divots and depressions were drastically improved and my saline ports were gone. 
I was really surprised by they amount of bruising already occuring across my upper abdomen, my hips and my lower back.  I had stitches in my belly button, and in the locations that she deposited fat aroumd my breasts. 

The pain was bad and I could not wear any clothes that rubbed even the slightest against my waist, hips or back.

After the surreal amount of Pain I endured in April, this was nothing!

At my post surgical follow up, I asked the doctor to book a third surgery to perform more fat grafting and more skin tightening.  I could see the improvement and I knew that it would provide even better results if she performed the procedure again.

This is when the bad news came......

My doctor explained that she had a very difficult time locating enough fat on my body to perform any fat grafting.  That was why she went to multiple locations on my body just to get enough to do what little she could.

 
She had to be more invasive, went deeper and needed to use a liposuction process. 
I begged her to try again.  I mean I'm not skin and bones! How can she possibly say I have no fat! 

I pulled up my dress and pulled at my stomach and my hips, I showed her, but she laughed "thats skin honey" I asked her about the back of my thighs.....theres plenty there to go around.  But she said that fat is loose and messy, she needs solid dense fat from my torso so that it will survive in its new home.  I even asked her if I can get a fat doner but she said that adipose tissue from someone else would not live inside of me.

She agreed to try again, reluctanly, and agreed to create and tattoo my nipples at the same time.  

We scheduled reconstructive surgery #3.

So let me get this straight...... I work my ass off to lose 85lbs, build muscle to prepare for the biggest fight of my life, and now it comes back to haunt me.  Not enough fat on my body to complete my breast reconstruction and give me a natural look and feel. 

I am terribly disappointed.   But trying my best to remain optimistic. 

In a few weeks we will go back to the operating room and try again.

In the mean time...I am seriously considering pigging out on everything NON-PALEO!  perhaps I can gain some extra fat over the next 2 weeks!

Previvor