Erica's Weight Loss Update 4/16/14

Life has gotten incredibly busy for us recently! Since February, I have been traveling at least a few days every month. It's just one of those years where several big events are taking place at once and we're excited to be involved! We have a couple of friends getting married, a couple friends graduating, a few events with our young adult's group, Flash Point. Right now the traveling every month is scheduled through August. In some ways it's nice to be this busy, especially since Nevada life tends to run pretty slowly, and it's just nice to see the people we love more often. The downside, extra little things like our blog get less love.

I am currently getting ready for another WA visit and leave on the 20th (this Sunday). My best friend Katie K is getting married in July and I am her matron of honor! We've gabbed about boys since I was 12 and I am incredibly happy that she has found the love of her life and that I get to be part of celebrating this amazing time with her! Of course, big events like this always inspire us to lose weight and try to fit into a smaller dress size ;) Well, I am no exception. I tried to just not care for a while, but eventually I was honest with myself.

Of course, with all of the travel, plus people coming to visit us, its been very hard to stick with our clean eating. I've probably gotten off track and back again more times in the last 4 months than I did in the entirety of 2013 (how's that for honest?). Needless to say, I haven't lost any pounds since the beginning of February. I've put on a few and then lost them again, but I haven't dipped under my lowest recorded weight. With that has come some discouragement, especially since I have some goals for the wedding.

Harley at 16 weeks (March) on a hike

Despite my lack of pounds lost, my body has been up to some subtle changes that I didn't even notice until just the last week! We got a puppy (Harley) at the end of January (this is not a "squirrel" moment, I promise. It relates to the weight loss ;) Well, we quickly found out this adorable little puppy is one of the most high energy dog breeds and needs intense exercise...EVERY DAY! That's what we get for not doing enough of our homework. When we came across that tid bit of info, I looked at Donald and said, "Jesus just tricked us into exercising everyday..." As much of pain as Harley can be, he's becoming very good for our health! As a result, I have picked back up rollerblading and biking, and together Donald and I have been hiking and taking long walks. I am almost to the point of exercising every day. There are definitely days where I plain don't feel like it, in fact that is most days. I usually have to convince myself to get out there, more so because it's what Harley needs. Just this morning, I dragged myself out to go bike riding with Harley (only our third time) and we went 2.6 miles! It felt great and I can't wait to keep adding up the miles!

Hiked for 3.5 miles and climbed up 1000 feet (March)

Back to those subtle changes...somewhere along the way, all that new exercise really started to add up! I posted this on my Facebook last week:
"The last few months I've struggled to lose weight (pounds) and in some ways it's been discouraging. I've constantly tried to remind myself that my goal has been and needs to continue to be being healthy. In January Donald and I were doing a little clearance shopping when I came across a $3 dress. It was a steal, but it was also a size 12. At that time in I had been consistently losing at least 1-2 pounds a week, so I bought it hoping I'd hit size 12 by summer. The dresses I had bought in Spring 2013 were size 20's! This was definitely a leap of faith purchase. After the last several months of the scale not budging, I saw the dress in the back of my closet today and decided I might as well try it on to see how close I was to being able to wear it. Incredibly enough, IT FIT!! Such a great reminder that even if the scale doesn't show it, the inches can still come off!"

This was an incredible victory after several months of discouragement! That's 4 dress sizes in less than a year! To further add victory, we did a little shopping last weekend. I decided to try on some smaller sizes after having success with my size 12 dress. I purchased my first size 14 pants and my first medium shirt!! I can't tell you when the last time I bought a medium shirt was...I'm almost positive I have never bought a medium as an adult! And the last time I bought 14's was before Donald and I got married.

I decided to come home and take my measurements after that shopping trip. The last time I had taken measurements was at the beginning of January. I measure 8 points on my body; the normal thigh, upper arm, waist, etc., plus a couple of my problem areas where I tend to gain weight the most. In almost every place I had lost an inch and in few I had lost as much as 2.5 inches!

This has been so encouraging and really inspires me to stick with the healthy eating and exercise! Donald has been doing well on his weight loss also and recently hit a big goal! He'll be sharing about it on the blog soon, so look for the link on our Facebooks =)

Sweet Potato Hashbrowns Recipe

Since finding out that I'm allergic to potatoes, I've definitely missed them! I was so happy to find out that sweet potatoes, which aren't even in the potato family believe it or not, do not cause a reaction in me. I've been able to substitute them in almost all ways I would use a regular potato. One of those ways is to make hashbrowns.

I've had to tweak and re-tweak this recipes until I found a method that did not result in a burnt crisp. Apparently, sweet potatoes burn in the pan quiet easily! I've tried both grated and small chopped versions. I've yet to perfect a grated version. This small chopped version turns out great as long as you don't walk away from the stove (trust me, I know from experience...). I like to have a little bit of crispness on the outside and I discovered that tossing them in a little bit of corn starch helps greatly!

What you need: (1 serving)
3/4 cup Sweet Potato (diced into cubes)
1-2 tsp Corn Starch (organic or non-GMO)
a bit of cooking oil (preferably Avocado Oil or Corn Oil)

Dice up your sweet potato and toss with the corn starch till everything is coated well.

Heat your oil up in the pan. Make sure its pretty hot or else the hash will be very oily. I throw in one cube of sweet potato to test it. If it makes a nice sizzle right away, the pan is ready.

Throw the sweet potato into the pan. I turn mine about every 30 seconds for the first 2-3 minutes to make sure they don't burn and that everything gets evenly cooked through.

Once all the pieces seem soft, allow them to sit a bit longer between turns. This will allow them to start crisping and getting a bit of color. I highly recommend not walking away from the pan because they will burn easily and quickly.

When they have reached your desired crispiness, they are done. I cooked mine for about 10 minutes total.

Grain-free Granola Recipe

One of the things I've really missed since cutting out processed foods and most grains is cereal. I just love sitting down with a bowl of cereal or granola for an easy breakfast. I started to wonder if I could come up with a way to substitute nuts and other things to make my own version of granola. Sure enough, there are tons of variations on grain-free granola. After looking at several recipes, I made up my own to fit my tastes and what I had on hand.

I also like to soak my nuts in a water/salt solution for 6 hours before I get started with this recipe. Then I dry them part way in the oven on warm for about 8-12 hours. By only letting them dry partially, I get a chewier granola. There are several benefits to soaking your nuts and this post explains them. I follow the recipe for Crispy Nuts from the Nourishing Traditions book.

What you need:
3 cups Nuts (I usually use a variety: Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans, Cashews)
1 cup Dried Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 cup Dried Fruit (I've used Cranberries and Apricots)
1/4 cup Coconut Oil, melted
1/4-1/2 cup Honey (depending on how sweet you want it)
Pinch of Salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Use a blender, bullet, or sharp knife to chop the nuts. I use the grain/nut grinder on my nutri-bullet and blend up about 1/2 cup at a time. I try to leave a few medium-big pieces here and there.

If you want to chop your dried fruit into smaller pieces, do it at this point (I just throw them in the blender right after the nuts).

Combine nuts, fruit, chia seeds, and dried coconut in a bowl and mix.

Melt coconut oil and mix honey in with it. You want the heat from the oil to melt the honey and form a thin liquid. If it wasn't hot enough, melt on the stove or in the microwave.

Once the thin liquid has formed, pour it in the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Pour mixture on to a parchment papered (or greased) cookie sheet and spread to all corners until you have an even layer.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Let cool, it will harden a little. Break up with your hands as you place it in an airtight container or ziplock baggie.

One of the things I love about this is that it is so customizable! You could use chocolate chips, any variety of seeds, vanilla, all kinds of different fruits, etc. What flavors would you like to try?

DIY Fabric Softener in 5 minutes

One of my favorite things about this softener is getting to choose the scent! I don't know about you, but I love the smell of clean laundry! What I don't love: paying buckoo bucks for the scent. This fabric softener is very cheap and easy to make and a little bit goes a long ways!

What you need:
2 cups Hair Conditioner (cheapest you can find in a scent you love! I use Sauve and V05)
3 cups White Vinegar
6 cups Hot Water
Several Drops of Essential Oils (this is optional, sometimes I add it, last time I didn't)
Large Mixing Bowl
Whisk
Measuring Cup
Bottles to hold the Fabric Softner (I re-used some old detergent bottles)

Whisk hot water and conditioner together in bowl until fully incorporated.

Add in vinegar and essential oil (if using). Mix until combined.

Pour mixture into container of choice (I like to re-use an old fabric softener bottle because then I can use the measurement cap).

We add half a capful to each load of laundry.

Super easy and super cheap with a customize-able scent (I love mixing Lavender and Vanilla conditioners together)! What scents would you use?

Easy DIY Super Concentrated Laundry Detergent

We've been making and using our own laundry detergent for about 6 months now. I got sick of paying $8-10 per bottle and was determined to find a cheaper way. The internet is loaded with various recipes, most of which are pretty similar. We started out by making the regular strength detergent. The first gallon was such a success that I made a batch big enough to fill about 5 gallons worth. I made the 5 gallons in September and we just ran out this week (in February). During those 5 months, I stumbled across a few recipes for super concentrated laundry detergent.

The only thing I didn't care for with my old detergent recipe was that it would separate and we would have to shake it up really well before each load. Not to mention, housing 5 gallons of laundry detergent does take up a bit of space. The advantage with the concentrate is that it can be stored in a single quart sized mason jar. Another thing I loved is that both recipes use the same ingredients, so I didn't have to go out and buy something new! I went off of this recipe. As usual, I tweaked the recipe a bit to fit my needs and what I had on hand.  

What you need:

1/2 bar of Fels Naptha Laundry Soap

2/3 cup Super Washing Soda

2/3 cup Borax

3 cups Hot Water (plus a little more for later)

Bowl

Soup Pot

Grater
Wooden Spoon or Wisk
Measuring Cup
Quart Sized Mason Jar
Blender

Heat 3 cups of water to boiling. Meanwhile grate the bar of soap.

Mix the Borax and Washing Soda together in a bowl.

Once the water is boiling, pour in the grated soap and stir till all melted. This will take about 10 minutes.

Take soup pot off the heat and pour in the powder mix. You want to make sure the powder fully incorporates or else the detergent will be grainy. Stir until you don't feel any more grit on the bottom of the pan.

Pour mixture into the mason jar. Fill the jar with warm water till its about an inch or two from the top.

Cap and set upside down on the counter. Let sit for about 4 hours.

After 4 hours, pour into a blender and whip. The consistency should look like mayonnaise. Pour back into the jar and label.

We've been using 2 teaspoons per load (plus our homemade fabric softener) and its been working great!

Check back later this week for our DIY Fabric Softener recipe!

Our Favorite Way to Get All-Natural, Fresh Chicken for a Low Price

Donald and I are always looking for great prices on chicken. It's one of the staples in our diet (and it used to be one of the only proteins I could eat). Back in 2011, we were introduced to one of our favorite online companies, Zaycon Foods. In their own words, our "simple mission is to bring farm fresh meats direct to consumers at wholesale prices." This means that they sell in bulk, which can be a new experience for some people. It was for us at first. This is what our freezer looked like the first time after Donald and I got done cutting and bagging our 40 pounds of chicken breast.

I don't know about you, but I love having my freezer full of meat! When I find a good sale, I like to stock up. That way, I don't have to worry about paying the exorbitant prices week to week while I wait for the next sale (this is definitely the old couponer in me resurfacing!).

The things I appreciate most about Zaycon Foods, is that their chicken breast is 100% all natural and straight from the farm, never having been frozen. Natural chicken breast in the grocery store starts at $2.99/lb. Zaycon is selling it for $1.89/lb this term. They come in 40 pound cases, and while that seems excessive, we have definitely found it worth the investment! It works out to be $75.60. If you feel like 40 pounds is just too much, another great option is to split it with a friend! That way you both get the great price, but a more manageable amount.

When you register as a new customer, you can check to see what events they have close to you. In our Carson Valley area, they have one coming up in Carson City. On the day of the event, after you have submitted your order online, you will drive through the parking lot, show your receipt, and they will put the 40 pound case of chicken in your trunk. That's it! Usually takes all of 5 minutes.

If this is something that interests you, we would love for you to check it out through our referral link. They only offer chicken a few times a year and one of those events is coming up in February.

Tonight's "On the Counter" 1/10/14

Funny title, right? Well, I thought it could be interesting for some of you if I shared what kinds of advance preparations I had going on in the kitchen from time to time. As we have adopted the Weston A Price (WAPF) way of life, we have learned so much about the preparation of traditional foods. Things definitely weren't grab and go like much of today is. People took time in preparing their foods. They soaked and fermented and simmered things for hours at a time. It has definitely taken planning and self-discipline to adopted this new principle. Some times I'm better at it than others. The holidays and vacation definitely put a damper on it, but I am trying to get back into a routine. Today just happened to be one of those days where several prep projects came together at once. 

I've got 4 things prepping over night in the kitchen tonight. 

• Rye Sourdough Starter
  Awhile back I tried making my own sourdough starter and bread. It didn't pan out too well. So I've been looking for another way. I recently started to wonder if whey, leftover from making yogurt, could help jump start a sourdough starter. Sure enough, as I wondering around Google this morning, I found this blog. She made a sourdough starter in just 12 hours from combining whey and flour. So I decided to give it a try today.
  
  I also decided to try it with rye flour instead of wheat. We recently recognized that Donald has a sensitivity to wheat at the very least. We're not sure if it just wheat or gluten or if its all grains, so we're experimenting. WAPF highly recommends rye flour as a good alternative because it is much easier to rid it of the anti-nutrients that inhibit us from absorbing all the nutrients in whole grain flours. I'm hoping to make sourdough pancakes if this starter is successful! I'll keep you posted.

• Chicken Stock with Whey
  Chicken stock is something I make at least a few times a month. I like to have a big stock of it in the freezer, especially in the Fall and Winter. I had put up probably 30-40 cups worth by the end of Thanksgiving (so of which was Turkey Stock -- so good!). Boy am I glad I did! I got something like the stomach flu the week of Christmas and was down for the count for at least a week. Nothing sounds good except soup! We literally went through all but 6 cups of the broth I had in the freezer and that was on top of a new batch we made during the week! So I am definitely in the restocking phase right now.
  
  Something I've been wanting to try for a while is making stock from left over acid whey. Acid whey is what is leftover after making cheese. I was making ricotta pretty often in October and November, so I had a big gallon size baggie of it in the freezer. I've read that it makes a very flavorful broth, so I thought I'd give it a try. I could go on for several paragraphs about the benefits and method of making homemade stock, but I think I'll save that for another post.
  

• Homemade Yogurt
  Yogurt is a staple for us and I usually end up making it about every week! Its super simple to make and I love that I can pick the milk I use to make it. I have a blog post here that explains the recipe and method I use.

• Soaking Nuts for Grain-Free Granola
  I've been super craving cereal lately. Just something about the crunch and the milk. Just sounds so yum! There are days I just miss my granola, but unfortunately I had a sensitivity to oats. I had heard of grain-free granola recipes and after toying with the idea for a few days, I decided I wanted to try it. I knew that I wanted to do it was a WAPF twist and soak my nuts first to remove all those anti-nutrients. I just used what I had in the pantry, which was walnuts, pecans, and some slivered almonds. They say to sprinkle some salt and then cover with water for 6-8 hours. Mine will end up with a bit longer soak than that though, just because its easier to leave them overnight. In this picture they had already been soaking for several hours, so much of the water has already been absorbed. In the morning, I will dry them in the oven for a bit. If my granola recipe is a hit, you will be guaranteed a blog post about it! (Are you noticing a theme? I do A LOT of experimenting in my kitchen, cooking and baking based on my hunches of what will work and taste good. If its a success, I love to share. And sometimes, the failures are worth sharing too ;-)
  

 This is a bit more than I would usually do at once, but I try to just roll with it when inspiration strikes! I love letting these things soak/ferment/simmer over night because all the waiting happens while I'm asleep and I get to wake up to them finished! I'm really excited to see how things turn out in the morning, especially the sourdough starter!

Do you use any of these traditional practices to prepare your foods? Does this inspire you to try a new idea or recipe you've been waiting on? Do any of these recipes particularly interest you? Please share in the comments!

Erica's Weight Loss Progress - 60 Pounds in 2013!

When I began my clean eating journey in January 2013, I had no weight loss intentions. I was frankly fed up with my chronic illness and being sick all the time. Conventional medicine wasn't working and I was desperate. I had prayed time and again for healing. Finally I prayed for wisdom. And I whole-heartedly believe that God led me down this new path of healthy living and eating. I found a lot of great information on herbal and natural remedies for my chronic illness and I quickly kicked out almost all of the conventional medicine I was taking (which was actually making me sicker).  I was already on a pretty restricted diet, with a list of food allergies as long as my forearm. I was living with and working for clean eaters. So I followed their example and quickly realized how much better I felt.

By July I had lost 41 pounds

Even as the weight started to come off, I still did not change my focus. I wanted to be healthy. I wanted to wake up every day and be able to get out of bed. I wanted to really start living. And so I did, for the first time in years!

November 2013, after Christmas tree hunting in the mountains for 2 hours!

As the months went by and I got healthier, I continued to kick it up a notch. I really began to dig into the lifestyle of the Weston A Price Foundation. I found new way to eat clean, kicked more crud out of my diet, and got creative in the kitchen. As Donald explained in his last weight loss post, he joined me in the clean eating lifestyle in September. There's just something special about having your spouse team up with you! Having him along on this journey with me for the last 4 months really kept me going and gave me new inspiration.

Of course I fell off the band wagon a few times this year. Late summer was particularly hard because I was working an extreme amount of hours (50-60/week). My eating went down hill and I started getting sick again. We prioritized and kicked a few of my shifts out. I was able to get back on track, but it took a few weeks before I started feeling better. Then in late September and through out October, my weight loss plateaued. I think I only lost 3 pounds between the two months. It was a great reminder of why I was eating clean; it still wasn't about the weight loss, it was about being healthy. It was also a great lesson on sticking out the plateau! As I'm sure many others on the weight loss journey have experienced, plateauing can be quite the discouragement.  I can't tell you what changed, but one day I started losing weight again! Between November and December, I lost another 10 pounds!

I wasn't aiming for 60 pounds in 2013, but boy am I excited about it! I was finally able to track down some of my measurements from before I started losing weight...holy moly! This year, I have lost over 50 inches throughout my body!!! 8 1/2 inches in my waist, 8 inches in my hips, 3 1/2 inches in my upper arm, just to name a few. I've gone from buying 3XL shirts to L and XL. I was in size 20 jeans last year and now I am tantalizingly close to size 14!

I am now 20 pounds away from the weight I was when I graduated high school, which is my next goal. But I'm not going to stop or change what I'm doing when I get there. I figure my body will stop when it's at the weight that God designed my body to healthily live at and I'm satisfied with that!