Soup will save your soul
This broad has tried every damn diet there is. I've done everything from weight watchers to Jenny to Nutri-system and Medifast. I've done the tropical fruit cleanses and the Atkins and South Beach, even dabbled in Paleo--but just because you *may* eat bacon doesn't mean your body *can* (mine sure couldn't). South Beach stuck with me the longest, because it upped the veg and protein while cutting out on processed carbs. Which means I stopped eating wheat, and I felt better. Imagine that.
Years later, I found that I'm wheat intolerant and have eliminated processed foods almost entirely from my diet. It feels great. So good, I don't even mind the pain in the ass of prep time in the kitchen--although I was rebellious about it for a good long time.
The draw back? Daily salads--one of the reasons I couldn't stick with South Beach (if you don't know this diet, it's high protein, high veg, low carb with most carbs coming from 1 or 2 fruit servings and 1 or 2 whole grain carb a day--oh and no worries about fats, just don't go overboard and keep them healthy). I got exceptionally bored with piles of lettuce, especially since it seemed like everything I ate was cold. Sometimes I wanted a big glop of spaghetti just to get that warm little knot in my belly.
My new eating plan--you know, the one where I take the time to cook and EAT shit--has me back on something very similar to the old familiar South Beach, but I'm determined not to let it get boring. So far, my slow cooker and soups have rekindled my hope. Soup will save your diet.
Who has time for slow food? No one. So delegate that shit. Give it to your slow cooker robot and fill your freezer and fridge with several kinds of ready made staples: beans, chili, quinoa, brown rice and SOUP. Soup will save your soul.
This week I've made a gorgeous clear borshcht (yes, that's how it's spelled in the Cyrillic), potato leek, and roasted cauliflower. The soup makes me look forward to my salad heavy dinner. We'll see how it goes as the seasons change, because I'm determined to keep the cooker filled with seasonal shit, whatever looks good and is fresh, plentiful and cheap.
If the slow cooker isn't going, I'll just be tied to the stove later, so fill it up and let it stand there instead. Today? It's simmering a nice sauce for tonight's late spaghetti dinner with the kids. Now, if I can just get my teen boy to put the noodles on at the right time...
Potato Leek Soup
5 garlic cloves - sliced
Minced Shallot - ~1-2 Tbls
2 med Potatoes (w/skin) - cubed
~2-3 C. Leeks (wash that shit!) - sliced thin
1 beer (I use GF, sorghum beer, but your choice--just don't tell me if you use that craptastic American beer in one of *my* recipes)
1 Knorr Beef stock gel pot
Water to fill the crock
.
Throw it all in the crock pot on low all day or over night. I like to take the lid off and let the alcohol vent off for a bit before finishing it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Give it a good beating with a boat motor (stick blender) or throw it in a blender. Should make you at least 8 c of goodness, at only about 60 calories a cup.
Years later, I found that I'm wheat intolerant and have eliminated processed foods almost entirely from my diet. It feels great. So good, I don't even mind the pain in the ass of prep time in the kitchen--although I was rebellious about it for a good long time.
The draw back? Daily salads--one of the reasons I couldn't stick with South Beach (if you don't know this diet, it's high protein, high veg, low carb with most carbs coming from 1 or 2 fruit servings and 1 or 2 whole grain carb a day--oh and no worries about fats, just don't go overboard and keep them healthy). I got exceptionally bored with piles of lettuce, especially since it seemed like everything I ate was cold. Sometimes I wanted a big glop of spaghetti just to get that warm little knot in my belly.
My new eating plan--you know, the one where I take the time to cook and EAT shit--has me back on something very similar to the old familiar South Beach, but I'm determined not to let it get boring. So far, my slow cooker and soups have rekindled my hope. Soup will save your diet.
Who has time for slow food? No one. So delegate that shit. Give it to your slow cooker robot and fill your freezer and fridge with several kinds of ready made staples: beans, chili, quinoa, brown rice and SOUP. Soup will save your soul.
This week I've made a gorgeous clear borshcht (yes, that's how it's spelled in the Cyrillic), potato leek, and roasted cauliflower. The soup makes me look forward to my salad heavy dinner. We'll see how it goes as the seasons change, because I'm determined to keep the cooker filled with seasonal shit, whatever looks good and is fresh, plentiful and cheap.
If the slow cooker isn't going, I'll just be tied to the stove later, so fill it up and let it stand there instead. Today? It's simmering a nice sauce for tonight's late spaghetti dinner with the kids. Now, if I can just get my teen boy to put the noodles on at the right time...
Potato Leek Soup
5 garlic cloves - sliced
Minced Shallot - ~1-2 Tbls
2 med Potatoes (w/skin) - cubed
~2-3 C. Leeks (wash that shit!) - sliced thin
1 beer (I use GF, sorghum beer, but your choice--just don't tell me if you use that craptastic American beer in one of *my* recipes)
1 Knorr Beef stock gel pot
Water to fill the crock
.
Throw it all in the crock pot on low all day or over night. I like to take the lid off and let the alcohol vent off for a bit before finishing it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Give it a good beating with a boat motor (stick blender) or throw it in a blender. Should make you at least 8 c of goodness, at only about 60 calories a cup.