Time Out

And not for one of my four kiddos (three of whom are too old for that anyway). I need a time out. What in the world was I thinking when I decided to cook and blog my way daily through my extensive diet book/cookbook collection? I still LOVE the idea and will probably do it someday, but my life is stuffed full of commitments already without just adding another "to do".

Beth Moore helped me solidify my decision in our final bible study lesson last night (Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent).

We can't move forward when we load so much onto our own shoulders. I make myself tired and overwhelmed by my own choices and decisions. And I just have to let some things go.  God doesn't do this to us; WE do this to ourselves by piling on more and more.  Lots of things are good, but we are called to focus on the best.

Regular blogging has obviously been one thing I've not done for a while.  I don't know when I will host my next swap, apron or otherwise.  I do have quite a few books I've received to review for publishers, so I need to finish that commitment soon. I work full time to help support our household, so that's not likely to change.  I'm first and foremost a wife and mommy, and my house is crying for my time and attention.  But, my extensive volunteer commitments need to be culled down.  Tough, though.  Some things I've done for YEARS and cannot imagine letting them go.  It was downright uncomfortable to NOT raise my hand and volunteer to be the Girl Scout Cookie Mom again!

Some commitments I will keep and I'm very excited to share online when I can. I'm crafting the centerpieces for our Women's Retreat the first weekend in March, so have about 50 of those to finish between now and then. Stage/chapel decor is my responsibility, along with the name tags and whatever "favor" we will hand out. We go to a good-sized church, so about 225-250 ladies will be attending this retreat on the Oregon coast. It's a HUGE undertaking but also a tremendous blessing and I'm very excited to be part of it.  I'm trying to find another crazy friend who likes to craft to help me out, and have already found a couple that will help there.  The past two years I was responsible for the Retreat snack food/hospitality so this will be more work ahead of time but a little less at the retreat itself. The favor has me stumped, though, to tell you the truth. What is a nice $1-$2 item that can help ladies remember the retreat theme -- Hope Remains? We've done water bottles, one year someone donated scarves, last year we didn't have a favor and just handed out paper bookmark with the $1 going to the scholarship fund. We will definitely have a bookmark again because there's no real cost there. I've thought about personalized lanyards (with the theme and our church name/date), cake pops (but then there's allergies to deal with), a mini flashlight (the retreat compound is spread out and people will go from building to building, sometimes after dark/plus signifying the "light"), stones engraved with "HOPE", or even an assortment of Dollar Tree mini inspirational books. Nothing feels quite "right" yet ....I would LOVE suggestions.

Well, it's been another full day at work/home so I'm going to head to bed. It just feels good to blog a little, and put myself out there. Not very entertaining, I'm sure, but more personal than in a long time. This weekend is my first Women's Ministry Leadership Retreat (not to be confused with above retreat). Time spent in the Word and in fellowship with other lay leaders in the ministry program. We've been working through the book, "Sacred Rhythms", and I need to get on my homework so I'm prepared. My big leadership role this year is actually the SUMMER women's program, so I have lots more crafting, discipling, and organizing to do and share between now and the end of July!

Eat Naked Overview and Recipe

Eat Naked
Margaret Floyd
New Harbinger Publications
2011

Eat Naked with Margaret Floyd for a sexier you

• Are you fed up with counting calories?
• Confused by all the diet hype?
• Want to eat delicious, real food and look and feel great?

Leading nutritional therapist Margaret Floyd's Eat Naked will help you strip away the overprocessed, overpackaged, and overdressed junk food from your diet.  It's time to enjoy "naked" foods -- whole foods that are fresh, organically grown, and prepared in ways that allow each food's naturally delicious flavors to shine through.  In this book, Margaret shows you how to choose the nutrient-dense foods tht will make you look and feel so gorgeous, you'll want to take it all off.

You'll discover new ways to prepare foods without sacrificing flavor and learn practical tips for eating within your budget.  Eat Naked includes easy recipes for all sorts of delicious things you can feel good about eating and making for others.  Once you see how great you look and feel when you eat naked, you won't want to eat any other way!

Spicy Garlic Green Beans (page 148)
2 serving

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Put the oil, curry powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and stir them together.  (If the coconut oil is solid, which it will be if your kitchen is a little cool, put it in a stainless steel mixing bowl and pop it in the oven for 30 to 60 seconds as the oven is warming.  The oil will melt very quickly.)

Add the beans and garlic and toss with the oil and spices until evenly coated.  Spread the beans in an even layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 5 minutes, then turn the beans and bake for another 5 minutes, until slightly browned.  If you like your beans wilted, extend the cooking times to 10 minutes on each side.

What Would Jesus Eat Overview and Recipe

What Would Jesus Eat?
Don Colbert, M.D.
Thomas Nelson - 2002

With biblical and methodical insight, Dr. Don Colbert recommends asking two key questions about everything you eat today: Why do I eat this? Would Jesus eat this? The answers, he affirms, will lead you to a new, nutritious way of living and eating.

In this comprehensive eating program, Dr. Colbert reveals that Jesus' diet is the ideal choice for those struggling in America's food-frenzied culture. Thousands of years ago, God laid out a sensible approach to eating, with predictble results: a healthy body and long life. By examining His eating plan you will discover:

• The health benefits of foods Jesus ate and the health risks of foods He avoided
• How to follow Jesus' eating model with foods that are available today
• Jesus' favorite food
• Why foods forbidden in the Old Testament dietary laws are unhealthy
• The staple of Jesus' diet
• The type of exercise Jesus participated in
• What desserts Jesus might have enjoyed
• The "fast foods" Jesus ate
• How Jesus is the ultimate role model in all things, even diet

If you are ready to make a lifestyle change and want to do it in a God-honoring way.  What Would Jesus Eat? is the guide for you.

One suggested dinner:
Salad of dark green lettuce with vinegar and oil dressing

Whole-grain pasta with marinara sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese (see recipe)

One four-ounce glass of red wine or filtered water

Homemade Marinara Sauce (page 216)

Add to one can of low-salt tomato sauce

2-3 fresh tomatoes, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 cup chopped onions

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon oregano

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons dried basil

Celtic salt and pepper to taste

This sauce does not need to be cooked!

3D Diet Overview w/recipe

3D Diet, Discipline, & Discipleship
This is an older book, but I really enjoy the philosophy behind it.  I think a faith-based weight loss program is wonderful, and I'll be sharing few others with you as well.  Information from the inside flaps:

This powerful, life-changing story of the woman who developed America's first faith-based diet program has everything you need to start your own 12-week 3D program.

  The author guides and encourages you to embrace the three essential components of a healthy life:

• Diet - adopt a balanced food plan and exercise program
• Discipline - form healthy habits that will set you free to be the person you were meant to be
• Discipleship - nurture your inner life and commit wholeheartedly to what you believe in

  You'll find everything you need to begin, including a complete food plan, new exercise information, recipe, and member testimonials to spur you on.  So begin your exciting journey today!

About the Author:  The originator of the first Christ-centered group diet program, Diet, Discipline and Discipleship, Carol Showalter has been a spokeswoman for the program for more than 30 years.  Carol and her husband, William, live in Massachusetts and have four grown children and five grandchildren.  (from 2002)

SLOPPY JOES
(a bit unfocused - sorry.  We had this for dinner after a late night Girl Scout meeting and I snapped a quick picture with my camera, on my Christmas dishes.)

1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
6 sandwich buns

In large skillet, combine ground beef, onion, and green pepper; saute over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until beef is thoroughly cooked.  Drain well.

  Add remaining ingredients, except for buns; mix well.  Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.  Serve on buns

Serves 6
Exchanges - 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 medium-fat meat

This was a simple and tasty dish; nothing fancy but very satisfying and good for you.  I'd make it again any time.  Fun part, as I was looking into this book online, I found that there's a new and improved version, all updated in 2010.  Your Whole Life: The 3D Plan for Eating Right, Living Well, and Loving God definitely seems worth checking out.  There's even an online community and support system over at 3D Your Whole Life.

Wheat Belly Diet Review

I have a belly on me, so this title intrigued me --- looks like I just need to give up bagels and no more belly!  Not exactly true ...  Here's what the back of the book tells us:

Did you know that eating two slices of whole wheat bread can increase blood sugar more than 2 tablespoons of pure sugar cane?

Wheat Belly is a provocative look at how eliminating wheat - even so-called healthy whole grain wheat - from our diets is the key to permanent weight loss and can offer relief from a broad spectrum of health and digestive problems.
    Drawing on decades of clinical studies and the extraordinary results he has observed after putting thousands of his patients on wheat-free regimens, Dr. Williams Davis makes a compelling case against this ubiquitous ingredient.  A wheat-free diet has been associated with significant benefits, including:

• Weight loss of 20, 30, even 50 pounds in the first few months
• Alleviation of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes
• Recovery from intestinal woes, like ulcerative colitis and celiac disease
• Marked improvement in overall cholesterol and LDL counts
• Improvement in bone density and reversal of osteopenia
• Cessation of skin conditions from psoriasis to oral ulcers and hair loss
• Reduction of inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis pain

Readable, thought-provoking, and carefully researched, Wheat Belly offers a new and vitally important perspective on the most critical health concerns of our time.

The focus of this eating plan is giving up all wheat products - and that doesn't mean just going gluten-free, because many of the GF product fillers are not allowed.  In fact, so many things are not allowed I was having trouble figuring out what you CAN eat.

Consume in unlimited quantities:  vegetables (except potatoes and corn), raw nuts and seeds, oils (EVOO, avocado, walnut, coconut, cocoa butter, flaxseed, macademia, and sesame), meats and eggs, cheese, non-sugary condiments
Consume in limited quantities: non-cheese dairy (milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, butter), fruit, whole corn, fruit juices, nonwheat/nongluten grains, legumes, soy productss
Consume rarely or never:  wheat products, unhealthy oils, GF foods (esp. those made with cornstarch, rice starch, potato starch or tapioca starch), dried fruit, fried foods, sugary snacks, sugary fructose-rich sweeteners, and sugary condiments

This is a really intriguing premise; for me, I would have to really see some superior health results to make such a drastic change in my eating habits.  I would especially give it a try if I suffered from any of the digestive complaints or other severe symptoms that this regime is purported to alleviate.

We made one of the recipes for dinner tonight, the Three-Cheese Eggplant Bake. It tasted quite like regular Eggplant Parmesana and was delicious; we served it with steaks on the side.  Even my oldest son liked it, and asked what the vegetable was the had the meat-like consistency.

THREE-CHEESE EGGPLANT BAKE

1 eggplant (cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow or Spanish onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 4 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
4 to 6 cups spinach leaves (more is better)
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Paremsan cheese (2 ounces)
4 to 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 325F.  Place the eggplant slices in a baking pan (we used a 9x13).  Brush both sides of the slices with most of the oil, reserving about 2 tablespoons.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the eggplant but leave the oven on.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach and cook until onion softens.

Scatter the tomato wedges over the eggplant.  Spread the spinach mixture on top.  Top the spinach with the tomato sauce.

Mix together the ricotta and mozzarella cheese in a bowl. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomato sauce and sprinkle with the basil.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake uncovered until bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.

Let me know if you try this diet or this recipe!