Sugar Free...Lasagna?

My goal in the last two weeks was to find a great, grain free alternative to lasagna. I have Italian blood in me, and I LOVE ooey, gooey, cheesy lasagna...but now that I'm sugar free/partially grain free, the old school recipe just hasn't been working for my stomach.

Therefore, a battle of the Italian hybrids began: cauliflower noodles vs. sliced eggplant noodles. Both made with my traditional recipe, sans generic noodles.

Cauliflower Lasagna

I adapted a recipe from The Iron You for these noodles. They were time consuming, though for the most part, it was just like making a cauliflower pizza crust. Tons of squeezing! While Mike (The Iron You author) said that the cauliflower rice would only need to be microwaved for 4 minutes, I ended up zapping it for almost 11 before it was ready. While the microwave is a cleaner method than boiling, I'm not sure it saves any time.

Then it was on to assembly; noodles, sauce, meat, cottage cheese, mozzarella, repeat. Bake until brown and bubbly. For me it was a total win! And, like most lasagna, it was even better on day two!

Eggplant Lasagna

If you're looking for an easy and quick assembly, this is probably the way to go. Simply slice the noodles into thin slices, and assemble like normal. I had a hard time getting the noodles as thin as I would have liked, but it was a 10 minute prep time (including beef cooking time!), and then in the oven for an hour. Easy as...well lasagna!

The only issue I saw from this method was how watery the final product was. Since the eggplant wasn't precooked, all the juices seeped into the lasagna while in the oven. Though, the use of a latte spatula solved this conundrum quickly.

And the winner is....

Eggplant! While I preferred the taste of the cauliflower noodles, ease of preparation will always win out. The cauliflower lasagna took almost 2 hours from beginning to bubbling end, while the eggplant was 1 hour and 10 minutes...and 60 of those minutes were in the oven. When coupled with the fact that Adam preferred the eggplant taste and texture, there was no denying the win.

Both will make appearances in our home again, though cauliflower may only be when I'm feeling ambitious.

Do you have other ideas for a grain free lasagna that I can try?

Sugar Free: The Way to Be?

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with my dear friend, Amy, about her sugar free experience. She had been up against the same stomach issues I've been dealing with for the last few years when she went sugar free. During her two month sugar cleanse, all these daunting stomach issues went away with an added bonus of a 20 pound weight loss.

I had a hard time imagining a Molly world without sugar. After all, what would I turn to when I had a bad day? Heck, what would I turn to when I had a good day?!

But on my drive home I couldn't stop thinking about what she had said. If sugar free could really get rid of this bloating, twisting, cramping feeling...might it be worth a shot?

The answer ended up being yes! Now, before you roll your eyes and say, "But Molly, what about chocolate?!?!", I have a few tricks up my sleeve. As with any adventure, you have to make it your own; something that will work for you. Sugar is in everything! Sugar is everywhere! And I knew I needed to make my own set of rules. Otherwise, I would cave in less time than a rider gets bucked off a horse. (That is 8 seconds to those of you who aren't as weird as I am...my brother really loved that movie...)

Those of you out there that have succeeded to go completely sugar free are amazing, and my hat is off to you. However, that simply isn't for me. My plan is to eliminate refined sugar. No more mocha cookie coffee creamer. No more bingeing on Blue Bunny. I will have to fill my cravings another way. But I am still allowing fresh fruits because I have a hard time thinking my peach obsession is bad for me.

Will I slip up along the way? Probably. Am I okay with that? Absolutely! It is an experience!

As I said before, sugar is in everything! If nothing more comes out of this journey, it has opened my eyes to checking the labels on the food I purchase.  I had no idea the oatmeal we used to buy had 15 grams of sugar in it; now I buy the quick oats with zero grams of sugar. Quick fix, but one that would never have happened!

Enough back story becuase today I was completely jazzed at the refined sugar free foods I made for dinner! Does anyone else love their food processor? Because I'm pretty sure we started an intense relationship today!

Today's Dinner Menu:

• Sautéed beef with peppers and onions - I didn't really know what I was going to make, so I threw some spices in the beef, chopped the peppers and onions and called it a day. When it turned out to be pretty delicious, I was as shocked as Adam was!

• Cauliflower mash - Have you ever tried this stuff? I have been scouring the internet to perfect this mash for years, but had never quite figured it out before today. Thanks to Rachel over at Plate Full Paleo for the simple (and totally delicious) recipe! 

• Raw Brownie Bites - This sugar free brownie bite is packed with nutrition AND it satisfies the sweet tooth. If anything, it satisfies a bit too much. Adam and I could hardly pull ourselves away from these little fudge morsels! Kristin Marr at Live Simply shares this amazing recipe filled with walnuts, dates, avocado, coconut oil, vanilla, unsweetened cocoa and honey. Please, make them right this instant. 

• Banana "Ice Cream" - Frozen bananas + vanilla + food processor = could have fooled me ice cream!

As long as Pinterest keeps providing me with amazing sugar free ideas, this sugar free thing might be better than expected! It is keeping me creative in the kitchen, which I love, and Adam hasn't had any complaints yet! 

I think I could live like this...but I'll let you know in a few days!

Appendix Update: Lucky Lady

Sometimes things happen. Things that are not pleasant, not happy, not fun. But alas, they must happen.

That is what this appendectomy is to me. It is a thing that had to happen, and I'm so thankful it chose the right time! I'm on summer vacation with no obligations for at least three more days. Plus, my parents are retired and have been able to be here to help each day. Plus Adam checks in whenever the opportunity arrises. He has been an absolute stud. Nonetheless, I found myself starting to get a little frustrated and isolated today.

But here is the thing, I could sit here and wallow about being laid up, or I could make a checklist of victories. I'm choosing the victories.

Silly Little Victories: by Mrs. Appendix-less Fitz

1. Yesterday, I laid down in bed without any help. 
2. I made myself some toast.
3. I sat in a chair for an hour. 
4. I got out of bed and into the bathroom...all on my own!
5. I'm eating real food. 
6. My breathing machine is becoming easier each time. 
7. P.P. seems to know I'm not doing so well and has been on excellent behavior. 

At this rate, I'll be back to normal in no time. No need to wallow. I choose the positive.

P.P the protector

Bringing me food on his dinner break

Not a pretty picture, but I'm proud that I made toast! 

So, You're Fat: How One Doctors Appointment Can Rock You

If you know much about me, you know that I have been working on my fitness. I'm not where I want to be physically, and sometimes that gets me down.  But I also feel good about the path I'm taking to my goals. My husband's fitness focus keeps me on track, I have a new group of friends who keep me motivated, and my yogi BFF makes weekend workouts fun. Things are going well! They are going slowly, but progress is happening.

Weekend yoga on the patio with Ashlynn! 

Enter my yearly doctors appointment. If you're a woman, you know that the yearly appointment is not something you look forward to. It is like cleaning the bathroom; nobody wants to do it, but it has to be done. While at my appointment, I found out that my current medications may be having an adverse effect on my body. This translates to the super scientific method of, "Try this one, and we will see..then if it doesn't work, we will try another," until we figure out what medications will be best for my body. Gotta love process of elimination when you are the test subject!

To be honest, I trust my doctor completely in this department. I'm scared for the changes hormonally and physically, because I've had a hard time with them in the past, but I know it is a necessary part of staying healthy. Thank God for modern medicine!

Which brings me to the part of my appointment that caught me off guard. With all of the unnerving medication talk, when she told me I showed signs of obesity (yes, OBESITY), I had no idea how to react. I had no special tests done to show such a thing. I hopped on the scale, showed a number that was four pounds more than last year, had my blood pressure taken (passed with flying colors), and all of the sudden...I was fat.

I sure didn't see that ball coming in from left field!

How did those four pesky pounds take me from not a word about my weight, to a handout on body mass index, healthy eating, and regular exercise? I was told that I needed to loose 20 pounds to get to a healthy weight, when my goal has only been to loose 10.

Talk about a statement that can rock you. I had nothing to say. I just sat there with a shocked look on my face and complacently answered, "I'll work on it."

I'll work on it? Lady, I've been working on it!

I have now had 24 hours to process the information, and a decision has been made. I will not let it rock me any longer. I am not obese. I'm not perfect, but I'm not obese. I will not allow that thought to be in my head and taint my every move. I need to continue on my path, create reasonable summer goals, and love myself. In the last six months, I have worked very hard to remind myself that I am important and worthy. This will not rock my new found confidence.

Besides, I have the perfect body...it is just currently covered in a thin layer of fat :-)

#workhardbutloveyourself

May 28, 2014 - Captain America, not Captain Obese