Parmesan & Basil Chicken with Brown Rice

Okay so on the dinner menu tonight is my husband's recipe for chicken and the Chef's recipe for brown rice.  Both very easy and simple dishes.

Take your boneless, skinless chicken breast and cover with olive oil and a tad bit of sea salt... rub in good (don't be afraid to get your hands dirty, just make sure they're clean first!).  Then sprinkle some basil on to both sides.  Then freshly grate Parmesan cheese over the tops of both.

Bake in the oven on 400 deg. for 20 minutes.

TIP:  If you have a pizza pan that has holes in it, lay the pizza pan atop another pan or cookie sheet to allow the chicken to drip the juices rather than cooking in them.  I don't know why, but in our house, this makes the chicken turn out much jucier.

Yummo!

Now for the rice (courtesy of Chef Michael)

Chop 1 celery stalk and one carrot
Heat oil in a pan on the stove on high heat
Add veggies to hot oil
Stir and Cook until nice, bright, and shiny!
Turn to low
Add 2 cups of Rice (stir in and leave on low for a little bit, stirring occasionally)
Add 2 cups of water
Add 2 cups of chicken broth
Sitr, bring to a boil
Turn to low, bringing rice to a simmer
Give it one more stir and then cover and cook for 45 minutes (stirring once about half way through)

That's it!  Two easy recipes that even I can do (shocking!) and a nice, healthy, dinner that my tummy can handle.

Thank you Chef Michael for the great rice recipe!

Oh Wait!  When you're done and have left over rice, spread it out on a cookie sheet to allow it to cool.  Once it's cooled, portion into 1 cup servings and place into plastic baggies and store in the freezer for up to two weeks.  Take a baggie and heat the rice in a microwave for a nicely portioned side of rice any time!  E-A-S-Y... right?

Kombucha

Well even though it hurts, a girl's gotta drink. (Otherwise I end up dehydrated, in the hospital, with an angry pancreas).

Earlier this week I gave away my high sodium, high sugar drinks so that I would not be tempted to drink them as they really upset my stomach.  So other than water, what do I drink?

Right now, my stomach is pretty angry and I would usually avoid putting any food or liquids in it at this point, but I'm thirsty.  Luckily I learned about something called Kombucha from my vegan friend.  In fact, I was able to locate a Kombucha concoction called "Gingerade".

It's an organically raw, all natural drink.  Low in sodium and sugar.  The best part is that it contains ginger... a natural stomach settler.

Being a picky eater, I'm also a picky drinker.  So I really was nervous to try this drink (I don't even like tea of any kind).  However, I've just opened it and taken a few drinks and it's delicious!  Who knew?!

So if you ever have an upset tummy and aren't a fan of Ginger Ale, go to your local health food store and look for Gingerade from Kombucha...

(Ignore all the boxes in the background, we're packing up to move!)

Another yummy treat thanks to my vegan friends!

Jill

It's New if You Make it New

I'm not going to lie.... I woke up craving Steel Cut Oats.  And while there's nothing wrong with that, I realize that I'm going to eventually go crazy if I continue only eating the same things over and over.

So the best thing to do is mix it up!  Normally when I make my oats, I add crunchy peanut butter and honey (and sometimes a cut up banana).  So good.

But today, instead of the usual peanut butter and honey, I used....

• All natural Almond Butter (that I got from our local health food store)
• A sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar
• Honey

It tasted completely different.... and it was so, so good!  I don't care if the oats take 20 minutes to make, they're freakin delicious and nutritious!  Lots of fiber, lots of yummy, all around a great way to start the day.

Tomorrow I'll be having my weekly meeting with Chef Michael so that I can continue learning and broaden my horizons.  We're going to also make some foods in bulk so that I can easily pull out one serving (already made) of rice or whatever out of the fridge or freezer and eat!

As we're moving in 6 days, it'll be great to have meals already prepped and ready this week.

I'll be trying organic eggs for the first time, and we're going to learn how to make deviled eggs with veganaise.

As much as I love Steel Cut Oats and Couscous, I am looking forward to learning new things tomorrow.

Jill

Into the unknown....

Today has been a good day so far.  I made a fresh batch of Steel Cut Oats (which were cooked WAY better than they were yesterday) and as usual, added some peanut butter and honey.

I was able to eat the entire portion without any trouble.... no nausea and no stomach pain!  Yay!

So here's the thing, I had a long heart to heart with someone yesterday whose wife has gone through what I am going through and they have had to change their diet forever.  We talked about a lot of different foods (some I'd never heard of) that I can eat.  Much of which happens to be vegan.

Now I NEVER in a million years thought I'd eat a vegan diet... hell, I'm not even sure I know what that means, so I looked it up.  And I can tell you now that while I will fit the mold some times, I won't all the time.  Some of the good things that I will take from them...

• The key to a nutritionally sound vegan diet is variety. A healthy and varied vegan diet includes fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
  
• Almost all foods except for alcohol, sugar, and fats provide some protein. Vegan sources include: lentils, chickpeas, tofu, peas, peanut butter, soy milk, almonds, spinach, rice, whole wheat bread, potatoes, broccoli, kale...

• Vegan diets are free of cholesterol and are generally low in saturated fat. Thus eating a vegan diet makes it easy to conform to recommendations given to reduce the risk of major chronic diseases

 (Source:  http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm)

I also learned that I will never be 100% vegan.  But due to the health benefits, I'm going to do my best to substitute anything I can.  For example, I found this thing called "Vegenaise".  It's a vegan substitute for mayonnaise.   While I was at the store, I compared the label of the vegenaise to the label of Kraft Mayonnaise.  What I found was that the vegan version was half the calories and half the fat.  So I bought it.

And of course I tasted it when I got home.  And guess what?  It's just as good as any other mayo.  Those little things that I'm learning are the most exciting to me.  It gives me hope to know that I can eat healthy without having to sacrifice taste.  (In fact, some of that stuff is better than anything else... like couscous... I now LOVE that stuff.)

So as I discover these little things, I'll let you know.  It's all new and interesting to me.

Jill

Let's Have a Talk...

For those of you who know me, I generally like to write about things that are funny or silly.  But today I'm going to use my serious side.

I'm not going to preach to you and I'll make this short.  You are all adults and can make your own decisions, but here's the bottom line...

I've never been a health nut so this is all new to me... but I'm living proof that the things you consume (food/drinks) can kill you.  Thank goodness that my bout with pancreatitis was mild and a week of no eating and IV fluids only has resolved that situation ... for now.  However, if I'm not careful, my pancreas can act up again and put my life in danger.

The truth is that FOOD and SODA put me in this position.  Fast food, sugary foods, acidic foods (including marinara sauce), and my beloved Diet Dr. Pepper is what has landed me in this position.

So while you may not want to hear it, the wrong foods CAN kill you.  Not just for the obese (I'm not obese) and not just for alcoholics (I don't drink), but for regular people like you and me who enjoy foods with high sodium, high sugar, high caffeine, highly processed, highly spicy, and highly acidic.

All of those things and not really thinking about what I put into my body made me very sick.  If it can happen to me, it can happen to you.

But like I said, you're all adults, I'm not going to start preaching about a vegan diet.  I'm just going to record my journey of discovering new, healthier foods and take you all along the way.   I don't expect any of you to make any adjustments to your diet just because I have to, but I think it's a very important message to let you all know that food really can kill you.  It's not just something that "doctors" say on TV... it's true, it happens, and I'm not going to let it happen to me.

So the only thing I really want you to take away from this post is that message. It's real, it happens to real people, it almost happened to me and I'm still very, very ill, but recovering.  I hope this never happens to you or someone you love.... food just isn't worth dying for.

Just some food for thought.

That's all I'm going to say about that.  The End.

P.S.  Don't worry, this blog is NOT going to turn into a tool that I use to preach about health.  This is just my journey and I'm going to keep it as lighthearted as possible.

Life

This new life's journey I'm on is difficult.  Not just because of the food, but because I truly don't feel well.  With the stomach issues that I have, my doctor said that it will take a year to fully heal and several weeks before I start to feel better.

So I have my good days and my bad days.  Today has been a bad day.  Any time I eat or drink anything, I experience excruciating pain.

Therefore, there won't be any food consumed today.  I wish I had some fabulous new recipe for you, but I'm just unable to eat and not at all hungry.

This is what happens when you don't take care of yourself and your body.  I can't stress this enough so I will repeat it.... This is what happens when you don't take care of yourself and your body.

This is not something that just happens to me (although I seem to be prone to illness), it can happen to ANYBODY.  Including YOU.

I'm in this position because of carrying around high amounts of stress AND eating food that isn't good for me.  I now fully understand why others state that your nutrition and the food you consume are important.  Not just for weight loss, but for your overall health.

This illness is very serious, and I've done it to myself.  No amount of donuts or fast food is worth the kind of pain I'm experiencing now.

While I'm fasting today, please take a moment to think about what you're eating today.  Is it giving your body the fuel it needs, or is it leading you to a lifetime of illness?

Don't think that this ONE hamburger or this ONE piece of cheesecake won't hurt.  Because it very may be the straw that breaks the camels back.  In my case, it was one hamburger that tipped me over the edge.

Cheers to our health!

Jill

Food Options

I hope you enjoyed our breakfast of Steel Cut Oats.  I know I sure did! :-)

Now to look at today's snacks, lunch, and dinner.

When we met with Chef Michael yesterday morning, the first thing we did was create a list of ingredients for the week.  These are foods that I can use to create meals and snacks with.  And when we went to the grocery store, we made sure that we have each of these things on hand.

The ingredients/foods that I have on hand this week are listed here...
http://picky-eater-evolves.blogspot.com/2014/07/meeting-chef-michael.html

So it's time to think about meals & snacks for the day.

Here are some of my snack options...

Right now, I currently have a large bag of unsalted mixed nuts.  Eating a handful of them makes an excellent snack with plenty of good fats.

I also have Greek Yogurt that I can eat with or without fresh berries.

I could eat a banana.

The leftover carrots from making the Couscous last night.

I could create a fruit salad with the bananas, strawberries, and blueberries that I have on hand.

For Lunch, I'm going to have the Couscous left over from last night.  Couscous only stays good in the fridge for about 24-36 hours.  So if you don't want it to go to waste, it's best to eat it for a couple of days in a row.

Dinner has not been decided yet.  I'm contemplating cooking a baked potato and using fresh avocado in place of sour cream or cheese.  But we'll see :-)


Jill

Steel Cut Oats

So here's another new one for me... Steel Cut Oats.  I'm sorry but I've never heard of that before.  (This was one of those items that I relied on Chef Michael to show me where to find them in the store.)

So are you ready for breakfast?

This recipe makes 2 servings.

1/3 cup Steel Cut Oats
1 cup Water
1/4 tsp salt

Heat water over medium/high heat on stove and add salt.
Just as the water is beginning to boil, add oats.
Immediately turn to low and let it barely simmer (you'll see the simmer just around the edges of the pot).
Cover and set timer for 20 minuets.
At the 10 minute point, stir.
When you're down to 5 minutes left, shut it off and move pot to a cool burner for the remaining 5 minutes.
When complete, add anything you like.  For mine, I added a tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter and a glob of honey, as well as a cut up banana (per portion).  You can also add any fruits that you like.  Mix and match and make it your own.

And that's breakfast.  If you're making this for just yourself, eat half of the batch and store the remaining batch (without anything added) in the refrigerator for up to a day. 

This, my friends, was DELICIOUS! My taste buds were so happy.  With the honey, it had just the right amount of sweetness and the crunchy peanut butter made it taste yummo!  It's also quite filling and will easily hold you over until your next meal.

In my grocery store, the Steel Cut Oats were found in the Health Food section.

Another win for Chef Michael!

Jill

Couscous

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would eat couscous.  I never even really knew what it was... until today.

With Chef Michael at the helm, and me taking notes, he created a delicious creation that I can (and will) eat again and again.

Ingriedients:

• 1 box of Parmesan Couscous
• 2 whole carrots
• Peas (frozen)
• Corn (frozen)

Here are the steps...

Take your carrots and...

1. Peel
2. Cut into thirds
3. Bring some water to a boil (enough water that will cover the carrots)
4.  Put carrots in the boiling water and bring it back to a boil
5. Turn off stove
6. Let sit for a minute, then drain
7. Place carrots in a bowl of ice water
8. Set aside

Next, start making the Couscous.  Follow the directions on the box.  About half way through, add in 1/2 cup of corn.  Allow to finish cooking.

Next take the carrots out of the ice water and put on a flat surface. Cut them right down the middle (length wise) and make them into cubes to fill 1/2 of a one cup measuring cup.  Fill the other half of the measuring cup with peas.  (Refrigerate the remaining carrots to eat as a snack later.)

By then, the couscous should be finished cooking.  Remove from heat and add the peas & carrots.  Let it sit for a bit while the Couscous cools and warms up the peas.

Use as a meal or as a side dish with chicken or turkey breast.

This will keep in the fridge for 24-36 hours.

My thoughts.... this dish was delicious!! It may be bland to some, but my diet is supposed to be bland so it's perfect for me.  It looked easy to make and I look forward to trying to cook it on my own.

Me and couscous?  Who knew?!

Jill

Meeting Chef Michael

I've known Chef Michael for several years now but have never discussed food or nutrition with him.  Now that I'm required to change my food habits and need help, he's the perfect person to go to.

We had our first meeting this morning and discussed many different things.  We plan on meeting each week to plan out meal ideas for that week and to create a grocery list.

We started by making a list of foods that I like AND could eat.  It's a small(ish) list so that if something disagrees with my stomach, we'll be able to identify it.  This list will contain ALL of the ingredients for my meals this week.

Here is my list for this week...

• Corn
• Broccoli
• Lettuce
• Spinich
• Avocado
• Carrots (uncut)
• Potatoes
• Turnips (not the biggest fan but also not afraid to eat it)
• Grapes
• Cous Cous (never tried before)
• Peas (not the biggest fan but also not afraid to eat it)
• Eggs
• Brown Rice
• Chicken & Turkey Breasts (not cold cuts)
• Fresh Parmesan Cheese
• Steel Cut Oats (never even heard of before)
• Olive Oil
• Peanut Butter (creamy & crunchy)
• Bananas
• Plain Greek Yogurt (or vanilla)
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Honey
• Mixed Nuts (for a small snack when needed)
• Silk Original Unsweetened Almond Milk

That's it.

He went to the grocery store with us to make sure that we bought the right kind and amount of each item and also to show us where to find some of the things we'd never purchased before (such as Steel Cut Oats).  In addition, we'll be going back at 5pm to learn how to cook some of these items.

I honestly don't know what I'd do without him.  I'd probably quickly revert to my old diet and get sicker and sicker simply because I didn't know what to do.  But I'm not going to let that happen.

So the first thing I did when I got home was to create a small lunch.  Since most things were not yet cooked and I wasn't sure how to cook them, so I used some of the ingredients that were all ready to go...

• 1 cup Yoplait Light & Fit Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• Small handful of Blueberries
• Small handful of strawberries cut up

Here was the result...

AND...

It was DELICIOUS!  Surprisingly, I liked the blueberries the best, but it was all really yummy and filling.... not to mention nutritionally good for me!  Can't beat that!


I'm not yet sure what dinner will bring, but looking over the list of ingredients that I can use, I'm feeling excited and hopeful.  Just because my diet is restrictive, doesn't mean that I'll be stuck eating a bunch of things that I don't like. 

This might actually be fun! :-)



Jill

Introduction for Interaction

So I realize that this post is a bit late (probably should have been my first post).... but I'm kind of scatter brained and that's just how I roll.

Anyhow... A brief introduction...

• Name:  Jill R.
• Location:  Manhattan, Kansas, USA
• Age:  Mid-thirties
• Status:  Happily Married
• Children:  Gunner (pitbull) and Kitty (aka Evil Kitty)... no human children by choice
• Personality:  Insane, crazy, caring, strong, run by anxiety, clumsy, unique, passionate, in or out 100%
• Likes or Hobbies:  Dog Rescue, Love all Animals, enjoy unique people,  and I love to write.
• IF you know me and I left out anything (good, bad, funny, sad, whatever) please feel free to share it in the comments!  :-)

The reason for this blog was explained in my first post, so I won't re-hash that, but here's the link in case you missed it...  http://picky-eater-evolves.blogspot.com/2014/07/picky-no-more.html


As a reader and visitor of this blog, here's what I want from you....

1.  See those little options under each post called Reasons ("Looks Delish, No Way, On the Fence")?  Use those to let me know what you think about the post!  If you have another category other than those shown that you think should be on the blog, leave a comment under this post and I will figure out how to add it. :-)


The "Reasons" are located just under my signature at the end of each blog post.  They're small, which is why I'm pointing them out...

2.  Comment, Comment, Comment.  I want to know what you think about my posts.  I want to know if something that I've researched and shared is wrong (I won't get offended if you point out that you think I'm wrong).  Share your recipes!  Try the recipes that I post and then share your thoughts and opinions on that recipe.  Why?  Because I could really use the encouragement.  It's that simple. :-)


That's it!  I only hope for those 2 things from you.  They are the fuel that will keep this blog running!

Thank you.

Jill

Oh wait... 3 more things...

1.  By the way, did I mention that I'm a HORRIBLE cook?  I've set the toaster on fire, I've burned just about everything you can think of, and even when I follow directions to the T, something still tastes "off".  So this journey ought to be interesting! :-)

2.  Don't forget to enter your e-mail address over in the right hand column to receive an e-mail notification any time there is a new post!

3.  Don't forget about the little "Reasons" below!

Lesson One: Becoming a Label Reader

I'm not a foodie and I'm certainly not a nutritionist.  I will likely meet with one soon to get a clearer idea of what is good and what is bad for us.  But in the meantime, I've done some research and we're going to have to become "label readers".

The labels on food are sectioned out for easy understanding.

The first section to pay attention to is the Number of Servings within the container.  So if the label says it contains 250 calories, don't assume that if you eat the entire meal that you're only taking in 250 calories.  The meal could contain 4 servings and if you eat the whole thing, that's 1000 calories.  A HUGE difference.  So pay attention to not only the calories, but how many servings the container holds.

The next section is YELLOW and these are the components that you want to limit.  This includes fat, sodium, and cholesterol.  The next section is BLUE and these are components that you want to get enough of.  This includes dietary fiber and vitamins.


Somewhere in there, you also see "Sugars".  My Question:  When Reading Labels, What Is A Healthy Amount of Sugars?

• When looking at the % Daily Values, 5% or below is considered a food or drink low in sugar.

Regarding fat, the label will show two kinds (trans fat and saturated fat).  Trans Fats are considered "bad fats" that you'll want to limit.  It can increase cholesterol and increases your risk for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.  Trans fat should be taken in as little as possible.  As hard as it may be, it is recommended that you consume no more than 1% of your daily calorie intake.

Saturated Fats are considered "good fats".  You should only consume 7% of your daily total calories.  So if you are on a 2000 calorie diet, you should only have 140g per day of Saturated Fats.

Alright, that should help all of us new label readers out there!

Cheers to our health!

Jill

Picky No More

I was just released from the hospital 2 days ago...

I'm overweight (but not obese) and my stomach is so damaged, the doctors are telling me that it will take a year or more to heal. One of the main keys to the healing process is going to be my diet. As a picky eater, I already struggle finding things to eat. So I end up eating a lot of fast food, sweets, and soda.

But now, my life MUST change. I have no choice.

As I embark on this new chapter of my life, I'm going to take you along and challenge you to think more about what you consume. As a picky eater, that's hard to do, but I intend to keep an open mind and vow to try anything that I'm allowed to.

I've secured a personal chef to create recipes within the restrictions given to me by my doctor. I will share these recipes with you and hope you'll try them along with me.

Here are the foods/drinks that I CANNOT consume for at least the next year...

• Carbonated Drinks 
• Caffeine 
• Cocoa (including hot chocolate) 
• Peppermint and Spearmint tea
• Regular and decaf coffee
• Green and Black Tea, with or without caffeine
• Drinks that contain Alcohol
• Orange and Grapefruit Juices
• Black and Red pepper
• Garlic powder
• Chili powder
• Dairy foods or foods containing whole milk or cream
• Spicy or strongly flavored cheeses, such as jalapeno or black pepper
• Highly Seasoned, High-Fat meats, such as sausage, salami, bacon, ham, and cold cuts.
• Hot chilies and peppers
• Onions and Garlic
• Tomato products, such as tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato juice, marinara sauce, and ketchup

What I CAN eat....

 Foods that are low in unhealthy fats, salt, and sugar

In addition, no eating within 2 hours of bedtime.


Is this a diet you think YOU could do?


I'll admit, I'm a little worried.  But if don't follow doctors orders, I could increase the time it will take to heal or even land myself back in the hospital.  If it can happen to me, it can happen to you.  So let's do this together!

If you have any recipes to share that fall within these guidelines, feel free to share them in the comments and we'll give them a try!

I'll be meeting with my Chef on Sunday morning (today is Friday).  So get ready to open your mind, your palate, and enter a whole new world of healthy eating!


Cheers to our health!

Jill