Lightened Zucchini Bread

I am part of "Mom Group" (totally out of my comfort zone, but I'm trying) that is run by my friend Erica. She has actually turned the concept of women supporting women, get-togethers, questions, etc. into a legit company that she can still run as a stay-at-home mom mainly through social media/the internet... impressive! Anyway! A lot of the conversations stem from women going back to work- how to balance, whether or not they want to, the tears that come with it and whatnot. It is hard for me to relate to the desire to stay home since I have none. It is also hard for me to relay how I feel without sounding horrible or feeling judged (even though we aren't supposed to judge.) It's like the disconnect I felt with Charlie because of my postpartum depression, I know other people feel the same way. But how to respond? Well, I always say working isn't for everyone and staying at home isn't for everyone. Women as a whole need to support instead of judge other people's choices. 

So first of all, staying home was not an option for me since I was a single parent, but even if it was I know I don't want to. How do I know? Well I stay home in the summer and I am pretty sure I am bad at being a stay-at-home mom. She is my mini and I love her, but I suck at this. I have the ability to control and teach 150 high school students per day, but lack the ability to play a repetitive game for an hour with a 4 year old. This is meant with no-offense to those that do it... I don't know how you do it... you are amazing... you probably don't know how I do it... but I support and respect your decision... I will say what society makes me feel guilty for saying... I love being a mother, but it is not all that I am and I am not satisfied being just a mother/wife. Before you get your panties in a twist- I know- it's not "just a mother," you are so much more than that and it is so incredibly important to raise your children, it's more meaningful than any job I go to... I get it. I don't know how else to phrase that I need to do more than that for my own well-being. I get that it means someone else is "raising my child" and whatever else I get told, but at the end of the day, that choice to work makes me a better mother, just like your choice to not work makes you a better mother. It's not just work, I need to train too, I need to spend time working on myself. How selfish of me to work all day and then need to spend MORE time for myself... but you know what? It makes me function properly as a mom and that's not justification that's the truth. I am in a such good mood when I have worked out and had some of my own time- I am more patient, relaxed and a more decent human to be around. I am a new ambassador for Girl Meets Strong... a website/social media account dedicated to shift the focus of women to being strong- however that looks for you. Our latest campaign is how/why you choose strong- I think my reasoning is a good summary to how I feel- I choose strong to show Charlie what women are capable of. I want her to see that, if she wants, she can train, work, eat well, and have a family. There are no limits. As the commercial I love right now says, "It takes someone strong to make someone strong" and I for sure get that from my own Momma, the best stay-at-home mom I know who went to school on top of raising us.

Onto the food! My garden is in full-swing... Charlie and I pick the veggies and water daily. This year we grew eight-ball zucchini instead of the traditional longer kind. 

They got MASSIVE! Our one looked like a darn pumpkin. 

This bread was made weekly to use up that zucchini- it is delicious as a snack or breakfast. I took out the oil to lighten it up a bit, but it retains its moisture and is best warm with butter. :) 

Lightened Zucchini Bread

(Makes 2 Loaves)

-3 Cups All purpose flour
-2 tsp Baking Powder
-Pinch of Salt
-3 Eggs
-2 Cups Coconut sugar (or Refined)
-1 Tablespoon Vanilla
-1 Banana
-1/2 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
-1 Tablespoon cinnamon
~3 Cups Zucchini shredded (give or a take a half cup won't matter)
-1 Cup Blueberries (or nuts or chocolate chips whatever you want)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. In a Stand-mixer, or with hand-mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the banana, apple sauce, and cinnamon. Mix again until just incorporated. Add the flour mixture in thirds mixing between each addition. Add the zucchini, mix yet again. Add the blueberries and stir by hand.
3. Fill TWO greased loaf pans about 1/2-3/4 full. Bake 45-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Eat with grass-fed butter. :)

As written... 

Nutrition Facts
Servings 16.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 210
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1 g	2 %
Saturated Fat 0 g	2 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 35 mg	12 %
Sodium 25 mg	1 %
Potassium 51 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 46 g	15 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	7 %
Sugars 27 g
Protein 4 g	8 %
Vitamin A	2 %
Vitamin C	9 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	2 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Lemon-Rosemary Marinated Chicken

As summer comes to a close, Charlie and I headed up North (without Matt- boo) to spend a week with my family in Sutton's Bay, MI. It's so beautiful I want to live there- seriously Matt and I are talking about it :)  I know winters are rough, but I like winter and nothing beats looking out at the lake and walking to the beach.

Charlie rode a horse, played with her cousins...

we paddle-boarded...

and she made sand-angels. Innocence and Pure Michigan summer fun at it's finest. 

When we got home my garden was over-run with tomatoes and herbs. It has been a wicked-hot summer and rough on plants, but one plant that seems to still be doing fantastic is my rosemary. It's delicious with olive oil to roast potatoes, but with how much I had I knew I had to use it more.... I have made a lot of marinades, but this has to be by far one of my favorites. Simple and flavorful. I am making it again this weekend and doubling the recipe. Try it on the grill! 

Lemon-Rosemary Marinated Chicken

- 1.5-2lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

- 2 Lemons, juiced, 1 Zested 

- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil (I eye-balled it)

- 1 Tbsp Grill Seasoning (I used Salt-Free Mural of Flavor from Penzey's Spices)

- 2 Large Sprigs Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced

- 1 Tbsp Mustard (I used Spicy Dijon)

- Salt and Pepper 

1. In a large bag or bowl combine all of the ingredients. Roll the chicken around in the marinade and let it sit 4+ hours. Remove from the marinate and grill or bake the chicken... enjoy! 

I ate mine on a salad with roasted beets and feta... yum!

Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup

Anyone try Macros over Paleo in the last week?? I started counting my macros just so see where I am in grams. I also chatted with Mara, my sister, who is working with athlete Nicole Capurso and following her "Honor Your Nutrition" plan... all about flexible dieting. So here is where I am on average (and I don't change much on days I train): Total Cal- 1600-1700, Fat- 55-60g, Protein- 125-130g, Carbs- 150-160g. Give it a try! I feel leaner, stronger, and it's so much easier to eat less restricted, but still clean while working on my sun gains with Annie. 

In the other part of my world... Charlie... It stared as a coincidence, but every year at the zoo now we take a picture next to an elephant statue. The elephants at the Detroit Zoo were moved to a better place because they were stressed years ago, but the statue next to where their exhibit was remains. After I noticed my pictures lined up from when she was one and when she was two years old, we purposely take one with the elephant like a growth chart. We go to the zoo all the time, it's where she really started walking a lot, so I hope the elephant remains so we can continue this until she is 18. 

An elephant is her favorite animal and she carries her "Ellie" everywhere with us. :) Please stay this innocent forever child. 

Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup

- 2lbs+ Stew Beef, cut into 1" pieces if they are too big
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 14.5-oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 Cup Tomato Sauce (or marinara)
- 1 Small Onion, chopped
- 2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced
- 4 Cups Beef Broth
- 2 Cups Water
- 3/4 Cup Pearl Barley (NOT quick cooking)
- 2 tsp Dried Parsley (2 Tbsp Fresh)
- 2 tsp Dried Basil (2 Tbsp Fresh)
- Fresh Cracked Pepper

1. Brown the beef. In a large skillet or cast-iron skillet, over medium-high or high heat, add the oil and beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the beef so it browns on all sides. This should be a quick process, you don't to "cook" the beef. :)
2. Add the beef and the rest of the ingredients to a large slow cooker. Cook on low 9-10 hours or high 5-6 hours. Taste for seasoning and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 257
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8 g	12 %
Saturated Fat 3 g	13 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 50 mg	17 %
Sodium 744 mg	31 %
Potassium 434 mg	12 %
Total Carbohydrate 24 g	8 %
Dietary Fiber 5 g	21 %
Sugars 5 g
Protein 21 g	43 %
Vitamin A	57 %
Vitamin C	17 %
Calcium	5 %
Iron	15 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch

I don't know if anyone has noticed (probably not :) but my recipes lately have deviated from Paleo more than normal. In general I am going to keep it grain-free, but as my diet and thought process has changed, but recipes will as well. Here's the "why"...

The Past...

 Well the main goal of me eating the way I do is health, second goal is fitness. So let's backtrack a bit... Although criticized by a lot of people (especially those that hate CrossFit as well) the Paleo Diet, or "eating like a caveman," has a focus on not consuming processed foods, and only eating things that come out of the ground or from an animal- no grains, dairy, refined sugar, artificial ingredients, etc. I think this was a great place to start for me as I moved away from a vegetarian diet. Re-thinking the foods I was eating and re-setting my body to move away from, specifically for me, sugar and grains, helped me feel waaaaaay better, stronger, more awake and really got my diet in a better place. As a vegetarian I ate a lot of processed foods- trying to mimic meat. Although I made my own "seiten" and other "meat" products, my diet was incredibly high in grains, soy and more gluten found in the fake-meat as vital wheat gluten. If you are starting to transition your diet I would highly suggest going cold turkey with something like Whole30... it is a more extreme version of Paleo and gets you to start reading ingredient labels, clearing out your pantry and thinking about your food. 

So why move away from Paleo? 

One of my biggest issues is the portions, or lack there of, therefore high caloric intake. In general, Paleo baked goods are usually extremely high in calories and fat compared to their non-Paleo counter parts. Although there are guidelines of how much of each food you should eat, like more lean meat than nuts, there is basically no portion control in Paleo. If it fits the parameters of the diet you are good to go! I found myself eating way too much fat, and therefore way too many calories, but not calories readily available for my body when I train. 

Second issue stemming from the first- I was also reading about other diets used by athletes and thought that I was probably not eating enough carbohydrates which are essential for fitness because they are the most readily available source of energy. I love sweet potatoes, but watching Matt eat 3 cups of rice in one meal made me long for something on the "no-no" list of Paleo. It was becoming mentally not sustainable to me. Long story short I started on RP Strength- a diet many of my friends were following- you can read about how it went here. Although I didn't care for the diet as a whole, I learned a lot about food-timing when I train. I also started thinking that eating bread and sugar are not the devil, in moderation and of higher quality- what I mean is eating toast with jelly before a workout (sugar, therefore carbs) won't kill me. Sugar is used quickly by the body and my body knows what to do with it, it is not stored like say high-fructose corn syrup which is still on my "don't consume" list. 

So how do I eat now? 

I eat far more carbs (I was eating almost none) and way less fat... still a lot of protein (my body weight in grams spread throughout the day basically.) The result has been what I wanted. It is more sustainable to enjoy rice, condiments (I still read labels for processed oils and junk), etc. again and the lower calorie intake has made me leaner. If you want to give a name to what I am doing, it is a lot closer to "macro counting." Although I am currently not "counting" :) But in macro counting ("If it fits your Macros" IIFYM) you are allotted a certain amount of grams of carbs, fat and protein (your macromolecules)- there are programs/people to help you figure it out if you are interested- and you eat clean and what you want as long as it fits with your macros. If you want a donut? Do it, but you are using a lot of your carbs for the day! Although I won't be eating donuts, you get the idea... carbs aren't evil, they help when you train... fat isn't evil, monounsaturated fats like an avocado won't make you fat, but keep you full... protein is delicious, how am I supposed to get "too bulky" without it? :) 

Us at the new penguin aquarium at the Detroit Zoo- the lighting was fabulous ;)

What will happen with blog recipes? 

Although some of my most popular recipes are Paleo, recipes in the future will contain gluten and things like ketchup sometimes, but I will still steer clear of processed oils, refined ingredients, etc. You are welcome to substitute with your homemade version of the ingredient or I can help you find a Paleo, or gluten-free substitute. I will still focus on non-processed, fresh ingredients- I hope you guys don't mind :) 

So food prep now looks more like this... lots of veggies, lots of rice, lots of meat. 

Based on the above paragraphs, this week's recipe and next week's are lightened up versions of some favorite comfort foods. Starting with Tuna Noodle Casserole usually made with condensed Campbell's soup- still not something I want to eat based on the ingredients on the label... ew.

Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch

-  1 Tbsp Olive Oil

- 1 Sweet Onion, finely chopped

- 1 Garlic Clove, minced

- 8-oz White Button Mushrooms, sliced

- 1/3 Cup Arrowroot Powder (Cornstarch if you aren't Paleo and probably 3 Tbsp)

- 4 Cups Milk (your choice) (or half chicken stock, half milk)

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme 

- 2 Cups Frozen Peas

- 12+ oz Canned Tuna, in water, drained

- 16 oz Dried Pasta (I used gluten-free rotini)

- 1 Cup Dried Bread Crumbs (I used gluten-free Panko)

Preheat to 375 degrees

1. Boil the pasta in salted water according to the directions. Drain and set aside. While it is cooking you can start on the sauce part of the recipe.

2. In a large pot over medium heat, drizzle in the olive oil and add the onions, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until soft, about 7-10 minutes. 

3. Add the arrowroot powder and spices. Stir. Using a whisk and whisking constantly, add the milk one cup at a time- when you add the first cup whisk fast so there are no lumps, the sauce will already start to thicken. Add the rest of the milk slowly whisking the whole time until smooth. 

When the sauce has begun to thicken add the peas, tuna, and pasta. Taste for salt. 

4. In a greased 9x13 baking dish, pour the entire mixture. 

Top with the bread crumbs. Bake 20-25 minutes until bubbly. 

Macro content of my version with 2% milk, gluten free pasta and panko as listed above:

Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 329
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6 g	9 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	10 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 29 mg	10 %
Sodium 647 mg	27 %
Potassium 270 mg	8 %
Total Carbohydrate 48 g	16 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g	14 %
Sugars 11 g
Protein 20 g	40 %
Vitamin A	8 %
Vitamin C	8 %
Calcium	18 %
Iron	10 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.