Happy Sunday people!

Chicken tenders and a big fat salad (see the crunchy bean spouts? I also used Bragg's Vinaigrette and it is YUMMY!)

So, today is bread making day! Yippeee...fingers crossed it turns out the first time this time :)!

Those Spelt English Muffins are YUMMY! They are very dense so they are VERY filling (unlike regular english muffins, I find) Whole grain products really do fill you up way better than that other stuff!

I also got the new issue of Clean Eating magazine and I LOVE THIS MAG! I should have kept the other issues that I had bought before (I still have the one I talked about in this blog) The recipes are great plus they lead to great ideas to create your own stuff! This issue has a really yummy stir-fry on the cover, which, if I can find the whole wheat soba noodles, I will be making sometime this week!

I have to admit that last week, I was getting a little bored, so I did veer a bit. Plus I have been busy with other stuff (planning a move back to my home country!) so I don't always have time to cook. What I did the week before was make a whole chicken, then I cut it up and froze it in individual servings. I was also CRAVING chicken tenders (like give them to me now kind of craving!) And come to think of it, I was also craving french fries and fried food in general! I wonder what that means because my diet does NOT lack FAT...whatever...So, I remembered one of the Food Rules that Michael Pollan wrote about: Make your own junk food...soooo I made my own home fries (even though potatoes are off my particular list, one can only substitute other dense vegetables for so long!) I made falafels as a treat for Friday (high in protein and good to grab for a quick lunch throughout the week - plus I make a killer yogurt sauce to go with them! I forget what the Syrian name is for it, I think it's Labneh or maybe that's just the yoghurt part - I could be totally wrong, so ignore me on that) AND then yesterday, I made chicken tenders (with whole wheat flour!) So my fridge is stocked to the hilt with lunch choices next week! For me the key to this is CHOICE and organization. I get bored of the same thing day after day - even if it's for a week! So, I freeze stuff for later, but I only have a small freezer here - I am going to have to invest in a deep freeze when I settle in at home!

I also got a couple of Amy's frozen entrees just to mix it up a bit this week!

In any case, while my bread is rising, I am going through the new Clean Eating magazine again and I am very excited to report there is a whole article on Lentils :)
a whole bunch of pizza recipes (with 'from scratch' sauces!), a variation on that yummy chickpea chocolate cake that I talked about here before (using black beans this time!), ideas for salads (with a guide to the different types of lettuce and greens out there AND recipes for dressings galore!), and a yummy recipe for Almond Butter Chocolate Chip COOKIES! This recipe has no flour no dairy and is low in sugar - YUM! I am soooooo making these after my bread is done :) I have been a cookie monster lately (for oatmeal cookies even - who knew *I* would even like oatmeal cookies!)

I have to make my own chocolate chunks because I REFUSE to pay what they're asking for for the Organic chips here ($8.00-$15.00 for a BAG!)- plus I can't determine how highly refined cane juice is...sooo for now I am just going to make my own (people who know me know I am a bit of a baker and confectioner and a bit of a snob when it comes to chocolate!)

I am also starting to look into Amino Acids...the stuff I am reading tends to be very scientific and to me that is sooooooooooooo boring! Alll I got out of my research yesterday was that Tryptophan (sp?) is an amino acid, and I recognize that from turkey hype (even though it does not cause you to pass out after dinner!) Tryptophan is found in a whole bunch of foods that don't get the bad rap of turkey - it's found in high levels in CHOCOLATE and milk and eggs and cheese, and poultry. It's very good for you and helps stave off depression and insomnia (helllooooo I must be deficient in this particular amino acid even though I am a chocolate fiend and have been drinking way more milk lately!) In any case, I bough some salad dressing from the same company that I got that Liquid Amino spray from Bragg. Chock full of amino acids in there...plus it's pretty darn tasty...like Italian Vinaigrette!

For the last few weeks, I have skipped tea first thing in the morning (which replaced my beloved coffee) and opted instead for freshly squeezed lemon juice and hot water. It's supposed to aid digestion and help along the liver...well, I don't care what it does, it's a very fresh start to the day! I feel more awake when I drink that than I ever did with a cup o' java or tea! You should try it! (Don't put too much lemon in, or you'll have a very sour experience! I put 2 tbs of lemon juice per cup of boiling water...2 large lemons squeezed of their juice lasts me for 5-6 days!)



Falafels and yogurt sauce with tomatoes and spinach (I love fresh spinach!)