Gluten Free Sugar Free Gingerbread Cookies

These little lovelies are proof that you dont have to give up amazing flavor to eat gluten free and sugar free.  I took them to two different parties this weekend and everyone loved them.  Total sugar and wheat addicts were passing over sinful store bought chocolate covered treats in favor of these simple little cookies.  Now that is saying something when sugar eaters go for your cookies instead of Peeps.  I was even able to provide a vegan party goer with a tasty treat since these cookies happen to be egg less as well.

I first made these for Christmas, using half the dough.  The rest of the dough I discovered recently and it was just as great as it was when it was first made.  So yes the recipe makes a huge number of cookies but its worth it to save half of them for latter.  I love leaving surprising myself by hiding random things in the freezer that will make me happy when I find it later.  Its one of the small pleasures of life.

The frosting issue is still a problem however.  Ive tried twice now to make sugar free frosting without some unwelcome ingredient like cream cheese or boxed pudding mix and neither worked out well at all.  I tried this recipe on Saturday and ended up with a pot of sticky brown goo, Im still not sure what I did wrong but it didnt work out for me.  So I will keep trying.  If you have a good sugar free frosting recipe please do send it my way.

Really these cookies are so good they dont need frosting though.  They are just spicy enough from the cinnamon and amaranth flour that the agave and molasses even it out for a perfect gingerbread flavor.  They are totally addictive so beware.

Gluten Free Sugar Free Gingerbread Cookies

2 1/3 cups brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups amaranth flour
1 1/2 cups arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 unsweetened applesauce
1/3 canola oil
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the rice flour, amaranth flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. 

In a separate bowl, combine the agave nectar, molasses, applesauce, canola oil, vanilla.  Mix well and pour over the dry ingredients.  Stir until the 2 mixtures are thoroughly combined.  Cover and chill the dough 2 hours or more.

Sprinkle your work surface with arrowroot powder.  Divide the chilled dough into 4 equal parts.  Return 3 parts to the refrigerator to keep chilled.  Roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out gingerbread with cookie cutters and place them on the prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 6 to 7 minutes.

The cookies will be slightly soft when they are removed from the oven.  Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes then move to cooling racks to cool completely.  These freeze very well in plastic freezer bags.  Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies.

From Baking with Agave Nectar  by Ania Catalano.

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Adzuki Bean and Mango Curry

In case youve never tried adzuki beans let me tell you that youre missing out.  They have the texture of a black bean and a flavor along the lines of a sweeter version of a kidney bean.  You can use them in place of any similar sized bean for something different. 

The only problem is these pretty pink beans are a bit hard to track down.   I get mine in the bulk pins at Whole Foods (I know its a gluten free no no but I wash then thoroughly and have never had a problem.)  Eden Organics also has them canned flavored with seaweed at all the local groceries I go to so they are out there if you look.

Putting beans regardless of how unique they are with mango in a curry might sound odd.  I thought so too until I actually gave it a try.  The sweetness of the mango mellows the spices and gives this curry a really interesting mouthfeel making it seem much richer than it really is.  With the coconut milk included this either becomes a weight maintenance only dish or a curry to eat while skipping the rice.  To make this for a low fat/high fiber meal just sub out the coconut milk for some vegetable broth and add a bit of tomato paste to get a thick sauce without the fat.

I found this Adzuki Bean and Mango Curry recipe over at the City Life Eats blog along with a handful of other really tasty ideas for recipes for us picky allergic eaters.  Its sometimes a hard blog to navigate but this recipe is perfect so Im just sending you over there to check it out since I didnt change a thing.

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A Whole Lot of Sauvignon Blanc and Puy Lentil Salad

Im really blessed to know a lot of great people who love wine almost as much as I do. I few of them even love wine more than I could ever hope to and put me to shame with their knowledge. Once a month for a little over a year now weve been getting together to taste wine and get Wasted. Well we do tend to get tipsy but thats also the name of the group. Its all Lindsays fault she started it.

This month the fella and I hosted a Sauvignon Blanc tasting, the perfect wine to ring in summer in our backyard. Unfortunately the weather didnt cooperate and we ended up packed into our tiny living room enjoying ourselves immensely until the rain ended. We tried some good and no so good stuff. Ill leave it up to Lindsay to do the hard core reviewing and Ill stick to taking ridiculous pictures of the wine and posting a recipe for the lentil salad that had everyone making yummy noises.

The 2008 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand was the winner of the tasting as far as I was concerned. It was light with just the right amount of citrus and sweetness. At about $22 it is well worth investing in especially if you dont think you like Sauv Blancs this one will prove the varietal has redeeming qualities.

There is this weird thing with Sauv Blancs where in the $15 or under range buying them is a bit of a crap shoot. There are a few good ones like the Riesling-esque $9 a bottle Quarry Hills Sauv Blanc that just came in to the wine store and we cant keep on the shelves for all the people buying it by the case. Aside from getting lucky and finding the rare keeper a lot of them make you wonder if youve accidentally poured yourself a glass of lawn clippings or cat urine (sorry for that image.) And four of our wines that day definitely fit in the overly green and grassy category.

I chose the 2008 Vicars Choice Sauvignon Blanc once again from the Marlborough region of New Zealand and the 2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from the same region. Both grass monsters. The Vicars Choice Reserve Sauv Blanc is actually complex and has a slightly sweet grapefruit kick, I should have spent the extra couple of bucks and got that. The Kim Crawford was just disappointing, its been so good in past years and tasted like the lawn this time around.

The 2008 Starborough Sauv Blanc from the Marlborough region was the best of the grassy wines since it wasnt over poweringly green but still not something I would buy. The 2008 Beau Joubert Oak Lake Chenin Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc blend from Stellenbosch South Africa was interesting but also packed too much green-ness to really fall in love with. I was just glad to have a South African wine that had none of the artificial banana flavor that so many of the whites in that area seem to be ruined by.

In the midst of the young Sauv Blancs that were making us all feel like we were chewing on field of clovers there were a couple really nice bottles that shook things up and surprised us all. The 2008 Boogle Vineyards Sauv Blanc from Clarksburg California was a delight. It was a bit sweet and light, something I would find and buy. The 2007 Luna Vineyards Freakout White Blend from Napa Valley was just a good departure from all the New Zealand wines and gave us a chance to rest our palates on something super easy to drink.

And then sadly there were the two wines that just didnt quite work out in the scheme of things. Im almost positive the bottle of 2006 Ceago Sauv Blanc from Clear Lake California was a bad bottle. Supposedly it doesnt happen much in screw tops but Ive heard really good things from customers and my wine genius boss about this wine. I refuse to believe all these people are drinking vinegar and enjoying it so I will give this one another try and get back to you.

The 2007 Domaine Sauvete Sauvignon de Touraine Oneiros from the Loire Valley might just have been too different from everything else to be enjoyable. We probably should have drank it first with clear palates because it was very French and very typical of the traditional Sauv Blanc with a heavy cat pee nose. It wasnt my favorite but I can see someone who enjoys French whites really getting into it.

Blah, blah, blah. Wine, wine, wine. I know you all just came for the lentil salad so here it goes.

Nigella is amazing and I want to cook everything from her book Forever Summer and am very happy I started out with this lentil and goat cheese divinity. Its simple and oh so delicious. Just make sure to use the Puy lentils as they have the structure to hold up to this salad. My other advise is to use the oil from sun dried tomatoes for the olive oil in the recipe, it added an extra layer of yummy go the recipe and it made sure that oil didnt go to waste which I always feel guilty about. Now I will always know what to do with it.

The hard part is resisting the urge to eat all the marinated goat cheese before you serve this. Not that it would be too much of an issue considering this recipe makes enough to serve a hungry houseful of winos and have enough left over for three people to eat for lunch. It is the gift that keeps giving.

As you can see the fella was a big fan. Or maybe it was just the wine. Who knows.

Puy Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad

1 10-ounce log goats cheese
1 lemon, zested and juiced
4 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried mint (I omitted this)

3 cups Puy lentils
1 onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chili oil

4 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces jarred sweet peppers in oil
bunch fresh mint, chopped (also omitted this)

Crumble the goats cheese and marinate in half the juice and zest of the lemon, 4 tablespoons olive oil (I used excess oil from a jar of sun dried tomato) and dried mint. Seal in a container and reserve until just before serving.

Put lentils in a large saucepan of water and add onion, garlic cloves and chili oil. Cook for about 25 minutes or until tender then drain. Keep an eye on the lentils so they dont get too soft and dont think of substituting the Puys for another lentil with less character and structural integrity.

Pour 4 tablespoons of olive oil over the warm lentils in a large serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add the remaining half of the lemon juice and zest. Drain the sweet peppers, chop them coarsely and mix them into the lentils. Mix with your hands or very carefully with a wooden spoon making sure not the crush and mangle the lentils.

When the lentils have reached room temperature add the marinated goats cheese and sprinkle over them with the fresh chopped mint and serve immediately.

Original recipe from Nigella Lawsons Forever Summer cookbook.

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Best Weight Loss Diets To Burn Fat or Get Fat

Have you tried weight loss diets and quasi-healthy cookbooks to lose weight before? If you have, then youve probably noticed that fat loss diets and "healthy" cookbooks arent always what theyre cooked up to be.


Why is it that losing weight is so hard?
First, many weight loss cookbooks are NOT designed with high "metabolic thermo charge" ingredients. Theyre not using the power that some food has to actually force your body to burn fat. Instead, they may inadvertently use ingredients with low thermogenic effect.

Why is this a problem?
"Metabolic Thermo Charge" is the amount of calories your body burns when breaking down nutrients in your food.

For example, eating high-quality protein in a meal naturally burns off more calories and gets you closer to your target weight. Lean protein and spices have a strong thermogenic effect, so combining these foods together, such as chicken and turmeric, can help you burn more fat faster.
Not bad, eh?

But, theres more.
Second thing to think about is whether or not your recipes have a real structure. If all you have is a bunch of recipes randomly thrown together, thats not going to help you lose weight. Youre at the mercy of whatever you pick and choose, your mood, or cravings-of-the-day. We know where that goes...
You must have a structure to succeed at losing weight.

To address the structure issue, the Metabolic Cookbook people have developed a quick, easy "Metabolic Nutri-Profile" system for their recipes, so that you can see exactly which nutrients youre getting, ensuring that each meal optimizes your metabolic rate.

The Metabolic Nutri-Profile system is a map through the food jungle maze!
Third, have you ever followed a diet precisely, only to find that you hit some kind of plateau and couldnt lose anymore?
What is it? The Metabolic Adaptation Phenomenon. It happens at the point when your body knows what food its getting, and adapts to it. At this point, metabolism slows down and weight loss comes to a screeching halt.

To avoid Metabolic Adaptation Phenomenon, just mix it up! Vary your nutrient intake every so often, surprising your body with variety! New tastes and textures keep your body guessing and make sure that metabolism stays alert. Having a wide range of weight loss recipes to choose from helps fight this phenomenon.

Now you know what to look for, keep an eye out for these three little snipers next time you decide to scout out a diet plan.

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Extreme Weight Loss Diet Not For The Faint Of Heart

Is the meaning of the word extreme considered negative or positive? I guess it depends on the perspective of the person. At any rate, anything that is extreme should only last for a short period. Something that is extreme keeps its thrill when it is short lived and not frequent in occurring.

An extreme weight loss diet should be kept in those bounds. Extreme weight loss diets are considered to be a jump start to a regular diet. Careful consideration should be used to determine how long an extreme weight loss diet should continue.

Are extreme weight loss diets effective?
The answer is, yes! An extreme way of eating usually involves eliminating certain types of food in your daily meals. The types of foods that are eliminated are considered food for fat cells or interfere with proper digestion.

Extreme Weight Loss Diet Examples:
*Cut out sugar. Simple sugars are an excellent source of food to help fat cells grow. Foods that contain simple sugars are candy,ice cream, soda beverages, and desserts with added sugar. Also, refined carbohydrates like white bread and rice are easily converted into simple sugars when digested. Most processed food has sugar or glucose added. Remember to check labels. Even ketchup has sugar.

*Cut out carbohydrates. Most carbohydrates are considered simple sugars. When broken down in the digestive tract, they convert into glucose and affect blood sugar levels.

*Cut out fat. Well, not completely. There are healthy fats that your body needs. The type of fats to avoid are trans fat and saturated fat. Saturated fat comes from animal products. Trans fat are made from oils that are partially hydrogenated. Healthy fats are monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and omega-3 fatty acids. Monounsaturated are found in foods and oils. Polyunsaturated is mostly plant-based. The Omegas are found in fish.

*Cut out calories. Counting calories eaten in every meal and snack, can burn fat cells quickly when you are consistent and accurate. Calories should be adjusted to activity levels.

*Cut out toxins. Doing a detox diet can flush out unwanted undigested food and parasites. Detoxifying uses plenty of water which is very good for healthy systems and cells. Bloating will cease and your body will be better prepared to accept and absorb nutrients. The nutrients will then assist your metabolism and lower fat cell production.

To be successful in using one of these diets, be consistent and drink plenty of water.

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Starting Stats on Day 1 of 7

Okay, so "attempting" a 1 week test period of making my diet mainly just protein shakes.  Ive decided to use Muscle Pharms Combat Powder (Orange Creamsicle flavor...delicious!).... so right now, its a shake for breakfast around 8am, then another around 10am.... a high protein, low carb lunch (like maybe a sandwich or Subway)...then another shake after my workout (maybe around 3:30pm)...then a protein only dinner (such as half pound of grilled chicken tenderloin, pork tenderloin or a extra lean 96/4 grilled hamburger patty w/ a piece of fat-free cheese)...and then another protein shake right before bed (but Casein protein for the last one right before bed).

Day one started on 02/06/13 and my body stats (Im a 6 1" male) that morning at 8:37AM was: 
Weight: 193.5
Fat Weight: 46.2 
Fat Percentage: 23.9

(I dont really care about my overall weight, just my body fat weight/fat%....the only way you should measure in the "fit world")

Of course Im trying to exercise every day for one hour as usual. (mainly weight training with some cardio as well)

Also, took a sample diet pill that came in the mail called STIM 10 (made me feel a little crazy though since Im very sensitive to stimulants)

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Masters of Science in Gerontology

It took me pretty much six years to do it, but Im so proud of myself and can finally say I completed my Masters in Gerontology Degree!!! And it feels so good!

And even though it has been over a month since I did any kind of school work I still find myself panicking at times about what assignment I have due next! 

Truly though, its a great feeling to having nothing to worry about except planning for a new member of our family.

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Forkful of Exciting News

Photo by fellow wine lover Stephanie A Jones

Yes, Lindsay its true.  Starting on Monday Im going to being sharing my food blogging prowess on another site called Forkful of News  with a handful of other food loving ladies and gentlemen.  You know just in case you werent getting enough of my gluten free, sugar free, low carb ramblings here, now you will know where to find more of them.  

It is run by Lindsay of Wasted and local theater writing fame.  I will be joined by Jacob (who is known as "the chef" around here) among others that Im excited to get to know better or encounter for the first time.  It will be a mostly Madison WI centric blog about mostly healthy but always exciting eating with all seven of us sharing our very different perspectives on food. 

Ill mostly be posting about stuff that doesnt fit in the theme here.  Non-Montignac friendly meals, local restaurant reviews, my adventures in trying to be gluten free in the often clueless Midwest.  It will be a fun change of pace.  So come check it out, meet my fellow bloggers, and see what Im up to over there every Monday.

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The Start of The Fast Metabolism Diet

Discovery
I recently stumbled across a book called The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy via an email from a bookstore - heres the link www.fastmetabolismdiet.com  Haylie is a celebrity nutritionist, has several clinics throughout the US and works with athletes, celebrities and "normal people" at her clinics.

Decision
The cover of the book states "Lose up to 20 lbs in 28 days".  Haylie talks about viewing the word "diet" differently - DIET now stands for Did I Eat Today?  Basically you eat every 3-4 hours, which means you eat at least 5 times a day, it is a rotation diet, so you eat certain foods on certain days of the week (3 phases in a week), you dont count calories and you kick-start your metabolism so that it is burning calories and working again!

I read through the book and its 50+ recipes and also read some of it to my husband to get his buy-in on this new way of eating.  We thought about it for about a week and decided, lets do this! 

Of course we were both nervous - we LOVE to eat out, processed foods are EASY, and with hectic schedules at work, kids activities in the evenings and weekends, it has become normal in my house to eat a bowl of cereal for dinner or go out to eat at resataurants all weekend.

In the end, we decided it was time to try something different.  Some of you may know, Im a workout fanatic!  I work out every morning at 5:15am doing P90X or Insanity DVDs, 6 days a week.  I then run on the treadmill the 7th day.  But, Im not seeing the results I want because I eat like CRAP.

So, its time for a change and its ONLY 28 days - WE GOT THIS!

Lets GO!
As an accountant, of course I started a spreadsheet!  I put together my own meal maps of foods that I thought my family and I would eat in each of the phases.  I also downloaded the Fast Metabolism app for my iPhone.  I like that it reminds you to eat, drink water and when selecting foods for the day, it helps ensure you have all of the food groups suggested for each meal.
 
Here are the phases during the week:
Phase 1 (Unwind Stress Phase) is on Monday and Tuesday - it consists of lots of carbs and fruit.  You must do at least 1 day of cardio.
Phase 2 (Unlock Fat Phase) is on Wednesday and Thursday - lots of proteins and veggies.  You must do at least 1 day of weight-lifting.
Phase 3 (Unleash Your Metabolism Phase) is on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - all of the above plus healthy fats.  You must do at least 1 day of yoga or stretch.

I think the biggest challenge for Week 1 is going to be my daughters dance competition on Saturday which is an all day event - Im talking 15 hours! I may need to purchase a mini cooler and ice packs so that we are fully prepared for the day. And, Ive got to keep my mind in check and not let temptations get the best of me.

On Sunday I went shopping for all of the foods for the week.  I stuck to the meal map and bought mostly organic by going to Trader Joes and Kowalskis.  Next week, I may check out Whole Foods for more ideas.  Everyone says, preparation is key, so I made sure we have tons of fruits and veggies for snacks and Im doing a lot of prep work at night to make this a success.  I packed up Mondays meals on Sunday night so that we were ready to go in the am - NO EXCUSES! Lets GO!

 

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The Mysteries of Celery Revealed

I finally figured out what Boulud is going on about when he keeps saying things like "1 stalk celery, peeled." Until now I thought he was just being overly picky but while making the delicious Angel Hair Pasta And Vegetable Ribbons, it became clear to me what was going on. This was the first French recipe I made for this blog and certainly the first recipe that ever called for celery peeling. The first time I made it I was so confused by the directions that I didnt put it together.

Doing it a second time was much simpler and still just as tasty. But this time I wasnt thrown off by the vegetable ribbons, Im actually quite obsessed with them now and ribbon vegetables whenever possible much to the fellas amusement. The mystery of the peeled celery came to me when I had the celery round side down on the cutting board and was shaving the ribbons off the side facing up. As the perfect long thin ribbons came off all that was left was the tough stringy darker green part on the cutting board that refused to be ribboned. The ribbons were tasty and crunchy but the left over bit was tough and tasteless. It totally makes sense to keep that part out of the final product.

All this time I had no idea the hidden depths of celery. This discovery isnt going to change my life or anything but it was pretty nifty to figure out. It made me understand Boulud and French cooking better, all the picky instructions arent there to make life difficult for the average cook but they are all little ways to make the dish turn out more perfect. Getting rid of the tough celery "peel" did make the veggies ribbons that much better.

Hopefully with this revelation I can stop having really urgent dreams about the need to make the perfect veal stock to keep the world from ending. Its been four nights in a row now and its starting to get creepy. Cooking, its taking over my brain.

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Day 3 Results 02 08 13

The start of day 3 (which is still only being on the diet for about 48 hours) still showed pretty good results...3 pounds of straight fat in 48 hours!?..heck yes!!....here are todays stats at 7:32am:

Weight: 188.5 lbs
Body Fat Weight: 43.2 lbs
Body Fat Percentage: 23.0%

Given this digital scale can not always be accurate...and my water level fluctuate, Im still okay with todays results.  Only bad thing is that the weekend is about here and I have 2 dinners to go out to on 02/10/13....so hopefully I can choose wisely from the menus...and I guess once those meals have processed (usually takes my body about 48 hours), the scale will tell me around 02/12/13!  Looks like I may just have to double up on workouts this weekend to compensate!

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Week 4 Recap of the Fast Metabolism Diet 5 27 13 FINALE!

Well, here we are...WE DID IT!  Im so proud of both my husband and I.  We stayed with the plan all month and we made it.  Together, we have lost 37 pounds in 28 days!!!  We didnt count a single calorie, we worked out less than we used to, we didnt cheat and we held each other accountable.  It really shows that hard work, determination and will-power really pays off.  If you put your mind to it and set a goal, you WILL get there.  It took a LOT of focus (and some complaining) to get to this day and we did it.  Im truly happy that I had my partner by my side the whole time - Im not sure I could have done it without him! 

Week 4 Weight Loss:
Kiana: 3.0 lbs
Anthony: 3.6 lbs

FINAL WEIGH IN:

Kiana:  148.6 lbs,  14.6 lbs lost or 8.9% in just 28 days!

Anthony: 238.6 lbs; 22.4 lbs lost or 8.6% in just 28 days!

 
There were so many more topics I could have discussed in this blog but didnt always have the time to write about.  If you want to know more or have specific questions, I am more than willing to chat about it with you.  This was a great experience for us and it can be a life-changing experience for you as well.  I highly recommend the book The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy - there are so many more details about why you eat the types of foods that you do on this diet and how the order in which you eat it affects your body.

Ive learned so much these last 4 weeks, such as, my amazing will-power and my ability to cook healthy meals even with a busy schedule. I feel that I now have a different perspective on what healthy eating really is. I look forward to our continuous progress on making healthier decisions for ourselves and for our family.

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Spicy Kidney Beans with Tomato and Yogurt Sauce

These cold windy fall evenings are perfect for rich spicy curries. And we all know how much of a curry obsession I have so when I saw yogurt, goat cheese and kidney beans in a recipe I was all over it. This recipe is perfect so there isnt much for me to add. Three chilies made for a very spicy curry though so be warned if you like to take it easy on the heat scale.

I paired it with Helfrich Gewurtraminer and some almond naan and couldnt have been happier. It seems crazy but Gewurtraminer and curry is amazing. The wine was a easy sweet spice and fruit wine with okay body but after a few bites of curry and it just popped, making both the wine and the food that much better. Learning this fact has only helped fuel my obsession for two of my favorite things.

Spicy Kidney Beans with Tomato and Yogurt Sauce

1 1/4 cup of dried kidney beans

1 cup of yogurt
2 tablespoons of chickpea flour
1/2 cup of goat cheese, mashed with a fork

1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
3 - 4 fresh chilies, finely chopped

2 tablespoons of oil
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida

1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of garam masala

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped


Soak the kidney beans overnight in enough water to cover. Drain, transfer to a medium large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the beans are tender - roughly 1 hour. Drain the cooked beans and set aside.

Whisk together the yogurt and chickpea flour until smooth. (The chickpea flour helps to prevent the yogurt from curdling. I made my own by putting some chickpeas through the coffee grinder.) Mix in the mashed goat cheese, stirring well to make sure the cheese breaks up evenly throughout the yogurt. Stir in the garlic, salt, turmeric, cayenne, and chilies. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium large pan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the ginger and asafoetida and stir and fry for a few minutes. Now add the tomato and garam masala and simmer until the tomato thickens - roughly 5 minutes.

Stir in the cooked kidney beans and yogurt mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Garish with the parsley and serve over hot rice.

Original recipe from Lisas Kitchen Blog.

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The Many Faces of Roarke

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Week 1 Recap of the Fast Metabolism Diet 5 6 13

Week 1 on the Fast Metabolism Diet was obviously challenging.  We went through many cravings and temptations yet kept our minds focused on the plan.  I think the hardest part of doing something different is starting.  But we started it and we are seeing results, so we are definitely continuing and going to make it to the 28 day finish line.  It takes 28 days to repair the metabolism - we have 7 days down, only 21 days to go!

My suggestion for those of you who want to start this plan is to avoid temptation as much as possible in the first week until you get into a rhythm with the diet.  Move those dinner plans that you have with friends - it just makes it easier to stay focused.  If you do go out, check out the restaurants menu online beforehand, create a plan for what you are going to eat and stick with it.  Youll feel better that you were able to stay on plan and youll gain an abundance of self-confidence and self-control because you can do this.  It just takes focus and determination!

I also found that its easier to buy foods that my family likes or that we were willing to try. I bought some of the fruits and veggies in frozen form, because that works for our busy schedule.  Do what works best for you - if you dont have time to wash and cut up fresh veggies, buy the frozen version.

Our favorite recipes from the book so far are the Broccoli and Chicken rice bowl and the Vegetable and Chicken soup.  Im hoping to try a new recipe every few days so that I dont get bored.  I plan to check out Whole Foods this upcoming week for some food items they didnt carry at Kowalskis or Trader Joes, such as sprouted grain tortillas and safflower mayo.  Otherwise, Ill be searching online for these items!

Week 1 Weight Loss:
Kiana: 8.4 lbs
Anthony: 10.8 lbs

Im really surprised by the weight loss considering all of the food we ate. Its like a Biggest Loser weight loss, without the extreme workouts!  This type of weight loss is not typical for me at all - it would normally take at least 2 months to lose this much weight and I did it only a week.  It just shows how clean eating is the way to go, along with the rotation of foods in the specific order. Dont get me wrong, Im not saying that I wont ever eat at my favorite restaurants once in awhile, but thats just it - once in awhile, not all weekend long!  And with my metabolism back up to par, Ill be able to have that nice dinner out or dessert without stressing about weight gain.

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Week 3 Recap of the Fast Metabolism Diet 5 20 13

21 days down, 7 more days to go!  This is final stretch and Im hoping to go strong this week.  I want to stay focused and get both cardio days and both weight lifting days in - this tends to be a challenge since weve had to work out in the evenings which conflicts with the kids activities, but weve got to make it a priority.  As you can tell from earlier posts this last week, we had a lot of frustration with the lack of weight loss.  Its hard when we are following the plan and eating so well, measuring food, working out as specified and not seeing the results.  I hope that this week gives us some better numbers on the scale and I look forward to MY hybrid plan for the following week.

Week 3 Weight Loss:
Kiana: 1.6 lbs, for a total weight loss of 11.6 lbs or 7.1%
Anthony: 3 lbs, for a total weight loss of 18.8 lbs or 7.2%

Together, my husband and I have successfully removed a little over 30 pounds off of our bodies in just 21 days!  I cant wait to see what the final numbers are and where we end up at the 28 day mark - we have an exciting week ahead of us!

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Day 2 of 7 results! 02 07 13

Okay, I dont think Ill see this kind of huge jump again this week....but here are the stats for day 2 at 8:43AM:

Weight: 189.7
Body Fat: 43.8
Fat Percentage: 23.1

Not sure if this was the diet....the pill...or the intense workout??...but Im sure its just a combo of all three. 

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Prime cause of failure

This is a very powerful message by Nike. Truth is there is no tomorrow, its a recipe of failure. If you want to start something positive start today.

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Week 29

#52weeksofRoarke

**The holidays have kicked our butts... running behinds on posts, but bear with me as I try to catch up this week**

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Had 2 pause cheat days deadline extended

Well....02/09/13 & 02/10/13 I had "cheat days" on this diet due to family events, celebrating Valentines Day early for the wife and other stuff....so to have a full 7 days of this diet, Im going to extend my deadline to the morning of 02/15/13....so the next official weigh in will be the morning of the 13th.

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