The Whole30 Day 1

    Yesterday I spent hours researching migraine triggers related to food. A simple sausage sandwich from Starbucks caused my husband to have the Mother of all migraines. Forty five minutes after he ingested this tasty morsel his headache began thumping inside his brain. Through my research I found that people prone to migraines should not eat sausage. His migraine lasted from noon till 7:45 pm with all the fun things that a migraine can bring. Nausea, light sensitivity, raging pain, and wanting to wallow in bed for several hours. I, being a wonderful and caring wife have come up with a plan!

    We have started the Whole30 protocol this morning and I am uber excited. This protocol is basically a food elimination system which should help us to track Steven's triggers. The only goal for the next month is to get a handle on Steven's migraines. Steven's migraines have a genetic component which means that they are here to stay. However, I am done watching my husband suffer. For the next thirty days there will be no grains, alcohol, added sugar, no dairy, no white potatoes, no MSG, and no baked goods. Also, no whining or cheating. There will be a ton of protein, vegetables, and some fruit.

  

   From my extensive reading I know that the next thirty days will have highs and lows but it is time to suck it up buttercup. Let's do this!

"Damn Fine Chicken"

  

   Thank God we are still getting rain! Today has been utterly delightful because our weather took its meds and is now cooperating. The sky has been full of big rain clouds and there is a slight chill in the air which is very unusual. I love cooking and lounging on rainy days. Did I get out of my adorable pj's? Hell No! I wore no makeup and didn't change my clothes which is freaking wonderful. I did get laundry done and cooked a few meals for this week. Did I mention that it has been raining?

   For dinner I made Michelle Tam's (Nom Nom Paleo) damn fine chicken and damn was it fine! I fed myself, Steven, and my brother in law Mark. Now I know I can tackle world peace, I did just make a totally rad dinner. This meal is very easy and quite tasty. After I let the chicken marinate for about 5 hours I popped it into the oven at 375 for 45 minutes. The chicken was plated with green beans and disappeared quite rapidly. I needed an easy meal because my sweet husband was in bed with an end of the world migraine. Tending to a sick spouse does not leave much time to make magic in the kitchen Julia Child style. Steven began to perk up around 7:45 pm and devoured the chicken and green beans which must mean he will live. I am not a doctor but I have hope.

The ingredients that I used in the marinade.

Chicken resting in its marinade bath.

Dinner is served.

Rainy days are my favorite.

  

Coconut Macaroons

   My dad is the coolest and kindest person I know who loves coconut macaroons. And he had a birthday last week! Being a poor college student I don't have the money for an espresso machine or a Rolex Submariner watch. So I made his favorite cookie which are coconut macaroons.Happy Birthday Dad!

Little nuggets of happiness.

Even though these are for my dad I totally ate two of them. Not ashamed. 

My dad, My hero.

It Finally Rained

   When you make plans God laughs and sometimes even has a guffaw at our expense. For two weeks I have been planning to lay out poolside with my friend Kelsey and several magazines. 10 AM the sun was starting to peek through, 10:45 AM the temperature is dropping slightly and the wind picked up, 11:15 AM no sun and tons of massive rain clouds with lots of wind. Bah Humbug!!!!!!

   OK my temper tantrum is over, thank you for your patience. Let's talk about food!

This is great for our parched town and I do love a cloudy day but not when it interferes with me getting a tan.

Beef sausage over a gorgeous bed of broccoli.

This was poured over my broccoli :).

   On the weekends I am lazy about food, the carhops at Sonic know me by name. Unfortunately, the school semester is over which means I have no more excuses for my occasional splurges. This morning I did at least cook my own breakfast in a kitchen and there were no carhops involved. I heated up some all beef sausage and then cooked up broccoli with Tessemae's Lemon Garlic dressing and sprinkled black pepper on top of the broccoli. Dear Lord this breakfast always hits the spot, is easy, and delicious. I can still be fed with great food and be lazy with this meal! Hooray! Happy Memorial Day Weekend Y'all.

   

Physical Therapy Humor

  We all need to laugh sometime. Come to PT and you can laugh at everyone else's pain as well as your own.  Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

  

Gym Rat

   I am in love with Scandal which I found on Netflix. Yes, I am way behind on television but I have been a little busy as of late, conquering the world and all. This series is wonderful to watch while icing your knee and drinking strawberry kombucha. Icing comes in handy when your pride makes you lift really heavy at the gym. Might not have been the best idea but I had so much fun working up a sweat this morning. Endorphins make me a much happier person to be around. For the good of the state I should work out on a more regular basis. After kicking my own ass I always have a smile on my face and I feel dare I say it, more patient with the general public.

Finding my zen while drinking Strawberry Serenity kombucha

Weekend Report

   

  The adorable tot in the photo had a dance recital on Sunday and is clearly meant to be a star. The tot is my niece Anna and she likes barbies, coconut milk, dance, and flowers. This kid is so cool that she puts Liza Minnelli to shame. I love her to pieces, especially when she demands that I play with her and her vast collection of dolls. We had a great time bonding this past weekend and I could not be more proud of my tiny dancer.

   Anna, my brother and his wife live in Lubbock which has a grocery store called Sprouts. This store is the bomb and I always try to go whenever I am in Lubbock. I found a new brand of almond butter called Wild Friends and it is delicious and inexpensive.

Lordy this won't last long at my house! 

   

    

Niece #2 Clara closely guarding her book.

My four legged child Catfish on our run getting strong on mile 2.

   A nice thing about living in Texas is that I am close to family and can see my two fabulous nieces on a more regular basis. They are growing up so fast and reaching so many milestones and I get to watch them do it. Can't wait for tomorrow's workout which will be grueling (the best kind of workout) and long. Whoop Whoop! I will report back from the gym :).

Catfish needs a nap. 

The Pool is Closed

   I am very sad today because the pool is closed. The freaking semester is over and I need to chill out by the pool with my cranberry kombucha and book. The pool should be open after Memorial Day. Bah humbug, I need sunshine and chlorinated water stat!

   Instead I took my disappointment to the kitchen and made double chocolate cookies. Yep I definitely feel better since I baked these cookies. They are delicious, but two of them kinda stuck to my pan.

The glorious batter.

Some of the magical ingredients.

Hooray they are ready!! Nom Nom!

    This afternoon I took a trip to Natural Grocers for Califa Farms almond milk which is fantastic. While perusing the aisles I of course found other things which usually happens in this store. I picked up Kevita which is a yummy probiotic drink, St. John's Wort, and I finally found coconut sugar. I have been looking for coconut sugar for weeks and it is now in my possession. I will be making all the paleo goodies.

    This morning was amazing because I actually slept for 8 hours straight and it was glorious. Catfish my mixed mutt and I went for a mile run. While his ears whistled in the wind my knee remained stable and I had no pain as I chugged along. Go Hertha Go! After our jaunt I washed and detailed my mom's car which earned me major daughter points. I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Cookie Recipe from PaleOMG

Soft & Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Serves: 13-15

Ingredients

• 1 cup thick almond butter (I used Barney Butter Smooth Almond Butter because it’s similar to thick nut butters. If you use too oily, the cookies won’t come together. You were warned.)
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1 egg, whisked
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• ¼-1/2 cup Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together almond butter and coconut sugar using a large spoon. Then add egg and mix again until well combined.
3. Add ¼ cup of cocoa powder at a time. At this point, I used my hands to incorporate the cocoa powder into the dough. Add all the cocoa powder and completely combine.
4. Then add baking soda, vanilla, salt and chocolate chips and combined until everything is well mixed. This was all hands for me. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. (This should be a very thick dough at this point. If it’s not, you need a thicker almond butter like I said before).
5. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out around 2 tablespoons of dough and make into a round ball. Place on silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. This dough will create 13-15 cookies that size.
6. Once you’ve placed all the balled dough onto the baking sheet, use a fork to press the cookies down just slightly. No need to really flatten them out, just get them to look more cookie shape instead of ball shape. If you press them down too much, they’ll come apart when they bake so be careful.
7. Place baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes until removing from baking sheet to place on cooling rack. If you try to remove these from the baking sheet early, they will come apart. So don’t be stupid hear. Patience is a virtue.
9. Eat up!

Why Be Good When You Can Be Great?

   

   This semester I was able to show myself that I could fight my way out of hell inch by inch. In spite of everything I was able to succeed and make myself proud at the end of the day. I spent weekends reading pages and pages of material, writing papers, organizing presentations, and reading some more. I hardly saw my friends or family but it was all worth it. My computer became my best friend because I used it to research and write up papers so often. But it was all worth it. I was going through a lot emotionally and I still kept pushing forward. I drank too much coffee, I put in hundreds of hours at the library, and I paid attention in class. But it was all worth it. After checking my grades and seeing that I made straight A's, I cried for 5 minutes while staring at the screen. Those two classes meant the world to me and were more precious than money, sleep, or partying. Those two classes signified that all my hard work meant something. Why be good when you can be great?

   For those of you in school, starting a new job, or making any type of change the hard work is worth it. Don't stop due to a small hurdle or a change in the plan. Don't quit. Keep pushing forward despite the odds! The odds were not in my favor this semester and I still succeeded because I refused to quit. I believe a person can be as successful as they want to be because it comes down to choice. So, what will you do?

 

Weekend Report

   Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there! I gave my mom some serious pampering for Mother's Day, mainly because she takes care of everyone else first before herself. So I secretly made appointments to get her hair done and get a facial. She loved being waited on and looked utterly fabulous afterwards. I had fun watching her get to feel like a girly girl and not a nurse, or a wife, or a mom taking care of the rest of us. Happy Mother's Day to the best mom I could have asked for :).

   Yesterday, I was able to witness my best friend Greg walk across the stage to receive his 2nd degree which is a BSN of nursing.  He received his first degree in Biochemistry three years ago. His boyfriend Logan and I totally cried and screamed our heads off as he walked across the stage. So proud of you darling, Go Greg Go! My darling bestie will be moving to Denver, Colorado with the love of his life in mid June. I am both sad to see him leave but so proud that he is brave enough to chase his dreams and move to be with his sweetheart. I wish nothing but the best for these two amazing people on their life journey together.

Isn't he adorable?

I can't believe I met Greg back in 7th grade! We have grown up so fast.

Logan and I before we started tearing up.

       Last night I had trouble sleeping due to all the driving and excitement of the day, so I made cookies! Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies came to be partly because I found a recipe on paleomg.com and I had few ingredients. The recipe is pretty simple and the cookies are almost all gone. Paleo treats are still treats and should not be consumed all the time but a girl has cravings and these cookies are a tad healthier than eating an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's.

Paleo cookies nom nom.

Yay Cookies!!

   No workout for me today instead I will lie in the sun and eat a cookie. The end of the semester is a beautiful thing. Hope every mom has a delightful day!

Date Night and Learning to Relax

   For those of you who know me, know that I am a type A personality with control issues. I also love harboring all my problems inside until my body breaks down due to the stress. Yep, I am a barrel of fun! Thank heavens I have a patient husband who reminds me to hang out in a tricep handstand every now and then and leaves chocolate out in the open.

 
  After two doctors and dozens of tests, I still have no answers as to why my stomach does not like me. So I have decided to take my mother's advice and chill the fuck out. The last few months have not been kind to my psyche or heart. It is high time to let go and relax already! Hopefully, clean eating, having some fun, and putting my anger away will help my stomach feel better.

   Tonight I am taking my husband to the symphony at the Wagner Noel concert hall in Odessa, TX. The symphony is playing Disney pops music and I was able to score killer seats. Instead of hanging out at home worrying about my guts not working, I will get dolled up and have some fun! Great music, fabulous clothes, and a fun date are ingredients for a wonderful evening.

Dealing with my Guts, Part 2

  

  
  
  After several tests and two doctor visits I was informed that all my blood-work and tests were negative. Apparently modern medicine thought I was as healthy as a horse. My stomach would like to disagree quite loudly. So my well meaning nurse practitioner sent me to a gastroenterologist. At first I was somewhat excited at the prospect of being taken seriously. Not so much. The specialist examined my test results and my chart very closely and came to a stunning conclusion. All I needed was Miralax or Metamucil. He also wrote me a prescription for a medicine that was akin to the stuff that made me feel like death warmed over. Only in a stronger form. He didn't bother to grill me on my diet, water consumption, or stress. Thanks Mr. Doctor.

   However, I am not going to let small minded MD's get in my way of getting better. Let the research begin!

P.S. My mother again gave me sound advice in that getting rid of my stress and continuing my paleo diet will help me far more than drinking gallons of Miralax. The woman did graduate summa cum laude from UT Austin.

Brussel Sprout Slaw on a Friday Night.

   Tomorrow my church St. Barnabus is having an ECW ( Episcopal Church Woman) meeting which is just an excuse for us girls to eat way too much and hang out. Food and talking are two of my favorite things! We were all asked to either bring dessert or salad. After searching the recipe archives of +Michelle Tam (nomnompaleo) I found a recipe that looked perfect. Warm brussel sprout slaw with tangy citrus dressing is whats on the menu. Being a type A insane person who loves perfection, I decided to practice making the salad tonight. Totally worth it...the salad was so yummy. First I chopped up about 1 1/2 lbs of brussel sprouts. I peeled off several leaves to make brussel sprout chips later.

  Then I mixed the chopped sprouts with olive oil and salt, then threw the concoction into the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Sprouts after they have baked in the oven..Delicious!

The citrus dressing cooking on the stove top.

Mixed all together.

I found this last night at Albertsons, my new obsession.

   Even if no one eats my concoction, I know that I will happily chomp away. Cooking and watching +Netflix makes for a great Friday night at the Larizza household. In celebration of finishing another semester of graduate school I will be going to bed early tonight and will probably retire early to bed for several weeks. I really love sleep! Hope everyone has a fantastic night :).