eschano's 2015 Check-in

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Wed May 27, 2015 5:13 am

A clean house makes everything better, calmer, less stressful!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Wed May 27, 2015 9:32 am

Agreed Linda! It's so nice now to come home to it and it used to stress me out a bit, although I didn't necessarily notice it straight away.

Yesterday was a success! I have dinner with me today as well so lunch and dinner are planned and I hope I'll stick to it. Being out in the evening - I'm meeting a friend who I'm going to write with - is helpful. There's less chance to stuff my face then when I'm sitting in from of the TV. It's incredible how watching people eat on film makes me want to eat.

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Wed May 27, 2015 9:43 am

eschano wrote:It's incredible how watching people eat on film makes me want to eat.

Hi eschano- That's so funny! I have that problem with books I read, where whatever the characters are eating I Must Have Now! (And unfortunately, I like those popular foodie murder mysteries!)

mimi · Post by **mimi** » Wed May 27, 2015 3:48 pm

Just finished catching up on your thread eschano and was so pleased to hear of your wedding! Congratulations!
And on another note...having been so successful with NoS and maintaining your weight and eating habits prior to your wedding, you will get back into it - one meal at a time, one day at a time!
Best wishes!
Mimi

mitchelll · Post by **mitchelll** » Wed May 27, 2015 5:16 pm

i know what you mean about tv influencing you. I've been watching a show on Netflix, Grace and Frankie, and all the wine drinking on it has been making me crave some, but I've been trying to maintain a glass ceiling of 0 after overindulging in recent weeks.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Thu May 28, 2015 6:07 am

Glad yesterday went well & sounds like you're planning well for another green day!

Are you writing for work or should I keep an eye out for your next book?:)

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Thu May 28, 2015 8:15 am

It looks like you're doing well!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 3:51 pm

Thank you Mimi - that means a lot coming from you.

Ha mitchelll - I had the same wine experience on Sunday. Suddenly I craved it after seeing it on TV. The only thing that stopped me was that the wine goes off or I end up drinking a bottle.

Thank you Linda! I am writing on a book but it's so slow!!! Not sure it will ever see the light.

Thank you Heather!

I did more decluttering this weekend. I love being able to see some of the stuff we have again. We majorly purged our towels and bedding and some of it was not up to scratch anymore. Now we have a lovely press that has lots of space in it. Wonderful!

Today I'm aiming for green!

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Fri Jun 05, 2015 3:21 am

So exciting about the book and love how you're getting so much out of the decluttering process. What a great way to start a new life together!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Fri Jun 05, 2015 8:24 am

Thank you Linda!

Yesterday I felt hunger again for the first time in months - wow that was a welcome feeling!

Interesting was that I went to a restaurant with a friend of mine and she is getting married soon so was quite keen to avoid calorific drinks and dessert. We had one plate each of delicious food and sparkling water and an espresso macchiato to go with it. We stayed there for 4 hours talking and thankfully, it was an Italian restaurants run by Italians and they didn't rush us whatsoever. We had a great time. So the interesting thing was that it was so much easier to stick to NoS being around someone who is on a similar journey. It showed me just how much I'm influenced by my colleagues who snack constantly. I resist but by the evening I feel a bit worn down sometime and then being with someone is good is refreshing again because it takes the temptation out of it.

So the lesson is: get my husband on board and enrol as many people as possible in the NoS lifestyle for the completely selfish reason to make it easier for me haha!

nbh76 · Post by **nbh76** » Fri Jun 05, 2015 3:03 pm

Go selfishness !!! It will only help and it doesn't even hurt to try. I am trying to influence my husband esp. now with all the stuff going on it just makes life easier and less "cluttered" when you practice the NoS lifestyle . Have agreat weekend ðŸ˜

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Sat Jun 06, 2015 5:36 am

Chatting at a restaurant for four hours sounds heavenly! Now that my dh & I have similar goals, NoS has been 100x easier so that'll definitely make things easier. Although people have to be pretty motivated to change their eating habits.

GL!

Linda

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 12:59 pm

Lol nbh76!

Linda, that sounds amazing - to have the same goals! Yes, unfortunately, they do have to be pretty motivated to change and even then if they are too motivated they go on a crazy diet. As my friend just did.

I had a pretty good weekend. I did spinning and 30min with a personal trainer. I found it tough but enjoyable and somewhere during this it came to me. I am crazily in love with this body of mine that allows me to do all these things. Who cares if it fits the norm? I better enjoy being healthy and youngish (middle aged?) while I can and I will not let people or photo-shopped magazines change that ever again.

I mainly stuck to 3 meals. It was a bit challenging on Saturday with a 3pm BBQ but I stuck it out. I did have sweets with every meal but the no snacking went well. I didn't even try to. My body is just fed up with permasnacking. I do enjoy my desserts though.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 2:29 am

Yay--amazing insight!! I think you fit the norm just not unrealistic fashion standards perhaps but blech who needs that nonsense?! I'm determined to get to a healthy weight and be content there instead of jumping on the unattainable quest for the next size down. You're a total inspiration!:)))

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Jun 16, 2015 8:59 am

Thank you Linda for your incredibly kind post!

So I'm thinking about food a lot lately. Not about eating it but about my values and food. I came across http://deliciouslyella.com/ and her cookbook. I love the vegan recipes. She has an app and while I'm waiting for her cookbook to arrive I'm cooking from there. I've so far made my own salted almond chocolates on Sunday, which were delicious and with cocoa could have been better than store bought and her cauliflower pizza, which again, was delicious. I added non-vegan cheese and tuna and I still never felt better after eating a pizza.

I thought about it a lot. I don't demonize sugar. I think it's fine in moderation. But: I think for me it will from now on be about three things:

a) Diversification. I think the more different things I can eat the better. Obviously if I have a reaction to something I will stop. I don't have a wheat intolerance/sensitivity and I don't have a dairy intolerance/sensitivity but that said, I don't want to eat them EVERY day. Nothing wrong with a hot coconut milk chocolate from time to time instead of milk. I think the more diverse I can eat the more vitamins from different sources I can get and the more minimal any damage from long-term use can be. Can anyone weigh in there in case they think this is false logic? I'm just thinking this through. That also means that every time I go to a restaurant I now have to try different foods if they are available in my great adventure of discovering new foods.

b) Self-processed. So what I mean with that is that I'll buy food as little processed as possible while it still needs to be vaguely convenient (e.g. I think it's fine to buy frozen vegetables although technically that is a process) but I'll then process them myself aka cook them/prepare them how I like. I will take special caution to avoid preservatives and stuff that doesn't need to be in there.
Also, I will make some adjustments to still fit my taste as I want this to be sustainable. So I learnt the hard way this weekend that RAW cacao is not for me. I much prefer roasted beans so 100% cocoa will be better for me. I won't eat chocolate other than as a treat anyways so I'm cool with that.

c) stop thinking about fads. So I really had enough about people telling me how bad XXX is. If I don't feel bad eating it I'll continue eating it. I hope my colleague will stop telling me EVERY day that my daily yoghurt, which greatly helps my bodily functions, is bad for me and will cause cancer. If you hear of a Londoner who has strangled her colleague one morning in the office that would have been me

My body chooses its own fads.

gingerpie · Post by **gingerpie** » Tue Jun 16, 2015 11:20 am

Yeah for you

I agree with evening you said and, yes, getting your vitamins and minerals from a veriety of natural sources is by far the best option. Learning to cook new foods in new ways is loads of fun and a great healthy hobby. Enjoy!

Homemade always tasts better.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:48 am

Thank you gingerpie! I so agree that it tastes better homemade.

Today I got Ella's cookbook. Not sure how good her recipes will be but one thing is for sure - her youthful enthusiasm (which admittedly is expressed with a very limited vocabulary) and passion for plant based-food is really what I needed. I don't know if you remember that at the beginning of the year my husband and I made the resolution to eat more vegetables with every meal. Now we want to have some pure vegetarian meals in the mix too.

I will never really go wheat/dairy/meat free as there are too many examples of cultures who are believed to be very healthy (Italian, French, Japanese- I mean the white rice thing here rather than brown, which I don't like the taste of) for me to jump on that bandwagon. But what I can jump on board with is Michael Pollan's Food Rules to eat a MAINLY plant based diet to be healthy but also to make sure we help the environment.

So you can see it's still all about What we eat for me on top of the habits of NoS.

What I've noticed this week since starting the plant-based eating:

- no sugar cravings
- no post-dinner cravings
- I'm finally hungry again just before the next meal despite eating big portions at every meal.
- better digestion

So I'll see where that goes.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Fri Jun 19, 2015 5:54 am

So agree with you about eating a variety. Ellyn Satter, a dietician whom I love because of her common sense and aversion to fads talks a lot about hedging your bets by eating all kinds of foods. I think this is so wise.

Let me know how you like her cookbook. I'm always looking for new ones.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:37 am

I like that expression "hedging your bets" applied to eating diverse food Linda!

Yesterday DH and I had a date night - our first one in ages. I had a Fig and Prosciutto Pizzette and Zucchini and King Prawn Linguine with one and a half small glasses of Pinot Grigio.

There was half a fig on the Pizzette and two or three slices of Courgette on the Linguine and I was so disappointed as I imagined this feast of fresh fruit and vegetables. I ate only half of the Linguine and I'm very hungry today.

The date night itself was brilliant so we'll do it again but I will now choose my restaurants more carefully, depending on whether or not they serve vegetables. I don't want a Â£13 plate of pasta that they fill with the cheapest of the ingredients (the pasta itself that was probably Â£0.50 for them to buy).

Am I getting to difficult with my eating? Maybe. I just realised I want to go to restaurants where I can eat foods I've never tried or lacking that where I can eat food that makes me feel good and is a feast for the eyes and the stomach.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Sat Jun 20, 2015 6:21 am

I think a plant based way of eating is great, and I would love to ease more into that way of eating, myself (my breakfasts are pretty much always plant-based). I hear you on being pickier on restaurants! I don't go out to eat that often anymore, and one of the reasons is that I'm a lot pickier on what I want to eat when I do go out. When I go out to eat, I always try to get something with at least some vegetables in it. That's great you and your DH were able to go on a date night!

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Sat Jun 20, 2015 4:03 pm

Definitely okay to be picky about where you eat out. DH & I love to eat out but I always research the restaurant beforehand. Read the menu, reviews etc. I'm even picky about where they sit me as it really effects my overall eating experience. So own your eating experience--you're paying for it!

Have a great weekend!

Linda

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 11:29 am

Brilliant to know I'm not the only one Heather and Linda! That makes me feel much better.

I had a brilliant weekend. I made my own "Nutella" a hazelnut-chocolate spread from DeliciouslyElla that was just divine. http://deliciouslyella.com/nutritious-n ... ugar-free/
My food processor had some problems with it as making nut butter is quite intense but I bought a new one online that I should be able to get tomorrow

Interestingly, I didn't snack this weekend! I had my spread after every meal and there was a massive difference between that and the store-bought nutella: no cravings and a natural stopping point. I didn't crave anything between meals! Amazing (I was bored though but not that sugar craving I usually have).

I think this was the missing thing for me with NoS. I found it easy enough for some time now (obviously with ups and downs - I'm human after all) but I often felt cravings and I also rarely felt satisfied. Now with my mainly plant based dishes and some self-made treats on S days it's completely different. I'm hungry just before the next meal but so far no cravings and I feel fully satisfied.

Now, in this great eating experiment of mine, I can't wait to find out if this lasts or if this is all due to my momentary motivation to eat this way. I'm very curious indeed!

ironchef · Post by **ironchef** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 11:50 pm

Your cooking sounds delicious! Really pleased to read things are going so well. Rode that wave of motivation and use it to cement some new habits and intelligent dietary defaults!
Sorry for crappy spelling, am typing in my phone!

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Tue Jun 23, 2015 7:26 am

That homemade Nutella does sound good! It sounds like you're definitely on the right track, and I hope you're able to gain some further insights from your experimenting. Keep us posted!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Jun 23, 2015 8:56 am

Thank you Ironchef and Heather!

Nothing new to report. I tried sugar-free vegan muffins today and they didn't turn out well at all. They were way too solid and not fluffy. I think I need eggs in my diet. I like them and don't have a problem with them.

Just to make sure: I'm nowhere near being a vegan. I had salmon and chicken yesterday. I am just trying to get rid of SOME of the added sugar and to make vegetables the main part of my meals and have some vegan meals. So far I still feel way fuller eating veggie-centric.

ironchef · Post by **ironchef** » Tue Jun 23, 2015 9:15 am

I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but I to cook a fair bit without meat, partly because I have a child who doesn't like meat or poultry and eggs make him vomit, and party due to cost. I find that my vegan cooking works best when I make things that are normally vegan - e.g. a lot of Indian cooking, things like minestrone, etc. When I try to take something that is normally not vegan (e.g. muffins, lasagna) and make a vegan version, I usually have less than stellar results. Great example was the absolutely horrible vegan chocolate mousse recipe my friend gave me - wasted a lot of good quality cocoa nibs on that.

gingerpie · Post by **gingerpie** » Tue Jun 23, 2015 11:07 am

I'm of the same mindset as ironchef. When I've tried to convert recipes to vegan they haven't turned out. (My daughter went through a vegan phase. Happily, it only lasted a year or so. Now, we have a household of 3 mostly vegetarians and 2 vegetarian/pescatarians) so I cook vegan a fair amount but we do love our cheese

I totally agree that I feel better on a plant based diet but I have issues getting a sufficient amount of vegetables at any one meal to make up 1/2 a plate. For me, I feel like it is an organizational problem. Last night, for example, we had paninies on the grill with grilled cabbage. I was super busy all day and didn't have time to prep more vegetables. How are you doing with that part of it? Any ideas for getting a higher volume of just vegetables as opposed to starches? I've tried adding a daily salad but there are only two of us that will eat green salad more than once a week.

Sorry to hijack your thread but this is something that's been in my mind for awhile now.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Jun 23, 2015 1:04 pm

Not at all gingerpie, you're not hijacking, that's exactly the kind of discussion I hoped would come about.

I have to admit that if I have limited time I have a selection of different frozen vegetables that I just throw into anything. I also like buying small veg as it doesn't need lots of prep, such as asparagus, baby corn, tomoatoes, sugar snap peas, etc.
I hide some veg in main meals: making Zucchini noodles and mix them with normal pasta plus the veggie-based sauce, make some cauliflower rice to mix with rice whenever it's needed.
I barely cook any veg outside of the main pan, I just throw everything together. We tend to cook on the stove as we don't have a proper grill or in the oven so it becomes a lot easier. I think in case of paninis on the grill you could put some peppers and courgette on the grill too maybe. Peppers sliced in half and courgettes in thick slices to limit prepping time. Or serve a side salad (if time is an issue then a pre-cut one from the bag, which also solves your portion problem as it's not that much salad after all). I try to avoid plastic packaged veg but I also find that it is still better than no veg so if it's necessary I do it. That's my ideas but then - I'm still experimenting too! we certainly haven't got it "figured out" yet.

I find it hardest not to get into a veg rut. There's the veg I like that I'm used to making (carrots, courgettes, broccoli/cauliflower, spinach, peppers,tomatoes) and in winter some more but there is a world of veg out there I simply forget about on a day to day basis. It's very hard to find a good cookbook about it.

Ironchef, that makes complete and utter sense! I think I will adhere to that rule from now on. No vegan substitutes!

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:49 am

Hi, Fellow Veggie Eaters-
Just a couple of ideas I've found helpful... I like to do grilled vegetables if I wind up with a lot of suitable ones on hand. A couple of pounds of course chopped veggies on an oven tray with 2T olive oil baked at 180 C for 1/2 an hour, stirred around as needed is great. Then I have a stash to heat up and add to any meal, and it helps with the 1/2 plate veggies goal.
I like to bake, and sometimes manage vegan... a few things that help me are: making muffins instead of a flat cake, as they seem to be more even. I use 1.5T vinegar (mix with the wet ingredients) and 1t baking soda for the leavening in place of whatever the recipe recommends for a 12 batch recipe. That works for me every time! For 2-3 eggs, I sub 2T ground flax dissolved in 4-6T hot water, and leave to sit for a few minutes. I often wind up adding 1/4-1/2c extra water to recipes, but I'm at high altitude, so that may be more helpful for me than you. Generally these guidelines help me to have perhaps a little moist/dense muffins, but not at all solid/rock like ones.
I have read that you can experiment around with casserole and stew recipes but that you must follow baking recipes to a T. I adamantly disagree with that advice, and love experimenting with baked goods! It's good to keep track of what you do and what works, though. It's easy to forget from time to time. About 90% of what I bake turns out well, even with wild experiments!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 8:32 am

Sonya, that is brilliant, you're inspiring me to experiment with baking too! I always thought you have to follow the recipes.
My muffins didn't have any baking powder in it or equivalent so they just didn't rise. They are still moist from the blueberries so they are edible (I'm not wasting them) but the baking powder and vinegar would have made a big difference!

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 11:51 pm

Hi eschano

I think it's great you're trying to add more veggies to your diet. Maybe I'm odd but I like a lot of the baked vegan goods that I cook. I know we talked about The Thug Kitchen & SkinnyTaste cookbooks. Did you end up getting them?

I've made a few of the muffins & cookies from the (vegan) thug cookbook & really enjoyed them. Although SkinnyTaste cookbook isn't vegan she subs avocado, bananas & applesauce in place of butter & sugar in her muffins, pancakes etc. I know those are fruits but it definitely ups the nutrients & cuts back on fat & sugar. She uses a combo of egg whites & regular eggs which cuts fats but maintains a nice texture.

Also, if you like smoothies that's a great way to get your veggies first thing in the morning. I love the SkinnyTaste coco-loco smoothie (in the book) with spinach & mangoes. Her website has other great smoothie recipes with veggies. Here's an example: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/skin ... othie.html

Lastly, I really love the concept of one pot cooking as an easy way to make sure you're getting veggies. The other night I made chicken with Tuscan vegetables:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/elli ... ecipe.html
So good, so easy & has all your lean protein & veggies right there. My favorite one pot cookbook is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-One-Dish- ... 0547195958

This looks interesting too:
http://www.amazon.com/Sheet-Pan-Suppers ... an+suppers

Okay sorry for long response but I love anything that involves cooking!

Good luck!

Linda

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:43 am

Speaking of vegan muffins, here are a couple of recipes that look really good to me (haven't tried them yet).
http://holycowvegan.net/2011/07/mango-muffins.html
http://holycowvegan.net/2014/08/date-lime-muffins.html

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 3:01 pm

Thank you so much Linda and Sonya! I will give those a try

I'm delighted you told me of the other examples as I might have dismissed those kinds of muffins completely and am thrilled to be proven wrong!

I also got a new cookbook that looks much more promising: Get the Glow by Madeleine Shaw. It's omnivore with a focus on plant-based cooking and mainly vegetarian/vegan sweets.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Sat Jun 27, 2015 3:03 am

Np--that books sounds right up your alley!

PS oh man I just peeked at that cookbook on Amazon & it looks really good. Please let me know how you like it!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Mon Jun 29, 2015 10:01 am

Hi Linda,

That book is amazing. It's so much better than the other one. I don't agree with all her dietary advice as it's a bit too much on the "no-added sugar" fad but it's still very good and the recipes are amazing. I've made her vanilla "ice cream" and it was delicious. It's

1 frozen banana
1/3 can of coconut milk
1 tbsp. vanilla powder

Yum!

And I am making steak salad on zoodles today. I cannot wait. I want to make literally all of her recipes.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 7:07 am

Sounds awesome ! I love zoodles. Do you have a spiralizer?

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 9:15 am

Yes, I got a small Â£8 spiralizer and it does the trick perfectly. It looks like an hourglass.

I had a fail yesterday but I'm glad I had. I had the worst indigestion problems with cramps and all the last few days. (is that too much info?? sorry) Yesterday after dinner, I had this massive craving attack for dates. Well, they sorted everything and afterwards I read about their medical uses to keep your bowels well. Dates are incredible. Beforehand I only thought that they were great as they were "natural sweets". Nope, they are just brilliant.

So yeah, I still failed but I'm at peace with that.

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 12:00 pm

Hi eschano,
Thanks for pointing out the benefits of dates. They are plentiful where I live, right at the moment, as they are a favorite food for breaking the fast during Ramadan. They are cheap if you buy the vacuum packs in syrup (yuck) but more expensive if they are merely dried. I got 1/2kg for ~$9 (US). Is that about what they cost where you are?
You are right, they are just the thing for "occasional bouts of irregularity" as the TV commercials like to call it.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:28 am

Thanks Sonya, I was afraid no one would appreciate the over-sharing haha!

Here they are about Â£3.50 for about six big juicy medjool dates of good quality in my local grocers. However, if I wasn't too lazy and went to the arab shops in some London neighbourhoods they'd be much cheaper.

I had an S day yesterday which I really enjoyed. It was our last big event before the summer break and we were working for 13 hours straight, six of which were in an Italian Restaurant so I had seconds (cheese, yum!) and 2 small butter cookies.

ironchef · Post by **ironchef** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 12:40 pm

Sounds lovely. One of my favourite things about No S is how enjoyable S events are - I've never been on any other diet that made eating treats fun and guilt free.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 3:15 pm

Thanks Ironchef, this is so true!

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 4:10 am

Sounds like a delightful S day! I love dates too and sometimes put them in my smoothies. So good!

Over43 · Post by **Over43** » Sat Jul 04, 2015 8:32 am

My family has a home in Palm Springs. Dates are grown in that area. We would take my grandpa to get the date shakes some of the local shops sell. Those really made him happy. I am not sure they were low calorie, but when it is 110* they work.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Mon Jul 06, 2015 9:01 am

Date shakes - sound delicious! No wonder they made him happy.

My current favourite dessert is medjool dates pitted filled with almond butter - to die for! And at least they don't have any E numbers, etc. like store-bought candy.

I also made delicious "nutella ice cream" this weekend:

For the hazelnut chocolate spread:
100g/ 1/2cups of hazelnuts
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1/2 cups date syrup/maple syrup

you need a very good blender and blend until completely smooth

for the ice cream, as mentioned before per serving:
1 frozen banana
1/3 can of coconut milk (previously put in the fridge overnight as that helps the consistency greatly as I found out - I put it in a different container and then in the fridge)
3 tablespoons hazelnut chocolate spread

Absolutely delicious.

I start craving my home-made sweets greatly on S days. Yesterday we had a day out and went to a restaurant and a cafÃ© after and I just couldn't find any sweets that looked good to me. So once I came home I had a couple of almond butter dates and after dinner my "nutella banana icecream", which really satisfied me.

The main thing is that I can't possibly eat too much of them as these home-made treats start tasting sickly if I eat too many. Not like store-bought desserts that are made to create an even bigger craving.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Jul 07, 2015 8:58 am

I finally had a green day yesterday.

I made a brilliant dinner that I enjoyed a lot from my "Get the Glow" cookbook:

Per person it's a package of one table spoon of coconut oil, turmeric-cauliflower rice from 1/2 a cauliflower, swiss chard (although we used pak choi), cherry tomatoes, and sea brass filet in ginger and soy marinade.

It was so good I had no problem having a green day.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:23 pm

Yay--for a green day! That cookbook sounds wonderful. I have it on my wish list but I just did a count of my cookbooks the other day & I have a whopping 130 cookbooks!

gingerpie · Post by **gingerpie** » Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:07 pm

Linda, that cracks me up because I just "purged" cookbooks yesterday. I had fifteen, decided it was a ridiculous number and got rid of five.

I could have gotten rid of all of them (I use the internet for my recipe ideas and haven't used a cookbook since Iit was invented) but I kept a few basic ones in case the kids want to learn to cook. BUT . . . really, when they cook something they also use the internet to learn how so why did I bother to keep any? I had the same dilemma with dictionaries and thesauri. Honestly! When was the last time I used a book to look something up? 10 years at least. I could only make myself get rid of 2 though: one of each.

Don't even get me started on the Dutch yes I said Dutch 1960- something set of encyclopedias in the basement. Did I mention I live in the US where no one speaks Dutch ever? And yes, I said 1960 something. Sigh . . . The trials and tribulations of a book lover.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Wed Jul 08, 2015 5:33 am

So funny about the Dutch encyclopedias! I view my cookbooks as a collection and read them like novels. I'm weird though I know!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Wed Jul 08, 2015 8:47 am

So funny gingerpie! I think there is something so lovely in looking at a battered and well used cookbook. I use three cookbooks now and one only for desserts and as a reference. Like Linda, I read them back to back and pick up great tips. But maybe it's because I'm on the computer all day long so the last thing I want is to look at the computer screen for recipes

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Wed Jul 08, 2015 12:44 pm

so funny - I had to go and count my cookery books! I have 29. I probably use about five of them to be honest. I have had SO many cookery books in my life - I do 'let them go' from time to time, and when I go through a new phase of eating! You've made me think about weeding them out..........maybe!

holypotato · Post by **holypotato** » Wed Jul 08, 2015 3:15 pm

That sounds delicious, eschano! I've never tried cauliflower rice, and I really want to. I am so impressed by all the cooking talent in this thread

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sun Jul 19, 2015 10:26 am

Your homemade sweets are so creative!

I am a cookbook fan as well and I do have a number of those church and school cookbooks where recipes are collected from members and put together and sold as a fundraiser. There are many recipe ideas in them that I do not find on the Internet.

The other day I picked up the phone book to look up a number and my son-in-law commented that he had not seen anyone use a phone book in a long time. However, I actually found the number faster than he did on his smartphone.

I am a technology fan as well, but I will never give up reading things that are not on a screen!

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 8:41 am

Eschano, That dinner sounds delicious! I tend to favor cookbooks over the internet, too -- for the most part. You're doing great!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 4:06 pm

Thank you Rawcookie, Holypotato, Jean and Heather!

I missed some catching up and am a bit overwhelmed with how much I have to catch up to - so apologies if it takes me a while

As for now, I have just written my 3 year Testimonial and am instituting two systems as of today!

LAM (Looking After Myself), which I used to do daily but has been buried under the wedding planning a bit. So I'll start today.

AD (Adventure), which is a once-a year challenge for 30 days to do something adventurous, no matter how small. This has reenergized me last year when I was in a slump and I am keen to start today.

Today:
AD - I had a lunch of pulses I never had and which I have previously never eaten since I was 6-years old and decided I hate pulses. So, the outcome - it was absolutely delicious. Who knew? I LIKE beans. Take that 6-year-old-self

Also, although that won't count, last week at a Chinese Restaurant I went for an adventurous sounding vegetable dish. Let me just say that adventures don't always end well. I still don't know what kind of vegetable it was but it wasn't nice haha!

LAM - tba. I think it will have something to do with lighting candles. I love lighting a candle, there is something so soothing about it.

I also realised that I will keep sharing my recipes here and my joy of cooking but funnily, the less I talk NoS the better it goes. Interesting, eh?

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:28 pm

Yesterday:

LAM: A long hot shower in the evening that made me forget a slightly crappy day. Lovely!

AD: a new lunch and a new food group: pulses!

Today will be interesting too

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 11:49 pm

I'll have to copy your systems. A long, hot shower sounds so nice! Good for you, on re-trying a food, and liking it!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:28 am

Thank you Heather!

Friday:
LAM: Office Day Out with a good meal and amazing wine for lunch
AD: Went for dinner with the wife of one of my husbands best friends. It was our very first time hanging out just the two of us and I was nervous about it but we had such a brilliant time instead!

Saturday:
LAM: Spinning. Love it! Hair and Face Masks
AD: Making chocolates in a new chocolate mould

Sunday:
LAM: A hot candlelight shower. I wish our bath would work but in the meantime a hot shower and lots of candles recreate the feeling.
AD: Going to a big shopping mall with my husband to buy him a suit. It was indeed an adventure ha!

gingerpie · Post by **gingerpie** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 11:30 am

Did he buy the suite willingly? Mine will buy the first one he sees because he thinks the whole process is idiotic.

tacodiscos · Post by **tacodiscos** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 12:37 am

Hope you're doing well!

kwerp · Post by **kwerp** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 6:43 am

I hear you on the love of a good bath! I just started lighting a candle when I go for a soak.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 4:51 pm

I love reading about all of your LAMs and ADs!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 8:31 am

Hi all!

Ginger, not really but he has one that fits perfectly so he bought exactly the same one in a different colour - works for me, ha!

I'm doing well! I'm on a weekly check-in now I think as I'm currently quite busy.

LAM and AD are going well! I am eating so many new vegetables that it's amazing and I'm making new recipes which is great for my love of cooking.

As for LAM, of all the little things I did last week the most important one was the following:

We agreed to go out with family for Saturday lunch, which usually means we won't be back before after dinner. They went at 10am to have a few drinks before lunch already. I persuaded my husband to chill out together and go later. It was a bit of a battle but I insisted on having at least the morning for ourselves and in the end he was so glad we did! We had a wonderful, healthy but lavish breakfast, a good chat and the most relaxed morning with our cats and in the garden. This precious time set us up well to meet everyone around 1.30pm and we did stay until 10.30pm. I don't think I would have had the stamina if we had gone early.

I did a test and I discovered I'm an ambivert, which means that I am depending on the situation introvert or extrovert and that I should aim for balance. I didn't know it last Saturday but that was exactly what I did by defending our morning - getting alone time before getting community time.

So that was definitely a LAM for me and one I'm so proud of!

As for AD coming up- I'm flying to Ireland this weekend for girly time with my friends - can't wait to discover new places with them.

On Tuesday next week I'll join the local yoga gym for their 30 days introductory offer, which is 30 days unlimited yoga for less than half what a month usually costs. Can't wait.

I feel like I need a physical adventure as, while I easily reach 10.000 steps per day and do spinning on Saturdays, I need something more to look forward to now. My husband is very supportive, although I won't make it for dinner on time those days. I'll aim for two to three times yoga per week.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 3:20 am

So great to read you're doing well & thriving! I've been doing a little yoga lately and really enjoy it. It seems to be one of the few things to help my back feel better & great for stress!

I'm envious of your trip to Ireland! I wish I had a group of girls I went on trips with. Maybe someday!

Look forward to reading your next check in!

Linda

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:47 am

I'm glad to see you're doing well. Your quiet morning with your DH sounds lovely. Enjoy your trip to Ireland! That's interesting, about being an ambivert. I suppose I could be that, too, to some degree. For the most part, I'm an introvert, but in situations where I have to put myself out there, like when I teach, act in plays, or play in band concerts, I can do so. Take care!

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 8:39 am

Hi escahno! How is it going?
I trust you are busy and NoS-ing just fine. I miss seeing you around here!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 5:20 pm

Hi all,

I haven't been here for ages. I went to Ireland and then got busy at work and then went on a two week honeymoon in October and shortly after that (well, a month later) I discovered that I'm pregnant.

I'm still only in my 11th week and haven't had my scan yet and am so hoping it will all go well but let's just say there is terrifying stuff out there on google about early pregnancy.

However, the point of the story is: Miss you all! I'm obviously not doing NoS at the moment as I keep stuffing my face, which seems to be the only thing to keep the nausea at bay, but I hope you're all doing well and I'll try to catch up on all your threads.

Fingers crossed and knock on wood that everything goes well, in which case I want to take ironchef's path and as soon as the nausea is gone I am back to three square meals.

Love

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 7:48 pm

Stopping by to say hi ! and to wish you and yours a wonderful 2016. A honeymmoon, a new baby - what an exciting future you have in store! Try not to worry too much, I am just SURE everything will be fine! Prayers for you and yours.

______________ Regarding the posts above ____________

The cauliflower sounds great - I love cauliflower and all vegetables, it seems.

I meant to buy a head of cabbage last night and forgot because I have been reading how great cabbage "steaks" are - thick slices baked brushed with olive oil (and I would add a bit of coconut oil, I use it a lot) and herbs until browned and crispy. But, I forgot to buy any. Will do so on Thursday.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Wed Jan 06, 2016 2:06 am

Congratulations!!

Here's wishing you a happy and healthy 9 months.

mitchelll · Post by **mitchelll** » Wed Jan 06, 2016 11:59 am

congratulations!

Giada · Post by **Giada** » Wed Jan 06, 2016 1:59 pm

Lovely news! Congratulations!

natj · Post by **natj** » Thu Jan 07, 2016 1:09 am

Congratulations!!!! How exciting!! Here's to a healthy 2016!!!!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:18 pm

Thank you so much everyone! I will check in from time to time and keep you updated

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 6:52 am

Omg--congratulations!!!! I'm so happy for you & know you're going to be a great mom. Stay away from google missy ! Everything will be just fine.

Hugs & so happy you check in with us.

Linda

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 5:55 pm

Yay!!! Congrats!!!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:12 am

Thank you Linda, you are so right - I have banned google now.
Thank you tobiasmom!

The scan went well! I saw a strong little baby bouncing around. Adorable!

The nausea is dying down a bit but I learnt that I need at least 4 meals as the seven hours between lunch and dinner are just too much.

Cravings are crazy. Some good: like avocado maki! (no mayonnaise)
Some bad: hot chocolate and for a few weeks chicken nuggets, which I usually hate.

So I'm trying to get down to 4 meals a day now.

I hope you're all well

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Sun Jan 24, 2016 5:21 am

Yay--so happy everything is looking good! 4 meals sounds like a great compromise. I so wish I had been doing NoS when I was pregnant.

Take good care of yourself.

Linda

ironchef · Post by **ironchef** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 12:30 am

Can't believe I missed this! Congratulations!! Lovely news.

Not sure if you're still checking in, but hope all is going well for you and your little eschanochen.

Everyday Systems

eschano's 2015 Check-in

Hey