Apple Pie Chronicles: January 2014

Nick and I have boosted our normal diet of primarily meat and veggies to a Ketogenic one. We have seen so many changes in just a week and a half. To start I only had 17 extra pounds to lose and have lost 7 in just a week and a half. My main goal, however, is boosting energy levels and the results I have gotten are fabulous.

The concept is simple: low carb, high protein amped up with meat, mainly green vegetables, no sugar or artificial sugars, no processed junk, and lots of water. As your body is in ketosis, you are using fat as fuel. We have selectively chosen carbs that are high in fiber to utilize in our lifestyle. Several friends have asked for a sample of what a day looks like for someone who is in ketosis, so this is a look from the point I started making a diary and some recipes to try as well.

Monday, January 6-
Breakfast:
Bulletproof (Coffee + Unsweetened Almond Milk + 1/2 tbsp. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil)
2 scrambled eggs
3 Turkey Sausage Breakfast Links

Lunch:
Spaghetti Squash Alfredo (Spaghetti Squash, Eckrich Skinless Sausage, Alfredo Sauce, Mozzarella, Olive Oil, Garlic Salt)

Dinner:
Mushroom Onion Turkey Patties (Mushrooms, Onion, Ground Turkey, Worchestershire Sauce, Ranch Seasoning, Sliced Sharp Cheddar)
1 cup Steamed Spinach

Snacks:
Zucchini Chips (Thinly sliced zucchini, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with seasoned salt)
Kale Chips

Water:
90 oz. (I have a 30 oz. bottle that I refill 3 times throughout the day)

Mushroom Onion Turkey Patty and Steamed Spinach

Tuesday, January 7-
Breakfast:
Bulletproof (Coffee + Unsweetened Almond Milk + 1/2 tbsp. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil)
2 scrambled eggs
3 Turkey Sausage Breakfast Links

Lunch:
Leftover Mushroom Onion Turkey Patty
Steamed Spinach

Dinner:
Tomato, Feta, Bacon Burger
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup fresh spinach
8 cherry tomatoes, chopped into fourths
1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded
1/4 cup Feta
2 tbsp. garlic
1 small onion, chopped finely
Pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, massaging together. Cook the patties, 5 minutes for each side, in a skillet. Top with any leftover spinach, tomato, or feta. This recipe will make 6 patties, enough for lunch the following day!

Snacks:
Steamed Cabbage seasoned with garlic salt and pepper

Water:
90 oz.


	Tomato Feta Bacon Burger

Wednesday, January 8-
Breakfast:
Bulletproof (Coffee + Unsweetened Almond Milk + 1/2 tbsp. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil)
2 Hardboiled Eggs
3 Slices Turkey Bacon

Lunch:
Leftover Tomato Feta Bacon Burger

Dinner:
T-Bone Steak with Steak Seasoning
Steamed Broccoli

Snacks:
Steamed Cabbage with salt and pepper
1 slice Tillamook Smoked Cheddar Cheese

Water:
90 oz.

Thursday, January 9-
Breakfast:
Bulletproof (Coffee + Unsweetened Almond Milk + 1/2 tbsp. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil)
2 Hardboiled Eggs
3 Turkey Sausage Links

Lunch:
Leftover Mushroom Onion Turkey Patty
Steamed Spinach

Dinner:
Baked Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast- 6 oz. with Mesquite Seasoning
Broccoli- 1 cup steamed topped with a little shredded sharp cheddar

Snacks:
Steamed Cabbage seasoned with salt and pepper

Water:
90 oz.

Friday, January 10-
Breakfast:
Bulletproof (Coffee + Unsweetened Almond Milk + 1/2 tbsp. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil)
2 Hardboiled Eggs
3 Turkey Sausage Links

Lunch:
Leftover Baked Chicken Breast- 6 oz.
Broccoli- 1 cup steamed topped with a little shredded sharp cheddar

Dinner:
Thin cut boneless Pork Chop seasoned with Mesquite Seasoning, cooked on the stove top
Spinach Salad- 1 cup raw spinach, 2 slices bacon crumbled, 1/2 small avocado peppered, 1 tbsp. Ranch dressing

Snack:
Steamed Cabbage seasoned with salt and pepper

Water:
90 oz.

Pork Chop with Mesquite Seasoning and Spinach Salad with Bacon Crumbles, Ranch, and Peppered Avocado

I liked the fact that I was able to have enough leftovers from dinners to eat as lunches for multiple days. I would also cook large batches of hardboiled eggs in my egg cooker, so breakfasts were easy to put together. This week I am going to try to get more creative with snacks. My goal is to post meals weekly, so feel free to subscribe to my blog to keep updated.

As a side note, I mentioned my love of the app. Out of Milk earlier this week. It allows me to create an inventory of my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, then keep track of items as I use them. I can create my grocery lists based on what has been used and it syncs with local grocery stores and their ads offered for the week. Saving time and money while wasting less is a major win in all ways. It is working out well for us so far. This week, we had no leftovers at the end.

With 2013 in the past, I think now is the time to reflect on some of our favorite results from the Barr Kitchen. We tried several gadgets and new techniques that improved our cooking and came up with some awesome dishes in return. Here are just a few:

1. We renovated our outdated kitchen from the 1950's, which involved ripping everything out and replacing all appliances, cabinets, and counter tops. It ended up adding about 7 feet of counter space... a big deal when before we were functioning on about 1 foot of cooking area.


Before and After view of the kitchen

2. Our backsplash is actually made up of bricks from a building that was demolished in Dallas. We had fun handpicking them out of the brickyard.

3. We discovered the deliciousness of cooking with Organic Ghee.

4. Open Nature Seaweed became a staple for snacking in our household.

5. Nick began cooking steak sous vide. It became our favorite way to eat steak.

6. Our favorite kitchen gadget is the Egg-Genie. Perfect hard boiled eggs every single time.

7. My favorite salad became a combination of kale, apple, avocado, red bell pepper, carrot, sunflower seeds, rice vinegar, olive oil, and garlic. Fabulous!