The Challenge

So at the beginning of this month I decided to start a new healthy eating challenge. It's a little strange, a lot of fun and very amusing. Everyday I decided I would keep to a specific dietary restriction; this is how it started.

Meatless Mondays
Free Food Tuesdays
Gluten Free Wednesdays
Half and Half Thursdays
Trans Fat Free Fridays
Salad Saturdays
Vegan Sundays

It's been an interesting experience to say the least, the first couple of days were fine but I was starting to have a hard time as I got to gluten free Wednesdays. I found myself scouring everything in my apartment with a nutritional label. You would be very surprised what has some kind of wheat in it and what doesn't. Most processed foods dropped right off radar for me. I found a whole new section of the super market; it was filled with new and yummy things like: gluten free cookies, rice pastas, gluten free mac and goat cheese and waffles. (Yes people I said gluten free waffles, apple cinnamon in fact.)

Photo courtesy of: Tracy and Katie's Kitchen

Half and half thursdays was easier than expected, half the day was one thing and half the day was something else. Usually it's vegetarian breakfast and lunch, gluten free snacks and trans fat free or big salad dinner.

Vegan sundays posed a whole new problem I didn't know existed. I had no idea what was considered vegan, and how many apparent variations of vegan there were. I decided to go with the generalized form: no meat, dairy or byproducts of any kind from animals. I found lots of yummy vegan treats at my local campus store oddly enough, but I suppose it's because this is an environmental school and the percentage of vegan/vegetarians is probably triple that of any other university.

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.medicinenet.com

The project has been fun, i've cut my meat consumption in half (Maybe more). I also dropped off most of the overly processed and boxed/canned foods I ate. My fridge is now filled with apples, soy milk, strawberry soy yogurt and vegetables. I buy more organic food, fresh food, rice and whole grain. I snack on carrots, gluten free cookies, and vegan sweet potato chips as well.

This project is changing my outlook on food, but it is not without fault. I get stuck when I go out with the boyfriend and stare at a menu wondering what has no trans fat, what is gluten free or vegan. Sometimes I crave things I cannot eat on specific days and longingly stare at them and think about cheating. Because the truth is that no one would know, but I would. And for some reason that bothers me more than other people judging me about my choices. So far so good, I've found alternative snacks to curb the cravings.

Explaining the project is a bit of a chore, I'm usually greeted with "Why?" Which is the most aggravating question of them all. Why do I need a reason to change my diet and try something new? Why do other people care that I would rather munch on granola than junk food. I am doing this because I want to, I want to be a healthier person and change my view on the super market. Rather going and buying pre-made or just add water food I now cruise the isles seeing the possibilities of tomatoes, cauliflower and bison. (Yes bison, but that's for another post!)

Also, Wednesdays are now 10pm  zumba days! My roomie and I decided it would be fun! And boy can I tell you that it was a work out! She wants to lose some weight and get in shape for Aruba this summer, I want to tone up and slim down a bit. :D We also are trying to pick another day to go do some weight training and cardio. There is a spectacular campus gym we go to that I'm going to miss when I graduate in a year. But for now, we will utilize it to the fullest!

I'll post more recipes and updates soon! I'm blogging for two of my classes which is strange but fun. But I won't let it affect this, because this is my blog (and I love it) I've also got a horse show this saturday so I probably won't be cooking but I should be baking some homemade banana walnut maple bread (My own amazing creation) if all goes well.

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentines Day, Single Awareness day and All the Candy is On Sale the Next Day Day.


Song of the post: Whatever we heard at zumba because that bump bump beat is stuck in my head! @_@ I'm going back to country music.



Eat well, remember to laugh at yourself and shake your booty! (Usually while laughing at yourself and your roomie)

Turkey Time!

Well this post has been a while in the making, mostly because of my broken wrist and then forgetting my camera when I went home for the holiday. So I'm posting it now! Because its 3am and I can't sleep so why not blog?

This was a 20 Pound Organic Local Heritage Turkey. This thing was MASSIVE and brown instead of white. It was also wider than a normal turkey with way bigger legs. The boyfriend and I drove about an hour out to a little place called Vernon to Sweet Grass Farms. Got a bit lost but we made it! It's a great little farm and was well worth the drive.

So for this potluck thanksgiving with all my friends I took charge of the turkey and to tofurkey. Now for those who scoff at that word I promise you it's amazing. (At least my version) We had about 5 Vegetarians and Vegans so how could I exclude them!? It looks funny I will admit... REALLY funny but it tasted amazing and thats what counts.

So onto the main course! (See what I did there?) <-- It's past 3 am just let it happen.

Roomate: Rach there a turkey in our room...?

Me: YUP

 It's a big one people.

 That's an extra large pan there. It didn't fit the roaster that my boyfriend's mother lent me, so I used that for the tofurkey and had to buy this. 

Don't use the packet with it! It's a lie! There are WAY better ways to cook this deliciously.  

 I don't recommend the gravy it's flat out terrible. Sorry. I made my own and regret buying this.

 So you can start this part the day before. I made rosemary, maple butter. (OMG IT SMELLED AMAZING.) 

 Just let 2 sticks sit out and use about a 1/4th cup rosemary to to taste and a 1/4th cup REAL maple syrup. Not that aunt jemima crap.

 

 Yes, it came with all the body parts. You can make some seriously yummy giblet gravy with these. Plus turkey liver is yummy. ( I know I'm weird, most people just ignore it.)

 I smother this turkey in the butter, I also took pieces and rubbed it under the skin and put chunks under there so it would be self basting. 

 Don't forget some basic salt and pepper. I also put some chopped sweet potatoes in and around the turkey and some turkey stock in the bottom of the pan. Heritage turkeys bake at higher temperatures for a shorter amount of time. 425 for only a couple of hours. 

Giblet gravy is beyond easy. Pour some turkey ( or chicken) stock into your pot of turkey giblets (photo above) Toss in half an onion, a few smashed pieces of garlic, some salt, pepper and a copped up carrot and a stalk of celery. Let simmer for a couple of hours while the turkey cooks. 

NOW, onto the tofurkey. I told you it looks funny!

I put some wedged butter potatoes, carrots and onions with a few smashed pieces of garlic around it for the baking process. 

Now this is a bit of a strange combo but I swear it's yummy. 

3 simple ingredients. Red wine (SHHHHH), olive oil and apricot jam.

I put the whole jar of apricots in there and eyeballed lets say two cups red wine and maybe half a cup to a cup of olive oil. The key to this is tasting as you go. 

Let simmer for half an hour and then pour over the tofurkey. Bake tofurkey 

It's time to tent the turkey, and use parchment paper with heritage turkeys! Its essential. 

How amazing does that bird look?

It smelled amazing too. Don't worry if it looks dark in those spots, its because I poured some of that yummy NY maple syrup over it to caramelize on the skin. 

I still had a broken wrist so it was up to the boys to take this hefty bird out of the oven!

And this is what happens when you invite 19 people to a potluck. AMAZINGNESS

I got to carve the turkey! Took some time with the broken wrist but it was worth it!

The tofurkey just smelled amazing with the apricot-red wine reduction!

Fresh bread from Wegmans! and Salad cause we are greenies.

There is even a dessert table! See those pies at the end? Made from scratch by the rainbow haired kid you are about to see in a photo below. Phenomenal. 

Omgosh so many people!

A mishmash of plates, cups and silverware erupted to make sure everyone had something. 

o_0 More kept arriving.

And like true hungry college students we ate. 

Just a sample of my plate. 

After the food it was lazy coma hang around time. 

And still people picked because all that food was there. 

This guy is the pie guy! (Thats how I will refer to him) And he is in a food coma. 

I think I woke the boy up?!

The boyfriend and the pie guy have a bromance nap.

Boyfriend deciding if he should/is physically able to eat more.

Told you the Tofurkey was a hit. Demolished. I'll make this again for sure. 

Most of the food was eaten.

Look it's the girl! 

Photo shy shenanigans. 

Who wants to move after all that food, Not this girl!

The sad and triumphed remains of a once amazing 20 pound turkey.

So all in all this was a complete success. Everyone brought food, took food and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I'm glad I was able to create this whole event. Because the truth is that being around all of your friends while eating a ton of good food and having a loud fun time is priceless. 

By the way we had SO many people that we had to do this whole thing in the downstairs conference room and still we had to push some tables together! Good times!

Songs of this meal: Camouflage, By: Bran Paisley & Rain Is A Good Thing, By: Luke Bryan

On a few side notes: The cast is off! Hello right hand! I missed you so! Today is 1 month+N with my boyfriend. N being the month we dated before hand. Our anniversary is a math equation... Only at ESF. 

Ha ha anyway its almost 4:30am so let me say I hope everyone had a wonderful Turkey Day/ Holiday and a fun NOT MACED black friday! (I did! Got all my holiday shopping done!)

A big project is coming up soon so stay tuned, fight off the zombie horde and read my blog!

Sorry about the spelling >.< Its late! 

PEACE OUT