11 Tips for Getting Better Sleep

I have always, as far back to when my first child was born 35 years ago, had trouble with sleep. I don't fall asleep easily, and I wake up many times through the night. Most mornings I wake up feeling groggy and lazy, and it takes hours for me to feel like I didn't just crawl out of bed. 

Eating carnivore has actually improved my sleep quite a bit, but not enough. I just wish I could get a solid night's rest and wake up feeling refreshed. I wish I could get through the night without waking up 10 times. I wish I didn't have to pee 3 times through the night, which really ruins my sleep and takes me 30 minutes to fall back to sleep!

Well, just this week I made some drastic changes. Most of these ideas I got from Dr. Ken D. Berry, some I've known about for a few years, and the last two are from Dr. Andrew Huberman, who explains circadian rhythms in a way I have never understood before. I have had the absolute best week of sleep this past week and am so excited about it! I actually discovered Dr. Huberman through Dr. Berry's wife, Neisha Salas-Berry.

Here are the changes I have made that have given me the most amazing sleep over the past few days:

1. No coffee after 10:00 AM. Even though I don't feel that coffee really affects me, I learned that the caffeine can stay in your system for 8 hours and affect sleep. I will do whatever it takes. I do love my coffee in the morning, and I drink it plain and black most of the time. Sometimes I will whip it in the blender with a tablespoon of Kerrygold butter.

2. No alcohol. I was in the bad, unhealthy habit of having a couple of drinks (whiskey with either Diet Coke or club soda) at night before bed while watching Netflix with Andy. Dr. Berry said the cut-off for alcohol, if you do drink it, should be 4 hours before bedtime. Since I don't want to have a drink at 5:30 PM, I just decided to cut it out completely. I have found a cup of "Sleepytime" tea (with no added sweetener) is nice to sip on and helps me to relax while watching our favorite show.

3. Stop drinking water (or other liquid) 2 hours before bed. I am in the habit of drinking water all day long. I fill my water bottle up several times throughout the day and sip on it without thinking about it. Then I take a giant bottle of water with me to bed every night. I felt that I would be way too thirsty to give up drinking water in the evening before bed, or having it readily available during the night. However, I was willing to give it a try. As it turned out, giving it up a couple hours before bed and not having it on my nightstand at night has not killed me. I missed it the first night, but after that I've been fine. I don't even feel thirsty at night anymore. And the best thing - I can make it all the way through the night without getting up one time.

4. Make sure the bedroom is completely dark. A few weeks ago, we bought some black-out curtains for our bedroom windows, and that helped a lot. However, I also had to take down some nightlights and shut doors in our bedroom to get the room as dark as possible.

5. Be sure the bedroom is very cool - ideally, somewhere between 60-69F. I love a cool room to sleep in, but now I'm making sure it is getting cool enough. It's been in the 30's and 40's at night lately, so just opening a couple of windows has been enough to keep the room very cool and comfy. When the weather gets warmer, I will be setting the A/C around 67 at night.

6. Use white noise. I've been doing this for years, so of course I will continue. I love the sound of a big box fan on high. It also circulates the air in the room, which keeps it at that nice, cool temperature. If we are staying in a hotel, I use Spotify on my phone to create white noise. There are several I have found for "white noise," "pink noise," or "brown noise," that last 8 hours or more. I especially like the sound of "pink noise." My grandchildren love the sounds of ocean waves for sleeping!

7. Block blue light once the sun starts going down. I bought some yellow lens glasses a long time ago from Amazon and have been wearing those in the evenings. They look ridiculous, but they're great when watching Netflix or some other show on TV at night. I also pull all the curtains closed, and have been turning off lights and just using a few lamps for dimmer lighting in the house once the sun is going down. I also have my phone and laptop scheduled to block blue light between 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM.

8. Take a hot shower at night. This really relaxes me and makes me feel so calm. I avoid hot showers in the morning, as they are too relaxing! I take a much cooler  shower in the mornings, which is invigorating.

9. Get in bed 30-60 minutes before "bedtime" and put away electronics. I use this time to relax and read a book. Most of the time, I use my Kindle Paperwhite (which isn't the same as a tablet and does not emit any blue light). I also have a yellow lightbulb in my bedside lamp if I read a "real" paper book, and the light is not so harsh. This routine helps me fall asleep at the time I actually want to be asleep. I get in bed between 9:00-9:30, and I'm out by 10:00.

10. Go outside first thing in the morning and take a walk while the sun is rising. Wow this is the best advice I have ever heard, and it came from Dr. Huberman! Letting the sunlight and photons into your eyes (no sunglasses) wakes you up and sets your circadian rhythm. I have been so energized in the mornings now since doing this. In fact, I am energized for the entire day! And for the last 2 days, I woke up without the alarm at exactly 6:00 AM. I had no idea that doing something so simple early in the morning could affect my sleep at night.

I lay my clothes out the night before, change as soon as I get out of bed, bundle up (it has been in the 30's and 40's lately), and head outside. I briskly walk a couple times around the neighborhood. I do not look down or at my phone, but look ahead and enjoy nature and the scenery (and seeing lots of birds!). I want to assure my eyes are getting sunlight. This morning my walk was about 30 minutes. I can't even express how wonderful it feels to get up and get outside before anything else in the morning.

11. Wait at least one hour after wakening before having your morning coffee. This advice was also from Dr. Huberman. It prevents coffee from artificially energizing you up, which will then be followed by a crash. I can still enjoy my morning coffee, but only after I've had my outside walk in the sunlight, and then coming in to get ready for the day.

Worst Diet Book Ever

In 2015, I became a Keto girl after discovering Dr. Ken D. Berry on YouTube. I did it not because I had any health issues, but because I wanted to sustain my good health. I discovered other Keto doctors out there, read lots of books, and listened to talks from KetoCon.  

But in May 2021, I took a trip down to Texas and decided to read a book someone had recommended to me called Intuitive Eating, by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. The book made sense to me for the most part: eat what your body "wants" and you will get all the nutrients you need - because your body knows what it needs. After your body "realizes" that it will be well-nourished, it will stabilize to its perfect, healthy, individualized size. I thought about how when I was much younger, I always ate whatever I wanted, was healthy and was always on the lower end of the BMI scale. I have always been a healthy adult, but have carefully watched my diet since my early 30's. In my 40's I began Keto. The book got me to thinking, well, maybe if I had just continued eating what I wanted and not being somewhat "obsessed" with my diet, I would be healthy anyways. Maybe it wasn't all the careful eating and lifestyle I had been so committed to. The book continuously made references to "eating disorders," making it sound like anyone who may be concerned with what foods they put in their mouth is probably suffering from one. Have I been wasting all my time and energy on my diet and lifestyle for nothing? Do I actually have an undiagnosed eating disorder because I am "overly" concerned with diet and exercise? I decided to give Intuitive Eating a try. 

Now, one thing I could not wrap my head around or agree with was the section of the book on "Health at Every Size" (known as "HAES"). There are just way too many medical problems and diseases highly associated with obesity, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure - just to name a few. This book tried its best to downplay these diseases and their relationship to obesity, but it failed miserably. So, I decided that while I disagreed with the HAES part, the other parts of the book made some sense, and I would begin to "eat intuitively" and see how things would go.

This was June 2021. Since I was in Texas visiting family, I ate all my favorite Texas foods without limits, mostly Tex-Mex, and indulged in some delicious meals at my most beloved and missed Texas restaurants. Upon returning home to Pennsylvania, I began eating all the things I loved when I was young, after going years without consuming - French fries, fresh-from-the-oven bread, biscuits & gravy, Pop Tarts, pizza, etc. The book had convinced me that once I stopped denying myself these pleasures, I would soon not crave them any more. I kept waiting for that to happen.

It didn't. 

I also added a lot of so-called "healthier" foods that I hadn't eaten in ages, such as sushi, teriyaki chicken, rice and beans, oatmeal with sliced bananas and honey for breakfast, homemade fresh salsa and tortilla chips, angel hair pasta topped with vegetable-rich marinara sauce, enchiladas like my mom used to make when I was growing up in South Texas, and even green spinach smoothies blended with lots of fruits and collagen protein powder.

And a plethora of problems began to visit me, slowly, one by one: huge, burning episodes of rosacea (something I had always dealt with, but not like this); plantar fasciitis so bad in my left foot that I walked with a limp, stomach troubles with IBS-like symptoms, an achy lower back, hip pain, knee pain, and...yes, weight gain.

I also contracted a respiratory illness which left me hoarse, coughing, and feeling zapped of energy for weeks. I was diagnosed with RSV, and it would just not go away. I had caught COVID in February 2021 when I was eating healthy Keto and exercising daily, and did fine with it, but here I was 6 months later, in the midst of doing my "intuitive eating" thing, and I couldn't get over RSV. And worst of all - I gained weight. A LOT, like 40 pounds. I was heavier than I had ever been, even at 9 months pregnant. I had never experienced my body being this big before and it was absolutely miserable. One of the most surprising things is that I couldn't bend over to tie my shoes. I hated the way I felt.

I continued to eat mostly what I liked to eat, but just decided to cut back on the portion sizes. I did begin to lose weight, but it didn't come off very quickly, and I couldn't get down to my previous size. And then, my hit-or-miss IBS symptoms suddenly hit me full-on and didn't stop. It became a daily occurrence, with me needing a bathroom every 10-20 minutes. I was so sick and weak, and my episodes were completely uncontrollable to the point that I had to quit my job. I took Imodium whenever I would go out, because it was the only way I could have some control over it (although I was still needing a bathroom constantly). My life became a constant worry about where the nearest bathroom was located. I was also consumed with worry about my health and wondering what was going on. Did I have Crohn's disease? Was in cancer? I finally went to the doctor, and after several appointments, tests, and a biopsy, I was diagnosed with microscopic colitis. The treatment for MC is life-long medication.

That was it. I was done with intuitive eating. I was done with even my new "controlled" intuitive eating - which meant eating whatever I wanted in smaller portions. It was time to take my health into my own hands once again and eat what I knew to be a healthy diet. The morning after I had made that decision, I got a notification on my phone that Dr. Berry had posted a video about eating a carnivore diet to control inflammatory bowel diseases. Now, the coincidence here is that I was no longer watching Dr. Berry, and hadn't received any notifications from his YouTube channel in months. I had taken a break - because I knew that his philosophy was in stark contrast to Intuitive Eating. But now here was a video out of the blue that was just what I needed to see.

Suffice it to say, I watched his video, and went full-on carnivore that very same day. I took a quick trip to the grocery store and stocked up on lots of steaks, hamburger, roast beef, chicken legs, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork roasts, wild-caught salmon, cod, crab legs, shrimp, and grass-fed butter. And...bacon. Lots of bacon. That is all I ate. No vegetables, no fruit, no grains, no beans or legumes or seeds or nuts. Nothing but a variety of meat, and butter. In only two weeks, my symptoms were completely gone. No meds. Not only that, but I felt amazing. My back aches, my hip and knee pain, my plantar fasciitis, my rosacea flare-ups - some things I had just learned to live with and had become somewhat "normalized" for me - were mysteriously gone! 

A few weeks after living carnivore, I discovered another carnivore doctor named Dr. Anthony Chaffee, who calls himself "The Plant-Free M.D." - and his motto is "plants are trying to kill you!" I am absolutely convinced that all these plant toxins that I was consuming so much of were causing all my ailments. I have felt so good since going carnivore. 

Intuitive Eating is the absolute worst book ever and it will ruin your health. It wouldn't surprise me if the drug companies themselves funded the authors who wrote this piece of garbage.

Eating carnivore is amazing and life-changing. I'd be an idiot to ever go back to anything else!

Quote of the Day

 Inside every Socialist, there is a Capitalist, screaming to get out!

Thai Chicken With Spicy Peanut Sauce

One of my favorite restaurant dishes is a dish from The Cheesecake Factory that is called something like "Thai Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce." I really can't remember the exact name of it, and the last time I ate there it was sadly not on the menu. I have always wished I could figure out how to recreate this dish at home. Well, today, I did it. It's been more than a decade since I ate this, but it tastes how I remember it and is soooo good. This will definitely be something I will be making on a regular basis now! 

As you can see in the picture, I served mine with rice and steamed broccoli. It came served on top of noodles at The Cheesecake Factory.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

10 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into strips 

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 tablespoons Ponzu sauce*

Juice from 1/2 lime

1 tablespoon sweet Thai chili sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more for more heat!)

1/4 cup cilantro, rinsed, patted dry, and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

2 lime wedges

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together peanut butter, Ponzu sauce (see below), lime juice, Thai chili sauce, sugar, crushed red pepper, most of the cilantro (save a little for garnishing), and 1 tablespoon of the chopped peanuts. Add a pinch of salt, to taste. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken strips generously with salt and pepper, then cook in hot oil until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. (Do not overcook.)

Add cooked chicken to bowl with peanut sauce. Toss until coated all over. Divide chicken between 2 plates and garnish with chopped peanuts, remaining cilantro, and lime wedges. 

*PONZU SAUCE - it's super easy to make your own!

1/8 cup of reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon rice vinegar

Whisk ingredients together until well-blended. Keep in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

My Favorite Salad

 I love this "big salad" so much. It is so healthy and has just the right balance of flavors. 

Here's how I make it:

1. Cover a 10-inch plate with a layer of "spring mix" salad greens.

2. Top with 5 grape tomatoes, halved; 4 black olives, halved; 3 broccoli florets, thinly sliced; about 2 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion; 1 baby carrot, shaved with a peeler; and 1/2 Gala apple, diced.

3. Sprinkle on 1/8 cup reduced-fat Feta cheese. Fresh-grind some pink Himalayan salt and peppercorn medley right onto the salad. 

4. Drizzle all over with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and add some sprinkles of red wine vinegar.

The picture above is my breakfast this morning. My favorite salad along with a hardboiled egg and a glass of water (I had 2 cups of black coffee earlier). I do not like the taste of egg in my salad, which is why it is separate!

This breakfast is so satisfying and filling. I won't be hungry for hours!

Calories (not counting egg): 220

With 1 large hardboiled egg: 290

Tex-Mex Breakfast Tacos

These breakfast tacos are soooo tasty! I use corn tortillas not only to keep the calories lower compared to flour, but for the authentic Tex-Mex taste. The tortillas are broiled in the oven to where they just start to char - which adds an extra depth of flavor that is amazing! A little jarred salsa adds some moisture and flavor to the eggs, but the diced tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos with a sprinkling of lime juice adds a layer of freshness. Each taco is about 155 calories.

Yield: 4 tacos

Ingredients:

4 corn tortillas (50 calories each)

Cooking spray

3 eggs

1/4 cup fat-free refried beans

1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese blend

2 tablespoons salsa or picante sauce (I like Pace Chunky Hot Salsa)

1/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup diced jalapeno (seeds removed before chopping)

Juice from 1/2 lime

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Turn on oven broiler to high and and adjust rack to top position.

2. Combine diced tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

3. Place refried beans in a small bowl and cover with a paper towel. Microwave 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir. Add a small bit of water if needed, to make into a spreadable consistency. Set aside.

4. Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium. Crack the eggs into the skillet and immediately scramble with a spatula. Cook until eggs are just done but still moist, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside and keep warm.

5. Place the tortillas on a cookie sheet and spray each of them lightly with cooking spray. Broil until just starting to char, about 2 minutes (or less - watch them!).

6. Remove tortillas from broiler and spread each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of refried beans. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese on top of the beans. Return to broiler for 1 minute, to melt cheese.

7. Remove tortillas from oven and transfer to serving plates. Divide the scrambled eggs evenly among the tortillas, spooning them on top of the beans. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of salsa over each egg. Divide the fresh tomato mixture evenly among servings and spoon over the salsa. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, and serve with fresh fruit on the side.

Super Low-Calorie, High Volume Vegetable Soup

I made this soup one afternoon when I was hungry, but it was still hours away from dinner. Instead of munching on cookies, chips, and other high-calorie (but unsatisfying) snacks, I decided to throw together a bowl of veggie soup, keeping it as low calorie as possible - but making sure the volume was high enough to get me through the afternoon until dinner. Boy, did this work! This made a HUGE bowl of veggie soup, it was tasty, satisfying, and filling - and according to verywellfit.com's recipe calculator, only 71 calories!! I need to make a bigger batch of this soup and keep it on hand for the afternoon munchies.

Yield: 1 serving

Cooking spray (I use avocado oil)

1/4 yellow onion, thinly slice

1/2 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 small celery stalk, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cooked white beans (I used cannellini)

1 teaspoon tomato-chicken bouillon granules (I used Knorr)

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (I used Knorr)

1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

3 cups water

1 cup raw baby spinach, long stems removed

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 small lemon

1. Spray medium saucepan lightly with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender and starting to brown. Add garlic and cook for one additional minute. 

2. Stir in water, tomato-chicken bouillon, chicken bouillon, Italian seasoning, and thyme leaves. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add spinach and parsley. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes longer, until leaves are wilted.

4. Serve with a splash of lemon juice.

<a href="https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076" target="_blank"><img width="320" height="651" src="https://www.verywellfit.com/thmb/5mfAZ7OncDMczIQL3KypuxMEGi0=/1000x0/Nutrition-Label-Embed-282707599-a6e71284511d449eb1c4a1e616d89038.png" /></a>

(This was supposed to copy and paste my recipe's nutritional values here but it didn't work. 😔)

Chicken Soup

This morning I was really craving a bowl of broth-based soup with rice and beans. That sounds so specific, but it's what I wanted. I also had a container of cooked chicken breast that I needed to use up, so I created this soup and had it for a very early lunch (or late breakfast?). It was so delicious and really hit the spot!

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 spring onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

6 cups chicken broth

1 can white beans, drained 

2 teaspoons lite soy sauce (reduced sodium)

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Hot cooked rice

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and the spring onion whites. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Allow the veggies to steam and soften for about 5-7 minutes. 

Add chicken and seasoning; stir to mix well. Add chicken broth, beans, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir gently and raise heat to high and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Place 1/2 cup of rice in a bowl and ladle 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the soup over the rice. Top with some of the sliced green parts of the spring onions to serve.

*If I had fresh ginger on hand, I would have minced some to add to the soup.

Yield: about 10 bowls. Each bowl of soup without rice is about 95 calories; 1/2 cup of rice adds about 120 calories.

Healthy and Low-Carb Shepherd's Pie

I am so happy with how this Shepherd's Pie turned out tonight! Definitely a keeper. I roasted fresh cauliflower to make the "faux-tatoes," and used lean ground beef. The cauliflower is topped with fresh shredded Parmesan, which gives the top layer a yummy, crunchy texture when it bakes in the oven. It was delicious, and my 20-year-old daughter, who has never been a fan of cauliflower, had 3 helpings before realizing she wasn't eating potatoes! 

I know you're not "supposed" to use carrots or peas in low-carb recipes, but you know what? It's only 1/2 cup of each in this whole recipe, so it really doesn't add a lot in a serving. I believe 1/2 cup of peas has 11 carbs, and 1 whole carrot has around 7 - and that's not even counting the fiber you can take away from the carb count. I'm not worried about it! (And I just love the taste of carrots and peas in Shepherd's Pie!) On the other hand, a helping of mashed potatoes can have 30-40 carbs, with zero fiber, so if you're trying to keep your carbs in check, I do think it's worth it to replace them with something lower-carb like cauliflower.

Oh, one other thing. I think traditionally Shepherd's Pie is supposed to be made with lamb, and "Cottage Pie" is made with ground beef. But I digress. I'm American, and I grew up saying Shepherd's Pie, even if that's probably wrong.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed and roughly chopped
• 2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 4 garlic cloves - 3 whole, 1 crushed
• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup cut green beans (can be fresh, frozen, or canned)
• 1/2 cup green peas (can be frozen or canned)
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/3 cup water
• Seasoned salt (like Lawry's), to taste
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 2 TBSP cream cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan (do not use the powdery canned stuff!)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lay cut-up cauliflower and 3 whole garlic cloves in the pan in an even layer. Drizzle generously with the olive oil, then sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, remove foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until cauliflower starts to turn a nice golden brown. Set aside, but keep oven on at 350.
2. While cauliflower bakes, heat a large iron skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add ground beef, onion, carrots, green beans, and crushed garlic. Cook and stir, breaking up the beef, until the beef is brown and cooked through.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together tomato paste and water. Stir into the beef mixture along with the peas. Season with rosemary, thyme, seasoned salt, and pepper. Mix well and taste-test, adding more salt or other seasonings as needed. Smooth beef mixture evenly in the skillet with a spatula.
4. Place the roasted cauliflower in a food processor bowl with the cream cheese. Process until smooth, like mashed potatoes. Taste and add some seasoned salt if it needs more salt.
5. Carefully spread the mashed cauliflower over the beef mixture, then sprinkle evenly with the shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake in 350 oven for about 15-20 minutes, until edges are bubbly and top is starting to brown.

Yield: about 6-8 servings

Vegetable Beef Soup - Easy & Low-Carb

 

Mmmm....it's a very cold day and I just threw together this vegetable-beef soup for lunch. I remember back in 2004 when my mom was sick and weak after chemo treatments, she asked me several times to make this soup for her. She said it always felt so nourishing to her.

It really hit the spot today! Andy has been trying to eat low-carb/keto since the New Year, so I left out higher carb ingredients like potatoes and corn. I cut the carrots in larger chunks so he could easily avoid them if he wanted.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, thickly sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
• 1/2 lb. frozen green beans
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1 carton (4 cups) beef broth
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
  
  

Directions:

1. In a stockpot, brown ground beef with onion and celery over medium heat. 
2. Add carrots, green beans, seasoning, stewed tomatoes, and crushed garlic.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the tomato paste and beef broth. Add to meat mixture. 
4. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Then, lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!
   

Frittata with Leftover Brisket

Made this for breakfast this morning. It was pretty good, for eggs. Filling and low-carb.

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 7 eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Leftover brisket (ours was from Dickey's), cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375F, and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle leftover meat, chopped vegetables, and 3/4 cup cheese in an even layer on bottom of baking dish. 
3. In a bowl, whisk eggs with heavy cream, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
4. Pour egg mixture over meat and vegetables in baking dish.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until frittata is almost done. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. 
7. Serve as is, or top with salsa and fresh cilantro.

Daily Journaling

I often think of how I wish I would remember to keep a simple journal of a just few things that happen in my life each day. When I was a little girl, my Dad had some old journals his father had kept, in which he had just recorded the mostly mundane things that had happened each day. Most days he wrote only a sentence or two, but he was consistent in writing daily. I loved glimpsing into his life from years before I was even born. I found it so fascinating. I do love looking back on old calendars and datebooks I have kept in the past. It occurred to me that I could do that here on this blog that nobody reads except me! Of course, my problem is that if I start writing, I can't stop at one or two sentences like my grandfather did. And I doubt I can be consistent like he was, either.

But I'm going to at least try to start writing about my days here for myself. I most certainly can't keep it down to one or two sentences, but I'm going to try to at least tell myself it's okay to do that. Maybe I can include a picture for each day, too. I think that would be cool. But my goal to at least write one or two sentences each day is really pretty simple, so maybe it's something I can stick to.

Today's entry is definitely more than that. HA!!

I will preface my daily entry by saying that I have been sick with RSV for over 2 weeks. It started during AJ & Hallie's visit from Washington State, which really sucked. They haven't been here since 2019 because of the pandemic. Of course, we saw them last summer for their wedding when we flew out to Washington, but it was nice having them here this year. We had such an enjoyable visit with them!! Unfortunately, my symptoms started half-way through their visit with the absolute worst sore throat I could ever remember having. In addition, I was fatigued, had a fever, body aches, a horrible headache - it was awful. I caught Covid in February (and I was not even that sick), and then was vaccinated in May. I honestly thought I had a so-called "breakthrough" infection. I went to Wellspan Urgent Care last Monday and was tested for Covid, which came back negative. The PA I saw was pretty sure I had RSV. Today was the first time for 2 weeks that I felt almost completely normal. No more fatigue, no aches or pains or headache. Just a lingering cough, but not too bad. 

So when I got up this morning, I was happy to realize that I felt pretty good, was not feeling achy, and not even coughing much. I bounded downstairs and grabbed a cup of coffee, then seasoned some pork loin with fajita seasoning and thew it in the oven at 225 degrees to cook all day for dinner. The house started to smell amazing!

For the first time in 2 weeks, I finally went out for a walk. Andy and I normally walk every day, between 3-6 miles, depending on the weather and the time we have. Most days it's 3 miles. Weekends we may walk up to 6 miles, although we probably haven't walked that far since last fall. I really missed walking when I was sick, but I just didn't have the energy. It felt great to be out! The weather was so nice, in the upper 60's, with no humidity!

We went out to the Heritage Rail Trail today and walked out 1.5 miles, then turned around and headed back to our starting point to give us 3 miles. I felt really good, did not get worn out or fatigued. So happy about that! Then we stopped by nearby Finley's for a beer and cheap pizza.

After we got home, I washed & put away everything in our dirty-clothes hamper (long overdue since I've been sick!). Then I chopped up some veggies to make pico de gallo and made some guacamole. Took the pork out of the oven and chopped it, then fried it in a skillet to get it a little crispy. Served pork tacos for dinner - corn tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, and shredded sharp cheddar. Yum!

After dinner, we visited our neighbors Tony & Tonya for "Whiskey Wednesday." They have a standing invitation, but we haven't been able to make it for a while - always something, including a very bad string of heavy rains every Wednesday for about 6 weeks! We had a nice visit sitting around the firepit and enjoying good conversation with them, their daughter-in-law, and a couple glasses of whiskey.

My picture, at top: not taken today, but a couple weeks ago. It is a view of my little garden that I started early this summer. I had no idea what I was doing, but it has just blossomed, and I'm so excited about it! This was a blank slate to start. The only thing that existed was the rosebush that is located beyond the left corner of this picture, unseen. All the rest was just...well, dirt. Mud. I randomly bought little pots of annuals I found at Lowe's, planted them, made the little path with stepping stones and decorative rocks, and threw down some mulch. It looked so pathetic when I started that I was embarrassed! LOL. My parents visited in July and gifted me that adorable little bird chair. And now, I can't believe it! My garden has grown. The marigolds have grown way bigger than I ever thought possible. Maybe it's obvious, but I am NOT a gardener. I look at my garden and I see a miracle! I love flowers, but I do not know how to make them grow, nor do I really know how to plant anything. I just feel so happy when I see these beautiful flowers!!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love tortilla soup! I've actually been craving it all summer, but kept telling myself I needed to wait for fall - or at least until we weren't getting an unbearably hot or sunny day. Well, thanks to Hurricane Ida, we are having heavy rainfalls today along with fall-like temps. I ran out to the store this morning before the rains got too crazy and picked up ingredients for chicken tortilla soup. It really hit the spot for all of us!

Ingredients for the soup:

3 TBSP butter

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups cooked, seasoned chicken*, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 TBSP tomato paste

4 ounces cream cheese

3 cups chicken stock

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 can yellow corn, drained

1 1/2 tsp Knorr chicken bouillon powder

2 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp cumin

For the tortilla stips:

4 corn tortillas, cut into strips

Lard or oil for frying

Suggested toppings: 

Chopped cilantro

Shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican cheese blend)

Diced avocado

Sliced green onions

Directions: 

1. Melt butter in a large cooking pot or Dutch oven, then add onion and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chopped chicken, diced jalapeno, beans, corn, seasonings, and chicken bouillon powder. Give it a good stir.

2. Add cream cheese, tomato paste, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes.

3. While soup cooks, prepare tortilla strips. Place lard or oil in a skillet and heat for about 5 minutes. There should be about 1/2 inch of melted fat. Add tortilla strips in a single layer and cook on both sides until lightly browned. You will probably have to cook them in 2-3 batches, but they cook quickly so it won't take long. Move fried tortilla strips to a plate lined with paper towels to cool.

4. Serve soup with fried tortilla strips and other toppings as desired. Enjoy on a cool, rainy fall day.

*NOTE about the chicken. I wanted to buy a rotisserie chicken to use for the soup, but I was at the store too early and they didn't have any ready. Instead, I bought a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and baked them. 

Seasoned Cooked Chicken

To bake chicken breasts for using in recipes like this one that call for cooked chicken, here is how I do it. This makes a total of about 6-7 cups chopped, seasoned chicken. 

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts

4 TBSP butter

1/2 cup dry white wine, like pinot grigio

Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, trim fat off chicken breasts and cut each breast in half (they are usually so big, and cutting them in half helps them to cook faster).

3. Place half of the melted butter in a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Lay the chicken in the melted butter and sprinkle generously with Lawry's seasoned salt and pepper. Turn chicken over, seasoned side down. Pour the white wine over all the chicken breasts. Pour the remaining 2 TBSP melted butter over the chicken. Season with seasoned salt and pepper.

4. Cover tightly with foil and cut a couple of small slits in the middle of the foil to vent. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool, leaving foil on the pan, for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Chop or shred to add to dishes calling for cooked chicken. You can also use the liquid left in the pan for broth in your recipe. It's delicious!

Dorito Pie

I grew up in Texas and Frito Pie is one of my favorite dishes. It's so easy to make and very kid-friendly. I have been craving Frito Pie for a while and decided that's what we would have for dinner tonight. The problem is, when we received our grocery delivery this morning, the Fritos were missing!! 😭 

But, we had a bag of nacho cheese Doritos, so I thought, why not just try making Dorito Pie instead? So that is what I did. I don't really have a "recipe" for Frito Pie, but it basically crushed Fritos on the bottom of a dish, a layer of chili con carne, more Fritos on top, sprinkled with cheese, and then baked until the cheese melts. So I did the same thing with this Dorito Pie, but I added some sour cream to the chili to give it some extra creaminess. I was very pleased with how this recipe turned out and will definitely make it again! It would make a great covered dish to take to a potluck, too. If you don't like things spicy, omit the cayenne pepper and use mild salsa.

DORITO PIE

1 lb. hamburger

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

1 cup salsa (I used hot)

1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup sour cream

1 bag nacho cheese flavored Doritos

2 cups shredded taco cheese (or cheddar)

1. Heat oven to 375. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Cook hamburger, onion, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat and stirring until browned. Drain grease and return to skillet.

3.  Season cooked hamburger with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

4.  Add salsa, green chilies, and tomato sauce; stir well. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

5. Crush Doritos and then open bag. Spread 1/2 of the crushed Doritos evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon chili over Doritos, then top with remaining Doritos. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

6.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with fresh toppings on the side like shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and sliced jalapenos. Enjoy!

Cheesy Potato Cakes

Last night, I made salisbury steak and we had about a cup of mashed potatoes left. So this morning, I made some yummy potato cakes with the leftovers. So good and makes a nice little breakfast. Or snack, or side dish. Because you know, potatoes. I love them.

Here's how I did it:

In a mixing bowl, mix leftover mashed potatoes (I had 1 cup) with a TBSP flour, a handful of shredded cheddar cheese, 1 egg white, and some Lawry's seasoned salt. Set aside.

Melt 1 TBSP ghee in skillet. Add a little diced yellow onion (about 1/4 of an onion) and cook over medium-low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the sauteed onion and garlic to potato mixture and mix well.

Add 2 TBSP of ghee to the skillet, increase heat to medium, and allow the ghee to heat up for a minute or two.

Shape potato mixture into little cakes and fry in ghee, each side about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown and heated through. The outsides will be crispy and the insides fluffy. Soooo good, ENJOY! 

NOTE: You can leave the cheese out if you want to go dairy-free! They will still be delicious! 

Delicious Deviled Eggs

This is a very simple, basic recipe for deviled eggs - but a little "secret" ingredient just makes them stand out above the rest: Lawry's Seasoned Salt!! I'm not even kidding, and no, I'm not getting any compensation from Lawry's, lol - I WISH! 

Ingredients:

8 eggs, hard-boiled

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp yellow mustard

1/2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 TBSP dill pickle relish

Paprika

Dried parsley

Directions:

1. Slice eggs lengthwise in half. Remove yolks and place in a bowl. Lay out egg white halves in a serving dish.

2. Use an electric mixer to combine egg yolks, mustard, seasoned salt, and pickle relish.

3. Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves.

4.  Sprinkle lightly with paprika and dried parsley.

5. Cover and chill for 2 hours before serving.

Fish Tacos

I've posted about making fish tacos before, but that was because I wanted to share how I make cilantro-lime coleslaw, which tastes great on fish tacos. But tonight, I want to post my recipe for the fish in fish tacos. It's not really a recipe I guess, but just how I make them. You can be really flexible.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. mild tasting fish 
• 1/2 stick butter, melted and divided
• Coarse Kosher salt
• Coarse-ground black pepper
• Old Bay or Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 lime

You can use any kind of mild tasting fish. I've used haddock, tilapia, and cod. I usually buy frozen and then thaw the fish out by running each filet under cool tap water. Then I lay them on paper towels to dry.

Heat the oven to 425*F. While the oven heats, line a large cookie sheet with foil. Cut fish filets into smaller pieces to fit tacos. I usually cut each fish filet into four pieces.

Lay fish on the foil-lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Drizzle half of the melted butter over all the fish. Then sprinkle generously with seasoning. I like to use Kosher salt, coarse-ground black pepper, and either Cajun seasoning or Old Bay.

Place fish in preheated oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until it is cooked through and easily flakes with a fork. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining melted butter. Squeeze half of a lime over the fish.

Serve with in warm corn tortillas and whatever fillings you like!

Cinco de Mayo Low-Carb Taco Pizza

Cinco de Mayo is a great excuse to eat Mexican food!! Or, at least Mexican-inspired food. Or (my favorite), Tex-Mex food. Heh. (I grew up in San Antonio!!)

This Cinco de Mayo, I made taco salad. It was "keto style" but absolutely delicious and we were definitely not deprived. All I do is make taco meat, add all the "toppings," but just leave out the tortilla chips (or tortilla shells, whatever!), beans, and/or rice (we do not miss it at all!).

I made lots of taco salad. Lots. Ahem, too much. 

So, I wanted to do something with the leftover taco stuff so we wouldn't have to eat the same exact taco salad 3 times in a row (it was delicious, but, dinner, lunch...and then dinner again? LOL)

First of all, I preheated my oven to 425*F, and used this low-carb pizza crust recipe. (My go-to recipe!) 

I rolled the crust out between two sheets of parchment paper, then removed the top sheet. After pricking the dough with a fork, and sprinkling it generously with garlic salt, I used a pizza paddle to transfer the crust with the bottom sheet of parchment paper to the preheated pizza stone in my oven, and baked it for about 8 minutes, checking on it half-way and puncturing any bubbles with a fork.

Then I added the toppings. I used my leftover taco meat mixed with 1/2 a jar of Pace picante sauce to make it more....well, "saucy." I spread that over my (already) baked low-carb pizza crust.  Then I added shredded cheeses: Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Parmesan. (No measurements--just eyeball it!)

I baked it for about 5 more minutes, until top cheeses were melted. 

After removing it from the oven, I allowed it to sit and cool for about 5 minutes. Then I added fresh toppings (because this was a "taco" pizza!): lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced green onion, sliced  jalapenos, etc.  Use whatever you love for tacos. I would have added fresh chopped cilantro, but I didn't have any. 

I drizzled it with thinned-out sour cream because we all love sour cream! (Just whisk in a little cold water to sour cream until it is at a "drizzling" consistency!)

As usual, 2 slices of pizza made with low-carb crust filled me up. If it were "regular" crust, I could eat at least half of an entire pizza! LOL

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw

Another Lenten Friday, and I am making fish tacos! This is one of my family's favorite dishes, and they taste so good with my creamy cilantro-lime coleslaw. We love to put other goodies in our fish tacos too, but they would taste perfectly fine if the only addition were this coleslaw!

Ingredients:

½ bag green & purple coleslaw mix

¼ cup diced purple onion

2 jalapeno peppers, diced

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 TBSP mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

Juice from 1 lime

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, salt, and pepper until smooth. Stir in all other ingredients. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. 

Chill for 1-2 hours (or more) before serving.

Tastes great in fish tacos!!!

Our favorite additions for fish tacos (besides coleslaw):

Diced tomatoes

Sliced jalapenos

Diced purple onion

Sour cream, thinned with a little cold water

Cojito cheese

Sliced avocado

Suisse Mocha

I used to love Suisse Mocha and it was a regular afternoon treat for me when my kids were little and napping. I haven't bought it in years - I'm not even sure they make it anymore. But it's snowing again today, and it suddenly popped into my mind how good a cup of Suisse Mocha would be on a cold, snowy day. So I created something with ingredients I had on hand (using no sugar, keeping it low-carb) and it tastes how I remember it. I'm not sure if my memory is skewed or not, but I really like what I came up with. It's very similar to my Keto Mocha that I posted about a couple weeks ago, but it uses more cream and has a more mellow flavor. I also used Swerve rather than liquid Stevia, which I think works better. 

2/3 cup prepared coffee (I still had some leftover in the coffeepot from this morning)

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tsp cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)

1 TBSP Swerve powdered sweetener*

2 dashes vanilla extract

1. Place coffee, cream, and cocoa powder in a large mug and whisk until blended. Heat in microwave for 60-90 seconds, until hot. (Or, combine in a small saucepan and heat on stovetop.)
2. Whisk in vanilla and sweetener. Enjoy!

*This is my favorite low-carb sweetener. The powdered kind dissolves easier than the granulated kind. Use whatever sweetener is your favorite.