Is it Still Called "Falling Off the Wagon" if You Never Got On?

This week we missed the wagon. . . it kind of left without us at the beginning and we spent the rest of the week just jogging along beside it. :}  Major lack of planning and a week of needing food on the go didn't work out so well.  Looking back we kind of ended up in the middle ground between our normal and the experiment.  Since the biggest part of this experiment for us is to really limit grains and replace stomach filling lower nutrient foods (rice, flour, etc) with lots of higher nutrient ones (leafy greens, veggies, etc) a week of bad planning landed us back toward the carb-starch pot again.  It's provided an interesting opportunity for comparison.  You'd think that eating more of the things we'd decided to not eat for awhile would satiate cravings but it seems to be just the opposite.  The week we ate plant heavy, no cravings- the week we slipped closer to regular habits brought cravings galore.  For me, it also brought back muscle pain and the crashing fatigue.  Other than those, nothing immediately noticeable for anyone. 

So this week it's back up on the experimental wagon.  Our fridge is full and our week is planned.  

The salad is good!  Never mind the quality photo. :}

The Keepers

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Mango Blueberry Salad w/ Basil Lemon 4 out of 5
I really like the mix of fruit with cucumbers and basil in this salad!  It's fantastic.  I'm still undecided on the quinoa in the mix.  That being said, both of my kids ate it.  Even the picky 'blueberries aren't my favorite' kid, though I think he swallowed those whole.  :}  Next time I will try some lightly toasted almonds or cashews in with it. 

Adapted from Mango Blueberry Salad w/ Basil Lemon

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 mangoes
8 oz blueberries
2 medium sized cucumbers
2 heads of romaine lettuce

20 leaves of basil
1/4 fresh lemon juice
1/4 fresh orange juice

Directions

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
2. Cube mangoes, about 1/2 inch pieces.  Put in large bowl.
3. Peel and cube cucumber about the same size.  Add them to the bowl.
4. Rinse blueberries and drain well.  Add to bowl.
5.  Wash and cut romaine into shreds.
6. Wash basil and chop into small pieces.
7. Squeeze lemons and oranges. (the orange juice I used in place of olive oil from the original recipe)
8. You can serve this a number or ways.  Toss the fruit and salad with part of the juice and basil.  Then spoon quinoa over the top of it.  Or toss the fruit and juice with the quinoa and spoon it over the salad greens.  Or even just serve them all separate and let people put their own together.  I did the latter, makes storing any leftovers easier

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal 4 out of 5
I don't really like oatmeal.  This one's a big exception to that rule :)
This recipe makes enough for the four of us to be really full.

2 cup old fashioned oats
1 generous tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin, butternut, or yams (you can also use canned pumpkin)
1 1/2 cup almond milk
Pecans

Ramekins- depending on size you will need 4-8.  We use the little pyrex storage containers because it's what we have.  I fill them about half way and it leaves room for more almond milk and a little maple syrup.  If you use a different sized dish you'll want to adjust your cooking time accordingly, it will take longer to cook through on a bigger one and less for a smaller, of course. :}


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients and stir.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, pumpkin, and milk well.
4. Pour the two together and stir until combined.
5. Divide the oatmeal into your ramekins.  And place them all on a cookie sheet.  
6. Break the pecans over the tops of your oatmeal.
7. Bake for approx 20-25 minutes.