The Maker's Diet Awards

Here are our top favorites from this past 40 days of doing the Maker's Diet. And the award goes to.....

 

The Cal Ripkin Award: Omelettes!

Like, Cal Ripkin, Jr., omelettes got the most consistent and consecutive play time during this diet. They were always good, very versatile, and never let us down.

The J-Lo award:  Trader Joe's Limeade

Trader Joe's Limeade is good for just about anything. A little bit of a cheater, but you still find yourself coming back to it to help you out. It was good in everything from water to salsa to marinades. A true triple threat.

The Selena Gomez Award: Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash gets the rookie of the year award. A bit of a newcomer, but certainly a great addition to our meals this time. A little scary to try, but a very pleasant surprise. Doesn't taste the way you'd expect from the way it looks.

The David Hasselhoff Award: Corn tortillas

Corn tortillas were a real lifesaver. Wrap 'em around anything and you've got tacos! Also made eating out much easier--you can get them anywhere you go.

The Sandra Bullock Meal Award: Maui Short Ribs and Broccoli

I've been told Sandra Bullock is low-maintenance. So are Maui Short Ribs and Broccoli from Trader Joe's. Quick, easy and low clean-up.

The Tim Tebow Award: Trader Joe's

Of course Trader Joe's gets the MVP award. With products that are clean, natural and pure; and no matter how much you want to go somewhere else, you just keep coming back to Trader Joe's because it's so great. The only haters don't even know Trader Joe's.

Days 38,39 and 40: Ummmm....so.....

We ran into a bit of a problem on Day 38.

Uriah and I both woke up with a pretty nasty cold. Scrambled eggs for breakfast; but Andy brought this home for us for lunch:

Not too awful, right? And definitely needed it.

Dinner was Trader Joe's Maui Short Ribs and broccoli. Still doing pretty good. And felt like we were both getting a good bit better by the time we went to bed Thursday night.

Then came Friday. Not only did I have Floyd, the three-year-old I watch a few times a week, but we had promised him we would take him to Downtown Disney. Oh, and I forgot to mention that his older brother Clark (9 years old) showed up at the door with him, too. He didn't have school, so he decided he wanted to come along with us. AND Uriah and I definitely were still sick. Awesome.

Breakfast was a good smoothie, but lunch was a caesar salad at Disney and dinner was a piece of pizza. It was a LONG day.

So we have definitely NOT finished strong. Still sick today. Uriah actually, surprisingly slept pretty well last night; but he did cough all night long.  Andy was determined to help Uriah feel better, so he brought him this home for breakfast:

Ha. All to himself. He is in heaven.

So I think at this point, we're gonna call it good. We made it 38 days. Ugh. So close.

So.....now what?

Our goal is to keep eating within the parameters of the Maker's Diet, for the most part. Most of the cooking at home will be within the diet (with a few special exceptions), and when we eat out, we want to try to make smart choices about where and what we're eating.

I'd like to to try doing a week-long version of Phase I during the first week of every month, starting in December.

And I'm going to keep blogging. Just not every day. The past 40 days have been mostly about survival. Without the pressure to HAVE TO eat within the diet for EVERY meal, I can focus on finding new, delicious recipes that meet the standards of each phase. I'll be posting the best versions of each. My goal is to post at least once a week.  My guess is that this will actually be more helpful and interesting than the meals over the past 40 days; however I'm hoping those of you who have been reading this have enjoyed seeing what it's like to make this diet work while actually living a real life in the real world.

 Final numbers? Andy lost almost 25 pounds. I lost a little more than 15. But more importantly, we both feel great. Our skin is healthier, we're sleeping better and we have much more energy.

Now back to watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with my sick kid and his smoothie.

Day 37: Finishing Strong

Breakfast: Whole wheat blueberry pecan pancakes

I used the same recipe as last time, straight out of the Maker's Diet book.  Both times, I've needed to add a little extra water. Also, I tend to have a problem with patience whenever I cook pancakes, but these ones seem to take even LONGER than normal to cook all the way through. Quite good though.

Lunch: left-over spaghetti squash with meat sauce

Oh the joys of eating last night's dinner for lunch. Actually there is quite a bit of joy in it when you can convince a 3-year-old that he likes it.

Dinner: Um, it's Halloween. I plead the fifth. 

This child is currently running laps around our living room in his tights....I have no idea why....  ;)

Only 3 day left. Getting less and less motivated. I think I need to give myself a pep talk about finishing strong and all that.

Day 36: One last plug for spaghetti squash

Breakfast: Nothing

Yep, that's super healthy, right? We were in a rush today to get off to library storytime in our costumes and all, so breakfast for mommy went down the drain.

Lunch: Chicken salad sandwich and some grapes

Good ole' Trader Joe's. I used their white meat chicken salad on Ezekiel bread. I would eat this even if I wasn't on a strict diet.

Dinner: Spaghetti squash with meat sauce

Spaghetti squash really just doesn't photograph well. Sorry.

Spaghetti squash is by far one of Uriah's favorite foods. He literally gets giddy when we have it. Tonight, after I took his (empty) plate away he was scraping up the little pieces left on his tray and shoving them in his mouth.

If that doesn't convince you to try spaghetti squash, I'm not sure what will.


Tomorrow is Halloween. I'm guessing we'll probably eat at least one thing we shouldn't. We shall see.

Day 35: easy is the name of the game

Breakfast: smoothie

(In case you hadn't noticed, breakfasts are minimal around here.....Andy works at 4AM, so I have a hard time wanting to do any amount of work for just myself and Uriah.)

Lunch: Chicken tacos

Pretty simple--just chicken, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, lime juice and guacamole all in a corn tortilla.
It's a real good thing we aren't tired of tacos yet. They are quick and easy and good every time.

Dinner: Chicken and squash

Another quick and easy meal. I sliced up the squash, tossed it in olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper and roasted it in the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes. I stirred them around about avery 5-8 minutes or so. 

The chicken was just quickly grilled in a pan over MedHi heat with olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Low mess, low work. 

And of course, how could I leave you without a preview of what's coming this week?

Days 33 and 34: Only one week to go!

Missed a day of posting...lucky for all of you, I haven't been all that exciting the past two days, so you didn't miss much.

Day 33 Breakfast: smoothie

Day 33 Lunch: Grilled Cheese

A few days ago, we got Uriah a grilled cheese sandwich at the Farmer's Market, and I took a small bite of it. I have been craving one ever since. This one, with raw organic cheese and Ezekiel bread, wasn't quite the same as the greasy, white bread and American cheese version I was hoping for; but it was a pretty good substitute.

Day 33 Dinner: Peruvian food

I have no idea how to pronounce, spell or even barely explain what we ate for dinner at the little Peruvian place a friend took us to. I know it was beef, tomatoes and some onions. They were great. There also might have been some potatoes and rice. In my defense, I gave most of those to Uriah.

Day 34 Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and fresh-squeezed Orange Juice

Day 34 Lunch: Steak tacos

Day 34 Dinner: The Melting Pot!

Tonight was our (official) cheat dinner. I think the thing I have liked most about our cheat dinners is that they have also turned themselves into date nights lately.

Spinach and Artichoke Cheese Fondue 

Us being our classy selves.

Buffalo Chicken, Teriyaki Steak, Mushroom Scallopinis, Old Bay Shrimp, Marinated Pork and veggies

If you haven't heard of The Melting Pot before, it's one of those places where you pay way too much money to have to cook your own food. But it's fun. And I can't say it's not delicious. All this food came to our table raw (the platter in the middle), then we cooked it in the broth and added whichever sauces we liked.

And of course there was dessert. A mix of dark and white chocolate fondue. 

Can you tell we had a great time?

Day 32: Dear Jordan Rubin....

Dear Jordan Rubin,

When you titled the recipe in the back of your book "Easy Waffles," had you yet tried them? Let me explain to you why they were not, in fact, easy. We can start with the whole soaking the flour for at least 7 hours thing. I don't really understand it. Perhaps it's explained somewhere in your book, but I don't remember it. I'm sure it has to do with something fermenting, but anything I have to start making more than 7 hours in advance annoys me. And can't we just say overnight? Let's be real here, waffles are a morning food. I ate them at 8AM this morning. And I did not get up at 1AM just to soak the whole wheat flour in water AND yogurt. But I'll let that one be, and tell you why else these waffles were NOT easy. Have you ever tried to measure out exactly two tablespoons of honey? Without getting any on you, the counter and anything else within a three-foot radius of it? And, oh yes, your recipe lists coconut oil in the ingredients. You never say when to add it. You do say when to add butter; but that, of course, is not in the list of ingredients. Which left me wondering which I was actually supposed to use. Neither? Both?

And, Jordan Rubin, none of this actually matters. Because, although they tasted pretty good, these waffles had the texture and rigidity of a tortilla. No matter how many different temps and cook times I tried. I managed to eat one (thank God for syrup), but both my one-year-old son and the three-year-old I care for refused to take even one whole bite. And if two kids that are less picky than goats are asking if they can have oatmeal instead, then I can assure you the waffles where less than stellar. Much less.

They were not easy. And they were only barely waffles. I feel I've been duped here.

Sincerely,

The Mom Who Made A Big Deal About A Waffle Party And Had To Feed The Kids Eggos Instead.

Whew....glad I got that one off my chest.

Lunch: Turkey Sandwich

Photo cred goes to my husband. I don't need to write him a letter--he knows this photo is bad.


Turkey, pesto, lettuce, tomato, pickles and raw cheddar cheese on Ezekiel bread.

Dinner: Steak tacos with chips and guacamole

I used the left-over tri-tip from dinner last night, chopped it up and heated it in a pan. Added tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and lime. The guacamole was simply avocados, lime juice, salt and pepper.


Only 8 days left.

And in case you were wondering, our pumpkins are now ready for Halloween.

Day 31: I am a terrible blogger.

I am a terrible blogger. I forgot to take pictures of anything today.

Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Taco salad
Dinner: Tri-tip and carrots


I can, however, tell you that this came in the mail a few days ago:

And I've been salivating over it ever since.

Day 30: Only 10 more to go!

Breakfast: a smoothie--banana, pineapple, peach and strawberry

Lunch: Chik Fil A

Yes. Chick Fil A. Not only did Uriah get this terrifically cheesy comic book about cows with superpowers there, but you can get grilled chicken and fresh fruit there. Which is wonderful, considering I could get chicken nuggets for the kiddo AND enjoy the peace and quiet while he plays in the air-conditioned play area.

Dinner:  blueberry-pecan pancakes

This is a recipe straight out of the Maker's Diet book. I was pretty nervous about this one. And they definitely came out a bit funny-looking. But they tasted amazing. I would seriously choose these over regular pancakes every time. And it was really nice to eat pancakes. Really nice.

1.5 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup water mixed with 1Tbs yogurt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Mix flour with water and yogurt and let stand overnight (OK...so this is what the recipe says to do...I didn't see this until I was getting ready to make them, so I didn't do that. Oops?). Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cook in a skillet or pan over moderate heat.


To be honest, I haven't made many of the recipes out of the book because they just don't look very appetizing to me. I probably wouldn't have made this one either; but I really wanted pancakes and so I figured I could give it a try. I think maybe I should try a few more of these recipes.




We went to Tanaka Farms today to get pumpkins.

What I hadn't realized before going there is that they are an actual real, working farm. You can pick your own produce there. I am excited to go back and do it--can't get any fresher than that!

Day 29: Back on the wagon

Breakfast: a peach

Can't get enough of peaches these days. You don't really appreciate how sweet fruit is until you're not eating any sugar.

Lunch: Pesto tuna melts and apple slices

I made the same pesto again from the spaghetti squash recipe I made on Saturday, then mixed it in with some canned tuna. Spread it over some Ezekiel bread with some melted raw organic cheddar cheese and tada.

Basil Pesto
2/3 cup basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup pecans
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil

Put the first six ingredients in a food processor and pulse into a paste. Add the cheese and pulse to blend. Add the olive oil and mix to incorporate.

Dinner: Steak and chicken street tacos

We hit up the farmer's market again and go the same street tacos we have been the past few weeks. They were (like they always are) wonderful.


Today went a little better than yesterday, I guess.

Day 28: Andy may have called today "Naughty Monday"

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, peaches and coffee

Then Andy decided to bring home this:

He just saw that I was posting this, to which he said "Oh no.....are you posting our naughty photos?"

(Yes, this is the most naughty photo I have....because I know you were wondering. Stop thinking what you're thinking right now. Yes, you.)


Andy was gone all weekend, and I hadn't made it to the grocery store yet, so we decided to go to Stuffed for lunch because we can get great tacos there without having to cheat at all.

PROBLEMATIC.

At which point, we decided to head to Fred's, which is directly upstairs from Stuffed.

Not exactly the worst place in the world to eat lunch. However, it may be the worst place in the world to eat if you're on a diet.

We actually didn't do too bad: the steak tacos are really great. But so were the taquitos with a little cheese that we also had.

In Phase III, we can now have brown rice in small amounts. We decided that, at least for today, mexican rice in small amounts also was ok.

PROBLEMATIC.

I literally only took 4 bites of rice. FOUR. I counted them.You know that feeling you get after eating way too much when you feel like you weigh 963 pounds and your stomach is about to explode? You know how it usually goes away after 30 minutes or so? I felt like that for SIX HOURS.

Dinner: an apple.

Yes, I had just an apple for dinner. I still felt sick and full and gross. So I just had an apple. Finally, around 7PM I started to feel better.


Back on the wagon tomorrow I guess.

Phase III

Time for Phase III!

Here's what we can add:

Beans and Legumes

• pinto beans
• split peas
• lima beans
• black-eyed peas
• red beans
• garbanzo beans
• broad beans
• edamame (in small amounts)

Nuts and seeds

• roasted almonds
• roasted pecans
• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds
• roasted walnuts
• roasted macadamia nuts
• pumpkinseed butter
• peanuts (in small amounts)
• peanut butter (in small amounts)
• cashews (in small amounts)
• cashew butter (in small amounts)

Fruits

• bananas
• papaya
• mango
• canned fruit (in its own juices)
• dried figs, dates, pineapple, papaya, peaches, apples, raisins and prunes

Beverages

• raw, unpasteurized vegetable juice
• raw, unpasteurized fruit juice
• organic wine and beer (in very small amounts)

Grains and starchy carbohydrates

• sprouted, Ezekiel-type bread
• sprouted Essene bread
• fermented whole-grain sourdough bread
• whole-grain kamut of spelt pasta (in small amounts)
• quinoa
• buckwheat
• kamut (small amounts)
• oats (small amounts)
• barley (small amounts)
• brown rice (small amounts)
• amaranth
• millet
• sprouted cereal
• spelt (small amounts)

Sweeteners

• 100% pure maple syrup
• organic cane juice

Still can't have: pork, shellfish, commercial dairy products, soy/almond milk, anything with added sugar, regular bread, potatoes, or pastas

But do you people understand what this means?

Pancakes.

Waffles.

French toast.

Are you hearing this?

No.More.Omelettes.

Day 27: Same same but different

Breakfast: Omelette 

Let's just say I have gotten really good at making omelettes. This was the usual--chicken sausage, tomatoes, red onions and cilantro--but with a twist. I added a little shredded raw organic cheddar cheese. I forgot how good omelettes are when they actually have cheese in them.

Lunch: Clam Chowder from Slapfish and french fries

I'm gonna consider this my reward for being otherwise good at staying on the diet while Andy was away. It was definitely a soup kind of day. It rained all night and was gloomy this morning. So some delicious clam chowder was in order. And you can't get chowder at Slapfish without french fries to dip in it. I split the fries with my mom (and, let's be honest, Uriah ate a good portion of them), so I don't feel too bad about that.

Dinner: Left-over Spaghetti Squash

I have not eaten dinner yet; but in about an hour, my plan is to eat the left-over squash from last night's dinner.


Sorry, it was kinda a boring food day.

Day 26: Partying like it's 1999

Took a little while to get this post for yesterday up. It's because I was doing things like this until the wee hours of the morning:

Breakfast: Coffee. Just coffee. I'm sure this is really healthy.

Lunch: Chicken nachos

OK, OK, so I know what I said yesterday, but I made nachos again anyway. Andy is not a fan, so I have to take advantage of eating them while I can. Also, I already had all the stuff chopped up, so it was easy.

Just chicken, tomatoes, green onion, cilantro, red onion, lime, raw organic cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.

Dinner: Spaghetti squash with basil pesto, tomatoes and artichoke hearts

Don't the let the picture deceive you. If you make one recipe from this blog, this should probably be it. I got it off the Recipes for Divine Living blog. Click the link for the original post. I added/modified/left out a few ingredients, so heres my version of the recipe:

1 Spaghetti squash, roasted
olive oil
salt and pepper
Trader Joe's chopped garlic, onions and shallots mix
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 can (or jar) artichoke hearts, chopped
basil pesto (recipe below)
1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
Trader Joe's fresh parmesan/asiago cheese mix
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped


Start by roasting the spaghetti squash. If you're not sure how, you can check out a few of my previous posts. Once you've roasted the squash, set it aside to cool and start with the other ingredients.

Add 2 Tbs olive oil to a large skillet over MedHi heat. Add the onions, garlic and shallots mix and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the sherry and chicken broth and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Stir in basil pesto, tomatoes and artichokes and simmer for another 2 minutes or so. Add the spaghetti squash, cheese and parsley and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper if desired.


Basil Pesto:
2/3 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup pecans
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil

Put the first six ingredients into a food processor and pulse into a paste. Add cheese and pulse to blend. Pour in olive oil and mix to incorporate.



This recipe was actually relatively easy to make, and the flavor was so great. Even Uriah loved it! The pesto was fantastic--I will probably make it again to use with other recipes or even as a stand-alone spread.

Day 25: I can do anything for 15 more days, right?

Breakfast: If you guessed omelette, you would be.....half right. 

I made an omelette for Andy and brought it to him at work. I had some fruit.

Then we ran out the door and headed to OC Great Park. If you live in the area, and have kids, you MUST go. They have a free carousel that you can ride as many times as you want.

Lunch: Steak Nachos

I've been looking forward to these all week. I used the left-over steak from last night, raw organic cheese, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime, avocado and some organic white corn tortilla chips. The tortilla chips are another place I'm willing to budge a bit from the diet occasionally. They're almost OK, and they sure are a bright spot when I get to indulge in them.

I simply layered the chips, cheese and steak in on a piece of foil on top of a baking sheet, put them in an oven at 350 for a few minutes until the cheese was melted, then put the other ingredients over the top.

Truthfully, the tostada nacho things I made last week were much easier to eat. I think I'd make those again before I make nachos, even when we're not on a diet.

Dinner: The Habit (gee, I'm starting to understand why they call it that)

Hopefully, this is my only cheat meal this weekend. But it's gonna be tough. Andy is out of town, and I've got a handful of great opportunities this weekend. We're headed to the swap meet tomorrow, with a ton of fun food booths, I'm headed to a church event tomorrow night with Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and my mom is gonna be in town. On top of the fact that Andy has limited food resources this weekend, so he has no choice but to cheat a bit. Ugh. I'll be surrounded by temptations everywhere I turn, with no one to do it with me. I think it's gonna be a bit like this:

Don't worry, they're fake. But I'm not sure Uriah knows that.

Day 24: I'm beginning to see the light.

Breakfast: Peaches and strawberries

Yum.

Lunch: Chicken spring salad

All I did was use the left-over pesto chicken from yesterday with some spring mix and apple cidar vinegar dressing. I will never get tired of that dressing. And if you're thinking this salad looks small, you're right. At this point, that's all it takes to fill us up. We started out having to eat salads that were whole platefuls to get us full, and now we've made it to this. Funny how that works. Kinda nice actually.

Dinner: Chimichurri Steaks and roasted veggies

This is a very easy dinner.

The steaks are simply from Trader Joe's (of course).

Like most of their meats, I think the marinade might be a stretch. Maybe biggest problem with this one is that it has "tequila-flavored seasoning" listed as one of the ingredients. So it's not tequila? It's just tequila-flavored? I think that might actually be worse.

But the steaks are delicious. Juicy and tender, with a great flavor to them.

You're supposed to grill them, but I did them in a pan just fine. Just put them over MedHi heat and flipped them every couple of minutes until they were done.

The veggies were zucchini and asparagus, sliced into pieces and tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little garlic powder.

Put them all in a dish in the oven at 375 for.....Ok, I'm not sure. I put them in about 5 minutes before I put the steaks on. I opened up the oven and stirred them around every time I flipped the steaks (so I guess every couple of minutes). They were done about 5 minutes after the steaks. So 15 or 20 minutes maybe?


Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We're almost to Phase III. That means tuna melts. And turkey sandwiches. This is huge.

Day 23:What you don't know can't hurt you, right?

Just spicing up the photos a bit.

We went out in a boat in around Balboa today. Had a blast. May or may not have gotten the boys a scoop of ice cream afterward. May or may not have gotten one for myself as well. Oops. At least I'm not craving Rocky Road anymore.

Breakfast: If you were betting on an omelette, you'd be right. 

Chicken sausage, tomato, red onion and cilantro. Reigning favorite around here.

Lunch: Trader Joe's Pesto Chicken with peaches and strawberries

The chicken comes pre-marinated in the Trader Joe's meat section. This is one of those ones that the marinade has a few minor ingredients in it that I think are things we're not supposed to have; but I figure it's just the marinade and it's minor...so....not a big deal? I'm no nutritionist, so if I'm wrong, please don't tell me. It's really good chicken.

Dinner: Spaghetti squash with meat sauce

If you missed my last post when I cooked this, here's the link again to a great video on how to prepare spaghetti squash. I did one thing differently this time: I figured out an easier way to slice it in half. See, the difficulty mostly comes in that you're supposed to slice it in half lengthwise, which gets hard when you get to the top area with the stem. So this time I cut at an angle:

Worked great and was a bit easier. I felt a lot less concerned that I was gonna slice off one of my fingers that way. Also, I was a bit less timid when scooping the seeds out this time. That also helped. 

Only 17 days left to go. Andy just read this while I was typing this. He said "Seventeen? I thought we only had like seven left or something like that?" Wishful thinking.