EATING PLAN FOR OSTARA

  This plan leans on whole grains, veggies and legumes. The baseline drawn from macrobiotics, but including less salty foods, as they tend to make me retain water. Also noticeable is that I´m returning back to work (tomorrow!), so speed is another important factor here.

8am Breakfast: 
2 cups (1/2 liter) kukicha tea with soymilk
3 big rice cakes with coconut butter and honey

Pasta and bolognese cooking up for on Monday. Two kettles, one for whole wheat pasta and the other for gluten-free kind for my son.

12pm Lunch:
2 cups (1/2 liter) bancha tea plain
Mon: pasta bolognese (with tvp=textured vegetable protein crumble, not meat)
Tue: vegetable-flat breads
Wed: tofu stir-fry & brown rice
Thu: tortillas with beans
Fri: pizza (vegan & low fat without cheese)
Sat: pancakes (including finely grated veggie like carrots)
Sun: miso soup with tofu

Creamy oat porridge with raisins and mulberries.

4pm Dinner:
2 cups (1/2 liter) kukicha tea with soymilk
oat porridge with raisins/honey/jam

7pm Supper:
apples

  The times given are merely approximate, and need to be adjusted to each day´s needs. This eating plan acts as a strong stem when planning my grocery shopping list. If I want to improvise, so be it, but with this in mind I won´t have to do the daily pondering of "what shall we eat today".

EATING PLAN FOR IMBOLC

  Taking a leap towards macrobiotics again. After eating raw foods for months, my body craves cooked grain now. And since I´ve always been a fan of intuitive eating, I trust macrobiotic-like food being good for me now. Variety is always good.

A basic macrobiotic-style breakfast. Oatmeal sprinkled with green nori flakes, small green salad, and kukicha tea.

  Ten years ago I bought my first ever macrobiotic cookbook. It was informative, even too much so, but it left me confused and not knowing how to proceed. The recipes were not mouthwatering either, so I buried the book in the shelf for years.
  The second macrobiotic book I ever bought was "Mayumi´s Kitchen". So much easier to read and follow, but it was not hard core macrobiotic, and after all did not differ that much from ordinary vegan eating. But it was interesting and a good experience.
  Now I´m eagerly waiting for my copy of "Changing Seasons". Until it arrives, I glimpse at the online version of it.

Purple cabbage-celery-apple salad with yogurt-ginger-mint dressing.

  I´m taking a relaxed approach to macrobiotics by focusing on whole grains or whole meal, home made products like porridge and bread. Along with grain I´ll eat both raw and cooked vegetables. Some fruit and vegan sources of protein accompany the previous, but not even every day. What I will add to my daily menu is small portions of seaweed, miso, and fermented cucumbers. White sugar is eliminated, but more natural sweeteners such as dates and honey can be used in moderation. That about wraps it.

Wholemeal pasta with carrot-parsnip-rosemary sauce and fermented pickles.

  Since I´m a girl with a major sweet tooth, this will be an experience to me. On weekends I will indulge in chocolate or candy, but otherwise I try to reduce my sugar intake. How awesome would it be to live sugar-free Mon-Fri?!

Wholemeal spelt bread dough on the way.

The plan: is to eat whatever low-fat grain-vegetable dish I want at any time of day. I will test and learn from the suggested 7-day meal plans of "Changing Seasons" macrobiotic cookbook, but I will also use other sources of vegan recipes, altering them if needed to lower fat content and increase wholeness in grains.

Chocolate-zucchini cake sweetened with dates.

  Meal times follow those of my diabetic ten-year-old son´s healthy ones:
 8-9am breakfast
12pm lunch
4pm dinner
7pm supper

    Yum, healthy Imbolc!

EATING PLAN FOR YULE

  Evolution has brought me to this:

Breakfast:
1 cup green tea w/ soymilk
2 cups freshly squeezed vegetable/fruit juice
1 banana topped with coconut oil and honey

There´s cucumber, celery, and apple in this glass.

Lunch:
1 cup water w/ Echinacea drops
raw food meal of choice

Tzatziki dip with veggie sticks is a great lunch option.

Dinner:
1 cup green tea w/ soymilk
2-3 cups green smoothie/pudding

Cinnamon-flavored green pudding. Made of spinach, banana, avocado, water, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla. I left the banana a bit chunky for something to bite on.

  If/when I get hungry in the evening after eating all three meals of the day, I´ll grab fresh fruits and veggies to fill me up.

  This plan combines raw foodism and principles of Clean eating by dr. Alejandro Junger (where he recommends eating two liquid meals and one solid meal per day)

  All the above examples happen to be green, but that´s not the intention (except for the green pudding of course =). I use mostly seasonal veggies and fruits as the base of all meals, bulking them up with avocado, coconut oil, and occasional cold smoked salmon or goat´s cheese. I´d love to eat an all-raw vegan diet, but at least for now my stomach doesn´t agree with nuts & seeds. A girl´s gotta do what a girl´s gotta do... which is enjoy this nutrient and enzyme rich fresh diet for the next six weeks or so!

EATING PLAN FOR SAMHAIN

 My stomach has gotten picky lately, so I´ll have to make some changes to my usual eating habits. It is unhappy with cooked vegetables, nuts and seeds (much fat in any form), and legumes. I don´t know why, and how long it´ll last, but for now I need to replace those foods with something else.
  So here is a brand new, healthy and slimming, eating plan for Samhain, with a new perspective. It now includes some organic dairy and even fish once a week.

 9.00am Breakfast:
 a cup of green tea
 a green pudding made with leafy greens, fruit, and vegetables

Green pudding made with dinosaur kale, zucchini, banana, and water.

1.00pm Lunch:
a cup of water + 20 drops of Echinacea extract
raw-food meal + an avocado, or 3.5 oz. (100g) cold smoked salmon (once a week), or 7 oz.(200 g) cottage cheese

A sample lunch of veggie dip, the sauce made with either avocado or organic sour cream.

4.00pm Tea:
a cup of green tea
a generous cup of flavored yogurt

Yes, dinner is really this simple, a bowl of yogurt. This one is apple & cinnamon flavored. It provides some fat, protein, and good bacteria for the gut, and acts as dessert for the day. Going cold turkey with sugar does not work for me. This much I allow myself.

7.00pm Snack:
a cup of green tea
1-2 apples

9.00pm Nightcap:
a cup of herbal infusion + soymilk
(and raw vegetables if hungry)

Saturdays: feel free to eat your favorite foods!

  This plan bases on one I created when I was sixteen, and lost nearly twenty pounds with it. I was way too skinny then, but luckily soon I left for the U.S. for a year as an exchange student, which fixed the problem more than enough. =)
  I use Erica Palmcrantz-Aziz´s book to guide me with the daily lunches. It keeps the menus varied and interesting without having to think for myself. =)

  I hope my stomach will agree with this plan, as it did twenty years ago. Wow.

BACK TO PRE-BABY WEIGHT?

  Okay, it´s settled. I will try to see if I can get back to my pre-baby weight after nearly eleven years!
  There is about seven pounds (3,5 kg) to drop, so it´s not that much really. But I guess mentally it makes a bigger difference. My BMI is now 21.0 and my goal is to drop it to 20.0. No more, I do not want to be skeletal.

  While getting ready for the lingerie photo shoot I came up with this plan for weightloss. It allows big portions of food, but restricts calorie dense foods to about 1200 kcal a day. Also apart from my usual lifestyle, I did some exercise. As a result I did see progress in less than two weeks!
  Here´s the plan:

Eating:
Include: grains, legumes, nuts & seeds, some eggs, berries, apples, and vegetables. Exclude: dairy, meats, seafood, sugar and fruit. Grains, eggs, and legumes cooked, everything else raw.

Apples grow here locally, and are now in season, so they are on my menu. Berries are the only other sweetish ingredient allowed, thanks to their locality. 

- Breakfast choices:
1. Viking porridge
2. Yogurt

- Lunch choices:
1. 2-egg omelet + 5oz. (150g) corn + raw veggies on top of the cooked omelet
2.  a generous cup (3dl) cooked pasta + 1/2 avocado +  raw vegetable sauce
3. raw vegetable soup + 1/2 avocado + 3 slices of wholemeal bread
4. vegetable salad + 1/2 avocado + 3 slices of wholemeal bread
5. a snug cup (bulging 2dl) cooked brown rice + 1/2 avocado + raw stir fry
6. a home made scone (2oz. (60g) wholemeal flour + pinch of salt + 1/4 tsp baking powder + 1/2 cup (bulging 1dl) finely shredded zucchini/carrot etc. + water. Combine all, adding water enough to reach a thick batter. Form into a flat round on baking sheet and bake at 440F (225C) for 15-20 min.).
7. 1 lb (400g) cooked potatoes + mustard/margarine/soy sauce + raw vegetable pieces

- Dinner choices:
Make a double batch for lunch and eat the other half for dinner to save time in cooking.

- Supper choices:
The same as breakfast.

Salt is used sparingly, but herbs in abundance. Cayenne pepper sprinkled here and there.

  All the above meals contain about 350 kcal, and if extra hungry, it is possible to have a fifth meal per day without gaining weight.
  Saturdays are the days off of the plan. Then I can indulge in anything I have craved during the healthy week. I have a massive sweet tooth, and it is utopia to think I´ll never eat sweets again. One day a week for the sake of staying clean for the rest.  

  Exercise:

On rainy days I feel heavy and soaked like this bumblebee, but I will need to overcome the uninviting feeling for a greater cause...

  Inspired by this I will do some jogging 3-4 times a week plus 30 min. walking (or other light exercise) twice a week. While preparing for the shoot I did 5min. walking for warm up, then 1min. jogging + 1min. walking x 15, followed by another 5min. walking for cool down. It worked.
  Now I´m doing 2min. jogging + 1min. walking x 10. Next step will be 3min. jogging + 1min. walking. Minute by minute rising the amount of jogging, keeping the total in 30min. so it does not become too time-consuming.

Light and pretty as a butterfly in the end?

   I will try to follow the plan until my BMI is that set 20.0. I have no idea how long it will take, but the firmer I am able to stick with the plan, the sooner I will see results.

  If I ever reach the goal, my pre-baby weight, it will be interesting to see what it would take to stay there. But I´m not there yet, so I´ll worry about that later. =)
  Now I´m off to the new start!

SUPER HEALTHY VIKING PORRIDGE

  Vikings were fierce and strong folk, who even sailed to America way before Columbus. One of their power meals was "the Viking porridge". A porridge made of grains and seeds.

  Here´s my version of their superfood, including no dried modern ingredients we know as "superfoods".  (I´m not a fan of such long shelf life products that we were perfectly happy without before, and which have not made the masses any slimmer and thus happier so far. Call me a sceptic in this matter if you will.  =)

Oatmeal with local berries and pumpkin seeds.

Gooseberries fresh from the garden, and rolled oats fresh from the local farmer. No sugar or salt.

 The recipe (for one):

1/2 cup (generous 1 dl) rolled oats
1 cup (2,5 dl) water
a splash of soymilk
1/2-1 cup (1-2 dl) seasonal berries
0.7 oz (20 grams) seeds/nuts

+ (I´m lazy and make mine in the microwave oven.) Mix the oats and water in a deep plate and pop it in the micro oven, full heat, for 3 min. Stir and let rest for some minutes. Stir again and add as much milk as you like (I like mine rather runny). Top with berries and seeds.
 The berries taste surprisingly sweet when there are no other strong flavors disturbing the taste buds.

  Without the seeds there are less calories, but also the lot will not keep you satisfied as long. This meal, a viking porridge, keeps me feeling calm but energetic and gets me going until the next meal easily.
  The calorie content is approx. 300. I don´t usually care about calories, but now I have a small project to get ready for. I do occasional modeling, and today my agency informed me that I was chosen to do a lingerie shoot next week. I have never done lingerie before, and that´s wrecking my nerves! So I want to look my best, or should I say do what I can during these few days before the shoot. This porridge is my staple breakfast now (I moved the original omelette for a lunch option).

TOO SOUR

 In my eating plan for Lammas I decided to have a cleansing morning drink consisting of water, lemon juice, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Now that´s a tasty drink! BUT I found out that my teeth aren´t up to the challenge. =(  Apparently the juice is so sour that it makes my teeth hurt whenever I chew on food. For the most part of the day that is, not just during breakfast.

So it´s a bitter goodbye to lemon juice (but luckily the rind I can still use, yum!).

  Instead of the original morning drink I now have plain green tea, and I incorporate cayenne pepper and ginger in my daily meals.

EATING PLAN FOR LAMMAS

  I must be out of my mind to do this, but now I feel like I should try shedding sugar from my diet. Not only that, but also test out adding eggs to my mostly vegan eating regimen. I´m not sure how my digestive system will react to that, but since I feel the urge to do so, there must be something my body needs from eggs. We´ll see.

  I ditched fish, seafood, eggs, and all meats in 1993 as a teenager. In 2005 I let go of most dairy too. Every now and then I have had a craving for white fish, but I don´t even like it. I take it as a sign from my body that it is missing something animal-based. B12 vitamin perhaps? In any case, lately I have pondered on what would be the most ethical animal food to consume. I could not kill a living being, so meat is definitely out of the question. Fish is a more simple-looking creature, but I could not kill one only for my culinary pleasure either. I even feel bad for crabs and kinds being thrown in boiling water! What an awful way to die. No way would I ever do that either. Sometimes I have had to kill very sick small fish from my aquarium, and I have done it by boiling them. It feels awful seeing them take the final sprint (although probably purely by reflex) in the hot water.
  Milk (especially cow´s milk) is something I did not even understand to ditch until this millenium. Never before had I thought of what happened to the calves the milk was biologically meant for. It is so sad, and scary, that I dare not google for any links here...  =(
  Overall I do not want to eat anything I could not prepare myself from scratch. It´s just not fair.

  But eggs are a different story. I could easily go grab a fresh one from a chicken´s nest. No killing involved. I make sure I only buy organic eggs during my experiment. It is very important! There is so much inhumanity going on in many egg farms, and I want to do my best not to support them.

  But back to my eating plan. A nice and eco-friendly one.  =)
  My goal now is to reduce sugar consumption. In a way I think I´m substituting sugar with eggs. The experiment is to see whether adding a bit of animal protein will ease my addiction to sugar. Sugar is my only bad habit left, so I´m not majorly worried, but aiming for better is always the way to go.

So here it is, a breakfast omelet. The point of the eggs is mainly to hold the veggies together. This particular one is the second omelet I have ever made in my life (and I´m 36 already =). Tasty, packed with delicious veggies, and low in calories. Keeps me satisfied for surprisingly long, and gives a different kind of fullness than grain. Interesting.

For lunch and dinner, loads and loads of various types of veggies plus whole grain bread. Here is broccoli-potato soup with rye bread.

In the evening, a splash of whiskey or rum seasons my nightcap.. =)

  The plan:

Breakfast:
2 cups of refreshing and cleansing drink (juice of 1/2 lemon+cayenne pepper and ginger to taste)
an omelet made with two organic eggs, 1/3 cup of almond milk, salt and pepper, tons of finely chopped veggies. Once cooked, drizzle a little soy sauce on top and garnish with fresh herbs.

Lunch and Dinner:
2 cups of green tea, plain
1. a fresh, raw, vegetable salad+dressing of choice and whole grain bread. OR
2. vegetable soup made from whole, fresh veggies. Can be cooked or raw. Plus whole grain bread. OR
3. a scone/bread roll made with wholemeal flour and tons of finely shredded vegetables (zucchini is the best, but anything goes) and berries if desired.
 The recipe: 2 cups wholemeal flour
 2 tsp baking powder
 1/2 tsp sea salt
 water
 shredded/finely diced veggies (+berries if desired)
+ Mix the dry ingredients. Add enough water to get a soft/loose dough/batter. Add in the veggies and divide into four flat breads on a baking paper-lined tray. Bake in a 430F (225C) oven for 15-20 min. Butter up and enjoy!

Supper:
2 cups of nightcap (1 cup hot water+1 cup of almond or coconut milk+1/4 cup rum or whiskey to add flavor)
a handful of nuts/seeds OR
2 Tbsp strong tastes like pesto sauce or a few chili marinated garlic cloves

  My mealtimes follow that of my diabetic son´s:
9am Breakfast
1-2pm Lunch
4-5pm Dinner
8pm Supper

I´m trying to eat a steady amount of calories throughout the day, and at regular times to avoid getting too hungry (and then grab anything unhealthy at hand). This is once again an all-you-can-eat eating plan, but one that will not make you fat!

FRUIT´N NUT SALAD FOR BREAKFAST

  Recently I have learned that raw fruits suit my digestion much better than raw vegetables. They also include much more energy (calories) than vegetables, so they can be eaten for a meal by themselves. At first I thought the idea sounded too calorific, but after a while I noticed that I can´t eat nearly as much as I thought I would have to, to stay satisfied. And my stomach has staid equally satisfied.  =)

  Here is my staple breakfast for this Litha:

A bowl of chopped fruit and a handful of chopped nuts. To drink I have plain green tea. All-I-can-eat style.

  Ingredients vary depending on what´s available, and what I crave. This is what I used to make the above:

The recipe (for one):

strawberries
one banana
green grapes
a handful of pecans

+ Chop the fruit roughly, and the nuts finely. Combine and mix. Eat. Wow.

  Long time ago, ten years to be exact, when this fear of carbs was starting to spread, a friend of mine´s mom went on South Beach Diet. I visited them, and had not heard of low-carb eating before. I remember rolling my eyes when she explained to me about how she could now eat tons of cheese and meat, but no fruit or pasta, and lose weight. Her daughter, my friend, was also still a bit sceptical about it and asked "Have you ever heard of a person being fat for eating too much fruit?". I know I have not. That sentence came back to my mind now when first planning my fruit-boosted eating plan for Litha.
  I do not recall what the end result was for my friend´s mom. But I do know that we are all different, and each must find the way of eating for ourselves to feel and look good. They go hand in hand.

EATING PLAN FOR LITHA

  Eating simple and raw keeps fascinating me. I have tried many different ways of eating in the past, including petit macro and raw foods, and have found both good and bad in most. But none have felt perfect for me, so the search continues.

  I love carbs. Often I have been left craving for more carbs, and therefore indulged in generous amounts of chocolate in the evenings (I seriously wonder why I am not heavier than my current state!). So I figured incorporating more fruit and berries in to my diet might help fight the sugar cravings.
 I searched the net, and found banana diet and fruitarian diets, which both sound like the way I want to try next. Besides, what could be a better time to start eating more fresh produce than now, in the middle of summer?

  Here´s my own plan for this Litha:
 

Breakfast:
green tea, plain
raw fruits and berries + handful of nuts/seeds

Lunch:
water
raw veggies + grains (this can be anything imaginable like salads, dips, sandwiches, pasta, brown rice, lettuce wraps, etc.)

Dinner:
green tea
raw fruits and berries + handful of nuts/seeds
dried fruit for dessert (to imitate the concentrated sugar I´m used to in chocolate :)

  I know if I followed this plan to the letter, I would never have to step on the scale again. But I take baby steps, and think of it like a guide map rather than a book of laws. And I do not want to upset my stomach by making too drastic changes!

  Delicious, energetic, and healthy midsummer to all!

 

JUICE OF THE DAY

  My eating plan for Ostara includes one juice a day. This morning I had as follows:

I don´t do juice recipes. I simply grab what´s in the fridge, and throw that in the juicer. It´s difficult to go wrong. In addition to this juice, I had a handful of walnuts. 

  The recipe (about 2 cups):

2 small beetroots
1/3 of a fennel bulb
1 orange
1 grapefruit
1 green apple
a wedge of cabbage
1 stick of celery

+ Peel and juice. Enjoy.

  I love the way fresh juice makes me feel. So full, yet lively, energetic, and simply happy! I believe raw foods possess a magic ingredient, one that science cannot discover, one called love.

EATING PLAN FOR OSTARA

  My goal in eating is to stay healthy, slim, and energetic without having to count calories. Also I loath cooking, so I want to get by as easy as I can. My diet is mostly vegan, of which some is intentionally raw. I have found that juiced and blended foods suit my stomach well, so those are included  in this plan.

 "Daily essentials" make for the stem of my eating plan for this Ostara:
1. 1-2 cups of veggie juice
2. 1-2 cups of green smoothie
3. 1/2 cup of raw dip/sauce

  In addition to the previous I can eat pretty much whatever I want, including unhealthy desserts like milk chocolate.

  Another corner stone of the plan is the time of eating. I will try to finish eating for the day by 5pm. That supports the studies showing that it is in our genes not to eat in the evening or at night, and that only through this daily "mini fast" can our bodies do their job properly.
  After 5pm it is all about drinking water and brushing my teeth, which helps reduce my cravings. =)

Breakfast (by 10am): 
1-2 cups of veggie juice (with some apple or other fruit in it to give a bit of sweetness)
nuts or bread

Lunch (around noon):
1-2 cups of green smoothie (including greens and 1/2 an avocado, the rest is up to the content of the fridge)
pasta, rice, bread, tofu, etc.

 Dinner (by 5pm):
about 1/2 cup of dip/sauce with chopped veggies
1-2 cups of green tea with soymilk
dessert of choice (I´m forever addicted to chocolate...)

  The idea for each meal is to eat the daily essential first, and then have whatever (vegan and quite low-fat) I want according to my appetite.

  Two incredibly inspirational raw-foodists out there are Ms. Tonya Zavasta and Ms. Mimi Kirk. I want to be like them when I grow up!

EATING PLAN FOR IMBOLC

  Studies show that fasting prevents cancer. Cancer is the #1 killer in my family. My grandmother, of whom I never even got to meet, died at age 40 of stomach cancer. Makes a girl think...

  Well, I´m not going to fast all through Imbolc, but I will try an eased way of eating. There are many different ways of eased fasting out there, but I will try this: eating two liquid meals and one solid one a day. My plan loosely bases on Dr. Alexandro Junger´s Clean Program, but I do a relaxed version of it. I use whatever fresh whole-food ingredients are in season in my fridge. =)

  I will follow a few simple guidelines:

9-10 am: for breakfast a smoothie made of fruit/berries and veggies/greens. (This is a smoothie made with avocado, cucumber, zucchini, garlic, sea salt, and dill.)

1-2 pm: for lunch a regular, solid, vegan meal with green/herbal tea.(For example a quick and easy stir-fry is always in place, accompanied by brown rice.)

5-6 pm: for dinner another smoothie, including a handful of nuts/seeds. (This will probably become my staple, hot chocolate. Here made with pumpkin seeds, almonds, cacao powder, vanilla sugar, sea salt, honey, and agave.)

   This is an all-I-can-eat plan, and I let intuition decide the adequate amount. Between meals I can drink water and green/herbal teas as demanded by thirst.
   Eating like this leaves a mini-fast between dinner and the following day´s breakfast. It gives the digestive system the rest it needs.

  Easy and no-fuss!

EATING PLAN FOR SAMHAIN

  Eating raw foods during Mabon left me craving for grains, and with two kilos extra weight. Time to fix it.
  Like this:

Breakfast:
1/2 liter green tea (w/ soymilk)
1 dl muesli w/ soymilk
1 fruit/ 2dl berries

Quick and easy breakfast. Organic muesli from the box, green tea with soymilk, and a peeled and chopped organic apple. Looks like a little, but to my surprise is quite enough. When eating raw foods I felt like I had to chow down massive amounts to feel satisfied. I believe the magic is in the grains. I have always loved them.

Lunch:
1/2 liter water
1 home made whole grain bun
veggies w/ beans (prepared low fat)

Total freedom as how and what to prepare, as long as the method is low in fat. This is my Greek salad with chickpeas.

Dinner:
1/2 liter herbal infusion w/ soymilk
1 home made, whole grain, semi-sweet cardamom bun

My cardamom buns are in reality more like bread buns. I use the same recipe, but use soymilk instead of water, vegan margarine instead of olive oil, and add some sugar and spices to the dough. As you can see, these babies are very fibrous. I make them with 100% whole grain flour.

Supper/dessert:
one more bun w/ little vegan margarine and jam
or
3 pcs. store-bought chocolate coated marshmallows (pathetic, but my weakness... =)

  The idea is to eat however much I want, but the closer I stay to these guidelines, the faster I get results. Two kilos extra weight is not that much, but quickly two become three, then four, and five kilos is a lot of weight to shed. So I rather take this easy way around it, by just nipping the two.

EATING PLAN FOR MABON

  Hello raw food!
  After cooking quite a bit during Lughnasadh, I´m happy to give all it up and try some non-cooking for a change.

  I have always been fascinated by the idea of eating completely raw, uncooked, food. It just sounds so natural, and I wonder why we ever wandered off that path anyway...

  I´ll give it a try for the next six weeks. Like this:

7-9am Breakfast: Fruity porridge (fruit/berries blended with some greens into a thick smoothie, then sprinkled with a seasoning like ginger or cinnamon)

Apple, pear, and celery porridge with cinnamon.

11.30am -12.30pm Lunch: A large salad consisting of greens and veggies, tossed with a dressing that includes good oils, nuts, seeds, and/or avocado.

Random mixed greens and veggies, fermented cucumber, and seaweed tossed with a rich pinenut based dressing. Amazing!

3-4pm Dinner: An actual meal that requires some uncooking, like soup, zucchini "pasta" with a sauce, paté, couscous, etc. (Experimenting with recipes from books and online.)

Parsnip and rucola couscous with pear and pumpkin seeds for dinner.

6-8pm Supper: A raw dessert, like chocolate pudding, apple pie, citrus mousse, etc.

Chocolate cake for supper. I have a strong sweet tooth, and I eat a dessert every evening.

  Three years ago I attended a raw living foods hands-on course. I hated it. The foods we made there were terrible, and I sealed my hatred towards sauerkraut. Never, ever, again! But the course taught me that living foods were not my path. I can´t do fermenting, dehydrating, or sprouting all the time. Too hard core for me. I´m a simple gal, and I want my food to be that way too. Eating is important, we are made of the stuff we eat, but there are other things in life too. Food should not take up too much of our attention or time.

  Two years ago, when pregnant with my second child, I craved raw food like nothing else. I went for two weeks on raw food only. After the third month of expecting, the crazy craving subsided, but I still ate raw foods occasionally.

  Now it´s been a while since I last got a kick from raw food.  I´m optimistic now, because I have found an amazing instructional book, which keeps food prep easy and quick. No gimmicks, nasty sauerkraut making, running the food-dehydrator for days, or sprouting my brain out. Peel, chop, and eat is more like it.
  Usually I don´t like to advertise anything, but this Raw Food book by Erica Palmcrantz Aziz is great. This Mabon I will consider it my Bible. There are listed different cleanses, from 1 day to three weeks of duration, of which I go for the longest one. I´m not looking for a quick fix, I like to do sustainable changes. And I hate dieting!

  To find raw recipes you can try this, this, or this. But the web is full of other places too.

P.S. I do not expect to make it through without some cooked grain, like rice or whole grain bread. I allow myself to have some in the evenings if I really crave it. But the goal is as listed above, and I´m hopeful that the cravings will subside gradually as time goes on... I need to remember to be gentle with myself, and keep enjoying life. It is not about restriction, it´s about loving myself!

EATING PLAN FOR LUGHNASADH

  Japan and macrobiotic eating were the sources of inspiration when I made my eating plan for Lughnasadh. All streamlined Nelland-style to match my liking. 
  The main focus is on cutting down sugar, which is pretty much my last bad habit.

 

 
    Check it out here!

RICE PUDDING

  For a change I made rice pudding for afternoon tea.
 (You can see the rest of my eating plan for Litha here.)

This dinner is healthy, gentle, mild, nurturing, low-cost, and fun. Who says dinner has to be savoury?

Cherries! I have always loved them.

My rice pudding is simply chilled rice porridge. It´s amazing how the texture and the feeling of the whole dish changes as the temperature drops. Easy and quick, that´s my style. I don´t have excess time to spare on cooking. But I do want to eat and serve home-made food, the freshest there is. And since I´m not rich and famous, I need to do it all by myself... =)

 

The recipe for rice pudding:

1 liter soymilk
2 dl coarsely ground whole grain rice
pinch of salt
(some water, if needed)

+ Pour the milk in a kettle, whisk in the rice. Bring to a boil, gently, whisking slowly but constantly to prevent burning. Once the porridge comes to a boil, let bubble a few times, then remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let stand and go outside to enjoy the summer.
  When you´re hungry, come back in and add little salt (and water if the mixture is too thick) and mix it in with the whisker.
  Ladle on bowls, top with vanilla sugar or jam, or any of your favorites, and munch on accompanied with fruit of the season.
 Have another bowlful too, this will not make you fat!

EATING PLAN FOR LITHA

  Time to start welcoming Litha! What a better way to tune in than with food? 

  At summer it is easier to eat light. I´m taking advantage of that by ripping my diet off of excess fat. As Dr.John McDougall puts it "The fat you eat is the fat you wear". He just makes sense. And I feel more energetic eating less fat.

Caught having second servings!

Breakfast:
1/2 liter green tea + soymilk
whole grain bread with yogurt-weed-spread (grab a cupful of edible weeds from the garden, mince them and add enough plain soy yogurt to form a spread. Season with an herb, salt and pepper, and chili.) and sliced veggies on top

Lunch:
1/2 liter water
1. Kissel/flavoured water and cardamom bun/bread
2. Potatoe salad (including new small potatoes, finely chopped pickles, mustard, plain yogurt, lemon juice, salt & pepper, and chives) with cold-smoked tofu
3. Summer soup (new potatoes, chopped carrots and cauliflower, peas and corn, a veggie bouillon and soymilk included in the broth, topped with fresh parsley) with rice cakes
4. Green salad with dill dressing (plain soy yogurt, dill, garlic, salt & pepper, and lemon juice) and whole grain bread
5.  Non-grilled veggies (marinate your favorite chopped veggies, like mushrooms, broccoli, and summer squash in a store-bought marinade overnight) with corn and vegan weenies
6. Fresh cabbage soup (fresh new cabbage, onion, garlic, carrots, veggie bouillon, salt & pepper, bay leaf, and fresh parsley) with whole grain bread
7. Italian salad (cooked macaroni, finely chopped bell pepper, peas, corn kernels, tomatoe puré, plain soy yogurt, salt & pepper, pickles, topped with chives. This is good both warm and cold.)

Italian salad for lunch.

Afternoon:
1/2 liter green tea + soymilk
oat porridge + soymilk + salt + jam

Evening:
1/2 liter hot cocoa (2dl soymilk, 3 Tbsp prepared cocoa powder, 3dl hot water)
rice cakes
(if more hungry, include a big fresh vegetable salad with your favorite dressing in moderation)

When testing this plan, I accidentally lost weight. So what this does is gives me more room to eat desserts like chocolate pudding and candy. Sweet!

EATING PLAN FOR BELTANE - KID STYLE

  Now this is fun! And new for me. My eight-year-old son made a list of all the mom-made foods he likes (and let me tell you, the list is troublingly short! He doesn´t like veggies at all, and now I´m trying to learn to compromise...  =). I will fulfill his wishes by cooking the foods on his darling little list for this Beltane. Maybe I´ll learn to enjoy new foods too!
  Truth be told, I´m very bad at always terrorizing meals with healthier ingredients than what the average recipe calls for. That I´m guilty of this time also, but he doesn´t need to know! For example, if he doesn´t realize I´ve grated a ton of carrots in the pancakes, it will not hurt him... =)

Home made whole grain spelt bread, my favorite. The recipe: 5 dl warm water, 11g/one bag dried yeast, whole grain spelt flour, 1 tsp seasalt, 2 Tbsp raw cane sugar, 1/2 dl olive oil. + Mix the yeast with some of the flour. Pour in the water, which should be slightly over lukewarm to assure the yeast will start working. Stir and add the salt and sugar. As you mix/knead, add flour until a good ball of dough is formed. I like the dough rather soft. Finally add the oil and mix thoroughly. Throw the dough into a bread loaf pan, let rise about 25 min, and bake in a 200 Celsius oven for about 30 min. (Slicing the bread is easier after it has cooled down some.) This is a guilt-free pleasure!

 Breakfast:

 1/2 liter green tea, plain
1 slice whole grain bread (preferrably home made) + 1tsp coconut butter
plain soy yogurt with honey

Lunch:
1/2 liter green tea, plain
Rotating the following, making the next after the previous is all gone:
1. whole grain pasta + minced soy "meat" + any veggie I happen to have + a splash of vegan cooking cream
2. whole grain semi-sweet cinnamon buns + berries
3. whole grain rice (often jasmin) with soy sauce and vegan butter + cucumber (the only veggie my son will eat raw)
4. soup made of potatoes, corn, onion, carrot, and vegan weenies
5. whole grain bread + vegan margarine + cucumber + vegan "salami"
6. pancakes (with of finely grated veggies in the batter) with honey
7. mashed potatoes with finely chopped wild edible greens in it + smoked tofu

Dinner:
1/2 liter herbal tea, plain
2 slices whole grain bread (home made) + 2 tsp coconut butter
kissel (a kind of a cold berry/fruit "soup")

Supper/dessert:
1/2 liter hot chocolate (made with 1/2 water, 1/2 soymilk)
(oat porridge with soymilk and honey, if I´m hungry)

  My stomach likes steady mealtimes, to which I try to hold:
8-9 am breakfast
1-2 pm lunch
5 pm dinner
8 pm supper

  This eating plan is supposed to keep me in my current weight, or that is the goal anyway... The main/heaviest meal of the day is consumed at lunch, making sure the calories from it will be used up before bedtime. For lunch I eat as much as I want, but the other meals need to have an approximate idea of quantity beforehand to prevent getting fat. Getting fat happens slowly, unnoticed even, if not paid attention to actively. Our world is laden with highly processed quick treats lurking at every corner of our way, trying to lure us into grabbing "just this one, once". I find that having a proper set of mind beforehand, in form of an eating plan, helps keep my mind focused on the big picture during the day. It has worked so far - I´m still the same size I was in 20 years ago in my teens. =)

  Bon Appetít!

EATING PLAN FOR OESTARA - AS EASY AS 1-2-3

  Occasionally, when grocery shopping, I have caught myself being envious of older men´s shopping baskets. They only hold a few items - I wish my life could be so easy and simple! Why do I need to buy all this and that if they don´t? Okay, in reality they buy pre-prepared foods, which only need heating in the microwave oven, a loaf of bread, and beer. But why couldn´t my life still be more simple when it comes to food?
  I´ll try it out.
  This Oestara I plan to eat only 1-3 main ingredients in one meal.
  Like this:

Breakfast:
 1/2 liter green tea
1 banana + a handful of nuts/seeds + berries (mixed, matched, chopped, mashed... anything goes)

Lunch:
1/2 liter water
Mon: pasta + onion + a veggie
Tue: beans + a veggie
Wed: home made bread + soup made with two main veggies
Thu: rice + a veggie
Fri: goat´s feta foccaccia
Sat: pancakes
Sun: mashed potatoes + tofu/fish + a veggie

Dinner:
1/2 liter green tea
muesli + soymilk

Supper:
1/2 liter herbal tea + soymilk
dark chocolate

   I will use herbs and spices, and honey and such for flavour and seasoning. But only eat 1-3 actual food items. Each day I will ponder which food I crave the most, and choose to eat it. For example, do I want to make mushroom or tomato pasta on Monday?
  The amount of food is determined simply by appetite. If I crave it, I need it. This stuff, when kept home-made and clean of commercial sauces and ready-to-use mixes, is so healthy that I virtually can not overeat.

Friday´s foccaccia recipe: 2 1/2 dl water, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 Tbsp honey, 5 g dry yeast, approx. 5 dl whole grain spelt flour, 2 Tbsp olive oil. +In lukewarm water add salt, honey, yeast and some flour. Mix. Keep adding flour until a dough forms. At the end add in the oil. Place on baking sheet and roll out with a rolling pin to make a flat bread, like a pizza base. Cover with a cloth while you chop the toppings. This time I used cherry tomatoes along with the goat´s feta. Brush some olive oil on the bread, sprinkle your toppings, and finish off with little seasalt. Bake at 200 Celsius for about 30 min. Eat as much as you want (I ate half in one meal).