Phase 1: Day 7

Brunch:

Yup, this was brunch.  I was wanting spinach, so whipped up Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts, had some left over Salmon Salad, and a Deviled Egg (left  from the weekends festivities).

Deviled Eggs for a Crowd

8 Eggs*, hard-boiled**, peeled, cut in 1/2, yolks separated and reserved
1/2 cup Homemade Mayonnaise
2T Olive Oil
1t Cumin
1t Ginger
Sea Salt to Taste

Also Needed:  Quart Sized Baggie


Place the 8 yolks in a medium bowl with the mayonnaise, and spices. Whisk, adding the O.O. as needed to smooth the mixture.  Salt to taste.
Once smooth, place the mixture into a quart sized baggie.  Cut 1 lower corner to create a pastry bag.  Squeeze some of the mixture into each egg white 1/2.  Serve immediately, or store, covered in the refrigerator.

* The Deviled Egg Plate I was using held 15 deviled eggs.  I made extras and chose the ones that peeled most beautifully.  I then made egg salad with the others.

**Here are some tips for perfect hard-boiled eggs from Martha Stewart and the Kitchn, or easier yet, purchase Peeled Hard-Boiled Eggs from Trader Joe's!

Egg Salad

2 Hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 Celery center (the soft part with leaves), Chopped

2 Green Onions, Sliced

1 t. Celery Seed

1/2 t. Ground Mustard

2 T. Homemade Mayonnaise

Sea Salt

Your Favorite Lettuce (Optional)

Add ingredients to a medium bowl.  Gently toss, and salt to taste.  Serve over lettuce.

Afternoon/ Evening Sustenance in 100+ Degree Heat:  

When it's too hot to cook!

Almond-Vanilla Baltimore Snow Balls

Alright, these might not pass muster for hardcore snowball enthusiasts, but here in DC, no one will be the wiser!!!  And they fit the bill for my ice milk & cookie craving. 

2 cups ice 

2 cups almond milk

1 1/2 t almond extract

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

1 t raw honey (after phase 1, regular honey is fine)

Add ingredients to blender and "liquify" until the mixture resembles a thick slushie.

When growing up in Baltimore we didn't do snow-cones or smoothies or slushies:  We did snowballs.  Every neighborhood had a snowball stand!

Not familiar with this iconic Baltimore summer tradition?  Check out these articles:

What We're Missing, The DCist

Cold Comfort: On the Cultural Significance of the Snowball in Baltimore, City Paper

Triple Nut N' Honey No-Bake Cookies

1 handful walnut, chopped

2 T almond butter

1 T raw honey

1/4 cup almond meal

3 T shredded coconut

Thoroughly mix first 4 ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Place in freezer for 5-10 minutes.  Form into 1 inch balls and roll in unsweetened coconut.  

Serve with Almond-Vanilla Baltimore Snowballs!  

I was hot and not really up to making a big meal, so I made 2 Snowballs today, and ate 1/2 of the cookies with each.  So Delish!

Cheers!  With a Twist of Lyme, 

Yvie

  

Phase 1: Days 4, 5 & 6

The weekend was both trying and wonderful!  After swim team practice and carpooling, I took an adventure to Target. (Every trip to Target is an adventure!)  I went to get a jar of my favorite almond butter, as I had finished off the last jar for breakfast.   Since it has no ingredients other than almonds, it's perfect for phase 1, and best of all, I didn't have to make it !  As it turns out, Target carries lots of great Archer Farms items that just a few year ago were only available at high-end organic foods markets.  Score!

Friday's Menu

Breakfast:

Celery sticks and almond butter.  

Lunch:

Salmon Salad, Rice Salad & Raspberries.

Snack

Granny Smith Apple & Almond Butter

Dinner:

Shitake Soup with Wild Rice, Spinach and Leeks

Ingredients:

1-2  T EVOO

4-5 shitake mushrooms

1    leek

1    bag baby spinach, chopped

1    package pre-cooked wild rice

2    quarts vegetable broth

sea salt to taste.

If you use my homemade stock, the following spices are not needed.  If you use a store-bought stock, add:

2 t cumin

2 t ginger

2 t celery seed

Heat the EVOO.  Add the mushrooms, leek, and spinach.  Stir until the spinach just begins to wilt (not too much, as the hot broth will cook it more).  Place these ingredients into a large soup taurean. Heat the broth and spices to a simmer.  Add the rice and simmer just a minute or 2 more.  Pour the hot broth and rice into the taurean over the veggies.  Add salt to taste.

This made a very hearty & satisfying soup.  A meal in itself.

Homemade Broth

4 T EVOO

2 leeks, chopped

4 celery stalks with leaves, chopped

1/2 bag shredded cabbage

3  sprigs parsley, chopped

3 t cumin

3 t ginger

3 t celery seed

5-10 twists of the sea salt grinder

4 quarts water

Heat the EVOO, add the veggies, and cook, stirring, until tender.  Add the water, and bring to a boil.  Reduce and simmer 1-2 hours, until the broth is reduce to 1/2 ...  2 quarts.  Strain broth into a heat resistant bowl, and set aside to use for the soup.                                                                                                            

Note:  As inspired by Mireille Guiliano's Magical Leek Soup Detox, I reserved the cooked veggies, and ate them as a side dish, topped with a pinch of sea salt.  They were actually VERY yummy!!!  So glad I wasn't put off by how they looked.  Throwing them away would have been such a waste.

Storm Hits

Friday night the power went out in a storm with unpredicted hurricane-force winds.  The electric company was predicting 5-7 days to get everyone's power restored!  We had already planned to see fire works out of town, and fortunately Grandma still had power & an empty fridge-freezer, so we packed up the almost entire contents of our fridge & freezer and went to Grandma's.  This is also just one reason why I do not keep a second freezer.  It seems we average extended outages about once every other year.

Weekend Food

I took the leftover soup, and a fruit salad with me.  I also made Deviled Eggs, Egg Salad & Homemade Guacamole while there.  I will be featuring these recipes in future blogs.  The company, fireworks and food were all fantastic, but left me quite exhausted. I need to remember to go slow.  We made it back home with power restored, and all the food saved, but 1 gallon of milk.  We are very lucky, as we still have major intersections out.  The last 2 days have been lazy days for sure!

Cheers!  With a Twist of Lyme,
Yvie

Phase 1: Day 3

After a late night at a swim meet last night, we had another slow morning.  The teenager decided he'd go to afternoon practice, which let me sleep in a bit.  I packed breakfast to eat as I watched Little Miss at her late morning practice.

Breakfast:   

2 hard-boiled eggs & some rice salad from last night.

On the way home from the pool, I stopped to get some spices.  Safeway is having a special: Buy 2 get one free!  I got  Herbs Provence, Ground Mustard & Mexican Oregano (all phase 1 friendly).  I still had a salmon fillet and several sole filets in the fridge, so I needed some new flavors to use up the last of the fish.  Here's what I created...

Lunch:

Salmon Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise & Celery Scoops

This was very delicious, and filling.  I couldn't eat it all and have celery and a bit of salmon salad for a nice afternoon snack, tomorrow.

First, I made the mayonnaise.  This took 2 attempts, as I added the oil too quickly on my first attempt and it never thickened.  This makes a very flavorful mayo, so I only needed a tablespoon for the salad.  The leftovers will stay good in the fridge for the next 2 days, so I may be sharing some with friends.

  Homemade Mayonnaise
1        egg yolk
2 t      apple cider vinegar
1/2 t    ground mustard seed
1/4 t    sea salt
3/4 C  EVOO
1         egg whites
This is easiest with a stand or handheld mixer. Whisk together egg yolk, vinegar, mustard & salt.  Add the first 1/4 cup of olive oil using a 1/4 t, drop by drop, mixing constantly (3-4 minutes).  Then add the remaining 1/2 cup in a slow steady stream, while continuing to whisk (8-10 minutes total).  Slowly add the egg white.  This makes a tart, flavorful mayo.  A little goes a long way.  I like it much better than store bought.

Salmon Salad

1    filet salmon, grilled

1    handful sliced almonds

10  chives, chopped (I didn't really count.)

1T. homemade mayo

 Flake the salmon with a fork. Add the almonds, chives and mayo.  Gently toss.  Serve with the wide ends of celery stalks to use as scoops to eat.


Dinner:

Warm Summer Sole Salad

1/2 package baby spinach

2    fillets sole, grilled

1/2 avocado sliced 

1    handful raspberries

1    handful sliced almonds

2-3 T Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, divided (recipe below)

Dress the spinach and sole filets with 2 T vinaigrette, microwave for 45 seconds.  Top with avocado, raspberries and almonds.  Drizzle on last T vinaigrette.  Enjoy immediately. 

Aside:  I used the other 1/2 of the avocado as a topping for tacos, which I made for my family tonight.  I originally considered a Mexican night with both beef and fish tacos/ taco salad.  Maybe more realistic in phase 2 or 3.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

5 T    Creamed Raw Honey (available at Trader Joe's ~ see yellow tub in the ingredients photo)

4 T    Ground Mustard Seed

1 t      Ground Ginger

3 T     Almond Meal (or grind almonds in a coffee grinder)

1 twist of the sea salt grinder

1/2 C EVOO

1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar

Hand whisk honey, mustard seed, ginger, almond meal and olive oil together until all of the honey is worked into to mixture.  Gradually work in the apple cider vinegar to taste.

I had an old lemon curd jar to store it in.  It was the perfect size!

What did the family eat?  

I made Homemade French Toast from a 1/2 eaten loaf of bread.  The kids LOVED it, and enjoyed it for lunch and a snack at the pool.  There is enough for breakfast tomorrow as well, with maple syrup and fresh fruit.  Yum.   

Just as I was about to take a photo
of what was left of the French Toast after lunch,
Little Miss jumped in the picture and popped a piece in her mouth.
This will be a staple this summer, and I am adding,
"Teach the kids how to make Homemade French Toast" to the summer bucket list.

Cheers!  With a Twist of Lyme, 

Yvie

Phase 1: Day 2

Today's Dinner ~ Clockwise from top:
Phase 1 Friendly Rice Salad,
Grilled Salmon, Sauted Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts

 Today was a good day. 

Okay, it started off slow, taking my medicine a bit late, because I didn't feel so hot, and the idea of taking antibiotics and fish oil supplements that would upset my stomach was not appealing, but of course I did.

Breakfast ~ So, I took my breakfast with me to the kids' swim practice.  I had blueberries and walnuts (the nuts fill me up) and mineral water with just a splash of unsweetened pomegranate juice.  Yummy!

Lunch~ When we got home, I had the second 1/2 of the sole filets with cabbage I made last night, and some of the broccoli I steamed up for my daughter's lunch.  Delish!

Our Afternoon~ We all were in need of a quiet afternoon, so naps, reading, and perfecting rice salad were all in order.  

Dinner~  We had an early dinner tonight at 4.  The kids had to be to the pool by 5 for warm-ups before their swim meet.  Both kids placed for ribbons tonight ~  Yeay Team!

Phase 1 Friendly Rice Salad

Salad Ingredients:  

1   Packet of Trader Joe's Frozen Brown Rice            

2   Carrots, Chopped

2   Persian Cucumber, Chopped

2   Celery Stalks, Chopped

1   Sprig Parsley, Chopped

20 Chives, Chopped (I didn't count them; I'm totally guessing!)

1   Handful Walnut Pieces

Afterthought: 1 Granny Smith Apple, Chopped

Dressing:  (again with the guessing)

1/4 C. EVOO,               1/2 C.  Apple Cider Vinegar

1 T.  Herbs Provence,    Sea Salt to taste 

Rice Salad takes a bit of dressing;  the rice soaks it up.  I would add 1/2 of this, let it sit, and then add more to your liking.

                                                           

                                                                              First, I steamed the rice
                                                                            for 3 minutes in the microwave,
                                                                       (See why I LOVE this stuff!)
                                                                        & chopped the ingredients.

 

Then, I mixed them together.
Added the dressing,
and decided it needed...

 

... a granny smith apple,
so I chopped it and tossed it in &
added a bit more dressing.

Voila, My New & Improved Phase 1 Rice Salad!

Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts

This Recipe was super easy, and so good, I should have made a double batch!

1 Bag Baby Spinach

2-3 Cloves Garlic, Whole (I buy the pre-peeled.)

1 Handful Pignoli (Pine Nuts)

2 T. Olive Oil

Sea Salt to Taste

Sautee pan or dutch oven with lid (I use iron, as it heats nicely).

Heat the Olive Oil over medium to low heat.

Gently sautee the garlic and pine nuts until just golden.

Add the spinach and sea salt.

Turn off heat and put on lid to wilt spinach for a minute or so.

Keep an eye and check on it, stirring as needed.

  Grilled Salmon~  

This is so simple.  I use salmon steaks with the skin still on.  Place a bit of Olive Oil in the Salmon and Preheated Grill Pan (keep on low to medium low heat).  Place the salmon on the grill pan.  Add a few twists of sea salt to the top of the salmon.  Cover the salmon with lids from your pots to form an "oven effect."  When the salmon turns from translucent to opaque, it's done.  You will not need to flip it, and the skin will stick to the pan just enough to let you remove the salmon from the skin by placing a metal spatula between the skin and the salmon.

What did the family eat?  

My kids LOVE salmon, and the hubby likes white fish & most like spinach.  So, on fish nights I often serve both salmon and a white fish (like cod), spinach and a second veggie (those who don't love spinach like green beans), and I steamed up a second packet of basmati rice with olive oil and lemon pepper.  I also served lemon wedges for spritzing, and mixed berries I made earlier this week.  Dessert for the kids was stellar:  Strawberry licorice sticks that we took along with our water bottles to the pool.

Celebration:  

Today was my first day without leg pains!  This is huge considering I spent 4 1/2 hours at a swim meet!

Cheers! With a Twist of Lyme, 

Yvie

Phase 1: Day 1

Timing meals is different when on antibiotics.   I shouldn't eat 2 hours before and after a dose, so I have decided to take my medicine at 9 AM and 9 PM.  I am usually nauseous in the morning, so this works for me.

11:00 Brunch  ~ I made a salad with all Phase 1 foods, including a very easy dressing that I just sort of threw together.  This is not unlike a salad I would normally eat, so I in no way felt deprived.  

This is 1/2 of the salad. 

 I ate the other 1/2 for lunch around 2:00.  

Yvie's Garden Salad

Lettuce
(from my neighbor's yard ~ Thanks, Vicki!)

1   Green Onion, sliced

2   Persian Cucumbers, sliced

2   Stalks Celery, Chopped

1   Sprig Parsley, chopped

2   Hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1   Handful Pignoli (Pine Nuts)

Tossed with dressing:  2 T EVOO, 3T Apple Cider Vinegar, Herbs Provence & Sea Salt

Afternoon Snack (also a great breakfast) 

                            ~ Blueberries & Walnuts, topped with Greek yogurt

Blueberries & Walnuts

I had decided I would not give up yogurt, even though it is not a phase one food, as I am on antibiotics.  Right after I ate this, my doctor called to check in on me.  (I LOVE her!)  In our conversation, she encouraged me to embrace this diet fully, so I can detox my system from this blimey Lyme bug.  She advised I add a probiotic supplement to continue to get all those good flora from yogurt without deviating from the diet.  This is why it is so important to consult with your doctor, regularly.

Dinner ~  Sole Filet with Sauteed Cabbage with Basil and Fresh Cherries

                                   

Sauteed Cabbage with Basil

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Menus for Entertaining

(Printable Recipe)

1 bunch fresh basil, thinly sliced

1 leek, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 head green cabbage, shredded

1/2 pound bok choy, shredded

Sea salt and Celery Seed to taste

In a large saute pan, melt butter and heat olive oil together over medium heat. Add the leek, cabbage and bok choy and saute just until soft. Season with salt and celery seed. Stir in the basil and toss to incorporate. Serve warm.

This is a favorite recipe of mine.  I love to serve it on Easter!  While this dinner was VERY yummy, I do prefer this recipe with Irish butter, and ghee (clarified butter) is allowed on the diet.  I may need to learn to make ghee.

Sole Filets ~ For the sole fillet, I simply tossed it in EVOO, celery seed and sea salt.  I then grilled them on a grill pan for 2-3 minutes per side.

This is only 1/2 the recipe, the other 1/2 is ready for day 2 lunch.  YUM!

What did the family eat?  My son was on a day trip with swim team, and I served pasta with chicken sausage & cherries. My daughter ate some cabbage, as well.

Cheers with a twist of Lyme!
Yvie

First Attempts...

I didn't jump right in.  When I was feeling sick, but the blood work wasn't yet confirmed I used some of the principles of the Lyme diet to settle my symptoms and side effects, and it seemed to be working.  

Dinner Menu:  Mahi-Mahi with lemon and sea salt, rice salad (recipe below), and fresh watermelon.  

Lemon and tomato are a no-no in phase one, a homemade dressing would have been better, other fish are preferred, and watermelon comes later in the diet, too, but by sampling with what I had on hand, and taking small steps, I felt better and knew I could make the shift.  YOU CAN TOO!!!

This Rice Salad:

1     Trader Joe's Frozen Rice Medley Packet  

2     persian cucumbers, diced

2-3  celery stalks with leaves, chopped

1     cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

1     handful chopped walnuts

2-3  T. Classic Greek Dressing from Stonewall Kitchen

My approach to salad is to add whatever I have on hand.  Olives and feta would be yummy additions, as well.  (Although not phase 1 items, but more of that later!)

Cheers with a twist of Lyme, 

Yvie

Oh, How I will Miss These!

I LOVE coffee (and ice cream and cake)! When I recently told others about what I was doing to feel well, I heard, "YOU gave up coffee?"

YES, well, for now, along with refined sugars, starches and dairy (aside from a serving of greek yogurt, daily), and without too much difficulty I may add.

WHY?  I want to feel well and ENJOY summer!!!

HOW?  That's what this blog is all about!

I am using several resources to help me Cook my way Healthy:


Dr. Singleton's Anti-Inflammation Diet, http://www.recipesforrepair.com/diet.html
&
the cookbook inspired by his diet,  Recipes for Repair: A Lyme Disease Cookbook  by Gail & Laura Piazza  http://www.recipesforrepair.com/book.html .

Cheers with a twist of Lyme!

Yvie