WAKE UP, JOEY!!!!!!

Well.  My life is over as I know it.  Lots of goodbyes - sniff.  Goodbye gelato.  Sayonara brown rice.  Ta ta ALCOHOL.  Au revoir bread, potatos, quinoa etc. etc. etc.  At least for a few months...


I was at my naturopath the other day and much to my dismay, he discovered that I - that would be ME - the fitness fanatic, foodie, nutrition coach, healthy as a horse ME - do not only have a thyroid issue but I am also right on the cusp of pre-diabetes.  In fact - I believe the words were "...increased risk of diabetes"  Are you f'ing kidding me??????  Ok - I know it's not terminal.  Hell - it's not even DIABETES!  But let me tell you something.    This girl AIN'T getting diabetes.  And the thyroid thing?  I'll be taking care of THAT also and it won't be with Big Pharma involved.  Ok - that's as far as I go discussing politics.


Anyway - my doc is confident we can get me in tip top shape by changing my diet.  Carbs out, protein and fat IN.  So for the next few months I will be the poster child for the Paleo diet done the doc's way with some tweaks.  I'm not an expert but the Paleo diet is  no dairy, no carbs - rice, potatos, legumes, anything with flour in it - essentially grain-free.  Lucky for me, my doc thinks dairy is ok.  Raw milk cheese, butter etc.  Fine with me.


The one thing I DO know about me is I can't live like that!  Bare bones food.  But, if it tastes great, it will satiate me.  So I have been researching my options and there are PLENTY!


Unless you live under a rock, you know the super bowl is tomorrow.  Am I happy about not being able to hoist a few Dark and Stormys?  Ummmm - noooo.  But I will refrain.  Obviously I will allow cheat days during this period of my life but I already know I'm saving mine for an evening later in the month.  So super bowl is a dry town for me.  But I can EAT!!!!!  Now what does one eat at super bowl gatherings?  Chips, dip, cheese and crackers, wings, sweets!  Well, I can't have the chips,  But I made a KICK ASS hummus today.  Hummus typically has chick peas and/or beans in it - ummmm...legumes?  Can't have.  So I found this blog today and made this instead and it is the BOMB!  AND, I made the crackers to go with it.  Unbelievable!


Hot Zucchini Hummus

• 2 Medium Zucchini, peeled and quartered
• 3/4 cup Tahini
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 medium/large cloves of minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
• Food Processor or High Speed Blender
  

Process-

1. Peel and chop zucchini and place in food processor.
2. Add in Tahini, Olive Oil, and fresh lemon juice, and blend.
3. Add garlic, cumin, and salt, and blend thoroughly.
   
   
   

For the peppers and pine nuts:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red and green peppers
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• a little salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts

Process:

1. Saute chopped peppers and red pepper flakes in olive oil until tender.
2. Lightly toast pine nuts in the toaster oven. (be sure to watch carefully so they do not burn.)

For the eats:

Garnish the hummus with the spicy peppers and pine nuts. Feel free to eat as is, or mix the topping into the hummus. Either way is delicious!

For the Flax Crackers

Ingredients-

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 cup flax seed meal
• 1/2 cup whole flax seeds
• 2 omega 3 eggs, whisked
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  
  

Process-

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together almond flour, flax seed meal, eggs, oil, salt, and flax seeds.
2. Separate dough into two halves (I formed balls).
3. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Roll dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
5. Score with a knife, or cut with a pizza cutter into 2 x 2 inch squares.
6. Sprinkle a little extra salt over the top of the crackers.
7. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes. We recommend checking the crackers after 10 minutes.
8. Once cooled, break crackers into squares and enjoy!
   
   
   

I'm also making wings.  And I'm making Spicy Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe a la Jim Yak and I went out to the yummiest cheese shop around Curds and Whey and picked out an amazing Gouda made in Spain that will blow your socks off and a French raw milk Manchago to die for.  I can eat CHEESE!!!!  With my Flax crackers!!! 


So, I'm not particularly happy about this right now - you know - being told something is "kind of" wrong with me.  But, I am not one to sit back and accept ANYTHING I'm not happy about.  So let's see how this goes.


Oh and where's the JOY in all this?
Why...finding great food!  Getting healthier.  Losing that little muffin top that's appeared in the past 2 years.  Taking control.  That's my JOY.

PS?  GO GIANTS!!!!!!!!!  I LOVE YOU ELI!!!!!!!