"Mom why is that hotdog green?"

I made the Pesto with the whole wheat pasta last night, it was awesome! I sliced and sauteed that pesto turkey sausage/hotdog from T.J. and whole mushrooms with it. My kids always give their opinions about these dinners, and this time there were a lot of comments about the unusual color. The Pesto recipe I used had a lot of lime juice in it, which was totally yummy, and it called for walnuts along with the pine nuts. Is that common?

I think I'm going to ask for that shake blender you bought at Costco for my birthday. My blender stinks, and the hotter it gets the more I just want fruit shakes(with a little spinach).

We need to think of something great, that we can actually eat, to bring on Saturday to the Ward picnic. Let the brainstorming begin!

Everyone's happy

It's funny how I always use to say that I make treats for my family. Since I've been strictly making healthy things my kids haven't complained once or even noticed and Travis seems so happy about it all. I made those peanut butter cookies again today but I burned half of them. They're so good and I made some more whole wheat bread. I've been paying more attention the last two days to the alkaline/acidic ratio. I figure if I eat something normal (acidic food) I need to eat four servings of fruits or veggies. I just am not sure I can possibly do that. I've been doing a 50/50 ratio the last two days and even that's hard. I'll try even harder tomorrow. I need to go hit the farmer's market again to stock up on the alkaline foods.

I made some Tilapia fish for dinner seasoned with Lemon Pepper. It was super yummy. And I'm munching on frozen blueberries right now which are a favorite treat of mine.

I'll meet you at the track tomorrow. Let's hope the kiddos cooperate!

My Ultimate Test

Last night my sister brought over some huge fresh, sticky "Cinnabons!" Can you believe that, I was so mad at her. Have you ever heard that hilarious bit Jim Gaffigan does about getting a cavity from just smelling a Cinnabon? But I passed the test, and made myself a banana strawberry shake instead. Is your energy level ok still?

Hey I'm going to be at the track at 9:20 am tomorrow. I'm feeling so great about this diet, I think I'm ready to add some exercise into the mix to really make myself feel successful. It's all mental for me! We'll see if Quinn cooperates.

Mmmm Smooth Yogurt!

I went today and picked up some of that European yogurt and had it with pure Maple syrup tonight and it was sooooooo yummy! I'm glad you liked the cookies. Maybe a little too salty? I can't bring myself to try the bananas and peanut butter. I'm not really into bananas or peanut butter. But I did like those peanut butter cookies and I like the peanut cookie lara bar. I made scrambled eggs and veggie sausage for dinner and just had a little bit and a big spinach strawberry smoothie. I ate more veggies today than yesterday and I feel good about that. I think tomorrow I'll do fish for dinner. I'm dreading making cupcakes that I can't eat or even stick my fingers in the batter and taste! I'm thinking about making whole wheat bran muffins instead...j/k.

Peanut Butter Is A Divine Food!

I only have a second to blog, but I have to say those cookies were amazing! I loved them. Thank you so much, I took them to Folk Life Festival with me, which was such a life saver among all the "Elephant Ears", "Kettle Corn" and "Strawberry Shortcake". There was less there that I could eat then I would have thought. Where are all of those Seattle vegans/ vegetarians?

I am going to have to make those for sure!!! My other favorite is just smothering that same peanut butter over a banana. That's been my dessert the last few days. By the way I picked up some of the yogurt we couldn't find, "European Style plain nonfat" right? IT IS GOOD!!! I'm going to put frozen strawberries in it tonight. YUM!

Camping Gourmet

I am so proud of us for camping and eating so well! My favorite moment was when we tricked the men into loving vegetarian sausage patties. I really wasn't expecting such a positive reaction!

With so many good things to eat I ate too much today. Everything was healthy and diet approved, but I didn't stick to the 20/80 plan very well. I made some peanut/almond cookies that I think you will really like (they taste like peanut butter cookies). I'll give you some when you come to get the backpack tomorrow. I made that Asian salad again tonight for dinner with chicken that I marinated and then grilled and I made whole wheat bread to go with it. I normally wouldn't have done all of that, but I was taking dinner to the Nichols.

Here's the recipes I made today and the recipe for the pancakes... (I would love for you to post how you do the balsamic chicken and the recipe for the cottage cheese cucumber salad).


Gluten/Dairy Free Almond Cookies (makes about 24 1 inch cookies)
1/2 Cup Almond Butter (I used the creamy salted peanut butter from TJs.)
2 Cups Almond Meal
6 Tbsp Honey or Agave Nectar
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Salt to taste
Slivered Almonds, for decoration
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.2. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to thoroughly combine.3. You can either roll the dough by hand into 1 inch balls and lightly press down with a fork or your fingers OR you can pat into a large square and cut into smaller 1-inch squares.4. Place the cookies on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden. The cookies will crisp as they cool.6. Allow cookies to cool and store in an airtight container.


Whole Wheat Pancakes
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (I like the white wheat flour from TJs)
1 Tbls. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbls. oil
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tbls. Sugar

Mix and cook.

Super Easy Whole Wheat Bread
5 cups hot water
5 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbls. Gluten or dough enhancer
2 Tbls. Yeast (heaping)
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 Tbls. Salt (add this after the yeast has a little time to work )
Add more whole wheat flour until the dough holds together. Knead for 6 minutes.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Then turn up to 350 degrees when the loaves go in the oven.

I only do half of this recipe so that it will fit in my kitchenaid and half of the recipe makes 5 or 6 mini loaves or 2 regular sized loaves.

A Whole New World

I'm really amazed at how easy this diet seems after those initial 3 days of eating only apples. I haven't really been tempted once (at least not too badly). And I'm feeling really great! I sure enjoyed those whole wheat pancakes and aquave syrup yesterday! I need the recipe.

Today after church I had a yummy cottage cheese and cucumber salad! And I think I'm going to make balsamic chicken breast tonight again, I'm really on a kick right now.

Trader Joe's really is the way to go, at least for snacks, I'm going to make another run tomorrow.

Do you feel like you're going to pass out?

I seriously could barely pull myself out of bed today. I'm feeling very weak and the last thing I want is to eat an apple. I will really have to force myself to get one down. I can't believe you had to go out to eat last night. I'm so sorry! What bad timing. Is that why you weren't at scouts?

On a more positive note...I feel thinner today! I'm sure I'm not, but I do feel like I am.

I'm definitely doing an early dinner tonight!

"Apples to Apples"

So, I was right the second day has been BRUTAL! But I have to say, that I am going to bed with a really clean concious. Today I had a major obligation to a family member that involved me being at a restaurant among every imaginable temptation. "Luckily" they had apple slices on the kids menu. It was so hard, I'm not kidding. I've just been so tired all day, maybe a lack of protein. Anyway, enough complaining..... I can't wait until tomarrow night. What ever I make for dinner, there will be asparagus. It's been calling my name from the vegetable crisper the last two days. By the way, is vinegar ok? The stew sounds awesome!

Hey if you're going to Trader Joe's tomarrow call me, I was thinking of going in the morning anyway.

Day Two

It's day two for me and I don't feel as weak and light-headed as I did yesterday. Vivi's been nursing like crazy and I wonder if it's because there's not as much milk? I'm trying to keep her full on other things. I just heated my applesauce for lunch and it was a lot easier to get down. I think I've completely lost my appetite for apples. I had one this morning and I had to really force myself to get it down. All other food is looking so good to me! I think I was dreaming about food. What are you going to make for your dinner tomorrow night to break the apple fast? I think I'll put a stew in the crockpot. Here's what I do for my stew (it's not that exciting but it's easy and healthy).

Throw in the crockpot and cook for 4-5 hours...

3-4 chicken breasts
5 red potatoes
carrots
1 cup chicken stock
basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

I'm also going to pick up some of that yummy yogurt for you from Trader Joe's to break the fast with.

Day One

Although I don't have psoriasis, I have lots of great reasons to clean out my system and do this diet. Diabetes and arthritis runs really strong in my family, I had a baby 9 months ago and I'm still carrying around more of that weight than I would like to admit, and last but certainly not least, I would do anything for my friend. It really is easier to do something like this with someone else!

So, one day down two to go. I think I did 5 apples, about 1 1/2 cups of apple sauce and about 1 1/2 cups of apple chips today. Where I slacked is the water. I think I did about 3 glasses is all. But I'm feeling good. I must say it feels a bit like fasting, maybe I should eat more apples today?

A Summary of the Pagano Diet

After reading Dr John O. A. Pagano's book,"Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative" 3 years ago I decided to give the diet a try. I did it pretty faithfully for 4 months and saw a big improvement in my psoriasis. Now after another baby I'm facing the worst psoriasis I've ever had and was feeling really down about it. I've been trying steroid treaments which only make me more frustrated because it seems to make the psoriasis better for a day or two and then it comes back even worse than before. So I decided that since the diet was working for me before, I just need to take the plunge and give it another go. My good friend is encouraging me to do it and is even going to do the diet with me (she's an amazing friend!) So we start tomorrow. I'm posting this summary of the diet for her...

-The diet starts out with a 3 day apple (red or yellow delicious) diet-asmany as you want or need to sustain, accompanied by a professional coloncleasing and/or home enemas (I didn't do the colon cleansing or enemas butdid eat a lot of apples and other fruits). It says if you are sensitive to apples you may substitute grapes or other low-acid fruits.

After that the diet begins:

-Drinking of 6-8 or more 8 oz glasses of pure water a day in addition toother liquids ingested. Stressed thorughout the book as very important
-Eating a diet high in alkaline foods and low in acidity 80%/20% balance
-Eliminating red meats, processed meats (pepperoni, sausage, etc) although lamb is acceptable
-Eating small portions (4 oz portions) of poultry, fish and other proteinssuch as tofu at meals. The diet also says "white" varieties of fish aregood but to avoid shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, etc.) anddark-fleshed fish. Tuna and water-packed fish are also ok. Broiling,baking, poaching and other low fat ways of preparing are recommended,stir-frying with a very little oil is ok; and do not deep fry or bread thefish (or other foods such as chicken).
-Eliminating fried and fatty foods
-Eating lots of greens and fresh fruits fresh (best) and cooked (good) butstaying away from canned
-Drinking fresh juices if possible. The book recommends carrot celery everyday. Book generalizes fruit as cleansers and veges as builders.
-Eliminating coffee, caffeinated drinks, carbonated regular and diet sodas,and alcohol. If absolutely necessary, up to 3 cups of decaf coffee ok, butnot recommended.
-Avoid white bread and products with white flour
-Whole grains are good but not to be overeaten since they are"acid-formers". Provides vitamins and fiber. Belongs to acceptable 20% acid part of diet. Recommended: Whole Wheat breads, cereals, pastas, brown rice,etc.-
-Dairy in low quantities and stick to low/non fat varieties of milk, eggs,butter, cheese, yogurt.
-Avoid sugar and products made with cane sugar. Honey is substitute.
-Avoid Nightshades--these are tomatos and derivatives, potatos, tobacco,eggplant, peppers (black pepper is fine) and paprika.
-Do not eat any known allergy causing foods even if they are permitted
-Avoid processed and artificially flavored/colored foods
-Olive oil is recommended in foods/salad dressing and alone (good forintestines)
-Do not over eat
-Drinking Herbal teas; recommends Slippery Elm Bark Tea in the AM andSaffron Tea in the evening; says Mullein and Camomile are also good. The teas are purported to aid andstimulate rebuilding, cleasing and proper digestion in the intestinaltract.


We start tomorrow. I have to admit I really enjoyed eating a big piece of chocolate cake tonight before saying goodbye to a bad chocolate habit tomorrow. Here goes nothing. I think I'll post how many apples I eat and how much water I consume just as a way of keeping track (hey K you should do the same) and then we can use this blog to share what we're eating oh and to keep track of how we feel and how much weight we're losing (we better lose weight right?)