Whole foods come from the ground

We didn't plant a whole garden this year because of the move, but at least we've got a little bit of a harvest on our patio and in the yard. At least my kid knows what green beans, peas, blueberries and black raspberries look -- and taste -- like in their original home.

Now if I can just get him to stop picking sage all the time.

What I eat

For a long time, I've been eating a lot of calories. A typical breakfast would be sausage, one or two eggs (mostly just the yolk), raw/cultured sauerkraut, sprouts (usually pea, lentil or azuki bean -- not alfalfa), sauteed zucchini and some kind of green vegetable cooked in homemade chicken stock. Kombucha and supplements on the side. If I was still hungry after that, I'd have some coconut milk and nuts and/or berries.

But once I was done nursing, I really didn't need to do that. And I wanted to cleanse my liver, plus lose a little extra in the belly. I can't afford to lose much weight, but I wouldn't mind toning. I'm sure going to bed earlier and doing more yoga & meditation to help with stress would also help with the belly pooch. No longer keeping the house ready to sell helps a lot, but I will be most happy when we've closed and have moved into the new place.

I'm now juicing every morning with a real juicer, not just the Vita-Mix (and I'm finally composting everything else again, as evidenced by my son's grape vines). I'm also spending a few days without meat or eggs. The hope is that my body will let go of some toxins and of the idea that I have to eat 2,000 calories at every meal.

I am trying to keep a low profile on fruits since I don't tolerate sugar well. But now we actually have blueberries and black raspberries growing in our yard, and the farmer's market has pesticide-free strawberries.

Gluten-free pancakes at Original Pancake House

The Original Pancake House in Falls Church, VA now offers gluten-free pancakes using Bob's Red Mill GF blend, milk, egg and canola oil. The pancakes did taste good -- we got one order of blueberry and one of pecan -- (choices also include plain, banana and chocolate chip -- not as many choices as the regular pancakes boast at OPH). Shredded potatoes tasted like canola oil, which does no one any favors. We got some turkey links that were okay (not guaranteed nitrite-free or anything), an a fried egg that wasn't too pale in the yolk, and the real maple syrup was indeed probably worth the extra money (can't remember if it was 50 cents or $1.50, but who wants anything that's probably half corn syrup?). Decaf was not memorable either way.

I was calling it my last big carb binge before trying to seriously start a more veg-focused diet (including juicing and more raw food), but it was fun to be able to have breakfast out in the world for once. It's better at home, of course, but I'm still really glad they are offering the GF cakes.

Visit http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/

I have my kitchen back!

After weeks of needing to keep a clean house in the hopes that someone would buy it, I'm so excited to finally have my kitchen back! I've finally got stock rolling (from bones I'd had to stuff in the freezer), I soaked millet last night in whey and water and made porridge this morning, I've been juicing. More on my exploits to come, I hope, but this is what a busy kitchen looks like. Forget those empty counters!