delara, interrupted

I have had a LOT of fun this past week trying out new things to eat. I've eaten really well, successfully staying away from all the things my body doesn't like, for eight days in a row. That's a big deal for me. Usually, somewhere in that long a stretch of time I'll cave and have a piece of chocolate. But not this past week! Nope! Not a one! (Until last night. Ha.) I experimented a bit with a couple of recipes that were giving me a headache--they just made NO sense!--and found ways to make it all work. I also made a few substitutions to eliminate any cane sugar products and anything overly spicy-hot. (Not a fan of super-peppery food.) It was fun. And YUMMY!

Here's what the week looked like...

Breakfast Options:
Applesauce Muffins - eaten for breakfast w. vegan "butter" and orange blossom honey, accompanied by freshly squeezed orange juice
Granola - comprised of whole oats, sunflower seeds, coconut, honey, flax seeds and almond, eaten with hempmilk and fresh raspberries
Spinach Omelet - made with fresh chives and accompanied by a few slices of goat cheese and freshly baked popovers

Lunch/Dinner Options:
Colcannon - a traditional Irish dish with potatoes (what else?!), ham, and cabbage that I now LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Coconut-curry tofu stew - chock full of shiitake mushrooms, griddle-seared tofu, peppers, spinach, cabbage and chives (I altered the recipe a bit, and I LOVE the way it turned out!)
Tilapia - broiled in lemon-dill sauce and served with capers and a side of broiled veggies (either asparagus, spinach and mushrooms, or kale and collard greens)
Filet mignon - simply seasoned with sea salt and broiled with a side of portabella mushrooms
Cucumber and tomato salad - smothered with lime juice and olive oil (sometimes called "salad shiraz")

Dessert Options (oh yes, I treat myself WELL! and none of them have sugar!):
Sliced bananas with unsweetened cocoa chips (yes! they actually make these, thank goodness!!) drizzled with honey and sprinkled with a pinch of orange zest
Coconut snap cookies - I FINALLY figured out the trick to the recipe, which was totally whacked. Or else I was, 'cause I just could not make it work until I added flour. Duh.
Pink Lady apple slices, slightly soaked in fresh lime juice
Apple Pecan Cobbler - baked with maple sugar instead of cane sugar

So, yeah. There you have it. I seem to spend a LOT of time figuring out what to eat, but it is really worthwhile. I have felt energetic all week, have not had any digestive issues, and have even shed a few pounds.

Soon to come: experimenting with lavender in baking and cooking, and accumulating a whole lot of fall and winter recipes. I love the idea of eating seasonally, at least for the most part. To me, foods like coconut are all-year foods, but I think that's because in my imagination I live in a tropical climate. Stay tuned...