Lupus

6 Months ~ 50.2 Pounds

Hey, y’all. 🙂

It’s been awhile again. 🙁

A bunch of stuff is going on here.

  🙂

The business is awesome. 🙂

 😉

I’ve been trying to get some health stuff taken care of before those @ssholes in congress / those of you who put them there condemn those of us with preexisting conditions to certain death. 🙁

(Thanks for the bumper sticker, democrats.org.  As always…love y’all but no not putting anything political (or anything other than the Aggie sticker) on the car.  I will however share it here.  🙂 )

 🙁

Two weeks ago I had to have a bunch of blood work and x-rays. Then last week I had to have both legs scanned for possible clots.

They gave me these lovely disposable plastic shorts to wear. Look how baggy they were. 🙂

I’ve always had some circulation issues from the previous clots but it’s gotten really bad over the last year or so and they were looking to see exactly what’s going on.  I won’t know results til next week when the dr gets back from spring break. (If there had been any bad clots they would have let me know immediately…so now it’s just waiting to find out what if anything else they found.)

 

Then Mama B got pneumonia 🙁  (She’s doing much much better today)  🙂  Poor thing was sick on her birthday. 🙁  Happy b-day, best Mom to ever walk the face of the earth. 🙂

I LOVE  this lime mineral water from Whole Foods.  I add a few drops of liquid splenda and it’s like a milder Sprite.

I got my blood work back and some great news…my iron is up. 🙂  The whole reason I started eating keto though was to get my inflammation down and those results were still awful. 🙁  But I’m ecstatic about the iron. Y’all know how I’ve struggled with it for years. I’d tried everything to get it up and now 6 months of eating this way and it’s finally within range. 🙂  I’m feeling it too. I’ve got energy I haven’t had in ages.

Other eating news…I’m back on dairy (cheese / butter / cream) and so super happy. 🙂 I take a digestive enzyme if I have more than a slice of cheese and it’s working great.  I missed it a lot.  It helps make eating like this easier and I’m all about staying on track right now.

So…last Monday was 6 months of no grains or sugar (I also had 3 1/2 months of no dairy mixed in there too).  6 months, y’all. I’m so proud of myself for sticking with this as long as I have…and for continuing to stick with it. 🙂

I was at the dr the next day and…I’ve officially lost 50.2 pounds…with clothes on. 😉

I also happened to go shopping after the dr.

Left pic: before. Other two pics:  last Tuesday.

I’ve been checking the clearance racks for any cheap left over spring-y / summer stuff since I’m still losing and don’t want to waste money on stuff that will only last a month or 2.

I saw this halter jumper and thought it was a halter dress. I didn’t want to get completely undressed so I just put it on over my leggings and then realized it wasn’t a dress.   By summer it will be perfect. 🙂

How did I celebrate -50.2?

Homemade ceaser dressing.

Salmon burger.

Ribeye.

Cherry keto fat bombs (cream cheese / cream / splenda drops / vanilla / cherries).

So, yeah I’m still going strong with this.  I did recently get back to strict 25 carbs or less 5 days a week. 50 grams or less 2 days.

For about 5 weeks I’d been doing more Paleo style eating and even though it was all safe food and I continued to lose weight the higher carbs were making me hungry all.the.time.  A couple days back on strict keto and that went away.

Ok that’s all for now. Y’all have a great week and I’ll see you soon. 🙂

 

 

 

 

Cashew Blender Bread

Hey, y’all.  🙂

I meant for this post to go up on Valentine’s Day but somehow scheduled it for March 14th instead.

So happy belated V-Day.  🙂

Hope it was everything…every single one of you…wanted it to be.  🙂

I’ve been busy working on my business which picked up hugely 😉 this month.

Still eating super boring so I don’t have much to share on that front.

Over the weekend we met Sister B for lunch and I did have some delish dry rub ribs but forgot to take pics.

I’m also busy with the resistance project. So proud of the work we’re doing. 🙂

Ok, y’all if you’ve got a high power blender you’ve got to try this.

I had this recipe on hold for months because I was completely skeptical.  But it really does work.

I wasn’t willing to commit to a larger amount of cashews than this so I just made a small loaf pan and used these measurements:

5 oz cashew nuts soaked in cold water for about an hour

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp cold water

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup tapioca flour

Soak cashews for an hour. Drain and rinse.  Add nuts and water to high power blender and blend on high until completely smooth.  I had to use the tamper with mine to help get it going.  I blended for probably about 2 1/2 – 3 minutes on 10.

Once it’s completely smooth…and I do mean completely…add everything else and blend on high for about a minute.

Pour / spread in pan and bake at 325* for about 35 minutes. Cover with foil if it’s browning too quickly.  Then kick the temp up to 375* and cook 5 – 10 additional minutes uncovered til golden brown.

This was soft and bendy and delish. It didn’t taste like nuts at all. That’s just cooked down strawberries with a few drops of liquid splenda as a mock strawberry jelly.  My first PB&J in ages. 🙂

When I try this as a regular size loaf I’m going to triple the recipe.  I’m still kind of scared of trying a big loaf though because that’s a lot of nuts wasted if for some reason structurally is not strong enough to hold up to the weight of the amount of nuts needed to fill that large of a pan without sinking.

 🙂

Progress pic…

Taken last week.

Ok that’s all for now. Y’all have a great long weekend and I’ll see you soon.  🙂

 

 

 

Eating Evolved Chocolate

Hey, y’all. 🙂

Sorry it’s been a while.

January is a slow month for my business. I’ve been using the time to do taxes and restock so when it picks up this month I’ll be ready to go.

If I wasn’t getting a refund I would have seriously given some thought to not filing myself.  😉

Also I hadn’t written about this yet but after I’d made 100 out of 104 days of dairy free…I tried adding dairy back.  I ate if for a week and let’s just say that my body rebelled big time.

I’m back off of it now and feeling a lot better.

Because of that I haven’t done any kitchen experimenting since we last met.

Did make a pressure pot of short ribs yesterday. They were so good.  The gravy is the arrowroot thickened pan juices. This was also one of my higher carb days so yes, those are potatoes. 🙂

JKR…taking out the garbage one tweet at time. 🙂

Decided to try the Siete chips.  Right choice. 🙂 They are totally worth it. Totally. These are nacho flavor but they have no dairy at all. That’s a bowl of ‘Frito’ pie…subbing the grain free tortilla chips for the Fritos.  I don’t add the chips to the bowl all at once though I just do it a couple at a time so they don’t get too soggy.

So I ordered a sample box of Eating Evolved primal chocolate goods.

It comes boxed with a bow and they included two extra bars as a little gift.  If you like dark chocolate most of this stuff is pretty good.  Well, what I’ve tried of it anyway. I’ve tried the green bar (72% dark chocolate), the red bar (72% dark chocolate with almonds) and the banana cream cups. I don’t particularly enjoy dark chocolate but I’m trying. 🙂

The one thing I didn’t like AT ALL was the hot chocolate. I couldn’t get the taste out of my mouth for hours. It is super duper bitter and definitely not for someone who is just learning to like dark chocolate.

I’ll let y’all know what I think of the remaining items as I try them.  I only allow stuff like this a couple times a week though.

Thank you, Nordstrom. 🙂

We have to keep the pressure on these businesses, y’all. Let them know we won’t spend one cent in their stores if they support or give these monsters an outlet.   #GrabYourWallet

 More so than ever right now it’s up to each of us to be the good to counter all the hate and garbage. 🙂

 😉

 

Dear democrat senate and house members, over the last 6 years…every.single.day…the republican led senate acted out a ‘youtube-esque’ tutorial on government obstruction for y’all in living color. Take their blueprint and run, y’all. Obstruct this shit in every conceivable way (and some ways y’all don’t even know of yet).  Love and thanks, Texas Girl.  🙂

Also…if anybody in Texas wants to join us click that pic above and it should link to battle ground texas. 🙂

New current pic. Went shopping with Mama B and Sister B this past weekend. When I saw that seated picture I seriously asked them if I really look like that.  I struggle so much with seeing myself as I really am. In my mind I still look much larger and I’m still automatically drawn to tent like clothes. Automatically I pick up big baggy stuff.  Every time. Why is that?

I know part of it is style choice.  I love flowy / boho / hippy stuff but it’s really more that I just can’t see myself as anything other than huge.  It’s so annoying.  So if you see me in person and wonder why I’m wearing something 97 sizes too big…that’s why.  I’m working on it.  🙂

Anyway…that’s all for today.

Y’all have a great super bowl weekend and I’ll see you soon.  🙂

 

 

Hell Hath No Fury…

Love this lady and her sign so much.  🙂

CR, your Mom would have been so proud.  🙂

Hey, y’all.  Hope all’s well in your part of the world.  🙂

Today …more than ever I am so moved and inspired to action by my fellow feminist activists.

And so very proud of all the first timers who turned out to march in numbers never imagined. 🙂

Papa B told me today that in solidarity he’ll march beside me in the next one. 🙂

Papa B…the very best daughter dad around.  🙂

Let’s see…since we last met…

This is my new fav snack. A Siete coconut flour tortilla micro’d for about 45 seconds / side then slathered with mashed avo.  These tortilla’s make the best chalupa shells.  I swear they hold up even better than traditional corn shells.  I mean…I haven’t actually had them as a chalupa because of the whole no beans thing…but they hold up to wet avo exceptionally well so I have to think they’d hold up to beans too.

Picked up a bag of this Bob’s Red Mill Paleo flour to try.

Tried the pancake recipe on the bag. Made it into waffles.

They’re pretty good and reheated beautifully. Next time I’m going to use the flour in my favorite waffle recipe and see how it works with that. That’s sugar free syrup.

So awesome to see this glaring difference.  🙂

Hey, Cheeto Dust

Bless your delusional / narcissistic / ugly little heart.

We have eyes and can tell the difference between the size of your inauguration crowd and those of both Obama inaugs.

Let me break this down for ya.

See he’s an awesome, good, decent, inspiring human being.

And let’s be real…you’re most definitely not.

He can inspire bus load after bus load of people to trek across the county for just a glimpse.

You inspired the same trek but for oh so very different reasons.

You’re an ugly / narcissistic / sociopathic / hot mess…but ya know what?

You’re the leader of this country now.

I know. Those of us with basic human decency running thru our veins can’t believe it either.

But sadly you are.

That means it’s time for you to shut up.

Stop pitching whiny little titty baby fits with the media and twitter (I figure you’ll appreciate the use of the word tit there)…and get to work.

I know you’ve never really worked an honest day in your life and this is a pretty much thankless job but it’s yours now so shut up and get on with it.

And trust me, the amount of anger that’s raining down on you from all over this great land / world is only going to grow over the next 1457 days. Get used to it. You can check in here weekly if you need a condensed version as I’ll continue to let you know just what a complete and total sh-t show you are / your admin is.

Love (no not really…nothing but utter disgust sent your way), Texas Girl.

Y’all have a great week and I’ll see you soon.  🙂

 

 

 

 

My New Toy

Hey, y’all.  🙂

I hope y’all made it thru the super cold stuff this weekend.  It got down in the 20’s here.  Right at the same time the cold blew in my blood got dangerously thin from my blood thinner.  I thought I was gonna die from the cold. (I’m exaggerating about the dying part…but I seriously have never been so cold in my life.)

Today it was almost 80. I was in heaven (and my blood is almost back in range) 🙂

Took this pic this evening around 5pm.  Almost full moon shining bright while the sun was still out.

So when we last met I was waiting on a Christmas gift to show up.

Isn’t she beautiful? My first Vitamix. Red of course. 🙂  Thanks, family.  🙂

Since I’m making my own cashew milk and stuff now I wanted something a little more powerful than the bullet. Bullet served me well for a few years but I outgrew her.

I chose the S30 because of the size.  I wanted something that wouldn’t take up too much space on the counter or in the appliance drawer…and would also be light for lifting in and out of the drawer. I debated between the S30 and 55 but decided the extra money wasn’t worth it for what I’d be using it for.  Plus I wanted red and the 55 doesn’t come in red.  Easy decision then.  🙂

First I made some cashew milk and cashew sour cream (and ghee the same day).  It was restocking the fridge day.

Then I used Vita (I call her VEETA…ya know…because I like to play like I’m British and they call vitamins VEETuhmens) anyway…I used her to turn some cashews, cashew milk, red pepper, nutritional yeast, chicken broth base, spices into…

Cashew QUESO, y’all. 🙂  ‘Cheese’ without cheese.

This stuff is every. thing.

I’m going to add some jalapeno’s to the next batch to get it a little more Texan-y.

I used this dude’s recipe but he’s vegan (I think) and he doesn’t use chicken broth base in his.  I think it adds a great depth of flavor to the recipe and obvs I’m not vegan so I’ll keep on using it. He also uses both almonds and cashews. I did not and will not. This was awesome sauce and I’m not messing with more ingredients than necessary for my taste buds.  The fam gave this thumbs up too and they pretty much don’t like anything I eat these days.

About those ‘chips’ I’m dippin’ up the queso with.

Siete almond flour and cassava coconut tortillas.

Texas made by a Texas fam so of course they’re excellent.  🙂

The cassava coconut version is a little bit grainy because of the cassava but they’re so close to real tortillas. They make the best chips. The almond flour version makes good chips too but they’re thicker.  They have less carbs so I do use them when I don’t have the numbers for the cassava. Neither mess with my blood sugar at all.

To make the chips I take one tortilla, spread ghee on both sides, plop on a piece of parchment and into the micro for up to a minute on each side. Then I break it up into pieces. Easy and perfect portion control.  They also sell actual chips now (only in Whole Foods til mid-march) but the carb count on them is way too much for me right now.

😉

Annual family New year’s day meal. Almond flour coated pork chop, black eyed peas, cashew cream / follow your heart cheese-y green bean cass, mashed potatoes with cashew cream gravy. (This was just my meal. Everyone else had the regular version of all of that.) With this meal I learned that I don’t need to try to recreate everything to mimic the original version. I would have been perfectly happy with a non crusted pork chop.  It was way too much work and mess for one person’s food.  Isn’t that plate pretty? It’s from the motherland…Czechoslovakia. 🙂

I sobbed watching the President’s final address tonight. It’s so sad to know this amazing man, his beautiful wife and just overall classy family is being replaced with such deplorable human garbage. You can’t say it, Hill so we’ll say it for you.  🙂

Speaking of…I’ll be proudly rocking this beaut on inauguration day.  You can get yours here.

No shame, y’all.

Remember…

If you look the other way and stay silent in the face of hate and all the horrible-ness that’s fixin’ to be fully unleashed in about 10 days…you’re just as bad as they are.

 🙂

A quick before current:

This is one of my favorite shirts.  I tried it on today.  I’m sitting in the car for both top pics.  In the left pic (sometime in 2016) the shirt is stretched to the limit. You can see how it’s pulling across the chest. My whole body wouldn’t  fit in the frame.  On the right I have about 5 inches of material gathered in the back (just for the pic I didn’t walk around town like that).  I have on shorts they just perfectly match the blue in the top.

That’s the best I can do today.  I really don’t run around taking endless pics of myself and I haven’t been out much at all since the last time I posted pics.  I’ll definitely keep posting comparisons when I have them though.

Ok that’s all for today.  Stay safe and warm and I’ll see y’all soon.  🙂