Thanksgiving 2014: Keto Low Carb Banquet

I've changed my eating habits since May of this year, going into Ketosis to burn fat, so I've adopted a Low Carb High Fat style of cooking. And wow, does this way of eating work to lose weight, regulate insulin, and (if you're a woman) regulate your menstrual cycle. For me, no more ups and downs with nausea and headaches from blood sugar issues---oh and people have stopped asking me when I'm due.

Here's my 50 pound difference, blond me is from 2012 at the weight of 176 lbs, and the redheaded me is at 125 lbs. Eating Keto style since May, I've lost 30 pounds and I don't plan on letting the holidays bring me down. (I lost the first 20 pounds pole dancing)

For one thing, I've started eating meat!!! I was raised vegetarian and had no idea how good protein was for me. If I eat it, then I'm no longer hungry all day, wow, what a concept. I didn't get fat from simply over eating, I was actually hungry all the time and I ate to control that.  The second thing is, I have a food scale and weigh out everything I eat, it's the only way to really know. Keeping carbs low, to around 20 grams a day, takes some getting used to and at first it's hard to just eyeball the food, you have to get it there and weigh it and track it for the first few months, in my opinion.

Now my plan is simply the same during the holidays, keep carbs to 20 grams, my protein around 60-90g, and fat to around 100g. For this Thanksgiving I'm cooking my first turkey! It'll be Kosher, because of the way it's drained then soaked in salt water, giving it this wonderful flavor. I only bought a 13 lb turkey, because my husband is still vegetarian.

Keto Turkey Gravy

Broccoli Casserole (my old standby, I use a gluten free mushroom soup, so there's no flour)

Deviled Eggs

Almond Bread (I sub in Almond Butter for Peanut Butter, gives it a more neutral bread flavor)

Fried Apples (faster than baking, I promise)

Mashed Cauliflower I sub heavy cream for the milk, lower carb, higher flavor.

If you haven't tried this, it's so good. A great alternative to the very carby mashed potatoes. And we need something to pour all that delicious gravy over!

Fresh Pumpkin Pie (sugar free, low carb) 

I make this crustless for me and my mom, and I'll make one with a store bought crust for my in-laws. I experimented making this before Thanksgiving just to make sure the flavor would be there with no actual sugar, and fuck yeah! It's there, I use a brown sugar substitute (sucralose). Oh, and made with fresh sugar pumpkin that I roasted, pureed and froze when they were in season.

Whipped Cream (sugar free, sweetened with Vanilla Torani Syrup)

Found out my mom has an immersion blender which has a whisk attachment, makes it SO MUCH EASIER to whip some cream. Again, I experimented beforehand to make sure the flavor was there, and YES, so so so good and sugar free, meaning there's only 1 carb per 15 grams.

Strawberry Blossoms (I'll sweeten it with either Splenda or the Torani Vanilla syrup)

Strawberry Cream Pie (I'm torn between these two strawberry desserts, there might be one I make just for my house and one I leave with my in-laws. I'll make this without the unnecessary crust)

Foucan, My Cat

Help For Streamate Models

Years ago there was a website uploading free content stolen from Streamate. I sent noticed and got mine taken down. Here's an address.

Emotional Authority: Waiting For Clarity?

I've been put in the position where I can make a decision to let someone into my life.

This is very stressful. Since I'm defined in my Emotional Solar Plexus, and I'm in my 3rd year of radical commitment to following my Strategy & Authority (S&A), I'm actually going to wait this out.

This is harder than I first realized.

For me, it's not so much that I'm "waiting to be clear" about this; but that I'm waiting until there are less waves being set off every time I come close to this situation. Until the ripples in my emotions settle down to something far less turbulent.

At the same time, I feel pressured to make the decisions to talk to these people involved in this deal. I've asked for time and I notice they keep emailing me. The sensation of not being heard isn't helpful.

And if you notice, I have gate 29 in the Sacral (the red square), it's the gate of Saying Yes. My go to, is just to go with the flow and go ahead and say yes right now, and then take it slow. It's so tempting.

I have to remember that TIME IS MY FRIEND. It's hard to remember, I'm not only conditioned but part of my design is to just jump into things (gates 6.2 the Kamikaze and gate 36 that loves a charming crisis and runs head first into them).

I suppose one wave that gets triggered is that if I wait, then when I'm ready to reach out, the people won't still be there; that I'll be abandoned again.  Now that I even write out that sentence, it makes the situation feel more like something I can handle.  Like, that can't be true, they won't have left. Again. Right?

All right, back to Human Design Hawaii's video to the millionth time.

Fearless February

Today is February 2nd and this is when I'm beginning, in earnest, handstand training.

Last year was the first time since the 90's that I started doing handstands again.  With one of my favorite trainers, Honey Washington at Studio Rio's Twisted Fitness, I was able to do one the first time.  She's gymnastically trained and her biggest tip was to squeeze your arms close to your head when you try.  Also, we were in 6" stripper heels, which makes it easier. 

Seriously.

I suppose it tips your hips up at an angle when you bend over so it's easier to kick up.  Also, doing it against a pole rather that a wall, makes a vast difference.  Your legs need space to kick over and the pole hits your bottom, stabilizing you. 

But then, something happened, with another teacher and I ended up getting very hurt, landed on my head and neck, lost out of work and had to go to rehab.  So....since then I've been a bit shy of doing handstands.  Now, forearm stands or doing the Iguana, I'm totally fine with.

I'm currently following Aerial Amy's Fearless February Guide and want to keep track of the links and what's been working for me.  This is where I've started:

Wrist Strengthening: Chris Salvato's Blog and training videos
Wrist Strengthening: FitQueenIrene's video
Wrist/Core Strengthening: Gold Medal Body's Plank Exercise

So, this is where I began today and I do feel it in my wrists, hands, and forearms.

Snow Day

Happy Human Design New Year!

It's a snow day here on the island off the Eastern Shore and my internet was down, so no work!  And I work from home!  Hell yeah!

However.

I'm sitting in my bedroom reading, when I hear a knock at the door.  I go answer it.

Me opening the door

Guy at the door:  Can I come in?

Me: NO.  Slams door and locks it.

WTF?!?!

In my head I start in with a description of everything I saw, 20 something white guy, about 5' 7", medium build, short brown hair, black letterman coat with a hoodie on underneath.  And I immediately call my husband.  With every intention of calling the cops after I talk to him.

Last month there were 2 home invasions, like just 3 weeks ago, there was an armed home invasion with the tenants present and then a robbery without the tenants home.

My adrenaline was running and it was really soothing to hear BoB's voice saying he was still in the parking lot.  We rarely get snow, so he took longer than normal getting his truck ready and only circled the block before heading back.

I got to hear BoB confront the guy, who was still outside.

BoB:  Hey, you want to come inside my house?!

Guy:  subdued mumbling

BoB:  Okay.  You need to introduce yourself first.

Apparently, this guy is one of my neighbors whom I've never met.  And when I thought about, I kind of met him last year.  There was a young guy leering at me in the parking lot last summer that just came up to me and told me, "Hey, you should come to my house, I live on the end."  Again, no introduction, just creepiness.  I mean, there are 6 apartment row houses, like, which end stranger I-just-met-in-the-parking-lot?  (I just got in my car and drove off without saying anything to him)

Here he is again, just wanting to be let into my house?  Is it Aspergers?  Is it entitled white male privilege?  Is it watching too much internet porn?  Is it a head injury?  How does one not understand basic human interactions all the way into your 20's?

Turns out, what he told my husband is...he wanted me to give him a ride to work???  A person I've never met.  Seems like bullshit to me.  First off, his apartment is right in front of where my husband parks his car.  So, he watched my husband brush snow off his car and drive away, before deciding he'd come over to my apartment?  When this guy is friends with other people in this apartment complex? "People" by which I mean "males" that he could have easily asked for a ride to work from.

Felt really good to slam the door in his face this morning.  But, I'm uneasy with a neighbor like this.

Thanksgivingakkah

Everything I made this year, trying to scale back on dishes.  In past I've made 17 dishes.  Let's count how many I did this time:

Broccoli Casserole (did organic and fresh broccoli and gluten free natural mushroom soup)

Spinach Balls (this is fancy stuffing, made into balls, and gluten free this year)

Butternut Squash Custard (this is done by heart, peel and boil squash for 20 min, then I add 2 eggs to thicken, some cream, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, sugar (or not) and bake)

Mashed Potatoes and Vegetarian Gravy (nutritional yeast)

Pumpkin Pie (made two types, one without sugar-but using sweetened condensed milk & one with brown sugar and 1/2 cup milk that turned into more of a custard than a pie)

Pumpkin Custard (this was made using fresh organic pumpkin by puree'ing a week before T-Day, too bad they were sold out the weekend before Thanksgiving, so I couldn't make the pies with them & it was made as a gluten free alternative)

Pumpkin Truffles (add parafin to the vanilla coating, and pour  "fudge" into a shallow dish in the FREEZER for 3 hours)

Frozen Cranberry Squares (This recipe worked as written, I recommend using pineapple chunks not shredded)

Artichoke Heart Spinach Dip (artichoke hearts, frozen spinach, mayo, salt, pepper, and Tabasco *very important even if you don't like spice, add for flavor)

Deviled Eggs (super important that the eggs be bought a week beforehand so they peel well)

Fried Apples (now I say "fried" but I've been baking these since summer, so this time I put in a cast iron pan with water and sugar and cinnamon with the lid on for 10 min, then just waited 'til soft, and I sliced the apples thin, instead of chunks)

Pillsbury Bleu Cheese Pinwheels ( I like these and no one else eats them, I think people are scared of bleu cheese... pussies.  Anyway, crescent rolls and fill with 3 cheese and slice and bake)

Banana Cream Pie (for this I made using heavy cream and hand whipping since BoB thought they were too sweet before....very little sugar was put in this, only what was in the vanilla pudding mix)

Brownies (just for BoB because he's a vegetarian but doesn't like vegetables)

Okay, so 14.  My goal was to get it under 10....but 4 were made just while we were cooking and we didn't bring to the dinner, so we didn't eat the dinner before it was brought.

(to relate to Human Design, MY 6 and 36 Emotional Solar Plexus is both my Personality Sun/Earth and Personality North/South Nodes in the 2nd and 5th lines.  I have hunger sluts)