All the Tea

Afternoon tea. Quite possibly, the most perfect collection of savory and sweet finger foods, lovingly paired with hot tea (and now, bubbly!). I took a trip across the pond and all I have to show for it are all these tea towels! I would believe that England is now sadly bereft of tea towels, as I have purchased all of them. In all seriousness, though, traveling is such an important part of building character and I was lucky enough to take my 17 year old daughter out of the country for the first time last month. We went with a program at the school I’m attending to obtain my MBA. I extended the trip so we could really delve into the culture and, boy, did we ever!

The Park Lane Grosvenor @ Hyde Park: The absolute best gluten free scones in all of London – with the most adorable travel companion a mother could ask for!

I went off the keto diet for the trip, but researched and reserved several (six, to be precise) gluten free afternoon teas to enjoy over the course of the two and a half weeks that we were there. I had plateaued with my weight loss a few weeks before I left and had resigned myself to the fact that I would need to start exercising after we returned from our trip. I’ll get into the details of the truly excellent teas we partook in, but first, I need to share my weight loss experience on keto.

I started on March 20th and by June 20th I was down 30 pounds and holding steady. I figured I’d go off keto for the trip, likely gain some of the weight back, and hit it hard when I got back. Turns out – I actually lost weight on vacation! After eating what some would deem too many tea sandwiches, scones and fries nearly every day, I was down five pounds when I got home. Not only that, but when I went back on keto, I started dropping pounds like I did in the beginning. What I learned is how to break a plateau.

I will still get on an exercise regime because it’s better for my body to do so and I want to avoid those frustrating plateaus. But, going back on carbs (I’ve heard this is called carb cycling?) for a little, can pop the body out of a plateau. The key is the exercise. We were walking 10 miles a day; which for me, is a huge increase from my sedentary standard of sitting at my desk all day, every day.

So, I’m back! I have some great new keto recipes to share with you and I’m raring to get back on blogging and tweeting to build my online community! Please follow me on Twitter to lean more about going sugar free and grain free. If I can do it, so can you!

Taking Stock

Cooking at home can be a daunting task, especially when you’re a busy working mom in school (like me!). Thanks to my professional training, I have some tricks that can help make it a snap. First, make your own stock. Whether your start with bones (most butchers will sell you bones, especially when you call in advance) or whole chickens, chicken broth is the most versatile and widely used in cooking.

Stock is different from broth, although the two are nearly identical. Stock is made with bones and broth is made with meat (more on this here). I think of broth as something that could be eaten as a meal, whereas stock is most definitely an ingredient. It’s simple to make, especially when you save your veggie ends and peelings, it just takes time. Once you get into the habit of making your own stock, you won’t want it any other way.

Classical chicken stock originates from France, but is present in most Asian cooking, as well. In fact, most global cultures have some form of cooking liquid derived from simmering a combination of bones, veggies and aromatics. Stock can be used in most savory dishes, adding nutrients and flavor to even the simplest of meals. I use stock to make rice pilaf, when I’m eating grains, and cauliflower pilaf when I’m not. Soups, stews and sauces; all require the use of stock.

When meal prepping for the week, I’ve found the best approach is to start the week with a substantial meat dish and re-purpose it throughout the week. Even if the initial meal doesn’t call for stock, the re-purposing throughout the week certainly does. Whether you roast chickens at home or buy the precooked ones from the store (maybe not the greatest plan), you can use the carcass to make stock and use the whole animal as well as saving some money.

photo by: TheCulinaryGeek

Chicken Stock

Ingredients:

1-2 Chicken carcasses, 4#

2 onions, large dice

4 celery ribs, large dice

1 leek, large dice

3 carrots, large dice

1 bunch of parsley stems

2 bay leaves

5 peppercorns

cold water to cover

Procedure:

Chop veggies and place in a large stock pot. Place the chicken bones on top. add cold water to cover and add the aromatics: parsley stems, bay leaves & peppercorns. Bring to a boil on med-high and skim the scum off the top. Lower the temperature to medium-low and simmer 4-6 hours, skimming as needed. Once the stock is done, strain it into a heat proof container (I use mason jars) and refrigerate. Freeze what you don’t use right away. Stock is good for three days in the fridge and 3-4 months in the freezer.

Join me on my quest for a healthier world. Be well!