orange is the new fit

The Italian girl in me LOVES lasagna.  When I changed my eating habits to paleo years ago, I had to cut out the grains and dairy so lasagna was obviously a big no-no.  Now that I eat flexibly, I allow myself to eat non-paleo foods, however, I still limit them in my food choices.  When I cook at home, my food is pretty damn clean.  I’ve lived so long without things like pasta and sourdough bread that it’s not that big of a deal to continue on that path of a primarily grain-free diet.  Eating out is where I tend to indulge in those kinds of foods that I normally wouldn’t make at home.  And I no longer feel guilty about it.  I know what foods are nutritious and good for my body but when I choose to order lasagna on a special occasion at a restaurant, I do so knowing exactly what I’m doing and what I’m eating.  I don’t pretend that it’s ok to consume 1,000+ calories in a few bites or eat all of that gluten-filled pasta and fatty cheese.  But when I rarely do it, I do so without any regrets.  Sometimes I feel like shit afterward from the gluttony and other times I feel just fine.  The bottom line for me is that I work my ass off to live a healthy lifestyle.  So I’m OK with letting my inner Italian fat girl out on occasion with some non-clean eats.  Moving away from such a rigid diet to a more flexible eating style has eliminated that horrific guilt factor that I associated with eating Paleo for so long.  And even though I can now eat whatever I want, I actually find myself still making the most nutritious choices for my body and my performance.  I just now have a different attitude about food and eating outside of the “lines.” Continue reading →

Eek.  I’ve totally been on hiatus with the holidays.  I have no idea how many people actually look at my recipes or even care, but I feel bad that i’ve been MIA and unable to provide you with something new to add to your cooking rotation.  I’ve been cooking but keeping things pretty simple and repetitive just because of the chaos.  But I’m coming back in the New Year with a bang.  This is a MUST MAKE RECIPE.  My cousin Christina, aka Goose/Goosey/Godmother Goose/Gigi started the Whole 30 last week which is a very strict 30 day challenge of sorts to detox the body.  The do not eat ingredient list is extensive and limiting.  I support anybody who is trying to enhance their nutrition, whatever the “diet” may be, so I asked her to come over last night for dinner and I promised to make her a bomb ass meal that was Whole 30 friendly.  Mission accomplished.  Pardon my French when I say this was so f*cking good I can’t even stand it.  I had pockets of time throughout the day so I kind of prepped dinner in stages, but the actual “chicken parmesan” itself was pretty quick to prep and bake.  There is no parmesan cheese, no bread crumbs and no frying.  It’s 100% grain and dairy free.  It’s high in protein, basically no carb and the fat content primarily comes from the chicken thigh itself and the almond flour used as breading. Continue reading →