This post is dedicated to...

BACON

Bacon is the candy of low carb.  To saw that we go through a LOT of bacon in our house would be an understatement.  I mean, who doesn't love bacon?  We are usually pretty disappointed by the offerings in the grocery store for bacon.  It's expensive and cooks down to nothing.  

Enter, my creative and talented wife and some farm fresh pork belly from my mom's farm, E&E Acres.

   Yes, we are making our own bacon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We took a total of about 8 pounds of pork and we are currently curing it into beautiful, tasty bacon. 

You can see a teaser of what's to come in the video.  I'll post updates along the way.  Hopefully, good old Rosie will be on the smoker by this weekend. 

One more rutabaga recipe for today - Creamy Rutabaga Soup

This soup is amazing!!!
8 oz ham
2 tbl sp butter
2 tbl sp evoo
4.4 oz diced celery 1c by volume
3.5 oz carrot 3/4 c by vol
2 tbl sp flour
26.5 oz rutabaga
2c beef broth
4c water
1/4 c cream cheese
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c Parmesan grated
1oz asiago
1/8 tsp rosemary
1 tsp salt
1tsp cracked black pepper
1/8 tsp thyme
1tsp parsley
1/2 c mushrooms

Dice ham into 1/4 inch pieces. Chop celery and carrots into 1/4 inch pieces. Peel and dice rutabaga into 1/2 inch chunks.
Add EVOO and butter to large stock pot. Add the ham to the oil and cook until golden over med- low heat. Add celery and carrots. Cook until just tender, an additional 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over ham and veggies and cook until lightly browned.
Once flour is browned add beef stock and rutabaga. Bring to low boil. Add the cream cheese stirring until melted and no chunks remain. Add sour cream and stir in until smooth. Add Parmesan and Asiago cheese slowly and stirring until combined. Add remaining water and bring back up to boil. Add remaining seasonings and adjust to your taste. Simmer an additional 30- 45 minutes until rutabaga are soft. Serve hot.

It serves about four
Calories per serving - 257
Fat 17.4
Carbs 13.8 (3.1 fiber)
Protein 12.5 

Rutabagas get a bad rap, I think.  People look at this big, weird looking thing and think, "What in the world do I do with that?!?!" Then they try to cut into it and good heavens to betsy, I give up!

The thing is, rutabagas are a great substitute for potatoes.  They have the same mouth feel, but are just a touch sweeter.  The nutrition facts say it all:
One cup, cubed:
Calories - 53
Fat - .2
Carb - 12 (with 3.2 fiber!)
Protien - 1.5
The best part - they are crazy high in Vitamin C. Just one cup gives you 58% of your daily requirements.

Here's my favorite way to eat rutabagas:
I use the grater attachment on my food processor and I grate an entire rutabaga.  Obviously, peel it first and cut off the stem.
Then, I know this is tough, stay with me.  I fry about a cup of the shredded in bacon grease and salt it.  I move it around a little so it doesn't burn and when it's all brownish, I eat it.  I know!  So hard.  :) I keep a bag of shredded rutabaga in the fridge at all times for a quick breakfast. 
Here's an example of one of my breakfasts with rutabaga hashbrowns.

Fried cabbage with two eggs and delicious hasbrowns.  It doesn't get much better than that!

I've received some questions about exactly what I'm doing to lose weight, so I figured I'd spell out my particular plan as best I can.  Please keep in mind, that my way may not be your way and that's ok.  :)

Foodwise, I follow a pretty low carb diet.  I try to stick with 20-50 carbs per day (gross, not net).  I do not subtract dietary fiber to get to my carb count.  At the bottom I'll list a semi-typical day.  I do my best to eat at least 1200 calories per day so I avoid starvation mode.  This is tough for me!  The best part of eating high protein and fat in your diet is that you are fuller longer, so most of the time, hunger is not an issue.

As far as exercise goes, I've been doing CrossFit now for about two weeks.  Prior to that, I hadn't done anything, thanks to bronchitis.  I take class three days per week and it kicks my butt.  But I love it.  I'm sore and tired a lot of the time, but also feel powerful and strong.  I take classes at http://www.conditiononecrossfit.com/ and the owners, Kyle and Natalie, are some of the most loving and supportive people I've met.  To walk into a place like that at over 300 lbs is intimidating to say the least.  I've never felt judged by a soul in that building.  I've only felt built up and supported.  That's hard to find in a gym setting for someone that's obese.

Now, so far, I've lost about 16 pounds.   That doesn't seem like much.  However, I've gone down a whole size in clothes already.  I'm leaner.  I have a ton of energy.  I sleep better.  So, it's all worth it. 

My success is only because I have a great support system.  My wife is an amazing cook.  While she's not following a low carb diet, she's been wonderful at creating flavorful, satisfying meals that I can eat.  As a result, she, our roomates and our kids are eating better.  She's incredibly inventive in finding new ways to serve standard recipes.  Right now, she's on a rutabaga kick, as you'll see as I upload some recipes.  :)

 Our son, Josh, is the second part of that support.  He attends CrossFit with me.  He's almost 14 and is a powerhouse already.  He's fit and strong.  And he's as challenged by the classes as I am.  What helps me is knowing that he's watching and I'll be damned if I'm going to quit or give up in front of my kid.  He's right there, cheering me on, challenging me and not letting me quit.  I want to make him proud to say, "This is my mom."

So, that is a quick and dirty overview of what I'm doing to lose weight.  I hope it helps.  I'm no expert, I'm just doing what works for me.  I'd be happy to answer any questions!  Also, if you have a recipe that you'd like me to run by Kim to see if she can create a low carb substitute for - shoot me an email or leave a comment.  She loves a challenge!!!!

I'll leave you with a comparison pic of my progress so far and a sample menu!

Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Breakfast	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Farmland Thick Sliced - Bacon, 4 strips	120	0	10	6	660	0
Rutabaga hasbrowns, 1 serving	53	8	4	0	14	3
Eggs - Fried (whole egg), 0.5 large	46	0	4	3	47	0
Add Food Quick Tools	219	8	18	9	721	3
Lunch
Lunch Mate - Aldi - Premium Black Forest Ham, 3 oz (56g)	105	2	4	15	975	2
Joseph's Lavash- Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Pita Bread - Pita, 0.5 Pita (37g/1.33oz.)	30	4	1	3	150	0
Add Food Quick Tools	135	6	5	18	1,125	2
Dinner
Meat - Grilled Chicken Breast, 1 Breast	220	0	5	44	220	0
Heb - Grilled Asparagus Spears, 15 spears	72	9	0	6	810	6
Oil - Olive, 0.5 tablespoon	60	0	7	0	0	0
Cheese - Parmesan, grated, 0.25 oz	30	0	2	3	108	0
Add Food Quick Tools	382	9	14	53	1,138	6
Snacks
Jif - To Go Creamy Peanut Butter, 1.5 oz cup (43g)	250	11	22	9	180	4
Boar's Head - Provolone Cheese, 1 oz	100	1	8	7	250	0
Home Made - Beef Jerkey, 2 oz	160	0	6	12	1,080	6
Quick Tools	510	12	36	28	1,510	10
Totals	1,246	35	73	108	4,494	21

Hello!!  Many have asked for some of the recipes that my beautiful wife has created for me so that I can stay on my  low carb way of eating.  I'll slowly get them added here.

Here's the first:
Scalloped Rutabaga:
2-3 Rutabagas, peeled, sliced very thinly
8 oz asiago cheese, shredded
8 oz white cheddar, shredded
8 oz Parmesan, shredded 
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/2 c or so of chicken or beef broth

Preheat oven to 350
Grease a 9x13 pan
Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, broth and half of the parm, white cheddar and asiago.  Next, mix in the slicked rutabaga, making sure to get it all happy together.  Once it is mixed, spread the mixture into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the top of the rutabagas.
Bake for 40 minutes or until tender.