When I decided to go dairy free for a year I had to think about some things... I had to ask, what counts as dairy free, and what doesn't? This is what I came up with...
Butter, milk, sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt, ice cream, cheese... you get the picture. Then there are product like Cheese Its, and Doritos, those are nixed as well (I figure if cheese is in the title of a product, it must go). But what about bread, and other things that are made with hints of milk, or butter... I have decided that these products do not count. A year without dairy, AND carbs, absolutely not.
Last night at work I had one of our cooks make me a dairy free Jumbalya. He made it with rice, sausage, chicken, and lots of veggies. So here is my question to you...
The rice is made with 1 tablespoon of butter to 20 cups of rice. I am feeling guilty when I know this is just like eating bread or pasta that is made with dairy. Is this wrong?
Tangy Dijon Chicken:
4 Chicken Breast
1 Medium Size Jar of Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup White Wine
2 Large Cloves Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Add Sun Dried Tomatoes after cooking is done.
Bake @ 400 degrees, covered in foil
(You can make a gravy out of the dijon drippings...make a roux, butter, flour, cream, and than add the drippings...for those of you who do eat dairy.)
Spicy Oven Potatoes:
4-6 Large Red Potatoes
3 Large Garlic Cloves
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Red Pepper Flakes
Cilantro
Cumin
Smoked Paprika
Bake @ 400 degrees for 1.5 hours, give or take.
Today I was laying in bed watching the first season of Desperate Housewives ( I have recently become addicted... A little late compared to the rest of the country) and Nick came in a tossed a UPS package on the bed. Since it is not my birthday or any other special day, I was pleasantly surprised. Inside was a card, it had my mom's writing on it, the card was written beautifully, and inside the card was a small package.
Pearls of Success by Dogeared: From humble beginnings as a grain of sand, the pearl slowly grows into an object of beauty and simplicity, symbolic of honesty, integrity, prosperity and wisdom. Pearls represent the best within us.
Thank you mom for all of the support and inspiration.
Spin City! An amazing little spin studio that opened about a month ago. Two local girls, recent college graduate put their hearts and souls into this place, and with a little determination and sweat, they turned a old shop into an awesome workout room.
With a combination of support from all of you, Spin City, and the drive with in me, this year will be a piece of (dairy free) cake!
Last night was the second night of American Idol Auditions, it was fantastic! So naturally I had to make fish tacos!
The Recipe:
4 Tilapia Fillets
Red Cabbage
Tomato
Red Onion
Cilantro
Avocado
White Sauce*
White Sauce: (Thanks Mom, this is the best ever!)
Mayo
Better Than Sour Cream
Better Than Cream Cheese
Garlic
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Red Onion
Cilantro
Needless to say it was a fantastic meal, and not so fantastic singing.
Yesterday was Missoula's Wedding Fair. I went with my best friend Holly, her mom, fiance, and one other bride's maid. We all went out to breakfast, and then walked over to the fair. It was a bit overwhelming at first, vendors everywhere, a million women with their friends and family as well, but as time went by we got used to the chaos, and started to enter for prizes and (they) sampled the food. There was lots of cup cakes, as well as finger food, all of which I was unable to eat. Lunch time came, and I was the only hungry one, I ordered a sandwich, it was pretty darn good... you can't really beat a good BLT. Later in the day they all started to get hungry again, and what did they order... oh man this cheese dish that had extra sharp cheddar, feta, jack, and one other kind of cheese, all finished off with a huge topping of a sour cream. Surprisingly it did not bother me... sure it smelled delish, but it was not unbearable.
Anyway, the point it, this journey has only just begun, and my willpower is growing stronger by the minute.
Last night I tried out a Dairy Free Mac and Cheese. I was hopeful when I purchased the stuff... maybe it would be good, and when I was craving some cheesy goodness, that I could pop some of that stuff on the stove, but I was way wrong!!
Also, I had a dream last night that I was cooking with Rachel Ray, and I ate this goat cheese thing. I woke up freaked out that I had actually eaten it. I hate these dreams!!
We are 9 hours from the one week mark! 51 to go!!
