I am…
[So many ways to end the phrase]
(a) crazy – from being by myself with an infant for almost two weeks
(b) tired – for the same reason
(c) proud – for landing an awesome job
(d) nervous – for accepting said job
(e) excited – for a visitor this weekend
(f) lonely – because I haven’t met many people in Davis (yet!)
(g) anxious – to begin a new chapter
(h) happy – to spend money without feeling guilty
(i) relieved – that Kyle is returning home today (fingers crossed)
Oh! And I’m full.
I made cauliflower “rice” and I’m pretty sure it’s one of my new favorites.
I know what you’re thinking. Cauliflower is not rice and it cannot replace rice. To which I say, correct, I agree. BUT! I think it’s honestly delicious in it’s own right. And for the record I was just as skeptical of the whole cauli rice concept prior to making it. [Although I think that’s because I’ve only had it in the past in a raw “rice” form, which was not flavorful and way too rough on my gut]
This is definitely not lacking in flavor. And I felt fine after eating it, despite the fact that cauliflower is a FODMAP food (I tolerate the polyols category best of all the FODMAPs though). For other FODMAPs people, < 1/2 cup is generally considered a safe serving (unless you are especially sensitive to polyols).
I’ll get to the recipe later.
First I’m gonna share my day ’o food. Because I took lots of pics and I feel like it.
Breakfast numero uno.
Can you even tell what’s going on under there? Probably not. Here’s the situation pre-almond milk.
Overnight oats: whole rolled oats, chia seeds, goji berries, stevia and cinnamon.
I’m lovin’ on the goji berries as of late. Superfoods up in hurrr.
Breakfast numero dos was a lot lot lot of nuts (eaten while I made the above balls). I single handedly finished an entire Costco tub of roasted nuts while Kyle was gone. And then I went to the Co-op and bought more and finished those off. Yeah. I’m blaming it on breast feeding.
For lunch I had the cauli rice stir fry that I made the previous night. Technically I made this over the course of the week because I “riced” the cauliflower several days ago, but didn’t use it right away.
Cauliflower meet food processor.
I just pulsed (and scraped the sides down in between) until everything was super teeny tiny. It took less than five minutes. Then I tupperwared it up and waited until I had time to do something with it.
Cauli Asian Stir-fry [vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free]
Ingredients:
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, “riced” in a food processor/blender
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 tbsp sliced green onion (green part only for low FODMAP people)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2-3 tbsp tamari
- [optional] sesame seeds / peanuts
Directions:
First rice the cauliflower in a food processor as described above.
Next add the sesame oil to a pan, heat to medium/hot and add the cauliflower.
Let it fry up and cook. Once it starts to get soft add the carrots, celery, and onions.
Let those cook a bit, then add tamari (the amount varies due to the variable size of the cauliflower used). Then the eggs.
Continue to work a spatula through the stir fry so the eggs mix into the cauliflower and everything cooks.
Serve with sesame seeds or peanuts (if you want).
Some of the pics are blurry because I did a lot of the frying (and photography) while holding P. And he’s not exactly into being still.
I like talking to him while I cook and telling him what I’m doing. Because I’m a nut job.
Ta-da!
This was really really good.
I ate it in two servings, separated by only an hour. Because after I had some I realized it was way too good to not finish.
Cauliflower is impressively versatile. I never thought it could get fluffy like it does in this recipe. It’s soft and risotto like, making this a cross between a scramble and a paella type of dish.
If you don’t eat eggs, try it with tofu, I’m sure it’ll be great that way too.
After lunch I went on a walk with with my sidekick, showered, made a smoothie, (see below), changed and fed him, and went to the Co-op to get a treat for dinner.
Fresh strawberries, frozen banana, almond milk, lactose-free plain yogurt, ice.
And for my dinner…
This sushi is pricey but that’s because it’s good stuff. Sustainable and made to order at the Co-op. I consider it a treat though because I can’t justify spending $20 on 2 rolls very often. But I was feeling like I deserved a splurge since I got a job and had made all my other meals (except the lunch my mom treated me to) while Kyle was away.
I get these same two rolls each time: brown rice real crab roll and brown rice mermaid roll.
The mermaid roll is out of control awesome.
I ate it way too quickly. It’s sooooo goooood though.
After the bedtime routine I had twp squares of this guy. I can’t find this exact bar online to pink to, but it’s by Lake Champlain, and was a post-partum gift from Kyle that got lost in the hospital-to-home shuffle, but reappeared in the Santa-Monica-to-Davis shuffle.
Hang in there! It can be overwhelming when you’re home all day with a newborn, especially when the his and travels and you don’t know many people. It was the same for me, although the people I know in my area were working and it got lonely during the day. It’ll be nice once you start your job and start meeting people. It sounds like Davis is a great area though.
I have been seeing the cauli-rice a lot, and I really want to try it. I bet that stir fry will be really good with tofu. Sounds like I need to head to the market!
You are NOT a nut job talking to the baby! The more you speak to him like a person & not baby, the sooner he will speak AND with proper English. My son spoke early and clearly (7 months said first words) while a friend who only used baby talk had a 5 year old I could barely understand because she used words like num-num still!!!
Cauliflower “rice” is just so darn good!! I am hooked. I am constantly looking for new ways to incorporate it in my meal planning, so I will definitely be trying out your stir-fry idea :).
So excited for you and your new job! I feel ya on most of all of your current feelings… My husband started a new job the week after Hunter was born, and is studying for his Series 7 (kinda like the bar exam, except for finance). SO he comes home every night from work and has to study, which leaves me on baby duty pretty much 24/7 until the weekend hits. I can’t wait until July 5 comes, and the test is over! Hope Kyle is able to return home today!
I vote that you take a nice trip to the spa for a massage in treating yourself after taking care of P for so long by yourself… AND for landing the sweet new job! You deserve it 😉
xo.
That recipe looks so yummy. I am inspired to make it for dinner as I eat eggs for the first time in many many months. I think I tolerate cooked cauliflower okay as well.
I can so sympathize on your list. Treat yourself to a yoga class or something you like when Kyle comes back. I went to a yoga class at 5:45 am today and although I am tired, I think it will help with the sugar binging.
I did not know lake Champlain was dairy free? They make one of the best bars of chocolate.
Congrats on your job! I just went back 3 weeks ago and although I miss my kid, I think I am better at going to work. Something my yoga teacher said today struck me because he said yoga is selfish but the most selfless thing you can do because of how you can give to others as a result of letting yourself have that time.
I am excited to conquer the sugar beast tonight. I think with the time I have myself today I can. A few squares or dark chocolate is okay, I just cannot eat 2-3 earth balance and sugar laden cupcakes!
I love cauli rice, so much so that I tend to eat too much of it and I can’t tolerate it at all in larger quantities, lots of pain, lots of bloating. I actually stopped eating any form of cauli for months because it was so tough on my digestion..but I may try it again in limited quantities and smaller servings. Miss it.
I love cauliflower pilaf! I’m so glad that you do too! Luckily, my dude hates cauliflower so I always get to eat it all. 🙂
It’s an especially awesome rice substitute for Paleo-dieters. And it has lots of vitamin C!
Talking to your baby a lot is such a good thing! Don’t feel crazy. It’s better than me talking to my rabbit. 😛
Congratulations on the job!
Congrats on the job!!
Congrats on the job! The nurse in me is super curious where you are going to be working 🙂 Also, is it weird that I kind of have a feeling that when we move to Davis next year that we will run in the same mom-circles, and I’m secretly hoping we will be friends? Probably weird, but true!
You’re doing a great job! Congrats on being employed pn top of it supawoman
Congrats on the job! Love lake Champlain chocolate, def top 5 best food products from Vermont (bold statement).
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http://www.hungryhungryhippie.com/wacked-out-day/
So many of your earlier posts resonate with me. I would get this nauseous sick feeling especially when I went vegan since I was eating high fodmap foods. So weird to think that that shaky nauseous feeling is a gut symptom. My go to breakast before going vegan was eggs which would buffer the wheat usually unless there were too many other fodmaps.
I am so glad I found your blog because it has allowed me to eliminate these clear borders of what is right and now and do what will be right to heal me. I had eggs, quinoa, and steamed kale with some chopped macadamia nuts for breakfast and had no gut symptoms whatsoever. I cannot even remember the last time I ate eggs but with not being able to eat so many other things and breastfeeding, I had to make that choice.
I asked my doctor about including quinoa and steamed carrots in a grain free low starch diet and she said those were fine. Like I mentioned she recommends eliminating the following foods for 3 months:
Wheat, apples, cherries, pears, dried fruit, dairy, watermelon fried foods, processed foods and mango. Others as tolerated.
She said eliminating/limiting grains, starches and fruit is a shorter period of time to heal. I asked about getting a comprehensive stool test and the supplements but she recommends not taking any supplements. She does not see the point of the test since eating the diet she recommends will heal us. She says we should after the 3 month period introduce those foods one by one. I think for me that keeping the fodmap load low is not enough because those foods are still feeding the bacteria.
Here are her credentials:
http://www.drfuhrman.com/ask/medical_staff.aspx
My plan is to stay on the grain free low starch and fruit diet for 1 month while still eliminating the other foods and eliminating the foods for a total of three months, allowing more grains and low fodmap fruit the second and third month.
I am going to stick to steamed carrots and quinoa as my grain/starch and one smoothie with 1 cup of berries (not black, only strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries) with 2 tbsp chia seed meal and water, splash of almond milk. These smoothies do really well to keep me from being constipated. I too used to use a lot of watermelon to help me but since they are high fodmap, I am not going to eat them.
I am also including fermented foods and plan to allow a few pieces of really dark dairy free chocolate. I love the 80% stuff from Equal Exchange. Probiotics can exacerbate the situation and I am not going to have those for now.
well i dont think all their bars are dairy free. dark chocolate over 70% cacao content is always considered vegan.
equal exchange huh? looking into it now…ps thanks for the info on your MDs advice. i totally binged on (vegan, but not gluten free) cookies last night and feel like crap today. doh! back to square one. i think i can do it for 3 months. we need a support group! ha!
um, not weird! since we are going to be traveling in the same circles i think we will def be friends 🙂
Yes I agree!
Equal exchange is delicious, very creamy, smooth and not bitter at all despite the high percentage of cacao. I do notice for some weird reason that eating half a bar does not affect me but I think cocoa does.
I never knew that all chocolate above 70 was vegan, good deal.
No problem, I am not sure if it works because I have not been able to stick to it but I have definitely discovered eating high fodmap foods affects me greatly. The only commitment I have made is eliminating all of the fruits and I do not eat dairy. The wheat one has been the problem but I have gone gluten period for long periods and can do it plus it affects me a lot.
http://www.ibsfree.net/ibsfree_at_last/2013/06/cocoa-powder-moderately-high-in-fodmaps-what-about-chocolate.html
New link that kind of answers the question about cocoa powder vs chocolate and fodmaps.
Really late to the party but I’ve just come across your blog through heab and I just have to say how much I love it! You are so funny in your blog post. Seriously feel like there is a proper personality behind the blog and not just systematic like some can be (if that makes sense?)!
Ive got terrible ibs so seeing how you eat for yours is so helpful. I already feel better not eating red meat but I’m in love with dairy and coffee but they both hate me ha!
Ive always wondered what cauliflower rice would taste like! I’ll have to give it a go!
P.s. your little one is SO sweet!
I’ve read about cauli rice a few times but this finally inspired me to try it, I made your cauli-Asian stirfry tonight and it was good! The kids ate it too. Thanks 🙂
Congrats on the job, hope you love it.
well thank you sophie! glad you found me 🙂
great link! thank you. im still trying to wrap my head around it but this explains why its so confusing and complicated!
I did pretty well the last two days but then went to a vegan coworker’s party and was all over those vegan soy empanadas, rice and beans and vegan whoopie pie cake. So good but I wish I had had a wee bit of self restraint. Sigh.
Tomorrow is a new day!
My daughter has made it several times — LOVE IT!! Also, she’s now working days so eats breakfast again, and has made overnight oats several times now. Her recipe is rather tropical — oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, coconut sugar, coconut, coconut milk and one whole (the little ones, can’t remember what they’re called ) mango! OH MY GOSH! Dessert in the morning, how can you go wrong?!?
ok ok ok…totally making this now. LOVE cauliflower mash, so this must be excellent as well!
I was on another group on FB and ran across this…
http://alextcooks.com/recipes/vegetables/cauliflower-couscous/
She is a brand new blogger. Guess you inspired her!! Very, very similar to yours, no? I will stick to your creations, always yummy!
cool! thanks for pointing me to this blog. i am def going to start following her 🙂
so true! i should do coconut milk more often!
I just found out we are traveling to Davis from Reno for my daughters swim meet. Going to re-read some of your posts for great places to go!
cool! i havent tried much yet, but burgers and brew was great. the downtown area has so many options. and if youre here on a saturday morning or wednesday evening hit up the farmers market for sure.
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Sounds overwhelming and I totally hear you on being lonely sometimes, but know that you always have a friend in SF!!! Davis isn’t too far away and I hope maybe one day we can meet in person :)! Congrats on the job!!! ~christina
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