Daniel Plan - Week 2

Welcome back!!!

It's been a long week with the "cold" day off from school. I hope you were successful and ready to try some new things. I learned something new from watching a video on sugar consumption. Did you know that if you eat the same meals or sugary treats, over time your body doesn't feel as full? It's true. Even of the "good, well-balanced" meals. It's scientifically proven that variety is good for you. So this week, I'm mixing things up for you. I hope you'll try some of this. The good thing is that I'm trying to make a bunch of stuff the first night that can be used in meals later in the week. In fact, one of the recipes was my way to use up the odds and ends of produce I had left in the fridge. The sweet potatoes are delicious on their own but even better when used twice. This means more food variety and less time cooking. Yay! Let me know how these work out for you. I'd also like to include some of your recipes, too.

Meal One - Breakfast Oatmeal Worth Cooking Yourself

This only serves one but can easily be doubled or tripled. Play around with it. It is so good, I'd pay money for it at a restaurant.

1 cup of water
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup dried apples, chopped
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 dash of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drizzle of honey (if desired)

Boil water and salt in a pan on the stove. Add oats and apples and cook for five minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into bowl and drizzle with honey if desired.

Meal Two - Quick Eggs and Salsa
I really needed a hot breakfast this week and was pleasantly surprised at how this filled me up.

2 eggs, scrambled
1/2 cup salsa
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, sliced
salt and pepper

Spray a glass bowl with olive oil. Put in eggs, pinch of salt, and pepper and cook in microwave for 1 minute. Take the eggs out and see if it needs more time. This works perfect for me but you make need more time depending on your eggs and your microwave. Stir in other ingredients. Enjoy.

Meal Three - Taco Meat and Fixins'

I LOVE Mexican food. Love it! So this is how I made taco Tuesday for the kids. I normally just let everyone make their own which worked out well on the detox because I can leave out the dairy and flour items for me. Just a side note here...there is a brand of chips sold at my local Publix called Xochitl that are allowed during detox. The best part is that they are better than every other brand of chip that I've tried. Seriously.

1-2 lbs. ground meat, lean
1 onion, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
2 tablespoons cummin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salsa
avocados, sliced (squeeze a lime to keep it from browning)
tomatoes, chopped
sour cream
shredded cabbage
shredded cheese
chips, taco shells, large cabbage/lettuce leaves

Brown meat in a large skillet. Drain if necessary. Add onion, peppers, and spices to pan and cook until onion and peppers are tender. Use chips, shells, or cabbage leaves and top with sides. I made a large salad in bowl and had a handful of chips on the side. You can double this recipe for the following meal.

Meal Four - Mexican Baked Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Veggies

4-8 sweet potatoes, pierced with a fork
4-6 cups cauliflower and broccoli
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 cups leftover Mexican meat

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 cookies sheets with foil. Place sweet potatoes on one sheet and place in oven for 30 minutes. Take out potatoes and turn over carefully and place back in the oven for 20-30 minutes. On the other sheet, place veggies and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the veggies in the oven with the sweet potatoes. It will take from 10-20 minutes to cook them. Heat Mexican meat up in the microwave. Take everything out of the oven and check for doneness. Fill your plate half full with vegetables and add half a sweet potato and 1/2 cup of meat on top. You'll use leftover sweet potatoes in the next recipe.

Meal Five - Sweet Potato Hash with Egg

This is the meal I created to clean out my fridge. This will be more instructions than recipe. You could literally use any veggie, cooked or uncooked, in this. Get creative. And in case your were wondering, yes, my kids ate this. It was really good.

Take out all veggies you want to use, including leftover sweet potatoes, and chop into bite-sized pieces. Heat a nonstick pan with a little olive oil. Put all uncooked veggies in the pan and sauté. I used onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and green beans. When almost cooked through, add sweet potatoes and cook until brown on the outside and warm in the middle. Make eggs; my family like sunny side up eggs. Put hash in the bowl and top with eggs.

Snack - Pesto Hummus

If you have ever been on a retreat with me, you know I am the queen of hummus. I make at least 10 different kinds and I love it. I'm giving you one kind today that is so good you'll want to eat just this for lunch. You can dip any veggie in it or chips. You can also use it on your sandwich as a spread. I make my own hummus but most store bought hummus are real food approved, just check the label.

1 large can chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2-3 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
pesto
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor or blender, pulse garlic and lemon zest and juice. Add a little oil to get it to move. Add chickpeas and 1 large spoonful of pesto. Pulse together. Stream in oil. If it's too thick, add a little of the remaining liquid from the can. Pulse until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Put into a container and top with another 2 tablespoons of pesto in the center. Savor this one. It's so good!


These foods are packed with nutrients that will really make you feel full and stay full for hours. Plus, if you want seconds, you can do so with no guilt. Real foods are good for body and soul. I'm excited to see where this will take us.

With a full belly and leftovers in the fridge,
Brooke