Pagan on a Diet

That's right folks, even pagan's go on diet's. =)

I spent the month of January purging my body of all the things of that I love... namely, anything that falls under the carbs, dairy, fat, and sugar categories (can anyone say Cheese Danish?!). This diet, called the HCG diet, took my normal 2000 calories a day diet and dropped it to a mear 500 calories a day. Yup. 500. So, now that I am off the drops and starting to up my calorie intake, I feel compelled to write a little something for my fellows who find themselves in need of shedding some pounds, regardless of it being for health reasons or just the desire to loose a few. And besides, let's face it, pagan's like to feast! I don't know about you guys, but when my circle gets together for a ritual we always have a potluck styled feast (everyone signs up for dishes in advanced so we don't end up with 3 cakes and a a thing of rolls!), and it is a very grand affair, with most people bringing two or three dishes with several servings available for everyone. It always ends with people taking home "doggie bags" of everyones food offering so it can be enjoyed again later.

So, to begin with, if you want to use the drops and check out the system I used, go to http://www.hcgkey.com/ . It really does work well, as I lost 12lbs in just over 3 weeks.

On to the recipes! Hope you enjoy!
Here are a few that I found to be lifesavers"

Mock Chicken Nuggets:
1 chicken breast
Yellow Mustard
3-4 Garlic Melba Crackers
Italian Seasoning to taste
a pinch of Cayenne (if you like some heat)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Take your chicken breast and cut it into nugget size piece then throw them in a zip lock baggies with just enough yellow mustard to cover them. Let them sit in the mustard and continue on...
Crush your Melba crackers (I use my mortar and pestle) so that they look like bread crumbs then add the seasonings. Mix well then use these "bread crumbs" to coat the chicken. Put the nuggets on a baking sheet and cook at 400 for 15-20 minutes (depending on nugget size).
Serve and enjoy! (recipe makes enough for 1 person at about 170 calories).

Whey Protein "Pancakes" (especially good when you want to eat bread, but can't):
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
Sweeten to taste (if desired) with Stevia

Mix all of it together, adding just enough water to get a pancake like consistency. Cook on a skillet that has been lightly dusted with Pam or some other cooking spray. Eat with fresh fruit or a sugar free/ low calorie syrup. (The whole batch is roughly 200 calories, depending on the brands used).

Chocolate Strawberry Shake:
1 Scoop Egg White Protein Powder (I used Egg White Protein Vanilla 24 oz from Jay Robb).
6 large strawberries (de-stemmed)
1 tsp baking cocoa

Blend it all together and enjoy! (about 150 Calories)

Beef "Taco":
4 oz Lean ground beef
1 Tomato
Taco Seasoning
Cabbage leaves

Cook the ground beef in a medium skillet and add in the taco seasoning. If you're worried about sodium, use the "less sodium" variety that's available in most stores or simple make your own. While the beef is cooking, take several large cabbage leaves and rinse them off, just lightly patting them with a towel to dry, and place them on a plate. Chop the tomato and set aside. When the beef is cooked through, add it to the cabbage leaf (like it's the taco shell). Put your chopped tomatoes on top, garnish with a little hot sauce if you want, and enjoy!