Great news! We have collagen back in stock at our store! Click the link: (American Readers, Canadian Readers)
Happy THM’ing!
Great news! We have collagen back in stock at our store! Click the link: (American Readers, Canadian Readers)
Happy THM’ing!
Welcome to 2017! It has been two years since I wrote my first attempt at explaining THM in 3 simple points. Since then, my wife and I have continued to adhere to the THM lifestyle with continued success; even with Ruth being pregnant (with our first!), she has done well to stick with it for the most part.
I had some readers comment that my previous post was too wordy so here is an attempt at simplifying the simplified version of THM. I will make a few more points:
This is where the “satisfying” (S), “energizing” (E) and “fuel pull” (FP) meals come in.
3. Avoid bad foods: There are certain foods that are just bad. These include (but are not limited to):
Take some time and visit the official Trim Healthy Mama site. I recommend purchasing and reading the book (Canadian customers click here, American click here). I also highly recommend purchasing the THM food products, especially the sweeteners and protein as they are the best quality I have found and reasonably priced (again, (Canadian customers click here, American click here).
Please bookmark this site! Take some time and explore some of the great recipes that Ruth has posted on here. We would greatly appreciate it if you “like” and “share” our posts on Facebook/Pinterest/Google Plus. Also, ask us questions, we are grateful to help.
It is a new year again! This is the time for a new start and a new you!
It is that time of year again! Family, friends, food and more food! The Christmas season is definitely one of my favorite times in the year, but trying to be good and follow THM to the letter of the law is certainly a challenge especially with all those holiday parties and amazing potlucks!
The first thing I will say is don’t let a few cheat days stress you out and dampen the mood of the holidays. On the other hand, don’t go crazy and throw all restraint out the window! The key here is moderation. Here are a few tips to surviving the holidays without having to sign up for another gym membership come January:
1. Avoid the beige items on the potluck table.
I know this is next to impossible but when the food is on the table and there are so many choices it is hard to not try everything. Things that are beige are generally high in carbs. Remember, this is a rule of thumb and there are exceptions.
2. Bring THM friendly snacks (for you and others of course): check out the “THM Snack Ideas” and “THM Side Dish” in this blog for some ideas. Bringing THM friendly items gives you a delicious and guilt-free way to enjoy the occasion!
3. Eat when you eat; avoid snacking: This is what I struggle with the most! So much food just sitting around begging me to snack! Try eating every 3 hours. Plan your day around meal times and try to fast in between. One trick my brother taught me was to grab a coffee (black) prior to going to the Christmas party/event as coffee tends to suppress the appetite and you end up eating less; plus, who doesn’t love another excuse for more coffee!
These are just three tricks…do you have any tricks to staying semi-on-plan during the holidays? Comment below!
Merry Christmas
Sometimes you just really want pizza!
So, I asked my husband (Scott) what he would like for dinner, I had to run out for groceries anyway so I figured I would pick up what he would like. His request was pizza!! And who doesn’t like a good ‘ol pizza night sometimes. The crust, oh my land, I just have so much good to say about this pizza! Take a look…Let me tell you all about it, CRISPY, succulent, healthy, a THM friendly S dish, and definitely a make-again recipe. So, Scott wanted pizza and pizza he got. I was super happy I looked around for a recipe, this is something you WANT to make! (The recipe link is at the bottom of the page.)
So, out with a head of cauliflower along with some other veggies and used my handy dandy food processor (not electric, but it did the job) to ‘rice’ the cauliflower, I added the garlic as well to mince it.
The recipe calls for 2 cups of the ‘riced’ cauliflower, I was feeding 3 people so I did 1 1/2 the recipe. So, I used 3 cups of the cauliflower, 3 cups of the cheese, 3 eggs etc. As I mixed the crust ingredients together I added spices like cumin, thyme, onion/garlic powder, pepper, salt, paprika to give the crust a bit of an Italian taste. I didn’t have the fresh basil that is called but I had frozen basil leaves. I took the package out of the freezer and let the leaves thaw for a bit, cut it up and squeezed the excess water out with paper towel.
The mixture was quite wet and maybe the next time I do 1 1/2 the recipe I would maybe only add 2 eggs instead of 3 and if I need more moisture add some carton egg whites. However, it didn’t affect the taste and amazingness of this pizza!
Due to the wetness of the mixture it was kind of hard to pat and spread, just because it stuck to my fingers a bit. I tried using a spatula but that wasn’t any better…either way they got thinned out enough and worked. I made 4 pizzas but because of the size I could only fit 2 on a tray. I cooked them for 14-15 mins and they turned out perfect!
I meant to get a picture of the cooked crust but forgot….to many things frying and cooking in the meantime (ie toppings). They were crisp and darkish around the edge. Also, very easy to remove from the parchment paper as they are quite resistant and hold together very well. Not ripping and tearing from moving them around. The toppings I used included the following:
For the tomato sauce I used a small can of tomato paste and loosened it up with water and almond milk to make it less carby to fit with a THM S meal and to make it more like a pizza sauce spread. My guest wasn’t into all the “crazy” veggies that we like so I just topped his with red pepper, green onion, bacon bits and the ground meat. (He loved the pizza just as much as we did btw). The pizza prior to cook time with and without cheese…
Oh-so-good, so very very good!
I didn’t do everything as per the recipe, like the ricotta cheese – because I forgot to pick it up while I was getting groceries and I didn’t use yellow zucchini because I couldn’t find any (check 3 stores for it! haha I really wanted this yellow zucchini) and fresh basil…I used frozen and it worked.
Needless to say we were very much satisfied, one pizza each, one leftover that my husband and I can share for lunch tomorrow, delightful! Have I mentioned that I love leftovers…I do! We also had a delicious side salad, made by my dear husband, to go along with the delightful crispy pizza. He also grated the cheese and stirred the cooking veggies as I bustled around the kitchen getting other things ready. He is amazing!
Ok, I may have some explaining to do. What’s up with the ads on this site?
I am sure you noticed recently that we started displaying ads on here. Ads are very commonplace on the internet; in fact, it is hard to visit a site these days that doesn’t have ads plastered all over it! Rest assured, we aren’t going for the “plastered” look with this blog; that’s why I am writing this post. We want your feedback – if there are questionable ads, or annoying ads that make this site unpleasant for reading, let us know by sending us a note and we will have them taken care of.
This said, I want to explain some things about the ads on this site: from time to time, someone shares a post that drives viewers here (we greatly appreciate people reading about our experiences with THM); even one share can often bring thousands of visitors so keep it up! We are deeply humbled when people show us appreciation and support for our posts by clicking “like” or “share” or “pin”, etc.
The ads on this site are personalized to your internet browsing history and so should be relevant to you. Clicking these advertisements will not give you viruses – they are real people advertising based on your interests. Actually, clicking on them generates revenue (a very small amount albeit) for the site which helps pay the expenses of running a blog. I would encourage you to:
Well, I hope this clears some things up for our readers who we greatly appreciate. May God bless you all. Happy THM’ing
People who know me know that I am a big coffee fan; however, now that summer is here, it is often too hot to sit down and enjoy a nice cup of hot coffee; it is just too much and I find myself overheating! I don’t mind iced coffee every now and then but the ones you buy from coffee shops are typically far too weak (for my taste) by the time the ice melts or sometimes they come sweetened, which we know is a no-no if we want to stay on plan! If only there was an on-plan, ice-cold, strong-coffee-flavoured drink, with enough punch to satisfy my cravings on a hot summer day…introducing the Jarvesso!
“Looks like an ice coffee” you say. It is, but the Jarvesso is so much better. This is one drink you HAVE to try and here is how to do it:
Start with a double espresso
Fill a mason jar or your favorite mug full of ice…
Pour espresso over the ice and add cream (if you prefer) and sweetener to taste (again, only if you prefer) – see the link for THM Stevia (Canadians) or THM Stevia (Americans) NOTE: for a dairy-free version of this, toss the double espresso into a blender with a sprinkle of Xanthan Gum (~1% by volume or ~1/8tsp) for a creamy texture – careful not to add too much or it will thicken too much. Pour blended espresso onto the ice!
So now you can enjoy this amazing, profoundly simple coffee substitute on those hot summer days!
Ok, so where does the name come from? It is from a friend of mine, James Jarvis, a fellow java enthusiast. He came up with the drink and was tired of explaining what he wanted at his local coffee shops, so he coined the name Jarvesso and it stuck!
For Canadians who love their Timmies, ask for a Jarvesso at your local Tim Hortons! When they look at you funny, say “medium cup of ice, double espresso, one cream” – they will catch on immediately. The best part is that it is only $1.50; cheaper than a medium coffee! If you enjoy the drink, “Like”, “Share” and hashtag #timhortons #jarvesso and hopefully they add it to the menu if we make it a “thing”!
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think by commenting below.
Tonight’s dinner was a delight. Simple. Easy. Tasty.
Someone had posted a picture of this on the Trim Healthy Mama Facebook page – what better thing to do than look up the original creator of this delight? It was super easy to make, and if you are on the run it won’t take you long to prepare, have cooked and on the table for your hungry family!
You can fine the recipe for this taco pie HERE.
Although I cannot take credit for the taco pie delight, that fresh dollop and dish of salsa you see….that makes me smile – I can give credit to my husband for his amazing salsa making skills – so fresh and so tasty every time!
Such an nice pair for the taco pie. Adds a hint of summer-fresh-garden.
Check out this link for FRESH SALSA for the recipe!!
When you pair that delicious taco pie with salsa you have a beautiful and mouth watering meal! My husband also thought adding the taco pie to a lettuce roll-up would be a good idea. Looks a bit messy but delicious if you ask me!
Really, you could have this for breakfast, lunch or dinner – YOU CHOOSE and while you do that enjoy!
Are you making tacos/taco pie, wonder wraps, lettuce wraps, a burger salad, making a sandwich or just wanting to eat a mouthful of freshness – try the recipe below!
I have a friend, Heidi who introduced us to her homemade fresh salsa, that was a fantastic day. It was delicious! She can throw ingredients together like no ones business and it’s amazing every time! Since trying her amazing salsa my husband has been making it for us and for your sake, has created recipe for this fresh salsa. Although, if you would prefer throwing ingredients together you may be surprised and the goodness you create!
FRESH SALSA – S, E or FP
1/3 Onion
1 Garlic clove, minced
3 Roma tomatoes (or other type if you don’t have Roma’s)
1/2 Red pepper
1/2 Jalapeno pepper, or more or less depending on spicy endurance – remove seeds
1-2 tbsp Lemon juice (or to taste)
1/4 tsp Salt
Bunch of Cilantro, to taste
Add all ingredients together in a food processor until chopped small, not completely pureed. I have a small manual food processor that works great every time!
Happy eating!
If you are having trouble coming up with a side dish to a meal, or wondering what to bring to a friends potluck, and making it something you can enjoy on you THM journey then here is a recipe for you!
I used this recipe as a side dish for the meal I served to my husband for our 3rd anniversary dinner. See the link to the recipe below.
Shrimp & Cauliflower Salad – recipe here
Follow the recipe instructions as shown in the link above and you will be delighted at the outcome. Scott and I both enjoyed the fresh taste of this salad.
Get your Shrimp, Cauliflower, and cucumber ready for a tasty side dish to share with your friends. It was a relatively east salad to make – once your shrimp and cauliflower was cooked and ready. I would suggest making it a couple day’s in advance. Like most things, it gets better after a day or two in the fridge soaking in the juices.
I hope you enjoy! Check out the rest of the anniversary menu and recipes HERE.
Although this could be used as a snack option, it doubled as an appetizer that I served to my husband at our 3rd anniversary dinner.
The recipe is actually used as a pizza crust so feel free to make that! It sounded delicious. However, for this occasion I needed an appetizer option so I decided to make the, into crackers.
Flax & Parmesan Crackers Link Here
Follow the directions on the link above. For the crackers I rolled out small balls of the mixture and pressed them flat on a cookie sheet. I wanted them to be quite crispy so I left them in the over longer than the 15 mins recommended. Also, I stored them in the fridge until ready to serve to make sure they had a bit of a crunch to them.
These crackers were served with a variety of meats and cheeses along with:
Be sure to check out the rest of the dinner menu and links HERE