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gluten free

Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles

February 25, 2015

Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles

Can we talk about how freaking cute waffle irons are?

Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles-1

Oh, man, my Amazon wish list is insane with waffle irons. Big Belgian beauties. This one makes bubbled shaped waffles. Or how about a Mini Waffle Maker. And this one that makes hearts. Adorable! Oh, and this one makes Waffle Sticks– perfect for dunking!

This is gonna be a problem. A delicious problem.

Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles-4 Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles-5

Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles-6 Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles-7

Price gifted me some fun goodies from Sperry for Valentine’s Day, but when we were out shopping I gifted myself Heart Waffle Iron that I picked up from Crate and Barrel. I couldn’t resist a sale. Score!!!

Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles-2

We always have bananas in the house as Autumn loves them, but she will eat anywhere from 1 bite to a whole banana in a sitting so sometimes we run out or have a bunch of super ripe ones left, depending on her mood that week. And sure enough, we had a bunch of bananas when I was trying to figure out what waffle t make up next. It was like they were calling my name, I just had to use them. But since I recently did a Banana Bread Waffle, I wanted to change it up so I made these gluten free.

These waffles are great if you are gluten free or not. The texture is light from the whipped egg whites. Plus the flavor is reminiscent of banana bread from the banana, vanilla, and cinnamon in the batter.

A real winner for your next waffle breakfast.

 Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles-3

Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles

Makes 7 heart waffles

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 Cups almond flour
  • 1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large very ripe bananas
  • 1/2 Cup sugar
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • butter, chopped nuts, fruit, and syrup for serving

Process

  1. Melt enough coconut oil to equal 1/2 Cup.
  2. Combine the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  4. Beat together the bananas and sugar until fluffy. Add the 3 egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
  5. Add in the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  6. Fold in the egg whites until there are no more streaks
  7. Preheat you waffles iron. Spray with non-stick cooking spray or rub with papertowel that has coconut oil on it. Scoop a 1/2 Cup of batter into the waffle iron and cook according to the waffle maker’s instructions.
  8. Serve warm with butter and syrup and your choice of nuts and fruit.

Post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Banana, Breakfast and Brunch, Recipes, Waffles Tagged With: banana, breakfast, brunch, gluten free, Gluten Free Banana Bread Waffles, gluten free waffles, waffle wednesday, waffles

Whole30: Days 13-15 Recap

February 19, 2015

I am documenting my Whole 30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come and to keep me inspired through the whole process. I’m looking forward to the transformation in how I approach food, cook with it, and enjoy it. Read why taking on this challenging dietary adventure is so important to me HERE.

doing-the-w30-IG-300x300

{Day 13}

Saturday, February 14th

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

We had a nice day together as a family. We went to the Natick Mall to do some shopping and just get out of the house… hello cabin fever… before more snow dumped on us. So we spent a few hours there, even having out first Whole30 dining experience. I think I did a good job of picking out salads for us. For dinner I made a yummy Valentine’s Day dinner for us. Truthfully I missed the chocolate!! And wine!!!

Breakfast

150219_W30 13-15_01

A Big Ass Sweet potato (Costco!) with 2 fried eggs, wholly guacamole, and Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde.

This was really good but so much. The potato was crazy big, but yummy. I didn’t eat all of it. Next time I would just make 1 potato for us to split.

And Costco has the best sweet potatoes, so much better than Trader Joe’s. But Trader Joe’s rocks the salsa.

Lunch

  150219_W30 13-15_02 150219_W30 13-15_03

Salads at California Pizza Kitchen: Roasted Veggie & Moroccan-Spiced Chicken

I did my best to avoid the non-compliant Whole30 things by requesting no dressing on the salad and to get oil and vinegar instead, and by omitting things like cranberries. I figured that if I slipped up, then I slipped up, but I’m not starting over. Maybe the dates had sulfates but if I left out every questionable thing then we would have just been eating lettuce and more lettuce. Either way, the salads were good, but damn I wanted pizza so badly.

* photos above from CPK website, our phones were dead

Dinner

150219_W30 13-15_04

Steak with coocnut flour crusted sauteed shrimp, roasted potatoes, and spaghetti squash

I tried to make a good dinner that would be sweet and romantic for Valentine’s Day since we were staying in and doing W30. I went with the surf and turf theme with the steak and shrimp. I think it worked will for the night.

I do not suggest using coconut flour to coat shrimp. It burned off very easily and the kitchen got smokey! I will just roast them in the future.

Dessert

150219_W30 13-15_05

Strawberries and Blueberries with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

I really missed something sweet for Valentine’s Day so I whipped up come coconut milk to make ‘whipped cream’. It was good but would have been better with some vanilla extract, at the very least some vanilla bean caviar. I would try to make the whipped cream again.

{Day 14}

Sunday, February 15th

Another snowy day. Price sent over 2 hours outside shoveling with our neighbor’s visiting son, his husband, and another neighbor who parks in a spot in our driveway. It was such a bummer for him to do that again. On the other hand I enjoyed my day inside cooking. I made a roast by searing it on all sides and then roasting it in the oven for several hours.

Breakfast

150219_W30 13-15_06

Waffled Breakfast Sandwich with sausage and guacamole

So freaking good!!! I really have been missing the fun breakfasts I normally make on the weekends so I had to come up with a version that would work, so, of course, I turned to the waffle iron to make a thicker version of my Waffled Hasbrowns to substitute as the bread. It was yummy but messy, still so worth it!

Recipes here…

Paleo WaffledBreakfast Sandwiches

Homemade Paleo Breakfast Sausage

Lunch

150219_W30 13-15_07

Meat sauce with spaghetti squash

I loved the meaty sauce that I had the other night so I used up the rest of the leftover spaghei squash from dinner the night before. I could eat this 3x a week, easily, but I do miss the cheese.

This was Price’s lunch…

150219_W30 13-15_08

He had been craving wings so when he found this recipe from Against all Grain I had to make it for him. He really enjoyed them and has already requested them again. They were quick to make and the dairy free ranch was good, although I winged it sinc eI didn’t have everything on hand.

Dinner

150219_W30 13-15_10

Pork shoulder with cauliflower rice

Oh man, this was so good. The pork was tender and so flavorful.

ItT was the first time I made cauliflower rice. It was really good but next time I would use olive oil to sautée it vs the coconut oil that I used. It just didn’t jive with the other flavors, but I liked the texture a lot. I will be making it again!

150219_W30 13-15_09

I made the pork shoulder by searing it on all sides, then putting it in the oven with some carrots, celery, and onions and a large can of diced tomatoes. I cooked it at 325 for about 4 hours. So tender!!

{Day 15}

Monday, February 16th

Half way through!!! So exciting!

It was President’s Day so I had the day off with Autumn (price had to work.) I’ve been enjoying the extra time with Autumn, plus it is nice that I get to cook at home. I’m most proud of this experience that I have been able to resist noshing during the day, especially on those darn tasty Goldfish crackers.

Breakfast

150219_W30 13-15_11

Quick version of Waffled Breakfast Sandwiches with some strawberries

I had made extra ‘buns’ when I made them on Sunday so I just reheated them while I made an egg. I used a generous amount of guac on the ‘buns’.

Lunch

150219_W30 13-15_12

Sauteed pieces of chicken breasts on a salad with radishes, celery, and grape tomatoes

Autumn liked this as well. She, of course, had already eaten her lunch but decided she wanted this as well. So we shared 🙂

Dinner

150219_W30 13-15_13

Pork shoulder with roasted green beans and grape tomatoes with leftover cauliflower rice

I love roasting green beans and tomatoes like this. It is quick to prepare and so delicious.

____________________

Things are going well. The hardest part during these few days was trying to eat out. I am glad that we are doing Whole30 as it made us stick to salads instead of getting pizzas at CPK but I miss cheese. It was the first time I really missed cheese. At least we are half way through now!!

Filed Under: Whole 30 Tagged With: breakfast whole30, California Pizza Kitchen, clean eating, dairy free, dinner whole30, food diary, gluten free, lunch whole30, soy free, spaghetti squash, Trader Joe, Valentine, Valentine's Day dinner, Valentines Day, Whole30, whole30 foods

Whole30: Days 10-12 Recap

February 15, 2015

I am documenting my Whole 30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come and to keep me inspired through the whole process. I’m looking forward to the transformation in how I approach food, cook with it, and enjoy it. Read why taking on this challenging dietary adventure is so important to me HERE.

doing-the-w30-IG-300x300

{Day 10}

Wednesday, February 11th

Ah, back to work! It was hard to get out of the house today on time since the last 4 days had been at a slower pace. But that is why lunch was kinda lame and half assed with some sausage & squash. It wasn’t really enough so I ate a fruit bar with it and that at least made it feel more complete. I looked forward to the rest of the day after that since I had soup planned, and thankfully it lived up to what I had imagined!

Breakfast

Quiche with pepper, onion, broccoli, and shredded chicken. Two slices of roasted acorn squash with salt and pepper.

Whole30 10-12-1

Lunch

Spicy chicken sausage with roasted acorn squash, and a Trader Joe’s Apple and Coconut Fruit Bar.

Whole30 10-12-2 Whole30 10-12-3

This was thrown together right before we left, and it shows!

Not much going on so I had to add the fruit bar to fill up. It was the first time I had one so it was a nice surprise that is was good and not just blah and chewy.

Dinner

Asian inspired soup with shrimp and bok choy over zoodles.

Whole30 10-12-4

This was the last Blue Apron meal I had to modify to finish up the box. This was the one that needed the most work as it was a soap with Asian flavors, like soy sauce and miso. I ended up using vegetable broth as the base and added ginger, seaweed, and coconut aminos to flavor it. I added the bok choy and the shrimp I  sauteed. I poured all of that on top of the zoodles I had in our bowls. A tiny drizzle of toasted sesame oil (use it sparingly!), some sesame seeds, and green onions. Yum!!

This was sooo freaking good. I need to make this again, and again!

Whole30 10-12-5

{Day 11}

Thursday, February 12th

The day started off rough with a rushed breakfast but ended picking up from there with a great salad and filling quick dinner. Glad to be a third of the way done!! Woo hoo!!

Breakfast

 2 slices of quiche (repeat from Day 10), with some sliced strawberries

Whole30 10-12-6 Whole30 10-12-7

I really do hate how breakfast is so rushed some days… like today! Basically ate inhaled this while standing at the counter. Oh well 🙁

At least it was super yummy with some salsa verde.

Lunch

Salad made from arugula, pear, grapes, blueberries, and prosciutto. Dressed with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper.

Whole30 10-12-8

I need to eat salads like this more often. I’m so used to savory salads but the bitter greens with the sweet fruit is a big win. Plus prosciutto is the best! It just went so well with the fruit. It was a big salad but most of it was greens.

Dinner

Whole30 10-12-9

Sauteed Pork Cutlets with Roasted Veggies

It was so nice to eat a big mix of roasted veggies that was reminiscent to the mixes that I create in the summer. We needed something summery to bring us out of the winter blues. I used a mix of 1 big onion, 1 fennel bulb, 3 bell peppers, and 2 heads of broccoli.

{Day 12}

Friday, February 13th

Oh man I slept horribly last night. It took me forever- or what felt like forever- to fall asleep. Then I dreamt a lot. I even dreamt that I was eating skittles. I looked down and I was eating them and I freaked out that I messed things up in my dream, and then woke up freaked up too. Fun…

Breakfast

Whole30 10-12-10

Scrambled eggs with prosciutto, grape tomatoes, guac, and picked jalapenos

I beat together 5 eggs that I cooked in any of the leftover Ghee that remained in the pan after I cooked grape tomatoes in there. We eat it with spicy guac, pickled jalapenos,  and prosciutto.

Lunch

Whole30 10-12-11

Thank god I had a frozen pack of a roast beef that I picked up from Costco since I didn’t have time to make anything. I defrosted the meat and Price divided it up. We eat it with leftover roasted veggies. I brought Koop’s Organic Stoneground Mustard with me from home as well.

I didn’t eat everything for lunch. But I did eat a banana later on around 2.30

Dinner

Whole30 10-12-12

Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

This might have been my favorite Whole30 meal so far. Prior to W30 we didn’t eat that much pasta but I was craving it, mainly I was craving a hearty meat sauce. And this worked out perfectly. I feel like I could eat this every day.

____________________

Autumn ate Goldfish right in front of me and I held back from having them. So very difficult!! And I made a cake for daycare for Valentine’s Day and resisted as well!

I am counting down to having a cookie.

Filed Under: Whole 30 Tagged With: breakfast whole30, clean eating, dairy free, dinner whole30, food diary, gluten free, lunch whole30, soy free, Whole30, whole30 foods

Waffled Hashbrowns

February 11, 2015

Waffled Hashbrowns-1

Here I am 10 days into Whole30.

Waffled Hashbrowns-2

It’s awesome. It sucks. I feel inspired to jazz up our meals. I hate cooking.

Basically, I just want to bake some damn chocolate chip cookies.

Waffled Hashbrowns-3

I started to question doing Whole30 when I realized I couldn’t have waffles. What? Huh? Jk! But really, the foods I miss the most are breakfast foods. Sure, eggs are breakfast foods, but so are pancakes, bagels, and waffles. But it’s only a month.

Besides, I can figure out other fun ways to use the waffle iron to bust out some delightfully delicious food.

Waffled Hashbrowns-5 Waffled Hashbrowns-6 Waffled Hashbrowns-7 Waffled Hashbrowns-8

In this case, I used the waffle iron to make hashbrowns because hashbrowns are great but Waffled Hashbrowns are even better. It makes them extra crunchier.

And it’s super simple too! I used fresh potatoes that I just tossed in my food processor (fine shred), but post Whole30 if I’m feeling chill I will just grab a big bag of frozen shredded potatoes and have at it.

And of course #putaneggonit.

Waffled Hashbrowns-4

Waffled Hashbrowns

Make 4 Hashbrowns

Ingredients

  • 4 Large Potatoes/ 4 Cups frozen shredded potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • vegetable oil/olive oil (I used a Misto sprayer, but cooking spray works well too)

Process

  1. If using fresh whole potatoes, shred the potatoes in a food processor or on a box grater.
  2. Season the potatoes with the season salt and black pepper, mix to evenly distribute.
  3. Preheat the waffle iron according to your manufacturer’s directions.
  4. Once preheated, generiously spray it the bottom piece with oil. Add 1/4 of the potatoes to the waffle iron, spray the potatoes and top of the waffle iron with oil, and close. Cook until there is no more steam coming from the waffle iron and it is golden brown and crunchy. Repeat until you have made 4 hashbrowns.

Filed Under: Breakfast and Brunch, Recipes, Waffles Tagged With: All Dressed potato Chips, breakfast, brunch, dairy free, gluten free, hashbrowns, sugar free, vegan, waffle wednesday, waffled hashbrowns, waffles, Whole30

Whole30: Days 4-6 Recap

February 10, 2015

I am documenting my Whole 30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come and to keep me inspired through the whole process. I’m looking forward to the transformation in how I approach food, cook with it, and enjoy it. Read why taking on this challenging dietary adventure is so important to me HERE. 

doing-the-w30-IG-300x300

{Day 4}

Thursday February 5th

Ugh, such a rough day. On Wednesday night, I was at work until 1.30 making up time from Monday’s snow day. It sucked. I loved chugging along working but it just make the week crazy, especially since I had to travel to Miami for work today.

Breakfast

W30- Days 4-6-1

Eggs with diced avocado

It’s so weird to me to eat before work. I don’t mind but it makes me super hungry by lunch time as 5 hours have past by then. I enjoy having it done and accomplished, but it’s still weird to me. Plus, it’s weird to me to eat so many eggs. I miss bagels and oatmeal.

Lunch

W30- Days 4-6-2

Salad with Steak (leftovers). Salad was made from romaine, sprouts, radishes, celery, mango, grape tomatoes. I used up the dressing I had made earlier in the week.

So good! I love getting to cook once and use the leftovers for lunch again. Plus, it was just so dang good.

Dinner

Fruit Cup (no picture)

I was traveling and not feeling great so I kept it pretty simple with a fruit cup that I picked up from Starbucks. On the flight I actually threw this, and lunch, up. Ugh. I wasn’t sure if it was a W30 issue, a food issue, or just a stomach bug. I ultimately found out on Friday morning that Autumn threw up a few times throughout the night. Poor Chicken! Poor Price! Poor me! Such a bummer not to feel well.

{Day 5}

Friday February 6th

I was traveling for work so the normal routine was thrown out the window. Plus, I wasn’t feeling well. I could have killed someone for some Saltines. But I just stuck with W30 and got through it. Thankfully I started to feel better as the day went on.

Breakfast

W30- Days 4-6-3

Fruit Cup & Green Tea

We met downstairs at our hotel to get breakfast prior to going to the job site. I grabbed an overpriced fruit cup and a large green tea. Although I wasn’t feeling great I was still jealous of Juli and Alexa for getting slices of spinach and feta quiche. I WANT CHEESE.

Lunch

W30- Days 4-6-4 W30- Days 4-6-5

Veggies (Carrots, broccoli, celery), salted pistachios, pear

I made traveling work the best that I could by a box of veggies and ranch dip and a bag of pistachios at the airport. I ditched the ranch dip immediately to avoid any temptation. I hadn’t had pistachios in a long time so I really enjoyed these, although they did cost me $8! I had brought the pear with me from work on Thursday to eat that night but I didn’t feel well enough to. I certainly enjoyed it for lunch.

Dinner

W30- Days 4-6-6

Sauteed fish with spinach and roasted fennel and tomatoes.

Man, it was good to be back home!!

Price had a crazy day taking Autumn to multiple Dr’s appointments so he didn’t get to eat on a normal schedule but I’m proud he stuck with W30 and didn’t cheat. I think that already seeing a different in how clothes wear on him helps.

Anyway, dinner was really good but I used a bit too much seasoning on the fish.

{Day 6}

Saturday, February 7th

We survived our first weekend day doing Whole30.

Breakfast

W30- Days 4-6-7 W30- Days 4-6-8

Potato hash, Adiell’s chicken & apple sausage with eggs, hot sauce.

Normally we do something like a bagel, waffles, or a cheese veggie omelet so this was sorta a change up. I miss cheese on eggs.

Lunch 

W30- Days 4-6-9

Taco Salad- ground beef (85/15), romaine, radishes, mango, salsa, sprouts, fresh cilantro, avocado, TJ’s pico de galo

We managed to make it through food shopping at Trader Joe’s without diving head first into the display of cupcakes and fresh baked bread. ugh. Plus, fed Autumn 3 samples of portobello mushroom lasagna. So we were really hungry when we got home and chowed down on this yummy salad.

Dinner

W30- Days 4-6-10

 Shrimp ‘pad thai’ made with Well Fed’s Sunshine Sauce, zoodles, 2 eggs, and TJ’s Cruciferous Crunch (bag mix)

This was so good. I hadn’t had Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) before so it was fun to try. Plus, I made the Sunshine Sauce from Well Fed’s book, which was really good. Price suggested that I make it spicier next time.

My stomach felt a little funny afterwards but I don’t know if it was just something lingering from Thursday night.

____________________

Aside from being sick Thursday I have been feeling great. But I might kill someone for a cookie.

I asked Price how he was feeling and he felt great too. He was saying that his mood was better, less adjutated. He had joint pain in the beginning, but it has been lessening day by day. He has not been craving food like I still have been, but he misses that ‘full’ feeling that he has been used to.

On to Day 7 and so forth…

 

Filed Under: Whole 30 Tagged With: clean eating, dairy free, food diary, gluten free, Men of Whole30, paleo, soy free, sugar free, whole 30, Whole30, Whole30 diet

Whole 30: Days 1-3 Recap

February 7, 2015

I am documenting my Whole 30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come and to keep me inspired through the whole process. I’m looking forward to the transformation in how I approach food, cook with it, and enjoy it. Read why taking on this challenging dietary adventure is so important to me HERE. 

doing-the-w30-IG-300x300

{Day 1}

Monday, February 2nd:

Well, I worked at home today because of the stupid snow storm Linus. I had some extra flexibility as I was able to cook part of my lunch at lunch time, and not just reheat it then. I felt full throughout the day as I ate well and drank a lot of decaffeinated Lady Grey tea with lemon. I wanted a cookie at the end of the day.

Whole 30_1 breakfast

Breakfast

A crustless quiche made with sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions. I added Franks Red Hot on top. And a few strawberries.

I prepped this Sunday night by cooking the mushrooms and onions, separately. I then beat 16 eggs in the morning and mixed the chilled mushrooms and onions into that. I put all of that in a pie plate that I generously coated with olive oil. Baked for 65 minutes at 350 degrees, cut 6 slices.

Lunch

Whole 30_1 lunch 1

A big salad with sauteed pork seasoned with Adobo. I used 1/2 a romaine heart, sprouts, about 2″ of English cucumber that I chopped up, little bit of broccoli, 1/2 of a tomato, and a few radishes I sliced very thinly.

Whole 30_1 lunch 2

I made the dressing with the juice from half a lemon, 1 heaping tablespoon of organic stone ground mustard, a generous pinch of cumin, champagne vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. I made made enough for 3 salads.

Dinner

Whole 30_1 dinner

Thai pork burgers with roasted portobello mushrooms ‘buns’ with roasted broccoli.

I added some green curry paste to the 1lb of pork, and made 3 patties. I used 2 for our dinner and saved the other for Day 2 breakfast. I sprayed a bit of olive oil (using my Misto Olive Oil Sprayer) on the mushrooms and placed them under the broiler with the broccoli, which I also sprayed. I chopped up some cilantro and mixed it into 1/2 an avocado and put that on the cooked burgers. I sprinkled some Toasted Sesame Ginger spice blend and then squeezed some lemon over the broccoli.

The flavors were good but I don’t like to actually eat burgers portobelo buns… too messy!

{Day 2 }

Tuesday, February 3rd:

The day was a piece of cake. Honestly. I didn’t have any real cravings so yay! I felt great. Making breakfast is a pain as we juggle so much in the morning but worth it as it done with by when we leave for work.

Breakfast

Whole 30_2 breakfast

Roasted butternut squash with fried eggs and bit of leftover ‘sausage’.

I just used the rest of the pork that we didn’t use at dinner as our meat for breakfast. I hope to make my own breakfast sausage one day.

Lunch 

 Whole 30_2 lunch

I had a big salad with leftover mushroom and caramelized onion quiche and a kiwi.

I love eating salads but I always stay so hungry afterwards, unless it is a monster salad like this one. I was hungry for a while afterwards but then it settled down for a bit.

Snack

 Whole 30_2 snack afternoon

Organic Spouted Mixed nuts.

My day started to get crazy and I was running around so I needed a little something. I ran down to the continence store in our office building and found they had a lot of Whole 30 compliant snacks. Woohoo!! These were really good, I could have had the whole bag easily but I had half.

Dinner

Whole 30_2 dinner

Turkey tenderloin with peppers and roasted red potatoes. Served with mustard.

I cooked 2 turkey tenderloins on a bed of peppers and on a separate baking sheet I cooked the potatoes. I seasoned everything with some olive oil, Goya Adobo, chili powder, and pepper. I saved half of the potatoes and a tenderloin for lunch the next day.

{Day 3}

Wednesday, February 4th:

Breakfast

Whole 30_3 breakfast

The last bit of the mushroom and caramelized onion quiche with a ton of roasted butternut squash.

ugh I literally shoveled this into my mouth. I was rushing to get to the dentist and has about .2 seconds to eat before leaving the house at 6.30am to get to the dentist for 7am. Def not the ideal way to eat.

Morning Snackish

Fruit- pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, honeydew melon

We had a breakfast presentation at work so I grabbed some fruit. It helped me not reach for muffins and pastries. Plus it already had been 3 hours since I had eaten and I figured a bit of fruit would help carry me over to get to lunch, still 2.5 hours away.

Lunch

Whole 30_3 lunch

Leftover turkey tenderloin with roasted red potatoes with roasted broccoli and portobello mushrooms.

We had the Patriot’s parade go by my office so I stood at the window eating my lunch while I watched. Not ideal (duh!) , but at least it wasn’t while sitting at my desk scrolling through pinterest. #progress?

Whole 30_3 dinner

Dinner

Steak with steam carrots, organic spinach (Trader Joe’s), and some mango.

We hadn’t had steak in a while so it was so good to have some. It’s usually a summertime thing for us so it was nice to feel a bit of summer in the dead of a New England winter.

____________________

So far so good. I’ve completed 3 days out of 30 and it feels good to be (slowly) accomplishing something. I feel the same so I’m glad that I don’t feel that sugar withdrawal that I read could happen. Maybe it will hit soon, but ultimately, I think this process will be worth it in the end.

Post contains affiliate links. 

Filed Under: Whole 30 Tagged With: Cooking, dairy free, food diary, gluten free, healthy eating, meals, soy free, whole 30, Whole 9 Life, Whole30, Whole9 Life

Champions Green Detox Smoothie

April 28, 2014

Champions Green Detox Smoothie

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

And if I don’t have a good breakfast I feel off for the day.

…

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Filed Under: Drinks, Gluten Free, Recipes Tagged With: Apple Juice, banana, breakfast smoothie, dates, gluten free, green smoothie, kale, medjool dates, Secret Recipe Club, smoothie, SRC, vanilla extract, vegan

Sausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup

December 12, 2012

Sausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup is a healthy, hearty soup that will leave you satisfied inside & out. You’ll love the flavors and textures from the lentils and kale. A sprinkling of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil will make each bite a perfect 10!

Post from 12/12/12, pictures updated 7/7/18

I’ve been in this crazy cooking and baking mode lately. It feels inspiring and fun. I love it so much!!

…

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Filed Under: Gluten Free, Recipes, Soups, Stews, Chili Tagged With: andouille sausage, chicken stock, dinner, gluten free, kale, katie lee joel, lentils, mirepoix, recipe, soup, stew, The comfort table cookbook, vegetarian

Brownie Pie

November 12, 2012

I love to get mail. I used to have pen pals when I was younger. One was from Finland and she used to write the date D-M-Y. I loved it for some random reason. Well now without pen pals I just get bills, magazines, and some packages. I love the arrival of my monthly Studio Calico kit. I just get so giddy with anticipation and once it gets here I love that the package holds so many creative possibilities  Well, I was just as giddy for the arrival of Tate’s Bake Shop: Baking For Friends. As soon as I finished interviewing Kathleen King I bought her new book. I could not wait for it to come that I upgraded my prime and got it the next day. I just could not resist waiting to get my hands on that book.

 

 

Once I was able to browse the book I got myself into some trouble picking out what to make first. I was drawn to so many different recipes because of their ease. I love baking but I love to find simple recipes because I am so busy I just can’t spend so much time of something that I don’t eat. I’m glad Kathleen focuses on keeping her recipes simple but delicious. The book has over 120 recipes of muffins, scones, quick breads, pies, cupcakes, and cookies. Out of all of that I was really struggling to decide on Rocky Road Muffins (pg 31), Apple- Italian Plum Deep Dish Pie (pg 69), Brownie Pie (pg 71), and Pecan Squares (pg 138). I finally decided on the brownie pie and I think I made a great choice.

 

 

 

The Brownie Pie is a really simple, really rich dessert. Just a few ingredients and a few minutes of manning the mixer and you’re on our way to a chocolaty delight. This really works for any number of people as it’s great for sweets addicts to chocoholics and people who keep to a gluten free diet. It covers all bases and does so perfectly.  The recipe calls for even more chocolate stating that a slice is to be served with a smear of nutella and whipped cream. I served this with some whipped cream and fresh raspberries and blackberries since I just wanted it to be a tad bit lighter when serving it as the pie is so rich. Grab yourself a glass of milk and a slice and enjoy!

Brownie Pie

serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 stick of salted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 eggs plus 4 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

Process

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch glass pie plate by lightly buttering it.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl combine the chocolate chips and pieces of the butter. Microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes, stir the chocolate every 30 seconds.
  3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the eggs on high until thickened and light in color, about 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar the mixture is light and fluffy. Incorporate the melted chocolate. Pour into the prepared pie plate.
  4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center is clean upon its removal. Let cool on a wire rack.
  5. Serve with whipped cream, berries, caramel sauce, or nutella.

Filed Under: Pies and Tarts, Recipes Tagged With: brownie, brownie pie, chocolae chips, chocolate, chocolate pie, dessert, gluten free, Kathleen King, nutella, pie, recipe, Tate's bakeshop, whipped cream

Tropical Pork Pineapple Kebabs- SRC

July 30, 2012

Another month is wrapping up so it means it is Secret Recipe Club time! How is this summer flying by?!?! It is crazy! At least it has been jam packed with great food, lots of fun with family and friends, and some awesome adventures. It just makes me wish summer was so much longer.

 

 

This time I had the blog called Without Adornment by Bean. The blog is packed full of gluten free recipes, as well as other allergen free recipes. This is perfect for someone with allergies, as well as anyone who just likes great food. I immediately saw her Tropical Pork Pineapple Kebabs and knew they would be perfect for a satisfying summertime dinner.

 

The original recipe was just a guide with the ingredients, and not the amounts used. I generally cook that way so I liked that there was freedom to have my own stamp on this recipe. I added some soy sauce to the marinade just so it would not be too sweet for my liking. I also had zucchini in the fridge so I added that to the kebabs too. I served this with some rice that I prepared while Price grilled up the kebabs. Totally loving our new grill, this summer, and this recipe!

Beans recipe was gluten free which I respect because for a while last year I ate gluten free and enjoyed the process and felt better from it. Anyway, I did add the soy sauce for flavor but it does wheat so if you want this to be gluten free just be sure to use a gluten free soy sauce. Or you can use Worcestershire Sauce which is naturally gluten free instead of the soy sauce and has 80% less sodium than soy sauce.

Tropical Pork Pineapple Kebabs

Serves 4

Ingredients

For Kebabs

  • 1 pound of pork tenderloin cut into 1″ cubes
  • pineapple cut into 1″ cube pieces, approximately half a pineapple
  • 1 red pepper, cut into 1″ x 1″ pieces
  • 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4″ thick pieces
  • 8 oz whole white button mushrooms

For Marinade

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 2 gloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, known as sambal
  • 1 cup of diced pineapple
  • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper

Process

  1. Soak 10 wooden skewers for at least an hour before using them.
  2. Prepare the marinade first by combine all of the marinade in a bowl or large plastic bag. Mix thoroughly and then add the pork pieces to the marinade. Store in the refrigerator while the meat marinates for at least 1 hour minutes.
  3. Once skewers are soaked and the meat is marinated, thread the pork, pineapple, pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms. Repeat the series twice and end with a piece of pork.
  4. Grill the kebabs over medium-high heat. Using a basting brush, brush the kebabs with the marinade each time you turn the kebabs grilling each side.
  5. Cook the kebabs until done with an internal temperature of the pork is 145 degrees. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

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Secret Recipe Club

Check out my previous Secret Recipe Club Posts:

June: Cheesy Garlic Knots

May: Berry Brownie Torte

April: Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

March: Sauteed Green Beans with Lemon and Almonds

February: Fried Pickles

Jan: No SRC postings

December: Shrimp Sriracha Stir Fry

November: Vegetable Enchiladas

October: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Check out the rest of the reveal day posts!



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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

Filed Under: Meat, Recipes, Summer BBQ Tagged With: gluten free, grill, grilling, kabob, Kebab, mushrooms, pineapple, pork, pork kebabs, recipe, red peppers, Secret Recipe Club, shish kebabs, soy sauce, soy suace, SRC, Tropical Pork Pineapple Kebabs, without adornment, zucchini

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

October 31, 2011

These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars have a nutty crust, creamy pumpkin cheesecake, and a yummy streusel topping. This recipe is perfect for fall baking.

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

It doesn’t even matter if it is still hot out, or if the calendar reads ‘August’, people get fall baking on their mind once school starts up again. And, most of the time, people are craving pumpkin treats. Cracking open that can of pumpkin puree is a sure signal that fall is here (or fast arriving). It’s exactly why people enjoy their PSL’s and start to whip up pumpkin treats with pure abandon. Be sure to make these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars because they are a great fall treat.

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Filed Under: Cookies, Bars, and Candy, Pumpkin, Recipes Tagged With: Baking, cheesecake bar, gluten free, pumpkin, pumpkin cheesecake bar, Secret Recipe Club

Polenta Almond Lemon Cake

February 22, 2010

Polenta Almond Lemon Cake- A rich, delicious cake that has light refreshing lemon flavor. The almond and polenta give it an interesting flavor and texture.

Post Originally from 2/22/10, Pictures updated 3/6/19

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

I love when I make a cake for a special occasion. 

Of course, making a cake on a random Tuesday is enjoyable, but making a cake for something special doubles my excitement. Do you ever feel the same way?

…

Read More

Filed Under: Cakes and Cupcakes, Recipes Tagged With: Almonds, Baking, cake, Citrus, gluten free, Lemon, Polenta, The River Cafe Cookbook, The River Cafe London

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