paleo

Whole30: Days 19-21 Recap

March 3, 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.

{Day 19}

Friday, February 20th

Survived another work week! Another pod breakfast day. So many bagels, breakfast burritos, and pastries all around. ALL AROUND!!! But I made it through the minefield and didn’t stray over to grab a delicious Boloco breakfast burrito. (SIGH/YAY!). The day was good, except for Autumn getting sick & having to be picked up from daycare, but it was a good food day.

Breakfast

Chia breakfast pudding with banana & (1/2), blueberries, and chopped pecans

I really should I made chia pudding more often because it was a nice refresher from eggs, eggs, and more eggs for breakfast.

Lunch

Crustless quiche made with sauteed kale, onion and mushrooms; pistachios

Not my favorite quiche, but it worked for lunch. I had to run home to get Autumn from daycare because her cold hit hard during the day, so I inhaled this. Not ideal but at least I got to eat it hot instead of not having lunch. So we spend the afternoon cuddling, and she slept in the Baby K’Tan for about 2 hours.

I freaking love pistachios now. I mean, I always loved pistachios, but have purchased them 2x now while on Whole30. They are so good, and what I really like about it is the process of eating them. At least I don’t shovel them into my mouth like goldfish crackers or another snack.

Dinner

Sauteed fish over salad (romaine, celery, avocado, grape tomatoes) with a lemony tahini dressing

Price was out for poker so I made myself this dinner. It was quick, which was good with taking care of sicky Autumn, filling, and delicious. I ate it while sitting on the floor in the bathroom while Autumn took her bath. ha!

Side note- I made Price food to take to poker so he would have dinner there. Everyone else ate pizza but I made him pork cutlets, roasted veggies and sauteed kale. And he took a San Pellegrino with him too.

{Day 20}

Saturday, February 21st

It was a busy day cooking. I love days like that, but I did miss the baking element to it. I felt like I got a lot done, which was a good feeling. I prepped plenty of Whole30 meals by making the chicken soup, which will last us beyond this Whole30 adventure.

Breakfast

Homemade bacon, 2 over easy eggs, some pear

I’m of the feeling that you really need something to soak up all the delicious runny yolk goodness, which was missing from this breakfast. But it was still good as the bacon is killer. I can’t wait to get more pork belly to make more.

Lunch

Homemade Chicken soup

It was really good but I did miss the rice that I normally have with chicken soup. I didn’t mind it without it but it just felt ‘light’ to me without rice or pastina.

Dinner

Oven roasted fish with roasted fennel and tomatoes, squash

This was a perfect meal. Easy to prep, healthy, flavorful, and easy to clean up.

The squash was a bust since I had left it in the oven after I had turned it off so it was pretty dry. Blah.

{Day 21}

Sunday, February 22nd

Another day of cooking! I love weekend likes this. I had missed the baking the day before so I made muffins witht Autumn. Sad to not have any as they looks and smelled so freaking good

We also watched the Daytona 500 and the Oscars. I missed having some beer and wine while watching them.

Breakfast

Potato hash, homemade bacon, over easy eggs

I learned my lesson from the day before and made a quick potato hash to help soak up that blissful runny yolk goodness. And the bacon was still on point. I was thinking about doing it with some coffee grounds next time.

Lunch

Buffalo Chicken Tenders, 1 Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas taco

Ever since I made Pricer the Bufflao Wings from Against All Grain, he has been talking about them over and over again. So it was time to make them again so that he could enjoy them with watching Daytona. I made myself some tenders with chicken breast as I don’t like to eat wings.

I was making my post for Secret Recipe Club so I made 2 tacos using Boston bibb lettuce, some thinly sliced radishes, sliced grape tomatoes, guac, and cilantro. We each had one. So yummy!

Dinner

Spaghetti squash with homemade meat sauce

I made the sauce to be similar to my Four Meat Italian Gravy, with the exception of the sausage and meatballs. I could have used a complaint sausage and made my own meatballs, but I was feeling ‘lazy’ since I was already making the chicken soup and pork carnitas over the weekend. Ether way it was still really good. I am 110% sure that I am going to put ribs in my sauce from now on. Dear short ribs, I love you.

We were talking about how we don’t miss pasta. Still miss some grated cheese on top, but don’t miss pasta. Sure, we will have it from time to time in the future, but don’t feel the need for it. Although, I could destroy a bowl of ravioli right now…

Dessert

Chia pudding with some whipped coconut cream with berries

Still not a fan of whipped coconut cream. I think I’m missing the vanilla flavor. Maybe if I had a vanilla bean to scrape in I would like it more?

____________________

Everything has been going well. I am happy to have reached the 2/3 mark.

I’m feeling good which is good, especially since Autumn got hit badly with a cold on Friday. I ended up the with the sniffles over the weekend but not a cold, which is really good. So if that is a Whole30 thing, then yay!

Mayo Crusted Roasted Chicken

February 20, 2015

A few years ago when I lived with 2 roommates, I learned that I could not live with 2 roommates. So it goes…

We all have our idiosyncrasies but one of my roommates was off on another planet. Like she insisted on having the biggest room although she froze in it because it had very large widows and a nonworking fireplace (all of which let in a lot of cold air). Also, she would cook her food, eat it out of the pot, and leave said pot on the top of the sofa. Great when my other roommates puppy would discover it. Super great. She was in a residency program so maybe she was just off from being sleep deprived from her long shifts and weekends on-call. So while she drove me crazy but, at least she did teach me about making fantastic baked chicken. So a big thank you to her for that.

She used to bake chicken breasts and drumsticks all the time. They were quick and easy for her to whip up and keep on hand for when she had to work late nights or be on call. But there as something that should would do that I had never heard of before… she would slather the chicken with mayonnaise. What?!?

Years later, while I was feeling in a bit of a chicken rut, I thought of what she used to do. Well, it turns out she wasn’t crazy after all since I googled it and it’s a thing. A pretty common thing actutally… where have I been living all these years? Under a rock!?!?

It makes the chicken super moist and flavorful, while giving the exterior a bit of a naughty crunch too.

The great thing about this recipe is that is paleo and Whole30 compliant, assuming you use complaint mayo, of course! Finding something that fits the Whole30 requirements and is downright delicious just makes me want to jump for joy!

The one thing to note that as it cooks the oil in the mayo will separate from the egg base, and will drip down into the pan. The veggies there can be a bit oily, so if you want to avoid that just put down a wire rack that you use for baking first before you put down the veggies. But I would give them a bit of a drizzle with oil so they stay moist and don’t stick to the rack.

I swear I am a changed roast chicken woman. This makes it so freaking juicy. It is the perfect chicken to make this FREEZING weekend. Stay warm and cozy my friends!

Mayo Crusted Roasted Chicken

Makes 1 whole chicken

Ingredients

5-6 pound whole chicken
1/2 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 2″ long pieces
1/2 pound celery, peeled, cut into 2″ long pieces
2 large onions, sliced into 1/2″ wedges
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 bay leaves
approximately 1/3 Cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper

Process

Preaheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the giblets from the chicken. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.
Place the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and bay leaves in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on top.
Liberally rub mayonnaise on the whole chicken. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken to prevent burning.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter. Cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes prior to slicing and serving. lice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Paleo Waffled Breakfast Sandwiches

February 18, 2015

Boston is breaking snow records left and right. Boom goes the dynamite.

It’s been snow storm after snow storm. The snow just keeps on staking up. We have broken the record for most snow in a 40 day period, expect we did it in 18 days. Fun. And then we broke the record for most snow in February. Super. Most recently we broke the record for the most snow in a month. Awesome.

Oh, did you catch the sarcasm?

Well, we are about a storm or two away from breaking the record for the snowiest season on record. We’ll see if we beat it. At least it will feel like all the snow was for something… some awful record!

In the mean time we will be eating these Paleo Waffled Breakfast Sandwiches. I actually got the idea from 2 differnt things. First, the waffled hashbrowns I shared last week for my Waffle Wednesday post. Then for when I was gluten free for about a year and would make gluten free waffles and use them as bread. So I merged those ideas and made these Paleo Waffled Breakfast Sandwiches with those waffled hashbrowns as buns. yum!!!

The waffled potato buns do take a bit of time to prepare so just keep that in mind. You have to stuff the the waffle iron with the shredded potato so that they are sturdy enough to be buns. Each pair tool my waffle iron about 10-12 minutes to cook. This actually works well as it allows you to get ready in the morning. Just get the potatoes in the waffle iron and go about your morning and check on the potatoes again after a bit. Perfection.

Give these a try if you are living a Paleo diet, are going Whole30, or if you just like awesome breakfast sandwiches.

Paleo Waffled Breakfast Sandwiches

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

For the Waffled Potato ‘Buns’

2 1/5 pounds potatoes, such as russet
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
olive oil or vegetable oil spray

For the sandwiches

8 eggs
8 sausage patties or 8 slices bacon (make sure it’s Whole30 compliant, if needed!)
1 Cup guacamole

Process

To make the waffled potato buns, shred the potatoes in a food processor (I used a medium shred blade). Place all of the shredded potato in a bowl lined with a kitchen towel. Squeeze as much water out of the potatoes as possible.
Preheat your waffle
Place the waffled ‘buns’ on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet in an oven set to 200 degrees to keep them warm and crisp until you are ready to use them.
To make the sandwiches, cook your sausage or bacon.
Cook the eggs them in a sprayed skillet over medium-low heat, flip them once the white is almost set up. Continue to cook to reach ‘over well’ doneness, until the yolk has just set.
Place 2 eggs on a shredded potato bun, and then top with the sausage or bacon. Spread 1/4 Cup of guacamole on the top ‘bun’, and then place the bun on the egg sandwich. Cut in half, if you would like.

Homemade Paleo Breakfast Sausage (Whole30 Approved!)

February 17, 2015

We are half way through our Whole30 and it’s been going really well.

The biggest struggle is breakfast. Oh man, some days I just can’t figure out what to make!

It just feels so repetitive. Eggs, eggs, and more eggs. Gah!! Plus, finding breakfast meats is so dang difficult as 99.9% of store-bought bacon have sugar in them, as well as ham and breakfast sausage. Oh, dang you sugar!

But if you make your own breakfast sausage you can make it Paleo friendly, or even Whole30 friendly. When making it Paleo friendly you can use maple syrup, but you can make it more smokey when you are making it Whole30 friendly.

Either way, it’s so freaking good as you get to customize it exactly to your preferences. I am not a fan of fennel seed so I skipped it, although it’s often in sausage. But you can use it, or other spices, as you wish.

Now that I made this homemade breakfast sausage I am really doubting that I can go back to store-bought sausage. The fresh flavors in this sausage has me hooked. Plus, making your own gives you the opportunity to jazz it up to make it your own.

I really enjoyed the subtle smokey flavor from the liquid smoke that I used. I plan on trying other liquid smoke flavors to see how the different woods impact the flavor of the sausage. It’s really so fun thinking about how to playing around with the different spices will effect the flavors of the breakfast sausage.

You definitely can’t get bored when you are making your own homemade sausage!

Homemade Paleo Breakfast Sausage

Makes 8 patties

Ingredients

1 pound of ground pork
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (add more if you like it spicy)
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (I used hickory)

Process

Put the pork in a large bowl, add all of the spices and mix thoroughly.
Divide the pork into 8 portions, then form into flat patties. If you are not going to cook right away, freeze individually on a baking sheet prior to storing in a container or plastic bag.
If cooking immediately, add a bit of oil to a nonstick skillet. Cook the patties over medium heat until both sides are browned and are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.

Inspired by Nutmeg Nanny

Whole30: Days 4-6 Recap

February 10, 2015

{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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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…

Paleo Coconut Waffles

February 4, 2015

Oh, what a crummy, crummy week!!!

Let’s start with Sunday night with the Seahawks losing the Superbowl. Such a big fat bummer. Yes, I’m in Patriots’ country but I’m a Giants fan so whatever’s to the Pats.

Then more snow on Monday so I stayed home as commuting would have been a nightmare potentially taking up too much of my already limited day at work. That wasn’t the issue, it was just the snow. I’m over it, so over it. With the snow from Linus and Juno’s 26.4″ the previous week and some snow just before that Boston set a record of 46+” for the most snow fall in a 10 day period. UGH

And work is just crazy now with a lot of deadlines and travel. It’s like everything is scheduled to the minute to get it done. I was going to go back to work last night to work for a few more hours but the traffic was insane, absolutely insane because the snow on the side of the roads is impeding visibility and lanes of traffic. So going back to work was out of the question throwing my week off schedule.

It’s just stupid stuff like that that is bugging me and putting me in a funk.

Yes, in general my life is pretty awesome- great fiance, daughter, dog, and grumpy rabbit, awesome family, a nice townhouse, pretty sweet job, etc. But there are just times when things are annoying and you just have to have a vent session. So thanks for that!

But thank goodness it’s WAFFLE WEDNESDAY!!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

As I’m doing Whole 30 from Feb 2- Mar 3, I am going to focus on paleo or Whole 30 approved recipes. Waffles aren’t approved on the Whole 30 diet but I’d say that the Paleo diet is the closest ‘thing’ to the Whole 30 diet so I’m going to share some paleo waffle recipes this month.

But don’t freight!! Paleo waffles are still knock your socks off awesome. The texture is definitely different than a regular waffle. Different but so good.

Plus this recipe is loaded with coconut. Just loaded with it so it’s so tasty. It’s tropical, in a way. At least I think of pina coladas, sunblock, and the tropics when it comes to delicious coconut things.

And now for some tips and tricks for the recipe!

I had only used coconut oil as a replacement to lotion prior to this recipe. It was fun to try it in the recipe. I really suggest that you scoop out some coconut oil and microwave it to warm it up so it’s a liquid. Then you measure that. When I first scooped it out I measured out 4 tablespoons, or so I thought I did. It turns it was more than that. So I really suggest that you melt it and measure the melted amount- it is oil isn’t it!?!

The recipe calls for the egg whites to be beaten until you get soft peaks. This is really important as it really gives the waffles great texture. Plus if you didn’t do this you’d probably just make 2 waffles as it really gives the recipe it’s substance. Or is it volume. Or whatever. So beat the bejesus out of the eggs and you’ll be all set.

Change things up! Try something that is Paleo today!

Paleo Coconut Waffles

Makes 5-6 6″ round waffles

Ingredients

8 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup almond milk or coconut milk
1/2 cup sifted coconut flour

Process

Beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until you get stiff peaks. Set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together the egg yolks, melted coconut oil, vanilla, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, almond milk, and sifted coconut flour. Stir until almost all lumps are gone. Gently fold in beaten egg whites.
Cook according to your waffle maker’s instructions to produce golden waffles.
Serve with maple syrup, some shredded coconut, and fruit. yum!

Sourced from Fake Ginger

Why I am doing Whole 30

February 3, 2015

Have you heard of Whole 30?

It’s a diet/detox/way to kick your bad eating habits to the curb.

I don’t know the best way to call it. It’s not a diet because the real intention is not to lose weight. Although that typically is a happy side effect. It’s a sugar detox to help you slay that ‘sugar dragon’. But most importantly, at least to me, it’s a way to reset your approach to eating in order to train yourself to pick the best for you foods.

Whole 30 was created by the husband and wife team behind the Whole 9 Life website and blog, which details their 9 factors to lead a whole life. Truthfully, I haven’t really checked that out as I have been more focused on Dallas and Melissa’s Whole 30 program. But… I’m sure their factors are well thought out as their Whole 30 program is.

Okay, okay, so what is Whole 30?

Well, I’ve been finding it best to explain it with “It is the Paleo diet + a few more restrictions + NO SUGAR. For 30 days.”

Why do I emphasize the NO SUGAR? Well, sugar is in everything! Okay, just about everything. No, they don’t say ‘ Apples have sugar… No apples!” No, it’s about cane sugar, white sugar, maple syrup, honey, stevia, High Fructose Corn Syrup, etc.

They purposefully have created this sugar restriction as sugar does some funky, funky stuff to your body. It’s all science-y and complex (and still a little over my head) but they do a good job of explaining it in their New York Time’s Best-Selling book It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways
.

It Starts with Food spells out what happens in your body when you eat different things from apples to low-fat yogurt and steak to pasta. As a result of all their science-y investigating they developed the Whole 30 program. I could go on and on but their book is really good so if you are curious just get it and check it out as it was a big eye-opener for me. Especially, reading the testimonials of people who completed the program and noticed dramatic improvements in their health from the reduction of allergies, more energy, elimation in stomach issues, and much more. Pretty Cool.

So back to the WHY I am doing this?

Since having Autumn in November 2013, I’ve lost over 50 pounds. Woohoo! I hover around the 53-54 lb mark. And that’s not talking weight I gained while I was pregnant. I’m talking prepregancy weight – 53ish pounds.

I watched what I ate while pregnant, resulting in (thankfully) only gaining just shy of 15 pounds, and afterwards but I know that the majority of my weight loss was from breastfeeding. And now that I have wrapped that up after 14.5 months I need to not back slide. Plus, I’d absolutely love, love, love to lose another 15 pounds. And preferably by our June wedding. #nopressure.

So this is a way to reset my eating habits. But losing weight isn’t the only thing. I want to better my body over all so I can feel and look great without being so tired or moody or whatever. I don’t want to feel sore and drained for no real reason. I want to have great energy! I want to make smart food choices! I want a golden egg… oh wait, nevermind…

We have been eating more and more paleo style foods but ever since getting pregnant I’ve been craving sugar. Prior to my pregnancy I was a ‘salt’ person and perfectly fine without dessert but now I’m constantly thinking about chocolate chip cookies. Warm from the oven browned butter chocolate chip cookies with a sprinkling of sea salt on top. OMG.

I need to beat that constant voice in my head saying “You know, 2.30pm is the prefect time for a cup of tea. But you know what goes well with a cup of tea? A cookie! How about you go down to the cafe and get a mocha double chocolate chip cookie!!!!!! AMAZING IDEA, NO?!?!?!”

Thankfully, I say no most days but those mocha chocolate cookies make me weak in the knee and I do succumb to that little voice in my head more often that not. ugh/yay?!?!

I’ve been looking forward to this month-long challenge for a while now. I’ve cleaned the cabinets of non-complient foods (damn you Ritz crackers!), searched all over Pinterest for yummy foods, bought Paleo cookbooks, and given myself a big ol’ pep talk. Wish me luck 😉

I will be documenting the journey on the blog and on my Instagram account. I am also a member on the Whole 30 forum so find me there and say hi!

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