All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel
Meghan Markle’s Zucchini Pasta Sauce packs a lot of summery flavor. It’s slow cooked for 4-5 hours! That sounds crazy, but it makes it crazy good!
This simple pasta sauce is made with just a few ingredients- and none of them are tomatoes! Meghan Markle’s Zucchini Pasta Sauce is a created recipe that uses zucchini to make a great sauce
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I’m thankful that Thanksgiving is over.
I’m thankful that November is almost over. It’s been a rough month.
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Let’s talk politics.
Just kidding!! Ugh. I don’t even want to think about the next month leading up to the election. Maybe that is why I am so focused on house stuff now.
I recently placed an order at West Elm for curtains for our bonus room. They are a fun with a blue graffiti pattern. Kinda like crazy brush strokes. They were on sale and I used my designer discount so I got them for a steal ($12 for each panel!).
I also ordered a white porcelain hurricane and a beautiful mirror. I don’t know where the mirror will go just yet but it was too beautiful to pass up. Oh man, it has this gorgeous blue inlay pattern. Plus, it was half off with the sale and my discount. It was like fate.
Then while I was in Target this past weekend I got sucked into the Pillowfort section as I looked for stuff for Autumn. I was expecting her to pick out a girly pattern or the pink or purple they had, but she went for the navy curtains with anchors. So my whole ‘look’ for her that I’ve had in my head for the past few months is all wacky. I am still trying to figure out if her selection is serious or not. We’ll go back and I’ll ask her again to check on things.
So yeah, my life is revolving around curtains and tacos. But that’s cool since curtains are really important in bring a room together and tacos rock.
These tacos rock because they are delicious, plus they are Paleo and are Whole30 compliant.
Have you ever had a taco made with a jicama shell? They are so good! The jicama doesn’t have too much flavor that competes with the taco filling, but gives the taco great crunch. They are thin so they are pliable but the texture of the jicama still gives it some crunch.
The one thing to note is that they are pretty small tacos, all dependent on the size of the jicama. So I’d budget like 3-4 per person for a good serving.
Once you give these jicama tacos a try you will be hooked!!
Makes about 15 tacos
Ingredients
For the Pineapple Salsa
For the Tacos
Process
There was the most amazing lightning storm all around us last night.
Tampa is known as “The Lightning Capital of the World”. In reality it gets the most thunderstorms for North America. If the season was longer maybe it truly would be the most for the world but at least it can hold the title for North America.
It rains a lot in Florida in the summer, which isn’t such a big deal since it helps cool off the afternoons. Plus, it just puts on a good show since it’s not just a drizzle, but it’s typically a big storm that passes through for a bit. You always have to remember to leave your windows up!
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This Grilled Steak Fajita Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette will satisfy your steak cravings while serving up zesty, bold flavors in the form of a great salad.
I am equally a meat and potatoes girl, a salad lover, and a taco addict. This Grilled Steak Fajita Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette satisfies all those cravings at once! Horray!!!
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Roasted Tomato Soup- A soup that’s full of robust hearty flavors from roasted ripe tomatoes. It’s simple to make but the flavors will blow your socks off.
This soup is a great example of how a few great ingredients can come together to make a fantastic dish. This Roasted Tomato Soup is a healthy example of a flavorful dish that will have you asking for seconds.
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So a few weeks ago Autumn and I went to a farmer’s market a few miles away from my dad’s house, where we are staying. We picked up a few things, but the big hit of the day was the honey we picked up.
She sampled a few kinds and picked out the kind that liked the most and every few days I give her a big spoonful of the local honey. It’s a special, healthy treat that is great for preventing allergies here.
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We’re a week into Whole30 and I am loving it.
And I might just kill you.
It all depends on any given moment.
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I am documenting my THIRD Whole30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come from my first Whole30 (Feb 2015), my second (April 2015), to now! Plus, I don’t want to fall into any food ruts. Hopefully this will 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. Check out all my Whole30 related posts HERE from why I did each previous Whole30, why I am doing this one, and all my food diaries.
Sunday, July 26th, 2015
Ugh, what a day. It was a rough food day. Days like this make me realize how hard it is to stick to Whole30, and how important it is to stick to Whole30.
Breakfast
Banana and almond butter
This was eaten on the run, actually, in the car, but close enough.
We slept in so we didn’t have time to make breakfast before having to get in the car and go up to NH to visit Catherine and Ed. It was great to get extra sleep but made the morning tough in the end. We stopped off at McDonald’s on the way to get (black) iced coffees and to get an Egg Mcmuffin for Autumn. I wanted that damn Egg Mcmuffin!! ha!
Lunch
NADA!!
It was such a messed up day. It happens. Not great but it happens.
Dinner
Grilled Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausages with baby bella mushrooms, shishito peppers, and sauteed kale
OMG food!!!!!!
We were so freaking hungry from skipping lunch. It was so, so good. Fresh, flavorful, delicious. I used a lemon olive oil from Trader Joe’s on the baby bellas. Loved it!!! And I ordered a box of Maldon Sea Salt from Amazon and I am so glad I did as it’s great on the shishito peppers.
Late Night Snack
Homemade Potato Salad- made with tiny red potatos, homemade mayo, radishes, green onions
So I had planned on making this earlier in the day but didn’t get around to it until later on at night. Of course, I had to sample some… 🙂
Activity-
7,711*
My Fitbit was dead in the morning so it effected my step count, but I still don’t think that I would have made my 10K step goal since we spent part of the day in the car and inside.
Hydration-
It was a decent day from iced coffee, water, seltzer, etc
Monday, July 27th, 2015
I spent most of the day battling thoughts about stopping this Whole30. I wasn’t feeling committed to it, like I had in the best, even when the going got tough. Instead I just felt restricted and alone (since Price cheated on Day 6). I was excited that my mom was doing it too in FL, as well as a co-worker, but I didn’t feel great about it this time. My heart wasn’t into it.
Breakfast
2 over-easy eggs, sweet potato hash, pico de galo
Nice and simple.
Lunch
Salad with romaine, grape tomatoes, radishes, avocado, and chicken with a homemade ranch dressing, then a Key Lime Pie Lara Bar (45 mins)
My avocado wasn’t ripe yet. Such a bummer. But the chicken was ah-mazing. It was was seasoned really well and really juicy. Glad I took the time to cook it that morning.
The Larabar was so good. Glad I found this flavor at Whole Foods on Sunday.
Dinner
Steak with fajita veggies and cauliflower rice, served with pico, cilantro, and limes
YES!!!! This was such a good dinner. I really loved the flavors and different textures from the steak, ‘rice’, veggies, and salsa. I could eat this all the time. I feel like I should have blogged about it!
Activity
4,811*
I plugged my Fitbit in at lunch and then forgot it there, so it didn’t get the rest of my steps counter, but I know that I hit my 10K step goal. Def!
Hydration
I should have had more water. I had coffee, water, and seltzer, but I still felt that my in-take amount was low for the day.
Tuesday, July 28th, 2015
DONE…
Yeah, so I fail at my 3rd Whole30. I broke the rules at lunch.
Breakfast
2 over-easy eggs with ‘fried’ plantains with Frank’s Red Hot
It’s easy to call them fried plantains, but in reality I cooked it with barely any oil. I love them for breakfast. So, so good.
Lunch
Southwest Chicken Salad and some oven baked fries from B.Good with a Berry Chia Agua Fresca from 4 Petal
I basically knew I was going to stop Whole30 on Wednesday as I was going to the Boston Public Market blogger tour, where there would be lots of samples!, so I just decided to stop a bit earlier.
Megan requested that we go to B.Good so she could get a Southwestern Chicken Salad before moving so we got salads to go to enjoy sitting in PO Sq. I had successfully eaten at B.Good while doing Whole30 previously, but I decided that I really wanted the same salad as Megan so I ordered it… and enjoyed it!!!
Lunch with my friend was just perfect! I’ll miss you tons and tons Megan! Have fun and lots of success in New York! xox
Dinner
Leftover Spaghetti Squash with Rao’s Arrabbiata Sauce
This was complaint to the Whole30 program. Just because I stopped doing the program at lunch doesn’t mean I am going to completely trash up my diet. 🙂
I ate half of what was pictured, which was more than plenty. Then I rushed off to a planning board meeting.
Activity/Steps
11,569*
Since I forgot my FitBit in the charger at work, it didn’t count my steps prior to getting to work, so it was a great day!
Hydration
A great day! Coffee, water, agua fresca, more water. yes!!!!
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I am all for committing to something and sticking to it, but I honestly was feeling suffocated by the restrictions. I just kept thinking about how I wanted to eat fresh summer-time corn on the cob. It just made me feel so sad that I’d deprive myself of that. I wasn’t craving a cookie. I was craving corn on the cob.
So I bailed on Day 9. Part of me wishes I just stuck with it. But I feel okay with myself that I stopped. I’m a grown ass adult so I can make my own decisions and feel good about them!! ha!
Yes, I know that I feel great while doing the Whole30 program but it’s not meant to be a long term dietary program. I figured out that I had done 68 days of Whole30 in 178 days. Not too shabby! It is a great accomplishment to complete one Whole30 program, so it was extra awesome to do 2 in a short period of time. We were going a little crazy with our eating after the wedding, but ultimately, we really weren’t!
Yes, I had my cookies and other naughty foods, but I wasn’t drinking very much, I wasn’t drinking soda, I was steering clear of rice, sugars, and avoided a lot of dairy. Our previous Whole30’s helped us out our cabinets, fridge, and freezer of non-compliant foods. And it helped us get stocked full of good for you things like flavored oils, vinegars, mustards, nuts, and a more diverse selection of fruits and veggies (hello chayote squash!)
I know that I will forever spread the word about Whole30 and how it greatly impacted my life and how I feel about the foods I chose to put into my body. I know that I will even do it again, and again for a healthy refresh! #lovewhole30
I am documenting my THIRD Whole30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come from my first Whole30 (Feb 2015), my second (April 2015), to now! Plus, I don’t want to fall into any food ruts. Hopefully this will 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. Check out all my Whole30 related posts HERE from why I did each previous Whole30, why I am doing this one, and all my food diaries.
Thursday, July 23rd 2015
The day started of really well but ended poorly. My back and ribs started to really hurt, so much so that it was hard to breathe. And my stomach that was iffy on Wednesday night was really bad on Thursday and I ended up with a fever. I just wanted to lay down and eat fritos, but I just stayed on program. Ugh, it stinks when you feel so badly.
Breakfast
Coconut Water
I had this while on the bus into work. So refreshing, perfect for hot summer days.
Banana and a peach
The coconut water sorta filled me up for a bit so I hate this fruit at work. Not ideal to not have protein but it was just one of those days when we had to get out of the house and I didn’t have time to cook anything. Boo
Lunch
Pork Cutlet with sauteed baby zucchini and broccolini
I ate this during our fashion show meeting. It was good but I was blah about it. I feel like I’m hating zucchini now.
Dinner
A peach and some iced tea (which I spilled on the sofa…)
I was feeling really, really lousy.
I did something to my back and chest, or whatever, and was hurting all over. I couldn’t pin-point what I did so I jsut turned to trusty Google and entered in my symptoms, which resulted in Kidney Stones. yay! Ultimately, I think I just happened to hurt my back/chest/ribs and had a stomach bug (which I later learned was going around the office), which gave me my lovely 101.7 fever.
So I had no appetite and just laid on the sofa starting from 6.30. I just ate the peach just to have something in my stomach so the Tylenol I took wouldn’t make my feel sicker on an empty stomach.
Activity
8,324 Steps
Didn’t hit my 10K step goal but considering how I barely moved after 6.30 I’m not too disappointed. Well, I am but whatever.
Hydration
Not so great as I felt so gross that drinking water or juice or ice tea made me feel so gross
Friday, July 25th, 2015
TGIF!!!!
The day started with me still feeling super crummy but I started to feel better in the afternoon, thankfully.
Breakfast
Starting to feel better so I ate some of this breakfast. I made the potatoes how my dad does so that was comforting, in a nostalgic sort of way.
Lunch
Chicken Thigh with baked potato and green beans. Lots of Franks Red Hot
And then I felt poorly again. Boo!
I really didn’t want to eat lunch. I just wanted to eat a banana and to drink some coffee. So gross. I ate some of everything but basically forced myself to do so.
Dinner
Sauteed fish over spiced cauliflower rice with fresh mango salsa and grilled shishito peppers
I had been thinking about this dinner all week!
Thankfully I got over whatever was making me feel so horrible and felt good enough to eat this awesome dinner. Plus, it was so nice to just sit outside with Price for dinner. So relaxing.
The mango salsa… yes!!!!!
Activity
10,887 Steps
went to Market Basket with Autumn after getting her from daycare so that gave me a nice boost in steps as we walked all around the large grocery store. Unfortunately, she ate all the yummy goods I couldn’t eat, like bread, cheese, and yogurt. Ha!
Hydration
Did a lot better today than yesterday as I was feeling better.
Saturday July 25th, 2015
A busy Saturday at home. We had so much to do in the morning around the house and then a house warming party in the afternoon.
Price flubbed and had a drink Evan’s. While disappointing that he stopped Whole30, I understand it. It’s our 3rd Whole30 in just 5/6 months. Our of the last 173 days, 65 of them have been doing the program. While we feel good doing it, it’s still a bit draining.
Breakfast
Some freshly squeezed OJ (Autumn had some too!) and potatoes and an over-easy egg
Autumn and I went shopping at Haymarket, like usual. Autumn had a big croissant and I shared some juice with her. Then when we got home Price and I had some potato and eggs, a basic repeat of the day prior.
Sadly, Price cut his finger on the mandoline when he cut the potatoes. Ouch!
Lunch
Homemade Chicken Salad
I made chicken salad with the chickens that I roasted the night before. (Made stock with it too!). I love chicken salad! I had it with some endive that I used as a scoop.
Dinner
Spaghetti Squash with Rao’s Arrabbiata Sauce
Super quick and simple. I didn’t really feel like cooking after going to Evan’s housewarming party (no foods to eat!) so I just had Price cut the squash in half for me, I scraped out the seeds, and microwaved it ( I think 9-10 minutes for each half). Then I pour the jarred sauce on top. The squash was hot enough that I didn’t even need to warm up the sauce. Perfect.
*I like using Rao’s or Victoria’s sauces as there are several that are compliant, including Rao’s Marinara Sauce, Rao’s Roasted Garlic Sauce, and Rao’s Tomato Basil Sauce.
Activity/Steps
7,352 Steps.
Bummed we didn’t do much walking today but some weekends are like that. Busy at home but not much walking or getting around. At least it was a good day.
Hydration
I did well today. We even brought seltzer to Evan’s house to make sure we had something to drink.
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Stay tuned for more of my Whole30 food diaries!
I am documenting my THIRD Whole30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come from my first Whole30 (Feb 2015), my second (April 2015), to now! Plus, I don’t want to fall into any food ruts. Hopefully this will 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. Check out all my Whole30 related posts HERE from why I did each previous Whole30, why I am doing this one, and all my food diaries.
Monday July 20th, 2015
A great first day of our THIRD(!) Whole30! It went smoothly. It’s nerve-wracking to dive into this again but it feels so good too. I’m excited to do it again.
Breakfast
2 slices of homemade bacon, 1 over-easy egg, 1/4 of a sliced avocado, Brussels sprouts
A little bit of this, a little bit of that. It was good and satisfying.
Lunch
Salad with romaine, arugula, grape tomatoes, chopped up bacon, homemade dressing. Lz Croix Passionfruit Seltzer. Larabar- Cashew Cookie
I forgot my hard boiled eggs at home, so I was bummed about that, but otherwise the salad was good. Plus, it was nice to take the time to sit outside to eat and read my book.
Dinner
Sauteed haddock fillet with blistered tomatoes, roasted broccoli, served with Koop’s Horseradish Mustard
I made this quickly while Price was putting Autumn down to bed (or attempting to do so, as it has been such a struggle recently!). Then I ran over to CVS and ate my food in the car so that I could quickly get Autumn her Iron Supplement. Ya gotta do, whatcha gotta do.
Late Night Snack
Kalot’s Fruit and Almond butter
While snacking on Whole30 is frowned upon, I was up late working in my office so I needed a little brain food. OMG. This almond butter is incredible. Loved it.
Activity/Steps
11,127 Steps
I had to go back to work so I didn’t get to do a big walk, but happy I met my 10K Step Goal.
Hydration
I started off the day with a massive cold brew coffee that I brought from home. I added some cinnamon to it to jazz it up.
Then I had 2 cans of La Criox Seltzer and a bunch of water.
Tuesday, July 21st, 2015
Day 1 went well, as did Day 2. It feels good to be doing the program again and knowing how well it makes me feel.
Breakfast
Scrambled Eggs, Sweet Potato Hash with zucchini, Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde
I made the scrambled eggs with 6 eggs, water, and a herb blend I got in Seattle. Price and I shared that, along with the sweet potato hash. So good & filling. I didn’t have any cravings in the morning since I was so full (protein!)
Related… EAT ALL THE SALSAS!!! HAHAHA!!!
Lunch
Salad made with Romaine and Argula with grape tomatoes, broccoli slaw (Trader Joe’s), leftover brussel sprouts, sauteed chicken. Homemade Dressing
Someone took my dressing at work. NOT OKAY! At least I had another older compliant one in the fridge too. But so annoyed!!! The salad was really good, even if I had to use a dressing I wasn’t looking forward to. Boo!
Dinner
Cauliflower Rice with 2 Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausages and sauteed asparagus, Spicy Brown Mustard
Nothing fancy but it was satisfying.
Activity/Steps
11,514 Steps
I wanted to beat the number of steps I had on Day #1 so I paced around our room before going to bed. I’m nuts.
Hydration
Typical massive Cold Pressed coffee… I think like 30 ounces. Lots of water too. It was a good day.
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2015
The day started off great, but ended up being pretty crummy. I stayed up late to write a blog post and while up I started to feel sick, which just made me stay up later and later. My stomach was so upset 🙁 I don’t think it’s related to Whole30 or anything but I was definitely sick.
Breakfast
Cauliflower rice with asparagus and 2 over easy eggs, Franks Red Hot
Morning Snack
Container of fruit- blueberries, mango, kiwi, pineapple
When I got to work I then munched on this container of fruit. I really needed this. I was feeling blah. I needed the fruit, although I probably shouldn’t have had it. I wasn’t craving sugar or sweet. I was craving something fresh. Maybe I’m already sick of eggs? CRAP!
Lunch
Green Chili Curry Chicken Stir Fry with Broccoli and Blistered Tomatoes with Cauliflower Rice
I made this quick stir fry in the morning for our lunch. I used Thai Kitchen’s Green Curry Paste to make it. I thinned it out with some water and it made a nice mellow sauce. Plus the tomatoes that burst added some extra amazing flavor to it.
Dinner
Pork Chops with brussel sprouts and a baked potato, 1 pickle (not pictured)
This felt like a ‘normal’ meal.
I used ghee for the baked potato, but I always keep forgetting that the Trader Joe’s Ghee is made with unsalted butter so I was wondering why it was kinds blah. Of course, I then added hot sauce. I guess that’s better than salt!
Dessert
shared a small bowl of watermelon with Price
It was refreshing and enjoyable to end the day, especially after a 3.25 mile walk. I ate it less for it being sugary, than for it being cool and watery.
Activity/Steps
16,321 Steps!
Went on a 3.25+ mile walk with Kellie. We walked down to Mary O Malley Park. It was such a nice night that we couldn’t resist a long walk.
Hydration
Failed miserably today!
I realized on my way home (3.30pm) that I was feeling crumby because I didn’t have enough water by then. I tried to play catch up with a diluted unsweetened ice tea, but was not successful. Plus, I did the big walk, which put me in even more of a deficit. UGH.
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Stay tuned for more of my Whole30 food diaries!
