Day 25
Today is Sunday and I actually fasted for the first 2 meals. Members of the LDS church (Mormons) fast the first Sunday of every month. This Sunday was not a Fast Sunday but my family decided to have a fast for my grandparents. We had a special family fast for my sweet Grandma who is not doing well and for my sweet Grandpa who is having a hard time with his sweetheart who is not improving. We believe that fasting combined with prayer and purpose increases our spiritual growth, draws us closer to God, and brings blessings. We skip 2 consecutive meals and break the fast with a prayer. Learn more about why we fast HERE. Some of my siblings and my family gathered together to break our fast this evening. We ended up having veggies, fruit, and steak, salmon, and chicken on the BBQ.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Day 24
Day 24
Meal 1: Leftover Frittata (guys this tastes even better the next day, if you believe it!)
Meal 2: Turkey, homemade mayo, spicy brown mustard, tomato, avocado, lettuce wrap with a side of roasted sweet potatoes
This turkey is Applegate. It is debated whether it is compliant or not. I have discovered that the pre-packaged turkey is not because of all the added preservatives. BUT supposedly if you get it sliced from the deli it doesn't have the preservatives and is compliant. That being said, this is the CLOSEST deli meat I could find ANYWHERE that would work for me. Have you read the ingredients on all the deli meat at the grocery store? It is disgusting. Trust me, I have read pretty much every single one. I feel good about eating this brand. You can find it at Target. If you aren't worried about a few more additives, get the pre-packaged turkey. I believe it has less than 2% of sugar and so it isn't compliant but I most likely will buy it after whole30.
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Meal 1: Leftover Frittata (guys this tastes even better the next day, if you believe it!)
Meal 2: Turkey, homemade mayo, spicy brown mustard, tomato, avocado, lettuce wrap with a side of roasted sweet potatoes
This turkey is Applegate. It is debated whether it is compliant or not. I have discovered that the pre-packaged turkey is not because of all the added preservatives. BUT supposedly if you get it sliced from the deli it doesn't have the preservatives and is compliant. That being said, this is the CLOSEST deli meat I could find ANYWHERE that would work for me. Have you read the ingredients on all the deli meat at the grocery store? It is disgusting. Trust me, I have read pretty much every single one. I feel good about eating this brand. You can find it at Target. If you aren't worried about a few more additives, get the pre-packaged turkey. I believe it has less than 2% of sugar and so it isn't compliant but I most likely will buy it after whole30.
Meal 3: Buffalo Turkey Meatball salad with Whole30 Compliant ranch
Slow Cooker Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
-1-1.5 lbs ground turkey (or chicken or beef)
-1-1.5 lbs ground turkey (or chicken or beef)
-2 celery sticks
-5 baby carrots
-1 egg
-1 tsp onion powder
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-3 Tbl arrowroot powder (this helps to bind the meat together since you can't have breadcrumbs)
-3/4 cup compliant buffalo hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Sauce Original Flavor)
Rough chop the celery and baby carrots, toss into a blender or food processor (I used my Blendtech). Chop up until finely minced, almost like a mush. Toss everything into a bowl (Except the hot sauce), and mix together with a big wooden spoon or by hand (my preferred method).
I used a cookie scoop to form the balls (I got 18 out of this). Brown the meatballs on the stovetop (I used a bit of coconut oil for this). This doesn't take long. You don't want to cook them, just brown the outsides a bit. You will have to do this in batches.
I used a cookie scoop to form the balls (I got 18 out of this). Brown the meatballs on the stovetop (I used a bit of coconut oil for this). This doesn't take long. You don't want to cook them, just brown the outsides a bit. You will have to do this in batches.
Place the meatballs into a greased slow cooker (I just turned it on and let some coconut oil melt in the bottom while I browned the meatballs. Then I rubbed the oil around with a paper towel). Once all the meat is into the crockpot, top with the buffalo sauce. Let it cook on low for 5-6 hours.
I LOVE anything with buffalo sauce so these were great. I will be eating these all week on salads or in lettuce wraps. They freeze well also.
My Thoughts:
I am finally getting my energy back. Hallelujah! We spent the entire day shopping for furniture (poor MJ has been sleeping on a mattress on the floor ever since her brother kicked her out of the crib 18 months ago. So she finally got a bedroom set and is over-the-moon excited about it. Plus we got a king size bed and are excited to finally be real-life grownups). We hauled the kids around everywhere. They were miserable. And they both got colds. So yeah. It wasn't fun. But at least I had the meatballs ready to eat when I got home. I will be 100% real with you all though, I really miss cheese. Like badly. I cannot wait to reintroduce dairy and I hope I handle it well because I need cheese. This salad was really good but it would have been over-the-top good if I could have crumbled some bleu cheese on top. It is good to know I can survive without it though!
I am finally getting my energy back. Hallelujah! We spent the entire day shopping for furniture (poor MJ has been sleeping on a mattress on the floor ever since her brother kicked her out of the crib 18 months ago. So she finally got a bedroom set and is over-the-moon excited about it. Plus we got a king size bed and are excited to finally be real-life grownups). We hauled the kids around everywhere. They were miserable. And they both got colds. So yeah. It wasn't fun. But at least I had the meatballs ready to eat when I got home. I will be 100% real with you all though, I really miss cheese. Like badly. I cannot wait to reintroduce dairy and I hope I handle it well because I need cheese. This salad was really good but it would have been over-the-top good if I could have crumbled some bleu cheese on top. It is good to know I can survive without it though!
Day 22-23
Day 22
Meal 1: Scrambled eggs and a side of veggies
Meal 2: Hot dogs! And veggies.
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These hot dogs are whole30 approved and they actually taste great. I recommend them. I know you can find them at Target, not sure where else. I want to buy this brand for my kids from now on, considering MJ can eat up to 3 hot dogs in 1 sitting. She is a tiny little thing but that girl can EAT. It is really impressive.
Meal 3: Roasted white and regular sweet potatoes, lemon pepper chicken, steamed broccoli, side of unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon (this was so yummy and it is now my "treat" at meals. Totally tastes like a dessert to me!)
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Roasted White and Regular Sweet Potatoes
-1 white sweet potato
-1 regular sweet potato
-1 onion of your choice
-4-5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
-3 T. Avocado Oil
-2 teaspoons rosemary (or any herbs you like. Italian seasoning would be great and so would thyme, or even a mix of rosemary and thyme)
-Salt and pepper
Cut up your sweet potatoes in bite-size pieces, roughly cut up your onion (about the same size pieces as your sweet potatoes) and garlic. Toss it all into a ziplock bag. Then pour in the avocado oil, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Shake it all up, toss in a greased baking dish, bake at 400 for 25 minutes, stir, and bake for another 25 minutes.
For the Lemon-Pepper chicken, make sure you have a compliant lemon-pepper on hand! There are a lot out there that have additives that are not compliant (like SUGAR). I used Mrs. Dash Salt Free Lemon Pepper because all of its ingredients are compliant. THIS is what it looks like but you can find it cheaper at your local grocery store. I got mine from Target. I love lemon-pepper chicken and this seasoning is full of flavor. I will make this a lot and have a bunch of chicken on-hand to toss into salads throughout the week.
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Meal 2: Leftover sweet potatoes and chicken.
Meal 1: Scrambled eggs and a side of veggies
Meal 2: Hot dogs! And veggies.
These hot dogs are whole30 approved and they actually taste great. I recommend them. I know you can find them at Target, not sure where else. I want to buy this brand for my kids from now on, considering MJ can eat up to 3 hot dogs in 1 sitting. She is a tiny little thing but that girl can EAT. It is really impressive.
Meal 3: Roasted white and regular sweet potatoes, lemon pepper chicken, steamed broccoli, side of unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon (this was so yummy and it is now my "treat" at meals. Totally tastes like a dessert to me!)
Roasted White and Regular Sweet Potatoes
-1 white sweet potato
-1 regular sweet potato
-1 onion of your choice
-4-5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
-3 T. Avocado Oil
-2 teaspoons rosemary (or any herbs you like. Italian seasoning would be great and so would thyme, or even a mix of rosemary and thyme)
-Salt and pepper
Cut up your sweet potatoes in bite-size pieces, roughly cut up your onion (about the same size pieces as your sweet potatoes) and garlic. Toss it all into a ziplock bag. Then pour in the avocado oil, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Shake it all up, toss in a greased baking dish, bake at 400 for 25 minutes, stir, and bake for another 25 minutes.
For the Lemon-Pepper chicken, make sure you have a compliant lemon-pepper on hand! There are a lot out there that have additives that are not compliant (like SUGAR). I used Mrs. Dash Salt Free Lemon Pepper because all of its ingredients are compliant. THIS is what it looks like but you can find it cheaper at your local grocery store. I got mine from Target. I love lemon-pepper chicken and this seasoning is full of flavor. I will make this a lot and have a bunch of chicken on-hand to toss into salads throughout the week.
Day 23
Meal 1: Veggie and Sausage Frittatta.
Yum! This recipe is from Planks, Love and Guacamole. It was posted on the Whole30recipes page on Instagram and as soon as I saw it I KNEW I had to make it. You guys, all of Alanna's recipes (the girl behind Planks, Love, and Guacamole) are amazing. She is so talented! Her recipes are simple, healthy, and FULL of flavor. So delicious! Go and check her out! This is my version of her recipe. Hers called for fresh herbs (which I was fresh out of...sorry I had to). So I ended up using dry herbs and adding leftover broccoli from yesterday to the mix. This recipe is perfect for using up leftover cooked veggies and is so versatile you can basically throw anything you want in there. This is her recipe with some of my notes added in!
Planks, Love and Guacamole Baked Frittata
-6 eggs
-6 eggs
-1/2 cup full fat unsweetened coconut milk (blended, then measured)
-3/4 cup chopped protein of choice (I used chicken-apple sausage)
-1 cup chopped veggies (saute first if using a veggie that is best cooked, I used steamed broccoli from the night before, some sauteed red onion and fresh tomatoes)
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
-Fresh herbs (I used 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning, this is such a versatile recipe that you can use any seasonings you would like that you feel would go best with your protein and veggie choices)
1. Preheat oven to 350, oil a pie dish (I rubbed mine with some avocado oil)
2. Lightly beat eggs with salt and pepper.
3. Add coconut milk to eggs, mix to combine.
4. Pour egg mixture into pie dish.
5. Top with meat, veggies, and herbs. Gently mix.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 mins. Let is cool before slicing.
Meal 2: Leftover sweet potatoes and chicken.
Meal 3: In N Out double hamburger, Protein Style, Animal Style, hold the sauce, add mustard.
My Thoughts:
We were on our way to a wedding reception where I wasn't sure there would be anything compliant. So I made sure I grabbed something on our way. Good thing because there was Coldstone Ice Cream being served. Holy moly. It looked good but I wasn't tempted. I even served both my kids and helped them out with their ice cream and wasn't jealous at all. Holla! Whole30 food craving victory!
We were on our way to a wedding reception where I wasn't sure there would be anything compliant. So I made sure I grabbed something on our way. Good thing because there was Coldstone Ice Cream being served. Holy moly. It looked good but I wasn't tempted. I even served both my kids and helped them out with their ice cream and wasn't jealous at all. Holla! Whole30 food craving victory!
Day 19-21
Day 19
Meal 1: Scrambled eggs, salsa, avocado, and a side of fruit
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Meal 2: Roasted White Sweet Potatoes, avocado, cilantro, tomato, sweet mini peppers, fresh squeezed lime, salt and pepper.
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Meal 3: Deconstructed burger salad turned into a massive plate of goodness. Topped with Cumin-Lime dressing that I could drink a vat of (I doubled the recipe and was so glad I did).
Sundried Tomato Burger
-1-1.5 lbs Ground Beef (or turkey or chicken)
-About 8 Sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
-salt and pepper
-onion powder
-3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
-Chili Powder
Mix everything together, use as much or as little of the seasonings as you like (I don't measure for burgers. I just shake stuff in according to how I feel. Toss on the grill or in a skillet on the stovetop (which is what I did because we don't have a grill). Med-high over stovetop, in avocado oil, 3-4 minutes per side. I topped these with bacon, because duh, bacon.
This salad also has beets, avocado, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers in it.
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Day 20
Meal 1: Leftover roasted white sweet potato topped with an egg over easy, and avocado.
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Meal 2: Leftover burger and veggies
Meal 3: Brussel Sprouts and Beets, Chicken-Apple Sausage
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Day 21
Meal 1: bacon, spinach, sundried tomato omelette. Side of avocado.
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Meal 2: Leftover sundried tomato burger with spicy brown mustard, lots of veggies and guac mixed with homemade mayo as a dip.
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Meal 3: A big salad. Nothing fancy. Wasn't very hungry.
My Thoughts:
Everything is starting to become second nature. I don't have to try and figure out what I am going to cook. I just kind of start throwing stuff together and it ends up working. Its awesome. I will admit, I had a visit from Aunt Flow (TMI? Whatevs) and I have been super grumpy and my energy is starting to go away. So sad. I also have been wanting to eat candy every second of the day but I am blaming that on my hormones being crazy. I hope the cravings will go away and that my sugar cravings as well. The positive side? I used to have HORRIBLE cramps. Like, lay in bed all day long kind of cramps. I haven't had cramps really at all this time and I am contributing that to being sugar-free. So even though my energy is shot, at least I am not in pain.
Meal 1: Scrambled eggs, salsa, avocado, and a side of fruit
Meal 2: Roasted White Sweet Potatoes, avocado, cilantro, tomato, sweet mini peppers, fresh squeezed lime, salt and pepper.
Meal 3: Deconstructed burger salad turned into a massive plate of goodness. Topped with Cumin-Lime dressing that I could drink a vat of (I doubled the recipe and was so glad I did).
Sundried Tomato Burger
-1-1.5 lbs Ground Beef (or turkey or chicken)
-About 8 Sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
-salt and pepper
-onion powder
-3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
-Chili Powder
Mix everything together, use as much or as little of the seasonings as you like (I don't measure for burgers. I just shake stuff in according to how I feel. Toss on the grill or in a skillet on the stovetop (which is what I did because we don't have a grill). Med-high over stovetop, in avocado oil, 3-4 minutes per side. I topped these with bacon, because duh, bacon.
This salad also has beets, avocado, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers in it.
Day 20
Meal 1: Leftover roasted white sweet potato topped with an egg over easy, and avocado.
Meal 2: Leftover burger and veggies
Meal 3: Brussel Sprouts and Beets, Chicken-Apple Sausage
Day 21
Meal 1: bacon, spinach, sundried tomato omelette. Side of avocado.
Meal 2: Leftover sundried tomato burger with spicy brown mustard, lots of veggies and guac mixed with homemade mayo as a dip.
Meal 3: A big salad. Nothing fancy. Wasn't very hungry.
My Thoughts:
Everything is starting to become second nature. I don't have to try and figure out what I am going to cook. I just kind of start throwing stuff together and it ends up working. Its awesome. I will admit, I had a visit from Aunt Flow (TMI? Whatevs) and I have been super grumpy and my energy is starting to go away. So sad. I also have been wanting to eat candy every second of the day but I am blaming that on my hormones being crazy. I hope the cravings will go away and that my sugar cravings as well. The positive side? I used to have HORRIBLE cramps. Like, lay in bed all day long kind of cramps. I haven't had cramps really at all this time and I am contributing that to being sugar-free. So even though my energy is shot, at least I am not in pain.
Day 16-18
Day 16:
Meal 1: Scrambled eggs, broccoli on the side, avocado
Meal 2: Leftover Turkey Chili
Meal 3: Nom Nom Paleo Brussel Sprouts, my Italian Chicken over salad with balsamic vinegar
My thoughts on today: Sorry, no pictures for today. I was too busy! My baby boy was sick today. Like puking everywhere kind of sick. It was hard and the poor kid was so miserable. So my food wasn't very exciting...until dinner. I made sure I had a delicious dinner so that I could make up for having lame leftovers for other meals (I like leftovers but I LOVE cooking and making new food as well). Once again, I had enough energy to handle a very sick 18 month old and not lose my mind. I am so grateful that I had enough food on hand that I was able to happily eat meals that were 100% compliant. It is great have a stocked fridge and pantry!!
Day 17:
Meal 1: my favorite omelette (bacon, power greens, fresh tomato, and avocado)
Meal 2: Leftover Turkey Chili (again...I know, but I usually always eat up leftovers for lunch) this time served with a roasted sweet potato, YUM! Side of strawberries and cucumbers.
Roasted Sweet Potato
-Sweet potato of your choice, cut in half (white or regular sweet potatoes both work well, I did regular this time)
-Olive Oil or Avocado Oil (I use Avocado Oil)
-salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400. Coat sweet potatoes in your oil of choice, salt and pepper both sides. Place sweet potato flat side down on a baking sheet. Let it go for about 30 minutes (depends on the size of your sweet potatoes). I would check after 20 minutes and go from there. These cook quicker (because they are cut in half) and they get carmalized more. Oh, yum! The carmalization on the flat surface tastes like candy to me! So good! This is my new favorite way to cook sweet potatoes!
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My Thoughts on Today:
We were still getting over some yucky sickness but it wasn't as bad. I felt great. I had a lot of energy or "Tiger Blood" as Whole30ers call it. I really am loving how I feel and how I look. It may not be very visible to others but I feel amazing and I fit into all my clothes a lot better than before.
Meal 1: Scrambled eggs, broccoli on the side, avocado
Meal 2: Leftover Turkey Chili
Meal 3: Nom Nom Paleo Brussel Sprouts, my Italian Chicken over salad with balsamic vinegar
Day 17:
Meal 1: my favorite omelette (bacon, power greens, fresh tomato, and avocado)
Meal 2: Leftover Turkey Chili (again...I know, but I usually always eat up leftovers for lunch) this time served with a roasted sweet potato, YUM! Side of strawberries and cucumbers.
Roasted Sweet Potato
-Sweet potato of your choice, cut in half (white or regular sweet potatoes both work well, I did regular this time)
-Olive Oil or Avocado Oil (I use Avocado Oil)
-salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400. Coat sweet potatoes in your oil of choice, salt and pepper both sides. Place sweet potato flat side down on a baking sheet. Let it go for about 30 minutes (depends on the size of your sweet potatoes). I would check after 20 minutes and go from there. These cook quicker (because they are cut in half) and they get carmalized more. Oh, yum! The carmalization on the flat surface tastes like candy to me! So good! This is my new favorite way to cook sweet potatoes!
Meal 3: Nom Nom Paleo Brussel Sprouts (again, guys I am addicted to these little things!) this time I added beets to the mix. Dill salmon, green beans sauteed in ghee.
Brussel SproutsFollow Nom Nom Paleo's recipe but also add beets to the mix. I used Love Beets (pre-cooked beets found at Costco in the refrigerated fruit/veggie section). I just cut them up in similar sizes as the brussel sprouts.
We were still getting over some yucky sickness but it wasn't as bad. I felt great. I had a lot of energy or "Tiger Blood" as Whole30ers call it. I really am loving how I feel and how I look. It may not be very visible to others but I feel amazing and I fit into all my clothes a lot better than before.
Day 18:
Meal 1: Veggie Omelette
Meal 2: leftover brussel Sprouts, avocado, veggies
Meal 3: Compliant Taco Salad (made by the dear Hubs)
My Thoughts on Today:
Today was Mother's Day. I didn't take any pictures of my food. I just enjoyed the day and enjoyed my babies! It made me really ponder my body and how much it really does, especially every day in my job as Mom. I am so grateful that I am healthy and that I have been able to have 2 beautiful children. I want to treat my body with respect by giving it the best forms of fuel I can. I want to stay healthy, strong, and full of energy because that is what my kids DESERVE. They deserve a mom who is always here. They deserve a mom who is healthy and cares about staying that way. I am going to do everything I can to give them the mom they deserve.
Today was Mother's Day. I didn't take any pictures of my food. I just enjoyed the day and enjoyed my babies! It made me really ponder my body and how much it really does, especially every day in my job as Mom. I am so grateful that I am healthy and that I have been able to have 2 beautiful children. I want to treat my body with respect by giving it the best forms of fuel I can. I want to stay healthy, strong, and full of energy because that is what my kids DESERVE. They deserve a mom who is always here. They deserve a mom who is healthy and cares about staying that way. I am going to do everything I can to give them the mom they deserve.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Day 15
Day 15 (HALFWAY!!! HOLLA!!!)
Meal 1: Bacon, onion, and power greens {spinach, Swiss chard, kale} omelette topped with fresh tomatoes and avocado.
Probably my very favorite breakfast so far and *SPOILER ALERT*...probably making it again tomorrow because it was SO delicious. I mean, hello, bacon. Enough said.
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Nothing exciting (besides the fact that it was bomb.com) but I have been dealing with a baby boy that is currently getting top molars on both sides of his mouth. He is miserable. Like deeply miserable. Add that to the fact that he is deeply in love with his Mama and I basically am kind of in survival mode. But want to know the cool thing? Even though I have crazy eyes, I have ENERGY to deal with the craziness at my house right now! Its a freaking Whole30 miracle!! Yay for fueling your body with healthy whole foods and reaping the benefits!
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Meal 3: Crockpot Turkey Chili served over cauliflower rice
I based this recipe off of My Heart Beets Habanero Chili. I made a few changes because I didn't have all the exact ingredients she did and I wanted to make mine with turkey, not beef. I upped the veggies as well because I wanted to pack in as much as possible. Mine also wasn't as spicy as I imagine hers is because I used canned green chilies instead of Habaneros. I really want to try it with Habaneros next time because I LOVE spicy food, not so sure my kids would go for it though.
Crockpot Turkey Chili
-1-1.5 lbs ground turkey
-1 Tbs. Olive Oil
-3/4-1 red onion, chopped (mine was huge so I only used about 3/4 of it)
-5 cloves of garlic, minced
-6 mini peppers, sliced (or a regular bell pepper, this is just what I had in my fridge)
-12-15 baby carrots, chopped (once again, that is what I had on hand, you could use regular carrots, the original recipe called for 5 medium carrots)
-5 stalks of celery, chopped
-1 can of diced green chiles (you could use any chiles, I had mild on hand and tossed those in, jalapenos would be great too)
-2 cans diced tomatoes
-1 Tbs Chili Powder
-2 tsp oregano
-2 tsp. Cumin
-1 tsp. salt (more or less to your liking, can add more later if you feel it needs it)
-1 tsp. Paprika
-2 cups compliant Chicken Stock
To Serve:
-cilantro
-avocado
Chop up the onion and garlic, saute over medium heat in olive oil for a couple minutes.
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Then toss in your ground turkey. Brown the turkey. After the turkey is cooked through, I tossed it all into a strainer and let the fat drain out. Normally, fat is good, but we need to be careful if you aren't using meat that isn't organic. I wasn't sure on this turkey, so just to be safe, I drained it. I did not wash it though. That gets rid of all your flavor. Don't do it (MOM!).
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Toss your meat, onion, and garlic mixture into a crockpot. Put all your ingredients (except the cilantro and avocado) into the crockpot.
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Since I added a LOT of veggies, and more meat than the original recipe, I needed some more liquid. I put in 2 cups of chicken stock I had leftover in my fridge. You can add more or less depending on how much liquid you want in your chili but this ended up being perfect for me.
Set to low and cook 4-5 hours.
I served mine over cauliflower rice. My favorite recipe for that is found HERE. And topped it with cilantro and avocado. This was so yummy and felt like a bowl of comfort food giving me a great big hug but with zero guilt trip.
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Meal 1: Bacon, onion, and power greens {spinach, Swiss chard, kale} omelette topped with fresh tomatoes and avocado.
Probably my very favorite breakfast so far and *SPOILER ALERT*...probably making it again tomorrow because it was SO delicious. I mean, hello, bacon. Enough said.
Meal 2: Leftover chicken, gravy, mashed cauliflower, and a side salad with tomatoes, avocado, and balsamic vinegar.
Nothing exciting (besides the fact that it was bomb.com) but I have been dealing with a baby boy that is currently getting top molars on both sides of his mouth. He is miserable. Like deeply miserable. Add that to the fact that he is deeply in love with his Mama and I basically am kind of in survival mode. But want to know the cool thing? Even though I have crazy eyes, I have ENERGY to deal with the craziness at my house right now! Its a freaking Whole30 miracle!! Yay for fueling your body with healthy whole foods and reaping the benefits!
Meal 3: Crockpot Turkey Chili served over cauliflower rice
I based this recipe off of My Heart Beets Habanero Chili. I made a few changes because I didn't have all the exact ingredients she did and I wanted to make mine with turkey, not beef. I upped the veggies as well because I wanted to pack in as much as possible. Mine also wasn't as spicy as I imagine hers is because I used canned green chilies instead of Habaneros. I really want to try it with Habaneros next time because I LOVE spicy food, not so sure my kids would go for it though.
Crockpot Turkey Chili
-1-1.5 lbs ground turkey
-1 Tbs. Olive Oil
-3/4-1 red onion, chopped (mine was huge so I only used about 3/4 of it)
-5 cloves of garlic, minced
-6 mini peppers, sliced (or a regular bell pepper, this is just what I had in my fridge)
-12-15 baby carrots, chopped (once again, that is what I had on hand, you could use regular carrots, the original recipe called for 5 medium carrots)
-5 stalks of celery, chopped
-1 can of diced green chiles (you could use any chiles, I had mild on hand and tossed those in, jalapenos would be great too)
-2 cans diced tomatoes
-1 Tbs Chili Powder
-2 tsp oregano
-2 tsp. Cumin
-1 tsp. salt (more or less to your liking, can add more later if you feel it needs it)
-1 tsp. Paprika
-2 cups compliant Chicken Stock
To Serve:
-cilantro
-avocado
Chop up the onion and garlic, saute over medium heat in olive oil for a couple minutes.
Then toss in your ground turkey. Brown the turkey. After the turkey is cooked through, I tossed it all into a strainer and let the fat drain out. Normally, fat is good, but we need to be careful if you aren't using meat that isn't organic. I wasn't sure on this turkey, so just to be safe, I drained it. I did not wash it though. That gets rid of all your flavor. Don't do it (MOM!).
Toss your meat, onion, and garlic mixture into a crockpot. Put all your ingredients (except the cilantro and avocado) into the crockpot.
Since I added a LOT of veggies, and more meat than the original recipe, I needed some more liquid. I put in 2 cups of chicken stock I had leftover in my fridge. You can add more or less depending on how much liquid you want in your chili but this ended up being perfect for me.
Set to low and cook 4-5 hours.
I served mine over cauliflower rice. My favorite recipe for that is found HERE. And topped it with cilantro and avocado. This was so yummy and felt like a bowl of comfort food giving me a great big hug but with zero guilt trip.
My thoughts on today:
I mentioned this earlier, but I really do have more energy. It is awesome. AND I don't have to rely on soda to give me more energy. I am relying on whole foods and they work. So yay. I am finding that food tastes so good to me now. I am just thoroughly enjoying everything I eat. It rocks. I am having trouble not snacking though. Like, I am not going to lie, I am eating a Larabar right now. It is my only snack today but I just needed it. Sorry...
Day 14
Day 14
Meal 1: Sauteed mushrooms, red onion, and power greens with scrambled eggs, avocado, and a side of very sad looking carrots. I just REALLY needed to go grocery shopping. This was all I could scrape together haha!
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Meal 2: Banana with almond butter.
I was feeling kind of bleh for lunch. Not really wanting to eat anything. But I knew I should eat something so I ate a banana with almond butter. This may not sound like a big deal to you, but I hate bananas. Like for reals. I have my whole life. I hate the texture. I hate the taste. I think they are disgusting. For some reason I just really wanted a banana. Guess what, I liked it. I mean, I am not going to eat them everyday but I actually ate it and didn't want to puke or burn my tongue off during the process. This is a Whole30 miracle for sure. Food tastes better!
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Meal 3: Brussel sprouts with bacon, pork chops, salad with balsamic vinegar (or in other words "I went grocery shopping"
I used Nom Nom Paleo's recipe for brussel sprouts. These were amazing. I am STILL thinking about them the next day! I want to eat more RIGHT NOW. I am going to make more soon because they were so good. I have made brussel sprouts one other time in my life and they were so gross. These were little sprouts of goodness. I want to make these like every single week. And I just might. My kids and husband didn't like them but I honestly was happy because that meant MORE for ME! Suckas!!
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The pork chops were seasoned with salt, pepper, and onion powder. My father-in-law makes these and they are a family favorite. Super simple but super delicious.
My thoughts on today:
It really sucks when your fridge isn't stocked and you are starving. All you want to do is eat something but you are out of veggies and your fruit is running low as well. My tip, don't run out of groceries when you are on Whole30. :)
Meal 1: Sauteed mushrooms, red onion, and power greens with scrambled eggs, avocado, and a side of very sad looking carrots. I just REALLY needed to go grocery shopping. This was all I could scrape together haha!
Meal 2: Banana with almond butter.
I was feeling kind of bleh for lunch. Not really wanting to eat anything. But I knew I should eat something so I ate a banana with almond butter. This may not sound like a big deal to you, but I hate bananas. Like for reals. I have my whole life. I hate the texture. I hate the taste. I think they are disgusting. For some reason I just really wanted a banana. Guess what, I liked it. I mean, I am not going to eat them everyday but I actually ate it and didn't want to puke or burn my tongue off during the process. This is a Whole30 miracle for sure. Food tastes better!
Meal 3: Brussel sprouts with bacon, pork chops, salad with balsamic vinegar (or in other words "I went grocery shopping"
I used Nom Nom Paleo's recipe for brussel sprouts. These were amazing. I am STILL thinking about them the next day! I want to eat more RIGHT NOW. I am going to make more soon because they were so good. I have made brussel sprouts one other time in my life and they were so gross. These were little sprouts of goodness. I want to make these like every single week. And I just might. My kids and husband didn't like them but I honestly was happy because that meant MORE for ME! Suckas!!
The pork chops were seasoned with salt, pepper, and onion powder. My father-in-law makes these and they are a family favorite. Super simple but super delicious.
My thoughts on today:
It really sucks when your fridge isn't stocked and you are starving. All you want to do is eat something but you are out of veggies and your fruit is running low as well. My tip, don't run out of groceries when you are on Whole30. :)
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