Meatloaf you'll love!

So I have a weird relationship with Meatloaf. I WANT to like it. I'm not sure why, but I just do. So I have tried probably a hundred recipes trying to find one I like. I actually have one I like: my Grandpa's meatloaf. Problem is I don't have the recipe and he passed away 20 years ago. But it's always in my mind as the standard for meatloaf and nothing really comes close to it. So I try a recipe, think "meh" and move on to the next one. Honestly I didn't have super high hopes for this one but I figured you can't really go wrong wrapping anything in bacon so I gave it a whirl.

Oh. My. YUM! It's not the same taste as my Grandpa's meatloaf but I really really liked it. WOOT! This recipe is getting saved and will make a return appearance. That has never happened with a meatloaf recipe before :)

I found this one on PaleOMG. I have liked everything I have tried from her. So, go check it out. Let me know if you love it too :)  Bacon Chorizo smothered meatloaf

YUMMMMMMM...Sometimes you just want dessert

Introducing a new obsession. Chia pudding. I kept hearing about chia pudding and chia seeds but I had never tried them. Partly because, honestly, I had NO idea where to find them. But this past Saturday I was in the grocery store buying toothpaste and there, in the toothpaste aisle, was a random bag of chia seeds! (sad thing about that is that I STILL have no idea where they should be in the store...) So I bought it. Then I came home and looked up how to make pudding. I read a lot of recipes and kind of came up with my own. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. Really, I'm swooning. It was SO easy and totally hit the sweet spot.

2 Tbsp Chia seeds
1 banana
dash of vanilla
1/4 cup almond milk

Blend it all up in your food processor, or blender, or immersion blender. Let it sit in the fridge a little while to firm up a bit. Enjoy! Really, how much easier can you get?

I'm looking forward to trying some other recipes and even making some chia pudding for breakfast....soon :)

Baked Salmon with poached eggs and hollandaise

That title up there? It's misleading. My hollandaise didn't turn out and the poached eggs were kind of sad. BUT the Salmon was delicious. I might give the hollandaise and eggs another try in the future but I might not. I've never been a huge fan of them anyway but was hoping to just try and see if I like it homemade. Oh well.

Baked Salmon
skinless (or you can skin it) salmon filet
S&P
1 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the salmon and place it skinned side down in the skillet. Cook about 4 minutes. Flip it over and cook an additional couple of minutes. This is just to sear the outside. Transfer the salmon to a baking dish and cook in the over about 15 minutes, or until the salmon has the white "curd" protein on the sides and it flakes with a fork.


I served this over a bed or mixed greens and arugula. The hollandaise was decent...just really runny....so I ended up topping this with homemade chipotle ranch. Perfect!

Italian Frittata

I used to love quiche. Like love it. Even as a kid I would ask for quiche. Weird, right? But I avoid grains as much as possible due to a pretty bad gluten intolerance so that eliminates crust (which really really makes me sad because I have an unhealthy obsession with PIE) and no crust means no quiche. Enter: frittata.

People ask me what a frittata is. Basically it is a crustless, cheeseless quiche. Super easy and very versatile.

This is my Italian frittata. My *favorite* dinner recipe. Well, I eat it for breakfast or lunch too....so I guess you could say it's just my favorite frittata recipe.

Remember, I cook for a lot of people. If you're only cooking for one or two, or even 4 you could halve this and be good.

Italian Frittata
1 lb italian sausage (watch your ingredients if you're doing Whole30. A lot of them have added sugars. If needed, just buy 1 lbs of ground pork and add in 1 - 2 Tbsp of Italian Seasoning)
1/2 large red pepper, diced
1/2 large green pepper, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
14 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large oven safe skillet over meduim-high heat (if it has a rubber handle be sure to wrap it in foil!). Once oil is heated, add in all your veggies. Cook until onions are translucent and peppers are fork tender. Remove veggies from the pan. Brown the sausage until no pink remains. Return the veggies to the skillet. Add the eggs. Shake the pan a little so the eggs go all through to the bottom. Cook on the stovetop until the eggs start to firm up around the edges. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 15 - 17 minutes.

Transfer the frittata to a plate as soon as you take it out of the oven.   Serve warm, or let it cool. These are good no matter the temperature.

*This time I added in some chopped arugula because I had it on hand and it sounded good. It really added to the flavor!

Fear vs Faith

Ever heard that phrase before, or seen a similar picture made? Me too. I hear it all. the. time. And you know what sucks? Recently I've come to the realization that my fear is 100% bigger than my faith. And it sucks. Fear of what? Fear of failure. At everything. Because I truly feel that I pretty much suck at everything I try to do.

Mother? Ha! I am literally probably the worst mother I know, or that you know either. I yell. I struggle. Sometimes I want to run away and not come back. And sometimes I have this voice that says "why did you even want kids?" I suck. The kids know I suck. And I'm pretty sure most of the people who interact with us know I suck.

Business? Um. Ya. I have opened and failed at 3 businesses over the past 10 years. I'm working on #4 right now and it's not looking so good. Because I am terrified. Scared of hearing the "no," looking at all my inventory and thinking "I'll never be able to sell all that. What have I done?" It's not that I don't love the business. I do. I LOVE it. I want everybody to love it. But what if they don't? I can't seem to get past that to the "But what if they DO!?" thought that all the successful people have.

Exercise. Eating right. I try. And I think I do pretty well. But then I look in the mirror and all I see are flaws. I see the love handles. I see the saddlebags. I see my crappy scores on every single workout. I see my times and pace decreasing. And I'm afraid that no matter how hard I work I will always see the fat girl.

Friends. I feel like I have none. Because, honestly, who would want to be friends with me. I am negative. I am unkind. I am afraid of everything. And I can't seem to break out of this stupid funk which I have been stuck in for a very long time.

So there you have it. My fear is WAY bigger than my faith that this will all get better. So what now?

It's kinda nice that nobody even reads this blog. I can be honest and not worry about what you'll think. But maybe it's time to stop worrying about what people think anyway.

I have to get through this. Somehow. But how do you get through fear when you're afraid that no matter what you do it won't work anyway?

Seriously I am living the definition of stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Menu plans

The past few weeks have been super busy at my house. I briefly thought that Summer might be less hectic but then I remembered we have seven kids and I started laughing hysterically. So Busy.

My menus have kinda morphed into multiple week affair with a lot of leftovers and quickly prepared meals to eat on the run. I've stayed Whole30 and Paleo but it's not easy.

Here are my plans for this week. Hopefully it happens. My three older girls are gone this week so we're a little less drive-the-car-around busy so we'll see.

Monday - Italian fritttata with tomatoes (I laugh as I write this because, well, yesterday was Monday and this already didn't happen)
Tuesday - Salmon benedict with salad
Wednesday - grilled cheese and tomato soup for the kids, leftovers for me
Thursday - Chicken and apple hash
Friday - Bacon wrapped chipotle meatloaf with roasted veggies
Saturday - date night
Sunday - Braised brisket with mashed potatoes

Coconut Curry chicken with grilled veggies and pineapple

This coconut curry sauce was so good. SO GOOD! One of my daughter's thought it was a smoothie when I had it out on the counter, and I probably could have sucked it down with a straw. Mmmmmmm

I found the recipe in the Whole30 cookbook. Honestly, if you don't have it yet. Get it. And follow @whole30recipes on Instagram too. SO MANY IDEAS! Whole30 and Paleo eating does not have to be boring or bland.






THE SAUCE.  And, seriously I think that is what I will call it. THE SAUCE. Even while I was eating it I was trying to figure out what I can use it on tomorrow. I think a sausage and spinach fritatta needs this as a topping, at breakfast.

3 TBSP cooking fat (I used coconut oil, just to keep with the coconut theme)
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP curry powder
1 Cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 Cup coconut cream (this is seriously EASY. Stick a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge for a couple of hours. Open the can and scoop out the white stuff on top - that's the cream!)
S&P to taste

Heat up the oil, cook the onions until translucent. Add in the garlic and quickly cook - be sure not to burn the garlic. Stir in the curry powder. Once it's all incorporated, add the crushed tomatoes. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened.

Take it off the heat and use either a food processor or an immersion blender in a tall cup to blend it all up. After it's blended, stir in the coconut cream, salt & pepper.

Now it's ready to serve! I put some into a small bowl and brushed it on both sides of the chicken before grilling. I think it added a nice touch :)


We had this with grilled peppers, onions, and pineapple. If you have never grilled pineapple, you're missing out. Do it. Now. I'll wait. One of  THE BEST side dishes. I love it.

Baked Salmon with asparagus

This was a super easy, really delicious meal that left my kids asking for more. WOO HOO!!!

You will need:
One skinless salmon filet per person (if you can only find skin on, that's fine. Just remove the skin before you cook it)
6- 8 asparagus spears per person, woody ends cut off
2 lemon slices per person
fresh chopped rosemary, thyme, and parsley
salt and pepper
olive oil
minced garlic
one sheet of foil, about 14 inches long per person

place asparagus spears on foil. S&P the salmon and put on top of the asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic and fresh herbs. Put two lemon slices on top and wrap it up in the foil.

Cook at 400 F for about 25 - 30 minutes!

Easy peasy, and not a lot of clean up.

We ate this with a side salad topped with homemade ranch. So good; I made one extra and I'm excited to eat it for lunch tomorrow!

Pizza Spaghetti Pie

This picture does not do this dinner justice. So so so good. Two thumbs WAY up from the entire family, including the 4 year old AND 13 year old (that's huge around here).

I found this recipe on PaleOMG. If you're interested in Paleo cooking, check it out. Now. I have liked everything I have tried from her website. I like to cook but coming up with recipes isn't my thing. It's hers. In a big way.

So here's the link to the recipe. I can't make it better! Pizza Spaghetti Pie

We served it with side salad. Super easy.

Lettuce cup tacos with guacamole

This is a go-to recipe at our house so I'm sure I've posted a variation of this already, but it's worth posting (and eating) again. I love this meal. Fast, easy, healthy. Can't beat that. I use homemade taco seasoning which makes it even easier and healthier.

Making this yesterday was a bit of an adventure though. I usually mix up a big batch of the taco seasoning and keep it in the pantry but I was out so I made some more. I mixed it all up (about 2 cups worth) and left it on the counter while I started to brown the beef. Next thing I know I hear a thud and SCREAMING. I turn around and my 16 month old (whom I thought was watching TV with her older sisters) was covered in taco seasoning. It was in her eyes, in her mouth, all over her hair and face. Chili powder, cayenne powder, oregano...you know, all that stuff that burns! I turned off the heat on the stove, yelled for my 13 year old to help me, and raced baby to the bath. We got her all cleaned up but poor thing was all blotchy. Thankfully this morning she was OK. Two lessons learned here: Make sure to put the bowl farther from the edge, and my baby grew in the last couple of weeks.

So because of all that this meat was a tad more bland than I usually like it since most of the seasoning was down the drain or in the trash but it was still a great meal!

Taco Seasoning
4 T chili powder
2 T cumin
2 T paprika
2 T dried oregano
1 T onion powder
1 T garlic powder
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

I will usually quadruple this and keep it in a big airtight container in the pantry to use as needed.
When you're cooking tacos with it, use 3 Tbsp of the mix and 1/2 C of cold water per pound of meat.

I've posted my guacamole before. Search for it :) It's definitely worth making. I thought I hated guacamole until I tried this recipe.

Pavlova

I love to cook, including treats. I don't always eat them but I still love to make them. I've joked before that maybe I should sell them but then I wonder if I would still love baking as much if I wasn't doing it for the joy.

Pavlova. YUM! This was only my second time making one of these and I know I still have a lot to learn when it comes to making the meringue, but the kids and hubby say it still tastes amazing so I guess I can deal with the cracks and a bit of crumbling. I'll figure it out eventually.

This is basically sugar plus sugar, plus cream, and a little bit of fruit. 100% absolutely NOT Whole30 or Paleo. But it is delicious. I did not have any this time since I'm doing a Whole30 but the kids and hubby loved it.

I got a recipe for a basic pavlova from Pinterest (see, told you I'm good at finding recipes to follow!). I found it on the Brown Eyed Baker. I have loved everything I have tried from that site; just FYI. And here is the link to the recipe. Go. Now. Make this tonight. Your tastebuds and your family will thank you. Your waistline might not, but treats are treats. And (most of the time) everything in moderation is OK :)

Pavlova (copied over from Brown Eyed Baker)

Ingredients:

6 egg whites, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
Pinch of cream of tartar
1¼ cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh fruit

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 9-inch circle in the middle. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 10 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cream of tartar and beat for one additional minute. Spoon the mixture onto the circle, and use a spatula to shape the egg white mixture into a circle with decorative sides, if desired.
3. Bake for 1 hour, or until firm to the touch. Turn off the oven and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the pavolva to cool completely in the oven.
4. When ready to serve, beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed. When the cream gets foamy, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until soft peaks form.
5. Transfer the pavlova to a serving plate. Top with the whipped cream and fresh fruit.

St Louis ribs with homemade BBQ sauce

I snagged the recipe for the BBQ sauce from the Whole30 cookbook. Seriously, if you don't have one yet, GET IT! I love coming up with ideas but this book takes it to a new level :)

I bought a rack of St Louis ribs on sale last week and knew I wanted to grill them. When I found the sauce recipe it was a match made in heaven.

I did a dry rub on the ribs with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper. If you've never done a dry rub, it's pretty easy. Just mix up your spiced together then rub it all over the meat. See. Easy. I let mine sit in the rub (in the fridge) for about 4 hours or longer before I cook it.

I like to do my ribs in the oven first and then finish on the grill. So set the oven to 300, place your ribs in a large roasting pan with about a cup of liquid and cover with foil then cook for 1 hour. Take them out and finish them off on a grill over Medium-high heat. About 6 minutes on each side. Just watch it. I left mine yesterday to finish the watermelon and the grill caught fire so the ribs were super charred on the outside. Still *delicious* but not really pretty.

As soon as they are done, baste them generously with the sauce. Use whatever sauce you want. If you're doing a Whole30, use the cookbook! So so good, and has a kick which the hubs loved!

The potato wedges could not be easier. Seriously. Preheat the oven to 400. Cut up about one baking potato per person. Cut them as thin as you like; I usually do them into 8 wedges. Throw it all into a bowl with about 1/3 cup Olive Oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder then mix it all up really well. Place them on baking sheets in a single layer and pop them into the oven. Mine are usually done the way we like them after about 45 minutes. If you want them softer take them out earlier.

If you try this, let me know!

Weekly Menus!

I almost forgot to pop in here and post my weekly menus :) It's a busy busy week around here but I am determined to still cook my family healthy meals! Yesterday we didn't eat until almost 7pm though (which is super late for us) so hopefully I can get my act together and manage my time better so we can eat at a normal time the rest of the week.

Monday: St. Louis ribs with homemade tangy BBQ sauce, potato wedges, and watermelon

Tuesday: Tacos in lettuce cups, with guacamole and pico

Wednesday: Grilled coconut curry chicken with grilled peppers, onions, and pineapple

Thursday: Thai chicken stuffed sweet potatoes

Friday: The hubs and I are taking a daughter out on a birthday date so I'm making pesto chicken salad for the rest of the kids.

Saturday: Spaghetti squash "pie"


Sunday: Baked salmon and asparagus

Hope you enjoy trying these meals!

So this week's meals got moved around a bit due to schedules. No biggy :) 

grilled steak salad with cilantro-lime dressing

Today was a crazy day. I felt like I barely had time to breathe, let alone plan any meals. Breakfast was easy; I love eggs so almost every day I do over medium eggs with spinach and Aidell's chicken-apple sausage. Lunch was leftovers I pulled out of the fridge. But then suddenly it was dinner time and I had kids under my feet whining about being hungry. And I was a little hangry myself. But I had forgotten to marinate the steak for dinner. Oops. So I grabbed the meat and left it out to hit room temp while the grill heated up. I put S&P on both sides of the London Broil then threw it on the grill. 8 minutes each side and it was perfection. I like mine medium to medium-well. While it was cooking I sliced up a couple of avocados and tossed some mixed greens.

For the dressing I knew I wanted something more than oil and vinegar for this so I grabbed the last of my homemade mayo (super easy. Let me know if you want the recipe!) and mixed it with the zest and juice of one lime, a handful of minced cilantro, and a little minced garlic. Just stirred it all up and was good to go! It was a little thick so it would probably have been even better with a little almond milk mixed it to thin it out.

Yummy dinner and ready in about 25 minutes. Gotta love that!

Creamy Chicken and Tomato Soup

To make this easy. This whole recipe came from River North Paleo Girl.

Go make it. 

We have two daughters with birthdays in June. The first was today! My little June 1st baby turned 6. I think I am a bit in denial about that. Finished Kindergarten last Friday and turned 6 today. Noooooooo.... Stop growing up so fast. She is #5 of 7 and I know how fast it all goes. I am enjoying her NOW but when I think too far into the future I get a little melancholy and panicky.

Anyway. On our kids' birthdays we let them choose their meals for the day. She chose Oreo pancakes for breakfast. I wanted one sooooo badly. But since I am determined on this Whole30 I didn't cave. but seriously y'all, Oreos are my kryptonite. It was really hard to stay strong on that one. Then for lunch she wanted pizza and for dinner she really wanted tomato soup and quiche. Yes, weird combo, but she's 6 so whatever. I made a bacon and cheddar quiche which the kids love and then this soup. I only ate the soup and it was fantastic.

Birthday girls LOVES tomato soup. Like a fat kid loves cake (I know, I know, that is so not PC....but it still makes me laugh). I like it but it never really fills me up and satisfies my appetite. Plus I'm not entirely sure if the cans of tomato soup are Whole30 compliant. So I hunted for a good homemade recipe and found this on Pinterest. It was good! I loved the chicken in it and adding the coconut milk gave it a creamy texture that you can usually only get with milk + canned soup.

Hope you love it as much as birthday girl did :)

Menu Plans!

So I made it through one full week of Whole30. Go me :) I have even made tons of treats and desserts for my family and haven't snuck a bite. Have I wanted to? Um. You try icing 3 dozen cookies and not wanting to lick icing from your fingers :) But I haven't caved. Here are the menus for week 2!

Monday - Creamy paleo tomato soup and bacon-cheddar quiche. (yes, I know it sounds weird. But it's my daughter's birthday and she gets to pick the meal! And I won't be eating the quiche).
Tuesday - Leftover pork loin and veggies from Sunday
Wednesday - Chicken curry
Thursday - Steak salad with cilantro lime dressing
Friday - Chicken meatballs over zoodles, with roasted red pepper sauce
Saturday - Chicken burrito wraps with salad (it's date night for me and the hubs but this will be dinner for the kids)

Stay tuned for pictures and recipes!

Sunday Dinner: Walnut Crusted pork tenderloin with pan roasted veggies

So usually on Sundays my husband is gone most of the day and after handling the kids all day the last thing I want to do is cook. So we do crock pot meals A LOT on Sundays. But today was different :) It was Stake Conference for us so the hubby was home and our meetings were shorter. Which means I was home with plenty of time to cook. And I like to cook so when I have the time and it's relaxed that is awesome! So today I made this

So good! The walnuts add a nice crunch and flavor and the seasonings. Mmmmmmm....my mouth is watering just thinking about this!

Everybody liked it. Well, the little kids were a little iffy about the brussels sprouts but that's OK. I hated them as a kid too. They're not my favorite now but I do like them; it just really depends on how they're cooked:  ie. they must be
roasted or I won't touch them :)

I found both these recipes in the Whole30 cookbook, available on Amazon. Tons of awesome Whole30 recipes!

walnut-crusted pork tenderloin
Pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp mustard powder
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 C chopped walnuts, finely chopped

Remove the roast from the fridge and let it come to room temp before roasting.

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix the spices and rub evenly all over the tenderloin. Coat the pork evenly with the walnuts. Place tenderloin in baking pan and into the oven. Roast at 375 until the internal temperature reaches 145, about 20 - 25 minutes per pound. Let pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

pan roasted brussels sprouts and squash
3 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 lb brussels sprouts, ends removed and sliced in half
1/2 red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 cups diced peeled butternut squash (about one large butternut squash)
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add sprouts, onions, and seasonings. Cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the sprouts begin to brown, about 5 - 7 minutes. Turn the sprouts and add the squash. Cook everything until squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes. It could take longer, just watch it.


I had my pork over a bed of mixed greens, topped with a balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Crispy Fish tacos with spicy slaw in plantain wraps

Delicious. Even as I sit here I want to go downstairs and eat another one. Only problem is my husband isn't home yet and the rest of it is for him. But then again....if he's not here....maybe he'll never know.....

But I digress. This recipe came from The Happy Housewife. Find it here. I did one change to make this Whole30 compliant: left out the honey in the slaw. Be warned, the slaw was spicy. My little kids didn't like it so I just gave them plain cabbage in their tacos.

The plantain wraps I've made before and I love them.They are from AJ at Healthfest.

Plantain Tortillas

Ingredients for 8-10 tortillas:

– 3 plantains, the greener the better

– 2 egg whites

– 4 tbsp coconut oil

– 1 tbsp cumin

– 2 tbsp lime juice

What to do:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel and cut plantains into chunks. Blend in a food processor or blender.

2) Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again.

3) Spread parchment paper over a baking sheet. Scoop a little less than 1/4 cup batter on to the parchment and use the bottom of a measuring cup to spread it out into a circle. I fit four tortilla circles on one baking sheet, but you can make them bigger or smaller depending on what you want.

4) Bake for 12 minutes until you can peel the tortilla off the parchment.

The taco toppings are up to you – be creative! I like fresh avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, and onion. The roasted tomatillo salsa is a delicious topping. This Peach-Mango Salsa is a breeze and it’s a perfect balance to the spice of the pork.

And the guacamole is my tried and true recipe. My favorite. I've tried other ones but always come back to this. 

Guacamole!!

4 ripe avocados, mashed

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 limes (zest of one, juice of both)

1 cup cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced

1/4 medium red onion, diced

salt, to taste (I actually rarely even put in salt!)

Mix it all up! I like to make mine at least a couple of hours before we eat, so I can put it into the fridge and let the flavors come together. This guac is so good on everything :) 

Let me know if you make these tacos. It wasn't too hard and SUPER good!

Sometimes I make cinnamon rolls

Today was the last day of school for my kids so we decided to invite friends over and have an end of school brunch. I made frittata, a fruit platter, and - of course - cinnamon rolls. We loooooooove them around here.

Are these Paleo? Um. No.

Are these Whole30? Not even close.

Are these delicious? That would be two thumbs up!

Since I am doing a Whole30 right now, I didn't eat any. I didn't even lick my fingers while I was making them. (Go me!) But I still made them because my kids deserved one of their favorite treats :)

I got my recipe from the Deals to Meals blog. I have used this recipe for years and it's always a hit.

Go ahead and click over to their blog to see the recipe. It is definitely worth your time.

Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast

Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches.

Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.

Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt

Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking. - See more at: http://www.dealstomealsblog.com/2009/10/my-favorite-cinnamon-roll-recipe.html#sthash.6b6

Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast

Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches.

Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.

Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt

Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking. - See more at: http://www.dealstomealsblog.com/2009/10/my-favorite-cinnamon-roll-recipe.html#sthash.6b6cd6z1.dpuf

Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast

Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches.

Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.

Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt

Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking. - See more at: http://www.dealstomealsblog.com/2009/10/my-favorite-cinnamon-roll-recipe.html#sthash.6b6cd6z1.dpuf

Basic Chili

  

Basic, but not boring :)

I love chili. And when I first took legumes out of my diet it made me a little sad because beans are a big ingredient in pretty much every chili. But I got over it. And now I love this even without the beans. Just up the veggies and meat and you still get a hearty, filling meal.

This makes a lot! Fed my entire family, plus seconds for the husband, and we still have enough for a couple of people on leftovers night.

Basic Chili

3 lbs ground meat (I use a combination of beef and pork)

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/4 Tbsp Cumin

1 1/4 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp dried mustard powder

2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 red bell peppers, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

28 oz diced tomatoes

2 - 3 cups beef broth

Melt 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or whatever cooking fat you're using) in a large pan over medium-high heat. Brown ground meat. Put the meat into a crock pot. Add onions, garlic, and spices into the pan and cook until onions are translucent. Put the onions into the crock pot. Add tomatoes, beef stock, and peppers into the crock, stir, and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. 

You could also make this on the stovetop if you have time. After you cook the onions, add everything back into the pan (or probably a high sided dutch oven or stock pot), add the stock, tomatoes, and peppers, then bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer uncovered for about an hour, or longer if you want to :)

I hope you enjoy it!

Chicken Cacciatore over zoodles

Today is day 3 of my current Whole30. And I'm already hitting the "kill all the things" phase. If you've never done a Whole30, click here to see what I'm talking about. Good thing I planned my menus for the week because honestly all I wanted to do this evening was bury myself in the 12 gallons of ice cream (yes TWELVE GALLONS) we have in our outside freezer, then maybe cry for a little while. But alas, I did not. I stood in the kitchen, gritted my teeth to avoid yelling at my children for no good reason, prepped and made this deliciousness. I really like to cook though; if I didn't I think a Whole30 would be much harder for me.

This is the Chicken Cacciatore from the new Whole30 book. Find it on Amazon here. Chock full of great tips and recipes. Even though I've done a Whole30 before and I have tons of recipes I like I am still really enjoying this book.

Here is how I did the recipe. Remember I cook for 9 and this did leave some leftovers for tomorrow, so if you're family is smaller, half this sucker :)

Whole30 Chicken Cacciatore 

4 - 6 Tbsp cooking fat (I used olive oil)
8 chicken legs (bone in, skin on)
6 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
S&P for seasoning the chicken
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp capers, drained
28 oz diced tomatoes
1 - 2 C chicken broth
fresh basil, finely chopped (to top the chicken after serving)

In large skillet with high edges, heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on all sides, and put in the pan. Sear the chicken on all sides (about 3 minutes per side) until a nice golden brown. Remove chicken from pan. (I have to do mine in batches)

With the pan still over medium-high heat, put the rest of your oil in the pan. Add the onions and bell peppers and sautee until onions are translucent. Add in mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add in garlic and stir until it smells awesome :) Add in tomatoes and capers and stir.

Place the chicken back into the pan. Add chicken stock. Bring it to a simmer, then turn heat down to low (I let mine about medium since I was cooking a lot of chicken and wanted it done) and let simmer for about 30 minutes. You want the chicken at an internal temp of 160 F.


This was so yummy. Almost everybody loved it. I saw almost everybody because my 13 year old did not. But she pretty much doesn't like anything unless it's chocolate, so I don't really worry about it when she doesn't like a meal.

Oh! Also, we served it over zucchini noodles. Just added to the yum factor. 

Enjoy! And go buy that book. It's awesome.

Peach Balsamic Chicken

 

I wish I could say I'm a genius in the kitchen and come up with recipes all by myself. But, truth is, I'm just pretty good with Pinterest and I know how to follow a recipe :) I do love cooking and maybe one day I'll come up with things on my own but for now I am 100% happy with cooking somebody else's idea.

That said, this delicious dinner came from My Natural Family. Her blog is chock full of awesome recipes for a Paleo lifestyle which can easily be modified for a Whole30 if need be. Like this one Peach Balsamic Rosemary Chicken. It was super easy to modify too; I just left out the honey! And we served it over cauliflower rice rather than regular rice.

I hope you love it if you try it. My entire family loved it.

Menu plans....again

So I know I have ignored this blog for the past couple of months. So to all two of my readers, sorry :) I got busy, then sick, then went on vacation, came back and got sick again. Still working my way back from that one. And I have kinda let my good eating habits go bye bye. But I'm beyond tired of feeling so blah because of a bad diet, so I'm getting back on the horse! It's crazy how just letting a little big of gluten and dairy back into my life can mess me up. I want the healthy feeling back. Honestly it's easier to just order the damn pizza when you're sick and exhausted...but I know it's not worth it for me. I KNOW that. Maybe you can eat that way and be fine. Not me. I get bloated, tired, cranky. And that on top of other medical issues I'm currently dealing with. Well, it's no fun.

It was my birthday last week. Now that I am "officially old" according to my 5 year old, and I am feeling old thanks to my diet, I'm starting another Whole30 tomorrow! I've got to get myself completely back on track. I don't want to live Whole30 permanently, but I like it as a kick in the pants to get back where I know I need to be. And taking things out slowly doesn't really work for me because I have a hard time with moderation. One cookie? Two? HA! How about the entire bag? Yep, that works. Except it doesn't. Then I feel sick. And mad. And seriously, it's just not worth it.

So, Whole30 round 4. Here we go!

Memorial Day! Maybe I'm crazy to start a Whole30 on a holiday, but there really is never a perfect day so why not Memorial Day?

Monday - Jalapeno burgers over greens with guacamole and potato wedges
Tuesday - Peach balsamic rosemary chicken over cauliflower rice
Wednesday - Chicken Cacciatore over zoodles
Thursday - crock pot Chili
Friday - Fish tacos in plantain wraps with spicy cabbage slaw
Saturday - Date Night
Sunday - Walnut crusted pork tenderloin with pan roasted brussels sprouts and squash

Here we go!!!

PS. I'll be eating some ice cream tonight. No reason not to go out with a bang :)

Baked Spaghetti squash

Once upon a time I loved baked spaghetti. But ever since I cute grains (most of them...I still love some oatmeal at times) out of my diet I haven't been able to have it. So this is my new paleo spin on baked spaghetti.

Baked Spaghetti Squash

1 large Spaghetti squash
1 lb ground beef
2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
Fresh basil
2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
15 oz can Tomato Sauce
salt & pepper

Cook your spaghetti squash. There are lots of options for this (search on pinterest) but I like to roast mine. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Put them on a baking sheet cut side up and cook at 375 for an hour. When it's done and cooled use a fork to scrape out the squash. It really is easy, promise :) I was intimidated by spaghetti squash for years but once I did it I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is!

Okay, so now you have your spaghetti squash. Set it aside and cook your ground beef, seasoning it with 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning.

Mix together the cooked ground beef, spaghetti squash, and tomato sauce in a big bowl then pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with your sliced tomatoes and basil. The sprinkle 1Tbsp of Italian seasoning over all of it. If you want you can also top this with cheese if you're not doing Paleo or Whole30. I will usually put parmesan cheese over one half for my kiddos.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Double Duty dinner...and some guacamole!

 

Today is my #3 daughter's 12th birthday and she requested her favorite meal for dinner. Enchiladas! So I made white chicken enchiladas for the family. Now, I'm not perfect and I probably would have eaten them but I know I would have paid for it tomorrow since this meal has both dairy AND grains in it and that never ends well for me. So I threw together some plantain tortillas and filled it with tuna salad topped with homemade guacamole. Simple and delicious! 

I do have to admit though that those enchiladas smelled so good that I was a little jealous of my kids and husband tonight.

Even though it's not Paleo or Whole30 here's the link to the White Chicken Enchiladas. Every time I make these I do an extra pan and throw it in the freezer :)

White Chicken Enchiladas from Joyful Mamas Kitchen. So good!

And for the plantain tortillas I used this recipe from Healthfest. The tuna salad was super easy. Just tuna with some Whole30 mayo and spicy mustard. And the guacamole is easy and SO good! I never liked it until I started making my own. I put this together from a few recipes I found online and it's a hit with the family every time I make it.

Guacamole!!

4 ripe avocados, mashed

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 limes (zest of one, juice of both)

1 cup cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced

1/4 medium red onion, diced

salt, to taste (I actually rarely even put in salt!)

Mix it all up! I like to make mine at least a couple of hours before we eat, so I can put it into the fridge and let the flavors come together. This guac is so good on everything :)

menus!

Last week I was sick. Dinners consisted of whatever I threw together (or sent the husband to get) for the kids and hubby, and leftovers for me. Thankfully I had a lot leftover and lots of veggies so I could make meals for myself. This week I'm back! Last night wasn't the best, but whatever. Just tomato basil soup :)


Tuesday - it's my daughter's birthday and she loooooooves enchiladas. So I am making not Paleo, definitely not Whole30 white chicken enchiladas for her. I'm going to take some of the filling before adding the cheese and set it aside for myself to have in plantain tortillas. With a salad.

Wednesday - Spaghetti squash bake

Thursday - Sweet potato, sausage, and apple hash

Friday - pizza for the kids. Leftovers for me. I will be gone overnight with one of my daughter's for a volleyball tournament. So I'll be packing lots of snacks and food I've prepped to get me through til late Saturday night.

Saturday -  Chicken Bake. Easy for me to prep before I leave on Friday and for the hubby to toss in the oven when I'm on my way home. He's got a busy Saturday with the other 5 kids so I'm not expecting him to prep and cook...haha.

Sunday - Pistachio Chicken with roasted veggies.

Pictured and recipes will be posted! Enjoy your week!!

Breakfast casserole for dinner!

This casserole is one of those "breakfast" dishes which I find super delicious anytime. And since all my kids love it (and I'm not waking up 2 hours earlier than them to make it for breakfast) we love it for dinner!

Sausage, sweet potato, and kale casserole. I found the recipe here from Plaid and Paleo.  I wish I could come up with these meals on my own, but for now I rely on other people's ideas. And that's totally fine! As long as you give credit :)

Here is the recipe, copied over from her site :) If I made any changes, I list them in bold.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs breakfast sausage (2 lbs sausage)
• 1/2 tbls coconut oil
• 12 eggs
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 large sweet onion, diced (full onion)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsip sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (I/2 cup coconut milk)
• 4 cups power greens (kale, spinach, arugula)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt coconut oil and add in sausage.
3. Brown and break apart with a wooden spoon.
4. Beat eggs in extra large bowl.
5. Shred sweet potatoes and onion in your food processor. Mix into eggs with seasoning, coconut milk and power greens.
6. Grease 9x13 casserole dish with more coconut oil.
7. Pour in egg mixture and stir in sausage.
8. Cook for 45 minutes. Cover with foil and cook for 10 more minutes or until center is set. 

Easy and yummy! Enjoy :)

I'm really not just a bitch

Caught your attention with that one, huh?

I figured it's time to get real again. And since I have about zero regular readers on this blog I also figured I could just let it all out and it won't really matter all that much. Ha

I don't want judgment here. I don't want anything. I just want to get it out today. Because sometimes it helps.

Have you ever been depressed? I don't mean that was a hard day depressed. Or I failed a test depressed. Or even going through a hard time right now depressed. I mean that voice in your head that says "you're not worth it" over and over and over for days, weeks, months, even years on end. The voice that is so loud that at times you're tempted to shut it up permanently. The voice that makes you wonder if your "good" days are real at all.

Ever had it? It sucks. Big time. And lately my voice is LOUD. Some days it is literally all I can do to get my butt out of bed. Then I have to face the day with my life. I go to the gym because it helps. It really does. But I feel like an anti social wench when I am there. I get in, get out, and get on with my day. I don't talk much. And I know I'm slightly negative when I do. But I'm trying. You know the worst part of my depression though? I'm lonely. So then I go places and try not to be lonely but the voice says "they don't want to know you anyway" or "If they knew the real you they would hate you too." And then I act like I hate the world. So of course people steer clear. And the people who do reach out to me and call me a friend, well I think they're lying. Because who would want to be friends with a person like me.

See. Depression sucks.

It's not just the gym. It's church, my kids school, life in general. It's annoying. Trust me. And even though logically I can see that the reason I'm lonely is because I make myself alone....I still can't make the voice shut up and move past it to open up to others and BE a friend to them as well.

If you're never struggled with ongoing depression let me tell you something. It is EXHAUSTING. And it's not just a matter of focusing on the positive, or changing your attitude. When you're stuck in a rut you are gripping to your last string of hope so tightly that you can't really focus on much else. If you have struggled, you get it. If you haven't then be very grateful. And have some patience with people you know who are. Don't pity them though; trust me when I say that only makes it worse.

Right now I want to take my stupid depressed side and beat her up. Because right now the voice is bringing back something I thought I had kicked years ago. Nothing like a reminder that you're never actually cured from an eating disorder. That no matter how much you try to manage your thoughts or feel good about your body there will always be these nagging thoughts that creep in uninvited.

I cannot see anything good about my body right now. I KNOW what it can do. And for a while I was proud of my strength. But now all I see if flaws. I look in the mirror and think I'm ugly. And fat. I am thoroughly convinced that my husband secretly thinks I'm disgusting but won't admit it. (see, how is that for screwed up?). I fear that every bulge of fat is seen by everyone and that I'm kidding myself by thinking I could ever look or feel the way I want to. Logic tells me I am wrong. My brain and my eyes tell me something else. It's messed up. And it makes me angry that this is coming back up again. I fought this dragon for years. Why is it back? And why am I having these struggles at the same time I am trying to raise SEVEN DAUGHTERS! How am I supposed to help them through their own adolescence and body image issues when I'm struggling with my own? It's ridiculous.

So that's me. I don't know what else to write right now. I just want you to know that I am holding on to that thread of hope with every last bit of energy that I can muster. And if that means right now I'm not super friendly, I'm sorry. Just please believe me that I'm really not just a total bitch.

Now back to your regularly scheduled food porn. My next post will be much more appetizing.

Roasted Tomatillo Pulled Pork Tacos

....in plantain tortillas, topped with peach mango salsa.

Oh my goodness. This was so good! A little more labor intensive than my normal meals but 100% worth it!

I got this idea and the entire recipe from AJ at Healthfest. I found her on Instagram. Love Instagram!

Here is the recipe :)

Pork Taco Night

I didn't change anything. Enjoy!

Pesto Chicken Salad

This is probably one of the easiest meals to make...if you have a food processor :)

1. Cook some chicken in the crock pot. I just did a basic chicken recipe then shredded it. 2 lbs chicken, 1 C broth, 1/2 sliced onion, season with salt, pepper, garlic salt. On high for 3 hours (or low for 6 if you think ahead). Shred the chicken and you're done!
2. Make Pesto
3. Mix it together!
4. Serve

My kids and hubby ate this on croissants and even the 4 year old loved it :)


Pesto
I'm sure there are many ways to make pesto, but this is how I do it. I can't even remember where I first found the recipe.
1 C fresh basil
1 1/2 C spinach
1/2 C cashews (or some other nut)
1 garlic clove
1/4 C olive oil
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Put it all in the food processor. Pulse it until it's the desired consistency. If it's too thick for your taste, turn it onto low and stream in more olive oil very slowly until it's what you want.

This really can't be easier and it is so delicious. And I love it as leftovers too.

Dinner plans for the week!

I'm sitting here half heartedly watching Hawaii 5-0 on Demand while wracking my brain to come up with meals for the week. I like to cook, but sometimes coming up with plans is just annoying. Anybody else agree with that?

Hopefully my blog helps you out with your frustration! I know Pinterest helps me A LOT.

Monday: Pan fried lemon chicken breasts with roasted veggies
Tuesday: Roasted tomatillo pulled pork in plantain tortillas
Wednesday: Crock Pot Pesto Chicken salad, side of sweet potatoes
Thursday: Sausage and sweet potato casserole
Friday: Thai coconut soup
Saturday: leftovers for the kids, date night for me and the hubs!
Sunday: Dinner with the in-laws. I usually just go and cross my fingers there will be something I can eat. But this week I will pack leftovers with me since I'm in the middle of a Whole30.

Balsamic chicken and sausage over spaghetti squash

"I love this dish. I've been making it for a while and every time I do, it's a big hit with the whole family. I even have one daughter who "hates sausage" but she eats this without complaint every time.

I found this recipe on Popular Paleo. Told you I liked that website! Here's the recipe.

I'll copy and paste it for you,  but I don't make any changes. I love this just the way it is! And serving it over roasted Spaghetti squash is perfect.

Balsamic Chicken and Sausage from Popular Paleo

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (don’t hate me for that)
6 fresh Italian sausage links (sweet or spicy or a combo is fine)
1 white onion, thinly sliced (not diced!)
4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 – 14.5 oz cans organic diced tomatoes
1 – 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water or chicken stock
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
+ 1 tsp Italian seasoning
+ 1/2 tsp kosher salt
+ 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Prep:
Lay the breasts raw in the bottom of the slow cooker and drizzle with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the first round of seasonings directly onto the chicken (Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt).  Don’t mix, just leave it on top.  During the slow cooking process, it seasons the chicken directly for perfect flavor. Lay the fresh sausage over the seasoned chicken.

Layer the thinly sliced onion and chopped garlic next.  Then pour the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water/stock and balsamic vinegar into the pot.  Top with the second round of seasonings.  Again, don’t mix this up. I like the way the flavors develop with this style.

Cover and set the slow cooker to high for five hours.  Not all slow cookers are created equal, so it’s important you have a personal relationship with yours…  Mine tends to be really hot and cooks faster than most recipes call for.  With that in mind, it’s safe to assume that you could make this recipe on low for 7 hours. Worst case is that the chicken will dry out, so if that happens I’m super sorry!"


Enjoy!!

Paleo Beef Stew

This stew was soooooo good. I love beef stew but for some reason it's never seemed quite as good to me since I cut out flour and can't dredge and brown the beef before cooking. I've tried it with almond flour but it just doesn't quite cut it. So when I found this recipe from Stupid Easy Paleo, I decided to give it a try.

I did make some modifications so I'll post what I did here :) But if you want to try the original, go for it!

Paleo Beef Stew

• 4 Tablespoons coconut oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 pounds beef stew meat 
• 2 yellow onions
• 4 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tbsp rosemary
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 5 C beef broth
• 10 red potatoes, or small white potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 cup of kale, stems removed

1. In a large heavy pot, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add meat, toss to coat in oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Cook meat until browned on all sides (about 7-10 minutes total).
2. While meat is cooking, puree onions, carrots, and celery in a food processor.
3. Remove meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl to catch any drippings.
4. Add pureed vegetables to the pot you just cooked the meat in and cook until soft, slightly browned and very fragrant (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and herbs and cook until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
5. Add tomatoes.
6. Return meat to the pot. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 C broth, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits. Cook, stirring frequently, until wine has nearly all evaporated.
7. Add balsamic vinegar and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower temperature to lowest setting. 
8. At this point you can add the potatoes and let it simmer for 2 hours. OR do what I did and move it into a crock pot, add the potatoes and let it cook on low about 3 -4 hours or until you're ready to eat.
9. Add greens about 30 minutes before serving, to let them soften.

Crock Pot Fajita Chicken

Another Whole30 worthy Crock Pot meal. And it's delicious to boot. I threw this into the crock pot after breakfast then just forgot about it until dinner time.

This is really good over rice or cauliflower rice but I really like it in lettuce cups.

Crock Pot Fajita chicken
2.5 lbs chicken breasts (or thighs)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes. You can drain these or not. If you don't it will be runny but it's fine, especially if you serve if over rice!
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano

1. Put chicken in the crock pot
2. Layer onion and bell peppers on top of the chicken
3. Top with spices
4. Pour tomatoes over the top.
5. Cook on low about 6 hours. I leave mine longer sometimes and it's still awesome.
6. Shred chicken in the crock pot before serving.

Once again an easy and yummy meal! And great for busy days :)

Paleo Tex Mex Casserole

 

I love love love this dish. I found it here on Popular Paleo. Seriously, I have liked everything I have tried from that website. I highly recommend checking it out. I pretty much follow her recipe exactly (except I do it 1 1/2 times for my family and I have made a few tweaks just for our tastes) so I'm just going to copy and paste it here.

 I like to top mine with homemade Guacamole and pico de gallo. And I LOVE this dish as breakfast topped with an over medium egg. So good.  

I'll post my guacamole recipe another day....just to keep you coming back for more ;)

Paleo Tex Mex Casserole (from Popular Paleo)

• 1 – 1.5 pounds grass-fed ground beef 
• 2 cups spinach
• 2-3 carrots, diced (about a cup)
• 1 parsnip, diced (about a cup and a half)
• 1 zucchini, diced (6″ zucchini/one cup)
• 2 cups diced bell peppers
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 14.5 oz can organic diced tomatoes
• 3 TBSP preferred Paleo-friendly fat
• ⅓ cup taco seasoning (or make your own)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 5 cups shredded sweet potatoes
• ½ cup coconut oil, melted
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• Optional garnish: fresh cilantro, sliced scallions, avocado and hot sauce

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees (Fahrenheit).
2. Chop, dice and mince all the veggies and garlic.
3. Melt half of your fat of choice in a very large skillet or heavy-bottomed pan and add in all the veggies.
4. Season with that ½ tsp of sea salt, toss together and cook these down until they are just about fork tender. Remove from the pan and set aside for later.
5. In the same pan, add in the other half of your fat and get it up to temp.
6. Crumble in the ground beef, top with taco seasoning (purchased or your own blend, whatever you are comfortable with), mix and brown.
7. While the ground beef browns, peel enough sweet potatoes to get about 5 cups worth — I used 3 fairly large ones. Grate the sweet potatoes and set in a large mixing bowl.
8. Melt ½ cup of coconut oil and pour over the shredded sweet potatoes while warm, toss immediately! The coconut oil will start to solidify again as it cools, so work efficiently.
9. Once the coconut oil is mixed well, sprinkle the sweet potatoes with the onion powder, chili powder and ground coriander. Mix together.
10. Add the cooked vegetables and the diced tomatoes back into the pan with the beef, mix carefully to bring everything together and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
11. Transfer all of this veggie-meaty goodness to a large casserole dish (I filled a 9″ x 13″ pan). Top with the seasoned, shredded sweet potatoes, cover with foil and pop this in the oven.
12. Bake at 375°F for 20-30 minutes, then remove the foil and broil on low for 5 minutes — or until the sweet potatoes have browned and crisped up a bit.
13. To serve, top with fresh cilantro and sliced scallions with some avocado and hot sauce on the side!

Italian Frittata

It seems like most weekdays we are running out the door as soon as the kids get home from school. Some days are busier than others and this is one of those days. We have to eat in shifts. But that doesn't mean I want the early or late diners to have crappy food. I try to plan a crock pot meal or something I can make in the morning or early afternoon and just warm it up or eat cool.

Frittatas are perfect for this! Not only are the packed full of protein but you can really make them however you want. And they are good hot or cold so it's no biggy for me to make it earlier in the day and serve it up whenever it's time to eat.

You really can do so much with a Frittata. I LOVE blueberry frittatas for breakfast. Choose your protein and veggies and mix in the eggs. All there is to it.

One of our favorites is this Italian one. My entire family likes it, which is pretty awesome when you're talking about 9 people!

Remember, I cook for a big family. If your family is smaller just half the recipe! This makes enough for us to have dinner and usually breakfast for me the next day.

Italian Frittata
14 eggs
1 lb ground pork
2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 of a large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
     (if your skillet has a rubber handle, wrap it in foil)
2. Whisk together 14 eggs and 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning in large bowl
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat
4. Once oil is heated, add in all your vegetables
5. Cook veggies until tender
6. Add ground pork and 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning to the skillet
7. Cook until pork is done
8. Pour egg mixture over the pork and veggies and shake the pan a little so it settles
9. Using a spatula, pull the egg from the side into the middle until large curd start to form. Be sure NOT to mix it or you will just end up with a big egg scramble.
10. Shake the pan a bit again to settle the eggs and let it cook for a few minutes until the edges look done.
11. Move the skillet into the oven and cook for 15 - 17 minutes or until eggs are set. (When I make a smaller one for just a few people it is usually done in about 13 minutes)


When you take it out of the oven give the skillet a good shake and then slide the frittata onto a serving platter. Serve warm or cold! We will usually eat this with a green salad or with sliced tomatoes on top, and sometimes a fruit salad.

Enjoy!

Chili Lime pork chops with roasted veggies

With our busy schedules simple, fast, and easy win when it comes to meals. Sure, there are some days that I will spend a lot of time on a meal, but most of the time it needs to be done within 45 minutes tops.

This one fits the bill; I walked in the door from CrossFit at 5:20 this was on the table at 6:05. And that includes shower time.

Chili Lime Pork Chops
one pork chop per person. (You can go thin cut or regular depending on your taste. Thin cut cook faster but I like a thicker chop.)
Zest and juice of one lime (I use two limes, but that's because I cook for 8 people and need to do two batches of chops)
Chili powder
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Coconut oil

Rub both sides of the chop with a mixture of the spices. Go heavier on the chili powder or add red pepper flakes if you like heat.
Heat 1 - 2 tbsp of coconut oil over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is melted, add the chops to the pan. Cook for 4 - 7 minutes per side (depends on the thickness of the chop).
Remove the chops and deglaze the pan with the lime juice, zest, and about 1/2 tbsp chili powder.
Add the chops back into the pan and throw a lid on for about a minute to let the flavors marry.

Roasted Veggies
Preheat oven to 375. Chop your choice of veggies and put them in a large bowl. Pouar bout 1/4 C olive oil and salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste over the veggies. Mix it all up and spread them out on a baking sheet. Put it in the oven for 30 - 45 minutes. Check for tenderness about 30 minutes and put them back in if you want them more tender.

Easy and yummy! Enjoy :)

Whole30 reboot

While I am a big fan of eating everything in moderation I know there are some things I should avoid due to how they make me feel. Over the past few months I have let food take back control and it has to stop.

It's food. I'm a person. Which one has the ability to think? I KNOW cravings are real and I know food addictions are a real problem. But barring an addiction which needs help we need to take back control.

Typically I am totally fine with a few treats every week. But that has turned into a few per day and I can feel it. I am sluggish, tired, cranky (sugar totally does that to me). My gut aches and I constantly feel bloated and blah. That's dairy and grains in my life.

I need a reboot. Back to the Whole30 to get myself back on track! Have you ever tried it? For me, it was a life changer. Seriously. Yes, I lost a lot of weight doing it. And I won't lie; that was a super nice bonus for me psychologically and physically. But the biggest benefit for me was taking back control of my eating habits and lifestyle. It was so freeing to feel healthy and to know that I wasn't "cheating" when I had a bowl of ice cream, but I was in stead choosing. And I knew the consequences of that choice. But since about mid-November I think I let stress take over my choices. I've been pretty good but when I find myself in a battle of wills with a donut....well, that's a problem.

So the reboot begins. Join me on my journey! Today should probably should be the first day but considering I already indulged in a bowl of ice cream today, let's start tomorrow :)

Oh, and I did start a Whole30 three weeks ago and did well for a little over a week but then crashed and burned in a SWIG cookie.....which then led to a bunch of other not do great food choices.

30 days of pretty strict clean eating. If you have never seen the program, check it out at Whole30.

I think one of the biggest hurdles when starting any program is preparation! Whether it's eating, exercise, faith, really anything. If you don't prepare you will struggle. What's that quote.... "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Well, it's true. You wouldn't plan to start running without getting yourself some running shoes, right?

With that said, here is my meal plan for the week! Dinners, at least. Breakfasts are usually an egg dish of some kind and lunches are almost always leftovers thrown together with a side of fresh veggies. Snacks are fruit, nuts, sometimes hard boiled eggs, or larabars (homemade or store bought).

Monday: Chili lime pork chops with roasted carrots and cauliflower
Tuesday: Italian frittata with salad
Wednesday: Paleo Tex Mex casserole
Thursday: Crock Pot fajita chicken with pico and guacamole, in lettuce cups
Friday: Paleo beef stew
Saturday: My date night with the hubs (during Whole30 we usually go to Texas Roadhouse and it works! I just avoid the rolls....) and kids eat left overs or pizza
Sunday: Balsamic chicken and sausage over spaghetti squash

I'll post pics and recipes daily. Hope you love food porn!