Paleo Plate Envy - 8/28/13

Here is some Plate Envy to feast your eyes on. There are recipe links in the caption, and there are more recipes to come. I really hope this is inspiring and makes you realize how easy home cooked, delicious, healthy meals are! 

Top Left-Shredded BBQ chicken (homemade paleo BBQ sauce recipe) with avocado, red bell peppers, sugar snap peas. Top Right-Chicken parm eggplant sliders with roasted asparagus.  Bottom Left-Cool veggie-packed gazpacho (recipe) with stake and fried plantains. Bottom Right-Hamburger with arugula and tomato, avocado, cucumber, cilantro salad.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

XOXO,

Coco

My Whole 30 Journey - 28 Tips and Tricks for a Successful Whole30 Journey

I have been taking notes on the tips and tricks that I have picked up over my Whole30 Journey and I would like to share them with you. This can be a daunting adventure and I think there are some great little tidbits on this list to keep you on a path to a successful Whole30. If you have any other tips or tricks to add please leave a comment!

1. Read It Starts With Food. I didn't start reading the book until I was about half way through my Whole30 and I regret that. I wish I had at least started reading it at the beginning of my journey. There is so much good info in this book that is helpful to being successful.
   
2. The Whole9. Check out the website and read some of the testimonials, they are very inspiring. There is also an email club that you can sign up for. They send daily emails for your 30 days. I didn't sign up for this because I didn't want to pay for it ($14 bucks or so), but I bet it would be very useful.
   
3. What do you want? At the beginning of the 30 days write down what you are hoping to get out of your Whole30 Journey. Do you have acne you want to get rid of? Unexplained stomach aches? Joint pain? Weight loss? Need more energy? Want to sleep better? Whatever it is that you are hoping to achieve, write it down. You will want to refer back to this when you are doing your reintroduction. Plus, its good to keep goals in mind.
4. Blog it. Writing about your experience can make a huge difference. Write about the ups and downs and how you are feeling, physically and emotionally. I loved journaling about my Whole30 journey on my blog. Its a great way to stay on track and to keep things in perspective. You don't have to publish your journal, but it's a great way to get encouragement and have a form of accountability. 
5. Book Club. There is a local group of people who have started a paleo book club in my area. They meet at Starbucks and talk about the different paleo books out there. I think this is brilliant! If I didn't have two small children I would totally join! Start your own book club. Hang out with like minded people and stay inspired. Read It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, Wheat Belly by William Davis, The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf, The Immune System Recovery Plan by Susan Blum, Lights Out by T. S. Wiley, The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson, The Paleo Diet Revised by Loren Cordain and Suicide by Sugar by Nancy Appleton. (These are just a few book ideas, I have only read [most of]  It Starts With Food, so I can't say how good or bad the other ones are, but I know my mom likes them :)  
   
6. Watch the movie. The Perfect Human Diet is the paleo diet documentary. I haven't be able to find a way to watch it yet, but I am hoping Netflix picks it up soon. Otherwise, its on Amazon Prime for those of you who have a subscription.
7. Cook club. Start a cooking club. Get together with some friends for a few hours (once a month, twice a month, once a week, whatever works for you!) and make up some meals together. Make stocks and frozen meals. Drink tea, chat and cook. Its a blast and having these things in the freezer will save you time and energy on busy weeknights.
8. Buddy system. Having an accountability partner is a great idea. You can share how things are going, talk about frustrations and joys, swap recipes and maybe even go to the gym together. Buddies are awesome!
9. Keep it in focus. Write down the Whole30 rules and post them somewhere in your kitchen where you will be reminded of them often. I wrote them on a dry-erase board next to my sink. I also put little sticky notes with the numbers 1-30 around the edges of the board. Every day that I made it through I got to remove a sticky note. I loved this! It was a great count down system.  
   
10. Bring it with you. Going out for coffee? Bring a small jar of coconut milk. Having dinner with friends? Bring some oil and vinegar from home for your salad. Going to a dinner party? Ask if you can bring fruit to share for desert. Be proactive and make the situation work for you.
11. Take recipe notes. I have been doing this since my freshman year of college. I keep a recipe journal, I jot down recipe ideas and notes on recipes that I have tried. I mark recipes that I have tried and include the date and if it was for a special occasion or just regular dinner. I write down what I served it with and what changes I made to the recipe. I also include what I would like to try next time I make the recipe. If someone really liked the particular dish then I make sure to notate that as well. I cannot tell you how useful this is, I always know what recipes I liked and who else liked them and what tweaks were made. Over the years my recipe journals have changed and evolved. I have printed recipes in binders, magazine clippings glued into notebooks, and a Pinned It, Made It! (kitchen) board on Pinterest.
    
12. Be a follower. Check out the wonderfully addicting world of Pinterest! Find a few pinners who often pin paleo/primal/caveman recipes and follow them. This way you will be constantly inspired to make awesome food! Check out: Just Eat Real Food, PaleoHacks, Homegrown Paleo, and my boards at Domestic 360 (I've got a few paleo boards - Yummmm Paleo, and Paleo Pantry). 
    
13. Don't be a follower. On the other hand, consider un-following your friends' food boards (unless they are pinning paleo), you don't need any extra temptation. Likewise try taking a Food Network break. I know this helped me stay on track because I wasn't being distracted by wonderful looking cinnamon rolls and ice cream recipes. If you aren't into baking/cooking/food shows this may not be an issue for you, but it sure was for me!
    
14. Make your own stock. When you are peeling and chopping veggies, save the stuff you would normally discard (carrot peels and greens, celery leaves, you can also save chicken bones), stick it in a zipper bag and toss it in the freezer. Pick a day to dedicate to the process and hunker down for a stock-making adventure. EatWell101 has some great info on making stocks, here. Alton Brown also did a great Good Eats episode ("True Brew IV: Take Stock") on making stock and using a stock pot, Chicken Stock Recipe. Freeze stock in muffin tins or ice cube trays or in two cup portions in baggies. Once frozen, pop the stock pucks and cubes out and put them in a dated and labeled bag in the freezer. Use it in soups and other recipes for tons of wonderful homemade flavor and none of the nasty stuff that is in store bought stock.
    
15. Veggie bath! Wash your fruits and veggies as soon as you get home from the grocery store. Fill your clean sink with cold water and add about a 1 cup of white or apple cider vinegar. Remove the stickers from your produce and put it in the water/vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes (2-3 for berries), then remove and dry. Put your now clean produce in the fridge and use it throughout the week without having to worry about washing! This really does save time and energy. 
    
16. Clean as you go. I don't know about you, but I am much more likely to give into the fast food monster if I have a dirty kitchen. No one likes to wash pots and pans just to mess them up again.
    
17. Toss it! Have a clean out the pantry day. The day before you start your Whole30 clean out your pantry of all the things that aren't compliant. Toss them or give them away. Get them out of the house and out of your sight. I didn't do this because I didn't want to waist the money that I had already spent on these items and I regret that I didn't. Having those items in the house made it so much easier to go back to eating them as soon as the 30 days were up.
18. Don't give your kids special treatment. Or your husband for that matter. Don't make one meal for them and one meal for you. If its good food for you then its good food for them too. My hubby didn't do the Whole30 with me and he ate whatever he wanted when he wasn't at home. But when he was at home he ate what I made. (To be clear, we talked about this before I started this Whole30 Journey and he said that he was fine with eating whatever I cooked. Don't blindside your family, be open and communicate.) 
    
19. Use fresh herbs. If you have a small patch of land, a few feet of balcony, or a window sill, you can plant an herb garden. I have a small porch with some pots of mint, rosemary, basil, parsley, and cilantro. I love the taste of fresh herbs, sometimes its the difference between a blah meal and a fabulous one.
20. Save bacon grease. Pour cooled grease into a mason jar and store in the fridge to use when sauteing veggies or greasing the pan for eggs, chicken or other meats. It adds great flavor and its free! 
21. Buy a cow or pig. Every year my family buys one cow and one pig from the local 4-H auction. This is a great way to insure that you have quality meat on hand. 
22. Freeze lemons and limes. I love lime in my seltzer water and lemons in regular water or iced tea. The problem is that I never use a whole lemon or lime before it goes bad. The solution? Cut your citrus into wedges and freeze. They act like little ice cubes and flavor water perfectly.
23. Farm that market. Find a farmers' market that sells local, and preferably organic produce. Strike up a conversation with the farmers and see what they recommend for this week. Ask what is particularity flavorful and how to cook it. Don't be afraid to try something new. If you don't know what something is or how to prepare it, just ask. The farmers are usually very willing to talk about their food. Some markets also have local meats, so just keep an eye out. 
24. Start the week off right. At the beginning of the week, cut up a bunch of veggies into sticks and strips and toss them in a zipper bag in the fridge. This way you have ready made snacks. If you work away from home put the veggies in individual snack-sized baggies that you can take with you. You can also pack up portions of dried fruit and nuts to take to work. Having readily available healthy snacks will help you keep on track. Grilling stake or chicken and cutting it into strips for quick salads is a great lunch time saver, so is making a big batch of shreaded chicken.
    
    
    
25. Drinking plain old water getting boring? Try seltzer water. Or iced tea. Tazo Passion tea is amazing iced! Also try adding cucumbers, fruit or mint to your water. There are a lot of fruit infused water recipes floating around the internet.
26. Buy in bulk. If you can find good organic ingredients in bulk and you have a little extra in the budget purchase a lot at a time. Amazon Subscribe and Save is a great option for pantry staples that may be hard to find if the regular grocery store (coconut flour, nuts, dried fruit without sugar, etc...)
27. Make extra. When you are making a meal try doubling the recipe and freezing half. I do this all the time. Since it just me and my husband and 2 year old eating dinner we hardly ever eat a whole recipe's worth of food. So I keep those tin loaf pans handy along with freezer zipper bags and I just toss the extra in the freezer for a lazy evening. This really only works for soup and casserole type dishes, but its amazing for those!
28. Use the right equipment. Here are some of my favorites:
1. Sharp knives
2. Tongs
3. Wooden spoons
4. Avocado Saver
5. Cast iron skillet
6. Spiral cutter
7. Dutch oven
8. Crock pot

I would love to hear your tips and tricks! Leave a comment!

Happy Whole30!

XOXO,

Coco 

My Whole30 Journey - Reintroduction

iced coffee with cream

Day 1 - Dairy

What I ate:

• A splash of cream in my coffee - it was good, but honestly I like coconut milk in coffee. I don't think I will go back to cream unless that is the only option
• Two spoonfuls of plain Greek yogurt over peaches - again, good but I like coconut milk.
• Three slices of cheese with turkey roll-ups - this was more what I had been missing.
• Small amount of mozzarella with dinner - yup! I missed cheese!
• Small bowl of ice cream after dinner - holy sweetness Batman! I haven't had any kind of sweeteners in a month and that sugary ice cream was crazy! It didn't even taste that awesome. I wasn't relishing it, it was almost sickeningly sweet. 

How I felt:

Ugh! I started feeling kind of crampy in my hips and lower back, kind of like mild

contractions or PMS. My joints felt sore, I was bloated, and I got a stomach ache after the ice cream. I had a really hard time falling asleep and didn't sleep well at all. Seems like my body isn't loving the dairy or the sugar.

Day 4 - Gluten

amish friendship bread
(not actually what I ate, but I forgot to take a pic)

What I ate:

• 1/2 of a giant (seriously, bigger than my head) pancake - couldn't eat more than half.
• A few Ritz crackers through out the day - megh, take it or leave it.
• A slice of homemade wheat bread with dinner - this was pretty good, I really do love a good slice of homemade bread.

How I felt:

Honestly, gluten is what I was expecting would give me to hardest time, and I didn't notice any reaction. I felt fine on the day I introduced it and I felt fine in the days following.

grits from mallery street cafe, st. simons island, georgia

Day 7 - Non-Gluten Grains

What I ate:

• Grits with breakfast - we were in Georgia, so I had a good southern bowl of grits!
• Gluten-free bread sandwich - Udi makes a really tasty bread.
• Rice with dinner - just white rice, not to interesting. take it or leave it.

How I felt:

I was pretty much fine all day until after dinner. My fingers started to swell up about 45 minutes after dinner. It was slightly itchy and painful. I am thinking rice may not be my ticket to healthy living.

Day 10 - Legumes

SKIPPED IT! 

I don't really have any desire to reintroduce legumes into my diet. I honestly don't miss them. Not even peanut butter. 

My Whole 30 Journey - Bacon-Wrapped Dates

The first time I had bacon-wrapped dates was at a potluck game night for our Bible study group. The couple who brought them was new to our group and I remember thinking, I want to be best friends with these people!

As the world knows, everything is better with bacon. Sandwiches, salads, chocolate, cookies, ice cream, and dates. Dates are INCREDIBLE with bacon. Practically from heaven. The naturally sweet and chewy dates get caramelized and are offset by the crunchy and salty bacon. Seriously, a flavor explosion in your mouth!

Some people stuff the dates with cheese or other wonderful foods before wrapping them with the bacon, but I can't bring myself to experiment with perfection.

I made these for J's one year Robot Birthday Party, doubled the recipe and they were gone. Since then I have made them for various parties, dinners, get-togethers, and just as a treat for my family. When I started the Whole30 and learned of the wonders of fat (rejoice, fat is good for you!), I was thrilled! I made a batch of these bacon-wrapped dates to snack on. As usual, between the hubs, J and I, they didn't last long.

These are really easy to put together, its just bacon and dates for goodness sake! Out of sheer laziness, I usually don't even use toothpicks. Be warned though, if you don't use toothpicks some of your dates will escape from the bacon while cooking.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates
(original recipe YUMSUGAR)

• 1 16 oz. package of regular thickness bacon, cut into thirds (see note about bacon)
• 1 8 oz. package of pitted dates

Preheat oven to 350 F. Position oven rack in the center position. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil.

Wrap a piece of bacon around a date. Secure with a toothpick, or  make sure the bacon seam is placed facing downwards on the cookie sheet pressing firmly so it is less likely to unravel. Repeat until all the dates are wrapped in bacon.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp. Let cool for 10-15 minutes for serving.

Makes 25-30 bacon wrapped dates.

Note About Bacon: Most packaged bacon is made with sugar. Check your labels. We get our pork and beef from my cousin's farm so we don't worry about how the animals are treated or what they are fed. There is an officially Whole30 Approved Bacon.

Paleo BBQ Sauce

Summer = BBQ

Summer is such a great time for food. Grilling out on the deck with a beer and tons of friends and family around to just enjoy the season. That's the American dream, right? Its what all the commercials tell us we should be doing this time of year, and I am fine with that! I love me a good cook out and all the food that comes with it.

The problem is that most of the foods served at cook outs are not health-friendly, much less paleo or Whole30 approved. Among the mayo soaked pasta dishes crazy sweet deserts BBQ sauce is can be one of the biggest "no, no"s out there.  Its usually packed with sugar and preservatives.

The solution? Make your own!

It takes about a good full afternoon to make and can this sauce. It needs time to simmer so all the flavors can meld.

This BBQ sauce is to die for! My family is full of BBQ lovers. We are that family that would make a detour just because there was a local BBQ legend 20 miles up the road. Every Friday is unofficially BBQ Friday. Needless to say, we have tried a lot of different sauces. Mustard based, vinegar based, tomato based, smokey, sweet, spicy. From Maryland to Texas and everywhere in-between.

Needless to say we have some pretty refined BBQ taste buds. And this recipe was declared a home run! My brother told me to slap on a label and sell it. Its got a great smokey flavor and is slightly sweet, but not overwhelming. So far, I have served shredded chicken and ribs with this sauce.

I would like to experiment farther with this recipe and replace the applesauce with peach sauce or maybe chop up some roasted peaches, apricots or apples. Perhaps add some smoked peblano peppers or something spicier. I will let you know if I get around to messing with perfection.

This recipe produces quite a lot of sauce, enough for a good sized party with lots of leftovers. I ended up with 8 jars worth of sauce leftover after my big family dinner. I transferred the sauce to canning jars,submerged them in water and boiled for 45 minutes until the jars sealed themselves (the button on the lid sucked itself in).

Paleo BBQ Sauce
(adapted from The Domestic Man)

2 tbsp coconut oil
2 medium onions, minced
2 28oz cans whole tomatoes in juice
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple sauce (or honey)
6 whole dates, chopped (or date molasses)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp chili powder
4 tsp hickory liquid smoke
4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (check your label, see note*)
1/4 cup horseradish mustard
1/2 tsp all spice
1 bay leaf

In a dutch oven, heat up the coconut oil on medium for a few minutes. Add the onion and saute until the onion becomes translucent, about five minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, and just as it starts to boil, set the heat to low. Simmer for two hours, using a potato masher to break up the tomatoes as they cook. After two hours, remove the bay leaf and blend the sauce in batches until it’s smooth. Return the now-smooth sauce to the dutch oven and simmer for another 30 minutes. Or, if you have an immersion blender, you can just blend it in the pot. If the sauce isn't thick enough, you can add some honey or molasses and cook it for another 30 minutes or so.

This sauce can absolutely be canned. To do so, submerge it in a hot water bath for 45 minutes, using this method from The Domestic Man. It should be good for a year after that point. After opening, I suggest finishing the sauce within a month.

*Note about Worcestershire sauce: I didn't realize Worcestershire sauce has soy sauce in it until after I made this sauce. Oops! If you have a soy allergy, make sure to read the label! The Original Worcestershire Sauce by Lea and Perrins doesn't have soy. It does have molasses and sugar, so its not Whole30 approved.

My Whole 30 Journey - Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Soup

I am one of those people who can eat soup any time of year for pretty much any occasion  I know there are people who don't eat soup in the hot weather of summer, but that's not me. So, when I found a lovely butternut squash at the store I knew I wanted to make some soup despite the 90 degree heat.. 

The sweet and nutty flavors of butternut squash taste so lovely with the spicy flavors of curry and the creaminess of coconut milk. Even J, who is 23 months, loved this soup. 

This recipe produces a pretty spicy soup. If you aren't into the spicy thing than just reduce the spices by half and taste it, if you want more spice you can always add it in later.

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Soup

(loosely adapted from The Novice Chef)

Recipe Note: some brands of coconut milk solidifies in the can. Before opening, warm the coconut milk by submerging the can in hot water for 5 minutes. See my post on Coconut Milk Reviews for more information.

ingredients:

2.5 lb Butternut Squash (basically one large squash), deseeded, peeled and cut into 1” cubes

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

¼ yellow onion, chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon curry

1 teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon cumin

ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup coconut milk, full-fat

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

cilantro, optional - for garnish

directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss the squash with 3 tablespoons olive oil and spices and spread out on the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the squash for 45-55 minutes, until tender when poked with a fork.

Heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of a soup pot. Add onion and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the roasted squash and stir together.

Add stock and coconut milk and stir to combine. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend up the soup until smooth.

Serve hot with a little extra drizzle of coconut milk and cilantro.

If preparing ahead, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Then reheat in a non-stick pan on the stove.

My Whole 30 Journey - Coconut Milk Review

As it turns out not all coconut milk is created equal.

I have yet to encounter a can of coconut milk that I didn't like. Its thick and creamy and has a slight hint of coconut flavor. Its great in coffee and on fruit and in baked goods or curries.

However, different brands of coconut milk are better for different purposes. I am going to let you in on the coconut milk secrets that I have learned while on this Whole 30 Journey. I should say that I haven't tried every brand out there, but of the ones that I have tried these are my favorite.

Make sure to read your labels! This is one of the most important things to do while on the Whole 30. Manufactures love to sneak sugar and other yucky ingredients into their products. Most of the coconut milk that is sold in boxes or in the dairy section has either sugar, soy, carrageenan, or other non-Whole-30 friendly ingredients. I have found a few brands that I like and I and sticking to them.

Best in Coffee (and other drinks)

I love 365 Everyday Value Light Coconut Milk. Its organic, score! And it tastes great. The thing with putting coconut milk in your coffee is that it is very thick and gets thicker when chilled. As a result it can clump up in iced coffee. Not an issue when you are drinking hot coffee because the heat from the coffee melts the fats in the coconut milk, but in iced coffee it presents a bit of an unpleasant drinking experience. This is why I use LIGHT coconut milk in my iced coffee. Its thinner than regular coconut milk without being watery and doesn't do the weird clumpy thing that full fat milk does. This brand also made CookingLight's Our Favorite Store-Brand Products list.

You can buy 365 Everyday Value Light Coconut Milk at Whole Foods Markets.

Best on Fruit and Cooked into Recipes (for baking and other dishes)

When I was a kid one of our favorite summertime deserts was fresh fruit and cold cream. We would toss some fresh berries or chopped peaches in a bowl and pour on the half and half. No sugar needed! It was an awesome treat. To this day that is one of my favorite flavors, and coconut milk just takes it to the next level. Thick, creamy and slightly sweet, coconut milk is the perfect topping for fresh fruit. Sprinkle on some toasted coconut shreds and you have a desert fit for Mount Olympus!

Again I love me some 365 Everyday Value Coconut Milk. The reason I love this particular brand of full-fat coconut milk is because it doesn't separate and solidify in cold temperatures. Most full-fat coconut milks will separate, the fatty part will rise to the top and the denser liquid will settle at the bottom. This is a good thing when you are trying to make whipped cream, but not so good when you want to just use the milk to bake with. I like that I can pop open a can of this brand of coconut milk and I don't have to use the whole thing. I can just stick it in the fridge and come back for more at any point without having to remix the water and fats.

You can buy 365 Everyday Value Coconut Milk at Whole Foods Markets.

Best Whipped Cream

Whipped coconut cream is to die for. I mean seriously. Its creamy, light, slightly sweet and slightly coconutty (that is so a word). All you have to do to make coconut whipped cream is take a can of full-fat coconut milk and stick it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Then when you are ready to make your whipped cream, remove the can from the fridge without shaking or jostling it too much. Open the can and scoop out the thick white coconut fat and cream that has risen to the top. Make sure you don't get the clear liquid that is sitting at the bottom of the can. Now just whip up the white stuff until it is the consistency you are looking for. There you go! Coconut whipped cream. Dairy free, vegan, and healthy! Use it on fruit, baked goods, or one of those awesome looking watermelon "cakes."

I really like Chaokoh brand full-fat coconut milk for whipped cream. Truth is, sometimes I don't even whipped it at all. Its so thick and wonderful that I have been known to just scoop it onto some fruit (try grilled peaches!) and go to town. 

You can find Chaokoh brand coconut milk in the Asian section of your grocery store.

What do you use coconut milk for? 

Do you have a favorite brand?

Leave a comment and let me know!

XOXO,

Coco

My Whole 30 Journey - Week 2

This week I want to share some of my frustrations. This is not easy. Its not particularly hard, but its not easy. Its not eat whatever you want and feel awesome. Its eat really great and good for you food and feel awesome.

Excuse the  lack of makeup, I have a newborn.

I MISS CHEESE! And bread. No, but seriously, cheese.

I knew when I started my Whole 30 Journey that cheese and yogurt would be the hardest things to give up. I love cheese. One of the reasons for doing my 30 days in July was so that, when the county fair opened in August, I could eat a grilled cheese sandwich.

Side note: If you are ever in the DC Metro area in mid-August you have got to come out the the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair and go to the Big Cheese. They seriously have the BEST grilled cheese sandwich you will ever eat. EVER!

I have had so many craving this week. Chocolate (brownies, cookies, cake, bars, etc...), bread, cheese, yogurt, milk and cereal, chips, cream and sugar in my coffee, fried mozzarella sticks, rice, wine, pasta, Dr. Pepper, etc... Pretty much anything and everything not allowed on the Whole 30.

It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig

I miss baking. As anyone who knows me will tell you, I love to bake. I will come up with any excuse to bake. Its Sunday afternoon, need to bake something! There is a birthday at work, need to bake something! Husband is coming home from work, need to bake something! 

Its been really hard to cut back on my baking adventures. One of the ideas of the Whole 30 is to break your bad food habits. They suggest not simply replacing regular pancakes with paleo pancakes because this isn't teaching your body good habits, its just perpetuating the old ones. Now, I will admit, I have made pancakes. I have also made muffins. They have followed the rules of the Whole 30 ingredients wise, but haven't exactly followed the rules.

One of the justifications I have given myself for baking muffins and pancakes is that I really don't like eggs and what else am I supposed to eat for breakfast? I have never liked eggs. When I was little I couldn't even be in the kitchen when someone was cooking them because I would puke. I know its gross, but that's the truth. Unless they are baked into a cake or cookies or frozen in custard, I am not interested. And don't try to change my mind, I have tried them in many different forms and flavor combinations. I don't like eggs.

While we are talking about foods that I don't like lets touch on seafood. Its gross. So is lamb, and pork (bacon and some sausages excluded) and veal, and goat and duck. Its interesting because I wouldn't say I'm a picky eater, because I love trying new flavors and ethnic dishes, and love experimenting with recipes. But maybe I am. Anyway, these dislikes have always limited my diet and even more so now that I can't supplement with grains and dairy.

One of my greatest frustrations is that I haven't been experiencing the results that I was hoping for. I am still really tired, although that could admittedly be from a lack of sleep due to the fact that I have a three week old baby. I am hungry all the time and can't seem to get enough food in my belly, again, could be from breastfeeding. My skin hasn't cleared up at all. I haven't seemed to lose any weight. I haven't weighed myself, but I haven't noticed a difference. My husband who isn't even doing the Whole 30 other than when he eats at home is losing weight. Ugh, men! 

My sister keeps saying to push through the first two weeks and it gets much much easier by the third week. Here's hoping she is right! On the bright side, its summer and the produce is wonderful! 

Leave a comment and let me know how your Whole 30 is going!

XOXO,

Coco

My Whole 30 Journey - Sinfully Good Bacon Meatballs

I am usually not a fan of meatballs. Its kind of like meatloaf, too much bread and egg to be good. It ends up being a weird texture and doesn't really taste like meat. I think that anything that claims to be meat should taste like meat.

These meatballs are unlike any meatball I have ever eaten. Ever. They not only taste like meat, but are full of bacon and ground beef flavor, resulting in essentially a bacon burger ball. You can't get much better than that! If you are not on the Whole 30 add some cheese and you are rockin the burger ball!

The great thing about the bacon in these meatball is it add some wonderful fat and juiciness to the meatballs. It also adds that much loved smoky bacon flavor.

I served these over spaghetti squash with some sauteed tomatoes and zucchini. They would be wonderful with regular spaghetti noodles, on a meatball sub, or on toothpicks at a party!

Sinfully Good Bacon Meatballs
(adapted from Evil Shenanigans)

• 1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
• 5 strips bacon (make sure there is not added sugar)
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (depending on how spices you like your meatballs)
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dry oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Chopped the bacon into small pieces. Mix the bacon and beef and crushed red pepper flakes together  in a bowl, this works best of you use your hands. Form into small balls.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small drizzle of olive oil just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Don't use too much oil because the meat with produce fats of its own. once the pan is hot, add the meatballs. Space them a little apart so they have room to cook. Brown each ball so that it's nice and crispy all around.

Transfer the meatballs to a cookie sheet and bake until cooked thoroughly.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

• 1 spaghetti squash

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut the squash in half, they are really hard to cut, but just get a big knife and hack your way through it. Scoop out the seeds. Place in a glass baking dish with about an inch of water. Place the dish in the oven on the center rack. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the flesh is tender. You can cover the squash with tin foil to avoid excess browning. Use a fork to scrape out the strands.

Garden Veggie Pasta Sauce

• 1 zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
• 3 small tomatoes, quartered
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• about 6-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a skillet, add chopped garlic and saute for about a minute. Do not over cook the garlic or it will be bitter. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, herbs and spices (except the basil), saute for a few minutes until the zucchini is tender. Remove from heat and top with fresh basil.

My Whole 30 Journey - Guacamole Chicken Salad Recipe

Guacamole is one of those things that, up until recently, I was convinced I hated. I had never had any guacamole that I liked and I thought I hated it so much that I was sure I hated avocados in general. Oh how wrong I was! 

As it turns out I LOVE avocados and guacamole. It was the onions in guacamole that I hated. I don't like onions, like super don't like them. I pick around them in pretty much anything that contains them. I won't eat anything that has too much of an onion flavor, especially a raw onion flavor. 

Sometimes I get sad if I go to dig into something that I usually really like and I get a huge mouth full of onion flavor. If I'm really hungry and PMSing I have been known to cry over this culinary catastrophe. I just really don't like onions.

Guacamole Chicken Salad

All that said, take the onions out of guacamole and you have one of my favorite dishes of all time! Toss in some fresh cilantro and tomatoes and you've got a flavor explosion!  Add the fact that avocados are packed with healthy fats and I'm totally on board!

My brother makes the best guacamole. He is the one who converted me. His secret? Fresh squeezed orange juice. 

I took his recipe for awesome guac and added some grilled chicken and orange bell peppers and served it over a bed of lettuce and BAM! an awesome Whole 30 approved meal that is packed with good for you foods. Trust me, your body and your taste buds will be thanking you!

One of the things I like to do at the beginning of the week, is grill or boil some chicken that I then chop or shred it and leave it in the fridge for salads or other quick meal options. If you have the chicken already cooked you can toss this meal together in 10 minutes. You can even use store bought guacamole if you want an even easier fix. Whole Foods has fresh guacamole made every day in the produce section.

Guacamole Chicken  Salad

• 2 breasts of chicken, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces or shredded
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 sweet bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tomato, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1-2 clove(s) garlic, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 orange, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: chopped onion, chopped jalapeno

Scoop the avocados into a large bowl and add the lime, lemon and orange juices. Smash up the avocado with a potato masher or a fork until smooth. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper and cilantro. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until the everything in well coated with avocado. Serve over a bed of lettuce.

That's it ladies and gentlemen! 

Super simple, quick, delicious, and healthy meal. 

Enjoy this!

Let me know what you think of the recipe.

XOXO,

Coco

P.S. Lucky you! You have stumbled upon two recipes in one! Just leave out the chicken and you have the best guacamole recipe on the face of the planet! You're welcome :)

My Whole 30 Journey - Week 1

I grew up in a very healthy household. My mom is a little on the hippy side of life when it comes to food. The closer to the farm you can get the better. Grow it, cook it, eat it.

I grew up on whole grains and raw milk. I am very grateful that my mom didn't give into my pleas for Wonder Bread and Fruity Pebbles. (I am also grateful that I had a dad who did!) I am glad that I learned to eat and love good food.

I consider myself to be a pretty health eater. I have a brownie or a bag of chips here and there but other than that its mostly home cooked, pretty well balanced meals. I really enjoy cooking, baking and experimenting with flavors.

When I heard about the Whole 30 for the first time it was from my granola (aka, hippy) mom who is always telling me about the newest healthy food lifestyle. I love hearing about these diets and lifestyle changes, but I rarely take them all with full force.

Then my cousin did the Whole 30 and had AMAZING results! She had all kinds of medical issues (pretty much on the verge of surgery) before and now they have almost all disappeared. She has also lost about 30 pounds in 6 months, feels great and looks like she did in high school. I'm telling you, its incredible.

Since hearing about my cousin's results and after my sister started her own Whole 30 Journey, I decided to jump on the band wagon! Why not? Its only 30 days! I can do anything for 30 days. It would be great to feed my body really good food for my on postpartum recovery as well as the heath of my little newborn. Plus, I have some baby weight to get rid of.

If you haven't heard of the Whole 30, here is a little info. Basically its a cleanse. You are cleansing your body for 30 days of all the "bad stuff" and then at the end of the 30 days you are able to slowly add back in what you have been avoiding to see what your body has aversions to. You are also cleansing your eating habits and food lifestyle. You want to stop depending on food for emotional support, boredom relief, etc...

The basic rules are cut out any and all added sweeteners, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, soy, while potatoes, carrageenan, MSG and sulfites for 30 days. No biggy! Check out The Whole 9 Life or get the book, It Starts With Food for more information.

Here is a little of my experience and favorite meals from the first week.

Things I've learned so far:

1. EVOO and balsamic vinegar makes the best salad dressing (okay already knew this, but thought I should share), add some salt, pepper and garlic powder. Done and done!
2. Make a menu plan, seriously. It makes a huge difference in your weeks meals.
3. Make cold brewed iced coffee and freeze some coffee into ice cubes. Unless its winter.
4. Coconut milk is awesome in coffee. A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
5. Deli meat with fresh veggies makes a quick and yummy lunch.
6. Cut up a bunch of carrots and celery sticks at the start of the week and you will be more likely to grab that instead of the box of crackers in your pantry.
7. If its not in the house, you won't eat it. Or your kids won't eat it. I have gotten my almost 2 year old to eat way more veggies and fruit and way less crackers this week because we just don't have any crackers for him to eat. 
8. Clearly outline the rules, and write them down so you can seem them all the time. That way you won't forget them.
9. Eat fresh and yummy food. Try new flavors. Go to the farmers market and just get what they have and figure out how to cook it, usually they will give you suggestions.
10. Spaghetti squash is better than regular spaghetti.

I wrote the rules on a white board in my kitchen, and added little sticky notes labeled 1-30 that I can pull off at the end of the day as a little reward for checking on more day off.

I have been snapping pictures of the great food that we have been eating this week and I will post some recipes and photos pretty soon. Stay tuned!

Have you tried the Whole30? 

What tips do you have? 

What was your favorite thing to eat?