New Discovery: Yumprint!

While browsing around one of my favorite blogs, Whole Family Strong, to see the changes they made with their recent blog remodel, I noticed a new option. Or maybe it was there the whole time and I just didn't notice before. That would not surprise me either, lol. 

I found one of the recipes that I love and have made several times and noticed a "Save" button next to it. So I decided to go ahead and click it. It took me to a site called Yumprint. I instantly fell in love. 

I always struggle with the grocery list each week because I try to make sure not to forget anything and keep it organized, but each week I get to the store and can't remember whether I need ground chicken or chicken breasts or whether I REALLY need that coriander, but can't remember which ingredient it's in. This website solves all my problems. 

It allows you to install a special button, similar to Pinterest's "Pin It" button. From there you can go to any website you want and find a recipe that you'd like to try or that is an all-time favorite and click the "Yumprint" button that pops up. It will open a mini window that shows you a "recipe card" listing the ingredients and instructions. You have the option to edit it any way you want before saving and when you save you can choose which category you'd like it to be placed under (breakfast, crock pot meals, appetizers, desserts, etc.). And just like Pinterest, you can choose from any of the photos on the page to use as the picture ID for your recipe.

That's just the start!

 

Once you've got a few recipes saved you can go to the Yumprint website and they will have all of your recipes organized for you by category.  You can then click and drag individual recipes up to your "Meal Planner" at the top of the screen to organize your meals for the week ... or month... it's pretty customizable.

And then ... you can click on the "Grocery List" tab and choose to drag and drop specific recipes to your grocery list where it automatically adds up and combines any like-foods that there are. It even organizes them by produce, dairy, etc. You can drag and drop individual recipes or even just choose to "Add all planned recipes" to the list to instantly have your grocery list for the entire week. You can go in and edit things as needed and just check off items that you already have or add in individual items if you are making something else that isn't in a recipe. 

 

Ok, you may love all of that already, but guess what! You can then email or print your grocery list to take with you, but I was curious and decided to search my iPhone for a Yumprint app and I found it! And it's free! Can't beat that. So now I can take my phone to the store with me (which I always do anyway) and just pull up my grocery list, check items off as I need to, and the best part is that I can click on an individual item and it will show me which recipe it belongs to so I can make any last minute decisions on whether I REALLY need to drive to the second store to pick up an item the first store didn't have. 

I love it! It's the most user-friendly option I've seen yet for organizing meal plans, recipes, and grocery lists. The only thing that I wish it had was the option to place your mouse over the individual recipes on the website and have the name of the recipe pop up. I can't always tell which recipe is which just by the picture. So that would be more convenient. But it's really not a big problem because I can always just click on it and it will pop up and show exactly which recipe is which. 

And if you don't know of any recipes or maybe just want some more, you can go to Yumprint's home page and they will have suggested recipes from other users for you to try, if you want. Pretty cool, huh? 

I tried out the app at the grocery store last night and it worked perfectly. I have a feeling Yumprint and I are going to be very good friends! : ) To follow my Yumprint Cookbook, click the link HERE!

A Fishy Recipe with a Horror Story (bones and skin included!)

Salmon Cakes with Dill Sauce

This recipe started out as a crab cake recipe from Jan's Sushi Bar, but since crab is more expensive than salmon we have switched and it is still equally as delicious! Maybe even more so!

I had originally tried this recipe from Whole Family Strong, but accidentally got the salmon with bones and skin included. I am not a fish eater. The flavor is fine. Let's just say that I have an incredibly sensitive gag reflex. I can't handle bones or gristle or any of that fun stuff. So I usually skip fish all together because I'm always afraid of getting a bone and it just basically ruins the eating experience for me if I'm in fear the whole time. I'm a baby. I know, lol.

So, when I got the cans opened and saw what looked like a little spine, I decided that I was not going to be eating salmon cakes for dinner. Hubby tried it and loved it, but I could barely eat what was on my plate while watching him shovel in bones and skin... yuck! Still get shivers just thinking about it.

So when I saw a recipe for crab cakes I was a little hesitant, but I do love crab cakes and so decided to be brave and try it. They were amazing. More than amazing. Maybe even better than chocolate. Almost.

The only problem is that I don't want to pay the price for crab. We tend to make very large batches and salmon is just cheaper. So I checked, double checked, and triple checked the can ... then triple checked inside the can when I got home to make sure that I did not get the kind with bones and skin. And I tried the crab cake recipe, substituting the crab with salmon.

I was not really all that anxious to try it, but decided to just go for it. I'm so happy that I did because I instantly fell in love. With no fear of bones I was able to enjoy the fishy cakes and they instantly became one of my new favorite recipes.

The crab cake recipe did not come with any kind of a sauce, but since I had just made a fresh batch of homemade mayo, I decided to use the dill sauce that came with the salmon cake recipe on the Whole Family Strong website and add it to the top. It is a match made in heaven, let me tell you. Each of them are yummy on their own, but oh-so-good together! : )

So we may or may not be having these crab salmon cakes once a week. I have decided to go back and try the original salmon recipe from WFS again and just make sure to get my boneless/skinless variety of salmon too. I'll let you know how that goes... if I can tear myself away from the tried and true recipe that is!

So if you want some mouth-wateringly delicious fishy cakes, try out the recipe yourself. I'm sure you won't be disappointed:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, preferably homemade
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 6 ounces lump crab meat salmon
  
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 teaspoons dill pickle, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• few grinds black pepper
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Gently combine all of the ingredients except the coconut oil in a medium mixing bowl. 
2. Carefully shape into three patties; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the crab cakes until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
4. Serve with fresh lemon and tartar or cocktail sauce.

Old Bay Seasoning

Ingredients: (Couldn't remember where I got this recipe, but here's what I have)

• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1 Tbsp pepper
• 1 tsp mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp nutmet
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions:

 1. Mix all well with pestle & mortar (or Nutribullet). 

Homemade Mayo

Source

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups extra light tasting olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. If you have time, bring your eggs to room 

    temperature by leaving out for a couple of 

    hours.

2. In a blender, add the eggs, vinegar, and 

    mustard and blend together well .

3. Leave the blender running and slowly-slowly-slowly,. drop-by-drop, drizzle in the olive oil. (This 

    will take a while but it is worth the wait and really MUST be done slowly.)

4. Turn the blender off once all the olive oil is in.  Add the salt and cayenne pepper and blend again 

    for another few seconds.

Source

Dill Sauce

Ingredients:

Juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp lemon zest 

2 tbsp dill

10 spoonfuls of homemade mayo 

Instructions: 

 1. In small bowl combine mayo, lemon juice, lemon zest, and dill. Mix well.


P.S. I forgot to add. You're gonna want to triple this recipe if not quadruple it. It's THAT good! : ) 

Easy Chicken Salad Recipe from Whole Family Strong!

This Easy Chicken Salad from Whole Family Strong is wonderful in so many ways. I really didn't think that I would like it, to be honest. I've never been a big fan of chicken salad, pasta salad, potato salad, or anything like that. I saw it on the website, it looked easy enough, and I figured that if I didn't like it, it could still be used as a filler for my husband to eat with his lunches.

I am happy to report, however, that I loved it! I think it maybe stemmed back to when I was little and I didn't like the crunch of the celery mixed in with everything else, but I had no problem with texture this time. And the flavors together are wonderful! The apple really gives it a nice sweetness. I do have to say that I didn't use any relish or pickles because I couldn't find any without additives, but it still tasted wonderful. 

This is something that makes quite a bit of leftovers, so it was perfect to add to the side of hubby's lunch or even in the morning for breakfast. We gave it two thumbs up!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs cooked, cooled and shredded chicken (about 1 whole chicken)
• 3 celery stalks, diced (optional)
• 4 tbsp relish or diced pickles (did not use)
• 1 small box of raisins or 1 diced apple
• 1 handful of sliced almonds (pecans are delicious here too)
• 1/4 cup homemade mayo
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Gourmet variations to add: 

• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• juice of half a lemon

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine chicken, celery, raisins, almonds and mayo. Mix well.
2. Add in salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Variations:
1. Add in mustard, lemon zest and lemon juice. Enjoy!

Sweet Beef Scramble

We had to run out on an errand directly following work yesterday. We went to finally pick up hubby's new glasses since he lost his in the river while kayaking the other week. He's so happy to be able to see clearly in comfortable glasses again. He went two weeks in his safety glasses from work and they squeeze his head, so I've heard a time or two, lol. But he looks very handsome in his new glasses and sunglasses so we're both glad that they are finally here!

Anyhow, we had to rush out after work to make it to the eye doctor's office before they closed and we needed something quick and easy. It just so happened that we had something quick and easy on the meal plan so it worked out perfectly! Sweet Beef Scramble, from Whole Family Strong, to the rescue!

I forgot to take the beef out of the freezer until about half way through the day, so I had to thaw that out, but that was the hardest part of this recipe. Seriously, it's that easy! 

I had some leftover butternut squash in the fridge so, instead of chopping up some sweet potatoes, I decided to go ahead and just use the squash instead. It was a decision I did not regret! I know that the sweet potatoes would have been good, but I really loved the squash in it too. I only did one onion instead of two also because it was a rather large onion and it seemed like a lot for just 1 pound of beef, but I love onion and probably would have chopped up another one if I hadn't been lazy, lol. Then just add in the salt and pepper. That's the end of the recipe. I decided to throw in some broccoli to ours too though. I like having something green in stir-fry type dishes and it really added some bulk to it, since this recipe doesn't yield a large amount like some of the other recipes we find online. 

It took just a short while to heat everything up and then it was ready to go. We put it in to-go containers and ate it on the way. I know you're not supposed to do that, but we were short on time and decided it'd be better than waiting a few extra hours after the doctor appointment. When we want to eat, we want to eat NOW! lol.

I definitely recommend this recipe if you're looking for something quick and easy and delicious. I especially love the sweet bit with the sweet potato/butternut squash. It really goes well with the beef flavor and just having minimal spices really allows you to enjoy the natural flavors of the food. This one is going on my "favorites" list. I'll just have to make sure to remember to double it next time because it goes quick!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed (I used 1/2 of leftover butternut squash)
  
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp crushed rosemary (didn't have any)
  
• salt
• pepper
• broccoli (my addition)

Directions:
1. Brown beef in skillet and season with rosemary, salt and pepper.
2. Spoon crumbled beef into serving dish.
3. In same skillet toss in sweet potatoes and onions to brown in beef fat.
4. When onions are soft and sweet potatoes are crispy, season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove from heat and add to serving dish.

Trying New Things!

When I came across this recipe on Whole Family Strong's website, I knew we had to try it. 

Mexican food has always been a weakness for me, even bad Mexican food (Taco Bell). I used to go to Taco Bell once or even twice a day (partly why I got so unhealthy) when I was at my heaviest weight. Sometimes I'd switch it up with Wendy's or Burger King or pizza or Chinese, but Mexican food was always my favorite! It's very hard to eat anything Mexican when you're on the Whole30 diet though. So this was a treat! We got to enjoy enchiladas! Or at least cabbage rolls with enchilada sauce, but that's good enough for us! 

I think I probably should have cooked the cabbage a little longer, or used a different kind. I'm not all that familiar with cabbages. I just recently started adding them into my vocabulary. I thought I hated cabbage as a child, so it's taken me a while to be brave enough to experiment with it as an adult. But, aside from it being a bit crunchy, the enchiladas were delicious! And I even made some Spanish cauliflower "rice" to go along with it. Perfect!

If you'd like to give it a try, here's how you do it!

 Ingredients for Enchiladas: 

• 10 outer leaves of cabbage
• 1 pound of meat
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• Enchilada sauce (see recipe below)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add in cabbage leaves and turn off heat.
3. Brown meat with garlic and set aside.
4. Put a spoonful of meat in each cabbage leaf. Roll the leaves and place in a baking dish.
5. Cover rolls with enchilada sauce and put dish in the oven for 20 minutes

 

Ingredients for Enchilada Sauce:

• 1/2 - 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup veggie broth
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp comino
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

 Directions:

1. Combine all of these ingredients in a saucepan and heat through.

Ingredients for Spanish Cauliflower "Rice":

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 14 oz. tomatoes, diced
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Put cauliflower through food processor to chop thoroughly
2. Heat oil on medium-high heat in wok or large pan
3. Add cauliflower and onion (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally
4. Add tomatoes and spices
5. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until desired consistency

So next time I'm going to try a different kind of cabbage, cook it til it is a bit more tender, and that's about it. I really can't complain at all about the seasonings or anything. It was delicious! And the best part, this recipe really filled us up! I guess I can take cabbage off of my "do not like" list now too. This one's going in the recipe box!

We're Halfway There! Meal Plans! And Camping!

We made it through Day 16 of our Whole30 challenge! We are half way done! And this week is supposed to be the time to start feeling that Tiger Blood!! We'll see what happens and I'll report back to let you know! 

I've got my meal plan figured out for this week and even went and bought all of the groceries and made a few prep items, but ... I forgot something. We're going camping this weekend with my parents. That means I have to figure out Whole30 in a cooler for 2 days. I found this great link on Whole30's webpage where they list several ideas for food choices when you have to eat on the go, in a hotel, or even camping and backpacking.

From an old camping trip.

My goal was to find foods that would be easy enough to make that I wouldn't be tempted to just give up and eat something convenient out of my parents' tent. They are going to have all of the traditional camping foods: hot dogs, marshmallows, biscuits and gravy, etc... so I need to be prepared. But, I don't want them to be so simple that they are just items thrown together and we get bored, nor do I want to have us going hungry. So I checked out this site and came up with a game plan! 

 

 

Here's the Meal Plan for Week 3 of the Whole30 challenge and my meal plan for our first camping trip eating Whole30 style!

Breakfasts: Lagniappe Casserole (WFS)

Snacks: Salmon Devilled Eggs (NW&W) with Homemade Mayo

Monday: Sweet Potato Chili (POAB)

Tuesday: Enchiladas (WFS) w/ Cauliflower Rice (NNP) seasoned with my own blend

Wednesday: Chicken Tenders (ELGP) w/ Parsnip-Sweet Potato Casserole (JSB) and veggies

Thursday: Garlic Mayo Roasted Chicken and Indian Spiced Sweet Potatoes (JSB) , Sauteed  

                 Asparagus (EM)

Friday: Lazy Man's Sheppard Pie (POAB)

Saturday:

      Breakfast: Lagniappe Casserole

      Lunch: Leftovers from the week

      Dinner:  Canned Salmon and a potato/veggie foil package to roast over the fire

Sunday: 

      Breakfast: Eggs with spinach, leftover beef from a roast, handful cashews and 1/2 apple

      Lunch: Tuna with guacamole, boiled egg, and raw veggies (celery, cucumber, carrots, bell pepper

      Dinner: Frozen leftover soup that we can heat up on the camp stove

I'll pack some cashews, unsweetened applesauce, olives, and kale chips for snacks if we feel the urge while sitting with my parents by the fire. We'll have to bring a lot of water too because they typically bring juice packets and beer ... which we can't have ... along with their water. But we want to make sure we don't run out. So, I feel like we've got a good plan of attack ... I'll let you know how it goes!! 

Typically, I start to feel a bit run down and ready to quit after week 2, but I am still feeling as strong as ever. I think that the whole idea behind ditching the scale has really been helping. I am taking notice of things that I probably wouldn't have if I had only been focusing on a number. I feel like I am on one steady ride of energy throughout the day instead of the roller coaster with a crash at 3 PM. I don't get the cravings at 3 PM like I used to either. My skin is still nice and clear and soft. I have no more headaches. I have an overall feeling of happiness, even though I feel my life is still plenty undecided and can be stressful at times. And I'm noticing that my shoulders seem to be slimming down, my stomach seems to be flattening a bit, and I am feeling more muscle tone. It's great!

I know we can make it through week 3!! 

Week 2 Meal Plan!

BBQ Pork on Plantain "bun"

If you missed my previous post on how I make my meal plans, feel free to click HERE and check it out. 

Meal planning makes cooking so much easier, especially if you are still learning. We're in that position right now; we kind of have an idea of what we can eat, but still fine tuning. So for now it's been easier to just follow other peoples' recipes. Eventually I would like to get to where I can start creating my own recipes again. And I'd really like to take some decent pictures to post with the recipes too. Maybe in time. Until then, here's the Meal Plan for Week 2 on the Whole30 program based on recipes I've compiled from a few different blogs and sources.

Breakfast: Lagniappe Casserole (WFS)
Always a favorite in our household! This typically will get us through until Thursday and we just have leftovers for Friday morning, then I'll cook on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
 

Filler: Easy Chicken Salad (WFS)
I wasn't sure I would like this as I am not typically fond of the stuff you buy at the deli. The homemade version is MUCH better and it has become one of my favorites. I love the touch of pepper. Just the right amount!

Monday: Gluten-Free Crab Cakes (JSB) with Dill Sauce (WFS) , asparagus and sweet potato
I was a bit timid to try this one because of my issues with bones in fish and seafood, but the crab did not come with any so I gave it a try and was surprised at how delicious it was. The dill sauce was perfect with it. 

Tuesday: Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup (JSB) with chicken
As I had guess, my husband heard what we were having and asked if there was any meat in it. He doesn't consider it a full meal unless there is some kind of animal protein involved, lol. The original recipe does not include chicken, but the chicken really made it perfect for us. And the sweet potato-coconut flavor is out of this world!

Wednesday: Pulled Pork with homemade BBQ sauce (TFF) on a plantain "bun" (TR), sweet potato, 

                      and veggies
We ended up running short on time for this recipe, which actually kind of worked because the pork was already done in the crock pot. The BBQ sauce only cooked for about 30 minutes but was still great! We'd never tried plantains before either, but they soon became another family favorite! So good!

Thursday: Sausage and Cabbage (WFS) with Sweet Mashed Potatoes (POAB) and spinach salad
I've never been a huge fan of cabbage, but this recipe works for me. I still can't say that cabbage will be my first choice, but hubby loved it so I guess if you enjoy cabbage you should take his opinion over mine in this case. The sweet mashed potatoes were great also, but I can't say no to anything sweet potato! : ) 

Friday: Spi-Garlicy Chicken (WFS) with Cauliflower Rice (NNP) and mixed veggies

Saturday: Pork chops with sweet potato-veggie medley (EGR: recipe coming soon)

Sunday: Moroccan Zucchini Boats (WIG) with veggies and spinach salad

We haven't made it through all of the recipes yet. We've still got a couple of days to go but, so far, none of them have let us down! They are delicious and filling!  I hope you get a chance to try them out!

Work It Out!

I said that I would let you all know what I've been up to as far as exercise...

I decided to follow Whole Family Strong's example and do a 2 days on/1 day off rotation. I've almost always done 5-6 days straight and then one day off. I've almost always gotten burnt out or really did not look forward to my workouts. I think that the new rotation, with 2 days exercise followed by 1 day of rest and repeat, is so much easier for many reasons. I no longer feel like I have to brace myself for a week's worth of workouts before I get a day off. I have more flexibility during the week to get things done and don't have to wait until the weekend for a day off. I am no longer forcing myself to do hour-long workouts each day for those 6 days. Sometimes I do an hour workout, but sometimes I do a 15 minute workout. It depends on how I'm feeling that day and what I have time for. I am working on just being active and not focusing on max calorie burn to make up for whatever I ate that day. And I can tell that I am much less stressed with this process.

So for the actual programs/workouts that I'm doing... 

I've been rotating between different things. I have got a collection of all different kinds of workouts from many different companies: Zumba, Zuzka Light, Insanity, P90x, Hip Hop Abs... and then I also do workouts online from Zuzka Light, Daily HIIT, and Fitness Blender. I do have to say that Fitness Blender is probably my favorite right now though. They've got a super easy web site where you can actually search for a workout based on what kind of exercise you want to do (cardio, strength, toning, etc.) or where you want to focus (back, legs, biceps, etc.) or how long you want to work out (15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc.) or which level of difficulty you'd prefer (1 - 5) and then finally there is the option for calorie burn where you choose a calorie burn range. So it really is perfect for people with busy lives to go in,find what they want, then do it! You can also save your favorite workouts so you can just hop back on another time and find it easily. I love it! 

The first week on the Whole30 program I did two Zuzka workouts, 2 Fitness Blender workouts, and 1 Jillian Michaels yoga workout. So far this week I've done 2 Fitness Blender workouts and 1 Zuzka workout. I really love the variety and being able to choose what I want to do each day. It makes it seem much less rigid and seems more palatable when I think about doing this as a lifestyle choice.

Eventually I'd like to try the Fitness Blender 8-Week Challenge again ... just to see what I can do with it, but right now I'm working on forming habits instead of trying to make myself do things a certain way. So, I think it's important not to push for too much all at the beginning and gradually work my way up to certain things. I can't comment much on the progress I've made so far since we're only 12 days into the program, we're not allowed to weigh ourselves, and I've been wearing yoga pants and dresses every day so far! But I feel so much better, I have more flexibility, and I know I'm doing good things for my body. And that's good enough for me for now!

Meal Plans!

I said I'd post my meal plan, so here's Week 1. 

Meatloaf "Cake"

I haven't experimented too much with my own concoctions yet. I've just been taking a recipe here, one there, until I get enough to fill up a week. 

I've done a little bit with meal plans in the past, but never quite had enough recipes to last so we'd end up substituting with something not-so-great or we'd just go out to eat. Another problem I've had in the past was choosing a ton of crock pot recipes. These are fabulous ... when you're prepared for them. But when it's 4 PM and you're starting to figure out what you'll need to get the meal prepared, there just isn't enough time at that point. Some of the meals I was able to convert to stove-top recipes, but others were just not going to happen. So that would kind of throw everything out of balance and I'd fall back into old habits of last minute planning and eating bad foods. 

So this time I am prepared!

I am searching for simple recipes that do not include a bunch of ingredients that I would never have on hand. I am looking for quick recipes for days when we don't have much time. I also have a few crock pot recipes, but they aren't the bulk anymore and I try to write down on the previous day that I need to get that ready in the morning. One thing I do love about crock pot meals, though, is that you can prepare them the night before and just pull them out and plug them in the next day. So easy! 

My process:

First, it really helps that I am organized, probably more so than I need to be, but I like it, lol. I keep tabs at the top of my Mozilla window. As you can see, I have one for my blog, one for random weight loss resources, and a quick link to the Fitness Blender page (it's my favorite). Then I have a tab for Meal Planning. I have sub-categories in this tab. The first one is a tab dedicated to recipes. And, as you can see, I have them organized into different categories based on what they are. I may be slightly OCD, but it helps so much! I promise! 

Under the recipes folder, there is a folder for sources of recipes. These would be places like Nom Nom Paleo, Paleo On A Budget, Whole Family Strong, etc. That way I can just go to these places quickly and search for something if I need another recipe. 

There is a folder dedicated to the Whole30 process as well. Just quick links to pages in case I need some motivation or a reminder on what the rules are, etc. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Sawsage N Peppas mixed together

And the bottom two folders are links to holiday foods, for when Thanksgiving rolls around, and then some local farms and farmer's markets in our area so I don't forget. Like I said, maybe a bit OCD. 

So, I add these recipes as I find them ... or I just go out and actively search for recipes. Then I start organizing them into the next folders "W:1" and "W:2" for each week. I label them according to which day we will be having them and what we are making with them. To be organized, you know. And then I just have to do a quick look to see what the day's meal is and what I will need. I usually write out the recipe on an index card and use that while I'm cooking. Then if I really love the recipe, I save the index card and put it in a photo album. I'd like to take pictures and print them some day of each of the recipes and include them in the album with the recipe, but I haven't gotten there yet. 

"Spaghetti" and Mamma's Meatballs & Marinara

Whole30 Week 1 Meal Plan

Breakfasts: Lagniappe Casserole (WFS)

Lunches: leftovers

Snack/filler: Paleo Crock Pot Turkey Chili (WFS)

Monday: Salmon Cakes (WFS) with baked sweet potato and

               mixed veggies

Tuesday: Beef Stir Fry (POAB)

Wednesday: Sawsage-n-Peppas (WFS) with Roasted Sweet

                    Potatoes (POAB) and veggies

Thursday: Spaghetti (squash) with Mamma's Meatballs and

                 Marinara Sauce (SLE)

Friday: Meatloaf "Cake" (WFS) with veggies and spaghetti

             squash

Saturday: Spicy Shred (WFS) with veggies

Sunday: Slow Cooker Jambalaya (ELGP)

So there you have it! 

Our first week on the Whole30 program. The breakfast casserole only lasted us about 4 or 5 days, but I was able to get up and cook on the weekend so it wasn't an issue. There was also plenty of leftover food for lunches and to add to a meal if we wanted. I don't think the Turkey Chili was really my favorite, but I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes and there are a lot in that recipe, so that's just my preference. I did really enjoy all the other recipes except for the salmon (I don't really care for it). But I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Jambalaya recipe. It's my favorite and I'll probably be doing a blog post on that one soon just to give it the spotlight. But the link is there if you'd like to try it.

I hope I gave you some good meal planning ideas or maybe just some good recipe ideas. There really isn't a wrong way to meal plan as long as it works for you and your family. So have fun with it, try new things. And keep it healthy! Or, as I like to say, Get Real! : )

Whole30 Day 3! Feeling the Hangover!

They say that there is a general timeline for people as they work their way through the Whole30 process. This is how it typically goes for people:

Day 1: So what's the big deal? You don't understand why anyone thinks this is so hard.

Days 2 - 3: Hangover. Headaches, fatigue, etc. 

Days 4 - 5: Kill all things! Irritation and impatience.

Days 6 - 7: I just want to nap! All you will want is your bed!

Days 8 - 15: Boundless energy! Now give me a darned Twinkie! You'll have a lot of energy, but those cravings will be serious business. 

Days 16 - 28: Tiger blood! You are feeling great, have energy again, things are clear and optimistic.

Day 29: HolyOprahIt’sAlmostOverWhatAmIGoingToEatNow?!?!?!

Day 31: Deep breathing ... and maybe some ice cream.  

To read more details about each phase of the process, read the full article HERE.

I'm feeling it!

I can tell you that I am definitely right on track with the timeline. The first day, and even the second day, were mostly "Eh, this is not such a big deal." Today, Day 3, I've got a headache and I woke up feeling more refreshed, but still feel like I could just go back to bed. Plus, I am so sore today from the two workouts I've done in the last two days. Since we're doing a 2 days on/1 day off routine, however, I can take a rest day today and recover. Also, I've eaten the same thing for breakfast in the last three days. The first two days were fine, I was full, I felt good. Today, I feel like I could eat a huge pile of pancakes after I just ate my Lagniappe Casserole. All of this is normal, apparently, so I am just going to stick it out and see what happens when I get in the "Kill All Things" stage. Luckily, my husband and I are doing this program together, so we'll be entering that phase together. Should be interesting, haha!

My husband and I are doing the Whole30 program, but I also signed up for the Whole30 Daily and I bought their book, "It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways ." I tend to go all out when I'm motivated to do something. I also love to learn about why food affects us the way it does and how to control it so it doesn't control us. I have to say that both of these extra resources, the Daily and the book, have been a great investment so far.

Whole30 Daily:

 The Whole30 Daily is "32 days' worth of information (including a Day 0 and Day 31) written just for you, specific to that particular day of your program".

Credit: whole9life.com

Each day there is an email in my inbox explaining what I can expect for that day and tips for staying on track. And at the end of each email are two links. At the end of the day, and if you managed to stay on task, you click on the link that says, "I did it!" But if you got off track, there is a link that says, "I didn't do it. I need to start over" and it will take you back to the beginning. So it's nice to have that little click at the end of the day to look forward to. And the information in the emails really helps to explain my emotions and everything I'm experiencing and makes it a bit more bearable.

 

Credit: gooogle.com

"It Starts with Food": 

Whole30 describes their book, "It Starts with Food", as a source that "details the "why," the "how," and the "what happens next?" of the Whole30 in an entertaining, accessible manner".

I'm only about 7 chapters into this book so far, but it has proven to be an incredible resource. I bought it for just $10 on my Kindle and I have found myself highlighting something on every page, just because there is so much information that I want to remember! I've done research before on why food makes me feel the way I feel, but there is something about this book that really takes it to the next step. It is scientific, but not so much that you can't understand. And they use a lot of helpful analogies to help you really get a grasp on what is going on in your body. And the best part, it all finally makes sense! I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the book and I'm so happy I ordered it. For just $10, you really can't beat that.


My husband and I are also talking rewards today. We've decided that we are going to reward ourselves (other than the obvious reward of a healthier lifestyle) with a non-food gift. We haven't quite figured out what they'll be yet, but I will let you know when we do. All we know so far is that if he messes up one day, then he doesn't get his reward, but I don't either. And vice versa. We think this will keep us more on task because we are both more likely to be less concerned for our own gifts and would rather not take that away from each other because of something we did. And it will help us really motivate each other. We want our gifts! Haha! Make sense?

Ok, well that's my check in for today. Gonna go get some lunch around. Hope you're all having a great Wednesday! And if anyone else is currently doing a Whole30 challenge, or maybe you've finished one, I would love to hear about your experiences!

Recipe: Sweet Potato Cinnamon Hashies

I love the recipes I've tried so far from Whole Family Strong's site. They are simple and they use ingredients that I'm likely to have already. They are quick and delicious too! This recipe uses one of my favorite ingredients: sweet potatoes. I make sweet potato fries all the time, but this was my first time shredding a sweet potato. My food processor made quick work of that though and I actually shredded about twice as much as was called for and used the extra in other recipes throughout the week. Quick and easy.

Credit: wholefamilystrong.com

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato (makes about 30 hashies)
• Cinnamon
• Egg whites
• Coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Shred your sweet potatoes in a food processor.
2. Combine 1 large handful of sweet potatoes with one egg white and 1 tbsp of cinnamon in a bowl.

3. Mix all ingredients together. You want all the sweet potatoes to be covered in egg whites but not “wet”. If they look a little too wet add in some more sweet potatoes. The main component here is the sweet potatoes, not the eggs. The eggs are just used as a delicious binder.

4. Heat a thin layer of oil in pan on medium heat.

 5. Drop sweet potato mixture by tbsp-full into oil and press down to flatten. Brown on each side for about 4 minutes each.

6. Continue to repeat these steps until you have made enough sweet potato cinnamon hashies to satisfy your tribe.


It did take me a few batches to get it down. The first ones were a little bit burnt, but eventually I got the hang of it. I also discovered they can be very tasty also if you drizzle a little bit of honey on top and sprinkle some salt on them. Yummy! : )