Quick and Easy Sausage Gravy #SeptemberWhole30 #Paleo #GlutenFree

#SeptemberWhole30…Mercifully the End Is in Sight!

So we’ve arrived at the final week of our second round of #Whole30. We can see the end from here and I’m feeling a sense of relief. This has been a much harder process than our first Whole30. As I’ve continued to struggle with lagging motivation, I’ve reflected on my own motivations and goals for this doing this round. Many (too many probably) of my goals were related to my appearance or were self-focused, dare I say even selfish goals. Here’s a portion of my goals for this #SeptemberWhole30:
• More energy to exercise – I wanted to start a walking regimen (but I haven’t walked once)
• Create and try new recipes
• No more under-eye circles
• Brighter eyes
• Want my clothes to fit better
• Looking younger
Those types of goals could be describes as external or “extrinsic” motivators. Research has shown that extrinsic factors are significantly less motivating than internal or intrinsic factors. The moral of this story is that internal goals are more motivating than external goals so keep that in mind when you’re considering committing to a (somewhat difficult) program like #Whole30.

One benefit I’ve noticed during both our first Whole30 and this round is feeling more in control of food. I’m far less likely to overeat. I’m less likely to to keep eating just because the food tastes good. I find it much easier to simply stop eating midway through the meal; to leave food on the plate; and to just walk away from the table. It’s possible that some of my willingness to stop eating has to do with my general disinterest in the food. At this stage of the game, I’ve pretty much exhausted my ability to create new or exciting Whole30-compliant recipes. Because we’ve eaten our old stand-byes so many times, I’ve been desperately seeking quick and easy ways to jazz them up like adding a sauce or gravy. This sausage gravy really perks up plain scrambled eggs, omelets or leftover meat and potatoes. My family was very pleased and asked that I keep this one in the rotation even after we’ve finished Whole30 which is the ultimate test of a tasty recipe!

Quick and Easy Sausage Gravy #Whole30 #Paleo #Glutenfree #Dairyfree #Grainfree

Ingredients:
• 1-2 lb. Whole30-compliant (sulfite and sugar-free) Sausage, casings removed
• 3 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill Instant Potato Flakes
• 2 Tbsp. Tapioca Starch (I used this one from Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/3 cup Original Unsweetened Nut Pods Creamer
• 1/3 cup Homemade or Whole30-compliant Chicken Broth
(Find a list of commercially-available Whole30-approved broths here)
• 1/3 cup Distilled (Cold) Water
• ½ tsp. Sea Salt
• ¼ tsp. Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Hardware:
• Large frying pan or cast iron skillet
• Measuring spoons
• Large glass measuring cup (at least 2 cup size)
• Spatula
• Wire whisk (optional)

Instructions:
1. Place sausage in large frying pan or cast iron skillet. Place pan on stove. Turn stove setting to MEDIUM-HIGH setting (7). Cook sausage over MEDIUM-HIGH heat, using spatula to break up sausage into smaller pieces as it cooks, and to prevent any sausage pieces from burning.
2. After meat has completely, turn off the heat. At this point, you may drain the fat from the browned meat. Because I used venison sausage, there really wasn’t an excess amount of fat. But if you use pork sausage, you’ll probably need to drain it.
3. In a large measuring cup (preferably one with spout) stir together coffee creamer, broth and water. Then add salt and pepper and stir again to combine. Add to this mixture the instant potato flakes and tapioca starch. Stir well until there are no large lumps visible.
4. Place pan with cooked sausage back on stove over LOW-MEDIUM heat (3). Slowly stir liquid mixture into meat in 3-4 additions, stirring well after each addition using a wire whisk or fork to stir mixture.
5. Reduce heat to LOW and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring more or less continuously. At this point, you may cover gravy and keep covered over LOW heat, stirring occasionally, up to 30 minutes. Just be sure to keep stirring it occasionally.

Notes and Serving Suggestions: I tried to note this above but it’s worth repeating, the liquids should be cold when initially combined with the potato flakes and tapioca starch in order to prevent lumpy gravy. Also disregard my pic featuring the unsweetened French Vanilla flavored Nut Pods creamer. That’s a mistake. You really want to use the original (unflavored) version for best results.

As far as serving suggestions – obviously, during Whole30 you wouldn’t serve this over biscuits (the traditional southern style) unless you’re family is not doing Whole30 with you. This gravy really jazzed up our scrambled eggs meal and is delicious over just about any egg preparation you can imagine. I think of it as a condiment, a super sauce if you will to help us get through these last difficult days of this #SeptemberWhole30!

Wisdom for the Day:
“Even if the fig tree does not bloom and the vines have no grapes, even if the olive tree fails to produce and the fields yield no food, even if the sheep pen is empty and the stalls have no cattle — even then, I will be happy with the Lord. I will truly find joy in God, who saves me.” ~Habakkuk 3:17-18 (God’s Word Translation)
Read more here.

Save Your Money – Toddler Veggie Tots or Puffs

On the Left: Money-Saving Veggie Puffs On the Right: Dr. Praeger's Spinach Littles

Left: My Homemade Veggie Puffs. Right: Dr. Praeger’s Spinach Littles

I have a secret. I’m completely addicted to toddler food. Actually, it’s just 1 particular toddler food.
For years now, I’ve been loving these Dr. Praeger’s Spinach and Broccoli Littles. Love. Love. LOVE. Them. I’ll drive way out of my way to find these “little” veggie+potato treats, and cheerfully pay more than $5 per 10 oz. box (I usually purchase 4 to 5 boxes at a time since they’re hard to find in my area) to feed my habit.

My love affair with Dr. Praeger’s products began several years ago. After several years of “healthy” vegan eating, I developed a severe allergic reaction to the soy-based meat substitutes I was eating on a regular. So when I first spotted these non-GMO, soy-free alternatives at Whole Foods, I grabbed them up and was quickly hooked. When I was pregnant and craving these tasty little buggers, I even sent Hubs up to the nearest Whole Foods (over an hour each direction) to score a few boxes for me! I have such a wonderful husband!

I love them because they’re green and filled with non-GMO green veggies and potatoes. They’re certified gluten-free (and in fact, contain no grains whatsoever). There’s nothing funky or nasty in them (save for some canola oil which admittedly is not the best, but at least it’s not hydrogenated or full of trans fats); no grains or gluten (they’re certified gluten-free); and no dairy or soy. They’ve got some protein in there too, thanks to the inclusion of egg whites. And they just taste great! They’re fun to eat and just make me feel good. But since I’m an adult (not the target market), I tend to eat a bunch of them (when I have them). So, keeping my “Littles” supply stocked can be rather expensive.

Recently Hubs and I were stocking up, and I was overcome with a bit of buyer’s remorse. As I emerged from the store’s freezer holding 5 boxes of assorted Dr. P.’s Littles, I made the following off-hand remark. “These things are ridiculously expensive. I bet I could make them, or something very similar.” Since Hubs manages the grocery budget, he was immediately excited by my comment. I, on the other hand, was immediately regretful I’d said something so foolish, thinking “I could never make anything as delicious as my beloved Dr. P’s.” I reluctantly agreed to try to create a recipe similar too my beloveds but insisted we purchase the 5 boxes I was holding “you know, just so I have something to compare my own recipe to.” Gotta love that rationalization there.

Hub agreed, and I began searching the all-knowing Internet for some sort of “Dr. Praeger’s Littles” dupe recipe. I quickly found several recipes posted on various Pinterest boards, all of which claimed to be dupes. Sadly, each one of those recipes included cheese, lots of cheese, sometimes 2 types of cheese in a single recipe. Ugh! Since dairy is a deal-breaker for me, I decided to wing it, and try to create something yummy using the same ingredients listed on the box (but subbing extra virgin avocado oil for the aforementioned canola. And I used tapioca powder instead of arrowroot because that’s all I had, but either would work well).

I’m excited about the following recipe for a few reasons. First, I’m excited because these little puffs taste really good, and because I envision them saving us some grocery money. I really enjoy eating them, and (even more importantly), my daughter likes to eat them too. Woohoo! Score one for Mommy! I’m also excited to share a recipe that features spinach, which is #8 on HealthGrove’s list of the top 30 foods for beautiful skin and hair. For those of you who are unaware, I’ve been posting a series of #Whole30-compliant and #paleo-correct recipes based on that HealthGrove list. Spinach is a favorite in our house. It’s literally our daughter’s favorite food which makes me very happy because spinach is such an amazing food. These mild leafy greens are an excellent source of folate, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium and many awesome antioxidant and beautifying vitamins (including: Vitamins A, B2, C, E, and K). You can read all about Popeye’s power source here. If you’re interested in reading the whole list of 30 best foods for beauty, you can find the full list here. And if you’ve missed any of the previous recipes in this series, be sure to check out the list and links at the bottom of this post.

INGREDIENTS:
• ½ sweet onion diced + ¼ cup chicken or vegetable broth (optional)
• 14 oz. bag frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and well-drained
• 1•½ cup liquid egg whites (roughly the whites from 12 large eggs)
• 3 cups cooked finely diced or shredded potatoes, divided
• 1 Tbsp. sea salt
• 20 cranks of crushed black pepper
• ¼ – ½ tsp. garlic powder or 1-2 whole, peeled garlic cloves (according to taste; I recommend using ¼ tsp. if using onion)
• 1•½ cup potato flakes (For this and all my #Whole30 recipes, I recommend these flakes from Bob’s Red Mill because those are the only potato flakes I’ve found that are 100% dehydrated potatoes without dextrose or any unapproved additives)
• 2 Tbsp. tapioca starch
• 4 Tbsp. chia seeds
• Nonstick coconut oil spray
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin avocado or olive oil

HARDWARE:
• Powerful blender or food processor (I used our Vitamix, and it worked really well)
• Measuring cups + spoons
• 2 Baking pans (I used 2 mini muffin tins) coated with nonstick coconut oil
• 1 Large mixing bowl
• 2 Microwave-safe bowls (medium and small)
• 1 oz. cookie scoop
• Oven

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. If including onion in your veggie tots, cut onion into slices. Then transfer onion to a small microwave-safe bowl along with ¼ cup broth. Cover bowl with a paper towel and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Remove bowl from microwave and set aside.
2. Place 3 cups diced or shredded potatoes into a larger microwave-safe bowl. Cover with paper towel and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. Remove bowl from microwave and set aside.
3. Pour the following ingredients into the canister of a powerful blender or food processor with ‘S’ blade attached: cooked onion mixture; drained spinach or greens; shredded, 2 cups diced (or shredded) potatoes; sea salt; black pepper; and garlic (if using). Place lid on food processor or blender. Then process/blend on LOW setting about 30 seconds or until mixture is liquified and thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into a very large mixing bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together potato flakes, tapioca starch; and chia seeds. Then add this mixture to the spinach mixture, along with remaining 1 cup diced or shredded potatoes. Stir well to thoroughly combine. Cover bowl with aluminum foil and refrigerate batter for 30 minutes (up to overnight).
5. When ready bake, preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit (204° Celsius). And spray 2 large mini muffin tins with nonstick coconut oil spray. Then drizzle 1 Tbsp. avocado oil over each of the pans. If using regular cookie sheets, cover sheet with parchment paper. Then lightly coat paper with nonstick spray and drizzle 1 Tbsp. oil over each pan. Set pans aside.
6. Using a 1 oz. cookie scoop, scoop batter into/onto prepared muffin tins or baking sheets. Sprinkle puffs lightly with more sea salt if desired.
7. Bake at 400° Fahrenheit (204° Celsius) for 35 minutes (mini-muffin tins) – 45 minutes (for puffs on cookie sheets).

SERVING SUGGESTIONS & NOTES:
While these little treats are technically #Whole30-compliant, they’re potato-heavy (i.e. high carbs). It’s best to think of these puffs as a starchy side dish, not a high-protein entrée. I recommend enjoying these treats in moderation and serving alongside a nice lean meat and toss salad. This recipe makes a ton, but these little puffs freeze well. If you do plan to freeze and reheat later, bake for just 30-35 minutes. Then allow cooked puffs to cool thoroughly before transferring to a large freezer bag. To reheat, remove puffs from freezer and allow to sit on counter until puffs reach room temperature. Then preheat oven to 400° F (204° C) and oil a baking sheet. Then place desired number of puffs of prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for about 10 minutes.

3 Little Veggie Puffs Just Begging to be Eaten!

Wisdom for the Day:
“But God chose what the world considers nonsense to put wise people to shame. God chose what the world considers weak to put what is strong to shame. God chose what the world considers ordinary and what it despises—what it considers to be nothing—in order to destroy what it considers to be something.”
~I Corinthians 1:27-28 (God’s Word Translation) Read more here.

Beauty Resource of the Day:
You ever notice how all the YouTube beauty gurus are always raving the latest and greatest product roll-outs? It’s pretty rare to encounter a beauty review or tutorial video that really praises those products that have been around for years. So when I encounter a YouTuber who embraces oldy but goodies, I get excited and want to share it. Check out this full talk-thru tutorial as Emily Noel discusses (and demos) her favorite all-time drugstore products. Take notes because the products she recommends are excellent and bound to save you some money!

Check Out These Great Recipes from the (HealthGrove) Top 30 Foods for Beauty Series:
Whole30-Compliant Sloppy Joes on Sweet Potato Toasts
Super Simple & Sumptuous Sweet Potatoes
Stupid Easy Paleo Cran-Cherry Sauce #WHOLE30 #Vegan #Raw
QUICK & EASY BEAUTIFYING PAPAYA SALAD #WHOLE30 #PALEO #VEGAN
Presto Peachy Lime Vinaigrette #WHOLE30-compliant #Vegan #Paleo #Raw
Split Second Strawberry Vinaigrette #WHOLE30 Compliant (#raw, #paleo & #vegan)
Fix-It-And-Forget-It: Simply Beautiful Southern Greens Crockpot #WHOLE30 Compliant
Quick & Easy Paleo Lemon Garlic Salad Dressing #WHOLE30 Compliant
Chicken Tri-Almandine Casserole
WHOLE30 Stuffed Zucchini 2 Ways
Easy Cheezy Chicken & Broccoli Soup with Crispy Potato Croutons

WHOLE30 Day #30 – So This Is It….(Paleo) Pie for Everyone!!!

WHOLE30 Day #30 –This is it, the final day of our inaugural WHOLE30 journey. As I discussed in the WHOLE30 Day #25 post, both Hubs and I have achieved some positive results from this 30-day cycle. Over the next few days, I will be writing a couple more posts to summarize our first experience with WHOLE30 – the good, the bad, and the painful. I will also be posting my own list of recommended products for “doing the WHOLE30.” These will be various foods (primarily) and some other items we found along the way that made the experience easier, tastier and generally more tolerable.

This was a challenging final day for us, in part because we had company this weekend. When you have company, of course, you generally have to serve food that is WHOLE30 approved. In this case, our visitors were a family of 5 – including my beautiful cousin, a strict vegetarian, her husband and their 3 boys – all under the age of 7. So at various points this weekend our kitchen was filled with fresh-from-the-bakery cookies (chocolate chip AND peanut butter), tortilla chips, pizza and chicken nuggets. Tempting goodies to be sure. But the joy of hosting family and the pleasure of using one’s home to show hospitality makes it so worthwhile.

To avoid diving face-first into the delicious-looking and even better smelling piping hot cheesy pizza (which was coincidentally the very subject of my food fantasies just a couple weeks ago), I prepared for myself the following go-to recipe. I’ve used this at several points during our WHOLE30 when I’ve felt particularly deprived. I haven’t posted this recipe previously because it comes perilously close to what the WHOLE30 authors refer to as a “paleo pancake,” and which they specifically state is off-limits during the program. However, the primary component here is protein – in this case egg whites – not some flour substitute like tapioca etc. Therefore I believe it deserves the title omelet, even if it does satisfy my sweet cravings!

Paleo Pumpkin Pie Omelet (AKA “The P3 Omelet”)

Ingredients:
• 1/3 medium sweet potato, peeled
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
• 2 cups liquid egg whites
• ¼ tsp. iodized sea salt
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground ginger
• pinch each: ground cloves, allspice and nutmeg
NOTE: if you happen to have Pumpkin Pie Spice on-hand you can just use 1/2 tsp. of that in place of the cinnamon, ginger etc.
• nonstick spray (I used nonstick coconut oil spray)
• stevia, if desired (other options include cacao nibs, pure maple syrup and melted ghee)

Hardware:
• electric skillet or large (preferably nonstick) heavy frying pan
• high-powered blender (e.g. Nutribullet, Vitamixer, etc.)

Process:
1. Place sweet potato in microwave on HIGH for about 2-3 minutes (depending on strength/size of your microwave) until cooked through. Allow to cool slightly.
2. When sweet potato is cool enough to handle, place in canister of blender, then add next 6 ingredients.

Hmm, not so very appetizing at this stage. But stick with me!

3. Cover and blend on LOW-MEDIUM speed until fully blended and no chunks of sweet potato remain.
4. Place a large skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and spray with nonstick spray. If using an electric skillet, preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Pour half the mixture into the prepared pan and cover pan. Turn heat down to MEDIUM (about 350 on electric skillet). Allow omelet to cook until surface appears dry (about 5 minutes). Then carefully flip.
6. Cook about 5 more minutes on the other side. Repeat process with remaining omelet mixture.
7. Serve & Enjoy. NOTE: I like to sprinkle the omelet with a little stevia before serving. It’s also great with a few cacao nibs sprinkled on top and some melted ghee. Heck if you’ve completed WHOLE30 (or are just trying to eat Paleo), you may as well top it with some pure maple syrup. Go crazy!
Makes about 4 servings

Verse of the Day:
Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
~I Peter 4:9 (NKJV)
Read more here.

Resource of the Day:
Looking to improve your hosting skills? Here’s a magnificent list of 10 totally do-able steps to increase your hospitality IQ.
NOTE: The Art of Simple is also a lovely all-around blog about house, home and family!

WHOLE30 Day #29 – Feeling Thankful

WHOLE30 Day #29 – This is the penultimate (I just love that word!) day of our inaugural WHOLE30 journey. In plain English, it’s our second to last day. We can see the end from here. It’s exciting. I already feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment, and I’m grateful that Hubs and I were able to go through it together. But there’s another feeling too, almost a nervousness or apprehension, like I’m not ready for it to end. Gone are the cravings that haunted me a week or two ago. I no longer go to sleep at night counting cream-filled doughnuts. I don’t really want to go back to my previous way of eating. And there are still so many WHOLE30-esque recipes buzzing around in my head that I’ve yet to try.

The one that follows is something that came to me during the period of overwhelming food yearnings. During a rare moment of quiet in our house, I sat gleefully perusing internet food porn while fantasizing about various delicious meals I’d enjoyed in days gone by. I remembered with fondness our annual Thanksgiving feasts, complete with moist turkey, savory homemade stuffing (or dressing if you’re so inclined), gooey sweet potatoes, maybe some mashed potatoes and apple pie too. Then I thought, what if I combined all those flavors into one dish? Something small I could eat with my hands, so I could shove a whole lot in my mouth all at once, something like …. meatballs. Surely, I could find a way to make meatballs taste good using WHOLE30 ingredients. Voilà!

Thanksgiving Meatballs

Thanksgiving Dinner in a Meatball!!!

As an additional comment (added since the original posting of this recipe), I want to mention something I’ve discovered regarding instant potato flakes. It has come to my attention that some brands contain various preservatives including sulfites, which are not approved for consumption during WHOLE30 (and which are frankly unhealthy for us to eat at any time). I highly recommend Bob’s Red Mill Potato Flakes. You can purchase this product online through iHerb or Amazon, and it is also available in many grocery stores. The moral of the story – it’s always important to check the ingredient lists of any products you purchase, especially when doing WHOLE30.

Back to the meatballs – I’ll warn you, this is a somewhat labor-intensive recipe but it’s SO worth the effort. This is possibly my family’s favorite WHOLE30 recipe so far. I’m betting your family will enjoy it as well. Be sure and leave me some comments to let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato peeled and cooked
• 2 apples, chopped finely (I left mine unpeeled)
• 9 oz. package frozen spinach, defrosted and well drained
• 1 pound lean (e.g. 93%) ground turkey breast (uncooked)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
• ½-3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes (dry)
• ¼ cup coconut oil

Hardware:
• large (preferably nonstick) heavy frying pan with lid or electric skillet
• large baking sheet
• food processor

Process:
1. Place sweet potato in microwave on HIGH for about 3-5 minutes (depending on strength/size of your microwave) until cooked through.
Allow to cool slightly.
2. When sweet potato is cool enough to handle, place in canister of food processor along with apples, and pulse until mostly smooth.
3. Remove lid and add next 9 ingredients. Cover and process on LOW-MEDIUM speed until fully blended.
4. Pour mixture into large bowl and fold in ½ cup mashed potato flakes. Stir until well combined.
5. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight is best.
At this point, you may need to add some more potato flakes to thicken the mixture. Try adding 1 Tbsp. at a time to avoid ending up with overly dry
meatballs. If you do need to add more, be sure to stir well after each addition to fully combine.
6. Using clean hands (I wore disposable sanitary gloves), form mixture into individual meatballs about 1/8 cup each in size. Place on well-oiled baking
sheet.

To cook the meatballs you have 2 options: Fry or bake. I tried both and they work equally well. I’d say that baking was a lot easier for me, but it’s your call.

7. To Fry: Place a large skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and spray with nonstick spray. If using an electric skillet, preheat to 375 degrees
Fahrenheit. When pan is hot, melt 3 Tbsp. coconut oil and rotate pan to evenly distribute the oil.
Place half the meatballs into the prepared pan and cover pan. Turn heat down to MEDIUM (about 350 on electric skillet). Cover pan and allow to cook about
8 minutes.
Remove lid and carefully flip each meatball over.
Cover pan again and cook about 10 more minutes. Repeat process with remaining meatballs and coconut oil. You may do this ahead of time and reheat them in
a 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes if desired.
8. To Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees (Fahrenheit). Melt coconut oil in microwave (should take about 20 seconds on HIGH) and drizzle over meatballs. Toss meatballs gently to coat with oil.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then remove pan from oven and carefully flip each meatball.
Return to oven and cook about 8 more minutes. Remove from oven and check for doneness. As above, you may prebake meatballs and reheat them in a 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes just prior to serving if desired.
Serve & Enjoy! Makes about 6 large servings

Verse of the Day:
But I will sing to You and sacrifice to You with a voice filled with thanksgiving; Whatever I promised, I will certainly pay it because deliverance is from the Eternal alone.
~Jonah 2:9 (The Voice)
Read more here.

Resource of the Day:
Have you recently achieved a goal and feel like treating yourself to a Pretty Mommy beautification product? Check out this list of drugstore dupes for high-end makeup products. Use this list to score several products for the price of one. Win, win!

WHOLE30 Day #25 – Cheez-It!

+NOTE: This post has been updated since I originally published it and now includes some additional info as obtained from the WHOLE30 Forums.

WHOLE30 Day #25 –The final week of April has begun, which is particularly noteworthy because it marks the last full week of our first WHOLE30 journey. You’ll notice that I’m referring to it now as our “first” adventure with WHOLE30. It’s easy to envision oneself repeating this admittedly difficult process when there are only 6 days left to endure.

It’s also easier to envision repeating WHOLE30 when you can point to several specific rewards gained from the program. Both my husband and I have noticed positive physical changes in the last few weeks. Hubs has lost inches off his waist which was his primary physical goal entering WHOLE30 and is, according to multiple studies an important health marker, especially as we age. To read more about Hubs’ experiences and results, check out “I’m at a Loss,” at Functional Dad.net.

I didn’t use measurements for my pre-WHOLE30 goal-setting. I probably should have, but I developed a significant aversion to that yellow measuring tape while I was pregnant. The trauma of seeing those ever-increasing numbers of my girth was just too much for me. My goal has, for many months now, been quite simply to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes. So for me, a major accomplishment was comfortably fitting into several pair of my pre-pregnancy work pants and – drumroll please – getting into a pair of my pre-pregnancy jeans. True, they don’t fit like they used to, but I got them on. And that’s a huge deal for me! Huge.

Despite these significant and tangible achievements, we’ve still got 6 days and nights worth of meals to get through. According to the handy, dandy official WHOLE30 Timeline (which if you’ve been following this blog, you’ve seen repeatedly by now), we should have been pretty tired of eggs in all iterations by about day 10 or 11. So you can imagine that by days 24 or 25, we need something to jazz up our stand-by omelets. Here’s where my years as a vegan came in handy. I remembered a recipe I’d made a long time ago using cashews and nutrient yeast to make a kind of cheese-ish sauce. Full disclosure here, I’m not 100% sure if the WHOLE30 authors would technically approve of nutrient yeast (I couldn’t find it on any approved or disapproved food list so I’m making a judgement call. +++UPDATE: I was finally able to find some additional info regarding nutrient yeast in the fabulous WHOLE30 Forums. See additional comments at bottom of post.). And as I’ve discussed before, I’ve intentionally decided to avoid my natural predilection toward perfectionism in order to increase my own likelihood of completing the “whole” WHOLE30 days (pun intended). The recipe below was just what we needed to add a little punch to our egg meals. As a bonus the “cheez-ish” sauce goes great on just about any protein dish (try it on plain baked chicken, turkey, pork or beef); adds zing to baked or roasted potatoes and livens up any salad. Hope your family enjoys it as much as we did!

Cheez-ish Sauce the Awesome Omelet Topper

Cheez-ish Sauce – Delicious Topper for Omelets, Potatoes, and All Manner of Assorted WHOLE30 Goodies!!!

WHOLE30-ish Cheez-Ish Sauce
Ingredients:
• 1 cup “raw” cashews
• 1 whole red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup nutrient yeast
• ½ tsp. prepared Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. iodized sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. turmeric

Hardware:
• distilled or filtered water
• high-powered blender (e.g. Nutribullet, Vitamixer, etc.) or food processor

Process:
1. Place cashews in canister of blender or food processor and cover with enough distilled or filtered water to completely cover cashews.
Soak cashews for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
2. While the cashews soak, wash and core the bell pepper, cutting into large chunks so it will puree more easily.
3. Strain cashews and retain some of the soaking liquid.
4. Place cashews, about 2 Tbsp. soaking liquid, chopped pepper and remaining ingredients in canister and puree until very smooth.
You may have to add more soaking liquid but do so very carefully, adding only about 1 tsp. at a time to avoid breaking the mixture.
5. Blend or process until very smooth and no pieces of original ingredients are visible. Store mixture in the refrigerator. NOTE: It’s best to allow mixture to “rest” in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Serve & Enjoy
~ Makes a whole bunch, about 12 (2 Tbsp.) servings

Verse of the Day:
You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise You with joyful lips..
~Psalm 63:5 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Read more here.

Resources of the Day:
1. If you lack my particular aversion to having your measurements taken, you’ll find this article from Weight Watchers extremely helpful and informative!
2. Here’s a quick video tutorial on taking women’s measurements in case you prefer to gain new skills from You Tube…

If you’re like me, you’ll rely on old school measures of weight loss!
Just remember, Pretty Mommies, sometimes the jeans are just too skinny!

+++ For those of you who are interested in following this program according to the letter of the WHOLE30 law, I highly recommend you check out the Forums page on the main WHOLE30 site and specifically that bookmark the “Can I Have” page which contains a wealth of info on practically every topic you could think of. By doing a quick search, I was able to find the following discussion regarding nutrient yeast from 2012. While this is not a definitive approval, it seems the general consensus is that “nooch” (as the vegans call it) is a far better option than dairy or soy-based cheeses and therefor approved if used in moderation. Yippee!

WHOLE30 Day #15 – Desperately Seeking Dinner

Aidells Organic Chicken & Apple Sausage; Fully Cooked; Gluten Free; Made with All WHOLE30-Approved Ingredients

So this weekend promises to be a hectic one if today (Friday) is any indication. With Hubs recuperating from a minor medical procedure; the baby still fussy from teething and recovering from her somewhat traumatic 6-month pediatrician visit yesterday; and my mother busy with several church activities. I’m left to figure out dinner with very little time and my still-depleted energy levels.. Hmm…I’m noticing a theme here.

Fortunately, I’d discovered these fantastic sausages at our local Wal-Mart earlier in the week while searching for something new to offer the fam for dinner. They’re all organic, made with chicken and apples. Plus they taste great! And check out the ingredients above. Notice anything? Hint – there’s no added sugar and no funky chemicals like MSG, nitrites, nitrates etc. Plus, these little beauties are 100% gluten free – which is huge for our family! My mother is not doing the WHOLE30 with us but does have Celiac (Coeliac) Disease, so we are always a gluten free household. Best of all (at least today), these beauties are fully cooked on arrival. Hallelujah! I prepped ours in the oven and served along my favorite crispy roasted green beans. An even faster preparation would be to grill or sauté the sausages and then add them to some steamed cabbage, seasoned with salt and clarified butter. Maybe with some unsweetened applesauce and good German mustard along side…yummy!

Ready in Minutes – These Sausages Are Delicious + Gluten-free, Sulfite-free and Sugar-free

One caveat: sausages of any kind are not what the Hartwigs would call high quality protein. So I augment the protein content of the meal by adding hard-boiled eggs to the tossed salad I serve with dinner every night. What’s that you say? You’re not having a salad with dinner every night? You should really remedy that pronto. Here’s to happy eating and a healthy weekend to all!

Wisdom of the Day:
But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
~Psalm 31:14-15 (English Standard Version)
Read more here.

WHOLE30 Day #13 – Where’s the Friggin’ Energy I Was Promised?!?

Day #13 and according to my trusty WHOLE30 (official) Timeline, I should be experiencing boundless energy and bizarre cravings right about now. I am not, repeat NOT, experiencing anything remotely close to boundless energy. My “energy” ain’t even in the same vicinity as boundless. It’s in a whole other country from boundless, on a separate continent, in a different hemisphere really. My energy currently resides somewhere in the realm of utterly absent, near the neighborhood of completely devoid. It feels like I’m putting in extra effort to scrape myself off the couch in order to attend to my daughter, who is by the way teething and trying to crawl right now. So, you know, I need that boundless energy I was expecting. I’m literally too tired to have any bizarre food cravings. Just trying to conjure up images of delectable, forbidden foods like pizza or doughnuts takes more effort than I have available. I’m using everything I’ve got to sit here and keep myself upright after a day of childcare. I don’t really care what we eat for dinner or how it tastes. I’m just barely holding on ’till bedtime.

There’s no denying it. I’m definitely lagging behind the expected milestones. I’m just now experiencing the misery and bloating predicted for days 8-9. At this rate, I probably won’t reach “Tiger’s Blood” (AKA feeling great) phase for another 10-12 days, at least. I’m bummed! And I’m uncomfortable. Did I mention I’m tired?

It is possible that I’m running behind the curve, so to speak, because I’ve been intentionally imperfect in my adherence to the program. Could my beloved powdered coffee creamer at last be causing me problems, delaying my WHOLE30 progress?

At this point, I figure I have 2 choices. I can continue to purposefully, if selectively, break with protocol and take my chances in terms of achieving the positive results I’d initially wanted when we committed to this program. Or I could throw comfort and caution to the wind and really dive into this thing by – horror of horrors – forgoing my franken creamer. I’m not sure I can face the morning with nothing but straight black coffee to greet me. But I have a 6-month old, so forgoing coffee altogether is not an option! So I’ve decided to try the concoction we worked out for Hubs.

1. Start with freshly brewed coffee, then stir in 1 Tbsp. pure (unsweetened) cocoa powder. I find that the cocoa dissolves best if you stir it in to hot coffee. You should have something that looks more or less like this:

We like to mason jars because they can be sterilized and are reusable.

2. Once combined, refrigerate the mixture at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. In the morning, add unsweetened coconut or almond milk or drink it straight if you prefer.
I like mine over ice.

The end result tastes a bit like a protein shake without the sweetener. But it sure beats the bitter hatred that is straight black coffee. I’m ready to give this a try for my AM drink and see if I don’t begin to experience the predicted WHOLE30 benefits in a more timely manner. I’ll keep you posted. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy this healthier chilled coffee drink in good health, joy and peace. Cheers!

Wisdom for the Day:
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
~Proverbs 3:7-8 (ESV)
Read more here.

WHOLE30 Day #10 – Breakfast Casserole Revised

Updated Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

The weekend is over, and a new WHOLE30 week is before us. Hubs is returning to work, and that means I need to prepare something he can take for breakfast each day. While he says that he really enjoyed my first make-ahead casserole, Hubs requested I make another this week with a few modifications. I’m posting the revised and updated version as a separate post because the tweaks make it sufficiently distinct, and Hubs says “better.”

As I stated in the original post, this casserole is really versatile. Serve it as simple and elegant brunch dish, as a light lunch along side a salad or take it along to pot-luck type social function (you’ll be guaranteed a complete protein, some healthy fats and carbs). I personally love this casserole anytime of day and prefer mine served with a dollop of guacamole. The creamy, tangy goodness of the guacamole really helps to expedite the sense of satiation; while the healthy fat provides an extra dose of satiety to get you through the morning (or rest of your day or evening) without energy crashes or cravings. For more on the intricacies of satiety and satiation, be sure to check out It Starts with Food (pay particular attention to chapter 4). The science-y information provided is easy to understand and will help you get through the tough early-middle days of a #WHOLE30.

What’s New:
•Per Hubs’ request, I decreased the amount of potatoes by half because he felt the original version was a bit spud-heavy.
•He also requested “more eggs” so I added a half cup of pure egg whites for more eggy flavor and to really ‘up’ the protein content.
•I used to heartier meat this go-round which Hubs reports imparted greater flavor.

What’s the Same:
•I still used leftover meat, in this case ~8 oz. grilled beef/bison burgers. I really prefer poultry in the casserole, but my family prefers red meat.
•I wanted to keep the spinach and red peppers because I believe the extra fiber and nutrients are important
•The seasonings and preparation remain essentially unchanged from the original entry found here: Original Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:
•8 extra large organic eggs
•1/2 cup liquid egg whites
•8 oz. leftover (cooked) beef, crumbled
•1/2 pkg. ready-to-cook hash browns (plain shredded potatoes)
•1 red pepper, seeded, diced
•10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and well drained
•1 tsp. salt
•1 tsp. Dijon mustard
•1 tsp. hot sauce

Process:
1. Toss hash brown potatoes with salt and place in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 5-7 minutes (depending on size/power of your microwave).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (Fahrenheit), and spray an 8X8″ baking dish with coconut oil spray.
3. Whisk eggs and egg whites together in large mixing bowl.
4. Fold in meats, vegetables (including potatoes) and remaining seasonings. Stir well to combine.
5. Pour into prepared baking dish. Cover dish with foil, and then carefully place into the hot oven.
6. Bake 55 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully remove foil to test for doneness (a knife inserted in the middle of the casserole should come out clean).
7. Allow casserole to cool at least 20 minutes or overnight before serving.
Makes roughly 9 large servings.

Wisdom for the Day:
God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan 6 and to honor his glorious grace that he has given to us freely through the Son whom he loves.
~Ephesians 1:5-6 (Common English Bible)
Read more here.

Resource of the Day:
12 Favorite WHOLE30 Recipes from The Kitchn

WHOLE30 Day #4 Prepping Breakfast for the Week

We began our WHOLE30 journey over a long weekend. But alas, all good things come to an end, and Hubs returns to work tomorrow. That means, we need to figure out what he can eat every morning for breakfast instead of his beloved Honey Nut Cheerios. The first few days, there been plenty of time to make leisurely brunch-style meals, but work week mornings are hectic and require advanced planning.

After hunting around for a while, I finally located this recipe from Gal on a Mission and used it as the basis for our casserole. I made a few modifications from Gal’s original recipe including: replacing the whole potatoes with ready-to-cook hash browns (which I also partially pre-cooked in the microwave before adding to the casserole); I used leftover turkey and roasted chicken instead of sausage; and I added chopped red bell pepper and spinach for extra nutrients and fiber. The result earned high praise from the Hubs. He says he enjoys having something hearty to start off his day and that it’s easy to pack up a second helping for a mid-afternoon snack. Best of all, he hasn’t once complained about missing those Cheerios!

NB: I have since revised this recipe at Hubs‘ request. You can find the updated recipe (which Hubs prefers) here. Now, weeks after we completed #WHOLE30, he still requests this casserole every Sunday for his weekday breakfast. It’s also a simple and elegant brunch dish as shown here with a side of asparagus, but the possibilities are endless. I personally love this casserole anytime of day (it makes a terrific light dinner entree) and prefer mine served with a dollop of guacamole. It’s creamy, tangy goodness helps expedite the sense of satiation; while the healthy fat provides an extra dose of satiety to get you through the morning! For more on the intricacies of satiety and satiation, be sure to check out It Starts with Food (pay particular attention to chapter 4). The science-y information provided is easy to understand and will help you get through the tough early-middle days of a WHOLE30.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:
•8 extra large organic eggs
•4 oz. leftover Turkey Tenderloin
•4 oz. leftover roasted chicken
•1 pkg. ready-to-cook hash browns (plain shredded potatoes)
•1 red pepper, seeded, diced
•10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed of excess moisture
•1 tsp. salt
•1 tsp. Dijon mustard
•1 tsp. hot sauce

Process:
1. Toss hash brown potatoes with salt and place in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 5-7 minutes (depending on size/power of your microwave).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (Fahrenheit), and spray an 8X8″ baking dish with coconut oil spray.
3. Whisk all eggs together in large mixing bowl.
4. Fold in meats, vegetables (including potatoes) and remaining seasonings. Stir well to combine.
5. Pour into prepare baking dish. Cover dish with foil, and then carefully place in the hot oven.
6. Bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully remove foil to test for doneness (a knife inserted in the middle of the casserole should come out clean).
7. Allow casserole to cool at least 20 minutes or overnight before serving.
Makes roughly 9 large servings.

Recommended Resources of the Day:
1. New Beauty Product Reviews & Awards
2. Meatified – Paleo, WHOLE30 & Autoimmune Healthy Recipes

Quick & Easy Crispy Potatoes

Crispy Potatoes served with Eggs & Bacon

Ingredients:
1.5 lb. Baby Red Potatoes, washed (unpeeled)
1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil (I used extra virgin)
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
Dash Oregano Flakes

Process:
1. Wash and dry potatoes but do not peel. Cut them into more or less uniform size pieces, which for me was into halves and thirds depending on the size of each potato.
2. Place the potato pieces along with all remaining ingredients in a bowl. No need to stir just yet. Microwave on HIGH for 5-7 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave.
3. While the potatoes cook, preheat over to 400 degrees (Fahrenheit), and spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray (I used coconut oil).
4. Remove potatoes from microwave and stir well. Then turn mixture onto prepared cookie sheet, being sure to distribute evenly on sheet.
5. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until desired crispiness.

Salty, Crispy and Soft in the Middle – These Potatoes Are Guaranteed to Chase Away Any Potato Chip Cravings You May Be Experiencing

Makes 4-5 servings.
NOTE: These also make great hash browns!

Wisdom of the Day:
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24 (NASB)
Read more here.

Daily Beauty Wisdom

Walk in wisdom : grow in beauty: live in love

Breakfast & Brunch