WHOLE30 Lifestyle Hits the Road for Memorial Day

Loaded Turkey Burgers in a Tasty Salad Make for a Delicious & Comforting Meal on the Go!

Hubs and I finished our first WHOLE30 just over 3 weeks ago. With only a few hiccups, we’ve survived reintroduction and transition to a WHOLE30-esque lifestyle. He is now eating gluten-free grains without any problems. I’m still grain-free. Neither of us is consuming any dairy or legumes. Hubs eats what he describes as “a minimal amount of sugar” (which translates to a few spoonfuls of coconut sugar in his coconut oil coffee each morning and the occasional gluten-free cookie after dinner). And I’m still using a little artificial sweetener (primarily stevia), but avoiding all forms of refined sugar. All in all, this plan is working well for us. It’s sustainable. We’ve maintained the results we achieved during the 30 days and we don’t feel deprived or have any major cravings.

We had planned to host family this Memorial Day weekend. But plans changed due to the sudden illness of a family member. So we’re packing up our baby girl (and ALL her accoutrement) and hitting the road. This will be our daughter’s first road trip and our first WHOLE30 traveling experience.

I’m not sure which has me more nervous. I’m probably equally anxious about both. Of course, I want things to go smoothly as we travel with our daughter and I don’t want to derail our new healthier WHOLE30 lifestyle. We are blessed beyond all measure with a daughter who is calm, good-natured and easy-going. She basically adapts to anything we do with her. Plus, like most new parents, we’ve over- packed for all contingencies, so she should be well-occupied during our 9+ hour drive (each way).

Speaking of that drive, we’re definitely gonna have to eat at least a few meals on the road. The WHOLE9 / WHOLE30 folks (The Whole9 Guide To Navigating a Restaurant Menu) and others (for example: Life Health HQ WHOLE30 Restaurant Guide) have provided some great resources for eating out during the program, but I feel like (especially when you’re eating at chain restaurants as we will) you can never be truly certain that your veggies and proteins are cooked in approved oils; that no refined sugars were included in the salad dressings; etc. So I’m taking the same approach to our meals as we’re taking to traveling with our daughter – plan for all contingencies and pack our own – our proteins and veggies at least. We also have a hotel room with a full kitchen. So that will allow us some additional control over our meals.

In the meantime, here’s what I’ve packed just in case:
• Loaded Turkey Burgers To Go (recipe follows)
• Grilled Aidell’s Chicken Apple Sausages
• WHOLE30 Deviled Eggs Florentine (recipe follows)
• Pre-made tossed salads
• 2 Boxes of Wholly Guacamole Minis
• Homemade Trail Mix (mix of walnuts, pecans, cashews and unsulphured raisins)
• Bananas
• Bottled water + Ginger Green Tea
• Coconut oil

So that’s it. A little preparation makes Mommy feel a whole (no pun intended) lot better before hitting the road. Plus the turkey burgers are really delicious! Hope you and your family have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend as well!

Loaded Turkey Burgers To Go

Ingredients:
• 1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled
• ½ cup organic unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1.5 tsp. iodized sea salt
• 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1 lb. Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast (98% Lean)
• 1 lb. Lean Ground Turkey Breast (93% Lean)
• 5 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
• 3 Tbsp. coconut oil (I used Carrington’s brand organic extra virgin)

Hardware:
• Potato masher
• Potato peeler
• Large mixing bowl
• Large nonstick frying pan or skillet with lid

Process:
1. Cut sweet potato into 3 roughly equal pieces. Then wrap in a paper towel. Microwave on HIGH for 4-5 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. Carefully remove from microwave and place on a small plate, then transfer to refrigerator. All to chill about 1 hour or until cool enough to handle.
2. Remove sweet potato from refrigerator and using your hands, “shmush” the pieces into smaller pieces over a large mixing bowl. Next add the applesauce.
3. Using a potato masher, mash the mixture until more or less smooth with no large chunks visible.
4. Add salt and spinach to mixture and stir until well combined.
5. Next add turkey and walnuts. Then use your hands to thoroughly combine mixture and form into patties of roughly equal size. I made 12 patties.
6. Place a large nonstick skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add 1 Tbsp. coconut oil and allow oil to melt and then rotate pan so oil covers the entire pan.
7. Place 4 patties in hot oil and cover pan. Then allow patties to cook about 6 min before flipping. Cook an additional 5 minutes (uncovered). Then remove to a platter and repeat twice with remaining patties and coconut oil.
~Makes about 12 burgers.

#WHOLE30 Deviled Eggs Florentine

Deviled Eggs Florentine Are the Perfect Cooler Snack!

Ingredients:
• 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chilled
• ½ 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, defrosted and very well drained
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. WHOLE30-approved mayo (e.g. Primal Kitchens Mayo, or Tessemae’s Mayo)
• 2 Tbsp. DBW Paleo Cheez It Sauce (optional) or additional 1 Tbsp. Mayo
• Optional garnishes – sliced black olives, smoked paprika, sliced almonds, etc.

Hardware:
• Small paring knife
• Cutting board
• Small-medium sized mixing bowl
• Spatula or fork

Process:
1. Place each boiled egg on cutting board and cut in half horizontally (see picture below). Cutting the eggs this way allows you to store the deviled eggs in an empty (dozen) egg container. If you’re planning to serve your deviled eggs in a traditional deviled egg platter, you will want to halve your eggs vertically.

Vertical cut on the left. Horizontal cut on the right.

2. Place halved egg whites into whatever container you will serve them. Because I’m taking my deviled eggs to-go I placed them back into a an empty egg container which I had cleaned and dried.
3. Carefully scoop the yolks into a mixing bowl (you want to avoid breaking the whites). Using a form or spatula, mash up the yolks until no large lumps remain.

4. Next add the spinach (you can save the left over spinach for some other use), salt, mayo and Cheez Sauce (if using). Stir all together until well combined. Taste for seasoning and adjust if desired.

5. Spoon filling into halves and decorate with garnish as desired. I piped the mixture in using a pastry bag just to be all fancy, but that’s totally unnecessary.

N.B. This recipe makes an excess of filling. I’m not wasting the filling. Hubs and I are packing filling up and taking it with us in a small Tupperware container because it makes a tremendous salad dressing!

~Makes 12 deviled egg halves.

Wisdom for the Day:
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
~Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)
Read more here.

Resource of the Day:
Check out the wonderful and informative Paleo Hacks Blog and be sure to sign up for one of the free recipe guides!

WHOLE30 Lifestyle Hits the Road for Memorial Day

Loaded Turkey Burgers in a Tasty Salad Make for a Delicious & Comforting Meal on the Go!

Loaded Turkey Burgers To Go

Hardware:
• Potato masher
• Potato peeler
• Large mixing bowl
• Large nonstick frying pan or skillet with lid

#WHOLE30 Deviled Eggs Florentine

Deviled Eggs Florentine Are the Perfect Cooler Snack!

Hardware:
• Small paring knife
• Cutting board
• Small-medium sized mixing bowl
• Spatula or fork

Vertical cut on the left. Horizontal cut on the right.

5. Spoon filling into halves and decorate with garnish as desired. I piped the mixture in using a pastry bag just to be all fancy, but that’s totally unnecessary.

~Makes 12 deviled egg halves.

Wisdom for the Day:
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
~Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)
Read more here.

Resource of the Day:
Check out the wonderful and informative Paleo Hacks Blog and be sure to sign up for one of the free recipe guides!

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 Days #17-19: Brace Yourself….Here Come the Cravings!

My Evil Pizza Fantasies…

WHOLE30 Days #17-19…. I posted a few days ago that I was somewhat frustrated by my slow progress with respect to the projected WHOLE30 timeline, specifically that I seemed to be lagging behind, not yet experiencing any surges in energy or cravings for foods off-limits during the program. Well, I’m happy to report that I seem to be catching up, at least as far as cravings go. Yeah, it’s been a whale of a weekend in the food fantasy department…hmm, whale. I wonder what whale tastes likes. No, I’m not that desperate…yet!

Shamu is about the only thing I haven’t found myself dreaming about eating these last few days. I’ve literally gone to bed at night with visions of pineapple pizza pies dancing in my head. More than once I’ve dreamt about food. On Saturday night (technically it was early Sunday morning), I dreamt that I was finishing off a huge plate of chocolate chip pancakes (with butter and syrup on top, thank you very much) when I was suddenly awakened by my daughter crying for her own breakfast. I was so disturbed by her screams and the thought that I’d so disastrously broken with the WHOLE30 protocol, that I started shouting. Poor Hubs had to shake me to wake me from my semi-comatose, food-hallucinating state. At various points during my waking hours (usually during the mid afternoons), I find my thoughts turning and returning to such dastardly fare as Oreos, onion rings and fast food hamburgers. And I don’t even like hamburgers as a general rule. It’s all pretty weird but to be expected according to the WHOLE30 experts.

On a positive note, my overall energy level has improved. I won’t say that I’ve surged into the “boundless” department, but I’m no longer tethered to the sofa struggling to find the strength to remain upright. I find that I can more quickly respond to my daughter’s needs, which is of course my top priority. And my daily yoga sessions are less of a chore. My balance has improved, which is a really good thing because toppling to the floor from a simple triangle pose was really starting to get me down (literally and figuratively)!

I even had some energy leftover this evening to try out a new recipe for dinner – Oven Fried Sprouts (pic below).

Crispy & Delicious Oven-fried Sprouts

This took some creativity on my part because the main ingredient is brussels sprouts, Hubs’ all time most hated vegetable. Here’s the scoop:

Ingredients:
• 9-10 oz. shaved Brussels sprouts (I used Green Giant)
• 1 Tbsp. liquid coconut oil (I used Carrington’s brand)
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• pinch allspice
• 1 tsp. dark sesame oil
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. hot sauce (optional)
• ½ packet stevia sweetener
• 3 pieces crisply cooked bacon, crumbled

Process:
1. Preheat oven to 400° and spray a 9X13” cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray (I used coconut oil spray).
2. Spread sprouts on prepared pan in a thin, even layer. Then sprinkle evenly with salt, allspice and garlic powder.
3. Top mixture with both oils then toss lightly to ensure even distribution of oils and seasonings.
4. Bake in preheated for about 15 minutes. Then remove from oven and stir.
5. Return to oven for about 10 more minutes, keeping an eye to ensure your sprouts don’t get too brown. You want a nice combination of dark crispy pieces and bright green leaves.
6. When you are satisfied that the sprouts of done, remove from the oven. Just before serving, sprinkle with vinegar, sweetener and (if using) hot sauce. Then toss well to combine, and top with crumbled bacon.
7. Be sure to serve these in a pretty dish (presentation is important when serving a vegetable your family has historically rejected). If anyone asks, these are “fried sprouts,” just leave out the Brussels part. And emphasize the “fried” part because isn’t everything better when it’s fried.

I’m proud to report that Hubs actually ate these and announced they didn’t taste like Brussels sprouts at all. Unfortunately, he’d been with me at the grocery store when I purchased them so I couldn’t fool him completely. But my mother (who also hates Brussels sprouts) ate two helpings and said she’d really enjoy having them more often. All in all, I’m calling this recipe a success, and I hope your family enjoys it too!

Verse of the Day:
Someone who is full refuses honey, but anything bitter tastes sweet to a hungry person.
Proverbs 27:7 (CEB)
Read more here.

WHOLE30 Day #11 – Sometimes You Feel Like a (Coco)Nut

Day #11 of our WHOLE30 Journey. And according to the authors of It Starts with Food and the WHOLE30 official timeline, these are the hardest of our 30 days. Here’s hoping that holds true for me. I’m really tired, unnervingly cranky and surprisingly hungry, like all the time.

Interestingly, I’ve become extremely fond of all things coconut these days. I’m chalking this up as progress, since the Hartwigs and others (see this article for example) rate coconut oil as one of the healthiest fats for consumption, especially for dieters and those looking to improve their skin (see chapter 15 of It Starts with Food). Um, rich yummy taste and prettier skin? Yes please!

So tonight’s dinner features coconut in each dish. The menu:
Mango Tango Chicken (recipe below)
Crispy Roasted Green Beans (also pictured below)
Toss Salads with Fruit & Nuts
Birthday Date Treats for dessert

Mango Tango Chicken

Ingredients:
•1 (2.5 lb.) bag frozen chicken tenderloins, (e.g. Tyson)
•1 tsp. salt
•1/4 cup unsweetened dried mango slices, crumbled
•1 sweet red pepper, seeded, diced
•1 sweet onion (e.g. Vidalia), peeled and diced
•1/4 tsp. hot sauce
•1/4 tsp. garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, crushed
•1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
•1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
•1/4 cup lime juice
•2 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut flakes

Process:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (Fahrenheit).
2. Lightly oil a 9X13″ baking pan with coconut oil and add tenderloins to pan in a single layer.
3. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt.
4. Top with mango, onion and pepper. Then evenly sprinkle on additional seasonings.
5. Stir together pineapple and lime juices then pour over all.
6. Finally, sprinkle the top of chicken mixture with coconut flakes. Then cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
7. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes or until internal temperature reach 170 degrees.
8. Remove foil and turn oven to BROIL. Return pan to oven and broil for about 5 minutes or until nicely browned.
NOTE: This step is optional but makes for a nicer presentation.
9. Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

I served with Crispy Roasted Green Beans, that roasted in the oven along side the chicken.

Crispy Roasted Green Beans – simply seasoned with garlic, salt, lemon juice and (natch) coconut oil!

Wisdom of the Day:
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
~Psalm 23:5-6 (English Standard Version)
Read more here.

Recommended Resource of the Day:
21 Unexpected Beauty Uses for Coconut Oil

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

Side Dishes

WHOLE30 Lifestyle Hits the Road for Memorial Day

WHOLE30 Lifestyle Hits the Road for Memorial Day

WHOLE30 Day #25 – Cheez-It!

WHOLE30 Days #17-19: Brace Yourself….Here Come the Cravings!

WHOLE30 Day #11 – Sometimes You Feel Like a (Coco)Nut

Quick & Easy Crispy Potatoes