Whole60?!?!? I got this!!!

Hello Whole30/Paleo/healthy-eating friends! I am glad to be back and a little over a week into my first Whole60 and going strong. Since I last updated, a pretty big life-changing event happened....I GOT ENGAGED to my best friend and the love of my life<3 (also my Whole30 partner in crime). Nick asked me to marry him at one of our favorite spots, Estes Park, Colorado. The proposal couldn't have been more perfect and neither could the ring. It very well may be the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes upon. Long story short, I'm one lucky gal to have such an amazing man in my life and I can't wait to spend forever with him. We've been engaged a little over a week and now starts the fun part...the planning! So, I have just a little over a year to reach my ultimate weight-loss goal. Of course every woman wants to look amazing in their wedding dress, but those of you that know me know that I have been on the health and fitness journey for a while now, trying to lose weight and improve my overall health. It was a journey before the engagement and it's still a journey now. I think now I just have that little bit of extra motivation to kick my butt into overdrive;) With that being said, here are some photos and recipes from my first eight days of the Whole60! Enjoy!!!

I am still really loving these RX Bars when I am in a crunch for time. Most days I make eggs or smoothies, but usually about once per week I will treat myself to something a bit easier. These are super yummy and they go great with your morning cuppa' joe. They are pretty filling as well with a whopping 12 Grams of protein per bar. I usually bring some berries along for these mornings too. Perfect combination:) 

For some reason, I have really been on a buffalo kick lately. I use Tessemae's Whole30 approved buffalo sauce (super yummy). You can stock up on Whole30 approved dressings and condiments on their website with free shipping over $40. This salad was a mix of spinach and romaine, some leftover peas, tomatoes, onion and then grilled chicken slices that I usually prepare on Sunday evenings. Salads are great for using up leftover veggies--I always just throw whatever I have sitting around in the fridge on them. Drizzled with a little Tessemae's buffalo and a little zesty "ranch." Yummy and satisfying! 

Ever get tired of buying avocados and having them go bad on you in a day? This happens to me often and is such a waste of money, which is why packets of Wholly Guacamole are great to have around! About $4.50 a box at Walmart or any grocery store. These are great to pair with eggs for breakfast, salads and wraps for lunches or your dinner protein. I have found that when I add a serving of guac to my meal, I stay full MUCH longer. Plus, just super yummy. Also, leftover dinner potatoes pair great with eggs the next morning;) 

Nick's mom gave me the idea to try a fried banana when craving something sweet (thanks Jo-Anne!) and I am sure glad I did! Very simple and takes about two minutes, if that. Just use about a 1 Tsp. coconut oil heated up in a skillet, slice the banana down the middle and fry each side for about a minute, until caramelized. I also added a few almonds, shredded unsweetened coconut and a dash of cinnamon. Perfect dessert! 

If you are like most of us and enjoy soaking up every bit of nice weather that the weekend has to offer, than homemade trail mix is a quick and simple fix for you. I just really don't like to spend my entire weekend in the kitchen. This trail mix is a blend of raw almonds, Trader Joe's variety colored raisins and Trader Joe's dehydrated strawberries. Yummy! Paired with a black current berry iced tea that I found in Boulder, CO. Perfect no-hassle lunch! 

While in Boulder last weekend, we discovered something amazing! There was a Penzey's location at the Pearl Street Mall! If you don't use their spices, you should. Great quality and almost all of them are Whole30 approved. I made sure to stock up while we were there. I love experimenting with all different kinds of spices. It makes cooking more fun and a hell of a lot more flavorful! Check them out! 

One of my favorite lunches has come to be a Paleo wrap (you can find them on Amazon or at your local health store for around $10.99 per package). I usually put some type of protein and some greens with a little Paleo mayo or mustard on top. I try to pack in lots of colorful veggies at lunch time as well. My new favorite are these little mini sweet peppers. They pack so much flavor! For this lunch, I even decided to do a little experimenting to make a salsa ranch dipping sauce. I just used 1 part coconut milk, 1 part Trader Joe's traditional salsa and 1 part Tessemae's Whole30 mayo. I whisked in a bit of dill weed, parsley, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon and it turned out absolutely delicious! Great things can come from throwing ingredients together:) 

Two words: SEAFOOD SCAMPI. This meal was by far a favorite of mine thus far on the Whole60. I used a package of frozen mussels and 1/2 package of wild-caught frozen shrimp from Whole Foods. I also added a package of frozen English peas from Trader Joe's. But first, before all that....the sauce. I added about 1/4 Cup ghee to a skillet on low with 2 Tbsp. Tessemae's garlic spread, 1/2 Tsp. parsley, a dash of red pepper, 1 Tsp. minced garlic and a dash of salt and pepper (you don't have to have the Tessemae's garlic spread to make this recipe. Just add a little extra garlic to your liking!). I heated this up on low and then added my peas and seafood and turned it up to medium/high until done. As it was cooking, I added a little extra ghee and a little olive oil to the mixture and then covered it and let it soak in the flavor for about ten minutes. We paired the scampi with Cajun roasted potatoes (the tri-colored ones from Trader Joe's). Just slice them up and drizzle with olive oil and old bay seasonings and pop in the oven at 400 until done. I used a small dollop of Paleo mayo with dill on top. This meal was pretty much heavenly. 

And then sometimes it's just easy to keep it simple and sweet for dinner. One of my go-to meals is salmon with a sweet potato. You can't go wrong! Season up your salmon with lots of herbs and spices and then pan sear with a healthy fat (olive oil, ghee or coconut oil). Remember, salmon doesn't take long and it is EASY to dry out, so it doesn't need much love in the skillet. I like to drizzle a little coconut oil and cinnamon on my sweet potato. It is perfection to the taste buds! And never forget your greens! We try to do some type of green for every single meal, even if we don't feel like it. Nutrients, nutrients, nutrients!!!!

Again, lunches are simple. Usually a wrap or a salad paired with veggies. Here I used some leftover guac and salsa for dipping from the fajitas that I had for dinner the night before. Get creative. Lunches should be quick, filling and easy, with plenty of protein to get you through the day! 

Again, I really like experimenting in the kitchen to keep things fresh and interesting. I found a recipe on Pinterest for almond butter banana bites, but I decided to take it up a notch and turn them into chocolate almond butter banana bites;) These are super simple and the perfect dessert. Just enough sweet! Line a muffin pan with muffin liners and then slice up some bananas that are about to go bad (the more ripe, the better). I used three slices per every tin. I added a dash of cinnamon directly on top of all the bananas. I then mixed a couple tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to two large spoonfuls of Trader Joe's crunchy almond butter and then placed a dollop of this mixture into each tin. Freeze and voila! Easiest dessert ever right?!?

Did I mention my recent obsession with buffalo? I think it shines through in this post. lol. You don't have to have Tessemae's buffalo, Frank's Red Hot would work just fine. I love to drizzle a little over my wrap at lunch. Spicy foods get the metabolism moving!!! 

We absolutely love Whole Foods' chorizo sausage in the mornings. Whenever we visit we always stock up on this. Very reasonable at about $3.99 per pound and easy to freeze and use later as well! If you mix this in with your scrambled eggs, you won't need any additional seasonings as it is pretty darn spicy! I like to top my chorizo egg scrambles with guac for a little extra "umph" to get me through the morning. Also, in case you are wondering, for coffee: I like to add 1 Tbsp. coconut cream and some cinnamon. Really gives the coffee a great flavor and is Whole30 approved! 

Sunday mornings are our treat mornings. We buy the uncured, no-sugar-added Paleo bacon from Whole Foods. This is another great meat that you can buy in bulk and freeze for later. It cooks up so nice and crispy it tastes like a cheat, even though it isn't. I highly recommend spending a few extra dollars for quality bacon. Otherwise, I would stay away from it completely. Pair it with some eggs with salsa and guac. Yum!  

Another great breakfast option when you get sick of eggs is a green smoothie! I fill my Vitamix to the top with organic baby spinach and then do either 1 Cup coconut milk or 1 Cup almond milk for the liquid. I add about a handful of frozen fruit (whatever I have on hand), usually a banana, chia seed, flax seed, 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, a dash of cinnamon, 1 raw pastured egg for protein and usually a couple almonds or walnuts. This blend keeps me full until lunch and then some! 

A favorite quick lunch of mine is uncured Applegate Farms all beef hotdogs. Throw some raw kraut and a drizzle of spicy mustard on top and you have a delicious meal. I usually serve mine with a pickle and some type of veggies for lunch as pictured here. Quick, healthy and delicious! 

Like I said...keep breakfast simple. Throw some veggies together in a skillet and scramble in with some eggs. Here I just sauteed some baby spinach and mushrooms with a couple eggs and then I topped with some salsa verde. Delicious! 

Thank god for quick and easy Mexican restaurants. When Nick is away on travel I usually get tired of preparing beautiful meals for just one person. Luckily, Oya is right down the street and they take under ten minutes to prepare some healthy chicken fajitas. Although, I always tell them "no beans" and that never seems to matter. lol. I do eat the lettuce and the pico and then I pour the salsa and guac over top all the chicken and veggies and it's a very filling and delicious meal! 

To be honest, I usually don't snack much as it is not recommended in the book, but sometimes you need a little extra fuel to get through the day or before a workout. I really love these tiny mandarin oranges and paired with a protein, you should be good to go until dinner! (Unsweetened iced tea also comes in handy for afternoon slumps!) 

I always like to save the best for last...and this dish was definitely the best of all of this week's meals. I have to admit...we cheated a little and bought the pre-cut sweet potato noodles from Whole Foods. They are just so dang convenient! You can also make these yourself with a spiralizer. We actually cooked the noodles in the oven at about 350 on a lined baking sheet and seasoned up with lots of yummy spices. The sauce consisted of 1 Lb. ground beef cooked up with some onion and mushroom and 1/2 jar of Whole30 approved tomato basil marina from Whole Foods (you can easily make your own marina, we do that all the time as well). Cook the sauce on low heat until your noodles are done and voila! Perfection:) 

Well, that's it for this week folks! I will post again in another week or so with more Whole30/Whole60 inspiration for you. Until then, be well and remember this! I'm losing for good this time! 

Whole 30 Round 2--Approaching the Finish Line!

Another week on the Whole30 has come and gone and I have some new photos and recipes to share with all of you!:) This round of Whole30 hasn't been as perfect as my first round and I am a bit disappointed in myself for that. We have had so much going on and there have been a few instances where I went off plan. Once we get back from my birthday weekend I will be starting my first Whole60 and there will be ZERO slip-ups. I only have about 2 1/2 months until summer and 3 1/2 months until we go on vacation so bikini mode is really about to begin! We are also undertaking our first Warrior Dash in August which will be held in the mountains of Colorado. If you don't know anything about elevation...let me just say, it's a bitch! It's much harder to breath, so my endurance is much less, so we will be putting in a lot of long, hard hours at the gym to prepare. Plus, what is better to prepare for an obstacle course than a run at a Whole60?!?! The program combined with our training sessions should not only help us lose weight, but help us conquer our goal! I will be starting my Whole60 on Monday, March 23rd, so look for Whole60 updates to be coming soon:) Until then, I hope you enjoy what I have for you this week! 

I had to include this recipe first this week because it is my all-time favorite dessert that I have discovered thus far on my Whole30 journey. This, my friends, is a Chocolate Banana "Milk Shake." After dinner the other night, Nick and I both felt like something sweet for dessert, so into the kitchen I ventured to see what I could come up with. At random, I threw together some ingredients that I had in my kitchen which consisted of the following: 1 can whole coconut milk, 2 bananas (mine were not frozen, but it would probably be even creamier with frozen bananas), 2 pitted dates, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1tbsp. vanilla, handful chopped walnuts and 2 cups of ice. Blended together on high for about 30 seconds. Top with a little unsweetened coconut and chopped walnuts and voila! Total amazement;) 

Ok...this may not be totally Whole30 approved but I was damn close!  We decided we wanted to get out of the house on Saturday for a date night so off to Peetz it was for some of the best BBQ around. (We live in the middle of nowhere...so our restaurant options are limited). I ordered the pulled pork shoulder on a plate, no bun, with sweet potato fries (no, they don't even serve actual potatoes at this place). I didn't feel bad after eating it, despite not being perfectly on plan. Sometimes you just have to use your common sense and if you are out to eat, order the most sensibly that you can given your circumstance:) 

GRILLING SEASON IS HERE!!!! We are only 4 short days away from the first day of Spring and I say that it has officially begun. It's just awesome to be able to throw whatever protein you want on the grill. I love that smokey flavor. On Sunday, we did grass-fed burgers topped with relish, mustard and Whole30 approved ketchup served with a broccoli stir-fry (1 head organic broccoli, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2tsp cumin, all spice and salt/pepper sauteed in some coconut oil) and also served with buffalo "chips" which are just potatoes tossed in olive oil and seasonings and then baked at 400 for about 40 minutes and then topped with a drizzle of Tessemae's buffalo sauce. YUMMO! 

I don't know why I never thought of sweet potatoes as a breakfast item...until now. I was really hungry one day last week and the only thing laying around was a sweet potato so I gave it a try with a little coconut oil and cinnamon and YUM! I will continue to pair these with eggs in the morning. Sometimes eggs alone are just so....bland. Sidenote: I have discovered the salsa verde (I like the Trader Joes one) is really freaking good topped on eggs. Give it a try and see what you think!

Eggs topped with guacamole and served up with leftover fajitas is a pretty divine combination if I do say so myself! Just saute up your leftover chicken/peppers and onion right in with your egg. Really filling as well! 

Sometimes you just need a good steak and a potato! Definitely missing ghee this week (we ran out and had to order more from Amazon. It better get here quickly or I may die. lol). Invest in good quality meat and a good cut. We decided on grass-fed filet mignon and smoked on the pellet grille....perfection. 

Also served with a side of mini sweet peppers thrown on the grille next to the steak. These little peppers are my new obsession. I love them cold dipped in guacamole or Whole30 ranch as a snack, or I love them seasoned up and fresh off the grille. Seriously so yummy and super affordable at $2.99 per bag. 

Weekend lunches are always interesting for us. We are usually just about out of groceries and most the time we are so busy doing things around the house that we forget to eat lunch! lol. Bad, I know. But on Saturday we used up some Applegate hot dogs and chopped up lots of fresh veggies with fresh, homemade guacamole. Perfect light lunch for a Saturday. Again, grilling is awesome!!!

I couldn't celebrate National Pi Day like I normally would (pecan pie sounded so damn good too!) so instead, I settled for a Key Lime Pie Lara Bar. Not a bad substitute;)

Springtime calls for big ol' salads and fresh flowers! I just love keeping bright, fresh flowers in the house. It instantly puts me in a better mood. Plus when I have my bright flowers sitting on my cutting board table, it reminds me to EAT lots of bright colors as well! This salad was a mix of  spinach, cabbage, onion, red pepper, carrot, chopped turkey breast (uncured, no sugar added) and topped with 1/2 avocado and a drizzle of Tessemae's Lemon Chesapeake dressing. DELICIOUS!!!:)  

Fajitas are honestly the ultimate quick, Whole30 go to dinner. I can whip up a batch of these in around 15 minutes. Just use up whatever peppers you have in the fridge. I like mushrooms in my fajitas too if I have any on hand. Here it was just chicken, onion and red pepper topped with some salsa and guacamole. Wholly Guacamole packets are my best friend. Whole30 approved, cheap and yummy! Perfect for on-the-go. 

Another favorite Whole30 dessert item is homemade peach "ice cream." SUPER EASY. All you need are: 1/2 can coconut milk, 1tbsp. vanilla, 2 dates to sweeten it up, 1 cup frozen peaches. Blend until creamy. Top with unsweetened coconut and walnuts. Light and fluffy! Perfect dessert dish for spring/summer. I can't wait to try this with fresh, in season peaches! I will just add ice to replace the frozen peaches. I think it will be amazing! I'll let you know;) 

I had a wonderful surprise arrive at my doorstep last week from my grandma (how AWESOME is she!?!?). She had the "cup of chocolate" Republic of Teas that I have been wanting to try delivered to my front door. I still can't decide which is my favorite...they are both seriously so good. It tastes like dessert in a mug...minus the calories and the guilt. If you are in the mood for something sweet, I suggest whipping up a mug of this tea. So good!!! 

Sometimes, you get home from work and you are just really, really tired plus your significant other is gone on a work trip and cooking for one just doesn't sound that fun. I ran into that problem last week so I stopped at the store and grabbed a rotisserie chicken. I peeled off as much skin as possible (not sure if the seasonings were Whole30 approved or not). This one chicken lasted for 5 different meals! Totally worth the $6. Paired with some sauted peppers (took less than 2 minutes) and some steam-fresh broccoli with a side of avocado. Probably not the highest quality meal, but still, healthy. 

Same rotisserie chicken...just paired with some different side items to keep things "interesting"

I FINALLY gave in and ordered the famous Tessemae's dressings and condiments and so far, I have loved them all! Not super cheap at $5.99 each, but they now do free standard shipping with $40 orders on their website, so you may as well stock up like I did. We tried the garlic spread, mayo, buffalo sauce, zesty ranch, italian, BBQ and ketchup. So far they have all been delicious and I would definitely order again and I would also definitely recommend them. 

I hope you enjoyed my recipes and photos this week and I hope they serve you well on your Whole30 journey. Look for posts to come soon on my Whole60 journey! I am excited to get started with all of you! Whether you are doing a Whole30, 60 or 90, or if you are now just living the Whole9 lifestyle, let's do this thang!!!;) Until next time, I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes surrounding this plan:) -J

Whole30, Week 3, Round 2

Hey Whole30ers! I hope you have had a fabulous last week. Our week was, to say the least, a little bit crazy and unfortunately because of that, we didn't have a perfect Whole30 week. Last Thursday we had to go to an award's ceremony followed by a private reception (at which point it was 7:30 and we had not eaten since 11:30 that morning). We had to eat what was available at the reception and 99% of the food items were not Whole30 approved. After eating some spinach dip with tortilla chips, several fried chicken wings and a few dumplings-- I came home feeling like crap. Emotionally I felt really guilty for cheating on the plan, even though the circumstances were a little out of our control and I felt physically ill. At one point, I even felt as though I may get sick. The gluten and the dairy did NOT settle in my stomach. It was as if my body was screaming at me, NOOOOOOOO!!!!! This alone was very telling. It made me realize how amazing and on-point this program really is and that we really shouldn't be putting these things in our bodies. It's not meant to be and they don't make us FEEL good. Long story short, we got back on track for the weekend and are now good to go! That's really all you can do. Use your common sense if you are in a situation with no Whole30 approved items and if you MUST go off-track, get right back on board the next day! I still lost 1 pound last week, so luckily my efforts weren't totally destroyed. I didn't take as many food photos as I usually do, but here are the pictures and recipes that I did document! Enjoy! 

Yep. You are seeing this right...Baby. Back. Ribs. We found some pretty good quality ribs while shopping in WY over the weekend, so we decided to give these a try. We marinated them in a Whole30 approved BBQ dry rub and let them soak over night. Nick then slow smoked them on the pellet grill for about five hours and they were so tender they literally fell off the bone. This is one of those items that FEELS like a cheat, but it isn't. So yummy! 

Eggs with Spanish "rice" not only look delicious..they taste it too. I pretty much put spanish rice on just about anything and everything. It is THAT delicious. See previous blog post for the "rice" recipe, scramble up a couple eggs, and top with it! Perfect protein breakfast combo:) 

As I always say, quick lunches are important on the Whole30...or any program really. I love applegate hot dogs and here I paired with some sweet peppers dipped in Wholly Guacamole. These little packets are about $4 at the store and they are SO convenient! They make for great snacks on the go as well! Yum! 

I have long been wanting to try these La Croix club sodas. They are different than their regular club sodas. I finally found them at a grocery store in Cheyenne, so I had to give them a try. Longer, skinnier and more colorful packaging. Different flavors. We tried the Apple Berry and it is by far my favorite club soda to date! So much more flavorful than their regular kind. I highly recommend these!!

Lettuce "bun" burgers are one of my favorite meals. They are great to just throw on the grille on a Saturday night. I like to top with some dill relish, paleo mayo, a little ketchup, tomato, and onion. Have lots of napkins on hand! These babies pack a messy punch! Pair it with some potato "chips" with chipotle mayo and you'll be good to go! For the chips, just cut some potatoes into rounds, toss in olive oil and desired seasonings and bake on lined baking sheet for about 35-45 minutes at 400 degrees. For chipotle mayo, I just add a little Franks Red Hot, chili powder, penzey's bangkok seasongs and a dash of cayenne. Really, really yummy. 

Now...I know I have a Whole30 home-run when Nick REALLY likes something that I make for dessert. These little guys are raw "brownie bites" and are super easy, no baking required. All you need is 1 1/2 cups of walnut and a pinch of salt blended in a food processor until finely ground. Then add 1tbsp. vanilla, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 cup pitted dates. Blend until combined. I then added several drops of water and about 2tbsp. almond butter as a binder so that it would harden and form more of a "dough." Let sit for 30 minutes in the fridge and then roll into balls. Store in an air-tight container and enjoy all week!

Smoked chicken on the grille is one of my very favorite things. Especially when paired with some homemade garlic red mashed potatoes. For the potatoes, boil them first to get them tender and then place in a large bowl. With a hand mixer, mix in about 4tbsp. ghee, several tablespoons of water and about 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary and a pinch of cayenne. They turn out really creamy and delicious! 

Steak and potatoes never gets hold. It's almost official grilling season, so season up those steaks however you want and throw them on the grille! Serve with a potato and some broccoli. Yum! 

If you want to switch things up a little bit, I dare you to try a tuna steak (wild-caught of course). I was never a big tuna person until recently once I actually learned how to cook it correctly. Season up however you would like ( I like things spicy, so I used a lot of cajun seasonings for this) and then pan sear in a little coconut oil for about 2 minutes each side. It's very easy to over-cook and dry out tuna steak, so be sure not to over-do it. Serve with veggies and a sweet potato!

A favorite lunch of mine is definitely tuna salad paleo wraps. You can find the "Paleo Wraps" on Amazon, at Whole Foods and probably any other health foods store. For my tuna salad, all I do is add some diced apple, a couple tablespoons of dill relish and a tablespoon of paleo mayo. Sometimes I add nuts--here, I added a handful of walnuts and topped with tomato and lettuce. Delicious and really filling. Served with a side of pineapple and a club soda! Perfect lunch! 

I have no idea how/why I didn't think to make this sooner....but this weekend I tried a turkey wrap "BLT" and it was freakin awesome!!! All you do is make sure to get a thicker cut of turkey from the deli (uncured, no sugar, no carageenan). Spread a little paleo mayo right on the turkey and then top with your tomato slices, bacon (uncured, no sugar added) and lettuce. SO GOOD!!!!

I just really, really like potatoes. We do stick with sweet potatoes much more often than we do white potatoes (lots of starch in them) but sometimes, home made fries are just all you need for comfort food. Slice potatoes thin, toss in olive oil and desired seasonings and bake on lined sheet for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees. My favorite dipping sauce for any white potato is chipotle mayo. AH-MA-ZING. Here I paired my "fries" with a turkey paleo wrap. Yummo. 

I hope you find these recipes useful! Until next time, I want to remind you and remind myself that every small decision, every small step we take is getting us closer to our end goal! If you get off track for one meal, don't let it spiral into a cheat day! Get right back on board and keep going! Why? Because you. are. worth. it!!!

-J