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