They call this stage of the Whole30 Tiger Blood and I know why. For two weeks I went to spin class and felt a diabolical force resisting the movement of my legs and feet. The harder I tried to pedal the more resistance there seemed to be. Like I was getting sucked in by quicksand. I’ve gone to class after, well, let’s just say more than a few glasses of wine and done better, felt better, rode better. This week; I owned it. There was no quick sand holding my legs down. In fact, it felt like there was no gravity. Like I was spinning on the moon and could spin forever. It was awesome!
We are in this very strange place in the Whole30 process. We count down every day like it’s a victory. Day 11 – defeated. Day 12 – defeated. Day 15 – we are 1/2 way there. And at the same time, we keep telling each other I’m never going back. I feel too good. I like how I feel. I want to feel like this every single day. Sure, I’ll have ice cream and treats and wine, of course we’ll have wine, but I’m never going back.
Last night we cooked cilantro lime shrimp. I would say this was my favorite meal of our Whole30 journey, but OMG – it did not compare to the leftover shrimp and spinach omelet I had for breakfast today. I felt like I was having breakfast at a Ritz Carlton in someplace very exotic (1/2 of that was how good the shrimp was 1/2 was the Michigan winter blues). When you make this recipe be sure to make enough for your omelet the next day.
The authors of the Whole30 say that most people give up on days 10 and 11. The novelty has wore off, food fatigue, temptation. A whole lot of reasons. Being on Day 9 it doesn’t feel like I’m ready to quit tomorrow or the next day.
How are you doing on your 2016 goals? Need some motivation? ET always does it for me. Check out this video
Making the Whole30 fun by being able to be creative has been our focus. By just focusing on making it through each day until you get to 30, I could see how you might give up. If you focus on trying new things and being creative then you look forward to each new experience and don’t even count the day you’re on.
I’ve never even eaten a chicken burger before. That didn’t stop us for cooking them up for today’s brown bag lunch.
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix to incorporate.
Divide into 4 parts
Form into burgers
Heat non-stick skillet to medium high with a small amount of cooking oil.
Gently place burgers on skillet. After 4-5 minutes flip.
Cook until done – about 4-5 more minutes
If you have a bacon griddle press, burger press, or a panini press they work fantastically to cook these through. Place on top of the burgers once they have been flipped
Many homemade mayonnaise recipes require power tools and face it, many kitchens do not have them. I love this recipe because it doesn’t require any tools except good old arm power and it doesn’t make too much. This is a concern because homemade mayo doesn’t have a long shelf life. You need to use it up quickly.
Homemade Mayonnaise
Ingredients
1 egg yolk (reserve the white and add to an omelet, scrambled eggs or a frittata)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp ground mustard
dash white pepper
3/4 c avocado oil
Instructions
whisk the egg yolk and spices
very slowly – painfully slow – add the avocado oil and continue whisking
continue whisking until thick
*by painfully I mean “how long could this possibly take” not “oh my gosh, this is killing my arm”
This recipe is Whole30 compliant. I’m on day 6 of my first Whole30 as part of my 68 Day Challenge.
Busy households need easy solutions. What could be easier than cooking once and making 4 (or more) great meals out of it?
As part of the 68 Day Challenge, a great “your best year starts here program” my husband and I are doing the Whole30. In a nutshell: meat, vegetables, fruit, and healthy fats for 30 days.
Slow Roasted Beef Brisket
Ingredients
1 beef brisket
1 small box portabella mushrooms, sliced
2 onions, sliced thick
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp garlic
2 bay leaves
cracked pepper
salt (adjust this depending on the sodium content in your broth)
Instructions
heat oven to 325
put all ingredients in a dutch oven
cook until meat is fork tender – approximately 3 hours
let stand for 30 minutes
slice and serve
Meal 1 – dinner: serve with oven roasted potatoes and roasted root vegetables
Meal 2 – breakfast: substitute beef brisket for chicken in this great recipe Chicken Hash
Meal 3 – lunch: Make brisket tacos or quesadillas (this is the only non-compliant meal for the Whole30)
Meal 4 – dinner: open face brisket sandwich. Serve on Texas Toast with mashed potatoes (or left over oven roasted potatoes)
In 9 glorious days the kids go back to school. It’s time for some back to school cooking!
Today, I did my back to school Costco run. The first of a few.
Let the freezer cooking begin . . . .
With school and work and soccer and marching band and … and…. and…. it’s way easier to have awesome homemade dinners ready to go in our freezer. Today I made mac -n- cheese. This recipe is also perfect for sports banquets, graduation parties, and tailgating.
Macaroni -n Cheese for The Team
WP Recipe Maker #1042remove
Mac n CheeseThis large recipe makes enough mac n cheese for several freezer trays. Awesome for busy families.Course: Main Course, Side Dish Cuisine: American Keyword: cheese, pasta Servings: 24 – 3 1 lb boxes macaroni noodles – 56 ounces shredded cheddar cheese 1 1/2 Costco bags – 14 cups milk – 1 large onion diced – 1 cup flour – 8 tbs butter – 1 tbs salt – 2 tsp black pepper – 2 tsp ground mustard – 1 tsp white pepper – 1 tsp paprika 1) Boil water in large pan and cook noodles for 7 minutes 2) In very large saucepan on medium heat melt the butter. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add seasoning and flour. Stir until it is stiff. 3) Add milk. 4) Stir until it almost boils 5) Add cheese slowly and stir until it is melted 6) Put noodles in giant pan or multiple cooking dishes 7) Top with cheese mixture 8) Stir until noodles are coated 9) Bake uncovered at 375 for 45 minutes
