Whole 30: Week 1 Recap

Hey hey!  How was everyone's winter break?  Ours was glorious!  Filled with tons of playing, friends, family and art.  The kids and I were both bummed when Monday morning rolled around and they had to go back to school.

The other thing that as quite the bummer about Monday was Mark and I starting the Whole 30.  Are you familiar with it?  It's basically 30 days of eating nothing processed, no dairy, grains, soy (or legumes of any kind), MSG, or anything that tastes delicious.  The point of it is to 'reset' your system, relearn how to eat the way nature intended (eating until satiety, instead of engorgement), and to just generally feel better.  We've done this once before, 2 years ago, and both loved the way that we felt, so we decided to do it again!

We started on January fifth, so today is day 8 for us.  I feel like I'm finally turning the 'bloated, withdrawing from sugar/carbs' hump, and am feeling good!  I've also made my way back to the gym, where I am spending way too much time working on my upper body.  I'm only cleared from the ribcage up, so I'm basically turning these shoulders into boulders, and I'm trading in my boobs for pecs.  Sexy, like a man.  Anyways.  I've made some super delicious recipes this week, and wanted to share my top 3 with you guys!

Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash 

(Recipe from Make With Your Hands)

Ingredients:
1 whole butter nut squash (3 c. cubed)
2 tbs. coconut oil (melted)
1/2 tbs. dark cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbs. fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toss squash, coconut oil & cinnamon together until all of the squash is thoroughly coated with oil and cinnamon.  Lay the butternut squash on a parchment lined baking sheet, or silpat and bake for 35 minutes.  Pull it out of the oven and  immediately toss with the nutmeg and pepper.  Put it back on the baking sheet and allow it to cool.

Seriously, this is delicious.  Use the full TBSP of pepper.  The nuttiness of the nutmeg, combined with the spiciness of the pepper and the sweetness of the cinnamon is an unreal combination.

Chipotle Meatballs  

(Recipe from Health-Bent)

Ingredients

1 lb ground meat (we used beef)
1/4 c almond flour
2 eggs
1 T chipotle adobo sauce 
1 t dried oregano
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
salt

For the Sauce

1 c chicken stock
15 oz can tomato sauce
1-2 finely diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or you could use just sauce
2 t dried oregano
2 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
salt

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs, and roll into small, 1.5 inch x 1.5 inch balls.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  While the meatballs are cooking combine all ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and allow to simmer until it reaches desired thickness.  We served these over roasted spaghetti squash with a side of avocado, because this is a spicy recipe!  The original recipe serves it with a side of guacamole.

These meatballs are delicious!  But, our favorite part about them is the sauce.  Because you can't have ketchup or BBQ sauce on the Whole 30, things sometimes seem a bit dry.  This sauce is the perfect solution!  

Bulletproof Coffee

Ok, let's talk about this one.  I was nervous about it too.  It crossed my radar a long time ago, and I immediately thought "Yuck! Hell to the no!"  But, I decided that I needed to woman up, and give it a go, and I am so thankful that I did!  That first day that I tried it I was like the freaking energizer bunny.  I could not sit still!  Which was kind of a bummer, because my bursitis was CRAZY bad, and it hurt me to move, and I couldn't bring myself to sit still.  I didn't make true bulletproof coffee because I'm not having dairy, and the real recipe calls for butter.  Anyways, give it a try!  

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Coconut Oil (virgin coconut oil gives a stronger flavor, so if you don't like coconut just look for regular coconut oil)

1 cup of brewed coffee.

Directions

In a blender combine the coffee and oil and blend until frothy.  I used an immersion blender in my cup, because I hate doing dishes.

Let me know if you have any questions!  These are my top 3 recipes, but I made SO many more!  Missing all of my food posts on Instagram?  Don't fret, I made a new account, just food and fitness related.  Follow me @kendalgetsfit. 

Monday Funday!

I feel like five days is too long to go without blogging.  All of these things happen, and I want to share them, and then I'm like "meh, I'll just verbally unload in one post." And then it turns out to be 3 pages long.  Ha!

Anyways, this weekend went so great!  I stayed on the ball all three days.  I had my cheat meal, I meal prepped for everything else, and overall I was just spot on.  It is so nice coming out of the weekend feeling like 'I rocked that!' instead of thinking 'today's a fresh start,' you know?  And let me tell you, our weekend was jam packed.  Cheer, BMX, family parties, all kinds of stuff.  I think what led me to success was owning what I wanted, and being in control of what went into my body.

All this to say, I did have trials this weekend.  I am PMSing something fierce, and want to inhale all things chocolate.  My trainer told me that when you feel like that to eat things high in goo defats to kill the cravings.  So, I ate a tbsp. of good quality peanut butter and it totally worked!  Anyways, it doesn't cut down on the mood swings, but I'm not sure that's PMS related, or children related.  Oh Camden.  Friday afternoon one of my good friends calls me, we talk about this and that, and as we are ending the conversation she tells me "I just wanted to let you know, when the girls were face timing this morning Camden mooned them."  Argh!  That boy!  So, I go and ask him why he mooned them, and he tells me "Ava wanted me to show her my butt."  Um, no.  No one wants to see that.  (She didn't, he's just rotten).  Keep your pants on.  I have a feeling that's a sentence I'll be saying a lot over the next 13 years.  I got my new drivers license in the mail!  Let me tell you, aside from losing weight in my face, I've aged quite a bit in the last five years.  I'm telling myself that it's all coincidental and has nothing to do with my five year old, but...

left is new; right is old

I made the yummiest, most simple dinner last night!  Seriously.  It was a little bit spicy, a lot bit yummy, great crunch, all of it!  I served it along side salad, and Mark and I were two happy campers.

Shredded Buffalo Chicken

In all honesty, I found this on pinterest.  I can not remember where, so I'll share the recipe that I wrote down, and know that this did not come from my own imagination.  Making this is crazy easy, and you could totally pre make it and throw it in a crock pot to keep it warm and serve it for game day.  Or, pre make it before heading out on a crazy weekend and stuff it in celery to enjoy as you watch your 18th children's sport of the day.

Ingredients:

3 large chicken breasts

2 tbsps butter

1/2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup wing sauce

celery

blue cheese crumbles

lettuce

Boil the chicken until it's easily shredded.  I always overcook my chicken to be safe.  Remove the chicken from the pan and melt the butter, and then add the oil and wing sauce.  Mix it well and then toss in the shredded chicken.  Top with blue cheese crumbles and celery, serve in lettuce boats and voila!  The yummiest dinner ever is served.  

Oooh, I bet it would taste awesome over a sweet potato.  But I've been on a never ending diet for a long time, so don't take my word for that.

What is for dinner this week?  I've got tonight and tomorrow mapped out, so I'm going to wing this a bit, and plan as I type.  

Monday: Party

Tuesday: Orchiette, sausage and brussels tossed in pesto.

Wednesday: (first day of school!)  Breakfast for dinner.  It's a favorite around here.

Thursday: Crockpot balsamic chicken.

Friday: Pizza

I'm on the fence about Thursday's dinner.  I've never made it in the crockpot before, so it'll be a real experience.  I wonder if it'll turn to mush?  Ugh, that would be the pits.  I'm already talking myself out of that meal.   Alright, I'm off to the gym (first time since rehurting my hip!), where I will undoubtedly completely change Thursday's dinner.  I'm going to try a spicy apricot chicken, probably.

Ooh, btw, I decided to have a drink this weekend.  Which kind of means that I failed my goal of no drinking for a month, but I have a whole post written up on my relationship with alcohol, and why this was actually a win that I plan on sharing tomorrow.

I hope that everyone has a fantastic start to their week, happy Monday!