Whole 30 C'est Fini

"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:30

Okay so maybe the Whole30 isn't necessarily a religious experience, but for some of us who love food, it kind of is a religious experience. The journey is done, it is finished. I never imagined I would've actually made it through the program but here we are at the finish line and are filled with a mix of relief, exhaustion, hunger, fullness and fear of the unknown. 

However I do have to say that the 4th and final week has been the easiest and some of the best foods we've made while on the Whole 30. Mothers Day happened to fall during the final day so I did make a wonderful recipe from Against All Grain (check out her great cookbooks and website) but adapted it slightly. I made one that had everything on it and one that was dairy-free. See here for recipe.

Another successful breakfast item I made this week was homemade sausage. Never again will I buy those pre-made sausage patties, these are awesome and you can make them as spicy (or non-spicy) as you want.

I ate them plain but I also crumbled them up in an egg mixture to create a sausage-egg scramble that was delicious too!

What do you do when your veggies are about to turn bad and you don't know what to do for dinner? Chicken and vegetable stir-fry. I made a bed of zucchini noodles along with chunks of grilled chicken breast, water chestnuts, carrots, broccoli, snap peas, peppers, onions, and pineapple. I just made it up, but here are some recipes to try for stir-fry.

Cave Girl in the City

Home Cooking Memories 

Mego on the Go

Have I mentioned that I never used to like Pellegrino or any other type of sparkling water? Now it's what I live for. That, in a wine glass, with a bit of lime...heaven!

stnuts

One final recipe I'd like to share was this Paleo shepherd's pie (made with ghee, not butter or cream). My whole family was home one evening for dinner including my grandmother who had flown in from Minnesota...she even wanted the recipe. So I figured if my 88-year-old Swedish grandmother approved, it must be good. Another simple way to use up some of those veggies you don't know what to do with. Best thing- is you can make it how you want it!

I've done a lot of "life after the whole 30" research and let me tell you, the results have scared me. Some have gave up everything that isn't 'approved' forever and ever amen. Others went off the plan and fell into old habits. While others tried to add in once-common items into their diet like milk, popcorn and wine and have gotten horribly sick. The idea of eating this way forever makes me sad. Not that the food isn't great, not that I don't feel better, not that I couldn't do it. I just know it's such a huge time commitment, financial commitment, and overall I just miss simple things like peanut butter and air-popped popcorn. Give a girl a break for godoness sakes! I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do come tomorrow. Part of me wants to gorge out on The Melting Pot or somewhere lovely with chocolate and cheese. Then part of me wants to keep going with the progress I've made. I think I'll need to add some other things back in like the occasional dairy (butter and cheese) into morning eggs to keep me from going mental. I'll definitely need to add soemthing crunchy back in like rice cakes or air-pop popcorn: I need a mid-afternoon crunch. But I read over and over that the 80/20 rule works for most; eat paleo/whole30 80% of the time and have your "cheats" or your whatever meals 20% of the time (about 4 meals a week). I think that is sustainable....I say that now at least...

The Results

After reading It Starts with Food a bit, reading peoples stories with the Whole 30 and seeing before and after results...I was excited to maybe finally get down to an even leaner frame and lose another 10 pounds or so to be a lean-mean-green-eating machine. Well the results weren't quite that way. I am an avid Crossfitter, 5-6 days a week usually. I like to lift weights and heavy at that. So in order for me to lose pounds, it takes quite a miracle. So here was the stats for my 30 days

Pounds lost: 4 lbs

Arm: 1"

Thigh: 1"

Hips: 3.5"

Bust: 1" (dangit)

Waist: 2"

Overall what I learned:

1. My relationship with food was unhealthy, even though I was eating "healthy"

2. I don't need a sweet treat every day, 1-2 a week will be just fine

3. I'm learning to like vegetables in a new way, the color they add and the flavor they add

4. The farmers market is a great way to buy fresh produce and meats

5. I should buy chickens with how many eggs I eat

6. It takes a lot for me to loose pounds, so be happy with the inches and progress made in that aspect. Don't get caught up in the stupid number on the scale. Look at your pant size and how your body reacts to you

7. It's just an number

8. My body hasn't felt this good ever

9. My skin became clear and glowed, many people commented on how I looked tan and my eyes were bright and open; something I never noticed before

10. Never once did I have to take an antacid or digestive pill during the 30 days, my gut was happy with me for once (coming from a gluten-free gal that says a lot)

11. Doing this with a support system (my mom) saved me; I would've given up without her! I recommend doing this with someone even if it's a virtual friend you meet on a Whole30 chat- it helps really!

12. Plan plan plan. Plan ahead your meals, your snacks and your workout time because you will be exhausted and may fall into old habits. Don't do it!

13. I never did get that "energy boost" in fact I actually felt more tired than ever. I went to bed earlier these last few weeks than I have in a while. Maybe my body just needed the rest...and some days I was so hungry (emotional) that I just went to sleep instead

14. Don't go shopping while hungry. Just don't.

15. If you have to cry, then girl you go ahead and cry. You'll feel better afterwards.

16. Embrace the change and don't be discouraged if you make a mistake. Keep going and get through it, you'll come out on the end of 30 days and be amazed at all you faced and give up.

17. There will never be the "perfect" time to start so just stinking start. There'll always be a birthday, a wedding, a bridal shower, a graduation, a work function, a girls night, a date night, a tired-and-just-want-to-order-pizza night, there will be a vacation or a holiday...so just commit to it and do it. You'll wish you would've started today, tomorrow...trust me!

So mom and I survived our first Whole30. Everybody says you'll do another one eventually, but right now I'm just enjoying the freedom to say, yes, I will have a piece of chocolate and a glass of red wine...and not feel bad about it.in.the.least

Whole 30 Week 3

It's Day 21! During the first few days even making it into the 20s sounded crazy, but here we are with only 9 days standing in front of us.

This past week was full of new challenges: the real world. I hosted my best friends bridal shower last weekend and had originally agreed to make the cake for dessert. What I found interesting was that although I’ve been gluten-free for years so I couldn’t even normally have a cupcake- all I wanted was a cupcake! So strange. I also found out how MINDLESSLY we eat. I can’t count the number of times I almost licked a piece of frosting off here or tasted a spatula there; all while not even realizing it. I’m absolutely shocked that I didn’t have anything but I didn’t have one crumb or sprinkle of the sweet treats. Luckily I had some other wonderful bridesmaids to help with the food so I wouldn’t be tempted with that mess as well.

Another struggle I found this past week was reality catching up; super long days in the office followed by running around after work, going to the gym or trying to catch up with life meant I was left several days without dinner until 8 or 9pm and sometimes lunch was nothing more than some fruit or a Larabar.

Dinner: Hamburger with bacon and a homemade pineapple-mango salsa (this is a similar recipe, I just left out the peppers as Scandinavians don't do spice

Arugula salad with a Dijon mustard dressing (omit the honey from this recipe) 

homemade sweet potato chips (got a little burnt- oops)

grapes 

Dinner inspiration brought by Whole30Recipes Instagram account. A slow-cooker pulled beef that was pretty good although I’d increase the time a touch, it didn’t fall apart as much as I’d hoped for.
Garlic Cauliflower mash - don't overheat/cook it gets a funny texture otherwise

Fresh green beans cooked with balsamic and toasted almonds

Breakfast became an old stand-by, bacon, eggs and fruit

inspiration for dinner tonight came from Instagram Whole30Recipes too. It was a cashew/almond-crusted chicken tenders with homemade potato oven fries and another repeat of a quickly-becoming-favorite cucumber/tomato/onion summer salad. 

Cucumber-Tomato Summer Salad

1 English cucumber

handful of roma tomatoes

2-3 cuts of red onion (more if you like onions)

1 part water to 1 part apple cider vinegar

Fresh dill

Cut up the cucumber and red onion into slices and place in a bowl. Sprinkle in some fresh dill. 

Cover the cucumber/onion mixture with 1 part water and 1 part apple cider vinegar until it is completely covered **Apple cider vinegar gives it a sweetness, so don't be scared by the horrendous smell. 

Cover and let chill in the fridge for at least 1-hour.

Remove from the fridge, cut the tomatoes in half and combine in with cucumber/tomato mixture. Sprinkle in more fresh dill and salt and pepper for seasoning if you like.

Serve chilled.

Homemade Oven Fries

(serves 4 people)

3-4 white potatoes

olive oil

salt

pepper

onion powder

garlic powder

fresh rosemary

Wash and dry the potatoes, patting dry with a paper towel.

Peel the skins off and then cut the potatoes lengthwise, creating long thin strips of potatoes, similar to a "french fry" shape.

Place the fries into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil (I used a mixture of regular olive oil and garlic infused olive oil), salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.

Lay out the potatoes on a foil-covered cooking sheet (foil=less clean-up later). Make sure the fries are evenly coated. Add more salt and pepper if you'd like. Sprinkle fresh rosemary all over the fries.

Cook on 350 until done, about 30-35 minutes if you like them soft. Flip them over half way through. If you like them crunchier, keep in for 5 minute increments but check frequently so they don't burn.

Proof that you can eat out during Whole30. Now it wasn't the most fabulous meal I've ever had but I got by. It was a turkey & chicken cobb sandwhich (obviously without the bun) which came with lettuce, tomato, turkey, chicken breast and topped with avocado. Then I had a side of fresh fruit and water with lime. I couldn't inspect the meat packaging on whether there was added sugar but you know what, for me, I had to go out to eat and it was something that I knew I was compliant mostly so I ate it and didn't feel bad about it. It was a much healthier option than the vanilla cheescake I really wanted soo.....

Other realizations and tips from Week 3:

1.    I realized I rely way to heavily on Larabars and sweet potato chips from Trader Joes (seriously these things are like crack)

2.    Planning is key to this lifestyle: no planning = becoming hangry = having meltdowns = poor eating = feeling bad. Plan ahead people!

3.    You CAN eat out if you’re super picky and very careful. Be “that” person who is “allergic” to everything and severly annoying…just remember to be extra nice to your wait staff and tip a little extra- it’ll go a long way!

4. On Instagram? Follow Whole30Recipes - that is where I got inspirations all the time for recipes and suggestions

5. I spend any morsel of 'free' time outside of work and the gym inside the kitchen. Seriously, it's exhausting.

6. You have to go to the grocery store multiple times a week if you eat a lot of fruit- it disappears!

Whole 30 Week 2

Well we've survived our first week of Whole 30 and surprisingly we managed through our 2nd week without any cheats…which amazes me. Again, I can't say enough for having a support system during this journey.

The second week brought new challenges: boredom. Breakfasts were starting to get a little boring, eggs and bacon every day sounds great until you're 15 days in and you're getting a little green at the thought of one more egg. So this week we got creative and branched out. I think the first week, you're so worried about eating something bad that you get caught up in eating the things you know are safe. Or, like we did- we got super adventurous and they didn't go according to plan so you wilt back to your safety net of grapes, salads, and grilled meats. 

Anyways, for week 2 we got a little more adventurous with our recipes and trying new things. Instead of cooking eggs and bacon every morning, on Sunday we did some prep and made these super simple and versatile meat and veggie egg muffins. Here is an example of a recipe we used. We made egg-spianch-sausage egg muffins and were able to put them in the fridge and reheat them in the morning. Our secret ingredient this week: apple pie spice by Penzy's. A definite life-saver. I've used more cinnamon and apple pie spice in the past few weeks than I have in my whole life!

Above: egg muffins, fresh mango and strawberries for breakfast

Some other good recipes from this week included a Summer Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Paleo Mexican Chicken Soup 

and I made a variation of this Garlic Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles which was delicious, I did a little homemade pesto (without the cheese of course) and I think I could've ate 3 helpings.

La Croix water: I used to hate it. Now I'm obsessed 

Arugula with a homemade mustard/olive oil dressing and Moroccan Meatballs (I'll try to find the recipe because these were absolutely delicious)

Another fun adventure this week: homemade sugar-free applesauce. I also cut up some fresh strawberries and pureed them together to make homemade strawberry applesauce- I highly recommend.

Keep on, keepin' on folks. You can do it!

Gluten Free Adventures: Baked Apple Crisp

The Nesting Season Continues

It wouldn't be fall without the warm smell of baked apples in the oven. This evening I made a yummy gluten free apple crisp in the oven; nothing tastes more like fall!

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

6-8 small apples (I used a mixture of pink lady & granny smith)
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp nutmeg 

Topping:
2/3 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 cup GF Quaker Oats 
2/3 cup melted butter

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and warm and the apples are soft. Cook longer if you like softer apples, a tad less for my crunch.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted carmel sauce and viola- the perfect fall treat!

GF Adventures: Homemade Applesauce

There's a nip in the air, the leaves are starting their slow cascade to the ground, and Starbucks has rolled out their Pumpkin Spice Latte; know what that means? Autumn must be upon us! I don't know about you, but my family has fall traditions that we always like to do: pick apples from an orchard, run through our local corn maize, eat our favorite carmel apples flew in from Minnesota, and pick pumpkins from the patch! 

Usually when we pick apples from the orchard we have an exorbitant amount of apples left over and there is only so many apples you can eat and so many apple pies you can make, so I decided to make my first attempt at homemade applesauce. 
After searching for the perfect recipe I decided to try our the Pioneer Woman's recipe, who also happens to be one of my personal favorites.  

Homemade Applesauce 

Ingredients

6 pounds Apples, Peeled, Cored, And Cut Into 8 Slices

1 cup Apple Juice Or Apple Cider

Juice Of 1 Lemon

1/2 cup Brown Sugar, Packed

1 teaspoon Cinnamon, More Or Less To Taste

Optional Ingredients: Nutmeg, Maple Syrup, Allspice, Butter

Preparation Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.

Carefully puree in a food processor or blender (don't fill too full; split into two portions if needed) until smooth.

Store in the fridge and serve by itself, over pork chops, over ice cream, over pancakes...or any place where applesauce is needed!

GF Adventures: Homemade Chewy Bars

The weekend is prep time for me: prepping for lunches, snacks and dinners throughout the week. By the time I get off work, head to Crossfit and bust my butt (almost literally), drive home and shower it's nearly 8 p.m. and who wants to be on the struggle bus trying to eat a healthy, gluten free meal? This means no calling to pick up a pizza on the way home, no cereal and toast night, or throwing pasta on the stove for a quick pasta meal. Gluten-free, organic living calls for a little planning ahead. One of the things I miss is having quick grab-on-the-go snacks like granola bars so when I saw one of my favorite people ever, Ree aka The Pioneer Woman, posted a yummy looking granola bar recipe I decided to tackle it today and convert it to GF! 

[Chocolate Chip] Granola Bars

• 6 cups Rolled GF Oats (not Quick Oats)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted, Plus More For Greasing
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Or Canola Oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1/4 cup Apple Juice
• 1/4 cup Molasses
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cup GF Rice Krispies
• 1/4 cup Roughly Chopped Almonds
• Semi Sweet Chocolate Or Dark Chocolate (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss the oats with the canola oil, melted butter and salt. Spread the mixture out on 2 baking sheets and toast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan twice and making sure they don't burn. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, apple juice and molasses. Heat the mixture slowly, stirring until all combined. Stir in the vanilla

Toss together the toasted GF oats, GF rice cereal, pecans and almonds. Pour in the sugar mixture, stirring as you pour. Toss to combine; it will be sticky!

Press into 1 baking sheet (thoroughly greased with butter, or line pan with foil and grease foil) and bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut pieces with a sharp knife and remove from the pan.

They turned out nice and crunchy and the chocolate melted nicely. Now it's time to let them cool, wrap them up and store for the week!

GF Adventures: Homemade Pesto

Summer is officially coming to an end and the garden is quickly disappearing so I decided to go out and pick a bunch of the fresh basil and make some homemade pesto to store up for winter. 

It takes a whole heck of a lot of basil to make just a small amount of pesto so cut up about 2 cups of basil leaves

 Wash & dry the basil and then place it in a food processor with salt and pepper. Add in a few cloves of garlic and a heaping handful of parmesan cheese. 

With the lid on, drizzle in several tablespoons of olive oil and voila - homemade pesto. Store in an air tight container and freeze until ready to use. Perfect for pasta, pizzas, and chicken!

GF Steak & Ale Pie Night

After a super tough Crossfit Workout, one in which I thought I was going to vomit and die right there on the floor, I was craving something filling and with a little bit of nip in the air, something with a taste of fall. Time for some steak and ale pie. It's super filling, deliciously warm and tasty, and makes the entire house smell of fall for hours. So came the time to experiment on how to make this gluten-free friendly.

Gluten Free Pie Crust

*Based off of Bob's Red Mill Recipe

1 1/2 cups GF All Purpose Flour (I used Trader Joe's All Purpose)

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 cup of Butter (one stick)

4 Tbsp Cold Milk

Combine flour and salt, then cut in butter using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle in milk, one tablespoon at a time, while blending until all ingredients are moist.

I rolled the dough mixture into a ball and pulled off small pieces and pressed them into the bottom of the pie dishes. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms are just enough done.

Now time for the actual pie mixture! Our families favorite is Pippa Middleton's "Celebrate" Steak, Guinness Cider and Kidney Pie. 

2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of fat and cut into cubes

1 pound of ox or lamb kidneys, cleaned and cubed (optional)

Salt & Pepper

6 tablespoons all-purpose GF Flour

6 Tablespoons of sunflower oil (or veggie oil)

2 Tbsp butter

6 ounces small button mushrooms

1/2 onion, halved and sliced thinly 

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 large fresh Thyme sprigs

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 3/4 Cups Gluten Free Hard Apple Cider (YUM)

1 3/4 Cups Beef Stock

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Bay Leaves

Season the beef and kidneys (optional) well, then coat in the flour. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan and brown the meat in batches. Remove and set aside. Add another tablespoon of the oil and half the butter into the pan and brown the mushrooms, scraping up the residue in the pan from the meat, then remove and set aside with beef.

Add the last of the oil and butter to the pan and cook the onions over medium heat until soft, then add the garlic, celery, carrots, thyme and sugar and sweat for another 5 minutes.

Return the meat and mushrooms to the pan, pour in the Cider, stock and Worcestershire sauce and add the bay leaves. 

Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom. Remove the lid and continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 30 minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. Season well.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spoon the beef mixture into the individual pie dishes. brush the edges of the pie dish with a little beaten egg mixture and roll the left over pastry over the surface, trimming off any excess so it fits the dish nicely.

Brush the top of the pastry with the remaining egg wash and cut a small cross in the middle of the pastry to allow the steam to escape. Put the dish in the middle of the oven on a baking tray for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

The GF substitutions worked out great :)