Whole30 besties...

Everyone needs a bestie. I'm lucky to have besties in all walks of life. I couldn't make it through my day without my work bestie, my PTO bestie, my blog bestie, my crazy bestie, my shopping bestie, my bestie besties.... and well, you get the idea. 

You especially need a bestie when you are doing something hard. You need that person(s) that is going to tell you that you can do it. That you will do it. And that you are totally going to kick ass doing it. 

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Well, I'm doing another round of Whole30 and y'all....THIS SHIZZ IS HARD.

And I've done it before. Twice.

I know the results. I know how good I feel. I know how much I really do love the food. But it's hard because I also really love cheese and cinnamon toast and powdered donuts and pizza and nachos. And cheese. I really love the cheese. 

So I need my bestie. And when I'm doing Whole30 my bestie comes in the form of awesome social media accounts that inspire me, make me laugh and know that I feel somewhere between amazing and wanting to punch a dolphin in the face. 

And since I'm a giver, I want to share these besties with you. 

I mean the first one is a no-brainer... Whole30. I can always count on this account to pop up with something motivational or snarky at just the right moment. Exactly what you'd expect from a bestie. I really did feel like this baby elephant on Day 6. Except I didn't have snow and my butt doesn't look that adorable in the air. 

Next up... Whole30Recipes. I love this account because each week it is curated by a different Whole30 Guru as I have dubbed them. Regular old people like me that have managed to create real, wholesome amazing Whole30 compliant recipes that involve more than eggs and fruit. ;) I've discovered tons of new accounts this way... most recently WholeSisters and one of my favorites TheEverGreenDiaries. These people are committed Whole30ers and provide amazing pics and awesome recipes to get you through.

The Whole30Approved account highlights "products that have been tested and loved by the Whole30 team and officially approved for use during your Whole30." Things like Bonafide Broth - this is important for people that live in small towns and don't have access to amazing grocery stores and also don't have time to make our own broth. Or perhaps know how. Or want to know how. Because #Amazon. This account is for us.

My last two besties I have stalked talked about before. First up the darling Cassy Joy from Fed+Fit. You may remember my stellar review of her new book of the same name. This account is just FULL of amazing ideas and recipes with the added bonus of her darling personality and adorable dog, Gus. You really should follow her on SnapChat at FedandFit to get the full experience. Not all of her recipes are compliant but so many are and she's a good resource when you are off Whole30 but attempting that 80/20 lifestyle we all aspire to follow. 

ps.  Her ranch dressing recipe is my favorite. 

One of Cassy's real life foodie besties is Juli of  PaleOMG. Her account is full of food, fashion, fitness, fun and her fur baby, Jackson. This woman is hilarious and also much more fun to follow on Snapchat. She not only shares amazing recipes but tons of fitness tips, workouts and motivation. Like Cassy, not all of her recipes are compliant but enough are to keep you motivated. 

These five accounts keep me motivated, fed and fully functional for the 30 days. Anyone else I should follow? Maybe someone that makes dessert because day 31 is always my favorite!

Fed+Fit: A Momma's Review

I am so excited about today's post because there is very little that I love more than sharing good food with people. It's in my bones, my mom's gift of hospitality was thankfully passed down to me and I have adopted her "the more the merrier" credo for as long as I can remember. Anytime people need a home away from home, hot meal, warm couch, and yummy food I just pray that they know there is always a seat at our table. 

It's the only thing I know - My godparents owned the best little dive in Baton Rouge and as soon as we walked in my Uncle Mitch would point to a table and say "eat". He was known to take hot plates from other customers and give them to us. He made crawfish at 10am and we were expected to eat it. And we did. 

My momma has cooked for our hometown varsity football team on more than one occasion, fed an entire team of UPS drivers and even made spaghetti for our wedding rehearsal dinner (we had over 100 people at our rehearsal, y'all.)

We love to feed people. 

It's just part of who we are. 

I seriously can't explain how happy I am to watch people just enjoy what I cook. I'm smiling as I type this. Poor Ryan, when I think I've discovered the "perfect bite" of any given meal and gather all of those foods onto one fork, I immediately shove it in his face and say, "taste this"... by now he's learned to be super excited about how good it tastes because he knows if he doesn't then I will be legitimately sad. 

So, all that to say, I am so excited to talk about my new FAVORITE cookbook, Fed+Fit that is going to just make you and anyone you cook for SMILE. And the bonus is that you are feeding them food you can feel GOOD about! #praisehands

I started following Cassy on Instagram a while back (you should, too!). She was one of Cindy's student employees while at A&M and once she graduated, she adopted a paleo lifestyle and started blogging her journey. She has since gained 1000s of followers, 100s of recipes and a semi-stalker in me. She's just darling and represents Aggieland so well.  She's always sharing tips and tricks and amazing recipes and you will love her. (And she's also on Snapchat, sharing recipes, tips on eating out, and adorable snaps of her dog, Gus. I'm not even a dog person and I want Gus. He's precious.)

Anyway, I pre-ordered the book and have had it about a month. I wanted to try several recipes and workouts before giving my clearly unsolicited review. Ha! 

So what do I think??

Well, I think you should GET IT NOW! Period the end. 

**Please note (again) that I am not a foodie blogger. I am a lazy blogger, therefore my food pictures aren't that pretty.** 

1. It's a complete guide to health. She breaks down our health into four pillars and partners research and experience into why each of these is so important for us to reach and lead a healthy life.

2. There are TONS of pictures - like every recipe has a picture and as a visual person, this was awesome. 

I had to pat myself on the back for this one. I mean it looks **almost** as pretty as the picture. We made this for our back to school brinner and while the kids didn't love the sweet potatoes, they wanted to taste it and ate up the eggs. And bonus: I had a healthy breakfast for the week with the leftovers. 

3. She has the best names for her recipes. 

4. Workouts can easily be done anywhere. Juli Bauer of PaleOMG (who you should also follow on Insta and ESPECIALLY Snapchat because she's hilarious. She cusses more than I do and leaves me rolling with laughter every day) who is like a Crossfit rockstar came up with 28 days worth of workouts. You can see a sample here on Fed+Fit. 

And as an added bonus - they included PICTURES for each and every MOVEMENT. Y'all. This is awesome sauce. 

www.joshhuskin.com

5. It includes QR codes for her Fed+Fit app that downloads recipe ingredients straight to your phone. (Disclaimer: This function hasn't been finalized yet, but it will be awesome).

6. DAMN GOOD FOOD. There is something for everyone. For example... Frizzled Chicken Bake (see #3). My kids ATE THESE UP and I did, too. AND, I felt GOOD about what I was feeding them.

7. Makes you think outside the box. Y'all. This is a healthy-eating/lifestyle change guide. So the food is going to be full of ingredients you've never tried (or maybe even heard of). She has a cauliflower mac and cheese that calls for nutritional yeast. Full disclosure - it wasn't my absolute favorite, but it got me try something new and make me think about how else I can change some of my favorite comfort meals into healthier options. 

8. There is something for everyone. 

This gumbo was to die for. Full of flavor and so simple to put together. Since it has quite a kick, we adapted it for the kids by serving it over noodles to soak up the heat and mixing in some goat cheese to cut the spice. They gobbled it up and we did, too!

9. Complete meals for a complete day. We make our weekly menus every weekend and have used this book for the past month in doing so. Total meals from the start of your day, to what you snack on (think homemade gummies) to a delicious dinner. 

Including...homemade coffee creamer!!!!

10. She's an Aggie.

Seriously, I can't recommend this book enough. You'll be so happy you added it to your collection, I know I am! One of my favorite things in the world to do is cook with Ryan; every Sunday we turn up the music, pour the wine/brew coffee and slice and dice our way through the kitchen. The kids help, we laugh, connect and get our week started by choosing what we will fuel our bodies with. Doing anything new will take time, but don't let that stop you from trying. That first Whole30 Cindy and I did way back in November really changed how I viewed food. I always "knew" that I should put good things in my body, but that experience SHOWED me. So now I just want everyone else to know how good it feels, too! 

Happy to answer any questions that I can - just leave a comment!

Also check out the Fed+Fit webpage because she posts new recipes every.single.week. 

Whole30 Spicy+Sweet Brussel Hash

Y'all. I have officially mastered breakfast. I mean - hit it out of the park, could eat this same meal every day for as long as I live and never get tired of it, good. 

And you know what's the kicker...

IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!!!!

I mean doesn't that look DELICIOUS?!? It is y'all. It is so so so so so good. And simple. 

Gather the following ingredients: 

Sprouts/Sweet Potatoes/Eggs/Sausage

I prep the sausage and sweet potatoes every Sunday... 

Rosemary Sweet Potato Stackers

Kim's Healthy Eats

Ingredients

• 2 TBS organic butter, melted
• 2 TBS coconut oil, melted
• 2 TBS grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
• 1 TSP fresh rosemary, chopped, plus extra for garnish (Let's be honest, you can use dried)
• Sea salt and pepper
• 5-6 large sweet potatoes, thinly sliced

WHOLE30 VERSION: I use clarified butter and omit the cheese. #Istillmisscheese #lots

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick spray. 
2. In a large bowl whisk together butter, coconut oil, parmesan, rosemary, salt and pepper
3. Add sweet potatoes and toss to coat evenly
4. Layer potato slices into muffin pan and fill to the top. They will shrink once they are baking.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes and does and tops are golden brown and center is tender
6. Let cool for 5 minutes, carefully remove and place on service tray. Top with remaining parmesan and rosemary and serve. 

WHOLE30 VERSION: I just place on a cookie sheet and bake and omit the cooking spray. I let them cool and then place stacks in a plastic container for the week. 

Whole30 Breakfast Sausage

Louisiana Bride

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 TSP sage
• 1/2 TSP ground thyme
• 1 TSP pepper
• 1 TSP sea salt
• 1/2 TSP garlic powder
• 1/2 TSP onion powder
• 1 TSP smoked paprika (or any you have on hand)
• few dashes of cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Brown the meat will all the seasonings mentioned above on medium heat in a large skill until cooked through
2. Eat and enjoy

We also let this cool and then place in a plastic container for the week. 

Ok, now you're ready to make heaven in a bowl... 

Photo cred (bc I was too lazy to take pics): Sprouts/Sweet Potato/Sausage /Eggs

Whole30 Spicy+Sweet Brussel Hash

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup shredded brussel sprouts (you can either do this yourself or buy them shredded)
• 1/4 cup breakfast sausage
• 2 stacks sweet potatoes (thinly sliced)
• 2 eggs
• EVOO
• Salt + Peppe to taste

Instructions

1. Coat medium sized pan with EVOO and salute spouts until edges become crispy
2. Add breakfast sausage and sweet potato - heat through
3. Fry 2 eggs in clarified butter
4. Place on top of hash and enjoy

**I make the sprouts and eggs in the morning and then throw everything in a "to go" container and then pop it all in the toaster oven at work so it gets a bit crispy. You can do the same at home if you prefer.**

ENJOY!!! And if you don't want to search for this post over and over again just pin this!

Whole30 Holy Grail...

Y'all. I found the holy grail of Whole30 goodness. 

Nachos. 

May I repeat... 

N-A-C-H-O-S!!!!

I don't know that I can adequately express how much I love nachos. They are my comfort food. As in, when I have a bad day, I call Chuys, order the Panchos Nachos and pretend they aren't just for me to the carry out person and then go home and do this...

So I basically cried tears of joy when I came across this post on Instagram...

(Do yourself a favor and follow this account.)

I immediately sent Ryan a text and asked him to add these ingredients to the grocery list so when I was done with a long work weekend ahead I could celebrate.

And y'all. These were SO good and SO easy and I need them every single day of my life. 

PLANTAIN NACHOS FROM WELL FED 2Serves 2-4 | Prep 20 minutes | Cook 30 minutes


PLANTAINS:2 green plantains (they MUST be GREEN)1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted


TACO MEAT:2 teaspoons coconut oil1/2 medium onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)2 tablespoons chili powder1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon ground coriander (we didn't add this)1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves (also pretty sure we didn't add this)1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (and maybe even this bc the kiddos)3/4 teaspoon salt1 pound ground beef2 tablespoons tomato paste1/2 cup Whole30 compliant chicken broth (or water)2 teaspoons cider vinegar


GARNISH:minced scallions, jalapeño slices, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, fresh lime juice


DIRECTIONS:Preheat oven to 350F. Cover two large baking sheets with parchment paper.


Peel the plantains and use a mandoline slicer on its thinnest setting to make plantain coins. Toss the slices and the coconut oil in a large bowl. (Ryan just sliced ours really thin - no fancy slicer needed).


Use four coins to make each "tortilla:” Lay them flat on baking sheet with edges slightly overlapping; sprinkle with salt. Bake 25-30 minutes until crisp & starting to brown. Meanwhile…


Heat coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium, 2 minutes. Add onion and cook until soft, 7-10 minutes. Mix the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne, and salt, then add to onions.


Crumble the ground beef into pan and cook, breaking up clumps, about 5 minutes. Push meat to the side & drop in tomato paste; fry 3 minutes. Add broth and vinegar; stir. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes. Pile meat on top of plantain chips & top with garnishes.


This was a huge hit! We made the kids tacos and then Ryan and I ate nachos and we had enough for me to have lunch the next day. So yummy y'all and I didn't even miss the cheese. (Okay, maybe I did a little).

Happy Whole30ing!

Lessons from Whole30...

Last month Cindy and I did perhaps the craziest thing we have ever done… we decided to live “Whole30” for the entire month of November. If you aren’t familiar with Whole30 then you can read about it here… for those of you not into research… continue along.

Whole30 means that you eat “whole” foods for 30 days. It’s not a diet, but a true change in how you approach food. The premise is to rid your body of things that it has become addicted to in order to really gain an appreciation for food as fuel. You give up sugar, grain, dairy, legumes and corn. (Yeah, corn…you can basically eat all vegetables except corn.)

The reason you give up these items is due to the effect that they could be having on you. This focuses on whole foods – no added sugar or unnecessary stuff we just don’t need – because that is what our body was meant to have. There’s a whole list ofdo’s and don’ts that you can read about.

Cindy is the learner in this relationship – she read an entire book, lots of articles and other stuff before making this jump. I asked Cindy for the crib notes and joined her on the endeavor on October 30. #sponteneityismylovelanguage

It started out rough…not going to lie. We weren’t prepared and Ryan quit by day 3. But I held strong and lots of my “I canNOTs” turned into “I totally got this!” Here are some reflections on my 30 days of Whole30…

1. Eggs are life. Seriously, I think in 30 days I probably ate 60 eggs. Every day for breakfast and on top of most dinners. Eggs are glorious and easy and tasty.
   
2. Coffee – I am a devout CREAM, SUGAR, coffee girl. Meaning I take a little coffee with my cream and sugar. This was the one that I was the most nervous about. By day 5, I was drinking coffee black. BLACK. And you know what… I LOVE IT. And I totally have street cred now. AND I can drink coffee whenever…not just when my fancy cream and sugar are available.
   
3. Kids hold you accountable – by day 7 my kids were all, “Ummm…Mom, is that Whole30?” To which I would reply…”yes. Thankyouverymuch”.
4. Breakfast becomes leftovers + eggs. Seriously – I would warm up dinner from the night before and throw some eggs on top and breakfast of champions.
5. Cooking becomes so much fun! I love to cook but I had gotten out of practice of being creative – this made me get creative and I loved it. And my kdis loved it!
   
6. You become a label reader. Yep – I read labels now and always find myself asking “Why in the world would they put sugar in sausage?!” Seriously? WHY??
7. You save money. I hardly ate out because I couldn’t control what was inside the food.
8. Not even salads are safe – true story… Chic Fil A puts SUGAR in their salads. See #6.
9. HEB has stepped up their produce game – I loved walking around looking for fun new things to try and HEB now has pre packaged butternut squash and fresh green beans ready to eat. Just cook and serve. And top with a fried egg.
10.  You will really want a tortilla. Or bread. Or cereal. Like all the time.
11. You will be proud of what you avoid – like all the free cake at your work event.
12. You will miss cheese.
13. You should do this with someone. Cindy and I would text each other our victories, our dinners (5 grapes, an avocado, some chicken and tomatoes), our frustrations (the cheese) and it was nice to have a champion.
14. Your clothes will begin to fit again. Part of the Whole30 is to NOT weigh yourself because this isn’t a diet or a fad, it really is intended for you to face food differently. I will say that Cindy and I both weighed ourselves half-way and were blown away at the results.
15. I never got any headaches which is a miracle. I get headaches regularly and I have read that when you take foods away your body will go through crazy withdrawals and revolt. In the form of headaches. BUT, my headaches went away…
16. You can make this work for you. I’m not going to lie, as much of a label reader as I became, I couldn’t eliminate everything 100%. I tried as best as I could – I bought gluten free sausage but it still had 1g of sugar in it. I ate organic, grass fed butter but I didn’t make ghee, etc… I did the best I could given my lifestyle and you know what?? That is ok, sister!
    
17. You will miss cheese.
18. And tortillas.
19. And ice cream.
20. Eating out will happen and you have to stay strong. I went to a Mexican restaurant two days in a row and did not eat ONE chip. Not one chip. I have never felt like such a bad ass.
    
21. Except when I became addicted to black coffee.
22. You can survive and eat well and not feel like you are doing without. We made it through THANKSGIVING DINNER without cheating y’all. ::pats self on back::
    
23. You start to LOVE living like this. Seriously, it becomes easy and second nature and no longer “inconvenient” to fill yourself with real food. Even on your kid's field trip.
24. You become a master chef. Seriously, I can make sweet potato hash like nobody’s business.
25. Your kids become your cheerleaders – Emmy started counting down the days for me.
26. You stop counting down the days… by Day 20, I was convinced that I would live like this forever… with maybe some cheese here and there.
    
    
    
27. You feel better.
28. You have more energy.
29. You still miss cheese.
30. But you can do it!

I am so proud of us and y’all… there must be something to it because by the end, I had shed 16.4 pounds. That’s half-a-POUND each day. I was shocked. SHOCKED. I didn’t work out the entire month. I ate bacon at least twice a week. And I lost SIXTEEN pounds. 

And this isn’t about weight, but I have worked out religiously before and never moved the scale that quickly. Perhaps our bodies really don’t need all that sugar and dairy and grain and corn.

So, let me know if you want to try it. I will coach you and cheer you on and write down all sorts of fail proof recipes that I made up and LOVE.

Just know this.

You will miss cheese.