Whole30 Weekend Recap: Surviving the "Storm"
Sat, March 11th
DISCLAIMER:
If you haven't already read my disclaimer, please click the link HERE from Day 1 of our challenge. As with any lifestyle or dietary change, if you have any questions or concerns, be sure to discuss them with your physician. Also check out the Whole30 website for specifics and additional info.
PRE-BRUNCH:
Weekend thoughts:
News of the weekend...Daylight saving's time which means my clock is really screwed up now, being that 1AM is the earliest I've been to bed all week...
Second, I have to make light of the fact that after moving out to North Carolina from Nebraska, one of my favorite things to observe is how the locals here get all excited for the potential "idea" of snow... If there's even a sniff of snow in the clouds, everything is closed. Case in point, after watching the news on Saturday, the news anchor let us know that everyone was out getting their essentials i.e. milk, eggs, and bread (looks like the Whole30-ers will have to stock up on eggs, eggs, and eggs) to prepare for the potential BIG snow (the possibility of 1/2 to 1-inch, yes that is 1-inch folks, not 1 foot)...
I just heard on the news that apparently, "Road crews are pulling all-nighters to monitor the conditions..." #mindbaffling
GIF compliments of GIPHY.com
Don't worry, they also provided a segment on driving in hazardous conditions in case anyone was crazy enough to venture out in the potential flurries.
GIF compliments of GIPHY.com
Just FYI: This would be considered a dusting and nothing out of the ordinary in Nebraska, but I enjoy the humor and appreciate the great material I have to work with as my weekend wasn't much more exciting...
BRUNCH:
Back to the good stuff. Hubby beat me out of bed, and since he was the hungrier of the two, he started breakfast. Chef hubs has really come a long way since the first meal he's made for me (chicken with BBQ sauce straight out of the bottle). :) We had the standard breakfast scramble with farm fresh eggs, ground turkey, onions, bell peppers, and sea-salted avocado with a side of fresh pineapple and orange slices topped with coconut flakes. To see the full recipe, click HERE.
Have I mentioned the OXO Ratcheting Pineapple Slicer/Corer from Bed, Bath, & Beyond is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets? I probably have a few times by now, but it's that good to be noted more than once. Before life without the pineapple corer, I never bought a fresh pineapple, which meant spending $6.99 for a small container of pre-sliced pineapple. Now, we buy fresh pineapple on a weekly basis as the slicer saves time and makes the pineapple prep not as daunting. #itsthelittlethings #lifechanging
Directions for Said Pineapple Gadget: Slice off the top of a fresh pineapple. Then twist the slicer onto the exposed pineapple to remove core and create rings. Voila!
TASTE TEST: Another "W" for hubs!
DINNER:
At this point, I'm not sure what we had... My mind is drawing a blank at what specifically we ate since I didn't document it with a picture, but I promise you it was Whole30 compliant and probably involved almond butter at some point...
Sun, March 12th
PRE-BRUNCH:
Since you all were on the edge of your seats wondering if the 1 inch of snow prevailed...I'd like to inform you that 1.) There was no evidence of even the slightest dusting at 8:45AM 2.) It was 56°F today, so it's more likely to be a beach day than a snow day. Glad we stocked up on eggs... 3.) I'm now an aspiring meteorologist so I can make money being wrong 80% of the time. ;)
BRUNCH:
New week, new plates. Get excited, someone went to HomeGoods (despite the "hazardous" road conditions) and had a heyday. #loadedup
As hubs worked on putting up a shelf in the guest room (that is likely a hazard now with all of the heavy items I placed on top), I made another egg scramble, complete with eggs, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and ground turkey. (I may have overcooked the eggs a tad, waiting for hubs to finish with his shelf.) In case you were wondering what the shelf looked like...I'll enlighten you. If you need a distraction, check out our Home Makeover.
I also made a breakfast potato medley with yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, fresh parsley, and rosemary, seasoned with our favorite, Everyday Spice Blend. We also had a side of berries with coconut flakes.
TASTE TEST: Even despite the overcooked eggs, we cleaned our plates as always. :)
LESSONS LEARNED: Since I have been loving our new food processor, I decided to test its limits a tad by throwing a few potatoes in there too. Note for next time, food processor won't dice pre-cooked potatoes so unless you want mashed or hash-browns, stick with the standard chef knife for cutting cooked potatoes.
Whole30 Potato Medley
SERVINGS: 4-7, depending on serving size
INGREDIENTS:
2 large sweet potatoes, cut
2 regular potatoes
2-3 tablespoons olive oil (or avocado oil)
1/4 onion, chopped
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon rosemary
Everyday Spice Blend (or your favorite Whole30 blend)
sea salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
STEPS:
Cook/bake potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. (Note: I leave the peeling on.)
Heat oil in pan over medium heat.
Sauté onions, garlic, and bell pepper.
Add potatoes and cook until lightly browned and slightly crisp.
Season with salt, pepper, rosemary, and Every Day Seasoning (or your favorite Whole30 seasoning blend).
Add green onions and parsley and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
DINNER:
After attending a potluck block party to meet the neighbors, we were successful in saying no to all the delicious home-made goodies and desserts but came home to angry stomachs. Hubs located the filets and went to town making dinner asap. We enjoyed grass-fed beef filets, once again seasoned with our go-to Everyday Spice Blend and some fresh herbs. To see our Easy & Delicious Whole30 Filet recipe, click the link. We also finished off the kale in the fridge by making the Whole30 Kale Chips, along with oven-roasted brussel sprouts (recipe below).
You'll be happy to know we have officially purchased a meat thermometer, so no more risky dances with food-borne illness.
TASTE TEST: Yum-alicious. I'm sure we'll have a repeat of this in the next week.
Whole30 Brussel Sprouts
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound brussel sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (more or less, depending on preference)
Optional Accompaniments:
cooked bacon, chopped (Pederson's uncured, hickory smoked, no sugar added)
STEPS:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Clean brussel sprouts, remove yellow leaves, and trim ends.
In bowl, combine olive oil, salt, and brussel sprouts. (You can also add the chopped bacon bits, but this is optional.) Mix and coat well.
Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes, turning over the brussel sprouts every 10 minutes to brown them more evenly.
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