Apples

A fall tradition in our family is apple picking. Meaning Thanksgiving better not arrive before a large bushel of apples is sitting in our kitchen floor and our legs are sore from climbing all over a mountain for that "perfect" apple. This past weekend we decided to ramp up our tradition and made it a two day quest! 

Saturday we headed west with my grandma, uncle and aunt, and sister and brother-in-law to pick in a very small orchard. We were able to take away a bushel of cameos. Yummo! 

The apples were HANGING from the limbs!

see? 

Sunday my parents, sisters, and I headed north to hang with my sister and brother-in-law and nephews and we all went apple picking for a second time! It was FREEZING but fun! I didn't take a lot of pictures that day. When my arms are wrapped around a nephew there is little room for a phone/camera!

I am getting over being sick and impromptu sick day Thursday. Really thankful for the rest and time to get some things done. Looking forward to the weekend and the fun plans!

What's on the agenda for you this weekend?

#weighinwednesday 6 and #whole30 4

Almost down to the final week of #whole30! I can't believe it is almost over. I'll be honest, there for a little bit I thought for sure I was just not going to make it! 

Day 18 - (no pictures)

Breakfast: fruit and nuts

Lunch: left over coal burgers

Dinner: we went to get bbq at one of our favorite spots! I opted for the smoked chicken with spices, green beans, and potatos. 

Day 19 -

Breakfast: sweet potato wedges and strawberries.

Lunch: rotisserie chicken, Tuscan tossed cabbage, and salt and vinegar green beans. 

Dinner: almond crusted chicken nuggets, steamed broccoli, and apple squash bake.  

Day 20-

Breakfast: day 20 and we finally find sausage that is compliant that I didn't have to make! So, cilantro orange sausage, and left over squash apple bake. 

Lunch: more squash and apple bake (I love it!) and spicy baked tilapia (SO tasty! Where had this been these 30 days?!) 

Dinner: back to day 1 for taco salad! 

Day 21 -

Breakfast: sausage and hash browns 

Lunch: we went apple picking so we made almond chicken nuggets, flour less banana muffins, and grapes! Wonderful picnic!

Dinner: (no pictures) rotisserie chicken, baked apples, and salad

Day 22 - (no pictures)

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and fruit

Lunch: my dad baked some chicken for another apple picking picnic, we also had grapes and tomatoes.

Dinner: sausage butternut skillet from early in the 30 days

Day 23 - 

Breakfast: (no pictures) sausage and eggs

Lunch: spicy tilapia and rosemary potatoes

Dinner: italian chicken sausage zucchini soup

Day 24 - 

Breakfast: sausage and fried eggs

Lunch: cilantro chicken (incredible!!!) and skillet sweet potatoes

Dinner: cilantro meatballs (I was on a cilantro kick!), roasted sweet potatoes, and broccoli

Still doing ok. Really wanting donut! =)

No amazing increase in energy that is noticeable, to be honest. I am not in the this sudden "real food is amazing" kick. I do agree that the food I have been putting in has been digested well. I don't agree that it will save the whales, preserve the rainforest, and bring world peace. I am sorry, I just can't. So there you have it.

I haven't lost my desire for a bowl of pasta and  any apple dessert I've seen on pinterest, BUT, I have't wanted it so bad my eyes go cross.

Looking forward to this last week!
Happy Hump Day!

#weighinwednesday 5 and #whole30 3

Day 11 - Head's up, I didn't take a SINGLE picture today! Nada...no shame! =)

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and oven roasted potato

Lunch: platanos (I wasn't hungry)

Dinner: bunless hamburger, salad, and oven roasted potato

Day 12 - again, no pictures. What is my problem? I don't know, maybe the massive amount of eggs and bananas I have consumed have now blocked all logical and normal thinking!

Breakfast: 2 fried eggs

Lunch: salad with grilled chicken and grapes

Dinner: Kung Pao Chicken (this was a.MA.zing!)

Day 13 - Hey, lookie there...no pictures again. This would be the "I hate everything I am eating stage and it doesn't deserve any glory" phase of the program. Pardon. Me.

Breakfast: Mixed fruit and nuts

Lunch: sauteed cabbage with the kung pao juice from last night, rotisserie chicken, and sautéed mushrooms (pretty good meal!)

Dinner: sweet potato chili (awesome!!!)

Day 14 - catching the trend yet...?

Breakfast: mixed fruit and nuts

Lunch: left over sweet potato chili

Dinner: Chipotle salad bowl; lettuce, carnitas, pico, the end. Not Chipotle like I like but satisfied the "need."

Day 15 - 

Breakfast: almond meal pancakes (I know, I know, this defies everything this program stands for. However, I didn't step outside of the bounds of what I am needing to do. I can eat eggs, I can eat bananas, and I can have almonds. Why not ground the almonds down, mix the three together and enjoy something different?

Ignore the ridiculous nail polish!

Lunch: Caribbean Jerk Pork Chops (my own marinade), broccoli, and roasted carrots.

Dinner: nada...when we have big lunches on Sunday no one really wants dinner! 

Day 16 -

Breakfast: strawberries and banana and almonds

Lunch: left over sweet potato chili (finally a picture of it!)

Dinner: bacon apple turkey burgers, oven taters, and green beans 

Fabulous dinner! 

Day 17 - (sorry no pictures, it was meals on the run!)

Breakfast: banana and almonds 

Lunch: sautéed chicken pieces and green beans. 

Dinner: coal burgers...our family invention from year ago modified for #whole30

So, wrap up of week 3. Um, yea...that's all I've got. 

Just kidding. 

I am so over this. Honestly. I am pushing to the end because I am really desiring to see if it solves some gut issues. But, I am loosing creativity!! QUICKLY! 

But, here we go...

Emotionally: over it. Just, over it all.

Physically: I haven't had a single problem. Granted I haven't been able to eat any of my trigger foods but I haven't been nauseous, queazy, bloated, or ill-feeling. I haven't noticed a magic wellness and fit come over my mid drift but I am not feeling bad and yuck when I eat food! So, yeah! 

I am supposed to be in the "tiger blood" stage with boundless energy and overwhelming satisfaction with the program. Um, no. Not happening. My pants don't fit looser. Other than overall "good" feeling in my gut I don't have a satisfying wellness feeling, acne hasn't cleared up, and I am still in the same shape I was 18 days ago. I know, I know, there won't be a one-size-fits-all result for the program but I am not seeing drastic yet.

Still trucking on. Countdown below. No judgement allowed. 

#weighinwednesday 4 and #whole30 2

Another week into #whole30 and it hasn't felt as good as the first week. I want pasta, I went to a wedding where they served tiramisu cake, and I am tired...all the time!

Here is the run down!

Day 4 - 

Breakfast: pulled pork and potato (not pictured)

Snack: grapes

Lunch: sautéed chicken breast in Montreal chicken seasoning and sweet potato with ghee roasted nuts.

Dinner: chicken pesto with zucchini "noodles."

Day 5- 

Breakfast: leftovers from yesterday's breakfast. (Not pictured)

Snack: grapes

Lunch: spaghetti squash and chicken. (Not pictured)

Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Cury over cauliflower rice and sweet potato

Day 6- 

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and pulled pork with red pepper flakes! 

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: rotisserie chicken, oven crunchy potatoes and carrot sticks (not pictured)

Dessert/snack: banana whip with raspberries! So so tasty! And so so needed! 

Day 7- the aforementioned wedding day

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and left over potatoes from the night before (not pictured)

Lunch: Italian sausage, heaping piles of fresh fruit and vegetables.(not pictured)

Dinner: a naked juice and nuts

Day 8 - 

Breakfast: hard boiled egg and homemade turkey sausage (not pictured)

Lunch: baked potato with pulled beef au jou (not pictured)

Dinner: naked juice and green beans with vinegar. (Not pictured)

---------------

I thought I would break and do a "one week in update." So far so good. Really. 

Now really, let's break for some harsh honesty. I am getting really sick of eggs and cooking! I am not so much realizing what I can't have, just realizing what I can have is slightly limited to certain bounds...and I've reached them. 

Physically I am exhausted! I feel like sleeping all the time. I have kind of skipped days 1-10 listed here and went straight to feeling zonked and bored. I have some new recipes this week to try so I am hoping that pumps up my variety enough to keep this up! 

Emotionally I am still ok with it all. I know it's only for 30 days, not a year. I know that I am almost a third done, and I am still hoping it produces good things for my gut. 

Over all still ok and still excited to keep going. And I may or may not really want a donut! 

--------------

Day 9 - 

Breakfast: sweet potato with ghee roasted nuts

Lunch: spaghetti squash and pulled pork...I was getting desperate! 

Dinner: Strawberry and spinach salad from Noodles and Co. (not pictured)

Day 10 -

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and pulled pork (not pictured)

Lunch: island impact smoothie with out added proteins or sugars...just fruit...from smoothie king

Dinner: ground turkey italian casserole (Not pictured)

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I am quite serious about what I had to say in my mid-week update. This was getting old and it resulted in my enthusiasm to take pictures or get creative!

Most missed: pasta and rice!!! I didn't realized just how much I consume and just how much I missed it.

Symptoms: over all tiredness. I reached the exhausted stage and stayed there. I am fairly confident it still has to do with being away for a month and hitting the ground running when I got home. No "recovery time" at all. I haven't been able to get a decent amount of sleep at any given point to make up for the sleeplessness while I was away. But as far as the whole 30 symptoms I haven't really had any headaches or withdrawals, I am not grumpy, etc.

Best thing I ate: I loved the banana whip! It has been such a nice "treat" occasionally! I made this years ago and posted here on the blog. But I altered it and added some additional fruit for #whole30 approval and variety. I will post what I do soon!

One of the rules of Whole 30 is that you aren't allowed to weigh yourself or take measurements. I didn't listen. =) I forgot to do so when I started but I did 2 days ago. Maybe one day I will feel like posting them but for now, know that I am watching my measurements.

Happy Hump Day!

Butternut Apple Sausage Skillet

I love those one pot wonder meals. The ones that don't require a lot of extra supplies to make. The ones when you are done it doesn't look like Williams and Sonoma puked on your kitchen. I love to cook but if I have to spend the same amount of time cleaning as I did cooking wears on me! =)

This whole #whole30 thing has kept me in the kitchen. Meals take a good amount of time to make and putting together a quick sandwich isn't an option. So, cooking and cleaning, and cooking, and cleaning, and...you get the idea.

Until this meal.

And my, was it GREAT!

1 peeler, 1 knife, 1 spatula, 1 pan, one. happy. me!

So, ready?

Butternut Apple Sausage Skillet

1 butternut squash
3 apples (I used honey crisp and sweetango)
3 lbs ground turkey
4 teaspoon ground sage
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon red pepper

Mix raw meat and spices together and let it sit aside. You want the flavors to get all happy together!
While it is sitting peel the squash and apples and dice into bite size pieces. Brown the turkey stirring to maintain big chunks. When browned and there are still remaining juices throw in the apple and squash and cover. Allow the squash and apple to soften over the meat for a few minutes on medium heat. Stir a few times, add more sage and/or salt if needed, and cook until soft. Serve warm!

Whole 30 and family approved! 

Happy Monday! 

#weighinwednesday 3 and #ahdoeswhole30 1

Good Wednesday morning to you all!

It has been a fabulous week around here! I certainly miss everyone in Georgia but it is good great to be home! September is over and I wasn't here for most of it. Oh dear me! More on that later. For now I wanted to get back into the groove of things keeping my promise of weekly updates and #whole30 progress.

We started #whole30 on Sunday and have had pretty smooth sailing. We know that we're in for a few bumps in the road and we aren't blinded by that. For now things are going well!

Day 1 (sorry, no pictures) -

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs and a lot of grapes!

Lunch: Big ol' pile of different lettuces, 1 diced avocado, several scoops of pico de gallo (our own recipe), and taco seasoned ground turkey. Yum!

Dinner: Mixed fruit and almonds and pecans

Over all the day went well. We were gone to church and my nanny's so cooking time was interrupted and meal time had to be quick. We realized we needed a good amount cooking and prep time and just didn't. As a result I think we all go hungry a lot faster than we should.

Day 2 -

Breakfast: mushroom, spinach, potato frittata.

Oh. My. Goodness. This was fantastic! Recipe to come!

Snack: salt and vinegar green beans (no picture)

Lunch: Montreal Chicken breast, cabbage sautéed in the sausage juice from this morning (I used this recipe to make sausage for later meals but I have some tweaking so I'll let you know!), and carrot sticks (not pictured).

Dinner: Butternut Apple Sausage Skillet

Oh to the my was this delicious!

I will post the recipe to this soon too!

This day was much better! Less hunger and more time to cook! So tasty!

Day 3 -

Breakfast: mixed fruit and nuts (not pictured)

Snack: two turkey sausage patties I made the day before and some bites of the frittata left overs.

Lunch: I had the leftover taco salad! 

Dinner: pulled pork, roasted squash, zucchini, and onion, and roasted carrots (not pictured)

Over all I think we are doing well! We are getting into the groove of the do's and don'ts and maintaing a balance. We were reading up on #whole30 day by day last night and it seems we aren't in the think of it yet. Mainly our complaint is feeling tired or generally unwell. We have to remember that our bodies are processing food completely different. It is a learning curve and I think we will get there!

So, #whole30 days 1-3, there you have it! Stay tuned for more!