Thursday, November 21, 2013

Turkey Bacon Squash Bites

So changing from eating as clean as possible to Paleo isn't as hard as I thought it would be. Not a lot has changed and I actually enjoy eating Paleo better. Well I will be honest I really miss dairy but I will get over that.
I was so hungry when I got home last night that I was pretty excited that I had a go to dinner that I just had to warm it up.
 
It was so good!
Paleo Chicken Fajita Salad
No dressing needed.
(cooked the ground chicken in salsa)
 
 
After my belly was full I decided to try out something new.
 
Here I go, this might be my go to Holiday party appetizer.
 
What you will need
1 butternut squash
turkey bacon
extra virgin olive oil
garlic salt
tuscan seasoning
toothpicks
 

 
Start by cutting your butternut squash into squares and mix them with your olive oil and seasonings.

 
Then wrap the squash in your turkey bacon and hold them together with a toothpick.

 
Let cook on 375' until the bacon is crispy. (about 35 mins)
Then let cool.

 
Once I tried these I was shocked how yummy they were. I think even non healthy eaters would love these. So if you are going to a Holiday party with me this year you can expect these :)

 
Tomorrow I will be doing an update on how the Group LittleBlueDress Challenge is going! We are almost to week 3!!
 
Day 18 Group LittleBlueDress Challenge
Day 4 Paleo:
Breakfast: 2 eggs with 2 pieces of turkey bacon
Lunch: Paleo Taco Salad
Snack: turkey bacon squash bites
Dinner:

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Becoming Paleo

So last night when I was in the grocery story trying to figure out what I was going to eat for the next few days I started trying to think like a Caveman. What would a caveman eat? So I started with my meat. I decided to just go with chicken. Then I figured I would get lettuce and veggies and make a Mexican salad. So I went to get some taco seasoning but when  I read the back of the label there were a ton of ingredients that I had no clue as to what they were. So then I thought about using taco sauce. That too had a ton of things in it that I couldn't pronounce. I started getting a little discouraged until I checkout the salsa. Woohhoo all the ingredients I could pronounce (all veggies, no sugar)
 
So this morning I wanted to share a food guide for becoming Paleo. I have only been doing this since Monday and I can say that it is definitely a learning process.
 
So here I go! I found this article that is going to be very helpful for myself.
 
In general, eating Paleo means eating veggies, fruits, meats, fish, certain fats, nuts, and seeds. And it means removing grains (breads, pastas, rice, etc), beans, soy, dairy, certain vegetable oils, and refined sugar from your diet. But you probably want more details than that, right?
Below, you’ll find the Paleo Plan Food Guide, a list of foods and to what extent they are accepted as Paleo. Our guidelines are created using a mixture of all of the Paleo gurus’ philosophies and research, our own beliefs, and what is realistic to implement in your daily life.
For all of the foods listed, our hope is that you choose those that are free of pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, animal abuse and that the food the animals were fed was appropriate for their species.

FOODS TO EAT

VEGETABLES

All veggies are acceptable, including sweet potatoes.  Organic veggies are great. Local and organic is even better. The less transit time there is between the farm and you, the more nutrients the produce retains. You can become part of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) where you’ll receive in-season produce from a local farm every week.

FRUITS

In general, fruit guidelines are the same as veggie guidelines. Organic and local are best. If you’re really trying to lose weight and you’re not active at all, limit your fruit intake to one or two pieces a day, as the carbs can add up.

MEATS and EGGS

Eat meats and eggs freely, but in order to mimic our ancestors best, eat these products from animals that were grass fed/pasture raised. At the least, steer clear of meats with preservatives and color or flavor enhancers, particularly added nitrites, as they can be pretty toxic.
  • Game Meats
  • Organ Meats
  • Pork
  • Beef
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Goat
  • Lamb
  • Eggs – from chickens, ducks, emu, quail, etc.

FISH, SHELL FISH, FISH EGGS

All species are fine – just be conscious of mercury levels and ecological practices. Know that smaller fish like anchovies generally have less bio-accumulation of heavy metals and toxins, and high levels of omega 3 fatty acids.

NUTS & SEEDS

All are good, as well as the butters that are made from them. Also on this list are coconut flour and almond flour. Peanuts are NOT NUTS – they’re legumes, and thus are not on the list. If you’re trying to lose weight, limit nuts and seeds to about 1 or 2 ounces per day, as the calories add up quickly!

SEA VEGETABLES

kombu, wakame, other seaweeds, algaes, etc. They’re all good – great, in fact.

FATS

  • tallow (rendered beef fat)
  • lard (rendered pork fat)
  • coconut oil/milk/manna
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • walnut oil
  • avocado oil
  • macadamia oil
  • hazelnut oil
Note: Unrefined palm oil used to be on this list, but because of its production is directly associated with the ensuing extinction of orangutans, we’ve removed it from the list. .

BEVERAGES

  • Filtered or spring water
  • Herbal tea
  • Coconut water
  • Freshly juiced fruits and vegetables

EAT IN MODERATION

  • Coffee
  • Chocolate
  • Dried fruit
  • Alcohol (all kinds)
  • Caffeinated teas
  • Sweeteners – Raw honey, stevia, coconut sap, grade B maple syrup

FOODS TO AVOID

GRAINS
That means flour, even white flour (especially white flour, actually), so conventional bread, pasta, cookies, cake, bagels, muffins, tortillas, and any other white fluffy thing you may love.
Grains mean rice, corn (including tortillas, chips, corn flour, etc.), quinoa (yes, it’s a grain), amaranth, buckwheat, wild rice, spelt, rye, sorghum, oats, and even gluten free oats. No more grains, even if they’re gluten free grains. Okey dokey?
The ebook also explains it in much more depth. Basically, though, if you were to only do one thing differently for your health, in my opinion, it would be to cut out all grains. I’ve seen everything from weight loss to psoriasis clearing up when you get those buggers out of your diet. They’re inflammatory and difficult to digest. Give it a try.
 
DAIRY
That means milk, cheese, butter, ghee, yogurt (yes, even your most favorite Greek yogurt – sorry), kefir, whey protein powders, cottage cheese, sour cream, and check all the ingredients of everything you eat for those words. Even if it’s raw dairy. You can do it – I promise.
 
BEANS/LEGUMES
That means soy in any form (again, check the ingredients of ALL the foods you eat), lentils, black beans, pinto beans, red beans, peanuts (sub out your peanut butter with almond butter), white beans, garbanzo beans, you get the gist.
Snap peas and green beans are fine.
 
HIGH OMEGA-6 VEGETABLE OILS.
Vegetable oils aren’t really made from vegetables, which is why we’re still really confused over here about how they came upon that name. What they ARE usually made from are soy, cottonseed, corn, sunflower, safflower, and sesame.
These oils are very high in omega 6 fatty acids, which promote inflammation (as opposed to omega 3 fatty acids which are anti-inflammatory). They are debatably one of the major causes of heart disease.
Get the ebook and/or read this blog post to find out why saturated fat and cholesterol are not actually bad for you. Unfortunately, we’ve been duped for the last 60 years into eating vegetable oils that don’t come from actual vegetables, which are causing inflammation of all kinds. Oh, and definitely stay away from anything that says “hydrogenated”.
 
 
REFINED SWEETENERS AND ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
By sugar, I don’t mean fruit. In fact, you’re encouraged to eat fruit on this diet in moderation. I mean “sugar”, “fructose”, “high fructose corn syrup”, “corn sugar”, “corn syrup”, “malt syrup”, or anything with “dext-” in it, for that matter. Also Splenda, aspartame, Equal, and anything else that is a man-made chemical sweetener is out. Check the ingredients on everything you consume. Oh, and no juice bought from a store; it’s just as sugary as soda.
Too much sugar can make you fat, lethargic, and grumpy. Period. End of story. It’s gonna hurt to take it out of your diet, and you will have cravings for it. I give you some tips in the ebook for combatting cravings. Just know that the longer you eat this way, the fewer sugar cravings you’ll have. I promise!
 
FACTORY FARMED MEAT, EGGS, AND SEAFOOD
The vitamins, fatty acids, and overall quality of pasture-raised/grass-fed animals are all much better for you. Not to mention that being raised naturally is way better for the animal. Go to www.eatwild.com to find local, well-raised meats in your area. Consider buying a half-cow or pig like I do. It’s way cheaper in the longrun.
 
REFINED, IODIZED SALT – use unrefined sea salt instead
 

 

Day 17 Group LittleBlueDress Challenge ( weigh in day at the gym, hopefully getting close to my final goal weight)
Day 3 Paleo:
Breakfast: Omelet with spinach and ham with a little hot sauce.
Lunch: the last of my Paleo Spicy Chicken Bake
Snack: green apple with mixed pumpkin seeds and almonds
Dinner: Paleo Taco Salad with sweet potato fries and a couple of turkey squash bites

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Paleo Spicy Chicken Bake

So I have decided to start eating completely Paleo until at least the end of January. The only days I will not be doing this is Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and Day. Those will be my cheat days :) So on Sunday I created my first Paleo meal. Even though I learned I already eat a lot of things Paleo.

What you will need
1 speg. squash
10 pieces of turkey bacon (crunched into pieces)
3 fresh jalapenos (chopped)
1 1/2 small onions (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 small container of Franks hot sauce ( I used entire bottle)
Rotisserie Chicken (only white meat)
4 eggs


 
Start by cooking your speg. squash on 400' for about 40 mins
 
While that is cooking also cook your turkey bacon and

 
shred off the white meat on chicken.

 
Once speg sqaush and bacon are cooked. Mixed all ingredients in large bowl.

 
Then pour entire mixture in baking dish. Next time I will probably use a smaller dish so that it will be thicker.

 
Let cook on 350' for about 45 minutes or until the middle is fully cooked.

 
Then enjoy!! Great for work lunches.

 
 
Day 16 Goup LittleBlueDress Challenge
Day 2 Paleo
Breakfast: 2 eggs with mixed fruit
Lunch: Paleo Spicy Chicken Bake
Snack: almonds
Dinner: ground chicken with salsa and grilled veggies

 
 

Monday, November 18, 2013

Sweet Baby RYDER We Are Ready For You!

Saturday morning I got up bright and early amd headed over to a friends house where we were having a baby shower for the bf's sister. We got to work quickly, decorating for the shower even though we didn't need many decorations because the house was so beautiful.
 
Her mother n law did most of the food and when the table so completely finished I knew I was going to have to have a little bit of a cheat day. 


These shrimp bowls were to die for.







And who doesn't love pinwheels



 I sure am ready for Ryder to get here.

 
Advise for the momma to be!!


 
The momma to be and her family were the first to arrive (they are like my family so I was super excited to see them all)
 
 
 
All the kiddies went directly to the play room and started having a blast together.

 
Aren't these the cutest sisters you have ever seen?

 
Aunt, cousins and the newest to the family, a sweet baby girl!

 
Newest mother and daughter.

 
The Bf's sister 's best friend since college. They played basketball together.... can't you tell she is so TALL! Love her.

 
Once everyone arrived they all caught up with each and sipped on beverages.


 

 
It was then time for everyone to gather around the living room for the present opening.

 
She had so many wonderful gifts, it seemed like they just kept coming and coming.

 
Everyone was truly enjoying themselves while the mom to be was trying to figure out what some of the things were used for :)

 
And of course I am in the corner being a baby hog. This sweet little girl made my day.
 
 
My Guess Who Game. I will share that later this week! Such a fun idea.

 
Still more presents. Ryder sure will be stylin!!


 
I think these little ones have had a good day.

 
The nursery is elephant themed so she got so many cute things that she can use.



 
Finally all the gifts were opened and all the thank yous were given, so we all got to together for a little photo shoot.

 
I love these sweet girls!!

 
Me and Momma To Be

 
The Hostess and Momma To Be

 
Some of the ladies.

 
The Momma To Be's side of the family.

 
The proud mother's

 
It was such a wonderful shower. Everyone had the best time and the Momma To Be received so many great things.
 
Ryder all of these ladies are ready to spoil you so hurry up and get here.
 
 
 
 
I am going to be starting eating completely Paleo for the rest of the year except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. So I am excited to share all my new recipes.
 
 
Day 15 Group LittleBlueDress Challenge
Day 1 Paleo
Breakfast: 2 eggs with mixed fruit
Lunch: Paleo spicy chicken bake (will share tomorrow)
Snack: almonds
Dinner: stir fry chicken and veggies