Eggs

Spring Clean Eats: Day 8, Learning

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GF asparagus quicheThis morning was not very spring like.  It started spitting snow when I ran the dogs out for their morning potty break and then picked up from there.

The kind of snow that’s very fine, wet, and all around gross.  The morning was seriously miserable.  It didn’t do anything to motivate me to want to leave the house.

I started a big pot of stock going on the stove and then heated up breakfast.  Hooray for leftovers!

Asparagus quiche with a grain free crust.

Eventually it was time to head to the gym.  I had a huge debate with myself about it too.  I did not want to go out in the miserable weather.  At the same time, I was very much aware that I hadn’t worked out in two days.

Exercise: 

I sucked it up and went to the gym for kickboxing class.  Of course I’m glad that I went, aren’t we always?  By the time I left it was sunny out and the snow was long gone.  Thank god.

I had low energy today while working out.  I feel like this is related to the fact that the previous three days I only had two big meals during the day.   I felt a little like I didn’t have enough umph and my punches and kicks were seriously lacking.  Back when I was distance running, for me, fueling for the run started the day before.  I had to make sure I ate enough to get through the runs.  Eating the day of did nothing for me.  I’m sure that nothing has changed and my body still requires proper fuel the day before.  Time to experiment and find out!

This whole challenge is to figure out what works and what doesn’t.  It’s not just about seeing if I can do it.  It’s about learning along the way and figuring out what exactly my body requires at this stage in my life.  That’s the fun part!  Maybe that’s weird?  Maybe most don’t think like that? But that’s my mentality as I go through this challenge.

What works, what doesn’t, and how I can fix that.

After the gym, I came home and quickly tossed together some lunch.  I had so many things on my mind that I completely forgot to take a picture!  Whoops!

I had a Medium-ish sized mixed green salad with carrots, cucumbers, and shredded chicken.  Tossed in some Tessamae’s Zesty Ranch dressing which is more like an Italian vinaigrette (If you were to ask me).

Experimented a little today with dinner.

Pork dumpling soup

I made a soup that combined my favorite things about won-ton soup and my favorite things about Pho.  Still working on this one but this was a good start!

Broth base with pork meatballs and  I used a spiralizer to make some “noodles” out of yellow squash.  Lots of cilantro and green onions too!

Very filling and it hit the spot today!  Still tweaking the recipe but getting there.

Despite the crappy start, Monday didn’t end too shabby!

 

Spring Clean Eats: Day 7, Vitamin D

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GF Asparagus QuicheSince it was Sunday and I wanted to do something a little more fun and special for breakfast.  I wanted to make a quiche but needed some direction on how to make a grainfree crust.

Thankfully the internet is chock full of recipes!

I made a quick crust using the recipe from Elana’s Pantry.  This quiche will be a recipe once the challenge is over!

This crust was similiar to like a graham cracker crust, where you have to mold it around the pie plate. The crust worked out great though!  I’m going to tweak it just a tad to fit our tastes and I would like to make it so that I could roll it out. The coconut flavor from the oil was a little overpowering and I would like something more subtle.

 

GF Asparagus Quiche, Candian Bacon

 

This experiment worked out though and we had a delicious breakfast!  Asparagus quiche with some uncured Canadian Bacon on the side.

I split a gigantic apple with Scott later as a snack.  I dipped it in some almond butter for extra umph.  That breakfast was a hefty one and all the protein lasted me well until late afternoon.

My exercise for the day was getting some Vitamin D!  It was so nice out and the skies were clear, so the dogs and I headed to the backyard to catch some rays.

It was glorious!  Considering Saturday was a hot mess where it was cold and snowed all day, this was a nice change.

Dinner was quick and easy!

Roast chicken breast and sauteed cabbage

Chicken breast from a roasted chicken and some sautéed cabbage and onions.  Sometimes I think cabbage gets overlooked as a veggie.  Most people either use it in cole slaw or for making cabbage rolls.

But cabbage sautéed in some ghee with onions and a little bit of salt and pepper is a really great side dish.  It’s easy and it tastes amazing.  The cabbage gets a sweetness as it cooks that is surprising.

The evening was spent on the couch watching a really bad hockey game.  Scott and I snacked on dark chocolate chips paired with fruit juice sweetened dried cranberries.

Steve's Paleo Cranberries

I’m not a fan of chocolate and fruit (ew) but this combo is my favorite!  I picked up some of Steve’s Paleo Dried Cranberries.  These were the only dried cranberries in the store that didn’t have sugar added to them.

The. Only. Ones.

They are fantastic though!  Both Scott and I love them, and I hope they come in a bigger bag!  They are sweetened with apple juice so the sweetness isn’t overpowering at all.  The cranberries are huge whole dried cranberries so they pack a punch.  If you see them out, give them a try!

Disclaimer: I found these at the store and bought them myself. Opinions are my own.  Steve’s Paleo has no idea who I am.

Sorry that this post was delayed! We were rearranging our office yesterday and it wasn’t set up yet so that I could post!

Spring Clean Eats: Day 6, New Things

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Jackson's Honest ChipsLast night Scott and I tried out a new snack, Jackson’s Honest Chips, in Salt and Vinegar.  Now while I said that I was reducing our processed food intake, I wasn’t looking to eliminate it entirely.

If folks want to go 100% processed foods free, more power to them!  For us, that’s just not going to happen.

Life is short and sometimes you need a damn potato chip.

These chips are cooked in coconut oil and the ingredient list is short.  Plus they are made here in Colorado!

Jackson’s Honest Chips come in a few flavors but I picked the ones that didn’t have added sugar in them (keeping this challenge in mind).  The chips were very thin, super crispy, and not greasy at all.  There is a slight coconut flavor but it isn’t overpowering.  Since the chips aren’t greasy, they don’t sit very heavy in the tummy.

Basically they are awesome and we’ll be getting these from now on when the chip mood strikes.  I found them at my local Whole Foods.

Disclaimer: I bought these chips on my own and my opinions are my own. This company doesn’t even know I exist.

I didn’t sleep very well last night either and woke up very early this morning sort of feeling run down.  Bah!  When I walked in the kitchen and saw that we were getting some snow (!!#$@), I felt even more down.

Then I realized that this would be the perfect morning for some breakfast soup!  YES!

Breakfast soup, coffee

This will be a full recipe that I’ll post at the end of the challenge!

I also tried something new this morning, Bullet Coffee.  You can find the info here but the basic idea is that for each 8oz cup of coffee you add in 1TBSP of butter (grass-fed, that’s important and unsalted) and 1TBSP of coconut oil.  Blend in a blender until it’s all incorporated and you end up with a frothy cup of coffee.

I need to fiddle around more with measurements since our mugs are bigger than 8oz and also with the coffee beans to water ratio but it is very good.  I can see us going this route and cutting our dairy intake down dramatically.  We currently have some whole milk left that we need to go through first and then we’ll make the switch.

Never thought I would say that!

Not sure if it was the coffee or the soup, or both, but I woke up feeling crappy and after breakfast I felt amazing!

Scott and I have made Saturday’s “Odell Day”.  We head to Odell for a growler fill and for some food from Common Link.

Pulled pork salad, fries

Today we had cajun fries (only available from the truck and so so good!) and their pulled pork sandwiches.  I ate the pork on a quick salad with romaine and shredded carrots.  Scott ate his pork portion using romaine leaves as little scoops.

It was late when we ate so today was another linner day.  Both of us are fine and satisfied with that!

No exercise today, boo on me.  The weather was crappy enough that it left me with no motivation to leave the house.  That’s on me, instead of feeling guilty about it, I’m just going to look towards tomorrow as another chance to do my best.

Spring Clean Eats: Day 5, Only Two

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Scramble with tomatoes, spinach, and potatoes. Mandarin orangesBad choices continued last night since we last left off.  I had two beers (which was fine and not bad) but I stayed up way too late which caused a restless night (that is the bad).

I need to be stricter about being in bed by 9pm and asleep by 10pm during the week.  I know this works best for me and I need to commit to make sure it happens.

Up early this morning and hungry!

Scramble with some cherry tomatoes and sauteed baby kale, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  I also chopped up some of last night’s fries and added that to the mix right at the end.

This made for the best scramble!  I inhaled my breakfast and totally wished that I had made a bigger portion.

On the side was some mandarin oranges and coffee.

I am so ready for fresh produce to start rolling in!  It’s been a bad winter all over the country so I think all of us are ready for warmer weather along with some fresh fruits and veggies.

Scott and I actually have space to try out gardening this year, and I’m excited yet nervous to get started.  I’ve never grown anything before so I have no idea what I’m doing.

I will be putting the Sprout It site to good use!  I’ve talked about Sprout It before, it’s a fantastic website where you can plan out your garden.  Whether you live on a farm or are patio gardening, the site is designed to help you with each step.

They also have just launched their new mobile app and it’s fantastic!  Making it a lot easier to access and handy when out shopping at the garden center.  Plus it’s free, which you can’t beat. I downloaded it today and have been playing around with it.  I can’t wait for consistently warmer weather so I can get outside more and do some yard work.

I’m currently planning out our garden!  For a first timer, any suggestions on what to start with that would be easy?

Exercise:

Boxing today!  It was nice to get my body moving, I really needed that today.  After class I ran some errands and headed home to make Linner.

One of those days today, so we had a late lunch/early dinner today.  It tasted so wonderful that I was sad when my plate was empty.

Roast chicken breast, roasted carrots, and cauliflower mashRoasted chicken breast (sliced from a whole roasted chicken) with roasted purple and yellow carrots along with some cauliflower mash.

The carrots were slice and seasoned with:

  • Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Poultry Seasoning

Poultry seasoning isn’t just for chicken!  It goes great with veggies and actually is fantastic on pork as well.

The cauliflower mash had butter in it and I added some of the liquid from the roast chicken to help make it smoother and creamier.  Another meal that we basically inhaled because it just hit the spot.

We made it to Day 5!  Now to navigate the weekend and make sure I have meals planned out properly!

 

Spring Clean Eats: Day 4, Management

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Mugs of chicken brothIn yesterday’s post we left off with my need for a snack. I looked around my kitchen but nothing was Spring Clean Eats friendly. It was also later evening and my desire to cook something or even heat something up was non-existent.

Then I remembered that I just made a fresh batch of chicken broth! So Scott and I sipped big mugs of hot broth while we watched Helix. That show is batshit crazy but I have a very strong need to find out how it ends.

After a bit I headed off to bed to read for a little while.  Give me a moment while I shout that, I slept great last night!  I’ve been sleeping like crapola for a couple of years at this point (thanks shit diet and too much beer!) that a great night sleep is totally worth celebrating!  I would have run first thing but we had an early morning appointment so I needed to get to breakfast quickly and get some work done first.

Plus I was hungry!

Scrambled eggs, fresh from a friend’s backyard.  Hooray, backyard chickens!Scrambled Eggs, Mandarin Oranges

With a side of the norm, mandarin oranges.

We were running low on veggies, most especially greens, so after our appointment today, I headed to the store to get supplies our fridge.  I found some paleo “snacks” that I’m pretty excited to try.  They should be making an appearance this weekend!

I was starving and it was way past lunch time, so I picked up some sushi for us to have when I got back home.  Scott had spicy tuna and I just had a veggie roll.

Sushi

It had carrots, avocado, and cucumber with white rice.  I also had two chicken wings (from home) on the side for the protein portion.  Unpictured, is a half apple that I also decided to eat after I realized I was still hungry.

I picked up two portions of sushi but only ate one.  I wasn’t feeling the sushi really.  I also noticed that, for me personally,  it didn’t make for a very great lunch.  It didn’t fill me up or leave me satisfied at all.  I also had the mid-afternoon crash afterwards.  I haven’t experienced that in some time so that surprised me.  Was it the rice? Do I need a much better veg to protein ratio?  Not sure but I’ll keep experimenting and see what works.

I think that I would prefer salads with protein added (like chicken, eggs, or fish) than the combo I had today.

I didn’t get very much water in before lunch either so I feel like that could have played a large part as well.

Mental note, get more water in before lunch! And make sure you eat a proper lunch!

All I kept thinking about after lunch was dinner!

Burger and fries

Burgers and fries, oh yeah!

The burgers were seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.  I cooked them in my cast iron skillet in some ghee.  I prefer to cook burgers and steaks in lard, but I currently need to make some more.  Ghee works just as well!

Topped with tomato, onion, and wrapped up in lettuce.  Oh I also put mayo on mine!

The fries were seasoned with:

  • Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Garlic Powder
  • Chili Powder

And roasted in the oven at 425 for about 20-25 minutes.

I made some Fry Sauce for dipping.  I found some Paleo ketchup at the store today, made by The Paleo Chef. I used this instead of traditional ketchup (which has sugar) to make the fry sauce.

I ended up not getting a chance to work out today.  I was going to go to kickboxing but time ran away from me today and I didn’t make it.

Lessons learned from today:

I need to work on meal and time management.  I should have had lunch planned out a little better and I need to make sure that I manage my errands better so I can hit the gym.

Well tomorrow is another day! This whole challenge is supposed to also be a learning experience and I am definitely learning the new needs and wants of my body.

 

Spring Clean Eats: Day 1, Starting Small

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Scrambled eggs and mandarin oranges The first day of any challenge is always an amazing day. Full of motivation and eagerness. Let’s see how I feel on Day 15 or Day 20!

Breakfast this morning was 2 scrambled eggs and 2 mandarin oranges.  I admit that I have cheated and have been trying to have a protein centric breakfast for the past week now.  I throw in fresh fruit as much as possible and I have discovered that I love having fresh fruit in the mornings.

Back when I was having oatmeal all the time or yogurt and granola, I rarely put fresh fruit in those dishes.  A few exceptions like when blueberries and peaches are in season.  Fresh fruit starts my day off with a brightness that I don’t think I want to give up.

I cannot wait until peach season!

I also had two cups of coffee with about 1/2C of whole milk in each mug.

After breakfast and coffee, it’s been water for the rest of the day.

Exercise:

Today was a kickboxing day and I was feeling slow and winded during class.  I know this is completely related to yesterday’s (Sunday) eats. It was the last day before the challenge and also the last day of Birthday Week (for me).  We had some very yummy but not very nourishing eats.  During class, my body let me know it did not appreciate that.

Hard boiled egg and a sliced appleMondays tend to be a little weird when it comes to an eating schedule.  My kickboxing class is at noon and I don’t get back home until 1:30.  Then we run the dogs to the park and out for a walk.  By the time we are back home again and I’ve showered, it’s just about time to start making dinner.  We usually have a smallish snack and then eat a larger dinner.

I think I need to change that up a bit though and I’m curious how this challenge will influence that.

Today’s mini-lunch pre-dinner snack was a sliced apple and a hard boiled egg sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Chicken wings and cole slawI was totally ready to eat dinner this evening!  Chicken wings that marinated for about 20 minutes before roasting.  The marinade was:

  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Soy Sauce
  • Olive Oil
  • Honey
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Chili Powder

Roasted at 400 for about 20 minutes.  I could have done longer to get the skin a little more crisp but I was hungry!

The quick cole slaw on the side had the same ingredients as the marinade at much less amount.

I don’t have any issues with small amounts of soy sauce or soy products and I consider it a clean eat.

Over all the day has gone smoothly and I have been feeling satisfied with each meal.  Now it’s couch time with the new season of Dancing With The Stars!  Totally guilty pleasure.  Shut it.

Here’s looking forward to tomorrow!

 

 

Homemade Mayo

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Homemade Mayo I started experimenting with homemade mayo several months ago and have fallen head over heels for it.

I have always been a huge mayo fan, preferring creamy mayo over tangy mustard.

Whenever I got sandwichs from delis, I asked for extra mayo.

When we changed our diet around, we stopped eating mayo.  Most mayos that you purchase from the store have lots of additional crap in them that just isn’t needed.  Because of that, we nixed the mayo from our diet.

I came across a few recipes for homemade mayo and since I had a Vitamix (not required but super handy) I decided to give it a go.

The recipe I was using is by Mel over at The Clothes Make The Girl. It was a nice starting point and a very simple recipe to making mayo.

Since I’ve gotten the hang of making mayo, I’ve done some tweaks and added my own spin to the mayo.

Andrea’s Homemade Mayo

  • 1C Light Olive Oil + 1/4C Light Olive Oil
  • 1 egg
  • 2TBSP Lemon Juice
  • 1tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1/4tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/4tsp Onion Powder
  • Pinch Salt

In a blender add in the egg, lemon juice, dijon, and 1/4C of olive oil.  Let sit for about half an hour until everything is at room temperature.

Add in the salt, garlic powder, and onion powder and light blend for about 20 seconds.  Just until everything is well incorporated.

Turn blender to it’s lowest setting (On my Vitamix I start at 1) and start drizzling in the 1C of olive oil.  Slow and steady drizzle all of the olive oil.  At about 30 seconds or so when you start drizzling, you’ll notice that the consistency has changed and the oil is starting to turn into mayo.  Keep going slow and steady.

Once all the oil is incorporated, slowly turn the blender up to a faster speed and continue to blend allowing the mayo to start thickening up.  I go no faster than 3 on the Vitamix at this point and let it blend for about another two minutes.

That’s it!  Pour into a glass container and you’ve got homemade mayo!

Ham sandwichThe mayo won’t be super thick but it will thicken up a little more once it’s been in the fridge for a bit.

Mayo lasts for a couple of weeks in an airtight glass container.

If you’re worried about raw eggs, that’s what the lemon juice is for.  The acid in the lemon juice will take care of any bacteria that you might be concerned about.

However if that doesn’t satisfy you then either use eggs that you know their source (like your local farmer) or use eggs that have been pasteurized.

You can make mayo by hand but it will take longer and you need more patience! Or you can use a food processor which I believe that Alton Brown has a tutorial about on the interwebs.

The dijon along with the garlic and onion powder give the mayo some zing.  I use the Extra Light Olive Oil by Bertolli.  It doesn’t have any overpowering flavor and is easily found in most supermarkets.  It’s a much better oil than say canola or corn (ick).

Now you have no excuse! Free yourself from store bought mayo and go for the good stuff at home!

 

 

Christmas Goodies

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Rum Gingerbread Christmas is almost upon us! I didn’t do any baking this year. None. Oh I had good intentions of making some goodies but time quickly got away from me.

I still have plans to make some quick snacks this Christmas and if you’re in the same boat, I do have a few suggestions!

Rum Gingerbread is easy to make and pretty tasty on Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning.

Buttered Bourbon and Cider

If you’re looking for a drink to warm you up, how about some Hot Buttered and Bourbon Cider?

Christmas morning we always have a Breakfast Casserole.

Breakfast casseroleCheesy, eggy, and delicious! Prepped the night before and can be put in the oven first thing in the morning as you start opening presents.

Figgy Bourbon Refrigerator JamIf you need something sweet to go with an appetizer tray (and some brie!) or perhaps just something a little different for biscuits in the morning, Figgy Bourbon Refrigerator Jam is perfect.

Now I just have to decide what I’m making!

 

 

 

Buttermilk Cheddar Grits With Greens

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I have fallen in love with grits. Hard.

I used to make us polenta all the time but skipped over the grits.  One fateful day the store was out of polenta so I bought grits instead.

No biggie right, they’re basically the same?

Oh well. Lesson learned because they are not the same (though cooking them is the same), grits are creamier and smoother.  Polenta can be a little rough and grainy, and grits are having none of that.

While I don’t dislike polenta, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be Team Grits from here on out.

Andrea’s Buttermilk Cheddar Grits with Greens

  • 1 1/2C Chicken Stock
  • 1/2C Grits
  • 1TBSP Butter
  • 1/2C Buttermilk (homemade, or uncultured buttermilk)
  • 1/2C Shredded Cheddar (get the good stuff)
  • 3C Chopped Kale (regular or baby, you pick)
  • Salt, pepper, olive oil for sauteeing (about 1/2TBSP)

In a medium sized sauce pot, add in the stock and bring to a boil.  Add in the grits, reduce heat to medium and whisk until the grits start to thicken up.  About 5 minutes.  Turn off heat, put a lid on the pot and set aside.

In a sautee pan, add in the olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add in the greens, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sautee until the greens are wilted and cooked through.  Turn off heat.

Back to the grits, heat over low and add in the butter, buttermilk, and cheese.  Stir until everything is combined.  Add in the greens and stir again.  Heat over low for about 5 minutes to let everything come together.

Turn off heat and serve immediately.

 I highly recommend serving this with a fried egg (or two) on top.  That combo is my new favorite breakfast item.  Also my new favorite dinner item.

The greens give a nice bit of texture and bite to the otherwise super creamy grits.  The cheddar gives it a kick while the buttermilk sweetens and takes some of the bitter out of the kale.

Grits won’t ever be the same once you add in some greens.

If you’re feeding more than two people or if you really love grits, I would up the amounts of everything.

1C of grits with 3 C of stock.  Adjust greens and cheese to your tastes.

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Buttermilk French Toast

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First up in my Cooking With Buttermilk Series, is Buttermilk French Toast!

French toast is quickly becoming my new favorite breakfast.  Before it was pancakes but this is starting to win my heart.

Crispy eggy bread with butter and syrup?  Yes please!

What a perfect way to use up some of that buttermilk as well, making a nice filling breakfast!

Andrea’s Buttermilk French Toast

  • 6 Slices of Whole Grain Bread, Dried out (either leave out on the counter the night before or quickly toast up in the toaster)
  • 4 eggs
  • 2/3C Homemade Buttermilk
  • 2tsp Vanilla
  • 1tsp Cinnamon
  • Pinch Brown Sugar

Heat a griddle up over medium heat and place a dollop of coconut oil on top.  In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, cinnamon, and brown sugar.  Whisk until everything is blended together.

Dip in one slice of bread and place on griddle.  Depending on the size of your griddle will determine how many slices you can cook at a time.

Cook toast on each side for about 4 minutes.  Repeat with all slices of bread.

Remove and serve!

Sweet, fluffy, filling, and perfect for a lazy Sunday breakfast.

If you don’t have buttermilk you can sub in any dairy or nondairy milk of your choice (I would recommend full fat coconut milk from a can).