Whole30 Day 3: Cravings

January 4, 2017Andrea Leave a comment

Hi all! Today is Day 3 of the January Whole 30 challenge and I’m still kicking butt! It hasn’t been a struggle but I definitely miss bourbon. We are in a really bad cold snap right now (think single digits and negative temps) and man some bourbon or even some red wine would be perfect right now.

But instead I’m having herbal tea and getting in bed by 8:30pm like a proper fucking old lady.

The roads were pretty clear this morning so I was able to kick it at the gym. Once home I heated up a slice of veggie frittata and some leftover roasted potatoes. Frothy coffee on the side (coconut oil + ghee + collagen).

Because it’s my lady cycle time (TMI? Sorry not sorry), I’m craving beef like crazy which is pretty normal for me. But I’ve specifically been craving sautéed peppers and onions + beef + mayo. Today I rolled with it! I sautéed up some peppers and onions and had that with a burger and homemade mayo and a little Cholula on top!

Plus a salad on the side.

Yaaasssss! This hit the spot so very much. The salad was dressed with Tessamae’s Creamy Ranch Dressing which is just OK. I like my ranch better and will be sticking with that. This is fine in a pinch or if you don’t want to make dressing but eh, not worth it to me.

It has been pouring snow all day long. While I was making supper, Scott was out shoveling the back sidewalks and making some paths for the dogs. As soon as he was done shoveling the sidewalk it was covered again. Yikes!

Dinner tonight was repurposed leftovers!

I chopped up the last of the pork country ribs and sautéed that up with some onions (and leftover peppers + onions from lunch) till it got crispy then added in some salsa from TJs and let that simmer for about 15 minutes. The salsa has no sugar. Win!

Plated on top of some cauliflower rice for a sort of taco/fajita bowl thingy. There was also homemade guac on the side with some plantain chips.

Side note: Plantain chips are not a “food with out brakes” for me so I feel comfortable enough having those during the challenge.

You know it, time for the couch and some herbal tea!

January 2017 Whole30 Day 1 and 2

January 3, 2017Andrea Leave a comment

Welcome to a brand new year! This year I’m full of vigor and determination to reach my goals and that starts with proper fueling. I’ve derailed in a big way, ever since November I’ve pretty much had a “fuck it” attitude about everything. Life, working out, eats, drinking, you name it. UGH.

And naturally I feel like shit, look like shit, and have gained unnecessary weight.

Stupid.

So here I am focused on getting back what I lost and determined to get where I need to be. I did a Whole30 last year and loved it. Yeah there were a few frustrations but I’m past that. This year frustrations be gone! Let’s do this thing!

A change in work schedule means there’s no Daily Eats posting on Monday nights, so you’ll get a recap of two days on Tuesday. Coolio?

Monday:

Up and at ’em! I had a banana before going to the gym, once home I heated up a slice of frittata. I made a BIG frittata for the week. When I say big, I mean, I use a 9×13 casserole dish to make the frittata. This one had:

1 Dozen Eggs
1 Medium Sized Onion
Handful of baby peppers
1lb Bag of Frozen Collard Greens
1 Can of Coconut Milk

The seasonings were salt, pepper, coconut aminos, and garlic powder. I did sautee up the peppers, onions, and greens before adding that to the egg mixture. Baked in a greased dish at 400 for about half an hour. Breakfast for the week done!

Yes this makes a lot but I’m also cooking for two adults. However even if I was only cooking for one, I’d still make a huge batch like this. What doesn’t get eaten can be frozen for another time.

Lunch was a big salad that had my soul.

Mixed greens
Baby Tomatoes
Chopped Beets
Shredded Carrot
Pumpkin Seeds
Tuna Salad

The tuna salad was just homemade mayo + tuna and some Flavor God Lemon Garlic Seasoning. Then I headed in to work which sadly moved at a crawling pace. Apparently people don’t want to buy alcohol the day after New Year’s. Who would have thought?

My snacks at work were an apple and some pistachios.

Dinner I don’t have a picture of because it was just too ugly to post. There was no way to photograph it and make it look pretty without some serious styling and at 8pm at night I have zero desire to do that. Plus this section is about real life and not styled food. I had leftover pork country ribs with kraut and mashed potatoes. It was so good and perfect.

Then I hit the hay to read for a bit because I’m an old lady.

Tuesday:

Woke up to snow and snow covered roads. MEH. I get cranky because it means I can’t hit the gym since my car doesn’t do well in the snow. Especially the wet heavy slippery stuff. So I made a huge pot of coffee and chilled.

Coffee with ghee + coconut oil + collagen this morning.

Since I had some extra time this morning I made us some roasted potatoes and scrambled eggs for breakfast.

The snow stopped and the roads cleared so I headed out to run some errands. I needed a few things from the store and since it’s supposed to snow more, I wanted to get these done. I won’t make it to the weekend with no eggs! Can you even do a Whole30 without eggs?

If you don’t eat eggs during your Whole30, did your Whole30 really exist? Deep thoughts.

Once home lunch was quick and hot.

Grassfed hotdogs from TJ’s and half a baked sweet potato. Not the most amazing lunch but I was cold (so so cold) and a salad did not seem appealing. I needed something hot!

Once lunch was finished I did some laundry and more around the house crap then it was time to get dinner started.

Cabbage roll soup!

Basically everything in cabbage rolls (minus the rice) in soup form. So good and perfect for this super cold evening. I made a large batch of it too so there will be plenty of leftovers.

Now it’s time to have some tea and chill with Scott for a bit before heading to bed.

November 2016 Barbella Box

January 2, 2017Andrea Leave a comment

Happy 2017! I’m kicking of the new year with a review of November 2016 Barbella Box. This box was customized by Lauren Brooks.

EXO Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle:

Gold water bottle with a screw top and open mouth. I’ve linked to a similar one on their website. The one that came in the box was made especially for Barbella and is double in size. Personally I don’t like water bottles that have an open mouth top. However I can see this being useful to bring on hikes or picnics. It can keep water (or wine, no judging) cold and would be easy to pour into travel cups.

EXO Wrist Wraps:

These are purple! They are such an awesome color and match the new Nano 6s that I got (more on those later). That said, I do have a love/hate relationship with them. They are soft and way more flexible than other wraps I’ve used, which I love. However they are “universal” wraps which is a fancy of way of saying, they are the same. Meaning, there is no right and left wrap. If you’ve used wrist wraps before, then you know they usually come in right and left. The fact that this does not DRIVES ME BANANAS. Because it means that you are not wrapping your wrists the same way which can throw things off a bit.

So it’s taking some getting used to. I love them and I’ll use them but Imma be cranky about it.

Barbell Beanie:

I love this hat so much! It has fun colors, it’s soft, and the adorable barbell on the front is awesome. I’ve gotten so many compliments on it too. It’s warm, it doesn’t ride up when working out or running and did I mention it’s soft? So it doesn’t cause my forehead to itch when I wear it for extended periods of time.

doTERRA Bath Bar and Deep Blue Rub:

I’ve been wanting to try out doTERRA for a while now and I’m stoked to see these products! I have not used the soap yet but it smells divine and I cannot wait to try out the rub on some sore muscles.

Summary:

Over all this box wasn’t too bad. It probably has the most items that I’ll actually use and that fit my current needs. If you’re doing any kind of weight lifting and want to treat yourself, definitely checkout Barbella Box. It’s such a fun box to get each month and you can customize the frequency of shipments as well. If you don’t want a box each month, no worries! Skip it and go with your own schedule.

*Disclaimer: Some links are referral links which doesn’t change the price for you at all but does help with site maintenance.

Sweet and Smoky Shishito Peppers

December 23, 2016Andrea Leave a comment

With all the holiday functions and parties that happen during this time of year, I wanted to create a quick and simple appetizer that would be great for entertaining, parties, or as a way to kick off an intimate date night at home. While out shopping I came across some awesome looking shishito peppers and knew they would be perfect to use. Most times the peppers are paired with a dipping sauce but I wanted to wrap the peppers is a sweet and sticky sauce making them easier to prepare and eat.

In a recent shipment from Cultivar Wines, I received a 2014 Cultivar Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc that I thought would pair nicely with this dish.

Andrea’s Sweet and Smoky Shishito Peppers

6oz Shishito Peppers

1/2TBSP Light Olive Oil

Juice of 1 Large Lime

2 Cloves of Garlic (Either use a garlic press or finely chop them)

1 TBSP Honey

1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

Pinch of Salt (no more than 1/4 tsp)

In a bowl, combine the lime juice, garlic, honey, paprika, and salt, whisk until everything is combined and set aside. In a medium sized skillet, heat up the olive oil over medium to medium high heat for about 2 minutes (do not let the oil smoke), then add in the peppers in a single layer. Cook peppers on each side for about 3 minutes until they blister and start to soften. Reduce heat to medium and add in the sauce, stir and make sure all the peppers are covered. Continue to gently stir and cook the sauce for about two minutes. The sauce should cook down and start to coat the peppers. Allow to cool for one minute and give another stir before plating.

Plate and serve!

These peppers are great hot right out of the pan but can also be served at room temperature, making them perfect for entertaining and parties.

Having the sauce on the peppers means there’s less to handle and turns them into a fabulous finger food appetizer, just right for mingling and eating while standing.

You can make the sauce ahead of time making the cooking time on these even quicker. I would recommend making a double batch because these will go quick!

These peppers and the 2014 Cultivar Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc really worked well together. The crisp citrus notes of the wine balances out the smoky sweet sauce while the oaky herby notes compliments the earthy pepper flavor.

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

Disclosure: I’m required to disclose a sponsored partnership between our site, Food Embrace, and Cultivar Wine. I have been compensated in exchange for this post in the form of product. All opinions presented are my own. I receive wine from Cultivar Wine as a member of the Cultivar Wine Bloggers group.

Wednesday Hermit Day

December 22, 2016Andrea 1 Comment

Hi, pretties! My day was filled with not much and I loved it. I am very much a slightly social introvert which means I can hang out with friends, go to events, and work a highly social job but that I need downtime to balance all that out. I don’t get energy from people around people, I get energy from not talking to anyone and being in my own space.

I call these days, hermit days, because that’s exactly what I do.

Today was a hermit day.

Breakfast was frothy coffee and a yogurt bowl.

2% Fage
Homemade Granola
Chocolate Chips
Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds (I found these at Costco)
Coconut Chips

Coffee was unsweetened SO Delicious Coconut Milk + Coconut Butter.

It was a coconutty kind of morning, I guess.

I did some blog stuff and got things ready for posting this week, then it was time for lunch!

Burgers with mixed greens on the side dressed in Tessamae’s Creamy Ranch dressing. The burgers were pre-made grassfed that I picked up at Costco, heated in a skillet and topped with pepper jack cheese. On a gluten free bun from TJ’s which was just OK. I seriously think I just need to give up on gluten free bread and buns because they either taste like chalk or are so bulky they are difficult to eat.

Scott and I were able to hang out for a bit today and do some more binging on Arrow and The Flash. Then it was time for dinner. I prepped the veggies before hand so I only needed to cook them cutting down kitchen time greatly!

Brats with parsnip mash and Brussels sprouts. Simple and quick!

Which in case it hasn’t been obvious, is the theme for holiday vacation. Now for a little more Arrow and Flash before I call it a night!

Holiday Spirit

December 20, 2016Andrea 1 Comment

It’s Christmas week! Ahhhh! I’m so excited for good eats, days off, and pajamas! I love the holidays and I’m looking forward to having some downtime with my main squeeze. No post yesterday because by the end of the day I was exhausted and could not look at the computer so you get a recap of two days instead.

Monday:

I almost didn’t make it to the gym but I hustled my butt out the door and made it to class. Once home I had a handful of grapes and a slice of turkey bacon for post workout snack. Showered, which was glorious. A super hot shower when the weather is chilly is one of the most amazing feelings.

Quick yogurt bowl with some frothy coffee for breakfast.

2% Fage
Homemade Granola
Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds
Crushed Pecans

Unsweetened Califia Farms Vanilla Almond Milk + Kerrygold Butter in coffee x 2.

I had some recipe development work that I needed to do and some food prep for the week. I prepped some more chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. Gosh this makes life so much easier! Four frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot for 15 minutes and then I shred them once they are cool enough to handle. That gives me chicken ready to go for the whole week. I also worked on meal plans for the holidays. Time for special foods! Plus with starting Whole 30 on January 2nd, I want to make sure we get some fun stuff in. This will be my 2nd Whole 30 and quite honestly, I’m so looking forward to starting it. So lunch is quick and easy when you’re doing meal prep, recipe development, and photos in the afternoon.

Ham + mayo + pepperjack cheese rolls (I had two and two were for Scott), shishito peppers, and a smoothie on the side. Pretty basic smoothie:

2C Water
4 Scoops Collagen
Baby Greens
2 Frozen Bananas
1/2 C Frozen Blueberries

Makes enough for two smoothies.

After all that was done, I had two hours to kill before I needed to get started on dinner and I crashed on the couch watching Criminal Minds. I was so exhausted! So I kept dinner easy and simple:

Roasted asparagus (Olive oil + Flavor God Lemon Garlic), roasted shrimp (Lime juice + Flavor God Honey BBQ), and some rice (cooked in broth with butter and pink salt). Easy, filling, and delicious!

I snuggled on the couch with Scott and we watched a little bit of TV before I hit the hay.

Tuesday:

Up and at ’em! I hit the gym (wearing my jingle socks which I love. I’m not sure how other people in class felt about them though!)

I had a slice of turkey bacon and a few grapes post workout. The turkey bacon is Columbus brand that I get at Costco. It is delicious! I won’t be able to eat it during Whole 30 because of the sugar but it doesn’t have any nitrates added and it’s a hefty slice of bacon. I dig it!

Breakfast was half a baked sweet potato and some scrambled eggs.

I cleaned up the house a bit and did some blog work, then it was time for lunch.

Chicken salad on top of mixed greens. The chicken salad is pulled chicken mixed with a bit of seasoning, chopped pickles, and Chosen Foods Avocado Mayo (so good! And I can snag it from Costco).

Dinner was another easy simple meal, tacos with sugar snap peas.

Ground bison seasoned with Flavor God Spicy Everything and mixed with some salsa from TJ’s and topped with queso because holidays. Snap peas quickly blanched, tossed with a pat of butter, and some Flavor God Lemon Garlic. Yes, I use this seasoning all the time. It’s fantastic!

Now it’s time to kick back and watch a bit of TV with Scott before calling it a night. We’re currently watching last season episodes of Arrow and The Flash. Currently The Flash is tops. Arrow is just alright, a lot of the characters are annoying and oh. my. gawd. All the angst. UGH. I can handle at most two episodes before I need a break from all the unnecessary drama.

Night all! Catch you tomorrow!

Fitness Friday: Frustration Level Orange

December 16, 2016Andrea Leave a comment

I don’t have a ton to report for the week but I did workout and I ran so let’s get to it!

Monday:

Rest day because I had to take Miss Penny to the vet.

Tuesday:

I did a mile run/walk with my running buddy before class. The workout was an AMRAP for 14:

10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls
10 Push Press

My weight was at 45lb thanks to my shoulder. At this point it cannot handle heavier weight for multiple reps.

We also worked on strict presses before the AMRAP and I could only work up to 50lb x 3. I tried for 55 and it wasn’t happening. My 1RM used to be 60lb and I’m going to have to test that again to see if I can still do it. I’ve been having to go light on weights for shoulder heavy workouts and I feel weak and like I’m losing strength.

Wednesday:

Umph! This was a tough workout!

AMRAP for 20 (Artie)

5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats
5 Pullups
10 Thrusters

Ugh. I got in 5 reps + 35 at 40lb for the Thrusters. Since we did a ton of shoulder stuff on Tuesday, my shoulder did not want to cooperate. 40lb was the heaviest I could go and even that ended up being really heavy after the first round.

I hate dealing with this! It’s frustrating and I also feel like it’s not getting any better since it’s been months. *Grumble*

I also did another mile run/walk before class.

Thursday:

1 mile run straight through before heading to class. It was slow going but I did it and my shins were tired but didn’t cramp up on me. Rolling them out seems to be helping a ton!

We worked on back squats for a bit today and I worked up to 100lb x 3. I wanted to do heavier but my legs did not. I’m also testing out a new bar position for squats and it makes a huge difference on how the bar feels.

Workout was AMRAP for 7:

25 Overhead Squats
25 Box Jumps
25 Power Snatches

OHS weight was 25lb and Snatch weight was 40lb. OHS is something that I just cannot go heavy on, again with it being related to shoulders. They aren’t strong and stable enough to do a heavier weight.

Snatches, I wanted to do 45lb but my shoulder was pretty fatigued from being hammered with workouts this week.

I got in 1 full round in 7 minutes.

Friday:

Surprise rest day because I overslept and didn’t wake up till 9:30am. Whoops! I work till 10pm on Thursdays which is way past my bedtime and lately it’s been causing me to oversleep on Fridays.

SUMMARY:

The workouts this week were shoulder heavy and I definitely felt it. My shoulder got very fatigued leaving me feeling weak and frustrated. It’s probably time to suck it up and see a doctor about my shoulder just to make sure nothing crazy is going on. I still think it’s a strain and since I’m still using it for working out that might be why it’s not healing as fast.

That said, I’m not going to stop going to CrossFit if that happens to be the recommendation. I’m just going to have to seriously modify workouts so that I’m still exercising while letting my shoulder heal.

I got a pair of Nike Metcons thanks to a sweet Black Friday deal and I have been wearing those lately for my workouts. I have to say that I don’t think I like them as much as the Reebok Nanos. They are a little heftier feeling and feel more bulky as well. For a regular AMRAP or workout they are fine but if the workout focuses a lot on lifts, I don’t feel as stable in them as I do in the Nanos. I’ll probably switch out to my old Nanos for lifts and wear the Metcons for workouts.

Messed Up Days

December 14, 2016Andrea Leave a comment

I am all out of sorts! I keep getting the days wrong. Even yesterday as I was telling Scott how I couldn’t remember what day it was, I had to stop and ask him what day it was.

Holy hell.

So here I am still trying to get my ducks in a row because I keep thinking it’s Thursday.

It is not Thursday. Not at all.

Miss Penny is doing much better and we get to take her bandage off on Friday. She’ll still have to wear some protective bootie when going outside but hopefully with the bandage off her nail can heal quickly.

I made it to the gym today and UMPH, it was a rough one. Once home I snacked on a banana and a slice of turkey bacon before hitting the shower. No picture though. I’m trying to incorporate a post-workout “meal” into my routine. Most sources say to eat protein + carbs 15-30 minutes after working out. I don’t do this, I usually wait until after I’m done showering before eating.

So I’m trying to do something small to see if it helps with recovery.

After my shower I made a yogurt bowl + some frothy coffee.

2% Fage
Chocolate chips
Homemade Granola
Dried Cranberries
Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds

The coffee had Califia Farms Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk plus some coconut oil in it.

Lunch was super simple today:

Reheated broccolini and a fried egg along with a smoothie. I have been missing smoothies so I need to get back on that train.

2C Water
2 Scoops Collagen Peptides
3 Large Handfuls of mixed greens **
2 Frozen Bananas
1C Frozen Blueberries

The mixed greens are a bag of power greens that I picked up at Costco. It has baby kale, baby chard, and baby spinach in it. These make smoothies taste green and intense. If you don’t really like “green” tasting smoothies, sticking with just baby spinach is probably the best.

This makes enough for two big smoothies.

After lunch I did some dinner prep and used my Instant Pot for the first time! I cooked up some frozen chicken breasts in a little bit of stock. It takes about 20 minutes for the full cycle to run and then I had perfectly cooked chicken that shredded easily.

For dinner I used the shredded chicken, some broccoli, spaghetti squash and mixed that with some coconut milk (dairy aisle) and buffalo sauce. Placed it in a casserole dish and heated that for about 1/2 an hour.

It doesn’t look like much but it was tasty! A little too spicy for me so I tapped out quickly. Scott will be able to have the leftovers for dinner tomorrow.

Such a super chilly night that it’s time for me to get snug for a bit with a big blanket and maybe some bourbon. Tis the season!

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Monday Drama

December 13, 2016Andrea Leave a comment

Hi gang! Sorry I sort of went MIA for a few days. I was running errands and getting caught up on holiday shenanigans. Yesterday was spent dealing with Miss Penny and the vet. Ugh. But I’ll get to that in a second.

Monday:

Breakfast was super quick and not photogenic, a ham and egg in a gluten free wrap. I love these wraps, they taste awesome but they aren’t really great for making things like burritos. They break up and fall apart.

Super quick meal because I needed to get Penny to the vet. While I was at work on Sunday, she was out running around and ripped a nail pretty badly. Scott was able to get the bleeding to stop and bandaged up her foot. That was the best that could be done since the vet was closed on Sunday.

This morning I called and told them what happened and they wanted to see her as soon as possible. I got her over there where I had to leave her so she could be sedated and her nail cleaned up and trimmed.

After I dropped her off, since I was out anyway, I decided to run a few errands. I picked up a few gifts for people, did some light grocery shopping, and got a rib roast for Christmas dinner. Plus some bubbly for kicks!

Lunch was easy and quick because I was waiting on the vet to call and let me know when I could pick up my girl. Shrimp and avocado sushi with sriracha mayo and a few pork dumplings on the side. I ate mostly the insides of those.

Finally was able to go and pick up Penny who was still pretty stoned and shaking off the effects of the sedative. I got her settled on the couch and called my mom to chat for a bit. Then I heated up dinner.

Leftover chili that has pork, beef, black beans, sweet potato, and pumpkin puree along with salsa for a base. I made this in the slow cooker on Sunday and made a big batch of it.

After dinner, I had a few cookies and some wine while watching TV with Scott. We finished up Luke Cage which just left me frustrated at the show. I like the show but the last two episodes definitely turned me off a bit. After that I hit the hay and read for a bit. I’m currently reading, The Paleo Athlete, by Stephanie Gaudreau. It’s OK. Have you read it? I’m struggling with how to eat better to preform in the gym and for running so I’m trying to read as much as I can. I’ll provide more thoughts once I finish the book but right now I’m just alright with it.

Tuesday:

GYM TIME! Gah I have been missing the gym like crazy! After the gym, I was starving so I made a jam packed yogurt bowl.

2% Fage
Homemade Granola
Chocolate Chips
Dried Cranberries
Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds
Chia Seeds

And some black coffee on the side. The rest of the morning I was on the couch with Penny. We need to keep an eye on her so she doesn’t lick her bandage on her paw. I did some blog stuff and some holiday shopping. Then I went in the kitchen for a bit to do some food prep.

Lunch was an easy hodgepodge of stuff:

Leftover roasted potatoes, some chicken wantons, and blanched broccolini dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, and Flavor God Lemon Garlic seasoning.

The broccolini is an easy veggie to prep ahead and have ready to go when you need a quick veggie. Costco will sometimes have large bags of them so I’ll blanch up the whole bag and dress it. Then reheat it throughout the week for a quick side.

After lunch, I did some more holiday shopping online and then started dinner prep. Dinner hit the craving spot tonight!

Roasted asparagus, baked salmon with a chili garlic and soy sauce topping, plus cheddar cauliflower grits. Mmmm!

Now it’s time to chill for a bit and watch some hockey. Till tomorrow!

All The Snow

December 7, 2016Andrea Leave a comment

Hi all! I apologize that there was no post last night. I was running errands like a mad woman and by the time dinner was over I was exhausted. Today you’ll get a recap of yesterday as well!

Tuesday:

I woke up and took care of the pups. Then since it wasn’t snowing, I hit the gym and got my workout done. After my workout I came home and heated up breakfast.

I made a huge frittata for the week. This is so easy that I’m not sure why I don’t do this more often! The frittata contained:

1 dozen eggs
About 4 cups spinach, chopped
1/2 a red onion
6 mini peppers, chopped
1/2C Coconut Milk (From the dairy aisle, not canned)
1/2 lb of ground breakfast sausage

I sauteed up the sausage, spinach, peppers, and onions. Then placed that in a greased casserole dish, poured the egg and coconut milk mixture on top and baked for half an hour. This will provide breakfast for Scott and I all week!

Fort Collins is under a snow watch and since it wasn’t snowing at the time, after breakfast I headed out to grocery shop. I had to do a big shopping trip and hit two stores, one of those being Costco.

This took me all day and I didn’t have time for lunch. I should have had a bar or snack with me in my purse but I was unprepared. I didn’t get home until going on 4pm and I quickly ate a pear as I was talking with my mom.

Since it was so late, I went ahead and heated up dinner. It just looks like a brown plate but I promise it was good!

Leftover pork roast that was turned into pulled pork tacos with a side of cauliflower rice. The tortilla is a Rudi’s gluten-free tortilla. It’s not grain free but I was OK with this. It’s actually a pretty good tortilla. It tasted fine and held up to be used as a taco. The rice was some that I picked up at Costco (my store sometimes carries cauliflower rice in the produce section) seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I kept things super simple!

I also had some herbal tea and few Belgian style cookies (that I got from TJ’s) as a snack last night while I watched Martha and Snoop! Scott’s home so I was able to get caught up on the shows.

The Christmas Balls episode was fantastic! The TJ’s cookies were just OK. I’m going to give them another shot though because I hate wasting money on food I don’t like. So we’ll see if they grow on me.

Wednesday:

We finally got the snow that the forecast was calling for and we ended up with about 5 inches. The dogs are not happy!

I missed the gym this morning because I wasn’t sure if my little hobbit car would make it without getting stuck.

Breakfast frittata and frothy coffee (with coconut oil) to the rescue!

After breakfast, it was time to bundle up and start shoveling the walks and digging out the car.

Thankfully the snow wasn’t the wet heavy gross kind but the light fluffy kind which made things much easier! After shoveling the snow, since I was already dressed I headed out for a quick run.

Mmmm I love running in the cold and snow so much!

Came home and made some lunch which ended up being all orange.

Quick butternut squash soup and a side of some chicken tossed in buffalo sauce. The soup was very basic:

1 Bnut squash, cubed
1/2 Onion, chunked
3 Ribs Celery, chunked

Sauteed for about 5 minutes in olive oil then I added in about half a quart of turkey stock. Let that simmer and then I blended it all with the immersion blender. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I also tossed in about 1 TBSP of chipotle pepper + sauce.

Scott got our new Echo set up, do you have one? We’ve already been using it like crazy. What a handy tech thing to have! We also got one tree up and the lights on it. The rest of the decorations will probably go up this weekend. I can’t wait! I love the holidays and have trees and lights all over the house!

Dinner tonight was also easy, zoodles with Italian sausage, peppers, onions, and grape tomatoes. Everything got sauteed up in a skillet and I added a small splash of red wine to give a little bit of a sauce. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Now it’s time to hit the couch for a bit!

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Whole30 Day 3: Cravings

January 2017 Whole30 Day 1 and 2

November 2016 Barbella Box

Sweet and Smoky Shishito Peppers

Wednesday Hermit Day

Holiday Spirit

Monday:

Tuesday:

Fitness Friday: Frustration Level Orange

Messed Up Days

Monday Drama

All The Snow