Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

Brussels sprouts and bacon.....something I never tried until starting Whole30. I try to make it once every couple weeks since starting starting this round of Whole30's in September. Every time I make them, I try something different. The ones I made today were the best I've made thus far... so here's what I did:

Ingredients:
1 pound of fresh, washed, halved Brussels  sprouts
3 slices of compliant bacon
1 teaspoon garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup of chicken broth/bone broth
*1/2 teaspoon salt 
*1 teaspoon pepper

*start with this amount and increase if you prefer more

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
Take a pound of fresh, washed, Brussel sprouts and cut them in to halves. 
Next, put them in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. 
Add your chicken broth/bone broth, the balsamic vinaigrette, garlic, salt and pepper. 
Bake at 375 degrees in the oven for about 20 minutes. 

While the sprouts are still roasting in the oven, get out a baking sheet and add your desired amount of bacon. I would say 3 to 4 slices should be enough. I may have used 5 or 6.....
Cook bacon until crispy. It should take about 15-20 minutes. 
Take the sprouts and bacon out of the oven.
Get out a frying pan/skillet and place it on the stove top. Start heating it up on high heat with the grease from the bacon. 
Scoop the roasted sprouts in to the bacon grease and cook on high heat until you get the amount of sear you prefer. 
I cooked mine for about 3 minutes on high heat. 
Turn off and remove the pan from the heat/burner. 
Crumble bacon and mix in to skillet.
**Plate and enjoy. 

**Because this dish can have excess bacon grease you may want to drain the sprouts before or put them on paper towel before putting them on your plate or bowl. 

Let us know how it came out and let us know if you have any added suggestions. We'd love to hear from you.

~Nicci, Whole30-Day 25

Non-Scale Victory (NSV)

People start their Whole30 journey for a number of reasons; from allergies to weight loss, we all have our own personal reasons. Ultimately, my goal when starting my first Whole30 was weight loss. Now, let me back it up a little bit. I should start with the fact that a couple years ago, maybe like, 201o/2011-ish?!?! (I can't remember yesterday, so trying to remember the date is a little rough.) Squirrel!

Ok, let's try that again. A few years ago my doctor told me that my blood sugar levels were off and she considered me to be pre-diabetic. I tried to lose weight right away, and I did. Then I gained it back. Post weight gain, my doctor told me that my blood sugar/glucose levels were off again, and that I need to start a medication called Metformin. 

What is metformin?

Metformin is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels.

Metformin is for people with type 2 diabetes. Metformin is sometimes used in combination with insulin or other medications, but it is not for treating type 1 diabetes.

Metformin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

(Information from www.drugs.com/metformin.html)

So, I was disappointed with myself, angry at myself and most importantly, my poor health habits were starting to catch up with me (more than just in the looks department, I'm talking serious business).  I had taken Metformin off and on for approximately 3 years (give or take). Every time I would lose weight, I'd be ok and not require it. Then I would gain it back and have to start taking it again. I never really noticed the problems associated with Type II Diabetes until the summer of 2014. I was pushing my highest weight again and for the first time I was having issues controlling my sugar. By July, I was having horrible dizzy spells at work and would sometimes get very disoriented. It was unpleasant, embarrassing and scary. I had never felt that way before and it frightened me that I let everything get so out of control. I was taking the Metformin, but it wasn't helping me anymore. I felt knew that I was getting sicker and that it was very possible that I dropped that "pre" in pre-diabetic. Signs were showing that I needed to see the doctor.  My mom was worried and told me to start taking cinnamon pills because she read that cinnamon helps control your blood sugar. The cinnamon pills actually controlled my sugar a lot. They sometimes brought it down too low, so I started to experiment. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT RECOMMEND EXPERIMENTING WITH YOUR HEALTH! IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, SEEK THE ATTENTION OF A PHYSICIAN. What I did was absolutely stupid and could have gone completely different. *steps down from soap box* I took myself off of the Metformin and started taking the cinnamon pills only, along with starting the Whole30 program. I started Whole 30 on 2 September and by mid-October, I was off of the cinnamon pills with no dizziness and no physical signs of the "pre-beatus." I plan on going to the doctor soon to have my blood levels checked to make sure everything is ok. But since mid-October I have felt no signs of blood sugar struggles. 

I do know that my iron levels are great, which has always been a struggle for me. I was able to donate blood to the Red Cross twice since starting these rounds of Whole30s in September.

I believe that Whole30 was the reason I was able to get off this medicine.  I encourage anyone that is having a similar struggle to talk to their doctor about starting the Whole30. See what this plan can do for you. 

~Nicci, Whole30-Day 20 

Bring the beet back...

Most people associate beets with those canned slices from a can that just look weird.  I know I always did!  For 36 30-ish years (humor me here, ok?!) I told everyone that I hated beets.  In reality, I was scared of beets.  They look all purple-y and, and, and... Ok, all I've got is that they're purple.  Hardly a reason to discriminate against a vegetable, right?  I mean, I like purple potatoes!  I like purple cabbage! Why couldn't I like a beet?  Sooooooooo, one day, at the convincing of my French friend, I tried beets.  The canned, sliced, icky looking ones.  WHY DIDN"T ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THESE THINGS SOONER?!!!!  (I'm looking at YOU.  Yes, YOU!)  They were yummy, even from a can!  I feel like if you like sweet potatoes or roasted carrots, you would like beets.  They're sweet but being a root vegetable, they have a sturdy texture, perfect for roasting.  Did I mention that beets are also an excellent source of folate and manganese?  Eat up, my friends!  My friend did crazy stuff like put italian dressing and shredded cheese on hers.  I'm a plain Jane kinda girl.  I like my beets straight, no chaser, thankyouverymuch.  At least that's what I thought...

Then one day, a crazy thing happened.  My food touched on my plate. 😱  Strange because this is usually forbidden.  Next thing you know, the balsamic dressing is mixing with the beets and all kinds of crazy things started happening!!  I needed to know more.  I googled and searched on Pinterest.  Turns out, I was NOT the Columbus of balsamic beets!!  There were others that came before me to discover this wonderful new world.

Needless to say, roasted balsamic beets are one of my favorite side dishes now.  And if you're able to find loose beets at your grocery store, they are actually pretty inexpensive.  You can get the ones with the greens attached but I don't use them for anything, so I skip it and save a couple bucks.   My new favorite whole30 variation is using Tessemae's balsamic dressing on them, before and after roasting.  (While you're checking that one out, look at the others!  I love the lemon garlic marinade too!)

Go get your engine oven fired up to 400!  Let's do this!

Balsamic Roasted Beets

Preheat oven to 400
Peel beets and chop into equally-sized pieces, I did about an inch or so.
Toss a Tbsp or so (depending on how many beets) of coconut oil or ghee.  I used a little of both.  It could be olive oil too, but there's already olive oil in the dressing, so I did just enough to keep things from sticking from the baking sheet/foil.
1-2 Tbsp of Tessemae's Balsamic Dressing.  You can use plain balsamic vinegar, but you need to increase your oil to equal parts.
I just put this all on the baking sheet, covered in foil, and mix it around.

Pop in the oven and check after 20 min.  Give everything a good mix up and throw it back in.  I start checking things after another 10 min.  The beets will shrink and you'll see the edges get a little brown as they get closer to done.  You want them to be fork tender.  That's how you know they're done.  Once they're out of the oven, I put them in a bowl and put an additional 1Tbsp of balsamic dressing on it.  I probably wouldn't if I used just straight balsamic vinegar.  Then I let it cool off a little in there, mixing the dressing around here and there.

It's really delicious!  I can't believe I was ever scared of such a beautiful shade of purple. I can't wait to see your results!!  Have you shunned beets just by the look of them?  Here's your chance to make it up to them!!  Let me know what you think!!

~ Nicole

Steak, Curry Cauliflower Rice and Roasted Potatoes...OH MY!

Whole30 has forced me to think outside the box, get creative and search for food inspiration. Some recipes I have tried and failed, and some experiments have become a weekly dish that I now love. Since re-starting Whole30 in September of 2014, I have learned how to cook a steak (the way I like it, medium rare) to perfection; make homemade mayo like a pro, and make cauliflower rice to get me through the week. For the meal I posted on Instagram 16 January, here is the process:

Step One: Since the potatoes took the longest, start with them. I preheated the oven to 350 degrees. It took about 10-15 minutes to heat up. Wash and slice a potato. I sliced mine to be about 1/4 inch thick. I placed them in a casserole dish and tossed them around in some ghee from Trader Joe's. I also added a generous amount of Flavor God's "Spicy Everything" seasoning to the potatoes. You can use any seasoning you, I recommend garlic, salt and pepper if you don't have the Flavor God's "Spicy Everything". Although, do yourself a favor and get that spice. It tastes like Spicy Nacho Doritos to me. Next, I placed the potatoes in the oven. I pulled them out when it was time to eat. *Keep an eye on them if you like your steak well done, that will add additional minutes that I did not require. I don't think they should take more than 20 minutes. If you cut them thinner they will burn, so keep an eye on them.

Step Two: Start the grill. I like my grill around 350 degrees when grilling. This may be different if you like your steak cooked more to medium, medium-well or well done. Take out your steak(s) and season them to taste. I used to use garlic powder, salt and pepper, but now I like it with just salt and pepper better. Let them sit out while your grill is warming up.

Step Three: Time to make that amazing and versatile cauliflower rice. This "how to" video was very helpful. I use this process every time I make the rice now. Once the rice was made from the cauliflower, I added the desired amount of rice in to a deep skillet. I put chicken stock and water in to the skillet and let boil until it was the consistency I preferred.

Step Four: Take out your ingredients to make your homemade Paleo mayo. That's one egg, extra light tasting olive oil, dry mustard and salt. A narrow measuring cup...I prefer to use a mason jar so that I can store it and avoid washing one more item.

Step Five: Throw your steak on the grill. I grill mine for 3 to 4 minutes on each side and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. This makes my steak come out medium-rare perfection. While it is grilling, I make my mayo.

Step Six: Pour one cup of the extra light tasting olive oil in to your measuring cup or mason jar, add your egg, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of mustard. Use your immersion blender to whip the mayo. Should take approximately 10-20 seconds. This is my favorite method to use. Then I add 1/2 tablespoon, or more (I use about a tablespoon) of yellow curry and blend for an additional 10-20 seconds moving the wand of the blender up through the container to thoroughly mix the curry throughout the mayo. If you do not have an immersion blender, I would highly recommend getting one for this and for the Butternut Squash Soup Recipe in our earlier blog.

Step Seven: Grab your steak off the grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Drain your cauliflower rice and turn the burner down to low. Add curry mayo to the cauliflower rice and mix on low heat for a minute or two. I use a ratio of  two tablespoons of curry mayo, for one to two cups of cauliflower rice. Pull your potatoes from the oven and plate all the elements of your meal together. Voila!

Step Eight: Take a pic of your success and share it on Instagram. Don't forget to tag us, @thewholenicoles

Step Nine: Enjoy!!!

Please let us know if you tried our recipe and how it turned out. We look forward to hearing from you. Also, if you have any questions let us know. We hope you enjoy!

~Nicci, Whole30-Day 16

Days 10-11: The Hardest Days

The Whole30 timeline has been instrumental in helping me know what my body is doing and what to expect. I think this is approximately my sixth Whole30 since September of 2013. Let’s just say January through September of 2014, I was a mess and very self destructive. Back to the timeline….I don’t know about other people participating in a Whole30, but I look at that timeline several times a day in the beginning. Mostly because I want to know where I am….where I’ll be tomorrow…and what I’ve been through according to the creators of the Whole30 program. I’ve read the descriptions of each phase so many times; I know them forwards and backwards. Usually, this timeline is spot on and today is no exception.

Days 10-11: The Hardest Day

Today is my day 11 and it’s like I cheated yesterday. I don’t know if it’s the day or the fact that I ate nuts yesterday and I plan on investigating to see if this is one of the foods that effects me negatively. I woke up this morning and hit snooze, and when my snooze alarm went off, I set it for five more minutes. It was a struggle just trying to get out of bed. It feels like I am hung-over. Yesterday, I thought to myself “day 10, the hardest days?! HA! If this is hard, bring it on.” Today, not so much…..I just want to get back in to bed and sleep. I feel super bloated, more than days 8-9 (For the love of Gosling, my pants are TIGHTER!) I believe, for me, today is a combination feeling of the hardest days and my pants are tighter. In the past, this may detour me, but on Whole30 I’m so much stronger and motivated to keep going. I know that boundless energy and tiger blood are just around the corner and I can’t wait for them to start. I’m definitely not letting this morning get to me. It’s still early. The day is young and I’m hoping it will only get better from now. 

I took the headings of the timeline and put them on one page for a quick reference. I saved this to my photos and now find it easy to refer to versus going to the Whole30 website. (which I still do for 10 other reasons a day) 

Share with us your experiences on Whole30 in the comments below. Did the timeline help you out? Nicci, Whole30-Day-11

Plan of Attack

I love organization and routine. Chaos is not my middle name. (#virgotendencies) Therefore, it's important for me to stay organized while on Whole30. I think one reason several of my Whole30's have been a success is because I am almost always prepared. That being said, sometimes plans change, circumstances change and moods change. For example, today I planned to make a broccoli, egg and potato frittata for breakfast; I received a call that my mom was near by and thought we could get some baby shower shopping done together.  I don't see my mom too often and thought it would be fun to go together versus going alone later in the day. Result: I made eggs and chicken-apple sausage with a grapefruit. Still compliant, but I missed the vegetable aspect of the meal. Not my most balanced meal, but overall compliant.  That being said, my goal this Whole30 round is to meal plan each week and try to stick to the plan. 

I took inventory of the Whole30 compliant foods I have on hand and came up with an organized meal plan for this week, 11-17 January. Below you will see my "plan of attack" for the week. I start school again tomorrow and sometimes (often) that interferes with the amount of time/energy/motivation/patience I have to prepare my Whole30 meals. I'm hoping since this is week one my instructors won't go too crazy on the amount of work they assign. *fingers crossed* 

Do you have a plan of attack for this week? If so, share them in the comments. 

I hope anyone participating in a Whole30 has a happy, healthy, successful week.Good Luck! ~Nicci, Whole30-Day 8 

Fueling with Tiger Blood

I've been doing endurance events off and on for 8 years now, first as a walker, then as a runner/intervaller. I completed the Marine Corps Marathon in October.

It was during that training period that I did my first whole30 and it was an AH-ha moment for me. 💡 I was able to complete my 14+ mile trainings without any gastrointestinal issues. I have been paralyzed with pain in the middle of races from those issues in the past. The idea that I could go further without any stops or pain was ahhhhhhh-mazing to me. 

It didn't start that way though. My first whole30 long training, I was unprepared, and by unprepared, I mean starving with no fuel… for 14 miles. It was awful. Did I mention I was doing all of this in South Florida, during the hot & humid summer? 😰  So, that meant research. I needed a plan to keep going without sacrificing my training. Lots of people have found taking ziploc bags of mashed sweet potatoes or bananas being useful. I personally missed the convenience of Gu packets. I tried doing just (compliant!) Larabars but it wasn't enough. One night I was grocery shopping and found some manna from heaven… 

It sounds silly but these were life-changing for me. They're portable and convenient. And they taste great!! I only get the ones that are fruit and veggie mixed… I feel like the all fruit ones are just too much sugar.  Usually with Gu, you take a packet every 4 miles or so as you need it, but they always made my energy a roller coaster throughout a race. 

So for my 9 mile training today… 

I forgot to add the Larabar that I ate on my way as my pre-workout. Usually, I like deviled eggs with a slice of baked sweet potato but I haven't made hard-boiled eggs this week. This is what I started with today… 

3 packets of organic fruit/veggie snacks

1 Larabar

Pear slices in a cup with cashew butter on the bottom for recovery after. (It's a long ride home! 😁)

I only ended up using 2 packets and half of the Larabar but it's better to start with too much than not enough. It's important to remember that you need to compensate for the nutrients you are sweating out. I haven't found a compliant electrolyte replacement so I'm more careful about what food I'm choosing to use for fuel. You can find the Peter Rabbit Organics in the produce section at most grocery stores. Look here to see where they are by you… 

Peter Rabbit Organics

The Plum Organics are in the baby food section. There are plenty of other options, but remember to read your labels!! The ones I choose are organic fruit & veggies, possibly some juice, and usually lemon juice from concentrate. 

Do you do any endurance sports? What have you found that works for you? 

~ Nicole

Snow Day

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it sno...wait? Do I have enough food to get me through tomorrow?!? Panic ensues whenever a snow storm is on the horizon. When you are on Whole 30 and a snow storm is coming, you better be ready. Ok, so it's not that dramatic (at all), but after going back to work today for the first time since the new year I realized that I'm still not quite "public" ready. If you read my previous post here, you know that I've been sick for days and my cough sounds like I should be ordering my iron lung using Amazon Prime. 

Here in Michigan, Old Man Winter is anticipated to share about 4 inches of snow with us overnight. Thinking about dealing with the roads, the ice, the shoveling...ugh...I opted to work from home tomorrow. Since working from home means I don't have to venture in to the blustery winter weather, I figured it would be a bright idea to do all my grocery shopping today. 

My friend and I started at Costco on our lunch hour. I have a Sam's Club membership and do not get the luxury of checking out all the cool things Costco has happening on the regular. Can you say Organic? Costco can. I might have to write a letter explaining the word to Sam's Club because I was so impressed with all the awesome finds at Costco. Organic frozen mixed berries, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries; organic vegetables, organic eggs, ghee in a 64 oz tub for $15.99 (requires some investigation to see if it's compliant) , organic lemon juice, Wholly Guacamole (can I get a witness), organic spices and so much more. If you don't have a membership, get one. If you can't afford one, send a friend request to someone that already has one, because.....it. is. awesome. This place is a Whole 30 dream for me. Even though they didn't have the sausage or bacon our Instagram friends find at their locations, I was surprised by all the additional Whole 30 compliant foods they offered. Two thumbs up, a "Z" snap and four and a quarter stars to Costco. 

(Anyone else feel like they were in a time warp? Like I should have known about Costco YEARS ago?)

My most coveted find of today had to be the organic lemon juice. Though, some people don't find this a big deal, it's not as easy to find as one would think. I checked local grocery stores before heading to Trader Joe's because "I know they'll have it" and sure enough, it could not be found anywhere. So behold, the beautiful, organic, comes in a 2-pack from Costco...lemon juice.  

So you got the lemon juice, now what? Well...personally I love to add it to water. Adding it to water really breaks up the monotony of drinking 72+ ounces of plain water each day. I've read several articles that say it's one of the best ways to start your day (hot or cold, pick a study, YOU be the judge). Lemon juice can be used in the kitchen or around the house for cleaning and sanitizing. After someone in the house gets down with the sickness (like yours truly) a little lemon juice can go along way.  You can add it to guacamole to keep it from turning brown. Soggy lettuce can become crisp again after bathing in lemon juice and water for an hour. Just dry the lettuce thoroughly and enjoy a fresh, crisp salad. You could erase dark spots on your skin, cleanse your skin, lighten you hair, lighten your nails, freshen your non-gum-chewing, no-mint-having breath(the Whole 30 struggle is real). So many possibilities and benefits with this awesome citrus fruit juice, it will not go wasting away in your fridge or pantry. 

Most of all, I love adding it to a variety of Whole 30 compliant recipes. Keep checking our blog to see a garlic lemon recipe that will knock your Whole socks off! ~Nicci, Whole30-day 5

Sick on Whole 30

No, not sick OF Whole 30. The heading is correct. I've been sick since Monday. I have the sinus, the sore throat and yes, that awesome cough that could wake the dead.  I was told it sounds like a barking seal (sexy, I know).  So, what do you do when you are exhausted, dizzy and too shaky to cook a Whole 30 meal? Bone broth! Ok, I get it, it's awesome and fantastic for you. But, what do you do when you don't have the energy to do make a whole batch of bone broth!? Store-bought chicken broth! 

Have you ever had most of those store-bought chicken stocks and broths? They are awful. I mean, absolutely terrible and not made for human consumption on their own. I did however find one that was pleasantly delicious (in my opinion) without having to add a bunch of stuff or cook if for hours upon hours. Organic Imagine, Free Range Chicken Broth in a 32 fl oz container. I found mine at Kroger. All I did is throw it in a pan and heat it up for approximately 10 minutes.  You could microwave it for a minute or two if you own a microwave. It's that easy and delicious.  I called to make sure that the "organic spices" listed on the ingredients was not sugar. The woman I spoke with said that the less than one gram of sugar came from the carrots and no sugar was added. She did not know every spice off hand, but said she knew that the broth included salt, parsley and black pepper.  She was willing to connect me to someone else to get the full listing, but as long as sugar or a sugar substitute isn't involved, I'm accepting this as a compliant soup broth.  

It's delicious on it's own, simple to heat up, organic, free range, no added sugar and on sale for $3.69 at Kroger right now. What more could a sick girl ask for? Maybe a good looking man to spoon-feed it to me? Other than that, I'm happy I found a tasty new broth.  ~Nicci, Whole30-day 4
Broth pic below: 

Everything but the kitchen sink…

That's how I felt when I left for work today. On Mondays, I'm at work for 11-12 hours.  So, when I leave, I have to have everything I need for the day with me.  It gives me a little anxiety, honestly. I worry that I'll get hungry and not have anything compliant nearby. Today was my first Monday on this whole30… and I overpacked in true Nicole fashion. Maybe not overpacked, but I didn't go thru my food in the right way. 

Here's what I started with… 

When I talked to Nicci this morning, she thought this wouldn't be enough for the day. And I kind of agreed, but I took my 3 meals to work anyways. I did pack snacks, which I realize are a no-no, but when you know you're not leaving until 11 at night, you try to be prepared for anything. Here's what I packed…

3 scrambled eggs w/onions, green olives & some Rotel. 

1 Suja Essentials Uber Greens juice. 

Chicken lime soup w/ extra lime & avocado. 

Salmon w/asparagus. 

My snacks of choice were mini sweet peppers & macadamia nuts. 

The problem I encountered is this… I graze. So I ate my breakfast fairly late into the day and then grazed through my snacks instead of eating breakfast. Stopping. Then, eating lunch. Stopping. This is what I should've packed…

So, I am committing to eating breakfast before I leave my house. All the time. No more taking breakfast to work. It simply doesn't work for me with this program. We all have to figure out what tricks work for our own lives. It's the only way to be successful for the long term. 😊

~ Nicole

Sunday..Funday...Prep Day

The holidays are over and tomorrow it's back to work for this Nicole. Prepping on Sundays is one of the most important ways for me, to make Whole 30 a success. I started my first 2015 Whole 30 today. My biggest struggles with Whole 30 are with breakfast meals. I'm kind of picky and usually tend to only eat a piece of fruit. My goal for this Whole 30 is to make breakfast time my priority. It is the most important meal of the day. So my plan is to incorporate more vegetables in to breakfast meals. Today, I made enough butternut squash soup to get me through the work week. I figure the soup, plus a piece of fruit is a better start than fruit alone. My butternut squash soup recipe is super easy and can be adjusted to please anyone's palette. I never make it the same way twice, but I've never made a batch I didn't love (ok, once, I added kale and ruined a whole batch...it may still be in my freezer from fall of 2013).

What you need:
Butternut squash (any size, usually around 4-6 lbs)
32 ounces of compliant chicken stock-I used Swanson's Cooking Stock this time
1 large or 2 small onions diced
Ghee or coconut oil (optional)
Water
Desired spices (recommendations below)

Instructions: 
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the butternut squash. Slice the squash in to smaller pieces/chunks and place in to an oven safe baking dish, add a little chicken stock to the pan so the squash doesn't stick and so it can soak up some of the flavor. Add some salt and pepper to the squash for some extra flavor. Cook at 375 for an hour. In a stock pot add the remaining chicken stock from the 32 ounce container. Place the cut up onions in to the stock pot. Add desired spices and bring the chicken stock and onions to a boil. Once the butternut squash is done cooking in the oven add the squash to the stock pot. Let cook for approximately 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to mix everything in the stock pot. You can add water to get it to the desired consistency you enjoy. 

So now the variations and recommendations....

You can bake the butternut squash soup for longer to get a more roasted flavor. You can also cover the squash in coconut oil. olive oil or ghee when baking. I tend to intake enough fat in other meals that I don't like to add it to this soup (just a personal choice). You can caramelize the onions in ghee, olive oil or coconut oil before adding the chicken stock to your pot. I think that you can really taste the difference and would highly recommend doing it that way if you are not particularly concerned with your fat intake. You can also remove the skin and cook the butternut squash in the pot with the chicken stock and onions. I personally prefer the taste of a roasted butternut squash over the stove top method. If you do not have an immersion blender you can pour the contents of the pot in to a regular blender. Just make sure that it is cooled enough if you have a plastic blender. I often add salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. I would recommend very small doses of everything until you get the taste you enjoy. The smallest amount of cayenne pepper can make the whole batch very spicy so avoid it all together if you aren't in to spicy foods. I would recommend doing no more than a half teaspoon of nutmeg, cinnamon and garlic because these ingredients can change the taste drastically. It's better to add more if you think something is missing than ruin an entire batch because the flavor is too intense. 

The whole process works well in a crock pot too! Just dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and come home to amazing smells and a fantastic meal. 

Pictures of the process and the end results included....ok, so I ate one of the mason jars before I could get the final picture...once you try this recipe out you'll understand.  

If you try the recipe out, let us know what you think! Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and Whole 2015.  ~Nicci, Whole30-Day 1


Squash in baking pan                                                            Chicken stock, with onions and spices

SARDINES… are happening.

Right. Now. 

~ Nicole

Pinterest Win!

I've had a lot of pinterestfails. Seriously. But every once in a while, I get a win! I had my eye on this Mexican Chicken Lime Soup recipe for awhile now. I was waiting to start this whole30 to try it out. It's perfect really for whole30. The recipe makes a good amount that will be great for lunches and dinners throughout the week.

I need to thank Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom for posting the Williams-Sonoma recipe. 

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup!

I, of course, made a few changes… mostly, because I didn't take a list to the grocery store. 😳 Oops. It happens. (A LOT with me.) You should know, this never happens with Nicci. The girl rocks lists like nobody's business. Anyways… off track here. 

So, I made some changes. First change, I used 2 chicken breasts and 2 chicken thighs instead of all breast meat. I prefer dark meat so I mixed it up. To do this, I bought a whole chicken that was already butchered. Way easier and now I have wings and legs for hot sauce chicken later this week. All of the extra stuff, gizzards, bones, etc., are now in the freezer waiting for the next batch of bone broth. Next change, I added celery. I don't really know why I did that other than I thought it went in there but turns out…nope. So, it's not essential. 😁  Then I realized that I needed green chiles. I didn't buy green chiles sooooooo… I substituted the can of Rotel that I did have… and voila! We have heat and spice! I was worried that it would be too spicy but it's really not. And last but not least, I decided to throw in cilantro for garnish. Small detail I know but I love cilantro. Any excuse to add it. And with the butteriness that the avocado adds, the cilantro adds a brightness. And while we're at it… the avocado MAKES this soup. Just add it to your bowl at the end and BOOM… deliciousness. 

Be jealous. Or make it yourself instead and share my joy. 😆 

That's the highlight of my whole30, Day 2. 

~ Nicole

Heeeeeeeeeere we gooooooooo…

It's a new year and I'm just like everyone else… looking to make changes for a healthier life. I tried whole30 last year and had some success. What I discovered is that I didn't do nearly enough towards the end the right way. And while I know that losing weight is never easy for anyone, I have some autoimmune issues getting in the way of my efforts most of the time. I also noticed that I loved how I FELT when I was doing whole30. I had lots of non-scale victories that month.  My skin, my sleep habits, my energy level… all showed marked signs of improvement.  

Now I'm looking forward to feeling those differences again. The best part of this journey is taking it with my great friend, Nicci. (The reason we've got an "s" on that Nicoles in the title! 😉) She's the one that introduced me to whole30 and seriously changed how I look at food. 

So today, my start begins. 

Whole30. 

Day 1. 

Breakfast was easy… scrambled eggs and a broiled grapefruit. 

Lunch was pretty awesome. Spicy chicken legs with roasted zucchini. I know we aren't supposed to snack BUT I find at the beginning, it's easier if I have a few snacks. Today was green olives, sweet peppers, and cucumbers. 

I had prepped chicken legs yesterday so I had them ready for lunch and dinner today. I reheated them at the end of roasting cauliflower and GINORMOUS green onions. So delicious!!! 

More adventures tomorrow… 

Nicole