Friday, October 23, 2015

Hard Boiled Eggs - the EASY WAY!

I am all about working smart, not hard.  Why, oh why, did I not try this miracle method of making hard boiled (well, in this case, hard...baked) eggs YEARS ago??  I heard about it a few months ago, but for some reason, just put off trying it.  And now...my life is CHANGED!  I would always screw up hard boiled.  Second guess my timing.  Wonder if they were actually done.  Or over done.  Ah, screw it.  I'm making scrambled. (That is what usually happened).  But now, I shall be making these a lot!  Super easy, no guessing, perfect every time.  They even peeled great for me.  I feel my work is done for today.  I give you, the hard baked egg.

Hard Baked Eggs

Put a whole (unopened) egg in each individual cup of a 12-cup muffin pan, or 24-cup mini-muffin pan (worked great for me). 


Place in a cold oven and bake for 30 minutes at 320F, then remove and immediately place in an ice water bath. Allow the eggs to cool, and then peel.


I had high expectations, and they were fully met.  I sincerely hope you find this as excited as I did. :)  Enjoy your high protein, healthy snack!  And stay hopeful!

Need help with your health and fitness journey?  Contact me HERE!

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Zuppa Toscana - Paleo Style!

Okay you guys - this recipes makes me *REALLY* excited.  Like really.  So, before my Hashimoto's diagnosis, I used to love me some Zuppa Toscana soup from the Olive Garden.  I know...not the healthiest option.  But I have many happy memories of eating that soup at the Olive Garden in Hurst, TX with some of my favorite people on the planet.  My cousin and sisters and I would meet there every year before we went to the So You Think You Can Dance tour performance.  And we would eat soup and salad and bread sticks and cheesecake, and talk and talk until we were almost late to the show.  Good times!!

I know food is tied to memories and emotions for a lot of you, and it can be really hard if you can no longer eat certain things.  That's been the hardest part of this journey for me.  But, instead of crying in my soup I can't eat, I decided to make my own version.  And I was so pleased with how it turned out!! Depending on who you talk to, it's not "pure" paleo, as it does have white potatoes.  But I can tolerate white potatoes in small servings, so I used them, and it was fabulous.  I doubled the greens from what you would see at the restaurant, and I thought it made it even better.  Seems like a ton, but they wilt WAY down.  Plus, we all need a way to get in those greens! Enjoy!


Paleo Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients
1 lb mild Italian sausage
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch of kale or swiss chard, rinsed and chopped or torn into pieces (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup bacon crumbles (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
6 cups low sodium chicken broth (bonus points for homemade - which I used)
1 cup full fat, canned coconut milk (NOT light, or in a carton)

Directions

  1. Brown sausage in your soup pot.
  2. Add chicken broth, onions, potatoes, and garlic to the pot.

  3. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
  4. Add bacon.
  5. Salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Simmer another 5-10 minutes.
  7. Turn to low heat.
  8. Add greens and coconut milk.
  9. Heat through and serve.

     Need help with your health and fitness journey?  Contact me HERE!

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Overnight Oats - the magical breakfast

So, I get asked often for easy breakfast ideas.  Doesn't get much easier than overnight oats!!  You prep ahead, and then they are grab and go.  I love it when things happen magically overnight.  WIN!!  Plus, they are 21 Day Fix friendly, for all my Fix challengers.  You can mix and match with your purple containers - pick whatever fruit fits your fancy; and same with your orange container - can be chia, flax, or chopped nuts.  Lots of options, so you'll never get bored!  Here are a couple varieties to try...









Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup almond milk
1/4 cup low fat greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or enough to fill the jar.

In a 1/2 pint jar or 1 cup jar put in the oats, milk, greek yogurt, chia seeds, cinnamon and honey.  Put the lid on and shake that up!  Open up the jar and add in the applesauce to the top, cover and shake.  Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled!











Maple Blueberry Oatmeal
1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup almond milk
1/4 cup low fat greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4 cup blueberries or enough to fill the jar.

In a 1/2 pint jar or 1 cup jar put in the oats, milk, greek yogurt, chia seeds and maple syrup.  Put the lid on and shake that up!  Open up the jar and add in the blueberries to the top, cover and shake.  Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled!







Raspberry Vanilla Oatmeal
1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup almond milk
1/4 cup low fat greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon raspberry jam, preserves or spread
1/4 cup raspberries or enough to fill the jar.

In a 1/2 pint jar or 1 cup jar put in the oats, milk, greek yogurt, chia seeds, preserves and vanilla extract.  Put the lid on and shake that up!  Open up the jar and add in the blueberries to the top, cover and shake.  Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled!

With fall coming, I'm thinking a pumpkin pie variation is coming soon!  Stay tuned!! 

Need help with your health and fitness journey?  Contact me HERE!

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Hail Merry - a review

If you've been in Whole Foods lately, you might have seen this brand of treats in the refrigerated section.  They were a little pricey (of course...), but SO stinking good.  They have a line of tarts also, which I got to sample last weekend, and loved even more!  Free of gluten, soy, egg, dairy....hooray!  I can have egg, but I know some can't.  They do all have coconut based ingredients, so if you can't have coconut, I am sad for you.  I tried the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor of macaroons, and I could have eaten the whole bag in one sitting.  Elizabeth loved them also.  The tarts I sampled were super smooth, and they had flavors like dark chocolate, chocolate mint, chocolate almond, coconut cream, and lemon.  Seriously awesome.  So, if you're a Paleo follower like I am, or just want to try desserts with all natural ingredients, get yourself over to Whole Foods and try these!  Hail Merry for the win!



















Need help with your health and fitness journey?  Contact me HERE!

Saturday, June 6, 2015

21 Day Fix Salmon Patties


We make salmon a LOT at our house.  Like 2 to 3 lbs a week, a lot.  Sometimes we get bored with just eating the filets alone, and need something fun to do with the leftovers.  Enter these salmon patties.  They are SO GOOD.  And 21 Day Fix friendly!!  You can make them with canned salmon, too, just look for wild caught varieties.  Super simple in a pinch.

Another thing we always have on hand is sweet potatoes, and they are a big hitter in this recipe as well.  You can bake five or six at a time, and throw them in the food processor to make a beautiful puree that is great on it's own (toddlers and kids love it), and freezes well.  Isn't it pretty?


This recipe is paleo, so instead of using bread crumbs, we use almond flour (or almond meal).  It's really a simple process - you literally throw (or gently place, whatever) your ingredients in a large bowl, mix them up, and form into patties.  It's a fun recipe for kids to help with, since they can mix it with their {clean} hands, if they want!  Hooray! 







I fry them in coconut oil in a large skillet on high.  If your skillet has lost some of it's "non-stickiness", you will want to be careful when flipping.  Make sure you get all the crust that forms on the cooked side, so it doesn't fall apart on you. They are somewhat delicate at first, but firm up as they cook.  So, next time you make salmon, bake a little extra, and have sweet potatoes to go with it.  You'll have everything you need to whip up an awesome, second day meal!  Yay!!





21 Day Fix Salmon Patties 
(paleo friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free)



Ingredients




o   15 ounces wild-caught salmon, boneless and skinless, cooked (fresh or canned)
o   1 large sweet potato (about 10-ounces), cooked and mashed (can also substitute butternut squash)
o   ⅔ cup almond meal
o   2 large eggs
o   ⅓ cup packed finely chopped fresh parsley (or 1.5 tablespoons dried)
o   2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion (or 1 tsp onion powder)
o   1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
o   ½ to 1 Tablespoon hot sauce
o   ½ Tablespoon sea salt
o   1 teaspoon cumin
o   1 teaspoon paprika
o   1 teaspoon cinnamon
o   ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
o   2 Tablespoons organic coconut oil for cooking

All you have to do is mash everything together and form patties with your hands.  Then pan fry in the coconut oil in a large skillet.  So yummy!!

Whole recipe makes 12 patties; 21 Day Fix counts for 2 patties = 1 red, 1 tsp, 1/3 yellow, 1/3 blue

Need help with your health and fitness journey?  Contact me HERE!