Whole30 Confessionals - Day 6 & Making Homemade Jerky

I started prepping for my trip today which helped to ease my anxiety about traveling so much on the Whole30.

I bought food storage containers from Bed Bath.

 I bought a couple of stylish thermal lunch cases on Amazon 
to hold all my food as I travel.

e-Bag Crew Cooler 

Built NY Spicy Lunch Tote

 And, I made 'My Famous Homemade Beef Jerky'....
Wanna know my secrets, check this video out:-)



Today's Stats:

Water Consumption:

64 ounces, worse than yesterday, I suck:-( 
My goal is still 100 ounces tomorrow.

Sleep:

8 hours 
(woke up a few times, but went back to bed easy):)

Daily Meals:

7:30am - Coconut Milk Latte

11am - 3 pieces beef jerky

1pm - Fried Duck Egg on top of a bed of veggies

4pm - 3 pieces Beef Jerky, Carrots and Herb Brine Dipping Sauce

7pm - Dinner: Perfectly Seasoned Pork Tenderloin, Spaghetti Squash Cake, Collard Greens & Spicy Greens with Mushrooms.

Do you get anxious when you travel? 

What do you do to help calm your nerves?

Whole30 Confessional Day 5 - Feeling so good I ate a duck egg!

I had a Egg-Off this morning...

Duck or Chicken...

Who would you vote for?

If you've been eating eggs without the yolks, you should check out this article...

Speaking of chickens, I felt this urge to make a whole chicken today. With not much time to brine the bird, I decided to pull out my injection brining tool to show you how to brine slowly cooked proteins in a hurry. 

Brine Ingredients

- 1 (Chicken) Egg

- 1 TBS Thai Green Curry Paste

- 2/3 cups Coconut Vinegar

- 2 TBS Dijon Mustard (no Sugar)

- Salt 

- Seasoning

- 1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions:

1. Place egg, curry, vinegar and mustard in a processor and combine.

2. Add olive oil and season to taste. It should be soupy. If it's too thick, add some water or stock.

3. Use 1/2 of mixture for brine. Use the other half to make a sauce by adding lemon juice, parley, garlic and ginger to the processor.

For my Chipotle Truffled Infused Whole Chicken Recipe

Saute Veggie Bed for Chicken

Ingredients

- 1 Yellow Onion

- 4 Cloves Garlic

- 2 Sweet Potatoes

- 4 Carrots

- 1 Jalapeno

- 2 TBS Fresh Ginger

- 2 TBS Turmeric

- 1 Bell Pepper

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450.

2. After injection brine, saute veggies on medium starting with onions, garlic and jalapeño.

3. Add ginger, turmeric and bell pepper.

4. Heat more coconut oil and add sweet potato and carrots.

5. Cook for 10-15 minutes and add the bird.

6. Bake for 45 minutes (lid off) at 450.
7. Decrease to 275 degrees, cover with lid and bake for another 2-3 hours.

I didn't even need a knife to cut this chicken.

Today's Stats:

Water Consumption:

74 ounces, finally drinking more water. 
My goal is 100 ounces tomorrow.

Sleep:

7 hours (only woke up twice):)

Daily Meals:

5:30am - Coconut Milk Latte

9am - Duck & Chicken Eggs on top of a bed of veggies

1:30pm - Snack: Fresh veggies with my newly transformed herb brine sauce.

7pm - Dinner: 'My soon to be famous Injection Brined Bird', roasted veggies and collard greens with mushrooms.

Whole30 Confessionals - Day 4, A Roller Coaster Ride...

Woke up tired, overwhelmed and totally anxious...

Jumped around for an hour with my gymnastics coach at Cats and felt so much better:-)

I finally sat down and planned out my ridiculous travel schedule... 

7 cities in 10 days, right in the middle of on the Whole30...

HOLY SHIT, AM I GOING TO MAKE IT??? 

Anxiety flooded my veins and after I booked all my flights I felt the need to cook because it was as if it was the only thing I could control.

My anxiety dissipated as I made you (my two viewers) this video on how to make 'My Soon to be Famous Curry Lamb Meatballs' and Spaghetti Squash'. 

TIP #1: Use any kind of ground protein with this recipe, just make sure you sear the meatballs on all sides. Finish them in the oven when you are ready to eat, 275 degrees for 5-10 minutes, depending on how big your balls you made your ball.

Today's Stats:

Water Consumption:

64 ounces, still feeling bloated & didn't want to drink water:-(

Sleep:

In bed for 7 hours and slept for about 4, not getting better...

Daily Meals:

7:30am - Coconut Milk Latte

10am - 3 Beef Jerky Pieces & Handful of Nuts

1:30pm - Late Lunch: Shredded Cabbage & Veggie Salad with Homemade Cajun Turkey Breast & Avocado

7pm - Dinner: Lamb Curry Meatballs, Spaghetti Squash with 'My Soon to be Famous Homemade Tomato Sauce' on Top of Kale

For more Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs Recipes...

Just in case your wondering, I made it through another day of the Whole30!!!

Whole30 Confessionals - Day 3

Stressed, bloated and overwhelmed, but still on track;-)

Susan, just remember no recipe you will follow is ever going to come out perfect, just keep on trying...Follow my easy instructions in the below video and I bet you'll make a perfect sauce that will change overtime you try and recreate it:-)

'My Soon to be Famous Homemade Tomato Sauce'

Before the canned diced tomatoes

After the canned diced tomatoes

Today's Stats:

Water Consumption:

44 ounces, felt bloated all day & didn't want to drink water:-(

Sleep:

In bed for 7 hours and slept for about 5, better than yesterday...

Daily Meals:

5am - Coconut Milk Latte

8am - 1 Hard Boil Egg & 2 pieces beef jerky

11:30am - 1 Hard Boil Egg & 2 pieces beef jerky

2:30pm - Late Lunch: Kale Salad, Tomato, Peas, Veggie Noodles, Salad and Homemade Cajun Turkey Breast

7:30pm - Dinner: Lamb Curry Meatballs, Spaghetti Squash, Shredded Cabbage Veggie Salad (from last night) and 'My Soon to be Famous Homemade Tomato Sauce'

Whole30 Confessionals - Day 2

Bottom line, it's getting better, but I need more sleep...
Watch for more confessions...

'My Soon to be Famous Spiral Sweet Potato Cakes' where so good I had to post the recipe below...

Watch to see what's for dinner...

The Spiral Sweet Potato Cakes are Whole30, vegetarian, gluten-free and certified deliciously approved.

Ingredients:
- 2 Large Sweet Potatoes, spiral sliced
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 3/4 cup Coconut Flour
- Salt Pepper and Chile Powder seasoning

Instructions:
1. Preheat over to 325 degrees. 
2.Heat skillet with coconut oil.
3. Toss everything in a big bow and combine.
4. Mold mixture like hamburgers, but not to tight. Mixture won't hold together well, but will come together better while cooking.
5. Cook on medium-high until brown (about 2 minutes), pressing down gently to help big the cake together. Flip gently and cook on the other side until brown. Add more oil if needed.
6. Place wired cookie sheet and put in the over to bake for about 5-10 minutes.    

Today's Stats:

Water Consumption:
74 ounces, getting better, but I need more:-(

Sleep:
I laid in bed for 7 hours and slept for about 3 of them:-(

Daily Meals:
5am - Coconut Milk Latte

8am - 2 Hard Boil Egg 

1:30pm - Late Lunch: Kale Salad, Veggie Noodles, Avocado & Tomato Salad with my Cajun Homemade Turkey Breast

7:30pm - Dinner: Split Chicken Breast, Shredded Cabbage & Carrot Salad with Sweet Bell Peppers, Snap Peas & 'My Soon to be Famous Spiral Sweet Potato Cakes'

Whole30 Confessionals - Day 1

Woke up hungover, depressed and feeling like shit...

It can only get better from here...

What's for dinner on the Whole30...???

Today's Stats:

Water Consumption:
I have no idea, I totally didn't track it...not good:-(

Sleep:
5 hours
Totally horrible:-(

Daily Meals:
5am - Coconut Milk Latte

2pm - Late Lunch: Kale Salad, Veggie Noodles, Avocado & Tomato Salad, Hanger Steak

6pm - Snack: Homemade Beef Jerky

8pm - Dinner: Seared Split Chicken Breast with Veggie Noodles, Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Bell Peppers & Peas

FYI: Today is 'National Be Kind to Chickens Day'...

If you haven't been buying pastured raised eggs or if you don't know what step chickens your buying you should consider it...

I met the owners of Mary's Chickens last week at the SP Whole Foods Supplier Fair and they were sampling out Step 5 grilled chicken. I had no idea there were certified 5 Step chickens available at Whole Foods. Although I think the product is so new and limited it's only available in the SP region. I was so out of it I totally forgot to check when I bought my breasts today, although they were Mary's chickens:-) 

Want to read more about Mary's Chickens and 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards Program implemented by the Global Animal Partnership.

Whole30 Confessionals: Pre-Game Gameplan

Whole30 Confessionals: Pre-Game Gameplan

After 3 months of being off the Whole30, I realized I needed to be back on it in order to be 'top of my game', 'live the life I want to live' and 'be the person I know I can be'...

In order to prepare for the Whole30 I recommend taking 1-3 days to get your kitchen in order, shop, and get mentally & physically prepared...

Bottom line, I know this isn't going to be easy, but I know it's going to be worth it on the flip especially because I have value-add driven goals to help others...

My refrigerator the day before the Whole30...

prepped and ready-to-go...

My dinner the night before the Whole30...nothing too crazy, 

but I did have a few drinks!)

I know this is going to be challenging, but discipline is the difference between evil and great...

AND I WANT TO BE GREAT!!!