Creamy tomato sauce

This is a quick and easy recipe that freezes well, courtesy of my mom!  We made this over the weekend while I was home and I just knew you all would love it!

The ingredients:
  

• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 12 oz jar roasted red peppers
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Now the fun part, put it all in your food processor and blend until creamy.  I strongly suggest using a high powered processor to break down those cashews!

  
What you are left with is a creamy (almost dip like) consistency that is perfect for topping squash noodles!  Let me know if you try it!

  

My first non compliant meal

Gosh it feels like forever since I have posted! Work has been hectic and there have been some new projects I have been working on so the blog ended up suffering.  Anyway, I have been doing a Paleo based plan since I ended my May Whole 30 and decided tonight I wanted Thai food.  Not the recipes on Pinterest but authentic Thai from our favorite neighborhood restaurant.  It was heavenly! We split spring rolls and had the Panang Curry, my personal favorite… The ultimate comfort food.  I also had a crab and tuna roll that was out of this world.  So, how do I feel? Great! No remorse or guilt because I am in control and know that tomorrow it is back to plan!

Zucchini Meatloaf

The ingredients:

 

• 2 lbs organic ground beef
• 3 eggs
• 2 zucchini, grated and dried
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
• Tomato paste, 3 tsp and 3 tbsp
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp honey
• 3 tsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil spray

In a large mixing bowl, combine your meat, veggies, eggs, 3 tsp paste, garlic and 1 tsp each salt and pepper.  Mix thoroughly, making sure the eggs is mixed in well.  Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with the olive oil and transfer contents.  Bake in oven at 350 for 35 minutes. While the loaf is cooking, mix 2 tablespoons of water with vinegar, remaining paste, honey and s pinch of salt and pepper.  After 35 minutes spread tomato sauce on top of loaf and place über broil for 7 minutes.  Get ready for lots of left overs!

  

Following the rules of Whole 30.

Remember when I said I was going to do a Whole 60?  What I didn’t count on was summer…. The hot, humid season in the South where my appetite lessens and so does my exercise.

It started with the frozen banana treats I made, and then I discovered Yawp bars (and started using them as meal replacements).   And now I am looking at heirloom tomatoes that are begging to be part of a sandwich.

Don’t get me wrong, I am reading labels and following the rules, well, all but one. I am eating paleo treats. There, I said it.  I am more paleo now than whole 30 and I feel great about it!

Tonight I made paleo sandwich bread to go with my heirloom tomatoes and bacon.  Tomorrow I am trying a chia pudding and I am ecstatic about it.  If I find myself drifting past the paleo guidelines or over indulging in these special foods I will reign it in and do another round of Whole 30.  Easy peasy.

I am still documenting my meals on the Two Grand app, follow me there under forkandfinial.  For now I will share some of my favorites, starting with this tasty bread from guiltykitchen.com.  

It really was a delicious BLT.

  

In the past week I have worked on 2 recipes that were total fails!  Rest assured, I am still perfecting them and plan to share more recipes soon.

Whole 30 Days 35-38

I have made a few realizations during the past week….

Realization #1.  While on this program, my habit of stress eating has been eliminated.  Usually if things get tough at work I would reach for the first carb covered in sugar and shove it in my face.  This week has been a tough one, and although I have eaten plenty of food it has been out of hunger, not stress.  This my friends, is huge.

Realization #2.  I miss chocolate.  Not brownies, cake or cookies. Just a little taste of chocolate.  To quench this craving I realized I was making a habit of making the banana treats after dinner.  I do believe this is dessert and leads to…..

Realization #3.  I am not perfect, and although my relationship with food is improving it is not perfect either.  I try to think through my food choices, even catch myself when I stumble and try to make more conscientious decisions, but it will always be a work in progress.

PS- there will be no more frozen bananas in my freezer for a while!  Although the ingredients are all compliant I really can’t face that temptation!

On to the food….

 

    
 

Frozen Banana Treat

I will not call this paleo ice cream, although you can find dozens of recipes on Pinterest that do!   This is definitely a SWYPO if you are doing Whole 30, so wait until your 30 days are up!  (Not sure what SWYPO is? Read all about it here.)

The ingredients:

  

• 2 bananas, frozen
• 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut
• 1 tbsp cashew or almond butter
• 3 tbsp light coconut milk
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cacao

It’s just too easy, put it all in a blender and process until smooth.  It will be a soft serve consistency like this:

  
And trust me, it is delicious in this form…. To give it a more traditional texture, pop in the freezer, covered, for 2 hours.  The result? A perfect summertime treat that is relatively guilt free!

  

Whole 30 Days 31-34

Have you heard of the app two grand? It is a great way to journal your daily intakes and helps me to keep all of these photos in order!  I have found lots of people with eating habits like mine and find meal inspirations also.  Follow me on two grand, my id is forkandfinial!

Breakfasts this week (so far):

  
Lunches:

  
Dinners:

  
That’s a wrap!

What now?

I can’t believe my second Whole 30 is over, time really did fly by! During this round I saw many of the same improvements as my first time….  Weight loss (8 pounds), skin is clearer, digestion improved, no more heartburn, better sleep and more energy.  I am loving the benefits!

After I finished my first Whole 30 I went crazy, I was the prime example of what NOT to do.  Although I kicked my diet soda addiction, the takeaway ended there.  Pizza? Sure, I will have some.  Ice cream? OK, that sounds good.  There was no filter and no stopping.  I gained weight, stopped working out and all of the benefits faded away. Knowing that I reacted that way last time scares me, I have worked too hard to let a lack of self control sabotage my progress.

So, what is next for me?  More Whole 30!  I am going for 60 now and then I will reevaluate.  I am going to increase my exercise and start wearing my Fitbit again.  I am still going to log my food but it will probably be in 3 day recaps here on the blog.  I am going to work on more delicious paleo recipes to share here and work on putting together some easy shopping lists for first time 30ers.

Thanks everyone for sticking with me this far, I cant wait to see what the next 30 days has in store!

Day Thirty

Day 30! It has flown by!

Breakfast 6.2.15. On the way to work I had a banana and some iced coffee with cashew milk. 

  
I didn’t bring lunch with me since I was only expecting to be there a couple hours… Of course I was there longer than expected so thankfully I had some snacks on hand. Smashed avocado with plantain chips and a yawp bar (amazing), thanks Vanessa!

   
 

Dinner 6.2.15.  I was too preoccupied with work to cook so we ordered take out from our local pizza place that only serves organic meats (hooray). House salad with grilled chicken.  I also had a small bowl of berries.

  

Crab Cakes

The ingredients:

  

• 8 oz. lump crab meat
• 1/2 zucchini, grated and drained
• 2 small sweet peppers, diced
• 1 spring onion top, greens diced
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tbsp spicy mustard
• 2 tbsp cooking fat, I used coconut oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 sprigs dill, chopped

Put all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well, making sure the egg is thoroughly distributed.

 

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add your cooking fat.  Once melted turn heat to medium.  Carefully place your patties into oil and cook for 4 minutes, then turn.  Cook an additional 4 minutes and then serve.  This recipe makes four crab cakes, I suggest eating them the same day they are prepared!