... Braces & Juice

So Tuesday I'm going in to get braces.

I'm a pain wimp. I know most people say that. but holy crap. not a fan. not a fucking fan.

So i'm thinking ahead and I have a couple (a lot) of juicing recipes.

do you guys have any that you love?

Spinach-Fennel-Cucumber

• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 cucumber
• 3 celery stalks
• 3 cups spinach

Blackberry Kiwi Blend

• 1/4 lg pineapple
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 kiwi
• 1 banana
• 1/2 Comice Pear
• 1/2 up Coconut Water
• 1 bunch Mint (approx.  30 leaves)
• 1 tbsp Flax seed oil

Sunset Blend

• 1 lg Sweet Potato
• 1 med Carrot
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 2 lg Red Beets
• 2 Golden Delicious Apples
• 1 Orange (optional) 

Gazpacho Juice

• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 lg Cucumbers
• 2 Celery Stalks
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 1/2 sm Red Onion
• 2 cups Parsley (leaves and stems)
• 1 Lime

Beet, Celeriac, Carrot Juice

• 4 Carrots
• 1/2-1 Apple
• 1/2 Celeriac Root
• 1 Beet
• 1/4" Ginger root (optional)

Apple-Beet-Carrot Juice

• 1 Apple
• 2 Beets
• 3 lg. Carrots
• 1" Ginger
• 4 cups Spinach
• (substitute for kale or mix together)

Carrot-Kale Combo

• 1 Green Apple
• 1 1/2 cups spinach
• 6-8 Kale Leaves
• 1" Ginger

Sweet & Tart Citrus

• 3 cups Cranberries
• 2 - 2x2" pieces Ginger
• 3 oranges
• 2 sm Ruby Red Grapefruit
• 2 Limes

Green Juice

• 6 Kale Leaves
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/2 cucumber
• 4 celery stalks
• 2 apples
• 1" ginger root

Minty-Fresh Berry

• 2 cups Blueberries 
• 2 kiwi Fruit
• 16 strawberries
• 2 cups mint leaves

Refreshing Fennel-Pear

• 2 comice Pears
• 2 med. Fennel Bulbs

Green Lemonade

• 1 Green Apple
• 1 1/2 cups Spinach
• 6-8 Kale leaves
• 1/2 cucumber
• 4 celery stalks
• 1/2 lemon

Lemon Lime

• 1 lemon
• 1 lime 
• 2 Asian Pears
• 2 Green Apples
• 2 Carrots
• 2 wedges Purple Cabbage
• 1" Ginger

Sunset Blend Juice

• 1 lg Sweet Potato
• 1 med. Carrot
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 2 lg Beets
• 2 Golden Delicious Apples
• 1 Orange

V-28

• 3 lg Red Beets
• 2 Med Carrots
• 2 Celery Stalks
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 4 cup[s parsley
• 1 jalapeno
• 12 red redishes
• 
  

Paleo Pen Pals

So I have made some pretty drastic changes to my diet.

On the 1st of January (as you guys know) I started the Whole 30 and subsequently changed my diet for the paleo perks.

But recently i've sort of stalled out on my ideas and recipes. Either i'm to bored to eat the same thing or i'm to lazy to try something new.

So i was doing some research and looked up some stuff. then stumbled upon 'Paleo Pen Pals'.

http://www.whatigather.com/p/paleo-pen-pals.html (also: https://www.facebook.com/PaleoPenPals)

Here you're randomly matched with another person/family and you each switch something news that you've discovered and wanted to try.

I'm pretty excited about it and I can't wait to try it for the first time this month.

Blogs

Where I get my inspiration:

The Clothes Make The Girl

http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/category/recipes/

Primal Paleo Recipes

http://www.primalpaleorecipes.com/

Nom Nom Paleo

http://nomnompaleo.com/

Maoomba

http://www.maoomba.com/category/recipes/

Everyday Paleo

http://everydaypaleo.com/

The Paleo Mom

http://www.thepaleomom.com/

Paleo Parents

http://paleoparents.com/tag/recipe/

Primal Kitchen

http://www.primalkitchen.blogspot.com/

The Domestic Man

http://thedomesticman.com/

What I Gather

http://www.whatigather.com/

Life As A Plate

http://www.lifeasaplate.com/

Primal Journey

http://primaljourney.blogspot.com/

Three Diets One Dinner

http://www.threedietsonedinner.com/

I Breathe I'm Hungry

http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/

Healthy Living How To

http://healthylivinghowto.com/

Things My Belly Likes

http://thingsmybellylikes.com/

Guacamole

I used a version of this recipe:

Paleo Diet Lifestyle

There are so many recipes for guacamole out there but this one is the most simple. I use this one as the "base" recipe and add items when on hand.

Ingredients
3 medium avocados
1 firm tomato, finely diced
1/2 red/purple onion
1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice;Optional salt and pepper to taste.
(optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:
1) Open the avocados and scoop out the flesh.
2) Mash the flesh with a fork, if you want the avocado chunky. Mash with potato masher for smoother consistency
3)Mix in the other ingredients


Tip: a friend of mine shoes me the key to keeping the avocado from turning brown a couple years ago and it totally blew my mind.

Before you put the lid on the Tupperware container of leftover guacamole, line it each plastic wrap. Press the plastic wrap down inside the bowl, across the top of the guac, and back up the edge of the bowl. So there is no air between the guac and the plastic. It will keep the guacamole for turning that unappealing brown color.


Enjoy!!!

Beef Sliders w/ Guacamole & Garlic Kale

After my first attempt at kale chips went hinky, I decided to use it as the side for my sliders.

Ingredients:
1lb organic ground beef
1 egg
Salt & Pepper

Instructions:
1) Mix all ingredients
2) Form into sliders. I make mine a bit bigger to begin with cause they always seem to shrink while cooking
3) Pan fry them until desired doneness
Top with home made guacamole (or just avocado)
And serve with the kale chips rejects.
Enjoy!!

Kale Chips

I have heard and heard about "kale chips". But I've nerve been able to find kale or try it. Until last week. I found a bag of organic pre-cut kale.
Then a couple days later a user I follow on instagram posted a picture and recipes for kale chips. It must be date. Sweet baby jeebus wanted me to try kale chips.

Ingredients:
Kale
EVOO/coconut oil/melted ghee
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

Directions:
1) preheat oven to 270°
2) like a cookie sheet with tin foil
3) if the kale isn't already chopped, cut it into bite size pieces.
4) toss kale with a touch (barely anything*) EVOO and desired spices.
5) lay on cookie sheet evenly
6) bake for 8-10 min [that's what the original recipe said, bit I has to bake mine for 12min]
7) let sit for a couple min
*it took me 2 soggy batches to get the EVOO right. I'd say approx. 1tbs of EVOO for 1pan of kale.

Enjoy!!!

"Egg Muffins"

I've been eye-balling these of pinterest for a while. I've been looking at how I can do them for me. So I finally took the plunge and made these today. I call them Egg Muffins, but since they're really not Muffins I call them "muffins", I didn't want to confuse people.

Ingredients
These are all up to you. I used what I had on hand and it worked out.
12 Eggs
Breakfast Sausage (left over from this mornings breakfast)
Sweet Peppers (had in my fridge)
Prosciutto (left overs)
(i've also seen)
Spinach
Bacon
Tomatoes
Onions
Mushrooms
The ones on pinterest had cheese in them, but that's not paleo/whole30
Etc. The possibilities are endless.

Directions
*** Preheat oven to 350***
1) Crack eggs in a bowl, and wisk together.
2) Spray/oil/ghee/etc the cups in the cupcake pan.
3) Chop and prep all the ingredients going in the egg mixture.
4) Line the cups with the prosciutto/bacon/spinach, etc ( had enough prosciutto for 5 cups)
5) Pour the eggs evenly throughout the cups. I have also seen people put one egg directly in the cups individually, but i have an aversion to the yolks when baked. so I whisked them together.
6) Add the additions. When I added the sausage, i tried to dunk them. but it didn't quite work.

7) Bake for 20-25 minutes.
8)Let cool before trying to remove. For some of them I had to run a paring knife along the edges to get it loose enough to pull out of the cups intact.

9) Store in air tight containers.

When you're read to eat them. pop them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and you're good to go.

You have a quick healthy weekday breakfast!!!

Chorizo Scramble

So I have been on the look out for sausage that I can eat on Whole 30. Seriously. That and bacon. I've been to 5 different stores looking for bacon that doesn't have sugar.

So I saw one of my friends post about Aidell's sausage, I rushed to the grocery store to find it. And of all of the options I found 3 that work: Chorizo, Chicken Apple, and a Breakfast version Chicken Apple. I was a happy happy camper.

So I make something that B loves (sausage, potatoes, onions, and peppers in the oven) and I thought this was something I could switch around and make work.

Ingredients:
1 pkg  Aidell's Chorizo sausage
2 Sweet potatoes
4 eggs

Directions:
**Pre-Heat oven to 350****

1) peel and chop sweet potatoes in bite size pieces.
2) place in a bowl and toss with a a touch of Olive Oil and some spices (I used garlic, onion, pepper and a touch of season salt)
3) pour out evenly on a cookie sheet.
4) Cut the sausage links in half (creating 8) and then slice into bite size peices
5) Sprinkle the sausage over the sweet potatoes.
6) Bake for 25-30 minutes.
7) About 5 min before the oven time goes off. Scramble some eggs for the side.

This is so so good.
I  made enough that it lasted me 2 days of lunches and light dinners, but again. I'm cooking for just me right now.

Also. I made a version of this tonight but I did 50/50 of Sweet potatoes and Butternut Squash with Eggs over easy this time.

But I did a scramble with baby spinach for my lunches.

Enjoy!

Egg Frittata

So, I have a confession to make. This is my very first frittata. but it turned out pretty darn good if i do say so myself. When I started this one I didn't have or follow a recipe. I just knew what I wanted and this is what happened. So there really are no rules for this one, but i'll try and lay it out for you.

Ingredients:
[again, this is what I used, but you can add what ever you want for veggies and meats]
 6 - Eggs
10 - Cherry tomatoes. cut in half
1 - bundle of asparagus. cut into bite size pieces
3 - slices prosciutto - torn into bits size bits (see a theme here)
1 pie dish

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven 350*
2. Grease the Pie dish with Olive Oil or Ghee. which ever you prefer. I used OO.
3. Cut all your vegetables.
4. Lay your veggies on the bottom of the pie dish

5. Whisk your eggs together in a separate bowl. 

6. Pour the eggs over the top

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes

Enjoy!

Garlic Lemon Talapia & Roasted Green Beans

This dinner is so so simple and so so good. I honestly had it 3 nights in a row because it was that good.

I had bought the flash frozen organic talapia at the Commissary when I came home from Christmas leave

I was talking to a friend and she suggested this recipe. She said "keep it simple", and I think its amazing.

Ingredients:
1 3-4oz Frozen talapia
2-3 lemon slices
4 garlic cloves
1-2 cup of green beans
Pepper
Organic pure olive oil
garlic powder
Tin Foil
Baking/Cookie Sheet

Directions.

Pre-heat oven to 425*
Green beans:
1. Rinse and place in a bowl.
2. Toss with olive oil, pepper, and garlic powder. [I go heavy on the garlic powder and just enough olive oil to gently coat.
3. I lay them flat on one end of a cookie sheet.

Talapia:
1. Tear off a medium sized square of tin foil.
2. Pour a bit of olive oil on the tin foil.
3. Place the Talapia on the olive oil, rub it around, and flip it over so theres a bit of olive oil on each side.
4. Place the lemons on top of the talapia
5. Peel and chop the garlic
6. place the Garlic on top of the talapia
7. Fold up foil around the talapia
8. Place on the opposite side of the baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

DONE! a one pan dish. So delish, So yummy, Amazing. 

You're welcome.

Paleo Egg Salad

So recently I was craving some egg salad but, being on Whole 30/Paleo mayo isn't allowed (yes, I know there is a type that is sort of mayo that fits, but who has time for that?)

I remembered seeing something on Pinterest not to long ago, so I decided to try and make my own.
So this is my Paleo version of Egg Salad

4 Hard boiled Eggs
1/2 an Avocado
Garlic Powder
Pepper
Salt
1 cucumber

I took the avocado and mashed it (or you can cut it in cubes)
I peeled the eggs and took out the yolk (I just don't like the flavor of them when they're boiled) and diced them and tossed them in.
added a dash of each spice (add to taste)

and then I sliced the cucumber and used that as the 'chips' for my egg salad.

I used this as a post work out pseudo-lunch.
It was super satisfying and really tasty.

We're making a changes around here

And by we, I mean me.

So I just announced on my main blog that I have decided to go PALEO.

I'm 6 days into the Whole 30 and loving it.

So for the next 30 days i'm going to start posting Paleo and Whole 30 meals.

Get with it folks!
:)