Crockpot Taco Soup (and maybe a slight breakdown)

Since I'm riding the bench for the foreseeable future thanks to a super awesome bulging disc (more about this later), I'm having to be super careful about my caloric intake.  I'm not slaying it in the gym 5-6 times a week, so I can't eat like I was earlier this year (all good foods, but a little more volume to support my working out).  This.sucks.a lot.  So, to the kitchen I go, and in my world - the easier the better!  I made this on a whim today, and we may have a new addition to the Hutcherson Menu!

All I did was brown a pound of beef, and seasoned it with 1/2tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1tsp garlic powder,1tsp chili powder, and S&P.   I didn't cook it all the way, and dumped it and the juice into my crockpot.  I then added a whole (chopped) orange and yellow bell pepper (I can't eat green and red, we do not get along), a chopped onion and a whole bag of shredded carrots (I may have overbought carrots when trying to make a cake this weekend...this overpurchase may have prompted this recipe).  The last addition was three cans of fire-roasted tomatoes.  Set on low and let simmer all day.  Top with avocado, a squeeze of lime - perfection!   The big kid also liked this, so that was an added bonus! **If you like a lot of flavor, which I do, I would add the above spices again and stir in before cooking.  It needed more punch, I thought!**

I won't win any photography awards with this picture, but it was super yummy!

Back to my back.  I am about to head to the pool so I won't stay on here to complain too long, but it effing SUCKS to have this issue.  Like, I'm full on wanting to throw a huge temper tantrum about it.  I already deal with chronic back pain due to my crooked back, but this is a whole other level that I was and am truly not prepared to deal with.  It's so hard to have my workout plan for Hawaii completely wiped out, and for me to swallow the "it will be a 6-8 month recovery" news.  Seriously?  I'm trying to not totally lose my shit over all of this, and I know in the grand scheme of things it will be ok, but right now I just want to kick and scream.  It's already hard enough to keep from blowing up to 400 lbs, and now I have to be hyper vigilant about what goes in my mouth because I'm not able to do much more than walk in the water.  Some days...life ain't fair.  Whomp Whomp.

Another great recipe!

**This recipe is from The Frugal Paleo Cookbook - I highly recommend purchasing this book!!!**

This is a recipe I've made several times, and every.single.time we end up with none left over.  I even DOUBLED the recipe, and Sean ate it all.  As in, like 9 thighs, plus veggies.  How he is not 500 lbs, I will never know.  I just pray my boys got his metabolism, and not mine.

Crispy Chicken with Lemon and Capers

2 lbs of chicken thighs

2 tbs of House Seasoning (2 tsp garlic, 2 tsp of onion powder, 1 tsp of cayenne (or paprika if cayenne is too spicy), and 1 tsp black pepper)

1 tsp kosher salt

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp capers

1 lemon (or lime - both work)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Trim excess fat/hanging skin off of thighs.  Season the skin side with the House Seasoning and salt and set aside

Heat cast iron pan to medium-high and add olive oil.  If there won't be about an inch or so in between each thigh, work in batches.  Attempting to squish them all in there will steam them instead of sear them.  

Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes, and then I place them in a glass baking dish.  I am always working in batches, so one big dish works for me.  I sear all the chicken and then add the olive oil/cooking juice to the pan, season the other side and roast for 30 minutes.  

After the 30 minutes is up, remove the chicken, add the capers and squeeze a big lemon or lime all over.  Serve and enjoy!  We like baked cauliflower (I season it with the House Seasoning, EVOO and salt) or sauteed zucchini and squash with it!  

Make sure to pour some of the juice over the chicken - it's the best part!!!

Aloha Sliders

*Disclaimer - this is not my recipe.  I copied it verbatim from The Frugal Paleo Cookbook.  If you have not purchased this cookbook, well...you are crazy and you should go to Amazon and do so right now.  That is all.

I am trying really hard to continue my good eating habits I (re)established during my last Whole 30.  Meal planning is key for this, because if I don't have a plan I just grab something and it is usually not good for me.  I did not plan as well as I normally do this weekend because it's been full of birthday craziness, so I'll try and scrounge up the energy hopefully tomorrow.  If not...it will be a lot of eggs.  And chicken.  Because, #chickeniseasy.

I made these sliders tonight for us (not the kids - they wanted pizza and I'm here to please), and I'm glad I ate mine first because Sean ate the rest at an alarming rate.  The prep time was totally doable during the week, and cooking was even easier since Sean fired up the grill for me.  Fact about me - I don't grill.  I'm afraid of it, it's not a controllable thing, it's not gonna happen probably in this lifetime.  Another thing to note about this recipe - if you want leftovers, go ahead and double this recipe.  I'm already pissed that Sean ate my lunch for tomorrow.

Aloha Sliders with Pineapple Relish

For the relish:

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 small red onion finely diced (or, buy the already diced onion if you hate prepping)

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (wear gloves and don't touch your face.  I may know this by experience)

zest from a lime (I just used lime juice.  I don't get the zesting..seemed hard)

1/4 tsp sea salt (or salt.  I mean...whatever)

1 1/2 cups of pineapple (so I used a can of chunks.  I refuse to cut up a pineapple.  Ain't nobody got time fo' that.)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I just ripped it up.  Sean didn't complain)

Grab your large pan, turn your stove top to medium heat and melt the coconut oil.  Then add the diced onion, jalapeno, lime zest and salt.  Sautee until the onions are almost translucent.  Next, add the diced pineapple (if you are awesome like me and use a can, make sure to drain the juice first).  Take your time, and keep the temp around medium, or you will burn it.  It takes about 30 mins, so make sure you check frequently and stir often.  When it's nice and saucy, remove from heat, add cilantro, cover and wait for the sliders to be ready.

For the sliders:

Ground Pork - 1lb

1 garlic clove - minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt 

While the sauce is cooking, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mush together.  Form your slider patties, beg your husband to make sure the grill is ready and hand him the plate and tell him it's his turn.  Oh wait...that was me.  I mean, if you can handle this part just take them to the grill, cook on one side for 5-6 mins, and flip.  Cook that other side for 4-6 minutes and they should be perfect.  Bring them inside, top with the amazing relish and start eating.  I would go ahead and make your leftover lunch tupperware first so your husband doesn't know there is extra available.   We didn't have a side with this, and didn't really need it.  The flavors were super fresh and the relish had just a hint of spice, but nothing this spice hating girl couldn't handle.  

I hope y'all enjoy this recipe as much as I did this evening!  

Oh, hey...

Hi Friends!

It's been a long time since I wrote anything, and I've felt bad about that.  I hate editing myself, and I struggle with what to put out there vs. what not to.  So, this post will be pretty surface material type of things.  I have had a lot of requests for menus/menu planning/how I do Whole 30s, etc - so here ya go!

I completed my third Whole 30 this past week, and just like the previous two times it was very successful for me.  The holidays are always like a sprint for me, full of family and friends and fun.  I love it, but it's exhausting and full of questionable food and drink choices.  By the end of December, I looked like a bloated train wreck and I knew it was time to clean up my act.  My skin was out of control, I had dark circles for days and I just looked poofy.  I hadn't really worked out much, either, and I was ready to recommit myself to a solid routine.  Some advice I have about Whole 30 is that there will NEVER be a 30 day period that is perfectly perfect for you to do this, so you just need to suck it up, buttercup.

I also always start my Whole 30s with a 10 Day Cleanse from Advocare.  I don't sell it, it's not a "thing" for me - but I do love this cleanse and I always feel better afterwards.  It's easy to have success because I'm already eating clean, too.  I just think giving yourself a chance to have really great results in the first ten days is just a great way to motivate yourself for the next 20.

I started on a Monday, and so that Sunday I meal planned and cooked as much as possible.  This is what my weekends look like, and how I am able to achieve good food choices for the week:

Saturday/Sunday - I do a lot of preplanning for these two days.  I love to look for recipes during the week (I often email the links to myself), and so over the weekends I show them to Sean and have him pick a few that he likes (and possibly cook for us).  If I need a big protein run, I typically head to Costco. Besides the normal items, they also have things I love like the 505 Hatch Green Chilies, and big things of strawberries so a trip there every other week becomes a necessity.  If I am not shopping there, I am at Kroger.  I write everything down, and also list what recipes I want to cook.  I can.not.cook.on.the.fly.  I just can't.  It stresses me out, I get overwhelmed, I shut down.  I can, however, follow a recipe like a champ, so to have all of this planned out works great for me.

It's all about me...I hope you are following that.  ;)

Anyhoo, once I get my stuff home the fun begins.  I use Whole 30 as a way to try new things, but I ALWAYS have staples ready to go.  I eat a lot of eggs, avocado, chili, and soups.  I am so lucky to work close to my home, so going home for lunch is really easy and keeps temptation at a minimum.  My meal plan for the week usually looks like this:

• Egg Cups - I love to make these with lots and lots of veggies and ground beef.  If I am feeling fancy, I will wrap prosciutto around the cups.  I just scramble 8-10 eggs and set aside.  I will sautee bells, mushrooms, spinach and add that to the bottom of the cupcake tin.  If I'm adding beef, I spoon a little on top, and then pour the egg in.  I like to use Sean's taco seasoned meat for extra flavor.  We don't use packaged seasoning packets EVER.  There is typically so much gross stuff in them, and they always make me sick.  Sean is my seasoning master.  I just let him do his thing
• Turkey Blueberry Meatballs - this is a new favorite, and something I will probably eat forever.  Two meatballs is more than filling with two fried eggs (current obsession), and a great post workout breakfast or a snack.  One recipe usually makes enough for the entire week, and they freeze really well, too.  I substituted onion powder for actual onion and I think the consistency was a little better. I also used blackberries and they were awesome.  Go heavier on the sage and thyme.
• Soups and Chili's - This is usually my go-to lunch, and I don't get that mid-day carb crash that I typically would after a normal lunch.  It's easy to cook a big batch of these recipes, and I can get lots of meals from one pot.  I loved this new Buffalo Chicken Soup (I would add more chicken next time, and I didn't shred it, I cut it in chunks), and I also liked this Sweet Potato Chili  because you can make it in your crock pot!!  This is usually something I make just for me because the boys don't like casseroles/soups and Sean thinks the only good chili is the one he makes (which is sorta true - again, he can throw down in the kitchen, too).
• Crock Pot meals - Really a must for any mom.  Again, my boys hate casseroles and things that touch (lord help me) so I have to get creative.  I also don't short order cook too much, so if Sawyer wants something else he's welcome to make a sandwich.  Independance.  It's a beautiful thing.  Some meals that we enjoyed this past W30 were the Chili Lime Roast and Kippy's Pork Carnitas.  

Something that I wish I had purchased months ago is The Frugal Paleo Cookbook and Paderno Veggie Spiralizer.  I absolutely love these two things and urge everyone to purchase them immediately.

So, here is the dirty about me and Whole 30.  I'm never perfect on them.  There is a book (It Starts with Food - very informative) and it says if you intentionally choose to go off plan that you should start over.  I never do, and I don't care.  If I have two bad meals in 30 days, I figure that's good enough for me and I don't stress.  I'm not saying to break the rules intentionally, but don't beat yourself up, either.  My first W30 I had sugared coconut almost every day without even realizing it.  I chalked it up to a lesson about reading labels and moved on.  Its hard enough being a woman/mom/working person - I don't need to beat myself up over this, too.

Plan, plan and plan.  Always have an emergency Larabar ready.  Learn to socialize without a drink in hand.  Eat before events or bring your own food.  If you are lucky enough to have friends as badass as mine are, you are lucky enough to have people who accommodate your weird eating issues anyway so this shouldn't really rock their world too much.  Don't make it a big issue and it won't be.  Have fun with it and you can learn a lot of new things about food and about yourself.  

So, what should I write about next?

1st Day of Spring

Happy 1st Day of Spring!  This weather is amazing, I have new flowers and got a killer workout in this evening.  I'm a pretty happy girl.

So, as far as working out is going - every day is better and better.  I'm still a little sore from surgery, but I feel like my strength and endurance is growing.  Confession: I totally had a moment at the gym the other day where I caught myself wondering around and not really doing anything.  I felt really overwhelmed.  I hate having to jack with the machines or try and remember correct form.  So, I decided to bite the bullet and remedy that.  I contacted my good friend and hired him one day a week to kick my rear.  I conned my mother into joining me, too!  I wasn't going to do it alone, and well..there is no escaping my mother so she is a good accountability partner.  I'd never hear the end of it if I bailed.  What sounds like a fairly easy workout totally has given me jelly legs so bad!  Here is a pretty good breakdown of what we did:

Warmup: High knees, butt kicks and jumping jacks

Workout:

Do 2 touch down for cardio in between each round of weighted work

Squat to hammer curl three rounds one minute around
Three rounds for one minute: Bullwinkle overhead press
Three rounds: Triceps overhead press 45 seconds
Three rounds: Reverse lunge  single leg 45 second per leg
Three rounds: Med ball slam with partner or to a wall 45 seconds
Three rounds: Lateral med ball toss with partner or to a wall 45 seconds

A few things were figured out today:

1.  I throw like a girl (sorry, ladies.  I do)

2.  I'm TOTALLY out of shape

3.  Having someone coach me is going to be the best decision.  I totally do better when someone does the (workout) thinking for me.

Anywho...I made a pretty awesome dinner tonight!  It's Gluten Free!  Here is the recipe for Apple & Sage Pork Chops:

4 boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick

1 1/2 tsp sage

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp Thyme

1/2 tsp Allspice

1/2 Paprika

1 TBSP Flour (I used Almond)

1 tsp salt (i'd probably use more next time)

Olive Oil (I actually used my coconut oil, and it was awesome)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 apples, diced

1/2 cup of apple juice

1 TBSP brown sugar (I probably used less?)

1.  Mix all of the spices and flour into a bowl.  Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with the mixture

2.  Cook pork chops in oil on hot skillet until browned on both sides.  Remove and place on plate.  Add onion; cook for 3 minutes until tender.  Add apples; cook for 2 or so minutes

3.  Stir in apple juice, sugar and remaining seasonings until well mixed.  Return pork chops to the skillet.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until desired doneness

There were no leftovers. 

Let me know if you try it!  It will be a staple in our house, for sure.  I might try using chicken tenders instead of pork next time?  Any other suggestions?

I hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather!  Cheers until next time!