Acorn Squash Turkey Burgers

We have burger night at least once a week. Having a lettuce bun isn't that much fun. It works. But there are so many other things to use! Like this beautiful Acorn Squash. Yeah, there's going to be a few burgers with a hole in the center. But get creative. You have to fork and knife this anyway. Just stuff it with some avocado or some other cool filling, like Bacon! 

Ingredients

1 acorn squash, sliced and seeded

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Slice the acorn squash into 1/2 inch rounds and remove seeds. Drizzle each slice with extra virgin olive oil. I gave a measurement for the oil, but just use however much you need to coat the squash. I trust your judgment. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. 

Roast for about 15 minutes. Then turn broiler on high and broil just to get a little color on the squash. About 2-3 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. 

Turkey Burger

1 lb turkey, ground 93% lean 7% fat 

kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Heat skillet to medium high. Form the ground turkey into about 4 burgers.  Sprinkle each 4 oz turkey patty with salt and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes on the first side, flip and cook about 4 minutes on the second side. 

Serve on the acorn squash buns with diced avocado and a nice Kale Salad. Easy and yummy. 

Use any leftover roasted squash or turkey burger in a quick Breakfast Hash with scrambled eggs the next day. 

Creamy Roasted Vegetable Soup and Chicken Cacciatore Frittata

This is why I love my leftovers. It makes lunch the next day so fast and easy. For some of you guys it may be hard to look at a few ingredients and imagine them turning into a meal. Or even harder to look at leftovers and morph them into something completely new.  So here is another helpful tip for completely changing a dinner from the night before, Chicken Drumsticks in Roasted Vegetable Sauce

...into something that looks totally different for lunch!

This all came from the same meal. For the frittata I just added three extra ingredients. Eggs, spinach, and bell pepper. That's it. 

For the soup just two extra ingredients were added. Coconut water to thin the soup a bit and sun-dried tomatoes for garnish. 

Creamy Roasted Vegetable Soup

• Leftover Roasted Vegetable Sauce, about 1 1/2 cups
• Leftover Broccoli Cauliflower Mash, about 1 cup
• Coconut Water, the water that is left when you refrigerate a full-fat can of coconut milk. The cream will rise to the top, just pour the water off and use it for this soup. The cream can be used to garnish the top of the soup if you like. 
• sun-dried tomatoes, for garnish
• salt and fresh ground pepper

Now just place everything in a blender and blend until fully incorporated.

I have a NutriBullet Rx with a soup mode and it blends and heats the soup in 7 minutes. If you don't have this nifty tool, then just heat the soup in a sauce pan, stirring frequently. Simple! 

Chicken Cacciatore Frittata:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup Fresh Spinach
• 4 eggs, whisked
• 3-4 leftover chicken legs, meat removed and diced
• Salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a non stick skillet to medium high. Sauté the bell pepper and spinach. Add the chopped chicken and heat through. Lower the heat to medium low, add the whisked eggs and stir just until the bottom begins to set. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes, just until the frittata is slightly firm in the center. Serve with some Franks RedHot sauce and enjoy!

I had a slice of this later in the afternoon as a snack, cold straight out of the fridge. It's almost like having a slice of leftover pizza. Super flavorful from the chicken that was simmered in the Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce. Double duty leftovers...Yes Please!

Chicken Drumsticks in Roasted Vegetable Sauce

This is a short cut for making a fast Chicken Cacciatore. Planning and having some emergency food items in your pantry is the best way to avoid the "What are we going to eat?" question.

Someone in the house last night was getting super hungry (he's 12) and said "Pizza?" Uh...no silly person. Not even an option.

This. Is. Whole30! 

(said with my best King Leonidas voice from the movie 300) 

Here is my quick fix to make it look like a real Sunday Dinner. 

Remember we were getting hungry so the pictures are not perfect. We ate this right after I slapped it on the plate and took the picture. 

Here is all it took to get some food on the table. 

Serves 3-4 and leftovers 

   I always try to have leftovers to use for another meal. This meal will turn into a Soup and Fritatta.      I'll show that next time.  

About 12-14 chicken legs, bone in, skin on

salt and pepper

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or ghee

1 jar Simply Balanced Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce (from Target and so far it's one of the only jar sauces I can find there without sugar)

Pat each chicken leg dry and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Heat fat to medium high (either olive oil or ghee) in a cast iron or other heavy bottom skillet. 

Brown chicken legs on each side. You will need to do this in 2 batches unless you have a massive skillet. Don't overcrowd the pan. This will sputter and spit a little, so watch yourself that you don't get burned. When you have browned all of the legs, place them back in the pan. Now cover with the Roasted Vegetable Sauce. 

Turn the heat down to medium, cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for about 25 minutes. 

Do other things now. Like get your vegetables ready. You have time. 

This is the result. It's hearty and full of flavor in a short amount of time. 

Again the pic is not perfect. But you get the idea.

We had this over a Broccoli and Cauliflower Mash. Yummy!

This looks like it simmered away all day. But it can almost be considered an emergency meal.

The leftover sauce is going to be morphed into a delicious and creamy soup with a Chicken Frittata for lunch. Since the chicken simmered away in the sauce it has a very rich flavor which makes it a great base for a soup. I'll just plop the sauce, along with a few other ingredients into my NutriBullet Rx and in 7 minutes it will be done!
Love your leftovers. They save you time and money.

Have a Fantastic Day!
Melody

Pomegranate and Date Kale Salad

A quick but power packed salad for any time of day! This is one of my favorite salads to add to any meal. Blueberries, Deglet Noor Dates, raw nuts and a simple Pomegranate Vinaigrette make this a salad with a tart, yet sweet

flavor. The nuts and dates add a perfectly crunchy and chewy texture. 

Kale is a leafy green that can easily be added to your eating plan. In jut a few minutes you can add tons of Vitamin A, C and K, as well as protein, calcium, magnesium and fiber to your meal. There are so many benefits to eating this bad boy! 

To make a salad just make sure you have washed and dried your Kale. Chop or tear the leaves if you didn't purchase it already chopped. The stems are tough and you may not want those in your salad. 

Place the Kale in a bowl and just start to squeeze or massage it in your hands until it begins to break down a bit. You need to do this to "tenderize" those leaves. 

After you massage the Kale, add your acid. Right now I'm loving my Pomegranate Vinegar. Just drizzle it over the Kale, toss, and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. I do this while I'm getting the dates and nuts ready.

Chop a few Deglet Noor Dates. I like these for salads more so than Medjool Dates. The Deglet Noor are harder and chewier. That's the texture I want for a salad. Something with a bite! 

Chop a handful of raw nuts. Add the dates and nuts to the Kale. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the Kale and sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss it all together. Top the salad off with a few fresh blueberries. 

Ingredients:

2 cups Kale

1-2 tbsp pomegranate vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

4-5 Deglet Noor dates, chopped

1/4 cup chopped raw nuts

1/4 cup fresh blueberries 

Salt and fresh ground pepper 

Have a beautiful day! 

Melody

Balsamic Chicken Salad and Roasted Pepper Soup

What I want is to have last night's dinner leftovers turn into a completely different meal for lunch! Here is just one of my tricks for making that happen.

We eat lunch at home almost 99 percent of the time. This means that I am constantly trying to use up leftovers to make it quick and easy. A couple of weeks ago I shared a recipe for Paleo Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Cauliflower Mash and this is how I used the leftovers to make a completely different meal! 

Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad with Roasted Vegetable Soup. 

For soups like this, I scour my refrigerator and use up any leftovers that I have. This was such a flavorful soup! My trick is to never throw even the smallest amount of roasted potato, peppers, or any vegetable away. They almost always end up in a Hash, Scramble, Omelette, Frittata, or Soup the next day. 

Serves 2

In a blender add 

leftover mashed cauliflower

3/4 cup grilled peppers 

1 cup Simply Balanced Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce

3/4 cup roasted red potatoes, sliced. 

1/2 cup full fat coconut milk 

Blend heat serve 

I have a NutriBullet Rx which has a nifty soup mode. So in seven minutes this soup is blended and hot. While the soup is essentially making itself, I started the salad. 

The Salad...

Slice up your leftover Balsamic Grilled Chicken and heat in a sauce pan with enough Simply Balanced Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce to coat. 

Use any type of salad greens you prefer. Top with the heated chicken and serve with soup. 

This is an easy way to transition last nights dinner into today's Soup and Salad. 

This is just a fraction of the cost of going out for a soup and salad. Another reason to eat at home. Just leave yourself a nice big tip for making lunch so enjoyable and affordable. Not to mention Healthy! And of course it's Paleo Friendly and Gluten Free. 

Have a Fantastic Souper Day!  

Melody 

Chicken and Apple Sausage Scramble

When you're scrambling to make a quick meal this is a winner winner chicken sausage dinner. 

All of the ingredients were purchased at my local Target. As of right now that is the closest store to my house. It's difficult enough to find whole foods without a bunch of added scary ingredients at a fine grocery market. But when you are limited, it turns your grocery shopping into Sherlock Holmes and the Case of The Hidden Undesirable Ingredients. 

Here is how you can be a winner winner chicken sausage dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast. You can eat this anytime. 

Serves 2

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Aidells Chicken and Apple Sausage, sliced

1/2 cup baby Portabella Mushrooms, sliced

1 cup bell peppers, diced

3 organic eggs

Salt and pepper

Frank's RedHot Pepper Sauce, to taste 

 

Slice up the sausage, mushrooms and bell peppers.

Heat the olive oil in a non stick skillet or cast iron pan on Medium High. 

Brown the sausage. 

Add the peppers and mushrooms.

Sauté until the peppers are soft and the mushrooms are browned. 

Add the 3 organic eggs and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until the eggs are scrambled. Add salt and pepper. Serve in a bowl drizzled with some Frank's RedHot! Yummy! 

Feel free to add anything you want to this. Like onions. We don't do onion...it's the one compromise in cooking that I have made for my incredible husband who happens to loathe anything onion-y. 

Except for salsa. He really likes salsa.  Maybe that's because I almost purée the onions. 

We are Paleo for the most part and stay away from cheese. But if that's not your thing, by all means add in some cheese. I have added a side of sautéed spinach to this many times before. Also fantastic with some Frank's RedHot. 

Have a Paleotastic Day! 

Melody

Almond and Date Bars

Last week we were on the road. It can be a little difficult to stay true to your meal plan when you're at the mercy of road side restaurants. There aren't that many places where you can get a good clean meal, without sugar, dairy or grains. Let's face it...there aren't that many restaurants that are even sanitarily clean. So I try to pack as much food as I can fit in the truck while traveling. Here is one thing that takes such little time to make it's barely a recipe. But when you are low on energy and need something clean and healthy this works!

Ingredients:

1 cup Dates, soaked in warm water
1 cup raw almonds
2 tsp cinnamon

Place the dates in a food processor and pulse until they begin to make a paste. Add the raw almonds and cinnamon. Pulse until the almonds are chopped and incorporated into the dates.

Pour mixture out onto waxed paper and flatten out, cut into squares with a sharp knife.
Wrap in pieces of waxed paper or parchment paper. Tie with a little kitchen twine. Refrigerate the squares until ready to eat.

For traveling, I placed these in a cooler bag with a couple of other cold items and they were great!

These are an essential traveling snack for me. A little easier than eating a handful of almonds.

And they are just too cute!

Paleo Balsamic Grilled Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Sauce

This week has been all about eating healthy when you are limited in your choices of markets. I shopped at Target on Sunday and have been able to make meals for this whole week from that one trip. All of the meals have been Paleo, Gluten Free and fit for the Whole30 Plan. We feel great. We sleep great. And there are some other great benefits that are of a more personal nature. You'll figure that out if you think about it. 

This may look a little time consuming but it's a really quick meal. Good enough to serve to you're friends that aren't even Paleo, Gluten Free, or Whole30er's! It's rich and hearty looking and tasting. 

I am loving Cauliflower Mash! This makes an awesome pillowy bed for your beautiful protein. 

I was making this with a bit of Plain Greek Yogurt, but we are not having dairy, so no yogurt! 

1 head of cauliflower

salt and pepper

grated nutmeg, whole nutmeg has the best flavor

Just steam or boil the cauliflower until tender. Then puree with your food processor. Or you can mash with a potato masher. I have done this many times when I didn't want to dirty up the whole food processor. 

Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

For the Balsamic Grilled Chicken:

4 skinless bones chicken breasts 

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and cracked black pepper

1 cup of Simply Balanced Organic Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce (We'll be using this sauce in a couple of other meals as well)

I poke a few holes in the chicken breasts with a fork. Kind of like piercing potatoes before baking. This helps the marinade get all down and dirty in the chicken. 

Mix the balsamic and extra virgin olive oil together. Pour over chicken breast. Let marinate for about 15 minutes. 

Preheat your grill or grill pan to a moderate high heat. Not smoking hot. And not medium high. Somewhere in between those worlds. 

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill for about 3 minutes per side. Just to get some grill marks and a sear on the meat.

Preheat a sauté pan to medium heat. Add the roasted vegetable sauce to a sauté pan along with chicken breasts. Now cover and lower heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. 

While this is simmering away, grill the asparagus. 

1 lb fresh asparagus, washed and trimmed 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

Lemon juice 

Salt and pepper 

Just trim the ends. Toss them in a little extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, squeeze a little lemon juice over. Grill for about 5 minutes. Turning halfway through. 

**if your asparagus is thicker, just cook longer.**

Serve the chicken on top of Cauliflower Mash with a side of fresh grilled asparagus! Perfectly simple dinner party food. Or just a quick weeknight dinner. 

Have a Fantastic Friday! 

Melody

Cabbage Patch Bacon Turkey Burgers

When I made these and snapped this picture I thought of Cabbage Patch Kids. 

Oh come on it's not that odd! 

I can't stress enough how being prepped for the week makes eating healthy so much easier. Just having a few frozen items, like these turkey burgers, that can transform into a fast and delicious lunch or dinner is more than helpful! 

Or maybe you can use this idea for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. It's a super cute way to serve a bunch of burgers on a platter! 

Remember our trip we made to Target prepping for the Whole30 Plan? 

That's where we found these frozen turkey burgers with 2 ingredients! Turkey and Rosemary extract! 

These go from frozen to in your mouth in about 15 minutes. Thats perfect for a quick lunch! 

Wrapped in bacon, topped with grilled peppers, and simply served in fresh cabbage leaves.

It's Funtastic!

Serves 2 

I start these in a cold cast iron skillet. Just trust me. 

2 Simply Made Turkey Burger patties, frozen

4 strips bacon, (make sure it's Whole30 approved if you're on the plan)

Grilled bell peppers

4 cabbage leaves 

Wrap the bacon around the turkey patties. 

Place on the cold cast iron skillet so that the ends of the bacon are on the bottom. 

Heat skillet to medium-high heat and when bacon is crisp on the bottom flip them over. It should take about 6-7 minutes. 

Starting them seam side down ensures the bacon won't fall off. Cook on the second side until the bacon is crisp, about 6-7 minutes. Add the grilled peppers to the pan to heat them through. 

Place the burgers in the cabbage leaves and top with the grilled peppers. 

Serve with a big green salad...because you just can't have enough greens! 

Simple, fast and delicious! 

And that's how we get lunch done in 15 minutes or less. 

The Workout for the Day! 

20 Minute Fat Burning HIIT Cardio Blast

Happy Thursday Friends! 

Melody

Chicken and Apple Sausage Breakfast Hash...plus a Simple Salmon Dinner Recipe!

Let's Hash it Out!

This is how you can use up some of the leftovers you have in your fridge to make an easy breakfast or brunch hash!

But before we get to the leftovers...a simple dinner recipe.

For dinner the other night we had some wild caught Sockeye Salmon with Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli.

Thaw the Salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a cast iron skillet to high heat. Add some ghee or olive oil to the pan. Coat the fish fillets with a little olive oil.  Salt and Pepper the salmon. Place flesh side down in the skillet. Don't move the salmon for 5 minutes. Flip over to skin side. Top with a small amount of homemade mayo and chopped almonds, squeeze of lime, lemon and orange juice.  Place in oven heated to 450 degrees and cook for about 5 minutes. Wild Salmon is much leaner than farm raised. 

Cut potatoes and toss in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15-20 minutes in a 450 degree oven. 

Steam your broccoli and serve with Sweet Potatoes and Almond crusted Sockeye Salmon. 

Let's get our Hash on!

I usually try to make some extra potatoes to use in dishes like this. It saves so much time. And let's face it. When you're trying to eat right, being prepared is one of the biggest keys to success.

Here is the how to get your Hash On!

Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium high heat

1 tbsp ghee (you can use coconut or olive oil)
2 Aidells chicken and apple sausage, sliced
1 cup baby portabella mushrooms
1 cup grilled bell peppers (from the other day)
2 cups organic baby spinach
(I had some leftover asparagus that I added as well)
leftover roasted potatoes, chopped, red and sweet potatoes are what I had leftover

2 eggs, free range organic if possible

Add the ghee to the skillet. Cook the sliced sausage until it's browned as much as you like.
Add the mushrooms, saute until the mushrooms begin to brown.
Add the chopped potatoes. Let them crisp a bit, then turn.
Next add the bell peppers, toss to heat through.
Add the spinach and toss to wilt.
Season with some salt and pepper if needed.
Push these ingredients to the side of the pan.
Add a little more ghee if necessary and crack your eggs in the pan. Cook the eggs to the consistency that you prefer. I like mine over-medium. So let them sit for about 1 minute. Flip, then cook another minute. Place on top of Hash. And Eat!

Super quick and incredibly flavorful!
Here's what Action Hero Husband had to say, "I thought you said this Whole30 thing might be hard?!"

I think we could have licked the cast iron skillet. Yum!

Today's Workout is a Quick 33 Minute Endurance Kettlebell Workout from Fitness Blender

Happy Hump Day!

Melody

Tuna Salad with Homemade Mayo #Whole30 Lunch

This uses the Mayonnaise recipe from yesterday's post to make some simple tuna salad. This is a Whole30 compliant, Paleo and Gluten Free lunch option.
Nothing terribly fussy. A fast lunch that takes just a little planning ahead.

Remember this is about getting in some real whole foods. But at the same time making sure it's simple. If it's too complicated it's harder to stick with the program. 

Get your groceries. Boil some eggs. Make your mayo. 

Go here for the Mayo Recipe

This is easy!

2 eggs, boiled, peeled and chopped

2 cans Tuna, canned, wild caught

2 tbsp Homemade Mayo

1/4 fresh avocado, diced

kosher salt and pepper if needed

4 leaves Romaine Lettuce

Mix all of the above, except for the Romaine Lettuce. Serve in lettuce leaves with a side of fresh vegetables and fruit of your choice. 

Kid Option

I don't have a picture of what we did for our 12 year old. He doesn't like Tuna too much. So we went with a straight egg salad.

2 eggs, boiled, chopped

1 tbsp homemade mayo

2 leaves Romaine Lettuce 

Mix egg and mayo, serve on lettuce boats.

Fresh vegetables, such as sugar snap peas and carrots, fresh fruit and raw nuts.

The homemade mayo has quite a bit of flavor so adding extra salt or other flavors wasn't really necessary. Add any herbs and spices that seem good to you. 

Helpful Tips

When you start eliminating things out of your diet, you might find yourself in a bind when you get hungry. Try carrying little snack size sandwich bags with some raw nuts. If you have access to some unsweetened dried fruit, that's great to add in there as well. 

I like to have plenty of raw nuts, fruits and fresh vegetables ready to go. 

But it's also a good idea to go ahead and boil a few extra eggs. The protein is going to fill you up and they're a darn near perfect food. Just maybe don't take them back to your office and peel them. That is usually frowned upon. My 3rd grade teacher used to do that in class. It took me a while to ever want a boiled egg. She was sort of a version of Mama from Throw Mama from the Train. In fact when I first saw that movie...I thought it was her for a second. Third grade was not my best year. 

What a nightmare that was.

Things I listened to this week

I ran across a podcast the other day called The Hey Eleanor Podcast. It's all about  how she challenges herself to do something each day that she's scared of doing each day, based on the famous quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, "Do one thing that scares you every day." It doesn't have to be huge. Maybe it's talking to someone in line at the grocery store.
Sadly for the human race, this does not frighten me!
But I like trying new things. Especially things that make me a little afraid. Adrenaline junky? Maybe. Just look at the Action Hero holding my hand in the picture above. That's kind of how we try to live. Running through the challenges of life holding hands. It's a beautiful adventure.

You know what else is a beautiful thing. Naps. Naps are a beautiful thing. Luke the Goldendoodle loves them. 

But I'm starting to think that he needs a Life Alert button or a girlfriend. 

Have a Terrific Tuesday! Maybe take a nap after you do that one that for the day that scares you. 

Here's our workout for the day.
Bender Fitness Full Body Sculpt and Sweat 1 round
5 Minute Body Weight Challenge 1 round
Make sure you add a warm up and cool down stretch.

Melody

Dinner was pan seared, wild caught, sockeye salmon (purchased at Target) with a dollop of homemade mayo, a squeeze of lemon, lime and orange juice with chopped almonds on top. Roasted sweet potato, and steamed fresh broccoli. We will get to that tomorrow.

Beginning the Whole30 Program with a Shopping List and Recipes

A simple start... 

Scroll down to find these recipes, a simple shopping list and a few extras! 

Lately I have seen a lot of information on the Whole30 Program. I've tried to figure out a reason to not do it. The only reason I can see is that I really like pancakes. Whoa! That is eye opening.

We already eat fairly clean around here. I would say that we have about an 80-85% clean eating record on any given week. But! I am seeing that we are still using more natural sugar than I would like. I'm talking about honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar, etc. And because I have this background as a Pastry Chef...I try to recreate things I love to make with healthier ingredients. I've done this for years. Back in the late 90s I was the family member that would bring black bean brownies or grain free this or that cookies to a gathering. It's like the country singer Barbara Mandrell sings, "I was country, when country wasn't cool."  

At least in my circle it wasn't cool. It all started when I met Marilu Henner. My family thought I was a "health nut." No dairy, no sugar, no red meat. I did not even eat chicken. The worst...no caffeine. But information and attitudes about certain foods have changed. I am having my coffee. Really good French Pressed, dark roast, delicious coffee. 

So, my house is getting ready for the Whole30 plan. It's really not a crazy idea. When you think about it like this...would you pour gasoline or water on your beautiful plants and green lawn? It's really the same idea for your body. We would be concerned about a person that put gasoline on their lawn. It needs the right food and fuel to grow properly, be healthy and thrive! That's like your body. It needs the right source of fuel and nutrients to grow and thrive. Or as my action hero husband put it, "would you build your house with the worst materials you could find or the best? This is your house." 

And it's really something, possibly the one and only thing, that you have FULL control over. What you feed your body. 

So with that said. I hope to part ways with my new love of coconut flour pancakes for a while. Oh, and maple syrup. 

We are going to share triumphs and failures. Successes and ideas. I will be referencing some fantastic blogs that I've discovered and trying their recipes and ideas to share with you. We will try to find kid approved ways to enjoy this program as well.  For now we will start with a shopping list. A fail to plan is a plan to fail. So here we go!! 

Shopping. Get your shopping done. You can make this work almost anywhere! 

I did all of my shopping at Target. That's the closest store to my house. It's not even a Super Target. You can do this. 

Here's a list of typical things to get started. 

Meat, Fish and Poultry

Sirloin steaks

Chicken breast, they have some good choices. (Some are a little pricier. But worth it)

Ground turkey 

Aidells chicken and apple sausage

Wild caught sockeye salmon, frozen

Wild caught mahi mahi, frozen
Turkey burgers, frozen, check the labels. Target has turkey burgers that have 2 ingredients, Turkey and Rosemary Extract
Canned Tuna, wild caught is best

Fruits and Vegetables

Berries, all kinds~blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries

Apples

Bananas

Oranges
Lemons
Limes
Organic Spinach
Romaine Lettuce
Cabbage

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Asparagus
Snap peas
Carrots

Bell peppers
Frozen Organic Chopped Spinach
Mushrooms, Baby Portabella 
Organic grape tomatoes
Sweet Potatoes for the adults
Red Potatoes for the kids...I bake these and then mix into mashed cauliflower so they don't notice the cauliflower.

Nuts and stuff...
Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil

Raw mixed nuts

Raw almonds

Freeze dried strawberries, Only one ingredient! Strawberries!  (perfect for a crunch in your salad)

Eggs and Milk (dairy free)

Eggs, organic free range 

Egg whites
Coconut Milk, Full fat, canned

Oils and Flours

Olive oil, light and extra virgin 

Coconut oil 

Coconut flour

Almond flour

My Target did not have organic Ghee, I purchased that a while back at my local Publix. 

They have plenty of spices and seasonings and also fresh herbs in the produce section.

I prepped a little when I got home from the store. Using my indoor grill, I tossed my sliced bell peppers in olive oil and just grilled them. Now, these are ready to go to add into eggs, on top of any meat...really anything.

I made some Mayonnaise. It's not hard.

1 egg
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup light olive oil, not extra virgin
lemon juice

Use your blender or an immersion blender. Bring all ingredients (the egg) to room temperature.
Blend the egg, garlic, mustard powder, salt. Then stream the olive oil while the blender is running until you have a thick emulsified mixture. Add the lemon juice. Whisk. Check seasonings. Now you can add more of any of the seasonings that you like.

This is a great base for chicken salad, tuna, to make a quick sauce. It has no added sugar and no restricted oils...nothing weird. It tastes amazingly better than any store bought mayo you will ever buy. Store in an airtight container. The best way to know how long it will last is to use the date on your eggs. That tip comes from The Clothes Makes the Girl...and it's just a good culinary rule that's normally practiced. When they expire, so does you mayo.

If you use an immersion blender. It takes all of 30 seconds. Just place all ingredients in a clean wide mouth jar or bowl. Let it come to room temperature. Blend. Store. Enjoy.
I always whisked my mayo together by hand. Old chef rules die hard. I feel like my mayo-elbow whisking induced pain made a silkier mayo, but I can embrace convenience.

Here is our meal from last night.

Grilled chicken, marinated with a little lemon juice and olive oil.
Seasoned with dill, garlic, lemon zest, lime zest, kosher salt and black pepper

Grill the chicken for about 6 minutes per side. You will know when to turn them over when you see the juices start to push through the top.

Grilled bell Peppers and Asparagus.
This is simple!
Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper, grill. You can also Roast for 10 minutes in a hot oven. 450 degrees.
Squeeze a little lemon juice over the Asparagus when it come off the grill.

The leftover Sliced Sweet Potato Buns became a cold potato salad
Sweet Potato Lime Salad

Chop the sweet potatoes, toss in a spoon of homemade mayo and lime juice. The amount for the mayo will depend on how creamy you want your salad. Start with a little and taste as you go. Kosher salt and black pepper.
Add a little lime zest over the top.
The sweet potato and the tangy lime are fantastic together.

If this is all new to you too...check out the website, maybe get the book. Look into some of the associated blogs for more recipes and ideas. But above all, just try to focus on good whole foods.
I started by eliminating one thing at a time. I started with refined white sugar, white flour, and packaged foods. Just by eliminating one thing at a time, you will notice a difference in how you feel.
We all know sugar is hard to avoid. But it can be done. Reach for a banana, orange, or whatever is the most fragrant and beautiful piece of fruit you can find. If it's not organic, just wash it.
Just eat Real Food!

Do something kind for someone today. That makes you feel really good too!

Have a Marvelous Monday!
We are! 
Melody