Roasting Veggies

September 2, 2017August 30, 2017Leave a comment

My favorite way to cook after a long day at work is with the handy-dandy oven.

I love roasting veggies in the oven.

Magic temperature of 400 degrees, give it 12-30 minutes (depending on what you are roasting) and boom, it’s all done.

I’ve even gone as far as briefly pan-searing meat in a oven-safe skillet and throwing it in the oven with the veggies. It’s life-changing.

Case-in-point: These roasted chops with okra, Japanese eggplant and baby tomatoes.

This whole meal was sourced from Me and McGee Market, my favorite farmers market in North Little Rock. The grow the okra, tomatoes and eggplant in their backyard garden, and they get their meat from The Farm at Barefoot Bend in Crowe, Arkansas (right outside Hot Springs Village).

But the true beauty of this meal, outside of I know exactly where it came from and who grew it, is the fact that I made it all in the oven.

As much as I love cooking an elaborate meal, I love convenience and speed of cooking just as much. Roasting veggies in the oven gives a deep flavor and a crispy texture, and I can’t get enough of it. As I said earlier, I’ve started pan-searing my meat with a little avocado oil for a couple minutes on both sides, and then I throw it in a 400 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size, until it has a nice golden crust on the outside.

I love how oven roasting meat and veggies doesn’t get my stove all messy. I love that I don’t have to stand watching over the stove. The oven just takes a lot of undue stress off of cooking dinner. Plus, if you are a good with meal prep, you can have all of your veggies for the week prepped and ready to go in the oven so making dinner is super easy.

What are your favorite veggies to roast in the oven?

September Whole30

August 31, 2017August 28, 20172 Comments

I’ve successfully completed two round of Whole30. If you’re not familiar with the Whole30 Program, I highly suggest you look into it for a reset to healthier eating habits.

I did my first Whole30 in June 2016. I was ill-prepared, and I thought I could wing it. But it taught me a lot about my health and meal prep. But I considered it more like a challenge instead of a lifestyle.

Paleo eating wasn’t really my thing. While I love fruits and veggies, I’m not the biggest fan of meat. I do love chicken and seafood. So the thought of giving up dairy and grains for 30 days seemed like a deal breaker for me. But I read up about it. I got the Whole30 book, and I started learning about the program.

I strategically talked the Boyfriend into doing the Whole30 challenge with me with promises that his pants would fit more comfortably. I simply just wanted to complete the 30 days to see how much better I would feel.

I learned a lot during my first Whole30. And by January 2017, I was ready to do another. So now it has become a thing in our household. We do a Whole30 reset whenever we start to feel icky, sluggish, and when our eating habits get out of hand.

Case in point: Two weeks ago, we were enjoying life on the beach. Vacation diet. Days of sitting. Nights of enjoying dessert and adult beverages. Out of control.

September marks the start of our third Whole30. The most valuable thing I’ve learned in doing Whole30 resets is each one reveals something different. The first one revealed that I was capable of anything. The second one revealed that I was a better meal planner than I originally thought, and my tummy is not a big fan of dairy and wheat products. And this one will be completely different, too.

This time I am prepared. Thanks to Thrive Market, I have all my Whole30 approved pantry items delivered right to my front door. I also have the best farmers market in my little tiny town, and it has the best grass-fed, organic meat and poultry from a local farm. So my meat and veggies are covered.

I’m also working out through this round of Whole30. I don’t live anywhere close to a gym, but I downloaded the Daily Burn app to our TV. It’s been working well so far. More on the Daily Burn soon.

But I’m super excited about this round of Whole30. I have Labor Day weekend to get settled into the swing of Whole30 eating, and I have the long weekend to prep for a short week. The one challenge is a day in Nashville during the early part of the month. I’ll have to plan it really well to maintain our Whole30 success, but it can be done.

As the month goes, I will share Whole30 approved recipes (some will be mine, some will be others), what makes Whole30 the right choice of reset for me, and how I feel on Whole30 while I exercise.

Steak Tabbouleh

June 29, 2017Leave a comment

Green Chef is killing it with their Paleo menu this week.

I whipped this up in about 20 minutes after my one mile evening run. I loved the cauliflower rice mixture with tomatoes, cucumber, fresh mint, fresh parsley and a lemony vinaigrette. But I think it could have been better with chicken.

Tonight’s one mile put the hurt on me.

I’ve not been watching my pace. Just seeing what feels comfortable to my lungs and legs.

I was much faster today without intending to be. And I felt every step. My calves hurt. My legs cramped up. I had multiple side stitches. I chalk it up to not drinking enough water (and the three very small cookies I ate before leaving work).

Three days. Three miles. Things are on the up. I love these long summer days.

Curry Shrimp Salad and One Mile a Day

June 28, 2017June 28, 2017Leave a comment

This dinner was on point.

Green Chef wins again. I’ve figured out I really like curry. I like to use the spice in my own recipes. I like to eat traditional curry made by this Indian guy at my office. But I don’t love a curry dish at a restaurant.

A little curry powder goes a long way. But this shrimp salad is on point. So on point that I plan on recreating in my own way.

One Mile a Day

In other news, I’ve started running again. My sweet mom gave me a great idea for running inspiration.

I’ve been hung up on running like my old self. You know…the one who ran 13 miles for fun on the weekends.

Now the thought of running that far doesn’t even sound appealing. But work has been pretty stressful, and I’ve been craving some kind of mental release. So back to my running roots I go.

So here’s how it works (in case you want to do it, too):

Run one mile each day

That’s it.

It doesn’t matter if you walk most of it. If it hurts (cause it will). If you kinda hate it (cause you might). If you run the entire mile without stopping (go you).

What matters is you made the effort. That you did it. Each step works towards a healthier you RIGHT NOW. Not the old you. But the present you.

This is day two for me. First day was 13 minutes and some change. Today was 12:27. Each day I hope to get a little better, a little stronger. And each day I will honor what my body can do.

Anyone want to take the One Mile a Day challenge?

Grilled Kielbasa with Yellow Squash and Roasted Okra

June 27, 2017June 27, 2017Leave a comment

I am in no way a professional cook. But I know my way around the kitchen.

That having been said…being a grill master is a different ballgame. I play in the minor leagues when it comes to grilling. Like I can do it, but it could be better if someone else did it.

The boyfriend started the grill. It made it to flaming hot status. I put pork chops covered in BBQ sauce on said grill. And I almost burnt the house down.

So really…kids, don’t play with fire.

But dinner turned out pretty good.

I managed to save the pork chops, but I threw a Pederson Farms Whole30 approved kielbasa on the grill for good measure.

I roasted the okra in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. And I grilled the squash.

Do yourself a favor and get the Pederson Farms kielbasa. It is a game changer. Sugar free. No nitrates. No MSG. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Anyone else had issues being the grill master? Or is it just me?