Whole30 Days 1-7 & Ranch Dip/Dressing Recipe

Ah! Day 7. It feels great. I am done with most of my sugar withdrawals now and the cravings have lessened.

It has been a fun journey so far. And alot easier than I anticipated. The first 2 or 3 days were the hardest as I had to make myself conscious of not just grabbing a handful of sugary snacks. I got a headache on the evening of day 2, and it lasted until the end of day 3.

I am super proud of myself for making it this far without giving up. A lot of things I would have cheated by now. I am glad the Whole30 is so strict for this reason.

The biggest change in my body that I have noticed so far is clearer thinking and more evened emotions. I just feel really level headed and relaxed, which is super odd for me. I feel like I am able to focus on things a lot better. I love eating like this and I don't want to stop at 30 days.

My favorite recipe to date by far has been the Cracklin Chicken from Nom Nom Paleo. So good and hard to believe it is healthy.

Our second favorite is Ranch dressing. On day 1 I attempted to make mayo, but I miserably failed. I made it in my magic bullet and it ended up a watery mess. (I used this method for my second batch and it turned out perfect) So I used the mixture for ranch dressing. It was our favorite dressing for salad. Today we had none left at lunch and decided to make more.

I already had the fool proof method of making mayo, but I also knew how to screw it up.  So because we wanted dressing, I decided to whip out the magic bullet blender. Well wouldn't you know it, it turned into a perfect batch of mayo! Shoot. We tried making ranch with it anyways and the result was super yummy!

Dueck's Ranch Dressing or Dip:

1  batch of Homemade Mayo, (we use 1 egg, 1 1/4 cup light tasting olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder)
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic (we have the prechopped stuff in a jar, but you could press your own)
2 tsp dried parsley
2tsp chives (we used freeze dried)
1 tbsp white vinegar.

Stir all together. Let sit for 10 minutes or so and stir again. Enjoy on salad or with your favorite fresh veggies!

Fiesta Lime Chicken

Today we hosted a bible study and potluck at our place and I tried a new recipe.  It is one of my favourites from applebees. I don't know why I always try recipes for the first time on a new crown, but I do. It was delicious! I am glad I did. I subbed the sour cream for greek yogurt & skipped the tequila. Next time I will also use the light mayo, but this time we were just using up what we had!

Fiesta Lime Chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (or a spicy marinade 1 lime)
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon tequila (optional)
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (can use worcestershire sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons salsa
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, mozarella, colby jack, etc)
• 2 cups lime flavored tortilla chips

Directions:

1. 1 Prepare marinade: Mix together in bowl; water, teriyaki sauce, juice from 1/2 of lime, garlic, tequila (if desired), liquid smoke, salt and ginger.
2. 2 Marinate chicken breasts at least an hour in mixture.
3. 3 Prepare sauce: Mix together in bowl; mayonnaise, sour cream, salsa, milk, cajun spice, parsley and hot sauce.
4. 4 Cover and place in refrigerator until needed.
5. 5 Broil or grill chicken chicken until cooked through.
6. 6 Brush tops of chicken breasts with sauce, sprinkle on cheese and broil until cheese is melted.
7. 7 Cut remaining lime into 4ths.
8. 8 Serve chicken on tortilla chips with lime garnish.
9. 9 Great with rice!

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/fiesta-lime-chicken-147767#ixzz1dkDlWEZ0

Oatmeal Cookies

I made these a week or so ago with Sugar Twin Granulated Brown sugar and they were alright, but has a really weird taste to them. So I found my own brown sugar substitute recipe (1 cup granulated sweetener and 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup = 1 cup brown sugar sub.) and these ones turned out fantastic! They taste so good you can hardly tell they are healthy! This is one of my favourite Low GI recipes so far!

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (I used 1/2 almond flour)
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup brown sugar substitute
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated soft margarine
1/4 cup liquid egg (I just used 1 whole large egg)
1/4 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried currents (Lets be honest, currents are gross so I used semi sweet chocolate chips, but only a 1/4 cup) OPTIONAL

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Mix oats, flour, bran, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar sub., margarine, egg, water and vanilla. Slowly add oat mixture to bowl and mix until combine. Add currents chocolate chips and stir to combine.
3. Spoon onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and flatten slightly. Bake until firm and golden, about 8 min. Let cool on rack!

They freeze well!

YUMMY YUM YUMS!

Mixed Bean Soup

Today I wasn't feeling good at work. I didn't eat much for lunch and I didn't really feel like making or eating supper. I did muster the energy to go for a run and to do Ripped in 30 after supper though! :)

I needed something super easy and I wanted it to be Low GI. So I threw something together that I had in my cupboard and it turned out really well. The only real work I did was to pick and peel the carrots.

Mixed Bean Soup

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can cut green beans
1 can mixed beans
5 large carrots, peeled & sliced
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
2-3 tbsp beef bouillon (to taste)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp basil
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
water to cover ingredients

Combine all ingredients. Bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender.

It was that easy! Eric really liked it as well, and I was happy I didn't have to do a lot of work. Next time I might add another can of mixed beans. They make you feel like you are eating meat! :)

Agave Almond Bran Muffins

I had a pretty productive weekend. We got home Saturday afternoon, and I was in the mood to clean. It took me quite some time to unpack because I was doing so many other things. I washed all of our bedding, and by all I mean the down comforter, the duvet cover, mattress cover, sheets, pillow cases. I cleaned the fridge, which was long over due. The rest of the weekend was filled with relaxation and cleaning. I almost have our whole bedroom overhauled. I probably haven'tdone that since we moved in! I was so thankful to have a few days at home without any plans because July felt so busy.

I have been wanting to bake some muffins for a while, but haven't had the chance because of busyness. Today I made these and I am very happy with how they turned out. And yes, I made up the recipe by looking at a basic bran muffin recipe.

Agave Almond Bran Muffins

1 cup wheat bran

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup spelt flour (or any other type of flour, you can also use all almond flour if you want)

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup agave nectar (you can use honey or maple syrup, too)

2 tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup skim milk

1/2 to 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips (or raisins if you prefer. I don't!)

3-4 tbsp hemp hearts

Preheat oven to 400 F

1. Mix all ingredients together well.

2. Spoon into greased muffin tins or lined muffin tins

3. Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Be careful, they might look light on the top but will be dark on the bottom.

Makes 12 muffins

Each muffin has approx 200 calories, 24 g carbs, 4 g fibre, 13 g sugar (keep in mind it is agave nectar, which is a low GI sugar), and a whopping 7 grams of protein! Not to mention heart healthy fats from the olive oil and hemp hearts! Perfect for an in-between meal snack!

My Favorite Snack

So simple too. Just an avocado cut into cubes, strawberries cut into cubes and some fresh squeezed lime juice over top. It tastes like summer! It is a refreshing snack that also satisfies my sweet tooth!

You can throw some cilantro in to make a fruit salsa as well! And you can replace the strawberries with mangos, peaches or nectarines!

Agave Sweetened Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• 1 and 1/2 Cups Agave Nectar
• 4 Cups Almond Flour
  
• 1/2 Cup Margarine
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder (
• 1 pkg. Chocolate Chips or Dark Chocolate Bar cut into chunks. OR BOTH!

Read more: How to Bake Agave Sweetened Chocolate Chip Cookies | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2319136_agave-sweetened-chocolate-chip-cookies.html#ixzz1KsmMU56u

I modified the recipe you find on eHow to match my diet, but I think it worked pretty good. The cookies are delicious. I used one dark chocolate bar cut into chucks, 1/2 of a 90% Cocoa bar cut into chunks, a cup of milk chocolate chips and a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. The batter was still a little runny, so I think I might add another 1/2 -1 cup of almond flour next time. They sure do taste good though. They are very soft, almost too soft. I think that is from the agave nectar...

I will post some pics tomorrow, cause it is late!

600th Post! - Turkey Tuesday - Turkey Fingers

Can't believe I have posted on here 600 times! When you commit to posting everyday, the count really jumps up!

This turkey tuesday is low GI friendly, and very simple! I made it up, and we had it for supper tonight!

Will need:

1 turkey breast

2 eggs

1 cup almond flour

1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper ( you can add more or less depending on your taste)

2 tablespoons Lousisiana Hot & Spicy Dip Mix from Epicure (you can use any sort of seasoning blend that you have on hand)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease baking sheet with olive oil.

Cut turkey breast in to 1/4 inch strips.

Mix together is medium bowl almond flour, pepper and spice mix.

Beat eggs in bowl with a fork.

Dip turkey strips in eggs, then coat in almond flour mix.

Place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through. Flip all fingers halfway through.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, or cut up into chunks over a salad!

YUM!

I just made a batch of gluten, dairy and refined sugar - free cupcakes. The batter was delish, so I am hoping the cupcakes will be too! They are cooling right now, then I will make some frosting!

This is the recipe I used:

1 cup blanched almond flour
1 cup spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 /2 cup honey
1/2 cup maple sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch
cake pan with grapeseed oil and dust with
almond flour.
In a large bowl, combine the almond
flour, salt, and baking soda.

In a medium bowl, combine the honey, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir the wet
ingredients into the almond flour mixture
until thoroughly combined. Scoop the batter
into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick
inserted into the center of the cake
comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the
pan for 1 hour, then serve.

Except I made mini cupcakes and only baked them for 12 minutes!

Turkey Tuesday - Eric's Spicy Turkey

This is a recipe that my husband Eric invented, and I just love it. I say recipe, but really we just throw a bunch of ingredients together and never really measure, so these are approximate. I may have to come back and alter this after Eric reads it, because he usually makes it!

1. Put 1 or 2 turkey breasts in the slowcooker on low for 8 hours. We put in water, pepper, salt, and franks red hot. You can add whatever you like!

2. Cut/tear slow cooked turkey small pieces. Place in large skillet and add:
-1 or 2 onions cut in strips
-2-4 garlic cloves, pressed or diced
-1/4 cup worchesteshire sauce
-1/2 cup soya sauce
-1 or 2 bay leaves
-crushed chillis to taste. We like to add lots!
-fresh ground pepper to taste
-enough water to cover ingredients in sauce pan 3/4 of the way.

Bring to boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes on medium heat. Allow some of the liquid to evapourate out, but there should still be a sauce.

Serve over rice or quinoa.

Turkey Tuesday - Honey Mustard Turkey

This was originally a recipe for chicken, but I modified with a longer cooking time to adjust for the turkey! I usually double this recipe, especially for the sauce!

1 Turkey Breast cut into strips or cubes
1/3 cup Butter or Margarine, melted
1/3 cup Honey
2 Tbsp Mustard
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Curry powder ( I usually don't like curry, but it isn't strong in this dish and it is a little bland without it!

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients for sauce together. Pour over cut up turkey in baking dish. There should be enough sauce to cover all the turkey. If not, I would make another batch of sauce. Cover baking dish with tinfoil. Bake for 2 hours or until turkey is cooked through and tender.

It is important that the turkey is cooked through AND tender. We tried it once just cooked through, and it tasted odd. We put it back in the oven for an extra hour and it was delish!

Serve over rice and with some veggies or a salad!

My Evening

This is what my evening was filled with! Baking tonnes of Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins for my sister in laws bake sale tomorrow! They are very yummy, so I thought I would share the recipe too! I didn't add the walnuts, though. And for some of them I topped with some extra chocolate chips! I think I made around 120 of them!!

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chip
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

1. puree bananas in blender or mini-food processor; measure 1 cup for recipe. Beat bananas, sugar, eggs butter and vanilla in medium bowl.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
3. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Add banana mixture. Stir until blended. Spoon into greased 2 1/2 inch muffin pans (or right into muffin liners).
4. Bake 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in centers come out clean.

Vanilla Chip Cherry Cookies - Tossed

Yield: 4 1/2 Dozen

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 -1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (16 oz) vanilla or white chips
1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in almond extract. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chips and cherries.

2. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

REVIEW: I don't think I will make this cookie again, so it is tossed. Most people thought the cookies were good, but they wished they did not have the cherries in there. I don't think anyone actually said they liked the cherries. Lots picked them out and ate the rest, pretty much defeating the purpose of this recipe. You could just make chocolate chip cookies and use white chips and it would be the same thing. Nobody said they would request this recipe. I would encourage you to try it out, especially if you know someone who likes maraschino cherries (however one of my testers loves maraschino cherries, but did not like them chopped into this cookie!!). If you try it out, let me know what you think of it! But for now, this recipe is not going to make it in my cookbook!!