Lost, But Holding Hands

This week had me like... On top of my can't see the light at the end of the tunnel  attitude right now, it has been raining relentlessly here.  We couldn't go to the Farmer's Market this morning and our backyard is a mess .  I'm beginning to feel a little like my old friend George. And because of that, I struggled with putting together this meal plan.  I am going to reach day 70 this week, so instead of reinventing the meal- I am going back to some old favorites with just a few newbies mixed in.   Breakfast: Breakfast Casserole (of course...if you are looking for new breakfast ideas---you came to the wrong place.  It's just too easy to not do---especially these last few weeks of school) Lunch:   Sunday- Deconstructed Hamburger Salad- I've been dreaming and drooling about this salad for a few weeks, so when we found grass fed beef on sale at Sprouts today- I knew we could pair it with some leftover produce and pantry staples we had at hom...

Day 60 has me feeling like... 60 days is no easy feat.  There have been plenty of times when I wanted to reach for a piece of candy...of even a piece of gum.  But I stayed strong and persevered because there are no shortcuts to being healthy. We are busy.  At any given time there is a load of laundry in the washer that has been ran multiple times (that's what happens when you forget it's there for a few days), dishes that need to be put away, and pets that haven't been fed.  Between working, parenting, and spousing, we are tired and generally the first thing that get pushed to the side is our focus on eating well and working out. But, there are no shortcuts to being healthy. If you've ever attempted a Whole30- or any lifestyle change- you know it can be daunting.  So many rules to abide by.  It's such a process...shop, put food away, cook, clean, workout, repeat.  Over and over again.  Plus it's not cheap.  Why is whole, nutritiou...

Hi, ya'll.  I've tried to really pair down and prioritize over the course of my Whole30 journey.  What started as a body cleanse and food realignment really branched out into more.   Throughout this process, my focus has been: N utrition:  Obviously.  But more than just what I can eat and what I can't eat...I set aside time to both meal plan and cook nutritious and delicious dishes for my family. Honestly, meal planning has become a hobby of mine over the past 50+ days.  I used to loath creating a plan, making a list and grocery shopping.  Now digging for recipes, organizing my shopping list, and exploring different markets and groceries is actually enjoyable! M ovement:  I run and lift almost every day.  Luckily I also have a job that allows me to get my steps in even if I can't get a run in.   F ood Talk:  Talk as a family (and with anyone else who will listen) about healthy alternatives, locally produced items, and letting fo...

i should have known at about noon on friday that this weekend might be a "wash". the rain was pounding hard as we made some final purchases before our first camping trip of 2017. i was excited. it's my favorite family activity. but the rain was putting some anxiety in my heart. not to worry--it only lasted about an hour. by the time we got home and were really ready to roll the radar was lookin' good! with a newly cleared up sky we packed up and headed out. full of anticipation and ready to roll, we approached the storage lot. i put in the code and head to the back where our camper was just waiting, nay dreaming, of the moment we'd hook 'er up and haul 'er out. after so many weeks of idle time we turn the corner, and there she was. it took me abooooout .25 seconds to notice that something was wrong as we approached. the propane take cover was sitting cockeyed. like so cockeyed it would be impossible for there to be actual tanks under the cover. indeed th...

When I conquered day 30 I wasn't sure what my plan would be but I knew I wanted to keep going for as long as I could.  I felt great.  I liked the way I was beginning to look and the way my clothes were fitting.  I had energy and my workouts were feeling strong. Now guess what?!  Tomorrow is day 50 and I am still going! I survived our first camping weekend of the season without straying off program. I tried to keep things simple by making sure I had plenty of fruits and nuts for our time on the trails.  For breakfast I stuck with eggs, fruit, and compliant chicken/apple sausage.  I buy these at our neighborhood Walmart.  For dinner I made chicken kabobs with mushrooms, zucchini, squash, and onions.  They were yummy and super simple! Now looking ahead to this week's meal plan... Since we were camping we didn't make it to the Farmer's Market this weekend.  All of our shopping will be done at Sprouts. Breakfast:  Like I've said previo...

i did a whole30. give me a prize! ok, so maybe it's not the biggest of accomplishments, but it was an adventure. so how terrible was it? why did i do it? blah blah blah. let's knock out some of these easy ones right away: did it suck? what kind of dumbass question is that? of course it sucked. the entire plan is based on the idea that if the food is fast, cheap, and easy you can't eat it. no booze. oh and don't even chew gum. so pre-plan everything a million hours beforehand, don't eat ketchup because of evil sugar grams, and make sure you only buy lettuce from people who smell like hemp. why did you do it? i'm not sure. my wife was doing it and she hella peer pressured me i guess. did you lose weight? yes. i didn't keep  track until 7 or 10 days in but somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-15 lbs i believe. i know it was >10 lbs. will you do it again? probably. depriving yourself is fun in a subversive kind of way. how do you feel?! amaz...

This week is going to be tad less crazy than last week, but I only mapped out meals Saturday through Thursday.  We are picking up the camper and taking it for a stay-cation over the long Easter weekend.  It will be its 2017 maiden voyage.  I'm hoping the sun will start showing its shining face again before then! We woke up this morning to BEAUTIFUL weather.  The sun was actually shining!  Ry spent the night with grandma and grandpa last night so Tyler and I had a chance to run to the LS Farmer's Market before picking him up.  After picking up a few things at the market and looking through what we already had stockpiled, I mapped out meals for the week: Breakfast- Ya'll I know this is the same recipe I have posted for the last 2 weeks, but it is so versatile!  Honestly, you could throw any veggies or meat you have in the fridge into this casserole!  This week I think I am going to try to throw in a few more veggies---maybe some kale and onion...

Who do you think you talk to the most each day?  Your husband, your kids, coworkers?  Who would've thought that the person you talk to the most is yourself .  Our internal (and let's face it, sometimes external) conversations shift how we view the world and influence every part of our lives- relationships, achievements, attitude and ultimately our level of happiness. When I first Read Whole30 , I'll be honest to say that I was totally turned off by the no scale  rule.  How in the world could I possibly hold myself accountable and judge my level of success (and level of worthiness) without stepping on the scale?!  The Whole30 program focuses on non scale victories (NSV).  Is your skin clearer?  Do your clothes fit better?  Are you getting better sleep?  Do you feel more energized and focused?  Pssshhh.  I told myself over and over that NSV victories are load of hogwash.  They are the consolation prize for not actually l...

Hi.  My name is Kelly, and I'm a sugar addict.  I have been clean for 38 days.  Has it been easy?  No. Has it been worth it?  Yes.  38 days ago it wouldn't have been unheard of for me to start my morning with a sugary cereal (hello Cocoa Puffs), have a soda from Sonic, and down more than my fair share of candy while at work.  I was hooked on sugar, and those were just the obvious sources.  When you quit sugar cold turkey you eliminate a lot of food.  There is sugar in a lot of food--from gum to condiments and everything in between.  The tricky part is that sugar goes by many names.  If you look at ingredients lists simply for the word sugar , you will miss all of the hidden ways that sugar makes it into your body on a daily basis. I used sugar as a source of energy and crashed, had withdrawal headaches, and felt  hangry when I didn't have it. Cooking without any added sugar is tricky.  (The other day I realized se...