Baby Food…doing the math

After making three batches of baby food the other night, I got to thinking about whether or not it was worth my time and if it actually saved money. I have an analytical brain, so naturally I had to figure it out for myself. As our son’s diet switches more to solids and less bottles we’ve been trying to introduce everything we can. He’s been a little fussy though as he teethes as well, and won’t go for every food we give him. In a bout of frustration trying to get more vegetables intake we bought pouches that were mixtures of fruit and vegetables. For every successful pouch (which he totally sucked down on his own) I wrote down the approximate ingredient measurements from the back. Thank you to whomever thought it was a good idea to include that on baby pouches 😊

In total, I made 17 pouches at 5 ounces each (my son can eat, so the bigger size works well for us). I was able to make the flavors pretty quickly by simmering the ingredients together for about 10 minutes, then putting it all in our ninja to purée, all in all it took me about an hour from start to finish. There were some up front costs to get the Kiinde Foodii kit, but we’ve been pleased with how it’s worked out so far. Here are the three flavors I made and used to price it all out:

• Sweet potato, cranberry, and apple
• Spinach, peas, and pears
• Sweet potato, corn, and apple

I’ll be honest, I didn’t measure a thing. I used about 1.5 sweet potatoes in each flavor, and poured the frozen veggies and applesauce in until it looked like a good mix. The best part is, I know there are absolutely no additives or preservatives in his food, and I know I made it fresh myself 😍 without further ado…my costs:

• Bartlett Pears (2) – $1.49
• Cranberries – $0.99
• Spinach (5 oz) – $3.69
• Sweet Potatoes (3) – $1.47
• Apple Sauce (48 oz) – $2.59
• Frozen Corn (16 oz) – $0.99
• Frozen Peas (16 oz) – $0.99
• Average sales tax – $1.04

Total Cost – $13.25

Since the standard pouch is only 4 ounces, I did my calculations at that size (which would have made 21), which works out to $0.63 per regular size pouch! Considering they cost on average about $1.10 per pouch after tax, I’d say it was worth it! Now in case you were wondering, I know there are costs associated with the Kiinde pouches themselves, I thought about that too. It’s $45.99 for a 160 count box of them, so $0.29 per pouch. Our total cost came to $0.92, which wasn’t as great as I thought, but is still cheaper than buying them and like I said before at least I know exactly what he’s eating! Plus, if you’re looking at the big picture, if he’s eating about four pouches per day we’re saving close to $1 per day and over $350 in a year.

There is one way we could keep our costs down even more, we could be using reusable pouches. I’ve looked into them, but we haven’t made that jump just yet. We had a ton of the Kiinde pouches left over from the breastfeeding and pumping days so it made sense not to let them go to waste. Once we’re low on the pouches we have I’ll start testing the reusable ones. I would love to hear from other mommas what they like best!

Postpartum Whole30 – One week in

Naturally, this mama is a glutton for punishment. It’s my busy season at work, I’m doing Whole30, AND we picked this week to sleep train our son. Somehow all three of those things seem to be going well. Let’s be honest, I’m really on the verge of ending week two at this point, but that’s life as a mom. I’m finally getting around to writing what I planned to a few days ago. For starters, the last three meals I planned on that first week turned out well. The only one I’d definitely make again is the Burrito Bowls, since a good Butternut Squash soup really does need cream. Sorry guys, I just can’t get behind the cream-free version 100%. As an added bonus, I discovered broccoli slaw in the produce section, which I never knew existed and is such a nice veggie assortment to add to really any meal!

As much as I’d love for this to be a perfect Whole30, I’m cheating in a few ways this time around. Hubby and I had a date night at the movies last weekend, and we just really couldn’t make the trip without popcorn. We brought our own waters, and didn’t get extra butter, but we couldn’t go without popcorn! I’ve also been periodically weighing myself to see how I’m doing. I’m happy to say that as of this morning I’m down 9 lbs! I totally needed that ego boost to help keep me going.

It’s been cold and rainy this week in New England, so it was the perfect time to break out the hearty/soup recipes. I took on my favorite Sweet Potato Chili and Stuffed Acorn Squash (both found in this post: A Weekend Away), as well as Chicken Tortilla Soup. Needing a night off, we decided to order a wicked chicken from Vernon Family Farms for dinner tonight. They’re a local family-owned farm just up the road from us, and they make fresh rotisserie chicken every Friday night! We had no idea how much local agriculture there was when we moved to New Hampshire, but I’m loving every minute of being able to get fresh, local ingredients whenever we want them.

Since I have the night off from cooking, I’ll be using that time to plan out our next full week of meals. Here’s to hoping I find some fun new ideas to keep it interesting. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this picture of our little fox on his first Halloween ❤

Me with my little fox on his first Halloween!

Celiac and Pregnancy

I’ve always wondered how celiac would impact a pregnancy, the unfortunate thing is that there isn’t a ton of information out there. I remember asking my doctor about it when my husband and I started talking about children…I’d made the mistake of googling it, and had only come across references to infertility. My doctor assured me that everyone is different, and that the time to discuss infertility would be years down the road only if we had challenges conceiving. Plus, I’d been gluten free for years, which should have helped my chances for success.

Recognizing that I couldn’t find much information about pregnant celiacs was one of the main things that brought me back to blogging. While I know a number of other celiacs, I don’t personally know any that have children and could provide insight. Before I go any further, this post is all about my own personal experiences, everyone and every pregnancy is different. That being said, I would LOVE comments and responses about other celiac experiences! Let’s get information out there to help each other out.

So the first trimester…woof 🤢 let’s be honest, “morning” sickness is quite possibly the worst characterization of what really occurs. I felt absolutely fine until about week six or seven, and then it hit me like a semi truck. I had no appetite at all, and felt nauseous all day. At any given moment I felt like I was going to throw up, but through my entire pregnancy I only actually got sick a handful of times. The nausea was so intense that I could barely be in the kitchen. My poor husband had no help from me when my parents visited early in my pregnancy. They all were amazing though, and from what I heard, they ate well that week. The foods that sustained me through that period were ice chips, cucumbers, watermelon, and Outshine popsicles. That’s right folks, all high water content. Some meals were just completely skipped.

During that time, my husband had to travel a few times for work. Not being able to stomach the kitchen made it pretty difficult to keep my nutrition up. With that in mind we stocked up on gluten free chicken nuggets, cereal, and anything else bland that could pretty much be microwaved or eaten straight from the packaging.

I had wonderful friends that passed along countless ideas to counteract the nausea, and trust me, I tried them all….teas, bath soaks, ginger in various forms, and sea bands. I reached a point where if one more person told me to try ginger ale I was going to smack them across the face (inappropriate, I know, but I was a very uncomfortable pregnant woman). In the end the only things that ever helped were sea bands and running. Dead serious, the days that were the most bearable were the ones that started with 4-5 miles run at 6am with my neighbor. We kept that up through a majority of my pregnancy, though each run became slower than the previous until eventually they were all walks.

Now for the worst part…I’m sure each celiac has a tell, that one reaction that tells you that you’ve definitely had gluten. Mine happens to begin with ridiculously uncomfortable burping, that feeling that if you opened your mouth you couldn’t guarantee that you wouldn’t vomit. Throughout my entire pregnancy I had this same feeling, without ANY contamination. We quickly realized I had no way of knowing whether I’d had gluten or not. Let me tell you, this may have been the most stressful experience during my entire pregnancy. Imagine being worried about your own nutritional intake, eating healthy for baby, fighting nausea, and NEVER knowing if that nausea was caused by your pregnancy or something that could be much worse. On top of that, I was terrified of what being contaminated would do to my child. We quickly all but eliminated eating out. The worst of my nausea tapered off sometime after week 16, but I never could tell when I’d been contaminated for the remainder of my pregnancy.

As we started filling out our hospital registration I had another worry, how would they know that I couldn’t have gluten? I must have confirmed with my doctor at every visit that yes, my chart included celiac, and that would be sent to the hospital as soon as I was on my way. I reiterated this information with the family center when we went through preregistration. As soon as we walked in the day my son was born, my husband and I both checked that the information had been provided to the hospital staff. I’m happy to report our hospital was amazing. The food was surprisingly delicious, and well marked with allergy alerts each time it was delivered. Best of all, my daily menus included only what I could safely eat, and the staff confirmed my gluten free status every time I called down my order. I may have had a difficult delivery (a story for another day), but it was such a relief not to worry about what was eating while I recovered.

I couldn’t tell you how my experience differs from that of a woman without celiac, as this was my first child and I’ve been gluten free for about seven years now. Did it feel like hell at times? Of course. Was it worth it to see that little face for the first time? ABSOLUTELY!! I hope this helps at least one other person to know they’re not alone, because the googling can be maddening. If you have a celiac pregnancy story, please share it!

A Weekend Away

Usually I only have to worry about food for myself when we go away for the weekend, but thanks to this year’s Whole30, we spent an entire day prepping food for both of us before heading out of town to visit family. I know I’ve written about traveling with freezer meals before, but I always love sharing recipes that are easy to make, and freeze/travel well. I’m sure it makes me a little selfish, but it was nice to have someone else that could only eat food brought from home for a change. I’m sure it was extra difficult for my hubby, since he doesn’t usually have to restrict himself so much.

Trying to keep things simple, we chose three meals to make in larger quantities. This ensured we had enough food for our planned three days away. We also decided we’d stop at Chipotle on our drive home, so we wouldn’t need to worry about reheating food. That meant cooking and freezing each of these so all of our meals were set!

The first thing we got cooking was Chicken Masala. Trying to minimize our efforts, we chose this since it’s a crock-pot meal and always turns out perfect.

 

 

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons curry
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala (usually in the international aisle of the grocery store)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 (15 ounce) cans coconut milk, unsweetened
• 5 large chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (no sugar added)
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (no sugar added)
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

Best part of crock-pot recipes, getting to throw all the ingredients in and leave it alone!

After getting that going, we riced a head of cauliflower to go along with the chicken. It was only enough for two servings, but there was plenty of chicken for at least six meals!

Finished product….Chicken Masala

Our next major task was to get the chili going. This recipe was one we found a while ago, and loved it so much that it’s now a regular in our menu.

Sweet Potato Chili

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 cups beef stock
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 large can (29.5 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 small can (15 oz) fire roasted petite diced tomatoes, with juice
• 5 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Dash oregano
• Dash red pepper flakes

Cooking the beef and onions before adding the remaining ingredients

In a large pot, brown the beef, onions, and garlic. Drain the fat when browned. Add remaining ingredients to pot, mixing well before bringing to a boil. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. By the way, that little green thing in the pot below actually belongs there! It holds the bay leaves, so you can easily pull them out of the pot when it’s cooked.

Simmering the pot of chili

While the chili was simmering, we started chopping up sweet and red potatoes for our usual morning side dish. Along with eggs, we start every morning with sauteed potatoes. My go-to spices are chili powder, turmeric, smoked paprika, and a little salt and pepper to taste.

Looks tasty, right?!

Branching out to something new, our final task was to take on Stuffed Acorn Squash. This was a completely new recipe for us, and thanks to the ease of the crock-pot chicken and simmering chili, most of our efforts were focused on this.

Acorn squash, ready to be frozen for the trip

We really lucked out with the temperatures for this trip too! Go figure, we managed to see the coldest temperatures I’ve ever seen while we were up in New York that weekend…all the way down to -20°F!!! Thankfully, that meant we could leave the cooler in the car and not worry about anything thawing too quickly. As we bounced around visiting everyone, all we had to do was bring in the cooler to start defrosting and cooking our next meal 🙂

 

Super Bowl Recap

What were we thinking?! For the second year in a row, we’ve been on Whole30 during the Super Bowl. Shockingly, it’s turned out well both years. If the Steelers had been in the game (or Giants for hubby), I think all bets would have been off. Wanting to still make the day fun and full of great food, I scoured Pinterest for new ideas. Putting together the grocery list once we had our snack recipes was pretty simple, and because we weren’t buying the typical Super Bowl snacks, we had no issues buying everything the day before.

Our Super Bowl Spread

Without further ado, here was our menu:

• Bacon Wrapped Butternut Squash
• Homemade Sweet Potato Chips and Guacamole
• Bacon and Sweet Potato Jalapeño Boats
• Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers

Bacon Wrapped Butternut Squash

I can’t stress how incredible this appetizer was, and on top of that, it was easy to prepare too! The only thing that took up time was getting the squash peeled and cubed. With only a handful of ingredients (bacon, butternut squash, olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt) it was a simple yet incredibly delicious course. I will say, they flipped much easier with the bacon sealed on the bottom…so don’t take that step lightly!

Bacon Wrapped Squash…finished and ready to devour!

Homemade Sweet Potato Chips and Guacamole

Unfortunately, I don’t really have a recipe for this one; however, I will say it’s made much easier by a couple clutch Pampered Chef tools. A couple years ago, a Pampered Chef consultant hosted a party for my Team in Training race team, with proceeds benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I stocked up on a few unique tools, and have used them more times than I can count! We make our sweet potato chips by slicing the potatoes using the Simple Slicer and baking them with the Microwave Chip Maker….seriously, that’s all it takes. The slicer has multiple thickness settings, so you can make them as thin or thick as you’d like, and the chip maker quickly turns them into the perfect crispy snack.

For the guacamole, I don’t have a recipe either…it’s just the following ingredients chopped and mixed together until you get the texture you want:

• 2-3 avocados
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Guacamole…the chips didn’t last long enough for a picture!!

Bacon and Sweet Potato Jalapeño Boats

True confession…we found this recipe last year during our first Whole30. Turns out, it’s a HUGE hit with everyone on or off the Whole30. These have made appearances at Easter, The Walking Dead premier, New Years, and pretty much any other time that called for a great appetizer.

A couple quick variations we’ve made along the way are only loosely scooping out the seeds (can’t help it…we like things spicy), and cooking the bacon first and setting it aside. This will keep it crispy, rather than leaving it in the pan while the sweet potato cooks. Trust me, it makes a difference!

work in progress…see the seeds we left behind, and the bacon on the side

Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers

The last recipe, and main dish for our Super Bowl Sunday, was this fun new recipe. It’s no substitute for hot wings, but was a great way to get that buffalo taste for the game. All of the recipes we picked were as simple as possible, but really packed a punch of flavor. We tried to minimize clean-up, and spread it out leading up to the game…that way we didn’t have to miss a moment!

cooked chicken and onions to stuff the peppers

Learning all of the spices that go into a ranch flavor from this recipe was great…I’ve since been dressing up other veggies on regular week nights to have that ranch flavor while still sticking to Whole30.

adding the cubed chicken to the buffalo sauce mixture

finished product! seriously so great!

Hopefully we’re the only crazy people that do this to ourselves during such a big event, but if we’re not…hopefully these will help you plan for a Whole30 safe party!

Dining In

Very few diet plans or cleanses can truly get you excited for what you’ll be eating next…but Whole 30 never ceases to amaze me. I think it’s the lack of simple sauces or dressings we can grab from the fridge, or that we can’t make our typical easy fix meals, that get us to really think outside the box. Each time Hubby and I do another Whole 30 challenge, we get adventurous at the grocery store. Anything from the lollipop lamb chop recipe we found last year to the simple veal we had the other night. Dinner every night this week has felt like a gourmet meal out. Here are our highlights!

First off, a few tips in tracking down the right recipe. I usually start with Pinterest, and searching on major ingredients I know we have. Disclaimer, I don’t always measure, or freak out if we don’t have every ingredient on hand. Cooking isn’t always a precision science, and with a working family, you can’t make everything perfect! When something looks good, we just go for it 🙂

Dinner Day 2 – Veal and Veggies

This was a ridiculously simple dinner! All the veal needed was olive oil, salt, and pepper. It was pan seared for a little less than two minutes on each side, and we drizzled aged balsamic vinegar on top. The veggies were a blend of eggplant and asparagus, seasoned with Italian spices. Also cooked quickly in a pan, we added tomatoes once the eggplant was soft.

Dinner Day 3 – Chicken Pad Thai

Like I said earlier, even if we don’t have every ingredient…that won’t scare me away from a recipe. This one called for sprouts and scallions as well, but who thinks to buy sprouts in advance? And why would I stop myself from making delicious Pad Thai (recipe here) just because we didn’t have the right type of onions?? We made ours work with carrots, mushrooms and a yellow onion…the spaghetti squash made up for the lack in additional veggies.

Dinner Day 4 – Avocado Stuffed Meatballs

Tonight’s dinner was a nice surprise! I came home and Hubby was already in the kitchen chopping everything for a recipe he’d found for Avocado Stuffed Meatballs. We didn’t have Whole 30 compliant mustard, so we swapped it out for 2 tsp dry ground mustard. While he was getting those ready, I seasoned potato wedges with salt, pepper, onion powder, and smoked paprika. To top it off, we sauteed green beans with salt and pepper.

Hope these give you some great inspiration…happy cooking!!

Resolutions

It’s been an entire year since my last post…yikes! For the past year, I’ve been letting life get in the way, and haven’t focused on what’s the most important to me. This year, my only resolution was to put myself first. No specific parameters, just making a conscious decision to prioritize my own goals.

Like last year, my husband and I are doing another Whole 30 Challenge. Last year’s went so well, that we continued eating Whole 30 a few days a week, and did a mid-year challenge last year as well (without cutting out alcohol :)). With so many events planned for January, we decided to do this year’s challenge in February.

So here we are at Day 1! I would’ve prepped some yesterday, but I was glutened by an unknown source. Frustrating as it was, all I could do all day was sleep. This morning, I was determined not to miss our first day. I pan fried a mix of yukon gold and sweet potatoes, fried brown eggs, and had my first cup of coffee. I’ve actually been drinking it black since our first Whole 30 Challenge, so I’m already ahead of the game!

After finishing breakfast, I started chopping veggies to make a quick salad lunch, complete with applesauce and fruit sides.

Salad: Tuna, romaine lettuce, spinach, chopped carrots, celery, cucumber, olive oil, vinegar, and spices (salt, pepper, cumin) Sides: Applesauce with blueberries, blackberries, almonds, and cinnamon; Clementine

Mid-morning, I reached out to my Whole 30 group for dinner ideas. Hubby and I had picked up okra over the weekend, and I had no idea what to do with it. Thank god for southern friends! One of my best running buddies suggested Jambalaya, and it was exactly what we needed on a rainy day. After picking up the final ingredients on my way home, I gave my first batch a shot. No rice? No problem! We riced a head of cauliflower with Cajun spices to go with the Jambalaya. Trust me on this one…this recipe is super easy, and truly can’t be screwed up! Even if you aren’t a seasoned chef, give it a go 🙂

Whole 30 Jambalaya

1 lb Cajun Andouille Sausage, sliced
1 lb frozen uncooked shrimp (buy the peeled and deveined to save some time)
20 fresh whole okra, sliced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cans of diced tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small can of green chiles
1 carton of chicken broth (make sure it’s compliant!)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder

1. Add the sausage, okra, peppers, and onion to a large pot.
2. Add the cans of diced tomatoes and green chiles, do not drain anything! Make sure everything from the can gets into the pot.
3. Stir in the carton of chicken broth, adding in the minced garlic, and all seasonings as you stir.
4. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the temperature to simmer for at least one hour.
5. 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, add in the frozen shrimp. Jambalaya will be ready when the shrimp are pink!

Whole 30 Jambalaya and Riced Cauliflower (seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and chipotle pepper)

Here’s to a successful start to our 2016 Whole 30 Challenge!! Bon Appetite 🙂

Whole30 – Week 1

I’ve found myself on day 8 of the Whole30 challenge, which means it must be time for an update!  For starters, I got used to the taste of black coffee by day 3.  Not only was I used to it, but I’m actually enjoying it!  I sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon on the bottom of my mug, then pour in the coffee so it’s mixed well.  I’ve been enjoying every last drop this way, and will probably think very seriously about maintaining this after the challenge is over.

I’ve read through the Whole30 timeline a few times, trying to figure out what to expect.  Week one highlights these winning moments….here’s what I thought about them all:

Day 1: So what’s the big deal? Spot on judgement of how I felt on day 1.  As you all saw in last week’s post (Reset), the recipes came pretty easily, everything tasted delicious, and it didn’t seem like such a far stretch from our normal meals.  I was excited to get through out shopping list, and fill the house with all kinds of fresh produce.

Days 2-3: The Hangover.  Apparently I must be eating healthier than I realized, because I didn’t feel the full effects of sugar withdrawal.  Did I have a small headache around days 4 and 5? Absolutely! But it was bearable, and thankfully came to an end fairly quickly.

Days 4-5: Kill all the things!  I really hoped and thought this phase wouldn’t actually hit me.  Why?  Because irrationally, I thought somehow my experience would be different, and that must be an exaggeration.  Low and behold, I came home from a relaxing massage on day 6 to realize my husband had finished all of the delicious leftovers that I was looking forward to eating.  We had nothing already prepared in the house, it was late, and I was hangry!  Thankfully, he’s very understanding, and helped me whip something up quickly…but in those few minutes before we figured out what to do “kill all the things” came out 😦

Days 6-7: I just want to nap.  This phase hit me pretty hard, like the night I fell asleep on the couch at 8:30, or when I just couldn’t keep myself up after dinner and quite literally put myself to bed at a toddler’s bedtime.  Getting up from my desk and walking to/from meetings kept it from hitting me hard during the day, but at night, all bets were off!

The thing that’s helping this challenge make even more of a difference for me, is that it coincides with a “Commit to Fit” challenge I’m doing with a close family member (hubby’s cousin from Lexington).  During week one, I not only ate super healthy, but I also swam 36 laps in our local pool, got 45 minutes of cardio work in after work, and ran 8 miles with my Celiac Running Crew today!

So what were the most successful and delicious recipes from the week?  Here are my top 3 (in no particular order)…

1. Orange chicken with sauteed broccoli and yellow squash.  I got this recipe from a good friend and running buddy, who is also taking the Whole30 challenge.  Here’s the link to her blog, and the Orange Chicken recipe.  I adapted it a little since we didn’t have cauliflower on hand (that only lasts about a day in our house!), but I have to say I was really impressed with how rich the sauce was with so few ingredients!

Orange Chicken with Sauteed Broccoli and Squash

2.  Fish tacos with mango salsa and avocado cream, paired with steamed green beans.  This recipe came after scouring Pinterest for fun new ideas.  We’d been a little heavy on the poultry earlier in the week, so I was trying to track down something light with fish.  I came across this fish taco recipe, and it could not have been more perfect! First of all, it was super easy for a mid-week recipe.  All we had to do was chop the ingredients for the salsa, and puree the avocado with coconut milk.  Seriously, it was that simple.  Not sure what to pair with it, I steamed green beans, and drizzled lemon infused olive oil on the top.  Perfection!

Fish tacos in lettuce wraps, topped with mango salsa, avocado cream, and a side of steamed green beans.

3. Every. Single. Salad!  We’ve come up with fun and exciting ways to dress up each of our lunchtime salads throughout week one!  Today’s specialty was a mixed bag, I never really know what all I’m going to include until it’s all on the plate.  First I sauteed shallots in coconut oil, and added in about half a pound of ground turkey along with one egg (I was making enough for two salads).  While I was cooking, I seasoned everything with salt, pepper, curry, and ground Jamaican allspice.  I added in pine nuts, green tomatoes, kale and grapes (don’t look at me funny, that salty/sweet combination was awesome).  Once the turkey was browned and the kale had cooked down, I filled a plate with mixed spring greens and baby spinach, and topped it with half an avocado.  I threw half the pan contents on top, and added a drizzle of olive oil and apple cider vinegar.  This was definitely one for the books 🙂

One of the many salads made this week, this one complete with a salty/sweet flavor!

Lexington, KY – A fun family weekend!

Since it’s Thursday, I thought I’d post a throwback to a trip we took last year.  I started this blog post on our flight home, but never quite finished writing.  Hubby and I took advantage of a three-day holiday weekend, flew out to Kentucky to visit his family, and witnessed Keeneland first hand.  We took a late Thursday flight and started the weekend midday on Friday 🙂  I have to admit, this was one of those trips that I wasn’t able to do recon beforehand on the gluten-free options we’d have.

We started our Lexington fun with a local chain, and favorite of hubby’s cousin, Saul Good.   There honestly could not have been a better start to the weekend.  One of the things I was really bummed out about in Italy was that I only found gluten-free pizza in two restaurants.  Saul Good not only had gluten-free pizza crust, but they also had my favorite spicy Italian red sauce as one of their options!   The staff was more than friendly about working with me and double checking each item I ordered.  They offered to put together a fresh vegetable platter for me when I told them I really wanted to try the dip, but could not have their chips.

Our tailgate fare was all low-key, and made for very little prep work that morning.   We’d stopped at a grocery store early in the trip so I could help make sure we had enough gluten-free food for me.  Be forewarned, I did search around to find gluten-free food options inside the track before we went, but didn’t have much luck searching online.  Armed with that in mind, we packed enough pregame food to be sure I wouldn’t go hungry.

We hit up Local Taco for brunch Sunday morning,  where I was pleased to find that their menu had gluten-free options marked with a convenient “GF”.  After confirming with the manager that their chips and salsa were safe for me to eat, I put in an order for four specialty corn tacos along with the chips.  I can not put into words how good those tacos were after a full day tailgating at Keeneland.   The smoked brisket was by far my favorite, but trust me, they were all pretty delicious.   Thankfully,  I remember to snap a picture of my plate before devouring all of it!

Smoked Brisket, Tequila Lime Chicken, and Steak & Eggs Tacos from The Local Taco

Later that night, we decided to hit up the movie theater after a quick dinner.  Hubby had been in the mood for barbecue, so we made our way to City Barbeque.  In frustrating fashion, my phone froze just as I’d started downloading their allergen listing.  Thankfully, the list was also printed out and kept at the front register.  Without hesitation, I went straight for the naked brisket.  After combing through the gluten-free sides, I settled on baked beans and sweet vinegar slaw.  As we completed our order I mentioned that my meal would need to be carefully handled, and that the staff would need to change their gloves for safety.  Just as I said that, the woman at the register told me she’d already put our order in, and quickly called over another person from the kitchen to ensure my dinner was safe….phew!  I made a quick mental note that all of their sauces were safe, but realized I’d need more help when I saw the condiments station.  All of the sauces were kept in large serving vats, with a single ladle in each one.  Knowing this was a sure-fire way to make myself sick, I grabbed the woman manning the pickup area to see if she could help.  Once I explained my concerns about cross contamination with the sauce ladles,  she came out with two fresh to-go containers of sweet sauce for me to enjoy.

Our final culinary stop in Lexington was at the one and only Shakespeare & Co.  I have to say, the Victorian decorations were very unique, and I totally wanted to stop at every table so I could sit on their vintage couches.  We made it here about midday, making it the perfect time for a late brunch.  Upon asking for a gluten-free menu, I was told the restaurant had gluten-free bread, pizza crust, and quinoa for substitution in nearly any dish.  I asked for some help since I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted.  Our waiter told me hands down that I should go with the Salmon and scrambled eggs.  Let me tell you, that dish did not disappoint!  The gluten-free bread had been cut into rounds as if it were a biscuit, with perfectly shaped salmon and eggs on top.  It came with a side of roasted potatoes and hollandaise dipping sauce, which I obviously smothered all over the eggs 🙂 one word ladies and gentlemen: heavenly!

Our final stop before going home was to the Town Branch Brewery and Distillery.  Unfortunately, they didn’t have any gluten-free beers for me, but the first part of the tour was pretty cool anyways.  We were each given four tasting tickets at the beginning, so I stashed mine away for the Kentucky Bourbon.  I’d done some research about whether or not it was actually safe for me to drink Bourbon, and come to the consensus that the distilling process should make it safe, but that some celiacs still have issues.  Personally, I’m a fan of Bourbon, so it was worth giving it a shot for me.  I tried their Bourbon, Rye, Pearse Lyons Reserve, and an especially tasty Bluegrass Sundown.  My favorite hands down was the Bluegrass Sundown, which is a dark roasted coffee infused with Bourbon and sugar.  Our tour guide served it with hot water over cream, and it just might have to replace the Irish coffee on my list of cold weather spirits!  The best news is, I had no reactions to the Bourbon…line ’em up 😉

Copper pot stills at Town Branch Distillery

Kentucky Bourbon straight from the source, aging in fresh barrels!!

Reset

Happy New Year everyone (a little delayed)! In this New Year, I’ve decided to hit the reset button in more ways than one.  First of all, I’ve taken what has been a much too long break from the blog.  It wasn’t intentional, but during the break I visited Italy, Kentucky, and New York, ran my very first marathon and was able to get a lot of inspiration for the blog.  If you’re a regular reader, you’ll notice the blog got a much-needed face lift as well!

The second reset button is on my eating habits.  Stress at work and busy schedules has caused us to eat quick meals that aren’t exactly the healthiest.  Think those gluten-free goodies like rice pasta, frozen pizzas (which have really come a long way), and corn dogs.  Yes, I’ve been eating like a child lately.  It’s taken a toll on my body, energy and motivation.  After seeing some of my celiac running crew take on the Whole30 challenge, my husband and I decided it was time for us to try the same.  We’re just starting day two, and the hangover hasn’t quite hit yet.

Not sure what the Whole30 is?  Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.  It’s a 30 day program in which sugar, grains, dairy and legumes are completely eliminated from your diet.  It’s not every day that you find a program that allows you to eat meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds.  One of the main premises is to eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re totally natural and unprocessed.

So what’s been the hardest thing so far? Not being able to put our hazelnut creamer in our coffee!  I drink usually 2-3 cups of coffee every morning, and that little bit of creamer makes it taste just perfect.  We experimented with coconut milk on day 1, but it just wasn’t right.  Today we tried a teaspoon of pureed coconut (coconut manna by Nutiva) topped with cinnamon, and that was much more bearable.  I’m hoping to get myself to a point where I only need the cinnamon by the time this is over.  We really enjoyed the first day of Whole30 meals, I posted the Chicken & Zucchini Poppers recipe we used for dinner in case anyone wants it!

Here’s a look at how we started day 1…

Breakfast: Sautéed ground turkey and potato hash, with 2 eggs over easy.

Lunch: Salad with romaine lettuce, kale, tomato, celery, avocado, and ground turkey with a fried egg (seasoned with adobo, chili, salt and pepper). Dressing – avocado oil and vinegar.

Dinner: Chicken and zucchini poppers with guacamole and sautéed sweet potatoes.

Our ever-growing produce corner!!