So, I started this whole "clean eating" thing back in February 2011, after being really intrigued about a plan called the Whole30 . I decided to give it a go, but quickly realized that I needed to make it more adaptable to the way that our family eats and lives. I like my glass of wine at night. I don't think a piece of gum is going to sabotage me. I think that a DQ Blizzard is a good thing every once in a while. If my friend makes the most awesome jalapeno poppers you've ever had, you know I'm going to have one. But I also know that I feel pretty darn good when I'm eating quality proteins, fats, veggies, fruits and nuts, while leaving out dairy, grains, legumes (including soy and peanuts) and the big one, sugar, at least most of the time.
Here are some of the ways to do just that....

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Mufflettes

Yep, everyone does these, but a few people have asked me how to do them, so here goes.



Preheat oven to 350.  I highly suggest using silicone muffin cups such as these, and putting them on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  I finally broke down and bought some last week and as I said on Facebook, it was life changing.  At least for someone who makes about a dozen of these a week.

You can really put anything in these, but my hubby likes a spinach, onion, mushroom and bacon combo and my girls just like bacon in theirs.  You can line the muffin cups with bacon (in this case I tried pancetta, but it was a bit too salty).  Anyway...

Cook up a bunch of bacon.  You'll probably only need about 6 pieces (chopped), but you can store the rest in your fridge and use for breakfast throughout the week.  In the bacon grease, saute 1 chopped red onion and 1 package of chopped mushrooms.  When they're cooked down, add a few handfuls of spinach and let that cook down as well.  Let cool a bit.

Beat about 8-10 eggs with a couple of TBS almond milk, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if you wish.  Add chopped bacon (at this point I do a few "plain" ones and add to muffin liners).  Mix in veggies.  Fill muffin tins/liners. (With this amount of add ins, this will fill at least 12, probably a few extra)  Bake for 30 minutes.  Store  in an airtight container (I put wax paper between layers) in the fridge.


Pumpkin Coconut "Mouffles"

I don't bake very often, but we're in the process of trying to transition the whole family to Paleo, so I needed another breakfast/snack option for the girls.  Plus, I had some really ripe bananas that needed using.  It ended up being a muffin/souffle hybrid that was pretty tasty, especially the next day!  I hadn't gotten my silicon muffin cups yet when I made this, but that would make the process so much easier (and cleaner)!


Preheat oven to 350.  I highly suggest using silicon muffin cups for this.  Otherwise, line a muffin tin with foil liners.

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 can pure pureed pumpkin (I despise recipes that only use a part of a can, so I through it all in)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup almond flour
1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I only used a tsp, but wished I had used more)
1.5 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix everything together.  Put in muffin cups.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Crockpot Beef Carnitas

This is a Pinterest find (other than subbing beef for pork), from this site (not sure if it's her original recipe).  It was one of those meals that the whole family loved.  The girls both asked for seconds.  



1 nice sized (3ish lbs) beef roast (not sure what kind I picked up), trimmed and cut into chunks. 
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
juice of 2 large limes
good amount of salt and pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
4 cloves garlic, minced

I try to do as much prep for the week on Sunday as I can, so I mixed up everything and put it in a ziploc bag for a few days before I dumped it into the crockpot for 7 hours on low.  So easy and so good!
 

Monday, August 12, 2013

Yummy No Recipe Burger Dinner



So, my friend Megan W. posted a picture of her egg topped burger the other night and it looked D E L I C I O U S, so I copied her.  This isn't really a recipe, just a dinner idea.

Burgers (I just mix my ground beef with salt and pepper, form patties with indents in the top, and grill for about 4-5 min a side)
Fried egg to your liking (J likes his over easy, I need mine a bit more well done)
Sauteed red onions (just cook the bejesus out of a couple of sliced red onions over low heat, preferably in bacon grease)
Salad mix or baby spinach
cherry tomatoes
sliced avocado

Arrange burgers and fixin's over salad mix.  That's it.