Meal Pinning Monday

April 30, 2017

I'll be honest with y'all, this Whole30 lasted a week and turned into more of a Half30. I honestly don't see it as quitting in the least bit. 

I've done the whole thing before. I know what my trigger foods are (those layered brownies sitting on my counter I made for my students) and that I should avoid them. 

However, a few days in and I realized something. I just need to cut soy, wheat, and dairy and all is good in my food world. No stomach aches from eating dairy, easy. Soy isn't hard to cut simply based on the fact that if effects estrogen and with my family history... there's no reason to encourage breast cancer. (yes I eat sushi and soy sauce on occasion, but it's not weekly or even bi-weekly)

The issue I'm having is whether or not to cut grains. I'm in the process of going to see a doctor and getting blood work done and hopefully allergy testing to answer some questions I've been having, but I've read a lot that is you don't have gluten in your system that it will show up as a non issue even if it is one. So I almost feel like I should be eating some wheat just in case until I get some tests back. 

Anyone have experience with this that can give some advice on whether or not to cut it? I feel better overall with limited dairy and wheat, but I'll down pint of Bluebell in the name of answers. 

Now, this weeks menu. And yes there's a touch of dairy because this one recipe looked too good to pass up. 


[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.
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Five on Friday

April 29, 2017

I totally realize it's Saturday, but better late than never right? 


1. Finally after nearly 8 years of cooking for Jeremy and not being able to make spaghetti the way I want (which is just a thousand veggies) we finally landed on a recipe everyone can agree on. The recipe comes from the Against All Grain cookbook, Danielle Walker's first one. It's the Granny Sarella's Spaghetti Sauce recipe. The only difference I made to it was not using the pork chop. This is seriously heavenly and has a secret ingrediet that definitely made all the difference. Jeremy actually said that whatever I did that this was the way to do it for the rest of time.

Yay!


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Recent Natural Skincare Favorites

April 26, 2017

I had to say recent, because let's just be honest about... I share this kind of stuff every so often on the blog. I'm not getting rid of old favorites, just adding to the list of what I do.

Today I've got 3 new items in my rotation that I haven't discussed on the blog, so what better time to bring them up. Honestly, you might have 2 of the three already at your house.

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Meal Pinning Monday

April 23, 2017

Whole30 starts tomorrow, Monday, I'm writing this on Sunday.

This round I'm doing something different... I'm not free basing potatoes. I'm going to attempt to keep this Whole30 as Keto as possible so that I can lose weight while I'm trying to rule out a gluten sensitivity.

I actually had Johnny's Pizza and Ice Cream last night as my "last meal" before starting and woke up with my rash burning even more than it has been and having more spots on my arms. Super sad face. I'm going to break down and finally make a doctor appointment tomorrow.


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Five On Friday

April 21, 2017

What's new with everyone this week? Here's what's been on my brain. 


1. I recently read someone that antihistamines cause an increase in hunger and has connections to weight gain. Every bell in my head nearly burst at that concept. Y'all,  I've honestly never had a problem with maintaining a certain weight until about a year after we moved to South Louisiana. Around that time I couldn't figure out why I was non stop sick and had a doctor that wouldn't allergy test me, he just said everyone here feels like that. Take Zyrtec every single night for the rest of your life... um 10 lbs that refuse leave and 5ish years later. That was an awful idea.

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Meal Pinning Monday

April 17, 2017

It's the last day of Spring Break for us, we're shedding all the tears. I won't lie, I live for the breaks. 



[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.
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Golf, Plants, & Books

April 13, 2017

Or maybe that should read in reverse order. 

I started reading Wired to Eat by Robb Wolf during our extra bumpy field trip last week and I'm really loving it. Wolf has been a Paleo-er I've loved simply because he isn't so hard nosed about everything. Listening to his podcasts to promote the book he's really taken on Personal Nutrition. 

For someone that likes a dang piece of cake on occasion, that's extra lovely. 

Rice isn't killing anyone. Unless you're insulin resistant, but that's another story. 

Point being, this book has been super eye opening at how our standard diet effects hunger. See also, this is who has be trying out the Keto approach to get rid of these last 10 baby pounds. With food by the way, no supplements. Protein powder and collagen peptides are about as far as I go down the powdered supplement rabbit hole. 

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Meal Pinning Monday

April 10, 2017

So far, Keto seems to be working pretty well. It's bizarre to eat high fat being a child of the 90's and Snackwells. 

My approach has been to stick to my Primal (Paleo with dairy) way of eating and just move my macros around to get into ketosis. I haven't much decided if I'll do a high carb day once a week or everything other week. It's all going to depend on how I feel. I'm sore as heck from YOD on Saturday, but I slept almost 10 hours last night. 

[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.
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April: Currently

April 7, 2017



Current book: I've got a whole post to write about what I've read since last month, but currently Wired To Eat by Robb Wolf. 
Current music: Nothing, more podcasts than music these days. 
Current [non]-guilty pleasure: Yoga on Saturday mornings. 

Current drink: Coffee with coconut oil & heavy cream. 
Current food: Chicken Salad or Cream Cheese Pancakes... I've been testing out what Keto would do for me. 
Current obsession: Just like the last month, YOD yoga. I told Jeremy I'd even like to get certified to be an instructor eventually. You could also say reading though, I've read a dozen books in the past month. 
Current craving: Sleep. I haven't slept worth a crap in two days and I'm an emotional dragging mess. 
Current need: Sleep. 
Current indulgence: Keto Chocolate Mousse, made with avocados. It's divine. 
Current bane of my existence: Whatever is blooming. I know a few of you can sympathize with medicating a toddler. Also, I'd rather die than have a post nasal drip. Like let's be all sick but not this half sick mess. It's annoying, like being touched too much. 
Current procrastination: Bathing the dog. 
Current confession: I totally thew myself out of Keto today (I was definitely in ketosis) for a Dove Chocolate Bunny and a small thing of ice cream. This is what no sleep does to me, I start self mediacting. 
Current quote: Mama forgot to get you a seasonal shirt again. Is that a quote? Could that count? I'm just not that mom. Which might I add needs to been its own blog post. 
Current excitement: Spring Break starts right now. I've needed this so bad. I need a break from real life. 

Current mood: Dead tired. 
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Meal Pinning Monday

April 2, 2017

I'm not going to lie, I'm starting to type this before I even check to see if these recipes are online. I mainly planned from the Against All Grain cookbooks again. So in the event what I'm making isn't exactly on Pinterest, I'll post a similar replacement.

Another thing you'll notice with this is a higher fat content, I'm playing with my macros. Mainly reducing carbs majorly, moderate protein, and lots of healthy fats. I'll let y'all know how it goes. Right now I'm hopeful, and not nearly as hungry or craving anything. Unlike when I lower my fat content and I'm starving. 

[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.

Monday - Breakfast for dinner (who knows what it is until it happens)

Tuesday - Grilled Chicken with Asparagus & Green Onions (alternate recipe)

Wednesday - Leftover Chicken used in a Salad (Jeremy really likes the Sunflower Chopped Salad at Walmart)

Thursday - BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad (alternate recipe)

Friday - Ranch Popcorn Chicken with Fries for the guys

Saturday - that Chicken, Kale, & Sweet Potato Skillet I never got to

Sunday - Church Picnic/Chicken Satay that I didn't make yet either

Breakfast - Bullet Proof Coffee, Cream Cheese Pancakes, & a hard boiled egg if needed

Lunch - Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad with Seed Crackers


Snacks - Cheese Stick or 1/2 avocado with salt, pepper, and lime

Dessert - Chocolate Mousse
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