Recipes, Recipes, Recipes!

Whew!  A week away did me a world of good.  I am not sure how I am going to wake up before 5 a.m. come Monday morning, but I'll deal with that when the time comes.  For now, just happy to still technically be on vacation.  Also, happy to have the fresh Fall produce we picked up at the farm stand on the way home yesterday.  Plus we bought a big basket of apples last week.  I definitely see fresh applesauce in our future!

So, just getting back from vacation, I have a lot to do!  Better get right to the recipes....  NOTE - These are just the entrees, as you can see.  I will, of course, complement with vegetables!

Burgers on the grill - okay, had to start out with something simple!  We use Trader Joe's whole wheat hamburger buns, but you can wrap them in big lettuce leaves if you prefer.

Pizza - Trader Joe's gets lots of love at our house.  They have a fresh whole wheat pizza dough that we always keep on hand.  We both work long hours with long commutes, so quick and easy is important, but it still has to be clean!

Italian chicken - just chicken breasts rubbed with oil and then seasoned and just grill it!  Serving this with some of that great squash we picked up.

Black Bean Burritos - I haven't actually tried this recipe but I do like black bean burgers and this sounds pretty close so think it's a win.  And it includes sweet potatoes, which I absolutely love!

Chicken salad - we will use leftover chicken, chop it up, add mayo, mustard, chopped pecans, and raisins to make a fabulous chicken salad.  You can pretty much add what you want to get the taste you love.

Prosciutto-wrapped Beef Cubes - OMG... I just love this stuff.  I have posted it before, and will continue to post it.  Ab-Fab!!!  And not as complicated as it looks.

Tortilla Soup - After a long week at work, this is super easy, and super tasty, just what the doctor ordered.  This is a very versatile recipe that you can adjust to taste with your favorite flavors.  We usually add a can of black beans and/or some leftover chicken.

I also plan to make Paleo Cinnamon Rolls, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (uh oh!  Had to strike these out.  I just realized the recipe has brown sugar in it... so very sad!  But I will try to find a new recipe to replace this one...) and Paleo Pumpkin Cakes, but we all know about plans, don't we?!  But I will try!

Keep it clean!

VACATION... but still eating clean!

First, please allow me to recognize all those who died, were injured, or otherwise affected by the rampage at the Washington Navy Yard this week.  I have worked there in the past, not at building 197, but very nearby, and worked on some projects with some folks from there, and also am friends with some employees at NAVSEA.  I do not know anyone personally that was killed or injured, but nevertheless, I have thought about them all every day this week. A lot of my friends and former co-workers were on the Yard throughout the entire day and my heart goes out to each of them.

Mental illness is a huge issue in our world, and I just pray that anyone who is having any kind of issues seeks out help, and if that help is not as forthcoming as it should be, continue to pursue it.  If you have a loved one that you think is struggling, be open with them and encourage them to get the help they need.

This has been a long week.  I'm glad that I am now on vacation.  We usually go away right after Labor Day, because all the usual crowds are gone from the beach but everything is still open.  It got a little delayed this month, due to one thing or another.  But no matter, as long as we finally work a vacation in.  I don't really care about all the normal beach vacation activities.  We mostly ride bike, walk, and kayak.  And we can do that as long as the weather is cooperative.  Whenever and wherever we are on vacation, if it's for more than a few days, we try to get a place that has a full kitchen.  It makes it easier for us to stay on track with our clean eating lifestyle and, mostly, keeps the cost down.  Because, I am cheap like that!  So, for us, in most cases, being on vacation is not difficult when it comes to eating.   But we will also go out to eat some this week.  And I may even indulge in some not-so-clean treats.  Why not?!

This week's menu:

Rosemary Pot Roast (sorry, broken link!)

This stuff is epic!  And at the end of the week, if there are leftovers, this will become sandwiches!

Pasta Pomodoro

Easiest sauce in the world to make.  15 oz can of diced tomatoes plus 1/4 cup of pesto.  Voila!  Pour it over cooked pasta.  I have some chicken tenders that I cooked on Friday that I will pair with this for protein.

Chili

Always a go to because it's easy and has basic ingredients.  Pretty sure you can make this however you want.  Protein (I use grass fed ground beef), chopped onion, tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, and/or kidney beans, spices to taste!

Pizza

We stopped at Trader Joe's and picked up a fresh whole wheat crust.  Makes an awesome pizza!  I actually had some white flour crust recently and it was so boring compared to the whole wheat!

I am working on perfecting clean macaroons. There are some good recipes out there but the ones I have tried so far don't stick together as I would hope.  So there may be a coconut macaroon recipe in your future!  In the meantime, keep it clean!

Easy-Peasy!

This just seems like it has been the craziest week, and I really don't know why.  But it's weeks like this that cause me to break out the simplest recipes I can find.  I really can't bring myself to get too crazy with cooking some nights. So this week you will see a collection of some of the easiest recipes I know.  But, you know, there is nothing wrong with keeping it simple.

PASTA POMODORO
This is so easy, it's ridiculous.  All you need is a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup of your favorite pesto.  Mix together and heat.  Serve over whatever kind of pasta you prefer.  You may want to add some grilled chicken for nice lean protein.

CHICKEN FINGERS WITH HONEY MUSTARD
Honey-mustard dressing served over chicken fingers cooked on the grill.  I will serve this with baked acorn squash.  I absolutely LOVE acorn squash and it is so easy to make!  Just cut the squash in half and clean out the seeds.  Lay each half face down on a baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes at 350.  Squash is done when a fork can easily pierce the skin.  I then turn it over and put a pat of butter in it.  Acorn squash is the green one shaped similar to a giant acorn.

CHILI
A pound of ground beef (or whatever kind of protein you prefer), browned with half a chopped onion.  Then stir in a 15 oz can of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, a can of drained and rinsed black beans, and a can of drained and rinsed pinto beans.  You can use different beans if you prefer.  Mix in your favorite seasoning.  We often just use chili powder.  Heat through!

We have some other things going on this week that will not require us to cook much, so this is a short menu.  I hope it gives you some ideas for quick and easy, but tasty, foods for your own menu.

For a snack, though, follow the graham cracker recipe at this link for my s'mores. https://cleaneatingitsalifestyle.blogspot.com/2013/06/summertime-is-smore-time.html.

Keep it clean!

SHARE THIS 3-INGREDIENT DESSERT... or not....

Every time I turn around I see yet another "super easy" recipe with "only 3 ingredients" or that is "super easy" on Facebook.  They tell you to "tag yourself so you have this recipe."  The problem is that 1 of those 3 ingredients is usually something like a cake mix... which to me equals about 15 ingredients all on its own!  I really just want to post... in all CAPS... STOP IT!  DON'T DO IT!  But I try to be really polite on Facebook and I know that some people can and want to eat that stuff.  So instead I have finally decided that the best way to combat that is to post this blog with some "super easy" recipes!  Some are 3 ingredients and some are more.  But none of them take long and all of them are awesome.  I am only posting those which I have personally tested so can attest to the ease and the flavor.

So HURRY!  TAG YOURSELF or SHARE THIS so you can keep these recipes handy!  :-)

First, though, have you ever made ice cream from frozen bananas?  If not, you are depriving yourself of an awesome treat.  You can essentially dress this recipe up any way you want, with pretty much any flavors you like.  You don't get a strong banana flavor, unless you make banana ice cream.  You can get a Yonana Maker, which is a pretty handy tool to have, or you can even do it in your food processor.  Every time you have some overripe bananas, just peel them, lay them out on a plate or cookie sheet and freeze.  Once they are frozen, throw them into an airtight container and keep them in the freezer until you are ready for them.  So easy to just take out as many bananas as you need.  I can even buy overripe bananas at the grocery store for a discounted price.  As long as the peels aren't slimy, I'm in!  (I am.. um... frugal like that!)

Banana Berry Ice Cream
2 bananas, frozen
1 oz. dark chocolate
3/4 cup frozen mixed berries

Whiz the ingredients together in your food processor or Yonanas maker.  Done.  Keep leftovers (if there are any!) in the freezer.

Mudslide Fudge Cookies (grain free)
Not very many ingredients, and you likely have them in your house.  Where it says raw honey, I actually just use whatever honey I have.  It's up to you whether the ingredients need to be organic.

Chunky Chocolate Cookies
Don't eat these right away.... allow them to set up after they come out of the oven so they aren't as crumbly.

Cinnamon Raisin Braids
These take a little more time, but mostly to give the dough time to raise.  The real ease comes when you make the dough and freeze some of it for use later!  I personally can't wait and have to make them all at once.  These are so good, your family will not know they are eating healthy!

Peach Cobbler!

MR's Famous Peach Cobbler
My husband truly makes the world's greatest peach cobbler.  Just because we changed to a clean eating lifestyle, was no reason to give it up!  I was eating, cleaned up or not!  When peach season rolled around this year, has attempted to clean it up.  And came up with TWO awesome wins!  You can follow the directions at the link, or you can sub 1/2 cup of honey for the coconut sugar.  Either way works just fine.  This stuff is especially good eaten warm with a little almond milk over it... or maybe make some banana berry ice cream (above) and serve it with it.  Also, you can throw in a handful of blueberries with the peaches!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabars
I love larabars for a snack or a treat.  There are multiple ways to make them.  This recipe is a good one, but http://mywholefoodlife.com/ has lots of other ones too.  Check them out!

So now... do you really want to make a dessert that starts with a cake mix?!  Not when there are so many better options around!!!!  Go ahead, enjoy!!!!

Paleo Tendencies

I just finished a creamsicle.  I can't find the recipe I used to make them (but I did post a good one for you back there), which is why I started posting more frequently on my blog.... just to keep track of things!  I have Pinterest, but I haven't organized it well, so I keep getting distracted by all the dessert recipes when I am looking for entrees.

Cinnamon Raisin Braids from The Naked Kitchen... this is the recipe that started it all for me!

I usually do my meal planning for the week on Saturday morning, but we're doing a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods run in the morning, so I wanted to get the list ready tonight.  No firm plans for the holiday weekend (Happy Labor Day, US of A friends!) so I will have to be flexible.

I am finishing up my first week of a two week Paleo trial.  I have eaten almost 100% Paleo all week.  I made pizzas last night that had mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.  I guess that's not strictly Paleo, so that was once.  And then tonight at the farmer's market, I taste tested some gourmet nuts and didn't realize that the cashews had some sugar in their seasoning.  I only ate one, so that barely counts, right?  Speaking of Paleo, my sister commented on the beef teriyaki kabob recipe from the Civilized Caveman that I posted on my blog last week.  She asked if we used a gas grill to make them.  Well... YEAH!  And she said, That's not very Paleo, is it?  She thinks she's funny.  Sometimes I do too.  Mostly silly.  (I love my sisters, by the way!)  ANYWAY!  I will admit that there were times that I wanted to fall off the Paleo wagon.  Mostly when MR had his pizza with Trader Joe's whole wheat crust.  I really wanted that!  But I persevered.  And the trade off to that has been that I am down a few pounds this week and definitely feeling better.  My tummy issues, which are what precipitated the foray into 100% Paleo, as opposed to my usual Clean Eating with Paleo tendencies, seem to have resolved for the most part.  I will try it for another week and see if I am going to stick with it 100% (they say you can do it 85%... I am likely to do better if am all in) or go back to having some grains and legumes in my diet.

I will only post a short menu right now because we have some special plans at the end of the week, but will post the rest of the week later.  In the meantime, I have thrown in some extra items for your cooking and eating pleasure!!!

SATURDAY
PALEOMG Mexican Salad 
Hey, this was on the menu last week!  That's right, folks, even the best laid plans.... well, you know.  So we didn't get to this and had a Mustgo night instead.  (Everything must go!)  It really  makes it easy when I have all the stuff and don't get it made.  Just move it to the next week!

SUNDAY
Steak and caramelized peach salad
Yeah, yeah... another one that didn't get made this week.  It's because I forgot to thaw meat one day, so we had to scrape something together with whatever was in the fridge or pantry.
UPDATE:  When we made this we discovered that there is no picture and the ingredients and instructions are a little ambiguous.  If you're not very proficient in the kitchen and require very specific directions, this may not be the recipe for you.  MR is quite proficient, so was able to pull it off.  AND, I really enjoyed the blend of flavors.  But, if you are timid in the kitchen, you may want to skip this recipe.

MONDAY
Moroccan meatballs with citrus glazed carrots
Haven't made these in a while, and they weren't on the menu last week!  HA!  These are simple to make and I really love the flavors.

TUESDAY
Prosciutto wrapped beef cubes
Oh, man!  These are amazing!  I absolutely could eat these every day!!!

And that's it for me for the week!  Nah, not really.  More later.... and in the meantime... check these out!

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins - I love these!  So quick to make and just keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and grab and go.  When fresh cranberries are available in the Fall, I will throw a handful of them in the batter.  When you bite into them you get a great pop of tartness in your mouth.  Yummy!

Green Smoothies - There are so many ways to make a green smoothie, I won't even post a recipe.  I will say that you can make it the way you like it.  I use a big handful of spinach, about 8 oz. almond milk, a tablespoon of ground flaxseed, half a banana, and then a cup of whatever fruit I have handy.  If your fruit isn't frozen, throw a few ice cubes in too so it's nice and chilly!

Have a clean eating week!

Makin' a List, Checking it Twice!

Makin' a list, checking it twice... nope, not time for Santa Claus to come to town... it's time to make my menu and grocery list for the week.  If I don't store it here with links to all the recipes, Thursday will roll around and I won't be able to find that recipe I need, and then, well.. you know... we will have breakfast for supper again.  Not that that's a bad thing, but you can only pull that trick out so many times in a week!

We are officially empty-nesters again, so it makes the grocery bill a little lower, and cooking a little easier, although #1 Son and Baby Girl will eat what I make for the most part.  I did like to get him things that they enjoyed that we won't touch.

August weather seems to be back, so I will take advantage of the warm nights by grilling a little more.  This has two advantages, 1) we don't heat up the kitchen and 2) MR does the cooking!  (The second reason is the best reason!)  I also have promised to make a treat for a birthday at work this week.  Fortunately, I am off on Monday so I will have time to do that without cutting into my evenings.

Lest you be fooled, making my menu every week is pretty time consuming.  We really want to eat healthy, but don't want to be bored.  Plus I hate wasting food, so I have to consider how I can re-purpose things all week.  It saves money if you plan carefully.  Less to purchase and no waste is always my goal.  It was really a lot easier when we just ate crap.  But, then that has its trade-offs too, doesn't it?  So I sit here every Saturday morning, perusing recipes, making my menu and also making my shopping list.  What do we have in the pantry?  What do we have in the freezer?  And on top of it, I try to turn it into a blog that is helpful to you... okay, and to me so all my recipes for the week are in one spot.  So here is the plan!

SUNDAY
Paleo Shepherd's Pie - I love shepherd's pie for a lot of reasons.  The biggest one is because I can pretty much use whatever I have handy to make it!  It's a great way to use up leftover veg.  I haven't made it with sweet potato before, but this sounds yummy.  We (read MR) will have to make some homemade barbecue sauce so we can have the one tiny teaspoon of it this calls for, but then we will freeze the rest for another day!

This is how he makes barbecue sauce:  Dump 6 oz can of tomato paste into a bowl.  Fill the can halfway with water and then the rest of the way with apple cider vinegar, mix it up to get all the extra tomato off the sides of the can, then dump into the bowl with the paste.  Mix in 2 TBSP blackstrap molasses, and 1 TBSP mustard.  Voila!  Super easy barbecue sauce!  Freeze leftovers.

Also, I thought I would add PALEOMG Asian Marinated Crockpot Beef Spareribs to the menu but I pinched my finger in the lazy susan cabinet while I was checking to see if we had sesame oil.  We don't.  And now my finger hurts.  We are not having these.  (But you might like them.)

MONDAY
Burgers on the grill.  MR will eat it on a whole wheat bun (Trader Joe's sells one with no added sugar) and I will eat mine Paleo style.  I've been having some tummy issues lately so going to try to eat mostly Paleo for a couple weeks and see if it helps.  I will probably not need a lot of sweet potato for this so may make a few baked sweet potato fries for on the side.  Waste not, want not!

TUESDAY
Beef Teriyaki Kabobs or is it kebabs?  These are from http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/.  They are Paleo, if you're into that.  I like them because they look super-easy!
While the recipe calls for chunks of pineapple, if you want you can grill some extra pineapple.  I absolutely love grilled pineapple paired with teriyaki.  Just cut some of it in big fat strips and throw it on the grill for a few minutes on each side.  If we don't use up all the pineapple this week, I will puree it and freeze it in ice cube trays to use in smoothies later.

WEDNESDAY
Pizza!  Who doesn't want pizza?  MR would eat it everyday.  I will make
this gluten-free paleo-style recipe for me and use a Trader Joe's whole wheat crust for him.  That way we both have lots of leftovers for lunches!

THURSDAY
PALEOMG Mexican Salad is really easy to make and can be adapted to make everyone happy.  I will eat it with some salad greens, MR might have some tortilla chips.  You could probably serve it in a tortilla bowl, or wrapped in hard or soft tortillas for that matter!

FRIDAY
Steak and caramelized peach salad - I haven't made this before, but I got the biggest peaches you have ever seen from the farmer's market last night.  You could play softball with these babies!  And the peaches this year have been just amazingly sweet and juicy.  So I figure, meat plus peaches ought to be a winner!


BIRTHDAY TREAT
I am making s'mores cupcakes (NOT CLEAN!) for work and I thought it would be nice to bring in (mostly) clean gourmet s'mores  for those of us who don't eat so much junk  The graham crackers in the link are not paleo but here is a recipe that is.  I am going to try them paleo this time.  I really hope they work out! 

In case you want to know how to make s'mores cupcakes, just make Devil's food cupcakes (yes, from a mix!), sprinkle the tops with crushed graham crackers (yes, from a box!) before baking; mix about 1:1 ratio of marshmallow fluff with cream cheese frosting (yes, from a can!), and pipe onto baked and cooled cupcakes.  Top with a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers (yes, still from a box!) and decorate with a square of Hershey's chocolate.

<-----This was the old me

The new me will eat Gourmet S'mores.  These are not nearly as difficult as they sound. You can make the graham crackers the day before if that helps with timing.  The only slightly unclean thing about the gourmet s'mores is the gelatin in the fluff.  But these are meant to be a treat so shouldn't completely throw you off track to just have occasionally.  Recipe for (mostly) clean gourmet s'mores

Dip them twice in chocolate (cooling between dips) and they will look better than this.  

This was my first attempt.  I got better with practice, and not much practice, at that!

Have a clean week!

A Recipe for Success

I have been trying to figure out ways to make eating clean easier for others who aren't all in yet, or who are just thinking about how to do it.  It has been a struggle to put into words the exact formula for success in clean eating.  This morning I was looking at some of the other Facebook pages and blogs that I follow and someone commented that they wish someone would just tell them to eat x amount of this, and x amount of that, etc.  That's what I really thought I wanted to do for you, and you, and you!  But I realized when I read his post, that I can't.  No one can.  This is a personal journey and it's about what works for you and your body, and also for your lifestyle.

Gluten Free Pita Bread Recipe

Because I work full time outside the home, and have a 75 minute commute each way, I have had to develop my eating plans around that.  I can take my lunch to work but we only have a microwave and a toaster oven for heating.  So those are more things I have to take into consideration.  Also, we are often away from home on the weekends, so that's another factor.  But I no longer have children at home so, to me, that makes it a little easier, because my meals don't necessarily have to be kid friendly, although I think a lot of them are.  I know they are husband friendly, because MR jumped on this wagon right along with me with no qualms or problems.  And, you should know, MR is the king of desserts!  His motto has always been, life is short, eat dessert first!  But he has adapted to this lifestyle very easily, right along with me.  He still gets desserts from time to time... just cleaned up!

Cheesecake Recipe

While I can't tell you exactly what to eat for every meal and snack that will make you successful, I can tell you this...be INTENTIONAL about everything you eat.  Consider how it fits into clean eating and your lifestyle.  Remember some critical factors:  1) always pair protein with a complex carbohydrate, 2) eat 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks every day, eating about every two or three hours, 3) no white flour, and 4) no white sugar.  For me, I have found that I have to limit the desserts, even the cleaned up versions.  I also limit the amount of wheat flour I eat.  I can have it, just not every day, and certainly not every meal.

Also, find some favorite clean eating bloggers, and follow them, try out their recipes.  It might help you, as it did me, to create your own blog and Facebook page.  I don't know how many people read any of these, but it does a few things for me.  First, it gives me a place to stash favorite recipes.  I also have them on Pinterest, but I have found that if I create my weekly menu here, with links to the recipes, then they are all in one place and it makes my life easier!  Second, it helps me to focus and remember why I even started clean eating. It was because I was tired of being overweight and feeling like crap.  When I eat clean, I truly do feel better.  And my thinking is clearer.  Third, it gives me a place to go back and reflect on my journey.  Especially when I find myself getting off track, I like to go back and re-read the blogs and posts and remind myself why this is so important.  And fourth, it allows me to share what I have learned with others.  It took me a long time to figure out how to eat right.  That sounds kind of silly, maybe, but I think a lot of us have fallen into the trap of thinking we can eat things with "healthy" on the label and that makes it okay.  I just didn't understand that truly healthy food is something we make ourselves whenever possible, and includes only whole food ingredients.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad recipe

I guess this still doesn't answer that person's request... tell me to eat x of this and x of that.  But hopefully, it helps someone.  If nothing else, when future me reads this, it will remind her why she is doing this and why it's important to stay on track.  And let me say one more time, for the record, this is not a diet.  This is a lifestyle.  This is how I eat for now and forever.  I have been doing it for over a year, very rarely eat anything outside of the parameters (and regret it when I do), and I just don't see any reason to stop.  Why mess with success?

Have a clean day!