Why Spiralize? Review and Tips!

My Favorite Kitchen Gadget - The Spiralizer!

Happy Saturday! I hope everyone is well and wonderful and enjoying this lovely Holiday Weekend! 

I have been sharing veggie spiralizer recipes for a couple years now! We use ours ALL the time! Although, the kids do get some pasta, we haven't eaten pasta in a LONG time, other than that very occasional splurge! I have tried quite a few substitutes for pasta and zucchini noodles are by far the BEST!!!!

Reviews

So, there are a couple different spiralizers on the market! The Veggetti, a handheld tool that you twist a zucchini through is the cheapest. I have not used this one, but know several people who have. It is poorly made and doesn't really hold up. The options are very limited with this one, because it isn't good enough quality to spiralize much more than a zucchini. I would not recommend purchasing this one!

The Paderno/Kitchen Basics Stand Spiralizer - this stand style veggie slicer/spiralizer is more durable and easy to use. It has 3-5 different blade options, depending on which one you purchase. I used this one for a couple of years without any issue! It has a hand crank, so it takes a little elbow grease, but my 5 & 6 year old helped with it, so not too intense! It works well and yields the larger noodles and the smaller ones! It works easily for zucchini, squash, apples, other soft veggies. It is a little tougher to spiralize butternut squash or potatoes, but cut them into smaller planks, and it works okay! The only negative is that it isn't all that easy to clean! It's only about $30 on Amazon. I would recommend this one!

The Kitchenaid Spiralizer Attachment - This is the one I use now! For only about $65-70 it is well worth the $! It attaches to your Kitchenaid Stand Mixer in one little click! It has several blade options and even includes a corer for fruits! It can spiralize a pile of zucchini in about 2 mins! LOVE this one!!! It is so durable that it even makes quick work of potatoes, butternut squash, everything! You can even spiralize a whole apple into an accordion for a fun kid snack! It's simple to assemble and the pieces, other than the motor, are dishwasher safe! Anyone can use this one easily! Video

So EASY a Caveman can do it!

The Options
You can spiralize anything! But some of our favorites:

Sweet Potatoes - curly fries, hash browns, pancakes, even pressed buns! You can add them to your egg muffins, casseroles, sausage and egg hash, etc.

Apples - Apple slaw, salads, fun snacks! Even sprinkle with cinnamon and microwave or bake for a healthy topping for your yogurt! My husband loves cobbler, so we do the cinnamon apples over greek yogurt drizzled with honey and topped with crushed walnuts or pecans!

Zucchini/Squash - ANYWHERE you could otherwise use pasta! I like the bigger noodles for most "pasta" dishes. If you want shorter noodles, make a small cut lengthwise down the zucchini, only slightly in, not all the way through, then it will produce shorter noodles for things like pasta salad, orzo and rotini substitute! They are great raw! I like to add them to "pasta" salad like dishes and let them marinade in the dressing for a little while before serving! Just a little vinegar and spices helps to soften and flavor them!
HUGE tip - for hot dishes do not cook them for long! They are best when they are just barely warmed up so they retain that meaty bite! If they cook for longer than about 2 minutes, they start to sweat and release their moisture and then the get soggy and mushy! You can spiralize ahead! As long as they are kept tightly covered and refrigerated,they can hold up for 2-3 days! I like to do a giant bowl at once and use them for a couple things through the week!

10 Minute Dinner Ideas
Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce - Cook up 1lb. Ground Turkey or Beef in a sauté pan. Once completely browned, drain fat if necessary, add 1 large jar your favorite marinara or pasta sauce, stir to combine, turn to low and simmer the meat sauce until warmed though. Spiralize 4-5 zucchinis, add to a separate sauté pan with a tiny bit of olive oil and cook on medium/high heat tossing for about 2 minutes! Top with meat sauce and a sprinkle or parmesan if you like! 

Lemon Shrimp Zucchini Noodles - Add 1 lb. fresh, peeled shrimp to a medium bowl, drizzle with olive oil, generously pepper, slight salt. Toss well to combine, set aside while you spiralize 4-5 zucchinis. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to large sauté pan, turn to medium high heat and add shrimp. Cook while tossing for about 2-3 mites or until starting to pink. Add zucchini noodles and continue to cook for 2 minutes, tossing well. Remove from heat, add juice of 1 lemon, generously sprinkle of chopped parsley, serve!

**A couple extras**

http://deannadoesit.blogspot.com/…/anti-pasta-salad-greek-z…
http://deannadoesit.blogspot.com/…/almond-crusted-chicken-p…
http://deannadoesit.blogspot.com/…/slow-cooker-asian-pork-t…

Blueberry Yum Yum

I am not a sweet eater....just not.  I would much sooner throw down a plate of french fries, potato chips or a big burger than any kind of sweet treat!  However, that's not true for most people and certainly not my husband!  Although he curbs it very well, he has been known to empty a half gallon of ice cream in a sitting!  Lol...

As a child, a friend of mine's Mom used to make Blueberry Yum Yum and it was a dessert that I loved!   And since it seemed as all American as they come, I thought this would be a perfect time to make it, the lighter version!

Normally, this is made with nut + graham cracker crust, cream cheese sweetened with confectioners sugar, and lots of sugar added to the berries, but you don't need all that sugar!  Nature provides some nice sugars of it's own!

What you need...

For the crust:

1 cup pecan pieces

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 tbsp. coconut oil

1 tbsp. honey

For the filling:

8oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

1 pint blueberries, rinsed

the zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 400F. Add pecans and coconut flour to the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse 6-8 times or until the pecans are well chopped but still in small chunks.  Add honey and coconut oil and pulse 2-3 more times until you have a grainy, but slightly wet crust consistency, similar to a graham cracker crust!  Spray your pie plate with coconut oil cooking spray, press nut crust down into the pie plate.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove and cool. 

Meanwhile, add berries, lemon zest and juice to a small pan, turn to high heat and cook for about 2 minutes or until bubbly and the blueberries have popped open.  Remove from heat, stir and allow to cool for about 7 minutes.

While the berries and crust cool, add cream cheese, honey and vanilla to the bowl of a mixer, whip mixture for about 1 minute, until soft and well combined!

Gently spread cream cheese mixture on top of nut crust.  

TIP: it helps to spray a spatula with coconut oil first, so the cheese doesn't stick and pull the nuts with it!

Top cream cheese with blueberry filling, spread gently to cover.  Cover and refrigerate until cold and set! 

Serve with sweetened coconut cream, whipped topping or sweetened Greek yogurt!

*You can use strawberries or cherries too!*

You can also double the recipe, using both blueberries and cherries and make a flag in a 9"x13".  Use white chips for the stars!

How to Plan a Weekly Menu...

Dreaded menu planning!  Everyone thinks this is so tough to do each week, but really once you get used to it, it's not hard at all.  I start by taking inventory on what needs to be used - fridge & freezer and I put it into a list, proteins & carbs! I look for simple matches that will use up the most of those "need to use" items I already have! Alongside that, I start the "need" list of accompany items to complete my recipes! It's just building meals and days in terms of using items as building blocks!

From there, I hit the pantry and log into my online grocery shopping app to fill in! Even if you don't shop online, you can access the app so that you can shop from the ad to save $! You can scroll through the sale ad by best deals and by category! Makes it easy to build a meal from the best priced items and throw in the things you might have picked up on your Costco or Sam's run!

      Sample from my phone app!














You learn which things are the family favorites that you can keep on your menu most weeks, and then there are others you can throw in there for busy nights!  I have "go to" meals that I reserve for soccer nights, PTA meeting nights, etc... the quick, easy dinners that you can have almost done well ahead of time and can throw into any open slot on your plan!
👉 My Almond Crusted Chicken Tenders are a huge hit always, and easy to make ahead! On busy weeks I turn out a big batch of those on Sunday, to be reheated!


I usually plan/purchase/prep all work-week breakfasts, lunches and 5-6 dinner meals.   Thankfully, we have found a truly quality nutritional company that offers high protein shakes and we have replaced most of our breakfasts and lunches with those to get the protein we need and make-up for some of the lack of proper nutrition food lacks today!  They are a no-brainer and now an addiction! 😉  They save me tons of time and prep! So, I save my breakfast casserole for mid-morning snack!

Tip: Pretty much anything can be stuffed into a chicken breast or pork tenderloin!
Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, place the chicken breast on one side of plastic wrap and fold other side over top of breast to cover. Use a meat mallet/tenderizer to pound the breast to about 1/2 thickness. Unfold plastic wrap. Place whatever you want to stuff the breast with in the middle of the breast, roll the meat up and secure with toothpicks or skewers if necessary! Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes of until 165F!

Another great way to use up veggies is to toss them into egg muffins!


My Guidelines for the each week...

Dinner:

• I try to vary the protein selection, and base my meals around that.  We do eat a lot of chicken; grilled, roasted, baked, slow-cooked.  But, I try to add fish 1-2 nights and red meat 1 night.  We have a pork dish about every other week! And we usually do one night with a Quinoa Casserole! 
• I TRY to add 1 new recipe/dinner item each week just to build my repertoire and see what sticks!
• Add fruit to every meal for the kids.
• I think about meal prep when I menu plan and try to select at least 1-2 One Pot Wonders for the Slowcooker, Pressure Cooker or a One Skillet item that I know I can turn out easily and in bulk to knock out a dinner and a few mini-meals or snacks!  Quinoa Casseroles or Taco Skillet are great for those! 

Breakfast: 

• Quick, Easy and Healthy, that's it! 

Mornings are nuts and we all have to get ready and out the door so early, so this is definitely a place that I save time by making all breakfast ahead on Sunday!  Breakfast casserole or Egg Muffins every week! Yogurt and fruit are easy to add when that is done!

Lunch:

• Nutritional Shake
• I make the kids Bento Box style lunches using Sistema Boxes or PlanetBox.  When they are home, they get the "Wheel" and they are allowed to pick: 1-2 proteins, 1-2 fats, 2 carbs.  
• Pictured: It is actually filled for a snack, Greek Yogurt Dip, olives, pickles, cheese and veggies.

Snacks: 

• Just like other meals, snacks are build with the building blocks of protein, carbs and fat for us and the kids!
• A couple ounces of lean protein, a handful of carbs and a thumb of fat!

The Benefits of Planning and Purchasing Ahead:

Time!

• It keeps me from making multiple trips to the grocery store, driving, walking the aisles, waiting in line...
• No more daily time spent on what to fix...
• Meals are on the table pretty quickly with Sunday prep done...

Money!

• Less trips to the store, less impulse items in the cart!  Online shopping, much less impulse items!
• Planning ahead = no dump - You throw away much less food if you plan and buy for those meals and nothing additional! 
• You can shop the ads in your app and use them to start your menu.
• If you sign up for the yearly subscription, the cost is only about $1.92 per week, and you are allowed unlimited orders!  

Calories!

• When healthy balanced meals are planned and prepared, that's what you consume!
• A lot less crappy food appears in your pantry when you menu plan and purchase for that!
• You are more likely to plan healthy options, than plan for pizza and wings! (But don't think that I don't ALWAYS keep quick fix items for the kids on-hand for emergencies!)

Convenience!

• Having my meals planned, purchased and prepped keeps me from losing my mind when it's time to fix dinner!
• I can sit in pick-up line and add things to my cart, and pick up my shopping when and where I have a minute!
• I keep an open order going in the app, so that when I think of something we need, I hop in and add it to my cart, so that I don't forget about it between then and the rest of my day!

Sanity!

• The Menu is there, no one asking what's for dinner!  And... the motivation to cook the planned and purchased meals is much greater, when so much is already done for you during the week!  When the meals are fixed faster, you hear MUCH less whining!

What is your WHY?

Almost 75 days ago, my husband and I made some changes in our daily life in hopes of gaining some lean muscle and shedding some persistent fat.  We wanted to get into good shape before boating season arrived.

But, "good shape"....that's all relative, right?   I mean if you lose some weight, gain some muscle or really make any progress, does that mean you hit your goal?   If you haven't set your goals or set expectations of where you want to go, it's tough to determine.  And IF, you are just plugging along, not sure what your WHY is and what your GOALS are, where are you really going? I think that is part of what makes it easy to get knocked off course, or not stick to your guns, because what you're reaching for and the WHY is not there.

It's hard because my normal, and his, has been quite different after having 4 kids and a much busier life.  Our bodies are older, different, and the amount of time and energy in a given day, is not nearly that of 8 years ago when we married.  I feel like so many of us get to this point and any amount of improvement is then acceptable.  I know that's where I was. I would make progress and be proud of myself and maintain it for a while and then boom, right back.  The excuses took over because there was no clear goal.  Nothing to keep reaching for.  People, I find, are goal oriented.  It gives us drive and self-preservation.  Without a goal and a why, you have no real reason to get up and do it all again tomorrow! If you are not reaching for something, then you are standing still!

Less than 30 days into our new lifestyle, we had both blown away our expectations, the results were there, measurable, and fast!  They were beyond anything we had expected and certainly in that short timeframe!  It was exciting!  It was baffling!  We did not have a clear goal, we were just seeing how it all worked for us; carefully regimented workouts, sticking to a clearcut menu and integrating nutritional support.  When we looked at each other and realized how well it was working, it made us really take a step back and ask ourselves WHAT our goals really were!  It made us remember our WHY!

Do you want to look good in your swimsuit?  Do you want to fit into a certain size?  Do you want to be able to run a marathon, dead-lift a certain weight? Do you want to be able to do a forearm split stand inversion (that's one I am working on now)? Do you want to be healthy?  Do you want to cut out processed foods?  Do you want to learn to cook?  WHY do you want a change?  For you?  For your kids?  For your wife or husband? Do you want to get off blood pressure medication?  Do you want to lower your cholesterol? Do you want to be able to walk a mile? Do you want to finish a 5K?  Do you want to sleep better at night?  Do you want to be more flexible? Do you want to NOT be a victim of your hereditary health issues? Do you want to kill off the possibility of diabetes? Is it a combination? Is it energy? The list could be endless!  You have to choose you Why and your Goals and set them!

It doesn't matter what your WHY is, you just have to HAVE a WHY!  A WHY strong enough to push you to set your goals and reach!

Once you have goals and your WHY, it is part of you, it is evolving, it is a living power that is growing with you!  It propels you forward, making you reach further and further.

MY WHY... I want to be in the best shape of my life.  I want to be comfortable in my own skin where I don't feel held back by my self-esteem.  I strive to do this for ME!  Because the stronger and more confident I am in myself, the better example I can set for all my children, especially my 3 daughters.  The more comfy I am in my skin, the happier I am, the more patience I have.  Because I no longer want to be held back by my own excuses.  Because of my partnership with my husband and the fact that everything we do as a team, makes us stronger as parents and in our marriage.  Because I want my children to know that they CAN. I want them to learn now how to remove excuses from their lives too.  I want to set examples of fit and healthy everyday to teach them how important those things are every single day!  I want them to learn by my strength in my choices and instill those habits now!  I want my daughters to know that strong and fit are cool!  I want them to know that it's awesome to be a girl with muscles who CAN do pull-ups!  I do not want them to call push-ups from knees, girly push-ups. I want my children to know how to make healthy food choices!  I want to fuel my body in the best way possible.  I want to spend as long as possible with my family.  I know that hurdles will come, some that I cannot control, but these things I can!


Through one of the Challenge Groups we are in, we were reminded of this method of defining your goals:
S. M. A. R. T. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relavant, Time Bound

S - Specific - Do you want to lose body fat, inches, weight?  Do you want to accomplish a certain strength goal?
M - Measurable - How do you measure your goal?
A - Attainable - Is it attainable? Realistic?
R - Relavant - Does it make sense?
T - Time Bound - When are you setting the due date?

I LOVE this!  It makes you accountable and sets a determined date!  You can't make excuses and keep pushing things around!

Do you have a Why? What are your Goals? Are you ready to Reach?

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Sunday Prep - Making the most of Fall Veggies

Yes...some of this is a repeat.    I feel like this gives me a lot more ready made options, less room for excuses! Sometimes I still do the big salad preps that I used to do and detailed in earlier posts, but lately I have really been digging a new way!  It's a good mix of raw and roasted, with a wide variety of colors and veggies!  

Because we stick to a predominantly Paleo diet, and a 40/30/30 macro ratio, I prepare most everything separately, giving us options for proteins and carbohydrates.  This makes it easy to put together snack and meal options and even allows for easier grab-n-go mini meals!  And, it makes it really easy to adapt to a Vegetarian or Pescatarian diet! ;)

If you are one who enjoys a Nutritional Support System,  there is much less to do!  Scale down to allow for as many mini-meals as you need!  We consume 16 mini-meals for the Work Week, so I prep a lot! 

*Please keep in mind this original post was before we began implementing the Nutritional Support System so I did A LOT more* 

Look at all the colors!

Yes, yes, yes!  It is a lot!  It's a lot of food, a lot of ingredients, and a good couple hours of time you have to lay down on Sunday.  But, I really, honestly think this is the MOST IMPORTANT part of my routine.  If I don't do this on Sunday...we have quesadillas, take-out, or some poor excuse for a thrown together meal most of the week - TRUTH!  And that is just NOT how I want my family to be fed!   I want my children to learn healthy food habits now, so they keep them!

I have learned that I have to be proactive, because as soon as someone comes home sick, we are reactive, and diet is usually the first thing to go!  Stressed and pressed for time, the kids begging for dinner, and you order that pizza, right?!  If this is prepped and in the fridge your diet doesn't suffer, it's cheaper and faster, and most importantly, you won't feel the guilt or the bloat!

Spending this time in the kitchen with only good food choice items, and letting the kids help, is showing them how important this is to us!  I choose 1 person as my Sunday Sous Chef, and let them help!  It is special time for them and really makes a healthy impact on them!  Plus, I promise they are more likely to eat the things they helped prepare! They are great at getting items from the fridge, counting out grapes and bagging them up, measuring out goldfish or other items and bagging those!  At this age, it helps with math too! ;) They also do a great job at getting things to the trash or the dishwasher!

I choose 1 person to be my Sunday Sous Chef - they LOVE the honor!  Trying to teach good food choices early!

And...once this is done, most of the kid's lunches are practically done!  For us, we can just grab 2 veggies and a protein and have a healthy meal at the ready for several days! No excuses!  This was my breakfast this morning, perfectly balanced 40/30/30 ratio of Paleo foods - it took me 3 minutes to toss together AND reheat!  The nice things is, this amount of food will usually get us through at least Thursday without me having to do much cooking!  And keep in mind....this is for a family of 6!

Sometimes I will sub in some Horizon Mac & Cheese or Alexia Frozen Veggies for the kids at dinner!

40/30/30 Breakfast - 3 mins!
21g Protein, 27g Carbs, 5g fat

For the last several weeks I have been keeping pretty much the same shopping list for this and just reorder it!  Cut and dry, it is working, so I am sticking for now!  So much of this is veggies, this will certainly work for a vegetarian too!  I do grill A TON of chicken, but it's totally separate, so you can just omit that and sub in fish, shrimp or whatever protein you like!

The list is long...but don't panic almost all of it is simply just roasted with olive or coconut oil!  I don't even clean the pans in between veggies, sharing the yummy flavors makes them even better!  I have 3 big roasting pans and 2 jumbo muffin pans and I just crank up the oven and go! 

We store most everything in Large Rubbermaid/ Ziploc containers or Sistema boxes, which I love!  I feel confident that all of it keeps very well and is consumed before it can possibly go bad, as long as you are eating this and not ordering takeout instead! lol!  This is usually gone when by the time Thursday rolls around, which is normally our cellular cleanse day anyway, and that gets us to the weekend!  And, we usually plan a fun family meal for Friday nights!  

Yes! This is time laid down on Sunday, but it gains me back SO much time during the busy week nights and takes the thought process out!  The best part is, you lay down the chunk of time on your terms...during the week making the time to do these things won't be so easy!  It sounds like a lot but this takes me less than 2 hours!  Usually, a little over an hour if I have it all ready to go! At first it takes a little longer, until you get used to it! Trust me, it's way better knowing that dinner is planned, prepped and almost ready while you are doing homework, baths and next day prep!

The Shopping List

1 dozen eggs

5-6 lbs. of chicken breasts/boneless skinless thighs (depends on what's on sale)

Honey Balsamic Marinade

Broccoli Salad

    2 lbs. of broccoli florets

   dried cranberries

   sunflower seeds

   1 shallot

2 sweet onions

3 red bell peppers

1 head of garlic

1 package uncured bacon

4 sweet potatoes

2 lbs. asparagus

2 lbs. brussels sprouts

3 pints Nature's Sweet Cherub Tomatoes - these are my favorite, but don't refrigerate unless you slice them, they are best kept out! They make a fantastic, fresh, raw side for anything!

2 heads cauliflower

 Egg Muffins

1 avocado

2 english cucumbers 

1 package Love Beets or Melissa's Beets - these are organic steamed ready to eat

4 cans of chunk light tuna in water

2 packages of Al Fresco Chicken Sausage

Apples

Quinoa Salad - This is another great go to for lunch and dinner - you can easily swap out ingredients, for example this week I used tomato/basil/spinach and the same dressing from this recipe!

I start by doing the egg white muffins.   Just pour the egg whites in and add toppings!  Just don't forget to spray them with olive oil first!  They are really quick and I can pop those in the oven while I wash, peel and chop the next batch of stuff.  (Egg Whites + diced bell peppers + a spoonful of salsa or pesto is the easiest).  Another awesome thing about these is that you can use this recipe to clean out of the fridge of veggies that need using up!  Pretty much anything works!!

I also go ahead and boil the eggs.  My trick is to put them in the pot, cover with water, pop the lid on, turn to high and as soon as they come to a full boil, turn them off and leave them covered for about 30 minutes, they will be perfectly cooked and easy to peel!  By the time you are done with the rest of your prep, they are cooled and ready to go into the fridge.  Easy!

Cook up that quinoa at the same time! It's also just a matter of boil and leave too! And get to chopping!

While all the eggs  and quinoa are going, I get the sweet potatoes prepped.  Peel, chop into bite-sized pieces and add to the baking pan.  Drizzle with a 3-4 count of olive oil, then toss then with a spatula and roast at 400F until fork tender, about 30 minutes.  Toss them around with tongs or a spatula a couple times during baking and they'll be perfect!

Exact same process with a whole pan of brussels sprouts or a pan of cauliflower/mushrooms/onions, a pan of mushrooms/onion/garlic, a pan of asparagus (only 10 minutes).  I actually don't even use s/p.  I prefer to add spices depending on what I end up using them in and I rarely add salt.  Most days I end up with brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes for breakfast!  They are so yummy in combo with the Apple Chicken Sausage and /or Eggs!  Plus, it gets those good cruciferous veggies in early!  The mushroom combo I log ahead and get ready to serve piled high on top of a piece of grilled chicken or a naked turkey burger later in the week for dinner! Yummmm....

I even do the bacon in the oven.  I line the baking sheet with foil and roast the bacon for 10 minutes then flip with tongs.  Bake until desired crispiness.  Once that is done I remove the foil and trash it.  

Then toss together the broccoli salad.  This one only keeps for a couple of days, so we usually eat it for lunch/mini-meals Monday/Tuesday with grilled chicken. 

Then, I go ahead and make up the quinoa salad.  It keeps well for 3-4 days, but it never lasts that long!  It makes for a great dinner, just reheat and add chicken or fish!  Sometimes I will hold this one and make it Tuesday night or Wednesday just for something to hold us through until the weekend!

I put together a few containers of tomatoes/cucumber/oil/vinegar for afternoon mini-meals, that 3:30pm fade!  

The chicken all goes into the marinade in the morning and then we grill that up in the afternoon, let it cool and then put it into one big container for the next few days.

Mounds of chicken ready for lunch, dinner or snack!

There is plenty at the ready!  No takeout this week!

Fiesta and Pesto Veggie Egg White Muffins

Raw broccoli salad.

Individual breakfasts of chicken sausage, egg muffin, sweet potato and asparagus.

Roasted asparagus, roasted carrots, bacon, roasted peppers & onions, roasted mushrooms/garlic/onions,  cherry tomatoes...

Huge pans of roasted veggies!

5 sweet potatoes chopped, drizzled with olive oil, tossed to coat, baked at 400F for 30 minutes.  Remember to shake them around a couple times during the cook time!

After 30 minutes they are slightly brown and fork tender!  Such a nice sweet compliment to anything!

Snacks in the fridge so you don't even have to think!  1/2 cucumber + 1 cup sliced tomatoes, salt/pepper, 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar! Shake! Pair it with a couple oz. of grilled chicken!

Lunches for the kids...
Horizon Cheese Sticks
Nitrate Free Ham
Tuna Salad (tuna, mayo, relish) on baby pitas or with crackers
Chobani Yogurt Tubs
Lifeway Probugs Kefir Packs
Goldfish
Fig Bars
Kind Bars
Olives
Avocado
Nature Sweet Cherub Tomatoes
Broccoli
Carrots
Cucumber sticks
Otria Greek Yogurt Dip
Grapes
Apples
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Trail Mix
Capri Sun Waters
Nalgene Water Bottles - they all take these everyday

Confession!!!!  I despise making lunches!  It's like pumping gas...it doesn't take long, you have to do it, but it is just annoying.  So, I do as much ahead as possible so that I can just grab and go.  It makes me so much happier to have it all done ahead.  More Lunchbox ideas!   I REALLY like to let them help!  It's so good for them in so many ways, and hopefully it will pay off in the future! ;)

I use the PlanetBox lunch boxes and alternate with Sistema Boxes so that I can fix 2 days worth at a time!  I bag up goldfish, grapes, carrot chips, and trail mix on Sunday.  I usually roll-up a dozen ham/cheese rolls and keep those stored in airtight containers.
They love the Tuna Salad I make for my lunch, so I let them have that with relish in a sandwich or on pita!  As much as I can do ahead, saves us all in the afternoon while we tackle homework, baths, etc. it's just one less thing to worry about with 4 kids running circles around me! ;) As a general rule, I let them pick a couple of fruits, a protein (tuna, ham, cheese), a fat (which is always almonds, olives or avocado), a snack. I figure it's fine for them to have a normal kid's snack item as long as the rest of their lunch is balanced!

The kids are great at measuring out snacks for school!  It helps them leaner to measure and they love to be included!

Snacks and fruit for lunches for the week!

Online Shopping - WHY!!!

I used to be that person who truly enjoyed going to the grocery store, walking the aisles, perusing the new items and deciding what was for dinner by grabbing whatever struck me at the moment....that was before 4 kids.  That does NOT mean that I don't still enjoy yummy food!  These days, I would rather take shopping for food off my plate (hee hee), so that I can do the fun stuff AND gain that saved hour for me time!  Wouldn't you rather get an hour of "fun" shopping or an extra workout than casing the grocery store?  That's why I strategically purchase food and shop for other stuff!

This week I did all my planning and purchasing on Saturday; it didn't take that much time at all!  About 45 uninterrupted minutes, I had my menu done and had placed my online shopping order for the bulk of my menu.

Online shopping is available in most areas these days.  I realize it's not for everyone and some people don't realize how much it IS for them!  At first I was skeptical about someone selecting my produce and meats, but my grocery store definitely gives extra attention to their home shop customers! So....you generally get the best of what they have!  They always check dates on every item and if anything is short dated, they give it to you free.  Generally if a produce item doesn't look great, they give you 2 for the price of 1, or give you the option of subbing something at no charge.  If a particular brand is out of stock, they sub the next best thing at no cost to you.  Many times they have your meat custom cut by the butcher and they always call and ask if you want the short dated clearance meats or long dated ones.  It's like having a personal shopper!  So the quality is there!

Yes, there is a cost involved, but it's definitely worth the small expense.  Harris Teeter, my store of choice, charges $99.95/year for unlimited online shopping, or $16.95/month.  Do the math, if you shop only 1 time per week at the yearly price that's $1.92/week.  That gets you someone to spend an hour or more shopping your order, bagging it in nice paper bags separated by perishable and shelf stable, storing it in the fridges ready for you to swing and pick it up at your convenience!

It's fantastic to be able to swing by right after school or soccer practice, not get out of the car or haul all the kids in, begging for this and that; and simply drive through and have your groceries loaded. Wonderful!  Plus, it goes without saying that it's a real convenience to place an order that your husband can easily pick up on his way home from work, without worrying about what he might actually show up with!  And better yet, when you have a sick child and just need a can of soup and a jug of juice, unlimited orders at no extra charge!

When the girls were little I remember placing an order for 3 gallons of milk, and loving what headache it saved me, not having to get all those babies out just to get milk!  And...one weekend while I was away for a girl's weekend, my husband called in a frenzy about something, I hopped right online from out of town and voila, groceries ready for him to pick up!  I placed my order at 5am this past week and it was ready by 10am, and I got a call from my shopper letting me know what the out of stocks were and offering options for those items. So the convenience is fabulous!

Moreover, and my FAVORITE thing about online shopping...it saves all your purchases!  You can click on a list of your purchases from the last 90 days, both online and in-store, and simply check next to the ones you want, enter the quantity, and press go!!!  In this list all sale items are highlighted in red! It is so fantastic to scroll down just checking by the items on your menu and add them to your cart!  It even simplifies menu planning because you can use that as a guide to jog your memory on things you've made recently and plan around the most cost effective ones!  Talk about $ saving, you can jump right into the weekly ad, and shop from there!  I usually use this to help me keep my menus close to the source by adding meals that include the most seasonal produce!

And...if you tend to forget things, problem solved!  There is an app that you can shop directly from!  When I think of something, I hop into my or pen order and add it right away so I don't forget later!  OR, you can shop directly from your past purchases, just scroll through and look for anything you might have run out of!

So, yep....I am a huge fan of online shopping...hahaha, can you tell??!!

In addition to my online order, I make a Costco run for the things we only get there every couple of weeks.  These items are VERY specific, mostly organic greens, eggs, some cheeses, some kids snack items, paper products, wild caught frozen fish, organic chicken, etc. Over time I have realized what to get here and what not to get here!
(Tip: Don't send your husband, unless you want him to come home with socks and underwear for the family, along with whatever athletic equipment is being advertised that day! ;)

Last, I hit Whole Foods for certain organic/grass fed meats and items that I can't find at HT.

I know that seems like a ton of info, but mostly it's WHY purchasing online saves $, time, listening to your kids whine and throw unwanted items into your cart, and adds a bit of convenience to your life!  Please let me know any questions!!!


Online Shopping WHY

Time:

• It keeps me from making multiple trips to the grocery store, driving, walking the aisles, waiting in line...
• I can start an order early in the week with things that I think of as time goes on, and then complete the order on Friday morning when the E-vic items come out and it's ready for pick-up before the kids get out of school!

Money:

• Less trips to the store, less impulse items in the cart!  Online shopping, much less impulse items!
• Planning ahead = no dump - You throw away much less food if you plan and buy for those meals and nothing additional! 
• You can shop the ads and use them to start your menu.
• If you sign up for the yearly subscription, the cost is only about $1.92 per week, and you are allowed unlimited orders!  

Calories:

• I know that if I hit the store hungry, my cart seems to somehow fill itself with random stuff that I don't need, and probably isn't the best deal!  If the Oreos aren't in the house, you won't eat them!

Convenience

• I can shop from my bed before I go to sleep and it's ready for pick-up by 10am.
• Now there is an app for online shopping!  I can sit in pick-up line and add things to my cart, and pick up my shopping when and where I have a minute!
• I keep an open order going in the app, so that when I think of something we need, I hop in and add it to my cart, so that I don't forget about it between then and the rest of my day!
• Hitting the drive thru at Harris Teeter beats the heck out of taking 3, 6 month olds into the store...unstrapping, finding a cart and another apparatus, re-strapping, etc.
• Time, time, time!  I run short on time everyday!  With online shopping I can fold that load of laundry when I would otherwise be searching!

CHOICE vs. Force

CHOICE vs. Force. 

What happens when YOU make a choice in life? What happens when you feel FORCED ? It's amazing how different your actions and your mindset become; your approach and commitment when you CHOOSE to do something. There is automatic obligation, you feel a responsibility to yourself, your Mental Muscle has focused on a goal that is already reasonable to your mind.

If pressure is applied for a specific outcome is it really for you, your mind? If you feel forced does it enable your mind to adjust? Or does it precipitate immediate push-back? Do you become more rigid in your actions and lack enjoyment in the journey? That is usually when resentment and rebellion are possible. 

Just think, when you help your children to make their own choices, isn't the outcome much different than when you force them without their own willingness to commit? When you make the choice and do the work that is when you gain strength, endurance, and the ability to continue with forward momentum; pride in yourself and the ability to make even larger gains and set even higher goals! When you realize that YOU can do anything your mind CHOOSES to do!

About 75 Days ago my husband and I joined hands and together we made a Choice on a commitment to a change in diet, exercise and lifestyle. We had already been eating pretty clean, with maybe a few too many splurges. I was exercising everyday without fail, but he was spotty at best. It seemed that no matter what I did I just could not get over the hurdle I was standing by. One of the new things we implemented is a Cellular Cleasne, not a colon cleanse or anything like that, a supported intermittent fast, giving our digestive system a rest and our cells the ability to release environmental toxins. 

These days have been very easy and VERY productive in energy production, fat loss and muscle gains for both of us. My metabolism has been way up, making me really hungry, lately, and last week when it came to our Cleanse Day, I was not all in. I felt forced and was hungry, resentful, and quite frankly annoyed. It was rough and I was not happy, nothing like all the others had been. So, I decided that I would skip a week and give my mind time to calm and commit. However, I woke up yesterday at 4:45am without an alarm, and immediately felt like doing my Cleanse Day. I was completely committed. I got up and banged out a 45 minute, TOUGH workout, and was not ready to stop when it was over! I was firing on more cylinders than I knew I had! My day was AWESOME! I breezed through the day, checking off everything on my list and more, empowered and HAPPY! (And for those of you who know me, OCDeanna LOVES to check things off a list, heehee). This was a product of CHOICE! I went to bed happy, proud, and fulfilled. I woke up this morning with awesome energy, positivity, feeling light on my feet and ready to take on the day. The power of CHOICE!

Sometimes, staying on track is NOT easy! Some days are much harder than others, every day is not the same. You have to listen to your mind, your body and your heart, sometimes you need to give yourself a break! There is no cut and dry, no black and white; you have to leave room for what your body and mind tell you. YOU are the only one who can determine your goals and when to you are ready to go for them! Finding Investment in Today, in yourself and what YOU want and need is your best answer!

Paleo BBQ

This meal is so awesome because it is DELICIOUS, it makes a ton, and can be used for several meals!  I am using the leftovers later this week to stuff red bell peppers and top with enchilada sauce and although it sounds weird, it makes fabulous taco and enchilada meat!  The best part about it, although it took 8+ hours to cook, I was hands on for only about 10 minutes!  

True story, this BBQ is so yummy that yesterday when I made this ahead, (so I could photograph it) my 3 year old pitched a fit when she found it I was saving it for today!  This is such a crowd pleaser that my very Southern, not at all Paleo extended family, regularly asks me to make my BBQ for family events!  

The recipe I am giving you is our favorite; however, if you prefer a more tomato based sauce, add a can of organic crushed tomatoes to this recipe!

If you like it more spicy, add 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cayenne or ancho chili powder.

If you like it more Carolina style, double up on the mustard!

It is CRAZY versatile and couldn't be more simple!

BBQ Recipe

Pork Should / Boston Butt (mine was 6.75lbs)

Rinse the meat in cool water and place into slow-cooker with fat side up.  Set slow-cooker to high for 8 hours and walk away!

After 8 hours, the meat should break apart VERY easily, if it doesn't, cook for another hour and check it then!  All slow-cookers, cook a little different!  But you can't really overcook it!  I have left it one for 10+ hours before!

Carefully drain liquid fat into heat proof container, carefully remove the layer of fat from the top of the meat using tongs and a meat fork.  Hint: that's the translucent jiggly part.

Remove bone with tongs, it should pull right out with little to no force.  

Break up the meat by twisting it with tongs or remove the shoulder and chop if you prefer.

Pour 2/3 of the sauce over the meat and toss right in slow-cooker.

Allow to cook in slow-cooker, UNCOVERED for about 15-20 more minutes.

Serve with remaining sauce!

Marinade 

1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients into a large clean jar and shake, shake, shake, dance around and shake....and done!

Check it out LIVE!!!!

Rinse the meat off under cool water and place fat side up, into slow-cooker.  Turn it to high heat for 8 hours.

After approximately 8 hours, or when the meat breaks up easily with a meat fork, gently remove the fat layer from the top with a meat fork.  Pour off the fat and remove the bone, it should pull right out with tongs.  If it doesn't, allow the meat to cook a little longer.

Fat removed and drained and bone removed - notice there is no meat at all clinging to the bone.

Break up the meat by grabbing it with tongs and twisting until it's slightly shredded.  You can remove the shoulder and chop it up if you prefer!

THE SAUCE

Ready to grub!

Next up...3 Slaw Variations for sides!