Frenchie Friday

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Happy Frenchie Friday everyone!  I wanted to share a book that I recently stumbled upon after following Dallas Clayton's work on Instagram.  Melissa Hartwig, the founder of the Whole30 Program was raving about him on one of her posts and since finding out about him...I now know why.

After seeing a couple of his quotes, I was just blown away by how much some of his writing resonated with me.  This is one that I really loved about growing up.  I think anyone can relate to it is some way...

He writes such positive sayings that touch our hearts, but in such a simple way...

Dallas Clayton has written, illustrated and published a series of children's books...his first focusing on the idea of "dreaming big" quickly became a favorite among Hollywood celebrities.  "An Awesome Book!" was such a huge success that he followed that with "An Awesome Book of Thanks!" that follows the same style as the first, delivering a message about the importance of gratitude.  His third children's book is, "An Awesome Book of Love!".  Along with the original book, the follow ups were loved by critics and Clayton began being referred to as "The New Dr. Seuss."

When I found out he had released a "kid's book for adults", I knew I had to have it.  It's called "It's Never Too Late", a timeless story for anyone looking for the perfect reminder just how magical life is.  As adults we need to remember what matters most in life.  The story sets up a scenario where....if it all came crashing down today, would you be happy with your life?  If not...it's never too late.

I loved it so much...I immediately ordered a few more to give away to some of my closest friends.  I can't get enough of this message!  :)  It reminded me of my obsession with Shel Silverstein books as a kid.  Sometimes we need a children's book to take us back to basics...remember what's truly important in life.

Clayton, who draws his inspiration from his son, continues to write stories and poetry and founded the non-profit "Awesome World Foundation" in 2009 with the intention of traveling the world, reading to kids and promoting childhood literacy.  In my opinion we need more of these positive messages in our lives.

"It's never too late to start something new, to do all of those things you've been longing to do."  -Dallas Clayton

Onion Ranch Sliders with Sweet Potato Bun

The other night I totally winged it for dinner and it's funny how sometimes it's in those times when you stumble upon something extra good.  These tasty Onion Ranch Sliders with Sweet Potato Buns made my husband very happy.

I only made a few of these sliders, but make as many as you like!  You can make your Non-Dairy Ranch Dressing ahead of time.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Peel your sweet potato and slice them into 1/4 inch rounds.  I used a white sweet potato for this.  Chop yellow onion for the sliders.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add the sweet potato rounds to the boiling water and set a timer for 5 minutes.  Take them out and pat dry.  They won't be all the way cooked, that's okay...

Rub the sweet potato rounds with coconut oil, sprinkle with salt and grease a baking sheet with a little extra coconut oil.  Put them in the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes.  Flip them halfway through.  Watch them as mine took a little longer...they are done when golden brown.

Make your slider patties out of your meat of choice... smaller than burgers so they fit the potato buns better;) Season with salt and pepper.  Press a generous amount of chopped onion into the top of the sliders, but leave some chopped onion aside for extra grilled onions you'll add to the pan.  This got me thinking of "White Castle" burgers...

Cook your burgers however you like.... I used a grill pan on medium-high and cooked them about 3-4 minutes per side.  Place your burgers face down first to start grilling the onions.

When you flip the burgers, sprinkle the extra chopped onion around in the pan for extra grilled onions on top of your sliders...stir the onions around until grilled.

When your "buns" are done, place them on a paper towel to drain...

When your burgers are done to your liking, build your sliders.  Place a sweet potato bun, then your burger, more grilled onions, drizzle with ranch and top with another sweet potato bun!  You can pick up these little sliders and sink your teeth in!  It's like having a burger and fries all at the same time!  Mmmmmmm.  These Onion Ranch Sliders with Sweet Potato Bun would be great alongside Tuscan Kale Salad.  Want more toppings?... Go for it.  Add lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon... you just might not be able to pick it up anymore;)

Chocolate Chili

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I love that there is a whole new group of people starting the Whole30 this month, so I wanted to make sure to post one of my favorite Whole30 meals so that you have the recipe!  Chocolate Chili!  You can make a double batch and freeze half if you like...because you will want to make this one again, trust me.  This chili is a great basic, flavorful, not spicy, chili that everyone will love.  The chocolate flavor is not overwhelming, it's the perfect hint of yumminess.

It's Well Fed's Chocolate Chili by Melissa Joulwan.  Well Fed is a cookbook that has essentially all Whole30 approved recipes that are SO delicious!  It is so tasty and satisfying.  I had this on the stove during the Super Bowl and people went back for seconds;)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 medium onions or 1 large, diced (about 2 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
• 2 pounds ground beef or ground of choice, I've used bison, venison & elk
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or pure cacao
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted, chopped tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) beef broth
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Heat a large, deep pot over medium-high heat, then add the coconut oil. When the oil is melted, add onions, stir with a wooden spoon and cook until they’re translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and as soon as it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds, crumble the ground meat into the pan with your hands, mixing with the wooden spoon to combine. Continue to cook the meat, stirring often, until it’s no longer pink.

2. In a small bowl, crush the oregano between your palms to release its flavor, then add the chili powder, cumin, cocoa, allspice, and salt. Combine with a fork, then add to the pot, stirring like you mean it. Add tomato paste and stir until combined, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes with their juice, beef broth, and water to the pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the chili enjoys a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for at least two hours. Do not skimp on the simmer! Serve in deep bowls with big spoons.

This chocolate chili is delicious all on it's own.... or serve with healthy toppings like chopped white onions or avocado slices.  I've also served it on top of cauliflower rice....YUM.  I hope you enjoy this recipe, you can eat this satisfying chili for days after you make it, if it lasts that long!  :)

Non-Dairy Ranch Dressing

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I'm a picky Ranch Dressing person.  I am.  I've never liked any Ranch Dressing out of a bottle, it just doesn't taste good.  Well, my search is over, this is IT!  This Ranch Dressing is the best I've tried.  It's from a recipe that's roaming around the internet called "dump ranch" by @wholesisters on Instagram.... because you just dump it all in and mix!  I listed the specific fresh herbs I added below.  Fresh herbs make it really tasty.  It couldn't be easier.  What's even better?  It's dairy-free!  There's more....it's made with olive oil, a healthy fat.

It's Super Bowl Sunday today.  For many people that means fooooooood.  It doesn't mean you have to load up on chips, wings, pizza, burgers, hot dogs and all the crap that can go hand in hand with game day!

I'm serving up a hearty chili with some healthy fixings, like onions and cilantro....  I'm also serving a bunch of veggies.  Veggies can be kind of boring...unless you have the ultimate DIP to go with them!  This Ranch is so delicious, I bet no one would know it wasn't full of buttermilk!  Enough talk, here's the recipe....

You can use a blender for this recipe, just don't add the herbs until the end and pulse in.  Otherwise it will turn green and affect the taste.  It works great with an immersion or stick blender...that's how I make it.

Put all the following ingredients in a narrow container or jar, like a mason jar that your immersion blender can fit into...

• 1 egg (some say it needs to be room temp, I didn't do this and it worked great;)
• 1 cup "light tasting olive oil" (this is key)
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder (granulated garlic)
• 1/2 cup full fat unsweetened coconut milk

Put your immersion blender at the bottom, blend for 1 minute.  At the end move it up slowly to mix all the oil in.  Once it's all mixed add...

•  1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill weed
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro (if you don't like cilantro, use parsley)

If it's chopped fine, just fold it in.  Or throw it in and blend briefly until mixed in!

SO tasty!!  Enjoy as a dip or salad dressing.... or slather it on anything and everything!  :)

Whole30 Day 30

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It is Day 30....the final day of the Whole30 Challenge.  This is my first time doing, and completing, the Whole30 and it feels amazing.  Amazing in more ways than one...

First, it feels wonderful when you have completed something you set out to do.  Second, my body feels way better than it's felt in a long time.  Third, when I looked in the mirror today, on Day 30, I loved myself.

We, as women, are hard on ourselves.  I think every woman picks herself apart, always seeing something they still aren't satisfied with.  Today when I looked in the mirror, not having a number on the scale dictate whether I should be satisfied or not ...I was happy.

The Whole30 is different because not only do I look better....more importantly, I feel better.  I can tell I am healthier than I was just 30 days ago.  I'm sleeping so soundly, every night.  I wake up rested.  My skin glows.  My bloat is gone.  I feel a "calmness" and optimism most of the time...but with a consistent energy.  I could go on and on.  I feel self love and I feel happy.  What's the BIGGEST difference between the Whole30 and other health programs I've tried?  I feel INDULGED, not DEPRIVED.  I look and feel this great getting to eat all that amazingly satisfying, delicious food!  I just EAT!  That's the coolest part.  I am now a firm believer that abs ARE built in the kitchen!  :) It really does start with food.   (See the link below for "Whole30 Day 15" for a complete list of the changes I've noticed.)

This is the final day of the Whole30....but this end is just the beginning for me.  I want to continue having my hormones working properly.  I want to continue being a "fat burner" rather than a "sugar burner".  I am going to continue to eat this way the majority of the time.  I will continue to ask myself  "Is this food going to make me healthier or unhealthier?"  It's that simple.  That's essentially what Paleo is all about.  Of course I will still enjoy all that life has to offer....I will just choose my indulgences when they are worth it and special.  

Congrats to all the other Whole30 Alumni out there!  I know there are a ton of you!  I'm so happy to join you.  It's definitely changed my life;)

Related blog posts:

Whole30 Day 1

Whole30 Day 15

Whole30 - Caleb's Story

Frenchie Friday

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Happy Frenchie Friday everyone!  It is also Day 30 of the Whole30 Challenge!  Whoo Hoo!  I will be posting later today about my experience and thoughts on the program, so stay tuned!

I had mentioned last week that my Frenchie Friday posts are going to be a cute picture of "Stella"...of course.  ....But also my 'fly by the seat of my pants' posts....and let whatever is on my mind at that moment flow!

So lately, because of our double discipline January with today completing the Whole30 Challenge AND no TV for the past 30 days...I want to talk about commitment.  I'm not talking about relationships right now, I'm talking about the commitments you make to YOU.  I saw this quote that I love because many people say things in a rah-rah, excited moment...only to fall off and not finish what they said they would do.  The only person you're letting down...is you.

I must admit, I felt a little like "What did I do!?" about the no TV at the same time as the Whole30 Challenge.  But I'm a stickler when it comes to making commitments to ME.  We have to trust ourselves and be confident we can do hard things.  When we break promises to ourselves, it leaves us feeling shame and guilt...which leads to less self love.

When we keep our commitments to ourselves, we feel happy, strong, confident...and have more self love.  This is why 30 Day Disciplines are so beneficial.  Be impeccable with your word and keep your commitments...especially to YOU.

Now I'm not going to judge you if you broke a commitment to yourself.  I know there are times it cannot be helped.  I'm talking about trying harder and not giving up...just because it gets hard.  There's a difference.

Okay, that's my ramblings for this Frenchie Friday...I hope you give some thought to your next commitment to YOU.  If you are stumped on what to try?  I happen to have my 30 Day Squat Challenge starting February 1st!!!  :)  Just sayin'.

Happy Frenchie Friday!... Have an incredible weekend!  It's SUPERBOWL!...Stay healthy;););)