Thanksgiving Weekend

   I want to start by apologizing for my lack of posts lately! Dustin has been working 10 hour days, 7 days a week and to top it off with holidays and my grandpa being sick. Yesterday was his 87th birthday, and he celebrated it in the hospital with the stomach flu, severe dehydration, and irregularly low heartbeat. So our Sunday will consist of enjoying this beautiful spring-like day as a family and visiting our grandpa at the hospital again.

   For his birthday, he said he wanted a banana cake. I love hearing his stories of his past birthdays. He told me that a few decades back, he made his own banana cake and all of the ladies would always ask him when he was going to bake another one for them ;)

   I wanted to make a nostalgic cake for him, so I did some Pinteresting and came upon this recipe which turned out beautifully! It certainly isn't paleo, but it's definitely delicious! Baking this cake made me really miss my old days of baking all the time. Unfortunately, my grandpa couldn't enjoy a slice of the cake (he's on a strict liquid diet), but I may or may not have slipped him just one "small" bite. Shhh!!

   Our thanksgiving was spent with family where I celebrated being done with our 28-day fall Nutrition Challenge at Crossfit Uncommon. I didn't cheat for one second of those 28 days, but I definitely dreamt of all of the things I'd be gettin' down on come Thanksgiving time! It was all I expected and so much more. I ate more than any man at the dinner table and didn't regret it for a second. 

Pre-turkey

Post-turkey

         I hope that ya'll have a beautiful Sunday! 

Gingerbread Protein Pancakes (Paleo)

   So as of lately, anytime that I have eggs for breakfast my stomach will be turning into knots for hours after. I have eaten eggs for just about every breakfast for over two years now! I figured maybe it's my way of my body telling me it's all egg-ed out. So I listened. I miss the days of eating pancakes, but don't want to put grains back into my diet so I came up with this recipe. It took me multiple tries to get them to look and taste just right and they get better every time I make them! Keep in mind when you're preparing them: that it's a small serving for one...I don't measure my spices or much of anything for that matter so if you like exact measurements, don't do this recipe. I'll be describing them with the annoying terms such as "dash", "scant", "pinch", etc.


Gingerbread Protein Paleo Pancakes

   A look at some of the ingredients:

Ingredients:

-about 1/2 cup almond meal
-1 egg
-1 scoop of protein powder of choice (I used chocolate, it's all I had. If you have gingerbread...that's even cooler)
-about 1/2 tbsp organic chia seeds (optional, adds texture and Omega 3's)
-handful-ish of organic unsweetened shredded coconut (optional, again-adds texture, flavor)
-pinch of coconut crystals (low glycemic alternative to sweeteners, nothing artificial about this one though :)
-dash of ginger, nutmeg, & clove
-super dash of cinnamon (optional on the "super" part...I just think you can never have too much cinnamon)
-almond milk (no set amount, just have it ready. Coconut milk is fine, too. Cow's milk is also fine, whatever you're into!)
-coconut oil


Get out a small bowl, add all of the dry ingredients (including the egg-not shown in this pic) into the bowl. Stir them together.

Now it's time for the milk. I literally just splash a very small amount into the bowl and mix.

If it is still dry & crumbly, then I will add another small splash. Keep adding the almond milk until it is thick and creamy.

Spoon batter onto medium-heated skillet (oiled with coconut oil) and let it cook until it bubbles and then flip it!

Top it off with nut butter, fruit, nuts, syrup. Whatever you would like!

Hope everyone enjoys this one! Happy Thanksgiving!

Mini Gingerbread "Snow" Covered Donuts

Today was the first day of snow around here and I was just too excited and in the Christmas spirit to not celebrate! I want my daughter to have the sweetest holiday memories. So I ran into her bedroom this morning to get her out of bed to show her the snow outside her window...only to find...a "reindeer"! We have 2 acres of unkept land where the deer love to nest this time of year. So seeing them in our yard is very entertaining. It was too perfect and cute to watch her reaction. Needless to say, it's been a magical day!  

Anyways, I'll cut to the chase. Here's the recipe to the donuts we made today...hope you enjoy as much as she did! Disclaimer: not everything I make is "clean eating" or paleo. Gotta let the kid taste the dirty stuff, too ;) 

Mini Gingerbread Snow Covered Donuts

Dry Ingredients:

-1 cup flour

-1 tsp baking powder

-1 cinnamon 

-1/2 tsp ginger

-1/8 tsp cloves

-1/8 tsp nutmeg

-1/4 tsp salt 

-1/4 cup brown sugar

Wet Ingredients: 

-1 egg

-3 tbsp maple syrup

-1/3 cup milk (I used almond milk)

-1 1/2 tsp vanilla

-3 tbsp melted butter (I used ghee, aka clarified butter) 

Frosting:

-1 cup powdered sugar

- 1tbsp hot water

-1/2 heaping tbsp almond milk (any milk is fine)

-splash of vanilla

-shredded unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease donut pan with coconut oil (or whatever it is that you use). Combine dry ingredients and stir. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until moistened. Pipe the batter into the pan, careful to not overload them. Bake for 8 min. As they're cooling, mix frosting ingredients in a small bowl. Pour shredded coconut into a separate small dish and set aside. Once the donuts are cooled, dip in the frosting and let excess drip off (or let your toddler spastically shake it, so frosting goes flying) and then gently dunk into bowl of shredded coconut. Lay on a pretty plate and enjoy! 

Our loss, Heaven's great gain

As most of you probably already know most of this story, I wanted to share again. This is obviously from my perspective, but I also realize it was as much Dustin's loss as it was mine. I cannot speak for him. He's been so strong through this process, but I am certain he feels the same.

I have received so many messages from moms and dads of their stories of miscarriage and so many sweet prayers...I am so thankful for everyone sharing their personal stories of their sweet babies. I was also extremely saddened that so many people haven't shared their stories with others. Although it is NOT fun to talk about, I can't imagine how hard it would be to heal if I closed up and didn't talk and pray about it. I am a very open and honest person, so I don't mind telling my story. I don't care that some people disagree with what I've done or how I feel about this. I don't care if people judge me for what's happened. I don't regret telling people that we were expecting before we made it to the second trimester. I hope that some mothers and fathers that have suffered loss find encouragement through our suffering.

I found out that we were expecting on Labor Day. Dustin and I were elated and didn't wait a second to share the news with our family. The family was of course very excited. Only a couple of weeks after finding out that we were pregnant, we had an ultrasound to discover that we were expecting twins!! We couldn't believe it. Literally, shocked. The ultrasound tech waited about fifteen minutes into the appointment to tell us...which made it even harder to believe! She wanted to be sure that there were really two sacs before telling us.

She, and the midwife, were very very clear from the beginning that they don't see twins this early in an ultrasound all that often and to be very cautious to share the news with anyone, even close family, until we were in the "clear" of the glorious second trimester.

We left the appointment, unphased by their warnings and couldn't wait to tell family and friends. So we didn't. I felt so sure inside my heart that I was meant to carry those twins full term and that they would be perfectly safe inside me. I was healthy. I am strong mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. I never for a moment considered that a miscarriage could be a part of our history.

That was, until our next appointment. The babies hadn't changed too much in the ultrasound and I just sensed that things weren't right. I knew that I should have measured further along. I stayed strong and didn't cry when the tech told us that things weren't looking too good. I didn't want to believe her words. After all, I had already gotten everyone's hopes up. I didn't want to face all of the upset questions from family and friends.

I quickly fell apart after leaving the appointment and realized that my confidence in the blessings was my own selfishness. Total selfishness. I had two weeks to grieve the possibility of a miscarriage before I actually miscarried both babies. So when it actually happened, I was somewhat prepared and at peace. I knew in my heart that it was coming.

It was a lonely night when it happened, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I grieved for them. I had all night alone to cry, pray and be in my own thoughts. I selfishly wanted them still growing inside me, but knew that this wasn't a mistake. This was God's plan from the beginning. I was just along for the bumpy ride. I waited until the sun came up and my daughter woke up to bury the babies. I showed Hayden and Dustin the babies, prayed for them, we kissed the burial box and we buried them in a special place in our yard. It was a very hard thing to do, but wouldn't have it any other way.

So many people have apologized to me. Told me that they're sorry for my loss. I am not sorry. I'm not sorry that it happened. Of course I am extremely saddened and aching inside, but I am peaceful knowing that the babies weren't mine to begin with. God chose me to carry them. Even if it were for just a couple months...he chose me for this great joy and this great suffering. I am beyond honored and thankful for it all. Words can't express my thankfulness for God's constant grace. He knew that I could handle this. Through this all, it's brought me so much closer to Him. All I can seem to do is praise Jesus. And for that, I am also thankful. Without God, I wouldn't have known His promise to find the positivity and strength to make it through.

Again, Dustin and I are so thankful for the love and personal stories that people have so kindly shared with us. Knowing how painful it is to talk about, we thank you and are praying for you all! We love all of you so much.


Psalm 71: 20-21

     Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up. 

Food prepping

Since we have started prepping our food for the week, our lives have simplified!! It's so much easier than we expected. For some reason, I kept putting "food prepping" in the mission impossible category. It was always one of those things that seemed like a great idea to think about doing...but I never actually did it. Much like ALL of my boards & pins on Pinterest. Thankfully we finally gave it a shot and can't figure out why we waited so long to do this! 

 Today, I whipped up a couple meals for my hubby and I in 30 min flat! I try to do it when the baby is napping. Anyone with a toddler knows cooking with them in the kitchen is damn near impossible. 

I just buy the meat and vegetables, cook it (the grill makes cleanup super easy) and then package it up so we don't even have to do anything when it comes to packing our lunch for the work week. Our nights are much more enjoyable when we get cooking done beforehand! More time to talk and hang as a family! 

I know it doesn't look like much but there's over 5 cups of mixed vegetables, 5 chicken breasts and a steak! People always ask where we buy our food, not too many options 'round here, but we buy most of our vegetables at Sam's Club because that's the only place I can find that sells monster sized bags of green goodness! Most of our meat comes from Payless (natural & organic section only) or the farmers market. 

Try this for one week and see if it doesn't make your life easier...and healthier!

The Whole30

The Whole30 is my latest challenge that I wanted to share with y'all! I have been trying to push for improvement and this one has been surprisingly easy.

In our home, most know that we follow a paleo lifestyle about 90-95% of the time. For the past couple of weeks though, I was allowing myself to be more like an 80/20. However, for someone like me who has joint issues (Rheumatoid Arthritis); I have finally learned & accepted the fact that my body is highly sensitive to what I consume.

The average person can usually enjoy some froyo, grains, cupcake, beer, burger etc. from time to time; but I cannot. I will literally have a "food hangover" the next day and wake up in a tremendous amount of pain. It reached a point where it physically was a struggle for me to get my baby out of her crib in the mornings. Unacceptable. Some may think I am crazy & uptight when it comes to my lifestyle. I can't deny that, I have probably lost my marbles...but to me, it's worth it. I have a one and a half year old daughter that requires me to be on-point 24/7. And I am young. I want to feel young.

I am a week into the Whole30 challenge and have been feeling fabulous! Everyday into the challenge, I feel better and better. I am hoping this will give my body the reset that it desperately needed.

To those who are interested in giving it a try, I'd like to share a few tips that have worked for me:

• Before you even consider beginning, make sure you're head is in it. You've got to want it. You have to be so fed up with the aches, pains, and same routine that you can't stand to do it another day. Don't start something that you can't finish. You'll feel so good and accomplished when it is said and done.
• Meal prep. I had never prepped my meals in advance before, but I knew that I wouldn't last in this challenge if I had to cook a fresh plate for every single meal. Ain't nobody got time for that. Every Sunday, we my awesome hubby preps our meats for the week. Then, I will reheat them for lunch or dinner either on a skillet, grill, or in the oven (never the microwave).
• Extra pointers for meal prepping:
• have lots of containers or ziploc bags before starting
• slightly undercook your beef as it will taste better when you have to reheat it throughout the week. 
• Take your time cooking the meat. Cook it low & slow so it will taste good. Nobody lasts in this challenge if the food they're eating tastes like chewy rubber.
• I prefer eating my veggies in the same day that I cook them. They don't take long to cook at all; so as I cook my eggs in the morning, I will prepare my veggies for the day as well. 
• If you are known for having little to no willpower, don't put yourself in tempting situations. Don't make dinner plans with friends/family for the next 30 days if you can't resist. Don't go to a party where you know you'll be tempted by booze, cake, etc. Thankfully, I am a pretty big loser already so I don't go to too many parties ;) But I was able to take my husband out for froyo today, and didn't have a single lick! My daughter was covered in froyo and I was so tempted to lick her face and tiny sticky fingers and polish off her cup...but, I didn't. That's willpower folks. 
• If you get hungry, leave the house. Get outside. Take some carrots with you. 
• Always have fresh veggies on hand. Don't ever let your fridge run low, or hunger & anger will set in and you'll cave. 
• Drink at least a gallon of water every day. 
• If you get hungry, drink water & get over it. You'll live. 
• Get active. You'll start noticing results quickly when you eat clean. Being active in addition to this challenge will really make ya feel like a million bucks!
• Pray. I'd be lying if I said it hasn't helped me. 

This challenge has made me realize how darn good healthy food really is. I feel good, and I am eating like a queen. Here are some pictures of the deliciousness that I get to enjoy everyday!

These jalapeno bites were almost considered cheating. Don't make them...you'll want to eat every one of them! 

Always filling the plate up with a boat load of vegetables.

Even though I don't consume grains anymore, it doesn't mean I don't have a love for starch anymore. I have at least one sweet potato a day! I can't get enough. To which I have to say.....

Notice how I am not in the picture. I may have willpower, but that doesn't mean I wanted to smile for the camera. *jealous of these turds*

If you give this a-go, let me know! I would love to be support for you! Plus, it's always nice to know you're not alone in something like this. Let's be miserable healthier together!

Easy Lunch for Picky Babies

Some babies just don't want to eat their fruits and veggies. Some parents just don't want to have that fight with them. Some parents just may not have the time to make a freshly prepared lunch everyday! Whatever the reason, here's what my daughter had for lunch today. Thought I'd share for those who are into making smoothies.

We don't make smoothies often because I believe it's more beneficial to eat your food. But in her situation (lacking her molars to chew just yet), it's a great way for her to get some greens into the diet without her choking! 

I used a NutriBullet to blend. This one is loaded with antioxidants (great for teething babies to reduce inflammation) and is very filling with the rice/oatmeal cereal. 

Ingredients:

-2-3 oz of water or almond milk

-3 strawberries

-3 small blocks of cut pineapple

-1 oz Xocai Activ 

- half of a ripe banana

-1 tbsp organic rice or oatmeal cereal

-2 handfuls of mixed organic greens

Blend until it's smooth. Taste test first! If you don't like it, chances are the baby isn't going to either!