Kelly’s Whole30 Thoughts/Suggestions/Tips
Here are some of my thoughts and tips about my Whole30 experience (for what it’s worth). Not an expert and you
may disagree, but these were some of my thoughts, questions and challenges going through the Whole30 that I
thought might be helpful.
Why do a whole30? – After doing a lot of reading and being part of facebook groups and reading blogs, people do
whole30 and elimination diets for many reasons. Some to lose weight, some for medical reasons etc. etc. I found
that doing the strict 30 days was helpful because it forced me into a new relationship with food. If you haven’t been
eating clean, whole non-processed food before this point you have more addictions to food than you realize. I
realized how addicted to sugar I was and after 30 days I no longer craved that food and I could really taste food
properly. Doing a whole30 is like starting boot camp. If you are all in, it makes it so much more a part of your life
which will give you a better relationship with food after the initial 30 days, even if you decide to add in some of your
favorite non-paleo foods. After the initial shock of feeling like there is nothing you can eat, you start looking at food
differently and realize all the food you can eat and it totally changes your viewpoint. Don’t think about what you
CAN’T eat, think about all the awesome food you CAN eat.
What I love most about Whole30/Paleo living – I have lost weight eating real, tasty food without counting calories or
points. Food is no longer a controlling factor in my life and that has never happened before and I have gone through
many stages of unhealthy eating in my life (both eating too much and too little).
What’s the difference between Whole30 and Paleo? – Whole30 is a VERY strict version of eating Paleo. If you are
eating Paleo you probably already have a pretty good relationship with food so eating some honey, natural maple
syrup, or Paleo baked goods will not mess with your system. During the Whole30 this isn’t allowed and SWYPO food
isn’t either (see below).
What’s the deal with SWYPO food?- When I did my first whole30 I didn’t really understand why you couldn’t drink
healthy smoothies, eat paleo pancakes etc. etc. I slowly realized that those foods are easy substitutes for their less
healthy counterparts. Plus, if you chew your food and really think about what you are eating it makes a bigger impact
on your day, life, etc. and you will slowly start to really enjoy “real” food vs. “quick” food. If you are eating paleo
pancakes, you are not eating a good size portion of protein, veggies and healthy fat. Once you change your
relationship with food, these options aren’t a big deal anymore and you are less likely to eat a huge stack of paleo
pancakes, so adding those in sometimes isn’t as big a deal.
Biggest challenges I faced with Whole30 - There is nothing quick about eating clean, real food. In our busy lives, I
found this to be the most challenging aspect (and still do, though it has gotten easier). Every week needs to be
planned or I would be without food. There is very little you can pick up at a store to eat that is Whole30 compliant.
The first week was painful, since it felt like a detox and I felt like crap. I was VERY addicted to carbs and sugar so
getting those out of my system was painful. I had more trouble working out and I really could not see how I was
going to continue exercising at the gym while eating this way. It got better and it wasn’t a problem after the first two
weeks. I gradually started feeling better and better.
Thankfully I don’t drink coffee and I gave up diet coke in January (which was a huge feat for a chronic diet coke
drinker), but I have heard this is very challenging for lots of people. I have heard people using coconut milk (full fat, in
the can) and drinking bullet proof coffee, but I have no experience with this.
I hated all the dishes that I constantly needed to clean! Also, it was challenging figuring out cooking for my family.
After the first 30 days, I figured out a better system that would work for me long term to feed myself and my family
(that wasn’t quite as much work as the first 30 days). I cook non-whole30 for them sometimes and I eat left overs
and we all eat the same thing the rest of the time. I would love them to eat whole30/paleo with me all the time, but I
have to tackle me first before I hear the complaints of my husband and children!
Every single person choosing to eat this way will have different challenges since everyone does it for different reasons
and has a different lifestyle.
Resources I used during my Whole30 and now– “It starts with food” (of course). All my recipes came from Pinterest
(if you don’t use it already, I highly recommend). I actually don’t own a Paleo/Whole30 cookbook. I started a Paleo
board in Pinterest and most of the recipes are Whole30 compliant (just be careful because many recipes have honey
which isn’t allowed during Whole30). I joined a facebook group called Whole30 recipe exchange. Here are some
great websites (not all the recipes or websites are whole30, but I found them helpful): whole30.com,
theclothesmakethegirl.com, nomnompaleo.com, Paleoleap.com, thehealthyfoodie.com, cravepaleo.com,
stupideasypaleo.com, organizeyourselfskinny.com, realfoodliz.com, thehealthyfoodie.com. I also found the page on
facebook and “liked” it so recipes etc. pop up in my news feed.
If I “mess-up” should I start over at day 1? – I felt I should say something about this because this is a common thread
on many of the Whole30 discussion boards. As you delve into this and start checking out websites, you will find there
are many people out there with different opinions. I find the comments (especially on the facebook whole30 recipe
exchange) fascinating (and sometimes kind of negative). To have the best results (especially if you are doing it to
eliminate medical issues) then yes, I suppose if you have a bite of some non-compliant food accidentally or on
purpose you should start over so your body is completely flushed. My feeling is don’t beat yourself up and keep
moving since you are healthier than you were yesterday and this is a journey. This is a personal opinion since you are
in charge of what you put in your body, but since I have seen so much about this on the various things I read thought I
would mention it.
How do I eat out a restaurant during my whole30? – This will vary from person to person depending on how
stringent you want to be. Sometimes you have to eat out for whatever reason, business, pleasure etc. etc. I didn’t
eat out very much, but when I did I made the very best choices I could. The biggest issue is restaurants use vegetable
oil to cook most of the time. I probably ate something that was grilled on a grill prepared with vegetable oil, but that
was a choice I made and I didn’t freak out about that. I always asked for my vegetables to be prepared without
anything on them and asked for no-cheese or croutons, beans, corn etc. on my salad. Grills are always good since you
can get meat, veggies and if you are lucky a sweet potato (though you are lucky since white potatoes are now
compliant). Chipotle is a good option for quick food and Outback Steakhouse is a favorite. This is my opinion and not
a verified Whole30 restaurant.
I was invited to my friend’s house for dinner, what do I do? – Always offer to bring (or don’t offer just do it)
something that you can eat. Another option is explain you are doing an elimination diet for health reasons or offer to
go to a restaurant. It may not always be the best meal you have ever had, but you will eat and not look like a freak.
So many people have Gluten allergies now that this way of eating is not so strange anymore.
Do you really have to eat Veggies at Breakfast? – Yes, you should. But…I had a very hard time eating veggies for
breakfast. I started out strong and did my best, but midway through I asked John and Celeste and felt validated that if
I got more veggies in later in the day I could forgo them in the morning. This made my world so much better and less
stressful!
I’m tired of Eggs for breakfast, what do I do? – Not sure, I still eat eggs every morning for breakfast. Thank goodness
I like them! A lot of the Whole30 websites suggest eating leftovers for breakfast and not thinking about breakfast as
just breakfast food, but as just another meal, but that didn’t/doesn’t work for me.
What do you eat for lunch? – Leftovers, chicken salad (made from leftover chicken), salad with protein
How much fruit is too much? – I don’t know…I think it depends on the person (personally). I know ISWF says two
servings (I think), but I know I ate more than this and still do, depending on the day and my activity level. They don’t
want you eating too much fruit since it is sweet and they want you to eliminate your craving for sweets and not
having fruit instead of the cookie. Plus, they don’t want you to eat fruit instead of eating veggies or protein. Since
there is so little food that is “fast”, I found if I had to grab something an apple was better than a larabar (which you
aren’t supposed to eat much of during your Whole30 either), but you need to have some options if you haven’t eaten
anything and you are running around town.
This seems really expensive, how do you do it? – Our grocery budget did take a hit when I started this. Eating
healthy is expensive, but my husband and I decided it was worth it. I know you are supposed to eat all organic, grass-
fed meat, eggs etc., but that didn’t work for our budget. I think you do what you can do, to make it work. I also don’t
waste anything. When chicken was done being dinner, it then became lunch or made into chicken salad.
Where do you shop? – I do a lot of shopping at Costco, especially when I am preparing a bunch of meals for the
freezer. Wegmans is awesome and the prices are good and competitive. Some of the more unusual items (like Ghee,
almond flour etc.) is easier to find in the health food section at Wegmans, but you can find it at Giant and Safeway
too. Costco has Coconut flour, Avocado oil and some other Whole30 compliant items too so check. I like to get a lot
of meat purchased at Costco and then once or sometimes twice a week I will get fresh fruit and veggies at Giant.
What do you buy? - I generally buy chicken thighs, flank steak, ground turkey and ground beef as a routine and then
make various recipes with them. I like fish, but I’m not good at cooking it so I will order Salmon at a restaurant. I like
spaghetti squash, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes as my “starchy side” and then one or two green veggies to go
with it. I also love zoodles and make them as a “spaghetti dish” with meat sauce. I am not a huge fan of cauliflower,
but lots of people love cauliflower rice and mashed cauliflower. I always have apples on hand and this summer I had
blueberries and strawberries constantly. I buy romaine lettuce, green and red peppers and cucumbers for salads and
snacks. I also keep nuts on hand and almond butter. I know fresh is better, but we eat a lot of frozen veggies too.
They are easy and they don’t go bad.
What about condiments, dressings and mayo – make your own. Sounds crazy (I thought it was at first too), but it is
easy and you can make sure you don’t have added sugar. Sugar is added into everything. Mayo is best with a stick
immersion blender. I generally just make balsamic vinaigrette for a salad dressing (but there are lots of recipes). I
made a Whole30 compliant ketchup too.
I know we aren’t supposed to snack, but… - I tried to stay true to the book as much as I could, but sometimes I was
hungry and I needed something between meals. Here are some healthy suggestions.
Nuts – I bag nuts in snack size ziplock bags so they are the right portion. I store them in a freezer ziplock bag in my
freezer. I find the unsalted, raw nuts much better frozen. If they are prebagged I won’t eat too much.
Larabars – I don’t love them and really only used them in an emergency or if I was going to work out and it had been a
while since I ate (I know John will say I should have eaten protein and he is right…) I like the apple pie and cherry pie
flavors the best. You can make them yourself too.
Veggies and individual Guacamole - I keep veggies cut up and ready to go. I prefer to make my own Guacamole, but
the individual 100 cal containers are great in a pinch.
Apples with Almond butter – Yum, just be careful you don’t eat too much almond butter.
Hardboiled Eggs – keep a few in your fridge.
Avocados – Always have them on hand. They are great on salads, with veggies as a “dip” and I have even made
chicken salad with them. If you put a cut Avocado with an onion in a container it won’t turn brown.
Suggestions for Eating on Whole30
Plan over the weekend, make sure you get your shopping done so you are ready to get the week rolling on Monday.
I always start the week off with grilled or baked chicken of some sort so I will have left overs for lunches. That way if I need to
make something quick for my family, I have something I can eat.
As much as I can, I do a big shop once a month and then do freezer cooking. I marinate several pounds of chicken and flank
steak and then put it in the freezer in a ziplock bag. I will make chilli, meatloaf and meatsauce and freeze too. That way all I
need to do is defrost, cook and make sides and I have a compliant dinner. I also will make mashed sweet potatoes and freeze.
Now that white potatoes are allowed, I have also used the steam in the bag mashed potatoes since they are quick.
I generally eat the same thing for breakfast everyday. I have a couple eggs (or egg whites), bacon if I have it, avocado and fruit.
Lunch is generally leftovers, salad or avocado chicken salad.
Two Weeks of Whole30 Dinner Ideas
(recipes attached)
(pair with sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, butternut squash,
Cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower and one or two Green Veggies of choice)
1. Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
2. Zoodles (Zucchini noodles) with Meat Sauce
3. Lemon Garlic Chicken
4. Mustard Balsamic Baked Chicken 5. Grilled or Baked Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin 6. Tropical Flank Steak 7. Chocolate Chilli 8. Homestyle Meatloaf 9. Rosemary Lemon Chicken 10. Stuffed Bell Peppers 11. Ground Turkey Fajitas 12. Slow Cooker Beef and Sweet Potato Stew 13. Crockpot Apple Pork Tenderloin 14. Tuscan Chicken
Cilantro Lime Chicken Ingredients
½ cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon fine pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
½ cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup olive oil
6 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or Thighs
Instructions
1. Place chicken breasts in zipper-seal bag. Using a rolling pin or similar implement, flatten the thicker parts of the
chicken so they match the thinner parts for chicken breasts. You want a consistent thickness (no thinner than 3/4
of an inch) throughout to ensure the chicken cooks evenly.
2. Mix marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Grill
Meat Sauce for Zoodles or Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients:
1 ¼ lbs ground turkey or Ground beef or mixture of both
1 yellow onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
Cooking Instructions:
In a large deep skillet brown ground turkey or ground beef over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook
until softened. Add tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. Stir together until the mixture is combined. Pour in the
chicken broth. Add oregano, basil, thyme, sea salt, black pepper, and butter. Mix well.
Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil 4 tsp dijon mustard 6 large garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper zest and juice of 2 lemons 4 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
Whisk together olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon. Pour over chicken and refrigerate for 2-12 hours. Remove chicken from marinade and grill until done.
Mustard Balsamic Baked Chicken
Ingredients
8 boneless chicken thighs;
1 tbsp. Dijon or homemade mustard;
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar;
1/2 cup of olive oil;
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice;
2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced;
1 garlic clove, minced;
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; Preparation
1. In a bowl, combine the mustard, balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, and season to taste with salt
and pepper.
2. Slowly pour the olive oil in with the mixture while whisking.
3. Place the chicken in a marinating container (glass or plastic; don’t use metal) and pour the mustard balsamic
marinade on top. Place in the refrigerator or leave on the counter, covered, and marinate for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
5. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and empty the remaining sauce on top.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked.
7. Serve with roasted vegetables.
Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin
YIELD: Serves 6.
Ingredients: 4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 pork tenderloins (about 1¼ pounds each) 2 tablespoons coconut oil (if preparing in oven)
Directions: Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the paste all over pork. If you like or have the time, marinate overnight. If not, no worries, it will still be great!
Grill preparation: Sear the tenderloins on all sides, then grill for about 20-30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Try to let it rest before slicing.
Oven preparation: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat Coconut oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add pork, and brown all over, about 4 minutes.
Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, and try to let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Tropical flank steak
Ingredients
o 1/3 cup pineapple juice
o 1/3 cup coconut aminos (like soy sauce, found in Asian section or health/gluten free section)
o 1/4 cup chopped chives or thinly sliced green onions
o 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
o 1 clove garlic, minced
o 1 to 1 1/2 pounds flank steak (allow about 3 ounces per person)
o Oil or cooking spray for grate
Instructions
1. In a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag, place the pineapple juice, soy sauce or coconut aminos, chives or green
onions, ginger, and garlic. Add steak (frozen if you wish) to bag. Seal and place in a bowl, dish, or in your camp
cooler and marinate for at least 3 hours, turning once if possible.
2. Heat grill to high.
3. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade. Coat or spray grate with oil. Grill 16 to 20 minutes or to desired
doneness, turning a few times and basting with reserved marinade.
4. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Slice thinly across the grain.
5. For a make-ahead meal, freeze meat and marinade in the bag. Defrost in refrigerator before grilling.
Chocolate Chili (From my cookbook Well Fed: Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat)
Prep 20 min | Cook 2-3 hours | Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon 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
(Note from Kelly; I add a ton of veggies to this, zucchini, carrots whatever)
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.
Homestyle Meatloaf
Ingredients
Ketchup
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 tbsp vinegar
½ tsp dry mustard
⅓ cup water
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 pinch ground clove
1 pinch ground allspice
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
Meatloaf
2 lbs ground beef
1 lb ground pork (or turkey or beef)
1 egg beaten
½ of batch of ketchup
½ onion, very finely diced in a food processor (don’t puree it but you don’t want to be eating chunks of onion in your meatloaf so dice it finely)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1tsp thyme
3 tbsp of finely chopped parsley
2 tsp coconut aminos
1 tsp blk pepper
2 tsp salt
8 oz mushrooms, pulsed to fine ground in food processor (should have an almost ground beef-like texture)
¼ cup almond flour
1 tbsp coconut flour
Instructions
Ketchup
1. Mix all ingredients well
Meatloaf
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix all ingredients in bowl until combined. Do not overwork meat or you’ll toughen it.
3. Shape into long loaf in glass dish. Make 2 smaller loaves if easier.
4. Top loaf with other half of ketchup.
5. Bake for 1.5 hours.
6. Let cool 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Rosemary Lemon Chicken
Ingredients:
o Potatoes (halved or quartered_-1 lbs
o Chicken legs and thighs- 6-8
o Chestnut/Crimini Mushrooms (optional)- 8-10
o Lemons-2
o Garlic cloves-3
o Rosemary- 3 sprigs
o Olive oil- 3 tbs.
o Salt and pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 450F/250C
On the cutting board chop up rosemary leaves roughly. In a mortar combine chopped rosemary, garlic, a pinch of
coarse salt and 1 tbsp of olive oil and bash it all together with a pestle until you have a paste, then add the rest of the
olive oil and the juice of the lemons, reserve the lemon halves.
Arrange the chicken pieces, potatoes and mushrooms on a baking tray and spoon the rosemary mixture on top
making sure it covers chicken and potatoes. Stick the lemon halves wherever you have free space on the tray, they
will infuse more flavour into the dish.
Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and the juices run clear. Halfway through the cooking baste your chicken and potatoes with the liquid at the bottom of the pan.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
Olive oil cooking spray (make your own using a spray bottle)
5 large bell peppers (7 oz each whole, 6oz without refuse)
1 medium cauliflower head, cut into large chunks (12oz without refuse)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (8 oz)
1 lb. 85% lean ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray it with nonstick spray. 2. Remove the tops of the peppers, core and seed them. Cut each bell pepper in half, lengthwise. 3. Place the cauliflower in the food processor. Process until it resembles rice. 4. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Add the riced cauliflower, the
onion and the beef and cook, stirring and breaking the beef up as it cooks, about 7 minutes, until onion and cauliflower are soft, beef is lightly browned and liquids have evaporated. The mixture will not look very appetizing at this point. Don't worry about it, it will transform once you add the spices.
5. Add the garlic, salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, paprika and tomato paste. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring, until everything is well-blended. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.
6. Fill each bell pepper half with 1/10 of the mixture, packing it in, and place in the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese, if using. Lightly spray with olive oil spray. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes, until pepeprs are tender and cheese is melted. Remove from the baking sheet onto paper towels and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.
Ground Turkey Fajitas
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 bell pepper, any color (or equivalent mix), seeded and cut into strips
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup water
2 cups cauliflower rice Instructions
1. Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat.
2. Saute onions approximately 2 minutes, or until lightly translucent.
3. Add turkey and cook until just browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Mix together chili powder, cumin, oregano, red pepper, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder with
water. Set aside.
5. Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute bell peppers for approximately 3 minutes. Add
seasoning mixture and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute then reduce heat.
6. Add turkey and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
7. Serve over Cauliflower rice and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
2 lbs stew meat
1 1/2 cups lower sodium beef stock
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 large sweet potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon marjoram
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (read labels, there's hfcs in many brands)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
Add the stew meat, beef broth, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings to your slow cooker and cook on
low for about 4 or 5 hours. Add the vegetables on top and cook an additional 1 to 2 hours.
Depending on your slow cooker you may need to adjust liquid amounts and cook times. Some can add the vegetables
at the same time as the meat, but mine will turn them to mush if I do. Sometimes I even add the diced tomatoes just
the last 30 minutes so they don't cook down so much.
Crockpot Apple Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
o 4 Organic Gala Apples
o 1½lb - 2lb Pork Tenderloin
o Nutmeg
Instructions
1. Core and slice your apples
2. Add a layer of apples in the bottom of the crockpot and sprinkle with nutmeg
3. Place slits in your pork tenderloin, and cut tenderloin in half if you need to so it can lay nice and neat in the
crockpot.
4. Take one apple slice and place in each slit in the tenderloin
5. Place tenderloin with apple slices in place into the crockpot ontop of your layer of apples and sprinkle top with
Nutmeg
6. Place remaining apple slices on top of the pork tenderloin and sprinkle once more with Nutmeg.
7. Place crockpot on low, go to work and come home to dinner all ready.
Tuscan Chicken
1/3 cup homemade mayo
3 tbsp. diced red pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Mix together all the ingredients except chicken. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange chicken on a baking dish and
spread mayonnaise mixture over each chicken breast. Don't be shy, spread liberally, this stuff is tasty. Bake for about
20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Homemade Mayo Equipment:
1 glass jar, which you will use to both make AND store the mayo. Make sure that you use A TALL AND
NARROW JAR with an opening that’s just wide enough to accommodate your stick blender. I like to use a
500ml (one pint) wide mouth Mason jar like the one in the pictures.
An immersion blender. That’s the magic tool that’ll make your mayonnaise come together so easily. And yes, it
must ABSOLUTELY be a stick blender. Nothing else will work.
Ingredients:
One egg (apparently size does matter here. Make sure you use a large or extra large egg, else you might need to
add an extra one)
One cup Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil
The juice of half a lemon or lime (about 2-3 teaspoons)
A generous pinch of salt
About the oil, it’s very important that you use light tasting olive oil and not full flavor. The latter is way too strong for
mayonnaise! You could, however, sub avocado, macadamia, almond or walnut oil for some (or all) of the
Directions:
Start with one egg, straight out of the fridge. No need to fuss about it, let it come to room temperature, give it a warm bath or
anything. Just one egg. No pampering required whatsoever. I swear. Throw that right in the jar. Add the lime juice (or
vinegar) and salt. If you wanted to add mustard, garlic or other flavorings, now would be a good time to do that. Pour in one
cup of light tasting olive oil. No need to drizzle or be all fancy schmancy here either.
Now let that sit for a few seconds, just long enough for the egg settle down and find a comfortable seat at the very bottom of
the jar, underneath the oil. Insert your immersion blender and push it all the way to the bottom of the jar. Push the power
button and do not move the blender for a full 20 seconds. Your fabulous mayonnaise will come to life right before your very
eyes and quickly start climbing all the way to the top of the jar. After 20 seconds, the mayonnaise will be almost all the way
to the top. This is when you want to slowly start raising the blender until you get to the very top. Do not take it completely
out, though, else you might send mayo flying all over the place! Continue blending for just a few more seconds. At this
point, you can move the blender around to make sure you get every last bit of oil blended in.