Meal Plan Monday - Paleo & Clean

I love Christmas but I am soooo glad it's over! This is the first year I have ever had to travel to see family. We had 4 days of travel, 7 Christmases and a TON of bad food, lots of eating out and indulging and of course weight gain! BOOOO! It's time to get back on track and get this weight off!  

We are attempting to follow Dr. Axes 30 day plan but there are a few things I don't like about it.  First 2 salads a day is to much salad for me and he suggests you have the same meals the whole time. I know us and we will be tired of that so we are trying to mix it up a little while sticking to the general plan 

Breakfast - Smoothie and Protein

Lunch - Protein & Veggies & Leafy Green

Dinner - Protein & Veggies & Leafy Green

Snack - Protein, Veggies or Fruit

Burst fit 5 days a week

We only plan on having smoothies on the hubs work days and other days having eggs of some sort- this morning I made a delicious crustless quiche out of left over taco fixings and eggs! Yum

Heres this weeks plan - It's Semi Paleo (actually mostly) & Kinda Clean 

Monday 

B- Taco Quiche

L - Coconut Crusted Chicken & Bacon wrapped butternut squash bites

S- Carrots & Hummas

D - Homemade Chili and side salad

Tuesday

B- Smoothie or Eggs

L- Inside out BLT's (basically just bacon, tomato, avacado & onion wrapped in lettuce)- 

S - Nuts

D- Chili-& Salad

Wednesday

B-Smoothie or Eggs

L-Chili

S-Apple & Almond Butter

D-Crock Pot Paleo Cashew Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

Thursday

B-Smoothie or Eggs

L- Leftover cashew chicken

S- Carrots & Hummas

D-Butternut Squash Soup

Friday

B-Smoothie or Eggs

L-Salad with Grilled Chicken

S-Nuts

D-Homemade Paleo Pizza -trying a new recipe this time

Saturday

B-Smoothie or Eggs

L-Leftover Pizza

S-Fruit

D- Taco Salad with Paleo Tortilla Chips and guacamole

Sunday 

B-Smoothie or Eggs

L-Chicken Salad

S-Veggies

D-Burgers

This week I plan on keeping my food diary through Instagram & hoping to get rid of the holiday pounds! 

Sadly I broke my 3 week streak of no soda and had several soda indulgences over the holidays so pretty much starting over!

No Soda

No Dairy

No Fast Food

No Gluten

Burst Fit 5 Days

Drink Water!!! 

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Merry Christmas Break!

Holidays are kicking my bootay blog wise!  Shopping, family activities, hubs on a 2 week vacation, family, relaxing and on and on and on bits of wonderfulness! I have been totally off my game this week and havn't been on the blogging daily train as planned but I am focused on family and trying to make as many healthy choices as possible!  I hope you all are enjoying this time with your families!  I will be taking the next week to focus on my family and wont be blogging during this time but am looking forward to the new year, new possibilities and exciting progress!  

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2 week update

Today starts week number 3 and I am down 9.5 lbs and 8 1/2 inches! Whoot!  It is great but it should be more if it weren't for a crappy few days but oh well here's to pushing week 3 to the max!  Working on this weeks meal plan and shopping list today and will post tomorrow! I have been asked to publish a daily food diary as well - I am trying to decide best way to do it - prob through my Mommy Loses It Facebook - 

I am also working on a Mommy Loses It Accountability & Challange Group in FB - let me know if you are interested!

Last week we did all 5 days of Burst Fit! Stuck to no soda and had a few other cheats but goals for this week are:

5 days of Burst Fit (review coming soon) 

No Soda - No Gluten - No Sugar - No Dairy

No weighing or measuring until next Monday! 

Lose 5 lbs!  

Long term - my birthday is 27 weeks away - I want a beach trip for my bday - 3 lbs per week will get me to my ultimate goal - I refuse to have another bday fat! Seriously! Lets do this

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Bumps In The Road

I can not believe that it is Saturday and Christmas is almost here! This past week has been chaos, stressful and a battle with poor choices.  Last week I posted about why cheat meals don't work for me and the past few days have proved that cheat days just make things worse for me in more ways then I realized. 

I believe that bad food addictions are much like alcoholic addictions, here's why...  In July my dad passed away from heart and liver issues that came from being an alcoholic for the last 30+ years.  About 2 years ago he was faced with the news this his liver was beginning to fail and told if he stuck to a certain diet and stopped drinking then he would be able to sustain and live longer.  He would do great for a few months eating well, not drinking, happy, healthy, alert and get to spend great time with the kids and I and then stress or overwhelming emotions would come and cause him to take a drink, thinking that just one drink would be okay.  But the problem with alcoholics, much like food addicts (or any other addictions for that matter) is one never is just one and often that one cheat sends you into a downward spiral and it often takes a week or sometimes a few weeks or a month to regain control and realize that you are killing yourself and straighten up.  

It's so simple yet some days so hard.  Good food choices make me feel great about myself and great healthwise.  Bad food choices make me feel awful about myself and make me physically sick and in pain.  Stick to the plan and be well, cheat (even once) and be sick.  Seems like a simple choice and I can not tell you how many times I thought the same about my dad.  How could he drink knowing it will kill him? Why can't he just see that he wants to live, to see his grandkids etc and that be enough to keep him clean? 

But it't the exact same for me?  I know sticking to it equals weight loss and health, 8 days of sticking to the plan equaled 8 lbs lost and no cronhs pain then 5 days of not sticking to it equals no loss and feeling sick.  

There are days as a stay at home mommy of a 4, 3 & 2 year old that are just plain stressful.  After 5 days of being trapped inside by 6ish inches of snow on top of 2 inches of ice, topped with pms and every other emotion that life throws at you, one simple cheat turns in to 4-5 days of cheat after cheat after cheat.  But all are lessons learned.

Planning for success in all different situations is the key to success for me.  I have been working on healthy replacements but need to continue to create all kinds of replacements for all kinds of different situations.  The problem areas for me right now are stress eating, eating on the go, snacks and weighing daily.  Weighing daily causes to many emotions!  If I lose some of course its exciting, but if I don't lose or somehow gain it can be so discouraging. 

For this coming week my goals are to stay with no soda (I'm up to 13 days with no soda!), get back on no sugar, no dairy & no gluten and stick to it NO MATTER WHAT. Keep up with 5 days a week Burst Fit (review coming soon), only weigh on Mondays, plan out all meals, even snacks & find some simple lil quick work outs I can have to do when I get stressed. Nothing major just some quick calorie burners to give me some happy endorphins!!!  After all in the words of the great Elle Woods....

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Instant Paleo Mocha Coffee

Today starts day 8 (-8lbs!!!!!) with no soda and with 3 little people running a muck sometimes caffeine is a must! In my quest for health and weight loss I am finding that I have to have healthy alternatives that help me beat the desire for the unhealthy stuff!  

I found this Paleo Mocha recipe over at one of my fav recipe places Primal Bites  tweaked it a little and LOVE how good it tastes!  This may be my new morning go to for a jolt!  

Instant Paleo Mocha Coffee

2/3 cup of hot water  

2 tsp instant coffee (I use double what it says for stronger yumminess)

2/3 Coconut Milk

2 pkts of Stevia

1 tsp of unsweetened Cocoa

Simmer coconut milk in pan and mix in 1 pkt of stevia and cocoa - in a cup mix hot water and instant coffee and 1 pkt of stevia - once milk is warmed to your liking and cocoa is all mixed in combine, stir and enjoy!

YUM

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Cheaters never prosper

Yesterday I had my 'cheat meal' and it was a dumb waste.  Everyone says you need a cheat meal to stay sane or whatever but cheating did nothing positive for me.  Having a cheat meal really doesn't work when your reasons for staying strict are not being sick. After a week of feeling great and having pretty much no pain and no tummy issues, one cheats sent me back into pain and tummy issues! So having a cheat meal simply doesn't work for me.  

For this coming week I will continue to find  healthy substitutions, stay on track and eat for health not pleasure!  Here's to NOT cheating and health!

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Celebrating small successes - Overcoming HUGE failures

Today is day 6 on 'the plan' and I am down 6lbs!  The plan is simple Just Eat Real Food!  I have to thank Sean Croxton from Underground Wellness for that phrase and all that I learned from the Real Food Conference last month but really real food is what its about.  Real food equals me feeling great, bad food equals me feeling like crap! I didn't tell anyone except my hubs and best friend but the day before Thanksgiving I was in the ER all day with horrid Cronhs related pains.  I always worry when I haven't had any Cronhs symptoms in a while and the pain comes because Cronhs pain, for me, is in the same area as the appendix! Eeeks.  After a CT, a pelvic violation exam, peeing all over my hand in a cup, morphine, zofran and several hours I was sent home knowing that I can either get serious about the way I'm eating or I can get on a dozen meds again.  I have an amazing doctor who I adore like my grandpa but he, like most doctors, treats the symptoms and not the cause.  I have a very mild case of Cronhs compared to most people and I know from past experience that the best treatment is a strict diet of no dairy, no gluten, no sugar and just eating real food  and my symptoms disappear and remission comes easy.  It was so much easier when it was just me to control my diet but now I have kids, VERY PICKY KIDS and a hubs who loves ice cream and pizza and my will power has been shot to crap!   

Knowing that bad food equals pain and feeling sick, I continued to eat crap through Thanksgiving and ended up spending most of the weekend in bed.  While laying in bed feeling awful I heard my kids constantly asking my hubs for me. 'wheres mommy, why doesnt mommy feel good, i want mommy, does mommys tummy still hurt'.. I was a little broken and adding insult to injury by stepping on the scale to see the 'holiday weight gain' OMG - it wrecked me! For 2 years I have been on a roller coaster and here I sit, my youngest baby 2 years old and right back to the weight I was right after having him! Crap!  A 2 year roller coaster only to get back right to where you started is a HUGE failure but.....

Yes I have failed at a lot of things health related but I have become much wiser and I have been digging in and researching and learning a lot and have started over again with a different outlook and a different desire. I loved Monkeys & Tutus but it represents my old self on the roller coaster going no where - Mommy Loses It is a new start - a new focus and a year from now I will be able to cross out that 'loses' word and insert a lost!  This past week is proof - good food = no pain and weight loss and feeling better! Ready to take on week 2!

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List of Resources & Links

This is a list of my favorite resources for Clean Eating - Paleo - Real Food - Fitness and just overall health! Most of these I go to for great recipes, tips and advice!  Hope they help you too!  When I say 'Semi Paleo/Kinda Clean/ Wanna Be Crunchy' I mean we are pretty paleo but not all the way - We generally don't do pork and some times do other 'non paleo' things but we still subsutitue with clean options.  Kinda Clean means we are trying to be as clean as possible.  Some times clean isn't avail and doens't work for the moment but we are trying our hardest to get the crap out and replace with clean real options.  Wanna be Crunchy.... well yeah! I make our own toothpaste and desire to be a lot more crunchy and some day I will get there but for today I am just a wanna be!

PS... I add to this list often but these are the basics of my favs!  For Future I made this link available on the left hand side under Resources & Links

Clean Eating /Real Food Resources

Underground Wellness
Dr. Axe
The Coconut Mama
Wellness Mama

Paleo Resources

PaleOmg
Nom Nom Paleo
Stupid Easy Paleo
Paleo Grubs
The Paleo Mom
Paleo Parents
Primal Bites

Under Construction and a new name!

I am so excited! I finally made the change!  I have been dragging my feet, thinking, thinking and thinking some more and finally did it!  Monkeys & Tutus (monkeysandtutus.blogspot.com) is becoming Mommy Loses It!  www.mommylosesit.com !  My focus is shifting to more of a weight loss, going semi paleo/kinda clean and transforming the health habits of our whole family!  Looking forward to the new reveal coming soon!

Making the change? Help needed!

I am really wanting to change my blog name and focus - any one have any name ideas??? haha!!! When I started Monkeys and Tutus the focused more on having 3 kids ages 3 and under, enduring deployment etc.  Now I am wanting to focus more on weight loss, clean/healthy eating and changing the health habits of our entire family....
Who has had name change success and what are your tips and any advice?  Thank you so much for following and being a part of my online community!  

Paleo and Clean Coconut Crusted Chicken and No Bake Cookies!

I love that our taste buds change!  I have always hated the taste of coconut but lately I cant get enough of it!   Last night we had Coconut Crusted Chicken with Sweet & Sour Sauce it was beyond fantastic!  I found this recipe on Beezy Body Fitness and did it a little differently, next time I think I will do it more like the original recipe.  I pan fried it in coconut oil instead of baking it because I thought it would be quicker and I didn't add any spices, mostly because I forgot, but it was still yummy!  It was very Paleo and Clean Eating friendly!

Coconut Crusted Chicken Ingredients Free Range Chicken Breasts (cut into strips) Coconut Flour Coconut Oil 2 Eggs Unsweetened Organic Coconut Flakes (next time I will use shredded - or run flakes through food processor - the flakes were a little hard to keep on because they were so big) I did a little bit of coconut oil in pan - rolled chicken in coconut flour, then in egg then in coconut flakes and pan fried.  It turned out great but next time I want to try to bake it instead. I found this Sweet & Sour Sauce recipe somewhere but I can't find where I found it anywhere but its super yum! 5 tbs of Honey 2 Tbs of vinegar 1 Tbs of Arrowroot powder 2 Tbs of Aminos 2 Tbs of Tomato Paste 1 tsp of red pepper flakes and 1/4 cup of water (more if you want it thinner)   Simmer all together in a sauce pan for 5 mins then remove from heat - it thickens up while cooling.     Along our journey of getting healthy I am trying to find great healthy replacements to everyday things.  I found this amazing No Bake Cookie recipe on Sweet Treats by Shayna made a few revisions and was amazed by how yummy they were!  Paleo and Clean too!  

1 cup coconut flakes (i use organic, unsweetened ones from whole foods) 1 cup chocolate chips  (I use enjoy life choc chips, they are dairy, soy and sugar free) 1 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup almond butter 1/3 cup raw local honey 1/3 cup coconut oil 1 Tablespoon cinnamon In a sauce pan - melt choc chips with oil, almond butter & honey then remove from heat and mix in rest of ingredients- then spoon on to parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 mins.  I put half them in the freezer for 10 mins and they were perfect!  

We now have a 4, 3 and 2 year old!

I haven't been blogging as much as I 'should' be but life happens, ya know?  November was crazy! Benjamin turned 4, Cloee turned 3 and Jaxsen turned 2 all in November!!!  Not to mention we had our very first Thanksgiving away from family and cooked our first Turkey, had 2 blow outs and a few dozen other happenings.  

I am trying to get back into the swing of blogging regularly but also trying to figure out the direction I want to go with it.  Health is at the forefront of everything going on in our lives right now.  Trying to eat clean, real food, somewhat paleo, trying to change the habits of our family to healthier ones, trying to decide if I want to change my blog name and a lot of other things to figure out!  Thank you to all of you who read and come back even though I haven't been able to be very consistent lately!  Next post will be some awesome coconut recipes!  

Meal Plan Monday! - Clean & Paleo style

Its Monday and I found an awesome new meal plan idea!  I think I got it from the wellness mama but i have been researching and listening to so many things I really don't remember. All of our fav recipes have been written on cute note cards and each week I go through and pull the recipes of the things we want to eat - make a list and place those cards on the fridge - the magnets are perfect because I can take the one for that day and place over the stove and see my recipes easily.   Each day we can pick what we want and not have an already made list that always throws me.  

I have been doing a lot of research and planning and we are really striving to eat clean/paleo but more importantly than any title we are trying to JERF - Just Eat Real Food. If you don't know my back story, I was diagnosed with Cronhs Disease in 2008.  Its mild but food choices make all the difference.  Before a family it was fairly easy for me to stick to a plan but its harder with kids, stresses etc. When I cut out refined sugars, processed foods and diary before I had no symptoms and went into remission.  This past year has been pretty awful. Up and down on the scale, up and down with healthy and crap and the roller coaster needs to end.  I have been looking for better choices for our kids as well.  We are now off of fruit juice and have 2 kids off of cows milk.  Our 2 year old has been a little difficult to get off but we will get there.  We are eating only grassfed beef and trying to skip the processed food, eat cage free eggs and more organic veggies and fruits and stay away from dairy & gluten.   Two of my biggest resources have been Underground Wellness and Dr. Axe. We ordered Dr Axe Burst Fit plan and are starting today! Yay
Ok on with the meal plan -  Each morning we do a Dr Axe Super Food Smoothie - which is basically Keifer or Coconut Milk with Chia Seeds, Berries, Cinnamon and Raw Protein Powder (this is typically breakfast 5 days a week)
Here are our meal choices with links to the recipes Paleo Coconut Chicken   Crock Pot Spagetti Squash and Meatballs (I will post recipe when I make it later this week) Beef & Cabbage Stir Fry  My Super Yummy No-Tato Cauliflower Soup  (I also made this and added butternut squash and did it in the crock pot and omg it was yummy too) Pizza with Cauliflower Crust (trying a new way - i will post recipe if it works hahaha) Chicken Fajitas with Paleo Tortillas   These tortillas supposedly freeze well so i am gonna attempt to make quite a few and freeze some to have on hand! Primal Biscuits and Gravy with homemade turkey sausage
Sides are just veggies lots of veggies!

Absolute Best No-Tato Soup Ever! Clean and Paleo friendly

Tonight I made the absolute best - lick the bowl- fantastic 'no-tato' soup ever and I wanted to share it with you!  It really tasted just like potato soup but oh so much better for you!  This recipe is also Clean and Paleo!  Jerf!!!!  

Ingredients:  2 bags of frozen cauliflower (or 2 heads)  1 sweet onion chopped 1 package of baby portabellos 2 cans of coconut milk (you need the kind that when you turn it up size down in the store it sounds thick and not sloshy, this way you can use the water at 1 end for one thing and the thick milk part for another)  We use a taste of Thai -unsweetened first pressing - DONT SHAKE IT UP   Turmeric Italian seasoning Basil Coconut oil  Turkey Bacon & Chives to top Food processor Blender And pot for cooking 
-Steam cauliflower until soft then 'rice' by running through food processor - I generally add a little bit of coconut oil to the steamed cauliflower, I find it makes it easier to rice -While cauliflower is steaming I put some coconut oil in a pan and add diced onions and mushrooms and all spices and saute then sit aside in pot for soup (i also generally do the onions for several mins before adding the mushrooms) -open the coconut milk  from the bottom of the can (very important) pour all the water from the bottom of the can into a blender (it seems like quite a bit but you will need it) -Spoon out the thick part of the coconut milk into the onions and mushrooms and mix together on low heat  Once the cauliflower is riced through the food processor dump into the blender with the coconut water (I do 1 cauliflower and 1 can of coconut milk at a time) Blend, stirring several times, until its all  mushy & runny mashed potato looking - then dump into the pot with the mushrooms and onions and coconut oil and mix and heat
Top with Chives and Bacon - Seriously I cant even  begin to tell you how yummy this was! I seriously wanted to lick the bowl! hahah! and it tasted just like potato soup but even better! Hope you love it! 
My pics arent the best but they will work! ha

onions sauteing - forgot to take pic of it with mushrooms - i generally do onions for a few mins first

Coconut Milk 'water' from bottom of can

The thick part of the milk mixed into sauteed onions

Cauliflower Riced in food processor (I do a little bit at a time bc i have a tiny processor)

Mushed up in blender with coconut milk 'water'

Mixing it all together

Amazing Finished 'No-Tato' soup

No more fruit juice or milk for our kids!

This week I have been attending the Real Food Con online from Underground Wellness and I have learned so much! My hubs has been watching with me and he finally gets it and change is so happening in this house!  One thing I have really been struggling with is my kids eating habits!  I know every mommy deals with the dreaded food table drama and I swear I have the pickiest eaters ever!  One of the broadcasts I listened to was from The Wellness Mama and she talked about how one of the ways she saves money is by not buying drinks and using the saved money on healthier options!  Most people, me included always say we cant afford to eat healthy but there are ways to work it out and we are learning!

this is an unscripted pic of my kids chowing down on ice cream! eek! 

In a general month we spend at least $100 on juice and milk!  I know juice isn't great and I have fallen into the habit of giving the kids way to much juice.  They were at the point of rarely drinking water alone.  It was always water mixed with some juice! eeks!  Any way I made the decision the other day no more juice and day 1 was awful!  They cried and whined and whimpered!  Day 2 was a little better but still some fuss and today, day 3, they were actually asking for ice water!  Wahoo! Success!!!

I got a big pitcher, filled it with water and added some fresh orange, lemon & lime slices and keep it in the fridge!  Today I have refilled it 3 times with the 5 of us drinking it constantly!  Its delicious and refreshing and thank God my kids like it!

We also gave up milk!  I noticed in our oldest that he was having severe diarrhea and after 2 weeks of testing it out it really seems to be limited to the milk!  He had it for days I took milk away and it stopped.  When it cleared up I gave him milk again and in a day he had it again.  So we are totally away from cows milk and onto coconut milk!  It actuallly has more calcium thank cows milk and the amount of hormones in regular milk is sick! 

In another Real Food Con session I found Dr. Axe! Holy cow he has some good information!  He said that studies show that normal store bought milk contains 20 different chemicals and medications!  5 different types of steriods and growth hormones along with a lot of other sick stuff! Yuck!  No more for us!

Very exciting changes to a healthier lifestyle! Its not gonna happen over night but its a process and the outcome is going to be wonderful! The goal is to Just Eat Real Food!  

31 days - Day 8 A funny but serious change needed

Days 3-7 have been spent with our lil family trying to enjoy our time together while the hubs was on furlough! Its hard not to get discouraged and stressed when your income is cut off without knowing when it will be back.  For me its better not to blog when I'm angry at the government lol.. Thankfully the hubs got to go back to work yesterday but depending on what happens with the debt ceiling he may be furloughed again. 
Any who... on  this quest to reinvent myself I have been taking a hard look at things in my life that I want to change. Change is not easy but the biggest thing is recognizing the things that need to change. Today's quest is a funny one...
Our oldest, Benjamin, who will be 4 in a few weeks has become the absolute worst back seat driver.  Like beyond what I picture a 4 year old should be capable of!  Here are some of the things he has said recently while in the car...

Benjamin: Daddy! You are going the wrong way! Turn around! NOW! JUST DO IT! Daddy: Benjamin this is a short cut Benjamin: NO its not! Your new glasses dont work very well! Me: crying from holding in the laughter lol

Benjamin:  Mommy where are we? Me: were in Tulsa Benjamin: No where in Broken Arrow Me: actually this is Tulsa Benjamin: NO MOMMY! You don't even know!
While on the phone with my mom the other day out of the blue he says 'I'm getting angry at my mom! She is taking all the wrong roads"  
Among these common conversations are constantly asking where we are, constantly telling us we are going the wrong way, constantly saying NO! You were suppose to go left! You are making me angry and on and on and on and on and on... He is an absolute nag and its non stop for the hour long commute to the city...
It is so easy to get super annoyed with this behavior.  Part of me is proud that he is so observant and can always tell us the way to get anywhere that we have been before but OMG it can be very draining... well in the midst of my frustration the other day I had a HARD realization! Benjamin is me! My poor husband!  I am constantly nagging him, telling him where to park, which lane to drive in, asking why he didnt go that way, just turn here, go this way.. etc  I seriously had tears when I thought about it.  Mostly because I dont want to be a naggy wife but also because I have without realizing it taught my innocent lil boy to be a nag as well. The other day I asked my hubs what was the one thing that drives him nuts about me.  He of course said backseat driving.  I am such a control freak and Benjamin is becoming so much like me in so many areas its scary!

Proverbs 27:15 The Message (MSG) 15-16 A nagging spouse is like     the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet; You can’t turn it off,     and you can’t get away from it
Proverbs 25:24 The Message (MSG) 24 Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack     than share a mansion with a nagging spouse.
Wow! Dear God, please help me to hold my tongue in the car and let go of control and not be a nag! 
In the grand scheme of things it truly does not matter if he parks in a completely different place than I would have.  It does not matter if we got the long way around and it takes us a whole 3 minutes longer to get somewhere. What does matter is that my husband does not have to have these same feelings of frustration caused by something so silly.  Nagging!  
I am really really really committing to tenaciously work to reinvent this part of me! Will it happen overnight? No but bad habits can be broken!  
Who wants to be a nag when the Bible has given us the perfect example of what a woman should be...

Proverbs 31: 10-31 The Message (MSG)  A good woman is hard to find,     and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve,     and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously     all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,     and enjoys knitting and sewing. She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places     and brings back exotic surprises. She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast     for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it,     then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,     rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work,     is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,     diligent in homemaking. She’s quick to assist anyone in need,     reaches out to help the poor. She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows;     their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing,     and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected     when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them,     brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant,     and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,     and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,     and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her;     her husband joins in with words of praise: “Many women have done wonderful things,     but you’ve outclassed them all!” Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.     The woman to be admired and praised     is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves!     Festoon her life with praises!

31 Days of Reinventing Mommy - Day 2 dealing with self disappointment

Reinvention:

• to replace with an entirely new version
• to remake or make over, as in a different form
• to invent again or anew, especially without knowing that the invention already exists

  Tenacity:

• holding or grasping firmly; forceful
• holding together firmly; tough or cohesive
• tending to stick or adhere

In my tenacious quest to reinvent myself I am taking a hard look at things that need to change! I have been reading the New Day New You reading plan on You Version - You can find it here - Day 7 really hit home! It was all about Disappointment and Reappointment.
I can not tell you how many times, more than I care to count, that I set these lofty goals and head in strong and determined and 4 days into it, one little mess up sends everything in a downward spiral of disappointment and discouragement.  An example would be diet - I have been doctor ordered to stay away from fried foods and dairy and know that a strict diet makes me feel better and reduces symptoms of Cronhs.  I set out to do the 21 day sugar detox. I made amazing plans, meal plans, shopped and was fully prepared.  Then day 5 came and it was beyond stressful, the kids were being redonk and jaxsen left a graham cracker sitting next to me.  Then the battle begins with myself... Oh one cracker wont hurt, its been a rough day you can have it and a million other battles in my mind and I end up giving in.  But it never ends with one cracker, pretty soon the I've had 4 crackers, then go out for a 'stress relieving' soda, then i don't want to cook and have already screwed up so might as well get pizza and why not finish the day with ice cream.  It has been a never ending battle...
In the New Day New You Devotion - day 7 it says this:  Regardless of how it may happen or who may be responsible, it is hard to go on when everything we have counted on falls down around us. That's when we have to make the decision to adapt and adjust, to take a new approach, to just keep going despite our feelings. That's when we must remember that we have the Greater One residing within us, so that no matter what may happen to frustrate us, or how long it may take for our dreams and goals to become reality, we are not going to give up and quit just because of our emotions. That is when we must remember what God once told me in just such a moment: "When you get disappointed, you can always make the decision to get reappointed!"
In this reinvention of myself I am shifting my focus to knowing that God has given me the power to overcome and when those times of slip ups come to remember it's not so dramatic, the world hasn't ended and one slip up doesn't mean that the next choice or day or week have to be horrible.  Time to use have the creative power of the Holy Spirit on the inside can get a new vision, a new direction, and a new goal to help us overcome the downward pull of disappointment, discouragement, and destruction.
My goals for my diet are 80% Paleo/Clean giving me a little bit of wiggle room for some slip ups and cheats. There are going to be days where I am disappointed in circumstances and downfalls but I am working to day by reappoint my thoughts and actions and keep on reinventing myself.  It wont happen overnight but its the sum of all days in and out.  Losing one meal doesn't have to equal a month of crap.

Clean & Paleo Crockpot Roast with Mushroom Gravy

Today I made my first roast and I am so proud! It was fantastic!  I forgot to take pics along the way but it was super easy and I wanted to share the recipe with you because I am in awe of how tender and yummy it turned out! 
Crockpot Roast with Mushroom Gravy - My ingredients are all Clean and Paleo friendly! I adapted my recipe from this one I found on PaleOMG - http://paleomg.com/leftovers-rump-roast/ and for my gravy i adapted mine from this recipe http://paleomg.com/paleo-coconut-ginger-mushroom-chicken/  Oh how i love PaleOMG!
To cook the roast Crock-pot 2 lb roast (I got mine at the farmers market from a local farmer who has a completely organic farm with grass fed certified Angus beef!  I have to say I know if I just have some mad cooking skills or if their beef really is what makes the real difference) 3 cups of chicken stock 1 can of coconut milk 5 garlic cloves (peeled) Spices (i used onion powder & paprika) 1 whole onion  Carrots (and whatever other veggies you want)
I put everything in the crock-pot and let cook on high for 3 hours - at the end I did not like how the sauce looked - the coconut milk got all clumpy and it stank!  So I dumped everything into a strainer and then put the veggies and the roast back in with out the sauce it cooked in.  (I also sliced the roast before putting it back in)
To make the gravy - In a pan on the stove i cooked 2 cans of coconut milk 3 tbs of ginger  1 whole container of fresh mushrooms (sliced)
Once the mushrooms were soft I poured the gravy mix over the roast and veggies and cooked on low for 30 mins to let the gravy soak into the inner parts of the meat...  OMG it was fantastic!
I thought next time I wont use chicken stock but I dont  think i would change a thing - the way i cooked it contributed to how tender it was and draining all the juice and sauce just got rid of the extra fat and grease cooked out of the roast.  I am still amazed that it turned out so well!  Cant wait for tomorrows leftovers!   This pic doesnt do it justice but its the only one I have!

 

31 days of Reinventing Mommy

There are 2 key words that I want to use to describe my '31 days' -  Reinvention & Tenacity. 
The past several months have been filled with commitments that go strong for 4 days then come to a halting crash which spirals out of control and leads to disappointment, resentment and anger. They have been filled with depression, sadness, self loathing and huge pity parties.  What I have realized  about myself is that I am pretty much nothing I want to be. I could go on and on about all the things but I just want to wipe the slate clean and start a new days and tenaciously go after reinventing myself. Reinvention:

• to replace with an entirely new version
• to remake or make over, as in a different form
• to invent again or anew, especially without knowing that the invention already exists

I love the third description the most because I know that I am really just bringing out what already exists. What has been hidden in the mangled  chaos of 'busyness' and mommy-hood.  

Tenacity:

• holding or grasping firmly; forceful
• holding together firmly; tough or cohesive
• tending to stick or adhere

This past week I saw a few episodes of What Not To Wear and realized some things about myself.  I dont take time for me, ever.  Its so easy as a mom to worry about everything and everyone else and let ourselves just slide.  I saw so much of myself in those busy horridly dressed mommies.  Knowing that I spend 95% of my time in yoga pants and t-shirts and fixing my hair has become a once a week treat. There is so much background that goes into this but I want to focus on the positive and not the negative so here are my goals for this 31 days of tenacious reinventing mommy! 
Each day I will share a different focus on taking me time and reinventing myself.  I hope you will join me on this journey and find some encouragement to step out of our boxes and into all that God has created us as women to be!
Looking forward to this month and tenaciously going after changing bad habits, conquering fears and pushing through breaking points!

Day 4 - 21 day sugar detox

Well today is day 4 of the 21 day Sugar Detox and its going great!  I havent had 1 cheat and I feel great! So far the tricks for me have been tons of water and healthy snacks on hand!  I made some amazing deviled eggs and what makes them so amazing is I add Pickles and Turkey Bacon! OMG! Yum
Here have been our meals so far.. you can also follow our meals and progress on instagram! 99 % of everything has been Clean, Organic and Paleo!  Day 1 -  Breakfast - Zucchini Breakfast Pie (recipe on previous post) Lunch - Turkey Bacon, Organic Onion & Tomato Lettuce Wraps Dinner - Chicken Fajitas with homemade organic salsa  - No Tortillas of course Day 2 - Breakfast - Hamburger Pizza Breakfast Pie Lunch - Turkey lettuce wraps and Turkey Bacon Deviled Eggs Dinner - Steak & Grilled Mushrooms and oven fried okra  Snack - Kale Chips (EWWWWEEE I did NOT like these lol) Day 3 -  Breakfast - Salsa Crustless Quiche with Guacamole Lunch - Turkey Lettuce Wraps Dinner - Spaghetti Squash with homemade Mushrooms and Meat Sauce Snack - Cocoa Nana-Cado Pudding  Day 4 -  Breakfast - Beef Sausage, Avacado & Tomato Snack - Deviled Eggs

I am losing pounds & inches already.. Im drinking TONS of water, I'm feeling less tired and very proud of how well its gone so far!  This great detox is setting me up to easily make the switch to Paleo! 



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