Moving Right Along.

^{Unrelated to this post, but too cute not to share!}

So life has been a little bit hectic lately. For reasons I cannot really get into, my younger (fifteen year old) twin brothers are coming to live with Ryan and me. We feel confidant it’s the direction God is leading us, and are trusting his plan for it all. This has led to us needing to move into a bigger place, and so this last week we have been busy packing and moving!

If I’m honest: I did not want to move. It’s expensive and exhausting. And I liked our old place. I felt really settled there and kind of grew an attachment to it. It was our home. And it was where we brought home our first baby. I really thought we would live there for several years, until we could maybe buy our own place. But then the move happened, and it all sort of happened fast. It was a little overwhelming.

But our new place is great! The neighborhood is really nice, and there are shops, restaurants, and parks within walking distance. AND WE HAVE A GARAGE! I’ve never had a garage before. And let me tell you, it is a game changer. Where did I keep all of my crap before?! I have no idea. But I am in storage heaven.

Still lots to do and lots to unpack. But I know as we get settled it will feel more and more like home. Feeling very grateful. Just trying to continue to trust in Him.

Eveleigh's 5 Month Pictures

Our sweet little Eveleigh turned 5 months old a little over a week ago. Can’t believe it! She is getting so so big! She is in the 83rd percentile for weight, and 95th for height. She’s a little chunker for sure. Love her little leg rolls. They melt me.

It’s been a little busy around these parts so hadn’t taken out the nice camera for pictures in a little bit. So the other day I finally made time to snap these pictures of her. I just love this age. She is so smiley and sweet and loves to interact!

We Survived Whole 30!

^^Pulled Pork Sliders on Sweet Potato Buns! Absolutely amazing. Pulled pork recipe here. For the buns, cut a thick sweet potato in ¼ inch slices, drizzle with olive, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika; roast on baking pan for 30-40 minutes at 425.^^

So, we made it!! We survived our first Whole 30! Monday we finished our 30th day of super clean eating – no processed foods at all! No sugar, dairy, bread, legumes, and alcohol. While at first we felt really limited, we discovered there are so many healthy & delicious recipes, and we really didn’t feel too deprived! It just requires great planning and being intentional about your meals and your grocery shopping.

The pictures are some of the foods & meals that helped get us through. So many yummy options! Pinterest & instagram were definitely great for meal planning & inspiration.

While we did not do it for weight loss, we both lost several pounds and are feeling great! It’s a great way to kickstart healthy eating and really just hit the reset button. Feeling more energized and definitely eating more purposefully.

The hardest part for me was not having any dessert of any kind. Not even “healthy” versions of dessert. I never realized just how bad my dessert cravings are! While on Whole 30 I literally had dreams of brownies & cookies & ice cream. The first week was definitely the hardest, but it did get easier. The cravings never really went away… but they feel more manageable. Another challenging part was how much money we spent on groceries. Wow. It’s definitely mind boggling. BUT we ate out A LOT less and had three awesome & wholesome meals a day.

Of course, now that it’s over it’s not just going to be back to junk. We’re switching to Paleo 80/20. It’s very similar, just a little less strict. So more maintainable on a long term basis.

Cheers to being healthy!

^^Simple Lettuce Wraps. Brown ground turkey over medium heat, then add in broccoli slaw, cilantro, and green onion. Top with fresh squeezed lime. Service with Iceberg lettuce pieces to make little wraps.^^

^^The breakfast of champions! Cut an avocado in half and make the seed hole slightly larger and crack an egg into it. Top with salt & pepper and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the egg is cooked through. Serve with Aidell’s Chicken Apple Sausage (one of our Whole 30 staples!) and fruit.^^

^^Chicken wings marinated in Frank’s Red Hot and grilled low & slow for a nice charred outer skin. Serve with grilled zucchini & squash.^^

^^A favorite lunch of mine. Mix a 12.5 oz can of chicken (or tuna) with ½ an avocado and mash together. Add in walnuts, sliced grapes, and salt & pepper and mix well. Serve on sliced cucumber to make little sliders.^^

Homemade Roasted Almond Butter

Almond butter is one of my new favorite foods, and is definitely a staple if you’re on whole 30 or eating Paleo. It’s a great source of protein and is delicious paired with a banana or apple! It can get pretty expensive at the grocery store, so I decided to try making my own. This is also a great way to monitor ingredients so there’s no added sugar or oils. It’s surprisingly easy and all you need is a large bag of whole raw almonds, an oven to roast them in, and a food processor!

I’m super excited to experiment with different flavors & types of nut butter. Maybe an almond/hazelnut blend? Maybe try adding some honey & cinnamon…. vanilla & espresso bean would be divine. So many endless possibilities. I’m in nut butter heaven!

Preheat oven to 350. Measure out three cups of natural whole raw almonds. Spread evenly across baking sheet or pan, and bake for approximately 12 minutes.

Next, add the almonds to your food processor and begin processing.

At first it will resemble almond meal. Keep processing, scraping sides as you go. It will then start to thicken and be very hard, almost cement-like. This is normal. Keep on processing! Don’t give up. Just continue processing to get the almonds to release their oils. After around 10-15 minutes it should start to get creamy. Keep going until you get to the consistency you want.

Then transfer to a mason jar or other container to store. It should keep in the refrigerator for around a month or so. (Though I’m not entirely sure as we go through a whole jar in just a few days!)

If you want to indulge a little bit – chocolate almond butter is pretty much amazing. Once the almond butter is ready I usually separate half into a mason jar for regular almond butter, and leave the other half in the processor where I then add in semi-sweet chocolate chips (between ¼- ½ cup) and process for a few minutes until blended and creamy. Then store in a separate mason jar… which you may want to hide in the back of your fridge so you do not eat the whole jar with a spoon. ;)

Creamy chocolately goodness. Yes, please!

iphone diaries.

Just a little glimpse into life lately, according to my iPhone. :)