Day 30: The End

We have reached the end. I can't believe how quickly one month has flown by. Our 30 day challenge is over. I can't say we were 100% perfect, in fact there were a few days we ate sushi, thai food and maybe I had a few jelly beans the other day. However when we were on track we felt great, and we will continue to eat healthy. 

Some days were hard and definitely challenge to take the time to cook. Towards the end of the challenge I found the food was better tasting because I got the hang of the paleo thing. It takes some creativity but the more you practice the better the food gets. There were a few recipes that I would never make again. 

Chocolate Truffles 

Ingredients 

13 fresh dates

1 1/2 Pecans 

4 T honey 

3T cocoa powder 

1/4 cup shredded coconut 

combine dates, pecans, honey and cocoa powder in a food processor 

after you have mixed it well, roll into small balls (makes about 12)

then roll balls into shredded coconut

put into the refrigerator for 30 minutes 

Mexican Lime Soup

Ingredients 

2 lbs chicken shredded 
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
1 large white onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño chili
3-5 cups low-sodium chicken broth  or vegetable broth 
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 avocado

 with garlic, cook chicken in a small pan and shred
then sauté onions with salt and pepper
combine chicken and saute onions together
in a pot combine jalapeño, broth and oregano
add chicken to the liquid mixture 
let simmer for 20 minutes

garnish with avocado slices 

The 30 Day Challenge is over! It's been fun and we will continue to eat healthy :) 

Peace out 30 day challenge 

Day 29: Better Food, Better Skin

Today is 29 days of the 30 day Paleo Challenge. There are days where its been easy and other days it has been a challenge. 

I've  enjoyed my occasional onion rings, fry sauce and even large bacon cheese burgers.The repercussions always show up on my face! Healthy eating has defiantly fixed this issue. On top of that these are my FAVORITE facial cleansers and products. They are available at your nearest drug store. For a long time I used the expensive stuff you could only find at the department stores or buy online. There wasn't drastic improvement. I found the key to success was what I put in my mouth in addition to clean and moisturized skin. 

I love the Olay Cleansing brush and ProX cleanser 

Exfoliation is as important as ever to rid your skins complexion of skin-dulling dead cells. Believe it or not, Evan has a brush too and he loves it! 

But I rotate facial washes morning and night! I seriously love these two. They remove all of my makeup so I don't have the raccoon eyes. Plus they provide a fragrant tingly feeling. 

Sunscreen EVERYDAY! Evan bought this one, and so far its the best one I've ever used! It's not greasy and doesn't make my skin feel oily, caky or extra shiny. 

Costco has great deals on Olay Regenerist Products. It's all about the moisture. I use this after the sunscreen! I don't have wrinkles yet, but my goal is to prevent as long as possible. Skin starts loosing its elasticity in your 30's. However if you moisturize in your 20's you're more likely to keep your skin looking healthy longer. 

 Speaking of Onion Rings Today I made 

healthy onion rings

Ingredients 
1 onion 
1 T onion powder 
1T garlic Powder
1/2 cup Bread Crumb or Almond Flour 
2 eggs

heat oven to 350 degrees 
cut onion into rings 
in a separate bowl whip your eggs 
dip onion rings into eggs 
on plate pour your dry mixture (crumbs, garlic powder & onion powder)
cover each ring with the dry mixture 
lay on a pan and cook in the oven for 40 minutes 


Chicken Nuggets 

2lbs chicken tenders
 1/2 cup almond flour 
1T onion powder 
1T garlic powder 

heat oven to 350 degrees 
cut chicken into small chunks
in a separate bowl whip your eggs 
dip chicken chunks into eggs 
on plate pour your dry mixture (crumbs, garlic powder & onion powder)
cover each chicken piece with the dry mixture 
lay on a pan and cook in the oven for 25 minutes 

Day 27 & 28: Uplifting Weekend

 General Conference Weekend is always refreshing and uplifting! 

I love to hear words from a living prophet. 

Even more amazing we were able to watching it from home broadcast live from Salt Lake City. 

Even more miraculous there are over 15,000,000 member! 142 temples operating, 14 more under construction and another 14 that have been announced. Over 80,000 missionaries serving around the world in 405 different missions. WOAH! 

What is even more AMAZING all of the talks are available online already! 

Click HERE

What did we eat? 

 Chicken Curry 

2 lbs chicken tenders 

1 yellow onion

2 sweet potatoes 

1 can coconut milk 

2 T curry powder 

4oz tomato paste 

2T butter

2T garlic 

cook the sweet potatoes and cut into chunks  

2 T butter in a medium heat pan. 

add curry into the pan and mix. 

after the butter is melted add the coconut milk and tomato paste- 

lower heat to simmer

in another pan sauté garlic and the onion

then add chicken and potatoes pieces and cook well

add chicken and onions into the sauce mixture 

Eat 

It seriously smelled so good that we went straight to eating and I totally forgot to take a picture of it! 

Before cooking I realized I needed an onion. Evan and I wanted to go for a run too, so in order to save time we decided to run to the store and buy the onion. Multi-tasking at its finest.  

Day 25: Run your guts out!

In 2009 I completely tore my left ACL, MLC, damaged my LCL, meniscus and patella playing a pickup game of soccer. The damage was so extensive the doctor said there was a chance I wouldn't be able to do everything again- unless I worked hard with Physical Therapy. Lots of pain, and a lot a tears but I was determined. In 2012 I ran 2 marathons and 2 half marathons and other races like 5K and 10Ks here and there. On average I ran 35 to 50 miles a week training (10+ miles a day), sometimes more, plus I did cross training (swimming, biking, insanity, and weight lifting). Running became an addiction. In fact when I played soccer in High School I hated running more than anything. I learned to love running...a lot!

I moved and worked a lot so my running was reduced to almost none. With a short 1 mile jog here and there, I'm now working my way back up and it feels good.

Cool, crisp mornings are perfect for runs. This morning I went for a 6.5 mile run unexpectedly. I just kept going!  I can't say there is a lot of fresh air, because there aren't parks or wide open spaces but I'll take what I can get.

Running Tips

1. Set a personal goal- what do you want to accomplish (time, distance, a race- you choose).
2. Download the Nike+ app. It's free and you can track your runs on your smart phone. I have the Nike+ gadget but it isn't as accurate as the app which uses GPS technology. 
3. Run Everyday (even if its short)
4. Plan your runs- Develop a schedule of what days you will train and how long (time/distance). 
5. Good music is a must! 
6. Eat. Eat healthy food. Just because you are working out doesn't mean you can load up on the cookies. 
7. Eat before you run: fruit, banana, protein shake... get something in your stomach. A car doesn't run on empty and neither should your body
8. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. Water is good! You should drink more! 
9. Stretch. Enough said, a good stretch after your run is a must. 

Running is the best Anti-depressent. Get up. Get out. If you're looking for a good training schedule, 

Try this one FOR BEGINNERS

This is the Schedule I use. 

I love this schedule because it gives your body good rest, even though you're running everyday. Honestly in my head I feel like I should always be pushing hard. no need. 

I can't wait to get to Arizona and Race again. Evan has committed to a 5K with me. November I am doing the Ragnar Relay  in Las Vegas with some college friends! 

Every girl loves chocolate after a run. Here is an after run treat. 

Healthy Brownies... Really Healthy brownies. I may have eaten the whole pan. Evan made fun of me. I'm fat! but look at the ingredients. I couldn't help myself. 

Ingredients

3 small zucchini (run through the food processor)- 1 1/2 cups

2 eggs

1tsp cinnamon

1T vanilla

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup dark chocolate morsels 

1T cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda 

run your zucchini through a food processor 

in a mixing bowl add eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, honey, cocoa power and baking soda. stir well

then add in your 1 1/2cups of zucchini

add chocolate chips

pour mixture into a 9x9 baking pan 

bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes 

let cool and a few chocolate morsels to the top for fun. 

They are really gooey- 

I took a fork and just ate them out of the pan. 

ENJOY! 

Day 23 & 24: Chocolate Love

Tuesday and Wednesday Evan worked long hours. Poor guy. (No we didn't do any April Fools Pranks, No time for that) I definitely had enough to kept myself busy with camp stuff. We are T-minus 2 weeks and a few days away, so its crunch time and less time to blog! 

Good news, there are ONLY 6 days away to the end of this challenge.

We've been doing pretty good. 

On another note we've been eating loads of leftovers 

and I've been doing recipes I've already tried. 

Click here to see what I've been cooking 

On another note this will curb the sugar craving

Chocolate Pudding with Chia Seed

Ingredients 

8 oz Coconut Milk 

6 T Chia Seeds

2 T Pure Vanilla Extract 

1T cocoa powder 

2 T chocolate chips 

1 T shredded coconut 

In a pot over medium heat add the milk, cocoa powder,1T chocolate Chips  and vanilla extract 

after it is mixed add the chia seeds 

stir for 5 minutes 

pour into bowl and refrigerate until cool 

to garnish add coconut and the remaining chocolate chips 

Devour :) 

What's so great about Chia Seeds? 

well it's definitely not for everyone. They don't have a taste, but the texture can tend to be a little slimy/jelly for some. That's why its good for making puddings because it solidifies the milk. 

There are health benefits though believe it or not. 

I hate taking fish oil for the omega-3 benefits (who likes fishy burps?), chia seeds provide that good fat for your brain (brain food). 

It also won't spike your glucose. 

I'm pretty sure you won't get the green plant growing you see on infomercials growing in your stomach, but they are the same seed, and you should try this chocolate pudding recipe. It's sure to satisfy! 

Here's to another day. 

<3 

E & H 

Day 22: Paleo Flaw

I still really enjoy the healthy eating and there are still 8 days left of the 30 day challenge; I love the amount of vegetables, fruits, good fats, seeds, and most of all the elimination of refined sugars. I plan to continue this patter but in my personal opinion I strongly believe that there are some flaws with the paleo diet. I feel there are some issues with the elimination of certain foods that are a prevention of cancers, and diabetes. Legumes are a carbohydrate that don't spike glucose and do support longevity. Whole grains is the second thing I feel is a flaw to eliminate. I think when the paleo diet eliminates grains it is because many are processed and changed, but whole grains are good for you, if we are reading our labels and they are truly whole and pure then it is good to go. Obviously everything should be eaten in moderation but for the remainder of the challenge I will be incorporating some legumes and whole grains/seeds like oats and quinoa. 

Honestly I feel good but I feel like there has been elimination of foods that provide nutritional benefits. 

So tonight I made Quinoa & Beef Burritos

Ingredients 

2 c quinoa 
3 c vegetable broth 
1 green bell pepper 
1/2 yellow onion 
cilantro 
lime juice 
1 lb ground beef
2 cups black beans 
1 tsp cumin 
1T chili powder
1T garlic minced
whole wheat tortilla

dice onion and bell pepper 
in a pan with medium heat add the brown the ground beef, onion, bell peppers
Then add cumin, garlic, and chili powder
in a separate pot add quinoa use broth instead of water, and use normal cooking directions. 


When everything is completed combine the ingredients into the tortilla, then add chopped cilantro to taste!
This was delicious! Evan was raving about it! 

I personally loved the quinoa! It had a extra delicious taste to it, considering it was cooked in the broth. 

Evan worked until late, but really great news: 
This is the last week of MEDICINE ROTATION! WOO HOO! 

I think I'll have to make something special to celebrate the last day (Saturday). 

cheers, 

E & H 

Day 20 & 21: Love Everyone Better

An uplifting weekend with the wise words of LDS Leaders. 

This was the beginning of the LDS General Conference session with the Women's Meeting on Saturday. 

There were 4 outstanding speakers reminding, not just women, but everyone to remember that we can learn from others no matter their age, there is no barrier. We are here to help each other keep covenants, have faith in Christ and understand repentance. Through loving others we must remember to help with a smile, forgive, comfort other despite differences. Though there are differences we should always seek to find what you have in common with others. President Henry B. Eyring said, "Daughters of God are more alike than they are different". 

More uplifting messages for you and your family April 5-6 

during the 184th Semi Annual General Conference 

Click here to watch 

Saturday I cooked in the crock pot so that cooking Sunday wasn't necessary. I had some meetings to attend for Girls Camp. 2 Weeks away!

Here are a few recipes to save you time! 

Crockpot Salsa Chicken 

3 lbs chicken 

1 bottle of 32oz organic salsa

1 chopped jalepeno 

3 diced fresh tomatoes 

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks 

combine all ingredients into a crockpot and cook on high for 6-8 hours 

Its the perfect paleo meal. We ate this for 2 meals. For Evan I put the chicken on bread and added some pepper jack chicken for a sandwich. The second meal I made him nachos. I added the chicken to a few black beans, multigrain chips and melted pepper jack cheese. 

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus 

Ingredients

Asparagus Spears

Turkey Bacon

Wrap each spear in a piece of bacon 

Cook in the oven at 350 Degrees for 45 minutes

For Dessert I made Fruit Roll Ups. 

The strawberries and mango I bought were starting to look old so I save them by making fruit roll ups. 

Ingredients 

2 cups Strawberries

1 cup mango 

3 T honey 

Combine the ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.

Onto a silicon pan liner pour your mixture 

ensure that it is about 1/8 inch thick

cook for about 7 hours in the oven at 170 degrees 

We couldn't keep our hands off of this delicious treat. Evan was pleasantly surprised it was like the store bought stuff but not artificial tasting. 

For my birthday I got the Movie Saratov Approach!

It was absolutely incredible. Evan and I really enjoyed watching it. If you haven't seen it, SEE IT! It is now out on DVD. 

Here is were you can purchase the movie

* I have not been paid to indorse this movie, I simply just loved it and highly recommend it* 

Hope you enjoy this food and movie 

<3 

E & H 

Day 19: BIRTHDAY! MY Favorite Day!

Before I start out celebrating I'd like to take a moment to remember my Opa.

On my 8th birthday, 17 years ago today he passed away (March 28, 1997). 

To the man who let me play with his hair, eat his noodles, fix what I broke, took me with him to lock up the church at night, and wake him up from his naps to play. He lived through war as a prisoner, pain, cancer and  always put others needs first without complaining. He was an example of humility, patience and kindness. I miss his elbow wave and whistle!  

Every year my Oma makes herself a birthday cake. My cousin and I most definitely have taken after her. We always love to make our own birthday cakes. I usually make the Schwarzwälder-Kirsch-Torte, and by all means it is one of my favorite cakes, that and Oma's hazelnut cake, but I am trying something new this year. Paleo birthday cake

PALEO CHEESECAKE 

Crust 

1 cup pitted dates

1 cup pecans

1 cup coconut shreds 

Filling 

3 cups unsalted cashews 

1/3 cup lemon juice 

1/2 cup agave 

1/2 cup coconut oil 

1 T vanilla extract 

Soak your cashews for 24 hours in water so they become soft and are able to blend smoothly. After soaking they will look very plump. 

I probably should have used a spring pan, but thats in a box somewhere in storage, so I'm using what I have. 

To make the crust add the ingredients into a food processor and blend until it is kind of sticky and you can form it

Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan

In the food process mix the cashews, lemon juice, agave, vanilla and coconut oil. 

Blend until it is smooth, no chunks. You want to it be like Cheesecake. 

Cover and put into the freezer. Allow 20 minutes to thaw before eating. YUM

IT WAS PRETTY GOOD. I was surprised the texture was very much like a real cheesecake. 

I started my day out with a 5 mile run. It was 40 degrees this morning with overcast, but no rain and no wind. I wanted to keep running but I ran out of places to run. There aren't many parks around here and you can only go so far before you hit the dangerous areas. 

Then I got a pedicure. The little chinese girl did awesome. Holy wonderful leg massage and neck massage while my toes were drying. This place was cheap and GOOD! I will definitely go back....

 Evan took me to the Cheesecake Factory in Garden City, New York. 

We both ordered the Hibachi Steak. His brother turned us onto this dish back in December. You can't go wrong with this delicious, tender, succulent steak. I substituted the mashed potatoes for sweet potato fries to keep myself as paleo as possible. Hard to do because I LOVE Mashed Potatoes, but the waitress said they were loaded with milk, butter, cream and other dairy. :(  

 I'd like to note that those fries are NOT mine :) 

Evan did order a strawberry cheesecake since we were there . I had a small small taste, and it was really good. My paleo/vegan cheesecake doesn't stack up to the real thing. The waitress did bring it out with a little candle  and "happy birthday" written in chocolate:) You can't go wrong with that. 

I wanted to play and have fun- after all I did turn 25 so I asked Evan to take me to Chuck -E-Cheese. We didn't go to there but we did go to Dave & Busters for games. It was a blast. I found a coupon on my "snip snap" app for $10 in free games.  We loved the Mario Kart Racing game. We definitely hogged it and played several games there. This machine too your picture and added it to the characters face. hahah Since I was little I would be Yoshi and I kept true to that. 

 I got many cards,e-cards, gifts, phone calls, and texts from family and friends. I love talking to and hearing from family so much <3

It was such a good day! Thank you all. Here's to another year- one year older, and wiser too! 

Cheers, 

E & H