Consider the leaf TURNED.

Oops! It's been over 6 months since my last blog post!

Life has been SO BUSY. Baby. Husband. New home. Work. Crossfit. I will just leave it at that!

I would love to start blogging again and I really hope I can squeeze it in, even if just once a week. I would love to start sharing my progress with Crossfit and my journey to getting myself into the best shape of my life, post baby. Also, we are feeding Isabelle a Whole30/paleo inspired diet, and I'm sure other moms with a desire to do the same would be interested in what/how we are feeding our little one. Hint: she pretty much eats what we eat!

Lastly, and of course, I'd love to share new good food recipes!

So stay tuned for some more activity on this blog and in the meantime, feel free to follow me on Instagram! I'm always posting there!

Until next time!

SMP

So I'm a little late with this post. But do not fear! We did successfully complete our Whole30! The last 10 days of our Whole30 were just as delicious as our first 20. Although we were busier, got a little sick, and tempted to indulge, we remained on the course! I'm actually still going strong and today is Day 37! Mark had a mini detour and enjoyed some organic tortilla chips with my guacamole. I know, we are such rebels.

I currently have a cranky baby on my lap so I will just post these pictures as a reminder that eating this way is never boring or bland. I have actually enjoyed some of the most delicious meals while on this program. I hope to post a reflective piece on what I've learned from the experience this time around in the next day or so, as well as some of the recipes for the meals pictured below. Stay tuned! Until then, be inspired to eat real food!

PS: I downloaded this new app that adds text to photos and I might have gotten a little carried away!

Sweet potato, ground beef, and a homemade balsamic cherry jam

That's yucca and plantains in that soup - no potatoes!

Recipe slightly adapted from Primal Cravings Cookbook

Another delicious recipe from the Primal Cravings cookbook

Before and after his Whole30

My father is my hero. In his younger days, he used to be a body builder and I remember being able to hang and swing holding onto his biceps. After a long car ride home, I would pretend to be asleep in the car, just so he could carry me in the house in his strong arms.

As the years went on and his priorities shifted from bodybuilding to becoming the first pastor of a Spanish speaking congregation in our small town in Pennsylvania and the founder of a local food bank, the weight started creeping on. He was (and is still) so committed to helping this community that his health took a back seat.

Due to the weight gain and poor diet, my father then developed poor circulation in his legs and cellulitis. Over the years, he's had two surgeries to address the issues and after an ER visit this past December, was headed for a third.

I had spoken to my family about the Whole30 since I discovered it back in August 2012, but they never thought it was feasible for them. After all, I come from a very Puerto Rican family that can live off of rice and beans alone. But after my dad's latest health concerns, he decided to embark on his own Whole30 journey.

About 10 days into his Whole30, feeling great and loving on his granddaughter Isabelle

I am so proud of his commitment and dedication over the last 30 days. I've seen with my very own eyes, how his energy has increased, how positive he feels about life, and how he went from needing 5-6 cups of coffee per day to only 1-2 cups. I've seen him reach for a piece of fruit for a snack instead of his usual crackers with peanut butter. I heard from my mom that he's sleeping so much better and longer at night. I've seen him preach on Sunday mornings with more fervor. I've seen his suits fit him so much better.

And most importantly, I've seen his inflamed leg return back to normal. In just 30 DAYS. See for yourself:

No medication, no surgery, just eating real food.

Is that not incredible?! FOOD IS MEDICINE!

By simply eating real foods like meat, vegetables, fruits, eggs, nuts, and avocados, he has taken his health into his own hands. Oh, and he also lost 23 pounds. TWENTY THREE POUNDS. No big deal.

My father is so encouraged by his results that he has officially decided to extend his Whole30 to a Whole60. In his own words,

"I give God all of the glory. Without His help, I couldn't do it. And I thank God that He gave Melissa and Dallas Hartwig all of this knowledge and wisdom to help so many people like me."

I couldn't be prouder. My father is my hero.

This picture was taken today, February 9th

And just because I love this picture...

On my wedding day, January 2012, before we knew anything about Whole30.

Two thirds of the way complete with our Whole30! Again, I say it has been so easy this time around! I'm taking advantage that our little Belle is asleep so I'm keeping this post short and sweet. May the pictures speak for themselves.

WHOLE30 EATS: Days 11-20

Sara's Chicken with Sauteed Kale

I made a fresh batch of ghee!

How to Make Ghee at Home

2 eggs with avocado and tomato salad

Not the best pictures, but chicken wings, tostones, and avocado - YUM.

A very random concoction on a very busy day: avocado, tomatoes, red onion, chicken sausage, and olive oil

Keeping it simple with some scrambled eggs with coconut milk and dried tarragon

A delicious meal I made by accident: Walnut Pesto Ground Pork Salad

Walnut Pesto Ground Pork Salad Recipe

2 hardboiled eggs drizzled with the walnut pesto sauce I'm currently obsessed with eating

Walnut Pesto Sauce Recipe

Sara's Chicken

Sara's Chicken Recipe

I decided to make a big batch of chicken breasts for emergency protein. They were simply seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked in the cast iron skillet in some ghee.

Some of that emergency protein with roasted butternut squash and rutabaga and of course, the walnut pesto sauce.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, and Rutabaga Recipe

Horrible picture, but some more of that emergency protein with some organic marinara sauce

A big pile of food: sweet plantains, chicken sausage, and an avocado

Bacalao con Guineos: Salted Cod with Plantains. Recipe coming soon.

Yum.

Philippians 4:13

Source

Philippians 4:13. This is probably the most quoted verse in the Bible after John 3:16. And even though it's so well known, I often have to repeat this verse to remind myself of its power. This verse says so much.

It does not say that I can only do the things I'm good at naturally. It does not say that I can do SOME things.

Sure, if I relied on my own knowledge and strength I would find myself facing many limitations. But when I rely on Christ, the cornerstone, I can do ALL THINGS.

All things.

Don't forget that.

Sara's Chicken with Sauteed Kale

"Sara's Chicken" is my go-to recipe for chicken. We make it at least once a week. This chicken goes really well with white potatoes as the potatoes soak up all the marinade in the roasting pan. Since we are doing a Whole30, we are not eating white potatoes this month. (Sad Face)

Instead, I decided to make some sautéed kale on the side to go with the chicken this week. Using the chicken's pan drippings to sauté the kale really gave it a lot of flavor and I highly recommend trying it.

After the chicken was done and out of the oven, I simply took about 1/4 cup of the pan drippings and put it into a sauté pan.

Over medium heat I let the pan drippings bubble a bit and after it began to reduce, I added a few big handfuls of chopped kale into the pan.

Don't be afraid to add A LOT. It wilts down so much.

I continuously tossed the kale so that it was covered with all of the flavorful sauce. In just a few minutes the kale had cooked down and was ready for a dash of salt and pepper and a splash of apple cider vinegar. I find the vinegar to really take the edge off of the bitter greens. It was delicious.

A big, one person serving or enough to divide into two.

I ended up eating the entire serving by myself since Mark wasn't feeling too adventurous about eating the kale. However it was probably enough for two people. If you need to serve more, then of course just double this simple recipe.

Sautéed Kale with "Sara's Chicken" Sauce Recipe

Recipe Ingredients:

1/4 Cup of pan drippings from "Sara's Chicken" recipe
2-3 big handfuls of chopped kale (I used about half of a 16 oz bag of already chopped/cleaned kale)
dash of salt and pepper
splash of apple cider vinegar

Recipe Directions:

1.) Make "Sara's Chicken"
2.) After the chicken is done, take about 1/4 cup of the pan drippings and put into a saute pan on medium heat.
3.) Let the pan drippings bubble and reduce a bit (1-2 minutes) to create a bit of a sauce.
4.) Add kale and toss continuously so that all of the kale gets coated in the sauce.
5.) After just a few minutes, the kale should be wilted and ready for a taste test. If needed, add a dash of salt and pepper.
6.) Add a splash of apple cider vinegar and toss before plating alongside your delicious chicken.
7.) Enjoy!

Walnut Pesto Ground Pork Salad

I love it when delicious recipes happen by accident. Today was a busy day. Between managing my work load and caring for the baby, it was close to 2pm before I had a chance to make something to eat. And I was hungry.

I plopped my little angel in her swing and flew into the kitchen to see what I could quickly make. I didn't feel like having eggs (my usual quick meal), so I started looking around. I noticed that I had a bunch of fresh basil that I needed to use, so I immediately started getting the ingredients together for this walnut pesto sauce. It's my new fave and it takes a whopping 5 minutes to throw together. Now, what would I put this delicious sauce on?

Upon opening up the fridge, I noticed that I didn't have any "quick cooking chicken" as all of the items I had defrosted were bone-in. I needed something fast. I did have a pound of organic ground pork - would that taste good with the pesto sauce? We were about to find out!

Since I already knew that the pesto sauce had plenty of flavor, all I did was cook up the ground pork in a pan on medium heat with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. I decided it needed some type of vegetable so I chopped up a red bell pepper and threw it in once the pork was no longer pink in the middle. Once it was all cooked, I took the pan off the heat and added about 3 tablespoons of the pesto. I did a little taste test and BOOM - I was in heaven. SO. GOOD.

I got myself a big bowl of spinach, spooned on some of the pesto ground pork and peppers, and topped it all with a handful of chopped walnuts. This is my new favorite meal. You must try it.

Walnut Pesto Ground Pork Salad

Recipe Ingredients:

1 pound of organic ground pork

3 TBSP of walnut pesto sauce

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1-2 handfuls of raw baby spinach, for salad base

olive oil, enough to coat pan

salt & pepper to taste

handful of chopped walnuts, as salad topping

Recipe Directions:

1.) Make walnut pesto sauce if you don't already have some on hand.

2.) Heat a saute pan over medium heat and coat with a bit of olive oil

3.) Crumble the ground pork into the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste, a little less than usual since the pesto has salt in it and plenty of flavor

4.) Once the ground pork is no longer pink in the middle, lower the heat, add your chopped pepper, and cover for 3-5 minutes, or until the pepper is cooked to your liking

5.) Remove from heat and add 3 TBSP of the walnut pesto sauce. Mix and do a final taste test. Add salt and/or pepper if needed, but I'm sure it will be just fine!

6.) Add pesto ground pork mixture over baby spinach and top with a handful of chopped walnuts.

7.) Dig in!

Mark and I are currently doing another Whole30! I'm not sure if it's because we've done it before or because it's a new year - but I'm really pumped about it. I'm also finding it super easy this time around. I'm not going hungry. I'm not stressing over meal plans.

I'm just doing it.

To read about our first experiences with the Whole30, go here (my story) and here (Mark's story).

I'm already feeling like I have more energy, especially with a 2 month old child and just starting to get back to work this week. Also, TMI ALERT, Isabelle has been so much less gassy since I've cleaned up the diet again. Apparently, she prefers her breastmilk to be Whole30 compliant too.

Milk coma

So we all know I like to photograph my meals - I love food that looks pretty and I love to share ideas with all of you. I didn't always get the chance to snap a pic of every meal (especially when I had repeats), but below are a few of the delicious meals we have enjoyed while being on the Whole30 over the first 10 days. Enjoy!