Apple Season!

October might just be the best month! It started off with an emotional roller coaster of days leading up to my birthday, but is turning into a fun and exciting month filled with adventures. My 30th birthday weekend began with a visit from my sister, followed by a surprise boat cruise party with some of my closest friends, and ended with the perfect Sunday afternoon discovering a new brewery (Forge in Lorton, VA) and snuggled up with my sister discovering the Netflix show Narcos (so good!!). 

Thirty is feeling good! I'm so thankful to have friends that are willing to plan a surprise party for me and keep it so secret I had no clue it was coming!! My jaw dropped when I walked up to the docks and saw all my friends waiting to board the boat cruise. We danced the night away and braved the rain to take in the monuments by night! 

The delicious Filomena's in Georgetown! 

Kristen really out did herself, even making customized koozies for all the party goers. They were even my favorite color, purple! Thirsty & Thirty! It was such a fun celebration and one that I could have never dreamed up on my own. It was absolutely perfect and exactly what I needed to ring in my 30th year! 

The next weekend was filled with more celebrations. This time for the Johnson family. It was time to celebrate Baby J with a shower. I was lucky enough to co-host the party with the beautiful mama herself. The grandma to be was in town from Iowa, so it made the event extra special. I cannot wait to welcome the little bundle of joy in January. Sheesh, that seems like too long! Can't wait! 

The theme was Lil' Pumpkin and it was the perfect, very chill, coed shower. We served chili with toppings, baked brie, fall salad, and lots of sweet treats. I had some fun with new fall cookie cutters that were just perfect for the pumpkin pies. Grandma to be made her famous Monster Cookies! I may or not have had my own special stash hidden upstairs. We had a few fun games, like who can chug through a bottle the fastest (very entertaining to watch) and guess the sex of the lil' pumpkin (I'm leaning towards boy!). 

 To keep the fall extravaganza's going, this weekend featured apple picking!! My good friend Liz planned a fun outing to Poolesville, MD, where we hit up Homestead Farms. It was the first day that actually felt like fall with a cool, crisp breeze blowing and the colors popping! We collected a few different varietals including Aztec Fuji, Pink Lady, and Enterprise. We may have tried a few along the way for quality control purposes.

I liked the witches wart pumpkins the best! Can you tell?! 

 And let me tell you, I walked away with almost 10 lbs. of apples!! Uhhh, what am I going to do with 10 lbs. of apples you ask? Oh plenty! I started with a Buttermilk Apple Crumb Pie, next will be Traditional Apple Crisp, and some Overnight Apple Butter will be a new adventure I try. But with all that sweet goodness, I felt the need to balance it out with a delicious savory recipe that I've been making since as far back as high school. This is Whole30 compliant (only if you use arrowroot powder!), so if you're looking for a new recipe this is a great switch up!

Apple Chicken
1 lb. chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. ghee (divided)
2-3 apples, cored and sliced
3/4 cup apple cider
2 tsp. (a dash more if needed) arrowroot powder (or corn starch)

Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and thyme on both sides of the thighs. In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp. ghee over medium heat, add the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides (about 3 minutes each side). Remove the chicken from skillet and cover with aluminum foil. Add the remaining 1 tbsp. of ghee to the skillet, then add apples. Cook apples until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove apples and place in same dish as chicken. Using the same skillet, pour cider into the skillet, add arrowroot powder (or corn starch if using) whisking until combined completely. Allow cider to come to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Continue to cook until the cider has reduced and thickened. Add the chicken and apples back into the cider and finish cooking for 5 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts for the perfect fall meal! This doesn't photograph well but it sure does come out tasty!

I have purple cauliflower roasting in the oven to accompany my Sunday roast chicken. And you better believe I'm slicing into that Buttermilk Apple Crumb Pie for dessert. My coworkers will be living the life in apple desserts this week! Until next time!!!

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

Hey ya'll! I'm on Day 20 of my second Whole30 challenge and it has been a roller coaster. I've tried so many new recipes that I can't even count. I literally have been living in my kitchen, cooking, meal prepping/planning, eating, and washing dishes. Seriously, the dishes never end...I've been way more adventurous this time and I'm happy to report that it has been seriously rewarding. I've made my own almond milk, chicken stock, and coconut butter all from scratch. No packaging, no preservatives, just good old homemade deliciousness. I've seriously reduced my food waste since starting the challenge. I think that has more to do with deliberate meal planning then the actual food I'm making. But heck, I'll take what I can get. My grocery bill has jumped quite a lot, but figure I'm almost never eating out so my restaurant budget is close to zero.

Some of my favorite recipes this go around include: Shrimp over Zoodles with Sunshine Sauce, Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Avocado, Ranch, and a Fried Egg, Pumpkin Breakfast Custard with Pecans and Dates, Salmon Cakes with Tarter Sauce over Spinach, and Harvest Chicken Salad.

Most of the above recipes come from the Whole30 cookbook/guide book (find it here on Amazon), which has been a life saver. It has helped me stay organized, on track, and motivated these last 20 days.

As of today, I'm feeling so much better than Day 1. I have less bloat, my clothes fit better, my energy is up, and cravings have dropped (although they are not gone completely). I've put myself in situations where my willpower has been tested, and I've been successful! Try sitting in a kitchen while your friend bakes chocolate chip cookies, if that isn't a test I'm not sure what is. But honestly, I didn't even want to eat the cookies, because I knew that it would take me away from goal and away from the lifestyle/behaviors I'm trying to embody.

Yet again, the positives I'm seeing from eating better and becoming healthier are pouring over into other areas of my life. After my first Whole30, I mentioned that I was making better life choices. And it is true the second time around. I spent close to two hours today working on my budget. My finances have been a huge burden for the past few years. I'm in decent credit card debt and have been struggling to get the number moving down. I have a lot of factors against me including living in one of the most expensive areas in the nation, working in an industry that doesn't compensate enough based on the work delivered (although don't we all think that!), and being single, living on my own! But instead of being negative, as I have been in the past, I decided to take a more positive tone to my plan. I set a date to when I want to be debt free, January 2019! I made a plan of how I was going to get there (teaching classes off hours, spending less, and committing to my budget). And I'm not going to let the lack of things I have take a bigger portion of my focus, than the things I am blessed to have. I have so much to be thankful for and that is where my concentration needs to stay! This may include giving up my vacation travels for the next few years and tightening up my purse a little, but it will give me the freedom that I've been wanting for so long!

On that note, I'm going to leave you with a recipe that is sure to put anyone in a great mood! I enjoyed this last night and just had to share!

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

1 lb. Ground Turkey
1/3 cup Buffalo Sauce (I made my own with hot sauce, ghee, coconut oil, cayenne)
1/4 cup Cashew Meal (Almond meal or coconut flour also work)
Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Form turkey mixture into 4 larger patties. Heat a large sauté pan with a touch of olive oil in it, so the patties don't stick. Cook patties for about 3 minutes each side. Then finish in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve with extra buffalo sauce drizzled over, a fried egg, on top of spinach with a side of avocado and roasted sweet potato wedges for an amazingly satisfying dinner!! Enjoy!