Hamburgers and French Fries and Blood Tests, Oh My!

I love data. Like, I freakishly love to compare numbers and track patterns. This obsession started a few years ago when I was forced to track my students' standardized test data. Yes, I was forced. Now, I get so excited that I text my friends and post the results on the McMillan fridge. The current display is the data about my Algebra students' District Common Assessment that they completely rocked on. Not to brag or anything, but they did awesome. 

Anyway, the reason I say this is because I recently had a Wellness Exam done and had blood taken. This is the first physical I've had since James and I started eating paleo in May. Before May, I honestly thought I was a healthy person. I exercised regularly and thought I made healthy food choices. My bread was always 100% whole wheat and packed with lots of fiber and protein. I made sure to choose the oatmeal that had the lowest sugar and a reasonable amount of carbs. We never bought prepackaged foods that were filled with extra unwanted ingredients. James and I have rarely went out to eat, so almost all of our meals were homemade. 

I've always known that my clothes fit better and that I feel better when I eat 'My Paleo'.  Now, I have data to support my case. If you think I've gone off the deep end, you're probably right. But I don't care. Hell, being in a new state I needed a hobby, and this one stuck. I've decided to be preventative about my health while I'm still young, especially since I have some undesirable health conditions in my family. Anyway, here are the results:

Blood Test Results Pre-Paleo / August 2011

Total Cholesterol: 211

Triglycerides: 106

HDL (Good Cholesterol): 68

LDL (Bad Cholesterol): 121 - I was told to monitor my saturated fats because I was on the borderline of having high cholesterol. What 26 year old wants to do that? How do you even do that?

Blood Test Results With Paleo / December 2012

Total Cholesterol: 172

Triglycerides: 72

HDL (Good Cholesterol): 77 - I am no longer at risk for having high cholesterol  In fact, I have increased my good cholesterol so much that I am in the preventative column of the chart.

LDL (Bad Cholesterol): 81 

Now, there were obviously other things that they tested that I could list, but I really don't want to bore you to death. The main point in sharing this is to show how paleo is working for me. I'm by no means a doctor, and I don't know exactly what all of the numbers mean. However, the little amount of research that I've done has shown that my numbers are pretty rad. 

Oh, this is what we had for dinner last night and it's 100% paleo. The french fries are red potatoes that were fried in coconut oil. French fries and Frank's hot sauce were my signature in college (especially after a Friday night out with my roommates), so I'm pumped to make them paleo. You can really tell a positive difference in the fries when they're cooked in coconut oil. They're still delicious, but not as heavy and you don't feel guilty after eating a pound...or two.

Steak Fajitas

My students are in a testing environment, which means I do not teach for the majority of the day. Ok, let's be honest. I don't teach at all. Instead, I monitor the bathrooms and sharpen pencils. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. I do get bored easily, so that sucks. I can only refresh my email so many times before it becomes obsessive. I think my mom and I need to have a serious talk about my childhood. I have a strange feeling I should have been (or was) diagnosed with ADD. James and I are going to have a handful with our future children. Sorry little ones, our bad.

James has a huge passion for steak fajitas, so I attempted to make them at home. Of course they aren't as sinfully delicious as the ones at a local Tex Mex establishment, but they are paleo. Perhaps they would be better if we had a grill. Scratch that, I know they would be better if we had a grill. Everything tastes better with some charcoal.

Fajita Ingredients
2 pounds of thin cut steak
1 Green bell pepper
1 Red bell pepper
1 Onion
1/4ish Cup of cilantro
2 Limes
Chili powder
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Cumin
Salt
Pepper

Pico de gallo Ingredients
3 Roma tomatoes
1/2 Onion
1/4 C chopped Cilantro
1 Tbsp Orange juice (I was out of lime)
Salt
Pepper

Directions
1. Thinly slice the onion and bell peppers
2. In a large bowl, place a layer of meet (about 2-3 steaks)
3. Season the meat with the above ingredients. Note: don't be afraid to go heavy on the cumin. That's what makes it fajita-y. Also, I would use the juice of 1/2 of a lime per layer.
4. Add a layer of the sliced vegetables.
5. Continue to layer the meat, seasoning, and vegetables until all of your ingredients are used. The reason I layer them is to get an even distribution of flavor. If it were an algebraic expression it would be,         seasoning (meat + vegetables). Yes, I just incorporated the Distributive Property into my recipe. I found a pair of mathematical Tom's that I'm dying to have. Dork status? Perhaps.
6. Toss all of the ingredients together and place in the refrigerator overnight (or for a few hours if you don't have time to leave it overnight).
7. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet and brown minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
8. Turn up the heat (mine was on 7) and add the meat and some vegetables. I was able to fit two steaks and some vegetables at a time.
9. Cook the meat for approximately 2 minutes per side. Since the steaks are thin, they don't require much time. You could get away with 1 minute per side if your skillet is hot enough and you let your meat sit afterwards (it continues to cook on the plate)
10. Top with sliced avocado and homemade pico and add cauliflower rice as a side. The cauliflower is a great filler and picks up the flavor of whatever is around it. I used to l.o.v.e rice, but I don't even think about it anymore.

Side-note: I forgot to take a picture until I had already started to eat. I also forgot to add the peppers and onions to my plate. Christmas break, please hurry. 

This is Elle enjoying our Christmas tree. Don't tell Brit, but we gave her a lot of cheese. It was the only way to make her happy with her mom and dad away. 

Gourmet Burgers and Fried Zucchini

One of the greatest foods of all time is a burger. A nice, juicy burger. James and I went to a place in Myrtle Beach that was absolutely delicious, and it sprouted our interest in creating unique burgers at home. Now, the burgers we had in Myrtle beach are way more adventurous with topping such as Doritos and peanut butter. If you ever have the urge to put peanut butter on a burger, make sure you have jalapenos to go with it. Seriously, do it.

This meal is 100% paleo and extremely yummy. Yes, it is possible to eat burgers and fried zucchini while being healthy. Here's how...

Ingredients for Burger

• 2 pounds of lean ground beef
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1/4 onion, diced
• Worcestershire sauce (That is an incredibly hard word to spell. I would totally lose in a spelling bee.)
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Pepper
• Salt

*Combine all ingredients and cook at 450 degrees for 17 minutes. 18 is way too much.

Toppings
Fried egg
Sliced avocado (I had to use spellcheck. Again)
Homemade Pico

• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1 Jalapeno
• 1/2 Lime
• Fresh cilantro

Fried Zucchini

• 2 Zucchini, sliced
• 1 Egg
• 2 Cups of almond flour
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Pepper
• Salt
• Coconut oil

*Heat oil. Dip zucchini in egg and then seasoned flour. Fry until zucchini is soft and the almond flour is brown. Note: almond flour really dirties the oil. Your zucchini will look darker than if you fried it in flour.

 

I don't like egg, at all, so mine is without. James on the other hand, went crazy with egg and it actually looks delicious. I know I would hate it, but it does look good.

 

 

Pumpkin Banana Smoothie

My first couple years as a teacher I would share several stories about my students and the wonderful things they say. Now that I've been teaching for five years, I haven't been as good about sharing my interactions with the youth. This one, however...needs an audience. Keep in mind that I teach 8th grade now.


Student: Ms., my agenda fell in that thing. You know, that thing.
Other Student: Ummm, the urinal?
Student: Yes. My agenda fell in the urinal.
Me: Ok.
Student: There was pee in the urinal.
Me: Ok. Can you tell me why are you holding it by your face?
Student: Because I washed it off.
Me: Take it away from your face. You washed your (paper) agenda?
Student: Yes.
Me: Ok, so why are you telling me this? What would you like me to do?
Student: Nothing.
Me: Ok.
Student: Ok.

This is a combination of a few recipes I found online. I absolutely love desserts and my husband loves pumpkin, so this is perfect. We really enjoyed this beverage, and it was a great way to end a Monday morning.

Ingredients
1 can of coconut milk
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 banana
3 dates, pitted and soaked for at least twenty minutes
honey
nutmeg
ginger
cinnamon
ice

Directions
Place all items in the Vitamix and enjoy.

I had to take the picture in front of the lights, because I am obsessed with making it feel like Christmas. It was 82 degrees today. Last night James put on the air conditioning so that I could enjoy a fire in the fire place.

Shredded Pork. What? It's Paleo

What up. It's James. I'll be your host this evening, melting faces and guiding you through the fatty deliciousness that is pork. I know what you're thinking. Pork? Healthy? Yes. On paleo, you can have as much bacon as you please. I even found a paleo recipe for chocolate covered bacon. Now I'm not actually advocating eating tons of bacon covered in chocolate, it's just a beautiful thought.

But I digress. The point of this blog, aside from espousing the benefits of paleo and filling my wife's somewhat odd need to blog (this is seriously her third or fourth attempt at a blog, and thus far the longest lasting) is to tell you good people what we ate and how we made it. Again, I know what you're thinking. Again, the answer is yes. We really do think we are so rad that a blog  needed to be created solely about what we eat for dinner.

This will be my second, and final, attempt at digressing to the actual point of this evenings blog. What we ate for dinner. Shredded pork, onions, green and red peppers, and spinach all sauteed and topped with sliced avocado. I'll admit, we cheated a bit on the pork. We bought a pre-seasoned cut of pork from HEB. That was a mistake. The pork was good, but our Carolina Pork recipe is better. Next time HEB will not tempt me with visions of laziness. I will do it the right way. So I took this inferior  pork, threw it in the crock pot, added some chicken broth (all we had), red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cumin, and a little bit of apple cider vinegar to help it shred. The crock pot worked its magic for nine hours, and the pork shredded with a fork quite easily. I diced all the veggies, and sauteed the onions and peppers together, while doing the spinach in a separate pan. We sautee everything in coconut oil, simply because it contains a better fat than olive oil. Coconut oil contains more fat than olive oil, but much of it is MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) which are more easily processed by the liver and thereby less is stored as excess fat in the body. Just dropped some knowledge on you. The more you know..

I am now going to attempt to write the recipe. It may be pointless, I did not measure one thing. Ingredients were dumped in until I felt it looked good. Keep in mind the pork was pre-seasoned, so this was just extra lovin'.

3 lbs pork
Almost covered the pork in the crockpot with chicken broth
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 an onion
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
4 oz spinach

I realize the pork doesn't look amazing in the picture, but we aren't photographers. Just master chefs.

Chicken Stuffed Avocado

I have no clue how to spell avocado. Ok, let me rewind. I misspell the word 'avacado' every time I type it. That stupid red squiggly line pops up every single time and it constantly reminds me why I decided to teach math. Thank goodness for Algebra. I get along really well with x's and y's. and numbers. I love the quadratic formula. It's true.

James and I went to dinner with Teresa, Stokes, Will and Brit two Sunday's ago and this was pretty much the start of our non-paleo eating. We went to El Tiempo where I fell in love with the amazing fried avocado. Like legitimately fell in love. The real thing is a fried bundle of goodness and you can read about it here.

I am on a mission to create this deliciousness while sticking to my paleo guidelines. This is the first attempt, and my hopes are high. Well, not too high. It's never a good idea to try and make a dish that is extremely non paleo, paleo without feeling a little bit disappointed. The first time I tried to make ranch dressing was a huge fail. And chocolate pudding. Some things need to be left in that sacred-unhealthy area to be enjoyed every now and then.

Ingredients
3 Large chicken breasts
2 Cups of Chicken broth
4 Ripe avocados
3 Jalapeños
1/2 Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper

Directions
1. Boil chicken in chicken broth and season with the above dry ingredients until its easy to shred.
2. Dice garlic, onion, and jalapeños (seeded). Brown the garlic, jalapeño, and half of the onion in a skillet with coconut oil.
3. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits.
4. Scoop out the deliciousness from the avocado and place in bowl.
5. Add the sautéed mixture, shredded chicken, jalapeño, and the remaining onion to the avocado bowl.
6. Stir until completely mixed.
7. Place in the avocado shell and top with some tomatoes.
8. Eat.

Holy crap, this is more delicious than I expected. I added a side of spinach and chopped cauliflower. We will definitely make this again, and may even try it with crab or shrimp.

Martha Stewart's Baked Chicken Breast

For the past week or so my paleo has been nonexistent. With the holidays comes extreme temptation and unhealthy eating. I'm not going to lie, it was all very delicious and well worth it. Especially the beverages and apple pie. I really, really love apple pie.

The McMillan family will be reuniting in Denver on December 21st, so James and I have decided to eat strict paleo until then. I feel tired and sluggish and my clothes are definitely not fitting the way I'd like them to. It will be difficult at first, but it's way worth it in the end.

There's nothing super special about our dinner tonight, other than the fact it's easy and yummy. The recipe comes straight from a Martha Stewart cookbook that my mom got me for Christmas. James is a pro at cooking this, so he made dinner while I began to prep for tomorrow.

Ingredients
3 Large Chicken Breasts (with bone and skin)
Carrots
Cherry Tomatoes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Coconut Oil)
Salt
Pepper

Directions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper
2. Sere chicken in oil over high heat
3. Season tomatoes and carrots with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little oil
4. Bake all of the ingredients at 475 degrees for 20ish minutes (depends on the size of your chicken)
5. Remove from the oven and let cool

Easy Chicken Noodless Soup

Ah!! The cold has taken over Texas. Granted, we don't have frost or snow but I'm still going to complain. I absolutely hate being cold. Thank goodness the Acura has heated seats for mornings like these.

I was feeling lazy last night and didn't want to cook. My focus was more on starting a fire in our fire place and watching 'Gossip Girl'. James met Will and Kyle for beverages which meant I had the remote controller to myself.

Anyway, all I did was boil two large boneless skinless chicken breasts in chicken broth on the stove top. After 40 minutes or so I added chopped carrots, celery, and onion. I seasoned the mixture with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed, and a dash of red pepper flakes. The yummy goodness then simmered on low for an hour or two. The result, an amazing Paleo chicken noodless soup. It was perfect for my chilly night by the fire.

Oh, s'mores were for dessert and they were totally not Paleo, yet totally bangin'.

Turkey Balls

I'm finally back on the grid and have a cell phone. I had to say goodbye to the 814 and BlackBerry, but I guess it was time. Today wasn't too bad... for a Monday.

Oh. Texas also wants to secede from the Union. Awesome.

Turkey Balls, Squash, Zucchini
2 lbs ground lean turkey
2 zucchini
2 yellow squash
2 Roma tomatoes
2 gloves garlic
1 onion
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Garlic powder

Sautée garlic and onions in coconut oil
Chop and season veggies
Make small meatballs and season
Add meat to the pan
Once the meat is almost done, add veggies
Enjoy! (With some hot sauce)

Pork vs. Politics

Clearly, pork wins this debate. This recipe is delicious. If you don't eat/like pork, then I think chicken or beef could work, but us McMillan's freakin' love pork. The key to this recipe is preparation and time. James and I attempted to make this a few weeks ago and the pork didn't shred as well. Today, we worked several extra hours which resulted in the crockpot working its magic a little while longer. I will say the thought of this deliciousness cooking at home made my day a little brighter. The fact that I didn't have to cook when I got home made it even better. Yes, my thoughts today weren't about politics...they were about pork.

Delicious Pork, Onions, and Peppers

3 pounds of pork tenderloin
1 green bell pepper
1 onion
32ish ounces of chicken stock
3 garlic cloves
cilantro
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder
salt/pepper

1)  Mince garlic and sautee in oil (or coconut oil)
2) Slice bell peppers and onion
3) Place half of the peppers and onions in the crockpot
4) Place the pork on top of the peppers (season the meat with the above items)
5) Place the remaining peppers, onions, and sauteed garlic on top of the pork
6) Pour chicken stock into the crockpot. I added a little water to make sure the meat was covered
8) Place a few cilantro leaves on top
7) Cook for 12 hours on low heat (I prepared the night before and turned it on in the morning. I don't think 12 hours is completely necessary, but the meat was very tender and shredded very easily).
8) We steamed some broccoli and carrots for a side. I'm aware that the flavors don't really match, but it turned out just fine.

Oh... some hot sauce really makes this dish shine.

Steak and Mashed Paleo Potatoes

Today it is actually cool in Houston. I refuse to say it is cold, but for the first time I felt chilly while watching my students during their outside P.E. time. Thankfully, I have a fluffy scarf to keep me warm. According to Facebook, which is always accurate, there may be snow in Pennsylvania this weekend. Maybe I should rethink calling Houston 'cool'. Oh, side note: there was a tragedy while running with my Blackberry. I will spare you the details, but lets just say excessive sweat caused some sort of problem with the keys. It will  turn on, but I cannot use any of the keys. I am now at the mercy of my work phone. If you need me, I guess email will have to do. Part of me misses my phone, the other part is excited to have an excuse not to have it on me. It is currently sitting in quinoa, so maybe it'll work this weekend. If not, I guess I have to visit hell, I mean Verizon, to get it fixed.

I can take zero credit for cooking tonight, but I wanted to share with you regardless. I cannot share a pic of this fine meal because of the unfortunate incident mentioned above. I guess I could have taken a picture with James' phone, but by the time I thought of it my steak was half-way gone. James said a half-eaten picture wouldn't be effective, and since he cooked it was his decision. Anyway, here was last night's dinner:

Steak
-2 large steaks
-salt
-pepper

*Sere on a hot skillet. Place in oven for a few minutes after. Unfortunately, I don't know the times James used.

Avocado/Lime puree-ish mixture
-1 large ripe avocado
-1/2 lime
-salt

*Mash all of the ingredients together with a fork. (Thank you Will and Brit for introducing us to this fine gem)

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
-1/2 bag of frozen cauliflower (you can also use fresh)

*Steam cauliflower. Mix in Vitamix with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, splash of almond milk

This meal is 100% paleo, and 100% delicious. Eating paleo has several benefits and I love it. Before we started eating paleo I struggled with low blood sugar, and now those problems are completely gone. I was to the point where a doctor prescribed me a blood sugar monitor. I would have spells where I would get sweaty and my vision would blur. I recall one time in Myrtle Beach where I honestly thought I would pass out if I didn't have food. I tried several things from snacking continuously throughout the day, to monitoring my carbs. The only thing that has worked for me is paleo. Well, My Paleo.

Taco Night!

After working 60 hours, administering two Common Assessments, and meeting with 20 parents I need the weekend. My favorite way to relax is with a good beer and tacos. Sure, it's not paleo... but it's My Paleo.

Tortillas
2 C unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbs coconut oil
3/4 hot water

1) combine dry ingredients
2) insert the coconut oil and use your hands to combine the oil with the dry ingredients. I usually squeeze it for a couple minutes
3) add super hot water
4) kneed the dough
5) roll out using the rolling pin (I wonder if my great grandmother knew her rolling pin would still be used today!)
6) cook in a dry pan over super high heat

 

 

Beer is paleo because I said so. And yes, I need two different types of hot sauce. Shout out to my awesome husband for cooking the rest of the delicious meal. xoxo

Paleo Lasagna

Today was a crap day. I really love my job, and I generally love teaching middle schoolers. Today however, not so much. It wasn't that I didn't want to work today, I just didn't want to correct inappropriate behaviors all. day. long. Thank goodness today is Wine Wednesday.

This recipe is modified from someone else, but I really don't remember the source. I suppose if I googled it I would find it, but for now I'm just going to say it belonged to 'someone else' originally. Although this tastes nothing like pasta, it is still delicious. I will continue to salivate while watching commercials about the Olive Garden, but I will do so without feeling bloated and disgusting.

Ingredients
2lbs Lean burger or turkey
4 Zucchini
2ish Heads of broccoli
3 Handfuls of fresh spinach
1 Bag of mozzarella/italianish cheese (This is My Paleo...not necessary Paleo)
1 Jar of organic spaghetti sauce (We try to stick with sauce that has few ingredients and zero high fructose corn syrup)
3 Garlic cloves
1/2 Onion
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Basil
Oregano
Marjoram
Parsley
Salt
Pepper

Directions
1) Mince garlic and sautee in a drizzle of olive oil/coconut oil
2)Mince onion and add to garlic
3) Season beef with all of the above seasonings and put in the frying pan with the oil/garlic/onion combo
4)Steam your broccoli in a separate pot
4)While the meat is cooking, slice your zucchini. I usually cut mind around 1/6 inch thick, but you can decide how you like yours
5)Layer your lasagna as follows: meat, broccoli, fresh spinach, cheese, zucchini, sauce, meat, broccoli...
6)Top with a sprinkle of cheese (Don't judge. I love cheese, and I need calcium. I'm fighting osteoporosis early).
7)Bake 40-45 minutes on 425 degrees.

The finished product looks much better, but I didn't feel like waiting. Maybe I will be inspired to add another photo later.

I surprisingly do not add hot sauce to this...just crushed red pepper. And lots of it.





I was inspired. Please note that James does not agree with the amount of cheese I use, but he doesn't have frail bones to worry about like I do. I'm being proactive. 

Steak with Avacado Sauce

Tonight on the menu is steak with a creamy sauce and spaghetti squash. The original recipe came from my inspiration PaleOMG. http://paleomg.com/creamy-avocado-spinach-chicken-pasta/. I'm honestly not sure of the legality of borrowing a recipe, but I'm not going to worry about that until I go viral. Or famous. Or appear on Ellen. Until then, I will post the original version, and then the modifications I made.

The original recipe called for chicken, but now that I live in Texas I have found there is a much larger beef selection. James and I did our weekly shopping and I am thrilled to share the savings. I would consider myself an extreme-couponer in training.

Total spent: $100.06
Savings: $68.52
Gas Perks: $1.20 off/gallon

Ok, back to the steak. A huge chunk of steak was on sale, so we decided to modify the recipe from chicken to steak. A few weeks ago we ate dinner with Will and Brit and they served steak with pureed avocado and lime. Apparently, they had this in Chile', and well,  it was freakin' delish. Because of this we decided steak would work great with this recipe. Organic squash was also on sale, so we stocked up on spaghetti, acorn, and butternut squash. I really, seriously love fall. I miss Pennsylvania during this time of year, but a quick peak at weather.com and I'm reminded how happy I am to live in Texas.

Avocado Sauce (this comes straight from the previous link)
2 squishy avocados
1 handful of fresh basil
garlic powder
thyme
salt
pepper
lemon

1) Puree in the Vitamix (Teresa, we absolutely love our Vitamix!!!)

Steak
3 garlic cloves
bag-or-so fresh spinach

1) Mince garlic, sauteed in olive oil (or coconut oil)
2) Cook on high heat 4-5 minutes per side
3) Let meat sit
4) Wilt spinach

Spaghetti Squash
If I had to guess, I would say it's 5 pounds. Ish.

1)Ok, this needs to happen before anything. Clearly, I'm new to this.
2) Cut in half and take out seeds and gross stuff
3) Bake at 400 degrees until done (the outside should be soft)

Combine everything together and enjoy.

 I'm not going to lie...I still added hot sauce.

My Paleo

This blog is all about the foods that I like to eat and the ways I like to cook them. James and I started eating paleo in May after attending a bachelorette/bachelor weekend apart. I was inspired by the bachelorette, Amanda, who had become a beast (in the best way possible) from eating paleo and doing CrossFit. We had worked out many times together before that weekend, but never had I seen her in that great of shape. I was inspired. Six months later, James and I are still eating 'Our Paleo' and will hopefully be starting CrossFit soon. I hope you enjoy reading, and remember almost everything I say is sarcastic. Lit-erally.