Tuesday Ten: Whole 30 Recipes

Y'all. Rory and I are almost done with our Whole 30 Challenge. For those of you who don't know what a Whole 30 Challenge is, it is a 30 day program designed to allow your body to detox and reset and feel what it's like to process and run on whole foods- no processed junk allowed. No dairy, sugar, legumes, corn (for the love of popcorn!!!), carbs, or alcohol (what I would give for a margarita right now). Lord help. I first brought this idea up to Ror on our honeymoon (I'm really great at timing) because I've wanted to try the whole natural thing. Well, friends, he finally succumbed, and guess who's been whining the most the past 27 days? Yep, yours truly. Don't judge, y'all. I miss my queso and my wine and my bread. I really miss the bread. But you know what? It hasn't been that bad. We've both lost weight and feel a lot better. This kind of diet is not sustainable for a long period of time, but we know it will establish some good habits for us. Full disclosure though? On Friday night we're going to get a pizza at Mellow Mushroom and a cookie cake from Insomnia Cookies. And we're gonna dominate them both without shame. :)

Here's a collection of the recipes and snacks we've loved this last month.

Crispy Baked Garlic Matchstick Fries- we literally ate these at least once a week. One week we may have had them three times.
Avocado Chicken Salad- a good alternative to the fatty version for those first few days when you wonder how you'll make it through this month of torture.
Taco Salad- again, another favorite we enjoyed several times.
Paleo Greek Salad- yummy yummy in my tummy.
Cinnamon Pecans - so great when they first come out of the oven!
Apples with Revival Food Co. Almond Butter- I met the founder of Revival Food Co, at the Influence Conference, and not only is she super sweet, her almond butter is seriously good.
White Chicken Chili- I actually made a bunch of revisions to this, but it was super delish nonetheless.
Chocolate Chestnut Chili- Again, I made a bunch of revisions here, but it was very satisfying and flavorful.
Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers- My brother-in-law made some amazing hot sauce that we used to make this dinner quite spicy and again, delicious.
Fruit Smoothies- they actually advise against this with the Whole 30 rules, but we loved them for when we were fresh out of ideas or just wanted something sweet. We usually threw in some frozen berries, spinach, a frozen banana, and coconut milk or fruit juice.

As promised via Instagram, I am including a bonus recipe! Ror and I made these wings on Saturday during our football watching marathon, and we pretty much inhaled them. So. much. deliciousness.

The Mathisens' Grilled Football Wings

Ingredients

Servings: 4
2-3 lbs. chicken wings

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2-3 large cloves garlic, depending on your taste

salt and pepper to taste

Prep

Combine seasonings and olive oil in a large resealable plastic bag. (We were out and just used Pyrex; it worked great too.) Add the chicken wings, seal the bag, and shake it up! Chill for at least an hour, or if you're feeling really fancy, overnight.

Prepare your grill for medium heat. (We have a grill/smoker, and Ror put it on 400 degrees.) Take the wings out of the plastic bag and place them on the grill, turning them occasionally. You want them to be golden brown and crisp. Grill for about 15-20 minutes.

ENJOY!

Additional condiments: hot sauce, salsa, guac, etc. :)

If you're thinking about doing a Whole 30, don't be afraid! You will be surprised at what your body can do when you treat it well.