Ground Beef Curry

One of my favorite things to make is beef curry. I can make it all in one pan and have a lot of leftovers! It makes prepping for my week easy and my husband is obsessed with it!

What you'll need: 

2lb ground beef 

1 large yellow onion (diced)

1 can diced tomatoes 

1-3 cups of veggies you like 

1-3 cups of spinach 

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp Curry seasoning 

Salt 

Pepper 

1. In a large pan over medium heat add olive oil and onions to the pan. Cook until onions are translucent 

2. Add ground beef to the pan and brown adding curry seasoning and salt and pepper to taste while cooking. 

3. Add in can of diced tomatoes (my favorite to use is muir glen fire roasted tomatoes but I don't always have them!)

4. If you are using fresh veggies add them in with the diced tomatoes, my favorite is broccoli and green beans.
**I use this recipe as a clean veggies out of the fridge recipe so I have done broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, cauliflower, green beans and much more! Just do what you like!**

5. Reduce to let the dish simmer and cover for 20 minutes. It will let the tomatoes cook down a little. 

6. Remove lid and add in spinach and if you are using any frozen veggies add them in now. Let cook for about 10 more minutes.

7. Enjoy! I either put it over garlic mashed red potatoes or rice! I have done it with culiflower mash as well and all ways are always amazing! 

Green Beans, Peas and Spinach for veggies!

My Bad Food Relationship

Over the years I have been seeking out the "perfect" food lifestyle/diet for me. Through all my research I have learned so much. At times I feel my knowledge makes me more scared of food then anything else.
Sometimes I wish I could go back and not know anything about food. Ignorance is bliss in the food department in my eyes.
Writing this post isn't the easiest for me. It's telling the world that all the great things I have done for my health in the food department has also hurt me.

pretty much describes me... 

For a long time I was fully on the paleo bandwagon since I was fully emerged into the CrossFit community, I was just doing what everyone else was doing. I read books about how bad legumes, dairy and grains are for you. Learned about how everything these days are so processed. I shared with everyone about how great paleo is for you.
Being so paleo when we went out to eat, I would let that either be my 'cheat' or pick through the menu until I could get just what I wanted. Always having the waitress look at me like I'm crazy. I wouldn't really enjoy the time out, but I would go.

Next came the big problems, I started having crazy digestive issues. I was always bloated and I never felt good. I couldn't figure out what was going on with me. More and more foods I was either finding out I was allergic to our I wasn't able to tolerate them well.
I went through many tests, 3 doctors and 1 specialist before they could figure out what was going on with me. I was throwing up bright yellow acid every morning and felt like crap for months. We found out that I had a case of gastritis which is inflammation of the stomach lining. Paired with this awesome diagnosis I had an overgrowth of H. Pylori bacteria.
The doctor told me that these things can be caused by malnutrition... I thought to myself, how could I be malnourished!? I was eating paleo!!! Well, I guess I wasn't getting enough.
After two rounds of the worst ever antibiotics I was finally back to my normal self. Still super sensitive to a lot of foods but nothing like I used to be and I finally didn't look 9 months pregnant all day.

So I started my journey on healing my gut. Learned about potent probiotics, fermenting foods and about Weston A Price. He encourages whole food eating and had broader guidelines then paleo his book nourishing traditions is amazing. I loved it. Being in the CrossFit community still I was still getting paleo shoved down my throat all day. I found myself going back to paleo because it was my comfort zone.
What I hated was that every time I went paleo I got sick, I felt like crap and everything went downhill. I could never convince myself that maybe the paleo was hurting me.

Well time went by... I still struggled with feeling healthy and finding a balance. I gave up on pretty much everything and just ate what I wanted... hey and guess what!?!? I FELT SO MUCH BETTER!

In less then 2 months after I started doing this, my energy was back, I was dropping my 'stubborn' fat that I had left on me even though I was training my ass off, and I just felt better. A month after all of these amazing things happened I found out I was pregnant! Stopping the worry made everything come into place for me.

Through my pregnancy I stayed as healthy as I could but I enjoyed it. I worked out 4x a week at least and if I had a pregnancy craving, I gave in. I was happy and healthy. I gained 26lbs and within a month after delivery I was back to my pre pregnancy weight. Im not trying to brag, personally I just think I got lucky and breastfeeding I'm pretty sure is the main reason I went back to the size I was before.

After giving birth my weight was in check but my muscle mass went downhill, so I was a little flabby. I needed to just tone it up. So again I went on a strict food regimen. This time I did my first Whole 30. This time I felt great and made it through the 30 days, lost some inches and my acne cleared up a ton. I loved the results but mentally I was stressed out. I couldn't go out to eat any where, I couldn't enjoy just eating because I was too worried about what I was eating. My days were spent planning out food and making sure I had food with me if I was out of the house.

The Whole 30 worked for me physically but mentally it made me go crazy because of my perfectionist personality.

After my Whole 30 I kept it pretty clean until I started working out twice a day 2x a week on top of working out 6x a week already. For a new mom that was hardly getting sleep my body hated me fast for it.

I wasn't eating enough to fuel my body because I was too worried about gaining weight. I was using MyFitnessPal and tracking anything and everything I ate. If I went over 2000 calories I was pretty upset with myself. I was putting fat back on and not recovering. I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on...

Then I realized I wasn't practicing what I always preach... EAT!!! Looking more into my calories I should have been intaking AT LEAST 2,500 calories a day between working out and breastfeeding. Yeah I was pretty much starving myself and I was paying for it fast...

2 weeks ago after being generally upset about my appearance and my lovely hubby always asking what was wrong with me and I couldn't answer.... I figured it out.
I WAS MISERABLE!!! I was so afraid of food and my anxiety about it was over the top that sometimes I just wasn't eating...

My husband made me delete my food tracking app, throw away my scale, and we went to the store and bought a pizza and 2 packages of cookies that night. He pointed out that I have taken all the fun out of food, eating like a fat girl that needed to loose 100lbs asap.  He was demanded I change my ways. His 'tough love' made me realize I was in a bad place and changing was for the best!

The next morning after having a nice binge on crap food I decided I'm not going to let myself ever go down the road of over worrying about food. I love food and I don't want to ever take that away from myself again.

**I also want to add, I'm not trying to bash paleo/whole30/Weston A Price/Macro counting at all. They are all awesome for your health and help you learn more about whole foods and how to live a healthy lifestyle. I just personally can't put a name to how I eat or I become obsessive and take it to a crazy extreme.**

I have learned my lesson after years of ups and downs. I will keep you guys posted on the changes I make and how I'm staying sane while making these big personal changes. I know it won't be easy for me personally but I will do it. I want to get over my fears so I can confidently say I'm at my healthiest both mentally and physically.

Homemade Kombucha

Before I started brewing kombucha everyone told me it was super hard and that it can mold/go bad/ taste weird sooooo easily. Well I believed them all... I was scared to death to start my own kombucha. At the same time though I was so sick of paying $3.99 for this lovely tea that I knew I would make for pennies at home...

We moved back in April, I got some amazon gift cards for my birthday so I saved them up and decided I was going to use them to get all of the starter stuff to make my own kombucha.

Well May hit and I finally ordered all my stuff and this is where my adventure started.

I Got... (links to amazon for each item)

1 starter kit from Oregon Kombucha (includes tea, SCOBY, and starter liquid)
1 glass gallon jar
1 bag of organic sugar
12 bell mason jars
12 plastic lids (found out I don't really need these!)
1 plastic strainer (I don't use this either really...)

What else you will need... 
A big stock pot to boil water
A plastic spoon
A measuring cup
** If you don't buy the starter kit**
A SCOBY
10-12 Tea bags
Starter Liquid (GT original works if you need store bought)


The Process...

So to start off I cleaned out my glass jar with vinegar and very hot water. You can also use dish soap and water to clean it but I was paranoid about leaving any soap particles behind so I did the vinegar to sterilize it all.





















Next, I poured a gallon of filtered water (I decided it's worth it to buy gallons of water from the store) into my big stock pot. I brought that water to a boil, turned the burner off and stuck my tea bag in there for 5 mins. After I took the tea bag out I added in my 1 cup of sugar. I used a plastic spoon to stir in my sugar and take my tea bag out of the water.
**If you are using tea bags, use 10-12 bags. That is what I do when I use lipton tea**

Now for the waiting time.... you have to wait until your tea mixture is TOTALLY cooled to room temperate or you will risk killing your SCOBY.

After a couple hours you should be good. Add your tea to your glass container then add in your starter liquid and your SCOBY on top. Then cover with a kitchen towel and rubber band or I used a headband!

Now the easy part, LEAVE IT ALONE!! Put it on top of your fridge or in your pantry. You could be like me and put it in the guest bedroom and just let it be for 7 days. After 7 days come check it and taste it. If it has a slight fizz and a tartness you did it! Congrats! You can now pour your tea from the spigot into your awesome mason jars. I usually leave about 2-3 cups of liquid in my jar for my next batch.

My First Batch

I have found that doing more of a continuous brew works for me. I leave my SCOBY and my 2-3 cups of liquid in my big glass jar and then when I harvest my brewed tea I replace it with a fresh batch of tea, just pour it in on top of what I have. It takes the hassle out of cleaning your jar all the time and the risk of your SCOBY molding because you touched it too much.

Now that I have a pretty fat and healthy SCOBY I harvest tea every 5ish days because if I let it go any longer it gets too tart for me. If you like the tartness you can let it brew as long as you want :)



If your SCOBY looks like this... 

THROW IT AWAY.... it molded... you either did something wrong or something got into your tea to cause it to mold. I had 2 batches mold until I found my grove...

I figured out that using cheese cloth instead of a dish towel for a cover was problem #1 and #2 our kitchen was too cold for my brew so it was taking too long for it to ferment. Kombucha brews best in 72-80 degree environments so keep that in mind. Lastly, problem #3 was that I was always looking at it and checking it... DONT DO THAT! lol


Picking your SCOBY

The left picture is the SCOBY and starter liquid I got in my OK starter pack... I was not impressed. The right is the SCOBY I got from a lady locally... It is healthy and what it's supposed to look like.

When I got the second SCOBY I didn't have any starter liquid, if you don't get any, thats ok. Buy a bottle of GT original Kombucha at the store and pour that in. It has to be the original because you don't want any of the added fruit flavors in your kombucha because it will make it mold.
** If you can't find GT Kombucha and need a starter, add a 1/2 cup of white vinegar to get your acidity you need**

My amazing kombucha with a healthy, fat SCOBY!! Oh and my extra SCOBYs just in case :) 

The lessons I have learned....

• Try to find a SCOBY locally or from a place that sells them at their prime... 
• Use a kitchen towel as a top, not cheese cloth
• Leave it alone, don't even look at it until your 7 days are up. 
• You don't need fancy tea... I went from using organic green tea to lipton black tea. I actually like the lipton way more and it makes it so much more affordable. 
• Put it in a warm environment, it will brew so much faster and taste so much better 
•  It's so easy, there is nothing to be afraid of! 

Any Questions?!? Let me know!
I LOVE kombucha so I would love to help anyone get started!!

Working at home.... No Excuse Style

One thing that I haven't talked about much is my workout schedule. Lets just say it has changed... A LOT. Turning from a Crossfitting, Oly lifting, train all day kind of girl to a stay at home mom with no gym membership has been one of the hardest adjustments for me. I have thankfully made it through and found some things that work for me.

A lot of moms have trouble finding the time to workout. Through my No Excuse Mom group I have found there is really no excuse... EVER.
Here are things I have learned...
- Excuse: My baby is awake during my workout... so... put your baby carrier on and do the workout with them, the extra weight will just give you a better workout!
- Excuse: My baby only wants to be held... ok... hold your baby, do lunges, squats, presses, calf raises with your baby, you will be glad you did it after!
-Excuse: I don't have any equipment... couches, chairs, steps, and babies are all equipment... use them. dips, push ups, squats, stretches, you can do it all!
- Excuse: I have never worked out before.... thats totally ok, everyone has to start somewhere! Start by doing some squats every day, and add a little each week. You will get there before you know it!
- Excuse: I don't have time... yes you do.... if you are cleaning the house, wear your baby, I promise you will sweat. Do some calf raises while doing dishes, squat every time you pick up the baby, lunge from the couch to the kitchen instead of walking. You can make it happen, I promise!
- Excuse: My baby started crying so I didn't finish my workout... you can come back to it, I promise it's not going anywhere! Save it for nap time, you got this!

Here is how I did it....
First off, thanks to instagram, I found an amazing lady that does at home programs. Her blog is Mom with Muscle. Her programs aren't easy and they do kick your butt. Efitmama Bikini Body Program was the first program/workout routine I started post baby. We just moved to Maryland so I didn't know anyone. I worked out with Olivia in the basement every morning. I stuck to the program, and it was amazing for me. The last week I became bored though... not of the program itself but of working out alone, it is NOT my thing.

Since I got bored I needed to find a new routine asap. I called around to gyms and tried to find a place with childcare for babies under 6 months... I had no luck. I did more searching and from the grace of God I found a local group... No Excuse Moms Ft. Meade! These moms met 3 days a week in the park for workouts, it was just what I needed to get back on track. So even though I was totally out of my comfort zone (I DO NOT do well meeting new people) I went. These ladies were amazing, so welcoming and NO JUDGEMENT! I couldn't believe it.

Since May I have been committed to going to my NEM's group and getting my butt kicked by Tabata workouts and Pilates type workouts. It has been great to see the group grow and double and triple in size. We have so much fun and the positive vibes are amazing.

Now this last 2 weeks, I have been feeling like I haven't been getting enough from my workouts. So I decided once again to find something new....

This time it was within my NEM's group. I saw that some of the ladies would run before the workouts. I DO NOT run, I didn't want to start either. Then I remembered that I promised myself that I would try new things this year... so this is where it started. We would run a mile or 2 before the workouts.
Now we run on tuesdays and thursdays when there is no workout. I'm starting to get the hang of this whole running thing, and I love it, even with a stroller. (omg... I can't believe I'm saying that!) Last week we did a total of 10 miles and this week we are on track to do it again.

Yeah, I still have days where I miss the Crossfit gym, I miss lifting heavy and getting my butt kicked by a really hard Hero WOD but I have to realize right now isn't the time. The time will come when I can make Crossfit my life again and until then I will enjoy my journey.

The moral to my story is... Change is a good thing.

If you want to buy a few things for your home workouts... these are the things I would personally suggest you get...
- Yoga Mat
- Exercise Ball
- Light dumbbells (5-10lb)
- Resistant bands
- If you are fancy some TRX straps (we got these given to us and they are super nice!)
** You don't have to spend a fortune either... check out TJmaxx, Ross, and Marshall's they always have all of the above items for cheap!** 

Working out with minimal equipment is very possible, I have gotten some better workouts with nothing in these last 3 months then in a fully equipped gym.  Also, I don't feel run down anymore, I'm not over training and Im making sure I eat enough daily to keep my body fueled. Again, change is good.

I hope that some of the things that I have learned can help others get through finding a routine that works for them! Don't give up, it will happen, I know it's not always easy but it will happen. Set a routine for you and baby so you can make sure you have time to workout. I purposely make sure Olivia takes her naps around my workout schedule so she can sleep while I work! Not every day is perfect and I end up wearing her during my workout, but thats ok! Do your best!

Liebster Award... It's an amazing thing!!

Well better late than never... Amazing Blacklist Nutrition nominated me for a Liebster award... So I figured I would finally fill this out since I'm back in my blogging game... 

These are the questions she had for me! 
1) Why did you start blogging?


Truthfully, I finished school and didn't have anything to do with my free time, then I found out I was pregnant so I figured since so many life changes are happening I might as well add a blog to the list! Sometimes I feel like I have some good info to share as well! lol

2) If you had a super power, what would it be and why?
I would say teleport? Is that a super power? It would be so nice just to wake up in the morning and go to the beach without the traffic! lol

3) What would you do if you won one million dollars?
I would buy land back in Montana and build a dream home on it, then I would save the rest :)

4) What is your favorite type of music?
Country for sure... I can't help myself!

5) What is your favorite food?
Anything coconut... coconut butter being at the top of the list!

6) What is your favorite quote, and why?
"good is not enough if better is possible." It always reminds me to keep pushing and doing my best at all things versus just getting things done...

7) What is your most prized possession?
This is really a hard one... I would have to say my star sapphire ring that was my great grandma's. It has been passed down for many years and I absolutely love it.

8) Describe your personal style in three words.
Fitness Hippy Chick? Im either always in workout clothes or tie dye with my toms on.

9) What is your biggest challenge?
Staying committed. I always have big plans but most of the time I don't stick with them because I would rather not try then fail at them. One of my New Years resolutions was to be better about it and so far I have made some pretty big leaps and bounds towards that goal!


10) If you could invite three people to dinner, who would they be and why?
wow... hardest question in the world... 
First off, Dana Lynn Bailey, because I love her, she is so committed to what she does and seems to have the more caring personality. Plus I would want to pick her brain about how she looks so good and stays on track! 
Next, Paleomg... She is just amazing, her and her frenchie, I would love to just sit down with her and hang out with her and her good style! 
Lastly, to please my crunchy side, Ina May Gibson, she is my hero, her books are amazing and her wisdom about the female body is amazing. 

Wow... This turned out to be an interesting bunch. I like it! If I could have someone that has already passed though, Weston A Price would be my first pick for sure! 

These are the blogs I'm going to nominate: 
** Most of these people aren't very active on their blog but are really active on Instagram... they are mostly all new mommies and amazing motivating people!!** 

Megan To Momma 

Homegrown Paleo

Hungry Fitness

Healthy Ashley

Fitaholic

All Natural Mom


Natural Mommyhood

Fit To Be Pregnant

Questions for my nominees: 

1.)What motivates you to live the life you live? 
2.)Why did you start your blog? 
3.)If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? 
4.)Whats your favorite color and why? 
5.)What is your life motto and why?
6.) If you could hang out with one person (dead or alive) for 24hrs who would it be and why?
7.) What is your favorite meal? 
8.) How do you stay active and why does it work for you?
9.)  What's something you just can't live without?
10.) What is your favorite book? 


I hope you guys have fun with it!! :) 

Paleo on a Budget

Food is expensive if you want to eat even half way decent. It's a shame to just eat well you have to spend so much more compared to the normal packaged food eating person.

You can't coupon and eat whole foods, you can't just go anywhere to eat dinner or grab a snack. So the real question is, how the heck do you stay on budget!? 

For the last 4 years I have been on this paleo bandwagon along with the overall goal of just eating whole foods. I have found some tricks along the way to help me save money where I can! 

First off... I don't step foot into Whole Foods... Ever.

Whole Foods is known as the health food meca and it for sure lives up to it's name. I view it like target once you go inside you can't help but want to buy all of the things... Then you wake up at the register realizing you just spent $400 on 6 items. Whole Foods is a place you go if you have money to blow or you absolutely can't find it anywhere else. If you want the good for you food store experience stick to Trader Joes where things are a little more inexpensive! 

Now... The places to go...

If you live on the east coast, find the nearest Aldi!  

Aldi is my best friend. They have your basic organic produce usually including lettuce at a cheap price. Also, all their other produce is super cheap as well. I'm not the person to buy all organic, I would rather eat non organic fruits and vegetables then processed foods so I do what I can on the budget I have. The one thing I always buy organic no matter what is lettuce, that's just my personal rule. Moving on... Aldi also has super cheap frozen wild caught salmon, yeah it's not the thickest, yummiest stuff but it's around $9 for 2lbs so it's a great deal!  I wouldn't buy their fresh meat unless it's on sale just because of the price. Their frozen veggies and fruits are an awesome price as well. You can pretty much get all your basics at Aldi. They always have good sales on something too. Lastly, don't forget to bring your own bags and a quater to get a cart. You don't want to be stuck paying for bags or walking around with too much to carry! 

**Oh and a fun fact!! Aldi is owned by Trader joes so you can find the same exact stuff with different labels and a cheaper price at Aldi, how awesome!!**

During the summer always go to your local farmers market. If you are feeling really cheap, go right before the close for the day because most of the time they don't want to haul anything back with them so they try to give good deals on what they have left! 

Next, when you get to the market take a look at all the tables before you buy, there will be many different prices for the same items, so look for the good deal! Don't be afraid to ask questions and strike up a conversation. The friendlier you are the more likely you will be remembered and if you are really lucky you may get the 'good guy' discount!
Also, if they give you a good deal on say if you buy 2 pints of green beans versus 1 don't forget you can always freeze your produce. If I get too much of something I either end up canning it, fermenting it, or freezing it. Buy more while it's cheap that way once winter hits you will still have good produce saved! 

I go weekly, sometimes bi-weekly to my farmers market so I'm starting to get to know it pretty well. The people are great and the prices are even better! I also found a lady that delivers eggs and produce boxes around the county I live in. She has a drop 2 miles from my house so buying eggs and produce from her is always so convenient!

Egg Lady Haul! 

I have always noticed that I save so much money in the summers because there is so much more available all around me. To find a market close to you go to Local Havest.org and you can find pretty much anything you can think of locally!

Since I am military I am able to go to the commissary on post, this also saves us a lot of money. They try to keep things inexpensive for the military but depending on your location the commissary can be full of good foods or bad foods, its just all chance! I usually buy my chicken (and other meat if needed), Ezekiel bread, gf oats, and anything canned I need, such as pumpkin, coconut milk and organic tomato products. Sometimes they have case sales and I can get some simple things there as well.

If you aren't military there is also the option of getting a membership to a wholesale store such as Costco, BJs, and Sams. I would stick to Costco or BJs because they have the largest selection of organic and natural foods. I know both places have kerrygold butter as well which is always amazing. I haven't shopped much at the wholesale stores just because we are military but the few times I have gone, it has been so worth it. So get yourself a membership, you won't regret it!.


Lastly, where the heck to do I get my meat?!? Well... Locally of course!

I have found that buying in bulk is so much better. We buy usually once a year and it saves us so much money. We got a stand up deep freezer and it has been the best thing ever for us.

We buy a whole hog and half a cow. It comes out to be about 500lbs of meat. We found a farm that does grass fed, grass finished cows and free roaming hogs. They give us the meat in vacuum sealed packages that are labeled and weighed which makes life super easy. You can request the kinds of cuts you want and also how you want things packaged.

For all other meat that we eat we usually buy in bulk packages. Almost all stores will give you a deal on 'family packs' so just buy in bulk and split it up when you get home.

Also, buying a whole chicken or chicken with the bone and skin still intacted will be cheaper than buying just chicken breasts! Don't ever buy 'stew meat' buy a roast and cut it up yourself, it will save you so much money! Experiment with the  'less favorable' meats, you won't regret it!

Other places I may go from time to time...

Wegmans...
for the family pack vegetables, bulk unsweetened coconut flakes and dried apricots, and bulk chicken.
Safeway...
for $5 friday, or really good produce deals. (it's literally 1 mile from my house so sometimes its just easy to run there to get something fast)
The Fresh Market...
for $2.99 tuesday for meat, or if they have a really good deal like a couple weeks ago they had buy one get one free wild planet sardines which is an amazing deal.

All in all, saving money on whole foods is an art. It takes time to do your research and find the best prices but it will all pay off in the end and you will find a routine.
I have also found the more you make yourself the more money you will save. I personally make my own ghee, kombucha, coconut butter, almond butter, and recently started fermenting my own foods (sauerkraut, pickles, beets).

Have any questions?  Just ask!
If you are looking for the cheapest places to get something, I bet I can tell you where to find it. I am a deal hunter thru and thru.

Busy Summer Time...

So I have come to the conclusion that I'm not very good at keeping up with this blog thing. Most of the time I feel like I don't have much to say. I mean I make kombucha, ferment foods, cloth diaper, buy local foods, and all in all am a pretty crunchy mama. There are so many like me out there so most of the time I don't share what I do daily.

I decided Im going to change my outlook though, who cares if others write about the same things I do. I am doing this for me and doing what I love.

So hopefully this post will lead to something new.

As of right now, I'm loving summer. I workout with a wonderful group of ladies here locally so no need for a gym. I have pushed myself to start trail running and so far I'm loving it! I have been eating local (besides chicken) which makes me so proud. Farmers markets are my favorite things and summer leads to so many good markets. I also bought a sewing machine and I'm determined to make some awesome things with it, so watch out!!

I will catch you all up here soon. This weekend I will dedicate some time to this lonely blog. I will tell you about my kombucha brewing success, how to buy local and keep it cheap, in 10 days my first batch of fermented vegetables will be ready so I will share about those as well.

Here we go!!