Almost There!

Whole30 Compliant Grilled Hot Wings

Today is Day 29 (!!!) of our Whole 30! Can't believe it's almost over. It really has flown by. I must admit I did have a little bit of honey or maple syrup in my tea here and there, but other than that I haven't cheated! (I know hardcore Whole 30-ers will consider that cheating, but a girl can only do so much!) I can't believe it myself. My formerly "skinny" jeans -- the ones I wear when I'm skinny -- are now saggy in the bum and have almost turned into my fat pants! Thrilling!

Overall I've felt pretty good for the majority of the program. If it hadn't been for my little man getting up multiple times a night almost every night for three out of the four weeks I think my energy would have continued to be through the roof. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to see a drastic improvement in my sleep because of this too. Oh well, though! I don't think I could have survived the multiple night wakings without being on Whole 30 and having extra energy.

On Saturday, we had a great visit with some friends who we don't get to see very often and we were able to share our Grilled Hot Wings with them. Our friend Joel shared this recipe with us after we had them at his house. We loved them, so like a good friend, he passed it on! They're so good, messy, and delicious! Visiting with non-Whole 30-ers is a little bit difficult, but our friends were so accommodating. We brought the wings, and the sides were roasted broccoli, sweet potato fries, and dessert was strawberries and grapes. Easy and delish!

So, without further ado, Grilled Hot Wings, Whole 30 friendly and absolutely yummy!

The easiest and yummiest Grilled Hot Wings

Grilled Hot Wings

Ingredients

Chicken Wings
Frank's RedHot Original (Hot Sauce)
Ghee, or butter if you're not on Whole 30
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder

Directions

Season the chicken with a little bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cover the wings with sauce, not a lot, just enough to coat. Marinate the chicken wings (if you have time). Preheat the grill on high. When it's nice and hot, reduce heat to low and cook those babies up! Meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of ghee with about a cup or so of the hot sauce. When the wings are cooked through -- they take about 25 minutes -- remove them from the grill and toss them with the buttery saucy goodness!

Now eat them up!! We served them with roasted broccoli and sweet potato fries. YUM! What do you like to eat your wings with? And don't say blue cheese!

Turkey Chili with Beans

Before and After of my now clean Kitchen!

What a great weekend! I accomplished so much this weekend thanks to the Living Well Spending Zero challenge I'm participating in. I can't even tell you how nice it is to have my kitchen, bathrooms, and living spaces spic and span! Not to mention clean and organized kids' rooms. Phew!! Hubby and I even had energy to wash both our cars and finish putting up some decor in our bedroom. Since starting Whole 30 I seriously feel like we are different people. We've spent a lot of time in the past sitting on the couch, tired and spent just from the week's activities. Since we're almost through our Whole 30 we are feeling the "Tiger Blood" as they call it -- this energy that is awesome!! If you haven't considered a Whole 30, I highly recommend it! It's not easy, but the longer it goes, the better I feel.

Grilled Salmon with Baked Sweet Potato & Sauteed Cauliflower

People always get hung up on, "But what will I eat?" Well let me tell you we had some yummy meals over the weekend! Chili Stuffed Hot Dogs, Tuna Salad Lettuce Cups, Grilled Salmon (I promise it practically tastes like steak!) with Baked Sweet Potatoes & Sauteed Cauliflower, Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Roasted Green Beans... Oh yum! We are not missing out here folks! Ok, if I'm being honest, I would have loved a piece of the Pumpkin Pie my boys ate with my parents on Friday night after their dinner out. I am really sad that it's pumpkin season and I can't have pumpkin pie!! But, other than that, not missing out one bit!!

So clean! My li'l guys have already made a mess of it!!

But enough about that, on to my chili recipe... I love chili. If you've looked over my recipes here you know I already have Slow Cooker Turkey Chili, and I love that one too. But here's the deal, GERD is no joke, and if I eat all those tomatoes I might die.  Ok, I probably won't die, but I will definitely be up all night choking back Tums and having to sleep sitting up. No fun.

So, as you can imagine when I saw on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives someone making white bean turkey chili I frantically took notes! Then I made my own version, which my family loves. We eat it all the time, and my boys have even gotten over the peppers. I'm telling you they drink it out of their bowls! I had never thought to omit the tomatoes. I figured they add some sort of yumminess that I wouldn't be able to replicate. But I was wrong! Woo Hoo!!

I love making this chili on Sunday or Monday night and then eating it for lunch all week. But, since we're on Whole 30 (day 22!!! Almost done!!) I've had to omit beans too! Boo. I did find this recipe, which is pretty good but needed a little extra seasoning and only almost hit the spot. Fortunately for you I have a friend who needs some meals this week and I decided to make for her my yummy Turkey Chili with Beans, and share the recipe with you. Aren't you lucky! Traditionally I make it with small white beans, but today I used the beans I had on hand, and it still turned out delicious!

Turkey Chili with Beans

Turkey Chili with Beans

Ingredients

Olive Oil
1 each Red & Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 quart Chicken Stock
2 cans Beans, drained and rinsed (white, pinto, or black all work well)
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
2 tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp dried leaf Oregano
1 Tbsp Seasoned Salt
1 tsp instant Minced Onion
1 tsp Garlic Powder (NOT garlic salt!)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat add Olive Oil just to coat the bottom of the pan, about 2 Tbsp. Add the Onion and the Bell Peppers and cook until translucent. Add the Turkey and the minced Garlic, season with Salt and Pepper, and cook till no longer pink. Once the meat is cooked through add a some extra Cumin and Chili Powder, and stir it around to bloom the spices.

Now add the Chicken Stock and the Beans, as well as the measured seasonings. I almost always add extra Garlic Powder, but that's up to you. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 20-30 minutes, just to bring the flavors together. Taste and season with Salt and Pepper.

Serve it up and enjoy!!

I've found a new way to enjoy chili: on top of a split (Whole 30 compliant) HOT DOG! Who would've thunk!!

How do you like your Chili??