Balsamic, Onion, and Garlic Glazed Pork Chops

Oh my yummy yummy yummy!

Pretty much what I do around noon everyday is go to the deep freezer and see what kind of meat we have and base my dinner meal around that. I need to be better at meal planning, but with a 2 month old, this is the best I can do for now.

I was a little hesitant at first to use this recipe because I thought the balsamic would be way to strong, but it really mellowed out while cooking and was SO delicious. I even ventured out and used the cast iron skillet to pre-cook AND bake the chops. My first experience using a cast iron skillet all on my own was absolutely fantastic and I can't wait to use it again!

I got the recipe from The Meanest Mamma, but I made a couple changes/substitutions which are italicized below.

Ingredients:

• 4 (3/4-inch-thick) pork chops, ~2lbs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons F.O.C. (fat of choice, I used coconut oil) — for cooking the pork chops
• 1 tablespoon F.O.C. for sauteing shallots (I used EVOO)
• ~3 oz  shallots or onion, peeled and diced (more would be even better, but that’s all I had)
• 3-4 large cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Pat pork dry and season both sides with sea salt and pepper. In a large oven-proof skillet (or have a second, oven-proof dish ready to transfer to, if necessary), heat oil/fat over medium heat. Add the chops and brown them on both sides, ~2-3 minutes per side.

While the chops are cooking, add a little oil to a small sauce pan, over medium-to-low heat, and saute the shallots/onions and garlic for a couple of minutes. Once the shallots/onions and garlic have softened up and turned golden brown, add the balsamic vinegar and a little more salt and pepper (to taste). Cook sauce until the ingredients combine and start to thicken up, ~2-3 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the pork chops and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cover skillet and bake the pork chops, in the sauce for ~30 minutes, or until temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Serve with favorite veggies and be sure to pour sauce over the chops for maximum flavor.

Whole30 Challenge

As many of my readers know, last year after a miscarriage my paradigm shifted on life and I wanted to be better for myself and my future babies, so I started to eat clean. I had been eating clean for about 4 months and had lost almost 20 pounds when I found out I was expecting again! My pregnancy AND eating clean was really hard because, for the most part, I felt yucky all day everyday, so I abandoned eating clean and ate what I could, when I could. This was not the best thing I could have done and after Emerson was delivered, 6 weeks postpartum, I was yet again at a point in my life where I knew I needed to change.

About a week and a half ago my SIL, Kylie, was over and was talking about this Whole30 eating program. My ears perked up quite a bit and after hearing what the program was and how it had worked for so many people, we decided to do it together and to be the motivation *cough* kick in the rear *cough* for each other.

In a nutshell, Whole30 is a paleo diet/lifestyle that resets your body and gets you back into good and healthy eating habits. (I highly recommend reading the book for all the "science-y" stuff, it is phenomenal the research and thought given to the program. For me, it all just makes sense!)

I will be documenting my journey on my blog and also on Instagram (@thehealthylexi). My blog will consist of my favorite new recipes I try (as always) and my Instagram will be where I'm "held accountable" (as Kylie and I say) for each and every meal through our Whole30 journey. (If you would like to follow Kylie as well she is @mywhole30kitchen on Instagram!)

Why do I want to do something as extreme as a paleo diet, you ask. Well, I'm terrible at and don't enjoy exercising anymore. I loathe counting calories. And I enjoy a good food challenge, aka finding yummy diet compliant recipes. In the Whole30 program, I don't have to count calories, I can eat a ton (of meats, fruits, and veggies) and I know I will see results even if I don't do a traditional at-the-gym-workout everyday. But I really do want to do the Whole30 program for more than just losing weight and looking better and more than just doing the program for me. I want to do this program for my sweet son. I want Emerson to know what healthy eating is and I want him to make healthy food choices when he is able to. I want to be that example for him...because I'm certain no one else will teach him what healthy eating is!

I also want to do this for my husband. To be quite frank, I want to LOOK GOOD NAKED! For some that is probably TMI, and if he reads this I know his face will turn red and he will say some words to me later, but it is the truth. I want him to look at me and just drool. I love him and he deserves a better me as much as I deserve a better me!

I'm excited to start my Whole30 program tomorrow, May 1st. Up, up, and away. Here we go!

Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat – even the “healthy” stuff. So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?
Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/#sthash.GHlEyqzA.dpuf

Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat – even the “healthy” stuff. So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?
Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/#sthash.GHlEyqzA.dpuf

Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat – even the “healthy” stuff. So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?
Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/#sthash.GHlEyqzA.dpuf

Happy Easter!

Since Jordan and I have been married we haven't been ones to make any holiday celebration that big or important, but now that we have a child, albeit an infant, I have changed the rules and we now actually celebrate and are starting and making traditions! This year for Easter we had a family Easter basket, had an egg hunt, and had a big family dinner. Next year we'll probably dye eggs, but this year we had fun doing the things we did on Easter, both the commercial and religious activities.

Lookin' for the basket...

Nope, not there.

Or there...

Or there?

Found it!

What a basket!

The Easter Bunny did well!

Loving his new toy!

The Lotts are ready for Easter Sunday!

Getting ready for the Easter egg hunt.

Cousin Preston helping Emerson collect eggs.

Cousin Madison crackin' open an egg on the tramp.

Look at all of Emerson's eggs!

Papa and Preston pickin' in the strawberry patch.

Look what we found..an eeeegggg!

Photo-op with Nana

We had such a wonderful Easter filled with family, love, and testimony of our Savior.

Emerson Update: 2 Months Old

Wowie Zowie! My little baby is already 2 months old, I can hardly believe it.

My little boy is starting to fill out and really get some chunk on him. I really don't mind because I honestly love smooshing my face into his little cheeks and attacking him with kisses!

At two months old Emerson:
-smiles at everyone
-watches and follows Mommy and Daddy with his eyes and head movements
-is on the verge of laughing
-gets cranky like his Daddy when he doesn't get food NOW!
-is a tooty Mctooterton
-is starting to jabber and "talk"
-loves his bouncer
-furrows his eyebrows like Mommy
-sticks his tongue out all the time
-is able to stay on his tummy for longer and longer
-puts himself to sleep most nap times
-loves sitting with Mommy outside and looking at Nana and Papa's backyard/garden
-only wakes up once at night (fingers crossed I didn't just jinx myself)
-is SUCH a happy and active baby

Yummy Recipes

As many of my readers know, I love to cook! Well, once I got pregnant and felt like crap a majority of the time, I stopped cooking. I have once again decided that it is time to get back on the wagon and start cooking healthy food again! Yahoo! Granted this task is much harder with an infant, but I am trying nonetheless. Here are a few really divine recipes I have tried recently:

Baked Chipotle Sweet Potato and Zucchini Fritters 
(I didn't have the chipotle seasoning for these, but they were really good without it!)

Chicken Meatballs in Cream Sauce
(I didn't have ground chicken on hand, but it was great with beef.)

 

Lettuce Wraps (from Allthecooks Ap)

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey, chicken, or lean beef
• 1 cup chopped mushroom
• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion
• 1 small can of water chestnuts - chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1-2 teaspoons ginger power
• I added a bit of hoisen sauce to make it a touch less salty

Directions:

Use a large skillet to brwn the ground meat. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. When it is almost done, add chopped yellow onion and chopped mushrooms. Turn to medium heat, cover with a lid for 3-4 minutes. Make the sauce during this time.

Mix the sauce ingredents together in a bowl, stirring well. Make sure there are no lumps.

Add sauce to the ground meat and veggies, stirring well. The sauce is not only the flavor, but thickens it to help stick together. Add chopped water chestnuts and sliced green onion, stir. Simmer covered in low 1-2 minutes.

Serve with romaine or iceberg lettuce. Additional fillings you could use include brown rice, cilantro, julienne carrots, and chopped peanuts.

 

Paprika Chicken (Allthecooks Ap)

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast
• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2-3 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Cut raw chicken into bite size pieces and cook in a skillet until browned. In a separate pan combine soup, sour cream, paprika, and red pepper flakes until simmering. Combine chicken and sauce. Serve over noodles.

 

Chicken Craisin Salad

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 large bag European or continental-blend salad greens 
• 2 lbs fried bacon-cut into pieces after cooked 
• 8 chicken breast halves boiled and shredded(I don't usually use that much) 
• 1 cup slivered almonds (sugared and browned if you want-I don't do that) 
• 1 cup craisins 
• 1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese 
• 1 cup white chocolate chips or yogurt bites

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/2 red onion chopped 
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 2 tsp dry mustard 
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Directions:
Mix all salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients in blender. While blending, add 1 cup vegetable oil. Garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese. 

Toss salad and dressing immediately before serving.