Attempting a Whole Life

This recipe calls for spaghetti squash as a replacement for grains and is Whole30 friendly and ( my ) kid approved! Prep the spaghetti squash —this takes about 45 min—1 hour. Begin browning ground beef over medium heat. Before the beef completely browns, add compliant marinara.  Simmer on a lower heat until the beef reaches about 160F

This has been my go to potluck/party food since I first tried my luck at Whole30 in 2017. It's fairly easy to make and only two ingredients. The best part is your Whole30-nonbeliever friends will likely enjoy this, too! Actually, the best part is eating it. Let's get to it! Ingredients Dates Bacon Supplies Knife Shallow baking sheet Parchment baking paper (easier cleanup) Directions Preheat the oven to 425F. Cut lengthwise, remove pits, set aside. Cut bacon in half. Put one end of bacon in the slit of the date and wrap around tightly.  Place wrapped dates with bacon end face-down, spreading out each date evenly on baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or longer until bacon reaches desired crispness. Tip : If your bacon is too short and doesn't reach around the date or unravels, hold together with toothpick presoaked in water.

How do I make spaghetti squash? This is definitely a cold-nights type dinner and takes about an hour to make. While this squash is in the oven I like to prep the meat and sauce (making a Mock Spaghetti) and still have time to clean up the kitchen a bit—one of my Non-Scale Victories during my Whole30 (attempt) 2.0 . Let's get started! Recipe Ingredients Spaghetti Squash Avocado Oil Salt Pepper Basil (optional) Directions Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Carefully cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise, all the way through. Using a spoon, scoop out the guts. Lightly coat both insides with avocado oil, salt, and pepper (and basil if you're using it). On a shallow baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, place cut side down. Bake for 45minutes–1hour.  Remove from oven and let it sit for a short while. Used a fork to remove the spaghetti-like strands from the rind. Add to your favorite dish or make kid-approved Mock Spaghetti.

I have tried this recipe a few times, changing the ingredients slightly each time and this is what I finally came up with. Ingredients Large Sweet Potato (mine was approx. 1.5lbs) Avocado oil Salt Pepper Paprika Garlic Powder Directions Preheat the oven to 425F Skin and cut the potatoes in the shape you want your fries and add to a large bowl.  Add avocado oil. Toss to coat fries evenly. In a separate, small bowl, combine all seasonings (this creates more dishes but less tossing). Add seasonings to fries and toss until fully coated. Line a shallow baking sheet with parchment paper, spread out fries evenly in a shallow layer and place on a higher rack in the oven. Bake for approximately 19-25 minutes, tossing around every so often.

If you enjoy things to taste so much like garlic that it is a bit spicy then this recipe is for you! I used what I had on hand since my "fresh" basil smelled like licorice. My pine nuts were also toasted a bit too long on day Day 6 of my Whole30 (attempt) 2.0 . This left me with a darker than normal paste. But here is how I made it. 1/4 cup Roasted Pine Nuts 1/4 cup Avocado Oil 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil 1 Teaspoon Salt 3-4 cloves garlic  Combine in a mini blender and blend until smooth. This comes out as a very VERY garlic-y flavored paste.