Challenge Week #2

How was your weekend? Mine was awesome. We did a lot around the house...we are planning to lanscape and add on to our backyard. I am excited to start..the escavator is coming Thursday!! Pics to come!!

Until then, let's talk about the first week of challenge. How did everyone do that is participating? I am not going to lie and say that the first couple days wasn't hard. I am settling in though, now and starting to feel good. I think I had sugar withdrawls for about 4 days. Cutting out dairy has really helped with the bloating...it's amazing how much that affects your belly!! The alcohol is probably the hardest thing. Please don't think I am a lush...I just really look forward to my glass of wine every night. For those of you who know me, you know I am a total light weight when it comes to alcohol. So, don't start worrying about me... I do allow myself a glass a night. So, with this challenge, it has defintly been challenging. I did have a sip, yesterday when we went to the winery...shh, I just tasted the Four Graces Pinot Blanc- to die for just incase you are wondering.

Getting serious, though, I , encourage you to challenge yourself, whether it's cutting out all three things like I have (dairy, sugar and alcohol ), or just one. I challenge you to take a look at your daily diet and cut out something that you suspect is giving you some sort of issue...or maybe it's just a matter or being conscious more of what goes in your mouth. Maybe it's adding more water to your diet, or in some people's cases, just start drinking a glass or two of water a day...that's how it starts. I promise, just those subtle changes can affect you and make you feel better.

Tonight I am trying for dinner, from the whole30 book, steak salad with cilantro-lime mayo. It looks amazing.

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup virgin olive oil

4 limes, juiced

1/4 cup finely diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp mustard powder

1 pd beef ( flank steak, sirloin or strip steak)

4 cups of salad greens

1 avocado, split lengthwise, pitted, peeled and cut into large dice

1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into large dice

1/2 cup cilantro-lime mayo

mayo:

3/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup minced cilantro

1 clove garlic

combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well

Marinade first in food processor, the lime juice, oil, onion, garlic, and mustard powder. Put the beef in a plastic, siplock bag, add marinade to baggie and seal for 1 to 8 hours. I did about 6 hours.

Remove steak about 30 mins prior to prep and let sit, preheat oven to 350, heat grill to high. On grill or stove top, your choice, I BBQ'd, sear the beef for 2-3 mins each side, then transfer to baking sheet, line sheet with foil first. Roast the beef in the oven for 8 to 15 mins, while the beef is sitting and cooling, toss salad with avocado, tomatoes, and bell peppers in large bowl, place steak on top of plate and spoon the dressing adding a Tbs of water, to get the dressing to be more like a "dressing" consistency, and then drizzle over salad with steak.

Enjoy. I am sure it will be a huge hit.

-Erin