Chicken-Apple Sausage + Spinach Frittata

I am on Day 12 of Whole30. Needless to say, that means the menu in my household has looked quite different lately. I wanted to share a staple breakfast item that I have been enjoying every morning since beginning Whole30 - this breakfast frittata.

I have literally never made a frittata before this wellness experiment. I am a mad quiche lover, and this is something like that, minus the buttery crust and indulgent cheese, of course. But I have grown to love my morning breakfast because it is so filling and savory and hearty - just what I wake up craving. Isn't that weird? And wonderful. It's actually kind of wonderful. What is happening to me.

One thing I love best about this recipe (which I've adapted a bit from the one in the book) is that the ingredients can be switched up so it doesn't taste the same everyday. You can sub in green, red and yellow peppers, kale, diced sweet potato (Stevie likes this, I'm not a huge fan of the sweetness in my eggs), olives, artichokes - really, the sky is the limit! As long as you have that chicken sausage and a bit of avocado, I promise it will taste dreamy. Also, don't forget the secret extra ingredient - the lemon zest and juice! It will MAKE this frittata for you :)

Ingredients:
- 4-6 eggs
- 1 link chicken-apple sausage, precooked (I used Aidell's Organic version)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 gigantic handful spinach
- 6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 lemon slice + some lemon zest

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

2. Heat your oven-safe skillet (I am loving my new Staub skillet!) over medium. Drizzle with some olive oil.

3. While the skillet is heating, whisk together your 4-6 eggs. I say that range because it depends on how big you want this frittata to be. 4 if you're wanting it to feel more veggie-licious, 6 if you went to the gym and you need some serious monster eggs in your life STAT. Salt and pepper the eggs to your liking. Then set them aside.

4. Once the skillet is heated, add the chopped onion and grape tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the tomatoes are wilted.

5. Add spinach to the skillet. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until almost wilted.

6. Then add the chicken sausage. This is already pre-cooked, but you want to reheat it and let the flavors all get to know each other a bit. Mmm things are starting to get savory.

7. Now you you pour in your beaten eggs to the mixture. At this point you don't really want to mix anything around. Just let the eggs begin to set in the skillet.

8. Then add the diced avocado to the mixture, if you're into that kind of thing. Avocado is basically the perfect replacement for cheese in a Whole30/Paleo situation, so I never forego it.

9. The extra special ingredient is the lemon and zest. Take a microplane grater and zest a bit of lemon skin on top of the frittata. Then take 1 slice of lemon and squeeze a bit of juice on top of the frittata. It will add a little extra note of flavor, and believe me, you will love it.

10. Once the frittata is "set" (after 3-5 minutes on the stove), transfer the skillet into the oven. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes. It will be ready once it's lightly browned on the top. Slice and enjoy!

I love this frittata. You can top it with hot sauce or salsa for an extra kick of spice. Stevie and I have been dominating the entire frittata everyday, and believe me, it will fill you up! Very satisfying. For all of you who are curious about Whole30 and whether you can actually eat "good food" while on this plan, I would definitely encourage you to give this recipe a try!

My Whole30 Diary. Part 1.

Day 1.
Breakfast: 6-egg Frittata (shared with Stevie) with chicken sausage, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, onion. Sliced fruit. Black coffee. Water with lemon.

Um, I should feel excited. I just feel annoyed. Why is this SO MUCH WORK. I've been in the kitchen all day - meal prepping, eating, then cleaning up from the meal. Then doing it all over again. This just doesn't make sense for real people with real lives.

 Lunch: Big spinach salad with shredded chicken and chopped green apple, celery, slivered almonds. Olive oil and balsamic dressing. La Croix with lime to drink :)

Dinner: Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti. Which tastes pretty good. But I'm too annoyed to give it accolades.

At the end of the day, I really want to unwind with a glass of wine. And I really want to eat dark chocolate and watch Madam Secretary. Tea Leoni's performance just isn't quite as impressively dynamic with a lame cup of tea in my hand. Ugh.

Snack (which is totally off the Whole30 plan but seriously, this plan sucks, so I'm allowing it): Baked apples and pears with slivered almonds, dusted cinnamon, a scoop of almond flour, coconut oil.

Day 2.
Breakfast: Frittata. Fruit. Coffee with coconut oil and cinnamon.

I tried something new to jazz up my coffee - adding a tablespoon of coconut oil and cinnamon, which I immediately regret. Too oily. It coated my throat in a weird way. I find myself almost wishing for black coffee. Almost.

Lunch: Big spinach salad with shredded chicken, chopped cucumbers, kalamata olives, artichokes, red onions, tomatoes and slivered almonds. Lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic dressing. La Croix with lime.

This salad is officially delicious. It's the first thing I can actually say that about while on Whole30. I decided that if I have to eat this every day for a month for lunch, I can do so happily.

Dinner: Pork chop with spiced apple sauce, sweet potato and cabbage slaw.

Snack: Baked fruit.

I felt like a grown up because I MADE pork chops. It was good. But still - I just felt too mad about this annoying "wellness exercise" to enjoy it. Stevie on the other hand, was RAVING. Of course he would be liking this. Of course.

Day 3.
Stevie needs to be punched. It's a need. He wakes up and says, "I am just feeling SO GOOD. Like, we always eat healthy, but the fact that I feel this good after eating healthier for a few days is really compelling. This plan works!" Which leads to my need to punch him. I don't do it. I just stare at his pretty face and imagine it a little bit.

Breakfast: Frittata. Fruit. Coffee.

I feel TERRIBLE. So tired. So mad. I feel like I'm walking around in a fog. This is the worst day yet.

Lunch: Greek chicken salad (same as yesterday).

Dinner: Salmon with lemon-herb mayo. Broccoli + roasted potatoes.

Snack: Baked fruit.

Day 4.
Breakfast: Frittata. Fruit. Coffee.

Lunch: Greek chicken salad.

Dinner: Baked chicken & green beans.

So today I've made a discovery. If I have no positive taste expectations from my food, and it's consumed for the basic reasons of nourishment, then I'm fine. If I don't expect to enjoy or savor the tastes in my mouth, then I am fine to just go through the day without looking forward to my meals. I don't dread them, but I don't look forward to them. I know how morbid this sounds to foodies all over the world (and the one who lives in my head), but I've spent the past three days disappointed at every meal, and I don't want to live another 26 days that way. I just need to have low expectations. Food is for nourishment on this plan, not for fun. Not for joy.

Okay, so I didn't make this discovery. My attitude has been so bad that my Dad has to give me a talking-to. He said something along the lines of, "Soldier up. You made a commitment, so just do it." And he's totally right. So I'm doing it. And trying to whine a little less.

Day 5.
Breakfast: Eggs scrambled with spinach and onion. Fruit. Coffee.

This is the day I texted my sister-in-law, "I might actually die."

Lunch: Greek chicken salad.

Dinner: Slow-cooker beef brisket with onions and carrots.

I didn't die. But I almost quit today. Really and truly. If it weren't for Stevie, I probably would have caved on this very day.

Day 6:
Breakfast: An egg. Fruit.

This was an interesting day to be on Whole30 because I attended a brunch at an awesome brunchy restaurant (Sun in My Belly!) honoring my pregnant friend. There was no way I was going to skip it just because of Whole30, because I love her and she is so fun to celebrate and our kids will one day marry, so I just checked the menu ahead of time and formulated a plan. I also decided in my heart that I didn't want to be "that person" at the restaurant, asking high-maintenance questions about the oils and sugar content. I just decided that I'm going to order the cleanest I can and not worry about the rest.

I thought it would be hard, with mimosas and croissants being passed around me, but it really wasn't. At this point it was just decided: I'm doing Whole30, and I can't have that right now. So yeah. Stoic is perhaps the word I would use to describe it. I felt stoic to the food, not the company (obviously!)

Lunch/Brunch: Two fried eggs. Turkey sausage. Fruit. Coffee.

Dinner: Salmon cakes with roasted red pepper dressing. Arugula salad.

Day 7:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs. Fruit. Tea.

Snack: Lara bar.

Lunch: Leftover salmon cakes with roasted red pepper dressing.

Dinner: Leftover brisket with onions and carrots.

Sunday is church day, which lately means an earlier morning for all of us, but we love it! We had to be careful to plan our breakfast and snacks so that we wouldn't be hungry and/or lust over the cinnamon bagels and yogurt. But we actually did okay!

Overall Week Recap:
I felt angry most of the week. I wanted to quit, and I'm not a quitter. I was surprised by how badly I wanted some of my old favorite foods - Ezekiel toast, sweetened coffee, wine at night, chocolate. The meal prep was an enormous project, and I honestly don't know how I would do this plan if I had a full-time job. But at 7 days in, I didn't feel like I wanted to quit anymore. So I will keep going!

Who else is doing Whole30 right now? Any of this sound similar to what you're going through?

P.S. - I'm sharing the Whole30 frittata recipe I've been making almost daily on the blog tomorrow :)

My Favorite Tools in the Kitchen.

It's no secret that I love to cook. I am on a personal name basis with half of the ladies who work at my local Williams Sonoma, and I can often be found peppering them with questions about competing products and how they do meal prep. I've even squeezed a few amazing recipes out of them, which are the days when I really count myself lucky. Over the past 8 years or so, I have goofed off in my kitchen, experimenting with different recipes and foods and techniques, all in the name of learning. Stevie has been there for the not-so-great dishes and some of the most spectacular surprises. I'm grateful for him, my professional taste-tester. And I am so grateful that I enjoy my time in the kitchen, because we have to eat either way! Might as well enjoy the process! But truly, making a delicious meal is kind of like art to me - it's peaceful, it's therapeutic, it's spontaneous, it's exhilarating, and it's most definitely creative. And I am totally the creeper that likes to watch people as they bite into something I made - the satisfaction of knowing that I concocted something that someone else can consume and enjoy is so very gratifying. I know. Creeper in the kitchen.

I wanted to share a few items in my kitchen that are the workhorses of the bunch. The almost daily-used tools and machines that are in heavy rotation in and out of my hands while I cook. I couldn't possibly be as efficient without these few amazing tools in my arsenal. I am grateful for the years of Christmas gifts (which most of these have been!), because my kitchen is shaping up rather nicely these days. Though I have an ever-growing list of items that I am constantly on the hunt for, especially if I can find a deal on them. If you're interested in investing in a few stellar cook's gadgets and utensils, here is a personal recommendation for my favorite tools in the kitchen.

Dutch Oven.
This was an enormous game-changer when I received this rad dutch oven for Christmas a few years ago. My Le Creuset Dutch Oven, in the classy shade of Marseille, is my first choice as an investment for the kitchen. This particular pot does it all. You can cook anything on the stove in it, including pan-frying chicken, sauteing vegetables, cooking a stew - anything! And then it transfers to the oven like a dream, thanks to the heat-safe enameled cast-iron. This is where you can braise lamb or slow-cook a roast. This particular item introduced me to "big girl cooking" beyond what I was capable of doing in a regular Pyrex glass dish. And the most amazing thing about this particular dutch oven is that I will have it forever and will it on to family. That's how long Le Creuset holds up - forever! It's quite an investment but completely worth it when you think about how much it will be used over the course of a lifetime of cooking (and eating!) in the kitchen.

Wooden Cutting/Pastry Board.
I discovered this solid wooden Boos Block cutting board a few years ago, when I baked cookies with Mary the Cookie Lady. Some of you might remember that particular post, a time that still lives on in my mind in a hushed reverence of pastry enlightenment. Mary taught me a world of good when it comes to all things sugary and bake-able. And we spent that one special day hard at work on her infamous maple-wooden pastry board. Her particular pastry board was passed down to her from her mother, and I was envious of such a meaningful (and incredibly useful!) item that was ingrained, literally, with such significance to Mary. Every time she cuts on that board or rolls out a fresh batch of cookie dough, she thinks of her mother. And you know what? My darling Aunt Shirley sent me this Boos Block Pastry Board as a housewarming gift a few months ago, when we moved into our new digs. When I say that we use this an overwhelming amount, I mean it. This pastry board stays on my counter top, proudly looking down at all the other flimsy plastic sheets that claim to call themselves cutting boards. This cutting board has upped my chopping skills and when this Whole30 situation is over, I will be kneading some mean Valentines treats on it, as well.

Chef's Knife.
Any great cook will credit their Chef's Knife as a significant player in their daily cooking practice. I received my 8-year old J. Henkels 8-inch Chef's Knife as a wedding gift, and it has certainly done the trick for all these years. I use it everyday to chop and dice 90% of everything you see here in my recipes on the blog. However, I do dream of upgrading to this Wustof Classic Ikon masterpiece sometime in the future.

Cast Iron Skillet.
This Staub Cast-Iron 10-inch Skillet in sapphire blue has me swooning big over it's incredible stove top-to-oven durability. I've been making a frittata almost every single day in this skillet, and it behaves like a non-stick pan, even though that's not one of the main claims of this item's quality. It's pre-seasoned, heats food ridiculously evenly and has that richly-colored enamel coat that just has me dreaming of when i can invest in another!

High-Powered Blender.
Vitamix = Love. LOVE I SAY. My particular model of the Vitamix is the 5200 package from Costco (which is totally the way to buy it, if you ask me - such a deal compared to the regular retail price!) We make EVERYTHING in this thing. Soups, dressings, sauces, smoothies, juices, BABY FOOD, bread mixes of all kinds, desserts, and seriously, the list goes on. It has completely replaced my food processor and we use this thing every day.

Crockpot.
Who doesn't love their slow cooker? I'll admit, mine isn't anywhere near fancy, but it doesn't need to be! This 4-Quart Crock-Pot has been our winter go-to for years and years. I love throwing random veggies, meat and stock in the crock-pot and letting it do it's thing for 6-8 hours. Low and slow. That's the way I like to go :)

And that's it! Those are my everyday kitchen favorites. Of course, those aren't all my favorites, but those are the items that I use absolutely every day. Do any of these match up with your everyday used kitchen items? I would love to hear about your favorite cooking utensils!

Tools & Sources for Getting Organized in 2016.

Friends! How is January going for you thus far? I have to admit, I am doing a fair amount of oscillating between being super organized and productive to being super tired and blah.  The up-and-down emotions might be due to Whole30, so we will see how things shake out over the next few weeks. But I did want to share a few planning tools that have really helped me shape some new discipline in my life. Sometimes you need to be outfitted to accomplish more, right?

My Day Planner.
I am a bit planner obsessed, and every January I am on the hunt for the PERFECT planner. Which seems to be a bit like a unicorn - something all the chic, superpower wonder women have but something I can't seem to get my hands on. I can never find the perfect planner with just the right amount of white space and just the right size. It might sound crazy to some of you, but I just have this need to write out my daily plan. I tried using my iPhone two years ago and it was TERRIBLE. So many missed appointments and I never felt like I knew what was going on. So when I heard the raving reviews about The Simplified Planner on In Honor of Design I had to know more. I compared it to a lot of similar planners on the market, and went for the splurge. It feels a little crazy to drop this much dough on a planner, but I had some birthday cash, so I went for it. You guys, I bought this gem in October (remember when I was feeling all kinds of inspired and disciplined?) This planner has been sitting on my shelf, staring down at me for 3 months, just waiting for its moment to be used. And I am LOVING it so far. It's truly my favorite day planning book. And if that makes me seem like an old lady... well, that's probably about right.

You Need A Budget.
I've talked about this before, but this app has truly become a game changer for us. When it comes to our personal finances, Stevie and I want to grow in our diligence, discipline, and ultimately, our generosity. This app, You Need A Budget (also called YNAB) is the way we sync all our income and spending, so we can see every transaction. I know that a lot of tools do this (such as Mint, which we previously used), but YNAB requires you to punch in every transaction you make. This seemed daunting to me at first, but I've actually grown to love it. Mint was too user-intuitive for me, because I never even had to lift a finger and everything was automated. Which means I just never paid attention and never really knew where we were at with our spending. With YNAB, I am required to go in the app several times a day and punch in my receipt to see where I'm at with all my budgeted categories. I really can't say enough rave things about this app - I just love it! And if you check out the site, it gives you tutorials and and a free 34-day trial!

Excel & Google Docs.
I would be lost without my lists. I use excel workbooks to keep all my writing work organized, both for the blog and freelancing - pieces I'm working on, pieces I've completed, jobs I've been paid for (and haven't been paid for yet!), pitches I've written, editors I've reached out to, brands who have reached out to me - everything! Because it's way too hard to remember all of that and try to sift through email months later. Keeping copious lists is the way that I stay on top of things and make sure I don't miss a deadline or forget to reach back out to someone. I use Google Docs and Google Sheets the same way, and I love sharing these docs with others if I have a project going. Stevie & I even keep a doc of all the home sprucing we want to do - decor ideas, furniture we want to invest in, work that needs to be done on the house. It feels good to mark a big "X" next to those items as we complete them. I even share a Christmas List Google Doc every year with my family, where we can all write what we want Santa to bring us (and then we can all purchase accordingly!) Seriously. Docs are the best. I'm sure tons of you guys use them, too, so it's not a totally bright idea - except that it is.

Sources.
There are so many awesome blog posts around the web right now about how to get organized in the new year. I love January because it's the opportunity to assess everything and strategize on how to do things better. How to streamline and be more efficient and all that good stuff. I am feeling a spazzy amount of inspiration for 2016 (seriously, Stevie is confused by my vigor) and I wanted to share a few posts that have me feeling really motivated. People are so creative, you guys. I love gleaning from others' research.

Emily's Ley Preparing for a Big Year

The Private Life of A Girl 11 Productive Things You Can Do During the Holidays

Camille Styles 16 Quotes to Help You Conquer 2016

Darling 4 Resolutions to Help You Find Your Spark in 2016

DesignSponge Work-Life Balance as a Creative Entrepreneur

I hope some of these tools and sources help you get inspired for YOUR year! Happy planning to you! xox

On Why I'm Doing Whole30. And What Happens on Day 3.

So I am doing Whole30 (which I mentioned in my resolutions post), a wellness plan that focuses on lots of protein, healthy fats, fruits and veggies. The program's purpose is to target individual's food habits and retrain our emotional attachment to food. It calls for a total elimination of all the fun foods in my life, like sugar and wine and bread and cheese and grains.

No wine, guys.

No grilled cheese.

Oh, and no pizza. It's like the freaking apocalypse.

I feel excited about the potential outcome of this program, because I read the book and the cook book and I believe all the wonderful benefits that come from eating so clean. I've had friends and family complete the 30-day program (and the extra 12-day reentry), and they have felt an increase in overall clarity and sharpness, amazing amounts of energy, a newfound sense of discipline and control in their lives, clearer skin, better digestion, and just overall wonderfulness. Who doesn't want that?

I want that. That's why I decided to do it.

But oh. It comes at a cost, guys.

I am on day 3 of Whole30. And I feel *so* angry.

SO ANGRY.

I don't know why I am so mad. I feel really really mad though. I'm tired of reading through every single ingredient of every single food I used to cook with. And realizing so many of my go-to "healthy" ingredients are loaded with sneaky preservatives and artificial sweeteners. And don't even get me started on how long I've been in the kitchen. I'm like a kitchen slave. This is what it must have felt like to be a woman in the 50's, and home every day, just making those pork chops and vegetables and waiting for her man to come home blah blah blah. This doesn't work in the modern world! We don't just stay home all day to cook! And this is coming from someone who LOVES to cook.

What's happening to me.

I'm not trying to be angry. I even reached out to some friends because I felt so angry. Not at anyone or anything, but just a general, blanketing sense of fogginess and annoyance. The consensus is that this particular feeling is part of the detox of the program. It's fascinating to me, because I am such a healthy eater and mindful cook. So the fact that I'm detoxing and it feels this powerful, this soon, is a little mind-blowing. Slightly concerning. And annoying.

The final nail in the coffin is that I kind of had to force Stevie to do Whole30 with me. It's so much better if couples do it together, because there is a lot of food prep and a need for a big commitment to the new routines and it just makes sense when you're eating meals together. So he was on the fence and I forced him to read a few chapters and he was still all, "I don't know. I don't really get WHY we would do this. I need more conviction." He finally got on board because, what else is he going to do? I'm the primary chef in this house. And you know that guys? I'm on Day 3 of feeling crummy and he feels AMAZING. Yesterday he said, "It's weird, because we usually eat really healthy anyway. But the fact that I feel SO GOOD after just a few of these cleaner meals is really compelling. Like, this program works." And you guys, every time he talks about how amazing he feels, I kind of want to punch him.

That's not a normal feeling for me, in case you were wondering.

I generally love his sunny nature.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME.

So there you have it. I'm on on Day 3 and I have 27 to go. Plus the 12 reentry days, if I choose to do those. Bet you can guess which way I'm leaning on that one.

I'll be sharing some Whole30 recipes this month that hopefully rock my world and don't taste like a boot. I've actually found a few that I really enjoy, even in the midst of my irritability. So there you have it.

Who's done Whole30? What was your experience? Anyone currently doing it? Let's talk recipes!

P.S. - My Whole30 Diary from the first week.