2 Cats and Chloe

Healthy Food, Great Views and Creative Living!

Whole30, Paleo Tailgating with Coleman

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Sponsored Post: This post is sponsored by Coleman but the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. #TailgateWithColeman

Summer is winding down. My heart just shed a tear. Like a huge, crocodile tear. (Guys, I live 30 minutes from the beach and I didn’t make it to the ocean ONE.SINGLE.TIME this summer. Life is so different these days.)

Coleman Kabobs 6

That being said, fall is my season. Our season. I love summer but fall is for camping, grilling and being outside. This is even more true now that I am living the life as special-needs-mom (every time I type it or say it, it still makes me step back and go ‘whoa’). Lorelei’s mitochondrial disease makes it a bit tougher for us to fly by the seat of our pants. Everything takes planning. And then canceling of those plans. Then being open minded about the whatever happens-happens kind of plans.

I cannot wait for Fall. I used to love it - but now I long for it. The season when the temps crisp and cool and my child can go outside! We don’t have to worry about the heat. We have one less component to plan (or worry about). We can feel a tad bit more normal… until it gets too cold. But that’s another story.

Today I am sharing my go-to fall, grilling, tailgating, festive, whole30, paleo recipe. You can’t beat Kabobs these days (unless you realllly need to keep things simple in which case just grab some whole30 compliant, paleo spicy chicken sausage from Trader Joes and call it a day!) We are “tailgating” and kicking off the season with our essentials from Coleman (and our new camper)! Gotta love an excuse to set up your camper and gear in the backyard right?!

You can shop the entire Coleman collection at Walmart.com (or in-store) here!

I purchased my Coleman Roadtrip LXE grill online at Walmart.com. Walmart makes shipping easy for those of use who don’t get out much - or pick up even easier for those who need an excuse to get out!

Coleman Kabobs 1

Whole30 Kabobs on the grill are easy to pack ahead of time (if you’re traveling or tailgating away from home) and allows you to be creative. Grab the bites you like best (chicken, beef, veggies or even fruit!) stick them on a skewer, pop them in your Coleman cooler and go. When you get to your tailgating site or your campground, use your Coleman grill (or the open fire) and cook up your dinner!

Whole30 Kabobs
 
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Great for tailgating or backyard grilling!
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Ingredients
  • Protein of choice (we use chicken, steak or shrimp)
  • Veggies of choice (peppers and onions are a must, but consider mushrooms and zucchini too!)
  • Fruit of choice (loveeee me some pineapple and tomatoes!)
  • Marinade of choice (Tessamae's BBQ or a simple coconut aminos, garlic, salt and pepper combo)
Instructions
  1. Soak wooden skewers in water for a couple of hours before grilling so they do not catch on fire.
  2. Cut up your proteins, veggies and fruit into smaller, bite-sized pieces and put in individual piles or bowls.
  3. Let your family members 'build their own' skewers with their favorite paleo 'toppings'!
  4. Grill on medium heat until meat is cooked to desire doneness.
  5. Enjoy!

Life Hack for local folks: Harris Teeter (one of our local grocery store) sells kabobs pre-made and decently priced. They make life so much easier when you need a quick dinner full of veggies and protein but you don’t really feel like cooking. (Or when you’re on your way to tailgate or camp!) Yes, they have some with a marinade - which truth be told, I haven’t checked to see if it’s compliant, but I assume it’s not. So buy them “naked” and add your own seasonings and marinades. (Please try ordering “Naked Kabobs” from your butcher and tell me what happens! LOL!)

Coleman Kabobs 5

coleman kabobs 4

Pair these whole30, paleo kabobs with my tomato and cucumber side dish, and a salad mason couple of mason jars and you’re good to go! (Wine for those who are NOT on a whole30…) Happy camping y’all!

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Breakfast Potatoes: Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Delicious!

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Let me preface this (and sub-sequential posts) by saying I am not pregnant. But am I the only one who craved certain things while pregnant, and then a year and a half later, I still only want to eat those things? Gimme all the potatoes, hot sauce and (paleo) ranch. Seriously. You know how Buddy the Elf has very specific food groups? Those are mine. With sushi and/or wine on the side.

2 cats and chloe: paleo breakfast potatoes

Earlier this month, one of my besties came to visit Lorelei and me. (Mostly Lorelei but I’ll take it!) She and I go way back to the ripe age of 13. We’ve had our ups and a lot of downs separately-together over the past two years. But she gets me. She gets the fact that blogging and eating healthy are my thing. Even when I neglect it. Even when I have zero time. Even when I haven’t showered in 14 years. So she has politely pushed and fiercely encouraged that I get back at it, again, because writing is good for my soul. And when I’m not creating healthy recipes, I’m eating crappy meals (or not eating anything at all) and my mind, body and spirit begin to fail.

While she was here, I whipped up an easy brekky of eggs, bacon and potatoes. Because, potatoes. And she LOVED the potatoes and said it needed to be posted on the blog immediately.

2 cats and chloe: Whole30 potatoes

So here we are. Three weeks later. I’m sitting in a hotel room watching my daughter sleep. While I am sincerely wishing my husband would magically wrap up his sessions at the mito conference and come back to the room with a heaping plate of breakfast potatoes.

That being said. These whole30, paleo, gluten free, sugar-free, crap-free breakfast potatoes are so easy I feel silly posting it as a recipe. But here you go!

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Breakfast Potatoes

Whole30, Paleo, GF Breakfast Potatoes
 
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Extremely easy. Extremely delicious. Gimme all the potatoes!
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Cuisine: Breakfast
Serves: 1-2 servings
Ingredients
  • Cooked Medium Red Potatoes (5-ish)
  • 2 Teaspoons of Olive Oil
  • ¼ Teaspoon of Garlic Salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon of Onion Powder
Instructions
  1. Precook the potatoes prior to breakfast. Usually I make a batch of these potatoes either for dinner one night or as part of our meal prep for the week. If you make them for dinner, save the leftovers for breakfast! To make a batch prior to breakfast, you can boil them until soft or simply pop them in the microwave for 10ish minutes with a bit of water in a microwave safe container.
  2. Slice up your cooked potatoes.
  3. Put them in a skillet over medium heat.
  4. Evenly drizzle/sprinkle sliced potatoes with olive oil, garlic salt and onion powder.
  5. Flip and stir them around for 3-5 minutes or until they are golden brown. I like mine when they start to get a bit crispy. If they aren't crisping up at all add another TINY drop of olive oil and a little more seasoning.
  6. Get creative: Add herbs or paprika to change flavors.

That’s it guys. Easy peasy. Now go and eat your potatoes. (Smothering them with paleo ranch and hot sauce is totally okay too. I’m not judging.)

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Whole30 Chicken Nuggets: Ready for the Super Bowl!

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You know what is crazy, last year, Super Bowl Sunday was the last “normal-ish” day of my life. It was the last time I went out with my husband and carelessly hung out with friends, despite feeling sluggish, before the storm and mandatory bedrest hit the next day. I still blame that odd “puppy, monkey, baby” commercial…

Food wise, I have two goals in 2017. 1 - Eat out less often. 2 - Make non-paleo foods paleo and/or whole30 compliant. Last week, my mom and I were driving home from yet another doctor appointment for Lorelei, when my mom said “Let’s just stop at Chic-fil-a!” I knew if I stopped, I would be terribly tempted to drink a frozen lemonade and inhale their crazy delicious waffle fries… but this would’ve broken both of my 2017 food rules. And I knew I had a few chicken breasts at home that needed to be cooked. It also, just so happened to be the day that my thrive order was delivered! Hello Chipotle Lime Paleo Mayo and Paleo Ranch! I NEEDED something to dip into these sauces!

Ergo……. Paleo, Whole30 Compliant Chicken Nuggets - in time for Super Bowl Sunday!

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Paleo Chicken Nuggets

I will be the first to tell you, I really don’t understand football. But I’m an absolute marketing junkie so I love rating the commercials and hidden branding throughout the Super Bowl. I also love the food. It’s the first time after a month and a half of eating clean since the holidays (usually) where you are tested. Decisions have to be made. Do you eat the junk or eat healthy food?

And before the Whole30 Police jump all over me… Technically, unless you have a crazy addition to Chic-fil-a nuggets outside of the whole30, this isn’t SWYPO. If you ate KFC every single day last month before you started the Whole30, yes, this is SWYPO. This is clean, breaded chicken bites and a perfect option for game day!

Whole30 Chicken Tenders Whole30 Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

Whole30, Paleo Chicken Nuggets
 
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Serves: Serves 4-5
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of Chicken
  • ¼ cup of Almond Flour
  • ¼ cup of Arrow Root Flour
  • 2.5 tsp of Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp of Salt
  • 1 tsp of Pepper
  • ½ tsp of Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp of Onion Powder
  • 1 TBSP of Coconut Cream
  • 1 Egg
  • Coconut Oil
Instructions
  1. Cut your chicken up into small bite sizes (or if you want to make these into tenders, cut them a bit longer/larger) and set aside on a plate.
  2. Mix all of your dry ingredients into a bowl, blending them together.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix your egg and your coconut cream. (Unlike a lot of recipes, I recommend using warm coconut cream. Straight out of the can in the pantry!) Mix these together so that the cream blends in with the egg and is a eggy-creamy mixture.
  4. Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture. Make sure it is covered completely.
  5. Using a fork, move the eggy-chicken into the dry ingredient bowl. Roll it around and cover completely. Once covered, set it aside on a separate plate.
  6. Once your chicken is all covered, drop a spoonful of coconut oil into your skillet on a medium heat. Once hot, place your chicken nuggets into the skillet. Let cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip and do 2-3 minutes (or until cooked) on the other side.
  7. ProTip: Don't over crowd the pan. These nugs will burn fast. I cook mine in 3 groups.
  8. Wanna make them spicy nuggets? Add a dash of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and/or chili powder! So good!

These Whole30 Chicken Nuggets are legit. If I had kids that ate food by mouth, this would be a go-to in our house. Hell, it’s a go-to now for the adults. My mom thought I was crazy when I told her I was dying for some outstanding paleo nuggets - she then went back for seconds and thirds! This was an easy meal to make and will be perfect for keeping game night healthy!

Whole30 Paleo Chicken Nugget Dipping Sauce

I paired these Gluten Free Bites of Awesomeness with steamed broccoli in my favorite Circulon Momentum Lock and Strain Steamer (you can find it a Kohls, Amazon and Macy’s - you can cook and drain all in one!!) and my husband’s favorite Whole30 Sweet Potato Fries. I didn’t have any whole30 ketchup available, and I desperately wanted an excuse to eat my Paleo Ranch and Paleo Chipotle Mayo. These all paired perfectly with the paleo chicken nuggets.

2 cats & chloe: Super Bowl Whole30 Food

Looking for other ideas for a Whole30 (or paleo) Super Bowl Sunday? Your friends will never know my wings are healthy. These Whole30 Deviled Eggs taste great and could easily be thrown at your ex-boyfriend’s car (or the television if your team doesn’t win). And who can say no to Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus?!

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Chicken Nuggets

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Paleo, Whole30 Lemon Chicken Dinner

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This dinner is absolutely drool worthy and will become a regular on our meal rotations! It started on a whim, through a text message with my dear friend Cait. She is also living in a moment of transition… bunking up with her future in-laws after their move from Florida to North Carolina. Knowing that I can easily relate to conversations with older people, she texted me a debate over frozen chicken verse fresh chicken. Sounds like she is having the same daily chats with her “roommates” that I am having with my 91 year old “roommate!” In the end I asked what chicken recipe she was using and she sent me this Lemon Chicken pin. And of course, since it looked amazing, I used it as inspiration and had to figure out a way to make it paleo, whole30 compliant and gluten free.

With a few easy tweaks, changes and add-ons, I adapted JoCooks’ Lemon Chicken Piccata dinner to be something that my family would love and could eat without intestinal discomfort!


 2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Approved Lemon Chicken Dinner

Please note that the original recipe and idea was not my own… but for those of us who have really strict diets - it needed a few tiny tweaks.

Paleo, Whole30 Lemon Chicken Dinner
 
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Recipe type: Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free
Serves: Approx 4-5 Servings
Ingredients
  • 3 Chicken Breasts (cut in half length wise to make them a bit thinner). I used approximately 2.5 pounds of chicken for this recipes.
  • 3 TBSP of Olive Oil
  • 4 TBSP of Real, Grass-fed Butter (or Ghee to make it Whole30 Compliant)
  • ¼ Cup of ArrowRoot Powder (YES! This is Whole30 Compliant and a great option for thickening)
  • Salt + Pepper to taste
  • ¼ Cup of Fresh Chopped Parsley
  • ⅓ Cup of Fresh Lemon Juice
  • ¾ Cup of Chicken Broth
  • ¼ Cup of Capers
  • 1 TBSP of Minced Shallots
  • 1 TBSP of Minced Garlic
Instructions
  1. Slice the Chicken Breasts length wise, and butterfly if needed. The thinner they are the better for cooking.
  2. Season both sides of Chicken in Salt and Pepper (to your taste) and then cover both sides in Arrowroot Powder.
  3. Add Ghee (or Butter) and Olive Oil to a large skillet over Medium-High heat.
  4. Add Chicken to Skillet when hot. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through.
  5. Remove the Chicken and place on a separate plate when it is cooked. Now we will work on the "gravy!"
  6. Remove the skillet from the hot burner. Add your lemon juice, chicken broth, capers, mince shallots and minced garlic. Stir together and with the sauce that was already in the skillet. Return skillet to heat and bring to a light boil. Taste the sauce and add salt or pepper if needed. You can also add a tablespoon of Arrowroot Powder if you want the sauce a bit thicker. (Again, this is still whole30 compliant!)
  7. Add your Chicken back into the skillet, lower heat to Medium-Low, cover and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
  8. Serve in the skillet or on a platter. Garnish with the fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices.
  9. ENJOY!

2 cats & chloe: Paleo Lemon Chicken Piccata

As you have probably noticed, my Whole30, Paleo and Gluten-Free recipes have really been lacking on the blog lately. That is because this whole pregnancy thing has been ROUGH. At 20 Weeks and some change right now, I am finally starting to feel more like myself. I am actually able to eat a few veggies again! Hooray! I have been living on baked potatoes and fries. (I won’t be surprised if #BabyMagotes comes out looking like a potato!!) I sincerely hope to continue playing in the kitchen and creating healthy dinners again while I have the free time!

That being said, when you check out my lemon chicken dinner plate below - don’t be shocked to see real rice rather than Cauli-Rice. My wild rice IS NOT Whole30 compliant. (There is a debate as to whether or not rice is or is not paleo… but we are not here to debate that today! Baby just needs his/her rice and potatoes these days or Mommy will puke!)

2 cats & chloe: Gluten Free Lemon Chicken

I paired this paleo, whole30 compliant Lemon Chicken Dinner with steamed broccoli and wild rice. I also pour the gravy/sauce all over everything! And it was freaking amazing.

2 cats & chloe: Paleo, Whole30 Chicken Dinner

What Nana Said: Suzie! This meal tastes like it could be found in a French bistro! It is the best dinner I have had in a very long time! You could make this dinner if you ever had your boss over for dinner!

What Michael Said: It’s good, but very lemony. I would definitely eat it again though!

Well yes Michael, it is called Lemon Chicken after all…

2 cats & chloe: Paleo, Gluten Free Chicken Dinner

So there ya have it! An easy, drool-worthy and delicious Paleo, Whole30 Lemon Chicken dinner! Thank you Cait and Jo for this dinner inspiration! It really isn’t that difficult to turn most meals into healthy, clean dinners. You just have to put your thinking cap on and be creative! Substitutions like Arrowroot Powder and Ghee are easy swaps that you will barely notice! So go for it! Have fun in the kitchen! Compliant, gluten-free dinners are just a few easy substitutions away!

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Tuna Salad Cucumber Bites // Whole30 + Paleo

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Fun fact - I used to own a restaurant. “Used to” being the key to my life right now. Anyway, it was super quaint, located in a really small town, in an old historic house. The front of the house held our little gift shoppe. We had one dining room upstairs and one down. I always tell folks, to get a good idea of what it was like, imagine Lorelai Gilmore’s Dragonfly Inn mixed with a Cracker Barrel… Although, due to it’s size, it was more like a Cracker Bucket.

2 cats & chloe: The Carriage House Tea Cafe

While we quickly became well known for our chicken salad recipe (which I will have to feature here another day) the close runner up was my tuna salad. Like most of you know, when I cook or create, I don’t necessarily have a plan - I just throw things together and if it works, hooray. If not, eh… there’s always next time. That’s what happened with this Tuna Salad. Surprisingly people (other than just myself) loved having olives in their tuna! #iheartolives.

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Paleo Tuna Salad

I’ve been eating clean foods for the past 2-ish years. But it wasn’t until a few months ago that I decided to start making my own ranch and mayo. (Apparently I am a crazy person for waiting this long!) So last week when I had a batch of Whole30 Mayo to use, I thought what better an opportunity that this to make the Carriage House Tuna Salad (Whole30 compliant)?!

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Approved Tuna Salad

And since I do not eat bread, I paired the tuna salad with little cucumber slices. How cute are these? I cut the cucumbers to all different heights and then, to make them even prettier, I went ahead and cut slices into the outside. These would be a perfect appetizer for a party or a high tea, never mind the fact that they are a great no-bread paleo lunch option!

2 cats & chloe: Tuna Salad Bites for Party

Whole30 Paleo Tuna Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 - 2 TBSP Whole30 Approved Mayo
  • 1 can of tuna
  • ¼ cup of sliced olives
  • ½ small chopped onion
  • ¼ cup of sliced carrots
  • ¼ cup of chopped celery optional
  • Salt + Pepper to taste
  • 1 large english cucumber
Instructions
  1. Cut up your olives, onion, carrots and celery.
  2. In a bowl, mix everything together except the cucumber. (Salt + Pepper to taste)
  3. If you are skipping the bread and want to serve on cucumber - cut your cucumber into bite size pieces. I made mine vary in height. Cut out a bit of the core, making it a little tiny "bowl" for the tuna salad. If you want to make them even prettier, cut slits in the cucumber skin.
  4. Put a spoonful of tuna salad on the cucumber slices. Plate and serve.

2 cats & chloe: Tuna Salad with Cucumber // Whole30 Tuna Salad

So what do you think? Are these party worthy? Maybe worthy of joining the Celebrate Southern Soiree Linkup??

Jenn from What You Make It Blog

This week our co-host is Jenn from What You Make It! I am so excited that she is hosting with us, as she is one of my oldest blog-friends. She is a new mommy who writes about her life, her loves, parties, recipes and travels! So now, when you linkup below, you are not only showing up on my blog and J’s blog, but you will also be present on Jenn’s blog! Haven’t you always wanted to be in three places at one time??

Now grab a button and join the linky party about the party! We want to see your recipes, parties, home decor and DIY posts! Feel free to have fun with this and dust off a couple of your old posts to share!

If you would like to have some fun, gain a little more visibility with your blog and be a party hostess in the future, please fill out this form: http://goo.gl/forms/IHXJ7Nxyxq

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Full Disclosure: All content and pictures on this blog belong to Susan Geoghegan and the 2 cats & chloe site, unless otherwise stated. If you pin a picture, please give credit. Some links on this site may contain affiliate links. Clicking on these links helps support this blog. A "c/o" in front of a product represents that that product was either gifted to me in exchange for the post or I was compensated by said company for my time. However, all posts are my own thoughts, opinions and reviews! Thanks for your support!