Pork Chops & Spiced Apple Sauce (a Whole30 recipe!)

This is one of my favorite recipes from doing Whole30 last year. I am gearing up in my mind for doing another round of Whole30 (not anytime soon, in a few months) so I wanted to unearth a few of my favorite recipes that are easy and delicious and don't feel like diet food. That's what I really loved about Whole30 - everything we ate on the program was real, fresh whole foods. Lots of veggies, protein and healthy fats. This pork chop is no exception - it's super simple to cook (pork chops used to intimidate me), and the apple sauce is really easy and really makes the dish pop with flavor. Stevie asked for this one over and over when we were on Whole30, and we've continued to make it since coming off the program, too!

Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 2 bone-in pork chops (about 1 pound total)
- 3 tbsp. oil olive
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 1/2 cup apple cider (in a pinch you can use no-sugar-added apple juice)
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 2 generous handfuls of arugula (or frisee or spinach, you can see the spinach pictured here)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the salt and pepper in a small bowl and use it to season both sides of the pork chops.
3. Melt oil oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the olive oil is hot, add the pork chops and sear until you see a golden-brown crust, about 2-3 minutes. Turn over and sear the other side for 2 minutes.
4. Transfer the pork chops to a baking dish and roast in the oven 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness. (If you have an internal meat thermometer, you want the temperature to reach about 140 degrees).
5. While the pork is roasting, combine the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil and onion in the same skillet. Cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the apple, apple cider, ginger, allspice and nutmeg. Cook until the apples soften, about 5 minutes.
6. Optional step - transfer the apple sauce to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. I say this is optional because we have eaten this recipe with both smooth apple sauce and chunky, and it's delicious both ways.
7. Dress the plates with your green of choice (mine is arugula, because it's the perfect pinch of spice), and top with the pork. Dollop the applesauce on top and bon appetit!

And there you have it! It's really simple to execute this meal and it feels so hearty and wholesome. Also, a word on apple sauce - it is perhaps the most versatile food ever. I love finding new ways to serve it, bake with it and prep different dishes with it. Last month I shared about the different ways I make apple sauce, and included this wonderful spiced version. Let me know if you decide to try this recipe out and what you think of it! Happy cooking, friends!

P.S. - If anyone has done Whole30 while breastfeeding, I would love to hear from you! I'm interested in learning how to safely do the program without sacrificing my milk supply. Give me a shout in the comments with any advice or tips! Many thanks :)

Life After Whole30 (+ My 3 Biggest Takeaways)

Life after Whole30 is weird.

It's actually kind of ruined my life. But in a really wholesome kind of way. Because the Whole30 discipline is such a healthy way to approach food and fitness and overall health, and it holds a really high standard for what should be put in our bodies. It was so so hard when I was in the midst of the 30 days of no sugar, no bread, no alcohol, constant meal prep and kitchen cleaning and ugh - I felt like the days went by so slowly. And I felt like this way of eating was just so enormously time-consuming and not realistic for our day and age. So many times, I remember feeling sorry for the pioneer women. Because I had the realization that this was their life - cooking and cleaning up for their families. Preparing everything from scratch. Dirtying practically every dish in their pantry and then having to clean every dish - over and over and over again. It felt monotonous. It felt archaic. It felt like sacrifice. It felt like a crap-ton of work. And life is already work. So yeah, I had some low moments, in the midst of Whole30. And that doesn't even include the mood swings from detoxing from all the sugar and caffeine and happy breads.

But this strange thing was happening during all the whining and complaining and headaches and longing for sweets and wines and sweet wines. I was starting to feel a surprising amount of goodness. I was sleeping hard. I was waking up early, with no grogginess. My workouts were strong. My mind was clear. I just felt an intense amount of clarity, like the chaos in my mind was being detoxed along with with the unhealthy foods. So as much as I hated the meal prep, I was starting to really love the feeling of wholeness.

My biggest, most positive takeaways from my Whole30 experience:

1. I think about what I put in my mouth.
Whole30 taught me to read the labels on my food products. Instead of grabbing something because it says "organic" or "all-natural" and thinking that meant it was the healthiest choice, Whole30 taught me to read the labels and decipher the ingredients. There are so many sneaky sugars, preservatives, emulsifiers and chemicals that are in normal, everyday foods. You might think that sounds like propaganda - it's not. Do your research. Don't trust me for a minute - do your own research. The findings are pretty appalling. And once you learn something - you can't unlearn it. And that's what happened to me. Once I understood what soy lecithin and carrageenan actually are, I was much more motivated to find items that simply don't have those ingredients in them. And healthier options do exist, it just takes a little time to find them. The first time I went to the grocery store with a Whole30 list in hand, it took me over two hours to get out of the store. And no, I didn't have my toddler with me. It is just so time-consuming, reading every ingredient on every label of every item. It was exhausting. But now that I've done that work, I simply revisit those same items in the store, and my grocery trip are under 30 minutes now. So even though the process was time-consuming and overwhelming, it paid off with healthier choices that I am able to continuously make, now that I know my options.

2. I realize that everything is way too sweet.
My taste buds had been warped. And I'm going to be bold enough to suggest that yours are probably warped, too. Don't take it personal. It's not really our fault. It's been a slow process of eating "normal food" our entire lives and not knowing what is in it. Our taste buds have been warped because everything has so much sugar in it - like everything. Ketchup, crackers, barbecue sauce, lunch meat, bread, etc. And that's not even the stuff that we know has sugar in it, like cereal and alcohol. And then there's the obvious good stuff, like brownies and ice cream, duh. But I tell you what - after going 30 days without any sugar, and then coming back to it? Everything tastes annoying sweet. Like, obnoxiously, brazenly, almost insultingly sweet. Starbucks lattes? Too sweet. Chocolate chip cookies? Wayyy too sweet. Jeni's ice cream? I couldn't even finish it. I know, you probably want to ban me from your life right about now. If you haven't already stopped reading this post. But I never said that this blog would tickle your ears all the time. I can't help it you guys. I really can't. The truth was glaring me in tongue.

3. I'm discovering how to make healthier meals.
Look, you are probably cooking most days. I know I am. But learning some healthier techniques/recipes/ingredient swaps has been one of the most revolutionary takeaways for me. Because I'm cooking for my family every day, no matter what. We have to eat! And learning that I can spend the same amount of time prepping a meal but ensuring that it is incredibly healthy, made with whole foods (not preservative-laden substitutes) and brimming with irresistible flavor has been such a welcome revelation. These Whole30 meals do not taste like cardboard. It's actually the opposite. They taste better than most meals. In the beginning of the experiment, i definitely craved chocolate after dinner and wanted to throw some Parmesan cheese on top of my spaghetti squash spaghetti. But those desires have diminished significantly. And I feel empowered with some new recipes that are extremely delicious and nourishing. WIN.

There you have it, some of my biggest takeaways from the Whole30 experiment. Since ending Whole30 and eating "normal" again, nothing is really normal. I can't help but think about the health impact of everything I put into my mouth. It's definitely changed my way of approaching food, and I am still in the process of striking the right balance for my family that feels manageable (like, not annoying and high-maintenance) but also with a standard of health excellence. I want to set my son up for a lifetime of wellness, but I also want him to be able to eat a cookie with absolutely no guilt. It's a process, and I am still figuring it out. I'm compiling a shopping list and a slew of great recipes that I would recommend and will be making that available to blog subscribers soon. Let me know in the comments section if something like that would interest you!

If you would like to learn more about my Whole30 experiment, you can read about why I decided to try it. Also, check out my weekly diaries - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. Happy discoveries to you!

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.