Primal Creamy Pork Chops and a Return To Reality

I'm back!
I've been back from vacation for a while but have been slacking on blogging, mostly because I make us the same old things to eat. Nothing fun to share with you all.
Our vacation was amazing.
Hawaii was gorgeous, and stunning.
Everyday we saw something new, and had great adventures together as a family.
My kids bonded a little bit again since they were stuck with each other for two weeks, which was nice to see.

We hiked, swam, and were Primal everyday.
It was easy and convinient to be this way in Hawaii, where food and restaurants are very expensive.
Right after our plane landed on The Big Island we made our way over to the Kona Costco to pick up our food for the first week.
The prices were a little higher than here in Ohio, but not terrible.
My biggest downfall of the whole trip was the amount of dark chocolate macadamia nut products I consumed.
We all were in love with them.
Most days we would pack a cooler of veggies, fruits, chicken, and nuts. We would throw in some waters and be set for a day of exploring.
I would have coffee in the morning on our lani, watching the wild goat family eat grass on the golf coarse and then have a snack from the cooler in the middle of the day. When we would get back in the evenings we would grill out and watch the sun set.
Heaven.
It was nice not to worry about reservations and waiting for a table some place every night.
We spent our money on wild adventures instead.

We took an ATV tour one day for six hours, over hills and jungle that even most Hawaiians don't get to see because it is private land. The trip was very exciting, and the sights were stunning.

It was something none of us will forget!

One day we hiked straight down a mountain into that gorgeous valley. It was hard! But amazing.

Another day we drove to the top of Mauna Kea Volcano to watch the sunset.
It is 14,000 feet above sea level. Now...it is a super weird thing to go from the actual sea to the top of a mountain...and believe me...you notice the difference in your body right away.
we drank lots of water and popped our ears constantly while we made the trek up, but it still did a number on us. By the time the sun had set and we made our way down to the visitor center to watch the stars, we were loopy, short of breath, and freezing!!

The top of the world is spectacular.

After the first week my husband had to go home, the kids and I stayed one more week.
It was a time of swimming and chilling out.
My favorite thing to do was to make a huge cup of coffee and head out to a different beach each morning. I would sit and drink in the beauty of the sea while enjoying my brew and then head out to snorkel before the waves kicked up. I swam with sea turtles at least three times and saw some really large fish that made me a little nervous.

This was my absolute favorite beach. I came to swim here more than once because of just how pretty it was.

The wild Hawaiian kitties were alays happy to see me in the morning.

But now I'm home, and planning my son's graduation party.
So you will have to hear waaaaaay too much about that before it even happens ;)

The other day I decided to use up some pork chops that were sitting in the fridge, but didnt want to make them the same old way.
All the recipes that I found on Pinterest had bread crumbs or some other carb filled thing.
So I made up my own version of Creamy Baked Pork Chops.

Primal Creamy Baked Pork Chops

• 6 boneless pork chops
• 16 ounce sour cream
• 1/2 cup of crushed Primal crackers
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of rosemary
• salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl
Pat dry the pork chops with paper towels
Dip each chop into the mixture and coat it heavily on all sides
Place onto a foil lined baking pan
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes until their internal temperature reaches 145 to 150 degrees to be safe

We enjoyed these with pan roasted brussel sprouts with mushrooms and bacon.
It was an easy and yummy dinner.

I hope you try these amazingly tasty chops and enjoy them too.

Primal BBQ Pulled Pork...and other lies

Awww man! I always knew she was!!
It's funny...I hadn't realized it...but that voice has not been around lately.
I heard her all the time while I was on Weight Watchers, she told me over and over again how hungry I was.
She whispered that no one would notice if I ate that Twix bar...it would be just between us.
Riiiiight.
She would convince me to just stay where I was on the couch...it was way too much bother to put on my gym shoes and get on the treadmill...no one would know...right?
I could say I exercised, but instead sit on my large behind and watch another Big Bang Theory.
Sigh...
Since going Primal back in December that voice has been remarkedly quiet.
She did tell me to eat the carmels I found when cleaning out a kitchen drawer, and I listened.
I had a few.
Damn her.
There is a new voice inside of  me now too.
She's getting stronger...louder.
You can do it...she says.
Go make a smoothie she says...when the other one says to eat the old Halloween candy I found.
Someday my new voice might be able to shut that lying slut up for good.
But for now I still hear both of them.
The one who supports me, and the one who says, you've never done it before...why is now any different?
I am feeling stronger, I am losing weight, I am feeling healthier than ever.
I hear the good voice calling me...time to get up...turn off the computer...go take a walk...
Here I go!

Today's recipe is for Primal BBQ Pulled Pork.

• 1 pork tenderloin (any size)
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (don't skip this, it makes the pork pull apart)
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup flavored olive oil (I used chili flavored)
• Handful of your favorite spices
• 2 cups chicken stock (I use homemade)
• 1/2 cup primal barbecue sauce (see below)

I put everything in the crock pot on high and let it go for 5 hours, and then turn to warm until we are ready to eat.

When you are ready, fork apart the tenderloin till it's a shredded mess and add more barbecue sauce as desired.
We eat this over our primal cheddar biscuits, even for breakfast the next day!

Here is the recipe for Mark's Daily Apple Primal BBQ Sauce:

• 1/3 cup (about 3 ounces) tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 – 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 – 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions:
In a small bowl mix together tomato paste, butter, hot sauce, honey, vinegar, tamari, mustard and water.

In another small bowl mix together allspice, cinnamon, pepper, chili powder, paprika and onion powder.
Mix the wet and dry together, refrigerate the unused portion in a glass jar.

I hope you enjoy this great recipe as much as we do!