Whole 30, day 26

take what you can, closest to what you want.

this is a general theme i have been trying to stick to this past month or so to help me deal with the fluxes and changes that come over us. no, not just in the whole 30 challenge. but in life outside of set challenges. especially with long (12 hours, at least) days at work and trying to take care of a baby, especially moving to a new city, especially with the very soon loss of my income… we are learning to accept that some small things will change here and there. i don’t deal well with that. i have high expectations of everything.

here is my typical cycle of disappointment:

i get home at 8:30pm. i want dinner to be done as soon as i walk in and i want it to be perfect. i want juniper to wake up be ready to nurse as soon as i finish dinner. i want to sleep solidly throughout the night so i can wake up refreshed after my 5 hours of sleep (HA) at 4:30am to go back to work. i want to remember to go to the bathroom before i leave, it could be my only chance all day (nope, forgot to go). i want my breakfast to be perfect so i’m not having cravings all morning, since i don’t get snack breaks until lunch at 1:00pm (burnt bacon, awesome). oh no, still haven’t gotten time to visit ladies’ room. i want to go to lunch on time (nope, emergency patient coming in, toothache. lunch is at 2 and i’m starving). i want my salad to be perfect at lunchtime (oh, someone accidentally dumped your $6 whole 30 compliant dressing last week and i don’t have anything to dress a salad with now? oooommmmggggg… i totally overreacted to this). i want to leave work on time at 7pm so i can get home before juniper is sleeping (oh good, she doesn’t want to nurse because she’s had bottles all day? this is a problem), and also maybe i can take a little walk tonight since i haven’t gotten to all week (nope, another toothache at 6:30pm turns into a late night marathon, call brian, be home at 8:45. also missed jeopardy. damn)… and finally, we fall back into our cycle of disappointment.

it is not the job i am angry with! it is me! i am angry at my lack of coping skills.

isn’t this a negative way to look at my life? it is. so i’m changing it. because i am not a good mommy when i feel disappointed 3 days a week.

in the mean time:

take what we can, closest to what we want!

i had eaten all of my salad greens without realizing it, same goes for avocado. my lunch was seeming like a disappointment, so i changed my frame of mind, and also added a bunch of stuff to my salad that i wouldn’t normally, and: voila! a good lunch it became! how beautiful!

breakfast: sweet potato hashies, 2 eggs, 2 bacons. coffee with coconut cream.

lunch: chicken, beets, baby watermelons*, pepitas, fennel fronds, lemon oil vinaigrette (1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon), 1/3 cup olive oil, sprinkle of salt,sprinkle of pepper).

snack: 1/4 cup raw cashews.

dinner: huge portion of salmon, roasted veggies with basil. watermelon.

results: awesome. ok, so eating that many beets all week.. well, it changed my digestion. let’s just say that. but delicious day of foods, who can complain about running out of avocado and greens with an otherwise delicious salad and amazing dinner at mom and dad’s house?

*no, i had never eaten a baby watermelon until this past week. my mother in law picked up some rare and amazing vegetables and herbs for me at a celebrity chef event in huron, ohio, and i’m gobbling them up fast! baby watermelon taste like.. well, watermelon, but it isn’t sweet at all. i guess it could also be compared to a teeny tiny green tomato. so fun!

juniper, however, remains perfect. not only because she just IS, but also for practical reasons. she sleeps solidly throughout the night, about 12 hours or so. she always has. she doesn’t fuss throughout the day unless she has dropped her tootsie or if she sees that i have been ignoring her for house chores for longer than an hour. she nurses every 3.5 hours, almost like clockwork. she needs her diaper changed every 2 hours. she is predictable, laid back, and happy. she makes me laugh and smile when i am at my whit’s end. days when i drop a pan on my toe while cleaning up cat litter, nothing can be worse right now, look up….. there she is smiling at me, and giggles. my day changes. the sun comes out.

this beautiful baby is something i am never disappointed in. look at her. she is my buddy. when i AM home from work, we are inseparable. we are attached at the hip. when we get up in the morning, i put her in her moses basket and set her on the kitchen table while i make breakfast. i don’t leave her alone in a room yet, not only is she too little, but she’s too cute. i don’t want all of that cuteness to get wasted on an empty room. seriously.

these are a few of my favorite things!!!

What is life without dessert?

longer.

and healthier.

this is what i say.

when talking to people about my W30, or even about my grain free diet, they often ask “what is life without_____?”.. rice, sourdough, spaghetti, doughnuts… whatever you could imagine that one would think they may be addicted to.

well, i agree that these foods are a tasty, fun novelty to eat. but that doesn’t mean it is a reasonable excuse for food.

and even when we make cheater, grain free versions of such treats, it really still isn’t a great excuse for food, though it is made from real, whole ingredients instead of old syrupy corn and milled wheat.

i try to keep in mind when i’m scouting sweetie treats in the store, or online, or in my freezer…. sweetie treats are for treats.

do i deserve a treat just because i finished a meal?! heck no!

limits.

W30 has reminded me of life’s limits. separating “needs” from “wants”. this includes relying on fruit binges as a treat, just because it is “allowed”. why binge on fruit? because my body knows it is still sugar, and my tongue LOVES sugar.

i encourage all out there to look deeply at food rewarding. be honest when you think about it. if you see yourself doing this, stop it. stop it for just 5 days, break the routine, and i promise you will realize how silly it is to think that there is no life without dessert!

Whole 30, day 24

less than a week to go!

i’m missing gluten-free pretzels the most today, for some reason. i’m just craving them! at my finish, i will nominate one day per week to finish off the gluten-free snacks that remain in my pantry, then vow to never buy them again once they are finished. i will miss them, but my body will not.

breakfast: sweet potatoes, sausage, 2 eggs sunny-side-up. coffee with coconut cream.

lunch: big salad with chicken, avocado, strawberries, and sunnyseeds.

dinner: burger with onions, mushrooms, bacon. baked sweet potato fries.

results: today was what a standard day should feel like. i didn’t feel deprived of anything. i felt great all day. my energy levels are seriously sinking, but this is surely due to my work schedule. i sleep about 4 hours per night during the work week. i get up at 4am or earlier to feed juniper before i leave for work, then return home around 8-8:30pm. this is extremely unhealthy. it feels unhealthy every time i wake up, and every time i fight sleep at 9:00pm so i can get a few things done before bed… like, getting ready for work the following morning. ugh.. i can’t wait to start getting real sleep soon, after i’m done working outside of the home!

this baked chicken recipe saves us throughout the week. we bake 3 on sunday, then split them up for salads and such throughout the work week. so juicy and tasty. normally, i find chicken breast completely worthless. however, when prepared properly, i find it a delicious, inexpensive way to add some great protein do my lunches. i require tons of protein.

baked chicken breast

3 medium chicken breasts, free range and organic is preferable

1 cup orange juice, nothing added

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

method: combine all ingredients in a gallon size baggie. allow chicken to marinate for at least 3 hours, or over night.

preheat oven to 375f. drain marinade from chicken and coat in olive oil.

place in a glass baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, until chicken is browned on the outside just slightly and cooked through. you want the juice to run clear when you poke it. remove chicken from oven and allow to rest before slicing. this will keep the juices inside of the meat instead of running out and making the breast dry.

don’t over-bake. chicken is done when thermometer registers at 165f. people think that chicken is dry, and they don’t like it because they’ve always had it when the bejesus has been cooked out of it. don’t do that.

165f.

done.

big salad

your favorite greens

chicken breast, cut into strips

1/2 cup strawberries, chopped up

1/2 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

1/3 cup olive oil

sprinkle of salt

sprinkle of pepper

method: whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. set aside.

build your salad.

dress your salad with oil and juice dressing. i use about 1/3 of this recipe per salad, and save the rest for lunches later in the week.

Whole 30, day 20

it was a starchy day. whatever, it’s fruit season. that’s my story and i’m sticking with it.

peaches are ridiculous right now.

seriously.

go get a peach.

i guess i’m 2/3 finished with my challenge! i’m doing just ok. i’ve been struggling with fruit. i’m fine if i don’t eat it, but if i allow myself just one piece, i’m a goner. i just can’t quit. i guess that’s how sugar works! i had a fruit binge today. i’m over it.

breakfast: 2 eggs, 3 strips of bacon, a tiny tapioca flatbread. coconut cream in coffee.

lunch: leftover chicken from a sesame stir-fry, raw baby carrots.

snack: watermelon, raw kale chips.

dinner: pork butt, crispy sweet potato fries (OMG YUM).

dessert: 2 peaches. sweet, juicy, slightly soft peaches with just the right amount of fuzz on the outside. they are homegrown. i have no regrets.

results: it was a tasty day, and a successful day, but i do feel a little bloated. sugar just isn’t good for me. i know that. i’m working on it.

let’s talk about these sweet potato fries, though.

i mean, can you tell me that crispy sweet potato fries don’t sound amazing? yes, i batter them in a little tapioca. they are crisp, they crunch, they are just… a dream… the tapioca flour called for in this recipe, since it is just a batter, a minimal amount is actually consumed. i know. -the starch content from the tapioca. let this fall under the “just this one time” category. listen. i know this probably fell under the “SWPO” category, but it happened, it’s over, and i have to live with my decision.

worth it.

this recipe serves 2.

crispy sweet potato fries

1 big sweet potato

1/2 cup of tapioca flour for coating

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

few tbsp olive oil

method: peel your tater. cut it into fry shapes and soak in cold water for 30 minutes or up to a day.

meantime, preheat your oven to 425.

combine the dry ingredients in a large baggie. a few at a time, place your drained potatoes in the bag. shake it up.

shake off the excess batter.

coat each fry in olive oil, and place onto a cookie sheet. do not allow fries to touch.

bake for 15 minutes. after 15 minutes, remove from oven, and drain onto a paper towel. while they are draining, wipe down the cookie sheet. place fries back onto sheet and bake for 10 more minutes.

Whole 30, day 18

we’ll be skipping a few days again as we go into the weekend. sorry, but things are getting super busy for us!

i find that, since mindless snacking is no longer an option, i have lost a few pounds. i’m still unable to really whittle-the-middle due to most of my issue being a little postpartum stretchy skin. but wherever it is coming from, i’m keeping an eye on things out of caution that my milk supply could go down.

cutting out the crazy amount of fruit that i was eating has all at once:

a) helped with my bathroom visits

b) trimmed back a little midsection bloating that i usually have that i though was inherent with being a female above the age of 20. like i said, still a little fluff around the flagpole, but what a nice surprise! cutting down on fruit is just like cutting down on any sugar!

c) gotten rid of more sugar cravings. one piece of fruit would ALWAYS lead directly to another, until finally i would give in and eat a small handful of cashews to “protein crush” all that sugar. feels good to have that under control.

tonight i had a “dinner oops”. i made a roast pork from marks daily apple. when i initially planned dinner, i thought since our butt was a pound short of his, it would require less cooking time. well it’s 9:40p, and dinner is still in the oven. we will be having it on sunday night since we will be getting in from out-of-town so late.

i had breakfast for dinner, instead!

breakfast: 2 eggs sunny side up, sweet potato hashies, 2 strips bacon. coffee and coconut cream.

lunch: turkey, tomato, avocado, baby greens, 2 soft boiled eggs. a few cashews.

snack: pepitas, a peach.

dinner: 2 egg mushroom omlette. sausages.

results: YAY! i ate half a dozen eggs today!
YUMZ!

2 egg omlette

2 eggs

slices shrooms

basil

S & P

ghee

method: beat the living sin out of the eggs. stir in pepper.

saute sliced mushrooms dry. this makes it so they don’t get rubbery!

get a big skillet nice and hot on medium heat. add ghee. turn heat down and promptly add egg, covering whole surface of skillet. quickly sprinkle salt over egg. it will not take long for this to overlook. while the egg is still mostly wet, add cooked mushrooms and basil. roll egg into omelette and slide onto a plate to serve.

no, we don’t flip an omelette.

this whole dance must happen fast, or the egg will harden and you will have a rubbery, stiff egg on your hands. instead, you want a soft, cheesy texture. believe me.

Whole 30, day 17

i totally forgot to celebrate a few days back that i was halfway through this challenge! hooray! i am so impressed with myself for sticking with it.

i’m already planning the foods i will be returning to my normal life with. first off, my last day at work is my first day OFF of whole 30. i will be baking a batch of coconut almond brownies to celebrate. second, i will be having pancake breakfast that following sunday. just cuz. i will likely have some really fancy cheese ready to devour. probably some brie i will bake up with some nuts, cinnamon, and maple syrup. i’ll serve it with tapioca flatbread. WHAT?! where did that all come from?

here are some serious goals and plans:

*i plan on retaining so many of these paleo foods i have fallen deeply for.

*i plan to continue with the restriction of fruits, nuts, and seeds. knowing that my body feels so great without dairy, i will strongly decrease my consumption of it. even though i love cheese. i mean so, so much i love cheese.

*i will continue to use ghee to fry my eggs in. i really love this flavor, and i’m so glad i’ve found it.

breakfast: sweet potato hashies, 2 strips bacon, 2 fried eggs. coffee with coconut cream.

lunch: turkey, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 tomato. mixed nuts and a peach.

snack: handful of pepitas.

dinner: burger with egg, avocado, bacon, mushrooms. roasted carrot fries.

results: omg it was so good. i can’t even stand it. not to brag, but brian and i make burgers that are better than any burger i have eaten in any restaurant. honestly. i know that there are a few tricks to great burgers. first is fat content. we always chose NIMAN RANCH chuck, with an 15% content. when you buy chuck, you’ll see “85/15″, which means 85% lean and 15% fat are what make up the beef. never grill lean beef, unless you are looking for more of a jerky taste…seasoning the beef is essential, in my opinion. i use the same spices most times we have burgers. i’ll share my secret below.

and the carrot fries were a sweet and fun change-up from our sweet potato fries. really, this came out of necessity, as we had carrots in the refrigerator that i had NO clue what we would do with. ta-da!

this recipe makes 2 large servings.

awesome burger

2/3 lb ground chuck, free range & organic is always best

1/2 tsp powdered garlic

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp salt

method: sprinkle spices over meat. break meat into small pieces with your hands to combine spice into the meat. once it is well combined, form into 2 patties. DO NOT MAKE THEM TOO FIRM. you want them slightly loose so they stay tender. press the center of the patty much flatter than the outside edges. the center of a burger will puff up quite a bit as it cooks. this is why so many times you end up with a meatball burger.

grill until desired doneness. i recommend medium rare.

carrot fries

4 large carrots cut into fry shapes

good sprinkle of garlic powder

S&P

oil

method: preheat oven to 425f.

combine all ingredients in large bowl. spread over cookie sheet.

bake for 20 minutes or so, tossing at 10 minutes.

they are done when edges and ends are brown.

sweet potato hash

i’m not sure if i’ve ever shared with you the method for my madness regarding sweet potato hashies. i love sweet potatoes and eat them probably 4 times throughout the week. i think they are an awesome source of slow-moving carbs. they are so delicious, i like them better than white potatoes. my digestive system seems to love when i eat them, too.

i know i post a lot of breakfast recipes here, especially egg recipes. but breakfast is both super important and super dismissed. i know you’re busy. -trust me, i get up for work at 4:30am.. WITH AN INFANT. but i still have time to fry up a good breakfast so i’m not a jerk all morning, grazing on fruits and sugar bombs later in the day. breakfast makes you solid. and if you aren’t hungry for breakfast when you wake up, that probably means you ate too much for dinner. your digestive tract should be ready for food in the morning. there are the few that just aren’t breakfast people. they can go until lunch without feeling woozy, grouchy, or snacky. but that is rare.

i always use 1/2 of a medium sweet potato, and place the other raw half in the fridge to cook up the next day. if you are serving 2 people, use the whole potato to avoid a fight.

here is one of my very favorite breakfast recipes!

this recipe serves 1.

sweet potato hash

1/2 medium sweet potato, scrubbed and cut int small dices (i leave the skin on, you don’t have to)

2 strips of bacon

2 eggs

1 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp bacon fat (could be reserved from this recipe!)

method: get a large cast iron skillet hot over medium heat. throw in the bacon. flip every 2 minutes or so and cook until good and crispy. drain.

keep skillet hot and filled with the bacon fat. add potatoes. spread them evenly over the bottom of the skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. set a timer for 3 minutes. don’t touch them before that. after 3 minutes, move them around the pan, flipping and stirring and whatnot. turn heat down to low/medium. stir and flip every 3 minutes for a total of 15 minutes or so.

in the mean time, fry up your eggs in some ghee until desired doneness. i love them with runny yolk and set whites. sprinkle with salt and pepper.

crush bacon over potatoes. serve dippy eggs over sweet potatoes. enjoy with a big coffee.

*yes, our yolks are looking quite yellow. we haven’t had rain in weeks, and the chickens aren’t getting many bugs. we’re giving them dried grubs and cracked corn to get them by until the worms and ants come out of the ground again!

Whole 30, day 16

things are simplifying now that i’ve come up with a few self-imposed limitations.

-only 1 serving of fruit, fresh or dried, per day. this should keep my apricot/dates/cherry addiction under control. really, i could eat about 2 servings of each daily. so when i journal that i had “dates” or “raisins” during the day, know that it was A LOT of those things. that’s a lot of fruit, and a lot of fermenting in my belly. not to mention possible weight gain issues.

-tomatoes don’t count as a fruit.

-only one serving of nuts per day.

-only one serving of seeds per day.

what do you think? i think it should keep me under control. i have lots of soft-boiled eggs in the fridge for snacking if i reach my limits on fruit, nuts, and seeds.

breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon, tapioca flatbread. coconut cream coffee.

lunch: big ass salad-chicken, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 tomato, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds on baby greens with oil and vinegar. also had applesauce (unsweetened) with cinnamon. -today was the last day of my massive antibiotic treatment, so i needed the pectin.

dinner: sausage stuffed peppers. OMG.

results: i felt great all day. maybe it’s because i woke up around 8 since it was my day off, so juniper and i took a long walk after a lazy breakfast. or maybe it was because my eating was perfectly on track. i dunno. just a good day!

sausage stuffed peppers

2 bell peppers (red, green, whatever), halved and seeded

1 lb ground pork sausage, i like spicy italian

1 can (14 oz or so) roasted, diced tomatoes -check the ingredients!

3 tbsp tomato paste

small handful of basil, chopped

sprinkle of crushed red peppers, and any other seasonings you may want
*ask your meat guy if he has any without nitrates and other non-approved ingredients in it. if there is none prepackaged, they love to be accommodating and make fresh for you. i promise.

method: preheat oven to 450f. place peppers in a baking dish and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over them. bake them for 20 minutes or so, until they’re a little soft. prepare the rest of the ingredients while they bake.

brown pork over medium heat. throw crushed peppers in there to heat things up while you’re at it!

while pork browns, stir the remaining ingredients into a large bowl.

when pork is cooked, remove it from the heat. stir it into the bowl with the tomato sauce.

spoon into peppers, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. i can imagine this would be delicious with some superb stanky italian cheese browned on top, but guess what….. it’s whole 30, and we don’t do that.

NOM!

i know, that’s not stuffed peppers!

Whole 30, day 14

half way over!

this isn’t so bad!

i warned you that we would be gone for the weekend and without updates. here is one update: we went to an awesome wine bar with amazing wines and tapas, and i did flawlessly. did i order bacon wrapped dates and pick out the taleggio cheese? yes. this should be the last time i ever waste super tasty fancy cheeses ever again, though. for dinner i had bacon roasted brussels sprouts with fresh herbs and a rare steak. i am proud of myself.

here is what went on in my food world today!

breakfast: 2 eggs, 3 strips bacon, tapioca flat bread. coffee with coconut cream.

snack: a banana and some nuts.

lunch: turkey, a tomato, some applesauce.

snack: a spoon of almond butter. -don’t worry, people. i just boiled eggs for snack tonight!

dinner: big ass salad: chicken, tomato, avocado, sunflower seeds, oil & vinegar. some dates and 2 fresh apricots for dessert.

results: well fruit is going to kill me. i can’t stop eating all of this fruit. it is going to gain me like 10 lbs. maybe it’s summertime that makes me crave it… in reality, i know that it is because i am constantly dehydrated that i crave fruit. i don’t drink more than a glass of water per day. i just don’t have time. that’s bad news!

looking forward to baking a super tasty grain free treat when this is all over with. also, looking forward to so much cheese.

Whole 30, day 11

i am fighting an infection right now from nursing. it is horrible. fever, pain, tummyache.. i am on a good dose of antibiotics, so i’ve started adding applesauce to my diet. i have to. antibiotics effect my digestive something horrible, so i need the pectin!

breakfast: 3 fried eggs, sausage. coffee with coconut cream.

snack: applesauce & cashews.

lunch: turkey, avocado, lettuce, peppers. some kale chips. -yeah, i know kale chips are pushing it…

dinner: cilantro lime grilled pork loin, fried plantains, mango chutney. -my parents were over for a visit, so no pics, sorry!

results: i’m feeling pretty crummy today because of my infection. so far as food goes, everything satisfied and i wasn’t left feeling hungry at all!