Whole 30: Day 7

Breakfast: Whole30 doesn't really include green smoothies, I think because people tend to load up on the fruit and so it ends up being more sugar than protein and greens.  But I drank one again this morning anyway.  First I made the kids one, then I made one for me with a LOT of spinach, some canned coconut milk, half a frozen banana and a quarter of a mango.  Delicious, thick, smooth and... almost too sweet.  I think after a week of eating this way, my taste buds are already adjusting.  Cool!  That means I can happily survive with less sugar!

Lunch: Leftovers all around.  Broccoli, omelette, and chicken patties.  Also some green olives, and salmon for the twins (actually, Hazel is the one who loves it.  Ezra spit it out).  I made Lincoln a grilled "cheese" sandwich with Daiya brand cheese and coconut oil instead of butter.  He ate broccoli again, no problem.  Can you see me grinning from ear to ear?  Cuz I am!

Dinner: We went to Costco this afternoon after the twins took a nap, which means we arrived back home exactly when I would usually be putting dinner on the table.  Formerly in this situation, we would have either ate pizza there, or put a frozen pizza in the oven when we got home.  Obviously this wouldn't work for me right now on Whole 30, but it also doesn't work for Lincoln now, as we are going a month without dairy for him to see if his painful tummy aches and digestive issues get any better.  So... no short cuts here!  I quickly made some zucchini noodles for me, wheat noodles for everyone else, and cooked a cubed chicken breast on the stove.  Spiced with garlic and Italian seasoning and covered in coconut oil, it was all delightful.  The twins are not patient when I start cooking.  They think banging a few pots and pans around= dinner served!  But kids, cooking takes TIME, especially when I really cook!  They'll get used to it.

Thoughts:  Today was a really fun day.  We let the kids play in the snow, Lincoln and Hazel got a little chess time with daddy (Ezra was napping), and I got to skype with my parents and talk on the phone with Liz.  All is well.  

Whole 30: Day 6

Breakfast:  This morning I was rather revolted by the sight and smell of meat.  I made sausage, gave it to the kids and Tyler along with leftover omelette, and made myself a green smoothie.  Canned coconut milk, lettuce, half a frozen banana, and some frozen mango chunks.  Sweet, thick and quite refreshing.  I ate a handful of almonds too.

Snack:  Before running errands, I knew I'd need a protein boost.  I ate two leftover chicken patties with dijon mustard.  

Lunch:  Leftover salmon with brussel sprouts and a balsamic vinegar spinach salad.

Dinner: Coconut crusted chicken with steamed broccoli and leftover "stuffing" from the peppers.  LOVED these!  So did Tyler and the twins.  Lincoln ate some, but seemed to prefer the chicken strips that were coated in egg only, not the coconut.  No problem, kiddo!  You ate your broccoli, that's reason  to celebrate!

Thoughts:  I love my kids.  I love a cup of tea.  I love Tyler's big, strong shoulders.  And I love moments alone to think!

Whole 30: Day 5

Breakfast:  Frittata.  I made half only on the stove, and half in the oven.  Finishing the frittata in the oven really does give it a lighter, fluffier texture.  Everyone liked it but Lincoln, who isn't fond of mixed foods. (He would prefer the sausage, egg and broccoli be served individually on his plate.)

Lunch:  Sweet potato and kale chicken patties.  Again, everyone ate them but Lincoln.  I ate mine with Dijon mustard and lettuce, and Tyler ate his with BBQ sauce.

Dinner: Salmon and roasted brussel sprouts.  Simple and delicious.  My mother-in-law roasts them with balsamic vinegar; really you can't go wrong with balsamic vinegar!  I can't believe I avoided it for most of my life.

Thoughts:  Next week I am going to be pickier about the recipes I choose.  It's disappointing spending a lot of time and only getting mediocre results.  I know that's what happens sometimes, just like with anything you do, and that it will get easier once I find our favorites.

Hazel has been a real pill at meals, screeching and yelling "no" at everything.  She brightens up immediately if I get her out of the high chair and eat with her on my lap.  Wondering whether she wanted to sit with me, or just at the table with all of us, I had her sit on Lincoln's booster and she was just as cheery.  So, it may be time to transition her to the table!

Sometimes, at snack or in this case dessert, I just put a plate of something somewhere and tell them to go at it.  It's the quietest 3 seconds of the day!

Whole 30: Day 4

Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Omelette.  Ezra and I loved this!  Nobody else had a chance to try it.  (Can you tell we're the big eaters in the family?)  It was too big for me to flip, so it ended up pretty scrambled.  Next time I'll make two separate ones, because I think it would be fun to eat if the apples were stuck into the egg better.  I realized that I hadn't had any vegetables with this meal, so ate some carrot sticks and sliced red bell pepper.

Lunch:  Zucchini noodles with marinara sauce.  I didn't have time to cook meat, so ate a hard boiled egg afterward.  Note to self: this combo doesn't work.  Makes my stomach uncomfortable.  I have to make that meal with some meatballs!

Dinner: Stuffed red bell peppers.  I was really excited about these; I've wanted to make stuffed peppers for a long time.  As the innards were sizzling on the stove, Lincoln helped me chop and prepare the pepper "bowls."  He asked if he could have the yellow one.  I only had three, and I would have a lot of extra stuffing if I only used two, but how could I refuse my preschooler when he's asking to eat pepper?  (once he'd nibbled the whole top, it was eventually discarded, and I stuffed it anyway!)  Unfortunately, this recipe was quite bland.  I really like the concept of this dish, but I am going to search for a tastier version.  

Evening Drink: Kombucha.  It's an acceptable beverage for The Whole 30 Challenge.  Yum!

Thoughts:  Thank you to Ami for giving me her Ninja Food Processor!  It makes it so easy to "rice" cauliflower and ground chicken and all that jazz!  

Today in all honestly, I started to feel really lightheaded and tired midmorning.  I may be experiencing some detox symptoms, which is normal, or maybe breakfast didn't have the right sustenance combo.  At any rate, I just wanted to eat a Larabar or some yummy snack!  However, while I was running errands in the afternoon, I realized I was excitedly looking forward to cooking and eating dinner!  That has never happened.  I am infinitely more likely to get giddy over a trip to the bakery.  Then, tonight after the kids were in bed, as I was preparing all the produce and meat for tomorrow, I listened to some Dean Martin, drank some Kombucha, and gave myself another pat on the back for choosing to do this.  I think I am actually on my way to enjoying cooking!

One more thing: You might be wondering where Tyler figures into all this.  My husband has a few culinary likes, a few dislikes (frustratingly opposite to mine), but in general is not much of a foodie.  His dispassionate approach to food exasperates me sometimes when I'm just looking for a "Hey, this is awesome, babe!" but it also really comes in handy when I try a drastic change like the Whole 30.  He's not following the plan like I am, especially while at school or lunch meetings and interviews, but he has no beef with eating what I make for meals.  So, no marital discord on this plate.  :-)

Whole 30: Day 3

Breakfast:  Something I learned from my mom: shredded potato and egg.  I used julienne sweet potatoes and added chopped nuts and grated carrots.  Made little "pancakes" on the griddle.  Topped them with almond butter.  (See, I'm getting my "sweet" breakfast after all!)

Lunch: Mediterranean Zucchini Noodles.  Delicious!  I only had canned tuna in water, but it came out perfectly.  I was able to share some with my friend Ami today during our play date.  Five kids under five= awesome!

Snack: chia seeds "jelly" (soaked in water) with chopped apple

Dinner:  Sausage with sauteed mushrooms, peppers, onions and garlic.  Over lots of green leaf lettuce.  Sounds better than it tasted.  But, they can't all be winners.


Thoughts:  The twins sabotaged my breakfast.  I've made these before and they didn't like them, but today, on my plate, I guess there was an appeal.  I didn't eat enough lunch to fill me up until dinner, so had a snack.  Tyler was gone at school again this evening, and it was one of those evenings where all three kids were yelling about something or other, as I frantically got stuff for us to eat in the kitchen.  Such is life!  I am excited about meals tomorrow.  So far, my relationship with food is definitely changing for the better!

Whole 30: Day 2

Breakfast:  scrambled egg, sauteed crimini mushrooms, bacon, and grated carrot over green leaf lettuce, with blueberries

Lunch: two nori wraps with: avocado, lemon and cauliflower rice, carrot sticks

Dinner: leftover sweet potato dish, green leaf lettuce salad with balsamic vinegar, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds

Thoughts:  I knew it would be difficult to eat a plate of protein and veggies for breakfast, and it is.  I am more of a cereal or muffin girl at breakfast time.  So the past two days I haven't really enjoyed my morning meal, but I definitely love the way I feel after eating it.  I can focus on so many other things when I'm energized and satiated until lunch!

I made enough eggs for everyone this morning, but Ezra and I ate them all before Tyler even got out of bed.  Hazel and Lincoln aren't big fans of eggs but both took bites.  Lincoln likes when I make him "face plates" so I bought a few more plain colored circle plates for the kids today.  His dinner face had salad hair, wheat noodle eyebrows and nose, blueberry eyes, and cubed chicken teeth.  Ate the whole thing!  Cheer!

Whole 30: Day 1

Breakfast: Grated carrots, chopped almonds and cashews with balsamic vinegar.  Two hard boiled eggs.  Chopped mango.  Spinach leaves.

Lunch:  Ground beef, sweet potatoes and apples over chopped rainbow chard.

Dinner:  Lemon and Almond Cauliflower rice with salmon and carrots, in a nori wrap.  Meaning: I just made my first sushi roll!


Thoughts:  It definitely was a hustle to prepare all of this.  But I now have leftovers for the two nights a week Tyler is gone during bedtime.  It was all delicious!  I made sure to eat enough to suffice me to the next meal, and was successful.  Lincoln ate a couple bites of rainbow chard, and Hazel loved the sweet potato dish.  Ezra ate chia seed pudding for an afternoon snack.  Expanding taste buds!  Day one, done!