Day #31...What Happened to Day #30?!?!

Holy crap! We made it! I cannot believe that on January 5, 2015 my family (the family who was living on pizza, Doritos, chocolate chip blonde brownies, Diet Coke and chips/salsa) ventured out to change our lives, and we succeeded! It was not always easy, and there were some painful moments, but I have said it before and I will say it again...You either "do" Whole30...or you don't...you cannot manipulate it! Wes, the kids and I committed to "doing" it and we did! Day #30 was pretty uneventful...aside from the fact that it was a super busy evening! I get to chalk up another "W" as I did not fall prey to an "easy" drive-thru meal (dinner). I got home from activities around 8:30 and whipped up some sun-dried tomato natural chicken sausage with wilted spinach and homemade marinara. That, folks, is the new "normal." I also really realized yesterday what I have learned during the last 30 days when I took a trip to BJ's. I did not buy packaged products. No crackers, cookies, "quick" meals...nope...it was almonds, pistachios, dried fruit (no added sugar), salsa (no added sugar), coconut oil, avocado oil and produce...produce...produce...apples, oranges, spring mix, spinach, bananas, broccoli, tomatoes, avocados, blueberries. I have learned over the last 30 days that food is fuel and that natural, nutritious food can be just as satisfying as the junk that I was feeding myself and my family for the last 15 years. Don't get me wrong...there is room in our new "normal" for ice cream! There is room for birthday cake! There is room for pizza! But...there is more room for healthy salads, hearty stews, zesty shredded pork, eggs with avocado and fruit in all of it's variety. I can't wait for summer when we are experimenting with kabobs and marinades and grilled fruit! I was tickled pink today when everyone was "on board" with sticking with the program. The entire family did miss dairy during our 30 days, so I added it back in today in a few ways. First, I made the kids smoothies this morning with frozen strawberries, blueberries, cherries and kale. I added in some plain Greek yogurt (high in protein) and a splash of 100% (no sugar added) orange/mango juice. They LOVED them! I also made them each a fried egg and they were off to school! I snuck in some dairy at lunch for myself when I added a touch of feta cheese to my noon salad...and man was it tasty! I missed cheese!

Once the kids were home from school the "old" ways wanted to sneak back in. The kids asked for the Organic Kids Cliff Bars that I bought at BJ's yesterday. I bought them as a "safe" backup when we are in a bind...you know...those times when you are going to be on the road...or when you have back to back games. I meant to hide them (out of sight...out of mind). It is not as though the Cliff bars are a terrible snack choice, but we did not do all this work to come home from school and fill up on processed carbs! I sat down with the kids and explained the purpose of the Cliff bars and offered fruits, veggies, nuts and dried fruit and everyone found something to "suit their fancy" and they were content! The clock ticked this afternoon and I was not motivated to make dinner. We were going to have the Pioneer Woman's Hamburg Soup (it is so good...and Whole30 compliant!). The kids continued to ask about a post Whole30 "treat" so waffles it was for dinner. Chocolate Paleo Waffles (we may or may not have snuck in a few dark chocolate chips!) with real maple syrup, bacon and fruit salad. Dinner was awesome, fun, nutritious and a celebration! It was so cool to be eating "naughty"...but in a fake way! We ate a completely balanced dinner tonight. Our dinner table was filled with joy, ooohhhhs and aaaawwws as people bit into a tiny melted chocolate pocket and smiles!

So, Day #30...success! Day #31...success! There are many more days ahead of us, and Monday we tackle regular exercise!

Day #29...What?!?! Tomorrow is our last day?!?!

I cannot believe that tomorrow is the last "official" day of this Whole30 journey. What a trip it has been! There have been times along the way where it would have been easy to derail...but we held on and will cross the finish line with pride! I am so excited to put these 30 days behind us and open the chapter to the next 30 days! Today was pretty uneventful (food wise)...I am having major tooth pain, so I really did not want a whole lot to eat. I had my stand-by...no-crust quiche for breakfast. This version was PACKED with spinach and was quite good! For lunch I made myself an awesome salad, with leftover chicken tenders (from yesterday). I didn't get to finish the salad though, as my tooth was throbbing :(

For dinner I had leftover soup from the weekend, but I made my family some rockin' Mexican shredded venison for taco salads!

Day #28...Let It Snow...Let It Snow...Let It Snow

It is snowing...again...I have decided that it is not worth getting all grouchy over it. The snow IS pretty...and it does serve a purpose (we will not experience a drought anytime soon!) The kids had a snow day today so I had to come up with meals for the family on "the fly." Breakfast was a "fend for yourself" episode. I opted for leftover no-crust veggie and ham quiche. Lunch was leftover chicken from last night that I did not cook up. I soaked it in coconut milk and coated it in raw coconut chips and then baked. I paired it with a great salad and it was delish!

For dinner I whipped up meatballs that were a crowd favorite. I used a pound each of pork, beef and venison. I sneaked in some chopped broccoli, minced onion and shredded carrots. I had some leftover spaghetti sauce in the freezer, so I pulled that out and heated it to pour atop of the meatballs and dinner was served! I had 1/2 of a butternut squash and made "fries" with it. They were quite good and I will be making them again.

I can't believe that we are on Day #28! It is pretty surreal. I wasn't confident going into this adventure...but I am coming out the other side so much more confident :) ~Jen

I Feel Better

I feel so good on Whole30. I feel better in the morning when I get up for school because I am eating healthier. I love the broccoli with black on top because they are in the baked in the oven and they are like fried. I also am treating my siblings so much better, like not getting mad when they don't understand. I am also playing with my siblings more. I think Whole30 has brought my family closer together. ~Grace (11 years old)

What's The Difference?

Being on Whole30 hasn't really been all that different to me. We are eating meals my mom would usually make with one big difference, we don't eat fast-food! I feel so much better. Now when I have gym class and I run for an entire six minutes rather than walking for 30 seconds every minute and 30 seconds. I also don't stay up in my bed as long as I would (when going to bed for the night) before Whole30. All in all I feel great! Some things that have made the biggest difference for me would be giving up dairy. I am allergic to dust (which is great seeing as it is winter time and everything is shut up!) and oak trees. I would usually wake up so stuffy I would be miserable. Throughout my Whole30 experience I wake up not stuffy and am not stuffy going through the day. I have also noticed that when I will be at other peoples homes and have a little bit of dairy I will go home feeling sick. Once I had yogurt at a friends house, and when I got home I felt like my stomach was trying to flatten into a pancake. Although I know we will have dairy again after Whole30 I will probably never eat it the same way. I will have it in moderation. Just have to go through the last three days of this experience and enjoy it, which I know I will :) ~Ella (12 years old)

When Can We Go to the Restaurant with the Slide?!?!

I really want to go to the restaurant that has a slide (Burger King) and eat french fries, but mom says we can't go there when we are on Whole30. I also want to go to Dairy Queen and have a chocolate ice cream. What I like on Whole30 is that I get to have a lot of Halo oranges. I also like to eat celery. I eat a lot of chicken on Whole30. I don't like to eat carrots or tomatoes on Whole30. My mom says that I can have applesauce on Whole30, but it has to have no sugar! I like real apples on Whole30 too! ~Claire (3 years old)

Ethan's Pearls of Wisdom

I don't really like Whole30 because I don't get to eat ice cream. What I do like about Whole30 is the chicken tenders that my mom made tonight. We have to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables on Whole30. I would rather just eat fruit. My mom always wants me to eat my vegetables. The vegetables that she tries to make me eat that I don't like are avocados, tomatoes and cauliflower. The vegetables that she tries to make me eat that I like are carrots, broccoli and I will eat spinach if it is in my eggs with ham. My mom says that I will feel better if I eat good food. What does that even mean? I always feel good. I think I feel better when I can eat cookies. Whole30 is over in 3 days and I am eating cookies! ~Ethan (5 years old)

Day #27...One Word...SUPERBOWL!

So our home team is representing in the BIG game tonight! Everyone is just a little excited and very ready for this game to start! "Pre-game" has been on for hours and hours...and we are about 30 minutes away from kickoff. Today is another day that qualifies as success in the lifestyle change journey! I have made some amazing snacks! Potato nachos were a big hit for the AFC game, so it was on the menu again tonight! I topped the roasted potatoes with seasoned ground beef, sliced olives, diced peppers, diced onion, tomatoes, salsa and guacamole! I also made a great veggie platter full of mini peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli and cukes. I made a new dressing/dip from the "It Starts With Food" book, an avocado "ranch" and it is a crowd favorite! My last big addition to our "spread" is a new recipe (that I will be making again and again!), buffalo chicken tenders! This recipe is genius! You crush up pork rinds for the coating. They came out so crunchy and yummy! GO PATS!!! ~Jen

Day #25 & Day #26...This is becoming an Old Hat!

I have missed 2 days of blogging! At first I was feeling really bad, but then I had a moment to reflect this afternoon and I was actually a-okay with it. What I realized is that what I am doing with my family is becoming my new "norm..." and it feels good! My weekend was full of activities that kept my family busy! Today I thought about what being "busy" would have meant...even just a month ago. Being "busy" would have meant hitting a fast-food drive-thru for lunch between Ethan's morning basketball game and the girls early afternoon basketball game. But, nope...we came home and I whipped up a healthy soup before heading to our afternoon game. Being "busy" would have meant that last night, when I did not have a plan for dinner and running to the grocery store for healthy Superbowl snacks at 4:00, I would have grabbed pizza on the way home. But again...nope! I came home and whipped up baked eggs with spinach, broccoli, onion and ham with a crispy side of bacon. Today would have been really easy to just throw in the towel, pat ourselves on the back and proclaim, "Job well done!" My sister is having a pre-Superbowl party and we could have easily jumped in the car and headed up there to indulge in some game-time snacks, but...nope! I am making some homemade avocado dressing for our veggie tray, potato nachos with seasoned Mexican beef and veggies and Whole30 approved buffalo chicken tenders! Everything I mentioned above can find a place in our new "norm.." it just will never be our "norm" again...and that feels empowering! Below are a few pics of the meals we had over the weekend. A "Pioneer Woman" Hamburger Soup w/ Salad and my Baked Eggs w/ veggies and Bacon. ~Jen

Day #24...Where Did the Day Go?

Today just zipped by and I "piecemeal" all my meals today. So I really did not eat anything exciting today, but what I learned is that even when in a pinch I can eat healthy...I do not need to depend on takeout! Whole30 is so restrictive that it is virtually impossible to not eat at home, and I am actually growing to like that fact! I had a handful of almonds for breakfast with a banana, lunch I threw together a tossed salad with some leftover chicken, avocado, olives, slivered almonds, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and mixed greens and dinner was baked chicken with a side of guacamole and roasted veggies. Another "a-ha" moment for me today was recognizing that my monthly "friend" was here. I struggled today with a hankering for sugar. I was actually a little bummed that I was experiencing this. I am so close to the finish line and I want to move into day #31 with new resolve and a feeling of empowerment. I want to walk through this 30 day journey (and do all this hard work) so that my body is rid of those incessant cravings...then it all came together for me tonight and I realized why I was feeling this way and I made piece with it :) I must say that this "craving" is barely on the radar of what it used to be...so I will take it! ~Jen

Day #23...We Dug Out and Played in the Snow!

Another day with the kiddos at home...snow day! I made sure to have a good plan in place for our meals today and was able to release a touch of my need to bake for my family :) We had leftover no-crust veggie quiche for breakfast and I made an amazing Paleo banana bread! This bread was great and was 100% sweetened by the bananas! It is a "keeper" recipe and will be made again in the future. The best part about this experience is that there is still some left for tomorrow morning (and I only made a 9x9)! This may not seem like that big of a deal...but for us it is! Generally when I bake something we make sure to wax it off. Everyone had a square with their "protein" (eggs) and everyone was content. It is so gratifying to see everyone adapting their habits. We worked hard this morning to get chores done so we could go sledding! I knew that sledding was going to be a serious workout (30+ inches of snow is no joke)! So I pulled out some ground beef and planned to make burgers when we got home for lunch, as I know that everyone was going to be famished! Sledding was indeed a workout, but it was so much fun. It took a good 45+ minutes to get some tracks laid down. We hung out at Gowen Park for a little over 2 hours and when we got home everyone was starving! I whipped up some ground beef hamburger patties and we topped it with yesterday's venison chili and diced avocado. It was amazing!

Once everyone had eaten lunch we all just crashed for a bit. I was so thankful that I had put a roast, carrots and potatoes (following the 1 potato per person rule :)) in the crock-pot this morning. As I prepared for dinner I made myself a great side salad, steamed some broccoli for the rest of the family and whipped up some gravy from all the drippings (using arrowroot) and dinner was served...no-fuss! ~Jen

Day #22...We made it through the Storm!

The snow just kept on falling today! When Wes went out to snow blow tonight there was 22" in our driveway, with drifts much bigger than that in various parts of our yard. I am sure we will pick up another 4-6 inches overnight. The kids are excited because school has already been called off for tomorrow, and we are going to dust off the snow tubes and hit the hills after lunch! I am proud to say that I survived a snowstorm in true Whole30 style! Of course, that is easier said than done when you have absolutely nothing in your home to sabotage :) I made us a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, homemade ground pork patties (I have some kids who eat bacon and some who eat sausage...so we needed a little bit of everything). I also made a great fruit salad of diced pears, pomegranate, blackberries, kiwi and "halo" oranges and a few diced potatoes "home fries." As I go through this experience I am always taking a mental note of what I will do different on the "other side." When I used to cook I always did so in excess. What that led to was my entire family consuming...in excess! When I made "home fries" in the past I would just fill up a pot of diced potatoes. More is better, right?!?! Yesterday I made special consideration to peel and dice a single potato per person (what a weird concept...sticking to the serving size?!?!) and you know what...it was perfect! We even had a few leftover! Moments like this give me hope that we are learning and growing together as a family.

For lunch I pulled out a couple of pounds of ground venison and made a hearty chili and for dinner I was feeling like I needed more "leafy greens," so I whipped up a salad with some chopped chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow pepper, slivered almonds, avocado and sliced garlic stuffed green olive. It it the spot!

The key to "keeping it together" today was to just be in the moment. I played Connect Four with Claire, Just Dance with all the kids and went for a walk in the storm with Ethan and Ella (it was a little freaky)! I also had a good meal plan, and starting the day off with a really hearty breakfast helped! I would have loved to have come in to a nice frothy cup of hot chocolate when I came in from outside...but the hot chocolate will be there for many more storms to come! Today I needed to stick with the program to show myself that we can be successful! ~Jen

Day #21...A Storm is Comin'

A storm is comin' to New England! Today was a tough day. Not because my experiences today were hard...but because my mind knows that tomorrow is going to be hard. The snow storm that is arriving tonight is going to last 24 hours and dump 2 feet+ of snow! I had to go to the grocery store and collect our supplies (who knows when we will dig out?!?!) I wasn't going for the snow storm "normals"...chips, pizza...and of course...baking supplies! Nope...I filled our cart full of bananas, apples, oranges, eggs, almond butter, avocados and broccoli! There is no "bending the rules" on Whole30. You either do it...or you don't! We have not come this far to throw in the towel because a snow storm is coming to town. Yes, it would be nice to wake up to hot chocolate and a cinnamon "monkey bread..." but, I know that this will not be the last snow storm and the next storm we will be able to incorporate some of those "treats" into our new, healthy lifestyle :) Meals today were "on the fly" (Claire has a double ear infections) so breakfast was a sunbutter raisin protein muffin and a handful of almonds. Lunch was a salad with leftover Italian shredded pork. Dinner was scrambled hamburg with peppers, onion and mushrooms with a few sweet potato oven baked fries on the side. ~Jen

Day #20...Dreamin' about Cake!

So I had the most vivid dream about cake last night! When I close my eyes right now I can still see myself licking the icing (I am a sucker for icing)! I told the kids about my dream at dinner tonight and they cracked up! Of course that started the whole...I can't wait to have ice cream...I can't wait to put a whole block of cheese in my mouth...I can't wait to have bread with my soup! Once every got their "wish list" in, we were able to have discussion about how we incorporate their "wish lists" post 30 days. I think they are certainly learning the art of compromise...I will eat 6 spears of asparagus in exchange for (fill in the blank depending on the child). I am really okay with this. At first I was resistant to this way of thinking. I didn't want the kids to use food as a "reward," but now I am just happy that we are having a variety of vegetables with all of our meals...and that they are eating them (even if a little negotiating is happening)! Breakfast today was a quick piece of no-crust quiche with a handful of almonds before I was out the door to church. Lunch was a wonderful butternut squash soup with awesome garden salad!

I am so bummed that I did not take a picture of dinner, but I was barely able to complete and eat it because Claire is sick. I think she has an ear infection and she is really clingy. The family was jumping for joy when I called them for dinner tonight. I don't know why I have not made Shepard's Pie before?!?! They love Shepard's Pie and it was super easy to make it Whole30 compliant. I cooked up a pound of beef and a pound of venison. I swapped out corn for cut up broccoli and I topped it with mashed potatoes that I whipped with some stock and spices. Dinner was a crowd favorite tonight! ~Jen

Day #19...Don't Reinvent the Wheel all the Time

The snow was falling as we woke this morning, and a day full of basketball was filling our Saturday calender. Ethan was still pretty yucky this morning, so Wes was off to the gym alone to coach his Junior team. I had a piece of veggie & ham no-crust quiche for breakfast and jumped into brainstorming for lunch and dinner. Weekends are a little more tricky because I have to provide and extra meal a day for my entire family (lunch), as opposed to our weekday routine. It is easier to pack their cold lunches during the week then to have a complete lunch "spread" for the six of us on Saturdays and Sundays. So I got a pork roast going (for dinner) and decided on some turkey burgers for lunch. Since I got my mayo yesterday, I couldn't resist whipping up some chicken salad with chopped apple for me for lunch and it was awesome! By this point in the day we had found out that the girls game was cancelled, so I got a small grocery list together and braved the weather to pick up a few items for tomorrow. I made an Italian pork roast with green olives for dinner and it was good, but it was no "carnitas." I began to think about last night's so-so dinner and tonight's so-so pork and decided that I making things just a tad too complicated. I do not have to come up with fresh, new meals everyday. When I find something that we love, we can have it every week if we want! This "mental moment" is going to make my last 10 days a piece of cake! We had some mashed cauliflower and kale "chips" along with our pork roast for dinner! ~Jen

Day #18...Mayonnaise!

Spoiler alert...I had a piece of no-crust quiche for breakfast this morning! Shocking, I know! I really am loving this breakfast option. It is packed with protein, veggies and I don't have to cook it everyday (a 9x13 lasts most of the school week). I am still tending to sick family members, so it was a busy day! I put a salad together a few days ago full of greens, carrots, cucumbers, onion, tomato and green olives and I am glad that I did! Stripping bedding and sanitizing surfaces sucks up time. So it was nice to have a base made for my lunch today. I added 1/4 of an avocado, a small handful of sliced almonds and some roasted chicken (that I had in the fridge) and lunch was served. As I thought about dinner, I pulled out some fish (cod) pieces that I picked up from Trader Joe's last week and started brainstorming as to how I could trick my kids into eating them. I apparently did not do enough brainstorming because Ella was the only one who would eat them! Wes and I thought they would good (not great but good). I found a recipe using coconut milk, coconut flour and flaked coconut and we coated and oven baked until crispy. The reason I got all excited about fish tonight is because I knew I could make tartar sauce! I got some Whole30 compliant mayo from my sister today! She went to Whole Foods and the Whole Foods 365 mayo is Whole30 compliant! So even though the fish was "just good" it went to "even better" status with homemade tartar sauce! I found another recipe online for an avocado cream coleslaw. This one will be going into the "make again" (and even the "make often") column for sure! I used my immersion blender to mix 2 avocados, 1 T olive oil, 1 t cumin, salt, pepper, 1 tsp lime juice and 1/2 t lemon juice. I tossed that yumminess with a bag of Trader Joe's organic cabbage and carrot slaw mix and it was awesome! ~Jen

Day #17...Victories

Today was all about keeping with the new "norms." People are sick at my house right now, and those circumstances can throw my groove off. I can get so busy taking care of the needs of others, that I will push off meal time and then just devour whatever is in front of me. I didn't have any "no crust" quiche made this morning, so I got in a "Monkey Salad" (sliced banana, cashews, raw coconut). I knew that the ten minutes that it would take to prepare and eat would be worth it (and it was)! Making sure that I have breakfast has been a huge part of the Whole 30 journey for me. I can recognize now that I was setting myself up to fail every time that I skipped breakfast in the past. I had chores and attending to "sick needs" for the majority of the morning, but I also had to be ready for an 11:15 meeting. Here is a HUGE victory for me. Before I ran out the door I made sure to bring my lunch with me. I grabbed a Tupperware of salad that I had prepared in the fridge, a hunk of chicken breast (that I roasted this morning) and small container of guacamole. This is a big deal for me because mid-day meetings always meant a reason to hit a drive-through! I am really finding that Whole 30 is equal parts food and psychological habits. I felt empowered with my salad in hand this afternoon! Once I returned home I dove into dinner preparations. I was so excited for dinner tonight! As mentioned yesterday, we got our cow! So tonight was burgers! I sauteed some chopped onion and mushrooms and mixed that into burgers for Wes and I. I bought some really good pickles, cooked up some bacon and chopped some tomato, lettuce, avocado and onion. Once my burger was all cooked I wrapped it in a romaine lettuce leaf and partook...it was so fantastic! My kids were looking at me weird...with a questioning, "Is this Whole 30" approved? I was delighted to tell them that we are still at it, and that dinner was Whole 30 compliant :) ~Jen

Day #16...Hanging in There

This day was full of tending to a very sick child. Poor Gracie is so sick! I woke up to our morning routine and scarfed down a piece of my standby...veggie no crust quiche. Lunch was a desperate struggle to put together a salad. I had lots of veggies, but no cooked protein! Luckily I found some roast beef in the fridge and cut it into chunks and I sauteed it to warm it up. The salad turned out pretty great and it was a nice protein change.

After lunch I knew that I was going to have to just be with Gracie, as she just wanted companionship for comfort, so I grabbed a couple of steaks from my freezer (last year's cow) and threw them in my crock-pot with salt and pepper. Once the meat was cooked I "pulled it" and set it aside for dinner. As dinner approached I roasted diced sweet potato, cauliflower and broccoli in garlic grapeseed oil and threw in my beef. It was very tasty! I made a salad on the side and dinner was done!

Hoping that Gracie's fever breaks and we all steer clear of whatever bug she has. On the bright side today, our cow came! So we will be having delicious hamburgers tomorrow night for dinner! ~Jen

Day #15...Whoooohoooo 1/2 Way There!

Today marks the 1/2 way point of the Whole 30 journey for my family. It must be a 1/2 way miracle because Claire ate all 3 meals today!!! All 3!!! This morning started with a new no crust quiche: kale, broccoli, onion, asparagus and bacon. I am so grateful that I found an egg dish that "works" for me...and I really love it! This is one meal that will stay on my menu post 30 days. Yesterday was a day off for us, so the housework was neglected in lieu of family time, so chores filled my day today. One chore that I was excited to finish was the bottling of my homemade stock. I simmered a 1/2 of turkey carcass and a single chicken carcass in my big turkey roaster with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, carrots and celery on Sunday and it is amazing! The first time I did this I was a little freaked out because the completed stock was very gelatinous. I have come to find out that the more gelatinous...the better! So I was thrilled that today's stock jiggled in my pot! My bounty yielded a ton of stock. I had enough to fill a crock-pot for my turkey verde soup (for dinner) and 5 quarts! Once done with the stock, lunch was creeping up and I did not have any protein cooked. I made myself a great green salad and topped it with a can of tuna and 1/4 of diced avocado. It was really, really yummy!

Once I was done with lunch I went back to my stock filled crock-pot and started working my magic. I added some cumin, diced onion, a bunch of leftover cubed turkey 1 1/2 bottles of compliant green chili verde salsa from Trader Joe's and garlic. Those ingredients in and of themselves would have been amazing, but I realized that this was the perfect meal to "sneak" in some extra veggies, so I shredded about 4 carrots, diced 4 stalks of celery and finely chopped a bunch of our favorite "super food"...kale! The end result was very tasty. I cannot believe that Claire was chowing down! I topped mine with some fresh cilantro and some guacamole. ~Jen

Day #14...You take the good...You take the bad

Today's word is...blah. It was a completely compliant Whole30 day, but it was just a blah day. I felt all day that I was falling into food traps. I had a piece of crustless quiche for breakfast (ham, spinach, broccoli and onion). From there I was just completely unmotivated to get excited about food...which led to me being hungry...which led to me cravings. I craved dips and anything sweet. I also think that a piece of today's mood was due to the fact that the kids were off from school and Wes was home from work for MLK Day. As I have blogged about before, our family culture is centered around food, so I want to share our time together with food...but because of the restrictions of Whole 30 and pouring all my food creativity into our "football food," I just didn't have anything in me today. We spent time together playing board games and watching a movie. I thought about the future...when we have other days like today when we are not on Whole 30. Will I just go back to the way things were? I really don't believe that I will. What I can see happening is me getting excited about making what we used to do better. Maybe offer apple "nachos" instead of chocolate gnache brownies (2 c sugar, 2 stix butter, 2 c. heavy whipping cream are a few of the ingredients in that dessert!) on days like today. I will be please with this entire experience if I can indeed make those changes sustainable. Lunch was a great salad, full of greens, cukes, tomatoes, green olives, sliced almonds and chopped turkey. Dinner was some leftover eggplant and sauce. I was out the door, so I did not have time for a salad and am too lazy to make one now, so off to bed I go...a little hungry. This is what Whole 30 leftovers look like: ~Jen

Day #13...Boom! Football Food!

Another weekend is coming to a close. I can't believe that we are almost 1/2 way though our Whole30 experience. I also cannot believe that we have made it through another weekend chalk full of healthy food (and no takeout!). It is so rewarding to see my kids plowing through this experience and actually enjoying the journey. We were up and at it early again this morning (this is pretty much a trend in our house...gone are the days of toddlers and no place to be) for church. I had a quick "Monkey Salad" (sliced banana with a handful of cashews and raw coconut) for breakfast. I had meetings after church that kept me there longer than normal, so I was STARVING when I got home. For the first time during the last 2 weeks I was actually experiencing a sweet tooth. There are really very few ways to address this (aside from fruit), so I just decided that I really wasn't craving sugar. I made a great green, veggie salad topped it with the turkey that I cooked up yesterday and threw in some dried apricots that I picked up from Trader Joe's yesterday and a few blackberries. The apricots did the trick! They were so sweet and delicious with the balsamic vinegar.

All week I have been thinking about "football" food. Food is such a part of my lifestyle and the culture of my family. We WILL order pizza again and we WILL go to Five Guys for burgers again, and I believe that those events should occur. What I am working to tweek is the culture of food that surrounds my family right now. There is an entire season of football, there is an entire season of summer BBQ-ing, there is an entire winter of snow days...there is a "Friday" night every week. If my family is always celebrating an "occasion" with "less than healthy" food, then they will always be consuming and this will all be for naught. So since we are in the thick of Whole30 I was determined to do it! Determined to provide a football "spread" that was deliciously amazing and Whole30 compliant. I did it! I made "Potato Nachos" which were diced red potatoes roasted in some EVOO until crispy. I topped those potatoes with Mexican seasoned venison, peppers, tomatoes, chives, black olives and avocado. I made a big veggie platter and made some garlic and dill homemade mayo (just for some light "dipping"). I also made some crispy eggplant discs. I peeled the eggplant, sliced it thin, dipped it in egg and then in an almond flour mixture (salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning). I baked these "discs" in a 425 degree oven (flipping once) and they were awesome! I had some sweet onion marinara sauce in the freezer that I made a few weeks ago that I heated up and we dipped away! It was so rewarding to see that I don't have to change entirely, I just have to make small and subtle changes. ~Jen

Day #12...Working Hard to form New "Normals"

Another day of up and out the door. We had double basketball games today and Ethan's was at 8:00. So breakfast was another quick "Monkey Salad" (sliced banana, a handful of cashews and a handful of raw coconut). I really enjoy this breakfast and am anxious to keep it in the repertoire once our 30 day "experiment" has concluded! In between basketball games I roasted a half of turkey. If you do not brine your turkey before cooking...you don't know what you are missing, this process makes the turkey so juicy and tender! The turkey cooked much fasted than I anticipated, so we had a big lunch today (before the girls basketball game). I had some tender turkey, mashed cauliflower (with chicken broth and minced garlic) and a great dinner salad with a variety of veggies (of course a drizzle of EVOO and balsamic vinegar).

Off to Ella and Gracie's basketball game to return home for a meeting with some friends to discuss a project that we are working on. This is where the new "normals" start coming into play. The meeting was running long and starting to bleed into dinner time. I am definitely getting hungry at this point and start stressing out over what I am going to make for dinner. One of the key aspects of being successful on Whole30 is a good plan...and I did not have one for dinner time tonight! In addition to having to make dinner for my family, we also had 2 of the girls friends over and I knew that I would need to feed them as well. I started thinking about what I had, and I have a lot of turkey, but I really had no side dishes (I really need groceries). My mind starts to wonder if I could justify just ordering pizza for this kids? What is the big deal? They will be fine and I will make sure to prepare a Whole30 meal for myself. I know it may sound silly, because I am going to order pizza again, but this experience is about so much more than food...it is about routine and habits. So I dug deep, grabbed some bacon out of the freezer, cooked it up, scrambled some eggs and sliced some strawberries! Dinner was served and the kids were completely content! I know that as I make these choices I am paving a way for new Davie "norms" post Whole30 :) I grabbed a piece of no crust quiche (spinach, onion, broccoli and ham) that I had made this morning, a few sliced of bacon and a banana for myself and beat a path out the door to get some groceries. Mission accomplished! ~Jen

Day #11...I had a "Moment"'...actually Two!

It has been a very busy week. Today I had no place to be and I was looking very forward to getting stuff done at the house. I was plugging along when by 10:00 I was very hungry! (it must have been all the toilet scrubbing!) This is when I had my first "moment" today. What would I grab for a snack? I grabbed a 1/2 of an avocado and a handful of almonds...Just in case you did not hear that...I grabbed a half of an avocado and a handful of almonds! Who snacks like that?!?! What about the "healthy" Triscuits and calcium packed cheese slices, or the other "healthy" snack of Stacy's pita chips and garlic hummus? (You know that they are healthy because you are only consuming one serving size, right...wrong! No one eats one serving size of those foods!) Seriously, I mean every commercial and magazine has told me that those snack options are good for my heart and/or my cholesterol...they are basically going to save mankind from complete destruction. But here's the deal, those snacking options for me have been replaced...and I am okay with it...I actually really enjoyed my 1/2 of avocado and handful of almonds. What a moment! That yummy snack led way to lunch, which was my last carnitas (I actually had to mix in some chicken) and mango, red onion salad. From there we had dinner which was prosciutto wrapped chicken tenders and a salad topped with almonds and blueberries (the kids had roasted broccoli...they really love it!) I drizzled an orange balsamic vinegar on top of my salad and it was very good!

My other "moment" today happened tonight. We went to play some volleyball at church with some friends. What a great time it always is! People bring "treats" to share (I really think we bring food to keep the kids at bay so we can have more playing time ;) I was part of a three team rotation, so while off the court I would meander the halls to check on the kids. There was a "moment" when I caught a glimpse of some yummy looking bars in the kitchen. I thought about what I am doing (this Whole30 thing)and had a brief moment to evaluate if it is really worth it? I am happy to report that it really is worth it! I will have a "bar" again...but the next time I will be in control of the food...the food will not be in control of me. ~Jen

Day #10...My First "Social" Outing

It feels a little weird to be so focused on food, to be writing about it, and then sharing those experiencing with others. There is so much more to the "Davie" family than our meal routines or what wacky things we are experiencing as we go without sugar! What I know though, is that as I continue to blog about our experience with Whole30 as a family, others (friends) are starting to make changes in their lives, and that feels good! It always feels good to know that you've, "Done any Good in the World Today." I also know that as I document this journey I am appreciating it more. Every night when I take these 10 minutes to recap my day I feel successful in knowing that I can "report" a job well done! Today my success was attending Claire's weekly playgroup. At playgroup we always have a potluck lunch. Today I packed my lunch (spoiler alert...it was another yummy carnitas lunch with salad and mango, avocado, onion salsa!) and I also brought along something to share. I have a confession to make...I was "that" mom today...the mom who brought fruit! Whenever I went to playgroup before and a mom would show up with fruit I would always think to myself, "Nobody wants that!" What I know now is that people do want that, and people want their kids to want that! I felt a little guilty for all the times that I judged "those" moms, but I let that judgment go and basked in the fact that I am now happy to be one of "those" moms. As mentioned in prior blog posts, this is not my first "rodeo" with a "diet." I have been to social settings before on a "diet" and it has been miserable as I would longingly look at the spread on the buffet table. Today I can honestly (I would tell ya otherwise) tell you that I never even batted an eye at the mini Oreos and mini Nutter Butters. I ate my lunch and was A-Okay! It continues to be very strange to me that I am not having overwhelming cravings for either Diet Coke or sugar. I am not going to complain, but it is weird! I am also happy to report that during lunch at playgroup Claire chose fruit, and a lot of it! She did take a square of a pizza, but she did not eat it. Now when it came to the above mentioned cookies she did partake, and she would have eaten half the bag had I let her! But I gave her an appropriate portion and truly was okay! I am going to file our day under "success." Here is a quick recap of today's meals. For breakfast I had a no crust quiche full of ham, kale, broccoli and onion.

For lunch I had the good 'ol carnitas with salad and salsa. For dinner I had roasted chicken with a wonderful salad with blueberries, almonds and a drizzle each of EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Tonight was the first time I actually made mashed potatoes. You would have thought that my kids had died and gone to heaven! I mashed them with some homemade chicken broth, scallions and some minced garlic. They were delish! ~Jen

Ethan's favorite part of Whole30 is the protein!

Day #9...We Got This

Today was just another day for the books. An "average" day of housekeeping, kids and of course...cooking! I set off to the grocery store in hopes to find a "compliant" Whole30 stir-fry sauce...Ha! Ha! Ha! I think that I have mentioned this before, but everything has sugar in it! A friend (who also is doing Whole30) tipped me off to coconut aminos (which tastes like a less salty soy sauce). I have never heard of coconut aminos, but that combined with homemade chicken broth, minced garlic, scallions and a little arrowroot (to thicken) made an amazing stir-fry sauce! I am still very much appreciating that I am not starving all day, and I am honestly not craving sugar or "the sauce" (Diet Coke) at all...it is all very weird to me! I really feel like my entire family is starting to "get it." We talk honestly about what we are doing. They know that this is not "Daviesdowhole30365." They know that we will have bread and sugar and beans and grains again, but they are also appreciating the incorporation of so many fruits and vegetables. We talked a little bit about our game plan for day #31 and no one really suggested going on a "bender.." so I am going to chalk that up to a "W" and appreciate their perspective. A quick recap of our meals today (which include some repeats). Breakfast was a "monkey salad" which is a sliced banana with a handful of cashews and a handful of raw coconut. Lunch was a repeat of yesterday (and dinner the day before)...it is so good...I could eat it every day! Carnitas with a salad and manago, avocado, red onion salsa. Dinner was a wonderful stir-fry of eggplant, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower and ground pork (with the sauce that I mentioned before). It was yummy (good thing I made enough for an army)!~Jen

Day #8...Not reinventing the Wheel

Today I did not reinvent the wheel. I had leftover quiche for breakfast, leftover carnitas with avocado mango salsa for lunch and I made last week's smash hit, MEATLOAF, for dinner again! (I did throw in about 3/4 of a bag of frozen chopped kale in addition to last week's recipe and it worked great to keep it moist!) I am starting to feel "normal" (the fatigue is leaving) and I think I might actually want to start incorporating some exercise. (GASP!) I am thinking ahead more often so I am prepared to make good food choices and I am streamlining cooking "Whole30 style" for a family of 6. All in all, things are good! I am having fun discovering spicy herbal teas. It is amazing how sweet they taste since I currently am not consuming any sugar. A quick recap of today's meals are as follows. Breakfast was leftover ham, onion, kale quiche with sweet potato crust and a pear.

Lunch was leftover carnitas with mango avocado salsa and guacamole. (Seriously, I could eat this meal every day...three times a day!)

Dinner was a meatloaf which consisted of 1 lb ground venison, 1 lb ground pork, 3/4 bag frozen/chopped kale, 3/4 c chopped onion, 3/4 shredded carrot and zucchini. I also used 3 eggs and 3t Italian Seasoning. I roasted some cauliflower in EVOO and chopped garlic and had a nice side salad as well. ~Jen

Recipie for disaster!!

Today I thought I was going to die! First I couldn't figure out what to have for breakfast. Then my mom said to try garlic chicken sausage, and if you like it I will make it in eggs for breakfast. So I tried it and thought, Wow! This definitely does not taste like real sausage. So today I was like, NOTHING CAN STOP ME WORLD! Yeah right, at lunch people at the table make fart noises, mix their food, chew with their mouth open, and talk with their mouth full. IT WAS DISCUSTING! I threw away my lunch. So after school, I ate a carrot and a half of an egg. Why a half? Because Clover [My dog] while I bit the egg, came up licked it and bit half of it off! So I was hungry until dinner. I was hungry from approximately 3:30-6:45! SUCH A LONG TIME!!! ~Grace (10 years old)

Grossly Under Estimated

When mom said we're doing Whole30 I thought that it was going to be a piece of cake. It was anything but cake, because we're not allowed to eat cake. I grossly under estimated how hard this was going to be. One thing I've had to give up would be sweet things. I will be at school and really start craving something sweet that they offer and have to choose not to have it. The first couple of days were hard, I'm not going to lie. Breakfast was kind of difficult for me because I can't eat eggs plain, but we soon found some great breakfast options.(quiche, coconut flour waffle's) Dinner was my easiest meal. We've had meatloaf, delicious beef, and baked chicken. The hardest thing for me though has been lunch. My first lunch sounded good, but ended up being soggy. We tried multiple versions of that but could not find a solution. I love food that has to be hot so we decided to get a thermos, but found something better. I now take chicken with guacamole everyday with applesauce, pistachios and a banana for snack. I now look forward to lunch. I have started to have more energy than usual and I am sleeping better. Which is great! We all still have a long way to go but I think I'm ready for it now. Let's do this thing! ~ Ella (12 years old)

I feel Mad

My mom is making me do Whole30. I have to take my lunch to school every day! I think it is bad that I cannot have school lunch, because I really like the chicken patty sandwich. She makes me bring turkey with no bread, fruit leather, hard-boiled egg, olives and a banana. She won't buy me Dorito's for my lunch anymore. That makes me feel mad! We cannot have any sugar right now and it makes me madder! ~Ethan (5 years old)

Do NOT throw away my Cereal!

Why do we have to do Whole30? Why do we have to do Whole30? Why do we have to do Whole30? Lulu (my cousin) does not have to do Whole30? Why are you taking our food out of the pantry?

Do NOT throw away my cereal. As soon as we are done with Whole30 I am having cereal and milk for breakfast again. I am going to have crackers and yogurt too! When will you make me a cake again? ~Claire (4 years old)

Day #7...Holy Smokes! We made it a whole Week!

When I woke up this morning I was feeling accomplished that I maintained my commitment to Whole30 for an entire week. It is not easy (as I have learned...EVERYTHING has sugar in it). But together with my family we are plugging along and learning new habits. One of the biggest changes seen during this past week has by far been the kids lunches. They are so much healthier, and surprisingly they eat everything! Other notable changes this past week have been breakfast (which is protein packed), the absense of a "drive-through" as part of our chaotic sports practice nights and of course the complete elimination of "the sauce" (otherwise known as Diet Coke) from my diet! Some things have been harder than others, and others have been relatively easy. We are eating amazing food and I am really getting into a culinary and time management groove (there were moments during the first week that I felt that I spent the entire day in the kitchen. Preparing one meal, to clean up, to prepare another, to clean up, to prepare another, to clean up). I am looking forward to what is in store this week! Here is a quick recap of today's meals. Since last night's quiche was such a big hit, I decided to make a double batch in a 9x13 for breakfast this morning. So kale, onion & ham quiche with sweet potato crust and a deliciously sweet red blood orange to start the day.

For lunch I sauteed some yellow and red pepper with onion and mushrooms. I topped it with a jalapeno Trader Joe's all-natural chicken sausage and 1/2 of an avocado. I had a great salad with almonds, cucumbers and blueberries on the side.

Dinner was the bomb! I cooked a pork shoulder over night last night. This morning I pulled all the meat and let it rest in the fridge all day. A few hours before dinner I used some of the homemade chicken stock that I made yesterday, juice from 1 lime, onion and various Mexican seasonings to create a carnitas marinade. The marinade and pork (with a can of green chilies) went into the crock-pot and it was awesome! So flavorful and so juicy. I had some guacamole on the side with a bed of greens topped with a homemade mango, red onion, cilantro & avocado salsa. This will be a meal that is made regularly in the future! ~Jen

Day #6...Shut the front door! The kids ate kale!

Another weekend day under my belt! I am really feeling better and surprisingly I am not hungry (I am still keeping my fingers crossed that the shoe does not drop). I have mentioned before in a prior blog post that I don't think I will ever fully understand the "science" behind food and our bodies; but what I do know is that this lifestyle change is so much more manageable since I do not want to gnaw my arm off. (or eat an entire bag of Dove chocolate in my closet when no one is looking!) Today was an important day to triumph because Sunday's are generally full of bad food "habits." We are up and out the door for church early and it is normally a "rat race." Normally I would crack open a Diet Coke, grab a piece of leftover pizza, wolf down CheezeIts or eat some of whatever dessert I had made over the weekend. (I know...really bad habits!!!) And that was only breakfast. I will spare you the entire rundown of Sunday's past, but suffice it to say that the days did not get nutritionally better. The challenge on Sunday is that when myself and my family walk through the door from church we are starving! I planned ahead and made sure that there was plenty of fruit on hand for everyone and a quick meal option. All went according to plan and the Davie family did triumph! Here is a rundown of today's meals. Breakfast was banana, blueberries, blackberries, a handful of raw coconut and a handful of raw cashews.

Lunch was chicken burgers (that I picked up yesterday at BJ's) topped with guacamole, tomatoes, onion & black olives. I had a great side salad with spring mix, sliced almonds, tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced green olives & onion (drizzled with EVOO & red wine vinegar).

Dinner is where the kale comes in. In the past when I have made any sort of quiche I would normally make a "kid" one that would only have ham, eggs and cheese. Tonight I whipped up (2) ham, kale, onion & mushroom quiche (with an amazing shredded sweet potato crust) and the kids LOVED it!!! I was not planning on them eating it. My backup plan was to throw them some leftover baked chicken, but they could not get enough! (which has foiled my breakfast plan for tomorrow.) I am so grateful that the kids are more willing to try new things and are actually are enjoying them! I also loved the salad from lunch so much, that I decided to make it again :) ~Jen

Day #6...Sometimes things do not go as planned

Today was crazy! It was my first entire weekend day that was "Whole 30." Generally the weekends consist of takeout, junk food in some capacity (it is football season after all!) and/or some amazing dessert "pin" that has made it's way to my kitchen...but not today. I had to have 7 kids up and at it (my sister's kid stayed the night) for 9:00 am basketball games. I was a culinary genius in the kitchen; as I had coconut flour Belgium waffles, sliced bacon and kale, onion & bacon egg scramble going all at the same time! Oh, and we can't forget the 2 lbs. of strawberries that I washed, trimmed and quartered. So I was feeling pretty successful! Everyone was dressed and had eaten and it was my time to get something down before heading out the door. I had only minutes to accomplish this and sat down to my "scramble" and told my mind that I LOVE eggs. I decided that if I did one bite eggs, one bite strawberry that I could power through. I was wrong! I got through about three rotations of my "plan" and gagged! So, a banana it was for me as I was out the door. I am really struggling with morning protein. The games were great. I got home and had about 45 minutes to get kids fed before I was off again to do groceries in Portsmouth before heading to a church activity with Ella in Massachusetts. So it was tangerines, some deli turkey meat and homemade popcorn for the 6 kiddos (I know popcorn is not "Whole 30" but I had nothing else to offer my nephews and niece, so popcorn it was.) I was able to get in some avocado chicken salad, strawberries & blueberries while hitting the road. I had a plan. I needed to go to BJ's and Trader Joe's. I was excited to cruise the isles of Trader Joe's and look for any new products that I could incorporate in our Whole 30 routine. I was equally excited to hit Chipotle for an early dinner before hitting the road again for Massachusetts. As I pulled into the Trader Joe's complex I realized that I left my wallet at home (45 minutes away!). This was not happening. I was on a very tight time schedule and I HAD to get food. One thing that I have learned about Whole 30 is that you HAVE to be prepared. Tomorrow is Sunday (we do not shop on Sunday's) and I did not know what I was going to do. My superhero husband came to the rescue and drove my wallet to me as I got the shopping done at Trader Joe's...all did not go as planned, but it all worked it. Once the shopping was done Ella and I were ready for our Chipotle meal of lettuce, carnitas, pico de gallo and double guacamole...it did not go as planned...they were out of carnitas! So, it was lettuce, pico, guac and chicken. Not gonna lie, the chicken stunk! I don't like gristle and they do not trim the chicken once they are done grilling. They just chop everything together. It was a bummer, but life goes on and we were not starving. Today I learned that food does not need to be the prescription for stress. Yes, things went awry...but I was able to "stay the course." So breakfast was some berries and a banana, lunch was some chicken/avocado salad & more berries and dinner was a so-so Chipotle experience. I also did have a handful of cashews and almonds on the way home from Massachusetts. I did find a few "convenience" products this afternoon that are Whole 30 compliant, and I am pretty excited about that. I don't plan to incorporate a lot of these types of products into our diet, but the reality is that I pack 20 "Paleo" style lunches a week right now and I need to keep my sanity. I read labels for EVERYTHING right now and it was tough to even find these items (I looked at 10x's more than I was able to purchase). ~Jen

Day #5...What is wrong with my legs?!?!

Today was pretty uneventful...except for the fact that my legs felt like jello all day? (I have confirmed with Wes and his did as well!) Seriously, all day my legs have ached a little and just felt weak. I am hoping that the funkiness that is happening within my body is working its way out from the head down, because if it is...I am almost there (remember Day #2)! Although I did say that today was uneventful (aside from jello legs), I do feel like there was at least one "eventful" moment...it is Friday night and we did not eat junk! There was no pizza, or nachos or brownies...and we all SURVIVED! Here is a quick recap of today's meals. Breakfast was a repeat of yesterday's lunch (minus the tomato and avocado), an egg scramble with kale, bacon and onion (it was just as good the second time around.)

Lunch was a salad of greens, tomato, cucumber, red onion, sliced almonds and chicken/avocado salad (drizzled with EVOO & balsamic vinegar).

Dinner was the bomb! I made an amazing venison stew and had a great garden salad on the side. I will definitely be making this recipe again! ~Jen

Day #4...When the Body Talks...Listen

Tuesday morning is becoming a faded figure in the rearview mirror (Hallelujah!). We were up and at it this morning (-12 degrees in the great state of Maine this morning!). I went to bed with a plan for this morning. I was going to get up, make my kiddos some coconut and almond flour Belgium waffles (because they begged for anything but eggs). I was going to make myself an egg scramble with sautéed kale, onions and bacon. Then I was going to brave the elements and drive everyone to school. I managed to complete 3/4 of that list...I got up, I made waffles (which were a smashing success), I made Wes the kale, onion and bacon scramble and then I gagged at the thought of choking down the same. Why, oh why can't I eat eggs in the morning?!?! Time continued to tick, so I took the kids to school and regrouped. This morning I learned that I have to just re-program myself that food is food. There is not "breakfast" foods, or "lunch" foods, or "dinner" foods...there is just food! If the food that I am eating is nutritious and yummy then I am going to strip all the labels and eat what I want, no matter what meal time it is. When I got home from dropping the kids off I made myself a "Monkey Salad (sliced banana, a handful of raw cashews and a handful of raw, unsweetened coconut)," and all was right in my world again.

Funny thing happened though; as the morning crept on I was craving my kale, onion and bacon egg scramble!!! Was that my mind working? Or was my body really talking to me? Was there something in that meal that I needed? I am not a scientist (or therapist!) so I don't know, but I made myself that for lunch with some sliced tomato and avocado drizzled with a little EVOO and it hit the spot!

Dinner was great today as well. The kids are coming along. I roasted broccoli with fresh garlic tonight and they must have asked 5x's if I was making garlic bread :) I didn't want to argue or have a conversation about why I was not making garlic bread, so I just let the aromas fill the house and when it was served for dinner, they ate it! Every one of them ate it! We had some delicious roasted chicken and a great tossed salad with some green olives and sliced almonds (of course a drizzle of EVOO and red wine vinegar too!). ~Jen