J9er

@kirkor ugh, yes! Loved and hated that movie. Hated because it just grossed me out so much watching him poison himself. But it's pretty cool how his body was able to heal once the sugar was out of it....EVERYONE should watch it!

I ate a LOT of plastic crab growing up, and then throughout college ......it was cheap protein. And sugar.....I don't get me started on sugar.....it's crazy how how we can consistently end up eating buckets of sugar without even eating a candy bar or ice cream or anything even remotely "sugary"!!! Days I thought I was being "heathy".....was easily consuming boat loads.

@creativenikki fair enough! It's funny how we can have such varying results with mayo. My stick blender actually broke and I haven't replaced it. I make my mayo in my food processor now with good results, but I did have a random batch fail for no apparent reason either....I just say a little prayer before each batch now, and curse myself for not replacing my stick blender

Just a hint. You shouldn't have to pour the oil in at all if you use an immersion blender. Dump all ingredients into a mason jar. Put your stick blender right to the bottom blend while slowly lifting blender up (about 20 sec), done. I also never use room temp ingredients, they are always straight from the fridge. I have never had a failed batch with this method. Edtited to add: If the vinegar says "contains sulphites" or they are in parenthesis, it's ok as vinegar can have naturally occurring sulphites. It's just if they are listed as part of the ingredients list that would be non compliant.

I don't have Lyme, but I was on antibiotics (doxy) for an extended period of time (longer than three months ) . It was after this that my weight steadily began to increase, I had numerous digestive issues among many other symptoms. I did 2 rounds whole30 with some good results, but Was still struggling with some symptoms before seeking the help of a functional medicine practitioner. After thorough testing, she mapped out a plan of action. I'm 4 months into the process and feeling better than ever. If you can find a FMP to work with on this it might be really helpful. The right person should also be able to help treat your Lyme as well as your gut. I know I was in a place where I just didn't really know which direction to take and it was leaving me confused and kind of exhausted. Having someone point me in the right direction was the best thing that could have happened.

The only thing I was ever able to to find at Panera was plain salad greens and a whole apple (I brought my own chicken and dressing).

First of all, you are amazing!! What an awesome thing to do for your family. What about using your slow cooker? I have no experience cooking for that many people, but I do lots of prepping, to spend less time in the kitchen. I make huge batches of food because I dehydrate leftovers for backpacking trips and using my slow cooker has saved me. You could aim to have something in there every time you're prepping. I buy large pork shoulders and make Nom Nom Paleo's kahlua pig, or Mel Joulwan's chocolate chili. Just google whole30 slow cooker, and you may get some ideas. A lot of people are starting to use pressure cookers more too, and there are tons of pressure cooker recipes out there. Mel Joulwan's website also has a great batch cooking guide. Maybe you could try that, on a larger scale? Just google Mel Joulwan weekly cook up. I don't know if using frozen vegetables is an option for you? I'm not the hugest fan, but I use them to send in my husband's lunch because he doesn't mind, or if I really just don't feel like prepping. Even if you used them for the occasional meal it would help save time. As for fat, drizzle coconut oil or olive on the food before serving, make mayo, dollops of coconut cream, there are tons of sauces you can make, but I imagine you want to get away from making more things!