August 4 Start Group

[Beli]

Hello and welcome to all the newcomers! 

 

Day 3 is coming to an end, and still nothing. Well, I guess I should feel lucky I don't have carb flu or chocolate withdrawal syndrome. 

I suppose that means I really wasn't eating soooo much sugar before starting. Paleo living gets ingrained. That's a good thing.

 

Thanks for your testimony on making meals for your family. Don't you try to make your little ones eat the same way? I do. But at the same time I don't feel certain enough to impose it on them. So, most meals I cook are strictly paleo, to which nobody in the house complains. (I'm a pretty decent cook.   ). But they also want to have bread, milk, sugar, etc.

 

My boyfriend is a grown up, so while I wish he would give it a try, I don't insist. But I do feel bad when I give my kids (who are 11 and 8) foods that I've learned are not healthy. So I do what is probably the worst thing to do: sometimes I cave in and sometimes I'm strict. 

[Dinho7]

Cool to see that other people started on Monday as well!

 

I never thought I could even make it to Day 3, which I have. My observations so far:

 

- I feel leaner, quicker, sharper

- I do not feel any WORSE in my health conditions. Feeling a slight improvement, but way too early to say

- Nice to have meals with family without cellphones and other distractions

- I DO struggle a lot with the no snacking rule. Often feeling tired with no energy when 3-4 hours have passed since last meal. 

- Cooking three meals a day (compared to twice a week before the Whole 30) is very challenging. Especially when you need to cook HEALTHY too. No more fatty noodles or frozen dinners with tons of preservatives.

- Hard to be outside for a long time, since there seems to be nothing healthy you can eat in cafes or restaurants. I guess I should try to pack with me food sometimes.

 

For me, the hardest part is not eating healthy. There are a lot of delicious things out there. You can still eat all the good meats, all vegetables, a lot of fruit etc. But not snacking, having to make three meals a day when I barely can cut an onion, and so on, IS very, very hard.

 

Tomorrow I plan on making salmon with sweet potato and veggies. Lets see how it turns out

[wvictoria]

I have not had any of the hangover symptoms so far. I had a bit of a headache on day 1, but yesterday and today I've felt fine--a little lethargic yesterday, but today, fine. I ate really horribly before I started Whole30, so I'm worried that it is just going to take longer for the healthy food to have an effect. I guess I can only take it one day at a time.

 

I made it through the BBQ, but it was a LOT harder than I thought it'd be. Unlike the quotation in ISWF, this wasn't something I could go and buy myself or get at a different time. My principal spent the entire day grilling a beef brisket. I had never had it, it smelled sooo good, and it looked delish as did the taco dip and other things that people brought. Even though I had plenty to eat with my burger patties, chopped salad, and fresh fruit, it was absolutly painful to sit there and see and smell that food for 5 hours watching and listening to everyone talk about how good it was.

 

Okay, thank you for letting me get that out. I'm better now because I stayed strong. Luckily not every day includes BBQs. I'm excited about spending the day in the kitchen trying out some new recipes tomorrow while I watch the builders put up our new garage. I'm hoping that the excitement of the garage will help me not Kill All The Things!

 

Congratulations on making it through Day 3 everyone. Hopefully we all get through tomorow without actually killing anything or anyone. (If you do, please don't post it on here) :-)

 

Vicki

[heyho]

Hi, can I join in?  Started W30 on Tuesday (5th) as it was a holiday weekend, so couldn't bring myself to start on Monday!

 

Woke up this morning feeling hungry which is very unusual for me.  Hopefully a good sign!

 

I am living in Ireland, work fulltime, 2 kids (7 and 5) and a husband.  Am 45 and have lost and gained weight for years now, low carbing has always worked really well for me so I did some reading on Paleo and Whole30 which really made sense to me.  So here I am!

 

Interested to see how people get on and what they are eating etc.

Just having 2 boiled eggs and a grapefruit for breakfast, considering throwing on some bacon if I've time before I leave for work.

 

Made a big tuna salad for lunch with olives and vegetables.

 

Greetings all!

[CharDoll]

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[CharDoll]

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[CharDoll]

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[CharDoll]

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[CharDoll]

Hi, can I join in? Started W30 on Tuesday (5th) as it was a holiday weekend, so couldn't bring myself to start on Monday!

Woke up this morning feeling hungry which is very unusual for me. Hopefully a good sign!

I am living in Ireland, work fulltime, 2 kids (7 and 5) and a husband. Am 45 and have lost and gained weight for years now, low carbing has always worked really well for me so I did some reading on Paleo and Whole30 which really made sense to me. So here I am!

Interested to see how people get on and what they are eating etc.

Just having 2 boiled eggs and a grapefruit for breakfast, considering throwing on some bacon if I've time before I leave for work.

Made a big tuna salad for lunch with olives and vegetables.

Greetings all!

Hi, Heyho,

From what you have written, your breakfast/meal 1 isn't following the meal template.

http://whole30.com/pdf-downloads/

Good news, you need to eat way more! 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of vegetables, 1 serving of fruit, and added fat.

My typical breakfast, for example, is 3 fried eggs, spinach or kale sautéed in coconut oil, a sweet potato with cinnamon and salt and coconut oil, coffee with coconut milk and sometimes some tomatoes, berries or a banana.

To ensure your success on the Whole30, it is really important to eat enough food so you keep your energy up and keep yourself satiated between meals. Also Be careful with the bacon if you choose to add it, as it is quite difficult to find without sugar added.

Keep us posted!

[heyho]

Oh thanks chardoll, I also had 2 coffees with coconut milk for the fat.

I did skip the vegetables, but was good yesterday morning as I had some cauliflower rice stir fried with egg, pork and some veg yesterday for breakfast, was lovely!

Didn't think to have some veg this morning as I was quite full after the grapefruit, eggs and coffee.

I am not big on eating in the morning so I need to work on it.

 

Yes, the bacon is sugar free, luckily in Ireland it's not too arduous to find good quality meat products without added cr*p!

 

Thanks for the tips. 

[CharDoll]

Oh thanks chardoll, I also had 2 coffees with coconut milk for the fat.

I did skip the vegetables, but was good yesterday morning as I had some cauliflower rice stir fried with egg, pork and some veg yesterday for breakfast, was lovely!

Didn't think to have some veg this morning as I was quite full after the grapefruit, eggs and coffee.

I am not big on eating in the morning so I need to work on it.

 

Yes, the bacon is sugar free, luckily in Ireland it's not too arduous to find good quality meat products without added cr*p!

 

Thanks for the tips. 

Great :-) sorry I replied 5 times everyone. Mobile forum fail. Didn't think it was loading so pressed add reply again and it replied 5 times. Eek. And I can't figure out how to delete. If I edit and erase everything it says I have to write something. Hence the 4 posts with just a dot . Sorry all.

[Julzology]

This morning I'm reminded of the acronym RTFM (read the freakin manual) from working in IT for years.  I read the basic rules about what foods to avoid but I did not print the menu planning guide consequently, I've eaten "off plan" at least according to the guide.  I haven't really stuck to the 3 meals a day rule and I had nothing but juice for breakfast yesterday (should have boiled an egg to go with that) so I guess that's considered eating "off plan"?  

 

That and I neglected to read a couple of labels until after using the ingredients.  Namely, organic chicken broth which contained cane sugar and Annie's Naturals Organic vinaigrette which contains soy oil and Xanthan gum.  RTFL Julie, RTFL. 

 

Progress not perfection, that's my motto.  I'm not giving up and I'm not starting over.  Just keeping on keeping on.  Yesterday I was depressed and weepy all day which is not my personality at all.  I also considered throwing in the towel because this is "too hard" and then I keep remembering the manifesto that This.Is.NOT.Hard  and seeing as I don't want to be a big baby I keep going.  That and I've declared my intentions to my co-workers, friends and family and would seriously lose face if I quit this early in the game.  

 

My boss, who suffers from multiple health issues including asthma, allergies and fibromyalgia says she's going to start next week.  She wants to read the book first (there we are, right back to RTFM) 

 

Welcome to day 4

[CharDoll]

This morning I'm reminded of the acronym RTFM (read the freakin manual) from working in IT for years. I read the basic rules about what foods to avoid but I did not print the menu planning guide consequently, I've eaten "off plan" at least according to the guide. I haven't really stuck to the 3 meals a day rule and I had nothing but juice for breakfast yesterday (should have boiled an egg to go with that) so I guess that's considered eating "off plan"?

That and I neglected to read a couple of labels until after using the ingredients. Namely, organic chicken broth which contained cane sugar and Annie's Naturals Organic vinaigrette which contains soy oil and Xanthan gum. RTFL Julie, RTFL.

Progress not perfection, that's my motto. I'm not giving up and I'm not starting over. Just keeping on keeping on. Yesterday I was depressed and weepy all day which is not my personality at all. I also considered throwing in the towel because this is "too hard" and then I keep remembering the manifesto that This.Is.NOT.Hard and seeing as I don't want to be a big baby I keep going. That and I've declared my intentions to my co-workers, friends and family and would seriously lose face if I quit this early in the game.

My boss, who suffers from multiple health issues including asthma, allergies and fibromyalgia says she's going to start next week. She wants to read the book first (there we are, right back to RTFM)

Welcome to day 4

Julz, this post cracked.me.up bc my family is into making things into acronyms. Once my brother was using the self check out at the supermarket, and it wasn't letting him scan something and he freaked and then realized he just need to RTFS (screen) and PTFB (press the f. Button) haha.

Anyway, a bug reason you may have been weepy yesterday was because you only had OJ for breakfast. Breakfast for me sets the tone of my whole day. If I don't have a nice big breakfast, I'm much hungrier at other meals, and much more likely to get cravings. So try to eat more! (And you may want to do away with the OJ and replace it with say an orange)

The program is much more enjoyable, and much easier when you're eating enough. Enough meaning a lot.

[GrannieD]

I am cracking up as well at the acronym thing! I will def use RTFM/RTFL ones. And I have used that same self check out where I didn't RTFS and the lady had to come help me PTFB! Too funny!

Wvictoria, congratulations on making it through the BBQ! I wasn't trying to say that it won't be hard. Hope I wasn't too harsh. If you can make it through this non-scale victory there should be many more to come! Kudos!

Heyho, how lucky for you that you can find good food so easily! I wish the US would follow suit! I can find it here but it is not easy and is very expensive!

I can't remember who asked if we make our kids eat paleo or not. For me the answer is no. My kids are not little anymore. However, I find my daughter, who is 17, is interested and has changed from cows milk to almond milk on her own, along with some other changes. But I know that when she is with her friends she will eat the way she wants, same for hubby. So I don't buy cookies or treats for home. And my way of cooking changed. My spice cabinet changed. I don't add non-compliant ingredients to my food. I used to put beans in my chili, but not anymore. I don't feel like it is hurting anyone nutritionally so I have no qualms about these changes. I don't know how I would change anything if my kids were little (under 10). I guess it would depend on their adaptability.

CharDoll, you crack me up! That's all.

[CharDoll]

Glad to be of service, GrannieD :-)

[CharDoll]

Procrastinating cleaning the house and need to PTFPD. Put the ... phone down.

[wvictoria]

hahaha. I love this group! I woke up on Day 4 with HFHB! Holy...Headache, Batman! So much for thinking I skipped by the hangover phase. It's gone now, thankfully. I added some protein to my breakfast (leftover chopped salad from last night with about a pound of seasoned browned ground beef dumped on top. It wasn't fancy, but it was fast. I needed that because the builders were here at 7:00 to build our new garage. We have been waiting for this for a long time. Amish builders are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

 

And, guess what. Even with the headache this morning, I don't even feel like killing anyone...YET.

 

Enjoy Day 4 everyone!

[Josephine]

I stumbled across this thread and jumped for joy! (jk - my computer is on my lap so no jumping here)  I started Aug 3 so close enough, right?  I really like some online camaraderie to help stay on track.

 

Intro.. I used my real name for my ID here.  I live in Virginia.  I teach highschool Spanish.

 

My doctor knows that I have a LONG and painful history of trying to keep from gaining weight. Up ten this year, up another ten a few months later, up another ten the next year, and the sizes are increasing and never go back down no matter what I do.  I try plan after plan, and even had a lapband put in, which was a really bad idea and is now empty - just spare parts inside me not doing anything.  He put me on steroids for a shoulder issue and I gained 20 pounds in three weeks.  AAACKKK!  He said it happens to most and that it will come back off.  Nope.  Didn't happen. 

 

So at my last appointment, he hands me the printed .pdf from the site. He says, "I want  you to try this plan.  I've never had a patient try it who didn't lose weight."  It wasn't very different from what I was already doing.  I'm a creature of habit and I certainly know what my triggers are. I know to avoid dairy.  Just a shred of cheese popped into my mouth while cooking leaves me a slobbering mess crying for icecream and pizza. Dairy makes me crave bad stuff.  I gave up cream in my coffee long ago, but was still adding stevia. 

 

I like convenience.  I like to not think about food, just eat what I need to stay healthy and move on with my life. My nutribullet was my best friend.  Kale, spinach, blueberries, banana, celery, cucumber and almonds each and every day for at least a year.

 

Aside from the blasts and stevia in my coffee, the only other change I had to make was beans.  I am pescatarian (was until Aug 3, anyway).  I don't like the taste of meat, but am trying to pull some into my plan now to make life easier.  I made a compliant pastelon last night for me and my husband.  Left all cheese out, and the custard on top was made with coconut cream, eggs, and a spoon of coconut flour.  The beef was tolerable after adding the seasoned tomato sauce with raisins and olives. 

 

But I did a lot of soy.  My daughter is vegetarian so I used tofu and edamame and other legumes regularly.  Now, I'm trying to make meals that fit my plan, but can be adapted for her.  At least she's not vegan so we have eggs in common. 

 

Tonight I'm making chicken parmesan.. a tofu-based patty for her with sauce and cheese, chicken patties for my son, husband, and me, but mine will only have sauce and theirs will have sauce and cheese.  Veggies for all, and rice for my husband and son. 

 

Not a problem right now - I love to cook and have the time.  Did I mention I'm a teacher?  (I read all posts before writing mine so I know we have other teachers here ::smile:  Anyway, my 30 will be up on the second day of school.  Not sure what i will do then, but I'm working on plans and strategies. 

 

I also had to give up peanut butter.  I just liked it mixed with bananas when I got home from school. 

 

So here's my take on the plan so far... My doctor giving me a list of do's and dont's wasn't such a good idea.  Just from that, you really could sabotage the plan.  I'm glad I looked everything up and learned more about it. 

 

Things really came together when I looked at the meal template.  Making three FULL meals and not eating outside the lines is a good change for me, I'm sure. 

 

Giving stuff up hasn't been hard, except maybe beans because of the convenience-protein issue.  The stevia in the coffee wasn't all that satisfying anyway, and the blasts aren't an issue right now because I have time to cook and sit to eat. 

 

I know that I will make some compliant "breads" when my 30 is up, but not because I miss bread. I actually don't even like bread.  But the convenience of a compact square made from eggs, pumpkin, and a small amount of coconut flour is exactly what I need for planning my lunches and breakfasts when working.  I don't care what it tastes like and I'm not feeding a craving.  I made some this week for my kids (but with a little demarara sugar so they taste good) because they have band camp going on and I don't want them delving into processed snacks. 

 

The one thing that disappoints me about the plan is the way they stress that weight loss is not supposed to be a goal.  It is my goal - my doctor made me do this to lose weight, hopefully I can at least remove the weight added from the steroids so I fit back into my work clothes for school.  Maybe it's just because they don't want people to be disappointed if they don't lose.  They want you to focus on how much healthier you are instead of focusing on weight.  But I feel like I haven't really made "healthier" changes to my life - I'm just trying to find a plan that will help me lose.  My doc was suggesting that this will boost my metabolism.  This is my goal. 

 

Whew!  Long intro.  I'm really really glad to have found this particular group.  It helps to know we are all at the same mile-marker, running alongside one another.  I look forward to the journey with you. 

 

-Josie

[CharDoll]

I stumbled across this thread and jumped for joy! (jk - my computer is on my lap so no jumping here) I started Aug 3 so close enough, right? I really like some online camaraderie to help stay on track.

Intro.. I used my real name for my ID here. I live in Virginia. I teach highschool Spanish.

My doctor knows that I have a LONG and painful history of trying to keep from gaining weight. Up ten this year, up another ten a few months later, up another ten the next year, and the sizes are increasing and never go back down no matter what I do. I try plan after plan, and even had a lapband put in, which was a really bad idea and is now empty - just spare parts inside me not doing anything. He put me on steroids for a shoulder issue and I gained 20 pounds in three weeks. AAACKKK! He said it happens to most and that it will come back off. Nope. Didn't happen.

So at my last appointment, he hands me the printed .pdf from the site. He says, "I want you to try this plan. I've never had a patient try it who didn't lose weight." It wasn't very different from what I was already doing. I'm a creature of habit and I certainly know what my triggers are. I know to avoid dairy. Just a shred of cheese popped into my mouth while cooking leaves me a slobbering mess crying for icecream and pizza. Dairy makes me crave bad stuff. I gave up cream in my coffee long ago, but was still adding stevia.

I like convenience. I like to not think about food, just eat what I need to stay healthy and move on with my life. My nutribullet was my best friend. Kale, spinach, blueberries, banana, celery, cucumber and almonds each and every day for at least a year.

Aside from the blasts and stevia in my coffee, the only other change I had to make was beans. I am pescatarian (was until Aug 3, anyway). I don't like the taste of meat, but am trying to pull some into my plan now to make life easier. I made a compliant pastelon last night for me and my husband. Left all cheese out, and the custard on top was made with coconut cream, eggs, and a spoon of coconut flour. The beef was tolerable after adding the seasoned tomato sauce with raisins and olives.

But I did a lot of soy. My daughter is vegetarian so I used tofu and edamame and other legumes regularly. Now, I'm trying to make meals that fit my plan, but can be adapted for her. At least she's not vegan so we have eggs in common.

Tonight I'm making chicken parmesan.. a tofu-based patty for her with sauce and cheese, chicken patties for my son, husband, and me, but mine will only have sauce and theirs will have sauce and cheese. Veggies for all, and rice for my husband and son.

Not a problem right now - I love to cook and have the time. Did I mention I'm a teacher? (I read all posts before writing mine so I know we have other teachers here ::smile: Anyway, my 30 will be up on the second day of school. Not sure what i will do then, but I'm working on plans and strategies.

I also had to give up peanut butter. I just liked it mixed with bananas when I got home from school.

So here's my take on the plan so far... My doctor giving me a list of do's and dont's wasn't such a good idea. Just from that, you really could sabotage the plan. I'm glad I looked everything up and learned more about it.

Things really came together when I looked at the meal template. Making three FULL meals and not eating outside the lines is a good change for me, I'm sure.

Giving stuff up hasn't been hard, except maybe beans because of the convenience-protein issue. The stevia in the coffee wasn't all that satisfying anyway, and the blasts aren't an issue right now because I have time to cook and sit to eat.

I know that I will make some compliant "breads" when my 30 is up, but not because I miss bread. I actually don't even like bread. But the convenience of a compact square made from eggs, pumpkin, and a small amount of coconut flour is exactly what I need for planning my lunches and breakfasts when working. I don't care what it tastes like and I'm not feeding a craving. I made some this week for my kids (but with a little demarara sugar so they taste good) because they have band camp going on and I don't want them delving into processed snacks.

The one thing that disappoints me about the plan is the way they stress that weight loss is not supposed to be a goal. It is my goal - my doctor made me do this to lose weight, hopefully I can at least remove the weight added from the steroids so I fit back into my work clothes for school. Maybe it's just because they don't want people to be disappointed if they don't lose. They want you to focus on how much healthier you are instead of focusing on weight. But I feel like I haven't really made "healthier" changes to my life - I'm just trying to find a plan that will help me lose. My doc was suggesting that this will boost my metabolism. This is my goal.

Whew! Long intro. I'm really really glad to have found this particular group. It helps to know we are all at the same mile-marker, running alongside one another. I look forward to the journey with you.

-Josie

Bienvenida, Josie. ¡Yo enseño español en el colegio también!

That was a long intro, but now we know you! I did w30/paleo during the whole school year last year, and I was fine. Leftover dinner for lunch and prepped breakfast at home then ate it before and during homeroom in my classroom. My students thought I was nuts with my huge veggie filled breakfasts and they did NOT like it when I brought sauteed cabbage. Haha. Well my American students were grossed out by the smell of it but my Chinese students (in ESL, right after homeroom) loved my breakfasts and wanted in on the action. Haha. Ah cultural differences. Or I made breakfast after dinner and stuck it in fridge for next morning (especially if I was going to gym at 6am before school) welcome. Glad you found us. What are we up to, 5 or 6 teachers now?

[CharDoll]

Ps @josie, I too used to do green smoothies all the time thinking I'd lose weight and did I? Nope. Maybe a few pounds but none that officially stayed off. I still make them for my kids because they actually like putting "leaves" in the blender, but could I get them to eat baby spinach in a salad? Not yet at least. Although my almost two year old does always eat off my breakfast plate of fried eggs, sweet potato and spinach So that's better than my 4.5 y old. As they get older I will move more towards fewer "hidden" veggies. One of the things I never thought I'd do, pre kids. "MY kids will always eat veggies. MY kids won't get chicken fingers and fries at a restaurant. MY kids will only use their sippy cups at the table" alas. Famous last words.

[wvictoria]

Welcome, Josie. I start school next week (teachers only), so I'll let you know how I do. I am nervous about packing enough to eat so I don't get hungry by the end of the day--especially during the first couple of weeks when I typically don't go home until after dinner time. I'm going to have to start carrying a huge cooler to work! My daughter made a really yummy breakfast "bar" type thing. I think it was from Well Fed, but I will check with her to find out. It's not enough to eat on it's own, but she said it was really filling and stayed with her through the morning. I'll post it on here when I find it.

 

I'm SDH (so ... happy) with this group! Can't we nominate ourselves for best forum group or something?

[the-ames]

@Josephine - a quick quick note to say that I **highly** recommend reading the book that this whole thing is based on. It Starts With Food lays out not only how the Whole30 works, buy WHY it works. Maybe it will help you figure out why your basically-compliant meals weren't working for you. They also go into greater detail about the weight loss thing; yes, their goal is to improve overall health and dropping excess weight is often part of that (it will be for me, I want this high blood pressure medicine GONE) but there's so much more to what we're doing. And there's actual science that backs it up, which for me made it a lot easier to say goodbye to cheese and sugar for a month. 

 

There's also a chapter on doing the Whole30 for those who don't eat meat, which may help you out a lot. I'm not shilling, I promise! Get it from the library! I found it such a useful tool for explaining everything.  And it's a quick read.  

[amron]

Great posts!!!  I didn't think I'd need the book, but the more I read, the more I find don't know   I should be getting it today.  Although I've been doing good, I think I really need some variety.  I found some chorizo at my local hippy dippy store , and it really hit the spot this morning with the eggs, spinach, etc.  After reading the posts though, I see I'm needing to add some fruit.  I guess I DO need the book!!  So much info here.  Thanks everyone!!!

[CharDoll]

.Damn it happened again. Damn you mobile

[Beli]

- I DO struggle a lot with the no snacking rule. Often feeling tired with no energy when 3-4 hours have passed since last meal. 

- Cooking three meals a day (compared to twice a week before the Whole 30) is very challenging. Especially when you need to cook HEALTHY too. No more fatty noodles or frozen dinners with tons of preservatives.

 

Hi Dinho7! Welcome and kudos to you for your progress!

 

You CAN snack. Only don't munch mindlessly on something. Ask yourself; an I really hungry? (that is: would I eat some chicken and broccoli right now?) If the answer is yes, then do it. Try to make it as much a "mini meal" as you can, for instance a boiled egg, some mayo and a tomato.

If the answer is no, it's also possible that your tiredness comes from the detoxing process. In this case, just hang in there and know this will soon pass.

 

Cooking can be overwhelming when you're not used to it. I'm fortunate that I learned with my mum from a young age and it's become second nature. (Which doesn't mean I don't wish I could just be served by someone else sometimes, ha!) Let's see if I can share some tips to make it easier:

 

First, I would say: you don't have to cook a new meal 3 times a day. When you do cook, make big quantities, then you recompose the leftovers for another two or three meals. Examples: roast a chicken (or two), or a 4 pounds piece of beef; boil 3 pounds of potatoes (and don't bother to peel or cut) or squash, or 3 heads of broccoli; wash 2 lettuces... You're good to go for several meals, these things keep well and it's not more work to do a lot that to do a little.

 

A lot of people who don't know how to cook use cookbooks to learn. The problem with that is that cookbooks are full of delicious recipes, but it makes it look like you have to do all those fancy pants things to make a meal. Don't get me wrong, I love making special dishes. But if I had to do that for every meal I'd go crazy! My advice for folks who don't usually cook is: get a book about basics (I have one, when I get home I'll check the author, I find it very useful), or you can look for tutorials on line (for instance, The Kitchn http://www.thekitchn.com has an excellent how-to section). So you can easily make a basic complete meal. Good products are good by themselves, don't be afraid to make it very simple.