Day 23 and no one has died

[pia]

Today is Day 23 of my first ever Whole30.  I am surprised at how easy it's been - I was expecting crankiness and sugar withdrawals (I had a particularly evil sugar dragon) and enthusiastically bid it/he GOOD DAY, SIR.  (Oh dear, that's a quote from a movie about CANDY.  Heh.)

 

One observation:  I seem to have been doing nothing but shopping, cooking and washing dishes for the entire three weeks.  The food has been amazing though.  Today I made:

• vanilla almond milk - and dried the pulp to use as flour for something else later
• paleo mayo
• whole30 ranch dressing
• ground my own hamburger and chicken for the skillet meals
• spaghetti sauce in my blender with just tomatoes and spices - served it over zucchini noodles and some compliant chicken sausage, which I cut up to make into 'meatballs'.  
• broccoli and mushroom casserole with eggs and coconut milk
• roasted cauliflower with a few cut up dates and some black olives and rosemary (this is fantastic)
• crock pot chicken wings with jalapeno and raspberry sauce (I think this was the recipe from a fb contest?) 
• roasted a chicken and made broth with the bones (and mushroom soup from some of that)  

Then, for lunch....  J/K.

 

I wish I could find compliant ham or turkey to make more Egg McNothings.  I have been making them with proscuitto - it's just ham and salt - but it's like $19 bucks a pound, which I didn't realize until after purchasing my 2nd package.  I'd rather eat steak for half the price

 

I have gotten used to no sugar in my coffee - just coconut milk - and it's actually quite doable.  I even brought my own can to Starbucks so I could have coffee with my friends.  I found compliant coconut milk at Walmart, of all places.  Trader Joes has lite coconut milk with guar gum (i know you said it was ok) but I kept looking for some that was just coconut and water.  Not even Whole Foods has any.  So yeah, Walmart. Whodathought?

 

And sleep - I used to sleep through the night, but now i wake up in the middle of the night.  Every.night.  What's that about?

 

Also used the new way of eating to justify a bunch of new kitchen toys.  (Vitamix! <3)

[AmyS]

yerfunny

 

Congrats on making it this far!  Enjoy your last week!

[pia]

Thanks Amy!   Looking forward to it OM NOM NOM  

[GoJo09]

roasted cauliflower with a few cut up dates and some black olives and rosemary (this is fantastic)

 

Ooo, please explain what you did here - I love all of these elements individually...

[pia]

Ooo, please explain what you did here - I love all of these elements individually...

 

stuff:

1 medium head of cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 black pepper

1/4 cup tablespoons ghee or coconut oil  (I used half that)

1/4 cup dates, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (I used 1 teaspoon dried)

1 cup pitted black olives, halved (I threw in some kalamata olives too)

 

how:

1.  preheat oven to 400 F

2.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil (just makes it easier to clean up)

3.  mix cauliflower with oil, cumin and pepper

4.  put in single layer on cookie sheet and roast for 20-25 mins until tender with a few brown spots

5.  meanwhile, heat ghee/coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add dates and rosemary and and 

     cook for about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in olives.

6.  Add cauliflower to mix and toss gently.  (My pan wasn't big enough so I did it all in a bowl.)

7.  Hoard eat it all yourself in the closet.  

[pia]

I tried to add a picture but it said NOPE.  "You are not allowed to use that file extension in this community."  It was a jpg..

[Tina Marie]

can you explain how you make almond milk ???  thinking of making my own as well -   And your menu looks awesome.  I must ask - how are you grinding your own meat ?

[GoJo09]

stuff:

1 medium head of cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 black pepper

1/4 cup tablespoons ghee or coconut oil (I used half that)

1/4 cup dates, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (I used 1 teaspoon dried)

1 cup pitted black olives, halved (I threw in some kalamata olives too)

how:

1. preheat oven to 400 F

2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil (just makes it easier to clean up)

3. mix cauliflower with oil, cumin and pepper

4. put in single layer on cookie sheet and roast for 20-25 mins until tender with a few brown spots

5. meanwhile, heat ghee/coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add dates and rosemary and and

cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in olives.

6. Add cauliflower to mix and toss gently. (My pan wasn't big enough so I did it all in a bowl.)

7. Hoard eat it all yourself in the closet.

Sounds yum! Add some grilled chicken and it's a complete meal

[pia]

can you explain how you make almond milk ???  thinking of making my own as well -   And your menu looks awesome.  I must ask - how are you grinding your own meat ?

 

Tina - it's really easy.  Just blend 1 cup of raw almonds with 3 cups of water (and a whole vanilla bean if you want vanilla milk) for about two minutes, and strain.  You don't need a fancy nut milk bag - I used a fine mesh laundry bag and it worked PERFECTLY.  I just opened up the bag over a bowl, poured in the contents of the pitcher and wrung it all out with my hands. 

 

I ground my own meat with the food grinder attachment for the Kitchenaid stand mixer.  Just cut the meat into strips and feed it through.  Helps if the meat is a little frozen.  I used skinless breasts and thighs for the chicken and steak (I forgot what cut, but it wasn't filet mignon or anything) for the beef.