Ann Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Today went fairly well. I got focused on some office work in front of my home computer, and before I knew it I was late for an appointment at my office. So I dashed out of the house at 2:15 without having had lunch (or even a snack this morning!) I grabbed a packet of smoked salmon, some grapes, and a bunch of baby carrots. So that was lunch. Not terrifically satisfying, but it did the trick. My daughter came downtown with me to spend a gift card (Nordstrom!), and we grocery shopped on the way home. Did I mention she is a vegan? It is interesting the combination of things we end up with in our cart! Haha! Coming home a little later than I originally planned, with a car full of W30 friendly groceries, I knew it was going to be tough to wait until I could decide on what to cook and make it. So I stopped at the Portland's famous paleo restaurant, the Cultured Caveman. This place started out as a food cart, and it is awesome. I got Brazilian pulled beef with jicama slaw, and a side of zoodles with marinara sauce. SOOO GOOOOOD! My daughter, who was also starving, had picked up a vegan stir fry at New Seasons. So we were both good to go (eat) as soon as we got home. Anyhow, I was happy to find that Cultured Caveman also has a pretty nice (small) section with paleo groceries - grassfed local meat, Steve's Paleo Packs, all kinds of great oils and flours and stuff, tons of cookbooks. And it's all like a mile and a half from my house! Cultured Caveman Okay, my Day 8 log: Breakfast - 3-egg super greens omelet and leftover cabbage sauteed in ghee, cup of bulletproof coffee. I did not finish all my breakfast (or the coffee). Lunch - packet of smoked salmon, a few grapes, a bunch of baby carrots, La Croix sparkling water Dinner - Cultured Caveman, pulled beef w/jicama slaw, and zoodles with mariinara ** Look, guys, no snack! Yay! Day 8 Thanks, littleg, for the recipe -- it does look good, and I will give it a try! I do like chicken thighs, just not how I made them last night. I threw it together without much thought, and they just were too ... I don't know, they just weren't good. And Shelley, if I'm noticing any changes yet, it is maybe just being in a better/calmer mood generally, and having a little more energy and focus. But that could be placebo. I'm not really sleeping better yet, and haven't noticed any significant decrease in my back/hip/shoulder/ankle/foot pains. But .. I'm only on Day 8 - it will come! I re-read my first success story not long ago, and I inspired myself. It happened before, it will happen again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Oh geez -- I just read in here vanilla extract is out because of the alcohol content! Dang! The vanilla i have used a couple times in my coffee is stuff I bought in Mexico, ingredients: vanilla and alcohol. Shoot. I thought vanilla extract was just .. vanilla!! I'm not starting over. But I won't do that again. Man, even on my third W30, I'm still learning!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Ghee! It got a little darker on me than usual (too high cook temp?), but it actually smells awesome. Nice and toasty. Ghee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whole30 Certified Coach littleg Posted January 3, 2015 Whole30 Certified Coach Share Posted January 3, 2015 I purposefully let it get a little darker - its almost caramel-like. When it gets dark like this I like the flavor cold better so I don't cook with it. But its sure is good on roasted sweet potatoes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutlifr Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 We call the browner version of ghee "beurre noisette" (Hazelnut butter) and it's used in many French pastry recipees, as well as on fish, and veggies. Yes it tastes much stronger, and better than your yellow version of ghee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliawholesomething Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 There is still XMAS candy in my house! It needs to go away lol!! Made it through my first week - Day #7 was another success! I re-read the Sugar = Sugar = Sugar post (http://whole9life.com/2010/06/sugar-sugar-sugar/) earlier tonight, and realized that adding a splash of 100% fruit juice to my sparkling water is pushing the limits of what is allowable. I'm not going to do that anymore. And speaking of sugar, why the heck won't my kids (20 and 22 yrs old) polish off the last of the Christmas candy? I'm about to throw the darned stuff away! Untitled Okay, here's my food for Day 7 -- Breakfast - believe it or not, I was not in the mood for eggs! Roast beef, sweet potato/zucchini fritter, and romesco sauce, and a cup of bulletproof coffee Lunch - green salad with veggies, avocado, a few green olives, and roast beef (dressed with olive oil/vinegar) Snack - cashews, and sparkling water with a splash of (100%, but still naughty) blueberry/cranberry juice Dinner - boneless skinless chicken thighs (which turned out icky), and cabbage and onions sauteed in ghee (which turned out great -- I ate a half a head of cabbage (!), and tossed most of the chicken) Day 7 - one week down! Onward to Week 2. Happy New Year, everyone! Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 I took down Christmas today, and threw away the last few pieces of the Christmas candy that my crazy kids didn't polish off. It is good to have the house back in "regular" order. I have a bit of an allergy issue at the moment though, which happens every year. I think the tree gathers dust, and taking down all the decorations sets me off. Oh well. Today went well. Like yesterday, I went too long between breakfast and lunch. We went for a Costco run, and ran another quick errand unexpectedly, so I went from 9am until almost 2:30pm without eating. I was hungry, and glad to have the leftover CC takeout from last night. It was even better the second day. Which meant come 5:30 pm, I was a little hungry, but it was much too early for dinner. So I had a mini-meal, then a real dinner later on. I'm feeling chipper and energetic, but still not sleeping great. (Last night my bad sleep was mostly a result of my kids being out and me worrying until I heard them get home safe in the wee hours. *sigh*) I had a really productive day, and am hoping for another one tomorrow. I took the Christmas tree down, and gathered all the household holiday decor, and it is all piled on my dining table now. Gonna try to organize it better than usual tomorrow before I stow it away for another year. Day 9 - check! Breakfast - made a cauliflower frittata from my Mediterranean cookbook, and I think maybe my cauliflower was bigger than what the recipe needed. It turned out to be more like cumin cauliflower with a little bit of egg. But it was good! To add a little more protein to my breakfast, a scoop of the Brazilian beef from last night. Lunch - Leftover Brazilian beef and zoodles w/marinara, banana Snack (mini-meal) - Cashews, olives, baby carrots, a couple of slices of (complaint) smoked turkey, and romesco sauce for dipping carrots. And La Croix. Dinner - awesome grilled steak, asparagus. I also made a sweet potato, but it wasn't quite ready when the steak/asparagus were, so I didn't eat it. I'll have it for breakfast tomorrow. [ ] Also, sparkling water with a splash of 100% juice. You know, sometimes I look at my photos after I post them and think, that doesn't look like as much food as it actually was! I think I have very big forks which make my food look little. Or maybe it's the camera angle ... I really do eat decent sized meals. Day 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 We call the browner version of ghee "beurre noisette" (Hazelnut butter) and it's used in many French pastry recipes, as well as on fish, and veggies. Yes it tastes much stronger, and better than your yellow version of ghee Well then, since I won't likely be using it for any French pastries anytime soon, I'll have to have fish and veggies for dinner soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessiegetswhole Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Hmm growler? Scoby? I don't know these words! When I was a kid my mum used to have a weird mushroom thing in a big bowl on the bench, and she'd drink the liquid out of it.. I remember it had 'babies'.. I was repelled by it! But I'm guessing that's kombucha? I'm enjoying your pictures Ann - I photograph my meals too, as a sort of accountability to myself, and to encourage me to make my food look pretty (where possible)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 Hey Jessie, Your mom's mushroom bowl with babies was totally kombucha! Haha! My parents fermented wine in the basement, and I remember being totally grossed out by it -- it smelled awful! Now (well, not now...) I'm an avid wine enjoyer. This morning I again had some trouble eating all of my breakfast. I think I'm actually displacing some of my chewable breakfast food with drinkable food (bulletproof coffee, and this morning, also a can of V8). New resolution: Bulletproof coffee only on weekends, and V8 only as an addition to protein/fat for a necessary snack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpketz Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Think of it as a slimy probiotic That is the good-for-you part! I've been making my own Kombucha for a few years now and the slimy thing can definitely be a deal breaker for some new to Kombucha. So, because I'd hate to see that be the thing that keeps you away from this ancient, healthful elixir...maybe a few facts would help? The slimy thing is called a "SCOBY". It's the thing that makes Kombucha Kombucha. That stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. “Symbiotic” means that the bacteria and yeast strains live together in a complex, mutually supportive community, supporting and depending on each other. How cool and utopian is that? So if the unbearable cuteness of the name isn't enough to help you overlook the snotty texture then also know that a SCOBY is also called a "mother", and you wouldn't be repulsed by your mother, right? Even she is occasionally snotty. On a chemical level, the SCOBY eats up the sugar and tannins in the tea and converts almost all of it to vitamins, gluconic acid and a host of other beneficial bacteria too numerous to mention. The slight fizz can aid also aid digestion, and I don't know about you but starting a Whole 30 (my 3rd, too) always is a big surprise to my insides for a while. I haven't had alcohol for almost 10 years and I was a bit concerned about trying something with even the trace amount of alcohol in some Kombucha, but the amounts are so low (about a glass of orange juice), that it's never triggered any kind of craving or issue. And the sugar is negligible if it's fermented long enough. Kombucha is often prescribed to diabetics as a sweet tasting, but non-glycemic alternative to sugary drinks. So that's my long elevator speech. Hopefully not more than you wanted to know. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 Hmmm. Maybe next time I go to my little store that has it on tap, I will ask about the ingredients to be sure there's no added sugar, and if it seems compliant, I will fill a small growler and give it another go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessiegetswhole Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Thanks jpketz! That's really interesting and helpful. And I am going to assume a growler is some kind of container I'm somewhat itinerant so it's not possible for me to .. um.. breed? kombucha. But if I see it available in my friendly local health shop, I'll give it a try (as long as the ingredients are compliant). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 0000244_64-oz-round-amber-glass-beer-growler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 I have several growlers (in a couple of sizes) which I used to use for beer (and occasionally coffee). Here in Portland, a lot of pubs and restaurants will fill growlers from their beer on tap. And I have a small store nearby that has four beers and/or hard ciders, three kombuchas, and one cold brew coffee (rotating varieties for all). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli W Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I am interested in the sauce you are using to dip carrots .. I need a dip for raw carrots or I just won't eat them. What is romesco sauce? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 It's a red pepper / nut sauce -- I love it! (I love tomato-vinegary things, like gazpacho and V8...) This stuff is good on eggs, meat, fish, for dipping stuff in -- you really could put it on just about anything. Bonus, my vegan daughter loves it, too. Here's the recipe I use (which I snagged from Derval when I did my first W30): http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/pork-medallions-with-romesco-sauce.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpketz Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Gotta love Portland. Wish we had more options for Kombucha in restaurants and pubs in the Bay Area. I did hear of an entrepreneur back east who's started a chain of Kombucha bars with her own brew. Maybe she'll expand to the Left Coast. @Jessiegetswhole, LOL !! I guess you do kinda "breed" Kombucha in a way but I've never heard it put that way. As for added sugar, the go-to brands that have been around for a while like GT Dave's Trilogy and Synergy don't add sugar but I can't vouch for some of the later brands on the scene. For more info, there's a ton of discussion about Kombucha on this forum. --J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 I'm a third of the way there! Day 10 was relatively uneventful. Breakfast - two fried eggs on top of leftover cauliflower "frittata", with Frank's Red Hot, a sectioned cocktail grapefruit, can of V8 and bulletproof coffee. As I mentioned above, it's probably not a good idea to have so many of my breakfast calories in drinkable form. It pushed some of the eggs and cauliflower off my plate (I couldn't finish). Tomorrow, back to my regular eggs/greens breakfast. Lunch - Green salad with lots of veggies, avocado, smoked turkey deli slices (compliant - Organic Prairie), olive oil/vinegar, olives and a couple of dates. Snack - cashews, fruit strip (Stretch Island, which my daughter bought yesterday at Costco -- I know eating a fruit strip is not ideal, but I was impatient waiting to my dinner to be ready, and they were just sitting there in a bowl right out there on the counter, being all ingredient-compliant and all... and personally, I am lucky in that I don't struggle much with sugar cravings) Dinner - Steak (again, yum), sauteed zucchini with romesco sauce, baked potato with ghee and romesco sauce. Day 10! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutlifr Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I refuse to buy into the idea of consuming something -on whole 30 - that has sugar as a needed ingredient for brewing , and traces of alcohol when brewed. And this despite of its probiotic qualities. Sugar and alcohol... No thank you, no matter how little .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 NO BRAKES!! I brought the paleo jerkey that I bought at the Cultured Caveman with me to work today, as an emergency supply type of thing. Or for an addition to an afternoon snack if necessary. That was a mistake. I've said before, and usually it's true -- I don't have much of a struggle with sugar cravings. I'm more of a salty snack person -- but even so, I haven't had trouble taking it easy on the salted nuts. However. I do have a problem with jerky. I ate the whole pack, and this was after my "regular" (but small) snack of cashews, dried pineapple and coconut flakes. About an hour later, I started to feel kinda gross. And now, 6:42 pm, I'm not even remotely hungry for dinner. On top of that, I've felt sleepy and super low energy since about 5. No more jerky. Or bring a little piece or two in a ziplock,and keep the rest safely out of sight/reach. This evening has been the roughest so far. I just don't feel good tonight. Day 11. Breakfast - fried eggs, sauteed super greens. Lunch - big green salad w lots of veggies, smoked turkey, avocado, olive oil/vinegar, La Croix Snack - cashews, dried pineapple, coconut flakes Dinner - Pellegrino. Haha! I might steam some broccoli in a little while and have that with a little chicken deli slices. UPDATE 10:10pm. No energy to make food. Had 32 oz water, piece of fruit leather and peppermint tea. Early to bed now to sleep this headache / unhappy stomach off. Day 11 by eabeeb1, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Aaaaand the headache returns. Funny how it coincided with my first day back to the office after a 4 day weekend with bulletproof coffee each morning. Not a drop of caffeine today. Between that and the late afternoon jerky-binge, I feel pretty crappy. No dinber, no appetite. I had a big jug of water, and a small piece of fruit leather, and now sipping peppermint tea in bed. Hope a good night of sleep restores me. You know, it is really eye opening to see so clearly how my body reacts to taking something (caffeine) away. It is weird to think of it as a physical addiction / withdrawal. I don't want to give coffee up in the long run, but cutting back from my old 3+ large cups a day would probably be good. Good thing I like tea, too (even ones with no caffeine!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli W Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I have been drinking less coffee - I like mine with cream and the coconut milk isn't working for me. But I can't not drink coffee --- clearly addicted. Definitely get headaches, etc. Hope you feel better tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 I woke at 3am with the worst headache I can remember ever having. I'm not typically prone to headaches (except during both of my pregnancies). I'll get the very occasional small headache here or there, and a dose of Advil usually takes care of it within a short time. This one last night was not a small headache. I thought my head would explode, and I felt nauseous. I took Advil (against my better judgment -- I developed an allergy last fall and NSAIDs now give me hives), and eventually fell back to sleep. I slept until 8am and the headache was gone when I woke. It is almost unheard of for me to be late for work, and I never call in sick, but I have a great job, and the bosses are understanding, thankfully. I'm having a cup of bulletproof coffee with breakfast. Just one. I'm not 100% sure my headache was completely the result of caffeine withdrawal -- probably plowing through that pack of jerky yesterday, followed up by no dinner contributed. Or just a delayed response to the "carb flu" (on day 12?? probably not...) But I'm glad the headache went away. Untitled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Oh no! I hope you are feeling better now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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