The Tiger Tots of the CFC

[C_Cezeaux]

 

 

I did my second trial of dairy (with yogurt) 2 days ago and it went the same as the first trial - BAD.  At first i thought it was going to be ok but by the next day my knees were aching so bad they felt like they had ground up glass in them.  Not feeling very spunky today but hoping that the sunshine and chicken soup will help.  This shall pass - knowledge is power.

That is exactly how mom describes it, feels like broken glass. 

 

I had my own trial today - the Italian sausage soup with barley (the sausage is actually W30 compliant, I was very happy to find it).  It appears as though barley and I are not going to be friends.  At first I just felt very full and then sleepy but I have noticed now that my fingers are a little puffy and stiff and my shoulders ache.  I also have a spot of eczema above my eyebrow again.  Back to the program for a couple days and then I'll be hard headed and try another grain.  I think I will go for the gluten free oatmeal next.  Not the end of the world if grains and I don't get along well, but would be nice to have a hot breakfast cereal with a little coconut milk and cinnamon.

 

In the meantime, all but the final bowl of soup (which dear husband will eat) has been packaged into the freezer to take to mom.  Good thing the Thanksgiving dinner planned is already mostly compliant, lol.  I have planned my own celebratory tasty for the end of the meal using plantains and sweet potatoes so I won't be tempted to dive into a pie.

[mergthemagnificent]

Bpaitsel and everyone who sent words of support, thanks. Yes, I turned a corner and feel encouraged by the slower days ahead with the Thanksgiving holiday. I anticipate some emotional bumps in the road during the holidays because my mother was here wi us for both Thanksgiving and Christmas last year...I remember sitting next to her in church and her sort of getting stuck on one verse of Away in A Manger....she had dementia, but still remembered songs. In fact, at the very end, I sang to her a lot, u til she got to the point of being totally within...although I heard the other day that hearing actually continues for a while even after the heart and breath stop...wow. She also could hardly walk, but insisted on walking up to the front of the church for communion. aS I write this, I can feel her dainty little hand in mine going up to the front of the church....❤️❤️❤️

I, too, am experiencing the effects of eating foods not in the w30....and my very sloppy reintro. I am going to straighten up this week, even with Thanksgiving ahead, and will try to fly above the clouds in December as much as I can.

Cynthia, congrats on getting to go back home! Bronnyd, what is the season for persimmons?

[misslindy]

Merg, so glad you are feeling better, have been thinking of you.

 

Cynthia: sorry to hear about barley--I am hoping to one day be able to at least drink a version of barley coffee if I can't have the real stuff - long way down the road I fear.

 

Have a lovely Thanksgiving everyone.

[jodmaxfeldt]

Hello Everyone-

 

Our feast for 18 on Sunday was grand and fun and full of laughing.  We did a group Thanksgiving quiz and the kids even created a British speaking contest for our British guest.  So funny.  On the food side, I ate too much.  All healthy stuff and a piece of apple pie, but my tummy hurt anyway.  It was just too much.  I'm going into Thursday with that in mind.  I don't want to overeat, even if it is vegetables.  My muscles and rib cage always hurt the next day too.  And the loss of tiger blood.  So.  Not.  Fun.  

 

The cranberry waldorf salad has been a huge hit with my kids, which is great.  I'm going to make another batch of that for the Thursday table.  And more cranberry sauce sweetened with honey.  As with every year, I look forward to the sweet potatoes and root veggies on the table.  And I look forward to vacation and extra time away with my kiddos and John.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate and happy Thursday to the rest of you!!

xoxo 

[NancyW]

Hi all! I've noticed a recurrence of a very irritating problem--sneezing, and a runny or stuffy nose. It had ended toward the end of my W30, and I was glad to see it go! And now it's back. I'm not sure which of the foods I've been eating that are responsible for it. It kind of snuck back slowly, and today was the worst its been so far. I'll have to do my reinto more slowly next time to see if I can figure it out. Anybody else have any thoughts on what might be the cause of that?

 

 

[misslindy]

Hi all! I've noticed a recurrence of a very irritating problem--sneezing, and a runny or stuffy nose. It had ended toward the end of my W30, and I was glad to see it go! And now it's back. I'm not sure which of the foods I've been eating that are responsible for it. It kind of snuck back slowly, and today was the worst its been so far. I'll have to do my reinto more slowly next time to see if I can figure it out. Anybody else have any thoughts on what might be the cause of that?

Dairy and sugar are often the cause of nasal congestion, at least according to my reading.  But I suspect it is what your body won't tolerate so could be anything.

[Lainey]

Hi all! I've noticed a recurrence of a very irritating problem--sneezing, and a runny or stuffy nose. It had ended toward the end of my W30, and I was glad to see it go! And now it's back. I'm not sure which of the foods I've been eating that are responsible for it. It kind of snuck back slowly, and today was the worst its been so far. I'll have to do my reinto more slowly next time to see if I can figure it out. Anybody else have any thoughts on what might be the cause of that?

 

I agree with miss lindy -- for me personally, dairy causes a stuffy nose! 

[NancyW]

Dairy and sugar are often the cause of nasal congestion, at least according to my reading.  But I suspect it is what your body won't tolerate so could be anything.

 

 

I agree with miss lindy -- for me personally, dairy causes a stuffy nose! 

 

 

Dairy is the one thing I haven't had any of. Sugar or grains would be the most likely culprits. My next reintro will be much more careful!!!

[C_Cezeaux]

Hey all, finally checking in on my holiday travels and long move home.

 

NancyW, my wheat allergy will cause other allergies to pop up that I don't usually have and the sneezing at everything starts immediately.

 

Although the barley did not work out, I cautiously attempted some other grains in the Red Mills labels.  I am happy to report that I did quite well with the pancake mix and one brand of wheat free, dairy free, soy free, nut free gingersnaps that I found to use as a topping for a pear/cranberry crumble I made for Thanksgiving desert.  I savored my blueberry pancakes this morning, lol.

 

Thanksgiving went well, the fried plantains were a hit for breakfast - my father was astonished that he was not eating bread when I told him what they were.  And the roasted root vegetable that I made as a side dish for Thanksgiving dinner disappeared so fast there weren't any leftovers!  Most fun of all, when we were talking about food, my step daughter started talking about this fabulous new diet she had just finished up in September, which totally turned her on to real food and coconut oil, and she lost 15 lbs on.... YEP, Whole 30!   She also wants to do another in January when she comes back from vacation.

 

I am still keeping to the slow roll reintroduction.  I am content with my alternate flour if I feel the need for a bread type substance and have been able to have a little honey in my tea without a sugar dragon reappearance.  I want to try some legumes next, I do love a good southwest chicken/black bean soup.

 

Looking forward to being home in two days, hope everyone had a lovely holiday.

[Kimberly22]

Hi all! I've noticed a recurrence of a very irritating problem--sneezing, and a runny or stuffy nose. It had ended toward the end of my W30, and I was glad to see it go! And now it's back. I'm not sure which of the foods I've been eating that are responsible for it. It kind of snuck back slowly, and today was the worst its been so far. I'll have to do my reinto more slowly next time to see if I can figure it out. Anybody else have any thoughts on what might be the cause of that?

 

Hi!  I am not a part of the thread but currently on day 29 and have been reading the forums regarding reintroduction.  I have an autoimmune/inflammatory disease...Whole30 has really helped with my stuffy nose and my doctor told me that dairy can cause congestion and so does wheat and gluten items!  I was shocked but the proof is in the program! 

[Crimsann]

Starting work on my January menu, I've mentioned before I know that getting food in the house and planning well ahead are going to be the biggest issues.  Living in a snowy climate means casual trips to the grocery for a last minute item becomes dicey at best and sometimes just finding ingredients can be trickier than usual as winter sets in.  Dashing out for lunch?  I think NOT.

 

So my gift to myself will be a full month of menu's ready to go before we even flip the page to 2016.  It's also helping me keep the Whole30 rules at least in mind, if not in practice, while I'm on hiatus from it. 

 

Just ran across one of those special publications, BH&G I believe, centered around soups and stews and while I doubted any of these were going to be compliant as written...I'm finding a good bit of inspiration.  Making a pot of soup on the weekend and using it as the mainstay of lunches for a week is definitely part of the program for January.  I've already slotted in another batch of the Beef and Butternut Squash Stew I've mentioned before, it will be the first time I try the edited version of that but I'm confident I can make it Whole30 without losing everything I love about it.  Now I'm looking for a few more candidates and first up I think is going to be the Jamacian Pepper Pot out of this magazine.  I did a quick Google search to see if I could find you guys a similar recipe but what I found was so all over the board...everything from beef to pig's tails...that I think I'm just going to try it first and post a recap later because none of these are even close.  This version uses coconut milk and chicken stock as the base already so that's easy enough.  It also uses sweet potato and okra though I may sub some other green veggie there, possibly zuchinni, and pork and shrimp meatballs.  The obligatory pepper of course and it was topped with a garnish of some toasted coconut.  Lots of popular and compliant things, in fact they recipe is nearly Whole30 down the line.  The only thing that immediately jumped out was the fact that they use bread crumbs to bind the meatballs but that is certainly no hurdle.

 

But it brings me to my question...anyone found a favorite way to do meatballs/meatloaf without bread that they would like to reccomend?  I've tried a couple of things, and I think considering the rest of the ingredients using unsweetened coconut might be a good fit here, but I'm curious for your input.

[misslindy]

Starting work on my January menu, I've mentioned before I know that getting food in the house and planning well ahead are going to be the biggest issues.  Living in a snowy climate means casual trips to the grocery for a last minute item becomes dicey at best and sometimes just finding ingredients can be trickier than usual as winter sets in.  Dashing out for lunch?  I think NOT.

 

So my gift to myself will be a full month of menu's ready to go before we even flip the page to 2016.  It's also helping me keep the Whole30 rules at least in mind, if not in practice, while I'm on hiatus from it. 

 

Just ran across one of those special publications, BH&G I believe, centered around soups and stews and while I doubted any of these were going to be compliant as written...I'm finding a good bit of inspiration.  Making a pot of soup on the weekend and using it as the mainstay of lunches for a week is definitely part of the program for January.  I've already slotted in another batch of the Beef and Butternut Squash Stew I've mentioned before, it will be the first time I try the edited version of that but I'm confident I can make it Whole30 without losing everything I love about it.  Now I'm looking for a few more candidates and first up I think is going to be the Jamacian Pepper Pot out of this magazine.  I did a quick Google search to see if I could find you guys a similar recipe but what I found was so all over the board...everything from beef to pig's tails...that I think I'm just going to try it first and post a recap later because none of these are even close.  This version uses coconut milk and chicken stock as the base already so that's easy enough.  It also uses sweet potato and okra though I may sub some other green veggie there, possibly zuchinni, and pork and shrimp meatballs.  The obligatory pepper of course and it was topped with a garnish of some toasted coconut.  Lots of popular and compliant things, in fact they recipe is nearly Whole30 down the line.  The only thing that immediately jumped out was the fact that they use bread crumbs to bind the meatballs but that is certainly no hurdle.

 

But it brings me to my question...anyone found a favorite way to do meatballs/meatloaf without bread that they would like to reccomend?  I've tried a couple of things, and I think considering the rest of the ingredients using unsweetened coconut might be a good fit here, but I'm curious for your input.

Hi Crimsann

I make a meatloaf/ball thing with minced meat (usually pork) and add vegetable, onion, grated carrot, spinach etc. I have now added chopped up liver--it all hold together well and tastes nice. I put beet root in one batch and loved that one. Of course any spices you like add flavour.

[NancyW]

Hi!  I am not a part of the thread but currently on day 29 and have been reading the forums regarding reintroduction.  I have an autoimmune/inflammatory disease...Whole30 has really helped with my stuffy nose and my doctor told me that dairy can cause congestion and so does wheat and gluten items!  I was shocked but the proof is in the program! 

Thanks for the input, Kimberly22. I've found that in the two months since I ended my 30, not only have the stuffiness and sneezing come back, but so has a lot of the soreness. I didn't make the connection until recently though. I guess because it happened fairly slowly, I was unaware. Anyway, after my next W30 (or 45 or 60), I will leave out the wheat/gluten, and the dairy, or reintroduce them with a longer time in between. And the sugar needs to NEVER come back!

[jodmaxfeldt]

Good Morning Tiger Tots,

 

It's December!  I've been eating Whole30 since Sunday morning.  I had dessert several days in a row over Thanksgiving (in-law stress) and wanted to set myself straight.  I haven't been strict strict because that causes its own problems with my head, but I've been pretty darn good.  (Meaning I've licked the honey/almond butter knife at breakfast time to clean it.  It's local raw honey and I think it's good for me.)  I feel so much more in control.  I love that feeling.  And I feel light and airy and hungry when it's time to eat!  All good things.  

 

I love the soup ideas and am going to do the same to get me through my work week for the rest of this month.  I'll let you know which soup I pick first.  I've eaten a lot of squash soup (Whole30 book recipe) recently and I like to poach eggs in it when I'm home for breakfast.

 

And meatballs.  Stupid Easy Paleo has some good recipes.  I haven't added breadcrumbs to meatballs in a long time.  I find the egg and meat bind quite well with onions and garlic added.  I think I'll try some shredded carrot and beet.  That sounds delicious.

 

Peace & warmth coming your way....

[AshleyM2484]

Hi everyone!

 

It's been quite some time since I've posted and I'm sorry to be MIA.

 

Three weeks ago I had a miscarriage just a couple days shy of ten weeks  .  It was really devastating at first, but after speaking with the doctor I found out I had a blighted ovum.  It's basically where the sperm and egg get together and create the sac the baby goes in but the embryo never grows inside.  It's like a ghost pregnancy.  I know it sounds weird but I'm so glad there was not a baby inside that sac.  I think it would've been SO much harder to get through a miscarriage knowing that a baby was actually growing in me versus no baby growing at all (if that makes any sense).  I started to blame myself and my lack of W30 compliant eating since I KNOW the W30 helped get me pregnant to begin with!  But the doctor assured me that it's the cause of half of all miscarriages.

 

So, here I am, attempting to stifle my sadness about not carrying a baby to term, planning my wedding (1-1-16!) and trying to make W30 choices and failing miserably.  I've gained back 11 of the 17 lbs I lost on W30 in September.  It's a bummer but I know what I need to do to get back on track and feel better about life.  

 

With that being said, I am wanting to recharge my Whole30 batteries for this coming January (after my wedding of course LOL).  It will be 1/2/2016.  I know it's been quiet in here lately but is anyone else planning an aggressive restart?

 

Thank you all for being such wonderful, supportive people.

[mergthemagnificent]

Hi, everyone! I have been MIA also due to a huge house repair project underway chez nous...amazing how that disruption has really thrown me for a loop. Fortunately, my eating habits are mostly locked in on a positive dimension, although I sure have craved a BIG FAT COOKIE on more than one occasion....but I've been strong, except for having a glass of wine each night. We are hosting a party off site on Friday, and then my hubs 75th is on Tuesday. I will turn the tide on wine after that.

Crismann, your plan is inspiring! I like the idea of going into January with a prepared menu plan...as well as some more solid and well articulate goals...so let's get geared up, fellow campers...think creatively and energetically about how to make a Whole 30 in 2016 just th right start to the year.

Miss Lindy, I am sorry you've had some bumps in the road, from your (former) doctor and friends/family....I know you have the wisdom to go easy on yourself for your dalliances from the AI protocol. I think we all need think of our learning process not as a straight line, but more as a spiral where we circle back around issues, just each time at a higher level, ideally. I've definitely felt that each w30 has been a bit easier since some of the basics are now regular habits...and sinc I've learned some things, like hot to avoid giving myself botulism when I make bone broth, the joys of persimmons, and sweet potato hash...

Ashley, I am sorry for your loss and I totally get what you are saying about the blighted ovum. Sound as ough this was just not the perfect time for a baby to come along, and that you will be ready the next time...and, my goodness! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Do what you can to eat whole 30 between now and then as, IMHO, it really helps with stabilizing mood and managing stress...wedding, anyone?? And then, yes, let's do a great restart in th new year.

Cynthia, hope you are getting settle back at home and all is well...and Nancy, I look forward to venturing forth with you in 2016. Bronnyd, and Bpaitsel,hope you are well also!

Merg

[C_Cezeaux]

I am at home!!  We finally got the truck unloaded today, just have to shift a few things in the apartment over to storage to make room for some of the things we accumulated while our travel trailer was in the shop.   I am SO glad to be home in one piece - the part from mom's to here was going to be done two days but ended up taking us three because the roads were all snow and ice until we hit Texas.  VERY slow driving.

 

Ashley, sorry to hear of your loss, what you say about no baby in the sac makes perfect sense but very difficult to go through all the same.  I will be starting another W30 in January, but will be the 2nd week after we get back from vacation.

 

I am holding to my reintroduction, have been stickng mainly to W30 approved foods other than my foray into alternate flour pancakes at mom's and the bit of honey in my tea.  After we get organized I'm going to cook up a pot of red beans for red beans and rice and see if I can get away with them (mine will go over a potato, rice later if they work out.)  I found some rib ends stashed in the freezer from our last cook off, that definitely calls for beans, lol.

[bpaitsel]

Ashley - I am so sorry you had to go through that experience but I am confident that you will be able to grow the family that you want.

Crimsann - I wish I was as organized as you are!  I like to think that I am but usually I spend more time thinking about preparing menus and looking at recipes than actually putting together a plan.  I was originally thinking that my second W30 1/1/16 would be easier but reading what you said about it actually being harder made a lot of sense - will have to be extra careful.

Cynthia - There's no place like home!  Glad you got there safe.

MissLindy - hang in there with the AI protocol - it's not easy and normal to have times when you get frustrated.  Even though I knew that my knee pain would return, yesterday I ate dairy (in the form of some of the best homemade fudge I have ever had that was brought into work).  Then today, with knees hurting, I was still getting frustrated in the grocery store about dietary limitations. Sometimes we just can't be perfect I guess.   My 28 year old nephew was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism and fatty liver and promptly put on medications with no discussion whatsoever about lifestyle changes - I was livid.

Merg - good luck with the house repairs - that can be very stressful.  I'm glad you have been able to resist the cookie.  I thought I would allow myself some wiggle room between now and 1/1/16 on the sugar thing.  I have a co-worker who is also gluten free and she brought in some cookies.  Needless to say, between the cookies and the fudge my sugar dragon is no longer in hibernation but is on an all-out mission to ruin me - my own fault!

 

Glad that we are loosely staying in touch, along with some new people - welcome-.  I was really surprised at how much support the forum is.  Happy  Friday-Eve.

[C_Cezeaux]

 Even though I knew that my knee pain would return, yesterday I ate dairy (in the form of some of the best homemade fudge I have ever had that was brought into work).  Then today, with knees hurting, I was still getting frustrated in the grocery store about dietary limitations. Sometimes we just can't be perfect I guess.   My 28 year old nephew was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism and fatty liver and promptly put on medications with no discussion whatsoever about lifestyle changes - I was livid.

Merg - good luck with the house repairs - that can be very stressful.  I'm glad you have been able to resist the cookie.  I thought I would allow myself some wiggle room between now and 1/1/16 on the sugar thing.  I have a co-worker who is also gluten free and she brought in some cookies.  Needless to say, between the cookies and the fudge my sugar dragon is no longer in hibernation but is on an all-out mission to ruin me - my own fault!

 

Glad that we are loosely staying in touch, along with some new people - welcome-.  I was really surprised at how much support the forum is.  Happy  Friday-Eve.

Sometimes it feels like the food that will cause pain will be worth it (sometimes it is, lol), but it always gets us in the end.  Mom carries charcoal tablets with her in case of accidental dairy ingestion.  It seems to help quite a bit with the severity and duration of the pain if she gets them in quickly.

 

Were you able to talk to your nephew about diet?  I just went through that with my husband - some docs just don't seem to get it.  Or maybe it's just easier if they write a quick prescription so people go away?  Diet is so, so important and within just my own family I have seen some amazing turnarounds with change in diet alone.  I'm really glad I had learned as much as I have when my husband got his lab results and that I thought to question the meds she wanted him on.  The one condition wasn't much above normal, but the med she wanted him on to lower cholesterol could have kicked him into type 2 diabetes!! I firmly believe his next lab results will be MUCH better with the healthy eating he's been doing.

 

I love coming to the forum - so much help, new ideas, sympathetic "ears" when venting needs to be done, and occasionally I even get to help someone. A lot like a good family gathering, lol.

[misslindy]

Hi everyone!

 

It's been quite some time since I've posted and I'm sorry to be MIA.

 

Three weeks ago I had a miscarriage just a couple days shy of ten weeks  .  It was really devastating at first, but after speaking with the doctor I found out I had a blighted ovum.  It's basically where the sperm and egg get together and create the sac the baby goes in but the embryo never grows inside.  It's like a ghost pregnancy.  I know it sounds weird but I'm so glad there was not a baby inside that sac.  I think it would've been SO much harder to get through a miscarriage knowing that a baby was actually growing in me versus no baby growing at all (if that makes any sense).  I started to blame myself and my lack of W30 compliant eating since I KNOW the W30 helped get me pregnant to begin with!  But the doctor assured me that it's the cause of half of all miscarriages.

 

So, here I am, attempting to stifle my sadness about not carrying a baby to term, planning my wedding (1-1-16!) and trying to make W30 choices and failing miserably.  I've gained back 11 of the 17 lbs I lost on W30 in September.  It's a bummer but I know what I need to do to get back on track and feel better about life.  

 

With that being said, I am wanting to recharge my Whole30 batteries for this coming January (after my wedding of course LOL).  It will be 1/2/2016.  I know it's been quiet in here lately but is anyone else planning an aggressive restart?

 

Thank you all for being such wonderful, supportive people.

I am so sorry to hear of your loss, let your sadness wash over when it needs to so you can learn to live with the loss rather than stifle the pain and have it a recurring heartache. This wasn't meant to be for now and it is sad but will get better. xxx

 

Perhaps controlling what you can, like staying on W30 or even one or two compliant meals a day will help you get stronger and get through this time--each meal you have that nourishes you helps your entire being, not just your hunger.

 

Take care of you.xxxL

[bpaitsel]

Cynthia - thank you so much for the advice about the charcoal.  I didn't know about that at all.  I have talked with my nephew about diet and had him to tweak a few things this week.  He typically has a very poor SAD and has a very limited budget but I think he will try some changes if I go slow with him and don't get him overwhelmed.  I do best when I just jump in - all or nothing- but this might not work with him.  I also haven't seen his lab work values yet but should have them soon.  Hope your husband sees some good numbers on his tests.  

[NancyW]

Wow, I could swear I posted on Thursday night, but I don't see it here. Must have forgotten to hit the post button. Anyway...

 

Ashley, so sorry for your loss. XO

 

I have found that all of the things that were so much improved during my W30 are now pretty much completely "unimproved." I am upset that I let this happen, but on the upside, it was a good lesson in life before a W30 and life after a W30. The differences are profound! I thought things might have actually gotten worse this time around (the pain, the allergy symptoms, the bloating, the sleeplessness, the digestive crap - no pun intended), but more likely it's just that I didn't realize how wrong things were until they were better! I guess I am just a slow learner when it comes to food I love that does NOT love me back!

 

While I won't start my next 30 till January, I have stocked up on more Paleo things now. I was getting truly sloppy with my eating (sandwiches, chips, sugar) and wasn't cooking much. I used the last of my homemade frozen W30 stuff earlier this week, and have been too lazy to worry about it. I will be cooking today! 

 

And speaking of January, maybe posting in the "Join" thread would be good. That way, any newcomers or experienced W30'ers could join in. The more the merrier!

[JenHZ]

Quick stop to add in the link for the Sweet Potato Gratin recipe I can totally vouch for...I'm sure there are other out there but this is one I've made and really thought anyone would like even non-Whole30ers.

 

http://meatified.com/sweet-potato-gratin/

forgot to report that this was very well received with about  2 tablespoons of adobe chili puree added to the sauce.  if you don 't super puree the chilies you will get flecks of them on top and the top part will be a bit spicier than the bottom part.

 

thanks again for the link. I am making them for a Chanukah potluck tomorrow.

[C_Cezeaux]

Cynthia - thank you so much for the advice about the charcoal.  I didn't know about that at all.  I have talked with my nephew about diet and had him to tweak a few things this week.  He typically has a very poor SAD and has a very limited budget but I think he will try some changes if I go slow with him and don't get him overwhelmed.  I do best when I just jump in - all or nothing- but this might not work with him.  I also haven't seen his lab work values yet but should have them soon.  Hope your husband sees some good numbers on his tests.  

If your nephew doesn't have one already, a grow bulb in his favorite lamp would do good things for his SAD.  My brother has one at his desk and one in the reading lamp in the living room.  We also put one in the light over my grandmother's bed in the retirement home. 

[C_Cezeaux]

Good gracious, this has been a week!!  It is good to be home - but it has been a massive amount of work to bring the apartment back to what I consider livable. Because we are on the road so much, we have a "shared" apartment with my brother-in-law, whom I suspect has been spending entirely too much time alone or has been without his breathing medication and is not getting enough oxygen..  Perhaps something different, maybe it just got away from him.  All I know is that one man and two cats in an apartment for 8 months should not result in what I found when I came out in daylight.  Several days of cleaning, deodorizing, carpet shampooing, and sanitizing later, I can walk into the living room without my skin itching and eyes watering.  Wow.

 

Anyway, added a few more things back into the diet (not all at once), and am delighted that I can eat at our favorite little hole in the wall Mexican place - Mama uses goat cheese!!   And makes her own yellow corn tortillas, which I can handle.  Had one hibiscus margarita at the fancy Mexican place in downtown Houston and did not feel at all well the next day, think I was hungover, lol.  Haven't tried any other alcohol.  Cereals for breakfast are OUT.  Sticking to my protein/veg, I feel so much better.