TTT and Renewed Crew January Journey

[NancyW]

Day 4. Here's to hoping it's a quiet, productive day. HA! I've got my food, and a couple of Epic bars just in case. I don't have to worry about those being dangerous to have on hand, because I really don't like them very much. They have a job to do, and they do it well (stave off hunger), but I will NEVER eat one if I don't really have to. That's how I know I'm hungry:

 

Me: "Are you hungry enough to eat an Epic bar?"

 

Also me (because I talk to myself more than usual while I'm W30-ing): "No way!! I can wait till mealtime."

 

Off to get my butt in gear. Have a lovely, and for those of you on KILL day--peaceful, day!

[hsheffield]

Day 3 down, Day 4 to go. So far this is working well. My cold is almost gone and I could taste my egg bake I prepared for breakfast for the week. Unfortunately the taste is .....bleh. Added some Tessamae lemon chesapeake and it was  much better.  Need to get more creative about breakfast.

 

Made the lime jalapeño wings from Nom Nom for dinner. Also wonderful. I downloaded her app-I want to support what that woman is doing. She's the bomb!!! (w/ a sense of humor )

 

I cut out a LOT of noncompliant things for the 2-3 weeks before starting so I don't have the headache/I want to kill somebody stuff yet. But hey, work starts back for me this morning so we'll see. 

 

My birthday is in two weeks-trying to do self-talk: my present to myself is feeling good. Sugar doesn't make me feel good and I think it might make my joints hurt. 

 

so there

[milonac]

HI All!  It's great to see so many familiar faces! Thanks Nancy for setting this up.

 

I'm starting Round 2 officially today! I had been doing well up until the last two weeks, which was a complete whirlwind of traveling, work meetings, and many social gatherings.  It feels really good to be doing this again and I'm really super excited!

 

Last night I made the eggplant caviar from the Nom Nom app which was awesome! I threw it on grilled chicken and it was delish!  I love eggplant but I never have any luck making it.  It always seems to come out chewy or spongy.  This recipe was pretty simple and very tasty.  I'll definitely be making it again.

 

This time my focus is to add more exercise into my routine, incorporate a larger variety of veggies and do a proper re-introduction.

 

Good luck everyone!

[C_Cezeaux]

Lol, so much for my whining not starting until day 3!  As I just posted to the Whole 9 challenge group, I jumped in "cold turkey" on this (my round 3) after the two weeks of holiday/vacation binging.  I am SO not pleasant to be around today and am in epic battle with myself as I try to rein in the snack monster, sugar dragon, and travel fatigue all at once.  So, I am taking a page from Dave's book and have assigned myself enough chores to keep me busy all day until this goes away.  And hopefully takes the rocking motion with it.  Still feel like I'm aboard ship, which is really weird inside buildings.

 

Off I go, to finish clearing up all the holiday clutter and put away all the things we accumulated during travel.  Suitcases unpacked, laundry started, shopping list made...

[Crimsann]

Once again I've lost getting notifications which really bums me out because I like reading along all day even if I can't get on to reply.  Working on that problem, I'm sure it's me.  LOL!

 

Day 1 here, not the most stellar start, I had predicted it was going to be rough in January but I forgot exactly how much darker it is 45 minutes earlier than I'm usually conscious.  Thankfully I have the worlds best/most hateful alarm clock so I woke up when I needed to but I was completely convinced I had set the alarm wrong, it couldn't be that dark still, and by the time I had cudgled my brain into accepting it was truly get up time I was way late for cooking a full breakfast.  Sigh.  I will be attempting this again tomorrow and then looking into some of my made-ahead options.  I didn't mind so much last summer, but then it was never full on dark when I was getting up to cook. 

 

Lunch went well, though I almost forgot it at home (seems to be my thing for first days) and I'm feeling okay right now.  I have my mini-Meal 3 ready to go for later this evening and a pretty quick to cook plan for Meal 4 when I get home.  For those just "meeting" me, I am one who does 14 hour work days so in order to keep meal times spaced 4-5 hours apart I end up eating two at home and two "on the road".  My mini-Meal 3 is a glorified snack where I try to hit all the template notes (this often ends up being a small salad with a sprinkle of nuts of some kind) but keep it small enough that I'm still able to eat a light dinner when I do get home (usually around 10PM), sometimes I end up splitting one meal into two portions to accomplish this. 

 

I've been thinking about our Day 4 members all day today, hope my thinking of you helped and be sure to return the favor on Thursday, lol!  I had planned to try and share a couple of bloopers from past W30's today as a way to lighten the day but I ran out of time and now I can't even remember what I had picked out to share other than the cough drops.  Maybe you guys will have some as well?  Funny moments of trying to explain your diet or crazy near misses (like the cannibal cashews a mental image I still can't get rid of...I assumed they were roasted in their own oil but when you say it that way it does seem somewhat creepy.)

 

The one moment that came to mind is during my first Whole30 when I got an unexpected summer cold, I was in week 3 and going strong only to nearly be brought weeping to my knees for want of a cough drop.  On the reccomendation of the group, I decided to try a specific kind of tea and somehow in my mind I thought this tea would be with the medicinals so my armor was "down" not being in the food aisle and what should my wandering eyes land on but APPLE PIE cough drops.

 

Who even knew that was even a thing?!?  But instantly I'm flooded with homespun memories and comfort food longings and I literally had them almost in my basket telling myself I would just try them after my Whole30.  What?!?!  I'm about to buy a cough drop I know I won't need two weeks from now so I can taste it once I'm free to indulge in sugar again?  This is going to be my grand splurge on Day 31?!  I still giggle at the thought. 

[NancyW]

Day 3 down, Day 4 to go. So far this is working well. My cold is almost gone and I could taste my egg bake I prepared for breakfast for the week. Unfortunately the taste is .....bleh. Added some Tessamae lemon chesapeake and it was  much better.  Need to get more creative about breakfast.

 

Made the lime jalapeño wings from Nom Nom for dinner. Also wonderful. I downloaded her app-I want to support what that woman is doing. She's the bomb!!! (w/ a sense of humor )

 

I cut out a LOT of noncompliant things for the 2-3 weeks before starting so I don't have the headache/I want to kill somebody stuff yet. But hey, work starts back for me this morning so we'll see. 

 

My birthday is in two weeks-trying to do self-talk: my present to myself is feeling good. Sugar doesn't make me feel good and I think it might make my joints hurt. 

 

so there

I think I'm going to go ahead and get the Tessamae W30 pack from Amazon. They say it's all W30 compliant, but I'll read the labels to be sure. It sounds like a good thing to have on hand!

 

HI All!  It's great to see so many familiar faces! Thanks Nancy for setting this up.

 

I'm starting Round 2 officially today! I had been doing well up until the last two weeks, which was a complete whirlwind of traveling, work meetings, and many social gatherings.  It feels really good to be doing this again and I'm really super excited!

 

Last night I made the eggplant caviar from the Nom Nom app which was awesome! I threw it on grilled chicken and it was delish!  I love eggplant but I never have any luck making it.  It always seems to come out chewy or spongy.  This recipe was pretty simple and very tasty.  I'll definitely be making it again.

 

This time my focus is to add more exercise into my routine, incorporate a larger variety of veggies and do a proper re-introduction.

 

Good luck everyone!

Welcome back, milonac! When I read this the first time, I saw "threw it on grilled cheese" (wishful thinking? LOL) and I had a mini-panic attack for you... 

 

Once again I've lost getting notifications which really bums me out because I like reading along all day even if I can't get on to reply.  Working on that problem, I'm sure it's me.  LOL!

 

Day 1 here, not the most stellar start, I had predicted it was going to be rough in January but I forgot exactly how much darker it is 45 minutes earlier than I'm usually conscious.  Thankfully I have the worlds best/most hateful alarm clock so I woke up when I needed to but I was completely convinced I had set the alarm wrong, it couldn't be that dark still, and by the time I had cudgled my brain into accepting it was truly get up time I was way late for cooking a full breakfast.  Sigh.  I will be attempting this again tomorrow and then looking into some of my made-ahead options.  I didn't mind so much last summer, but then it was never full on dark when I was getting up to cook. 

 

Lunch went well, though I almost forgot it at home (seems to be my thing for first days) and I'm feeling okay right now.  I have my mini-Meal 3 ready to go for later this evening and a pretty quick to cook plan for Meal 4 when I get home.  For those just "meeting" me, I am one who does 14 hour work days so in order to keep meal times spaced 4-5 hours apart I end up eating two at home and two "on the road".  My mini-Meal 3 is a glorified snack where I try to hit all the template notes (this often ends up being a small salad with a sprinkle of nuts of some kind) but keep it small enough that I'm still able to eat a light dinner when I do get home (usually around 10PM), sometimes I end up splitting one meal into two portions to accomplish this. 

 

I've been thinking about our Day 4 members all day today, hope my thinking of you helped and be sure to return the favor on Thursday, lol!  I had planned to try and share a couple of bloopers from past W30's today as a way to lighten the day but I ran out of time and now I can't even remember what I had picked out to share other than the cough drops.  Maybe you guys will have some as well?  Funny moments of trying to explain your diet or crazy near misses (like the cannibal cashews a mental image I still can't get rid of...I assumed they were roasted in their own oil but when you say it that way it does seem somewhat creepy.)

 

The one moment that came to mind is during my first Whole30 when I got an unexpected summer cold, I was in week 3 and going strong only to nearly be brought weeping to my knees for want of a cough drop.  On the reccomendation of the group, I decided to try a specific kind of tea and somehow in my mind I thought this tea would be with the medicinals so my armor was "down" not being in the food aisle and what should my wandering eyes land on but APPLE PIE cough drops.

 

Who even knew that was even a thing?!?  But instantly I'm flooded with homespun memories and comfort food longings and I literally had them almost in my basket telling myself I would just try them after my Whole30.  What?!?!  I'm about to buy a cough drop I know I won't need two weeks from now so I can taste it once I'm free to indulge in sugar again?  This is going to be my grand splurge on Day 31?!  I still giggle at the thought. 

Apple pie cough drops??? Could be worth a day 31 splurge! LOL

 

Lol, so much for my whining not starting until day 3!  As I just posted to the Whole 9 challenge group, I jumped in "cold turkey" on this (my round 3) after the two weeks of holiday/vacation binging.  I am SO not pleasant to be around today and am in epic battle with myself as I try to rein in the snack monster, sugar dragon, and travel fatigue all at once.  So, I am taking a page from Dave's book and have assigned myself enough chores to keep me busy all day until this goes away.  And hopefully takes the rocking motion with it.  Still feel like I'm aboard ship, which is really weird inside buildings.

 

Off I go, to finish clearing up all the holiday clutter and put away all the things we accumulated during travel.  Suitcases unpacked, laundry started, shopping list made...

Whine away. That's part of the reason this works, having a place to whine about it!!!

[NancyW]

Hi all! Here it is, the end of my first day back at work, on KILL ALL THE THINGS day, and I haven't even wanted to kill anything!!! I'm very grateful for that. It was tough to go back to work. I haven't had real shoes on in DAYS! But I resisted the urge to go to work in my slippers.

 

I planned a salad for tonight, but I'm cold, and I really want some hot food. Maybe some buffalo ground beef with cabbage & peppers, on top of a sweet potato. That sounds better than a salad right now. Enjoy the rest of your evening!

[mergthemagnificent]

Crimsann, I love the apple pie cough drop story because it shines a light on the stories we tell ourselves, such as "I am just buying these to try later"......REALLY believable, right? Oh, I am a professional I this sort of story telling...I will remember some to tell you later.

Cynthia, not sure I know what kolaches are, but somewhere in my heritage are Moravians, so maybe so...I just really loved that grandmother who taught me to bake, and I like the tradition...and even the shipping them off to my three siblings who are spread all over the country. We never see each other and hardly ever talk by phone...and now, since our mother died last March, I fear feeling as though I've lost not just her, but the whole family. So, my my resolution is to substitute Phone calls for sweet rolls....I will call each of them, and their children on some regular schedule just to get my family fix...and may still make enough rolls just for us at Christmas next year.

Nancy, I love your riff on Epic bars. I bought to the first time to try and one of them sat on my desk at work though many a food desiring time....never was a credible candidate. Sorry, epic...I would not recommend them to anyone new to paleo...

Hsheffield, am with you on Michelle Tam...she is so funny and her recipes, blog, periscope videos, and podcasts are just great...so cheery and practical....and boy, on kill all things day, I need both. I made Asian cauliflower fried "Rice" tonight...so yummy!

Keep on, Keepin on, everyone!

[NancyW]

Hi all! Here it is, the end of my first day back at work, on KILL ALL THE THINGS day, and I haven't even wanted to kill anything!!!

 

Oh boy, it appears I am a bit behind the timeline. I woke up today feeling less than stellar, and crabby as can be. Gonna be a long day--wish me luck...

[milonac]

 

 

hsheffield, hope you're feeling better! I saw an 8 pack of Tessamae's stuff on Amazon, the Whole30 pack. I've been considering ordering it. Do you like that stuff?

 

 

Nancy-  I really love Tessamae's BBQ and Terriyaki  sauce!  They are soo good. The buffalo sauce is pretty good too. I've gotten the Ranch dressing, but I'm not a huge fan of Ranch so I'm probably not the best person to give a review.  It has to be refrigerated and it seems to get hard in the fridge. I always forget to take it out to thaw...so I haven't used it much. LOL.   I also LOVE their Honey Mustard dressing. But, the Honey Mustard is NOT compliant. 

 

 

Welcome back, milonac! When I read this the first time, I saw "threw it on grilled cheese" (wishful thinking? LOL) and I had a mini-panic attack for you...  

 

Yes...definitely wishful thinking!  I see where your mind is at!  

 

 

Crimsann- I finally made the the sweet potato gratin recipe you recommended a while back. It was great and i'm definitely going add this to my rotation.

For those interested, here's the link again. http://meatified.com/sweet-potato-gratin/

I was a little leary while making it but, it is very tasty!  

[hsheffield]

Day 5: despite my being very diligent about cutting noncompliant things out beforehand, I also (like NancyW) woke up with a headache and swollen joints. 

 

really???

 

I might have to drink some coffee (which I almost never do) just for the headache. I have dental work scheduled for today-I need to get a grip or I

might bite the dentist. 

 

On a more positive note, my girl crush on Michelle Tam continues. I'm ordering all sorts of new kitchen gadgets (and I thought I already had them all!) I

love her idea of freezing bones as you make things so you can make bone broth in your pressure cooker later. It's embarrassing how much trouble I went

to in order to make bone broth last spring...and it wasn't that good. I'll be testing her version as soon as I collect enough bones.

 

off to face the day.

 

say a prayer for my dentist.

[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies. I got up with a headache this morning. I feel like KILLING...because it is only 23 degrees and snowing. Last week we had 70s and sunshine. I doubt we'll get accumulation since the ground is still warm.

 

I don't know why I can't remember how good I feel when I eat like this when the sugar dragon tempts me.

 

Crimsann, I'm not getting notifications again either. I doubt it is something we are doing.

[C_Cezeaux]

Crimsann, I love the apple pie cough drop story because it shines a light on the stories we tell ourselves, such as "I am just buying these to try later"......REALLY believable, right? Oh, I am a professional I this sort of story telling...I will remember some to tell you later.

Cynthia, not sure I know what kolaches are, but somewhere in my heritage are Moravians, so maybe so...I just really loved that grandmother who taught me to bake, and I like the tradition...and even the shipping them off to my three siblings who are spread all over the country. We never see each other and hardly ever talk by phone...and now, since our mother died last March, I fear feeling as though I've lost not just her, but the whole family. So, my my resolution is to substitute Phone calls for sweet rolls....I will call each of them, and their children on some regular schedule just to get my family fix...and may still make enough rolls just for us at Christmas next year.

Keep on, Keepin on, everyone!

They sound a lot like your traditional rolls - a yeast roll (preferably mixed in a copper bowl and they MUST be mixed with a wooden spoon), traditionally filled with fruit.  Although, they have branched out into fruit/cream cheese, boudain, and sausage fillings down here.  All things that are not good for me, so I stay away from them religiously, lol.  Part of my husband's traditional fare.

[C_Cezeaux]

hsheffield, thanks for making me giggle.  BITE the dentist!! HAHAHAHAAAA!!!  Ok, maybe you have a nice dentist, don't do it.

 

I set myself up for a whopper of a first week.  Thank all that is holy that I am not working this week, I feel for those of you that are.  I have flashbacks to my first Week 1, when I hadn't properly prepared or paid attention to the warnings of the timeline. <<shiver>>  This one will be bad enough without work.  I am so very draggy this morning with swollen fingers, but making many steps for the day to and from the bathroom as I begin shedding water. 

 

Accomplished most of my chores yesterday, ran out of steam before I got the last suitcase done, so have it today.  Accomplished shopping, got a meal plan together, my marvelous husband decided to cook dinner last night with plenty of compliant leftovers, so I lucked out there.   All in all, I believe it was a victorious Day 1.

 

My find for the day was wandering across the Dang toasted coconut chips on sale at the local grocery store.  The "toasted, with sea salt" variety makes a great crunchy garnish on soups and salads. I love the warning on the bag - "contains coconut." Who knew??

 

Good reading through the forum this morning, so glad to be back.

[ladyshanny]

 I've gotten the Ranch dressing, but I'm not a huge fan of Ranch so I'm probably not the best person to give a review.  It has to be refrigerated and it seems to get hard in the fridge. I always forget to take it out to thaw...so I haven't used it much. LOL.   

 

There was an twitter post awhile back from Tessemae (or maybe it was on Melissa's) but they actually said you do not have to refrigerate their dressings.  Maybe that will help you............although I can't imagine that warm ranch dressing would taste too good.     

[Crimsann]

There was an twitter post awhile back from Tessemae (or maybe it was on Melissa's) but they actually said you do not have to refrigerate their dressings.  Maybe that will help you............although I can't imagine that warm ranch dressing would taste too good.     

 

Agreed, I think I saw it on some of the bottles as well...I know the lemon one I have definitely said you could leave it out.  I believe it was shelf stable for less time than if you kept it chilled but it was still a good month or so just sitting out.  I know you almost had to leave the lemon out or it was more a matter of chipping off some dressing than drizzling it.  And that might be it's own texture but...

 

I made that Green Goddess stuff over the weekend and just tasted it last night, it's pretty fab guys.  It's almost like the love child of ranch dressing and guacamole.  I could see right away why she said it was either dip or dressing depending on how thick you made it because it was great on a salad but I could see it on other things as well.  Keeper.  I will be curious to see if it stays green more than a couple days with that avocado base, but so far at 24+ hours it was still really goddessy that way. 

 

No comment from me on how breakfast went today, sigh.  But I will say I was up and mobile faster than yesterday so still hope I can get myself back in shape there.  If I'm still saying that next week this time though, someone call me out. 

 

Question for the group...anyone not really like ghee and then found one they did like?  Do you make yours and like it a ton better?  I've used avocado oil almost exclusively in place of butter but there are a couple of things I don't find that working with.  I'm not sure ghee is the answer either, but so far I've really been turned off it by the two brands I've tried (would have to check labels to say for sure which they were) and looking for something else to try.

[milonac]

HI All!  It's great to see so many familiar faces! Thanks Nancy for setting this up.

 

I'm starting Round 2 officially today! I had been doing well up until the last two weeks, which was a complete whirlwind of traveling, work meetings, and many social gatherings.  It feels really good to be doing this again and I'm really super excited!

 

Last night I made the eggplant caviar from the Nom Nom app which was awesome! I threw it on grilled chicken and it was delish!  I love eggplant but I never have any luck making it.  It always seems to come out chewy or spongy.  This recipe was pretty simple and very tasty.  I'll definitely be making it again.

 

This time my focus is to add more exercise into my routine, incorporate a larger variety of veggies and do a proper re-introduction.

 

Good luck everyone!

Hi All...I forgot to mention that the Teriyaki is also NOT W30 compliant. It has soy in it so save it for February!!  

 

Thanks ladyshanny and crimsann for the update on being able to keep the dressings out. That will be helpful in the future.

[NancyW]

I might have to drink some coffee (which I almost never do) just for the headache. I have dental work scheduled for today-I need to get a grip or I

might bite the dentist. 

 

say a prayer for my dentist.

This really made me laugh! I have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning! I did make it through the day without killing any people or things, and we got out for a walk at lunch even though it was about 30 degrees. The sun was shining, so that helps with keeping warm on the walk AND with the not killing! So I should be good for my cleaning appointment. It would be awful to bit the hygienist the first time I saw her... 

 

I'm probably not going to try the Green Goddess dressing, as I am a confirmed cilantro-hater. It tastes like soap, which I understand is the result of some people having an extra taste bud or something. I am looking forward to trying the Tessamae's stuff when it gets here. I will read all the labels carefully though, because I will NOT be starting over when I get halfway through!

[ladyshanny]

This really made me laugh! I have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning! I did make it through the day without killing any people or things, and we got out for a walk at lunch even though it was about 30 degrees. The sun was shining, so that helps with keeping warm on the walk AND with the not killing! So I should be good for my cleaning appointment. It would be awful to bit the hygienist the first time I saw her... 

 

I'm probably not going to try the Green Goddess dressing, as I am a confirmed cilantro-hater. It tastes like soap, which I understand is the result of some people having an extra taste bud or something. I am looking forward to trying the Tessamae's stuff when it gets here. I will read all the labels carefully though, because I will NOT be starting over when I get halfway through!

Here's a great article on why that cilantro tastes like soap to you...........and how you can, over time, change that!  The good part is a little over halfway down the article.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html?_r=0

[C_Cezeaux]

I am somewhat bemused by my Day 2.  I had a perfectly good meal three planned but ended up eating a colorful container of small tomatoes and then finished it off with a venison patty.  I guess it's a good thing it was a tomato I put in my mouth while the venison was heating. And that it was a small box.  I am well vegged this evening.  Sneaky habits, I'll be watching you!!

 

ladyshanny and NancyW, I never used to like cilantro either.  A little still goes a long way for me and I can instantly pick up the taste in salsas, soups, veggie dishes, (the gluten free bread they had on the cruise...), but I do actually enjoy the flavor now.  I had thought the change was just due to the return of working (properly) taste buds from doing W30. I will go check out the article myself.

[NancyW]

Here's a great article on why that cilantro tastes like soap to you...........and how you can, over time, change that!  The good part is a little over halfway down the article.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html?_r=0

Thanks for the info, ladyshanny--interesting! The part about the bedbugs and lotion sure didn't give me the desire to conquer my dislike though...   What's funny about the whole thing is that we have a candy that I think is pretty local, called candy raisins. You either love them or hate them, there is no middle ground. I LOVE them, but I've always said they taste like aftershave smells. Can't explain it, but my whole family loves them. Weird...

 

Cynthia, even at the end of my September W30, I didn't have any desire to eat cilantro. If I don't think to order without, I'll pick out every shred before eating.

[bpaitsel]

Well, day 5 done for all intents and purposes.  Haven't had problem with KILL ALL THINGS but had a headache this morning too but it did go away by mid morning without taking any meds.

 

Cynthia - welcome back.  Sorry to hear that the food on the cruise seemed to be so poor since that would be one of the main reasons I would want to go on one! (Wow, that sounds really sad)  Go ahead and whine - that's why we are all here for each other since we all will have our day, or week.

 

Merg - I'm with you on being sad about the loss of traditions.  My Mom used to bake all kinds of various cookies and breads, that she made only at Christmas.  With her gone and no one else in the family really being bakers - that part is gone.  But I think that your new traditions are excellent and that your Mom would be very proud of you for that.

 

Hsheffield - I think "bite the dentist" needs its own day - too funny!

 

Susan - I have trouble with selective memory too when it comes to sugar.  It is just such a strong addiction that its hold is hard to break.  Maybe we need to tattoo it on our arm.

 

Crimsann - I don't have any suggestion for you on the ghee but I was beginning to feel like I was the only one in the world who didn't like it.  I've only bought it once because having to pay that much for it nearly killed me when I had to throw it out.  I've tried making clarified butter but since intro's. after first W30 I think I have bad reaction to dairy so I just don't trust that I have all of it strained out.  Before I buy any more I will definitely want to taste it first.  We have a specialty market here and every so ofter they have tasting days - maybe I can suggest breaking open the various brands of ghee.  If I run across anything useful, I'll let you know.  I'm also among the cilantro haters too!

 

Nancy - good luck with the dentist.  I would hope that they all have good insurance just in case.

 

I'm already starting to plan for when this W30 is done.  Have to get in the mindset that this is a lifestyle not just a 30 day elimination period and then throw away all that time.  Not to turn my eating style into a W365 but just to continue to slowly figure out what makes me feel bad and what makes me feel the best.   One of the biggest struggles I have is wanting to have snacks between dinner and bed.  Even if it's a healthy snack that doesn't make me feel bad the next day,  is that just one more habit that needs to go away or does it really matter?  I think I have figured out that if I am watching tv I want to snack a lot more than if I am reading or surfing around online.  Anyway, food is meant to be nourishing and not so stressful.

 

Everyone have a great evening and day tomorrow.

[Crimsann]

Good to know bpaitsel...I too was sort of thinking maybe it's just me as I can't recall seeing anyone else sort of ho-hum about it.  This week I did carrots as part of my Meal 2 and thought for a change I would just steam them instead of roasting them.  Mistake I think, maybe it's just that they are so off season here, but I usually totally enjoy steamed veggies even where other people are bored to tears with the blandness...but even I am slogging my way through them.  I tried a drizzle of avocado oil but it so didn't work for them.  I did a bit of a face/palm and realized a dash of salt couldn't hurt...I never salted anything other than popcorn before doing my first Whole30 and I still sort of forget that one sometimes.  Still...I keep glancing at the jar of ghee but I really don't think I can go there.  I've been using this one up just to "grease" potatoes for baking to keep the skins a bit softer since I use them to make really quick cooking hash browns later.  I can't taste the ghee in that at all and at least it was getting some use. 

 

Which reminds me, I saw someone earlier mention doing sweet potatoes and using something more powerful to shred them?  I don't know how well this technique would work for the much softer sweet potato, but I bake potatoes over the weekend and put them in the fridge...then in the morning just zip them against a really wide grater and have a pile of shreds in seconds.  If you bake the potatoes to a pretty soft stage even the cold potatoes will shred like butter...I MEAN GHEE, I guess, to be compliant...LOL.  I have a really old grater that used to be my grandmother's that does the grate probably twice as wide as any modern one I've found yet and it's puuuuurrrrfect for these but the wider the better and mine end up almost more "chipped" than actually shredded.  Because the potatoes are pre-cooked it's only a matter of heating them through and getting a bit of brown and it seems to go much faster for me.  My quick morning plan is usually to heat a bit of oil or leftover fat on an electric griddle (got to put it to some use now it's not making pancakes) and let them brown on one side (while I do my hair) then flip them and let them brown on the other side (while I find my shoes) and I can put on a bit of chicken sausage beside them if I want and toss on an egg or two on as well right before they are done.  I'm a little more comfortable leaving that electric griddle going unattended than I would be a skillet on the stove.  You can't call that a "one pot" meal only because no pot involved, but I use that griddle soooo much.  Dinner tonight was a quick beef patty and sliced mushrooms "grilling" alongside it while I packed my lunch.  I left the bit of beef fat to cool on the griddle's surface and will sautee some spinach in it tomorrow morning.

 

Maybe just another sign of my weirdness...but with cilantro I'm dead on the fence.  I don't love it, and I don't hate it...I think it works with some things and not so much with other things and I can take it or leave it.  That being said, the Green Goddess recipe I posted a link to would definitely be something you could taste it in so cilantro haters do steer clear.  I think she says you could adjust it to taste and I imagine that includes leaving it out.  I don't think the garlicky avocado stuff you would be left with would be a bad thing actually, but I also don't think I would ever make it without the cilantro.  It's just sooo good as is.  And, still green! 

[misslindy]

Nancy-  I really love Tessamae's BBQ and Terriyaki  sauce!  They are soo good. The buffalo sauce is pretty good too. I've gotten the Ranch dressing, but I'm not a huge fan of Ranch so I'm probably not the best person to give a review.  It has to be refrigerated and it seems to get hard in the fridge. I always forget to take it out to thaw...so I haven't used it much. LOL.   I also LOVE their Honey Mustard dressing. But, the Honey Mustard is NOT compliant. 

 

 

Yes...definitely wishful thinking!  I see where your mind is at!  

 

 

Crimsann- I finally made the the sweet potato gratin recipe you recommended a while back. It was great and i'm definitely going add this to my rotation.

For those interested, here's the link again. http://meatified.com/sweet-potato-gratin/

I was a little leary while making it but, it is very tasty!  

The sweet potato gratin is brilliant even if you don't follow the recipe! Frequently I realize I have left out all the seasonings, I don't use Almond Flour because of AI, and it is lovely every every time, I have even had requests to make it again! Who knew I could cook???? Not me but seems I am learning.

[hsheffield]

my dentist must have known something was afoot. she comes in and says 'you're having so much trouble right now, I think we should let everything settle down before we do anything else'  she was talking about my teeth but I wonder if she recognized my general agitated state and thought 'I'm not putting my hands in there'?

 

minimal headache this am. congestion from cold almost all gone. joints still swollen. am I going to have to give up nightshades and eggs????  

 

have been listening to nom nom paleo podcast. recommended. 

 

I'm not used to waking up and not being hungry. I read something about this in the whole 30 literature but I can't find it. anyone remember? it's strange to not be hungry.