Jen's Post W30 Log

[pjena]

Today was easier to predict. AM soccer was cancelled due to rain, so just waiting on the championship game at 4:30. The sun is out now, but we're due for more weather. Other than that, just doing errands and stuff around the house. I'm tired and crabby today. I haven't gotten enough sleep the past two nights and the gloomy weather doesn't help. I'm going to go to bed early tonight!

I have my first batch of kombucha going. My scoby is sinking a bit, but I think I remember from Nadia's log that is ok. Fingers crossed!

M1 - kale salad, hb eggs, sb sw pot, cm coffee

M2 - cabbage salad, ab dressing, avocado, tuna

M3 - steak, cabbage salad w/ ab dressing, guac

[pjena]

My stomach is very bloated today. I think I ate too much cabbage for dinner. It was good, though.

I'm hoping for an uneventful food week. I hope to try yogurt again tomorrow, so I hope the cabbage bloat goes down so I can tell if I react to the yogurt. I am also going out for sushi Thursday with my siblings, so I will be off the rails then, too. Otherwise, stick to the template and just keep on keepin on.

M1 - sb sw pot, 1/2 grapefruit, cm coffee - couldn't eat anymore so skipped the kale and hb eggs

M2 - kale and hb eggs, veg

M3 - chicken salad

M4 - eggs, guac, green beans, fruit

[Beets]

I've gotta do this kombucha thing. I like it but it's so expensive I can only drink it a couple times a week.

I'm sure it's in other threads but what is your set up? Is there an easy link or who's set up did you follow? I can search the threads, so don't waste time re explaining something. Just curious what your resources are.

Sorry about the bloating. The whole team sport thing scares me. It sounds so time consuming. Right now there are no affordable options for kids my son's age in our hood, but I would like him to eventually get involved.

Just seems like there is so much more pressure and so much more of a time commitment than when we were little. It's like you have to pick your sport at age five or you'll never be good enough. I was blown away when I found out kids now have games on Sundays.

[pjena]

I expect to be searching forums (including Nadia's) for tips on this as it's kind of a mystery.

My dad's wife brought me a big mason jar with tea with a scoby that was already on day 7 of the initial fermentation. We brought a big pot of water just to a boil, steeped 7 green tea bags for 20 minutes, added 1 cup of raw sugar, stirred to dissolve and then let it sit covered until it cooled to room temp. We put the tea in another big mason jar and moved the scoby and a couple cups of the kombucha to that jar and covered it with a paper towel and a rubber band. I have it sitting on the counter in a corner away from direct sunlight.

With the tea she brought me already on day 7, I added maybe 1/3 cup of wild blueberryes (TJ's frozen) and let it sit for the rest of the day. I think you're supposed to let it sit for a few more days to ferment the fruit and create some of the carbonation, but I couldn't wait. I strained out the berries and then "bottled" the tea in old kombucha bottles I'd saved. It was pretty good, but not as much bite or fizz as the store bought. My son loved it! I think I have to commit to that 2nd fermentation with just the fruit for a longer period next time. I also have to figure out how to make a "scoby hotel" when this next batch is done and I separate the mama from the baby. My dad's wife said to put the mama in a small mason jar covered with kombucha and the jar lid and keep it in a cool place, but not the fridge. I think I'll keep her in the basement because it stays cool down there.

I have my fingers crossed that it works!

Don't worry about the sport thing and finding time. It kind of sneaks up on you rather than going from no activities to overscheduled overnight. As the kids get older, they can do so much more for themselves and can even help you out (mine fold all the socks and towels and empty the dishwasher and take out the trash and feed the dog, etc). A lot of your time is freed up. It is then replaced by homework and kid activities. I agree with you, though, that it is too time consuming and too bad that they seem to have to specialize so early. We limit our kids to one sport at a time and do what we can do. They also do scouts and religion classes so there are conflicts. We just choose the most important at the time and try to rotate which one we skip.

[pjena]

Still bloated/stomach ache. Something didn't agree with me, but I have no idea what it was. I don't think too much cabbage would last 2 days. I don't think any of the stuff I ate Friday night would still be affecting me.

M1 - yogurt, sw pot, kale salad, watermelon, cm coffee

M2 - squash soup, sausage, salad

M3 - steak, guac, salad

snack - SB and carrots and CB

[pjena]

I wonder if the homemade kombucha could make me feel bloated and tired when the store bought didn't... I've been drinking maybe 1/2 a bottle a day Sat, Sun, Mon.

[pjena]

Still kind of bloated and tired. I'm wondering if it is the homemade kombucha. I saw a post from a while back where Tom said he had stomach issues for 4-5 days after starting kombucha. I'm going to give it a day or two more before cutting it out to see if I can get used to it. I'd hate to give up on my mama scoby so quick!

I found a new, dangerous treat. I dipped coconut butter in sunbutter. It tasted like a white chocoalate Reeses. So good! I need to not do that again.

M1 - yogurt, sw pot, kale, cm coffee

M2 - steak, salad, ab dressing, bell peppers, larabar (was still hungry - would have eaten fish and broc if I'd had any!)

M3 - chicken paprikash, salad

[pjena]

Still have a stomach ache. Sigh. It's not the yogurt - the stomach ache started before that. It could be the kombucha. I think that is the only new thing that started around the time of the stomach ache. I am still on antibiotics for one more day - started those about 5 days before the stomach ache, though. I don't think the wine/snacks I had at my sister's grad party would still be bothering me. It's so hard to tell! I'm also more tired than normal. I can't muster up the energy to work out at all. I am hoping that a nice long weekend of rest and W30 compliant foods will make it better.

M1 - yogurt, sw pot, kale, strawb, cm coffee, PB cookie dough

M2 - l/o chicken paprikash & bell peppers on cabbage leaves with scallions, olives and sriracha, carrots

snack - pb cookies, carrots, tomatoes

M3 - out for sushi - tuna roll, edamame

snack - more cookies - Bad Jen!

[Beets]

I don't think it's the wine/snacks either. I had been drinking kombucha and taking probiotics daily. I stopped for various reasons and drank 1.5 bottles of kombuch the other day. (Including the black label "21 and over" GT sold with beer--had never seen that one before.) I was really bloated and uncomfortable.

Hope it resolves.

[pjena]

To use Jinkse's words, I chose to eat PB cookie dough. I realized it is my co-worker's birthday tomorrow and my son has been asking for cookies, so I caved and made PB cookies - all GF and DF, 1/2 with SB for my son and 1/2 with PB for work. So, sugar, peanuts and oats today. And with a stomach ache already so I will have no idea if it agrees with me or not. Sigh. I wish I'd been as stong as jtandi was. Oh well. I only ate probably one cookie's worth of dough and I will NOT eat any more. I'm having sushi tonight, so today is kind of a washout as far as compliance. But, that doesn't mean the whole day has to be that way. I can stop now and wait until lunch for my chicken and then wait until dinner and NOT eat any cookies! I had my cookie (in the form of dough). Riding my own bike is tough. It was easier on the W30 when there was no option - I just didn't eat it. Now, I somehow feel like I can, so it's harder to resist.

[Beets]

Aw. I haven't even attempted to bake (or bottle maple syrup!) in the last couple months.

The cookies sound good though. I would like a GF peanut butter cookie. Maybe I can make it with almond butter? IME, though, that's natural but butters don't bake as well as the processed stuff. I guess it could be the recipe. How were the sun butter cookies? (In appearance, texture.) Would you mind messaging me the recipe? Feel like it's not kosher to post it...

[pjena]

Beets - The sunbutter cookies weren't bad. They were softer than the pb, which I liked, but they had a bit of an off taste that SB often has. I think SB is a little more bitter than PB. I'm sure AB would work. For a cookie, it was a "less bad" choice - very few and all real ingredients, my son could help and he was thrilled and loved the SB cookies (he's obsessed with SB because he can't have PB). It could have been worse.

Sushi dinner with my siblings was great. I had steamed edamame and a spicy tuna roll and pickled ginger. So, add rice and soy to my list yesterday with sugar, PB and oats. I did not get a drink. I figured that was enough off roading for one day! I feel the same as yesterday. My asthma is a tiny bit worse than usual, but it has been for a few days. The cottonwood trees are in full bloom, which is second only to snow mold for me, so I blame that and not food. My stomach still isn't perfect, but I wouldn't call it a stomach ache anymore. So, I think it's getting better. I slept well, but woke up too early.

My plan for the weekend (starting today) is 4 days of rest. I will give my tummy a rest with 4 days of W30 template compliance. I may not be completely food compliant, but I will eat 3 meals, no snacks, no desserts, no dairy, no grains, no legumes (that means no PB cookies!). I say not completely food compliant because I may have sriracha or my fav salad dressing. I may also make paleo pancakes because I have cinnamon bread to make Fr Toast for the family that needs to be used up and a ton of frozen bananas that also need to be used up. I'm trying to make room in the freezer for the cow that will arrive on Monday. I will also try to get plenty of good sleep and try out my new yoga dvd that is due to arrive today! And, I have a massage and facial scheduled for Sunday afternoon and a girls movie night with my sis Sunday night. Should be nice and relaxing. That is the goal!

Speaking of cow, my husband cooked up a cow tongue the other day and my boys have been eating it. So gross! I cannot go there. Just eating meat is a stretch for me. We have been working hard to finish off our beef in the last couple of weeks. We have one tongue left in the freezer. That is it! Plenty of room for a new cow to move in. I'm excited to have ground beef again - so many easy dinners that the kids like.

M1 - kale, hb eggs, cb sw pot, cm coffee

M2 - l/o chicken paprikash & bell peppers on cabbage leaves with scallions and sriracha, carrots

M3 - salad, plantain tostadas, avocado, tuna, coc butter

[kb0426]

Maybe it is a MN thing . I made PB chocolate bars for a work function this week. I "tasted" as I prepared it and then have had some for 3 days in a row. Thank goodness it is all gone now!

How is your stomach? It HAS to be the kombucha.

[pjena]

KB - PB chocolate bars sound good! PB and chocolate is my weakness!

Happy weekend. Tummy is getting better, I think. I am still aware of it, if that makes sense, but I wouldn't call it an ache anymore. I skipped the hm kombucha yesterday and had some store bought. It was better - fizzier - I will have to figure out how to make mine fizzy. I hope to bottle my new batch this weekend and will keep at it and hope my stomach adjusts. I just can't figure out what else it would be. Except maybe eggs. I would be so sad if I couldn't have eggs. I need to go back through my log and figure out when I started and stopped and started eggs to see if there is a correlation. Good thing I have a log!

We have no real plans today, which is nice. The kids might go bonkers, though, with all of their friends out of town. I think it's too wet to paint the treehouse, so we are going to run errands and I told my youngest that I would teach him how to make jam this afternoon. Pick your own berries aren't out here yet (it will be a while!), so we'll use store bought to make a small batch. I make low sugar strawberry jam with a secret ingredient and everyone says it's the best jam they ever had. I've been out for a while, so everyone will be happy to have it back! I might teach the older boy to make banana bread. I have a ton of bananas in the freezer that I'd like to do something with. We can make a paleo banana bread or not. Either way, I am not eating it.

I bought a Brian Kest (sp?) yoga dvd and tried it this morning. It was good, but I couldn't finish it because I felt nauseous. I need to eat something before even doing yoga, I guess. It was tough, which I like. I will try it again later.

M1 - kale, hb eggs, cb sw pot, blueberries, cm coffee

M2 - paleo pancakes, zucchini/rhubarb compote with a tiny bit of maple syrup

M3 - pork chops, cm sw pot, salad

[Beets]

Intrigued by Brian Kest vid. I like something hard too. If I do an easy home vid my mind wanders and I end up laying on the floor staring out the window.

Glad your stomach is finally feeling better. I like the fizziness of the store kombucha. It's one of the things I like, so I've worried about making it myself. Nearly everyone says home brew isn't as fizzy.

[pjena]

My day turned out much different that I thought. The boys' best friend's family (we call them our framily) ended up not going out of town, so the boys had an all day playdate than has turned into a sleepover at my house. So, no jam and no banana bread, which is fine. I do have to make jam or just eat a ton of berries. Either way is good. The best part is that the boys' best friends' mom is my yoga buddy so we hit hot yoga this afternoon. It was SO good. Way better than a dvd in my basement.

Paleo pancakes aren't that good. Really not worth the trouble. I might as well have just had eggs. It was good to use up some bananas from the freezer, though. I had thawed them for banana bread, but when our plans changed, I just made 4 servings of the paleo pancakes. Guess I'll be eating banana omelets this week. Oh well. Maybe I just need a better recipe.

I caved and had "dessert" tonight - a couple spoonfuls of cherry jam with almond butter. I now feel tired and blurgh. Sugar is bad. But, other than that, I stuck to the template of 3 meals, no snacks, protein/veg/fat. That is all good. And I finished my store bought kombucha. That was very good.

I went back and looked at my log and I started eggs again a week before my stomach ache started, so I kind of doubt that is my problem. Still thinking it's the hm kombucha. I'm going to bottle my current batch Monday and will try letting it sit out for a bit longer to fizz up and then will try it again to see if it affects me badly. Fingers crossed that it is all good.

[pjena]

Happy Memorial Day!

I had a completely indulgant day yesterday.

Long walk to BUY coffee with my yoga/walking buddy

Lunch and a cup of tea with my grandma

2 hour massage/facial (I had a gift certificate!)

Shopping at Loft

Shopping at Trader Joe's

Dinner and movie at home with my sister

In bed with a book by 10

My family is up North fishing with my dad, so I had a day/night to myself and I used it well!

Yesterday's food:

M1 - kale, hb eggs, cb sw pot, strawb, cm coffee

M2 - thai chicken curry w/ veg and cashews

M3 - salad, squash stuffed with sauteed pork, curry paste, coconut milk, hot pepper flakes and kale and topped with a few cashews and sriracha - so good!

snack - I got hungry so I picked that the thai leftovers and then had some coconut butter and sunbutter - I need to stop that!

Today's plan:

M1 - leftover paleo pancake with zucchini/rhubarb compote, cb, cm coffee

M2 - salad with pork chop, blueberries, avocado, plantain tostadas

M3 - whatever fish the boys bring home, avocado/pineapple salad, rhubarb/strawb crumble

Today will be nice in that I should have a quiet house for the morning. It'll be laundry and cleaning and cooking, though, so not quite as nice as yesterday.

My goal for this week is to not have cb or ab or sb after dinner. It's become a crutch snack. If I'm really hungry, I can find a better choice.

[pjena]

Ended up biking to the health food store. No ginger juice, so I just bought some kombucha to get me through the 2nd fermentation and rode home. I did not get wet. I did see a bunny, swans, ducks, tons of birds. I smelled freshly cut grass. It was a lovely ride. If the sun had peaked out, it would have been perfect. I thought about biking to Kohl's to make a return, but decided not to push my rain luck and stayed at home planing my begonias and doing yoga. Very nice alone day.

The family is on their way home with fresh Lake Superior salmon and lake trout! I now have to figure out how to do it justice for dinner tonight.

[pjena]

Lake trout was grilled and turned out very well, if I do say so myself. I really enjoyed the avocado/pineapple salad, too, though the family wasn't thrilled with that.

I went through my drawers and closet and added a huge garbage bag of clothes to the one I'd already filled from the boys' rooms. It feels good to get rid of stuff. We're joining the neighborhood garage sale this weekend (the clothes are going straight to donation - not worth the time/effort to try to put them out for a garage sale), so I will be going through my house room by room this week trying to find more stuff to get rid of. Good spring cleaning!

I also planted all of my begonias and did some other outside stuff. It never did rain.

Just to remind myself - goal this week is no CB/AB/SB/B of any kind after dinner. I need to break that habit.

M1 - leftover paleo pancake with zucchini/rhubarb compote, strawb, cm coffee

M2 - fish, white potato (first one in over 60 days! My Irish self is kind of excited), avocado/pineapple salad, carrots

M3 - sw pot, pork chop, tomato sauce, goat cheese, salad

[pjena]

Just a little rant...

Why can't women's sizes be straight forward like men's sizes? The capris I just bought are a size smaller than the ones I replaced, but the old ones weren't loose and the new ones aren't tight I have a pair of pants 2 sizes bigger than the ones I just bought that fit normally. And the pants I want to fit into that are the same size as the capris I just bought are tight. I admit to getting a little thrill from buying a smaller size (which is why they do it), but I know it's not real. It's very annoying.

...Rant over.

[Physibeth]

Just a little rant...

Why can't women's sizes be straight forward like men's sizes? The capris I just bought are a size smaller than the ones I replaced, but the old ones weren't loose and the new ones aren't tight I have a pair of pants 2 sizes bigger than the ones I just bought that fit normally. And the pants I want to fit into that are the same size as the capris I just bought are tight. I admit to getting a little thrill from buying a smaller size (which is why they do it), but I know it's not real. It's very annoying.

...Rant over.

Preach!

I've found that the more expensive the clothing the smaller the size I need (generally speaking) unless it is a bra and then the more expensive the larger the cup size is.

[Beets]

Hmm. It is frustrating--mostly bc I despise shopping and trying on clothes. Definitely higher end clothes are at least a size bigger. And within big chain stores sizes vary even within the same style, same rack of clothes. I like to find a size/brand I like and buy three of the same and not shop again for six months

I'm not sure about bras. Last time I bought a really really nice one after losing a bunch of weight (Wolford) the cup size was pretty small. Might've just been me.

[pjena]

I made a yummy "pizza" for dinner last night. The family had French Bread pizza. For myself, I split a cooked sweet potato, put on cubed pork chop, tomato sauce and goat cheese and baked it until it was all hot and melty. It was good. It was very big and left me too stuffed to even consider any type of "dessert" which is a good thing.

It was my first cheese attempt. So far so good. I never seemed to have issues with goat cheese before, so I'm not expecting any now. Other cheese and other dairy, yes, but goat cheese always seemed to sit ok. I plan to have a little each day for a few days to see if I have any reactions.

M1 - leftover paleo pancake with zucchini/rhubarb compote, strawb, cm coffee

M2 - leftover thai chicken veg curry, carrots

M3 - jerk chicken, caul rice, pineapple, salad, goat cheese

[Physibeth]

I seem to be completely fine with raw/grass fed cheeses. I see some push back from regular cheese but not like I did when I tried to have a latte at Starbucks (gurgle gurgle). Your 'pizza' sounds good. I might have to try that.

[Beets]

Grilled lake trout with pineapple/avocado sounds awesome! I really like trout. Which reminds me I have some tinned smoked trout I'd like to turn into a salad.

I also wanted to respond to your earlier post about cleaning out clothes. It's as if I'm getting buried alive by my kids' clothes. I don't know how people with more kids deal with it. I finally went through bins of clothes this weekend and bagged up a bunch to give away. Phew! Such a relief to get it out.