Whole30 Update...halfway there...

So, today marks Day 18 of my Whole30.  12 more days to go...

 I've been sick the past couple of days so it's kind of thrown me off.  I almost never get sick, not sick enough to stay home from work anyway and if I do get sick it's usually after the nasty, little bug has worked its way through the rest of the family first and I get a touch as it's on it's way out.  Not this time!  No, this time it came on fast, knocked me on my ass and took no prisoners.  No one else is sick.  Just me!  But I'm on the mend, might even make it to boot camp tomorrow morning.  I haven't done any training all week.

So anyway, enough whining.  Let's talk food!
I'm not going to go through the whole day-by-day breakdown I'm just going to give you the highlights.

The weekend of May 20th found my honey and I once again wandering the stalls of the local Vancouver Farmer's Market.  It's still pretty early for much in the way of local produce.  Really, asparagus is about all we've got going right now.  A few weeks ago I asked one of the farmers how much longer we could expect to see the local asparagus and he told me about 3 weeks.  Well, that was about 3 weeks ago so I knew that my chances for making pickled asparagus were running out.  Dan and I picked over all of the bundles of asparagus and picked out two bunches that had uniformly sized spears and tightly closed heads.  We also found some garlic scapes that one of the vendors were selling and bought a bunch of those too.

Once we got our bounty home, I washed and blanched the spears and then trimmed them so that they would fit standing up in a half pint jar.  I tucked a couple of the scapes in each jar as well as several cloves of garlic.

Meanwhile, I combined all of my pickling spices, vinegar and water in a pan and brought it to a boil. 

I'd never made pickled asparagus before and I was out of pickling spice mix so I just kind of made it up as I went along.  I looked up several recipes and used then as a starting point.  I figured that as long my brine had enough salt and vinegar (but not too much, I've had bad pickle experiences...) I should be fine.  I am pretty pleased with the final product over all.  The heat processing messed with the pretty green color of the asparagus but the flavor is very good.

The past week included a number of dishes involving ground meat.  I never really cooked all that much with ground meat.  Maybe once or twice a month it would find it's way into a meal; taco meat, meatballs, Mediterranean rice...  Since making the change to Primal/Paleo eating ground meat is much more common.  For one, it's cheaper than most other cuts of meat and it's very versatile.

OK, so I know it's not food related but this is a fabulous picture of my BFF.  We staged a full scale home invasion on her and her family this past Memorial Day Weekend!  I love her!!

One of the big hits this past Memorial Day weekend was Scotch eggs.  For those of you that don't know, Scotch eggs are hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage.  They are a common pub snack in the UK.  Usually they are rolled in breadcrumbs and then deep-fried.  My Scotch eggs were rolled in pulverized pork rinds and then baked.  Some of the larger meat wads contain duck eggs.  I know it sounds weird but it's totally delicious!





Remember how I said I trimmed the asparagus so it would fit in the jars?  I cooked up those ends and ate them for breakfast along with some German meatballs.   Yumm!

 More German meatballs served with braised cabbage and oven-roasted sweet potatoes and good old steak and eggs!

 Last food photo:  Good old slow-cooker beef stew!  It's not beautiful but it is delicious and it makes the whole house smell great!  I cooked the cauliflower and green beans separately so they wouldn't fall to mush in the slow-cooker.  Both of the kids went on and on about how great it was!  I guess I should make it more often.

And finally, here's a picture of Mr. M with his Children's Culture Parade project.  I drug my sick butt out of bed so that I could go to his school and see all of the kids' projects.  He chose Chile because he read that there are a lot of feral dogs that roam the streets of Santiago.  As good a reason as any!

Whole30 Day 25 (The week in review)

5 days in...
I'm feeling good.   Actually I'm feeling REALLY good.  I've been very conscious of my eating and I've been doing great!  My resolve has returned and the moments of "weakness" that were plaguing me last week are all but gone.
I will admit, there have been a few instances where cravings have struck but I've met them head on, examined where they were coming from and dismissed them.  I don't feel deprived.  I don't feel tormented and tortured by images of all the things I "can't" have.  Actually, I feel strong.  I believe my workouts since beginning my Whole30 have been more focused and effective.  I think that my determination has improved all around!
Here are some musings on the past week for your perusal...
- If you don't feel confident using herbs and spices, get over it!  Jump in with both feet and really start experiencing how fantastic and exciting whole food can be!  Penzey's makes some great spice blends that make throwing together a quick, flavorful meal so much easier.  Some of my favorites are Northwoods Seasoning with beef, Herbes de Provence with pork, chicken, eggs and vegetables, Fines Herbes with pork, chicken and eggs and Ruth Ann's Muskogee Ave seasoning on fish, chicken, eggs, veggies, etc...
- I could be perfectly content eating a big salad for lunch every day!  There are sooo many options!  I've started chopping up a bunch of lettuce, washing it, spinning it and keeping it in a gallon size bag in the refrigerator.  Every morning when I'm making lunches all I have to do is grab a big handful or two, put it in a container, top it with whatever selection of veggies catches my attention in the fridge (usually carrot, mushroom, cucumber and cherry tomato) and pop the lid on.  Then I drop an avocado and whatever protein I have left from previous meals into my lunch bag along with my handy-dandy mini bottle of balsamic vinegar and, Viola!, lunch is served.  The pre-washed salad in the fridge also comes in handy as a quick vegetable side with dinner.
- I have problems with breakfast.  My mornings are tight, mostly because I love to sleep and want to squeeze as much sleep out in the mornings as is humanly possible.  That cuts into my morning prep time.  Unless I have something prepared and ready to go, I feel a little frazzled trying to pull it together in the morning.  Also, I'm usually not ready to eat breakfast until I get into work anyway.  This week I'm going to try making up my breakfast items in advance and then all I have to do is pack it up in the morning, drop it in my lunch bag and pop it in the micro at work (or eat it cold).
- My biggest challenge so far?  Not weighing myself every morning.
As someone who has been working REALLY hard for quite a while to lose weight, I find it a struggle to stay off the scale.  At this point in my adventure, the numbers don't really matter anyway...I am strong and fit and feel good in my clothes.  Why do I feel such a need for the validation of the numbers getting smaller on the scale?  I know that it is all psychological...I have been overweight for so long that there is a fear that the numbers will start going in the wrong direction.  In the long run, this experience will be good for my psyche.  Right now though, it's a challenge.

Week One Meal Breakdown

Monday -

Breakfast - Leftover pork chop sauteed with mushrooms, asparagus and onions in coconut oil and a delicious mug of Stumptown coffee.

Lunch - Salad with smoked turkey breast.

 Dinner - Miss B made a big pot of hearty vegetable soup with carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, onions, celery root, fennel and tomatoes.  She made enough so that she could take it for lunches for the week.  The rest of us omnivores had a grilled petite sirloin steak on the side.

 
Tuesday -

 Breakfast - Pork chop scramble with mushrooms, onions, asparagus and spinach.

  Lunch - Salad with leftover smoked coho salmon ala Dan.



 Dinner - Grass-fed ground beef patty with salad and avocado.



Wednesday-
  On most Wednesdays I do a 24 hour fast.  I don't eat from dinner on Tuesday until dinner on Wednesday. There are a large number of studies on the effects of intermittent fasting as part of a healthy, eating regiment. I'm not going to get into the details here but if you're interested, you can find a great article published in Harper's Magazine earlier this year here.  Also, Mark's Daily Apple has a lot of info about IF.
  That said, I broke my fast Wednesday evening after hula with...

  Dinner - Pan fried chicken liver and onions, a green salad and one of Dan's awesome pickles.





Thursday - 
  Breakfast - Leftover chicken liver and onions and steamed asparagus.
  Lunch - Salad with pan seared sirloin.
  Dinner - Cobb salad (sans blue cheese).

Friday - 
  Breakfast - I was feeling rushed and lazy so I stopped by New Season's on my way into the office and grabbed a scoop of scrambled eggs, a couple of their natural breakfast sausage links and a serving of steamed spring vegetables with lemon-infused olive oil.

Lunch - Salad with leftover hard-boiled egg and chicken from dinner on Thursday.


Dinner - Dan cooked a turkey breast in his smoker and we had broiled asparagus, pureed cauliflower and watermelon on the side!  OMG!  Super delicious!  I was sneaking bits of turkey out of the fridge all night.



Saturday - 
   Breakfast - Saturday morning is boot camp!  I grabbed a quick handful of almonds on my way out the door.  My post-workout recovery meals this week consisted of mashed, steamed sweet potatoes with cinnamon and orange peel and a good chunk of protein.  Monday and Tuesday that protein was leftover grilled salmon.  Thursday the protein was a can of albacore tuna and Saturday morning it was leftover smoked turkey breast.


  Lunch - Mr. M had his last soccer game of the season on Saturday so we also had the end-of-season pizza party.  Obviously, I didn't have pizza but there was a sad little salad bar.  I filled up a plate with lettuce and veggies, popped a few hard-boiled eggs on it and topped it off with Tabasco Buffalo Sauce (Dan's idea after I pointed out that there was not a Whole30 salad dressing option and the cashier looked at me like I was an alien for asking her if she had any olive oil and vinegar.  I remind you, this was in a pizza parlor...)  The salad held me over until we got to our friend's house for their daughters' birthday party where I was happily able to graze on fresh fruit and veggies until she served me up a lovely chunk of steak!

  Dinner - It was pretty late once we left the party, did our weekly shopping and got back home so I threw together quick chipotle beef tostada fixin's for the fam.

And so begins my Whole30...

     Today begins my Whole30 program.  It's a 30 day whole food, nutrition program.  (You can check out the details here if your interested.)
     Perhaps this would be a good point for a little background information... Back in November, I began a journey.  ("Journey" may not be the right word for it as it implies an end point but I think you all understand what I'm talking about.)  It all started with a friendly "Biggest Loser" competition between many members of my hula ohana.  I cut carbs, joined a gym, signed up with a personal trainer and started attending Boot Camp classes 1-2 times a week.  That was 6 months, 60 pounds and approximately 6-8 dress sizes ago.  The beginning of January, I embarked upon what I truly believe to be a life-long Primal/Paleo nutritional adventure.  (If you want, here's more info about the Primal Lifestyle and Paleo diet.)
     I have stayed pretty true to the Primal diet and I "lift heavy things" on a regular basis but over the past month or so, I am finding my willpower wavering and my resolve weakening and I have been succumbing more and more to sugar's siren song.  It started with a square or two of high quality dark chocolate in the evening and then a non-paleo post workout recovery drink laced with maltodextrin and before I knew it, my 90/10 (eating a primal/paleo diet 90% of the time) Primal lifestyle was looking a lot more like 70/30 (or worse).
     My goals are to be strong, fit, fast and to look and feel fantastic!  Thus, the Whole30.  I am planning to use the Whole30 as a springboard to my 39th birthday.  My body comp and fitness efforts have plateaued a bit over the last couple of weeks.  I'm ready to change that!
     As of this morning, my weight was 177.8 and my measurements were 40-31-41.  I am currently comfortably wearing between a size 10 and 12 and my body fat percentage was 31.2% at my training session this afternoon.  Part of the Whole30 is no weighing or measurements during the 30 days you're following the program.  The focus is to be on eating good, whole foods...the promise is, the rest will come.
     I LOVE GOOD FOOD!  I enjoy cooking and preparing good food.  I just can't get lazy!

This is my breakfast this morning.  Leftover pork chops sauteed in coconut oil with farmer's market asparagus, onions and mushrooms and a big 'ol cup o' joe
.
So at least for the next 30 days, I will be very good!  I will only eat the Whole30 approved foods and I will shake off the sugar monkey and get back to business!  I'll try to post every couple of days to let y'all know how it's going and what kind of delicious fabulousness I've been eating!

But before I do, here's a picture of the fabulous (totally non-paleo) Mother's Day dessert my hubby made me last night!  It's a Strawberry-Rhubarb Galette with rhubarb from our back yard.

   

Weekend meal planning

So, here it is, another Sunday night...that means tomorrow morning it's "rise and shine" and right back at it.  It was a great weekend!  The sun was shining (relatively unusual for an April weekend in the beautiful Pac NW), the temperatures were mild and most everyone seemed pretty happy about it!

In our household weekends mean soccer games, boot camp, errands galore, running one kid or the other hither and yon...and it also means meal planning.  We are all so busy in the evenings during the week that we need to have a dinnertime plan of attack or everything would collapse into fast food chaos.  Meal planning is an additional challenge in our house due to the fact that Miss B is a mostly-vegetarian (plus fish/seafood) and I eat a primal/paleo diet (no grains, legumes, sugars, processed foods...high protein/healthy fats, low carbs).  Dan mostly eats whatever I'm eating but he'll throw in some carbs (bread, pasta, rice etc.) here and there when we've made them for the kids.

The planning usually begins in one of two ways: either I cruise the interwebs looking for recipes that jump out at me or I hit the store and see what's on sale at the meat counter and produce department and build my menu from there.  This week was a combined approach.  I looked over the New Season's weekly ad flyer on line and then searched the net for recipes that featured those items.  I also knew that I wanted to include a slow cooker meal for one night this week AND that a trip to the farmer's market and Asian market were planned so I could leave the plan a little loose and fill in.

Here's what we are looking at for this week:
Sunday - Dan's fabulous homemade pizza/  "Meatza" for me and a big pot of kale/cabbage/broccoli/romanesque greens from our garden.
Monday - Coconut-lemongrass chicken legs (coconut-lemongrass tofu for Miss B) and long beans with garlic and oyster sauce.
Tuesday - New Season's bratwurst (Quorn patty) and braised cabbage with celery root puree.
Wednesday - Hula+soccer practice = dinner free-for-all
Thursday -  Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic and asparagus (haven't figured out Miss B's entree yet...maybe ravioli??).
Friday - Squid lu'au

So, as listed above, meatza was on the menu for tonight.  I haven't eaten pizza since I went paleo in January.  I don't really miss it too much but Dan makes such wonderful homemade crust and the kids really enjoy it, I wanted to find a way to share in the fun and not deprive the rest of the non-paleo household.

Meatza is not my own invention but as with everything else I tend to cook, I try to make it my own.  This was easy as it's relatively free-form.

I started by taking a pound of natural 90/10 ground beef and kneading an egg into it.  Then I seasoned the meat with plenty of minced garlic, salt, oregano, basil and a little thyme.  I kneaded the meat again until the spices were thoroughly incorporated.

Then I pressed about half of the meat mixture into a thin layer in a foil lined pie plate and baked it in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  (It's just me eating it, didn't feel like I needed a WHOLE pound of meat.  The remainder is destined for meatballs or maybe burgers ...)

Once the meat "crust" is cooked, it pulls away from the sides of the pie plate.  I poured off the excess oil that surrounded the crust and blotted the top with a paper towel.  Then it was time to add the toppings.  We're kinda pizza sauce purists in our house.  Dan always just uses straight tomato paste on his pizzas then sprinkles on herbs and olive oil.  Since I had the herbs incorporated into my crust, I just spread on the tomato paste and piled on the toppings.

Tonight's toppings were mushrooms and green olives with provolone cheese.  I don't eat cheese very often but, COME ON! it's pizza...it just needs cheese. A quick trip back into the oven under the broiler and there you have it...

I always try to make enough food so that I will have leftovers to take for lunch.  That way I don't get stuck having to find something in a restaurant that complies with my dietary sensibilities.  I ate half of this for dinner with a huge serving of garden fresh greens and I've got the other half packed up for lunch.

Overall, I was pretty satisfied with this culinary adventure.  It's not EXACTLY the same as pizza but it's pretty darn good!

2012 - So far, so good...

I started the year feeling really positive.  Made some resolutions.  Made some lifestyle changes.  Happy to say, nearly a month in and I'm STILL feeling positive, still going strong on the resolutions and the lifestyle changes are becoming habits.  I feel great!
All that said, there are still a number of things to conquer as I venture forward on my Quest for Perfection and World Domination...(QPWD)
-Organization (Home, Life, Financial, etc.)
-Presence ("You are here", be here now...)
-Fun (Gotta have it, gotta make it, EVERYDAY...)
-Health (On my way, wanna get stronger/leaner/faster...)

For now, I'm just laying it all out there...throwing my QPWD to the Universe and allowing the Winds of Change to take hold and steer this vessel in the right direction.