Our Whole 30 journey so far

I think it was Tom who first brought up the Whole 30 challenge and after reading about it I kind of just forgot about it. But then we started talking about it more and more, especially as we kept ordering take out and eating out at restaurants. Finally, as I was biting in to my pizza slice on Memorial Day, I looked at the greasiness and then at Tom and proclaimed I was starting Whole 30 the next day. Planning be damned! I know he prefers to have advance notice for changes like these and needs time to mentally prepare, so I told him it was okay if he didn't join in, but surprisingly he dove in head first, too. The next day was a bit difficult as we discovered that sugar and soy were in practically everything. And having not prepared, our meals were pretty plain. We downloaded the shopping list and made an inventory of what we had and what we needed to get at the store. Later that week after work we divided and conquered, one going to Costco and the other to the local international grocery. While shopping we were texting and calling each other to compare prices and produce selection. We came home and packed our fridge and counters with fresh produce, fish and meats.

Our first week we kind of just improvised our regular rotation of meals to be Whole 30 compliant. After that I started browsing around for new recipes and meal ideas. Nom Nom Paleo is still one of my favorites - we made her mayo and I think I like it better than store bought mayo.

I'm not going to lie - it hasn't been a breeze. I've battled cravings and bad habits (snacking snacking snacking!) and there have been some nights when I've gotten home late and all I wanted to do was order out, but instead I mustered up the energy to at least chop a quick salad. Including today we have six days left and while a lot of Whole 30 followers wind up extending it to a Whole 60, I'll be excited to be done. I was good and followed the rules, so I haven't weighed in yet, so I don't know if I've lost any weight. I have realized that I don't need nearly as much sugar as I was used to consuming, I'm liking black coffee now, and am enjoying having dried fruits and nuts as a snack instead of my usual cheez-its or goldfish. That said, I do miss feta cheese and milk. Our Whole 30 has been a bit harder, too, since we didn't force the diet on the kids. Making them grilled cheese sandwiches and not taking a little bite was painful. Or when I would make them a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and not be able to lick the PB off my finger. BIG sad face.

We have come up with some delicious meals that have left us satisfied. Here's a snapshot of what we've been eating.

Top row from left: first day of Whole 30: black coffee, hard boiled eggs, fruit, tuna salad lettuce wraps, dates and veggies; meal 2: chopped salad, peas (didn't realize we should have limited these until after eating them. oops), and sliced beets; meal 3: egg salad lettuce wraps with homemade mayo

Middle row from left: meal 1: scrambled eggs with coconut milk (so yum!), fruit and black coffee; meal 2: eating out! grilled salmon, steamed broccoli and salad; meal 3: more scrambled eggs, sweet potato hash, fruit and coffee
Bottom row from left: meal 1: spinach salad with apples, beets, onion, celery and pecans; meal 2: roasted eggplant rounds topped with homemade tomato sauce; meal 3: scrambled eggs topped with sauteed tomatoes and onions and a side of sweet potato hash

Top row from left: meal 1: spinach salad with mushrooms, strawberries, blueberries, onions, and almonds and a side of spicy cauliflower "rice"; meal 2: imum bayildi made from leftover roasted eggplants and sauteed greens; meal 3: On the grill: cod filet, yellow squash and sweet potato with a side of salad (spinach, romaine, onions, dried cranberries and chopped almonds)
Middle row from left: meal 1: pan fried tilapia with sliced avocado and tomato; meal 2: ried eggs with a side of sautéed mushrooms, onions, peppers and sliced avocado; meal 3: zucchini pasta and homemade sauce SO YUM
Bottom row from left: meal 1: carrot and cabbage salad, beets, hake salad, and sauteed spinach; meal 2: hake lettuce tacos and carrot and cabbage salad; meal 3: fried eggs topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions, peppers, and tomatoes and a side of sweet potato hash browns and chicken skin "bacon" for Tom

Top row from left: meal 1: pre-made egg cups with broccoli and mushrooms; meal 2: zucchini and eggplant pasta; meal 3: microwave "baked" apples tossed with cinnamon and coconut oil and walnuts
Middle row from left: meal 1: Sweet potato and apple hash browns with fried eggs and sliced avocado and tomato; meal 2: pan fried hake topped with a garlic lemon aioli and roasted cauliflower steaks and fruit salad; meal 3: scrambled eggs topped with salsa, avocado, sweet potato and apple hash browns and a side of fruit
Bottom row from left: meal 1: fried plantain chips; meal 2: albacore tuna salad with homemade mayo in lettuce wraps; meal 3: mashed sardines with homemade mayo, lemon juice, onion, s&p on top of chopped celery, tomatoes and peppers

Some other favorites have been sweet potato fries and homemade ketchup, Nom Nom Paleo's Curried Cream of Broccoli Soup, the Pioneer Woman's Brussels Sprouts (tweaked to be Whole 30 compliant), and the occasional smoothie.

Next Wednesday we'll be done and we'll start reintroducing dairy, sugar, soy, grains, and legumes, but we'll probably try one or two Whole 30 days each week. I have enjoyed that this challenge has forced me to look at different foods and come up with new recipes and meals. We all get stuck in food ruts and this was a nice way to change things up and try old foods in new ways.

Recital weekend

This year was the first year we had both girls in dance class. Luckily for us their classes were back-to-back every Saturday morning, though it would have been even better had they been at the same time. Two birds, one stone and all. Unfortunately for us their recitals were on separate days, so instead of having a single recital we had a recital weekend: Friday dress rehearsal, Stasa's turn on Saturday, and Lexi's on Sunday.

Now, Lexi wasn't the most patient ballerina during the year and hardly ever paid attention during their recital routine practices. I was fairly sure that she would break down crying when we left her backstage and then either refuse to come out on stage or just stand there. Well, she did neither. During the dress rehearsal on Friday night both girls were amazing. In fact, Lexi was the best in her class and did EVERY move. I was so proud of both girls and took them out to eat for a special dinner that night. The next day was Stasa's recital and she woke up so excited for STAGE DAY! This year I put a bit more makeup on her than I had in the previous years. She sat still the whole time and let me apply a little eyeliner, light eye shadow, mascara, blush and tinted lip gloss.



And look at that pose! The kid has it DOWN. She did a great job on stage, as always. Tom bought her a bouquet of flowers and gave them to her at the end of the recital.
The next day was Lexi's turn and since her recital was late afternoon we were able to get her to take a nap first. I should have planned better though because for some reason I thought we had to leave the house at 3:00, but really that's when she needed to be backstage. EEP. Thankfully I pulled everything together and was able to grab her and speed off to the school. Tom and the kids came after and got in their seats right before the recital began. And again Lexi made us so proud. She remembered every move (with a little help from her teacher in the stage curtains) and had the biggest smile on her face. Actually both girls had smiles that lit up the stage. After Lexi's recital Tom gave her a big bouquet of flowers, too.

Check out their routines: