five

Feeling much better today thanks to the wonderful expectorant I have been taking. Today was an adventure trying to get a snow thrower the day of a huge blizzard. We ended up finding a small business (Studz True Value Hardware) that had refurbished models on sale. With a 60 day money back guarantee, I figured why not? Still beats shoveling, right? I gave it a try and I have to say it was kinda fun just pushing it along while the snow went flying.

This morning I tested out a recipe that my sister shared on Facebook the other day which involves 1 banana mashed up and mixed with 2 eggs... Oh my gosh, you guys!

Breakfast 

Banana Egg Pancakes

Who needs flour? NOT ME!!! These were delicious and a really fun way to get my eggs in (omelets and scrambles get boring). If you like bananas, I highly recommend.

Lunch/Brunch

Gyro & Eggs with Hashed Browns

We went out for brunch w/ Bryan's parents and, while I did say I was allowing potatoes, I do not think I'll go for diner hashed browns again. This meal resulted in a major tummy ache. Everything else was great though.

After our Adventures in Purchasing Expensive Outdoor Equipment we headed back to Bryan's to test out the new toy and take care of some seriously stacked up laundry. Then it was time to FEAST!

Mixed Green Salad w/Hickory Smoked Turkey, Sugar Snap Peas & Red Wine Vinaigrette with Broccoli Slaw, Grapes & leftover Salt Potatoes

These potatoes did not make me feel sick last night so I figured they were a safe choice. Everything was really good, especially the broccoli slaw which I made with my mayo, red wine vinegar, and olive oil and some random spices like salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder. Really, really good and I did not miss the sugar that is usually the star of the slaw dressings.

All in all, this was a great Sunday. Since the Midwest is about to be buried in a million inches of snow, I get to work from home tomorrow. So day six will be a fun day of working in my PJ's and figuring out what to eat since the lunch I had planned is in my office freezer. :)

four

FOUR!!! Heh heh, get it? GOLF!!!

Today was day four and I was still sick as all whatnot so I kind slept/rested through lunch... 

Here's the food pictures!

Roasted Red Pepper Omelet w/Avocado

Yum yum goodness and kept me well fueled for our ill advised trip to Meijer this afternoon

Lunch

Sleep

Delicious, delicious sleep 

Dinner

Lemon & Thyme Mahi Mahi w/Asparagus & Golden Salt Potatoes

Oh my gosh, you guys! Salt potatoes! Look it up! Thank you upstate NY and your, turn of the century, Irish, immigrant workforce! Delicious and creamy texture makes mashed potatoes look like chump potatoes... Potatoes for chumps? The fish and asparagus were good too. 

I know you might be saying, "oh but wait, Mel! You can't have potatoes on the Whole30!" and you'd be right, but I'm not doing the exact Whole30. I'm doing a Paleo forever kinda thing and that means I need to have a sustainable variety at my disposal so I don't go kookoo bananas and quit in a week/month/quarter. This is a lifelong change that I am documenting for 45 days and may continue FOREVER!!! Muahahahahahahaha!!! :)

Anyway, on to day five. Goodnight!

three

Ugh! So siiiiick! Can't even sleep!

Anywhoozle, here's what I ate

Breakfast

Egg Rumble w/Onions & Wilted Baby Greens

Tasty and quick, but next time I'm using hit sauce to make it perfect.

Lunch

Jimmy John's Unwich 

Roast beef, tomato, cucumber, and onion wrapped up in crisp lettuce. Nice work James Johnathon's

Dinner

Leftovers... couldn't cook. Blah.

Too sick to share stories or whatev, good night... NyQuil take me away!

two

I woke up sicker than yesterday and just got worse... The itchy nose and sneezing and snots... I hate it!

I will just make this a short one. 

Here's my breakfast

All Beef, Nitrate Free Hotdogs w/Green Beans

I was running late this morning and, with the major snowfall sure to slow my commute, I decided to skip cooking eggs and grabbed something quicker. Tasted just fine, though I did get comments about eating this for breakfast.. 

Lunch

Chocolate Chili w/Avocado, Onion & Green Olives

Always good and quite comforting to this sick girl on such a cold day.

Dinner

Malek Al Kebab House Salad w/Lamb

This never fails to please. Malek is my favorite middle eastern place by far. I originally planned for butternut squash soup, but my recipe needs work since every time I think of it I go "eh, blah" and eat something else instead...

On to day three and hoping to feel better in the morning. If not, I'm going to work from home and nurse myself back to health in my PJ's with hot tea. :)

one

Eating clean for the next 45 days felt like a very welcome assignment for me as I drifted to sleep with an icky stomach last night. I had been feeling bloaty, achy, grumpy, and just plain lumpy. Then, I woke up this morning with a tickle in my throat... by this evening (now) it is, for sure, a yucky cold coming on, complete with post nasal drip and a "hot eyes" feeling.

Oh, it's not going to stop me from doing 45 days of perfect eating, but I do feel like mega kuh kuh right now and want my comfort foods (crackers, ginger ale, orange juice, chicken noodle soup...) 

I'm hoping that my body quickly remembers how good it feels to eat whole, unprocessed, healthy foods and recovers quickly!

Here are some pictures of what I ate!!!

Breakfast

Avocado Stuffed Omelet 

Very good. Next time, I think I'll add tomato and bacon!

Lunch

Steak & Eggs w/Salsa

More eggs!!! Really yummy. I pan seared and then broiled the steak with Ghee for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Topped with a couple sunny-side-up eggs and my favorite salsa (La Preferieda)

Dinner

Chateaubriand Roast w/Green Beans & Mixed Baby Green Salad w/Pear Infused White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Really good food today. The grass-fed, organic roast was sooo flippin' good. It melted like butter in my mouf! Wooo!!!

Good night!

Fifteen

Day 15 of tracking my paleo menu plan and I haven't posted in a bit. This is not because I have been slacking. On the contrary, I have stuck with it pretty darn well aside from some bread at one meal for Bryan's sister's birthday, and some cake... I just got kinda bored posting the same thing I ate last week for breakfast/lunch. 

Anyway, I am recommitted to logging everyday, even if only for my benefit. :)

This weekend was exhausting! Starting off, I woke up at 6 on Saturday and that was it... No return to sleep for me. I got going right away and headed out to the store for some food and supplies. I got home, made all my lunches for the week, and made me some breakfast. Then it was time to chill for a sec watching a little tv before putting plastic up in my windows (drafty apartment might have been a part of waking up early). Then lunch and after that, I went over to Bryan's to help clean up the yard... So many leaves... Oh my word... Ran back home to help my friend Sarah load my old dresser/desk thingy

into her van and ran back to Bryan's to put my feet up. 

Sunday was more errands and trying to relax with debilitating back pain... I overdid it while raking, I guess.

Anyhow, today was a typical workday. Here's what my food looked like before I chewed it all up.

Meal 1

Roast Beef & Peppers Scramble

Meal 2

Chocolate Chili w/Onion, Green Olive & Avocado

Meal 3

Oven Roasted Chicken Breast w/Yam Wedges & Fauxlenta 

The Fauxlenta is this cauliflower/egg experiment that turned out the same texture and flavor as creamy polenta. I took two cups of mashed cauliflower and beat one egg into it. Grilled some onions in Ghee in a small skillet over medium heat and carefully poured the mixture over top trying not to move the onions (so it'd look neat like the pic), salted and peppered the top and covered it to let it cook/brown for about 10 minutes before flipping to lightly brown the other side. I split it and froze half for a future meal.

It was gooooood!

I made if halfway through this endeavor and, though much more lax than the Whole30, I have had quite a lot of the benefits of more whole foods. Even though I do seriously want crispy fried chicken or a big ol' cheeseburger, I am finding it more natural to not indulge each little whim. 

I am doing a full on Whole30 beginning January 2nd. Anyone that wants to play along, send me a note and I'll share my meal plan, recipes, and shopping lists with you.