Perfect Vegetable Soup

Are you hoping to get a little healthier in 2015? I have a great tip…when you're hungry between meals, eat homemade vegetable soup!  

I got this tip from a friend a few months ago and it's saved me over and over again. I try to make it every weekend and snack on it throughout the week when I just can't seem to feel satisfied. It's great for a meal, but it's an even better NO GUILT snack between meals.

This is a very loose recipe, and all quantities can be adjusted up or down, depending on your preference. DO NOT be intimidated by the long list of ingredient…this is super easy!

Perfect Vegetable Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil (or avocado oil)

1 onion, diced

5-6 stalked celery, diced

6 oz. can tomato paste

1 bag baby carrots, cut in half or quartered

1 can diced tomatoes, with juice (15 oz)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth*

2 cups water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf (if you have one)

3-4 zucchinis or yellow squash (or combo), cut into coins and again in 1/2

16 oz bag frozen green beans (large handful)

** leftover meat or veggies

Add the oil, onion and celery to a large pot and cook until the vegetables are translucent. (about 5-7 minutes) 

Stir in the tomato paste (will be very thick), then add carrots, diced tomatoes, broth, garlic, oregano and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. 

Add zucchini, squash, and green beans. Simmer another 30 minutes, then taste the broth to see if it needs salt. If so, add 1-2 tsp salt to taste. (salt content will depend on the broth you use) Remove the bay leaf, when you find it!

* If there's not enough broth, add more. If there's too much, add more vegetables.

** You can change the flavor of this soup, week after week, by throwing in last night's leftover meat, diced, or any vegetables you have in your fridge. 

It's Official: Big Christmas Announcement

After days and weeks of weighing the pros and cons, praying, talking, talking some more, praying some more…we've finally made the decision to move to Dallas. I'm still having trouble believing it. I was convinced Mike would get cold feet and want to stay in our nice, cozy, predictable, Phoenix life.

On our trip out there, I had gotten to a place where I was honestly fine staying or going, but I still felt more led to give it a try. I left the final decision up to Mike. I've told him for a couple of weeks that he could make the decision, but within the last week, I was truly fine either staying or going, whatever he thought was best for our family. 

As of a conversation with his V.P. on Tuesday night, he decided we should relocate. Then he proceeded to toss and turn all night, wondering if he made the right choice. 

Here we are, two days later, and he's already feeling better about it. Nervous about all that we have to do, skeptical about how his job will change in the upcoming weeks, uneasy about leaving our comfortable life and the only city he's ever lived in, but we're going. I still seems a little surreal that we've made the final decision. 

We'll put the house on the market, hopefully sell it in a couple of months and probably move in March or April. That's our timeline, anyway. We'll see if God has different plans. 

Merry Christmas to all! 

#57 - Clean out the paperwork in my file cabinet

#57 is completed from my 101 in 1001 list. Exciting? No. Done? YES!

Since it's been so long since I cleaned out the paperwork in our file cabinet (at least 3 years), it wasn't much effort to grab entire folders of past insurance information, tax documents, receipts, and other things that we no longer need and dump them into a bag to recycle. Don't come running to my house to steal my identity, though…we're definitely shredding the tax documents. ;)

I did have fun flipping through old college papers I wrote (why I kept them, I'm not sure…maybe because I spent so many hours researching and writing them?) - and even found a story or two that I wrote when I was Kaylin's age. I can't wait to show the kids in the morning. Hilarious! My mom is not a pack rat (like *ahem* apparently I am) so I don't have many elementary keepsakes left. I might have to hang onto these two, just because I can!

Goodbye, unnecessary paper clutter!

#38 - Pre-plan my three most important tasks for the day every evening before bed for a month

I have developed a new strategy for tackling my daily to do list. Every night for a week, as planned, I wrote out 2-3 time-sensitive tasks that I wanted to get done the following day. To that, I started adding one non-time-sensitive task that I'd inevitably been putting off "until I had time to do it." Which, let's be honest, is NEVER. 

I'm tackling all of the big and small things on my list. Get a bedskirt made with the fabric that's been collecting dust for years? Done. Put felt on the bottom of the kitchen chairs so they slide more easily? Done.

I've even been completing items that have been pinned on my Pinterest boards. I added a sticky magnetic strip to the inside of my bathroom drawer to hold all of my bobby pins in one place. Genius, right? Not my idea…Pinterest. I also updated the old, oak frames hanging in my hallway with a coat of black spray paint and they look brand new. LOVE them!

And have you noticed that I'm suddenly tackling my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list again? Yeah. This is how I'm plowing through those items. The frame above my bed that's been broken for 5 years? Done. Schedule laser eye surgery? Done. Special dates with the kids? Done. Invite neighbors over for dinner? Done. 

I was shocked at the weight that was lifted from my shoulders when some of these longer term to-do items began disappearing, one at a time. I usually add one extra household project - sometimes big, sometimes small - to our schedule each weekend. Too easily, things pile up and I get so overwhelmed that I hide to avoid it all. My friend DutchMac calls it "Ostrich Syndrome". Pretty much sums it up!

I also discovered the beautiful option of categorizing my to do lists in my iPhone. This way, when I want to sit down and get some work done, I open my Tastefully Simple to do list. If I'm feeling crafty or want to do things around the house? There's a list for that, too. Out and about? I can run an errand on the way home.

It's my own little piece of hyper-organized, OCD heaven. 

#38 is crossed off my 101 in 1001 list!

Being a Sheep

In most situations, I'm pretty on top of things. I know what's going on, where we're going, what I need to bring with me, etc. There are very few instances where I blindly follow someone else in charge.

As a homemaker, I'm constantly aware of the next meal that needs to be prepared, which groceries we need, which chores should be completed next.

As a homeschool mom, there always seems to be checklist in my head of the items we've accomplished and topics that still need to be discussed.

In my Tastefully Simple business, no one is going to do my job for me, so if I don't bring my A-game, my parties are unsuccessful and my income suffers.

Get the idea? Is it the same in your world? 

I'll never forget overhearing a former co-worker asking her husband to grab milk on his way home from work. He called back from the dairy aisle asking which kind of milk he should buy, because there were so many options. My co-worker replied, "You seriously don't know which kind of milk we buy? You open the refrigerator every day, pour yourself a glass out of the carton, and you can honestly tell me you don't know if we drink 2%, 1% or skim!?!?!?" She was appalled.

Personally, I remember feeling like she was pretty harsh on him. But now, 11 years later, I can officially understand how that happened. 

I went on two trips this summer where I made virtually no decisions and was "along for the ride", so to speak. I felt like a sheep…responsible for nothing, all I needed to do was comply with already-made plans.

First, I went to Kansas City for my high school reunion. The reunion events were all planned out, and friends had coordinated times where we could get together before or after to catch up in a more intimate setting. All weekend long, I was literally told where to go and what time to be there, and I just showed up. It was incredibly freeing to not have to be in charge of anything for four days. 

Then in August, I went to Baltimore for our Tastefully Simple annual conference. I traveled with a couple of girls from my team, one of which is very organized, like me. But I let her be in charge of details like transportation to and from the airport, our hotel reservations, things like that. Her authority continued after we arrived. I was so clueless that, at one point, I walked in the complete opposite direction from our hotel to the convention center. It was the first time I had to be there earlier than the other girls and I should have walked left, but instead walked right. 

With no one to guide me, I was a lost sheep in downtown Baltimore. 

Toward the end of the trip, when I realized how little I was using my brain all weekend, I drew the parallel between me in that moment and my former co-worker's husband. Or many spouses of go-getter significant others, for that matter. When one partner takes the bull by the horns, I can see how the other would think, "Why bother? She/He's got it figured out."

I am that go-getter. Not to say that Mike is a sheep, by any means. But now I understand why he asks seemingly "silly" questions now and then. He's just along for the ride, in many cases. He's become comfortable there.

It was kind of fun to be in that position a couple of different times this summer! Contrary to popular belief, I do not need to be in the driver's seat all of the time. I am very comfortable being told what to do, as long as someone else takes control.

Vacations when I'm not in charge are definitely my new favorite. 

#2 - Fix the frame of the collage above our bed

This is so sad. SO PATHETIC. 

While I was pregnant with Jason (you know…my kid who just turned 5…) the stucco on the outside of our house was torn off and replaced because of a builder defect. I remember laying in bed, trying to take one of those, "I'm so pregnant that all I want to do is sleep" naps while a team of men pounded away on the other side of the wall of my bed. I hid under a pillow - it was a good thing - when suddenly the frame from around the border of my over-the-bed decor began falling down. On top of me. 

I decided to do a thicker frame…after Jason was born. Now here we are, 5 years later, and I just finally got around to finishing this project. It just hasn't been a priority, to be honest. No matter how simple it seemed. 

This was the 2009 "done" picture…

A couple of weeks ago, our pastor at church was talking about laziness and how even though everyone is so "busy" these days, often we don't get around to the things that are most important. Or the little things on our to do list that don't seem important, but weigh us down. 

This project was one of those things for me. 

That day, I bought two 8' pieces of baseboard to replace the frame. That next week, I had my friend's husband cut it for me and took several trips back and forth to Lowe's and Home Depot getting the right adhesive for this never-ending project. 

Then today, Mike and I were ready to put the frame up. But, sure enough, I was sloppy with my measurements for the friend who cut the baseboards for me and there was about a 1/2 inch of green showing outside of the frame. (*sigh*)

So I taped it off and painted it. Then let it dry. 

I was determined to get this stupid thing done TO-DAY. Mike eventually hung the frame, but where I originally placed the 12x12 foam squares wasn't centered, so the top part of the frame left no green border to be seen. That had to be moved. No problem, because I used the amazing Command Damage-Free Hanging Strips. I pre-planned for mistakes!

And finally…FINALLY…I think this project is totally complete. I'm not going to comment about the fact that I think the white is too light against the tan wall because it's done. DONE. I could mess around with the centering of the squares a little more, but I'm sick of trying to make it perfect. It's done. For now.

(plus, I want to eventually paint our bedroom…)

#2 on my list of 101 Goals in 1001 Days is complete! I'm just going to have to live with it!!!

#7 - (Dare I say...?) Have another baby OR totally come to terms with the fact that we are complete as a family of five.

I just realized I never posted about this, but #7 is crossed off my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list. Back in May, I thought I might be pregnant. I was late. Really late. And for the first time in more than a decade, I took a pregnancy test and was relieved that it was negative. It was a weird moment for me.

I sat there for that long "three minutes" realizing how comfortable I've become with how independent my kids are. They can get themselves breakfast when Mike and I sleep in Sunday mornings. They are learning to cook and clean and stay organized and they are so much less needy as each week passes.  They help pick up and shop and are valuable contributors to our household, instead of just adorable little rollie pollies. We have a good little routine going, the kids and I, with school, chores, and throughout the week. 

Then I saw the little pink line, without a plus sign, and sighed a very surprised sigh of relief. 

I am still very, very open to adoption down the road, but for now, I am okay with our family of five. Kaylin still desperately wants a baby sister, but as she gets older, I don't think she realizes how big of an age gap there would be if we had a baby in the near future. 

So I am crossing this one off the list. I don't plan to get pregnant anytime soon, and since the clock is ticking, I think I'm starting to run out of time to have another baby in my tummy. And I think I'm okay with that.

It's hard to believe that the last time I was pregnant was more than five years ago. It seems like an eternity!

Getting the Kids Involved in ALL THOSE Pinterest Ideas

I recently found a great blog post about 8 Genius Ideas for your Homeschool. The list was great, whether you homeschool or not. We already do a couple of the ideas, but I think we're going to incorporate the first one: "Home Ec Day". 

It got me thinking about an idea of my own I came up with recently. I have so many great blog posts and articles pinned on my Pinterest board, but sometimes have trouble fitting in fun things like science experiments and craft projects. 

So I've made my kids responsible for them. 

Once a week, 10-year old Ryan looks through my "Weird Science" Pinterest Board and picks an experiment that he wants to do with the kids. He's in charge of preparing it and gathering the supplies. Then Kaylin, my 8-year old budding artist, is in charge of planning a craft for her brothers. 

While Ryan or Kaylin is in charge, their siblings practice taking direction from them, listening to instructions, and showing them respect. 

Now all I have to do is find something for Jason to be in charge of so he can have a sense of control in his little life!

(if you're interested in following me on Pinterest, click here)

10 Minute Paleo Peach Cobbler {Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free}

As soon as I saw this recipe online, I had to try it. Peaches are so ripe right now and I had everything in the kitchen to try making this quick cobbler for dessert.

Even if you're not living a gluten free or Paleo lifestyle, this recipe will surprise you. Being that I'm coming off Whole 30, where no sweets hit my lips other than fruit, peaches are plenty sweet for me without the cobbler topping. But the consistency of this recipe is something that made me feel like I was indulging and it was delicious!

Ingredients

2 peaches, thinly sliced

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup almonds

5 medjool dates, pitted (soaked for 10 minutes)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 Tbsp flax seed meal or chia seeds (optional)

Directions

- Soak the dates in 1-2 cups of water for about 10 minutes. If you leave them in there too long, they could become mushy, so watch them carefully!

- Place soaked dates in the food processor and pulse dates until they are very small chunks. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl. 

- Add walnuts and almonds to the food processor and pulse until they are very fine chunks. 

- Pour nut mixture over dates. Add cinnamon, a pinch of salt and flax seed meal or chia seeds, if desired. Mix together until a crumble forms.

- Place sliced peaches in a bowl. If you don't care about eating raw, microwave peaches for 1 minute. 

- Sprinkle the "cobbler" mixture over the peaches and enjoy!

Store the crumble in the fridge for up to a week and sprinkle over fresh fruit whenever you want a sweet treat!

#31 - Go to bed at 9:00pm every night for a week

I don't know if it's because I was on CST for 4 days or because I've been eating healthier and waking up earlier or what, but I cannot keep my eyes open past 8:30 these days! And I'm going with it, because I'm heading to Baltimore soon, where I need to be up and at 'em by 7:30am EST. That's up, showered, dressed and at the convention center by 4:30 Phoenix time. I KNOW! Me!!! I can't wrap my brain around it, either. 

This past week, I've been in bed, asleep pretty much every night by 8:30. One night, I was out cold by 8pm. #31 is officially completed from my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list!

#4 - Get new bedroom furniture

We checked this off our list of 101 in 1001 in June, but I forgot to post about it! I have hated our bedroom dressers since the moment I married Mike. I don't love oak, but they were functional and served their purpose. So they stayed.

Nearly 15 years later, I am happy to report that we have replaced our dressers! I have casually looked around for something I love without success, but when I saw these posted online for sale by a friend, I jumped on them. They're a perfect interim set to carry us through for a few years until I can save for, shop for, and fall in love with something that will last us for another 15 years. Or more.

Our old set sold quickly on Craigslist and our bedroom has been updated without losing a penny. That's what I call frugal decorating!

excuse the mess on the sides - I snapped pictures without tidying up

The family picture needs to have the frame painted and it's going to hang above Mike's dresser. Not fully decorated, but good enough to post!

Teaching Kids to Cook

I am so excited. SO EXCITED! We are joining a new Homeschool Co-Op and I offered to teach an "Intro to Cooking" class for some of the kids ages 7-12. When asked what my special skills are, I drew a blank. Then it hit me! I'm not good enough at Science or Art or Spanish to teach anyone other than my own kids, but cooking? I can teach cooking. 

I've spent the better part of this afternoon obsessing over my tentative syllabus for this 12 week course. Wanna know what I've penciled in? Because I'm really excited about it and I want to share it with someone, so it may as well be YOU. Even if you don't homeschool, you could teach your own kids how to cook in just a matter of a few months with this basic skeleton of an agenda.

(I still need to figure out how much the supplies and ingredients are going to cost, so I can come up with a dollar amount to charge each child, but I can figure that out later.)

Week 1: Intro to Cooking

I'm going to get the kids each an apron and, while we get to know each other, they can decorate their aprons with fabric markers and puffy paint. We'll also go over cleanliness, recipe basics, etc. during our first class together. No cooking yet, just getting everyone on the same page.

Week 2: Knife safety, Peelers, Whipping Cream

After going over knife safety, we'll learn how to safely use a vegetable peeler and they'll peel some apples for Easy Apple Turnovers. While those are baking, we'll make homemade whipping cream.  I'll never forget my kids' faces when they first saw heavy whipping cream transform into whipped cream. It's magical! Minimal measuring, pretty simple, but fun, right?

Week 3: Differences between liquid and dry measurements

Again, keeping thing simple early on, we're going to make Homemade Ice Cream in a bag. We'll learn about the difference between liquid and dry measuring utensils, cups and spoons, measuring equivalents (3 tsp = 1 Tbsp), things like that. Still learning the basics.

Week 4: Breakfast in bed

I polled some friends and it was a consensus that these kids need to learn how to bring their parents breakfast in bed! So we're going to learn how to cook eggs to order (scrambled and soft/hard boiled, plus the difference between over easy, over medium, and over hard fried eggs) and I'm going to throw in a little character lesson about why they should bring their parents (and eventually their spouse) breakfast in bed. It's all about serving others, people!

Week 5: Baking/Oven Safety

This week, we'll make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins because we'll be heading straight into fall. We'll talk about measuring dry ingredients by making the top of the measuring cup even with the back of a knife, why things go in the mixing bowl in a certain order, stuff like that.

Week 6: Chicken Safety

I can't do a cooking class without talking about cross contamination and the disgusting world of salmonella! We'll make homemade chicken fingers, and while those are cooking, I'm going to bring some basic seasonings (basil, garlic, onion, thyme, oregano) and let them smell/taste each one, explaining why adding seasonings is so important to cooking.

Week 7: Making Lunch

Making a grilled cheese sandwich seems easy, but for littler kids, they don't understand that it's necessary to butter the bread evenly so it all cooks the same, how not to burn it before flipping it over, things like that. Someone mentioned that learning this in Home Ec gave them huge confidence in the kitchen, so I'm throwing this in there. 

Week 8: Boiling Water

Not only are we going to make a pasta dish and learn about boiling water on this day, but I found a fun recipe on Pinterest for putting uncooked spaghetti noodles through hot dog chunks and boiling them, then they look crazy on the plate. Who wouldn't love that? But I wonder what you would serve them with…? Ketchup? Marinara?

photo credit

Week 9: Meatballs, Meatloaf and not clogging the drain

Most kids will love squishing and rolling meatballs, plus a friend told me about a cooking birthday party her son went to where they spent some time talking about properly disposing of fats. To help them understand why not to put fat down the drain, she did a demo with two kids holding hands in a circle, then a couple of kids stood between them. Then she tried to put another kid in, then another, until the "circle" was clogged. Then she lifted another kid up and tried to put her on top, showing what happens as the drain slowly gets clogged up. This demonstration is right up my little homeschool alley!

Week 10: Using a Mixer/Beaters

I can't teach a cooking class without sharing the best ever Chocolate Cake recipe with these kids and their families! They'll also learn how to make homemade frosting with their own set of beaters, and we'll discuss how softened vs. melted butter affects the outcome of a recipe. Then they'll frost their individual cakes in disposable tins and I'll send them on their merry little way.

Week 11: Sugar Cookies

Again, when you have the most amazing Sugar Cookie Recipe on the planet, it must be shared. Plus, my recipe doesn't require that the dough be refrigerated first, so they'll get to make the dough, roll it out, flour the surface, use cookie cutters, bake and decorate. We'll be closer to Christmas by this time, so it will be good timing.

Week 12: Reading a Recipe Independently 

By the end of the class, my goal is to have these kids reading recipes on their own. They will (hopefully) know how to measure properly, go through the instructions independently, etc. They'll make my easy, moist Banana Bread recipe in disposable loaf pans to take home as their final class project.

Doesn't this sound fun!? I'm seriously jumping out of my skin I'm so excited. Hopefully these kids will get 10% of my excitement and actually retain something I teach them so they can learn to be confident in the kitchen. 

If your kids were taking a cooking class, what would you want them to learn? I have plenty of time to tweak or add to my agenda!

My First Whole30 Experience

Well, I did it! I am officially done with my first attempt at Whole30. And I think I am forever changed.

A month ago, a friend posted on Facebook that she was doing her second Whole 30 Challenge and wanted others to join her. I was coming off a weekend where I'd over-eaten, over-drank, over-baked, and I felt horribly guilty about my lack of self control. I agreed to take the challenge and join her Facebook "support group", then I immediately panicked. What did I get myself into???

I didn't read It Starts With Food, but quickly figured out the condensed version of the program: Take out the allergens (grains, dairy, soy, and corn) and things that bloat (sugar, alcohol, and legumes) and basically eat things that you can grow or kill. That's it. Whole foods for 30 days. If you can't pronounce the ingredients on the package, it's likely off limits.

One caveat that I had to wrap my brain around was that you can't recreate baked goods with approved ingredients, if you want to be truly Whole30 compliant. No grain-free muffins, no banana and egg pancakes, no Paleo brownies, nothing. 

No baking. At all??? Yikes. "Why," you ask? It's about retraining the brain and not having SWYPO. Read about it. A hilarious analogy that explains why going gluten free last year didn't do a darn thing for my waistline.

To be clear, I don't "diet". The word itself is so misused that hearing others use it out of context is like hearing nails on a chalkboard. I hate counting calories, I'm inconsistent with tracking my food, I am an admitted sugar addict, and I've accepted the fact that I will never be a size 6. I try to eat healthy with a fair amount of occasional indulgences, and I intentionally workout to burn off the guilt of splurging. This has only worked for me to a certain extent and, as I get older and older, this plan works for me less and less. After seeing this chart above, it makes perfect sense that you can't exercise away a poor diet.

If you're interested in learning more details about Whole30, their website is a wealth of simple information. No need to recreate that here. 

Wondering about my results? I'll admit, it wasn't easy, but I refuse to say that it was "hard". As they say on their website: "It is not hard. Don't you dare tell us this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You've done harder things than this, and you have no excuse not to complete the program as written. It's only thirty days, and it's for the most important health cause on earth - the only physical body you will every have in this lifetime."

The first week was tough, the second week was better, but still difficult, then it was all downhill from there. By day 12-14, I wasn't really tempted by much. All in all, here are my results...

FOOD

Because I didn't read the book, I didn't realize during my first week (see my menu here) that I wasn't supposed to snack. I have to say that I can't (or won't) eat just 3 big meals a day. I hate feeling full and I like a little fruit or some nuts mid-morning and mid-afternoon. I see nothing wrong with that! 

I overate early on in my 30 days because I read, "Don't count calories" and I heard, "Eat all you want, as long as it's approved! WEEE!" I went a little overboard. Yet, I still lost pounds and inches, so I can't complain!

I ate a lot of the same things every day, for example…

Breakfast: Either a veggie omelet with 1/2 an avocado or a banana with almond butter

Lunch: Either a salad with tuna or chicken, chicken and avocado salad with cilantro, or leftovers from dinner that week

Snacks: Fresh fruit, apples and almond butter, apple chips, nuts, a blueberry or cashew Larabar if I was on the run, and I love plantain chips from Trader Joe's when I want something crunchy and salty.

Dinner: I made spaghetti squash weekly, chicken stir fry with coconut aminos weekly, beanless chili a few times, apple sausage or chicken or salmon or steak with broccoli or green beans or cauli-rice or a baked potato (which was approved halfway through my 30 days), I attempted shrimp and mango lettuce wraps and chicken zucchini poppers and I tried a few other new recipes that were all delicious.

As an aside, my Tastefully Simple seasonings SAVED ME during this challenge. A sprinkle of Seasoned Salt, Ultimate Steak Seasoning, Dried Tomato and Garlic Pesto, or Onion Onion added tons of flavor to any meat or even veggies, not to mention that a little bit of Onion Onion and Garlic Garlic made my cauli-rice absolutely delicious. 

CRAVINGS

Sugar: I crave it after lunch and dinner, I crave it mid-afternoon, I have no self control around baked goods. My biggest success through this experience is that sugar is no longer a temptation for me. What's more is that my body now rejects it! A few times in the past 30 days, I've had a taste of someone's dessert and within minutes, my stomach began to cramp. I love that my body has completely detoxed from sugar, here's hoping I keep away from my old habits.

Dairy: I have always been suspicious that I am lactose intolerant. I don't drink milk, but I learned very quickly that I add cheese and butter to everything. It was easy to replace butter with olive oil or coconut oil in most recipes, and I discovered the wonderment of ghee, but cheese. Oh cheese! It was hard to learn to live without cheese on my omelets, salads, and Italian or Mexican dishes. I purposefully didn't ask a waiter to omit the goat cheese on a salad halfway through the 30 days and my body didn't respond at all, so I'm wondering if dairy doesn't have the effect on me that I thought it did?

Soy: Knowing that Jason is allergic to soy, I already knew that soy and soybean oil is everywhere. This is my biggest annoyance at restaurants…making sure my chicken or salmon is cooked in olive oil, not soybean oil. It's a sneaky little substance these days! 

Corn: Taking corn out of my diet didn't bother me at all. When we stopped eating gluten last summer, we upped our corn tortillas and tortillas chip consumption, but these past 30 days, I didn't miss it. I will say that when we went to one of our favorite restaurants downtown a few weeks ago, I guiltlessly ordered the chicken street tacos on corn tortillas and, to my surprise, my body didn't react at all. So corn might not be an issue for me. We'll see when I add it back in over the next week.

Grains: This was fairly difficult. Maybe not as difficult as for those who were used to eating bread and pasta, but we eat oatmeal for breakfast at least 5 days a week and I really missed it. For me, it's a bit of a comfort food. Eliminating brown rice as a side dish was also a little annoying until I discovered cauli-rice. The first time I made it, I ate almost the whole pan!

Legumes: Switching from peanut butter to almond butter was a breeze - they're pretty interchangeable in our house. But I love adding black beans to soups and Mexican dishes, plus beanless chili wasn't a huge hit in my house. I'm hoping to add these back in without consequence.

Alcohol: I've never been a big drinker, until the last couple of years when I discovered the wonderful world of Cosmopolitans. I love me a fancy little Cosmo! I spent most of the first 30 years of my life stone, cold sober, so not drinking around friends, even at my high school reunion, wasn't a huge deal.

Non-alcoholic beverages: I love water and green tea and don't drink much else, so this wasn't an issue. I don't drink soda or coffee, my weekly protein shakes were easy to omit, and I only drink fruit juices when my husband makes me a foofy cocktail on the weekends, so this rule was also easy to follow.

"CHEATING"

Considering the fact that I had TWO vacations within my 30 day challenge, one of which was my 20 year reunion, I am extremely proud of myself. The number of times I politely declined greasy, cheesy, sugar-laden foods was ridiculous. I was tempted, teased, and tormented by some of my favorite foods and I can confidently say that, 99.9% of the time, I stayed strong. 

I indulged and had a few bites of no-no's during the 30 days, but I immediately paid for it. My body completely rejected sugar and soy. Yet, it didn't react at all to the corn tortillas or goat cheese. As I reintroduce each allergen back into my diet over the next few weeks, I'm very curious which ones my body will respond to in a negative way. That will be a whole 'nother blog post, I'm sure.

This is everything I brought for 4th of July weekend at my in laws' cabin.  A little bit of prep time beforehand meant I had plenty of options to choose from!

SLEEP

I love sleep, maybe a little too much. I don't function well on less than 8 hours of shuteye. I was hoping that this challenge would turn me into a morning person, but so far, it hasn't. 

One thing that I'm ashamed to admit is that I had gotten into the habit of taking daily naps. Never longer than 20 minutes, but seriously, we're talking 6 days a week, people. The exhaustion of being endlessly patient with my spirited 4 year old is more than I can take most days and a 20 minute power nap makes me a nicer mom during the 2nd half of each day. 

But by week 2 of this challenge, I realized that I wasn't that tired. I might lay on my bed and watch a Food Network show or get caught up on emails, but I very quickly realized that I don't need these daily naps anymore. For me, this is a huge victory!

One other thing I must mention is that I dream more now than ever before. Possibly because I'm getting better REM cycles? Who knows. I thought it was only me, until someone else commented on it in the Facebook group. Interesting.

CHANGES IN MY BODY

I only lost 6 lbs, but I can see big changes in myself, physically. Shorts that haven't fit in more than a year fit very comfortably and everything on my body just seems…leaner. The muffin top is gone, my sides feel tighter, there's less jiggle when I wiggle, it's great. I still need to measure myself to see how many inches I lost, but regardless of the number, I feel so much healthier and I'm no longer a slave to the scale.

Another odd problem that was fixed is my bum knee. I have developed a pretty annoying pain in my right knee that is exasperated by squats and lunges at the gym. But in the last few weeks, my knee hasn't bothered me at all. Not even once. It's fantastic.

EXERCISE/ENERGY

All of these physical changes have happened while working out LESS this past month. I was in the habit of going to the gym 5 times/week before and, partially because of schedule conflicts and starting our homeschool routine in July, I have barely been able to make it 2-3 times/week. My energy level is higher and apparently I don't have to workout as much because my diet isn't filled with garbage. I'm sure if I went back to working out 5 days/week, I would start dropping weight more quickly, but for now, I'm appreciating the break from my daily routine.

MY MOOD

Being a stay-at-home mom is trying in and of itself, but the fact that I also work my Tastefully Simple business and have a full party schedule, plus throw homeschooling into the mix, let's just say that my fuse tends to be shorter than I'd like.

This past month, I suddenly have a new dose of patience and my mood has been less erratic. The sugar crashes have definitely disappeared and, possibly because I'm well rested, I'm able to pause before reacting negatively to Mike and the kids. 

WHAT NEXT?

My next step is to keep going. Today, I ate popcorn at the movies (I brought plain popcorn from home for me and Jason, because the theater cooks it in soybean oil) - there was no reaction at all. No bloating, no cramping, no signs that I ate anything different than yesterday. Next, I'm going to introduce legumes back into my diet, making our regular chili recipe. From there, I'll try oats and other grains, then dairy, and I'm very curious to see if yellow cheeses affect me differently than varieties like goat cheese and feta.

After all of these items are reintroduced, I plan to stay on a modified Paleo lifestyle. I can't see myself ever going back to anything-goes. I've made mostly healthy choices for years (for the most part) with lots and lots of wiggle room. Too much wiggle room, apparently. I feel so good right now and I don't want to go back to the way I felt a month ago, that's for sure.

Are you intrigued yet? Have you struggled with your weight, your diet, self confidence, low energy, disturbed sleep, cravings, food addictions, aches and pains, seasonal allergies, or other physical ailments? I strongly recommend reading more about Step 1 of Whole30. I haven't talked to anyone who says this hasn't changed their life. It most definitely changed the way I think about eating and I hope this will permanently transform my relationship with food. 

There's no need to turn my Whole 30 experience into a Whole 365 lifestyle - I don't think that's the intention behind the challenge at all. But I'm certainly curious to see where this next phase takes me!

#60 - Teach Jason to unload the dishwasher

This has been done for a while now, but I've been waiting to get a picture of my proud kid unloading the dishwasher by himself. We have a drying mat that he puts items that are too high for him to reach, but he's in the habit of regularly helping in the kitchen. #60 is crossed off my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list!

#33 - Read before bed every night for a week

I've gotten close to crossing this off a few times, but it took me a while to track reading a full 7 days in a row. I've read through most of Parenting with Love & Logic and am just starting Taming the Spirited Child (I highly recommend both books) but I finally read for 7 days straight recently, so I can cross off #33 from my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list. Yay! Maybe someday I'll start reading fiction again…?

#40 - Do a three-day media fast

Since writing my list of 101 Goals in 1001 Days, I've realized that completely cutting myself off from my email and online connections is not possible. I run a business where people contact me and expect an answer fairly quickly, within 24 hours at most, so I did the best I could with this one. 

Being that we were away for the 4th of July weekend, and most people were offline celebrating themselves, I took this opportunity to cross off my three-day media fast from my 101 in 1001 list. 

I didn't watch t.v. or movies all weekend, only checked my phone to respond to "emergency" emails and a few texts, and was unplugged in all other aspects for 4 days, not just 3. I gave myself an extra day because I did text a few friends and upload a couple of cute patriotic pictures to Instagram. So as far as I'm concerned, this item is done!

At our first small-town parade. How could I not post this adorable family picture, I ask you?

Whole30 First Timer - My First Week's Menu

Have you seen the buzz about the "Whole 30" challenge? It's basically a 30 day challenge to reset your body and commit to eating unprocessed, whole foods. Meats, eggs, fish, veggies, fruit, nuts, good fats, things like that.

There are a lot of restrictions and, although they make sense from a health perspective, I've always been too intimidated to jump in and just DO IT.

Until last weekend. I over-ate, over-drank, over-snacked, over-baked, pretty much over-did it in every regard. I laid in bed Sunday night feeling nauseous from overstuffing myself at dinner…too nauseous to even sleep, so I turned on my phone and flipped mindlessly through Facebook. 

A friend of mine posted asking if anyone would want to join her in doing the Whole 30 Challenge starting on July 1. She was starting a FB group to share recipes, meal ideas, plus encouragement and other tips. Without thinking, I commented on the post, asking to be included. 

Then I panicked.

Even though I've been gluten free for the past year, I still eat my fair share of dairy, beans, oats, brown rice, potatoes…WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO EAT NOW?!?!?

I pulled up Whole30 on Pinterest and started pinning things like crazy. Meal plans, grocery lists, approved Costco items, "how to be successful" tips, you name it. It slowly started seeming pretty doable.

So, I'm in. This is the end of my first full week and I wanted to share what I ate in hopes of helping give ideas to other first-time Whole 30 challengers.  I ate a lot of the same things, but here goes.

Update: I didn't realize during this first week that I wasn't supposed to eat snacks. All I heard was "don't count calories" and I sort of went with it. 

Monday - Day 1

Breakfast: Omelet with red bell peppers and tomatoes with a side of 1/2 an avocado

Morning Snack: Sliced apple with almond butter

Lunch: 2 Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausages (from Costco) and a handful of dried green beans from Trader Joe's (I was starving in the car on the way home from the store at 1:15pm)

Afternoon Snack: A red bell pepper with Wholly Guacamole

Dinner: (I forgot to eat dinner…I ate that afternoon snack so late that I heated up leftovers for everyone else and forgot about myself!)

Dessert: I was starving around 7:45pm (I still hadn't realized that I forgot to eat dinner), so I microwaved 1 chopped apple with 1 tsp coconut oil and 1/2 tsp cinnamon for 90 seconds. YUM!

Day 1 Thoughts: No cravings all morning, but I really wanted something sweet in the evening. The baked apple hit the spot!

Tuesday - Day 2

Breakfast: 1/2 a banana with almond butter (I was in a hurry)

Morning Snack: Blueberry Muffin Larabar, a few almonds

Lunch: Shredded chicken mixed with 1/2 avocado, chopped red bell pepper and tomato, plus a glop of mayo, all mixed up. 

Afternoon Snack: Trader Joe's Plantain Chips and Wholly Guacamole (I LOVE the single servings from Costco!)

Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with marinara and meatballs

Dessert: Apple Chips

Day 2 Thoughts: I was pretty busy today, so I didn't miss anything on the "don't" list. Except parmesan cheese on my dinner…I missed that as everyone else was passing it around the table. 

Wednesday - Day 3

Breakfast: Omelet with red bell peppers and tomatoes with a side of 1/2 an avocado

Morning Snack: Apple with almond butter

Lunch: A salad (with oil and vinegar dressing, shredded chicken, red bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, and apple chips)

1st Afternoon Snack: Plantain chips and guacamole

2nd Afternoon Snack: A smoothie (a banana, 5 frozen strawberries, 2 frozen pineapple pieces, some blueberries, fresh spinach, and green tea)

Dinner: Rotisserie chicken and zucchini sautéed with ghee and Tastefully Simple seasoned salt

Day 3 Thoughts: I was unusually hungry today. I really wanted some fresh fruit with breakfast, but all I had on hand was an over-ripe banana and an apple that I wanted to save for later. I ate my morning snack by 9am, then lunch by 11am. The salad didn't taste as good as I hoped it would, I think I was missing the feta cheese, so I ate some plantain chips and guacamole. Then I had a smoothie around 2pm. It seems like I had trouble feeling satisfied today. It could have also been because I was home painting all day…maybe being so close to the kitchen gave me the munchies?

Thursday - Day 4

Breakfast: Banana with almond butter (perfect pre-workout breakfast!)

Morning Snack: Egg white veggie omelet with avocado and grapes

Lunch: Shredded chicken with red bell peppers, avocado, grape halves and a glop of mayo. 

Afternoon Snack: Trader Joe's Roasted Plantain Chips

Dinner: 3 Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausages

Dessert: Strawberries and blueberries

Day 4 Thoughts: We headed to my in laws' cabin for the holiday weekend and I brought a bunch of snacks and veggies, all chopped and ready for omelets and salads. Being around Mike's family, who was eating and drinking whatever they wanted, wasn't too tough so far, but I'm definitely glad I brought a lot of my own snacks. (first picture below)

Friday (4th of July)

Breakfast: Omelet with red bell peppers, ground sausage and tomatoes with a side of 1/2 an avocado and a banana

Morning Snack: Strawberries

Lunch: A salad (with oil and vinegar dressing, shredded chicken, red bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes,  grapes, and avocado)

Afternoon Snack: TJ's Roasted Plantain Chips and Wholly Guacamole, more strawberries

Dinner: Grilled chicken with TS Seasoned Salt and olive oil, with a  side of carrots, red bell peppers and broccoli sautéed in olive oil and TS Seasoned Salt

Dessert: Apple Chips

Day 5 Thoughts: At the 4th of July festival that we went to, I treated the kids to homemade mini donuts and some apple pie. I decided to have a bite of each and it was totally worth it. It was a holiday, after all! My only "cheat" so far and I don't regret it one bit. When we returned home from watching fireworks, my father in law left us a baggie full of recently baked chocolate chips cookies...my biggest weakness. Thankfully, I wasn't tempted in the least and I thought it was absolutely hilarious. 

My father-in-law's idea of "pillow mints" - so funny!

Saturday - Day 6

Breakfast: Omelet with red bell peppers and tomatoes and 1/2 an avocado 

Morning Snack: Handful of almonds, cashews, walnuts and raisins (individual bags sold at Trader Joe's)

Lunch: My daily salad (with oil and vinegar dressing, leftover grilled chicken, red bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes,  grapes, and avocado)

Afternoon Snack: Apple and almond butter, Trader Joe's dried green beans, strawberries

Dinner: Steak and steamed broccoli

Day 6 Thoughts: I've been especially tired today. And I couldn't stop snacking in the afternoon. We headed home from the cabin after dinner, so hopefully being home and in my routine tomorrow will help proceeding with this challenge a little easier than being on "vacation".

Sunday - Day 7

Breakfast: Omelet with sautéed zucchini, red bell pepper, and tomatoes with 1/2 an avocado and blueberries.

Morning Snack: none

Lunch: We went to Chipotle (I ordered a "salad" with no dressing. It was just lettuce, chicken, extra fajita vegetables, tomatoes and guacamole - forgot to take a picture until I was almost done eating!)

Afternoon Snack: TJ's Roasted Plantain Chips and Wholly Guacamole

Dinner: A hamburger with mustard and no bun - after the 30 days, I'm going to try to make Paleo ketchup

Day 7 Thoughts: Mike and the kids keep trying to eat "my" food. I'm trying to convince Mike to try Whole 30 with me, but he wants to see what kind of results I get first. Everyone sneaks my plantain chips and fresh berries, and they always ask for bites of my sausages and salad. The food I'm eating is DELICIOUS!!!

This week might not have been my perfect preference for a first week, given the fact that we went up with my in-laws' to their cabin for the long holiday weekend, but is there really ever a "good" time to start? 

In 3 weeks, I'm heading to KC for my high school reunion, then 3 weeks after that I'm speaking at a Tastefully Simple conference in Baltimore. Then it's my birthday. Then Labor Day. Then Columbus Day…I mean, seriously, I could come up with a gazillion excuses! But I didn't want to. I just wanted to dive in and get 'er done. 

What am I expecting to get out of this 30 day challenge? I'd like to have more energy, be less lethargic, get less sugar cravings, and leaning out a little before my 20 year reunion and my speaking engagement wouldn't be half bad, either! I also plan to gradually introduce each food group back into my diet to see how it makes me feel. I've always had a sneaking suspicion that I'm lactose intolerant, so maybe I'll have an epiphany there? We'll see. 

I committed to not measuring or weighing myself until it's over, but I cheated and weighed myself this morning. I'm down 4 lbs, which could be water weight, but it's 4 lbs I haven't been able to lose no matter what I've done! In the end, the only thing I really care about is that my getting-too-snug jeans start fitting me properly again. 

Here's hoping!