It’s Day 22! I can’t believe it. So close. There’s one weekend left to get through (one when my friends are heading OOT, so it might be hard!) and then a couple more weekdays, and then we’re done. I’m still not feeling “tiger blood” but I am pushing through in spite of it all. Because, I mean, we’ve come this far, right?

The past week was a challenge (made a cake! Made frosting! Didn’t eat either!) but also brought a few recipes I’m digging and because it’s been chilly, I’ve been having all the tea and trying to keep hydrated.

Shout out to my book club – accidental or not, there was not lots of wine-flaunting happening and we all had tea, so I didn’t feel like I was missing out. It’s been an easy month in the social arena, and for that, I am lucky.

Last week was hard (specifically Friday) because I was feeling hopeless and tired, so I made some sweet potato fries & ate them with garlic dip because it was the closest thing to comfort food I could get to, and it really did the trick. On Saturday, we were at the Women’s March and I did not plan enough snacks OR drink enough water (because I was worried about bathroom options) but I did have a Larabar and some dried mango and was generally OK.

Here’s what I’ve been eating this week:

Breakfast

Week 3 – Chia Seed & Coconut Milk Pudding – This was great and so easy. I topped it with freeze dried blueberries and banana and coconut, and it made each morning feel fancy. I will say I was hungry earlier than the other weeks, but I compensated with a bigger lunch and we were all good.

Lunch

Leftover city this week.

Dinner

Week 3 – We made this Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken because I finally found sun dried tomatoes that we could eat, and boy oh boy was it good. I served with mashed potatoes and spinach, and it was perfect. I also made shrimp with Chinese five spice, and then fried up some cauliflower rice, with a couple of eggs scrambled in, green onions, and topped with coconut aminos, crispy Brussels sprouts, and hot sauce. We also tried this Red Curry Beef Stew, and had a Teriyaki Chicken (sans honey) with sugar snap peas (and mashed potatoes again, I was feeling weak, you guys) – thanks to Ellen & Aaron who had us over for this one, because they’ve been in Whole30 world and know what it’s like.

I’ve got a lot planned for this week, so I can’t wait to share with you at the end to let you know what was good!

Eating Out

We went to a local restaurant that has a Paleo Plate (again, thanks Ellen for telling me!) that I got and was perfect – I got it with shrimp (man, am I loving eating more seafood this month!). That was the only time I ate this whole trip and I was proud to be able to cook all week (or eat leftovers) despite some evening plans.

This last week might be the most challenging yet – we’re going out of town with friends this weekend and I anticipate the want to drink, eat chips and nachos and whatever else is put in front of me, but everyone knows what’s up, so I plan on staying strong – wish me luck!

Folks, you know I’m in the middle of a Whole30. This smoothie is something that has been getting me through. When I go to bed, I dream of this smoothie. It’s simple. It’s sweet. It’s filling. And it’s Whole30 approved. I die.

I frozen these blueberries back in the summer when I bought a million and then couldn’t actually eat them all. I found them in the freezer in a moment of desperation when I was longingly looking at the chocolate bar I couldn’t. These blueberries were just as good (this is a lie I will tell myself for the next two weeks that is almost true.)

Here’s the thing: I used coconut milk of course. And let me say something, coconut milk is bomb. I used to make smoothies with regular milk and them my stomach would go nuts and I would immediately regret it. But this one? Totally fine, no stomach issues to speak of. (Which is really the whole point of Whole30 right? To figure out what’s effing with your body?) I am sure you could also use cashew butter or any other nut butter and it would be just as delish. The recipe is below – go forth and enjoy.

Type: Paleo, Sipping Slowly, Smoothies

Author: Jennie

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup blueberries
• 3-5 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup ice

Directions

1. Mix blueberries and coconut milk well.

2. Add almond butter and ice until desired consistency. Split into 2 servings, serve cold.

Whew. We’ve made it to the halfway point, you guys. I’ll be honest, I don’t feel so different but I definitely am eating less and snacking way WAY less. The cravings are starting (where’s my movie-style popcorn/glass of wine on Friday night) and I’m realizing how much of my life is tied to foods tasting good.

Every thing I do revolves around the next awesome thing I’m going to eat, whether it’s lunch or dinner with a friend, a coffee date, “deserving” something like a piece of chocolate or vodka soda after a long day. I’m having to learn how to find happiness in things other than food – a good walk, a great conversation, yoga with my dear friend (jk I’ve never met her) Adriene.

The other thing I’ve found interesting is when I get close to mealtime, I don’t even miss a specific thing – I miss the idea of eating anything I want. That’s humbling, too. I have to think ahead, plan, and have the willpower to say no. We didn’t toss the non-compliant things in my house ahead of time, and I haven’t reach for anything yet because I always hear in the back of my head, but you will have to start over.

I am waiting for the awesome effects of this challenge to show up (other than eating less, and theoretically weight loss, although I haven’t stepped on a scale) but in the meantime, last week’s failure was lack of good recipes (we had the same thing too many nights!) so I will be diversifying.

What I’ve been eating:

Breakfast

Week 1 – Hard Boiled Eggs. No recipe needed, although a couple of days I did have some avocado with it, and each day I had a banana.

Week 2 – Apple Cashew Mash – I can’t even call this “grain free oatmeal” because it’s nothing like oatmeal. It’s like applesauce but not quite, and I made it last weekend and ate it all week for breakfast. After a week of hard-boiled eggs it was a welcome change, but by Friday I was DEFINITELY over it.

Week 3 – Chia Seed & Coconut Milk Pudding – This is what I’m having this week. So far, so good – I used unsweetened coconut milk and added cinnamon but no vanilla. This morning I had mine with a banana and two dates, because I was feeling wild. Shout out to my friend Caitlin who introduced me to this concept – I was saved from another week of being sick of eggs.

Lunch

I won’t spend too much time here, but to say I was really enjoyed this Paleo Chili for the first week, then last week it was leftover-city and some salads. I also roasted a chicken and used that on my salads which was helpful – planning is so key for Whole30.

Dinner

Week 1 – The first week wasn’t too hard, as I made old reliable recipes we eat a lot. First of all, we eat lemon pepper chicken which is from a recipe in a cookbook I started making years ago. Just add lemon, pepper, garlic, and olive oil to chicken and bake until chicken is done. So simple and easy yet delicious. We also did some various stir fries (try this or this but modify with coconut aminos and a little sesame seed oil). We also had our old standby of spaghetti squash with pesto (no cheese, of course, this is the pesto we made).

Week 2 – I started to branch out this week. I used this Thai Green Curry as a guide but used my own veggies of choice and added chicken, plus used cauliflower rice, and of course no sugar, and used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.

We made these Rosemary Meatballs which were so good we’ve already made them again, this time in double, and had baked potatoes + sweet potatoes with them.

The rest of the week was a mix and match of chicken, Brussels/Broccoli, and roasted potatoes in various forms. We also made Tandoori Chicken using a pre-made sauce that was compliant and adding coconut milk and some onion and garlic (similar to this.)

Week 3 – I have a busy week coming up, so we planned ahead and I am planning to make a handful of recipes which I’ll post once I’ve determined they’re awesome (I am sure they are). I found some compliant sun dried tomatoes and I cannot wait to eat them.

Eating Out

I have eaten out a couple of times, which was hard but fine after asking a lot of questions. Shout out to Greenleaf in Hollywood that dealt with me despite a line. It made me feel more patient with people who are always asking questions at restaurants, because don’t we all have a right to know what we’re putting into our bodies and paying for?

I’ve also eaten some salads from the salad bar by work, thank goodness for the Lassen’s right down the street.

Snacking

I’ve stopped snacking as much as I used to, but when I do I start with fruit, followed by a few nuts, and usually try to drink a bunch of water, before turning to more food. When I get home from work, I usually snack on olives if I am hungry because I love them and they’re fast – five or six is enough to keep me until dinner’s ready. I also made some energy balls with cashews, almonds, lemon juice, dates, and dried fruit – these are delicious and I will be trying them this week to hold me over in the afternoons if and when needed.

I’ve also been drinking kombucha almost every day, which I really think has done wonders for me. It’s something different and yet still compliant, something I look forward to every day.

So that’s the first half update. Woof. How are you guys doing? Trying any new recipes this month? Eating anything differently, doing any diets? Have you done a Whole30?

2016 is here, and with it comes a new batch of in-season ingredients! Here’s what we got going on this month:

Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Citrus
Kale
Leeks
Pomegranate
Potato
Winter Squash

And, here our some of our fave winter recipes:

This Beet & Citrus Smoothie is perfect for long winter nights. It even uses the beet greens, so go ahead & keep ’em. Make a batch of these and have them for breakfast all week long – or mid-morning snacks. Add a little coconut milk or water, if you’re feeling fancy.

We made this Veggie Tart and I think it’s perfect for this time of year – feel free to use acorn squash instead of butternut, or whatever you’re feeling. I love how the rosemary, onion, and cheese all crisp up. This is a great appetizer or paired with a soup for a filling dinner.

I just made this Paleo Chili because, as I mentioned, I am doing Whole30. I subbed beef for turkey and instead of zucchini and green squash I used sweet potatoes – yum. Use what you have, though – I have no doubt a butternut squash and some kale would be great here, too.

Roasted.Broccoli.Is.Everything. It is all I want this time of year – really crispy with lemon (and if you’re eating cheese, Parmesan) and really hot. Paired with almost anything it’s great – throw it on a salmon salad, have it as a side to your steak, munch on it as a snack.

What are you guys eating this time of year? Are you snacking on tons of citrus, making lemon bars, or throwing a handful of pomegranate on anything (I’ve been known to do this…)

Well, the New Year is here, folks. Starting on Monday, Jeff and I embarked on a Whole30 to cleanse the body (and soul and heart and everything else.) I am also doing Adriene’s annual 30 Days of Yoga (31 this time!) and drinking a lot of tea and trying to go to bed on time and not overexerting myself in the evenings.

Guys, Whole30 is hard as it turns out! But, at the same time, it’s not as hard as I thought it was going to be, if you can believe it. This week we had 3 dinners we have regularly without much modification (stirfry w/ cauliflower rice, garlic lemon chicken w/ roasted veggies, and sausage with spaghetti squash, pesto, and Brussels) and remade an old fave (Hello Paleo Chili).

There have been a few moments of challenge (the Internet was right, I already do kinda hate eggs!) including when I reached for my sundried tomatoes (two kinds!) and both were no-gos due to additives. But today I picked up coconut aminos and some compliant green curry paste so things are looking up. And the olives! Oh, how I love eating all the olives!

This year, I’m hoping to balance out my life in multiple categories more, so I am enjoying the hard reset of eating and exercise, as well as sleep. It’s making me feel more prepared for all the good work we’ve got coming up (saving that all for another day, but 2017 = #feminism #fightthegoodfight.)

Along with that, here’s a smoothie that I come back to from time to time because it just makes me feel good. Sometimes dairy is too much for me, and I can say after only 4 days without it I already feel better. I have lots of stomach issues from time to time, and I will say I am looking forward to reduced heartburn, nausea, and general malaise.

What are your goals for 2017? Anything to do with the way you eat?

Type: Smoothies

Author: Jennie

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 apple
• 1/2 avocado
• 3 tablespoon apple sauce
• parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Directions

1. Mix all in a blender well until smooth. Enjoy room temperature or cold.