Day 30

Meal #1 8:15am
two hard boiled eggs
pepper slices
goat cheese
coffee with coconut milk



Comments:
It's Day 1 of garage sale weekend. We'll see how this eating thing goes.

I'm having coffee again today. Fourth day in a row. I didn't intend on this and it won't become a staple. I used to be Coffee Girl, but I don't think even a few consecutive days could bring her back. I haven't even been finishing the coffees I've been given.

Meal #2 1pm
pork
pepper slices
goat cheese



Comments:
I ate when I got hungry, but I felt hungrier than I normally do.

Snack #1 3:15pm
smoothie (with sunbutter)
30 assorted nuts



Comments:
I've been up and very active since 6am. I got a good seven hours of sleep last night, but no sleep the night before. I think my body is trying to find a rhythm to the random.

Before I ate, I felt like I hadn't eaten anything of substance all day. I knew I need the extra, so I ate more nuts.

Meal #3 6:15pm
Mexican
ground beef with cayenne, paprika, basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic and pepper
spinach
organic sour cream
tablespoon salsa
black olives
Monterey jack and mozzarella shredded cheese



Comments:
I'm not usually a fan of Mexican, but it's been sounding really good since the weekend. This meal was not what it was supposed to be. No matter how I seasoned the meat (and there was a lot of seasoning added) it never tasted like anything. It was odd.

Mexican is not much fun without the salty crunch of corn chips. I will either have to find something crunchy for next time or just not have Mexican again. Oh well.

I know I've sworn off tomatoes and said I'd be careful with dairy, but it's Mexican! That's not so doable. We'll see how that goes.

eta:
I added many more new ingredients to the meal than I would normally, which I realized while doing it, but I figured I'd be alright. Within an hour, I got this killer, incapacitating headache. One of those awful headaches where you're afraid it might actually make you puke. It wasn't fun. I don't know if it was from something in the meal or from severe dehydration since I only drank one bottle of water all day.

In any case, it's now almost 1am, and after a four hour nap, I'm starting to feel a lot better.

Snack #2 6:45pm
nanasun sandwiches
blueberries



Comments:
I need to make more almond butter, but haven't had the time. I've been eating Allergy Boy's Sunbutter instead. There is something specific I don't like about it, which is why I don't normally eat it, but it's been a quick substitute in a jam.

Meal #4 12:30am
drumstick
orange



Comments:
I got up from my headache-induced sleep, and decided some food sounded good.

I really wanted an apple, but we didn't have any. The garage sale stuff has kept me so busy this week. A good shopping trip is definitely in order.

Snack #3 1:30am
20 nuts
pepper slices



Comments:
I wanted something crunchy. I just realized with the elimination of crackers and chips, crunchy things are sometimes lacking.

EotD Comments:
I am now going to take my still dehydrated, so exhausted body to bed. I had to update my final day though! I cannot believe it's been 30 days already. I feel amazing, despite the dehydration and circumstances of the day. Tomorrow may be October, but it's just going to be Day 31 for me.

Day 29

Meal #1 7:45am
soup



Comments:
Warm chicken soup on this cold sleepy day.

Meal #2 10am
one egg scramble
nuts!



Comments:
I had my regular assorted nuts, but then I was still so hungry, so I had maybe another 15 or so macadamia nuts.

Meal #3 12:15pm
pork chop
goat cheese
sliced peppers





Comments:
I didn't reheat or cut this pork chop. I just ate it with my fingers. These pork chops are far better than any pork chops I've ever made.

Snack #1 2:15pm
lazy banana and almond butter
more nuts.



Comments:
I'm going on no sleep and going almost nonstop with garage sale organizing. I didn't have time for more than a minute long snack.

Meal #4 6:15pm
3 drumsticks
two slices of pepper
orange juice



Out of curiosity, I tasted the colored cauliflower, but otherwise didn't have any. The purple one was pasty and the yellow one was savory like buttered popcorn, despite it only having been steamed. I am not a fan.

Meal #5 8:45pm
soup

*no picture*

Comments:
I apparently never took a picture of my soup. Weird. I guess this is what no sleep does to me.

Day 28

Meal #1 6:45am
soup



Comments:
It is so cold. My legs hurt so much. I don't remember if I've mentioned this. A few days ago it was my right thigh. Yesterday and today it's my left knee and some of that thigh. It is this "to the bone", deep penetrating ache that just will not go away. When I'm moving it hurts less, but any time I flex the muscle, it hurts more.

Sarah from Everyday Paleo posted on facebook yesterday asking people to share what the first good result they discovered after going Paleo. People said that leg pain went away or if they reintroduced a food, the leg cramps. Others said they'd get cold symptoms. It's an interesting correlation.

When I made the pie, I had to use Allergy Boy's butter and it does have soy in it. I used less than four tablespoons in the whole thing. Otherwise I haven't knowingly ingested any grains or anything non-paleo/primal. I will be looking into this later today though.

Meal #2 8:45am
two egg scrambles
1/2 apple with almond butter
coffee with heavy whipping cream and some coconut milk



Meal #3 3:15pm
sirloin
peppers and avocado



Comments:
Holy sirloin, how I've missed you!

I've been working in the basement and garage since 9am. This is the first break I've taken, hence the first time I've eaten since then. I am so hungry.

Meal #4 6:45pm
pork chop
goat cheese
peppers



Comments:
I just walked for two hours. Walking again is so nice! The sun wasn't out like it was this afternoon, but at least it wasn't as cold as yesterday. I definitely worked up an appetite.

Snack #1 7:15pm
1/2 apple
20 assorted nuts

*no picture*

Comments:
I was still really hungry after dinner.

Meal #5 10:15pm
tuna with mayo
Sticky Sticks
smoothie



Comments:
"Five meals?!" you might say. Yes, five. I've been up for 16 hours and I had a good long walk today. It's been a really great, productive day. This whole week has been really good.

My smoothie is a concoction tonight. Instead of using almond butter, I just put some cashews and pecans in the mix. They don't really add much besides texture. I also remembered I have unsweetened coconut flakes, so I threw some of those in too. It's not as good as my normal smoothie, but it's a nice change of pace.

This meal might be the oddest mishmash of food flavor yet. The salty tuna versus the sweet smoothie versus the rich, tarty taste from the Sticks. It's something new in every bite. Everything has a very distinct texture too.

This week has, and will continue to be, very hectic. I have some things planned for next week though that I keep meaning to rectify. I am going to make my own mayonnaise and I need to find dried cranberries that don't have added sugar.

Day 27

Meal #1 10:45am
2 baked egg scrambles
pepper
2 slices of raw goat milk cheese
orange juice
~12 ounces of coffee with a minimal amount of heavy whipping cream



Comments:
I made crock pot chicken soup this morning. It's chilly outside. My legs hurt again. I don't know if I'm getting sick or not, but I figured I'd make chicken soup before I did.

Breakfast was good. I needed something quick and easy.

Coffee sounded good today. I had it over the course of an hour or so around 11 or 12pm.

Meal #2 2:15pm
leftover steak
squash with cinnamon
pumpkin puree
Sticky Sticks



Comments:
I am just not a fan of squash. The pumpkin puree was still really good. I think that's what I'm going to have in place of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.

Meal #3 7pm
Chicken soup



Comments:
I paid extra for the organic chicken. It's the best I can do right now. The soup turned out really good this time. I still needed to add a little bit of salt, but otherwise it was perfect. The chicken and organic celery totally make this soup.

Pie! 8pm

*no picture*

The pie is so much better the second day. The crust is still a tad bit too salty and I'm still not especially a fan of the pumpkin pie spice, but to its credit, the pie is actually really good today.

Meal #4 9:30pm
tuna with mayo
peppers and avocado
cantaloupe
small smoothie with 20 assorted nuts





Comments:
I ate a couple pieces of cantaloupe, but I wasn't enjoying it like I had thought, so I made a small smoothie instead.

EotD Comments:
This is the last week if September. Part of me feels like something is coming to an end, but mostly I'm not fazed by the end of the month. Yes, October will bring warm apple donuts from the orchard and Spumoni from the best ice cream parlor ever before both places close for the winter, but otherwise I'm not going to change anything.

I enjoy eating this way. I enjoy the progress and I especially enjoy how I feel. I can't imagine being any other way.

Primal Pumpkin Pie

Primal Pumpkin Pie

The crust:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp salt

The filling:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree*
3 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt

The crust: Combine melted butter, almond flour and salt in a bowl and mix well. Transfer to a 9 inch pie plate and press evenly into the bottom and sides of the plate.

The filling: Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Gently pour the filling into the crust and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until the center of the pie ‘sets’ (is no longer liquidy). Be sure to check on the pie about half way through. If the crust starts to get too dark, attach strips of aluminum foil to the perimeter, covering the crust, to keep it from getting burnt.


*Halve 2 small pie pumpkins, remove the seeds, and slice them into large wedges. Rub the wedges with a little oil and roast on a baking sheet in a 400° oven for about an hour. Scoop out the soft flesh from the skin and puree in the food processor. Or you can buy a can of plain pumpkin.

I only used one of these



Ready to put in the oven



Mmmmm pie!




Comments:
I got this amazing recipe from this primal life. It's one of those "back pocket" recipes. You want a good dessert recipe if the mood strikes, but you're not just going to make a pie to make a pie. Well, I made this pie to just make the pie...because the kids requested and we had a long weekend and honestly, they deserved a good pie.

I had to modify the recipe to make it Allergy Boy friendly. No almonds. No milk. No eggs. I substituted coconut flour for almond flour. Next time I'll only use one cup of flour. The crust was good, but it was thick. I substituted coconut milk for regular milk. I think coconut milk is kind of gross, but it is great for baking. I used Ener-G egg replacer.

For the most part, this recipe is perfect. I have two pretty substantial modifications though. One, there is too much salt in there. The pie was salty—actually salty. Had it not been for this fact, the entire pie would be devoured already. Thank god for the salt. Next time I'll put 1/8 of a tsp in the crust and 1/4 tsp in the pie. Two, I came to find that I'm really not a fan of pumpkin pie spice. That bothered me more than the salt...and it was salty. Really salty. Next time I'll use 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg.

On a sidenote, the pureed pumpkin I made was phenomenal plain. After eating the pie, all I really wanted was a bowl of warm puree with cinnamon...and not so salty crust.

eta:
I will probably only use 1/3 cup of honey next time too.

eta 9.27.10:
I wanted to mark here too, a retraction. On the second day the pie was surprisingly not too salty. So I apologize for the huge deal I made about that, although in all honesty I wasn't trying to be snarky. It just amused me since I was not expecting an overwhelmingly salty flavor. I will still modify the recipe a little bit next time, but not so drastically.

Day 26

Meal #1 1:30pm
two baked egg scrambles
20 assorted nuts
orange juice





batch of egg scrambles



Comments:
These were filled with red peppers, carrots, bacon and spinach. They were kind of tasteless. I'll have to mess around with them. They were perfect for today though because I'm still not feeling 100%. I do feel a thousand times better though.

Meal #2 3:15pm
tuna with red pepper
sticky sticks



Meal #3 7:45pm
bowl of leftover broccoli and cauliflower
strips of raw goat milk cheese
hard boiled egg with red pepper





Comments:
I scarfed down the bowl of vegetables and goat cheese. It's been such a busy day. When I had another chance to eat, fifteen minutes later, I had the egg and pepper.

I'm making pumpkin pie!!

Pie! 8:30pm



Comments:
So. The pie. This pie is incredibly salty. It was delicious, but too salty. I'll review it, but I'm also going to make another one in October (after I won't feel as guilty for eating a whole damn pie) and I'll add (non-guestimate) modifications to the recipe then.

Also, I actually had two pieces of the pie, both about this size. It was a salty salty pie, but it was still pie, and a good pie despite the salt.

Snack #1 9pm
hard boiled egg

Comments:
Have I mentioned the pie was too salty? I had a hard boiled egg to "complement" the lingering salt taste.

Day 25

Meal #1 12pm
thinly sliced steaks
one and a quarter slices of bacon
leftover cauliflower and broccoli
pepper slices



what was left



Comments:
I went mostly unplugged this morning. I spent a couple hours cleaning and going through papers. Being productive around the house has been a good alternative to being productive with fitness. I've found that I'm better able to just sit and go through stuff than I used to be. It's an interesting dynamic to be able to slip so comfortably between "boring" downtime and energetic activity time.

I made more food than I was hungry for. I figured that out as soon as I looked at my plate. The best part though was that I decided to stop eating when I felt myself becoming content. I knew I could eat more later if I wanted to. I didn't have to finish the bacon just because it's so freaking good. I knew I didn't have to eat the last piece of steak.

Meal #2 2:45pm
mini smoothie
mini burger
avocado and pepper slices
piece of bacon



Comments:
I wanted a smoothie. I wanted bacon. I wanted a burger. I compromised.

Meal #3 6:30pm
egg salad with pepper basil and chili powder
organic celery almond butter and Craisins
olives
acorn squash with butter, cinnamon, salt and pepper



Comments:
It is apparently hodgepodge day. I'm really rather enjoying Hodgepodge Day. In fact, I'm going to make Hodgepodge Day a weekly (or biweekly) event.

This meal was actually really freaking good. It was this weird combination of sweet and salty and spicy and savory. The Sticky Sticks (I'm on a roll with this naming stuff today) were this perfect dessert, without actually being any kind of dessert.

I haven't been hungry today, except the times I've eaten. Snacks seemed kind of silly when I knew I was hungry enough to eat a full meal. Eating a little bit, knowing I'd have to eat again within the hour seemed pointless. I'm sure part of this is the fact that I haven't been working out as hard consistently, but also I think the primal/paleo stuff is really solidifying for my body. I've grown accustomed to this lifestyle and this food. I'm comfortable with it. I'm comfortable now letting my body guide me instead of my head.

Hodgepodge Day is the new Breakfast for Dinner.

Meal #4 9pm
burger
squash with butter and cinnamon



Comments:
I got really hungry all of a sudden. Now that I've eaten, it dawns on me that I would have preferred to have tuna, but forgot about it. Oh well. I'm actually still kind of hungry. Well...maybe not hungry per se, but I want something. I want apples with almond butter. I'll work out first. I don't feel like working out. I'm going to suck it up anyway.

On a sidenote, butter. I don't like butter. I was thinking before I ate it tonight that it was time to come clean about my feelings for butter. How I don't actually hate it. How I find the concept of it revolting. How it's greasy and gross and how it makes things taste so freaking good. But now that I've eaten, I am reminded why I always say I hate butter.

I very rarely eat butter. I'm one of those people who doesn't spread butter on their pancakes or waffles. I barely scrape butter on toast. I don't like butter on corn on the cob. I won't eat butter on hot blueberry muffins. It's not that it doesn't taste good sometimes (on hot blueberry muffins, for instance) but I just can't bring myself to eat it.

So tonight was big for me that I had some on my squash. It did make it taste good. I'll admit that. But now I feel...heavy. Greasy. Buttery. I don't know. I can't explain it right. It's just too much. I like simple. I'm a raw red pepper girl.


Snack #1 10:45pm
half apple/half banana with almond butter



Comments:
I set out to do four sets of my workout and ended up doing seven. I needed to eat afterward. I am full and sore. It was a great workout though.

EotD Comments:
My body isn't happy with me. I don't know if it's food or the workout. Something feels wrong though. I'm going to go to sleep.

Day 24

Meal #1 9:45am
two eggs
zucchini, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, turmeric
two slices bacon
orange juice



Comments:
My daughter has no school today, so I slept in a bit today. Breakfast was yummy. I think I've decided I'm not a fan of the orange juice in the morning because I'm not ready for something so sweet.

I'm off to get my pastured eggs!

Meal #2 1pm
burger with pepper and avocado
sauteed cauliflower and broccoli



Meal #3 5pm
egg salad
avocado and pepper slices



Comments:
Okay, first. There is nothing wrong with avocado and red peppers...which is why I feel the need to have them at every meal. Seriously though, I go to the store and I walk through the produce department and nothing looks as good. I even make other things and I always want to come back to those. I know it might seem really odd and especially boring, but it works for me.

Also I can't find my steamer and I can only eat a minimal amount of oil or fat flavored sauteed vegetables—I'm just not that into them.

Secondly, these are still the single greatest eggs I've ever had. I don't even need to add spices to the egg salad. It's perfectly flavored as is.

I didn't intend on not having any snacks today. I was in and out of the house all day and every time I got back, I needed to eat an actual meal. I might actually eat some more sooner than later. I'm still pretty hungry. We'll see. I'll clean the kitchen first. Kitchen cleaning is always such a good distractions.

Snack #1 7pm
slice of cantaloupe
handful of grapes
barely 1/2 of a small spoonful of almond butter

*no picture*

Comments:
I don't know that I'd even call this a snack. It was impromptu. I was juggling cleaning the kitchen and cleaning out the fridge (I cleaned out the fridge!) and making food for the kids. I got hungry so I ate what I could, when I could.

Snack #2 8:30pm
almnana sandwiches with blueberries
half of an already tiny burger
strip and a half of bacon



Comments:
I was torn on how exactly I wanted to do food tonight. I know I want to work out again, but I hadn't eaten anything too substantial since 5pm. So I ate this snack and hopefully it'll tide me over and I won't have to eat after my workout.

EotD Comments:
At 10:30pm, I was seconds away from working out and testing whether or not I'd need/want to eat after the workout. It wasn't in the cards apparently though because as I took my stance to start squats, my boy started crying.

Off-Topic Mommy Moment:
There's this moment as a parent, where you hear a small whimper and you think, "oh no, he's sick." You can just tell. I gave him about 20 seconds and as soon as he started saying "mama" I went in. This boy was covered in food that had defied gravity and made its way back out. There are no words other than that.

I spent the next hour cleaning him and his eyelashes and his bed and everything else imaginable. Once he wasn't shivering anymore, he was actually in good spirits. We shared an unprecedented snuggle and then he went back to sleep while I went to work on his sheets. Now it's 11:45pm and not only do I not want to work out, but I don't want to eat anything either. Maybe I won't eat tomorrow either... Ha.

/end Mommy Momment rant

Day 23

Meal #1 8:45am
two eggs
peppers, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms
1 slice bacon
strip of sirloin
orange juice



Comments:
After setting my mind to not eating late at night, it's been very easy. Going to sleep early has not proven to be as simple. I also opted to not work out last night to ensure that I didn't need more food. I'll have this whole thing perfected soon.

Breakfast was good. I made too much. So much in fact, that I put half the vegetables in Tupperware before I even put it in my bowl. I was thinking I'd be starving since I hadn't eaten since 7:30pm last night, but honestly, my body doesn't know the difference. I only ate half of the sirloin. I probably would have been perfectly content without it.

I still don't know how I feel about the orange juice. I'm only drinking it because of the bacon. I don't think it has an affect on me one way or another; I just don't know that I overly care for it.

Meal #2 12:45pm
tuna with mayo
pepper and avocado



Comments:
I am so hungry. I walked today for the first time in four days. I probably shouldn't have yet, but I couldn't wait. I was itching to get out there and it's such a beautiful day. I walked three and a half miles. It's really not all that much, all things considered. My foot seems to be doing okay and I washed it as soon as I got home.

I almost made two cans of tuna. When I get hungry, actually hungry, I always think I'd just be able to eat forever, but honestly it makes no difference. I still get full from the same amount of food. It's merely a psychological thing. It's good that I don't give in to it. It's good that I've learned to recognize it, otherwise I would be making too much food for myself and then eating too much food, and I don't need or want that.

Snack #1 3:15pm
smoothie and nuts



Comments:
At 4pm I had half of a red pepper. I didn't take a picture of it and I'm not really counting it as anything in particular.

Meal #3 6pm
sirloin
vegetables
avocado



Comments:
This is my leftovers meal. The kids decided to have buttered toast for dinner. I'm allowing this as it's a special weekend. Buttered toast weakens my resolve. I was hungry. I heated up leftovers—vegetables from last night and this morning, sirloin and avocado.

Snack #2 7pm
almnana sandwiches with blueberries



Comments:
I wanted this at 6:30. I decided to clean the kitchen first. I'm glad I waited, if for no other reason than to say I was able to.

Snack #3 10:30
barely 3.5oz of Greek yogurt with cantaloupe
1/3 of pepper



Comments:
Damnit! I worked out tonight and I got so wrapped up in writing about it, I completely forgot to eat until I started getting sick. I even worked out early! Oh well. I'll do better next time, and I'll just go to bed tonight on not as empty of a stomach as I would have preferred.

I really need to make some hard boiled eggs. I always want them and they're so easy. Because I had no better protein, I ate the yogurt even though I really didn't want the dairy until next week. I'm crossing my fingers that there are no ill affects. I added the pepper because I like vegetables last and the cantaloupe is too sweet to serve as the last thing I eat.