We interrupt your regularly scheduled post for this announcement.

I have had such a long week. I just spent the last two hours catching up on three days worth of internet stuff and now I still need to update two days on here. I feel so behind.

There's one thing I want to comment on first though, because it's kind of huge at the moment. I decided to have ice cream (which you already know if I got around to the update before you got around to reading this), and then I decided to hop off the train for a little while. For me, there's no "cheating" or "falling off the wagon" in regard to being Primal. It's just not how the lifestyle works for me. I made the conscious decision to eat what I wanted and I take full responsibility for that.

I do have a list of things I will absolutely not consume, as well as a list of "I need huge reason to ingest this, but if it's worth it, then maybe." I won't have high fructose corn syrup. I won't have partially hydrogenated oils. I won't have artificial sweeteners. If I choose, I won't have natural flavoring or coloring, but sometimes there isn't a good way to get around that.

Tonight I really wanted cookies. I saw Keebler Elf cookies and had talked myself into getting them, until I remembered about my "absolutely not list" and saw that they have hydrogenated oil. No go.

I did get some rice cracker/chip things, which I've had multiple times in the past and usually scarf down a bag. They are great chips for Mexican. They already come salsa flavored. The bag even says "guilt-free indulgence"! Ha ha.

So I had maybe a dozen of these small Dorito look-alikes. I melted mozzarella cheese on them and added organic sour cream (so good) and some fresh (although it's store bought) salsa. I decided it would be worth it.

Honestly, there were so. freaking. good.

Within ten minutes, I was hugely bloated—to the point of impressiveness. It wasn't until an hour or so later though that I started feeling really sick. (The jury is still out on whether or not this was from the pumpkin pie I made tonight. ...yeah...I know...I made another pie. It happens.) So now, four hours later, I'm so sick.

So. Sick.

So unbelievably ill. All I want to do is go sleep it off, but I need to remember this moment.

I've read stories and comments about food reactions, but I, for some reason, thought I'd be this weird exception. Even the ice cream I had last night didn't have any huge effect on me. This rice flour, or whatever ingredient it was, really freaking hates me though. I feel awful. I'm bloated and my chest is tight and...gosh, did this always used to happen and I never noticed?

I need to sleep. I have—for the most part—still been documenting my food intake. I have pictures of my meals (with a few exceptions) or notes here and there that I took down. The last two days have been crazy with my garage sale and real life just got in the way of blog life. Tomorrow I am taking a schedule day off from the blog. After tonight, I will probably be as 100% tomorrow as possible. If I fall into the 80/20, it will still be 100% grain-free.

I wonder how long I'll have to endure this. I guess I had to learn sometime.

I'll be back on Monday with a three day weekend update and maybe a new recipe. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Day 32

Snack #1 10:15am
apple

*no picture*

Comments:
I went to the farmer's market this morning to pick up some tomatoes I can't eat. While I was there my tomato guy suggested some apples. He gave me a Golden Delicious to try. This apple was so freaking good that I didn't think twice about ingesting fruit first thing in the morning. Oops.

Meal #1 11:15am
scrambled eggs with cheese
two slices of bacon
baked potato slices
coffee



Comments:
So the potatoes are kind of a no go for what I'm working on, but I think this weekend is going to go to hell with food anyway. I'll be careful when I can, or when I care to, but I'm taking it easy this weekend.

Today is Day IDontKnowWhat for consecutive coffee consumption. It's kind of a big thing and kind of not. I'm not worried about it. Part of me will be happy when the garage sale is over and I go back to not drinking it though.

**I know I snacked on some homemade potato chips some of the morning/afternoon, but I don't remember if I ate anything substantial or not and I have nothing noted or pictured.**

Meal #2 4:30pm
pot roast
carrots, celery, onions and red potatoes
seasoning: pepper, garlic, basil, oregano
1.5 cups of water



Comments:
I knew I'd want a good dinner for tonight and that the garage sale would get in the way of that, so I utilized the crock pot this morning. I put all of the above in the crock pot and let it cook for four or five hours. It was the perfect way to reward myself (and my family) after a very long week. Also, there are leftovers galore!

**Some time between these two things, I had some more chocolate. I have no idea how much (not too terribly much) and I have no picture.**

Snack #2 7:15pm
rice chips with melted cheese
organic sour cream
salsa




eta 7:45pm:
I feel like shit. No, seriously. I didn't know it was possible to feel this sick from food. I only had a dozen or so chips. I know the entire snack was suicide. One day I will learn. Rice chips though need to be ridiculously off limits. I thought maybe I'd be exempt from a reaction to grains; the ice cream went pretty smoothly. Apparently not. I'm glad I know now. Next time I decide I want something, I'm going to make a better choice. I hope...

Pie 9pm

*no picture*

Comments:
So I tweaked the pumpkin pie recipe. It's better and not this time. It wasn't nearly as salty, but the crust is far from perfected. I used coconut oil this time instead of butter and only just over one cup of flour. The coconut oil doesn't work. I'm sure the organic butter would work great, but then Allergy Boy couldn't eat it. The pumpkin part was great though. I substituted 3/4 T cinnamon and 1/4 T nutmeg and a few shakes of pumpkin pie spice for the full tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. I also only used 1/3 c honey and a tad less salt. It was good. It still made me want just the pumpkin puree and I still ate too much pie. Some things don't change.

I'm interested to taste it tomorrow and see how the lapsed time changes it.

Meal #3 11pm
soup broth
pot roast with potatoes, onions, celery and carrots



Comments:
I still feel awful. I'm hoping that a little clean food will help with that.

Day 31

Meal #1 8am
soup



Meal #2 10am
2 hard boiled eggs
pepper slices
coffee with whipping cream



Comments:
I needed a super easy breakfast to munch on during the garage sale. I don't know that it's really "meal-sized" but I had intended it as a meal because I didn't have time to make more.

Meal #3 1:30pm
tuna with mayo
apple with sunbutter



Comments:
I still haven't had a chance to make almond butter. The sunbutter is growing on me. At the very least, it's a change of pace.

Snack #1 2:30pm
20 assorted nuts



Comments:
I was really hungry and on my second day of standing all day during a garage sale. I felt like I couldn't get enough food today—probably because I neglected to find the time to sit down and eat enough.

Snack #2 6:15pm
2 tbsp sunbutter
banana
hard boiled egg

*no picture*

Comments:
I continued neglecting to eat, so I was very hungry. I had to eat something. I also had to run out to the store to buy some stuff. Instead of taking the time to eat first, I decided to snack and then go out.

Meal #4 7:15pm
Spring mix salad with bacon, apples, cheese and chicken with bacon fat dressing



Comments:
This was unbelievably good. It was a super easy way to get some extra "good fat" in and it was really the perfect dressing anyway. Apples and bacon go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Ice cream 9:15pm


Comments:
This is not your run of the mill ice cream. This is Ashby's Sterling. So freaking good. The sweet kid working let me get two half kid scoops because I couldn't decide between Spumoni and Gold Rush. I got a cone too because...well, hey, I was having ice cream. I might as well go all out.

I decided to have ice cream because I kind of just wanted to get it over with. I had been thinking about it for a while and it was just kind of easier this way. Last year I waited too long (the parlor closes at the end of October) and they didn't have Spumoni anymore. I didn't want to risk that either.

eta:
I had no obvious reaction to the ice cream.

Chocolate 11:15pm


Comments:
I indulged in the ice cream, but then it just wasn't quite enough. I've never been one for dark chocolate, but I knew that's what I was signing up for going Primal. I got 60% cacao that also had ground espresso and star anise in it. I actually wanted to be able to eat the chocolate, so I figured I'd compromise on the cacao. It was surprisingly good. It was amazing actually. After eating so well for so long, my palette can now appreciate those kind of flavors. If I want to indulge again, this will definitely be the way to go.

Meal #5 11:45pm
pork*
sticky sticks with organic raisins



Comments:
I indulged a bunch tonight. I recognize this. I immensely enjoyed everything I ate. I wanted to eat something substantial too though, so I had some real food. The sticks were made with Sunbutter. The raisins were so good. I don't think I'll be able to buy regular ones ever again.

*I ate only half of what's pictured

Day 14

6:30am
I'm trying to remember if I felt this bloated and uncomfortable yesterday before all the fruit and I can't remember. The fruit side effects in the past have mostly gone away within a few hours. Has it been since I started eating the bacon? Is it the bacon? I should check the salt content. I am seriously bummed, but I'm going to stay away from the bacon today. Whatever it is that has me feeling this way, I wish that would go away.

Looking over what I've eaten in the last few days, other possible culprits could be the funnel cake, the pancakes or the fresh mozzarella. Two out of the three shouldn't be an issue since I haven't eaten them again. Perhaps I'll take a break from the cheese today too.

Also, I'm craving spinach. Is that weird? After I feel back to normal, I think I'm going to buy some. I haven't had it in awhile and if I watch what I eat, hopefully the oxalate levels won't mess with me.

eta at 7:30am:
I overlooked the tomato. I'd lay money down that that's the culprit. I made a mental note two weeks ago that maybe tomatoes were giving me a problem. Then when I didn't do the farmer's market, I didn't have tomatoes for a week and didn't have any problems. Alright, I'll cut the mozzarella and tomatoes. Bacon goes back in the mix for now.

Meal #1 8:30am
two eggs
sauteed vegetables
bacon



Comments:
Note to self. Read blogs after you make breakfast. This way you can actually eat on time.

I'm having some orange juice with breakfast because I read that vitamin C counters the effects of the nitrates in bacon. I have no idea if this is true—I'll need to do more research—but I figured it was worth the precaution.

Snack #1 11:45am
smoothie
20 assorted nuts



Comments:
I decided just to eat nuts with the smoothie today. I figured I'd want them after anyway. There's no sense in not eating enough and then just wanting to snack on stuff afterward. I'm full now and satisfied.

Meal #2 3:45pm
tuna with 1/2 tbsp mayo
avocado and pepper slices



Meal #3 7pm
sirloin and boneless pork ribs
cauliflower
sweet potato fries



Comments:
How did I not eat today? It's strange how I never really thought about it.

The meat tonight was so freaking good. I can't wait until I can have leftovers tomorrow! The sweet potato fries were probably not Primal, but they weren't too against it either.

I've felt unbelievably bloated and distended today. Any time this feeling wants to go away would be great with me.

The kids have taken to wanting me to photograph their food as well. Tonight they wanted a group photo of the food plates.



Snack #2 9:45pm
3oz Greek yogurt with cinnamon and nutmeg
banana and almond butter sandwiches



Comments:
Against my better judgment I'm eating this yogurt. It's a new brand; same one from last night though. I hope it's not what's making me feel sick. I guess I'll find out tomorrow if I still feel this way.

eta:
I didn't finish the yogurt. I maybe ate half. It just isn't that great. There's no sense in eating something I'm not even enjoying.

Snack #3 12:15am
20 almonds



Comments:
I still haven't learned my lesson. I worked out late again and needed to eat.

MPS 11

Snack #1 10:15am
20 macadamia nuts and almonds

Comments:
I needed to run to the farmer's market this rainy morning and didn't want to take the kids, so I didn't have time to make a real meal. I dropped the kids off at daycare and munched on nuts on the way to the market.

I originally wasn't hungry and intended on not eating, but I got to thinking about food time. I think maybe I do better when I eat when I get up, instead of waiting until I'm hungry. I'm going to try that out for the next few days.

Meal #1 11:30am
hard boiled egg
1/2 pepper



Comments:
I don't think you can really call this a meal, but hey, whatever. I had to eat and I had to pick the kids up and I improvised.

Meal #2 12:30 & 1:30pm
Bonus snack:
gluten-free pancakes with homemade whipped cream
Hamburger with avocado and tomatoes





So. This meal was half snack/full meal over the course of an hour or so. The daughter wanted pancakes for breakfast, so I obliged by using my son's gluten-free pancake mix I had yet to try. I also made her homemade whipped cream.

The pancakes are not Primal, but I tried one anyway because I was the cook and then I had another one because they were damn good pancakes. Far better than any other pancakes I've ever made. They were pretty small, so I don't feel too bad about it. The whipped cream, which is Primal, was really good. I keep coming across these things I can make if I want something sweet, but rarely do I actually want things sweet except when it's out of habit.

For my actual meal, I had a leftover hamburger with avocado and the best freaking tomatoes I have ever tasted. I have a tomato guy at the farmer's market (who I just found out today has pastured eggs at his farm which is close by. Yay!!) and he hooks me up with these amazing tomatoes. Violet jaspers and topaz tomatoes for stir fry and green zebra and pineapple (mortgage lifter and hillbilly) tomatoes for regular eating. I have become so spoiled. I'm going to hate the winter when there are no tomatoes.

Snack #2 3pm
smoothie



Comments:
I went back to the organic whole milk kefir. We'll see how that goes. Also, I wasn't paying attention and accidentally put two tablespoons of coconut oil in there.

Today has been a very odd eating day. In fact, it's kind of been an odd day in general. Later I'll be going to the fair with the kids. Wish me luck that I survive.

eta:
Note to self. Do not drink a smoothie that fast. I am so full.

Meal #3 5pm
London broil with curried hash
tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella and basil





Comments:
Every single thing about this meal was perfect.

The Fair 6:30pm
A funnel cake was purchased.
I had three bites of it and a strawberry.



Comments:
Funnel cake was pretty good. Strawberry stuff not so much. It didn't make me sick per se, but it was just really heavy. There's no way I could eat food like this often again.

Meal #4 11:45pm
can of tuna
tomato and avocado
fresh mozzarella



Comments:
I had decided at 10pm that maybe I wouldn't eat any more tonight. It was weird that the last time I really ate was 5pm, and also after being hungry all day, all it took was a couple bites of sweat greasy interesting-ness to curb my appetite.

Then I worked out. I probably could have just gone to sleep afterward and I would have been fine, but I was starting to get lightheaded so I decided to eat. Good food tastes so good.