My body is still sore from pushing it so hard yesterday, and then I ended up being on my feet for most of today. I know, I know, it's good for me, but my poor little flat feet and deformed toes just aren't used to it!
First I had to skip the farmer's market to wait for our freezer to be delivered. I look forward to going every week, and I was bummed to miss it! When Francis and the kids got home I unpacked the produce and dealt with as much of it as I could. Then we went for a walk, and I came home and got lunch served. Luckily, I had a great nap after lunch, because then it was right back into the kitchen! I don't know how Nicole did it. We're going on a day trip to my in-laws' new cottage tomorrow, and that on top of my usual food prep seemed to take me forever!
I made granola bars for the kids, two varieties of snack balls (almonds, raisins and cinnamon rolled in coconut for the kids, and dates with macadamias, coconut and cinnamon rolled in MORE cinnamon for us), a batch of Apple Spice Zucchini Breakfast cake in mini loaf pans, sliced up a 10lb cabbage for the freezer, made a tomato salad, baked the chicken and roasted the cauliflower for supper. I guess it wasn't really that much, but my aching body just wanted to SIT so it seemed like way more! And of course there's still much more to be done before I can retire for the evening. We do actually need to eat meals tomorrow.
Breakfast: The usual.
Lunch: Half a chicken breast and a giant bowl of coconut curry cabbage.
Supper: Two baked chicken breasts (with BBQ sauce for dipping), cherry tomatoes (red, orange and yellow!) tossed with EVOO, garlic and fresh basil, roasted purple cauliflower.
Snacks: One of the mini loaves. Quality control check, you know. An extra cup of tea before bed.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Day 24 of 40 - An "Aha" Moment
I was lucky enough to have a day to myself today, so after clearing out room in the laundry room for the new freezer and doing a few loads of laundry, I decided to throw in an exercise video. Since I know I should be taking it easy (somewhat...), I've recently traded in my favourite DVD trainer for my second favourite. At one point in the video I was doing, she says, "If you want results, you're going to have to earn them!"
Wow.
Is it weird that that statement hit me like a ton of bricks?
It wasn't the first time I've done this workout, so it's not the first time I've heard her say that. But I guess today I was just ready to hear it, and it struck me in a particular way.
See, here's the thing: All my life, so many things have just come easily for me. School was a piece of cake. (Oh shoot, now I want cake... Sorry.) I was put ahead a grade, and still remained at the top of my class throughout the grade-school years, without putting in much effort. (Translation: I rarely did homework, rarely studied for tests/exams, and generally started projects the night before they were due.) Because academics just came naturally to me, I didn't have to earn my results.
In university I studied music. I'd been playing saxophone since I was nine, and that was yet another thing that came easily for me. The problem was, I had never learned the discipline required to practice as much as I needed to, because I was just naturally good enough to be the best all through junior and senior high school. I'll never forget my very last private lesson with my saxophone professor. I played one of my favourite ballads, and at the end he turned around from the piano and said, "F%$k you. You don't deserve to play that beautifully." It was true. I hadn't earned it.
I have this issue in so many areas, and today I realized that I still struggle with this in the realm of health and fitness as well. I don't really put in the work that I would need to in order to see the results I'd like to see. I'm not as disciplined about watching my unnecessary carbs (ahem *dates*), nor do I put in the effort in regards to exercise either.
I'm hoping that at least realizing this will make me more mindful about putting in the work. Today I noticed a huge difference in my stamina - I was able to work harder and longer, with fewer breaks. I think my body is really hitting its stride in terms of the Whole30 benefits, and I also wonder if weaning Baby Belle and having my body all to myself for the first time in over five years makes a difference. In any case, I'm going to be more aware from now on that if I want to see results, I actually need to earn them.
Breakfast: Kale, eggs, cherry tomatoes and licorice tea.
Lunch: A rib wrap. I tried out Dr. Davis' recipe for a flax meal wrap from Wheat Belly. It was actually decent. (It's one of the recipes that doesn't call for any artificial sweeteners, so I was keen to try it.) I stuffed it with some of the leftover rib meat from last night and some extra barbeque sauce.
Supper: A fajita bowl. I cooked the chicken, peppers and onions with some homemade fajita seasoning, then served it over a bed of mixed greens and topped it with salsa and guacamole. Super delicious!
Snacks: Too. Many. Snack balls. And an extra cup of tea.
Wow.
Is it weird that that statement hit me like a ton of bricks?
It wasn't the first time I've done this workout, so it's not the first time I've heard her say that. But I guess today I was just ready to hear it, and it struck me in a particular way.
See, here's the thing: All my life, so many things have just come easily for me. School was a piece of cake. (Oh shoot, now I want cake... Sorry.) I was put ahead a grade, and still remained at the top of my class throughout the grade-school years, without putting in much effort. (Translation: I rarely did homework, rarely studied for tests/exams, and generally started projects the night before they were due.) Because academics just came naturally to me, I didn't have to earn my results.
In university I studied music. I'd been playing saxophone since I was nine, and that was yet another thing that came easily for me. The problem was, I had never learned the discipline required to practice as much as I needed to, because I was just naturally good enough to be the best all through junior and senior high school. I'll never forget my very last private lesson with my saxophone professor. I played one of my favourite ballads, and at the end he turned around from the piano and said, "F%$k you. You don't deserve to play that beautifully." It was true. I hadn't earned it.
I have this issue in so many areas, and today I realized that I still struggle with this in the realm of health and fitness as well. I don't really put in the work that I would need to in order to see the results I'd like to see. I'm not as disciplined about watching my unnecessary carbs (ahem *dates*), nor do I put in the effort in regards to exercise either.
I'm hoping that at least realizing this will make me more mindful about putting in the work. Today I noticed a huge difference in my stamina - I was able to work harder and longer, with fewer breaks. I think my body is really hitting its stride in terms of the Whole30 benefits, and I also wonder if weaning Baby Belle and having my body all to myself for the first time in over five years makes a difference. In any case, I'm going to be more aware from now on that if I want to see results, I actually need to earn them.
Breakfast: Kale, eggs, cherry tomatoes and licorice tea.
Lunch: A rib wrap. I tried out Dr. Davis' recipe for a flax meal wrap from Wheat Belly. It was actually decent. (It's one of the recipes that doesn't call for any artificial sweeteners, so I was keen to try it.) I stuffed it with some of the leftover rib meat from last night and some extra barbeque sauce.
Supper: A fajita bowl. I cooked the chicken, peppers and onions with some homemade fajita seasoning, then served it over a bed of mixed greens and topped it with salsa and guacamole. Super delicious!
Snacks: Too. Many. Snack balls. And an extra cup of tea.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Day 23 of 40 - Three Little Things
First of all, thanks to my sister I'm now hooked on this blog. If you're at all fascinated by gorgeous, off-beat portraits, consider yourself warned: you'll be sucked in.
Secondly, I'm trying really hard to break out of my I-don't-feel-like-cooking-or-eating rut. This morning I spent a fair bit of time in the kitchen. I baked three packages of chicken thighs (some for friends for supper, some for our lunch), made my specialty rice (also for friends!), cooked up another batch of BBQ sauce (and played around with the seasonings - added some chipotle this time...), then I dry-rubbed two racks of ribs and braised them in chicken stock for a few hours. We were at a party until 5pm, so it was nice to be able to come home, slap some sauce on the ribs and prep some veggies, then just send Francis out to the backyard to grill it all up.
Third, someone asked me recently about what my kids eat, so I thought I'd share a little here. For breakfast, they generally eat either scrambled eggs, coconut flour pancakes, or occasionally Brown Rice Krispies. (They're the gluten-free ones. My parents got them hooked on the 'snap, crackle and pop'.) These options are always followed by either apple sauce, yogurt, or sometimes both. Lunches are usually quick - often leftovers, sometimes deli meat and veggies, once in a while I'll make them almond flour-breaded nuggets. Suppers are the easiest: They eat exactly what we eat. My kids are four and a half, three, and 18 months - and they only variation from what we eat is that Princess is never expected to eat cherry tomatoes, and Music Man is never expected to eat sliced cucumbers. My kids always are expected to try what's in front of them, and 98% of the time they like it. But there are some things I just don't like, even after giving them a fair shot, so it's only fair that there can be certain things that they just don't like. (You will never see me voluntarily consuming yogurt, cream cheese - except in a cheese cake! - or any kind of shellfish. Ever.)
Princess was a very picky eater for a long time. But right around her third birthday she started to grow out of it (with much encouragement from her exhausted parents...) and now she's pretty adventurous when it comes to trying new things, and there aren't many things she flat-out dislikes. It's pretty wonderful, actually, to just serve one meal after a long time of always having to make an extra grilled cheese sandwich...
Breakfast: Kale, eggs and cherry tomatoes. Licorice tea.
Lunch: A roasted chicken thigh and a big bowl of coconut curry cabbage.
Supper: Ribs! Fall off the bone, melt in your mouth deliciousness! Honestly, this was the first time I really nailed them. (Okay, Francis gets credit for the final grilling...) And some grilled zucchini and red onion. A fruit juice freeze.
Snacks: Two strawberries and some fruit leather. An extra cup of tea before bed.
Secondly, I'm trying really hard to break out of my I-don't-feel-like-cooking-or-eating rut. This morning I spent a fair bit of time in the kitchen. I baked three packages of chicken thighs (some for friends for supper, some for our lunch), made my specialty rice (also for friends!), cooked up another batch of BBQ sauce (and played around with the seasonings - added some chipotle this time...), then I dry-rubbed two racks of ribs and braised them in chicken stock for a few hours. We were at a party until 5pm, so it was nice to be able to come home, slap some sauce on the ribs and prep some veggies, then just send Francis out to the backyard to grill it all up.
Third, someone asked me recently about what my kids eat, so I thought I'd share a little here. For breakfast, they generally eat either scrambled eggs, coconut flour pancakes, or occasionally Brown Rice Krispies. (They're the gluten-free ones. My parents got them hooked on the 'snap, crackle and pop'.) These options are always followed by either apple sauce, yogurt, or sometimes both. Lunches are usually quick - often leftovers, sometimes deli meat and veggies, once in a while I'll make them almond flour-breaded nuggets. Suppers are the easiest: They eat exactly what we eat. My kids are four and a half, three, and 18 months - and they only variation from what we eat is that Princess is never expected to eat cherry tomatoes, and Music Man is never expected to eat sliced cucumbers. My kids always are expected to try what's in front of them, and 98% of the time they like it. But there are some things I just don't like, even after giving them a fair shot, so it's only fair that there can be certain things that they just don't like. (You will never see me voluntarily consuming yogurt, cream cheese - except in a cheese cake! - or any kind of shellfish. Ever.)
Princess was a very picky eater for a long time. But right around her third birthday she started to grow out of it (with much encouragement from her exhausted parents...) and now she's pretty adventurous when it comes to trying new things, and there aren't many things she flat-out dislikes. It's pretty wonderful, actually, to just serve one meal after a long time of always having to make an extra grilled cheese sandwich...
Breakfast: Kale, eggs and cherry tomatoes. Licorice tea.
Lunch: A roasted chicken thigh and a big bowl of coconut curry cabbage.
Supper: Ribs! Fall off the bone, melt in your mouth deliciousness! Honestly, this was the first time I really nailed them. (Okay, Francis gets credit for the final grilling...) And some grilled zucchini and red onion. A fruit juice freeze.
Snacks: Two strawberries and some fruit leather. An extra cup of tea before bed.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Day 22 of 40 - Landed in a Rut
Oh, I'm just bored. I'm suddenly bored with eating and food preparation. Maybe it's a shift in my appetite now that I'm no longer breastfeeding. Maybe it's the PMS. Who knows? It's certainly not because the food is boring. I have a to-try list of recipes a mile long! All I know is that eating, prepping and cooking have suddenly become a chore, and I'm really wishing somebody else would just put some food down in front of me.
(Maybe it's because our dishwasher has been out of commission for a couple of months, and I'm sick of the mountain of dishes that shows up after every. single. meal!)
Breakfast: Kale, eggs and cherry tomatoes. Licorice tea. (All made and served by my wonderful husband, who then packed up the kids and took them out until supper time!)
Lunch: A chicken thigh and a small bowl of cherries. I wasn't really hungry, but since I wanted to nap, I figured I should eat something so as not to run the risk of having my nap cut short by a growling tummy.
Supper: Spaghetti squash with meat sauce.
Snacks: A couple of snack balls this morning, and some blended coconut milk, bananas and mixed berries after supper.
(Maybe it's because our dishwasher has been out of commission for a couple of months, and I'm sick of the mountain of dishes that shows up after every. single. meal!)
Breakfast: Kale, eggs and cherry tomatoes. Licorice tea. (All made and served by my wonderful husband, who then packed up the kids and took them out until supper time!)
Lunch: A chicken thigh and a small bowl of cherries. I wasn't really hungry, but since I wanted to nap, I figured I should eat something so as not to run the risk of having my nap cut short by a growling tummy.
Supper: Spaghetti squash with meat sauce.
Snacks: A couple of snack balls this morning, and some blended coconut milk, bananas and mixed berries after supper.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Day 21 of 40 - The Shopping Continues
I'm thoroughly enjoying the mandoline I mentioned yesterday. I've used it for tomatoes, patty pans, green peppers and sweet potatoes so far. And now, to further aid our healthy eating habits, we've ordered a new freezer!
We have one already, but it's probably the smallest little chest freezer on the market. I believe it's called "apartment sized". Teeny tiny, and barely able to keep up with us. Since we prefer to only purchase meat when it's on sale, it would be great to be able to buy in bulk to have some for more than just a week at a time. And since I love the convenience of bulk cooking and saving a portion for another time, this will be very helpful as well.
We've been talking about doing this for a while, but since we placed an order for 30lbs of grass-fed beef, we knew it was time to find a place to store it! And the fact that there is so much gorgeous and enormous produce at the farmer's market right now is added incentive. I could buy a few of those 6-8lb cauliflowers for $3 a head, chop them into florets, and freeze them for the winter. Having a new upright* freezer is going to open up a whole new world of kitchen convenience! (Plus I'll finally be able to store my ice cream maker's bowl in the freezer full-time, making it possible to enjoy frozen homemade treats far more frequently!) Oh, and does anyone know if you can freeze cabbage?
Breakfast: Kale and eggs with licorice tea.
Lunch: Two homemade sausage patties, roasted broccoli and tomatoes with olive oil, garlic and fresh basil.
Supper: A barbecued pork chop with homemade sauce, grilled patty pan and oven roasted cauliflower.
Snacks: Too many snack balls, and some frozen strawberries and bananas blended with coconut milk.
*It has to be an upright freezer for it to be useful for me. At 5'2", the bottom of a chest freezer is out of my reach!
We have one already, but it's probably the smallest little chest freezer on the market. I believe it's called "apartment sized". Teeny tiny, and barely able to keep up with us. Since we prefer to only purchase meat when it's on sale, it would be great to be able to buy in bulk to have some for more than just a week at a time. And since I love the convenience of bulk cooking and saving a portion for another time, this will be very helpful as well.
We've been talking about doing this for a while, but since we placed an order for 30lbs of grass-fed beef, we knew it was time to find a place to store it! And the fact that there is so much gorgeous and enormous produce at the farmer's market right now is added incentive. I could buy a few of those 6-8lb cauliflowers for $3 a head, chop them into florets, and freeze them for the winter. Having a new upright* freezer is going to open up a whole new world of kitchen convenience! (Plus I'll finally be able to store my ice cream maker's bowl in the freezer full-time, making it possible to enjoy frozen homemade treats far more frequently!) Oh, and does anyone know if you can freeze cabbage?
Breakfast: Kale and eggs with licorice tea.
Lunch: Two homemade sausage patties, roasted broccoli and tomatoes with olive oil, garlic and fresh basil.
Supper: A barbecued pork chop with homemade sauce, grilled patty pan and oven roasted cauliflower.
Snacks: Too many snack balls, and some frozen strawberries and bananas blended with coconut milk.
*It has to be an upright freezer for it to be useful for me. At 5'2", the bottom of a chest freezer is out of my reach!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Day 20 of 40 - Half Way, a New Tool, and Temptation
First, the temptation:
I made dinner today for some friends who had their third baby a month ago. Foolishly, I made them pizzas. Now the thing is this: I make a pretty mean pizza crust. You know, the wheat-filled, gluten landmine kind of crust. Crispy on the outside, soft and a little chewy on the inside. The two pepperoni pizzas didn't really interest me too much, but I made a smaller one with homemade basil pesto, thinly sliced tomatoes straight from a friend's garden, and mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
I. wanted. that. PIZZA!
Didn't do it, of course. Didn't even lick my fingers after putting the cheese on. But hear this: when this Whole30 is over and it's time to try out a new food, cheese will be the first on the list, and I will make that very pizza but on a cauliflower crust!
Second, the new tool:
We bought a mandoline! All my slicing and dicing just got WAY more fun! You should have seen the perfect slices of tomato on that basil pesto pizza...
Third, the half-way point:
20 days out of 40 done, but here's the issue. When I first decided to go for 40 days, I didn't count particularly well. Turns out a dear friend's wedding is on day 39!! Argh! I'll be travelling by myself (!!) and staying at my parents' house to go to this wedding. So my dilemma is this: Should I just try my best to navigate the meal at the reception and hope for the best? Or do I pat myself on the back for making it that far, pick the grains out of my meal and enjoy a celebratory glass of wine? Decisions, decisions...
Breakfast: Eggs, kale and tomatoes. Licorice tea.
Lunch: Two drumsticks and a thigh with some watermelon. (Must make more time for lunch!)
Supper: Out for the FOURTH night in a row, and this one was spontaneous. When we delivered the pizzas, our friends suggested we stay and eat with them. Since everyone else was eating a gluten/sugar/dairy-loaded pizza, our host quickly grilled up some spice-rubbed chicken thighs and skewers with peppers and onions.
Snacks: One snack ball, and a small handful of Macadamias with my tea before bed.
I made dinner today for some friends who had their third baby a month ago. Foolishly, I made them pizzas. Now the thing is this: I make a pretty mean pizza crust. You know, the wheat-filled, gluten landmine kind of crust. Crispy on the outside, soft and a little chewy on the inside. The two pepperoni pizzas didn't really interest me too much, but I made a smaller one with homemade basil pesto, thinly sliced tomatoes straight from a friend's garden, and mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
I. wanted. that. PIZZA!
Didn't do it, of course. Didn't even lick my fingers after putting the cheese on. But hear this: when this Whole30 is over and it's time to try out a new food, cheese will be the first on the list, and I will make that very pizza but on a cauliflower crust!
Second, the new tool:
We bought a mandoline! All my slicing and dicing just got WAY more fun! You should have seen the perfect slices of tomato on that basil pesto pizza...
Third, the half-way point:
20 days out of 40 done, but here's the issue. When I first decided to go for 40 days, I didn't count particularly well. Turns out a dear friend's wedding is on day 39!! Argh! I'll be travelling by myself (!!) and staying at my parents' house to go to this wedding. So my dilemma is this: Should I just try my best to navigate the meal at the reception and hope for the best? Or do I pat myself on the back for making it that far, pick the grains out of my meal and enjoy a celebratory glass of wine? Decisions, decisions...
Breakfast: Eggs, kale and tomatoes. Licorice tea.
Lunch: Two drumsticks and a thigh with some watermelon. (Must make more time for lunch!)
Supper: Out for the FOURTH night in a row, and this one was spontaneous. When we delivered the pizzas, our friends suggested we stay and eat with them. Since everyone else was eating a gluten/sugar/dairy-loaded pizza, our host quickly grilled up some spice-rubbed chicken thighs and skewers with peppers and onions.
Snacks: One snack ball, and a small handful of Macadamias with my tea before bed.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Day 19 of 40 - How I "Do It All"
Ever wondering how I manage to prepare three meals from scratch every day, and look after three young kids, and keep a home and still find time for hobbies and blogging? I'll let you in on a couple of secrets:
1. My husband is a teacher. That means that when he's working, he's only out of the house from about 8:20am until about 4:20pm. That's it. I have a good two hours before he leaves for work in the mornings, and I have an hour between his arrival home and when supper needs to be served. That's a lot of extra help.
2. Him being a teacher also means that right now, he's home full time. We're two stay-at-home parents for two months.
3. Princess and Music Man (four-and-a-half and three) are now sharing a room, and Music Man thinks it's all fun and games. That means I have to sit at their door from when I tuck them in at 7pm until whenever he finally falls asleep - usually around 8pm. I bring the laptop with me, so this is my blogging time. Glamourous, eh?
4. I don't actually "do it all". My husband makes most of the breakfasts, and if you ever saw my house you'd realize that housework is waaay down on my list of priorities. I'd much rather spend my days having fun with the kids, running around or doing crafts. I'd rather spend my evenings curled up on the couch chatting with Francis. I spend so much time in the kitchen that when I finally get a break from meal times, I actually just want a break. (Yeah, I know I need to work on that. I'm hoping the change of having Princess in school full-time in September will help get my butt in gear.)
So, from the not-so-comfy floor of the "big kids' room", I bid you all good night.
Breakfast: I wasn't hungry this morning so initially I'd decided not to eat any breakfast right away. But as we were getting ready for church I started to worry that if I got too hungry during Mass, my stomach would growl at just the wrong moment. So I grabbed a little piece of the breakfast cake.
Lunch: Kale and eggs with cherry tomatoes and three slices of bacon. Also a cup of licorice root tea.
Supper: For the third night in a row we ate at somebody else's house. (We're getting spoiled!) Steaks cooked on a charcoal grill, smothered in roasted garlic and olive oil, yellow beans straight from the garden, and we brought a simple salad with red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and grated carrot - all from yesterday's veggie box. (The kids ate spaghetti squash with pasta sauce that had been going in the crock pot all day.)
Snacks: Extra tea and two small snack balls.
1. My husband is a teacher. That means that when he's working, he's only out of the house from about 8:20am until about 4:20pm. That's it. I have a good two hours before he leaves for work in the mornings, and I have an hour between his arrival home and when supper needs to be served. That's a lot of extra help.
2. Him being a teacher also means that right now, he's home full time. We're two stay-at-home parents for two months.
3. Princess and Music Man (four-and-a-half and three) are now sharing a room, and Music Man thinks it's all fun and games. That means I have to sit at their door from when I tuck them in at 7pm until whenever he finally falls asleep - usually around 8pm. I bring the laptop with me, so this is my blogging time. Glamourous, eh?
4. I don't actually "do it all". My husband makes most of the breakfasts, and if you ever saw my house you'd realize that housework is waaay down on my list of priorities. I'd much rather spend my days having fun with the kids, running around or doing crafts. I'd rather spend my evenings curled up on the couch chatting with Francis. I spend so much time in the kitchen that when I finally get a break from meal times, I actually just want a break. (Yeah, I know I need to work on that. I'm hoping the change of having Princess in school full-time in September will help get my butt in gear.)
So, from the not-so-comfy floor of the "big kids' room", I bid you all good night.
Breakfast: I wasn't hungry this morning so initially I'd decided not to eat any breakfast right away. But as we were getting ready for church I started to worry that if I got too hungry during Mass, my stomach would growl at just the wrong moment. So I grabbed a little piece of the breakfast cake.
Lunch: Kale and eggs with cherry tomatoes and three slices of bacon. Also a cup of licorice root tea.
Supper: For the third night in a row we ate at somebody else's house. (We're getting spoiled!) Steaks cooked on a charcoal grill, smothered in roasted garlic and olive oil, yellow beans straight from the garden, and we brought a simple salad with red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and grated carrot - all from yesterday's veggie box. (The kids ate spaghetti squash with pasta sauce that had been going in the crock pot all day.)
Snacks: Extra tea and two small snack balls.
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