Day 11-13

Day 11

Meal 1: scrambled eggs, topped with sauteed sausage, onions, and mushrooms. Sides of kiwi and avocado.

I scrambled the eggs by themselves (because the kids didn't want stuff in their eggs besides eggs). Then I topped it with sauteed onion, mushrooms, and sausage. I think I will do this every time I make scrambled eggs because everything gets cooked perfectly.

Meal 2: Turkey "tacos" using the leftovers from the night before. 

These were so good. I really really like this turkey taco meat. The homemade seasoning is what puts it over the top. I truly don't want to go back to buy the pre-packaged stuff. These were topped with guac and tomatoes.

Meal 3: Bun-less burgers and veggies

We went to my sister's house to celebrate my nephew turning 2. There was plenty of options for me to have a compliant meal and it was delicious. And YAY! I made it through a weekend without caving in! Weekends are the HARDEST for me to stay on track.

Day 12

Meal 1: Scrambled eggs bowl {chicken apple sausage, avocados, tomatoes, scrambled eggs}

Quick, easy, delicious. 

Meal 2: Finished off the turkey taco meat leftovers with more "tacos" and extra veggies on the side. Peach-pear La Croix (sparkling water) on the side. 

La Croix has truly saved my sanity and given me my soda "fix". It is nothing like soda except it is carbonated. It helps me get in my water intake throughout the day when lemon water is just not doing it for me anymore. It also helps me ignore the mess that is taking over my house....

Meal 3: Slow Cooker chicken and "gravy" with garlic mashed cauliflower. Side salad with balsamic vinegar.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy recipe found HERE by Nom Nom Paleo
I used 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste because I wanted more flavor from it. It was a good choice.
I found a substitute seasoning for what she used HERE.

Guys, go make this recipe. It is DELICIOUS! Yes I am yelling at you. GO MAKE THIS RECIPE!! Don't be intimidated by cooking a whole chicken. It is super easy, super cheap, and the slow cooker does EVERYTHING for you! Plus it gives you lots of meat to use the rest of the week or freeze for later. The gravy in this recipe...so good! And actually healthy for you!! Also, use the bones to make an awesome bone broth. More bang for your buck. I was not smart and threw my bones away after I finished cleaning up the kitchen...only to realize an hour later I wanted to keep them. Not my smartest moment. So they stayed in the trash and I cried inside a little.

Also, another tip, buy a whole chicken whenever you see them on sale (especially if it is natural, no nasty crap injected into it). They stay great in your freezer and you can pull them out whenever you need to.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

-1 head of cauliflower

-ghee

-garlic powder

-salt and pepper

I cut up the cauliflower into florets, washed them, placed them in my Pampered Chef veggie steamer (I love this thing, my husband had it in college and it is still going strong) with a little bit of water, and microwaved them until they were steamed through (about 5 minutes). I had to do it in 2 batches.

Then I tossed everything into my Blendtec (you could use any high powered blender or food processor). I added some garlic powder and salt and pepper and pulsed until it was all smooth. I tasted it and added more seasonings as needed. Super easy.

Day 13

Meal 1: Sweet Potato Hash, egg over easy, avocado, fresh pineapple

Meal 2: Sauteed red onion, mushrooms, banana peppers with chicken from the night before with fresh carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and avocado.

Chicken and Veggie Bowl
-Cut up some red onion

-Cut up some mushrooms

-Cut up some banana peppers

-Throw them all into a pan and saute in some compliant oil (I used avocado oil because I love it)

-When they are cooked through, toss in chicken and pour a little bit of banana pepper juice from the jar into the pan. 

-Allow the chicken to soak up the juice and flavors.

-Toss everything into a bowl of your fresh veggies.

-Mix and enjoy

This one probably sounds really weird, but it was so good. I got the idea to toss in some banana pepper juice because I used to work at the Pita Pit and we made a "secret sauce" that was basically banana pepper juice, italian seasoning, oil (probably vegetable), salt and pepper. It was awesome to cook the veggies in. I may make a replication of it and cook some veggies in it some time. 

Meal 3: Cafe Rio Grilled Chicken Salad

The only compliant meat at Cafe Rio is their grilled chicken, NOT their shredded chicken.

So if you want a compliant salad this is how you order:
-No dressing, no beans, no rice, no tortilla, no cheese, no chips, extra pico, extra salsa fresca, extra lettuce, extra lime, extra meat.
-You don't have to order extra lettuce or meat but I like to since you aren't having the rice, beans, or tortilla.
-Use the pico, salsa fresca, and limes as your dressing.

My thoughts on the past 3 days:
Things are becoming second nature to me. I don't really have to think about what I can and cannot eat anymore. I just kind of "get it". I am hoping to exercise more now that I am past the 10 day recommendation of not working out too much (they want your body to get used to its new way to get fuel). I will be honest though, I haven't been working out because my baby boy is teething. So it just isn't going to happen. I am that kids world and if I am unavailable for any time span (especially when he is not feeling well) then he looses his mind. Add that to the fact that he isn't sleeping because of teething and things are rough. No naps means no one is happy! BUT the positive side to all of this?? I have so much energy. I am not exhausted from taking care of a very needy toddler and a very active preschooler. I have energy to help them with what they need even when they are wanting me constantly. So that, in and of itself, is a Whole30 miracle if you ask me. Normally I would be down Dr. Peppers left and right just to keep up with the madness that has been happening lately and instead I am fueling my body in a healthy way and feeling absolutely amazing as well. I also am not hungry in between meals as long as I get enough fat at each meal. My body needs it desperately for fuel and I am completely cool with that. Bring on the healthy cooking oils and avocados! Huzzah!!