There were five long days and nights that our roaming kitty was missing, and when I say long, I mean long. I realize he's "just a cat", but boy is he a cat that tugs on my heart strings. He is so peculiar, cranky, and sometimes sweet (if he's asleep). He can only stand to be petted in short amounts, and soon after he thinks your hand is a toy. Speaking of toys, rarely will he play with them, however, he loves to use our furniture as a scratching post. Food, this cat can eat, and he really likes to eat. He likes to eat and sleep, and pretend this is his house, and he lets us live here. He hates being indoor (unless he's eating and sleeping). He would much prefer to roam and eat food at other human's houses. And even then, I still shed tears (a lot of tears) over this little turkey being gone. (Some of the above statements are slightly dramatized, and some are not... most are not.)
Most of the time he was gone, I kept thinking about the parable of the Prodigal Son, and people often brought it up to us. (When you love Jesus and have a roaming kitty, it's a logical connection.) And then I thought about my Savior, His amazing grace, and unconditional love. In our flesh, we often stray. There are so many distractions in this world. Social Media has absolutely transformed the world, along with the Internet of course. We have instant access to way too much information. (With that being said, Social Media isn't all terrible. It was a huge factor in our roaming kitty making his way home. Read below if you're interested in how he made it home. It's a pretty great story, in my opinion.) We're worried about finances, relationships, clothes, having the perfect farm house, sickness, etc. These are all concerns (minus the farm house desire I would imagine) people from the fall of man have experienced. We do have the distraction of the Internet, but we also have the amazing tool of the Internet. How incredible it is to be able to reach people with the Gospel in various ways because of the Internet. Ok, I totally got side tracked there. Anyway, we stray. And while this doesn't even compare, I just need y'all to know how much my heart hurt when our kitty was gone. I thought about him a LOT, and every time it hurt. God loves us so much. He loves us so much, He sent His Son to DIE for us. It doesn't make sense that He would do that. That totally goes against our culture. Why would someone sacrifice something important for the sake of others? Well, that's God in all His holiness. From the beginning, He knew we would sin, and still He prepared a way for us. He knew we would stray, and still He made a way. While our kitty was gone, it was freezing (literally it dropped below freezing two of the nights he was gone). He apparently went without food because he had dropped some weight during his adventure. And with those two rather large hardships, he chose to not come home. Why? I don't know he's a cat. He doesn't have human reasoning, however, have you, or do you know someone who has strayed away from the Lord and chose a life of hardships instead of one of comfort in His arms? (Now, being a Christian isn't always a bed of roses- there are hardships. The difference is facing them holding your Savior's hand, but that's for a later blog post.) When Windsor was gone, I kept wondering why on earth he would leave when he had everything he could imagine at our house. As much hurt as I felt over our kitty, I cannot imagine God's hurt when one of His children stray. And to think how amplified and multiplied that is seeing as He is the God of the universe, and He wishes that NONE would perish but all would come to everlasting life knowing Him as Savior. One of my favorite hymns is "Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling". Silly I know, but as many times as I prayed for Windsor to come home, I often started singing this hymn. Isn't that God though? Softly and tenderly He calls us. And all He wants is a relationship with us. He doesn't want us to hurt. He doesn't want us to be miserable. Sin causes hurt and heartache, but how wonderful to know there is a cure to it all, and He is patiently waiting. I've watched so many people suffer in my short time on this earth. I've seen people turn to almost every option but God. They seek relationships, being liked, job success, alcohol, drugs, darkness, or they even choose bitterness (as if that gives us some sort of power over someone- not the case), to fill a God-sized hole. That's like trying to put a puzzle piece from a different puzzle. It won't fit. Those things truly never can satisfy. And so often I've wanted to look at people and scream why. Why choose this darkness over Light? But you know, I'm not them. I don't know their experiences, and while I may "know" them, I don't know them because I'm not them. And here's the truly beautiful part. God doesn't ask why. He just tells us to come home. Are you ready to hear about Windsor's arrival? We searched for days, and that kitty had been lifted up in prayer by so many people, and I am thankful for each one. We have a neighborhood app where people post various things in surrounding neighborhoods. Windsor is well known in our neighborhood, so we posted that he was missing. A sweet lady, from a nearby neighborhood, said she thought she saw him and would leave food out on her porch for him. She asked for our phone number so she could contact us if he did come back to her house. A few days later, she offered to post his information on her neighborhood Facebook page. She posted it, and someone said they saw him around 4:30 or 5:00. Then she said someone had just seen him. Then she texted us and said he was in her car. She happened to text us right as we turned down the street she was on. She jumped out, waved her arms, and so cheerfully reunited us with our roaming kitty. This sweet woman didn't know us from Adam, and we're quite certain she was driving around looking for him because she wasn't even near her house. We consider her a kitty hero, and a very kind one at that. She and her daughter even fed him treats once they got him. He was finally home. And boy was he smelly. I think he had been going through trash to search for food. But you know what, I didn't care. I was just glad he was home. God is much the same. When we come to His saving knowledge He no longer sees our sin, but He sees His Son. Which is just wow- amazing. He doesn't care about our smelliness. He just wants to restore us. While this whole thing was rather heart wrenching at times, it was also quite amazing. Our family, co-workers, and strangers on Social Media were so gracious to us. Everyone showed so much compassion. I said to someone that I felt silly being upset, and she reminded me that my kitty mattered to me, and I mattered to God, so it was important to Him too, and you know, that's the truth. I'm not sure if I entirely put into writing what was on my heart, but I'll leave ya with this. If you've gone astray, come home. Luke 11:15-32 11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
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In my previous post about meal planning, I included weekly meal plans that go along with these grocery lists. I’m just going to keep it real. There’s a very slight chance I left some things out. We were watching motocross documentaries (my jam), and I was tending to our needy cat as I created this, so there are likely some mistakes, but hey there’s a lot of stuff, so surely you can make do.
Meanwhile, these lists are slightly overwhelming, but here’s the cool part. Some of it, actually a lot of it, you won’t have to buy each week because the first purchase will be enough to last throughout. For instance, you won't need to purchase aminos, minced garlic, ghee, seasonings, etc. each week. You can use them from week to week until you run out, obviously. Disclaimer, some recipes called for onions. In my grocery lists I included shallots for the week. You can put them in an air tight container and freeze or refrigerate them according to a few websites. https://www.glad.com/food-storage/protection-pointers/how-to-store-shallots/ https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/9310-storing-half-an-onion From what I understand, it is important they’re in air tight containers, but I can’t vouch for the safety of this myself, so if you’re not comfortable storing onions (there has been quite a fuss lately about how dangerous that can be), go with frozen, freeze dried, or just use a lot of onion in a dish. Why not? These only include dinner (and lunch, assuming you're eating leftovers) groceries. Don't forget snacks and such! Happy Whole 30 shopping! Week 1 Meat
Week 2 Meat
Produce
Other
Week 3 Meat
Produce
Other
Basic Ranch: https://whole30.com/2014/08/mayo-ghee-sauces/
Thursday’s Optional Meal (if you don’t think leftovers will be enough) •2-3 lbs pork loin •3 heads of broccoli •drizzle of oil FOR MARINADE •1 tbl onion powder •1 tbl garlic powder •2 tbl dried parsley •1 tsp dill weed •1 tsp sea salt •3 tbl avocado oil (olive oil is fine too) •1 tbl red wine vinegar Week 4 Meat
Produce
Other
The book of Ruth is so special to me. God has used it so much in my life, and when I look back at how He wove His grander plan together using it, I cannot help but smile. Ruth 2:10 has a particularly special place in my heart as God used that verse to confirm in my heart that Yellow Car Boy would be my husband. I could go on and on about provisions God made for me in giving me YCB as my husband, the grace God poured over me, and the joy God gave me through my precious husband, but that’s not quite what this is about. Actually, my head and heart are spinning about God’s grace, provisions, forgiveness, love, and divinity right now. He is just incredible.
Anywho, if you don’t know our love story, YCB and I didn’t know each other at all. We met, didn’t like each other, learned to love each other by getting to know each other, and now we have the opportunity to fall in love with each other every day through the most precious gift of marriage. My point being we were once strangers. Today I walked through the grocery store and with each person I passed I couldn’t help but think about how each person was a soul potentially in need of a Savior. Each person was a person, a human life, with a life story. I wondered what was going on in that moment. What was their childhood like? How were their marriages going? Were they married? Were they hurting? Were they happy? We were strangers. Adoption and foster care have been at the forefront of my mind lately. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of adoption, and fostering was so foreign to me, but recently my sister and brother in law completed the foster care classes, and right before Christmas they went from zero to three children very quickly. Sounds overwhelming right? I would say my sister might agree with that, but I think she would also tell you just how incredible it has been and how overwhelmingly precious these sweet children are. They were strangers. It hurts my heart to think of leaving a home, family, everything you know to not just visit but live with strangers, especially as a child. When I was little, despite our home situation, home was where I wanted to be and Mom was who I wanted to be with. I wanted comfort and what I knew. These sweet children and so many others go to live with strangers. Some of them on a regular basis. Can you imagine? I feel like sometimes children up for adoption or those in foster care get a negative rap. Not always, but sometimes. Seeing these precious children first hand, hearing their story, and being faced with the idea of everything you know going away and a whole lot of new being hurled at you like a snowball is pretty awakening. They’re with strangers. But you know, those little strangers sure have taught me a lot in a short amount of time. I face timed them the first time I “met” them, and I was instantly in love and so thankful for the opportunity my sister and brother in law had. When I met the kiddos in person, I was astounded at how open and loving they were. They are coming from a broken situation, and yet they were so ready to offer their love and show their joy. Talk about being unconditional and displaying the Fruit of the Spirit. These kiddos knocked it out of the ball park. Don’t get me wrong. They’re human, and at that, children. They, like us, are imperfect. But I was so amazed at how they were so willing to love us, strangers, despite their circumstances. I’ve called them about 1,1813 times, and I’ve cried multiple times since leaving because I just miss them. To say they impacted me is an understatement. Since coming home, all I can think about is the sweet gift God prepared for us. Knowing we would sin, He still put His master plan in place and sent His only Son for us. We as strangers, not a part of the family of God, we’re given the ability to be adopted into His family. He didn’t have to. He didn’t have to care. He could’ve told us to fend for ourselves, but no. God, being a God of sincere, unconditional love made a way. And not only did He make a way, but we get to walk with Him on this earth and have a relationship with Him. He doesn’t save us and walk away. As we live this life, He leads, guides, teaches, chastises, molds, and loves us through so much. I don’t know about you, but I’m so thankful God didn’t leave me a stranger. I’m so glad He saw my need and came to my rescue. I’m so humbled that He didnmore than save me, He allowed me to have a relationship with Him. I’m grateful His Name isn’t one to be used in vain, but it is powerful. I’m glad He is my Heavenly Father. I’m thankful He adopts sinners like me into His family, wraps His God sized arms around me and calls me- even me- daughter. Those sweet children my sister sister and brother in law are fostering have taught me so much. Strangers are souls. They’re people in need of love. We don’t know their situations. On the outside people can appear fine, but on the inside there might be a hurt we can’t even fathom. Let’s be more aware of strangers. And while that’s something I have learned, I believe the thing they taught me the most about is uncircumstnatial joy. Despite all they’ve experienced, they’re some of the happiest children I know. And God can their joy can be used to mend the most broken heart. He already used them in my life I know. I challenge you, and myself, to meet a stranger today. You never know what you might learn from one another, or how God can use each of you. Who knows, He might use you to have another person adopted into His family. This chalkboard calendar has become the heartbeat of our kitchen. It definitely makes planning for all things Whole 30 much easier! This along with the Walmart and Kroger grocery apps. They're INCREDIBLE. And can we talk about grocery pick up? Let me know if you're interested in Walmart Grocery pick up, and I can get a discount for you! I hope this post helps to make Whole 30 more doable for you! Some of the recipes I have tried, and we have really enjoyed them. Some of them are new, so I can't promise their tastiness or ease, but it'll be a fun adventure to add some things to our Whole 30 repertoire! I'm calling the above and below pictures the "Whole 30 starter kit". Cooking Items The Whole 30 approved Tessemae’s dressings and ketchup are my jam. After our first round of Whole 30 I continued using them. The ketchup beats the typical brands every day of the week! After eating it, the other ones taste like they’re loaded with sugar and somewhat fake. (Don’t get me wrong- I ate them, I’m just saying Tessemae’s is my jam.) My personal favorite dressing is the Balsamic Vinaigrette. I love it on salads, and I enjoy dipping fresh veggies in it. I struggle getting my veggies in, but this stuff makes it totally doable. One of my friends texted me today and told me how awesome the Lemon Garlic made a simple salad of spinach and boiled eggs the most amazing salad she’d ever had in her entire life. Ok, I’m being dramatic, but she did say it was delish! Make sure which ever tasty one you choose is Whole 30 approved. Remember- no sugar or dairy. Mezetta Marinara is totes Whole 30 approved, and it is delicious. It is a lot pricier than Prego, but hey- spaghetti squash spaghetti is an easy week night dinner! Aminos are a MUST. I use them in our three favorite dishes: chicken fried cauliflower rice, orange chicken and cauliflower rice, and sloppy joes. I’ll confess, we don’t use the Coconut Aminos (Whole 30 approved) as much as we use the Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (not Whole 30 approved). The liquid aminos are much less expensive, and they taste better. Allegedly they’re a better alternative to soy sauce. I use coconut, almond, and tapioca flours as breading and “thickeners” in several recipes. Keep in mind if you use coconut ANYTHING, there’s a good chance whatever you’re eating will have a hint of or taste just like coconut. Sometimes when things call for coconut milk, I substitute unsweetened almond milk. I also sub almond flour for coconut flour.
Snacks My husband really likes those date balls when he wants a sweet snack. I can’t get past the texture. But if you’re into that kind of thing, go for it. Yellow Car Boy really likes them. If I’m going to eat any kind of nut butter, I go for peanut butter. However, on Whole 30 you cannot have legumes, and in case you were unaware, peanuts are legumes, so no peanut butter for you. My husband really enjoys the MaraNatha no sugar or salt added almond butter. I struggle with almond butter, so I’m going to give this Sun Butter a try. I’ll keep you posted. Tostino’s Medium Chunky Salsa is a favorite in our household. We enjoy dipping plantain chips and Boulder or Kettle chips (which I just realized might have canola oil in them- not Whole 30 approved. Oops.) Technically, chips aren’t Whole 30 approved. They do tell you to limit potato intake, and they’re really (REALLY) easy to consume. However, if you can exhibit self-control, go for it. There are several cooked in olive and avocado oil. Just make sure the ingredients are Whole 30 safe. No vegetable or canola oil. Back to the salsa. We even put it on salad once, and it was quite tasty. Raw nuts are handy to have around. They’re a quick and easy snack that definitely fill you up. Again, they’re easy to snack on, so exhibit self control. I never thought I would eat applesauce, but I became a lover of it during our first round of Whole 30. Make sure it is the unsweetened stuff. By the way, it’s not bad minus the sugar. I personally adore the Kroger brand.
Meal Planning: Dinner We make enough for dinner to have leftovers for lunch. This makes planning and prepping much easier. Disclaimer: Some of these recipes have things that aren’t Whole 30 approved. I just always substitute with things that are Whole 30 approved. Also, we typically just use olive and coconut oil. A lot of recipes call for other stuff. I’m sure in the culinary world it makes a difference, but we are fans of the olive oil. Week 1 Monday: Orange Chicken Cauliflower Rice (I personally, lighten up on the red pepper flakes.) Tuesday: Beef Stir Fry with Broccoli Wednesday: Sloppy Joes with Zuchinni Noodles Sides: Green beans and/or roasted sweet potatoes Thursday: Chicken Tenders (make enough to put on salads for Friday/ I personally like them pan fried more so than baked in the oven) Sides: roasted sweet potatoes and asparagus Friday: Chicken Tender (left overs) Salad Saturday: Lunch- Burger Fi Dinner- Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti (Cook a spaghetti squash accordingly. Make a meat sauce using Mezetta’s marinara.) Sunday: Left overs Week 2 Monday: Walnut Crusted Lemon Chicken Piccata & Zucchini Noodles Tuesday: Hobo Porkchops & potatoes, broccoli, and bell peppers (Throw some sliced onion, seasonings, and ghee in there with veggies, and wrap it all up. Wednesday: Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice (Truth: There are a bazillion recipes out there. I cook my chicken in garlic, onion, aminos, and olive oil. I use 2-3 bags of the Green Giant Rice Medley, throw it in a big pot with a little garlic (the minced stuff in a jar). I cook some scrambled eggs and throw those in, then the chicken, and we like it a lot!) Thursday: LEFTOVERS (Make sure you cook enough throughout the week to have leftovers for today) Friday: Eat out Saturday: Instant Pot Meat Loaf and Potatoes with green beans and carrots (Use Whole 30 approved ingredients) Sunday: Eat out/ Left overs Week 3 Monday: Orange Chicken Cauliflower Rice Tuesday: Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff & Salad Wednesday: Sloppy Joe Meat & Green Beans Thursday: Leftovers (be prepared) or Ranch Pork Loin with Roasted Broccoli Friday: Eat Out Saturday: Buffalo Chicken Casserole Sunday: Left overs Week 4 Monday: Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti Tuesday: Beef Stir Fry with Broccoli Wednesday: Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice Thursday: Whole 30 Chicken Tenders (make enough for Friday’s salad) with Asparagus & Sweet Potatoes Friday: Chicken Tender Salad Saturday: Paleo Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale Sunday: Leftovers The next two days, pick your favorites and enjoy! For breakfast, we typically cook the Jimmy Dean All Natural Sausage (it's not 100% compliant, but I'm not losing sleep over it) Sunday, and it eat with apple sauce or fresh fruit. Sometimes I make a breakfast hash with either sweet potato hashbrowns or white potato hashbrowns (they typically work better), sausage, and scrambled eggs. It's really a treat! Happy Whole 30! Eating out while participating in Whole 30 can seem almost impossible, but it's really not! Google and planning ahead are your friends. Know where you want to go and research before getting there. The chalk calendar I mentioned in my previous Whole 30 post has been great for this. I plan days we're going out to eat, and I write the restaurant on there because we usually eat out on the weekends and by Friday I'm exhausted with decision making (I teach third grade).
Be Brave You can get meat and veggies almost everywhere you go. The issue is in how they're prepared. You get to be that person. The obnoxious person with 1,813 questions. I'm totally used to this because I've been a picky eater my whole life. Another option is to make a tshirt that says "I'm doing Whole 30". It's a great conversation starter, and who knows, you might get someone else on the Whole 30 wagon, or bring that precious restaurant that was so kind to you some business. However, keep in mind not everyone wants to know/ you might not want to draw attention to yourself. Food is sort of like politics and people often have strong opinions. So if you don't want to explain the why, don't. Still though, continue to be confident. Be confident in asking how items are prepared and requesting them to be prepared in a compliant way. That might mean losing the butter, changing the oil, or eating raw veggies. Whatever it takes stick to it, my friend. Eat Local If you enjoy eating local, that's a great way to go. I found that local non-chain restaurants were more willing to help me be compliant. (Shout out to Hamilton's in Auburn, AL. They were so kind and served me a burger without a bun, mustard only, and fruit although it wasn't a side item.) Food on the Go However, sometimes sit down meals aren't what works with your schedule. In that case you do have some options. Chipotle's carnitas are the only compliant meat because of the oils the other meats are cooked in, but nonetheless, they are an option (and sadly queso is not). The guac and salsas are also compliant, along with the lettuce- clearly. Burger-Fi and Five Guys offer lettuce buns. What we ordered: Chipotle Salad with carnitas, salsa, and guacamole Burger-Fi Patty or patties, with fried egg and mustard on a lettuce bun When in doubt, protein and veggies are the way to go. If you’re like us, a few times we overlooked the oils things were cooked in and moved on with life. The Whole 30 website has tons of recommendations for food on the go. Life Health HQ also has a great list of suggestions of restaurants! If possible, keep some Tessemae’s, compliant, dressing on hand. If you’re in a jam, run and get a salad, and throw some of that delicious dressing on there. The balsamic is my fave! Their ketchup is also awesome! When we went out to eat, I would bring a small container to put on my burger. Real life. Happy Whole 30! Whole 30 is for sure all the rage with New Year's resolutions arising. Yellow Car Boy and I successfully completed the 30 day challenge, and despite the inconvenience and emotional roller coaster. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I'm so serious.
The Bad I'm going to get the negatives out of the way, and then I'm going to share all of the amazing things. Whole 30 was pretty inconvenient, especially in the beginning. You're so limited on what you can eat, which means you eat at home a lot, and there is a lot of food prep. People would ask us to go out to eat, and the answer was almost always no because we did not want to start over/ we're competitive. The good news is, Whole 30 is really popular, and grocery stores have caught on. When we started, I had a hard time finding "approved" products at Kroger and WalMart, but it's much easier now. Also, after probably the second week, I finally knew what we could and couldn't eat, so I wasn't reading as many labels. The Ugly The other negative was the emotions. For a few days, I felt a little batty. Apparently I had quite a connection with chocolate that I was desperately missing, and well I just wanted sugar. I also had some bizarre dreams including one where I dreamed I ate a donut, and I had extreme guilt for days. It's for real. The Good During Whole 30, I slept like our cat when he's been on multiple outside adventures. I had an amazing sustained energy. It wasn't like energy from caffeine, it was like natural energy. Crazy, right? But my FAVORITE part of all was not feeling bloated. It was amazing. While not participating in Whole 30, I am a bloater. I'm constantly poofy. I, unfortunately, didn't lose any weight (I really shouldn't say unfortunately because it's not at all what it's about), but without the poof, my clothes did fit better. Yellow Car Boy dropped weight and dropped it quickly. But remember- that's not what it's about. Yellow Car Boy has Type 1 Diabetes, and it really helped his blood sugars despite the few times we gorged on fruit (this is also a no no). The Musts You must read the Whole 30 book. It really doesn't take long, and there are parts you can skip over honestly, but you need to know why you're doing what you're doing. Because at some point during the thirty days, you're going to wonder why you would do such a thing to yourself, or you'll convince yourself it is ok to eat cheese because cheese is healthy, so you need to eat all the cheese. You can even read the most important things online (https://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/). You must be willing to commit to thirty whole days, and if you mess up- technically you have to start over. But I'm going to be really honest. There were a few things we bent the rules on, but I slept ok and didn't have extreme donut dream guilt. For instance, we had a difficult time finding compliant sausage, and I'm not a huge egg eater, so we settled for an almost compliant sausage (Jimmy Dean All Natural https://www.jimmydean.com/products/fresh-sausage/roll-sausage/premium-all-natural-regular-pork-sausage). The one non-compliant ingredient is cane sugar, but hey it's cane sugar, and it was less than 2% of the entire thing. We also made pancakes with compliant ingredients and put honey on them once or twice. Honey is a no-no along with making "treats" despite using compliant. The book explains it's a mind thing. My cravings conquered my mind, and the pancakes won. Again though, no donut dream guilt. It was still a better choice than the two chocolate covered cherries I just threw down my throat. You must be organized. Meal planning and being prepared are absolutely necessary. I purchased a monthly chalkboard calendar, and it was a Whole 30 saver. I planned dinner for the entire thirty days, so grocery lists and shopping were super easy! We usually did the same thing for breakfast (fruit, applesauce, and sausage or bacon), and we typically had leftovers for lunch. Good to Know There are TONS of recipes on Pinterest and the Internet in general. Jay's Baking Me Crazy was one of my go to websites (https://www.jaysbakingmecrazy.com/category/whole30/). My advice is to keep it simple. Yellow Car Boy and I are busy people. Aren't we all? I'm also a picky eater. We had to do what worked for us. Some of the recipes are really complicated. They frustrated me and made me feel defeated. Unless you're super kitchen savvy, I recommend not going with those recipes. Do Whole 30 with friends. Having a community is so helpful. The accountability and support is huge. I have a group of friends that started an iMessage feed, and it was amazing. We all shared recipes, successes, failures, and products we found that we enjoyed/were on sale. Keep snacks with you at all times. It is easy to fail when you're hungry, and you will be hungry, because vending machine snacks are typically not Whole 30 approved. Some of our go to snacks are applesauce, fruit, nuts, Lara Bars, and pickles (all in moderation and as always check the ingredients to make sure they're compliant). Keep your eyes peeled for Whole 30 recipe, grocery list, and tips posts. Yellow Car Boy and I are getting geared up for round two! Comment below if you want share your Whole 30 experience or have questions! |
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