Day 30: The finish line!

Well, people, looks like this is the end.

I would be all sentimental and sad if my stomach wasn't so gurgly in anticipation for the arrival of the long-awaited bread fairy and her sidekick hummus-boy (trademark pending).

Breakfast

• scrambled eggs (SO SICK OF EGGS) w/spinach, onion, tomatoes
• lots of strawberries

Lunch

I made a TON of chicken (ridin' solo! Feel free to dance to this - I certainly didn't did) intending to keep it for the rest of the week, but I made mom and I a large spinach salad with a side of almost an entire cantaloupe (I consumed the majority - who's shocked here?)

Dinner

We ate lunch around three (whoops...) because I went on a run and didn't start cooking until around 1 and it took longer than I anticipated, so I ate dinner AFTER we went out to see the Guthrie Theatre production of Pride & Prejudice! Such an enjoyable show! Even though I knew each and every plot point start to finish (obviously - what young woman doesn't have this story memorized??) experiencing it live evoked a fresh perspective on the Mrs. Bennett's silly humor, Lizzie's witty sarcasm, and Collins' sheer awkwardness. It was a delightful evening spent with Maggie, Mia , and my mom. I love these women so much!

I should note what I actually ate when I got home.

You guessed it.

Chicken.

Chicken, some more cantaloupe, some almonds, carrots (even though my skin has been yellowing from too much carrotine - yes, yes this is not a joke. I am laughing, though.)

Pretty weaksauce for my last meal, but oh schwell. It's been a beautiful, sweet-potato-y ride! I'll compile a post-whole30 check-in and post it soon!

For now, so long, dearie!

(WARNING: If you are morally opposed to Barbra Streisand - first, reconsider, and second, I would advise your not clicking on the link above!)

Day 27, 28, & 29: Taking whole30 from Nebraska to Minnesota

Day 27 - Saturday
Breakfast

• 3 scrambled eggs w/onion and tomato
• banana
• coffee

I headed for my Minnesota home early Saturday morning and made it back around 4:30. My meal was less of a meal and more of a snack-fest (not quite apart of the whole30 vocab?)

I ate a heck of a lot of almonds, 2 apples, a banana, and cucumber slices. YUM.

Dinner

• a lot of cashews
• veggie medley mix
• turkey burger
• some cantaloupe

Boy have I missed being back. Love it here. Noah and I ended up painting on the driveway, tapping into our his artsy side! I plan on writing "ful" where those blocks of colors go. I found an old magnetic board in my closet and decided to paint that (I have not reached the 'canvas' level of painting quite yet..)

Day 28 - Sunday 
Breakfast

• 2 scrambled eggs w/spinach/tomato/onion
• strawberry/blueberry/raspberry combo

Well, this was it, folks. I have been practicing my guacamole skills for this very event: my 21st birthday party with my fam! Mom and I spent a solid 5-6 hours in the kitchen making guac, pico de gallo, 4 pounds of ground beef, and 2 pounds of ground turkey. PLUS, for those not on whole30, there were 2 pound cakes and corn muffins - such a feast!!

I ate so much it made me sick.

A short list of things my stomach consumed:

• guacamole (A LOT)
• ground beef and turkey (I'm thinking this is what did it)
• lots o' lettuce
• pico de gallo (delic, if I do say so myself!)
• strawberries/rasberries/blueberries/cantaloupe

I skimped on lunch since I was too busy testing and re-testing all of the food for the afternoon, so my stomach was consuming little bits, and then a whole plate (and then seconds) of taco salad and a side of too much fruit.

I paid for it the next day.

However, it was a lovely day cutting onions, tomatoes, avocados, and melon alongside mom all morning long. Feels right to be home.

Day 29 - Monday
Woke up and could NOT believe it was day 29!! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read these foodie-ramblings of mine that are mostly a chronicle of how nauseous I feel after mexican food and blurry pictures of sliced bananas in a bowl.

I appreciate the love!

Breakfast
I cannot take eggs much longer, and I don't have to! HA!

• 2 fried eggs
• 1/2 leftover turkey burger & 1/4 leftover hamburger
• cashews (much more than pictured. Cashews and I went hog wild)
• tomatoes

I mentioned on day 28 that I paid for my 21st mexican fiesta (w/out any alcohol - I should probably mention the ill-day-29-morning-after was a hamburger hangover, not a tequila hangover) So I could hardly keep much settled in my stomach after breakfast (which I regretted eating pretty soon after I snapped this photo) and proceeded to eat strangely the rest of the day.

I tried eating more cashews (it was the only thing that sounded good) and sunflower seeds...something substantial but not heavy.

Le sigh.

This is why saltines and chicken soup are a thing.

I tried eggs much later in the evening...I nibbled on some cantaloupe....I made brussel sprouts...I attempted to scrounge together some leftovers and stick tuna in it (it was disgusting...never assume tuna can function as a substantial protein source when it is not in eggs or doused in mayonnaise) It was a disaster of irritable bowel proportions

So, day 29 was kind of a bust. I think my body is anticipating the change, and it is aware that I can start eating real food again, I know my mind is ready!!

I haven't decided what I will begin to reintroduce on day 31, but I think I'll google baguettes in the meantime.

*drool*

Come to me, most delicious and dangerous of all carby-goodness. NOW.

Day 26: Avocado all day 'err day

Seriously, I'm having an affair with avocados.

And carrots.

And cataloupe.

It's complicated.

Breakfast

• 2 fried eggs
• 1 avocado - all sliced and heated up on skillet for 1 minute, then flip!
• 1 banana

Lunch

Went out to lunch with Sunny's mom, Kandyce, at Lazlo's downtown - it's delicious all around, but my salmon avocado salad was fantastic. I subbed out the creamy dressing for oil/vinegar combo I drizzled myself.

I also had an apple and some carrots from home I brought back with me to work

It was a lovely time catching up with her and feeling at home hearing her mom-voice describe how excited she is for her kids, her life, and my life as well! It made me that much more excited to be with my mom this coming week!

Dinner

Didn't eat until late, unfortunately, and I was starving! 

I worked from 8:30am-11:30am at Selleck attempting to schedule everyone's shifts for fall, then again after my lunch date from 3-5, then Nancy at 5:15-6:15, then I had to get an oil change, pick up a couple of groceries for Nancy, then come home and make dinner!

oofda. 

And I know I'm only cooking for myself. I don't know how moms do it, I really don't.

• Sweet potato fries
• Tuna/egg scramble (only ONE egg this time! Haha)
• Apple
• an absurd amount of carrots

After this insane week, I'm about ready to pass out. Definitely ready to be home and not up at 7 every day. Yikes!

Wait, wait. Am I really on day 26?!?!

*insert jaw drop*

Day 24 and 25: recovering from sunburns and too many eggs

Day 24 - Wednesday

Ahh, the desperation of a late-to work Breakfast:

• 2 bananas
• 1 small package of heart healthy nuts - courtesy of kwik trip
• coffee (still did not feel like enough)

Lunch

• chicken breast (remember, these are always 1/2 the size of a regular one, I just always forget to mention that)
• apple
• fried egg (terribly done, not gonna lie, I was starving and rushed)
• carrots

Dinner

• Guacamole
• another apple (addicited)

Okay before you judge my teeny dinner, remember that guac has TWO full avocados and a lot of other ingredients. I just was not that hungry apparently, which I know is odd. However, I made up for it the next day.

Day 25 - Thursday

Breakfast

• 1 banana
• 1 avocado
• eggs with onion & green pepper (SO much leftover onion/pepper!)
• coffee

I had to babysit at 9am, which ended up lasting until 2pm instead of the original plan of noon (merr). That variable threw off my lunch plans, so I had to get creative!

At someone else's house.

Yikes.

It turned out fine, it really did.

I munched on carrots and cashews and made myself a little bowl of chicken with green beans and some fresh salsa (that had all raw ingredients listed, except one, that I think may have been sugar...whoops. Hoping it's minimal! I didn't have a sugar rush or anything, just a craving for tostidos)

Dinner

I was so hungry, guys.

• 3 eggs and a can of tuna (TOO many eggs. I am used to eating two-three scrambled eggs, but for this tuna/egg scramble, it was too much. I felt kinda sick)
• carrots galore!
  

I had an insanely busy day babysitting 9-2 and then helping Nancy around 5-7, then realized I didn't have anything at my house (well, I did have some garlic, and I know I said I like a lot of garlic in my guacamole, but eating raw garlic might have been overkill), so I ran to HyVee and picked up a 'few things.' 

My current state of hunger led me to believe that for the next two days I needed 4 apples, 1 bag of whole carrots, 2 bananas, 4 cans of tuna, and 18 eggs.

Okay, okay, the eggs I'm leaving for Ben since he has graciously given me so many of his, and the large amounts of tuna are for when I get back, but still. More food than I though, but only about $10!

Lately, I feel myself wanting to slip back into my lazy/hungry ways of find whatever is close/easy, then eat it, instead of patiently planning.

I did however (if you noticed) did not post a grocery list for the week. I, instead, just picked up what I thought I'd need/like for a couple of days and not tally it, just because I feel life is more like that. The cooking process is still all about prep and thought, but it cannot be perfectly mapped out. 

I don't want to go back to "real" life, without whole30 rules, thinking it has to be executed in a way that isn't me, at least not completely me. I've enjoyed aspects of whole30 life, and I'd like to keep it that way, free of resentment.

Day 22 & 23: Eggs aren't the only thing that fry

Day 22 - Monday
Breakfast:

• 3 eggs w/onion/green pepper/spinach
• banana

Lunch
I was starving after work and was having a grumpy Monday as a result, but don't worry, Ben swooped in with his patience and quick thinking as always. It was the kind of Monday where everyone was walking, driving, and talking too slow for me, plus when I got gas, I almost put diesel in my car.

I'm not kidding.

Anyway, I bought quite a few groceries to hopefully last me through the week before I leave for HOME! So pumped.

We did a simple lunch of sandwiches and a LOT of fruit. Ben even bought the good deli meat.

He put his sandwich in bread, I stuck mine in a cucumber.

*le sigh*

I'm ready for a little bit o' bread, I really am.

Dinner
After I worked the desk that morning, I had to work another 4 hours for Nancy at 3pm, and knowing I would be tired and hungry (again), Ben not only prepared chicken, cut up all of my carrots/cantaloupe, organized my fridge, and cleaned my kitchen, but he made me sweet potato fries for dinner!

This guy.

Somethin' else.

I was starving, so I ate a ton of fruit/carrots after the meal you see in the above picture. He ate ice cream for dessert, I ate cantaloupe - my new favorite thing EVER!

Day 23 - Tuesday

This was such a good day! I had the morning off from Selleck (can I get a hallelujah?!)
I spent the morning drinking coffee and watching the office. It was glorious.

Breakfast

• 3 eggs with diced mushroom/green pepper/spinach
• banana
• a lot of cantaloupe (seriously, it's almost gone...I can now consume an entire cantaloupe in about a day. Just thought I'd confess that to the public)

I then hopped on my bike since it was such a beautiful summer morning to visit Ben after his class with a banana and an idea to have a pool day!
Lunch

• apple
• carrots
• 1/2 chicken breast

It was a successful pool day! Enjoying the clouds, the sun, and jumping in the water when it got too hot. Felt very Summer-wind-esque.

AND! As an added bonus, I wore the infamous beach hat! Ben and I found this hat at J. Crew several months ago and he refused to let me buy a duplicate because none of them fell the same way since this was strictly "for him, not for me."

Right.

But anyway, I finally got to wear it to the pool! Gotta love us some J. Crew.

However, though the afternoon was completely lovely, the afterwards was rough.

Holy burn, batman.

We got FRIED!

I forgot what it's like to get burned, I really have. Maybe it's the Turkish descent, or maybe it's that it's been several years since I really laid out with the intent to change my skin color (to TAN, not beet red!!) Either way, we were miserably rubbing aloe vera on ourselves all night, but still, we both agreed it was a great day.

Dinner
This meal was absolutely wonderful, courtesy of Ben who is such a good cook, he really is.
I left after a post-pool-post-burn shower to work for Nancy, and in that time, Ben went to the store and got us a colorful, summery meal!

I got to watch.
Actually, we realized it had been a while since he prepared a full-on-Ben-style meal for me, and it was heavenly.

He sautéed shrimp (which I helped de-skin! Or whatever you call taking off their legs - felt slightly cruel, but only slightly) with all fresh veggies: broccoli, red pepper, onion, garlic, zucchini, and summer squash! It was all seasoned and steamed and delicious!

As he put it, it was a four-burner kind of night.

We do not kid around when it comes to food.

Day 20 & 21: Starting to miss my oatmeal and yogurt

Realized I don't have that many pictures of the food I ate this past weekend because it kind of all went by in a blur, whoops! Plus, my fridge is slim pickings right now, as I have not found time to go to the grocery store yet (booo...)

Poor organization means a hodgepodge of unsatisfying meals. Still whole30 approved! Just not as elaborate. These weeks are bound to happen! I'm headed for home this Saturday, so it is also difficult to asses how much/little produce to buy
to last until then...

Saturday - day 20

Overall, weird eating day. This was the day of MaryAlice and Alex's wedding in Story City, Iowa.

Breakfast

• 3 eggs
• mushroom/onion/green pepper/spinach combo
• banana
• coffee

Lunch
I packed lunch for the road for Ben and I with whatever groceries I had. He got a regular meal of a sandwich with turkey, cheese and spinach. If only I could have enjoyed the same...cue the moment I resent the whole30 haha, but I ended up filling up a sandwich bag with some broccoli slaw (so strings of cabbage) and 1/2 of a leftover chicken breast and ate it as a salad. Not bad, just not all that satisfying.

• 2 apples - I originally sliced up one for Ben, who is not that big into apples anyway, but was so hungry I ate his, too. Plus I bought him a bag of cheesy popcorn, so no, he did not starve.
• 1 banana
• cucumber slices

Dinner

Ahh, this was unfortunate because I did not know what what we would be served at the reception. Ben suggested when we were asked the elusive "chicken or beef" question several weeks ago that one order beef, the other chicken. This, my friends, was the right call and I'm grateful he did not let me order chicken for both of us (my original plan) because the chicken was covered in cheese, so I ate a piece of beef.

Oh I'm sorry, did I say eat? I meant scarfed. Annihilated. Inhaled. Swallowed.

I could not eat the side dishes either (cheesy corn and a white baked potato).

My stomach was growling, let me tell ya.

The night was a lot of fun though. I could easily sit here and share the many stories about the absurdity that follows Ben and I around when we go out in public. For example, this time, in a bizarre chain of events/people, we ended up at our own table at the reception (this always seems to happen) But of course, we were perfectly content laughing in the corner together. So typical. And even though the total of six hours in the car beat the three hours at the wedding itself, it was great to watch one of my friends get married and enjoy her day. She looked beautiful and glowing and all of those words the bridal magazines spew at you from their glossy pages.

Plus, anything's fun with this guy around.

"Not to sound shallow or unsupportive, but if we are going to this thing, we are getting cake."

Not only was our loner table in the back corner by the speakers, but we were directly next to the dessert table. Yesssss.

I should have learned from KC (who's shocked that I didn't?) But again, DO NOT wait until you are walking towards the car, about to embark on a 3.5 hour drive home, to remember to take a picture.

Only took 6 or 7 shots, and me complaining my hair was messed up in 4 of them, to get the right one.

Nailed it.

But really, I was starving, and though some girls may see an opportunity to fit better into their dress, I saw it as a reason to raid Ben's cupboards when we got back. SO! I finished my strange day of food at 11pm with:

• 4 dates
• handful of sunflower seeds
• some carrots
• 2 hardboiled eggs

Is it time for a midnight snack of cereal, yet? The college kid in me really misses that.

Sunday - Day 21 

Breakfast

• 3 scrambled eggs
• 1 hamburger patty

Lunch

Again, SLIM pickings. I worked from noon-5:30, then had dinner plans with friends, so no, I did not make it to the store again. My lunch was pitiful. I don't know how I survived.

• 1 chicken breast (split into strips to fool myself that it was more)
• big bag of carrots

Dinner

Chipotle! Got the typical burrito bowl (let's call it what it is, a salad. A carnitas SALAD)

Still, so delish.

The important thing, besides my growling stomach - even after I inhaled my salad - was that I spent nearly 4 hours with some of my favorite friends who are still in Nebraska this summer, like me. It was the perfect summer evening sitting outside, eating overpriced guac (damn you, chipotle, damn you) and talking about our lives and lamenting over the fact that senior year of college snuck up on us without any of our knowledge or consent.

I don't remember signing a release form allowing it to come this soon.

And yet, I'm grateful all the same.

I then proceeded to go home and raid my fridge for some sustenance and was greeted only by a few leftover strawberries and a handful of carrots, which I dipped in tahini sauce - the carrots, not the strawberries. It was desperation at it's finest. 

Gotta get my butt to the store in between working the desk and helping Nancy!

This is why weekend grocery buying is essential. I think I needed a reminder of that lesson.

Day 19: A mixing food kind of day

Breakfast
Out of eggs (booo...) And I was running late to work, so it was a pretty lame meal

• what was left of my ground turkey
• monkey salad, but with a few almonds instead of cashews
• banana
• apple
• coffee

Lunch

• Broccoli slaw/broccoli/spinach/chicken salad with tahini sauce (take two!) such deliciousness
• one apple 
• unsweetened coconut chips (a lot of them...whoops)

Dinner

Tried out TWO recipes I found. Hardly even recipes, which is why the me that was not in a particularly vibrant cooking mood liked it so much.

The first recipe I tried was for "magical tomatoes" from a blog I absolutely love to follow. It's not a cooking blog, but when she occasionally has recipe's, they are mighty good. I added cucumber to my creation and did not have parsley or fresh basil, just the kind from the container. Whoops.

The second recipe was less of a recipe and more of an idea from pinterest. The thought is use a cucumber as your basis of bread for a sub and pack it with meat (and cheese if allowed). It was great! I am definitely going to do it again. There was a heavenly crunch and a savory swallow.

• Magical tomatoes
• cucumber sub with deli turkey and a hint of tahini (I'm addicted to this stuff now)
• apple

After dinner snack (ack, every time I write this category I am annoyed)

• carrots
• strawberries ($1.50 at Target! YUM! Already almost gone....)

Day 18: Sweet potatoes are how I've survived this far

It's true. Sweet potatoes have made an appearance on my plate almost every day. They are just so versatile  I don't think I'll ever want to go back to white potatoes. I was never that inclined to eating them anyway, and now that I've committed myself to those misshapen, orange lumps of deliciousness, I think I should remain faithful.

'Till winter do us part.

Breakfast
You guessed it - sweet potatoes were the star on my 1980's breakfast table! I had my dear friend, Katyra over for breakfast and decided to go with this recipe for a sweet potato hash of sorts!
it includes:

• 1 sweet potato
• onion
• green pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic (supposed to be roasted, I did not do this, I just minced mine w/some olive oil, but will try next time!)
• salt/pepper
• italian seasoning

It was a pretty good recipe! Definitely has not hit it's full potential yet, but as Ben reminded me, the first time you test out a recipe, it never is. I would recommend adding something more to give it more, maybe try experimenting with whatever spices you have in your kitchen!

Also  I asked her to bring over a larger skillet since mine can hardly fry 2 eggs simultaneously  and she brought over the monster of all skillet monsters. I swear Tangled knew what they were talking about with the whole advocating-the-power-of-the-frying-pan thing (especially around :24 in the clip ;))

I also served us both 2 eggs sunny side up and some strawberries cut up - nummy!

Lunch

Lunch was light and pretty lame. I thought I was going to run in the early afternoon, but ended up napping instead (typical) so I ate some chicken for protein and then decided to make some chicken because my glad container was running low, and if you remember from day 12, that doesn't go so hot with me.

• 1 apple
• carrots
• 1 chicken breast

I then went to work and came back and decided to go for a run. It's been a ridiculously long amount of time, and my energy really has begun to come back in full force since I began whole30, so I just ran and ran (too far for my first time back...) turns out I accidentally went about 5 miles. My body was exhausted and still currently recovering. Yikes!

Post work-out snack

I referenced the whole30 meal-planning template for what to eat post-work out, and so I had a few slices of deli turkey and a whole bunch of carrots

Dinner

• 1 peach
• made-up mixture (take two!) of broccoli coleslaw, 1 chicken breast, and a lot of broccoli all mixed together with tahini sauce - SO GOOD! Will probably try again tonight and add some spinach

Here's a cliche picture of a flower I found on my run - along with 2 families of ducks!! So cute! But the picture did not turn out well.

It's the little things, people. It really is.

Day 17: Skimping on breakfast is not ideal

Breakfast:
Oof. Ran late to work, managed to get coffee and a chicken breast on the go.
These are the mornings I miss granola and yogurt.
Eating a seasoned chicken breast for breakfast?!
Just plain weird.
But hey, I got my protein!

le sigh

Lunch
I treated my lunch like a breakfast redo, which absolutely hit the spot!

• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 peach
• 1/2 avocado
• some ground turkey
• 2 fried eggs
• coffee out of one of my favorite mugs

It has been hard to kick my snack habit. Yes, snacking on good foods is not the worst thing ever. It is just so hard to resist eating a few cantaloupe pieces when I see it, or grabbing a few carrots when the glad container looks so full and happy. These are not terrible habits, but I know I do it with any type of food, not just fruits and veggies, it's just that now my house is stocked with better alternatives. I'd like to have enough self control to keep around one bag of pretzels and a container of hummus and have it last a week!

Dinner:

• 1/2 banana
• applesauce
• 3/4 of a chicken breast
• sweet potato fries
• the mayo Ben and I made went bad (shock! That was three weeks ago, but do I consider this when purchasing "broccoli slaw" on sale a HyVee? Of course not.) So anyway, I made my own creation of broccoli slaw, celery seeds, other spices, all in Tahini sauce! (my new favorite addition to meals - though there's a lot of fat in it - it's good fat, but still, smaller portions are better.

I can't live my whole life avoiding food, I have to be strong enough to live with it and make a choice. Right now I'm in a whole30 bubble of sorts with, yes, some semblance of choice, but in another sense, the 30 days make the tough choices for me.

I hope I can continue to make good decisions for myself and my body when I'm off of these 30 days!

Day 15 & 16: So...I have energy now

I am almost to what the whole30-ers call on their timeline the "tiger blood" phase.

Cue the Rocky theme.

Apparently day 16 begins the downhill slope into your whole30 journey, and I truly feel a change! My body has much more energy and I'm not dragging around 2pm like I normally do. My clothes do fit better, and I am enjoying making new foods for myself.

I also feel full after my meals, but not the bloated, heavy kind of full. I never thought this was possible! I always equated being full to being sick, but I have experienced real satisfaction after I eat, not just because I made it all, but because my body is getting the nutrients it needs!

Breakfast

• 3 eggs with diced onion and mushroom, plus some brussel sprout leaves (remembered a bit too late, so I threw them in even though the eggs were basically done)
• 3 strawberries
• cantaloupe 

At-Work Snack (yeah, yeah, this category shouldn't exist)

• Carrots

Lunch

• Tangy cucumber and avocado salad (SO GOOD)
• Apple
• Cantaloupe
• 1/2 piece of chicken

Dinner

• Spinach salad with chicken, diced mushroom/tomato/onion/carrot
• applesauce
• 1/2 of a banana

Day 16!

I know I am behind a couple of posts, so I'll just combine!

Breakfast

• 3 eggs with mushroom, brussel sprout leaves, tomato, onion
• 1/2 banana
• 3 strawberries
• coffee (this should always be assumed when I have breakfast, and usually mid-day, I just forget to post it because it's similar to drinking water for me!)

Lunch

I went to the pool yesterday for a good friend of mine's 20th birthday (106 degrees! Aaaaand only put sunscreen on my face. Idiocy at its finest.) So we packed a lunch and spent the afternoon laying in the sun, cooling off in the water, and talking each others ears off. What we (I especially) do best, really.

I had this grand plan for us to brown bag our lunches, for her, a sandwich, for me, a salad.

Sigh.

Yet being the genius that I am, remembered 10 minutes before she was supposed to be there that I did not have any bread! I just always assume I do, even when I'm on a no-grain plan. Nice.

So I ran my butt over to Super Saver and picked up a loaf along with a couple of apples that could not be told no.

Turned out just fine, we arrived at my house at the same time! So lunch was:

• Spinach salad with 1/2 chicken breast, lots of tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and carrots
• 1/2 peach
• 1 apple
• carrots

Dinner

This meal did not go particularly well, which I understand is bound to happen, but I was disappointed all the same. 

I came back late from working with Nancy (who I'd just prepared a delicious dinner of salmon, brussel sprouts, and a fresh salad atop with nuts/dried cranberries/tomatoes) so I wanted to be relatively quick (first mistake, never be in a rush to cook), so I did my go-to side of sauteed sweet potatoes and spinach, but I don't think I had enough sweet potatoes to balance out the rest of the ingredients, so they overcooked and were covered in oil. 

After papertoweling them (yes, that's a verb now) most of the oil was gone, but it looked pretty terrible. I was starving by this point, so I just threw togeter a plate of tahini tuna, but the dang mini-tomatoes I bought did not slice well at all and squirted everywhere. 

I was scrambling and starving. 

A risky combo. 

Plus my avocado was too-ripe which made it slip and slide all into a nice pile of mush.

Clearly not over any of this.

However, I have these two pictures to crack me up, so all is well.

Let me clarify, Ben is chain-smoking a carrot and Sunny was not caught in a bad moment, we just like making that face.

Day 14: Two weeks down!

Woooo! Made it to day 14! Though there have been more successful days than others, I found myself really experiencing a mentality change towards food/cooking when making breakfast this morning.

Pickings were a bit slim since I hadn't been to the store in a week and was busy most of Friday and gone all day Saturday. I was out of my go-to breakfast choices, and instead of doing what I did pre-whole30 - snack on granola until the water for my oatmeal was done - I looked at my fridge, pulled a couple of things that sounded good out, and began to google.

I have come to adore avocados and sweet potatoes. They are such an excellent add to any meal and you can do so much with them! So I started googling things with these two ingredients, but was let down by the lack of results and gurgling stomach, so I decided to start creating something of my own.

I had some pre-chopped sweet potato bites I stuck in the oven thinking they would act as my breakfast-potato wedges, then began to dice and sautee some mushrooms and onions. I then began to wonder how an avocado would taste heated it up, so I sliced half of it and placed in on the skillet after my onions had browned and mushrooms began to cook. I threw some chicken on there for protein and, voilà! Avocado sweet potato scramble was born!

Recipe for Avocado Sweet Potato scramble:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 diced sweet potato
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup mushroom
• 1/2 chicken breast (already cooked)
• olive oil/coconut oil
• salt/pepper/garlic salt (if you want other spices - try it!)

1. Place sweet potato pieces on baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and coat with a little salt/pepper, make sure you move around sweet potato pieces on pan so they are evenly coated
2. Place sweet potatoes in oven until done (trying not to rely on timers, but should be soft enough to pierce easily with a fork, but not mushy - cooks between 30-40 min)
3. Sauté about 1/4 cup of chopped red onion and 1/4 cup of chopped mushroom until browned (you could add as much/little as you want, or throw in some tomatoes, peppers, spices! I think next time I'll experiment a bit more)
4. Once veggies are browned and potatoes have been cooking a while, cut up 1/2 avocado and sprinkle with garlic salt (or regular salt) and pepper
5. Place 1/2 of sliced avocado on heated pan (on low) for about one minute, then flip so both sides have a golden brown color
6. Arrange all ingredients onto a plate and add as much chicken as you'd like! I think ground turkey would have been more breakfast-like.

 Lunch
I still had not been to the store yet...so lunch looked a lot like breakfast, just in a slightly more solidified form, still just as good!

• 1/2 avocado
• 1 chicken breast
• 1/2 sweet potato - fries!
• applesauce

I finally got my butt to HyVee to get my groceries in the evening, it ended up being a successful, relatively cheap trip!

Grocery List week 3: Hyvee

4 bananas

3 apples
3 peaches

1 cantaloup

3 sweet potatoes

1 bag of broccoli florets

1 bag of pre-cut coleslaw

1 bag of spinach

1 cucumber

2 bags of carrots

2 limes

1 bottle of lemon juice

1 dozen eggs

2 cans of tuna
1lb ground turkey

Toilet Paper (I had gone far too long without buying this. Whoops.)

Dinner

• carrots
• 5 strawberries
• mixture of 1 can of tuna, spinach, diced onion and tomato, and about 1/4 cup of Tahini sauce! 

If you remember, I bought the Tahini sauce for this recipe, but alas, I do not have a working food processor, as Ben and I found out making homemade mayo on day three. So I googled recipes that use Tahini sauce and found this gem.

Super easy and delicious!

Thanks Google, you really are a peach.

Which I am also addicted to.