I'm giving this Whole 30 plan a go starting January 2. I'm working on the first week's meal plan now as Norey bounces in her exersaucer to my left. I'm adding links to the meals/dishes that I've found online. Several links go to the online resource for Diane Sanfilippo's book Practical Paleo. I'm using this to help me get started since 1) I already own it and 2) I've tried several recipes and know those that I like.
Breakfast: All week I'm making fruit smoothies in my Magic Bullet. A mix of banana, kale, spinach, chard, frozen berries (blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry) and organic applesauce (just mushed up organic apples).
Lunch: I'm working on this. I'll probably start with lettuce rolled around meat, an egg white or two, and something else. Once I've cooked a few dinners, then the leftovers will likely become a staple of my lunches. There will probably be a lot of leftovers from each meal, and it drives me nuts to have the fridge over-filled.
Dinner: Here's where the magic *should* happen...
Friday (January 2nd): Grilled flank steak with a side of sauteed spinach and roasted sweet potato
Saturday: Chicken wings with roasted garlic aioli
Sunday: Spaghetti Squash pasta with a small side salad (I am not going to be adding the cheese, but other than that this will be very similar to the linked recipe)
Monday: Mustard crusted salmon with asparagus
Tuesday: Tangy taco salad with a side of Mexican "rice"
Wednesday: Beef and Veggie Stir-Fry
Thursday: Buffalo chicken lettuce wraps
So this should get me through week number one. I'm guessing this will be the tough one. But we can do just about anything for 30 days...right? Although the husband has already said I should give myself one night a week to have a drink. I'll think on that one. ;)
I'm continuing to explore websites with meals available. And am part of the Whole30 - January 15 Beginners FB group. Maybe through meal sharing and encouragement we can all push through and clean up our bodies.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Friday, December 5, 2014
Solids
Norey has hit the 5 month marker. And we are trying "solids" (aka mushed up). About a month ago we started with quinoa cereal mixed with purified water. It took a little while, but she opened up to it last week.
Last week we tried out bananas by Beechnut. It has some kind of acid mixed in to help with the color, and I think the bitterness of that turned her off. Not a fan.
This week we've been doing quinoa for breakfast, and yesterday I tried out carrots for dinner. A HIT! She gobbled it down...the high chair is slightly stained (but who really cares).
Speaking of high chairs...we searched and searched and chose the IKEA Antilop. So far, so good. Simple and inexpensive. And slightly stained with carrot.
Last week we tried out bananas by Beechnut. It has some kind of acid mixed in to help with the color, and I think the bitterness of that turned her off. Not a fan.
This week we've been doing quinoa for breakfast, and yesterday I tried out carrots for dinner. A HIT! She gobbled it down...the high chair is slightly stained (but who really cares).
Speaking of high chairs...we searched and searched and chose the IKEA Antilop. So far, so good. Simple and inexpensive. And slightly stained with carrot.
Friday, October 24, 2014
A story in a dream
She died on a Tuesday.
They sat in the kitchen. "I'm your father," he said. "I'm here Now"
Over and over. Eleven days. Eleven days of the can opener twisting. Putting water to boil. The glass jars, which you'd think would have been stained grape purple, tomato red, green bean. But now stood clear. Like the day she'd brought them home, crowded across the table.
I'm your father. I'm here now.
Eleven days.
Now the wind sings through the spaces under doors. Twirling through the house, with nothing in its way except a pile of glass jars in the sink. Unstained.
It's a work in progress.
They sat in the kitchen. "I'm your father," he said. "I'm here Now"
Over and over. Eleven days. Eleven days of the can opener twisting. Putting water to boil. The glass jars, which you'd think would have been stained grape purple, tomato red, green bean. But now stood clear. Like the day she'd brought them home, crowded across the table.
I'm your father. I'm here now.
Eleven days.
Now the wind sings through the spaces under doors. Twirling through the house, with nothing in its way except a pile of glass jars in the sink. Unstained.
It's a work in progress.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
What Three Months Can Do
Tomorrow Norey turns 3 months old. And time continues to pass quicker than is acceptable.
Norey came into the world June 25th, 7 minutes after midnight. The first three hours of her life were uneventful. Just as so many other mothers experience them. The following 3-4 days were more than any of us anticipated.
We came home Saturday, June 29th. My parents were unpatiently waiting for us to arrive. I do not remember a time before or since that the house has been so clean.
By the end of that following week I began to think "Oh no, we've made a horrible mistake. What was I thinking?!" Then I got a good, long nap. And then "Oh, yes. This is exactly what we wanted."
I've never so deeply appreciated leaving the house to go to the grocery store. Even for 20 minutes.
We went on a family almost-stay-cation to Palestine in mid-August. Stayed two weeks. Relaxing with her there was wonderful. So many things change and develop over such a short period of time.
September brought a breeze through the kitchen door. And testing of patience. And trying out new bottles. And new bedtimes. And...
Norey came into the world June 25th, 7 minutes after midnight. The first three hours of her life were uneventful. Just as so many other mothers experience them. The following 3-4 days were more than any of us anticipated.
We came home Saturday, June 29th. My parents were unpatiently waiting for us to arrive. I do not remember a time before or since that the house has been so clean.
By the end of that following week I began to think "Oh no, we've made a horrible mistake. What was I thinking?!" Then I got a good, long nap. And then "Oh, yes. This is exactly what we wanted."
I've never so deeply appreciated leaving the house to go to the grocery store. Even for 20 minutes.
We went on a family almost-stay-cation to Palestine in mid-August. Stayed two weeks. Relaxing with her there was wonderful. So many things change and develop over such a short period of time.
September brought a breeze through the kitchen door. And testing of patience. And trying out new bottles. And new bedtimes. And...
Saturday, June 14, 2014
The 13th Has Come and Gone and Now We Listen to Music
Sunil's dream/wish/greatest-want-since-he-learned-of-an-Old-Fashioned, my going into labor and giving birth to Eleanor on Friday, June 13th (a full moon), has come and gone. Now we are back to just plain old waiting.
As he un-patiently waited the arrival of the 13th and potentially our first born child, I made a Birth Plan and an L&D playlist. Thanks to the firm I won a $50 iTunes gift card in our Easter egg hunt. I thought I'd lost it a while back, so it was still full of all fifty dollars.
Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Willome for posting that video with James Blake in the background. I "borrowed" this one and worked from there mixing new music with those soothing favorites I already have. I have five and a half hours of music at this time.
The result...with more to add (I've still got $20 on the card and a potential Labor time of 20+ hours):
As he un-patiently waited the arrival of the 13th and potentially our first born child, I made a Birth Plan and an L&D playlist. Thanks to the firm I won a $50 iTunes gift card in our Easter egg hunt. I thought I'd lost it a while back, so it was still full of all fifty dollars.
Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Willome for posting that video with James Blake in the background. I "borrowed" this one and worked from there mixing new music with those soothing favorites I already have. I have five and a half hours of music at this time.
The result...with more to add (I've still got $20 on the card and a potential Labor time of 20+ hours):
| Tenuousness | 3:51 | Andrew Bird |
| Some Surprise | 3:18 | Gary Lightbody & Lisa Hannigan |
| Frog on My Toe | 3:39 | Tori Amos |
| Ada Plays | 3:18 | Various |
| Dirge | 3:16 | Perfume Genius |
| I Wish You Love | 3:32 | Rachael Yamagata |
| Aria | 3:05 | Gabriel Yared/Original Soundtrack |
| Ribbons Undone | 4:30 | Tori Amos |
| Pienso en Ti | 2:26 | Shakira |
| Winter Song | 4:27 | Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson |
| Track 1 | 6:38 | Sigur Rós |
| All the Wild Horses | 3:16 | Ray LaMontagne |
| Track 3 | 6:33 | Sigur Rós |
| Passing Afternoon | 4:03 | Iron and Wine |
| Can I Stay | 3:40 | Ray LaMontagne |
| Maria's Death [Rückert Lied No. 5] | 3:39 | Original Soundtrack |
| Meet Me by the Water | 3:58 | Rachael Yamagata |
| A Gift Of A Thistle | 1:38 | James Horner: London Symphony Orchestra |
| Duet | 4:01 | Rachael Yamagata |
| Sister Song | 2:26 | Perfume Genius |
| Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World | 4:53 | Original Soundtrack |
| Elephants Instrumental | 1:46 | Rachael Yamagata |
| I. Adagio Sostenuto from Piano Sonata No. 14 | 4:32 | Original Soundtrack |
| Timshel | 2:53 | Mumford & Sons |
| Bagatelle in a Minor for Piano, Woo 59, "Für Elise" | 2:56 | Original Soundtrack |
| Have a Little Faith | 3:54 | Michael Franti & Spearhead |
| Elysium | 2:42 | Original Soundtrack |
| No Woman No Cry | 7:09 | Bob Marley |
| What a Wonderful World | 2:24 | Louis Armstrong |
| Three Little Birds | 3:02 | Bob Marley |
| Great Escape | 2:09 | Moby |
| Prospero's Speech | 3:23 | Loreena McKennitt |
| Full Circle | 5:57 | Loreena McKennitt |
| Love Me Like a Song (featuring Willie Nelson) | 3:41 | Kimmie Rhodes |
| Such Great Heights | 4:13 | Iron and Wine |
| Naked as We Came | 2:35 | Iron and Wine |
| The Secret Wedding | 6:33 | James Horner: London Symphony Orchestra |
| I Go to the Barn Because I Like the | 3:07 | Band of Horses |
| Can't Help Falling In Love (Live At Daytrotter) | 3:14 | Ingrid Michaelson |
| Lay Me Down | 3:13 | The Frames |
| The Trapeze Swinger | 9:31 | Iron & Wine |
| Let Me Come In! | 1:00 | Gabriel Yared/Original Soundtrack |
| Holocene | 5:37 | Bon Iver |
| All the Way Down | 2:39 | Glen Hansard |
| Honestly | 4:11 | Carey Brothers |
| Black Nights | 1:54 | Gabriel Yared/Original Soundtrack |
| Michicant | 3:46 | Bon Iver |
| Nearer My God To Thee | 2:22 | Eileen Ivers |
| I Will Follow You Into The Dark | 3:11 | Death Cab for Cutie |
| Clementine | 4:07 | The Decemberists |
| Wash. | 4:59 | Bon Iver |
| I Can't GIve You Anything But Love | 3:26 | Billie Holiday |
| Redemption Song | 3:48 | Bob Marley |
| Hidden Place | 5:29 | Björk |
| Sun In My Mouth | 2:40 | Björk |
| Harm Of Will | 4:37 | Björk |
| Cocoon | 4:28 | Björk |
| It's Not Up To You | 5:09 | Björk |
| Undo | 5:38 | Björk |
| Pagan Poetry | 5:15 | Björk |
| Frosti | 1:41 | Björk |
| Aurora | 4:40 | Björk |
| An Echo, A Stain | 4:04 | Björk |
| Across the Universe | 4:08 | Rufus Wainwright |
| Wild Horses | 5:43 | The Rolling Stones |
| Curs In the Weeds | 3:31 | Horse Feathers |
| Starving Robins | 3:21 | Horse Feathers |
| Cascades | 4:13 | Horse Feathers |
| As a Ghost | 2:58 | Horse Feathers |
| Falling Through the Roof | 2:52 | Horse Feathers |
| Like Lavender | 3:27 | Horse Feathers |
| Scare Away the Dark | 4:39 | Passenger |
| Heart's On Fire | 4:13 | Passenger |
| Redford (For Yia-Yia and Pappou) | 2:02 | Sufjan Stevens |
| I Never Learnt to Share | 4:52 | James Blake |
| Dlm | 2:26 | James Blake |
| Our Love Comes Back | 3:39 | James Blake |
| A Case of You | 2:57 | James Blake |
| Ocean Floor for Everything | 3:13 | How to Dress Well |
| World I Need You, Won't Be Without You (Proem) | 2:49 | How to Dress Well |
| Enough Thunder | 4:15 | James Blake |
| The Curse | 5:04 | Josh Ritter |
| Folk Bloodbath | 5:16 | Josh Ritter |
| Waves | 5:32 | Mono Band |
| Murder in the City | 3:12 | The Avett Brothers |
| Naïve | 3:52 | Sleeping at Last |
| The Leaving Song | 4:10 | Chris Garneau |
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
We've Been Busy
Oh how much has changed in the (almost) two years since last writing here.
Sunil completed his degree and is now a PhD! It felt like forever getting there, but last April (2013) he defended his dissertation and became Dr. Patel. We had a party in late April, and he walked in early May.
The summer of 2013 was insanely busy. Two old and very dear friends were getting married within two months of each other (August and October)...and they are also sisters. There were wedding showers and bachelorette parties to attend, plus another friend's baby shower - all in Austin. My co-workers were beginning to wonder if I was planning a move down there.
Once the last wedding was finished we were able to take a deep breath...but not for long. The entire drive home from Austin that late October Sunday was miserable. I couldn't shake my hangover (it was a fun reception). I couldn't even eat dinner. Then the same thing all day Monday. Waves of "ugh." And again Tuesday. Then, when I started crying over The Elf, Sunil went to the grocery store down the street and came back with champagne and a home pregnancy test.
Positive.
It was October 29th.
I had an appointment that Friday, November 1st, with my OB. I was six weeks and one day pregnant. We told ourselves we would keep it quiet for a little while. Then we got home. And told everyone by the end of the following day.
So we've been on Baby Adventure mode ever since. We had to replace that wall we tore down between two of the rooms. And got a bigger and better closet out of it. We've had four baby showers (!). We've completed the registry. We've got a baby doll we (well, I) tote around sometimes to get the dogs comfortable with the idea. We've got frozen pasta sauce prepared for Sundays. We are ready. As ready as we will ever be.
And now we are waiting.
An Ultrasound
Sunil completed his degree and is now a PhD! It felt like forever getting there, but last April (2013) he defended his dissertation and became Dr. Patel. We had a party in late April, and he walked in early May.
The summer of 2013 was insanely busy. Two old and very dear friends were getting married within two months of each other (August and October)...and they are also sisters. There were wedding showers and bachelorette parties to attend, plus another friend's baby shower - all in Austin. My co-workers were beginning to wonder if I was planning a move down there.
Once the last wedding was finished we were able to take a deep breath...but not for long. The entire drive home from Austin that late October Sunday was miserable. I couldn't shake my hangover (it was a fun reception). I couldn't even eat dinner. Then the same thing all day Monday. Waves of "ugh." And again Tuesday. Then, when I started crying over The Elf, Sunil went to the grocery store down the street and came back with champagne and a home pregnancy test.
Positive.
It was October 29th.
I had an appointment that Friday, November 1st, with my OB. I was six weeks and one day pregnant. We told ourselves we would keep it quiet for a little while. Then we got home. And told everyone by the end of the following day.
So we've been on Baby Adventure mode ever since. We had to replace that wall we tore down between two of the rooms. And got a bigger and better closet out of it. We've had four baby showers (!). We've completed the registry. We've got a baby doll we (well, I) tote around sometimes to get the dogs comfortable with the idea. We've got frozen pasta sauce prepared for Sundays. We are ready. As ready as we will ever be.
And now we are waiting.
An Ultrasound
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tortilla Soup and My LOVE of Cooking...New Love
Last week we did something revolutionary. We went to the store on Saturday, bought everything we needed for a whole week, stuck with it, and didn't see the store again until Friday evening. It was kinda amazing.
I sat down and wrote out our week of dinners on paper, planned the ingredients against what we already had at home, and away we went.
Once we got back I used our big over-the-fireplace chalkboard to write down our menu for the week, with a warning to Sunil that we would be sticking to it. And we did. The only thing that threw us off was the a/c going out and that just swapped leftovers and something for the oven day (in this instance it was the Hanks' spinach, mozzarella and sausage roll). It was great. It was easy. It is being repeated!
This week has started out very well. And it is all inspiring me to cook different foods rather than get tired and stick to our usual go-to meals - spaghetti, burgers, leftover spaghetti, leftover burgers, tacos, frozen pizza. This week's menu:
And it's been fun. I'm getting much more comfortable in the kitchen. Trying out spices. Measuring with just my hands (Yikes!). Very adventurous.
So tonight's adventure in cooking is tortilla soup. A truly new food. I can't say I've ever even eaten tortilla soup. I'm definitely stepping out of the comfort zone with this one. But, hey, it has cheese, corn, chicken, Ro-Tel...I don't know how it could go too wrong.
Besides, we've always got a frozen pizza in the garage freezer just in case.
I sat down and wrote out our week of dinners on paper, planned the ingredients against what we already had at home, and away we went.
Once we got back I used our big over-the-fireplace chalkboard to write down our menu for the week, with a warning to Sunil that we would be sticking to it. And we did. The only thing that threw us off was the a/c going out and that just swapped leftovers and something for the oven day (in this instance it was the Hanks' spinach, mozzarella and sausage roll). It was great. It was easy. It is being repeated!
This week has started out very well. And it is all inspiring me to cook different foods rather than get tired and stick to our usual go-to meals - spaghetti, burgers, leftover spaghetti, leftover burgers, tacos, frozen pizza. This week's menu:
Monday - Honey Mustard and Panko-Crusted Chicken with Creamed Spinach
Tuesday - Stuffed Bell Peppers (with a little Sriracha for spice) and Cornbread
Wednesday - Chicken Tortilla Soup
Thursday - Tilapia, Salad, Roasted Asparagus
And it's been fun. I'm getting much more comfortable in the kitchen. Trying out spices. Measuring with just my hands (Yikes!). Very adventurous.
So tonight's adventure in cooking is tortilla soup. A truly new food. I can't say I've ever even eaten tortilla soup. I'm definitely stepping out of the comfort zone with this one. But, hey, it has cheese, corn, chicken, Ro-Tel...I don't know how it could go too wrong.
Besides, we've always got a frozen pizza in the garage freezer just in case.
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