Food • Photography • Life
Day 9 on Whole30 wasn’t bad. I finally got to try the balsamic beef I’ve been thinking about for weeks, and lunch was some great leftovers.
Breakfast
My typical weekday breakfast – one of my DH’s green smoothies. These days, we’re eating them sans banana and plus the juice of 1 lime. Yum.
Lunch
Leftover Double Beef Chili from last week.
Dinner
Balsamic beef with Brussels sprouts & bacon.
Just what we needed: another snow storm.
Day 8 on Whole30 wasn’t bad, despite a blind restaurant pick that could have been disastrous.
Breakfast
My typical weekday breakfast – one of my DH’s green smoothies. These days, we’re eating them sans banana and plus the juice of 1 lime. Yum.
Lunch
A repeat of Friday – broccoli slaw/kale/chicken salad with balsamic vinegar & grapeseed oil.
Post Lunch Snack
1 ounce plain almonds.
Dinner
Dinner could have been disastrous. My husband and I had a last minute change up of plans and ended up needing to eat out in an unfamiliar, primarily Russian, neighborhood. We took a chance on a restaurant with a pirate outside and I ended up getting a whole pan fried fish with grilled vegetables. Score!
Hipster wiener.
Day 7 on Whole30 wasn’t bad. Day 3 of craving salsa (specifically, a type of salsa from a deli department in a state I no longer live in), but not bad food – wise.
Breakfast
Breakfast at the diner – steak & eggs. I was supposed to get salsa, but the waitress forgot and I was too hungry to complain. Black coffee on the side.
Lunch
I skipped lunch – breakfast was late and I was busy.
Dinner
Dinner was a couple of pan cooked minute steaks with a small grated sweet potato, hand full of fresh spinach & Louisiana brand hot sauce.
After Dinner Snack
Half an orange, split with the dog.
February at the diner.
There’s nothing better than coming home to a big bowl of beefy chili come winter. This slow cooker version uses root vegetables for bulk and some added umami-rich boosters for extra flavor. Whole30 compliant and delicious.
Double Beef Winter Chili
1 pound grass fed stew beef
1 pound grass fed ground beef
4 parsnips (about 1 pound)
2 carrots (about 2 cups)
4 stalks celery
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
2 (15 ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes – with or without chiles (I used Muir Glen)
2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
4 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. chipotle powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 big pinches Kosher salt
2 tsp. black pepper
Brown your beef(s) and add to a 6 quart crockpot when done. Chop the parsnips, carrots, onion and celery into roughly half-inch pieces and add to the pot when done. Chop the garlic and add. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine, adding a can of water if your mixture looks dry.
Set on low for 8 hours and go to work. Come home and enjoy!
The Water Table – East River cruise + dinner.
Day 6 on Whole30 was challenging. An impromptu Ikea trip and dinner booked months ago sought to trip me up, but I persevered.
Breakfast
No smoothie today. Sugar-free bacon + eggs cooked in grass fed butter. Yum.
Lunch
Went to Ikea, and this was the only thing on the menu I could safely eat (ish). I ate the smoked salmon, and everything in the salad but the green peas & kidney beans.
Dinner
Months ago, we booked a dinner cruise. I completely forgot said cruise when signing up to do a Whole30. Luckily, the limited menu had options I could work with.
Kale Caesar salad with fresh dressing, which may or may not have had a trace of (non-compliant) Dijon. What I ate:
My discard pile:
Bouillabaisse – luckily, pretty compliant. Traditionally, this soup isn’t made with wine – and I didn’t taste any. Nice and spicy.
My discard pile: potatoes.
The whoopie pie I didn’t eat, which strangely made me crave a cigarette like no one’s business. I have not smoked in over 4 years and haven’t craved a cigarette in recent memory. Something about being pent up on a boat and unable to leave + my brain’s own crossed wiring gave me tight lungs and the beginning of the panics. Fun times.
All in all, a pretty successful dinner. I managed to avoid the hot bourbon toddy with local honey I wanted, said no to dessert, and found some most likely compliant food on the menu; and all it cost me was some lung distress.
Day 5 on Whole30 was a little challenging. I had to pick around non-conforming lunch items & really compromise when it came to dinner.
Breakfast
My typical weekday breakfast – one of my DH’s green smoothies. These days, we’re eating them sans banana and plus the juice of 1 lime. Yum.
Lunch
Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with Chicken with the sweetened cranberries picked out and a simple dressing made of lemon juice, balsamic & grapeseed oil.
Post Lunch Snack
Almonds
Dinner
A big compromise. I wanted salsa with every single tastebud – but had nothing even coming close to that. So, I made a mashed sweet potato & avocado bowl with salsa-y spices & a burger patty. It was delicious and satisfying.
After Dinner Snack
More almonds. I need more snacks.
Gastography 