Whole 30: Week 2

Week 2 = done!

I'm happy with how I'm feeling (i.e. energized; not deprived) but, truthfully, I'm getting more than a little tired of spending time in the kitchen . . .  Read on to see how I kept my taste-buds and tummy happy on the road to the half-way point.

Breakfasts

Last week's egg cups served their purpose, but were pretty bland.  I saw this recipe for ham & egg cups over at The Clean Plate, but could not for the life of me find ham that hadn't been somehow sweetened.  I luckily stumbled upon some prosciutto (ingredient list: pork, salt, pepper) that I substituted, and these were GREAT!

Lunches

I had several business lunches and remembered to carry my own dressing to add to a bed of greens with grilled {something} over top (and a handful of nuts discreetly scarfed down in the car afterward).  I was delighted to find this Bolthouse Farms balsamic vinaigrette in the produce section of my local Publix which, as best as I can tell, is Whole 30 compliant.  I pre-measured and brought along my dressing and am happy to say was never tempted to veer off course.

Dinners

I pre-cooked dinners for the majority of this week, which really helped keep things more interesting.  On Monday I made these Italian Baked Eggs from Against All Grain, and they were out of this world!  Again, I struggled to find an unsweetened sausage and ultimately had to settle for a cooked one, but the flavor of the Bilinski sausage I used was excellent.

On Tuesday I had leftover shrimp stir fry (originally from last week's menu).  I find the key to having delicious leftovers of this recipe is to keep the shrimp separate from the veggies and only cook the shrimp for one meal at a time (they only take 2-3 minutes anyway).

We ate out on Wednesday and I planned ahead and brought approved guacamole and salsa to dress up a grilled chicken salad.

On Thursday I had a girls' night, and my friend Nikki was sweet enough to provide Whole 30-friendly noshables (olives, nuts, and veggies) along with Pellegrino with orange slices.  Not quite a perfectly balanced meal, but delicious without guilt!

Friday night I had these stuffed peppers, which I made in advance.  While I loved the flavor, not having any grain to help absorb the fat proved problematic.  I think next time I will experiment using a paleo meatloaf recipe that includes almond meal (or similar) to stuff the peppers.

Saturday night I made chicken salad and ate it over a bed of raw spinach.  I tried this recipe but found the mustard flavor a bit overpowering for my tastes.  I'm planning on some chicken salad for lunches this coming week and aim to try a different recipe next time around.

I was thrilled to discover that one of my all time favorite brisket recipes is entirely Whole 30 compliant! The whole family enjoyed this on Sunday night accompanied by Nom Nom Paleo's cauliflower, carrot & parsnip puree, which was such a hit that Mouse ate her whole serving and I had to fork over some of mine to keep her satisfied.