Day 1: Let's Get This Party Started

Here we go! Day One! I'm feeling like Rocky at the top of the stairs! I'm excited! I'm energized! I will enjoy this high because the inevitable crash is coming!!
One of my biggest health issues is that I have never, ever been one to drink enough water! So part of this process will be focusing on drinking at least half my body weight in ounces through the day. I will not tell you how many ounces that is. Let’s just say I’m not exactly “dainty” these days, five months after baby #2.

Look at this face. Who in the world cares about weight when you LOOK AT THIS FACE!!

So before I can eat or drink anything in the morning, one 8 oz glass of ice water goes in. It was nice. Refreshing. I feel far healthier already.

I call myself a coffee drinker, although I admittedly like more coffeemate in my cup than coffee. I am not one of those super-cool coffee connoisseurs. I don’t buy fancy beans. I don’t have a French press. We usually drink the grocery-store brand of regular old coffee and make it amazing by adding raw sugar and a flavored coffeemate. And it’s delicious. I have like 3 cups a day, because MOTHERHOOD and I don’t really like wine and it’s too early for that anyway, ok?

I was dreading giving up my coffee. Grieving it, really. I found a recipe about making a sort-of substitute but I just knew I wouldn’t like it. And I’m just not hard-core enough to drink my coffee black. I just can’t do it.

Here’s what I mixed up this morning:

One can full-fat, all-natural, no-sugar added coconut milk

One teaspoon pure cocoa powder

One dash cinnamon

I put it in my sweet little birdie cream container and it looked ugly. Brown. Not creamy or sweet or delicious.

 But OHHHHH MY WORD. It is so good!!! I was shocked. I sort of feel like I cheated already. It’s delicious! I had Hubby try it and he wasn’t a huge fan. He said it tasted like “drinking coffee on the beach” to which I responded, “and the problem is???”. You have to try this, guys. It’s super yummy. One little tablespoon in a big cup of coffee and I was good to go. So far, so good!

 

So BREAKFAST. I am an English-muffin lover to the core. I eat one every morning with a little greek yogurt and I love watching the little bit of butter melt into all the little holes. It makes me happy. You guys are like, “I thought you said you were a careful eater most of the time!” and I’m like, it’s not a donut, ok?

This may or may not have been my motto in the past...

I like eggs but I usually don’t make them for myself, even though I make them for Buggie every single day. I need something super fast in the morning that I don’t have to chop, bake or sauté with a baby on my hip and a child asking me to hold his monster trucks while he gets his plastic fishing pole. I found a recipe for a veggie-filled egg casserole that I could make ahead and eat all week long, and that sounded perfect to me!

I spent about 30 minutes of kid-free time prepping this, not counting the baking time. I made it in two 8x8 pans and put one in the freezer for later in the week. It’s filling! It’s delicious! I’m happy so far.

**Sidenote** I am crazy about cute dishes and I strongly believe that no two coffee cups should match. This is a life-philosophy here, people. However, I am not a food photographer so these from-my-phone pictures aren’t as pretty as I’d like. But just go with it.

 

 

Here’s the recipe:

http://www.wholefamilystrong.com/2012/12/31/lagniappe-casserole/

 

I replaced the ham with fresh turkey sausage. Make sure and read your labels! Many of the ones you buy in the grocery store have added sugar and ingredients you can’t pronounce. Look for the most basic, no-sugar-added one you can find. I plan to eat this every morning this week unless I get so sick of it I can’t take it anymore.
 

Lunch!
 

Surprisingly I was full until 1:00 this afternoon! Courtesy of all that protein and fiber, I guess. So lunch time rolled around and I put together this little beauty:

 

This is tuna, grapes, slivered almonds and half of an avocado tossed in… wait for it… HOMEMADE MAYO. You heard me right. I took a few minutes this morning to whip up my own mayo. I’m generally not a make-it-yourself person. People make things from scratch and I’m like, awwww… that’s cute. You know you can buy that, right?

 

But I couldn’t find a mayo that was Whole 30 approved, so I found this recipe and made it myself. It was super yummy all tossed together and I was totally full afterwards!

 http://whole30.com/2014/05/mayo/

 

Dinner:

I had a love-hate relationship with this recipe. As I was making it, spending FAR TOO LONG chopping a million vegetables and then baking the meatballs and then making the sauce and on and on, I thought, “This is absurd. Totally unrealistic. I will never do this again.” And then my house filled up with the most amazing smells and I thought, “Oh my word this smells incredible! I will do this every day!" I guess what I’m saying is, the prep is a beast but the result is delish. I served these over spaghetti squash and they were a hit! I forgot to take a picture because I WAS HUNGRY.

https://onceamonthmeals.com/recipes/paleo-crockpot-meatballs/

So Day 1 is complete and I'm feeling good! This is going to be great! Easy! Fabulous! Don't burst my bubble, people.