Just Let Me Pack My Pic-a-nic Basket~

In my head I figured September to mid October was the perfect time to do Whole30, just the right amount of time between Labor Day and my birthday, no Anchorage temptations to get in the way, controlled village kitchen.  I seem to have forgotten my job calls for travel.  To seven villages.  Preferably all before November.  Whoops.

Normally this wouldn't be an issue in the least - I generally bring all my own food anyway when I do site visits - but making sure I pack enough is always a bit of a worry.  That and the very real chance of getting flight delays and cancellations can wreak havoc on my carefully coordinated meal plans.

So, like underwear, I'll pack a bit extra.  Make a whole other entree to pack into my wonderful insulated picnic basket and my little frog lunch bag which is still just the cutest damn thing.

I ended up spending all of Sunday food prepping - again, not out of the ordinary for my Whole 30 - and made a grand sum of seven different food-stuffs.

1. Hardboiled eggs
2. Salmon patties (to the surprise of literally no one)
3. Buffalo chicken dip
4. Spaghetti squash and meatball casserole
5. Buffalo chicken drumsticks
6. Roasted red pepper and cauliflower soup
7. Ranch dressing

As well as picking up some grapes to throw into a spinach salad with pecans and some olive oil dressing.  

I am thoroughly exhausted, but hopefully also thoroughly prepared for the next few days and then some (popping some of these bad boys in the freezer for next week, when I'll be traveling again.  And then again the next week.  And then-).  

Here's hoping the skies are favorable and get me there and back again in a smooth and fashionable manner!  Atqasuk, here I come!  

Round 3 - FIGHT!

I don't know if this makes me a certified devotee, but I am legitimately excited for my third round of Whole30.  I love how it makes me feel, how my bloat goes away, and, honestly, I love the challenge of it.  Because no matter how 'good' I am at it, it's still a challenge to navigate through your average, everyday life and consistently make good choices.  There are distractions and temptations everywhere, and people with hearts of gold who mean well can destroy your progress in the most loving way possible.

Which is why I bring up my most important and powerful tool in successfully completing a round of Whole 30: the ability to say "no thank you."

Because in the long run, it's easy to say no to yourself while you're shopping, or driving past them Arches, or even pawing through your fridge.  It's much harder when the office darling makes an amaaaazing crumb cake and offers you a slice.  And you have to look that doll baby in the face and say, "Oh, no thank you." OR, conversely, you take the slice, eat it, enjoy it for 5 minutes, then feel guilty about it for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!  Or the next few days, when you decide if you're going to restart or just scrap the whole thing.

I know, it's hard.  And yes, they might be hurt for that brief moment in time.  But ultimately you have to make the best decisions for yourself.  And that means perfecting the art of saying no, and often the art of quickly and concisely explaining what Whole 30 is.  Maybe I should just make up little pamphlets.

Oh no, I am a devotee...

But seriously, it's 30 days.  30 days of saying "yes" to you and "no" to things that would derail your progress.  30 days in your WHOLE life where you take a pass on the crumb cake and hunker down with your breakfast casserole instead.  30 days where you patiently explain to your friends what you're doing and why you're doing it.  30 days.

Let's do this thing.

Eat My Words

This is going to be long, but is basically my Whole30 survival guide, including recipes and must-haves if you're going through the 'program'.

We've got, from left to right, top to bottom: pulled pork sweet potato sliders, enchilada stuffed sweet potato, salmon patties, spaghetti squash buffalo chicken casserole, steak, sweet potato fries, and coleslaw, stuffed pepper with side salad.

Something I love about Whole30 is that, while a restrictive diet, the recipes are really adaptable.  I've enjoyed both following them to the letter and messing around a bit, trying out new spices and vegetables and flavors.  As long as I'm staying on plan and in the spirit everything's game.

1. That being said, the first time I made pulled pork sliders I used cumin in my pork rub and didn't much care for it, and the second time I used apple cider vinegar and was completely in love.  At some point in my life I became a huge fan of vinegar and I have no plans of going back.  Pairing the pulled pork with sweet potato buns, and dressing them with sliced tomato and lettuce or spinach... muah.  I also like to sprinkle my sweet potato's with a bit of salt and paprika before they hit the oven

2. One of the absolute best things I've eaten on Whole30 is the Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potato.  Holy snap it is so good.  The ground beef (or bison, in my case) is so incredibly flavorful, and then paired with the sweet potato... delish.  I threw a little guacamole on the top and sided with roasted broccoli dusted with nutritional yeast.  Definitely a favorite meal and one I'll make again on or off plan.

3. & 4. I tend to make *Shepard's pie and *salmon cakes at the same time since they both call for sweet potato (are we sensing a theme here?), and all the canned sweet potato options around me are in a light syrup.  So I just cube and boil instead, and figure if I'm going that far I may as well double it up and get a Shepard's pie out of the mix.

* These are not the exact recipes I follow, as I got mine from the book, but they are close enough.  If you want the EXACT recipe I follow, message me and I'll hook you up!

5. For the Super Bowl, I wanted to participate in the festivities, but didn't want to break my plan yet, so I found this buffalo chicken dip.  I even made my own ranch dressing, using my own fresh herbs from the aerogarden, and the whole thing was so awesome I never felt like I was missing out (plus a dear friend made some compliant ceviche which was super good and helped fill my plate).  I ate mine with celery sticks, which I am shocked to find I actually enjoy eating now.  Whole30 brings out the new tastebuds!

6. Speaking of, I have also found a strange new affinity towards hot sauce (I use Franks RedHot).  As someone who used to shy away from all things even slightly above 'mild', this comes as a huge surprise to me.  And yet right now I can't get enough.  I just finished off my buffalo chicken casserole, made with spaghetti squash.  This was probably my most labor intensive dish (thank god I'd already had the ranch dressing made), but using literally all components I love.  My carrots were a little underdone, but overall I'd definitely make this again.

7. Steak and sweet potato fries.  Mmmmmm.  Just stay compliant with all your seasonings and you're golden.  The coleslaw... I honestly can't even remember what all went in it.  It was a garbage disposal coleslaw, as in we just kept throwing things in and hoping for the best, and it was awesome.

8. I still haven't figured out how to properly eat a stuffed pepper, but it doesn't stop me from making them.  This is another kind of garbage recipe, where you can just dice up whatever veggies you've got to use up and throw them in.  I liked adding in zucchini and finely diced sweet potato (surprise!) left over from my morning eggs.

9. And speaking of eggs, I am of the fortunate group that doesn't easily get sick of them, and they were my morning staple for pretty much the whole thing.  I've mastered the soft and hard boil (bless this book), finally learned how to properly scramble, and of course love a good fried egg.  I try to use fancy-pants eggs as much as possible, but bush living demands me to buy 5 dozen at a time, so that's what I did.  And ate through every single one of them.

10. I also can't stress how EASY it is to *make your own mayonnaise!  That's something I'm never again buying from the store.  I used an immersion blender but recently found out you can use a whisk as well (takes longer but still works!).  I found light tasting olive oil the best, and also heard macadamia nut oil is superb for it, but can't personally vouch for it.

*Again, not my exact recipe, mostly because I learned in action watching and following my fabulously fantastic cousin.

11. Was there ever a more solid side than mashed cauliflower?  There are literally so many recipes for this because it's versatile and pretty much perfect.  Just squeeze all the water out once you steam them and I honestly can't see how you can go wrong.  The one in the book calls for coconut cream which makes it a little sweeter (and very creamy, yum), but I think next time I'm going to give the one on the link a try, because it's making my mouth water right now.


MUST HAVES

Here's a few of the things I can't Whole30 without that aren't in particular with any recipe but good to have on hand if you're going to take on the challenge:

- Walnuts, pecans, almonds... really any nut but peanut.  They're great for protein salads and a midday pick up.

- La Croix - even an avid water drinker wants a little something different, and if you're at a party where everyone's drinking it up it's nice to have something a little special too.  My favorite flavors are Coconut, Mango, and Passionfruit, but I haven't tried them all!!

- Immersion blender - invaluable for mayos and sauces.

- Spiralizer - I don't care what you say (Greg), I love me some zoodles!!  And you can use it with sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash... good times!

- a comprehensive set of spices.  I also vouch for splurging on the nicer, organic types.  I can now smell/taste the difference, and ended up tossing a lot of my $1 bulk buys, because I'm worth it, dammit.

- Ghee - another deceptively easy thing to make that opens up a lot more options to you.

- Food processor or blender.  Invest.  It's worth it.

- A blog so I can read about your progress and cheer you on!!!


If you made it this far I am so impressed by you.  And grateful for you!  And if you're getting ready or in the midst of your Whole30 I am so tremendously happy for you!!  And if I somehow played any part in that decision I am incredibly humbled and want to extend a hand and an ear and be there for you the whole way!!!  I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!

I had a scary dream about muffins

And sadly I'm not kidding.  One of the weirdest things that happen when you Whole30 it up is you dream.  About food.  Especially about food you shouldn't eat.  And I don't know if it's the same for other people but in my dreams I'm always keenly aware that I'm on Whole30, and whatever I ate just screwed up my journey, and now I have to start all over again, and I panic and I regret and then...

I wake up.

And take a deep breath and am soooo relieved I didn't actually drink all that wine or eat that muffin or lick the beater after someone made a cake (all real dreams I've had).

So yeah, if you're planning on doing Whole30, maybe keep a dream journal going as well.  It's a trip.

When no one has time for you, make time for yourself

With the sun still down and a number of life events knocking me about a bit, it can be hard to continue to make good choices for myself.  Part of me wants to just give in, let go, ignore the progress I've made and spiral back into the hole I've managed to claw myself part-way out of.  I don't know why my brain takes that route, but it does, and I've succumbed to it more than a few times.  Which is why right now I am so appreciative of Whole30 and its entire setup.  That it's a challenge, and a commitment, and a way to prove to myself that I am actually in control.

I often debate whether or not to include thoughts like this in my blog, or anything 'out to the public', because it's not the image I want people to see.  But I also think it's important for people to understand that even when life's not super great, and things aren't going how you'd hoped, or in fact are just downright shitty, you still have to be in your own corner, even if you're the only one.

That being said, I want to tell you about my Saturday.  Don't worry, sad part's over, this is the good stuff.  Saturday was Family Fun Day at the elementary, put on by Iḷisaġvik College, which included a fun run (in the school hallways), health check stations, massages (yeah Heidi!!), and loads of healthy, natural snacks.  It was so awesome to be a part of something that was so inclusive, even to my very restrictive diet.  Plus I learned a lot about the natural sugars in fruits and veggies, that raw sprouts and carrots with a little olive oil and salt is DIVINE, and my blood sugar level is square in the awesome range.  Hurrah!

We used juice and light to determine the order of most to least sugar content

It was a ton of fun and so good to see families having fun, kids running around snacking on green-topped carrots they got to 'pick', and talking with informative people who were so excited to share their knowledge with us.

Saturday evening was pretty much the opposite, however, with wine and cheesecake and brownies and chips all at the ready.  I managed to navigate around it all, having brought some La Croix and compliant snacks with me, as well as a homemade taco seasoning so I could at least partake in one group eating event.  I think that's really what's hardest about this whole thing, not feeling included, which is why Saturday morning was such a glory.  But I made it through, and didn't even steal a slice of cake to freeze for later.  Go me.

And finally, my garden is growing!  Can't wait for it to be harvestable!!  Looking forward to some fresh chives and basil!!

Finally curly parsley woke up and joined the party

Today I am a Star - a gaseous ball of rage

I think the second week tends to be the toughest.  The newness is wearing off, food fatigue is setting in, and you're struggling with some pretty rough symptoms as your body gets accustomed to digesting and running off of your new meal plan.  It's so so SO worth it, but it still sucks in the meantime.  

Luckily I have had some super delicious foods and awesome friends to help along the way.  My dear friend invited me over to dinner last night and asked what I could eat and couldn't eat, and we ended up with an awesome taco salad sans tortillas or chips and with a homemade taco seasoning for the chicken and salsa and guacamole for dressing.  

I also finished off the last of my leftovers from last week's batch cooking, so it's time to bust out some new eats!  Tonight I invited another friend over to experience a taste of Whole30, and I don't believe she was disappointed.  Dinner was steak with a side of garlic mashed cauliflower, and my house is still smokey from the searing but it was so tasty! 

Trying to show all my tabs and bookmarks

Since I forgot to take a pic of my plate, here's the next best thing

Tomorrow I'll try my hand at Shrimp and Cauliflower Fried Rice, sans the peas and using coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.  It'll probably be my most adventurous meal yet, but I'm excited for it! 

Oh no it got serious...

So some of the problems I face on Whole 30 are surprisingly not related to off-plan cravings or temptations to cheat.  It's the deep-ingrained desire to just eat.  Eat cause you're happy, eat cause you're sad, eat cause you CAN.  Even though my food choices right now are by far the healthiest I've ever made, the fact still remains that eating is still something I struggle with.

That being said, this round, as I try out new recipes, I'd also like to do a lot more introspection.  Go into the psychological aspect of Whole30.  Really change my relationship with food.  This probably means I need to nix the dried fruit and nuts that are my snack crutch, and just focus on eating when I'm truly hungry, and then stopping when I'm truly satiated.

The challenging part will be taking this with me past Whole 30 and into my daily life.  We live in a society obsessed with food and eating.  Nearly every gathering I go to has a spread, people like to go out for dinner, and there's often a pressure, good intentioned as it may be, to indulge.  And for some of us there's a very fine line between what makes life worth living and what makes life hard to live with.  And I'm realizing I'm going to have to tread that line more often than not for the rest of my life if I want to live it to the fullest.

Does this mean I'll never indulge ever again?  Guh, of course not.  It just means I have to be mindful of my indulgence and immediately get back on track.  Which is pretty much what this Whole 30 is all about.

Surprise Snow Day = Food Prep Day!!

After being kept awake all night by howling winds, a shaking house, and a cat that tricked me into feeding him at 1:30 am, I was gifted with the greatest phone call of all - SNOW DAY!

I did the only natural thing to do - chuck off my work pants and slither back into bed.  I still had a bit of a sugar deprivation headache and figured the additional rest would be beneficial.  And I was right.  But I also knew that time is a precious commodity, and after reading for about an hour I got up and cooked.

And cooked.

And then I cooked a bit more.

And now i'm set for a good few days with, you guessed it, salmon cakes (seriously, so good!), semi-soft boiled eggs for a fast breakfast or quick snack, and Egg Roll in a Bowl, which looks a mess but tastes delish:

And even with all this, I'm still excited to plan out and make my next few meals, including playing around with sauce creation to make flavors pop.  I think a big part of what I like about all this is how from scratch everything is.  I thought I would hate it, but it really makes me feel competent and like a hearty peasant girl (but with a food processor and immersion blender).  So resourceful!

I'm gonna take this lying down...

Thank god I know the benefits are worth the price of the startup, cause Day 3 suuuuuuuucks.  Tired and headachey, this is my body on sugar deprivation.  I'm soldiering through by drinking lots of water, eating some sweet potato shepard's pie, and ignoring anything that might vex me.  The pain is piercing and intense, but I know I'll feel better on the other side.

In some (more) uncool news, the tote I shipped up before Christmas still hasn't made it to Barrow.  Or someone in the PO got wind I was packing food and made off with it.  But really, I hope it gets here soon.  I can't remember exactly what I packed but I know it was all helpful towards the Whole 30 cause.

And speaking of helpful, this lil beauty DID show up!  I set up my new aerogarden yesterday and am excited to reap the benefits of some fresh herbs and greens soon!  Really, it makes cooking and just straight up existing so much better.


I'll share progress as it happens!

Back for more, eh? Whole 30 Round #2

Not gonna lie, I am super excited to do another round of Whole 30.  Whereas last June I was feeling intense anxiety about staying on plan and making it through 30 days, this time I know what's ahead, and the end result is me looking good and feeling great, and I am stoked to get back to that (and hopefully keep it going this time).

Round #2 holds some new challenges that weren't present in June, such as living in a village and working, so I'll be dealing with limited resources and limited time, as well as traveling to other villages with the possibility of getting stuck for days.  Clearly planning is key here.

I've already hit a minor snag, as the tote I shipped up with a lot of my supplies just before Christmas still isn't here, but I should be able to persevere until it arrives.  I've got plenty on hand that's compliant and more than enough to make some stellar meals.  Plus while our store's selection isn't extensive by any means, it does generally have fresh produce and meats, you just have to be ready to pay $$.

Right now I'm on day 2, and scheduled to finish on the 31st, but my intention is to go as long as I can, and preferably up until the big tech conference mid February.  My light at the end of the tunnel will be getting to take my new license photo with hopefully clearer skin, brighter eyes, and a slimmer face~

Also this time around I want to share more of what I'm eating, so here's a link to one of my all time favorites, the No Fuss Salmon Cakes.  They are transportable, amazing with homemade mayo (which on its own is omg so good), phenomenal with eggs, and solid as a grab-and-go meal.  Probably the thing I make the most both in and out of Whole 30, cause they're just that good.