Whole 30

My beautiful and talented friend Megan is starting a Whole 30 challenge group. She talked me into it.

The premise is simple. Eat real foods, like those humans would eat in the wild, for 30 days. No junk that is bad for our bodies or hard to digest. 

The rules:
No sugar.
No processed foods.
No alcohol or tobacco.
No grains.
No legumes.
No dairy. 
No white potatoes. 
No "healthy" junk food.
YES:
Fruit.
Vegetables.
High quality meats.
Nuts.
Seeds. 
Healthy fats.
For vegetarians and non-meat-eaters, there are exceptions. 

I do eat eggs and seafood, I don't eat soy, with the exception of sauce. I'll be using some lentils, but nothing more. 

I was looking over this information and the thought occurred to me that this is not so different from the way we eat now. It's very much the way I prefer to eat. 

I have noticed that a lot of carbs have snuck in on me. I'm ready to kick them to the curb. Or onto the kids' plates, because they need all that extra growing energy, and I just pack it onto my backside. 

I only have a few minor changes to make.
#1 Swap my morning coffee for a smoothie. My standard smoothie right now is Green Chocolate Almond Butter. 
#2 Eliminate dairy. I generally avoid dairy, but as a concession to my cheese-lovers, I do cook with cheese. No more!
#3 No more carb-based meals. Asian noodles, rice, potatoes and pasta are frequent guests on our table. 
My kids are slim and have powerhouse metabolisms, unlike their pudgy parents. Whenever I have cut back on my carbs, and by extension, theirs, they have become gaunt and insatiably hungry. So, I will still be serving rice, noodles and potatoes to them, but I will not partake. D can choose for himself. 
#4 No baking. This is a big one. If you're familiar with my blog, you know how big. Fortunately, it's already steamy hot here, so I'm ready for a hiatus from the oven. 

I made my menu and shopping list for the first 2 weeks. It is subject to change depending on what I find at the various markets when I shop this weekend. I used the same basic menu plan and cookbooks that I'm currently using for this week's menu. I veganized the meaty meals as usual. I'll toss a few lentils into the stews and bump up the veggie content with sweet potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, and whatever else looks good.

Here's the preliminary.

Veggie soup and Greek salad

Country stew with rice 

Salmon and Mushroom Salad and baked potatoes

Sushi-Tamago and bay shrimp (hand rolls for me-no rice- maki for everyone else)

Leek soup and Caeser salad 

Dilly Stew w/ lentils and sweet potatoes over noodles

Fish soft tacos (tortilla-less for me)

Herb omelets and green salad

Broccoli soup and pea salad

Oyster Stew with rice, cabbage, and Sweet potato latkes

Baked fish w baked potatoes and roasted veggies

Broccoli ( or other veggie) quiche and green salad

Cream of Spinach soup (made with coconut cream) and Salmon salad on greens

Flemish Stew with lentils, sweet potatoes, and cabbage 

I always keep at least one big salad in the fridge for my lunches and to serve with dinner. Salads and leftovers, smoothies for breakfast, eggs whenever I need a protein boost. 

My biggest concern right now is breakfast and lunch for the kids. I know what I'll be eating, but I'm not sure what I'll be feeding them. Pantry foods for sure. Noodles, rice, beans, corn, and oats are filling the shelves. Along with fresh fruits and veggies, that should keep everyone happy for a while. 

Green Chocolate Almond Butter Smoothie-Whole 30 version

It isn't actually green. It's beautifully chocolatey. But it does have nutrient dense greens hiding inside.
It tastes like a decadent dessert. But it's sooo good for both the body and the soul.

2 dates for sweetness
2 tbs coconut cream or milk (cream is thicker. Do not use Cream of Coconut or Lite Coconut milk)
2 tbs almond butter
1 tbs cocoa powder
1 large handful leafy greens 
almond milk or water to cover

Blend until smooth. 
Add ice and blend again, if desired. 

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Cupcakes

I've seen a few recipes for lemonade cupcakes floating around, but they all use icky, chemically, processed, nonfood lemonade mixes. {{Shudder}}

These delightfully fluffy little angels get their lemonade flavor from-get ready for it-lemons. I know. Crazy, right?

I wouldn't go so far as to call cupcakes "healthy", but these, at least, don't contain anything toxic. So, that's good, right?

The eggless batter makes these cupcakes super light and airy, little crispy little clouds of delectability. 

1 1/2 cups white sugar
6 TBS butter or substitute, softened
grated rind of one lemon
4 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 water
4 TBS olive or other oil

Combine these ingredients. Beat until smooth. 

1 1/4 cups milk of your choice 
1 TBS lemon juice

Combine these and set aside. As it sits, it will thicken. This is pseudo-buttermilk.

2 cups flour
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Combine these ingredients. Add to and wet ingredients, along with buttermilk.
Stir till smooth. 

Fill lined or greased cupcake pans 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. 

Cool completely and top as desired. 

Whipped Laundry Cream

For fun, I liquefied a LOT of Ivory Soap using these instructions. 2 gallons, to be exact. That is a lot of soap. It didn't work for most of the things I wanted to use it for, but it works GREAT for laundry detergent.
I'm posting this recipe with some minor variations in the method I used, because I did the soap first, and the detergent later, but it should work nicely anyway. This is only my second (enormous) batch. I'm still working out the kinks. But I'll go ahead a post it here. Tweak it as needed to make it work for you. 

This recipe is based on my laundry powder recipe. I discuss all the ingredients there. Skip on over and read about the hows and the whys, then come back for   the liquid option. 

The liquid is a bit more work and more involved (hence the large batch), but I think it might work a bit better. It seemed to me that the soap in this recipe went a lot further than in the powder recipe. Perhaps because it's already melted. It definitely looks cooler. 

Here are both large and small batch directions.

Large batch:

Approximately 4oz pure soap, grated
Water to cover 
4 cups borax
4 cups baking soda
2 cups salt




Grate the soap. Put it in a BIG pot. Add enough water to cover. Melt. Cool. If it's a tallow-based soap, it will be VERY thick. You may need to add more water. Mine came out to a gallon. Vegetable soaps will be thinner and require less water. 

Pour it into a 5 gallon bucket, or something similar.

Add Borax, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a large wooden spoon. If it's super thick, add water. Not too much. It should be thick. add a splash of essential oil for scent, if desired. 

Let it cool completely. It will thicken and separate.
Using an immersion (stick) blender, whip it until it looks like cream cheese frosting. This will prevent it from separating again. 

Store in a jar with a tight seal. Leaving it open to air will cause it dry out. 

I use 1 TBS per Super Capacity load. This stuff is POWERFUL. For a normal washer, use 1/2 tbs. for a high efficiency washer, use 1 tsp. 

Small Batch:

1 oz soap, shredded
1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup salt

Follow directions above.

Turnip and Kale Curry

I love a good curry. The warm, stewy gravy and vegetables make a comforting, wintery dish that satisfies without a need for meat. This dish is vegan, and can easily be gluten free.
Leftovers taste even better the next day. This recipe makes a large pot, enough to feed my family of 6, with leftovers for lunch the next day. 

2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS each garlic, ginger, curry powder and turmeric
4 large turnips, peeled and cubed
5 carrots, chopped
1 TBS all purpose flour (optional)
water to cover
1 large bunch kale (or other greens), shredded
salt to taste

Heat oil gently over low heat. Toast spices for 1 minute. 
Add turnips and carrots. Sautee lightly. Toss with flour, if desired. Stir to coat. Cook, stirring constantly, one minute. 
Add water to cover. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes, until very tender. 
Serve very hot, over rice or with naan. 
Makes 12 servings. 

Vegan Raisin Bran Waffles

These waffles are reminiscent of the breakfast cereal, and remind me of the bran muffins my mother used to bring us for an occasional morning treat.  They are less sweet than you might expect, with very little added sugar. 

The eggless texture is intensely crisp and airy light. 

2 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose or wholegrain, or a combination)

1 cup wheat bran

2 TBS baking powder

2 TBS brown sugar

1 tsp salt

6 tsp flax meal

Combine all dry ingredients. Mix well. 

To dry mixture, add:

3 3/4 cups water

1 cup olive or coconut oil

Stir till just combined. Batter will be lumpy. Do not overmix; your waffles will be hard :(

Fold in 1 cup of raisins. 

Cook in a waffle iron. Serve warm with your choice of toppings, or allow to cool on a rack or tray, transfer to a freezer bag, and freeze.

Makes approximately 20 waffles. 

Basic Vegan Waffle

Topped with coconut cream and homemade blueberry preserves

These waffles are full of good-for-you ingredients. The eggless texture is lighter, crispier outside and more tender inside than it's traditional peers. 

This large batch will feed a big family or gathering, or can be frozen and toasted later, as a quick breakfast. 

3 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose or wholegrain, or a combination)

2 TBS baking powder

2 TBS sugar

1 tsp salt

6 tsp flax meal

Dash cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

Combine all dry ingredients. Mix well. 

To dry mixture, add:

3 3/4 cups water

1 cup olive or coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

Stir till just combined. Batter will be lumpy. Do not overmix; your waffles will be hard :(

Cook in a waffle iron. Serve warm with your choice of toppings, or allow to cool on a rack or tray, transfer to a freezer bag, and freeze.

Makes approximately 20 waffles.