tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45167983264090821112024-02-18T22:54:25.764-08:00Bumble ThriftFumbling frugality; experimental livingAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188849133048555611noreply@blogger.comBlogger370125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-11405983906896551842013-03-11T16:22:00.006-07:002013-03-11T16:22:56.892-07:00Whole30 19-24 These Hips Don't LieIt happened. Thursday evening, for the first time in a year and five months and a mere 7 days before Huck's first birthday I hit my target -- I wore my pre-baby jeans.<br />
<br />
Once upon a time (ie before I got pregnant with Huck) I was in the best shape ever. I was interested in being more toned and more fit and less flabby here and there but overall, for the first time in my life, I was happy with my weight.<br />
<br />
Since mid-last summer I have been working hard to get back there. I felt like I just Could. Not. Drop. The. Weight. While Luke was gone last July I got rid of a few pounds ... and then let them creep back on when he got home.<br />
<br />
When I started seriously diet -- restricting my intake and basically being mildly hungry all the time -- I started to see the number creep down. But that's no way to live. I HATE calorie counting. I HATE the guilt. I HATE the nagging, growling tummy wondering why I think it's OK to just drink a light soy latte for breakfast.<br />
<br />
Whole30 appealed to me because it offered freedom -- a way to break free from my slavery to dieting while, instead, just focusing on eating real food and getting away from addictive food that holds me captive and keeps from reaching my goals.<br />
<br />
Now that we're a mere week away from finishing this whole thing, the meal planning and cooking and eating right thing is easy peasy. I've gotten used to the morning routine of cooking before I work -- and I'm actually enjoying it. I like my avocado laden lunchtime salad. And dinner, while still a pain, has gotten much easier. Planning it is easier. I'm not laboring over finding recipes. It's almost -- almost -- sustainable full time.<br />
<br />
That's not to say we haven't had some weird moments. I've had headaches almost every single day for more than a week and [overshare warning] a period like none other. And this afternoon I meditated upon how a cold, crisp diet coke would feeling rolling through my mouth. (I crave diet coke when my head hurts).<br />
<br />
After much contemplation, a little internet research and asking a few folks I've determined that these things are due to the release of extra estrogen in my body thanks to all the fat burning I've been doing. Isn't that just fabulous?<br />
<br />
[GIVE ME THAT DIET COKE OR I WILL KILL YOU]<br />
<br />
It makes me think that, even though we are so close to the end and will definitely be taking a break day Saturday as we celebrate Huck's 1st birthday (WHAT?!) that I should keep going until I no longer get headaches.<br />
<br />
[IF YOU DON'T FIND ME A DIET COKE RIGHT NOW YOUR LIFE WILL BE OVER.]<br />
<br />
What's up?<br />
<br />
Anywho. Here's what we've been eating -- you can see I've given up entirely on writing down even the days of the week. And the only reason I remember any of this is because I'm looking at my menu from last week.<br />
<br />
Day 19:<br />
<a href="http://paleopot.com/2012/06/paleo-mango-coconut-chipotle-chicken/">Crock pot mango chicken.</a> Now, you're going to look at this. And you're going to think "wow that sounds fruity and spicy and AMAZING." And you'd be right. It totally sounds like that. But it did not taste like that. Neither of the kids would touch it. Luke soldiered through it like a champ. I ate fried eggs instead.<br />
<br />
Day 20:<br />
<a href="http://www.onedishdinners.com/2011/10/dutch-oven-beef-stew.html">Butternut squash stew</a>. I thought this was pretty good. Luke? Not so much. I just 10 minutes ago tossed the leftovers down the garbage disposal. And thus ends our relationship with that meal.<br />
<br />
Day 21:<br />
<a href="http://www.cindystable.com/cindys-paleo-italian-meatballs/">Meatballs</a>. Again. Because they were THAT good.<br />
<br />
Day 22:<br />
Luke was at work late so we ate leftovers.<br />
<br />
Day 23:<br />
Hamburgers in cabbage "buns" (read: a cabbage leaf. There was no bun or bun shaped item involved).<br />
<br />
Day 23:<br />
<a href="http://nourishpaleofoods.com/2013/02/22/creamy-tomato-soup/">Tomato soup</a> for lunch -- mighty good -- and <a href="http://www.paleogirlskitchen.com/2011/07/taco-soup-with-left-over-avocado-cream.html">taco soup</a> for potluck dinner with small group.<br />
<br />
Day 24:<br />
<a href="http://paleodish.com/2011/05/19/meaty-taco-salad/">Meaty taco salad </a>(with this <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taco-seasoning-i/">taco seasoning</a>) I was SUPER skeptical about this. But OMG was it good. And really easy! Amy wins.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-58181234992999541982013-03-04T18:36:00.002-08:002013-03-04T18:49:29.492-08:00Whole30 15-18: Whiter Teeth?This is going to sound crazy, but I swear my teeth are whiter since starting this thing.<br />
<br />
How that is possible I definitely don't know. But I swear it is true.<br />
<br />
Whole30 people swear that you experience this giant burst of energy compared to your normal lifestyle. Well, either my normal lifestyle wasn't so bad to start with or they are wrong -- but I feel like I have just as much energy as I've ever had. Perhaps I'm dragging less mid-afternoon (prime nap time for all) but nothing super noticeable.<br />
<br />
I have had a pretty killer headache off and on over the last few days. Since it's the end of the month ifyaknowwhatImean, I figure the headache is associated with that. Anyway, as it turns out the time that I really, Really, REALLY want a diet coke is when I have a headache. Like ... really.<br />
<br />
But what is definitely NOT associated with that are my very sore tonsils which, if you look at them with good light in the mirror, you can see are SUPER GROSS. (You wanted to know that).<br />
<br />
Translation: either tonsillitis or strep is in my future. AWESOME. I'm doing the whole sinus rinse/gargling bit with a prayer to keep sickness away, but if my history is an indicator this is going to be super fun.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow nonetheless we'll be hitting up Boot Camp (provided Huck's nose isn't dis-gus-ting) and truck on with our normal lives. Because that is how we roll around here.<br />
<br />
So what have we been eating? Well, I'll tell you! I'm so glad you asked.<br />
<br />
Friday (Day 15): <a href="http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2011/09/coconut-chicken-nuggets-with-paleo-bbq-sauce/">These chicken nuggets</a> (and the sauce listed with them) with sweet potato fries. I'm sad to report that they are not as good as coconut fried shrimp. Bummer, right? Apparently the key to coconut fried shrimp being delicious is the shrimp part. Chicken just doesn't cut it. They were also a lot of work. Uncool.<br />
<br />
Saturday (Day 16): The guys ate a burger for lunch while I went to a baby shower and ate some hard boiled eggs that I stashed in my bag. For dinner: grilled lamb steaks with asparagus. Yum. No recipe. Luke just did his thing. Funny story: we thought they were veal steaks because even I thought I was buying Lamb they were labeled "veal." It was like a mystery dinner.<br />
<br />
Sunday (Day 17): For lunch we had <a href="http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/butternut-squash-soup/">this delicious butternut squash soup</a> using bone broth I made from the chicken I roasted Friday for lunches. I love this soup. Luke does not. Dinner was meatballs (again), which we took to our small group.<br />
<br />
Monday (Day 18): <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/spicy-buffalo-chicken/#axzz1v2tpb22S">These chicken wings</a> were pretty tasty with <a href="http://paleotable.com/2012/11/paleo-ranch-dressing/">this "ranch" sauce.</a> They weren't a ton of work and they hit the spot. Not sure I'll make them regularly, though.<br />
<br />
<br />Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-24157467699270943692013-02-28T16:03:00.001-08:002013-02-28T16:03:33.930-08:00Whole30 13, 14: Hellooo Half-Way MarkFirst point, we've decided that this will actually be a Whole29. Reason? We really, really, REALLY want to eat actual factual pie in celebration of Young Master Huck's 1st Birthday/3.14 (pie) day.<br />
<br />
Instead of celebrating ON his birthday/pie day, we're going to celebrate Saturday ... day 30. So we're going to cut this party short and eat honest-to-God pie on day 30.<br />
<br />
I've been assured the Whole30 police will not fast rope from my ceiling if I break the rules.<br />
<br />
The last two days have been full of improvising. I feel like that is proof that I finally have the hang of this whole thing -- that I can just whip out a non-pre planned Whole30 meal on the drop of a hat.<br />
<br />
When I realized Tuesday night that I had failed to plan a meal for Wednesday (caused by me bumping Wednesday's meal to today so that we would have something in the crock pot while I tried to get ready for small group) I thought "what can I make?" Answer? Stuffed peppers.<br />
<br />
And they were pretty darn good. Not elaborate. And they did not take a million years to cook. But they were Whole30 compliant.<br />
<br />
And tonight? Paleo tacos -- basically taco meat (in this case pork from the crock pot) on ice burg.<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure this would've turned out better had the meat not weirdly dried out in the crock pot (I've used this recipe many times -- what gives?) and had someone (tall. male. you can probably guess who) not used the larger portions of the lettuce for something else earlier in the week.<br />
<br />
Thus tiny, dry tacos.<br />
<br />
(And I really dont like pork roast as it is).<br />
<br />
But we're making it work.<br />
<br />
As for how I'm feeling? Pretty darn good! Despite being up all hours with David (and his sick tummy) I'm not dragging. Luke confessed yesterday to actually LIKING the paleo foods. And what with getting used to the cooking ... I'd say we're made in the shade.<br />
<br />
(Confession: I love cliches. And cliches equal bad writing. So I TRY not to use them in my day job. Which means you get more! Aren't you lucky?)<br />
<br />
Here are the recipes for dinner. We've just been having the old salad/eggs stand-bys for lunch and breakfast, so I'm not going to list it out.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/super-easy-paleo-stuffed-peppers-183941/">Stuffed bell peppers</a><br />
<a href="http://www.5dollardinners.com/mexican-carnitas/">Slow cooker carnitas </a><br />
<br />
<br />
By the way - I'm linking all the recipes I use to my brand-spanking new Pinterest account. You can <a href="http://pinterest.com/amybushatz/whole30/">see the Whole30 board here.</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-30855547962437841622013-02-26T09:57:00.001-08:002013-03-04T18:36:41.436-08:00Whole30 Days 8-12: Lethargy(Yawn).<br />
<br />
Is it nap time yet? No? How about bedtime, then? No, not that either?<br />
<br />
Bummer.<br />
<br />
You may have noticed (but probably don't care) that I failed to post Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. That's because I was busy sleeping.<br />
<br />
Last night, for example, I went to bed at 8:15 p.m. It. Was. Awesome.<br />
<br />
Anywho. One of the reasons I was planning to post daily is because I realized there was a possibility that if I did not I would not remember what we had consumed.<br />
<br />
It turns out I was correct. At least I've got "know thyself" nailed.<br />
<br />
So, to the best of my apparently very short memory:<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast - probably eggs<br />
Lunch - probably salad<br />
Dinner - Roast chicken with some kind of veggie.<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Breakfast: <a href="http://www.easypaleo.com/2011/10/16/food-diary-paleo-oatmeal/">this SUPER DELICIOUS "primal" oatmeal.</a> A great pre-race breakfast.<br />
Lunch: STEAK with seared asparagus (yum yum yum I was sooo hungry).<br />
Dinner:<a href="http://paleodietlifestyle.com/portobello-burgers/"> Portobello burgers</a> with <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/6172268400/oven-baked-sweet-potato-fries">sweet potato fries</a> with <a href="http://paleodietlifestyle.com/homemade-paleo-condiments/#s1">homemade ketchup. </a><br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Breakfast: Fried eggs and some veggie that I cant remember.<br />
Lunch: <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/cauliflower-soup-00100000093679/index.html">Cauliflower soup. </a>So tasty!<br />
Dinner: "Breakfast for dinner" at small group. We took those prosciutto egg cups and these <a href="http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/breakfast/perfect-paleo-pancakes/">"pancakes" for the little guys.</a> I tasted them and they were pretty darn good.<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
Breakfast: Luke is having <a href="http://paleomg.com/breakfast-lasagna/">this breakfast lasagna</a>. He says it's pretty good. I'm having eggs with sweet potato hash.<br />
Lunch: Roast chicken salad with a side of mango.<br />
Dinner: <a href="http://www.paleogirlskitchen.com/2011/07/taco-soup-with-left-over-avocado-cream.html">Chicken tortilla soup. </a>It was pretty darn good.<br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast: eggs and sweet potatoes<br />
Lunch: Leftover soups with a side of strawberries.<br />
Dinner: <a href="http://www.cindystable.com/cindys-paleo-italian-meatballs/">These meatballs</a> which I made last night but are in the crockpot now. They are YUMMY.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-11634619842729327852013-02-22T03:49:00.002-08:002013-02-22T03:49:15.974-08:00Whole30 Day 7: Onion BreathIt was our first Whole30 meal fail: <a href="http://delightfultastebuds.com/2011/07/13/apple-lime-chicken-stir-fry/">this chicken stir fry meal.</a><br />
<br />
Pardon my onion breath.<br />
<br />
(Gross, right?)<br />
<br />
Thursday is my busiest day. In the morning I clean as much of the house in an hour as possible, then I blitzkrieg the commissary, sprint home, put everything away while Huck naps, feed Huck, go get Dave. Afternoon is work for a few hours followed by more cleaning (to prep for small group at 6:30) and dinner.<br />
<br />
Pre-Whole30 I saved an easy meal for Thursday nights. Easy like throwing chicken nuggets at the kids and while drinking Shakeology. Easy like heating a frozen pizza.<br />
<br />
Easy.<br />
<br />
And so when last night rolled around and cooking an actual meal had to fit somewhere into my finely tuned planned ... and I was a half-hour behind stopping work .... well, you can imagine things were a little bit hectic.<br />
<br />
It was the moment I realized that the meal I had just sweated over was an epic onion fail (and, by the way, I even used half the recommended quantity) that I determined this very important planning truth:<br />
<br />
Thursday is going to have to be crock-pot day.<br />
<br />
Here's what we did yesterday:<br />
<br />
Breakfast:<br />
Exactly what we've had the last several days -- egg cups and fruit for adults, egg scramble with turkey sausage and fruit for littles.<br />
<br />
Lunch:<br />
Since I forgot to buy more yogurt ... more eggs for boys.<br />
Me: Salad<br />
Luke: Leftovers<br />
<br />
Dinner<br />
<a href="http://delightfultastebuds.com/2011/07/13/apple-lime-chicken-stir-fry/">Chicken Apple Stir-Fry</a>. Please don't inflict on your friends the onion breath this causes.<br />
Wilted spinach (tossed it in a frying pan for a few minutes with some coconut oil)<br />
Fruit<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-50518522134889100342013-02-21T04:57:00.000-08:002013-02-21T04:57:11.382-08:00Whole30 Day 6: Open LettersDear Diet Coke and Crackers --<br />
<br />
Why have I forsaken you? You were tasty. You made my brain so happy. You perked me up during the afternoon drag-time. When I needed a nap but had to blog instead, you were my constant companion. Your delicious salty crunch paired with bubbly awesomeness was just what I wanted. What in the name of all that is good and holy made me want to quit you and eat carrots instead? I don't even really LIKE carrots!<br />
<br />
Still, I'm no quitter. Which is why we aren't going to talk for awhile. I promised that I wouldn't eat or drink you for 30 days. That means in 23 more days we can be BFF again.<br />
<br />
There's a chance that during that time I may find I don't need you anymore. I want you to be prepared for that.<br />
<br />
For now, loves, we are on a break. So please stop tempting me with awesome memories of delicious moments. It's not making this whole thing any easier.<br />
<br />
With deepest love,<br />
<br />
Amy<br />
<br />
<br />
Dear Coconut Milk --<br />
<br />
I won't lie to you. I was pretty skeptical that you would be delicious. I thought that I would really, super miss my morning soy latte. But while I am sad that I don't get to drink that (mostly because it's pretty delicious), you aren't so bad. I love the way your full-fat awesomeness pools in the top of my cup of French Press coffee like a little latte foam. And I love drinking full-fat anything without guilt.<br />
<br />
Thanks for being you.<br />
<br />
-- Amy<br />
<br />
<br />
Dear Cod We Ate Last Night --<br />
<br />
I was pretty sure I was going to hate you. You see, usually fish makes me kinda want to gag. I love shrimp, crab and lobster. I even love scallops.<br />
<br />
But I do NOT love fish-fish ... like you, Cod.<br />
<br />
It was much easier to eat you than I anticipated. I even made it through three-quarters of a filet! And you didn't even taste all that fishy.<br />
<br />
So thanks for that. Because you were what was for dinner ... and if I didn't eat it, I would've been hungry and sad.<br />
<br />
All my best.<br />
<br />
Amy<br />
<br />
<br />
Dear Commissary --<br />
<br />
I have another date with you today and, just like last time, I'm bringing Huck. We've spent a lot of money on food this past week - and managed to eat about 95 percent of what we've purchased. Since our fridge was literally overflowing after our last visit with you, that's a pretty impressive feat.<br />
<br />
I'm going to say this in the nicest way I know how:<br />
<br />
Please, for the love of God, be nice to me today. Please have well-stocked shelves. Please have non-wilted/spoiling produce and, in particular, lettuce. Please, please, please have good prices on avocados.<br />
<br />
And please don't hurt me.<br />
<br />
At your mercy,<br />
<br />
Amy<br />
<br />
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
<br />
Kitchen time yesterday evening was around 1.5 hours. Sigh. I made a new batch of egg cups and very simply cooked dinner.<br />
<br />
Over the course of the day I also menu-planned. Let me tell you -- menu planning takes a WHOLE lot longer when you have to plan more than a box of cereal for breakfast and three actual meals for both Saturday and Sunday. Really, it kind of sucks.<br />
<br />
Since it was the evening before our weekly commissary trip, we were running low on food supplies and dinner was a conglomerate of whatever fruit, veggies and meat we had left. Here's how yesterday ended up looking:<br />
<br />
<br />
Breakfast:<br />
Luke and I: End of the prosciutto egg cups<br />
Boys: Egg scramble with turkey sausage, sweet potato on the side and an orange. [I cannot even describe how much food Dave ate yesterday morning. It was intense. And he ate EVERY last bite that I put on his plate].<br />
<br />
Lunch:<br />
Luke: Leftover roast, leftover carrot soup<br />
Me: Last of the roast chicken, last of the salad lettuce, an avocado, vinaigrette dressing, last of the carrot soup. It was all pretty darn good.f<br />
Boys: Yogurt for Dave, leftover egg scramble for Huck<br />
<br />
Dinner:<br />
Boys had eggs (yes, again) and acorn squash (link below) and strawberries.<br />
Luke and I:<br />
<a href="http://sarahscucinabella.com/2009/12/10/fabulous-fish-baked-lemon-herb-cod-recipe/">This cod</a> -- which was pretty darn good.<br />
<a href="http://www.elanaspantry.com/roasted-acorn-squash/">Acorn Squash </a><br />
Last of the strawberries and blueberries.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-88263353236073812182013-02-19T18:18:00.002-08:002013-02-19T18:18:30.476-08:00Whole30 Day 5: The Cravings StartI would like a Diet Coke now, please.<br />
<br />
It's been five days of eating nothing but whole foods. And I'm starting to miss the other stuff.<br />
<br />
You know, the crackers. And the dairy. And the Diet Coke.<br />
<br />
Tonight as we dipped into a bowl of the carrot soup all I could think was "this would be amazing with heavy whipping cream. And crackers."<br />
<br />
But of course it didn't. I mean, it was good as it was. But it would've been BETTER with those things.<br />
<br />
Today was low key on the cooking front. I put dinner in the crock-pot last night and didn't do a blessed thing other than heat-up already cooked food until about half an hour before we ate. That's the kind of cooking I can get behind.<br />
<br />
Here's what we did today:<br />
<br />
Breakfast -<br />
Luke and me: Those delicious <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/7486819479/prosciutto-wrapped-mini-frittata-muffins">prosciutto egg cups</a> we made yesterday<br />
David and Huck: egg scramble with turkey sausage (cooked-up yesterday)<br />
<br />
Lunch -<br />
Luke: Leftovers from dinner<br />
Me: Salad with roast chicken and avocado. Trying to eat more fat so I won't be hungry two hours later .... it didn't work<br />
Boys: Yogurt, fruit, almond butter<br />
<br />
Dinner -<br />
<a href="http://realfoodfreaks.com/2012/01/05/tomato-balsamic-pot-roast/">This roast</a> (which I'm pretty sure was supposed to be beef but I made it with pork). Served with the left over carrot soup and <a href="http://punchfork.com/recipe/Baked-Kale-Chips-Use-Real-Butter">kale chips.</a> It was good if you like roast ... which I don't.<br />
<br />
I'm wondering: will there be a time that I'm not exhausted at 8 p.m.?! Geez.<br />
<br />
<br />Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-7675583698486069762013-02-18T17:51:00.000-08:002013-02-18T17:52:03.328-08:00Whole30 Day 4: ProsciuttoAnother long evening in the kitchen. When you cook with normal, processed food you just throw the ingredients - already prepared - in the dish. Easy.<br />
<br />
And it's entirely possible to do that with Whole30, as well ... but you have to pre-prepare yourself.<br />
<br />
Thus my two hours cooking this evening.<br />
<br />
The result was breakfast for tomorrow and Wednesday, crockpot dinner ready to just turn on tomorrow, Luke's lunch tomorrow, dinner tonight and cooked Turkey sausage waiting in the wings to be used for whatever we may need.<br />
<br />
That's a lot of dishes, yo.<br />
<br />
Overall we're feeling good but tired and a little weak. Luke said his workout was "hard," and my 3.2 miles of running up hills and into a stiff wind was, well, sucky.<br />
<br />
And the dreams have continued. Suffice it to say -- don't watch the movie Flight. It's just not worth it.<br />
<br />
And now it's 7:30 p.m. and I'm ready for bed.<br />
<br />
But when I get-up? I get to eat THESE:<br />
<br />
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Those are <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/7486819479/prosciutto-wrapped-mini-frittata-muffins">prosciutto egg cups</a> -- eggs, prosciutto, cherry tomatoes, fresh spinach, mushrooms. Excuse me while I get very excited. And the preparation wasn't really that bad -- just the normal chopping and sautéing. (Sigh. "Normal.")</div>
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For the <a href="http://www.somethingsarahloves.com/2012/01/sarah-loves-turkey-sausage/">turkey sausage</a> I made today I used this recipe (since Luke doesn't dig sage. Which is sad. Because it's yummy in sausage). </div>
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Now here's the rest of it --</div>
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Breakfast:</div>
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For me: Eggs and leftover hash (yes, again) and coffee/coconut milk and fruit</div>
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For the boys: Egg scramble with leftover pork sausage and cantaloupe </div>
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Luke: Three eggs of some kind of concoction </div>
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Lunch:</div>
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For me and Luke: pork chop grilled with sautéed brocoli </div>
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For the boys: yogurt and fruit</div>
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Dinner:</div>
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This <a href="http://jensgonepaleo.blogspot.com/2010/01/chicken-wpureed-cauliflower-and-carrots.html">chicken with carrot/cauliflower mash</a> with a cutie orange. The chicken was ... eh ... but the mash was TASTY.</div>
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The dishes the whole thing created? Uncool.</div>
Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-58296689359835907012013-02-17T16:38:00.002-08:002013-02-17T16:38:44.109-08:00Whole30 Day 3: Yucky TummiesAfter cooking extravaganza yesterday, today we took it easy on the preparation front. It was probably a good thing, too, since both Dave and I are feeling a little bit punky.<br />
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Who knows what's wrong with David, but my fatal flaw was working out right after regular-sized lunch. If I plan to workout early afternoon I generally skip lunch altogether and down a shake after I'm done. But because Whole30 calls for three meals a day, I stuck to the schedule without thinking through lunch's proximity to exercise.<br />
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Fail. And upset tummy.<br />
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Otherwise my only other Whole30 symptom today was crazy food dream. I had a real-as-life dream that I was eating a truly delicious looking cherry pie made by Abigail. I dreamt I ate a few bites and then was ridden with a terrible guilt for doing so -- so much so that when I woke-up I spent some quality half-asleep time wondering if food you ate in your sleep really counts as having eaten it and if I'd have to start our Whole30 over.<br />
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Crazy, right?<br />
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Otherwise I'm feeling very tired. Which, as it turns out, is normal and expected -- as are crazy dreams. <a href="http://whole9life.com/2012/06/the-whole30-timeline/">This was a very helpful list today</a> ... and is prepping me for the "kill all the things" phase I apparently will feel tomorrow. Awesome.<br />
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By the way -- does it seem crazy to anyone else that just cutting out certain foods can have this much of an impact on a person?<br />
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Dave seems to be doing OK other than a little upset tummy. Luke has talked a lot about fast food all day -- so interpret what you will from that.<br />
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Here's what we've eaten today:<br />
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Breakfast:<br />
Me -- fried eggs and leftover sweet potato hash with coconut cream and coffee.<br />
Luke and the boys -- scrambled egg concoction with a bunch of veggies<br />
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Lunch:<br />
Dave -- grilled burger (somewhere between a meatball and burger size) and fruit<br />
Luke and me -- carrot soup with, avocado, hard boiled egg and burger on the side.<br />
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Dinner:<br />
We were going to grill pork chops. But I'm still feeling iffy, so Luke is playing chef and making a guac using fresh veggies and Chi-Chi's salsa which is Whole30 approved-seeming. He's also heating up some of the left over roast chicken.<br />
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<br />Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-55219999886242142842013-02-16T15:04:00.001-08:002013-02-16T15:04:52.962-08:00Whole30 Day 2: KnifecapadesYou'll recall I recently confessed to a chopping hatred. And so when someone in a Whole30 Facebook group I'm a part of posted a link to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vidalia-Chop-Wizard-VOWR-2/dp/B000I6JZWA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360989404&sr=8-1&keywords=vidalia+onion+chopper">this simple chopping machine,</a> I said "oh heck yes" and added it to my Bed Bath and Beyond list ... right next to "French Press." (Priorities, people).<br />
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And so after cutting, cutting, cutting carrots for soup, food for salad and fruit for kiddos, I asked Luke to please sharpen our knives, which he did ... and then I broke out that bad boy chopper to demolish some onions (my least favorite food to dice).<br />
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But to use it I had to cut the onion in half. With the freshly sharpened knife.<br />
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(Can you see where this is going?)<br />
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Thwump, the onion slipped from under the knife and kwop, the knife cut into my two fingers instead -- not badly, but enough for me to stand there gasping at the fact that I had just managed to slice myself. Because I'm awesome. And I've got skillz.<br />
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Luke helped me to bandaids. And then finished the onion business for me in addition to doing a bunch of other things that one cannot do when one cannot get one's hand wet ... like washing dishes (if you didn't know better, you'd think this was simply anti-dish antics! Bwahahah).<br />
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Today has been another big day of cooking, mostly in preparation for not having to cook later. I really dislike spending this much time in the kitchen, and frankly doing so is not sustainable. I have a job. And kids. Hopefully I can figure out a way to multitask making breakfast ahead of time while cooking dinner each night.<br />
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Before I get to the grub, though, let's talk about how we're feeling mentally and physically. This is the second day of no processed carbs and no sugar, and Luke is definitely feeling some cravings. He told me today that for breakfast at work he normally eats two slices of toast (on the way to PT), two packets of instant oatmeal and two bowls of cereal (all after PT). He really wanted a sandwich for lunch, but confessed that the shrimp salad creation he concocted up was excellent. He also said he is feeling low on energy, even though he's eaten a ton today.<br />
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Dave has complained about being hungry, but this is likely more because he hasn't been eating what I put in front of him. Poor kid misses his nutella sandwich. He seemed completely pleased with a banana dipped in almond butter, though.<br />
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And me? Well, I'm definitely getting the cold the boys had mid-week. I took an hour long nap and feel better rested but in no better health. Sneezing. Runny nose. The works. (Awesome). Even though it looks like a VERY sunny, comfortable day from this window, the high was 37. A run was not in the cards for me thanks to this cold, but that's OK. I'm happy for an excuse to stay in. I'm not missing my morning latte -- more a comfort item than a caffeine need -- thanks to my coffee maker and (starting tomorrow) my french press.<br />
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And we all managed to resist temptation, including free (gasp!) girl scout cookies in the mall AND left over Valentine's Day candy in WalMart AND the wafting scent of Auntie Anne's.<br />
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Now, back to food we ARE eating. First what I prepared today for later and then what we're eating for meals.<br />
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Prepared:<br />
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Since I gave up on finding ghee in this area, I clarified my own butter. It was time consuming, but hopefully will last a long time. <a href="http://paleodietlifestyle.com/making-clarified-butter-ghee/">Find the recipe and instructions here.</a><br />
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I made bone broth using the chicken carcass from Thursday. I used this broth as a base for the soup I'll talk about in a second. I<a href="http://paleodietlifestyle.com/making-fresh-bone-stock/"> used this recipe.</a><br />
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Tomorrow's lunch will be carrot soup (<a href="http://food52.com/recipes/9743-roasted-carrot-soup">which you can find here</a>). The recipe made a giant bowl full -- plenty for main course Sunday lunch and a side serving over lunch for a few days. The soup is creamy looking and taste tests reveal it needs some serious salt/pepper. Making it was EXTREMELY labor intensive, and I don't see me doing that again. (Chop the carrots, roast the carrots. Chop onion/garlic, sauté onion/garlic. Boil broth with ginger/thyme. Boil carrots, onion/garlic with broth. Blend it all up. = too many dishes). Luke is unlikely to be happy about soup for lunch, so I'll probably thaw a chicken breast for him. I'll be happy with it served next to a hard boiled egg or two.<br />
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Now, here's what we ate today (or are eating for dinner -- which is about 45 minutes away):<br />
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Breakfast:<br />
Leftover frittata from yesterday for me and Huck<br />
Coffee with coconut milk for me<br />
Fried eggs and <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/19886925277/sweet-potato-hash-with-fried-eggs">sweet potato hash</a> for Luke, Dave and Huck<br />
Snack not long thereafter of banana and almond butter for Dave ... since I only cooked him two eggs instead of his normal three, and he refused to touch the hash.<br />
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Snack:<br />
Small handful of almonds for me since I was dragging (unclear whether dragging caused by getting sick or being hungry -- but it did make me feel better).<br />
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Lunch:<br />
Roast chicken salad for me, this time topped with t<a href="http://paleodietlifestyle.com/salad-dressing-and-vinaigrettes/">his vinaigrette dressing.</a> I'll be using this one over and over again because I like vinaigrette and the recipe made a ton.<br />
Spicy shrimp salad for Luke, using his own concoction of peppers and raw shrimp leftover from last night. He cooked it up and put it on the salad with raisins and the same dressing recipe we used yesterday. He said it was delicious. But you could tell he still wished it was a sandwich.<br />
Yogurt (this is our only non-Whole30 allowance ... and it's only for the boys who I think need the extra source of fat and, frankly, a meal that's EASY for me to "prepare" around lunch) with fruit and avocado on the side for Dave and Huck.<br />
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Dinner:<br />
Fresh roast chicken (same recipe as Day One) and crockpot baked sweet potatoes (just stick those bad boys in the crockpot on low for 8 hours and you're good to go). We'll probably have a side of fruit as well -- strawberries? -- and we'll be using the clarified butter on our potatoes. Leftover chicken will be popped in the freezer and I may make more bone broth with the carcass -- haven't decided yet.<br />
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And with that, day two is a wrap!<br />
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<br />Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-10972866320620571972013-02-15T17:30:00.003-08:002013-02-16T15:05:31.980-08:00Whole30 Day 1: We Get to Eat Delicious Food?On this, the first day of Whole30, I had a revelation:<br />
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I'm going to eat better and more guilt free for the next 30 days than I ever have in my entire adult life.</div>
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The preparation for Day One actually started yesterday. With Luke heading to the office today I knew I needed to arm him with good food for all day long. That means something for breakfast, a snack and something for lunch. So I spent a good chunk of yesterday afternoon making food for today. </div>
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That meant a lot of chopping. Because when you eat a lot of vegetables, you chop a lot of food.</div>
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(I hate chopping).</div>
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(HATE IT).</div>
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First, I made a breakfast broccoli, mushroom, onion, sausage frittata that I knew could last a few days and wouldn't be too yucky if reheated. Then, I roasted a chicken to eat on top of salad. And then I boiled a dozen eggs. And then, since Luke doesn't like vinegar dressings, I made mayonnaise to use as a dressing base.</div>
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And then, to top it all off, I realized that this is a four day weekend and I didn't need to do any of it.</div>
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Awesome.</div>
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Nonetheless, that stuff came in handy today when we had an easy breakfast waiting to heat, chicken to put on our salads at lunch and eggs for me to eat after my workout.</div>
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Now, remember when I said I realized that the next 30 days are going to include me eating a lot of really delicious food? As if the guilt-free avocado topping my salad or the really creamy coconut milk in my coffee weren't enough, check out what we ate for dinner:</div>
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Coconut shrimp. Fried. With a sides of asparagus and cantaloupe.</div>
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Oh, my lands was it ever good.</div>
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Now, I am 100 percent willing to admit that this whole thing is still a novelty, that I will get tired of the chopping (which really isn't THAT bad ... even though I DO still HATE it) and that ... and this is the biggest one ...</div>
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I'm going to crave a Diet Coke. And it might kill me.</div>
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I'm pretty sure the deliciousness that is my favorite comfort "food" is the only thing that has kept me from perishing in the past. And not having it miiiiiight kill me.</div>
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In case you are thinking about doing this as well, I'm going to try to post the recipes I use. It'll also be a handy place for me to find them again later. Cuz, ya know, I'm really disorganized. </div>
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Breakfast: Sausage Frittata (modified and doubled to include broccoli, mushrooms, onions and be, well, bigger ... the only thing I didn't double was the meat). <a href="http://www.thefoodee.com/recipe/4710/">This is the sausage recip</a>e, and this is the f<a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1983505174/easy-paleo-frittata">rittata recipe</a>. And the whole thing was DARN TASTY. </div>
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After workout "meal:" two hard boiled eggs.</div>
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Lunch: salad with carrots, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, topped with something like <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/356165/perfect-roast-chicken">this roast chicken </a>(using dried herbs and skipping the butter ... and the stock ... and all the veggies but the lemon and onion). Topped with <a href="http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/02/24/southwestern-cumin-lime-dressing/">this delicious dressing</a> using <a href="http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/06/03/the-secret-to-homemade-mayo-patience/">this mayo recipe as a base</a>. Strawberries to cap it off.</div>
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Dinner: <a href="http://recipesbyelizabeth.blogspot.com/2012/07/healthy-paleo-coconut-shrimp.html">coconut shrimp,</a> <a href="http://www.paleoplan.com/2009/11-22/roasted-asparagus/">asparagus</a>, delicious side of cantaloupe. Let me say it again just so we're clear: YUM YUM YUM. </div>
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Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-22685031272710231252013-02-15T16:51:00.000-08:002013-02-16T15:05:11.113-08:00A Whole(30) Lotta Grocery ShoppingBecause the Whole30 blocks us from using many common ingredients (cooking oil, flour, sugar, cheese, butter, alcohol .... etc.) you have to get creative to find non-processed, non-sweetened ingredients. Olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, tons of spices and a variety of vinegars are common ingredients.<br />
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And vegetables. Lots and lots of vegetables.<br />
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If you think I just coconut oil or almond flour laying around my house, you're wrong. And since all of our meals (that's three meals a day plus a bonus meal if you workout) are to include protein, veggies, fruit and fat, shopping was in order.<br />
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Oh the shopping.<br />
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I started the process by doing some comparison shopping. Since Clarksville has no health food store (because that would be WAY too easy) my options are WalMart, Kroger, Publix, the commissary and a produce stand.<br />
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I managed to find almost everything at the commissary -- and for decentish prices, too, according to my comparison shopping -- and the rest at Publix.<br />
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But still I managed to spend $200ish on groceries getting ready for this thing.<br />
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You read that right. $200.<br />
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Now, a pretty good amount of those - spices, oils, organic butter (which we can "clarify" and use) and the pound of light roast coffee I need now that my soy lattes are a no-no -- will last us awhile. And I still have two key ingredients -- avocado oil and coconut aminos -- to track down online since no one here has them. I'd say, though, that about $150 of it was groceries for just this week.<br />
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Just this week!<br />
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Holy grocery bill, Batman!<br />
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But you should see my refrigerator. It is jam-packed with awesome looking fresh produce and meat. Lots and lots of meat. Once we get over the diet coke cravings (and by "we" I entirely mean "me"), this is going to be delicious.<br />
<br />Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-82376213143779205362013-02-14T05:17:00.000-08:002013-02-16T15:05:20.101-08:00Whole30: All About the ExperimentsThe tagline of Bumble Thrift makes it clear: we're all about experimental living here.<br />
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Which makes it not at all surprising that we like making crazy, impulsive life changes. There was that time I decided to start cloth diapering. There was the time I wanted to make things a habit. And now there's this:<br />
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We're going to start <a href="http://whole30./">Whole30.</a><br />
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Created as a month-long diet reset challenge by the people of Whole9, the Whole30 diet is designed to help you quit all processed food cold turkey. No dairy. No grains. No beans. No added sugar. No food with ingredients you can't pronounce or think "what the mother of crap is that" when you see it on the label.<br />
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Just real food. Meat. Eggs. Veggies. Fruit. Nuts. Seeds.<br />
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No hydrogenated blah blah blah. No oil smooshed out of a bean. No sugar, artificial or otherwise. No grains. No dairy.<br />
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You get the idea.<br />
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When Luke's chest pain was found to be caused by a 90 percent blockage in his LAD and he was forced to get several stints in lieu of deploying, he somewhat changed his diet. Bacon is rarely seen in our home. Egg beaters appeared in our refridgerator.<br />
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When David's skin problem was diagnosed as psoriasis large tubs of steroid creams made their home in his bathroom. We got the hair on his scalp to grow back.<br />
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When I had trouble getting rid of the baby weight after Huck was born -- even though I exercise like a fool and ran throughout my pregnancy -- I resorted to a low carb diet that leaves me hungry all the time and inevitably includes binge eating at dinner. But I lost weight. <br />
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Problems solved, right? <br />
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But the more I thought about these events and their "fixes," the more dissatisfied I became. Surely we can keep my 29-year-old, extremely fit husband healthy without resorting to fake eggs? There must be a way to help David's skin without resorting to steroid creams until at least puberty, when it may clear up on its own. There must be a way to be healthy without feel hangry 24/7. (hungry + angry = hangry).<br />
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Solution: the <a href="http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/">Whole30. </a><br />
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It sounds radical. I know it's going to be very challenging. People going through it for the first times report "flu like symptoms" as their body comes off of processed carbs. And, frankly, I might die from lack of Diet Coke.<br />
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But we're going to give it a try. For 30 days we're going to play by the book, doing our best to become healthy.<br />
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Here's what I hope happens over the next 30 days:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Luke's health increases and he's comfortable with eating natural foods without worrying about "heart healthy" labels.</li>
<li>David's skin clears-up without the use of "creams."</li>
<li>I drop some poundage, particularly in the stomach area.</li>
<li>I no longer feel like death when I contemplate leaving my comfort beverage, Diet Coke.</li>
<li>I become comfortable with idea of cooking real food and taking time to eat it.</li>
</ul>
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My first Whole30 grocery day is today. Here are my fears:<br />
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<li>Huck has a meltdown when it takes me FOREVER to shop due to label reading.</li>
<li>I'm going to drop dead from the price of "natural" stuff.</li>
<li>The commissary flat-out doesn't carry what I need.</li>
</ul>
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Stay tuned! Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-3520399763665300432012-03-30T18:31:00.002-07:002012-03-30T19:17:18.537-07:00Lots of Thoughts - Not Lots of WordsI blog for a living. It's like a dream come true. But there's a problem: it requires maintenance. Stop writing and the words stop forming themselves. Suddenly you have lots to say but no words to say it with, and no motivation to come up with them.<div><br /></div><div>I've been off work for just over two weeks and am starting back tomorrow, at least with the blogging and blog management part. I need to come up with something to write ... and believe me, I have a load of things to say ... but I can't come up with the words to say them.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm writing here tonight to try to unclog the pipes. Call it "blogging drain-o."</div><div><br /></div><div>In no particular order. And warning: this is going to sound like a lot of complaining ... I've determined that I'm OK with that. </div><div><br /></div><div>-- I decided to switch Huck to formula. Everyone seems happier, overall. Including me. Let's ignore the crying child whose current crying is making me look like a liar. </div><div><br /></div><div>-- I fell in love with a house, went and saw it, fell even more in love, was basically ready to sign a lease without Luke and ... the owner (a Sgt. Maj.) gave it to a couple who will "for sure" be here two years. I don't understand how that's possible. Nothing is "for sure" in the Army -- and when he asked me how long we'd be here I said "I think at least two years but nothing is ever sure in the Army." ... he should KNOW that. And if someone else said they will "for sure" be here for two years, they are lying. Because nothing is sure in the Army. NOTHING.</div><div><br /></div><div>-- I am so tired of moving. I just want to live somewhere, in one house, for more than a year. The longest I've lived anywhere since college (that ended in 2004, in case you are wondering) is about 17 months. </div><div><br /></div><div>-- I miss Luke. My missing-moments come in fives. Five days after he leaves is always really hard ... and when that heavy, aching weight of missing hits me again after being pushed under the rug successfully for awhile, I take a peek at the calendar and, sure enough, it's another five-date. Tomorrow, for example, is five weeks. And the missing feels like a huge backpack that I'm hauling around with me. I feel like I can't breathe.</div><div><br /></div><div>-- To help me ignore the missing-weight I've been unbelievably productive the past two days. I'm just straight-up bored (the reason I'm going back to work early instead of waiting until next Wednesday). For example yesterday I: took Dave to speech therapy, wrote Luke, finally conquered my closet/drawers, sorted and organized all of my seasonal clothes, swapped out Dave's seasonal clothes, and dealt with this giant box of dishes we've been hauling around packed since Fort Lewis. ... and today? I hit four stores looking for Luke's foot powder, ran errands at the PX, grocery shopped, dealt with the world's most obnoxious plumber, shined my copper pots, dusted, vacuumed, cleaned my bedroom and bathroom, did four loads of laundry, folded all of it (a true miracle -- I hate folding laundry), did a little work, gave Dave a bath, packed a box for Luke, sanitized baby bottles, and other stuff I can't remember. I'm tired now. </div><div><br /></div><div>-- And now an open letter to that plumber. Dear plumber: two days ago you called and asked if you could come fix the leak under our sink. I said that you could come any time before 4:30 p.m., after which time we would not be here. At 4:26 you called to check my address. I did not answer. When I got home I found a note on my door saying that you were sorry you missed us. Are you a moron? I said I wouldn't be home after 4:30. I meant it. And then there was today. Ah, today -- the day on which you called me at 7:04 a.m., woke me up, woke up my 3-year-old and sealed my distaste for you. You wanted to know if we'd be home around noon. I said we'd be out until about 12:30 p.m. at least. And so at 12:20 when you called wondering if we were home I was not particularly kind in how I informed you that, no, we were out - JUST LIKE I SAID WE WOULD BE. If I knew how to complain about you to your boss, I would ... but sadly I think you are your own boss. Please never come here again. Sincerely, me.</div><div><br /></div>Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-16471538821966465312012-03-20T16:23:00.002-07:002012-03-20T16:41:55.551-07:00A Day for Crying and the SolutionsIt was bound to happen sometime. I mean, I just had a baby for crying out loud. Tears are inevitable, right? And they'd probably happen whether I had a husband gone or not.<br /><br />But the husband being gone sure seemed like a good excuse for it.<br /><br />I managed to save them for bedtime, when I climbed into my bed and sobbed to my heart's content. Yes, it felt good. And yes, it did help.<br /><br />Today the future is much brighter. But yesterday -- yesterday -- it all seemed oh-so-overwhelming. Huck wouldn't fall asleep on his own and instead had incredible quantities of air in his stomach which took him 45 minutes to burp up in between crying fits during what was supposed to be nap time. Dave was constantly acting out. I was tired. Mary is leaving Sunday ensuring that someday I will have to do my own dishes, sweep my own floor and fold my own laundry once more. A week and a half after she leaves I have to start working again. And I flat out missed Luke.<br /><br />But a night of decent sleep puts everything into perspective and I was able to come up with the following solutions:<br /><br />- Huck is probably burping up air because he is gulping air while he is eating. He is gulping air while he is eating because his latch isn't good and I can't hear him swallowing air because I'm so busy yelling at Dave to Stop. Climbing. On. Me. while I'm feeding the poor child. Solution: distract him with Mary and go somewhere quiet to feed the babe. Solution after Mary leaves = 20 minutes of Elmo/quiet feeding spot.<br /><br />- Dave is acting out because everything is suddenly so different. Mary is great, but in some ways she's just another new person our house. Shew gives him attention but it's not the same as attention from Mommy. Solution: get back in our routine as quickly as possible and, when Mary leaves, ease back into it slowly solo. This means lots of park time, library, chickfila and park play time and classes at the Y. All should be easy to do with babe in tow. And someday Dave will get used to the changes and stop acting out. SOME DAY. (::: sigh :::)<br /><br />- Mary is leaving and that's life. Solution: know not to sweat the small stuff. Make my daily to-do list, keep it reasonable and focus on time management and my new priorities. These are: feeding/loving on Huck, feeding Dave and myself, loving on Dave (by going and doing things that he enjoys, spending time with him, reading, etc.), sleeping and then everything else.<br /><br />- I have to start working again -- no way around that, really ... plus I enjoy it (a lot). But right now I'm just too tired and too stretched thin so the thought overwhelms me. Solution: while getting back into my routine identify times in our schedule that I am filling with "other" stuff but could be working. Example: there's sure to be time in the evening/mid afternoon during naptime and kiddo bedtime that I'm not needing to sleep but am filling with other stuff. Working hard to get Huck sleeping longer stretches at night will be key to this. Last night he did two 4 hours stretches feeding to feeding. The night before he did one 3.5 hour stretch ... let's hope the lengthening continues, eh?<br /><br />- I miss Luke. Solution: no solution, really. Pray really hard that he makes it straight through this school and keep reminding myself that he's doing this not just because of his career, but because he needs to on a personal level. And as his wife, it's my responsibility to support his needs even if I don't understand them ... just as he supports me whenever I want to do something bat crazy (like triathlon).<br /><br />See? I have a plan. I like plans.Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-36188655974293566352012-03-17T18:43:00.002-07:002012-03-17T18:55:23.024-07:00Precious MomentsI have 16 minutes until I need to wake-up my new son Huck for his first meal of the "night," trick him into going right back to sleep, and crawl into bed myself.<div><br /></div><div>Yes, my "new son" Huck.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's because on Wednesday after a super surreal six hours watching TV in the hospital, I pushed a whole human out my body. Bam. Done. And then I was escorted to another room, fed what may have been the most delicious Subway sandwich of my life and basically went on vacation ... if on vacation you are awoken once every three hours by nurses.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was actually pretty great.</div><div><br /></div><div>And now we are home - not quite back in reality, but home. Our dear friend and fake Mommy/Grandma is here for 10 days to feed and water Dave and I, play with cars on an endless rotation and burp gassy Huck while I take an afternoon nap.</div><div><br /></div><div>We'll be really sad when she leaves in a week. And that's when reality -- REAL reality sets in ... me. alone. with two children. and a job starting back up a week and a half later.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our plan of action for the next week is to ease back into real life as slowly and seamlessly as possible. We'll try different tasks and outings with the extra help along and deal with day-to-day things slowly so that I'm not overwhelmed when it's just me and not a single other person taking care of everything all the time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Huck is as much of an angel baby now as his brother was at this point ... but he's only had three days to show his salt. Cross your fingers for me! Amys need all the sleep they can get or they are NOT very nice.</div>Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-4778431224773872832012-03-10T17:52:00.003-08:002012-03-10T18:02:10.710-08:00Parenthood = Low "Fun" BarToday was my last Saturday as a mommy of one. By next Saturday I will definitely, for sure, by a mommy of two.<br /><br />I feel like this week should be full of things that only a mommy of one can do and enjoy, since life is, arguably, going to change very drastically very soon.<br /><br />What should I do?<br /><br />I was talking to Bestie Dana about this and she suggested I go grocery shopping alone because, as we know, that is a treat. And pretty soon it's going to be a treat that is doubly elusive. In fact, for a solid six weeks (at least after fake-mommy Mary leaves me on the 25th) I'll definitely have at least one kid with me at the grocery store. At least.<br /><br />What happened to the days that grocery shopping solo was not a treat but, you know, normal? Oh, how the mighty have fallen -- when household chores by yourself are a treat, you know you've got a problem. Heck, going to the bathroom alone right now is a treat.<br /><br />Low, low bar folks.Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-61457336448212848722012-03-08T06:02:00.002-08:002012-03-08T06:08:22.049-08:00... But TODAY Would Be Fine!Dear H.W.,<br /><br />I got a pretty decent night of sleep, despite spending an hour between midnight and 1 a.m. trying to decide if I was having "real" contractions, taking another shower (because I am weirdly paranoid that you will come when I have not showered recently), and bothering my doula over the phone. I think you dropped a bit, so I'm pretty much OK with you coming now and at least starting me on the path towards being more comfortable .... someday ... eventually.<br /><br />Plus it would be super swell if you were born during the day, and not overnight. I have plans over night time. Those plans are: sleeping.<br /><br />Dear David,<br /><br />Please stop jumping on my stomach. I mean really, bro. It is not a trampoline.<br /><br />Dear Weather,<br /><br />Rain? Really? Because drying off the dog is exactly what I want to do right now.<br /><br />Dear "Alias,"<br /><br />I still love you.<br /><br />Dear Army,<br /><br />If you kick my husband out of that stupid school after all of this, I'm gonna come down there and kill you.Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-90393104713968901862012-03-07T05:17:00.002-08:002012-03-07T05:22:24.576-08:00Not Today. No. Way.If there is one thing you should know about me, it's that I. Love. Sleeping. I love it out of practicality - that enough sleep equals happiness, function, productivity and, frankly, a much more pleasant Amy.<br /><br />Not enough sleep = the exact opposite.<br /><br />Jesus, of course, knows all about this - which is why he gave me a magic baby the first time around who also loves and appreciates sleeping. When Luke deployed right before Dave's 5 week birthday, it was no big deal because me and the magic baby were quite happy together. And well rested.<br /><br />Now, let's talk about Huck. We don't know anything about whether or not he loves sleeping. But we do know that he is coming soon -- and I mean SOON (we're inducing the 17th if he doesnt come sooner ... which seems to be a strong possibility from what the doctor said Monday). And we do know that regardless of how much an infant loves sleeping, he needs to eat in the middle of the night. Both mom and baby must suffer for a little bit.<br /><br />The best thing I can do to prepare for this is sleep. A lot. RIGHT NOW.<br /><br />Two nights ago when I was having trouble sleeping I popped some nighty-night tylenol ... the same Monday night. Last night I thought "surely we don't need to have that kind of hangover every morning," so I didn't.<br /><br />I deeply regret this decision. I am now functioning on about 5 hours of tossing and turning. And since it would be just MEAN for a baby to born during the day after such poor rest, I am banning Huck from entering the world until tomorrow at the earliest.<br /><br />All in the name of rest.Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-72730041378414676172012-03-03T04:41:00.002-08:002012-03-03T05:00:04.520-08:00... But I Don't WANNA Be Your Mommy TodayAfter almost a week of successful single parenting I hit the wall -- yesterday I just didn't want to be Dave's mommy anymore.<br /><br />To be clear, it wasn't an "anymore, forever and ever amen" sort of thing. I just didn't want to be a mommy yesterday. For one day. One, glorious day where I could sit on the couch, watch Sense and Sensibility and NOT mitigate coloring/painting/alphabet/reading/puzzle/pretend food/cars/feeding/napping/diaper changing/bathing/peed-on-bedding drama.<br /><br />One. Day.<br /><br />Unlike the struggles I mentioned in my last post, where I battle double the love load as surrogate Daddy plus all the the extra garbage hauling work ... there really wasn't any extra work. I just wasn't feeling being Mommy OR Daddy.<br /><br />I just wanted, for one day - one glorious day - to be Amy. Nothing else.<br /><br />And so Dave made his weekly visit to the childcare center on post, while I trotted around town running errands (Total lie. No errands were run. Yesterday I got a haircut and a massage). And then I picked him up, came home, put him down for his nap, and collapsed on the couch in front of a movie.<br /><br />The trouble started when he woke-up. ... and wanted attention. The nerve of that child.<br /><br />And so I, Amy the not-mommy, ignored him ... and continued to sit on the couch and watch my movie.<br /><br />This process lasted about an hour until he had became impossible to ignore ... and kind of stinky. So I changed his diaper and we went outside, where I, Amy-the-not-mommy, sat on the stairs and enjoyed a cooling breeze.<br /><br />We ate dinner, I did the dishes (but not because I was a mommy - mostly because they were annoying), I helped Dave with his jammies with the end goal of ultimately bidding him a bedtime farewell.<br /><br />And then I, Amy-the-not-mommy, found a little boy in stripy, footie PJs snuggled in my lap. And so I Amy-the-not-mommy, sat on the floor and sang lullabies to a poor, sad, neglected Daddy/Mommyless Dave.<br /><br />That was when I changed my mind. I DO want to be his mommy -- in that moment there wasn't a way for me to NOT want to be his mommy. And maybe, when I act like a big selfish jerk, Dave doesn't want me to be his mommy, either. But he still loves me anyway. Isn't that nice of him?Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-57924213644524131112012-02-27T18:36:00.002-08:002012-02-27T18:50:25.904-08:00Keeping Things Together ... ApartToday included a variety of planning failure -- forgot to put on my watch, got buried under stupid stuff the moment I got out bed, Dave was especially needy and did not give me my counted-on 45 minutes of peace after breakfast.<br /><br />Sigh.<br /><br />And this is how life looks when the husband is gone. ... messy. Dave is particularly needy because he's missing his Daddy time -- right when I'm particularly busy because his Daddy is not around to help me. I'm trying so hard to give him the attention he needs and craves (if only to make-up for the Daddy Gap), but meanwhile feeling pressure from work, housekeeping, hauling heavy things that I usually leave sitting in a conspicuous place until someone else (ahem) takes care of them ... that sort of thing.<br /><br />We ate lunch out. And then we ordered dinner out, too.<br /><br />I feel only a little bit guilty about this, as you can tell. I'm going to blame Huck. What a bad child, making his mommy do bad things like eat really delicious, not healthy food. Bad!<br /><br />But I DID manage to do everything on my to-do list today, INCLUDING blogging here! (TA-DA!) and reading to Dave. I am a MACHINE.<br /><br />And now for facts that don't belong anywhere, but I shall share with you because the dog doesn't care:<br /><br />- Dave may or may not think that the letter "A" is actually the letter "A Apple" and that the letter "Z" is not "Z" but "Zebra." He sees a "Z" he says "Zebra."<br />- Slightly related to the above. His overnight diapers, he informs me, have a picture of "poop" in the "bath" and a "zebra." Pretty much it's a picture of Pooh sleeping in a honey bowl -- the sleeping illustrated by "z"s. I can see how he got there.<br />- The other day at my OB appointment the doctor told me that Huck is "a good sized boy." Luke heard this as "he's a strapping man-child, like his dad!" and I took it as "OMG you are going to die giving birth to a FREAKING HUGE BABY." And that, folks, is the difference between men and women.<br />- Between the pilot of Burn Notice and episode three, the Fiona character basically lost an entire Irish accent.<br />- <a href="http://spousebuzz.com/blog/2011/03/heavy-days.html">This day is coming up shortly.</a> Wishing I was going to the Spouse Summit in D.C. so I could go by and say hello at Arlington on the day of. Tony -- I didn't know you at all, but I know your family now. You must've been a wonderful man to have such a fantastic group of people loving and supporting you.Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-24232790345000352832012-02-22T13:49:00.004-08:002012-02-23T04:54:53.319-08:00How Many Days to a "Habit?"I once read that it takes between two to three weeks to form a new habit. <div><br /></div><div>I contend that this is only true for things we find unpleasant. For example: it would definitely take me three weeks of cleaning up dog-doo every day at the same time for it to be something that I do as a matter of course. But it took me approximately two days to form the "habit" of drinking a homemade latte every morning. And boy is that habit awesome. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are a whole pile of things in my life that I would like to make habits of. Many of them are things that should already be habits but are not -- like wearing a watch so that we aren't constantly running just a tiny bit late. Or like spending at least 10 minutes a day reading to David and at least 10 minutes a day teaching him something. </div><div><br /></div><div>You would not believe how much trouble I have making those happen.</div><div><br /></div><div>You'd also be surprised by how much those two things - wearing a watch and working with David - go together. Every day I think "This morning we will sit down and talk about the letter "A" and then we will read a book!" And every day I get sucked into work or house keeping and then, before I know it, we are 15 minutes from having to leave for whatever appointment or play date or thing we have scheduled. The time always escapes me. And the person who suffers is always my sweet boy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Today I made yet another attempt at starting those two habits. As soon as he got out of bed I put on my watch. I made sure that a good hour before we had to leave for his craft time at the post YMCA we were sitting at his little table, talking about the letters A, B and C. Then we colored some pictures, then we did some puzzles.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was nice. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we got home from craft time/a stop at the playground, we read some books before his nap.</div><div><br /></div><div>And what do you know, I still managed to get done everything I would've done with that 40 extra minutes I dedicated to my little man. </div><div><br /></div><div>(I feel like such a bad mommy).</div><div><br /></div><div>Habit Day 1 - done.</div>Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-45885406866797643412012-02-21T05:50:00.002-08:002012-02-21T06:41:15.871-08:00Early Morning Trickery... Or "how to trick myself into capturing productivity before 0800."<br /><br />Most days I manage to get life started by 0600. That is, I am out of bed. I am wearing a shirt that is not what I slept in (but still in PJ pants). I am drinking my latte. I am pretending to do something productive.<br /><br />And that's the key -- pretending. Because on most days, although I am awake and up doing something ... I am not being productive. I am cruising the internet, blowing time on Facebook, or really anything except something that actually needs to be done. And we wonder why a perfectly reasonable to-do list ends the day with some things still on it.<br /><br />It's essential for me to immediately reign in my day the moment I get out of bed. To do so I've developed a few "personal best practices." Since you, obviously, are just itching to know what they are so that you can launch your morning into productivity overload, here we go:<br /><br />- Get up at the same time almost every day. Once a week I let myself sleep-in to whenever Dave wakes-up. The rest of the time I thrive on the consistency of a 0530 wake-up. If I'm exhausted I take a 20 to 40 minute power nap in the afternoon.<br />- Get at least semi dressed as soon as I get-up. I don't want to waste precious, Dave-free moments in the shower (I can trick him into playing while I shower later). But I DO want to feel a little more ready for the day than I did when I was, for example, asleep. I wash my face, put on a clean shirt, that sort of thing.<br />- Make a to-do list before anything else (but after making coffee. Some things are just more important). If I do not make a to-do list and organize my thoughts and priorities right away, they get dumped by the wayside for several hours as I instead fruitlessly look at <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/animals/pictures-of-rabbit-bathtime">photos of bunnies taking baths.</a><br />- Focus on focusing. Working on that to-do list takes dedication. And every time my mouse wanders towards a Facebook link or an article on <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/babymantis/10-recycled-dresses-1opu">dresses made from recyclables </a>I think ... is this on my list? Nope. DON'T DO IT.<br /><br />I'm not saying these tricks keep me on track every day ... but they help.<br /><br />What tricks have you found to getting your day off on the right track?Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-50813197306054406772012-02-20T10:42:00.003-08:002012-02-20T11:03:38.168-08:00Blog Agan = Home AgainI miss blogging for myself.<br /><br />It's been more than a year since I graced this page with my typed words -- a very busy year. Most of my writing time is spent over at <a href="http://spousebuzz.com/">SpouseBUZZ</a>, where I am the brand-spanking-new Managing Editor. I worked hard for more than a year to make that happen, knowing that someday the opportunity would come and they would actually hire me to blog about military spouse issues.<br /><br />Come, it did. And here I am.<br /><br />All work and only play in other places than on this blog (examples: racing, playing with Dave, etc.) has not left me a "dull boy." It has just left me with very little to say here.<br /><br />Still, there's something cathartic about blogging my own thoughts about things that have nothing to do with (or less to do with) being a military spouse. In short, I've missed it.<br /><br />Things that have happened since my post here last February:<br /><br />-- Dave has become a giant.<br />-- We moved to Kentucky, a place that is windy and not nearly as pleasant as our last two duty stations. It is also a place that does not have lovely places to run near our house.<br />-- Luke got a desk job. I feel bored for him.<br />-- I grew 9 months worth of a new human ... one month to go and then he will be all cooked. And then you can all meet him.<br />-- I did three triathlons, a half marathon, a 15k, an Urban Adventure Race, the Army 10 Miler and a 5k. I was 12 weeks pregnant during my last triathlon. During the Army 10 Miler I was 17 weeks pregnant -- and I STILL managed to do it faster this time than in 2010. The 5k was done when I was 24 weeks pregnant -- the last "long" run I did was 7 miles at 22 weeks pregnant. Then my Achilles tendon started hurting. Then I stopped running. I blame the unborn child.<br />-- I traveled to D.C. and home at least three times (I kind of lost count, honestly) and visited Boise, California, North and South Carolina, Washington, Georgia, Florida, Ohio and possibly somewhere else I'm forgetting.<br />-- I went crazy for two weeks and we bought a dog.<br /><br />I feel like I'm downplaying some sort of excitement - because that list makes things sound much more dull than they actually are.Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516798326409082111.post-26641387815783311692011-02-02T07:05:00.000-08:002011-02-02T07:11:36.326-08:00What We're EatingI don't usually post recipes here (heck, it seems like I don't "usually" post anything here anymore), but we've been eating such delicious things on the cheap recently that I just have to share. Here's a small sampling:<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spinach-Quiche/Detail.aspx">Spinach quiche</a></div><div><a href="http://keepinglifecreative.com/keeping-home/yummy/mexican-shepherds-pie/">Mexican Shepherd's Pie</a></div><div><a href="http://www.5dollardinners.com/2010/10/black-bean-salsa-soup.html">Black Bean with Chicken Salsa Soup</a></div><div><a href="http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/butternut-squash-soup">Butternut Squash Soup</a></div><div><a href="http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/beef-nacho-casserole">Beef Nacho Casserole</a></div><div><a href="http://www.5dollardinners.com/2010/11/slow-cooker-beef-vegetable-soup.html">Slow Cooker Beef and Veggie Soup</a></div><div><br /></div><div>All soooo good.</div>Amy Bushatzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01245886241422414151noreply@blogger.com1