whole30 afterthoughts

They said it would change my life; who knew they meant it?

I finished my first Whole30 on November 6 of this year. I experienced no cravings, though that may be a result of making relatively few changes in my diet, and really only mild bathroom scale withdrawal, though if you've read my posts, it may sound more than mild.

Because of the minor changes this program required of me, I didn't expect miracles. I mean some people are giving up sugar and dairy as they start the Whole30. Neither has been a big part of my life. In fact I have not had a taste of cheese, cream, butter or any other dairy product for well over a year. So I wasn't looking for magic; I was looking for improvement. I'm still not 100% sure of what I got, but I am completely sure it has changed my life.

Since November 6, I've been using my scale almost regularly. I think it's fun. I don't think it's meaningful. I've also had wine on a few occasions, though I absolutely refuse to drink so-so wine anymore. I'm also not sure yet what to think of the wine thing. It is not likely to become regular again. I have not added a single other food back into my diet. I've given myself permission to do that. I've reviewed the suggestions for how to do so in the Success Guide. I just haven't felt any desire to do so.

I am writing this two days after Thanksgiving, and I must add that our family Thanksgiving dinner is huge. It's also my favorite meal to help prepare. I tried to give myself permission to sample any dishes that are not off my plate for life due to allergies and such. I made the stuffing completely gluten-free, though not grain-free. I just didn't want to eat it. I didn't want the mashed potatoes. I was not remotely tempted by bread. Even pies and whipped cream did not appeal to me. I did wish for a moment that I'd been able to make a "Paleo-fied" almond flour tart or pie as I'd planned. (Had to pass on that because my oven is being temperamental at the moment.) It felt a bit odd. For dessert, by choice, I ate some beautiful hearts of celery that Kristen had included in our traditional relish tray.

I no longer ever even consider eating out, unless by unavoidable necessity, but it doesn't feel like I'm giving up a thing. Seriously, it's no sacrifice at all. I never, I mean absolutely never, buy anything prepared whether frozen, canned, or fresh. Yes, it takes a little time, but really very little. I work full-time and do all the cooking here, and I do not live in the kitchen. Some of you know me better than others, but either way, the simple fact that I blog about my relationship with food is a pretty clear indication that we're tight, food and I. I've been somewhat of a foodie since birth. I still am. But what has changed for me in the most seemingly subtle way is that even more than before, I now think of only fresh, natural,  unprocessed products of field and farm as food.

Thanks again, Whole9, I'm seriously impressed.

figuring out the holidays

I'm having a rough time right now wrapping my head (and heart) around festive holiday food. I know much of it comes from the emphasis all around us on sugar, sugar, sugar as we move into December. It's everywhere. And it's enticing to say the least. It's bright and beautiful. It's nostalgic. It's all kinds of wonderful. It's just not really...well, food.

I used to love to bake, to make candies, and put together fun little gift packages for family and friends. Even when I stopped doing that, I still thought about it every year. Now, somehow, it has a really sinister feel.

I felt a bit of that as I prepared dishes for our Thanksgiving Day dinner this year. Though I, personally, keep my diet pretty clean, this was not a Paleo or primal meal, nor was it gluten-free. The fact that I was not eating the questionable foods nor cooking with gluten, myself, did not make me feel much better about it. When we cook for people because we love them, we want to serve them foods they love and look forward to eating. I ordered a locally grown, organic turkey. Made sure we had the favored Turtle Island not-turkey for the vegetarians. We focus a lot on food safety, poultry guidelines, expiration dates, how long foods sit out before and after serving. We try to keep the hot foods hot and the cold foods cold as long as possible. We certainly don't want to make anyone sick. So why, then, I must ask myself, am I serving my family crap?

I personally, without coercion and with full knowledge, baked and mashed 12 pounds of potatoes adding a cup of butter, 2 of sour cream, and half a pound of cream cheese. This I "thinned" with another half cup of whipping cream. Jeez!  I also made a favorite of some family members, creamed onions, pearl onions with heavy cream, butter, and sweet rice flour. Sure they loved them. No, I didn't even taste them. But there's a problem here, a big problem. If I won't eat these foods, how in the world can I serve them with a smile to those I love?

I'm still working on this one. It's quite the quandary, and I'd love to know how others handle it.

don't cook (much) on thanksgiving

Sacrilege, I know, but hear me out.

I love Thanksgiving, and I always, always, always insist on hosting our family's Thanksgiving dinner. I've been doing this since my now adult children were tiny. I've always loved the planning and the shopping and the days of preparation. But by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I was tired and cranky and pretty hard to take.

There are just over 20 of us for dinner these days, and somehow over time, we seem to have taken a holiday known for its excess and skyrocketed it to new dimensions. Seriously, we have a roast turkey or two, a faux turkey for the vegetarians, two or three kinds of stuffing or dressing (one of which will be vegetarian), mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, turkey gravy, vegetarian mushroom gravy, fruit salad, tabbouleh, Brussels sprouts, creamed onions, corn, a few additional vegetables, fresh cranberry sauce, jelled cranberry sauce, several varieties of dinner rolls. Then if someone wants to try something new like mashed cauliflower, it is added to the list. We don't replace; we don't substitute; we add. I didn't even mention pies here, as that would be another full page, and usually, I don't make any of the desserts on Thanksgiving. I should be clear here, very clear. I do not do all the cooking, not by a long shot. Many, many other people work for days, as well.

I mentioned recently to my daughter, Kristen, how much I enjoyed entertaining, having parties. Her response startled me at first, then I realized she was right on the money. She said, "No you don't, you hate it. You like the idea of having parties." What an awful thought, worse because it was true. I love the preparation and planning, but by the time a party has materialized, I am so damned tired and irritable, I just want to find a quiet corner and curl up for a week or two.

Working our way through this has not been quick, nor has it been very easy. One recent year, after we raced to get the 1500 dishes on the table, get everyone seated, trip over those who wanted to hang out in the kitchen to visit, and finally sat down to cold food that should have been hot and warm food that should have been cold, it hit us. If it's going to be cold anyway, why worry about cooking the gravy just before you serve it? Why boil, drain, and mash the potatoes in a kitchen already filled with pots and pans and people running in all directions? If it's going to be cold anyway, why try to time the turkey so that it has precisely 30 minutes to rest? Phooey, let's make it ahead and serve it dry and cold and tasteless. Yeah, that won't work, but something has got to. And something certainly does.

 I have, at long last, found a way to enjoy it all. After all, restaurants don't cook everything last minute. They couldn't. Good ones know what holds for a few days or a few hours, what can be frozen even weeks in advance, and what really needs that last few minutes of your time.

Today, 9 days ahead of Thanksgiving, I plan to make creamed onions and freeze them in an oven-safe serving dish that will make it all the way to the table. I love making creamed onions, though I don't eat them anymore. I love to take my time and enjoy making them. I can do that today; I cannot do it next Wednesday or Thursday. Other dishes that can be made a week ahead and frozen include many vegetables, sweet potatoes or squash, even gravy. Mashed potatoes can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator. They are incredibly easy to reheat in a crock pot (at our house we sometimes use two.) 

Tonight I'll also start turkey stock, continue really, I started it yesterday. I'll cook a turkey breast and hind quarters separately the day before Thanksgiving to be sure we have enough to slice and serve without my brother, Bob, having to stand and carve the turkey I'll roast on the big day, all through dinner.

turkey hind quarters, browned under the oven broiler and ready to simmer with aromatics for stock

I will make vegetarian foods one day and those with meat on a different day. This not only keeps the vegetarian dishes meat-safe, it keeps them from contaminating the gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo-friendly dishes I look forward to eating.

I'll add some more details in the next few days, including my suggestion for exceptionally good, though not dairy-free, mashed potatoes.

For some really good ideas of what to serve and suggestions for even more sources, check any of these recent posts. They're all good and mostly all Paleo. Some are even Whole30 approved.

Whole9 Thanksgiving
Ginger Lemon Girl Thanksgiving
Food Lovers Primal Palate Paleo Thanksgiving Recipes