It’s not really Friday is it? Seriously—how is that possible? Feels like this week just flew on by.
Well, it is Friday. And since I didn’t update y’all on the Eat It Real Challenge last week, I guess I better fill you in (see first update here). After all, you’re all sitting on the edge of your seats dying to know how we’re coming along, huh? My family has been getting a kick out of our endeavors and some of them experienced the experiment first hand as we treated them to a meal from scratch. All the way down to the cream puffs for dessert.
I’ll start by being honest. This current week has been the weakest week of all. Last week we continued to carry on strong by making homemade tortillas (which were amazing) and homemade pizza. Even the pizza sauce was from scratch and ZOMG was it good. Seriously good. I couldn't even think to take a picture until we were packaging up the leftovers!
The struggles: The struggles are still lunch and snacks. Especially now that I’ve discovered Easter candy is out and about. I cannot resist those Chicks, Ducks, and Bunnies (Sweetarts) for the life of me. Thank goodness the malt ball eggs are already gone so I don’t have to worry about eating any more of them. BUT, this little project wasn’t about dieting, so I’m trying not to be so hard on myself. And I’m not sure what my struggle is with lunch! I guess it all boils down to not having made bread for sandwiches, though lunch meat is processed, and not really knowing what else to bring to work with me besides leftovers. I’ve been down to the cafeteria more this week than I have in a long time.
Breakfast has been better though—I’m still eating the Crockpot Steel-cut Oats and have grown to like them quite a bit! I didn’t have any last Friday for breakfast so I resorted to a pack of my normal oatmeal (Maple and Brown Sugar Instant) and couldn’t believe how much it was like eating glue. YICK! During the weekends Scott and I have continued our breakfast traditions and discovered a pretty dang yummy pancake recipe (will have to ask Scott for link). We did attempt waffles but need to experiment more as I preferred our normal Krustez box kind.
But did I mention the tortillas?
Now…some frequently asked questions.
Do I feel better physically? Honestly no (not that I feel bad...). But I think that the Easter candy doesn’t help in that department.
Have I lost any weight? Well, I did and then I didn’t. Again, I’m going to blame the blasted Easter candy. And I don’t think that the initial weight loss (of like two pounds) could really be attributed to the eating. Trust me—I was eating my weight in bread, and spaghetti, and pizza, and… as it all tasted so much better than the other stuff.
Have I seen an increase or decrease in grocery bills? Not really. Well, maybe a bit of a decrease but I'm not really sure. I have noticed that I spend more time on the periphery of the grocery store, which is what you're supposed to do. I have less in my cart, and if it weren't for the giant mirror I bought at Target and the dang baby formula, I'm guessing the bill would be lower.
My next and final update will be on April 7th. I'm still hoping to make some snacks--like ice cream and granola before then. And also try my hand at sandwich bread again. Dinners we have down pat--but the rest is still a work in progress.
What about you?! Is the Easter Candy getting to you as well? ;)
So many things to comment to in this post! I apologize in advance.
ReplyDelete1. We don't make homemade pizza anymore. I discovered that I much prefer store-made pizza, and that store-made pizza is about half the price as homemade pizza, and I eat about three times the number of calories with homemade as storebought while feeling less satisfied. I can seriously eat like an entire homemade pizza and not feel full, whereas I'll eat a slice or three of dominoes or Little Caesars and be fine. After I discovered that, we stopped making homemade pizza.
2. The only homemade bread I can eat is French bread. Anything cooked in a breadmaker or which smells strongly of yeast while rising/cooking makes me nauseous-ill. That started with one of my pregnancies (can't remember which) and has never gone away.
3. I think I've said this before, but we *always* have leftovers for lunch the next day. Every dinner we make is doubled and serves for lunch for all five of us the next day. It's so much simpler that way! We've been doing that for over a decade and it works really well for us.
4. I have managed to avoid Easter candy altogether except one mini-pack of mini-cadbury eggs. I love those so much and Jason brought me home a package before all the mini-packs were sold and my only choice was a large bag. I'm avoiding groceries stores right now because those mini-eggs are the one thing I really have very little self-control about. Now that they make them around Christmas too, it's even worse! Thankfully they're still only available twice a year!
5. Homemade tortillas are a gift to man. Oh my god. And so terrible for you, haha!
6. I'm not a big fan of homemade ice cream, but I do love homemade gelato. If I ever make ice cream by hand, it's always the gelato kind. Regular ice cream takes too much like heavy whipping cream to me. Never gets enough air in it.
Okay, I think that's all. :D
Amanda - I wonder if it might just be the recipes that you are using for bread? We've made several different types of bread during this journey (maybe four not including the pizza dough) and none of them were yeasty at all. The dough for the pizza might also account for why it didn't leave you feeling full. The pizza we made wasn't very big in diameter but the dough was a double-rising recipe and so it was very filling. Think we each only had two slices and some for leftovers. The sauce was sweet and spicy--I'm not a big fan of restaurant or store-bought sauces because they're too tomatoey for my taste.
DeleteIn terms of the leftovers, we usually eat leftovers the next night or two nights later so that we don't have to cook every night. Hard to spend time in the kitchen every night with a baby! If we've had leftovers for two nights then I'll take them to work if there's anything left over. We've also been putting stuff in the freezer to make quick meals for later.
The tortilla recipe I used called for oil rather than butter. A little better for you, but luckily they were so full-filling that we didn't eat very many. The rest went into the freezer!
Mmmmm, Gelato. :)
Those Cadbury mini-eggs are my downfall. So addictive!
DeleteI'm one of those weird people who have extra-sensitive tastebuds and can also smell really minute scents. If there's any yeast at all used in a bread, I can smell it, and the wetter the dough, the worse it is. Anything cooked in a breadmaker is off-limits for me, haha! The French bread recipe we have is really dry and rises slowly over many, many hours, with multiple punch-downs, and so I don't smell the yeast as badly with it. If I went right up to it and sniffed, it would make me sick, but it's not like with other breads, where the smell of the rising or baking permeates through the whole house. Most people love that smell, but not me!
DeleteAh, yeah, we cook a new meal every night, so the leftovers work well for the next day. I think our tortilla recipe uses oil as well. My problem with them is that they are filling, but they're so good I could eat tons! :D
The pizza is a weird one. I make my pizza crust from scratch and it's really good. But no matter how we make the sauce/cheese/toppings, they just aren't as good as the ones from pizza places. We've tried a million different ways, but they never leave me satisfied! So sad.
I posted my update yesterday - and I've got to admit I'm not doing nearly as well as you. Mostly just out of laziness. I'm impressed with the homemade tortillas - they look wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYour homemade stuff looks beautiful! Easter candy is a real problem. I mean seriously, what could be better than Reese's peanut butter eggs? except maybe Reese's "Reester Bunny."
ReplyDeleteHomemade pizza is so good! I have a recipe I'll email you that you can fill with vegetables and it can fill you up more calorie-economically!
I have difficulty with lunch as well, and I'm at home. I find I eat better lunches when I'm making it for the family. I'm always at a loss to figure out what to make just for myself.
ReplyDeleteEaster candy is a weakness of mine. Lately my husband has been doing most of the shopping so I haven't had to go to the store and be tempted by all the colorful bags.
I have noticed that eating healthier and cooking from scratch aren't always less expensive. Often times it's more. I guess that's not the reason that I try to do it to some extent. I just figure the long-term benefits are worth it for myself and my family.
I have no sense around Easter candy so I gave it up for good a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteHave you looked at bento boxes? Those look so cute to me and might be a way to start developing a lunch habit that isn't leftover based.
For sandwich fillings, I go for bean spreads because I can make them ahead and use them for several days. Hummus works. But other beans and spice combinations can be a fine sandwich filling as well. If you're not doing this to lose weight, peanut butter and jelly could work well. Would it meet your criteria, to go with the grind your own peanut butter and some jelly from the Farmers Market?
Your photos made me hungry! It's a good thing it's about time for lunch!
*Tami - It does seem to take a bit more work to eat naturally!
ReplyDelete*Rhapsody - Reester Bunny?! That's the best thing I've heard all day. :)
*Kristi - If it's just me and I'm at home then I usually just graze during lunch. ;) Weekends I'll eat leftovers if we have them. I do like Egg Salad, so maybe I'll hardboil some eggs this weekend and make bread. Mmmm, bread. :) And I agree with the cost but I find that I'm less likely to add fillers to my cart now than I used to. Plus we haven't started eating organic--that helps keep the cost down a bit.
*Joy Weese Moll - I have looked at Bento Boxes and I'd love to do something similar for my husband who has allergies to fruits and veggies (fresh). I hadn't thought about beans and spice--probably also a great way to use my Food Processor! Do you include anything else on the sandwich? And yes, I do plan on trying to make some PB&J as that's typically my go-to lunch if I'm not eating something frozen or leftovers. This weekend!! :)
The bean spreads I've tried are usually enough by themselves. Sometimes I'll add a little mayo if it's tasting too dry or too healthy :-).
DeleteIt sounds like you have some delicious new recipes to add to a weekly rotation! I really need to make tortillas one of these days :) Have you tried coconut oil in anything? I made the switch from veg. oil to coconut oil a few months ago because it is SO much better for you, and there is no taste or texture difference.
ReplyDeleteI haven't bought any Easter candy yet, but I still can't stop baking. I think I need to go to a baked goods anonomous group or something. At least it's homemade? Is that an ok rationalization?
Funny-at our MOPS meeting this morning, our speaker spoke on the importance of Family Dinners on the impact of kids, and also about clean eating. It is SUCH a big deal these days, which is great because there are lots of tips and recipes readily available.
Anyways...even if you had a not-so-great-week this week, it's all about making changes slowly, right? And even if you have something processed here and there, that is WAY better than eating mostly processed food :)
My easter candy solution is to fill the candy dish with jelly beans because the husband and the kid love them so they aren't complaining that there's nothing around but I don't really like them so I don't snack on them. I'm only in trouble after the easter bunny comes with all of that delicious See's candy. Oh, evil bunny!
ReplyDeleteAnd you've inspired me. The next time I need tortillas, I'm going to make them with that recipe. It's stuff I always have around (unlike shortening) and it seems easy enough. Yay!
No Easter candy here . . . yet. I bet a diet like that would really pay off in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna have to go buy bunnies chicks and ducks and mini cadbury eggs and stash them for after.
ReplyDeleteThe pizza looks great! Did you freeze some sauce while you were at it? So if you went straight to the Mexican market and bought the tortillas that they're making on the premises would that fulfill your challenge?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, you've inspired me to try steel cut oats - I might even get the crockpot out tonight for them!
I eat Quaker old fashioned oats most mornings. Do they count as processed? I make some overnight concoction with chia seeds and sometimes greek yogurt.
ReplyDeletelunches...i make a casserole on sundays and poriton it out for lunch for the week. Or have canned tuna fish with mayo. Guessing those are processed but it's better than no lunch. I work across the street from a college, and those lunch trucks are freaking delicious and cheap. I can't be trusted.
i think your effort is worth it and you're paying attnetion to what you're eating. maybe not completely natural but still good things to me :)
The pictures you have shared do look yummy! Especially the homemade tortillas. I love these posts and reading about your experiences with this are so interesting! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThat pizza looks awesome! We make pizza once a week, but only use Mozzarella. Yours looks like it has some sort of Cheddar on it, too. Need to do that with mine. You can never have too much cheese! :)
ReplyDeleteI can see how lunches would be tough. I usually have a salad or yogurt with granola. You could make the granola, but yogurt is a bit more involved (although, not impossible). How about roasting a chicken and using that for sandwich meat? Throw it in one of those homemade tortillas. Or sauteed & chilled shrimp & avocados in a tortilla? Or a hardboiled egg with some fruit and homemade tortilla chips?
My hubby eats the Trader Joe's instant oatmeal and I'd like to get him to switch to Quaker Oats non-instant, which is what I eat every morning (with a handful of walnuts and blueberries with a little drizzle of honey). So filling and so good for you! I eat it around 8 and I'm rarely hungry for lunch until after 1. Another good breakfast is oatmeal pancakes (chilled) with some peanut butter spread on one to make a little sandwich. Guess you'd have to make your own peanut butter, though! ;)
The Easter candy isn't getting to me, but the chocolate-covered macadamia nuts from Hawaii are!! I wish Rod would hurry up and finish them off so I wouldn't be tempted. I'm still trying to lose the weight I gained from all the Mai Tais I drank over there. ;)
*Laura - I haven't tried coconut oil but when I went to the grocery store the other day I looked for it and it seemed to be a lot more expensive. Have you found that to be true? And yes, homemade goodies is a perfect rationalization. ;)
ReplyDelete*Kristen M. - LOL! Evil Easter Bunny is right! Since I've eaten all of the Easter candy I bought, my jeans are already feeling a bit better than they were when I was snacking all day. Ha! And definitely try the tortillas--they were very yummy!
*bermudaonion - Resisting the Easter candy, huh? Hope the bunny pays you a visit soon.
*Lisa/bookslistslife - Do it! Stop trying to resist the candy!
*Lisa/litandlife - I didn't make enough sauce to freeze but it was so easy that it wouldn't be trouble to make it quickly again. And yes, tortillas made at the market would probably count. Ha!
*Jenny Girl - I think the old fashioned oats are good but I was eating the instant flavored packets rather than flavoring the oatmeal myself. Great idea for making a big casserole on the weekends and eating it throughout the week! I've also started buying rotisserie chickens and cutting the meat up to eat throughout the week--and Elle can eat it, too. Thanks for the vote of confidence. ;)
*Sam - We've been in a bit of trouble because of how yummy the homemade food tastes. Ha! Good thing we haven't made things like ice cream or cookies otherwise we'd be in big trouble! :)
*Les - I'm not sure what the cheese is that we used for the pizza. I'm bad and buy the already grated cheese at the store and this one was specifically called "Pizza." Ha! Maybe cheddar and mozzerella? And I had a major AHA moment at the grocery store the other day when I realized I could be eating salad for lunch! Of course I was in a hurry so didn't grab the veggies I wanted, but will definitely be doing that next week. I even wondered if I could shredd the chicken in my Food Processor? Such great ideas. And chocolate-covered macadamia nuts? *dies* :)
This is a good idea. My husband and I try to keep from eating to many processed things, but it still happens sometimes. We do usually make our own dinners every single night, though, so I still feel pretty good about our eating habits :]
ReplyDelete*Jasmine Rose - I think being aware of what you're eating is really the main part. Though I will say that after our challenge ended this past weekend, hub picked up a package (or two) of Mac and Cheese at the grocery. Ha! Guess some habits die hard. Thanks for coming by. :)
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