The Whole 30 in Review

I just realized I never posted any sort of wrap up to the Whole 30 diet Mark and I took up for 30 days. We completed the "diet" on Tuesday, April 17th (just 5 days before the hospital gala I coordinate).  I continued to eat Whole 30 until Friday. On Friday I was at the Northland Inn until after 10 pm setting up with our two fabulous event co-chairs. I drank wine and ate chicken wings and calamari. The wine was fine. The food was so so.  I would have prefered something else...

Saturday I ate Godfather's Pizza, since that is what I ordered for the Crystal Ball set up volunteers. It was okay, but felt all around too doughy for me. It was my first encounter with cheese and bread for more then 30 days. I didn't get sick, but I didn't feel great either. Since then, I have endulged in dessert one day at lunch. I have had a burger and fries too. I took the kids for donut's at Jack's on Friday and we re-engaged in Thomberg Family Pizza night.

So here is the end result on April 17th.

• Mark lost 20 pounds!
• Andrea lost 10 pounds.

Where do we go from here?

• I have continued to eat a mostly "paleo" diet.
• I eat limited dairy.
• I am back to my 'Bou latte fixes (with skim milk).
• I  had a cheeseburger and fries when Dad took us to the Galaxy Drive in last week.
• I have drank beer, wine, and so forth.
• I have taken back a pound or two.
• Overall, I plan to continue to eat in this manner in the future when I can.
• I liked the diet.
• Many of the things I learned are becoming habit for Mark and I.
• I feel very good about the diet.
• I had an intense desire for DQ yesterday, and it was tasty.
• Mark and I will totally continue with our protien and heathy fat breakfasts.

Did we cheat on the Whole 30?

• Mark and I shared a small popcorn at the movies for Mark's birthday
• I ate a piece of a cookie on Easter
• I ate a rather large slice of POPPYSEED CAKE that I baked for my Dad for his Birthday in April. We served it after dinner at Lola's in Waconia, where we met family on a Sunday evening. It was DE-LISH. There was NO WAY I was going to pass it up. I also licked the batter when I baked it.

New Recipes we will continue to make

• Salty Fudge Bombs
• Chicken drummies seasoned and baked on high heat until crisp
• Chinese 5 spice ribs in the crock pot
• Vegetable marinara sauce
• My green breakfast smoothies

Things that are now a staple in my pantry

• Coconut milk
• Avocado oil
• raw shredded coconut
• Kambuchi drink
• Salsa with no sugar added
• Avocados

That's about all folks. Carry on....

No training wheels!

**Disclosure! Dean and Marly should have on helmets. Children SHOULD wear bike helmets. This was BAD parenting for Mark and I to let Dean take off his training wheels with out a helmet. I accidentally ran the helmet over this past winter in the garage when it rolled off the shelf, and forgot to replace it. Then one night, Mark and the kids were outside.... and there was Dean all ready to lose two extra wheels!

Marly has one training wheel off. This is Mark's bizarre method of teaching.

Look at my five year olds roll!

Oh gosh.... thinking back to my curly haired girl when we moved in... hot to trot on her TRIKE!

Easter!

Better late then never! Easter 2012
We attended church, took photos in the yard, then headed to Brett and Rachel's for dinner, an Easter Egg hunt, and a round of croquet.

The kids refused to cooperate, and thought they were oh so funny!

Beautfiul weather all day.

Our foursome!

Hunting for Eggs.

Brett Rachel and Baby Charlie!

Papa and Nana!

Grandpa and Grandma Lester and Edith with the apple of their eye!



No Time

I am busy.
Work is busy.
Life is busy.

THERE IS NO TIME TO BLOG RIGHT NOW

The post of Dean riding his bike with NO TRAINING wheels will have to wait.
The post of Easter with my kids wearing coordinating pastel outfits and hunting for eggs will have to wait.
The post of the Jazzing taking place in our basement family room will have to wait.

Too many other things to do.

Back in a week?!?

Whole 30 - Anniversary, Birthday, Easter

I think as I type, Mark and I are on day 23 of the Whole 30. I am LOVING this style of healthy eating. I plan to continue many of the practices long beyond 30 days, and hopefully forever.

I haven't had time to upload any photos of the Twinner's in pastel Easter attire or the egg hunt, etc. but I will take a moment to update you on the Whole 30 and how is played out over our wedding anniversay, Mark's Birthday, and Easter with the family.

First off, Mark and I "celebrated" our 9th anniversary. I use the word "celebrated" loosely. We went to work, we came home, we quickly ate some steak and grilled vegetables. I handed Mark some tulips. I took the kids to a birthday party at an indoor play center.

Friday was Mark's 39th Birthday. My girlfriend Jesse came at 7 pm to babysit. Mark and I wanted to get a bite to eat and catch American Reunion. We only had time for Chipolte. We stayed mostly Whole 30 compliant by having the carnitas as a salad. The only slight infraction was eating the fajita vegetables. I later learned they are sauted in soybean oil. We had tomato salsa and guacamole on our salad. No dressing we needed. We headed to the movies, and then we debated, and then we did it. WE BROKE THE WHOLE 30. We indulged in a small popcorn with lots of fake butter. We enjoyed it, but I actually didn't love it as much as I expected.

Sunday was Easter. I brought mashed sweet potatoes, a few finger foods for appetizers, and a tropical fruit salad that was an epic failure. It was totally mushy. Mark and I ate the ham. I am SURE there was sugar added to the ham, but life isn't perfect and niether is any diet. I saw Mark nibble on the blueberry cheddar cheese I brought, and sneak a sugar cookie. I ate the head off a bunny sugar cookie too! It was two tasty frostted little bunny ears. Yes... I did! Other then that, we remained compliant. Neither of us ate ANY Easter Candy. And---It was OKAY. I put one jelly bean in my mouth when I was cleaning up at the end of the night. The sweetness was overwhelming, was not nearly the satisfaction I expected, and I spit it out.

I did make these Sweet and Salty Fudge Bombs. These area a TOTAL treat, but they are Paleo (Whole 30) compliant. They were fantastic and solved my quest for CANDY!

Boring... but its all I have time for right now.

Jazzing it Up - Easter

By now you get the idea. I decorate for EVERY holiday.
So here comes Easter and Spring!

The Buffet - An black metal/wire tree we got from who knows where. It is decorated with non-breakable eggs the kids made last year. A very pretty lily on the floor to the right. Branches I DIDN'T have to force (because they were already budding) on the floor to the left. A "spring" banner from Target (this season).

My mom use to "force" an Easter egg tree EVERY year in a coffee can of sand, wrapped in spring paper. Brett and I would decorate it with my mom's hand blown/decorated eggs. A bevy of thrifted milk glass. A thrifted bunny. Blue Ikea vases. Thrifted silver tray. Our palm leaves from church are in the vase on the right.

The Ikea photo shelves - A lot of thirfted bunnies. Ikea platters from our wedding. A little blown glass egg Chris gave me several years back. The Tiffany vase Cindy gave me before I got married, with fake flowers.

More Ikea shelves - A Waterford bowl that usually stays on the top, no matter the season. A Department 56 bunny my Aunt Jan gave me many moons ago. A porcelain Easter basket that was a wedding gift (I think...) Another thrifted bunny. A white plastic bunny and one blue bird from the Target dollar spot.More thrifted milk glass - Fenton this time.The front door - Two neat-o signs from this Etsy seller!

Bunny statues from HomeGoods. Metal flowers from JoAnne Fabrics in the plant stand with live branches too.

Happy Easter to you All!

**Jesus can rise on Sunday morning... The Easter Bunny is all ready at the Thomberg Residence!!!**

Whole 30 - In the house

Mark and I are more than 1/2 way through the Whole 30. I thought I would share some of the foods and products you will find in our house.

In the Refrigerator
black and green olives, ghee, left overs of all sorts, medjool dates and figs, fruits and vegetables (blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, asparagus, kale, spinach, etc), salsa (no sugar added), coconut milk, Kumbucha, organic eggs from Costco, milk for the kids, lemon juice, sunbutter, coconut aminos, and more.

In the Pantry

Coconut oil, vinegars, olive oil, avocado oil, olives, raw sunflower seeds, raw almonds, walnuts, tomatoes, dried coconut flakes (no sugar added), spices, and more.

On the Counter

Avocados,apples, mangoes, ginger, shallots, garlic, lemons, sweet potatoes, onions, and more.

In the Crockpot

Chinese 5-spice rubbed pork ribs, pot roast, and more.

In the Oven

Brussel sprouts baked and browned until crispy with olive oil and sea salt, green beans, asparagus, kale chips, and more.

On the Table

Mashed sweet potatoes, mashed cauliflower (instead of potatoes) and more.

Turkey sliders with apples and walnuts, home made guacamole, chicken fajitas wrapped in lettuce, fried eggs or scrambled eggs most mornings, moracan chicken, coconut shrimp, and more.

On the internet

Googling for recipes and info on products, often linking through the Whole 30 site.

Just a little glimpse.

Not pictured - My blender/food processor I use to mash vegetables, make soup, or whip up "green" smoothies for breakfast. You never quite know what is going to end up in my morning smoothies. It is always a mystery, but usually involves a fruit or vegetable on the verge of wilt! I have really taken to the smoothies as an outstanding source of vitamins in the AM. I actually like them. Mark acts like he is gagging every morning at breakfast, and prefers the fat and protien portion of the meal.

Not pictured - Me reading labels at the grocery store, looking for added sugar and etc. Mark and I making a Whole Foods run for cocunut aminos, sunflower seed butter, and more.

Not pictured - Me eating my tasty carrot soup at lunch, that I made from the left over carrots from Sunday's pot roast.

Not pictured - My kids asking for MORE strawberry and celery smoothie as a bedtime snack. Yup, mommy hid those veggies real good. They ate it in place of the yogurt they requested. They also munched on kale chips with me.

Just Dean

These might be embarrassing when he is old enough to graduate or get married...

Love, Mom

No April Fool'n

Sunday was Palm Sunday.
Coincidentally, it was also April 1.

The kids sang and waved their palm leaves in church.

We returned later in the afternoon for an Easter Egg'stravaganza.

I snapped these two photos before the camera battery died.

Once again it was nearly 70 degrees.

We returned home and Mark mowed the lawn!

No April Fool's Day joke.

His bagger needed to be dumped twice (in APRIL).

Meanwhile, the kids picked up a wagon load of sticks from the yard.

Marly and Dean each earned $1.

These 5 year old Twinner's can be hard workers when motivated by four quarters.

That's value for the dollar.