Fresh March, almost done.

Well, the praise wasn't as big this week on my food flavors, but I think it's just because everyone had a rough week.  Also, I don't think my dinner selections were as creative this week as they had been the past few, mostly because of how tired I am.

Monday, we had our usual "Maxwell's soup" which is a crockpot chicken, veggie, and salsa mixture.  Tuesday, I made a pork version of this, with a Jalapeno beer and veggies.  It was surprisingly very spicy, but the kids loved it.  Wednesday, I made mahi-mahi over a bed of warmed greens and an avocado chipotle aioli.  Thursday, I made pizza.  Well, actually, the whole family made pizza. It is always a fun night. Friday, I made cauliflower "rice" and chipotle ground turkey.  The kids loved it, but my husband was devastated that I didn't make the ribs, which were still thawing in the fridge.  So, on Saturday, I made ribs and kale chips.  Okay, I know, not the most creative of weeks, but still good and tasty and good for us.  I also made cherry dark chocolate snack bars for the kids, zucchini bread, and strawberry yogurt popsicles.

So, to the results so far.  I'm tired.  More tired than I've been in a very long time.  I don't know if it is from all of the extra work, or the new workout program that I started about a month ago, or something else, but I'm really, very tired.  I think I've lost a pound, but nothing else.

Another thing I wanted to talk about was cost.  I shopped at Trader Joe's for more healthy options than what is offered at HEB.  Meats and cheeses cost more, but vegetables and such were less, so it ended up being about the same as any normal month.  What made it a pain, is that I can't get everything I need from Trader Joes.  I had to make 3 extra trips to HEB to get things that I couldn't get at Trader Joes.  So, making extra shopping trips just added to my tiredness.

We still have 2 days left in the month.  I think I'm going to do my best to continue with the Fresh cooking and eating.  I'm not going to buy anymore processed snack foods for my kids.  My  bars are better for them and they taste better too.  I'm going to keep trying to make as much from scratch as I can, including pasta and breads.  My family seems to like it better and it is better for them.  I can do that for them, no matter how tired it makes me.

I'll post one more update at the very end of the month with my measurement update.

Barbecue ribs and kale chips

Blackened mahi-mahi on warmed greens with an avocado chipotle aioli

Fresh March, week 3, done

Fresh March is continuing and I'm quite tired.  My husband says that the food has been way better this month that it has been in a long time.  I guess, making everything from scratch will do that.

On Monday, I made "Maxwell's soup."  It is hands-down, Maxwell's favorite meal.  It's a crockpot chicken, veggies and salsa that he just loves.  On Tuesday, it was St. Patrick's day, so I made Bangers and Sauerkraut.  On Wednesday, I made a salad with a roasted chicken and spinach and feta cheese.  On Thursday, I made seafood risotto.  Friday, my husband and I had date night.  Saturday, we made spinach pasta as a family and I made lasagna.  And, tonight, I made the leftover pasta to make a stroganoff-type dish with pulled pork.  I also, made popsicles for the kids, which they loved.  I had a busy week and didn't get a lot of time to make stuff outside of just the meals, but we had some good dinners and everything is all made here.

On to the results: Well, I still feel really tired.  I don't feel any extra energy.  I don't feel healthier at all.  But, my family does seem to be happier.  They like the food a lot better.  My kids are eating seconds of most meals instead of fighting me to just finish their plates.  They beg for my homemade bars for snack.

This week, I hope to make more bars, since I'm almost out and come up with some more yummy meals.

Lasagna, with spinach pasta

seafood risotto

Greek yogurt popsicle

Pork Grunt

Week 2 of Fresh March, done

Okay, week two is complete and it was spring break.  So, I didn't have my time without the kids to get stuff done.  So, it was a bit challenging, but we made it.  Plus, we had pi day to celebrate!

I made cashew butter (roasted my own cashews and then blended them into butter).  I made a berry pie.  I made pizza dough, so the family could do make-your-own-pizzas. I made banana-zucchini bread.  And, I made up a new meal for the kids, which they loved!  Hard boiled eggs with bunny snacks and bananas.  What are bunny snacks, you ask?  Well, you slice up a carrot and place between the two of them a mixture of cashew butter and raisins.  They loved it!!!!  So, I think I have a new school lunch.

Meals this week included swordfish with a chipotle yogurt sauce on a bed of saluted greens, cashew butter and banana sandwiches on zucchini bread, prosciutto egg cups and blueberry pancakes, spaghetti squash  with a meat sauce marinara, and grilled salmon on a bed of herbed greens with a homemade chipotle balsamic vinaigrette.  All were quite delicious, although I think my family liked the swordfish meal the best.

So, enough about the food, now about the results.  How do I feel?  I wish I could say "I feel great!!! This is the best thing I've ever done. I'm going to continue eating this way forever because it is so worth the extra work."  But, I'm still exhausted.  I'm still bloated.  I'm still really hungry, although I think the extreme hunger is starting to subside.  I don't feel any better yet.  But, we're only two weeks into it, and it takes more than 2 weeks to change a lifetime of preservatives and added crap in a body.

So, I hope to have better news next week.

Bunny snacks

Swordfish on sauteed greens and a chipotle yogurt sauce

Cashew butter and banana on zucchini bread

Prosciutto egg cups and blueberry pancakes

Spaghetti squash and meat sauce

Grilled salmon with a parley-spinach salad (chipotle balsamic vinaigrette)

1 week into Fresh March

So, it's been a week, and I'm not seeing any great results yet, but it's only been a week.

First, I'm more tired, probably from all of the extra cooking I've needed to do, from making my own empanada dough, taco shells made from scratch, home made mayonnaise, home made salad dressing, and even a fresh-made cake for my daughter's school (with berries for food coloring).  So, I don't know if I have less energy from the different food or from all the extra work.  But, it's only been a week, so we'll see how the rest of the month goes.

Second, I'm hungry all the time.  I can't seem to get full.  Well, that's not true.  I get full really quickly when I eat, so I don't eat that much at the meal.  But, then 30 minutes later, I'm hungry again.  Is there something in all that extra junk added to our full that keeps us full?  Again, it's only been a week, so maybe my body just needs to adjust to the lack of extras.  We'll see how the rest of the month goes.

Third, my husband's gas has been terrible.  For the past few days, he has stunk up the house so terrible that the stink isn't going away.  It's gross beyond gross.  I'm hoping that this side affect will go away and soon, because I don't know if I can take much more of it.

So, we've eaten a lot of yummy food.  I mean it has been very tasty.  And, we're only a week into it.  I'm hoping I can keep it up for the entire month.  I'm also hoping to see some benefits to this.  I'll keep you posted.

Day 3, and I feel very hungry

Tuesday is normally cereal day for my kids, since both kids have to get ready for school and it makes them happy.  But, cereal is not on the fresh March plan, so, we had to improvise.  I made refrigerator oatmeal, and Jeremy and I had hard boiled eggs.  Jade loved the oatmeal.  Maxwell on the other hand wouldn't eat it until I fed it to him.  He wasn't a big fan of the yogurt flavor.

I made granola bars, so I'm prepared for snacks now.

I also made vegetable broth, so I have that ready for future meals.

And, today, I made empanadas for dinner.  Yesterday, I slow roasted a boston butte, so I have lots of pork to make meals with this week.  I started it out with pork and spinach empanadas with a chipolte ayola. It was very yummy.

But, for some reason, I am very hungry. I hope that my body will get used to this and not make me feel so hungry.

Day 2, we're still going

So, day 2 was a bit different.  Eating on the go is very difficult on this plan.

Breakfast was green eggs and ham (in honor of Dr. Suess's birthday).  The green was spinach, of course.

I made homemade mayonnaise, so I could make egg salad on zucchini bread.  It was very yummy and not difficult at all.

I made a Mexican chicken soup in the crock pot for my husband and son, but my daughter and I had to eat in the car.  So, cheese, turkey, cucumbers and strawberries was my dinner.  It wasn't quite filling enough.

Today is day three and I've been prepping all morning.  After grocery shopping, I made empanada dough, vegetable broth, and granola bars.  It's a lot of work so far and hard to find things to snack on, when you can't just reach into a bag and pull out trail mix or a chip. I'm hoping to make some more bars and yummy nut butters.

Day 1 of fresh March, done

So, we've survived day 1 of fresh March and we're doing okay.

Breakfast: eggs, bacon, and home fried potatoes

Snack: mozzarella cheese and banana

Lunch: roasted chicken, jalapenos and cream cheese with bacon wrapped asparagus

Dinner: Turkey burgers on zucchini bread with kale chips

Yummy so far and not too much extra work yet.  The bread was cooked while preparing lunch.  I still need to make the kids bars and Figure out a cereal replacement for cereal day.  But, it is on!