Girl on a Journey: Food Month: Week One

Full Discloser: I am just getting into week three of food month. This month has been CRAZY HARD for me! It also has been very busy with a traveling husband, end of the school year stuff, birthday parties, and all the things life involves with a family of 7. So, along the way I have been taking a few pics and jotting down some notes, I just haven't had the opportunity to get to the blog.

Also... you are being prewarned that there are a ridiculous amount of food pics this month... you know... because it is food month.

So.. here are some highlights of the first week...

Day One-Monday
First day... this seems doable. Eggs and tomatoes for breakfast (this will become a staple of my diet). No cooking spray, but I did locate some Amish butter at the grocery store. It isn't from local Amish... but until I locate some butter from local Amish this will have to do.

My sister is still here, so we made our way to the local apple farm, Forrest Hall Farm to pick up some meat, produce and honey. Then off to the Amish market to get a few more things.

Aaannnddd…. I located some bread that met my qualifications! Ada's Speltz Bread- ingredients: Speltz flour (this is a whole grain flour- usually and alternative to wheat flour), water, honey, lard, yeast and salt. No sugar. No white flour. It passes!

Zucchini, squash and onions for lunch.

Steak (seasoned only with salt, pepper, garlic and onions- this is not what I am used to) and then again with the zucchini, squash and onions. I need to find other seasoning options or I am just going to stink of garlic and onions for the month.

I have a crazy huge sweet tooth. I ate nothing sweet today. This is a challenge and I need to figure out a solution.

Day Two-Tuesday
So far the food isn't horrible, good actually. But I miss convince of just grabbing something quick or running through a drive through when I am running late (which is almost always). And sweet... I miss sweet (and yes I am aware it is only day 2).

We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts to grab Ivy a coffee. Eric came out with a donut. Eric- you know the guy who gave up sweets for the month as his contribution- yep that guy. Several words were exchanged. It started with him trying to convince me that donuts are a breakfast food, therefore not a sweet and ending with me screaming something along the lines of "If you eat the donut you don't love Jesus." Listen people food is hard for me. I should not be held liable for any harsh things that come from my mouth this month. Eric decided after the exchange of words, he would do what the kids are doing and give up pizza and ice cream for the month (which in all honesty is probably just as big of a sacrifice... he loves and consumes a LOT of pizza and ice cream).

Lunch- pretty sure I already cheated. We met up with one of Eric's friends for lunch. I knew that if I ended up in a situation where I had to eat out this month, it most likely would not all be local. With that in mind, I had made the decision that I would only get things that COULD be purchased local (but most likely grown somewhere else). So we met at Chopt in DC… salad place. I looked over my options. Found something that met all the requirements... grass-fed beef, romaine and blend of lettuce, peppers and onions. Sweet... all things that qualify. I gave Eric my order and went to walk outside with Jax… it came with some sort of spicy ranch that I didn't specify not to add... so that was a cheat. Eric says it wasn't much of a cheat because there was hardly any on it... I think he was still trying to kiss up from eating a donut.

I came home to this AMAZING and perfectly timed surprise! I joined a farming co-op and this is my first delivery. They deliver a box of goodies to your doorstep once a week of things that are currently growing. Most things are typical things that my family will eat, but they have one or two out of the ordinary (for our family) things. It also comes with a dozen eggs that I am going through like crazy! It also came with strawberries and blueberries!!! Something sweet! It is a super great farm that I have been totally impressed with thus far! It is run by a farmer and his daughter and they employee primarily people with disabilities. Chesapeake Farmery is the name... you can learn more about them HERE. Here is what came in my box this week:

Day Three- Wednesday
I have cried three times already today. Eric left early this morning and will be gone for 9 days (he's only been home 2). I'm hungry and have no easy grab and go food... everything must be prepared. I am super tired of zucchini and squash already... this does not look promising for the month ahead of me. When things started going wonky this morning and my first set of tears was shed, I immediately thought I want peanut M&Ms and a giant lemonade from Wendy's. Why? Why do I do that? I know I do it, but I don't want to. When things start going haywire or I'm having a hard day, I immediately turn to food for comfort. It made me evaluate myself and gosh darn it.. I turn to food before I turn to the Lord. That is a tough one to swallow. (pun completely intended) This will be something that I am forced to work on this month.

Day Four-Thursday
I miss avocado. I miss seasoning salt. I miss apples. I miss a squeeze of lime on anything. I miss bread... oh how I miss soft yummy bread. I miss pickles. I miss muffins. I miss cake. I miss chicken. I miss salmon. I miss adding any sort of spice for my food. I miss cereal. I miss lemonade. I miss mustard. I miss balsamic vinaigrette. I miss crunchy. I miss sweet. Sigh...

Day Five- Friday
I spent today, all day, outside with about 60 fifth graders. I had an early morning, so I missed breakfast. I knew I would not be home for lunch so (thankfully) I remembered and grabbed two boiled eggs on my way out the door. I manned the inflatable obstacle course with Jax in the morning and then my good friend and council member Jenny kept Jax for a couple hours in the afternoon so he wouldn't melt.
I helped dish out Rita's frozen ice to 5th graders. It was crazy hot... I really, REALLY wanted some. At one point I dropped a huge chunk on my arm and instinctively tried to eat it. Once I realized what I had done, I immediately spit it in the grass. This resulted in me looking like a lunatic... and still being hungry and needing refreshment!
By the time we wrapped everything up and I picked up all kids from different locations and we got home it was 5:30pm. I still had only had 2 boiled eggs for they day. What I really wanted to do was order a pizza and take a nap, but instead I fixed a crazy huge meal. I was exhausted and didn't want to, but I definitely tasted better than pizza.

I never actually regret making the food... I usually just get exhausted at the idea of having to do it after an exhausting day that I would normally turn to take out or a bowl of cereal for convenience.

Kid Challenge: My girls earned the right to participate in a party with the Librarian today. A big part of the party was ice cream sundaes. They did not partake and I wasn't even there to tell them they couldn't. I was super proud!

Day Six- Saturday
It is birthday party day. Harry Potter birthday to be exact. There is a whole lot of food and I can consume ZERO of it. Sooo many celebrations center around food. It is sometimes hard to participate in things and not feel left out, or like you are missing out, when you do not participate in the partaking of food. BUT I am trying like crazy to be able to enjoy the situation and not get hung up on the food. This is HARD! Why or why is food so hard for me?!?!

I managed to make it through all the themed food, house cake, butter beer, chocolate frogs, and about 15 different kinds of candy for the Honey Dukes store without cheating.

Another evening of wanting the convince of take-out... but I went with a tomato, zucchini, onion, pepper blend of mush and a couple pieces of bacon from Forrest Hall Farm.

Day Seven- Sunday
Still hard for me... but I want to brag on my kiddos for a minute. They have, now three different occasions in the first week, had to pass on pizza and/or ice cream. These kids are rock stars and definitely have a better attitude about it than I do. I could take a few lessons. Addi had a birthday party today and she 100% enjoyed herself and passed on the pizza! Note to self: be more like my kids!