Whole 7

We had this idea to attempt a Whole 30 between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Technically, it was just a Whole 27. But, we only made it a week.

 

Adam was really hungry without carbs. And we definitely don't want him losing weight! I found the extra food preparation too much to handle. On Friday, the girls both skipped naps, which was fine actually because it was a beautiful day, so we spent the afternoon at the park. By the time we got them to bed at 6:30, I was exhausted and the only easy Whole 30 options (scrambled eggs, tuna) we had already eaten that day. I had planned a shrimp dish that would have been pretty simple had the children cooperated, but would have involved more whining than I was willing to bear if I had carried through...

 

So, we caved and ordered take-out. While Adam was picking it up, I was on dessert duty. You know, just to make sure we really buried the hatchet on this whole healthy eating thing. Our oven isn't working, though, so I went with caramel corn.

 

 

No-Bake Caramel Corn

{From Bethany}

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

1 stick butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chopped pecans

 

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with greased aluminum foil.

2. Heat oil in a large stockpot. Place two kernels in the oil. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn and shake the covered pot on the burner until all the kernels have popped. Pour into a bowl.

3. Also in a large stockpot, melt butter. Add sugars and corn syrup. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Continue to boil, without stirring, until candy thermometer reaches 300F, about six to eight minutes.

4. Stir in salt and baking soda, making sure to scrape the sides of the pot. Quickly add popcorn and pecans, stirring well to coat.

5. Spread on baking sheet and let cool for about fifteen minutes. Break into pieces and dig in!

 

We watched Death Comes To Pemberley and enjoyed a thoroughly relaxing evening after a not-very-relaxing day. But, for real, we did learn a few things from even just a week of the Whole 30 plan. Namely...

 

We didn't miss orange juice. We figured out that we'd save $300 a year just from cutting that out. Not to mention all the unnecessary sugar.

 

We miss it, but we can live without dessert on weekdays. We're planning to make Monday through Thursday a dessert-free zone from now on, barring special occasions of course.

 

Claire likes scrambled eggs! We'd been unsuccessful getting her to eat eggs, other than quiche, in the past, so this was a big victory.