I’m already overwhelmed by the week ahead so we’ll be enjoying a simple menu with long time favorites. I was pretty disappointed in a few of the new recipes I tried last week (though the Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins were really tasty) and want to have a few delicious meals to look forward to this week.

Between the two of us we have several work evening work events and on our one free week night we have a dog trainer coming to the house. I’m going to lose my mind if we can’t get the doorbell barking under control soon. Those of you that get to experience Alfred’s antics can understand why we’re paying a private dog trainer to put an end to it. It’s a crazy week, leftovers and simple side dishes are going to be key. This is not the week to play around with new recipes and ingredients; that will just turn into wasted food and take out.

One new Well Fed 2 recipe this week – Wasabi Mayo. I couldn’t find it on Mel’s site but if you haven’t bought the book yet, what are you waiting for!?!? (Really, I get paid nothing to say this I just love WF & WF2.)

Lamb chops + pesto finally! The pesto was so good, and even better because my sous chef, Greg, made it.

Lamb Chops & Dairy/Nut Free Basil-Pesto (finally, it actually got made + eaten tonight)
Smokey Roast
Zucchini Soup
Chocolate Chili

The spices of chocolate chili, and a little preview into my almost complete spice cupboard renovation.

21 Day Sugar Detox Update

As I write this on Sunday night I’m about to finish day seven. Since I’ve done several Whole30s this really hasn’t been too shocking. The huge difference for me is on a Whole30 when I want to take part in some “I’m bored” eating, I grab fruit. Fruit is pretty much off limits on the 21DSD so I’m finding I actually can’t eat when I’m bored and I need to move on since I don’t keep much other snack food around. It’s been really interesting to notice how often this happens.

Similarly, I always notice how I don’t eat as clean of a diet as I think I do when I take on a challenge like this. When I can’t have them, I really notice the glasses of wine, “just a bite”s of dairy, etc. that I would normally eat without thinking about too much.

Physically, my skin was pretty yucky the first few days which is always the case as detox occurs but it is getting better. I haven’t found the world of amazing sleep yet but that usually takes a little longer. I haven’t weighed myself, so nothing to report in weight loss.

5 Reasons Soup for Breakfast is Awesome

Soup has pretty much become a breakfast staple for me. I didn’t have it last week and definitely missed it.

1. Easy to cook ahead. I make a batch of soup on the weekend and it lasts me all week. Once I’ve discovered a recipe I really enjoy, I often times double it and have soup for two weeks. So that I don’t use up all of my individual containers, I will freeze half in a large jar (I have several 32 oz glass jars from IKEA). Just make sure you let it defrost in time to portion out the next week’s servings.

Zucchini soup with two fried eggs.

2. Bone broth! If you’ve been at our house lately you know there is usually a crockpot of bone broth simmering. I’ve been making a batch a week in 2014 and loving it. At first I was drinking it in the evening instead of herbal tea. But now I’m just working it into food. Most of my soup recipes call for almost a cup per serving, which is awesome. I can definitely say that using homemade broths elevates the taste of each soup. I’ll do a post soon on how I’m managing to keep a freezer stock of broth and almost never using packaged broth these days.

3. Veggies at breakfast. Soup is a really easy way to get some veggies in with your breakfast. I also like my breakfasts to be full of protein and fat to get me to lunch, and soup goes well with hard boiled eggs or any leftover meat you might have.

4. Very portable. I recently purchased pint sized jars and have been using them for food storage, especially for my soups. No leaks in my lunch bag and they stack nicely in the fridge.

Cauliflower soup.

5. It’s warm and cozy in the cold months. I love egg salad for breakfast, but sometimes when the office is chilly and I’ve commuted in the cold and rain, I really want something warm. Having a cup of soup as part of my breakfast usually keeps me to my one cup of decaf, rather than going for more cups of coffee for the warmth.

My favorite soups right now are from Well Fed 2 (gingered zucchini, golden cauliflower, sweet potato with bacon). I’m thinking about starting a petition for Well Fed 3. Nom Nom Paleo’s broccoli soup is also a great option, even when you screw it up like I did. I tried to branch out this past week and try another non-WF2 soup recipe. Unfortunately, all jars but one are still in the fridge now, desperately needing to be cleaned out.

Anyone have great soup recipes? Please share them in the comments!