Our past week has been a little crazy with not much sleep and a lot of crying. Babies with ear infections cry. A lot. And sleep little. Sigh. Then it turned out that the whole family was struck with the real-deal influenza virus. Ugh. Have you ever had one of those weeks? Where being a mama just wears you out?
The whole family, including me, is down for the count. I guess that’s just one more reason preparing and contingency-planning is so important to me. You may have heard that I am preparing to “Go Primal” January 1st. Because I am a prepper-type of lady (not to mention completely OCD) I have been doing a ton of groundwork for that day. Hopefully all my research and planning will help out you, too!
Things I have been doing to prepare for the Primal Challenge
- Scouring the internet for tasty Paleo recipes to try. You should see my . It is loaded with all sorts of wonderful dishes!
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Making ahead snack foods, breakfasts and condiments that will be easy to grab next month so I don’t slip up and buy something preprocessed.
- homemade nut butters out of pumpkin seeds and cashews and almonds,
- wheat-free breakfasts like sausage/egg casseroles, paleo pancakes and gluten-free muffins for the freezer,
- dairy-free “cheese” from cashews,
- “chips” made from sweet potatoes and beets,
- grain-free snack bars, and
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make-ahead freezer spaghetti squash bake.
- Testing pre-processed “cheats” beforehand .. just in case.
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Stocking up on pie pumpkins, sweet potatoes, squash, coconut oil, organic eggs (cracked, whipped and frozen), coconut/almond flour
and coconut cream concentrate from Tropical Traditions (review forthcoming.) About 90% of the best Paleo recipes I have found seem to rely on at least one of these ingredients.
- Planning out the rest of my meals using Plan-to-Eat. (Review forthcoming. Spoiler alert: I think it is the best meal planning tool EVER!!!)
- Praying for conviction when I abuse food for emotional reasons, make poor food decisions that go against my values, eat out of boredom or overeat when stressed or in pain. I know this might sound a little odd, but it really is working. I learned of the method from and have really been working on being mindful of what I am thinking while I am eating and praying for heavenly guidance along the way.
- Enjoying holiday fare without guilt. I know that it kind of contradicts the previous point, but – at the end of the day – family and friends come first this season and I don’t want to overload them with all my necessary dietary restrictions in addition to ones I *choose* to inflict upon myself. I want to enjoy being with the people I love who live hundreds of miles away that I only get to see once a year.
How are you preparing? Which products are you willing to “cheat” with?
Disclosures: Image credit goes to Lance McCord permitted by Creative Commons licensing. I am an affiliate for Kitchen Stewardship and Plan to Eat and will receive a small commission on any purchases you might make using affiliate links. View my full disclosure statement here.
Remember to check out my for great ideas, too!
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