"It's a learning process!"

I think the most common phrase that has come out of my mouth since we began this 40-day journey to optimal health has been, "...this is a learning process." I have to keep reminding myself of this because the littlest of things can go awry. Today I murmured that (twice) as I was trying to discover which applications on my food processor do the "shredding" type of cut. For our Savory Carrot Salad, I ended up slicing all of our carrots with three different settings until I got it to the appropriate one. But, hey, you know what they say, "Third times a charm". I also have learned, over the course of this experience, about soaking nuts and sprouting seeds. First off, if you are going to soak and sprout a seed, it has to be an unprocessed seed! I attempted to sprout some lentils I had bought and they disobediently clumped together like a rock! Later that week, a woman selling sprouted lentils at the farmer's market told me mine reacted as such because the seed was processed, and not untreated as the bag had deceitfully claimed. Those stinkers! ; ) One last piece of advice for you... if you have "The Maker's Diet" book and want to follow along with some of Jordan Rubin's recipe ideas that he has listed ("Sample Menus for Phase One"), make sure you double check the ingredients! I planned to make his Wild Alaskan Salmon with Pecan Pesto, bought all the ingredients, came home and re-read through his list of "Foods to Avoid" in Phase One and saw.... PECANS! A little frustrating, but hey... it's a learning process! : )


DAY 8:

Breakfast: Tomato Asparagus Frittata (also included onions, mushrooms, and red peppers in with the eggs).

Not a very appealing pic, but it sure tasted great!

Lunch: Lemon Garlic Drumsticks (http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/05/delicious-and-simple-lemon-garlic-drumsticks.html), Savory Carrot Salad (http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/02/savory-carrot-salad-2.html) and a spring mix salad with strawberries and our homemade olive oil & fig lemon dressing.

This chicken was amazing!!! A new personal favorite of ours! : )

Dinner: Made Garrett some tuna salad (with that homemade coconut mayo I prepped last night) and since he can't eat it on slices of bread, I threw in a plentiful helping of romaine lettuce for him to mix it up with, making it a true tuna "salad". We'll also be snacking on almonds, a mix of berries (including cherries), a small salad, and carrots (a variety of the sliced "mistakes" from this morning). I think I even gave him a hard-boiled egg as well.