Seaweed, Koshary, and all the other good stuff.

As you can tell we've stopped posting everyday. This is just because it's such a natural part of our lives now! Or we may just be lazy. But on any account, we are still doing it. We have about a week left, and I don't really want it to be over.

I am currently snacking on a roasted seaweed snack, and it's delicious! My weight loss fluctuates from 10-14 lbs and I am feeling mighty fine.

I don't find myself craving a giant steak or a greasy burger anymore.

I crave Pork. I crave butter. I crave bread.

However, the only night I made something that felt like we were cheating. It's called Koshary.

The recipe is about 1000 years old. It's a total carb-fest of spicy goodness. It's thought that the Coptic Christians in Egypt started making this during Lent circa 900-1100.

Make some rice, spaghetti noodles, elbow macaroni and lentils. Set them to the side. Get some olive oil hot and throw a bunch of minced garlic in so that your kitchen smells like what heaven will smell like. (Also, you should have two large red onions carmelized by now).

Then throw a handful of the noodles and lentils in the large saute pan. Let it sear, then turn down the temperature to low. Let it sit, don't touch it. Let the pasta get crispy. Throw this olive oily, garlicy crunchy goodness on top of the soft rice and pour a spicy tomato sauce all over it!!! Hawt Damn! The best thing ever. Crunchy, garlicky, soft, spicy, tomatoey- just wonderful goodness. Thank you Coptics for this dish. It's also still served as the fast food of Egypt apparently. Little different than McDonalds.


One more week, but I don't dread it. I just want some amazing butter and french bread.

Day 11- What is Healthy?

We are well into week 2 and it is becoming clear that this adventure will yield many phases. Week 1 was the "This is so new and fun and exciting!" phase. Week 2 is quickly becoming the "This is not new or fun or exciting anymore and now i'm just hungry" phase. I have found myself not giving a second thought to nutrition or health as of late and just concentrating on eating ANYTHING the falls within our restrictions.

Convenience has taken over and my diet for the past 4 or 5 days has consisted mainly on oatmeal and peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Gone is the motivation to cook and eat different vegetables or make sure that I am getting enough nutrients. I am beginning to realize that putting dramatic restrictions on what we eat doesn't necessarily automatically lead to a healthier diet. Being healthy is just as much about what you ARE eating as what you are NOT eating. Lately, I have only been caring about the NOT part.

Here are some new goals for the next couple weeks:

1. Make sure I eat at least 1 fruit and 1 vegetable a day.
2. Think about protein: beans, grains, and more beans.
3. Drink more water.

It is hard to stay motivated, but I can honestly say that I generally FEEL better. I can't really put it into words...I just feel lighter. Not weight wise necessarily, but more energetic and awake. I'm letting this push me through the next 2 weeks!

Day 9- Dat Shine Wore Off

It's not as fun anymore. Not as exciting. But it's better. Much better.

I'm easily satisfied now by the food that I eat. I do want junk food every now and then, but my desire has decreased by about 50%. I no longer overeat (maybe I overate a little bit with Caroline's sweet potato fries and our homemade black bean/garbanzo bean/rice/corn burgers with organic ketchup). I feel better and better everyday.

Day 9: Confessional

Brett and I just had to huge burgers and a plate of fries.

We decided we just couldn't do it anymore. The agony of our love for meat and dairy was to much. I really want apologize to all those who believed we could do it. We have let everyone down. But most of all we have let ourselves down.

ok i'm just kidding! But not about the burgers and fries part. We had wonderful black bean burgers and sweet potato fries tonight. Definitely one of my favorite meals of the adventure so far.

I also seriously contemplated putting on my snow boots and hiking down Hillsboro to get some organic dark chocolate. Can't get my car out of the lot but, hey, girls gotta have some dessert. I settled for half a slice of bread with peanut butter and honey.

For any entrepreneurs out there, a dark chocolate delivery man/woman would be an excellent business idea.

Day 7 or/and 8: Why I eat.

Today is my day off and I have decided to fill it with lounging, budgeting, eagerly looking out the window in search of snow (come on Nashville, what is the deal?), and How I Met Your Mother Season 1. It is very relaxing, yes, but also mildly boring. This is a good thing! I need boring days. But today I have realized something- when i'm bored I eat. I'm not particularly hungry. Actually i'm not hungry at all. But literally all I want to do is EAT.

I recently had a pretty successful Trader Joe's shopping trip leaving me very optimistic for this weeks eats. However, I found today that most of my shopping yielded groceries that should have been labeled with big letters reading ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. I just don't want to cook! I want to SNACK. Specifically, I want to snack on cheesy, sweet things. The closest i've gotten to that today is when, in embarrassing desperation, I dipped my finger in the honey jar a couple of times.

So far, eating incredibly nasty, unhealthy foods is way more convenient. Especially on my lazy days.

Day 8- Tired.

I thought last week would be the worst, but on the 8th day, I was tired.

I was completely irritable. Anything would set me off. All I wanted was nasty, awful food. The burn in my stomach was comparable to an animal inside me, eating anything else I would put into it.

But, I got through the day. Caroline had some nice "Fiesta Boca Burgers" that had no preservatives- really all they had were beans and other vegetables. We wrapped them in a tortilla, I made a chipotle ketchup- and we were in business!

Short post today. People are calling to cancer their cancer treatments because it might snow. Hrm.

Day 7: I thought Natural Flavors were good?

We are one quarter of the way there! Whoo. Everyone cheer.

It has been difficult this past week. I'm certain that this past week will be the worst. I'm liking how I feel, i'm liking most of the food i'm eating, and i'm trying to think more permanent.

I also think i'm saving money now. I eat smaller portions, and actually eat leftovers. I've lost 8-10 pounds.

I also feel a bit like a tool explaining what i'm doing to other people. The fact that Caroline and I actually have the freedom to do this is something a large majority of the world can't choose to do. I'm thankful for having this opportunity.

I'm not thankful for natural flavors.

Homework: Check your fridge and pantry. Count how many things that you own that have "natural flavors" in them. This fact is troubling.

Here's a link that tries to explain the mystical "natural flavors" in your organic hummus.

http://www.vegsource.com/articles/natural.flavors.htm