Whole30 Day 18

I almost messed up is morning. So close and then I came out clean. I've been having exactly the same breakfast every morning - soft boiled eggs, sweet potatoes, sautéed onions, peppers spinach or beet greens and breakfast sausage. It's been good.  No complaints but this morning, since I was out of breakfast sausage I thought, since if be cooking up my meat share breakfast patties that I'd fry my eggs. I was getting breakfast ready, had cut open the patties when I thought I should triple check the ingredient list again. Some herbs, peppers, salt and at the end dextrose. I hadn't really noticed it before, partly because I realize I skim the ingredient list and if it generally looks good and I know the ingedients, than I should be good. Did I research dextrose before and found it ok?  I figured Id check again before I threw the patty on the pan.  And guess what, dextrose is a sugar. What?  Why is there sugar in my breakfast pattie. Bugger. I put the patties in a freezer bag and popped them back into the freezer. 

I do admit to thinking about it for a few minutes. I mean it's at the end of the list and I'm sure it would be just a tiny amount.  But in hone end I really like the idea of saying I did not have any added sugar for 30 days. I have to figure out how to say that better since fruits and vegetables have natural sugars. 

Speaking of which, when I was picking up produce yesterday, I seriously considered buying some bing cherries and another cantelope and maybe some plums that looked so good. But then I realized I wanted the cherries so I could munch on hone between meals. Again, not a bad thing but as I'm committed of trying to break this sugar thing, I need to break the need for sugar snacks, whatever the form. So no fruit other than bananas which I don't think of as sweet and when I do eat them I eat them in monkey ceral which means it's mostly nuts and almond butter and non-sweet ingredients. 

In the end, I'm happy to say I've been sugar free for 18 days.  Actually, I probably should adjust it to something like 15, since I was eating a bit of balsamic vinegar in my dressings those first few days until I found out what was in caramel coloring. I find I'm liking my salads dressed simpler and simpler. I used to love blue cheese dressing growing up and the switched to french balsamic vinegrette I'd buy at the store and then the last five years or so I'd just use olive oil and a splash of vinegar. And now, this month, no vinegar, but I do use a squeeze of lemon or lime. 

I feel like a real european kitchens I nice I always have onions, garlic, lemons/limes and herbs on hand, regardless of what I'm cooking. Because I'll use them up in a week. Before I'd just buy them for recipes since I wouldn't use them that much on the spur. But then again I'm really cooking a ton more. And doing a ton more dishes. As a result my kitchen is almost always tidy. Funny that. I guess because I try not to have a ton of cooking tools, so need to wash things so they are ready for the next meal - like my skillets and knives. 

Now I need to just tackle the rest of my house. I've been making progress on projects - using a garage sale deadline to crank through things I think I might not want/need any more. Like my fabric stash. I'm finishing up framing art this week and then start sewing in a few days, but projects are littering my place. It is nice feeling like I'm making progress.