Holy Whole30...

By Steph Farrar

So you're asking yourself, what the hell is a Whole30? Can I actually complete a Whole30? Just lean protein, fish, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds for a month? No booze, sugar, grains, dairy, or legumes... 30 days?

Yes, you can do it. I swear, you can. If I can do it... anyone can. And it will, in fact, change your life.

The night before...

This is NOT a picture of Kobe's 60 point game on 4.13.16. This is exactly one week prior, when the Lakers were pulverized by the Clippers ... the last night before we started our Whole30.

Yes, we got tipsy, which at the time seemed like a good idea: 30 clean days on the horizon, a court-side Laker Game, no kid-duty until 7 am the following morning (there's the compromise). I do not recommend a big night before you start your elimination 30. It will make it more difficult to cleanse toxins in the those first few days, hence restless sleep, night sweats, even insomnia.

No one likes a hangover anyway.

About three days in, after the charm wore off, I started to question myself on why the hell I was doing this cleanse. I was scared. 30 days began to feel like an eternity ahead of me, after counting the hours of the previous three days, eager for bedtime. I'm one-tenth of the way there? This. Is. Bullshit.

So I visited a dear friend's local community garden a few days into my Whole30, picked veggies and herbs along with one beautiful strawberry, kickstarting my cleanse with fresh air, hot coffee with my favorite almond milk, and the biggest beet I've ever roasted. Along with some Fava Beans I couldn't even eat (no legumes on Whole30... here'swhy).

The ONE strawberry Vesper later savored

Craig, The Magus of Wattles Garden.

Sorry Craig. Had to show the world what this master botanist looks like! I will be visiting Craig more often ... to steal his produce and any free time I can sucker out of him. When you've known someone for over 20 years, there's never enough time to catch up.

A ladybug for good luck

So here it is. My brief rundown of what's to come in the next 30 days. This article is a great resource for what to expect, but it's not always the same for everyone. I'll kick start with a few words of encouragement, along with the ladybug above for good luck on your adventure. I'm 14 days post Whole30, and not only am I insanely proud of myself for finishing, but these last two weeks off the Whole30 has been much more difficult than on it. My body is so clean and tidy, it doesn't want a patch of dirt in it!

There are many good reasons why you should reintroduce foods slowly, nausea being #1. My tummy hasn't warmed to most ingredients not on the program. My palette is responding to less flavor than I've ever previously enjoyed. It's taking time to freely eat again. It's been a while since I've felt as accomplished, light on my feet, and awake as I have in the last four (now 6) weeks. So I'm trying to take it slow.

After friends Jason and Katie finished a Whole30, glowing like a perfect California summer day, nearly 20 pounds lighter between the two, and gushing about the benefits, I picked a day 30 days in my near future, with something to look forward to and celebrate... my best friend's birthday party was in 33 days. Perfect.

I highly encourage you to pick a day to celebrate... but maybe not your best friend's birthday where you could potentially get loose enough that your friends think you may have been roofied. Skip the pre and post drinking nights people. Seriously. I've yet to get back to par.

MY WHOLE30

Days 1-3: Clearly, on day 1, I felt horrible. Terrible hangover, so I didn't mind eating such a clean diet, minus avoiding milk and sugar in my coffee. I had gone to Whole Foods the day before to make sure I had a few staples to get going. Eggs, fruit, avocado, coconut almond milk, etc. I had lunch with my dear pregnant girlfriend and ordered a simple salad... brought my own dressing to avoid dealing with potentially cheating, especially as it's my first day! Dinner... easy, going to bed... easy, as I was exhausted from general life stuff. Day 1, down!

Day 2 was better, as I clearly wasn't hungover, but quite the opposite. Awake with wild energy, still hating the coffee and missing yogurt, but fine. Day 3, I was able to spend with my daughter, at a friend's kid's birthday party followed by a dinner at Au Fudge... my first night out, no booze. Kind of a relief to not have to pay for booze or an Uber! But I really missed the social aspect of it. Nights 2 and 3 were very rough. Patchy sleep at best, night sweats and tossing constantly. I could literally feel all the junk coming out of my body.

Days 4-8: Someone kill me, what have I signed up for? Oh wait, I'm the only one in charge? I can quit this thing right?

No!!! Keep going.

I think my husband would have poisoned me if he didn't know this cleanse had an end-date. So cranky. So mad at myself for putting us through this. Feeling guilty that Sam was attempting to go along for the Whole30 ride. Oh by the way, total exhaustion. Even after the first night of great sleep I've had in years, Night 4.

We had friends over for brunch that first Sunday and serving them up Proseco wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I didn't even want it. At this point, I'm not only full of pride in my already successful first few days, but also full of what feels like air. SO BLOATED. And the time is passing very slowly. Days 4 and 5 were equally boring... tired and bloated, but sleeping so well that's it's nearly worth it. By day 6, the tyrant in me erupted. I was exhausted and extremely cranky. And stressed for some reason, perhaps giving up things I love, like wine, bread and cheese, was causing some anxiety. Days 7 and 8 lit up a bit... I felt lighter and happier, yet still very gassy and bloated (tmi). I managed to hit up yoga and hike both days, felt enlightened and energized. Starting to think this could be the new me.

Days 9-14: This stretch was particularly difficult. Days 9-11 fell on a weekend where all I did was cook. This was the lovely anchor of time where Sam and I tested some new recipes. We whipped up a veggie frittata for dinner, and for breakie the following morning. We turned Bobby Flay's salmon with brussels and gala apples into a Whole30 dreamboat. We also used my friend Craig's staples from his gorgeous Wattles Garden into a beet, avocado and edible flower salad. By Day 13, after counting the days to what I've heard as "Tiger Blood" day 14, I'm ready for a turnover. I need the bloating to clear, I want my stomach to be flat (like I'd earned), and yoga classes to feel good. None of which became true.

But still, epic sleep. And an overall, undying commitment to finishing.

Days 15-22: By Day 15 I felt great, had found a new normal, and somewhat forgot about this wild new diet. I ended daily journal entries about Whole30 timeline and recipes, and just decided to live. Also at day 15, my face completely broke out... as if I was going through puberty all over again. Luckily it cleared quickly, but herein lies another shining example of toxic elimination. Knowing I had less to go than the time I've already put into my first Whole30, the time began to fly by. And my sleep grew even deeper, my energy level was through the roof, and my overall attitude healthier and happier. One day at a time.

Days 23-29: By this point, I'm bored with food, sick of cooking, and over it. But of course I'm feeling full of energy and addicted to finishing strong. I remember actually stopping by the mirror more frequently to check out my thinning thighs and bootie. Only a few days to go.

Day 30: There's no way I've actually made it. Absolutely no way. What the hell am I going to do now? The evening of this last night took all my willpower to not pop open the special bottle of wine I bought for myself for day 31. I must admit, this in fact, was my hardest challenge... finishing. But I did it.

And the next early afternoon, Sam and I shared this:

SO WORTH IT.

And all the sudden I was quickly tipsy on Dom... and truly satisfied in my ability to enjoy it, without needing it.

I mentioned at the beginning of this post that this experience will change your life. It will empower you, energize you, reveal your will power, and your commitment to the promise you made to yourself. It will change the way you see food. It will change the way you order food, the way you shop, and the habits years of bad choices have led you to. You will read labels and find sugar in nearly everything. You will learn you don't have to drink alcohol to relax. You will be so damn proud of yourself that it will rub off on everyone in your life.

So do it. And let us know how you did!!!!

WHOLE 30 APPROVED RECIPES:

(written recipes in following Farrar post, here)

1. Ground Beef with Roasted Sweet Potato and Sunny-side up Egg, sliced avocado

2. Roasted Macadamia Nut Salmon with Brussel Sprout, Apple, Raisin and Bacon Salad

3. Mango, Avocado and Cabbage Slaw

4. Beet, Arugula, Avocado, Edible Flower Salad

5. Asian Cauliflower Rice with Egg and Bacon

6. Kale Chips

7. Breakfast Frittata Mini muffins

8. Nut and Herb Pesto with raw veggies

Basket of goodies!

Purple Beans and Nectarines

By Steph Farrar

I recently befriended a lady who apparently performs a front flip out of bed every morning, to get her day started in a positive way. I know. I just barfed too.

This lady, this modern, authentic and charismatic character, is the real deal. She's not the paleo, gluten-free version of an interesting person. She is the most genuinely motivated and curious person I have ever met. She is also an insanely talented singer, especially in that joyful underwater, frozen in a castle, stuck in a tower kind of way.

She's like magic.

Magic like these beans.

These beans are Purple!

Food can be magic.

Steam them and they turn Green!

I thought I did something wrong after steaming these beans before sautéing. I was super obsessed with the color, aubergine purple without the dreadful taste of eggplant (like the ONLY food I don't enjoy).

And then they turned green. Boring green bean green. I would have been bummed if they didn't somehow taste purple (not true). No, they tasted like perfection. Didn't even need sautéing, but I did it anyway, cause I had nectarines that needed a warm friend.

Now back to the front-flip girl. I'm going to attempt to not complain about being a parent of two. While difficult, it's certainly the most rewarding thing I've done in my life. When we wake up in the morning, after what has generally been a mediocre night's sleep, woken up by at least one of the two kids (lately both), it's kinda tough to greet the day with bright eyes when all I wanna do is roll over and snuggle with my handsome husband.

The front-flip girl wants kids. I can only imagine she'll be the most excellent mother... but I'm curious if she'll still practice said-flip once she's popped one out? I wonder.  I don't doubt she will.

Grilled Nectarines

I say this often, but when you have kids, you need things to be easy. I'm a big fan of easy. This crisp, grilled salad is easy. Front flips are not. Getting out of bed and putting on a happy face isn't always easy, but damn it feels good to greet the day with a good mood.

I'm taking life lessons from this lady, reminding myself no matter how hard the middle of the night is, no matter how many time-outs we have to deal with, no matter how often spit-up soaks my left shoulder, those smiles I wake up to are worth it.

I know, barf.

Grilled Nectarines with Purple Beans

Ingredients:

• 1/2 to 1 lb. purple beans, ends snipped off

• 3-4 nectarines, cut from the pit into half-moon pieces

• juice of half a lemon

• olive oil

• balsamic vinegar

• Nice goat cheese like my new fave, Bucheron Montchevre

• 2-3 tbsp chopped toasted walnuts

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and either boil purple beans until tender, 4-5 minutes, or steam in steamer basket until tender, 7 minutes. Watch your purple beans turn green. Plunge beans in an ice bath to stop cooking. Remove from water and let dry. Cut into 2-3 inch pieces once cool enough to handle.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Gently sauté the beans until slightly browed. Add a pinch of salt, the juice of half a lemon and put aside.

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high. Combine nectarines with a nice glug of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until browned, 5-6 minutes. Alternately, heat 2 tbsp of butter in pan and cook nectarines until browned, 5-6 minutes. Remove and let cool. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Combine the beans and nectarines in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and another squeeze of lemon, top with crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts.

And scene.

Not Really Pesto, Pesto

By Steph Farrar

So I'm currently car-less at home in a rain storm (not sad about it at all), writing a post, breastfeeding a baby, filing my nails and catching up on True Detective and Sara Bareilles on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show. To say the least, moms can seriously multitask.

Since the birth of our little man, my life has been a series of very predictable cycles. Babies do cry, but they cry for only five reasons: hunger, discomfort, gassiness, exhaustion, and a need to burp. That's it. All I've been doing is figuring out which cry is which, following his schedule and making him happy. After 6 weeks on this earth, he's finally speaking clearly to me. I think I've got it.

I managed to get a shot of our kids BOTH smiling! Granted, this only lasted the duration of the six shot photo series.

They are both HAPPY!!!

Anyway, onto food. And not really pesto, pesto.

During any down time carved out during Flynn's naps and while Vesper is at school, I've been trying a few new things, one being this herb-nut topping. I've made pesto several different ways, but never this combination, and I generally use a food processor, not a mortar and pestle.

Almonds, walnuts, cilantro, mint, spicy red onion

This time I found a recipe in Fine Cooking for an herb-nut topping on Arctic Char served with roasted carrots. A no-need-to-clean-an-appliance pesto recipe. Perfect. It immediately caught my eye.

Since I'm living on someone else's feeding schedule, I've found the last thing I consider is what to feed myself. I certainly wish my waistline proved that, but I did just have a baby six weeks ago, so I'm giving myself a little slack. We've had a steady trail of incredible friends visiting with food and extra arms to hold the baby or entertain Vesper, but that tends to slow down by the second month. So chicken, tuna and egg salad have become mainstays in our fridge, prepped food for grabbing on-the-go. This herb-topping / pesto is the perfect addition to pretty much anything. A slice of warm toast, a salmon filet, rotisserie chicken, even mixed in with fresh zucchini noodles.

Instead of using the food processor or blender, just add it all to a mortar and pestle and combine until you reach your desired consistency. I prefer a little chunkier for my warm toast tapenade, but as a pesto, keep on grinding.

In zucchini noodle land, speaking of, I just made the best dinner of all time with said "noodles." That recipe coming next. As soon as I get through this next sleep cycle.

Enjoy!

Herb-Nut Topping

Adapted directly from Fine cooking

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup toasted, finely chopped almonds

• 1/4 cup toasted, finely chopped walnuts

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

• 3 Tbs. finely chopped red onion

• 2-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I didn't use, cause I didn't have)

• 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh mint

• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Literally, put it all in a mortar and pestle and combine until you reach desired consistency.

Leftovers and Chicken Salad

By Steph Farrar

My husband and I started a side musical project a few years ago called Bubble and Strife. Our anecdote: Husband and Wife. Husband and Strife. Bubble and Squeak. Bubble and Strife.

In short, Leftovers.

Sam was in a band for almost 15 years called Phantom Planet and I was in a band called Agent Sparks. Unfortunately both have disbanded and life has moved on, but the music is still out there... and will be forever. So in a sense the music never dies, even if you want it to.

After a few years of neither Sam nor I grazing a stage, we decided it was time to face that long-winded fear. We, leftovers of years of touring and making music, compiled a handful of original songs and covers and somehow pulled off a thirty-five minute set, opening for Ben Ottewell from Gomez. For our first show, it was pretty damn good... especially for new parents who were operating on little to no sleep at the time. It's now been over a year since our last show... that urge is coming upon us both again.

So on to leftovers. Do you ever buy rotisserie chickens from the market? I buy at least one a week, even if I plan to roast a whole one at some point during said week. It's nice to have around, especially with a picky kid-eater. Fried rice, chicken pasta with broccoli, minced lettuce cups, and definitely chicken salad.

Add whatever you have around, nuts, dried fruit, crunchy fruit

My first favorite way to enjoy leftovers is a schmorgesborg of whatever is in the fridge: chicken, carrots, celery with hummus, jarlsberg and brie cheeses with salami and crackers, a spicy mustard or fig dip, grapes, almonds, and always tons of olives.

My second favorite? Chicken salad. If the diced chicken is accompanied by a crunchy fruit and/or vegetable, dried fruit of some kind like cranberries or raisins, a nut of some sort, some herbs, a tiny dollup of mayo or yogurt, olive oil, salt and pepper... we'll eat the whole bowl in one sitting.

Chicken Salad2

If I'm not daytime drinking wine, I'll always settle for a Pellegrino aranciata. The chicken salad doesn't even need bread, but if you have it and aren't on a starch-free fix, enjoy an italian or French loaf slice, even a cracker.

Aranciata always

When you're done with your rotisserie chicken, don't trash it! Stick it in your slow cooker, add water, onion, celery, carrots, herbs, salt and pepper. Let it slow cook overnight, strain solids and bam... you'll have an incredible homemade chicken stock. Full recipe to come.

I'm proud of my leftovers. You should be too.

Chicken Salad with Cranberries, Apple, Toasted Walnuts

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lbs. diced rotisserie chicken

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins

• 1/3 cup diced green apple

• 1/4 cup diced celery

• 2-3 tbsp mayo or greek yogurt

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• Juice of one lemon

• salt and pepper

*toast french loaf slices, top with olive oil, chicken salad, sliced avocado and arugula & season with salt and pepper

 Directions:

Literally put everything in a nice size bowl and gently mix together.

Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy as a salad, sandwich, or appetizer on a cracker