Day 15/ Phase 3/ Week 3

Hello and welcome to the start of Phase 3!! Haze has lost 12 pounds in just 14 days! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! It's going to be great!! I want to say thank you so much for the nice comments. I just could not be happier to be inspiring people! It makes this all worth while!! One comment I had was regarding my grocery bill. And what I planned to do was total up the bill after the 30 days is over. I have to say, I think it's going to be a little high!! But don't freak out when you see the total bill because keep in mind a few things:

A) I am doing this wrong!! This is not the way Dr. Fuhrman intended. I believe his intent is to show you beautiful planned out meals--"soup to nuts" as they say. And I must stress again how wonderful these meals taste when accompanied by the side dishes and desserts. Don't skip those like I've always done in the past! I think Dr. F put alot of time in making these meals harmonious. Entree/ side dishes/ dessert--they all go together like peas in a pod. But he also intended you to have leftovers!

B) I have tons of leftovers frozen away for after this project is over!

C) I am kind of a crappy and un-thrifty shopper. It's only me and my husband, and so I've never really had to "buy in bulk" and I admit I don't really shop at the cheapest place on earth. I mean, I'm sure you all have heard of Whole Foods! Not exactly bargain basement prices! But I am getting better at this shopping thing--and slowly learning!

D) While our grocery bill went up/ our restaurant bill is at zero!

E) There were alot of things that I had to buy the first week, that now I have. And they will last a long time. So that is why I want to wait until the end as the first week will be much higher.

Here was the menu for Day 1 of Phase 3:

Breakfast:

Banana-Cashew Lettuce Wrap

I know, I know--this sounds weird. But it's really really good! I didn't have cashew butter, but I did have almond butter (remember to buy raw/ no-salt nut butters). I mean, what could be better than nut butter and bananas?? And the lettuce is just the "holder" for all of this. I kind of rolled it sideways--burrito like--and it was very good. We gave it an "A"

Lunch:

Broccoli Vinaigrette

Vegetable Garbanzo Wrap

Here is a perfect example of how Dr. Fuhrman planned these meals out perfectly. I would not have liked the Garbanzo Wrap nearly as much if I didn't have the tangy broccoli accompanying it. And part of my high marks for this meal was how completly fast and eeeasy it was to make! I gave it an "A-"

Dinner:

Tossed Salad with Dijon Pistachio Dressing

Speedy Vegetable and Bean Soup

I had a little trouble making this salad dressing--I was trying to make a smaller abount (I have a few extra dressings piling up in the fridge!). And it just doesn't work in the Vita Mix if you are making a smaller amount with this one. So we had some other leftover dressing and I will try this one again today. The Speedy Vegetable and Bean Soup was surprisingly good! Haze tasted it and said, "I could eat this every day." It is ultra healthy (keep in mind it's a Phase 3 recipe) but even with our taste buds still back at Phase 1--we both really enjoyed it. And it was our first taste of collard greens--which we both really liked. The only change I made (which I generally do to every soup)--is add half carrot juice/ half celery juice so it is not too sweet). It's warm and comforting--and very filling. We gave it an "A-"

Dessert:

Fruit topped with Strawberry Dressing

Do not skip the desserts! A tiny bowl of fruit with a sweet delicious dressing feels like you are eating dessert at a fancy schmancy restaurant. And like Dr. Fuhrman says--it completes the meal. We gave this an "A"