I'm only here for the food...

One of the most fun things about doing the Whole30 was trying a bunch of new foods and discovering some new recipes that will take up permanent residence in my culinary repertoire. Because the Whole30 focuses on nourishing food, it's important to have plenty of variety. This isn't an inexpensive endeavor, but the saying "you get what you pay for" applies to the food we consume as much as anything.

I went out on a limb and used some gift cards from Christmas to purchase the cookbooks Well Fed and Well Fed 2 by Melissa Joulwan. I do not regret it! A lot of recipes from these cookbooks can be found on Melissa's blog The Clothes Make the Girl, but not all of them! I do recommend both cookbooks. You can also find lots of paleo recipes and ideas on the internet, of course. Below are some of my favorite culinary discoveries from the Whole30. Note that this is not an exhaustive list!

Homemade Mayo
For almost two years I owned an immersion blender but I never took it out of its box. Finally, around the holidays I used it to make cream of asparagus soup. That was when I realized that my immersion blender is my second favorite kitchen tool (the first being my Kitchenaid mixer). After the first time that I made this mayo, the hubs and I decided we'd never go back. It is by far the yummiest mayo you've ever tasted, and it is the base for all kinds of dressings and dips. If you are even the slightest bit interested, try this recipe! You won't regret it.

Pureed Soups
Before I made the cream of asparagus soup over the holidays, I had never made a pureed soup. I am a convert now. Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup is probably my new favorite way to eat zucchini. I can't wait for extra zucchini in the garden this summer. Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon was a surprise to all of us - It is beyond delicious. I also made a lot of Golden Cauliflower Soup. If you have a baby in your house, these soups are a bonus because they make excellent baby food. Little Brother and I eat one of these soups for lunch every day, and even though I'm finished with the Whole30, I will continue this. We both enjoy them, and it makes getting all your veggies so much easier.

Most of the time, I drink my zucchini soup from a mug. 

Chocolate Chili
Whether or not you're interested in the Whole30, GO MAKE THIS CHILI. It is SO good. I've made the same recipe for our chili (and we've always loved it) ever since I got married, but now this is my go-to chili recipe. I've made it at least half a dozen times in the last three months. Yes, it is that good.

Coconut Milk Creamer
I couldn't put any creamer in my coffee on the Whole30, so I started out drinking it black. That was fine and dandy until we got a new kind of coffee and it was a super dark roast (we tend to try lots of different kinds of coffee around here just for the fun of it). On a whim, I decided to put some coconut milk in my coffee and I discovered a newfound love! I *just* might like coconut milk better than creamer!

Sunrise Scramble
Probably my greatest success (as far as making things that The Hubs liked!) in the Whole30 was the Sunrise Scramble in Well Fed 2. This recipe is not online (so you would have to purchase the cookbook to find it), but The Hubs loved it so much that I have made it at least once a week since January (sometimes more frequently). It's a skillet egg scramble with a diced apple, sweet potato, and sausage (or ground beef). I will probably continue to make this for a weekend breakfast for the rest of our lives. It's easy and delicious, and packed with nutrition.

Random Things
You can't have legumes on the Whole30, so that means no peanut butter. I don't consume a lot of peanut butter anyway, but I bought some Sunbutter so I could make Pad Thai and I fell in love. I also never knew it before this, but I really enjoy cabbage. I thought that I hated it, because I didn't care for it growing up. However, if you shred it and sauté it in some coconut oil it is better than cake. No joke. Also, I've been eating a lot of scrambled eggs for breakfasts, and there are tons of ways to make them special… just try mixing in chives, or cilantro, or even ground mustard! The possibilities are endless. If it weren't for the Whole30, I also would never have tried spaghetti squash or butternut squash, and they are nothing less than a treat if cooked correctly!

This is just a small sampling of some of the paleo food I consumed during my Whole30. These are foods that were completely new to us, but have become regular parts of our diet now. It was worth it to do the Whole30 just because of this!