7 Day Challenge, Day 3 and some sewing

Well, it's day three of my 7 Day Challenge not to eat wheat or sugar. So far it's been pretty uneventful. I've been busy with lots of projects and we have a fairly wheat free house except for a few items we put in the boys' lunch (like cheese its and bread). I find when I am busy I don't think about food quite as much. Maybe spring is the best time to do such a challenge!


I know in years past I couldn't imagine eating without wheat. Life without pasta you say? No way! And, to be honest, I'm glad it's not something I have to give up for life. I do hope to relegate those tasty beasts like homemade pizza to special days shared with our family. I have started a menu page at the top of the blog for anyone interested in what it looks like to eat without wheat and sugar. 


One of the necessities for me that surround healthy eating is variety. Fortunately, God provided us with these lovely things called seasons and if we remember to eat by them the variety is already provided for us! It is also necessary for me to have some tasty but simple recipes handy. Mike has been on the Paleo diet for about a year and so we do have a Paleo cookbook. I also love the website the Nourished Kitchen. There is LOTS of good information about food there and simple recipes, too. I've also poured over lots of cookbooks at the library and on my own bookshelf. I have a great Weight Watchers cookbook. I just always modify the ingredients. For instance, if it says vegetable oil, I use olive oil, if it calls for chicken broth, I use my homemade chicken stock, if it says low-fat (fill in the blank) I use the real deal. Don't even get me started on margarine! So, the result is that I'm learning new things and trying out new foods which feeds my brain and my body. It helps keep me on the path.


A great book that I recommend is Food Rules by Michael Pollan. I checked it out of our local library. It's a very small and simple book. In fact, I read it to the boys one night over dinner. Some of the rules:

• If your grandmother (or greatgrandmother if you are a young person) wouldn't know what it is, don't eat it. Think: yogurt in a tube.
• If a second grader can't pronounce the ingredients, don't eat it.
• Never eat the same place as your car. Wawa?

The list goes on and is very interesting. A good though provoking read. I also wanted to point you in the direction of my friend Michele's blog. She's joining me in the Challenge and is posting about it all week. Click here to find today's post.

Thanks to all the people who are joining me on the challenge. I can't wait to here how you are doing! One tip: if you 'fall off the wagon' before day seven just get back on! Don't give up!! If you are having a really hard time, plan your indulgence for day 7 and look forward to it!

Ok, here's a little sewing for you. I bought an Amy Butler pattern at the quilt show for more than 1/2 price and set about making this little shoulder bag. I used the hand bag pattern with the shoulder bag straps. I just don't carry that much in my purse so the large bag seemed ridiculously large to me. I also didn't have interfacing and just used a piece of quality cotton instead. It probably didn't make much difference but the top of the bag was a little floppy so I sewed the straps to it. The bag had two pockets that are almost as large as the inside of the bag. I wish I would have sewn up the center of both to attach them to the lining. They tend to flop over and are useless otherwise. Since I didn't realize this until after the bag was finished I just hand stitched them to the lining. Better, but not perfect. All in all it was a fun project for an evening. It kept my mind off food, that's for sure!