Paleo Pinball Wizard

Yes, it's cliche, but our family's schedule this past week has been like multiple pinballs, bumping into dinging bells, heading into a different direction only to bump into something else.  It was a week of time spent not in the kitchen, but in cars, on fields, in cars again, at work, at the gym, and back in cars. 

That's Honey.  Isn't she sweet?

 



You will eventually have a week that puts your hunting and gathering skills to the test, because your crucial meal planning and preparation days, for whatever reason, have escaped you.  We lost our weekend to sports and activities, then headed immediately into a busy week of more sports and activities, only with work sprinkled in. Although there were a lot of meals out and last minute grab and go's at the grocery store, we did it.  There are many places to eat out Paleo.  It might not have been perfectly paleo, with the right oils or whatever, but I was able to find the type of food I was looking for without cooking a single family meal in my kitchen all week. 

For breakfast most days I had a protein shake, some fruit, and a handful of nuts.  I could grab the nuts and shake out of my pantry, a piece of fruit from the fridge, and head out the door at 6 am.  At work, I found hard boiled eggs and cut-up fruit at Au Bon Pain.  Starbucks also has a protein plate.  I pitched the cheese, peanut butter, and bread, and ate the grapes, apple, and hard-boiled egg with my blonde roast.  I finished it up with my Two Moms in the Raw fruit and nut bar, also available at Starbucks. 

Lunch was a little easier, because there are salad bars everywhere.  Even though we don't have one in Frederick yet, Chicken Out Rotisserie gets 5 stars in the Paleo Out column.  They have steamed broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower, roasted sweet potatoes, and spice rubbed chicken.  Wegman's is another sure thing - salad bar with oil and vinegar, and a little grilled chicken on top.  Easy and done, plus they have Kombucha or Coconut Water to drink, and a Hail Merry tart for a little chocolate paleo heaven.  Chipotle gave me a great lunch on Wednesday with a salad and carnitas, no beans or cheese, only salsa, peppers, and guacamole.  The only down side of this was running 6 miles with Chipotle in my belly - this would NOT make me the popular one in a running group. 

Dinner was a little more challenging.  After football, lacrosse, and Crossfit, we were all starving. It was usually around 8 or 8:30 and we were trying to hunt and gather food for to stop us from eating our arms.  Except for my previous confessional post about pizza, all of our meals ended up being Paleo.  Morgan's Grill, our little restaurant nearby, supplied our dinner twice this week - salad with anchovies and oil and vinegar, ahi tuna, and blackened salmon or filet, with double veggies and no potato.  We also hit our favorite barbecue places for pulled pork, collard greens, and wings.  Wegmans saved the dinner with grilled chicken breast and steamed green beans, already made and ready to go.  We got enough that we had extra for lunch the next day.  That ended up being the  smartest thing I did all week, because the unit I worked on the next day got 9 pizzas for lunch. Thanks to Wegmans and an ounce of preparedness, I had my green beans and chicken to carry me through two meals in a pizza-infested environment.

My lunch room table, yesterday.  That's my meal on the bottom. 

Chris and I were not happy about winging it the entire week, but we did it in the face of having no other alternatives.  It was expensive.  I spent even more money than I usually do feeding the bottomless growing boy pits that are my kids.  I'm happy to say I'm looking forward to several days of meals at home, prepared by me after hours upon end in my kitchen.  The only pinball from here on out will be in my basement, and it won't involve meals.  Hunting and Gathering is costly and portion-challenging, but possible.