Day 305 Aug.18 2011

As I was gently transferring my first attempt at paleo crackers into their plastic bag (which were a massive success, more on that later), I realized I'm exactly who I want to be.  I'm finally the "hippie" I have always dreamed of being!  I have a garden (I have yet to call it an overly successful garden-but I at least create plant life and let it recycle back into the Earth...), I eat enormously large salads out of mixing bowls because they are that big, I make my own freaking crackers!  In my late twenties (yea I said it) I have the strongest, healthiest body I've ever had with a plan to maintain it (a plan I find easy to carry out).  I've learned how to balance being a 24 hour Mom with keeping my sanity and health and happiness-which I'm hoping will help maintain that crazy awesome physique I mentioned earlier ;-).

I have found a way to take care of my family.  I feel like this Paleo Solution is my way of giving my family the best and healthiest life they can have.  This last year has taught me how to adapt and adjust for the better when I need to.  It's shown me that I can do these things, and if I give it a chance, I can do it well.  I remember the first week we spent at Fort Polk, I was terrified.  I felt like if I went to the commissary alone everyone would know I was new and I'd do something wrong.  I didn't know there was a suggested route to walking through the commissary!?!?!  I had such little confidence then...I chuckle when I think about it now, those feelings are still so easy to remember.  But I can't imagine going back to that, yea a bigger duty station might be intimidating at first, but I won't be scared.  I'll know what questions to ask.  I don't have to be that scared!

This is my giant hippie-mixing-bowl salad.  It started on the dinner plate and I realized I wouldn't be able to eat it without making a mess, so practicality won and I put it in a mixing bowl...

Anyway, back to those crackers I mentioned.  I've started looking at recipes to expand my paleo cooking now that this is my last day of the challenge.  Tomorrow I get to start the process of introducing foods.  I'm starting with a cup of coffee.  Coffee itself isn't that awful, it's the caffeine, and all the stuff that goes into coffee.  The challenge, for me will be not putting the stuff in my coffee.  If you've ever seen me drink coffee, you'll know sugar was a VERY big part...A lot of the things I want to start adding to my diet, are actually pretty paleo friendly.  Like the crackers.  All the ingredients are totally paleo friendly, it just wasn't in Robb's book, so I feel like I'm splurging :)  I grabbed a couple small bars of organic 56% cacao dark chocolate as a treat.  Some people feel that any kind of chocolate isn't paleo at all.  It all depends on how strict you want to be with your self.  I will now probably go by how things make me feel.  Down the line I may make spaghetti with whole grain or gluten-free pasta and see how I feel...the sky is the limit!