Day 7 & Day 8: Party On!

Friday and Saturday were consumed with running around getting ready for our annual Falloween Party.  Jeff and I have hosted this every year for the past 14 years (with one exception when we were out of town Halloween weekend), and we have a lot of traditional treats that we make every year.  I do all of the cooking, and I was a little concerned about how cooking and baking and buying lots of yummy snacks and drinks along with the social element of hosting a party would go with this eating plan.  The answer:  really well.  Having made the same witch finger cookies and peanut butter eyeballs every year, I know what they taste like, and know that while delicious, they're certainly not worth going off plan.  I made a big batch of guacamole, which is on plan, along with lots of veggie crudite, so knew that there would be something delicious for me to snack on.  (Random aside - guac is the perfect food to bring to any celebration - vegan, gluten free, and yet indulgent, it is a treat that just about everyone can enjoy regardless of what special diet they may be on.)  I didn't make or buy too much and encouraged guests to take cookies/eyeballs home with them, so we had very few leftovers.  I did have a big urge to have a glass of wine when the party first started rolling (that "I've done all the work, now it's time to party" feeling), but after a little while that passed, and I was fine sipping sparkling water and being able to focus on the party.  So, week 1 completed successfully, party managed.

Day 7 Meals:
Breakfast:  eggs scrambled with onions, fennel, sweet potato
Lunch:  arugala with smoked pork, apples, apricots, oil and vinegar
Dinner:  grilled swordfish, green beans with toasted almonds
Snacks:  cashews, dried mango

Day 8 Meals:
Breakfast:  onion, fennel, sweet potato with 2 fried eggs
Lunch:  arugala with smoked pork, apples, apricots, oil and vinegar
Dinner:  cup of pumpkin soup
Snacks:  guac w/ bell pepper strips, almonds