The First Ever...

*Insert Abe Lincoln voice.*

Henceforth, on Fickle Faithfulness, Mondays shall be declared Menu Monday! I have an obnoxious obsession with alliterations (see blog title). My poor children will probably all have alliterated names. Huckleberry Holman, Finnegan Franklin, etc. Beyond the alliteration, I would love to share what I am cooking up, on my ridiculously small stove every week.

Henceforth and so on...

A couple of weeks ago I updated all of you on my 2014 victories in fitness. I also said that you could expect changes from me. This Saturday and last, I locked myself in a coffee shop, and made a blogging post schedule and did some research. (Something about hipsters and caffeine makes blogging just seem right.) It feels so good to have a set plan, and I am really excited about what I will be writing about. I do not want to just write about my life, I want to attempt to add something to your life.

I have Chron’s disease, so I kind of sort of follow the GAPS diet. You can learn more about the specifics of it here. 

Essentially, I am hoping that this will aid my body in pushing my disease into a permanent remission, as it has helped many others. I have a long list of things I cannot eat, so I will just share what I do eat.

• Meat
• Vegetables
• Nuts
• Natural Fat
• Small amounts of fruit
• Small amounts of beans
• Small amounts of corn
• Small amounts of potatoes
• Coffee  & Tea

Everything I eat is organic.

Everything after natural fat is not standard issue GAPS, but I am still trying to figure this out without going insane, so for right now the potatoes and coffee are staying.

All of my recipes will reflect that list. NO BREAD? NO CHEESE? NO SUGARY GOODNESS? 

Yep. 

I promise that I do eat quite well. My roommates often look over at what I am fixing with envy in their eyes. However, it does require planning and creativity. Many of my recipes will be totally good for any of you trying to eat healthy, or just trying to eat! I do not get fancy very often, but I am big on flavor.

My System

I usually spend Saturday prepping most of meals for the weak.  If I do not plan, I fall prey to spending way too much money eating out. Planning is the most important part of my diet.

I used to use an excel sheet, and that worked really well for me. Unfortunately, my Microsoft Suite expired and I do not have the money right now to renew it.

I now use an app, and I think I prefer it actually. It's called Pepperplate.

I track my meals, recipes, and shopping list with this app. 

This is what I am cooking up this week:

Click the photo to enlarge.

Like I said, not always crazy fancy, but always crazy yummy. And yes sometimes I eat a latte for dinner, because they're like 10 million calories, and they fill me up. No worries, I will have a snack. 

It also keeps track of your shopping list. This is really helpful for me.

The app also has a recipe function, but I do not really use that. I just throw things in a pot and call it good.

I really think you should try planning your meals. It makes a huge difference, and I think you would be shocked by how much money you save, and how easy cooking can become.

I would love to hear from you! How do you plan your meals? Which apps do you use? Do you have a specific diet? Advice is seriously appreciated.

Much love,

Sarah Jean