Days Five, Six, Seven

So.  First things first.  Last night for Matt's birthday, we ventured north to Wicker Park for beers and basketball: Duke played Iowa State at the United Center, and our friend Pat had ordered cheap tickets through the Duke Alumni page, which turned out to be ACTUALLY court-side. (Happy birthday, old man!)

So that was awesome.  But since it was a special occasion, I took an exception meal for the week (meaning now I have to be golden until Monday) and loaded up on Small Bar's pub grub, splitting fried cheese curds, fish 'n chips, and a big bowl of chili with Matt.  All of this might be perfectly unprocessed, but since I didn't ask, I have no way of knowing.  And I have to tell you, in an effort to be perfectly honest on this journey, that I woke up feeling pretty disgusting; a little hungover from the beers, a little scratchy from the yelling, and more than a little sick to my stomach from all the grease.

I've only been eating whole for a few days -- and relatively unsuccessfully, at that -- but I can feel a major difference in my body today after last night's meal.  I'm draggy, bloated, and generally ill-ish.

Before last night's blowout, the past couple days have been relatively tame on the dining front:

We finished off the open C&D farms ground beef in lunchtime nachos and burgers Matt doctored up on Tuesday night (onions, garlic, cumin, cayenne), served with oven-roasted brussels sprouts.

(Please note the elegant plating, Matt's resolution for the new year...)

Yesterday morning presented my first real challenge: foregoing U.Chicago Law's weekly free "coffee mess" of Dunkin' Donuts in favor of some whole wheat toast.  I took some coffee, but brought my own cup pre-filled with Organic Valley whole milk (no additives) and granulated sugar, rather lacing it with the 18% cream and uncountable Splendas which used to be my go-to.

Even writing that is a little disgusting.

Anyways, after remaining STRONG LIKE A ROCK at coffee mess, lunch was hearty whole PB&J:

Smuckers all-natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt) and Matt's sister Katie's incredible home-canned strawberry preserves, spread thick on sunflower rye from Treasure Island.  The organic, multicolored carrots made their final appearance, and we agreed that purple DEFINITELY tastes better.