Day 3 - it's getting real

We've made it through three days of the Whole30 and I am feeling mostly great. John, on the other hand, is not. He is feeling deprived and stressed. We are both missing our evening drink after the kiddos are in bed. (I mean, how does one survive parenting toddlers without a nightly drink?) I think the reason it is easier for me, though, is that I've been through the deprivation part before, and recently. I went without alcohol for nine months (twice) and without dairy for six months. So, I don't really feel as deprived. And whatever loss I am feeling is replaced by the "gain" of eating healthy, feeding my family healthy foods, and the confidence that everything I'm making is safe for everyone to eat. Those things are fueling my energy to keep going even though this is hard (and expensive!)

But for a brief moment today, I made my grumpy husband happy. I made him this:

That is a bacon mushroom burger with homemade ketchup and carmelized onions. And (surprisingly tasty) kale chips! If only for a moment, I think the feelings of deprivation faded.

Here is that recipe, from the book and blog Nom Nom Paleo:

Big-O Bacon Burgers

2 Tbsp. lard or fat of choice, divided
1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, minced
4 oz. bacon, frozen and cross-cut into small pieces
1 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 Tbsp. of the lard in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, and sauté the cremini mushrooms until the liquid they release has cooked off. Set aside.

Pulse the frozen bacon pieces in a food processor to the consistency of ground meat. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bacon and cremini mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, gently combine the ingredients. Be careful not to overwork the meat. Divide the mixture into four portions (or more, if you’re making sliders), and use your hands to flatten each into ¾-inch-thick patties.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of lard in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, and fry up the patties in the hot fat, turning once. Regular-sized (6-oz.) burgers should take about 3 minutes per side; slider burgers should take about 2 minutes per side. The meat inside should be perfectly pink all the way through, and studded with pretty little pieces of smoky bacon and mushrooms.

Transfer the patties to a wire rack so that any excess cooking fat can drain off. Serve each patty with tomato slices in sturdy butter lettuce leaves or roasted portobello mushrooms. Makes 4 burgers.

— From “Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans” by Melissa Tam and Henry Fong