Names can be deceiving...

Okay, so today started with a sore throat and a general state of grumpy.  It finished with an extraordinary afternoon and evening with the hubs.  I am officially on day 19 of my 30-day "challenge."  Our family has not gone out ONE TIME in the last 19 days because I am too afraid that things won't be cooked appropriately, or they'll sneak something in that I didn't expect.  I really just want to stay true to the 30 days without any added sugars, grains, or dairy.  For whatever reason, I'm totally committed to following through this 30 day gig.  I haven't had any beer, liquor, or caffeine even for the last 19 days.  I am one clean mo-fo.  I don't know that I'd say that I have super-human strength or boundless and limitless energy, but I do think I just have a generic feeling of "better."  I have noticed that my energy is more, I feel like I have more motivation to DO things.  Further, I had some CRAZY break-outs on my chin (like I was freaking 14 all over again) for like a month.  Since starting to eat "clean" I have noticed a great improvement and in the last couple days it has almost all cleared up (FINALLY!!!).  I was seriously this close to opening up the vault of the early 90's and finding my Clearasil and Noxema wipes.  WHAT THE HELL???  Anyway, it's getting better now. Thank goodness, because having acne at 33 just wasn't an option.  So I want to stay paleo, but also wanted to take a night off of cooking.  Even though I really do love to cook, I also LOVE to go out to dinner.  I love restaurants and I love picking things off a menu.  I blame my Mother because I have been raised VERY well and really enjoy finding wonderful places that treat you well and give you delicious food to eat.  Tonight I found all of the above AND stayed paleo.  This place was FANTASTIC.  To boot, I got to go with just the hubby.  I didn't have worry for ONE SECOND about keeping anybody busy with crap to do.  I got to just SIT and enjoy my dinner.  I came home from school, the hubs and I went to a movie, then went to dinner at "Dick's Kitchen."  A friend at school told me about this place who recommended it after going there and knowing my "limitations" on my diet right now.  Seriously... but "Dick's Kitchen"?  It seems like kind of an unfortunate name. I feel like I'm going to some adult sketchy place, but NOT ANYMORE!  I want to go here all the time because everything is totally fresh, local, and freaking fantastic.  After the movie we went to, we bolted to Dick's Kitchen on Belmont and strolled in to find a lovely little dining room.  It's almost like a diner feel, but a little more classy.  There were some definitely "cool kids" there, but I didn't feel at all out of place.  The staff was young and beautiful, as was a lot of the patrons.  It was lit well (like the RIGHT lighting... not like it was really bright.  For some reason I'm seemingly sensitive to the correct lighting.  For example, I don't do all the lights in my classroom very much because the fluorescent lights freak me out if they're just ON all day.), and the tables were close, but not too close.  It was a cozy little place, not overly decorated or anything, and cute blackboards that state the incredible homemade specials the revolve even as you're sitting there eating!  This place touts all grass-fed meats and locally butchered proteins.  It's seriously an awesome little place.  Anyway, they told us that the "guest burger" was a wild boar burger and that the sides for the evening were herb roasted cauliflower and a kale/fennel warm salad.  SWEET JESUS, I'M HOME.  I ordered the Thai Burger bowl (on the menu it's advertised as the paleo option... seriously... home).  I also got a side of the roasted cauliflower and tried the oven baked yam fries.  Now, yams are borderline for hardcore paleo, but I got a small order and shared it with the hubs (who got the sausage sampler plate... with water buffalo sausage and a kielbasa.  whoa.).  We also got a homemade chipotle aioli for dippin'.  My burger bowl was basically a fresh green salad with broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, and a burger patty.  It was topped with this crazy-good, kinda' spicy Thai sauce that was AWESOME.  I left there a seriously happy girl.  I got to spend an entire afternoon with just my husband, watch a movie... A GROWN-UP MOVIE IN A THEATER WITH OTHER GROWN-UPS, then got to go to a new restaurant that caters to my current paleo fixation.  Not only that, but they do it was quality, fresh, delicious fare.  I am officially on a "kick."  As my hubby will tell you... when I get on a kick, I want whatever it is I want at that moment, pretty much every day until I get sick of it, and then I don't want anything to do with it anymore.  I'm on a Dick's Kitchen Kick, and I don't see it fizzling for quite some time.  Next time, I'm totally trying something different... wild boar anyone?

What went in my belly today?  (thinking back... today was a GREAT day of eating...)
Breakfast: two fried eggs with bacon from the market last weekend.  I also had my banana, almond butter, walnut, and blueberry goodness.  (SO GOOD I tried to tell people in the staff room about it two times.)
Lunch:  Leftover hamburger patty with roasted squash, brussel sprouts, and some carrot apple sauce I made last night for the young ladies.
Dinner:  DICK'S KITCHEN!!!!!!  See above... before and after.