Updated 11-26-14: This post was originally written for a Whole30 program I was unable to complete on the blog due to technical issues that prevented me from making new posts.
I expected to wake up this morning with the biggest headache because that's what day 2 is always like with me and Whole30 fun. But it didn't happen! I would have danced in bed (yes, it's totally doable), but I was super tired. Getting out of bed was tougher than usual and I stayed in there as long as I possibly could.
Also, I was super hungry! I'm talking mega hunger pains hitting me as soon as I got up to start the day. I made a quick snack to hold me over by smashing up some hard-boiled eggs and mixing it with some leftover paleo ranch dressing - which I made with the mayo recipe in this post, by the way!
Today was mostly another boring day as far as sugar withdrawals go - that is, until a friend at work offered me some chocolate. I wasn't craving it one bit, even after she offered it to me, but I got annoyed that I "couldn't" have any! And so it begins.
The mini tantrum I had inside my head because of not having chocolate I didn't even want anyway only lasted a few minutes, but I started wearing some cranky pants as the workday came to a close and for no reason at all! Jason is also doing a Whole30 with me and he wore those pants, too. The next week or so is going to be fun!
We hit up Trader Joe's on the way home from work and picked up some ribeye and nuts to make more trail mix! Soon as we hit home, dinner was on! And eating helped with the crankiness a bit.
Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast
- Smashed hard-boiled eggs with paleo ranch. (Still not quite a breakfast; more like a snack!)
Lunch
- Pan-fried chicken with baked sweet potato and leftover ratatouille.
Snacks
- Paleo trail mix
- Leftover buffalo chicken salad
- One banana!
Dinner
- Pan-seared ribeye with sautéed kale and shaved brussels sprouts
Recipe time!
Do you own an immersion blender? Because it's a magical kitchen tool and kind of necessary for this recipe! Why is it necessary? Because we're making homemade mayonnaise and in my experience, the magical stick blender makes the thickest and creamiest mayo with no fuss at all and in less than a couple minutes.
I make my mayo with an extra light olive oil; it's the closest to making a neutral tasting mayo without using junky oils like canola or vegetable oil and it's paleo friendly! There are other paleo oils you could try as well! Like avocado or macadamia oil. Just make sure you don't use extra virgin olive oil for this! I don't think it would taste very good. 😉
Homemade mayo has been another staple in my kitchen for over a year at this point. Jason was weirded out by it in the beginning, but now he eats it and helps me make it!
The other night, I had him make some and showed him what to do, except I left out an important detail, we ended up wasting the ingredients (oops!), and had to start all over again. That detail is not to move the immersion blender for a little bit after first turning it on. Very important! We ended up with some liquid weird stuff that ended up going right down the drain. So sad.
But we went for it again and that time, I told him not to move the stick for about 20 seconds and all was well!
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 cup extra light olive oil, be sure it's extra light and not extra virgin or you will be very disappointed
Instructions
- Add the egg, lemon juice, salt, and mustard in a jar wide enough to fit the immersion blender in. Add in the oil.
- Insert the blender all the way to the bottom of the jar and turn it on.
- Don't move the blender for a good 20-30 seconds. You'll notice the mayo starting to form at the bottom and it will slowly climb its way up the jar. At this point, you can move the blender up and down to blend in the the oil hanging out at the top. Be careful not to take the stick completely out of the jar while it's on!
- And just like that, you have thick, creamy homemade mayo.
Notes
If I am using a blender, what should I do?
Hey Em - great question (I'll update the recipe to include these steps)! You want to form an emulsion, so the best bet using a blender is adding the egg, lemon juice, salt, mustard, and a small amount of the oil to the blender - I'd suggest 2-4 tablespoons of the oil. Blend for at least 20 seconds on low, then slowly drizzle the oil in as it's blending. The pouring of the oil is a crucial step as it can ruin the mayo if you rush it, so patience is necessary. 🙂 I've found using a blender has been tricky myself, so let me know how it goes!
how long does it last once made?
Hi Dawn! I've had mine up to two weeks with no problem. I have yet to see if it would last longer than that because I would use it up by then, but because it's homemade, I wouldn't recommend keeping it around longer than that anyway. Hope that helps! 🙂
Absolutely love it! Is almost magical how the immersion blender works, ( I said almost), my husband loves to watch me make it!! Also made your garlic aioli and roasted artichokes, super yum!!! Thank you Sandy
Love it. Thanks so much, Sandy!
Fabulous mayonnaise - very tasty. I used Bertolli extra light taste olive oil. There was no heavy olive oil taste. I never thought of the immersion blender. It worked like a champ. I've tried to make mayonnaise in the food processor in the past and you really have to know what you're doing. This was both easy and tasty. Thank you!!
Thanks for commenting Elizabeth! The immersion blender is, hands down, my favorite tool for making mayo. Bertolli is a great choice too!
I used an immersion blender and it came out soupy. Does it thicken in the fridge or what did I do wrong lol?
Hi Jennifer! I'm sorry for the delayed reply and super sorry the mayo didn't turn out! Did you happen to use a container that was a lot wider than the blender? It's good to note you want to use a container/jar that's slightly larger than the head of the blender. This will make sure the egg and mayo emulsify properly.