Tasty Tuesday...Hopefully a regular post

So here is a simple goal for myself.  On Tuesday's...hopefully every Tuesday...I will post a simple REAL food recipe for you.  One that doesn't take more than 10-15 minutes to prep.  Cook times will vary on the recipes.  But REAL food doesn't have to be hard.

My recipe today is Strawberry Banana Applesauce.  My boys love those little applesauce packages that you get at stores.  The portable ones...that look all cute and are handy to throw in your purse.  Well awhile back I bought my own reusable applesauce packs and now I've been making applesauce to put in them.

Last fall we picked apples at a friends house.  We literally had 3 or 4 diaper boxes full of apples!  I have left them in our porch against the house wall so they haven't frozen.  Gradually we've been eating them and using them in recipes, hot cereal, etc.  Today I decided to use a big chunk before they warmed up and started to go bad.

So here's the recipe...

You'll need enough apples cut in chunks to fill a stock pot 3/4 of the way.
4-5 bananas (brown ones are sweeter)
1/2 cup lemon juice (to preserve sauce and prevent browning)
2-3  cups frozen strawberries
Coconut sugar to taste (this is just to sweeten it to our liking naturally)

Simmer in a stock pot on low.  Stirring every now and then.  I leave the peelings on the apples and then  blend it all up in my vitamix.  Then we get the fiber along with everything else.  Once the apples are mushy...blend them up and serve!

Here's a link to the reusable snack bags we use for applesauce.  They wash up easily and seal well.

http://www.amazon.com/Squooshi-Reusable-Food-Pouch-Assorted/dp/B00AWJHB5G/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1392737438&sr=1-2&keywords=reusable+snack+bags

Paleo "Oatmeal" Cookies!

So I used to love making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for Superhero #1.  I loved the added texture and complexity of flavor of having more than one grain used.  Well...I stumbled upon a recipe from PaleoMom her mock Oatmeal cookies.  Here's the link to her recipe so you see the original and below is the way I altered it based on what was in my pantry and what I felt like doing.  Let me know what you think and give me some feedback folks!  Desserts are what we miss most right?  So lets put our heads together and figure out what you miss the most and we can search and try to create a recipe for those indulgences.  These are slightly chewy cookies and don't taste the same as every other almond flour cookie recipe out there.  I like the different textures and flavors in it.  Let me know what you think. 

3/4 cup of coconut oil melted and cooled (if you skip this step you have a puddle of oil on the bottom of the bowl.)

2/3 cup of coconut sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 TBSP sesame seeds (I had the light colored ones on hand)

2 TBSP Flaxseed meal

1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup raw pecans

2 TBSP raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raw sliced almonds

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand since they're dairy free)

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Mix oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla well.

3.  Add almond flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt to sugar mixture and blend well.

4.  Pulse pecans and sunflower seeds in food processor until they resemble coarse sand.  Then dump into batter.

5.  Pulse almond slices until they resemble oatmeal flakes.  Add to the batter.

6.  Add remaining ingredients (coconut, sesame seeds, and chocolate chips.  Mix well.

7.  Form 1 inch balls and flatten on a parchment paper lined pan.  

8.  Bake 9-10 minutes.  9 was perfect for me but every oven is different.

ENJOY!  These are flattened out by hand but you can bake them as balls...they'll just stay in that shape.

Camping food at it's best

So we love camping!  I jokingly say my hubby lucked out that his wife enjoys roughing it and everything that goes with it.  We have food allergies so prepping for any trip requires some amount of thinking ahead.  For this 4 day trip we have some premade things but mostly homemade stuff.  So today is food prep day.  Yesterday, I cleaned the house for the dog sitters, packed our clothing, and played with the boys.

Here's our list:

Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs with veggies and cheese

Banana Muffins (see Elana's Pantry recipe for Paleo Banana Muffins...I use honey)

Applegate Farms Chicken and Maple Breakfast Sausage

Milk (organic whole milk and Almond Milk)

veggie smoothies

Lunch

Spicy Black bean salad
Salsa
Avocado
Tortilla chips

raw veggies

veggie dip (see recipe below)

Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (Applegate Farms)

Supper

raw veggies

taco meat
Homemade salsa
Avocados
Black bean salad

organic corn chips (for the Superheroes)

Tillamook Cheddar Cheese

Hamburgers

Hot dogs from above

Snacks

70% Cacao Organic Dark Chocolate

Organic Apples

Organic Oranges

Organic grapes

Sunflower Seed Butter Blondies (Elana's Pantry...I use 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 honey for this recipe instead of the agave nectar)

Now...for the recipes!!!

Veggie Dip

8 ounces organic full fat sour cream

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 TBSP dried dill

1 TBSP dried parsley

Mix above ingredients and enjoy!

Hamburgers with Feta (Thanks to our friend Jana for this recipe...with some minor additions)

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

3/4 cup crumbled feta

3/4 cup finely chopped spinach

1 TBSP fresh minced basil

1 TBSP fresh minced garlic

1/2 cup minced red onion

1/3 cup finely minced red bell pepper

1 tsp. sea salt

Mix above ingredients and fry on griddle.  Sooo good!  Enjoy!

White Bean Hummus with Black Olives and Pepperocinis

On Memorial Day we went to our friends' house for a BBQ.  I offered to bring veggies and dip thinking it would be easy since I'm always chopping veggies here anyway.  The dip plan was my homemade ranch dip and hummus.

Parade side...just a WEE bit excited to see the festivities!

Normally, I make a roasted bell pepper hummus with garbanzo beans (aka chick peas) that I love!  I am not a big hummus fan so the bell peppers hide the taste of the chick peas and tahini.  So it's the day of...I'm searching our pantry, getting everything out...excited to go.  Handsome Hubby was working out at the gym and then I was going to leave to workout for an hour before we left for their house.  Kids are resting on the couch watching Thomas the Train.  I just had the hummus left to make.

One problem...I didn't have the peppers.  I was literally emptying my pantry out searching.  No luck.  So here you have my new creation...A White bean hummus!  This is what I had in my pantry folks.

I guess my lesson to you is don't be afraid to experiment.  I make a white bean salad with similar ingredients so I thought this would work.  It does!  It was tested and approved by 8 adults and when we left the large bowl was half empty.  A success!  It took about 15 minutes to make since I had to cut the olives and pepperocini some before I placed them in the food processor.

White Bean Hummus

2 cans of canellini beans rinsed and drained
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tsp. freshly minced garlic
1/2 cup tahini
1 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. dry basil
5 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
3/4 cup pepperocinis sliced
2 Tbsp. pepperocini juice from the jar

Place above ingredients in your food processor or blender.  Mix until smooth.  Enjoy!

Natural Ranch Dip?

So here's the deal.  I am the mom who tricked my now 5 year old into eating his vegetables by giving him Hidden Valley Ranch dip.  Even at the time when he was 2 years old and I was doing it I would cringe inside.  I had read the label...maltodextrin, buttermilk, salt, monosodium glutamate, dried garlic, dried onion, lactic acid, citric acid, spices and artificial flavors. Dried buttermilk adds the characteristic tang to the ranch dressing. (Livestrong.com).

This is what he liked?!  Kids need to eat their veggies!?  I'm a first time mom!  I want to get it right!

Well...guess what.  He just liked flavor and I figured out how to get him to eat cooked carrots (cooked in my chicken stock), asparagus, parsnips, green beans, and cucumbers.  But, I'll be honest with you...he still liked the ranch dip.

Typical spread at my baby shower.  Note the veggies and ranch dip in the back.  This was before we gave up processed food!  It makes me shudder!

No Going Back

Handsome Hubby and I didn't want to go there.  Monosodium glutamate is bad stuff!  Here's a list of known symptoms from the Mayo Clinic website:  

• Headache
• Flushing
• Sweating
• Facial pressure or tightness
• Numbness, tingling or burning in the face, neck and other areas
• Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations)
• Chest pain
• Nausea
• Weakness

So now what?  I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner but Pinterest helped me.  A recipe for it!  There's a little website that is fabulous called Keeper of the Home.  I stumbled on her recipe page for 17 common mixes that we use.  One of which was a guest post linking to a Ranch dip mix.  The link to her 17 mixes is above.

Eating "Real Food" and LOVIN' it.

The Rationale for Fat

So my simplified version is coming below...this is just dip for veggies.  If you can't tolerate dairy, get lactose free greek yogurt.  Or you could make it with just mayonaisse.  I would recommend making your own so you can avoid soybean oil (a common allergen and gmo).  Also, try to get a full fat sour cream or full fat yogurt.  A misconception is that we have to stay away from fat.  It's not true.  We need to stay away from fake!  Eat real foods.  The higher quality of plant based food and grass fed or free range meat you eat the more quickly you become full.  

The more quickly you become full, the fewer calories you eat.  The fewer calories you eat, the more weight you lose.  It's the QUALITY of calories that matters more than the QUANTITY.  Sure, you can't eat like a pig and not gain weight.  Food is food.  If you eat too much no matter what it is, you may have an unhealthy relationship with food.  That is something for you to examine in yourself.  We had to.  We still do.

But when companies start taking fat out of dairy, adding hormones, adding flavor enhancers, you're getting away from the way God made food.  Our bodies need a certain amount of fat.  It helps in brain memory functioning, you stay full longer, there's actually less of a chance of childhood obesity in kids who drink whole milk versus those who drink skim.

The Ranch Dip Recipe

16 oz container of full fat organic sour cream (or greek yogurt)

1 TBSP dried parsley

1 TBSP onion powder

1 TBSP garlic powder

1 tsp. sea salt

Mix above ingredients and enjoy!  That's it!  It saves you money too and you can adapt it.   Don't be locked into the sour cream either.  Try mayo.  Try hummus with this mix of spices.  Try Greek Yogurt.  To make it a dressing, add some whole milk.  Just a tablespoon at a time.  Try it out and let me know what you think!

More Sleep with Early Rising Kids

So this isn't really just our secret...my sister tipped me off to it.  You can read her blog at Just B.  She has a little guy who is an early riser like my boys.  One advantage is that he is 2 years older so she learns things and passes them onto me.  She also passes his clothes onto us but that's another story.

What we want!

Sleep is crucial to so many body functions.  It keeps you sane.  It helps you're immune system.  It helps your body heal.  It restores strength for the new day ahead.  It reduces stress. The list could go on and on.

Now if you have kids...you know sleep deprivation comes with the territory right?  My kids have not been "good" sleepers when they were younger.  My oldest had allergy issues that we didn't figure out until he was 14 months old.  By that point he was used to waking up frequently.  Combine that with teething (which was difficult for him) and the birth of our second child and I really didn't sleep for a long time.

What we get!

As Superhero #1 grew he began to sleep better but there were times he would wake up so early.  I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't fall back to sleep.  My sister gave me one of her tips that she learned from a friend with diabetes but of course after awhile I forgot.

Fast forward to last week.  Both of my boys were waking up early!  The one was waking up every day at roughly 2:30 a.m.  and the other was waking at about 6 a.m.  The one would be awake for awhile with me and finally collapse into sleep (with me passing out by their side in our guest bed).  The other would come in at 6 a.m. and ask if he could get up and I would try to fall back to sleep for awhile.

The red rocking chair where I was spending my nights

This was becoming unproductive for all of us.  The entire household was becoming progressively more tired and as a result a bit more on edge.  My sister had just returned from her trip to Haiti (to see the little girl she's adopting) and was commenting on how her son was waking up super early when she was gone.  She had forgotten to tell our parents her trick to getting him to sleep in a bit more.  AHA!  I REMEMBERED HER TIP!

Tiredness in the home from way back when

So last night, after a week of sleep deprivation and a 5 year old that was getting pretty crabby, weepy, and emotional...I gave them...(INSERT DRUM ROLL HERE) a protein and carb before bedtime.  The protein is the key to keep them from having a blood sugar level drop right before morning.  This drop in  blood sugar causes a person to awake and not be able to fall back to sleep even though they need more sleep.  So did it work?  Superhero #2 woke up once (to sleep with me) and then was back to sleep until 8 a.m.!  Superhero #1 who was previously waking up at 6 a.m. is still sleeping and it's 9 a.m.!!!!  I did the same as the boys and I slept better too!

Raring to go!

Some Carb/Protein combinations for kids...

1. Celery sticks with nut or seed butter and raisins or dried fruit
2. Banana with nut or seed butter
3. Paleo or sprouted grain bread with nut/seed butter
4. boiled egg and fruit (our favorite)
5. Dried fruit and nuts (trail mix)
6. Uncured lunch meat and cheese rolled up with a side of favorite fruit
7. Nut granola with milk and fruit 
8. Yogurt with nut granola or chopped nuts/seeds
9. Meat & cheese on Nut Thins or paleo crackers
10. Hummus with veggies (carrots are carbs)

Sure, I missed going to the gym since I don't set an alarm when I'm sleeping with my little guys.  But ALL OF US slept more!  Thank you Jesus!  Literally!  May peace be restored to the home!

Try it out...see if it helps and let me know!  My Handsome Hubby and I are happy with the result!

Check out my guest post on Modern Alternative Health today...it's sharing a little bit on how to create a garden tailored for your family and your space.  Gardening Tailored for You

Sometimes I just miss my granola...

Sometimes I just miss my granola.  I never was much of a cereal person.  Perhaps, it was because of my gluten and lactose intolerance.  It was like feeding a beast and making it grow larger until it overtook me.

Granola on the other hand with a bit of almond milk...ahhh...be still my heart!  So now as we're on a majority grain free diet and I'm reaping health benefits from it I don't want to go back.  Yet...sometimes I miss my granola.

So today's recipe is from a blog Our Full Plate.  I stayed true to their recipe but will try to tweak it next time.  It is good.  Plain and simple.   It took minimal prep and minimal cook time.  It's not as crunchy as I wanted once dried so I did bake it a little extra but be careful so you don't burn it.  I plan on adding some dried goji berries when I eat it or fresh fruit and unsweetened almond milk.

So I'm going to have to try it again along with many other paleo granola recipes in my quest for the perfect one.  If you're missing the cereal or granola.  Try this.  Enjoy!

Oh...and Happy Mother's Day to the all the mama's out there.

Not Your Lazy Saturday

Sometimes we have lazy Saturdays.  We don't have any commitments.  We play at home, do yard work, stay caught up on laundry, etcetera.  This was not your lazy Saturday.  My feet hit the floor running at 6:30 a.m. and stopped moving at 9:40 p.m.  I literally did not sit down for a single meal.  I do not recommend this for anyone.  Especially a heart attack survivor who is supposed to be "managing stress".  However, life is life.  Sometimes you find yourself packing it in.

I woke up this morning to my sweet Superhero #2 calling for me.  So we played a little on his car mat with him explaining types of cars to me while the oven heated.  Next, he helped me make two new muffin creations using coconut flour.  I have to admit, coconut flour has not been my favorite flour of choice.  So if you're like me and don't like the texture of coconut baked goods, you may want to consider these recipes.  I made pineapple-coconut muffins and mini blueberry muffins with my boy.  They were so good and everyone devoured them as soon as they cooled.  The pineapple ones reminded me of pineapple upside down cake.  Both were from two of my favorite food blogs on whole food eating...Elana's Pantry had the blueberry muffins and The Nourishing Home had the Pineapple-Coconut muffins.

I did adapt both recipes some.  With the blueberry muffins I used melted coconut oil and grade b maple syrup instead of the grapeseed oil and agave nectar.  Coconut oil is a natural anti-inflammatory, big in "healthy fats", anti-microbial, adds moisture to baked goods, and the list goes on and on.  I replaced the butter in the Pineapple-coconut muffins with melted coconut oil and then used lactose free whole milk that I had in the fridge since I didn't have any kefir or yogurt.  Some of us have dairy allergies here so I try to limit it as much as possible.  I'm not against dairy...just against my reaction to it.

After that we left for soccer and I met a friend to go whole food grocery shopping.  She is overhauling her family's eating and feeling a bit overwhelmed.  So we met at a local health food store, traveled to Costco and introduced her to the corporate wonderland there and then parted ways for me to complete my shopping.

I arrived home to hungry kids and a Handsome Hubby who needed food for his wild turkey hunting trip this weekend.  So...I put on my cooking hat (figuratively) and started cleaning up from breakfast.  Then I made a bean salad for him with my own recipe.

Huge bowl of Greek Bean salad...ready for the road

Greek Bean Salad
2 cans white canellini beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup chopped pepperocini
1 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
grape tomatoes (if you have them...I didn't today)
feta cheese to taste

Mix above ingredients together and enjoy!  It's so tasty!  High in carbs but when he's out hiking all day he needs them and burns through them.  He is meeting a hunting buddy so I made a HUGE bowl today.  All of the ingredients above are approximate.  Honestly...I just dump things in and taste until it seems right.

While I was chopping things up for that I started making my "secret spaghetti sauce".  It's really not a secret...it's natural sweet Italian sausage from the local health food supermarket that I bake and grind up in my food processor.  Next I found that the Kirkland brand spaghetti sauce has no added sugar or junk and as a bonus...IT'S CHEAP!  So I pour the 3 jars of that with my 3 pounds of sausage and we're set for spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, and breadsticks.  I sent a bag of mung bean noodles with him and some sauce so BAM another meal done.

Secret Spaghetti Sauce

Secret Spaghetti Sauce
3 lbs Italian sausage
3 jars Kirkland Marinara Sauce

Bake sweet Italian sausage at 350 for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.  Cut links in "chunks" and grind in food processor.  You'll have to do several small batches.  Place ground sausage into large stockpot with the marinara sauce.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes and enjoy!

So with the dishwasher running and the counter still a mess I decided to throw some laundry in and cook more!  I'm crazy I know.  I made some turkey sliders for him to take and for us to eat while he's gone.  It's a favorite recipe from The Food Network and while it does include cheese I just try to limit how much I eat.  Here's the link if you're interested...unfortunately I didn't get pics of these.

Then with Superhero #1 celebrating his birthday at school on Monday and us having a busy day at church tomorrow I decided to do the unthinkable...bake more!  They had to be nut free but coconut flour was ok.  So I made two different coconut flour recipes.  One is for a white cupcake with a maple buttercream frosting.  The recipe may look intimidating but trust me...it's worth it.  My son always wants chocolate cake and this one was his favorite.  It came from the website Deliciously Organic.  She has wonderful information on how she healed Hashimoto's disease by eating whole foods.

Blueberry muffins, Pineapple coconut muffins, White cupcake with maple buttercream frosting and Chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream frosting

The second was from Elana's Pantry.  I think she must live in the kitchen because she always has so many incredible recipes and this one hit the mark again.   I did exchange melted coconut oil for the grapeseed again and used honey instead of the agave nectar.  My husband loved these the best and I honestly don't know what I like more.  I used some of the whipped buttercream from the white cupcakes and mixed it with the chocolate ganache type frosting that I had and it made a light fluffy chocolate buttercream.

In the midst of all this Superhero #2 played with water on the floor next to me showing me how to pour things, blow bubbles with straws, measure marbles in the cup with water, and many other things.  I had to experiment on and off as well and that area on the kitchen floor is SO clean.  He also saw fit to experiment with how well marbles roll on the wood floor.  He was very successful with that endeavor too.

Some playdough and Hot Wheels cars later I am finally sitting.  WHAT  A  DAY!  But you know what? Tomorrow I can relax a bit more and there are enough leftovers frozen and saved in the fridge that I don't have to cook at all while Handsome Hubby is gone.  Maybe you can all pray with me that he gets his turkey the first morning and comes home early like last year!  Enjoy the recipes...I just wouldn't recommend making them all in one day!

Now on Bloglovin!

Follow Reclaimed Life with Bloglovin!

Soon Google Reader is being phased out.  Bloglovin' is a website that compiles all the blogs you read so you can follow them.  It also recommends other blogs that follow a similar train of thought as the ones you currently enjoy.  Follow me on Bloglovin' and find some new blogs to follow at the same time.

Sometimes in the silence...

Sometimes in the silences of my life it's when the big stuff happens.  Right now I'm in one of those silences.  I can feel God holding me close, comforting me, reassuring me, and loving on me.  I am NOT a patient person.  But I know without a doubt that I am meant to wait Him out during this time.  I know at my core that big stuff is happening.  Patience is tough.  But God is good.  He's brought me through so, so much and reminded me that even when I can't see the forest in spite of the trees...He has a bigger picture.

So in that interim, I wait.  I pray.  I read my Bible.  I do my devotions (sometimes I read it twice just so it soaks in).  I bake.  I play with our kids.  I soak in my time with my Handsome Hubby.  And I pray some more.

Here is one of my baking successes this week during the wait.  I tweaked a few almond butter recipes that I found online.  It's so expensive in stores so I tried making my own.  You can leave the cinnamon and vanilla out and it will still be decadent to eat by the spoonful.  By adding the variety of nuts with the cinnamon and vanilla it's like eating apple pie (especially when you dip apples in it!).


Homemade Nut Butter

2 cups raw almonds
3 TBSP. flax seed meal
3 TBSP maple syrup

2 TBSP Coconut oil

optional ingredients:
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix almonds, flax, and maple syrup together.  Spread on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 300 F for 30 minutes total.  Stir once at the 15 minute point.  Remove from oven.  Cool.  Blend in high powered blender  (Vitamix) with coconut oil.  If you don't have a high powered blender you can use a food processor.  Add vanilla and cinnamon during this stage if you want the apple pie flavor.

You can also vary the taste by roasting other nuts with the almonds.  My favorite this week was 1 cup almonds combined with 1/3 cup pecans, 1/3 cup hazelnuts, and 1/3 cup walnuts.  I still had 2 cups of nuts total but it just had a different flavor.  Enjoy!

Toddlers, Tantrums, and Tasty Treats

Sometimes I sit down in  front of the computer knowing that I will be writing today but not knowing where to start.  I've had a Superhero with a ton of fluid in his ears the past few nights so I'm waking up at 4 a.m. and not getting back to sleep.  He's tired and a bit off and so am I.  Everyday, I've been praying for a good attitude and patience.  That I could parent my kids with the grace and patience that I want to be treated with.  And you know what?  It's worked for the most part.  I'm not at 100% right now but I do feel I'm being given divine patience and grace when I've needed it most.

Superhero #2 is in that lovely age of 2 when communication is just starting to cement itself.  He's learning how to say what he wants or needs and to express and identify his emotions in a healthy way.  This is being extrinsically taught by his Mama and Daddy. When he "gets" it I am so excited.  I praise him.  I reinforce the behavior.  I identify and label what he's done.  When he doesn't and a time-out ensues or his favorite toys are taken away and one by one put on top of the fridge for a period of time.  That's when the grace comes into play.

Today he was losing it.  One by one, he lost 2 trains, Lightning McQueen, his blankies, his school bus.  He was spiraling and I knew that he needed a time-out but it couldn't be one alone because he didn't have the capacity to rein himself in.  So I sat in the timeout chair.  I held him.  I quietly told him I loved him even when he's mad and throwing things.  I said, "I love you when you're mad.  I love you when your sad.  I love you when you're happy.  I love you when you're silly."  I kissed him and said he needed to calm down before he could leave the chair.  He needed to use words to tell me what he needed.  When I'm having a crummy day.  That's what I want.  I want someone to hold me and listen to me tell them what I need.  And he did.  Just by that simple act...he calmed down and was able to rejoin his brother for book time.

I love being a mom.  But that patience...that's from the Divine.  That's not me.

I can make some divine Pecan Coconut muffins with dried cranberries in them.   Here's a link to the site, Deliciously Organic that I got them from.  I changed the sweetener to maple syrup and the butter to coconut oil due to our lactose intolerance.  The maple added a great flavor complement to the pecans.  The only thing I added were the cranberries but you could do without them.  This takes them out of the paleo/primal category due to the sugar on the cranberries but I tried to use them moderately and you could use other dried fruit.   I had to throw a recipe in.  Parenting and finding new recipes are two of the things I live for.  Enjoy!

A Fresh Start

For some reason it takes a major life crisis or a new year to help propel us into a fresh start.  We are such creatures of habit.  I'm so guilty of trying to maintain the status quo and yet God always reminds me in so many ways that it's not worth it.

So in this "Happy New Year" mentality I'm going to show you a sample menu of what we ate the past two weeks.  I know I've checked out for about 3 weeks here due to company visiting us and and all the preparations that go into that.  Now I'm back and I still feel passionately about what my family is doing to improve our health in the long run.

I can't stress enough how thankful I am that my handsome hubby and I are doing this TOGETHER.  We both want this.  We're a team.  When the kids see what we're doing...they want to do it.  For the past 6 months, it's become our norm.  People say they don't have the time to eat healthy.  I ask, is it that you don't have the time or that you truly don't have the motivation or desire to?  We've been so busy the past 2 weeks.  Here's my lunch/supper menu during that time crunched schedule.  Every meal covered 2 to 3 days and was changed up a bit.  That saved me time and made the leftovers more interesting.  Every bit of food was eaten.   It's doable.  It's healthy.  It's necessary to reclaim your health.

Lettuce wrap with my Almond Crusted Chicken, hummus, and tomatoes.  Clementine and small dark chocolate treat for my dessert.  A perfect Christmas lunch!

Prep veggies and hummus (see previous recipe here) for the week.  Then you don't have to cut them daily and you're more likely to eat well.

Have plenty of eggs, unprocessed nitrate/nitrite free breakfast meat (sausage or bacon), and veggies on hand for smoothies and omelets.  Have a green smoothie every morning and before supper.  It fills you up and is a great way to get your veggies.  Add fresh herbs, salt, and balsamic vinegar to make them a bit more tasty (like a V8).

Have organic romaine lettuce on hand.  Replace your sandwiches with lettuce wraps filled with hummus, veggies, and meat.


Crock pot Chicken or Turkey (we have a large crock pot so I double this and use the leftovers)

• 1 chicken 
• sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, and fresh thyme
• fill cavity of chicken with onion, parsnips, carrots, and butternut squash
• cover tops with same veggies
• Cook on low 5-6 hours until fully cooked

Turkey taco salads (Use the leftover turkey or chicken from above and shred it in your food processor)

• 2 pounds shredded turkey (you can estimate or buy a cheap food scale)
• homemade taco seasoning (great recipe here!)
• 2 small onions (saute first)
• 2 six ounce cans of tomato paste
• six ounces of water
• Combine all and serve with homemade guacamole (recipe here) on a bed of lettuce with tomatoes, green onions, and jalapeños.

Spaghetti

• 4 jars Organic spaghetti sauce (sugar free)
• 2 pounds All natural nitrate free Italian sausage (or make your own...recipe here)
• Bake sausage and grind up in food processor.  Simmer with sauce to combine flavors.
• Serve over spaghetti squash or Mung bean fettuccine.  Purchase here on Amazon.

Pizza

• homemade crust made from almond flour (Best recipe I've found here) Buy your flour online to save 50-60% off grocery store prices.
• leftover spaghetti sauce
• finely minced kale, uncured pepperoni, roasted bell peppers, olives, etc.
• NO CHEESE!

Ham

• Uncured ham
• green onions, carrots, parsnips
• Raw honey
• Bake at 350 covered for 1 hour surrounded by veggies.  Spread raw honey over top and recover. Bake for an addition 30 minutes until veggies are tender.

Chef Salad

• boiled eggs
• romaine lettuce
• chopped raw veggies
• chopped ham (leftover from above)
• Organic sulfate free balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• sea salt
• Prepare lettuce, top with veggies and ham.  Drizzle balsamic and olive oil over top.  Sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy!

There is no halfway.  My hubby and I talked about this and both agreed...if we still had bread, crackers, chips, cookies in the house that were made of grains...we'd still be on the carb addiction cycle and wouldn't have lost a collective 50+ pounds between us.  If we still had our Pepsi or Mountain Dew, or chocolate from Kroger's, we wouldn't have 7 bags of clothes set to be donated this week.  You either want this.  Or you don't.  That means you have to give up the coffee creamer, the pop, the fast food, and find delicious substitutes.  It can be done.  Here's a few links that I use a lot.  Always keep in mind...grain free, dairy free, unprocessed.  Our only sugar comes from fruits, honey, and Grade B maple syrup.  You have menu for your first week or 2 of 2013. You have resource links.  You have recipes.  Make a grocery list and take the leap.  It's worth it.

Extra links:
The Nourishing Home
Elana's Pantry
Unrefined Kitchen
Passionate Homemaking
Real Sustenance

Make 2013 your best yet.  Enjoy!

Avoiding the Cold and Flu

So somewhere in my path to wellness I read repeatedly that vegetables are builders and fruits are cleansers.  I think the first time I saw it was on a chart at my chiropractor but I have read it in other places as well.  I don't typically gravitate towards veggies but I know I need them so I eat them.  The less sugar we partake of (including fruit sugars), the less inflammation we have and the more our bodies are able to handle the bacteria and viruses they encounters.  The more it is able to handle cholesterol, allergies, cancer, life stress, etc.  I'm not saying veggies are the cure all for everything but I am saying that a lot of the ills of the American society could be helped by eating a healthier diet with more veggies and whole foods that are unprocessed.

So in honor of that and in order to avoid colds and the flu as much as possible...Handsome Hubby has gotten us on a veggie smoothie kick.  Here's a quick recipe to try.  We use the Vitamix 5000.  It's astronomically priced but really is worth it.  If you have to save money for a year to buy it...DO IT!  Skip your Starbucks or Caribou habit for a year and I bet you could save up for one.  Skip McDonald's and Pizza Hut and you'd have it sooner!  It makes everything smooth.  NO CHUNKS!  I don't do chunky smoothies.

As my Handsome Hubby says...Down the hatch! We make up a different name for every smoothie...This one is the Green Delight.  If you like V8...you'll actually like these.  Balance out the bitterness of the kale with the sweetness of the tomatoes and bell pepper.  Then add some strong flavors like the dill and celery and the superfood kale is hidden.  Enjoy!

Green Delight Smoothie
3 plum tomatoes (health benefits linked here)
2 stalks celery (celery benefits linked here)
1 sprig fresh dill (dill benefits linked here)
2 leaves of kale (the big stuff...not the baby kale...don't cop out on me. Find out why here.)
1/2 bell pepper (Another health link here.)
1 green onion (Last link to health here.)
enough water to cover 1/2 of veggies
sea salt to taste

Blend until smooth and have 12 to 16 ounces for you and 12 to 16 ounces for someone else!

Traveling Food...Eating Healthy on the Road

For Thanksgiving, we traveled to my parent's house this year.  My Handsome Hubby and I were perfectly matched in the sense that we're hardcore road masters.  We get on the road, get to our destination, and then play.  We traveled about 15 hours to my parents house and if I'm recalling correctly we only stopped 3 times.  On our way back, we had a  10 1/2 hour drive and did it with just 2 stops.  All together our stops only added 30 minutes onto our trips.  We're crazy.  I realize that.  But we have 2 kids that are very content travelers and a potty chair in the back of the van.  We also stock up on cheap diapers to soak up the yuck, disinfectant wipes, Ziploc bags, and toilet paper.

One thing that we do need to calculate into the mix is food.  Now in the past, all health consciousness  was ignored.  We were on the road...the kids could eat pop, chips, candy, whatever made them happy.  The only problem is that now we realize that some of our health issues and behavior issues are directly related to the food we had been eating.  Superhero #1 is a smart cookie.  I was waiting for him to ask for pop for the trip before I bought any.  He didn't ask.  I thought for sure he'd want to pick out the chips like we've done in the past.  He didn't ask.  Candy?  No questions about it.

So what did we eat?  How can you travel 15 hours in the car without eating junk food or stopping for fast food?  What is there to eat?  How can a 4 year old and 2 year old be satisfied?  It's possible.  I do want to remind you that this is a process.  It takes some time for your taste buds to change but if you persist.  If you keep trying and keep getting back up when you fall down, you will succeed.  You can do it.  Take it one step at a time.  Today my sweet tooth kid tried a sample of candy from Costco.  I asked if he wanted more and he said no...."These are too sweet mom.  You can have them."  He ate the roast beef instead.

Here's a sample of what we had in our cooler for the road.  We haven't completely cut dairy out for our kids but at this point...only the 2 year old eats it.  Our 4 year old is lactose intolerant and seems to have lost his taste for everything that contains dairy but ice cream.

On the Road Menu/Kitchen items

homemade grain free pancakes with Grade B maple syrup (here's my favorite recipe from The Nourishing Home...we all LOVE THEM!)

nitrate free bacon or sausage (cooked at home ahead of time)

nitrate free, hormone free, organic thinly sliced turkey and ham

homemade hummus (here's a link for my recipe)

organic romaine lettuce

Loaf of paleo bread (here's a recipe we like from Elana's Pantry...everything I make from her website is fantastic!)

fresh veggies to snack on and put on open faced lettuce wraps or sandwiches (bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes)

homemade pickles (or store ones with nothing artificial added)

sulfate free, unsweetened dried fruit (use with Peanut Butter or Almond butter in place of jelly/jam)

Almond butter without sugar added (our kids are still adjusting to this but avoid peanut butter if possible or use in moderation it can contain carcinogens)

homemade chocolate (here's a recipe)

homemade blondies (Again from Elana's Pantry)

fresh fruit (apples, oranges, grapes (use sparingly)

ice water

almond milk

organic 2% milk for our 2 year old

cutting board

Swiss army knife

paper towel

Ziploc bags

vegetable peeler

wet wipes

small plastic bowls/plates

plastic cups

That's it.  That's what we brought and the kids gobbled up the pancakes and bacon in the morning (dipping their mini-cakes in the syrup).  Then at lunch they wanted more meat and by the end of the day they were content with open-faced nut butter and dried fruit sandwiches.  It worked great and we had enough variety we were all happy.  I admit it took a little prep work on my part but it wasn't outrageous.  I made one thing for the trip each day the week before so when it was time to leave we were ready and I didn't feel stressed.  With the pancakes I make a double batch and freeze them so I already had them ready.  I made extra bacon one day too.  The bread was leftover from our Thanksgiving meal and I had made the bars and chocolate that week too for sweet tooth cravings at my parents. 

The kids traveled a lot happier too.  I fully believe this diet is worth cleaning your pantry out for.  Get rid of the processed foods.  They only give you temporary happiness and then you end up kicking yourself for eating junk.  I know.  I've done it time and time again.  It's possible to eat well, enjoy your food, and take care of your body at the same time.  Just keep eliminating one thing per week.  Eventually, you'll get there.  Be patient with yourself...it takes time but you're worth it.

Chocolate On the Go!

So anything with chocolate is good right?  I love chocolate and while we have reduced our intake of chocolate to some extent on this plan I can say we ALWAYS have organic dark chocolate in our house.  Organic is our choice because of the foods you eat...chocolate and coffee are two of the top pesticide sprayed items in our diet.  So organic chocolate and coffee are in our pantry.

I used to love baking.  It's one way I communicate my love to my family.  I feel joy in seeing them enjoy the fruits of my kitchen labor.  It's a challenge for me too to find new recipes that they want more of.  So while I don't bake much anymore...I still am in the kitchen creating new treats for my Superheroes.  Here's a favorite that I've adapted from reading different raw food blogs.  My boys like the Lara Bars but they're so expensive.  So we make our own.

16 oz. pitted dates
3/4 cup roasted almonds
1/3 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon organic cocoa
1 tablespoon coconut oil

1. Using a food processor, chop up almonds, coconut, and cocoa until you have a finely chopped "almond meal".
2. Remove almond mixture from food processor and set in separate bowl for later.
3. Using the food processor, chop up dates and coconut oil until it forms a "paste" ball in the container.  
4. Separate the ball into smaller chunks and pour almond mixture over top.
5. Replace lid and mix again until fully blended.
6. Roll into balls or roll out between parchment paper and cut with a pizza cutter into "snack bars".  Wrap in saran wrap and you have an easy on the go treat!

Enjoy!

A Sweet Treat!

So when I'm tired I want junk food.  The only problem now is that when I taste it my body doesn't get as excited as it used to and then I feel horrible afterwards.  So I'm starting to realize that it isn't worth it. Crazy!  So this morning Superhero #2 was talking LOUDLY in his sleep at about 3:45 a.m. and Superhero #1 desperately needed his sleep based on his exhaustion level the day before.  So at 3:45 a.m. I flew my tiny Superhero#2 out of their shared room and he landed in the guest room to sleep with yours truly.  The only problem with sleeping with a Superhero is that they talk and move a lot in their sleep.  The story could continue but you get the picture...

So I'm tired and I want something sweet.  Here's a favorite of ours that follows the paleo diet, gluten free diet, unprocessed food diet.  ENJOY!  Ours is cooking as we speak.  (This recipe was taken from the website NourishMD.  It's a great resource for parents in getting their kids and family to eat more REAL food!  They also have a new non-profit organization started called Get Real for Kids.  Check it out!)

Someone asked me why use Grade B maple syrup.  Here's a link from the Livestrong website that explains more.  In short, there are calorie benefits, weight loss benefits, and mineral benefits.

Coconut Bars

4 cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup finely chopped almonds (use a food processor)
1 cup Grade B maple syrup

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.  Grease a 10x13 pan.  Mix the above ingredients well.  Place in pan and press firmly.  Make sure they're packed well so they don't fall apart later.  Bake for 2 hours.

Remove.  Cool.  Cut.  Enjoy!

Our first recipe...a hit in our home

When I started changing our taste buds over...I knew I needed to make sure the kids didn't feel deprived.  I didn't want too drastic of a change.  This is one of our first go-to recipes.  My husband LOVES ice cream.  So this is our first go to recipe...Enjoy!

Homemade ice cream

1 cup frozen banana

1 cup frozen pineapple

2 or 3  tablespoons cocoa (we use organic)

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

just enough unsweetened vanilla almond milk to cover ingredients

Put all ingredients in your blender (we have a Vitamix and use it multiple times daily).  Blend until smooth.  Eat.