Paleo Bites in March

Yes - we are still eating like cavemen. Paleo it's called. Not sure what that is? Click back to my original post. 

Here are some of my favorite things from March...

Grilled burgers (cross that off my NY resolutions! It was to learn to grill!)

Roasted cumin carrots.

Avocado, baby greens & beets, etc.

The makings for Jen's Salsa! And beyond!

Well.....not exactly. I actually majorly messed up her recipe but it still turned out amazing and now I use my mess up recipe all the time :)

In a blender: 6 tomatillos, 1/2 a deseeded jalapeño, 1 whole cucumber, 2 avocados, 1/2 small onion, juice of 2 lemons, 1/2 a bunch cilantro, lots of salt. Delish!  

"muffins" more like cooked eggs made slightly bready. Was obsessed for like 2 days as it was an avenue for lots of grassfed butter. Over it. 

This pic kills me. Want to eat my screen. This is my homemade Eggs Benedict. I used the Pioneer Woman's hallandaise sauce. Thanks PW. I also learned how to poach an egg from her! 

Dear sweet babe - you loved the "chocolate pudding" I made. I was not so much a fan....threw out the recipe. But I am going to have to try another one. My mother in law taught me about using avocados in desserts as a creamy, thick medium for grain & sugar free recipes. It's amazing!!! But this one isn't so much.

Made my own mayo!! Thanks Melissa!

OMGoodness. This "pad thai" and pineapple chicken curry was heaven on a plate. 

Just a delectable plate of veggie scramble with avocados, roasted zucchini and parsnips and turkey bacon. Yummers

This chicken recipe is again from Melissa of the cookbook Well Fed. Her recipes rock my world.

Oh sweet Paleo baby. How I love your sweet broccoli face. :) 

Paleo bites the past few days....

I've posted this before - but is seriously bears reposting. This soup is so good .......seriously people. Go make it RIGHT NOW! My kids love it too!

Kirsty Alley’s Green Soup

With Allie’s notes

Notes: This makes a LARGE pot or two medium pots full. So for us it’s about 3 dinners and a few lunches.

- Chop all veggies (except spinach) and set aside before starting! This could take a bit.

8 shallots

2 bunches asparagus

2 bunches spinach (add at end)

3 heads broccoli

4 cartons chicken broth (I use Better than Bullion)

8 leeks (white part only)

salt (I use RealSalt brand sea salt)

pepper (I like white pepper)

olive oil (I like to use butter too)

2 cloves garlic

1) In a very large pot put ½ cup olive oil (or butter or coconut oil or a combo).

2) Add shallots & sweat them until clear (about 5 minutes).

3) Add leaks & garlic and sweat until clear (about 5-7 minutes more). Add extra oil/butter if it gets dry.

4) Add asparagus and broccoli and a tablespoon of salt.

5)Add 4 cups of broth (1 carton). Let simmer for 5 minutes.

6) Add 3 more cartons (or 12 more cups) broth or bullion.

7) Add about ¾ tablespoon (to taste) pepper.

8) Cover and bring to a boil.

9) Turn off flame and add the spinach and recover. Leave it for about 5-10 minutes.

10) Puree well with an immersion blender (or in batches in the blender).

11) Return to a boil. Viola!

Enjoy!

If you are freezing the leftovers (this makes 3 dinners and a few lunches for us) wait until the soup is completely cooled before putting in Ziploc bags and freezing.

Switching to Paleo

I finally became sick and tired of being tired. At night that is. I would be SO exhausted at night around 7pm that I would sometimes go to bed with the kids. And still not feel rested in the mornings. And I finally got sick and tired of the tire of fat around my midsection. It is/was annoying beyond words and I declare war!!!

I had heard about the Paleo diet from a few friends and there was just something about it that kept drawing me in. The ONE other time I have been successful at losing weight quickly (post William) I had basically done the Paleo diet unknowingly. So it was a natural next step I knew my body already liked. 

Paleo in a nutshell:

NO grains

NO sugar (except raw honey)

NO dairy (except butter)

NO legumes

The common response (even from me) is: WHAT do you EAT?!

I'd like to steal a good line from one of my favorite Paleo cookbooks:

"Take a deep breath and think of every kind of meat, seafood, vegetable, and fruit you can. Now think of fat sources like coconuts and avocados and olives and nuts and seeds. Visualize your list. Looks great, right? That's a lot of delicious food. And that is what makes up the paleo diet." - Well Fed, by Melissa Joulwan

And that is what I am doing; while having 5 other non-Paleo people living with me.

I am one motivated person. ;)

I have lost 9 lbs and gone down 2 pants sizes. It's ALL worth it.

And the food is amazing. Come, journey with me through a few yummies....

Just discovered these babies. Amazingly sweet, crunchy and just plain perfection. A rad way for me to not feel deprived while others are eating chips. This totally helps those moments where I miss the crunch of grain products (tortilla chips, cereal, toast)

guacamole - I miss having real corn chips - but it's worth it.

pumpkin pie, better than the normal stuff - I swear! No one in my house likes pumpkin. What? How did 1/2 that pie vanish?!!! No I didn't. I swear. Stop saying that!

sautéed shrimp, mushrooms, onions. yum

Beet, cucumber, apple, lemon "juice" At first I wasn't too keen....now I am obsessed with it.

Creamy Almond milk........almost tastes like ice cream. So easy to make. For the record I was not an almond milk person before this.

watermelon and whipped coconut cream....heaven.

Bacon wrapped eggs (my new obsession) and sautted zucchini

easiest thing in the world to cook for a crowd.

baby greens, steamed beets, pine nuts, blueberries, peas

chicken breast, carrots, peas, celebry, broth + 4.5 hrs in crock pot = easiest dinner ever.

bacon wrapped eggs over baby greens, red cabbage and sliced tomatoes

"chocolate" treats that the Valentine Heart brought. :) 

BBQ ribs (dad's recipe), roasted brussel sprouts &veges. heaven divine. Those ribs give me heart palpitations they are so good.

zucchini noodles that are so good I want to weep. 

(picture from Well Fed cookbook)

coconut flour pancakes. I had been missing pancakes, a lot. Uuuummm syrup.....

 now I don't have to

Key lime dessert (using avocado!) 

Huge thanks to my mother in law for this recipe!

Did you just shutter because I said avocado and dessert in the same sentence? I did too, for 3 weeks. Then I got over it and made this, and well......licked the inside of the blender. Turns out avocado in desserts is just this amazing, creamy medium for making amazing things and there is no avocado taste at all. Who knew?!

It's been quite the journey - and will continue to be I am sure. This is going to be a slow but complete lifestyle change. My goal is to slowly make my whole house Paleo or minimally gluten free. It feels right.

I am finally making a permanent health change that I am so proud of.