Meals for the Week and other goings on.

The point of this blog is to explore different ways to make living the "paleo" lifestyle as inexpensive as possible. In this spirit, I decided to explore our local farmer's market, the FreshFarm one at Dupont Circle in downtown Washington, D.C. After checking out some of the prices, I found out that this was not really an affordable way for me to feed my family. All vegetables and most fruit cost 3-4x as much as you would pay in a grocery store and yes, it was super fresh and easy, but a backyard garden is a much better option if you are looking for freshness AND low cost.
I decided to pick up some peaches (around $11 for about 4lbs) from the Farm At Sunnyside stand. Here's a video of the First Lady visiting this stand a couple years ago. Pretty neat :). I also grabbed apples (5lbs for $13 or so) that were delicious and beets (2 bunches of 3 huge beats for $7 total). Tried the beets for the first time today and they were amazing. Super sweet and not at all dirt-tasting like the ones from the commissary. I might go back just for beets.

My take-away from this experience is that it will be cheaper for me to continue my Costco/Commissary combo for veggies until the summer comes and I can start up my own garden. I will be sticking to alot of frozen veggies and fruit in the meantime and will also explore actually going out to different farms for better prices. The awful prices might also just be because the market caters to city-dwellers. Back home (not the city) I was able to buy 2 gigantic, ripe spaghetti squash for $3.00 total from Iron Kettle Farm. That is unbeatable.


Here's the meal plan for the week:
Saturday - "Fried" Chicken (basically chicken covered in egg/almond meal with some other things fried in coconut oil) &
                  Sweet potato fries. Bag of steamfresh veggies (broccoli or brussels sprouts)
Sunday - Pot Roast over mashed cauliflower
Monday - Marinated Flank Steak w/ butternut squash baked in coconut oil + collard greens (cooked in the slow-cooker with a ham hock)
Tuesday - Chicken Roast w/ "Dirty Cauliflower Rice" (from the Paleo Comfort Foods book) + leftover collard greens
Wednesday - Salmon Cakes (olive oil instead of grapeseed + skip the cabbage, also using store-bought mayo) + creamed spinach
Thursday -  Chicken Tacos. Leftover roast chicken mixed with taco seasoning, served with Wholly Guacamole and salsa over lettuce
Friday - Burger night or premade Turkish Meatball Sliders pan fried in oil


I might be making a soup to augment some random meals throughout the week. Also, I precooked 2 roast chickens as well as the cauliflower rice. The leftover chicken will go to tacos or lunch salad. I don't strictly follow this day by day, either. If it's Monday and I don't feel like frying chicken, I switch it with an easier day like burgers. That's how my meal plan works.

Take Your Kids to Work



As a stay-at-home mom, I like to think of every day as "take your kid to work" day. I used to spend a bunch of time trying to figure out craft activities or find the perfect educational music/videos to both entertain and educate my kiddos. I came to the realization quickly after having my second son that I was spending more time trying to find stuff to do than just doing. Each little thing that I do during the day from washing laundry to grocery shopping to cooking is a chance for my kids to learn. For example: if I am at the grocery store I point out and name things for the 1.5 year old and then ask my 3 year old to find and fetch things for me. I can ask him for 2 oranges and he will get me 2 oranges. When I'm cooking, I like to show L the difference between raw and cooked meat, show him how and why he has to wash his hands after touching it, and tell him about bacteria and how it will make you sick. I have him taste-test things and ask him what spices he thinks we should add.



L salting the eggs for breakfast.

D says cheese as soon as he sees the camera :)

L practices flipping eggs! Having him help doesn't necessarily make him want to eat our food more, but it sure will lay the groundwork for him making his own food (or mine!!!) later. He broke the yolk, but I'm sure he'll master it soon :)

 Pictured below are our breakfast plates. We had sausage, eggs, leftover tomato/avocado salad and blueberries for the boys. D ate everything and L ate his sausage, some egg and all of his blueberries. Sometimes if the kids don't clean their plates, I will leave them out until lunch and they will grab food as they take mini-breaks from playing. Usually all of the food disappears. The photos of the kids are a little fuzzy because they were both "dancing" to ACDC. We had a rock and roll breakfast today.

This is the pork roast that I have in the oven right now. It smells soooooo delicious and is a really easy recipe. I can't wait to try it out! You can find the recipe here at Nom Nom Paleo's awesome website. My pork shoulder had no skin, so I scored the fat and did let it sit over night after I rubbed it with Chili Con Carne seasoning and salt. I find more and more that having these meals that I start in the morning makes me alot less stressed at meal time which makes me alot less likely to grab something not-so-good for me or just say to hell with it and get takeout.

The Kale Chip Fail

I decided to try kale chips for the first time last night since everyone in the Paleo community raves about them being a great substitute for the salty crunchiness you get from potato chips. Now let me tell you the story of how kale chips went over in my house:

Kale chips before going in the oven, then after. Everything looking good and I'm super excited........

J not terribly impressed with the look of the kale chips (I think he's afraid after the many things I have experimented on him with). But, he's willing to give it a try.

In his professional opinion: "needs more oil and salt." Ah, that face is one only a mother could love - I mean his wife wasn't loving him at the moment for the harsh shut down of her culinary skills. 

D thinks Daddy is funny for making weird faces. Look at how sweet, innocent and unsuspecting he is.. GUINEA PIG TIME!!!

You'd think I had just handed him some poop to eat. Actually, I think he has eaten poop with more gusto than he mustered for this kale chip. FAIL. <I have 2 dogs and with him being a second child I can't protect him from everything.......>

            

D deciding this was not what he wanted to consume at dinner time.

Trying to scrape all the kale chip off of his tongue and put it on the table. Good luck buddy!

L took a bite....... then spit it right back out on the table.

My impressions: I thought the kale chips were ok. They were more the consistency of like tissue paper that you use in present wrapping than a crunchy potato chip. I thought the taste was ok. Kind of like eating broccoli-flavored tissue paper that disintegrated in your mouth... Also, word to the wise: watch your gas after eating these babies.. your sweetheart may not want to snuggle too close that night.

D loved to play with the kale chips after he decided they were no good for consumption! YAY!! Make sure to clean them up right after dinner or they will cake and dry and make your cleaning life hell.

Meals for the Week

If you remember from my first post, our family has a pretty set breakfast/lunch menu plan. Today I was in a rush for protein so I threw a bunch of leftover cut-up grilled chicken into a pan with some red pepper strips, fried it in coconut oil and seasoned it with chili powder and salt. Then topped that all off with a 100-cal Wholly Guacamole snack pack. I love guacamole almost as much as I love human babies.

I've planned out my meals for the week, so here we go:

W - Burgers (no bun) wrapped in lettuce w/ onion and tomato. + Baked Kale chips.

R - Chili Verde recipe from Everyday Paleo. This smells to me like farts when it is cook, but it is SO DELICIOUS. You can find tomatillos at Walmart. Don't be scared to try them. Making double the recipe to freeze for when I am gone in September for my husband!

F - Pork Chops w/ Homemade Sweet Potato Fried. Going to season the chops with salt, pepper, and maybe the Onion & Herb Mrs. Dash seasoning unless I go to Penzey's Spices this week and find something more interesting. Watch out for Mrs. Dash seasonings that have things like "sucrose" or "fructose" in them if you are avoiding sugar.

S - Oven baked chicken w/ tomato + lettuce + guacamole. There is a new $1.00 off of one Wholly Guacamole coupon available here after you sign-up for newsletters. First time registrants also get a $1.50 off of one coupon. Save the bones from the chicken and throw them in a pot with all the other leftover goodness, cover with water and simmer (maybe throw in some salt) and you will have broth for one of tomorrow's recipes.  

Su - Mixed protein day. Just putting lunch meat out, hard-boiled eggs, and sandwich fixings minus the bread. I will have cheese for the kids. This is also leftover day if there are any!

M - Browned sausage w/ a jar of pasta sauce. I really like Rao's Homemade Marinara, but it runs around $5.99 a jar, so I might go cheap and use Barilla Sauce, which is on-sale at some Targets for 2 for $3.00. There is also a $1.00 off of one coupon in this last Sunday's (8/28) newspaper. I'll mix this up together and serve over a medium spaghetti squash that I have baked in the oven at 400 F for an hour, cut in half, removed the seeds and shredded the insides.

T - Breakfast for dinner or burgers again. This will probably mean soft-boiled eggs for Justin and maybe pancakes for the kiddos with real maple syrup. 

I am also in the process of making my first batch of bone broth. Check out this article from Balanced Bites for a recipe and all sorts of benefits of drinking bone broth. I bought these bones from the same farmer we purchased our pig from and they have been sitting in the freezer for awhile. It was approximately a 6 lb bag for $1.50/lb. These came from a grass-fed cow. I do not use "organic" apple cider vinegar, just the regular stuff you buy at any store.

I plan to sip on this stuff the rest of the week. Can't wait to try it!












Besides meal-planning, I went shopping today for a second pair of shoes for L. He starts preschool next week and needs a back-up pair. While I was at Target, I browsed the clearance racks (like always ;) ) for some cheap finds. I'm always trying to save money on things like clothing, t.v./internet service, etc. so that we have it to spend on great food or seeing family. Check out what I got:

These will fit L next summer. $3.15 a pair can't be beat unless you shop consignment or garage sales!

The shirts on the right were on sale for $4.50 a piece and the left shirt was only $4.00 ( no sale!!). I need some long-sleeved shirts for my boys because we are headed up to NY in a couple weeks and it will be chilly until I can get to the outlet mall with my mom. :)

$1.74 sandals for D for next year!! Super cute and originally $6.99.

Happy eating and shopping!

Starting the Whole 30

Approximately two weeks ago, I started a strict paleo challenge that would have lasted 30 days. Around the 2nd day my husband purchased 17 half-gallons of ice cream on a dare.. he's a funny guy that one. I've been eating ice cream like it is going out of style since and suffering all of the problems that blood sugar spikes and over-consumption of dairy indicate. But yesterday I started fresh. I am doing the Whole 30 challenge and waving that banner proudly:




NO dairy. NO sugar (not even honey or my favorite maple sugar shots). NO grains or legumes.

Check out the Whole 30 page for more info!

I am on day 2 and that has come with a little tiredness and brain fog from my lack of carbs. It's a little rough after my 2+-bowl-a-day ice cream habit over the last 2 weeks.

Starting stats:
Weight 139.2
Left Arm - 11in
Right Arm - 11in
Waist - 31 3/4 in
Hips - 38 1/2 in   .. yes thems my child-bearing hips
Chest - 34 1/2 in
Left Thigh - 24 1/2 in
Right Thigh - 24 1/2 in


I'm throwing in some back-yard workouts when I can't get heavy lifting done in the home gym. Here's some pics of what we do:

My oldest son Luke doing wall-walks! He's a pro at burpees too.

I couldn't actually do any walking with my upper body strength so I held the pose as long as I could.

And making sure to stay active in other ways like taking walks and playing tennis with my guys before or after dinner!

Grass-Fed Beef + Free-Range Chicken: Trader Joe's Edition

At the moment, grass-fed and free-range meat is pretty difficult and expensive to purchase. I have not yet seen grass-fed beef at Walmart or Target, but I have bought these types of meat from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and from a local farmer. I will be going around and posting as I have time at all places where I see grass-fed/free-range meat to help you compare prices!

First, here are my tips on meat-buying:

* You can approach grass-fed/free-range purchases from 2 angles - it's good for the animal and it's good for you. As much as this may demonize me, I prioritize my family's necessities OVER animal welfare. This means if I have to choose between gas in my car to take my kid to his physical therapy appointments or paying for an animal to have a happy, healthy life, I will choose the gas. That being said, I think it's important to investigate ways to make inexpensive grass-fed, free-range meat purchases so that you don't have to make those kind of choices.

* Grass-fed meat is good for you: Particularly the fat. This article here does an awesome job comparing taste, price and nutrition of grass-fed vs. grain-fed cows. Please check it out. SO the idea is that the fat of grain-fed meat is bad for you. If you have to buy grain-fed, buy lean cuts: eye of round roast/steak, sirloin tipside steak, top round roast/steak, bottom round roast/steak, and top sirloin steak.

* HANDS-DOWN the least expensive way to buy a grass-fed cow is to buy it in bulk from a local farmer 1/4, 1/2 or whole. This can be daunting because you have to find a farmer, have a freezer, time it right for slaughter (usually cows are slaughtered in the July/August/September time-frame because they have had time to eat yummy spring and summer grass and get fat), figure out how you want the animal cut up, then pay a huge chunk of money up front. Seriously alot of work if it is your first time.

* Now, for chickens. Ideally raised chickens and eggs are friggin' expensive. I was at one time paying around $15.00 for a small 3.25 bird. Now, this bird had been treated like a bird-king before it was killed: eating no soy, lots of bugs, living free in the sunshine - but I could get a 5lb Perdue chicken for right around $5.00. ONE-QUARTER THE PRICE! MADNESS. I would get so frustrated when my husband would be picking the bird-king's bones clean of meat and say he was still hungry when I was hoping to have some leftovers for a salad the next day. So, I buy the 5lb bird and have been looking for a cheaper option since.

Here are some products that you may be interested in:

                   100% Grass-Fed Ground Beef $5.99/lb.

Grass-fed Ground Beef Patties - $6.49/lb. Unless you are really pressed for time, save yourself the .50 cents per pound and make your own out of ground beef.

 Organic Free-Range Chicken Drumsticks $1.99/lb. $3.60 for this package. Nice price! It should be noted that these chickens are still eating a diet that contains soy, which translates into more of the bad Omega-6 fats. BUT, they are "free-range."

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $6.99/lb. This package of 1.69lbs is $11.81. Ouch.

Boneless skinless thighs at $4.99/lb. The 1.51 lb package is $7.53

 Breast Tenders for $6.99/lb. The 1.17lb package is $8.18

Whole chicken is $2.49/lb. A 4.78lb bird is $11.90. This is your most economical way to buy free-range chicken from a grocery store. You get the organs and bones - make some stock and fry up some nice treats for your puppies if you don't like organ meat.                                                                                           

Individually packaged boneless-skinless chicken breasts for $7.49/lb. 1.95lbs of meat will cost you $14.61. As a low-budget shopper, these are never on my shopping list.

Let's Go Shopping! : Walmart Edition Part 2

 Here were some other household staples I checked out:

Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil 14oz for $5.98. When you're buying coconut oil (or anything for that matter) you want to get the best quality you can find. My personal preference is for Nutiva, which I purchase on Amazon. I use Amazon's "Subscribe and Save" feature to save 15% and then I am signed up as a member of Amazon Mom - which gives me free Prime 2-day shipping. The best deal (in my opinion) currently on Amazon is this one. I have found Nutiva at Wegman's, but it is much cheaper to purchase on Amazon. Tropical Traditions is another great coconut brand - you may want to check them out! Sign up for their newsletter and receive info on weekly sales. Also, you can get even better discounts if you purchase a membership to their "buyer's club." But, if you are stuck buying in-store, this Spectrum coconut oil is the one I would suggest you buy.

The only other available coconut oil was this one: Lou Ana. While it says "all-natural," labels can be deceiving. Neither the website nor the jar itself states whether the oil has been bleached or processed in any other unhealthy way. I sure as hell don't want to eat bleach, so no-thank-you Lou Ana. If you'd like to read up more on the ways coconut oil can be refined check this out. 

" WHOLLY AWESOME" (quotes mine) Wholly Guacamole. $2.48 for 7oz. If you printed that awesome coupon or signed up for the Wholly Guacamole newsletter, you could score this for $.98. Can you say lettuce taco night? The 100-cal snack packs were priced a litte more expensive at $3.50. Sad day.

Here are some Lara Bars. Well, just one flavor at my Walmart. Peanut Butter... which the kids like, so cool. Technically we aren't supposed to be eating peanut butter, because peanuts are legumes and can be gut irritants. However, neither myself or my children have experienced any suffering as a result of eating them, so I let the little monsters eat the PB Lara Bars. $1.15 is good price for these things (if you are in the military, go to your commissary! they are priced around $.89 there). Every four months or so Coupons.com will have a Lara Bar coupon of $1.00 off of four that usually goes pretty fast :( Stay on top of it and you'll get one. OR make your own. I am planning a project one weekend to make my own and will blog about this!!

Other favorite flavors are: Apple Pie and... that's it. The Cherry Pie is way too tart for me, the Chocolate Chip Cookie tastes to me like alcohol chocolates (yuck), and the Cashew Cookie flavor doesn't do it for me.

AAAAND: Eggs. Before we get into this, you need to educate yourself as to what the "cage free" label means. These are not eggs produced by chickens wandering freely through open air like you might imagine. They are mostly in huge warehouses with cement floors, suffering the same de-beaking, the male chicks still being killed for their lack of potential to lay eggs, and the chickens still being fed soy. That being said, I fully understand that commercial production of eggs has its limitations. And I think the cage-free movement is a huge step in the right direction. However, if you want true free-roaming, soy-free eggs, you need to go to your local farmer, farmer's markets, or Whole Foods. I currently personally buy Eggland's Best Cage-Free eggs. When I find a farmer that can sell me inexpensive eggs, I'll make the switch. The one I buy meat from sells them for $5.00/dozen with only 1 drop-off in my area every month, so that is not a viable option for me. 

Walmart's Great-Value Cage-Free Eggs - $2.64/dozen

Farm House Cage-Free Eggs $2.24/dozen.

Happy Shopping!

Let's Go Shopping! : Walmart Edition Part 1

I'm always on the lookout for new and inexpensive places to purchase my staples like organic milk, grass-fed butter, eggs and the like. A few days ago I had fun running through my local Wal-Mart grocery store to see what they had to offer!

With milk, I find it is best to purchase in the gallons unless I have a coupon for the half-gallons of milk. For example: A half-gallon of milk costs $3.60 and a gallon costs $6.00. The equivalent in half-gallons would cost $7.20. My kids go through alot of milk! Probably 3 gallons for all the members of my family during the week. At one time we had our milk delivered from a grass-fed dairy farm and I will blog about that experience later. For the moment though, this is what we can afford so this is what we go with!

Above you can see the half-gallons of DHA added milk. Do your wallet a favor and don't buy this stuff. I try not to buy "DHA added" anything because you can't always rely on a good, cleanly produced source of DHA in whatever you are eating. I ran into this problem when selecting formula for my second son. We ended up with Baby's Only because the DHA in their formula was derived from a process using eggs rather than hexane and bleach. Read more about that here.  

I only purchase Whole milk for the kiddos regardless of their age. Fat is necessary for brain development and fat in the mouth does not equal fat on the body. At my store gallons were only available from the Horizon company for $6.55 a gallon. The same milk 1/4 mile down the road at Target sells for $6.00 even.

Wal-Mart does have their own "Great Value" brand of organic milk now, but was only available at my store in the low-fat half-gallons. These were pretty cheap! I'd be interested to see if they sell Great Value whole milk, but still the Horizon gallon is cheaper at Target.