Paleo Cents

I'm still here!! And False Starts

2012-03-01T21:51:00.000-05:00

So, my plans for a second Whole 30 kind of flew out the window soon after I started. My husband is on a TDY (away from home for training) many states away from us. He'll be gone for a little over a month and I think it was very optimistic of me to go for another round of very strict eating with the extra stress of him being gone. I dearly love my children, but it is very difficult to do some things like just grocery shop with both of them in tow. I have alot of respect for single parents and homeschooling mothers of young children..

Add to that the fact that I am a big-time stress eater. I know it's my trigger.. the boys will start fighting as soon as they get up, I'll start grinding my teeth and looking for something sweet to eat. My thought process always goes something like this - "This is so stupid!! I can't even have creamer!! I don't care enough about this diet. I'm just going to have a whole damn box of girl scout cookies. I deserve it." Then I'll move onto the next thing in the house until my stomach hurts and I'm walking around like a zombie at 11am from the super fun ride I just took myself on the insulin roller coaster.

At the end of the night I'll think that I messed up that day, but that each new day is a fresh start. Then repeat above paragraph. So, I think I've just been having many weeks of false starts.

In sports, a false start is a movement by a participant before (or in some cases after) being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. (thank you Wikipedia)

I think that in my case I've been so gung-ho about doing super-strict diet challenges that I didn't really wait until all the circumstances in my life would signal or permit me to start. I got so bent out of shape about doing things super-strict that when the stress of my situation got to me, I would do a 180 and start eating totally anti-primal/paleo/whole30. I would skip the creamer in my coffee because it wasn't Whole 30 approved and later eat a bowl of ice cream out of frustration and to give myself some sense of pleasure or satisfaction in a stressful situation I could really escape.

So, until my husband gets home - I'm taking a break. I'm going to have my creamer, wine, and other primal-friendly foods. Because I do want and deserve those sensible indulgences. Life is for living and enjoying and if you aren't doing those two things - you're doing something wrong. I was doing something wrong for me.

Saturday I go to pick up a whole pig from our farmer and I will do the promised pastured pig post that night!

Be well.

Whole 30 Round 2 Day 1

2012-02-21T07:56:00.000-05:00

My plans to start a second Whole 30 with a week or so break from the first one quickly fell apart when my husband left for training. It has proven very hard for me to have the motivation to even just go to the grocery store that is literally 400 yards from my home. We may have even eaten PIZZA! and ICE CREAM! But, I'm putting the last 3 weeks behind me and starting fresh. My husband is still gone, but I think my foray into hedonism has pushed the reset button on my motivation meter and I'm ready to go again.

Breakfast
2HB eggs
About 2 hand fulls of spinach sauteed in lard
Hand full of blueberries

Lunch
Easiest stew made of carrots, 1lb of grass fed stew meat, 1/2 an onion, 1tbsp lard, garlic powder and salt
A beet! These are so yummy, but very sugar-y. It was a great moment today when my oldest son fought for and ate half of my beet. (Roasted at 350 for about 1hr 15 in tin foil and drizzled with coconut oil)

Dinner
Chicken meat cut from the breast of a roasted chicken - skin on
2 Hand fulls raw spinach
1/2C cherry tomatoes

Snacks (Not Pictured)
1 grapefruit
1/2C or so of pineapple
Hand full of almonds

Paleo Project: Homemade Lard

2012-02-20T15:23:00.000-05:00

In a quest to find fats that I could cook with on the Whole 30, I decided to try my hand at making lard. I was getting very bored with eating everything stir fried in coconut oil and had a bunch of fatback and leaf fat in my freezer from the pig I had butchered in May just waiting to be rendered.

Lard purchased in stores has trans-fats, so homemade is really the only way to go with this. Lard has a very high smoke point, which makes it safe to cook with at high temperatures as oils will oxidize if you allow them to get so hot that they smoke. Check this article out to see what happens to oil when we overheat it. Lard is made up of about 40% saturated, 48% monounsaturated and 12% polyunsaturated fats. Depending on what the pigs have been eating, the fat may also have a good Omega 3 to Omega 6 fat ratio. According to this article by Christ Masterjohn at The Daily Lipid, lard is also the second richest source of Vitamin D when the pigs have been exposed to sunshine.

The two fats I had to choose from were fatback and leaf fat. Fatback is the fatty tissue on the pig's back right below the skin. I had read that when rendered fatback has a slightly piggy flavor. I was intrigued. Leaf fat comes from right around the kidney's and is considered the highest quality fat because it is completely flavorless, but has the great cooking qualities of lard. I chose to use my fatback in case I royally screwed this up.

To render lard you can either use wet or dry methods. After some research, I decided to wet render the lard. It seemed easiest and most fool-proof of all the methods.

I recommend you check out this video from Alton Brown on the benefits of lard and a quick overview of how to render it.

- Cut off any remaining skin or muscle tissue, then cut fat into 1/2 inch or so cubes. I used about 2.5 pounds and did 2 separate batches. Add 1/3 C water per batch.

- Bake uncovered in a 300 degree oven for 3-4 hours

- Every half hour or so I used a potato masher and mashed the fat to help the process along

- Rendering was finished when all that was left are these crumbly things. You can make cracklin's, by my attempt was an epic fail. Maybe next time!

- Allow to cool and you can freeze it, keep it in the fridge or keep some on the counter (which is what I do).

- It will be a milky white solid after it cools.

The leftover solids

The Rendered Lard

Project Cost
$2.00/lb from my local farmer. I buy from Mount Vernon Farm in Sperryville, VA

2.5lbs @ $2.00/lb = $5.00 total for enough lard to last me 5-6 months.

Thoughts
Rendered lard from fatback does have a slightly piggy flavor, but I don't really notice this unless I am cooking something that otherwise has no real flavor like eggs or chicken breast. I noticed that unlike frying in coconut oil or bacon grease (which has yummy salt, sugar, etc.), I had to add some spices to my eggs fried in lard. Turkish Seasoning from Penzey's did the trick.

I have added lard to cook meat a little before adding ingredients to soup and have no problem. I can use it pretty much interchangeably with butter or coconut oil now as long as I know that I will be seasoning things.

Will I do this again? Hell yes! Cheap, easy and a super nutritious cooking fat. I'm even planning on trying it out on the Primal Palate's Pumpkin Pie instead of palm shortening which can be hella expensive. I may use the lard from leaf fat for this, though.

Paleo Project - Homemade Mayo

2012-02-15T09:42:00.002-05:00

If you've inspected the back of a Hellman's mayo jar, you know that there are some less than desirable ingredients used to make that creamy delicious condiment.

In my opinion, the worst are Soybean oil and EDTA - which has potential as a cytotoxin. Even the mayo jars that say "Olive Oil" are made with some soybean oil or canola oil.

Note: If you believe that canola oil is truly heart-healthy, do some googling. I am not an expert, not a research biochemist, but I can read and strongly encourage you to do your own research and seek out studies involving your preferred foods before accepting food recommendations from our government agencies.

I decided to attempt a homemade mayo using this recipe from Everyday Paleo. She includes a video demo. Ingredients include: Olive Oil, Eggs, Apple Cider Vinegar, Mustard, Sea Salt, Cayenne Pepper (which I left out).

The Cost

Money -
$2.00 for olive oil
$.75 for eggs (this is factoring in the most expensive free-range farmer's market eggs)
.. other ingredients were so little that I felt this was a negatable factor. The recipe made the equivalent of about 2/3 of a small jar of Hellman's.
Total: around $3.00

Time -
This took about 15 minutes to make doing the olive oil slowly and properly.. which is a lot of time when you have two small children to be slowly drizzling olive oil.

Comparison
The consistency was not as thick as regular mayo - a little more runny - but thick enough to spoon and spread on a burger. The taste of this recipe was strongly apple cider vinegar, so I made a second batch with 1/2Tbsp less and that tasted fine. The taste was also not that of regular mayo. While reminiscent, it definitely has its own taste..

My Thoughts

While not an exact substitute for mayonnaise, this recipe would be a great one as a base for a dipping condiment for veggies with some tweaking. On the video, Sarah Fragoso offers some twists on the recipe that I would like to try. This is also freaking delicious with sweet potato fries, but not something I as a woman with weight in mind would eat ALL THE TIME with my fries.

This keeps for about a week in the fridge, so it can be hard to use all up unless you halve the recipe or make a point to use it with burgers, veggies, on top of some fried eggs in the morning, etc. Because of that and the time required to make it, I would make this every other week or every third week and use guac instead on the off weeks.

My kids were not wild about this, but I think it would be great as a base with more ingredients like dill, salt and pepper and mixed into other things. My husband likes it and approves of it as a substitute for regular mayo with his one or two cans of tuna. Eating regular mayo was giving him stomach problems after our Whole 30, but he dumps a good 2/3 of a cup in with 2 cans of tuna.

I haven't ruled out the possibility of trying other recipes in the future, but this is the simplest one I have found and doesn't use expensive exotic oils. I would like to try this recipe someday from The Primal Palate because I think their recipes are fantastic and restaurant quality.

Hope this helps!
Enjoy~

Some thoughts about Goal Setting

2012-02-12T15:06:00.000-05:00

One of the habits of successful people is goal setting. Determine now what it is you want and take the steps necessary to reach your goals. I think that it's important to have clear, definitive goals to make them achievable.

Example: My goal is to be healthy.

Because this is really nebulous, I think that being "healthy" isn't always the easiest to focus on. What does healthy mean? You want to eat perfectly, 100% of the time? Go on walks and hit the gym 5 days a week? Well, what are you going to do at the gym? For all but the most disciplined, this can be an impossible standard. Instead, I do something like this.

1. First, I have a framework of standards that I try to live by day-to-day or week-to-week.
             1. Eat well for the rest of my life
                   a. Eat "cheats" only on special occasions like birthdays or holidays. No more than bi
                      -weekly. Bonus if I can go through one of those occasions without "treating."
                      Ultimately, I don't want to think of any food as a treat and make it significant as a
                      reward. I don't want that relationship with my food.
                   b. Seldom eat out.
                   c. Continue to purchase new cookbooks, try new spices and cooking methods.
                   d. Make a weekly meal plan/shopping list and stick to it.
              2. Place importance on a healthy LIFESTYLE, not just eating habits.
                   a. Get 8-9 hours of sleep each night.
                   b. Have a weekly disconnect day with no ipod, computer, TV, or phone
                   c. Do something fun each week - pretend to be animals with my kids, wrestle, build a fort,
                       play Frisbee, read a book.
                   d. Focus on a small circle of friends that I call, write to, or otherwise connect with
                       often. Cut down your friend list to the people you really care about.
                   e. Get rid of distractions. Cancel those magazine subscriptions that are taking up your
                       time or get rid of extra junk laying around your house, taking up your time &
                       space.
              3. Be the best mom I can be
                   a. Try to read at least three books a day to my children
                   b. Try to be patient in all situations, taking each opportunity as a chance to practice
                   c. Show affection often. Hug, kiss, cuddle, sing, love and PAY ATTENTION.
                   d. Make sure that I have the same standards of eating for my children that I have for
                       myself. If I truly think that gluten tears up your insides, it's not o-kay for me to shun it
                       and then feed my little babies cheerios because I need them to be quiet in a store.

2. List Long Term Goals - write them out and post them somewhere you can see them easily - then break them down. How are you going to achieve them?

             a. Start a Gym .. too long to break down on this post ;)
             b. Get down to 19% body fat
                   - Do back-to-back Whole 30's for 3 months, reevaluate this plan at the end of the three
                     months.
                   - Crossfit style workouts at least 3x weekly with a day of active fun like hiking, Frisbee or
                      tennis with my husband on the weekend. Pencil in workout "dates."
                   - Minimize stress by planning ahead and limiting commitments. Sleep well.
              c. Potty train Devin
                   ... you get the idea!

3. Short Term - write these out the night before or in the morning with your cup of coffee:
                a. Do the laundry
                b. Pick up groceries.
                c. ...

It helps to write all these things out. The standards of operation are in my head, but I like to have the long and short term goals written out. It would help to sit down at the beginning of each month and/or week to plot a course for that time period. Each month write down dates like birthdays and then each week write down what you'll have to buy or do for those parties. Each week write out a meal plan and shopping list.

I have no strength goals, because I just don't care at the moment. I think that will come with time and some more thought.

Disclaimer:
I'm not an expert on anything!! This is not a complete list of my goals and I can't tell you how to run your life. But, I can tell you that trial and error are your friends if you are willing to learn.

Mark Sisson's 21-Day Total Body Transformation Book Review

2012-02-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

I have lately been amassing quite a few Paleo/Primal Books and I figure that now would be a great time to start doing video reviews! Here's the first:

21-Day Total Body Transformation by Mark Sisson of marksdailyapple.com

Great book, especially for the beginner or as a refresher for those that have been at Paleo awhile. I feel that this book is something I'll be able to give future clients when I someday start my nutrition practice. Also, I like that the book addresses the multi-faceted approach to achieve optimum health through the Primal Blueprint lifestyle. It's not *just* about diet. It's about sleep, play, connecting meaningfully with family and learning to slowww way down.

Things I left out:
There is no meal/plan per se, but there are 2 selected suggestions for each meal of the day or variations for each meal.
Sisson also goes through suggestions for eating out AND details specifics for certain restaurants. I love that!

Let's start a Crossfit Gym and Whole 30 Round 2 Begins!

2012-02-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

It is amazing how much the direction of one's life can change in the matter of a week. We have been in the Air Force going on seven years now. We've lived in Germany, been all through Europe, and have been at our current home in D.C. for over 2 years.

My husband has been Crossfitting at the gym on our base for almost two years and decided it was time to get certified and maybe instruct in his free time. He was hired by the gym and has been working there in addition to his active-duty job for two months. In that small amount of time, he has decided he'd like to make this a full-time gig.

While we have been back-and-forth about whether or not to leave the military to be closer to home to family, we've always pretty much had it in our heads that we were in for the full twenty until retirement. The benefits are unbeatable. Free health care, the opportunity to travel, and a guaranteed paycheck that is much higher than your average civilian job. We are about to walk away from all of that.

But, I'm at peace with that. This is the first time Justin has really felt passionate about something (other than me ;). And I have come to learn that having things is not a lasting source of happiness. One more thing to clean or put away or fix or replace when it is broken.

This is what I have been wrapped up in for the last few weeks. Figuring out logistics. Reading. Starting business plans. I'm very excited and a little nervous, but I know that this change will be an adventure and I support my husband.

-----
I am now ready to start Whole 30 round 2 and am planning to keep doing rounds of Whole 30 with 1-2 day breaks in between until I achieve the results I want. It's a little self-experiment that I am excited for.

My Whole 30 Results - Or, A Whole 25

2012-02-06T08:42:00.000-05:00

So, this my sound lame but, my husband and I took a trip home around Day 24 of my Whole 30 challenge and although I swore I was going to see the challenge through to the end, I had some of my sister-in-law Becky's amazing squash pie. Among other things. I'm going to call this my Whole 25 and start round 2 today (the day after the Super Bowl).

Things I learned:

* After a week off of the Whole 30 challenge, it is easy to fall into the carb/caffeine binge cycle you worked so hard to get out of. I ate a ton of ice cream and had too much coffee, and I FELT IT! Gas, bloating, stomach aches and worst of all are the sugar headaches. I will endeavor to not do this to myself again.

* Sugar, while tempting, is resistable.

* I am strong and can do this. This is a completely do-able lifestyle once you learn your way around the kitchen and especially if there are supportive people (like my husband!! :) around. I was definitely one of those people that tried to replace gluten and sugar-filled treats with almond flour or coconut flour treats. This is really not the way to lose weight. In order to achieve the weight-loss results you want and have the best sense of well-being, you need to treat a treat as a treat! Once or twice a week. I love Sarah Fragoso's post on My Family and Treats.

* My husband ate a ton of almond butter, I did not do this. Nuts were limited and I only ate them in their whole form.

Things to do for round 2:

* Not eat so many dates. I was completely replacing artificial sugar with the natural sugar from dates.

* Add in exercise. Regularly. Crossfit workouts 3-5 times per week and walking.

* Go ALL 30 days!

My Results:

* I am very proud of my results. Weight that was not budging has dropped more than I hoped. My end goal is to have around 18-19% body fat and I see now that that is achievable.

Let's go round 2!!! I'm excited to see where I'll be this summer.

Whole 30 Day 23

2012-01-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

Going on a small trip this weekend to look at some buildings and discuss a possible gym opening in the future with some family. I will be continuing with the challenge AND will be travelling, so we'll see how that goes. I will be updating and do a Day 23-25 post on Sunday evening.

Whole 30 Day 22

2012-01-27T15:58:00.000-05:00

So, I felt great today! I didn't snack when I wasn't hungry today, which was a good thing. For breakfast I had 2 eggs and brussels sprouts

Lunch: ground beef/spinach stir fry w/ salt, garlic & onion powder and sweet potato fries

Predinner snack: Kale Chips

Dinner: Cauliflower rice, roast beef, broccoli

Whole 30 Days 19, 20 and 21

2012-01-25T22:03:00.000-05:00

So, the last few days have been pretty nuts. It's been a bit of a hazy cluster that involved alot of handfuls of cashews, dates and just random snacking. My husband and I have been tossing around the idea of getting out of the military and opening a gym back around where we are from. I have spent many hours the last few days researching tax laws, business plans, and just a ton of crap and barely thought about cooking anything or even what I was eating. It's all been Whole 30, but to give you a detailed breakdown is beyond me after the last few days. Anyway, enough of that - here are the pictures of what was consumed at mealtime. I hope all the snacking doesn't mess up my results.

Whole 30 Day 18

2012-01-22T21:42:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe it is day 18 of the Whole 30 Challenge. I've never gotten this far and with each day comes a new sense of accomplishment and a big desire to NOT fall back to my previous 2-desserts-a-day habit. I think next month I will challenge myself to maintain a better fitness routine.

What Justin ate for breakfast, 5 egg scramble

Here's The Day's Eats:
Breakfast -
2 egg scramble w/ 1/3 of a leftover hamburger patty in the fridge that needed eating and red onion, fried in lard with turkish seasoning and salt
About 1/3 of a red bell pepper

Lunch:
Steamfresh broccoli
Black Angus Top Sirloin steak grilled w/ salt and pepper
Leftover shrimp salad

My baby enjoying some dates. :) He fell asleep on the couch while eating

Dinner!! : My imitation Chipotle Carnitas.. Way cheaper and homemade. Recipe to follow..

Whole 30 Day 17

2012-01-21T22:24:00.000-05:00

Today was awesome!! I got in a workout, kept the date consumption low and picked up a couple new books at the Barnes and Noble: Why We Get Fat and Primal Body, Primal Mind.

Breakfast:

2 eggs over easy fried in homemade lard w/ turkish seasoning

1/2 green bell pepper

1/3 of a tomato sliced

Lunch: Cabbage sauteed in coconut oil, cubed cucumber, roasted chicken and a big dollop of Wholly Guacamole.

Dinner: Another spin on Shrimp Flying Saucers and 1/2 a grapefruit.

ONLY FOUR DATES TODAY!! And I actually took a picture of them.

Nice little handful of almonds right after I put the kids to bed.

Workout:
21-15-9
Clean (75lbs) and Box Dips

Whole 30 Day 16

2012-01-21T09:50:00.002-05:00

Another day of horrendous record keeping. In addition to the pictures I had about 10 dates and 2 handfuls of almonds. And again no working out.

Breakfast: 2 eggs over easy fried in coconut oil, 1.5 or so cups spinach, about 2 oz of venison that I cooked in the crockpot overnight using this marinade from Following My Nose. I had it marinating in the fridge for a whole day and needed to get it cooked so I threw it in the crockpot before bed and set it to cook on lowww.

Lunch: Leftover pork from the night before.

My husband thought the venison was a bit dry, so I added to the crockpot a can of coconut milk, some carrots and some mushrooms. It turned out decent, but probably not a meal I would repeat. Here is my dinner!

Whole 30 Day 15

2012-01-21T09:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I have been totally bad at keeping track of my eating and I think that's led to a little bit of nut/date over-consumption. I'm technically on day 17 right now, so that day will start fresh with better record keeping and 15 and 16 will be a little fuzzy.

Day 15 (halfway through!!) fell on a physical therapy day for my son, so I had to throw together something in the morning and something portable for lunch. The ultimate portable food to me is the egg.

Breakfast:
2 hard boiled eggs with a large dollop of homemade mayo from Everyday Paleo. I made this the night before for my husband who was really missing mayo in his tuna during this Whole 30 challenge. I will post a full review of the mayo experience and taste soon. I added dill and a little bit of spicy brown mustard.
Also had a half a grapefruit

Lunch: Threw a few hard boiled eggs and about a cup of baby spinach into a glass container and ran out the door. I ate 2 of the three eggs and all the spinach. I also had probably 6 handfuls of almonds/raisins between lunch and bedtime along with probably 20 dates :( It was a sad high carb day for me. I am trying to take this as a hint to stress less at the appointments, but it is definitely not fun driving around DC and trying to do PT on a rambunctious almost-two-year-old.

Dinner: Spaghetti squash with Becky's Chicken Paleo Style using pork stew meat instead of chicken. It was ok.. the spaghetti squash I used was very 'eh.' I may have to look for a new source other than our commissary.

No activity....... I know, I know.

Whole 30 Day 14

2012-01-18T20:39:00.000-05:00

I was hungry today so in addition to what was pictured I also at 4 or 5 good handfuls of the almond/raisin trail mix, a hard boiled egg and a date.
I've been reading a book called Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes and it is an excellent read. Somewhat technical, but definitely worth it to get a better picture of why we actually get fat and what a huge role insulin plays in that. So, I've been doing little other than reading.. it's kind of the thing I love to do.

Breakfast:
2 eggs over easy with turkish seasoning on a half a raw red bell pepper
1/2 grapefruit.

Closeup

Lunch: My very favorite egg salad with spicy brown mustard, lemon juice, dill, salt, red pepper, and a cucumber. I was sad I had to share with my husband :*(

I forgot to take a picture of the sides on my plate. Dinner was 6 or 7 sweet potato fries, a cup or so of cabbage sauteed in coconut oil and some AWESOME pork tenderloin. I would probably double the marinade recipe next time, though.

Ok, I'm off for now. It's Modern Family night and I have a great book to curl up with, too!

Whole 30 Day 13

2012-01-18T20:30:00.000-05:00

Day 13, almost halfway there. So I've just been keepin' on with this diet and I'm kind of surprised how easy it has been to get this far. I think blogging keeps me accountable and knowing that there are hundreds, if not thousands of other people out there doing the same thing keeps me motivated. If they can do it, I can.

One unexpected and pleasant part of being so restricted in what I am eating is that I am forced to experiment in order to avoid getting bored and to actually ENJOY this challenge. It's weird now to say that I have enjoyed it, but I have! I feel great. I feel light and have a generally good attitude. I feel like I am much more patient with my children. And there is really absolutely no guilt about the food choices I am making. I used to have a bowl of ice cream or some other treat by the afternoon, which hid my choices from my kids who were sleeping and my husband who was at work, feel guilty, then go on this downward eating spiral that had me eating another bowl or two before bed. It was a very unhealthy relationship with food.

On to the food -

Breakfast:

2 eggs over easy fried in coconut oil with turkish seasoning from Penzeys Spices.

Spinach sauteed in coconut oil

Lunch:

A bowl of soup made of homemade chicken broth, kale, mushrooms, carrots, celery and chicken thighs. I forgot to take a pic, so there's the picture what's left in the crock pot.

Dinner: 96% lean ground beef browned with a jar of Bertolli's Arrabiata sauce and steamfresh brussels sprouts

Snack today was a giant handful of an almond/raisin trail mix.

Whole 30 Day 12

2012-01-16T19:57:00.001-05:00

Somehow today turned into spinach day :) My youngest son loves it and I just felt like letting him chow. It's also a very fast cooking, easy vegetable so perfect for me.

Breakfast:

2 eggs fried in coconut oil w/ salt, pepper and TURKISH SEASONING! (very good, probably even better fried in bacon grease)

Spinach sauteed in coconut oil.

Lunch:
2 burger patties
Guacamole
More spinach sauteed in coconut oil

Snack:
1 hard boiled egg
1 large handful of almonds
1/8 cup or so of raisins

Dinner:
1 Trader joe's Chimmichurri Salmon fillet
Guac
Bed of even more spinach

In the morning I took a 1.5-2 mile walk with the kids and dogs.
I put the kids down for a nap in the afternoon and did:
50 knees to chest
40 Box jump 20" box
30 bar facing burpee
20 SDLHP w/ 55lb kettlebell
10 OHS w/ 15lb bar. Working squats for form.
13:54

I watched a PBS special on dieting and I'm coming to the realization that this isn't just a 30 day challenge. This (with bacon) is how I should be eating the rest of my life. I feel good, I've got a ton of energy and I sleep like a baby.. or how a baby should sleep anyway. This way of eating combined with moving! Like taking walks or playing with the kids. There is no more 30 days of "dieting," pig out for the 11 months and then repeat yearly. No more train for four months for a 1/2 marathon and then do nothing for the rest of the year.

I've noticed that I now have this need to get rid of the extra energy I have by lifting heavy things or going to play. Like my energy battery is overpowered and needs to be drained regularly or I feel hyper. It's so weird, but true. It's kind of awesome.

Whole 30 Day 11

2012-01-16T19:45:00.000-05:00

I was hungry all day today so I grazed allll day. I honestly couldn't tell you how much I ate since I didn't picture much of it. Add to the pictures many handfulls of nuts and raisins. I didn't do any walking or lifting, just cooked and ate and played with the kids.

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and half a grapefruit. Snack a couple hours later was the rest of the grapefruit.

Lunch: 1 boneless skinless chicken thigh and some "salad" made of chopped cucumber, hard boiled eggs, mustard, dill and lemon juice. Very good.

Snack: Another chicken thigh and some guac

I was pretty full from snacking all day so just had a little bit of the roasted chicken and brussels sprouts I made for dinner.

I also had a few tastes of the coconut milk smoothie I was making for Justin. I have been expirementing alot in the kitchen and have come up with one really good and one pretty good smoothie recipe so far.

Whole 30 Day 10

2012-01-14T22:28:00.000-05:00

TEN DAYS! 1/3 of the way through this challenge and I'm feeling pretty good. I have discovered though, that I really need to stop with the dates. They are very sugary and have been kind of like a crutch to me like the applesauce was the first couple days. So no more dates tomorrow and we'll see how that is.

Breakfast:

2 eggs over easy fried in coconut oil + salsa that I didn't finish because it was too spicy

1/2 grapefruit

Lunch: Approximately 7 ounces of roast beef and brussels sprouts

Today was my date night with my husband and usually anytime we go out there is Cold Stone or Cheesecake Factory involved. I was very hungry and hoping to grab some grub, so we decided to see what all the fuss was with paleo people and Chipotle. I ordered the carnitas with tomatoes, salsa and guacamole. It was pretty yummy since there was fresh cilantro in the salsa, but a bit spicy. My husband said I could easily recreate this at home and that made me proud :)

It was good!! And there was a ton of guac. Melt my heart.

In case you were wondering...

Not pictured was about 11 dates (notice how that number keeps going up??). I am out of tea and discovering that I really need that to feel like I am having something more special than water. And that I also need to just close the date bag and put it in the back of the closet. Also had a handful of almonds.

Workout today:
15 minute AMRAP
400 M Run
100 Double Unders

I cannot do 1 double under so I did a 400M run, 25 attempts, 400M run and 12 or so more double under attempts. SO more of a skill thing than a workout I guess

Also Saturday evening came around and Justin wanted to do the Bear (a crossfit workout), so I decided to do some more skill work. What's more romantic than an evening in our home gym?

So I did 10 rounds (65lb bar):
1 deadlift
1 clean
1 front squat
1 push press
1 back squat
1 back push press

You can watch a video of the bear here, but add a deadlift before each round.

Whole 30 Day 9

2012-01-14T22:12:00.000-05:00

Not much to note on this day. My battery died so I did not take a picture of my lunch. No crazy cravings or anything.

Breakfast:
2 eggs fried in coconut oil over easy
1/2 a green bell pepper
1 Tbsp or so guacamole
1/2 grapefruit

Lunch (not pictured):
Chicken leftovers with no cauliflower rice

Dinner:
2 Bratwurst (I know I only photographed one :) )
Steamfresh brussels sprouts

Ingredients were "pork, water, salt, spices." Maybe this was not the best Whole 30 choice, but I was so close to saying screw it and just ordering takeout. It is hard work cooking three meals a day and then more because your kids want something special. Anyway, this was the best option I found in our grocery store. You can't get one of those precooked chickens because one of the ingredients there is sugar!

Also not pictured:

5 or 6 strawberries

7 dates

A bunch of kale chips (generous oil & salt). Cooked at 200F for an hour turning every 20 minutes.

No WODS today~

Week 2 Meal Plan

2012-01-13T13:16:00.001-05:00

Day 1: Roast Beef (make sure to use a meat thermometer and use a bigger roast for leftovers with lunch if you want them!), Kale Chips (the oven will be set at 375, so won't need to cook as long and use sea salt instead of season salt) and Roasted Vegetables (I'll be doing beets and carrots, but add other veggies to your shopping list if you want them)

Day 2: Chicken Shawarma minus the mixed greens + Spinach sauteed in coconut oil (or try paleo creamed spinach, but I am lazy). This will take time ahead to marinate, so prep early.

Day 3: Meaty Taco Salad.. for 'various spices' I am using: 1tbsp garlic powder, 1/2tsp black pepper, 1Tbsp cumin, 1Tbsp chili powder. I am also using spinach rather than mixed greens.

Day 4: Portabello Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries. I use cinnamon rather than paprika and I leave skin on and cut into thin wedges.

Day 5: Roast Chicken (yes, I repeat to make things easy for me), steamfresh brussels sprouts, tomato + avocado side salad (1 ripe avocado + 1-2 cups of cherry tomatoes halves, dress with oil and balsamic vinegar)

Day 6: LEFTOVER NIGHT!! Or make a tuna salad from the things you have left in your fridge. Or try the Shrimp Flying Saucers modified to whatever you have in your fridge. I often do not have purple cabbage, so sometimes sub with peppers.

Day 7: Beyond Easy Pulled Pork + tomato & cucumber salad dressed with oil and vinegar.

Things that are easy to make on the weekend and reheat:
Chicken Shawarma, Meaty Taco Salad (the meat part, not the salad), and the roasted veggies

Becky's Chicken Paleo Style (Delicious!)

2012-01-13T08:59:00.002-05:00

Becky's Chicken Paleo Style

Any time I combine the flavors of garlic, tomato, artichokes and chicken, I think of my sister-in-law Becky (the best cook I know) and I reminisce about days when I used to go over to her house and she would make this amazing sauce usually served over pasta. I would eat until stuffed then have some coffee and yummy dessert! It was amazing and if we were to ever leave the military, these memories would figure largely in that decision :) Luckily we are close enough now that I can occasionally enjoy those days again.

* 1.5 lbs chicken thighs
* 2 cans fire roasted chopped tomatoes OR regular, but I think the fire roasted added something
* 1 can artichoke hearts, I used ones in water, but I bet marinated would be even better!
* 1/2 can coconut milk (skip if you want more of a tomato sauce, but I was craving cream sauce. Use full fat otherwise you will have to thicken with something like arrowroot powder)
* 1 Tbsp oregano
*1 Tbsp (or more!!) garlic powder
* Salt and pepper (I was generous with both)

Cut up chicken thighs and pan fry in their own fat until cooked through on medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic. Add tomatoes and artichoke hearts and bring to simmer. Add coconut milk and stir until heated. I tasted and decided to add a bit more salt.

Serve over riced cauliflower

Riced Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
Salt, pepper
2tsp or so coconut oil or butter (I prefer butter when not on a whole 30)

Chop off the cauliflower florets and with small batches at a time place in food processor and process until a rice-y consistency. Transfer to pan and fry until the cauliflower starts to change to more of a yellow than white. Season with salt and pepper.

Whole 30 Day 8

2012-01-13T08:42:00.000-05:00

Today was a freaking delicious day. I came up with two original recipes and they were both hits. I am hoping to do a little more physical activity to augment my fat loss soon, but so far this challenge is going great!

Breakfast:

2 Eggs over easy (fried in a tsp of coconut oil)
The last of the leftover shredded cabbage (I was getting sick of this but it needed to go and I don't like to waste money)
1/2 grapefruit

Lunch:
A helping of chicken thighs cut up and pan fried by themselves. Chicken thighs are fatty enough that they don't need oil to cook in. Salt, pepper and a generous splash of balsamic vinegar

EGG SALAD (YUMMM)
4 Hard boiled eggs, cooled, peeled and chopped
1/2 large or one small cucumber peeled and chopped
1/2 bell pepper chopped
2 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
2Tbsp lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
~ 1 Tbsp dill

Dinner was a creamy chicken sauce served over riced cauliflower. Cauliflower was pan fried in a small amount of coconut oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I will be posting the chicken recipe soon!!

Not pictured: 8 dates and several cups of herbal tea

Whole 30 Day 7

2012-01-12T14:17:00.001-05:00

Wahoo!! I made it to day 7. This is the longest I've gone so far since my 12 day stint last summer. Here's what I ate, + an unsweetened passion tea from Starbucks:

The Workout I did today was:
1.5 Mile Run

8minute AMRAP
1 deadlift
9 front squat
3 push jerk
5 burpees
5 pullups

I did three rounds minus 5 pullups. Sorry for the short post, busy day and I wanted to get this up before I forgot things!

Whole 30 Day 6

2012-01-11T10:08:00.000-05:00

Today was probably one of my most challenging days as far as stress goes. It involved the doctor's office, two toddlers, D.C. traffic and some other things. I was very thankful that I was not on day one or two of this challenge, because I totally would have gone through the Krispy Kreme drive through on my way to or from all the things I had to do.
I had to be out the door early so I just hard boiled a bunch of eggs, sauteed some green cabbage in coconut oil and here's what I ate.

Unpictured is the 1 hard boiled egg and 6 dates I ate between breakfast and dinner.

I was very hungry by the time dinner rolled around packed my plate with a ton of food. I knew I hadn't taken in enough calories for the day and even though I was stuffed before I finished the plate, I kept eating. All in all dinner was probably:

1 whole sweet potato cut up into fries and baked in the oven with coconut oil, salt and cinnamon
2 burgers together making up about 1/2 lb of 96% lean ground beef
Steamfresh broccoli & cauliflower
2 Tbsp or so of Wholly Guacamole
Red onions for garnish

I had a bunch of chamomile tea to try to calm down and just deep breathed alot. My two sons are going through a destructive phase and fight with each other constantly. I actually cried when the youngest purposefully ripped apart one of his sippy cups and dumped apple cider all over the floor while I was starving and about to start cooking dinner. Just another reason to stop giving them juice.

After tomorrow it'll be a whole week! Wahoo!

Whole 30 Day 5

2012-01-09T20:20:00.000-05:00

Didn't have too much of a problem with cravings today and I'm starting to get into the swing of things so nothing new to report. This was a lazy leftover and recreated leftover day. This morning I hard boiled eggs for breakfast, some of which I ate later in the day.

Breakfast:

2 Hard Boiled Eggs

Almost a whole zucchini and 4 baby bella mushrooms sauteed in 1tsp coconut oil

Green tea

Lunch came from a recreated recipe from Sarah Fragoso's Everyday Paleo. The original recipe was Shrimp Flying Saucers. I didn't want to cook anything so I looked in my fridge and here's what I made:

1 large cooked chicken breast (leftover from last night) cut up
2 hard boiled eggs chopped (from this morning leftover)
1 small cucumber peeled and chopped
1/4 cup of chopped red onion (already chopped for mornings)
3 or 4 cherry tomatoes halved
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
1-2tsp dill
2 Tbsp lemon juice

This was so yummy. I halved it and saved the rest for dinner, had the other half of my grapefruit and some tea.

I was getting the munchies in the afternoon so I ate a hard boiled egg. Then decided I should do a workout since I did absolutely nothing yesterday but laze around the house and play on the playground very little.

WOD:

‎50 Sit-ups
10 Jump Squats
20 Push-ups
25 Jumping Jacks
30 Lunges
45 Burpees
30 Lunges
25 Jumping Jacks
20 Pushups
10 Jump Squats
50 Sit-ups

Did it in 14:20. I felt strong during the pushups and was surprised at how fast I was able to do the burpees. I broke them down doing 10 at a time and then resting for 10-20 seconds or so and going again.

Post workout was a 1/2 a sweet potato with a tsp of coconut oil.

Then I went for a walk outside with my babies. One of them (the 25 pounder) is on my back in a baby backpack. L rode his scooter :) . We walked probably half a mile and enjoyed the first snowfall of the year! I walked earlier this morning as well about a mile or mile and a half so a total of 1.5-2 miles of walking to add to the activity today.

Dinner: The other half of that awesome chicken/egg salad and the other half of the nuked sweet potato with another tsp of coconut oil!

I am really getting excited for my day 30 results because I feel like my clothes might be starting to get looser. It's probably in my head though :)

Whole 30 Day 4

2012-01-09T12:25:00.000-05:00

Today I didn't have enough eggs for everyone and I really wasn't feeling eggs for breakfast anyway so I had the rest of the leftover chicken chili soup. And it was good!

I had to drop Justin off at the train station around lunch time and though I wasn't hungry, I wasn't sure what traffic was going to be like so I ate one of the sardines out of the can he opened for himself and had 1/2 a grapefruit with some chamomile tea.

I ate lunch around 1. It was a leftover cilantro lime chicken thigh, which I almost ate all of before I remembered to take a picture. I was feeling really lazy today and didn't want to cook. Can you tell from all my leftovers? I also ate the other half of the grapefruit.

One of the planned dinners I had was chicken fajitas, but I didn't want those flavors tonight and I didn't have Justin to cook for. So I threw the chicken breasts I had into a bowl of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Half an hour later I put them on the grill with one of the peppers from planned fajita night and two of the zucchini I never cooked from cilantro lime chicken thigh night. I ate just about all of the large chicken breast, pepper and zucchini. The boys helped just a tiny bit. Dinner was around 6 and I wasn't hungry the rest of the night even though I didn't go to sleep until around 11.. I hope this means my body is finally switched to fat burning. Or maybe that my blood sugar levels are getting normalized.

The thing with my meal plans is that I switch around vegetables and sometimes change the meals entirely based on what is already cooked in my fridge, but I try to use what is on hand and avoid going back to the grocery store early. The temptation to get fast food was really high tonight since Justin was gone, but thankfully this challenged forced me to save money and eat in.

Whole 30 Day 3

2012-01-07T20:45:00.000-05:00

Today was a rough day with sugar withdrawal. Check out this post if you're not sure what I'm talking about. Princeton researchers have found that sugar can be as addictive as "drugs of abuse." Pretty interesting to think that sugar does to our brains what things like dopamine or heroine do. Anyway, today all I could think about was PIZZAAA and ICE CREAM!! There were a couple points during the day that I couldn't fully participate in a conversation because my mind kept drifting to junk food.

Besides the distraction, I had some fatigue and a headache. Doing a Whole 30 means giving up cream and my coffee has to be black. I think black coffee is pretty disgusting, so forgoing my 2-3 cups of coffee each day hits me with a bit of caffeine withdrawal as well. I am looking forward to functioning like a normal person again soon.

Breakfast was 2 eggs fried in 1tsp coconut oil and leftover cabbage fried in coconut oil. Yum.

By the time lunch came I was ravenous, so I had a gigantic bowl of chicken chili soup and about half an avocado. I polished that off with 1/2C applesauce.

This afternoon I took a couple hours to myself away from the kids before Justin leaves and walked around Barnes and Noble. I usually grab an Americano with heavy cream at the in house Starbucks, but instead I had a medium unsweeted passion tea.

While dinner was in the oven I decided to do a workout. Just felt like I needed to do something! So, I took the workout idea that my sister-in-law posted on her facebook and went into my garage-gym.

10 rounds

15 deadlifts (95lbs)

15 pushups

About halfway through I started crying and told Justin I hated working out. I was emotional from lack of sugar and frustrated that I had to keep taking breaks.. Justin looked at me, said that everyone hates it while they are in it and kept telling me that my deadlifts looked great and that I was doing a great job. After sniffing a bit, I got back into it and finished around 23:40. That time will definitely not win my any prizes, but I ended with a sense of accomplishment rather than failure and that is something to me.

Dinner was steamfresh brussels sprouts, a cilantro lime chicken thigh, and sweet potato fries sprinkled with salt and cinnamon (freaking heavenly). I also had 3 or 4 dates today and a couple cups of herbal tea. I usually drink green tea during the day and chamomile at night.

Whole 30 Day 2

2012-01-06T20:31:00.001-05:00

Day 2 started out fine. Felt hungry when I woke up, but as I was cooking breakfast I had a glass of water and somehow that hunger disappeared. I still ate what I cooked; 2 over easy eggs fried in a tsp of coconut oil and 1C mushrooms, 1C broccoli florets and 1/8C red onion fried in another tsp of coconut oil. Also had a cup of green tea. I included 1/2C applesauce with cinnamon as I was getting the low blood sugar feeling.. if you've gone low carb after a high carb binge then you know what I'm talking about.

I had a few friends come over today and I put out some healthy snack options. I grazed on cucumbers, red bell peppers and carrots, but skipped the almonds and dates that I had out. I didn't start cooking lunch until around 1:30 and I honestly wasn't hungry for it. I threw a spaghetti squash in the oven, browned some beef and threw some sauce on top.

I ate lunch around 2:30. It was nice because D was sleeping and L and I just chatted away. It was very cool to enjoy a meal in peace and hold a half hour+ conversation with my 3 year old about crocodiles eating people. When lunch was finished cooking, L took a few bites of what I had; probably 2C spaghetti squash, 1/4lb ground beef and 3/4C sauce. I was stuffed and it was hard to get this all down.

I ate dinner around 5:45 and only because I knew I hadn't taken in enough calories. Again, I didn't feel hungry, tired, or weak, I just knew it was something I needed to keep that metabolism going. It was about 3/4C leftover meat and sauce and a cup or so of green cabbage sauteed in coconut oil. Yum yum.

Immediately after dinner I had 3 dates. These are good, but tasted like pure sugar. A little too strong just now for me. Justin agrees they are very sweet. I haven't done a workout yet today... Justin is trying to talk me into doing Crossfit Total, so maybe I will update with an actual WOD today.
UPDATE: No workout done :) Instead had a cup of tea and 1/2C applesauce.

Whole 30 Day One

2012-01-05T20:49:00.000-05:00

Today I visited the health and wellness center to get my weight, BMI and body fat percentage for the Whole 30/Fitness Challenge at the gym. I wasn't really surprised at my BMI, what surprised me was the amount of pounds of fat that are actually on my body! 30+. Anyway, I am excited to see how well I can do in these 30 days and to not be on the very highest end of normal for my height/weight.

Breakfast:
1tsp coconut oil
1/8C red onion
1/2C chopped portabello mushrooms
1/2C chopped red pepper
2 Hard Boiled Eggs
Black Coffee
Green Tea

I was a little stressed the rest of the morning from an issue with housing and also just trying to get some things done before I picked L up from school. I didn't eat lunch until after 1 and I wasn't even hungry for it.

Chamomile Tea in between breakfast and lunch

Lunch:

1/3C red pepper

1/2C cherry tomatoes

1/2 Medium Avocado

14 baby carrots

1/8C red onion

1 small cucumber

7oz shrimp

Lunch

The kids miraculously fell asleep for a nap, so I figured I should take that time to do a workout. I did Effing 47:

4nds for time:

7 floor wipers (65lb bar)

7 deadlifts

7 hang cleans

7 knees to elbow

7 barbell rollouts

7 push press

7 barrier burpees

21:40

Afterwards I grabbed a post workout snack spread over about an hour:
1 large orange (not pictured.. I inhaled it)
1 5 oz sweet potato
1tsp coconut oil + Cinnamon for the SP
2oz of shrimp

Post-workout

Dinner ended up being something I just threw together because I didn't have time or desire to do anything else.. Justin was coaching someone and I was watching an extra kid.

5.75 oz chicken breast from a chicken I roasted yesterday

1/2 avocado (mushed up the other half from earlier today)

1/2C salsa

Dinner

After dinner snack:

1/2C applesauce + cinnamon.. and Justin was sitting right next to me eating a giant bowl of ice cream.......

Dessert

Week 1 Shopping List

2012-01-03T21:07:00.002-05:00

This shopping list is for 2 adults and 2 kids under 4. One of the adults is a giant eating machine.

* Indicates an item that my children will be eating
- Indicates an item that it is ok to buy bulk or a few extra of because they'll stay for longer than a week
^ Indicates a snack item, don't buy if you won't be snacking on them

Fruit
* Bananas
*Applesauce
^Apples
1 Lime
^Blueberries (for snack or with breakfast)
Grapefruit (I like to enjoy a half with breakfast some days)
^Raisins
Vegetables
1 Jalapeno
Mixed Salad Greens
4-6 Cucumbers
2 small or 1 large package of cherry tomatoes (can sub regular tomatoes)
2-4 Avocados
-^ Bag of baby carrots (salad garnish/snacks)
- 6-8 sweet potatoes
4-6 Bell Peppers, mix colors if you like
16oz package of mushrooms (1/2 if you don't want them to sautee w/ morning eggs)
1 head green cabbage
1 spaghetti squash
1 head cauliflower
Beets (sub butternut squash or asparagus if you don't like beets)
- 2 yellow onions
4-6 Zucchini
Head of garlic
Cilantro

Refrigerated
* Whole Milk
5 dozen eggs (may have some leftover for next week, or not if you snack on HB eggs)
Wholly Guacamole

Freezer
* Frozen blueberries
Steamfresh brussels sprouts
Steamfresh broccoli
Cooked shrimp (an option for salad topping, skip to save $ and use a different protein source)

Meat
5lb chicken
1-2 lbs ground beef
1-2 lbs salmon filets (check out fish options. I am buying trader joe's, add ingredients from other recipe to shopping list if you will be using one of those options)
2lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs (buy more to grill and top salads with. I throw it in the freezer if I have too many leftovers from other meals and won't grill them before the use-by date)
2lb package bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
3-4 chicken breasts (grill ahead of day 6. season with salt & pepper)
1-2 lbs of steak of your choice

Other (check your pantry!!)
Coconut and/or extra virgin olive oil
Small can olives (salad topping ingredient, skip if you don't like)
Canned tuna (salad protein source)
1 jar no sugar pasta sauce
Chicken broth
^Almond butter (snack option)
2, 4oz cans diced green chiles
Balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar (salad dressing)
Cumin

Please let me know if you notice that I've left anything out! I generally leave out chipotle/chili powders because I don't like spicy. Leftover veggies can be served with breakfast.

Preparing for a Whole 30

2012-01-02T21:22:00.002-05:00

We'll be following a Whole 30 eating plan as part of a challenge at the Bolling gym. Here's what we're doing to prepare and get through it! First, the Whole 30 eating protocol from the Whole 9 website:

[No] added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in all kinds of ways.
Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks/meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.
Do not drink alcohol, in any form.
Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. (Yes, we said corn!) This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
Do not eat legumes. This includes beans (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts or peanut butter. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
Do not eat dairy. This includes all cow, goat or sheep’s milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, whey, ice cream, etc.
Do not eat white potatoes. It’s arbitrary, but they are carbohydrate-dense and nutrient poor, and also a nightshade.
Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” less-than-healthy recipes – no “Paleo” pancakes, “Paleo” pizza, “Paleo” fudge or “Paleo” ice cream. Don’t mimic poor food choices during your Whole30 program!

Here's how we'll eat:

* NO butter or bacon grease (it has sugar) means we use coconut oil to fry, saute, or drizzle on veggies and bake. I like to use Nutiva or Tropical Traditions. You can find good, pure extra virgin coconut oil on Amazon or they do sell a jar of expeller-pressed coconut oil in the commissary.

* A bag of chopped vegetables in a ziploc in our fridge is very helpful. I will chop 1-2 bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, etc. and use this bag for veggie stir-fry in the morning, on top of salads, or to snack on.

* If you are hungry, eat more fat. A spoonful of coconut oil, handful of almonds, some avocado. Don't go overboard if you are trying to lean out (like me :) ). Drink enough water.

* The avocados from the commissary are gross. I like the ones from Trader Joe's or Costco.

* Sausage & Bacon have sugar in them so don't eat them during this 30 days.

* Sweet potatoes show up often for our meals because Justin and the kids need them for calories. They are nutritious and great for post-workout recovery. I go easy on them as I am trying to lean out.

* I use steamfresh vegetables alot because it is easy for me. You can always buy the fresh vegetable and steam it yourself. These vegetables need some olive oil or coconut oil to fill you up.

Breakfast - Always a combination of eggs fried in coconut oil, soft or hard boiled.
               - Sweet potato for Justin plain/sprinkled with cinnamon &/or with melted coconut oil
               - Usually a veggie stir fry from the pre-chopped bag or spinach sauteed in coconut oil
               - 5 eggs for Justin, 2 for me.

Lunch - Always a salad or a bag of steamfresh veggies with a protein source.
              Spring Mix Salad
              + Protein (Grilled chicken thighs, shrimp, canned tuna or salmon or leftover meat from the night before)
              + Veggies from veggie bag, cucumber, avocado
              + Dressing (Olive oil and balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar)
               * Shrimp and chicken breast are low fat, make sure to add some avocado or lots of olive oil, or
                  both.

Week 1 Meal Plan (dinner)
Day 1 - Roasted Chicken, Steamfresh brussels sprouts (option to drizzle w/ olive oil), Sweet Potato or side salad

Day 2 - "Spaghetti" & Meat Sauce. Bake a spaghetti squash at 425 F for 1 hr, cut in half, remove seeds and scrape out the insides with a fork. Brown 1-2lbs of ground beef then add 1 jar of sugar-free pasta sauce. Bertolli's Arrabiata and Rao's Homemade Marinara have no added sugar in them. Rao's is expensive, but delicious.

Day 3 - Pan Fried Salmon (Try Trader Joe's Chimmichurri Salmon - it's in the freezer aisle) or Everyday Paleo's Grilled Salmon recipe here. OR Try this white fish recipe if you are feeling like a little more work. It is the most delicious way I've ever eaten white fish! Double the recipe though, as it doesn't make much. Steamfresh Broccoli. Serve fish over riced cauliflower. I do this in my food processor to save time or I have used a hand grater before.

Day 4 - Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs + Zucchini. Sweet potatoes mashed or nuked or baked. Side salad for me with olives.

Day 5 - Chicken Fajitas. 1 red bell pepper (sliced), 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced), 1/2 onion (chopped), 2 cups sliced mushrooms, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp each salt, pepper, cumin, 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut up). Saute chicken thighs in olive oil until cooked through. Add veggies to pan and season, cooking until vegetables are soft. Top with guac. Love Wholly Guacamole! Found in the same section as salads.

Day 6 - Grilled or pan fried steak (season with salt & pepper), roasted beets (sub butternut squash or asparagus if beets aren't your thing), head of cabbage sauteed in coconut oil & seasoned with salt. Serve the extras with breakfast under over-easy eggs!

Day 7 - Chicken Chili Soup. Serve with a side salad, or tomato/avocado salad. Sweet potato on the side if Justin is still hungry.

SNACKS
* Kipper Snacks - found in the same section as tuna. These are smoked fish.
* Salmon pouches, tuna mixed with guac.
* Hard Boiled Eggs
* Lara Bars are technically processed, but the Coconut Cream Pie and Apple Pie versions have only Whole 30 approved ingredients. NOT good for getting lean.
* Apple w/ Almond Butter
* Almond butter with raisins. Great snack for Justin who has trouble getting in enough calories without downing ice cream.
* Tea at night gives me something to "treat" myself with after dinner.

Good luck!

Helpful Resources:

http://robbwolf.com/2011/01/16/pre-cooking-paleo-diet-food/

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/2982384246/whole30-day-by-day-is-it-possible-to-get

Meals for the Week and other goings on.

2011-10-03T15:12:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-07T13:19:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-01T10:40:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-31T13:08:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-30T15:01:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-27T07:53:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-26T07:28:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-25T08:33:00.000-04:00

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.

Wholly Guacamole Coupon = Cheap Guacamole

2011-08-22T12:52:00.000-04:00

Wholly Guacamole is an awesome product that I will purchase whenever I see a sale or a great coupon offer. The product is so tasty and to me just like fresh guacamole. Check this out from the company's website:

"..we’re dedicated to providing the best product possible. We use real Hass avocados and natural ingredients that don’t include preservatives, artificial flavors or heat treatments. Our goal? To give our consumers made-from-scratch flavor and ready-to-eat convenience."

You'll find Wholly Guacamole in the refrigerated produce or deli aisle. It must be refrigerated but has never been frozen, though you can freeze it if you would like :)

Typically the large pack costs around $4.50-$5.00. The 100Cal Snack Packs cost around $2.30. IF there is not already a sale on the large pack, I just use the coupon on the Snack Pack and get some seriously good guacamole for about $.80. Nom nom nommmmmmmmmm!!

TO GET YOUR COUPON:

Go to the Wholly Guacamole Facebook page , “like” them, then click on the “Coupons” tab on the left under their profile pic to get a $1.50 off ANY one Wholly product coupon. This can also be used on the Wholly Salsa or Queso products, but guac is definitely my fav. This coupon will be up until Wednesday night so hurry!!

* You can also get a $1.50 of any Wholly product by signing up for the Wholly Guacamole newsletter here.

Enjoy!

Paleo Comfort Foods = I'm excited!!!

2011-08-21T22:25:00.001-04:00

from Amazon:

"What if you could cook fantastic meals similar to the heartwarming comfort dishes your grandma used to make…and have them be good for you? In Paleo Comfort Foods, Charles and Julie Mayfield provide you with an arsenal of recipes that are healthy crowd-pleasers, sure to appeal to those following a paleo, primal, gluten-free, or "real-food" way of life—as well as those who have not yet started down such a path.

Implementing paleo guidelines and principles in this book (no grains, no gluten, no legumes, no dairy), the Mayfields give you 100+ recipes and full color photos with entertaining stories throughout. The recipes in Paleo Comfort Foods can help individuals and families alike lose weight, eat healthy and achieve optimum fitness, making this way of eating sustainable, tasty and fun."

I am so excited for this book to come out and just in time for the holidays. I own the Primal Blueprint Cookbook, Everyday Paleo and The Paleo Solution, but I am especially looking forward to owning Paleo Comfort Foods. This book promises that you can make healthy, gluten-free meals that don't just sustain - they please. Food is most definitely a comfort to me and I can't wait to get my hands on this book.

If you haven't checked out Charles and Julie Mayfield's blog by the same name (Paleo Comfort Foods), you should! They have excellent giveaways and super helpful information on their blog. Check out this post on meal-planning!

Also, check out this video introducing the book. Hooray for culinary geniuses that make my job of getting the kids to eat great food that much easier!!

Groceries for the Week

2011-08-21T15:21:00.002-04:00

So I did my shopping for the week early this morning. I go once each week to Costco and once to my local grocery store. I will soon be going to Walmart instead to see how the veggie freshness compares. Here's how I figure out what I need for my family of four:

Each week for breakfast I need:

3 dozen eggs. This is enough for my husband to have 3-4 eggs each day, 1 for myself, and 1 that my kiddos share. If any of my lunch or dinner recipes call for eggs, I buy more. $2.59 for a cage-free dozen of Eggland's Best. I usually have a $.50 off of one coupon to help keep the price down.
2 packages of bacon. In late Spring I purchased a whole pig for my family and we have been eating on that bacon. I will blog about the purchase and cost-benefit of it soon.
1 bag of sausage. Sometimes we won't go through all this and I have more for next week. I really like Jones Dairy Farm if I am not eating sausage from the pig we bought.
3-4 sweet potatoes for my husband if he has an intense workout that morning. Poke a potato with a fork a bunch of times, throw in the microwave for around 5 minutes or until soft. Good to go.

Each week for lunch I need:

1 box of organic spring mix salad. My kids don't eat salad, but they like what goes on top. My one son loves olives.
6 or so bell peppers
1 3-pack of cucumbers from Costco
Red onion. Buy a big bag and save. They stay well in a cool, dark place for a pretty long time.
Celery. Buy a big bag and save. This will keep for a couple weeks as well.
Tomatoes
Olive oil & Balsamic vinegar to top.
3 or so lbs of chicken thighs. I grill these ahead of time to put on the salad or for my husband to eat whenever he is hungry. This costs around $7.00.
Cans of tuna. I buy a four pack for $2.80 and if that disappears by the next week, I just buy another.
2 8oz packages of Ham lunch meat. Each package is $2.00

Miscellaneous:

Milk. My kids and husband go through about 3 gallons of milk each week. Trader Joe's, Target, and Wal-Mart are the cheapest places to purchase. Around $6.00 for a gallon of organic milk.

FOR DINNERS THIS WEEK:

1 5lb chicken, Perdue Cage-Free $5.60
2 packages of sirloin around 3lbs total $7.18
Mushrooms 1lb $2.19
Steamfresh Broccoli - $1.50
Steamfresh Brussels Sprouts - $1.50
Spaghetti Squash - Small one cost $3.16. I have spent around $5.00 after picking out a large one if I want leftovers.
1 jar of spaghetti sauce. Bertolli Tomato/Basil $1.99 and I had a $.50 off of one coupon
Kale. $.99 for a bunch
Bok Choy $3.06 for a big bunch.

I didn't have a list so I forgot to buy:
Shrimp
Roast Veggies.. but I have carrots in the fridge already so I will probably just roast those with onion
Salmon

Things I already have on hand:
Broccoli leftover from last week
Lemon
Fish Sauce
Canned coconut milk from Trader Joe's
Ground lamb in the freezer
Ground beef in the freezer

Next week I will do a complete, fresh list shopping like I have nothing on hand to give you a better idea of how much a week costs.

Super Cheap Food: Kale

2011-08-20T22:44:00.001-04:00

If you haven't tried kale yet and are trying to save your paleo pennies, it just might be time.

I can buy a bunch of kale at my commissary (military grocery store) for a sweet 99 cents. Also availably is a gigantic, pre-cut bag for about $3.00, but I'd never go through all that kale before it went bad... unless I froze some... hmmm. Thoughts for another time. Kale is technically a form of cabbage and to me resembles collard greens. It is high in antioxidants, considered anti-inflamatory, has tons of beta-carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein and is pretty rich in calcium. But don't take my word for it! Wikipedia told me so. You can steam, microwave, or stir-fry - just don't boil if you want the most nutrient bang for your buck. Best of all, you don't need to buy this veggie organic (not alot of pesticides are needed to fend off the rabidly hungry insects). AND one of Jessica Biel's New Year's resolutions was to eat more kale. Knowing that, why would you NOT eat kale? Jessica Biel is a hottie.

BUT HOW DO I COOK THIS STRANGE VEGETABLE!?

1. Steam it! Add a little bit of garlic in there, some salt, maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar and you have super cheap, healthy side dish or "salad" you can add some protein to.

2. Stir-Fry! Try this recipe a la Bobby Flay. Going to test this one out sometime to see if it belongs in my recipe binder.

3. Microwave? Wash and chop leaves and microwave on high until wilted. DO NOT dry the kale before you zap it.

4. Bake it!! KALE CHIPS!!!

Take a bunch of kale - remove leaves from the thick stem and tear into smaller pieces - wash and dry

Preheat the oven to 350 F, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt (NOT TOO MUCH!!), then bake

on a baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes until crispy and not burnt.

* Try different seasonings like a bit of paprika for a different taste

Kale is a pretty strong smelling vegetable just as a little warning to you guys. I just steamed some and plan on eating it with breakfast and lunch tomorrow! Happy eating.

OH! And I guess it does freeze well. Thank you Wikipedia.

An Intro to Paleo Cents

2011-08-19T13:38:00.000-04:00

Living a healthy lifestyle isn't always cost-effective, at least in the short term. I'm starting this blog to share with you how I save money living and shopping organic & gluten-free. My husband and I eat paleo as much as possible and I shop to give our children unprocessed, gluten-free options for eating.

I plan to share meal plans and shopping lists, as well as provide price comparisons for items like coconut milk and lara bars. I also will show you where I shop for special things like coconut oil. There will be gluten-free product comparisons for those with kiddos who want to make something special for birthdays or holidays.

I'm excited to start! I hope that you find this blog useful and benefit from my time spent browsing the internet and grocery aisles :)