Hello there! It seems like forever since I wrote a weekly update. I guess we’ve been busy. Doing what, I’m not exactly sure.

Oh, yeah! I’ve finished all the regulatory hoop-jumping and am now all certified and official with the cookie baking business. That’s what’s been keeping me busy. My first gig is at Harmony Farms Natural Health Foods store in North Raleigh!!! They used to have a paleo baker supply their store, but she quit recently, so they were super excited to have another local, paleo baker. If you want some of my cookies, but don’t have time to make them yourself, you can stop by the store or order them directly from me. I’m not shipping just yet, but we can arrange delivery or porch pick-up. Just email me at elizabeth@ourpaleofamily.com if you’d like to place an order.

The kids just got back from a week at camp and so this week will be detox for all of us. I need to wean myself off all the independent time and they will need to re-adjust to real life with actual vegetables and fruits in their diet – and gasp – responsibilities. Please pray for us. 🙂

More exciting news is that I will be doing a Facebook Live show this coming Wednesday night on Facebook.com/kidcasts. If you are interested, be sure to “like” that page so you’ll receive notice of the show. I will go live as close to 8 PM Wednesday as possible, That’s June 29th, 2016. If you can’t watch live, it will be available for watching afterward. This is sure to be better than Downton Abbey, I promise. Ok, don’t hold me to that. If you’re a regular reader or a long time paleo-er, there probably won’t be anything new for you here, but might still be fun to watch. I hope it will be fun to watch. And informative. What in the world am I thinking??? And what kind of world are we living in where any old Joe can be on “TV”? I’m not sure if this is amazing or scary.

Back to real life blog business: this past week I posted a couple simple recipes for you – homemade avocado oil mayonnaise and creamy balsamic salad dressing made with that mayo. Both are super simple and so much better for you than anything you’ll find in a bottle or jar at the store. I know making your own condiments can seem daunting, but it’s not hard, not time consuming, and the flavor and health benefits are totally worth it.

This week, I’ll be cooking up some simple meals on the grill that will be perfect for your Fourth of July get-togethers. I’ll get those recipes posted for you ASAP. Plus one of my favorites: roasted vegetables. This is something we eat all the time, but I’ve never posted the recipe. I guess that’s because I don’t really consider it a recipe, it’s more of a method. But if you’re not roasting vegetables, and especially if anyone in your family does not enjoy vegetables, you have to give this method a try. Roasting brings out all the natural sweetness of your veggies. Plus, it’s super simple and very hands off.

And what would summer be without popsicles? I have an easy and really delicious paleo popsicle recipe for you. If you don’t already have popsicle molds, run right out and get some so you’ll be ready!

One quick tip for this week if you have kids home for the summer who might dare to utter the words, “I’m bored,” have a chore list or jar ready to go and just hand it over. Back in my waitressing days, my manager would say, “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.” Same concept here. If you have time to complain about being bored, I’ll give you something to do that will keep you busy because I have more to do than I have time for! I realize that sounds really simple and basic, common sense even, but it’s so easy to get caught up in the moment feeling like we are responsible for our kids’ entertainment and happiness. We’re not! Unless they’re babies and toddlers, they can entertain themselves.

That’s about it from around these parts. Just to recap:

• Paleo cookies for sale from Harmony Farms in North Raleigh or order from me directly
• Facebook live on KidCasts page this Wednesday at 8 PM
• Simple recipes for Fourth of July coming up later this week so check back

If you’re traveling this weekend, stay safe, and have fun!