Month: October 2016

New Recipes and a Facebook Live Show

It is 87 degrees today. I wanted to write a Friday Favorites post all about Fall, but I simply can’t do it when I’m sweating and the mosquitoes are biting. What is going on? The weather man says fall is coming back soon so I’m hopeful. And the weather man is always right, you know.

It’s been a busy few weeks around here, but I am happy to say we are slowing back down to our normal, hurried pace and I am again working on recipes for the blog.

The big news is that I have finished Part 1 of Your Paleo Holiday, my e-book chock full of amazing recipes for all your holidays, fall through the Super Bowl. You can purchase it online right now through this link. It will be on sale all day tomorrow, October 20th, for $7.99. 

New Cookbook
New Cookbook

I have to apologize to all my Jewish friends out there because I completely omitted their special holidays in this part of the book. We love studying Jewish history and the significance of all the many feasts and holidays, so you can be sure I will include some paleo versions of those traditional recipes in part 2 of the book.

Also tomorrow, October 20th, 2016, over on Facebook.com/KidCasts, I’ll be making one of my favorite recipes from the book: Spanakopita!!! If you love Greek food you won’t want to miss it. And of course, you’ll want to get your own copy of the book so you can make this amazing dish at home. I’m super excited because I need to make one recipe before the show so I can let viewers see the finished product and then I’ll make one live. That means twice as much spanakopita for me to eat!

Head over to Facebook.com/KidCasts at 11 AM Eastern to watch live. Or check back later and watch the recording. 

A couple weeks ago, a reader made a comment about 30 minute meals, how we all want them, but they’re hard to make interesting following a paleo diet. Amen.

I have made it my goal these past couple of weeks to make quick, but still interesting meals. We can all throw together a piece of grilled meat and a salad.

The thing is, 30 minutes is not a lot of time. And with paleo, we are not using convenience products. No mixes and boxes here. I have a couple new recipes that I’m working on for you that are 30 minute-ish. How about that? They’re not quite ready to post because I’m attempting to simplify them a bit and see if I can hit the 30 minute mark. The best I’ve ever done on time is my Beef Stroganoff. That one can truly be finished in 30 minutes, but you can’t dilly dally. Actually, you can’t get any meal together in 30 minutes if you’re goofing off. You have to be focused and prepared. One tip for quicker cooking: always, always read the entire recipe before you start – preferably earlier in the day or even the day before, just to be sure you have all the ingredients and you know what you need to do.

This week I give you two recipes that are NOT done in 30 minutes. But they are worth the time. The first is Creamy Salsa Chicken. You can make this in a crock pot or a dutch oven. It takes a few minutes to prep then it’s hands off till dinner time. And it’s super delicious. My kids loved this one. dsc_5369-2

The second recipe I’ve posted for you this week is my Super Simple Paleo Granola. You can read the recipe, but in short I’ll tell you that I have a thing for cereal so I just had to come up with a granola recipe that I truly love. I finally hit on just the right combination of ingredients that gives this granola the rich, buttery, slightly sweet flavor that I crave.

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Last, but not least, is this one pan wonder: Honey Dijon Roasted Chicken and Vegetables – in One Pan! This one is not done in 30 minutes, but it is a fast prep and then you put it in the oven for a while and let it go. And it’s a complete dinner. Sure, you can add a side salad if you want, but it’s not necessary. There are tons of veggies in there.

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In the works are some fun recipes using my biscuit recipe from the book: Sausage Gravy and Biscuits and the cool weather staple, Chicken Pot Pie. I know, I know. We are clearly not dieting in this house.

I hope you try these new recipes and let me know what you think.

Please join me tomorrow, 10/20/16, over on Facebook.com/KidCasts at 11:00 AM. It’s always so fun to see your names pop up while I’m cooking. 

Happy fall, y’all! I hope it’s not 87 degrees in your neck of the woods. This is what I’m dreaming of right now…

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Your Paleo Holiday, Part 1 e-book is now available!

New Cookbook
New Cookbook

Today is an exciting day! I started this blog just under a year ago. Fairly early on, I had an idea to write a book that contained all of our favorite recipes for the holidays. I can’t remember when I first announced this to you, dear readers, but it was probably 6 months ago.

Since that time, we’ve celebrated Christmas in the spring and Thanksgiving in the summer, all in an effort to perfect these recipes and take pretty pictures.

My family has been particularly thankful that there are many baked goods in this book and the baked goods seem to take the most tweaking to get just right. I think sometimes they sabotage me so they end up with more goodies!

There are 40 recipes included in the book, most of them totally original to the book (some have appeared on the blog before). This book will carry you from Fall Festivals through to Super Bowl Sunday.

If you ever wondered if you could pull off a totally paleo Thanksgiving, you can! Can you really satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth at Christmas and stick with your diet? Yes!

Today I will be making two recipes from the book live on Facebook.com/KidCasts at 11:00 EDT. 

I already posted the pumpkin bread recipe as a sneak peak, but I’ll be making my Southern Biscuits as well. Don’t miss it!

I’m also running a special today only. You can download the book today, October 5th, 2016, for $7.99 (plus tax) rather than the regular rate of $9.99.

For those of you who prefer a hard copy book, those will be coming as well, likely at the end of October. I’ll make another announcement at that time. There are benefits to the electronic version though: you can have the book with you everywhere you go, so if you get a wild idea to bake the sugar cookies in the Christmas chapter, but you’re out and about and don’t remember the list of ingredients, you can easily pull it up on your phone and check the list.

I couldn’t be more excited to share all these amazing recipes with you. I hope you will have lots of fun in the kitchen as you create your own paleo holidays!

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My Paleo Stitch Fix

Maybe that title is a teeny bit misleading because obviously, we don’t eat clothes and clothes are not exercise or rest so they really can’t be paleo, but stick with me here. If you aren’t familiar with Stitch Fix, in a nutshell, it’s a company that does the shopping for you. Through Pinterest boards or notes to your stylist, you let them know about your personal style, what kinds of clothes you’re looking for (do you have a wedding to attend or a business meeting?), and they pick things out and send them to you. Pretty simple.

I’ve been researching Stitch Fix for over a year now and finally bit the bullet and just received my first “fix.” The way I see it, Stitch Fix fits into the paleo lifestyle in this way: I am choosing to stay healthy through food and lifestyle changes rather than medication and therefore I am choosing to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. In addition, there’s this blog thing, which takes a teeny bit of time. And the homeschooling. And the cookie business. The bottom line is that we’re busy. Very busy. We don’t often relieve that busy-ness by eating out, so this is how I can take one thing off my plate.

These are things I was looking for from Stitch Fix:

  1. Not having to go to the mall
  2. Not having to worry about what’s “in style” and what isn’t
  3. Trying clothes I would never pick out for myself
  4. Trying brands to which I wouldn’t normally have access
  5. A little bright spot of fun in my otherwise hectic days (it’s always exciting to receive a package!)

Did Stitch Fix deliver on any or all of those items? Yes! A resounding yes. I’ll get to the pictures of the clothes in a minute, but I want to be completely honest: I didn’t LOVE every item that came in my fix. Admittedly, I’m a little difficult to shop for. I don’t even like to shop for me. Mostly, I need casual stay at home mom clothes. But I do need dresses or skirts for church. I do go out occasionally with my husband or friends and want to look cute and hip. Ha! And then there’s this whole business I started which does require that I look professional on occasion. I have a very schizophrenic wardrobe.

Stitch Fix Successes:

  1. I did not have to go to the mall
  2. They sent me things that (I am assuming) are current trends, but still look like classic pieces, but frankly, I wouldn’t know!
  3. I certainly received some items I would not have picked off the rack
  4. New brands –  yep, that too
  5. I was like a little kid on Christmas when my box arrived from my mailman

Should you try Stitch Fix? I think yes, it’s worth a try. I certainly had a positive first experience. The clothes cost more than I would typically spend on myself, but admittedly, I am very frugal in this area. I NEVER pay retail, so that has been the hardest part for me.

If you want more details on how Stitch Fix works, scroll all the way to the bottom, past the lovely photos and I’ll fill you in on all the necessary info. Just so you know, I am not being compensated in anyway for this review. The opinions and thoughts are entirely my own. However, if you would like to try Stitch Fix, please use my referral link pasted in here and again at the bottom, which will give me a little Stitch Fix credit. I would be very grateful. Then you can share your referral link with friends and family and you earn credit. Everybody wins.

One more thing: part of the reason I’m sharing this review is because, as I stated before, I’m kind of a science nerd and I like to research things before I jump in. I’ve been researching and thinking over Stitch Fix for a long time. I read reviews, I looked at pictures and I always wondered: are those real women? Does she have someone doing her hair and makeup? Is that a professional photographer behind the camera? I wanted honest opinions from real people like me. Yes, I feel like I’m a pretty real, normal person. Some of you who know me may disagree. 🙂

When you see the photos below, it should solidify the fact that I am a “real person” and not a model or professional clothing person in any way. Nor was there a professional photographer behind the camera. We did our best. My goal here is to show you the types of clothes you might receive from Stitch Fix – not to earn a modeling contract. Onward…

Just Black Adora Skinny Jean $88

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These jeans are pretty awesome. They’re a very dark wash – the style card calls them navy. They’re almost black actually. The best part – they are the perfect length for my 5’2″ frame. I think on an average height person these would be the trendy above ankle length, but they hit right at my ankles, which is perfect for most things I wear. In the picture above, I’ve rolled them up once so they hit right above my boots.

RD Style Jessika Cowl Neck Poncho $68

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This poncho is not particularly flattering (or else I just couldn’t figure out how to stand properly), but it’s really cozy and soft and I think I’ll get a lot of wear out of it. Along with the jeans, these were the items I was most excited about in my fix.

Mystree Rigley Knit Top $58

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I know I look ridiculous. Please stop laughing. This top seems like something I would wear: pretty casual, black and white stripes, loose fitting, but I would NOT spend $58 on a t-shirt. Not ever. It’s a little over-sized for me, but I’ll probably shrink it in the dryer. As it is, it’s long enough to wear over leggings, so that’s a plus. It is see through though so requires layering, which is sometimes a pain. I think what’s off with this shirt is the dropped shoulder hem. I have broad shoulders and this just makes them look more broad.

Dex Judd Faux Wrap Blouse $68

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I would never, ever have picked this blouse out for myself. I don’t even say the word blouse. But then I put it on. I really liked the neckline and the pattern. It’s a faux wrap as the name implies and then hangs down in the back. Also, the back is very sheer. You would have to wear a camisole under this, unless you’re just into showing off more than I am. I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but there are small lace panels at the shoulders. This is one item I might try to sell. I really like it, but I don’t have a need for this type of thing too often and I don’t really have anything to wear with it. The gray jeans were a stretch.

Skies are Blue Ren Dress $68

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I have a little love/hate thing going with this dress. I love the color, the fabric (feels like suede almost), the neckline, the detail on the top, but I hate the belted part. It looks really frumpy unbelted, but I don’t do waist cinching things very often. I’m just not comfortable in that look. But the more I tried this on and styled it different ways, the more I liked it. Certainly enough to keep it. It is a great fall transition piece and I can likely get away with wearing this into the winter here in the south.

Whew! I’m glad that’s over.

Here’s the bottom line: I felt utterly ridiculous modeling these clothes and being photographed. Absolutely my least favorite part of the process, hands down. However, the Stitch Fix experience overall was great.

It was certainly a time saver and I will definitely be getting another fix sometime in the future. If you’re interested in giving Stitch Fix a try, here are all the details:

  1. Go to StitchFix.com and fill out a free style profile. The questions are pretty detailed, but the point here is to figure out your style and get you clothes and accessories you’ll love.
  2. When you’re ready to give it a try, schedule your first fix (you’ll see how to do this on the website – their site is really user friendly).
    1. You choose when you want your fix and if you want one every month, every two months, once a year or just this once.
  3. You pay a $20 styling fee to receive your fix. You’ll be assigned a personal stylist who will hand-pick five items for you based on your style preferences.
  4. Your fix is shipped according to the schedule you requested.
  5. You receive your fix, try everything on in your own home, take three days to decide what you want to keep and what you want to return.
  6. Then check out online, choosing what to keep and what to send back and leaving feedback for each item. The more feedback you leave, the better your fixes will be. So say the experts.
  7. If you buy ANYTHING, they waive the $20 styling fee. If you buy all five items, you receive a 25% discount off of everything. That’s right – they waive the $20 styling fee and you get 25% off.
    1. Here’s what I’ve observed through my research: lots of people buy all five items for the discount and then join various Facebook groups for selling or trading. I haven’t done that yet, but I might. One or two of the items I received are just ok and I don’t know if I’ll wear them.
  8. Shipping is free both ways – receiving and returning!
  9. Schedule your next fix!

If you’re interested in giving Stitch Fix a try, please use my referral link.

Thanks for reading! I promise the next post will be back to recipes. Did you enjoy this post? Or do you just want to see recipes?