Month: November 2016

Happy Thanksgiving!

As Thanksgiving approaches, I hope you all have a wonderful time reflecting on all of the blessings in your life. Remembering to be thankful is a worthy goal for all of us. It can easy on Thanksgiving, but easy to forget the rest of the year.

I was just teaching my girls’ homeschool Bible study a little devotion this week about complaining. The devotion writer’s recommendation for fighting the tendency to complain was to stop and think of three things you’re thankful for. Let’s all try that!

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving and need some recipe help, check out my sweet potato casserole, cranberry salad and apple pie recipes. And just published today: Paleo “corn” bread. You have to try this if cornbread is something you’ve been missing since switching to a paleo diet. These recipes are all available free here on the blog.

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For more holiday recipes, check out my e-book, Your Paleo Holiday. Thanksgiving recipes include:

  • turkey
  • gravy
  • dressing/stuffing
  • sweet potato casserole
  • cranberry salad
  • pie crust
  • pumpkin pie
  • German chocolate pecan pie

And looking ahead to Christmas, there are even more goodies!

  • Grandma’s Beef tips and gravy
  • fancy green beans with bacon and shallots
  • sugar cookies
  • hot fudge cake
  • cinnamon rolls
  • overnight egg casserole
  • chocolate peppermint cookies
  • raspberry almond bars

And lots lots more for other holidays throughout the year!

New Cookbook
New Cookbook

I’m going to sign off for a couple weeks so I can spend some time celebrating Thanksgiving (and doing lots and lots of cooking) and then getting my house all ready for Christmas. I would be one of those people who leaves their Christmas decorations up for months if my husband would let me. The house just looks so magical and it makes me happy!

I hope you find lots of things to make you happy through the coming season.

I’m so thankful for all of you!!

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10 Super Simple Paleo Dinners

Imagine I am talking to you in my best whiny child voice. “Mom! What’s for dinner?” How does that make you feel? Are you confident and excited, knowing you have a plan for a healthy, complete paleo dinner with all the ingredients in the fridge ready to go? Or do you feel your blood pressure rise as panic sets in? You haven’t even thought about dinner and now that someone mentions it, your mind is reeling. What’s going on tonight? Who’s going to be home? What do I have in the fridge or freezer?

I think we’ve all had instances of feeling both ways.

I promise, I will give you 10 ideas for super simple paleo dinners, but first, let’s talk about what constitutes dinner. Just an aside: I am going to assume that most of you reading this are women. I know I have some male subscribers and I’m not suggesting you ignore this post, but maybe just ignore this next paragraph.

Women: we are being too hard on ourselves. We continually set up unrealistic expectations for ourselves. We hold ourselves to a standard that is too high, actually unattainable in many cases. We expect that we will continue to look 25 when we’re 45 (and fit into the same jeans); we expect our children to excel in sports and school and always be respectful; we expect our houses to always be spotless, our lawns lush and green; we expect our husbands to never embarrass us ;); and we expect a healthy, economical, delicious dinner on the table most nights of the week.

So my purpose in writing this article is to take some of the pressure off in regards to dinner. And in total disclosure, I’ll admit that this article came about because this whole “what constitutes dinner” is a revelation for me. The lightbulb just went off, so to speak. I’m talking to myself here.

I used to think that dinner had to be an entree, at least two vegetables and sometimes a starch. If we are following a paleo diet, which most of us are, the basis of our diet is meat and vegetables. Or more accurately, it’s protein, healthy fats and plant matter. Sometimes that protein can be eggs. It doesn’t always have to be grass fed beef. And the plant matter can be a simple salad. It doesn’t have to be a big pan of roasted vegetables. Or, gasp, it could be a dish of slice apples. Or be totally crazy and don’t even slice those apples!

I’ve mentioned it a couple times before (and maybe you’ve noticed the lack of posts lately), but I’ll say it again: this fall has been a very busy one for my family. Fall usually is a busy season, but as the kids get older, the schedule fills up even more. My husband and I are very careful to allow the kids to participate in only one sport at a time. But add piano lessons, boy scouts and church activities, and all of a sudden the schedule is packed. We are constantly fighting against “too busy” syndrome.

Our schedule this fall has necessitated quick and easy meals and creative planning. I am a planner at heart so you would think the planning part would come easily. It does to a certain extent, but it still takes time and creativity. Maybe I shouldn’t say the planning is easy, because it really isn’t, but having a plan reduces my stress and brings a sense of comfort and confidence. Because I know the benefits are so great, it is easier to make the time to plan.

More often that not, the dinners I’ve put on the table this fall have been simple affairs. Sometimes I choose to serve a meal that takes no more than 20-30 minutes to prepare. Sometimes I choose to serve a meal that I prepare early in the day and reheat at dinner time. Sometimes I use the slow braising method with either my dutch oven or the crock pot, a set it and forget it kind of meal.

The bottom line is this: analyze your schedule with a realistic eye. Figure out which days require quick meals and plan accordingly. Are you going to have time in the morning to get something going in the crock pot? Will you have time to make a casserole at noon and stash it in the fridge until 5:00? Do you need to throw something together quickly once everyone arrives at home? Figure out what you will have time for each day.

And by all means, if at all possible, do all your grocery shopping on the weekend so you have what you need in the fridge or the pantry, be it a big roast or a bunch of cans of tuna. As our Boy Scouts like to remind us, be prepared!

Here are some of the meals I’ve been serving my family lately:

1. Pumpkin pancakes, bacon or sausage, sliced oranges

tip: you can find canned pumpkin everywhere these days and it will likely be on sale, so stock up now

These pancakes are really low carb, if that’s your thing, and are super delicious. I posted this one a long time ago, but have recently re-discovered it and we’ve all been loving them!DSC_1984DSC_4202

2. Soup – prepared early in the day (potato, kale, sausage) or out of the freezer (Hearty Vegetable Soup – from my ebook)

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3. Salad (meaning a pile of greens – nothing fancy), one of these homemade dressings: creamy balsamic, hot bacon, or ranch (from my ebook) made over the weekend, with a piece of grilled meat (chicken, fish or burger) on top.

Homemade dressings follow a simple formula: some form of acid, some form of fat, and seasonings. I make honey mustard all the time by simply mixing some mayonnaise, yellow mustard or dijon mustard, and a little honey. Add a little salt and pepper if you like or maybe some fresh herbs. I’ve not given you amounts because you need to make it to your taste. You can’t mess this up. If it is too sweet, add more mayo or mustard. If it’s too tangy, add a little more honey until you get it just right.

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4. Quick sauté of onions, squash, mushrooms and shrimp (you can even throw them in frozen), add herbs of your choice. Any protein will cook faster if you cut it into smaller pieces. White meat poultry, fish and shellfish are all very quick cooking proteins.

5. Deli meat lettuce wraps – lay out a piece of romaine or bibb lettuce, layer in deli meat, add cole slaw mix (just shredded cabbage and carrots) and dressing or sauce of your choice, and roll it up. Serve with carrot sticks and/or apple slices on the side.

6. Tuna or salmon salad – mix canned fish with mashed avocado and/or homemade mayo. Add any chopped veggies you like such as celery, jicama, carrots or cabbage, and pickle relish if you like a little sweetness. Serve on plantain chips (Inka is a good brand that doesn’t contain industrial seed oils) or in lettuce cups. Add some cherry tomatoes on the side. If you have time, make your own plantain chips. 

7. Hotdogs (gasp! There are “healthy” brands such as Applegate or US Wellness Meats), sweet potato fries, carrot and celery sticks

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8. Hamburger hash, I wish I had a better name for this. It’s fast and tasty and worth a try!dsc_3323

9. Tacos in one of these forms: over lettuce as a salad, over plantain chips as nachos or add broth to the meat mixture and make taco soup. Embellish with your favorite toppings: salsa, guacamole, chopped peppers, etc.

I usually make a big batch of the taco meat filling and store in the freezer in meal sized portions.

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10. Frittata with any of the leftover veggies and/or meats you have lying around your fridge.

If you make several smaller frittatas, they will cook very quickly and you can make different varieties.

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There are really lots more ideas like these, but my hope is that listing out these meals will get your creative juices flowing and inspire you to make your own quick and easy, but still paleo meals. If you have a great idea not on my list, please share it in the comments so others can benefit!

I hope these ideas are helpful. And I sincerely hope you are able to give yourself some grace in the dinner department. As long as you set something nutritious in front of your family, that’s a win. Even if it’s just a piece of romaine lettuce with some deli meat rolled up and an apple on the side. That’s far better than take out from any fast food joint!

If your major concern isn’t dinner, but rather trying to look 25 in your 45 year old skin, all I have to say is this: each wrinkle on your face, each extra pound you’re squeezing into your jeans, represents a memory, good times or bad, and they make you who you are. And who you are is special. Each and every one of us is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

Happy Blogiversary to Me! and to You!

It’s hard to believe a whole year has already passed since I started this blog. This project came about because I felt very strongly that there were people out there who did not know that they could take control of their health without taking drugs or having surgery. I wanted to share my experience in the hopes of maybe helping others discover a different path. A path that does not involve countless doctor’s visits, medical procedures and pain. I’ve heard people say that it’s just easier to take the medicine and have surgery than overhaul their diet. Really? If you’re one of those people, I’m going to keep trying to convince you otherwise!

There were selfish reasons I started the blog as well: I wanted an outlet for my creative juices! I love to cook and create recipes, especially re-create old family favorites that will fit within our Paleo diet and lifestyle. And I wanted to be able to share those creations outside of my house.

This has been a year of tremendous discovery for me. I’ve learned that:

  • I love to write – it’s very therapeutic, sort of like talking to yourself, which can be fun because no one argues with you
  • I love to cook – I knew this one already
  • I love to share recipes – I knew that too
  • I love to be challenged – continually coming up with good recipes is hard, but it’s good to do hard things
  • I love to help people, even if it’s just one person at a time
  • I do not love to market myself
  • I do not enjoy the technology side of this business

Every time I come up with a recipe that is a success in this house and I take the time to write it up and post it here on the blog, I feel a sense of accomplishment and I’m hopeful that someone out there in the interwebs will make that recipe and their family will enjoy it as well. That’s why I keep doing it. With recipes like these….

Fresh Strawberry Salad
Fresh Strawberry Salad
Low and Slow Baby Back Ribs
Low and Slow Baby Back Ribs
Pork and Vegetable Breakfast Hash
Pork and Vegetable Breakfast Hash
Hidden Veggie Tomato Sauce
Hidden Veggie Tomato Sauce

After about six months of writing the blog, I started doing Facebook Live cooking shows on KidCasts. This is a cooperative agreement with the owner of that channel. She needed quality content for her channel and I needed exposure (see the note above about not enjoying marketing). I’ve had people ask why I don’t just do my shows on my Facebook site, but it’s a respect issue. Plus, I am still benefitting from the larger audience over on KidCasts. The best part about the show though is that afterward, every single time, at least one person writes to me with specific health challenges. They are trying to improve their health and have heard of paleo and sincerely want to give it a try, but are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. This is the situation that just makes my day. Not that someone is having a problem, but that my own difficult experience is being used for some good.

I’d love to do these shows once a week, but honestly, they take a lot of time and effort. As a homeschooling mom I barely have time to dress myself appropriately, so squeezing in these shows is something I value, but simply can’t do all the time. I do feel it’s important to put myself out there in that way though, because readers/viewers want to know who it is that is “talking” to them. That’s how I feel anyway. If I read a blog regularly and then learn that person has a Facebook channel and oh! they do live videos as well, you bet I’m going to watch. I want to see them in action. I want to hear their voice. It makes me feel connected and usually makes me like and/or admire that person even more. And since to know me is to love me (hee hee) I figured I should give you the opportunity to get to know me better as well. So I keep doing the videos when I can squeeze them in. You can catch up on all the past shows through my YouTube Channel here. My IT guy is a tad behind, but he will be getting the latest shows up there pronto.

Next came the cookbook. Right from the very start, I had the idea to put together a collection of holiday recipes because those are the occasions that stress us out. Your whole family is coming for Thanksgiving and you want to feed everyone satisfying food, but you need to stick to your paleo diet. How do you do it? The book has recipes for that! Or you might be wondering what kinds of treats you can make at Christmas time that will still taste good and stick to the paleo diet. I have recipes for you in the book. Some of the recipes in the book have appeared here on the blog, but most are brand new, original content created just for the book. My family and those who have tasted these recipes love them and I think you will too.

New Cookbook
New Cookbook

And last but not least…cookies! My husband and kids were nothing less than astounded when they first tasted my gingerbread cookies. They are so unbelievably good, I knew from the first bite that they were something special. There is nothing like these cookies in any store around here (except where my cookies are sold, of course). If you happen to be in Raleigh, North Carolina, you can find them at Harmony Farms Health Food Store. If you’re not in Raleigh, you can order through the website and I’ll ship right to your door.

Molasses Gingerbread - My Best Seller
Molasses Gingerbread – My Best Seller
Seasonal Shortbread in Fun Shapes
Seasonal Shortbread in Fun Shapes

It’s been a busy year. I am far from a success in worldly terms. I don’t have that many subscribers, I don’t have that many followers on Facebook. I hardly ever remember to post anything to Instagram. BUT I am reaching the people who need it. I believe that God laid the idea for this blog on my heart and He continues to carve out little chunks of time for me to work to bring you recipes and other content. I consider it a privilege and I’m so thankful for this platform. I’m thankful for each and every one of you who reads and who “likes” me on Facebook. It’s crazy to think that we can be so connected to people so far away, but it’s great fun. I feel like I have all these new friends because of these social media outlets.

If there is a specific topic you’d like to see me address or have a favorite family recipe you’d like me to makeover, please send it along. I’d love that sort of challenge.

So thanks for reading! Thanks for following along. Here’s to year number two!