Grain-Free Family Eats

Speedy Pressure Cooker Bone Broth

2012-02-28T15:59:00.000-05:00

I use a lot of chicken stock in my cooking, but I don't make a lot of beef bone broth. This is mainly because I don't often have beef bones. Chicken bones, however are easy to come by. I normally prepare a whole chicken for dinner at least every couple weeks. After tasting the bone broth I made today, I may have to make it a point to purchase beef bones more frequently.

When making your bone broth, you want to have a good mix of marrow bones and bones with cartilage. This will yield a rich and tasty broth, as well as provide a multitude of nutrients. The idea to use my pressure cooker came from Nom Nom Paleo. She has a really fab recipe for her pressure cooker bone broth that you can check out here. She also links to good info on the nutritional value of bone broths as part of your diet.

My littlest munchkin woke up early this morning sporting a fever and feeling restless and not well. After dosing her with some homeopathic aconite, I decided we needed some broth in the fridge (for today, and just in case the rest of us took to feeling unwell). I made chicken stock just last night, but we were already about half-way through the two quarts. After heating some of that up for my kiddos at lunchtime, I started digging through my extra freezer for some more broth making material. I found two packages of beef neckbones. This reminded me of Nom Nom's post about using the pressure cooker to make broth. Perfect! My beef bones were frozen solid when I unwrapped them and threw them in my Presto.

Here is what I did:

Add about 3 lbs. of beef bones to the pressure cooker. Cut up two carrots, two stalks of celery, and one small onion into large chunks. Add a little sea salt. Add a tablespoon of cider vinegar. Cover with filtered water. Make sure you follow the directions for your pressure cooker - liquid amounts should only fill most pressure cookers halfway.

Once all the ingredients were in, I sealed it up and put the heat on. Once up to pressure my broth took about 35 minutes (keep in mind my bones were frozen when I started). Allow the pressure to come down on its own. Depending on your cooker, the time may vary. Usually the instruction booklet has time estimates for cooking, so check there to get an idea of how long you should cook your beef bones.

After things have cooled off, you can remove the veggie chunks and discard them. Place the bones on a plate and pick off the meat. Strain the stock, add the meat back in and pour into storage containers (I use mason jars).

I immediately made myself a bowl of soup with the broth, some leftover collards, half an onion, a clove of garlic, and some kale. I just sauted the onion, garlic, and kale. Then placed that in a bowl with the leftover (already cooked) collards. I poured some broth with meat over top and had an awesome bowl of soup for lunch.

Dehydrator Kale Chips

2012-02-18T11:38:00.003-05:00

These kale chips have become my favorite snack lately. Anytime I get kale in our weekly CSA box, it most surely becomes chips. I'm not sure how these stand as far as Paleo or Primal. I looked for information on nutritional yeast as part of the Paleo diet, but couldn't really find very much out there, other than it is possible for it to affect blood sugar levels in sensitive people. I don't often use nutritional yeast, but it makes the yummiest, nacho-cheese-like kale chips, and I don't seem bothered - digestively speaking.

These chips are made in the dehydrator rather than the oven. This allows for them to be stored over a period of a week or so. Kale chips made in the oven must be eaten right away.

Kale Chips

1 large bunch or two small bunches of kale, washed, dried, and leaves removed from stems

2 cloves garlic
1 cup cashews and/or sunflower seeds, soaked for about 4 hours
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbs coconut aminos
Juice of one large lemon or lime
~1/3 cup water

After your kale has been washed, dried, and stems removed, place the leaves in a large bowl. Don't worry about how big/small they are, or being neat.

In a VitaMix, place all the other ingredients, except the water. Begin to process and slowly add the water, just enough to keep the blender blades moving. Blend on high until you have a very thick and yet smooth dressing. Taste for seasoning... you may need to add a little more aminos, salt, or lemon to the mix. Once it tastes good, pour out onto the kale leaves.

Using your hands (in this case, they are your best tool) massage the dressing all over the kale leaves. Don't worry about the leaves crumpling or folding - that is what makes for the yummy crunchy goodness on these chips. Once all the leaves are thoroughly coated, place the kale on dehydrator trays lined with paraflex sheets or with parchment paper. I usually end up with four full trays. Spread them out, but don't flatten or unfold the leaves.

Dehydrate at 135 degrees for about an hour, then lower the temperature to 115 degrees. Dehydrate until they are really dry and crisp. Mine usually take about 12 hours or so. Once they are completely cooled, place them in an airtight container for storage.

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can bake these in the oven. I would go with a low temp, like around 200 degrees. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. You will need to eat them right away because they don't store well when baked.

Workouts With Kids

2012-02-16T11:14:00.000-05:00

Our children are always very intersted in doing whatever Mom and Dad are involved in. This includes working out with our home-gym equipment. They enjoy playing on our rings, and our youngest loves to swing on the TRX. Sometimes this can be a distraction and a disruption, but most of the time we try to encourage their interest. They naturally compete with one another, especially the boys. Who can do the most pull-ups? (Aiden wins this one - he's maxed out at 11) Who can run the fastest? (that would be Riley) Who can lift the heaviest kettle bell? Who can do the most squats?

Clean Eats in the Zoo has been hosting a daily Cross-Fit at home series of WODs. Since we homeschool, I've been doing some of them with the kids, as a kind of P.E. break during our various subjects. Most of them only take a few minutes and they are a lot of fun. Take advantage of that natural desire children have to play, compete, and challenge themselves. Foster those qualities by encouraging them to workout like Mom and Dad.

Curry Sauce: Super Easy & Versatile

2012-02-09T15:40:00.000-05:00

I love the idea of supporting local farms. We participate in the CSA program at D & D Farms, and get a beautiful box of veggies delivered to our door every Wednesday morning. Because we are getting what is fresh and in-season, we don't choose the veggies that come in our box. Naturally, we like some better than others.

Eggplant has been the most difficult for me. I like eggplant parmesan, and Elana Amsterdam has a fabulous grain-free version in her cookbook. But, it's hard to get away from copious amounts of dairy when eating a dish like that. A friend of mine introduced me to a recipe for Eggplant Mushroom Curry posted at Paleo Diet Lifestyle. I decided to give it try, though I made some changes.

I have a curry recipe that I've always used, but it requires yogurt. This recipe looked like it could give me the creamy curry sauce I love, without the use of the milky yogurt. I love how adaptable this recipe is - you can add almost any veggies and/or meat to the curry sauce. I eat leftovers for breakfast with two fried eggs on top and it is super yum.

Curry Sauce

3 to 6 eggplant, roasted and removed from skins (if your eggplant are really small, use more)
1/2 to 1 whole can of coconut milk
2 Tbs tomato paste
4 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger, grated
3 tsp ground cardamom
1 Tbs Indian Curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 Tbs coriander
1 Tbs paprika
1 Tbs honey (optional)
Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a VitaMix, or other high powered blender, combine the roasted eggplant, coconut milk, and tomato paste. If the mixture is too thick to move, add more coconut milk until the blender can process it. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth, creamy, and thick.

I always begin by chopping an onion up. I saute this in a little coconut oil. Once it begins to soften, I add any other veggies I have on hand (mushrooms, tomato or cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, carrot, bell pepper, kholrabi, summer squash, cabbage, etc.). At this point, pour the eggplant sauce over the veggies and stir to combine. Allow the curry to simmer until the veggies are tender. If it seems too thick, add more coconut milk (remember that the veggies will release water as they cook, so don't be too hasty with the addition of more coconut milk). If I have leftover meat, I will cut it up and add it to the curry, though it is good without meat too.

Serve over cauliflower rice, basmati rice, or just as-is. Leftovers are wonderful and can be frozen for future use.

Upper Body Strength Building

2012-02-07T12:14:00.000-05:00

Though this workout can vary, our goal of building strength is always key. I've made strides in upper body strength and endurance since starting regular workouts some months ago. Here is a peak at what we do:

Handstand Push-ups - Last night we did 5 sets. I started with 3 to a set, but then moved up to 4 because it felt a little too easy.
Pull-ups - 5 sets of 5.
Dips on our gymnastic rings - 5 sets of 5
Back rows, horizontal with TRX - 4 sets of 10
Push-ups with hands on gymnastic rings - 4 sets of 10
Kettle bell high pulls - 4 sets of 10 @ 50 lbs. (I went down to 35 lbs for the last set)

I'd love to do this for time, but with three kids running in and out of the garage, I don't see it happening. They like to workout with us, and we want to encourage that as much as possible.

Our Core Routine

2012-01-25T16:42:00.000-05:00

Our workouts tend to change now and then (I get bored easily), but we usually do a combination of these exercises on our core workout day.

TRX Suspended Side Plank with Reach Through - We have both gotten to the point of adding weight to this exercise, so we hold a weight for added resistance with the reach through part of the exercise. We do two sets of 10 on each side.

TRX Suspended Pike - Four sets of twelve reps. We will also do this exercise as more of an oblique pike, focusing on each side. We do two sets of twelve on each side.

TRX Body Saw with a Crunch - Two sets of ten reps. The following description can be found at Workoutmanuals.com

"TRX Body Saw Plank to a knee crunch

- Feet in the lower straps in a plank position on your elbows
- Use your core and bring your body forward (ears over hands)
- Use your core to go backwards
- Progress to adding suspended crunch bringing you knees into your chest.
- Straighten your legs back into the plank position is reached and rock your body into that saw"

TRX Suspended Pendulum with Crunch - Forty reps or two sets of twenty reps.

Toes to Bar - In our case, this is toes to rings. We don't have a bar for this exercise so we use our gymnastic rings. We've been doing four sets of 10 reps, between some of the other exercises.

TRX High Rotation - We do twenty reps on each side.

TRX Hip Drop - We do twenty reps on each side.

By far, the most challenging of these exercises (for me) is the suspended plank. I always start with that one because of the strength it takes. I don't know if I could do it in the middle, or at the end of the workout.

Is It Paleo?

2012-01-17T21:07:00.000-05:00

This chart is from reFocus: A Vision for Health, Happiness, and Adventure and I thought it was cool enough to share.

Updates, Achievements, and Set Backs

2012-01-16T10:59:00.002-05:00

I'm going to just accept the fact that I don't have time to post very often. I love to read other blogs (most of which are located on the sidebar to the left), and I'm always so impressed that there are people out there who can write posts almost daily. I'm just not that organized and committed.

Updates
As promised in my last post, though it's a little late, here are the changes I made to my pumpkin pie filling:

Instead of using the honey, I just eliminated it. I used a little stevia extract to make-up for any sweetness I thought the pie was lacking. The 1/2 cup of maple syrup may be enough for you, just taste and adjust as you go.
I substituted coconut milk for the kefir. I used about 2/3 of one can, but that may vary slightly depending on how thick your pumpkin is. Canned pumpkin may require more than fresh, as fresh is usually more watery.
I baked my pie on a lower temperature in order to prevent the nut flour crust from burning. It baked at 300 degrees for a little over an hour until it set.

Now that the holiday events are over, we are back to our normal routine at home. We've also gotten back to our normal diet. Lots of delish veggies from our CSA each week, which also includes delivery of local eggs. We have a freezer full of deer meat (venison for those faint of heart Bambie lovers) which was given to us by some friends. In return, I've made a large batch of jerky to give to them, after several tries which ended with my children eating most of it. This, combined with grass-fed beef, some lamb, and much less chicken has provided our dinner fare. We've cut down on chicken lately, mainly because I can't find an affordable pastured bird, and because of the high Omega 6 factor. My friend Laura wrote about this recently here and here. You can also search Mark's Daily Apple for information on the same subject.

Achievements
Our workouts have gone well, and we managed to stay on track through the holidays. I did take about a week off because I was sick during the Thanksgiving holiday, but other than that I give myself kuddos for not slacking. The results make it all worthwhile. Tommy and I should have taken some before photos when we started all this, but we didn't really think about that at the time.

I'm up to a max of 7 pull-ups, and usually complete several sets for a total of 32. I can do a max of 5 dips on our gymnastic rings, with an additional set of 3. Push-ups have become easy and I can do quite a few sets of different varieties, including TRX atomic push-ups and push-ups with our hands in the rings low to the floor (those are hard!). It amazes me how much my strength has increased! When we started, I couldn't do one pull-up and push-ups were such a struggle. Our lower body strength has increased too, and I can do one-legged pistol squats without assistance. We are going to look for some olympic weights on Craigslist so we can start some heavier lifting.

Now for the set back... I've had Vibram Five Fingers since the beginning of December. Because I walk around barefoot, or in cheap flipflops, there wasn't much of an adjustment in wearing them. However, running in them is different. As part of our workouts, we run 3 miles every few days. The first time I wore the Vibrams, I had very tight and sore calf muscles. After a few more runs, things seemed to get more smooth and muscle soreness went away. After a few weeks though, I started to have pain on the outside of my foot near my left ankle. As I continued to run, the pain was taking longer to subside each time and the area was beginning to have some swelling. During our run yesterday, I had to really focus on my stride, and I found that if I landed more toward my toes, the ankle didn't hurt. This was a discovery I made the day before at the store. With my kids in the shopping cart, they wanted me to run to the car. I found that leaning forward and coming down closer to my toes made my ankle much more comfortable. The run took a lot of concentration because I had to really focus on my stride the whole time, but I don't have the same amount of ankle pain today (though my calf muscles are sore).

I'm going to continue working on getting my stride right, and hoping it will soon become effortless. If you are thinking about minimalist shoes, check out Birthday Shoes for great reviews and tutorials on running in Five Fingers. If you don't like the toe look, there are plenty more options out there for consideration. Runblogger has an interesting post with photos and videos of barefoot strides.

Pie Crust and Thanksgiving Reflections

2011-11-30T16:03:00.000-05:00

As in years past, I hosted Thanksgiving for my family and friends last week. I honestly enjoy the food preparation a lot. Taking the standard Thanksgiving fare and turning it into something that is completely gluten-free, mostly grain-free, and yet still tasty and satisfying - I love that! We all had a wonderful time, and of course, plenty to eat.

My one issue has always been the pies. I have a great almond flour pie crust recipe, which tastes great, but tends to burn with pies like pumpkin and pecan because they have to bake for so long. This year, I used a recipe idea from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam. Working with an altered version of this recipe, I was able to create two great pies, both with perfectly golden brown crusts. The key was the temperature. While pecan pie is normally started at 425 degrees, then turned down to 350 degrees after 10 minutes, I baked this pie at 325 degrees for 10 minutes, then lowered the temp to 300 degrees until the pie was set. I baked the pumpkin pie in the same fashion. Though I'm not sure of the time it took (I just kept walking by the oven to make sure things weren't burning) both pies set up beautifully and the crust baked up without burning.

Here is the recipe I used:

1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 Tbs honey (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the dry ingredients and then add the oil, honey, and vanilla. Mix to combine and creat a dough. Press the dough into a 9" pie dish and bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes. Allow the crust to cool and then fill and bake some more. If you are using this crust for a pie which does not need additional baking, simply bake for an additional 5 or 10 minutes, until golden brown.

I'll post the recipe for the grain-free and dairy-free pumpkin pie I baked at some point before the Christmas holidays. Even my brother liked it (pumpkin pie is his big thing on Thanksgiving!). He couldn't even tell it was dairy-free.

Our out of town company has now returned home, and things in our house are slowly getting back to normal. The kids are looking forward to the upcoming holidays of December, and so am I. My DH has also applied for an acupuncture position, which we hope he gets. It will mean another move, but it will be well worth it for such a great full-time position with an amazing integrative medicine hospital. We are excited at the possibilities! Wish us luck :)

Zucchini Muffins Revised

2011-11-11T13:04:00.000-05:00

The recipe I posted the other day was good, but there was room for improvement. I had some time to bake yesterday, so I played a bit with the ingredients and came up with a better muffin texture.

Here is the revised list of ingredients:

2 cups zucchini (or other summer squash) grated
2 cups almond flour
1 heaping Tbs coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 11/2 droppers-full of liquid stevia (optional)
raisins (optional)

Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix together the eggs, oil, stevia, and vanilla together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to combine. Again, it will be thick like a cookie dough. Add the zucchini and fold it in until well combined. Add raisins and fold in to combine. Scoop into muffin tin, lined with papers. Bake at 350 degrees until browned and cooked through (test by inserting a toothpick into the center).

Zucchini Muffins

2011-11-03T13:15:00.002-04:00

I've made two batches of these muffins so far. With the large quantity of different zucchini varieties in my CSA box this week, I'll probably be baking some more soon. I used a recipe from Elena Amsterdam's book, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook as inspiration, though I've changed it up to make it completely sugar-free.

1 Large zucchini (or other summer squash) grated - about 2 1/2 cups worth
2 cups almond flour
2 Tbs chia seeds
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 dropper-full of liquid stevia (optional)
raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with papers. This will make 12 muffins.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, oil, and stevia. Add the small bowl contents to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. The batter will be thick and dry at this point. Add the grated zucchini to the batter and mix well to combine. The zucchini should loosen up the batter and make it much easier to stir. Fold in raisins.

Spoon muffin batter into prepared muffin pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until muffins are browned on top and cooked through.

It is best to allow the muffins to cool completely before trying to unwrap them, though my kids could not wait.

Super Delicious Raw Lasagne!

2011-10-31T16:49:00.000-04:00

Beautiful photo by the creator of this recipe!

My kids had their pumpkin carving party on Saturday evening, and I made several dishes to share with our company. By far, the most delicious one was the raw lasagne. I had my doubts while preparing the dish, mainly because of the daunting number of steps, but it was so worth it. My advice would be to complete several parts a day ahead so you aren't scrambling to get it all together at once. The night before our party I made the nut cheese, the walnut meat, and the tomato sauce. The day of the party I made the pesto, wilted the spinach, and then sliced and marinated the zucchini noodles. I put my lasagne in the dehydrator to warm it up and also to help reduce some of the liquid it released.

If you have an opportunity to try this recipe out, go for it! Even my mostly SAD eating relatives enjoyed it. Raw Lasagne Recipe

What Did We Eat Today?

2011-10-26T19:14:00.000-04:00

I get so many questions about what we eat, I thought I'd quickly jot down what we consumed today. There are days when I feel like my kids eat all day long!

Breakfast - Waffles made from eggs, coconut milk kefir, almond flour, chia seeds, and a little baking soda.

Lunch - Left over pizza

Snack - Smoothie with greens, almond milk, and berries.

Dinner - Veggies from our CSA (peppers and eggplant), onion, garlic, and mushrooms stirfried with ghee and coconut aminos; Grass-fed london broil; Tuna steak seared with aminos; left-over broccoli.

That's it, and now the kitchen is closed :)

Quick Primal Meals for a Super Busy Day

2011-10-25T12:59:00.002-04:00

Tuesdays are seriously hectic. I'll often do an early workout with the hubby (before the kids are awake) since there isn't really any other opportunity during the day. For breakfast, I throw together a smoothie. The ingredients will vary, but often include such things as coconut milk, chia seeds, raw eggs, spinach, banana, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, or cherries.

Once we've all had a few minutes to drink down our breakfast, its off to homeschool soccer. I usually bring along a snack of some sort (Lara Bars or grawnola are quick to pack and travel well). The boys are always hungry after running around for an hour.

After soccer, its back home for lunch and some school work. I love to have leftovers for lunch, as they are the simplest thing to throw together for the hungry munchkins. However, I don't always have them. Today, I simply made scrambled eggs and served it with a slice of Applegate turkey and some apple slices. It was quick and easy, and all the kids like eggs (so do I).

With school finished up, we'll head out to the store to get some supplies for our pumpkin carving party this weekend. I'm planning on making some fun, yet still healthy (and largely grain-free) food. Here is the menu plan:

Gluten-free, dairy-free butternut squash lasagne
Raw lasagne (gluten, dairy, and grain - free)
Pumpkin bars with cinnamon icing
Chocolate cupcakes
Green salad

Tonight, the boys have karate, which means a quick and early dinner for us all. I'm grilling chicken thighs and sweet potatoes, served with a big green salad. We won't be home until around 8:00 PM, so its pajama time when we get in the door later.

The moral of this story - You can eat Primal, even on a really busy day!

How Do I Find the Time?

2011-10-06T11:54:00.001-04:00

Obviously, when I answer this question, it doesn't include writing posts for my blog. It has been over a month since I've had time to post anything. However, I do make time for things that matter most to me and my family. I spend time shopping for food and preparing meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks), I spend time schooling my two oldest children (that includes running to various extra-curricular activities like homeschool science classes, soccer, and karate), and I spend time doing a number of domestic chores everyday (that laundry isn't going to wash and fold itself!).

With all that I have going in my life, I've managed, in the last 6 months, to incorporate a workout routine with my husband. This was always a difficult addition for me to commit to, but it has REALLY been worth it. We switch up our workouts regularly and alternate tabata for 30 minutes (lower body), 40 minute runs for straight cardio, a focus on core strengthening, and upper body strength training. Some days are left as rest days and others end up being play days when we head to the beach or the park and just play with our children. As far as equipment, we use our TRX suspension trainer, kettle bells in various weights, parrotlet bars (Tommy made these), a pull-up bar, and a set of gymnastic rings. Other than the kettle bells, our strength training is based on using our own body weight. I am now able to do complete pull-ups, which I could never do before, and most recently, I can do unassisted one-legged pistol squats. I'm truly amazed at how my strength has increased in such a short period of time. If you haven't made time to workout and play hard, stop making excuses and get moving - the results will keep you motivated and feeling great.

The time is there, you simply have to use it wisely. Turning off the television and computer can make a world of difference. Try to multi-task where possible (right now, my kids are working on a follow-up to our social studies lesson and I have a load of laundry in the washer and another drying outside on the line). Use a calendar or planner of some type and schedule in things that you want to get done. Sometimes just writing it down (or putting it on your phone or computer calendar)can help you to find the time to fit everything into a busy day.

Are there days when I feel overwhelmed? Yup. I'm not nearly as perfect as I strive to be. I don't always accomplish everything I'd like to. My house is messy from school lessons and art projects. Are there nights when I look at Tommy and say, "I have absolutely no idea what to make for dinner."? Yes again. Here is a dinner idea for those days:

Bacon and Egg Salad
I usually always have eggs and bacon in the fridge, so this meal is a quick and easy one, which uses ingredients that are readily available. I buy 1lb. packages of organic salad greens a couple times each week. Not only do we eat a lot of salad, but my son's pet lizard also eats lettuce.

To make the salad, simply prepare your bacon (I cook mine on a sheet tray in the oven so I don't have spattered bacon grease all over the kitchen) and boil your eggs. While those ingredients are cooking throw together your salad greens and other veggies you like: avocado, tomato, bell peppers, cucumbers, and olives are all possiblities, and even left-over roasted veggies are good.

Once the eggs are done, you'll need to peel and slice them. Place the bacon on a paper towel to cool. Prepare a salad dressing you like. Here is a recipe for the one we use:
~~1 part~~ 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
~~3 parts~~ 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. bacon grease (optional)
1 Tbs. dijon mustard
1 garlic clove pressed or minced
1/2 tsp oregano
sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients well.

Pour the desired amount of dressing on your salad greens and top with the sliced eggs and crumble bacon strips on top. An easy, fast, and tasty dinner for everyone!

Kid Friendly Primal Foods

2011-09-03T10:54:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to write this post for quite a while now, but I just have such difficulty finding the time. Homeschool is back in full swing and fall activities are beginning to commence. Our garden needs to be weeded and planted (yeah, South FL has a strange growing season - it starts around mid-October and goes through the end of May). The only things still growing are eggplant, jalepeno peppers, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and sage. We plan on putting in tomatoes, broccoli, chard, lettuce, carrots, sugar snap peas, and maybe some beets. I may look at having my husband build us another bed so we can plant more. At some point soon, I also want to plant some fruit trees in our yard (mango, papaya, avocado). So, as you can tell, things are kind of hectic around here.

I wanted to write this post because many people ask me what our children eat, since we follow a sort of Primal diet approach. At first, I thought this was a strange question - surely it makes sense that our kids eat what we eat, right? Apparently not. It is so weird to me that parents will prepare separate meals, or even purchase Happy Meals, for their picky eaters. Now, I don't want anyone to think that my kids are never picky. Both boys ate super great, with very little pickiness, until about age four. My oldest has now left that stage behind, but my middle son is at the height of it. My daughter still eats a large variety, but I'm sure she'll enter that same stage in the next couple years. It seems to be normal for my kids to loathe almost anything green between the ages of four and six.

So, if we don't eat grains most of the time, what do my children eat? Here is a list of several meals which they all like to eat. I'll follow that with some directions for one of their favorite meals, which happens to have lots of veggies hidden within it.

Breakfast Meals

Smoothie with spinach or kale. Use dark berries or cherries to hide the green. I will often add raw eggs (only fresh farm eggs) to increase the protein and keep them full.
Scrambled eggs and fruit.
Dehydrated raw-nola cereal with yogurt or milk (coconut, almond, or raw whole milk). Here is a basic recipe which I've tweaked so that it includes no added sweetener. I also use whatever nuts and seeds I have on hand, so pumpkin seeds are almost always included. I have a dehydrator now, so I no longer use my oven.
Grain-free pancakes and waffles, made with nuts, kefir, and eggs.
Fresh fruit.

Lunch Meals

This meal is probably the most challenging for me. I do sometimes purchase Udi's gluten-free bread if I know we are going to be out on a field trip. Sometimes, sandwiches are just easier. But, when we are home, or I've really planned ahead, we can avoid the bread.

Dinner left-overs. This is super easy, because it's already prepared.
Hard boiled eggs with veggie sticks.
Sweet potato pancakes and homemade apple sauce (raw or cooked).
Turkey slices, cheese, and olives.
Apples, carrots, and celery with almond butter.

Dinner Meals

Roasted chicken with peas, carrots, and salad.
Chicken thighs with garlic mashed cauliflower and salad.
Meatballs (turkey or beef) with carrot mash, broccoli, and salad.
Salmon cooked in butter with sweet potato and broccoli.
Grilled pork loin with bacon brussel sprouts and salad.
Tacos (taco salad) - directions will follow.

Most of our meals do contain meat, but our veggie portions are far larger than our meat portions. I let my children decide how much of the meal they eat, and I never bribe them or force them to eat. I promise, the picky stage does go away eventually, especially if they are continually offered healthy food options. Seeing mom and dad eat well is also important.

Now, on to the tacos...
This is more of a guideline, not a recipe. I don't really follow recipes when I cook, I just use what I have and try to make it taste good together. Tacos are no exception. Sometimes I let the kids have organic tortilla chips, other times I will make taco shells by baking provolone cheese slices, and there are also nights that I give them a bowl and spoon and we call it chili. Tommy and I usually eat this over salad greens with salsa, sliced jalapenos, grated carrot and sour cream.

Begin by heating a skillet over medium high heat. Saute a sweet onion, 1/2 chopped bell pepper, and a couple cloves of garlic (use butter, coconut oil, or olive oil). Once the veggies are cooked, transfer them to a Vitamix, or other blender.

Place the pan back on the heat and add 2 lbs. of grass-fed ground beef and begin to break it up as it browns.

Meanwhile, add to the onions, peppers, and garlic, about two cups of raw spinach leaves, two carrots, 1 cup of tomatoes, 1/2 cup of stock or water, sea salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, and hot pepper sauce (Crystal or Frank's appear to be additive free). I make my sauce mild for the kids, but you could definitely spice this up. Blend until smooth. Add more tomatoes or stock if the sauce is too thick to blend well.

Pour the sauce over the meat and allow it to cook for about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and then serve.

The kids love this, and they never even know that there are veggies in it. Leftovers are great for lunch the next day. You can easily eat this without dairy, if you follow a strictly Paleo or Whole 30 diet.

Our Workouts and a Chicken Salad Recipe

2011-07-18T16:03:00.000-04:00

Now that we have been eating Primal for a while, I decided that it was about time to begin the workout part of this lifestyle. I had loads of excuses defending the fact that I was not doing much in the way of physical exercise (I'm too busy with three kids; homeschooling takes up too much time; it is too hot outside; I'm too tired; etc.). Now that I've finally decided to start, I find that I look forward to our workouts. I'm also enjoying the more toned bikini body I'm starting to see emerge - living in South Florida makes this aspect an important thing!

We (my husband and I) have been doing a combination of the following:
Upper body training on our TRX suspension trainer.
Lower body training on our TRX suspension trainer.
Varied HIIT (high intesity interval training) workouts, usually a combination of kettlebell and TRX exercises, or sprints in the park across the street. We've been using the Gym Boss set for 40 second cycles with 20 seconds of rest following each cycle. The last few times we've done HIIT with the TRX and kettlebells, we have done 30 intervals. When sprinting we usually do 8 intervals after some warmup with kettlebells.

With all this physical activity there comes hunger. We eat a lot of chicken, mainly because I can get whole, naturally raised chickens for a good price. Since we often have some leftovers, chicken salad has become a favorite after workout meal. The recipe that follows does contain some dairy, but this can be easily substituted with a homemade mayo. I'm going to experiment with an olive oil, coconut oil mayo soon, I just haven't had time yet.

Chicken Salad

1/4 to 1/3 of a whole Chicken (leftover from last night's dinner) bones removed and cut into small cubes or shred
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 to 1/3 cup of yogurt (if your salad seems too dry, add more)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp Indian curry powder
sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2 Tbs honey (optional)

Combine the chicken, cranberries, celery, onion, and walnuts in a bowl.
In a seperate bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, curry powder, salt & pepper, and honey. Pour the dressing over the chicken and mix together.

I eat this salad with crackers that I make with almond flour and other seeds. Elana's Pantry has a recipe for Rosemary Fig Crackers and for Sesame Crackers . Both are delicous and Primal friendly, though I do sub olive oil or coconut oil for the grapeseed oil in most of her recipes.

A New Look and a New Recipe

2011-06-27T12:46:00.002-04:00

I've found it so difficult to post much of anything lately. I've also been playing around with the look of the blog. I seem to have gotten away from my original intent, which was to share a healthly lifestyle while remaining on a tight budget. As a family, we are still dealing with a pretty strict budget, but my interests seem to have moved to more of a Primal Blueprint eating style. I seem to have more to share on recipes and workout regimen than living on a budget. We are still homeschooling, and still using nutrition, herbs, and homeopathics to stay healthy, but I find I'm just not sharing much about this aspect of our lives.

That said, I've changed the title of the blog to reflect what I am currently sharing. I've also changed the layout a bit, though much of the previous information is still available.

Now, on to a yummy recipe....

We had a family gathering recently, and so dessert was called for. I made an amazing chocolate cake (I'll share that recipe soon) and some delicious freezer truffles. The truffles were very easy to prepare, and they are so deliciously good as a treat. They are rich, so one or two is plenty to satisfy any cravings. Because of their coconut oil base, they are also loaded with healthy fats.

Chocolate Freezer Truffles

2/3 cup coconut oil

2/3 cup tahini

2/3 cup cocoa (you could sub cacao, but I prefer the richness of the dark cocoa)

2/3 to 1 cup maple syrup or honey (depending on how sweet you want them)

pinch of salt

Unsweetened coconut to roll the truffles in.

Simply mix together all ingredients, except the coconut, in a bowl. The coconut oil should be in liquid form, so if your home is not as warm as mine is, you may need to heat it first. Once mixed, place the bowl in the refrigerator to firm up.

Using a small icecream scooper (~~Tablespoon~~ 1/2 Tbs size), scoop out the chocolate in ball shapes and gently roll them in the dried coconut. Place the finished truffles in the freezer and eat them as the urge hits.

Our Backyard Garden

2011-05-11T14:04:00.000-04:00

For the last five years, we've tried to grow some of our own food in order to supplement what we purchase elsewhere. Moving to South Florida has made gardening a very interesting experience. You really can grow things almost all year long.

This is Swiss Chard I've had growing since December. I simply cut away the outer leaves for eating, and it continues to grow out from the center.

Chard can replace spinach in almost any recipe. It is amazing with sauted onions and garlic and on top of grain-free pizza. I've also added it to smoothies, hidden by berries of course, so the kids wouldn't know.

We have three different types of tomatoes growing. This is the yellow plum tomato plant:

We also have beefsteak and Cherokee purple tomatoes growing.

Jalepeno peppers, for salsa, of course:

We planted endive, mainly for our pet lizard. I've let it flower and was very pleasantly surprised by how beautiful they are. I have to do a little research to see if they are edible flowers.

We have strawberries, but we have to try and beat the critters to them. As soon as they are ripe, we find bites taken out of them.

Our sage is beginning to flower as well. I thought it had died after the couple freezes we had this past winter, but it has come back and looks great.

Our last broccoli plant is almost ready to eat...

And, as though we haven't had enough eggplant from our local CSA, my youngest son thought we needed one in our garden.

Now I need to get myself in gear and plant a few more things - maybe some hot cherry peppers and one other type of tomato.

What's growing in your garden?

Cashews: A Staple for Your Grain-Free Kitchen

2011-05-05T16:35:00.000-04:00

As summer approaches and our family is switching to a larger portion of raw foods in our diet, I began to think about how important cashews are as a pantry staple in our house. Whether we are making pancakes or waffles for breakfast, or adding a cream substitute to a dessert or grain-free granola, cashews can be used to create a huge number of delicious meals.

Not just for desserts either, cashews can be used to make rich and delicous cream sauces, or a dairy-free replacement for ricotta or yogurt. The mild taste and the soft buttery texture makes this a hugely versatile ingredient in grain-free and raw food recipes.

Cashews are also advantageous because they are not a nut, even though they are often grouped with tree nuts. Those with tree nut allergies can often partake of cashews without issue. They can also be used in place of peanuts (another ingredient that can be problamatic as a food allergen) in many recipes.

Here is a list of things we have used cashews to prepare:
Gain-free granola cereal
Non-dairy cream topping
Cream filling for raw desserts
Thickener (grain-free) for cream sauces
Ricotta substitute for grain-free lasagne
Waffles
Pancakes

Navitas Naturals has a fantastic assortment of cashew recipes on their site. These recipes are raw and range from sweet and decadent to savory. I have bookmarked this site for future reference and will definitley be trying out some of these recipes.

If you'd like to start with an easy recipe, my zucchini pancakes are always a hit with the kids. They are not raw, but do serve as a great way to get some extra veggies into the kids, and they won't even know.

Cashew Zucchini Pancakes
1 small zucchini or yellow summer squash, washed and cut into chunks
1 cup of cashews (I always buy pieces - they are less expensive, and I usually blend or grind them anyway)
4 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp honey or a few drops of stevia extract
4 Tbs kefir or yogurt
1/2 tsp baking soda

In a VitaMix, put all ingredients, except the baking soda. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Turn down the power and add the baking soda. Run the blender just until combined. Pour out onto a hot skillet or griddle, using butter or coconut oil to prevent sticking. Keeping the pancakes small makes for easier flipping. I make mine about the size of sand dollars. These will cook up just like regular pancakes; when bubbles appear on top, its time to flip. Serve with more butter and maple syrup.

If you don't consume dairy, you can substitute a milk alternative for the kefir. Add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar to the recipe to help the pancakes cook up light and fluffy.

Lots and Lots of Eggplant

2011-04-18T08:44:00.000-04:00

Things have changed around here - again. Tommy was laid-off from his job at the medical clinic he was working for. Business has slowed so much there, they just can't afford to keep him. We are back to job hunting, and trying to shrink our budget. I'm not a shopper, but our family does spend a good bit each month on food. Before we moved to Port St. Lucie, I had trained myself to limit our spending, while still feeding my family well. I let this approach to food budgeting relax somewhat once Tommy was working again and now I'm having to pull the reigns in once more.

Our CSA share from D&D Farms is still an amazing deal. We get over 20 lbs. of vegetables each week for $36.00. If you have ever participated in a true CSA, then you know that your box is loaded with the veggies in season and ripe that week. We have entered the warm weather shares, brimming with tomatoes, summer squashes, and eggplant. The tomatoes are easy - we love them and they are eaten up before the week ends. The squash is a little trickier, but I've been hiding it in muffins, pancakes, and even a chocolate cake. I have to admit though, the eggplant has stumped me. It is NOT on my list of beloved veggies, my children won't touch it (with the exception of my youngest, who seems to really enjoy it), and Tommy doesn't really care for it either.

http://funfitandfabulouswithlauren.blogspot.com/2010/11/living-in-present-and-eggplant-parmesan.html

Eating grain-free adds some other challenges regarding the preparation of this loathed vegetable. The first few weeks, I made a grain-free lasagne, using very thin slices of summer squash layered with tomato sauce, provolone cheese, and eggplant, which I peeled and fried in a little ghee first. This recipe was well accepted by Tommy and Sophia, but the boys wouldn't touch it. I even became tired of it after a few weeks, and the eggplant in our boxes is increasing.

I decided to try making baba ghanouj. This was more readily accepted, and even the boys gave it a try and ate a little. It tasted great with the almond flour crackers I made (you can find a recipe at Elana's Pantry). Baba ghanouj is a simple dip made with roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, fresh garlic, fresh parsley, olive oil, and a little sea salt and pepper. If you just google baba ghanouj you can find a recipe with quantities of those ingredients that suit your tastes.

I was looking at The Food Lovers' Primal Palate this morning and decided to search their site for an eggplant recipe. They have a very interesting one which creates a pizza crust with grated eggplant. I will be trying this during the week and I'll post a review and let you know how the kids recieve it.

If you have tasty ideas for preparing eggplant, please share them - I'm always looking for ways to use up every single veggie we get in our box each week. My goal is to waste nothing, and so far I'm doing pretty well, but there is room for improvement.

Appliances That Make Grain-Free Eating Easier

2011-03-09T12:54:00.000-05:00

I will be the first to tell you, going grain-free means more time in the kitchen. That's it, the end. Accept it and move on. That said, there are ways to make the task of preparing nutrient dense food easier and more enjoyable.

Kitchen appliances can be pricey, and sometimes they aren't really practical. But, if you invest in the right ones, they can make a world of difference when preparing meals.

VitaMix (or other high powered blender):
This appliance has many uses, but my favorites are for smoothies, homemade mayo, salad dressings, pancake and waffle batters, soups, and grain-free gravies and sauces. Even with a base of nuts, everything comes out smooth. You can also make raw soups that can be served warm out of the VitaMix after a few minutes on high.

Large Capacity Food Processor:
I have a Cuisinart 11 cup processor. I use this for chopping up large amounts of veggies, for making raw pudddings with avocados, and for chopping nuts and dried fruits which can be used as pie crusts, grain-free granola, or little fruit and nut pop 'ems (a lot like Lara Bars). It is also useful for slicing veggies like carrots and turnips, and for grating veggies and cheeses. It is my favorite grater/shredder when I make up a batch of sauerkraut.

Small Food Processor:
This is a handy thing to have for smaller chopping and shredding jobs. It can shave some time off your cooking prep, especially if you aren't so quick with a chef's knife.

A Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker:
Mine is a Presto Professional Series. If you are going to invest, go with a larger sized one (8 quart is a good size). You can still make smaller amounts of foods, but it is handy to have the option of making larger meals if desired. Because we eat Primal, we don't make a lot of beans, but this pressure cooker can cook soaked beans in about 2 minutes. It cooks stewing type meats in about 15 minutes. I've even thrown frozen meats in there and I'm able to have a meal on the table in about 30 minutes. I don't use my cooker all the time, but it has come in very handy on those days when I just haven't had time to plan and prep for dinner.

A Lead-Free Slow Cooker:
This is on my wish list since I still have an old Rival Crockpot that is about 15 years old. I will be upgrading to a Vitaclay Slow Cooker. The insert is a non-glazed clay type, so no worries about lead in the enamel. Using a slow cooker requires some forethought, but if you can get all of your ingredients together the night before, it is a snap to throw together a great meal. Your dinner cooks while you go about your day. I also use my slow cooker to make chicken stock and beef bone broth. I find that I'd rather run the slow cooker than my electric range, especially since I let the stock slowly simmer for around 24 hours.

A Dehydrator:
This is the other item which is on my wish list. Hopefully, I will be able to purchase one at the end of this spring, when we will have tomatoes growing in our garden. My husband loves jerky, and if you have ever purchased natural beef jerky, you know how expensive it is. The dehydrator will allow me to make different types of jerky, as well as dried fruits and vegetables, grain-free granola, and many other raw dishes (which are usually grain-free and Primal, Paleo, SCD, and GAPS friendly). With warmer months soon to come, I'm looking forward to these "colder" raw food options. From all that I have read, Excalibur is the way to go. They are pricey, but they last for years and really hold up through a lot of use.

Going Grain-Free and Creating a Primal Beginning

2011-03-02T11:38:00.000-05:00

Maybe you've read about the Primal and Paleo diets. Reading about it and actually following through are two different things. If you've been resistant to take the plunge and give up your grains, maybe these ideas will help to inspire you.

First, Mark Sisson, over at marksdailyapple.com has a fantastic post titled It's Time to Get Real. If you are having trouble getting motivated, this may inspire you. None of us will ever be perfect in our Primal endeavors, but we all have room for improvement. Sometimes a little encouragement can go a long way.

The next step is to "Primalize Your Pantry." Mark describes how to do this in ten steps.
1. The first step toward Primalizing your pantry is purging it of the wrong foods.
2. Take a big box, fill it up, and donate it. Try Feeding America to find a local food bank.
3. Raw almonds, walnuts, macadamias are some fantastic options that will stay fresh for at least a couple months, but they probably won’t last that long. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are some other great options.
4. Keep your pantry well-stocked with olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, and various nut oils – all healthy, Primal fats that you’ll be using on a daily basis (assuming you’re cooking every day).
5. It’s normal for us to keep some sweets in the pantry – just don’t go crazy with it and stick to acceptable sources. Honey is good to have on hand, as is semi-sweet dark chocolate (go for a good quality, mostly-cacao chocolate bar, which isn’t all that high in sugar and is decidedly more Primal than, say, a Hershey’s bar).
6. We should limit our caffeine intake, but teas are excellent members of any healthy Primal pantry.
7. If you can spare it, devote a shelf in your pantry to your spice collection.
8. Keep some jerky on hand – beef, buffalo, salmon, turkey, deer, moose.
9. Have dried fruits on hand, though consume in moderation.
10. Some canned goods, like tomatoes (I buy the kind in the carton to avoid BPA), coconut milk, artichokes, olives, and pumpkin. Always look for those brands without additives and sugar.

Lastly, Mark has posted 10 Ways to Get Primal which can now be printed out and hung on your fridge. It highlights the importance of hiking, sprinting, lifting heavy things, eating high quality protein, eating nuts, fruits, and LOADS of vegetables, drinking water, sleeping, and relaxing.

Now you have the tools you need to get started and feel great. Remember that almost no one is going to follow any diet perfectly. This can be especially difficult when you first get started. Eliminating grains seems to be the most difficult aspect of Primal and Paleo diets, as well as the SCD and GAPS. There really is more to eat out there than just bread and pasta! Enjoy the process of preparing your meals and learning how to use new ingredients.

In my next post, I'll discuss some kitchen items that can make going grain-free a little easier.

Swiss Steak, Primal Style

2011-02-24T17:19:00.000-05:00

A couple days ago I was just void of an answer to the impending question, what's for dinner? I thought about it throughout the day, but was just lacking my usual inspiration. Finally, at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, I decided that a decision really did need to be made. I opened the door to our extra freezer and looked inside. A few months ago, it was packed with grass-fed beef. Now, I had some fish, chicken, and two small packages of cubed steak. I decided on the cubed steak and then proceeded to tackle the problem of cooking dinner with frozen beef.

The pressure cooker was the answer. I perused the booklet that came with my cooker, looking for some sort of ingenious way to prepare my still partially frozen cubed steak. A recipe for Swiss Steak caught my attention. Here is the recipe from the book, which I'll follow with my version:

Swiss Steak

2 lbs round steak, 1 inch thick
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients in the cooker. Close cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe and cook 18 minutes with a very slow, steady flow of steam escaping from the pressure regulator. Cool cooker at once. Thicken sauce, if desired.

My version is a little different:

Swiss Steak

2 lbs cubed steak, or round steaks
8 oz of vegetable juice
1/2 cup red wine or beef stock
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
sea salt and pepper to taste.

Place all ingredients in cooker and prepare as stated above. You could also put all of this into a slow cooker, if you have all day ahead of you.

Once the cooker is cooled and opened, remove the steaks from the sauce. Pour the sauce into a VitaMix, or other good blender. Add two Tbs. of tomato paste. Blend until smooth and thickened. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Pour the sauce back into the cooker and add the meat back in. Bring back up to a simmer and serve once it is thickened to your liking.

I made mashed cauliflower with this meal and it was delicious. Add a big salad and you have a really fantastic, Primal/Paleo dinner in about 30 minutes.

Good Food Is Simple Food

2011-02-21T14:07:00.001-05:00

Good food doesn't have to be difficult to prepare. Sometimes, the simplest preparations are actually the best tasting ones.

We have been enjoying the sugar snap peas from our backyard garden. We've prepared them several different ways, but our favorite is the most simple of all. Sugar snap peas, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. This takes no time at all to prepare and they are delicious to munch on all day long.

Many other vegetables are good in this same way, whether cooked or raw, prepared simply can be so delicious. A little olive oil or butter, some sea salt and pepper is all that is needed for very fresh, seasonal vegetables.