Thursday, December 8, 2011

Christmas craftiness at HOME!

This post isn't exactly paleo-related but must every post be?  My sister was telling me about these darling (I don't know why I chose to use this word as I would never speak it but have started to like it as of late) snow globes she was crafting at home so I decided to give it a go myself.  She got the idea from The Lemonista.  Here's a photo of a few she put together.  What do you think?!  I starting making a few of my own this evening!  Gifts that will cost me nothing!!  







Happy Thursday! Day 12 (and a bit of 11)

So I realized in yesterday's post that I didn't really say what was eaten for all of our meals (other than lunch).  Here it is :)
Breakfast was canned mackerel, some peeled and sliced zucchini squash and half an onion chopped all cooked on the stove top.  Lunch, as you know, was steak with carrots and radishes and dinner was delicious beef liver with onions and green pepper.  And we didn't stop there!  A trip was made to the grocery store to pick up a couple cans of pumpkin so we could make some crustless pumpkin pie!  We may or may not have consumed the entire thing last night...  How could we not?!  It was a guilt free indulgence as there was not one bad ingredient.  Eggs, pumpkin, cinnamon.  That's it!  Love it!
beef liver with onion and green pepper
3 ingredient pumpkin pie

Thursday.  Breakfast today was something we've only ever made one other time: Hot nutty cereal.  It's definitely not liked as much as Noatmeal but is still very tasty.  You basically take some nuts, an apple, some water and throw it all in the blender with some cinnamon.  Then bring to a boil on the stove and simmer while covered for about 5 minutes.  Easy!  And you can switch up the apple and cinnamon for whatever you'd fancy!  Banana, berries, whatever.  



Hot nutty cereal

Lunch today was beef heart with baked red beets.  It might be something best kept to ourselves but red beets cause your pee to turn red!  I was unaware of this.  We each had a half an avocado for a snack which was surprisingly filling.  Gotta love good fat!  Dinner was beef chuck steak with baked broccoli and well, I forgot to take a picture before cramming it into my mouth.  I was hungry!


beef heart with red beets









Wednesday, December 7, 2011

An evening in the kitchen.

We spent a good amount of time in the kitchen last night.  First things first, I did remember to take a picture of last night's dinner.  Are you not proud of me?!  Evan asked what my favorite spice was and after a brief moment of thought I responded "cinnamon" not knowing his reason for asking.  Well, he was choosing what to season the beef liver in prior to cooking so cinnamon is what he chose.  Ha.  Believe it or not, it was DELICIOUS!  He used a few other seasonings as well but you could definitely taste the cinnamon and it was much better than I would have imagined. I mean come on, beef liver with cinnamon?  Mmmmm.

After dinner we had to cook today's lunch so Evan could pack it for work.  We bought some beef chuck steak at Whole Foods so we threw on a variety of seasonings and cooked it up on the stove top.  We typically like our beef to remain quite pink on the inside.  Along with the steak for lunch today will be some baked radishes and carrots.  
After dinner was consumed and today's lunch was prepared we decided to break out the unsweetened coconut flakes we bought and turn it into coconut butter in preparation for our Noatmeal breakfast coming up tomorrow.  Coconut has always been one of my favorite foods so I am pretty stoked we're able to eat it while eating Paleo :)  To make coconut butter all you have to do is throw it in your food processor and turn it on!  I've seen some recipes that add coconut oil or milk and other things but it's not necessary.  It takes several minutes for it to turn into "butter" but it's worth the wait.  We scooped our finished product into two corn-on-the-cob dishes we never use and put them in the fridge to stiffen up.  I am so looking forward to that Noatmeal!







While making the coconut butter we decided we were still hungry after dinner so we mixed up a few eggs, some almond flour, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon to make a few pancakes.  They were super easy and quick to make and especially yummy when we topped them with freshly made coconut butter!









Go Hungary!

I was perusing Facebook this morning (yes, I probably have a slight addiction) and ran into this article on 30 Days of Paleo's page.  It really is too bad that genetically modified seeds aren't banned here in our own country.  So lame.  Check out the article!


Go Hungary!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Day 7 8 9 10

2:00 p.m. already?!  This day is moving much too quickly.  Breakfast and lunch have already been consumed and have just realized I'm falling behind on keeping the "2nd 30" posts updated.  


baked carrots and radishes


Day 7 was Saturday December 3rd.  A breakfast of Applegate turkey sausages w/ 1 egg, squash, onion, mushroom, 1/2 an avocado AND black coffee (of course).  Lunch consisted of leftover pulled chicken & salsa with a side of baked golden beets (love them!).  Evan and I were craving a snack around 2:30 so we sliced and baked some carrots and sprinkled with cinnamon.  Mmmmm!  Dinner was spaghetti squash spaghetti with some organic green beans. 




beef heart
Day 8.  I've got to get better at taking pictures of our food!  I'm usually so anxious to consume it that I'm half way through the meal before the thought of photographing even crosses my mind.  Oye.  On Sunday we had Applegate turkey sausages again for breakfast with several sauteed veggies (onion, yellow squash, mushroom) and a nice mug of black coffee.  Chicken and salsa with golden beets yet again for lunch (never gets old) and then I snacked on a peeled and sliced cucumber later in the afternoon.  Dinner was beef heart that I had marinated the night before and I baked some radishes and carrots for a side.  THIS I did get some pictures of.  Now, even though dinner was delicious we had eaten a bit early so found ourselves hungry again around 7:30... instead of ignoring it we ventured to Whole Foods to purchase a SECOND DINNER.  Ha.  An entire naked rotisserie chicken along with a 1/2 lb of pecan & coconut mashed sweet potatoes and we even hard boiled a few eggs!  Yeah, this filled us.  More than filled us.


We skipped breakfast the next morning.










bay scallops and rock shrimp. wild caught!


Day 9.  We had been taking multivitamins and iodine supplements for quite some time and decided on this day to cease.  We figure if we're eating mainly grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish and organic produce then we are hopefully getting the nutrients required from food.  We still take a couple fish oil caplets every morning but as of now this is the only supplement we're taking.  As I mentioned, breakfast was skipped yesterday but lunch of chicken & salsa with a side of broccoli and red cabbage was greatly enjoyed.  And last night's dinner was DEFINITELY one of my all time favorite meals I have consumed since starting Paleo last April.  Shrimp and scallop Jambalaya!  We halved the recipe and still had enough for at least 4 servings.  BUT being the "fatties" that we are we devoured every bite :) This was served over cauliflower rice.


In addition to our to-die-for dinner we added a beverage that is not-so-strict Paleo...Tequila w/ lime and club soda.  We realize alcohol is forbidden during the Whole 30 but we just couldn't resist.  Hey, it's MUCH better than gluten-filled beer, right?  YES.  




Shrimp and scallop jambalaya




chicken & salsa w/ broccoli slaw
And now we're up to date!  Today is Tuesday, 
December 6th.  Breakfast today was some leftover beef heart with sauteed onion, yellow squash and even a bit of tomato.  Black coffee was consumed and again only fish oil as a supplement.  Lunch was the last of our chicken & salsa leftovers reheated on the stove with some broccoli slaw (delicious!)


Dinner tonight is scheduled to be beef liver sauteed with onion and we'll probably through in a hefty side of broccoli and cauliflower.  I'll try to remember to take a picture ;)  





Friday, December 2, 2011

Why we crave those bad, bad foods

If you're not already signed up, join the Robb Wolf mailing list.  Great articles are always being posted and it's an easy way to keep updated on his podcasts.  This one was posted yesterday so I thought I'd share :)


CRAZY Cravings.

Days 3-6!

Oops.  We're still here!  And still going strong as day six has begun.  Sorry for the delay but after working long days, coming home to eat dinner and changing out of work clothes all I want to do is lay down.  I'm sure you understand.


mackerel, vegetables, avocado breakfast
So, day 3 is where we shall start.  Oh, by the way, the temptations and cravings are still going strong!  Mainly for sweets.  Ugh.  Day 3 was Tuesday and for breakfast this day we tried some canned mackerel from Whole Foods only to discover it was not boneless nor skinless.  Not a big deal though really.  After pulling out those tiny, pokey pieces we threw two servings on the skillet along with some onion, yellow squash, mushroom and a couple eggs.  Once all was cooked we served it with an avocado to get some fat in our morning meal :)


Lunch on Tuesday was more chicken and salsa which has quickly become one of my favorite dishes as it's so easy to make and so tasty (you can find it in our recipe section).  A side of broccoli was added and as usual I was sipping on black coffee post lunch.


Seasoned beef liver w/ onion & green pepper
Dinner was amazing!  Evan cooked up some beef liver again but coated it with salt, pepper and onion powder then cooked it in olive oil with cayenne pepper, curry powder, garlic and threw in some onion and green pepper.  It was so flavorful and I could barely taste the distinct liver flavor!  I have saved this recipe for sure.




Day 4
Sausages aren't approved by everyone in the Paleo community but we did manage to find some in the freezer section at Whole Foods that contain no nitrates, nitrites, antibiotics, gluten nor casein.  They're Applegate naturals brand and aren't bad for frozen sausages.  Wednesday morning we each had a couple of these turkey sausages along with an egg and 1/2 an avocado.  We probably threw in a few veggies such as onion and mushroom but I honestly can't remember...  Sorry!
Beef curry w/ green beans
Lunch on this day was more chicken and salsa with some broccoli (we make 2 lbs of this at a time so it lasts us several meals and no, I never tire of it!)
Dinner was another one of my favorites that we make just about every week because of it's simplicity.  Beef curry.  I don't think the picture does it justice but once you take a bite you just can't seem to get enough.  This is another recipe you can find in the recipe pages.




Day 5
Thursday!  This morning we devoured some more of that canned mackerel along with an egg each and some squash, mushrooms and avocado.  More chicken and salsa for lunch but this time with some asparagus (one of our favorite veggies).  Dinner was another serving of beef curry with green beans.
And just as a side note: we often eat repeat meals throughout the week because it saves us loads of time.  We just typically choose dishes we're not going to get sick of eating a few times in a row and leave it at that.  Trying to make a new dish for every meal every day does not work with our lives.  We are often working and need lunches packed in advance.


Day 6
Today is Friday, day 6.  I may or may have not mentioned it but this is the "umpteenth" time Evan and I have attempted to do a strict 30 days of Paleo since April 2011 when we did our first and last 30 days.  We typically make it about a week and then give in to our desires for Chinese, plantain chips, sugary sweets, and so on.  I do recall it taking about 2 weeks before I could look at a non-paleo food item/meal and have absolutely no desire to consume it.  I WANT THAT AGAIN.
Noatmeal w/ coconut butter
Back to day 6.  This morning we indulged in one of our favorite breakfasts, Noatmeal.  Typically we have it with almond butter but this time we decided to buy some unsweetened coconut at Whole Foods and make our own coconut butter.  All I had to do is throw it in the food processor and turn the thing on for several minutes.  Voila!  Coconut butter! This dish is VERY filling.  Ended up having a few bites untouched.
And now, I'm up to date!  It's about 11:30 a.m. on Friday and I am loving having the day off work!  I've already run some errands and will probably be filling my belly with some lunch here soon.  Today's lunch will be chicken & salsa with asparagus (bet you could have guessed that).
Tonight's dinner is a new one for the week, spaghetti squash spaghetti.  Another one of our favorites.  Check out the recipe pages for this one as well.  We use one medium sized spaghetti squash, about a lb of ground meat (usually beef or turkey), some low-sodium organic sauce, onion and whatever other veggies you want in there.
Now I'm off to enjoy the day!  71 degrees outside on December 2nd!  Beautiful weekend ahead.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Day 2.

It feels like it's been at least a week eating this way, not a mere 2 days!


Last night for dinner Evan and I had some leftover spaghetti sauced meat with brussels sprouts.  Every bit of food eaten tastes so very good!
And today:
Collard greens and lamb riblet
   Evan had the day off from work (a rare occurrence) and I was working a late shift so we actually were able to sleep in together!  I love when that happens!  I woke around 9 and made a pot of coffee and breakfast came soon after.  Leftover chicken with salsa, egg, onion and yellow squash all cooked together on the stove top.  Yum!
   I packed up my lunch to take to work which consisted of lamb riblet and collard greens.  It was our first time trying lamb and although the ribs were rather fatty they were still pretty tasty.  The collard greens were cooked in olive oil with garlic, thyme, onion, black pepper and tomato.  We will definitely be making this again!
   Evan had dinner ready when I got home from work and it was devoured quickly.  Beef liver with onion and pepper.  One of our favorites!


So there you have it.  Day two survival.  I was offered chips, brownies and licorice at work and turned them all down.  Not an easy thing to do.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Day 1.

2:44 pm.  My stomach is a bit growly and I've been surrounded by temptation today!


Today I was at work 5:30-2.  I skipped breakfast this morning as I gorged myself yesterday and did not wake with an appetite.  Lunch came at 11 and I had packed some crock pot pulled chicken with salsa and some mixed veggies from the freezer.  I fought the urge to indulge in dessert even though peanut butter/chocolate brownies and cookies were being consumed next to me.  I poured myself a cup of black coffee and had that for dessert instead.


I immediately wanted to snack when I walked into the house after work.  What to do?!  I grabbed a can of salmon and cooked it on the stove with one egg and some frozen veggies.  It was delicious!  And now, I wait for dinner :)


Staying strong but I have a long way to go...

Saturday, November 26, 2011

2nd 30

The time has come.  Evan and I have been off the Paleo track for quite some time now and are feeling not so great.  Too many processed foods and sugary treats.  Too many gluten-filled beers and Chinese take-out.  We have both gained weight and are not feeling as exceptional as we once were while consuming Paleo-esque foods.  TOMORROW we will go for a strict 30 days and I will do my best to post each day!  Wish us luck! :)

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Those darn cravings!

Here are a couple of great posts I found on everydaypaleo.com.  
"There is an easy way to distinguish cravings from hunger.  Simply swap out the food you are craving for something paleo approved.  If you are truly hungry most foods will sound good.  I’ve said it more times than I can count, nobody ever loses their cool at 10 pm and eats a pound of broccoli or a 20 ounce steak.  In reality it’s more like, “Why am I suddenly surrounded by empty chip bags and ice cream containers?”
Sugar, Insulin Resistance, and Fat Loss
Cravings!

Monday, October 31, 2011

myth: It is expensive to eat Paleo


I did the math.  One week equals 21 meals. Eating "out" for 21 meals would be outrageous no matter where you went.  We spend (on average) three dollars per meal per person.  Not so bad considering the quality of food. (i.e. grass fed meats, wild caught fish and organic produce)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

I want a Paleo Diner for Christmas.

Yes, a diner. Serving grass-fed meats, burgers on eggplant buns, sweet potato fries, pastured eggs, etc! Evan and I have this somewhat far-fetched dream of opening a Paleo restaurant. I would LOVE for this to become reality or just for lots of other people with more experience in the restaurant world to get the ball rolling! Paleo sections in grocery stores would be awesome as well :)
I have yet to visit the west coast but when we do we are going to Dick's Kitchen in Oregon!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Dinner away from home.

Today turned into quite the hectic day.  It started slow as I got to sleep in and leisurely have my Godiva pumpkin coffee (black, of course) in my pajamas but then the pace quickened once Evan returned from work.  We did our grocery shopping, cooked up a delicious lunch of pork chop and asparagus :

Pork chop with asparagus
Following lunch we had to do about 12 errands which took up the entirety of our day!  We had planned to return home and cook up some of the food we bought earlier in the day but as dinner time approached we were nowhere near home.  Sooooo we decided to attempt eating out and still stay within our Paleo boundaries.  Here's what I ordered:
Smoked, sliced turkey breast with
sweet potato fries and broccoli
Not bad.  We chose Smokey Bones and crossed our fingers that they would have something edible as we have become "picky" eaters with our diet change.  I chose smoked turkey breast with a side of broccoli and a side of sweet potato fries (the only two paleo-esque options!)  Of course there were soups and mashed potatoes and baked potatoes and corn, etc but I resisted.  My meal even came with a slice of garlic butter toast and I didn't eat it!  I'm so strong :) Evan ordered a 7 oz sirloin with button mushroom and red wine sauce with the same sides that I selected.  We allowed food sharing and both dishes were mighty delicious!  The meal was capped with two black coffees as we watched the man next to us devour a giant wedge of chocolate chocolate cake and a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Oh my.  
Eating Paleo in restaurants is definitely possible but one must be aware of the sauces poured over the items as well as how foods are prepared/cooked.  Opt for grilled and go sauceless!  Skip the butter and choose healthy sides.  Easy as paleo pie!


Market Day.

We shop weekly.  Typically every Monday or Tuesday we venture out to the grocery store for our week's worth of meals.  We strive to purchase only grass-fed, lean meats and organic, clean vegetables.  This week's shopping day took us to The Fresh Market.  Here's a look at our filled fridge, veggie/fruit bowl and pantry post-shopping.  
Several pounds of quality meats, organic broccoli, carrots, squash, cauliflower, asparagus, 
parsley, spinach, omega-3 eggs, unsweetened almond milk

sweet onions, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, avocados, limes

Pre-paleo our pantry used to be MUCH fuller.  Now, this is about as filled as it gets.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

New bloggers in the neighborhood.

Good evening friends.
Evan and Tara here, aka "Stray Birds."  This is day one of our new blogging hobby and we are excited for the posts to come.  Stay tuned as the start is sure to be slow-moving but we promise to do our best and stay up to date :)

As for now, goodnight!