Week Four

Welcome to week four...that's one whole month! I'm hoping you are enjoying this as much as I am. It's forcing me to think about making new things and keeping me on track about what we're going to eat. Paleo really becomes a lifestyle and when we are talking about it to new people we really try to stress this isn't something we do because it's a "diet" and we want to lose weight. Eating Paleo helps your body be transformed into it's optimal shape..that's right, it's optimal shape, not the stick figure model shape that isn't the "norm" for 99.9% of people!!! It really is a lifestyle that provides fuel for our bodies to function at their greatest potential.

Friday:

• Tropical Chicken Burger with roasted red peppers (from a jar) and diced avocado. This was okay, I probably won't try it again until the peppers and mango are in season. It seemed slightly bland so I might mess with it and put a new recipe together....

• Salad with blueberries, toasted pecans, and balsamic dressing

Saturday: 

• Pumpkin Donut Holes  for breakfast, check that post out if you haven't yet...they're amazing, my mouth is water now just typing this and I'm thinking about whether I have the stuff to make some tomorrow morning again....damn you devil sugar!!!! The recipe and ingredients can be found here

• Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs I just realized as I'm putting this together that mine looked NOTHING like the picture on the original site. I think my onions and mushrooms were chopped too small and just got cooked into this soggy nastiness...and this was a HIGHLY anticipated meal, it smelled amazing while it was cooking...and it's wrapped in bacon, but it didn't do it for me. I'm going to make it again though because I believe in giving any recipe two tries. One thing I will do differently  next time to see if I can get some more crispiness out of that bacon is cook it on a foil lined cookie sheet, I used a 9x13 pan and it was very juicy. Everyone else said it was good, but I want it to be amazing....I'll keep you all posted....

• Roasted Cauliflower

Sunday: 

• Stuffed Peppers  I ended up working some extra at work on Sunday night so I wanted something I could prep early in the day and just have the hubs cook. This was perfect for that. I literally threw it together in no time and just let it simmer on low while I was doing other things. Everyone raved about it at dinner and I got eat it for lunch on Monday and it was delicious. A perfect blend of savory and spice. Some Modifications: I did add one link of hot Italian sausage from Whole Foods and did NOT add any almond flour and it was still a great consistency. I shredded my carrots and didn't use parsnips because I don't like them all that much....

• Peas I know we're crazy about peas...and cauliflower and broccoli....

Dont' forget to set your fish out if you've bought frozen, I've had really good luck with frozen tasting very fresh at TJ

Monday: 

• Maple Ginger Glazed Salmon. This is a basic glaze that I've used on salmon for a while and it always turns out great. The perfect blend of sweet and savory. 

                                Ingredients:

                                    4 small salmon fillets, skin on

                                    1/2 cup grapefruit juice (have used orange too and it was fine)

                                    1/4 cup maple syrup

                                    1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

                                    Ground ginger, probably 1/2 tsp

                                    Garlic powder, a couple shakes

                                    Salt and Pepper

                                    1 T olive oil

                               Directions:

                                     1.) Dump all your glaze ingredients in a sauce pan except the olive oil and boil on

                                          low until reduced to a glaze consistency, it took maybe 5 minutes

                                     2.) Heat some coconut oil in a large pan (I use cast iron only) and put your salmon

                                          in skin side down

                                     3.) Add your olive oil to the glaze and then immediately dump it onto your cooking 

                                          salmon, I used a spoon to occasionally baste my salmon with the glaze

                                     4.) Cook until your desired doneness and use the glaze as a sauce for your salmon

• Green Beans, I just bought one of those steam bag ones and was pleasantly surprised at how fresh they tasted..

Tuesday: 

• Asian Ground Beef Broccoli Slaw So, remember how I've mentioned I forget to set the meat out in time...a lot....well, I was scheduled to work Tuesday night and forgot to set the meat out for what I was planning on making but thankfully I had everything on hand for this recipe again so I threw it together on Monday night for the fam to reheat for dinner. The hubs hadn't had it yet and his text to me was "this tastes like the most amazing burger ever with so much flavor" so I think he approves!! 

Set your pork chops out!

Wednesday:

• Pork Chops with Sauteed Cabbage and Shredded Apple slaw. This is something else I threw together because I thought the flavors would meld well and I think they totally did!

                                     Ingredients:

                                         Pork chops (I used boneless)

                                         Shredded cabbage

                                         Shredded apple, I left the peel on and just ran them through the food processor

                                         Ground ginger

                                         Ground nutmeg

                                         Ground cinnamon

                                         Coconut oil

                                         Salt and Pepper

                                    Directions: 

                                          1.) Heat coconut oil in pan and saute shredded cabbage until starting to soften

                                          2.) Add shredded apple and spices

                                          3.) In a separate pan heat some more coconut oil

                                          4.) Season pork chops with salt and pepper and cook in coconut oil until desired

                                               doneness reached. 

                                          5.) Serve slaw on top of chops

• Roasted Broccoli

Tomorrows dinner has to use defrosted or fresh burger so make sure you have some ready to go!

Thursday: 

• Mini Paleo Pizzas So this was supposed to be the meal for the hubs and kids on Tuesday night while I was at work, but since I failed to set the meat out early enough I moved it to tonight and it has kept me from ordering pizza for the kids and the babysitter to eat! I'm not sure they're going to be as excited as I am but oh well! I think these little guys are so cute and I'm excited about the possibility for future lunches for the kids. The hubs and I are going to dinner at this great little place that supports the Paleo community by providing not only Paleo meals, but Whole30 meals as well with some of our bestest friends who happen to eat Paleo too! I cooked the "crust" up and put the toppings on them for the sitter (who did the dishes and picked up and was a joy to talk to!!!! NO I will not give her name to anyone and yes I have already secured her for two days a week this summer!!!) to finish in the oven at dinner time. After getting home from our delish Paleo meal, which I forgot to take a picture of, I reheated one little guy to see how they were and they were down right tasty! I'm going to make a batch for the kids lunches next week! 

Staples:

• Coconut Flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• Pecans
• Coconut Oil
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Onion
• Garlic
• Garlic Powder
• Basil (dried)
• Thyme (dried)
• Maple syrup
• Ground ginger
• Ground nutmeg
• Ground cinnamon
• Shallots
• Coconut aminos
• Italian seasoning

Fruit:

• Mango
• Avocado
• Blueberries
• Grapefruit
• Apples
• Oranges
• Bananas

Veggies:

• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• Green onions
• Jalapeno
• Salad
• Spinach
• Mushrooms
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• 4-6 Bell Peppers (I used 4 large green ones and it was the perfect amt of filling)
• Carrots
• Peas
• Bag of broccoli/carrot slaw
• Shredded cabbage

Meat:

• 1 lb ground chicken thigh (could use breast, thigh is cheaper and has more good fat!)
• 8 boneless/skinless chicken thighs (I used 8 b/c I knew that's how many slices come in my bacon)
• Bacon
• 4 lb ground beef
• 1 link Spicy Italian Sausage (If you want to add it, it was pretty tasty!)
• Salmon
• Pork Chops
• Pepperoni

Etc:

• Shredded coconut, unsweetened. Can find this at Whole Foods
• Parsley
• Eggs
• Roasted Red Pepper
• Tomato sauce
• Diced tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Pizza toppings...whatever you like, mozzarella will be on them for the kids but not ours 

Paleo Pumpkin Donut Holes

When I started cooking Paleofied "normal" foods like pancakes, muffins, and breads my husband was not a fan. . .at all. . .in fact he told me "If we're going to do this Paleo thing you can't make anything that isn't 'Paleo' 'Paleo approved' by changing the ingredients just because you want to eat it." Not sure if it was word for word, but it was close enough! I stopped for a while, but there is something comforting about a muffin right out of the oven with some delicious clarified butter and a cup of coffee in the morning. So I tried again, and this time I just started very slowly and I'm happy to report that the recipe you're about to read about made the cut...they were amazingly delicious!!

I won't be able to post these types of recipes very often because I have NO self control when it comes to baked goods! Even though they are better than the standard ones, there are more nutrient dense options for breakfast than donut holes rolled in goodness! Mine came out more like little mini muffins, but if I would've used less batter they would've looked just like donut holes.

Here's the original recipe link: Almond Flour Pumpkin Donut Holes

Here's what I changed to make it consistent with Paleo recommendations:

• I only used about 1/8 cup of maple syrup...only because I thought they would be sweet enough rolled in sugar
• I used 1/4 cup coconut oil instead of canola oil
• I used clarified butter to dip them in after cooked
• I used palm sugar (from coconuts) instead of sugar. This will probably give a whirl in my food processor next time to make it a finer consistency. 

In order to make my morning run faster I mixed my dry ingredients in one bowl and my wet in another one the night before and put both bowls in the fridge together. In the the morning I just mixed them together and scooped them into my new silicone mini muffin pan that I LOVE LOVE LOVE (seriously, take a look at that pick, the donut holes just plopped right out with nothing left behind!!!!)  These were literally on the table in 20 minutes, right along with some eggs and sausage and were gone in about 3 minutes!!!

Week Three

Holy cow, this is making the weeks fly by! This week I tried some new recipes off my ever expanding "Paleo" Pinterest board and some good classics that we could eat every week, seriously...when I tell the kids what we're having for dinner there are squeals of delight and jumping up and down. Eating Paleo is a lot of work, it's time consuming, and it requires a change of the traditional love/hate relationship with food...but it's worth it. You will be feeding your body the nutrient dense food it craves to perform at it's optimal level. Here's week three's menu and grocery list!


Friday:

• Baked Chicken Meatballs These were new and were really tasty, I'll for sure make them again..even though I ended up using 2lb of Chicken and the extra mixed in things for only 1lb and didn't realize it until they were baking...I am really bad about that kind of stuff!!!!
• Zucchini Noodles with spaghetti sauce (use a jar if that's what you have time for, just check the ingredients for hidden nastiness. I use the Puttanesca sauce from TJ and add a can of diced tomatoes to mellow the kick a bit)

Saturday: (one of my staple go to meals for nights I'm working and the hubs is in charge!)

• Fire Roasted Beef Roast: 3-4 lb beef roast (I buy what's one sale), one onion sliced, 1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar...dump in crock pot and cook on low for 8ish hours
• Peas        

Sunday: 

• Damn Fine Chicken This is another one of my staples, I could eat it every single week and not get tired of it. I do switch from baking to broil at the end to get all the skin crunchy and I do double the marinade because as you heard last week, I love me some cooked shallots...and the kids love love love this
• Braised Brussel Sprouts (our traditional way is roasted covered with bacon..it'll be tough to beat...) I'm not sure these were as good with bacon but they were good. 

Monday: 

• Asian Ground Beef and Broccoli Slaw (one pot meat and veggies..we'll give it a whirl!) This was super tasty. So much so that I made some more just to have for an extra snack when I was starving! I will be buying the stuff to make it and have it in the fridge next week for emergency lunches!

Tuesday:

• Balsamic Maple Glazed Salmon This was tasty, had a good sweet/acid balance.
• Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower (we eat this a lot! The kids love it and I love it that I can throw it in the oven and it's pretty fuss free!)

Wednesday:

• Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein I don't add any veggies to this because it's all together in one pot and one of our favorite meals..I double it every time. The ingredient list reflects this. This meal is one of those that it's sooo nice to have prepped before hand. I always chop all my broccoli/cauliflower on grocery day and had the chicken already cubed so literally I opened bags and dumped stuff...it makes for a quick dinner

Thursday:

•  Pork Carnitas: This might be one of our most favorite recipes for pork. It's sooo savory and amazing. I always have good intentions of saving some for an actual traditional recipe that uses carnitas style meat, but it never lasts! We eat this for breakfast with a little garlic chili sauce and it's amazing...for real, melt in your mouth amazing..
• Fajita veggies: I just chop up some onions, bell peppers, mushrooms (and usually dump whatever other extra veggies I can find), saute them in coconut oil and then plop them under the broiler until they're done to our liking.

Staples:

• Onion
• Garlic
• Egg
• Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Coconut Aminos
• Sherry Vinegar
• Fish Sauce
• Allspice
• Red wine
• Red wine vinegar
• Honey
• Almonds
• Sesame Oil
• Sesame Seeds
• Cinnamon stick
• Bay leaf
• Chili powder
• Cumin

Fruit:

• Bananas
• Pears
• Berries (2 kinds)
• Avocado
• Apples

Veggies:

• Zucchini (I plan on 1 per adult and 1/2 per kid..more for leftovers if you want that)
• Peas
• Onion/Shallot/Garlic mix from Trader Joes (only bc I'm fixing this on a day I work and want to cut time down)
• Broccoli Slaw (1 bag)
• Mushrooms (2 packs, I use baby bella for everything despite what the recipe tells me to do...)
• Spinach (my standard 2 bags)
• Bag Salad (my standard 2 bags)
• Shallots (4)
• Scallions/Green onions
• Brussel Sprouts (I like the bagged version from TJ)
• Celery
• Fresh ginger (it's worth it in the Lo Mein)
• Broccoli (2)
• Cauliflower
• Shredded cabbage
• Bell peppers

Meat:

• 1 lb Ground Chicken (or grind breast in a food processor..that's too much work for me)
• Bacon
• 3-4 lb Beef Roast
• 2 lb Ground Beef
• Family Pack of Drumsticks (10ish)
• Salmon (4 ounces per person. I don't love fish leftovers so don't usually make extra)
• 2 lb chicken breast (dice it before you freeze it)
• 3-4 lb Pork shoulder/butt roast

Etc:

• Eggs
• Tomato sauce
• Parsley
• Fire Roasted Tom
• 1 Can Water Chestnuts

Is It Worth It??

When we started Paleo I thought for sure that I would miss everything that was on the "no" list. Pasta is warm, comforting, it's hella easy to throw a meal together with it, and it's just absolutely delicious. Pizza is one of my favorite foods. Ice cream . . I can't even begin to describe my love for ice cream, really words can't do it justice. Unfortunately all these things make me feel like I have a bowling ball in my stomach after I eat them and they makes me look like I've got that same bowling ball still hanging out for the next two days AT LEAST!!! (Never mind all the damage they're doing that I can't see or feel to my intestinal lining and all the resulting inflammation that I can feel with a generalized achy feeling!)

Having these effects after eating so many of the things we previously enjoyed honestly makes me sad. I was hoping that it wouldn't be that way since I never felt horrible when I ate a standard diet before, or at least I didn't think I did! We by no means claim to be the most perfect Paleo eaters, we enjoy going out and getting ice cream with our kids and not feeling guilty about it...but when it makes you feel like poo the next day is it worth it?

Here's a little back info as to why this has been such a prominent discussion lately in our house: The hubs had been eating whatever Paleo meal I fixed for dinner since I started 15 months ago but didn't take it seriously until I started my Whole30 in January. He actually wanted in and we completely rocked it (except for our one splurge on day 15 of homemade cinnamon rolls, I mean seriously..fresh from the oven warm gooey cinnamon rolls...they were TOTALLY worth the bowling ball look). After the cinnamon rolls we even restarted the 30 days again and felt great at the end. But then comes what I call the "this is a special day because (fill in whatever lame excuse you can come up with to have something that's going to taste great going down but haunt you for at least the next 24-48 hours) so we should go somewhere special and eat a treat meal" reasoning. It sounds completely legit in my head and I've been told I can justify anything...but is it really worth it. Does it make every sprint to the bathroom (you know what I'm talking about) and the feeling of dragging through the next few days like you're walking through sludge completely and totally worth it?

Here comes to play our "Worth It Foods" list. When we finished our Whole30 we came up with a list of things that we thought were worth it..."thought" being the key word there. I've said this before, but we are not robots. We like a good beer, some tasty salty caramel ice cream from our local ice cream joint, and some delicious pizza. So for our list there were about 7 things that made the cut. Well, I would HIGHLY suggest NOT trying two out of the 7 in one night. And if you are thinking about doing that DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT get a bigger size frozen custard than you normally do just because it's mixed with the most amazing oatmeal cookies ever...it's going to hurt and it's going to hurt BAD.

And it's not worth it. We actually eliminated it from our list (and I modified that I'll only eat the salad at Dewey's too) because the way we feel when we put whole, real, quality food into our bodies is soooo much more worth it than feeling way less than optimal for a couple days. What are the worth it foods to you? Do you have "treats" just because...or is it something that is the most amazing thing you've ever tasted?

Week Two

How did week one work out? What works/what doesn't?? Here is the grocery list and menu for week two..my goal is to post on Fridays since that's when I do my shopping so I'll be a week ahead of you guys in order to warn you of potential flops, encourage you to make some of the amazing ones, and give you an tips to help plan your week out (like reminders to set the meat out of the freezer...frozen meat ALWAYS ruins a well laid plan!!)

Same deal with breakfast and lunch as before, if it's something special I'll make sure and include it...if not just know it's one of our favorite breakfast choices that I talked about last week! I did add in the eggs and sausage amounts that I buy on a weekly basis just FYI..


Saturday:

• Burgers: just plain ole beef sans bun. We top ours with guacamole, pico, and bacon. If we're crazy we saute some onions...I do add some of this mix (minus the sugar) in to give them some depth...

• Baby carrots with ranch

Sunday:

• Lunch at Cheesecake Factory...I chose the lunch size Luau Salad with no wontons, extra macadamia nuts, and olive oil on the side..and maybe a few bites of the hubs cheesecake..I'm not a robot, it was just starting at me!!!

• Dinner: Rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods, (it's ingredient list is this: whole chicken..it's the real deal and tasty too) peas and a salad

I mixed up my herb mix for tomorrow nights dinner and went ahead and slathered it on the pork for tomorrow, I don't like getting up any earlier to prep dinner if I don't have to!

Monday: 

• Herb crusted pork tenderloin For real, this is the MOST AMAZING pork tenderloin ever...I dump all my herb mix, olive oil and salt in the mini food processor and whirl away until it's a paste and coat my meat in that...for real, it's AMAZING!! And totally worth the price of fresh herbs

• Roasted Asparagus

• Green Beans with toasted almonds and lemon pepper

Tuesday:

• Hawaiian Pulled Pork This was super tasty, I'm almost more excited about having the leftovers in a breakfast scramble..and the kids are excited about it for lunch tomorrow too! I did add a couple dashes of fish sauce and coconut aminos

• Baked Sweet Potatoes with coconut oil

• Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

Go ahead and check out Wednesday's dinner recipe, it requires marinating the chicken over night. I put my marinade on frozen chicken and it was thawed when ready to go in the oven

Wednesday:

• Chicken, Cauliflower, and Olive Bake Okay, this was less than amazing. I generally LOVE all things that are mediterraneanish, but this just didn't work for me. The shallots and cauliflower were under cooked (and I love me some gooey caramelized shallots out of the oven!)...I pulled it out after 50 minutes b/c I was worried about the chicken getting too dry. Thankfully my salad loving 4 year old asked for me to put her chicken and cauliflower on top of her salad so I followed suit. With a little drizzle of balsamic dressing on it I thought it was MUCH better

• Salad

Make sure to set out your chicken if you're doing the Mediterranean Chicken tomorrow night!

Thursday:

• Special Breakfast: Pumpkin Waffles with Bacon

• WE'RE GOING ON A DATE!!!! That's right, don't be jealous..but like a real one...with dinner at Home Wine Kitchen where I've heard the chef is totally down with Paleo which will make this evening even more enjoyable...then we're going to a concert at our fav venue Off Broadway..but to help out this is amazing:

• Mediterranean Grilled Chicken (pay attention though...the recipe on the site is for 2 servings...) We usually roast asparagus with this and have a salad, the grocery list has the main recipe stuff, but no sides for this meal

{Review on Home Wine Kitchen: If you live in St. Louis you need to go there. On the online reservation page I put in the "special request" section that we ate Paleo and when the waitress was going over the menu she automatically gave me what substitutes they could make for the non-Paleo sides!!! It was delish. I had a veal chop with sauteed greens and bone marrow (So YUM that I just dove in and didn't think about taking a pic until I was halfway done!) Jason had the pork neck and it was equally delish. I want to try their "No Menu Monday's" where you just tell the chef your preferences and she comes up with a 4 course meal all for $35! Apparently they book up three weeks in advance so if you're interested in it plan ahead!}

Grocery List

Staples I already had:

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Shallots
• Garlic
• Lemon Pepper
• Salt/Pepper
• Almond slivers
• Coconut Aminos (can only find this at whole foods or at at international market)
• Fish Sauce

Fruit:

• Lemons
• Bananas
• Berries (2)
• Apples
• Pears

Veggies:

• Baby carrots
• Frozen peas
• Salad
• Spinach
• Asparagus (it's almost asparagus season!!!)
• Green beans
• Sweet potatoes
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Cabbage (for breakfasts)

Meat:

• Bacon (2)
• 2 lb Ground Round (or whatever you like to make your burgers out of..I use semi-fatty)
• Rotisserie chicken (or roast your own in the crock pot) I just like swinging by Whole Foods...
• 2 lb Pork (for homemade sausage)
• 2 lb Chorizo
• 3 lb Pork Tenderloin (I always make extra of this because it reheats so well)
• l lb Pork Shoulder Roast (mine was bone in)
• 2 lb Chicken breast (1 lb for each recipe so divide and freeze separately)

Herbs/Etc:

• Eggs (my standard 5 dozen)
• Egg whites
• Guacamole
• Rosemary
• Thyme (for two meals so don't use it all...one package should be enough)
• Sage
• 1 can crushed pineapple, in juice NOT syrup
• Kalamata olives, pitted!
• Canned pumpkin
• Capers

THE MOST AMAZING MUFFIN PANS EVER

I know all caps means "angry"...but consider the all caps of this title to be the expression of pure joy to this Paleo muffin makers heart. I like making muffins for a special treat every once in a while and I've been known to throw some eggs and veggies together to make the "breakfast muffin" as seen on so many Paleo sites, but I'm going to be honest...that dirty, caked on, no matter how much oil I put in the cups, muffin pan usually sat on my counter (or sometimes in my sink with multiple changes of water to "soak" the goo off) for days because I simply HATED cleaning them up. I've heard that there are pans out there that are amazing, but because I got my muffin pans several years ago mine are not even close to amazing. I've used the muffin liners, but it seems that with the Paleo ingredients I always lost half of my muffin when it stuck to the liners....which lead me to investigate and purchase some silicone muffin tins. I looked at TONS of brands/reviews online (which by the way if you think you're going to go buy some at a store think again, I couldn't find any store that had them in person...everyone said "you can order them online").

Soo...that's just what I did. I narrowed it down to two brands that were rated the highest, reported using the highest food grade silicone possible, and were 100% silicone. I went with HIC brands (over Le Creuset individual muffin liners) based on price primarily. I could get both a 12 muffin and 24 mini muffin for the same price as 12 muffin liners from Le Creuset.

I couldn't wait to try something out and I had leftover sweet potatoes (from a dinner that you'll see for next week!!) and found this great recipe online for Morning Glory Muffins. Watch out though, this is only a recipe for 6 muffins (which doesn't go far at all for a family of 4!!!). I didn't catch this until I had filled 9 muffin tins and wondered what I had done wrong and reread the recipe...I do this all the time!!! These muffins were dense, moist, and more filling that I thought they would be. With so many amazing sources of good fat these were a great snack for the kids lunch boxes. I only used 1/2 of the called for honey and they were still perfectly sweet, especially slathered with some coconut oil right out of the oven!

So, how did the pan fair you ask?!? AMAZING...like when I took them out of the oven and didn't see any baked on mess I looked at my husband with a HUGE smile on my face and said, "wow, this gives me joy" Corny I know, but if you've ever wasted too much time scrubbing off baked on muffins you totally know what I'm talking about. I did coat with a light layer of coconut oil just because I was too paranoid!!

LOOK...there's two little guys missing and there is NO residue of them AT ALL!!! Even all those super baked on black bits just wiped off with some warm soapy water....I'm in love with my muffin pan and I don't care who knows it!!!

Week One

Here We Go: Week One! I’m still playing with how exactly to format how/what I want to say so please be patient! I’ll add the links to any sites that I get the recipe from and add my own recipes to things I’ve created myself...I’m going to also put a grocery list at the end divided up between fruits/veggies/meat/etc. Please continue to give feedback as I want this to be as useful as possible to each of you!!!

Here’s a note on breakfast and lunches:

I will add in what we had if it was something from our norm, but we’re pretty boring (see my Breakfast post). For lunch we have leftovers. I purposely make extra for dinner for this very reason. With us both working the majority of the days I want something that’s super easy. If I am home and there aren’t leftovers I’ll make something and add that into the day, but for the most part when we’re cleaning up from dinner we just divide the leftovers in individual bowls and lunch is packed for the next day!

For dinner I try to plan one meat and two veggies. If I don’t have another veggie I toss a salad together with whatever I can find in the fridge.

My two go to salad dressings are a basic balsamic and a greek (I don’t measure anything...just dump and taste):

Basic Balsamic:

• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Dressing
• Ground mustard
• Salt
• Pepper
• Honey

Basic Greek (fine for Whole30):

• Olive Oil
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oregano
• Basil

Saturday:

• Moroccan Beef Kabobs I grilled these on my Cuisinart griddle/panini, they'll be better on the grill..but meat on a stick...kids ate that up!

• Zucchini Fries
  Except I used this for the sauce: ⅛ cup mayo/dash of onion powder/1 tsp honey/dash of garlic powder
  
  

• Roasted Broccoli (chop it, toss it in melted coconut oil, put it on pan, sprinkle with salt, roast at 400 until it looks good to you...I usually toss every 10 min and cook for 40ish)

Sunday:

• Stuffed chicken

• Saute 3 cups spinach in olive oil until wilted
• Dump 1 can artichoke heart in blender, add spinach, a dash of lemon pepper and s & p
• Blend until a paste forms
• Make slices in chicken breasts to make a pocket and fill with artichoke/spinach paste
• Wrap slice of prosciutto (will use bacon next time only b/c I hate working with prosciutto) around chicken
• Place chicken in baking pan and bake at 350 for 30 min or until juices are clear

• Steamed peas

Monday:

• Beef Stew (really missed crusty bread with this one, but it was super tasty without!!)

• Salad: field greens, pecans, blueberries, chopped cauliflower, balsamic dressing

Tuesday:

• Roasted chicken (in the crockpot....it’s super easy, put chicken in crock pot, sprinkle with whatever spices you want, set to low for 6ish hours...I usually slice some lemon to shove inside)

• Roasted cauliflower (tossed in coconut oil and roasted at 400 for 30-40 min, tossing every 10 min)

Wednesday:

• Pumpkin Waffles  (for the kids, I usually eat them but only had enough egg whites left over for a single recipe and wanted leftovers for breakfast tomorrow!!!)

• Tilapia (single serving packs at Whole Foods are $2.99..I usually have 3-4 in the freezer at all times for these times!!) sauteed in clarified butter with some of that AMAZING Sunny Paris seasoning...for real, buy some

• Sauteed Kale in bacon grease

• Leftover roasted cauliflower

Thursday:

• Fish Tacos with Coconut Flour Tortillas This seriously was a TON of work and only FOUR of my “toritillas” worked out, but the fish was super tasty so I’m sure I’ll make it again...not sure I’ll do the tortillas..that’s a lie, I love a challenge in the kitchen, I will conquer the tortilla!!! (and take a pic next time!!)

Friday:

• Meatloaf Not sure I’ll make this again, it was okay..not amazing

• Green Beans sauteed in butter with toasted almond slivers. I buy a bag of green beans at TJ and steam them first. Then all I have to do is toast some almonds in a pan, dump those out, melt some butter and toss the cooked green beans in the butter, add the almonds back in and sprinkle with lemon pepper....YUM!

Staples I already had:
Cumin	Chili Powder
Garlic Salt	Vanilla
Nutmeg	Bay Leaf
Oregano	Thyme
Lemon Pepper	Oregano
Coriander	Cinnamon
Cayenne Pepper	Allspice
Ginger	Coconut Oil
Almond Flour	Coconut Flour
Raisins	Almonds
Almond Butter	Onions
Maple Syrup	Garlic

Paleo Mayo:

http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/06/03/the-secret-to-homemade-mayo-patience/)


Fruits: (we generally buy the same things every week)

Bananas
Apples
Oranges
Berries (two kinds)
Plums
Grapefruits
Kiwi
Avocado

Veggies:

Cauliflower
Broccoli
Celery

Carrots
Sweet potatoes
Parsley (not really a veggie, but close to them!)
Cilantro...same as parsley
2 Zucchinis
Peas (like the frozen in a bag, super fast to cook kind)
2 bags of spinach
Bag of mixed greens
Mushrooms
Red pepper
Shredded cabbage
Pico de Gallo
Green Beans

Meat:

Bacon
1 lb Cod (I used frozen, it was fine)
Whole chicken
3 lb stew meat
1 package Prosciutto (mine had 8 slices)

1 lb chicken breast

2 lb ground chuck 

2 lb ground pork
2 lb chorizo (I get mine from Whole Foods where they cut off the casing for me!)

Etc: 

5 dozen eggs (I know, it's a TON..but we eat them all!!!)
Pork Rinds
1 can Artichoke Hearts (could use frozen ones too)
2 cans pumpkin
2 cans coconut milk

Carton of egg whites (big one)

Almond milk

Shredded (NOT sweetened) coconut
12 oz tomato paste

Breakfast Choices

We generally eat the same few things for breakfast...and that works for us, we don’t get tired of eggs...and have adapted to eating “nontraditional meat” for breakfast. The main Paleo principles of high protein and high healthy fats still apply. We usually cook our eggs in clarified butter or coconut oil. Most mornings I add some type of raw or fermented foods to each of these options to promote gut health. My two favorites are Bubbies Sauerkraut or GT’s Kombucha...

I try to avoid the Paleo muffins or breads only because I know my self control with those options is pretty much non-existent and I end up eating a muffin every time I walk by them. Even though this is a better than candy (which I would completely do pre-Paleo) it’s still not the best and promotes me mindlessly eating when I’m not hungry. There are several amazing options out there and I’ll definitely highlight some of them and give some reviews about them...especially when my new silicone muffin pans arrive this afternoon....seems like a good excuse to make some tasty treats!!!!!

Here are 4 of our “go to” options:

1.) Eggs and Sausage/Bacon...I make my 2 lb of my own sausage each week using this recipe (http://fastpaleo.com/breakfast-sausage-2/). This is mild enough for the kids and is a great go to snack in a pinch. I like fried eggs, the kids like scrambled with this mixed in

2.) Chorizo, Spinach, and Sweet Potato Hash: This is my husbands FAVORITE breakfast. I buy 2 pounds of chorizo a week just for this. I saute a bag of baby spinach in clarified butter, add one large or two small shredded sweet potatoes (leave the skin on, just scrub before shredding) and cook until spinach is wilted. Dump your chorizo on top and cook until done. I like it with fried eggs on top, he likes it mixed with scrambled...it's a little spicy for the kids

3.) Pumpkin Waffles...this is about the closest we’ve found to the real deal... 

(http://wholefamilystrong.com/2013/01/08/whole-family-paleo-pumpkin-waffles/)

I usually double for sure and freeze some of them for busy days later. These are great with almond butter smeared on them and sliced bananas. The egg whites from the carton are way convenient so I usually end up buying them that way instead of taking the time to crack all the eggs...and let’s be honest, this Paleo thing is a TON of work and sometimes shortcuts like this make it manageable for a busy family!!!!

4.) Clean Out the Fridge Egg Saute. This is what I ate this morning. I had leftover chicken from a roast chicken that I sauteed in bacon grease with shredded cabbage (one of my fav breakfast foods). I topped it with two fried eggs and ½ diced avocado. I sprinkled some Sunny Paris seasoning on top of it and it was delish...I would HIGHLY suggest Sunny Paris season from Penzy’s, it’s amazing!!!

Breakfast can be anything and once you fully get on board with that concept it really frees you up to get a great start to your day.

I'm always STARVING at 3pm

One of the amazing things about Paleo is the lack of the dreaded "hanger"..you know, the kind of hunger that makes you turn into this alternate person that can't focus on anything or much less speak without your words being an assault on whomever is around...that was basically the story of my life pre-Paleo. 

I think Snickers hit the marketing money when they launched the add campaign using this as a focus, too bad that Snickers (despite being extremely delicious) won't help at all in the long run!! 

For the most part I don't have a problem with this at all...except for a 3  o'clock every afternoon. I've tried all the traditional Paleo "fixes"...I've added more fat to my lunch...I've drank water...I've tried just plowing through....and I'm just coming to realize that this is me and I can't starve myself so I might as well be prepared...so here is my list of things I have available at home and on the go

Snack Staples:

* Primal Pacs (primalpacs.com) Yes, they’re a little pricey but they have saved me multiple times and I NEVER leave home without one....EVER

* Hard boiled eggs, I usually do 6 at a time just to have some handy in the fridge

* Avocados (excellent source of the good fats!) 

* Pre-cut veggies with homemade ranch 
http://www.paleoeffect.com/recipes/paleo-ranch-dressing-paleo-effect/

* Sardines

* Canned tuna

* Fruit

* Nuts (in moderation)

* Justin's individual size nut butters for a real special treat :-)

What are your go to snacks???

And so it begins...

Welcome to my blog about managing a crazy schedule and trying to provide the most nutritious food for my husband and two kids, all while avoiding the need to take out a second mortgage to pay for it!!!

When I started eating Paleo about a year ago I struggled to find the time to plan enough food to sustain us for an entire week. I was always a planner pre-paleo and would make a menu for our weekly dinners, but when switching to Paleo I would find myself running out of the basics several days before grocery shopping day...this not only made us spend more money by going to the store again but I would end up eating less ideal meals because the good stuff wasn't available....so there in lies my reason for starting this blog...I wanted a place where I could go and see someones weekly menu broken down and an associated shopping list. There are a couple of sites like that out there, but I always felt like the food wasn't all that practical for a family with most recipes only being for 2 servings and that just didn't work for us. I was also slowly introducing my husband and kids to the Paleo ways and now that my husband has completed his first Whole30 (see here for this amazing and life changing plan: whole9life.com ) and saw/felt noticeable changes did I really feel like our family was at a point of total transformation.

I will be posting my weekly menu, the links to the recipes if they aren't something I've thrown together (those I'll give you the instructions), and my grocery list. I'll start with this weeks list on a post next week so I can give reviews of recipes and some quick tips for prep, etc..