Tag Archives: #cleaneating

And, that’s Lunch

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and thats lunch

All right, one last one for today.
Lunch kind of just happened today, but happened really well!

So, I posted earlier about a little cucumber veggie salad that I like alot made with chopped veggies, mayo, Sunny Paris Seasoning, fresh garlic, S&P and a little vinegar. Well, the nice thing about that mix is it gets better as it sits, and I had a little (very little!) left over last night, and I kept it! I decided to make a salad at lunch and a sweet potato and a little leftover grilled chicken.

I just made a salad with spinach and lettuce leaves. Added a little more veggies (more radishes, carrots, a stalk of hearts of palm) and a tiny bit of organic feta cheese (goats). I hit the whole bowl with a small dollop of mayo, a little more vinegar, and dumped the remainder of last nights salad on top! mix mix mix . wow and WOW! look at that plate! I sort of went into a trance while I was eating away, ended up not even eating much of the chicken and of course devoured that tater!

So this I guess is kind of a recipe? More of a guideline of how quick and easy paleo lunches can be! Keep easy things on hand like leftover proteins, lettuce, fresh organic veggies, and a fresh jar of your home made paleo mayo at all times!

Hope you like my pretty plate, I know I did!

My twist on Gingerbread Donuts – Paleo!

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gingerbread donuts

I drooled over some facebook post a few weeks ago for “Gingerbread Donuts” and I cannot recall who posted it (it was a repost) and all I have on the author of the recipe is that it was by Cook/Baker Maria Emmerich. I stayed pretty close to the original, but changed the source of “sweet” as well as a few other minor tweaks. They cooked up so nice, and smell fantastic! I also liked the idea that they are for dipping rather than glazing them. The coconut flour in it fills you up quick so one donut is very satisfying (or two if you really are huuunnngry!)

Here is how you do it:

Lightly grease your donut pan and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the following by hand or with hand beater:
1/2 Cup coconut crystals
3/4 cup Kerrygold Butter or coconut oil

Then stir in:
1/2 cup Almond Milk
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice

Next add:
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour ***optional – I sub out 2 Tbsp of Tapioca for 2 Tbsp of the coconut flour…gives a “breadier” texture
1 tsp baking soda

Mix all together until well combined.

Fill your doughnut pan just shy of the top. I dump the batter into a ziploc bag, snip the tip and pipe it in….alot less mess getting the donut shapes full of batter! But you can spoon it in too!

Bake for 15 minutes, pop out of the pan and let them cool.

While they bake, make the sauce:

Melt 1/2 cup of Kerrygold butter and add in 1/2 cup coconut crystals, 1/4 cup almond milk and 1 Tbsp vanilla. A dash of cinnamon is nice here too. Whisk until blended, and pop in the fridge to cool off. It will thicken up as it cools…… dip or spread on cooled donuts!

This is some good paleo treating I must say!

Let me know what you think!

Simple Green and a Cucumber Mix up

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good stuff salad

So this salad is too easy not to try, and there are so many variations you can make it your own! I actually had this one published in Paleo Magazines Reader’s Choice Cookbook!
I have a soft spot for broccoli! Broccoli is always the base for this salad for me. And avocado (but I didn’t have any on hand that day…wah!).

So here is what happens:

Bring a pan with about an inch of water in it to a boil.
Throw in a large handful of broccoli florets and let them cook about 2-3 minutes….you do not want them to get mushy!
While that is happening, place the following in a bowl…
Chopped veggies! Tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, avocadoes, celery…whatever catches your eye that day!
Strain and drain the broccoli…then dump out on a paper towel to catch the last bits of water. Then add those to the bowl.
Into the bowl with a big spoonful of homemade mayo, salt and pepper to taste, and squeeze lemon juice all over it…then toss, toss, toss.

That is it! so easy and so good! (I think this is going to be lunch today too!)

Another variation I did last night was simply:
One cucumber, thinly sliced
sliced radishes and sliced carrots
Mash up one piece of garlic into the bowl
Salt and pepper, and a good handful of Penzey’s Sunny Paris Seasoning
A spoonful of mayo and this time I shook some light raspberry vinegar over the top…maybe 3 tablespoons?

toss and mix and toss….the longer it sits, the better it gets!

So delicious I just cannot say enough about these two easy salads that are so different every time you make it!

So simple

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lunch

If things could always be this simple!

This week I went to a new practitioner. She is a naturalist and a chiropracter, and has multiple autoimmuntes, but not medicating.
She is young, and focussed, and I am going to give her a whirl.

Guess what she tells me? Pretty much all of my complaints are connected to Hashimotos. And how do we get to the root of Hashimoto’s and auto immunes? Well, we fix the gut. (no surprise here!)

She started me on a detox that works best with a paleo way of eating (which she was so stoked I was already doing, sort of) called ClearVite. It is actually tasty and no problem to do. Then we go into maintenance mode. On my own I started drinking more Kombucha, I like that too.

She has me working on a little test to determine if I am T1 or T2 dominant….this means eating alot of mushrooms and echinacea for a few days. I am already over the mushrooms people. I feel fine, but no more this week!

She is not bombarding me with supplements, which makes me very happy!

Now why have I made bad food choices every day this week! Could it be the mushrooms?
I required pizza last night. Gluten and all. Paying for it now.
I know better, I know how to eat right, yet every day it is a battle of choices.
That and I am ravenous this week! Maybe that is the ClearVite at work? I don’t know yet.

So for lunch today I was actually craving these healthy items….so good, so simple…it is what it is:

Leftover chicken, cold.
Sliced Cucumbers, cold.
Half of an avocado, cold.
Lemon squeezed over it all….a little salt.

There are blueberries too, just not in the pic…

This was yummy!
I admit I could still eat….
But busy hands and all….

Have a great afternoon everyone!
Would love to hear from you!

Hot Dog!

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hot dog

So yesterday I was having one of those BONE TIRED days for whatever reason. When I finally got home from work, the usual tasks loomed before me, feed the zoo, walk the dogs, fix dinner.
All I could think about was how to get my body into bed as fast as possible! There was a pile of dishes taunting me from the sink, and all I could do was yawn, yawn, yawn! What the heck! I ate good food all day, drank plenty of water, no idea.

So on the walk back home with the animules, I started rifling through the refrigerator in my brain trying to come up with the easiest thing I could. I did eggs at lunch, so that was out. And then I remembered the hot dogs!

When I got home I opened the fridge doors and angelic music played in my mind!
Here is what happened:

Threw 4 Applegate Farms all organic grassfed beef hot dogs into the skillett to start browning up on medium heat.
Put another pot of water on to boil, I had some asparagus on hand….that is a quick winner! Boil about 3 minutes, dot with a bit of Kerrygold grassfed butter and squeeze the juice of one lemon over the top with a little salt and pepper…easy!
Dogs are nice and brown, so I placed each one on a large romaine lettuce leaf (like a bun or a taco!) and topped with PaleoChef Srracha and slices of avocado! Had a little beet sauerkraut on the side too!

Literally dinner was plated in less than 10 minutes!
Those dogs are great to keep on hand for days like that, lunches, dinner, even breakfast in a pinch!

Best part? This was compliant all over the board…paleo, primal, 21 day sugar detox, you name it! Clean eating and tasty!

And I was in bed by 8….and watching Teen Wolf at 9, whence I fell asleep!

Thank you DVR!

I like my chicken CRISPY!

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chicken

The bane of my paleo existence is often textures of food. I always yearn for the BREADINESS of bread, the CRUNCH of crackers, and yes, the CRISPINESS of all things “fried”! It can be done, you can get there, but I believe there is an art to it, you have to WANT IT! And here is where I step in.
My daughter who eats mostly paleo is not a huge fan of almond flour, due to the texture. In bread items especially.
So she was sitting at the counter doing homework and rapping along with Kendrick Lamar (exhale, she is a teenager!) watching me halfheartedly throw dinner together. Nothing too startling, broccoli, check, sweet pototoes roasting in the oven, check, chicken on the counter, check….but I could see her eyes on me as I pulled the almond flour out of the pantry. RELAX, I said, you have had this before and loved it!
Here is what she saw:

Heat a large skillett (or 2) until very hot and then add in a few TBSP of coconut oil and 1 Tbsp Kerrygold butter.
Thin strips of chicken (cutlets, tenders, even small chunks are fine…) go into a large ziploc bag with one beaten egg. “squoosh” the chicken around in the egg to make sure they are coated. (Squoosh is a technical term in my brain).
In a small bowl mix together 1 1/2 cups almond meal, 2 Tbsp. tapioca flour, 1-2 tsp salt, fresh ground pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne (for kick!), 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder.
Dump the mixture into the ziploc bag with the eggy chicken and squoosh some more, coating completely.
Place the chicken into the skillett and let it go for a few minutes, until brown, maybe 3-4 minutes. Turn each piece over and brown another 2-3 minutes until done.
Take out of the pan and place on paper towels to drain any excess oil. Do batch two the same way if you have more chicken.
Tada! golden brown, cripy goodness.
And my daughter….sitting on the sofa eating the chicken with her hands….says OH MY GOSH MOMMA THESE ARE SO GOOD MAKE THEM AGAIN FOR ME AND MY FRIENDS!

Approved!

Trying it out?
Let me know what you think!

A Little Green

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dressedchopveggiesdressing

My sister-in-law posted her amazing avocado dressing recipe the other day and I tried to do something similar because, let’s face it, I love anything avocado! The cool green creaminess just sings in everything!

So at lunch yesterday I was just standing in front of the refrigerator, doors open of course, pondering what to throw together in a short time frame. My eyes kept going to the spinach, so spinach salad was in the works. I started with this Avocado dressing in the bowl and built the salad on top, gave it a toss and ate it with a baked sweet potato, just perfect!

Here is what happenned in the bowl:

Mashed about 1/4 of an avocado with some salt and some fresh garlic paste. (One bud of garlic, smashed, flatten and smear onto the cutting board with the side of your knife until it is almost invisible! scrape it up and pop it in the bowl! I added the juice of one lemon and a tablespoon of olive oil. I also put in about 1/2 tsp of Sunny Paris Seasoning from Penzeys (this stuff? you have GOT to have it in your pantry!).
Now wisk away…..until creamy and smooth.
I threw a big handful of spinach on top of the dressing along with some of my favorite chopped things like tomatoes, cukes, radishes, grapes and some chopped pecans.
I tossed it all until the dressing touched everything, and inhaled it!!!!!

This was super easy, and so flavorful!
Give it a try…and let me know what you think!

When all else fails, and sometimes it does!

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Jake shake

Guess I am still on yesterday’s topic! Perfect example of how the day can get away from you and you run out of time and energy but you have to do something because you are really hungry and confident there is a bag of M&M’s somewhere in the house! Full day at work, straight to my daughter’s swim meet, pets at home waiting waiting waiting for me to come home and feed and walk them, I sit happily watching her swim, but can hear the ticking of the clock in the back of my mind. Chatting away with a friend in the stands who is grabbing a quick bite during the meet, I got to thinking, what in the world am I going to eat and when? by the time I got home it was after 8:00 and the dogs needed attention! Cat was tapping her paw on the staircase using her catskills to chastise me for such and unacceptably late dinner while watching my every move to make sure hers was first!

Pets happily fed and watered, it is 9:00. Should I just go to bed? NO! I’m actually hungry! But tired, but lazy, but hungry.

Smoothie time. Smoothie time!!!

How fast is a smoothie? So fast! And is light or heavy as you decide to make it.

Here is what happened:

Into the blender went
1 ripe banana
1 cup of almond milk
cinnamon to taste…maybe 1/2 tsp
a dash of vanilla
1 Tbsp raw organic local honey
ice cubes

2 minutes later…Banana smoothie! (in the Adventure Time glass of choice, becomes a “Jake Shake”!)

To beef up the smoothie, try this:
add any or all of the following:

1/4 of a ripe avocado
1-2 Tbsp Almond Butter…or Almond Flour…nice protein boost
1-2 Tbsp Cacao Powder….gives it a hint of chocolate with all kinds of health benefits!
or add other fruits too…strawberries are good here!

This worked….I felt good, not hungry any more, and could get a few things done before hitting the sack.

Paleo meals can be quick, easy, and so good!

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on the table in 20 minutes or less

on the table in 20 minutes or less

I love to be in the kitchen. Seriously! I love to cook, and on the weekends is when I get to take my time and really create or recreate some fantastic things! But, reality is, I am like most people, and most people don’t have hours to spend knocking out a fabulous meal during the week! I try to at least get one large batch of something done on a Sunday to make a couple of nights easier during the week, but you know, best laid plans and such.

So, time. I work. And I ferry my daughter around. And I go to her games. And I take care of the house, the dogs, the errands, the list goes on and on. My mornings start at 5:30 most days, and I get home around 6:30 or so in the evening. Trying to be a good cavegirl and shoot for 8 hours of sleep a night means off to bed at 9 (hahaha, sorry, choked on my coffee there!) So that math gives me what about 2 1/2 hours between work and bedtime to do dinner, a little laundry, tidying the house, getting prepared for the next day…and people wonder why it is so difficult to fit exercise into the mix!

I am a huge fan of the Paleo Community, and all the Bloggers and Authors who put out such amazing recipes and ideas! They are delicious, healthy, and inspirational! Many are quick, but many require a little more time than I have on a weeknight. So where I am going here, is I will try to post the fast and easy stuff! The fast stuff, the things to put together from what you can keep on hand!

This is what we had last night:

Hot Dogs!
What do you need?
Organic Grassfed Applegate Farms Hot Dogs (Keep these on hand!)
Lettuce
Paleo Ketchup (I make mine from the 21 Day Sugar Detox and keep it on hand, but Tessemae’s all natural is a good option!
Paleo Mustard or May
Kraut! (Last night we used Farmhouse Culture Ginger Beet Kraut…yum!)
Sweet Potatoes (small)
Broccoli

here is the order of events….took less than 20 minutes:
Put a pan of water on to boil…about 1-2 inches of water is plenty
Put a skillet on to heat with a little coconut oil in it for the dogs
Place 2 small sweet potatoes in the microwave (fork pricked, then hit the potato button!)
Put your dogs in the skillet and roll them around periodically to get a good “char” going on it.
Place medium size broccoli florets in the boiling water…they only need about 4 minutes. (drain them, hit with a pat of Kerrygold butter, salt and fresh lemon juice…yum!)
Potatoes are ready? cut open and put a pat of Kerrygold butter in there too…season how you like….salt, pepper….cinnamon is good here too!
Put your dogs together….we placed each one in its own lettuce leaf (like a bun!) and added a little kraut, ketchup and mustard!
I threw a few cornichons on the plate because I had some on hand and I love them so!

That’s it!

easy right? quick? you bet! You can do this!
More later….gotta go make the bacon! (so I can buy the bacon!)

World Famous Veggie Dump Salad (Well, famous in my world!)

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World Famous Veggie Dump Salad (Well, famous in my world!)

This has been a favorite in my house for years…although it started of with lots of beans and potatoes, now it is paleo and delicious and truly healthful! Build it how you like it with all your favorite veggies, never the same salad twice! But beware! it grows fast! this thing overflowed two giant bowls before I got done with it! Here is what it’s got (measurements of veggies…up to you!):
colorful cauliflower florets…barely steamed
broccoli florets…barely steamed
carrots…steamed with a little crunch left
barely steamed asparagus
halved brussel sprouts, just tender
raw veggies:
halved cherry tomatoes
lots of radishes
jicama sticks
red pepper

Add slices of fennel plus the fronds for a big flavor punch!
I toss in a pint of olives
a handful of chopped parsely
salt and pepper
about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of raspberry vinegar
a good splash of dry white wine if you like
squeeze some fresh lemon juice over it…and start tossing!
the longer it sits, the better it gets! just toss from time to time, it keeps in the fridge for days!

find me on instagram at PALEO_K

(these pics will get better…having resolution issues)