If you haven’t yet heard, there’s a new documentary in the works called, “In Defense of Fat: Rethinking the Bad Science Eating at America’s Health.”  The film, created by Kennon Hulett of Falling Whale Films, will focus on obesity, nutrition, and the politics of health. Yesterday was a big day for “In Defense of Fat” with Kennon’s launch of a Kickstarter campaign to help with the creation of this important film.

I’m also pleased to announce that I have been asked to participate in the film, and I am honored to have the opportunity to do so. This documentary will bring together many of the most respected scientists, nutritionists, trainers and authors in the Paleo and Ancestral Health communities. In doing so, “In Defense of Fat” clarifies the complex relationship between human evolutionary history and the science – and politics – of nutrition and health.

The film is firmly rooted in current scientific research on Ancestral Health, a theory which proposes that the human body is not adapted to an agricultural diet, and especially not to the many processed foods in our daily lives. “In Defense of Fat” turns the microscope on media and medical research, deconstructing the “diet talk” that informs and misinforms while shaping our understanding of bodies, size, health.

Please help Kennon in her quest to help the public realize the importance of the ancestral movement as we all stand together “In Defense of Fat.”

In Defense of Fat!! is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Everyday Paleo Workshop Coming to Palo Alto, CA on June 9th!! is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

When I first decided to give Paleo a try, I made it a national declaration in our home….I called the family together, stood tall and boasted we were all going Paleo. Gave them the details and told them this was how we were going to eat from now on…Hmm not the greatest approach when I look back now.

I am usually a much easier going person with life’s changes. I usually laugh at everything. In fact, I confess, I can’t even get mad at my kids with out laughing. Nothing in life to me is ever that serious. Unless it’s serious….if you follow that one!?

Anyway….they all kind of looked at me like who are you, where is our mom, and while you’re at it, please get rid of this Sargent major, we don’t like her.

Now don’t get me wrong they were all totally one board for me doing this, feeling better, and all for supporting me..…But that was about it. It was kind of like the proof is in the pudding thing. You show us it works, and then we will talk.

Out the door that family event went. At first I was very disappointed, but as time went on, I was glad. I quickly realized it was kind of like “put the oxygen mask on yourself first” theory.

Cleaning up my eating protocol was a bigger change and challenge than I had thought. I was having a hard enough time trying to survive, figure out what to eat, and fight those nasty carb cravings..…The thought of a whole house full of carb craving, crazy people all at one time. Well, I can’t even bear the thought.

As the weeks and months went on my family started noticing things. I had more energy, I was happier, I laughed all the time, I say ALL the time because as I mentioned, l laughed a lot to begin with…..I wanted to be outside walking, talking, gardening, anything. I just wanted to enjoy and live life.

Slowly I notice the kids where saying, “What are you having tonight mom, we want the same” Hmm, good sign.

Then I noticed the “yucky” foods where sitting in the fridge and cupboard longer and longer, and “my” foods where disappearing faster, and faster….Hmm, great sign.

Now it is just a natural family affair. I did not have to beg, borrow, or steal to get them on board; I just had to live it, love it, and show by example.

So going Paleo alone at first is not all bad, in fact it just might the best thing ever.  Just like they say on the airplane: put your own mask on first…..

Until next time,
Much joy and happiness
Lisa

Put Your Own Mask on First. is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

The kids are on spring break this week and it’s been nice to avoid the usual hectic morning rush and sleep in a little bit! This morning, after John left for work, it was only Jaden and I who were awake so he created this frittata to share with his brothers and with all of you!

Jaden’s Frittata Creation

1 cup diced ham

1 small yellow summer squash, diced

1 cup finely diced broccoli florets

1/2 cup finely diced sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

7 eggs, whisked

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. In the bottom of an oven proof 10 inch skillet, melt a big spoonful of coconut oil over medium heat.

3. Add the onions and broccoli and saute until the onions are translucent.

4. Add the squash, ham, and sun dried tomatoes and saute together for another 4-5 minutes or until the squash is tender. Evenly spread the mixture over the bottom of the skillet.

5. Whisk together the eggs and pour them over the veggie/ham mixture in the skillet, turn down to medium low and cook until you see the edges firming up around the frittata.

6. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and cook for another 10-12 minutes or until the frittata is set all the way through. You can finish it under the broiler on low for a minute or two if you like.

7. Slice like a pizza and enjoy! Serves 3-4

Jaden’s Frittata Creation! is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

* Here’s another budget friendly recipe by Erika, our college student contributor to Everyday Paleo!  

Note from Sarah: The cost per person for this meal is based on folks who would have to purchase an entire bottle of olive oil, vinegar, and mustard and also if they purchased the more expensive brands available.  Furthermore, this meal although MADE for 2 people would most likely produce leftovers or feed at least 3. Erika has posted budget friendly recipes in the past and has left OUT the cost of staple ingredients and has been given grief for leaving those items out. Also, these reflect HER costs.  I’m sure that many of you will be able to find better deals.  I also am assuming that she bought an entire package of zucchini from Trader Joe’s and only 3 zucchinis would probably only cost around $1 or $2.  If you have on hand olive oil, vinegar, and mustard and you spend the SAME amount as Erika did on her other items, the actual cost of this meal per person for the Chicken and the Vegetables together would be around $8.50 plus leftovers, or a meal for another person.  Also, think about all the money that Erika is SAVING by walking home on her break and cooking rather then driving to an eating establishment and spending way more than the cost of this meal and not having any leftovers for later and also eating less healthy options. The cost at the bottom of this post reflects the cost of ALL ingredients, including oil, vinegar, and mustard.

Thank you so much Erika for taking time out of your busy college schedule to show us how this can be done!!

Balsamic Mustard Chicken and Oven Roasted Veggies

Here is another quick and easy meal for two on a budget! Talk about simple and yummy I put this meal together in 20 minutes while I was in between my classes. Luckily I live close enough to school that I can walk home during my inconvenient hour long breaks. I used simple ingredients that I always have stocked up in my pantry and put them together with the fresh veggies and meat I had in my refrigerator from my Sunday stock up shopping trip. Today’s ingredients included: chicken breast, bacon, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, balsamic (I find I love to cook with balsamic I love the tangy flavor it adds) spicy brown mustard, extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, and salt and pepper!

Balsamic Mustard Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breast (each cut in half long way) (5.97)

1/4 cup Balsamic (3.89)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (3.99)

3 cloves of minced (or chopped) garlic (.50)

2 1/2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (2.59)

Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse off your chicken breast and place them on a cutting board season both sides with salt and pepper to your liking. Place them in a ziplock bag add the balsamic, extra virgin olive oil, spicy brown mustard and garlic. Zip up the bag and massage the chicken in the bag to ensure it all gets coated nicely! place in the refrigerator and let marinade for as long as you want (mine marinated for about 3 hours, the longer the better).

Cooking the chicken:

I like to use a medium size sauce pan; place it on medium high heat and let the pan get nice and hot! Put just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, place your chicken breast in the pan  and brown on both sides. Once you have browned both sides you can turn your heat down just a little to about medium and add in some of the marinade juices cover with a lid and let the juices reduce down in the pan with the chicken. Occasionally checking on the chicken and stirring around the sauce to make sure to pick up all the yummy chicken bits on the bottom of the pan until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink on the inside (you can flip the chicken one more time if you would like).

Oven Roasted Bacon Veggies 

11 strips of your favorite bacon (one package) (5.49)

3 zucchini’s (4 if they are smaller) (3.68)

1/2 lb of Brussels sprouts (1.49)

extra virgin olive oil (not included in cost because you needed it for the chicken)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut your bacon into bit size pieces and fry them up till they are nice and crispy.  When they are done cooking set the bacon pieces on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the left over bacon grease and set them aside.

Next, wash and dry your veggies. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half place on a cookie sheet  that is already covered in foil (easy clean up!!).  Next cut the end of of your zucchini’s cut them in half length wise then cut them into half circle shapes and place them on your cookie sheet with your Brussels sprouts. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven at 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until they are starting to get a little golden brown color to them and the Brussels sprouts are tender. For the last 5 minutes you can add your bacon on top of your veggies just to rewarm your bacon. When the veggies are done take them out and sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste.

Total Cost of both Chicken and Veggies: 27.60 

serves 2-3: 13.80 

(These prices will vary dependent on where you shop and whether or not you already have some of the staple items already in your pantry. I included the prices for all ingredients, as if no one had  any of the ingredients on hand except for salt and pepper)

Happy Cooking

Erika

Budget Friendly Balsamic Mustard Chicken and Oven Roasted Veggies is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

So life in general is pretty crazy, right?  We are all busy beyond belief, pulled in a million directions, overwhelmed, overworked, and the list goes on and on.  Currently, my family is on a mission to figure out how to slow down a bit.  We have done some serious rearranging of our lives to hopefully conquer this goal.  One big change we made recently; we got rid of the television.  Not just canceled the cable, not just unplugged it, but it’s gone, adios, sayonara, out of here.  I will admit, Rowan facilitated the lingering idea by breaking our flat screen during a passionate imaginary sword fight, but it was meant to be and a sign to go ahead with what we had been discussing. We didn’t watch a lot of tv before we tossed the box, but it was enough to kind of nag at me that there were other more productive or connective things we all could be doing besides being inundated with cereal commercials or reality shows.  Was our decision extreme?  Maybe, but I don’t care.  It’s been almost two weeks with no TV and I LOVE IT.  I can’t quite explain exactly what I love about it, but I love it.  As far as the other changes we are making? Let’s just say that downsizing is a good thing.  Our house is much smaller but our dining table is larger which means it’s less space to clean and more room at the table for the ones that I love.

Now, here’s a recipe to share with you all.  I made this a couple of days ago when I knew my evening would not allow for any time to cook so in the morning, I went to my trusty slow cooker for some help and came up with what I’m sure will now be a staple at our house!

Cumin Spiced Slow Cooked Pork

2 lbs of Pork Loin (I used 2 – 1 pound loins)

Cumin, Sea Salt, Pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 yellow onion, sliced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

Sauce

1 1/2 cups green or red salsa (I used the salsa verde from Trader Joe’s)

1 1/2 cups strained tomatoes

1 tablespoon Cumin

3 garlic cloves, minced

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium to medium high heat.  Sprinkle the pork on all sides generously with salt and pepper and then with the cumin powder.  Use your fingers to rub the cumin into the pork loin.  Sear the cumin spiced pork in the hot coconut oil for about 3 minutes per side or until the pork is nice and brown all the way around.  Move the pork from the skillet to the slow cooker and top with the sliced onions and mushrooms.  In the same pan that you seared the pork in, add the salsa, strained tomatoes, the 1 tablespoon of cumin, and garlic, and whisk together until bubbly.  Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.  Pour the sauce over the pork, onions, and mushrooms in the slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

Enjoy!

Cumin Spiced Slow Cooked Pork is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

“Oh No!” Celiac…“Oh Wait!” Gluten Free?? 

?????????

Gluten intolerance and celiac disease are two words we are hearing about more and more. (Words I am personally familiar with) You can be gluten intolerant and not have Celiac, but you cannot have Celiac without being gluten intolerant.

Running right behind all the talk of gluten intolerance and celiac, is a fast and furious health market filled with a glorious (or so we are to believe) gluten free world of  processed foods. You name it, and there is probably a gluten free substitute for it; breads, cookies, brownies, cakes, muffins – check, check and check.

Once diagnosed the next words you usually will hear are, “Go on a gluten free diet and you should feel better.” Hmmm what happens when you don’t?  Let’s be honest, most of us will switch a gluten filled processed crappy eating lifestyle style, for a gluten free proceeds crappy eating lifestyle. One is no better than the other, and I found that I felt no better either as I too fell into this trap.

I have 2 children who were also diagnosed with Celiac at the same time as I was, so not only was I trying to stay afloat in this new world I was trying to learn but I was also dealing with two young children afraid of how different their lives would be.

“Will we look different in the lunch room at school?”

”How will we eat at friend’s birthday parties?”

“Will we still even be invited to birthday parties?”

Questions and panic was coming at me in every direction.

After a few hours, ok let’s be honest, I will admit it, it was more like a few days that turned into weeks of me crying hysterically, as I walked the grocery store isles (yes I really did this) not knowing where to start, what to do, or what to eat. I was trapped in fear. All I put together was that when we ate, we felt sick, and when we didn’t, we felt better. The latter is obviously not a healthy solution.

Once my head cleared and I dried my eyes. I thought for a moment, “Wait! What about this grand gluten free world I had heard about”? Apparently you can eat just like before but without the pain and discomfort…GREAT!! win, win.

My kids where thrilled, and so was I. Problem solved……Not so fast….  I am here to say; don’t make the “just go gluten free” decision, we never got better. In fact, in time we felt worse. My daughter and I gained weight, my son lost more weight, we were still always hungry, malnourished and in no time had most of our celiac symptoms back.

Bloating, digestive troubles, IBS, DH, fatigue, headaches, active hashimoto, the list goes on. Why where we not feeling better, we were doing what we were told, we were eating gluten free!! It might have been processed junk, but it was gluten free and hey, that’s all that was supposed to matter, right?

The search for our health once again began. The amount of “plans” that I had tried to make us feel better is too long to mention, and as fast as I was trying one new plan, the next new book was quickly approaching. One day that new book was Everyday Paleo. I could not put it down, I was hooked, jackpot!!

ROCK ON THERE’S PALEO!!

From the first page, something about this plan made sense, especially the no grains. I had noticed all three of us complained about how we felt every time we ate any gluten free grain, even rice.

I liked the foods, her words, the theory behind it. It was kid friendly, in fact they were downright encouraged to be involved, and the fact that there was research and scientific proof that it worked made it the whole package. There it was in black and white, a delicious new world of foods, health and renewed energy ready to nourish our bodies.

To this day, the more I read, search and learn. The more I see most celiacs do not seem to do well on a diet filled with gluten free processed foods or gluten free grains. In my opinion, gluten free just seems to be another name for Celiac approved processed junk.

** Please note this is just my opinion and experience. I know some people have found success just going gluten free.

Until next time

Good health and much joy.

Lisa

“Oh No!” Celiac… “Oh wait!” Gluten Free?? is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

We are in the middle of packing up and moving.  Not out of Chico, just across town; but holy cow it’s a lot of work.  I’ve been trying not to buy a lot of food this week and just eat what we have so that I don’t have to pack and move an entire fridge of food and this morning we were down to the bare bones but somehow I made a breakfast worth sharing with all of you!!

I hope you enjoy!

Southwestern Frittata

1tablespoon coconut oil

1/4 cup yellow onion, finely diced

1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup sweet potato, peeled and grated

1 pound grass fed ground beef (check out the grass fed beef from Tropical Traditions, just tried it for the first time and YUM!!)

1 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup salsa verde (I used Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde)

12 eggs

Sea Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350. In a large saute pan, saute the onions and minced jalapeno in the coconut oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent.  Add the ground beef and cook just until it starts to brown and add the grated sweet potato and garlic.  Cook until the beef is completely browned and the sweet potato is soft.  Add the chili powder, cumin, and salsa, stir and cook until heated through.  Taste and season with a little sea salt if desired.  Transfer the meat mixture to a 11×7 glass baking dish and spread the meat mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the 12 eggs add pour over the meat mixture in the baking dish.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the eggs are set in the middle when you jiggle the pan.

Enjoy!

Southwestern Frittata is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

My family and I are spending the weekend with our good friends in beautiful Southern California, soaking up some sunshine, and tomorrow I’ll be at CrossFit Anaerobic, holding a very special half day Everyday Paleo Workshop with special guest Jason Seib!

For lunch today, I made my friends and family a quick and delicious go to meal that my family often enjoys. For some reason, I have never blogged this recipe so I guess that means that today is the day!!

Here is my quick and easy version of Beef Bulgogi.  I hope you enjoy!

Beef Bulgogi

Marinade

¼ cup braggs liquid aminos or wheat free tamari

3-4 garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoons sesame oil

½ cup pineapple juice

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon fresh grated ginger

A few shakes of black pepper

3 green onions, sliced

Meat and Veggies

2 pounds tri tip or rib eye, sliced into very thin strips

1 head of green cabbage, shredded

3 tablespoons coconut oil

In a large mixing bowl, whisk all marinade ingredients together.  Thinly slice the ribeye or tri-tip and place into the bowl of marinade. Using your hands rub the marinade into the meat. Marinate for at least 15-30 minutes in the fridge.  While the beef is cooking, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet and saute the shredded cabbages over medium heat until the cabbage is  soft, remove from heat and set aside. Add the beef and all of the marinade into another large skillet and cook over medium to medium high heat just until the thin slices of meat are browned.

Serve the Bulgogi over a scoop of cooked shredded cabbage topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a few more diced green onions if desired.  Also good with a few drops of Sriracha!!

Beef Bulgogi is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Today is the official release date of Paleo Pals, Jimmy and the Carrot Rocket Ship!  Although Paleo Pals is a storybook for kids, I also threw in a small handful of recipes at the back of the book so that the kiddos can get right into the kitchen after reading the story!  If you haven’t seen the reviews that have been popping up yet for Paleo Pals, there are plenty here on Amazon and several bloggers who received advanced copies have shared their thoughts on the book as well.  Here’s the list of folks who have reviewed the book on their websites; all with interesting things to say regarding their personal reactions to Paleo Pals.

Robb Wolf.com by Amy Kubal

Nom Nom Paleo  (And while you are at Nom Nom Paleo’s amazing site, check out her awesome socks - yes SOCKS – I have a pair and I love them….)

Jimmy Moore

The Clothes Makes the Girl

The Primal Parent

Wellness Mama

Following My Nose

The Paleo Project

Free the Animal 

I’m so sorry if I missed anyone, if you have also reviewed Paleo Pals on your website or blog and I missed you, chime into comments!

I’m so proud of this book and I truly hope your little ones enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.  Now, here’s one my our families favorite recipes that you will find in the back of Paleo Pals: Jimmy and the Carrot Rocket Ship!

Champion Chicken Skewers Recipe and The Paleo Pals Have Arrived!! is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Dancing with the Devil

Oh no, just when I think I have it figured out, those gooey, milk chocolate, melt in your mouth, sweet yolk filled eggs appear. Just when I think I have a handle on things, happily skipping through the grocery store, fruits, veggies and lean protein in hand. I stop in my tracks, and, what do I see peering at me across the way. When did they get here?

It can’t be, I finally have control, or so I thought. But oh yes, sitting cute and cozy in their little box, they called my name, so sweet and chocolaty. It’s the Easter crème egg. Those delightful, creamy, gooey filled eggs.  Once a year they come out, that’s it. ONCE A YEAR!! And now they are here to taunt me.

At first I loved seeing the eggs, they brought me back to a happy place filled with memories. I quickly ran to them, grabbed them, began smelling them and started filling my basket with them. The world was spinning!!  Oh my Gosh what was happening. This was no longer a place I wanted to be. That’s when I got mad. “Snap out of it”, I said to myself, “Get out of the store now” J

When I got home, I sat and thought for a while. What just happened? How had I given food; sugar to be exact, the power to bring me happiness over health? Why had so many of my happy memories become about food, and not tasty healthy, clean Paleo food, but processed sugar filled food!! How had I let that happen?  Or had I, did I really have a choice?

My childhood days went something Iike this. I woke to a nice warm set of eggo waffles swimming in a sweet tasty syrup. Later I would sit down with my friends, innocently eating my pb and jam on white bread, topped off with chocolate milk or a tasty fun colored beverage in a box. After school came the snack for champions, Oreo cookies, dipped so lovingly in a big cold glass of milk. Dinner was always good, a nice delicious salad with chicken or steak, yum I would devour it like I had not eaten in days (My body probably actually was starving). I thought Saturday nights where the best, I got to go to the market and pick out the biggest frozen dinner I could find!! Usually pot pie or scarios, with a side of mashed white potato and that little cup of goo they called a brownie.

I know my parents loved me. They only wanted the best for me, it was the norm, everyone ate this way. It was all over the TV, and accepted by society. The problem is, that was 30 years ago and sadly not much has changed.

We are a nation of sugar addicts, you can sugar coat it (yes pun intended) all you want. We are addicted, I am addicted, sugar is only one addictive bite away and once you take the first bite it is almost impossible to fight the next one. It is everywhere, and in everything. With all the names sugar now goes by, you practically have to be a scientist to even figure out if it is in the food you are eating.

For me sugar is a daily struggle and probably always will be. I still long for it, some days I morn it, some days I even cry for it. But now, most days I am stronger than it, I look it in the eye, stare it down and know I will win.

I wish I had never shook hands with sugar, or those processed boxed foods. I crave them as a memory, a comfort to my past, something that brings me back to my childhood, my mom, dad, and that warm feeling of acceptance and safety.

I can say though, eating Paleo and following the paleo rules has truly rid my physical cravings. The way I feel and the energy I have, is bigger than any sugary treat will ever be. ” I once again quickly discovered another reason it is so important that Paleo becomes a lifestyle. It really does become more than just changing the foods you eat, it become about changing YOU!!

 My kids are still young enough that I can change their future, break the cycle of what society says is normal. Set it up so that their warm comforting memories will one day be taking the family walk, laughing, playing soccer, dancing, or cooking a great Paleo meal in the kitchen together (check out Everyday Paleo). Basically creating a new normal, or should I say bringing back the old normal? ….oh wait I think they call that a Paleo lifestyle!!!

What’s your sweet memory?

Until next time.  Much joy and happiness.

Lisa

To come chat with Lisa and learn more about where she is getting her support visit Everyday Paleo Lifestyle and Fitness!

Dancing with the Devil is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

I hope that all of you football fans out there enjoy the big day, eat a lot of great paleo food, and spend time with friends and family.

I’m spending the day working hard on my next big project so please send positive thoughts my way!

Here’s a quick snack idea just for fun – and it’s a recipe you’ll find in my next cookbook…..

Tuna Stuffed Eggs

6 hard boiled eggs

2 tablespoons homemade mayo  

1 green onion, diced

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons dijon or yellow mustard

1 5oz can of tuna

Chopped pickles (optional)

Peel the eggs and slice them in half length wise from. Take the yolks out of each half and put them in a small bowl. Add mayo, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chopped green onion, and mustard to the yolks. Mix all the ingredients in the bowl well. Stir in a can of tuna. Spoon this mixture into the hollowed out egg halves and enjoy.

Now, let the cooking begin!!

Tuna Stuffed Eggs is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Readers often send me recipes that they have created, and this one looked so good I had to give it a try! Thank you Staci for sharing such a delicious dish with us, our whole family loved it!  Now, I’ll pass it on to all of you.

Yummy Greek Meatballs

1 pound ground lamb

1/2 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons minced chives

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 egg, room temp

1 tablespoon dried mint (I used fresh)

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 tespoons cumin

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

8-10 dried apricots, chopped

8 (or a many as you want) kalamata olives, chopped

Mix all the above ingredients and form into meatballs (I made about 1-2in meatballs).  Place on a cooling rack which is on a baking sheet so that they brown all the way around.  Bake at 450 about 15 mins, depending on size.

Makes approximately 15 meatballs.  Serves 3-4.

Enjoy!

Yummy Greek Meatballs is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Emotional Changes…..and a Collar Bone!!

Before I began this blog I want to thank all of you for your wonderful support. It was more than I ever imagined and to be honest was one of the big parts of keeping me focused and on track this far.

I am excited to report that I have been going through many changes both physical and emotional over the last few weeks. So many changes that it took me a lot of time, writing and rewriting this blog to figure out what I wanted to talk about first. I decided on our emotional connection with food, I figured that was a topic many of us can relate to.

Is it common to have mixed emotions when transitioning into the Paleo lifestyle?  I am pretty sure most of you are going to say yes, and I did expect some emotions to come up, just not in the way they did.

My first few weeks transitioning to a Paleo lifestyle has been both hell and heaven combined. I was surprised to see from many of your post a lot of you also switched from a vegan/vegetarian diet, so you know that that transition in itself was a massive adjustment. Then Sarah (in her loving way) informs me, no sugar….NO SUAGR!!! Are you crazy, do I stand tall and not so proud and say I am a sugar addict? No question, I am not one of those salad loving, carrot chomping girls by nature. I want the chocolate, the cookies, the carbs (in my case gluten free) but really, when you are shoving them in as fast as I could, who cared if they tasted like cardboard or heaven, a cookie was a cookie. And for the record I am not the, “Oh how lovely a chocolate, why thank you”, No, No, I am the give me the whole box and step away.

By the end of Day 1, ok day 2, 3 and probably 4, I wanted to quit. I was feeling very much out of my comfort zone and did not like that, here is part of a great quote Jason Seib on EPLifefit posted to me (Jason hope you don’t mind) “The good news is  you realize your comfort zone was not the best place for you”.

Processed foods where no longer an option, I had to plan and think about what I was putting in my body, it was very overwhelming and as silly as it sounds, scary. I thought I would starve and to be completely honest for a few days I did, not because of Paleo,  but because I froze in fear. I decided I would just starve and feel sorry for myself like I had a million times before. Needless to say that did not last very long, I realized with Sarah holding my hand I had the power to change myself. My body had been whispering to me and now the choice became mine, and I was willing to listen.

I had to relearn how to eat, relearn my way around the super market, the middle isles where no longer my friend…I had to learn how to hunt and gather!!

Thankfully I am connecting with the wonderful people on EPLifeFit, they keep me strong, direct me, answer my questions, cheer me on, and openly share their stories, and they are not going to let me fail.

I began to think, others had done this Paleo thing, had success, and where feeling better so why not me. The facts and science where there, read Sarah’s book Everyday Paleo, check out the awesome testimonies on EPLifeFit or read anything written by Robb Wolf, or Dr.Loren Cordain.

I quickly realized, I like many of us eat like a robot, we have our go to foods, usually comfort foods, don’t think much about them, just buy, unwrap, heat and eat. They are lacking in nutrition, they are quick, easy and full of chemicals and fillers. My question quickly became what are we as humans really feeding? Not our body that is for sure, we are eating for all the wrong reason.

Following the Paleo lifestyle, I continue to discover what foods bother me personally and are setting off my thyroid. That’s one of the great pros of Paleo, it is a personal plan not a one size fits all… (Did you know eggs bother autoimmune issues)

As the weeks continue and I finally feel more in control of what is right and wrong for me and my health, and yet something odd is happening. I am missing the old me, the sugar binges, the feeling crappy, it defined me, it was comfortable, I knew my place, my go to foods.. Now those go to foods make me ill, bloated and nauseous (as they always did, now it is just really obvious), not that I crave them now physically (emotional cravings are a whole other story) , but I want to, I want that comfort in the form that I knew it.

When I find myself pacing the floor, going to the kitchen looking for old faithful, this little annoying question pops up. What do I really want? What am I really searching for? What am I really trying to feed?

We all know change is uncomfortable, even good change, but who knew bettering yourself and your health, could make you so uncomfortable

I continue to look forward to more changes that are to come, and am slowly realizing it is more my mind and its thoughts that I need to change. I am happy to report I no longer physically crave sugar or carb-y (is that a word!!) foods. But my brain has not yet caught up. Every day, every single day it is still telling me to go to the store buy the junk food and EAT IT!!!  Our brains are very powerful tools that like routine and my routine for many years has been JUNK.

WAIT!!! Is that a collar bone I see!!! YES!!

I wish you all much joy and happiness – untill next time, here is a quick recipe that I have been using for a quick and easy meal!

Paleo Lettuce Wraps

2 packs Canadian Bacon
8 Romaine lettuce leafs (you can also use boston, or iceberg)
Sweet onion
Mustard (Paleo)
1 whole avocado
Tomato

In one pan cook up bacon ( I steamed mine in pan with water) and chop and fry onion (again I steamed mine in pan with water, once transparent I added a touch of EVOO and quickly tossed around)
slice avocado length wise
chop tomato into small pieces
wash and dry lettuce leafs

Take lettuce leaf fill with 2 slices bacon, top with avocado, tomato and fried onion and touch of mustard to tastes…ENJOY
Serves 4

Update From Lisa – Emotional Changes….and a Collar Bone!! is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Yesterday I received my advanced copy of Paleo Pals: Jimmy and the Carrot Rocket Ship, and needless to say, it’s been an amazing and emotional experience…

I am so happy it’s complete, wishing my mom was here to share in my excitement, grateful for the love and support form my amazing family, and hopeful that this book will benefit other families striving to live a paleo lifestyle. You can pre-order now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and the official release date is February 14th!

Paleo Pals Advanced Copy Arrived!!! is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Everyday Paleo Half Day Workshop in Laguna Niguel, CA! is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Someone asked me on my Facebook page to post more slow cooker recipes which was quite coincidental because yesterday, as I was reading that particular post, I was unpacking a giant pork roast that I intended to make into pulled pork.  This is about the easiest meal a person could make and so versatile.  This morning we ate the pulled pork with eggs and tonight I’ll make some Purple Cabbage Slaw to eat along with the pork and I’ll maybe even make a salad out of it for lunch tomorrow; if there is any left (which I doubt there will be….)

Beyond Easy Pulled Pork

4-5 lb pork butt roast

2 yellow onions, sliced

Dry Rub

3 tbsps chili powder

1 tsp coriander

2 tsps cumin

2 tsps onion powder

1 tablespoon dried parsley

¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

2 tsps sea salt

Mix all dry rub ingredients together.  Rub the entire roast with the dry rub (you should use it all.)  Place a layer of onions on the bottom of your slow cooker.  Place the roast on top.  Put the rest of the sliced onions on top of the slow cooker.  NO LIQUID NECESSARY!  Cook the roast on high for 5-6 hours and then turn down to low for another 3-4 hours or until the roast is literally falling apart and easy to shred.

Enjoy!

Beyond Easy Pulled Pork is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Believe In yourself, Believe In others.

Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe that people with kindness and compassion still exist?

I am here to say; believe! Sarah is my miracle, she is kind, compassionate and genuinely wants to share her knowledge.  With the help of Everyday Paleo and Everyday Paleo Lifestyle and Fitness, my journey to health has begun. But first, I’ll tell you what lead me here.

Like many, I want to live to be 105, dancing around and laughing, but with heart issues, high blood pressure and cholesterol issues in my family history, I figured I had better follow the “perfect healthy lifestyle” and so my vegan journey began.

 After a while (a very short while) I began struggling with weird symptoms and overtime the symptoms became too many to bear. I had quickly gained 25lbs, suffered bloating, gas, fatigue (so bad some days just the thought of crossing the street was unbearable), a thyroid that would visibly swell up, IBS, anxiety, tingling in my hands and feet, all sorts of food sensitivities (I went from being a creative cook to fearing foods and even bland foods like rice bothered me), joint and muscle pain, stiffness, and the list goes on and on.

After a million visits to the doctor as well as seeing every specialist, tons of blood work, ultrasounds and x-rays, every really serious test came back normal.

Through all of this some of the tests confirmed that I had a B12, iron and vitamin D deficiency and supplementing got rid of those, thankfully, along with the tingling and some of the fatigue. Further testing lead to gluten intolerance and I was later told it was actually celiac; well that explained the IBS, anxiety (yes a gluten intolerance symptom) vitamin  deficiency connection and why I was sudden struggling with so many food sensitivities (the gluten had caused leaky gut).

That was it; according to the doctor, nothing else was wrong, “Go home, the rest is in your head and by the way here is a prescription to calm your mental state,”…..what!!! Prescription? There was nothing wrong with my mental state except that I was following this “healthy vegan lifestyle” and feeling weaker and sicker by the day……I threw the Rx into the garbage and continued with my personal search.

The sad part was, no one could really seem to help, no one had the answers to my questions, everyone kept telling me these were detoxing signs, my body was healing.  Healing for 4 year??

I found an ND that told me I needed to add animal protein back into my diet and to get off the grains. No way, that was not true, that will make me sicker – and I ignored her advice (I have since told her I love her and that she is awesome). The search continued and I upped the grains, did more juicing, took wheatgrass shots; come on Lisa you can pull out of this! But I kept failing and feeling like a failure to my body, my body was crying for me to save it and I was crying for it to be saved.

Two yeas ago I ran across a new doctor who seemed to have some interest in actually listening to me, he would see me quickly when a symptom would pop up so he could physically see for himself what was happening….. Finally I was going to get my answers, someone believed me, someone saw what I felt. After reviewing all my symptoms over many months, he decide we needed to run some tests on my thyroid, ahha thyroid, remember how it would swell up and go down? Hashimoto reared its little head, there it was plain as day. This explained a lot of both past and present symptoms. (Not all in my head now was Dr X from the past? Ok, yes I’m still a little bitter). I sat up like a child on the first day of kindergarten awaiting my teacher to speak. Change your diet he told me, you can fix all of this with diet. I looked at him with a puzzled and confused look, diet – what do you mean diet? I eat very healthy, like a proud peacock I announced, “You know I am Vegan”, I know he said, change your diet……See a nutritionist, and get help to become healthy again.

I read everything I could get my hands on, interviewed nutrionist and I thought this is crazy no one knows what they are talking about.

Then one day in all my searching I found Robb Wolfs book, Hmm this guy’s seems pretty confident in what he is saying. Through his book I found Sarah’s website and book Everyday Paleo.  I read it and something clicked. I cannot explain what, something in her words, her energy coming through on the pages in her book, I don’t know, it was just her, I had never met her but I trusted her. As I was reading her book I felt she wanted the best for me and I found the courage to reached out to her.  ”Please help me.” I asked, “I can’t do this alone anymore, I am tired and I need more than a pat on the head, I need someone to hold my hand every step of the way. I am scared of what you will tell me to do and eat, I know what I am doing is not working, but what you are saying is going against all I have been convinced of.” Sarah agreed!!! OMG she agreed to guide me, to mentor me. For that I am forever thankful. I am very much afraid of where this road with her will go, it is against all I have convinced myself is good, but all I know right now is it has been about a week since following her advice, being ative and involved with Everyday Paleo Lifestyle and Fitness, and I feel good; unless I stray (come on you knew I had to test the theory).

My advice to all of you for 2012, never ever give up on yourself, hang strong to your instincts and never be afraid to ask…..Someone might just say YES!!!!  I’ll be back soon to give you an update on how I am doing.

Wishing you all much joy and love

Lisa

Believe In Yourself, Believe In Others: Introducing Lisa is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

My boys love Sweet Potato Hash for breakfast but frankly, I’m kind of tired of it, so last weekend I decided to make my pile of freshly grated potatoes into sweet potato pancakes, or latkes if you will. We topped the savory sweet cakes with bacon and fried eggs.  Yum.

If you are looking for a way to fill up your kids in the morning, or if your trying to get them excited about eating paleo, there’s nothing like a sweet potato based breakfast fried in coconut oil to delight their taste buds.

Sweet Potato Latkes

5 cups grated sweet potato

2 eggs

2 tablespoons onions, minced

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat and melt a spoonful of coconut oil.  Take small handfulls of the potato mixture and drop onto the hot griddle or skillet and press down gently into little “cakes”.  Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy and the potatoes are done all the wat through. Top with fried eggs and bacon if you so desire. Makes 12 latkes.

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Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Latkes is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

*Note from Sarah: Coby.  My oldest son.  My teenage hero and the kid that keeps me sane when his little brothers are driving me crazy.  I wish I could explain to you what Coby means to me but how could I? It’s like trying to explain the vast expanse of the universe, so I won’t even try. Anyway,  I asked Coby a while ago if he would write a blog post and he totally went for it! Below is what he has written; from the heart of a 16 year old, he has shared with you his own personal paleo journey – short and sweet and to the point. Thank you Coby for your honesty and your willingness to put yourself out there in hopes to share with other kids that living this lifestyle can be your own unique experience.   

Coby’s Paleo Perspective

My name is Coby Fragoso, I am sixteen, and I am Sarah Fragoso’s first son. You probably don’t know much about me, but mom has wanted me to make a blog post for a while so here I am! The reason I’m not noticed much, I think, is because it’s my little brothers that look cute on the front cover of my mom’s book. I am still here though, and I have stuff to say too, like my story about being dragged along with this whole paleo thing…

I remember I never really liked bread anyways. I did not like sandwiches, and I didn’t like pizza that much. One thing I miss though is pasta. I loved pasta with all the different types of sauces. But anyways it was weird for the first couple months we started going paleo, and I’ll admit, I didn’t like it. I definitely noticed a change in what we ate and I did not enjoy eating the new food. I thought it was bland and it just did not taste right. I never complained about the food though and I eventually got used to it, or my mom became better at cooking. She never forced me to eat paleo, I just eventually stopped eating food that wasn’t paleo because I felt it was the right thing to do, and at home I didn’t have any other choice.

 A little over a year ago, I actually gave in and got a hamburger on a white bun, and it made me sick. Ever since than I have not touched any thing with gluten. I actually really like not eating things like breads and pastas; it’s something that separates me from everyone, especially at school. People will see me bring things like salami and grapes to school, or order a bun-less burger from Big Chico Burger during lunch, and they will ask me, “why don’t you eat bread?” and I say, “Because I don’t want to.”

For me it really is more of a choice, I could survive if we WERE eating bread and sugar and stuff, but I simply don’t want to. It’s something that makes me insanely different from all the people who think it’s weird to have something as simple as a different hairstyle. I guess it makes me feel rebellious or something. I don’t plan to stop eating paleo ever actually, it’s what feels right to me, and it’s what I want do gosh dangit!

I no longer break out with zits, I’m not as tired anymore during the day, and I never get stomachaches like I used to.  I have never felt better in my life.

My favorite paleo meals include:  My mom’s meatloaf, bacon, Brussels sprouts and bacon, sausage and eggs, omelets, Thai yellow curry, bun-less burgers, dry rub grilled ribeye, and really everything we eat is good.

My Teenagers Perspective on Paleo: Guest Blog by Coby Fragoso is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Before you read any further, you must say Herbed Halved Chicken five times as fast as you can. It’s not a just a meal but a tongue twister too!

Last weekend we picked up a halved chicken from the farmers market and John and Jaden made a delicious herb butter rub for the bird.  They rubbed both halves with the delicious mixture and cooked the chicken low and slow on the grill until it became tender, savory perfection.  If you do not want to use butter you can sub clarified butter, ghee, lard, or another fat of your choice.  We served the chicken with roasted winter squash and I made a quick coleslaw with shredded green cabbage, diced apples, sliced almonds, with olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar for the dressing

Here’s what John and Jaden created:

Herb Halved Chicken

2 chicken halves (or take one whole chicken and cut it in half)

6 tablespoons grass fed butter (we used Kerrygold) or other fat of your choice

3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt

Soften butter in the microwave.  Mix the herbs and spices into the softened butter or other fat choice.  Pat dry the chicken halves with paper towels.  Using a rubber spatula, generously rub the herb and spice mixture all over the chicken halves.  Cook on a covered grill skin side up on low to medium low heat for 45-60 minutes.

Herbed Halved Chicken is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Stuffed Pork and Salty Sweet Cravings

Time for another college budget friendly meal! On tonight’s menu; sun dried tomato stuffed pork, zucchini and for dessert salty sweet cravings.

I was feeling creative tonight and wanted to try something new and fun for dinner. I opened my freezer and refrigerator to find a pork tenderloin, sun dried tomatoes, minced garlic, and fresh basil.  The basil was home grown by yours truly (bonus point: free ingredient!). Put it all together and you get Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Pork.

Sundried Tomato Stuffed Pork

2 pound Pork Tenderloin

1 8.5 oz jar sundried tomato haves

1 T minced garlic

7 Fresh basil leaves

Butterfly pork tenderloin. On one side spread the sun dried tomato and garlic. Lay the basil leaves on top of the tomatoes fold over the other half of the pork over and tie the pork with 3-4 pieces of string so that the stuffing stays in while cooking. Sear the pork on a hot BBQ for 5 minutes on each side and finish in the oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Feeds: 8

Total Coast:  $10

Coast per person: $1.25

Here is another cheap and easy recipe for those who are battling mid-day, late night, or anytime cravings for something salty, sweet and still paleo. This snack won’t break the bank and chances are you already having the ingredients on hand.

Salty Sweet Cravings

1 ½ cups unsweetened Coconut Flakes

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

1 tsp sea salt

Melt coconut oil in a medium size microwave safe bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups coconut flakes and sea salt mix until all the flakes are evenly coated. Line a cookie sheet with foil and evenly spread out the coconut flakes. Bake at 350 for 4 1/2 minutes or until golden brown (make sure to watch them because they will go from golden brown to yucky burnt fast!)

Feeds: 12

Total cast:  $18

Coast per person: $1.50

Dinner and dessert together $2.75 a person!

Stuffed Pork and Salty Sweet Cravings is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Unfortunately, flu season is fast approaching. While a good diet goes 90% of the way toward preventing illness, sometimes cold or flu can still strike.

One remedy I always have on hand during the winter is Elderberry Syrup. This remedy gained some popularity during the swine flu and avian flu scares, as it has been shown to help alleviate flu symptoms.

“[the properties in] elder stop the production of hormone-like cytokines that direct a class of white blood cells known as neutrophils to cause inflammation, especially in influenza and arthritis. On the other hand, elder increases the production non-inflammatory infection-fighting cytokines as much as 10 fold. Elder berries are known to be effective against eight strains of influenza.”  (source)

There are several commercial brands of elderberry syrup available commercially but it is much more cost effective to make it, and you can avoid the unhealthy syrups that are often in store brands.

Elderberry syrup can be used preventatively or for acute symptoms, and kids usually love the taste.

Homemade Elderberry Syrup Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup black elderberries
• 3 1/2 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger root, finely minced, or 1 tsp dried ginger
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• small sprinkle of cloves or clove powder
• 1 cup (or less) raw honey (or sweetener of choice- see note below)

How To Make Elderberry Syrup:

1. Put all ingredients except honey in a medium sized sauce pan.

3. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

4. When cool enough to touch the pan with your hands, strain the liquid through a strainer or cheesecloth into a large glass jar or bowl. Discard the strained ingredients.

5. When liquid is still warm, add the honey and stir well to incorporate. [Note: alternate sweeteners like stevia can be used, though this will create a liquid, rather than a syrup and it will only last 2-3 weeks in fridge]

6. Store in a glass bottle or jar in the fridge.

Standard dose is up to 1 tablespoon a day for adults and 1 teaspoon a day for kids over the age of 2. Some sources recommend taking every other day or only during the weeks to boost effectiveness. If cold or flu strikes, this dose can be doubled or tripled until symptoms go away.

Ever taken elderberry syrup or tinctures before? What is your go-to cold and flu remedy?

Elderberry Syrup Recipe for Flu Prevention is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

On October 27th, Rowan turned 4 and on October 30th, Jaden turned 8.  Time  really does fly and when I look at my little boys who keep getting so darn big, intense emotions run through me. If you are a parent, you know exactly what I am talking about and trying to express the above mentioned emotions into words really is impossible.

Anyway; we had a party for Rowan on Saturday and a party for Jaden on Sunday and let me tell you, it was a CRAZY yet fabulous weekend with lots of wonderful family and amazing friends.  In my opinion, birthdays are worth celebrating and what would a birthday be without the cake!  Over our last few paleo years I have attempted to make gluten free cakes from mixes of various store bought brands with some success but this year for the Jaden and Rowan I ordered gluten and grain free baking mixes from White Lion Baking Company and holy cow, they did not disappoint.

Rowan wanted a chocolate cake and Jaden wanted cinnamon bun muffins and both turned out phenomenally well.  You know the cake is good when non-paleo eating folks say things like, “This is the best cake I have ever had!” Or, “These muffins are out of this world!” Rowan’s chocolate cake mix came with a chocolate ganache topping that we made and used to drizzle over the cake and my amazing sister Laura decorated the cake with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and homemade whipped cream. For Jaden’s birthday muffins I followed the directions that came with the muffin mix for homemade cream cheese frosting which was just cream cheese, heavy cream and a touch of honey and I also added in some cinnamon as well.

If the thought of coming up with a grain free birthday cake seems daunting or you want to avoid the store bought gluten free cake mixes that are filled with rice flour and potato starch, I highly recommend looking into White Lion Baking Company.  The high quality grain free ingredients that they use in their products shine through in the amazing end result and I will most certainly be using this company again for my future baking needs.

At Rowan’s party he wanted a “party at home with a bouncy house” and that’s exactly what we did but  I’m pretty sure that the adults had more fun than the kids in the bounce house.

  For party food we grilled up some hamburgers and Applegate Farm sausages and served them with lettuce wraps, sliced tomato, and onions.  I also made my No Potato Salad which is always a huge hit.  For snacks before dinner we had guacamole, fruit, veggies, salami and cheese and corn chips. Corn chips and cheese are a safe party staple for us.  No one feels horrible if we eat a few chips and slices of cheese and it’s nice to have these alternatives for a “cheat meal” (although I hate that terminology) when we want to kick up our heels.

For Jaden’s party we went to our local gymnastics academy and several of his friends from school attended the party.  I was wondering how the cinnamon bun muffins made with almond meal and coconut flour would be accepted by a bunch of 3rd graders, especially topped with homemade cream cheese frosting that really wasn’t that sweet at all. Surprisingly, all but two of the muffins were devoured and this is from a group of kids who are most likely used to the conventional cupcake.  Hurray for real food!  The snacks at the party were a duplicate of what we had for Rowan’s party the previous day.

It was such a blast watching the kids run around and play and the highlight at the end was the awesome zip line!  Check out Kayden of Growing Up Paleo and Rowan taking on the zip line like the big kids. Even after Kayden’s spectacular landing, the first thing he said was, “Let’s do it again!!”

Overall, the parties were successful, the kids had a blast, and my little boys are another year older but somehow I’m still only 25.  Amazing how that works, isn’t it??

Happy birthdays to my sweet little Row Row and my big guy Jaden!

A Birthday Weekend!! is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Last night I made a whole roasted chicken, tossed some cubed butternut squash in coconut oil and roasted that as well, and cooked some greens fresh from our CSA to make an amazingly easy and tasty side dish.  Here’s how I prepared the greens:

Good Greens

1 pound of bacon, diced

1 small red onion, sliced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup green beans, diced

2 bunches greens of your choice, finely diced (I used a huge bag of braising greens from my CSA which was a combo of kale, collards, and I think some turnip greens)

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

Black pepper to taste

In a large pan cook the bacon pieces and onion until the bacon starts to crisp.  Add the mushrooms and green beans and saute until the mushrooms are tender. Add the diced greens, sage and pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the greens are tender.

Enjoy!

Good Greens is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License