Paleo and Pregnant

There is exciting news in our little household...we are expecting our first baby in March 2014!

It has been a huge range of emotions for us, but we are just positively thrilled for this new chapter in our lives.

One of the very first things that came to my mind when I found out that I was pregnant was my diet...would I still be able to do paleo? I had really gotten into a groove with it, but I was not sure if I would be able to stay on it. I talked to my personal trainer (who basically specializes in prenatal everything), and she applauded the paleo diet wholeheartedly. She did, however, mention that I might need some more calcium so that this baby doesn't suck it all out of my bones, so I have added some dairy back into my diet (mainly whole milk and Greek yogurt, and I don't turn down the cheese as much anymore...which really doesn't hurt my feelings!). I spent hours researching to make sure that paleo was ok for me while pregnant. Being as healthy as I can be is incredibly important to me during my pregnancy. And then I asked my doctor about paleo, and after I explained all the details of paleo to her she responded with, "Oh. So basically it's everything you SHOULD be doing while pregnant."

Here are some of the best articles I found regarding paleo while pregnant:

Top 6 Reasons Why Pregnant Women Should Try the Paleo Diet

Top 7 Benefits of a Paleo Pregnancy

A Paleo Guide to Pregnancy

So don't worry, pregnancy doesn't mean I will be taking a paleo blog hiatus (that will probably come around March after the baby arrives!). My posts may just be a little more sporadic because I just have NO energy to cook! But I plan to stick to it as much as possible to make sure that I keep the baby (and myself!) as healthy as can be! :-)

Eye of Round Roast

My mom makes the best eye of round roast. It has been my favorite for years! I was really craving it a few weeks back and decided to make some.

Ingredients (disclaimer...I am very simple when it comes to GOOD meat! I am a purist!)

~1 eye of round roast (however many pounds you need)
~Sea salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Sprinkle outside of meat with sea salt and pepper. As much or as little as you want. I use some, but don't go overboard. It really doesn't need it.
3. Ok...here comes the math part. You put the roast in at 500 degrees for 5 minutes per pound (I have also heard 7, so you could always do the average and do 6 minutes per pound?). So if you have a 3 lb roast, it would be in the oven at 500 degrees for 15 minutes. Then....turn off the oven! Let it sit for 2 to 2.5 hours, then remove it. If you are cautious you can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp. Here are standard temperature levels for roasts:

120°F to 125°F (49°C to 52°C) = Rare
130°F to 140°F (55°C to 60°C) = Medium Rare
145°F to 150°F (63°C to 66°C) = Medium

No, I did not give any temperatures above medium, because that would be a sin against this beautiful roast beef. PLUS you will probably have leftovers, and it is good to have it a little on the rare side so it doesn't overcook when you reheat it. As you can tell from my pictures, I like it a LOT on the rare side.

Sorry for the long break in blogging. Life gets in the way sometimes. :-) I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Bacon Stir-Fry

Bacon. Just the thought alone is delicious. This essentially sums up how I feel about bacon.

Needless to say, I love it. It is amazing. I think most of us can agree that bacon is pretty darn awesome. So when I saw a picture of bacon stir-fry on a friend's instagram, a sheer rush of "I MUST MAKE THIS" ran through my head. A friend commented on my facebook post saying he didn't think bacon is paleo...and technically, it is not. But this is what Paleo Central has to say about it...

I am not saying you should make this bacon stir-fry every day (even though let's face it, that would be incredible). Bacon is a treat I reward myself with on occasion. There are a lot worse things you could reward yourself with! Moderation is key. So let's get this bad boy started!

Ingredients

~8 bacon slices, diced (I made 2 extra, because how is it possible to cook bacon and not sample some?)
~1/2 onion, diced (I used white, but the recipe called for yellow)
~1 medium sweet potato, diced
~1 medium zucchini, diced
~7-8 green beans (since green beans are not paleo I did not include them)
~1 avocado (I do not like avocado, so I did not use any)
~Freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Directions

1. Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Set bacon aside (and save bacon fat!).
2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of drippings from the bacon pan, onion, and sweet potato.
3. Stirring often, sauté until onions begin to turn translucent and sweet potato softens slightly (about 10-15 minutes).
4. Add zucchini (and green beans if you use them) to the sweet potato mixture and cook until they turn bright green.
5. Combine bacon and vegetables. Season with pepper, and top with avocado if you choose to do so.
6. Sit back and enjoy the amazingness.

**At first I was curious if bacon grease is paleo, and here is what Paleo Central had to say about it!

Here are some pictures of my bacon stir-fry experience. There may be more than necessary, but it was just such a beautiful thing that I couldn't help but document it!

Paleo Peppermint Patties

Happy July, everyone! I apologize again for the break in blogging. Last week was rough, and it ended with a double ear infection which was most definitely not fun. I am so over all these random ailments and am ready to enjoy the rest of my hopefully HEALTHY summer!

Last Sunday I was in quite the paleo mood, and I decided to try out this paleo peppermint patty recipe I have had for a while. York Peppermint Patties are my absolute FAVORITE candy in the universe. We even used them as favors for my wedding! So to find a paleo recipe for them made my heart skip a beat. The base of the inside peppermint-y part is coconut. I was hoping that the coconut taste would be subdued, but I was wrong. That being said, I am definitely not a big coconut lover. So, unfortunately, these were not my favorite recipe. Heart=broken. However, my husband absolutely adores them. He said it tastes like a York Peppermint Patty and a Mounds Bar fell in love and this was their love child. So, if you love those 2, then this is most definitely the treat for you.

Ingredients

~1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
~2 tablespoons coconut milk
~2 tablespoons coconut oil
~1/4 cup honey
~1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
~1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a food processor (I bought a new one and LOVE IT!), process the shredded coconut about 30 seconds until it is very fine. Add the coconut milk, coconut oil, honey, and peppermint extract. Process about 30 seconds until a smooth paste has formed. (disclaimer 1...I accidentally quadrupled the amount of peppermint extract...oops. But, surprisingly, I don't think it did too much damage! They were still refreshing without being overly peppermint-y.)
2. Shape the paste into about 1 1/2 inch size rounds and place on a cookie sheet. Place the rounds in the freezer for 10 minutes. (disclaimer 2...I used wax paper on the cookie sheet thinking it would make clean up easier...wrong. Well, right, but it also completely messed up the recipe. I guess the patties need to be directly on the cookie sheet to get cold enough, so mine did not, and never made it past a peppermint-coconut mush phase)
3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on medium power or over a double boiler. Remove the shaped patties from the freezer and coat in chocolate. Allow the chocolate to cool and harden before serving. Enjoy!

Store leftovers in the fridge.

As you can see...my peppermint patties were not pretty. But again, my husband loved them. Because they were such a mess I ended up making peppermint patty sandwiches out of them, which my husband thought was fantastic. So at least there is some wiggle room with this recipe if it doesn't turn out quite as planned! :-)

Kale Chips

So I have heard all this hoopla about kale chips and have been anxious to try them, and I finally got around to making them! They are SO simple, and quite delicious! I even found myself craving more when we finished them.

Ingredients

~1 bunch of kale
~1 tablespoon olive oil
~1 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used sea salt instead)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite sized pieces (I totally used my hands to do this). Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner (first time I've ever used mine and I was EXCITED!). Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10-15 minutes.

**Note: My large cookie sheet was in use, so I had to dump all my kale onto a smaller sheet. I baked it and turned the kale a few times while baking. It was delicious the whole way through. Loved it!

Paleo Omelette Muffins

I recently pinned a ridiculous amount of paleo recipes on pinterest, so I figured it was time to start tackling them.

I have wanted to try these egg omelette muffins for a while. While there is room for improvement, I would definitely make them again.

Ingredients

~12 eggs
~1/2 cup broccoli (I used more, which ended up being too much)
~6 strips cooked bacon (this ended up not being enough in my opinion)
~Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin. (I used cupcake liners, which I am not sure I would use again).
2. Cook up some bacon (I cooked it in the oven and it came out PERFECTLY! More on this is a future blog post!). The recipe takes about 6 pieces, but I believe more is ok! Chop or tear the bacon into little pieces when cooked.
3. While the bacon is cookin', steam some broccoli. Rinse, drain, and chop into very small pieces (I learned this the hard way).
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with salt and pepper. Add the broccoli and bacon and mix until combined well.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the muffin tin. They will expand, so try not to completely fill them up; however, if you do it's no biggie. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggs are fluffy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I turned on the broiler for the last few minutes to brown and crisp the top of the muffins.
6. Enjoy!

**Some alternate filling options include bell peppers, onion, sausage, spinach, mushroom, etc.

Thanks again for your patience with my blogs during our power outage and my sickness! :-) I am back and blogging! Happy hump day!

Apology!

Hey loyal blog readers (all like 4 of you! I love you all!)! I apologize that I have been quiet the past week. There were a few extenuating circumstances on my end...that darn derecho storm knocked out our power for two whole days which resulted in: throwing away a bunch of food, no internet for posting a blog, a whole lot of house cleaning after power came back on, etc., in addition to me getting a nasty stomach bug with no power which was just wonderful timing!

I have some exciting recipes coming up in the near future including paleo peppermint patties, egg muffins, and bacon stir fry! :-) Stay tuned!

Happy Tuesday!

Paleo Meatballs and Sauce

Who doesn't love a good meatball and marinara meal? Nom nom nom! This was one of the first recipes I tried on paleo. I became impatient and it turned out more like a chili, but it was still zesty and delicious! I know it looks intimidating at first with all the ingredients, but the majority of them are just spices you probably already have. I actually spent very little money on this recipe! :-)

Ingredients

For Meatballs:

~1 lb ground beef
~1 small onion, grated or finely chopped
~2 tablespoons ground cumin
~1 tablespoon paprika
~1/2 teaspoon pepper
~1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
~1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
~1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
~3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
~2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
~1 egg

For Sauce:

~2 tablespoons olive oil
~2 medium onions chopped
~4 garlic cloves minced
~2 teaspoons ground cumin
~1/2 teaspoon black pepper
~pinch of cayenne
~1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
~2 cups crushed tomatoes (organic)
~1 cup of beef broth (I bought organic)


Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the beef with all ingredients. Roll into one inch balls and set aside. (Yes, I did do this step, which ended up being a waste of time for me)
2. Heat olive oil in bottom of a saute pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until tender and translucent. Add garlic, cumin, pepper, cayenne, and parsley, and cook for 5 more minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the tomato sauce and beef broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Brown the meatballs in a pan over high heat with a little coconut oil. Then add to the sauce, cook for 15 minutes, and serve the meatballs. (my meatballs were taking FOREVER, so I ended up just chopping them up and mixing them in with the sauce to creat more of a chili. Tasted awesome!)

Tips

~I get really irritated while dicing onions. It is one of the most tedious tasks, in my opinion. If you pull a Rayna and decide to just mix the cooked meat in with the sauce to create a chili, I believe you can cut down to just one onion in the sauce since there is already 1 onion mixed into the meat. I didn't find a third to be necessary.
~The serving suggestion is to serve the meatballs over fried kale or spinach, but honestly, if you do it as a chili that is just not necessary.

Grilled Chili-Lime Chicken

This recipe originates from Betty Crocker. One of my lifelong besties made this while I was visiting home a few weeks ago, and it was some of the best chicken I have ever had! I was dying for the recipe! So I immediately searched the Betty Crocker website to see if it is paleo, and technically, because of that darn 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, it is not. HOWEVER, I made the decision that 1/2 teaspoon of sugar (well, technically 1/4 since my husband and I shared the meal) would not be THAT big of a deal. And if it is to you, then feel free to omit it. I believe the next time I make this I will omit the sugar and see if I notice any difference.

Ingredients

~2 teaspoons grated lime peel (omg this took me forever to do!)
~1/4 cup lime juice
~1/4 cup olive oil
~2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
~1/2 teaspoon sugar (maybe could use stevia as a substitute?)
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~1 small jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
~1 clove garlic, finely chopped
~4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1.25 lbs)


Directions

1. In a shallow dish or resealable bag mix all ingredients except chicken.
2. The next step is for each chicken breast to be pounded with a meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick, but since I do not have either of those I just bought the thin slice chicken breasts. Add the chicken to marinade and turn to coat. Cover dish/seal bag and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (and according to the recipe no longer than 24 hours).
3. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat (I used a George Foreman grill and it honestly did not go very well, so I don't recommend it). Remove chicken from marinade. Cover and grill chicken over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning once, until chicken is thoroughly cooked.


Some tips:

~The recipe states that if you don't care for the taste of cilantro (which I will admit was a bit strong), try using chopped parsley instead. Will have to try this.

~To use the leftover marinade as a sauce, boil it for 1 minute to destroy bacteria from the uncooked chicken. Don't be in a hurry to bring it to a boil either.


I don't have a picture of this one, but here is a link to the original recipe

Happy Friday, y'all! :-)

Paleo Outside Your Home

I recently received the question, "I find paleo super hard outside my own home because of the lack of choices and convenience. How are you managing paleo outside your own kitchen?" (thanks for the question, Erin!)

This one gets a bit of a complicated answer. Eating paleo when out at restaurants can be very tricky due to the lack of control you have over your meal. Having been a waitress before I try not to be too much of a pain when I am out eating, but at the same time I will not hesitate to make a reasonable request for the benefit of my health. I'm not going to sugarcoat it...dining out while on paleo can definitely be a challenge. That being said, there are ways to make it easier!

1. I always google the menu beforehand if possible! Even if you have been to a restaurant a bunch of times, check out their online menu (if they have one) and see what options are available. It helps to be prepared and go in knowing what you can have. Sometimes you will have some awesome options, and sometimes not. There is a Mexican restaurant in town that I simply LOVE. We go there fairly often, and the owner is incredibly accommodating. I always get a shrimp fajita (something that is not even on the menu), and instead of the guacamole, sour cream, and tortillas, I just ask for extra veggies and shrimp. And let me tell you...it is ooooh so delicious! I don't feel jipped by any means because the fajita is just so dang scrumptious.

Now, some people may put up a paleo stink that the restaurant probably doesn't use olive oil for these fajitas...and in all honesty I would be surprised if they did! But going back to the fact that I used to be a waitress I don't want to be THAT customer who makes ridiculous demands. I love that little Mexican restaurant, and I want to maintain my reputation as the good tipper as opposed to developing a reputation of being a pain in the butt! I am not sure what oil they use, but I don't sweat it too much. I am confident that I made the best decision I could based on what was available to me. A big part of paleo, in my opinion, is knowing that it won't ALWAYS be possible to be perfectly paleo, and kind of accepting that. Some easy, go-to alternatives while you're dining out can be salad with oil and vinegar as a dressing or good ole grilled chicken.

2. Tell people you are on paleo! Sing it loud and sing it proud! It is nothing to be ashamed of. It is a lifestyle choice, and you should own it. When you make it known, people won't shy away from it. In fact, I have found that most people are very supportive! And if people have you over for a meal, 9 times out of 10 they will ask you what you can have so they know what to make! I don't like to be picky so I usually just say any kind of meat and vegetable. Either way, if you make it known that you are eating paleo, in my experience most people will do their best to help you stay that way!


3. Plan and prep. I can't stress that part enough. I work at a camp, and there are times where I may have to spend the night for a night or two at work. The night before I go I spend about 2-3 hours prepping my food for being away. It is a whoooole lot of work, but I know that if I eat the camp food I will feel like crud the whole time I am there. It takes time and dedication, but it is so worth it.



I believe that a big thing with paleo is doing the best you can with what you have available, and just knowing that you are making better choices and feeling good about that. For example, paleo really stresses organic fruits and veggies, but guess what...this girl works for a non-profit and just doesn't have enough money to pay that much more for organic! So I do the best with what I have because it is just so expensive. I would rather pay our electric bill than eat organic fruits and veggies. Priorities. One day in the future when money isn't so tight I would LOVE to buy organic, but right now I do the best with what is available to me, and I feel good about that decision.

Paleo Pancakes

I love pancakes, but I don't love the carbs that come with them. The solution? Paleo pancakes! :-)

Ingredients

~4 ripe bananas
~4 large, cage-free, organic eggs
~1/2 cup nut butter (I've used both almond and cashew and noticed no distinguishable difference)
~freshly ground black pepper, to taste
~2 tsp olive oil

Directions

1. Mash bananas with a fork in a large bowl until smooth. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until frothy and add to bananas.
2. Add the nut butter and mix well until creamy and smooth. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
3. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.
4. Cook pancakes for 2 minutes and then flip. Cook until golden brown.

My pancakes ALWAYS turn out looking burnt, but they never taste it (I know the one below doesn't look burnt...it was literally the first one I did so I took a picture of it looking pretty!). They are so delicious with 100% pure maple syrup and some bacon. Perfection.

Paleo Guilty Pleasure

Sooooo I am just going to go ahead and make the disclaimer that this post is not exactly paleo. But if I can give you easily accesible, healthier options for everyday unhealthy foods, well goshdarnit I am going to do it.

So let's just get this out of the way. This post is all about chocolate. Dark chocolate to be specific. And mannnn oh mannnn do I loooove chocolate. Especially dark. It is truly my comfort food. Ohmygoodness, just so delicious!


Chocolate is a topic of some debate in the paleo world. Some die-hard, hardcore paleo followers say no. I think you all know where I stand in this debate...I'm a firm YES to chocolate while on paleo! Well...SOME chocolate. Semi-sweet and milk chocolate are a big negative; however, dark chocolate that is 70% (or higher) cocoa is considered to be paleo friendly. The higher percentage of cocoa, the better. Be warned though...the darker chocolate is definitely an acquired taste. I love the Ghirardelli Midnight Reverie bars which are 86% cocoa and labeled as "intense dark chocolate"...and they are not kidding. The first time I tasted it I was a bit turned off, but after my palate adjusted I began to appreciate it for the intense chocolate flavor it offers.


There is one brand of chocolate that I seriously love and highly recommend. It is the Endangered Species chocolate, and there are SO many reasons why I love it!

1. They have multiple dark chocolate flavored bars, all above 70%! (Extreme Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate with Cranberries and Almonds, Dark Chocolate with Mint (my absolute fave!), Dark Chocolate with Blueberries, Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut Toffee, etc.)
2. All of their ingredients are both organic and fair trade. The chocolate is sourced from ethically traded cacao farms ensuring fair trade, responsible labor practices, and sustainable farming.
3. 10% of the company's net profits are donated to species and habitat conservation efforts.
4. The brand is fairly inexpensive compared to some other organic chocolates.
5. The brand is widely available in grocery stores.
6. It is certified, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher.



My favorite chocolate!


So I say enjoy your chocolate! And know that I will be enjoying mine! ;-)

Almond Butter

I have heard so many amazing things about almond butter. I always hear how much better it is for you than peanut butter, how it helps with blood sugar, etc. etc., so I decided to try it. When I did, it felt like all the moisture in my mouth was immediately sucked out of me and into this little blob of almond butter. I was NOT a fan! I was supposed to stir it, but it wouldn't stir! It just separated into one blob of completely dry "butter" plus a lot of oil on top (I am not going to say what brand I used because I am not any sort of expert on almond butter, and I don't want to speak negatively about any certain brands). I was less than thrilled with the experience. I kept it around though to use in recipes (and it ended up working just fine in my paleo pancakes (which will be a blog post soon!)).

But then I found the organic section at Kroger and began to explore...and I found a brand (MaraNatha) of almond butter that claimed to be no-stir. So I figured I would give it a try. When I opened it I was pleasantly surprised by the consistency because it was very similar to peanut butter (which I loooove, but unfortunately can't have on paleo. Heart=broken). I tried it and I swear my tastebuds fluttered! It was SO delicious! I now swear by it and use it on everything...apples, bananas, celery...anything that you would put peanut butter on, I put almond butter on. It is fantastic! AND, as an added bonus, they have both creamy and crunchy! I truly love both, but I am partial to the creamy (which is weird since I prefer crunchy peanut butter!).


I recently found it at Wal-Mart as well, and I was intrigued and excited to find a Raw Maple flavor of the brand I love! Be still, my heart!


That being said, I do not think this almond butter is strictly paleo since it does have slight traces of organic unrefined cane sugar. But in my opinion, it is a healthier and better alternative than other nut butters, so have at it (in moderation, of course)!

MaraNatha No-Stir Almond Butters

Paleo Brownies

Hello. My name is Rayna, and I am a brownie addict. It is incredibly difficult for me to ever turn down a hot, warm, gooey, fudgy brownie. Even just talking about it is making my mouth water! In my mind, it is the epitome of noms.


So when I saw a recipe for paleo brownies I was both excited and skeptical. On one hand YES! On the other hand is it too good to be true? So I decided to test it out...and LOVED the results! I am big on the texture and consistency of foods, and this was just like a regular brownie (more on the cakey texture side than the fudgy side, but I was honestly too thrilled with the taste to be picky!). Using the almond butter made it taste like an almond brownie, and sweet baby Jesus it was delicious! This is a recipe that automatically went to the "KEEP FOREVER" pile. If you love chocolate and/or brownies, I highly recommend this one!

Ingredients

~1 cup pure maple syrup
~3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
~1 cup almond butter
~2 tsp vanilla extract
~1/2 tsp baking powder
~1/2 tsp salt
~1 egg
~1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (which I had a VERY hard time finding!)

Directions

1. Heat syrup on low heat on the stove. Stir in cocoa powder over low heat until smooth. Cocoa can burn very quickly, so make sure to keep your eye on it and keep the temperature down.
2. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
3. Pour into an 8x8 baking pan greased with olive oil or coconut oil (I used coconut). Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes. Use a toothpick to make sure it's cooked through. Let cool before cutting/serving.


**Disclaimer: Some hardcore paleo followers would probably not find this recipe very paleo due to the baking powder. But if you just NEED brownies, this is a sensible, mostly paleo, healthier alternative.

**Second disclaimer: They are SO delicious. As a good wife should I offered my husband a brownie. And then I proceeded to eat the rest of the pan over the next 24 hours. #soworthit ;-)

Paleo Grillin'

Today was a big day for many reasons! Number one, and most importantly, it was Memorial Day. Having a family member who was killed just days before the end of World War II, which left my Memaw a widow and my beloved Granny without a father at a young age, in addition to an incredible Granddad who served in three wars and taught us the meaning of the word "patriotism", I understand the significance of this day. I am eternally grateful to the amazing men and women of our United States armed forces, especially those who make the ultimate sacrifice. We are truly the land of the free because of the brave. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to those who keep us that way.


Memorial Day is traditionally a day where people have cookouts. A lot of the celebrating revolves around food and alcohol, which can make it very difficult to stick to the clean eating lifestyle. Many people see holidays as a good excuse for a cheat day, and believe me there are many holidays where I do the same. However, this Memorial Day I managed to stick to my paleo eating pretty darn well.

I was really craving some charcoal grilled food for Memorial Day. In my opinion there is absolutely nothing better than food off the charcoal grill. Gas grills are good, don't get me wrong, but they in no way compare to that delicious charcoal grilled flavor! I just love it. So we went to Kroger and loaded up on meats and veggies. Meat-wise we got some London broil, chicken breasts, and shrimp. Veggie-wise we got a lot...onion, baby tomatoes, squash, zucchini, mushrooms (y'all know how I feel about mushrooms!), and some red, yellow, and orange peppers. I also got some pineapple to grill up for dessert! (I LOVE grilled pineapple!)

Here is where it gets a little non-paleo. My husband cut the chicken and London broil into cubes for the skewers while I peeled the shrimp. We then skewered them and marinated them in some Italian dressing, and holy moly it was DELICIOUS. I know, I know, Italian dressing is most certainly not paleo, but using it as a marinade when I could have easily had hot dogs, cheeseburgers, barbecue, or all of the above, makes me ok with my decision. We marinated them for about 4 hours. The veggies were chopped and skewered, and then I poured olive oil all over them. Before being cooked the veggies looked like this...


And I actually manned the grill during this whole experience! (with some help from Tim and the boys of course, but I would say it was about 90% me!) Add grill master to my list of skills! ;-) Everything came out beyond perfect. I was quite proud! And the grilled pineapple was an absolutely perfect dessert for the evening. Usually I don't eat fruit after lunch, but I made an exception for some yummy grilled pineapple! :-) Here is what our spread looked like...



I hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day and took a little time to send thanks up to the men and women who have made our lifestyle possible. Your sacrifice is never forgotten.

Random Paleo Concoction

Let's be honest...there are some days you just don't want to cook anything fancy. I get it. I have those days too. And sometimes it is getting close to grocery day and I am stuck looking into my refrigerator for minutes on end pondering what on earth I could possibly make from the most random of ingredients. Well, this time those random ingredients worked out in my favor! I don't really have a name for my concoction...we will just call it a random paleo concoction for the time being.

I ALWAYS have mushrooms in my refrigerator. Like...lots of mushrooms. Because I eat them on a pretty daily basis. I used to hate mushrooms, and then one day my amazing mom made some, and it was like the heavens opened up and I instantly became a mushroom lover. I eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I can. I love, love, love them. So I usually use those as a key ingredient in any concoction I am making. So we have the mushrooms as a shoe-in for this random meal, but what next? I had some spinach and asparagus, both of which I love mixing with mushrooms, so I figured those two wouldn't taste bad together either. So we have the veggie part of the meal covered, but what about protein? So I threw in some chicken. Voila! I served it to my husband and his friends and they loved it, but then my husband made the suggestion of throwing some egg in there as well. GENIUS. More protein! In goes the scrambled egg, and out comes this wonderful paleo, clean eating meal! :-)


Ingredients

~1 lb cut up, cooked chicken breasts (can be grilled, baked, sautéed...whatever you prefer)
~1 cup mushrooms (any kind you like)
~1 cup asparagus (cut into 1 inch long pieces)
~1 cup spinach
~4 eggs, scrambled
~Olive oil to cook

Directions

1. Cook chicken breasts. Scramble eggs. Set aside.
2. Using olive oil, cook mushrooms and asparagus for a few minutes until tender. Add spinach and cook for another minute or two until spinach is cooked.
3. Add chicken and scrambled eggs. Mix well.

The Health Benefits of Paleo

I started paleo back in March as a way to lose weight and live an overall healthier lifestyle. That being said, paleo has many testimonials about added health benefits. Some of the most common benefits listed are:

Acne & SkinAsthmaAutoimmune DiseaseDiabetesInflammation, Arthritis, & JointsMenstrual Cramps
Paleo has also shown to be beneficial for athletes, weight loss and overall energy, and can help improve overall fitness.

"The paleo diet is based upon eating wholesome, contemporary foods from the food groups our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have thrived on during the Paleolithic era, the time period from about 2.6 million years ago to the beginning of the agricultural revolution, about 10,000 years ago. These foods include fresh meats (preferably grass-produced or free-ranging beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and game meat, if you can get it), fish, seafood, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and healthful oils (olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut and flaxseed). Dairy products, cereal grains, legumes, refined sugars and processed foods were not part of our ancestral menu."

Decades of research by Dr. Loren Cordain (founder of the paleo movement) and his colleagues found that, overall, hunter-gatherers typically were free from the chronic illnesses and diseases that are epidemic in Western populations, including obesity, cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis), type 2 diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.), osteoporosis, acne, myopia (nearsightedness), macular degeneration, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, gastric reflux, and gout.

Check out some of the testimonials! It is truly amazing what paleo has done for people!

So what can paleo do for YOU?!

Paleo Ranch Dressing

A lot of people assume that on paleo you can have all the salad you want, which is kind of true...BUT, a lot of people fail to consider the fact that basically no store-bought salad dressing is paleo. I looked through so many books and websites to find a fairly easy-to-make paleo ranch dressing, and all I kept finding was a recipe that called for a homemade mayonnaise as the base. Now that is all well and good, but when I am looking at a recipe I always consider the cost. I don't want to buy a bunch of things that will get used once and then sit and not get used again. And let's face it, I don't want to put a ton of work into making myself some salad dressing. However, I finally found one that is easy, cost friendly, and uses mainly spices that you probably already have around your house. Win-win-win!

Ingredients

~1 cup olive oil
~1 cup coconut milk (I use Native Forest Unsweetened Organic Coconut Milk in a can)
~1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
~1 tbsp prepared dijon mustard (I don't ever keep this in the house, so I just use ground mustard instead)
~4 tbsp lemon juice
~2 tsp dill
~2 tsp garlic powder
~1 tsp onion powder
~1 tsp chives
~1/2 tsp parsley
~1/2 tsp thyme
~1/2 tsp sea salt
~1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until well combined.

From my personal experience this is not a bad dressing. It has the flavors of ranch, but you can tell it's different than buttermilk ranch (the consistency, for me, always comes out thinner than regular ranch). Next time I make this I am going to experiment a little and cut down on the lemon, because the flavor is very noticeable. I like it a lot though, because I seriously love ranch dressing. I love adding this to a salad with some cucumber and grilled chicken in it. NOM! :-)


Happy Thursday!

Crockpot Honey Apple Pork Loin

So one of my favorite paleo recipes happens to be a recipe I started using even before I knew what paleo was! I am obsessed in a normal amount of love with my crockpot. It's just SO convenient! You can put the food in before you leave work and voila! You come home to an amazing meal! What could be better?

"I love using my crockpot, Rayna, but man, oh man, it is a pain to clean!" you say? WELL, do I have an amazing solution for you. These crock pot liners are the perrrfect solution to your problem! It literally makes cleaning as easy as letting it cool, removing liner from crockpot, and throwing it away. Prayers=answered. You can get them at any grocery store near the aluminum foil/syran wrap. I couldn't find them at Wal-Mart, but Kroger always seems to have them!



So back to our delicious honey apple pork loin! Seriously...it has four ingredients. It is SO easy and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

~1 pork loin, 2.5 - 3 lbs
~3 red delicious apples, sliced (I always buy more in case I want to throw more in)
~Honey, approximately 4 tbs (yeahhhh, I always use more than 4. Try to get some local honey if you can!)
~Cinnamon, 2 tbs (I always eyeball the amount of cinnamon I use. It's probably more than 2)


Directions

1. Lay the apple slices from two of the apples into the bottom of the crockpot. Sprinkle those with cinnamon.
2. Cut slits in the pork loin. The original recipe says 1/2"-3/4", but I always make them a little larger because my pork loin won't fit into the crock pot with that many slits in it. Place the pork loin into the crock pot. Drizzle some honey into the slits, and then place an apple slice into each slit.
3. Drizzle top with the remainder of the honey and put the remaining apples on top. Then sprinkle the whole darn thing with cinnamon.
4. Cook on low for 7 hours. Then ENJOY! :-)

The recipe also says, "For more flavor you may poke holes in the pork, and then place the pork loin in a bag with honey and cinnamon to marinate overnight. If you try this let me know how it turns out!

What is paleo?

So often I get the question, "What is paleo?"

Well, long story short, paleo is based on the diet of cavemen (paleo/paleolithic...get it?), which means nothing processed. This means no dairy, grains, sugar, or alcohol. I can understand the initial "AH!" response, because that is a whole lot to give up (the thing I miss most is dairy. I love milk and cheese like the Kardashians love the spotlight). Even having studied paleo for over two months now, I still run into things where I wonder if it is considered paleo. I use an app on my iPhone called Paleo Central that helps, but there are times where I wish it was more specific. Even this flowchart doesn't cover everything!


I do better when I am told, "You can have this and not that"...so if you are like me, then this list might help you! (it is pretty hard to read, and I apologize for that! This is the best version I could find of the picture)


I am sure I will find more pictures to help break it down, but basically if it is something processed, it's a no-no. It is definitely a full lifestyle change, and it takes commitment. Do you have to be paleo 24/7 to see results? No. I've heard a lot of people that kind of stick to the 80/20 rule (eating paleo 80 percent of the time). Obviously the better you are the more results you will see, but even my doctor told me to allow myself a little cheat now and then if I want it. She told me that I would be more likely to stick to it if I indulge from time to time. Sometimes I still get cravings, and you bet your sweet dollar I indulge in them occasionally. Krispy Kreme chocolate iced kreme-filled doughnuts, New York Pizza, and Bubblecake cupcakes are my favorites.

I will start compiling recipes soon! Stay tuned for some of my go-to paleo staples!

Why the blog?

So you may be asking, "why the blog?", because let's face it, there are a million and one paleo blogs out there. Why is this one any different? A lot of my friends seem to be dipping their toes into the proverbial paleo water, and I always say, "Ohmygoodness, I have so many great recipes! I will send you some!"...and I never do. It's not at all because I don't want to! It's simply because my short term memory is horrible and life gets in the way! So what better way to let someone know what is working for me than to say, "Hey! Just go check out my blog!" :-)

I love paleo. I love the idea of it, the food I eat, and the way it makes me feel. (a quick shout out to my sorority sister, Amanda Nichols, for getting me started on it! She is my paleo sista, and she keeps me going on days when all I want is a cupcake!) When I am not eating paleo I can feel a big difference in my energy level and my overall sense of blah. I hope that by sharing some of my recipes it can help other people stick to it, get started with it, or just eat healthier in general. None of the recipes are mine unless otherwise stated. I compile my recipes from pinterest, other paleo websites, and paleo cookbooks. It is a plethora of recipes, so I plan to do posts occasionally as I have time. I lost 16 pounds in my first month and a half or so with paleo, so I am a firm believer. It's a lot of work and can get a little pricey from time to time, but it is SO worth it. I'm a confirmed paleo believer, and I hope to share my love of it with other people!