Courgette Frittata

The last time I made a frittata, it tasted wonderful but it was a textural disaster. (Read all about it here: ginger and shiitake omelette.) This courgette (zucchini) and ricotta frittata was on the roster for our Wednesday with Donna Hay blogging grou…
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PALEO Weekly Menu

Good morning! Good evening.

It took me over 2 hours to write this menu plan (and another post for later) because I got interrupted a bazillion times. There was some yelling involved…. Not sure if this post is entirely coherent, but here ya go

My favorite season it here! I enjoy all the seasons, but summer is my favorite because there are so many fun things to do… and I don’t know about you, but I usually feel healthier in the summer, too. I realize sometimes the heat can get to us and make us grouchy, but I think that’s a sign to just slow the heck down and relax.

Feeling anxious, overwhelmed? Along the lines of AA’s (or my grandma’s) mantra, “One day at a time”, I like this one from coach Chip Kelly: “Win the day.” I think it is helpful for when you are making difficult changes. You can’t do everything at once, and you might (you will) lose some battles along the way. But if you do your best with each decision you make, and pick up and keep going when you fall, striving to make each day a step further in the right direction, focusing on conquering what is right in front of you… well, it feels pretty good to know that when you lay your head on your pillow at night. Win the day.

So the light in this new kitchen is not so great… especially at sunset. On the left: $30 at Price Chopper. Beef, blueberries, and grapes were on sale. On the right: $26 at Whole Foods – just condiments and coconut and tapioca flours. I wanted some Tessemae’s salad dressing (because I sometimes get tired of making my own), but I couldn’t find any I’ll swing by Aldi for some other stuff today, too.

I’m back to packing lunches on camp days for my children. Things to make today or tomorrow to prep for the week:

roasted chicken thighs (for chicken salad and broccoli salad)
salad dressing
stupid easy paleo tortillas (going to experiment and try making these in the waffle iron because I could make 4 at once and I hate standing over the stove and am sloppy at flipping things… we’ll see if it is a success or royal mess).

Here’s the plan for the week.

Breakfasts:
eggs
homemade turkey sausage
avocado
blueberries (or coconut flour blueberry dutch babies*)
coffee
cream

Lunches:
deli roll-ups or chicken salad in tortillas (if they turn out)
chipotle deviled eggs
dill pickles
carrots or other veggies
fruit

Dinners:
Monday – BBQ chicken, salad greens, dressing, root veggie chips
Tuesday – salmon with mango salsa, roasted green beans
Wednesday – 2 ingredient slow cooker roast beef, salad greens, dressing, sweet potatoes
Thursday – broccoli salad with chicken
Friday – burgers and sweet potato fries
Saturday – TBD

*My kids usually request a “special” breakfast (i.e. not eggs) on days we stay home, and I try to oblige.

3 unrelated things:

This might be the year I start coloring my hair
I wrote something snarky here and decided to delete it.
I was just thinking… I used to only “cook” dinner every other night. Because we had enough leftovers for a second night’s meal when my kids were babies… Not anymore. An average of 2 lbs. of meat gets demolished at each dinner. And the kids are still little. Yikes.

Gotta go. Good night.
http://www.thinpedia.com/paleo-weekly-menu.html

Lately: Intermission

I’ve really been on a roll with the healthy eating and weight loss. I stepped on the scale and had lost 2.5 pounds! Karen just had a minor surgery to repair a hernia and she spent a few days recovering at our house. Although we cooked healthy Cook Smarts dinners, there was still a feeling […]
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Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting

I’m not labeling this cake paleo or primal, because well, it is not. But it is gluten-free, grain-free, and hopefully it is less inflammation-inducing than your typical carrot cake. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.Carrot CakeIngredients:1 cup raisins1 15-ounce can crushed pineapple (the whole can, juice included)1 pound carrots, peeled and shredded1/2 cup tapioca flour1/2 cup coconut flour1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup butter, melted4 eggs1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda3/4 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon allspice(add nuts if desired)Directions:Preheat oven to 350º.In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together well.Pour batter into a greased 9×13 pan or two 8×8 pans.Bake for 35-45 minutes.Cool completely, and then frost with cream cheese frosting.Cream Cheese FrostingIngredients:16 oz. cream cheese (2 blocks), softened4 oz. butter, softened1/2 cup powdered sugar1 t. vanilla extractpinch saltDirections:With a stand mixer, beat ingredients together until fluffy.Spread over cake.Eat and enjoy!

http://www.thinpedia.com/carrot-cake-cream-cheese-frosting.html

Buckwheat Tabbouleh Wraps

Today I started a brand new full-time job! That’s right, I finally get to pack lunches for myself!Lunch Number One: an avocado with a tiny container of dressing, baby carrots, grapes, Fruit & Nut Bars, and four incredible lettuce wraps.When Gluten …
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Strawberry Salad

Last night I invited my friends over for a “Happy Healthy New Year Party”, to kick off all our healthy eating resolutions with fresh fruits and veggies! Here are a few of the yummy dishes I made, starting at the top: Mediterranean Eggplant (from Eat To…
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Megan’s Morning Glory Oatmeal

Carrots are stealing the show this week. This recipe features the same flavors as morning glory muffins—shredded carrots, raisins, orange zest, coconut and walnuts—in oatmeal form. I came across it in Megan Gordon’s new cookbook, Whole-Grain Mornings. In the headnote, Megan calls the oatmeal “porridge,” which always brings Goldilocks and her three bears to mind. […]
The post Megan’s Morning Glory Oatmeal appeared first on Cookie and Kate.
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Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Spaghetti squash and fresh vegetables simmered with a quick marinara sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella if you desire – easy, cheap, gluten-free and perfect for Meatless Mondays!
This was inspired after watching a marathon of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but this time we actually decided to go to the nearest DDD restaurant, The Pit Stop which was featured on the show for their spaghetti squash primavera.

As a spaghetti squash lover myself, I ordered it and loved it and knew I wanted to re-make this at home. Super easy to make and you can use whatever vegetables you like – I used broccoli, carrots and zucchini but you can use asparagus, eggplant or bell peppers. To speed this up I made the spaghetti squash in the microwave which takes only about 8 minutes to cook, but if you have more time you can make it in the oven, the directions below are for both.
Of course, I had to top mine with fresh mozzarella which was just made and still warm when I bought it this morning! Leave the cheese out for vegan, dairy-free or paleo diets, nutritional info is provided below both ways. This dish comes together in less than 20 minutes, and you can easily double the recipe to make it 4 servings using a larger saute pan. You can also freeze this once cooked and reheat it in the oven for another day, enjoy!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe…

http://www.thinpedia.com/spaghetti-squash-primavera.html

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

The taste of chicken pot pie, in a soup!
It’s a blizzard here today and I’m snowed in! No worries, I have all the ingredients to make this soup and I thought I would share this popular recipe from the archives for those of you who are new followers. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to make it this week for your family, trust me you’ll be glad you did!

Chicken pot pie is ultimate comfort food and this creamy, chunky soup is loaded with chicken, potatoes, mushrooms, peas, carrots, corn, celery, onions and green beans in every bite. You can modify this with the vegetables you like to suit your taste. If you want to get fancy, you can serve this in hollowed out bread bowls or serve it with cut-out baked pie crust (extra points), but I often make them with these Easy Garlic Cheddar Biscuits.
This recipe requires cooked chicken breast. If you have raw chicken, poach 3 breasts in water for 15 minutes, then remove and dice into bite-sized pieces. This soup is super filling! One cup fills me up, but if you want a larger serving, I posted nutritional info for a larger bowl as well.

Leftovers make a great lunch!!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe…

http://www.thinpedia.com/chicken-pot-pie-soup.html

Pepper Cream Sauce

I have waxed eloquent before about my love of salt and pepper. Pepper, particularly, is the perfect condiment. But to be honest, this simple pepper sauce is pretty versatile. In the words of MFK Fisher, “the following recipe… can be varied according to the herbs and ideas you possess.”
The key is to add plenty of pepper, or your desired seasoning. I was shocked to find that in this one cup of sauce (all of which is pictured here) there is a full one tablespoon of cracked pepper. It makes for a very fiery, yet familiar taste. The vast quantity of pepper is perfectly foiled by the thick cream.

Pepper cream sauce goes well with vegetables, fish and meat. I used some of it as a salad dressing, too.
Pepper Cream Sauceadapted from Modern Classics 1 by Donna Haymakes about 1 c (250 ml)
The stock can be beef, chicken, vegetable, or any you have on hand. The cream should be heavy (35% milk fat or whipping cream). And the pepper can be substituted with your favourite seasoning. Just be sure to use lashings of it.
2 c (500 ml) stock1 c (250 ml) cream1 T cracked black pepper
This dish is part of our Wednesdays with Donna Hay blogging group. If you want to join us, next week we are making pickled carrots. Visit the others in my blogging group to see if they liked the recipe: Margaret from Tea and Scones, Gaye from Laws of the Kitchen, and Chaya from Bizzy Bakes.
Do you wax eloquent about your favourite condiments?
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