I've gone and done it now!

So Dawn... where have you been?  Well this past year has proven to be a long story.  The truth and nothing but the truth?  Shortly after I started my Paleo journey I became pregnant.  That unfortunately ended in a miscarriage.  SO, I started over and guess what... as soon as my body became healthy again I became pregnant again, but again I lost the pregnancy.  The doctors truly don't know why, but I have since been diagnosed with PCOS.  This explains why when I cut out sugar and carbs I quickly loose weight and become pregnant.  It doesn't explain all the miscarriages, but I am under a specialist now and my husband and I are very hopeful for a happy and healthy baby in 2014.  I was asked to eat regular with no special diets for a few months so that my doctors could watch how my body reacted to insulin so that they could see if the medicine they have me on to hopefully stabilize a pregnancy is actually working.  Now that my doctor has given me the all clear and everything is stabilized again I am switching my diet back to Paleo and I'm super excited.  The better news is that my husband is actually joining me this time too so we are going to eliminate gluten and sugar from our entire house hold.  We are going to become a real food, primal family and that is super exciting. 

 

My favorite dish of all time is chicken Pad Thai from a little restaurant in Roswell, GA.  I don't get to go there often any more because its a little drive from where I live, but tonight I think I've actually out done myself.  I have tried several Pad Thai recipes and tonight I pieced several of them together to finally out do my favorite Thai restaurant.

Now I know that rice is on the line of not being Paleo, but I figured for my favorite dish its acceptable.... No gluten in this dish and I used farm fresh eggs and chicken for the protein and doubled up.  I think I'm probably on the safe side....

I didn't take step by step pics of this dish because I had NO idea it was going to come out as good as it did.  I will come back and add them next time to help you guys along if need be.  Or just message me with questions. 

I hope if you make this dish you enjoy it as much as I did. 

Dawn's Chicken Pad Thai

8 ounces dried, wide and flat rice noodles (You can find these at Publix)
4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Juice and Zest of Two Limes
6 TBSP Soy Sauce or alternative substitute
1 dash of Sriracha or as much as you want for heat (its yummy!)
1 tsp good fish sauce
2 TBSP Coconut Oil
6 Scallions (green Onions) chopped with green and white parts separated
2 Tbsp minced garlic (more or less to taste)
2 Large eggs
1 1/2 cups finely chopped chicken (I roasted a breast in the oven with garlic, salt and pepper)
1 TBSP Natural Peanut Butter
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
chopped roasted peanuts
bean sprouts
extra sliced limes

Instructions:
Prepare your rice noodles as directed for stir fry.  Mine suggested just allowing them to sit in hot water for 10 minutes and then allow them to drain well... super easy!

Now prepare the sauce.  Combine brown sugar, lime juice, lime zest, soy sauce, Sriracha and fish sauce in a small bowl and whisk together with a fork until well combined.  Set aside.

Place eggs in a bowl and beat the heck out of them. :)

Place coconut oil in large skillet or wok and heat.  Add the whites of your scallions and garlic and cook for about a minute.  Add the egg and cook until well done and chopped fine.

Add in the chicken right on top of the egg mixture.

Then add your rice noodles on top of the chicken.... now go get your sauce and pour it over your noodles.... Add TBSP of Peanut Butter.  Mix well and stir fry the mixture for 2-3 minutes until heated through..... turn off the heat and throw in the greens from the onions and give the noodles one more toss.

To serve place a heaping pile of Pad Thai with a sprinkle of cilantro on top.  Serve with bean sprouts and chopped peanuts.  Enjoy!

I hope all of you enjoy this as much as I have.

Nacho your normal Nachos.... Nacholess Nachos

I needed a quick easy dinner and I wanted it to be Paleo friendly.  In the past on nights like this I would have made nachos for the family... but nacho trips are not exactly on my meal agenda these days do I needed to come up with something yummy and fast.  So here you have it... Nacho your normal nachos :) 

 

 

First you need to brown 1-2 lbs ground beef (depending on how hungry your cave man is) with chopped onion, garlic and homemade taco seasoning

 

While your beef is browning slice open and deseed your peppers.  You could use bell peppers quartered up if you like, but I use the little sweet peppers you find in bags in the produce department.  YUM!

When your beef finishes browning up scoop it into your

 peppers... oh man I'm hungry!

So I completely forgot to snap the before the oven pic, but here they are

in all their gooey cheesy goodness.  Of course I know some of you out

there are not cheese friendly so you can always bypass this option.

 

Oh my.... hungry yet?  Top with all your favorite nacho toppings and dig in. I used homemade salsa and guacamole and let me tell you I didn't miss a chip at all. 

If there is any interest I'll post my salsa and guacamole recipes on a later post :) 

 

 

Nacho Normal Nachos

 

1-2lbs ground beef

1/2 Onion chopped

1/2 cup Paleo Taco Seasoning (Or desired amount... we are spicy people)

1 TBSP chopped garlic or desired amount

8-12 Sweet Peppers Assorted Colors

Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shredded (Optional)

Nacho Toppings as desired

 

Combine ground beef, onion and seasonings in large hot skillet and brown.  Cut peppers length wise, remove the seeds and place on a cookie sheet.  Scoop browned ground beef into peppers and top with cheese.  Bake in 350 degree oven until cheese is melted.  Top with desired toppings and enjoy!





Homemade vanilla extract

I'm getting adventurous... Or so I think. This journey has taken me on the road that doesn't always lead to the grocery store. Indeed it has lead me to the liqueur store for vodka.  I've gotten frisky and decided to make my own vanilla extract.  Yep... starting some chemistry in my own kitchen... and I'm super excited.  The only downer is I will need to wait at least six weeks for the process to be complete.  Want to join me here is the SUPER simple instructions and a link to the place I recommend ordering your vanilla beans from.

Vanilla Extract:
One cool jar (I used a old olive oil jar)
Five vanilla beans for every one cup alcohol (bottom shelf vodka is recommended)
Time

Split open vanilla beans and place in jar.  Add vodka to cover the beans.  Allow to sit in a cool dry place for eight weeks or so.  Give a good shake every week.  The flavor will deepen the longer you let it sit.  Replace used extract with additional vodka to keep yummy vanilla extract on hand. 

Best deal on vanilla beans I found:  Beanilla

Eat your greens! Toasted Brussels sprouts with bacon

Brussel sprouts... most people go thanks but no thanks, but I personally feel these little guys have been long misunderstood.  Sure, they can taste horrible if you don't cook them right, but here is a recipe that I promise will tickle your tummy.  If you have kids get ready for these to be the first to clear the plate.  My kids love it when I serve brussel sprouts this way. 

First, wash and half about two pounds of sprouts and spread out over a 10X13 pan.  You don't want to over fillthe pan.  You want room in between the sprouts so they will roast not steam. 

Now drizzel on a couple tablespoons of good olive oil.  Everything is better with olive oil.

Now add salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Go easy on the salt though, because the bacon you are using will add salt with the fat.  Then use your hands and toss everything together well.

Cut 3-5 pieces of bacon into half inch strips and spread out over the top of the sprouts

Roast in a 425 degree oven for ten minutes then toss.. cook 15 more minutes or until dark brown on the outside.... then enjoy all the yummy goodness.

Watch out Waffle House - Crispy Sweet Potato Hash Browns

 

 

Let me just tell you that I've tried for a very long time to make good hash browns.  Mine always turn out soggy... never crisp... so if I wanted good hash browns I had to go clog my heart up at the good old Waffle House.  Well no more because yes my dear friends I have mastered the hash brown...thanks to a little Internet research of course.  And the BEST news!  They are Paleo friendly and Whole30 friendly!!! Yea me!  And yea you!!  Cause you know you're going to make these!!  Of course if your not on board with getting rid of white potatoes then you can use them in place of the sweet ones, but honestly sweet potato hash browns rock!

 

First step... peel your tater!

 

Then grate them... I hate washing my food processor so I just did them by hand.... but if you want the big old machine... go for it. 

 

 

Now here is the important steps.... rinse them in cold water until the water runs clear... about two or three minutes

 

 

Then you need to pour the drained potatoes into a clean dish cloth and ring all the water out you can... yep... get those arm muscles working....work it! Yes... thats my hand and yes, I'm still in my robe this morning... forgive me.

 

Finely chop half a medium size onion... or as much or little as you would like...

 

Toss the potatoes and onions in a bowl...

Crack an egg and toss it in...

Toss in 1/3 cup paleo friendly flour (I used coconut)

Mix it all up... with some salt and pepper

 

 

Now the fun part :)

In a large pan, heat up enough coconut oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan.

Heat the oil in the pan on medium high heat.  You want to make sure the oil is hot and will sizzle as soon as your hash browns hit the oil.  This is important because if the oil isn't hot enough your potatoes will simply soak up the oil.. nothing worse than soggy greasy hash browns.

Then scoop in your hash browns and flatten them out... you can make them big or you can make them small... your pick. 

Cook a couple minutes until crispy brown and flip over to cook the over side... 

Remove from pan and salt to taste.... add paleo friendly ketchup or hot sauce if you want... but get ready for your mouth to say YUM!

Crispy Hash Browns

One large or two Medium Sweet Potatoes (or potato of choice)

One half medium onion chopped

One egg

1/4 cup Paleo friendly flour (or all purpose flour)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Coconut Oil

Peel potatoes and grate.  Rinse potatoes with cold water until water runs clear.  Approximately 1-2 minutes.  Place potatoes in a clean towel and press dry.  You also need to ring the potatoes out to make sure to remove as much water as possible.  Add potatoes, onion, egg, flour and salt and pepper to bowl and mix well.  Heat enough coconut oil to generously coat the bottom of your pan.  Heat oil over medium high heat so that it is hot enough to start cooking the hash browns as soon as they are placed in the oil.  Scoop hash browns into hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until they are crispy brown.  Remove from oil and add additional salt right away if desired. 

Enjoy!

In the beginning...

Where do I start?  Most wold say the beginning is a good place, but where exactly is the beginning for me?  You see, I've been over weight most of my life.  In fact, I've been over weight for as long as I can remember.  In kindergarten I was the fat girl and I stayed that way all through school and even into my adult years.  I was the girl that people would make rumbling sounds when I walked by.  It hurt and its a hurt that sticks with you your entire life, though you won't let anyone for a minute see it.. because it simply feeds the evil that is inside them.

This pain lead me into years of self esteem issues, failed marriage, endless types of diets and more weight.  Yep, I'm a weight watcher drop out - 5 time drop out that is.  I've done Jenny Craig, HMR, shakes of all types and pretty much any diet you name, I've done it.  I've even exercised my self to death and sadly starved myself in desperate attempts to loose weight.  On every single one of these plans I lost weight.  I would loose twenty or so pounds and then I would stop loosing weight or get sick of eating what ever I was eating and the weight would stop coming off.  I even had a doctor tell me once that he had no idea why I wasn't loosing weight - that I should just exercise harder to increase my heart rate further and maybe that would work.  Sure.. thats motivating. 

Most people assume your fat because you are unhealthy and you just sit around on your butt all day eating food that is horrible for you.  The fact is, for most that isn't true and it certainly wasn't for me.  I ate less than anyone in my family and I moved more.  I have two kids one of which is two years old and anyone who has a two year old knows there is no sitting around eating bon bons.  Between the house and the kids I'm constantly on the go and trust me their is never a dull moment being a stay at home mom of two. 

Finally in 2013 I set out to figure out why I wasn't loosing weight.  For the first time I began to see food differently.  I learned about why certain foods, though readily available are not good for your body.  In fact, they are down right toxic.  I also learned how and why our body is trained in our society to crave sugar and how hormones drive this craving because our primal instincts can't modify themselves for today's sugar filled society.  I learned how vital my gut was to my over all health and how unhealthy my gut was and that I couldn't wait another minute to start the road to healing.  Food was fuel and without the right fuel I was killing my body with every bite.  Food could and would heal me and with discipline and education I could begin to heal my body from the inside out.  Suddenly, my journey was not longer about weight loss.  It was about healing my body and the bodies in my family.  Things had to change and they needed to change fast. 

 Now trust me here, before you start this journey... its a rabbit hole.  The more you find out that you were wrong about all your life.... the more you want to learn about whats right.... and you'll get angry... very angry that our food in this great nation has been allowed to become as poor as it has become.  America has allowed things into our food supplies that has caused cancer, deadly food allergies, ADD, ADHD, obesity, diabetes and the list goes on and on.  And most shockingly is ONLY the USA allowed these things to be added into our food supply?  Why?  For the bottom line.  Though, I won't get into the facts of all this in my intro, I will be providing information about this in future blogs. 

So what did I do.  Immediately, I started my own whole30.  I eliminated all Dairy, Sugar, Gluten and beans (including peanuts) from my diet.  Its alot I know, but trust me its worth it.  I begin to learn to eat "clean" and focus on putting nutrient dense foods into my body.  I made sure that I ate three solid meals a day that included big portions of healthy fats such as coconut oil and avocados, proteins and vegetables.  I didn't cheat because this was too important.  I focused on making my body healthy by giving it the the healthy foods it needed to begin the healing process.

As of today I am 22 days into my whole30 and I'm not looking back.  I've lost 17lbs and the best part is I've never been hungry.  I haven't been able to exercise because of the weather, but I now have the energy to get up and go.  I can feel my body healing.  My skin looks better, by joint pain is lessening and I have a easier time going to sleep at night.  My whole30 has turned into my whole life!  It has been life changing and there is no way you can convince me to go back to my old eating habits.  I plan to stick to this until the end. 

So thats what this blog is about.  My journey and my discoveries along the way.  I plan to share my successes, my tried recipes and information that I learn.  I invite everyone to join me.  I'd love to hear your stories and I'd love to help you start your own whole30 and  see what changes you can make in your life.  Trust me, you can't afford to wait. 

Recommended Readings from this post:
It Starts with Food (Book)http://www.amazon.com/Starts-Food-Discover-Whole30-Unexpected/dp/1936608898/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364321790&sr=1-1&keywords=it+starts+with+food

http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/