Cook Book Winners and Some Background Details...

I know you've been eagerly awaiting the results of my cook book giveaway.  Since you're on the edge of your seats, here are the winners...

Congratulations Jaime!  Your copy of Everyday Paleo is on it's way!

Congratulations Carmel!  I'll happily hand you your very own Make It Paleo soon!

Kelly, I put Paleo Comfort Foods in the mail for you today!  Congratulations!

Congratulations Fawn!  I hope you find lots of tasty ideas in Primal Blueprint: Quick & Easy Meals!

And a BIG thank you to everyone who asked a question!  There were some wonderful questions and I'm excited to answer some!  Let's start with a little background, that will actually answer some of your questions...

This is a picture of me before I heard about The Primal Blueprint, which happened in February 2010.  I saw an interview with John Durant on The Colbert Report.  (You can read about how I first dipped my toes in the water here, here, and here.)  I've never really looked back, although I've gone back a few times!  I love so many things about primal living and the benefits far outweigh the short-lived joy of a Butterfinger, so it really hasn't been that hard of a decision. 

Here I am October of 2010.  (Obviously it's October...we don't always dress up like this!)  That's nine months since I'd first heard about this way of life.  It's also after moving across the country, living with non-primal family for a month, attending a wedding, supporting my husband as he began a new position, and beginning to homeschool our kids. 

This picture is me in April 2011.  I was feeling pretty good and getting into a job that would use my brain again - in ways being a stay-at-home-mom just doesn't, which excited me!  I was still eating almost completely primal, but the things that weren't primal, weren't good.  I was "treating" the kids and I to a candy bar every week.  I was drinking Mt. Dew daily, often more than one a day.  And I wasn't working out in any regular way.  Not formal working out, not playing (one of the rules of The Primal Blueprint). 

This shot was taken in September 2011, after getting rid of the candy and pop and beginning Boot Camp Diva (about 2 months in).  It was as part of Boot Camp that I learned about paleo.  One of you asked what the difference between paleo and primal living is.  I used to think that paleo was just the diet and primal blueprint covered all aspects of life.  Now, I realize that there's not much difference at all.  One difference is that paleo tends to not include dairy, but even Robb Wolf said in an interview that if dairy doesn't effect you adversely, then it can be acceptable.  So, I might say that they're pretty much different sides of the same coin.  

Both paleo and primal promote not only a paleolithic food plan, but also have a paleolithic perspective on moving, sleeping, exercising our brains and finding balance in our lives.  Both are pretty outstanding!  

So, that's my story...and I think that's all I'll stuff into this post.  It's getting on the long side.  I'll add some links with the answers to your questions soon!  

1st Round of Answers
2nd Round of Answers

FREE Cookbook!

Who doesn't love free?  Who doesn't love a cookbook?

Seriously, let's work on getting me a free cookbook! 

Oh, you thought I meant you?  Well, how about this...After this incredible new cookbook comes out in October, I'll buy a copy for one of you!  I haven't done a give away in a while and I think this fall would be a lovely time to have one!

Go check out their website:  www.makeitpaleo.com! 

The top referring websites will earn a free book! 

So, this is me referring....go, go...go!

Thanks for the help!

And ENJOY the healthy living and INCREDIBLE eating!



Foods Around the World

A couple weeks ago we took part in a Foods Around the World lunch with some other homeschooling families.  Not only was it a lot of tasty fun to eat food from different places (at least for me - the kids weren't impressed) but we also made little poster displays to show off what we learned.  I know...fun, right?

But before you get to see those...let me tell you about the adventure of choosing our places and making our foods. 

Friday Fill-In #15

It's time!  Time for military spouses around the world to answer some questions from Wifey.  Are you joining us this week? 

Here are my thoughts...

1.What is the silliest get-up you have ever worn outside of a Halloween party? (from To The Nth)
I've been known to wear a lot of rather strange get-ups...just ask anyone who knew me in college!  Probably my top two are a scarf that I used to wear as a shirt under jackets or sweaters and the one time I wore a fake velvet nightie to a formal event I went to last minute...it shed the whole time!  There may certainly be other concoctions I'm blocking!  lol

2.What is something that you gave up in order to live the military lifestyle? (from Pennies from Heaven)
I'd like to preface this answer with this: Every decision we make sacrifices something.  The military life awards some things that other decisions I could have made wouldn't have given me.  So, although I've "given up" something, I've gained too...hopefully all of you recognize that in your lives as well.

Now, for my answer...
I've given up living near family (for now).  There are many times when I hear a friend say that Grandma watched the kids for the weekend and I'm jealous of that closeness.  But, I think I'm pretty close to our families in the ways that count.  We talk often, write emails, send cards and pictures.  All my parents read my blog to keep up with the kids.  So, we don't live near them, but we do try to remain close to them.  And someday we might live closer again...time will tell!

3.If money wasn’t a factor and you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? And why? (from Life and Times of a Displaced Jersey Girl)
I've always wanted to go to Australia.  I'd also love to go visit Mary in Germany, but don't know that that'll happen unless they stay there for a while...a long while!  I'm also totally psyched to go back to Disney World sometime in the future! 

4.If you were going to join the military, what branch would you join? Or which MOS/rating would you choose? (from And You Never Did Think)
I think I'd probably join the Air Force.  I don't know much about it, but my husband is a submariner and I don't know too many rates for women in the Navy.  And I know I don't want to be front lines...so Air Force it is, I guess!  You'd think my answer would be more educated, wouldn't you?

5.What is your favorite thing to make for dinner? (from Armendinger Party of 4)
Nothing.  I currently enjoy making nothing for dinner.  In fact, I'm pretty sure the kids and I will be eating healthy but simple when Scott leaves.  I made meatballs last night...balls of meat...and not a single child ate them.  And I see no reason in trying so hard when they're currently surviving on fruits, select veggies, and eggs.  Why should I go out of my way to try to be creative to get them more real meats and side dishes?  Maybe when I read others answers I'll find some inspiration, because I really do like to cook and bake...I'm just feeling discouraged by my monkeys. 

OK, on that note...let's go read what everyone else has to say...

Provolone Taco Shells

Tacos...something everyone in my family actually likes, at least on some level!  We used to turn to this easy meal relatively frequently.  However, since becoming primal and not eating taco shells (hard or soft) we don't eat tacos in any version very often now.  I still like a good taco salad and Scott doesn't seem to mind, but the kids have not embraced salads as meals yet.  They eat salad as a side dish, but not the main event.

Anyway, I came across this idea in a new cookbook I bought recently for provolone taco shells.  It sounded like something that could be a bit of a compromise between flour tortillas and salads.

The cookbook is called Grain-Free Gourmet: Delicious Recipes for Healthy Living by Jodi Bager and Jenny Lass.  It's not only grain-free, but refined sugar-free and low-lactose.  Sounds kinds primal to me...what do you think?

So, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay pieces of provolone cheese on it, leaving some space.  Let them bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges are crispy and the rest is lightly browned.  Then take the shells and form them over a broom handle lined with paper towels (or something like that) so they can harden and look like hard taco shells.

I didn't let mine bake long enough.  You can see that they're not browned and crisp on the edges.  Therefore, they didn't hold their shape.  They were pretty darn tasty though!



So, next time you're looking for a more primal taco or even just something new and different...have fun with these cheese taco shells!

Primal(ish) Pizza

Earlier I mentioned that we were going to have primal pizza for dinner tonight. I thought maybe you'd all like to try your own...

There are several recipes out there for primal crusts (ones that don't include white or wheat flour). I've tried Oopsie pizza and liked it, but it wasn't well-received by others in the family. I may try it again, though. I was pretty early in my primal days then and now I'm feeling more confident with ingredients I didn't use often in my pre-primal days.

Other than that, though, there's cauliflower crust and almond flour crust, which is what I'm currently making. The kids like it so I'm running with it! The recipe I use is from Comfy Belly.

(Here are some other versions that I have yet to try...low carber forum Son of Grok)


We've eaten pizza once a week for the past few weeks! Either Jace or Gracie has chosen primal pizza for their meal to make. Like I said, I'm running with it!

This week, Jace changed it up a bit, though. He wanted to try to copy something he saw on TV...a cheese stuffed crust that was so awesome it needed to be cut with a chainsaw!

We didn't get out the chain saw, but we did stuff the crust. I used string cheese and cut it length-wise into four strips and rolled it in. Well, Jace rolled it in. He did a good job, too...only a little leaked out.

If I do it again, and if Jace has his way we will, I'll try half a cheese stick instead of a quarter. But that's personal preference.

So is this primal? I'd say it's primalish. Many primal eaters don't eat cheese and this is certainly heavy on the cheese. Of course our pizza had pepperoni, which likely isn't found in many primal fridges. But, listen...I'm picking my battles and pepperoni and cheese aren't anywhere near the battlefield these days!

For our sauce we use tomato paste and water to desired consistency. I've seen others use slices of tomato. I wonder how a white sauce (butter and garlic) would be? If you try, let me know...I'll do the same!

And, normally, we make individual pizzas, but I thought it might be easier to stuff the crust of a full sized one. When we individualize them, Scott and I have more veggies (onion, mushroom, broccoli) and regular meats (chicken, bacon).

Blackberry Crumble and Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

During our unit on healthy living we foraged for blackberries and then made a crumble...mmmmm!

I didn't take pictures of the crumble, but it was tasty...trust me!

Blackberry Crumble (Thanks to yESiCan, from the Mark's Daily Apple forum)

3 cups blackberries

drizzle of honey

1 1/2 cups almond meal (I only had one cup left, so I used 1/2 cup hazelnut meal)

1 egg

2 Tbsp coconut oil

cinnamon to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the blackberries into a pie pan or small Pyrex dish. Drizzle with honey. Mix together almond meal, egg, coconut oil, and cinnamon. Crumble the mixture over berries. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes. Serve warm.

And, tonight...we had cheese stuffed meatballs. I could have these every other day! Check out the recipe at Wilderness Childe's fantastic site!

Happy primal eating, everyone!

Parsnips and Patience

You know how sometimes everything clicks. You hit every green light through town. Your kids said please, and weren't not whining when they did. They said thank you too, and you didn't have to remind them. Dinner didn't burn and everyone ate it.

Well, today wasn't one of them. It started out well, but after lunch things headed South. I tried to take a little nap while Tyler was doing the same. Jace and Gracie ended both our naps before long. In fact, I hadn't even fallen asleep yet. I cuddled with Tyler for a while, hoping he'd go back to sleep. But after a short time he decided to get up and play. The three of them quickly confirmed what I already sensed...I wasn't getting my nap.

I did boot them outside and watch a very strange movie this afternoon. So, that was nice. But then there was dinner. I tried something new. It didn't pass with flying colors. I'm not even sure it passed. The shrimp and scallops both got overcooked. The parsnips and carrots were flavorless. Ug. Scott, in his ever encouraging way, did let me know that the peas turned out really good!

Aside from all of that...there's Jace and Gracie's little attitudes. Jace has had a lot more downs than ups since turning seven. He's been rude and aggressive. I don't like it much at all. And when he's not getting scolded for that he's breaking into tears over something. Who knew boys were so emotional? (If you're saying, "I did," why didn't you tell me?) And since getting to WA he's had a few mishaps of the #2 variety...again. He'd been doing really well. (If you're not aware of his past issues, Jace and I dealt with "accidents" for over a year. We'd finally come out the other end of the issue, if you'll excuse the play on words, and I was cautiously happy.) Both times he's had problems he's been down at the neighbors playing and, apparently, unwilling to come up and use the toilet here or ask to use one there. If I remind him to try before he goes he usually does. However, if I don't remind him he doesn't do it on his own and today he had another "accident." I put it in quotes because I really feel like he's being lazy and not having accidents at all. That might just be my tired bitterness talking.

Anyway, after today he's not going to be allowed to play at the neighbors for a week. Gracie can't go down for at least tomorrow. She's grown her own little 'tude. She thinks it's perfectly acceptable to tell me what she's going to do, and not ask. After she's been playing with the kids down the street this little problem often becomes a big problem. So, she'll be staying home tomorrow too. Hopefully they can both remember how they should be acting. We know they know how to be good children. I just want to see it again. The proof is in the pudding.

Speaking of pudding...doesn't that sound good? And it would have fit in perfectly with patience and parsnips in my post title! Oh, well. I'll consider it an opportunity missed. Where'd that saying come from anyway?

Well, back to the parsnips. I'm convinced they should be part of our diet, so if you have a home run recipe for parsnips...please share!

Thanks for listening, or reading as the case may be. Here's to Monday...may it go better than today.

Not Me! Monday...Washington

If you are an avid reader of MckMama's blog then you know about her wonderful, freeing series

That's right...I'm about to write a little post about things I'd rather forget...or at least not admit to! Enjoy!

So, yesterday I might have witnessed (or not) something that I immediately wanted to post on my blog, but wasn't sure how without Scott scolding me. Then I remembered Not Me! Monday. Lucky day, lucky day. We ate on the porch and Scott was taking plates out to the table as I served them up. He didn't walk right into the screen and cause one plate to flop over onto the other he was holding. I didn't have to stifle a giggle when I realized what happened. (He he!)

And today, we're not off to a great start like only Monday can bring! The morning didn't begin with slamming doors. The children hadn't gotten up early (as in before I wanted to get up!) and decided to go in and out of each other's rooms...five, ten, twenty times. OK, I really wasn't counting, but...seriously, pick a room already!

After I crawled out of bed and showered I met the monsters head on. Tyler wasn't curled up on the floor while his brother and sister played loudly around him. I didn't pick him up and cuddle him close so we could both wake more slowly in the living room. There weren't immediate pleas for breakfast from Jace and Gracie...mind you, all before I was planning on waking up anyhow!

After I put the cheesy eggs on and the toaster down Tyler, who was waiting eagerly at the table by then for his breakfast too, didn't throw up. That's right, he didn't just vomit down the front of him after coughing and choking on his way-runny nose. He's not standing next to me now trying to lick more of the boogers leaking from his cute little nose. (Yes - I wiped it!)

Then, when I finally got to make my breakfast, I didn't set off the smoke detectors for the 4th time in the two weeks we've been here! I didn't even burn anything - put apparently I made enough smoke. What a morning!

So, I'm taking a break from my day to post this. I'm hoping that by posting it I can be done with all things worth denying and go on to have a great day! Don't forget to read other people's denials too. Everybody needs a good laugh on a Monday morning.

Galumpkis

I don't know if this will be frowned upon my my family, but I hope not! I was reading a post about cooking with love on Feel Good Eating a day or two ago. I was reminded of how I used to cook with mom from time to time. I remember a few times making galumkis with mom and Jody (my big sis). I commented about this on the post and was asked what galumpkis are. Therefore, this post.

I think everyone should know what a galumpki (gah luump key) is. In fact, a lot of people probably already make something like it but just don't have a cool name like galumpki! It's a stuffed cabbage roll. See, nothing too crazy. My mom's mom was from Lithaunia. There are other strains of Eastern European blood mixed in my veins too, but I think the galumki recipe is Lithuanian. In the end it probably doesn't matter so much because there are stuffed leaf recipes all over that region of the world, so if you don't have your own and don't like our family's...keep trying. It seems like something oughta click for you!

Ours, though, is simple and tasty. And, without further ado, here it is...

Grandma's Galumpkis

1 head cabbage
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup cooked rice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can tomato soup
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Cut out the core of the cabbage. Place the head into boiling water. Peel off the leaves as they become tender and loosen off. Cut the rib out of each leaf.

Combine the meat, rice, salt and pepper. Place a rounded Tbsp of meat mixture (or more if leaf is larger) on each leaf. Roll leaves from rib end, tucking in ends, to make bundles. Place bundles in pan.

Mix tomato soup and paste; dilute with cabbage water until you have enough liquid to cover bundles. Cover pan with aluminum foil or glass cover. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

I haven't made these since becoming Primal, but I think the recipe would be easy to adapt and wouldn't suffer for it. Drop the rice, use canned tomatoes rather than soup. I've even used other ground meats. So, play with it and make it your own...and enjoy!

Blackberry-Balsamic Meatloaf

Who doesn't love meatloaf? The food, that is, not the music guy. Everyone I know does. Well, except my kids. But they're hit or miss on everything, so I don't count them.

When I was planning meals according to conventional wisdom I replaced bread crumbs in my meatloaf recipe with oatmeal. Now that I'm learning about the ill effects of grains on my body I've decided to greatly limit them in our lives. That means meatloaf without breadcrumbs or oatmeal. With trying to eat healthier, no sugars, etc, that also means no BBQ sauce or ketchup. So, here's what I came up with. Sorry...I didn't take pictures.

Glaze:
1 Tbsp bacon grease
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp blackberry jam (pure, no added sugars)
2 tsp baby bam*

Meatloaf:
1 1/2 pounds ground meat
chopped red pepper, carrots, onions, whatever other veggies...

Directions:
1. Cook garlic and onion in bacon grease until tender. Add balsamic vinegar and simmer to reduce. Add Worcestershire sauce and blackberry jam to thicken. Stir in baby bam seasoning.

2. Preheat over to 350 degrees.

3. Mix ground meat and veggies together until completely combined. Smush into an 8 inch square pan (I'm sure a 9 inch would work too, or you could increase the amount of meat and make two loaves) and cover with blackberry-balsamic glaze.

4. Make for about 30 minutes, or until desired doneness.

MMMMMMMM

*Baby bam is a seasoning that I saw Emeril Lagasse use at one point. It's not as spicy as some other mixes I've tried and my kids enjoy it. Use it on veggies, meats, and in sauces...enjoy!

Baby Bam Seasoning Mix:
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
Mix together and store in airtight container for up to 3 months.

So, go ahead and whip up some old favorites in new and healthier ways! It's worth it!

Dressing Up Those Greens

I first mentioned going Primal in my post about my new trainer. By the way, she's still getting my heart rate up there! Have you started a new workout routine yet?

Anyway, the whole movement intrigues me! If you're not sure what it is...basically it's eating and exercising in the same fashion as our early ancestors, cavemen types. Ever since hearing about it a few weeks ago I've been reading a ton online about it and have incorporated some of the ideas into my life. I play more...which is great and the kids love it. Although it is hard to stay hidden in hide-n-seek when Tyler is standing on your back. But we're laughing a lot and I think I'm more fun than I was a few weeks ago. I'm also working out in primal ways, running around outside, sprinting on occasion, lifting heavy things. I haven't embraced going barefoot yet, but give me time...

As far as the diet goes, it's similar to other low carb diets, but I find it easier to wrap my brain around and it's actually very similar to how I was eating when I was looking so fine a few years ago, between Jace and Gracie. I've needed to find a way to get there again...I like this avenue and have high hopes for my health. Already I'm back to eating my eggs in the morning. It's amazing how much longer I feel satisfied than when I have a bowl of cereal! I've stopped having a pop tart for snack and enjoy an apple or nuts. I'm not missing my carbs. I have more energy and don't feel exhausted at the end of the day. I've even stopped wanting something sweet after dinner. I hadn't even noticed that until yesterday when I was putting dishes away and noticed the little bowl of chocolates up in the cupboard, set aside for after dinner, untouched for several days. So, even though the numbers on the scale haven't gone down yet, they're not going up anymore. That's a good start.

And I tell you all this to say that I'm also eating more salads, which I'd fallen away from. I used to love a great salad for lunch. And I do again. Eating primal means none of the dressings off the store shelves, not even the ones that are lower fat or whatever they're called. I've always thought that it should be possible to eat healthy without buying a bunch of cool packaging and low fat everything. Living primal claims to do just that. So, if I'm not going to eat Catalina or Ranch on my salad, I'm left with oil based ones, which I don't know a lot about. So, I found this list of 10 homemade dressings and I thought I'd share them with you all.

1. Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp of honey
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Method:
Pour vinegar in a mason jar or other container with a tight lid. Add honey and chopped mint, cover with lid and shake. If still too bitter, add in a bit more honey or Splenda to even out the flavor.

2. Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
2 tbsp grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Again, in a large mason jar or container with a tight lid, combine the vinegar, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and lemon juice. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking vigorously. Once mixed, add the walnuts and cheese and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste

3. Dill Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey (or 1 packet of Splenda)
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a blender, combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, dill weed, onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

4. Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a mason jar or other container with a tight lid, combine all the ingredients. Shake until all ingredients are combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil (it’s very important here to use fresh – it’s not nearly as good with dried leaves!)
2 cloves garlic, minced

Method:
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, basil, and garlic. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

6. Parsley Dressing

Ingredients:
3 tsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp chopped parsley

Method:
In a bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and onion powder. Once combined, add in the chopped parsley, mix thoroughly with a whisk and serve.


7. Lemon Caesar Dressing

Ingredients:
1 tsp lemon peel (finely grated)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp anchovy paste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a bowl, whisk all ingredients except oil and sour cream. Once combined, slowly add oil, whisking constantly until smooth (if you stop, the dressing could break). Once combined, whisk in sour cream until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

8. Asian Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp Asian mustard (should be easily found in the ethnic food aisle of your local grocery store)1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp sesame oil

Method:
In a bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, sesame seeds, mustard, sugar, salt, and garlic. Once combined, slowly whisk in sesame oil.

9. Ginger-Asian Dressing

Ingredients:
1 carrot, fresh, small, peeled and shredded
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp hot mustard
1 tbsp fresh ginger root, grated

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

10. French Style Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp white pepper, ground
1 tsp unsalted tomato paste
7 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup red or white wine vinegar
2 tsp water
1/2 tsp fresh chopped onion

Method:
In a large mason jar or other container with a tight lid, combine all ingredients, shake it up and serve.

All of these recipes are from Mark's Daily Apple which is by Mark Sisson. If you're interested in finding out more about living Primal, his blog is a good place to start. My favorite thing about it is that in the upper right hand corner you can search for something, anything that you want to know more about, and you'll be met with with a bunch of different posts that might answer your questions in several clear and helpful ways! Give it a look...

And try some of these dressings! I know I'm going to. We had the balsamic last night. Mmmm....

Simple Gifts

The DJ on the radio this morning was looking for ideas to make his wife feel extra special this Valentine's Day. Knowing what I want, and that everyone is always looking for ways to save a little cash, I called in and suggested that he take her by the hand...and go for a walk together. We live in a part of the country that is very beautiful and there are walking trails in a few places that I can think of. He laughed and said his wife would never go for that unless there was a reservation waiting at the end of the path. And he didn't play the idea for others to hear either. He wanted suggestions that were extensive and expensive. After all, for so many, how much you care is directly related to how much you spend.

Sad, really, don't you think?

Life is full of so many simple gifts. I'd love a long walk, hand in hand, with Scott this weekend. And, despite the DJs dislike of my idea, I think there are others out there who appreciate the simpler things in life. In fact I know I'm not alone. My little sister pointed me in the direction of several sites that celebrate the simple life.

Simple Mom - Live simply, stay sane. Life hacks for the home managers.
Simple Bites - Real food for the family table.
Simple Homeschool - Never let your schooling interrupt your education.
Simple Kids - Uncomplicated parenting in a complex world.
Simple Organic - Back to nature, back to basics.

Four of these five sites are brand spankin' new! In celebration of their launches all five are hosting a give away. Each of these give aways is packed full of incredible gifts that can help center us in our goals and help us lead simple, and incredibly rewarding, lives.

So, check 'em out! In the words of my little sister, "Good luck, but I hope I win!"

And enjoy your Valentine's Day, no matter how you celebrate. I think we're going for a family experience...a day at the Jacksonville International Car and Truck Show! Now, that's romantic! OK, maybe not, but the kids will have a great time and Jace and Gracie can take turns pushing the stroller so Scott and I can walk hand in hand.

Stuffed French Toast

I feel like I need to lighten things up a little. I don't know about you but all this chit chat about faith, selling houses, moving, life...it weighs me down after a while. That's what I tell myself when I get on the scale, at least. In leiu of a salad we had stuffed french toast for dinner tonight.







I'm not sure that counts as "light" but it did have bananas. That's something, right? And our protein came from nuts instead of red meat...I know, I'm grasping for straws.

Here's the real deal:

Tonight was Gracie's night to cook. She's an ambitious and excited little chef-to-be, but she is only 4 1/2 years old. Her skills are limited. Plus, she's not all that interested in attempting recipes that are too far from her faves...pizza, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, breakfast foods.

That's why this seemed like a good new thing to try. At least once a week we have either french toast or pancakes for dinner. Sometimes there are apples and oatmeal in the pancakes. Other times they're shaped like Mickey himself. But we haven't done all that much that's exciting with french toast...until now.





We first saw someone make these on Food Network. The woman (Terryl Garve) has her own restaurant and Bobby Flay thinks that her stuffed french toast is the best breakfast food he's ever eaten. Seemed like something we had to try.

Gracie and I decided on a simple egg mixture of eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla to mix our peanut butter and banana sandwiches into. Ms. Garves added orange juice and rum to hers. Sounds delish doesn't it?










Even without the extra sass of OJ and liquor, I do think ours looked pretty tasty. Don't you?

Gracie did.

Tyler did.

Jace did too.

Even I thought this was a winner of a recipe. Simple enough for a 4 1/2 year old to play a mojor part in creating. Decently well balanced with no green in sight. And yummy to boot!

Sadly, though, with everything it had going for it...I couldn't clean my plate. Whew!

Homemade

With the new year upon us we're all looking for ways to tighten our belts and purse strings. Even if you're like me and don't make official resolutions just because the year changes, you're probably still aware of all the talk about saving money, exercise, and eating right that is out there right now. These are three things I'm constantly trying to learn more about. Really I'm hoping that one of these times Scott brings home a lottery ticket it'll be a big winner and I can hire a personal trainer to guide me through workouts in my personal gym and a financial planner to make decisions that'll have us set for life and maybe I'll even take some cooking classes. In the meantime, though, I stumble through budgeting, saving, and the rest of it on my own.

With that in mind, I have two tips that have and do work regarding grocery shopping and saving money. When it was just Scott and I, and when Jace was little, I used to shop every 8 or 9 days rather than once a week. I found that once the kids were older I needed a more strict schedule, but I liked stretching the budget past a week. When I went back to once a week shopping I came upon another idea that I still use. I only plan 4 meals a week, at most.

I do plan meals, which I know not everyone does, but otherwise we might not eat! In planning meals I have a grocery list started (which we all know is essential to saving money at the grocery store, right?) and the other 3 days of the week we have leftovers or eat out of the freezer and cupboards. We don't get take out as one of the unplanned meal days. That counts as a planned day. Now, my job is made even easier by the fact that Jace and Gracie make a meal a week, so really I only have to figure out what we're eating twice a week! Cool beans, huh?

Now that I've imparted my wisdom upon you, let me tell you a little story about eating out of the cupboards. I like to leave you with a smile. I'll start at the end.

Last night Scott and I cuddled in bed, without injuring or annoying anyone (check here if you're thinking "huh?") and he said, "I hope this comes out right...I saw you put onions and garlic in a pan on the stove before I went outside. Then I came in for dinner and you put this slop in front of me that looked disgusting and I couldn't even see the onions and garlic that smelled so good before. But then it tasted so good. You're a good cook...somehow."

I was giggling the whole time he talked because I knew exactly what he was saying and he was right on. See, here's what happened. I've made spaghetti sauce before using canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Well, I didn't have any tomato paste, but thought it would probably still work, I'd just need something else to thicken it with. So I started with the onions and garlic, added a couple strips of pepper and a can of diced tomatoes. While I was looking around for something to add for thickness I came upon frozen spinach and thought to myself, "If I puree this and add it in no one will know how healthy this sauce is and it'll be thicker." You might see the flaw in my thinking, but I didn't yet.

I thawed and cooked the spinach, pureed it and added it in, quickly taking the 'spaghetti sauce' from red to a really gross brown green shade of yuck!

I panicked! I quickly put everything in the blender and blended, hoping the chunks of tomato would somehow overcome the intensity of the spinach. No such luck. I opened the other two cans of tomatoes that I had and pureed one and added the other whole. A little better, but still pretty gross looking. A quick search for anything red lead me to sloppy joe seasoning and carrots. I know, carrots aren't red, but they also aren't brown or green. I steamed and pureed the carrots. Yes, my blender got quite the work out! I added them and the sloppy joe mix. Brighter...still not red, but brighter and passable. Maybe just in my mind...but passable.

And it tasted good, so if I could get the kids past the color, well, we might be onto something new.

When it came time for dinner I decided that I wanted garlic bread, but I didn't have any rolls of any kind. We had a few pieces of bread left, but Scott needed them for his lunch today. So I mixed up a batch of drop biscuits, filled them with cheese. I served my spaghetti sauce over the traditional spaghetti noodles and sprinkled it all with shredded cheese, further disguising it!

And it worked. Everyone ate up and enjoyed! Whew!

Scott did admit further confusion brought on my addition of the biscuits. "I saw biscuits and thought biscuits and gravy, but couldn't figure out why there was spaghetti."

"The biscuits weren't biscuits they were garlic bread."

"I didn't taste garlic."

"That's because I forget about that when I decided to stuff them with cheese."

And that's the excitement of a non-planned meal at the Gebel house. Healthy and fun...it's like a game trying to figure out what the meal is! Go on, give it a try!