Cupcake Goes Caveman

Wow. I really need to post...

SOoooooooooooo Much has happened in the last month or so since I have posted last! Good GOLLY Miss MOLLY! I I lost 5 more pounds... 4 of which were.. drumroll please........... ON VACATION! Do not ask me how that happened because I am HERE To tell you we had many, many, too numerous to count, less than desirable meals on this 18 day or so road trip. 

And Quite a few "planned cheats" as well! I am surprised we did as well as we did...........yes I am! 

Oh and this is who the "We" are that I am referring to... Emily & I! 

We hit the road on the morning on July 13th, and didn't get back home to Garland til the 30th!  We had us some SERIOUSLY BIG FUN too!!!!!!  

From Driving in the rain for days (while everything wilted and melted back here at home) to Emily's big adventure with a Beluga whale in Atlanta! 

Don't lets forget waking up at 4:45 am to watch the Sunrise off the coast of Isle of Palms

with my kid & wonderful sister Becky,

and long time friend Kari & her daughter! 

That was one of the best days yet!!!!!!!! 

Discovering the open door

at the "Caves"

was some big time adventure later that day........

The "caves" is an abandonded fort from back in the day that we all used to hang out at after visiting the beach when we were all teenagers. The place was open and there are tiny nooks and hidden doors and corridors and it was BIG SCARY FUN back in the day to bring your flashlight and creep around in them scaring the hell out of anyone else around! We LOVED IT!  ON past visits.. the place was locked up tight behind the fence. Today however it was open AND we found an open door. OHMY!

We stayed with my mom during the beach week and cooked for everyone at night. My sisters drove down from the Greenville area to spend the week at the beach so we could hang out together some.  That was nice!

Its been forever since everyone has seen Becky!  Emily fell head over heels in love with her. I think Emily was 3 the last time she might have seen Becky. 

Driving to see Miss Jacque was an impossibly long 3 hours... we could hardly wait to get our arms around our girl! 

LOVED, loved, loved spending the night and whole day with her! 

(she & Em are tuckered out after spending the day at the waterpark!)

It was all we could do not to stow her in the backseat with Emma and steal her away forever! 

The whirlwind weekend tour thru Greer, Rock Hill and then on up to Richmond about wore us out... but discovering the amazing park near my friend Liz's house made me DROOL!!!!!!!

I wish we had that kind of deal out here in Texas.. and all of it so lush and green!  Imagine Texans!!! GRASS THAT DOES NOT CRUNCH UNDERFOOT IN JULY! I swoon! 

And Goats!!!!!!!!!

Don't let me forget to mention those awesome Goats, and chickens

and great niece Amber & Nephew Troy

Oh my!!!!!!!!!!!

Loved stopping by their ginormous land-spreading-out-so-far-and-wide!!!!!!!!!!! And Emily really enjoyed her morning egg straight from the chickens........... um... poop yeah..I mean COOP!! hahahahah! 

Points if you can tell me which one of these is from the coop! 

And then............ it was on to see our little T-Ti .....

and rest and recoup a few days in one of my favorite places on earth - the Hatters house!!

(and Roanoake itself... ok.. to be super specific... Grandin.. ok. I am in love with Grandin. I admit it. I want to live there long time!!!!!!  if YOU have been there, then YOU do too!!!) 

And after a few days of feeding everyone and eating Ice cream at Pops,

and taking pictures of some precious feet

and cuddling with our baby Titus,

we were home-bound for Texas.... with one more good nights rest in Tennessee with some Facebook friends we finally met Face to Face! Waving HI!! to Chrissy, Glen and all the little kidlets!  We really appreciate ya'll letting us crash that last night and enjoyed your company,

and your little dog too!!!!

(hehehehe had to throw that line in.... more bonus points if you know what movie THAT came from! heheheheh)

I have to tell you though, that last two hours with the kid in the car about did me in! hahahahah!

 

She was a real GEM on the whole trip but we were both ready to GET HOME and GET OUR OWN SPACE BACK.... let me tell you!

Only we both arrived home with more "space" to move around in - which we have the Paleo way of living to Thank for!

Emily got started right away in Caveman Camp on July First. She surprised me right off the bat by not ever asking for ANY treats. Like NONE! I have to be honest here, .. in those first few weeks of the whole 30, I was DYING TO CHEAT. I would sneak a handful of 65% chocolate chips... or some tiny nibbles of cheese and grapes.. but NOT MY EMILY GIRL!!!!!!! Dang!!!!! I was SURE she was cheating somehow... but holy smokes within 5 days the kid lost 5 pounds, and there is NO WAY she was cheating if that was happening! 

Next thing I was worried about was her on the road trip. Now, if you guys are like we were, in the past... you know you pack a sack full of "CRAP" for the car trip.  We did too, sorta.... some freeze dried fruit snacks we happen to like, and a cooler full of her favorite homemade ranch dip, boiled eggs and some frozen grapes rounded out our "snack bag." That and a backseat full of water bottles.  And guess what? She NEVER asked for a snack.  I was ASTOUNDED.  And never got to whining or begging for one at night either, even as I sat there eating my two little chunks (ok... maybe 4 now and then) of Sea salt dark chocolate.  I was never so impressed with one of my kids. She is made of some kind of resolve.. that one. (of course I recognize this from when she is really trying to hold her ground throwing a toddler tantrum in the middle of Target... oh yes I do.. but I like its lots more in this arena!!!)   She is made of The Stuff, this one is!!!

So I need to get her current photo up........ taking it the next weekend I See her, so we can compare ... because the girl has lost another 3 pounds already since a week back, and her father has decided to let her continue eating Paleo at his house too... which is him being a total Rockstar!    I cant wait to see how far she can take this thing!  So proud of my sweet 16 year old!

By the way.......... she is the one who initiated this challenge.  Picking her up one day from her dads for the weekend, she snapped off the car radio and began by saying " Mom... I really want to eat the way you do. " and so we talked it through, discussed it with her father, and decided she could give it a try!  It was a very proud moment for me that she wanted this, and has embraced it and is actually a TEENAGER DOING IT!  WTG!!!!!!! Emma Girl! 

And eating on the Road  was a real whip let me tell you. Thats like a whole bitch post in itself... the lack of Good, Clean, Organic food on the highways across this country was just a disgrace.  Really... come ON PEOPLE..... lets DO THIS THING! 

So, What DID we end up eating? 

You'll be surprised when I tell you... really... but then People usually are when I break out my "Butter not bread" shirt.... hahahaha and my ever popular " I love Bacon" !!!   Heart attack on a plate! right? 

But no... what we ended up craving and eating a lot of was actually grilled chicken with some alfredo sauce.  I do not even WANT To venture a guess at what kind of unpronounceable crap was in the sauce at Olive Garden.... or think about what I was eating at Carrabas.... but whatever it was, it hit the spot, we educated quite a few servers, and snarfed down plenty of salad on our way to still losing weight.  So I'll have to give it that much. 

The highlight meals though.. and there WERE a few delectable ones mmm yes there were... came from Atlantas Teds' Montanna Grill

and Gabes ( I think was the name)  which I enjoyed with Liz & her daughter minutes before experiencing my FIRST  (& last.. hahahaha) Screamo concert

outside in downtown Villa Rica, were two favorites HANDS DOWN! 

We were extremely naughty at Teds and ate strawberry shortcake with ice cream for dessert- well.. Emily ate the shortcake I skipped it - it was actually too dry for me- she loved it)

The sauce with the strawberries though.......... was TO DIE FOR and the main course of Roasted Bison

was OUT OF THIS WORLD.  The green beans also were PHENOMONAL (but totally awful in Memphis!) Super highly recommend it if you are ever downtown in Atlanta. And why I say that is because Downtown Atlantas roasted Bison ROCKED... but downtown Memphis Tenn.'s Teds, DID NOT ROCK!  Weird. I know.. but the two were completely off from one another. Its totally all about the chef.. I am convinced.

We had, what I thought was, the most Amazing salad upon arriving in Roanoake at Wildflower market & bakery.... At least Titus thought so! hahahaha!

We enjoyed it SO MUCH that when we found one off an exit on the way to Tennessee a few days later we veered off specifically to eat there again!  However, we were sad to find out this particular one did not serve the grilled chicken salads... sigh*......... so we got back on the road again. Bummer!

But aside from those stellar moments... we survived on Steak- me, and grilled chicken- emily... and Salad pretty much wherever we could find it.  And Chick-fil-a grilled chicken salads.  Yeah.. we ate LOTS of those.  I have been home almost two weeks and have not had ANY of that thank you very much since coming home. So glad to be back in my own kitchen!!! (where nobody minds if the bacon is smoky and I can talk as loud as I want and don't get yelled at like Im a 3 year old!!!!!!! NAHHHHHHHHH! So there!)

And Cheating........... yes there was some cheating.  First .. its summer dagnabbit, and we do allow a little dairy in our new lifestyle.. so yeah.. Ice cream did come up now and then

(I puffy heart Pops!!! in Grandin forever!!!!!!)  but it was the GRAIN Cheats that really really kicked my ass.

In Greenville, we ate at Bin112 on our way out of town one night. I went there because they have organic and gluten free food.  Sounded good. LOOKED GOOD!!!  and Tasted good. I decided I would give some grits a little try, and a special dessert was on for both of us for having the guts to get in the car and leave that precious baby girl behind... so we drowned our sorrows in some decadent chocolate gluten free cake.

The one thing you have to remember is that GLUTEN FREE Is not grain free. In fact .. this was probably made with some other kind of flour.. maybe oat, maybe rice.. but certainly not almond.. which is what I eat.  I dont eat ANY GRAINS because I get sick.  And guess what happened.  Ohyah.  I was feeling PRETTY Nauseous and ill by the time we got into the car and headed on our way to Rock Hill. Maybe it was the grits........ maybe it was the cake............maybe I should have been smarter and not let my eyeballs do the talking! UGH!  But it was a lesson learned.  Um. Right?

Um...........no.  Stupid cravings struck me again the very next evening!  UGH! After Liz spent a good 40 minutes online searching good, organic restaurants for us to eat at in Charlotte on our way out to Richmond... we get into Charlotte, see a fancy ass pizza joint and in two seconds, we veer off the path to satisfy another stupid craving!  And oh my was that pizza good!!!!!! But oh MY GOD By the time I left, I was feeling soooooooooooooooooooooooooo sick. Ugh.  I really REALLY get the message now.  Grains, they are NOT for me.  Period. The end.

I was sick feeling and gross feeling for two more days.  And that, my friends, is SO totally why Im not going to eat them ever again.

Extreme reaction?  Why didn't I feel this way in the past? The answer is simply that in the past I was so bloated and sick feeling from so many awful things I was eating that I didn't know which awful thing it was causing it.  But when you eliminate all the things that are potential allergens; things that CAN and ARE KNOWN TO make people sick (dangerous kind of sick!!)  and then you introduce them back into a clean system.. well......... Its just like putting sugar in the gas tank!  Its going to eff a few things up!!!!!!!!!!!!  And you should pay attention.

And if you have problems........... little things you don't think even RELATE To your diet... annoying things like acne.... flushed red prickly skin......... eczema........... bloating & gas............. gerd............ a crappy lethargic feeling all the time................ bowel issues - especially RIGHT after a meal............. these are clues friends. These are signals that are telling you straight out that you are eating things you need to stop eating POST HASTE! Like YESTERDAY.  Because really.......... what are you doing that to yourself for?

That cupcakes not that good. Its a moment on lips, and forever on the hips. And cheeks, and esophagus, and liver, and I could go on and on... but I'll quit. 
I get the point, and that much is all I can hope for!

So......... I bet you are wondering what BOB ate while I was gone!? When the wifes away, the boys will play right?????? Did Bob go out to eat like a crazed man and snarf down beer and fried chicken? Um... I don't THINK HE DId... but I know that I left him with like 30 frozen meals, all hand cooked by ME, in the days before heading out, and that all but two of them were gone when I got home! So Bob .. that devil... he ate better than we did the whole time! That Lucky duck!

Ok............. I think that rounds out the Trip Review... the Restraunt Review.. and the Catching you mostly  up on the Blog post "view"............. so I Think I'll call it a day!  I'll post a little update on Emilys progress when I see her again in a week!  And in the meantime, I'll leave you with this yummy dinner we made last night.... .

It was a little outside our box... but we throughly loved it!  Hope you enjoy!

Brisket with Fried Eggs

 

And maybe someday I'll use my big mac daddy camera to take pictures of my meals. Yeah. right. probably never.. but yeah.  oh well!

 

 

 

 

Goal MET! Take that, Fat!

Yeeeeeehaw! That felt so incredibly easy I can hardly believe its already happened!! And... unfortunately.. looking at the mirror I can still see that even though the weight goal I set for myself has indeed been met - and trumped I might add by another 2.4 pounds lost today- the jiggle still remains in that gut of mine! Dagnabbit!

Of course I never intended to STOP trying to get rid of that jiggle at 135 pounds. I really just wanted to loosen up the reins a bit, and eat a little more summer fruit (YUM!!!!!) and not stress so much when I am out and needing food and not finding a suitable source.  So yeah........I'm super happy about meeting my goal, and I will let things happen from now on as they will, which I hope includes getting rid of this belly jiggle! ha!

As soon as this moving house crap gets all behind me I'll try to have Bob snap another picture so we can kind of compare things... wont that be fun? HAHAHAHAH! ~ not!

Speaking of which..........its been a real challenge moving in to a house that did not have a working stove, fridge, oven, or sink.  Try finding food in THAT scenario. And before you get snarky and say " Cave men didn't have any of that..." remember that they could build fires wherever they wanted to, and gather whatever whenever... which clearly, I am not! ;o) In fact our grill has not even arrived yet (its been like 6 weeks people .. seriously.. are you INVENTING a grill from scratch or something???) so I cant even TRY to use fire to cook!  So, what have I been doing for food?

Sending out my hunter for Coffee from Starbucks every morning for one thing!  Facing the day surrounded by BOXES that need to be taped together, filled, unfilled, torn down and then re-taped together again for the 3rd time in a week is daunting without a LARGE, JUMBO Dark Coffee, I tell ya! 

Then I managed to get our shakes made once we got the fridge hooked up. Yippee!  So that solved breakfast........... but lunches were  a lot harder! I discovered that Chick fil a has a great salad .. even though I DON'T dare look at the ingredients in the blue cheese dressing... or worry about what I'm sure is a ton of sugar sitting on that delicious southwestern chicken... It sufficed in a pinch twice in a week! 

Dinner out for steaks and sweet potatoes, and lunch at the Company cafe rounded out our meals on the go.. and we must have done well, because I lost weight. OF course........... that was probably the 45 billion trips back and forth with boxes from apartment to truck to House to rooms back to apartment repeat repeat repeat in the 100 degree heat. Maybe? HAHAHAH!  But in any case, I didn't always like what I found to eat, but I did not starve. 

I also have to tell you I freaking feel SO awesome. Listen, you dont know how awful you felt .. I mean it, til you get a few months of this under your belt. 

I am not gonna lie, those first couple of months there were some annoying things (aside from everyone on on the planet (practically)making "that face" and shaking their head at me when they find out I eat BACON to lose weight...) annoying things like Headaches when you don't eat ON TIME!

And I found for me Its super important to eat a carb AND Protein for sure every single time. Eating just fruit on the go does not last and gives me the shakes. And a massive headache. But then I know people who eat normal and get them when they don't eat so that's not really due to Paleo.

I also got annoyed at how hard it freaking is to find good effing food.  I feel sort of "awful" when I have to eat something now that I KNOW Is bad for me.. even if its lettuce at some nasty fast food place I was forced to eat a salad at out of desperation ( you know I'm not talking about chick fil a.. I love that place).  I chewed that salad feeling like I was eating worms. Ugh. I'm sure that was all mental.......right? I just had to try to forget everything I have read about that company and deal with it. But I promise you that stabbed me to my very soul.
When you are passionate about something.. it never stops getting to you.  And about that place, I am passionatly against. UGH.

Anyhow.... I feel so DAMN GOOD now. I don't even have the allergy symptoms anymore that were bugging my nose. My skin on my elbows and heels were so chapped and dry all the time too, something I attributed to being older, and GUESS What.. NOT!!!!!!!!! Look its smooth as a newborn baby's butt~! Take that!  I did have a massive run in with some acne on my chin two weeks ago, but I think that was STRESS to the max since the house thing was falling all apart, I was in school for the first time since 1985, AND I cheated one day and ate some brown sugar........ SHAME ON ME..... I know but I got zapped with some stupid zits within days and I am 100% sure it was my own damn fault.

Wanna feel this good too? EAT BACON! Hahahaha! And grass fed Meat, free range chicken, eggs (yes the entire thing please) cage free omega 3 is important and STOP EATING FAKE FOOD!!!!!!!! No SUGAR, yes you can do it. Just because its LEGAL to eat sugar does not mean its not exactly like a drug. Stop feeding it to your babies and to yourself. LOVE yourself enough to be big enough to say Dammit THIS STUFF IS STUPID!  And don't eat it. You wont die. I promise. And you might be back in those jeans from high school in a year! How about those APPLES! mmmmmmmmmm apples..........

I think I'll go eat one right now!  Organic Pink Ladies are oh so good!  I'll be back later hopefully with a photo of the New Little-er me! TTFN!

 

The things you learn...

Ugh. Did you know that it takes approx. two weeks to LOSE two pounds you picked up just because you had a busy night and went to eat a Tiny thin pizza and some ice cream?  So no losing weight and getting closer to the goal for nearly three weeks after eating the offending items. Its hard to decide if its "worth it"... but then I rationlize that well.... I DID get back to where I was, and I know how to control it.. but it is still annoying... these things  you learn.

So... Im finally back to where I was BEFORE the drinking & Pizza at Apes' party, the busy night we went to eat a pizza, and the craving for some haagen daz that finally got the best of me.  *sigh sigh sigh*.  I'll live.... but I hope to get closer to the goal by NEXT weekend!

That is........if this craving for Chocolate chip cookies would ever end!

(and ps... I so totally HAVE to get me one (or three!) of these shirts! My birthdays coming up... Hint hint! hahahahaha!)

Wow!

I am so excited!  Its so awesome to hear that some of you are going to give Whole30/Paleo a try!!! I am so happy for you..........and I hope your change is as awesome a time as ours is!  Please please email me if you have any questions about anything we have experienced.  I am here for ya!

On that note, I wanted to share a few things I've discovered we eat alot of... and some tricks we've discovered on the way to help with things that have come up.  I hope they will help you, and if you want to share some things with others, do feel free to comment !!!!!!!  I am so happy to have cavemates now! heheheheh!

AND, I'm excited to say that Emily is going to be one too!  When I picked her up one weekend, she got right in the car, and turned off the radio and started asking me questions about it! I was floored! And proud of my kid!!!!!!  And so happy she wants to eat healthy!  And even MORE Happy that her father has actually said he would support her in it too! Soooooooo proud of both of them! this is such a big thing!  I think Emily will probably start her Whole30 days in July though... but hopefully she is making better choices in the meantime. 

So........one thing you want to remember when you start your whole30 days.. is EAT! Bob often skipped meals before he started eating like a caveman, and it will nail you fairly quickly with a good sized headache if you don't. And if you want to lose weight.. you actually need to EAT. MMMMM I have no problem with THAT one either. hahahahah!  But in that regard, you do want to NOT eat the sweets! Hahahah~!  And by that I mean the fruit!

Anyhow.............. Finding time to eat is hard for some of us. What I have discovered is to go ahead and make extra while I am chopping and preparing the meals. We purchased a Food saver a while back that was just sitting there in the closet, when I realized i could be putting it to good use! Yes.. of course, you can use tupperware, but what I have found out for my own personal self is that the freezer bag food that has the air all sucked out of it, comes back to LIFE as if I made it that second!!!!!!! in those freezer bags.  In the tupperware.........yuck. It tastes like old leftovers. SO for meats you want to save... I'd go ahead and put one of those things and use it all the effing time.  Like this chili I discovered the other day.. Ohmgod. I ate that for three days. and If you know me at all you know I DO NOT EAT LEFTOVERS!!!!!!! I usually hate them. But freezing it and eating it a few days/weeks later............tastes like i just made it! mmmyum!

So yeah to save yourself some time, make twice as much, and then in a pinch when you dont feel like cooking, viola! You have dinner in the freezer!

Something we have a hard time finding alot of is cauliflower (organic I mean).  And I have to tell you we probably eat that about every other day at our house. So buy 3 when you find them!!!!!!!!!! and eat em! Unless you have an unlimited supply. I have a hard time.  What do we do with all of that? Mostly... "Mashed" like potatoes. OMG..................so good.  I've got a fab recipe ... but bob hates sour cream so I adapted it for us but either way its still awesome... so I'll share.  Emily inhales these. If we are all 3 eating, I make two heads of it so we can all get some!

Mashed Mock potatoes (Cauliflower)

One or two heads of cauliflower

glass dish and saran type wrap

two or three tbs of real organic butter

better than bullion

*optional full fat organic sour cream

Wash, then Chop into smaller pieces, at least one head of cauliflower and put in a glass bowl with a little bit of water. Maybe 1/4 cup.  Put on some plastic wrap to entirely seal it and microwave til its soft. In this crappy oven at the apartment its around 10-15 minutes depending on if I have one head of it or two in there.  Open up the wrap and poke it to check.

When its all soft put it in a Food Processor. Don't have one? You are so totally gonna need to invest in one. And a VIta mix or super duper awesome blender!  Anyhow... get your veggies on in there and put in one good sized table spoon of this miracle stuff called " BETTER THAN BULLION" chicken flavor. I have chicken, veg, and beef in my fridge right now. I use it all the time. Get some. Its in the better grocery stores on the shelf near soups.  SO one good sized dollop of that in the mix, with around two or three tablespoons of REAL ORGANIC BUTTER. Oh yesssssss butter......... mmmmmmmmm. And then flip the switch and get that stuff to mashin!  IN a few seconds really, it becomes smooth and awesome mashed potatoes.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Now you can also add in some sour cream here... around 1/4 a cup and then mix it up and put it in the oven for around 15 minutes.. that's also yum!  But we like it just fine without it. And since we are supposed to be paleo and dairy free.. why bother? Your choice its awesome either way. 

We also eat roasted veggies alot. New for me! I never would touch the things.. but April made some for our Holiday dinner and I actually LIKED them, so now, we eat them all the time .. usually with a meat ball or meat patty smashed on top of them in a bowl with a little gravy. If I wasn't full from my roast beef right now, I'd be drooling.........I swear!   Im picky though so I don't like too many types.. but what we do is Chop up cauliflower, yellow zucchini, and a green one, and a pepper if I have one around. I throw that in a bowl and drizzle on a fair swirl or two of evoo til everyones all moist and then sprinkle on some kosher salt and spices. My favorite spice is some italian kosher salt mix. I don't know where i even bought it, but man is it good!  I generously sprinkle it and stir everything up and then spread it out on a baking sheet. I have the oven on like 400 and bake it for around 40 minutes. Im still a vegetable newbie, so I like mine REALLY REALLY SOFT.. hahahaha.. so you bake em til you personally like em!  Then like I said.. we usually have this with some beef meatballs.. of which I have several kinds.  The other day I made a meatloaf with carrots and zucchini inside it ... that I had cooked til soft (after shredding) and hid it in the meatloaf. So we had TONS Of veggies for dinner that night! mmmmmmmmm !

We boil a dozen eggs every week, and keep them in a holder, still in their shells, in the fridge for quick lunches, and snacks.  I also make for lunch sometimes, a little egg salad. Yes, I eat Mayonnaise. yes its Hellman's. I have not been able to find a homemade version I like yet. However, I eat it very little.  Maybe two times a month if that.  :O) I peel three eggs, chop them up throw em in a bowl and toss in like 1/4 a cup of mayo or less really. eyeball it, with some s&P. Lunch is ready!  with a little bag of sea salt pumpkin seeds........ I'm good!

Bob eats almonds allllllllll day long it seems. We found these huge bags- no they are not organic.. and worse they are from Sams club... which is totally against my beliefs, but he goes through those pretty fast.  We WILL be letting our sams club expire when its over though. I am totally against Walmart, and will do whatever it takes NEVER to go in that store and support it whenever possible.  Walmart and the fast food places are all responsible for our low minimum wage in this country, and pretty much responsible for providing cheap food to feed the poor people that are forced to work there. Its a vicious cycle. And the only way they will get the point is for us to SHOW them we mean business ... that we MUST have a better workplace / minimum wage / life for those in this country. PERIOD.  AND the buck starts WITH US.
Anyhow.........off that soapbox.  Sams has huge bags of Almonds. But You can find good ones all over. Organic is best for you. Especially if you are growing small children. 

I am trying NOT to over do with much fruit.  I'm trying to reach a goal weight of 135 pounds and I'm happy to say I'm within 3 pounds of that! holycrap!  Once I get to that goal weight I may or may not add in more. Fruit is sugar...........no matter how you look at it. And one thing you want to do is STOP eating sugar because its reacting in your brain like a drug, begging you to partake of more. So really... try hard to limit it somewhat! :O) For the first few weeks on my whole 30 I was flipping out needing a sweet every night, when I would usually eat my ice cream or whatever. And now........... On my 4th month... I barely ever have a craving, and if I do, I can usually trace it back to eating a ton of something carby earlier in the day. Which triggers that little hotflash! hahahah! 

BUT We do enjoy this awesome shake for breakfast.. its pretty much Bobs morning meal almost every weekday. 

Banana almond butter shake- for one

One banana

One generous.. or two.... scoop of almond butter crunchy is my fave but I'll buy whichever

Almond milk

*protein powder

Some people use this some people don't. Its not paleo. but Bob is as thin as a rail .. so I buy him some. He needs as much calories as he can get. He doesn't eat enough to keep a fly alive. So we throw in protein powder for him. Recently hes been eating HEMP protein powder. We wont buy it again. its not his favorite. but we tried it b/c it was "real". 

SO toss the banana chunks in a blender (we have a single shake size one for this purpose easy to clean and ready for one person at a time) then the scoop or scoops of almond nut butter, then pour in some milk to cover it.. honestly I dont know how much .. when we are done we have a nice dinner glass full of shake. Then pulverize it all up... pour in a glass and throw in a straw! mmmmmmmmmmm breakfast!

Sometimes I dont need another thing to eat for 4 more hours. Sometimes I need an egg after two. This is a yummy quick breakfast!

I try to really eat two eggs and bacon (3 slices) for breakfast. that keeps me fed for 4-6 hours. Super yum. But sometimes I want a shake!

Fruit water is something I always have in the fridge too. I slice up oranges usually, and have a special jug (got a new one since my photo previously that keeps the fruit in this section in the center of the jug). one orange and a whole jug of water is Sooooooooooo yum !! I love it. And I don't miss the sugar in the least!

Bobs been craving lemonade I made on Easter. So I keep a jug of that in there for him too. but it has honey in it.. so if you are looking to lose......... stay away, friend, stay away!   I cut two lemons in half, and squeeze out the juices through a strainer. Then I add around two tablespoons of honey - to taste.. and water... to fill up my little jug (its the one I had the oranges in before ) and then I shake it all up!  He loves it!  and two lemons does the trick!

Another quickie kind of lunch thing is a sweet potato. You can tote that anywhere you'll be that has a microwave.  I bring  a cloth napkin along with my clean potato and then poke several holes in it, wrap it in the napkin and toss it in the microwave for 10 minutes. That usually does the trick!  I pack along butter, salt & pepper and BACON which we usually have in the oven, premade for salads and THIS !  I looove my sweet potato with bacon, butter and S&P (and somehow by a miracle I lost 18 pounds eating this, oh yum!) because it "cuts the sweet" in the potato. Im a newbie to sweet pots. I have never been a fan.. but I AM NOW! YUUM! 
I keep 4-6 sweet pots in the pantry at all times.

We make bacon a lot . Paleo is on the fence about bacon. Some eat it, some don't. We eat it! Gary Taubes says he eats it so........I'm eating it! hahahah! I probably buy 3 pounds a week.  And we make it in the oven, which is something I never did before but LOVE now. We make this foil covered tray and I fold up little ridges in the foil to drip the bacon, and spread it out on the pan. It goes in the oven at 400 degrees for anywhere from 15-20something minutes. Depends on how thick. And for the love of all things bacon.. MAKE SURE YOU ARE EATING UNCURED Organic-y type please. :O) we do not need nitrates! Oscar mayer makes one......but its so thin and it tastes like YUCK. We like applegate farms and Whole foods brand.  I usually start the oven first thing in the morning and run around 6-8 slices on it. It goes in the eggs for breakfast, and then salads or potatoes later. It keeps in a ziploc in the fridge just fine!

And seriously... there is just something so effing satisfying eating slabs of bacon for breakfast and watching a weight watchers commercial! BOOYA!!!!!!

There are probably more things I need to tell ya.............but I need to get back to editing for now... I hope this helps you out in any case! And please let me know if you have some tricks you want to share with me! Im always looking for something to eat a lunch........my least favorite food of the day!  And one more time......... WELCOME to the Cave!! Im so glad you are here!

 

 

She couldn't have said it better.......

America is an overfed and undernourished country.

About 80 percent of the population is considered overweight, and almost one-third is obese. According to the National Cancer Institute, serious diseases that are linked to what we eat kill an estimated three out of four Americans each year. These diseases include heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some types of cancer, and diabetes.

So food is killing more people than anything else in America.

What is going on? Who is responsible for this gruesome situation?

For years, we have inadvertently been in a collaborative mission along with food and agrochemical companies to get cheaper and bigger foods, and we all did a simply terrific job. By making "Cheap" the main virtue in our food system, we dedicated our dollars to feeding ourselves in a totally wrong way that has deteriorated our collective health but also created a monster food system. Our behavior as consumers was, in my opinion, a key success factor in creating a Frankenstein that took over the health and destiny of most Americans.

What we eat has been the problem, and I think we now have a great opportunity to transform it into the solution. The best starting point to properly solve a problem is to clearly define it; therefore we should take a look to some definitions.

Real Food: I define it as food that is free of synthetic hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Food produced with integrity, using clean and fair farming practices, developed and harvested by socially and ecologically responsible farmers. Today, these transparent food systems represent less than 2 percent of total U.S. agriculture.

Frankenfood: It is an obvious metaphor in reference to Frankenstein, which means food that is engineered and processed to be more appealing and profitable. I consider Frankenfood to be any food that is not Real Food. Today, Frankenfood represents about 98 percent of the food produced and consumed in America.

Mercenaries: For the purpose of this article, I call all marketing people using their talents to create distribute and promote Frankenfoods in any way mercenaries. Many of them are highly educated, from world's best universities; therefore, they are extremely smart about achieving their goals while disguising their real intentions. As consumers, to be engaged in the food system, we must be very aware of them.

Food: Any substance or material eaten or drunk to provide support for the body or for pleasure. Usually of plant or animal origin, it contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals, and is ingested and assimilated by an organism to produce energy, stimulate growth, and maintain life.

It might be a good idea to ask ourselves, what is left from the previous definition in most food available today?

The problem we face as consumers is that Frankenfood is everywhere. No matter where we go, for the most part, that is all we find. When it's about food, America seems to be a country of huge contradictions. We use our tax dollars to subsidize food that is poisoning us and our children, also mortgaging the future of the next generations.

We go even further, taking our own money--yes, what's in our pockets--and giving it to food companies full of mercenaries that are producing Frankenfood just to maximize their profits. They also use the cash we give them to block any kind of change in agricultural policies, perpetuating the system to simply keep making money.

In case you did not notice it, fast-food companies are the great masters of Frankenfood, engineering and processing their products to taste and look great.

These companies are mainly powered by agrochemical corporations with big pockets, and their army of effective lobbyists in Washington is devising strategies to keep our subsidies and continue promoting more of the same products that have been contaminating our health for the last 50 years.

It is good to remark that the amount of food that we buy daily in the U.S. is so significant that at the same time that our collective health keeps deteriorating, we are also polluting the air as never before, contaminating our water streams in an outrageous way, and generating a tremendous impact in the environment overall.

Frankenfood companies have always had lots of marketing resources, so they have led us to believe almost everything they wanted.

I know it is awkward to discover that as food consumers, we have not been smart at all: We have been manipulated by the food corporations and agribusiness during the last 50 years, and in fact, our food-purchasing decisions resulted in very poor choices. However, we must now face this reality if we want a different future.

The good news is that what we eat matters big-time. Americans spend around $1.6 trillion annually in food; this is about 11 percent of the GDP.

Food is who we are. Real Food cleans. Real food creates positive jobs, helps local communities, uses sustainable resources, and most importantly, Real Food incentivizes life and well-being. The most effective and peaceful way to change the industrialized agriculture system that is killing our people is to simply stop buying Frankenfood and start supporting Real food.

Consumers' consumption is one of the greatest ways to evolve capitalism. Profits can make miracles in the corporate world. This is true change coming from within, and it is very handy, we just need to use it. If we demand food that is free of chemicals, the chemical companies devoted to agribusiness will starve and disappear in the same way rats abandon a building that is empty of all sources of food. At least they will be forced to reinvent themselves in a sector away from our food and bodies.

The revenue that we provide through our purchases is to Frankenfood corporations or to Real food farmers what blood is to the human body. Those who make it or break it depend exclusively on our food choices.

I believe that as consumers we must nurture a new generation of food producers that will eventually take care of us, in the same way a mother gives birth to a baby that at some point in life, when grown, will take care of her. Conscious food consumption is not only a great way to change our health and preserve our planet, but also a chance to generate new meaningful jobs in a very powerful industry. This is a precious opportunity to activate our economy through true, sustainable development.

Many people go to Washington to petition for change in food policies. I think that helps, however, I am inclined to believe that the current administration has some other urgent matters to deal with. Politics is the art of the possible, and in the current economic situation, what is possible for this administration seems to be very limited, so I will not have high hopes for significant food policy changes at the speed we need.

On a separate note, I know many people will argue these organic and sustainable ideas with phrases like: "How are we going to feed the world with organic agriculture?" so I say, a) organic agriculture seems to be more productive than conventional agriculture if we take into consideration all the real costs involved. And b) aside from this, shouldn't we start focusing on doing a better job of feeding ourselves before we try to feed the world? By the way, it looks like we have not been doing a good job so far, have we?

I feel that as consumers, we have somehow co-created this Frankenstein that is living among us. We should stop Frankenfood because we all deserve Real food. It looks like we now have the responsibility to pass the baton that we once gave to Frankenfood companies to the Real Food farmers.

Thinking about this food problem, I thought of this appropriate quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes: "I find that the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving." I would love to set our goal as a nation to transform together America's food system from Frankenfood to Real Food at pace of 2 percent per year. We should all be active part of this productive change, and we will surely live healthier and happier and be able to leave a better world for the future generations.

For more from Maria Rodale, go to www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com.

 

YOUR inner caveman

I bet you didn't realize it but you have caveman properties too.  You DO! really you do. The only thing is, you have let 2011 and all its busy, crazy, modern amenities take over the real you, is all!  So here.... raise your hand if this sounds like you...... (no you really dont have to raise your hand.. do it metaphorically.. )ok so here... lets pretend you get up in the morning, trudge sleepily over to the scale and step on it.

HOLYCRAPBATMAN!

Leap off.

Wipe crap from eyes. Blink a again. Step gingerly back on.

OHSHITE!  Its the same number, again. 

So you get off and you go "Man...." (here is the part where your inner cave man actually comes out, get ready for it ) you go " Man.... I really need to stop eating so much crap!"

I dare you to tell me that does not come out of your mouth.

So there. You already know the answer, and you knew it all along.

So what happens between the inner cavemans brain, and the action of reaching for something to fill the engine with every day?

What makes us decide its totally OK to eat CRAP all day long?

Are we making excuses?  Are we Lazy? Or is it really possible you know the answer to being the right, healthy size, and you (GASP!) just don't give a crap?

I wonder what happens to those people that tilts their brain that little percentage over to the realization that the answer is totally within their hands.  What motivated me to pick up the readers digest that day and actually GET what Gary Taubes said and DO IT? 

What will motivate YOU to do it?

How about starting small?  How about just removing all of the low fat items, the shelf items that are full of weirdly named foods that come out of the laboratory, and the sugar.  Just start there. Don't worry about potatoes, or pasta, (mmmm I Miss pasta sometimes....) and the cupcake or two, as long as YOU MAKE those yourself.

Do you think you can do that? Just skip the sugar bowl, the stevia, the splenda, the crazy pink package of cancer causing whatnot just for 30 days and see what happens?

Eat stuff you know the ingredients of.. in case you didnt know.. Haagen daz has a 5 ingredient ice cream! And everyone of them is something you would know! See.. I'm looking out for ya!

For 30 days try a little experiment... just a wee one, and see if you can eat some real butter, skip the sugar and make your meals. 

baby steps..................... I cant promise you will feel impressively amazing though; because in all honestly, the culprits lie in the very foods we hold back from our babies. Wheat, Peanuts, Sugar, Peppers.....

Think about that.. THINK about why we don't walk up to a one year old and hand them a peanut butter  and jelly sandwich.  GASP! There is SUGAR in that jelly, and HOLYHELL peanuts can be fatal! 

So why do you eat them? Because you CAN?
Because (puffs out chest) IM A BIG GIRL NOW! (struts around room all big assed).  Um. That's just silly.

You walk around all day feeling sick. Snotty in the head. Bloated. Gross.  And you don't know why. You stand in front of the pharmacy counter and doctor begging him to give you something for your acne, eczema, heartburn and godloveme the fat that surrounds your body like a prison.  And the answer, my friends..........is with your Inner Caveman.

You know what to do.  You just have to be big enough to do it.

And you, You can dooooooooooooo eeeeet!

So... yeah. Lately I have had some "Fail" recipes. I can tell you right now, if the pancakes do not have ANY form of sugar in them (not counting an oldish banana- those are pretty ok) Id skip them, unless you know how to add the honey or agave in without messing up the mix.  Blech.   And sadly, I'm finding out that tomatoes and peppers are nightshades for a reason.

Upon further thinking ... I had never ingested a pepper, except by force, until the year 2000.  At which time I discovered they were amazing!!!!! And coincidentally.... um.... my stomach problems started up a year later - wth!  So................... some of us may discover that things that are delicious can make you sick!

LOTS Of people love Heroin, WINE in excess, Crack, Cocaine and hallucinogens... but guess what... darn them, they cant eat those either.

You just have to decide if feeling freaking GOOD all the time is worth that two days of suffering over a stupid dinner you had yesterday with peppers and tomatoes. 

All things in balance, right?

I got my 30 clean days in and LOVED It more than a pepper. Or a cupcake.

Maybe you wont? That's cool

But you wont know til you  give it a chance.

Click here. Start tomorrow... its the FIRST Day of May!  A great day to begin your Whole 30, and if you hate it, you can have one hell of a party on May 31st! Woot!

And because I hate reading posts that have no photos.. here is some motivation for you.

These are some jeans I wore to a scrapbooking retreat less than a year ago. That really makes me smile!

But, My most favorite thing though has been belts.

I hate wearing them, mind you... but I have to because I'm too poor to go buy jeans every month to replace the ones that are too big now.  They are my favorite thing though because  I had bought a belt a couple of years ago that was a really LARGE belt. I had to pull it in only two notches. That means I was almost too big for even THAT belt. But before February was OVER (less than 30 days of eating awesome) I got to ditch that belt and pull out my medium belt.

And now.................Im about to have to buy a new belt. The medium only has one more notch all the way in and I have all this belt flapping around and I have to tuck it in. Oh yeah. I cant tell you how much that makes me smile.

I want you to smile too.  Happy last day of April.... HAPPY HAPPY First Day of May!

 

Holy Allergic Reaction, Batman!

So way back in 2001, I was feeling sick to my stomach all of the time. I happened to have an assistant at the time who was dating an Internal Dr.  I asked him for some advice.. did he think it was this,, or did he think maybe it was that..... he said, of course, if you give me some $$$ I will run some tests and tell you! ha! Of course, I did not take him up on that offer.... but I was wondering if it might be Celiac Disease... based on what kind of problems I had at the time. But since I didn't have money I just went on "living with it." Eventually a couple of years later I ended up in the ER getting food that was stuck removed from my throat.  And then the rest of that year the pain in my gut was so intense I had an ultrasound on my Gall bladder, but nope.. they never discovered what it might be (again because I did not have the funds for more tests... that whole Not having any insurance thing can be a whip!)  So............... in short, I just went on Living with it.

They had me taking a Prilosec every single day, and really that seemed to help for the most part Occassionally things got stuck, but I tried to avoid eating rice and chicken and steak ?? which often were the cluprits (remember - WITH the steak I was eating rice or potatoe.... which I know now was BAD!)

Flash forward to today........................ Innocently I am going about baking a Coconut cake for our Non- Paleo guests coming to easter brunch on sunday.  Before I could stop myself, I found the beater in my mouth and I was enjoying that lovely cake batter I have missed the last two months! MMMMMM !!! that was freaking Delicious!    I can still smell the coconut on my hands NOW as I am typing (that is strong stuff as far as smells go)  ... but I figured in any case, I would not lose any weight today, what with sneaking in the batter tastes... and Im totally ok with a sneak treat now and then so I went on about my day.

About 1 hour after eating the batter I was in the car on my way to pick up Emily for the weekend, and the strangest thing started happening!  First I was feeling SOOOOOOOOOOOOO HIGH! Seriously, I though wow!!!! Maybe I am drank a little too much VANILLA Extract or something.. hahahaha.. no really.. I was quite loopy, and I called Bob as I was pulling out of the parking lot to tell him that I think the sugar has me in its evil grips! Hahahahah!  And then, before I could make it as far as Northwest Hwy and 78 intersection I noticed my lips were SWELLING! like BIG TIME! I felt like I had gotten some free Botox or something !!!! I kept glancing in the mirror to see if they were actually blowing up - they did not LOOK like it - but I was sure talking funny! And THEN by the time I got to Centerville, my hands had swollen up so much I had Sausage fingers and I could not even MOVE my rings much less have mobility in my fat sausage fingers! I was Freaking OUT! HOLYSMOKES! What was going on!?

And then, it dawned on me.  There is FLOUR in that cake.  The sugar high, I totally understood... but the flour is a GRAIN... and I totally didn't realize what it might DO to me if I ate it! AND NOW I KNOW! I rode all the way to Nevada and it was a full two hours before I am now finally feeling normal. My fingers are still a little puffy but there is nothing more needed to convince me... I either DID IN fact suffer from Celiac Disease... (because eating a Gluten free diet is the cure!!!!!!!!)  Or I am and have been for some time, been allergic to Wheat and Grains!

This alone was enough to convince me I am doing the right thing for my body.  I am SO so happy we chose to do this. Im feeling so good about this life change.... and I urge you to try the whole30 day experiment so you too can see if your FOOD might be the very thing making you sick!

As for me............... I'm going to finish frosting the cake and make sure I don't even THINK about having a slice of that. And NOW I need to rethink what I asked Bob to get me for my Birthday in June. I think I'll have to just let that Strawberry cupcake from Spoons pass me by, after that whole experience!  Yeah.. I'm not dead. It didn't kill me, but it sure did make me unhappy. And eating a crappy cupcake full of sugar and calories was so totally not worth it to me after that.

Its all about choices.

Now, Im off to the kitchen to make Broccoli and cauliflower soup for my kid.. she is Super excited.. and Im not kidding. She actually LIKES broccoli. (I do not! hahahahaha)  For dessert, we are having a Paleo Strawberry shortcake. We'll let you know how that turns out on facebook! 

 

As I was Noshing on my black berry cobbler...

(and my apologies that I have no good food photos on my site... my apartment has no window light near the kitchen and my point and shoot is crappy for this job!  I'll do better when we move to a house I'm sure! hahahaha!)

And reading food blogs this morning, I stumbled across this site and I am totally in love with her!

She is SO momma friendly and totally shows you plain as day how to do this thing with CHILDREN, and WHY! I love, love, love her, and I hope you will grab a little bowl of fruit and sit down and give her a little read.I Think you will really enjoy her!

So, last night Bob and I tossed and turned and could not sleep. Its not like we woke up tired either.. I think we were just THINKING too much again because we spent the evening watching Fat head  (this is the blog about it he is funny great read)  on Hulu, and wow! It was SO good!

We saw Supersize me a long time ago, and in all honesty I don't even remember what my thoughts on the subject were.  However my outrage with McDonalds always makes me want to see what people are talking about concerning that shithole of a company, so I thought I would give FAT HEAD a try, since it DEBUNKS all the stuff in Supersize me.

You read that right..........this movie IS IN FAVOR of McDonalds. And I an endorsing it. WTH!? I know you are sitting there scratching your head with wonder, huh? HAHAHAHAH! Well then you have NOT been paying any attention to me whatsoever when I have spoken about McDonalds.

First of all, I seriously do not believe in their food because its just smells funny. Alright already, can you hear my daughter? She says my nose is not normal and I can smell things NOBODY else can.. but for whatever reason... I take it to heart that I was given a nose, like everyone else, to primal-ly make sure I eat only foods that are good. I dare you to take some rotten meat or cheese out of the fridge and NOT know in your heart of hearts that its BAD. You do not eat it because your NOSE KNOWS. Thats its purpose!  Go with it! So, ever since I had a kid............ and went to McDonalds ....... you would find me covering up my nose trying not to gag to death ! it just does NOT SMELL LIKE FOOD TO ME!

Now those french fries are a totally different story...............mmmmmmmmmm. However, even those have changed ... for the worse sadly.... and they don't even remotely have the same wonderfulness as they did back when WE were kids noshing on them. And if you want to know why.............. watch the movie.

Secondly.......... I HATE MCDONALDS MOST OF ALL Because McDonalds is 100% responsible for the minimum wage. Do you really think there is nothing at all wrong with the Minimum wage? I mean gosh.. lets look at it for a second. Who really works there? Our kids, right?
Well that sounds like Good Money to you if you are a teenager.. and rightly so I guess.  $7.25 an hour sounds fine for a little spending money on the side. (sure what planet are you on? but for the sake of argument, read on....)
But hey, what if you are an older person, maybe a immigrant, or person like me, for instance who never went to, or finished college.... you know... the ones who maybe " Manage" the McDonalds, or work there part time along with the 3 OTHER Jobs they have to have in order to Feed their 1, 2 or even 5 children.  They are likely to be the OTHER large amount that works in McDonalds, Taco Bell, ect ect ect....

So lets do some math ok........................ that $7.25 an hour works out to $290 a week IF YOU ARE ALLOWED TO WORK A FULL 40 Hour WEEK, which... if you ask around , and I promise you on this, is NOT HAPPENING.  The "forces that be" will do whatever on this earth it takes to ENSURE not only do you NOT work for them for a full 40 hour week, but you will not EVER get over time. Did you not ever stop to THINK about how come it works out so well for SCHOOL age kids to work there? (oh and this applies to Wally world too... ALL of this includes Wally world.......)

$290 a week works out to, (if you are lucky to have this as a FULL TIME JOB remember and very very few are) $15,000 a year. 

I wont ask you to comment in the section below exactly what YOU made last year.. but I will ask you to THINK ABOUT IT since your taxes were due yesterday, I'm pretty sure that number is Fresh in your head.

Was it 2 times that amount? or 3? or maybe 10? or 25 times that amount!?

And how "hard" was your year with all these problems we have been having... you know.. with the gas prices? And worldwide traumas? And maybe your kids were sick a lot last year, and you might have had to miss some work over it? Or your washer n dryer broke? Or you bought a new car... or upgraded your IPHONE 3 times and it cost you a fortune, or those vacations you took really tapped your wallet.....

Wah! boo freaking hoo. Be one of these people.

It may surprise you that I AM!  After paying for the studio, the photo labs, and all the other expenses that go along with it, (and having a house for another half of last year as well) I actually brought home a very very sad 4 figures last year.  I'm not even kidding here. 

So yeah.......... minimum wage is the reason that we suffer a VERY LARGE MAJORITY Of the time in this country.  If you care even the tiniest bit you will either pick up the book or watch the movie, FOOD INC.

I read the book. And thankfully it was on my kindle and I was too scared to throw it, because that would break it, because I spent 90% of the time wanting to throw things at People. People that are running those companies. People who are running our Government,  And each and every one of you who GO TO FREAKING MCDONALDS ensuring this craptastic shit will continue!!!!!!!! (pardon my french.)

The government... our lovely hand voted for collective group of assholes want it to stay Exactly that way too. And so do ALL of the fast food chains as well. It helps to keep us all right where they want us to be.

Oh look, your eyes have just gotten that sweet glazed over look, like Easter Ham.....so I think I'll stop now, and just hope with my fingers crossed that you will read or watch it, and at least become aware of things you may or may not be aware of.....  We are all grown ups here, and I think its sort of something Grown ups should do... you know.. BE INFORMED. Especially if you um, you know.. Vote or pay for shit. Or have a job, or want one, and all that jazz.

So speaking of glazed ham....... Easter is coming up this weekend. Mmmm ham....... pineapple.... deviled eggs...... Chocolate.... whoa... what!?  So I know you are probably wondering, just like My Daughter Emily is... exactly WHAT will be for dinner? OR more importantly IN OUR EASTER BASKETS!!!!!!!!!  What what what might that be like for the Caveman household!? I wonder! 

Well.......... we Will indeed be having uncured Ham, and pineapple.. cooked with honey and cinnamon which we gave a trial run to on QP day and LOVED, and deviled eggs of course, which are already part of our Paleo diet, so that's all win win.... and chocolate, well, actually IS my little treat now and then... at like 95% cacao, that is! hahahaha

Bob ate some the other day and spit it in the trash. I happen to love unsweetened chocolate.  I used to sneak off slivers of the baking bar when I was cooking. I don't know why, but I have always liked it!  So mmmm I do enjoy some now and then!

And we are having guests over that are NOT eating Paleo, so I am actually baking a coconut cake in all the traditional sense- which will be for SURE Loaded with fat!!!!!!!!!!  and sugar free coconut toasted on top! Because I WILL Skimp on the sugar as much as I can get away with, but the fat,..... well Fat is our friend, so we will definitely be enjoying some slices of THAT. 

We are also having our delicious Brussels sprouts with cashews that so many haters have dissed on facebook but man....................I have to tell you, these things are SO buttery and Delicious and crunchy and OMG The best. we eat every bite out of the bowl here. So please, don't knock it til you try it. I only tried it a month ago for the first time in my own life, and now I am craving it every week!

As to what will be in our baskets................................ I'll have to show you the post of that after Easter Sunday, so as not to spoil the surprise!  But I'm pretty sure nobody will be unhappy!

So, its my wednesday Day off, so I am headed out to get my walk on at a mall or something. I spent the last few days editing five million zits and eczema off a little mans face and while I truly appreciate that they bought the whole CD I Sure wish they had been feeding him Caveman style, so I would not have had to edit that off each and every one of his adorable faces!  hahahahah!  So I need a little break from this computer!

I hope you will take time to watch the Movies................. its like Tamara said to me on FB Last night... I only ask because I care.  And about you guys............. I do!

Have a Great day!

 

and ps.. the Cobbler was Good- but the berries could have been sweeter!  Pouring some heavy cream on them made the whole dish 100% amazing though! mmmmmmm yum!

 

 

Now that I know.

I have been neglecting the blog, and it makes me crazy! I have been posting in my head for days! But of course, work comes first and WORK is appreciated.. so I've been having to hold off on my thoughts... aside from the ones I have been spewing out there on Facebook, that is! (waving hi.. just me again, the little nutter freak! hahahahah!)

Listen.. I know we are sorta being "Extreme" to some of you. But I did not know about all of this stuff before, and "Now that I Know," its making a HUGE difference in my life. So I feel like maybe YOU don't know either.. and I want to share. When something is awesome, and makes sense... you want to share!  So pretend its like a really BIG SALE I'm sharing with you! A super Special Deal on LIFE If you will... and give my information a little tiny chance. Ok?  and if not.. just nod your head at me and give me that special smile reserved for the weirdo shouting on the street corner, and pat me on the head, just because you love me! ha!

So, hey...Look at what I had for breakfast today and tell me You too don't want to lose 17 pounds in two months eating this?

I KNOW RIGHT? Awesomeness! 

But I know some of you think you'd need AA Just to give up Sugar, and even though I KNOW You wouldn't,  just realize you can do it with less Zeal as I employ! You CAN remove or reduce a giant portion of sugar from your life and live to tell about it! 

So why should you?  Because you are concerned about what you feed your one and only body! Number one! And you are SUPER concerned about what you feed your children's GROWING Bodies! Right?  What really strikes me is that most of you are SUPER Nazis when your babies are born.

You breastfeed, introduce the foods on the dr.s schedule and you make sure (most of you anyhow... loving evil eyes directed to some of you that don't within my own family) you never feed the babies things that would harm or be bad for them.

UNTIL THEY ARE ONE YEAR OLD that is.........and then for some reason you all switch off your "Give a shit" button and start introducing Dr. Pepper, Sugared foods, and Crap that defies all definition of being FOOD (ummm read Fast food here) to your tiny little precious growing child!
WHY DO YOU DO THIS??????
What happens at ONE that makes it totally ok to start polluting and ruining the precious thing you were creating?

I struggle to figure this out.  I did it too, don't get me wrong, and with my babies I was a complete NAZI about their diets from the moment I thought about conceiving them.  But now, sitting here in my new found knowledge I'm completely dumbfounded as to why we stop.

But I would like to confide in you that yes... yes we CAN continue to feed our children wholesome, fresh, organic CLEAN FOOD without poising them and subjecting them to endless years of pain and suffering.  If you KNEW that from the get go... that all it really honestly takes is a good clean diet to end the eczema, allergies and disease, Why would you not just say " WHERE DO I SIGN?" 

I wonder?

Anyhow.... I'm here, reporting from such a place and I have to say WOOT! And WHOHOOO and WOW we absolutely love it here.  I have spent some time reading up on the Paleo diet and if its good for children, and how to manage it and its totally a doable thing!  Think 80/20!  80% of the time you feed your family a good clean, organic Paleo diet... and the other 20% of the time.. maybe school, maybe birthday parties and such... its totally OK to splurge!  Its ALL GOOD really!  You can have your cupcake and eat it too!

And then, by being a good example you can create those awesome dinner parties, and birthday parties with YOUR delicious wholesome organic foods and introduce your friends to it too and show that its so totally worth it to be this freaking healthy! (and we are!!!!! we ARE! )

I have NOT taken my prilosec since January 31st. I am doing FABULOUSLY. In case you don't know what Used to happen if I did not.. my food would get stuck in my esophagus and I would not often be able to get it past.  Once even had to be treated in a hospital just to get it removed.   They never really could tell WHAT was causing this.. but after talking to my mom, who had problems with that too,  said it was anytime she had white rice and chicken.

Well huh! for me.. it was that AND Steak ...... so I thought you know.. what if I am allergic to steak!?  Bizarre huh?  Well, after reflecting upon this now, when of course steak and beef are part of my life pretty much every other day ... I realize it was the things I was eating WITH THE CHICKEN AND BEEF that were upsetting my gut!  Rice and Potatoes!!!!!!! Holycrap!!  Since I have eliminated those things.. guess what? Nothings stuck. Ever. And the acid reflux? GONE!!!!!!!!!! Except... drum roll please....... for when I eat peppers WHICH !!!!! drum roll please again..........are in the same family of nightshades that Potatoes are in!

WELL I DECLARE!  Imagine The surprise!  And the happiness I feel, what with actually swallowing food and seeing it actually go where its supposed to! WOHOHOOO! If you know what I mean!

And that nasty cold / virus / flu crap that spreads around the world and facebook like wildfire... I have not had a single moment of it this entire year.  Nor has Bob.  How ABOUT those apples. And just FYI I have been out in population least you think we hibernate. I live around 5,000,000 teenagers here in the apartment. I have one of those myself.... and I work with kids pretty much all week- even ones at daycare!  So yeah.... I'm singing the "I don't have a runny nose" song!

Want to join me? heheheheh here have some Kool- aid! bwhahahahaha! IF you are not laughing.. you are not old enough to remember that whole thing... hahahahaha......

No seriously... I cant tell you enough about how awesome this is, and that you should try it too..... give it just 30 freaking days. You can doooo eeet.

And while you are.. come try this milk! (well cream!)

(sorry point n shoot was too close and photo sucks I cant be awesome all the time! hahahahah)

I found a supplier in Oak Cliff that sells honest to goodness REAL MILK!  I wondered how come you cant buy in it the store and of course !!! (Insert eye roll here) because they cant sell it since its organic and real and not controlled by the Powers that be (ie wal-hell? no wait... never mind). Imagine my surprise (mock horror here) . 

So anyhow... since probably most of us have never in our entire lives TASTED such a wonder you might want to know how it tastes!  I don't know!!! Hows that? HAHAHA!  I bought the cream... fresh yellow looking delicious smelling looking Cream because its what I use in my scrambled eggs... and drinking Milk or using it is pretty much frowned upon in the Paleo diet... we dont honestly use it much. But like I said... you CAN do this in any way you want to... you decide on your Nazi - ish ness... hahahaha.. and we like cream and cheese, so WE are keeping it in moderation. And only using the GOOD wholesome organic stuff....  ANYHOW..................... YUM!

Its so delicious and makes my eggs creamier somehow and GOSH! Just Delicious! So listen, hunt you down a place to buy some and do it soon especially if you are a milk drinking family. Please please please do not drink that fat free watered down nothing nutritionally valuable stuff ... especially from that pit of hell formally known as Wally world.  Seriously.

I found my milk at Urban Acres. Its not that far a drive for you DFW locals and while you are down there you can go walk around the Bishop arts district and help keep the artists alive down there by buying something and then you can stop in at Bolsa and eat lunch. OMG they have the best food. Really. You can also find it at some fresh markets on certain days.. sign up for some newsletters. Here is the one Im reading.......... http://eatgreendfw.bubblelife.com/community/eatgreendfw_newsletter/folder/352191

and I am linked on FB To Edens Organics; they have lots of information there too!

You can even sign up for a CSA at Urban acres.. and if you dont know what that is click here.

So............ why am I really against Wally world? I posted an article on facebook about it, but maybe you didn't see it or were busy so now... get you a beverage and a snack (try fruit! unless you want to lose weight in which case eat some organic almonds or sunflower seeds - NO PUT THE PEANUT DOWN! Peanuts are from the devil!!) and come on back to read.  And then watch this movie.

And then tell your friends you will not ever ever ever go to Walhell again. Or Taco Hell or the worst and most important offender of them ALL .................. Mickey D's. (here read or watch this)

your freaking children's bodies will all thank you for it forever. And ever. Amen.

Ok....................... I gotta actually go do some work today.  But before I go, look at whats happening on my Balcony!

HOLYSQUASH PLANT, BATMAN! I'm so excited!  I've never grown a squash before. I can hardly stand it Im so excited. And... even though my pepper plants really pissed and unhappy in this pot or whatever... Its actually growing two more flowers.  Like maybe in sympathy or something for the ones that died..but in any case, I'M EXCITED to maybe say I am growing some peppers too. Hehehehehe!

OH and before I go............ April and I discovered this awesome Organic restaurant called Company Cafe down on Greenville the other day and went to try it out.. and its AWESOME!!!!!!!  Kudos for someone helping those of that us that want to go out to eat and get good food that will nourish our bodies! I heard from the staff that the owner also owns a few Crossfit gyms.... so he is very familiar with Paleo, and eating clean and that just makes my heart grown two sizes bigger! I love him!  :O) and his gluten free chicken fried steak, too! WOOT!  So if you are in the area, pop by... they have breakfast, lunch AND dinner... those rockstars!

So, back to work with me.... I Hope you have a FABULOUS Friday! 

 

 

The evening in which I get a Lesson In Grains.

I made this awesome stew last night.  I got it from cooking light, which is NOT paleo of course.. but I can still use the recipes, and switch out things if needed. But this one was low in carbs and featured two veggies I had not eaten in a while(carrots and turnip) and one EVER (parsnip) and NO potatoes so I thought I would give it a go.  One thing it DID feature was Beer. A guinness in fact.  But in my mind, I was equating the beer with CARB count, and noticing that it only had like 10 carbs in the whole thing I was like "Whohoooo"... and went for it.

Oops. Is all I have to say.

The stew was Awesome. Bob's mother was over for dinner and while I am generally shy of trying out something new with a guest, she loved it too!  The problem came however, about 15 minutes after I finished eating.

Um. Boy was I sick.

Wth?  I went over the list of ingredients.. I have been eating ALL OF THEM WTH?And then the light bulb went off.  Um Beer is made with a grain, is it not?  And grains are verboten on this diet. For a reason!

So I googled it. Yep. Who knew?  Derrrr. I knew. Who knew that one of the problems I must have been having all along was our lovely friends "The Grains."  I did not!

See... part of doing Whole30 was to eliminate things that are known allergens from your diet. Then introduce one at at time, each of them into your diet again, and see What Happens Next!  Lots of doctors do this to patients and people do this sort of test all of the time to find out if they have certain diseases. I never gave it much thought, but now................ I am pretty darn sure that I should NOT be eating Grains!

Lets just say 100% sure.  I for SURE Won't be having any more beer!

I think the jury is still out on pasta... hahahaha. I have not been brave enough yet to try it, because I am still "overweight" and I want to get to my Ideal weight before adding that much of a carb into one meal.... but I AM going to try some, when I get there. (probably in like 2 more months at least, what with the way its taking its time to pull weight off me... damn the fruit! Hahahaha)

So... anyhow... yeah.  I got a Lesson in Grains last night.

Do you have any tummy troubles you are curious about?
Try the whole30 just to see.  Its ONLY 30 days. You can do anything for 30 days, can't you?

You might be surprised at what you learn!

(and btw, I always assumed it was MILK in the ice cream making me have a tummy upset. But I have now learned it was NOT the milk... since the ice cream the other day did NOT cause this to  happen! who knew!)

(and ps btw... in case you were wondering, Bob did NOT have the same tummy upset last night that I did... however he did have an increase in you know what all night. Which has been pretty absent since we started eating this way. So yeah.. his belly was not too excited about it EITHER.)

And oh... since a post is boring with no photo.... look at my orange!

I was slicing it for water last night.. when I noticed it was a little different....its so creative isnt it? No perfect little sections for this orange OH NO! hahahah! Orange after my own heart!

Happy Tuesday!

 

and pps... did you know that parsnips SMELL like bathroom cleaner, but taste really good in stew!? who knew!?