A Couple of Recipes

Sweet Potato Salad

1 lb sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 medium red apple
1/2 small red onion
1 avocado
2 limes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 handfuls of roasted pumpkin seeds

Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Let cool. Mix apple, onion and avocado with cooled potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, add olive oil and squeeze in lime juice. Toss together, adding pumpkin seeds last. About 4 servings. It is yumm

Also, easy and pretty straight forward but I though I'd add it while I was here...

I don't like Kale but I do like cabbage so put together it was pretty good.




Turkey Sausage with kale and cabbage.

I cooked the sausage first, then sauteed the kale and cabbage in the pan until it just began to wilt; added back the sausage and let that all simmer up for a few. It was pretty good.

Two New Recipe Sites and Two Days Left

Hi All,

Well, it's hard to believe how quickly the past 28 days have gone by and that I only have 2 days left of 100% Paleo. Things have gone so well this time, that I'm a little nervous to try any sugar, dairy, grains, or legumes. I'm not sure it will be worth it. We also only have two more days left before vacation in the Dominican Republic, so I won't be posting for awhile....but, I did find two new Paleo Recipe sites to leave you with that both appear to have some amazing and tasty recipes....Enjoy!


Girl Gone Primal

This Primal Life

Oops, almost forgot to share this with you...

A friend at work gave me these recipes for homemade Lara Bars, check them out....

Larabar Recipe 1

Larabar Recipe 2

What is great is all you need is a food processor and some foil to wrap them. No oven needed. I may have to try making these this weekend for a little airplane snack for our upcoming trip.

How's it going?

It seems we have all had some busy schedules lately....so thought I would check in. I am on day 24 and going strong. Due to a busy schedule for me, I haven't had a lot of time to experiment with new recipes, other than a roasted cauliflower side dish from the Living Primal Cookbook that I whipped up the other night to acompany our steaks. It was fairly easy...roast cauliflower on a pan with a little olive oil and sea salt, dry roast some nuts (I used walnuts) for a few minutes in a skillet. Mix up a sauce consisting of coconut milk, tablespoon of olive oil, dijon mustard, a little sea salt and pepper. Then mix it all together. It was pretty good and beat my usual microwaved cauliflower in water.

Anyway, just saw this recipe for Sweet potato hash on the Foodee widget and am so making this this weekend.

Has anyone tried experimenting with new veggie dishes? Do tell.

Renee's before and after pics!

I had to share my before and after pictures. The picture on the left was from August 2008 at a cousins reunion party at my aunts house. The picture on the right is around April 2010 at a Mary Kay makeover party. I went sugar/flour free March 22, 2009. Pretty amazing what a year can make! I had been doing crossfit only a few months when the April picture was taken. I am way more buff now that I have been crossfitting for over a year.


I will be 2 years sugar/flour free on March 22nd. I have been pretty much eating paleo since July 2010. I have had no rice/potatoes/beans/artificial sugars and a very, very small amount of dairy since then.

I truly believe that I owe my success to being part of Challenge Fitness. Good workouts, good friends and lots and lots of encouragement from everyone there. I think being around people that are so athletic, in shape and healthy has made me want to be more athletic, in shape and healthy. I have made goals I never thought I was capable of!

All I know is that the chick on the left would never be running the Shamrock Run this Sunday and LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!

Thank you everyone for helping me become a healthier me. I know my family is appreciating it!

Renee

Checking In...

Hey,so how is everyone doing on their Paleo Challenge?
I just realized that tomorrow, I will be half way through (day 15) and can't believe how fast it has gone by. This is my second time doing a 30 Day Paleo Challenge. It seemed fairly easy to me the first time around, but this time seems even easier. One thing I am noticing myself doing this time is rather than focusing on the foods I "can't have", I am focusing on all the wonderful foods that I can have and many new foods and recipes that I've never had before. It's like exploring a whole new world. The other thing I am noticing is a huge improvement in my running (I think Kaci can attest to that). The first time I did the 30 Day challenge, my knee pain from arthritis improved immensely, but I didn't really notice any performance gains. Today, I am happy to say that we ran 6 miles at an average pace of 8:18 min/mile. My average for that distance has historically been around 8:45 to 9 minute miles. I truly believe that sticking to a Paleo Diet has been the key factor in this gain. Not only am I running faster, but my recovery has been amazing! I don't have all the aches and pains in my legs anymore that I was having before after running. It has been great!

So how are all of you doing?
Anyone notice anything positive? Negative?
Anyone try a recipe with a new vegetable yet?

Shepherd's Pie

...Renee style, topped with cauliflower mash. I sprinkled some smoked paprika on top and browned at the end with the broiler. This was a totally different flavor combination and was so good! Thanks for the idea, Renee!

Primal Energy Bar..

You are all doing great! Thanks to each one of you for all your encouragement and creative recipes. Please keep them all coming. This challenge will be better for all of us as a team.

Primal Energy Bar:

1/2 c silvered almonds

1/2 c pecans

1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 c almond butter (you could also use cashew, hazelnut)

1/4 c coconut oil

1/4 c almond meal (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or make your own in food processor)

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp raw honey (I didn't use this)

1/2 c unsweetened egg protein powder ( I think Mike just ordered more of this)

1 large egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c dried cranberries or blueberries (make sure they don't have added ingredients to them)

1/4 c unsweetened coconut to sprinkle on top

1. On a cookie sheet toast nuts and shredded coconut until golden brown.

2. Once toasted, pour mixture into a food processor and pulse until nuts are coarsely ground ( consistency of bread crumbs)

3. In a mixing bowl, melt coconut butter and almond butter. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth

4. Add vanilla, honey (if using) and sea salt. mix

5., Fold in nut mixture, almond meal and protein powder. mix thoroughly

6. Add egg mix

7. Fold in dried berries

8.Press mixture into an 8X8 pan

9. Cook in preheated oven at 325 for 10 minutes

10. Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining 1/4 c shredded coconut on top and place under broiler until top begins to brown.

11. Let cool for 1-15 minutes. Cut into bars

12. Store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers.

Enjoy

I also tried these (Paleo waffles) this morning after my long run with Patti and Mike. We all really enjoyed them.

Paleo Waffles

4 eggs plus 2 egg whites

2 T vanilla

1/2 c full fat coconut milk

1.5 c almond meal

1/2 c coconut flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 T cinnamon

dash of fresh ground nutmeg

2/3 cup organic apple sauce (I didn't have any so I mashed an apple in my food processor)

Mix all wet ingredients, except the egg white. Beat the whites to foamy peaks w/ a pinch of sea salt. Mix all the dry ingredients. slowly fold dry ingredients into the wet. Then continue to fold mixture with egg whites trying to preserve as much volume as possible. Cook in your waffle maker. Makes 5-7. I served with almond butter and fresh berries on top.

These saved really well. Good one to make and have last throughout the week. Gregg the kids will love these.

Sorry for the really long post. But I hope you all enJoy them.

ps has anyone found their recipe for the week?

Great Stuff Going On!

Hi All,
It is great seeing the interaction and support for each other. Shout out to Gregg who is down 5 pounds since starting Paleo! However, Gregg, please make sure you are eating, so you will be able to stick with it. We are ALL rooting for you!

Renee is right when she said that dinner can make a great breakfast. I think we all get tired of eggs everyday for breakfast and I actually had a leftover pork chop with a little bit of sweet potato and some cinnamon one day this week for my breakfast. It was great.

Reading the comments, I am posting the link to the Chicken Jicama Slaw that Renee is making. This does look delicious, and would be great to make a batch and have for lunch (or breakfast) for a couple of days.

Also, Mary sent me a bunch of links to some good Paleo sites, some with recipes, some with general information, so I am going to include those as links on the side.

Good morning fellow Paleo dieters,

So here I am today on day four with coffee. Kaci, it seems I took your advice inadvertently and have been drinking hot tea every morning. I have been getting headaches every afternoon which Patti pointed out to me yesterday was most likely caffeine withdrawal headaches. I can live with that. We are heading over now to do some hot yoga this morning so I don't buckle and visit my favorite coffee shoppe.

I love Kaci's idea about trying new vegetables and sharing our experiences. Last summer I joined a CSA and got some items that I had no idea what to do with. It was a fun trying to figure out what to do with them. I never quite figured out garlic scapes.

For the most part things are going good and I do believe that the elimination of dairy has made some changes.

Lately I have taken some time trying to make everyday comfort foods into paleo comfort foods and my paleo shepherd's pie was definitely a hit. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

1 lb grass fed ground beef (season it up the way you like it)

2 large sweet potatoes (I like to use the orange flesh for this recipe)

2 cups of mixed veggies, your choice (broccoli, cauliflower or be creative), diced small

1 TBS coconut butter

optional seasonings: salt, pepper, chipotle (added to potatoes, but be careful, a little goes a long way.



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and chop sweet potatoes and boil until fork tender. While potatoes are cooking, brown the ground beef and steam the veggies until crisp tender. Drain potatoes when tender, add coconut butter and any desired seasonings and coarsely mash. In a oven safe casserole dish, layer on bottom the browned ground beef, then the steamed chopped veggies, top with the mashed sweet potatoes. Bake 30 minutes or until potatoes start to brown. Enjoy!

Serves 4 or 2 with leftovers for lunch tomorrow!!

Expanding Our Vegetable Horizons...

So, Kaci just posted in the comments a suggestion that we each try a new vegetable this next week and make a dish with it and then share our recipe with the group. I think that is a great idea and am looking forward to this "challenge" within a "challenge". I actually just tried Swiss Chard for the first time this week and added it to the sausage and cabbage recipe that I made the other day as well as some beef stir fry that I made tonight. I was surprised that it was not bitter at all like collard greens often are. It tasted really good. I also found this link that discusses the benefits of Swiss Chard, including blood sugar regulation, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Swiss Chard

It is amazing to think of all the fruits and vegetables out there available to us that we have probably never tried. These are like unopened gifts and tasting them is like seeing what the surprise is inside!

If you have trouble figuring out a recipe to make with a new vegetable, simply Google the vegetable name followed by the words "Recipe" or "Paleo Recipe". You almost always should be able to find some site or several out there that has a recipe that will work.

Happy Eating!!!

We have a few takers....anyone else want to join the challenge?

I am so happy to have Greg and Mary joining in on the 30 Day Paleo challenge. I can't wait to hear how it is going for everyone. Anyone else who wants to join in, just leave a comment with your name and start date so we can cheer you on! I believe Renee is doing it too, which shouldn't be hard for her since she pretty much eats Paleo all the time and has just made it her way of life. I am on day 6 now and still feeling great. Good early morning run with Kaci this morning and then followed up with a workout and maintained great energy all day long! :-)

Here's what we had for dinner tonight, which Mike and I both really enjoyed....some more easy recipes at Everyday Paleo.

Sausage N' Cabbage "Noodles" with Fried Apples

I wanted something easy because we don't get home until late, so for this recipe, I actually used some fully cooked Chicken Apple Sausage that I got at Whole Foods, and I didn't put in caraway seeds since I don't know what those are. Other than that, I followed this easy recipe and made the Fried Apples as well, which were like a wonderful dessert! Altogether it took me about 20 minutes and only two pans! Easy cooking, easy clean up....gotta love that!

Kaci, Gregg, and Mary - I have added you as authors to the blog, so feel free to do your own posts if you'd like...helpful hints, thoughts, recipes, etc. or you can continue to just write in the comments if you're not sure how to do the posts.

Good luck on day #1 - Gregg!

Are we ready for a 30-Day Challenge?

So, last week on Feb 22nd I spoke at Priority Health Chiropractic on the Paleo Diet and promoting a 30-Day Challenge to everyone to give it a try. I know the thought of giving up grains, dairy, legumes and sugar seems daunting at first, but I know for many who have done it already they are quite surprised at how easy it actually is. There are so many wonderful real foods out there that you begin to experience that you don't even miss the "stuff" you were eating before.

I actually began my own personal Paleo 30-Day Challenge on February 23rd because I am going on vacation on March 25th and wanted to make sure I could be 100% compliant for a full 30 days before my vacation. So, I am now on day 5 and feeling great...no joint pain, better mental focus, more energy, faster in my running, and excited to have tried a couple of new recipes...

1. Crock Pot Paleo Pot Roast
This was so easy and delicious....only took me 10 minutes to prep.
2. Paleo Apple Muffins
These muffins were so good, moist, and satisfying....and hard to believe they contain no sugar or flour.

So, if anyone else is up for a 30-Day Challenge, I am happy to use this blog as a place to collaborate with one another, ask questions, share recipes, share experiences, support one another, etc. The previous posts on this blog are from the last time I did the challenge with 2 of the Challenge Fitness athletes, Kaci and Renee. All 3 of us did not start on the exact same day, but this tool helped us during our personal challenge to support each other and share our experience together. If YOU are up for the challenge, leave a reply in the comments section. Let me know who you are and what YOUR start date is. I am happy to support and encourage you when you are ready.

Eat Well!

Patti