Why You May Need to be Grain Free! Watch & Consider

This five minute interview with Dr. Peter Osborne is worth watching. Some quick bullet points it covers:

• Typical gluten free diets include heavy amounts of corn and rice
• Proteins have been found in corn that are identical to proteins in gluten - the gluten-sensitive immune system reacts the same to these proteins, and don't heal
• Lectins, chemicals found in beans and seeds, act like gluten, creating leaky gut walls
• Leaky gut leads to more and more food allergies
• Seeds were created to produce and perpetuate life, and so they have protective chemicals to prevent extinction - when we eat these, they end up in our gut. Don't assume they don't harm you!
• Grains induce intestinal permeability and autoimmune disease
• Study published: 92% of celiacs did not recover on a "traditional gluten free diet"
• In comparison, often when a person goes grain-free, they are healed completely
• "Healthy whole grains" are promoted on commercials... but aren't healthy!
• Gluten is now tied to 190 autoimmune diseases!

My family has been 99% grain free since January (no gluten, dairy, or soy since last year), and it has worked wonders for my health and the activity of autoimmune disease in my body. PLUS, my basically healthy husband has lost 30 POUNDS (with no changes to his activity level - just food alone), has no more foot pain despite his 6-7 miles of walking on concrete floors at work each day, and more energy each day.

There is something to this, guys. Please watch and consider for yourself.

[Coconut Milk] Ice Cream!!!

We did it. We finally made homemade ice cream. My mom and dad got us the ice cream maker attachment for our KitchenAid mixer as a housewarming gift - almost FOUR years ago. Hey, at least we're finally using it right?? :)

Do you know what my #1 favorite thing is about this ice cream? The price. I would go to the grocery store and buy a teeny tiny PINT of Coconut Bliss for $5.49 plus tax. And that was the cheapest price around! This ice cream makes TWO PINTS and it cost me less than $3. Two cans of coconut milk at $1.48 each, plus a few items you probably have in the pantry.

And the taste and texture were absolute perfection! We made our first batch for a Mother's Day dessert - coconut milk ice cream with fresh fruit, yum! The next week we made a peppermint chocolate-chip version - still gluten-, dairy-, egg- and soy-free, and very very tasty!

Coconut ice cream with fresh mango and strawberries

Homemade Coconut Ice Cream


What you need:

2 cans all-natural, full-fat coconut milk (I love Taste Nirvana!)
2 TB tapioca starch
1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla
1/2 cup shredded coconut

For Mint Chocolate Chip version:
(1/2 tsp gluten-free peppermint extract)
(1/4 to 1/2 cup dairy-free, soy-free mini chocolate chips - Enjoy Life Mini Chips)

What you do:

First, freeze the part of your ice cream maker that needs to be frozen ahead of time. Don't miss this step, or you'll be so disappointed that you won't have ice cream until the next day. How do I know that... ;)

Open cans of coconut milk and pour 1/4 cup into a small bowl. Measure out tapioca starch and whisk into small bowl of coconut milk, until blended together.
Pour the remaining coconut milk into a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir occasionally, until milk begins to boil. Whisk in the starch/milk mixture and continue stirring until whole pot of milk is thickened and smooth - this will take one to two minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in vanilla (Mint Chocolate Chip variation: add peppermint here and mix). Pour into a heat-proof container and cover; put into the refrigerator to cool down and chill for four hours.

After ice cream "base" liquid is chilled (wait at least four hours), remove from refrigerator and get your ice cream maker ready.
According to your ice cream maker's instructions, start making ice cream! As far as I know, all ice cream makers are about the same - freeze the container for 18-24 hours, mix and chill your liquid base for at least 4 hours, then set up the appliance.
Turn it on first, pour your liquid base into the frozen container next, and let it mix and freeze and turn to ice cream - for about twenty minutes.

Ice cream in the making

You'll know it is ready because it will be fluffy and thick and creamy, like the best ice cream you've ever had - not like the smashed, packed ice-crystallized stuff at the store. I was so impressed!

*If you are making the Mint Chocolate Chip version, add the chocolate chips after twenty minutes and let them get mixed in well. It will cause a few "bumps" and "crunches" as the container continues to spin, but if you use the Enjoy Life Mini Chips, it shouldn't cause a problem.

Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream ready to go in the freezer in glass SnapWare

Try making this delicious dessert this summer, and come back here to tell me what flavor you tried. The flavor possibilities are endless! A little prep time, creativity, and you'll have homemade ice cream for just a few dollars and completely free of any chemicals, thickeners, or allergens! You won't regret it :)

[Almost No Effort Required] Paleo Breakfast

Who would've thought? Giving myself a break has resulted in more energy and more Paleo meals and snacks than not, this weekend. I'm here to tell you that relaxing once in a while, and giving yourself more grace, can do wonders helping you feel better :)

Over the weekend I was inspired by some items in my refrigerator and came up with a very flavorful breakfast. Another item I purchased on my little grocery store trip to help me have a vacation from scratch cooking everything, was a package of Al Fresco Sweet Apple chicken sausages. I was informed by someone else with a garlic allergy that they are garlic-free, and you cannot quote me on that; if you are allergic to garlic, please check it out for yourself before trying! But so far I have not had any problems, and I can usually tell very quickly if I've had garlic (not being able to breathe is a good clue).

I know this isn't a great photo, but it gives you the idea:

Sauteed spinach & onion with chicken apple sausage + squash with pumpkin seeds and p.pie spice and maple syrup + Earl Grey tea with coconut milk

It's pretty self-explanatory, but here is a short run-down. I've bolded the key ingredients:

Put the sausage(s) into a skillet to heat. Dice onion and put into same skillet, and cover with two handfuls of organic spinach. I like to use the cast iron skillet with a little bit of leftover bacon grease (uncured bacon if possible). The flavors that you will taste from that combination is amazing!

Let the skillet cook everything for ten to fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, put the frozen squash "cube" in the microwave in a safe bowl with a splash of water and cook for four minutes. Stir well, and cook for two minutes more. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin seeds and drizzle lightly with maple syrup.

One of my favorite morning beverages is Earl Grey tea with all natural, full fut coconut milk added as "cream." It is delicious! It gives a little caffeine boost without being as acidic or hard on the stomach as coffee. 

Don't get me wrong, I love me some coffee! I try not to have it every day though. To learn more about that, read this interesting post from The Paleo Baby. Then, read this recent article from The New England Journal of Medicine. With all the varying opinions and research out there, I think it best to make your own informed decision about coffee, make sure you're in control of your consumption of this "legal addictive stimulant" (Tom Hanks gets credit for that line) and have peace with it.

Make it a great week, friends!  :)

[Fifteen Minute] Paleo Lunch

So it turns out that "jumping off the wagon" for a few days really did me some good!
The other day, in the midst of my dabbling into the world of Cocoa Pebbles and rice cakes and Swedish Fish - all in moderation mind you!) I had a burst of energy and made a very respectable, delicious grain-free lunch. It took fifteen minutes total - you can't fuss about that!

Spicy cod and diced avocado on a bed of organic spring greens

Fifteen Minute Lunch: Baked Cod and Greens
Serves 2

*The speed of this lunch starts with having ready-to-cook cod. When you buy frozen cod, put it into the refrigerator when you get home (I suggest setting it in a baking dish - many fish juice leaks all over my refrigerator taught me that!). In a day or two it will be thawed and you won't have to mess with a water bath to do that.

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet (with rim) with parchment paper. Place cod pieces/filets on the paper, dabbing moisture off fish if necessary.
If you like, drizzle olive oil over the fish. Oil is not necessary, especially if your fish has some moisture to it, but it is optional.
Sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoon of the following on the fish:

• cumin
• cayenne pepper
• dried cilantro

Add a few turns of the pepper mill and a dash of salt to the fish, and put into preheated oven. Bake until fish is white (opaque) and flakes easily - ten to twelve minutes.

While fish bakes, fill plate(s) with layer of organic spring mix (or lettuce, spinach, whatever you like). Dice one avocado per plate, and set it to the side. When fish is done, lay pieces on top of greens dividing fish evenly between the two plates.

Wasn't that fast? You can modify the recipe using your favorite spices and raw veggies. It's a great way to get in some Omega 3 fats and quality protein (cod), vitamins and fiber (greens), and healthy fat (avocado).

Jumping Off the Wagon

You guys, I've jumped off the wagon for a few days. No, not by eating gluten, dairy, or even soy or eggs - I can't ever eat those things. Still no garlic or citrus or pineapple - that would not be good. Nothing I know will outright cause allergic reactions. I went to the store and bought a basket full of treats and snacks, and some of them are very definitely NOT Paleo. I needed some help getting me through this hungry/exhausted/frustrated/completely baffled week. Here's what I got:

Yes there are some grains in there (rice). And some outright un-Paleo, unhealthy, completely junk-filled Swedish fish. But the rest is not half bad right?  :)

See? I'm not perfect in any respect, and eating Paleo full time while trying to take care of your family and home, breastfeeding a nine-month-old, dealing with chronic illness daily "stuff," and freakish allergic reactions - well it just doesn't always work out.

Do you know how hard it is to find grain-free snacks that do not contain garlic? I would be all over some beef jerky, but it's got garlic. I ran into garlic or the vague "spices" term listed on so many ingredient labels. What is the deal with that?

Somehow, I got "glutened" or ingested some other allergen the other day. I am still completely baffled as to what it was. I know something happened because I had the worst reaction I've ever had - brain fog, complete and total exhaustion physically, emotional ups and downs, itchy, sinus stuffiness, joint pains, headache... Oh was it HORRIBLE! Hubs and I have been calling and looking up the manufacturer information for the foods we ate and still haven't come across a clue. (By the way, Kraft customer service is VERY nice! We called them about some uncured Oscar Mayer bacon -nope, it wasn't that-, and Hubs was on the phone for fifteen minutes including speaking with an executive! Go Kraft, you really are trying hard to be accommodating and sensitive to those with food restrictions!)

But it's been a tough couple of days. Whatever this was it threw my guts into a flare up and I have felt more than ever before that I am not absorbing anything from what I've been eating. Just getting up and walking across our tiny house feels like dragging a cart full of boulders behind me. I don't know how much it affects my energy level when in a flare like that, but I am still breastfeeding as well and I was dreading feeding Victory each time, because of how exhausted I felt. And that's not something I want to be feeling!

So.

I jumped off the wagon. I bought some food I can grab right out of the cupboard. And a few treats to boot. And I'm only sharing this so you see that I too, am human. I am learning that, particularly with Autoimmune disease and following the Paleo AIP, it doesn't matter as much that you're eating "perfectly," as much as it matters that you are dealing with stress and not putting unhealthy pressure on yourself. So this is my little vacation off the perfect Paleo highway, and I'll enjoy it, and get back to grain-free, crap-sugar-free soon.
I'm okay with that :)

Do you ever take a break from something in your life? "Jump off a wagon" that you intentionally were on to pursue health?
Sometimes it's more important to give ourselves grace and a little break, as long as we're still keeping health in mind. Pursuing health, especially when you have autoimmune disease, is a life-long journey, full of ups and downs and adjustments. What is important is to keep moving forward and brush off the guilt and tough moments.

Easy Egg-Free Turkey Loaf

It's finally the month of May! I love May, I always have. It's my birthday month, it's my second birthday [liver transplant] month, and now I get to celebrate Mother's Day in May too! And I remember as a kid, knowing when May rolled around that the sun was going to return to the Northwest and the school year was winding down. Happy thoughts!
But apparently the sun didn't get the memo this year... We have been having a terrible run of rain, wind, and COLD weather here. It's been a little disappointing. One of our local farmers' markets opened yesterday, and I kept looking out the window thinking of those poor vendors in the blustery cold wet street. Come on, spring, we need ya!
Anyway, this weather has called for some comfort food. I made a simple turkey loaf (egg-free!) the other day that has flavors hinting at Thanksgiving. Ironically, as soon as it was out of the oven the sun came out for a bit. That made me see that while this dish is hearty enough to be satisfying and warming, it is light enough for a picnic lunch in the spring and summer time.
Enjoy slices hot or cold, with a salad and sweet potato fries on the side. Yum!

Easy Egg-Free Turkey Loaf


What you need:
1+ pound 99% lean ground turkey breast*
2 leeks, white parts only (save green parts for making stock)
2-4 celery stalks, ends cut off (save leaves and ends for stock)
dried marjoram
ground sage
dried thyme
fresh ground black pepper
sea salt

*I suggest Trader Joe's brand. It tastes great and has NO additives. Be very careful when buying pre-ground meats; I've noticed many brands have "natural flavorings" listed in tiny print on the label, and that often means they have GLUTEN and other icky stuff!

What you do:
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Get out your favorite (smallish) loaf pan - I used my glass Pyrex 8.5x5.

Wash and trim your celery ribs and leeks. Slice the leek whites into small 1-2" sections. Do the same with the celery ribs. Put sections into food processor and pulse until minced and mixed together. If you don't have a food processor, simply mince by hand. Transfer minced veg into a large mixing bowl.

Grab your spices and start adding them in the mixing bowl. You guys know, I am not a stickler for precise measurements; I believe you should adjust seasonings to your own tastes and experiment - it builds confidence in the kitchen. You won't mess it up, because every time you cook it's a learning experience!
But to give you an idea, I'd say I added approximately 1/2 tablespoon each of marjoram, thyme, and sage, and about four turns of the pepper mill and a pinch of sea salt.
Note: When you add the marjoram and thyme, scoop the leaves into one palm and rub your palms together over the bowl. This releases the flavors.
Give everything in the bowl a good stir to blend.

For this next step, you'll want to remove any rings and bracelets you are wearing. Unwrap your ground turkey and transfer it to the mixing bowl. With both hands, start blending the turkey, minced leek and celery, and spices. Knead and mash it together gently until the turkey seems evenly seasoned.

Transfer the turkey to your loaf pan. Gently press it down to make the top surface flat - there is your turkey loaf! Put the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes; check; continue to bake for 10-15 more minutes as needed.* It is done when the top is starting to brown and the juices are running clear. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy!



*Note: Because I used a glass loaf pan, which conducts heat differently than metal, if you are using a metal pan your baking time will probably differ. When you make this for the first time, you'll want to stick nearby the kitchen and keep an eye on the loaf to assure it doesn't over cook.


Other Suggestions: This dish is perfect as one of those "cleaning out the refrigerator" recipes because you can add a variety of vegetables and seasonings to take it in different flavor directions...

• To enhance the Thanksgiving flavors, add some small dice of butternut squash or sweet potatoes and top with turkey gravy (homemade turkey stock + coconut flour)
• If you can tolerate nightshades, perhaps try an Italian version with minced bell peppers, small dice eggplant, shredded zucchini and Italian seasoning, with homemade Marinara tomato sauce
• Pesto version with pureed basil, garlic, chopped pine nuts and olive oil
• The possibilities are endless... What ideas do YOU have? Please share :)

Slow Cooked Carnitas (Roast Pork) with Two Fresh Salsas

The hubs and I just finished an incredible dinner. Our house smells like Chipotle - no, actually it smells BETTER than Chipotle. And coming from me (#1 fan) that is a high compliment! If you don't have a freakish allergy to garlic (my new problem), go there. I know you'll like it. They serve real food fresh, fast and made to order, all while keeping integrity in mind by using sustainably raised meats from great farmers and local produce when available. Chipotle rocks.

Okay, back to our dinner. Tonight I made a Carnitas-style pork roast from a boneless pork leg roast I got at the farmers' market. The pig it came from was raised on a farm literally right over the hill from our home. The pigs roam a 40 acre area and eat good feed plus all the grubs, worms and whatnot that they find in the wooded area they wander. I have to say, it was the best pork I've ever had! It is true: Happy animals make yummy meat. It feels great to support local farmers. Do you have a farmers' market where you live? Check out this website to find out: Local Harvest

mmm... carnitas...

This roast is super easy, I made it in my 6 quart slow cooker in six hours after just five minutes of prep. The meat cooks until it is fork tender and shreds easily, and you can use it for whatever you like. We made burrito bowls and they turned out delicious. Give this a try, it is really simple and the whole meal tastes like it took a lot more effort and time!

Paleo Note: We did eat Pinto beans with this (legumes = not Paleo) and obviously the dish is nightshade heavy with the tomatoes, tomatillos and chiles (nightshades are not allowed on Paleo Autoimmune Protocol) but Hubs and I decided to try it and see how it goes. I used to not be able to go a day without tomato salsa or spaghetti sauce, chile-based hot sauce, or both, and this was the first taste of legumes and salsa I've had since January. I'd say I've been doing great! :)

*UPDATE 3 days post-meal: I will make the pork roast again, as the flavor was fabulous and it couldn't have been easier. But the beans will be omitted, and probably the salsas as well. I've been having increasing enthesitis pain as the week goes on, and I am drawing a direct connection between this meal and my pain level! I'm not bummed; now I know to continue the way I was eating, as my gut is not healthy enough to eat those foods at this point. 
Have you ever had an experience re-introducing a food and learned from it? That's all we can do, right? Make a note of it and move forward :)

What you need:

for Carnitas Pork Roast-

1/2 pound or about 1 cup dried Pinto beans, soaked overnight (or longer, changing water at least once) and rinsed well

2.5-3 pound sustainably raised pork roast (I used a boneless leg roast. You could use an arm, shoulder or sirloin as well)
7 cups water or homemade chicken bone broth
1 whole yellow onion, chopped
1 TB salt
1/2 TB smoked paprika
1 TB cumin
1/2 TB oregano
1/2 TB crushed red pepper
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles or 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

for Pico de Gallo-
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 white onion, minced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
Sea salt to taste

for Salsa Verde-
2 lbs tomatillos, husked, washed and quartered
3-4 medium jalapenos, washed, halved and seeded
2 cups minced onion
2 TB cilantro leaves
Sea salt to taste

What you do:

For Carnitas Pork Roast-
Put all ingredients into slow cooker insert. Start with the beans, then add pork, broth, onion, and so on.
Cover and set to "high" for 5 hours.
After 5 hours, check to see if beans are tender. If needed, put lid back on and continue to cook.
(I let it cook for 30 minutes longer, and then removed the lid and cooked for another 30 minutes. This was 6 total hours of cooking time.)
Remove the pork roast from the slow cooker to a plate, and let it cool for a bit. While it cools, strain the liquid out and pour the beans and onions into a serving bowl or storage container.
After the meat has cooled a bit, shred it into bite size pieces with two forks. Put into a serving bowl or storage container.



While the meat is still cooking, or after you've prepared it and set it aside, make your salsas.

For Pico de Gallo (recipe paraphrased from Carla Hall and Clinton Kelly on The Chew)-
Toss the tomatoes, onion, cilantro and jalapeno in a bowl until mixed well. Taste and add salt as needed (as little as 1/4 tsp was enough for us). Set aside.



For Salsa Verde (recipe paraphrased from Carla Hall and Clinton Kelly on The Chew)-

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your ingredients (wash, seed, chop). Arrange tomatillo quarters and jalapeno halves in a glass baking dish and roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice during roast time. You will know they are ready when tomatillos are tender and juices and seeds are visible in bottom of dish. Remove dish from oven and let cool- this is important because you'll be swirling them around at high speeds and don't want to cause burns!



Scoop roasted tomatillos and jalapenos from baking dish into food processor bowl. Add onion



and cilantro, securely attach the lid and start pulsing. Make sure all large chunks are processed, and pulse until it reaches a texture you like. Taste and add salt as needed (used 1 tsp here).

Now you have the components to make your burrito bowls- or perhaps a "taco salad!"

For burrito bowls, grab a plate and layer about one cup of shredded pork, half cup Pinto beans, Pico de Gallo and Salsa Verde. That's it! To make a Fajita Burrito Bowl, saute sliced onion and bell pepper until crisp tender, and add to your plate before the salsas.

I know this doesn't look great. But in daylight it would photograph much better, and the taste is still fabulous!

 (Thanks to the slow cooker) this meal only takes one hour or less of actual preparation and cooking. And it is seriously on the same level as a fresh Tex-Mex restaurant quality Carnitas dish, but it's better because you know where all of your ingredients came from, and what quality they are. Which is important, because you are what you eat, and you are what your food eats ;)

Super Easy Designer Salad

This is what I'm eating for lunch today. Currently. As in, between typing sentences I'm taking bites. Yum :)

And yes, those are SUNBEAMS shining on that plate. We are finally seeing some real signs of spring up here in the Pacific Northwest! I just sat outside for fifteen minutes enjoying a nice sun bath. My body just craves those warm rays of light and the Vitamin D that comes with them. I am happy to say that I've improved from my last post, I didn't have to get Prednisone or anything else that drastic. Unfortunately though, the other day I was exposed to gluten through cross-contamination by a well-meaning hostess, and it's been a rough week! Moving through my daily routine has been like dragging a bag full of rocks everywhere I go - ah, I forgot how icky it feels to "get glutened!"

To segue... Hence the need for a quick, easy, healthy meal like this fantastic salad :)

Salad does not have to be boring, bland tasting, or unappealing. The stuff that cafeterias peddle as "salad" - you know the kind: some chunks of sad iceberg lettuce, a few carrot shreds and a pale tomato slice - is far from the full potential of a true salad. This here stuff I'm enjoying right now is my family's go-to meal when we're tired, hungry, and running low on food. If you've got greens and a protein of any kind, you can make it in about two minutes.

Even if you have plenty of food and time, this is a great place to start for a salad worthy of a dinner party spread. My husband makes a huge, loaded salad every day for work ("designer salads" as I've started to call them) and varies the ingredients day to day, and he always comes home telling me about the drooling comments he gets from co-workers.

Have fun with it; the possibilities are nearly endless!

What you need:

• Salad greens such as organic baby spinach, spring mix, red leaf lettuce...
• Shredded/sliced meat or fish (chicken breast, turkey breast, beef roast, steak, even canned tuna or salmon or perhaps leftover halibut, tilapia...) 

AND/OR

• Sliced hard-boiled egg
• Nuts/seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, walnut pieces, pecan pieces, dried coconut shreds...
• Dried fruit - no added sugar if possible. Raisins, cranberries, blueberries, cherries, goji berries...
• Healthy oil such as olive, walnut, avocado...
• White wine or balsamic vinegar, if you are so inclined and it doesn't bother your health

What you do:
(The ingredients I used today are in parentheses following the steps)


First, create a base by filling the bottom of your bowl or plate with greens (organic baby spinach and spring mix).


Next, toss on your shredded meat and/or egg (chicken breast).


Follow that by sprinkling on nuts and seeds, and dried fruit (raw sunflower seeds and organic seedless raisins).


Finally, drizzle oil over the salad (my new favorite: walnut oil. Not to be used with heat but perfect for salad!)

And there you have it. You'll get your dietary needs of protein, vegetable, and healthy fat fulfilled, and you can adjust the ratio of meat-greens-oils to your personal preference and needs.

Did you ever think that a delicious salad meal was so easy and versatile? I find those two traits are actually pretty common in healthy whole foods cooking, especially when you keep a good stock of the right foods on hand. (For help on that, check out my master shopping list)

If the sun is shining where you are today, get out there are enjoy it! The Vitamin D is so good for you! I think I'll get back out there and soak up some more for myself :)

"Diet" Labels, What's Up with Me, and the Bottom Line Goal: Health!

Truth be told, the longer I follow this "Paleo" way of eating, the more I think about my blog, recipes, and life being stuck with a label. And that bugs me. I don't want to be labelled or stuck in a box - by myself or by anyone else. As my profile says, I am on a journey to reclaim my health by eating the foods I'm truly meant to eat. Whatever label popular culture may choose for how I eat, my simple aim remains: to cook and eat real, nourishing, healing food. I think the tendency to need to label everything is a sign of our society's food insecurities and the confusion surrounding what is truly good for us. For instance, as children, most of my generation was taught, "MILK- It does a body good," and these days whole wheat breads and pastas are touted as full of nutritious wonders and the key to a flat belly.
But I bet you know at least one person in your world who has discovered that they are gluten intolerant, or feeling better not eating dairy, or encountered some other food lightbulb experience, and this puts the FDA guidelines - that tendency to push a "one size fits all" diet on every American - to suspicion.


Personally, I tend to go to extremes with things, specifically when I hear about diets that have 'cured' people of their autoimmune disease. I get so excited! About the possibility of being well without medications, and empowered by the information and personal stories of recovery. But (after living and learning a bit) I recognize that extremism is not a healthy way of living. For one thing, it puts the entire burden of failure or success solely on your own shoulders when you are your own coach and critic. Especially with dietary changes, I am learning that everything is not black and white. I am learning that we have to listen to our bodies and consider that we each have our own unique sets of genetic material wired just so, to make us who we are. So what works for your BFF/trainer/blogging idol may not work for you. And... that is okay.

Wouldn't it be easier if I could just follow a black and white plan straight from the pages of a book? Heck yes, and I daily wish that would work for me! (For the record, I'd choose this book or this book.) I believe that food changes alone work for many people, to bring about needed weight loss, relief of joint pain, slow aging, recover energy, and so on. There are testimonies like that all over the net. But throw the factors of a leaky gut, autoimmune disease, food intolerances and chronically damaged and inflamed tissue into the mix (yeah, that's me), and it becomes quite a large Clydesdale horse of a different color...


I am very passionate about making dietary changes before turning to drug treatments that have potential adverse consequences. So when I see someone struggling with disease, I usually think, "I wonder if they've tried changing their diet... if they've tried 'going Paleo'... if they've tried..." This is because changing my own diet has helped me - specifically eliminating gluten, dairy, eggs and soy because my body is intolerant to them, and recently grains and legumes as well, because I have learned by trial and error that my guts do immensely better without them. Once I read about the damage that grains, legumes and dairy do to your guts, it was easy for me to let them go. This is the main reason our family has "gone Paleo." The two special people I live with have great health, and we want it to stay that way!  :)


On the other end of that, however, I have still not reclaimed my health. I am still waiting to find my own personal "perfect diet." I would like to say that kicking the SAD (Standard American Diet) to the curb has cured my Ulcerative Colitis and other junk. But it has not [yet...?]. In fact, this week has been so tough that I'm considering calling my GI doc and giving Prednisone another try if he thinks it will help. Because feeling like garbage is no way to live, and there are times when modern medicine needs to embraced as a gift of modern life, just like cell phones and the internet. [About the internet: Where would all of us blogging about special diets and diseases be without it?! Much more isolated and hopeless, I propose.] I really like my new GI doctor and it wouldn't be a negative experience to go see him. I'm trying to teach myself that even if I don't want to go on new meds, if something changes in my condition I should keep my doctors filled in on how I'm doing and at least see what my options are.


I'm also re-reading Breaking the Vicious Cycle and trying to muster the drive to re-try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). I tried it  two years ago, and it helped to some degree. I stopped it before I knew that I was intolerant to dairy and eggs, so odds are it will go much better this time around, knowing that! I don't ever choose drugs first off; I always try to find another route.

Speaking of helping ourselves by making lifestyle and dietary changes, I came across this piece today, by Kurt Harris MD. I highly suggest you read it! I love his gentle but encouraging suggestion for his twelve steps: "Go as far down the list as you can in whatever time frame you can manage. The further along the list you stop, the healthier you are likely to be. Earlier steps, in my clinical experience, will give more bang for the buck."
Personally I am working on the very first step - SLEEP. Easier said than done for anyone, whether you've got a new baby at home or just love a busy life or get stuck on your to-do list so much that sleep takes a back seat!


If you've read this far without moving on to something else, thank you! I'll wrap it up. So all the aforementioned rambling to say, I don't want to hang onto a Paleo label at the expense of reaching someone with the potential of real, nutritious food. I don't want to come across as 'another diet extremist' and scare people off. I want to keep blogging because I hope - like so many blogs I've come across in my journey - that my sharing is encouraging and helping someone out there.
But just know, whoever you are my readers, that when I say "I love eating Paleo"  it's not to belong to some superior food-obsessed clique.  I think that the heart of the Paleo/Primal/Ancestral/Nourishing Traditions food movement is to embrace life at its fullest by embracing the foods that God put on the earth and meant for us to eat. Real, whole, unprocessed, unrefined, colorful, rich, nourishing, hope-filled foods.
On that note, I am going to keep my "Paleo" label for recipes because it simplifies things for my own organization. I know that when I've labelled a recipe "Paleo," it does not have gluten, grains, dairy, casein, soy... the big ones. But it is not an exclusive or inclusive label, because there are several interpretations of what constitutes "Paleo."

Paleo "Apple Pie"

I deserved a treat today!

It was a long, uncomfortable weekend.

I visited an allergist on Friday, where I almost walked out twice because of the "culture clash" as the doctor described it. Note to Doctor, when you start off an appointment by saying that you "don't believe leaky gut syndrome exists," this really alienates your patients that attempt to be informed. Just because something isn't written up in your favorite medical journal, does not make it quack science.

I struggle with the resistance in allopathic medicine to listen to theories about the root of disease; I would think that a physician, someone who works in a helping profession, would at least be mildly curious about what is truly helping people (i.e. treating autoimmune and allergies by treating leaky gut with the Paleo diet, SCD, going grain-free, etc.)! OH well. I left on a good note, feeling like I planted a seed of awareness, and the doctor seemed to be mildly intrigued that my inflammatory and autoimmune conditions improved when I eliminated the reactive foods on my IgG panel two years ago. That's all you can do sometimes, is plant a seed. Much better than walking out and giving up :)

The doctor did run two allergy panel skin tests for IgE reactions. As far as the results are concerned, I only have true allergies to grass, weeds, cats and milk, and less significantly to peanuts, almonds and soy. 

Unfortunately my body says otherwise.

What seems to have happened is that I absorbed all of the substances that they injected me with for the test (wheat, milk, egg, soy, pollens, nuts, and so on...) and because I have IgG allergies to many of those things, it's been a miserable time.

I am finally coming out of the allergy fog, and feeling less stiff and enthesitis-y. 

Yes, I just made up a word  :) 

I finally felt a bit like myself again!

So I made Crock Pot applesauce. 

And then I made Paleo "Apple Pies!" 

(I suppose by composition, they are more like cobbler, but whatever.)

 These treats are something I came up with during our first month of eating Paleo, and I think you'll enjoy them quite a bit!

What you need:

First-

5-10 pounds peeled, cored, sliced and washed apples

1/2 cup filtered water

2+ tablespoons cinnamon (+ according to taste)

Later- 

almond meal

coconut cream (sold in cans or small aseptic boxes)

What you do:

First- make a batch of applesauce. This is easy to do!
You just need to adjust the size of your slow cooker and the cooking time depending upon how many apples you are working with.
For ideal cooking, the insert will be at least 1/2 full.
I used my six quart Cuisinart slow cooker and it was about 4/5 full of Braeburn apple slices.
I use a nifty apple corer/peeler/slicer gadget that we got as a wedding gift, and it makes this whole process fun and fast. I highly recommend getting one if you make applesauce often!

Fill an appropriately sized slow cooker insert with the clean, peeled pieces of apple.

Sprinkle cinnamon over the apples.

Pour water over everything.

Put the lid on, set to "Low" heat and let cook until apples are breaking down, water has absorbed and cooked out, and applesauce is the consistency you desire.

(I let mine go for six hours.)

Depending upon how long you cook it and how small your apple pieces were to begin with, you may want to mush applesauce with a potato masher to get a smooth texture.

(I leave mine as is; it's so soft the small chunks don't seem to matter.)

First, dish up some applesauce for yourself and whoever is with you, and make some "pies." 

Then store the rest: spoon applesauce into sterilized glass jars, let cool in the refrigerator overnight, and freeze. 

With just fifteen minutes of preparation and six hours of cook time, I have six jars full of fresh, homemade applesauce.
The ingredients cost under $5!

Making things homemade is a great way to save money and ensure your family is eating good food
without creepy preservatives or other undesirables.

For "pies"-

Spoon approximately one cup of applesauce into serving bowls. Scoop on one or two spoonfuls of coconut cream in each bowl, and sprinkle almond meal over the top. Coconut cream has a strong coconut flavor on its own, but when you stir everything together and take a bite, it really tastes like warm apple pie with a touch of cool whipped cream!

These are delicious.

Enjoy!

My Favorite Lunch: In Color

This post is simply about sharing my favorite lunch, and bragging on my husband just a little bit.

He makes this delicious meal several times a month, and I think it's his favorite Paleo meal just like it is mine.

The breakdown:

Bed of organic spring greens

+

Grass fed beef burger (beef seasoned with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and cumin, cooked in the cast iron skillet)

+
Grilled onion slices
+

Guacamole (we mix it up, but our basic guac is just mashed avocado with salt and lime juice)

+

Sweet potato fries (peel and cut up the taters, lay them out on a cookie sheet and drizzle with EVOO or grapeseed oil, sprinkle on salt, and bake at 425 for about 30 minutes, checking every 10)

Sometimes we fry up uncured bacon and top the burgers with that addition to the onions and guac. Oh. so. delicious. When you eat a meal like this, it's hard to imagine why anyone would NOT eat Paleo style!  :)

Leaky Gut Drama

Hi there, friends.

I miss sharing my recipes with you! I've been struggling to keep up with the daily life stuff; no time or energy for blogging. My "leaky gut issues" have turned into some serious drama as of late. In particular, over the weekend I had garlic accidentally, more than once (talk about feeling stupid!) and it activated all sorts of breathing problems, pain, and too-low blood pressure and heart rate. And then I lost my inhaler. AH!
Yesterday I got in to see the doctor, and I got a new inhaler and an Epi-Pen - just in case, because of the way things are going. I'm getting set up with an allergist, to get these food allergies, sensitivities, and who knows what else figured out. Remember how I didn't have any [visible] food reactions until just two or three years ago? It's so interesting to me that as I cut out more foods once I realize I am reacting to them (first soy and dairy, then wheat, gluten, citrus, then garlic, pineapple...), when I accidentally ingest one of these foods, the reaction is so much worse then before. This is how I know my guts are leaking like crazy, for one thing...

And on that note, what a nice coincidence - today when I opened my Google reader, I saw that Paleo Parents is featuring a series of guest posts on the nutrition and science behind the Paleo Diet, all written by Paleo Mom. Today's post just so happens to be on the topic of Leaky Gut syndrome. First of all, I highly recommend the Paleo Parents blog. Their recipes, tips and videos are SO helpful, fun and straightforward. They are a gift to the Paleo and blogging community! In addition, this series of articles (by Paleo Mom) is going to be good, I can tell just from this first post. Her writing is clear and full of science to back it up, and her drawings are quirky while also being super educational. It's a great post, go read it.
Maybe one day in the future, this kind of information about Leaky Gut will be on all packaging of grains, dairy, gluten free foods, and the like, so Americans can at least make informed personal decisions about whether to follow the recommendations of high grain and dairy intake pushed on us, or perhaps go another way... like gluten, grain and dairy free! That probably won't happen, but I can dream :)

No promises on when I'll be back with a recipe. I've got a lot on my plate and need to work on healing. In the meantime, you can assume I'll be eating lots of creamy, warm winter squash puree with yummy toppings, like this:

A Very Hypoallergenic Afternoon :)

Recently, my husband and I received the gift of an afternoon out together, just the two of us. And how did we choose to spend it? We were out of town, and took the opportunity to visit some places we don't have at home: first, a stop at a gluten-free, vegan bakery for coffee and a treat, and then: wandering the aisles of Whole Foods for several hours, filling our cart with beautiful and hard to find where we live whole foods. (No pun intended!) Can you tell by our choice of date locales, that we love food AND eating this way?

The afternoon was so ... wonderful!

At the bakery, it took me a good ten minutes to decide what to get, as I told the clerk "I'm so overwhelmed that I can eat all of these things; I can't decide!" That was a wonderful problem to have :)
I finally decided upon a Linzer cookie, because it had more hazelnut meal flour than anything else - the closest to grain-free that I could get. I ordered a gingerbread hemp milk latte to go along with my cookie. Hubs ordered an almond milk latte and a berry scone. We sat at the bar in the window and thoroughly enjoyed our desserts and coffee. Oh, was the Linzer cookie a delight. Crispy crunchy sugary melt-in-your-mouth bites, and sweet sticky raspberry jam. Recreating that cookie is now on my ever-growing list of food to-do's!

I am so grateful for people who get inspired - either by personal necessity or for the people they love - and start businesses catering to us Celiacs and allergic. They possibly don't know how much it means to be able to enjoy an afternoon in a coffee shop or bakery with no worries of having a reaction to the experience. That's something I took for granted until I couldn't do it anymore!

My favorite picks from Whole Foods are:

• two jars of ghee (casein- and lactose-free clarified butter, made from organic cow's milk). I've heard that many dairy-allergics like me can safely have ghee. I have high hopes I'll be in that category too!
• two types of bulk dried coconut - organic medium shred, and conventional unsulphured wide chip. I love sprinkling these on my sweet potatoes and orange winter squashes
• organic chicken livers - Hubs gave me the O.K. to grind these up and add to a meatloaf, so he won't know they are in it but will get the nutritional benefits. Can't wait to try that!

What a fun and totally hypoallergenic afternoon it was. One for the happy-memories bank in my head :)

Fast Food Mondays: Breakfast Scramble

I've had Fast Food Mondays (my first themed series!) on the brain since it debuted way back at the beginning of February. (Did anyone try making those salmon croquettes? They are delicious. We've made them somewhere around ten times at our house since that first try. Yum!)

Today we're back looking at another way to prepare good, fast food on the most hectic day of the week - Monday! This recipe is a breakfast-y meal but it can be eaten morning, noon or night and you'll be satisfied. It is like an omelet, but without the eggs!

My husband gets the credit for coming up with this. One day I needed to eat before an appointment, and was racing around the house getting ready. Hubs knows I need protein in the morning and like to get started on my daily veggie intake with breakfast (he also obviously knows that I cannot have eggs). He came up with this "scramble" idea, and I just made a repeat to test out for all of you. Mix up the components according to what meats are in your 'fridge and what veggies are in season.

Egg-less Breakfast Scramble

What you need:

Zucchini, washed and sliced*

Baby spinach*

Basil (dried works fine; fresh is a treat)

Onion, diced

Black Forest ham (nitrate/nitrite free, gluten free) or other favorite meat, sliced/shredded

EVOO or grapeseed oil

*preferably organic, as these are two things that tend to have high pesticide levels when grown conventionally

What you do:

Heat oil in a skillet over medium low to medium heat. Toss in zucchini slices to get them cooking. Sprinkle with basil (about half a teaspoon to start; add more as you cook, to taste). A couple minutes later, when zucchini slices start to soften, add in diced onion. Toss everything together and continue cooking. When the onions are turning translucent, add in the ham and spinach leaves (tear them if you want truly bite size) and give everything a good stir to blend the flavors.

It is done when everything is warm, the zucchini and onion is tender, and the spinach leaves have wilted. Give it a taste. Sidenote: you should always taste while you cook; seasoning food is not science, and unless you're baking, there are no hard and fast rules ;)

Add more basil if you feel it needs it, and a sprinkle of sea salt to bring out the flavors - but not much when using ham, because it's already salty!

Did I forget anything? I hope not. I've been dealing with a hefty amount of brain fog for a few days. 

So here you go: a complete breakfast (lunch or dinner) meal from pan to plate in ten minutes or less.

Here's a picture of my breakfast plate, of course sitting next to my usual almond-almond latte and my morning meds and supplements...

...Don't judge me - most of that is Vitamin D, which does wonders for us up here in the Pacific NW  :)

I hope this helps someone out there that, like me, misses omelets terribly due to an egg allergy. Just take your favorite omelet components and try it without the egg as a "scramble." And let me know how it turns out; I'd love to hear your ideas!

Happy [Fast Food] Monday everyone!

How To: Butternut Squash [for Breakfast!]

I guess you could say I'm on a winter squash kick. I posted about Spaghetti squash a little over a week ago, and here I am about to tell you all about Butternut squash. I think I am just so excited to [finally] be cooking and eating this stuff on a regular basis, and I want to get all I can before spring rolls around and the season for these is over until autumn!

One of the reasons I am so excited about winter squash is because it is so satisfying. Roast some in the oven with a little bit of coconut oil and pumpkin pie spices, drizzle the top with a touch of maple syrup if you like, and you're going to check the clock because you'll think you just arrived at dessert!

It isn't difficult to go from this:

to this:

Paired with mango chicken sausage for breakfast, and you'll be more than satisfied

Let me show you what to do, and you'll have some sweet golden nuggets to dive into in no time!

What you need:

one whole butternut squash

OR a great shortcut: a bag or two of peeled, cubed squash from grocery store (such as Trader Joe's)

coconut oil

optional though highly recommended: 

pumpkin pie spice

maple syrup

[minimally processed, gluten free, MSG free, nitrite free] mango or apple chicken sausage (also found at Trader Joe's, other stores)

What you do:

First, let me say that it seems safer to me when wielding a chef's knife, to be cutting something softer than a raw squash. So I start out by poking holes into the [rinsed and dried] squash, about three in a row every inch or two around the the gourd. Then I cook it on high in the microwave for five to ten minutes. This will make the skin more tender. Wait until it stops steaming and hissing before removing it, and use oven mitts to protect your hands from the heat.

Next, you want to peel the skin off the squash. Use your best veggie peeler and go to town. In some spots you may be able to just peel it off by hand. Once you see beautiful bright orange all around, cut it in half and remove the strings and seeds. Cut it into fourths, even eighths if that works for you. 

Here's my squash, peeled and cleaned, ready to dice

Then, working your way around the pieces, dice it all into cubes, as uniform in size as possible. Put the cubes into a Corningware type baking dish. I used a tart pan this time - no rigid rules here:

Get a big spoonful of coconut oil and put little pats all over the squash, like you would with pats of butter on a pie. (Oh dear. Why did I bring up pie? Moving forward quickly...) 

Sprinkle your spices on top of everything.

Pour a little bit of water into the dish. 1/4 to 1/2 cup water works well. You can always check it once it's cooked for a bit, and add more as needed. I find that most cooking and food is gracious to you as the cook :)

(If you haven't figured it out yet, I'll tell you now - I am not a scientific, precise cook. Use your best judgement with all my vague directions. I believe this way of cooking will build your culinary confidence and help you learn to trust your own judgment and palette.)

Put the baking dish of prepared squash into a preheated 350 degree oven, and check after twenty minutes. Give everything a gentle stir and continue to cook until the cubes are softened, steaming, and smell delicious!
Pull the dish out of the oven and let cool for a minute or two. Spoon some onto your plate, and if you like, drizzle a teaspoon of maple syrup on top.

Your plate may look something like this:

A sunny looking dish for a cold winter morning

This baked squash experience was several days ago. Today I used the shortcut method with Trader Joe's bagged, butternut cubes and the microwave:

I gave the squash cubes a good rinse (even though the package says they are pre-washed, it seemed like a good idea to freshen them up). I added the coconut oil, spices and water just the same as when baking, and even put it all in the same baking dish.

I microwaved it on full power for fifteen minutes, stopping every five minutes to check and stir. After the last segment of five minutes, I left the dish in the microwave for another five minutes to steam everything some more.

I heated up (nearly burnt, actually...) a mango chicken sausage and had that with my "shortcut squash" today for a brunch time meal. Everything was delicious. The flavors all went together nicely, and I have to say I'd pick that meal over a typical dessert! YUM!

Humble brunch today, with an almond milk latte ;)

So, what do you think? The season for whole winter squash is winding down. Will you get out there, hunt down a squash and try this? If you do, I'm sure you'll be hooked and next fall you'll be so excited when the squash appear again :)

If you have any tips for cooking squash or favorite seasonings to prepare it with, share with us by leaving a comment below.

Happy March, everyone!

Blast from the Past on Bacon Fat

Do you love old cookbooks as much as I do? A nicer word for them is "vintage." I will wax poetic about my fondness for vintage cookbooks another time, but had to share something. I was looking through one of my collection, and came across this gem about bacon grease. I had to share with my paleo/primal/fat-happy friends:

The portion I'm referring to says:

LEFTOVER BACON FAT: Refrigerate in covered jar. Plan to use within 2 weeks. Nice for seasoning green beans, green limas, greens, macaroni, scalloped potatoes, etc. Nice, too, for making sauces and soups, for frying eggs, potatoes, meats, etc.

Someone take a guess as to what decade this cookbook is from. It clearly isn't the "fat is terrifying and out to get us all!" 1990's  :)

Along this same fat-friendly line, here is a short clip of Julia Child talking about how she preferred McDonald's french fries before they switched to [creepy] processed "nutritionist oil." It helps me understand why our parents and grandparents are so nostaglic for their old burger drive-in meals - the food really did taste different and better back then, because they cooked everything with real fat - no doubt quite tasty, and with nourishment value.

Six Month BFing Milestone

This post isn't particularly related to food. Well, not adult food...

Yesterday my family reached a special milestone. Yesterday my baby girl turned six months old, and with the celebration of her life and health thus far, we also recognized six months of exclusive breastfeeding.
We did it! We made it to six months! It feels amazing to come this far and look at my daughter and see all the growing she's done, and her adorable chub and rolls, and know that it is from the milk that I have been able to give her!

I am thrilled to be a post liver transplant patient that pushed past the assumption that I couldn't breastfeed because of my anti-rejection meds. I did the research and found that it is a false assumption! For more info on that, read my post Medications & Breastfeeding. Also, check out the LactMed Drug & Lactation Database where you can look up your medications for any contraindications with nursing.

I believe that a key part of our success in breastfeeding has been my attitude about it. I was proactive during my pregnancy, I educated myself, committed to it 110%, surrounded myself with supportive people, and came up with a few back up plans. A healthy dose of prayer went toward this subject during my pregnancy, as well!

If you are a transplant patient or UC/IBD/autoimmune disease gal like me, or simply interested in nursing your baby, please feel free to ask about my experience. I'd love to share and help you any way I can with my (admittedly limited, yet so far successful) experience. As a woman who was embarrassed by seeing mothers nursing in public just a year ago, and being an adopted kiddo that never was breastfed myself, I love that breastfeeding is now one of my biggest passions!  :)

I thought I'd share a few resources that have helped me thus far, and then a list of my favorite nursing accessories:

Great Resources

Kelly Mom - This website is AMAZING for answering questions, looking for specific information, learning about new stages in breastfeeding, and so much more. We looked up a few issues in the first few days at home, and found reassurance and answers.

The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers - I found this at the used book store, and if a bit extreme at times, it is a great source of information to read during your pregnancy. It prepares you well. I felt it wasn't much use to me after our initial stage of learning, because after the basics it moves into covering complications and challenges which didn't apply to us. I also learned some of the material in our breastfeeding class (which I highly recommend taking as another resource!).

LactMed - As I mentioned above, it is a great resource for looking up your medications. If you have to go in for any medical procedures while you're nursing, find out what they plan to give you for anesthesia or pain, and look it up ahead of time. I had to do this a few weeks ago. I learned that I would need to "pump and dump" until the med cleared from my system, so I saved milk for bottles ahead of time

Some of my favorite breastfeeding accessories:

Avent breast pumps - I'm convinced these are the best designed and easiest to clean (and most sanitary!) breast pumps out there. Bonus: They are more affordable than the brands often suggested by hospitals and baby registry consultants. When my milk came in just 24 hours after I had Baby V, my post partum nurse suggested (several times) that we pick up the manual Avent pump on our way home from the hospital. I was fortunate to have the use of my good friend's Avent Double Electric pump for several months, and it was invaluable with my abundant supply. Thanks to this pump I had a rotating month to two month's supply in my freezer for the first three months, and a lot better (drier) sleep at night! Now I own the Avent Manual single pump, and it works great. I used it recently on a road trip and it worked great - super compact and portable with the insulated carrying bag. I highly recommend either one of those pumps to all my mommy friends.

The First Years Breastflow bottles - These bottles were suggested by the lactation educator that taught our breastfeeding class, because of their unique design much closer to actual breastfeeding than other bottles. It makes Baby work harder at getting the milk, more like the real thing, so it reduces the chance of "nipple confusion" and similar problems. We introduced an occasional bottle at six weeks with one of these, and had no problems. We moved up to the Stage 2 nipple after a few months, and that worked well too.

Nursing cover - You can pick these up at Target, Babies R Us, Amazon... But I'm old fashioned and prefer the DIY versions of most things, so I asked my mom to sew me one. My cover is made of fabric I picked out for the nursery and never used. It is a heavier weight and better quality than the covers sold in stores, being it was on the "decorator fabric" aisle at JoAnn's. I love it! With a cover I am more comfortable nursing in public because I feel I am respecting other peoples' space and comfort level (and I stay warmer since it's winter!). If you know sewing, see Simplicity pattern #2165. But even a beginning seamstress with the most basic skills can take on a simple nursing cover. Just sew a big rectangle and tack stitch on a ribbon; it will work!


Now that we've reached the six month milestone, it's time to introduce Victory to solids. Stay tuned for occasional posts about our adventures in baby led solids and homemade Paleo baby food. I am enjoying reading about Baby Led Weaning and we're approaching solids from that perspective. It's going to be fun :)
Any Paleo or BLW/BLS or homemade baby food making moms out there, feel free to give me your pointers and tips...

Buffalo Buorguignon

Have you seen "Julie & Julia?" Remember the cute story about Bouef Bourguignon, and the scenes where Amy Adams is cooking the dish and it just looks so beautiful and delicious? The movie played it up to be so romantic. Well, I won't lie: I want to make some. It's on my "cooking bucket list." Anyone else have one of those? No? I know, I'm a food nerd. I like it that way  :)

When I saw a recipe for slow cooker "Beef Bourguignon" at Crock Pot 365 [my favorite place to find gluten free, slow cooker inspiration] and saw that it was completely do-able as a gluten free, dairy free, paleoish meal, I got excited! I knew I'd found a simple way to see if I liked the flavors of a Bourguignon roast before attempting the more intense Julia Child recipe, and it just so happened that we had buffalo stew meat in the freezer. I gave it a whirl and I have to say, I was delighted at how much the Hubs and I enjoyed it. The flavors came together very nicely in the slow cooker, the meat was tender and not gamey in the least. Delectable! You must get your hands on some buffalo stew meat and try this!

Slow Cooked Buffalo Bourguignon

adapted from Crock Pot 365's Beef Bourguignon

What you need:

1 pound buffalo stew meat pieces (grass fed beef would work)

4 slices uncured bacon

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 cup chopped carrots

2 tsp Tuscan style Italian seasoning (Herbs de Provence if you're a stickler for the traditional)*

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

2 cups red wine (I used "Two Buck Chuck" Charles Shaw Merlot from Trader Joe's)

*I looked up Herbs de Provence planning to make my own. It is a blend of basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, savory, thyme, and sometimes lavender. When I got to my spice cabinet I discovered that the McCormick Tuscan Style Italian Seasoning from Costco was very close and used that instead. It is a blend of thyme, garlic, marjoram, onion, rosemary, oregano, basil, savory and sage.

What you do:

I used my 3 quart slow cooker. Make whatever size you have work; this is casual slow cooking :)

Lay two slices of bacon in the bottom of your slow cooker. Top with onion slices. Put stew meat into crock on top of onions and bacon, and sprinkle on seasonings.

Lay remaining two slices bacon over the meat, and top with the carrots.

Carefully pour red wine over everything in the crock.

Cover and set to "High," and let it heat up until you can smell the wine in the air. Change the temp setting to "Low" and cook until meat reaches desired doneness (it took 3 to 4 hours here - I forgot to write down the exact time). If you like, you can take the lid off partway through cooking and stir everything, but then you will need to plan on some more time for cooking. Dish is ready when the carrots are tender and the meat is cooked to your desired doneness.

Serve with steamed Normandy vegetables drizzled with olive oil, and gravy. Make gravy by whisking together a little bit of juice from the slow cooker with a tablespoon of thickener such as cornstarch in a small bowl, then add it to the rest of the juices simmering in a small saucepan and whisk until thickened.

As Julia would say, "Bon apetit!"

Dinner

Leftovers for lunch

Speaking of Julia, here she is, cooking her famous Bouef Bourguignon on the very first episode of "The French Chef." So much cooking wisdom in these twenty eight minutes. What a neat lady she was...