{Primal} Dinner Party

 Last Friday we hosted a {primal!} dinner party to celebrate Sissy's 7th birthday (and my 28th). I am quite disappointed that I didn't get a good picture of the food, but there were almost 20 people here, and I was busy! (My father-in-law had his camera out and captured the party, so all photos are courtesy of him.) My main goal of the party (besides celebrating birthdays) was to introduce my family to our new way of eating, and to show that it really is not that extreme.
The dinner menu included salad, boiled carrot medallions, steamed broccoli, mashed sweet potatoes (sweetened & seasoned with coconut oil, honey, and cinnamon--til it tasted right), and baked chicken thighs.

Distracted by a new toy...

I found the recipe for the chicken at The Food Lovers' Primal Palate, modifying it slightly. I had never worked with chicken thighs before, and was very pleased with the juicy, flavorful outcome, not to mention how EASY it was! First, I preheated the oven to 425. My mother-in-law minced garlic (one clove per thigh), and sliced up some green onions (one for every 3 thighs). I {not so}carefully separated the skin from the thigh (though not completely), and stuffed some garlic and green onion underneath. Then I quickly brushed the tops with olive oil, sprinkling with a freshly ground pepper medley and Real Salt. We baked them for about 45 minutes, until the juices ran clear. I loved the thighs, and heard many compliments on them. When I asked Hubby what he thought, however, his simply replied, "it's chicken." What can I say? He's hard to please....

For dessert I modified Elana's carrot cake recipe. In a large bowl, I combined 3 cups sifted almond flour (thanks to my mother-in-law for sifting--it takes forever!), 2 teaspoons Real Salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg. In a separate bowl, I combined 5 eggs, 1 c. agave nectar (if you make this, only use HALF a cup--I mixed up my frosting and cake recipes, but it ended up turning out alright), and 1/4 cup melted coconut oil. I stirred in 3 cups of shredded carrots and a cup of raisins. These cooked in 2 round pans for about 40 minutes at 325 degrees. For the frosting, I followed Elana's recipe for Vegan Coconut Cream Frosting. I really enjoyed the cake, but I didn't care for the frosting. Several guests actually commented on how much they liked the frosting, but it was just a little too coconut-y for me!

Overall the night was a success! We enjoyed great company and delicious food, and my family learned that we in fact haven't started eating "powdered alligator bones and liquidized cheek fat from a possum."

Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail & Peter

Cottontail's ride home

Sissy has been pining for a bunny for awhile now, and when she woke up Saturday morning, she informed us that she wanted to use her birthday money to purchase one. Since we'd planned on adding bunnies to our "farm" eventually, we were open to the idea. So after her party, we pulled up our trusty online classifieds. We found Cottontail a short drive {in the pouring rain} away. I was very impressed with the family who had raised her. The young girls were very active in 4H, and were saving to buy themselves cars (they also raised swine!). On the way home (much smoother than the ride with Maybelline!), I discussed with Sis the possibilty of turning bunnies into a business. She loved the idea, and quickly informed me that she could turn her birthday money into much more. There is already a possibility that Cottontail is preggers, and we started actively searching for a Mini Rex buck to be her baby daddy.

We picked up that search after lunch on Sunday. Typically, our local feed store carries several bunnies, but for some reason all of the neighborhood was out in the rain searching for rabbits. Though the parking lot was full, the bunny cages were empty (of bunnies, that is--they were filled with roosters!). We set out for a new feed store I had passed earlier, and I pulled up the internets again.

Flopsy

This time I really scored: the night before a man had posted an ad for free bunnies, just a couple miles away from us! He told me he had 4 or 5 left, so we went to search for a buck. The man brought us into his backyard, where we saw dozens of bunnies hopping around! These were lionhead rabbits--not exactly what we were looking for, but the price was right. These bunnies were a little young, so it was difficult to determine gender. We searched around for a buck, but had some trouble finding one. (In fact, we were told Mopsy was a buck, but upon further investigation we are pretty sure he is in fact a she.) So Sissy picked out another bunny (Flopsy), and I chose Mopsy for Bubba.

Our kids are absolutely in love with their new pets, though I have had to give Cottontail a little extra attention, as there has been a lot more of this:

Flopsy

and this:

Mopsy

than this:

Cottontail

Yesterday morning we finally found our buck. Peter was waiting at our local feed store with 4 of his brothers and sisters. He was the only bunny really stood out, and Sis was happy to see that he is a boy. Unfortunately he hasn't been handled much, so it may take awhile before we can hold him like we can the does.

I am excited to build our bunnies a hutch and run, and get them out of this:

While they seem happy, I know they will be much happier in their natural habitat, enjoying plenty of sunshine and fresh air. Not to mention the fact that I am apparantly allergic to this timothy hay...

So far, Sis has spent $85 of her birthday money: $40 on bunnies, $25 towards the cage (mom and dad sprang for the food and hay), and another $20 toward a princess dress. She only has one dollar left, and I am pround of how she is choosing to use her funds. Teaching our children responsibility through the rearing of animals and {some} financial freedom works for me! {Come join the party at my favorite blog!}

Gearing Up... {A Sissy Update}

Several people have asked me if I've seen an improvement in Sissy's condition since we modified our eating habits. My answer has been no; in fact, her vitiligo has actually gotten worse, as I noticed a week or two ago that some of her eyelashes are turning white. But we really haven't made the necessary changes in her diet to see improvement yet. We took away grain and limited refined sugar, but we haven't begun to actually heal her gut.

These past few days I've allowed some grain and sugar. On her birthday (Friday), Sis had a giant soft pretzel and a few bites of pizza. Yesterday she had a small slice of cake, some lemonade, and ice cream in a waffle cone. Yesterday I saw the effects. I wouldn't say that we've had a very noticable improvement in school performance the past few weeks, but we haven't struggled as much in math as we had been in December. Yesterday was so much worse. Simple addition that she was breezing through last week was baffling her, and taking several minutes to complete. This is reinforcing the need for healing. It is so frustrating for both of us when she can't concentrate or remember how to do simple problems.

Although I've done thorough research on the GAPS diet online, I just finally ordered the expensive and elusive book (c'mon, public library!). I will be starting probiotics and limiting fruit tomorrow. I know this won't be a very fun process for her, but it is so important. In the next few weeks we'll start her on bone broth. Now to gear up for the next stage...

Have you tried the GAPS diet? Any tips for me??

Weekend Wrap-Up, Weekly Meals, & a GREAT sale!

Overall we had a pretty successful party weekend! Friday night we had dinner with family. I had a full day, so there was some rushing around beforehand, and my mother and mother-in-law where lifesavers--prepping food, setting up, even cleaning my bathrooms (thanks, mom!)! The food turned out great, and we had fun.

Saturday morning was pretty busy. I had intended to finish a gift for Sis that I didn't get to, but she didn't miss it. We had 6 little girls come for the tea party. All had fun, though Spiderman over-ate and got sick over all gift-wrapping mess halfway through the party. I did NOT enjoy explaining this to the parents, but at least it wasn't something contagious.  After the party I took the kids out to spend some of Sissy's birthday money. Instead of giving her money to a big box store in exchange for another toy to clutter her room, Sis made a great investment that will teach her responsibility. I'm excited to share her purchase with you later this week!

{I'll also be blogging about both parties later this week. Unfortunately, my CD drive has pretty much given up, and I can't access the CD the pics are on right now.}

Yesterday was my nephew's birthday party. We decided to hit up Scooptacular on the way to the party (instead of today), since we were in the neighborhood (half an hour from home) and Hubby wanted to join us. My sweet sister was gracious to have plenty of fresh fruit and veggies on hand, as well as {healthy} turkey slices and cheese cubes! I did, however, let the kids eat some cake, as their eating was already compromised for the day.

We had a fun birthday weekend, and I am happy it is behind us. I think we're all looking forward to having a little less on our plates this week. Tonight the in-laws are watching the kiddos so Hubby and I can go out for my birthday. Carrabba's is our typical date venue (though we haven't been out in months!), and I think that's probably where we'll end up tonight. I am especially looking forward to the Calamari Ricardo appetizer. {YUM!} I also really enjoy their bread and dipping sauce, though I will probably limit myself to one slice, due to the reaction I've experienced the two times I've eaten bread this month. Carrabba's has a gluten-free menu that looks delicious, so I most likely will order from that tonight.

Most of the meals on the dinner plan for the week are repeats. I will be repeating the delicious chicken thighs I made for our {primal} dinner party (I'll share that recipe on Thursday). I'll also be making carnitas again, along with some salmon later in the week. The one recipe that will be new for us is one that I've had on the "plan" for several weeks now, though I have yet to make it. (Remember the flexibility I mentioned??) Tomorrow I'll finally be making the Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps, though I will probably use our mainstream mayo (that the kids and I are avoiding, but is still in the house) to make the bleu cheese dressing. The kids and I won't be having the dressing anyway, and those who will have it are allowing quite a bit of flexibility in their eating.

I also want to mention that Tropical Traditions is having some great sales today. Tropical Traditions sent me coconut oil to review (watch for that next week), and I just purchased 2 more jars (BOGO!) with FREE SHIPPING today only! (Use code 28113 for free shipping until midnight EST tonight!) I highly recommend taking advantage of this deal, as it is cheaper than shopping at most grocery stores. (This is also where I buy my coconut flour, which is also on sale.) I am quite excited about this today, as the free shipping really multiplies your savings. If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

We'll be having a low-key week to recuperate from the craziness of last week, with some fun play dates mixed in. What do you have going on this week? Trying anything new??

7 years ago today...

‎7 years ago, early in the morning I arrived at the hospital to deliver my firstborn. After 18 hours of intense, induced labor, too many drugs, and THREE hours of pushing, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. If I had to do it over again, I would have done it SO differently, but I would never change the outcome. Today she adds so much joy, beauty, and fun to our lives. Happy birthday to our sweet, smart, sassy, thoughtful girl!

Birthday Girl in her birthday dress!

Today is pretty crazy for me. We were up before 5, getting Hubby out the door. All the kids woke up early today, so we had an early breakfast, with the traditional {though primal} birthday pancakes and she opened one of the gifts from us. Then I had to make her birthday dress (should have done that weeks ago), and we did some school. I'm about to sit the kids down to a movie so I can finish sewing her other birthday present (for tomorrow's party), and then we're off to a playdate with her school friends. Tonight we're hosting a birthday dinner for our immediate family (parents and siblings with their significant others), which will be close to 20 people. So I have a {primal} dinner & cake to prepare, along with cleaning bathrooms and floors, and general tidying of the house. Sis has also requested streamers, so those must be hung, and her dress for tomorrow needs to be picked up from the cleaners. Not to mention the preparations still to be made for tomorrow morning's {primal} princess tea party! My mind is spinning, but it's going to be a fun day and weekend. I can't wait to share about our parties next week.

What do you have going on this weekend??

My cheating stomach

I wanted to revisit the subject of "cheating", as I've been a bit lax lately. I was harping on my husband for his "flexibility", so I thought I'd share mine as well. :-)

We spent quite a bit of time in the car over the long weekend. When we drove to pick up Wilbur, I brought fruit and nuts to snack on. I added a dozen egg muffins Monday morning in lieu of breakfast so we could get out the door quickly to get Maybelline. (I'll share my egg muffin technique soon, as I followed the recipe exactly before we went to the snow, and it was almost inedibly salty--ick!) Since I had served breakfast before we headed to the snow, I brought apples, a few clementines, and a bag of trail mix for each child (and one for Hubby and I to share). I meant to grab a bunch of bananas for after the snow, but I forgot {and they were sorely missed}. I did, however, start the carnitas in the crockpot before we left to insure a nutritious supper. We planned to stop for lunch, and I knew I would have to be somewhat flexible.

We were happy to see a Chipotle in town near the snow (I can eat there without cheating!), but the kids don't really like anything there. I asked them if given the opportunity to "cheat" what they would choose. The response? Cheeseburgers and fries. So we stopped at Five Guys. Of course they expected to get soda, too, since they were cheating anyway, but I quickly shot that down. I'm pretty sure all three of my children finished their burgers (the older two scarfed them down, but I think Bud finished his in the car). The boys finished off their fries, too, but Sis only ate half of hers. I didn't really see a negative reaction in the kids after their splurge. I, however, definitely felt one. Even before we left the restaurant my stomach started aching. I left like I had eaten a rock larger than my fist. Fortunately it only caused discomfort.

I am going to allow one more "cheat" before we go really hardcore. It has been our tradition for a couple years to go to Scooptacular (our favorite local ice cream parlor) on the kids' birthdays. Sissy even wanted to have her birthday party there this year. (I'm glad she changed her mind.)  I'd already decided to wait until after her birthday (tomorrow!) to start our intensive primalish regimen for her, so we are going to allow one more trip to Scoop on my birthday (Monday) before we implement the extremes. (The extremes being NO sugar, limited fruit, probiotics, kefir, fermented cod liver oil, bone broth, etc.) Now to decide what flavor I'll enjoy...

Welcome to the chaos...

I've done some crazy things in my life, though nothing I would consider too extreme. Up until now the "craziest" thing I've done (at least according to mainstream society) is birth my son at home. What I did on Monday rivals that. In fact, since I don't really consider having a home birth crazy, I'd have to say it is craziest thing I can recall doing.

It all started a few weeks ago when we started seriously considering adding a new member to our family. Craigslist has become our standard means to grow our {animal} family, and we started scouring it for pigs.

{Please keep in mind that we are not purchasing animals just for pets. We purchased our goats for their milk and yard control, will purchase our chickens for eggs and meat, and the pig will be no different.}

We considered getting a small Hampshire pig, and then settled on persuing a pot belly, as we figured it wouldn't grow beyond what we can manage. We had trouble finding any, and went on with life for a few weeks. On Saturday we started browsing Craigslist again, and found a 3 month old pot belly pig. Since we didn't own a proper pet cage, we wanted to find a small animal we could fit in a crate. "Norman" (now known as Wilber) was a perfect match for us. He was friendly and accustomed to plenty of atttention. He fit well in the crate and sat nicely for me on the long (hour and a half!) ride home. On Sunday we noticed that Wilber was showing signs of going through puberty, and decided to find him a friend (in hopes that he would stop jumping up on us).

We found a lady selling "piggies", and made an appointment to visit them in the morning. We set out for a long drive (again), fulling intending to bring home another pot belly about Wilber's size. Unfortunately, the woman had grossly misrepresented her "piggies"--these animals were already overweight at 5 months old, and lived on a diet solely consisting of dog food! Anyone who knows pigs know that is not healthy, and since I planned on feeding this pig to my family, I wasn't interested.  Already far from home, we were determined not to come home empty handed. I called another man with piglets (this time only 6 weeks old), and asked how big his animals were. He assured me they were small, maybe 11 inches long, and we set out for another hour-long drive. 

The piglets' daddy--weighing in at 450 lbs.

These pigs were not pot bellies, but Hampshires. These are the hogs who easily grow double Hubby's size. But we figured we could always slaughter a bit early if the swine got out of control, and we were set on finding Wilber a friend. I'm not sure what it is with people misrepresenting the size of their beasts, but we fell for it again. These piglets were much happier and healthier than the last we'd seen, but they were definitely longer than 11 inches. Nonetheless, we picked out the cutest girl, and I headed to the car with the kids while the farmer tried to catch our new pet. Boy, did she squeal--and give him a run for his money! He finally caught her and tried to calm her down a bit. She was still young, and had minimal human interaction thus far. He tried to put her in the crate, but it wasn't going to happen. She was much too large. The farmer assured us that I could hold her on the way home. {Do you see where this is going?} He showed me how to hold her back legs, telling me not to let go no matter what.  I could have changed my mind right there, but if you know me you know that I am too determinded to give up without a fight. So we set out for home.

You can tell by the picture that I let go of her back legs.... Not even a block away from her mama, our new piggie began snorting and wiggling around. I held her as best as I could, as tight as I could, and told Hubby my strength would not last an hour and a half. Five minutes down the country dirt road was a feed store, and Hubby jumped out {car still running!} to buy a cage. No such luck. They referred us to the Pet Club in town. A good 20 minutes away. It's quite amazing what the human body can handle when faced with no other choice. I gripped that piggie as if our lives depended on it (and they probably did--I can only imagine the damage she would have done had she been let loose in our sedan). We finally reached the store, and Hubby ran in {car on, again}, and I tried plotting how we would get her in the cage without sacrificing my ribs to her back legs. Hubby came to the rescue with an over-priced (yet worth every penny!) pet taxi and a store associate to help. I instructed Hubby to control her legs from the driver's side, and the young man helping us (who didn't bat an eye at our crazy) held the cage while I guided our girl in. We settled in for another hour, Miss Piggy voiding in the pet taxi, unable to get her footing, and finally calming down while I gently stroked her nose. Somehow, we made it home in one piece, though I probably should get my car detailed due to flying debris.


Little Miss (who we've affectionately named Maybelline--May for short), has settled into the family and seems to enjoy her new home {much better than the bare, dirty pen she previously called home}. She grounts around all day, and became quick friends with Wilber {once he realized he was too small to make her his girlfriend}. Altough skiddish at first (especially of me, poor girl), she has quickly warmed up to the family. The boys are still learning to be less intimidating, but Sis especially is loving on these new friends.

It could be quite awhile before little Wilber is headed to slaughter, but we already have plans for Miss Maybelline, probably around the beginning of August. Hubby even found a mobile butcher with great prices, so we don't have to worry about transporting our little girl again. As crazy as my weekend was, I love the chaos we're living in, and I am so excited to become less dependant on grocery stores to feed my family. Raising our food works for me!

Do you have any hog experience? Any advice for me?

Today I am linking up at my favorite party, Works for Me Wednesday!

Flexible Meals

I had planned on posting yesterday, but instead thoroughly enjoyed the day off with my family. We had a great 3-day weekend, adding 2 new "members" to our family, and a day of playing in the snow. {Photo courtesy of my mother-in-law, as I took NONE myself.}

Yesterday in particular was busy, tiring, and rewarding. I did something I have never done before, and that I don't plan to ever do again. Possibly the craziest thing I've ever done in my life. But I'll get into that tomorrow.

Now, about the food...

When I posted our meals for last week, I did not actually post what days I planned to make each meal. I knew that there was bound to be some variation. I had the ingredients on hand, but allowed for some flexibility. In fact, I ended up changing things several times. I decided to hold off on making the Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats, as I thought Hubby needed some more time to adjust to that. He was craving some familiar food, so I moved the meatloaf up a couple days on the schedule. Unfortunately, he wasn't a big fan of that either. (More on the meatloaf later.) I also postponed a few meals, and replaced them with omelettes. This is becoming the fast go-to meal if something comes up and I don't have time for whatever I had planned. On Monday my in-laws treated us to Chipotle. I ordered a side of chicken for the kids, but it was too spicy. Next time I'll whip up something quick for them while the adults enjoy Chipotle. I've been ordering salad without the beans or rice, with guacamole as the dressing. I actually made my own yesterday with our leftover carnitas. It was delicious: organic mixed greens, plenty of carnita meat, topped with pico and a generous helping of guacamole. {YUM} In fact, Hubby enjoyed the carnitas (using lettuce leaves in place of tortillas) so much that he told me he was "starting to get used to this food." I took it as a compliment. :)

In preparation for some of our meals this past week I made some homemade condiments. I started with homemade ketchup. This was really easy, and I wasn't too concerned about the taste since I was using it as an ingredient in another dish. It doesn't quite hit the spot on its own, but I was also out of dry mustard, so that could be part of the problem. I used the ketchup in the homemade chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You'd think living in the southwest it would be easy for me to find dried chipotle peppers. I was surprised at how much trouble I had finding them--probably searched 5 different stores! In the end it turned out well. I used a couple chilies in my carnitas (instead of the posted carnita recipe, I made my old faithful crockpot recipe, so it was ready when we came back from the snow). This week I plan to try homemade paleo mayo. I'll let you know how it turns out...

On our menu for this week:

• meatloaf (I actually made this last night. I made a slightly modified version of my old recipe, as Hubby did not enjoy the paleo version. I'll post my recipe next time I make this, as I was missing the bacon, which Hubby informed me last night is why he loves my recipe...)
• Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps (didn't get to these last week) I'm going to make the bleu cheese dressing modified from this recipe. I'm not a fan of bleu cheese, but Hubby recently discovered that he likes it, and I'm really trying to find some primal meals he'll love.
• Slow Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken & Vegetables- I'm excited to try this. I'll nix the baby corn cobs, and sub arrowroot for the cornstarch.
• fish tacos
• shrimp scampi

This week we'll be hosting a dinner party, as well as Sister's 7th birthday {primal!} princess tea party. I'm excited to show our guests how mainstream a primal meal can be.

I also plan to try some paleo spaghetti (zucchini "noodles") with the kids for lunch this week, as well as these pancakes from my friend Anastasia. She has some GREAT giveaways going on right now. Go check her out!


Today I'm linking to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com and Menu Monday!

{Caveman} Chocolate Chip Cookies

{This is a picture-heavy post, and I thank you in advance for overlooking my poor lighting, half-painted walls, and missing cabinet doors, as we are in the process of remodeling!}

I mentioned the other day that my husband is getting bored with our new eating habits. A few days ago he was lamenting his lack of sweets, and how he was missing chocolate chip cookies the most. I smiled and told him I'd make him some. "Not with anything weird in it," was his response. He even demanded to see the ingredient list before I made them. Ha! I denied him that request, and scoured the internets for a Paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe. BakerGal did a great comparision of 6 paleo chocolate chip cookie recipes. In the end I opted to try a recipe found on Fast Paleo. The recipe called for blanched almond flour, which is somewhat expensive, and I have yet to purchase. Fortunately, I happened to have raw almonds on hand, so I went to work making some flour. Almond flour is different from almond meal in that the skins are removed before grinding. This is done through blanching.






First, take a bowl of raw almonds.










Boil water on the stove, and pour it over the almonds. Let is sit for about a minute. If it sits too long, the almonds will get soggy.







I found that the next steps were very important. Drain the almonds. Rinse them in cool water, drain, and rinse again. I "rinsed" my almonds in a collander. I would recommend draining them in a collander, and then putting them back in the bowl to "rinse."






I turned the almonds onto a towel, and patted dry. (I'll skip the drying part next time, too. Dry almonds are harder to peel.) I also advise enlisting a helper. Or two.

 This step took me quite awhile. I found that the wet almonds peeled very easily, and had they all been that easy I would have been done in no time. Unfortunately, I had attempted to blanch quite a few almonds, and I dried them too much. I seriously spent an hour peeling almonds. While I will say that it was worth it in the end, I will never spend so much time doing it again. Let them say a little damp. :)




I let my peeled almonds dry, and piled them into my trusty Vitamix. My machine came with two containers: the traditional container, perfect for smoothies and making nut butters; and a "dry container", perfect for grinding. I haven't used the dry container much in the past, but after yesterday I can tell it will be getting much more counter time in the near future!



After a little processing, I had flour! I transferred the flour into a mason jar, careful not to waste any of the golden goodness, and pulled out the rest of the ingredients for my cookies. Each batch makes about a dozen cookies. I made one, sampled them with the kids, and then made another batch for us to share with the Hubby and the in-laws.





 Each batch requires blanched almond flour (preferrably organic), baking soda, Real Salt, coconut oil (I used the elite Tropical Traditions brand--review coming soon!), vanilla extract, maple syrup, an egg, and Enjoy Life chocolate chips (gluten, dairy, nut & soy-free!).



The first and most tedious step here is to sift out the flour. Even after quick processing in the Vitamix, there were some bigger almond pieces mixed in, and some of the flour clumped together a bit, so we sifted for a few minutes.

I set the coconut oil on the stove to melt, while my helpers mixed the dry ingredients.






 My older helper cracked the egg (notice our compost bin for the eggshell behind her!), and then we added the other wet ingredients.
During our second batch I only had half of the required maple syrup, so I added a little agave nectar.



We stirred the dry ingredients into the wet. Finally, we stirred in the chocolate chips. This batter is a little more runny than your typical chocolate chip cookie batter, so we put it in the fridge for half an hour while the oven preheated.



Once that was complete I was in a bit of a hurry to get the cookies baking before Hubby came home. I quickly dropped spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. The original instrustions say to gently push down on the cookies with a spatula after 5 minutes in the oven. I didn't think this was necessary the second time, and those cookies browned much faster, so I think I'll go ahead and flatten them a bit next time. Then we returned them to the oven for another 5 minutes or so--just until they started to look a little golden brown. I set these out to cool, but we sampled them before long. I really could not believe how amazing these were. I think I prefer them to a conventional chocolate chip cookie, and even the Hubby was impressed (I'm hoping he'll review them for you soon)! These are a great special treat, and we were needed a bit of sweet to break up the monotony of our past week's meals. Head on over to Fast Paleo and give these a try!


Today I'm linking to: Friday Free-For-All, Weekend Show Off Party, For the Kids Friday, F-It Friday & Pin Me

Grain-free Banana Bread (and how I fared without the Hubby)

So Hubby was out of town for several days this past week. (He flew to Texas to move his mom and step-dad here, and they'll be staying with us for awhile.) When he is gone I tend to cook for the kids (what they like) and eat poorly, so it was a bit of a challenge. Thursday was busy; we ate omelettes more than once. (Huge thanks to my friend Mandy who fed my kids a primal snack of strawberries, grapes and cheese while we were visiting!) Friday was a bit of a treat--I made snow crab (leftover from Christmas Eve dinner) and mussels. 

(SIDENOTE: Have you ever read Very Last First Time? I read it to the kids for school last year, and it has become a favorite. It's the story of an Inuit girl who gathers mussels beneath the ice shelf in Ungava Bay in Canada. Sissy's been eager to try mussels ever since she heard the story.)

I wasn't a huge fan of the slimy mussels (or cracking crab for all 4 of us!), but the whole meal was a huge hit with the kids. The best part? My four-year-old said, "We eat great on this diet, huh Mom?"

Our family was supposed to arrive mid-Sunday, and I spent most of Saturday getting the house ready. (Another thanks to my mom who stopped by for awhile to help with laundry and moving my yard sale stash out of the guest bedroom!) We had a quick dinner of omelettes (sensing a pattern here?) and they arrived (half a day early!) at bedtime. Somehow I still found time to try some new recipes. 

First up was banana bread. I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest (follow me!), and was happy to see I had all of the ingredients already! The lineup consisted of bananas, eggs, almond butter, {pastured}butter, vanilla, cinnamon, Real Salt, and (aluminum free) baking powder. George suggests using a glass loaf pan, but I only had metal at the time. 

All 3 of my kids enjoy helping in the kitchen, though my oldest prefers doing things completely on her own (she mastered grain-filled pancakes a couple months back) or to use a {real}knife, so she doesn't get as much kitchen time as the boys do. This time my younger helpers pealed the bananas. We dumped all the ingredients into my Vitamix, though next time I will try my {brand new!} food processor, as it can be difficult to scoop out all the batter from the Vitamix container.

In less than an hour, we had deliciously moist banana bread! Sweeteners are intentionally omitted from this bread, and we didn't even notice its absence! I could still detect the distinct coconut flour taste, but enjoyed it nonetheless. My kids LOVED it, and it was gone in hours. One of the boys actually had the idea to make banana-peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, which I thought was a great suggestion! Since we're avoiding peanuts, I used sunflower seed butter, sliced some bananas on top, and added another slice of bread. We didn't miss the peanuts or the grains at all! Even if you're not eating primally, I would encourage you to give this recipe a try--you'll see how easy it can be to go grain-free! And when you're finished checking out George's Paleo Banana Bread, check out some of his other recipes at Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations!

Today I'm linking to Made by you Monday!

Menu Plan with company!

My in-laws arrived this weekend and will be staying with us for awhile. While most people cringe at the thought of visiting in-laws, I have been looking forward to it. We are so excited to have Hubby's family close to us, and are happy we have an empty room (and garage!) to offer. My one trepidation, however, has been the food. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but with our new dietary practices and our guests' love of bread and potatoes, I am somewhat anxious about meal planning. In addition, Hubby  proclaimed last night that he's tired of the diet already (and he claimed "dietary flexibility" last Thursday through Saturday), so I'm feeling the need to really impress this week. On the menu:

• Salmon (I made this last week, and Hubby enjoyed it. However, I didn't make enough, so this time I'll be sure to pack leftovers for this lunch beforehand.) I will cook it on the stove in some pastured butter, seasoned with a curry-salt blend (1 part curry seasoning to 3 parts Real Salt). 
• Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats (I'll make the sausage variety for lunch.)
• Spicy Paprika and Lime Chicken
• Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Simple Carnitas, again - these were a big hit last time. I'll serve with fresh homemade pico and guacamole, recipes to come
• Meatloaf

Here's to hoping everyone likes these! Do you have any new paleo/primal recipes to share??

Today I'm linking to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com and Menu Monday!

My primal meal plan works for me! Linking up at Works For Me Wednesday!

Our first week

So far we've done fairly well with our new eating habits. We officially started eating different last Thursday, though I'd been gradually cutting things out in the previous weeks. On Friday I developed a terrible headache. I also felt dizzy and in a bit of a fog. At first I thought maybe I was just dehydrated, but soon realized that was not the culprit. I researched sugar and grain withdrawl symptoms, and found that they can last up to a week. Thankfullly, by Sunday afternoon I felt back to myself, and by Monday I felt much better than usual. Although I haven't slept as well as usual (due to kids, not the diet), I have much more energy in the mornings. We also joined the Y this week, and I have enjoyed being able to workout without tripping over my children.

Foodwise, I was prepared for a struggle with my husband when it came to dietary changes, but he has embraced it (with the exception of his "cheat" meals!). Previously he was skeptical of most "healthy" recipes (cauliflower breadsticks, anyone?). In fact, in the days after Christmas he seriously proposed eating only salad (with chicken on top) for lunch and dinner--for the remainer of this diet. Surprisingly, he has liked most recipes I've tried, and is on board with the changes, though he reserves the right to sneak a treat everyone now and then. So far Hubby's cheats have included a burrito Friday & a--gasp--BigMac on Sunday, and we both had a bit of wine Sunday evening. {We also agreed early-on that he would still be allowed his beer. :-)}

One thing I have noticed is we are often hungry. This is not supposed to be the case while eating primally, so I wonder how much more protein we should be eating. I am also spending more time with meal preparation, though that was expected. Overall, we've enjoyed our meals this past week.

Meals have  included:

• Egg Muffins - Hubby has been reheating these at work for breakfast. They're great to make ahead, but can be a pain to clean up in the muffin tin. I'm considering trying out some paper liners.
• Fish tacos - Cod, lightly seasoned with Real Salt, pepper, cumin and lemon juice, sauteed and served on lettuce with tomatoes, shreded cabbage, jalapenos and avocado
• Carnitas - served much like the fish tacos
• Chicken made from this recipe on my friend's blog. I subbed coconut vinegar and almond butter. I think we would have liked it better with the peanut butter; next time I'll try sunflower seed butter. The kids ate the chicken as an entree. Hubby and I ate it over salad, and I used the dip as a dressing. Yum!
• Chicken nuggets for the kids - dipped chicken pieces in egg & then almond flour, baked in oven.
• Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats - these were by far my favorite so far, and my boys gobbled them up like crazy, too! Hubby said gave me permission to add them to the rotation, though Sissy gagged her way through them (can't win 'em all). I left out the bell pepper and the parmesan, simply because I didn't have any on hand.
• Omelettes have been big on the breakfast menu. The kids prefer cheese, hubby likes some ham/bacon added, and I like to load mine up with veggies--broccoli, tomato, avocado--yum!
• Banana Pancakes - The kids loved these! I thought they tasted like banana bread. I left out the chocolate chips and used regular milk.
• Coconut flour waffles - can't find the recipe I used for these, but neither Hubby nor I liked them. The kids enjoyed them, and I made Hubby some scrambled eggs :)
• Salmon - seasoned with a curry salt and sauteed (yum!)

Some recipes I'm excited to try soon are Zucchini Spice Muffins and Primal Nut Bars.

Do you have any Paleo/Primal recipes you'd recommend??

Lifestyle Changes

Once we returned from vacation, we jumped right into Stage 1 of the Candida Diet. Sissy ate bland foods like rice cakes and wheat crackers. I pushed veggies as much as I could (& she pushed back!), along with plenty of onions and garlic, which are said to combat the yeast. We supplemented with a homeopathic treatment and a Shaklee probiotic. Before long I saw many improvements: accidents decreased greatly, spontaneous bruising cleared up along with the dark circles under her eyes, muscle weakness and fatigue decreased, along with her sensitivity to sound. Her concentration improved and moodiness dissipated. I felt like I had my little girl back--except she was so bored with her diet, and felt left out and deprived. After about a month on Stage 1, we started adding fruits back into her diet. After a few months we had seen such great improvement, and I relaxed on the diet. Before long Sis was back to eating what the rest of us ate. I tried to cook nutricious meals, I limited sweets, soda, and most processed foods. And for awhile things were looking up....

Regrettably, by the fall her accidents had commenced. The past few months have also seen a return of her "brain tickling", moodiness, and learning troubles. It is so frustrating to know your child's potential, yet be unable to help them achieve their goals! I knew that we were going to have to try again, yet I was struggling to find the right direction. Then a month ago Sissy started complaining about her white spots, telling me she wanted them to go away so she could look normal, like everyone else. So I started researching vitiligo again, and looked for a possibility it could be connected somehow to the candida issues. This started a snowball effect that I wasn't expecting. I learned that vitiligo is connected to malabsorbtion of key vitamins and minerals, such as zinc, copper, vitamin D, folic acid, and vitamin B12. I found that not only can candida cause malabsorbtion of nutrientes, but it can also be connected to a gluten sensitivity. I read an interesting article about why gluten is excluded in candida diets. I decided we should eliminate gluten from our diets, but wondered if that would be enough. I began searching diets that were high in certain nutrients and gluten-free. Through these searches I was introduced to the GAPS diet and the Paleo lifestyle. The GAPS diet is based on a book by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, explaining how digestive disorders can wreak havoc on the body and brain specifically. The premise behind the Paleo diet is that our bodies were not designed to live off of modern agriculture. Most of the food in your local supermarket is comprised of corn, wheat, or soy--or most likely, a combination of all 3! Even 100 years ago, most Americans were not consuming these products in large quantities. Similar to the Paleo diet is the Primal diet. The Primal diet embraces some foods that are restricted in the Paleo diet (healthy fats such as butter and coconut oil, eggs, and dairy).

So after much research (and this is always flexible, as new research arises), we have decided to develop what I am calling a "modified primal diet" for our family. Out are all grains (including corn & the family favorite oatmeal) and processed sugars. We'll still use some more natural sweeteners (honey, agave, maple syrup) in moderation. We'll be filling up on as many veggies as possible, with some fruits added in. We'll also rely heavily on animal protein (eggs, beef, chicken, pork & seafood)--ideally pastured, grass-fed, and hormone-/antibiotic-free. We're avoiding most beans and legumes (goodbye, peanut butter), but not cutting out dairy. Ideally, we'll primarily consume raw dairy, but most of that won't be implemented until our goats are in milk. I will also be incorporating some GAPS concepts, such as bone broth and eventually some fermentation. This is very new to me, and some of my ideas are sure to evolve in the process. I invite you to join me as I attempt to implement a healthier lifestyle for our family, and hopefully relieve Sissy of her vitiligo and candida symptoms. Later this week I'll share some of the recipes we've tried, and how we're faring with our new lifestyle.

Have you incorporated any similar changes? Any advice for me??

Drugged and Confused

WARNING: This post contains references to stool and constipation, and may be TMI for some of you!

Source

I can't pinpoint exactly when the next symptoms started, but I think it was in late 2010 that my potty-trained 4 year old started having accidents. We didn't think much of it at the time, but as the months went on and the accidents became more frequent, I became concerned. A few days after Christmas, Sissy told me it hurt when she went to the bathroom. I immediately called the doctor, fearing a UTI. We were quickly seen by our usual pediatrician's partner, and she was diagnosed with an infection (though the doctor did not call it a UTI). Antibiotics were prescribed and we scheduled a follow-up with our doctor. At the follow-up appointment, it appeared that an infection was still present, so she prescribed another antibiotic. The pediatrician ordered an x-ray of her abdomen, and we were referred to a urologist to rule out any chronic issues. By the time Sissy saw the urologist, she had been on antibiotics for almost 2 months, yet it appeared that an infection was still there! This doctor diagnosed her further with constipation and failure to completely empty the bladder. He prescribed another antibiotic and Miralax for the constipation. They also "educated" me on proper voiding techniques (seriously?!) and printed out charts for me to track her voiding (complete with categorizing the shape/texture) for the next 4 months. I left the office feeling a bit frustrated, but still somewhat hopeful. At least a different diagnosis seemed to be getting us somewhere, or so I thought. Though I can't say I tracked her stools for more than a few days, the laxative seemed to work. I gave it to her regularly, and she became regular. The accidents became less common, and we thought we were making progress. Before long, however, the accident frequency increased again, though the constipation did not. At her follow-up with the urologist, we learned that the constipation was improved greatly (though not completely) and yet another infection was plaguing my little girl. We were prescribed yet another antibiotic and were sent home to continue with the laxative. This time I went with my instincts and did not fill the prescription. Surely this was not helping.

Simultaneously, I experienced some (unrelated?) issues with my bright girl, who was now (homeschooled) in kindergarten. Although she is very smart, Sissy was having trouble concentrating at times. She would learn something quickly, but have trouble with it the next week. She became forgetful, and often when learning she would complain of her "brain tickling", and she would push hard on her forehead. She became so frustrated, and I was at a loss as well. Similarly, I noticed that she became fatigued very quickly. A bike ride to the park (2 blocks away) left her exhausted, and she'd be too tired to ride farther, saying her legs were "just too tired." In fact, a year ago today we took all 6 kids hiking, and Sis spent much of the hike riding on the back of either me or her father.


I knew something was not right, and I began searching for answers. Somehow I stumbled upon a blog post mentioning yeast overgrowth. Many of the symptoms seemed to match our problem, so I searched further. I can't find it now, but when I saw a forum of Candida sufferers complaining about "tingling" in the frontal lobe, I was pretty convinced. About a week into my research I stumbled upon a book about Candida at a yard sale.

I quickly devoured the book, excited to find a cure for my daughter. The book takes you through 3 stages of a diet designed to starve out the yeast. First, you cut out ALL sugar, fruit and processed flour. Then you gradually add in fruit (one at a time!), and eventually return to a pretty normal diet. The first stage consists mostly of vegetables, rice, corn, soy and whole wheat. Of this, my daughter liked a few vegetables (peas, broccoli, sweet potatoes), whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and Triscuits. Not much variety, and I was wary of the nutritional value. Nonetheless, I figured we needed to give it a try. I decided to implement the changes once we returned from a family vacation over Easter. (I knew it would be hard on her, and I didn't want to exclude her from the Easter bounty her cousins and siblings would surely be enjoying.)

My sweet girl enjoy her Easter fun dip

First Indications of a Problem

As our family prepares for a complete dietary overhaul, I've decided to document the events that have guided our lifestyle shift. Soon I'll be adding meal plans, recipes, supplements and treatments we are implementing, tips for a healthier lifestyle, along with glimpses into our daily chaos.

Our oldest has had some puzzling health issues for years. I first noticed what we refer to as her "white spots"--patches of depigmentation on her skin--early in 2010. They were small and did not seem to cause problems, so we ignored it for awhile. As the year progressed, not only did her depigmentation spread, but it also became much more noticeable as she acquired a summer tan. In September we decided to consult a dermatologist. I suspected a possible fungal infection (tinea versicolor), but the dermatologist quickly diagnosed her with vitiligo, meaning that the cells producing her melanin were either damaged or dying. (Michael Jackson is probably the most popular sufferer.)

Some of Sissy's white spots

 Although considered harmless, the treatment for vitiligo can be expensive and dangerous, and the results are inconsistent. Our doctor prescribled a topical corticosteroid, and mentioned possible UV therapy or complete depigmentation as a last resort. The outlook seemed bleak, though the doctor reassured us that it was merely cosmetic. She also prescribed a moisturizer for Sissy's dry skin, and we rescheduled a followup for six weeks later. Reluctantly, I filled the prescription. Though I was not keen on the steroid idea, I decided to give it the six weeks. 

 At her followup appointment we noticed some possible improvement, but it was also evident that more white spots had developed. The doctor remarked that Sissy's spots were spreading very rapidly, which is uncommon for the condition. She advised me to continue the treatment and followup again. As this was considered merely a cosmetic issue, we decided to discontinue her treatment. A simple Google search of vitiligo suggested a connection to autoimmune disease, but I didn't want to overreact. Looking back it appears that the steroid use may have exacerbated a health issue we were unaware of...

Have you ever ignored a doctor's treatment/advice? Are you glad you did, or did you regret it in the end?

Linking up at WFMW!