Thursday, April 28, 2011

Two ways...

I am lucky to have such great eaters. I make one meal and everyone eats what I make. The only thing that is different sometimes is adding the dinner to lettuce. 

The other day, I HAD TO use the rest of the lettuce. One more day (lunch) and it would be bad. I decided to mix up my dinner and add my meat and vegetables to lettuce. 
Hubby's dinner

My dinner 

Oven cooked Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Chicken marinated in Pineapple Spice 

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Avocado Eggs with Coconut

I know, what a mixture!!!
You are probably thinking... "Lindsey, what are you thinking???"

Well - it was by mistake!!! I swear but it really turned out great and the kids loved it!!!!

***Picture is terrible --- SO SO SO SORRY! ***

Here is what happened! I was looking over the blogs I followed and saw PrimalToads $2.23 Happy Meal. Not reading all the directions and looking at my half avocado on the counter, I started making my eggs.  Really - I did not follow the directions at all... WHOOPS... But came out to be alright! Kids were happy and I was happy!!!

The Ingredients:
Farm Fresh LOCAL eggs
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Primal toad added cinnamon but I did not.

The Directions:
I tossed everything into my vitamix and mixed on a low setting. I added the whipped mixture into a hot pan with coconut oil and made scrambled eggs. 3 year old love that he was eating green eggs and baby didn't care about the color, just gobbled down!

ENJOY!!!!

Might I add -- I eat eggs and avocado together often. I usually cook my eggs over-medium and the pick up all the extra yolk with avocado pieces.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Grilled Venison Loins

We have had a few days, here and there, where we are able to get out and grill!!! We love grilling. We love getting out there and hubby grilling while the kids and I play in our backyard. We have had a lot of rainy, cold, GROSS weekends and weeknights but are eagerly waiting SUMMER!!!! 

Hubby had someone bring him Venison Loins.

The Ingredients:
Venison Loins (Ours were sliced, not sure if that is normal)

The Marinade:
1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Parsley

The Directions:
If you are using frozen meat, thaw completely. Place venison in a baggie and mix the marinade ingredients together. Add to the bag and mix into the meat.  Let the venison marinate for 2 hours, in the fridge (you can do all day).

Take meat out of the fridge 1 hour before grilling. I read that when meat is room temp it cooks evenly.

Grill and ENJOY!!!

Sides: Green leafy salad, Grill Steamed Zucchini and Asparagus.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Carrot Cake

Happy Monday!!!! 
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter! We sure did! We enjoyed some great food with family :) 

I made The Food Lovers' @ Primal Plate carrot cake. 

Mine ended up not looking like that... 
ha... ok this is a terrible picture. 

When taking the cake out of the pans, the cake broke into pieces. This always happens to me...  The cake was not going to win this one... I decided to turn my pieces into a layered cake in my trifle dish! 

I followed the recipe, here, then layered the cake pieces, icing and walnuts (and repeat). 

THIS WAS AN AWESOME CAKE!!!! AMAZING flavor!!!!! :) Best Carrot Cake EVER!!!! :) 

Thank you, Primal Plate for sharing this recipe!!!! 

Friday, April 22, 2011

Creating Healthy Eating Habits

I am really excited about this new little series. I am extremely passionate about nutrition and children! It is too important not to be passionate about! :) 


Here are some simple ways I have found to help my boys. 


Make Eating at Home Fun

The more involved the kids are in the preparation of eating, the shopping for the food, etc. the better. I could definitely see a family ritualistically making dinner together as a team. This could be very fun, telling the kids to pick out the music (with a no-Bieber rule on hot dog night of course) or do role playing with little waitress outfits, making menus on the computer, or whatever else you can think of to get everyone involved. If it is not a routine, it will be work and a major drag to put down the video game controller to come make dinner. But if it is routine and the kids are actively learning and growing with their knowledge of food and cooking they are more likely to become well-connected to it. Of course, you have to really assess this for yourself. You don’t want it to become a chore or this concept will totally backfire. 

Television 

This is unfortunately not a war many will win, and this is potentially more important for overall physical, social, and psychological well-being than any other modern thing we face. Not only are there endless images showing kids having a great time eating junk food, but there is an avalanche of messages designed to make us feel bad about our bodies, endless messages showing kids that dieting is cool, fun, and improves life, and more including the general idea that animal fat is going to kill you. Statistics show stronger correlations between hours of tv watched and childhood obesity than any other lifestyle factor – and most dietary factors as well.

Never Limit Macronutrients or Calories

Putting your kid on a low-carb, low-fat, or calorie-restricted diet is the dumbest thing ever. I don’t know any severely obese individuals, or people with eating disorders that didn’t start dieting in some shape, form, or fashion at a young age. Restricted and restrained eating, especially for a young person, is very dangerous. Many kids, like myself, lose excess fat upon hitting puberty anyway – just in time because my retarded family doctor had just given me the “cut out snacks” speech for being in the very high percentiles of weight for an 11-year old. Trying to impose a diet on a young kid is like giving a 13-year old breast implants because she’s not developing quite as quickly as her friends. If you want your kids to have emotional issues with their bodies, practice the famous starve and binge approach to healthy eating, and develop life-threatening conditions from it long-term, then, by all means, put them on a diet immediately.

Never Push Certain Foods

When a strange new food gets pushed towards a young kid, that food gets pushed right back at ya. I would suggest cooking a wide variety of foods in the home from the time the kid is very young and let them develop their own curiosity about those foods at their own pace. Remember, they know better than you do what is good for them. I mean seriously, how many times have we, as adults, been totally wrong about “the healthy way to eat?” It’s best to do what you can to help the intelligence of their bodies come forward without any interference, including keeping chemically-enhanced and highly-refined and sweetened foods out of their diet until they have developed a wide variety of preferences for various real foods (like, say, until age 4). 

Give Them Real Food

It’s always great to have a nice spread laid out for kids consisting of real food that tastes good. By real food I mean things that don’t contain white flour, white sugar, corn syrup, chemical flavor enhancers, or otherwise refined or packaged foods. A parent’s prime food duty is to have healthy food available to eat, with very little, if any, junk available to eat in the home. Junk foods pervert natural taste and reward centers, making wholesome food bland and uninteresting. The most important thing, as mentioned above, is that if you are going to be a food Nazi, do so for the first 3-4 years of the kid’s life before they become exposed to the outside food world. This builds a great template for good health and a more likely preference for real food. 

Breast Feed Your Kids

Eat lots of wholesome food without macronutrient or calorie restriction yourself, and breastfeed your kids. Obviously the longer the better, but we all have lives to live. Infant formula is pure death as far as I’m concerned (speaking from experience) unless your own nutrition is so poor that you just can’t produce good milk. 

Conclusion

You want to serve up great homemade food that becomes favorites over the competition. You don’t want to reinforce the idea that there are forbidden foods to be strictly avoided and make food the place where they express feelings of rebellion.

Obviously there are some lessons in here for us big kids as well.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Spaghetti Squash with ground beef and vegetables

Last week was a weird week in cooking. Let me explain!

Like every Saturday, I went to the store and bought groceries. I bought a lot of what I normally bought but for some reason, last week when I would get ready to plan dinner, I couldn't find anything. 

Last week was a struggle for me!!! We made it through it and are back on track!!!
Spaghetti Squash, Ground beef, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Zucchini, Coconut Aminos, Lemon Pepper, Garlic

I love this kind of recipe because it is easy to change or add things too! So many options!!!

Do you have days that meals are just a struggle??? Even when you have all the ingredients???

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

French Rack of Lamb

Food Revolution was on last night. I have said it before and I will say it again I am a HUGE fan of the show. I love the show for so many reasons. Jamie Oliver's main focus is to change the way we eat and the way we feed our children. He often talks about how UNhealthy America is and not only is he educating, he is finding ways to change.

For example. This season he is working with a fast food restaurant. He came up with 4 (organic local meat) hamburger recipes and a healthier fresh fruit shake (no strawberry sugary additive) recipe. Before he presented this idea to the restaurant owner he took it to the streets with his little push cart stand. He told everyone pay me what you think the burger is worth. He had people walking up and offering to pay $5, $8 and even $15+. Burgers and Fast Food do not have to be expensive and that is his point. He took his menu back to the restaurant and was able to charge $4 and change (and still able to make a profit). 

That is my point... You can enjoy "healthy meals" at the same cost as a "normal" meal. 

Saturday while grocery shopping at TJ's, I thought it would be fun to try something new. Not new to eat but new to cooking in my kitchen! On one of the blogs I follow they made a lamb roast last week. I guess lamb was on my mind. 

I found lamb roast ($22+) but they were not in our weekly food budget. I was bummed until I spotted French Lamb Racks($10+).

So, Saturday, we spent the night enjoying delicious Lamb Racks!!!! 

The Ingredients:
Rack of Lamb ( from TJ's)

The dry marinade:
21 season salute (from TJ's)
Basil
Parsley

The wet merinade:
Dijon Mustard
Olive Oil
Parsley & Basil
2 drops stevia
Garlic Powder

The Directions:
Take meat out of the packaging and place in a dish, large enough to let the rack of lamb can lay flat. Season with the dry mixture and let the meat sit out for 1 - 2 hours until meat is room temp. 

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Sear both sides (couple minutes each side) and then move to the upper racks for 15 - 20 minutes. Hubby added the wet marinade when he moved the lamb to the upper rack. (You may want yours more pink but with little ones and my first attempt at making these we went a little more safe!!!!)

We served our Rack of Lamb with green beans (saute in Olive Oil and Beef Bacon*) and steamed Cauliflower.

*more to come on Beef Bacon!!!! 



Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Honey Coconut Salmon

Are you ready for the most AMAZING Salmon recipe, EVER????
Seriously, This salmon was ridiculously good.

Sweet and Salmon just go together, nicely! Hubby loves salmon this way.

The Ingredients:
Salmon
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 TBSP Raw Honey

Melt the three together. Pour over Salmon and let set for 30 minutes. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (depending on the size).

Check back tomorrow for my Rack of Lamb recipe!!! Was awesome and a perfect app for Easter!!!!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Green Smoothie with Grapefruit

I am sorry for not posting a Monday Morning Mix-Up last week. 

I have been making lots of goodies in my Vitamix but kept forgetting to take pictures! Here is one of my favorite smoothies for the time being. 

Kale, Grapefruit, Banana, Almond Milk 
A peach would be good in this too! 

What is your favorite smoothie right now???

Friday, April 15, 2011

Store bought meat...

Hello again!!! I know, posting again! 

I was on yahoo getting ready to check my email when I came across this... 

1 In 4 Supermarket Meat Samples Tainted With Drug-Resistant Bacteria


Nearly a quarter of the meat and poultry sold in U.S. supermarkets is infected with nasty drug-resistant bacteria, too.

There are more than 30 types of Staphylococcus, but Staphylococcus aureus causes most staph infections in people, including skin infections and food poisoning, according to the National Institutes of Health. The drug-resistant strains found in the meat and poultry samples are especially difficult to treat because they've evolved beyond the regular arsenal of drugs that kill them.
The researchers say that most Staph found in meat can be eliminated by cooking food thoroughly, but it can still pose a risk to consumers if handled unsafely or if it cross-contaminates with other things in the kitchen.

Click here to read the whole story. Just another reason you should look into local meat. I am thankful, again, for J&J Farms!!!! 

Creating Healthy Eating Habits, Part 1

“How do I change my child’s eating habits?” This is a question that I am asked at least once a week, thus it is worthy of a post :) ! Honestly this is not highly complex. It boils down to you, the parents or guardians. If you are eating healthy food choices and demonstrating healthy eating habits your kids will do the same. Don’t get me wrong this may not be a smooth transition depending on the age of the child, but it is definitely achievable. In my experience with kids (pre school and grade school) if you show that you are apprehensive or unsure about anything from food to activities, kids will sense it and feed off of it. It goes both ways though! If you make it fun and are excited about what you are going to do or eat and get the kids involved on whatever level is age appropriate they will be more likely to want to try it and like it!

I have decided that I am going to dedicate the next few Friday's to KIDS and creating Healthy Habits.  

My boys eat very healthy and eat pretty much anything I put in front of them. I pride myself on their eating habits. Our baby has only had limited grains and limited dairy. I wish I could say he hasn't had either but he has. I, like many moms, offered my baby O's to help teach eating bigger foods and to entertain him while we are finishing dinner. I pride myself that he prefers peas, carrots and diced up zucchini over the O's now. Although, O's are easier to clean up and easily storable in the diaper bag for a quick grab. Now that baby is getting bigger it is so important for us to offer REAL foods to him and encourage vegetables. 

Baby and 3 year old love eating vegetables. They each have a half of avocado daily (sometimes every other). Our 3 year old loves fruits and vegetables. He sneaks apples and oranges as snacks. The other night, 3 year old went out to dinner with his Aunt and Uncle. I asked him what he was going to get and he said "hamburger and brussels sprouts" He was so excited.

I do understand my boys are young and we starting eating healthy from day 1 so creating this plan was easier but I plan on having a few friends write a blurp on how they get they older kids to eat and eat healthier choices. I am really looking forward to this little series! Please make sure to comment... I love hearing from you! 

IN THE NEWS:
Did you happen to see the article this week about the Chicago school banning homemade lunches???

I mean, seriously? I wanted to think this was some joke. A late April Fool's joke. Unfortunately it is not. A school in Chicago is baning homemade lunches. I am not too much into politics but this ban is flat our wrong. What about our freedoms? What about the US being the greatest country in the world? That is hard to believe today.
This may be only one school but its in Chicago. Its in one of the biggest cities in the world. If it was in some small city then it may not have made headlines.
I do understand the importance of limiting the amount of sugar and junk the kids are eating. The school, or should I say, the teachers, experience the sugar affects on the children. The sugar highs and lows. Why ban all school lunches, though? Why not compromise and accept lunches that do not contain white flour, refined sugar, or other "processed" foods, like a Tucson, Arizona School started last year. 
To me - I agree that we need to limit the amount of junk food entering our children but at the same time I know that the school is not going to have my high standards on meat and vegetables. Why would I want my child to eat a FACTORY beef burger or some FACTORY chicken dish. 
NO - THANK YOU... My children will not be eating this school lunch. 

Did you watch the clip on Wednesday's post? Check out how school lunch meat is made... Pink Slime.
What do you think about the homemade lunch ban??? I want to hear your thoughts!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Beef Fried (cauliflower) Rice

I have a special recipe, treat, for you today!!!! 

Beef fried rice with out the rice!!!! 

I am really starting to love the versatility of cauliflower. Before eating more Primal/Paleo I did not know there were so many wonderful uses for cauliflower. I used to eat it raw or steamed. Now I enjoy rice and mashed. This is becoming a household staple! I do buy 2 heads a week... :) 

Actually - all vegetables - a wide variety are staples in our household.

Creating delicious new recipes and meals for my family is rewarding enough. We are really enjoying the new flavors and simplicity of meals! Yes, some of them take a little longer!

I have made several different version of the family favorite but this one could be the best and favorite of the family!

We could not tell the difference!!!!
Beef Fried (Cauliflower) Rice

The Ingredients:
1/2 - 1 lb ground beef
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup steamed broccoli, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 eggs, scrambled (we used 2 large chicken eggs and one turkey egg) 
1 head of cauliflower
coconut aminos
garlic powder
pepper
Worcestershire sauce (just splash)

The Directions:
Pulse raw cauliflower in food processor until rice like. Set aside. 

Saute all vegetables in coconut oil. Cook for 5 minutes. Add ground beef. Cook until all the beef is has no pink. Add cauliflower rice and cook for 5 minutes. Add seasonings and cook until cauliflower is tender but not mush. Finally mix in the scrambled egg. 

ENJOY!!!!

Part of: Pennywise Thursday

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Spinach Egg Casserole

Jamie Oliver and FOOD REVOLUTION is back!!!! Last night, we watched the first episode of season two. This year, Jamie is taking on LA. 


Fast forward to 2:24. He breaks down the meat that school use... You will not believe it... 

I am looking forward to this season!!! WELCOME BACK JAMIE OLIVER!!!! 

Two quick ideas for you!!!! 
6 eggs, 1 cup spinach, chicken and apple sausage
Bake at 375 for 30 - 45 minutes.

Simple Dinner
Lemon, Thyme and Onion Chicken with mixed vegetables
Bake chicken at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes.


Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Nut Granola Bars, take 2

My first nut granola bars, were and are a huge hit. I have had emails, comments and even fellow bloggers have blog the recipe on their sites. They are a huge hit with you and an even bigger hit at our house. 

I have been playing around with the recipe and I came up with another keeper! 
The Ingredients:
1 cup Almonds
1/2 cup Pecan
1 cup Cashews
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free, nut-free, grain-free)
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup coconut butter
1/4 cup Coconut Oil

The Directions:
Add Almonds and Pecans into the food processor and rough chop. Pour them into a bowl and add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cranberries and coconut flakes.

In a sauce pan add raw honey, almond coconut butter, coconut butter and coconut oil. Once it is smooth and creamy add the nuts. 

Pour mixture into a 8x8 (with parchment) pan and spread evenly. Put in freezer for 2 hours to chill and set. 

** Leave the nuts chunkier. You may need to adapt the amount of the liquid. Too much liquid will leave the bars more gooey. 

Friday, April 8, 2011

United Health Care Letter

Thank you for the comments about this letter!
I am speechless. If you knew me, you would know that is hard to do.

No, I did not post this letter to start a discussion about vaccinations. Those of you who commented on the original post, thank you. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the issue.

When I read this letter, I asked myself, why in the world is United Health Care offering a $20 gift card to McDonald's? McDonald's, in my book, is not even considered food. It is so over processed and pumped with junk that no one really knows what in the world is in their burgers.

You know what this is not surprising. That is our healthcare system.  It is a broken system...

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Chicken Soup with vegetables

I am super excited for Spring/Summer. Last Summer, I built a garden box in our backyard and planted lots of great vegetables (organic and pesticide free, of course). I am eagerly looking forward to plating and growing again this summer. Hubby and I have been talking about expanding the garden box out, just a little more, to make room for more vegetables.
My 3 year old (then 2) enjoyed going out and looking for vegetables. I know he is going to love and appreciate the garden so much more this year. Especially knowing meals (vegetables) are coming from our hard work! 


Garden Vegetable Soup with Chicken

zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, carrots, celery and of course chicken. 
seasonings - thyme, rosemary and parsley. Homemade chicken broth. 

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Chicken Fajitas and Mexican (Cauliflower) Rice

I have something to show you... 
I want to show you a (real) letter that is from United Health Care. 

I feel obligated to show you...  
Please read this letter!
(Click on the photo if you need to enlarged)

Do you see a problem with this letter?? 
I want  to hear your thoughts. 

Here is a recipe for a delicious Mexican Dinner!!!! :)
 The Chicken Fajitas

The Ingredients:
chicken tenders cut in half
1 red bell peppers
1 orange bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
garlic powder
nutmeg
cumin
pepper

The Directions:
In a WOK add coconut oil and cook the chicken strips at a medium, medium low heat. Once the chicken is cooked add bell pepper strips. Add seasonings. 

Serve with Lettuce, Avocado and Mexican (cauliflower) rice. 
Mexican (Cauliflower) Rice

The Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
1/4 - 1/2 cup homemade salsa

The Directions:
Steam cauliflower just until the cauliflower is about tender. Add cauliflower to food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is rice like. Add cauliflower to frying pan and add salsa. Cook until the cauliflower is warm throughout. 

ENJOY!!!!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Blood Orange Chicken Stir Fry

I love citrus flavored meat. I picked up some blood oranges at Trader Joe's this weekend. I just knew I wanted to attempt to make a delicious citrus flavored chicken dish. 

I thawed chicken tenders directly in the citrus mixture. Soaked the chicken all day and then drained the juices when it was time to cook. 


The Ingredients:

The Marinade:
1 blood orange juiced
1/4 cup of orange juice
2 TBSP Coconut Aminos
2 TBSP Olive Oil

6 chicken tenders
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
2 cups spinach
unsweetened coconut for topping

The Directions:
Take chicken out of the freezer and place in Tupperware or Ziploc. Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. I let the chicken soak for 8 hours. 

In a large frying pan lay the chicken out. Do not over crowd the chicken. Pour a little of the marinade over the chicken and brown both sides. Take chicken out and cut into pieces. Add chicken back to the pan and continue to cook. Add zucchini, squash and bell peppers and cook for 5 - 10 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. 

Once you plate the stir-fry top with unsweetened shredded coconut. 

ENJOY!!!!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Almond Milk

Good Morning and Happy Monday Morning Mix-up!

I am sad to say that I have not made anything in my Vitamix for over a week now. You see, last week, while my husband was making a smoothie a piece broke. Do not worry it was not his fault and the new piece is on its way.

Thank you Vitamix warranty!

I want to take a second and tell you another reason why I love Vitamix so much. I know, I am obsessed!!!! but really this is so neat. Vitamix has this technology that if a spoon, a piece of the blender, a peach pit, ect hits the blade, another piece breaks. It is meant to break so that the motor is protected. Vitamix now is mailing me my new piece! :)

I made this delicious Almond Milk with Banana. 

The Ingredients:
1/2 cup Almonds
1 cup water
1/2 banana, frozen

The Directions:
Soak Almonds in water for 4 - 6 hours. Drain water and add Almonds and water to blender or Vitamix. Blend on High until the Almonds go smooth. Add banana pieces and blend for another couple of minutes. 

ENJOY!!!!
Next time I will pour the Milk through cheese cloth. 

Friday, April 1, 2011

If you could only live on 10 things, what would they be?

Happy April Fools Day! I hope that you are having a wonderful day!!!! 
Friday Fun Fact... I have been extremely busy this week and have not have the time I have wanted to research and write on something in great detail. I have been really enjoying Friday Fun Facts because it has pushed me to strengthen my brain and research and read and learn more about things that really interest me! 
I thought I would be fun to come up with a list, if I could only live on 10 things. 
It was difficult to do but I came up with the following 10.
  1. Avocado
  2. Greens (Collard, Kale and Spinach)
  3. Salmon
  4. Eggs
  5. Broccoli
  6. Coconut
  7. Cow
  8. Asparagus
  9. Almonds
  10. Brussels Sprouts
It seems as if I could easily live off of these foods for the rest of my life. I am by no means going to, but I may eat the above 10 foods without anything else during a one week period down the road as an experiment. It would be simple, a lot of fun, and it seems as if I would be getting just about all the nutrition I need. I without a doubt would be consuming enough protein, fat, and carbs… the above 10 foods seem legit for all the vitamins and minerals and certainly a host of antioxidants. Eating only 10 foods makes life simple too.

What Does Your List Consist Of?

I want you to think of your 10 foods that you would live on. Tell the world by leaving a comment below.
So, please contribute and tell us all your 10 foods! I am very interested!!! :) 
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