Unfortunately, at this point, I'm not going to give you amazing Thanksgiving alternative recipes. We didn't even have a regular Thanksgiving meal this year because hubby had to work, nevertheless, we had a really wonderful day before his work shift, just relaxing, playing with the kiddos and watching (or trying to watch) movies. If you have little kids, you know how that goes. We got through "seeing" most of a movie without being able to hear much until we finally gave it up. Haha.
Soon after this Thanksgiving weekend is over, I'll continue my Part 2 of our Pre-Paleo-ing journey. You can read Part 1 here if you haven't. Meanwhile, I'm going to do some gluten/dairy-free baking experiments in the kitchen with my mother-in-law. We're trying scones, brownie bites and cookies today. I'll let you know if they're amazing, although I can tell you right now that the cookies are because I've already made them before. These Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies are very easy to make, absolutely delicious and dangerously addicting! And they come from another Paleo-cooking wife and mom who has many amazing recipes on her website. I asked her if I could link her decription of "why Paleo" from a Christian perspective because she says it so well, so here it is! It's short and to the point, so go check it out.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Pre-Paleo-ing: Part 1
So maybe you've heard about this Paleo diet thing...I know many people who follow it, but most people I know haven't heard about it. As I mentioned in the introductory post to this blog, I'm still learning about it and most of my information comes from my husband, the nurse, who is actually reading "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf. Have I mentioned I'm a stay-at-home mom with two kids under 3 years old? No time to read. So he reads, then explains things to me, and I get most of it (some of his medical words go over my head) and write what I learn here. :) This is why we are "pre-paleo-ing". We haven't completely adopted a full Paleo diet...we're actually still questioning some things, keeping an open mind, but wondering why...like no dairy? Zero? Nada? Haven't gotten to that part of the book yet. But I get it: we overdo dairy. Too much of anything isn't good. So for now, until I understand that part of Paleo better, we have cut way back on our dairy intake, like switching to Almond Milk and sometimes, I don't include cheese on the grocery list. (I never thought I'd survive!) I'm getting ahead of myself though...
Before anything else, the Paleo diet as I understand it, is going to sound terrible to you right now. Here it is: Eat meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts. Don't eat grains, dairy (and eggs are not dairy), sugars, legumes, or anything processed or artificial. The end.
How awful, right? :) Well, anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a weirdo and I love desserts and pasta and bread and cheese...that sums up my favorite foods in the world. So why would I be ok with this?? Read on...
As you can tell, I don't claim to be a nutrition, Paleo, diet or medical expert. I'm just a wife and mom, always wanting the best for my family and willing to sacrifice something if I learn that it isn't good. I didn't always think like this, but marrying a nurse has really opened my eyes to a lot. Paleo is kind of new, but the concept isn't. Maybe you've heard of eating whole or real food, or shopping mostly around the outer aisles of the grocery store, not the middle (that's where most of the junk is). Maybe you've watched Jamie Oliver or other people that really stress eating fresh food, not fast food, and not eating anything that has a bunch of words you can't pronounce on the ingredient list. All of these people, books, diets, methods, whatever you want to call them, are basically saying this: WHAT are you eating? What is actually in that package you just opened and are feeding your kids? Why would you put something in your mouth with ingredients you don't even recognize? Do you wonder why there are so many symptoms and diseases these days that weren't around before?
Basically, we've become accustomed to eating what we're given without questioning anything. Maybe us humans are too trusting, but there are companies out there way more interested in your money than your health and just because the label says "Vitamins and Minerals" does not mean it's good for you. That usually means they took everything good out of it and then added it back in an unnatural way.
But how can you know who to trust? It seems like every couple years there is a new diet trend. That's what I think too and that is why we are taking this Paleo thing slowly. But the thing about Paleo is that from a medical point of view, my husband has seen the positive results in people's symptoms just by changing their diet. There are so many diseases that people don't realize have a lot to do with their diet...things you would never imagine, like ashtma or blood pressure problems or migraines or even difficulty getting pregnant! Those are only a few that I remember right now. My husband and I have seen first hand the incredible difference in a couple of our relatives that took on a Paleo-style diet for just 30 days!
So why does this seem to be working for people? Because, similar to the "real food" or "whole food" movements, it's going back to the basics. Back to eating the way people did before there was anything processed or artificial. Paleo itself is based on the idea that this is how cavemen ate in the Paleolithic Era, 2.5 million years ago. STOP right there! We don't believe that. We believe that God created the Earth, animals and humans, as it says in the Bible and that was NOT millions of years ago. We don't believe that there was a time when people evolved from monkeys and lived in caves and wandered around hunting and gathering whatever they found to eat. In the Bible it's clear from the very first people on the planet that they knew agriculture; they worked their land and raised their animals. Yes, there was hunting, but it wasn't as if they had no plan and just wandered aimlessly trying to survive.
However, the basics are still the basics. But what about grains and dairy? And beans and rice? There sure is a lot of bread mentioned in the Bible! Yes, but bread then was different from now. There has been research made on what all the genetics in agriculture have caused in our food and from what I understand, grains in our day and age, in our country, are not at all like what they used to be. As I've said, I'm no expert and you can go research all this yourself, but I like logic and that makes sense to me. Grains have been so genetically changed that they are no longer actually good for us. Are they 100% bad? Or is it just the excess that we are used to that is bad?
I don't yet know. But here is my logic about grains and dairy. Just look at what the typical meals are in our culture. Breakfast: cereal and milk, yogurt, oatmeal, bagels and cream cheese, pastries, pancakes. Lunch: Sandwich, chips. Dinner: Pasta with bread sticks and cake, pie and/or ice-cream for dessert. Do you see it? Grains, dairy, grains, dairy, grains.... Yes, we throw in the occasional salad or fruit, and usually there's some meat somewhere. Or we think drinking orange juice gives us our fruit intake for the day. I'm not pointing fingers, because this was us. We thought we were being healthy because everything was whole grain and made from scratch. But excess is still excess. So I get that, and that's why I'm giving this a try.
In Part 2 I'll tell you more about how my "healthy thinking" has had to change to a "new healthy thinking" and how that has practically played out in our house. Also, we feel better! In the short time we've been doing this (and not even 100%) we have noticed a difference! So come back and I promise to make the next one shorter!! :)
Before anything else, the Paleo diet as I understand it, is going to sound terrible to you right now. Here it is: Eat meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts. Don't eat grains, dairy (and eggs are not dairy), sugars, legumes, or anything processed or artificial. The end.
How awful, right? :) Well, anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a weirdo and I love desserts and pasta and bread and cheese...that sums up my favorite foods in the world. So why would I be ok with this?? Read on...
As you can tell, I don't claim to be a nutrition, Paleo, diet or medical expert. I'm just a wife and mom, always wanting the best for my family and willing to sacrifice something if I learn that it isn't good. I didn't always think like this, but marrying a nurse has really opened my eyes to a lot. Paleo is kind of new, but the concept isn't. Maybe you've heard of eating whole or real food, or shopping mostly around the outer aisles of the grocery store, not the middle (that's where most of the junk is). Maybe you've watched Jamie Oliver or other people that really stress eating fresh food, not fast food, and not eating anything that has a bunch of words you can't pronounce on the ingredient list. All of these people, books, diets, methods, whatever you want to call them, are basically saying this: WHAT are you eating? What is actually in that package you just opened and are feeding your kids? Why would you put something in your mouth with ingredients you don't even recognize? Do you wonder why there are so many symptoms and diseases these days that weren't around before?
Basically, we've become accustomed to eating what we're given without questioning anything. Maybe us humans are too trusting, but there are companies out there way more interested in your money than your health and just because the label says "Vitamins and Minerals" does not mean it's good for you. That usually means they took everything good out of it and then added it back in an unnatural way.
But how can you know who to trust? It seems like every couple years there is a new diet trend. That's what I think too and that is why we are taking this Paleo thing slowly. But the thing about Paleo is that from a medical point of view, my husband has seen the positive results in people's symptoms just by changing their diet. There are so many diseases that people don't realize have a lot to do with their diet...things you would never imagine, like ashtma or blood pressure problems or migraines or even difficulty getting pregnant! Those are only a few that I remember right now. My husband and I have seen first hand the incredible difference in a couple of our relatives that took on a Paleo-style diet for just 30 days!
So why does this seem to be working for people? Because, similar to the "real food" or "whole food" movements, it's going back to the basics. Back to eating the way people did before there was anything processed or artificial. Paleo itself is based on the idea that this is how cavemen ate in the Paleolithic Era, 2.5 million years ago. STOP right there! We don't believe that. We believe that God created the Earth, animals and humans, as it says in the Bible and that was NOT millions of years ago. We don't believe that there was a time when people evolved from monkeys and lived in caves and wandered around hunting and gathering whatever they found to eat. In the Bible it's clear from the very first people on the planet that they knew agriculture; they worked their land and raised their animals. Yes, there was hunting, but it wasn't as if they had no plan and just wandered aimlessly trying to survive.
However, the basics are still the basics. But what about grains and dairy? And beans and rice? There sure is a lot of bread mentioned in the Bible! Yes, but bread then was different from now. There has been research made on what all the genetics in agriculture have caused in our food and from what I understand, grains in our day and age, in our country, are not at all like what they used to be. As I've said, I'm no expert and you can go research all this yourself, but I like logic and that makes sense to me. Grains have been so genetically changed that they are no longer actually good for us. Are they 100% bad? Or is it just the excess that we are used to that is bad?
I don't yet know. But here is my logic about grains and dairy. Just look at what the typical meals are in our culture. Breakfast: cereal and milk, yogurt, oatmeal, bagels and cream cheese, pastries, pancakes. Lunch: Sandwich, chips. Dinner: Pasta with bread sticks and cake, pie and/or ice-cream for dessert. Do you see it? Grains, dairy, grains, dairy, grains.... Yes, we throw in the occasional salad or fruit, and usually there's some meat somewhere. Or we think drinking orange juice gives us our fruit intake for the day. I'm not pointing fingers, because this was us. We thought we were being healthy because everything was whole grain and made from scratch. But excess is still excess. So I get that, and that's why I'm giving this a try.
In Part 2 I'll tell you more about how my "healthy thinking" has had to change to a "new healthy thinking" and how that has practically played out in our house. Also, we feel better! In the short time we've been doing this (and not even 100%) we have noticed a difference! So come back and I promise to make the next one shorter!! :)
Friday, November 16, 2012
The Healthy Brownies
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I made them exactly like the recipe, except I only had regular honey, not raw honey....one of those things I have yet to discover. But the other new ingredient for me was almond butter and I'm a little embarrassed to admit that it took me forever to find it because I had no idea what it looked like. I was looking in the dairy section....you know, butter? Totally wrong. It's like peanut butter, but with almonds instead of peanuts. Duh! I'm sure you're way smarter than that...but just in case you were wondering what it is, now you know. I found mine at Trader Joe's but I'm sure some other large grocery stores would have it too.
Now, if you went to the link already and saw the recipe, you might be thinking: zucchini?? Gross! But wait, give it a try. People do make zucchini bread, you know? It's not that weird. And I peeled mine so that you don't even see any green specks anywhere.
The result? Amazing. We loved them! I will never recommend a recipe on this blog that I haven't already made and loved, as well as my husband and kids. Keep in mind that brownies have been at the top of my favorite dessert list all my life, and desserts are at the top of my favorite foods list. Over the years I've made many, many, many delicious desserts from scratch. So for my husband to say that these Zucchini Brownies are his new favorite dessert, that's saying a lot! Also, I have to say, they are not going to taste like a regular box brownie mix. You just have to know that. Almost all "healthy re-creations" of common classics are going to taste a little different. I would really describe these like a moist banana bread with tons of chocolate chips. But have as many as you want...they're good for you! :)
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| Toddler-tested and approved! |
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Introduction to My New Apron
Let me tell you a little bit about myself and my kitchen. You want some coffee? :) Ok. Well, I'm a stay-at-home wife and mom; I love homemaking and expressing creativity in as many ways as I can, from cooking to crafts to decorating to the way I play with my kids. They are 2-and-a-half and 9 months old, by the way, and they are very fun and very busy. One of my favorite things to do after they go to bed is sit with a warm cup of something and listen to the silence! :) That's probably because I'm an introvert. My husband, on the other hand, likes to crank up lively music while he helps me clean the kitchen after they're in bed. Opposites do attract. We are getting closer to our 5th anniversary in a few months and honestly, every year just keeps getting better! Our kitchen is just one little proof of that. Want to guess what my greatest achievements in the kitchen were during our first year of marriage? Banana bread, quesadillas and pasta (noodles with the store-bought jar of sauce). We probably ate those things three times a week at least! But somewhere along the way, I started trying new things I soon realized that I loved cooking! I've never been a spontaneous throw-things-together-in-a-pot-and-voilá kind of cook, but I feel like I'm pretty good at knowing when a recipe will turn out great and I'm good at following directions...I can do that! Sometimes I get adventurous and even tweak the ingredients a little to my liking. Wow, right? For someone who started out with quesadillas, I'd say that's pretty good.
Well, like almost every other newlywed couple, we had a tight budget. Very tight at times. So that motivated my cooking in a completely new way. What if instead of wishing we could go to Olive Garden and get the molten lava cake dessert, I could make it at home? What if I could make most of our restaurant favorites for much less money and possibly healthier and tastier? So I tried it, and it worked! I kept expanding my "repertoire" of recipes and I was loving that it was cheap, it was homemade and delicious, and I was constantly impressing my husband. :)
But now, let me tell you a little about him...a wonderful, incredible, handsome and wise man, but with one little flaw....food is not the way to his heart. Oh, he loves food...even quesadillas and the occasional once-every-three-years mac and cheese. But the true way to his heart is... healthy food. :) I'm only kidding, of course, there is so much more to his heart than that. Yet, my husband works in the medical field and I learned early in our marriage that information about healthy eating habits would come through him pretty often and I'd have to decide what to do about it. So I decided to care about it. After all, he hasn't yet been able to get me to enjoy running or much of any exercise, so if I can cook something that's both healthy and delicious, I think that's the least I can do.
Knowing this about my husband, when I first heard some friends last year talking about their Paleo diet, I decided to keep my husband as far away from that topic as I could! No sugar or dairy or grains? Are you out of your mind? My three favorite foods are most definitely breads, desserts and cheese! We successfully escaped most conversations about that. I didn't understand or want to understand it because after all, we ate very healthy food and I made everything from scratch. What more could you ask for?
Well, during our recent move across the country, while the kids and I were visiting my folks, my husband's close friend Mike helped him load all our stuff and drive it to our new home. We don't get to see him very often and wouldn't you know that, of course, he's into Paleo! So they spent a week together, Mike telling my husband all about it. When he told me over the phone, I couldn't decide if I should stuff myself with all the brownies and sweets I could while I was at my parents' house or try to slowly wean myself off them. Both Mike and my husband aren't the type to go crazy over trends, quite the opposite in fact. Mike, by the way, is a great personal trainer and you can read his blog here. I knew that if they really believed this was worth it, I should probably pay attention.
So within the past month, I've begun this kitchen transition and let me add, mental transition, from everything I knew was healthy before to a new kind of healthy. I feel, in a way, like I'm back at that newlywed stage in my kitchen, re-learning everything I thought I knew. We are not completely endorsing the Paleo Diet...we've only just begun this learning journey about food because there is much more than just Paleo books that is pointing in the same direction as far as health benefits and results. In this blog, my hope is to share the things I'm learning along this journey because one of the greatest discoveries I've made is that there are tons of people doing this! Not just because of some books or trends, but for many health reasons. In fact, my mother-in-law just found out a few weeks ago that she is gluten-intolerant...and gluten-free foods are one of the big parts about Paleo-type diets! Also, there are literally tons of resources and recipes online that amazing people are sharing. Pinterest has become my best friend for finding many bloggers, recipes and tips on eating this way. So why do I want to create yet another blog about this? Because I'm just starting and I've had many questions along the way that I'm sure other people do too, like: So what does a weekly menu look like? Will I ever have dessert again? What do I feed the kids? Are there any recipes out there without weird, expensive ingredients? And most importantly, how will I survive without brownies and ice-cream??? :)
I have already made many great discoveries and I'm very excited to share them with anyone who is interested. Take healthy brownies, for instance. What?? I can have another piece and not feel guilty? :) Like I said, I'm not a recipe creator. I'm a very good recipe follower, though, and I will be sharing links to simple, easy and delicious recipes as well as menu ideas, tips and encouragement as I learn to re-think, re-learn and re-create the food that I love.
Well, like almost every other newlywed couple, we had a tight budget. Very tight at times. So that motivated my cooking in a completely new way. What if instead of wishing we could go to Olive Garden and get the molten lava cake dessert, I could make it at home? What if I could make most of our restaurant favorites for much less money and possibly healthier and tastier? So I tried it, and it worked! I kept expanding my "repertoire" of recipes and I was loving that it was cheap, it was homemade and delicious, and I was constantly impressing my husband. :)
But now, let me tell you a little about him...a wonderful, incredible, handsome and wise man, but with one little flaw....food is not the way to his heart. Oh, he loves food...even quesadillas and the occasional once-every-three-years mac and cheese. But the true way to his heart is... healthy food. :) I'm only kidding, of course, there is so much more to his heart than that. Yet, my husband works in the medical field and I learned early in our marriage that information about healthy eating habits would come through him pretty often and I'd have to decide what to do about it. So I decided to care about it. After all, he hasn't yet been able to get me to enjoy running or much of any exercise, so if I can cook something that's both healthy and delicious, I think that's the least I can do.
Knowing this about my husband, when I first heard some friends last year talking about their Paleo diet, I decided to keep my husband as far away from that topic as I could! No sugar or dairy or grains? Are you out of your mind? My three favorite foods are most definitely breads, desserts and cheese! We successfully escaped most conversations about that. I didn't understand or want to understand it because after all, we ate very healthy food and I made everything from scratch. What more could you ask for?
Well, during our recent move across the country, while the kids and I were visiting my folks, my husband's close friend Mike helped him load all our stuff and drive it to our new home. We don't get to see him very often and wouldn't you know that, of course, he's into Paleo! So they spent a week together, Mike telling my husband all about it. When he told me over the phone, I couldn't decide if I should stuff myself with all the brownies and sweets I could while I was at my parents' house or try to slowly wean myself off them. Both Mike and my husband aren't the type to go crazy over trends, quite the opposite in fact. Mike, by the way, is a great personal trainer and you can read his blog here. I knew that if they really believed this was worth it, I should probably pay attention.
So within the past month, I've begun this kitchen transition and let me add, mental transition, from everything I knew was healthy before to a new kind of healthy. I feel, in a way, like I'm back at that newlywed stage in my kitchen, re-learning everything I thought I knew. We are not completely endorsing the Paleo Diet...we've only just begun this learning journey about food because there is much more than just Paleo books that is pointing in the same direction as far as health benefits and results. In this blog, my hope is to share the things I'm learning along this journey because one of the greatest discoveries I've made is that there are tons of people doing this! Not just because of some books or trends, but for many health reasons. In fact, my mother-in-law just found out a few weeks ago that she is gluten-intolerant...and gluten-free foods are one of the big parts about Paleo-type diets! Also, there are literally tons of resources and recipes online that amazing people are sharing. Pinterest has become my best friend for finding many bloggers, recipes and tips on eating this way. So why do I want to create yet another blog about this? Because I'm just starting and I've had many questions along the way that I'm sure other people do too, like: So what does a weekly menu look like? Will I ever have dessert again? What do I feed the kids? Are there any recipes out there without weird, expensive ingredients? And most importantly, how will I survive without brownies and ice-cream??? :)
I have already made many great discoveries and I'm very excited to share them with anyone who is interested. Take healthy brownies, for instance. What?? I can have another piece and not feel guilty? :) Like I said, I'm not a recipe creator. I'm a very good recipe follower, though, and I will be sharing links to simple, easy and delicious recipes as well as menu ideas, tips and encouragement as I learn to re-think, re-learn and re-create the food that I love.
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