Merry Christmas Eve! I hope all of your holiday shopping is done! If not, its crunch time! I myself have been very busy trying to get everything done. This year, I actually knew what I was getting everyone – but finding the time to get it was tough. I realize that crossfit takes up most of my life. I am fine with that, because its where most of my friends are, but when it comes to real life – I need to make sure I am managing my time. I have been doing lots of non-paleo baking (gasp!!) But Joe and I started a family tradition a few years ago that we don't want to break. I make a long time family recipe of whoopie pies and he makes buckeyes (PB balls). I must say, after seeing what goes in this stuff, its doesn't taste as good as it used to!!!! I plan on eventually attempting some paleo whoopie pies. I have a plan, but we will see if it works. I haven't had the most luck with my baking :) I did mention in my last post, Joe and I are going to try zoning. Haven't quite gotten there yet! Im not sure why, but I am having a hard time with the planning. I can plan enough for paleo now, its almost second nature. We still plan on trying, so stay tuned!! Throughout the holidays, I have managed to stay mostly paleo. Peppermint anything is my weakness. I just can't help it, I LOVE it. Joe did find a delicious coffee at Target – Archer Farms Organic Candy Cane coffee. It is SO good! Drinking it black is the only way to go! Its smooth and doesn't taste like a bad sugary mess. I have been still cooking paleo at home and bringing my lunch, but I am looking forward to AFTER christmas... because there are so many temptations everywhere at work! Cookies, chocolate, more chocolate, oh and more cookies! Here is a great recipe for a butternut squash soup. I recommend using homemade turkey broth, but if you do not have that available you can use turkey or chicken broth from the can. I wish you and yours a very merry christmas and a safe wonderful day! Renee, Joe and Bynx xoxox | "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?" |
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How is everyone enjoying their holiday season? 15 Days until christmas and we are on the 3rd day of Hanukkah (Chanukah?). Its fun and festive, but can also be a stressful time of year. Not only are we eating lots of junk, we are off of our typical schedules attending gatherings on random days of the week. Be smart, make the best choices you can. Enjoy yourself, but don't over indulge!
Now, lets talk New Years resolutions! For those thinking of New Years resolutions, start now! Why wait? Be sure to make attainable resolutions that you will stick with and be encouraged to stick with. In the next few weeks, Joe and I are going to give the Zone a shot. I will be sticking to paleo, Joe will be mainly paleo but still including dairy. It will be interesting… I honestly never thought about measuring my food! But we have been training really hard for the upcoming CrossFit open (March 7th) and want to be the best we can be and diet goes a long way! So, in the future when I post some recipes, ill try to include some Zone info for those of you who are curious! For a recipe today, I chose some stuffed peppers. They are easy to make, freeze very well, and you can make a ton of them! Hopefully, it can help take some of the stress off a busy schedule. My mom made these growing up, they were my favorite meal! She does put rice in them, but I just left that out. (But anyone wanting to add extra carbs, mix cooked white rice with the meat and walla!) I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving! Our family had a 20lb turkey!! We did a very good job on it, but we still had some nice leftover snacks and meals. After having some nice family time for holiday, back home to work on some projects. We are working on a few different miscellaneous projects (of course stemming to new projects!) We finally got our TV mounted on the wall, thanks to my dad for helping us…err.. Doing it for us :) (With Joes help of course) and my mom sewing and shortening some curtains. Now I need to pick out some paint color for our hallway. I apparently tend to lean towards bright colors. I want everything to be bright and happy! But the best thing of all was on Sunday, after a great workout – we got our first christmas tree!! Its the first real one that I have ever had. It makes the house smell so awesome! Im sure in the next month, ill have my fill of cleaning up pine needles, but its worth it! I think Bynx likes it too, at least he hasn't tried to climb it yet – that we know of! So onto the recipes, I actually have 2 recipes for you today to help you enjoy your leftovers! One of them will help you save some money for a few months. And its Bynx approved. He enjoyed watching me break the carcass up to put in my lobster pot for broth!
So it was another Sunday cooking day! I think my favorite thing to do on Sundays is watching football and cooking. Oh cleaning, that happens too. This Sunday, Joe was busy making some messes with some small demolition (but, everything he has done looks great!) and I was making some food for the Pats game at 4:25. For the second week in a row, I have made Buffalo Chicken using my buffalo sauce recipe and it was a huge hit! (Quick steps, bake the chicken, then pour the buffalo sauce over the cooked chicken.)
In an effort to try to stay paleo for dessert, as well as try a recipe I want to try and bring home for Thanksgiving - I think this one nailed it (err...minus the frosting, but I know where I went wrong! keep reading!) This is an easy recipe because a) I am not very good at baking and b) paleo baking takes a special talent. I did my research and searched around for some recipes that sounded yummy and used the least amount of ingredients I had to buy. Combining two of the recipes - I used a cake recipe from "Until the Thin Lady Signs" and a frosting recipe from "Oven Love". The cake was an A++, but the frosting was a bit of a fail. The flavor was delicious, but as you can see in my picture – it didn't look like frosting. I made the mistake of using "light" coconut milk instead of the full fat kind. I will try this again, and report back! (also, if you try this and have success, let me know!) But the cake was so delicious I had to share! Everyone who tried it, loved it! Is everyone ready for the holiday season?? I will try and post some recipes to make for the holidays. I have a few I am perfecting before sharing them! I may even dabble into some baking…….
I have a question for all my new and loving followers! How do you organize your tupperware??? Eating paleo, and just cooking at home in general, you use a TON of tupperware. Everyday, Joe and I use a minimum of 2 containers each (for breakfast and lunch). Although we use it everyday, the organization of it isn't easy. I've tried a few things to organize – my latest was putting 2 boxes in the cabinet and having one side for covers the other side the containers. I also made sure that each and every container and cover had a matching mate! Its a constant battle in my kitchen, I am ready to throw everything out and start over. What do you do to organize (and KEEP organized) your tupperware???? Phew, now that’s off my chest :) You get rewarded with a recipe! Grilled Fajitas. I know, your probably thinking wha???? And trust me, its even easier than regular fajitas! Joe was actually the mastermind behind this one. There is also less clean up because its cooked on the grill. (I know its cold out, but wear your jacket and keep your grill close to the door!) Its a great recipe around these crazy holiday times because its quick, easy, and delish! Here is a simple and easy guacamole recipe that you can make for everything! I have also learned that you can freeze avocados! Cut them in half, take the seed out, place them in a freezer bag, get the air out (MOST important!) and freeze! To defrost them, I found defrosting in the fridge is best. Sometimes they are a tiny bit mushy so I mostly ill make guac with them.
Today is Veterans Day. To all of our nation's Veterans, past and present, thank you. We salute your courage to keep us free.
Its a beautiful day here in New England. Despite the snow fall we had last week, today is supposed to reach 70 degrees! If you haven't wrestled the leaves in your yards yet, heres a chance! I am thinking of throwing some of the the christmas lights on outside the house so when it gets closer to the holiday, ill just need to flip them on... Well heres an extremely tasty and easy pulled pork recipe. It was derived from Fast Paleo, but I tweaked it according to what I had around and of course my taste buds :) Since discovering this recipe, I think I have made it almost once a week. The flavor is like no other, and the leftovers are great for snacks, breakfast, any meal. I usually prep the night before, and turn the crockpot on low before leaving the house for work. When I get home a delicious meal is hot and ready. (not to mention the delicious aroma in the house!) This one is prefect for a day like today, pop it in the crock pot and go do some last minute yard work! The colder it gets here in New England, the more inspired I am to make soup. Today, we have had our first snowfall (about 6"+!) so I thought it would be appropriate to share with you a delicious Coconut Curry Soup! I apologize for the picture, it just doesn't do this soup justice! I need to work on taking better pictures…..
Speaking of goals, one of my goals for the last few months (ok, maybe a bit longer!) has been to try and plan our dinners ahead. We sort of just wing it. It works, but its not always easy. This is a recipe that can be made ahead of time (with or without the protein) and frozen for when your ready for it. I made this one with chicken, but I think its better with Shrimp. (The chicken was a little dry) You could also cut strips of beef and have that as well. This recipe is pretty versatile! This soup is surprisingly quick and easy to make. It was a gorgeous fall, crisp Sunday morning. We need to rake some leaves today, and let me tell you. We have A LOT of trees. Oh, things that you don't need to worry about when renting! I don't think you can see one inch of grass in the front or back yard. So we needed some good food to get us going for the day. I found this original recipe on Pinterest and it was only bananas and eggs, and that was it! I decided to put my own spin on it not only to make a few more, but to add a little more flavor. These were by far the best paleo pancakes I've made!!
Hello Everyone!
I am very excited to share with the world, the excitement I have when in my kitchen. I haven’t always loved to cook, but it has become a passion. When I was in college, ramen noodles and easy mac were staples in my regular routine! I have since changed my ways and opened my word to new and healthier options. During this years paleo challenge at the gym, I was encouraged and inspired by friends to start this blog to share my recipes. Im a bit of a dork when it comes to learning about new things. I will research and search for varying opinions before making an opinion of my own. When I started Crossfit, I must have read every article, good, bad, and the ugly. Like wise with paleo. At first I was lost, it was a bunch of “Are you serious??? How will I live without that!?!?” But, surprisingly enough, with knowledge comes power. I can pretty much look at a recipe, paleo or not and substitute most ingredients with either a paleo option, or something I have on hand. I often find myself combining recipes to make my own concoction! I will try and post as often as possible! So stay tuned for deliciousness coming your way :) Feel free to send me your comments, suggestions, and questions. I will do my best to respond as quickly as possible. Remember: Paleo. Its not a DIET, it’s a lifestyle CHOICE. :) Ta-Ta for now!! |