Sweet Chili Chicken

You know those days when you just get lucky? This was one of those days. As I move forward in my health journey, I am learning the important of making sure that the recipes I put on here are amazing. The first time I made this was on Saturday, and everyone eating agreed, there needed no tweaking. It was perfect. I didn't believe myself. Usually when I cook I'm quite good at just making something up on the spot that tastes pretty good (or else it completely flops - to the people who have eaten my flops without complaining - thank you). But this was an exception - it was fantastic. Like I said, I didn't believe myself - so today I made it again this time measuring the amounts I had eyeballed for the sake of recipe creating.

This is delicious with pineapple, and although I haven't tried it yet, I would suggest trying it with the grilled pineapple skewers from Make It Paleo. That would be amazing. Another option, that would be just as delicious (maybe more...?) is instead of putting the cauliflower right into the chicken to serve it over cauli-fried rice. I think that would be amazing - and somehow I feel like that's a more rounded meal even though its exactly the same.

One of my goals when cooking is to keep things simple, so that they can be done quickly and time efficiantly. I remember in my early days of grain free life, I would spend hours a day preparing just a single meal (cauliflower pizza crust anyone? Ain't nobody got time for that!)

I often find that the best recipes have very few ingredients, such is the case with this beauty.

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Cauliflower:

2 Chicken Breasts, diced
1/4 of a medium red onion, cut into strips
1/4 TSP Salt
Pepper To Taste
2 Garlic Cloves Pressed or Minced
Dash of Ginger

For The Sauce:

2 TBSP Coconut Oil, Melted
1-2 TBSP Raw Honey
1 1/2 - 2 TSP Heaping Chili Powder

Fill a large pan about an inch full of water and bring to high heat. Once the water is bubbling, add in the chicken. Cover and steam the chicken in the water until it turns white - put in onions. When the nearly chicken is cooked, add in the cauliflower, and steam for  5 minutes. At this point drain most of the water from the pan, reduce the heat of the stove to medium. Place the chicken, onion, and cauliflower back on the pan and add in the salt, pepper, garlic and ginger. Stir it all together to make sure the flavors mix. While the last bit of water is cooking off, make the sauce.

For the sauce! Melt the coconut oil in a small pan. Once the oil is melted, whisk in the honey and chili powder. It may not mix completely, that is okay because once you pour it over the chicken it begins to cooperate a little more.

When the water is cooked off the meat, pour the sauce over the chicken and mix thoroughly. Cover, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. I am usually impatient by this point, so I go play piano....sing...dance...whatever I can find to occupy myself. Come back, and give it another stir. Reduce the heat of the pan to low, and making sure to leave it uncovered allow the rest of the liquid to cook off/thicken up.

THEN EAT!!! JUST EAT IT!!!

Yum. Nom nom nom.

Chili Sweet Potato Fries

Ah, sweet potato fries. God's gift to paleo-kind. Delicious, crispy yet soft. A good way to get carbs - I know many paleo-ers are uncertain if sweet potatoes are actually paleo, but I know that when I eat a higher amount of health carbs (like once every day or two) my mood, and hormones stabilize.

I have been making this recipe for a while, and it is still one of my favorites.

See that funny swirly vegetable in the background - those are called fiddleheads. I'm only telling you that because until I bought them, I didn't know what they were! They are delicious and remind me ever so slightly of asparagus in flavor.

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite things, and I often keep a bag of pre-cut fries in the freezer if I want an easy meal. These are super easy to make, and delicious.

To make them you'll need one sweet potato, oil of choice (olive or coconut), chili powder, arrowroot powder, and salt and pepper.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop your sweet potato into fries (I like mine skinny). Dust the fries in about 2 TBSP of arrowroot powder. This is optional, but makes them crisp up. Toss the fries in about 2 Tablespoons of oil, then mix in spices to taste.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy, flipping twice. Eat right away and enjoy!!

On another note, if you are in the Calgary area, I've created a facebook group called Paleo Calgary - we'd love to see you there!

New Jobs, New Happenings!

Well, School is over for the year and summer is in full swing (I hope, we often get snow May long weekend here...or in July....). I'm so excited for the new things to come in the next few months, all the places I'll get to see, go and the new foods I'll get to try. Speaking of new things, my copy of Gather came in the mail last week, and I have spend a countless amount of time peering into the pages, searching for the treasures to be found.

I have been enjoying the sun and warmth immensely, last summer I was sick for the entire warm season and spent the entire time coop up in my house, and didn't get to do any of my usual summer favorites. So far I have been enjoying bike rides, rollerblading and walks with my dog, Stryder. Isn't he the cutest thing ever? (Aren't I the cutest thing ever? Bahaha.)

The other thing that I missed out on last summer due to sickness (or recovery actually), was a job. I actually worked one week, and it killed me - to the point where I was unable to do anything for 10 months - lesson learned. Don't do too much too fast - but now that I am healthy I am stoked to be in the working scene again!! I was planning on two part time jobs this summer, I prefer to have variety of scenery. I worked one shift at a local health food store - the discounts would have been nice, but it wasnt for me, and I struggled not to judge peoples choices there. Oops. But I am so happy with my other job, at a local coffee shop. The basis of the shop is community, and I have an opportunity to do music within that job as well. I had my first shift today, and am in love with it! So much - I am so glad for such a great opportunity!

Other than that things have been pretty chill, I have been spending a lot of my time working on my yoga skills - I really do love yoga.

Happy Summering!

Coconut Curried Scrambled Eggs

One of my go to breakfasts is scrambled eggs. They are quick, easy and can adapt a wide variety of flavors. Usually I go for flavors like garlic and onion or the traditional salt and pepper, but I was feeling a bit tired of my norm this morning. I have been developing a slight curry addiction lately. Earlier this week a friend and I made an amazing Curry Shrimp Dish - that I hope to perfect and eventually post. For now, I bring you these delicious Coconut Curried Scrambled Eggs!!

One thing that I love about eggs, other than their ability to adapt flavors, is how simple they are. You'll need for this recipe:

2 Eggs
1 TSP Chives, chopped
1 TSP Curry Powder
1/4 TSP Garham Masala
A pinch of Salt
A pinch of Pepper
A sprinkle or 2 of Red Pepper flakes
1 TBSP Coconut Oil
2 TBSP Coconut Milk


In a medium sized pan melt the coconut oil over medium heat. After the oil is melted, add in the chopped chives. Beat together the eggs, curry, garham masala, salt, pepper, red pepper and coconut milk until frothy. Pour the mixture into the pan and scramble.

Note: This is meant to feed one very petite woman, as a side to something else. For normal sized people or more than one person, double or triple the recipe as needed.

Caramelized Apples with a Slightly Spicy Squash Sauce

Wow it's been ages since I posted a recipe! I can't take complete credit for this recipe, in fact the base of this recipe comes from my best friend Connie. Tonight as we were making supper, Connie pulled out a soup from her bag and said we could have have it along with our eggs in an eggplant basket lazy night supper. She wasn't exactly sure about the spice combination and said we could add too it if wanted. Being the unsanitary chief that I am I stuck my finger in the soup (which was already hot...), took a taste and said "hmmm....this would taste great with apple." I added a couple of things, like a bit of coconut sugar, and some red pepper flakes, caramelized some apples and we had a brilliant new, and unique dessert.

One thing I love about Connie is that while she doesn't eat paleo, she understands it, respects it, and is willing to try everything I make no matter its weirdness factor. She really is the best friend. Anyways, tonight we created a very unique but delicious new dessert that I'm sure we will enjoy for years to come.

Don't you just love instagram photos? I do!

To make this you'll need:

For the Sauce:

1 1/2 cups roasted squash puree (we had kabocha squash!)

3/4 of a can of Coconut Milk

1 TSP each of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, garlic powders.
Optional: 1 clove of garlic pureed. If you're unsure about the garlic, leave it out but we enjoyed it.
1/8 - 1/4th tsp red pepper flakes
1-2 TBSP of Coconut Sugar

Mix everything together in a sauce pan and allow to simmer while you cook the apples. Make sure to leave it on a low heat once it starts to simmer so that is doesn't burn!

For the Apples:

2-4 Apples (we had two, but extra sauce with it!)
1 TBSP Coconut oil
1-2 TBSP Coconut Sugar

Melt the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. While the coconut oil is melting cut the apples into slices. Add the apples to the pan and cook until the apple start to soften. Once the apple are beginning to tenderize add the coconut sugar, and lower the heat to low-medium. Stir the apples so the sugar is evenly coated over the apples. Allow the apples to cook until soft, browned and tender, stirring ever so often. Once they are done remove from heat, and allow to sit for a couple minutes. This will allow the sugar to really caramelize!

Divide the apples equally so that everyone gets their fair share and no one fights. Dip in the sauce and enjoy the unique flavors of our newest creation.

Fennel & Yam Beef Stew

I've been wanting to make stew for ages. I for months I have had packages of beef stew meat in my freezer - just calling me to make something delicious out of it. For the past few months I have been buying yam after yam, with the intention of using it for stew but always, unsure of what else to put into a stewed, ending up using them for something not stew-like-at all.

As I took a bite of this today, my fear of making bad stew disappeared as I fell in love with the flavors of beef, fennel and yam together. It's so simple, easy and yet I was amazed at how delicious it was. It is naturally sweet and almost delicate in its taste.

To make this, you'll need:

2 Carrots (I used rainbow)
1/4 of a bulb of fennel (including the bulb, stalks, and seeds of that 4th)
1 Large Yam
1 Lb Grassfed Stew Beef
1 Medium/Large Shallots
1/2 TSP Black Pepper
1/2 TSP Salt

Begin by peeling and chopping your yam into 1 inch pieces - put it in your slow cooker. Chop your carrots, shallots and fennel and drop them in with the yams. Put your beef in the pot! Mine was still frozen at this point, so if your its don't sweat it! Add in the salt and pepper, then pour water over the stew until it is just covered.Cover and put on High Heat and allow to cook for 8-16 hours. I put too much water on mine to start, so it needed longer. The picture up this is from about 11 hours, but I had it again for supper and by that point the extra water was gone. Oh my oh my how delicious.

The Homemade Mascara Saga

I've been trying to make better choices about what I put on my skin lately, and the more I do the more i realize just how difficult it is to find make up that aren't full of junk. So, I set out to find a mascara recipe that I could make at home, didn't smudge and left me feeling good about what was going into my body.

Along my search I came across this recipe! It is from the book Toxic Free by Thank Your Body. Getting to the point of actually making the mascara was quite the process. I had a choir concert a few days after I discovered this, and I was determined to have it ready by then....did not happen.

I was going to start with brown, because I couldn't find any decently priced activated charcoal anywhere. I ran into my fist problem when I was trying to clean out an old mascara tube. It was two hours of me banging on the end of the tube, cleaning with q-tips, more banging...hitting the tube on the counter (in a bucket...). Nothing worked. So, I ended up going to my concert mascara-less the next day. Luckily I have friends (I don't really care if I wear make up all the time, but for concerts its required.). Word to the wise, if you are going to make mascara, simply buy some off eBay.

About three weeks later, my mascara tubes arrived from eBay. And I made my first batch. Brown. I couldn't see the brown. So I ran all over the city looking for decently priced activated charcoal. At last! I found some! Yay! And here are the results! So far I am enjoying the mascara, and the more I wear it the more I like it. I'm getting used to the different feel of it, but sometimes wonder if it could benefit from a slightly larger amount of beeswax. Maybe I didn't press it down enough?

Oh look there I am chilling in the recliner with my new mascara! Great!

Cross-Country Skiing!

For those of you who don't know, I haven't been allowed to be physically active for about 10 months now because of some medical stuff. However - as of last week I was allowed to start doing anything I wanted for the first time in nearly a year! I was ecstatic!

Last night we were supposed to get a huge snow storm, but when I woke up the roads were perfectly clear. Imagine our surprise when an hour later we had about 20 cm's of snow. Driving today felt I was driving through soupy jello. Yea...

This afternoon I had the opportunity to go cross country skiing for the first time. The shoes didn't fit (I stuffed them with cotton and wore a few pairs of socks....) and I biffed quite a few times but for the two hours we were out there we had a great time! I got to go with my brother. I love spending time with my brother. He's an awesome guy! Considering how little physical activity I've had in the last 10 months, I'm pretty sure that I will be hurting tomorrow - but it was so much fun and I plan on going again! Maybe even tonight if possible. Which it would be!

Hey hey! This is the first time I've posted a picture of myself on here! Check it out. Anyone want to take a stab at how old I am?


I love cross-country skiing!

And Canada.

And Snow. Most of the time.

Chicken Alfedo Omelet

Whenever I have non-paleo friends over for dinner, my go to recipe is my fettuccine alfredo. It's delicious, nutrious and usually gets the response of "Wow! You can't even tell the difference." I've been meaning to post that recipe for a while, but life has been busy and I feel like I can make it better than it already is.

Today however, as I was trying to figure out what on earth I wanted to for lunch I had an idea. I wanted an omelet, and I really wanted cheese on it. It took me a good 45 minutes to talk myself out of making one with just cheese and salsa, and that decision finally solidified when I began to dwell upon the cashew cream I had in my refrigerator....and I began to want alfredo.

And then it dawned on me: a Chicken Alfredo Omelet. It's easy, delicious and fills that alfredo craving when you don't have pasta source.

Heres what you need:

1 TBSP cooking fat (bacon fat or coconut oil)
3 Eggs
1 palm size portion of chicken, chopped
1/4 Cup Cashew Cream (to make this simply blend 1 part cashews with 1 part water)
1 TSP Garlic Powder
A few pinches of nutmet
1/2 cup of brocolli
2 TBSP of red bell peppers, chopped
1/4 Cup of Spinach, Minched
1 TBSP onion, chopped
2 TSP Green Onion Chopped
Dash of Salt
1/4 TSP Black Pepper

Start by sauteing your onions, broccoli, peppers, chicken, green onions and spinach in your fat over medium heat. Once the broccoli is tender and onions are soft, pour the veggie mix into a small bowl on the side. Mix in your cashew cream, nutmeg and garlic. Set aside.

In a small cup, beat your eggs until frothy. Add in your salt and pepper. On the same pan you used to saute your vegetables, pour your eggs (make sure there is still enough grease on it!) Since the pan was hot the egg should start cooking almost immediately. Lift the pan and swish in a circular motion to cover the pan. When the eggs around the edge of the pan start to brown and lift from the pan you'll know that it is ready. Spoon your alfredo mix onto half of the omelet, then using a large flipper flip the egg in half, covering the filling. Allow to rest on the heat for a minute, then cut in half and serve.

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Breakfast Sundae's

 We'll I'm super excited about this ones! Not only is this Breakfast Sundae delicious but as versatile as they come! No, there is no ice cream in this breakfast. There aren't any caramel sauces, sprinkles or Marciano cherries. There are no spoons involved in this one.

So, what exactly is it a breakfast Sundae? In the traditional sense, its not a Sundae at all but the base is a creamy naturally sweet butternut squash, and any topping your heart desires can be added on top for a breakfast full of a variety of delicious flavors all smattered into one delicious sundae.

INGREDIENTS: To make this recipe you'll need a butternut squash, bacon fat (or coconut oil) and what ever toppings you want to put on your Sundae. In this recipe, I'll tell you how to make my Basil Breakfast Sundae. For that you will also need, 3 TBSP Coconut Butter, 1 TBSP Coconut Oil, 2 TSP Dried Basil, a Sprinke of Salt, 1 and a half green onion (chopped) and 3 Large Eggs.

Preheat your oven to 400*. To begin start by peeling your butternut squash. Cut your squash into 3/4 of an inch thick pieces, starting at the stem side (this is important, because there are no seeds on this end). Cut about 6 slices, to serve about 2-3 depending on how hungry everyone is. Then baste the slices with the bacon fat or coconut oil. Place the slices on a cookie sheet and cook for 40 minutes, or until crispy, flipping half way through.

While the squash is roasting, prepare your toppings for your Sundays! You can do whatever you want! You could make it more pizza like, with salsa, ground beef and cashew cheese! You could do cashew cheese and and spinach on top! Whatever your heart desires!

For the time being, I will share my recipe for Basil and Egg Toppings! Hopefully more varieties to come in the future!

In a small pot, melt together your coconut butter and coconut oil until smooth on low. While this is melting, scramble your eggs with bacon fat or coconut oil in a medium size pan. Once your coconut mixture is melted, add in the basil, green onion and salt.

Assemble your Sundae's by first spreading the coconut basil mixture on with a knife, then place the eggs on top. Garnish with left over green onion. You'll want to enjoy these with bacon, or another meat as they are so incredibly rich, that you will need something balance out the flavors! Enjoy!

No Grass-Fed Butter. Anywhere.

For the most part, I love where I live. Canada is a great country with so much to offer a person, and I am so incredibly fortunate to have grown up here. I am so blessed by this country!

However, on the Paleo side of it Canada is not perfect - I am not complaining because I do truly love it here, but unless you want to eat snow cones year round eating local and in season is practically impossible. This time of year, our (organic) produce comes from various states in the USA, and Mexico. If it didn't the only thing we would have is squash and maaaybe some root vegetables. Not much. On the upside, we have a lot of open fields where many of our cows roam and munch on grass all day long. I'm not sure where all that beef is distributed though. Hmm.....I should look into this more.

We are also apparently missing, Grass-Fed Butter. I have been keeping my eye out for it for quite a while now, and never have been able to find it. Today, I asked one of the guys at my little market if they had any to which he replied "Oh I wish! I have been looking for it everywhere! It appears there is none anywhere in Canada. I usually stock up on mine while in the states." I then imagined shipping grass-fed butter up here from the states...haha....that would be a disaster waiting to happen. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with my coconut oil and bacon fat. :)

Cauli-Flour

A coupe of months ago I broke my iPhone, and have since reverted to using my old LG flip phone. Did you know that it doesn't know the word cauliflower? I find this rather irritating, because I like cauliflower a lot and when I get excited about something I want to tell my friends, so when I was trying to tell people about this one, every time I tried to spell cauliflower I was greeted with a phone that refused to type and obnoxious beeps. Sounds awesome right?

I've had this idea in my in my mind for quite months it seems - but I didn't have a dehydrator so when I got my Excalibur for Christmas - I knew what I'd be doing. I love the results I have gotten so far with cooking with my cauli-flour. Be forewarned though - one large head only yields about 1/2 of cauli-flour. On the upside of that - you'll be getting a whack-load of nutrients in a small amount of flour. I'm still trying to decide if its worth it, but it is so simple to make that I honestly think - why not?

The First thing you'll need to do in order to make this unique flour is go to the store, and grab yourself a couple of the largest cauliflowers you can find. Then you'll want to chop it up into small, 1/4 inch thick pieces. Cauliflower is a bit finicky so if they are really more small florets that's okay too. Stick them into your dehydrator on 125* for about 8 hours - or until dry. If you don't have a dehydrator, simply put your oven on its lowest setting until the pieces are completely dried out.

When they are done, they should look like this. I think it's quite beautiful. Next you'll want to place it in either a food processor or  a blender - blend until fine and powdery.

And that's it! Word to the wise though: Make sure that you allow the cauli-flour to settle before you open the blender - it creates a dust that comes up into the air like crazy!

I will be sharing some recipes I make with this over the next few days! It will be great!

Whole30 Life

I don't have a recipe today, but am just going to share random thoughts, happenings and life things.

I started my whole30 last Sunday - I have had some minors mess-ups unfortunately, but part of that has to do with the fact that the day I decided to start was also the day I had an out of town concert, had to be awake at 4:30 AM - and be out all day - not the best timing in the world. But I've been trying - I'd hoped that I would do no nuts at all for 30 days, but I find that a struggle because if I do get hungry, and when I need a snack nuts are a good go to because they wrap up fat and protein into one. Or maybe I'm just addicted to them. Hmm. I have however amazingly not had any chocolate in an entire week - this is a miracle for me - it has been tough and I didn't think I could do it. Honestly. I even dreamt about chocolate, craved donuts and other sugar foods that I never crave. Guess I'm more addicted than I thought...

I've been learning a lot through out the week - like how much I depend on sugar - and how many more vegetables I need to incorporate into my diet - especially at breakfast and lunch. I am getting better at my portion sizes and have been making all the difference in keeping my energy levels up throughout the day! Yay!

I've begun to make meals that look more like this - or contain something of the likes instead of jumping to a banana with almond butter, or a paleo muffin when I feel rushed - quick foods are good when you really need them but I'm realizing just how much I depend on them when I could simply make 20 extra minutes in the morning to have a proper food to eat - and nourish my body for a good start to the day.

I've been making a point of making sure I buy my vegetables organic recently - I have found a really great local market here and the quality of the produce they offer is excellent! I know that I might now always be able to afford to buy everything organic, but I feel that doing it while I can instead of not because I know I won't always be able to is going to do my body some amount of good. At least that's what I tell myself.

Speaking of good quality food, I have to give a plug in to my ranch - take a look at that bacon. I buy Pastured raised meet from a local farmer (Well, about three hours away) - they quality of the meat they sell is phenomenal - you can taste the care of the animals in the meat, and I love knowing that I am supporting local farmers, as the food industry could be in real trouble if we don't start to support our farmers - we will be taken over my processed foods even more as farmers won't be able to afford to keep their farms going - or raise quality food. I think that supporting our neighbours, helping them to keep their jobs is one of the best gifts we could give our farmers, even if your health isn't your initial motivation for buying local meat.

 Every third week of the month, they come into town and all of us health nuts gather in a parking lot to pick up out meat for the month. I love the people, the food and amazingly enough I found out that one of them eats Paleo this week. (I also found out one of my Prof's does - I was so shocked and my excitement nearly bubbled over as I had never met another Paleor in my life- and its hard for non-Paleo's to grasp the why of why we do this.) Yay!  The one day a month where they come into town is always one of my favorites days of the month. Yesterday, was that day for me. Next month I can't go to meat pick up , so I ordered double the meat of usual - hopefully I will hold me over till April. I think I will be okay!

I Also bought liver this month. I have no idea what to do with it. Any suggestions, would be grand.

13 Reasons I Love Paleo

1. Weight loss. Like nearly every other person in my generation, my weight has been an issue. When I went gluten free in 2010 I initially lost about 15 lbs, but after that I was at a standstill for a few years. When I cut grains out of my life I lost another 25.

2. No more counting calories! This is probably one of my favorite reasons for loving Paleo! Not only does counting calories cause irritation, but it can cause stress, irritation and anxiety when it comes to food. There were times where if I reached my calorie limit before the day was done I would be TERRIFIED to eat anything else - and if I did I would be afraid to the point of not eating for a day then binge eating like a shark on a feeding frenzy - only to be followed by hours and hours of intense exercise to compensate. Not only did I not loose weight while counting calories (except for the very brief time where I was still counting, but not eating grains) - but it had me on a dangerous road towards an eating disorder.

3. Not being afraid of fat! Before going Paleo I was on the conventional road of healthy eating - whole grains, and low fat dairy products. Being Paleo means getting to embrace the world of healthy fats, and since we were born to love the world of fatty foods like bacon, butter, and nuts...I can't help but love this.

4. Bacon! I know I talked about bacon in number 3 - but lets face it - getting to eat as much bacon as you want is an incredibly amazing reason to love paleo.

5. Clearer skin. I have never had a major problem with acne, but I always had odd bumpbs on my cheeks and arms. They are gone now, as is my skin is not patchy - I think I'm one of the only people in the world that doesn't have the need to wear foundation or coverup.

6. Better concentration. I always had SEVERE ADHD. It was so bad that I couldn't read until I was 11, had to go to a special school and never thought I'd be able to function in the real world. About a month after going Paleo I decided to take myself off my drugs and I didn't even blink. My family didn't even notice.

7. NO MORE DRUGS!! I don't need my Adderall anymore, which I am forever greatful for because  every time I would take it I would practically have to force feed it to myself - the fear the damage it was doing to my body was so intense.


8. No more typical woman roller coaster emotions. I've always hated the excuse of being a women as one to use for attitude, break downs and instability. Despite that, I often found myself struggling with my keeping my emotions in check beneath the surface. I rarely let people see it (except for my roommates/family...), but it was there. I can now happily say that I when people describe me the word "stable" often gets thrown in there - and I don't feel like its a lie!

9. More energy. I used to think I suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome. Now I think that I simply suffered from chronic grain consumption.

10. Better Sleep - I used to suffer from insomnia. These days, I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow - no problem.

11. Less Headaches. This is a little complicating, considering my health past. I have a brain condition that caused chronic headaches, but they are located in the back of my head, and the ones that stopped as soon as I stopped eating grains are located at the front of my head. I know they are caused by grains because every time I think to myself "Well, this doesn't have gluten in it - it can't be that bad!" And proceed to eat something filled with grains - I feel hungover the next day. Ew.

12. Not falling for consumer lies. Commercials, supposedly healthy, processed products simply have no power over me because I no longer believe that factories can make food better - that is natures job.

13. More Variety! When people hear that I don't eat dairy, grains, legumes or sugar they often get baffled and wonder what the heck is it I eat. Going paleo has opened an entire world of amazingly delicious food that I would have never discovered had I not gone Paleo.

This list  doesn't even begin to tell the story of how Paleo changed my life! I look forward to sharing it over time!

Bok Choy & Green Bean Veggie Mix

Yesterday I bought Bok Choy for the first time - knowing full well that I didn't have a clue what on earth to do with it. I have been wanting to try it for quite some time now, as I am always trying to bring new vegetables into my life! Tonight I decided to give it a try and the results were quite delicious. This veggie mix is reminiscent of a vegetable mix one would order at a Chinese Restaurant and I will definitely be making it again!

This recipe is made to serve 1 as a side, so multiply it as needed! :)

1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil
1 Carrot (Mine was purple, as you can see from the pictures, but any color is good!)
6 Leaves of Bok Choy
A Handful of Green Beans (I know good amounts)
4 Button Mushrooms
2 Dashes of Sea Salt
1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Ginger
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon of Coconut Aminos (This is a replacement for Soya Sauce for those who don't eat soy)

Start by melting the coconut oil in a pan on medium heat. While the oil is melting chop your carrot and mushrooms. Add the carrots, followed by the mushrooms and green beans. Cover and allow to cook for a few minutes. Break apart the Bok Choy into large pieces, and add to the pan. While it simmers add in the salt, pepper, ginger, lemon juice and coconut aminos. Cover again allowing the flavors to blend together until the vegetables are soft! Enjoy!

Confession: I wanted to put a clove of garlic in this, but I was too lazy to go downstairs and get some. Add garlic if desired. :)

Parsnip and Leek Soup

For the past week I have been thinking about Potato and Leek Soup. I always loved potato and bacon soup, which is odd considering how much I dislike potato's on their own, and recently I have fallen in love with leeks. I have heard of potato and leek soup before, but given that potato's are no longer on the menu, and had to come up with something new. I've heard that mashed parsnips are delicious, so I thought to myself - why not create a soup out of Parsnips and Leeks?

So I set to work but as I puttered around my kitchen I realized....I have no idea what kind of spices go into potato and leek soup. None the less, I continued determined that I would use my nose to guide me as I so often do.  As I began I started to sing this song:

"Are you going to Scarborough fair - parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme..."

And thus was born the inspiration for the herbs and spices. I figured if the combination was good enough to be in a song than it must be pretty good. Ha.

So here's what you'll need:

3 Large Parsnips
4-5 Strips of cooked Bacon
2 Shallots (or half an onion), chopped
1/2 Cup Leeks Chopped 
1/2 - 1 Cup of Coconut Milk
1 Cup of Water
1/4 TSP of Sea Salt
1/2 TSP Black Pepper
1 TSP Parsley
1 TSP Thyme
1 TSP Rosemarry
1 TSP Sage

(Sorry about the picture here - soup is hard to photograph!)

Directions: Chop and steam the parsnips over a large pot of water, until the parsnips are tender and soft. While the parsnips are steaming, cook the bacon in a medium pan until nice and crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and allow to cool. While the bacon is cooled saute the leek and shallot in the left over bacon fat until the onion is transparent. Remove from heat. Put the steamed parsnips in your blender or food processor with one cup of water and blend until smooth. You could use the coconut milk here, but it's so cold here that usually coconut milk is solid here until put over heat. Once smooth, pout the parsnips into a pot on low, and allow to simmer. Add the leeks, shallots, coconut milk, salt, pepper and herbs to the pot. The bacon should be cool by now and will break apart quite easily. Break the bacon into little bits and add them to the soup. Stir everything together and allow it to simmer for 20-30 minutes on low.  Enjoy!

Lemon Leek Asparagus

One thing I didn't consider when I started this blog is that I never really pay attention to how much I put in recipes, I kind of just throw everything together and use my nose to get the right balance of spices - it makes re-creatable recipes difficult but I'm starting to pay more attention for the sake of this. That being said, feel free to fiddle around with amounts of spices and things to get to whatever suits your palate.

Today I bring you a simple recipe, one that is quick and nutritious to throw together in a short amount of time but still full of flavor. During my second year of college, I became a fan of asparagus and would cook it with some lemon juice, olive oil and pepper and call it a day. I hadn't done this in ages, so I thought I would do it today, but as I was preparing I noticed a piece of leek sitting on my table from yesterday (I'm really good at cleaning.). In a moment of impulsiveness I bit into it, thinking it was an end piece and should just be thrown out. Prove me wrong, it tasted great and I couldn't bring myself to waste good vegetables.

What You'll Need:
2-3 Slices of Lemon
A handful of Asparagus (I told you I'm good with amounts)
A spoonful of Coconut Oil
About 2 Tablespoons of sliced leek
A dash of sea salt
A couple of twists of black better

Note: This is meant to serve one, as a side dish to something meaty - for more people, make more.

Do it: In a small pan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Once the oil is melted place the asparagus, leek and lemon slices in the pan. Add the salt and pepper. Simmer until veggies are bright green and nice and soft. You can eat the lemon slices with it, or remove them - I personally like eating them! Enjoy!

Just Like Apple Pie. But Not at all.

Well Christmas was fun, and to be honest I did a very poor job of sticking to the primal way of life - but it solidified what I already knew - I need to do this for myself and my health so I'm back and doing great!

Yesterday my friend Connie was over, and craving something sweet. She told me about one of her Mom's recopies of warm peaches and cream, and thanks to her this recipe was born! It's really simple and quick to make, especially if you usually keep a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator!

You only need a few ingredients and its delicious, definately something I'll be making again!

You'll need:
1 Can of full fat coconut milk, refrigerated
2 Apples
Cinnamon
2 Spoonfuls of Coconut Oil
 Optional: Add a little bit of coconut Sugar to caramelize the apples.

In a medium sized pan melt the coconut oil over medium. While the coconut oil is melting slice each apple into eight pieces. Put apples in pan and sprinkle with cinnamon

While the apples are browning remove your coconut milk from the fridge, and scoop the hard coconut cream out of the can. Using a hand mixer whip it until it fluffs up like whipping cream. You can add some pure vanilla extract here if you'd like!

Once the apples are browned, spoon some of the coconut cream into a bowl, with the apples and enjoy immediately. The coconut cream will melt if you wait to long!The flavors of this simple dessert reminds me of apple pie and ice cream!