Taco Seasoning

In our house taco's are a favorite and pre-paleo days we had them once a week minimum.  But when we switched to Paleo, I could never find a comparable seasoning that we liked.  I am excited to say that I have finally found one we like, so I wanted to share it with you all.

2 TBSP  Chili Powder (if you like it spicier use, hot chili powder)

1 TBSP+ 2 tsp paprika

4 tsp ground cumin

3 tsp onion powder

3 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ( this will make a mild spice, I would add more if you like med-hot)

Mix and use or mix and store.  The spice is enough to make about 4 pounds of ground beef (I added about 2-3 cups of water).  So just use the amount of seasoning you would need for the amount of meat you have, add a little water.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the water is absorbed and it's ready to be served.

Sauerkraut and Apple Pork Roast

 Sauerkraut and Apple Pork Roast

Tonight I decided to try something different, I bought some sauerkraut a while ago with the intentions of making this but never got around to it until today.  I was a little hesitant as I am not a sauerkraut lover and neither are the kids, but took the plunge and decided it was time to venture out and try something different.  And it was awesome, it ended up being a favorite!  So... that said here is the recipe (keep in mind this can easily be scaled down for smaller serving sizes):

3 Pork Sirloin Roast (each were about 2 pounds)

2 (32 ounce) jars of Sauerkraut

3 large apples, sliced

1/2 TBSP salt sprinkled directly on the roasts

1/4-1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups of spiced apple Cider Brew (or more if needed to baste during roasting)

Olive oil for browning the roasts

Start by rinsing your meat and then patting dry with paper towels.  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Then heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet and brown each of your roasts for 3 minutes on each side over medium-high heat (or until nicely browned).  Since I did 3 roasts, I found it easier to brown one at a time.  Then remove from the skillet and place in a large roasting pan.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper on each of the roasts. Then take your sauerkraut and pour it out into a strainer, rinse with water and allow to drain well.  While the sauerkraut is draining take your apples and core and slice them.  Then sprinkle the sauerkraut over the roasts and fill in the pan around the roasts.  Sprinkle the apple slices over the top of that and then pour your Spiced Apple Cider on over that.  Place in the oven and bake for 2 hours, or less depending on your oven.  I basted my roasts part way through with a bit more Cider, probably about 1/2 cup.  The roasts came out wonderfully tender and moist, and the apples were done perfectly.  Allow the roast to rest for 10-15 minutes, slice and serve.

 Pork Roast browning in the pan.

 Apples and sauerkraut ready to be used.

 My apples sliced and ready to go.

 Sauerkraut rinsed and draining.

 The roasts, sauerkraut and apples in the roasting pan ready to go in the oven.

 The yummy Spiced Apple Brew I used, it has ginger in it and other spices, so it gives great flavor, it won't taste the same if you use something different (it does contain some fructose(NOT high fructose corn syrup!), but that didn't concern me because of what I was using it for, now if you were to drink it straight....that's another story!).

 Pork Roast coming out of the oven.

 The Roast sliced and ready to be served.

My dinner tonight, Oven roasted asparagus, Oven roasted Broccoli, Cheddar/Yellow Cauliflower (which was VERY yummy!) and my Sauerkraut and Apple Pork Roast.

Roasted Asparagus

This is one of our stand byes on a busy night.  Really easy and tasty.

I use a whole Costco package of Asparagus spears, remove the woody ends, place them on a jelly roll pan.  Pour 2 TBSP of olive oil over sprinkle with sea salt and mix it up well so they are all covered in the oil.  Bake at 420 degrees stirring and checking after 10 minutes for desired doneness.

Roasted Broccoli

Same idea as the Asparagus only it uses a bit more oil, I did about 2/3 of a Costco package of Broccoli tonight and used about 5-6 TBSP of Olive oil and sprinkled lightly with sea salt, stirring to coat completely.  Put it in the oven at 420 checking and stirring after 10 minutes, cooking to desired  doneness

Cheddar/Yellow Cauliflower

I just steamed it, by placing it in a Pyrex bowl with a little water and the lid.  Then microwaved, stirring occasionally until done.  

Enjoy!

To Carb or not to Carb?

With all the debate and endless information regarding post workout nutrition out there it seems like every article you read or every new book that is published only adds to the confusion of what is the optimal ratio of carbs to protein and if you should add fat. Well, it depends on your goals. It depends on where you are in your journey to superhealth.
Firstly, eating a post wod snack is crucial regardless of ratios. Once you establish real food intake patterns of preparing and remembering to bring it you can move on to the next step.
Are you new to fitness or already pretty well on your way? Do you have significant health issues or body fat to lose? Reversing auto-immune disorders and getting control of metabolic derangement is going to be key here.
Quality of food, gut health and sleep are your best friends.
So that being said....what do i eat post WOD and why?
Start with quality grass fed or pastured protein, the softer the better for easy digestion. Slow cooked meats, pastured eggs, wild caught salmon are among the best choices. 21-30 grams is average but your activity level and eating habits will dictate.
Carbs- if you have body fat to lose or are otherwise metabolically deranged in any way...insulin resistant, leptin resistant, diabetic, overly stressed, or chronically fatigued etc.. then don't even go here unless you have broken yourself off with a 45 minute met-con/ HERO style WOD ( which should not be done regularly) and then you reach for sweet potato at best.
If you are training smart like we do at CFEureka, you wont NEED to carb out.
If you are lean and firebreathing then a little post WOD carb may be a benefit to you as your system is running optimally but not always necessary.
Fat- now the thing is fat is the fuel we are trying to use! It is an essential fatty acid that we need to consume to live well, and in my opinion a fatty portion of post wod protein or a little added clean source of saturated fat is like diesel for the body so use it.
If you get enough leafy greens and low density veggies the rest of the day you have no worries.
I hope that this helps.
Also a frightening statistic I read recently is that most people on average are consuming 60% if their daily calories in High Fructose Corn Syrup, its in everything! Read your labels..better yet go without them!

Just added a new link...

I like what I've seen so far on this site, check it out if you get a chance...good stuff.

http://www.barefootcoconut.co.uk/ 

A few more Lara Bar Recipes

We have been playing with Lara bar recipes and come up with a couple more.  We really like the cherry and blueberry, but...one word of caution, the ingredients for these are a bit pricey.  It may be cheaper to buy than make your own, depending on what kind of price you can get for the dried fruit, just make sure it is only sweetened with fruit juice and not sugar.  My girls love making these, their favorite part is shaping and wrapping them into bars.

Lemon

3/4 cup raw cashew pieces
2/3 cup dates, coarsely chopped
1 tsp lemon juice concentrate
1 tsp lemon extract (check your ingredients on the bottle)
1/2 tsp very finely grated lemon zest


Blueberry

2/3 cup dates, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup blueberries
1 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw cashew peices
1/4 cup sliced almonds


New Cherry

2/3 cup dates, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup cherries, chopped
1 cup sliced almonds
(you could  add some vanilla and cinnamon, but they are really good this way too!)

Chocolate  Chocolate Chip

2/3 cup dates
2 TBSP cocoa powder
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup pecans
2-3 TBSP Enjoy Life Chocolate chips (kneed these in at the end when the dough is all mixed)

My Version of Lara Bars....

While I don't suggest eating them on a regular basis, they are nice to have around in a pinch.  My children however, love them and we find they are a fun treat to pack for snack or lunch at school.  Since I have so many children, and Lara Bars are quite expensive I make my own, wrap them well in plastic wrap and freeze for longer shelf life.    The fun thing is you can really just experiment with your favorite dried fruit and favorite nuts, keeping the ratios about the same will help, but the possibilities for flavors are endless.  The other thing we like to do is to save the wrapper when we do buy a Lara Bar, read the ingredients and then try to replicate it.  Look for more flavors in the future, I would also love to hear what flavors you come up with! Have fun!

 Cinnamon Roll

2/3 cup dates roughly chopped

1/4 cup (scant) raisins

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup pecans

Tropical Nut

1/3 cup cashews

1/3 cup almonds

1/3 whole pecans

1/2 cup dates

1/2 cup craisins (be sure to use fruit sweetened, I buy these from bulk bins at the health food store)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup Unsweetened, coconut flakes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (this is our favorite!)

1/3 cup chopped fresh dates

1/2 cup raw cashews (you can buy these in the bulk bins)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp cinnamon

a small amount of  cocoa nibs (or I suppose you could substitute, Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet mini choc chips)

Cherry Flavor

1/4 cup chopped fresh dates

1/4 cup dried cherries ( be sure to read the ingredients, I buy them from the bulk bins, at health food stores)

1/3 cup whole pecans

1/8 tsp cinnamon

What the mixture should look like when it's done.

You will need a food processor for this recipe.  Place your fruit in the food processor and puree until like a paste, then remove and set aside.  Place your nuts in the food processor and process until the size you would like and kneed into the fruit paste.  Or....here is my lazy version, sometimes when I don't care about the texture I just dump it all in at once and pulse till the texture is right, till it clumps into a ball around the blade.  Then just remove it and shape into bars.* Updated Lazy way, process your dates, add the nuts and pulse until desired size for nuts. Remove and knead into a ball or loaf and shape into bars.* If you are making the chocolate chip version you will need to remove the dough and kneed in the cocoa nibs or chocolate chips at the end.  You may need to adjust the ratios slightly depending on how fresh your dates are, tonight on our batch of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough we had to add more cashews because the dough was to soft and sticky, it doesn't seem to change the flavor much.  They are still yummy as ever.

3 different kinds of Lara Bar Dough before it was formed into bars.

Finished Lara Bars

Leftover Pork from the Asian Lettuce Wraps, another delicious alternative

Both my oldest daughter and I agree that the leftover Pork from Asian Lettuce wraps is wonderful, served on top of a bed of shredded cabbage and carrots, then topped with my Faux Thai Peanut Sauce, some sliced green onions, cilantro, almonds, etc.. This time I threw all the sauce ingredients into the blender and made it smooth, really quick and easy that way.  If you have leftover Pork, give it a try, I think you will enjoy it!

MyThoughts

I've been doing some reflecting lately on how much my health has changed in the past 8 months (since going Paleo).  It's amazing to me just how quickly I can forget all the ailments I used to deal with.  Looking back I am reminded of the constant abdominal pain,
bloating, gas etc., that I dealt with on a daily basis because I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  I had battled it for years, learning my "triggers", like chocolate, cabbage (which I can now eat with no problem), etc.  But even then I would have daily discomfort and have days of excruciating agony. There really was nothing that worked to treat it other than modifying my diet and exercising.  Then there was the chronic back pain or degenerative arthritis I had been diagnosed with at the ripe old age of 19 years old!  I had also suffered from pretty severe hypoglycemia most of my life.  Then there is the diagnosis for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome I received in high school and suffered from for years.  Even though it eventually went into remission, severe fatigue would still be on of my continuing battles.  Spring would bring horrible seasonal allergies, no energy and the feeling I constantly had a sore throat/cold not to mention the itchy eyes.
When I first decided to go Paleo I was a skeptic and was not at all convinced it would really make a difference.  Over the years there had been many a doctor or person who thought they could  "fix" my health problems.  But nothing ever worked, so I gave it a 30 day trial.  The first 2 weeks were hell for me, horrible sweats, hot flashes etc. and I felt like crap, while my body detoxed from all the carbs and sugar I'd been ingesting (I was a major "healthy" carb eater, whole grains, brown rice, you get the picture).  Then it took another 4 weeks before I really started feeling noticeably better, especially my digestive system took longer to heal.  I would say at the 30 day mark there were already visible benefits, like no more carb crashing in the afternoon, hypoglycemia decreasing, etc.  But I still wasn't sold, my husband talked me into sticking it out and giving it 2 additional weeks to really allow my digestive system more time to heal.  I now understand how important your digestive health is to the rest of our health, but at the time I had no idea.  Even then it took a little fine tuning to really get things to settle down in the digestive department.  I had to cut out nuts completely and then introduce them in small amounts.  So if you are still having issues, you may want to give that a try. 
I find myself taking it for granted now that I no longer deal with these health issues on a daily basis.  I still have days when I am wiped out, but now it's due to life and its stresses or lack of sleep.  And most days I can still push through and just got to bed early or if it's stress related do a workout, run, go for a walk, bike ride, hike, etc., and find renewed energy instead of needing a nap.
I am really enjoying the absence of seasonal allergies.  And now that I am getting healthier ( I had a bout with Adrenal Fatigue a few months ago), I am rarely sick either, which I attribute to the fact that my body is no longer in a constant state of inflammation.
On a quick side note, when I was going through recovery for the Adrenal Fatigue I found some supplements and herbs that were very helpful.  I am still taking them for the time being and notice that if I miss a day or especially if I miss 2 I start feeling the symptoms return.  I've found that taking these things in conjunction with some form of daily exercise is invaluable in lowering my cortisol levels, maintaining  a clear  mind and energy levels.  Paleo eating teamed with the supplements/herbs and exercise have helped me to make huge leaps towards complete health.  It's hard to believe its all occurred in just 8 months!  I am reminded to be grateful for the energy and health I am already enjoying in just 8 short months and look forward to regaining more and more of my health.  

If you are interested these are the vitamins and herbs I have found to be helpful:

Fish Oil

Vitamin B stress sustained release 

Vitamin D

Natural Calm Magnesium  drink

Yogi's Bedtime tea has become a tradition, and is very helpful because it contains, Valerian root, licorice root and passion flower, all things that are very helpful with Adrenal Fatigue ( I was originally taking them on a regular basis, but now just use the tea at night).

On occasions where nothing else is working and I find myself anxious, I take a Gaba Calm, it works almost instantly and allows my mind and body to relax.  It has been very helpful, and I usually only need one a couple of times a week.

I have also occasionally been taking the Now, Super Enzyme, but not so much recently. 

In the morning it's Tazo's Green Tea, Zen. In the middle of my most recent bout with adrenal fatigue I gave up coffee, which was one of the best things I did for my body!  Instead I start my morning with a huge mug of green tea, which is really good for your body.  Here are some quotes from Wikipedia on the benefits of green tea:

Theanine (which can be found in green tea) has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress,^[6] and improves cognition and mood in a synergistic manner with caffeine.^[7]

L-TheanineT cells. The study, published in 2003 by the Brigham and Women's Hospital, included a four-week trial with 11 coffee drinkers and 10 tea drinkers, who consumed 600 milliliters of coffee or black tea daily. Blood sample analysis found the production of antibacterial proteins was up to five times higher in the tea drinkers, an indicator of a stronger immune response.^[18]

Crepes

A while back I mentioned that I would try to come up with a crepe recipe for Sarah Fragoso's Fried Apple recipe.  Well...I didn't succeed with that endeavor, but I did find a great Crepe recipe in Mark Sisson's, Primal Blueprint  Quick and Easy Meals, it is for savory crepes so the only change I made was to add a splash of vanilla, filled it with the fried apples and enjoyed!  Makes for a great dessert crepe that way.  Here is his recipe:

Savory Crepes

 
1/2 cup coconut milk 
2 Tablespoons melted butter ( I substituted melted coconut oil)
4 Tablespoons coconut flour
8 egg whites

IN a large bowl, slowly pour the coconut milk and butter over the coconut flour, whisking and mashing with a fork so a smooth paste forms.

Briskly whisk the egg whites so they get nice and frothy.  Pour the egg whites in with the coconut paste in four additions, whisking well with a fork or whisk between each addition.  Adding the egg whites slowly ensures that the batter will be smooth; otherwise, coconut flour can clump together and be lumpy.

Add a TBSP of oil or butter to a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.  Pour just enough batter in the pan to coat the bottom (you should have enough better to make 4 crepes).  Quickly swirl the pan around so the batter spreads evenly.

If necessary, after one minute you can gently loosen the edges of the crepe by sliding a rubber spatula underneath the crepe to prevent sticking.

 After 3 minutes, flip the crepe with a large, flat pancake turner or spatula.  If you are adding a filling that you want to warm up, you can add it now across the middle of the crepe and put the lid on the skillet.  If you are not adding a filling, it is not necessary to put the lid on the skillet.  Either way, cook for 2 more minutes, then fold the crepe and slide it out of the pan.

For the Filling (I usually double this):

Sarah Fragoso's Fried Apples

3-4 small organic apples, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
¼ cup raisins
½ tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons canned full fat coconut milk

In a medium sized saute pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.  Add the apples and saute for about 5 minutes or until they start to soften.  Add the raisins and cook for 2-3 more minutes.  Add the cinnamon, mix well and add the coconut milk.  Stir the coconut milk in with the apples just until warm and serve.  Serves 4.
Enjoy!

Pork Asian Lettuce Wraps

Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps  
  I tried a new recipe last night that I found on chowstalkers, it's from the blog, hollywouldifshecould.blogspot.com 

It's really quite good, there are just a few changes I made to make it more to our liking.  I would double the almond butter for sure, and double the chili sauce.  Make sure you do not use the Sriracha Sauce as suggested in the recipe as it is full of unwanted preservatives and other addditives.  I found one by A Taste of Thai that fits the Paleo diet, it does have some added sugar but it's very, very minimal.  
And I might add, that last night it was nice and juicy, but today it seems to need a sauce.  I think that my Faux Thai "Peanut" Sauce, would be great on top.  With those few changes it's a winner.  I used Pork Sirloin Roast and cooked it for 7 hours on low, shredded it,  put it back in the crock pot and cooked for about another 30 minutes on high.  Then served it, we liked it topped with grated cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced almonds and chopped cilantro.  Oh and a dash more of the hot chili sauce, yummy!

Here is her recipe:

For the chunk of meat
2-3 lbs of pork shoulder or any type of pork roast (or this would be super good with chicken thighs or chicken breasts)
Liberally salt and pepper, throw in 3-4 smashed whole garlic cloves.

For the sauce
Mix all of the following:
4 TBS Coconut Aminos
2 TBS Almond Butter ( double this )
1 TBS Honey 
2 TBS Vinegar (I used the Bragg's apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 TBS Sriracha (or more, I would double it, and don't use the sriracha see note)
1/2 tsp of Black Pepper
1 TBS minced ginger 

Recipe Steps
1.  Put prepared chunk of meat in crockpot
2.  Pour sauce over it
3.  Resist the urge to add more liquid (you will want to, don't you worry you don't have to)
4.  Set and forget  (well for about 4-6 hours at least on your low setting) it took mine longer, like 7     hours.


When it is done cooking shred with a fork and serve a top your favorite lettuce and add the garnish of your choice.  Because I am usually lazy on the weeknights, I throw on some pre-shredded cabbage or broccoli slaw and slice up a bell pepper for some color and call it a day.  You could do any toppings you want -- jicama, cilantro, shredded carrots. 

 Toppings

 ingredients I used

Bargains of the Week

This week I found lots of bargains to be happy about.  The one I am probably most excited about is the package of Beelers Bacon Ends, it is substantially cheaper, 2 pounds will cost you just $4.99 versus the $11.99 for 2 pounds of Beelers Bacon slices.  That is a huge savings, some of you may have already been onto this (like Meredith), but I just noticed it for the first time.  I used some to tonight in a hash, and it was great, some pieces are just fat making them great for cooking other foods in, some are nice chunks of meat and some are just like bacon slices.  It will work perfect in recipes using bacon and save you and I a lot of money! 

EUREKA NATURAL FOODS:
Beelers Bacon Ends 2 pounds $4.99
Beelers Bacon slices 2 pounds $11.99
Organic Braeburn apples $.89 per pound
Organic Coconut Milk $1.29 per can (time to stock up!)


Co-Op:

This is not a bargain by any means but when I saw it I just had to give it a try, Cheddar/Yellow cauliflower $3.99 per pound (mine was $6.19, better be some really good Cauli!)
Unfortunately they are out of The bulk Coconut Aminos right now, they have it on order and are waiting for the supplier to fill. 


GROCERY OUTLET:

Lunch size applesauces $1.49
Frozen Organic Broccoli Florets $2.99
3 pounds of yellow onions for $.99
Frozen Organic Green Beans $2.99
Zucchini 2 for $1.00 
La Croix $4.99 for 24 pk 



WINCO:
Cauliflower $1.69 each (great time for fried cauli "rice")

Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mothers day to all you mothers out there, hope your day is special!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

It's been a few days since I last posted on here, sorry for the lag.  I have been extremely busy lately, making it harder to try new recipes and get them on here.  I actually have a recipe for Lara Bars that I started posting but haven't finished yet.  Right now I have my parents visiting from Alaska, so I  am not on here much, it's taking the back burner for the time being.  So grateful to have this time with them, it has been 1 1/2 years since the youngest 5 have seen their grandparents so this is a very special time for us.  Dan, Steven and I saw them in November under very stressful circumstances, the death of my Uncle, so that really doesn't count.  Today was a beautiful day so we went and hiked around Sequoia Park, lot's of fun and got some great pictures.  And I get to have my own mom here for Mothers day, I can't remember the last time we spent a mothers day together!  This really makes me happy!  What plans do you have for your Mothers day?