Blueberry Crisp...so delicious!

After searching the internet I found this same recipe on several Paleo Blogs and let me tell you it is so good!  It is best warm for sure!  Hot out of the oven it was off the chart!  I enjoyed it best with some coconut milk poured over it, tasted like oatmeal and blueberries!  I loved oatmeal in my pre-paleo days so it was a nice treat to have something that tasted so good and was still "Paleo".  Not only that but it is super easy and I look forward to trying it with other fruits too.  I will try to get some pictures posted soon, it's just so delicious I had to share it. If anyone knows who the original creator of this recipe is please post in comments so I may give them credit.

Blueberry Crisp

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans or  walnuts (I used walnuts)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup organic butter, or coconut oil, warmed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (may want to decrease this amount depending on personal preference and the sweetness of your fruit)

 Blueberry Crisp  with pecan crumble ready to bake.

 Blueberry Crisp baked and ready to serve.

 

Blueberry Crisp with Pecan crumble, served with Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream.

• Mix all the dry ingredients together and add in the wet ingredients. Grease a 8x8" pan with coconut oil and fill the bottom of the pan with a nice thick layer of berries.  I used a lot of berries (about 4 cups worth), and then topped it with the crumble topping and baked at 350 for about 30-35 minutes depending on your oven.  
• Remove and enjoy, top it with some coconut milk for a yummy breakfast, or top with some coconut milk ice cream for dessert, or just enjoy it as is. 
• I made this again tonight to go with my homemade ice cream but with pecans and it's amazing the difference the nut makes.  The Pecans make it more of a dessert dish for sure, I also used blanched almond meal this time.  The first time I  used unblanched almond meal and walnuts and like I said it had a totally different taste, reminded me of oatmeal with some coconut milk poured over it.  My personal preference is with the unblanched almond meal and walnuts.  But either way is very delicious, will probably continue to make it both ways depending on the occasion.
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Grilled Lemon Chicken

Just made the most delicious Lemon Chicken on the grill last night.  Here it is:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/grilled-lemon-chicken-recipe/index.html

Dinner Idea

 Here is a really easy and really tasty dinner.  I just threw some chicken breast in my Dutch Oven, poured in about 1 inch depth of coconut aminos, added another couple handfuls of whole garlic cloves, some ground pepper and baked it at 375 for about 35 minutes.  The garlic was nice and soft, some were caramelized and all were nicely roasted.  Served the Chicken with my Fried Cauliflower "Rice" and the roasted garlic.  The juice from the pan was great spooned over the "rice" and chicken.  

Easy and delicious all in one!

Grassfed Ground Beef

I know this isn't new to Meredith and may not be to others, but I had a misconception that the grass fed beef was to expensive for my budget.  That however is wrong!  Grass Fed beef can be purchased at Eureka Natural Foods and/or The Co-op for a better than reasonable price! 

I have been buying regular ground beef from Costco for around $2.49 a pound, and $2.29 a pound if I bought a 10 pound tube from the butcher.  

The good news is....you can buy LOCAL GRASS FED Ground beef from the Natural food store for the following prices:

80% = $2.29 per pound
90%= $4.99 per pound


The Co-op also carries grass fed ground beef, and if you buy the 80% in a quantity of 10 pounds it is $2.49 per pound.

It supports local farmers and you get a great product!  Who would've thought you could buy grass fed ground beef for less than the price of non grass fed (the stuff fed who knows what and pumped full of antibiotics). In fact when I was talking to the guy on the phone he said it's a crazy cheap price, probably cheaper than most places in the US.

To Buy Organic or Not?

That is the question for me, since I am on a small food budget I want my dollar to stretch.  And to be used on the produce that bares more importance and benefit from being Organic.  So I have been doing some research via the internet and nearly every list I find has the same results.  I have decided to pass it along, in case there are some of you out there that can't afford to buy everything Organic.  This is just a suggestion and not a concrete list.  Growing your own would be your best option, but since most of us can't do that here is the list:

ITEMS WORTH BUYING ORGANIC:
FRUIT:                                                 VEGETABLES:                         OTHERS:
Apples                                                    Celery                                           Eggs  (preferably +Omega-3)    cherries                                                   Bell Peppers                                  Meat (preferably grass fed)
Grapes                                                    Spinach                                         Poultry (preferably grass fed)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Red Raspberries
Strawberries





ITEMS NOT NECESSARY TO BUY ORGANIC:
FRUIT:                                                VEGETABLES:                                 OTHERS: Bananas                                                 Asparagus                                            Oils
Kiwi                                                       Avocado
Mangoes                                                Broccoli
Papaya                                                   Cauliflower
Pineapples                                              Onions
                                                           




Check out the Farmers Market in season for some great fresh produce.