Going Primal
Happy Friday (or Saturday Morning)! It has been quite a week. After my Mom of the Year moment at the beginning of the week and the unexpected amount of work handed to me I am d-o-n-e, done. I have been feeling run down and achy on top of it all. I know this is a sign that I need to listen to my body. All signs point to only one thing, the fuel that is going into my body.
For the last year I have been very careful about what I was eating. Due to breastfeeding, I eliminated dairy and soy from my diet. I also watched the amount of gluten that I ate as well. It worked for me and the baby and I had been doing very well finding new recipes and alternative food to eat. So hear comes the honest truth, my new food choices involved a lot of carb alternatives. Cheese had been my go to snack prior to the baby. In fact it was the only thing that kept the nausea to a minimum. Looking back tonight I realize my body has been through a lot. Nine months of pregnancy and a year of breastfeeding….Time for a change.
For the last few weeks I have been fascinated by one of my favorite bloggers, Ms. Biz, from My Bizzy Kitchen journey with the Paleo Diet. I begin to do some research and really like some of the recipes and meal plans that I have stumbled upon. I was also very inspired by AndreAnna, who writes for her blog Life As a Plate. She writes about her journey of eating real food. Before I write anymore about Paleo, I have a few more books that I want to read. What I have realized is a “primal” way of eating will take planning. I decided to start trying some recipes out to get some favorite dishes under my belt. Here is my first attempt with Paleo Chili. It was an easy lunch dish that made my co-workers drool every time I heated up my lunch.
Paleo Chili
Recipe Adapted from Life as a Plate
Ingredients:
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2-3 lbs ground beef
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1 24 oz can diced tomatoes (unflavored)
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2 cups beef broth
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1-2 small yellow onion, chopped
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1/2 c. each of the following fresh peppers, chopped:
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--red bell
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-green bell pepper
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2 jalapenos, chopped (ribs/seeds added depends on your tastes)
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2 tbsp. chopped parsley (can use for garnish later as well)
- 1-2 c. pureed squash (for thickening)
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2 tbsp agave
- 2 pkgs. Simply Organic Chili Mix
Set crock pot for 8 hours on the low setting.
Brown ground beef and prepare vegetables.
Put meat in bottom of crock pot first. Break it up. Then add the diced tomatoes, broth, and all the rest ingredients.
Cover and let sit. Every few hours , stir the pot. Let cook for an additional 3 hours. It will look like this when it is completed. Holy YUM! Made the house smell amazing.
- This dish took me less than 20 minutes to complete. Definitely a keeper for Paleo friendly recipes.
- Have you ever felt you needed a change in diet (not event to lose weight)? What was your ah-ha moment?
- Are you a mom-to-be or know a future mommy? Make sure you check out the L’ovedbaby Nursing Shawl Giveaway.
Mom of the Year Award
I have had quite the week. After the Thanksgiving whirlwind, Monday morning came in like a lion. I was exhausted from all the excitement of the weekend and was dragging from the moment I woke up. The girls also started basketball this week which has a very different schedule than soccer. I had also scheduled Baby A’s year old check up as well (must have been still on the C-Section pain medication when I scheduled this meeting over a year ago). I re-arranged my work schedule to get to the appointment on time and quickly rushed in like a crazy lady to check in for the appointment. The receptionist says, “Wow, you are a little early. Your appointment is at 4.” I look at my phone calendar again and it said 3, but I turned around as quickly as I entered the building. After making a few phone calls to make sure my other children had rides to their proper locations it was time for me to check back in. The doctor saw us very quickly. Baby A is meeting all her developmental milestones. Currently she is 29 3/4 inches tall and weighs in at 20.8 pounds. It all went down hill from there. The shot nurse came in and the screaming began. Band-Aids were placed and we were sent on our merry way. The nurse says to me as we are leaving to make sure that I take off the Band-Aid once we get into the car. At this point Baby A is still screaming at the top of her lungs, and of course everyone is staring, forgetting that their kids were once like this. I just wanted to get out of there. We made it to the car and I was just excited that she had finally calmed down. I buckle her in and secure myself for the short drive home. As I am driving down the street I realize that I had forgotten to take of the Band-Aid. I pull over at the next parking lot and proceed to get the Band-Aid off Baby A’s finger. I open the door and the Band-Aid is gone. She of course is smiling and at this point is laughing because I become a complete mad women searching for the Band-Aid. Of course I could not find it. I call the Dr back and tell them what happen. They ask a series of questions and assure me that as long as she is still breathing and not is distress that the Band-Aid should not be a problem. Baby A is fine, but this taught me how quick a year old can be. Yup…….A truly Mom on the Year Moment.
After this week I leave you with a family friendly recipe that my kids LOVE.
I was a Foodbuzz Family Bites Featured Publisher in September 2010. After a few weeks of creating new recipes in my kitchen with Newman’s Own products it was announced that I would be featured. The feature was 9 Mom on the Run unique recipes. All the recipes were tried by my family and passed the hungry mouths club. I had so much fun creating these recipes. My dear husband was such a great guinea pig as I perfected each one. Here is one of my favorite recipes that I created.
Sockarooni Tomato Bacon Pasta Bake
This cheesy pasta casserole is easily made faster than you can say Sockarooni!
Main Ingredients:
1 pound of Pasta (Whatever your family prefers)
1 Jar Newman’s Own® Sockarooni Pasta Sauce,
1/2 pound of bacon
1 cad of tomato soup
8 oz cheddar cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rotini pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy.
Place cooked pasta in a medium bowl. Add tomato soup, Sockarooni Sauce, and cooked bacon. Stir to coat evenly. Add 1 cup of the cheese and stir until melted and thick.
Transfer pasta to a baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until sauce is thick and cheese is browned. Serve immediately.
I am currently taking deep breaths and going to bed ASAP to hopefully end the week better than it began.
Make sure you check out the L’ovedbaby Nursing Shawl Giveaway.
Showing some Blogging Love: Ode to Fake Ginger
I am thankful for many things this holiday season. I have the most supportive husband, amazing children, and family who helps out whenever it is needed. I am first to say I have it pretty good and probably don’t thank them enough. One thing I would like to do more of this holiday season is give thanks to people who have made a positive influence on my life. Whether it be here at Mom on the Run or the good old fashion way of a smile and face to face contact, I think it is important for people to feel appreciated. Why not start today!?
Weekly I scour my favorite blogs for family friendly recipes that will wow the family. I have a lot of favorite sites (Thanks ladies for great blogs): My Bizy Kitchen, Love, Veggies, and Yoga, and Recipe Girl just to name a few. For Thanksgiving I just wanted to make something to feel like I contributed in some way. For me not to be busy in the kitchen during the holidays is a rarity. When I saw this amazing Sweet Potato Recipe on another one of my favorite recipe blogs, Fake Ginger, I knew I had a winner. You can’t go wrong with sweet potatoes and a crumbling nutty topping. With a few substitutions I whipped up a dish that I hope did the original justice.
I was in BONUS BUY heaven this week when I found this 5 pound box of Sweet Potatoes for only $2.50. This is my kind of sale 
Sweet Potato Casserole
Adapted from Fake Ginger
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Gluten Free flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup Earth Balance butter, melted
Sweet Potato Mixture:
3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
4 Tbsp of Truvia
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tbsp of Earth Balance Butter, melted
2 tbsp of Vanilla Coconut Milk Drink
Instructions
To make the crust, combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a medium-size casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, milk, and butter in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Beat thoroughly with a hand mixer for about 3-4 minutes to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture.
Pour mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. At this point, dish can be covered and refrigerated for a couple of days.
Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture and return to oven for 10 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.
The brown sugar and pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy.
A little bit about Fake Ginger: Amanda is a stay-at-home mom to 2 beautiful boys. She is amazing baker and food photographer. I urge you to stop by her site to learn more about her and find out how her blog got its name.
Have you thanked your favorite blogger today?
