Dear Friends, It’s been seven years since I started this blog. I started as a young mother who needed an outlet – a community. And I found it. Then when I found my current lifestyle, it transformed into a food blogging/Paleo/CrossFit/Gluten-Free/Family hybrid blog. It’s opened doors for me – professionally and personally...
read moreOkay, so I’m a little behind on, well.. everything. Ever have one of those weeks where everything kind of just happened at once? I had two major deadlines last week – one for my publishing career and one for my writing gig – and then my gym (which I also work for) was hosting a major two-day competition which literally kept me...
read moreOk, so after I deleted the 145 SPAM comments from the same IP address (really, people? You didn’t think I’d catch that?), it was down to 92 comments to choose from. In order to do it as fairly as possible, I used a random number generator to choose the winner. These are the results: Comment #6 was my “A. Mel”!! Please...
read more
You see that yummy ad right up there? Yeah, cookies are off limits right now but if you weren’t crazypants like we are and did a no-sugar through the holiday thing, you can go check them all out. But don’t tell me how awesome they are, because I’ll cutchoo. The only sugar we’re allowed to have (and only because we...
read moreAs I write this, we’ve made it through two full weeks of the Whole 30/21 DSD. I finally turned a corner this week and felt pretty great most days. My moods are more even (read: there were less episodes of me telling Mike I hated his ass face), I’m sleeping great, and don’t get that late afternoon face-meets-wall thing around 2 pm...
read moreWell, Week 1 is in the books and after a week of what can only be described as the worst PMS ever, I am finally turning a corner. The cravings are mostly gone – at least for ALL! THE! THINGS! I didn’t realize how often I’d just pick up one of the kids snacks and pop it in my mouth until I had to NOT do it. Last week, I wanted to...
read more
I’m writing this from the grave because clearly I have died from not having any wine in four days. Or brownies. You know, the things that make the world go ’round. It’s not so bad really this time around – this whole sugar detox Whole 30 thing. I was actually feeling really great for the first three days and figured it was...
read more
Well, today was Day 1 of the 28-Day Clean-Eating Sugar Detox (If you want to keep up with us on Twitter, the group is using the hashtag #LAAPdetox). So far, so good. Then again, Mike and I worked our little butts off yesterday afternoon for a couple hours to make sure we were prepared. I really think that’s the key to this kind of thing....
read moreI revamped our original weekly meal plan based on what we had in the house and what we picked up at the store this morning. We sat down this morning and made a shopping list, as well as a to-do list to make sure we were prepared for the week. I’ll be posting my meal plans on Sundays for the next few weeks. I think this can help all of us...
read moreOk, so as I mentioned in this last post (thank you all for your kind and supportive words, by the way; you guys really are amazing), Mike and I are starting a 28-Day Clean Eating/Sugar Detox challenge on Monday. We’re following the guidelines of a Whole 30 as well as Balanced Bites 21-day Sugar Detox. Basically, we’re eliminated ALL...
read more
Last week, I received my new device in the mail from Verizon as I am one of the Verizon Savvy Gourmet bloggers – an LG Intuition. I’ve been playing with it and haven’t really come to any great conclusions about it yet. It’s bigger than my Samsung Galaxy S3 but light as well, not overly clunky. The screen is great quality...
read more
Wherever I go, there’s always that one person who will say “well, so-and-so said that XYZ is not Paleo.” And then I punch them in the face and run away. (And by “run” I mean “hobble rapidly” as I am still dealing with plantar issues so bad I could cry.) Part of the reason I eschew the word...
read moreSeven Crossfit Life Lessons That Carry Over Into Real Life From The Year I Was 31. Which I no longer am. Also: I think I need Botox. And wine. Carry on. (My wayward son.) (Ha. Now you have that song stuck in your head, dontcha?) (Dontcha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?) (Now you HAVE that song stuck in your head!) 1) Finish. If you start...
read more
Yeah, I know. I just called something a meat muffin. The 12-year old boy that lives deep within us all is dying inside, believe me. Just as he is at CrossFit when we talk about perfecting our snatch, or making sure we clean it well before we jerk it. Oh, maturity, you’re so overrated. I just randomly decided to make these to see if I could...
read moreSome people would argue that if you have a diet rich in whole foods, leafy greens, quality meat and full-fat organic dairy, you don’t need additional supplements in your diet. And while I agree that a wholesome, rich diet is the best way to take care of your body, there are so many studies that show benefits additional herbal supplements....
read more
A friend of mine recently lamented that he missed lemon poppyseed muffins since going Paleo and then demanded I come up with a recipe for them. Most people do that, actually. But it’s a good thing because it keeps me on my toes always trying new things. While I didn’t make muffins exactly, I decided to make little biscuits instead....
read more
I’m sitting here in the quiet house on a sunny, brisk Sunday afternoon. There’s a fire crackling under the big screen TV with football on. The house smells like the chicken soup simmering on the stove. Most of the chores are done for the weekend, the kids are outside riding bikes while Mike saws something with some loud appliance....
read more
I have this recipe for The Best Grain-Free Gluten-Free Paleo Bread (In the history of man) that I posted almost two years ago that has almost 200 comments, of which almost all are people testifying that the bread was awesome and they loved it and it changed their wee grain-free lives. So I don’t take it lightly when I call these the Best...
read more
One of Mike’s favorite old school treats was that big yellow box of Raisinets. At the movies, we’d get a large popcorn and a box of those babies and eat ourselves to a stomach ache. Now, even though we do indulge on occasion with traditional “treats,” I always have my brain on, trying to find ways to make them...
read more
Ok, there was really no need to put “Paleo” in the title other than to help boost my SEO because really, any homemade sauce by definition will most likely be Paleo. Unless of course, you put something weird in it like cheese-covered bugs and in that case the bugs would probably help your cause while the rest of the Paleo nutsos would...
read more
This is slightly different from a traditional salsa in that I used a bunch of fresh, colorful, crisp peppers. It’s got a more earthy taste than traditional salsa with the addition of the red, yellow, and orange bell pepper, but the lime, cilantro, tomatoe and jalapeno flavors keep the old-fashioned nuance we all love in a salsa. This recipe...
read more
I received a free copy of Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle to review (which by the way is on sale through the links at Amazon for under $22 and free shipping with Prime, which is crazy for such a HUGE book) ; however, the opinions are solely my/his own. Co-written by fellow Paleo/CrossFit friend,...
read moreI’m calling these perfect because it took at least three tries to get these right. Look, I love myself and all but I’m not saying this to be arrogant: I rarely, if ever, don’t get a recipe right. Normally when I decide to make something, I get it right or at least very close, the first time. It’s my art; it’s what...
read more
This came together because I had peppers leftover from the 10-minute chili we made the other day and a steak in the freezer. That’s it, really. I threw some spices in to make it like pepper steak. The key to this, I think, is marinating the meat ahead of time IF you are using a poorer cut of meat. Flank steak? Marinate 2 hours. London broil?...
read more
I received a free copy of It Starts with Food to review; however, the opinions are solely my/his own. Co-written with fellow Paleo/CrossFit friend, Getty. Lots of authors have attempted to help readers implement a paleo/primal lifestyle into their home, which is a massive topic to cover in one book and can lose you in either the recipes, rules,...
read more
Okay, so I started out making beef Rogan Josh – one of my favorite things to order when I we go for Indian food – and then everyone lost their damn minds. Apparently, it wasn’t “real” or “authentic” and Rogan Josh is made only with lamb and with this very rare spice only found on the left side of a...
read moreIt’s not a big secret I like the spirits. What I don’t like is the boring sugar-laden drinks and the calories they bring. Another thing I don’t like is how Iowa doesn’t seem to get on board with the whole spring/summer thing with the rest of the free world. We still have our heat on and earlier in the week, we had ice in...
read moreA few weeks ago, I was contacted by Verizon and asked if I wanted to join their new initiative and become a Verizon Savvy Gourmet – aimed at bringing technology into households and into the kitchen. I’d get a device to use in my daily life and, in return, would simply write about the product and how I use it as a food blogger, mom to...
read moreSummer means farmers market season, fresh herbs and vegetables, and lots of grilling, which we’re celebrating in this Light & Fresh Summer Grilling series, brought to you by Michelob ULTRA Light Cider. In Iowa, it means the sweetest corn you’ll ever taste and big red tomatoes I eat like apples. I love Midwestern summers, especially...
read more
I have to admit I have never tried sunchokes until I made this recipe. I figured they rhymed with “artichoke” which I love so they must be good, right? I picked up a little package at my local supermarket and they sat around for a few days until I gathered up the balls to try and figure something out with them. A quick search on the...
read moreSo, last week I came across a post from Liz over at Cave Girl Eats where she took photos of her fridge and freezer. And I remember that Holly had done it too (and her pantry!). For some reason, seeing inside other people’s cabinets and fridge satisfies some creepy food voyeurism within me, especially when it’s someone who really lives...
read moreI remember the day that my husband was diagnosed Celiac. He was still groggy from the procedure when the doctor brought us back to a small room. He gave us a handout, a copy of his blood work with the gliadin IgG levels, and said that if he wanted to get better, he’d have to stop eating gluten. Immediately, we began the research process and...
read more
Yeah…so that’s a lot of adjectives but that’s what the meal was and if I left any of those delicious words out, it would just be less awesome. For sure. Right? This time around on the sugar detox, I am letting myself have dairy. I know it’s TECHNICALLY sugar (lactose, yadda yadda) but wine is TECHNICALLY just grapes and...
read more
I’m kind of torturing myself right now on a multitude of levels. One, I’ve made the decision to take a couple weeks off from CrossFit which also means I’ll be missing running the Warrior Dash with my husband and friends next weekend. Two, I am on Day 1 of another 21-day sugar detox and posting this damn recipe is some form of...
read more
I had a little Memorial Day party as a final last hurrah to say goodbye to my sister who moved to Virgina this past week. It’s going to be tough without her in the same city with me but I am excited for this new chapter of her life. Anyway, as usual, I had a ton of food left over because I cook for a zombie militia and the berries started to...
read moreI hid behind her. She was funny and smart and friendly. People liked her and gravitated towards her humor and personality. I stood in her shadow and rooted for her. She tried and failed. But she tried. She had jagged scars on her belly, thighs, breasts. Some were road maps of the babies she carried; others there before she was twelve years old and...
read more
Anyone who knows anything about Elvis knows one of his favorite meals was a deep fried banana and peanut butter sandwich with bacon. Now, let’s preface this with the fact that I’ve actually had one of these before. I’ve also had an Elvis burger (at The Ram Brewery in Chicago) which is pretty much one of my most favorite things in...
read more
During my brief interim between going off sugar, I made these little treats hoping to recreate something crunchy – close to a cookie but without flours or too much sugar. I was kind of aiming for a nut cluster but as I added the ingredients together, it came out tasting like granola bar meets oatmeal raisin cookie (without the oatmeal or ...
read more
I have a thing for latkes and hashbrown-esque foods (as evidenced by my Turnip and Rutabaga Latkes or my Butternut Squash and Parsnip Hasbrowns) . Maybe it’s because it indulges my love of crispy fried things. Maybe it reminds me of breakfast potatoes which I very rarely indulge in. Maybe I just love food. Yeah… that. I’ve tried...
read more
I’ve been on a bit of a Thai kick ever since I made my homemade Tom Kha Gai. It’s crazy how daunting something until you try it and then it opens you up to a whole new world of bravery. I had some ground turkey leftover from our weekly spinach turkey burgers that we eat like crazy, so I figured I’d try something a little...
read more
Firs things first, the storms that passed through the Midwest last night and are still passing through have thankfully been nothing more than a nuisance. The kids were naturally both up and though the thunder and rain was drowned out by the white noise machines we have all over the house, the near-constant lightning seeped through every crack and...
read more
I mentioned that I would let you guys know what we’ve been eating and what recipes I have that I can recommend for those of you thinking about starting this detox. One of the easiest parts of the past few weeks has been eating. The food I make isn’t bland or boring, I’ve been using way more herbs and spices, and have really been...
read more
Yeah so that’s a mouthful I realize but I had no idea what to name these. They’re like a burger, but… not because I pan-fried them in coconut oil. They’re like a patty or a cake…but Curry Turkey Cake did not sound appetizing at all. I’m honestly not sure what these are but I can tell you where they came...
read moreI cut out all sugar last Monday. As in everything. No fruit, no honey, no alcohol, and very, very limited dairy (literally just a splash of cream in my coffee). I’m mostly following Diane’s (of Balanced Bites) 21-Day Sugar Detox, in case any of you want more info and more science than I am qualified to give. I did this for a number...
read more
When I get sick, all I want is soup. Usually I have plenty of stock and/or frozen soup on hand but sometimes I send Mike out to fetch me some Tom Kha Gai from our favorite Thai place. (Note: I am the worst sick person ever and I feel like he deserves a medal each time because I would just punch me in the face.) This creamy, sweet, spicy chicken...
read moreOne of the hardest things I deal with on a daily basis is my kids being different – set apart – by their peers by the food they eat. Charlotte’s old enough to understand why she eats the way she does. If you ask her, she’ll reply that she was really sick with asthma and that eating this way makes her feel better. Sawyer,...
read more
This was one of those things I threw together on a whim on a Sunday night because I happened to have the ingredients on hand and pineapple + coconut = awesome. Also, it literally took 10 minutes to make the batter, pour them in the tins, and clean up. My kind of treat. I used coconut cream in this recipe, which is simply the thick part of the...
read more
I’ve been seriously obsessed with greens lately. I feel better overall when I get a good amount of them in my diet. I may have overdid it this week with kale because I’m pretty sure people across the room aren’t supposed to hear sounds coming from your abdomen. But I am always finding ways to get more greens in our diet –...
read more
Sometimes I honestly have no idea where I come up with things. I liken it to an artist who looks at a pile of clay and creates something from nothing. Usually, it’s because I have X,Y, and Z in the fridge and they’re about to go bad and I HATE wasting food. I also love mixing sweet and savory flavors so I took the sweet potato and...
read moreThis recipe was my guest post over at Food Renegade last year but I figured I’d re-post it here at the tailend of this winter and right before Mardis Gras! It was originally inspired by my husband’s cold. Nothing clears the sinuses quite like a spicy jambalaya. This version is quite spicy but can be altered to your tastes by lowering the...
read more