Orange creamsicles

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Spring is in the air! My foot is still in terrible pain and most days it is hard to walk or stand. My kitchen creativity is lacking because I generally come home from work, read a chapter of my baby book and then ice and elevate my foot before going to bed. Super hubby has been doing all the cooking and cleaning. Today was so nice out so I opened the doors and windows and found some energy to make super hubby a treat after his 13 mile run to thank him for all he’s been doing. Not sure if he will be more excited about the treat or that I washed the giant sink load of dishes. Brownie bit is healthy and growing well! I’ve been feeling kicks and even saw my tummy move a little bit yesterday. I’ve been feeling wonderful and have ye to have any pregnancy sickness or complications. If my foot were better, I would have zero complaints!

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Orange Creamsicles

2 fresh oranges
2 bananas
1/4 C. Coconut milk
3 Tbsp. Honey
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Blend all ingredients in a blender (my ninja blends it so well)
Pour blended mixture into Popsicle holders
Freeze for 4 hours or over night
Enjoy!

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Cinnamon Apple Loaf Cake

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There is a bread company here in VA that makes delicious breads but none that I can eat anymore. For 3 days I’ve been craving their famous Apple Scrapple bread. It has sweet chunks of apples with a cinnamon/ sugar topping. The bread was to amazing and I really miss being able to eat Great Harvest. I improvised and decided to keep it paleo rather than cheat. While this is in no way the apple scrapple I used to inhale, it definitely gave me my fix.
This bread tastes like a sour cream cake with chunks of apple cinnamon goodness inside. The top is not burnt, it’s the palm sugar topping and has a nice crisp coating to it! Enjoy!

Warm Cinnamon Apple Loaf

Apples:
1 apple, diced, unpeeled
2 tsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coconut palm sugar

Topping:
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 c. Palm sugar

Bread batter:
1/4 c. Honey
1 c. Almond flour
1/4 c. Coconut flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
4 Eggs
1/4 c. Coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Process:

Dice apples into chunks. Place them in a bowl and add cinnamon, sugar and coconut oil, mix and set aside.
For the batter, place the eggs in a mixing bowl and beat well.
Add vanilla, oil and honey, mix until well blended.
Add the rest of the batter ingredients and combine until we’ll blended.
Fold in the apples and place in a well greased loaf pan.
Make the loaf topping by placing cold butter in a bowl.
Add cinnamon and sugar. Use a two knives to dice the butter and mix the topping. It should be crumbly but not melted.
Place loaf into the oven at 350 for 5 minutes.
Remove the bread and put the topping on the loaf.
Return to oven for another 30-35 minutes.
Remove and let cool.

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Deli Stuffed Meatloaf

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Part of my bed rest issues… I watched a lot of HGTV, Food network and travel channel. This recipe is a primal version of a recipe I saw on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It was an all meatloaf episode. Preggo craving needed this so I did my best to make it primal. I used Applegate meats and Kerrygold cheese. I normally avoid dairy at all costs because it doesn’t settle we’ll with my tummy but since I’ve been pregnant, I crave it and it doesn’t bother me so I have a little on occasion.
This was so good.

Deli Stuffed Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 lb ground meat (I used turkey)
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Rosemary
1/2tsp Marjoram
1 tsp Garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tbsp Mustard
1egg

Filler:
3 slices Ham
3 slicesSalami
1 cup grated Kerrygold dubliner cheese

Process:
Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil.
Mix ingredients (minus the filler) in a bowl.
Layer bottom of pan with meat mixture. Make a center pocket and add deli meats and cheese.
Add meat on top of the deli meat and press the meat on edges to close any gaps.
bake at 400 for 30-35 min.

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Paleo crunch cereal

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Being pregnant has made me really want things that I didn’t used to miss. Mostly cereal and cheesesteaks and cupcakes. I have been doing a great job curbing my sweet tooth by having a little bit of chocolate or a lot of fruit when I get those cravings. My mom and my sister both got gestational diabetes with at least one of their pregnancies and I am doing my best to stay clear of that. I tried eating a few gluten items early on in my pregnancy but my stomach just can’t handle it. I’ve been as paleo as I can be and it has been wonderful. I still haven’t gotten morning sickness, headaches, or any terrible pregnancy symptoms. I’ve had a happy, healthy and enjoyable pregnancy so far. I can feel little brownie bite moving frequently and I can’t wait for super hubby to feel the baby too. The biggest problem in my life right now is that I am dealing with A terrible foot injury that just won’t heal. Fractured foot turned into planters fasciitis, bursitis, Achilles tendinitis and a broken toe. I’ve been in physical therapy for 12 weeks and saw a podiatrist. Nothing seems to be working. Everyone says, if you weren’t pregnant we could… But my job is to rest, ice baths for my entire leg every night, elevation and stretching. It is hard when I am on my feet all day. I just want to get back to normal, cook and go on long walks. I am doing prenatal yoga and lifting weights as often as possible. Praying for some fine intervention and complete healing in the next few days! Since I have been unable to cook as often, super hubby has taken over and he is making some awesome paleo meals for me. My blogs are few and far between but hopefully you will enjoy some of the recipes I add today during my snow day.

Paleo Crunch Cereal

1/2 cup pumpkin seed, grind
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 cup almonds
1tbsp flax with 1tbsp water
1cup raisins
1/4 cup choc. chips (optional)
1/4 cup Honey
2 tsp Cinnamon

Process:
Grind pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds and walnuts in a food processor.
Combine flax meal with water, mix and let sit for at least 3 minutes.
Soak raisins in a bowl of water for 5 minutes to puff them up.
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
Mix spread on silpat and bake in oven for 10 min at 325F
Let it cool and then break it apart and store in air tight container.
Serve with your favorite milk (almond, coconut, raw!)

Keeps for about 2 weeks!

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Farm fresh baby coming in July

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It’s true! We are having a baby! We are thrilled and are busy (so busy) preparing for the arrival of little brownie bite at the end of July.
Pregnancy has been fantastic. I have not had any morning sickness or complications. I have been tired but am lucky to have super husband jumping in and taking over dinners and cleaning. One awesome thing about going paleo, he learned to cook and follows my super easy recipes well.

I always thought that I would love pregnancy because I could eat whatever I wanted and not worry about gaining weight (that is what you are supposed to do right?) It’s not true… I have loved my pregnancy so far but I haven’t eaten whatever I want. These cravings are no joke though- some days I think that if I don’t eat an entire pineapple I might die!! The good news is that my non paleo cravings are few and far between. I found out I was pregnant the day before Thanksgiving. I realized then that I would have to make it through turkey day, Christmas, New Years and Super Bowl in my first few weeks!!! Talk about a challenge. It was not easy but I made it through with a minimal amount of cheating but here is why. Like I said, I had no morning sickness but the only times I felt gross and even more lazy was when I cheated with gluten! After a fall out with a Philly pretzel, I vowed that no matter what GLUTEN is not my friend.
I’ve have a lot of pregnant friends and family members and seeing their battle with morning sickness really makes me appreciate the fact that I’ve been okay, I don’t know if it is paleo related but that is where I will give the credit.

I am not 16 weeks pregnant and I have not cheated at all in 2 weeks. I have my energy back and I am much more helpful around the house. Today I spent the day making meals for our week so that I continue on this path. The hardest part was being so tired and so hungry that I would eat dried fruit with added sugars or more dark chocolate than I should have or nuts with bad oils. Now that the holiday temptations are out of sight I am hoping the will be less bad cravings.

Good Cravings: decaf. Unsweetened ice tea, pineapple, apples, cooked veggies, cheese and jalapeño meat sticks. (I’ve added a little cheese into my diet. My favorite is kerrygold dubliner)

Bad cravings: icing, Genos Philly cheesesteak, my grandmothers strawberry funny icing cake, chocolate chip cookies and PB&J. (Non of which I have had but I really want)

Rather than dwelling on what I’ve eaten over the past 16 weeks (really not that much) that might have been wrong. I decided to celebrate the cravings I haven’t fallen into!

Are you pregnant? Have you had morning sickness? Are your paleo? What are some paleo pregnancy advice or questions you have for me?

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Crockpot fajitas

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This was out New Years Eve, stay at home and enjoy the last moments of 2012 on our couch! I loved the relaxing evening and this dish was heavenly.

Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 Red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper

Process:

  1. Place all ingredients except the peppers in your crockpot and cook on low heat for 3 1/2 hours.
  2. Slice and chop red and yellow peppers.
  3. Add peppers to the crockpot and cook for another 1/2 hour.
  4. Serve with lettuce, tomato, fresh salsa, your favorite guacamole and your favorite Mexican toppings.

We followed up with a little dessert platter to watch the ball drop and bring in the New Year!

Happy 2013 to all of you! We are excited to see what the year brings us!

Running Nutrition

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This weekend was a very exciting weekend for Brandon and I. We were all signed up for the Rehoboth Beach, DE Seashore half marathon for Saturday. We’ve been training and getting ourselves pumped up for the race. This was going to be a really special race for me because it was Brandon’s first half marathon. He is not a “runner”, in fact, he hates running. I somehow convinced him to join me and we started our training 8 weeks ago. We were feeling great and enjoying our long runs together. Unfortunately, I did a big no-no! My foot began bothering me when I wore my fancy boots all day walking around and then I did a 5k in my old clunky running shoes. I started having severe foot pain but I trained through it because it didn’t hurt while I ran. We were up to 10 miles and after our run, I couldn’t walk normal for over a week. I fractured my foot and my doctors advised me NOT to run or I may risk serious injury. I decided to call it quits (Screaming and Crying)! But I am so proud of Brandon because he continued his training and completed his first half marathon on Saturday with a time of 2 hours 5 mins. He did such a great job and gave all the credit to being able to complete to his diet.

How did he train without bread, pasta, bagels and carb loading dinners? How did he keep his energy and not get muscle cramps and injuries?

During training our food choices remained the same. We added a little more sweet potato to our diets, increased our fruit intake and drank lots and lots of water.

Long run nutrition: We had energy foods and water with us. Dried Pineapple every couple of miles provided a great amount of energy. At mile 9 Brandon ate a Thunderbird bar as he ran to give him that final boost to make it to the finish line. Dried fruit is packed with nutrients and energy. He drank plenty of water throughout the race so that his body stayed hydrated. After the race he loaded up on bananas, eggs, bacon and fruit. After some heavy stretching post race, he drank some Zico Water and rested his body well.

It is possible to run marathons without breads and carb load dinners. Next time you are on a long run, try some dried fruit and see if you notice a difference in your energy.

 

Granny’s Chicken Paella

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It is official, we are training for a half marathon in December. This time I am training with a paleo diet. We did 7 miles today and I have not eaten any bread, grains or gluten! So excited with my energy and achievements so far. I don’t feel like I am lacking in my training and I am definitely training harder and better than my pre- paleo trainings. I’ve been using Practical Paleo’s book to guide my meal planning for athletes. It is so informative and has great meal guides. I was nervous training because I was used to the classic “carb- load” training!
After our 7 miles we worked around the house and then did our Sunday meal making and grocery shopping. Then made a late night dinner. This recipe is one that my granny gave to me and I’ve been dying to try it out. Lets just say it was a huge hit, easy and perfect comfort food for dark winter nights. Really hating these dark nights at 5pm. I need sunshine! Enjoy the recipe.

Granny’s Chicken Paella

Ingredients:
2 sausage links Diced
2 small chicken breast diced
1 shallot diced
4 Cloves of garlic diced
1 Small tomato diced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Teaspoons Paprika
1/4 jar Paqullio peppers
1/2 head cauliflower, cauliflower rice (see recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste

Process:
1. Heat olive oil in a pan on low heat
2. Sauté chicken, onion and sausage on medium heat
3. Add and Sauté garlic.
4. Add cauliflower rice
5. Add paprika and mix well
6. Add salt and pepper to taste
7. Add diced tomato and pepper, mix well and simmer for 5 minutes
8. Enjoy!

Cauliflower rice recipe:
1. Cut the stem off the cauliflower
2. Place large cauliflower chunks and water in a large pot
3. Boil for 20 minutes
4. Drain cauliflower in a strainer for 5 minutes
5. Place cauliflower in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer, don’t over mix, it will be a rice texture

Savory Venison Roast

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Savory Venison Roast 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup backstrap molasses

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt

Two apples sliced

3 to 4 pounds of venison roast

Process:

1.) In a crockpot add backstrap molasses, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon and water, and sea salt. Mix well.

2.) Add apple slices and venison roast. Use a ladle to cover roast with liquid mixture.

3.) Slow cook on low for eight hours.

4.) Shredded roast before serving.

This venison is so moist and savory! I Served it with roasted green beans and cauliflower rice for a nice winter meal. We enjoyed this meal next to a cozy wood stove during hurricane Sandy. It was the perfect comfort food for a cold rainy day!