30 Day Challenge -- Day 11

I have been doing a ton of research over the past day. I decided to start a Pinterest page, which you can find here: Eating Paleo Style... and the almost 200 new pins I found today. Because of all this internet time, I have found some very interesting articles.

1) Americans Fatter Than Ever, Obesity Officially Called A Disease -- Umm... I am pretty sure, no matter how they want to spin it, this has been a problem since I was a kid. I do think it is getting worse, unfortunately. 

2) 8 Foods We Eat In The U.S. That Are Banned In Other Countries -- I believe if people knew what their food was really made of, they wouldn't want it.... at least I hope this is the case. 

3) Rated G: Chipotle Labels GMO Ingredients -- I sure wish I could eat at this restaurant to support them. But, we don't have one around me. The closest one is 2 hours away. 

Day 11
Breakfast: Skipped. Walked 1.8 miles.

Lunch: Coleslaw with leftover taco meat and guacamole

30 minutes on the Elliptical.

Snack: The hubby brought me 2 very tasty Turkey Snack Sticks. We then had a small handful of macadamia nuts.

Dinne: I was quite full from the snack. I did want something snacky so I caramelized some onions. I really love when they have some burned edges and are slightly crispy.

The kids and the hubby had some chicken legs with sauteed zucchini with caramelized onions.






This is how I like cooking my chicken legs. The legs hang while they cook. This allows the grease to drip down the legs and cook evenly. It reminds me a lot of rotisserie chicken.



Each rack holds 12 legs. I have also hung chicken quarters on these.



Here is where you can find these racks: Man Law BBQ Wing Rack

30 Day Challenge -- Day 10 and Stove-top Popcorn

Day 10 

Breakfast: 2 fried eggs in coconut oil and 3/4 of an apple

1.6 mile walk

Lunch: 2 slices roast beef with salami layered inside and tomatoes and sliced onion, rolled up.

Dinner: Some fabulous chicken my hubby brought home from work to sample. The chicken is from Boulder Natural Meats and is called Pollo for Adobo with Chicken Leg Meat. If you see it, buy it. It is worth it! I served it with Cilantro Lime Cole Slaw, which is so easy and good on these hot summer days.

Later: I was in a total snacky mood, so I had a teenager make some popcorn.

Stove-top Popcorn

I get two of these big glass bowls.

1 Cup popcorn kernals

1/4 Cup coconut oil

a very big pot with a lid

Put coconut oil in pot over medium heat. When all the way melted, add kernels and put lid on. Every few seconds swirl pot over the heat to mix around the kernels. When the popping slows down a lot, take off heat and remove lid immediately. Butter and salt as you like.

*For this big pot, we use one stick of butter, melted. I then sprinkle with a little bit of salt. 

30 Day Challenge -- Day 9

After yesterday, I would like to hide under a rock. I feel like I did awful! I have noticed once I cheat, it becomes so much easier to cheat the next day and even easier the next one.

Day 9
Breakfast: I found this place that makes juices to order. I don't remember all the ingredients but it did have carrots, beets, ginger, apple. There were 2 other ingredients.

Lunch: Roast beef with guacamole and grape tomatoes.

Dinner: Here is where I went down hill. I made a huge birthday dinner for my (now) 16 year old twin girls. I grilled hamburgers and ribs and made a huge batch of potato salad (even though not paleo, I am posting the recipe below). After I was done cooking, I was not really hungry... probably because I tasted the potato salad a few times to make sure it was yummy (it was). (And here is where I won't tell you about the big handful of potato chips I ate).

By the time all got friends dropped off at home, I was beat... not tired, but that achy feeling you get when you have been non-stop all day. So, I had 2 (3) glasses of wine. Then I decided I was hungry. (Not a good time. I should have just gone to bed.) I made a burger (I still went bunless) with two slices cheddar cheese (because I really wanted to taste it), smothered with some bbq sauce and ate it with tomato, onion, and lettuce. I then decided I just had to have more potato salad because it really is that good. Sigh. Then more chips.

I know, I know...

Could I have done worse? Absolutely. I could have had cake, or a bun, or a soda. But, I still wasn't as strong as I want to be.

I didn't even walk the last two days. It is time to jump back on the wagon.

Steakhouse Potato Salad
(original is from Kraft)

3 lb small red potatoes (or any potato scrubbed well), cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ranch dressing
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Put potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and let boil for about 5-10 minutes or until tender. When finished, drain. Let cool completely. Get bacon ready and set aside. Mix together mayo and ranch. When potatoes are completely cooled add mayo mixture and stir until all the potatoes are well coated. Add everything else and stir until everything is well incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Yummy burger and potato salad

30 Day Challenge -- Day 8

I decided to weigh myself today since it has been one week since I weighed myself last and I am down 2.9 lbs!! I am so excited! It is the small victories, like seeing myself actually losing weight, that make me want to continue. I know I shouldn't focus on the scale so much as how my body feels, but it feels really good to know I am shrinking.

Day 8
Breakfast: I skipped breakfast... again. I notice I don't usually get hungry until around 11 am. It probably has something to do with the fact that we eat so freakin' late at night. My goal this week is to get dinner done by 6 pm every night... not by 10 pm.

Lunch: I had three turkey and guacamole roll ups, a handful of grape tomatoes, and a big handful of fresh raspberries, which were amazing!

Dinner: I made the wonderful pork chops, but didn't eat them. The kids ate them while my hubby took me out to dinner to celebrate the new job I landed. (Not sure how to feel, a bit overwhelmed for sure.) I cheated... a lot.

I started thinking I am not good with 30 Day (or anything) challenges. But, it definitely makes me think two or three or seven times whether or not I am going to eat something. This isn't easy and while bread isn't my thing, I am definitely craving burgers and cheese and all things savory. I will definitely keep trying!

Dinner Menu Plan Week of June 16 - June 22, 2013

Dinners this week:

• Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce and steamed broccoli

• Grilled chicken legs that I found on sale for about $3.50 for a pack of 12 legs. I will probably make some yummy cole slaw to go with this.

• Curried Ground Beef Stir Fry ...again, because the hubby took all the leftovers to work and the kids and I want more. 

• Lemon Garlic Tuna Burgers -- I will use a paleo mayo instead of sour cream and almond flour/meal instead of bread crumbs. 

• Taco Salad with lots of salad veggies

• My 16 year old twin girls are turning 16 this week. So we are having whatever they want for dinner. This year, one is asking for ribs and the other is asking for hamburgers. They are both asking for a very yummy potato salad that I found about a month ago... before my challenge. I will find something other than potato salad for the hubby and I. 

And I will have a very easy night of "fend for yourself."

Coconut Milk Ice Cream and 30 Day Challenge -- Day 7

I haven't always liked all the things I eat. It has taken a lot of time and patience to develop a taste for some things. For instance, I use to gag whenever I ate spinach... it was the texture of the stems. Bleu cheese used to be so bad, I wouldn't even put it in my mouth. Now, I crave bleu cheese. Beets taste like dirt. Seriously, dirt. But, recently, we found a way to cook them that makes them palatable to me. I have heard you should try foods you don't like every couple of years because your tastes will change. I am a huge proponent of this because I have seen it work with myself.

Day 7
Breakfast: Caramelized Onion Frittata and cantaloupe. I have to admit to you my family does not like this egg dish as much as I do. They think it's good, but much better with salsa or ketchup. Sigh.

1.6 mile walk with the family.

Lunch: Leftover fajita meat and peppers on a bed of spinach with some bleu cheese.

Bacon, Grape, and Broccoli Salad

Dinner: Steaks and Bacon, Grape, and Broccoli Salad. This is my hubby's favorite and the perfect Father's Day meal on a hot day.

Dessert: ...because it is Father's Day! I made my hubby some coconut milk ice cream. We were at a garage sale the other day and they were giving away very ripe baby peaches. I took a bag and decided to puree them for this ice cream. I am so glad I did. This ice cream came out very tropical tasting.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream
16 ounces pureed peaches
3 very ripe bananas
2 tsp vanilla
5 medjool dates, pit removed
2 cans full-fat coconut milk

Blend all ingredients together in blender until everything is evenly incorporated. Make ice cream according to your ice cream maker instructions.

I used the ice cream maker attachment on my Kitchen Aid mixer.

Italian Egg Casserole

Italian Egg Casserole

16 eggs

2 cans diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 large onion (or 1 small), diced

2 green bell peppers, diced

1/2 lb bacon, minced or diced or crumbled (I put raw bacon in the food processor and pulse it until mush. Then I cook it like ground beef.)

2 tsp. dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon, drain, and set aside to cool. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside. Crack eggs into large mixing bowl and whisk. Add everything to the eggs and mix well. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan and bake at 375 degree F oven for 45 to 55 minutes until egg is completely cooked through. 

30 Day Challenge -- Day 6

Day 6 was busy, busy, busy. We didn't even go on our walk! So, you are getting a quick break down of how I did.

Day 6

Breakfast: Skipped. I wasn't hungry, so I didn't eat.

Lunch: I needed to make something super quick so I took some sliced turkey meat, spread my favorite easy store bought guacamole on it, rolled it up, and enjoyed it so much I made it again later as a snack.

Spread guacamole on the turkey meat.

Roll it up.

I enjoyed it with some watermelon and grape tomatoes. 

Guac roll ups, grape tomatoes, watermelon.

Snack: We had a carnival to go to late in the afternoon that was serving hot dogs, chips, cotton candy, popcorn, etc. All the foods I can't eat right now. So before we left I knew I better eat something so I would not be tempted. I had a couple more of the turkey roll ups with some olives and half a banana. 

Dinner: Chicken Fajitas served on a bed of spinach. I did have some bleu cheese with my spinach. 

Curried Ground Beef Stir Fry

I love when I follow my gut and whatever dish I am cooking turns out fabulous. It doesn't always happen, but tonight it did. I had some ground beef in the freezer and I really wanted something with an Asian influence. This is the dish I came up with:

Ground Beef Curry Stir Fry

It started with a HUGE bag of frozen stir fry vegetables I got from Costco (aka my favorite store ever). I put some coconut oil in a very large pan over high heat. After the pan and oil were sufficiently hot, I added the frozen veggies and let them cook until soft.

After the veggies were done, I put them in a big bowl and set them aside. I then cooked the ground beef until completely browned.

When the ground beef is done, drain it. Put it back in the pan and add the diced onion and let cook a couple minutes. Then add the most wonderful curry powder ever. Whichever kind you prefer. My favorite is this one I found at a local grocery store (I found you can buy it online here):

My favorite curry powder.

and then I quit taking much needed pictures. 

Except for this beautiful finished product:

Curried Ground Beef Stir Fry

This fed 6 of us with seconds and leftovers. Cut in half you need less. I should warn you, my 7 year old thought this was a little spicy. The rest of us loved it!

58 oz bag frozen stir fry vegetables (I got mine at Costco. It came with sauce that I threw away.)

2 lbs ground beef

1/2 very large onion or 1 small onion, diced

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Cup soy sauce

2 tsp. fish sauce

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp curry powder (I like A LOT of curry)

3-14 oz cans of some kind of broth

1-7 oz package Asian Bean Vermicelli (ingredients are peas, green beans, and water--I found mine at Costco)

3 Tbsp coconut oil (or oil of your choice)

Add coconut oil to large pan over high heat. Add veggies and stir every 2 minutes or so until cooked through, set aside. In same large pan, cook ground beef, drain when done, and add back to pan. Add diced onion to ground beef and, stirring occasionally, let cook together for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir thoroughly. Add curry powder, fish sauce, soy sauce, and broth. Stir really well. Let simmer for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add vermicelli noodles (dry) and they will soak up the sauce beautifully. Make sure you stir and get the noodles mixed around. Add veggies and mix well. Take off heat and let sit for about 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

30 Day Challenge -- Day 5

I truly believe in eating whole foods in their most natural state (except for chips). For instance, I saw this article: "Splenda goes from 'safe' to 'caution' after leukemia found in mice."  For years I have heard, read, or been told how safe Splenda is. I am glad I listened to my gut and chose not to use this product, except very rarely. Luckily, my poison of choice is black coffee (I am sure many of you can tell me what is wrong with coffee and caffeine) and I am very fortunate to not have a sweet tooth, usually. So, for me, it is easy to stay away from artificially sweetened foods.

Eating Paleo and eating whole foods can be very expensive. I get super tired of the Paleo crowd touting the same speech of "yeah, but if you buy the right foods now (organic, grass fed), you will save thousands later in medical bills." I personally can not afford organic and/or grass fed. If I don't have the cash, then guess what? I don't have the cash. And before anyone tells me we don't need things like cable tv... we don't have things like cable tv.

So, how do I do Paleo? I buy regular food. I buy vegetables on sale (which tend to be what's in season) and meat that has been marked way down or is on a major sale. I use canned tuna that I get for 65 cents a can during a case lot sale. Some day, probably when my 5 children move out, I will be able to buy all organic, grass fed everything. For now, I am looking to feed us the best way possible with the resources we have. (This might also mean we have to add rice and beans back into our diet in the future).

Day 5
This morning we started our day much earlier. Our 1.6 mile walk was much more enjoyable in the cooler weather and we were able to talk my hubby into going with us. It was very nice.

Breakfast: Leftover breakfast from yesterday. That casserole made quite a bit.

Lunch: Leftover (again) Cilantro Lime Cole Slaw with diced chicken breast (also leftover from dinner the other night).

I went to the gym today and did 30 minutes on the recumbent bike at a level 4. I was going to do the Couch 2 5k, but a friend was there and I would much rather work out while chatting with a friend.

Snack: (I have been really hungry today). Small handful of macadamia nuts, two slices roast beef, and a handful of cherry tomatoes.

Ground Beef and Curry Stir Fry

Dinner: I came up with a very yummy stir fry dish. I used some asian vermicelli noodles I got from Costco (aka my favorite store ever) that have an ingredients list of: Peas, Green Beans, Water. We shall see what it does to the hubby's blood sugar (which is how I judge a lot of foods). Luckily, I wrote down all the ingredients and how much of everything I put in. The recipe will be posted very soon. I absolutely LOVE creating a recipe and watching my family enjoy it completely!

30 Day Challenge -- Day 4

Peeps, you should know I am a big, fat failure. Today was really hard.

Cheat #1: Chips. I love chips. The crunch. The salt. Mmmm. BUT, I did get the chips that were made of sweet potatoes and beets because I felt way too guilty buying regular potato chips. Still healthy, right? Ha. Unfortunately, these had a very strong oil taste. I don't remember that being there before.

Cheat #2:  Wine. I completely caved. I was so stressed out over a whole bunch of stuff I crumbled. *hangs head in shame*

Cheat #3: Bleu Cheese dressing. I dipped my chicken in it and it was fantastic! But, dairy is a no-no for the next 30 26 days.

Tomorrow will be better! I am going to make it through this challenge.

Day 4
Two of my kids and I walked 1.8 miles today. It was really hot. I think we need to start leaving earlier in the morning.

Italian Egg Casserole

Breakfast/lunch was delicious. Without meaning to, we skipped breakfast yesterday and had breakfast for lunch. I came up with a recipe that I will post soon. For now I will call it Italian Egg Casserole (and let's face it, that name is probably going to not change).

Dinner was grilled chicken quarters (dipped in bleu cheese) and leftover Cilantro Lime Cole Slaw.

Flax Seed and Nut Granola

Here is my very first recipe for you! I found this "granola" recipe over 5 years ago. I absolutely love the flavors in it. When you go to the store for your ingredients, do your best to get quality ingredients. The hole point of eating healthy is to be healthy and that means to quit putting frankenfoods in your body. (sorry, rant over). 


Flax Seed and Nut Granola
(adapted from www.mrbreakfast.com)

1 cup flax seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped almonds

1 stick of butter -- melted (I tried cutting the butter down in this one, it really needs the butter. It didn't turn out right.)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla powder (sugar and alcohol-free). (This was a little expensive. From what I have read, you can sustitute extract for powder equally.)

1/4 Cup Honey 

In a large pan or wok, over low/medium heat melt the butter and honey together. When the butter is completely melted add the spices. Stir until everything is completely mixed together. Dump the nuts and the coconut into the mixture and coat everything really well. Stir the mixture constantly until it is all golden in color. Dump onto parchment paper immediately to cool. 

30 Day Challenge -- Day 3

Today I decided to take my measurements so I can see how many inches I will lose over the next 30 27 days. I was so excited to see that I have already (not in the last two days) lost 1.5 inches around my waist and 2 inches off my hips!! Now, to be fair, you should know about a month and a half ago I decided the kids and I would be mostly paleo, but completely gluten free. So, those inches came off in the last month and a half, before my 30 day challenge. I can only hope the next month provides even better results.

I was hoping today I would be able to do some more body flops, body hangs, sit ups, and squats. Sadly, I am still way too sore to do any more of these. Tomorrow will have to be good enough. At least I will get them in twice this week. I was still able to do our morning walk and I threw in Day 1 (which I have started five other times in the past)((I once made it to week 5, but screwed it all up--more on that later... maybe)) of Couch 2 5k. Who knows? Maybe I will finally learn to run.

Day 3
Before breakfast the kids and I went for a 1.6 mile walk. I have this really cool app on my phone (thanks to my friend Bonnie), called CardioTracker, that tracks how far we walk/run. (It also tells me how much produce I have burned, which is really weird. Because let's face it, I want to know how many brownie's I have burned.)

Breakfast: At around 10 am we ate a wonderful Caramelized Onion Frittata that was delicious! I really recommend you try it. My two youngest kids and I also shared a green smoothie that contained dandelion, red chard, celery, wheat grass, apple, oranges, and coconut water. It was definitely intense, but we handled it. I am not sure I would make it again, but we are brave!

Lunch: Without meaning to, we completely missed lunch. Breakfast was so filling we never got hungry. But, we did eat breakfast a little late.

3 pm: Made it to the gym for my Couch 2 5k attempt. I will admit I desperately wanted to quit in the middle of it. I then decided to slow my miles per hour down on the running intervals from 5.8 miles/hour to 5.2 miles/hour and keep it slow and simple. I mean, the idea is practicing and learning how to run... right? I was glad I did, because I was able to finish while watching NCIS. (I love this show)

Dinner: Salmon Sliders (substituted tuna) with an awesome Cilantro Lime Cole Slaw (which I used half purple cabbage and half green). These are both super easy to make, but require a LOT of chopping, dicing, and slicing. But, it is completely worth it.

Full disclosure: I have to admit today I had a bit of a cheat. We have a soda shop stand that serves really yummy Diet Mountain Dew with a Mango Puree. After drinking about 1/4 of it, I was feeling extremely guilty (with the help of my hubby who gave me major crap for it)((But, you should know two days ago I gave him major crap for having a cheat)). So I dumped it down the drain. I will be stronger next time!

30 Day Challenge -- Day 2

You know when you work out for the first time in a long time and you go to bed thinking "I'm good. Not too sore." You move your muscles around to "just check" and see and everything feels great? You think "I may not hurt too bad tomorrow." You feel like a pro. See? You weren't that out of shape! Ha! And then at around 3 am you try to turn over in bed and it hurts so bad it wakes you up?

Yep. I am so very sore from my first workout. I mean, seriously, who gets sore from body flops and body hangs?? Oh, yeah... That would be me.


Day 2

Today I woke up starving! Before eating the kids and I went for our walk: 1.7 miles. During our walk we did 4 wind sprints down a pretty long sidewalk and we ran up and down a set of stairs 10 times. It was fun until the 7 year old decided her feet and legs hurt and she was going to whine the rest of the time.

Breakfast

Breakfast: I took some diced onion, cilantro, chopped spinach and sauteed them in a pan with a little coconut oil. After they were cooked, I put some eggs over them and made a really yummy scramble. Topped with a good amount of salsa, this was fantastic!
We also had a slice of watermelon that was leftover from last night's dinner.

Lunch: I wasn't very hungry. I guess breakfast was pretty filling. I had two turkey slices, some apple slices, and a few nuts.

Dinner

Dinner: Corned beef with a bunch of boiled cabbage, pan-grilled zucchini, a lot of raw onion, and yellow mustard. I love, love, love, onions... and mustard. Together they are amazing!

My Challenge Day 1

Last Thursday, I decided I am going to do a 30 Day Challenge with Paleo. This will include food (no cheats)((Have I mentioned I like a glass or two of wine at the end of the day?)) and exercise (fun stuff with my kids). The reason? I really want to fit into my old jeans again (they are only a couple of years old, not from high school) and be able to like what I see in the mirror when I am standing in front of it naked. The only way I am going to accomplish this is if I actually do something different than what hasn't been working.

I can do this! It's only 30 days (or forever).

Day 1

Breakfast: Nothing. I wasn't hungry, so I didn't eat.

Took a 1.5 mile walk with two of my kids. When we got back I did

• 30 Squats
• 30 Crunches
• 5 Body Hangs*
• 6 Body Flops**

*A body hang is the start to a pull up, but when you are as out of shape as I am, it looks like you are just hanging there. In reality, you are trying very hard to pull yourself up. 

**Similar to a Body Hang, except with push ups (and not the knee pushups. We are going for real, manly push ups). You start in a push up position and slowly lower yourself to the ground. When you get to the ground, but are not touching it, you try and lift back up into push up position. (If you are me, you can't lift yourself back up, yet, and you flop to the ground. 

Lunch: By 11:00 am I was hungry! I had a cold chicken breast that was leftover from dinner the night before, dipped it in guacamole, had 8 green olives, and half of an apple. 

5:30 pm: Handful of mixed nuts.

Dinner: I had a grilled chicken quarter (a thigh and a leg), 2 big handfuls of spinach chopped and dressed with an Italian dressing, and a big slice of watermelon.

Dessert: Unfortunately, yesterday I found a recipe for Homemade Coconut Milk Ice Cream that I had to try (don't worry, it wasn't really a cheat). It was very good, but I have to try it again and fix what I did wrong (or what the recipe led me to do wrong). 

With Day 1 done, it is time for sleep and to see how sore I am in the morning. 

Menu Week of May 6 - 12

Last week's menu was a blast! We had such a great time trying a ton of new recipes. Surprisingly, we loved every. single. one. Well, except for the Apple Dijon Burger which we didn't make but will make this coming week. This week I am hoping we have the same success.

Breakfasts
I know, not very creative. I really need to work on easy breakfast stuff!

• Eggs with fruit.
• Eggs scrambled with sausage and topped with a fresh salsa.
• Bacon and fruit.
• Ham and veggies cooked together and topped with an egg. 
• Green smoothies

Dinners
Menu for six nights because Fridays are great for leftovers.

• Carne Asada Flank Steak with Tomatillo Avocado Salsa on top of a nice salad with a bunch of veggies.

• Apple Dijon Burger with roasted sweet potatoes. 

• Ham (because I bought a ham about a week ago and now we HAVE to eat it). 

• Bacon Wrapped Chicken & Fennel with a side salad.

• Easy Slow-Cooker Jambalaya substituting cauliflower "rice" for the actual rice. (We have actually had this a few times and it is really good.)

• Pan Roasted Salmon with Wild Mushrooms with caramelized onions and a mixed green salad.

Ostrich Burgers

Last night we ate ostrich for the very first time... In the form of a burger. I was very surprised how similar to beef it was. Don't get me wrong, it was not just like beef. It was quite good though. Good enough that I would eat it again. Good enough I would try an ostrich roast. Good enough I am thinking I need to raise ostriches. (I really want to have a farm someday, but I am allergic to everything with fur. There has not been one exception. But guess what?! Ostriches have feathers!)

We ate it just like any burger: with lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard, ketchup (the kids anyway).

See?? Completely looks like a burger. 

Weekly Paleo Menu April 29 - May 5.

I realize I started this blog and left it after two posts.

We have had a LOT of ups and downs and now that Brandon, A.K.A. The Hubby, has finally decided to be completely onboard with eating Paleo it is time to buckle down. It has only taken a lifetime for him to start listening to his father, but isn't that just the way of life?

As of now, our entire family is not Paleo. Brandon is completely Paleo (it has made such a difference with his blood glucose levels and a huge reduction in his A1C's!--He is a Type 1 Diabetic--I promise to post more on this soon.) I am about 90% Paleo, but completely gluten free. Our five children are almost gluten free, but that is all. We are a work in progress.

We have five children. Our oldest will be 18 in a week and he eats a TON. Who am I kidding? All of my children eat a TON. I have cooked most everything from scratch for a really long time. We have really had a pretty low grocery bill because of it. Changing our eating to Paleo has definitely increased our spending on food. It is a hard adjustment and it's just the beginning. We don't buy a lot of Organic foods or grain fed meats. They are expensive and they don't fit into our budget at all. I look for clearance meat and sale veggies. Natural Grocers, which is what we have in my area, has a clearance veggie bin where I can pick up a bag of going bad produce for $1.00 a bag. I still add a few fillers to my children's meals, such as Basmati rice, potatoes, corn tortillas, etc. But, I keep it gluten free.


Our Weekly Menu for April 29 - May 5:
I am posting six dinners and breakfasts because the 7th will be a free night and morning. You never know when you have something come up or you are rushed or you just don't feel like cooking.

Lunches tend to be leftovers of dinner, which I will double or triple recipes in order to have. Most dinner items can be thrown on a bed of greens and will make a great lunch. Turkey or ham sandwich meat makes a great "tortilla" for some avocado, onion, and bell pepper.

Breakfasts:

Fried eggs with fruit (whatever sounds good).

Ham steak topped with the BEST caramelized onion jam EVER and a fruit.

Eggs scrambled with sausage and some veggies.

Fisherman's Eggs--This looks easy enough. I will probably cook everything in a pan.

Bacon and fruit.

Paleo Breakfast Burrito



Dinners in no particular order:

Paleo Southwest Meat Loaf (I get to use some of the clearance ground beef I found) with guacamole, a salad (usually some kind of greens with dressing).

Crock Pot Asian Style Carnitas with Asian Cabbage Salad and grilled asparagus.

Apple Dijon Burger on top of some greens, diced and baked sweet potatoes on the side.

Salmon Sliders (but, I will be using tuna for the sake of budget), on top of Cilantro Lime Slaw.

Too Easy Chicken Adobo with Roasted Mixed Greens with Beets and Garlic (yes, I know it's the same site. I figure we will try them both at the same time... even though we don't really like beets. Maybe this will be the way that will finally help us to eat them.)

Pan-Seared Chicken and Curried Parsnips on top of a nice bed of lettuce.

*As with any menu, if we don't end up being able to cook all of the meals this week, I will just add them on to the beginning of next week.