Here is an easy, delicious, healthy, and protein packed breakfast perfect for spring. This recipe makes a lot of pancakes, but that’s ok. Freeze the extra and you’ll have an even easier breakfast for sometime in the future.

Easy Carrot Cake Pancakes

3 cups Kodiak Protein Pancake Mix
3 eggs
3 cups milk
1 carrot finely shredded on a microplane grater
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch of salt

Coconut oil

Add-Ins
Chopped walnuts
Raisins
Shredded coconut

Topping
Whipped cream cheese

Add the first block of ingredients to your blender and blend until evenly combined. Don’t put the add-ins in yet.

Use coconut oil on a hot griddle and pour desired pancake size batter. Before you see bubbles start to form on the pancake batter sprinkle in the add-ins. Cook for several more minutes and flip pancake.

Once your pancakes are cooked top with whipped cream cheese.

Yum!

Homemade Parmesean Herb Butter

I’m totally cheating and reposting a recipe I came across on IG because:

1. I don’t want to forget the recipe

2. It’s so insanely good you’re gonna want to make it too. 

Excuse the poor picture. I had hoped to take another pic later, but then I kinda got knocked off my feet and out of the kitchen. Boo!

 

The Best & Easiest Kale Salad

 

This salad is a favorite of my family and it’s been a hit to everyone I’ve served it to. Thankfully, even my boys eat this up with no complaints!

I can’t take total credit as I first had this at a friends house a few years ago and have been copying her every since.

Best & Easiest Kale Salad Recipe

Large Bunch of Kale or Bagged Kale

Large Ripe Avocado or Prepared Guacamole (Two Snack Size Containers)

Juice of One Lemon

Salt

Pepper

Optional- Garlic Salt 

In a very large ziplock bag (I use a 2 gallon bag) mash up the avocado and then add in the kale, juice of 1/2 a lemon, salt, and pepper.  Seal the bag and really mash all the ingredients together.  Kale can take a beating, so don’t worry about bruising it. If you don’t have a large enough ziplock bag you can certainly use a salad bowl and your hands.  After the ingredients are fully incorporated taste and add more lemon juice and seasoning as desired.

Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Gremolata

This little accompaniment has become one of my favorite (and often craved) garnishs. It is especially good on soup, as it brightens and adds a zip of freshness, that has even my non soup fans slurping up their bowls and asking for more. 

Traditionally, this Italian condiment is made of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley- a great combination.  I like to use lemon zest, parmesan, parsley, and coarse ground sea salt. Although, the combinations are endless and are quite able to be seasonally adjusted. 

Think of the possibilities:

Lime, Cilantro, and Garlic. 

Grapefruit, Mint, and Finely Minced Shallot.

Lemon, Basil, Toasted Pinenuts, and Dash of Olive Oil. 

Not to be reserved to soup alone, these combinations would be fantastic on chicken, fish, and even other meat dishes. 

To assemble the Gremolata finely chop a handful of Italian leaf parsley (I don’t recommend the curly leaf), and then use a zester to finely grate one lemon and some parmesan right on top of the parsley.  I add in some coarse ground sea salt and give one final quick chop. Make sure to use it right away!  It will keep in the refrigerator for about a day. 

Enjoy!

 

Christmas Time

 

Recipe for Peppermint Shortbread Cookies from Life By Baby

 

Wet Ingredients:

2 Cups Unsalted Butter

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/4 Cup Cream

1 Teaspoon Peppermint (Extract)

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

 

Dry Ingredients:

4 Cups All-purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Peppermint (Extract)

 

Additional Ingredients:

Crushed Peppermint

Coarse Sugar

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix Wet and Dry ingredients separately; combine. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick on heavily floured surface. Use round cookie cutter (or top of glass or jar) to cut shapes and place on cookie sheet (6-8 at a time). Bake 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove. Makes 24 cookies. Top with Peppermint Frosting (recipe below) and sprinkle with mixture of crushed peppermint and coarse sugar.

 

Peppermint Frosting

 

4 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Cup Unsalted Butter

2 Tablespoons Milk or Cream 

1 Teaspoon Peppermint (Extract)

 

Directions:

Mix ingredients (Tip: Add additional sugar to thicken or milk or cream to thin. Thickness should allow you to easily roll frosting into a 1 inch ball which can then be pressed across top of cookie while still warm from heat of hands.

 

Fall Celebration

This past weekend we celebrated our annual Fall Celebration.

This “holiday” is the only consistent one that we host and with just immediate family we had four tables set for 30 people.  The first annual Fall Celebration had 4 people in attendance. My how we’ve grown!

I would love to host friends but feasibly it’s getting challenging!

This year we added a bit of a French influence serving the most comforting dish- Beef Bourguignon

Thankfully, our family is very helpful and everyone brought fall dishes to complete the meal.  Here is our menu, which actually doesn’t do justice to a few of the dishes, because the salads were both perfectly fall inspired, and the caramel apple poke cake brought by The Closet Hippo was festivly delicious. 

 I enjoy setting the scene with a great fall inspired table.  As much as the food is important, I feel like a well set table sets the mood for a special evening.

This year we had two tables set for 15 a piece. It’s a challenge to create a centerpiece for such gigantic tables. We literally raided our backyard, refrigerator, and cupboards to create a very low cost option. Leftover stumps from a tree we cut down, cut decorative grasses, mason jars, apples, hazelnuts, fallen leaves, and pumpkins from the pumpkin patch came together to make a very sweet and rustic table setting. I always cover the mismatched tables with brown packaging paper to create one long seamless looking table. 

Even in our big family we tend to sit by the same people each time we get together, so this year I used Target dollar section party favor bags filled with candy corns as place markers, mixing up our usual and maybe “comfortable” typical groupings.  Kids and adults were also seated at the same tables, no kids table this year, which I think helped keep things from getting too chaotic, which is easy when there are 10+ kids. 

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the food was delicious.  Mark that check next to the 16th annual Fall Celebration.

Amazing Homemade Bread (Oh... it's also Gluten Free, Nut Free, Sugar Free, Dairy Free, And It's REALLY Good!)

 

I stumbled across an IG feed last week and found this recipe.  I immediately got the ingredients, and it was so easy to make, and it turned out PERFECT. It tastes like actual bread. If you’ve ever tried to make a Gluten Free or Paleo bread before you know how it often turns out.  Meh! It just isn’t the real deal.  This is like Italian bread and it’s quick… like 30 minutes and you’re done.  Dip it in olive oil with a little salt and minced rosemary…Mmmmmm!! 

INGREDIENTS

DRY:

1.5 Cups Arrowroot Powder (Bob’s Red Mill makes it)

1 Cup of Ground Golden Flax

(If you can buy WHOLE SEEDS and grind it in your Vitamix or coffee grinder until fine. Store remainder in your refrigerator)

4 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt (Pink Salt is best)

WET:

4 Eggs

4 Egg Whites

4 Tbsp Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar 

INSTRUCTIONS 

Combine dry ingredients.

Whisk eggs and then add rest of wet ingredients to the eggs.

Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or use a silicon bread pan.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

 

Summer Salad Ideas

We interrupt the Italian adventure with some salad ideas that I want to keep coming back to. 

So, instead of putting them on Pinterest, I'm putting them here for my own use (as well as yours). Happy Summer!

Crispy Jamaican Jerk Salmon Salad From The Roasted Root

Rainbow Chicken Salad From Pinch of Yum

Antipasti Chopped Salad From The Reluctant Entertainer

Cucumber Avocado Feta Salad From Two Peas And Their Pod

Avocado Pine Nut Salad From The Reluctant Entertainer

Summer Slaw With Grilled Corn

This vegetable slaw (from the New Seasons deli case) features jicama, kale, carrots, red pepper, green onions and grilled sweet corn in a creamy dressing. It sounds so good I hope to recreate it. 

or similar

Colorful Jicama Noodle Salad With Creamy Tahini-Ginger Dressing From Blissful Basil

Cashew Milk

So my dairy free Fall went a little off coarse when we went to Paris, because honestly I wanted to savor every single thing I could. I should write a whole post about how my view of food and life in general has been forever (I hope) altered, but that’s another day. Surprisingly, I didn’t have any cheese in France (what in the world?!!) but I did enjoy a cappuccino or two.  Then we came home to Christmas…yeah not good. So where does that leave me today? I’ve found that my digestion is “disrupted” (don’t ask) when I regularly consume dairy.  I can have some milk (like a small flat white or cappuccino) a couple times a week and I’m ok, but eating cheese everyday or consuming large lattes isn’t going to work. 

I haven’t made any homemade almond milk in quite awhile, because I’ve just gotten used to drinking my coffee black and my afternoon Nespresso with just a tiny bit of foam.  However, I recently came across a super simple alternative- Cashew Milk.  I can’t believe I’ve never tried it before, it’s AWESOME!!  It’s so much easier to make then almond milk and you can make it without any sweeteners. I also love how you can play with the consistency.  If you prefer it more like 2% just add more water, if you want it creamier like whole milk just add slightly less water. You also don’t have to strain it-one of the biggest hassles of homemade almond milk. 

Cashew Milk

1 Cup of Cashews, Soaked In Water For An Hour or Two. Cashew Pieces Are Often Cheaper Then Whole Cashews And They Would Work Great In This Recipe!

3.5-4 Cups of Water (Depending On The Final Consistency You Want)  

1 Teaspoon Of Vanilla Extract

Pinch Of Good Salt

Drain the cashews and rinse them well.  Place the cashews in a high powered blender with 1/2 the water and blend on high until they are totally pulverized.  Then add the vanilla and additional water. Blend on high again until it’s completely smooth.  No need to use a nut bag unless your blender can’t break it down completely. 

The milk will last in your refrigerator for 4-5 days.  

 

Daniel Fast Approved Recipe

Call it a New Years goal.. although I’m not sure it totally qualifies, but I’ve been trying to simplify menu planning and grocery shopping.  For the month of January we tried eating from a basic meal rotation and surprisingly we didn’t get bored and it actually saved us money!  The month of February, our church is doing a Daniel fast and I think I’ve found at least one meal I know we could eat every week.  It also checks the box of easy. 

 

Quinoa- It’s a seed not a grain so I think it’s “approved”.  I prefer to cook it in my rice cooker on the same setting as white rice.

Roasted Butternut Squash. Toss it with a little olive oil, salt & pepper, and roast it at 425 F for approximately 25-30 minutes.  

Shredded Purple Cabbage

Kale

Sliced Green Onions

Sliced Olives

Cafe Yumm Sauce. (It’s available at Whole Foods and Natural Grocers, and New Seasons)

 

I assembled individual bowls and drizzled the Cafe Yumm sauce over the top of the veggies.  It was really delicious.  My kids don’t love the squash, but other than that there were no complaints :)

 

Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon is an iconic French dish that is as much a mouthful to say as it is good to eat.  Julia Child’s describes the dish as "certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man”.  I loved it so much I ate it twice in one week while we were in Paris!  It’s now one of my favorite dishes to make for dinner guests. It’s impressive, comforting, and not all that difficult to make. Served alongside a simple green salad and it makes for a perfect meal. 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces bacon, diced- sometimes I skip this step and just use bacon fat instead. Tip: next time you cook bacon save the fat and use it when you need bacon flavor in a dish. Or use it in place of another oil.  It’s delicious with roasted brussel sprouts!
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac- I have NEVER bought or used Cognac. I have used another similar type liquor for deglazing the pan if we have it. I think you could skip this step?
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:
I prefer to put it on on tagliatelle or a similar egg pasta.  Ina Garten recommends it served on toasted bread, which sounds equally delicious! 
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten. 

My "Go To" Cookie| Gaia Cookies From Bread & Wine

Whenever I get an urged to bake cookies or I’m called to take a dessert to someone these are the cookies and the recipe I go to. Time after time.  These cookies are like a chocolate chip and oatmeal cookie got married and had a perfect little baby.  Another great thing about them is they are totally customizable to ingredients you have in your pantry. Sometimes that means I do raisins, instead of dried cranberries or cherries, or I sub sliced almonds instead of pecans or walnuts.  You could omit the dried fruit all together if you wanted to, that’s the beauty of this recipe. They are a hit with everyone and perfect with a cup of coffee.



Ingredients:
1/2 Pound Butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups Flour 
1 1/2 Cups Oats 
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda 
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts Or Pecans
1 Cup Chocolate Chips or White Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Chopped Dates, Raisins, Dried Cherries, or Cranberries Or Any Combo


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together butter and brown sugar. 
Add eggs and vanilla, and mix well.
Add flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and mix well. 
Add coconut, walnuts, chocolate chips, and dried fruit. Mix until combined. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, 8 per sheet. Refrigerate for a few minutes so the dough doesn't spread out too quickly while baking. 
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.  

As always, I highly recommend Bread & Wine. It’s one of my all time favorite books. 

Living Dairy Free & The Bread That Saved My Life

Last Spring I tweaked my workout and typical 80/20 whole food diet by increasing protein and doing some different strength workouts. I started adding whey protein to my morning smoothies and it DID NOT sit well with me.  Over the course of a few weeks I started having digestion problems, bloating, and weight gain. ARGH!! This is the exact opposite of what I was hoping to achieve! I quickly stopped the whey protein, but it did little to resolve the bloating, digestive issues, or weight gain.  About that time I did the Spring Challenge through Barre 3.  It was an intense month of diet and exercise and it did help resolve a few issues, but over that month and into the Summer I just couldn’t get back to where I was.  Through that experience I got hooked up with a very experienced and very popular nutritionist at Replenish PDX.  

Fast forward to this fall and I have finally just had my first appointment!   This whole time - spring, summer, and early fall I haven’t been able to lose the weight I gained.  It’s been super frustrating. I also truthfully have been in a bit of denial. As a homeschool shut in, my afternoon Nespresso latte is seriously something I really really REALLY look forward to.  I have been white knuckle clinging to dairy for over a year now.  PLEASE DON’T TAKE MY DAIRY!  I didn’t want to think or believe that I had any allergy issues.  

I’m tough.

I’m not sensitive to things.

I’m fine.  

Yeah… well, I think you can figure out how this is gonna go.  

 

One of the first things we decided to do what eliminate dairy from my diet for at least 3 weeks.  No milk, no half & half, no cheese, NO BUTTER, no ice cream- you get it.  

Well…. what happened?  Has it been worth it?  Are there any good alternatives?

 

I have had IMMEDIATE results, such that it has been completely worth it.  This former dairy addict has seen the light.  

The stomach bloat went away.

My digestive issues are gone.

I have lost weight.

My skin has been breakout free.

 I’m still very much in the honeymoon phase.  I won’t wrap up my 3 week trial until next week so the final results aren’t in yet.  I didn’t realize that it actually takes up to 2-3 weeks for dairy to completely leave your system.  I have tried to be perfect, but you never know for sure if you are getting butter in your food at a restaurant or even sneaky dairy protein in packaged foods.

If you are thinking about going dairy free be ready for it.  Don’t start it with a half assed attempt. You probably won’t see results. I’ve done this in varying degrees many times before.  Find alternatives that you can live with- full fat sugar free coconut milk, homemade almond milk, etc.  These things work for me.

I’ve also mixed up some of the supplements I’m taking along with drinking less coffee and much more water.  I do believe the success is a combination of all.of.these.things.

And, this bread recipe has helped.  It really has nothing to do with dairy, but DANG it’s nice to have a crunchy piece of bread.  I’ve not gone officially gluten free but I do try really hard to avoid packaged foods and I try not to eat bread on a regular basis either.  I LOVE it. Believe me in a dream world I would live on bread & cheese and be teeny tiny skinny. 

My nutrionist gave me this recipe and it’s totally satisfying when you just need that piece of toast or crunchy bread along side a meal.

Basic Chickpea Socca

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp coconut oil, ghee, or olive oil

1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1⁄2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. While the oven is preheating put a cast iron pan in the oven.  Meanwhile, whisk together the chickpea flour water and salt. Once the oven has reached 425 and the cast iron is hot put the 2 Tbsp of oil in the pan. Once the pan and oil are heated, remove the pan from the oven and pour the batter into the pan. Bake the socca for 25 to 30 minutes. Socca is best enjoyed right from the oven but you can reheat it in the toaster or toaster oven. This also makes a great pizza crust!

You can also add a bit more water for a thinner batter and cook it in a skillet like a crepe or pancake. 

 

If you’ve never seen chickpea flour before don’t worry it’s out there and it’s relatively inexpensive compared to say almond flour! Bob’s Red Mill is a common brand and it’s available at Whole Foods, New Seasons, and Natural Grocers.

 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I had the luxury of a washing machine at Wallowa Lake this year.  I can not explain how exciting it was to not bring home bags and bags of dirty clothes.  The house we rented had a supply of TIDE capsules and although I brought my own homemade laundry detergent I couldn’t resist the TIDE fresh scent.  I admit that I miss the intoxicating chemically indomitable “fresh laundry scent”.  Anyway, I digress. At first, I was really impressed with the TIDE.  It completely removed berry juice from a load of my grandpa’s clothes.  I continued using it during vacation because well… I was beginning to wonder why I was making my own.  It wasn’t until I got home and was putting laundry away that I noticed a BIG difference.  The above photo has not been edited. The shirt on the left was washed with TIDE maybe two times.  The shirt on the right was left home and has never been washed with anything but our homemade laundry detergent and the  H20 At Home laundry ball.  Not only is the shirt on the left completely faded it’s also still stained.  In person they don’t even look like the same shirt anymore! These aren’t new shirts either.  The boys have had them for well over a year and they have been washed many times before. So, I guess I’m sold on my own laundry detergent. It’s cheaper. It clearly is less damaging on clothes. It has fewer harmful chemicals.

I’m about out of the batch I made in January- it’s lasted almost 9 months, pretty incredible for a family of six.  

Homemade “Naturalish” Laundry Detergent 

One Box Borax

One Box Washing Soda

Two Cups Baking Soda (Buy it in bulk @ Winco)

Three Bars Fels Naptha- Grated

One Box of Biz

Two Containers of All Natural Oxygen Powder (or Oxyclean)

Optional- Essential Oil

Optional- H20 Laundry Ball

Directions

I highly recommend mixing all the ingredients OUTSIDE or wearing a mask.

Break up the Fels Naptha bars into large chunks and use a food processor with the “S” blade to grind up them up. It helps to add some Borax too as it keeps it going around and not getting stuck in one large clump.

Combine the grated soap and all the other ingredients in a large tub. Be careful not to breath it in as the powder does fly around.  I highly recommend doing this outside in a well ventilated area.

After everything has been mixed together you can add 20-30 drops of essential oil if you want a pretty fragrance.

Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load.  If you have the H20 ball you can use 1/2 TBSP.

It works in HE and non HE machines.

Things I'm Making Over & Over

 

I’ve added some new recipes into my weekly rotation. Mondays in our house are for making Kombucha, hard boiled eggs, almond milk, and French vanilla coffee creamer (Paleo), to last the week- hopefully.

Monday’s are all about siezing the opportunity while I still have energy, by Thursday I barely want to make anyone anything.

I don’t know why I was so scared of making almond milk. It’s so simple and cost effective, plus it’s very clean and customizable compared to store bought brands that are filled with unnecessary sugar and junk.  I’m gonna try making homemade coconut milk too.  I hope it’s as easy as almond milk!

ALMOND MILK: I use this recipe from Oh She Glows. 

AGAINST ALL GRAIN FRENCH VANILLA COFFEE CREAMER

After making the almond milk you have to try Against All Grain’s French Vanilla Coffee Creamer (Paleo).  I’ve been experimenting with Stevia instead of using honey and maple sugar.  It’s still quite yummy and it’s “sugar free”. This site also has a great almond milk recipe. 

 

 

DETOXINISTA FLOURLESS ZUCCHINI PIE 

Another recipe I’m making a lot lately is the Detoxinista’s Flourless Zucchini Pie.  It’s great for any meal but it’s particularly yummy at breakfast with a couple slices of bacon.  Seriously, it’s a great way to get in your vegetables at the start of the day. Yum!

 

Oatmeal

 

 

We’ve come a long ways since the days of pre packaged instant oatmeal. Not too long ago my little babies gobbled up almost 3 packages a piece at breakfast!  There are certainly healthier breakfast options, even the organic “healthy" brand was totally filled with crap. I have a friend who buys her organic <PLAIN> oats in bulk from Winco.  

She was like, “Why aren’t you making your own?” “It’s super cheap and easy”. 

I was like, “Uh… I don’t know?"

So, that was a year ago and over the past year I’ve come up with some pretty darn tasty and nutritious hot oatmeal breakfasts (these aren’t Paleo/Whole 30) and it literally takes less time to make one pot than it did to tear open 3 packages per child.    The oats take only a few minutes on the stove and then I toss in whatever ingredients we are feeling like that day. Almost all the ingredients are found in bulk at Winco so you can get everything in one stop! 

The picture quality isn’t hot but you get the idea. 

 

Dried Cherries, Slivered Almonds, And A Few Chocolate Chips

 

Apple (I usually use unsweetened applesauce), Cinnamon, Raisin, And Pecan

 

White Chocolate, Coconut, Cranberries, and Pecan

7 Days & 7 Nights of Fruits & Vegetables (No Meat, Dairy, Grain, or Sugar)

Happy New Year!  We are the cliche of New Years Resolutions around here.  But, really is that a bad thing?!

After 6 months of construction, the holidays, and generally just falling off the bandwagon it’s time to realign the ship.

To start things off with a bang we did a 7 days fruit & vegetable anti-inflammation diet.  Let me tell you, it was worth it. I will admit I even cheated once or twice and it was still worth it.  Your belly will be flatter.  Your pants will fit better.  It’s only 7 days! And, let me tell you adding in protein actually feels indulgent! Ha.

I think there is a misconception that Paleo people only eat meat or at least that we eat a lot of meat.  Actually, we eat way more fruits & vegetables than we do meat.  I have come to find some of the most wonderful tasty recipes from raw and vegan blogs.  You probably wouldn’t guess it, but the Paleo way of life has a lot in common with these two- at least in my life. Anyway, here are some of the very hearty and delicious meals I made during our 7 days of veggies & fruits.  The recipes here are the sole work of the blog owners and credit is given! Not my pretty pictures or recipes, but I am happy to link to them and use them again in the future.

 

  Source 

Veggie Chow Mein from the Detoxinista

Source

“Cheesy” Broccoli & Quinoa Casserole from the Detoxinista

I used the leftovers and made this into patties that I cooked in the oven.  Red Cabbage makes an excellent “taco shell”. The quinoa patties along with sliced avocado and cilantro made a super yummy taco leftovers lunch.

 

Source

Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad With Tahini Dressing by Dishing Up The Dirt

 

Source

Raw Bolognese Over Zucchini Noodles by Pure Mamas

 

Magical White Bean Soup by Shauna Niequist (No Prosciutto)

 

One of my favorite lunches is seaweed, sliced avocado, and kimchi- yum!

 

Make Chipotle bowls- beans, lettuce, avacado, red peppers, cilantro, salsa, etc.

 

Need a sweet treat?  Try  Chocolate Bites or Barre3 Bars

Homemade Laundry Detergent (Revisited)- 3 to 6 Months Supply

A year ago, in hopes of becoming more “green” and all natural, I started making my own laundry detergent- the liquid version.  It’s still a great recipe.  I stand by it, but I kinda got tired or making it all.the.time.  4 kids = a lot of laundry.  So, I went back to the drawing board and after a few tweaks I’ve got a powdered version I really like. The best part it lasts anywhere from 3 to 6 months in our house.  In your house it could last way longer!

 

Homemade “Naturalish” Laundry Detergent (3 to 6 Months Supply)

One Box Borax

One Box Washing Soda

Two Cups Baking Soda (Buy it in bulk @ Winco)

Three Bars Fels Naptha- Grated

One Box of Biz

Two Containers of All Natural Oxygen Powder (or Oxyclean)

Optional- Essential Oil

Optional- H20 Laundry Ball

 

Directions

I highly recommend mixing all the ingredients OUTSIDE!  

Break up the Fels Naptha bars into large chunks and use a food processor with the “S” blade to grind up them up. It helps to add some Borax too as it keeps it going around and not getting stuck in one large clump.

Combine the grated soap and all the other ingredients in a large tub. Be careful not to breath it in as the powder does fly around.  I highly recommend doing this outside in a well ventilated area.

After everything has been mixed together you can add 20-30 drops of essential oil if you want a pretty fragrance.

This jar only held about 1/2 of the detergent!

Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load.  It works in HE and non HE machines.

In the last few months I have also being using the H20 laundry ball.  It further reduces the amount of detergent needed- they say by 75%!  If you want more information on the ball check it out here.  With the H20 ball I only need 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon per load.  It can be used with any laundry detergent, you don’t have to make your own. I just had an H20 party and if you’re interested  in ordering, shoot me an email!