Returning to GF/Paleo: Days 2 and 3

Welcome back!  If you missed the first 2 posts of the series, you can see them here and here.

Day 1 was rough.  I felt like I was hungry all day long.  I need to start eating more raw veggies to fill up, but if they don't sound good, I can't eat them, or I get nauseous and won't be able to eat anything for quite a while, which is not okay with me.

I want to take a minute to talk about meat.  I'll be honest and say I don't concern myself with the fat content of most meat I purchase.  We eat a lot of uncured bacon, and we've been eating quite a bit of the 1/4 + 1/8 of the organic, grass-fed beef that's in our freezer.  Chicken is something we used to eat a ton of, but only have once or twice a week at this point.  Firstly, because of the cost.  And secondly, because it's so much more convenient to cook the beef we already have.

That being said, if I spot a deal, I SNAP IT UP!  Thankfully, we have a flex budget every paycheck that allows us to go beyond our usual cash grocery budget if need be.  I went shopping yesterday to round out a few things we needed for the coming week and scored a huge deal on free-range, organic chicken.  It was nearing its expiration date, but since we keep it in the freezer until the day we use it, I'm not worried about it going bad.  I grabbed 5 packs of chicken breasts, 6 packs of thighs, and a whole chicken, each pack marked down around 30%.  I also found some uncured breakfast sausage links, which are a rare treat for us, and a package of uncured spicy Italian sausage that will be perfect for the next time I make zuppa, also with a 30ish% mark down.  If you really want to be on top of great meat deals, ask the department what day/time they mark the discounts, that way you can be there for first pick.

All that out of the way, here's what I ate on Day 2.  I'm still including how often I'm drinking water, to give you a good idea of just how much you can get in during the day.  I keep my handy-dandy Dirty Girl water bottle with a straw-like spout with me at all times, so it's easy to just sip on it all day long.

Water

Scrambled eggs with broccoli and bacon
Coffee with coconut creamer
Water
Banana
Water
Greek yogurt with chocolate chips and pecans
Water
Chicken with sliced cucumbers (I kept one of those packs of chicken thighs out of the freezer to bake for a late lunch.  It was perfect!  The cucumbers, however, just tasted like chemicals, despite being organic, washed, and peeled.  Very disappointing.)
Water

Carrot

Water
Gf pizza (I used Bob's Red Mill GF Pizza Mix.  For sauce I just used some organic crushed tomatoes and seasoned it myself with red pepper flakes, garlic, and oregano.  Topped the kids' with cheese, uncured pepperoni and black olives while Captain and I had cheese, uncured pepperoni, spinach, mushrooms, pickled jalapenos, and black olives.)
Water

After dinner we scooted off to a ping-pong social with Captain's work friends.  We had Pirate Booty and some GF cookies for a snack.  With water, of course.

Here we are at the end of Day 3.  It was an odd day, since I spent half of it out of the house, but with a little preparation I was able to still make good choices!

As usual, I started the morning off with water and then my coffee with creamer.  I packed myself an apple, a bag of mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, and macadamia), a to-go cup of chocolate almond milk, and a banana, then my local bestie picked me up and we headed to the Dirty Dash!

I had the apple and nuts before the race, for carbs and fat, but stopped drinking water about 40 minutes before the run.  There was no chance of me trail-stopping for a pee break.

Apparently, that's my "Look strong" face.  Yeah.

My dad's response to this picture was that we needed to go play outside.  What a funny guy.

Immediately after we finished I grabbed some water and a banana.  I rinsed off a teeny-tiny bit, then we headed over to grab a smoked turkey leg (They gave me 2!  What, did they think I needed the extra calories or something?) and I drank my almond milk before playing get-changed-without-anyone-seeing-my-goodies in the woods.  I think we were successful. 

On the way home I had water, my banana and a GF Cliff bar that they were handing out at the Dash.  Here's what I've had since cleaning off 3 layers of mud:

Water

Yogurt with chocolate chips and walnuts

Water and a 3 hour nap.

A carrot (and the first ripe pea from my garden!)

Water

Dinner: Grilled flank steak, mashed sweet potatoes (with butter and a touch of coconut sugar), roasted beets, and green salad with some dressing. With, you guessed it, water to drink.

Now I'm sitting/laying (it's really hard to type while laying on your left side, btw) in bed, trying to discourage contractions!  Whee!!  I do plan on sneaking down for a cookie, or maybe a piece of super dark chocolate once the kids go to bed.

Tomorrow is Sunday, which is Captain's day to sleep in, so I'll be making one of our favorite grain-free pancake recipes tomorrow and hitting the Farmer's Market for some local produce!

First Dinner, Preparations, and First Full Day- Returning to GF/Paleo

If you missed the preface post to this one, you can read it here: Double Whammy.

So, you're all caught up on WHY I'm returning to a gluten-free/Paleo/Primal lifestyle.

Here's how we're getting started.

Thankfully, I've kept quality meats at the top of my grocery priority list, even at my laziest.  We have grass-fed, organic beef, free-range chicken, and a bit of wild caught fish in the freezer along with a few cuts of pork and loads of uncured breakfast meat like bacon and chicken sausage.

I had plans to roast a chicken to go with the fettuccine alfredo I was craving like mad, so I had a thawed chicken in the fridge when I learned that my switch to gluten-free had to be immediate.  Scrounging around the cupboards, I found rice, organic crushed tomatoes, and canned coconut milk.  CREAMY CURRY TIME (recipe will be at the end of the post)!

We already use olive oil, butter, lard, or coconut oil to cook everything, so that's not going to be a hard switch.  I made our grocery list after dinner, keeping in mind what we have discovered works for our family and what doesn't, and hit the road.

I happily took my time perusing the shelves for what I wanted.  As I was leaving, this happened...

May have just yelled 'Slug Bug Yellow' in the grocery store parking lot for my kids. I went shopping by myself. #AlwaysMom #ISwearImNotCrazy
— Jessica Cobb (@DomesticPirate) June 20, 2013

Going from what I brought home and what we already have, this is the plan for the next few days (all of it is gluten free and as much as possible is organic).

• (Alongside my coffee with coconut hazelnut creamer) Breakfasts will consist of:

Gluten free steel cut oats once or twice a week
Eggs with veggies (either broccoli or kale) and bacon/sausage most mornings
Hard boiled eggs on lazy mornings (read: mornings I don't have to cook Captain's post-workout breakfast)
On weekends I'll make Paleo pancakes or waffles

• Lunches:

Leftovers from dinner
Tomato soup
Tuna/chicken salad with kraut and cucumbers
Hard boiled eggs with salad or black olives

• Snacks:

Fruit
Nuts
Kettle Brand potato chips (Kettle Brand, NOT Lay's Kettle; non-GMO is important!)
Homebrewed kombucha

• Dinners:

Spaghetti with meaty marinara and salad (from my garden!)
Beef with roasted red potatoes and beets
Roast chicken with lentil soup

• Treats:

Greek yogurt with pecans and Enjoy Life chocolate chips
Almond shortbread cookies
Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk

It's important to note that during the first few days of a dietary change, your body will rebel.  HARD.  I feel like I am starving today, so I'm allowing myself to eat as much as my body thinks it needs, even if it's trying to trick me.  I'm also drinking copious amounts of water to help flush as much gunk out of my system as possible.

Today, I had:

• Water with my cranberry and spirulina supplements.
• Coffee with coconut creamer and 2 hard boiled eggs.
• Water.
• Water.
• Cookie.
• Water.

Lunch: leftover roasted chicken breast, half an avocado, and a handful of black olives.

• Water.
• Kettle chips.
• About 8 oz. kombucha
• Water. 
• Water.
• Greek yogurt with pecans and chocolate chips.
• Water.
• The leavings of the kids' mango.
• Water, water, water.
• GF spaghetti with meaty marinara and salad greens from our garden with a touch of dressing.
• Water.
• Chocolate almond milk.
• And more water.

Yes, I had lots of treats today and not many veggies.  No, I'm not worried about it.  Like I said above, my body is rebelling against the changes I'm making and I'm doing what I can to cope with alternatives.  I'm hoping all this water will not only flush out some of those SAD toxins, but help me deal with the allergies that are making me want to claw my eyes out right now, too.

  Now, on to the SUPER easy curry recipe!!

Sautee diced onion in coconut oil in a large pan.  Add diced zucchini.  Season generously with curry seasoning, paprika, garlic, and salt.  Add cans of coconut milk/cream and 12 oz. crushed tomatoes.  Simmer until it begins to thicken, then add half of the roasted chicken (I do exactly half, mixing white and dark meat), torn into bite sized pieces.  Let it simmer a few more minutes, taste to decide if it needs more curry or tomato, then serve on top of steamed rice or riced cauliflower!  If you can, steam your rice in half water and half chicken broth for a flavor AND nutrient bonus.  The best thing about this recipe is you can add whatever veggies you want to customize it to your family's tastes.  I LOVE sweet potatoes and cauliflower in my curry, but the Pirate Crew does NOT.  We also like this recipe without the tomatoes, and we add large chunks of bell peppers to the onions.  It is great the night of, but I love it even more reheated a day or two later!
 
Don't forget to clean the other half of the chicken and keep the meat for leftovers or tomorrow's dinner and SAVE THAT CARCASS, drippings, and giblets to make some chicken broth!

Dump all of those chicken remains (skin and everything!) into a crockpot, dice up an onion (carrots and celery tops are great, too) to toss in, cover with water, and let simmer on low for at least 12 hours.  This stuff is gut health GOLD!

If you try the curry, please let me know what you think! 

Double Whammy; The news that shook me out of my SAD diet stupor.

Being pregnant is hard.  Being food conscious is hard, too.  Being pregnant AND food conscious?  SUCKS.

My body has been craving simple carbs like mad.  Know what's full of simple carbs?  Crap.  Conventional, boxed, overly processed CRAP.  In a battle between hormones, sciatic pain, pelvic pain, and food cravings, the cravings are the easiest to take care of.

So instead of being our usual 80/20 selves (80% Primal, 20% not Primal but mostly clean with an occasional cheat thrown in), we've been more along the lines of 50/50 (50% crap, 50% whatever healthy thing I can manage to scrounge together).

The kids and Captain are LOVING it.  We've had crackers and cookies, bread for sandwiches, noodles and rolls with dinner, and take-out and fast food MUCH more than I am willing to admit.

I've been struggling.  Feeling guilty about allowing my family to eat this junk, feeding my family this junk, and every night I resolve to do better the next day.  Then, the next day rolls around and it's the same story.

Until yesterday.

**History break.  During each of my pregnancies my blood platelet count has dropped low.  Low enough that I hemorrhage after delivery and need intervention in the form of a clotting injection.   Anything less than 100 can cause extra delivery complications.

Yesterday my platelet count came back much lower than it has previously been at this stage in my other pregnancies; at 29 weeks my count is at 105.  Group F Strep was also found in my urine samples, meaning I have a urinary tract infection; not from e Coli, as most are, but from strep, pointing to an imbalance in my gut flora.

Low platelets AND a UTI.  Fun.

My doula picked the brains of a few colleagues and informed me that there are some inconclusive studies out there linking gluten to low platelet counts during pregnancy.  There are also a few connections between chlorella consumption and increased platelet count.  

So begins an experiment.  I'm officially going back to a strictly gluten-free diet, and at the same time falling back into a mostly Paleo lifestyle, with the exception of rice, red potatoes, and quinoa for simple carbs and Greek yogurt for extra protein and probiotics.  I'm also taking an spirulina supplement for chlorella and cranberry extract, to see if it helps my UTI in conjunction with focusing on gut healing foods.

In the spirit of camaraderie, I thought I'd share what we're eating the first few days of our re-adjustment, in case there are others out there needing some easy ideas, or a sympathetic ear.

If you live a gluten-free, Paleo/Primal, or clean eating lifestyle, what revelation(s) made you start?  Have you had any stops and restarts?

Check back tomorrow for the next post, which will include a curry recipe, meal plan ideas, and preparations for the first few days.

20 toothless toddler Paleo/Primal friendly snacks

Cabin Boy #2 is 19 months old and has 6 teeth.  SIX. 

What do you feed a child that wants what everyone else is having but can't chew it all?!  Especially when what we're having for snacks is stuff like raw veggies, dehydrated fruits and meats, and nuts and seeds?

Now I know that gums are hard enough for kids to be able to mash up most foods, but CB2's front teeth are sharp enough to get big chunks off of things like carrot sticks, and, let's face it, some things are just too tough to eat without molars.

Through the interwebs (read: Pinterest) and our family's experience I've come up with a handy-dandy list; all of these are Cabin Kid approved.

Raisins/Dried fruit- Give them a mini-box of raisins and you've given them a snack AND a task.  Win-win.

Avocados- My boys go nutso over this mushy, green, healthy fat and nutrient packed food (Why do we give our kids fat, you ask?  Check out some of the reasons here and here)

Soft fruits- Melons, grapes, berries, etc.  If you get canned fruit (the Cabin Kids love mandarin oranges) check to make sure it's canned in fruit juice, not syrup.

Tomatoes- Slices or wedges, if your kids can handle nightshades, are great for little fingers.  Halved cherry or grape tomatoes are great, too.

Apple/Pear slices- Without the skin; CB2 just spits it out and leaves it in random corners anyway. Pair them with:

Nut butters*- Almond butter is a favorite in our house, but I know lots of people love Sunflower seed butter, too; or

Cheese- We're just venturing away from processed string cheese and into the world of raw dairy.  I've found an amazing medium cheddar that is soft and Oh-so tasty from a local farm at our health food store.

Olives- Unfortunately, my kids only like black olives thus far.  But, it's another plant based fat that my kids go gaga over.  Plus, see if they can get an olive on each finger and, TA-DA, another task!

Bananas- The Cabin Kids would eat bananas all day long if I let them.  Whole, sliced with almond butter, dehydrated, doesn't matter.  Say banana and they go ape-shit (see what I did there? *snort*). I know bananas should be with the 'Soft fruit,' but my kids love them so much, in so many ways, that I thought they deserved their own spot.

Fruit leathers- Pour some unsweetened applesauce on a dehydrator tray, let it run for 12 hours or so and, VOILA, you have fruit leather.  CB1 can chew it, while CB2 enjoys sucking on it.  As his saliva works its magic, the fruit is slightly rehydrated and easier for him to eat.  There are a few good brands out there without added sugars and preservatives but I really encourage you to try your own.  We have lots of frozen plum puree that we've added in several times, and berries would make an awesome addition, too.

Larabars- Again, I encourage you to make your own.  It's super easy (if you have a food processor) and way cheaper than $1 per bar if you have a place you can get almonds, raisins, and dates in bulk.  Just use a 1:1:1 ratio on your nuts, dried fruit, and dates, pulse until all crushed/combined, then press into a lined pan and chill, cut, and wrap.  The ground nuts are small enough for toothless kiddos to manage easily, and the dried fruits hold it all together.

Fruit and yogurt- Frozen raspberries in a little bowl of yogurt that they can stir on their own is ridiculously exciting.  I mean, RIDICULOUSLY.  They love watching the yogurt slowly turn pink from the thawing raspberry juice and always exclaim when they get a chunk of cold fruit.  If your kids can handle dairy, this is a great snack for a quiet afternoon at home (where you can have a washcloth handy).

Applesauce- Another one you should have a napkin handy for. 

Pickles- Crunchy on the outside, but soft enough inside for those gums to get the job done.  We prefer baby dills, since they're little hand friendly and don't pose as big of a choking hazard.

Uncured deli meats- Roll them up with some cheese, mashed avocado, or a Paleo/Primal friendly tapenade.

Hard boiled eggs- Because, duh.  We love eggs.  Slice them if you think your little one's hands may not be able to handle a slippery sphere.

Pepperoni sticks- We have a great uncured brand available locally.  I have to snip the tough ends off for the boys and bite CB2s to break the casing a bit for him, but they love them.  As do Captain and I.

Baked goodies-  A quick Google search will reveal loads of recipes for quick and easy Paleo/Primal baked treats.  Paleo Parents has a great Anytime Cookie recipe in their book, Eat Like a Dinosaur (which I recommend for any full or partial Paleo family), that you can customize with your kids' favorite dried fruits and nuts.  Just make sure you watch the natural sugars in some of the recipes you may come across.  Even though they're healthier than conventional baked goods, a treat is still a treat and should be given in moderation.

Smoothies- Full fat coconut milk, some nut butter, a piece of fruit, and a handful of spinach.  Who doesn't love a green smoothie?!  Customizable with endless possibilities.

Frozen fruit pops- Blend up your favorite fruit combination and freeze it in a popsicle mold.  Perfect for a lazy, hot afternoon, or a special picnic on the kitchen floor treat.  Plus, no dyes, additives, or surprise ingredients!  Add some coconut milk for an extra punch of good fats, or some spinach for a sneaky bit of veggies!


Do your kids have a favorite snack?


*We avoid peanut butter/peanuts mostly because the Cabin Boys are mildly allergic to it.  Some great info on why you should consider avoiding peanuts and peanut butter can be found here and here.

Back Into Freezer Cooking: Paleo Style: Part 2- Shopping Costs and Cooking with Eggplant Lasagna Tutorial

I'm hoping to make this an infinitely numbered series as I progress in my Paleo freezer cooking adventures.

I took Cabin Girl shopping with me to give the Captain a break.  Hah.  Like being left with 3 and 1 1/2 year old boys is a break.  I have shopping rules for her; Use 1 finger to touch, no touching food, pointing out everything you like or wish you could have is like nagging me, no asking for things, etc.  She did good for the most part, though towards the end we were both ready to be home.  A 6 year old can only follow so many rules, you know?

We ended up buying more than what we needed solely for freezer cooking, but the extra stuff was on our list (gotta have milk, ya know?).  To figure out how much I spent on freezer meal stuff, I highlighted and totaled the ingredients on the receipts:

Yep, we shop at Grocery Outlet and WinCo.  Their canned and packaged foods are by far the cheapest in our area.  We get our produce, meat, and dairy from a local grocer though. 

Total, we spent $69.10 on a projected 15 meals for our family of 5, not including the cost of the organic, grassfed beef (which was a Christmas gift from my parents) in our freezer.  That's less than $1 per person, per meal.  Likely $1.50 per person once meat costs are factored in.  Are you sold on freezer cooking yet?

After getting everything home and unloaded I mapped out my plan of attack:

Tons planned for the first day, then I'll be making more stuff to slowly add to the freezer throughout the next week.

Our flurry of a cooking day went like this...

Throw ground beef, beef broth (homemade), chopped celery, onions, and peppers, 2 cans of Rotel diced tomatoes with chilis, 1 can of tomato paste, and loads of seasonings into a crockpot on low.

Put a whole, frozen chicken in an oven safe dish.  Slather in oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and whatever else 'billows yer sail'.  Cover with foil and stick in an oven preheated to 375 degrees.

Brown 2-3 pounds of seasoned ground meat (I used half beef and half turkey, because it had been in my freezer for a while) with a diced onion in a giant soup pot.  Add 2 giant cans of tomato sauce and 3 cans of stewed tomatoes with oregano and basil and bring to a simmer.  Add spices and some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.  Let it simmer a bit.

Gently cook some thinly sliced eggplant in butter:

Pancake griddles are good for lots of things!

Layer it in a freezer friendly baking dish with some of the simmering marinara, fresh baby spinach, and generous amounts of grated cheese:

A Romano snow is the only kind I like.

  Repeat until you run out of eggplant.  Pretend to be savvy and make a horrible attempt at a pretty drizzle of marinara:

Don't be jelly of my mad culinary skills.

Let it cool before putting the lid on and freezing it!  Let it thaw in the fridge the night before you want to eat it then bake it (I'm gonna say 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour should suffice).

STIR THE CHILI!!!  ADD MORE SPICES!!!

Make 2 pans of Crazy Cabbage, sans cheese.  Don't forget to cover them with foil... like I did.  They're a bit brown and dry, but still smelled amazing coming out of the oven.  Let them cool, put a lid on them, put them in the freezer.  Again, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, cook a bit in the oven then top with cheese.  I'll be adding some homemade bone broth to it to moisten it up since, you know, I'm awesome.

Make Egg Muffins and Coconut Flour Pancakes (which, ironically, my pancake griddle stopped working for). 

Check chicken.  If it appears to be done take off the foil to let the skin crisp for about 15-30 minutes.  Once it's done, out of the oven, and relatively cool, divvy it up into ziplocks.  DON'T THROW AWAY THE CARCASS!  Either put it in a ziplock to freeze for another day, or wait for your crockpot to be available to make bone broth.

Leave the chili until it's been in the crockpot for a good 6 hours, then divvy into freezer and microwave safe glass dishes.

Take a picture of your achievement!

I also sliced up a bunch of browned bananas I got on the cheap and put them in the dehydrator with some applesauce to make banana chips and fruit leather.  Between that and my crockpot full of bone broth, this morning was pretty eventful, too!

Back into Freezer Cooking: Paleo Style: Part 1- Find What Works and Plan It!

I'm hoping to make this an infinitely numbered series as I progress in my Paleo freezer cooking adventures.

This year we're focusing on becoming a more financially aware and responsible family.  Part of that, for me, means getting back into freezer cooking to stretch our monthly food budget.  It also means lots and lots of receipts and being on top of tracking where our money is going.  None of the worksheets I found online really impressed me, so I made my own:

Totally awesome and professional, right?

Anyway, it's a work in progress.  Hopefully along with the freezer cooking series I can update our financial plan progress as well.

Now, to the meat of this post.  I started with Pinterest (duh).  Freezer cooking is old hat to me, but, since we've been eliminating grains, sugars, and starches as much as possible, we got away from it for a long time and I needed a refresher.  I found Mark's Daily Apple, Robb Wolf, and Life as a Plate to be the most helpful.  Poke around, they have great stuff!

Keeping what we have stocked in our freezer and what I know my family will eat in mind, I added recipes I'd like to try to a list as I followed various links through the interwebs, including the main ingredients for each dish:

Are you in awe yet?

From that list, I chose a few meals that had similar ingredients (i.e. crazy cabbage, beanless chili, and meaty marinara all share ground meat, canned tomatoes, and bell peppers while roast chicken, bone broth, stew, and pot roast need carrots, celery, onions, and various other root veggies).

From there it's checking your spice supply, seeing where the best deals on meat and produce are for the week, and making your shopping list!
 
Check back to see what I bought, spent, and cooked in Part 2!