Gluten Free Low Carb Bread...Primaly Delicious!

I have been craving a sandwich.
Since we shun the overly processed-wheat-belly hurting-grain type stuff, I didn't know what to do.
I could have made one of the coconut flour biscuits and flattened it out, but they still are a bit crumbly at times.
I knew there had to be a way.
I turned to Pinterest, my favorite all time web site these days.
I finally found a few recipes that suited what I was looking for.
I fiddled around with them and added the spices I was looking for...and voila!
I had a low carb-gluten free-primal-paleo bread to make a sandwich with.
It was perfect and quite yummy.
The texture was firm enough to hold and not break apart like coconut flour breads tend to do (no GLUE-ten in them to hold it all together).

Isn't that a lovely sandwich?
Fresh turkey with Kerrygold grass fed sharp cheddar cheese...mmmm.
I would have dolled it up with lettuce, tomatoes, and other good things but I had no idea if it would taste very good at all?!
I wanted to still be able to get a good taste of this type of Primal bread.

The ingredients were mixed up, poured into a glass storage dish, and microwaved.

I tipped it out of the dish and cut it across the middle with a long serrated knife.

Here it is getting roasty-toasty on the griddle.

A glass mixing bowl got the heat and steam going to melt that thick tangy cheese to molten goodness.

Here is the recipe;

• 1 tablespoon butter melted
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons of coconut flour
• 2 eggs mixed
• dash of aluminum free baking powder
• dash of salt and pepper
• I added a few extra spices I enjoy

Mix everything up in a bowl
Let it set for a few minutes and mix again (this gives the coconut flour time to absorb the liquids and mix up smoothly)
Scrape into a glass bowl (mine was square making it perfect for sandwich bread making)
Microwave on high for three minutes
Let rest for a minute or two and then loosen from the bowl onto a cutting board
I used a long serrated knife to separate into a top and bottom.
Grill it up with your favorite sandwich fixings!

I made this into an egg, bacon, cheese, and avocado sandwich for my husband this morning.

Our recent graduate was very pleased with this new bread.
I hope you try the recipe and enjoy it too!

Primal Chicken Pizza Casserole Saves The Band

The Stone Bunnies Rocking The House

My husband's band had a gig this weekend.
They are THE premiere benefit band.
If you need to raise money for a worthy cause...just give them a shout...they will be there.
My husband met these great guys when our boys were all in cub scouts together.
Sitting around a campfire one night Matt brought out a guitar and began to play, my husband knew the song and began to sing...thus The Stone Bunnies were born.
Soon they cajoled and shamed their other friend Scott into playing the drums and he dragged Jeff who knew the bass along too.
Seven years later they are still rockin' strong.

Charles on the violin adds a haunting beauty to many of the bands originals and covers.

The crowd was light at the beginning of the show, but appreciated the ROCK in this band's ROLL!

The wives of the band love to come to the benefit shows, Laura won one of the Split-The-Pots!

Sheila won the MUCH coveted huge basket of boozes in the raffles, she is now our favorite friend!

Before we left that night I made sure we had some good Primal eats, so that the husband would have the energy to give a good show.
I made us a Primal Chicken Pizza Casserole.
Comfort food at it's best.

Primal Chicken Pizza Casserole

• 8 ounces of cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• handful of your favorite spices

Toppings;

• 1 cup of cooked chopped chicken and any other pizza meat you enjoy
• 1 cup of pizza sauce
• 1 cup of veggies, mushrooms or whatever you enjoy
• 1 cup of cheese (we used a combo of our favorites)

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees
For the crust, mix the cream cheese with the eggs and spices in a large bowl with a hand mixer
Scrape the sides occasionally and mix until it is a loose liquid mixture
Pour into a greased 9x13 glass pan and bake for 15 minutes
When baked, top with the pizza sauce, chicken, cheeses, and veggies of your choice
Return to the oven and bake for 15 more minutes
When it is hot and bubbly remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving

My son enjoyed this for breakfast the next day!
I hope you try this yummy Primal Chicken Pizza Casserole and enjoy it too.

Primal Artichoke & Chicken Casserole Goes To Graduation

My Graduate

Our son graduated yesterday.
Sigh...what a wonderful and bittersweet day it was.
He has made us so very proud.
It has not been easy to keep great grades while taking some of the hardest classes, but he's done it and graduated with honors.
We really enjoy the man he is turning into, and miss the sweet little boy he was.

How does a little boy like this turn into a man like this...

In the blink of an eye, that is what it seemed like.
I never thought it would go so quickly.
Now we turn our thoughts to the next big adventure...college!
He has decided on THE Ohio State University as his choice and has made it into the Honors Program.
Again we are amazingly proud of him.


It was a hectic week leading up to the big day.
There were exams to finish, graduation practice, and my husband's band had a gig this weekend also.
Time was tight so I decided to stock the fridge with a few things Primal that we could grab on the go.
I made my standards...coconut grilled chicken, veggies and fruit cut up and bagged, primal crackers, and a new casserole.
Artichoke Chicken Casserole, it was as good reheated as it was the day I made it!
Here is the recipe...

• 2 cups of cooked chicken, diced
• 8 ounces of cream cheese
• 1 cup of chopped marinated artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup of grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup of marinated mushrooms
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of Penzeys chip and dip spice (you can use what you like)
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Mix all ingredients together till blended.
Place in a greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes till warm and bubbly.

This could be used like a dip in other circumstances, I would use large carrot or celery slices to eat it with.
We enjoyed it as the main dish with a nice salad and some fresh strawberries.
Primal comfort food at it's best!
I hope you try this Artichoke Chicken Casserole and enjoy it too.

Prom Has Come and Gone...What a Blast!

My son and my mom before prom dinner

My son is a handsome and very kind man.
He knows how much I enjoy decorating and parties, and once again I was able to have prom dinner at our home.
Since this was senior prom I went all out, making an eight foot wall of hand cut flowers for them to stand in front of in pictures, The tables were decorated to the nines, and there was a canopy of hand cut flowers, birds, and butterflies floating above their heads at dinner.
I had a blast!!!
My mom was so great through all of this. She came down to help me several times in the month leading up to the big day, and the day of prom she helped me make all the desserts and with the final set up.

The big wall of flowers was made by using a 8x4 foam insulation board from Lowes (cost $8) and a pack of copy paper (cost $2.50) scissors, and clear tape.
I used straight pins to place the flowers on the board so that in the future I could add color or a different style of flower if I wanted to.

Here are close ups of the different flowers.

I looked at Pinterest for ideas to make different kinds of paper flowers.

If you live in Cincinnati and would like to borrow the wall...feel free to ask! I hate to think of it sitting doing nothing!

I made paper fan flowers to decorate the drink station from old scrapbook paper and tape. (whew...we need a new counter top!)

The flowers, birds and butterflies were strung on fishing line, and look static from this angle, but sitting under them was very pretty.

The dessert table was not Primal at all. It was pretty! Even though it was only jello, pudding, oreos, rice krispy treats, and brownie bites the kids were oohing and ahhing over it.

Oreos covered in white chocolate and sprinkles along with strawberry marshmallows dipped the same way, were simple but pretty to see.

Jello was poured into tall glasses and set slanted in the fridge. I mixed the remaining jello into cool whip and added it when the first layer was set. More cool whip and a strawberry completed the look.

I cut a circle of poster board and then cut out the middle of that to make the base for this paper wreath. It is copy paper and left over scrapbook paper cut into a leaf shape. I folded the bottom of the leaf together and taped it to the circle. A pretty welcome as the guests arrived.

I made large tissue paper flowers for the girls to hold as a fun extra. I was worried that they would think it was silly, but everyone seemed to love it.

All 20 kids had a great time and made it home safe the next morning, and that is what matters most.

Low Carb Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pudding in Chocolate cups

I wanted to make a WOW dessert for our dinner party this last Saturday night, but being Primal we don't eat very much sugar or carbs, which is the basis of all good desserts.
I had been looking through Pinterest for something visually pretty, and fell in love with the idea of making chocolate cups to hold something peanut buttery.
I had grandiose plans to make my own puddings and the chocolate cups, but as my day ran away from me, I sent the husband down to the grocery for sugar free Jello puddings and made some improvements to their boxed treat.

First I blew up six balloons and covered their bottoms with coconut oil.
This did not help them to not stick, I have no idea why, but maybe I will try Crisco the next time I make these.

I heated up simple chocolate almond bark in the microwave until it melted, and then waited for it to get cool to the touch.
It has to be completely cool or your balloon will burst and you will be cleaning bits of chocolate out of the cat's ears...the electric plugs...the light fixtures...you get the drift!
Dip them in the bowl coating the bottoms and up the sides well.
I had to take my spoon and add some chocolate in thinner places.
Let them sit for an hour to be completely set.
Take a needle and holding the neck of the balloon between your fingers prick it, only leave a tiny hole for the air to begin releasing.
If you pop the balloon too quickly the air will rush out and collapse the bowl in on itself.

Here the balloons are slowly leaking air and beginning to pull away.
You can tell that I had some breakage and even some holes in the bottom of the cups.

This was a fail...I just gave that one to me when I served dessert!

They were still pretty to look at, even if not perfect.

Peanut Butter Pudding:

2 packages of cook and stir sugar free vanilla pudding
3 cups of organic heavy cream
3 cups water
1 cup of smooth peanut butter

Mix the pudding, cream, and water in a medium sauce pan.
Stir continuously over a medium heat until thickened.
Add the peanut butter in and stir till it begins to slow boil.
Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl, cover, and store in the fridge till set.

Chocolate Mousse Pudding:

2 packages of instant sugar free chocolate pudding
3 cups of organic heavy cream
3 cups of ice cold water

Mix the pudding, cream, and cold water in a large bowl with a hand mixer until thick and fluffy.
It will look light colored while it sets, but turn a rich dark chocolate color upon setting.
Put in the fridge for several hours to set.

I put two large spoonfuls in each chocolate cup to serve.
The mixture of the peanut butter and chocolate flavors was delightful, and very rich.
My guests really enjoyed this yummy treat and I hope you try your hand at it and enjoy it too!

Primal Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs Go To A Dinner Party

We had an elegant dinner party last night with our friends.
It was classy and the food was well prepared.
Naw! Just fooling.
It looked more like this...

Our one set of friends came late to the party...and had to be punished.
We made them eat on the baby plates and drink out of the sippy cups.

They were good sports about the whole thing.
My husband even gave Carla a paddle...

But she loved it!
I decided to make Primal Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs and serve them in a red sauce.
Usually meatballs are made with breadcrumbs, and being Primal people we shun the bread and grains.
I decided to try using the coconut flour biscuits that we use as bread as the bread crumbs for our Primal Meatballs.
It worked out perfectly.
Here is the recipe for these moist cheesy delights.

Primal Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs:

Primal Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I used basil flavored)
2 pounds grass fed ground sirloin
2 large eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 cup minced into small pieces coconut flour biscuits
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup organic heavy cream
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
20-24 Mozzarella balls

Preheat oven to 35o degrees F. and grease 9×13-inch baking dish with oil.

Place beef, egg, onion, biscuit crumbs, Parmesan, cream, garlic, Worcestershire, mustard, spices, salt, pepper and garlic powder into a large mixing bowl, stirring until just combined.
Take a chunk of the beef mixture and press into center with your thumb to make room for cheese ball.
Place cheese in middle then cover with the beef, making sure the cheese is completely enveloped.   I rolled it around in my palm to be sure no cheese was showing.

Place meatballs into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cooked through.
I let them rest for a half hour, then simmered them in some of my homemade roasted tomato sauce.
It made 24 large meatballs.

These were great, and gone too quickly.
I hope you make these Primal meatballs and enjoy them too!

Getting Enough When Eating So Little

I love this picture.
She represents what I am feeling right now.
Freedom and a new lightness of spirit.
Unencumbered by hunger and thoughts of food I have been focusing on the other big things happening in our lives.
My son is a senior and there is a flurry of crazy paper work, meetings, cap and gown fittings, getting him in honors housing at OSU, and to top it off I get to have Prom dinner at our house.
I am so happy about this...I get to decorate, design, and bake around a theme.
Good Lord do I love a theme!!
My son is very kind to let me do this because I can get obnoxious about the planing and decor.
I have chosen "Romantic Garden" as my dinner theme.
I have a whole Pinterest page devoted to what I want to make food and decoration wise.
My muse began with this one picture...

Isn't that cool?!
So far I have made two of my own for the girls to hold for an artsy type shot during prom pictures.

Jackie looks like a doll baby next to this massive bloom.

Now there are two! Hopefully I can pull off a few more in interesting designs and colors.
Next was this amazing wall of flowers as an inspiration for me...

It is stunning!!
How to pull that off without spending too much money (it is only crazy me throwing this shindig, no other mom's are crazy enough to want to get involved).
I bought a foam board at Lowes for $8, a pack of copy paper for $2.50, a pack of tape for $3, and began cutting and taping away!
This is what I have so far...

It's pretty, I can't wait till it's done.
I have had a ball working on it. Trying out different styles of flowers and designs.
But in the back of my head I still worry that I am doing the right thing eating wise.
I read today on Mark's Daily Apple about nutrient deficiencies and what to do about them.
It got me thinking...if I only eat once a day (truly...sometimes every other day) am I getting all the vitamins I need?
I have been trying to pick foods that are nutrient dense when I do eat, but am I doing enough?
I have to be honest...the weight is not flying off my body even though I eat very little.
I am sure that it has to do with the fact that mentally I can NOT make myself exercise yet.
I walk the dog, and try to stand more than sit, but I have not made that leap to do one of my exercise videos, or hop on my exercise bike, or even do my Total Gym (a cheap Craigslist purchase)
What the heck is my problem?
I am trying not to stress about it and focus on eating the right foods.

the one meal

When I do eat, I always choose spinach, leafy greens are a huge plus for vitamins.
I always have a protein, be it free range poultry or grass fed beef, protein is a must.
I chose the apple because of it's all around goodness for your body.
I also had a few kalamata olives for fun.
The only thing missing was a fat, so later I had my coconut oil mixed with a tablespoon of dark coco powder and a teaspoon of honey.
A yummy treat!

I hope you have a good day and eat Primal for your health.