Primal / Paleo Plain and Simple

It has been a busy August here at our house.
Our gorgeous daughter started her senior year this month, and now we being the year of lasts...last first day of high school, last homecoming, last prom and so on.

Our son moved back up to OSU for his second year of college this month, we miss him terribly already.
It was my birthday this month and our 25th wedding Anniversary.
With all the packing and shopping for these big life events I have not had the time or inclination to work that hard at cooking something interesting most nights.
I have still tried to feed us Primal/ Paleo, but in it's purest of forms.
Here are a few pictures to show what we eat most days.



Roast chicken with spinach, carrots, blueberries, cherries, kalamata olives, roasted garlic, and a wedge of brie

Baked chicken breast, sweet potato baked fries, mixed fruit, and left over spaghetti squash casserole

Salami and cream cheese rolls, spinach, mac nuts, and mixed fruit salad

Salmon, strawberries, pineapple, fresh green beans, and avocado in a bit of ranch

 

Spinach, cherries, strawberries, pistachios, and avocado with ranch

Roast chicken with guacamole topping, blueberries, cherries, apple slices, cheese wedge, and mashed cauliflower

Some nights it is as simple as this!

When I stayed with my son at his college house for a day or two to help him move in we still ate Primal and healthy!

College Primal eating...chicken, blueberries, celery, apple, and a bit of Tuscan herb cheese

I hope you enjoyed looking into our simple meal styles and that they inspire you to make good choices today.






Sunflower Days And Primal / Paleo Chicken Meatball Bites

Summer, oh gorgeous summer!
I guess that Ohio summers are not too bad...temperate days and cool enough nights lately to have a bonfire...still wish I lived in Hawaii though ;)
I have come out of my winter doldrums and started to live better.
Winter wore me down.
I sat on the couch wrapped in large fluffy blankets and read...or watched Netflix...or read some more...and ate.
I ate anything I wanted.
Cookies were my sin.
I gained weight, was rewarded with some pimples for good measure, and saw my forward progress with my weight disappear.
As spring came I got my crap back together and began eating clean and Primal again.
The one thing I can't do is make myself exercise.
I am hoping getting back to the blog world will help me achieve this, Lord knows I have pinned a thousand exercises. I own hundreds of workout DVDs, and have a treadmill, a Total Gym, and Kettle Bells.
What the heck is it going to take to make my large behind get up and do it?
Sigh...
Maybe this.
Other people who have the same struggle.
So if your out there...let me know what works for you.
What motivates you out of your chair...off the couch...or gets your nose out of that great book you just started.
I did take the dog for a walk the other day, but only to take these stunning pictures at the sunflower field that is not far from our home.

My sweet little dog Jack
 

He was such a good sport about the whole thing.
Sat like a champ, and the bacon I brought along really helped.

Just love this one of him

   Another photographer let me borrow the little stool he is sitting on, too darling for words.

Chicken Meatball Bites

Every week when I go to Costco we always end up getting a rotisserie chicken to pick over for a snack or quick meal.
This time we had a very busy few days and I forgot about the bird in the fridge.
I didn't want it to go to waste so I picked it clean and put the meat to good use.
I made Chicken Meatball Bites.

• Roughly 2 cups of chicken
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
• at your pleasure; onion powder, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper
• 1 teaspoon of flavored olive oil

I put the chicken by itself in the Cuisinart and pulsed a few times
Added the egg and coconut flour and pulsed a few more times
Let it sit for a minute for the coconut flour to get going and then add all the rest and pulse again
I rolled these into balls and placed on a cookie sheet
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 17-20 minutes until golden

I had these with my standard spinach leave salad, blueberries, avocado, and  macadamia nuts.
An awesome clean eating meal if I do say so myself.
My son enjoyed his with BBQ sauce for dipping and my husband used a buffalo sauce.
I hope you try this recipe and love it too.

Primal Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms and Gearing Up For A Gig, Plus A Before And After Weight Loss Picture

My husband's band is once again gearing up for their annual Halloween Gig.
Our good friend Eric Brown created another amazing shirt design, Psycho Bunnies for The Stone Bunnies 2012 Halloween Show.
He has been a great friend to the band and myself (he designed my Primal Martini gear also!), if you need an amazing graphic designer let me know and I can put you in contact with him.
With the show getting closer I have been on the treadmill longer, and hitting my workout DVD collection more often because I have a costume idea in mind.
I would like to have a smooth and smaller shape in my dress and not so many lumps and bumps.
I put together a side by side picture of myself to show how far I have come in my weight loss.

Weight Loss Before and After Picture

You can really tell that I have less neck and chin now.
I have to admit I am happy with the dark hair, I am less washed out.
The first picture is from March 3rd 2012 and the second is from September 20 2012.
I am looking forward to taking a picture on December 26th of this year to show the difference that one year of being Primal makes on me.
I am also hoping for at least 100 pounds lost.
I am commited to making it happen.

Last night to appease my husband (who is tired of a piece of protein and a salad) I made his favorite Chicken Marsala with mushrooms.

It was creamy, dreamy, and delicious!

I started by lightly sauteing the mushrooms in grass fed butter. I then removed them to a plate and added the chicken into the pan.

I then added a whole load of spices to both sides of the chicken in the pan (I threw more in just for kicks and giggles...we are spicy people!).

I then removed the chicken to a plate with the mushrooms and added in the chicken broth (I was out of my homemade stock and had to use the dreaded processed stuff!) Marsala wine, and heavy cream. I whisked it for a few minutes over a medium/high heat to burn off some of the alcohol, and then added the chicken and mushrooms back into the pan.

I let this simmer over a medium/low heat with a lid for ten minutes to meld the flavors together.
It was delicious!

I enjoyed my Chicken Marsala with the usual spinach and apple side dish.

PRIMAL CHICKEN MARSALA:

• 4 skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen so I baked them at 350 for 20 minutes to soften them up for the pan)
• 1 container of sliced white button mushrooms
• 1/2 stick of grass fed butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic power (or fresh) basil, oregano, or any spices that you enjoy
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Add butter to a large saute pan over medium/high heat
2. Add in the mushrooms and cook until just beginning to get soft, remove to a side plate
3. Add in the chicken breasts and spices, cook for 5 minutes on each side in the butter
4. Once cooked remove the chicken to the plate with the mushrooms
5. Add the broth and wine to the pan and whisk over a higher heat for a few minutes to burn off most of the alcohol
6. Reduce the heat down to medium and add in the cream, whisking it for a minute to incorporate
7. Add the chicken and mushrooms back to the pan, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid
8. Let cook for 10 minutes on low, stirring occasionally to let the flavors meld
9. Serve hot!

I hope you try this warm and creamy dish soon.
Enjoy!

Primal Chicken Bacon Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

I know fall is pretty in Ohio and all...but I am missing Hawaii again.
I think I would not mind being island bound for a few years...I mean turning leaves and fresh snow fall is something great to many people, but I'm just done!
Give me ocean breezes, constant temperatures, palm trees...heck! Just give me the ocean!!
Oh well, the reality is I live in Ohio and it's cold this morning...as it was last night.
I decided to make more than just a piece of protein for my husband for dinner.
I have been seriously uninterested in food lately and it has harshed his world.
My husband would love to cook and create marvelous and varied meals together.
Bleh.
I don't want to think too much about food, it has lost it's appeal and hold on me and I am not anxious to go back to that place.
But for him I made a comfort meal extraordinaire last night...Chicken Bacon Spaghetti Alfredo.
It was as creamy and satisfying as if it was made with pasta, but didn't have that heavy and bloating after effect that true carbs give you.

You start buy cutting your spaghetti squash in half...

I have to use an electric knife...so much quicker.

Once the squash is open, scrape out the seeds and discard (or clean and roast if you like)

I salt and pepper mine and then roast it in a 350 oven face down on a foil lined cookie sheet for 50-60 minutes.

While the squash is baking I gather all the ingredients for the Alfredo sauce and get it started.

Finally smooth and creamy, ready for all the other good things to be tossed in.

The squash is done, but as always the cooking has released the water in the gourd and now the strands are mushy. I can fix that!

After all the strands are scooped out down to the skin, I put mine in a fine mesh colander.

I place a bowl on top of the squash, wrap my hand in a towel (because that stuff is a boiling hot mess!) and press out as much of the liquid as I can.

My husband cut and chopped up all of the chicken breasts and bacon for me while I was squishing the squash within an inch of it's life.

Looking warm and yummy with almost everything added in, it's just missing the bacon now.

Here is my plate (with my two handfuls of spinach I have everyday!) all that is missing is my apple.

Primal Spaghetti Squash Alfredo with Roast Chicken and Bacon:

1 Spaghetti Squash
3 Large chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
8 Pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
1 Stick of butter (grassfed if possible)
1 cup of heavy whipping cream or half and half
1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup of shredded cheese (I used Kerrygold Dubliner grassfed cheese, for it's flavor)
3 Cloves of minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley or fresh (I was out!)

Slice the squash in half and scrape out the seeds and middle parts.
Salt and pepper the squash, placing it face down on a foil lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.
Scrape out all the strands into a fine mesh colander and with a bowl push out as much water as you can get out of it.

Sauce:

In a sauce pan melt the butter over a medium heat
Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until it has melted together
Slowly pour in the heavy cream and whisk quickly for a few minutes
Add in the cheese a little at a time, and then add the spices, whisking continuously.
As it begins to thicken add in the squash, chicken, and bacon.

Serve warm with your favorite salad or veggies.

I hope you enjoy this casserole as much as we did.

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.

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.