Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Apple Bacon Turkey Burger with Sauteed Spinach

Apple Bacon Turkey Burger with Sauteed Spinach
 
1lb. lean ground turkey
1lb. uncured, nitrate-free bacon
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 medium apple, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. garlic salt
2 Tb. apple cider vinegar
2 6oz. bags of baby spinach
 
In a medium skillet, fry bacon until crispy.  Meanwhile, chop 1/2 of an onion and divide into two piles on your cutting board.  Half will be used for the spinach and half for the burgers.  Chop 1/2 of the apple.  Munch on the remaining apple while you're cooking! Once the bacon is fully cooked, remove from the skillet and allow to drain and cool on paper towels.  Pour half of the bacon grease and drippings into another large skillet and set aside.  This will be used to cook the spinach.  In the medium skillet, sauté the chopped onion, apple, and 1 tsp. garlic salt until soft.  Drain this mixture with a slotted spoon and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.  While this is cooling, finely chop 4 slices of the bacon.  Add the beaten egg to the apple mixture, ground turkey, and chopped bacon.  Mix together until well incorporated.  Fry the burgers in the medium skillet, adding olive oil if necessary to keep them from sticking.  Cover and cook 6 minutes on each side, or until done. 
 
Meanwhile, in the large skillet, sauté the remaining chopped onion and 1 tsp. garlic powder until soft.  Finely chop another 4 slices of the bacon and add to the skillet.  (Save the remaining bacon slices for breakfast tomorrow!).  Add the apple cider vinegar and spinach leaves and cook 3-4 minutes until wilted.  Serve your delicious burgers over the sautéed spinach and enjoy! 
 

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies   *not Paleo
 
2 cups GF all-purpose flour
1 1/2tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups Earth Balance butter substitute, softened
1 cup organic coconut sugar
2 boxes Jello instant vanilla pudding, serves 4
1 1/2tsp. gluten free vanilla extract
3 cage free organic eggs
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine softened butter, sugar, pudding powder, and vanilla.  Beat with mixer until smooth and creamy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Gradually stir in baking soda and flour.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased baking sheet.  I used a cookie scoop to make my uniform and also lined my baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.  Bake at 375 degrees for 11-12 minutes.  It's best to refrigerate dough between batches. Allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring off of baking sheet. 
 
* Everything I searched online said the Jello instant vanilla pudding was gluten free.  It is not actually labeled on the box, so if following a strict diet (i.e. Celiac disease), please consult your physician. 
 

Monday, November 25, 2013

Chocolate Almond Bark

Chocolate Almond Bark
 
2 10oz. bags of Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chunks
(This is soy, dairy, gluten & nut free.  It's sweetened with cane juice & is certified non-GMO!)
 
1/4 cup all-natural almond butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
a handful of almonds, lightly salted with sea salt
 
In a saucepan or double-broiler, melt chocolate, one bag at a time.  Mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  In a separate saucepan, melt almond butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Meanwhile, place the handful of almonds into a ziplock bag.  Seal and hit with a hammer to crunch 'em up.  This helps relieve stress after a long day at work!  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Pour melted chocolate onto paper, spreading until it's approximately 1/4 inch thick.  Drizzle melted almond butter on top, in a fancy design to impress your friends.  Sprinkle crushed almonds on top and place in refrigerator until cooled.  Break apart into bark and serve to your holiday guests!  Or wrap it up in a tin as a gift! 
 
Roasted Broccoli
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut one head of fresh broccoli from the stem and wash.  Cut into florets and pat dry.  This is key!  Place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  About 3 tablespoons should be fine.  Toss with garlic salt and cracked black pepper to taste.  Spread onto baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Roast for 10-13 minutes until edges are brown and crispy.  This is so delicious and addicting! 
 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Taco Salad

Taco Salad
 
1lb. grass-fed ground beef
1 packet Old El Paso low sodium natural spices taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
1 head lettuce
a handful of grape tomatoes, sliced
a handful of shredded mild cheddar cheese (omit if following strictly Paleo)
all natural roasted tomato salsa (I used Wholly brand)
 
In a large skillet, brown ground beef until cooked.  Drain.  Add taco seasoning packet and water to beef in skillet.  Reduce heat to low and cook until warm.  On a plate, create a bed of lettuce.  Spoon beef mixture into lettuce.  Top with sliced tomatoes, shredded cheese (if you are willing to cheat from strict Paleo), and salsa to taste. 
 
 
 

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Twice Baked Acorn Squash

Twice Baked Acorn Squash
 
Acorn Squash, cut length-wise
4 Tbs. organic coconut sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. Earth Balance butter substitute
 
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Spray the two halves of the acorn squash with olive oil.  Sprinkle with 2 Tbs. coconut sugar and bake for one hour in a casserole dish with 1 inch of water, the same way you would bake a spaghetti squash.  Once removed from the oven and cooled for 10 minutes, scrap and mush the squash to a mashed consistency in a separate bowl.  Mix with butter, cinnamon, and remaining coconut sugar.  Return the mixture to the squash shell and bake for another 10 minutes, until well heated.  Serve with a dollop of butter. 
 

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
 
1 head of cabbage
1lb. all natural pork sausage, sage flavored
1lb. grassfed ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 15oz. can tomato paste
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 15oz. can all natural diced tomatoes
chili powder, salt, and pepper to taste
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash your cabbage head and cut off the bottom.  Boil the whole head in a pot of water for 15 minutes, until the leaves are a pretty green color.  Remove from water and let rest.  In a skillet, saute the diced green pepper and onion in butter substitute or olive oil until tender.  Add the ground beef and sausage, breaking it up with the spatula as it browns.  Once fully cooked, add the tomato paste and coconut milk to the skillet.  Peel each leaf from the cabbage head and stuff with 1-2 spoonful of the meat mixture.  Roll, fold, and tuck each leaf and place in glass casserole dish.  Repeat until the dish is full or you run out of the meat mixture, whichever comes first! Blend the can of diced tomatoes in a food processor until liquid.  Pour this onto the cabbage rolls, sprinkle with chili powder/salt/pepper to taste and bake for 40-45 minutes. 
 

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Baked Cube Steak with Vegan Mushroom Gravy

Baked Cube Steak with Vegan Mushroom Gravy
 
Quantity desired of cube steaks to feed your crew; I used 6
Vegan Mushroom Gravy (see separate recipe)
 
In an electric skillet, brown the thawed cube steak.  Prepare the Vegan Mushroom Gravy according to its separate recipe.  (I prepared mine to be the chunky version.)  Add gravy to electric skillet and cook steaks in gravy on low for 4-6 hours.  This will make the meat so tender and delicious!  Also note, I left the meat drippings in the skillet, while I stirred in the gravy, for added flavor. 
 

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

Vegan Mushroom Gravy
 
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
16oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup organic coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
 
Clean cauliflower and cut into florets.  Boil water in saucepan and cook cauliflower florets until tender.  In the meantime, chop and sauté onion and fresh mushrooms in either Earth Balance butter substitute or olive oil, whichever you prefer.  Once cauliflower has cooked, drain from water and blend in a food processor with coconut milk until creamy.  Add sautéd onion and mushrooms to processor and blend again.  You may have to add more coconut milk, depending on the thickness of your desired gravy.  Salt and pepper to taste! I added a few sautéd onion and mushrooms at the end to make my gravy chunky. 
 

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream

Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
 
Peel 2 ripened bananas.  Wrap in Press & Seal saran wrap and freeze in Ziploc gallon-sized bag.  To your blender (or in my case, my Magic Bullet), add the already frozen bananas, 1 cup of almond milk, 2 tsp. Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1 tsp. all natural, gluten-free vanilla extract.  Blend until creamy and smooth.  Add more almond milk to enjoy as a milkshake or less almond milk to enjoy with a spoon! Note:  this recipe is only 300 calories and approximately 3 grams of fat!
 

Napa Chicken

Napa Chicken
 
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
cherry tomatoes, sliced
sliced mushrooms
1 cup white wine
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. parsley
2 tsp. green onion, chopped
2 Tbs. Earth Balance butter substitute
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake the chicken breasts according to their size.  Start by melting butter in medium skillet.  Saute mushrooms.  Drain marinated artichoke hearts and add to pan.  Slice the cherry tomatoes and add as well.  Saute until tender.  Add white wine and spices.  Cook at a slight boil for 10 minutes until wine begins to reduce.  Butterfly slice the chicken breasts and serve with reduction on top.  
 

Monday, October 21, 2013

Herb-roasted Turkey Breast

 
Herb-roasted Turkey Breast
 
1 boneless all natural turkey breast
3 T. olive oil
1 T. thyme
1/4 tsp. rosemary
1 T. parsley
1/4 tsp. sage
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup white wine
baby carrots
 
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  For this recipe, I used my Le Creuset cast iron pot.  Line the bottom of the pot with baby carrots and white wine.  As luck would have it, I was out of white wine.  So I compromised with 1 bottle of Redd's Apple Ale, which worked just fine! Blend your herbs (either dried or fresh) in a food processor or in my case, my Magic Bullet.  Mix this with the olive oil to make a paste.  Coat the turkey breast, making sure to keep the twine intact around the breast.  This will keep it together while cooking.  Bake at 350 degrees until done.  Read your turkey label to adjust cooking times based on the poundage of the bird.  After baking, cut the twine with scissors, slice, and arrange on platter to impress your dinner guests!
 
 

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Sweet & Spicy Bacon-wrapped Chicken

Sweet & Spicy Bacon-wrapped Chicken
 
The quantity and quality of chicken you desire is up to you.  For my recipe, I used 8 organic, hormone and cage-free boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
1lb. nitrate and preservative-free sliced bacon
10 oz. can all natural diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
6 oz. all natural tomato paste 
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 T. dehydrated onion flakes
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup
honey to taste
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray your 9x11" glass casserole dish with olive oil.  Mix together in a bowl, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, onion flakes, garlic powder, paprika, and pure maple syrup.  Whisk until well blended.  Wrap each chicken thigh (or breast) with 1-2 slices of bacon, folding bacon ends under chicken and place in casserole dish.  Repeat until all of your chicken is tucked into the dish.  Drizzle the desired amount of honey on top of bacon-wrapped chicken.  Pour mixed sauce over the chicken.  I also added 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the dish in order to keep chicken moist while baking.  Bake uncovered for 1 hour, depending on the thickness of your chicken, or until bacon is crispy. 

 
 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Egg cups

Egg cups
 
Spray muffin tin cups with olive oil.  Line each cup with a slice of raw bacon.  You can also place an already cooked sausage patty in the bottom of the cup.  Whisk one cage-free, organic egg in a measuring bowl and pour into the muffin tin.  Each muffin cup will hold exactly one egg.  It's magic!  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes, a few minutes longer if you don't want the center of the egg runny.  These are awesome to prepare ahead of time and reheat for breakfast!
 
 

Seasoned Pork Butt Steaks

Seasoned Pork Butt Steaks
 
Pork butt steaks
Seasoning
 
Heat olive or coconut oil in electric skillet to 250 degrees. Fry pork butt steaks in seasoning. Pretty simple, huh?
 
This recipe will not have exact seasoning measurements, but for my steaks, I used a blend of thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, mustard powder, sage, & garlic powder.
 

Friday, October 11, 2013

Grab and Go Snacks

Grab and Go Snacks
 
I usually get asked what to pack in a lunchbox or what to grab on the go.  Here are a few of our favorites... 
 
Musselman's All-Natural Unsweetened Applesauce
Guess what the ingredients are?  Apples!  We love Musselman's and as alumni, hold it dear to our hearts.  This typically is my daily 'dessert' after lunch. 
 
StarKist Tuna
 
My husband especially loves the pouches.  No draining necessary!  And just enough tuna for a 3:00pm snack to stave off hunger until dinner.  Eat directly from the pouch with a fork.  No bowl required!
 
Sunmaid Raisins
 
Made from grapes and sunshine! Perfect to stash in your purse for hunger emergencies.
 
Larabar
 
With a base of dates, these yummy bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO, vegan, and kosher.  Our favorite flavors are apple pie, lemon bar, peanut butter chocolate chip, peanut butter cookie, cherry, and cashew cookie.  Stock up at Martin's when they're on sale for $1.00 each! They're soooo worth it!
 
 

GF Pumpkin Muffins

Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins
 
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten-free Yellow Cake mix
1 15oz. can Libby's pure pumpkin
3 cage-free organic eggs
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
 
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, and maple syrup.  I used a mixer on low speed to combine until smooth.  You could also use a whisk, I suppose.  Fill muffin tin cups 3/4 full.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a knife in the center comes out clean.  Serve with a glass of almond milk!

Inside-out Egg Omelet

Inside-out Egg Omelet
 
2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
4 slices of smoked ham, nitrate & preservative free, diced
Handful of grape tomatoes
Handful of fresh mushrooms
Chopped green onion
 
Saute diced ham, tomatoes, mushrooms, and green onion in skillet with Earth Balance butter substitute until veggies are tender.  Whisk eggs and egg whites in bowl.  Cook eggs in another skillet.  Serve veggies and ham on top of eggs.  Delicious!
 
 

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Baked Spaghetti Casserole

Baked Spaghetti Casserole
 
1 lb. ground grass-fed beef
1 cup fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup diced onion
1 jar Bertoli Olive Oil & Garlic spaghetti sauce

 
Prepare spaghetti squash and place in glass baking dish. (See Spaghetti Squash 'Pasta' recipe.) Brown ground beef in skillet and drain. In a separate skillet, saute mushrooms and onion until tender using Earth Balance butter substitute. In a large saucepan, warm jar of sauce, adding browned beef along with mushroom and onions. Simmer for 20 minutes. Spoon meat and sauce mixture on top of spaghetti squash and bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes to heat throughout. Remove from oven and enjoy!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Spaghetti Squash 'Pasta'

Spaghetti Squash 'Pasta'
 
Cut the spaghetti squash in half using a really sharp knife. Get the closest man to help you if necessary! Scrape the seeds out with a spoon and discard. Place the halves, cut side up, in a glass baking dish with 2" of water. Bake in the oven at 375-400 degrees for 30-45 minutes, depending on its size. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Using a fork, shred the squash from its rind. It's super easy! Use as a pasta substitute in any recipe. It has a similar consistency to pasta with a slightly sweet taste.
 
 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

GF Crispy Chicken Tenders

GF Crispy Chicken Tenders
 
1-2lb. boneless, skinless chicken tenders or thinly sliced breasts
2 cups almond flour
4 Tbs. parsley
2 Tbs. cumin
2 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. dehydrated onion flakes
1 egg
1/2 cup almond milk
coconut oil
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat skillet on medium with coconut oil.  Beat the egg and mix with almond milk in a shallow bowl.  In a separate dish, mix dry ingredients.  Dip chicken into egg mixture and then coat in dry mixture.  Fry the chicken in skillet over medium heat in coconut oil to brown each side.  Place on cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken. 
 
Gluten-free foodies will love this recipe!
 
 

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Simple Grilled Burgers with Lettuce 'Bun'

Simple Grilled Burgers with Lettuce 'Bun'
 
1lb. grass fed ground beef
McCormick Grill Mates Steakhouse Onion Burger seasoning, to taste
 
Mix ground beef with seasonings and pat into quarter pound burgers.  Grill.  Enjoy in a fresh lettuce bun, topped with garden tomato and avocado slices.  I served mine with a baked sweet potato, topped with cinnamon, and garden green beans with diced onions.  Delicious and easy enough for a weeknight!
 
 
 

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Salmon Patties

Salmon Patties
 
1 can Salmon
1 medium sized zucchini
1 organic egg
1 cup + 1/4 cup almond flour
1 Tbs. Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbs. dehydrated onion flakes
1 Tbs. parsley
Olive oil
 
Heat olive oil in skillet.  Hand grate or use food processor to shred zucchini.  Blot with paper towels to dry zucchini shreds.  Combine zucchini, egg, 1/4 cup almond flour, and seasonings in bowl.  Drain salmon, remove bones, and mix with your hands to combine all ingredients.  Pat out salmon patties and roll in almond flour.  If the mixture is too wet, the patties will fall apart.  Cover skillet and fry patties in olive oil until browned.  Serve with fresh steamed veggies! 
 
 

Monday, September 30, 2013

Stuffed Green Peppers

Stuffed Green Peppers
 
1 lb. grass-fed beef hamburger
3-4 large fresh green peppers
64 oz. 100% tomato or vegetable juice
1 cup prepared cauliflower rice
15 oz. can all natural diced tomatoes, not drained
8 oz. can all natural tomato sauce
2 tsp. dehydrated onion flakes (or chopped fresh onion, to taste)
1 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper as desired
 
Brown hamburger in large skillet.  Once hamburger is cooked, add prepared cauliflower rice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, and chili powder.  Simmer to combine.  Pour tomato juice into crock pot.  Cut tops off of green pepper, take out seeds, and thoroughly wash.  Fill each pepper with hamburger mixture and place in crockpot.  Season top of peppers with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours until peppers are tender.  Enjoy!
 

Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower Rice
 
Wash and cut desired amount of cauliflower florets.  Hand grate or pulse in food processor until rice-like appearance.  Heat coconut oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Saute cauliflower to cook out moisture.  Cauliflower will take on a rice-like consistency.  Season with liquid aminos for stir fry or use plain in any dish in place of rice.  Seasoned with rosemary and butter, this could also be used as a stand alone side dish!

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Spicy Almonds

Spicy Almonds
 
1/4 cup Earth Balance butter
4 Tbsp. Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Domino liquid organic Blue Agave nectar
20oz. whole almonds
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in liquid aminos, cumin, salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and agave nectar.  Add the almonds and stir until evenly coated.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the almonds to a shallow baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through baking.  Let the almonds cool thoroughly before storing in an airtight container.  They should keep for up to 3 weeks.
 

Favorite condiments

Here are my favorite condiments.
 
Nature's Promise Organic Ketchup
I tried to make my own ketchup and it couldn't pass my husband's taste test. So this is the next best thing. Our grocery store (Martin's) carries a lot of Nature's Promise products and they're friendly on my bank account as well. Retails for around $2.00
 
Gunter's Pure Golden Honey
This is a favorite because it's produced and packaged locally, in Berryville, VA. I use it mostly for sweetening our ice tea. I also use it in place of sugar when baking. Retails for around $6.00
 
Nature's Promise Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Again, from Martin's. We use this on salads and I've also seasoned chicken breast with it prior to baking. Retails for around $2.50
 
Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Also found locally at our Martin's, this is used like a soy sauce when cooking. It is delicious in my Chicken Sausage Stir fry with Cauliflower Rice recipe. Retails for around $5.00, but a little goes a long way.

Earth Balance Vegan Butter
This is a fantastic dairy-free butter substitute. It's also non-GMO, 0g trans fat, non-hydrogenated, and an excellent source of omega-3s. This is available in both tub and sticks for baking. Retails for around $3.50

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Crockpot Whole Chicken

Crock pot Whole Chicken
 
1 whole chicken, innards removed
1 onion, sliced
1/2 bag organic baby carrots
2-3 celery sticks
1/2 lemon, quartered
1/2 cup water
Paprika to taste
 
Spray crock pot with olive oil. Add onion, carrots, and celery to bottom of crock. Pour water over veggies.  Stuff chicken with lemon and place in crock on top of veggies. Sprinkle chicken with paprika to taste. Cook on low for 8 hours. Warning-- I cooked this overnight and woke at 2:00am to its lovely smell, not able to return to sleep!
 

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Gluten Free Apple Crisp
 
Ingredients
 
5-6 apples, peeled and sliced
1 tsp. cinnamon
 
Topping
 
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free yellow cake mix
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 stick Earth Balance vegan butter, softened
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the apples and cinnamon and spread in an ungreased 9 x 11 inch glass dish. In a bowl, combine the cake mix and nuts. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Mix in the cinnamon and eggs. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples and bake for 45 minutes.

Honey Graham Pie Crust

Honey Graham Pie Crust
 
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup plus 2 T. coconut flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup softened coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
 
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Come the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl.  Pour the wet mixture over the dry and mix them together.  Spray your pie dish with olive oil.  Place the dough into the pie dish, pressing the dough to cover the dish evenly to make the crust.  It will not come up to the sides like a traditional crust.  Mine covered the bottom of my 9-inch dish.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Let cool before filling with any pie filling. 
 
This is a versatile pie crust. I've only used it in my Pumpkin Pie Perfection recipe so far.
 
 
This recipe came from "Quick and Easy Coconut Flour Recipes".

Welcome to Paleo!

Paleo this.  Paleo that.  Tired of hearing about this so-called awesome Paleo diet and want to learn more?  Great!  Well, as a newbie myself, I hope to pass along what I know so far and all that I learn as I go Paleo.  I began this journey in February 2013, learning of Paleo from a co-worker.  I had been food challenged to say the least.  Edamame, avocados, and dates had never crossed my palate.  I found the challenge of new recipes addicting.  Pinterest definitely helps!  Being the sole provider of food in my household, my poor husband was forced to be along for the ride.   Lucky for me, he's not picky and will try anything once.  So we started.  And never turned back.  I started gradually, by replacing one meal per day with Paleo.  We quickly realized how much better we felt and didn't have the desire to 'cheat' anymore.  And the rest is history.  Basically, Paleo is a diet high in meats, vegetables, and fruits.  The premise is to rid your body of grains, preservatives, and highly processed foods.  Therefore, if my husband and I do 'cheat', we are strictly gluten-free.  I'm excited to help you feel better and improve your health through diet.  Make the commitment.  I'm here for you!