coconut butter snack bites

since i've been primarily focusing on the house and it's been so long since i've posted a recipe, i figured it was high time i remedy that situation. 

i've been feeling the pressure to up the anti in the snack department since Big A snuck behind my back and convinced some poor kid to give him his Lunchables for almost a WHOLE WEEK at school (don't get me started...) i figured i needed to make something he could get excited about when he opened his lunch box. 

now, don't get me wrong, these lunch snacks are good and everything. but they aren't as exciting as anything that would have Red #40 in it, or comes in brightly colored packages with animals dressed like rappers on them, but i'm doing my best. and i'm super happy that big A is not hard to please. he loves these. but i am still on a mission to make paleo lunches fun! i think i need to whip up a batch of my favorite chicken nuggets and do another round of homemade gummies! 

{COCONUT BUTTER SNACK BITES}

1 c coconut butter

3/4 c chopped pecans

3/4 c chopped raisins

1 tsp vanilla

dash of cinnamon

pulse all ingredients in the food processor. scoop spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet. allow to chill until firm, no more than 30 minutes. store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 

so, paleo mamas, what do you do to make your kid's school lunch fun! i need some ideas.

xo, tara

Thanksgiving Inspired Chicken Salad

pumpkin spice latte has been out for several weeks. 

plaid throws and faux apple basket fillers line isles of target. 

Costco is now carrying Chamba Chai (at least the one in San Diego is). 

Christmas decorations are already popping up. wait, what? 

this means its fall. and even though the first day of fall isn't technically for 6 more days (September 22nd) and i'm still wearing cut off jean shorts because it's still in the high 90's here in Fresno... i am so excited!!!! 

i'm so ready for summer to be over and the air to get that sweet crisp to it. i can't wait to see the trees on my street turn all shades of orange and yellow. and most of all, i can't wait for Thanksgiving. it's my favorite holiday. i love everything about it. everything. 

i had some leftover roasted chicken that i wanted to make for lunch and i stumbled upon this yummy looking recipe, but didn't have some of the ingredients, so i thought i would experiment and ended up coming up with a Thanksgiving inspired chicken salad. it would be great with leftover turkey after the big day too! 

here it is:

{Thanksgiving Inspired Chicken Salad}

2 c chopped roasted chicken

1/4 c sugar free dried cranberries

1/4 c chopped green onions

1/4 c chopped pecans

1/4 c mayo or coconut cream (this creamy part at top of canned coconut milk)

salt & pepper to taste

mix it all up and enjoy! 

my Whole30 experience

hello everyone! i am so pumped up right now! my husband and i just finished our first Whole30, yesterday! i wanted to share our experience (mostly mine, since i don't want to speak too much for him). if you don't know what Whole30 is, i urge you to go to their website and devour it! it will change your life! we loved it so much we are going to move forward keeping most of the principles.

before starting Whole30 we ate a paleo diet for about 2 years. i'd say we stuck to an 80/20 clean eating system... 80% paleo 20% cheats. i will say that when we cheated, we cheated good (think fettuccine alfredo, doughnuts, rustic scones, sandwiches... we love our fluffy breaded goods.) we also ate a bunch of paleo baked goods. i keep them in the house for the kids and since they were "healthy" i didn't see a reason to resist. while feeling pretty good most of the time, at least compared to our eating habits pre-paleo, we still had crazy food addictions and really wanted to give ourselves an extra push to breaking those bad habits.

i also had some personal reasons/goals to work toward. back in the spring i developed a small patch of rosacea on my cheek. i really wanted to see if cutting out all possible food irritants would minimize the breakouts. i also have been wanting to tone up and slim down my stomach area. i've had bloating and was working on some good muffin top handles. (calm down haters, i may be thin but i wasn't in shape and toned up!)

so, we had a big vacation and celebrated our 10 year anniversary in San Fransisco... indulging in clam chowder and bread bowls, doughnuts from Peir 39, macarons, pasta!!!

then it was time to get started! i used these meal planning sheets to keep track of my weekly menu and what i needed from the store. most of the lunches i post here are meant for my kids lunch boxes (we kept them as close to whole30 as possible) and most of what my husband and i ate for lunch was protein leftovers from dinner, served over salad. here are my meals plan for the 30 days.

caveman custard

this was the week before school started so lunches were just thrown together with leftovers.
day 1: caveman custard w/ berries & sausage
fajita salad
pulled garlic chicken w/ red pepper sauce over spaghetti squash

day 2: bacon & sweet potato hash w/ fried eggs
grilled chicken salad w/ veggies
beef stir fry (recipe from Practical Paleo cookbook)

day 3: sweet potato pancakes & bacon
chicken salad w/ hard boiled egg
chicken adobo (sub rice vinegar for apple cider vinegar & sub soy sauce for coconut aminos) w/ cilantro cauli-rice (from Practical Paleo cookbook)

day 4: sausage spinach scramble
chicken over lettuce
carnitas "tacos" (use lettuce instead of tortillas)

day 5: crustless quiche
carnitas salad
italian sausage sauce (i sub italian sausage for beef and add chopped zucchini) over spaghetti squash

day 6: sausages with applesauce & slivered almonds
leftover spaghetti
beef koftas with cucumber salad & avo-ziki sauce (recipe in Practical Paleo cookbook)

day 7: crepes for the kids, fried eggs over green veggie saute
leftovers for lunch
grilled lemon chicken w/ roasted broccoli

overview: this first week was so rough. if i hadn't read all over the internet that it gets better, i would have seriously given up. the first day i had an excruciating headache (this was Sunday, the day my husband leads worship at 4 church services and is gone all day). there was no relief from that headache for the next 4 days. i experienced flu like symptoms... aching body all over, down to the bone. i couldn't sleep at night because my body was in so much pain. i couldn't sleep in the daytime because i was eating so well i had too much energy. i seriously felt like i was coming off of heroin. on the second day for my husband, he had a headache so bad he vomited all night long. it was so hard to keep going. but we made it through and by day 5 or 6 it all fell into place and i felt like a new person. tons of energy, sleeping better than i have in like 20 years, not dealing with blood sugar spikes or drops (i'm hypoglycemic), stabilized mood and hunger, no bloating.

for snacks, we mainly ate raw cut veggies & olives, handfuls of cashews with shredded unsweetened coconut, and applesauce.

this week school starts so lunches will be more kids focused. we still ate mostly leftovers and salads.
day 8: apple, sweet potato & pecan hash w/ eggs
meat rolls with cut raw veggies & olives
summer coq au vin (this recipe is similar to the one i've been making. sub the wine for broth and sub the flour for arrowroot flour)

day 9: crustless quiche w/ fruit salad
chicken nuggets w/ veggies & homemade jello
mustard chicken (the actual recipe is in the Practical Paleo cookbook, but this is close) w/ roasted acorn squash & coconut butter

day 10: leftover quiche & fruit
chicken salad w/ apple slices, veggies & brownie bites
homemade asian chicken soup

day 11: caveman custard w/ berries & sausage
pepperoni w/ olives, veggies, grapes,  & custard
italian sausage sauce (i sub italian sausage for beef and add chopped zucchini) w/ spaghetti squash

day 12: egg & bacon cups w/ fruit
paleo waffles w/ hard boiled egg & sausage, fruit
chicken cacciatore over spaghetti squash

day 13: scrambled eggs w/ veggies & sausage
meat rolls w/ avocado, olives, jello, & veggies
guac-burgers

day 14: veggie omelets
leftovers for lunch
beef koftas with cucumber salad & avo-ziki sauce (recipe in Practical Paleo cookbook)

overview: you guys, i started doing crossfit and yoga or pilates during the first week of Whole30... and i have to warn you... by this point in the game i sharted myself twice #TMI #sorrynotsorry. hey, i'm just being honest with my personal experience... and some people will want to know what to expect. i'm pretty sure all the veggies is what did it... but it was not fun. i listened to this podcast and started seeing firmer stools after adding more cruciferous veggies to our meals. also, things start changing, i noticed my body responding faster to the workouts, and my recovery was a lot faster post work outs.

roasted sweet potato w/ coconut butter, cinnamon & raisins

also, my pre workout meal (every time, because i am a creature of habit) was a hard boiled egg and half an avocado. my post workout snack was a roasted sweet potato with coconut butter, cinnamon, & raisins. i also gave this to my kids before and after their long gymnastics workout.

fried egg over green veggie hash

day 15: paleo waffles for the kids, fried egg over green veggie hash for us
leftovers for lunch
carnitas "tacos" (sub lettuce for tortillas)

day 16: bacon spinach crustless quiche
meat rolls w/ fruit & veggies
thanksgiving meatballs w/ caulimash & salad

day 17: leftover quiche w/ fruit
leftover meatballs & veggie skewers w/ apple slices and sunflower seed butter
chicken & sausage gumbo (sub flour for arrowroot flour) w/ sweet potato mash

day 18: caveman custard w/ berries & sausage
omelet roll up w/ paleo waffle & fruit
chicken wings  (recipe in Practical Paleo cookbook) w/ roasted broccoli

day 19: sweet potato hash w/ eggs
leftover wings w/ veggies & dip
roast pork w/ apricots (sub flour for arrowroot flour & canola oil for clarified butter) & caulimash

day 20: veggie & sausage scramble
sunflower butter & jelly sandwich w/ veggies
guac burgers w/ sweet potato fries

day 21: veggie omelets w/ fruit salad
leftovers for lunch
spiced meatballs w/ fig compote (recipe in Practical Paleo cookbook) & roasted acorn squash w/ coconut butter & raisins

homemade fruit gummies

overview: we are feeling amazing by this point with discussions of never going back to dairy, caffeine, and even going for Whole90!!! haha! it is a lot of cooking (and cleaning... i've mentioned several times that i need a maid!) but we are hardly eating out at all so we're saving money there. you do have to be really prepared, so i spend one day on the weekend prepping a couple things. i roast a couple sweet potatoes for my post workout snack, i hard boil a dozen eggs, i make my clarified butter, homemade almond butter, a fun treat for the kids lunch like fruit gummies or homemade jello, homemade larabars, and about twice a week i make my own almond/cashew milk. this keeps the busy week running smoothly and i'm not caught without the necessities.

omelet roll up 

day 22: crepes for the kids, fried egg over green veggie hash for us
leftovers for lunch
mustard chicken over spaghetti squash

day 23: egg & bacon cups w/ fruit
omelet roll up w/ paleo waffle & fruit
guac burgers w/ sweet potato fries

day 24:  fried egg over green veggie hash
sausage & apple spears w/ cashew butter & veggies
summer coq au vin (this recipe is similar to the one i've been making. sub the wine for broth and sub the flour for arrowroot flour)

day 25: caveman custard w/ berries & sausage
chicken salad w/ ants off the log, custard
italian sausage sauce (i sub italian sausage with beef and add chopped zucchini) w/ spaghetti squash

day 26: leek & swiss chard crustless quiche w/ fruit
sunflower butter & banana sandwich w/ veggies
chicken cacciatore over spaghetti squash

day 27: leftover quiche w/ fruit
egg salad w/ olives & veggies
lemon & artichoke chicken (in Practical Paleo cookbook) w/ caulimash

day 28: veggie omelets w/ fruit
leftovers for lunch
broccoli chowder w/ savory chicken thighs

overview: two more days to go and feeling so good. we are seriously going to keep going. the only craving i'm having at this point are for a paleo treat (i really want to break my Whole30 with this!) and some wine. i think i'll try some hard apple cider though.

day 29: egg & bacon cups w/ fruit
omelet roll up w/ paleo waffle & fruit
beef koftas with cucumber salad & avo-ziki sauce (recipe in Practical Paleo cookbook)

day 30:  bacon & sweet potato hash w/ eggs
chicken nuggets w/ veggies & ants off the log
guac burgers w/ roasted broccoli & sweet potato fries

ok.... so here are my top 3 tips:

1. POOP BEFORE YOU WORKOUT. trust.
2. prep your meals or snacks for the week ahead.
3. don't give up, it gets better. you won't die.

ok, one more

4. don't be afraid to find your favorite recipes and put them into regular rotations. i obviously did this here. as fun as it is to experiment with new dishes, you don't want to risk a kitchen fail and be left with only cashews for dinner.

shootdang! i just cant emphasize enough how great we feel. sleep is so so good now. that is a HUGE deal. we've had bad sleep for years! we're on our 4th or 5th mattress in 10 years of marriage. my rosacea is not totally cleared up but its almost unnoticeable. i've read that it takes a while so i'm gonna be patient with that. i've only lost about 5 lbs., but my body shape has changed a lot and so has my husband's. my sides are smaller and my stomach is almost flat. TONS of energy all day, even with no caffeine. also, when all is said and done, i sharted a total of 4 times. i'm not proud of it. but it happened and i handled it. so. there's THAT. that's the one downside, besides 5 excruciating days of coming off caffeine/sugar/carbs.

guys, go do this, you will be so glad you did.

xoxo,
tara

BEST Paleo Chicken Nuggets

guys, i'm not even making it up. my super picky daughter, that hates EVERYTHING paleo, gobbled them up and asked for more. i've been working on perfecting my chicken nugget recipe for more than a year now and have gleaned from some pretty awesome blogs out there to come up with this version... hand down the BEST paleo chicken nugget. i don't usually toot my own horn, but i'm pretty excited about this one and think you all will love it too! 

they're crispy on the outside and moist and flavorful on this inside. the ground chicken mixture recipe comes from Multiply Delicious. i've used her chicken nugget recipe from the start, but my kids never liked the breading. i started making them without breading because i would put all the work in and they wouldn't eat them! oh no. we can't be wasting food around here. 

i recently saw a post over on Urban Poser's blog for some yummy looking fried lamb chops and i thought, "man, that breading looks like it would be perfect on some chicken nuggets!"... so i tried it for myself, with a few adjustments, and they are perfect!! i am completely non-dairy right now so i subbed the yogurt for coconut milk and the make it less spicy for the kids i subbed the chili for paprika. i pretty much lover everything on her blog so i'm sure the original recipe is amazing.

here's my version:

{BEST Paleo Chicken Nuggets}

makes a little over 2 dozen

1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 c almond flour

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 egg yolk

1 tsp salt

2/3 arrowroot flour

1 tsp paprika

1/4 c water

1/2 c full fat canned coconut milk

palm shortening

in a large mixing bowl combine the first 6 ingredients. roll into little nugget shaped balls and place on a foil or parchment lined cookie sheet to hang out until they're ready to go into the fryer. meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients (except the palm shortening) in a smaller bowl, set aside. in a deep, heavy bottom sauce pan, melt the palm shortening until 350 degrees. test with a little drop of the batter before adding it all in. it should sizzle right away. PLEASE BE SO CAREFUL!!! this part is dangerous and you could easily be burned. i did batches of 9 nuggets at a time, covering in the batter and placing in the hot oil, but you can do as many or little as you like depending on how big your pan is. cook for 2 minutes per side. make sure to check one nugget to make sure it's thoroughly cooked. remove with a slotted spoon and let cool. 

yum!

and i had extra batter leftover so i quickly sliced up some zucchini and made a batch of fried zucchini! i couldn't waste the yummy batter. all i did was add a little salt to the batter. tasty little treat!

i hope you like this, let me know if you try it!

xoxo,

tara

honey vanilla syrup

i was recently invited by a sweet friend, who also happens to be the best neighbor in the world, to go on a drive up to Shaver Lake for a little adventure. we both have girls the same age, so we strapped them into the back seat and headed for the hills! we were a little under prepared for chilly weather. while still at home we thought it would be a good idea to bring swim suits, just in case it was warm enough to put our feet in the lake. boy, were we wrong! there was patches of (dirty) snow still on the sides of the road!! little a and i are still working on being flexible and patient... so i had to deal with her bad attitude when we couldn't get wet. i confess i struggled keeping my own heart in control as a response to her temper tantrum.... but i managed. 

the day was saved when we decided to head to a little cafe and order some crepes (not paleo). Steph (my neighbor) ordered a spinach, cheese, and green onion crepe with poppy seed dressing and i had the lemon crepe. AMAZING! definitely going to try to recreate it. but the thing that stuck in my head was the Honey Vanilla Latte i ordered. i never thought honey would taste good with coffee (reformed-four-tablesoons-of-granulated-sugar-in-my-coffee-girl), but it was suttly sweet and just right!

dang. so good. 

here is my attempt at homemade coffee syrup, honey vanilla flavor. the great news is that it's paleo! 

{HONEY VANILLA SYRUP}

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup water

1 vanilla bean, scraped

put all ingredients in a small sauce pan (including the vanilla bean pod!!) and bring to a simmer. let simmer until well combined. 

viola! 

easy breezy lemon squeezy. 

love, 

tara

Spring Break

oh happy day

this year, for my birthday (in November) i would like a Churro party. everyone make sure my husband knows.

totally off topic.

so, it's officially Spring Break! my babies are home from school, no one is rushing us out the door in the morning (me), no homework, the sun is out and shining, and Easter is quickly approaching... which means we get to get ready for fun crafts!

but what i'm really trying to say is, as much as all that is true and fun, it means more work for mom, right? (RIGHT?!) the kids have expectations of being entertained day and night, they think we have endless amounts of money to go on fun excursions to Boomer's and John's Incredible Pizza. Easter is coming, which means i have to come up with crafts.... and that means my house gets messy and my OCD flairs up. on top of it all, i still have to cook and clean. and i don't get to sleep in because i don't have teenagers yet.

someone invite me over for a margarita.

#kiddingnotkidding
#yesijusthashtagedonmyblog

here's to a fun, family-filled, spring break! i really am excited about it.

love,
tara

grain free blackberry cream cheese coffee cake

wow. long title. 

guys. i made food. then i took pictures. now i will share. 

while recently scouring pinterest, i stumbled upon a recipe for Blackberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake, and thought to myself, "please oh please can i turn this paleo!??!". shortly after i was in search of a good paleo coffee cake recipe that i could change to fit me needs. 

here is what i came up with:

i didn't have sour cream so i used cream cheese. we are a dairy-eating paleo family... so i guess we're primal? we cut dairy out, put it back in, didn't see a difference. it works for us. and instead of bananas i used date puree. i also used butter. because butter makes it better. but it was Kerrigold (imported from Ireland from grass fed cows) so i feel good about that. 

{GRAIN-FREE BLACKBERRY CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE}

12 pitted medjool dates

2 tbsp water

5 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 c organic vegetable shortening

1/2 c coconut flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 c blackberries, washed and quartered

CRUMBLE TOPPING

1/2 c almond flour

1/3 c coconut palm sugar

1/2 tsp lemon zest

4 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 sliced almonds

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. to make the date paste, place the dates in a microwave safe dish with water. microwave for 30 second intervals, mashing between, until in a paste like consistency, no longer than 2 minutes. please paste in food processor. 
3. add all wet ingredients to food processor. pulse until combined. 
4. add dry ingredients. pulse til combined. 
5. add batter to baking pan. evenly distribute blackberries on top. 
6. mix all crumble topping ingredients together and evenly distribute on top of blackberries. 
7. bake for 45 minutes. let cool completely before busting into this bad boy.

enjoy!

xoxo,

tara

pumpkin cranberry grain-free granola

welp. Target has the costumes out, and Michael's smells like cinnamon heaven. that must mean autumn is either here or approaching quickly. although, you wouldn't know it based on the weather here in Fresno. it is STILL IN THE 100's. frick. 

i keep seeing all these people decorating for fall or enjoying warm cups of Pumkin Spice Latte... but i just can't into it when i'm still searching for summer outfit inspiration in Pinterest. i would really love to start pairing my cut off jeans with a scarf and booties, but i would probably die from heat stroke. 

ok, i'm done complaining. here is my attempt to join the rest of the world in their everything-fall-pumpkin-craze. 

i adapted the recipe from Urban Poser's recipe for Banana Walnut grain-free granola. i'm not a huge fan of banana flavored stuff and thought it would go well with the season to make a pumpkin version. 

i'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, especially since i burned my last TWO batches of grain-free granola that i got out of the Eat Like a Dinosaur cookbook. it sounds like a good recipe, but i cannot not burn it! ugh. 

SERIOUS CLOSEUP!

{PUMPKIN CRANBERRY GRAIN-FREE GRANOLA}

1 c raw walnut pieces

1 c raw pecan pieces

1/2 c raw almond slices

1/2 c raw pumpkin seeds

1 c raw almonds

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 c dried cranberries

3/4 c canned pumpkin puree

1/4 c honey

1/4 c coconut oil

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp vanilla extract

preheat oven to 250 degrees. 

in a large bowl combine walnuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds. mix thoroughly. add raw whole almonds and 1 1/2 cups of the nut mixture to a food processor and pulse til it resembles a large crumb. add back to remaining nut mixture. add sliced almonds. add spices and cranberries. stir to combine.

wipe food processor out and add pumpkin puree, honey, coconut oil, water, and vanilla extract. pulse to combine, making sure to scrape down sides. add to nut mixture. stir well to combine. 

pour onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and spread out evenly. bake between 1-2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure no burning. let cool and store at room temperature in an air tight container. 

enjoy!

xoxo,

tara

P.S. i'm super obsessed with Urban Poser's recipes right now! they are so good, i have tried so many and they are so flavorful and addictive. if you're looking for more fall inspired recipes here are a couple i have tried from her collections, although she has many more:

Almond Flour Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf - made this two days in a row, SO GOOD!

Rasperries & Cream Breakfast Cake - i have made this, li-tra-lee, a dozen times. for a fall twist i added chopped apples covered in cinnamon and coconut palm sugar and it turned out amazing.

Apple, Butternut Squash, Bacon Hash - RIDICULOUS. that's all.

***UPDATE: my post originally said to stir the granola every 5 minutes, but that was a typo! thanks for bringing that to my attention Bekah!!!***

make it paleo: apple cinnamon muffins

hi guys. i'm going to share a little secret with you. i have a "ripe-fruit-phobia". i'm sure that's not the clinical name for it... but it's what i've got. i CANNOT stand fruit that is past it's prime. that's right, bananas with more than 5 freckles, become banana bread... i check each and every grape before eating to make sure it's not squishy (must.have.crunchy.grapes.)... and if my apples are less than crunchy and juicy when biting into them... well it just won't do. 

i know i know. i'm a fruit snob.

but i also hate wasting food. do you ever have fruit that needs to be eaten, and quickly, before it starts turning funky? i tend to find we don't eat our apples as quickly as i'd like to before they go from crunchy to sort of soft. so i came up with this yummy breakfast (or in my case, anytime) muffin. 

{PALEO APPLE CINNAMON MUFFIN}

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 eggs

1/3 cup canned coconut milk 

1/2 cup apple sauce

Apple Cinnamon Topping

1 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons apple sauce

2 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 apple, peeled and chopped

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients with a hand mixer. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients with a hand mixer until well combined. Add batter until prepared muffin cups about 3/4 full.

In a separate bowl, combine apple cinnamon topping ingredients until apples are coated. Scoop mixture over top of muffins and using a toothpick swirl the topping into the muffin batter. Bake muffins for 20 – 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Makes about 10 to 12 muffins.

Enjoy!

love, tara

paleo waffles by "eat like a dinosaur"

my last post was about paleo school lunches, and in one of them i linked to the Eat Like a Dinosaur blog for the paleo waffle recipe. it doesn't actually have the recipe on the blog, i got the recipe from the cookbook. you should definitely go out and get it! its such a great resource and gives me so much inspiration for kid friendly meals and ways to let them help you. one of my besties gifted it to me and i use it a ton. 

anyway, i thought i'd share my version of the recipe. the authors suggested doubling the batch and freezing the already made waffles for quick morning breakfast or packing breakfast for lunch, which is one of my favs. (i could seriously eat breakfast anytime!)

{PALEO WAFFLES ~ by Eat Like a Dinosaur}

1 banana

1 apple, peeled & cored

1 cup almond butter

2 eggs

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup fresh berries

puree banana and apple in a food processor. add almond butter and pulse until combined. add remaining ingredients except berries and puree until combined. fold in berries. grease waffle iron and add 1/4 batter. cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes. 

top with agave or honey and enjoy!

i've made another kind of paleo waffles, with coconut flour, and i have to say that i prefer these. my kids loved them too, and for me doing everything in the food processor keeps the cleaning to a minimum. 

the book also has a recipe for paleo graham crackers that i can't wait to make! seriously, go get the book!

love, 

tara

paleo school lunches

as i'm sure you all know, we follow a paleo template lifestyle in our home. and with school quickly approaching, i found myself having a little trouble getting inspired to think outside the sandwich for school lunches. i mean, i grew up eating sandwiches, day after day. and before being paleo i enjoyed quite a large variety of sandwiches. 

so i went on a hunt. and while out hunting in the interwebs i found several things. 1) you must first have the appropriate transportation system (lunchbox) to carry such absurd foods not in the form of a sandwich, and 2) its really not that hard. 

in fact, its fun! for me, at least. 

i figured i'd share what i put together for the first week of school for those of you who follow a paleo diet and want to get your kids on board, or if you just want some ideas that don't involve breadmeatcheesebread.

the lunchbox i decided was best for Big A and myself (based on reviews of being spill proof, keeps your food cold for hours, "cool" looking, and dishwasher safe) is the Laptop Lunches Bento-ware lunchbox. 

{LUNCHBOX NO.1}

turkey rolls with string cheese (we give our kids dairy)

olives

grapes

almonds

sweet potato chips

pickles

stoney farm yo kids squeezable yogurt (i like these much better than the other brand)

larabar

{LUNCHBOX NO.2}

trader joe's chicken sausage

paleo waffles (from the Eat Like a Dinosaur cookbook)

creamy cream cheese fruit dip

strawberries

kiwi slices

larabar (not pictured)

{LUNCHBOX NO.3}

paleo chicken tenders w/ ketchup (i used this breading recipe on organic chicken tenders and baked them on parchment lined cookie sheet, 5 min. per side)

apples

carrots

cucumbers

almonds

stoney farm yo kids squeezable yogurt

homemade jello with berries

larabar (not pictured)

{LUNCHBOX NO.4}

pepperoni

grapes

carrots

cucumbers

olives

string cheese

  caveman custard

larabar

{LUNCHBOX NO.5}

chicken salad in lettuce spears

apple slices w/ almond butter

paleo brownies

annie's fruit snacks

larabar

ok. obviously we are not STRICTLY paleo. we allow our kids to have fun snacks like squeezable yogurt and fruit snacks. i do choose what i feel to be healthier versions of those things, but i just don't want my kids growing up feeling left out or hating this lifestyle because it was never fun. i do try to make healthy paleo treats as often as possible because it gets them cooking in the kitchen with me, making memories, and keeps them excited about being healthy. my kids ask, "is this brownie paleo?!" and get stoked when i tell them yes. healthy food can be yummy too. 

anyways. there you have it. this is all just my opinion. we might not even be paleo. we could be primal and i don't know it. or maybe i should just call us grain free. i don't know. 

hope you get some good ideas!

love, tara

back to school

whew. this was a crazy week. 

i've been so busy the last two weeks. we were doing projects around the house while my husband was on vacation last week, and getting the kids ready for school. then school started and we are trying to get back on routine and figure out how all this driving... and packing lunches... and being out of the house before 8a.m. stuff works. 

i have a lot of little projects to catch you guys up on and i can't wait to share them, but first i want to share about my babies leaving me. haha! drama. if you are my friend on facebook or instagram, you've seen all these pictures and know a little about whats going on at home, but i want to document it here too.

Big A started first grade Monday. he was so nervous Sunday and even woke up in the middle of the night thinking he was going to throw up. the next morning he woke up and had decided that he wasn't nervous anymore, he was excited! the morning went smoothly and the first day was great. 

first day picture tradition

Big A's desk at school

then... Tuesday after school came and Big A announced that he decided he hated school and he and a friend in class were plotting their escape. i informed him that they have adults supervising and patrolling the school and he would get sent to the principle's office if he did try anything and he got a really serious look on his face! 

Wednesday he came home and said he wanted to cry at his desk, but didn't.

Thursday he came home and said he DID cry at his desk because he wanted me. 

and Friday... oh Friday my heart broke to a million pieces. my husband has Friday's off and we were all walking him to class when he stopped and just started losing it. he started crying really hard and didn't want to go to class. my friend, who is a teacher and his best friend's mom, started encouraging him and telling him Friday's were fun and the best day of the week. he pulled it together enough to walk the rest of the way to the door, then he lost it again. his teacher came out and said we could go and she would take care of it. she asked him to go to the bathroom and wash his face, then come back to class. he saw that we were walking away, then he started screaming and shouting for us, calling out our names. that's when i lost it. 

i hated leaving my baby there. i didn't want him to think that i didn't care. i wanted to rescue him and tell him he never had to go back. but i knew i had to let him work it out. 

i was on my way to a prayer group for the school, teachers, and our kids, but my husband stayed around the corner out of sight and said that he cried for about 40 minutes while his teacher tried to calm him down. i finally got a call from her that she had him sit with her at her desk for about an hour after he calmed down and then he just decided he was ok and had a great rest of the day. 

when we picked him up he had a great big smile and said his day was much better. we celebrated him making it through the first week of school by coming home to balloons, noisemakers, silly glasses, and streamers that my sweet husband at put out everywhere. we had a water balloon fight, family movie night, and a sleep over in our room. 

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 little a started preschool on Tuesday for the first time. she had quite the opposite reaction then Big A. she was so anxious before her class started and when it was time to go she had her backpack on and said, "bye mom! i love and i'll miss you, have a great day!" before we were even in the car! 

she went straight in, with no tears.

jumping right in!

and when i picked her up she had a great big smile on her face and said she made a new friend. 

i'm sure there will be a year or two when she has a tough time. and i'm sure when they're all grown up we'll look back and share these stories with them. but right now i'm exhausted and clinging to the Lord. when the week started my verse was, "i do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. they are not of the world, even as i am not of the world. sanctify them in truth, Your word is truth. as you sent me into the world, i also have sent them into the world. for their sakes i sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth." John 17:15

and as my week ends my verse is, "do not fear, for i am with you; do not anxiously look about for i am your God. i will strengthen you, surely i will help you, surely i will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10. 

i am resting in these words from the Lord. he is my rock and i can't make it through without him. 

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another tradition we started last year was a first day of school party and this week we included our life group in on it. it was just our regular meeting time and i just made a little cake. nothing big, but still making note of the special day. 

i used a paleo carrot cake recipe from elana's pantry and i also used her creamy cream cheese frosting to top it with! it was so yummy!

so what about you guys? do you have any first day/week of school struggles or triumphs you want to share? what about traditions? i would love to hear your stories!

xoxo,

tara

Make It Paleo: proscuitto wrapped chicken & asparagus

i just want to start out by saying, that you can eat this even if you aren't paleo. and you should. tonight. because, it will change your life. all your friends will think you are a gourmet chef if you make it for them, your kids will love you and sing your praises, and your husband will never get sick of it. 

this is a true story. i know because it happened to me. 

i call it: PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED CHICKEN & ASPARAGUS a la TARA. 

syke. 

i totally stole it from another blog. this one. i just tweaked the recipe a touch.

i totally stumbled on this recipe while trying to make the original one, which calls for cooking it in the slow cooker for 4 hours. the day i wanted to make it, i made sure i had all my ingredients and had previously thawed my chicken... but the day totally got away from me, and around came 4 o'clock. it was too late to put it in the crock pot. so i followed all the original instructions, but cooked it in the oven. 

it turned out so good, i never went back and tried making it in the crockpot. and i've probably made it 8-10 times in the last two months. 

if you slice it with a really sharp knife it looks extra fancy. i usually serve it with cauliflower and carrot puree, or spaghetti squash slathered in grass fed butter. and i'm super serious when i say that even your kids will love it. some of my pickiest kid friends said it was the best chicken they ever had! 

WIN.

so go out and get this stuff and make it quick.

{PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED CHICKEN & ASPARAGUS}

4 chicken breasts, filleted and pounded with a meat mallet (i think that's what they're called. i don't own one. i cover my hammer with saran wrap. ha!) (ghetto.)

24 spears of asparagus

8 cloves garlic

8 slices prosciutto

olive oil

freshly ground salt and pepper

after pounding your chicken, roll each fillet with 3 asparagus spears and a clove of garlic. then wrap each roll in prosciutto. place in a 9x13" pyrex and drizzle with olive oil and lightly salt and pepper. cover with foil and back for 10 minutes on 350. remove foil and continue baking until cooked through, about 20 more minutes. 

yum.

tara