Day 21: An Unexpected Reward

   I do not have a recipe to share with you today, but I do have some inspiration.
   When I started this blog, my goal was to make others aware of the Paleo diet and to use it as a way to keep myself accountable.
  A few days ago, I received an email from my friend. She told me that after seeing my blog, she thought she would give the Paleo diet a try.
  She went to the library, checked out a couple books concerning the Paleo diet, educated herself and modified her eating habits.
  SHE LOST 7 LBS IN 7 DAYS!!
  Isn't that awesome?!?
  She told me this was this was the best eating plan she has ever tried and thinks she could stick with it for the rest of her life.
  When I read the part of her email where she thanked me for bringing the Paleo diet to her attention, tears came to my eyes.
   By sharing my experience, I inspired someone to try something new. What a wonderful, rewarding feeling.
   I'm so thankful for her email and am glad to have someone else to go through this journey with. I look forward to hearing more about her experience and results.
   If you're looking to lose weight, the Paleo diet works. See the proof above. Let her experience inspire YOU. 
 

Day 20: Sloppy Joes

  Dinner on day 20 was sloppy joes. These sloppy joes tasted a lot different than what I typically make. These were pretty spicy and were a little too much for my 3 year old.
  I forgot to take a picture, so I will add this in for fun (remember Adam Sandler in his musician days?)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey or beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp yellow mustard powder
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Cook meat and onion in a large skillet on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until the meat is browned.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients and heat for another 10-15 minutes.
3. Serve over vegetable of your choice (We put it over mixed greens and tomato).

  My husband liked this recipe, but I think when I make this again, I will omit the some of the chili powder as well as some, if not all, of the cocoa powder.

Day 15-19: The Ability To Stay Paleo

  I'm back!
  For most of the past week, my husband and I were out of town on a little getaway. Before leaving, I was worried about the challenges of staying Paleo while traveling. Luckily, it was much easier than I had imagined.
  For breakfast on days 15 through 18, we ate oranges or apples and nuts, which we brought from home. On day 19, we enjoyed fruit and a western omelet, minus the cheese, and said no to the offering of toast.
  Finding Paleo lunch every day was pretty simple, as we consumed grilled chicken salad, a hamburger minus the bun, tomato soup and a variety of fruits and veggies.
  Dinner every night was the absolute best and finding something to meet our needs was simple.
  The first night, we ate dinner at one of the hotel restaurants. We had a meat platter that consisted of air dried ham, garlic sausage and smoked duck breast, along with jumbo grilled asparagus and baked summer squash. Delish!

  My meal for dinner number two was grilled bratwurst (minus the bun) with homemade red cabbage kraut (yum!), peppers and onions and sweet potato fries. I didn't miss the bun one bit and am sure the meat and toppings tasted better without it.

  My husband enjoyed a grilled steak, mixed steamed veggies and sweet potato fries.

  

  Dinner on the third night consisted of a rack of ribs, mixed vegetables (we asked for a double order instead of the potato) and a Mediterranean salad. We had a lot left over, so that was lunch for the next day.

  When we arrived back in town, my parents offered us dinner and so graciously accommodated our Paleo diet. We feasted on shrimp, salad and mixed fruit.

  Tonight at home I fixed baked halibut and steamed broccoli, which I have previously blogged about here. It has become one of our family favorites.

  Staying Paleo while traveling was way easier than I thought it would be. Even though we couldn't control exactly what the food was cooked in or every single ingredient in the meal, we still made the best choices out of what was offered.
  My advice is to go prepared and try to eat at sit down restaurants that offer a variety of food. You may think this could get expensive, but you will pay the same amount for a lunch buffet that offers salad, grilled meats, fruits and veggies as you would for a greasy, unhealthy value meal.
 Stocking up tomorrow for next week. Lots of good recipes to come!

Day 14: Paleo Chicken Alfredo

  We've been eating Paleo for two weeks! Whoohoo!
  Dinner on day 14 consisted of chicken alfredo. Now this isn't your typical chicken alfredo of course. Substitutes were made for the pasta and sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1 spaghetti squash (or kelp noodles)
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp tarragon
• 1 cup cashews
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp paprika

Instructions

1. Add the olive oil to a large skillet. Saute the garlic over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes, then add to the skillet and cook until all sides are brown.
2. Prepared spaghetti squash (see instructions here). Add "noodles" to the skillet along with the tarragon, cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. Then, pour the liquid from the skillet carefully into a small container for use in the sauce.
3. Add the cashews, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, pepper, and paprika to a blender. Cover and blend into a powder. Add the reserved pan juices slowly, blending into a thick sauce. You'll have to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender periodically. Add the juices until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.
4. Add the sauce to the skillet, then mix well.

  Because I used spaghetti squash instead of kelp noodles, I didn't have any liquid to use for the sauce. The only thing I had on hand was skim milk (I know, not Paleo, but I had to use something), so I used about a 1/2 cup. I also did not use tarragon.
  This dish was pretty good and my 3 year old loved it.  I'm so glad I've got him converted from pasta to vegetable.
  I will be on a small hiatus from posting for the next few days, but I promise, I'll still be eating Paleo. See you soon!

Day 13: Paleo Pancake and Pan Seared Steak

  For breakfast on day 13 we enjoyed Paleo pancakes. These were delicious, especially with the fruit on top.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup nut butter (I used almond nut butter)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• coconut oil

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients except coconut oil in a bowl and stir well until you have a uniform batter.
2. Grease the pan with the coconut oil.
3. Spread batter on pan to form a pancake and cook on low/medium heat. 
4. Flip after 1 to 2 minutes being careful not to burn them.
5. Top with cooked apples and cinnamon, real maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce or warm blueberries.

  For dinner on day 13, I prepared pan seared steak with zucchini topped with sea salt and a variety of spices. Yum!

Day 12: Chicken Curry

  Dinner on day 12 was chicken curry. As with the pork curry I made earlier in the week, I used one of the paste packets from Kitchens Of India.

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 diced chicken breasts
• 1 Kitchens of India paste for chicken curry
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 2 cups chopped spinach

Directions

1. Dice chicken and saute in olive oil until cooked through
2. Add curry paste and 1/2 cup water
3. Simmer for 20 minutes
4. Add cashews and spinach

  This was a pretty tasty dish with a lot of spice. We really loved the added textures of the nuts and spinach.

Day 11: Sauteed Salmon/Chicken and Cauliflower

  For dinner on day 11, because I wasn't big on the recommended dish, I made my standby salmon recipe. Just salmon with lemon juice and a variety of spices, sauteed in a pan. I added a side of green beans and a mixed greens salad. Nothing fancy tonight. Sorry!

 On another note, my husband and I have each lost 3 lbs. since becoming Paleo a week and a half ago. As I had previously mentioned, weight loss isn't necessarily our goal, its just been a byproduct of changing our diet.

In case anyone is interested, here is the recommended recipe for today:

Chicken and Cauliflower

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 8 oz tomatoes sauce
• 1 medium red bell pepper, raw
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet
2. Brown chicken on all sides
3. Meanwhile, chop the cauliflower into small pieces and add to pot, reduce to medium-low
4. Cover and cook 45 minutes, stirring occasionally