Fresh Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes

The other night my sister-in-law was over and we thought we would try this recipe out. The plan was to make a batch, have some, and save some for Mr. Man when he returned home. UH- not so much. They were GONE in 5 min. I did make him some more last night and he and his brother finished off 2 batches. Let's not over analyze how many carbs, fats, protein that was. . . let's just focus on the fact that they are GOOD! :) I am warning you to make these at your own risk- you cannot have just a few.

Fresh Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes
Bacon (Thick cut is harder to work with)
Sweet Potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

*Peel sweet potatoes and cut into rounds, then into "fry" shapes.

*Cut bacon in half long ways and down the middle. This will give you 4 skinny pieces of bacon for every strip.

*Place foil over cookie sheet. (Be sure to use a cookie sheet that has a raised edge to catch the bacon grease).
 side note: Once you have removed your sweet potatoes, let the fat cool on the foil. You can remove the foil and throw it away- it makes clean up a breeze!
 
*Wrap bacon around  the sweet potato and place on foil. If you have extra sweet potatoes, just put them on the sheet too. Everything will cook evenly.

*Cook at 350 for 15 min. When finished cooking, broil on high for a few minutes or until the tops are crispy. (My oven took 5 min. on a high broil)

*Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Fresh and Local

As I became more and more comfortable with the concept of eating real food, I began to look a little deeper into the nutrient, chemical (or lack thereof), and environmental level of the food I was eating. Check out this article by Whole9 that gives some great tips for taking your Paleo Diet to the next level.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Apple cinnamon anything and a warm cup of coffee- does it get any better? I don't think so. I finally ordered bulk almond flour and quickly made these tasty little treats. I like to bake them in the mini muffins so the recipe stretches further and I can enjoy them longer. I gleaned this recipe from Elana's Gluten-Free Cookbook, and changed up the ingredients so it was more Paleo friendly. This is a great cook book- just stay clear of the grapeseed oil and the dairy she includes in her recipes.


Apple Cinnamon Muffins
2 C blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup walnut or coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup raisins or cranberries (optional)
1 egg
1 T vanilla extract
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/4 inch cubes

Pre-Heat Oven to 350 Degrees
Line 10 muffin cups with paper liners.
I used my silpat mini muffin pan, so the liners or non-stick spray was not needed.

* In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: almond flour, salt, baking soda, arrowroot powder, and cinnamon.

* In another bowl mix the wet ingredients together: oil, honey, egg and vanilla.

* Add the wet and dry ingredients together and stir until thoroughly combined, then fold in apples.

* Spoon batter into your muffin cups. Bake 30-35 min. for regular muffins 20-25 min. for mini muffins or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.

* Let the muffins cool in the pan before serving. (Approximately 30 min- if you can wait that long. :) )

* Enjoy!

Fresh Lunch Rolls

Not long into my new Paleo life, I began to remember back to the days of quick and easy lunches from Subway. The pickles, lunch meat, veggies, peperoncinis, yum! Then I found this idea and the trip down memory lane made a quick u-turn. I have been making these lunch wraps ever since. You can make them into single rolls or add toothpicks (as pictured) and cut up for a fabulous hors d'oeuvre.

Fresh Lunch Rolls

Turkey Breast Lunch Meat
Ham Lunch Meat
Salami
(Applegate has some great organic options for lunchmeat- look for it at your grocery store)
Mustard
Your choices of veggies (ie- spinach, tomatoes, peperoncini, pickles, red peppers, olives, etc)
Oregano (optional)
Mayo (not paleo - optional)

Lay out lunch meat over each other. I start with the ham since it holds together the best, then lay one piece of turkey on top followed by 2 pieces of salami side by side. (In the picture I didn't use salami since we were out of it, but you see the idea)
Next add your condiments and veggies.

Even picky eaters, (not to mention any names -ahem) like the ones on the left, will enjoy these wraps. They can be modified to anyone's tastes.

Sprinkle oregano over the ingredients. (Optional)

Roll up.

You can enjoy them as is, or you can add toothpicks and cut for your dinner party. (See pictures below)

Enjoy!

You May Need a Break Up and a Fresh Start.

The women of the 60's may have burned their bras, but these days ladies everywhere, not only in the CrossFit gyms, are taking a different approach to liberation = breaking up with our scales! We have all been enslaved to it. It has probably sparked a happy dance a time or two, and it has quite possibly caused tears as well. Check out this article listing the 5 reasons we need to BREAK UP with our scales. Oh the freedom, and it is so much more supportive than the liberation of our ancestors. Dudes, don't feel left out- you should break up with your scales too!

Breakfast for Dinner!

What is easier than making breakfast for dinner!?! If you haven't tried it out yet, what are you waiting for? Get your Paleo lovin' bootie in that kitchen and get to work for. . . maybe 10 min. I usually like to make these omelets after I have a weeks worth of leftovers in my fridge.  Grab as many veggies as you can and if need be, prepare them by blanching or steaming them. Get your lunch meat (Applegate makes some great organic lunch meat) or any other meat for that matter ready (either cooked or warmed up if using leftovers).

Fresh Omelet (serves one)
3 eggs
Vegetables of Choice
Meat of Choice
Herbs of choice
Sea Salt
Pepper

Spray non-stick pan with cooking spray. Break eggs into pan. As eggs cook- break yoke. Cook on med-high heat until eggs are cooked thoroughly. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.  Your eggs will start to "lift" out of the pan letting you know they are done cooking. (Air bubble and pockets will cause eggs to lift)

Add meat, veggies, and herbs to the middle of the pan and fold one edge of the eggs over making a pocket. Turn heat to medium - low heat. Cover dish and let cook for a few minutes longer till ingredients are warmed. Plate your omelet and enjoy!

The Perfect Steak

One of my favorite things about Paleo is that I get to eat steak. There is nothing better than a perfectly grilled steak. During this past summer I was out to dinner with my husband and his softball buddies. I was sitting next to our friend who is always interested to see what I order.  He asks lots of questions about Paleo and has witnessed my transformation. After I ordered he laughed and said, "I love that when we go out to dinner you will put down a steak or a rack of ribs." Yeah buddy -I will! Give me a steak, a mound of steamed broccoli and a little avocado and I am a happy girl.

One of the worst things is when you buy the steak from the store, bring it home and ruin it by overcooking it. Check out this blog for some excellent tips on how to cook a perfect steak.