Build your own gourmet salad at home for much less

A greek gourmet salad at home

 

I know it sounds weird, but I hate to eat lunch!  Most people hate to eat breakfast, but I find that I struggle with lunch!  My kids are creatures of habit and tend to eat the same things day after day.  I do not like to eat the same thing 2 times in a row.  My husband jokes that in the 12 years we have been together I have never cooked the same thing twice.  This is not entirely true, but I probably only have 5-8 things I will cook more than once.  I love food and recipes and am always creating new ones to try and share.  I get bored easily so I like variety! 

I buy my veggies from a local farm at the farmers market once a week.  They are an organic and non-GMO farm and provide my family with more than enough veggies to feed us for a week!  Pictured is my salad that is my "go to" lunch when I need to pack something while I am on the go! 

 

Gourmet salad recipe:

Lettuce of your choice (preferably not iceberg because it does not have any nutritional value)

cucumber sliced

bell pepper diced

grilled chicken shredded

feta cheese crumbled

artichoke hearts chopped (I have a artichoke spread I buy at Trader Joes that I love and it's what's pictured here)

black olives

salt and pepper to taste

homemade dressing (optional)

 

*the dressing I like to make that's quick and easy is:

olive oil, Dijon mustard, dried parsley flakes, lemon juice

combine and shake well 

 

 

 

 

After school/Pre-workout Snack

If you follow this blog then you know that my kids are competitive gymnasts.  I am a RYT (Registered Yoga teacher) and we are pretty active!  So fueling our bodies is very important to me.  This is a quick and easy snack to fuel anyone before a workout.  I easily mix this up in  a disposable bowl and have it in the car, ready for my girls to eat on the way to gymnastics after school.  Our days are so jammed full that it is very easy to fall off the wagon and not have the right nutrients for proper fuel and nutrition.  This is why planning ahead and being very structured is key for me to be able to always be prepared.  (Well, most of the time! LOL)

This is so easy, even the kids can make this themselves!
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 Tbsp almond butter
1 scoop vanilla or chocolate protein powder
Mix till well combined!
Eat with a spoon!

Breakfast Pizza

I use a medium small cast iron skillet for this recipe.  It makes the perfect personal size pizza for me, although with all the toppings I use, I can only eat half of one pizza in one sitting. 

Recipe:
Ghee or coconut oil (enough to grease the bottom of the skillet)
3 eggs, scrambled
cooked sausage
homemade marinara sauce
diced fresh tomatoes and bell peppers
diced onions (optional)

heat the oil on the stove top in the skillet
pour in the scrambled eggs and let set until the edges are set
gently loosen and flip the "crust"
top with toppings and place in 350 degree oven and bake for 12 min till all is heated through.

optional toppings: salsa, avocado slices, shredded cheese or goats or feta crumbles

Healthy FRIED veggies? And some game day food!

 Hand cut organic and non-GMO potatoes

Jalapeno peppers stuffed with herb infused goats cheese

 

 

I am lucky enough to have access to an organic, non-GMO farm that I am a CSA (community shared agriculture) member of in which I pick up a weekly share of 8-10lbs of fresh veggies at my local farmers market.  Since it is football season and we LOVE college football, we entertain quite often and host football parties on most Saturdays.  To keep the party foods to my standards and pleasing to our guests, I have come up with a delicious way to use our veggies and copy some of the traditional appetizers. 

 

At COSTCO, they sell a large container of coconut oil for $16.99.  I buy 2 of these and we fill our outdoor commercial grade deep fryer with this MCT oil which is actually good for you!  After heating the fryer to temperature, my husband does all the frying.  I am the one who cuts all the veggies and gets them ready to be cooked. 

Some things we fry:

okra, all I do is simply cut each piece into bite sizes and we fry them till crispy, that's without anything coating them!

Yellow squash, again, all I do is slice each one into rounds and fry them until crispy!  No breading!

White potatoes and sweet potatoes, I do not peel them, I simply slice them up into "Fries" and cook until desired doneness.

 

For the jalapeno poppers:

cut each pepper in half and remove seeds

using herb infused goats cheese and shredded grass fed cheddar (kerrygold, I shred myself) mixed

stuff into each pepper half and bake in a 375 degree oven until the pepper is soft and the cheese has begun to lightly brown.  (I cooked mine for 15 min)

ENJOY!!!



Jello Jigglers

 This is the brand of gelatin that I use.  I order it on Amazon.  This is the only brand that I am aware of that is from grass fed cows.  Gelatin has protein in it and also has many beneficial properties that we should be consuming daily!  www.hollywoodhomestead.com  has lots of interesting info on gelatin and the benefits for you.

 Using juice such as this, is low in sugar and tart cherry has beneficial properties as well for reducing inflammation.  Juice that is not from concentrate is the best choice. 

I heat 1 cup of water to boiling and then remove from heat.  I then add 5 TBSP of gelatin sprinkled over the top and let dissolve.  Once it is dissolved, I add 2 cups of the juice and 1/2 cup of raw honey and whisk until combined.  Then I pour into a glass 8X8 casserole dish and put in the fridge until it is set up.  Cut into squares and eat!  Store in a container in the fridge!

Healthy lunches for school (and for the office too)

 1. This lunch consists of a turkey bologna (Applegate farms) sandwich on my homemade gluten free sourdough bread, Trader Joes nuts and chocolate chunk trek mix, cucumber dices with some homemade ranch in the container with the green lid, and organic strawberries.

 2.This lunch consists of two rolled up pieces of Applegate Farms Turkey, cubed pieces of Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, wholly guacamole mini, organic Trader Joes blue corn tortilla chips (in the baggie).  And 2 Trader Joes gluten free ginger snap cookies.

 3.  This lunch consists of Applegate farms ham, Kerrygold Dubliner cheese chunks, my homemade gluten free sourdough mini rolls, fresh organic peach sliced, organic celery with Trader Joes almond butter.

 4. This lunch consists of cucumber slices, kiwi, and a cutie, Almond butter and Trader Joes fruit sweetened strawberry jelly on grain free silver dollar pancake sandwich, and Applegate Farms ham and Colby jack cheese slice.

5. This lunch was one at home.  3 slices of a mini loaf of my gluten free sourdough bread topped with Colby jack cheese, oregano, and uncured Applegate Farms pepperoni.  Not pictured she also ate 1/2 a peach and a banana, oatmeal, chocolate chip cookie (gluten-free). 

This is a weeks worth of easy and healthy lunches that are for school or the office, or home!  I will work on posting the recipes for some of the items mentioned!  In the mean time, email me or FB message me if you need a recipe before I have time to post them!
ENJOY!

Bacon Wrapped Veggie & Egg Muffins

I am once again embarking on another 21 day food challenge.  The one I did back in November was very successful for me in that I lost almost a whole 7% Body Fat.  Since then there was Thanksgiving, Christmas, a trip to Punta Cana, and well...I gained back 3% of that lost BF during that time.  Not too bad, but its quickly approaching time for bathing suit season, and I am challenging myself again to lower the BF 4% this time and tone up as well as lean out!  I am adding some new recipes, and also incorporating a workout program.  I will be following Jamie Eason's Live Fit Trainer which you can find for FREE at www.bodybuilding.com


Follow me on Instagram daily for exactly what I am eating.  If you didn't request it last time, I can still email you the original 21 day jump start diet plan if you are eager to get your body ready for swim suit season!  (@alicia_trotter is my instagram username, so come on aboard and follow along!)


Bacon Wrapped Veggie & Egg Muffins
6 eggs (farm fresh is best)
chopped broccoli (leftover steamed from dinner works well)
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
6 pieces of bacon (nitrite free and uncured)
fresh basil chopped
salt and pepper to taste


Chop the veggies, this doesn't have to be done very small because we will be blending these in the blender with the eggs.  Sautee the veggies all but the tomatoes, and basil in 1 TBSP of coconut oil (buy this online at Vitacost.com )  Once the peppers are tender, remove from heat and add to blender.  Crack the 6 eggs into the blender, salt & pepper and puree the mixture.  Take the 6 pieces of bacon and on a microwave safe plate, lined with paper towels on top and bottom, cook only long enough to start the cooking process but still be plyable enough to curve inside the edge of the muffin cup.  (I did  3 min)
Grease the bottoms of the muffin tin with butter, coconut oil or bacon fat.  Wrap the outter edges of each muffin cup with one piece of bacon.  Then fill with egg mixture, and top with tomato pieces and basil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min until eggs are set.
(my computer is on the fritz, so for pictures of this recipe, see my instagram account!  Sorry for any inconvenience.)

Grain Free Thanksgiving 2013

So I know that Thanksgiving is over and I'm just now posting pics of my menu, but these are also recipes you could serve for Christmas if you so desire!  Better late than never I say!  My sister and her family were gracious enough to host my entire family this year for Thanksgiving.  My family (husband & kids), my parents, and my aunt, her kids, and their families.  All together we had 21 people.  My sister is so understanding of our dietary needs and concerns, that she graciously agreed to let me plan most of the menu.  Together we shopped, prepped, cooked, ate, and cleaned up.  Thanks also to our parents who watched all the kids while we prepared the feast, and then gave us a date night too as a reward for our hard work.  I have an AWESOME family!

My sister & Me

So I just want to state up front that none of the recipes I cooked were originals, I found them all on line.  I will give credit to where I found them so that you may find and use them if you so desire.
Here is the line up:
Turkey, which my hubby deep fried in peanut oil.  He brined it in salt water for 24 hours, then dried it completely, then rubbed the whole thing down with spicy brown mustard, and then cooked it at 350 degrees oil temp for 4-5 min per pound.
Pork Tenderloin, was bought at Publix and it was pre-wrapped in bacon and seasoned Cajun.  We smoked it in an electric smoker.  Can't remember the times, but you can look it up on line if you are interested. That's what we did.

Dressing: Recipe from www.againstallgrain.com

Green Bean Casserole: Recipe from (Don't hate me but I cannot find the recipe!)

It was homemade cream of mushroom and mixed it with green beans, then battered in coconut flour and arrowroot powder and fried in coconut oil, onion rings.  Assemble as normal and bake at 350 for 30 min.  We used home canned green beans and drained the liquid.

 

Deviled Eggs: Recipe from deliciouspaleo.wordpress.com

 

Sweet Potato Casserole: Recipe from cupcakesomg.blogspot.com

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon: I just quartered them, tossed in bacon fat, and roasted in a 400 degree oven for 30 min.  Then topped with crumbled cooked bacon.

Dinner Rolls: Recipe from paleospirit.com (mine didn't rise like they usually do, because I kept opening the oven too much while they were baking.)

Apple Tartlets: Recipe from paleOMG.com (I also added dairy free caramel to the tops of mine.  Simply melt 1/2 can of coconut cream concentrate from Trader Joes and add 1/2 cup honey and a 1/2 tsp salt.  Then whip it until creamy and formed.  Store in Fridge!

Fruit Salad : Made by my sister.  Fresh fruit of your choice, covered in fresh pressed orange juice and topped with chopped pecans.

We also had some other items that were not grain free or Paleo friendly, so I did not include them here.  If you are looking for a good pumpkin pie recipe, I recommend everydaypaleo.com
Hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving with your family and loved ones as well!  ENJOY!

Italian breakfast

this morning I decided that I was in the mood for something a little different, so I looked in my fridge to see what I needed to get rid of and this is what I came up with:

ITALIAN BREAKFAST

1 can stewed tomatoes drained

1/2 small yellow onion chopped

3 garlic cloves minced

1/2 small zucchini diced

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms chopped

1 tsp oregano dried

1tsp thyme dried

1/2 tsp rosemary dried

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

2 eggs

1 Tbsp fat (I used ghee, bacon fat or coconut oil would be fine too)

In a oven safe skillet, melt the fat and sautée the onions and garlic till translucent.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Then add in the zucchini and mushrooms. Continue cooking till zucchini is tender, not mushy. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Stir to combine. Then make 2 holes in the veggies for the eggs. Crack your eggs into the holes. Place the entire skillet I'm the oven and bake about 5-8 min until the egg whites are set. Longer cook time will also cook the yolks if you prefer that. 

Serves 2

I also served mine with 2 slices of bacon. 

Challenge results

Today is day 22 and my results from the challenge are in.  

Before.                      After

117.5 lbs.                  112.5 lbs 

25% BF.                      18.7% BF

Goal was 10 inches.       8 3/4 inches

Inches lost were measured at chest, stomach, waist, hips, quads, and calves. I ate very strict but was never hungry. I worked out minimally and mainly did yoga. All of my meals are photograph posted on Instagram if you're curious. I am willing to help anyone who also wants to give their weight loss a jump start. I am currently helping 3 followers and would love to help more. This is not a diet, it is a lifestyle change for better health and better you! 

Many thanks to all who follow and read along! Blessings to you and yours this thankful season! 

Winter Soup & the challenge is coming to and end!

I promised those following my IG account this recipe last week.  So sorry I am a week late getting it up.  Better late than never I guess, so here it is...
WINTER SOUP:
1 pkg of butternut squash or 1 squash peeled and diced
1/2 a bag of prechopped kale, or 1/2 a bunch, torn into bite sized pieces
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained (could also use great northern or chick peas)
qt of broth, homemade or organic free range chicken stock
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 package of sliced mushrooms, chopped
1 Tbsp thyme
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp Spanish paprika
Fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a stock pot, melt some ghee or grass fed butter, or coconut oil and sautee onion and garlic until translucent.  Add spices and stir to combine.  Add broth and remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to med cooking until the squash is fork tender. 
I served this with pork tenderloin sliced and baked.  You could cube up some pork and cook with the soup if you wish. 

This is the soup and also pictured is "Paleo Dinner Rolls" from paleospirit.com.  They are divine and so simple to make!

Today is day 19 of my 21 day jump start challenge.  I haven't lost any more weight on the scales, a few inches were regained, and I haven't check Body Fat % yet.  I plan to do that on day 22.  My ultimate goal from this was for BF loss.  Since I pretty much eat this way 80-90% of the time anyways, I did not expect weight loss.  Since I haven't been able to hit the workouts super hard, I may be disappointed with my end results.  However I do have to say that I do feel through all of this, I have finally stabilized by blood sugar which always ran low.  I have learned how to fuel my body with the right amount of calories, I always ate too few.  I feel like overall, I have much better health than I did this time last year.  I feel like the Adrenal Fatigue is a thing of the past!  I feel like ME again and that feels GREAT!  I want to give a shout out to Kim, Julie, and Janna.  They have reached out to me for help in getting their lives back on track.  I am here for ya for moral support and also for any other support you may need along this journey!  This blog was started to hopefully bring better health to those who are interested through my transparent journey in obtaining my own health.

Week one of the challenge results...

For those of you following, you will know that I have been on a food challenge to hopefully help my fatigued adrenals and body switch from fat storing to fat burning.  The challenge is for 21 days and is basically no grains, no sugars, limited fruit, and mainly protein, carbs from veggies, and healthy fats.  Beverages are only water, unsweetened almond or coconut milk, and herbal teas.  Sweeteners allowed are stevia, the real stuff,(not Truvia or Stevia in the Raw), and xylitol.  Fruit allowed is green apples and berries.  Try and pair the fruit with a healthy fat, like an apple and almond butter or berries and coconut milk.  You can take canned coconut milk, put it in the fridge for 24 hours, scrape off the top solid layer and mix with vanilla and cinnamon and have a fabulous dip for berries.  (or apples too!)
I have been posting all of my food pics and recipes or where I got the recipe on my Instagram account.  If you don't already, follow me on Instagram.  @alicia_trotter  If you don't have Instagram and are interested in what I have been eating, PM me and I can email you the screen shots of my posts.
So...beginning of week one I weighed, measured and had body fat % determined.  Then I began  a workout routine.  M-W-F I do heavy lifting and High Intensity Interval Training which only takes me about 30 min.  I subscribe to eplifefit.com which gives me my workout routines.  It's only $20 a month, so try it out!  On Tuesday and Thursday I do Yoga.  Then Saturday and Sunday I play with the family, what I call Active Rest days. After week one, my results were...lost 3.5 lbs, and 5.5 inches overall. Slow going so it seems, but I am already at my ideal weight so all I am really trying to do is lower BF%.  My goal is to lower it 5-7% of what it currently is.  I did not check this at the end of week one, I will check it at then end of the 21 days.  There are several people I know who are doing the challenge as well, and they are seeing amazing results with weight loss and inches lost!  This is a great thing to get you on the right path to weight loss kickstart if that is what you are after.  If you want more details, PM me!  aliciajtrotter@gmail.com
TaTa for now!

Crockpot Paleo Beef Stew

I kind of adapted my recipe from one on Civilized caveman.  Also my family had "grainfree" cornbread with this meal.  Recipe found at www.unrefinedkitchen.com  It was definitely a crowd pleaser and  even "Tiny Trotter" wanted it again for breakfast.  LOL

Crockpot Paleo Beef Stew
1 lb -1.5 lbs of stew meat
28 oz stew tomatoes (no sugar added)
1 pint of water
2 cups frozen french style green beans
1 cup sliced carrots (raw)
1 onion sliced
1 8 oz can tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 package of sliced mushrooms (not canned)
I layered the onions on the bottom of the crockpot first, then the stew meat (mine was frozen), tomatoes, green beans, water, paste, fresh veggies, lid
Cook on low 8 hours
The meat was very tender and the flavor was amazing!
ENJOY!
Also I am on day 5 of my personal 21 day jump start challenge.  This is to help my body switch over from fat storing to fat burning.  I am posting pics of my food on Instagram if you would like to follow.  @alicia_trotter
I am also a member of EPlifefit which I use for my workouts.  I do their workouts M-W-F and do HOT yoga T-Th and Vinyasa Flow Level 2/3 yoga Sat.  Saturday and Sunday are also ACTIVE rest days.  This means I get out and play with my family.  Ride bikes, go hiking, play tennis or softball, swing on the swings at the playground or hang upside down on the monkey bars.  If you have no time or money for working out at the gym or attending a yoga class, get out and walk, at least 10 minutes a day.  Also there are plenty of FREE yoga videos on YouTube.  No excuses!  Get active!  Eat to live don't live to eat!  Feed you body what Fuels it not what makes it want to curl up and take a nap!  IF you do you will notice a HUGE boost in energy and even may like what you start to see in the mirror!  What are you waiting for?  Join me today! 

21 day jump start challenge

If you follow me on Instagram you will be seeing a LOT of food pictures coming up.  I am starting a 21 day challenge to help switch my body over from fat storing to fat burning mode.  At least that's the hope!  I am a member of EPlifefit and the jumpstart is what they suggest to get your body into fat burning mode so that your workouts are optimized.  I'd love it if any of you want to join me in this challenge. I will post recipes if it is an original creation and if not, then I'll post where I found the recipe.  Most of you with kids will want to know what will my kids eat during this time?  They will eat the dinners that I prepare for myself, but their breakfast, lunch and snacks will be the normal stuff for them.  They do Paleo about 80/20, so they still eat things like rice, corn and Paleo treat foods.  My Sunday Food prep post shows the typical breakfast foods they like.  They just snack the rest of the day usually till dinner.  Rolled up pieces of lunch meat, goats cheese and nut crackers, apples and natural peanut butter, chips and homemade salsa, raw veggies and hummus.
So today is day1 of my challenge.  I did a intense 30 minute heated yoga session yesterday to detox my body.  Started today out with a mug of hot lemon water.  Then around 8:30 I had 2 poached eggs, 2 pieces of nitrate/nitrite free uncured bacon, and sauteed spinach.  I also had a cup of pumpkin chai tea with no sweetener and 1 Tbsp of plain unsweetened almond milk.

That held me over for 5 hours.  When I decided to eat lunch, I actually was not really all that hungry.  I ate anyways because I am trying not to let myself get to a starving point for better blood sugar control.  Lunch was left over ribeye steak that had been grilled, about 5 oz and french style green beans that were sauteed in bacon fat.  Very filling and satisfying!

My plans for the rest of the day are to have a cup of Harvest Blend herbal tea (from Trader Joes) and for dinner have "spaghetti" in creamy tomato sauce from www.everydaypaleo.com
I will have it with the zucchini noodles but my kids will have GF rice noodles.  Although they would probably eat the zucchini.
I will be posting pics on Instagram if you want to follow me.  It's never too late to join me in this challenge either, so come on.  Even if you're a few days behind me, start it today!  Email me if you need a food list of approved foods and such.  It's a great way to get the whole family transformed into eating healthier and on your way to a better you!  

Stuffed Acorn Squash

The finished product

 

 

If you have never ventured outside your comfort zone on trying new and different foods, this recipe might get you out side the box.  It is super easy and delicious.  Go ahead...give it a try.  I think you'll be glad you did.
Roasting the squash:
2 Acorn squash, cut in half, placed flesh side down in a glass casserole dish with about 1/4 of the pan full of water.
place in a preheated 350 degree oven and cook for approximately 40 min or until a fork easily pierces the outside sin.
Preparing the filling:
1 pound ground pork sausage
2 boneless/skinless chicken thighs (precooked, I boiled mine)
2 carrots chopped
1/2 onion diced
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
cook the sausage, remove with a slotted spoon saving the hot fat in the pan to cook the veggies in.  Once the veggies are cooked, add back the sausage and season.
Seasoning:
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 Tbsp chipolte powder (or black pepper if don't like it too hot)
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
Pull the chicken apart into pieces and add to the filling mixture
I also had some leftover rice that I stirred into  my filling as well.  (yes I know it's not Paleo)
Once the squash is done, scoop out the seeds and discard, then carefully scoop out the cooked squash leaving a small amount for the "bowl" in the shell.
mash up the squash really good and stir it into the filling mixture as well.
Stuff the acorn shells with the filling and put back in the 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

If you have leftover filling, you can have a really filling breakfast the next morning.  Just add a couple poached eggs.

I also threw in a sprinkle of parm. cheese as well.  (again, not Paleo)
ENJOY!

Taco Chilli

It's beginning to feel like Fall here in the mid-south.  Today was a busy day for us as we started the day on a field trip to our local pumpkin patch.  I packed our lunch for us to eat in the car.  After the patch, we headed to the library to get our books on hold and a movie.  Then headed to Sam's Club.  This adventure did not go well because of 2 reasons.  #1 when I got out my membership card, I realized it was expired.  No problem, I will just renew it inside.  So I proceed through the store filling my cart only to realize at the check out that my debit card has expired.  Oh yes I do remember they sent me a new one, but its on my counter at home waiting on me to activate it from a month ago.  GRRRR, I have no reason to get upset with my children when they pull these kind of forgetful stunts...they learned it from me!  So I leave the store empty handed.  Let me also mention here that my local Sam's Club is an hour from my house.  So you can imagine my frustration with myself! 
After that incident, we headed to Trader Joes's and got our groceries.  (They take a credit card, where Sam's does not)  Then we still had 40 minutes to kill before the chiropractor opened, so we stopped by the park to play for a few.  Then I got adjusted and we were homeward bound by 4:30. 
After I unloaded all the groceries and put them all away, I realized I had nothing planned for dinner.  It's now 5:45 and the girls are hungry.  What can I throw together quick that is also filling and healthy?  I invented a Taco Chilli recipe, and I wanted to share it with you all since it is kid and husband approved! 

TACO CHILLI
1 pound grass fed beef
1 pound pastured pork sausage
1/2 cup of bell peppers (I used red, green & yellow) diced
1/2 yellow onion  diced
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1Qt tomato juice (home canned is super yummy)
1 can Rotel (tomatoes and chillis)
2 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp Chilli powder
salt to taste
shredded cheese (optional topping, we use kerrygold)
avacado (topping)
Sour cream (we use plain greek yogurt)
Organic blue corn chips (optional)
Since I am the only one in my family who is 95%  Paleo, I do not include all the optional toppings, I do use avocado. (yes I do realize that beans are not Paleo! Thanks for the good observation)

Brown the sausage and beef together in a skillet.  Remove the meat, leaving the fat behind in the skillet.  Saute the veggies in the fat.  After they are cooked, drain the fat and add the meat, veggie, beans, tomato juice, Rotel, crushed garlic and seasonings to a big pot and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 min.
(If you want this to be thicker, more like chilli, add an 8oz can of tomato paste)
Serve with the optional toppings.
ENJOY, and HAPPY FALL YA'LL!!!

Pictured is a bowl with cheese as a topping.

Healthy birthday cake

My oldest daughter turned 8 last week. She is the one who seems to be super sensitive to gluten and processed sugar. So for her "cake" this year she chose a fruit cake. Basically we just used a seedless watermelon as the cake part and then using tooth picks we attached other fruits like other melons, strawberries, grapes and pineapple. I used wooden skewer sticks and made fruit kabobs sticking out the top. It turned out cute and was delicious. Just goes to show that even kids will grow to desire to be good to their bodies if you help them understand and teach them.

My top 10 snack foods for kidos

Recently I have had a request to blog about what kind of snack foods I feed my kids.  This is always a challenge, especially because most growing kids eat every 2-3 hours.  It always seems like my kids are hungry every time I turn around.  I have mentioned before that we have some food allergies and major food intolerance, so this poses an even bigger challenge.  Again, Trader Joes is my favorite for finding gluten free foods at a very reasonable price.  I know that the one in Nashville is not located close to everyone, but go there once a month and stock up!  It seriously does save you money! 
My oldest daughter is highly sensitive to processed sugar, like High Fructose Corn Syrup, and just plain ole white sugar, so I really try to buy things organic or make them myself with honey.  The organic products still will have sugar in them, however it is usually most often evaporated can juice.  This form of sugar actually still contains the natural minerals found in sugar in nature. 
1.Amazon sells some suckers that I buy a huge bag of, its about 2 gallons worth for $30.  These last me a LONG time and are a special treat! http://www.amazon.com/YummyEarth-Organic-Lollipops-Assorted-Flavors/dp/B000HDK0DC/ref=pd_ybh_19
2.Cheese sticks by Sargento are also a good source of protein, if no one is allergic to milk.  My youngest daughter was allergic for 3 years, but now just seems to be sensitive to certain dairy products.  The colby jack form of cheese she can handle much better than the mozzarella.  Also if you want cheese from grass fed cows, Kerrygold makes a fabulous cheese.  I have found it at the best price point at Sams.  I have also seen it at Aldi recently as well.
3.Fruit, of all kinds!  A good pair in my house is apples dipped in natural peanut butter.  Almond butter is best for me as I am super sensitive to legumes.  Make sure that you buy natural peanut butter where peanuts is the only ingredients.  Organic is best, but often contains added sugar.  Krema, is non-organic, but tastes amazing and I have found it at Kroger.
Cuties are great for kids, they have no seeds and are basically mandarin oranges in their natural form.  I do buy canned mandarin oranges in the off season but only if they are in their own juice.  No syrup!
4. Popcorn, I buy the organic kernels at Trader Joes (this is also non-GMO) and pop it on the stove top in coconut oil.  I even pop this ahead of time and keep it in a zip lock bag for easy access.  We do also have an air popper that my 7 year old can pop some corn for herself if she wants to.  This version is even healthier!
5. Applesauce squeezers- again I buy these at Trader Joes.  They have a carrot/apple one that the girls really like.  I also get the strawberry /apple and plain apple too.  Be sure to read labels, because not all squeezers are "clean".
6. Raw veggies- I make a ranch dip using plain greek yogurt and they enjoy dipping baby carrots and sugar snap peas.  They also like cherry tomatoes and the seedless crispy baby cucumbers with a sprinkle of sea salt.
7. greek yogurt- chiobanni, makes a kid yougurt, called Champion.  All of the flavors are good.  My kids like the chocolate chip kind best and I let them eat it sometimes in place of icecream!  I have only found this at Publix.
8. Keifer ice cream- Lifeway makes a delicious strawberry flavor.  It seems expensive at first, but I think of it this way...its a special treat.  We only eat it on occasion, so its the same as if you were taking your kids out for an ice cream treat.  You would pay the same if not more.
9.Other ice cream treats- So Delicious makes some dairy free treats, and now they also have no sugar added treats as well.  Again, the price seems steep, but these are special treats!  If you took advantage of the Freebie I posted last week.  That ebook listed many websites you could print off coupons for healthier and organic foods.  Also if you shop at Kroger, using your plus card, they will send you custom coupons in the mail for items you buy most often. 
10.Trail mix- I buy the raw nuts trek mix at Trader Joes because it is convenient.  Otherwise you could mix some raw nuts, and dried fruit along with some unsweetened coconut chips and there you have a nice trail mix!
Read the post on my favorite things to link you up to some of my favorite blogs I get other kid friendly recipes from for breakfast items especially!

A few of my favorites...

I always get asked to please publish a cookbook. The reason I never have is mainly because I don't really create my own recipes.  I usually find them through Pinterest or a google search that led me to some of my favorite blogs. I think I have mentioned before a few of them, but I'll list them again.
For those who are trying to convert to gluten free and really love their baked goods or carb invested breakfast items, I recommend elanaspantry.com   She has a few cookbooks out there you can purchase or visit her website to find many as well. My kids love her silver dollar pancake recipe, and her paleo banana bread. So easy that my 7 year old can make both start to finish all by herself.
Another favorite of my children is paleOMG.com. They love her chocolate waffles and her pumpkin granola. 
Those are ones we visit regularly to give the kids their fix of a normal carb infested lifestyle. For everyday recipes like dinner meals, I love everydaypaleo.com   I do have one of her cookbooks, the Family one, and I have not made a recipe yet I don't like.
A few others I sometimes visit are, chocolatecoveredkatie, paleoparents, and comfybelly.
I hope this makes things a little easier for those who just became gluten free or who are thinking about it. The world of bloggers really does make my life easier.  That's why I decided to enter the world myself in hopes of making it easier for someone else.
A side note, I do not necessarily believe all people should be gluten free. It does seem to be a fad of the times right now. The reason I choose to do it is because my oldest daughter and myself really had health issues that were significantly resolved with a gluten free lifestyle.  If you want to choose to try this lifestyle, I recommend making things yourself. The boxed and prepackaged gluten free products do have a ton of starchy ingredients and sometimes a lot of added sugar as well. Please take time to read labels and make sure you can pronounce all of them.  Another good rule of thumb is to make sure this list of ingredients is not so long.  About 5 or less of what I aim for.  I choose to make most products myself and I prefer to use mostly almond and coconut flours.  Experiment around and see what you prefer.  And BTW, trader joes is the cheapest place I have found for almond meal. And it cooks up deliciously as well.  I buy my coconut flour from tropicaltraditions when they run it on sale you really should stock up. A tiny amount of this type flour goes a long way, so one or two bags will last you quite a long time.  The key to cooking gluten free is eggs.  These little jewels hold it all together. So my next adventure in the Trotter Family...chickens. Since we go through about 2-3 dozen a week, I think we will try our hands at some chickens.  Coming soon...

Homemade bone broth

Ingredients:
One whole pastured chicken from a farmer you can trust, or at least organic one preferably not fed soy
Water, filtered
Scraps from organic celery, carrots, onions ( yes I mean the leafs of celery, unpeeled carrots, and brown skins from onions)
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
3-5 garlic cloves, busted open to release their good medicinal properties

In a crock pot add add ingredients with enough water to fill to the top.
Turn on low and cook for 8 hours
Then remove chicken, pull all the meat from the bones, add back to the broth in the crock pot the bones and all skin, joint and carcass pieces.
Add more filtered water to bring water level up to the top again. Cook 8 ,
More hours or over night.
Cook and either freeze or bottle and keep refrigerated.

This will be more like a thick gel consistency. Because it has the gelatinous bone matter in it which has amazing healing properties. Simply heat from cold and drink warm or use as a soup base.

I do this at least once a month so that I am never left having to buy the runny, thin boxed broth ever!

What do I use the meat for you might ask?
Chicken enchiladas or tacos, or nachos (yes we love Mexican)
Chicken and rice soup
Chicken salad
The possibilities as endless, get creative!