The Paleo Mama

Homegrown and Handmade

Jackie Ritz

Cinnamon Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread

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Please welcome my friend George Bryant from the wildly popular Paleo food blog Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations and NEW BOOK, The Paleo Kitchen. After spending the first 20-something years of his life in a constant battle with his weight, and then nearly losing both his legs while deployed as a U.S. Marine, George took matters into his own hands and began his Paleo journey. What started as a simple place to post recipes for friends has since become an award-winning food blog. After serving in the Marines for 12 years, George now enjoys working full-time creating delicious Paleo recipes, hoping to change many lives for the better by making simple and tasty real food dishes.

George Bryant and Juli Bauer from PaleOMG, two of the most insightful and well-respected Paleo powerhouses have united to bring a myriad of bold and delectable gluten & grain-free Paleo recipes straight from their kitchens to yours in their new cookbook The Paleo Kitchen.

Together, George and Juli have masterfully created daring flavor combinations that will bring your Paleo experience to a whole new level.  This beautiful cookbook offers full-color photos along with tips, tricks and anecdotes straight from the clever minds of these culinary mavericks.

The Paleo Kitchen boasts over 100 brand new recipes consisting of appetizers, entrées, side dishes, and decadent desserts that are sure to invigorate and please the fearless caveman palate.
Recipes include:
·         Sage and Shallot Delicata Squash Soup
·         Citrus Mint Sugar Salad
·         Blackberry Lavender Muffins
·         Banana Chip French Toast
·         Creamy Seafood Risotto
·         Pepper Crusted Prime Rib
·         Asian Marinated Bacon-wrapped Asparagus
·         Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
·         Blueberry Cheesecake
·         Lime Pound Cake with Coconut Lime Frosting

I’m so lucky to have them share with you all today one of their delicious recipes, Cinnamon Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread.

Click here to Order The Paleo Kitchen today! 

 

Cinnamon Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread

Yield: 1 (9-by-5-inch/23-by-12-cm) loaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

For the banana bread:

For the swirl:

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-by-5-inch (23-by-12-cm) metal loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the bananas, eggs, butter, and almond butter in a food processor or mixing bowl and mix well until the ingredients are well blended. Add the coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and salt and mix together well.
  3. In a double boiler over medium-low heat, mix together the swirl ingredients until the chocolate has melted.
  4. Pour the bread batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. As soon as you pour the batter, pour the chocolate swirl directly on top and use a knife to swirl the chocolate throughout the loaf pan.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before serving

Click here to Order The Paleo Kitchen today! 

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7 Supplements to Subdue Hypothyroidism

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I’ve been listening to this really great online FREE Thyroid Summit the past few days and I am just blown away at the wealth of information that I am getting FOR FREE!

Did you know that 30 million Americans — and 200 million people worldwide — have a thyroid disorder?

Unfortunately, only half have been properly diagnosed. And even less are receiving proper treatment.

Despite showing up to the doctor’s office with obvious symptoms of thyroid dysfunction —- weight gain, fatigue, cold hands and feet, hair loss, brain fog, depression, constipation, and more — millions of people are being sent away with “normal” thyroid lab scores and with no real answers.

Once again, Western medicine has fallen behind the latest research. And patients are paying the price in unnecessary suffering and medical bills.

This has to stop.

That’s why my friend Sean Croxton of Underground Wellness put together a FREE online event called The Thyroid Sessions, with 23 expert interviews and cooking classes on all things thyroid — so you can get the answers you’ve been looking for.

Yesterday, Dr. Izabella Wentz, talked about Hypothyroidism and shared her personal testimony of how she has utilized 7 supplements and her hypothyroidism has gone into remission! This was such an informative session that I listened to and I wanted to share my notes with all of you.

This interview is STILL LIVE today to listen to but after today, Dr. Wentz’s interview will become part of the download package. The interviews are only live for 48 hours and then Sean Croxton moves onto the next session. If you can’t watch these interviews when they are posted, I highly recommend you purchase the download package. Otherwise, make sure you get up to watch them for free!

The advice in this Thyroid Summit is invaluable and you would pay LOTS OF MONEY for this! Hurry and sign up for the free summit and listen to Dr. Izabella NOW! 

Click here to order the download package of the Thyroid Summit. 

Click here to sign up and watch the videos for FREE! 

7 Supplements that Subdue Hypothyroidism:

(Cliffnotes I took from Dr. Izabella Wentz Thyroid Session) 

1. Low Dose Naltrexone – this actually isn’t a supplement. It is a low-dose medication that treats the autoimmune attack on the thyroid. She recommended you get this from a compound pharmacy.

2. Probiotics – to establish good bacteria in the gut

3. Selenium – selenium deficiency is known as the trigger to hashimoto’s. Listen to Dr. Izabella on the correct dosage.

4. Betaine with Pepsin – this is to help with low stomach acid.

5. Systemic Enzymes – these break down the immune complexes against the thyroid.

6. Moducare – this supplement helps to balance and strengthen the immune system.

7. Anatabine – this supplement calms the thyroid antibodies.

Dr. Izabella’s interview is LIVE right now for you to listen to! I HIGHLY recommend you listen to it to hear more information on these supplements and the correct dosage! After May 5th, the interview will not be live and you will need to order the download package to listen to her! Still an awesome deal!

Click here to order the download package of the Thyroid Summit. 

Click here to sign up and watch the videos for FREE! 

7 Supplements to Subdue Hypothyroidism | www.thepaleomama.com.001

Cultured Dairy: How to Make 1 Stick of Butter, 1 Pint of Sour Cream, and 1 Pint of Buttermilk with JUST ONE Quart of Cream!

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Before you go jumping down my throat about posting this because it’s dairy, I want to make sure I mention that my family consumes raw dairy. I have always been open about that and I feel it is something that my family thrives on.

So, am I still Paleo? I don’t really like labeling myself as anything. We eat by a Paleo template and include raw dairy in our diet. You can click here to see why my family consumes raw milk. 

My goats are due to have babies in June, so the 2 months prior to birth, we are giving them a break from milking. It’s sad not to have fresh, raw goats milk everyday, but I am lucky to have lots of farms nearby that have raw milk. This past week I went with raw cow milk from Jersey’s….mostly cause raw goats milk is $12 a gallon! Yikes! I’ll just wait for my goats to kid in June!

Raw dairy is extremely nutritions, but cultured (fermented) dairy takes it to a whole new level. Culturing helps to break down casein, or milk proteins, one of the most difficult proteins to digest. It, also, restores enzymes that may have been destroyed during pasteurization including lactase, which helps to digest lactose (milk sugar) and numerous enzymes, which help the body absorb calcium and other minerals.

In addition, cultured dairy provides beneficial bacterial and lactic acid to help your digestive tract stay healthy. Click here to read all the benefits of raw cultured dairy. 

Fun with Cultured Dairy:

How to Make 1 Stick of Butter, 1 Pint of Sour Cream, and 1 Pint of Buttermilk with JUST ONE Quart of Cream! 

Tools Needed: 

Directions: 

Step One: Culture Your Cream. Take your quart of cream and set it out on the counter for 8 hours to sour with the lid on.

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Step Two: Make the Cultured Butter. Take one pint (2 cups) of the cream and pour it into your food processor. Set the other 2 cups aside. Turn your food processor on high and allow the blades to “churn” the cream into cultured butter. This takes roughly 10 minutes. When you start to see clumps forming in your cream, turn off your food processor and use your wooden spoon to push the butter to one side.

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Scoop out the cultured butter and place it in a cheesecloth. Gently squeeze out all the cultured buttermilk back into the food processor bowl with the rest of the buttermilk.

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Place the butter in a bowl with ice water and use your spoon to really push out any more buttermilk. Make sure to get as much excess liquid out. The ice water helps to firm up your butter. Remove the butter and use your hands to squeeze out any more water and form into whatever shape you would like. You have cultured butter!

Step Three: Make Your Buttermilk. Pour all your buttermilk leftover from making the butter into a pint-sized mason jar. You have cultured buttermilk!

Step Four: Make Your Sour Cream, aka Cream Fraiche’: Now take the other 2 cups of cultured cream that you set aside, and pour it into a pint-sized mason jar. Take one tablespoon of the cultured buttermilk that you made and put it inside the jar with the cream. Put the lid on and shake the jar to incorporate the cultured buttermilk with the cream.

Leave your jar on your counter or in a warm spot for 12 hours to culture even more and thicken. Chill well! You have European Style Sour Cream!

You will love this European Style Sour Cream that is also known as Creme Fraiche’. It is just like sour cream but much tastier. Put it on your potatoes, in your soup, on your eggs, and anywhere else you like to put sour cream. To make more Creme Fraiche’, follow Step Four above but use one tablespoon of leftover Creme Fraiche’, instead of cultured buttermilk, to culture another pint of cream! You can do this 6-8 times before you need to start over with cultured buttermilk!

I hope you have fun doing this! Let your kids help you and make it a fun kitchen experiment! 

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15 of the Best Paleo Birthday Cakes on the Net (Grain & Dairy Free!)

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15 Paleo Birthday Cakes

I wanted to post a nice collection of a good variety of Paleo birthday cake recipes. Many people ask me for a good recipe that I recommend. I, personally, always use this recipe because my kids love it. However, I know not everyone likes vanilla or coconut flour or they just want more options.

Let’s talk about butter. Many of these cakes use butter. I have found that substituting ghee in place of butter works perfectly! So, if you have a dairy-allergy, you should be able to use ghee in place of butter. Ghee is when butter is lightly cooked to remove all the milk solids (I love this ghee). It might be difficult to use ghee in place of butter when making a buttercream frosting, so if that is the case, try using a Paleo frosting like this one from Real Food Rn.

15 of the Best Paleo Birthday Cakes on the Net

Grain & Dairy Free!

(Click on photo to go to the recipe) 

15 Best Paleo Birthday Cakes www.thepaleomama.com

My Daily Essential Oil Routine

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People are always surprised when I tell them that I don’t use face wash, moisturizers, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, hair dye, lotions, creams, or any other over-the-counter products on my body (or on my kids). Many times they think I am gross or stink really bad, have greasy hair, and am some backwoods hippy. Those that finally meet me actually end up hugging my neck a little bit longer to breath in my Sandalwood essential oil, rubbing their hands through my naturally-dyed hair and complementing the color, and touching my cheek and telling me how baby butt soft my skin is.

You see, you don’t need all that stuff. When I finally gave up all those unnecessary products and started using natural essential oils to clean and freshen my body, I knew I was actually giving my body nourishment instead of toxic chemicals to try to unload.

We use essential oils for everything. Not only has our health improved, but our pocketbook has too!

Many have asked me how I use the oils daily on myself and on my family. This routine changes when there is a sickness or something else that we are trying to get rid of. So, I wanted to share a daily oil journal on which oils I used and why! I hope it inspires you to do the same.

CLICK HERE to learn more about essential oils

My Chemical-Free Daily Routine

Wake up and shower. I do the “No Poo” shampoo method on my hair using a baking soda wash to shampoo and an apple cider vinegar wash to condition. In my conditioning apple cider vinegar rinse, I add a few drops of Wild Orange essential oil. The oil acts as a serum and, also, leaves a nice, fresh smell in my hair. If I was to shave my legs on this particular day, I rub a scoop of coconut oil on my legs and use it like shaving cream! You will be impressed at how awesome coconut oil works for shaving!

Wash my face. I scoop out a marble-sized amount of coconut oil and put it on my hand. Then I add a drop of Cedarwood and a drop of Geranium essential oil to the coconut oil. I rub this mixture all over my face and let it sit on my face for a minute. I then take a HOT washcloth and set it over my face to lightly steam and open my pores. I then sure the washcloth to remove the oil and rub circular motions over my face. Pat dry with a towel and then make my husband feel how soft my skin is!

Get dressed. I have my favorite everyday oil on my dresser, Sandalwood! I love the woodsy smell of it and I add a few drops to my neck and wrists and sometimes my diffuser necklace.

Brush teeth. I use my homemade remineralizing toothpaste with Peppermint. Click here for the recipe. 

Get kids up and ready. I apply a roller bottle blend on my kids (to the back of their neck)as they are eating breakfast. I use a “focus” blend and it’s great for calming and for enhancing a healthy thought process throughout the day. I, also, apply this to myself when I am sitting at my desk and working (like right now!)

Turn on diffuser. I use a diffuser daily (I like this one) and add different essential oils to it. In the morning I like to diffuse citrus oils, which is a very uplifting blend that smells delicious. 

Morning supplements. I take a multi-vitamin, fish oil, and different essential oils in the morning. I apply 2 drops of grapefruit essential oil under my tongue and then swallow. Grapefruit helps to balance progesterone. When our bodies are under stress cortisol inhibits our production of progesterone; grapefruit prevents cortisol from blocking progesterone production. 

Throughout the day. I drink water a lot throughout my day and most the time I add lemon essential oil to it. Lemon helps to assist in riding your body of toxins and it tastes so good too! I use peppermint for head and neck tension and on my belly when it’s upset. If you are feeling unwell, I use OnGuard daily on my family till everyone is feeling better. I, also, use my homemade all purpose Salve for minor skin irritations. 

At night and for bedtime. My kids love their nightly oil routine. Some nights they get a detox bath using whatever oils I feel like putting in there. Click here to see how to do a detox bath for kids. When they get out of the tub, they each get Lavender on their feet. We used Cedarwood and Geranium to knock out my daughter’s dry and irritated skin on her hands and face, and use that as needed. I apply Frankincense on the back of their neck, down their spine to promote a healthy, growing body! When the kids are in bed I like to diffuse my calming and drink a hot tea with ginger essential oil and lemon essential oil added to it.

That’s it! Like I said above, we adjust this when there are things going on that we need to relieve with oils.

Why not give essential oils a try? I recommend taking it one step at a time. Slowly get rid of one item, like your face wash, and try my method! You will not be sorry!

Click here to start using essential oils on your family! 

 

My Daily Essential Oil Routine | www.thepaleomama.com.001

 

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

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I have been so busy lately. When spring rolls in, things really start to get busy around the farm. I’m thankful for people like my friend Stacey, from Beauty and the Foodie, who generously offers to write up a incredible recipe to share with my readers! Stacey has so many delicious recipes on her website. Make sure you go like her on Facebook and check out her website loaded with Paleo recipes! Please welcome Stacey! 

Hi there, I’m Stacey, and I blog at Beauty and the Foodie where I create Paleo, primal, low carb recipes and natural DIY beauty and health remedies. I love The Paleo Mama blog, and was thrilled and excited to guest post for her. Not only is her blog amazing and informative, she is also one of the sweetest, kindest, and most genuine individuals you could ever meet.

I love strawberry lemonade and decided that it should become a cake, a Paleo cake that is. I started with a grain free lemon cake, then topped it with a strawberry lemon fruit glaze. I also added some chia seeds for extra nutrients, and the seeds are optional if you have chia seed issues. This recipe is also nut free, although some viewers have said that coconut is a nut. I believe coconut is a tropical fruit, but realize that having the word nut in it can be confusing. So, I will say it is nut free, unless you’re allergic to coconuts. I would love to hear your thoughts on this debate: Coconut, is a nut, or a fruit, or something else?

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

Strawberry Topping Ingredients:

Lemon Cake Ingredients:

Kitchen Tools:

Directions:

  1. Preheat Oven to 375 F, and grease or oil an 8×8 pan or 9” cake pan.
  2. If using chia seeds, mix chia seeds with water in small bowl, then put in fridge for 5 minutes to gel.
  3. In a large mixing bowl combine all the strawberry topping ingredients. Add optional chia seed mixture. Mix together and set aside for 15 minutes (will be brown and goopy but will melt and bake into cake).
  4. In a second, large mixing bowl combine all the lemon cake ingredients. Mix together well, breaking up any coconut flour clumps.
  5. Spoon lemon cake batter into prepared pan. Spread cake batter around evenly in pan.
  6. Spoon the strawberry topping evenly over the top of cake batter by spooning small spoonful’s of strawberry mixture at a time.
  7. Bake at 400 for 30 to 35 minutes, or until center is done.
  8. Remove from oven, cool, and serve. Store uneaten portions in the fridge.

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