The Paleo Mama

Homegrown and Handmade

Paleo Education

Wait…You’re Christian and You Eat Paleo?!

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caveman

Throughout my week, I get quite a few emails and Facebook messages from my followers. The truth that I am a Christian bleeds out onto my blog posts and often into my daily encouragement to others. I just can’t help it! 😉 Many say to keep your beliefs and political opinions off your page, but I can’t sometimes, and never will change who I am…let alone what I want to say. I am not very good at holding my tongue…in good situations and in bad. A majority of my emails are from others who are confused on how I can be a Christian at the same time as being Paleo. Many give me encouragement for being the first Christian Paleo that they have ever known. And then others are, well lets just say, are not so nice. You see, people link Paleo to evolution.  You might be surprised to hear that I do believe in the evolution of some species. I do not believe in the evolution of our ancestors from mangy looking, hunched over, cavemen to straight and upright human beings. I don’t know how old the earth is, nor do I very much care or ever want to end up in a heated debate over it.  I do know how long it took to be created.

Whatever the case may be…

I am Christian.

I am Paleo.

You can be both.

You can be Christian and you can be Paleo because Paleo, is just a way of eating…nothing more.

So before I write anything else, here’s my disclosure: I am not writing this to debate religions, creeds, or claims. I am not writing this to convince you that Christianity is the only way. I am not writing this to start a fight or argument.

I am writing this because I want to encourage those who are Christian that eating Paleo can compliment a Christian lifestyle.

But how can I be a Christian and follow Paleo? 

1. Paleo is not a religion . First of all, I’ve never scrutinized this before…nor I have I ever thought that I couldn’t eat Paleo because I am a Christian. I don’t think Paleo is a religion, thus I feel I can be a Christian and follow the Paleo way of eating without betraying one-or-the other. Both are completely different. Christian is who I am. Paleo is what I eat. Christian is what I believe. Paleo is something I just credit as useful and makes my body feel good. One is something I cannot change…not even on a bad day. The other is something that DOES and CAN change, depending on if I want to indulge and eat a brownie. One I can’t walk away from. The other I can walk away from….and very easily.

2. “Well, didn’t Jesus eat grains?” I don’t hate bread, nor do I think it’s evil. I just don’t eat bread and grains because they are, to me, an inferior source of nourishment. They are, mostly, genetically modified and DO NOT resemble the grains that were spoke about in the Bible days. After eliminating them from my diet, then adding them back in moments of “indulgence”, I am now aware of the effects they have on my body. So, I choose not to eat them. This article at Wellness Mama talks in-depth about what, specifically, the Bible says about grains. A few points:

  • the grains of the Bible are much different from the grains of today
  • the grains of the Bible were prepared much different from the grains of today
  • grain consumption didn’t begin till after the Fall
  • grains were eaten in times of hardship
  • meat is linked with times of celebration or redemption
  • Jesus is the Bread of Life

3. I believe my body is a temple so I treat it well. I am attracted to eating Paleo because it is a very clean way of eating. Eliminating processed foods, growing and harvesting your own food, eating foods that are good for your body…all fall under the eating Paleo. Eating Paleo has grown in me a love for real food…a love for our local, hard-working farmers, and a love for cooking good, healing foods for my family. It has made me conscious about what I feed my children, about what I feed my pets, and about what I feed myself. I’ve had amazing results from eating Paleo. It has helped with depression, it has helped me lose over 60lbs, it has helped my energy levels and helped me sleep better. Should I discredit those results because some people believe that the Paleo diet is the same diet as our “pre-human” ancestors?  When you hear testimonies like mine, does it matter if I believe in evolution or creation? 

4. There is nothing in the Bible that tells me not to eat a Paleo diet. In fact, in Genesis 18 God, personally, sits down and has a meal with Abraham. What did he eat? He ate red meat, butter, and raw milk (He, also, ate very high quality, properly prepared bread…this is how things have changed). I believe that God has given us a perfect menu on this beautiful earth He has created. I believe He gave us things to eat that would nourish our bodies, grow our bodies, keep our bodies healthy, and build strong beings. I believe He created natural remedies for sicknesses and that the food He created should be our medicine. I don’t believe in changing the genetic molecule of our foods. I don’t believe in filling our foods with unnatural preservatives. And I don’t believe in filling our foods with garbage.

5. Eating Paleo complements my Christianity. It has taught me to appreciate the whole animal. It has taught me to consume all the animal and not waste anything. It has brought about a respect for God’s creation that just, simply, being a Christian never did. It has taught me to source our meat and love our food that we eat. The day will come that we will start butchering our own chickens, rabbits, pigs, and cows. Paleo has taught me to treat them well and to show gratitude to them for providing nourishment for our bodies; to give them a good life for the food they will provide for my family. As Christianity bleeds onto every aspect of my life, so has eating Paleo.

Conclusion

Paleo is not a religion and to treat it as one is just ridiculous. The main reason people cannot get over the whole “how can you be a Christian and Paleo?” is because of the evolution aspect. Once again, Paleo isn’t a religion, nor is evolution a religion. Just as grains should not be the focus of Christianity, evolution should not be the focus of Paleo. The beautiful part of eating Paleo is that you are eating the cleanest your body, probably, ever has. You are making steps towards limiting processed foods, sourcing good, sustainable meats, shopping as organic as possible, and, maybe, you are even growing a garden now.

Paleo changed my life. Christ has changed my life. Because of Paleo, we are now homesteading, raising goats, chickens, and growing organic food. Because of Christ, we are living our life to the fullest, acting upon our dreams, and celebrating the beautiful life God has given us. Christianity fulfills me spiritually, whereas, Paleo fulfills me morally and ethically when it comes taking care of God’s creation. It also fully fills my belly!

For more reading on this topic: 

 

 

 

Baby Led Weaning the Paleo Way

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babyledweaning

My son was 4 months old when I started eating Paleo. I knew that I wanted to introduce solid foods to him at around 6-7 months or when he started showing signs of readiness. When he started grabbing at my plate and sticking my food in his mouth, I knew he was ready! I wanted to do baby led weaning with him…and I knew I wanted to do it the Paleo way (if there was one!).

What is Baby Led Weaning?

Simply put, baby led weaning means letting your baby feed themselves. You just put out the food for them to grab and they feed themselves. Baby led weaning, also, does away with puree foods. In essence, you give large chunks of food for the baby to gnaw on. No spoon is involved. No ice cube trays. No time spent making homemade pureed baby food. No money spent on expensive homemade baby food equipment. You give your baby what you are eating in pieces that they are able to pick up and eat. At around 6 months, most babies are ready for the small step into solid foods. By allowing them to control what they eat and HOW MUCH, you give them a jump start into appreciating and loving real food.

One of the negatives about spoon-feeding babies is that they do not control how much food is put into their bellies. Often they have issues with constipation, gas, and the feeling of being overfull. With baby-led weaning, the baby is allowed to suck and lick their food in large chunks. They control what they swallow. They are able to learn from the beginning how to properly chew their food. And just a forewarning, gagging is completely normal and you don’t need to freak out. I can’t even tell you how many times my son gagged on his food when he was learning how to chew and swallow. With spoon-feeding pureed baby food, the baby doesn’t learn how to chew their food from the start. You have to teach it to them much later in their toddlerhood, which can be very frustrating.

Why I Chose Baby-Led Weaning: 

  1. I was very attracted to this concept because we were eating Paleo. We were eating whole foods, no canned or frozen dinners. I knew I didn’t want to give cereal as a first food because of all the information I had read on how terrible cereal was as a first food for a baby. Not only does it replace more healthy foods, but babies, also, can’t digest grains well. Plus, I wasn’t eating grains because of their negative affect on my body, so why would I give my child grains as a first food?
  2. It is a lazy (easy) way to feed your child! Seriously, baby-led weaning was so easy. The concept is to give your child what you are eating. And the best thing about this is that it forces you to eat healthy because your baby is going to be eating the same food!
  3. Going out to a restaurant became so simple. And with a 2 year old and a infant in tow, I needed easy. I didn’t have to pack a small cooler with pureed foods for my son. I fed him off my plate!
  4. Baby-led weaning saved me time. Instead of spending hours pureeing his food, freezing it, and then thawing it to serve, I spent that time making a healthy meal for the whole family. There were times that I would mash the food up for him, but he never let me spoon feed him.
  5. The top 2 allergies of infants/toddlers is…drum roll…dairy and gluten. Egg whites is, also, pretty high. So, I wanted to avoid these altogether.
Feeding himself with a spoon at 8 months!
Feeding himself with a spoon at 8 months!

When I started eating Paleo, it wasn’t very popular. There weren’t many cookbooks or blogs about it. And there, definitely, wasn’t any information on doing baby-led weaning AND Paleo. However, I found that my son was naturally drawn to the taste of real food. And even though you may choose to do baby-led weaning, you still want to choose their first foods very wisely.

Eating steak and eggs (just turned 1)
Eating steak and eggs (just turned 1)

My Recommendations for First Foods in Order:

I recommend you, slowly, introduce solid foods to your baby. Reason being, you need to watch for any allergies. So, give it a good 4 days after you give your baby a new food before introducing another food. In those 4 days, if your baby shows any sign of allergies or extreme fussiness, hold off on giving that food again.

  1. Pastured Egg Yolk and Bone Stock – this should be the first food you let your baby try. Most babies, if allergic to egg, are allergic to the egg white. Softly cook this for them, add a little sea salt, and let them play with it and lick it off their fingers. Give them a small bowl of bone stock and let them suck it off their fingers. It’s filled with vitamins and minerals for them!
  2. Avocado – I loved avocado for my kids because it required no cooking. I slice them long so little hands can grab and gnaw on them.
  3. Sweet Potato – easy on the tummy and very tasty! We added a little butter (watching carefully for any allergies) and cinnamon. I served it in large chunks so he could hold them in his tiny hands and chew on the pieces.
  4. Squash of all kinds – I made squash the same way as sweet potato. Roasting them bring out a delicious flavor. Season the squash well and let your baby play!
  5. Carrots – peel and roast in stalks. Give whole stalks to your baby and allow them to gnaw on them.
  6. Broccoli/Cauliflower – be careful of gas! Leave in large pieces for your baby to hold. Add salt and olive oil/or butter to make it tasty!
  7. All other vegetables – give your baby all other vegetables from your plate! Now it’s starting to get fun, right?
  8. Meats of all kinds and organ meats – we started with roasted chicken legs…giving them to our son whole so he could gnaw on the end. He LOVED and still loves chicken legs! We then moved onto beef, then pork, then fish.
  9. Banana/Papaya/Pears – easier on the tummy than other fruits and softer.
  10. All other fruits – I preferred to introduce fruits last because I wanted my kids to not prefer the taste of sweet fruits. I wanted them to eat all other foods before they tried fruits.
Gnawing on a chicken leg
Gnawing on a chicken leg

After you have introduced all these foods and there are no present allergies, your baby can have whatever you are cooking! Yes, it really is that easy. You should wait till your baby is a year old before introducing egg whites or honey since those are also known to cause allergies.

As you can see, baby-led weaning the Paleo way is…

  • simple
  • less time consuming
  • extremely nutritious
  • and allows your baby to have control

As parents there are a few things in life that we just can’t control much, and one of them is what your children choose to eat. You can force feed, which I don’t recommend, but the more fun mealtimes will be if you just let your baby/child guide you in what they will eat. By starting them early on healthy foods, you give them a love for the real, whole foods.

Eating pieces of bratwurst and quartered cuts of grapes
Eating pieces of bratwurst and quartered cuts of grapes
I see a chicken leg and half eaten Scottish Egg!
I see a chicken leg and half eaten Scottish Egg!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paleo Meal Planning Made SOOOO Easy!

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Meal planning is a time-saver and a money-saver. It makes eating real food much easier when you have a plan and you have the food already in the fridge ready to go. Cause, let’s face it, real, whole, unprocessed food takes more time to make. Paleo meal planning  requires time to find recipes, sit down and organize, make a plan, shop, and then throw it all together. WHEW!  Some of us don’t have much time to spare with kids running around the house, working all day, and being exhausted on our off times. The last thing you may want to do is sit down and plan a weeks worth of meals.

Let me make your life easier by suggesting Paleo Meal Plans by Holistic Squid!! I started using these meals plans a few months ago when we were in transition and moving and it has saved me so much hassle. I, seriously, don’t even have to think about food for the week and what I’m going to make for my family. And a great thing about these meal plans is that there is a Real Food Meal Plan which is not 100% Paleo but it is 100% real food. So, if you are not completely Paleo, you still have a great option!

Click here for more info!

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Here’s what you get for subscribing to Holistic Squid Meal Plans:

  • A detailed shopping list to save you time and money
  • Your schedule for the week laid out day by day (with one main cooking day and minimal time in the kitchen)
  • Recipes for 5 dinners – plus an extra – with enough leftovers to cover most of your lunches too!
  • One double recipe each week to bank “fast food” in the freezer
  • Bonus recipes each week so you always have Real food handy
  • Gluten and dairy-free options – for those with special dietary needs

Click here for more info!

Go check out these great meal plans and download a free weekly sample!

  1.  Paleo Meal Plan
  2. Real Food Meal Plan!

 

 

 

Cultivating the Love of Real Food in Our Children, Guest Post for Paleo Parents

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cultivating

I had the incredible honor of guest posting for Paleo Parents. If you don’t know who Paleo Parents are, well then you need to go check them out. Their blog and cookbooks have been such a major part of my life as a Paleo family. I love everything that they stand for and their constant encouragement is so refreshing in this day-of-age.

Please go visit their page to read my guest post: Cultivating the Love of Real Food in Our Children

***Click here to read it!***

Also, Paleo Parents have put out two AMAZING Paleo cookbooks:

1. Eat Like a Dinosaur – a cookbook designed for kids!

2. Beyond Bacon – a cookbook designed for cooking with all parts of the hog!

Don’t forget to go read my post on why it’s so important to raise kids that appreciate and love their food. I give suggestions for involving them in the whole process of “farm to fork” and, also, give some great children’s book suggestions that help to cultivate that love of real food!

***Click here to read my post on Paleo Parents!***

 

40 Days of Gluten Free School Lunches

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It’s about that time again! School is starting, or has started for a lot of you. Sending healthy gluten free school lunches with your child is COMPLETELY possible. Let me show you 40 photos of my kid’s healthy gluten free school lunches that I have collected! I guess I should disclose that my family is not 100% Paleo…you will see a few things that fall in our 20% non-Paleo, like dairy, Nut Thins, and some rice. However we do try to stay completely gluten-free.  I hope you get some ideas and enjoy packing healthy gluten-free school lunches for your kids!

Like the lunchbox? Get it here!

lunch1
Farm fresh egg, spinach and tomato salad with evoo/balsamic dressing, sauerkraut, and a Aidell’s chicken sausage
Broccoli, olives, apples sprinkled with cinnamon dipped in raw honey, leftover crockpot chicken, and apricots
Broccoli, olives, apples sprinkled with cinnamon dipped in raw honey, leftover crockpot chicken, and apricots
Tangerine, carrots, ham roll ups, Kerrygold cheese, banana chips and raw honey, and a apricot leather heart!
Tangerine, carrots, ham roll ups, Kerrygold cheese, banana chips and raw honey, and a apricot leather heart!
Lacto-Paleo lunch: carrots w/evoo and vinegar dip, grapes, cottage cheese with blueberries, ham roll ups, and 2 chocolate covered almonds <2
Lacto-Paleo lunch: carrots w/evoo and vinegar dip, grapes, cottage cheese with blueberries, ham roll ups, and 2 chocolate covered almonds<2
lunch5
Grapes and carrots, plantain chips, apples w/cinnemon, and a homemade (grain free) chicken nugget
lunch6
Grapes, blueberries, fruit rope, “monster eggs” (Brussel sprouts), turkey and mustard, and 2 choc covered almonds!
lunch7
Boiled egg, olives, raspberries, grapes, trail bar, and Fauxtato salad
lunch8
Apples, Nut Thins, cherry fruit leather, Pistacchios, and boiled shrimp w/ketchup! Someone is gonna be so happy to see shrimp ♥
lunch9
Paleo Pumpkin Muffin, tangerine, Nori(seaweed) chips, PaleoKit*, and dark chocolate! PaleoKit: amzn.to/1173LBr

 

lunch10
Lunch on a stick (and Arianna’s surprise caught on camera): olives, hormone free hot dog, and olives!
lunch11
Fruit leather, strawberries, leftover chicken to dip in mustard, cucumbers, and Enjoy Life choc chips
lunch12
Strawberries, turkey and cheese pinwheels, olives and tomatoes, applesauce, and Enjoy Life choc chips!
lunch13
Cheese, strawberries, cantaloupe, olives, leftover pork, and choc chips
lunch16
Nut & fruit mix, carrots w/oil & vinegar dip, apples, PBJ on Food for Life almond bread,  and dark chocolate chips
lunch17
Blueberries, carrots w/PB dip, Nut Thins, Cherry Tomatoes, Apricot fruit leather hearts, and a Sandwich on a Stick
lunch18
Trail mix, olives and tomatoes, plantain chips, turkey roll ups, and dark chocolate dessert!
lunch19
Carrots and natural PB, ham and cheese rollups, olives and grape tomatoes, apples and chocolate 🙂
lunch20
Genoa salami, olives with oil and vinegar dip, blueberry stuffed strawberries, grapes, cottage cheese, and cashew Lara bar
lunch21
Summer sausage, farm egg, carrots and natural PB, clementine, natural applesauce, and 2 pieces of dk chocolate for a treat!
lunch25
Boiled farm egg, cherry tomatoes, pepperoni and Applegate Hot dog, Ants on a Log, cottage cheese with grapes, and fruit leather stars!
lunch26
Carrot chips, blueberries, grapes, sandwich roll ups, cottage cheese and a fruit stick
lunch27
Special Easter lunch
lunch28
Meatball, Nuthins, Medjool dates, pistachios, blueberries, apples, applesauce w/cinnamon on top and some fruit leather stars for a treat!
lunch29
Blueberry/coconut protein ball, pecans, cantaloupe, salami & ham roll, carrots, Icelandic yogurt, and fruit rope for dessert!
lunch31
Farm egg, cherry tomatoes, carrots and almond butter, Nut Thins, dates, ham and roast beef roll ups, and cookie for desert!
lunch32
Turkey, ham, pep pinwheel, cherry tomatoes, braised green beans, blueberry Icelandic yogurt, oranges, and 2 fruit leather hearts for a treat!
lunch33
Marinated roasted beets, chicken stuffed ham rolls, veggie straws, pears and carrots, and chocolate chips for a treat!
lunch34
Edamame, turkey rolls, olives & strawberries, pineapple, apples, and buckeye for a treat!
lunch35
Cherry tomatoes with dip, carrots and celery, Nut Thins, raisins, pistachios, olives and hot dog on a stick, and a cookie for a treat!
lunch36
Ham roll-ups, Veggie Sticks, walnuts, raisins, Nut Thins, cherry tomatoes, and kiwi!
lunch37
Cherry tomatoes, olives, oil and vinegar dip, Nut Thins, pistachios, kiwi, pepperoni, chicken rolls, and a cookie for dessert!
lunch38
Orange slices, olives, boiled egg, Nut Thins & pepperoni, Ants on a Log, and mini chocolate chips for dessert!
lunch39
Blueberries, clementines, edamame, tuna salad inside Nut Thins, homemade Greek yogurt topped with maple syrup and raisins and surrounded by walnuts, and a mini Hershey bar for dessert!
lunch40
Rolled ham, cherry tomatoes with evoo and balsamic dip, dill pickles, raisins, and cottage cheese (Primal)
real 1
Olives, blueberries, banana, fruit leather hearts and AB on an Ezekiel Tortilla
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Fresh berries, boiled farm egg, olives, fruit leather & raisins, pistacchios, and a PB rice cake smiley face 🙂

 

realfood4
Simple lunch: cantaloupe, carrots, and roasted turkey leg
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Italian Mobster: turkey roll ups, olives, green beans and peas
realfood6
Mommy/daughter lunch date 🙂 Olives, Pistachios, steak, tomatoes, cucumbers, oil and vinegar dip, and Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips.

realfood7

 Foods and Items I frequently used:

On days you want to send HOT leftovers, I recommend this Thermos to keep it hot till lunchtime!

 

Shared on: Tasty Traditions, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Thank Your Body, Natural Family Today, Old Fashioned Friday, Girl Meets Nourishment, and Holistic Squid

20 Recipes Using Bacon Fat!

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baconfat

Paleo is so liberating! Before Paleo, I used to shun away from fat and gave into the whole “low-fat” culture. I hung that up 2 years ago when I began my journey into eating whole, real, unprocessed foods and realized that saturated fat is not what’s killing us.  And the best thing Paleo has done for me is given me a love for BACON! Oh I heart bacon…and I no longer feel bad about eating it, as long as I do in moderation. I’ve continued to lose weight and I continue to feel amazing all the while eating bacon a few times a week. We cook it on our griddle which cooks it perfectly. We prefer thick sliced bacon and try to get bacon that comes from pastured pigs.

A few years ago, I would just throw the bacon fat away, but as I was becoming more aware that bacon fat is not bad for your body and it makes food taste even more delicious, I started saving it and using it in various ways.

How to Save the Fat: once the bacon fat has cooled, pour it into a little jar and store it in the fridge. Some people recommend straining it to prevent any larger clumps of bacon or fat from going into the jar. Scoop it out as needed.

In the fridge, bacon fat will last for months and months (especially if you are careful about making sure all the chunks of bacon are out of it) and even several YEARS!  Ask your grandparents! Just give it the “whiff” test before using. If you have large amounts of bacon fat to save, you can toss it in your freezer.

On the countertop, bacon fat will last for several weeks. It’s best to put it in the fridge to prevent it from becoming rancid.

20 Delicious Recipes Using Bacon Fat

1. Roasted Beet & Basil Salad with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette – Oh my!

baconbeetsalad

2. Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

brusselsprouts

3. Make Bacon Mayo.

4. Use it to fry my Fishy Bites in…or anything else!

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5. Make these Silver Dollar Pancakes with it, subbing out the grapeseed oil for bacon fat! (We order our almond flour from here) 

gluten-free-pancakes-almond-board-california

6. Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits – these are from my FAVORITE cookbook right now, Beyond Bacon! It’s a beautiful cookbook dedicating to the hog! Use bacon fat in place of lard (it’s really the same thing).

sweet-potato-drop-biscuits-from-BeyondBacon-by-PaleoParents-740

7. Stir Fried Eggs!

8. Bacon Fat Vinaigrette Dressing – we make this all the time and it’s delicious!

courtesy of simply recipes
courtesy of simply recipes

9. Maple Bacon Aioli to dip Sweet Potato Fries in!

10. “Cornbread” – follow this recipe, BUT while putting the batter together, add a few TB of bacon fat to the 9″ baking square and melt in the oven. Then add the batter and bake according to directions. No joke…this tastes like cornbread and it’s a staple in our house. (We buy this almond flour)

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11. Bacon Cookies – substitute some bacon fat for the coconut oil!

12. Fry your steak in it!!! OMG!

13.  Yellow Lard Cupcakes (or Cake) – I made these and LOVED them. We substituted bacon fat for lard and it was incredible!

unfrosted cupcakes

14. Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms – if you do dairy, this is amazing!

stuffed-mushroom-recipe-bacon

15. Bacon Deviled Eggs – I have had these a few times and they are sooooooo good!

BaconDeviledEggs3

16. Paleo Roasted Stuffed Tenderloin – doesn’t this look beautiful!

stuffed tenderloin

17. Saute your spinach, in bacon fat!

18. Saute your cabbage in bacon fat!

19. Saute your kale  in bacon fat!

20. Spinach Bacon Potato Frittato – eliminate feta if dairy-free. This is on the menu!

fritatta-finished-for-real

 

So, don’t throw another drop of that delicious bacon fat away! You have no excuse now…eat up and enjoy! 

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You can find some of the ingredients for these recipes here:

Shared at Real Food Forager