The Paleo Mama

Homegrown and Handmade

Starting Paleo

The Paleo Survival Guide: Getting Started with Paleo

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In the two years that I have been blogging about eating Paleo, the MOST asked question is, “How do I start?” It can be very overwhelming for you…I know…I have been there. Throw transitioning a family into that mix and you are so overwhelmed that you don’t even start.

You can scour the internet for hours and hours on how to start eating Paleo and you will find a lot of information. However, you won’t find it all in one spot. You will have to search:

  • “How do I transition my family?”
  • “How do I eat Paleo when I’m out of the house?”
  • “What kinds of foods should I eat when I’m sick?”
  • “What do I eat when I’m at parties?” 
  • “What do I feel my Paleo kids?” 
  • …and on…and on…and on.

You quit before you even started! Let me encourage you by suggesting this extremely beneficial book that Sylvie McCracken from The Hollywood Homestead has put together a brand new digital book, “The Paleo Survival Guide: Getting Started with Paleo“. Sylvie has not only written a book for you, no, she has written you a survival manual! This book is going to help you make the transition to eating Paleo so much easier.

Sylvie is a walking testimony of how Paleo has changed someone’s life completely. She has lost 65 lbs since she started eating Paleo and weight loss was not even her main goal.

You see, being overweight or underweight is often not the problem. It is a symptom of a problem. When you’re body finds health, it will most likely self-adjust on the weight front quite a bit. – Sylvie McCracken

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10 Reasons Why I Love this Book?

  1. 50% of the book is information that will be extremely beneficial to your success with Paleo. Actually, 100% is beneficial, but 50% is a manual. The other 50% is recipes that will help you get started.
  2. It starts at the bottom and addresses what Paleo, truly, is.
  3. It talks about how Paleo is safe for kids.
  4. It talks about how to afford eating Paleo.
  5. It talks about reluctant spouses who don’t want to eat Paleo. I had one of those! He’s a firm believer now.
  6. It talks about Paleo in times of sickness
  7. It addresses how to eat Paleo On the Go and when traveling.
  8. It addresses sleep, exercise, and managing stress.
  9. It’s loaded with 45 recipes to get you going.
  10. But you know what my favorite reason why I love this book? Because she is a mom just like me. She has 3 kids and she is making Paleo work for her family. You can see that health and happiness is evident in her family’s life because of Paleo.

Oh, the delicious recipes…did I mention the recipes?

Baby Broccoli Salad

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Bacon Guacamole 

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Sneaky Green Popsicle (aren’t they adorable?) 

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Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

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Hollywood Homestead is offering my readers a special discount of 20% off if you order it today!!! Coupon Code: PALEOMAMA !

CLICK HERE TO ORDER! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

Shopping Paleo at BJ’s Wholesale Club

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I did my grocery shopping today at BJ’s Wholesale. I didn’t want to sign up for a membership because I have a Sam’s and Costco membership, but I received a free 2 month membership incentive in the mail and thought I would give it a try.

I have to say…I am quite impressed. They have MUCH more organic produce than Costco even does. I love Costco and find a lot of Paleo items there, but it’s a 20 minute drive for me. BJ’s is right down the road!

Here’s a few things I loved about BJ’s:

***Note: I buy organic when I can find it and when I can afford it into our budget***

  • They are CHEAP! REALLY cheap…even their organic foods are cheap.
  • They have Kerrygold butter!
  • They have a MUCH larger selection of natural household cleaners.
  • They have large quantities…but they also have small quantities. So, if you are single, or it’s just you and your partner, then BJ’s would still be awesome! They had large packages of their meats (5lbs) and smaller packages (2lbs)!
  • LOTS of organic produce!
  • A good selection of healthy snacks for the kids (nuts, fruit leather, Buddy Fruit applesauce pouches, organic yogurt (if you do dairy), cases of olives, and good selection of fruit (some organic).

Here’s a few things I bought at BJ’s and what I spent:

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  1.  Stretch Island Fruit Leather (all fruit), 30 pieces: $6.99 – These are usually $0.50 a piece in the grocery store.  At BJ’s, you can get it for half the price!
  2. Organic Girl Superfoods Green Mix, 1lb: $4.99
  3. English Cucumber, 2ct: $2.79
  4. 1lb bag of Kale: $1.99
  5. Green Pepper, 4ct: 4.99
  6. HUGE bag of Organic Peas: $6.49
  7. Red Pepper, 4ct: $4.99
  8. Bananas, 3lbs: $1.49
  9. Almond Milk, 86oz: $3.49
  10. Organic Celery, 3 hearts: $3.79
  11. Applegate Smoked Turkey Deli cuts, (2) 7oz packs: $7.69
  12. Applegate Forest Ham Deli cuts, (2) 7oz packs: $7.29
  13. Applegate Beef Hot Dogs, (2) 12oz packs, $8.29
  14. Organic Fuji Apples, 5lbs: $8.99
  15. Black Olives, 6 cans: $6.89
  16. Organic Carrots, 5lbs: $4.49
  17. Blueberries, 18oz: $6.99
  18. Ground Pork, 2.5lbs: $4.98
  19. Beef Stew Meat: 5lbs: $17.08
  20. YoKids Organic Yogurt Squeezers, 16 tubes: $5.99 (this is the only dairy my kids get…I freeze them)
  21. Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes, 6 cans: $5.99
  22. Kiwi, 3lbs: $5.49
  23. Buddy Fruit Applesauce Pouches, 12ct: $7.79
  24. Lara Bars, 12ct: $10.99 – *unfortunately, these were the Uber Lara Bars which have brown rice syrup in them…so not 100% Paleo

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Non-Paleo Food Items (yes, I am human) and Household Stuff:

  1. Giradelli Chocolate Chips, 5lbs: $8.99
  2. Veggie Straws: $4.99
  3. Jimmy Dean Turkey Links: $8.99
  4. Basmati Brown Rice: $4.99 – (I buy this to go with my Asian foods at parties where some people don’t get Cauliflower Rice)
  5. Kids Shampoo, 4pk: $5.99
  6. Hydrogen Peroxide, 2pck: $2.29 (I use this for bleaching)

Total Spent: $210.00 – $10 over my weekly food budget

I allot $200 a week to groceries. This covers all household supplies, dog food, cleaning supplies, and anything else. This week, I am using these meats from my freezer: Tilapia, chicken breasts, and Salmon. I, always, buy my meat in larger portions and split them up, then freeze.

What else do you find at BJ’s Wholesale Club that is Paleo-worthy?

 

 

 

What’s in My Fridge (Part 2: 3 Part Series on Freezer, Fridge, & Pantry)

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Earlier this week I wrote about the Paleo foods that I keep in my freezer. If you didn’t see it, go check it out! Today, I’m sharing the Paleo foods I store in my fridge. As always, every brand recommendation is because I use and believe in it.

In my last house, I had a fridge in the garage and 2 deep freezers. It was great! I used to get 15 dozen eggs at a time and store them in the fridge in my garage. However, we are limited on space now, and I just have the fridge in our kitchen.

Most of my foods I get at a local farmer’s market. I also shop at Costco. Check out my list of 50 Paleo food items I found at Costco and 36 Paleo food items I found at Sam’s Club!

Here’s a peak at what is inside my fridge…

1. Farm Fresh Eggs – I’ve said this a few times before. Look on Craigslist for a local hobby farmer who has excess eggs. I found a lady about 4 miles from me who has the BEST eggs I’ve ever had! I love the deep orange yolk color, because it’s a sign of nutrients!

 

Farm fresh Eggs!
Farm fresh Eggs!

2. Sweetleaf Liquid Stevia – we sweeten with stevia. We love it in our coffee, smoothies, and homemade nut milks. We have tried a few different flavors of it and we really like the English Toffee, Chocolate Raspberry and Vanilla!

3. Coombs Grade B Maple Syrup – we prefer grade b syrup for its dark color. This is a great deal on Amazon.

4. Homemade Kombucha – Kombucha is a fermented tea loaded with healthy bacteria and probiotics. Our family drinks a ton of this stuff!

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Homemade Kombucha

5. Homemade Mayo or Store-bought Mayo – I try to make mayonnaise ahead of time but sometimes that just doesn’t happen. In a crunch, I use Woodstock Organic Mayo which is NOT Paleo but it is the best of the store-bought kinds. This falls into our 12-20% non-Paleo part of our diet.

6. Renew Life 50 Billion Probiotics – I keep probiotics in the fridge for when we get sick, have upset tummies, flu-like symptoms, or need immune boosting. We do not take probiotics on a daily basis though because it’s just too expensive for our family of 4. Instead, we drink Kombucha daily which has probiotics in it.

7. Eden’s Yellow Mustard: I love the Eden brand and I love this mustard. It made with raw apple cider vinegar and comes in a glass jar!

8. Bionature Strawberry Jam: we still love jellies and jams! We use them on our pancakes and other baked Paleo goods. This brand I buy at Tropical Traditions and has no sugar and sustainable ingredients.

9. Kerrygold Butter – you may have seen this in my freezer, as well. I keep a lb in my fridge and a backup in my freezer! Can’t ever have too much butter! I buy the Kerrygold butter at Costco for super cheap!

10. MaraNatha Almond Butter – Costco sells a HUGE jar of this stuff for only $6! If you don’t have a Costco, you can get it for pretty cheap on Amazon.

11. Organicville BBQ Sauce – I get a huge 35oz jar of this stuff at Costco for like $4.99. I looked at the Amazon prices and they aren’t even comparable. Please note, this is another condiment that falls into my 20% non-Paleo. The ingredients are pretty good and they are organic, however it uses Agave Nectar to sweeten. So, if you have the time, make your own BBQ sauce!

12. Homemade Sauerkraut – we love sauerkraut! Not only is it another “cheap” probiotic, but it is soooo easy to make. I make them in my quart-sized mason jars.

Homemade Sauerkraut
Homemade Sauerkraut

13. Lots of produce from our local Farmer’s Market! I buy in season and local, which makes produce cheaper and fresher!

Fresh Produce from the Farmer's Market!
Fresh Produce from the Farmer’s Market!

14. Almond or Coconut Milk – my kids had raw cow milk for a while, but we have, once again, switched back to be completely dairy free. Their pediatrician recommended we take them off raw milk because of their seasonal allergies. I try to make a Coconut Milk Tonic for my kids when I have the materials and time. Read my post here on choosing the right coconut milk for your kids.

15. Land O Lakes Heavy Cream – my husband uses this for his coffee.

16. Meat, Bacon, and Deli Slices

17. Dates – I get a 2lb box of dates from Sam’s or Costco. I love them with almond butter inside!

18. Mason Jar Salads – ever since my friend, Dusti, wrote a guest blog post on how she makes mason jar salads for her family…my life has changed! These are genius, time-saving, and convenient.

Mason Jar Salads
Mason Jar Salads

I think that is just about it! What else do you have in your fridge that I didn’t include?

 

 

What’s In My Freezer (Part 1: 3 Part Series on Freezer, Fridge, & Pantry)

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I have had quite a few people request that I do a series on items in my fridge, freezer and pantry. Starting Paleo can seem soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo overwhelming…I know, I’ve been there. My BIGGEST piece of advice I could ever give you is, START SMALL. You don’t need it all at once. I also am not a big fan of Paleo baked goods. I make them because my kids love them, but I suck at baking! And let’s face it, Paleo or “gluten-free” items for baking is not cheap and it HURTS when you pour your money and time into a cupcake and it’s comes out of the oven looking and tasting like a nasty mess.

So, I’m going to share with you what I use and where I buy it. Please know, I do not ever recommend an item unless I use it and can testify to it’s quality. Everything on this list is used by me and LOVED by me!

You will notice I get a lot of stuff from Cosco. If you have a local Cosco, then go read my article on “50 Paleo Foods Found at Cosco for Cheap“!

20 Paleo Foods In My Freezer:

1. Tropical Tradition Coconut Chips: We love these chips. My favorite thing to do with them is to toast them and add salt and cinnamon. Check out this recipe from the Well Fed Cookbook. We also use them in baking Paleo Comfort Food’s Morning Glory Muffins!

2. Tropical Traditions Coconut Flakes: I use the flakes to make my Fishy Bites or chicken nuggets. I, also, have made the Fishy Bites and the Chicken Nuggets and frozen them for an easy lunch for the kids. They freeze great after you cook them!

Fishy Bites
Fishy Bites

3. Tropical Traditions Coconut Flour

4. Cosco Flax Seed

5. Grassfed Ground Meat: I buy this locally at a Farmer’s Market.

6. Cosco’s “low sodium” Bacon: it’s sugar-free but still has nitrates if you are worried about that.

7. Homemade Popsicles: I buy these silicone molds and make popsicles for my kids (and me!).

8. Whole Chickens: this is another thing I buy from our local Farmer’s Market. I get 2 pastured chickens for only $15!!

9. Homemade Chicken Stock: this is so easy to make and so delicious. Check out this post I wrote for Paleo Parents on how to stretch ONE chicken into 4-6 meals!

 

Homemade Chicken Stock!
Homemade Chicken Stock!

10. Cosco’s Whole Bean Coffee: I use an organic coffee bean from Cosco to make my morning Bulletproof Coffee. Have you ever tried putting butter in your coffee? Well you should!

Bulletproof Coffee <3
Bulletproof Coffee <3

11. Cosco’s Adells Chicken Sausage: these come in a 3 pack from Cosco for $15, so I throw 2 packs in the freezer.

12. Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour: I prefer baking with almond flour when I do bake, and Honeyville is the best. In fact there is a 20% off coupon floating around right now! Use coupon code: spring13 to get 20% off your order. Shipping is only $5 anywhere in the US!

12. Butter: I either buy unsalted Kerrygold Butter from Cosco or I get it locally from my Farmer’s Market. I use this in cooking and my Bulletproof Coffee.

Oh yes, butter in my coffee!
Oh yes, butter in my coffee!

13. Strawberries, Blueberries, and Raspberries: I live in Florida and when berries are in season, you can find them really cheap at a local market or a You-Pick Farm! I stock up and freeze them for smoothies and homemade popsicles for the kids!

14. Cosco’s Frozen Organic Green Beans

15. Cosco’s Frozen Organic Broccoli

16. Random pieces of meat: I like to stock up on certain cuts of meat when they go on sale. We REALLY like to buy 1/4th cow and stock it in the freezer. However, this is a big chunk of change up front, and we are currently doing the Dave Ramsey thing, so we are choosing to pay down debt instead of buying bulk meat.

17. Milk: I stock up on almond milk or coconut milk when it goes on sale and freeze it. I’m cheap, have you noticed?

18. Leftovers: I have random leftover foods in my freezer. I love doubling a recipe and freezing it. This makes my busy days tolerable since I can just grab a homemade, frozen, Paleo meal!

19. My Ice Cream Maker:  We make delicious coconut milk ice cream with it and I don’t have to worry about the weird ingredients!

20. Marrow Bones, Chicken Feet, and Chicken giblets: I get marrow bones from a local farmer to make beef stock with. Chicken feet and giblets are for my homemade chicken stock to make it more gelatinous.

What’s in your freezer? Am I missing anything? Hope this list helps you! I would suggest finding a deep freezer! We have saved so much money stocking our foods and freezing them! We found our freezer off Craigslist!

 

36 Paleo Foods Found at Sam’s for CHEAP!

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You may have read my post on 50 Paleo foods I found at Costco for cheap. If you didn’t, then go read it, especially  if you live near a Costco. If you don’t, then, maybe, you have a Sam’s Warehouse nearby. Today I found 36 Paleo food items at Sam’s. There isn’t nearly as much organic options at Sam’s, but there is some budget-friendly food options!

(Disclosure: in writing this list and my Costco list, I never expect for people’s convictions to stop at the door. If you are uncomfortable buying non-organic foods, non-free-range chickens, and non-grassfed meats, then please know that I support that decision. However, for the people who are trying to fit Paleo into their budget and make it work for their families, these foods may be their best and only option. And these unprocessed foods are far superior to frozen country-fried steaks and boxed macaroni and cheese which so many are coming off of. So, please double-check the ingredients and don’t buy anything you’re uncomfortable with. )

36 Paleo Foods Found at Sam’s for CHEAP:

1. Organic Baby Spinach 1lb: $4.48

2. Organic Spring Mix 1lb: $4.47

3. Organic Raspberries 12oz: $6.25

4. Organic Carrots 3lbs: $3.98

5. Sweet Potatoes 5lb bag: $3.48

6. Avocado 5ct.: $3.98

7. Rotisserie Chicken (gluten-free) 3lbs: $4.88

8. Ground Beef 90% lean: $3.48lb

9. Chicken Breast: $1.88lb

10. Whole Chickens: .99 cents per lb

11. Frozen Cod Loins (wild-caught) 2.5lbs: $12.48

12. Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Frozen 2.5lbs: $24.98

13. Frozen Mahi Mahi (wild-caught) 2lbs: $12.98

14. Cape Hake Fillets Frozen 2lbs: $9.98

15: Farmhouse Cage Free Eggs 18ct.: $3.72

16. Medjool Dates 2lbs: $7.48

17: Pom Juice 60oz: $9.98 (I use this to mix with my Kombucha!)

18. Silk Pure Almond Milk 3 half gallons: $7.98

19. Pistachios 3lbs: $15.98

20. Pecan Halves 2lbs: $16.38

21. Whole Almonds 48oz: $11.76

22. Sliced Almonds 32oz: $10.38

23. Shelled Walnuts 32oz: $11.74

24 Pecan Pieces 24oz: $10.68

25. Pure Clover Honey 80oz: $13.88

26. Maple Syrup Grade A 32oz: $13.28

27. Baking Soda 13.5lbs: $6.34

28. Omaggio Imported Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 liter: $7.98

29. Minced Garlic 48oz: $5.48

30: Black Olives 6pk: $6.18

31. Artichoke Hearts 2lbs: $6.38

32 Lara Bar 18ct box: $16.28

33. Clif Fruit Rope 24ct box: $10.58

PRIMAL OPTIONS

34. Kerrygold Spreadable Butter 17.6oz: $6.98

35. Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese: $5.97lb

36. Kerrygold Ballyshannon Cheddar Cheese: $5.97lb

Here my receipt from my latest trip. I do have a few non-Paleo indulgences on there like the Veggie Sticks and Veggie Chips. And the walnut and pecan pieces were over my budget so I had the cashier put them back. I only bought the meat that was on sale because our Farmer’s Market was closed this weekend and I didn’t have a chance to shop around much for sales on more sustainable meats. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. This should last us over a week and, hopefully, into the 2nd week.

sams receipt