The Paleo Mama

Homegrown and Handmade

dairy free

Iced Bulletproof® Coffee

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I did it…I DID IT!!! I made an Iced Bulletproof® Coffee!!! If you don’t know what a  Bulletproof® Coffee is then go read this post right now and check out the Bulletproof Executive website. This is my adaption of the Bulletproof® recipe.

The first time I tried to make this was a complete fail. What was I thinking throwing butter into the blender with ice?!! What a sticky mess! However, I found the key!

I live in Florida and the thought of a hot coffee in the afternoon just makes me start sweating. So, I wanted to try to make an iced Bulletproof® because I love my Bulletproof® and sometimes I just need that mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Sometimes, I just need the extra fat too in the afternoons. Whatever your case may be, you NEED to try this!!!

Iced  Bulletproof® Coffee

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Step 1: In the morning when you are making your coffee, make about 2-3 cups extra and make it a little stronger. Add an extra scoop or two of coffee.

Step 2: When the coffee is ready grab a mason jar and pour 2-3 cups of coffee into it. (Make your morning Bulletproof® at the same time.)

Step 3: Put (at least) 2TB of Kerrygold butter into the mason jar and 1-2 TB of MCT Oil . This mason jar coffee is going to be your Iced Bulletproof. Blend until frothy with a stick blender. If you don’t have a stick blender you can do this in a blender.

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Step 4: Stick your mason jar coffee in the fridge for later or put a lid on it and bring it to work for later.

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Step 5: When you need your mid-afternoon coffee pick-me-up, pour your mason jar coffee over crushed iced (or regular ice).

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Step 6: Enjoy your fatty coffee and the buzz!

***This method worked for me because I had already emulsified the butter with the hot coffee in the morning. Once it cooled, it didn’t not chunk up. There may be tiny, tiny pieces that stick to the side of your jar or cup, but you will not taste any chunky butter.***

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(*‘Upgraded™ and Bulletproof® are trademarks/service marks of Better Baby LLC’*)

 

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?

 

 

Fishy Bites <><

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This one is for the kids! Ok…I won’t lie, I eat more than the kids do! These are delicious and another frugal way to get some fish into your body!

I’m a HUGE fan (and so are my kids) of these chicken nuggets. They are delicious and freeze really well too. So, I used some of the ingredients from the recipe and adjusted it to make Fish Nuggets or Bites…whatever you want to call it! The first time trying it…it was a HIT! The kids didn’t even know it was fish! Haha! Now they are a weekly thing we make together. The kids love helping with this one!

Hope you enjoy!

Fishy Bites

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Ingredients:

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine 1/4 c almond flour, 1/2 c shredded coconut and some salt/pepper. Pulse a few times till the shredded coconut becomes crumb-size. Set aside on a plate. This is the coating.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the fish, 1/2 c almond flour, onion & garlic powders, eggs, and some salt/pepper. Mix it with your hands until everything has been incorporated. The mixture should be wet enough from the eggs to mold into nugget shapes. If not, add another egg.

3. In a saute pan (or 2 saute pans), melt the coconut oil or your fat of choice over medium heat.

4. Take about 2 tablespoons worth of the fish mixture and roll into the shape of a ball. Drop it into the almond/coconut mixture and roll the fish ball around with your fingers. Make sure it’s completely coated.

5. Repeat with the rest of the fish mixture. Place in the saute pan and cook on each side until nice and brown. I use 2 saute pans and add 1/4 coconut oil to each

6. Enjoy! I mix up some mustard and honey to make honey mustard for us to dip! Delicious!!!

***If you would like to make something similiar but more of a “patty”, check out my Salmon Patties!

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Giveaway: Kaeli-O-Kookies

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It’s about that time again!!! I’m loving all these giveaways…aren’t you?!

Kaeli-O-Kookies has perfected the Paleo cookie! These cookies are delish! They sent me a few to try out and the kids and I gobbled them right up. They are very hearty and filling as well! My personal favorite was the Honey Berry!

Kaeli-O-Kookies is going to giveaway 6 of their fantastic cookies to one lucky winner (3 Honey Berry and 3 Chocolate Chip)!!!

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Honey Berry Ingredients: Almond Flour, Raw Organic Honey, Walnuts, Thompson Raisins, Dried Cranberries, spices (only the Mixologist knows)….

CoCo Chip: Almond Flour, Raw Organic Honey, 100% Pure Maple Syrup, Organic Unsweetened Coconut, Pure Vanilla Extract, 60% Cacao Chips

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How to enter: PLEASE COMMENT ON MY BLOG POST BELOW!!!

1. Like Kaeli-O-Kookies on Facebook: leave a comment saying you “liked” them, or like them already.

2. Like The Paleo Mama on Facebook: leave a separate comment saying you did, or do already.

3. Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter! Leave another comment saying you did.

That’s it! You have the chance of leaving up to 3 SEPARATE blog comments! Giveaway ends March 24, at 9pm. I will use the WordPress plug-in “And the Winner Is” to choose a winner at random.

Week’s Worth of LOCAL Groceries & My Budget!

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I am such an advocate of shopping local! Since my daughter was born, I made the decision to pursue healthier eating and shopping at local Farmer’s Market’s is one of the healthiest, most frugal way to eat better!

This week I’m gonna show you all that I got from my local Farmer’s Market and talk about my weekly food budget. We are a family of 4 and my grocery budget for EVERYTHING (paper products, dog food, household items, batteries, etc) is $200 a week. I get about 80-90% of our food from my local Farmer’s Market and supplement with trips to Costco or Publix.

Today I spent $91 at the market and came out with TONS of groceries! There are a few things that I don’t buy at the market because of the cost. These are…

  • Bacon – I buy that at Costco for cheap
  • Spices
  • Beef and Pork– too expensive for us. I either find a local meat market to purchase “Family Packs” or buy from Costco.
  •  Alcohol – my husband will never give up his beer!
  • Oils, vinegar, and Maple Syrup – I buy them from Costco.
  • Eggs – I usually get these from a local hobby farmer but she was out of them so I bought some today from the market. I usually get them for $3. I found this local lady off Craigslist. At the market today they were $4.
  • Milk – my kids just started drinking raw milk again because I found someone local who sells it. I buy this for $10 a gallon and they get a gallon a week. When it’s out, it’s out.

Here is what I found at my Farmer’s Market…if I remembered the price, I listed it…

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From left to right…

  • 9 bananas, 4 for $1
  • 2 large heads of broccoli, 2 for $3
  • pack of 6 large nitrate free hot dogs, $6
  • HUGE box (6 pints) of strawberries, $9
  • 6 large carrots
  • 2 green peppers
  • 5 yellow squash
  • 3 zucchini
  • 4 avocados, 2 for $3
  • 2 pints of blueberries, $3
  • 5 tomatoes
  • lots of small red potatoes
  • 2 heads of romaine lettuce
  • 1 large cabbage
  • 6 sweet potatoes
  • 1 green onion, $1
  • 1 large bunch of spinach leaves, $1
  • 1lb of Amish butter, $6
  • 2 pints of white mushrooms
  • bunch of red grapes
  • 12 dozen eggs, $4
  • Asparagus bunch
  • 2 whole chickens, 2 for $15

Total = $91!!! Can’t beat that, eh?!?!

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I got a few other things at Publix to supplement this trip:

  • 2 bottles of local wine, BOGO free $9.99
  • Yengling beer, $6.99
  • Yo Kids organic yogurt, $3.50 (I put these in the freezer for a frozen treat!)
  • BOGO watermelon chunks, $1.50 (I make popsicle with these)
  • Thyme – forgot to grab some at the market
  • Parsley – forgot to grab some at the market
  • Vanilla
  • Smoked Paprika
  • 1lb of Boar’s Head chicken cuts, $9

Total = $57

This brings my total spending to $148 for the week!

A few budget points:

I have 2 lbs of ground beef in my freezer and 2 whole chickens from the market today to use in our meals, as well as bacon for breakfast.

I will need to use $10 on milk and $10 on more eggs (we average 4 dozen eggs a week) which brings my total to $168.

I will use the other $30 on buying more meat at some point during the week from Costco. I hope to get a roast and some chicken thighs. We eat out once, maybe twice, a week and never more.

I will not go over my $200 budget. I am pretty good about that. I operate on cash, so when the cash is out, so is the food and I need to be creative with how we use it. Also, I can, and have, cut this budget in half to only $100 a week, while still eating 75% Paleo. I supplement our meals with some rice, discount foods from market deals, and non-organic produce. It is possible, but it is more challenging. You have to really shop around.

Tell me what you find at your Farmer’s Markets and how you work your family budget!!!

 

My Paleo Irish Menu for St. Paddy’s Day

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By the way, it actually should be spelled St. Paddy’s day and not Patty. I just learned that and now you did! I bet you also didn’t know that most the Irish actually eat pork on St. Patrick’s Day, not corned beef! However, we are eating our pork tonight and I’m making Corned Beef for St. Patrick’s Day, which is this Sunday, March 17, 2013.

I actually really love St. Patrick’s Day. We lived in Savannah for 4 years and I kind of fell in love with it there. It’s HUGE there. So, here’s our menu for St. Paddy’s day!  St. Patrick’s Day is traditionally a feast day, celebrating the Patron Saint of Ireland and appreciating the fact that Lenten restrictions have been lifted! So, St. Patrick’s Day usually comes with lots of meat and alcohol!

Beverages:

Homemade Kombucha 

Homemade Apple Kvass

Main Dish:

Reuben Style Cabbage Rolls – can make the corned beef yourself (recipe link below)

Homemade Corned Beef – beef brisket on sale at Kroger (Southeast region) for $3.49lb and pretty cheap at Costco

Sides: 

Faux-tato Salad

Irish Soda Bread

Homemade Sauerkraut – will also be used in the Cabbage rolls

Dessert: 

Shamrock Shake – this was given to me by a Facebook follower:

1 can coconut milk or 1 3/4 cup other milk choice
1 avocado peeled and seeded
1-3 Tbsp raw honey
1 cup ice
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Blend and enjoy!!

That’s it! We should be stuffed and plump by the end of the day but our tummies should definitely appreciate this meal. There is quite a bit of fermented foods and beverages in this meal. In fact, the sauerkraut, kvass, and corned beef must be started tonight or tomorrow to be done by Sunday!

Lots of [Irish] luck to you!!!!