The Paleo Mama

Homegrown and Handmade

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Monkey Smoothie (or Monkey Popsicle)

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I’ve posted this simple recipe a few times on my Facebook page and I have had such a great response that I thought I should actually write-up a blog post on it.

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it is soooo filling! My kids LOVE when they hear the blender going! Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Monkey Smoothie (or Monkey Popsicle)

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Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend. If using frozen bananas then you may not need any ice cubes. If you are using unfrozen bananas, then throw in 5-8 ice cubes.

2. Top with raw carob nibs and enjoy!!! Makes enough for 2-3 servings so you can enjoy the smoothie now and freeze the rest!

3. POPSICLES: pour into popsicle molds and freeze! Makes 7 popsicles!

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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’*)

 

Sh*t Paleo Kids Say

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Kids really do say the funniest things! Well, add Paleo to that and a little bit of crunchy and you got your self a hilarious mess!

 

Stealing my Kombucha!

 

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Here are a few things I have heard (and innocent bystanders) my kids say that make me literally LOL:

1. “Can I have my seaweed chips, MOM?”

2. “Mom, can you stop hogging all the KUMbucha and share?”

3. “Can I have some olives?”

4. “Mom, can you give me some coconut water?”

5. “My brother was born in a bathtub.”

6. “Can you wear me this time and not Frankie? I’m tired.”

7. “We drink milk from the hairy coconut.”

8. “My mom puts vinegar in my hair.”

9. “Why do we come to McDonalds to just play and not eat?”

10. “Mom, this milk is GROSS.”

“Oh honey, that is baby milk.” (pumped breastmilk)

11. “Mommy, I didn’t have my honey today yet.”

12. “Stop putting garlic in my ears”

13.  “Stop putting onions beside my bed.”

14. “Can I have my vitamin d drops?”

15. “Can we have brussel sprouts tonight?”

16. “Why is he eating French fries and I have fruit?”

17. “Mom, there’s a diaper in the toilet. I need to go potty. Can you wash this diaper?”

18. “There’s a dryer ball in my pile of clothes.”

19. “There’s a soap nut in my pile of clothes.”

20. “Mom, can I have some more bacon?”

21. “Can I have some more bone broth?”

22. “Can I have some more almond butter on my spoon?”

23. “Why are you putting coconut oil in your hair?”

24. Why are you putting coconut oil on my toothbrush?”

25. “Why are you putting coconut oil on my butt?”

26. “Why are you putting coconut oil in my smoothie?”

27. “Daddy got poop in his eye when he was using the diaper sprayer!”

28. “Papa gave me lots of candy today. Am I in trouble?”

29. “Can I hold those chicken feet before you throw them in the soup?”

30. “Why do people call me weird?”

 

What do your Paleo kids say that you find funny?

 

Serving the Homeless Our Leftovers and Expired Canned Goods

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First, I want to apologize for slacking in the blogging sphere. Life has been intensely busy for us…especially for me. I have been in my studies of pursuing my Doula certification! I am so excited about it. I have had such a fascination with natural birth ever since I had a natural water birth with my son. I feel called to help other women who are pursuing the same kind of birth. I am a massage therapist already and am eager to add Doula training to that!

Anyways, I would like to share something that has been on my mind for years but wondering if there, actually, is a solution to the problem.

Let’s talk about food pantries…

Food pantries give food to the homeless and needy. They are set up by churches and non-profit organizations and we donate to them.  We clean out all our old canned food, you know the “pre-Paleo” food that we don’t eat anymore, and give it to our church’s food pantry.  I am so torn by this. Would you feed your kids food from a food pantry? I know we all would if we were starving and homeless. But I mean RIGHT NOW…if you had the choice, would you feed your kids that food?

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I’m sorry…but they are getting our leftovers. I just feel it is wrong. They are getting junk food, processed garbage, and nothing to nourish their tired bodies. I just think we could do better than this! Couldn’t we? Isn’t there something more we could do to get REAL, whole food to the homeless and needy?

Are there any projects set up that do this? I am searching and searching and haven’t found any. This weighs my heart heavily. My passion and dream would be to one day have a community vegetable garden and real food pantry. I would work with local farms and local hobby farmers that have the same heart and would be willing to donate fresh eggs, meat, milk, veggies, and fruit. I would also buy beans and rice in bulk and separate them in gallon-sized baggies for each person.

However, I realize that when you are used to just opening a can and heating it up, then some education might need to happen. So, I plan on writing out meal plans and instructions to go in each bag!

Can you do this too? Talk with you pastor or find a needy family. Prepare a bag of fresh food with a simple meal plan included and give it to a single, working mother! Let’s try to help the needy a little bit better by not serving them our leftovers and unused, almost expired canned goods! I know we can do better!!!

 

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!