The Paleo Mama

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Slow Cooked Pears with Lemon and Thyme

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I’m honored to have Julie from Real Fit Mama over here on my blog today sharing a simple, yet decadent recipe.  Julie loves sharing her passion for fitness, health and well-being and I’m so grateful to have her sharing a beautiful recipe with us. Julie authors an amazing book, Real Fit at Any Age, A Fitness Guide to Optimal Health from 1 to 100. Please give Julie a warm-welcome and be sure to follow her Facebook page to keep up with all she is doing! 

Slow Cooked Pears with Lemon and Thyme

pears

Simple to make, the soft warm pears will melt in your mouth.  A perfect desert for any night, they are naturally sweet and full of flavor without any concentrated sweetener.  The thyme adds just a hint of complexity, and boosts the immune enhancing quality of this dish.  Cinnamon is warming and promotes circulation.  It also helps to relieve cold from the outer layer of the body.  Pears themselves nourish the lungs and moisten the body, enhancing skin quality and large intestine function.  To dress them up, simply serve along side vanilla ice cream or top with homemade whipped cream.

All of this in a delicious dessert? Sign me up! Plus, with the slow cooker, they are so easy to make it’s just ridiculous.  Like all good desserts (in my humble opinion), these pears make an awesome breakfast too.  Slow-cooked pears with some warm homemade pumpkin bread, anyone? Or how about with a big side of bacon? Yes yes yes, please for me!

Added bonus: These pears are an adaptation of a traditional Korean cold remedy.  Cooking them fills the house with a rich soothing aroma that stokes your appetite.  With no concentrated sweeteners, they are naturally flavorful and full of health benefits.  Ready to dive in to Autumn? Here we go…

 Ingredients for Slow Cooked Pears:

  • 6 pears, medium ripe and firm
  • 1 TBS butter
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 TBS raisins
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ lemon

ingredients

How to prepare:  

  1. Wash and peel pears.  Then quarter them and remove the cores.
  2. Place in a slow cooker.
  3. Mix juice of ½ lemon with vanilla extract and cinnamon.
  4. Pour over pears.
  5. Sprinkle in raisins.
  6. Add butter.
  7. Place thyme sprigs on top.
  8. Cook on low for 3 ½ or 4 hours.
  9. Serve warm.  Drizzle with juice at bottom of the slow cooker.

pearsincooker

Enjoy!

cookedpears

realfitmama

Julie de Lagarde, Real Fit Mama

Conceived in the belly of my integrative wellness practice, Real Fit Mama was born in early April 2013 as the next generation in my wellness family. I recently started writing and blogging, ready to share what I’ve learned through decades of living and nearly a decade of clinical acupuncture practice. Real Fit Mama has opened doors to allow me a more personal and intimate connection with a broad base of people, based on my experiences as a mom, Real Food eater, athlete, and acupuncturist.  My mission is to inspire and empower people to find connection, joy, and optimal wellbeing.

 

Follow Julie on Social Media! 

 

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Paleo Pinterest Party 11/21/13

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pinterest party

Hey everyone! Have you heard of Pinterest parties? It’s when a bunch of girls (or guys…maybe?!) get together and bring a few dishes from a recipe they found on Pinterest. Hey, you might as well put all that pinning to good use!

They sound so fun so I thought I would create a virtual version of a Pinterest party for my Paleo/Primal followers and bloggers! It will help us connect and share fabulous recipes that we have tried!

Are you following me on Pinterest? If not, click here!

Get ready for a Paleo Pinning Party!!! My Paleo Pinning Parties will take place EVERY THURSDAY so be sure to come back next week for some more pinning fun!

BONUS* All recipes submitted will be pinned onto my Pinterest page and the TOP 5 recipes with the most re-pins will be featured the following week on my blog!!

TOP 5 PIN’S FROM LAST WEEK:

  1.  Paleo Sex in a Pan from Grok Grub– really fun recipe! Decadent and delicious for those days when you’re craving a treat.
  2.  Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free Mini Muffins from Whole Lifestyle Nutrition
  3. Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pie (grain free) from Beauty and the Foodie
  4. Warming Cabbage Soup from Elston Backyard Farms
  5. Homemade Mini Marshmallows by The Sprouting Seed

To be reminded about this Party every Thursday, please sign up for my newsletter!


 

A Day in the Life of “Homeschooling”: From Sheep to Sweater

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My favorite thing about having my kids at home with me is the opportunity to teach them valuable lessons from everyday life. I feel it is so important for them to understand the process of hard work…learning that an egg just doesn’t come from the grocery store…or that a sweater isn’t just as easy as grabbing from Walmart. No, I believe in teaching them the process behind things so that they can fully appreciate what they have.

Lesson from the Land: From Sheep to Sweater – grab your kids and do this with them!

Today’s random lesson came when I saw this picture of a Valais Blacknose Sheep from Switzerland. I called my daughter over to come look at how adorable they are.

sheep

This started the conversation of their wool and how we use their wool to make many, many kinds of clothes. I grabbed my son’s wool sweater and put my new wool socks on and proceeded to tell them the process from sheep to sweater.

Thank God for You Tube! First we talked about sheep and the many uses for them. They have delicious milk, they provide meat, but most of all, people have been using their fur for many, many years. I told them how the farmer let’s their wool grow all year long, but when winter is over, in the spring, he SHEARS them.

“Does it hurt?” asked my daughter.

“Not at all! The farmer has special scissors or clippers that make the job easy. ” Then we watched this video of a farmer shearing his sheep.

They watched it intently for the whole 8 minutes. We watched how carefully he held the sheep and how good the sheep was.

Then we talked about what happens after the sheep is sheared. All the wool is now spun into yarn. Today, it’s easier to do this cause man has machines. But, back in the day, it was a careful process that was all done by hand.

We watched this video of a lady spinning wool into yarn by hand.

We finished off our lesson reading a beautiful book called, “A New Coat for Anna.” I was happy to have this book in our collection and we all snuggled together and read the story. It is about a little girl who needs a new coat. Her mother sets out to find a good farmer with sheep and purchases the wool. She then takes the wool to a lady to spin. Then she takes it to a lady to weave it. And finally she takes the cloth to a tailor to make a special red coat for Anna. The whole process takes a little under a year! It made me realize how much we have forgotten about this whole process of waiting for things to come into season.

If you don’t have the book, you can CLICK HERE to watch a book reading on You Tube.

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It was a wonderful lesson that just randomly happened when we saw a cute little sheep! These opportunities are always available to us…we just need to have a watchful eye for when they pop up!

 

Paleo Weekly Meal Plan on a Budget #4

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mealplan4

I’m going to try to get better about sharing what our Paleo weekly meal plan is for the week. This is free…people pay big bucks for this stuff, but since I love y’all, and I want the best for you, I want you to succeed at eating Paleo, here is a free version. Probably not as pretty, but it is CHEAP. We eat Paleo on a budget…well, kinda. Our budget is $200 a week for a family of 4. This includes ingredients I need for homemade cleaners, detergents, dog food, and office supplies. It doesn’t include our farm supplies though!

If you don’t like this week, feel free to check out the other weekly meal plans I have shared. CLICK HERE. I,also, want to add that we are pretty boring when it comes to food. I don’t make a lot of fancy things…hey, I keep it real. I, also, don’t spend hours in the kitchen. I need quick things to make that are budget-friendly. So, here ya go!

The Paleo Mama Meal Plan On a Budget #4

Monday

  • Breakfast: Local eggs, bacon, and side of fruit. (reserve the bacon grease for Thurs dinner)
  • Lunch: Deli Meat Rollups, sliced cucumbers, and olives.
  • Dinner: Whole Roasted Chicken with Roasted Winter Vegetables (save the bones/organs to make stock for soup on Wednesday. CLICK HERE to see how to make stock following my simple method). Save the leftover chicken for the soup on Wednesday, as well.

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

  • Breakfast: DIY Omelets – Omelet Bar. Kids get to pick what they want in their eggs. Easy peasy!
  • Lunch: Leftover Beef Stroganoff
  • Dinner: Smoky Roasted Butternut Soup with homemade Almond Bread. Top the soup with leftover chicken or boiled eggs for added protein. 

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday: 

Sunday:

  • Brunch: Mexican Breakfast 
  • Dinner: Apple Cider Pork with Rosemary and sautéed apples (to make sautéed apples: peel apples and cut into chunks. Saute in butter, ghee, or coconut oil till soft. Throw walnuts in the pan and toast lightly with the apples. Top with cinnamon!)

>>>CLICK HERE to print the shopping list!<<<

 

I hope you all have a wonderful week…filled with health and love! 

 

-Jackie

 

Butternut and Sweet Potato Puree

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Squash-Sweet Potato Puree 2-1

Today I’m excited forJennifer of Sweet Plantains to share her Butternut and Sweet Potato Puree recipe with us.  Jennifer shared her Chocolate Pecan Pie Energy Bars with us a few months ago and it has been a HIT. Please head over to Sweet Plantains and check out Jennifer’s amazing recipes and don’t forget to follow Sweet Plantains on Facebook! Please welcome Jennifer! 
I just love butternut squash – of all the squashes…it’s my favorite. When Fall rolls around, I’m always the most excited to break open a lovely butternut squash and let that sweet scent fill the air around me. Mmm…

One of the first dishes I made this season was this Butternut and Sweet Potato Puree. A complete experiment, it was the perfect accompaniment to my beef stew one weekend. Now it’s made a weekly appearance at our table!

At first, I called this a mashed potato substitute, but I had to stop myself. Sure, it’s got an amazing thick texture reminiscent to that old standby. And it’s perfect to serve with almost any main course. But this delicious Fall side dish has a personality all it’s own…how could I do it such a disservice, I ask you?

This recipe makes such a nice big batch, that it’s just the thing to serve for the holidays – and unlike mashed potatoes, it’s perfect to make ahead! Just pull it all together the day before, and it’s just as wonderful the next day. How awesome is that?

Butternut-Sweet Potato Puree

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
3 lb Butternut Squash, peeled, de-seeded and cut into 1″ chunks
1 t. dried, ground Lemongrass
1/2 t. ground Cumin
3 T. Butter or Ghee
Salt and Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine the sweet potatoes and squash in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and let simmer until both the potatoes and squash are easily pierced with a fork. Drain. Wipe down the pot with a cloth or paper towel to remove any remaining pieces.

2. Working in batches, if necessary, puree the potatoes and squash in a food processor until quite smooth. Pour the puree into the pot.

3. Add the lemongrass, cumin, and butter/or ghee to the puree and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or whisk until the butter is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Enjoy!

Jennifer is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four. She is an avid cook, health enthusiast, and lover of all things homemade! At Sweet Plantains she shares original recipes, homeschooling tips, parenting thoughts, and anything else that strikes her fancy. In her spare time she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, reading nutrition books, and being barefoot outdoors with her little ones!

Paleo Pinterest Party 11/14/13

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pinterest party

Hey everyone! Have you heard of Pinterest parties? It’s when a bunch of girls (or guys…maybe?!) get together and bring a few dishes from a recipe they found on Pinterest. Hey, you might as well put all that pinning to good use!

They sound so fun so I thought I would create a virtual version of a Pinterest party for my Paleo/Primal followers and bloggers! It will help us connect and share fabulous recipes that we have tried!

Are you following me on Pinterest? If not, click here!

Get ready for a Paleo Pinning Party!!! My Paleo Pinning Parties will take place EVERY THURSDAY so be sure to come back next week for some more pinning fun!

BONUS* All recipes submitted will be pinned onto my Pinterest page and the TOP 5 recipes with the most re-pins will be featured the following week on my blog!!