Bountiful Baskets

My bouquet of kale and parsley    

   Last night I picked up my bounty from Bountiful Baskets in Midland, TX. I always end up with way more food than I need so, I give some to my parents, my father in law, and brother in law. Not only do we all get fresh and healthy food, we also support our local farmers. Winning!

Look at all this food! So pretty! 

  I recently bought a book by an amazing blogger +Michelle Tam, NomNom Paleo, Food for Humans which is a great read and has tons of yummy recipes. The kale from my basket will be made into crispy kale chips with the recipe from NomNom Paleo. So excited to try out all the fun new food ideas from this great book. Y'all should check it out!

In the Kitchen

    It is 9:42 pm and the smell of breakfast bacon and maple meatballs is wafting through the air. Usually I do not cook this late at night because I have an avid Netflix habit that occupies most of my attention at this hour. The HEB parking lot in Odessa Texas was freaking packed at 1:30 pm when I originally wanted to get my shopping done. So after cussing like a sailor I went home and decided to be domestic because the laundry needed to get done. All the laundry. Since getting hitched I think my beloved has forgotten how the washing machine and dryer work.

     Thankfully, HEB wasn't a total nightmare around 6:30 when I decided to be brave and venture out in search of food. Steven innocently suggested we do grocery shopping on Sunday and order pizza. Hell no my determination to eat paleo and feel better was not about to waver. Not even for extra cheese and pepperoni which can almost always make me weak in the knees.

      I always forget how much I genuinely like cooking until my hands are deep in the muck of a meatball concoction. It's like yoga in that I experience several small changes within myself while cooking. My breathing slows, my posture becomes perfect, and any stress simply melts away as I delve into a list of ingredients. I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I can whip up a meal, any meal. My grandmother was constantly in the kitchen before her death and those memories of cooking with her have stayed with me till this day.

     The recipe and pictures of the yummy meatballs currently in the oven will be in the next blog post.

Primal Cauliflower Casserole (not strict paleo)

 

    I found the blog @PaleOMG and fell in love with how easy and delicious Juli Bauer's recipes are. The recipe mentioned below is fantastic and super easy. Cleaning up my diet has not been easy but I feel better without processed crap in my system. Food blogs like +Michelle Tam, +Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations, and of course @PaleOMG have helped me on this paleo journey of mine. If only I can convince +Steven Larizza that most vegetables are not poisonous and that eating ice cream cannot be substituted for an entire meal, unless your knee is as swollen as a cantaloup.

 

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 2 heads of cauliflower
• 4-5 pieces of bacon
• 6 green onions
• 1- 1½ sticks of pastured butter
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 6 oz of chèvre (goat cheese)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Cut up cauliflower. Put in large stock pot and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil on high heat. Continue boiling until cauliflower is very soft when stuck with a fork. Drain in colander.
3. While cauliflower is cooking, bake bacon in oven on 400 for 15 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towel and then crumble.
4. Chop up green onions. Melt butter in stock pot on low heat. Add green onions and sauté until soft. Turn off heat.
5. Return cauliflower to the pot and add heavy cream. Mash with a potato masher.
6. Add chèvre, crumbled bacon, sea salt and pepper to taste. Blend well.
7. Put in baking dish prepared with coconut oil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
8. Serve hot.

Totally Judging Y'all

     I would like to take a moment to be a judgmental Jenny, just a brief moment. While strolling around a supplement store I spotted a huge container of Paleo Protein powder.

     I have used my fair share of protein powders to help me gain size but eating real food and real protein gave me better results. I'm not entirely sure how a processed powder can carry the label of being paleo. This huge container gave me a brief chuckle.

      My judgmental moment is over because to each their own. Hope everyone has a fantastic day!