Stuffed Bell Peppers

Printable Recipe

 

I've been super busy preparing for our local farmer's market that I sell my gluten-free baked goods at. Thanksgiving is also around the corner and I've had to mentally prepare for that so I needed something quick and easy to throw together and this was truly delicios!

Other things I'm thinking about lately is opening up a food truck business (Paleo and GF items only), writing an e-book, and selling to one of our local mom&pop shops.

Life is busy, isn't it? Phew!
 

Well, here's a delicious paleo and/or primal meal all in one. It has the carbs, proteins and fats all in one pretty little package. Now, this recipe does include cheese so if you don't eat cheese, leave it out. Just add some salt and pepper and you're good to go!

 

Ingredients:

Serves 2

2 green bell peppers

1/2 - 3/4 pounds ground meat. beef, chicken, turkey, sausage.. whatever you like

3/4cup crushed tomatoes

1/2cup onion, diced

1/4cup bell pepper, diced (see notes below)

S&P (salt and pepper) to taste

1/4cup cheese, shredded

 

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and preheat a skillet over medium heat.
Slice off the tops of the bell peppers and reserve them for future use. Remove the seeds/ribs on the inside and discard. Using a knife, remove the stem from the tops of the bell peppers you just sliced and dice into bite sized pieces.

In a medium skillet, add the ground meat, onions and bell peppers and cook thoroughly (about 8-10 minutes) and season with salt and pepper. Drain the excess fat and place back in the skillet or clean bowl. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir thoroughly. Scoop the mixture into the bell peppers and top with cheese.

 

In an oven-safe dish, add a tiny bit of water - about 1/4 cup - and place the bell peppers inside and then bake about 40-45 minutes until the peppers have softened.

 

*Tip* If you want to make a lot of these and freeze them, make it all the way up to where you stuff the peppers then freeze them. When you want to bake these, transfer to an oven-safe dish and immediately bake. Do not defrost these. Baking times will be longer since it's frozen.

 

Eat and enjoy!



Greens. Southern Style.

Greens. Southern Style.

Printable Recipe

 

 

 

To me, growing up in the south meant that there was usually greens and cornbread on every menu in town. It's surprising how that has somewhat gone away now but I guess people just forget what makes a good and healthy meal.

My mother's garden is so much more vibrant than mine. She keeps reminding me "It's been 5 or 6 years that I've been planting and harvesting and working on my soil." Compared to her green bean harvest, I only have about 15 beans and I planted a day before her! Oh well.. my soil sucks and I know it but hey, my eggplants and peppers are abundantly producing so go me.

Back to her garden. She was kind enough to let me have a bag full of fresh cut mustard greens the other day and wanted me to try a recipe she found online and of course I gratuitously accepted her garden veggies and went home and cook them. Let me tell you, there is nothing better than baby mustard greens cooked fresh. Tender and delicious.

 

Thanks, mom.

 

Ingredients:

1 pound mustard greens, washed and de-veined

1/4 diced white onion

1tsp minced garlic

2 pieces of bacon

1/4cup chicken stock

1tsp olive oil (or coconut oil)

S&P (salt and pepper) to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes

 

 

Directions:

In a large skillet, pre-heat olive oil over medium low and add the bacon. Cook until crisp and remove from pan, drain on a paper towel and crumble. Set to the side.
While the bacon is draining, add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes then add the garlic. Once the onions are soft, add the greens, chicken stock and 3/4 bacon pieces (1/4 will go on top as a crunchy garnish). Stir until the greens have wilted. Once the greens have wilted, cover and reduce heat to low and cook 30-45 minutes until soft. Garnish with remaining bacon pieces and serve hot!

 

 

Let me tell you something.. I never was a big fan of greens until the past few years and this is by far the best tasting recipe. Give it a shot.. and if you eat cornbread, smother it in butter and indulge!

The Hangover

The Hangover

 

No, I'm not talking about that hilarious movie. I'm talking about a terrible feeling the next day after eating poorly the night before.

I thought it was silly that people talked about a hangover feeling; "like food could make you feel terrible the next day." Uhm, well excuse me but it happened and it was horrible! I woke up this morning with pain over my right eye, my eyelids were swollen, I had a headache (just a tiny one.. not a real hangover headache), and I woke up weighing 3 pounds heavier than I normally weigh at the end of the day. It was funny weird last night seeing myself on the scale at 139 pounds, because on a "fat" day (pms days) I only get up to about 136 pounds or so. I knew there was going to be trouble this morning for sure! (I know what you're thinking.. and guess what? The only weight I gain is when I eat poorly or when I loose fat and gain muscle, even then it's hard to gain weight. You think it's hard to loose weight? Well guess again, folks.)

 

Okay, here's the back story since I know you're dying to find out how I gained so much weight in one day and ended up in pain the next...

 

It was a dark and stormy night.. we were sitting around the campfire..

 

Sike!

My mom was throwing a cute little party for my kids and my nieces/nephew and some other children. She wanted to make pizza like we did at my sister's birthday party (grilled pizza dough ROCKS!) so she had everything set up where you make your own pizza. There were toppings everywhere and they were delicious. She grilled one side of the pizza then we put our toppings on the grilled side and then we threw it back on the grill to cook it the rest of the way.

 

Aren't these the cutest Frankenstein cups ever? Good job, Mamma!

I had a gluten-free pizza crust at my sister's birthday party a few weeks ago because I hate the adverse reactions I get when I eat wheat, but yesterday was going to be different. Gosh-Darn-It! I was going to eat a big, fat, glutenous piece of pizza.

Well. I ate two pizzas. I also had a cupcake and a slice of cake. Oh, I had a few pieces of candy but this time I didn't go bizerk on it like I did at a wedding a few weeks ago.

 This is my little man, Owen.

Guess what? I'm human. I like bad food sometimes. I like knowing that the paleo way I eat almost 95% of the time makes me feel wonderful and healthy and keeps me well. The days I don't eat paleo, I really enjoy what the paleo lifestyle does for me. This is a crazy analogy but I'm going to do it anyway. It's almost like going to a party, getting wasted and thinking you're having the time of your life and then waking up the next day in the same clothes, reeking of cigarette smoke with the worst hangover of your life. (Not that I've ever experienced that.. my mom reads my blog for crying out loud!)

 

Back to being serious about food for a moment. I truly never thought I'd have such a bad reaction to food. I figured I might have the sniffles or wake up with a stomach ache but never did I think I'd wake up the way I did this morning.

 

If you're tired of waking up and being lethargic all day, or tired of being sick for half the year, or find yourself constantly battling sugar high's and/or low's, maybe it's time you do something with your diet. Maybe it's time to kick yourself in the butt and get off the couch and get some good food coursing through your blood.

 

 My other little guy in action!

Food is a healer and I'm definitely healing myself today.

Don't get me wrong, last night's food was delicious and I have been keeping that meal as a cheat meal this week but I guess my body is moving on whether I like it or not and I have to remember that wheat is not my friend. It never will be my friend again. Reminds me of that dumb song "We, will never ever ever get back together." Thanks Taylor Swift for making another dumb song to get stuck in our heads.

 

So, here's to weighing 134 pounds in the morning, a healthy start to a fitness routine and a week full of healthy food choices!

 

Don't eat this cake.. because it was awesome :)

Hope you liked the photos.. they were from the fun Halloween party my mom put together!

Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones but Wheat, Oats and Candy Will Always Hurt Me.

 

I attended a wedding this past Sunday and was so thrilled that my friend of 13+ years was getting married. I was a little sad because we made a pact when we were younger that if by the time we were 30 and we weren't married, we would marry each other. Well, I've been married now for 5.5 years so that pact went out the window a long time ago and I'm madly in love with my man. It was honestly a bittersweet moment to see him marry the girl of his dreams. The wedding was beautiful and so was his bride. I couldn't have been happier for him and I know she'll be treated well. He's a great guy!

Anyways, back up a few days before their engagement photos, he asked me to cut his hair and I was petrified because I didn't want to screw up his haircut! (I'm a licensed hairdresser and mostly work on women's cut/color). The haircut looked great .. then he asked me to cut it a few nights before his wedding. UGH! I thought I'd butcher it up but his woman gave me the thumbs up so it was all good. That night I told her how excited I was to eat all of the food they were going to have and told her I was going to eat a ton of cake. Why? Because I ate 100% faithfully paleo the week working up to it and this was going to be my cheat meal. I was so excited for cake!

 

When it was time to eat, I saw the caterer bring out a huge hunk of meat. Can I get a whoop whoop for some prime rib. It was fantastic! I ate that, a roll, a few meatballs, a mushroom stuffed with sausage and topped with cheese and a lot of other stuff that is definitely not paleo. It's okay because it was my cheat meal and I deserve it, right?

Well, that's what I thought.

Dude! I forgot to mention they had a candy bar with tons of candy.. and yes, I ate a ton of it and brought a bag home for my kid. I know. I'm an idiot!

 

Okay, so after having a wonderful time at their wedding, I came home to a seriously bloated gut and a rumbly tummy. It wasn't long until I had to use "the facilities" to help rid myself of all the wheat/sugar/bad stuff I just consumed. Well, it didn't end that night. I woke up the next morning with a rumbly tummy and had to use "the facilities" again.. I know, I know.. TMI (too much info) but I need you to understand my point!

 

Ahh. My point. My point is that before I started eating healthfully, I never knew I had digestive problems or upset. I really thought it was normal to be gassy and to stink up the bathroom for hours. Gross, right? After starting the paleo lifestyle, I realized that life is so much less stinky if we just ate the right things. Not only do grains, sugar, and dairy upset our stomachs, they also upset our hormones and make us have acne, headaches, and flu-like symptoms.

 

Eat the right things and you'll feel good. Eat the right things and you won't stink it up so badly. Eat the right things and your body will heal itself and will thank you for being good to it. Eat the right things and I guarantee your body won't get as sick as it used to. I'm living proof of that!

 

I don't have any awesome pictures from the wedding but I had a great time watching two people be united as one and I'll always remember their special day!

P.S. DON'T EAT CRAP!
the.end.

~Angela



Schedules. Schedules. Schedules.

Schedules. Schedules. Schedules.

  

Photo Courtesy: Women's Health

 

I find that if I do not have something written down in plain view, I will be a slacker. I won't finish my goal or that looming project. I was listening to a radio station the other day and the host said "I love my planner. I take it with me wherever I go. I love to touch it; write in it; and check off my lists or goals I've taken care of." She went on to say how she hates the digital age and refuses to use her calender on her telephone to sync her and her husband's schedule.

I kind of snickered at this because I teeter on having a physical schedule and a schedule on my telephone because it's so handy. I list all of my medical or work appointments on my phone because it does give me a chance to set up reminders.

In order for me to accomplish daily tasks though, I need a physical schedule or calendar. I have a cleaning schedule listed on my fridge of morning and nightly chores along with a chore of the day (I will be happy to post that if anyone wants an example).

I also will be making a workout/healthy/motivation schedule. Sometimes I go throughout the day only drinking 16oz-20oz of water. My mind is slow and I'm stiff from not fueling my body properly so I set a goal to drink 60oz-80oz of water a day (if not working out .. more if I'm working out). By 8:00am, I need to have finished 20oz of water. By noon, another 20oz and by 4pm, another 20oz-30oz.

I don't really cheat throughout the day because I know if I eat something with wheat in it, my belly will rumble, bloat and cause some pretty stinky stuff!! I have sweets in the house but they're all in my freezer so it's not too readily available to consume. The healthy stuff is in the fridge or on my counter and is quick to grab so if I really need something sweet, I'll go for some grapes or an apple instead. It's all about mind control with me and if I can control what I eat by placing my items in the freezer, so be it.

 

Some people like to schedule cheat meals or cheat snacks. That's awesome if you can schedule something like that. If you can, go for it and write it down. Put it on paper and work hard towards that goal.

 

One other physical reminder I am doing is placing money (or IOU's if I don't have cash/change) into a mason jar (I'm slightly obsessed with mason jars right now). Once I've worked out that day, I will put a certain amount of money into it and when I've reached the end of the month, I can go spend that workout money on whatever I want. I can save it for something big or use it when I want to. Each workout I will put $1.00-$5.00 in the jar depending on how intense the workout was. If it is just a stroll around the block with the toddler, I'll put in $1.00. If it is a heavy lifting day, I'll put $3.00-$4.00 in it. If it's a PR (personal record), I'll put $5.00 and so on.

You make the rules to your money jar collection.

 

You control what you do with your time, money, and health. If you work M-F 8a-5p, try to get up 20 minutes earlier and do a quick 10-15 minute home workout. See how many push-ups you can do in a minute then see how many sit-ups you can do in a minute then move to squats. After your initial 3 minutes or testing, try to match those minutes again until your 15 minutes is up. Then start on the rest of your day. Hey, you'll be more energized today than you thought you would be!

 

Be happy. Be healthy. And most of all, do something good for yourself today. You deserve it!

 

~Angela

Paleo and Holistic Cold Remedy

Paleo and Holistic Cold Remedy

 

"Let food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be food." - Hippocrates

 

My kids have been sick a lot this year with colds and ear infections. I'm not a fan of sickness (but who is?) and hate it when my kids get sick. I hate it even more when two of them are sick.. and I hate it even more if they get sick and then heal and then I get sick. HATE IT!

I was on a quest for finding a holistic and paleo cold remedy and luckily, I had the mixture right inside my pantry. Fresh, local honey and ground cinnamon. I usually find anything I want to make on pinterest. Everyone said it worked so I tried it early this year when the kids got sick. My throat started feeling scratchy and my lower back started to ache - which for me is the ultimate sign of sickness coming on.

I took the specified concoction and I was surprised that it worked. It warded off the cold and I only had a few aches the first day and I was more tired than usual on the second day and by the third day, I felt normal again. No cold! 

 

So, how does honey and cinnamon work to heal you? Well, let's take a look at the two elements.

First, honey is the only food in the world that will not spoil. Did you know that? I didn't until recently and thought, "wow.. those bees sure do know what they're doing!"
Second, honey is an antimicrobial, which means that it kills microorganisms that carry disease. In other words, it will feast on the germs and kill them before they spread into your body.

And how about the cinnamon? What does that do internally?

Cinnamon treats antiviral infections. Research has shown that it is an antiviral remedy which will kill the cold and flu virus internally.

We put the antiviral (cold fighter) and the antimicrobial (germ fighter) together and the most precious sickness fighter you can imagine has been created.

 

I've tried this twice this year and the benefits are amazing. I am proof that this does work and will continue reaching into my pantry instead of a medicine cabinet from now on. If you look for naturally safe solutions, you will find it. Just keep looking and digging and experimenting.

Cold Remedy Ingredients:

Makes 3 servings (take 3 times a day)
1Tbsp local, raw honey
3/4tsp ground cinnamon

 

Directions:

Stir the honey and cinnamon together in a small container and take 1tsp 3x's daily until all cold/flu symptoms are gone.

 

I mixed up several days worth of this mixture and gladly ate all of it.

I am not a medical professional. This is my own assessment and I will not be held for any misuse of this remedy.
 

Please let me know if you try this and how you like the results!

~Angela