Onion cake... Zwiebelkuchen

In Southern Germany, fall is the season of new wine (the stuff that tastes like apple juice but makes you drunk like wine) and Zwiebelkuchen. Zwiebelkuchen is sort of like pizza topped with onions and bacon. The two foods combined make for a fun evening... and a very gassy next day. ;)

Of course going paleo meant having to pass on this delicacy... until of course The Unrefinded Kitchen shared a recipe for an amazing pizza crust. I used the pizza crust a couple of times for pizza, and we really love it. It occurred to me today, that it may also work for my Zwiebelkuchen. And yay, I was right. I do think changing my baking times just a tad was the right thing to do... And here it is:

Prepare the pizza crust as posted in the link above. But bake it maybe 9 minutes or so. While the crust is baking, get started on the topping. When the crust is done, take it out of the oven, set it aside for a little bit, and turn the oven temperature to 400F.

For the topping use:

2.5 to 3lbs onions sliced
about 6 strips of bacon sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
3 eggs
half a cup of heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt, pepper, paprika

In a hot pan cook the bacon for a couple of minutes, then add the onions. Cook both for several minutes until onions start to caramelize, then let cool for a few minutes. Mix eggs, whipping cream, vinegar and spices together, pour into the cooled onion/bacon mixture and stir well. Spoon the mixture onto the crust.
Bake for about 20 minutes at 400F.

I served this with a green salad. For the dressing I used 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and 1 clove of garlic.

My family loved this dinner. But more importantly, I LOVE IT too. There is nothing quite as awesome as bringing memories from home into MY home. I am always more homesick in the fall and winter, when the days are shorter and darker, and we huddle together in the living room. It's when I wish I had my parents, my brother, my family around me. I have beautiful memories of my childhood, the foods we ate, and the good times we spent together. To bring some of this into my home now, and relive the past is most precious and very needed.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe... especially you Germans out there. :)

Raclette and Pumpkin Streusel Pie... yum!

Every now and then I have a craving for Raclette, a European cheese dish, as seen on this picture. You put slices of raclette cheese on these little pans and slide them into your table top stove thingy. Raclette can be enjoyed with all kinds of vegetables and bacon. I like pickled everything with this, plus zucchini, mushrooms, onion rings and whatever else I find in the fridge. Raclette time is also a time for the occasional potato. I don't miss potatoes, but they belong with this dish. In Germany we'd sit around the table all night long, eat and talk... and eat some more... We'd drink hot tea with the cheese, which of course had us all sweating profusely, and so even in the winter we had to open the windows. I fondly remember those days, and I'm kind of hoping to share this with friends here a little more often. It is such a perfect cold weather dish. And as I've said before, there is nothing like gathering around a dinner table with friends.

Last night I finally got around to making the Pumpkin Streusel Pie from FastPaleo.com. I printed out the recipe a few days ago, and somehow life got in the way or something. ;) Well, friends, what can I say? I will never use another pumpkin pie recipe EVER AGAIN!!! This is unbelievably delicious, and I had a slice for breakfast. Yum!!

I did tweak the crust. The recipe says to grind nuts finely and use for the crust. Did that and felt I didn't have nearly enough to even cover the bottom of my pie pan. So I decided to use the recipe for the pie crust in Make it Paleo. Worked like a charm, and the pie came out beautifully. I love when recipes work out for me. LOL And my family loves it too. ;) I really ought to start cooking for other people... I'm afraid we're all going to get fat on this paleo diet with all the yummy sweat treats I want to make. ;)

Chicken tomato soup... yum!

Good grief, you gotta love the Pacific Northwest. We were blessed with an amazing summer... Day after day of glorious sunshine, warmth, and beauty. This weather continued into September and even into October, and then, one day, it was over... just like that.

We went from warm and sunny every day to cold and rainy every day! And I'm doing my very best to adjust to this drastic change without complaining too much. Because really, I love living here... most of the time, even though I'd appreciate a little more transition time. Of course, this kind of weather awakens the urge to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea, a piece of dark chocolate (the really, really dark kind, so you simply cannot eat too much of it), and a good book (have I ever advertised my book Planned here? It's awesome... and super cheap... and you want it!!). Uhm, where was I? Oh yes, good book, tea... got it.

Another thing that happens during these cold days is the craving for soup. Mind you, I didn't even like soup until a few years ago. Funny how things change. I'm a sucker for good soup now. My best friend made a butternut squash soup recently, and it was to die for delicious. I shall cook and post about it in the next couple of days.

What you see on the picture is the simplest soup of them all.

Ingredients:

a couple (or three or four) chicken breasts
1 onion (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (sliced or diced or whatever you like)
2 jars of chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
salt and pepper
paprika
turmeric
chili powder

cheddar cheese and avocado (optional)

Heat a big pot, throw in some fat of your choice (yesterday I used butter, but I usually prefer bacon grease), and cook the chicken all around on high heat. After a couple of minutes add the onion, stir well for a minute or so. Now add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, stir well. Finally add the chicken stock and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for about 30 minutes.

The meat will be very tender at that point, and if you eat dairy, sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top. Last night I also diced some avocado into my soup. I don't do this until I sit down to eat, though.

This meal hits the spot every time, and on a cold and rainy day such as yesterday, it's not just food for the body... but also for the soul.

What belongs in my paleo kitchen at all times...

I was asked to provide a list of things that I always keep in my kitchen, so I can bake or cook recipes on a short notice. I'm happy to oblige. :)

Staples in my kitchen for baking and cooking are:

coconut oil (both expeller pressed and virgin)
coconut aminos (in place of soy sauce)
GF Worcestershire Sauce
arrowroot powder
tapioca flour
almonds/almond meal or almond flour
coconut flour
honey
baking soda and baking powder
coconut milk (full fat from Native Forest)

These are things I will stock up on whenever I can, because I just can't stand running out of coconut flour when I come across an especially delicious looking recipe on FastPaleo.com.

Additionally, I like to not run out of eggs, because we use them on a daily basis for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and I cook with them. I also make mayonnaise with them.

And speaking of mayonnaise, another staple is a good quality oil of some sort. The latest oil I tried for mayonnaise is avocado oil. But macadamia nut oil is also great, and the very light olive oil can also be used, since the extra virgin olive oil has a strong taste. While the light version is not as good as virgin, I would say you're not going to do all that much damage using it, since you'll likely not eat mayonnaise by jar. Olive oil is definitely the cheapest way to go.

Everything else (well, besides the meat which I buy in big chunks and the berries I pick and freeze) belongs on the weekly shopping list.

I hope this helps. Got any other things you would add to this list? Please share.

When sugar becomes an addiction

To really understand my sugar addiction I have to go way back into my childhood. While my parents didn't feed us kids a lot of candy (quite the contrary actually), I did have access to it by way of an allowance. As soon as I had money I spent it all on candy. Every last penny. I remember having a piggy bank filled with coins: 5DM (German Marks) each. The little bank was full. Well, I eventually started robbing my little bank. 5 Marks got you lots of candy. 5 Marks and you were rich! I went on my first diet when I was 14 years old. At that point that simply meant skipping my daily Twix bars. But the truth was, at that point in my life I was already addicted to the sugar.

After the birth of my first daughter (I was only 20 and totally overwhelmed with everything) I found my happy place in candy. Chocolate, chips, gummy bears... you name it. I was back to my ideal weight only 2 weeks after giving birth and then gained 60lbs eating candy. I lost all of that weight plus some by cutting calories in half, by not eating any candy at all.

My second child brought on 60lbs, which I lost doing low carb. I was 26 then. The weight then just dropped off me. It was awesome. Of course low carbing really wasn't good for me, and so, after dropping my weight I went right back to my old ways.

Baby 3 came around, and I gained 70lbs, and lost 40. I managed to lose 10... gain 5... lose 5... gain 10... for years and years I went through a vicious cycle of diet, diet pills, exercise, no candy, binging with exactly one result... extreme frustration. After years of dieting I'd had enough. I came to the sad conclusion that a woman in her mid 30s simply could not lose the weight, and because I was sad and frustrated, I ate sugary things. Lots of them. I baked them, I bought them, and then I ate them.

A bar of chocolate (milk chocolate, not dark) didn't last a day. I couldn't just have a small piece. As soon as that first piece melted on my tongue things went out of control. I thought I was doing a good thing by simply breaking off one piece and putting the rest into the cupboard. Ha, all it did was make me walk to the cupboard 15 times until the entire bar of chocolate was gone. I did this secretly of course, because I didn't want anyone to know that I had just chowed down 550calories worth of sugar. Then I hid the wrapper underneath the other trash. And then I felt guilty for the rest of the day and ate less of everything else to even out the calorie intake. The next day I would go to the gym and work out extra hard... on the elyptical... or the treadmill, never in the weights section.

Going paleo was my life saver... still is. But to say that my addiction to sugar is gone, would be a lie. It is still very much alive and kicking. I still walk through the candy aisle at Target and see that good German Rittersport chocolate, and think to myself... heck, one bar won't harm you. Then I take two. The first one likely won't make it home. Better hide the wrapper.

I've fallen off the bandwagon when I hurt my back... and now I find myself running and chasing it to jump back on. Sometimes I make it on with one foot. But well, it's difficult to hop alongside the bandwagon on one foot. Easy to trip and fall. Yes, I fall... all the time.

I've recently read some controversial posts by a paleo guy who insists that sugar doesn't make fat. Sugar should just be eaten like any other food. Assuming this is true... sugar doesn't make fat... I still have one major problem with this message. Sugar, when consumed in large quantities does make fat. And for someone like me, who is so addicted to this stuff, that we lose all willpower as soon as the first piece of chocolate hits our tastebuds, the message should be very clear. Stay away from sugar at all times!

When I started my paleo journey, I didn't eat any sugar... Well, that's not true. I still ate honey and fruit. And those things are just fine. I don't go all out when I have a paleo muffin or brownie. I won't eat a second and a third apple. I will get back to that point.

Step #1: stop buying it. As easy as this may sound to someone who is not addicted, to me that's my first challenge. Bring it on. I'm so very ready.

Anybody out there who struggles too? Anybody?

Food, food, and more food... Life is grand!

Nothing brings people together like food. Whenever I (we) traveled to foreign countries, it was the dinner invitations, the restaurant visits, the shared meals, that brought us together in friendship. Suddenly social differences no longer existed, and the language barrier actually added to the fun of the conversation.

Two great dinners stand out in my mind, as I'm walking down memory lane.
One in Tuscany, where we rented a guesthouse in a winery, and the owners made a big dinner for all their guests. We were gathered around a long table, and the air was filled with the scents of herbs, fermenting grapes, and cooked food. It was like one of those movie scenes that makes you ache to go on vacation to just that place, to enjoy the company of complete strangers, eat their food, and drink their wine, and join in on their conversation... using your hands and feet if you needed to.

The other was a dinner in Sri Lanka. We'd followed an invitation by a local family we had become good friends with. Their house had a simple concrete floor, the furniture didn't match, there were no glass windows. These people were poor by anybody's standards, and they served a big meal of chicken curry. I remember watching them form balls out of rice and chicken with their bare hands and I tried to copy it, but was unsuccessful. But they got a kick out of watching ME! ;) And, after my initial culture shock, I couldn't feeling happy and grateful to be there, and share this amazing meal with them.

On Saturday we had friends over for dinner. Every now and then I'll make dinner from a recipe that has been in my family for many years. It's hit and miss with this recipe. We have had friends raving over this meal, and going for seconds and thirds. Our friends Saturday were... well... not quite as excited about it. This was also partly due to the fact, that I used a pork shoulder for the roast, and it wasn't quite as tender as I would have liked it to be. Still, I enjoyed every last bite of it, because this recipe reminds me of home. It reminds me of Sundays, when we went to my grandma and grandpa's house, and the whole house smelled of pork roast and red cabbage. Those days were carefree and full of joy. I miss my grandparents. :(

Now for the recipe!!

Pork roast!

Ingredients:

1 pork roast (any cut is really fine... maybe not the shoulder)
salt and pepper
paprika
nutmeg
curry
savory
750ml hot water
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
4 strips bacon (cut into half inch strips)
1 onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (diced)
sliced mushrooms (you choose how much you want in there)
sliced green bell pepper

Rub the roast with salt, pepper, paprika, curry, and nutmeg until well covered.
In a large pot cook the bacon until slightly crispy. Remove the bacon, but leave the grease and add more if needed. On high heat brown the roast on all sides, then remove. Now pour the hot water into the pot. Chances are you'll have some of the spices stuck to the bottom of your pot. Those will come right off, as soon as you pour in the water and let it boil for a minute. Season the water with salt, pepper, nutmeg, paprika, curry, and savory. Then add the roast back in, and then add all the other veggies. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and turn the heat down to medium low. Let it cook for about an hour before you start checking the meat for its doneness. ;) You'll likely need to add a bunch more salt to the sauce. Just season until you like the taste.

Red cabbage:

Ingredients:

1 head of red cabbage
1 medium sized apple
about 5 tbsp red wine vinegar
250ml red wine
some salt to taste
2 tbsp honey
a couple of pinches of cloves
1 onion (diced)
bacon grease

In a pot heat the bacon grease, then saute onions for a couple of minutes. Add your sliced cabbage and cook for a few minutes from all sides, then add vinegar, red wine, salt, honey and cloves. Cook this mixture in a covered pot on low heat for about 30 minutes. Peel and grate the apple and add it into the mixture, then cook until done. With red cabbage, you'll just have to decide how sour or sweet or salty you want it to taste. It's entirely up to you.

As a second side dish I served mashed potatoes for those who like to eat potatoes. The rest of us enjoyed some turnips.

This is a very hearty meal, and again, always a big treat in our family. If you do choose to cook it, I would really love to hear from you. I'd like to know how you liked it. :)

Tomorrow I'll tell you all about my apple pie and the apple bars I baked.

Why are you not losing weight on the Paleo Diet?

Wow... I am still totally amazed when I look at my before and after pictures. I would definitely consider that a paleo success. After years and years of yo-yo dieting, I am finally the person I knew I could be. No more "suck it up, at this age you just don't lose weight". Wrong, at this age... and at 10 years older, and at 20 years older, it is absolutely possible to lose weight and keep it down on a paleo diet.

But what if you don't lose weight, or what if you are starting to see the pounds creep back on to your hips and belly, despite the fact, that you "eat well and exercise"?

What is wrong? Chances are, it is one of two answers!

1) You're getting 80/20 all wrong, meaning you're 100% paleo 80% of the time. I think there is a t-shirt out there with that phrase on it. If you eat a healthy breakfast of eggs and bacon in the morning, and a healthy lunch of salad with steak strips and avocado, and a bowl of pasta for dinner on Monday, then do the same thing on Tuesday, but instead of pasta for dinner you have pizza... well... that means you're getting it wrong. ;) The 80/20 rule is there to give you the opportunity to indulge in your favorite foods every now and then. If you're out with your friends, at a party, or you just really want "that treat", then by all means go for it (if you can still stomach it, that is). But as soon as you see this occasional treat Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday of the same week, you'll want to re-evaluate what you're doing to yourself.

2) You're cooking all paleo all the time... great, healthy meals, and paleo muffins, paleo brownies, paleo pie, paleo cake, paleo pancakes, paleo waffles, paleo cookies. Notice anything? All these treats are great, don't get me wrong, and with the ever growing dessert and baked goods sections on FastPaleo.com, it would be easy to make a different treat every single day of the year. These recipes certainly are a life saver in my house. They were the way to get my kids to go mostly paleo with me.
BUT... look at what is in these treats. Lots of nuts and lots of honey and coconut crystals. Eat that stuff every day in addition to your meat and vegetables, and you will start seeing the number on the scale go up. These treats are meant to be just that... a treat, not a staple in your daily meal plan.

We all fall off the bandwagon every now and then (well, maybe not all of us). I know it's happened to me several times over the past 21 months. Don't beat yourself up over it. Get back on and don't look back, and know that you are not alone. There are a ton of places to turn for support in your journey. Reading a couple of success stories on Mark's Daily Apple always does the trick for me. :)

The second opinion

Three months after injuring my back, I actually have hopes of recovering from this debilitating pain in my lower back. The physical therapist I met Wednesday afternoon finally shed some light onto what is actually wrong with my back (there are two things, and she explained them to me in a way I understood), and why the exercises I was supposed to do, weren't the right kind of exercises.

48 hours later I feel about 50% better. Think about this for a moment. Just a few days ago, I was in excruciating pain after turning sideways to grab my purse from the passenger seat of my car. I could not move, and had to call my husband from the driveway to come out and pick me up. The next couple of days I spent crying, whining, pouting, accepting my horrible, terrible fate, that I would probably never, ever go back to Crossfit, and that my life as I knew it was over for good.

Well, not so fast, whiny Ute, because there IS hope. And I know this now, and I'm thrilled. Thanks to this second (really, it's a third) opinion, I am in much less pain. It no longer radiates into my buttocks and lower back, and I am able to move around like a normal human being should.

My daughter (every so insightful, direct, and merciless) remarked... so, are you going to wear nice clothes again, now that you're getting better? Darn that girl! Obviously I felt a little bit insulted first. I didn't think that I was not wearing nice clothes. But when it comes down to it, she's absolutely right. Out of a necessity I opted for more comfortable clothes when I hurt my back. Then things got really bad, and I started eating junk food (lots of it!), and a few pounds started sneaking their way onto my hips and belly. And really, who wants to wear all those pretty skinny clothes, when one just doesn't feel it? I dressed according to my mood, and my mood was almost always bad. Not a "I'm going to treat my family bad all the time" kind of mood, but a dark "I hate my life and my body" kind of mood.

None of the kind words that people said to me, ever really reached me. They bounced right off the wall I had built around myself. Because I was always in pain, and I could not sleep anymore, and I couldn't do the most basic things, I let myself go in more than one way, and I'm seeing it now, as I'm emerging on the other side of this drama. ;)

Now there is hope. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to heal (quickly!) and I'll wear nice clothes again....... just as soon as those few pounds come off again. ;)

Let me just say thank you to those out there, who took the time to write a few nice words to me. It is really very much appreciated.

Can you see the light?

What a day it has been!! I went to see a physical therapist today. She did a ton of tests on me... mentioned some stuff that neither of my chiropractors paid any attention to, nor did my physician.

According to her I will be back to working out (if carefully) by November. I don't know what to think of it, but hey, I'm happy to try just about anything at this point.

Dinner tonight was unbelievably delicious, and I have Cat from Things my Belly Likes to thank for it. Tonight I tried her Fiery Squash Chili, although I added chicken to it, because without the added protein it would not have felt like a real meal.

And this is how I made it... I heated my big pot to high, added some bacon grease and added onions... about 30 seconds later added the squash, then the raw chicken. I cooked this on high heat for a few minutes, then added the chicken stock. Let this cook for a little while before adding spices, canned tomatoes, and bell peppers. I let the whole thing simmer for about 25 minutes or so... et voila, dinner was served!

I did add two dried red chili peppers though, and my poor son, not knowing what a chili pepper is, ate one of them, then burst into uncontrollable tears, because his mouth was burning so much. A couple of glasses of milk later, he was able to smile again, and we watched a few youtube videos of crazy people drinking bottles of Tabasco voluntarily. Good grief... these people are NUTS!!!

Anyway, this is definitely a keeper for us. It was easy and so quick to prepare, and the whole family absolutely loved it. Thanks, Cat!!

Oh, I have been a lot more active on my Facebook page. Like me there for more updates. :)

A couch, a glass of wine, and some recipes

So I was banned to the couch by my husband, after hurting myself yet again today. It appears that sitting is the only thing I can do reasonably safely... IF of course I don't twist my upper body to the right or left, like I did in the car today. Yep, all it takes these days to throw out my back is to do a little upper body twist.

And now I'm sitting on the couch with a glass of wine, a particularly disgusting episode of Mythbusters, and my laptop. And I decided to share a couple of recipes with you all. First of, I made pancakes this morning... a little variation of the almond flour pancakes I usually make:

Almond Pumpkin Pancakes

You need:

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/3 cup coconut milk
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp honey (or more if you like it sweeter)
a little bit of unsweetened cocoa powder
cinnamon to taste

Mix all ingredients (except coconut oil) together. Lastly, add the coconut oil and mix until well combined. The reason for adding the coconut oil last is to avoid the coconut oil becoming solid.
Heat a skillet to medium low heat and always use plenty of coconut oil to cook your pancakes.
Form small, not too thick pancakes in the skillet and cook on medium low or lower. You'll know to turn them over when they edges get a little lighter in color. You'll want the pancakes to be small enough to easily fit onto a spatula.
Remember, these are not like your regular pancakes. They don't bubble, and flipping them is not quite as easy as with regular pancakes. But these are great and it's well worth the little extra care. :)

I used a bunch of fruit that we picked during the summer and cooked them with just a bit of honey and cinnamon. I don't use water. There is enough moisture in the fruit.

These pancakes taste delicious!!

I also cooked the Spaghetti Squash alla Carbonara by the Paleo Parents for dinner! I've made this before, but I don't know that the first time my family was jumping up and down about it as much as they did yesterday. I made a big pot full, expecting to have plenty of leftovers. Well, I was very wrong. This meal was a big hit, and it disappeared in no time!

What an amazingly easy, yet awesome recipe! Yum!!!

So... how's it going?

I should go into the forest more often. I love the lush, green beauty, the birds and squirrels, the fresh, clear air... and I love to be away from cars and people. And I always seem to find some answers there, when I'm by myself.

Well, as you have all noticed, I have completely fallen of my challenge wagon. This is not to say that I'm not cooking the recipes I said I would. I am. I'm just not reporting about them, because suddenly real life sneaked up on me took me by surprise. I fell into a hole of sadness and depression, with my injured back only being part of what brought it on. I think I may have a bit of a midlife crisis... before midlife. ;) Of course, when things like this happen, there will always be situations and experiences that put it all into perspective. I had conversations with some really fantastic people this week, who have been struggling with their physical aches and pains for so much longer than I have, and who still celebrate each day. They refuse to be pulled into that black hole, and instead they push on and up, and find happiness in all kinds of places.

I choose to find happiness. And today this means, I find happiness in going swimming. I have been cleared for swimming and knee push ups yesterday. What a treat! I have not worked out in weeks, and the sheer thought of swimming laps has me jumping with joy. Okay, not really jumping, because I can't jump right now. ;)

I would like to share a bit of information with you guys, too. Things I've read this week, that I think are important to know when you are a paleo or primal being.

First of all, thou shalt eat bacon. This is an article by Chris Kresser on nitrites and nitrates. So go ahead, have some bacon today. And enjoy every bite of it. Definitely a reason for happiness, yes?

Thou shalt not eat gluten  as explained by The Wellness Punks. Okay, the video quality is not great, and he walks around a bit too much for my taste, BUT it's great information. Happy!!

Thou shalt keep on keeping on, another great one by Mark Sisson, whose website has been an absolute staple in my life since I started eating paleo. And here's a quote from it, that I love.

Psychologists have examined the phenomenon of resilience as a varying characteristic among people. Some people, when faced with hardship seem buoyed by a sense of perspective and energy. They are more likely to get back on the horse while others struggle more intensely. Resilience appears to be a trait influenced by our individual brains themselves – our molecular mechanisms that process stress to be more precise.

 

Thou shalt read lots of great paleo blogs  for lots of wonderful motivation and recipe ideas and education. Lucky for you, Modern Paleo publishes the Paleo Rodeo every week.

And finally, in the spirit of putting things in perspective I played around with my camera to take a picture of this recipe. Yes, it means that you can't see the Roast Pork Loin with Herbes de Provence very well, but I don't care. :)

This was a great recipe. And we had enough leftovers the next day to make an egg omelet with diced pork loin, tomatoes and feta cheese.

Thank you, Mmmm Paleo, for a fantastic recipe!

Muffins and Schaschlik... so delicious

It's fall... even though it doesn't seem like fall in Portland quite yet. We still get those very sunny, 70s days. And we're loving it, although I'll say that all the pumpkins and fall decorations everywhere just don't seem right, when the weather is this gorgeous. And don't even get me started on the Christmas stuff that I'm seeing everywhere I go. What is with that??

Nevertheless, it was time to celebrate fall with a pumpkin treat, and so I baked Pumpkin Pie Muffins, a recipe by George, the Civilized Caveman. This was two days ago. Of the 12 muffins, we have one left today. What does that mean? I didn't make enough. I should have doubled up the recipe! So, yes, we LOVED those muffins, even without the added walnuts. I did add a few raisins into the last three muffins, because I'm a sucker for raisins. Sadly, I didn't actually get to taste them.
As for baking time... in my oven these muffins were not done after 20 minutes, so I left them in another 5 or 6 minutes, and even then, they were still pretty mushy inside. Next time I'll leave them in for a solid half hour. Thanks, George! What a great, healthy, fall themed treat!!

On to my next recipe... Schaschlik. This is one of my own recipes that I uploaded to FastPaleo a while ago. And it's a family favorite. I really love the combination of meat, pickles, peppers, tomato and curry powder. So very delicious.
Only this time, to make the sauce a little thicker, I added a tablespoon of arrowroot powder to a small bowl of water and poured it into my boiling sauce. Perfect!!
The cauliflower rice was a great substitute for real rice. I'd really like to eat Sushi with cauliflower rice. ;)

Today, I'm making brownies! Yum!!

Week 5 Recipes

Just a quick post with my list of recipes for the week. As always I may change a recipe as I see fit.

Roast Pork Loin with Herbes de Provence, since I actually never made this last week.

Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

Chili Re-Vamp (although I believe I will make a variation)

Schaschlik What a great way to sneak in one of my own recipes ;)

Brownies Another one of my own recipes, as requested by my children

Apple Yoghurt Cake

Struggling...

Well, my friends, as you can undoubtedly see, I'm struggling. It's not that I'm not cooking. And I'm cooking strictly FastPaleo meals, as I promised September 1st. But I'm not keeping up with posting recipes... and the reason for that is my achy lower back.

I've been dealing with this injury since July, but have just now found out what is really wrong with it. And the truth is, while I am going to heal, I feel angry and depressed. I have a great chiropractor, and he's giving me good exercises to do at home. I have seen improvement, yes. But the truth is, after a one hour very easy, very slow walk with my family yesterday, I was hurting so much, I could barely walk anymore. I am starting to understand, that this thing is bigger than expected, and that my road to recovery will be longer than expected. Six weeks until I can start working out again... but not at the rate that I am used to. Low, low, low weights, easy, easy, easy WODs (for you non-Crossfitters, a WOD is the workout of the day). I am still not allowed to swim, and my chiropractor told me, we'll talk about that again Friday. As for running... I can bury the dream of running any races for... well, a long time.

Yes, I'm a big whiny crybaby. So there!

On to better things now. See that picture? It's a variation of Meat over Vegetables. I made some burgers, set them on some lettuce leaves, topped with mashed, salted avocado, pepperoncini, feta cheese and bacon. Friggin' delicious!! It was, in fact, so good, that I made it two days in a row, and nobody complained about it. Sweet!

Last night I made a variation of Chicken Tortilla-less Soup. I still had some chicken left from the baked chicken I made a few days ago. I needed to use it up. And I really, really needed some soul food last night. This soup hit the spot, and because I only made a variation of the original recipe (speak, add all ingredients, cook, done!), it was done in about 25 minutes. Win win!

I'm off to clean my kitchen now, then the plan is to make Pumpkin Pie Muffins.

I'll also post a week's worth of recipes soon.

Have a nice day, Everyone!!