Race Week and Biscuits & Gravy

It’s officially race week for the Sprouts-PHX Mesa Half Marathon and I am excited to race my third half marathon this weekend. It has been a crazy last few weeks with a household of sick kiddos and husband. I think we finally are on the mend and I am praying I do NOT get it! So I have increased my bone broth and L-glutamine intake.

Speaking of bone broth…Do you incorporate it to your everyday life? Bone broth is rich in minerals and aids in boosting the immune system and supports digestion. It is great during this time of year when sickness tends to go around. Bone broth also supports joints and for this athletic momma and it is exactly what I need. You can read more about the benefits of bone broth on Chris Kresser Benefits of Bone Broth here.

One of Rob’s favorite meals is biscuits & gravy, and lately it has been sounding good. Back in the day we would pick up those no good for you country gravy packets. Well not anymore! A mixture of coconut milk and bone broth makes a creamy gravy that is simply delicious! I hope you enjoy and comment below if you make it.

BISCUITS & GRAVY

Ingredients 

• 1.5lbs of ground turkey (I get the organic ground turkey from Costco)
• 1 can of full fat coconut milk (shake before using)
• 8oz bone broth
• 3tbsp of tapioca starch or arrowroot starch
• 1tsp Ground fennel seed
• 1tsp Ground sage
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
• Cracked Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• Olive Oil
• Immersion Blender

1. Season your Ground Turkey with fennel, sage, salt, and pepper. Cook until turkey is done. Strain and set aside.
2. With leftover grease add a little more olive oil to pan until have about 1tbsp of oil. Add 3Tbsp of tapioca starch to pan and whisk. Should make dry and some gel like substance. Add a little bone broth and continue whisking until gel forms.
3. Slowly add in coconut milk about 1/4 cup at a time. Continue to whisk and mix until all the coconut milk is added. Then slowly add in the remainder of the bone broth while whisking. The gravy should now be a little thick. You may have some gel clumps still and that is ok. Add in few dashes sage and fennel. Add in the cayenne pepper and salt/pepper to taste.
4. Pour gravy into a bowl and use an immersion blender to blend. This will take care of any gel like clumps you may left and leave you with a creamy smooth gravy!
5. Add cooked Turkey to gravy mixture and mix until combined.
6. Serve warm over biscuits (I like making Namaste Foods Drop Biscuits)

If you want to try making your own bone broth I recommend using Against All Grain Bone Broth Recipe. We use her recipe often to make bone broth, but when I run out I sometimes pick up Pacific Foods Organic Bone Broth.

Taco Dip

Wow I was just blown away by the ending of the Super Bowl game… Wow is really I have to say about it too. Like watching on the edge of your seat kind of game!

On a brighter side we enjoyed having a great group of people over and delicious food to partake in. Spending time with family and friends is where it is at. So thankful to have met such an incredible couple thanks to Rob’s job almost 13 years ago.  With us relocating to Arizona a year and a half ago brings us back together again.  It was a day full of laughter and kiddos running around having fun.

So I decided to take on an alternative to a Taco Dip. It has been a long time since I have had a taco dip and it just sounded good to me. I was able to throw together a healthier option and thought it tasted delicious too. Even my 6 year old gobbled some up with a spoon 🙂

Party Taco Dip

• 1 can organic refried beans ( I used Amy’s Organic Refried Beans)
• 2 Tbsp taco seasoning- homemade
  • 1tbs chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp chopped dry onion
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • salt/pepper
• 2 ripe avocados smashed
• 1½ tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• Himalayan salt
• 1 c sour cream or enough just to cover a layer. (I used Green Valley Lactose Free Sour Cream)
• 1/2 jar medium organic salsa or enough to cover a layer
• 1½ – 2 c 4 shredded gout gouda cheese
• Shredded lettuce
• Pepper
• Olives

Instructions

1. Mix refried beans with taco seasoning.
2. Layer refried bean mix on the bottom of a glass dish.
3. Mash the flesh of 2 avocados,and  add lemon juice, garlic powder, chopped onion powder, and salt. Mix well.
4. Layer guacamole on top of the refried beans.
5. On top of guacamole, add a layer sour cream.
6. Add layer of salsa on top of guacamole
7. Sprinkle cheese on top of salsa, then top with toppings of choosing. Then add a little more cheese to garnish on top.

I served it up with some corn chips of course…I hope you all enjoy this as I did. Now I will wait another 365 more days to have it again!!

Super Bowl – Protein Style

It is an early morning rise for my hubs as he fires up the Traeger. Seriously one of the best gifts we have gotten! We have honestly made so much on it. Two organic chickens at a time from Costco, Pork butt, chicken breast, gluten-free pizza, ribs, party wings, and the list can go on and on. Today our protein will consist of baby back ribs, party wings, and junior franks. All of these will come from my Costco run.

First we will be making Rob’s Famous Ribs. They are fall off the bone good! We soak the ribs overnight in Organic Unfiltered Apple Juice (I get mine from Trader Joe’s).

We then use Paleo Spirit’s Dry Rib Rub. I am all about making our own seasoning instead of a store bought combo. Rob had an idea of what he wanted so when he found this recipe for dry rib rub it was a hit. You can find the dry rib rub here. Again super easy to toss together.

In the morning we transfer the ribs into a clean pan, and pour the left over apple juice from the pan into another heat safe dish. We rub the ribs down generously with the dry rub and massage the rub in too. Pre-heat the Traeger and set the temp for 225 degrees. Arrange the  ribs bone side down and place the left over apple juice pan in the corner. We cook them for about 5 hours. At hour 4 we spread some Annie’s Organic Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce on top and let them finish cooking the last hour. Wrap in parchment paper and let rest. If need to transport them, wrapping in parchment paper is the way to go too.

We will also be doing up some party wings.  I like to keep my wing seasoning simple, but tasty. I toss my party wings in a tablespoon or two of Avocado Oil. I season them with himalayan salt and cracked pepper. That is it my friends! I then will serve them with a side of Frank’s Red Hot for those that would like a sauce with theirs. Otherwise, they are just as good with the simple seasoning. Today though I used some of the leftover rib rub with these wings. They turned out delicious!

Lastly will be Teton Waters Ranch (TWR) uncured beef junior franks. You can’t go wrong with TWR. I have loved everything I have tried from them so far! I will throw these in a crock pot and call it good to go! They go great with some mustard on the side. Just the way I like them! I will also serve them with side dishes of organic ketchup and Annie’s  organic sweet and spicy BBQ sauce for those that would prefer to eat them a different way. I try to keep my ingredients I use or offer to be fairly clean.  Remembering it is a party and not an everyday lifestyle way of eating.

I will also be making up Wellness Mama’s Broccoli Slaw to go along with these dishes. I am made a double batch for the crew. The great thing about this, is you can make it the night before. It allows the dressing to soak in. Plus it also makes great leftovers the following days! I use her recipe with homemade mayo and omit the honey. I did use homemade mayo for this even though I used store bought for my Chicken Salad. 99% of the time I make my own, but with cooking all day and already making a batch of mayo, I was tapped out! Honestly this was the first time I bought mayo in over 4 years. It will not be an always occurrence, but came in handy!

Makings of a great Super Bowl evening! I hope your evening was one of great laughter too.

Chicken Salad

It is Super Bowl weekend and I am looking forward to cheering on the Atlantic Falcons! I will also be spending my Sunday morning up at the mountains for a trail run. It will then be time to prep for our Super Bowl party. We will be watching the game, playing cards, and enjoying this beautiful Arizona weather.

We have a lot on our super bowl menu this year. I will be sharing some of my recipes with you all over the next few days. I am starting us out with making chicken salad to snack on. It is great with celery, on lettuce leaves, or even with some rice crackers. I made a big batch because one I already have a big family and two we are have guest coming!!

Trail Mamma’s Chicken Salad

• 2lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast (organic if can)
• Minced Onion
• 1 1/4 cup chopped Celery
• 1 cup of quartered Grapes
• Walnuts – couple handfuls to your liking  *Optional
• 10 TBSP Mayonnaise or more if needed
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Garlic
• Salt/Pepper

1. Cook chicken with minced onion, garlic, salt and pepper. When chicken is cooked through set aside to cool. I even make my chicken the night before. Then shred the chicken.

2. Cut up the celery and grapes and set aside with the walnuts

3. In a big bowl mix the chicken and mayonnaise untiled combined. Add in a himalayan salt, ground pepper, ground oregano, thyme, and garlic powder until your liking. For me it is usually a few shakes of each. Add in the celery and mix. Fold in the walnut pieces if you  are adding. I only use a couple handfuls of walnuts and break up the pieces with my hands. Finally add in the grapes and give one last stir.

I hope you all enjoy this as much as we do. Makes for great snacks and quick lunches throughout the week too!

School Lunches – Week 4

Another week in the books for school lunches. For me, school lunches are a great way to finish up leftovers. Makes menu planning and prepping a breeze. It is also a way to have your kiddos help out if they are old enough. I keep my weekly menu board up in the pantry. Olivia, my daughter, loves helping out in the kitchen. When she is done getting ready for school she will step in and see what needs to be done for school snacks and lunches while I am making breakfast. She can look at the board and start going to town putting everything together. It helps me out, and gets them excited to help pack lunches and snack bags.

Week 4 meals were kind of a mixture of odds and ends left in the fridge. I have emergency protein on hand if we go through more of dinner than what I had planned. One of my favorite things to have on hand is Wallace Farms Nick Sticks. They make great snacks, after workout protein, and easy to cut up and throw into lunches! Here is a break down of what my kiddos enjoyed eating this week!

Monday: Hard Boiled Egg, buffalo chicken, lettuce wedges, mango, and cheese stick.

Tuesday: Hard Boiled Egg, Jello, Pickles, mango, and Lettuce Wrap Ham Rolls. Ham roll: guac, goad gouda cheese, carrot slices, and uncured ham slices.

Wednesday: Pulled Pork with Frank’s Red Hot, Lettuce wedges, Celery and Sunbutter, White Mountain Bulgarian Yogurt with Raw Honey and Strawberries, and Green Beans.

Thursday: Plantain Chips, Uncured Hotdogs, White Mountain Bulgarian Yogurt with Raw Honey, Grapes, Carrots, and Pickle.

Friday: Wallace Farm Nick Sticks, Carrots, Plantain Chips, Apple Slices, and Cheese Stick.

Another great week of healthy, wholesome school lunches. Providing nutritious food for growing bodies. Living life one day at a time!

 

Enjoy 🙂

School Lunches – Week 3

Week 3 into my weekly school lunch theme.  I hope you all are finding these useful. At least for me, it gives me a place to come back to when I am in a pinch for ideas. You know when you meal plan and trying to decide what to have. A lot of times I look through pictures I have taken or old blog photos for meals to revisit.  Take a look at Week 3 school lunches in our YumBox lunch boxes.

Week 3- Healthy School Lunches:

Monday: Tuna cake, kale salad with raisins and grilled chicken, pickles, blueberries and strawberries, and sunbutter ball.

Tuesday: Carrots, kale salad with cranberries and pepitas, pickle, ham and cheese wrap, and blueberries.

Wednesday: Carrots, kale salad, hardboiled egg, steak, cherries, and mini banana muffin.

Thursday: Pickles, ham/carrot/cheese wrap, jello, celery with sunbutter, and strawberries.

Friday: Carrots, grilled chicken, green beans, pickle, chocolate avocado pudding, pineapple and blueberries, and sunbutter ball.

Another week has gone by with another week of freshly made school lunches. Keeping my kiddos fueled with healthy and nutritious lunches! Living with purpose on this journey called LIFE.  Enjoy!

Cassava Flour Mug Cakes

I am a sucker for a great mug cake. Usually I make them with almond flour and/or coconut flour, but I wanted to try something different. My oldest child’s birthday is coming up in October so wanted to try a new version of a mug cake.

I have an awful sweet tooth so when it comes to making desserts in the house I try not to make a lot as I would go to town on it! So mug cakes are amazing for portion control. I spit them in half or even into thirds. Now I don’t have to worry about extra cake/dessert laying around the house.

This mug cake is a definite winner in my household. Plus I can make it nut-free by substituting in sunflower seed butter. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup ( I use grade B)
• 2tbsp Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter-Wild Friends (any other butter or sunflower seed butter)
• 3tbsp Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch of himalayan salt
• pinch of cinnamon
• Sprinkle of chocolate chips
• 1 mug

Directions

1. Whisk egg, vanilla, melted coconut oil, and maple syrup together in mug.
2. Whisk in chocolate coconut peanut butter 
3. Add in baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
4. Add in Cassava Flour. Mixed until combined 
5. Mix in chocolate chips.
6. Microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds (depending on your microwave)

Eat it plain…Top it with fruit…Enjoy with some vanilla ice cream!

Hello Autumn- Bring on the Chili

Finally  my favorite time of year has arrived – Autumn! I love everything about this season from the weather to the holidays. Oh and you cannot forget FOOTBALL. Along with football comes my delicious crockpot chili. For me I can eat a bowl of chili and a side salad all week long.

Seriously Rob and I are totally on par. As I was sitting here writing the title of this blog post, Rob pops into the room to say this:

Rob – “You know what sounds so good right now?”

Me- “No dear, what?”

Rob – “A bowl of Chili”

Me – “Are you serious, I am totally blogging about my chili recipe right now”

So you know what will be going on the menu for the upcoming week 🙂

The best part about this chili is I can ground up the meat and then throw everything in the crockpot to simmer the rest of the day until dinner. My kiddos call this “hot” chili. Although not too extremely hot, it is pretty delicious with a kick!

Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 8 garlic cloves
• 4lbs of meat ( I use grassfed beef or organic ground turkey)
• 2- 6oz cans of tomato paste
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2- 8oz can of fire-roasted tomatoes
• 4tbsp chili powder
• 4tbsp of cumin
• 1tbsp grade b maple syrup (optional)
• 1 bottle of hard cider
• 1/8-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper depending on your liking
• basil
• oregano
• salt
• ground pepper
• 2 cans of black beans (optional)-drain and rinse
• Mushrooms (optional)

Directions:

1. In skillet add either oil or butter and chopped onion. Cooked onion until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add ground meat and cook until browned. While meat is cooking sprinkle in basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
2. Blend fire-roasted tomatoes in blender and pulse a few times ( you may skip this step and just add to the crockpot. I prefer my tomatoes more pureed)
3. In crockpot pour in hard cider, and mix in the tomato paste
4. Add in fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, and maple syrup. Mix until combined
5. Add in chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle in more oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix until incorporated.
6. Add in cooked ground meat.
7. Set temperature to low and cook for 5-6 hours, or until heated through.

There are several ways you can add chili to the menu during the week. Here are some of my favorite ways. Although, my favorite way is to serve it in a bowl with crushed plantain chips on top!

Baked Potato and Chili

Chili Dog Style

Halloween Style – Chili, goat gouda cheese, and hotdog cut up like and octopus.

Now go enjoy a bowl of chili because I know I will!

** edited 2/20/18 To add in black beans and mushrooms. Loving them in my chili. I currently omit the maple syrup in my chili now too.

School Lunches – Week 2

Happy Saturday and it is time for another week of school lunches in our YumBox lunch boxes.  This week I made some of Against All Grains Jello using Trader Joe’s Cherry Cider.  Let me tell you, it was delicious. I love cherry and so do my kiddos. Typically I do unfitted apple juice or Newmans Grape juice, but I was in the mood for some cherry. As I was pouring the warm jello into the glass container, it totally reminded me of when my mom would make me warm jello when I was sick. Oh the memories… Now lets get to what we had this week for school lunches!

Week 2- School Lunches

Monday: Carrots and green beans, grilled chicken, Stoneyfield yogurt, kind bar, and orange.

Tuesday: Stoneyfield yogurt, G-F pancakes with sunbutter and raw honey, Nick-Sticks, Jello, Carrots, and half banana.

Wednesday: Carrots, jello, uncured hotdogs, cheesestick, and apple slices.

Thursday: Pickles, romain lettuce with grilled hamburger, strawberries, cheesestick, and jello.

Friday: Carrots, strawberries, jello, cheesestick, and beef roast.

So there you have it, another week of healthy prepared school lunches. Simple, filling, and nutritious. Have a great weekend y’all!

Gluten-Free Mac N Cheese

I decided to throw in a pasta meal this past weekend as my husband was running an international triathlon, and I wanted to add in some extra carbs. I typically get organic brown rice pasta from Trader Joe’s from time to time. This visit to the store I came across this new pasta they have. It is organic brown rice and quinoa pasta. Let me tell you, it was delicious. Such a hit that even all my kiddos ate it up. Which is huge as my youngest two are typically not pasta fans since they were not introduced to it until they were well past 3 years old. We are just starting to add in some different foods to our daily diets and see how we do with them; Gluten-Free pasta is one of them.

I made a really easy Mac and cheese, that I am sharing with you all today. We served it along with buffalo chicken. You can certainly make it into a cheesy tuna casserole too, or whatever else you come up with! 

Ingredients:

1. Package of Organic Brown Rice and Quinoa Pasta
2. 1/4 cup of coconut milk (or any other non-dairy milk or whole milk)
3. 1/2 cup of Bulgarian Yogurt ( I used White Mountain)
4. Approx. 2 cups of Raw Milk Cheese (or goat gouda)

Directions

1. Boil pasta according to package instructions. I used himalayan salt in my water while it boiled. Added the pasta and stir continuously until was done. I cooked it for 7 minutes and drained.
2. In same pan over med-med low heat add in 1/4 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup of Bulgarian Yogurt and stir until combined. Slowly add a little bit of shredded cheese at at time until melted and combined. Continue until all the cheese is combined.
   

   

   3. Remove from heat and add pasta back in to pan and stir to combine with sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic.

4. Dish up and Enjoy!