I Hate Rotten Strawberries!

Over the last few years, I noticed that strawberries get rotten really quickly after I purchase them.  I don't know if it is because it takes them longer to get from the field to the store or what.  But, we seldom get to eat a whole container before they are no good.

A few tips and tricks to help your strawberries last longer:

(1) Set aside some time post grocery shopping to wash all of your fruit in a mixture of vinegar and water.  I do about one cup of vinegar to three cups of cool water.  It will save you time in the end because you won't have to wash again.  I fill up a big bowl and plop things in, swish them around and then rinse in the sink.

(2) After I wash my strawberries, I immediately sort through them.  Ones that are already inedible go right in the trash because they can get moldy and the mold and spread.

(3) After throwing out the completely bad ones, I cut up the rest.  As you know, some are borderline.  Those I cut and throw in a freezer bag and freeze for smoothies.  There are two ways to freeze strawberries.  (a) Throwing them in the freezer bag and putting them in the freezer; or (b) Placing each one on a baking sheet and freezing them there - once frozen, transfer to a bag or container.  The beauty of method (b) is that the berries don't clump together and you can more easily measure them if following a recipe.  It is completely a lifestyle choice.  Since I am not huge on measuring or time, I do (a).

(4) The remaining perfectly ripe berries go in an airtight container with a paper towel.  The paper towels helps absorb any excess moisture.  I try and keep them on a low shelf for the little guy to help himself.

Fritatta of Paleo Love

One of the first recipes I came up with on my own after hubby and I started our Paleo journey was a gorgeous and delicious fritatta.

Doesn't it look good?  Ok, so maybe it isn't the most attractive dish in the world but it was DELICIOUS.  And really really filling.  It made enough for us for dinner one night and lunch each the following day and we were stuffed.  Plus it is absolutely packed with vegetables.

This recipe makes a huge amount of food but if you cut it in half, this fritatta would likely fit into a pie plate and be a bit thinner.  I made it in a Corningware dish that is fairly deep (4" or so) - you know, the white ridged baking dishes with the clear glass tops?  It is very quiche like but no cream or cheese or crust so I hesitate to call it a quiche!

Recipe

A dozen eggs
1 lb loose breakfast sausage
5 strips bacon, cooked crispy
1 onion, chopped
1 zucchini, halved and sliced
1 summer squash, halved and sliced
2 cups broccoli
1 tbsp garlic, minced or chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

In a fairly deep saute pan, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil for about five minutes.

Add the sausage and cook until sausage is well browned.

While the sausage, etc. is cooked, crack your eggs directly into the baking dish and add your cooked bacon.    Mix well (breaks all egg yolks, etc.)  Set it aside.

Once the sausage is sufficiently browned, add your zucchini and summer squash to the pan and stir well and frequently, allowing it to cook for about five minutes.

Add your broccoli to the pan and stir well and frequently, allowing it to cook for three minutes.  In order to get the veggies to cook up quickly, you may need to cover the pan depending on your pans and cooking source (gas or electric).  I usually cover because my pans don't heat evenly and we have an electric stove.

Remove the sausage and vegetable mix from the heat and allow it to cool a bit - around 10 minutes or so.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while you are waiting.

Once cooled, add to the egg mixture and stir well.

Pop in the oven for thirty minutes or until the center is cooked through (do the clean knife test).

The leftovers of this dish (if there are any!) reheat really well in the microwave.  Enjoy!

Cooking Paleo

I have been trying out a lot of new recipes lately, both my own creations and ones I find on the internet and tweak a bit.  Some ideas are born of desperation and the few ingredients left at the end of the week and others to find healthier solutions that even my three year old will eat.

Just a little preview of what's to come this week and next for recipes:

Homemade ketchup (I made it but want to try it first before I share it.  It could be gross.)

Homemade italian salad dressing (see above)

Curried brussel sprouts with bacon

Fritatta full of Paleo love (a.k.a. meat and veggies)

Quick chicken salad extraordinaire (this was so amazingly good for something thrown together for a 9 p.m. dinner)

Paleo "ice cream" (Trying a few different flavors out over the weekend.  Planning to share the hits and misses!)

Also, check out Working Paleo on Facebook for daily status update and a great community of people sharing and working hard together to be healthy!

Paleo Snacks

I admit, I have been having some issues with paleo friendly snacks.  I come home from work hungry and have a hard time finding something to grab and munch on while I cook dinner for the little guy.  So I fall into the trap of paleo convenience foods like those plaintain chips from Whole Foods that I mentioned in my last post.  And since I am not only eating paleo for health but also to lose weight, eating a lot of fruit or nuts isn't recommended.  There goes my yummy dates with almond butter.....

So, here are a few things on my "good" list from this week:

Sliced fresh tomato - It is kind of fun to grab a tomato and go since I can cut it up at work.

Sliced cucumber - I bought four over the weekend and peeled and sliced ahead so I can grab them in the morning for work.

Sliced peppers - Same as the cucumbers, I bought a variety of colors of peppers over the weekend and pre-sliced them as a grab and go snack.

Carrot sticks - Whole Foods sells these already peeled and cut and packed in water.  Genius!  Of course, it is way more expensive but sometimes it is worth it to pay for convenience.

Hard boiled eggs - Not my favorite because I really prefer my eggs warm but good in a pinch.

Bacon - Well, I do love bacon.  And you can pop it in the microwave for five minutes and it is ready to go.

I need some other suggestions.  A good friend is going to try making her own beef jerky with coconut aminos to make it paleo friendly.  I am waiting to see how that goes before I try it myself.

Any other suggestions?  Let me know!

Everyday Working Paleo

My husband suggested that all my posts didn't have to be recipes.  And he is right.  Part of this journey is how to function within Paleo constraints and a super busy lifestyle.  A question people ask me all the time (after I tell them I don't eat dairy, grains, legumes or anything processed) is "What DO you eat?"  Understandable for the uninitiated, right?  A snapshot of my "food day" looks something like this:

Morning - 2 eggs medium boiled with a sprinkling of sea salt.  I like my eggs still warm but if you don't mind a real hard boiled egg or cold, you could make these ahead by the dozen and save a bunch of time in the morning.  Usually I pop mine in the water while I make my 3 year old's waffles (no, he isn't Paleo...yet) and once boiling, set the timer for six minutes and go about my business getting ready for work.

I also pack my food for the day in the morning but a lot of the prep work is done in the evening or on weekends.  For instance, I buy a huge container of strawberries at Costco and wash and cut them all up immediately and store in a large container to be portioned out when needed.  Hubby wanted me to include that every weekend we (meaning "he") grills up a whole family size package of chicken breasts and then cuts them into strips for topping salads or just for snacking.

Snacks - I pack for snacks one fruit snack, sometimes two and a small bag of almonds.  A good friend (who will be guest posting her granola recipe soon!) suggested buying the four pound jug of almonds at Costco and portioning them into ziploc bags immediately upon returning home to throw quickly into the daily food bag.  Great idea.

Lunch - Generally a salad or leftovers from the night before.  Again, when I get home from my trusty Costco with my enormous bag of romaine lettuce, I wash, spin and chop it right away and store it in a large container with a damp paper towel (keeps it from drying out and/or getting rusty).  So I just throw some in a tupperware, top it with the aforementioned grilled chicken and whatever else happens to be in the fridge.  Often I will roast brussel sprouts and broccoli over the weekend and the leftovers are saved to top salads.  Or cook up a bunch of bacon which is also so yummy on salads.

Dinner - that's what my recipes are for!  Spaghetti squash is my current favorite but Paleo dinners are pretty easy.  Meat and vegetables, YUM!

Questions?  Ask them!