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.

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!

Dessert Idea

One thing that has been super difficult for me is to give up sweets.  I have a MAJOR sweet tooth and I love ice cream, among other things.  I thought that I would be giving up sweets completely because I was pretty much giving up all processed foods which includes sugar.

Thank god for my friends!

My new favorite dessert - dates smeared with almond butter.  YUM!  I love this to the point where we have four boxes of Girl Scout cookies (ordered pre-Paleo).  I tried one cookie from each box and they just didn't taste very good.  All I wanted was my dates.

Shopping Tip: both dates and almond butter can be really expensive.  Luckily, Costco carries both - stock up!