Pesto recipe

½ C pine nuts

4 cloves garlic peeled

1 t kosher salt

½ t freshly ground pepper

3-4 C fresh basil leaves

¼ pound freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ pound freshly grated Romano cheese

1 ½ - 2 C Annie's Naturals Roasted Garlic Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Grind ingredients in food processor until smooth with  ½ C olive oil.  Add the rest of the olive oil and process until smooth and creamy.
I only used 1 cup of oil and it was plenty

Cereal for breakfast?

I always think that breakfast is the hardest meal to accommodate when you are watching what you eat, or when you go out of town, or really any time you are out of your routine.  I recently read a paleo article that said exactly the same thing and offered up a bunch of egg recipes for variety.

This is certainly true with Ben and Maggie these days.  They (particularly Maggie) had been eating Coco Roos for breakfast for years and never been bothered by the routine, but now it's really hard to get them to eat anything in the morning as they are bored with eggs or sausage every day.

Sam went out of town this week and after we dropped him off at the airport, we went to Target.  As we were walking around, Ben said "Can we get some cereal now that Dad isn't here?"  I told him to wait until we got to Trader Joe's and see if there was something healthier there.  Luckily, they had forgotten by the time we got to Trader Joe's!!!!!

Pancakes for brekkie

Had a bunch of mashed sweet potatoes left over from dinner and so I decided to make sweet potato pancakes for breakfast.  Of course, that meant I had to make regular pancakes for Ben and Maggie!!!!

Too much coffee???!!!!

Coffee seems to be a necessity for everyone these days.  I used to consume a huge number of calories daily just by drinking coffee.  Since I cut out the lattes (most of the time-down to maybe 1 or 2 a week from every day) and put almond milk in my coffee rather than coffee creamer, I save (or substitute) between 500 and 700 calories a day-isn't that crazy?

Honestly, I thought I'd never be able to get to where I am now, tarty coffee has been very hard to give up. 

I thought this picture illustrates just how many folks are the same as me.  This is the break area at work.  I was horrified to walk in there this week and find THREE coffee makers within a 2 foot area!!!!  This doesn't include the one in my office and the lab one in the conference room.......

Go! St. Louis Run

I ran the Go! St. Louis All American 5K with the Bosch family on Sunday.  Molly ran with me while Anne & Megan took off at their own pace.  Our time was 33:42.  I was really happy with this.  I only had to walk twice, once was not for too long but the second was about 2 or 3 minutes.  I even felt OK when I was done.

This is us after the race, we are still smiling!!!!

Next is the Color Run in August. I am doing it with Ben and Maggie. We started a team "Girls Chasing Ben". This will be really fun....

Sweet Potato Soup

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 small celery stalks, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (13.5 ounce can)

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)

1. Melt the coconut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Add sweet potatoes, chicken stock, cinnamon and nutmeg; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Working in batches, puree soup in blender or food processor until smooth; return to pot. Or use an immersion blender to puree directly in the soup pot.
4. Add coconut milk and stir over medium-low heat to heat through. Season soup to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne, if using. Ladle into bowls and garnish with unsweetened coconut flakes, if desired.

Tomato basil soup-lasts for about 2 weeks

1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 15oz can coconut milk
1/4 cup roasted red peppers
4oz Fresh Basil (trader joes has a great deal)
2 tbsp dried basil
1.5 tbsp dried oregano
1.5 tbsp dried thyme
2 lbs squash (roughly 1 lb of yellow, and 1lb of zucchini)
1 yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
3 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp ghee
salt and pepper to taste
1. Chop red peppers (roasted too) and onions.
2. Slice squash and zucchini into medallions.
3. Dice up fresh basil.
4. Saute peppers and onions over medium high heat with 1 tsp ghee.
5. Cook until onions start to become translucent. Roughly 5 minutes.
6. Add squash medallions and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Add dried spices and half of the fresh, diced basil.
8. Add chicken stock, and both cans of tomatoes and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
10. Get out your trusty immersion blender and blend until you have a thick soupy texture.
11. Remove from heat and slowly stir in coconut milk, and add remaining fresh basil.
12. Add shredded chicken (optional).

Update....

I am still trying to stick to the paleo diet as much as possible and I am painfully aware of all the temptations around.  It seems like I slip with something every day, but I am still doing OK in general.  The kids are also doing great, we have no cereal in the house any more and they don't even ask about it.  Yesterday, I realized that the milk I bought last Saturday has been barely used.  We have gone from drinking 2 gallons a week (mostly by me!) to next to nothing.  I really need to look at where the kids are getting their calcium from every day....

This is my birthday weekend, so I have been particularly bad.  I went to Crave on Friday and got a latte, it was wonderful.  Still, this is the first one I have had from there this year & we used to go every day.  Not only am I saving calories, but we are all saving money too!!!

I bought a new cook book.  Paleo recipes in less than 30 minutes.  Going to try some new recipes soon.  We seem to subside on chicken chunks, vegetables and fruit during the summer and I have been cooking a lot less than I usually do.  The kids are happy to take chicken, cheese, carrots and grapes to school every day and then eat essentially the same at night.  I am lucky in that respect....

Breakfast!!!!

Almond-pumpkin muffins for me....

Eggs and avocado for the kids

I love paleo!!! I am amazed at how well the kids have adapted to eating paleo at breakfast time....