Sunday, June 23, 2013

Bacon Wrapped Dates

A couple of months ago, I injured my foot trying a 5k.  I have a lovely friend that offered to bring my family dinner, and one of the tasties that she brought over was cream cheese filled bacon wrapped dates.  My family fell on them like they had not eaten in weeks, and Thing1 asked me f I could ever make them for our family at our house, and could I make them every day, pretty please?  My wonderfully lovely (bordering on goddess, really - not gonna lie) friend has kindly given me the recipe, and I am trying my hand at it.  This recipe can utilize cream cheese for a paleo-esque experience, or simply dates and bacon for hard core Paleo eaters.

I find my dates in the baking aisle.  Whole dates are next to the chopped dates you can use for baking.  Slice open the date so that you can stuff it with plain cream cheese.

1 8oz bag of pitted dates                                                $  3.08
1 box cream cheese                                                       $  1.59
1 package bacon                                                            $  3.49
                                                                     TOTAL = $ 8.16 (and worth EVERY PENNY!!)

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Dates cut in half
Closer look at dates cut in half
 Then, put a schmear of cream cheese into each date...


I cut my bacon into three parts, and that worked fine for wrapping, but I think that in the future, I will only cut the bacon in half due to shrinkage in the cooking process.


 Wrap the cream cheese stuffed dates...

Now, place the bacon wrapped dates on a foil lined cookie sheet...

And, cook at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.


When I took them out of the oven, I set them on the stove top to cool.  When I walked by 5 minutes later, I saw something that convinced me that I should have taken my "after" photo as soon as they were done.

I think they are a HIT!!  ;-)

t

UPDATE: With the bacon cut into halves, instead of thirds, it took longer for the bacon to cook.  I baked at 375 for 35 minutes, and they were wonderful, if I do say so myself.  ;-)

ANOTHER UPDATE:  Use some leftover mashed sweet potatoes for the filling!!!  It is FABULOUS!!!

Laundry Soap Recipe.

I know it is not a food recipe, but it is one that I make a few times a year.  I sent the recipe to a friend, complete with pictures, then I thought I would post it here for some other friends to see.  I have a High Efficiency washer, and have found no issues with using it all the time.  Of course, I regularly put vinegar through my machine with the towels, so that definitely helps cut any soapy build up or any "off" smells in my HE machine.

I used Fels-Naptha for this batch, but I have also used Ivory Soap.  Fels-Naptha is 97 cents per bar at Wal-Mart, but Ivory Soap is 99 cents for 3 bars, and it only takes a bar of either per 4 cup mix.  It is kind of what mood I am in, and how rich I feel, as to which one I pick up.  If I am feeling wealthy, I splurge on Fels-Naptha.

I started making my own soap as a frugal hack, but then found out that Husband's sensitive skin improved, so I doubt that I will ever go back to buying commercially made laundry soap, no matter how "hypo-allergenic" it is.  Plus, it takes about 2 seconds to get everything together and make it.

The last time I made it, one of Thing1's friends was over, and she was kind of surprised to see that it is possible to make your own laundry soap.

One year supply of laundry detergent:
Fels Naptha   4 bars @ 97 each                                                                 $ 3.88
Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda                                                    $ 3.87
20 Mule Team Borax                                                                                 $ 4.15
                                                                                         TOTAL =         $11.90

Grate a bar of Fels-Naptha.  It will look like grated cheddar.

 You will eventually be measuring out 2 cups each of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, and 20 Mule Team Borax.



I put 1 cup each of the Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and the Borax, along with half the grated soap bar, into a small 2 cup food processor that I keep for that purpose.  About once a quarter, I grab everything, spend about 10 minutes making the soap.  So, 40 minutes a year plus ingredients, yields a supply of laundry soap adequate to the needs of my 4 person family.




Once everything is all blended into a fine powder in my little handy-dandy food processor, I break out the Folgers reusable plastic canister.

And, I dump in the fine powder that I just made...  Then, I make another batch with 2 more cups of stuff and the other half of the shredded soap.

The shredded cheese looking Fels Naptha has been processed into small bits that dissolve more easily than the larger, original, slivers.

I add one level (maybe a little bit rounded) Tablespoon of detergent per load.  I have added two for particularly dirty/smelly loads.


I also bought a container of Purex Crystals last year, and have added them to my loads with sheets and blankets, so that those items get a softening agent.  For towels, I add 1/2 a cup of plain white vinegar to the laundry with the soap to keep them fresh smelling and soft.

I have also toyed with the idea of buying a small box of Gain (by far my favorite smelling laundry detergent) and adding a scoop of Gain (the equivalent of one load) to my mix for the quarter.  If I decide to do so, I will update you.  I hesitate to do this, since I do not know if even this small amount might irritate Husband's skin.  (That is kind of part of the beauty of making your own, and it being so affordable.  If it does irritate his skin, I give that batch away and make another.  No biggie!)

So, there you have it.  A year's supply of laundry detergent for roughly $12.00.  And, our clothes are clean and fresh smelling.

t

Update: Because of some sort of a latent OCD on my part, when someone asked me how much it was per use for my laundry soap, I felt an urgent need to figure out the per use cost.
The bar is 5.5 ounces, and there are 2 tbsp per oz.
Each cup of Borax or Washing Soda is 16 tbsp.
4 C. x 16 = 64 tbsp in the powders, and 11 tbsp in the bar = 75 loads of laundry per quarterly recipe.
$11.90 for the year / 4 quarters = 2.975, or $2.98 per quarter
$2.98 / 75 loads = .0397333, or 4 cents per load.  And, that's with the more expensive soap option.

If I were to utilize Zote, which comes in a larger bar (so I only use 1/2 a bar per recipe) or if I use Ivory Soap @ 99 cents for 3 bars, my cost per load reduces to 3 cents per load  :-)

Friday, June 14, 2013

Groceries 6/10/13

Aldi's does not have acorn squash, and they do not sell hard cider either, so Wal-Mart was my destination today.

3lb bag of chicken breast                                            $ 5.98
Almond Milk  2 @ 2.88                                             $ 5.76
Sweet Potatoes 4.52 lbs @ .88                                   $ 3.98
3 Acorn Squash  5.25 lbs @ 1.38 per lb                     $ 7.25
Woodchuck Hard Cider 12 pack                                $13.97
Turkey Franks 5 @ .98                                               $ 4.90
Dates 2 packages @ 3.08                                           $ 6.16
                                                         TOTAL =        $48.00

I will be trying my hand at some bacon wrapped dates.  A friend of mine made some for me in the meal that she brought over to me when i hurt my foot, and I got the recipe from her, so I will be trying them in the near future.  :-)

t

Update: The bacon wrapped dates were GREAT!!  http://paleoonthecheap.blogspot.com/2013/06/bacon-wrapped-dates.html

Stuffed Acorn Squash, a-la Paleo

I tried another of Chrissy Gower's recipes from "Paleo slow cooking, Gluten Free Recipes Made Simple"

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Title/book--q1Yej_iI0SMMcmyuc2Hdg/page1.html?utm_source=productlistings&utm_medium=g&utm_campaign=title-Paleo+Slow+Cooking%3a+Gluten+Free+Recipes+Made+Simple&gclid=CLCx9dKP4bcCFXRk7AodtSQAzA 

I had never before had stuffed acorn squash.  I had never had acorn squash, but the picture in the book looked so good, that I HAD to try it for myself.

The stuffing is simple, a pound of Italian Sausage, onion, mushrooms, spinach, and the squash.

3 Acorn Squash 5.25 lbs @ 1.38 per lb                    $ 7.25
2 onions                                                                     $   .40
Mushrooms - 8oz clamshell                                       $ 1.59
1 lb mild italian Pork Sausage                                    $ 2.79
spinach leaves (1/2 an 8 oz bag)                                $   .75
                                                              TOTAL  = $ 12.78 (or 2.13 per serving)

I finally made a salad from my own home grown lettuce! Large bowl of lettuce from the garden, and some odds and ends from the refrigerator (1/2 a leftover tomato, handful of olives the kids had leftover from a snack, and half a carrot from a smoothie that I had made earlier.)  So, a basically free salad.

In a sauté pan, I caramelized my onions, then added my mushrooms.  After a few minutes, I added the Italian Pork Sausage, after cutting it out of the casings.  While that cooked, I bisected my acorn squash lengthwise, and scooped out the seeds.  I added the seeds to my garden beds, just in case I get them to grow.  :-)

Instead of using my crock pot, because there would not have been enough room for everything, I used the alternate cooking directions for the oven.  350 degrees for an hour.  They turned out fabulously!


I would suggest having a hand towel on hand, because we found it difficult to try to dig each bite out individually.  Much easier to get your entire serving onto your plate, and go from there. :-)  We took a hand towel doubled over for the protection of our hand, then scooped the squash totally empty and down to it's skin onto our plates, and dug in.  AMAZING TASTE!

For the $12.78, we got 4 really good dinner servings, and enough leftovers for two more full meals.

The next morning, I took one of the servings, mashed it a bit, and fried it up with some eggs for Husband and myself, and it was delicious!  He put Sriracha over his for an extra kick, and I took mine plain.  SO GOOD!

Okay, so that breakfast breakdown was one serving of the acorn squash ($2..13) and 5 eggs (@ 10 cents each = $ .50) So, a nice breakfast for 2 for $2.63, and I would put it up against any breakfast at any restaurant - especially at $1.32 per serving!!  Wait, I forgot the sprinkle of cheese, so add $.15 per serving, for a grand total of $1.47 per breakfast for Husband and myself.

t

Paleo Oatmeal!

I have been making my own apple sauce in the slow cooker for a while now.  When I get a very good deal on apples, sometimes we do not eat them fast enough and they start to go soft.  I peel, core, dice, dump into a slow cooker, and sprinkle with cinnamon.  I do not add water, because I find that as the apples break down over hours in the slow cooker, the liquid that the apples themselves surrender is more than adequate, and does not make the end result too runny.

A few mornings ago, I noticed that it was time to make some more apple sauce.  As it was nearing completion, I thought about the recipe that I had tried from my new cookbook...

A couple of weeks ago, I bought what I think is going to be a really great addition to the cookbook collection: "Paleo Slow Cooking Recipes Made Simple." by Chrissy Gower.  I had only tried the "Slow Cooked Apple Almond Cereal" before, and it had gone over fairly well with the family as an alternative to oatmeal, which we love.  Our only issue was the lack of robust flavor in any area other than almond.

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Title/book--q1Yej_iI0SMMcmyuc2Hdg/page1.html?utm_source=productlistings&utm_medium=g&utm_campaign=title-Paleo+Slow+Cooking%3a+Gluten+Free+Recipes+Made+Simple&gclid=CLCx9dKP4bcCFXRk7AodtSQAzA

I had already diced 8 or 10 apples into the slow cooker with ground cinnamon, so before bed time, I added 4 cups of almond meal, and 4.5 cups of water.  I moved the temperature control to "low" and turned in for the night.  I lifted the lid 6 hours later, and it was more fragrant than the first recipe go-round.  I think that in the future, I will be grating or dicing 2 apples per cup of almond meal for this recipe.  The flavor is more to my liking with more apples in it.

10 apples                                                                               $2.79
4 cups almond meal                                                               $4.00
4 cups water                                                                           $0.08
                                                                             TOTAL = $6.87

This made about 10 medium servings, or 7 large servings, so figure between $ .69 or $ .99 per serving. Add a few cents for toppings, and you have a really good breakfast for about a buck.

In dishing up Husband's breakfast, I made it 4 ways... (knowing that I would take a pic for the blog...)


Top left - with a little bit of almond milk
Top right - with a pat of butter
Bottom left - with a drizzle of honey
Bottom right - with a sprinkle of cinnamon

Husband dumped all 4 mini servings into a bowl and ate that, declaring it to have "hit the spot".

You may feel the need to add salt to your individual serving.  I feel that the meal tastes flat if I do not add salt to it.

t

Monday, June 10, 2013

Paleo Breakfast in, 1...2...3...

Do you want to know how very easy it is to eat paleo?  I made my breakfast yesterday morning in less than 3 minutes.



Almond Milk                                                                                    $ 1.00
Apple                                                                                                $   .20
Orange                                                                                              $   .20
Banana                                                                                              $   .20
                                                                                        TOTAL = $ 1.60

t

Almond Crusted Swai

I loved the results of my Almond Crusted Tilapia so much, that I wanted to try my hand at Swai with the recipe.

What is Swai, you might ask?  Well, consumer reports has this to say... (http://news.consumerreports.org/money/2009/01/swai.html)

"Swai is a white-flesh fish (typically available in fillet form) with a sweet mild, taste and light flaky texture that can be broiled, grilled, or coating with bread crumbs and fried, according to experts. It can be prepared simply, but also takes well to sauces. A 3.5-ounce serving of plain fish contains around 90 calories, 4 grams of fat (1.5 saturated), 45 grams of cholesterol and 50 milligrams of sodium. Not bad."

Swai is a thicker fillet, and more meaty.  I have broiled it, fried it, and now, I have almond crusted it. :-) I tried an experimental side dish with a cream sauce.  Again, I took inspiration from Paleo Nick's "Paleo Pesto" (second video from the top in this link, the one with the puppy at the start... made before he went Paleo, I think, since he has traditional pasta in the recipe... the pesto sauce starts at about minute 2 out of 3...  http://www.paleonick.com/articles/Paleo-Pesto)

Pesto going into cream sauce.

Pesto mix


Spaghetti Squash pretty much all cooled off, Swai fillets about ready to go into the oven.

My first thought was to ladle the sauce over the spaghetti, but it was not "sticking" very well.

Sauce poured over the squash, and tossed into the oven with the Swai.

Dinner complete: Almond crusted Swai, Spaghetti Squash Pesto cream bake, and green salad.
Swai 1 Bag                                                                                       $ 5.49
1 cup Almond Meal                                                                          $ 2.00
2 eggs                                                                                                $  .30
                                                                                    TOTAL =    $ 7.79

Spaghetti Squash                                                                              $ 3.98
1 container of heavy whipping cream                                              $ 1.99
2 tbsp pesto                                                                                       $  .50
                                                                                    TOTAL =    $ 6.47

1/2 container artisan lettuce                                                              $ 1.00
1 tomato                                                                                           $   .25
2 radishes                                                                                         $   .20
vinaigrette dressing                                                                           $  .20
                                                                                    TOTAL =    $ 1.65

Grand Total: $7.79 + $6.47 + $1.65 = $15.91 for a diner for 4, and we had leftovers enough for 2 full lunches for Husband to take to work.

So, six bountiful, filling, and Paleo meals @ $2.66 each (2.651 rounded up)  Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse/Scrub the exterior of the Spaghetti Squash, and pierce the skin repeatedly before you put it on whatever you are going to bake it in.  I used to do the whole cutting it in half, scooping the seeds, and laying it open side down on a cookie sheet, but this works better for me.  The enclosed skin of the spaghetti squash helps to steam the squash.  Cook for 45 minutes, then let cool.

To prepare your white sauce mix, add 2 tbsp traditional basil pesto to 16 ounces of heavy whipping cream.  Pepper to taste.  I have found that when working with dairy, it is naturally salty enough that I do not have to add any.


In this instance, I had made the spaghetti squash about three hours in advance, and it was a lucky thing, since I wound up needing to bake it in the white sauce.  I wound up baking it for about 20 minutes, and sprinkling with some parmesan cheese before serving.


Coat the thawed Swai in eggs, and place on foil lined cookie sheet.  I spoon the Almond meal on to the fillets and spread with my hand, gently making sure that the top is fully coated.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness of fish.

Toss together your salad, and presto - Dinner!  ;-)

t

Tomatillo Salsa

I have been making my own salsa for some time now.  Husband likes home-made better than store bought.  I adjust it to his preferred heat index, and I can customize it the way we like it. After seeing this blog entry on Paleo Nick's site (http://www.paleonick.com/articles/Tomatillo-Salsa), I decided to try my hand at Tomatillo Salsa.

Basic Tomatillo Salsa...

8 choice tomatillos

Boil the tomatillos.  I tossed 2 cloves garlic in the water with them.

10 dried Arbol peppers

Juice from a medium lemon

Place boiled tomatillos, peppers, 2 boiled cloves garlic, and three more fresh cloves into blender with a handful of cilantro - pour lemon juice over and sprinkle salt to taste - BLEND!

Pour into your clean Ball jar

Tomatillo Salsa ready for consumption!
I added quite a bit too much cilantro, and had to make another batch the next day without any cilantro, mix the two batches, and re-jar and stow in the fridge.

Tomatillos                                                                                          $  .87
5 garlic cloves                                                                                    $  .20
Lemon for juice                                                                                  $ .25
Arbol peppers                                                                                    $  .50
Salt                                                                                                     $  .05
Cilantro                                                                                              $  .25
                                                                                      TOTAL =    $2.12

If I had used the proper cilantro ratio the first time, I could have saved another two bucks, but as it was, I made about a quart and a half of Tomatillo Salsa for less than 5 bucks.

t

Groceries 5/15/2013 and 5/23/2013

Even though I had made a trip to Aldi on the 11th, I made a special trip on the 15th, because Aldi had a trampoline with enclosure for $199.99.  I had budgeted to buy a similar trampoline from Wal-Mart later in the summer for $350.00.  When the ad came out the week before, letting me know that I could pick up a trampoline for almost half the amount that I had budgeted for, I leapt on it!  While I was there, I did pick up a few things, especially the bagged frozen broccoli cuts for 85 cents for a 1 lb bag.  I use them in frittatas, and as side dishes on "toss it all together quick" nights.  So, I picked up 10 of them.

5/15/13 - Aldi

Celery     2@ 1.29                                                                   $ 2.58
Carrots  2 2lb bags @ .99                                                        $ 1.98
Iceburg Lettuce  2 @ .69                                                         $ 1.38
1 lb sliced lunchmeat                                                               $ 3.29
Large eggs 5 @ 1.19                                                               $ 5.95
Chocolate Almond Milk                                                          $ 2.49
Almond Milk 3@ 2.49                                                            $ 7.47
Broccoli Cuts 10@ .85                                                            $ 8.50
Sour Cream                                                                              $ 1.29
Hot Dogs 5 @ .75                                                                    $ 3.75
                                                                            TOTAL =   $38.68




5/23/13 - Aldi

Baby Bella Mushrooms 8oz clamshells    3@ 1.59                          $ 4.77
Zucchini 24 oz packs    2@ 1.99                                                      $ 3.98
Flat Leaf Spinach 8oz bags 2@ 1.69                                                $ 3.38
Bananas .44 per lb - 10.7 lbs                                                            $  4.71
Butter Quarters  2 @ 2.18                                                                 $ 4.36
Hot Dogs 5 @ .75                                                                            $ 3.75
String Cheese 4 @ 2.49                                                                   $ 9.96
Medium EZ Peel Raw Shrimp 3 @ 4.99                                         $14.97
Italian Sausage  2 @ 2.79                                                                 $ 5.58
Ground Turkey 10 @ 1.69                                                              $16.90
Almond Milk 4@ 2.49                                                                     $ 9.96
Center Cut Bacon 3@ 3.69                                                              $11.07
Shredded Cheddar  3@ 3.29                                                            $ 9.87
Shredded Mozzarella 2 @ 3.29                                                        $ 6.58
Deluxe Almonds (for almond meal) 4 @ 4.29                                 $17.16
Chunk Tuna in water 6 @ .69                                                          $ 2.94
Artisan Lettuce                                                                                 $ 1.99
Diced Tomatoes 6 @ .59                                                                  $ 3.54
Frozen Swai Fillets  3@ 5.99                                                           $17.97
Large Eggs  8@ 1.39                                                                       $11.12
Hazlenut Spread                                                                               $ 2.19
                                                                                   TOTAL =   $166.75

t




Paleo Scotch Eggs

I had never made Scotch Eggs before seeing them on Mark's Daily Apple.  I had not heard of them before, but became immediately intrigued.  (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-scotch-eggs/#axzz2VpClhRKh)

1 lb sage pork sausage                                                                                           $2.49
6 eggs    @ .15                                                                                                       $  .90
olive oil                                                                                                                  $  .20
                                                                                                       TOTAL   =    $3.59

First off, you need to have a kick ass hard boiled egg.  I loosely follow the instructions from this video...  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN2gYHJNT3Y) Kind of, but not exactly.  I put my eggs in my pan, cover with water by about an inch, and a heaping tablespoon of baking soda, get it to a rolling boil, cover and let boil for 2 minutes, then turn the heat off under it.  I set a timer for 15 minutes, then come back and rinse the eggs with cold water to arrest the cooking process.  I do not get the horrid green sulfur ring on my eggs, and they do not taste "off".  I have not been able to duplicate the cool blow-on-the-egg-so-it-popps-out-of-the-shell trick yet, but I do work on it when I boil eggs.

I cut the sausage roll in half, then each half cut into thirds.  Work the sausage a bit in your hands to warm it, so it will more easily be spread into a very thin layer over the surface of your hard boiled egg.  I try to make the layer very thin so that cooking the pork will not overcook the egg.







These little bombs are flavorful and fantastically filling!  2 eggs are more than enough to fuel you for the majority of the morning, until your healthy, Paleo lunch!

t

Julian Bakery Paleo Bread - a review

When first adapting to an ancestral way of eating, bread was hard to kick, in all of it's variations - the croissant, the whole wheat loaf, the multi grain bread, the tortilla....  All of them were so integrated into my daily diet that it was very hard to break that reliance on their ease of use.

I started researching alternatives, and found a lot of home-made nut butter bread recipes.  Most of them seemed to consistently promise a loaf that was about 2 inches high, and while that might work for side dishes, I was looking for more of a "loaf" like experience.  Then, I began to hear about Julian Bakery's Paleo Bread (http://www.julianbakery.com/bread-product/paleo-bread-almond/?gclid=CPLMoJvV2bcCFSJqMgod-msABw) on some of the Paleo sites that I visit, and I was excited.  But, it was EXPENSIVE!  Definitely not for the frugalista's among us.  Still, I was interested, but had not known anyone that had personally tried it, so was unwilling to spend money on an unknown.

I was overjoyed when I saw that Paleo Nick had written a review of Julian Bakery's Paleo Bread.  Finally!  An opinion I trust!  He was not thrilled with the product, and I was disappointed at the thought that my bread search may never be fulfilled.  Here is his review... (http://paleonick.com/articles/The-Paleo-Bread-Review)

Then, when I was in Cooks, I finally gave in and bought two loaves.  I had been wanting to try it for ever, and I justified the purchase by telling myself that I was going to do a personal and in-depth taste test once and for all.  I am grateful that I did.

Reading the reviews set my expectations low, and I think that helped me to be pleasantly surprised when I did find ways in which I could use the bread that I really liked.

Some basic information...

Size - these slices are small.  For some perspective, I took out a rewritable disk and put an end slice and a middle slice next to it.  Then, on top of it.

 The slices from the end of the loaf did not even cover the disk.

The slices in the middle of the loaf are significantly larger than the slices on the ends.




The loaves themselves are small.  I can palm pretty much the entire thing, and I have small hands.

For the sake of scientific experimentation, I bought both kinds of Paleo bread, The Almond Loaf and the Coconut Loaf..


The Almond loaf brings to the table a nutty flavor that will compliment some dishes, but will fight for supremacy with some other flavors.  Tuna Salad sandwiches on the almond loaf are downright unsettling in flavor.  

The Coconut loaf is a more neutral flavor.  Kind of like tofu, it blends with whatever you mix it with.  

If eaten directly from the bag, the bread has a foreign paste-like mouth feel.  It is kind of gross, not going to lie.  It is strictly dumb luck that I decided to try my hand at Paleo Croque Madame's before anything else, and that the recipe turned out quite beautifully...  (http://paleoonthecheap.blogspot.com/2013/03/not-really-paleo-but-paleo-fied-croque.html)

After trying a sandwich on bread directly from the loaf (and being kind of grossed out), I remembered that the texture was different in the Croque's, and attributed it to the fact that the bread had been toasted.  It was too late to try toasting that set of bread - mustard had already been applied - but I salvaged the innards of the sandwich and transferred them to some nicely toasted slices.  It turned out well.  I had to add some mayonnaise for moisture, since the amount of mustard necessary to make the bread not seem dry would have been off-putting.  

If you use Paleo Bread for straight sandwiches, I would highly recommend toasting it so that the mushy/foamy texture dries off.  The bread has a spongy texture that is unusual, and it also pairs better with wet sandwiches.  Egg salad, tuna salad, etc..., because it is surprisingly dry for a slice of bread that is texturally so soft.

The end result was good and flavorful! Spinach, leftover Swai fillet, and tomatoes on Almond loaf with mayo and mustard.  Mmmmm!




t


The Paleo Elvis

Please keep in mind that this is only marginally healthier than the original.  There are no grains, glutens, or legumes in this version of the Elvis Sandwich.

Ingredients:
large dollop of sun butter                                                                        $  .25
1 banana                                                                                                 $  .15
1 tbsp raw honey                                                                                    $  .15
2 tbsp butter or ghee                                                                               $  .20
2 slices Julian Bakery paleo bread                                                          $1.10
                                                                                TOTAL =              $ 1.85


I started out with my trusty jar of sun butter.


2 slices of Julian Bakery Paleo Bread - I put sun butter on both pieces, not just on one side.  I have found that it helps with the integrity of the dish in that it makes everything stick together more cohesively.  I also used the coconut bread, so that it would not fight for flavor with the other ingredients.

I bisect my banana lengthwise into four planks, and that works for me.  Feel free to cut into rounds, whichever you prefer.  Lay gently on the sun butter base.


Drizzle honey evenly over the bananas.


Grill in butter in a small saute pan.  I used my favorite omelet pan.  During the cooking and plating process, I put my camera away and forgot to bring it back out for the "finished product" photo.

Please take my word for it, it was a sublime eating experience, and well worth the experimentation.

Will I eat this again?  Probably.  Will it be in the very near future?  Nope.  This is a gut-busting decadence that will only be enjoyed by me on very rare occasions.  I hope that, in the event that you try it, your end result satisfies you as much as mine satisfied me.  :-)

t

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Vacation faux pas...

In full-on vacation mode, I decided to have some pizza.  Near Branson, they have a German Restaurant and Pizzeria.  Odd mix, but the food is GREAT!!  http://www.altenhofinn.com

I had, over the course of some previous days, eaten a cereal bar, and a small piece of Marie Callendars Lasagna that the girls were eating.  It gave me some issues, but nothing too horrible.  

I had a small Bavarian Hilight with Knackwurst and no onions.  It was DELICIOUS!!  Delicious enough for me to re-create here at the house with a Paleo crust.  The taste was even good enough to totally make up for the issues and bloating that it brought on.  I woke up this morning feeling bloated and icky.  After 20 or so minutes, I had moved and stretched enough that the bloat-y feeling had lessened, and I felt more like I used to ALL THE TIME.  I used to feel fairly crappy all the time, but I did not know it.  Now that I feel much better, I am aware of when I feel less than stellar, and I strive to get back to "better".  

So, back onto the Paleo wagon, which has been so good to me.  :-)

t