21 Day Primal Challenge

Disclaimer: I love doughnuts.

That being said, I wanted to document here that I've been recently doing a 21-day Primal Lifestyle challenge. I haven't been perfect this time, last week I had 4 days on track and then the weekend was half on track and half off. But I'm still sticking with it. I have done this before and I always feel so amazing while doing it. I lost 8 pounds before when I did it and I have kept that off. I feel less bloated and have more energy. This time I've already lost 2 lbs, which doesn't seem like a lot, but the thing that is great is that I know it is going to stay off unlike some other diets that might only work for a short time and then you can't sustain those kind of eating habits.

Just to explain it a little more, Primal style eating in a nutshell is eating no processed food, and especially no processed "carbohydrates". The goal of this way of eating is to regain our bodies' natural ability to use our excess fat for energy. When we eat processed carbs, grains and sugars, our bodies are simply "sugar burners". The danger of doing this to our bodies over the years is that we have more of a chance to become obese, get diabetes, heart disease and cancer. I believe that because our Standard American Diet (SAD) is made up of grains and processed carbs, that is why these diseases are rampant in our culture. There is so much research that talks about the effect of insulin continuously being pumped into our system to balance out the sugars we ingest, and what effect that has on our bodies ability to function in the best way possible.  

So as I try to incorporate this lifestyle into our family's day to day, I hope it becomes easier and more like a habit. I know how I feel when I eat this way as opposed to the SAD diet and it is so worth it. I'm excited to share some fun recipes that I've been making here too. I just need to remember to take pictures before I scarf the meal down!!

Above is a great graphic that talks about what to eat and what to avoid. Mark Sission is a leading Primal researcher. He writes an awesome blog called "Marks Daily Apple." It has so many great tips and topics to read about. Also, my friend Briana has a blog where she runs these challenges and she is so awesome for heading these up. Her blog gives you things to try each day and keeps me so motivated! Check her out at beprimal.blogspot.com

Side note: The thing I like about Primal, as opposed to Paleo (although they are certainly very similar) is that you don't feel like you are on a trendy new diet. You get to eat as much as you want. You are encouraged to exercise but actually discouraged from becoming a gym rat or ultra runner. Do things that our ancestors would do, walk a lot, hike, only sprint once in a while (when running from a bear perhaps), and lift heavy things. The book "The Primal Blueprint" talks more about all of these tips and suggestions and why they are better for our bodies. I totally love everything about it. 

I wanted to write about it here so maybe I have one more thing to hold me accountable. I am ready to feel more energy and be myself again! I don't hate my body by any means. But I know that I do have some weight to loose and some bad habits to break. Plus I really want my girls to grow up healthy. Their little developing bodies deserve more than Lucky Charms and Mac n' Cheese. 

date night: pane bianco

monday was a really great day. it is spencer's day off so we went swimming, took the girls to the planes movie, took naps, frozen yogurt and then we got to go on a date! i literally LIVE for dates nowadays. it's just that with these two rascals running around, we can hardly get a word in edgewise and i crave that one-on-one time with my man. it's so refreshing for me personally to feel that connection with spencer and also, we usually go to some place special like pane bianco!

this place is located on central in downtown phoenix. quaint and unexpectedly delicious. we loved it. i mean, we did feel a little out of style with all of those hipsters and cool kids staring at us, but who cares. maybe we will be more stylish again someday when we aren't hanging by a thread in survival mode :) (its not really that bad, but the no sleep thing... well that is really starting to get to me.. you know, since london will be a YEAR next month :((( )

so we started with this salad and i don't think i'll ever be satisfied with another salad in my whole life. each ingredient was so perfect in every way, there wasn't even any lettuce! i have to go back as soon as possible and somehow learn how to make it. also, homemade croutons. omg.

we decided to get the salami and olive pizza. because we are not stupid people. it was just as you're imagining it. salty and perfect.

afterwards we went into lux coffeebar next door. i wish the light wasn't so bad because that place is hip. i want this couch i saw in there, its a leather tufted, light tan, half circle couch. to die for. we sat outside and enjoyed our cherry tart and talked for awhile before heading back to real life. i just love date night.

homemade pretzel balls

Homemade Pretzel Balls

3 cups warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons (one package) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups bread flour
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups water
3 tablespoons baking soda
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon coarse grain sea salt

Dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water and allow that to sit and foam up for 5-6 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the salt, bread flour, and all-purpose flour. Pour the yeast water into the bowl. Stir until combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-6 minutes. This flour is probably more water-based than you might be used to (if you bake bread often), so feel free to really flour your hands or the surface as you work. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 1 hour (or until doubled in size).

Fill a large pot with 3 cups water and 3 tablespoons baking soda. Stir to dissolve. Heat the water to a low boil. While the water heats up, on a floured surface, divide the dough into small balls, or roll into long ropes and shape like pretzels. 

Place each pretzel in the boiling water for 30 seconds, flipping halfway through cooking. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water, draining away as much water as you can. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Brush the tops of the pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle on the sea salt. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes. The pretzels should look golden brown but still feel slightly spring-y to the touch. Dip them in anything, we chose melted garlic butter. So good.

recipe from abeautifulmess.com

chocolate sour cream cake

this is one of my favorite cake recipes. the cake is moist and dense. the frosting is refreshing and delicious. if you have the urge to eat something really rich. make this.

 

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

1. Combine 1 cube butter, 2.5 cups brown sugar and 3 eggs in a mixer.

2. Melt 3 oz. of unsweetened chocolate. I just put it in the microwave 30 seconds at a time and stir each time until smooth.

3. Add melted chocolate, 2 tsp. vanilla and 1 cup sour cream to mixer.

4. In a separate bowl, mix 3 cups flour, 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp baking soda. then add to mixer.

5. Boil 1 cup of water and add it to the mixer while beating. Keep it going until the mixture is a little stiff.

6. Pour into pans and bake at 375 for 35 mins.

For the Frosting:

1. Mix 1 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate.

2. Allow cake to cool after baking and frost in layers.

p.s. I've made this at Christmas time a few times before and I usually crush candy canes and sprinkle on top. You can sprinkle anything on top you might like!

Enjoy!

Party Food: Mini Lemon Shooters

For one of the treats at my sister's homecoming party we had on Sunday, we had these yummy little lemon shooters. They were super simple to make and really fun to eat!

You Will Need:
mini cups
graham crackers
lemon curd (from trader joes or homemade)
whipping cream
sugar
vanilla
rasberries
mini spoons

First, make your homemade whipped cream. Beat the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Next, smash graham crackers to fine consistency. Layer graham crackers, lemon curd and whipped cream in the mini cups. Top it off with a rasberry and mini spoon. Chill until you are ready to serve!

my mom's cherry pie

I grew up in a pie-eating family. My Grandma McKown, my Dad's mom, was an excellent pie maker. She is a southern girl and knew how to make meringue pies and pecan pie and all the fruit pies ever. But oh, her Chocolate Cream pie was my favorite. Then, there is my own amazing mother. She is somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to, well, everything she makes. Pies are no exception. Her pecan is to die for, and apple! and pumpkin! She cans her own pumpkin. I'm not one to forget about the few family traditions we have had throughout the years. So I decided to be a pie maker too. I've made pies throughout my years of being on my own and I really love doing it. I'm not a perfectionist in any way. With anything that I do. I wish I was more of one, but I'm not. I just thoroughly enjoy making a pie in the kitchen with my girls playing on the ground in my sight. (Or crying at my feet, whichever).

Cherry Pie. I want to say that I know that some people don't like Cherry Pie. But that is because they never had my Mom's cherry pie. I think out of all of hers, it's my favorite. Because not only does she make the cherry filling from scratch (never use that canned filling with the hot pink syrup, EW!) but she makes them so beautiful! When I make them they are not as beautiful, they are funny looking, but many people have said they were yummy. And that is what i'm going for here by the way.

Martha Stewart Perfect Pie Crust:
Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling dough

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons ice water, plus 2 more, if needed

Directions:

-In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar several times to combine. Add butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces remaining.

-Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overprocess.

-Turn dough out onto a work surface; form dough into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

-Before baking, unwrap dough; place on a large piece of floured waxed paper. Roll dough to a 14-inch round. Using paper, lift and wrap dough around rolling pin (discarding paper); carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate.

-Trim overhang to 1 inch; fold overhang under itself. Pinch between thumb and forefinger to make a uniform edge around the rim. Crimp edge; refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

My Mom's Cherry Filling

Ingredients: 

3 cups Red Tart Cherries in Water(Drained)
1 1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. almond flavoring

Directions: 

-Put cherries in a bowl with sugar and mix. Let sit while pie crust is chilling
-When crust is ready pour off half of the juice from the cherries
-Add flour and mix slightly
-Pour in crust and sprinkle almond flavor on top of cherries.
-Add top crust (design how you like)*
-Bake at 450 degrees for 40-50 mins*

*i did a criss cross top for my crust this time... like i said, funny looking. but its fun to try out different tops. make sure you dab butter and sprinkle sugar on top before baking.
*you might want to add some foil to the edges so it doesn't burn before the center is done baking.

Buttermilk Honey Bread

what a loaf of bread! so light and moist. my house smells pri-tty dang good right now and i feel as if this needs to be a weekly ritual. bread baking.

recipe from the gorgeous and delicious http://localmilkblog.com/

warm soup

note: g's toes are THE cutest yummiest toes in the world.

yesterday i made lunch. it was delicious and nutritious:

saute onion and garlic in E.V.O.O.

add carrots, zucchini, diced tomatoes,

potato, white northern beans, broth (i used chicken), 

thyme, oregano, salt, pepper. 

let simmer.

eat and be happy!

I love SOUP!

peach cobbler

utah summer peaches. i love them. i was trying to describe them to gretta today while she tasted them because i read in "Bringing Up Bebe" that you should talk to your kids about the flavors they are tasting to make them appreciate the finer things in life.

i'm not that great at describing flavor, but gretta agrees that these peaches are JUICY AND SWEET!

and now for goodness sakes... peach cobbler.

 oh, hello there, you want some cobbler little one?

 butter. all you need in life. 

(courtesy of allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
•  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup boiling water
•  
• MIX TOGETHER:
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
4. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

I'm nutz for Coconut.

I made 2 recipes with coconut in the title this week. I think I' obsessed. I only documented one of the recipes on film, but you should still try BOTH. Here it goes...

(disclaimer/side note: I am trying to be just like "The Pioneer Woman" by doing this type of blogging. She is on my blog list at the right. I stalk her everyday online. My goal is to be her and i'm almost there, because she is an amazing cook, she loves Photography, she lives on a ranch with horses and thousands of cows. Like I said, I'm almost there.)

Anyways, back to the GOOD STUFF.

#1: COCONUT CAKE (recipe from my mother-in-law)

Ingredients:

1 white cake mix

2 cups coconut

1 can of cream of coconut

1 tub of cool whip

make the white cake mix as directed BUT use 2 eggs instead of 3, and add one cup of coconut.

throw it all in...

mix it real good. preferably in a bright colored kitchen aid.

pour it in a 9 X 13 pan, or 2 round pans, it's up to you!

Lick the bowl

with your finger

after its done baking poke holes all over it and pour most of the cream of coconut all over the cake.

Put this in the Fridge for 15 minutes.

Get a cookie sheet out and another cup of coconut.

spread the coconut out all over the cookie sheet

put the oven on broil and stick it in

toast your coconut!

Frost the cake with cool whip when its is done cooling. Then Top with your beautifully toasted Coconut.

Eat for breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Amen.

#2: Coconut Bread (recipe from the beautiful Lindsey Hansen)

I gave this to my dad for Father's Day, he was happy.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs (well beaten)

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons liquid coconut flavor

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup coconut

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and blend in the sugar, oil, coconut flavoring. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the mixture alternately with 1 cup of buttermilk. This makes 2 regular loaves or 7 mini-loaves. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove from oven and

here's the kicker...

Spoon this mixture over the top.

1 cup sugar, 2 Tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup of water and 1 tsp coconut flavoring that has been simmered for 20 minutes. Let the bread stand in pans four hours (or if you are impatient like me take it out and eat it right away).

REALLY GOOD. Enjoy.