Practically Paleo

A few months ago, my husband decided that he wanted to change his eating lifestyle.

Now, It's not that we have ever been over-the-top junk food eaters, in fact, I felt overall proud with our general eating rhythm of life. I would buy organic for things I knew it was most important for, switch out turkey for beef, not season things with extra salt, etc...

{Although, I must say that we have been known to seriously chow down on some pizza, burgers and fries, chicken tenders, etc...on a pretty regular basis. Not to mention anything with chocolate in it.}

Now, you see, nursing a baby is a miraculous thing on so many levels. It is not only the best for your baby, but it is downright good for mama. Without much effort, and because a mama's body burns so many calories a day while nursing, I lost the baby weight pretty quickly. In fact, I now weigh less than I did before MC was born....woo hoo! However, the calorie intake is probably not something I wanted to stay consistent with either, so needless to say, I was definitely on board with changing our eating "way of life."

Paleo for those that may not know is often referred to as the "Cave Man diet". It is a live off the land, eating "real" sort of life. It is not just making eating a healthy habit, it is a mindset shift too. Paleo is a diet free from dairy, sugar, gluten, and legumes. Now, what you might be thinking is--then, what do you eat? Well, we eat plenty. Plenty of good meats (as minimally processed as possible), fresh and frozen veggies, and things that are nut-based. We've switched milk for almond milk and the bread that we sometimes buy (with a coupon) is now for the ducks. Baby still drinks whole milk and partakes from cheese and some grains here and there, but she eats what we eat  for the most part too.

Here are some of the meals that we have had since our Paleo journey began a couple of months back.

Pork chops with fresh herbs from our garden and Farmer's Market broccoli

Basil pesto chicken with tomatoes and banana,strawberry, and grape fruit salad

Turkey burgers with mustard and fixins and carrot fries

A sample lunch- bell pepper "sandwiches", carrots and tomatoes, and a clementine orange.

Let's not forget dessert - frozen chocolate banana pie. (Cocoa powder is Paleo friendly and the crust is made with toasted almonds. Recipe here.)

Some of these recipes are taken from some of the wonderful Paleo resources out there and some are just from my own cookin' thinkin'. There are tons of options out there for every meal- I have even made Paleo doughnuts recently! Here are some of my favorite blogs to follow and {borrow} from:


Everyday Paleo
PaleOMG
Fast Paleo



Now, Paleo isn't for everyone, we know that. There are also different levels of it from what I have seen out there too- some people are consistent while cutting a corner or  two and some go to the extreme. I'd like to say that we are "Practically Paleo" in every way. With the practically being just that, sometimes we have "cheat days" and enjoy a slice of pizza or a chocolate milkshake. I still eat yogurt consistently and will eat cheese every now and again. However, with the main changes we've made we feel happier, healthier, and have more energy to keep up with this one....

I hope to start a section on here devoted to that part of our life- just as soon as I navigate how to add tabs and things to this humble little blog. Hopefully our experience helps you in your food choices too!

A little bit of Independence

I love the 4th of July. It is a true celebration of our unique country and an excuse for parades, good food, friends/family, and fireworks. Our 4th was filled with all of those things-

The National Guard band- we have a few friends that are a part of this great group!

Our friends- part of the Feroli fam.

Greeting Daddy on the parade route - his band was the 65th entry with even more behind them!

I finally got to sneak into a picture, but MC was starting to get a bit hot and tired by this point in the parade.

The Du Plessis crew from South Africa- they surprised my mother-in-law and came to spend a week. We loved hanging out with them by the pool. MC and I got to meet them all for the first time and Adam got to meet his cousin, Jordan (in the middle), for the first time.

Now, the 4th of July has come and gone, but the Independence is truly just beginning. When you have a toddler- independence comes in many forms. Testing boundaries, exploring sounds and sights, practicing things that will become engrained as habits. 

Mama got a little taste of that independence today as the bug didn't feel the need to nurse this morning.  I have only guided weaning by dropping  feedings as I saw she was ready, but today instead of showing her usual interest first thing, she wanted to play and just hang out instead. No motion or indication, no fussiness, just a good morning greeting with some snuggles before breakfast. 

I know the baby phase is quickly passing us by and with each day she is exerting her independence more and more. I teared up a bit at her lack of wanting our morning ritual together and know inside that the bedtime one will soon follow. I am thankful for the bond that we've created over these past 16 months and look forward to what this new found independence will bring to it.

Bits and Pieces - a little this and that from June

June was a wonderful month- Adam and I are both off for the summer, and we are relishing in the lazy days, making plans on the fly, and all the relaxation that comes with that. Here are some bits and pieces from this first month of summer 2012:

Caught in action- I basically let her have {controlled} free reign when it comes time for me to cook dinner. Whatever we can find to keep her content while mommy can't give her the attention she is wanting. ;)

Times at the duck pond....we go on almost daily walks and have quite the following of a few families of ducks. MC wants to eat the bread that we bring to feed them instead of giving it away, but she enjoys waving at the ducks and getting in the middle of their fun. They are pretty used to us and will surround us like we are their owners, it's great!

First adventures in finger painting. I made some homemade finger paints last week for some outdoor fun. The recipe can be found here. It was something I had pinned on Pinterest and couldn't wait to try. They were a bit goopy, so MC wasn't quite sold on the texture, but got into it for a bit. She doesn't seem to enjoy sometimes being too sticky/messy-- unless it is sand/dirt or occasionally food. However, she doesn't seem to enjoy keeping her hands dirty for long in any case. However, we did end up having some fun...looking forward to the next attempt!

Pardon the blurriness, but this is a glimpse into one of her favorite sleeping positions now. Very often we will find her foot in between two of the crib slats, then when we try to move it, the foot is back before we can make it back to our room and turn the monitor on.

Proof that she does have hair coming....

Playtime with Uncle Gareth when he came into town.

Discovering Sesame Street.

Then --of course there has been the zoo....

Hope your summer is off to a sweet start!