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I am so used to my quick shopping routine at Costco that I don’t typically take time to go down every single aisle. But today, I did just that (well, the food aisles). I was so excited with all the good stuff I found, I wanted to share it with you all. Alice kept giggling at me because I was so excited. I love good healthy food, and I love a deal, so the two together were a happy combination for me. Here are most of the things we got today. In case it’s hard to tell what is what, you can see my more detailed list below…

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  • Organic chia seeds
  • Organic lentil noodles (21 grams protein/13 grams fiber per serving)
  • Organic chicken breasts
  • Organic whole chicken
  • Muir glen tomatoes (in BPA free cans)
  • Black bean noodles (25 grams protein/12 grams fiber per serving)
  • Love crunch (with only 6 grams of sugar per serving, this is my husband’s favorite granola) 
  • Organic freeze dried apple chips
  • Organic frozen strawberries (perfect for our strawberry smoothie)
  • Organic wild frozen blueberries are great for muffins or smoothies and they have more antioxidants more than the average blueberry!
  • Kerrygold grass-fed butter
  • Organic quinoa and brown rice (just heat and serve with some Kerrygold, ghee or olive oil)
  • Wild salmon fillets

Some other staples for us that I didn’t need on this last trip include:

  • Fresh Organic Spinach
  • Organic Almond Butter (Brad’s Organic)
  • Organic Eggs (comes in handy when making muffins with 9 eggs in the recipe!)
  • Artichokes (for my Pesto Chicken Pasta and Tuscan Chicken)
  • Frozen organic broccoli (4 individual packs in a one bag. Great for stir fry!)
  • Ground bison
  • Sprouted pumpkin seeds (Go Raw)
  • Olives

I also get VSL-3, which is my favorite probiotic with 112 billion cfu per capsule. Be sure to  ask the pharmacist for it. It’s not prescription but it has to be kept in a refrigerator. 

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 A few more things that I like but didn’t get include:

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  • The Wild Tuna is great as we use it for these tuna cakes. It’s almost $5 for one can at WF but here it’s $14 for 6 cans.
  • Kind Bars with only 5 grams of sugar tastes like a candy bar!
  • Nut exactly is fun gluten free sweet treat with 8 grams of sugar per serving.
  • Hemp Hearts have all of the essential amino acids and good healthy fats. These are great in smoothies, muffins or even oatmeal they are great when trying to get in extra added healthy fat and or protein.

And a few other things I found…

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  • Honest company shampoo and body wash is ranked 1 on EWG.
  • I really don’t know anything about this protein powder but thought it could be a good option for someone looking for a plant-based protein powder.
  • My daughter looking at me like I’m crazy.
  • Crunchmasters crackers are a great tasting gluten free cracker.

And last but not least… how could we not get Tate some Tate’s Gluten Free cookies?? 

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What things do you love from Costco?

  • Grace - Ok. I have 95% of this list in my pantry. Does this mean I’m living a healthy life? My favorite are the apple chips. I live at Costco and spend my whole paycheck there weekly! Made the okra out of your cookbook again yesterday. πŸ™‚ReplyCancel

    • landriav - πŸ™‚ Ha good to hear, Grace!! I know you guys are super healthy already!ReplyCancel

  • Courtney Ward - My Costco has Local Raw Honey!!! At WF it is $8.99 for 18ozs and at Costco it is $9.99 for 45ozs!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - No way! Good to know Courtney!!ReplyCancel

  • Coleen - I’m a Costco girl from way back and buy some of these things. Didn’t know about Tate’s GF cookies! (Be careful as they make regular (gluten) cookies too and the bag is very similar.)ReplyCancel

  • Amy - This list is wonderful! Which Costco did you find all this at? I saw bought several of these things at Cumberland the other day, but didn’t know to look for some of the other great things you listed. Thanks!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hey Amy! I go to Cumberland Costco as well. The only things on this list that I can’t seem to find at Cumberland Costco (but know it’s at Brookhaven) is the Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds.ReplyCancel

  • Lisa - I love all on your list and the Kirkland organic extra virgin olive oil, huge vat of Carrington Farms coconut oil and the kids love proscuitto for pork chips and Good Foods chunky guacamole in snack sizes (the yummiest premade guac)!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Ah yes, how could I forgot? Thanks Lisa!!ReplyCancel

  • Cynthia - Thanks for this list. I need to make a Costco run and have some things to add to the list. I did buy the protein powder on my last visit and enjoy it. I also buy the organic chicken broth, canned salmon, and Kirkland brand tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Any thoughts on the grass-fed beef? I will run out of probiotics in a couple of weeks and will try the one you mentioned.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Nice, thanks Cynthia! As for the beef, I know it’s organic but it’s not grass fed, to my knowledge. I wish it were!!ReplyCancel

      • Cynthia - I moved from Atlanta one year ago and my Costco has organic, grass-fed beef. It is about $5.50/lb. ($7.99 at Kroger). I need to ask where it comes from.ReplyCancel

  • Michelle - this is so helpful…thank you!ReplyCancel

  • Leane - I buy a lot of these items but look forward to trying some of these new ones! Thank you! I also buy local GA honey and organic maple syrup from Costco.ReplyCancel

  • Maryann Griffin - I buy cartons of Organic Chicken Bone Broth at Costco. Great for your soup recipes when you don’t have time to make your own bone broth. I also like to get the Medjool Dates there in the recloseable tub. They do sell them in a bag also, but the tub is much more economical.ReplyCancel

  • Rebecca - Just curious if you eat the lentil and black bean pastas or just do these for your kids? As well as the treats that contain sugar?ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hey Rebecca, I don’t eat the pasta but I think it’s totally fine. As for the treats, I don’t eat the nut exactly very often (because I can’t stop easily!) but I do like the kind bars and I will have those once or twice a week.ReplyCancel

  • Emilia - How do you dose the probiotic? And do you think it’s better to take with or without food? On the bottle it says to take 4-8 tabs a day which seems a little much for such a high concentration…ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Emilia, I use to take two pills, three times a day when I was ill awhile back. Now I just take 1 a day about 15-30 min before I eat. 1 or 2 a day is fine unless you are dealing with an IBD.ReplyCancel

  • David - Just an update on VSL #3. It is still 6/12/17) available at our Costco for $46. That is the best price and it is usually in stock.

    Thank you for letting us know it was available a number of years ago.ReplyCancel

The best thing about the winter time has to be the soups. Some of our favorite soups include:
 
 
However, this Thai Mushroom Chicken Soup is a new favorite. I’m adding to our list. It was a touch spicy for my kids, but you can easily adjust that (just use less Thai Kitchen Chili Paste). Anyway, it has so much flavor and plenty of bone broth. It does have a longer list of ingredients than my typical recipes, but this soup is a keeper and I’m excited to make it again.
 
I just used 1 pack of mushrooms, but I think next time I’ll use two. I mean, is there anything better than mushrooms sauteed in butter?
 
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I like the Thai Kitchen Chili Paste, which is available at most grocery stores including Whole Foods and Publix. Or, you could use Mae Ploy Curry or Panang (which I get online). The Mae Ploy brands are a little spicy though.  I got the Mae Ploy Panang in attempt to recreate a Panang dish I had at one of my favorite restaurants, True Foods.  I will be hopefully making that this week.
 
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Just to re-emphasize the hot warning if you use the WHOLE container of Mae Ploy instead of say just 2 teaspoons.  We learned the hard way back in 2013 (see old post here).  And by “we”…I really mean Tate.
 
Hard to believe that my little guy is turning 7 next week!! Thanks for always  being such a good sport, Tate!
 
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Thai Mushroom Chicken Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 1 10 oz package raw sliced mushrooms
  2. 1 tbsp ghee or butter (for mushrooms)
  3. 4 tsp grated fresh ginger (easy ginger trick)
  4. 4 garlic cloves, minced
  5. 1 stalk lemongrass, halved lengthwise
  6. 2 tsp chili paste
  7. 3 cups chicken broth or bone broth
  8. 1 1/4 cups canned coconut milk
  9. 1 tsp fish sauce
  10. 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
  11. 1 whole chicken (slow cooked or rotisserie)
  12. 1/2 cup scallions
  13. 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  14. 2 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
  1. cook mushrooms until they turn brown (15 or so minutes) stirring occasionally. While those are cooking, get the rest of your other ingredients ready Then, once the mushrooms are brown, add in the garlic and some more butter so it can brown, then add in the rest of your ingredients
Notes
  1. I added broccoli to it the first time I made it but think next time I will just double the mushrooms.
  2. Here is a link for slow cooking chicken: http://stiritup.me/?p=9899.
Stir It Up! https://stiritup.me/
 
 

 

  • Amy Johnson - Made this tonight and it was delicious as expected. My kiddos gobbled it up as well. Doubled the mushrooms and was definitely the way to go! Thanks for keeping us healthy and well fed Landria! You nailed it once again…ReplyCancel

    • landriav - AWESOME!!! SO great to hear Amy!! πŸ™‚ Thank you for sharing!ReplyCancel

  • Christy - How do you cook the chicken if you slow cook it? Can you be specific about times, etc. for the instructions? I’m a newbie!!! Thank you!ReplyCancel

Quick note: to my male readers. Sorry but this post isn’t for you…

Why is it that PMS symptoms seem to get more intense with age? Years ago I started to notice that I seemed to get…let’s just say…a touch moodier, my cravings became stronger and well, sometimes right before my period (and sometimes right before ovulation) I would just get so damn tired .  

When I was growing up, I’d hear my mom complain about the physical and emotional swings associated with her peri-menopause. And back then, it was what it was and there was nothing that could be done about it, you just had to grin and bear it. Now a days, there are things we can do to understand and try to manage our hormones and it can make all the difference in the world.

Fortunately, I learned that my more intense PMS symptoms were all a part of a hormone imbalance. Many of us (up to 80% of women) typically around the ages of 35-50 with deal with a hormone imbalance at some point that can cause Estrogen Dominance. Estrogen Dominance typically refers to a rise in estrogen or an imbalance between estrogen (too high) and progesterone (too low). It can cause fun symptoms like:

  • Bloating (water retention)
  • Weight/fat gain (especially around the abdomen, hips, thighs or rear end) or inability to lose weight
  • Breast swelling and tenderness
  • Fibrocystic breasts
  • Headaches (especially premenstrually)
  • Mood swings 
  • Foggy thinking, memory loss
  • Fatigue
  • Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
  • Constipation
  • Trouble sleeping/insomnia

Um check, check and double check. While there are things that can lead to estrogen dominance like being overweight (fat stores estrogen), too much stress, a low fiber diet (ideally you want to go to the bathroom once a day to help eliminate excess estrogen), endurance exercise, environmental xenoestrogens, too much sugar/caffeine, etc, it’s also just a part of life for many of us. Between the ages of 35-50 our hormones decide to get back on the crazy hormonal roller coaster they were on back when we were teens with our estrogen and progesterone being all over the place. At this age, our estrogen tends to go up or fluctuate a lot, and then drop as menopause begins. And, with aging, our progesterone tends to decline for many of the same reasons mentioned above. The problem is when we have an imbalance between our progesterone and estrogen we not only suffer from the symptoms of estrogen dominance but it can also lead to other issues like thyroid problems (low thyroid function), endometriosis, PCOS, autoimmune issues, breast cancer to name a few.

I’ve found two ways that have helped me to restore balance. One is by raising progesterone levels (see here for symptoms of low progesterone) using a small dose (varies person to person) of progesterone that I get from my doctor. Personally, I’ll use as little as 6.25 mg every third day from ovulation until menstruation and that’s all it. It really doesn’t take that much. But if you don’t have a doctor to help you with a compounding prescription, here are some other alternative ways to help your body support progesterone:

  • Evening Primrose Oil

  • Borage Oil or

  • Vitex 

 The second thing or things that has really been a godsend are natural supplements that help my body to digest the excess estrogen. There are two in particular that can be helpful. They are:

  • DIM – Diindolylmethane is formed in the body from plant substances contained in β€œcruciferous” vegetables. It helps the body to break down and digest excess estrogen and promotes healthy estrogen metabolism.

  • Calcium D-Glucarate – It is a natural substance that promotes the body’s detoxification process and supports hormonal balance. Calcium D-Glucarate facilitates the detoxification process by inhibiting the re-absorption of estrogen-like toxins into the bloodstream, allowing them to leave the body and be excreted in the feces. Calcium D- Glucarate has been found in animals to lower unhealthy estrogen levels and thereby inhibit the development or progression of cancer.

You likely just need one or the other. I love my calcium D-glucarate but I know many that love their DIM and have had much success with it. Everyone is different so it’s really up to you to see what works best with your body.

I do test my hormones every quarter so I know how to best balance my progesterone and estrogen. Be sure to work with a healthcare professional in determining your levels. Also try to test on day 21 – 22 of your cycle (best days to evaluate your levels) and be consistent with that day every month so you can compare going forward.  

Another great way to help promote healthy estrogen levels is to eat cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage since they all contain DIM (see above). So, with that said, I wanted to share with you one of our favorite snacks, Cauliflower Pizza Bites. I hope y’all like them and I hope that this post may help some of you out there!! 

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Cauliflower Pizza Bites
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 1 large head of cauliflower
  2. 1 egg, beaten
  3. 1/2 cup soft goat cheese (Chevre) so 4 oz OR nutritional yeast if dairy free
  4. 1 tbsp dried oregano
  5. 1 tsp celtic sea salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450F. In a food processor, blend your cauliflower until it has the consistency of rice.
  2. Then, in a large pan, pour cauliflower and add just enough water to cover it. Steam it for about 6-8
  3. minutes or until it softens. Next, pour the cauliflower into a colander and rinse it offto cool it some. Strain
  4. well. Then transferthe cauliflower onto a clean kitchen towel that is laid out flat. Wrap the towel up around
  5. the cauliflower and squeeze out as much water out as you can.
  6. Place the cauliflower along with the other ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix it with your hands
  7. until combined well. Next, grease your mini muffin tin and fill each cup up to the top while pressing the
  8. mixture down firmly and evenly. Cook for 15-18 minutes. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
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  • Tara - This is really interesting. Since I’m getting older, my doctor put me on a pill with higher progesterone levels, but it made me break out like a teenager. So now I’m back to one that has a little more estrogen, which has cleared my skin, but it sounds like it may cause other problems? Jeez, being a woman is hard!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - It is so hard, isn’t it Tara. Who knew it would only get more complicating as we age!? πŸ™‚ReplyCancel

  • Emilia - Do you top with the pepperoni after or bake with? Do you have a marinara sauce you prefer for dipping?ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hey Emilia, I like to put the pepperoni on top so it browns. As for marinara sauce, I’ll usually just use Muir Glen Pizza sauce that is in a metal (bpa free though) can. I hope this helps some!ReplyCancel

  • Reasons You Can’t Lose Weight | CentreSpring MD - […] For women, hormone imbalances (estrogen dominance, […]ReplyCancel

  • Ingrid Gregory - Great article! Much needed info Thank you so much!

    IngridReplyCancel

I was at Trader Joe’s earlier today and ran across these cool things….Kale Sprouts or also called Kalettes. Whole Foods carries them as well. Anyway, I love finding new things that are both simple and delicious! They are tasty like brussels sprouts but are super nutritious like kale. And, all I had to do it wash them and then add some oil, salt and pepper! Perfect!! I didn’t even cut them in half or cut the steams off like I do with brussels sprouts. Maybe I should have, but then they wouldn’t have been as simple to make and tonight I needed quick and simple. But honestly, I don’t think they needed to be cut. 

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Look at that color? They are just brimming with antioxidants!!

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I love these! I hate to admit it but Scott and I ate all of them before the kids got home from playing. So I can’t say if they liked them out not (sadly we didn’t save them a single one!) but Scott and I loved them!

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I love the dark purple!

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Enjoy this simple side and have a great weekend!

Roasted Kale Sprouts
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Prep Time
5 min
Prep Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 tbsp coconut oil
  2. 1 bag kale sprouts
  3. 1 tsp rock salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Rinse kale sprouts in colander and dry well with paper towel.
  3. Mix melted coconut oil with the sprouts in medium bowl and then add he salt.
  4. Cook for 20 or so minutes (turning them so they can cook evenly) until they start to turn brown and get crispy.
  5. Once almost done, turn the oven on broil to 500 degrees for about 3-5 minutes.
  6. Enjoy immediately!
Stir It Up! https://stiritup.me/

Before I start with the post, I wanted to just give a BIG “thank you” to everyone who wrote a review for Super Paleo Snacks on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. You know who you are and I hope you know just how much I appreciate YOU and your amazing support!! Okay, sorry, enough with book stuff.
 
So, another resolution of mine this year is to eat more wild fish. I’ll admit that I don’t make fish often. When I do, the boys in this house tend to turn up their noses. But, this fish was so tasty! So guess what? The kids (and dad) are going to have to get used to eating fish. It’s never easy introducing a new food, but the more I do it, the easier it seems to get. It may not be their favorite meal, but it’s hard to please everyone all the time, right? It’s all about consistency and follow through. We have two big rules in our house at dinner time.
 
1.  You have to try at least one bite of everything on your plate (yes, even if you are going to gag) because you never know if you are suddenly going to like it. Taste buds are changing ALL the time. It’s a rule that my kids have come to accept. Once they realized that it was a rule that was never going to change, it really became a non-issue, thankfully. 
 
2.  Whatever I make for dinner, is dinner. There are no second dinners or “kid meals”. If you don’t want the dinner I made, that is fine, you may be excused. But I will save it for later for when you realize you are hungry and want something to eat. Don’t worry, your dinner will be waiting for you. πŸ™‚ After 3 nights in a row, your kids will know you mean business. I promise, they won’t  starve because you don’t make them exactly what they want. 
 
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  • Halibut with lemon, capers & basil
    Serves 2
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    Ingredients
    1. 1 lb wild halibut
    2. 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
    3. 2 tbsp olive oil (or ghee)
    4. 1 tsp sea salt
    5. 1/2 tsp pepper
    6. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    7. 3 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil
    8. 2-3 tsp drained capers
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 425.
    2. Stir together lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic cloves and salt and pepper in small bowl to blend and set aside.
    3. Add fresh basil and capers on top.
    4. Rinse the fish and pat dry with a paper towel.
    5. Cut fish in half and place it in a glass dish and pour marinate over the fish.
    6. Add the basil and capers on top and bake for 10-15 minutes.
    Notes
    1. It was great with halibut but I bet it would be good with another mild white fish like cod.
    Stir It Up! https://stiritup.me/

 

 

  • Megan Case - We made this for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING!!!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Oh nice! Thanks for sharing Megan!! πŸ™‚ReplyCancel

  • Amanda Fraraccio - Made this tonight with Cod; it was fantastic! It was like a sneak attack on the kids, they were shocked they liked something new. Each actually ate several bites before they even remembered to protest:)ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Thanks so much Amanda. Ha and what a great story!! Goes to show how much of it is in their heads!! πŸ™‚ReplyCancel

  • Tara - Made this last night with Cod. Was delicious and looked so pretty (bonus)!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Oh that is great to hear Tara!! πŸ™‚ReplyCancel

  • Rachael - This was doooooooin delicious!!! I will definitely make this again. Yumm yumm.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Oh awesome!!! Thanks so much for sharing Rachael!!!ReplyCancel