As you may know I am a huge fan of grass fed beef and all of the benefits that go along with it. We eat a decent amount in our household and while we try to eat organic things as much as we can, at least with thin skinned fruits and veggies, all of the red meat is grass fed. So we really try to save on cost where ever we can since it can all really add up.
Jason, who works at Destiny Organics, is a big help in that area. For about a year now some friends and I have purchased our grass fed meat from him. He has a wide array of meat, as well as fruits, vegetables, granolas, cheeses, etc. If you want his detailed price list, you can email him for it at jason@destiny-organics.com. Click here for their web site.
The main staple that we always get from him is the ground beef. We get it by the case, so 12 dozen per case, and it’s about $5.80 per pound (individually wrapped so easy for one night dinners). It’s almost half of what we pay at Whole Foods and the quality is great! And, it’s easy to get it. We just email him our order and then go pick it up at Sweet Auburn Market (downtown Atlanta next to Grady just off 75) which is a fun and entertaining place to visit regardless.
Mmmm, we love cripsy and salty roasted okra! That post to come this fall…
Here the kids are checking out the “cow’s feet” and “pig ears”. Tate just begged me not to get those things. Thanks Tate, I’m not that bad! Well, okay, maybe we tried liver and some really hot things that the kids tried like a champ (I know, that one was super mean), but still…
I don’t think there are too many people that aren’t looking for extra ways to get more protein into their kids. While mine do eat a healthy amount, I love that we’ve finally figured out a way to add it to tasty and fun snacks like this Strawberry Smoothie.
We made it two different ways—both with added protein using Jay Robb Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (which smells like cake batter by the way!). The reason we used the Jay Robb, aside from the cold pressed processing, strong reviews and good reputation, was that you could buy a sample pack from Whole Foods. I’ve heard so many say they’ve spent lots of money on other powders, only to learn they were disgusting. Anyway, I will admit I bought this probably a year ago (gross…maybe), but it was GREAT! There are still others on my list to try but this was a good start for sure! What is your favorite protein powder?
So the first milkshake, oh wait, I just called it a milkshake, but there is no milk in it and it’s suppose to be a smoothie. Still, to me it tasted like a strawberry milkshake, thick and creamy. So the first has everything in it that is listed below minus the almond butter. The second had the almond butter. The good thing about both of these smoothies is they are low in sugar. Smoothies can quickly become an insulin shock to the system with too many fruits, especially tropical ones. Try to stick with berries or green apples since they are lowest in sugar when making a smoothies.
Here is what you need:
3/4 cup frozen strawberries
2 tablespoon almond butter (optional)
1.5 cup almond milk (I use 1/2 cup almond milk and 1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk)
2 tablespoons protein powder
3-5 drops stevia (what we used) or 1 tbsp honey
So Tate loved his with the almond butter which makes me happy. Extra good fat and protein! And I loved it too, but I think I might have preferred the other drink without the almond butter. Again, I think because it tasted a little more like a milkshake. Either way, they were both really good!!!
Oh and speaking of protein, yes, I know, these Simply 7 chips we got at Whole Foods are not even close to “Paleo”. But, they are a fun snack that my son loves and has 9 grams of protein per serving. 9 grams! Not bad for a “chip”. While they are not cheap, they are on sale now…
Eileen -I’m excited to try this! Have been searching for a good protein powder, but I don’t want to buy w/o sampling (call me crazy). Will grab a pack next time I am at WF. Glad it doesn’t use artificial sweeteners – can you taste the stevia in it?ReplyCancel
Landria -Hey Eileen! I couldn’t taste it at all. Hope you like it! 🙂ReplyCancel
Jing Chen Lee -Hi Landria, My kids don’t like Almond milk. Can I use regular organic 2% milk? Thanks…ReplyCancel
landriav -Hey Jing! Yes that should be fine.ReplyCancel
My sweet husband has been doing much of the cooking on the weekends lately which has been a nice treat! A month ago, he made this great side and we’ve made it every week since. It’s simple to make and super yummy if you love garlic like we do.
All you need is a bunch of asparagus, about 5 garlic cloves (we use pre-pealed Trader Joe’s), olive oil, salt, pepper and some lemon juice. Easy enough! Makes for a great appetizer too.
We use this garlic from Trader Joe’s all the time. Just one extra thing Trader Joe’s does to make life a little easier…
Set your oven to 425F. Wash and cut the bottom inch or so off of the asparagus, the place it in a bowl with about 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, fresh minced garlic and some salt and pepper to taste. Mix it around with your hands until the asparagus is well coated. Then set the asparagus out flat on a foil covered baking sheet and cook for 12-15 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice over asparagus before serving if desired. Serves 4, or 2 if you’re in my family!
Roasted garlic makes everything pop with so much flavor!
Yep, that’s what I said…snickerdroodles. Cheesy I know, but seriously these snickerdoodle cookies are amazing!!
Erica Kerwien of the healthy food blog, www.comfybelly.com, has come out with a fabulous new book called The Healthy Coconut Flour Cookbook. This new cookbook is beautiful and the pictures will make you hungry and your mouth water. And not only are the recipes so tasty and all paleo-friendly, but many of them are nut-free which is great because so many of the paleo “treats” are made with almond flours. And, because coconut flour is full of fiber, it helps keep our blood sugar levels stable and our bodies digest the food more slowly. It also can keep us fuller, longer. All the reason to use more coconut flour, and even more reason to get her amazing coconut flour cookbook! If you love it as much as I do, please take the time to get her a great review on Amazon or BarnesandNoble.com.
Even though it’s summer, things have been hectic, but luckily I had two volunteers to help bake these delicious cookies…
The pictures are beautiful and fortunately for these two girls, the instructions are simple and easy to follow…
If only they included clean up directions too. Oh girls! If you are slightly OCD or a strong type A personality, you may want to skip the next picture…
YUUUMM!!!! These are to die for!
By the way, happy early 10th birthday Eloise!! We love you!
3 tbsp unsalted, melted butter, coconut oil or ghee
⅓ cup maple or honey
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter, honey and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend well.
Line baking sheet with a nonstick surface like parchment paper.
Blend the ground cinnamon and sugar together in a shallow bowl or plate. Using the palms of your hands, roll a tbsp or so of dough into a ball. Roll the dough ball in the cinnamon mixture to fully coat. Place the dough balls on the cookie sheet, spaced about an inch apart and flatten with the underside of a jar or glass or the palm of your hand.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes.
Store in a sealed container at room temperature for a few days or in the freezer for a few months.
Last month I talked about our new favorite kitchen appliance, and it still is…well except now the ice cream makermay have taken precedence. But regardless, we’ve been having fun using our spiral vegetable slicer. Recently we made a pesto pasta with our “zoodles” and everyone loved this dish. It was REALY good! I hope you like it too!
Start by making your zucchini "noodles" with your veggie spiral or slicer (you can peel them first but we chose not to do this). Then sauté your zucchini noodles in butter/ghee until they become a little brown and soft. It will probably take about 10 or so minutes. Add some salt and pepper to taste. While that is cooking (be sure to stir every couple of minutes so it doesn't burn or stick to the pan), in a blender, add the pesto ingredients, blend on medium for about 20-30 seconds or until you get the pesto consistency you want. Place your noodles on a plate, add the pesto, garnish with sun-dried tomatoes or fresh cherry or grape tomato halves and enjoy!
.jpg "I love a deal…especially on grass fed beef!")
.jpg "I love a deal…especially on grass fed beef!")
.jpg "I love a deal…especially on grass fed beef!")
.jpg "I love a deal…especially on grass fed beef!")
.jpg "I love a deal…especially on grass fed beef!")
.jpg "Extra protein in a fabulous summertime snack….")
.jpg "Extra protein in a fabulous summertime snack….")
.jpg "Extra protein in a fabulous summertime snack….")
.jpg "Super Easy Side — Roasted Garlic Asparagus….")
We use this garlic from Trader Joe’s all the time. Just one extra thing Trader Joe’s does to make life a little easier….jpg "Super Easy Side — Roasted Garlic Asparagus….")
.jpg "Super Easy Side — Roasted Garlic Asparagus….")
.jpg "Mmmm…snickerdroodles")
.jpg "Mmmm…snickerdroodles")
.jpg "Mmmm…snickerdroodles")
If only they included clean up directions too. Oh girls! If you are slightly OCD or a strong type A personality, you may want to skip the next picture….jpg "Mmmm…snickerdroodles")
.jpg "Mmmm…snickerdroodles")
.jpg "Mmmm…snickerdroodles")
.jpg "Paleo Pesto Pasta")
.jpg "Stiritup.me paleo pesto")
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Stephanie - Hey landria–Wow! Small world–Jason is the father of one of zoe’s old classmates and good friends:-)