I grew up loving homemade pickles in the summertime. So when I saw Fire & Flavor had prepacked spices for them, I thought we just had to make some of our own!
Here’s what we used: 3 cucumbers, 1/2 cup water, 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 15 drops of stevia (instead of sugar), a Fire & Flavor spice packet and a sealed jar.
My kids were more than happy to help out…
We added the water, Bragg’s apple cider vinegar, stevia, and a packet of Sweet Bread and Butter spices. Apparently we were suppose to heat up all of the ingredients before adding the cucumbers. I guess we were so excited to get this started that we just dove into peeling and mixing. Fortunately, by the next morning, the pickles were ready and boy where they good!!!
I do have to say that these were pretty spicy, even for my son Tate. But he kept laughing saying how hot they were, as he ate some. I guess now I see why the word “Fire” is in the name of the company. Honestly, Alice said they were too spicy for her, and they were a little for me too, but I am excited to try the other flavors, as well as their grilling papers and planks since we grill so much over here.
Anything on the grill is great, but seafood is even better. So for Mother’s Day every year, my husband makes this special dinner for me. It is one of my favorite meals, and not just because I don’t have to cook it. But make sure you get enough for leftovers, although, it seems the more I buy every time, the more we eat. This is a family favorite for sure!
Here’s what you need for the shrimp:
1 lb medium wild shrimp peeled and de-veined
1 tbsp EVOO
1/2 tsp chipotle (or reg chili powder)
1 lime, juice
1/2 tsp salt
corn tortillas (optional)
What you need to do:
1. Rinse, peel and devain shrimp.
2. Place in large freezer zip lock bag with ingredients above (except tortillas of course!) and let marinate for at least an hour.
3. Put on skewers and grill for about 2 minutes each side.
For the guacamole you will need:
2 avocados
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c. cilantro
1 lime, juice
cherry tomatoes and diced onions (optional)
Mash, cut and enjoy!
I don’t use the corn tortillas but my son and husband enjoy them occasionally. I like to dip mine in guacamole! And, IF there are leftovers, I love to put it on a spinach salad (with a little goat cheese) with some evoo and balsamic vinegar. Yum!
With school starting next month, I find this is a topic desperately needing attention. Did you know that allergies can cause the same symptoms as ADHD? So much so that according to a NPR article, “64 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD are actually experiencing a hypersensitivity to food.” That is a really big statement. Apparently researchers (along with many others) have figured out that changing kids diet, after a few weeks, had a dramatic effect and noticed “marked changes in behavior “. In fact, the article said “they were flabbergasted,” at the results. Flabbergasted!!! Wow, that’s huge.
They also said in the article, “We have got good news — that food is the main cause of ADHD”, and now we know. I know it’s not 100 percent, but isn’t that enough to make a change and see if that helps before we medicate? I know it’s not easy, but it certainly can’t hurt to try.
So now if you suspect your child has ADHD or a food allergey, what can you do? The best (and cheapest) way is to begin an elimination diet. Begin by elimiating possible causes such as sugar and food color. In addition, read the following articles to get start your education process. If you still want more information, just do a search on “ADHD elimination diet” and you’ll be sure to find multiple articles.
If nothing else, be sure to add omega-3s (many kids with ADHD may be deficient in it), remove the sugary treats and processed foods, and eat plenty of protein, especially at breakfast before school. Who said chili spaghetti or sloppy joe is just for dinner?
Alright so on to the fun stuff! I was first going to post this recipe talking about the top food allergies (eggs, soy, wheat, dairy, yellow corn and nuts) that children tend to have, but then somehow I ended up writing about what I learned about ADHD awhile ago. Hmm, okay, so maybe I’m not the ideal person to talk about ADHD, but at least I eat well for it. Can you imagine how bad off I’d be if I didn’t eat how I do?? That’s a scary thought.
Anyway, we made these yummy dairy-free and nut-free treats for a friend’s son who has both dairy and nut allergies and they turned out ahh-maaaaz-ing!! We may be fortunate enough to not have allergies in our family, but I can tell you, we will still be making these again. These rich, need-a-sip-of-almond-milk-after-each-bite, brownies rocked! Mmmmm. My mouth is literally watering right now.
Here’s what you need for dairy-free, nut-free brownies:
1 cup coconut palm sugar (or 3/4 cup and 15 drops stevia)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ cup coconut flour
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Start by melting the chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat, then add shortening and stir until completely dissolved and then remove from heat.
2. Next, blend in eggs, palm sugar (and stevia), vanilla and salt to mixture in pan using a handheld mixer
3. Blend in coconut flour until smooth.
4. Pour into a greased 8×8 inch Pyrex baking dish
5. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, allow to cool and devour!
By the way, for what it’s worth regarding this ADHD post, coconut sugar is a natural sugar with a low glycemic index so in moderation, it shouldn’t affect anyone negatively. And as always, I used 70% cacao for the chocolate. But, for those caffeine sensitive, this might not be the ideal snack. But hey, at least it’s summer. Maybe start the elimination diet after these brownies…
Catherine Williams -Thank you so much for the links on the way foods can affect a child with ADHD. Many think im crazy when I say my oldest cannot have something that the others can. While we have not removed all the “junk” food in his life we have removed one that we noticed affected him the most and are working on others. Red food coloring makes my child CRAZY! Many would be shocked to find out how many things it’s in that you don’t realize! And the protein but you mentioned for breakfast also is very true. I have lived with ADHD for 7 years and it can be a bear but everything is worth a try if it helps! Off to look into the omega 3’s you mentioned!!! CatherineReplyCancel
kristie -I am so glad you posted this. My son will start 1st grade this year. Last year we were having behavior problems with him in Kinder. When we finally met with the teachers, they skirted around the topic of ADHD and hinted that we might wanted to get him tested. I immediately got on the internet b/c I just *knew* that this was something that could be treated with a change in diet. Most of the websites I read screamed PROTEIN. We started giving him eggs instead of cereal in the morning and eliminating breads from his lunch…I can’t tell you what a difference it made in his behavior at school. I started eating paleo/primal in the last 3 weeks and have had such great success that we are going to transition my family of 4. I can’t wait to see what kind of results we’ll see in my son. And thanks for the cinnamon muffin recipe:) I made some tonight and can’t wait to try them!!ReplyCancel
landriav -Kristie, thank you so much for posting. I loving hearing stories like yours and think so many can learn from your experience! Good for you for figuring out how to help your son feel his best and do better in school. I bet it feels , doesn’t it?? 🙂 And the changes you made will not only affect him in school, but also in other ways for the rest Of his life!!! Thank you again for sharing your story! I wish y’all well and continued success on your nutritional journey as well! 🙂ReplyCancel
Lisa-Thanks for posting this. Food allergies and sensitivities are really common, but can easily go undetected when not associated with a major reaction. I’ve witnessed first hand how a change in diet has helped my 4 year old. I wish more people were more open to changing their children’s diet – like you said ” what to you have to lose?” Love your blog. The brownies look amazing, can’t wait to try them out!ReplyCancel
landriav -Thanks so much for sharing this Lisa!! It’s amazing the difference the diet can make! I’m so happy it’s working for your 4 year old!!ReplyCancel
I don’t know if it’s because the lazy summer days or the amazing heat and humidity, but lately, I’m just not very motivated to cook. Anyone else feel this way??
For at least a year now I’ve been making chicken bone broth weekly to use in my butternut squash soup or for just cooking later in the week, but for some reason, I never really knew what to do with the chicken. It’s as tender as it could be, but the only thing I could come up with was stirring it up (as it would literally fall apart) and then add some low sugar bbq sauce and apple cider vinegar. And the kids love that and it’s a great snack or meal. But lately, we’ve needed something different. So, for a change, the kids have been loving this shredded chicken, with salsa and black beans. Alice actually eats it for breakfast. I’ll add some salt and cumin and that’s it. How easy is that!?
So to make this, in the morning, fill a pot with some water and 3-4 chicken legs or thighs, bone-in of course. Then add some spices such as salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, basil, etc. Let the water come to a boil, then reduce to low and cover with the lid. Allow to cook for at least 4 hours. I’ve also let it cook all day and the chicken was just as tender and delicious.
Next, take the chicken out of the pot. Separate meat from bones, or just let it basically fall off the bone. Toss the skin in the trash, add the bones back to the broth, and mix in about 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (if you want to make broth). As for the chicken, stir it up, add in any spices you like, and add beans, salsa, cilantro, etc. It’s perfect for taco filling, eating it alone, or with some veggies or salad and you have the easiest meal, ever!
What are some of your favorite easy-to-make meals?
Kelly Franck! Congratulations Kelly on your new cookbook!!! Please send me your address via email and I will ship this out to you asap!
In order to pick the winner, I used random.org. I entered in number of players and it shot out lucky number was 13, which was Kelly. Thanks for playing everyone!! And more importantly, thanks for the feedback and great ideas for future posts. I plan to (at some point) touch on most of them.
Oh and I had two fun discoveries this week that I wanted to share. First, Costco now sells Organic, unrefined, cold pressed coconut oil for $16.99 for 54 oz! You cannot beat that! Woo hoo Costco!
And second, I found a fun little treat Trader Joe’s today that my kids were really excited about. I found these little ” Peppermint Patties ” with just 3 ingredients including honey, chocolate liquor and oil of peppermint. I put them in the freezer for my kids and they LOVED them!
Did I mention they only had 3 ingredients!!! My husband use to say, I dont understand the fuss about foods being “processed”. There are a couple of reasons why we limit processed food. But most importantly, more times that not, there waaaay too many ingredients, and many times those ingredients aren’t even “foods”, as you saw from the hotdog example if you read my 4th of July post. So, with 3 simple ingredients, enjoy these little treats, in moderation of course!!
Kelly Franck -Love the cook but and really really really LOVE your site!!! Just did my weekend meal plan all with Stir It Up recipes!!! Seriously — major blog love!!!ReplyCancel
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Charlotte - Where did you get the jars?
landriav - Richard’s Variety Store. They truly do have everything! 🙂