Fagan Eats Paleo Product Review: Pete's Paleo

Pete's Paleo packaging.  

So, I learned about Pete's Paleo meal service from the Balanced Bites podcast, and I just had to give it a try.  You ever have those weeks when you just have too much going on to do a weekly cook up?  It is so easy to get derailed, fall back into old habits, and to make bad food choices when you aren't prepared.  Enter Pete's Paleo.  

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Coconut Chicken Soup (Thai)

Liquid comfort--Yum!

We've been getting some much needed rain in the Bay Area lately, and I've been craving some hot, comforting soup to warm my bones.  So, it dawned on me to Paleo-ify this Thai Coconut Chicken Soup I learned to make in a cooking class last year. 

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Hot and Cold Chocolate Pudding

So---it feels like I start out every blog post this way, but this recipe really was supposed to be something else.  I set out to develop a thick and creamy hot chocolate.  But it ended up being a delicious pudding instead!  A yummy mistake!

Jamie's Thoughts: Kitties and What's Been Cooking

Get ready for a lot of kitty photos here, folks.  You've been warned.  You see, as much as this blog is dedicated to sharing my Paleo experiences, it must be about another vital part of my life--my kitties.  About a month and a half ago, we welcomed a new addition to our home--Max the Manx.  Here's the scoop:

Max sitting by the window.

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Herbed Celery Root Fritters

So, I usually follow my creative whims when it comes to recipe development, and that's how this recipe came about.  I love, love, love eggs benedict--at any time of day.  But since English muffins are no longer an option,

Paleo Product Review: Prescript-Assist, Probiotics, and Acne Cures

Prescript-Assist Broad Spectrum Probiotic & Prebiotic--Amazing stuff!

Product review blogposts are never as thrilling as say a new recipe for Paleo brownies or some other Paleo treat.  But that doesn't mean they aren't just as--or even more helpful!  That being said, let's talk probiotics today.

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Sugar Cookie Dessert Cups

An indulgent treat!

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not intend to make this recipe.  But, as can happen in life, I set out to make one thing and ended up with another.  Sometimes you just have to go with it.  I wanted to formulate a Paleo fortune cookie recipe.  While I had some success, I just felt the recipe was too difficult to execute to share.  So, I turned the situation around into something else.  Thus, the Sugar Cookie Dessert Cup recipe came to life.  These sweet and crunchy little dessert vessels can be filled with anything you desire--fruit, coconut whipped cream, a chia pudding--whatever you can imagine!

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Kitty Cup Aioli

Garlic mayonnaise packed with flavor and nourishing ingredients!

Almost every Paleo blogger has their own recipe for mayonnaise.  It's kind of impossible not to.  After you make it enough times, you tweak and perfect and make it your own.  So, this recipe is something I normally make for us at home when I do my batch cooking prep--aioli!  I love eating this with eggs, on greens, or I dip veggies in it.  

Aioli (aka garlic mayonnaise) is a versatile sauce, super packed with flavor.  I like to have it on hand at all times.  This stuff is easy to make, tastes delicious, and lasts quite a while in the fridge.  Making your own mayonnaise/aioli at home is a must for those of you doing weekly batch cooking.  

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Celery Root Puree

If you look at my posts lately, you'll see that I'm on a big puree kick.  I just love how easy they are to make and how comforting they are to eat!  I am a big lover of mashed potatoes and I'm always in search of a good substitute.  Celery root is great in that regard. 

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Creamy Zucchini Soup or Puree

Enjoy a bowl of comfort.  

I call this recipe Creamy Zucchini Soup or Puree because it could be either a soup or a puree.  I find a bowl of this puree so comforting; and the leek, zucchini, marjoram combination is so delicious.

I've been making purees and soups a lot lately.  Why?  Because it's a great way to incorporate more veggies into your diet.  I like to make a double batch on Sundays to use throughout the week.  Easy to make, convenient to transport to work, or just to reheat with a meal.  Topping with garlic salt and pepper really enhances the flavor of this soup.  I hope you all enjoy.

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Tortilla Espanola with Roasted Jalapeno and Cilantro

A slice of magic.  

This recipe is 13 years in the making.  Yep.  That's right.  And I think this might be the recipe I am the most proud of.  Ever.  Let me explain.

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Paleo Cauliflower Puree

I have always loved mashed potatoes.  Always.  Since mashed potatoes aren't Paleo approved, I'm on the lookout for acceptable replacements.  I've created a lovely velvety cauliflower puree that almost makes me forget about mashed potatoes.  Almost.  And it's super easy to make.  

Jamie's Thoughts: Paleo Burnout and How I Turned it Around

I admit it--I'm late to the game on this one.  Many of you in the Paleo community have long since discovered what a useful tool Melissa Joulwan's book, Well Fed is.  I am in love.  Seriously.  This book is awesome.

Danielle Walker's book, Against All Grain is what first turned me onto Paleo.  I adore her book and her inspiring story.  That book will always hold a special place in my heart for introducing me to this thing called Paleo.  So will her Real Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I also love food.  I hesitate to call myself a "foodie" because I think that term's overdone.  But I was a "foodie" long before the term even existed.  The amount of time I spend thinking about it, researching it, and just generally immersed in it--is probably abnormal.  I knew that to sustain this lifestyle I was going to need to make flavorful, creative dishes to keep me inspired.  I was so worried about falling into a Paleo rut, that I ended up with a little bit of Paleo burnout.

Paleo Product Review: Genuto: "100% Nut Based Gelato"

I took a much needed vacation for the Memorial Day holiday.  My roommates from college and I had what we have termed a "roommate reunion" every year.  I'm not exactly sure when we started, but it's been going on for nearly a decade now.  No boys.  No kids.  Just the girls, girl talk, silly games, and lots of yummy food.  We hang out at one of the roomie's vacation homes for the weekend.  Beforehand, I fly into NYC and hang out with one of the roommates for a couple days before we make the trek to the Poconos.   I had a great time.  I plan on writing a "traveling Paleo" blog post about it soon.  But in the meantime, I present a product review of one of my favorite dessert discoveries at Alameda Natural Grocery:  Genuto.
Insert:   **Thunderous applause and flashing, colored lights***

Velvety deliciousness!

Here's the lowdown.  I'm going to give you the bad news first.  This product is not 100% Paleo.  Why?  One of the ingredients is organic cane sugar.  Not Paleo, I know.  It doesn't contain soy but apparently the probiotic in it is grown on a "soy medium." Okay.  We got that over with.  Now listen to the rest--which starts with a back story.

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Easy Weeknight Paleo Roasted Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is near and dear to my heart but not because it is a culinary masterpiece.  It's because it's the very first thing I taught myself to cook when I first learned about "cleansing" and detoxification in 2006.  I used to tell my coworkers (who were all experienced cooks in their own right) that I would make chicken with only salt, pepper and olive oil on it--and they used to laugh at my "famous" chicken recipe.

Paleo Recipe Review: Eating for Idiots Barbacoa

As usual, it's been a busy week and any recipe that can be done in the slow cooker is always a winner.  Eating for Idiots Barbacoa is one of my go to recipes.  It's fast, easy, and packs a ton of flavor in each bite.  FABULOUS recipe.  Plus, it helps satisfy that craving for Mexican I miss so much.

The first part of the recipe is quite easy:  just put all the ingredients in a food processor.  You end up with something that looks like the photo below.  It's a salsa-like consistency and if you have a little taste--it's a flavor bomb in your mouth.  I could stop right here dipping plantain chips in this little mixture and be completely content.  

Beginning to cook the barbacoa in the crockpot.

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Paleo Yuca Puree

Today, I have for you a puree recipe made from yuca.  You see, mashed potatoes are my most favorite food on the planet.  But, of course, mashed potatoes are not Paleo.  So, I'm always searching for substitutes to satisfy that craving.  And my latest adventure in mashed potato substitute exploration:  yuca.

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Paleo Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup

A summertime soup.

So, yea.  Most bloggers are posting recipes using ingredients like watermelon and other spring-time summery treats.  And i'm posting a soup recipe. It's in my Pennsylvania Dutch blood.  I love soup. And this is a summer soup--PA style with a Paleo twist!

Jamie's Thoughts: Paleo Shaming

So, first of all, if you are reading this post, welcome to my blog!  As of the date that I write this, April 29, 2014, no one has commented on my blog.  You see, that's probably because I have done nothing to promote it.  I haven't even told my friends about it or announced it on Facebook, or even shown it to my boyfriend, even though he features prominently on the About Me page.  Oops.  I want to build up the content before I really start actively promoting it.  But if you happen to stumble across my little piece of internet real estate, I'd love it if you left a comment.  I'm so interested in learning about what other people are experiencing on Paleo:  How did you come to find it; How do you integrate it into your everyday life (I still haven't mastered social situations yet!);  Does your family embrace it?  Those types of things.  I want this blog to be about more than just food.  I want it to be about the Paleo lifestyle and all that encompasses it.

Paleo Recipe Review: Nom Nom Paleo's Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy

It's been a difficult week work-wise.  Like the kind that makes me start to re-think my chosen profession.  Folks, to be sure, law is not for the faint of heart.  And sometimes I wonder how this girl who grew up across the street from a cornfield, played in creeks with her brother looking for salamanders, and who grew up with the local fair being one of the biggest events of the year--ended up in this crazy, chaotic business of being a lawyer working in SF.

It's weeks like this one that remind me why I've chosen the Paleo lifestyle.  It would be so easy for me to combat the stress with a package of Hostess Cupcakes (are they even around anymore?).  I'm a stress eater.  And in the past, when I'm under the gun for a deadline, I'd totally take a break, walk across the street to Walgreen's and "treat" myself to some frosted, pre-packaged, cream-filled, cupcake delight.  But on Paleo, instead, I reach for the cauliflower puree.  Or if I'm feeling really adventurous, this new ice cream that is purely nut-based called:  Genuto.  That doesn't mean I don't still need comfort food.

So, today I'm going to do a recipe review of Nom Nom Paleo's Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy.  Who doesn't like comfort food when you're all stressed out?  I was drawn towards this recipe because (1) ease of preparation (woohoo--slow cooker, i'm sold); and (2) GRAVY.  Yum.  

Sauteing the Onions.  

Paleo Product Review: Raja's Cup--My Favorite Paleo Coffee Substitute

During law school, I developed a pretty serious coffee addiction.  First, I started off with Starbucks' mochas.  But oh what a slippery slope it is!  Mmm.  So delicious.  I don't profess to be a connoisseur or anything, but like many, Starbucks introduced me to the world of coffee.  From mochas, I started on iced coffees.  Then I pared it down to a tall Pike's "with room."  Everyday.   Without fail.  I was so utterly devoted to my Starbucks addiction that I just could not begin my day without it.  I told myself I was not a caffeine addict, because, you know, "I only have one cup a day."  Little did I realize, that Starbucks coffee is so caffeinated, a tall cup of Starbucks Pike Place is like drinking three cups of regular coffee?!?!  So, even though I *thought* I was drinking one cup, I was consuming the caffeine content of three.  In one little. innocent. inviting. happy. cup of Starbucks coffee.  *sigh*  Yeah.  I still miss it.

By the time I graduated from law school and took the bar exam, I was at my heaviest weight ever.  My energy levels were low.  My body felt terrible.  I felt dehydrated all the time, but didn't really have a desire to drink water.  It was bad.  And so, I put myself on the "cleanse" diet that my holistic practitioner recommended.  It's very similar to the autoimmune Paleo protocol.  This of course, means no caffeine.  I went through about 24-48 hours of headache, brain fog, exhaustion before I come out of it.  The caffeine headache I got was so serious, it felt like a migraine--nausea, sensitivity to light, etc.  But once I got through the 4-5 day detoxification period, I felt amazing.

While I am aware that coffee is not a Paleo no-no--for me it is.  You must know, I do love coffee.  For me, having that nice cup of hot, roasted, bitter, coffee was like meeting up with a friend every morning.  But I know that it contributed to my lack of energy.  I'd much rather get my energy from natural, healthy sources, rather than relying on a stimulant.  And if I'm tired, my body is trying to tell me something.  Maybe I should listen to it.

Paleo Recipe Review: Easter Blues and Paleo Reese's Eggs Made with Sun Butter

So, I’m learning that blogging doesn’t really work unless you do it.  While I might draft a few posts in my head, they don’t always seem to make it to the page.  Well--that coupled with the fact that I’ve been working tirelessly on a case for the past week.  I had to write a document all day on Easter.  My Brain Needs. A Break. 

Today, I finally got to do two very, VERY necessary and important things that were postponed because of said really annoying case: 

(1)    I got to finally make Taylor Made it Paleo's Reese's    Eggs (woohoo); and

(2)    I went to the gym after about a week.  

Let’s talk about both. 

First off, if I get out of the groove of going to the gym, it’s just so hard to get back into it.  After about two or three days, I swear I feel more flabby.  And that’s just discouraging.  Thankfully, I signed up for some personal training sessions.  Having to meet someone at the gym at 7:00 a.m. gets me there when I’ve gotten side-tracked by work or other things.  Today was leg day, and I know I will be feeling it in the days to come! 

And now for the "Reese’s" Eggs.  I’ve been wanting to make these things since she posted about them a few days before Easter.  Reese’s Eggs and Cadbury Eggs are my Easter favs.  Ideally, I would’ve made them on Easter day--But with work and all, that dream just wasn’t going to come to pass.  Better late than never. 

Today, I only have one remaining.  Yep.  That’s right.  The recipe says it was supposed to make 10, but I only was able to come up with 8 from the batter.  And now there’s just one.  They were good. 

Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Creamy Herbed Paleo Scrambled Eggs

I have always loved eggs for breakfast--well eggs and potatoes.  My boyfriend says that I'm a "country girl." I guess because culinarily, I always seem to gravitate towards heartier comfort foods, like eggs and home fries, chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy (drooling)...and the list goes on.