KEEPIN' IT REAL

HEY HEY!!!!

Long time no blog L

[This is my mega sad face]

But OMG! I’m about to smile my face off  while telling you what the HECK I’ve been up to in the past couple months.

Graduate fire academy…. check

New boyfriend (my bff)…. check

Apply for a fire job… check

Get an interview… check!!!

Find out IM PREGNANT (holy shizz…ummmm)!!!!…. check???  [I know right!?]

GET MARRIED (WAIT!… NO FREAKING WAY?!)… ch..ch..check [[I. KNOW. RIGHT?!]]

GET AN MFin FIRE JOB!!!… double checkskis!!!

Yes, you read ALL of that correctly. In a matter of months, I’ve become a wife, mother-to-be and firefighter (I get fitted for gear Monday…EEEEK!!!!).

I know this is totally not how everyone would choose to do things in my situation but, that’s just it. It’s MY SITUATION. So judge away (I’m getting super used to it and I kind of love it in a “lets give em somethin to talk about way”). I am so happy and I married my best friend who treats my like a Sparkly-Disney-Fire-Princess J

 So, how does this pertain to the blog?

BACK ON TRACK: PALEO BLOG!!!!

Pregnancy has affected my paleo lifestyle tremendously!!!

First I was all “I’m pregnant and I’m going to be so healthy and paleo for my baby YAY!

Then I was all “I’m pregnant and hungry and I can eat whatever I want YAY”

Then I was all “ OMG, CRY-BARF!”

And now I’m all “You are suuuchhh a TARD… get with it CHICA!”

Reality check... 

I read that women who gain too much weight in pregnancy are either

A.     Super unhealthy     or

B.     Chronic dieters who go CRAY CRAY and eat everything in sight because it is socially OK and you’re pregnant and “eating for two”!

OMG, STOP IT!!! I’M SO choice B!!! [which in turn makes me choice A… again...cry-barf]

First off- I don’t consider myself a chronic dieter; paleo is a lifestyle. BUT, I am definitely a strict eater who, when given the opportunity, went FOOD LOCO!

Secondly- I may be eating for two but, NOT TWO FULL GROWN PEOPLE. Today, I am 13 weeks and my baby weighs in at roughly an ounce. You do that math….

Thirdly- WHY ON EARTH is it socially okay to eat your face off and feed the little alien baby you are trying to grow inside you a bunch of garbage??

So, as shamed as I am to tell you that I fell off the band wagon, I believe that it keeps things REAL and RELATIVE.

So if you’re about to be all “I’m not pregnant so this blog isn’t for me anymore ” ….DON’T!!

I wont be all BABY GAGA! I promise!

I will talk a lot about fighting cravings (which… lets be sers… WE ALL HAVE) and getting back ON the bandwagon after an epic fumble/face plant.

ANNDDD post lots of recipes ...as per usual...

PLUS+ …YELLE will be back! 

So that's the latest!!! I hope you enjoyed it!
But, If not f*** you  THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!!

I'll be back tomorrow with some work lunch ideas!!!!

XOXO, CHELLE

Paleo Chocolate Brownies! YUM!

So E asked me to bake some desserts for her United Way Fundraiser at work this week.  I got SO excited because it just so happened that my brother Bobby and sister in law Anna gave me a custom made Paleo Dessert Cookbook for my birthday! Tonight, I decided for the United Way Fundraiser that I would bake Paleo Brownies from the cookbook. Here's what I did:




Brownie Batter:

4 cups almond  meal [flour]
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup Agave Nectar [I used the LIGHT for this]

Chocolate Sauce:
1/3 cup light agave
3 tablespoons cocoa powder []

Preheat the oven to 350. Heat the nectar and mix it in the almond meal. Press into a brownie pan or cookie sheet. Bake 17-20 minutes. 

For the sauce, heat the nectar and mix in cocoa powder until it is well blended.  Drizzle over brownies.


** For my own twist, I sprinkled shredded coconut over them!

Bacon Apple Crock Pot Chicken

This was so good! I hardly got a picture. I loved being able to cook it in the morning and have it ready to eat that night. I'm so tired at the end of the day that cooking isn't my FAV thing to do but crock pot cooking is glorious!

First you have to make a BBQ sauce!

What you need:

1 T coconut oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced

1 t paprika

1 t chipotle seasoning

1 t ground cumin

1 t salt

1 1/4 cup chicken broth 

Juice of 1.5 limes

1 t pure maple syrup (optional)

6 oz can of tomato paste

How to make:

1. In a sauce pan, heat the coconut oil on medium heat

2. Add garlic and shallots, and saute until soft and translucent

3. Add mustard and spices (continue to saute)

4. Add chicken broth, lime juice, maple syrup and tomato paste

5. Whisk until smooth

6. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover for 45 mins.

Next time to make the CHHIIIKKKCKKEENNN!

What you need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast

2 apples- peeled, cored and grated

Homemade BBQ sauce

8 pieces of bacon

How to make:

1. Wrap each piece of chicken in 2 pieces of bacon and place in bottom of  crock pot

2. Mix grated apple and barbecue sauce and pour over chicken 

3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours!

It's presentation isn't beautiful but this was half-way though the meal when I remembered I forgot to take a picture. SO FREAKIN GOOD!!!!!

The crock pot recipe is from Wellness Mama and the BBQ sauce recipe is from Make It Paleo!!!

ENJOY!

Chelle xoxo

Paleo Pancakes!

My FAV meal of the day is by far the first (and most important) meal of the day. I love breakfast!!! But,  most of time the breakfast I like includes a lot of gluten yumminess  junk. NO BUENO! Praise the breakfast gods that there are people like Sarah Fragoso that are ultra BA and come up with alternatives that are nice to my belly :)
So, once again, I'm stealing her recipe. [Klepto's Anonymous meets on a night that's very inconvenient for me... I'm trying to deal with the issue on my own]

I slightly alter her recipe below (you know like how you do in college so you don't get gigged for plagiarism)

2 cups almond meal
1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
3 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
2 T coconut oil
((1 apple grated))--- what I DONT do!
1 cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries
3 T cinnamon

Mix all THAT together and cook on a SUPA-hot griddle for about 4 mins a side! Serve with more blueberries and cinnamon on top.

Mixchaaaahhh

Progress.... 

 

I like to make bacon and eggs too. I don't find the pancakes very filling.

I took what I didn't eat to Yelle and work! She LOVED!!!

This recipe makes A LOT of pancakes so sometimes I half it. But, if you do make it all, freeze the left overs!!! They are a great grab and go meal in the morning!!!

ENJOY!!!

Chelle xoxo

H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N!

Halloween is just around the corner! Over at my cave, my fabulous neanderthal A has started decorating my yard! Yes, that is a half buried body wearing my old Nike's and my old jeans (THAT ARE TOO BIG FOR ME NOW FYI!!!!) and yes, it has successfully scared ME, probably more than anyone, after a late night or beginning an early morning before the sun is up.

Have children? Concerned about a paleo halloween? Check out my other hero (besides Chelle) Sarah Fragoso (author of Everyday Paleo) and her thoughts on "SURVIVING HALLOWEEN" if you're interested.


http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/10/11/halloween/

Tuna Stuffed Baby Bells!

Hey all! Yelle here! This might be my favorite random creation I've come up with ever.  It's super simple and DELICIOUS.  It's also great if you miss that "crunch" from a cracker like I often do. The baby bells are SO sweet and crunchy, and they are often on sale at Publix!

Basically, I took tuna and made it the way I like it, (with LOTS of boiled eggs, a few spoons of  mayo and a dash of honey mustard, maybe some celery, cilantro or green pepper).


THEN

I smooshed the tuna in the peppers and VOILA!

PB&J Burgers

Okay, so they aren't really PB&J Burgers because cavemen don't eat peanuts (there bad news bears). But, they are AB&J burgers because almond butter is OKAY. Also, if you think this sounds really gross, your right; it does SOUND really gross but it tastes really delish! I had approval. Here is what I did.

The Burgers

1.5 T Paprika
1 T Sea Salt
1 T Cinnamon
1/2 T Garlic Powder
1/2 T Onion Powder
2 teaspoons Black pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Mix with 1lb ground beef. Slap it on the George.


Once the burgers are cooked, Throw some almond butter on there and some jam (just fruit jam NO sugar/fillers) . SOOO GOOD!

If you think it's too nutty, ditch the almond butter 

ENJOY...G2G BYE!!!!



Chelle xoxo