Paleo Burrito Bowl

The end is near! We are in Stage 5 of the GAPS Intro diet and we are all thriving. It has been a tough month, but we have never enjoyed food they way we are now. Friday night we indulged.

Since day one of drinking countless cups of bone broth, all I have wanted was Mexican food. I literally had dreams about guacamole, green chili salsa, and beef fajitas. Thursday I passed Chipotle and nearly cried, but then I was inspired and nearly heard angels sing.

Ideas of how I could recreate the Chipotle Burrito Bowl with GAPS allowed foods started swarming through my mind. I called my insanely creative husband, and we came up with a plan. Victory was ours....

Paleo Burrito Bowl

Ingredients:

2 heads cauliflower ($2)

2 acorn squash ($3)

2 Free-Range Chicken Breasts ($6)

1 Onion ($.33)

1 Bell Pepper ($1.50)

Guacomole ($1)

4 T Taco Seasoning, divided

2 T extra virgin coconut oil, divided

4 garlic cloves minced

1 lime

1/4-1/3 (depending on preference) cup chopped cilantro ($.50)

*all listed ingredients are organic

Total: $14.33 (a splurge, but far cheaper than what I could have fed my family of 5 at Chipotle and it was grain-free)

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

1. Peel, de-seed, and cut acorn squash into small cubes. Toss in 1T coconut oil and 2T taco seasoning. Put in large skillet and cook on medium heat until the squash is very tender (mashable with a fork).

2. Meanwhile, cut cauliflower into chunks, remove stems, and place in food processor with the cilantro. Pulse together until the cauliflower is very small (like small grains of rice). Put cauliflower in water in a medium pot and cook on med-high heat for 20 minutes.

3. Season Chicken with 2T of taco seasoning, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

4. Slice onions and bell pepper. Saute bell pepper, sliced onions and garlic in 1T until the onions are transparent.

5. Make the guacamole! Place 2 avocados in food processor, add juice of 1 lemon, salt, pepper, and 2T of pre-made salsa (make sure to check for xantham gum if you are grain-free and sugar)

6. Drain the cauliflower in a strainer - there are some small bits of cauliflower. Squeeze the juice of the lime into the cauliflower and stir.

7. Start layering the foods how you like!

This meal was absolutely amazing! We all fell silent and inhaled food like we hadn't had anything to eat in weeks. Really we hadn't had anything that good to eat in a while, but this meal was exceptional. Brandon and I were intentional about having leftovers for a late-lunch during our kids nap-time the next day. ;)

GAPS, Hippie Tea, & Liver

Many changes are happening around my house. So many things to praise God for and to be excited about! We spent a month traveling over the holidays, came back and got in the groove of home educating, my husband and I are walking through a program for church planters, and on and on the list goes.

One of the biggest changes I want to share (really I want to shout about it) is that our 6 year battle about food with my oldest son is over. Done. We started the GAPS Intro diet and it was the biggest challenge of motherhood to date. Including my insanely long childbirth with my oldest son. There were tears, there were detox symptoms, there was vomiting, a ton of time in the kitchen, and there was a whole lot of bribery happening. By the time we hit GAPS Stage 4, my son who detested meat and anything green was eating everything we put in front of him. This same son is our child that has had a hard time gaining weight since he was 8-months-old. Within two weeks of starting the diet he gained two pounds! I danced, I screamed, and then I called my mother-in-law.

The diet blew the lid off of our grocery budget for three weeks, but if someone would have told me that GAPS would be the end to our war, I would have borrowed money to make it happen. Not only did we see an improvement with my son's taste buds and weight, but all of us have noticed great digestion, and we are all seeing mental, behavioral, and emotional improvements. We are now working our way back into the full blown GAPS diet (which is where we have been for the last year without grains on a paleo diet).

Another change has been adding in several new super foods. I learned, and really "learned" is a stretch because of how easy it is, how to make kombucha at home. The kids have been loving this new drink in our diet, and it has affectionately been nicknamed "hippie-tea." We have also been experimenting with making our own kefir, and trying it in smoothies and homemade popsicles. Our other addition has been eating liver. I know I just lost some of you there but wait....

Liver can be tough to get past mentally, but there are plenty of benefits to eating this typically detested food. Liver is high in B vitamins, iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium and many other minerals and nutrients. These vitamins and nutrients reduce fatigue, boost brain power, helps heal leaky gut, and eating liver is nourishing for your liver. There is a little validity to the concern over the liver having some toxins; however, "toxins the body cannot eliminate are likely to accumulate in the body's fatty tissues and nervous systems." (read more here) Based on everything I have read, the benefit of the antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients in the liver far outweigh the cons, and I highly recommend getting liver from grass-fed and organic cows. Grass-fed and organic cows do not have to try to eliminate pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics.

I was hesitant to take the plunge into organ meats. In fact I had a beef liver sitting in my freezer for 6 months and in a frenzied decluttering binge I threw it out. So when I read that liver helps get over leaky gut and was so high in nutrients, I decided it was time to order more through our beef co-op. When the order came in I turned to my beloved Nourishing Traditions book, called one of my best friends for a pep talk, and then got to it.

How I prepare the liver:

- Place 1 lb of liver in bowl, cover with lemon juice, and let soak over night. (Soaking the liver in lemon juice helps draw out excess blood, helps reduce the liver's strong flavor, and does pull out any impurities that may be found in the organ.)

- Once the liver was soaked, I drained the lemon juice, and put the liver in my food processor. Yes, this was a bit strange.

- I replaced 1 lb of liver for 1 lb of pork in my meatballs, and I also added a few stems of fresh basil to the recipe.

Then I waited. My family ate them and really enjoyed them. There was a nice rich flavor, and everyone said that they were my best yet. Once dinner was over I broke the news. My sons shrugged, and my husband wondered why I was secretive about it because it wasn't a big deal to him.

Making broths, and fermenting teas and milk was a part-time job for a while. I am thankful that God has provided so many resources for us to nourish our bodies well. By His grace, I will continue to share what I am learning and what our Crunchy Bunch is up to.

Green Beans & Toasted Almonds

For the most part, I don't have a problem getting my kids to eat vegetables. My husband is a totally different story. To get Brandon to eat vegetables once-a-day I have to be very creative. So, imagine my surprise when this insanely easy green bean recipe got rave reviews from not only my husband but all of my children as well!

Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

Ingredients:
1 lb frozen green beans
2 T butter

2 cloves of garlic

¾ cup slivered almonds
½ tsp salt (optional)
¼ tsp pepper (optional)


Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I used a convection oven on the “Toast” setting.
- Put frozen green beans, butter, garlic, and salt and pepper into a deep frying pan or

skillet over medium heat. beans will take about 5-7 minutes to cook.

- As beans are cooking, spread slivered almonds over a small baking dish. Place in conventional or convection oven. Move every so often to make sure all almond pieces get toasted.
- Once almonds are toasted add them to the frying pan/skillet and stir well. Cook until the green beans reach the tenderness you like (we like crispier vegetables). Enjoy!

Quote From the Dinner Table:
“The almonds are almost as good as bacon!” - Brandon

Cost:
Organic Green Beans (Costco): $1.20/lb
Organic Butter (Sprouts or Costco): $.25
Slivered Almonds (Costco): $.75
Seasonings (Garlic - Costco, Spices): $.10
Total: $2.30

Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Hummus

There are a lot of things I will gladly share with people, but when it comes to my food I really struggle with having an open hand. I’m not talking about the food in my house, but rather the food on my plate. Most moms can probably relate.

The first time I made hummus I used one-and-a-half pounds of dried chickpeas, and ended up with seven pounds of the dip. Seven pounds of hummus is a lot, and when I revealed the heaping container to Brandon he so kindly told me he doesn’t like hummus. In that moment I was okay with anyone eating off of my plate, including my toddlers. I thought I would get sick of it by the time that batch was gone, but I didn’t, and I still frequently make hummus.

I have already posted my hummus recipe using chickpeas, but here is a new family favorite using walnuts. Make sure if you try this that you soak the walnuts (preferably in filtered water) for at least 4 hours. This helps to get them soft, and to break down the phytates.

Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Hummus
Makes about 24 oz.

3 cups of dried walnut halves, soaked & drained (will end up swelling to about 4 cups)

1 tsp of ground cumin
¼ - ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 oz of roasted red peppers (home roasted or jarred)
2 garlic cloves
3 T walnut (or olive) oil
1 T lemon juice

Directions:

- Place walnuts, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper in blender or food processor until the walnuts are finely ground
- Add peppers, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice until it becomes the consistency of hummus. Depending on how it blends, you may want to add a bit more oil to get a smoother consistency
- Serve with carrots, bell peppers, cucumber slices, celery, spread on tomato slices, or any bread, pita, or crackers of choice.

Cost:

Walnuts (Costco): $3
Roasted Red Peppers (Costco): $2
Organic Olive Oil (Costco): $.05 (?)
Spices (Vitacost): $.15
Lemon juice (Vitacost): $.15

Total: $5.35 (Sabra brand hummus averages around $3 for 8oz)

Variations:

Artichoke Hummus
- Replace red peppers with 12 oz of artichoke hearts, and the cumin for 1 tsp of sweet paprika

Cilantro Hummus
- Substitute red peppers for ¼ cup of fresh cilantro.

Orange Hummus

- Substitute red peppers for ⅓ tsp of orange zest, and ¼ cup of orange juice

In any of these recipes you can replace the 3 cups of walnuts with 2 cups of chickpeas

Fajitas - with the Chicken

My junior and senior year of high school I worked at McDonald’s. While I worked at McD’s I was usually stationed in the drive-thru. From time-to-time we had pranksters come through and try to be funny through the speaker. Sometimes it would crack me up and give me inspiration.

Inspiration led to some obnoxious drive-thru behavior on my part. One restaurant I did like was Taco Bell (I know, I know). I used to go through drive-thrus and make weird requests just to hear the pause. A favorite request of mine was a chicken fajita minus the chicken with extra cheese. Sure enough a long dialogue would happen, and I would have to drive to the window to finish placing my order while trying to keep a straight face.

Now that most of those childish behaviors are behind me, and I now avoid Taco Bell, I have learned to make some pretty great tasting chicken fajitas with the chicken. Chicken fajitas are such an easy, versatile meal, and they take very little time to make. This recipe is also a great way to use leftover chicken.

Chicken Fajita Recipe

Makes 16 fajitas

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips

(or already cooked bone-in breasts, shredded)
1 bell pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T taco seasoning
2 T cooking oil, divided (recommend oil with a high smoke point - like avocado or coconut oil)

- Place bell pepper, onion, and garlic in large frying pan with 1 T of oil, and put the temperature of the burner to medium heat. Cook until onions are transparent.

Directions for raw chicken tenders:

- Place the raw tenders and seasoning in a bowl to coat. It is best to let the chicken sit for at least an hour, but is not totally necessary.

- Put 1 T of oil and the raw chicken tenders in a separate frying pan, and cook on medium-low heat until the chicken is fully cooked and slightly browned.

- Once chicken is cooked add to the pepper, onions and garlic and mix well.

Directions for shredded, cooked chicken:
- Add the shredded chicken to the pepper, onion, and garlic mix as you start to see the onions turning transparent.
- Add taco seasonings to pan along with ¼ cup of water.
- Cover deep frying pan with a lid, and let simmer for 10 minutes to allow the seasonings to absorb

Serving Suggestions:
- Place in whole wheat, corn or flour tortillas. A grain-free option is to try using romaine lettuce leaves in place of the tortillas. The romaine leaves add a very fresh taste to the recipe, and kids think it is fun.
- Serve with slived avocados, cheese, sour cream, salsa, fresh diced cilantro, or pineapples!
- Enjoy!

Cost:

Rosie's Organic Chicken Breasts (Sprouts): $6

Onion: $.33

Organic Bell Pepper: $1.50

Avocado: $.50

Total: $8.33 (Far cheaper than my old Taco Bell visits at $.52 per serving - not including any toppings or wraps you may want)

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Legs

There is pure excitement and enjoyment over dinner when sweet & spicy chicken is served. There are a ton of recipes on the net to make similar dishes, but I really had to mess with the recipes to find one that Brandon and I liked and wasn't too spicy for the kids. I have mastered it, and this meal rotates through our dinner menu whenever chicken legs go on sale.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 8 chicken legs (or thighs, tenders, etc)
• Spay Olive Oil (I will write about this soon )
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of mustard

Directions:

Oven -

Preheat broiler.

• Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.
• Combine honey, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.
• OR (!!!!!)

Grill -

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Put on grill, and grill using an indirect heating method. Cook until internal temp is 80 degrees (using a meat thermometer), and then turn the meat over and cook until the internal temp reaches 160 degrees.

• Combine honey, vinegar, and mustard, stirring well. Once chicken reaches 160 degrees, spread sauce over chicken. Allow the chicken to cook until internal temp reaches 165 degrees.

Serve with sweet potatoes (or sweet potato fries), a salad, a broccoli slaw, veggies, etc.

Cost of Chicken

3 lbs organic chicken legs (Sale at Sprouts): $1.89/lb - $5.67

Local Honey: $.50

Spices (buy in bulk from Vitacost): ~$.15

Total: $6.32 for about 12-13 legs

(We always have leftovers, and use it to make chicken salads for the adults the next day)