I write a lot about our Primal Living MeetUp group in St. Louis.  I found it soon after it started and it only had a few members.  In just a little over two years, we are 442 members strong.  Not all members are active, of course but we have a great community that people are free to take part in when they have the time.  I joined to find a little bit of support for all the new changes in my life, but I ended up making a nice little group of friends and have made some interesting connections with other people that are just as passionate about their health & well-being.

I have also just begun to start a MeetUp group in Southwest Missouri.  I haven’t been able to pursue or be as active in that one as I would like, yet.  It is pretty incredible that when you start looking around for resources, you suddenly realize that they are all around you.  In a short period of time I have made several connections & set up a bit of a support system for someone that was looking to find some Paleo friends, practitioners or source Paleo food.

On Facebook today, I had a request for help in finding a Paleo group in a geographic area that was not anywhere near mine.  I was able to help fulfill that person’s request, but I thought it might be a good blog topic.

 So, here are some ideas for how to find other Paleo/Primal people near you, wherever you are:  

1. MeetUp – Our group is organized through MeetUp.com.  Go there, type in your zip code and do a search.  You may want to include other search terms that are similar to Paleo or Primal, including gluten-free, whole foods, Weston A. Price Foundation or MovNat.

2. Food Lover’s Primal Palate Paleo By City Forum – The Food Lover’s have a great forum set up that the members have contributed information to.  See if you can find your city there.  You should be able to find restaurant listings, grocery stores, farmer’s markets & etc…

3. CrossFit box – Check out the websites of the CrossFit boxes in your area and see if they place any emphasis on nutrition.  If they do, it is likely to be Paleo.  In my experience, there will be a trainer or two that is passionate about it.  They might be a good resource for you.

4. Paleo/Primal Web Forums – Check out the forums on some of the Paleo/Primal websites that you like to follow. (Robb Wolf, Mark’s Daily Apple, Paleohacks) Post a question, take a look at where everyone is from.  The initial handful of people that started our MeetUp group first “met” through interactions on these websites.  They then made plans to meet somewhere & went forward with the MeetUp group.

5. Reach out to Paleo bloggers – Do you have a favorite Paleo blogger that has a decent size audience? Ask them if they would do a shout-out for you, looking for resources in your area.  Most Paleo bloggers are very willing to help!

6.Yelp – I use Yelp to find new restaurants and kid’s activities, especially when traveling.  Use Yelp to search for keywords such as “Paleo” or “Gluten Free” and see what comes up in your area.

If none of these ideas work for you, maybe it is time for you to get a community started!

If you have additional ways to get a community started, please let me know on FB or send me an email at laci@picketfencepaleo.com!

I threw this together to take to a party with the odds and ends in my fridge.  It turned out wonderfully & will be a staple this summer for the grilling season.  All your veggies, carbs & healthy fats in one place.  I do love anything Greek! I am always a fan of Penzey’s, but I am sure that you can substitute your own Greek seasoning.  Enjoy!

For those of you that are new to this and get confused by the lingo, with the feta, this recipe would be considered Primal, without = Paleo. Eat what makes you look, feel and perform best! We are all unique snowflakes.

Greek Sweet Potato Salad

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled &  diced small
• 3 medium zucchini, peeled & diced small
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Penzey’s Greek seasoning
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, optional

Directions:

1. Put sweet potatoes in a sauce pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer until they get tender (not mushy).  @ 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mix Greek seasoning, lemon juice, vinegar & olive oil in a serving bowl.  Let sit.
3. Strain sweet potatoes into a colander.  Throw chopped zucchini in quickly, stir and cover with a plate.  Let sit for a few minutes and zucchini will be perfectly done.
4. Add sweet potatoes & zucchini to serving bowl.  Throw in onion & feta (if using) and toss with the dressing.
5. Wonderful served room temperature or cold.  Perfect side dish for a steak, burgers or grilled chicken.  Enjoy!

I shop at Whole Foods from time to time, just like everyone else.  Not knocking it, just needed an appropriate image for my post! 

Budgets and grocery bills are always at the top of any household’s concerns.  These are just some (rather unorganized) thoughts I have on grocery shopping & food spending when it comes to transitioning or maintaining a Paleo/Primal lifestyle.

1) Be realistic about what Paleo means for you.  For us, it means:

• gluten-free
• (mostly) grain-free
• legume-free
• soy-free
• minimal sugar
• less dairy (than the Standard American Diet)
• higher fat (than Standard American Diet)
• lower carb (than Standard American Diet)
• higher quality meats (when we can afford them)
• pastured eggs (I am really picky about my eggs!)
• lots of veggies (organic & local depending on availability & $)
• Paleo-ified treats a couple of times a week
• drinking water (very little juice & milk, no soda or other empty calories)

When you get into reading the Paleo blogs, you can quickly become overwhelmed with terminology (grass-fed, free-range, pastured, local, organic, non-GMO) that all equals up to much more expensive grocery bills.  Very simply, do what you can, with what you have, where you are.  There are compelling reasons to make those choices, but you have to look at your situation and see what is doable for you and your family.  It may be a matter of cost, availability, prioritizing your family budget, finding the resources in your community.  You may transition into buying more and more of these items over time, as you free up money in your budget from elsewhere.  Or, you might be dead broke, living paycheck to paycheck.  The good news is you can still eat by the simple Paleo guidelines & make all conventional purchases & still experience the health benefits of a Paleo diet.  

2) Buying in Bulk

Here are some ways that my family buys in bulk.  If you are used to preparing a weekly shopping list and only getting a few items at a time, you are going to need to get used to saving a few bucks back each week so that every few months you have  $200-$600 to make a larger purchase.

• Almond flour (Paleo treats aren’t a staple)  - I order this online in a 25 lb order to get a better price.  I store it in the freezer.
• Coconut oil – My next step is to make the 5 gallon bucket purchase from Tropical Traditions!
• Coconut flakes – I buy in 5 lb quantities online.
• Beef/Lamb/Pork/Chicken – When it is on sale, I stock up.  I also purchase 1/4 – 1/2 of a beef at a time from local farmers.  Brings the price down considerably.
• Costco – great prices on almond butter, KerryGold butter, coconut oil, frozen fruits and veggies, bacon, dates, etc….
• Eggs – they keep a long time in the fridge, so when you find a good source of quality eggs, pick up several!

3) Use Online Vendors

If something isn’t available to you in your geographic area, look for it online.  Pay attention to shipping deals and sales! I have an Amazon Prime membership which lets me watch some shows & get free 2-day shipping on most items for @$79 bucks a year.  Some of the items I order online regularly include:

• Coconut flakes (Nuts.com)
• Coconut oil (Tropical Traditions)
• Coconut milk (Amazon)
• Freeze Dried Fruit and Clif Ropes (for my daughter’s lunches) (Amazon)
• Nuts (Nuts.com)
• Almond Flour & Coconut Flour (Nuts.com)
• Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (Amazon)

4) Use Cheaper Cuts of Meat

Burgers and chicken legs are weekly staples around our house.  Breakfast for dinner also happens at least one night a week.  Roasts, pork shoulders and whole chickens are large will feed a lot of people and provide some leftovers.  Plan your menu around these cheaper meal ideas!

5) Take into account that there is going to be a transition period!

If you are just adjusting to Paleo and have been eating pretty traditional fare you may not have regulated your hunger & broken eating habits yet.  We had a couple of months where I thought “There is NO WAY we can afford to eat this way!” We were loving bacon & guacamole, having fun experimenting with Paleo baked goods & digging into 3 Paleo meals a day.  With a snack for good measure.  We were replacing one meal or snack time with an exceptionally nutrient dense & delicious Paleo meal/snack.  This was EXPENSIVE.

After a few weeks or months, your appetite changes as your body gets used to running on fats and proteins instead of carbs and sugars.  Many people find that they only eat 1 big meal a day and a couple of smaller snacks.  You may cut out snacking entirely and just eat a couple of good sized meals.  I can almost guarantee you that after a period of time, you will find that your appetite has changed and you are just eating less in general.  It might be an expensive couple of months till you get to that point, but it WILL NOT LAST FOREVER!

6) Add in white rice if you need to stretch your budget.

If you have a bunch of active folks in your house and you cannot keep them full on sweet potatoes, squash and other starchy veggies, consider adding white rice back to your menu.  Plenty of people do it and it is pretty harmless as far as grains are concerned.  It is cheap & most people like rice, so go for it!

7) Do everything you can to not waste food.  It seems like around Thanksgiving the media likes to do stories about how much food American’s waste & then we forget about it for the rest of the year.

•  Buy the fruits and veggies that you like to eat & know will get eaten.
• Use frozen if you find that fresh produce goes bad on you.
• Keep a list on the front of the fridge so the kids & the spouse know what is in there.
• Meal plan
• Keep things simple – celery sticks, almond butter & raisins (Paleo Ants on a Log) make a great cheap snack!

8) Sugar vs.  Honey/Maple Syrup: Don’t let Paleo baking blow your budget!

If you are doing very much Paleo baking, you have noticed that using honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar and etc… is very expensive.  Well, you can bake less than you used to, which isn’t a bad idea anyways or use sugar.  Yes, I said it, SUGAR! This is a Paleo DON’T, of course.  (I originally read this idea on Health-Bent, but their site is down right now and I can’t link to it.  Will get the link up ASAP.)  If the purpose of a treat is to only have it every once in a while, and you have reduced your sugars in your diet, make some gluten free/grain free chocolate chip cookies with regular old sugar and call it a day.  It shouldn’t be once a day, maybe once a week or less.  Only you can judge how sugar (of any kind) affects you and your household.  If it drives up sugar cravings and causes your kids to be hyperactive, don’t do it.

9) Commercially purchased Gluten Free is EXPENSIVE!

One of the reasons I was only Gluten-Free for a couple of months before I decided to jump in all the way Paleo, was cost.  Gluten Free items are a lifesaver to many people and I am so glad that they are so widely available now.  However, you can’t get a box of cookies, bag of pretzels  or pasta for less than $6.  It was easy to decide to just avoid grains & processed foods instead.  I don’t think Paleo is expensive compared to Gluten-free, and there are so many more health benefits.

10) Make your decisions and feel good about them.

• I have to have coconut aminos which are expensive.  I can’t use the Gluten Free Soy Sauce.  So, I make that choice and don’t use it very often.
• I buy my sunflower seed butter at Trader Joe’s which has some sugar in it, but is cheaper than the other brands.  We eat a fair amount of it and have cut down on most other sources of sugars so I am fine with that choice.
• I like pastured farm eggs, and I rarely buy the others.  They do run me a little bit more, but I don’t buy soda or other beverages so I feel fine with the way it equals out.
• I buy the best bacon (usually from a local farmer) that I can that is on sale.  It is not organic, nitrate-free, sugar free all the time.
• Figure out what your choices are and feel good about them

Other helpful blog posts regarding Paleo, grocery shopping & your budget:

• Paleo is EXPENSIVE by Robb Wolf
• Paleo Poor: Your Guide to the Grocery Store by Whole9
• Paleo on a Shoestring Budget by Passion for Paleo
• Paleo Meal Planning: Cheap & Easy by The Dirty Floor Diaries
• How Can I Eat Paleo on a Budget by Balanced Bites
• 50 Paleo Foods Found at Costco by The Paleo Mama
• Grab Your Quarter…Shopping Paleo/Primal at Aldi’s

I have been really fortunate along my Paleo journey to have good friends that message me and let me know how amazing they are feeling & that my blog has helped them to adapt to this lifestyle.  It really means the world to me.  I wanted to start sharing some of their amazing stories.  The first one comes from one of my husband’s co-workers, Tonya.

My hubby is pretty vocal (an aggressive salesman) around work about what he is doing.  I am pretty sure that he shares it whether anyone wants to hear it or not.  Tonya has been low-carbing it for years as a way to lose or maintain weight.  Paleo didn’t seem like that much of a stretch compared to what she had already been doing.

Tonya’s Family at Elephant Rock Park

April 2013

Laci,

I am celebrating my one year anniversary of “going Paleo” and I never would have tried it, let alone stick with it if it weren’t for you and your amazing blog. I felt like reading your blog was a like a chat between just us girls. All the delicious, easy to make recipes were exactly what I needed to get me through the beginning phase of the diet.

The health benefits were immediate and thanks to your infinite knowledge, I was able to take it to a level of optimal health that I had no idea I could achieve.

• Digestive and skin issues- gone.
• Mental clarity, mood, energy – up!
• No more 2 pm slump.
• Restful sleep at night.
• Absolute ease in maintaining healthy body composition.

Sounds like a magic pill, but it’s even easier than that. Just eat real food.

In January, my hubby started eating Paleo and a couple of months into it, he was taken off his cholesterol medications and had lost about 10 pounds of excess weight. Woot Woot!

My son is currently sugar, gluten and dairy “lite” (about 80%) and has seen tremendous digestive and behavioral improvements.

This journey has been an amazing experience for not just me, but my entire family. We are all very healthy and happy. 

 I really can’t thank you enough, Laci! 

The Happy Couple Celebrating Their Anniversary

Favorite Paleo Recipe:

Green Chili Turkey Burgers from Elana’s Pantry

Biscuits and Gravy is easily one of my most missed foods since going Gluten Free/Paleo.  Long ago, I bookmarked the recipe in Paleo Comfort Foods for Biscuits and Gravy, but I just hadn’t ever gotten around to making them.  Somehow, I had got it in my head that it would be quite a process.  Last week, Juli over at PaleOMG posted her version of Bs&Gs and it started up those cravings again.

Ultimately, I ended up using a couple of different recipes for inspiration and then doing my own thing.  (Adding a bag of baby greens to the sausage gravy was a yummy addition, but feel free to leave it out if you aren’t as veggie loving as we are.)

Biscuits:

I used the biscuit recipe right out of Paleo Comfort foods (Basic Biscuits, p.108).  I don’t feel comfortable sharing it, as the Paleo Comfort Foods folks haven’t share it on their website, but I found two websites that give the recipe here & here.  These biscuits turned out nicely, but I am not finished searching for a good paleo biscuit recipe.  There are a few others I would like to try:

• Elana’s Pantry – Biscuits
• Paleo Spirit – Coconut Flour Paleo Biscuits
• PaleOMG – Bacon and Chive Sweet Potato Biscuits

Gravy:

• 2 lbs ground pork (or a mix of beef and pork)
• 2 Tbsp Penzey’s Breakfast Sausage Seasoning
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp almond butter
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tsp paprika
• bag of baby greens (optional)
• (chicken broth or more coconut milk to thin gravy, if needed)

1. In a bowl, mix ground pork with Breakfast Sausage Seasoning.
2. Saute seasoned meat in a skillet until completely cooked.  Remove meat from pan, leaving as much of the drippings as possible.
3. Add almond butter to drippings and mix with whisk.
4. Add can of coconut milk, sage & paprika.  Bring to medium heat, stirring constantly.
5. Add ground pork & mixed greens to gravy.  Stir until combined.  Cook over low heat until gravy reaches the thickness you desire.  (It shouldn’t take much.) Add more coconut milk or chicken broth to thin the gravy if needed.

Notes:

• Use any biscuit recipe you wish.  Honestly, this stuff would be delicious on its own, over spaghetti squash or sweet potato hash.  Go crazy!
• Penzey’s Breakfast Sausage Seasoning is the BOMB! Feel free to use your own, but I promise this stuff is amazing.  I actually made this recipe with 1 lb ground pork and 1 lb ground beef.  It is easier for me to find grass-fed beef than pastured pork, and this isn’t the first time that I have made “sausage” out of beef.  The Penzey’s seasoning does all the work!
• Make a big batch. Double this recipe.   The hubby and I were fighting over the leftovers the morning after.
• Also, the hubby and my little guy like hard boiled eggs over the top of their Bs&Gs. Luckily, I always have a few of those on hand for snacks.

Keeping It Real:

You know my picky eater? This is what her plate looked like:

Harper’s Plate

It only took me a few minutes to cook a few patties so that she could eat her sausage separately   She also packed it in her lunch the next day.  I hated gravy as a kid, too.  She will soon enough learn the error in her ways!

I hope you enjoy the Mom coffee cups with my childrens’ artwork on them.  It isn’t very hipster or badass, which seems to be the two choices we have these days to express ourselves, but it makes me very, very happy.

I had the opportunity to meet some wonderful, kind & strong ladies from the CrossFit community in Springfield, MO recently.  They were kind enough to let me in their Whole 30 Nutrition Facebook Group and I have learned a lot from them.  (That is one of the cool things about Paleo nutrition & ancestral health, there is always more to learn.) I became intrigued by this “pumpkin souffle/cake/mug” thing that several of them were relying on as a breakfast through their Whole 30 experience.

I made it a few times myself and it has become quite a favorite “treat” for my husband and I.  Even if it isn’t really a treat.  It feels like a treat because it is so warm & yummy, and so easy!  It makes a great quick breakfast, or we have had it later in the evening on a day when we had a big lunch but a light dinner.  There is a ton of protein in this, but you don’t feel like you are eating bacon and eggs again.

Big thanks to the ladies that let me play with this recipe and share it.  All I really did was mess with the amounts of the ingredients so that I could get it into 1 regular size coffee cup.  Most of the time I double the recipe because I am not going to leave half a banana out & there usually someone else around to eat it!   There are several recipes that are similar to this one.  The cake in a cup idea isn’t original & some of the sugar detox programs have recipes similar to this one.  I did a little searching around and I feel comfortable that this isn’t infringing on any of the other published recipes.

Before it goes in the microwave.

Pumpkin Protein Cake in a Cup

makes 1 coffee cup

• 1/2 of banana (the riper the sweeter)
• 3 Tbsp pumpkin
• 3 Tbsp coconut butter or almond butter or sunflower seed butter
• 2 eggs
• 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. I like to use my immersion/stick blender.
2. Grease coffee mug with coconut oil.
3. Pour batter in oiled coffee cup.
4. Microwave for approximately 4 minutes. (This time will vary.)
5. It will rise above the top of the cup like a souffle while it is cooking.  Don’t worry!
6. The consistency will be a bit like partially baked bread.
7. Enjoy!

Variations:

• I made this recipe several times and used all of the different kinds of butters, they all work great!
• I added dried cranberries and it was delicious.
• If you are newer to the clean eating lifestyle and don’t quite have your sugar dragon slayed, you could add a bit of maple syrup or honey.  I believe in Paleo, but I also believe in transitioning, so do what you have to do.
• My husband enjoys his with heavy cream poured over the top.

Permission to use the image above  from The Paleo Mom.

Some of you may be familiar with people following a modified Paleo diet that is referred to as the Auto Immune Paleo (AIP) diet/protocol/plan.  It is Paleo with even more restrictions for those who may be dealing with serious medical conditions or working on healing up a leaky gut.  I have a bit of experience with this elimination protocol and it is not a lot of fun! However, I experienced even more healing and was able to identify a couple more significant food intolerances (TOMATOES!).

I do not claim to be any kind of expert in this area, but I wanted to compile a comprehensive list of resources for those who are trying to follow AIP.  It is very restrictive and can make meal planning a challenge.  In this post, I will give a quick summary of what the AIP involves and some of the blogs, podcasts, articles, recipe sites and FB pages that I have found useful.

Summary from The Paleo Mom:

“It is vitally important to adhere to a strict paleo diet with no cheating.  While other people may be able to enjoy the occasional bowl of rice, if you suffer from an autoimmune condition you are not one of these people.  Grains and legumes should never be consumed.  Dairy of any kind (even grass-fed ghee which can still have trace lactose and dairy proteins!)  should be avoided initially (most people will not be able to successfully reintroduce dairy, although some will be okay with grass-fed butter and ghee).  This may be true for the rest of your life.  In addition, if you have an autoimmune condition, you should completely avoid:

• Eggs
• Nuts
• Seeds (including cocoa, coffee and seed -based spices)
• Nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, sweet & hot peppers and spices derived from peppers)
• Potential Gluten Cross-Reactive Foods
• Alcohol
• NSAIDS (like aspirin or ibuprofen)

The reason is that each of these causes gut irritation and/or increased gut permeability (and in the super sensitive gut of those with autoimmune conditions, they just aren’t tolerated). “

In my humble opinion, this protocol is a challenge, but can be very rewarding for someone with a serious auto-immune condition.  If you aren’t under the supervision of a doctor, or are looking for a doctor to support you on your path to wellness, try looking in your geographical area for a physician practicing “Functional Medicine.” I was lucky to find a Dr. at Wellness Alternatives of St. Louis that helped me immensely and I have never felt better.

Resources:

Personal Paleo Code from Chris Kresser

There is a cost associated, but it is minimal.  This service lets you plug in what ingredients you can not eat, and then provides you with Paleo recipes that only use allowable ingredients.

Paleo Parents – Stacy Toth

Stacy has very descriptively shared her personal journey with the AIP.  The good, the bad & the ugly.  She also hosts a podcast, The Paleo View, along with Sarah Ballantyne (The Paleo Mom — see below). The recipes, blog posts and podcasts that are AIP specific can be found by clicking the autoimmune tag.

The Paleo Mom – Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D.

I have consulted this site several times. I enjoy writing style of this “scientist-turned-stay-at-home-mom.” There is an Autoimmunity tab across the top of the page to get you to the specific posts regarding AIP.  You can also select AIP – friendly as a category in the drop-down of the Recipe tab.  Co-host of The Paleo View.  Also, her book, The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease, Heal Your Body, is available for pre-order and will be released in September 2013.

Balanced Bites – Diane Sanfilippo

The website Balanced Bites needs to be one of your go-to references for all things Paleo.  As is her book, Practical Paleo.  In Practical Paleo, Diane has a section devoted specifically to the AIP and has recipes that are AIP friendly.  An e-book is in the works for even more AIP recipes as the response to that section of Practical Paleo was quite overwhelming.  Click on the link here to stay informed of that publication.

Terry Wahls, M.D. -

“For four years, secondary progressive multiple sclerosis confined Dr. Terry Wahls to a tilt-recline wheelchair. But by using Functional Medicine to create the Wahls Protocol™, Dr. Wahls has transformed her health and body: now she walks easily without a cane and commutes by bicycle. Dr. Wahls uses these diets and protocols in her primary care and traumatic brain injury clinics and is leading a clinical trial to test her protocols on others.” Dr. Wahl’s site also has links to several videos that are helpful, including her very popular TEDTalk.

Other blogs you might enjoy:

autoimmuneandyou.com

livinglikelinds

Autoimmune-Paleo

 Facebook Pages you might like to follow:

Vitality Enthusiast

Autoimmune, Paleo & YOU.

I try to be comprehensive, but I always miss things.  If you know of another great resource for someone challenged by the AIP protocol, please send me an email at laci@picketfencepaleo.com or leave a comment.  I appreciate your feedback!

In the last few months I have become reacquainted with ALDI. Anytime that I have lived anywhere near a store, I have utilized it for a pretty decent produce selection and great prices.  If you don’t mind having to bring a quarter to get your cart, bringing your own bags &  picking up boxes while shopping so that you can bag your own groceries, it really is a pretty decent shopping experience.  (I found it really interesting that ALDI is a “sister company” to Trader Joe’s!)

Along my journey of eating “clean,” gluten-free & now Paleo, I have shopped at ALDI less and less, but also because I don’t live or work near one.

I spent some time in January prepping for a Paleo workshop in my rural hometown.  I knew it would be a waste of time unless I was familiar with what my friends and family could access in town.  I went shopping at WalMart, the local grocery store, the local health food store & ALDI.  I was pleasantly surprised with the clear Gluten-Free labeling that ALDI offers.

(Take note: If you want to act as the “Paleo Police,” please go to another site.  The meats are not pastured & grass-fed, there is no organic & I have some snack foods at the end of the list.)

I am going to share a few pictures of my ALDI shopping trip.  Keep in mind that (just like any other grocery store) you have to watch for a few things:

• There is still LOTS of junk food. Avoid it!
• Read labels carefully.

Special considerations at ALDI:

• They have special buys.
• Each store does not have the same inventory.
• What they have one visit, they may not have at the next.
• Bring a quarter so that you can get a cart, your quarter is returned.
• Bring your own bags unless you want to purchase them for 10 cents
• They usually only have 1-2 checkers, so be patient.
• This is a great place to shop first, then fill in missing grocery list items at a regular grocery store.

ALDI

• Dried Fruit Medley$1.49
• Dried Figs $2.49
• Dates $1.99
• Dried Apricots $ 1.99

ALDI

•  Almond Packs $1.99
• Whole Almonds $3.99
• Pistachios $5.99

ALDI

•  Fruit Strip (Value Pack) $4.99
• There is also a strawberry & raspberry version with 8 strips per box for $1.99

I find the ingredients to be very similar to a much more expensive brand of fruit ropes/twists that I buy for my picky eater.  She loves these!

ALDI

•  Maple Syrup $3.99
• Mustard $1.19
• Wild Alaska Pink Salmon $2.69
• Olives $1.19
• Pumpkin 99 cents

Watch the ingredients closely.  The salmon had a “clean” label, but none of the tuna did.

ALDI

Make sure that you buy the “Natural Applesauce,” because the other applesauce contains HFCS.  Nobody really likes to eat applesauce at my house, but I like to buy it in these small containers so that when I run across the occasional baking recipe that uses it, I have it on hand.  No waste.

ALDI

Produce! Great selection, although it varies from trip to trip.

ALDI

•  Salsa $1.69
• Guacamole $2.99

These little chocolate bars are some of my husband’s favorite and he has a habit of picking up chocolate bars wherever he is and bringing them home for me.  Sweet, huh? Sometimes he brings home some pretty expensive stuff and in all honesty, he likes these better.  They do contain soy lecithin as an ingredient, but so do most of the really nice chocolate bars.  It is one of those things I don’t get too tripped up about.

• $1.89 for each bar

I have also seen the Green & Black’s chocolate bar as a special buy for $2.49, but it isn’t always there.

ALDI

 What? This isn’t PALEO! In the spirit of “keeping it real,” I thought I would show you the items we keep on hand for when we have guests over or need to take something to a party.  I also let the kids snack on these gluten-free “treats” from time to time.  Worse things have happened.

• Sweet Potato Chips $1.99
• Pork Rinds 89 cents
• Tortilla Chips $1.19
• Vegetable Chips $1.79

If you have any other tips for shopping at ALDI, please comment on FB or send me a message at laci@picketfencepaleo.com.  I love to improve my posts so that they are of maximum benefit to my readers! Thank you!

 Some people like to meal plan ahead for a week or two at a time.  I have friends that are able to plan ahead by 1 month.  Everybody has an approach that works best for their family, personal food preferences, amount they like to cook, opportunities to get to the grocery store due to budget or location/schedule & how often they will be eating at home.  I prefer to plan out for 3-4 days ahead of time.  Anything more than that and I lose interest in what I have planned or I change my mind.  I always have pantry staples so that I can make several quick meals to round out the week.

Remember: It is only a chore in the beginning, then it just becomes routine!

1) Buy or thaw out some proteins. Thinking ahead 3-4 days works best for me, any more than that there is a chance I will waste meat by letting it sit too long.  I try to pick some chicken, some beef, some pork & some fish so that we get a lot of variation.  At least one of those I plan to turn into a large recipe so that there are plenty of leftovers (for example: chili, pork shoulder, whole chicken)

2) Kid’s lunches:

• Salami/lunch meat
• fruit
• cheese sticks
• freeze dried strawberries, apples & blueberries
• yogurt tubes
• the 50% water juice boxes (the brand varies based on what is on sale)
• something crunchy and gluten-free for our kids’ lunches, such as sweet potato chips

This is not a “perfectly Paleo” list.  This is my compromise with them for having a good attitude about Paleo, something crunchy like Sweet Potato chips in their lunch.  My daughter usually just wants her refillable bottle of water, but it is still important to my son to have a “juice box” like the other kids.  (He requests kale each morning for breakfast, a juice box isn’t going to hurt him.” 

3) I buy these items each week:

• spinach (Organic Girl brand is my fave)
• lettuce
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• sweet potatoes
• spaghetti squash
• grass-fed butter,
• bacon,
• pastured eggs
• sunflower seeds
• almonds/cashews/pistachios
• grass-fed whole milk or half & half (for my hubby’s coffee)

These are our must haves, I can make a lot of meals and side dishes out of these.

Also, depending on season & prices:

• apples
• strawberries
• blackberries
• blueberries
• oranges
• bananas
• grapes

4) I make a jar of 3 Minute Mayo & a jar of homemade salad dressing each week.  Besides being great on a burger, you can make a very quick chicken/tuna/salmon salad if you have homemade mayo on hand.

5) I make toasted coconut flakes at least once a week, usually seasoned with salt & cinnamon. I usually bake 1-2 different Paleo-ish baked goods for my kids & hubby to snack on. Usually a muffin, a paleo bread, crackers, cookies or brownies.   I favor almond flour, but am always experimenting with coconut flour so the snacks are able to school in lunches (nut-free schools).  I am currently experimenting with ground raw sunflower seed powder as a one-for-one substitute for almond flour.  Keep an eye on my blog for how that is going.  (Idea from Paleo Parents & Fresh4Five)

6)I check my pantry and make sure that it is stocked.  I always have:

• canned tuna & salmon
• coconut milk
• pumpkin
• dates
• crushed garlic
• unsweetened coconut flakes
• almond flour
• coconut flour
• raw sunflower seeds
• olive oil
• coconut oil
• canned tomato sauce
• mustard (regular and Dijon)
• almond butter
• sunflower seed butter

7) My Everything-Went-Wrong-Day backup plan is a gluten-free pizza for the kids.  I usually either have the pizza in the freezer (Udi’s brand) or just the crusts to be topped with some clean tomato sauce, cheese & veggies.  I also keep a couple of Paleo freezer meals on hand for those kind of nights.  (I order from Feed Your Vitality here in STL.)

8) Prepping your veggies ahead of time is a huge advantage. Bake several sweet potatoes at once in the oven or the Crock Pot.  Turn your zuchinni, sweet potato, carrots into “ribbons” or “noodles” ahead of time.  Chop/dice your squash, sweet potato, beets, parsnips, turnips & parsnips ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready.  Stick a spaghetti squash in the microwave for 6 minutes or so & shred out the “noodles.” Seal them up in a container till you are ready for them and finish cooking in a saucepan.

9) Don’t feel like you have to prepare a masterpiece each week.  We eat burgers and sweet potato fries each and every week.  We usually have chicken legs every week.  It is easy and the kids love them, so we just keep coming back to it!

10) Try to prep ahead for breakfasts.  I sometimes make bacon, sausage, or burgers ahead of time so they are ready in the fridge.  Put together an egg casserole or egg muffins.  Make a bunch of Paleo pancakes, or muffins to keep in the fridge.  You can assemble a pretty great breakfast in the same time it takes to pour a bowl of cereal if you have things ready and on hand.  Add some fruit or veggies & dip.  

Random Weeknight Dinner

This is another one of those blog posts where I try to make up for FB’s silly policies that only allow about 25% of my followers to see any given post.  This is just a compilation of Instagram posts & interesting articles I have read over the last few weeks.  Quite a jumble of thoughts and topics, but gives a nice little window into what living Paleo looks like for our little family.

Pictured above is a weeknight dinner of 50/50 Bacon Burgers, avocado, homemade mayo & salad.  We attempted to make Sweet Potato Fries out of some big, beautiful purple sweet potatoes and they were TERRIBLE! (see below)

Faileo!

They were beautiful & I followed our usual recipe from Paleo Indulgences, but they were just way too starchy for us.  They actually got worse the longer you chewed them.  A bit of a Paleo Fail, but we all got a good chuckle out of it.

Random Weeknight Dinner

It really doesn’t get easier than a filet of frozen fish (I believe this is Mahi Mahi from Costco) seasoned and baked in our Super Wave Oven.  A quick salad was put together, but I did get a little fancy with the dressing.  Made a dressing out of dried figs, coconut milk and a fig chili vinegar from Vom Fass.  Yum!

Leftovers for Breakfast

Leftover fish, homemade mayo, leftover green beans, fried eggs & blackberries makes for a pretty simple breakfast.  Anytime you prepare protein for dinner, make sure to throw in an extra serving or two and you will always have a base for breakfast.  Planned leftovers is VERY PALEO! 

New Bookends

Showing off the new bookends I got for Christmas! My sister and I have a matching set.  They look good with my Paleo cookbook collection.  Someone on Instagram asked “Which is your favorite?” I would have to say Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan.

No-Tomato Chocolate Chili

Since my nightshade free experiment, I have discovered that I am allergic to tomatoes.  I have an almost immediate skin reaction that lasts for days, so they are not worth it.  Did another little experiment and replaced the tomatoes in my chili recipe with pureed beets and had excellent results! Made a double batch of chili and had leftovers for a few days.  The hubby couldn’t even tell it wasn’t tomatoes until I told him.  My son gobbled it up and could give a flip what was in it.

Basically I took beets (canned) and used my stick blender to puree them into gluten-free beef broth  so that I had enough to replace the tomatoes in the Chocolate Chili recipe.  (Recipe can be found in Well Fed, also)

HotPot Smoothie Shop Chicken Pot Pie

Our Thursday night meet ups at HotPot Smoothie Shop are going so well.  We are regularly pulling 20-25 people in to chat, ask questions and share resources.  Also just a lot of sitting around and getting to know each other.  Each week we have at least 2 or 3 new folks to the group.  Always awesome to hear how Paleo is changing lives and how people enjoy finding folks that share the lifestyle.  We are so lucky that Chef Greg at HotPot keeps coming up with Paleo creations! This Chicken Pot Pie was topped with a cauliflower & almond crunchy crust.

Spicy Hawaiian Chicken

One of my original recipe creations that we made out of chicken legs.  Those are my son’s fave food! Served it with cauliflower rice & green beans with a spicy almond dressing that I made out of Paleo Power Lunches.

Quick Salad

The hubby came home from skiing and was HUNGRY.  We put this quick salad together while his pork chop was cooking in the Superwave oven.  A ceramic peeler made the carrot ribbons and the dressing was a simple balsamic vinegar/olive oil combo with some Italian seasoning mixed in.  I love using small glass jars to throw together a quick dressing.  I usually just wing it and taste.

Quick Dinner

A bit of a collaboration.  The hubby had the broccoli and mushrooms sauteing with some garlic in the skillet.  He looked a bit confused.  I asked him what he planned on doing with it and he didn’t know.  I removed the mostly cooked veggies to a bowl and covered to keep warm.  I added about 1/2 a can of coconut milk & a Tbsp of Dijon mustard to the skillet and cooked it down till it thickened, then added the veggies back in.  Kept it warm until the pork chop was done.  Voila! Cream sauce that needs no thickeners and reminded him of one of his favorite Italian dishes.  You can find a similar recipe from my blog here.  Adding the Dijon really masks any “coconut flavor” that might come through in the sauce.  Try it!

Random Breakfast

Sausage, eggs & spinach.  Always a winning breakfast!

Cashew Chicken

A little experiment into “Cashew Chicken,” only we were using wild turkey from my brother in law.  I might tweak the recipe a bit next time, but I used these two recipes to get to my final product.  Martha Stewart’s Cashew Chicken & Cavegirl in the Kitchen’s  Paleo substitute for hoisin sauce.

Random Dinner

I made a double batch of these Gluten Free Green Chili burgers from Elana’s Pantry on a suggestion from a friend (and blog follower).  They were really yummy.  A really simple & inexpensive prep for a week of Paleo is to make 2 or 3 lbs of grass-fed beef burgers ahead of time.  They go with breakfast, lunch or dinner.  My kids enjoy them as a snack.  You can also grab and go if you are in a hurry.  It isn’t glamorous, but it works!

Wholly Guacamole is another one of my shortcuts for getting Paleo done right.  Nice clean ingredient list and more affordable that avocados this time of year.  Plus, you always know it is good.  Nothing worse than looking forward to eating and avocado and you find the one you have is too far gone!

Baking Tip

I put together this little quick tip for my Instagram page and it got picked up on Facebook by the page Just Eat Real Food and went a bit viral.  Landed a few new followers.  Using a sifter makes a really big difference in your baking recipes.  Gets all the lumps and bumps out of coconut flour and cocoa powder.  Also helps to get your baking soda and salt distributed evenly.  Plus, the kids think it is a lot of fun.  I usually just set the sifter right into the bowl & measure the ingredients into the sifter.

Random Dinner

This is an example of one of the dinners that I make right on the baking sheets.  Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs from Balanced Bites.  Roasted Cauliflower drizzled with EVOO & sprinkled with Bouquet Garni & salt.

(Sorry folks, the pics below uploaded smaller & I didn’t want to take the time to go back and do it again)

Experiment!

This was an experiment and needs a bit of tweaking but was quite delicious.  Tried this on a tip from my friend Leora, who made hers in a CrockPot.  My Crock Pot is cracked, so until I order a new crock, I made mine on the stovetop.  Chicken thighs, broth, cauliflower, dried apricots and prunes.

Breakfast

Quick breakfast: greens topped with taco meat, a fried egg & shredded cheese.  I really like buying the Organic Girl brand of greens in the clear carton.  They seem to last me a really long time, so I find it to be worth the more expensive price.  I don’t always eat cheese, but we had it and I was out of guacamole!

Red Apple Lipstick

I am in the wrong age group to be taking pictures of myself.  It just doesn’t come natural.  Maybe if I were 1/2 my age I would be better at it? Anyhow, trying to accumulate some pics so I can write a blog post with my reviews of Red Apple Lipstick.  A gluten/soy/other yucky stuff free cosmetics company.  So far I am loving it! Beautiful colors and they “wear” really nicely.  Looking forward to many purchases from them for years to come!

Fave Snack

Love these things for an occasional treat.  Have enjoyed the Ginger & Chocolate ones, but a few of the other flavors were pretty “Blah!”

Lunch!

I let my boy pick out what we made for lunch one day and he chose lamb kebobs.  A Paleo Mama can’ t say no to that.  He loves anything on a stick.

Lunch, Part 2!

We also made sweet potato noodles using our ceramic peeler & just sauteed them in coconut oil, cinnamon & salt.  We used a jar of commercial mango chutney for dipping sauce for the kebobs.  There was some added sugar, but we weren’t using much.  I don’t have time to be making chutney on the fly!

Caveman Bowl

Another amazing creation from HotPot Smoothie Shop! The Caveman Bowl is 4 big meatballs served over spaghetti squash & then covered with homemade marinara & veggies of choice.  Tomato allergy here, so I skipped the marinara and they gave me some garlic chili sauce that is one of the options for the bowls.  Yeah, this place is only 4 blocks from me. So. Lucky!

Costco!

Our Costco finally got coconut oil in stock.  $16 for 54 oz. Carrington Farms brand.  Bought a jar for everyone in my life at those prices! LOL.

Ashton’s First Deer

My handsome 7 year old nephew killed his first deer & I was able to make some deer jerky out of it using my Christmas gift dehydrator! My brother in law, Daren, is the creator/designer/owner of his own camo, Timbertec Camouflage.  I kind of think that people that follow their dreams are awesome! He happens to be very talented along with being a very hard worker.  We need more guys like him in this world!

Articles:

Going Paleo: Grain-free diet stirs controversy, but family says they feel better from The Daily News Journal

Nice article on a family going Paleo and exactly how they handle food prep, dining out & what new things they bought for their kitchen. Don’t agree that Paleo is “lacking Vit D and calcium.” That might be true for some, but not true for others. People that eat a standard diet could be lacking those two things, as well.

Why our Food Is Making Us Fat from The Liberty Crier (via Robb Wolf)

History, politics, Nixon, food subsidies, HFCS, Coca Cola…it is all in there.  

Bob Harper: “I Drank the CrossFit Kool-Aid” from Huffington Post

I am a fan of both Bob Harper & CrossFit and I was glad to see him publicly sharing exactly why CrossFit has become so important to him after 20 years in the fitness industry.  The comments on the article (why do I read those, anyhow?) were overwhelmingly negative towards CrossFit.  I think that I have been very fortunate that all my experiences with trainers and a couple of different boxes have been positive.  My trainer is simply amazing at what he does.  I have never come close to getting hurt & always feel encouraged during workouts.  I have been pushed beyond what I thought I could do, but never too far.  I typically workout with people that are younger than me & in better shape than me.  Sometimes I am the only female in the group.  Always a great experience.  I think that as with anything, you can find a “lemon.” Just because you get one bad haircut doesn’t mean you would never get your haircut again, right? You would just find a different barber/stylist.  Same with a mechanic or a meal at a restaurant.  Trainers and gyms/boxes are not equal, find one that fits YOU.  

Slim Is Simple.org Video

12 minutes of a very fast-moving, easy to understand, graphic heavy video that explains nearly everything you need to know about why a “Paleo” diet is the optimal way for your body to function.  Full of research, facts & statistics without being boring.  Doesn’t mention “Paleo” even one time! A perfect video to pass along to your family and friends! (A FB follower said the book is great, too!)

Whole30 Success Story: We Heart Gerry

A 71 year old grandmother, Gerry, completes her first Whole30 challenge while on a Social Security budget.  Feels great, able to reduce medications, sharing it with her family and friends.  Makes me feel like a wuss for not having finished a Whole30 yet! Inspiring read and goes to show you that it is NEVER TOO LATE to improve your health.  

The Power of a Diet Change from The Dirty Floor Diaries

I have just been loving the blog The Dirty Floor Diaries.  Her post on weight loss, eliminating migraines and the nitty gritty of her health changes is extremely inspiring.  This blog is extremely easy to relate to.  This woman is your friend.  Read it! 

Access to Panera’s Hidden Menu

Panera has a “Hidden Menu” that is perfect for us Paleo folks, but you have to know to ask for it.  Check out the menu and go meet your non-Paleo friends for lunch.  Skip the 99cent bakery treat they will offer you with a purchase of a meal.  :)

The Boy With a Thorn in His Joints from The New York Times

This one might be a tear jerker.  The story of a Mother trying to defeat her son’s Juvenile Arthritis with a combo of diet & meds.  Inspiring and accurate portrayal of trying to do your best & work with doctors who may or may not support your alternative treatments.  I wish this was required reading for all parents! 

Feeding My Little Omnivores from The Foodie & The Family

If you are struggling feeding your little ones Paleo, you aren’t the only one.  Duh! Always good to know you have company in your struggles.

Healthy Eating…Expensive? 10 Tips to Take to the Grocery Store from Paleo Mom on the Run

Exactly as the title implies, some very practical tips.  And this Paleo Mama is feeding active teenagers.  

10 Signs You are Gluten Intolerant from Mind Body Green

I was 8 for 10! Gah! And it took 31 years for me to figure this out? And I figured it out without the help of a doctor!