Author: peacel0vepale0

Getting in that Halloween Spirit!

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Well I would say I am looking fresh!  This is kind of embarrassing, but I wanted you to see this product for your own eyes!  This Aztec Indian Healing Clay is a make at home mask!  You can either mix it with apple cider vinegar or water or a combo – I used both.  It says the with the apple cider vinegar you will feel a “pulling sensation,”  I did feel some tingling and felt like it was truly cleaning out my pores.  The mask is SUPER thick and takes a while to get it off your face, but after it’s totally worth the effort!  And, the BEST part:  there is nothing in this product except for CLAY!

 

Here is my new nightly routine:

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Traditional Medicinals Organic Chamomile with Lavender Tea is my all time favorite to drink before bed – excellent for quieting the mind and calming the nerves.  I add a half dropper full of 365 Everyday Value French Vanilla Stevia Liquid Extract from Whole Foods.  And as we all know I have a sweet tooth so this drink really curbs some of my cravings to eat a treat!!  I LOVE chocolate, and who doesn’t love chocolate with a cup of coffee or tea it’s like the two go hand in hand in the afternoon or evenings, so I eat an Eating Evolved Keto Cup.  My favorite flavor is the coffee then the stevia then the original.  I do have to warn you this is made with 100% cacao so it has a very biter taste when you bite into the outer rims where it you only get the cacao portion.  My husband was not a fan – I personally have started to acquire a taste for them and have really enjoyed eating one or two a day!  They’re the perfect power pick me up treat!  Try them, see what you think!

Happy Monday!

peace. love. paleo.

Making my Way Back to You!

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Wow what a journey the past months have been!  I will update my bio section as some of the recipes featured in this blog will change a bit!  I am on a dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free diet due to Lyme Disease.  The part of the proceeding that’s been really hard for me (and I still have some cheat treats here and there) is no SUGAR!!! I love making desserts and sweetening them with honey, coconut sugar, maple syrup, maple sugar, etc. Finding new sweeteners was always fun because I LOVE SWEET TREATS!!!  Stevia is my friend now – getting used to the taste, but sometimes I feel like it makes me feel sick.  It is a detox agent for Lyme so it’s the only one right now.  I am on the hunt for good dessert recipes using stevia – hopefully I will be able to feature some on this blog!!  In the mean time I did make tapioca pudding using french vanilla flavored liquid stevia from Whole Foods – I can’t complain!

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For this recipe I followed the instructions on the back of the box.  I doubled the recipe so I would have a week long treat.  Personally I like my tapioca a little on the thick side.  I usually decrease the amount of liquid to tapioca ratio. For doubling the recipe, it would have called for 1/2 cup of tapioca & 6 cups of coconut milk.  However, I did 1/2 cup of tapioca pearls & 3 cans of coconut milk (roughly that is almost 5 cups).  I have also experimented with different coconut milks and it seems that the following works the best in the sense of consistency:  thick & creamy.

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Okay moving on!

Let’s talk about oral care!  I have switched to paleo mouth products.  Super exciting to announce I am totally digging all the products!!  Here are some toothpastes, mouthwashes & powders I have started to use – check back later this week & I will post reviews in the main heading section of “beauty.”

Below are two different mouth washes – they are completely different in texture & compound.  I believe that having two different products to target different bacteria (promote the good, rid the bad) is always great!!!  You can use one as a morning rinse after breakfast and one as an afternoon rinse after lunch… or if you have kids & work you can just do it whenever it is convenient for you!

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Below are new toothpastes (Hello Products – they also make kids’ paste) I found at our local Wegman’s!! I was so happy to see paleo products there!! GO NATURAL OR GO HOME!  As you can see I have used the pink one.  I love it so much that I have been banging the container on the counter for the past two days in hope of getting every last drop out; and, you will be happy to know I have succeeded!  For your reference, the pink tube is “sensitivity relief” and the grey tube is “whitening.”  I have no tried the whitening one yet, but I did notice some improvement from the pink tube.  I have tried every OTC sensitivity toothpaste including prescription strength fluoride toothpastes, etc. and nothing has worked.  I was excited to find that this did help a little, not much, but it’s better than nothing!!  Give them a try, great taste, natural ingredients!

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… and of course Taylor’s tooth powder (featured in the beauty section already) is an absolute favorite.  I did start doing some coconut oil pulling – not sure if it is having any benefit, but if you want to try it all you do is put a big dollop of coconut oil in your mouth, swish for 20 minutes & spit!

 

One last thing to overwhelm you with in this random post about everything!  A new nut butter featured at Costco has me going crazy!!!

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Oh my gosh I am obsessed!!! I have 1-2 tbsps of NuttZo throughout the day instead of turning to my sugary paleo sweet treats!!! Love this so much, highly recommend – it’s a great blend of a variety of nuts.

Tune back friday!

Quick Prep

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Between a toddler and a baby it’s always go time; I often find myself throwing together whatever I can get my hands on fast enough.  Let me just be blunt:  meal time with little kids is nonexistent for the adults – I rarely enjoy a meal or even know what I am eating!!  That being said I need quick items.  I have been relying on frozen veggies and meat prepped ahead of time.  I usually will then defrost the veggies in the microwave, reheat the meat and toss that together with some sauce or dressing that I have on hand.  After I eat my entree I pray that I have some leftover dessert I baked earlier that week or I finish off my meal with a protein bar – lately I am a big fan of RxBars (they were on sale on amazon – we stocked up!!).  Here is a sample meal from yesterday:

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Featured Above:

ENTREE

Broccoli Florets (individually packed portions from Costco – see image below)

Grilled chicken (prepped the night before by my husband)

Paleo Tahini Dressing (featured in Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry)

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DRINK

Coffee (paired with nut milk or choice – see image below)

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I am kind of obsessed with this coffee.  It doesn’t give me the high jolt of energy paired with high anxiety like a regular cup of coffee.  I believe a cup of this coffee wakes me up to be alert without the jitters.  This blended caffeine beverage consists of coffee, matcha tea & cocoa nibs – it is tasty, light and refreshing.  I personally enjoy it iced with nut milk it’s usually my breakfast dessert.

Speaking of dessert… Every good meal ends with a sweet treat!

Here is a great recipe for a favorite Italian holiday cookie:  Paleo Pignoli Cookies

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These cookies were a big hit!!! My husband & my toddler loved them, as did I!

Happy Friday!!!

NomNomNomaste!

Smoothie Bowl!

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Starting off with the glorious food photo, which was awkwardly taken in public.  This smoothie bowl is from Robeks in Broadlands, VA.  Growing up, I used to go to Robeks quite often – their peanut power shake was always my top pick!  My son now drinks that smoothie, while I begin sampling Robeks new smoothie bowl collection.  The first one I tried was a limited edition seasonal favorite: PUMPKIN Harvest!   They have two other flavors during the fall time:  Apple Orchard & Shake Your Carrot Cake.  The Pumpkin Harvest bowl is a blend of pumpkin & banana as the smoothie base, on top are walnuts, chia seeds & spices.  The taste is decadent!  *When ordering make sure you always ask for the no turbinado or splenda option (translation no added sugar!!!).*  This week I might have to have one of these for breakfast before I finish up all the holiday wrapping!  Hope everyone is feeling festive & has the holiday spirit with them!

Go enjoy one of these treats this week!!!!

NOMaste  🙂

*looks like this post never posted (bounce back to 2016!)

.: Some Things to Warm up Your Soul :.

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I have a few recipes to share with you – they are all amazing, so I am really excited for my readers to get cookin’!  The first recipe is perfect for these cold winter days.  I personally have never made my own batch of soup, I thoroughly enjoy home made soup, so I was extremely excited to give it a try!  And, it was a success – looks like we will be having more soups in our weekly meal planning!!  With all this positive talk let me present to you the star of it all…

Carrot Ginger Soup

For the garnish I chose to use the recommended ‘chopped chives’ and I added a splash of coconut milk to make it creamy.  I definitely do have to say I wish I could taste the ginger a bit more.  I was surprised at how “carroty” the soup flavor really is despite all the onions I added!! Rich flavor!!! Amazing – try it!  Another note: the recipe calls for butter you can use olive oil or ghee!

No Bake Almond Butter Blondies

These are divine creations – I could eat the whole slab of bars if I really let all my self control go!  I am impressed with how much you can do by adding almond flour to a “bar” recipe to bulk up the nut butter – it works so well, and does it all without leaving a grainy texture too!

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Baked Vanilla Donuts

I can’t get enough of these, I ate two for snack after lunch today!  I am loving the Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips melted on top it literally is like a ganache layer with sprinkles.  It is decadent – highly recommend using them!  I cooked my donuts in a cupcake tin and used a device to pop out the inside to make them into donuts.  This technique changed the consistency of the product as the center did not get cooked as much as it would have using a donut pan.  I was not disappointed though as I love mushy, gooey, practically raw baked good!!!

AMAZING!!!!!

After sharing all these delicious treats, I must leave you with some good work-out material.  Here is a quick HIIT workout, because with all this baking ahead of you, you won’t have much time to spend sweating!!

20 min HIIT workout

ENJOY IT ALL!!!!!!

NOM NOM NOMASTE!!!!

1, 2, 3 foods!

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With a newborn at home it is rather challenging to make meals.  I am all about making something quickly, hoping it is as nutritious as can be and gobbling it down in light speed.  I wanted to share with you two of my new go to meals/sides.  The first one is an easy sweet potato mash.

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I simply wash sweet potatoes (I usually make 4 medium size), poke holes in them with a fork, place them in the microwave for 20 minutes (or until soft), peel the skin, mash the sweet potatoes in a bowl with a fork, add 1 tbsp of butter for each sweet potato I bake, whip it all up with the fork and ENJOY!  An easy side that leaves me so satisfied I do not crave dessert, #winning!  Next up is a breakfast dish!

First you chop bell peppers [You can use any color, I had a 3 pack – red, orange, and yellow – from Costco, so each day I got to choose a new color!] .  The second step is similar to the first; slice tomatoes [I bought a variety pack from Costco of mini tomatoes ranging in color from dark red to red to yellow.]  Next, I sauteed the peppers in olive oil (lightly coat the pan) for 5-10 min (until starting to slightly turn golden on the outside) on medium heat.  Then, I added in the tomatoes and continued to cook until the bell peppers were soft and the tomatoes had a “stewed” appearance.  After the veggies were cooked I added in about 1/3 a carton of Kirkland (Costco brand) egg whites.  I cooked until the egg whites were finished.  Finally, I poured out a mini 100 cal guacamole pack (purchased at Costco) on the side to use as a dipping sauce!  Below are pictures of the egg white containers & the mini guac packs… great purchases when you go for a Costco haul!!!

Hopefully you can find the above food on your plate in the morning!!

NOMaste!

COSTCO Haul

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Costco has some new paleo products!!  This past week I did all the grocery shopping at Costco, I was very pleased with some of the produce I found.  I usually don’t buy any vegetables there – I have found them to be moldy, taste funny or go bad very quickly.  I typically stick to packaged gluten free/ paleo products, meats and sometimes fruit.  This past week I spent a little more time looking around and was pleased.  I am going to continue sorting through products each week because it is definitely cheaper to buy a week’s supply of food from Costco.  Below are the new products I have found over the past month…

Forager: Grain Free Paleo Granola

*Raisins were lacking – I added more

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Made in Nature: Dried Figs

*Whole figs, no additives or coating

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Bare: Apple Chips

*Crisp & crunchy, small & large pieces – great for dipping in nut butter!

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Essential Living Foods: Antioxidant Trail Mix

*Great variety of nuts & dried fruit – can add in some Enjoy Life chocolate chips

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Pacific Superfood Snacks: Kale Chips

*amazing olive & salt flavor, crisp & crunchy

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***My apologies for the poor photo quality, I will start to invest more time in taking pictures.

I hope you find these products and ENJOY each & every bite!

NOMaste!!

Paleo Toiletries!

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Over the past year I have become interested in paleo body products.  I am fairly educated about additives in body products as I have a gluten allergy, which is even in toothpaste and body oils!  I have a list of products to share with you, but I don’t want to overwhelm you.  I have three features for this evening’s blog post:Primal Pit Paste

  1. Primal Pit Paste

This deodorant is seriously amazing!! I have tried every level of zinc oxide possible in antiperspirants, even prescription strength, and none of them stop me from sweating or block the odor like this product.  There are two versions:  a glass jar that has the paste in a “creamier” form – application to the skin requires your finger or the provided wooden spatula; or, a traditional swivel stick style – this form is more solidified, and I don’t find it to be as effective.  The deodorant itself is composed of coconut oil, shea butter, arrowroot powder, baking soda, essential oils, and vitamin E.  Sounds pretty natural to me!  I enjoy using the lavender scent, I feel it gives me a calming aura in the morning.  The price is roughly $8.95 for the jar and $10.95 for the stick.  The jar lasts a few months, I am working my way through my first stick now.

2. Taylor’s Tooth Powder

I have sampled the mint version, and have yet to try the cinnamon flavor.  I am pleasantly surprised at how well this product works.  It is a combination of activated charcoal, xylitol, sacred clay, and essential oils. I use toothpaste before I go to bed and I use a baking soda based toothpaste in the morning.  I fell in love with this product the moment I applied it to my teeth – it honestly cleans so well.  It is unbelievable how much “crap” came off my teeth.  Literally chunks of plaque came off my teeth.  I do have to say the powder can get a little messy, just make sure you wipe your counter after you open and close the jar and after you’re done brushing your teeth.

3. Nipple Nurture Balm

This has been my breastfeeding & pumping savior!!  I have not had raw, cracked or dry nipples during the 2+ months I have been breastfeeding, thus far.  During my last go round I had a lot of soreness and it effected my ability to comfortably breastfeed, leading me to turn to pumping only and eventually stop everything at 5-6 months.  I am definitely happier this time around knowing that I don’t have to worry about being in constant pain when I am feeding my baby or pumping.  This product is lite, not oily & greasey, works fast, doesn’t burn or sting, quick application, and is just amazing in every other way!  I apply a pea size, or smaller, amount on each nipple after each feeding or pumping session.  I have found this product lasted me just shy of 2 months, which I think is pretty awesome!  The cost is between $11.95 so it is not a killer product to buy!

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Happy experimenting!

I hope you enjoy these products as much as I have!

peace. love. paleo.

HIIT IT!

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I have a new youtube channel to share with you all!!  I usually workout at home the two days my son is at daycare (while I am on maternity leave – this routine will change when I go back to work on those days).  I have been trying to find short intense workouts to ensure I can get my workout in without having to stop for a screaming newborn!  I was always skeptical of short intense workouts.  I always thought they didn’t get the job done and you needed to workout for a long time to lose weight; however, this go round I am proving myself wrong!  I have been able to lose weight at the same rate if not faster than I did after baby #1 – and I am working out fewer days a week.  I have to admit my husband has been right – a short intense workout is just as effective!  I now present to you a great workout duo that will give you the opportunity to get a good sweat in 20 minutes (go for the more challenging option)!!

HASfit 20 minute workout to burn 350 calories!

ENJOY!

peace. love. paleo.

Welcome back, Welcome back!

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Baby #2 arrived in August!  I am back and ready to keep up with my blog again!  I have a delicious treat for you to enjoy on these cooler fall days!!  Everyone is starting to pick up pumpkin products now, so it only seemed right to try making Food Babe’s Roasted Pumpkin Spice Nuts :

Even my son had a great time helping:

pumpkin-spice-almonds-2  … he’s getting into the paleo kick now too!

I have been spending more time making him more on-the-go foods that are not store bought.  He just turned two and meal time is getting increasingly more challenging. He has only wanted to eat and move around, at the same time.  I have become creative with my food delivery methods; which I will share with you as I post about foods we have made and liked!  The above my son did not eat – he ate all the seasoning off and spit the almonds out – simply because he cannot chew them enough.  My husband & I have been munching on this treat all afternoon – they’re delicious: sweet with a little kick from the cayenne pepper.  Please make them so you can enjoy them while taking a nice walk on a fall day!

peace. love. paleo.