Ningxia Wolfberries Trail Mix

October 25, 2017 By Kristi

Trail mix is our go-to travel snack. This Ningxia wolfberries trail mix is our current love. We enjoy taking various fruit and nut mixes along with us on road trips, to conferences, into amusement parks and on any family outing. You can mix in just about any of your favorite dried fruits, nuts and, if you like, a little bit of chocolate to sweeten it up a bit.

Our latest favorite mix is cashews, almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, Ningxia wolfberries and chocolate chips. We usually just eyeball it in a big canning jar, shake it all up and slip it into a backpack or just into the car for our trip.

The Ningxia wolfberries are sweet and a little tart. If you've never tried them, you really should check them out. I get my dried organic wolfberries from Young Living here. About the only substitution I could recommend would be dried cranberries, but they just don't pack quite the same oomph.

We figured out this little gem was the perfect addition to trail mix because for some reason Small Fry doesn't care for "plain" mixed nuts. She needs some extra punch in there. So we add chocolate chips and dried fruit. Raisins will do the trick in a pinch, but these Ningxia wolfberries really add something special to the mix.

What all do you like in your trail mix?

Ningxia Wolfberries Trail Mix

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients

1 cup cashews
1 cup almonds
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup Brazil nuts
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried Ningxia wolfberries (I get mine HERE)

Method

Add all ingredients to a quart jar.

Shake to mix.

Eat or store.

Ningxia WolfberriesTrail Mix

Ingredients

1 cup cashews
1 cup almonds
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup Brazil nuts
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried Ningxia wolfberries (I get mine HERE)

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a quart jar.
Shake to mix.
Eat or store.

Homemade Italian Seasoning

October 7, 2017 By Kristi

We love mixing up our own homemade Italian seasoning. We like to make it our own with a little extra garlicky punch. It's perfect in all our favorites like lasagna, Italian sandwiches and our homemade ranch dressing. Delicious.

It's especially tasty in a simple olive oil dip with some crusty bread with some fresh cracked pepper. Yum!

What's your favorite way to use Italian seasoning?

Now, I do know that you can easily pick up this blend at the store. But I say why bother? I make my own taco seasoning, too. And I buy big jars of basil, oregano and such at Costco anyway, so why bother with their Italian seasoning when I can just make it the way I like it? It's perfect my way and only close to the way I like it their way. So, it's totally worth the 2 minutes in the kitchen it takes to whip this up.

Try it, you'll thank me, I promise. Any kind of spice blend in your kitchen can be made pretty easily as long as you can get big jars of the ingredients. Go for it! Make that blend your own! It'll be so much yummier. And, you'll be less likely to run out. Bonus!

Now that I'm sharing this recipe, I'll share our perfect homemade ranch dressing, too! Our kids absolutely love dipping veggies in this yogurt and mayo masterpiece. And it's so simple to whip up with the Italian seasoning. I can't wait to share it with you.

Homemade Italian Seasoning

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

3/4 cup dried oregano
1/2 cup dried garlic
1/2 cup dried marjoram
1/2 cup dried thyme
1/4 cup dried basil
1/4 cup dried rosemary
1/4 cup dried sage

Method

Whisk all seasonings until combined.

Store in a sealed container.

Homemade Italian Seasoning

Ingredients

3/4 cup dried oregano
1/2 cup dried garlic
1/2 cup dried marjoram
1/2 cup dried thyme
1/4 cup dried basil
1/4 cup dried rosemary
1/4 cup dried sage

Instructions

Whisk all seasonings until combined.
Store in a sealed container.

Kitchen Scrap Broth: Broth & Stock Cookbook Review

August 1, 2016 By Kristi

Kitchen Scrap Broth | @VeggieConverter

I absolutely love making broth for my family. It was one of the first big money savers I embarked on when the girls were babies. We started out with vegetable broth and eventually started making bone broth from turkey and chicken bones. I made the broth even before I ate any chicken. I've cobbled together some pretty good bone broth in the past, but when I received a copy of broth & stock from the Nourished Kitchen to review, I found the perfect kitchen scrap broth.

For me, the big key was learning something I should've known, but hadn't thought about. I collect my kitchen scraps in a big freezer bag and put in just about any veggie scraps I have, usually including onions, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini. But as Jennifer McGruther says in broth & stock, "Brassicas, like broccoli, cabbage, kale, and collards, can infuse the broth with undesirable bitter notes, so it's best to avoid them." Well, duh! I should've known that. I even know to avoid putting them in my kitchen composter since they create a nasty stink. But this one change to my kitchen scrap broth made a world of difference in the taste of the broth. The chicken broth that resulted was absolutely the best tasting broth we've ever had. No funky flavors or smells in this broth. It's just absolutely delicious, golden broth. We've made three batches of this recipe so far and have been pleased each time.

The rest of broth & stock is filled with incredible real food recipes for soups and stews as well as many broth variations. So far, my next favorite is Yucatan-Style Lime Soup (sopa de lima). It's an incredibly simple recipe that's packed with flavor: chicken, onion, white rice and limes. Fantastic. I can't wait to explore the rest of broth & stock and continue to enjoy my perfect kitchen scrap broth for years to come.

Broth & Stock |@VeggieConverter

I made very minor alterations, listed below, to the original broth & stock recipe to suit what I had on hand and switch from cooking in a stock pot to my VitaClay cooker.

Kitchen Scrap Broth

Adapted from broth & stock

Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients

1 chicken carcass, including scraps like necks & backs if available
1 1/4 cups loosely packed vegetable trimmings such as onion skins and ends, carrot peelings, zucchini ends, herb stems
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 quarts cold water

Method

Place ingredients in VitaClay cooker or slow cooker and cook on SOUP setting for 5-8 hours (for a CrockPot, cook on LOW for 12 to 24 hours). When cool enough to handle, strain through a mesh sieve and pour into two 1-quart jars, sealing the lids. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

how-to-make-kitchen-scrap-broth

Paleo Creamy Tomato Noodle Soup

April 20, 2016 By Kristi

Sometimes the best ideas come to me when I'm just whipping up a quick dinner for the kids and myself. This Paleo creamy tomato noodle soup is one of those times. I wanted to make noodles because I've been craving them and I didn't have any marinara sauce made, so I opted to combine a can of tomato sauce and a can of coconut milk. It turned out more souplike than I had in mind, but we absolutely loved what turned out to be creamy tomato noodle soup. It's grain-free, dairy-free and vegan! The tomato and coconut milk combination is absolutely fantastic (just

The tomato and coconut milk combination is absolutely fantastic (just like in the Lentil Quinoa deliciousness). It may be the key to all deliciousness ever. Hard to say this early. But, let me tell you. Both kids ate THIRDS. THIRDS! I might've done a little jig. I highly recommend this one. If you're not grain-free, you can opt for regular thin spaghetti noodles or rice noodles. If you are, go for zoodles or grain-free noodles like we did!

Creamy Tomato Noodle Soup

Ingredients

8 ounces grain-free noodles or zucchini noodles
15 ounces tomato sauce
13.5 ounces coconut milk
4 ounces mushrooms
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
Himalayan pink salt, to taste

Method

Prepare noodles, set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine all remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add noodles and heat through if necessary.

It comes out kind of like a stoup: a stew/soup. You might need both a fork and spoon. Or just a fork and drink the rest out of the bowl. That's what the kids opted for. It's so tasty I highly recommend putting this one in your monthly meal plan rotation. It's also great with rice or quinoa instead of noodles!

Paleo Creamy Tomato Noodle Soup

Ingredients

8 ounces grain-free noodles or zucchini noodles
15 ounces tomato sauce
13.5 ounces coconut milk
4 ounces mushrooms
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
Himalayan pink salt, to taste

Instructions

Prepare noodles, set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine all remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add noodles and heat through if necessary.
It comes out kind of like a stoup: a stew/soup. You might need both a fork and spoon. Or just a fork and drink the rest out of the bowl. That's what the kids opted for. It's so tasty I highly recommend putting this one in your monthly meal plan rotation. It's also great with rice or quinoa instead of noodles!

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Paleo Mixed Berry Jam

April 14, 2016 By Kristi

My kids are on a bit of a peanut butter & jelly kick (technically cashew butter and jelly). And we're doing this pantry challenge/war on debt thing so once we ran through all the jellies in the house I decided to make some with some the fresh and frozen fruit we already had on hand. But, of course, I can't have regular sugar, so I needed to use coconut sugar. 🙂 Thus, by happenstance, I crafted Paleo Mixed Berry Jam. And it. is. delicious. Plus, bonus, much less spendy than store-bought organic jam.

Paleo Mixed Berry Jam

Makes 5 half-pint jars

Ingredients

4 cups mashed berries or stone fruit (we used strawberries and blueberries)
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
5 tablespoons instant pectin
3-5 drops lime essential oil (optional) (I use Lime Vitality essential oil)

Method

We used fresh strawberries pulsed lightly in the blender and some thawed frozen blueberries. You can use any berries you like. If they're fresh or not naturally bite-sized, either mash with a potato masher or toss them in a blender for one or two quick pulses.

Mix together sugar and pectin in a large bowl. Add mashed berries and stir for 3-5 minutes.

Add mashed berries and stir for 3-5 minutes.

Stir in lime essential oil if desired.

Ladle into 5 quilted half-pint jelly jars.

Water process for 10 minutes to can. If your kids eat jelly as quickly as mine do, you may not need to bother with that step. We processed four (just in case) and left one open in the fridge with one of these great easy use caps. Enjoy!

(Tip: if you want to try cashew butter and jelly like our girls love, just put about two cups of cashews and up to 1/4 cup of avocado oil, depending on the consistency you like in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Easy peasy.)

Yield: 2.5 pints

Paleo Mixed Berry Jam

Ingredients

4 cups mashed berries (we used strawberries and blueberries)
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
5 tablespoons instant pectin
3-5 drops lime essential oil (optional) (I use Lime Vitality essential oil)

Instructions

We used fresh strawberries pulsed lightly in the blender and some thawed frozen blueberries. You can use any berries you like. If they're fresh or not naturally bite-sized, either mash with a potato masher or toss them in a blender for one or two quick pulses.
Mix together sugar and pectin in a large bowl. Add mashed berries and stir for 3-5 minutes.
Add mashed berries and stir for 3-5 minutes.
Stir in lime essential oil if desired.
Ladle into 5 quilted half-pint jelly jars.
Water process for 10 minutes to can. If your kids eat jelly as quickly as mine do, you may not need to bother with that step. We processed four (just in case) and left one open in the fridge with one of these great easy use caps. Enjoy!

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Paleo Fajitas

March 31, 2016 By Kristi

We love Mexican food. The whole family can eat together really easily with something like fajitas. We make a big base of fajita veggies and then, if anyone wants meat, we add that in. It makes eating with vegetarians, meat-eaters and kids really simple. This paleo fajitas recipe is our new favorite and it's super simple.

Paleo Fajitas

Serves 4

Ingredients

MARINADE

2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt to taste
Black pepper
Fresh cilantro

MEAT (optional)

1 pound steak or chicken, cut into strips

VEGETABLES

2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 green peppers, sliced
2 small onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup avocado oil
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Salt to taste

Method

Mix up ingredients of marinade in a refrigerator dish and add meat if desired, let sit for 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare vegetables and add to an iron skillet. Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes. If desired, cook meat and marinade in another skillet over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet (add marinade if you're not using meat). Serve separately or stir in meat if desired (we don't do this in our family since everyone wants something a little different).

I use avocado oil in the part that goes in the oven because it's tastier with Mexican flavors than coconut oil (in my opinion) and it has a higher smoke point than olive oil. Win.

We absolutely love this recipe. It's super simple and we can all pick and choose what we want to put in our fajitas or fajita bowls. I eat my paleo fajitas with just the veggies or veggies and meat. You can also serve over rice or cauliflower rice. Those who can have them can add corn tortillas and whatever other fixings they choose. The veggies are great on their own or with the marinated meat.

Paleo Fajitas

Ingredients

MARINADE
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt
Black pepper
Fresh cilantro
MEAT (optional)
1 pound steak or chicken, cut into strips
VEGETABLES
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 green peppers, sliced
2 small onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup avocado oil
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Salt to taste

Instructions

Mix up ingredients of marinade in a refrigerator dish and add meat if desired, let sit for 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare vegetables and add to an iron skillet. Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes. If desired, cook meat and marinade in another skillet over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet (add marinade if you're not using meat). Serve separately or stir in meat if desired (we don't do this in our family since everyone wants something a little different).

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Paleo Broccoli Beef

February 18, 2016 By Kristi

Chinese food is my gateway drug. As you may know, I spent 25+ years as a strict vegetarian. Health issues and food intolerances led me to start eating a little meat as I'm unable to eat grains and dairy. Chinese food brings me a perfect solution. Lots of veggies with a smaller amount of meat are not only possible, but also super tasty. So it was that I made a list of foods to try this month and about a third are Chinese dishes. Yum. Broccoli beef is now a family favorite.

Paleo Broccoli Beef

Adapted from Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chuck roast, sliced into thin strips (VEGAN substitute: 4 portabella mushrooms, sliced into thin strips)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 cups fresh broccoli florets (about 1 head)
½ cup bone broth
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup coconut aminos
1 inch ginger, minced
1 tablespoon cooking sherry
salt to taste

Method

Warm the coconut oil in a cast-iron skillet over a medium heat, and stir-fry the beef until well cooked, about 6 minutes. Remove the beef from the skillet.

In the same skillet, cook the onions, broccoli until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Return the beef to the skillet.

In a small bowl, combine the bone broth, the coconut aminos, the ginger, the minced garlic and the sherry and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add this mixture to the pan. Cook everything for 2 to 3 minutes, and then remove from the heat.

Wow. This is seriously incredible. It's so simple and so delicious. I'm planning to add a schoch more crunch next time around (probably water chestnuts), but the flavor is absolutely amazing.

Paleo Broccoli Beef

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chuck roast, sliced into thin strips (VEGAN SUBSTITUTE: 4 portabella mushrooms, sliced into thin strips)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 cups fresh broccoli florets (about 1 head)
½ cup bone broth
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup coconut aminos
1 inch ginger, minced
1 tablespoon cooking sherry
salt to taste

Instructions

Warm the coconut oil in a cast-iron skillet over a medium heat, and stir-fry the beef until well cooked, about 6 minutes. Remove the beef from the skillet.
In the same skillet, cook the onions, broccoli until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Return the beef to the skillet.
In a small bowl, combine the bone broth, the coconut aminos, the ginger, the minced garlic and the sherry and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add this mixture to the pan. Cook everything for 2 to 3 minutes, and then remove from the heat.

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Easy Paleo Curry Chicken

February 1, 2016 By Kristi

I big puffy heart Indian food. But, alas, with my dairy and grain-free diet, it's a little difficult to eat out at an Indian restaurant at the moment. Plus, I'm doing this War on Debt thing so it's not in the budget. One of our favorite easy curry chicken dishes (which we used to do with tofu) is from the lovely Betty Crocker cookbook. I got this one from my sister's mother-in-law and it's easily my most used and abused cookbook. 🙂 So, thanks Mary. In that book is a great recipe for Sour Cream Curry Chicken. Alas, I cannot currently eat the sour cream, but, knowing it's a delicious recipe, I converted it to coconut milk and gave it the old college try and make this easy paleo curry chicken.

Vegan? Try this chickpea curry instead.

Easy Paleo Curry Chicken

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons avocado or coconut oil
2 1/2- to 3-pounds chicken, cubed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium onion, chopped
13.5 ounces coconut milk
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

zoodles (zucchini noodles made with a spiralizer) or hot cooked rice

Method

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven until hot. Cook chicken over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with salt, add onion. Cover and simmer until done. Meanwhile, put coconut milk, curry powder, ginger and cumin in a pot. Add water chestnuts. Heat, stirring constantly, until hot and a little bit thickened. Add sauce to the chicken in the skillet and cook until the sauce is your desired consistency. Serve chicken over rice or zoodles.

Instant Pot Method

Using the saute mode on medium, brown the chicken on all sides.

Add remaining ingredients, except zoodles, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.

Allow pressure to release naturally.

Service over zoodles or rice.

The Results

Yum! This is fantastic. I could take or leave the zoodles with it, honestly. They don't really add much. The leftovers also make great lettuce wraps if you dice up the curry chicken and prep them like these lettuce wraps.

Easy Paleo Curry Chicken

Ingredients

2 tablespoons avocado or coconut oil
2 1/2- to 3-pounds chicken, cubed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can of coconut milk
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
zoodles (zucchini noodles made with a spiralizer) or hot cooked rice

Instructions

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven until hot.
Cook chicken over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle chicken with salt, add onion.
Cover and simmer until done.
Meanwhile, put coconut milk, curry powder, ginger and cumin in a pot.
Add water chestnuts.
Heat, stirring constantly, until hot and a little bit thickened.
Add sauce to the chicken in the skillet and cook until the sauce is your desired consistency.
Serve chicken over rice or zoodles.

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Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

January 6, 2016 By Kristi

We love soup, but our food intolerances and dislikes have made most soups difficult to share. This old fashioned Paleo chicken noodle soup recipe is delicious. I didn't use to like the actual chicken part of the soup, but it's grown on me.

If you're gluten-free, you can use rice noodles. Skip the noodles or use zucchini noodles instead. We have made this soup in various iterations over the past five or six years and it's always delicious. Make it your own by switching out the meat and the veggies to what you like. The broth is the most important part. The balsamic vinegar really gives it a tasty flavor.

Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Adapted from CrockPot 365

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds raw ground organic chicken (sub chickpeas for a vegan version)

6 cups bone broth or Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth

1 or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked

1 cup chopped vegetables (we used okra this time, but use zucchini, broccoli, whatever we have on hand)

1 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

kosher salt to taste

50-cent piece size, or so, a handful of raw zucchini (or rice noodles if you're not grain-free) to add at the end

1 large handful of raw spinach leaves to add at the end

Method

Start with a VitaClay. or slow cooker with broth and add chicken.

Add all vegetables except for the spinach leaves.

Stir in the vinegar.

Salt to taste.

Cover and cook on VitaClay SOUP setting for 3 hours or for CrockPot on LOW for 7-8 hours, or until sweet potatoes are tender and the onion is translucent.

15 minutes before serving, put in raw noodles and a large handful of spinach.

Cover and continue to cook.

Instant Pot Method

Add all ingredients except noodles spinach to the instant pot.

Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook noodles on the stovetop.

Allow pressure to release naturally.

Add spinach and turn on saute mode, medium. Cook until wilted.

Stir in cooked noodles.

Serve.

Need a vegan sick day soup? Check out our Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew.

Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds raw ground organic chicken (we buy a pack of chicken breasts and send them through a grinder)
6 cups bone broth or Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth
1 or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
1 cup chopped vegetables (we used okra this time, but use zucchini, broccoli, whatever we have on hand)
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
kosher salt to taste
50-cent piece size, or so, handful of raw zucchini or rice noodles to add at the end
1 large handful raw spinach leaves to add at the end

Instructions

Start with a VitaClay. or slow cooker with broth and add chicken. Add all vegetables except for the spinach leaves. Stir in the vinegar. Salt to taste. Cover and cook on VitaClay SOUP setting for 3 hours or for CrockPot on LOW for 7-8 hours, or until sweet potatoes are tender and the onion is translucent.
minutes before serving, put in raw noodles and a large handful of spinach. Cover continue to cook.

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Candy Bacon: Irresistible and Paleo!

February 9, 2014 By Kristi

Do you love bacon? I do, I call it my gateway meat. It's the one meat I always liked. We buy some amazing smoked bacon locally from Heywood's Provisions. It's incredible, they dry rub and smoke it over hickory. Yum!

Do you also love honey? This delicious oven-baked candy bacon combines honey granules with bacon and bakes it into candied bacon goodness. It is INCREDIBLE. You can leave the honey granules off and just bake your bacon this way for regular bacon, too. It is the best way to make extra crispy bacon, just the way I like it. Enjoy! [Read more...]

Ningxia Wolfberries Trail Mix

Ingredients

Instructions

Homemade Italian Seasoning

Ingredients

Instructions

Kitchen Scrap Broth

Creamy Tomato Noodle Soup

Ingredients

Instructions

Paleo Mixed Berry Jam

Ingredients

Method

Ingredients

Instructions

Paleo Fajitas

Ingredients

Instructions

Paleo Broccoli Beef

Ingredients

Instructions

Easy Paleo Curry Chicken

Method

Instant Pot Method

The Results

Ingredients

Instructions

Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Ingredients

Method

Instant Pot Method

Need a vegan sick day soup? Check out our Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew.

Ingredients

Instructions

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