40 Paleo Crockpot Freezer meals!

I was surfing the "internets" one day a few months ago and came upon this glorious blog about 40 Crock-pot meals in 4 hours from Who Needs a Cape .  My first thought was 4 hours? WOW! Then more to the point, can I make this Paleo? Or at least REALLY Close.  The answer was YES. Over the next few months I took each recipe and altered a few ingredients to fit into our diet.  I also bought up ingredients when they went on sale.  I ended up spending $332 total for 40 Paleo Meals.  That is $8.30 per meal with each meal having 4-6 servings.  HUGE savings for trying to feed your family healthy meals on a budget.  You could go cheaper than this if you wanted to cut corners and not buy organic.  You could also go more expensive if you lean more toward the Grass Fed Meats.  I try to stay middle of the road because our family is on a strict budget.

But ONTO THE MEALS!! Here is the Master List. As you can see I make 2 of each recipe unless it says to Make 3. Then we just triple it.

Main Dish (Will make two of each unless otherwise noted)	Make it Paleo!!	Links
Crockpot Applesauce BBQ Chicken	Use Paleo BBQ Sauce, and use coconut Sugar instead of brown sugar.	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/01/crockpot-applesauce-bbq-chicken/
		http://paleonewbie.com/tangy-paleo-bbq-sauce/
Buffalo Chicken	Use Paleo Ranch Seasoning	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/01/crock-pot-buffalo-chicken/
		http://cavegirlinthecity.com/paleo-ranch-seasoning/[1]
Garlic Pesto chicken(Only make chicken parts)	Use Paleo Italian Dressing (instead of Lawry's)	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/01/crockpot-garlic-pesto-chicken-with-pasta-in-a-tomato-cream-sauce/
		http://www.paleocupboard.com/italian-dressing.html
Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs (Make 3 meals)	Use White Wine Vinegar instead of Rice Wine	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/01/crock-pot-maple-dijon-chicken-thighs/
Cilantro Lime Chicken	Omit Corn and beans if you want (We eat corn)	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/08/slow-cooker-cilantro-lime-chicken/
Green Chile Pork Stew	Use Tapioca Flour instead of All Purpose	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/01/crockpot-green-chile-pork-stew/
Easy Pulled Pork		http://whoneedsacape.com/2014/02/easy-pulled-pork/
Mongolian Beef (Make 3 meals)	Use Coconut Aminos instead of Soy Sauce, Use Coconut Sugar instead of Brown Sugar, and Use Paleo Hoisin Sauce	http://whoneedsacape.com/2012/11/easy-crockpot-mongolian-beef/
		http://primalfeeding.com/paleo-hoisin-sauce-recipe/
Chicken Tacos	Paleo Taco Seasoning	http://whoneedsacape.com/2012/10/crockpot-chicken-tacos/
		http://thedomesticman.com/2011/03/12/easy-cheap-homemade-taco-seasoning/
Ranch chicken Tacos	Paleo Ranch Seasoning and Paleo Taco Seasoning	http://whoneedsacape.com/2014/04/slow-cooker-ranch-chicken-tacos/
		http://cavegirlinthecity.com/paleo-ranch-seasoning/
		http://thedomesticman.com/2011/03/12/easy-cheap-homemade-taco-seasoning/
Island Chicken	Use coconut Aminos instead of Soy Sauce	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/02/island-chicken/
Chicken Cacciatore	Do not freeze with pasta.  When making to eat use Tapioca or Sweet Potato Noodles	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/08/slow-cooker-chicken-cacciatore/
Chunky Beef Stew (Make 3 meals)	Omit Potatoes (If want can use sweet potatoes)	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/07/chunky-beef-stew/
Balsamic Chicken Legs (Make 3 meals)	Use coconut Aminos instead of Tamari	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/01/crockpot-balsamic-glazed-drumsticks/
Orange Chicken	Use coconut Aminos instead of Soy Sauce	http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/02/crock-pot-orange-chicken/
Terriyaki Chicken (Make 3 meals)		http://www.rubiesandradishes.com/2014/03/13/slow-cooker-paleo-teriyaki-chicken/
Crockpot Fajitas (Make 3 Meals)		http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/02/crock-pot-fajitas/

First thing I did was make up all the Sauces and Spice Mixes I would need to make myself.  Some sauces such as BBQ sauce etc is easier to make Paleo than buy.  This way you control the ingredients:

Zippy Tangy Paleo BBQ Sauce
Paleo Hoisin Sauce
Paleo Ranch Seasoning
Paleo Italian Dressing
Paleo Taco Seasoning

Here is that BBQ sauce in all its glory.  As you can see it looks like ketchup, and don't think I'm not going to try to turn it into ketchup.  I have still not been able to give up ketchup. I LOVE it.  LOVE LOVE LOVE, OK maybe LUST for it....

Once the sauces and seasonings were made I went ahead and pulled out all my dry and canned ingredients to get them ready and organized for the big day.

 I also went ahead and pulled out the 40 Gallon freezer bags I would need and labeled each with the recipe that would go into them. All of this took me about 1 hour. I tried to space it out so I was doesn't doing too much at once. I am 34 weeks pregnant WE MUST REST!


Onto Day 2: Make the Dang Meals

I woke up, ate some breakfast (hey a girl has to eat!) and set to work on my meals.  I started with first placing the meat in each bag. This way I could go ahead and Clorox down my counter tops. I hate the thought of raw meat sitting on my counter. I just can't even deal with it.  SO, this is what I did.

I then decided to pull out all my veggies.  I didn't chop them, I just got them out of the fridge. If you want, you can go ahead and chop all the veggies so its all done.  I was just lazy. After I was finished with this, my husband walks in and says he will help! WOOT WOOT!!! We each grabbed a recipe and got to work.  I had each recipe labeled with how many meals of each we would make.  I doubled all except a few I said to triple. This was to make up the 40 meals total.  Once complete (about 2.5 hours later) my husband and I placed everything in the freezer,

It is a relief to know that I have 40 healthy meals ready to go, especially over my maternity leave.  All I have to do is pull a bag out at night and put in the fridge. I wake up, pull out my crock pot, and put the meal into it. It will be that easy.

These are just the main courses, so side dishes will have to be made fresh. But Hey!! That's the easy part.  Make a salad, steam some veggies, or make your kids favorite side dish!

We tried one this weekend. The Cilantro Lime Chicken was delicious. This was paired with a Steamer bag of Brussel Sprouts for me and my husband, and couscous for the kids.

Yes that's a cheap looking container my food is in. It is a portion I made out to take to work.  We don't take our good Tupperware to work!

We will be doing this again for sure! I'm going to take the next month and try to build up a list of some more recipes to try. I think making the list of recipes around 15 and then doubling or tripling them really saves on the time.  If people enjoy this post then I will post it again! Heck I prob will anyways so I can go back to it later.

The original plan takes about 4 hours to make. My plan will take around 6 hours.  It will be less if you can get you a kitchen helper.  Let me know how you enjoy the recipes if you try!!!!

ENJOY!
~ Lauren

Passion of the Crust

Not that I would compare pizza to my Lord and Savior, but I believe this is a staple up in heaven. I mean how can it not be? Delicious crust, flavorful toppings, melty cheese.  Geez.....Where is my pizza? I know when I start to try to eat healthier I need to find a way to eat my favorite food of all time!  Either that, or I will have to overlook the emotional and physical affair I have with Pizza. My diet will understand. :)

Over a year ago, I came to my husband and said "I think I will start us on a Paleo diet." And he responded "Ok, but if it tastes like crap I'm going to McDonalds."  I can feel the love now.  But since I do most of the cooking he is generally along for the ride.

My best friend was already on Paleo, and we were searching high and low for a good crust recipe.  She shares my love affair with pizza.  We found one that used sweet potatoes that was pretty good but was labor intensive.  Everything Paleo sometimes seems labor intensive.

Then, the clouds parted, a single ray of sunshine shined down on my computer and a single dove took flight into the sky!!!! I found a general recipe for 2 ingredient pizza dough.  I brought this to my friend and said "Do you think, is it possible, is it true?? Can we make this Paleo?"  And make it we did.  It tastes delicious. Both of my kids eat it like its reg pizza dough.  My husband says even if he wasn't eating paleo he would eat this pizza crust.  It is so simple as well. I make this usually at least once a month.

One disclaimer, my family eats Dairy.  Yes dairy.  I know, I know, some view it as not Paleo, but our bodies tolerate it well, and I shouldn't have to say more than...cheese...  But, when you buy Dairy, please make it good quality!

So we move onto, the recipe

Paleo Pizza Crust

1 to 1 1/2 Cups Paleo Self Rising Flour
1 Cup Greek Yogurt***
Spices of your choosing.

Paleo All Purpose Flour Mix
2 Cups Blanched Almond Flour
1 1/3 Cups Tapioca Flour
2/3 Cups Coconut Flour

To make your All Purpose Flour into Self Rising add 1 1/2 tsp of Baking Soda to each 1 1/2 Cup of flour.

Directions:
Combine Self Rising Flour and Greek yogurt in a bowl. I then add the seasonings I want to flavor my crust with.  This includes some salt, garlic Powder, onion powder, and Italian seasonings.  I think this adds a special flavor to the crust (Don't worry about the amount, but if you are scared start with small amounts and add more if needed.).  Mix until well combined. The dough will be sticky.  I let it sit for 5 minutes to let the coconut flour Soak up the moisture.  The batter will still be sticky.  I leave it usually, but if its too wet for you add a Tablespoon of Tapioca flour at a time until its to your liking. We eat this pizza in individual sized crusts. This is because all 4 of us usually wants different items on our pizzas.  It also is easy to make leftovers to take to work with individual pizzas.

I then use a measuring cup (1/3rd of a cup) to scoop out the pizza dough onto my parchment paper.

As you can see its pretty sticky.  I lay of piece of plastic wrap over the dough and shape into a biscuit shape.

I use my rolling pin now to roll it out about 1/4th an inch thick.  You can roll it out to be as thin, or as thick as you like.  We like thinner crusts, so if I get it 1/4th of an inch or less I can get it crispier in the oven. ;) Notice also, its not perfect in shape. I think this gives my pizza character.  And, shows I'm too lazy to care what shape my pizza is in.

I continue on doing this until I have used up all my pizza dough.  This recipe can be easily doubled tripled etc.  The Paleo All Purpose Mix above makes for cups, so I buy 4 cups of Greek Yogurt and make the Full batch.  We can eat half of this at one sitting.   This will make around 15 individual sized pizzas and I can eat 2 pizzas at one sitting.  My husband can too.   Each kid eats around one.

I now place the parchment paper and crust on my cookie sheets and bake for around 10-12 minutes. (Sometimes I go closer to 15 minutes if I have 2 cookie sheets in the oven. I will check to see if its like the pic below.) It is ok if it is not ALL the way done because you will add toppings and bake more. This recipe is forgiving.  If after 12 minutes you think to yourself, "This woman is nuts, this pizza crust is raw." Then please place back in the oven and bake in 2-3 minute increments until it is to your liking.

You can immediately top your crust with your favorite toppings.  After this, place back in the oven for 10-15 more minutes at 425 degrees.  Check after 10 to see if it is cooked to your liking.  I go more for 15 minutes because I want a  nice golden brown on my cheese.

I generally make my pizza crusts a day or two in advance.  I take out of the oven (without toppings) and allow to cool.  I then place in plastic bags and put in the fridge.  During the week, when I get home from work, all I have to do is top our pizzas and bake.  Easy, fresh meal!

Here is our latest creation.  This pizza has a pesto sauce, fresh diced tomatoes (from the garden), a mix of garlic powder and Italian seasoning sprinkled on top,

I then added the pepperoni and cheese.  And baked...  Mmmmmmmmm....Heaven!!!  

You can make this crust with any toppings you have. Sometimes we have "Leftover" pizza which will be whatever toppings we can find in the fridge.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have! 

*** If you are dairy free, replace the Greek Yogurt with a Non Dairy Alternative.  Also, instead of topping your pizza with cheese use more veggies.  For example, caramelize some onions and use that as your "cheese."  Or buy some non-dairy Daiya cheese.  

Whew Its been a while :)'

I looked up and realized Dang its almost the end of February 2014!! Then I said hmm didn't I have a blog? Why yes, yes you did and the last time you posted was wait what? April 2012! Seriously woman what have you been doing? 

Well I will tell you what in the crap I've been doing. I've been working full-time at a wonderful job,and being a wife to an amazing husband, and also raising two beautiful, spunky daughters!! And let me tell you, after all that I don't have much time left. :) 

My oldest is in Kindergarten this year. Its an experience. This is not the same kindergarten I was in. When I was in Kindergarten we learned how to tie our shoes. Oldest learns Addition, subtraction, and reading. WOW! How are kids not behind? Then they are tested and tested and tested. I get progress reports every 9 weeks but I really believe these could be considered 9 week tests. This only reports what she was tested on the day the reports go out. I have seen a report where I  knew she was having a bad day and she thus couldn't concentrate and didn't get all her S's.  I am not blaming this on the teacher. She is a great teacher! I am blaming this on the way our school systems now judge if a kid is learning. I was horrible at standardized tests!! Just thinking about a test right now I go into a panic attack! So glad those days are behind me.

Another thing that irks me about this age is THE CLOTHES!! I refuse to buy these low rise jeans that show my 6 year old's butt crack. Really? Can they not find a pattern that actually fits a child. Skinny jeans - so not cute.  We did find some stretchy jeans at Gap that were "skinny"' yet had an elastic waist band.  I have had to go to Old Navy and get plus sizes so that my child's pants aren't in that Too Tight category and make me cringe when I see her. I prefer smocked dresses, but I'll be danged if I send her to school in North Alabama with these things on. They play outside, and outside is a Red Clay Mud pit.  She comes home covered head to toe in red clay dust.  Resolve Stain remover is my hero...


 But I digress moving on to Kid #2...

Our littlest child is more like me. She is stubborn. She is strong-willed. And she has an attitude the size of a 25 year old. Not a 2 year old. She loves all things Minnie Mouse! We sing Mickey Mouse Clubhouse all the time....Its stuck in my head right now....Please get out! She is potty training and is doing wonderfully. Love not having to buy diapers every week.  This child has made every hair on my head grey. EVERY HAIR. Just ask my best friend and hairdresser...

My husband and I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University 3 weeks ago, and so far LOVE IT! We are budgeting our Money and it seems that it just opens up your money to so much more. No more money going away and us no knowing where it went. Crazy how that happens. You don't have to go through FPU to get this  budget going. Pick up one of Dave's books and start reading. Once you read his common sense approach you will not look back. Start today!! 

As for our diet that I was posting in the last few posts. Vegan - out the window...He just couldn't keep that up. Who could? Bring on Pizza and Chicken Wings!! I cook low calorie meals and if we would all stay within the serving suggestions we would be loosing weight. I have lost 13 lbs since Thanksgiving and am well on my way to my goal weight and size. As I get older I think, "Dang wish I was as fat as I used to think I was" You know what I'm talking about...Those days in  High School or your early twenties when you were a size GASP 6! And had reached 125 lbs and think "I'm so fat!" Really - bring back that 6 I will gladly embrace it. Giving birth to 2 children on this 5'2 frame wrecked my body. But you know, so worth it. It has been a long time but I am getting it back. Determination here! 

I will hopefully be able to update you on my weight loss and any tricks I find. Also, Maybe some good recipes I find as well as our Dave Ramsey Road to Debt Freeness :)  There was so much I wanted to  update but too little time!!  Hope everyone has a wonderful day! 

Cooked Foods Extravaganza!

     OK, so my husband decided to try to completely detox himself of cooked foods for 2 weeks. Well as of Friday of last week those two weeks were up, so what happened this weekend? A Cooked Foods Extravaganza!!!!


     Friday night we started it off with a Bean Chalupa. I went to Earthfare and bought some Organic Fat Free refried beans, vegan sour cream, vegan shredded cheese, and Corn Tortillas. For the Corn Tortillas I went to the refrigerated section and bought the kind there because if you look at the ingredients all they contain is Corn, Water, and Lime. Seriously...I had some Whole Wheat tortillas in my fridge at home that I was going to use to make my 4 year old a cheesy roll-up but looked at the ingredient list and was appalled, so she had a corn quesadilla/mexican pizza :) I just couldn't bring myself to cook it for her. I mean if you start looking at the ingredients of food you eat every day it may surprise you to see what kind of crap you are eating! But these are super easy to make, just warm beans on stove. Then take tortillas and heat them in the oven. I placed a tortilla on the plate then spread beans over it, and topped it with our toppings. On the toppings, you can really pick whatever you want. Here is a picture of our creation:

     For Saturday night we had boring Spaghetti...but it was delicious as well. We just had noodles and sauce, but OHH so good. We also had some good friends over who we haven't seen in FOREVER to eat with us. It made the dinner more delicious as well :) I mean who doesn't like to spend time with their best friends????


     My husband has been wanting some granola to eat for breakfast. He is allergic to pecans, so its hard to find a raw granola in the store, and when we did find it, it was $4 a bar. So he would eat half at one sitting. Well this weekend we tried to make our own! It does have to dehydrate for around 36 hrs, so this took ALL WEEKEND....but it came out delicious! It has sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sun flower seeds, walnuts, cranberries, dates, and so much more!!!!

     Next weekend I think we are going to try to dehydrate some raw pancakes....We will see....After our Cooked Foods Extravaganza I'm hoping my husband doesn't feel deprived and can go on eating his raw Vegan foods just fine :)

So Far Success in Week 2!

Success on so many levels....Level 1 the youngest child has slept through the night every night this week...This is HUGE!!! When she was a newborn she slept through the night no problem, but starting around Dec my family went into a sickness funk that we could NOT get over...Husband had pneumonia twice. Oldest child had 2 ear infections, and the youngest was on 3 different antibiotics and breathing treatments due to RSV. With all this sickness lets just say her sleep pattern was knocked off its rocker and we have FINALLY gotten it back....So this mommy is one happy mommy!!

Any-whoo......Our delicious dive into more healthy foods?? Success as well! My husband has completely cut out all cooked foods. I mean seriously. If you knew him - he was a meat and potatoes kind of guy.......but right now he is eating fresh fruits and veggies like a champ! We even made this rocking fresh, raw salad dressing. We love it on cucumbers.

Now, I'm not doing 100% raw like him...wouldn't want my sumo baby to loose weight :) But I am trying to eat better foods with him. I made this awesome Sandwich....or as my friends and I like to call them...Salandwich! I used Ezekiel Bread which is a sprouted wheat flourless bread. It is made with ingredients as listed in Ezekiel in the Bible. It is wholesome, it is awesome!! It won't weight you down like regular white bread....You maybe asking well what goes on a salandwich? Well anything you want. I had made some fresh salsa, so I used that as spread on one piece of bread. (I also toast my bread since I keep it in the freezer so it wont go stale.) On the other piece of bread I will either do some mustard or some vegan cream cheese depending on the overall calorie count for the day! I then add a veggie patty usually...I love Gardenburgers, but this time I had bough some Boca veggie patties because this was what was on sale at the time..>LOVE saving that dough! After this add whatever veggies you want. I usually do lettuce, peppers, and onions. Then if the tomatoes look good we can add those. Here is a pick of this awesome salandwich:

This sandwich will not leave you groggy with a bread hangover. It is fresh and delicious and usually leaves me with energy. When you work full time and have a 4year old and 8 1/2 month old you need all the energy you can GET!

Now for a smoothie update. We have been drinking smoothies almost every day. What better way to get a nutritious meal packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals...you name it we got it in this shake. Last night I made a Banana Berry Blast. It contained Bananas, Pomegranate, Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Kale, and some Goji Berry Powder. The Goji powder I picked up at Earthfare. it is an easy way to get this powerful little berry into your diet. These berries pack a punch in the nutrional department and I highly recommend anyone adding them to your diet!

If you are worried you wont' like smoothies, Experiment!!!! My 4-year old LOVES these. And who else can say Ohh yes my 4 year old eats Kale and spinach every day? I don't have to hold her in a headlock and force it through her mouth with a spoon. Just give her a cup and she drinks it through a straw ON HER OWN. :) This makes mommy's day easier. This way when at supper if she won't eat her peas and broccoli I dont' sweat it because I know she has already received the vitamins and minerals she needs from her smoothie! No preservatives, extra sugar, hidden harmful ingredients in here!!!! Here is a pic of this delicious goodness!!!!

If you want help making smoothies please let me know. Send me a message at lauren_woodfin@yahoo.com and I will help in any way I can. These things are delicious and I feel good feeding them to my family...I know I know, I'm a dork, but I just can't help wanting to feed my family food that doesn't contain butane....See link below for further enlightenment on how some of our fav foods contain harmful ingredients - seriously made me glad we are eating better....b/c seriously who wants to eat beaver butt???????

http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/03/14/6-scary-things-hiding-your-food

Day 1 with Cookie Cutter Family

On the outside we look like a cookie cutter family I guess :) I mean 2 parents, 2 kids and a dog....we had a goldfish, but my 4 year old claims the fish commited suicide by jumping out of the fish tank........We can be quite normal (ha!) but we go through struggles and triumphs with everyone!! I'm hoping this blog sheds light on what we do...and WHY we do what we do...also, if our healthy lifestyle change, and our struggles help someone else......Woot Woot!!!

Well, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl 8 and a half months ago and have just now relinquished my maternity pants. I mean really.....I LOVE those things. my husband kept making fun of me and really he should I mean they were giving me saggy butt syndrome. :) SO they are still in my closet but I prefer to call them..."The pants who must not be named." I mean we all have them right? The pants that look horrible but are the most comfortable pants in the world. I'm guessing this is the case otherwise why would people wear mom jeans? I mean if they looked bad AND were uncomfortable there is no way anyone in their right mind would have wore those God-Awful things! :) Any-who getting off topic....I have been loosing weight and a pretty good amount of weight too. I have lost over 40 lbs since I had the baby using Weight Watchers, so I'm starting to look pretty awesome....or at least my husband says that because he has too and because love is blind, but that is why I love him right?.....So with me and all my awesomeness my husband decides he is going to eat better as well - only he can't just do weightwatchers with me?? NO he is going to go Raw-Vegan. Which I have done this before. It is AWESOME, you feel GREAT, but its so hard to stick with it...But I'm going to help. And hopefully this blog will help you understand what all we are doing to make my family healthier!!!

SO...first things first, my husband must to a full body detox so he gets his body "ready"....I guess.....this is his reasoning, I think its b/c he wants to eat those chicken wings :) But, moving along....So we go buy this one.....He started it Sat night and so far no ill-effects...And he lost 4 lbs(really why can men loose weight so quick?). This one we picked up at Earthfare(LOVE THAT STORE) and its supposedly - raw, vegan friendly. We will see. I'll keep you posted on this one.

Now you may ask...what exactly does a raw vegan eat?? well Lots of veggies, fruits, and nuts....Not get all blah on me, the food can be delicious you just have to prepare it correctly AND it is awesome for your body. This is how food is supposed to be eaten and how your body is made to digest it.

SO we went ahead and eased into this lifestyle by doing a few smoothie breakfasts...These are an AWESOME way to get loads of fruit all at once. I love them for breakfast too b/c what a better way to start your day than with something Healthy! So last night we threw our smoothie together b/c who else is dead at 6 am??? ME! My husband loved his yesterday! And I mean this is HUGE b/c his idea of eating something green is a green bean...thats it. SO here is the smoothie.

Ingredients for 2 smoothies - 2 Bananas, Pint of strawberries(greens removed), 1/2 pint of blackberries, 2 servings of dried goji berries(soaked in water for an hour before hand), 4-5 kale leaves, 2 cups of water, splash of green juice to help get the desired consistency. Really all we have to do is blend this stuff up and Voila! Done :)

I'll hopefully post more tomorrow on how we did and how we are feeling and his overall weightloss so far!