Carnitas

You asked for it and here it is, more slow cooker meals! This recipe is so easy I almost didn't post it, but my hubby was raving over how good it is so I thought I would share it. We ate this plain and on a lettuce leaf taco style. I also made a simple veggie slaw and topped it with the warm pork and it was to die for! Maybe you will think of a special way of eating it, post your ideas to the comments.

Pork Carnitas

1 large pork shoulder

1 large onion

salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 jar of your favorite clean salsa

Place the pork shoulder into the crock pot and season with liberal amounts of salt,pepper,cumin and chili powder.

Add the tomatoes and salsa and top with the onion cut up into large pieces.

Set your slow cooker on low for 6 hours. a bit


Use two forks to pull the pork apart, taste to make sure the seasonings are just right and dig in!

No More Excuses

I hear it ALL the time, "I'm too busy to eat clean during the week" or "Its too hard to pack a lunch, I'm so busy"... That is a lazy mentality and personally offensive, as if to imply me, being completely paleo has more time than others to prepare meals. This is not the case, I am a wife, I make 2 dinners almost every night (hubby isn't paleo), I work 40+ hours a week, I run a food blog, I crossfit 4-5 times a week, I'm going to school majoring in business, and I have a bunch of furry children (pets) who demand time, walks, brushing and attention... Now tell me again that YOUR too busy. OK now that I'm don't with my rant, let me tell you how I stay clean and pack not only lunches, but breakfast for work days.

1. I get a huge skillet and fill it with all sorts of frozen veggies. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, bell pepper strips. The list can go on and on and you can make different combinations so it doesn't get boring. I also season them well, I like to use homemade taco seasoning.

2. Separate them into dishes and these are ready to eat. I usually will take one of these veggie side dishes for lunch. Sometimes I take a little salsa to pour over the veggies to give them a little spunk.

3. Fresh veggies and fruit bags. Cut up your favorite veggies and put them I'm baggies, it gives you a little crunch and can be a good change from the sauteed veggies. I take one of these everyday to work as well and eat them with my breakfast. This is a good time to maybe peel some oranges or set aside pieces of fruit to grab on the way out the door.

4. Meat. I like burgers they are a very easy way to get your protein I usually take 2 patties to work and eat one for breakfast and one for lunch. I grill them on the BBQ, put them in separate baggies and freeze them. I take what I want out the night before work. I buy turkey burgers, salmon patties and sirloin burgers from Costco in bulk. If you aren't a burger fan you could get a rotisserie chicken and piece it out into containers or cook some steaks, cook ground beef, fish fillets... Anything you like just cook in bulk and plan ahead for the whole week, that way you aren't scrambling before bed to get something put together.

4. Hard boil some eggs. They are another good source of protein and a good snack for the afternoon.

5. Lastly, you need a little fat, as avocado half cut up with a little lemon juice will hold up or pack a bag of nuts and seeds or you could make a dressing with olive oil to dip your veggies in.

See, its not that hard, I can have all this done within 1 hour and I'm set for breakfast and lunch all week. You can do it, just give it a shot, your body will thank you!

Meal on a Budget 3rd Edition

If you were at the Halloween Party this is the dish I brought to share with one modification I substituted Kelp Noodles for the spaghetti squash. Either way its a great dinner! As with the other "budget" meals I've featured this will feed a family of four for under $10.00 I'll break that part down further in the recipe. I did my shopping at Super 1 Foods

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Greens

1 Large spaghetti squash ($3.56)
1 LB Sausage ($.99)
1 Bunch spinach ($1.68)
1 tsp Crushed red pepper ($.20)
6-8 Mini peppers or 1 Large bell pepper ($1.25)
1 Onion ($.40)
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning ($.10)
1 C. Chicken stock ($.25)

I get these pepper's from Costco they are $3.99 for 2 LB's. They are crisp and flavorful and I love love LOVE them!
Cook the sausage and drain. In the same pan cut up all your veggies excluding the spinach and put them with the chicken stock and cook them with the spices until they are soft.


Add back in the sausage and let it cook together for a few minutes to let all the flavors mix. Put the spinach over the veggies and meat and stir together to wilt this will only take a few minutes.


In the meantime, halve the squash place in a microwaveable dish add 1/2 cup water and heat for 10-15 minutes on high. Repeat with the remaining squash half. Discard the seeds. Using a fork, comb the squash into strands into a bowl.

Spoon the sausage and veggies over the squash and serve.

Meal on a Budget Part 2

I wanted to make another affordable dinner, In fact lets make this a trend... $10.00 meal for a family of four. My last 10.00 meal was the fish tacos, if you haven't made them yet DO IT! They are so good. I will try and post a few budget meals a month. We are going for simple, affordable and delish. I have been craving grilled cheese dipped in tomato soup, well I couldn't do the grilled cheese part but the soup is do able. It turned out great! It has so much flavor and is extremely easy to make. I did my shopping at Super 1 Foods and included the prices to prove how affordable this dish really is. Enjoy!

1 TBSP Olive oil (.25)
4 Coves garlic (.15)
1 Very finely chopped onion (.45)
2 28oz Cans crushed tomatoes ($2.40)
1 Box chicken stock ($2.00)
20 Leaves fresh basil ($1.98) I only used half the package so this technically is .99

In a 6 qt pot get the oil nice and hot, add the garlic and cook until it starts to brown. Add the onion and saute until it turns a nice caramely color. At this point I added a little sea salt and pepper.
Take the basil and tear the leaves from the stems. Roll the leaves into a little bundle. This is a method for cutting called chiffonade. It will help you get the basil into thin strips. Use a sharp knife and slice the basil as thinly as you can.

Lastly add the crushed tomatoes, stock and basil. Let simmer for 20 minutes and serve.