Paleo Doggie Delights

We really have enjoyed the benefits of a paleo diet for our own health and wellness, and we felt it was only fair to share the love with our dog, Mason, as well.  He does eat a real-food, gluten-free dog food, but we have had mixed success with dog treats.

Leave it to my Mom to come up with a cool, paleo-friendly dog treat recipe.  She also hit a home run with her mushroom soup.  Another fun fact is that she loves crafting, and makes a lot of the napkins and place settings for our photo shoots.  You can check out her stuff on her Etsy site.

Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork

Pulled pork sandwiches were one of my terrible downfalls growing up; not so much that they made me feel sick, or that they made me gain weight, but because I would put down several pounds of pulled pork before I knew what hit me (this may still be partially true today).  There are many recipes out there for this delicious dish, but we’ve always struggled with dry pork on and off.  This is probably due to our inability to read directions, but nevertheless this recipe is the result.

We dressed this pulled pork with our homemade barbecue sauce, tripling the recipe.  Don’t feel confined to that, though; it was equally delicious plain, or with hot sauce.  We’ve made use of this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  This, along with chili, has become one of our staple weekend meals to take advantage of cooking in bulk.

Tangy Halloween Brains

This post is just-in-time for Halloween, but might still be a great addition to any of your fun zombie themed show parties or birthday celebrations as well.  Jello was definitely a favorite thing of mine growing up, but I’m fairly sure the impetus was because of the bright colors and abundance of sugar (the jiggling didn’t hurt, either).  This combination of blood orange juice and apple cider mixes just the right amount of tart and sweet, without any added, concentrated sugar.

We wanted to bring along something fun to the Paleo Parent’s Halloween party, as we had been warned they do not mess around.  The rumors were true, and you can read more about the fun we had with many like-minded foodies, authors, and bloggers.  This brain was a pretty big hit, and we sent home leftovers with a few friends.  We love brains, but even this is a treat we don’t want to overindulge!

Harvest Carrot-Apple Muffins

When we began our focused journey on more healthful living through food, we did what many people did (and do)–we started juicing.  With a nice food processor/juicer that we found on sale at the local department store, we went to work with Costco sized bags of carrots with some lemon.  This was delicious, and was certainly a step in the right direction.  While carrot juice ends up being liquid calories without the same satiating effect, it was better than our previous habits.

We still occasionally take out the juicer, and when we do, Heather always feels guilty about not using the pulp.  Through several attempts, we’re happy to report a way to put that pulp to use.  Don’t worry–we’ve suggested a substitution if you don’t have a juicer or don’t want to juice.

Apricocity (Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund Baconpalooza Entry)

Back in July, our friends Matt and Stacy of Paleo Parents released their second book, Beyond Bacon.  I was at work the evening of the book release, but Heather attended in my absence and had a fantastic time.  Among the guests were George from Civilized Caveman, Sarah from The Paleo Mom, and Russ from The Domestic Man.  It was Russ who introduced us to Kathy, from the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund.  The FTCLDF is a fantastic non-profit that provides support and council to real food farmers, and I encourage you to check out their website and consider joining to support the cause.  Long story short, they were hosting an event in August coined Baconpalooza. I was hooked at the name, and was even more intrigued to cook for hundreds of people using real food ingredients and raise money for a good cause.  Oh, and Robb Wolf was a guest and presenter, which made my fanboy alarm go off as well.