Paleo Granola

I have been on the search for Paleo, quick grab snacks for myself and my family.  We often times get caught up running errands and end up eating at a fast food restaurant to hold us until we get home.  Not only is it horrible, greasy, processed food, it's expensive!  So I stumbled upon these this past week,  and these things taste like Almond Joy!  You could eat these as a dessert or as an energizing snack mid-day or after school and on the go!!  I recommend taking a cooler of some sort to keep them in because the chocolate melts and they get messy. (I usually try to keep a cooler in the car on big errand days anyways for water and if I end up stopping at a farmers market, I want to keep my finds cooler than the 140 degrees the car gets up to in the heat of August!  Plus, I've heard that keeping plastic water bottles in your hot car releases toxins into the water which may be linked to cancer. And I'm just NOT willing to take that chance.)

So anyways - here are the goods.  For anyone else who has read my Paleo posts before, I do a lot of shopping in Mobile, AL at The Fresh Market, so that's where I got most of my seeds, but I'm pretty sure Rouses (here in Ocean Springs) carries them too.

PALEO GRANOLA BARS

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut (Rouses)
• 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
• 1 Tbsp brown sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup blanched almond flower
• 1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil. melted
• 1/4 cup unsweetened, natural almond butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
• 1 1/2 Tbsp water
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (with no soy lecithin) or your favorite chopped dried fruit (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325F.  Grease a 9"x13" baking pan with coconut oil.

2. Mix ground flax seed with water and let it sit for 3-4 mins.

3. Pulse pepitas in a food processor a couple times until the seeds are about the size of sunflower seeds.

4. Add coconut oil, almond butter, honey and vanilla to flax goop and mix well.

5. Add almond flower and baking soda and stir to combine.

6. Add slivered almonds, shredded coconut, pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and chocolate chips.  Stir to combine.

7. Spoon batter into prepared baking pan.  Spread out and flatten well with your spatula.

8. Bake for 22-23 minutes, until golden brown.  They will puff up slightly while baking, so immediately after removing from the oven, flatten the bars with the back of your spatula again.

9.  Let cool completely in pan before cutting into bars (I refrigerated before cutting).  Cut into bars (be careful, I ended up using a deeper pan so I think mine were a bit thicker than what the original recipe called for so they were a bit more challenging to cut!) and toss into snack bags or plastic wrap.  I keep them in the refrigerator.

I hope everyone enjoys these as much as I do!  I will certainly be making more this week, because they are delicious!

Paleo Basics

OK - so here it is...some of the basics of Paleo and how I work!

First, I must mention that I could not live without my AnyList app on my iPhone.  As I run out of things throughout the week, I add them to the list so I don't forget come shopping day.  The AnyList app is sharable between whomever, so my husband and I can both add items to the same list - incredibly handy!  Also, it's customizable so you can organize your categories in the direction that you rotate through the store, you can change the category of a food or grocery item and best of all, it's FREE!  There are lots of items preprogrammed into the app but you can always add your own, and you can put notes below each item so you know how many or a certain kind of whatever it may be.

Some of the very basics about what is allowed or not allowed that you may or may not already know:  No refined sugar, no beans, no dairy, no ready-to-eat meals, no pasta, no rice, no chips, and no soy.  Things that are okay are honey, potatoes in moderation, processed meats (sausages), nuts, citrus, eggs, coconut or almond milk, canned tomatoes, and coffee.  One of the things I truly love about Paleo is there is no portion control...but because your body processes the non-processed foods so efficiently, you eat a LOT!  I can stuff myself silly and be ready for a snack in 2 hours!

I keep a stock of 28 spices and other ingredients that I use most frequently.  If you are just beginning Paleo, you may want to start with this list and expand from there.

Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Oregano
Thyme
Basil
Rosemary
Parsley
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Paprika
Apple Cider Vinegar
Honey
Maple Syrup
Dijon Mustard
Coconut Milk
Vanilla Extract
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Cloves of Garlic
Eggs
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Baking Soda
Baking Powder

Other items that I keep stocked just so I don't have the buy them for each recipe:

Tomato Paste (organic)
Chicken Broth
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (frozen)
Boneless Chicken Thighs (frozen)
Ground Beef (frozen)
Pork Breakfast Sausage (frozen)
Bacon
White, Red & Yellow Onions (2 of ea)
Zucchini
Yellow Squash (fresh and frozen)
Broccoli (frozen)
Brussel Sprouts (frozen)
Coconut Flower
Almond Flower (blanched)
Butter (organic) - true Paleo doesn't include butter, but it uses such a small amount mostly and often times the recipes list substitutes if you chose not to use it.
Walnuts
Pecans

I do my grocery shopping on Friday typically.  I watch my friends daughter 4 days per week, so Friday is the only day it's just Addison and I, so it's easiest to go then.  Sometime on Thursday or Friday morning, I pull out my Paleo recipe book and flip through it looking for recipes I haven't made in a while or something that sounds particularly good.  Once I have a recipe picked out, I get out my AnyList app and fill it up.  As I choose a recipe, I have a piece of scrap paper that I write down each item I intend to make.  This helps me plan throughout the week to pull stuff from the freezer and not forget that I bought a specific item for only one meal that will go bad if I don't use it.  My list doesn't even go in a particular order but it is one less thing that I have to try and organize and remember in my head!  I put this list on the fridge next to the stove so I can reference it often.  I try to plan easy meals for the weekend.  I don't try to get fancy, we get really busy with Handmade Chic production on Saturday's and Sunday's that we often run out of time to cook - so crock pots or throw together simple meals are best for those days.  So for instance, my planned meals for this week are Meatloaf, Cilantro Walnut Chicken, Honey Mustard Chicken Plantain Salad and a Turkey breast.  I already had all the meat in the freezer except the turkey, my cilantro plant can't keep up so I needed to buy some, and I bought a plantain, celery and green onions.

As I mentioned before and above, I buy my meat in bulk, typically out of town so when I get home, I have to prep the meat to be frozen.  I use Ziplock Perfect Portion Freezer bags to separate my breasts and thighs into individual packaging so when I pull it out of the freezer, I only have to pull the amount that I need for the planned meal.  I make sure to mark on my outer Freezer bag what each item is and the date I put it in there so I always use the oldest stuff first.  On my thighs, I weigh them out into 1lb bags.

Easy Breakfast:  Breakfast is MY meal.  I LOVE breakfast, and I have to eat a breakfast food of some sort before I can eat lunch (even if it's just fruit).  So when I cook breakfast, I usually make enough for at least 2 meals, breakfast that day and the following morning.  My Snapware brand tupperware is my world!

Breakfast Sausage Scramble - Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage (or regular), zucchini and onion.  Top with 2 over-medium eggs.
Sweet Potato Scramble - Chopped Bacon or Jimmy Dean Maple Sausage, sweet potatoes (diced) - cook until browned (all together in single pan so the fat soaks into the potato!)  Top with 2 over-medium eggs.
Bacon and Eggs - Scrambled Eggs topped with homemade salsa and guacamole with a side of bacon.
Paleo Muffins - Prepped when you have time, then frozen once cooled.  Pop into microwave for approx 30 seconds.  I use silicon muffin cups so I don't have to worry about the paper sticking.
Paleo Banana Bread - Prepped when you didn't eat as many bananas as you'd planned that week, sliced when cooled, separate each piece with parchment paper then frozen.  Zap in microwave for approx 30 seconds.

Snacks: I always keep fresh fruit on hand, bananas, kiwi, apples, grapefruit, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and mangoes.  I also eat olives (can be considered Paleo, look for ones that are packaged with natural ingredients).  I honestly can say, I don't have much time for snacking - so I typically just stick to my 3-5 meals per day.

Easy Dinner: I have a few meals that are my easiest to make.  These are pulled from all over the web.  I keep all the ingredients that I use in each of these recipes on had at all times, so they are simple to throw together at the last minute and only take a few minutes to cook!

Rosemary Honey Chicken Thighs (or Breasts)
BBQ Pulled Pork
Honey Mustard Chicken Plantain Salad
Mexican Salad
Steak with Veggies

I guess my point is that not all recipes require a huge amount of fancy chef skills and if you have some measuring spoons, measuring cups, mixing bowls, pots and pans - you shouldn't have too much trouble whipping up a delicious Paleo meal!

Ashley

My take on Paleo...

I have been eating a Paleo lifestyle diet consistently since around early December 2012.  My husband was really the driving force, we were both active with our local CrossFit gym and CrossFit and Paleo go hand in hand.  I was resilient.  I did not want to give up cheese, dairy, breads, etc.  I have never been been overweight, and I lost all my post baby weight while breastfeeding - so why would I give up the goods?!?  Back in September, we started with a 'Clean Eating' diet.  We found a meal program called The Fresh 20 which gave us a grocery list of 20 items to buy each week to make 5 days of meals for a family of 4.  Our problem was the portions were not very large for our active CrossFit lifestyle, the 5th day was a vegetarian meal (WE LIKE MEAT!) and the meal plans often times called for foods that were hard to obtain!  So I started experimenting with Paleo.  It didn't take long before I had a 1/2" notebook with plastic sleeves which then had to be upgraded to a 1" notebook with more plastic sleeves to accommodate all the fabulous recipes I was finding!

My husband and I always did the grocery shopping together before baby was born.  But after we moved to Mississippi, we had less free time together so once Addison was a bit older and could sit up in the cart I would have enough room for all my groceries, so I started going during the day while Steven is at work.  I also took over 100% of the cooking.  I have always preferred to eat at home, making Shepherd's Pie that I would giddily devour over 4-5 days, for lunch and dinner!  Or I would make a pasta to pair with broccoli that would last 2-3 days.  So my strategies may not work for a family who doesn't eat leftovers - but as long as you are willing to eat last nights dinner for lunch today...you're following the right blog!

I am a planner - and being that we live in a small town in the fattest state in the country - there are NOT a lot of options for humanely raised chicken/eggs, grass-fed beef, etc at our local grocery chains.  When we first started eating Paleo, I was buying regular beef from Walmart (where they put the expiration sticker on it as it comes out of the box AT THE STORE!  WTF!) and my chicken from Sam's Club.  My closest Sam's club is about 30 mins West.  While on vacation in Dallas, there was a really disturbing documentary type show on TV that I watched from a distance - it was entirely about the inhumane conditions that chickens live in.  They live in huge warehouses, have no feathers, have their daylight controlled so that they produce 2x's as many eggs in a 24hr period.  That stirred something inside me.  I knew this crap was happening but I never felt like I had the financial means or availability to eat humane.  Even though we live on a single income with a toddler, I want to eat healthier and I want my daughter to eat healthier too (the amount of chemicals regular, seemingly healthy foods have in them these days is incomprehensible)!  I ended up making the decision to drive 45-60 minutes East to Mobile, AL in search of better meat products as well as some organic foods.

My first trip to Mobile, I got lucky.  I went to The Fresh Market (http://www.thefreshmarket.com) and it just so happened to be BOGO on boneless skinless chicken breasts!  They are not organic, but they were free roaming and antibiotic free.  I bought 15lbs I think that first trip!  I also bought some boneless chicken thighs (WHO KNEW!  I don't particularly care for bones/veins in my chicken, which is why I have mostly stuck to boneless breasts in the past) that were free roaming as well as humanely raised - they were on sale for $2.99lb.  I thought I had struck the motherlode!  So this became my weekly routine.  I would do most of my shopping at the local Walmart and then buy my meats and some organic veggies at The Fresh Market in Mobile.

So...all of this being said, I eat Paleo!  I don't eat it 100% of the time, but 98% of the meals I make ARE Paleo.  We add ingredients, cheese and sour cream mostly, to some of our meals but most are entirely Paleo.  (By the way, cheese and sour cream I believe are considered Primal which is kinda like Paleo...makes me feel less bad about not giving them up entirely!)

My goal with this blog is to encourage others to consider Paleo, there are recipes for almost any food you can imagine these days and hopefully with some information on how I eat and plan my meals, you may be able to work Paleo into your busy schedule as well!

Ashley

Warm Welcome Window

Since moving to the South last year, I have a newly acquired taste for antique windows.  Growing up in Alaska, there weren't many houses still standing that had these original, wood frame windows.  So once I was able to get my hands on some windows, I got busy.

In my house, the entry way is in the dining room, therefore EVERYTHING collects on my dining room table.  My solution to that problem is a statement piece brought back from the window graveyard!

First, I started by removing the bottom pane of glass and sanding the window frame.  Once the window was sanded smooth and "distressed" in all the right places, I used masking tape and packing paper to seal the window.  Then the entire window is sprayed with a polyurethane clear coat to seal it up and give a nice satin finish.  

Once dry, I attached D Hooks to the back of the frame.

Measured and drilled out pilot holes for my hooks.

Then install some fabulous fancy hardware and peel back the paper!  Now all that is left is printing and attaching the vinyl sticker!

 I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out!

Be watching for the next window blog!  Not sure which one to share next!

I love feedback, so please don't hesitate to share.  Also, if you have an idea of how you'd like to use an antique window you'd like me to try, I'm open to suggestions!

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me!  Ashley

Ocean Springs Art & Antiques Market

I will be selling my products at the Ocean Springs Art & Antiques Market in downtown Ocean Springs, MS this Saturday April 27th from 10am-3pm.  If you are in the area and have a minute, I'd love for you to stop by!  Here is a sneak peek of a few items that will be on display and available to buy or previous creations for other customers!  Please keep in mind, I can almost always custom make pieces as well, whether it be a planter, idea for an antique window, furniture or redo an old outdated piece of furniture you own!

Hit me up on Facebook if you have any questions regarding the products!  www.facebook.com/handmadechicart

A little about me!

This is my first attempt at a blog...so I truly have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm not completely incompetent when it comes to the computer, so I'm hoping that this does work!

First, to tell you a little about myself.  My name is Ashley, I have an almost 3 year old daughter, Addison, who I stay home with and I am married to her amazing father, provider and my biggest fan, Steven!  After becoming a Stay at Home Mama, I started an Etsy account.  BIG MISTAKE!  I saw all these amazing products that I could make!  I wanted to help contribute financially, but have/had no intention of getting a "real job".  My job is to be a wife and mother!  So I started showing Steven some of the goodies.  He was on board with me doing some arts/crafts stuff.  He wanted to start doing some wood working on the side (his dad is a professional wood worker by trade) and so we decided to start making projects together!

So here we are!  We set up booths at local arts and craft festivals and continue building and making products that we enjoy!

You will also likely see posts about Paleo recipes, CrossFit, and my gardening experiences!

I am looking forward to creating a place for you all to see my projects, past, present and future!

My daughter and I at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans

My handsome husband and I at Front Beach in Ocean Springs, MS