5 Incredible Weeknight Dinners (+ Birthdays and Anniversaries!)

Posted on August 28, 2016

In this week’s newsletter you’ll find incredible weeknight dinners, plus celebrations that have us feeling nostalgic and thankful!

So, so many feels! This week we celebrated Cole’s 11th birthday (that’s pregnant-me at his baby shower!). He was the catalyst that started everything.

So much of our journey to being healthier and happier people began with Cole’s birth. I found a community of people who valued the things I discovered as I wanted to provide the optimal life for my tiny, precious human who I was so afraid to ruin. I breastfed, I cloth diapered, I co-slept – all things that just felt natural and right to Matthew and I as life unfolded. But my own health change, I owe to Cole. It was because of him that I wanted to change my life. I wanted to be there for him, be healthy and active as long as I possibly could. I remember looking into his eyes and stroking his fuzzy soft head as he nursed thinking about how much I wanted to meet his children’s children and that I needed to get it together to do that. The memory of this photo is so vivid for me; I remember thinking this was my most flattering top and wanted to remember his birth as a happy time.

While many people come to Paleo for those last few vanity pounds, I came to it because I wanted to have the energy to be active with my kids. I wanted to provide a nurturing environment that would help my child(ren) be the best people they could be – which included improving my own health in the process.

This week I celebrated Cole turning eleven – but I also celebrated being committed to creating the best life for our family that I possibly could. I’m just so utterly happy and grateful. Happy birthday to our funny, sarcastic, bright 11-year-old!

I’ve worked for my current company over a year, and they are so respectful of my lifestyle. They order me salads with no tomatoes or croutons for lunch meetings, and this week I got this edible fruit bouquet as gift of thanks. I was always afraid to make a “big deal” out of my lifestyle before, but instead I’ve learned to embrace it, not expect anyone to cater to me but be appreciative when they are thoughtful. The result has been perfect – people are interested, some even adopting aspects themselves, but mostly I’ve been made to feel more normal than I was trying to hide and “make it work” instead of “calling attention to myself.” There’s no shame or guilt in owning and accepting who you are! After 6 years of Paleo, this is a great place to be!

The people I work with are always wondering what new and interesting foods I’m eating, and I love being able to tell them about healthy ingredients and great brands! These Power Balls are a favorite, and with the FALL FLAVORS back in stock, we’ll be putting these on repeat for the remainder of the year.

What We’re Loving this Week!

We can’t say enough good things about The Paleo Kids Cookbook by Predominately Paleo! Look for our meal plan next week cooked exclusively out of this book! The recipes are not only easy to make (and will encourage your kids to help in the kitchen as well) but they are made with flavors and textures that your kids will love. It release on September 6th, so pre-order now on Amazon for the lowest price!

What do we love best about our mini deep-fryer? It makes food QUICKLY and EASILY! Deep frying gets a bad rap, but it can actually be quite healthy if use quality fats and good, clean ingredients! Find the one we use and love —> here!

We use Otto’s Cassava Flour for a coating on many things we deep dry (check out our super simple Calamari recipe!). It’s so versatile and very easy to work with. Our favorite banana bread recipe is also made with this cassava flour. If you haven’t tried it yet, pick up a bag —> here!