Hi Friends- Here’s a look at our week!
Oh the FEELS! My baby is starting kindergarten next week. I CAN’T EVEN. I sooo love watching my boys turn into little men and to see the people they’re becoming. This week we got to meet their teachers, and I *may have shed a tear as we picked out Wes’s school shoes…
We’ve mentioned before that while everyone is super busy prepping for the start of school and struggling with the out-of-summer mentality; our family has one additional stress – the end of the fiscal year. My day job gets REALLY busy during August and September, and this year it is more busy than we can remember in several years.But long hours in the office doesn’t mean ignoring the Paleo lifestyle, in fact – moreso than ever high stress times is when to nourish our bodies more than ever. Indulgences like the 1/4 glass of wine and fresh figs to go with roasted chicken thighs, lemon broccoli from Real Life Paleo, and crispy potatoes are enough to not have us running to fast food and carry out solutions during this time. It also means I feel well enough to tackle everything in and out of the office, but provides me with boundless energy for spending quality time with the boys when I do get to disconnect!
We loved being able to celebrate COLE’S TENTH BIRTHDAY last weekend, and his request was to go to Hershey Park (we got season passes this year as self-proclaimed roller coaster junkies). We packed up the car, packed up our travel food bags with the usual snacks, and headed off for a weekend of family fun. We packed:
—> Costco’s cashew clusters
—> blueberry lemon muffins from Real Life Paleo
—> Quest Nutrition Bars (for Matt and Wes) and RxBars for the rest of us that can’t do whey)
—> USWM pork rinds
—> Steve’s Paleostix and dried fruit
—> Epic bars and bites
—> bananas, hard boiled eggs, cold brew & grass-fed cream
Bringing food allows us to avoid eating junk while traveling, and from being too tempted in the park, too. There’s no possibility of complaining of being hungry on this car ride!
P.S. It’s cliche, but life with these boys passes so quickly. It’s just insane to me that Cole is now double digits. He’s officially closer to adulthood than being a baby. He’s talking about the future, getting a job, and driving a car. WHAT?! And Wesley. I mean come on, the double whammy of our baby to Kindergarten and Cole being 10 is enough to have aged us drastically overnight!
Of course we had the traditional birthday celebration at home with family, too. Cole requested a MEGA-CHOCOLATE CAKE and we found this Flourless Valhrona Chocolate Cake at our new favorite gluten-free bakery, Silva’s Patisserie. The owners are super-cool and really passionate about using the best ingredients; they themselves live gluten-free and mostly grain-free. I love that they spread the good food word to those that patron their shop! Happy Birthday to the boy who started this all when he inspired us to go Paleo!
Speaking of chocolate… How many Healthy Hot Chocolate Squares are TOO MANY? These are one of my favorite alternatives when non-Paleo treats call my name. That stress I referenced earlier? I’m tackling it with a healthier choice of nutrient-rich cocoa powder, Vital Proteins Gelatin, and coconut milk powder (such a fun ingredient!).
Congrats to Our Friends!
So much YUM, such a FUN and CHEERY book filled with INCREDIBLE goodies! While I completely agree with Vanessa that these recipes from Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind are “paleo-inspired” I love that so there are so many options for people who want to avoid junk – even when having their occasional special treats! We ourselves are having a tough time deciding what to try from this new cookbook, but Finian got in the kitchen himself and already made the Pumpkin Bread (sooo good). With Stacy’s birthday coming next week, there will surely be something else yummy in our future!
Look for a recipe share from this book this coming week on the blog! And in the meantime, check out the “preview” on Amazon and see a picture of EVERY deliciously stunning recipe included in this book. Find it —> HERE!
September marks the unofficial start of fall flavors, and we’re ALL OVER IT. Althought we haven’t gone into full pumpkin-everything mode quite yet, we are showing some love to one of our favorite end of summer fruits: the apple!
Apples before Pumpkins, yo!
Before we all jump on the pumpkin train let’s not forget about apple season. Listen, I admit I’ve already had a pumpkin spice (almond milk) latte and we made pumpkin bread, but I can tell you I honestly love apple season more. Our farmer’s market always has the BEST varieties of fresh apples that they sell for a discount in bushels. Need ideas on what to do with all the apples or how to celebrate without buying your own bushel?
Dipped in Sun Butter, of course! Sunbutter with apple slices is a great lunchbox food, after school snack, dessert, and movie-watching, popcorn-alternative!
Rx Bars are made with egg white protein, and are one of our favorite on -the-go protein bars. Their Apple-Cinnamon bar always hits the spot!
Need to satisfy a crunch-craving? Try one of our family-favorites: freeze-dried apple chips. These Bare Apple Chips travel really well and taste great with no added junk.
Applesauce in pouches is a staple in our house- the boys love not only the applesauce, but also eating them out of the pouches. A great way to get kids excited about eating something that is good for them!
Epic has come out with some awesome new flavors this year: including one of our new favorites: the Beef Apple Bacon bar. We love having “savory” protein bars for when we’re running out the door. These bars have the perfect touch of apple!
And THIS. We’ve been drooling ever since we saw this Apple Cider Syrup on Farm to People! The only ingredient is apple cider, boiled down until it is thick and tart and sweet and full of flavor. Talk about simple and nourishing – and I bet delicious!
Paleo and Health Headline
Such a fascinating read about breast milk! –> The More I Learn About Breast Milk, the More Amazed I am.
We’re so honored to have our Salted Dark Chocolate Truffle on this list of —> 16 Back to School Paleo Recipes!
Don’t let Paleo break the bank! —> How to Keep Your Paleo Family Out of the Poorhouse.
Your Favorite Apple Recipes
Chicken Liver Mousse
Butter Pecan Apples
Apple Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops
(The Best) Paleo Apple Crisp
Apple Pie Balls
Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
Weekly Discounts & Coupons
We’re fortunate to partner with some incredible companies that, like us, work towards promoting health, wellness, and fun! Your support of these companies helps support us, and we greatly appreciate that.
PRIMAL LIFE ORGANICS: $10 off purchase of $25+ (follow link to get code) + 20% off lots of selected products(ends 9/7)
GLOBE IN ARTISAN BOX: 25% off your first box with a 3 or 6-month subscription, with code: paleo
THE DIRT: 15% off all orders —> follow link to get the code
PETE’S PALEO: 10% off meals and gut kits with code: paleoparents
THE SOX BOX: 10% off with code: stronglikestacy
FARM TO PEOPLE: $10 off your first order! Follow link to get deal!
VITAL PROTEINS: 10% off your order plus free shipping with code: VPA-0626-97BR1-LYIQ
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