Grain Free Meals ...

... can be filling.

We've been cutting out grains of late.  My thoughts are that they contribute to poor health and 'feed' the cravings within.  Our 'modern' society is in a flux.  We have obesity and poor health running rampant and seem to be fixated with food 24/7.  We're the most overfed and undernourished generation EVER! 

spaghetti squash with meat sauce and tossed salad

I'm not saying we won't eat a piece of bread now and then, but I've found that by cutting it drastically from my diet .. I'm less hungry and don't walk around looking for my next snack.  Nathan's not craving and constantly asking for the three P's ~ pizza, pasta and potatoes.

grass fed beef burgers, cauliflower with cheese, tossed salad and beef stock

Included with our diet are 'snacks' of cultured veggies, buttermilk and kefir.  Getting creative . . . comes naturally with a little practice. 

Fine Tuning The 'Machine'

After detoxing, restoring my health, eating nutritionally sound meals .. it's not difficult to self diagnose those little twinges that creep up on occasion.  For example, when my neck starts making creaking sounds, I need to drink more bone broth.  If my feet start to ache and/or I don't sleep peacefully I've usually run out of my cod liver oil.  When my left index finger aches at the first knuckle and/or my knees ache .. I've consumed too much sugar.

Cultured Veggies

To boost immunity I give my family cultured foods daily including kefir, buttermilk, pickles and sauerkraut. 

When my youngest son consumes too many starches he breaks out in a rash on his neck and makes odd snorting sounds in his nose .. often accompanied by a headache.

Do you notice how certain foods affect your mood or health?  Get to know how to fine tune your 'machine.'  Eliminate or drastically reduce the offenders.  When I need to detox, I sip milkweed or stinging nettle tea in the evening several times a week, cut out sugar and starches.  If you wish to consume detox teas, please read up on side effects and consult your doctor if  you have certain health conditions.

Grain Free Meal ~ Japanese vegetable soup, salad, zucchini 'cakes', applesauce 

Maybe we're just WEIRD ..... say it aint so! ;)

The Boy's Breakfast & Lunch Meals

Our son must be kept on a good nutritious diet .. or else.  Else what?  He feigns headaches, low grade fevers, low white blood count, rashes and lethargy (I believe from a leaky gut).  Grains exacerbate his health and are kept to a minimum.

Age 12

Our morning routine begins with a shot glass full of berry or citrus kefir.  He's afraid of 'shots' .. but this one he downs like a pro in one gulp.

You will find no boxes of cereal or frozen packages of waffles on our kitchen counter (unless I'm away and the Mr. is in a bind).

Farm fresh eggs are fixed most mornings in a variety of ways:  Veggie or apple pancakes (grain free), scrambled with spinach and a little grated cheese, fried .. or baked frittata style.  Endless ways really.

Some mornings he gets sausage patties.  And .. for good measure .. a banana in hand on the way to the bus stop.

Age 16

While he's enjoying his hot breakfast, I am busy whipping up a hot lunch: 

• Spaghetti sauce over green beans (in place of noodles), packed in his trusty stainless steel thermos .. or,
• Freshly made bone broth soup (keeping homemade stock on hand in the freezer and shelf stable in the pantry makes this easy peasy).  I add to the stock any left over meat and veggies from the previous night's dinner, dried herbs, sea salt and pepper.  One day he'll have chicken, turkey or beef based stock in his soup.
• Every day he gets a green salad that includes lettuce, cucumbers, carrots & red pepper, along with a little (tiny) bottle of homemade salad dressing.  This is made in batches every few days and may include: balsamic-olive oil vinaigrette, homemade ranch style or Italian dressing.
• Fruit:  banana, small apple, orange slices, tangerine, or a small cup of diced peaches or applesauce.  The peaches and applesauce are canned in our kitchen during the summer and stored away for those days we don't have fresh fruit.
• Once a week I give him a treat and make French bread pizza.  This is simply made from a few slices of sourdough style bread I bake a few time a week.  The bread is buttered and spread with a little marinara sauce and topped with grated cheese .. placed on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven until it's a little bubbly and starting to brown.
• Each lunch contains a small container with a fermented sour pickle.  Fermented foods aid in digestion and help boost immunity.

I don't believe in all of the disposable packaging .. so limit its use.  He gets a cloth napkin and thrift store utensils .. and his food is packed in reusable lidded containers.  Usually my husband will comment that it looks like a b0mb went off in the kitchen .. but that's the price for eating healthy .. it's certainly not 'convenient' food (LOL).  Really .. how convenient is illness?  Food for thought.

Apple Pancakes

I just love to make quick and hearty breakfasts for my son to give him a good start on a cold day.  These apple pancakes do not contain any flour.  Freshly grated organic apples, eggs and spices (cinnamon and cloves).  They take less than 15 minutes from start to finish .. use only one bowl and are a great alternative to traditional pancakes made with grains.

Ingredients:
Two apples, washed, quartered, cored, shredded and squeeze out the juice (I left the peel on .. but would remove if your apples are not organic)
Three eggs
dash of cinnamon
dash of cloves
cooking fat (today I used a little bacon grease)

Place shredded apples in a bowl.  Add the cracked eggs and spices.  Mix well with a fork.  Spoon in rounds into hot greased skillet.  Cook until a little browned on one side .. flip and cook the other side.

Serve with a small splash of real maple syrup or a drizzle of honey.  For a treat, I added a drop of On Guard (food grade) essential oil (from doTERRA) to the warm syrup.  This oil has immune boosting properties AND gives a hint of spicy orange flavor.

Grain & Gluten Free Salmon Cakes

I try and limit our son's simple carbs.  Making fish cakes .. for that matter most 'pan' cakes I just add  shredded veggies, seasonings and a few eggs to make a batter to pan fry.

Tonight I took two small cans of Alaskan salmon, drained and flaked .. beat in three eggs, 1/4 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup diced onion .. salt/pepper and a little dill weed.

Spooned them into a large hot skillet with a little chicken fat.  Turned once .. and served with a homemade tarter sauce made from homemade mayo, lemon juice and diced fermented dill pickles.

These cakes were gone in a quick minute.