A Girl Needs a Biscuit Every Once in a While!

I was raised by Southerners.  Hillbillies, my daddy would say.  West Virginia hillbillies.  I never thought of that as anything but wonderful, so please understand that I am not trying to offend anyone with  that word that meant "coolest people in the world" to me!  My aunts and uncles from WV were SO MUCH FUN!  Completely different from anything I lived day-to-day.  We got muddy, we fished, we rode in vehicles that were rickety and "open air" and went off-road.  We fed things in the morning and at dusk.  We laughed loudly, they adored my Daddy (as I did), the told stories of poverty and struggle that were filled with love and pride in survival and family.  And the names!  Good heavens - the names!  Opal and Alma. Macel and Violet.  Clebert...my favorite!  And they called my Daddy "June" (for junior, I later learned).

And they ate giant plates of crazy-good breakfast!  Aunt Violet always had  biscuits.  She could make me get up and trudge around barn-like-things and fields and do chores early, early for the promise of one of those biscuits...with lots of butter and jam.

Thankfully, my Mom was quick to lose her domestic tendencies and pretty much all desire to cook, so those biscuits remained a treat worth trudging for when we went to visit.

And my entire life - when given the choice 'biscuits or toast' - there was no hesitation.  Biscuits, of course.  And yes, I rolled my eyes at all of you ordering whole-wheat toast!!!

But now, I don't eat biscuits - because they are not my body's friend.  My sinuses fill up and a headache ensues and I bloat up and my knees ache.  So, as much as I love biscuits - it's just not worth it!

BUT...a semi-Southern girl needs a biscuit every once in a while!

I have a recipe or two that I like - Paleo Biscuits made with almond flour and  honey for a touch of sweetness.  But today is Day 23 of my Squeaky Clean January.  No honey.  But my head and my heart are craving a biscuit...specifically a biscuit topped with Paleo bacon and a couple of perfectly poached eggs.

So, I decided to try one of the simpler Paleo Biscuit recipes in my binder of recipes and substitute smashed garlic for the honey.  Savory  for sweet.  Not exactly the same texture, but it seemed close enough to sub Tablespoon for Tablespoon.

I am pleased to say - they were just what my brain and my heart needed/wanted/craved!

Now, although I cook regularly for others - I will not bake for you.  I adore cooking.  Give me a saute pan or dutch oven or a grill or even a slow cooker and I am in my happy place.  Not a measuring tool in sight other than the palm of my  hand or my eyes.  Give me a recipe for a baked thing and a muffin tin or a sheet pan or any number of cake pans...and then the measuring cups and  spoons and the knife to level off those spoons and cups...AARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!  Nope, baking is just not my thing!

Sadly, there are currently no bakeries that I am aware of that bake the things I can and want to eat.  There are plenty of pre-packaged, sugar- and preservative-laden "gluten free" things.  They are nearly all made with grains of some sort...not as treacherous to my body as gluten - but close.  And the few true Paleo pre-packaged items are out of my financial reach.  Especially when I have an oven, the access to the ingredients and the evil measuring cups and spoons!  :-)

So, I bake - occasionally.  For special occasions, for fun, to keep me (kind of) in practice and when I have to have a biscuit!

You can do this -  you absolutely can make these.  If you are new to clean eating - they will not taste exactly like the biscuits from your favorite  restaurant or even the ones from the can at the supermarket.  But, the texture is light, the bite is satisfying, the garlic makes these anything but bland and they ARE the perfect bed for bacon and eggs!

These are a tweak on a recipe from Living Loving Paleo.  I did exactly as she suggested, except for subbing the smashed garlic for the honey.  I used softened ghee instead of the palm shortening - because biscuits should taste buttery!  And I baked mine for the full 20 minutes - turning my baking sheet once during the baking because my oven needs a little help cooking evenly!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of almond flourr
1 T coconut flour
1/4 cup softened ghee
1/2 t sea salt
2 eggs (at room temp)
1 T smashed garlic
1/2 t baking soda
1 t raw apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350.
Place everything in a food processor, pulse until combined - you will need to scrape down the sides to ensure all the flour gets absorbed.

Drop the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (this mixture makes 6 biscuits).

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top is a golden brown.

Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!  Store extra biscuits in an airtight container in your fridge (let them cool COMPLETELY before placing them in the fridge!).

And if you can...poach a couple of eggs, fry up some paleo bacon (sugar-free, nitrate free) and sit down to one heck of a breakfast!

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Day 18 of my Squeaky Clean January - back to total Paleo PLUS zero sugars or artificial sweeteners.  It's a big change from the total diet abandon of December!  I felt like crap, but it was kind of fun.  If someone baked it and frosted it - I ate it!

But now, 18 days in - I feel fantastic.  I am back to my fighting weight (sorry dreamers - never a super model - just a healthy, I-can-do-anything weight!)  Day 18 is a day when it pays to be a glass-half-full girl.  I truly am focused on all the things I can have.  All the things I am back to eating and enjoying and how good I feel mentally and physically.

However, I  am not alone in my clean eating. I have clients who are experiencing their first total clean eat.  I have a teenager, a college student, a husband and probably a few Facebook friends who are along for the ride and I don't even know about it.

So, my goal is to keep it interesting.  Tasty.  NOT sacrificial.  Yummy!

I browse around a lot of Whole30 and Paleo bloggers, Instagrammers and Podcasters.  I watch, read, save, pin...you know!  And I faithfully watch the Today show every morning.  Since birth, I think!  And the other day (for those of you who follow my Wildflower Kitchen Facebook Page,  you saw this already!) Katie Lee showed an "easier" way to cook spaghetti squash - which  I love, but hate to cut and roast!  Believe it or not, she was RIGHT! ... well, believe it or not, when I did it like she said to do it - it turned out for ME!

All you have to do is poke several holes with a sharp knife (so much easier/safer than slicing!) in your spaghetti squash (remember to choose the heaviest squash for its size at the market if you want the best results/yield when roasting), place it on a parchment-line baking sheet and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes at 450.  There's a super short video on my Facebook page showing just how easy it is to slice through the squash...I couldn't believe it!

This is brilliant!  I have good knives and strong hands, but I still struggled with slicing through spaghetti squash in the past - so much so, that I didn't make it very often.  This makes me very happy!

Once it's roasted, slice the squash in the middle (you can slice it lengthwise, but it will make the "spaghetti" strands shorter and take away the effect that you are eating pasta...in my opinion!  Scoop out the seeds (be careful - it's really soft at this point and you could end up scooping out some of the delicious squash), then use a fork to strand out the strands of squash.  If I'm not using it all right away,  I like to add a drizzle of avocado oil, a T of ghee, salt and pepper, mix really well and store in an airtight container.  Then I have it when I need a side dish (use it like you would any pasta),  to add to soups or for a casserole like this!  Meal prep rules!

Anyway, in my browsing of clean eating sites - I saw a riff on a tuna "noodle" casserole...which, thankfully, my mother did not make when I was growing up!  Which is why I had no urge to recreate it in Paleo form.  However, I did used to love making chicken and broccoli casseroles when I first started cooking.  They were loaded with cheese (I am getting a tummy ache just typing the word), cream and pasta noodles.  Can't do that no more!  But, with this new, brilliant way of roasting a spaghetti squash...well, the possibilities seemed promising.

So, this morning I got to work!  Now, I will tell you that I made my casserole with leftovers.  Because I always have them.  The recipe I am going to include is for a from-scratch casserole.  But understand that you can throw this baby together in 15 minutes or less (not including bake time) with stuff in your fridge or from the deli.

I kind of cleaned out my fridge this morning to make this Chicken Broccoli Casserole.  I had the aforementioned roasted spaghetti squash, probably 2 roasted and cubed chicken breasts, 4-6 ounces of steamed garlic broccoli, sauteed mushrooms and onions.  I made the sauce with basic paleo pantry items and together - deliciousness that is 100% clean eating.  If you are doing a Whole30 or other squeaky clean plan this month - this is for you.  Completely compliant!  (tonight I think I am going to try and create a version with leftover chicken Italian sausage, a jarred organic sugar free marinara and more of the cream sauce I made for this one...I'll let you know in the comments if it works out!)

I let everything come to room temp before I mixed it...so just pull it out of the fridge, have some coffee, do a load of laundry, walk the dog - whatever - but the coconut cream mixture will be at room temp and I think it's always best to combine things of like temperatures for the best results.  Or, I suppose you could pop everything in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Cube your ingredients into like-size bites, grease your casserole dish with coconut oil, add the squash, protein (in this case, roast chicken), cooked veggies (here I am using  sauteed onions and mushrooms and steamed garlic ghee broccoli) and stir to combine.

Preheat your oven to 350

Now it's time to mix up the 'cream' sauce.  I was winging it - but I know the flavors that I love and I remember the taste from my Chicken Broccoli Casseroles of the past that I was trying to recreate.

This is full-fat coconut cream, dijon mustard, smashed garlic, crushed red pepper flake, salt and pepper, freshly ground nutmeg and a splash of coconut aminos.  Weird combo on paper - delightful on your tongue!!!

Then you just spread it out over the top of the dish...

Bake for 10 minutes...

Stir, bake for another 15-20 minutes...

 And enjoy...

Here is the recipe if you don't have a fridge full of leftovers and want to make this casserole from scratch:

Chicken Broccoli Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 3 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
• 12 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 can full-fat coconut cream
• 1 T dijon mustard
• pinch red pepper flake
• 6 cloves smashed garlic
• 1 1/2 T ghee
• 1 T coconut aminos
• pinch fresh grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• avocado or coconut oil

Preheat oven to 375

Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 casserole dish, coat with avocado (or melted coconut) oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (you can add other spices if you like).  Roast chicken for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 175 degrees.  Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil and set aside to cool.

Turn oven up to 450

Pierce your spaghetti squash approximately 10-12 times with a sharp knife (be careful please), place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  

While squash is baking, place your onions and mushrooms in a non-stick pan and saute on medium/medium low in 1 T avocado oil (sprinkle with salt about half-way through the cooking process).  You will get your best flavor and color if you saute slowly, stirring often, over the lower heat for a longer time - about 20-25 minutes.  Turn the heat up with 5 minutes cook time left to get really good char on your veggies.  Once the veggies are done, turn the heat off and set aside.

Your chicken breast should be cool enough to chop at this point.  Cube the chicken into 1" pieces, place into an air-tight container (don't forget to pour all the delightful cooking juices over the cubes for extra flavor!), place into the fridge for food safety.  You can add the mushrooms and onions to this same container to refrigerate.

Now, steam your broccoli - you can use a steamer, you can boil (please don't!), you can roast in the oven with the squash for approximately 20-30 minutes.  OR, you can do it my favorite way...place the broccoli florets into 1 or 2 of the old-fashioned fold over sandwich bags (not the zipper kind) with 1 t ghee and all the smashed garlic.  Microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until the broccoli is softened, but not mush.  Let it cool a bit before taking it out of the microwave - it gets REALLY hot!  Place the steamed broccoli into a dish with all the garlic and ghee from the bag, salt with Kosher salt and place into the fridge  to cool.

Your squash should be done by now.  Slice it into rings (it is effortless), scoop out the seeds and use a fork to pull the squash "noodles" out of the skin.  Place into a bowl, add 1 T ghee, Kosher salt and pepper and stir to coat.  Set aside.  Turn the oven down to 350.

To make the sauce, add the coconut cream (just the cream, not the coconut water in the bottom of the can), the coconut aminos, dijon mustard, crushed red pepper flake and nutmeg.  Stir until blended.  

Grease a 9 X 13 casserole dish with coconut or avocado oil.  

Combine the squash, chicken, broccoli, mushrooms and onions in the  casserole dish.  Spread the coconut cream sauce evenly over the top of the casserole.  Sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Place casserole in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.  Stir all the ingredients, place back in the oven and roast for an additional 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

Serves 6 

Might As Well...Whole Healthiness

So, it's January...still.  Sometimes life gets so big and full that days feel like weeks.  That's my January.  My business is booming because so many people want to give clean eating a try and just don't have the time or inclination to cook complex meals.  But, OHHHHHH...isn't it nice when you are cleaning up your food act to have something delicious and rich and different and EASY to have for lunch (my big meal of the day) or dinner.  My son is home and I don't want to miss a moment with him, especially as a family, but we are now counting the days until he goes back to college...I am counting the hours (73 hours, 53 minutes).  I am also trying to navigate a Whole30 or SqueakyCleanJanuary for my family and for ME! and I am feeling the need to clean and organize my home and my car and my life! (as one does each and every new year!).  On top of that, I am still working my part time gig to keep those college books and drill team fees and the evil doctor, lab, oncology bills paid!

Anyway, I am busy!

And, in addition to getting back to real food and better planning when it comes to what we eat - I have made other resolutions.

To journal.

To move.

To be in the sunshine (or at least outdoors) every day.

To be intentionally kind when I'm driving. (yes, I am that person...I am sorry if I've ever screeched at you from inside my car...sigh...)

To practices moments of mindfulness.

That's where today's post comes in.

I saw something on tv the other day about mindfulness and simple ways to practice it without joining a meditation class or creating a separate room in your home or something extreme.  The journalist said she started by brewing a hot cup of tea every morning and sitting down in her favorite spot without other distractions (tv, smart phone, kids, etc) and just being in the moment with the tea as her focus.  The heat from the mug.  The smell.  The feeling of warmth in her throat.  The comforting experience of quiet and nourishment and solitude.  The realization of stopping for just a few minutes.

I can do this - with coffee, of course, but I can do this!

And yesterday morning as I was leaving to deliver my morning orders - it hit me!  It's the 9th of January and I've only  managed to 'experience' morning coffee mindfulness once so far this year. 

I've created a couple of barriers without even thinking about it - I have a travel mug that I love - it keeps my coffee at just the right temperature - but it is not warm in my hands...it stays cool!  It has a lid, so it's not as easy to inhale all that wonderful coffee aroma. 

Of course, there is also all the stuff that gets in the way of mindfulness (I know you all know exactly what I mean!, even if you aren't trying to practice mindfulness) - the check list that guides my days that brings me incredible joy  as I check things off!  The routine I have been following for years (and old habits ARE hard to break).  The dogs that demand their food and my attention because that is what they are used to.  And it's morning - I am at my  most productive in the morning...can I really stop to be mindful when I have all this energy and potential for accomplishment?

I CAN - but will I?  Even when I know there are all kinds of benefits waiting for me should I commit to practicing just a few minutes of mindfulness (or meditation or prayer) each day.

Positive Psychology Program lists these as the 5 most common benefits of mindfulness:

• Decreased stress
• Enhanced ability to deal with illness
• Facilitation of Recovery
• Decreased depressive symptoms
• Improved general health

I actually did quite a bit of reading on mindfulness when I was going through my breast cancer treatment and its impact of fighting the disease (of course I also know that whatever God designs is what will be - but I am my own warrior and believe in the power of doing all I can to help!)

So, today - even after I brewed my coffee into that travel mug I love so much! :) ...I poured it out into my  favorite giant ceramic mug, fed the dogs, turned off the tv, plugged my phone in across the room with the sound off and sat down in my favorite place and experienced my mug of really good, black coffee.  I kept a pencil and paper near me so if a thought I couldn't release came into my head (like writing this blog post and taking a photo) - I could jot it down & I can let it go - and get back to my coffee.  Silly as it sounds - it felt like such a luxury to sit and wrap myself in the pleasure of warm cup of coffee and quiet. 

I need to make this a habit.  Not a resolution - a habit that lasts far beyond 2018.  Time for myself, my health, my inner peace...even if it's just for 5 minutes a day!


There is a reason that in the world of real food and clean eating and health - it never stops with food and exercise.  There are always more and more layers to help us achieve our optimum life.  I think mindfulness is one of those layers I (and you) can achieve.

Squeaky Clean January, Day 2

There's just  something about a New Year!  Makes me feel like anything is possible.  Makes me think back and feel disappointed about the things I missed in the past year.  Deepens my resolve to not make the same mistakes in the coming 12 months.

I have never been a big New Year's Resolution-er.  I mean, I think about them.  I love to hear what others have resolved to accomplish or give up or improve in their New Years, but it just isn't a part of my past.  It wasn't something my family ever did or even really discussed. 

I toy with ideas and even make it a few months - but since it was never an "official" New Year's resolution - it usually just fades away.......  I don't even notice it's happening.

But this year...Not sure why!...This year feels like a year that might benefit from an official New Year's resolution.  And I think it's got to be about experiencing more things.

Last year I did such a good job of trying a restaurant that I'd heard about and visiting a place I had seen on Facebook or Instagram and watching a movie outside my comfort zone (think old 1940's musicals and romantic comedies) and then there was the Mother Daughter Meandering Vacation this summer where we saw the World's Largest Golf Tee and went into the World's largest Mailbox and braved the St. Louis Arch in a thunderstorm and went in search (successfully) for an eagle's nest and found murals and ate new foods and lived by a less-strict schedule.

So this year, I think I am going to try new things...no, make that TRY NEW THINGS!  Without too much thought - just TRY NEW THINGS!  Stop at new shops, meet new people, go new places, try new restaurants, take a new way to wherever I'm going, start a project I've always wanted to tackle.  TRY NEW THINGS.

My mind has gone there, because I am eating a kumquat.  Several kumquats.  The kids and I hit HEB yesterday while we were in Granbury and bought fruits and veggies and organic grainy mustards and sugar-free pickles and LaCroix (and not the Peach Pear that I always buy - but a couple of NEW flavors) and some grass-fed beef for a NEW recipe in preparation for Peanuts joining the rest of us in a Squeaky Clean 30 days of eating (a Whole30, if you will).

I haven't had a kumquat since I was a little girl.  I remember them as being sweeter, but I also remember my fascination with  eating them - skin and all.  You'll be glad to know - it's still pretty cool!

Anyway, there you have it - my official announcement of my 2018 New Year's  Resolution!  TRY NEW THINGS!

My other resolution is to do this 30 days of squeaky clean eating just like the very first Whole30 my family ever lived through.  We were perfection.  At least, I was!  I think everyone else was...except for Murph - I know he slipped on a couple of occasions because the guilt was just too much for him!  But it was life changing for me.  I began to feel 10 years younger.  I looked better.  I was finally able to play physically again - running and climbing and walking and swimming and hiking and yoga-ing.  I have stayed pretty true to a Paleo lifestyle.  My cancer was a big inspiration and motivation for that!  When you are eating to extend your life - it's easier!  But lately I have gotten lazy.  Gotten entitled - to what?  Good grief - I have been a big ole baby - I "deserve" this donut/cupcake/cookie/pizza slice/chip...ugh.  I deserve to feel great!  I deserve to honor my health!  I deserve to be in control of what goes in my body!  You are what you eat, right?

So, for the past 3 days I have been meal prepping.  I made chicken salad (a necessity for my husband and me during these 30 days), white chicken chili (perfect comfort food when it's cold outside), grilled, spicy chopped chicken (for salads or lettuce wraps or to top baked sweet potatoes), burgers, mayo, dump ranch dressing, lemon dill sauce (also works as a salad dressing, but is my favorite to drizzle over roasted sweet potato bites), chopped salad mix, roasting up veggies, baking sweet and russet potatoes and making a big frittata.  Later today - I am sauteeing up onions and mushrooms and making some homemade breakfast sausage. 

And then it hit me - Peanut goes back to school tomorrow and  I have to pack Whole30 compliant lunches and have snacks at the ready for everyone (because the first week of any super clean eating is plagued by hunger attacks as all the stuff that 'fake-fills' you up works its way out of your system....leaving your tummy rumbling!).  So, today I am snack prepping.  Strawberries (be sure and place a paper towel in the bottom of the container so your strawberries stay fresh longer), carrots,  celery, organic, nitrate-free hot dogs, portioned baked plantain chips, grapes, salsa (because it goes on EVERYTHING!), zucchini hummus and sliced peppers (not pictured, because I haven't gotten that far yet!). 

I hate to start something and not finish and when I am tired and kind of thumb-sucking because I "can't have" something that everyone else in the world is having...temptation can be powerful and tempt me right into failure.  So I meal and snack prep.  I can put together some pretty fabulous meals in no time as long as I keep healthy, clean, tasty food in my pantry and my fridge.

I was telling the kids this morning...the thing about squeaky clean eating (and even Paleo) that  I adore - not having to portion control or count calories.  I eat when I am hungry and I eat until I am full.  And I still lose fat, gain energy and feel fabulous.  BUT - it only works that way when you don't cheat.  When you stay on plan and cut out sugar (refined AND low-glycemic), artificial sweeteners, dairy, gluten, grains, lugumes (including peanuts), soy and processed, chemical-laden foods - you get to eat when you are hungry. You get to have healthy fats, lean proteins, all the veggies and a good amount of fresh fruits.  It's not a diet - it's a lifestyle change.  A lifestyle choice.  There is incredible science behind it - which I did read about when I was starting down this path and still refer to when I need a refresher. 

So, tomorrow - the entire family will be Whole30-ing through the month of January.  I feel better already after just a day and a half!  I hope  to be over-the-moon healthy by the end of the month!