Papa's day off.

I took a week's break from the blog to get established in Lent. All is going well - prayer life increased, a daily period of silence is set, service opportunities abound, and of course, God provides His own special challenges to us, but not without giving us the necessary graces. Thankful for this Lenten season...hopefully we can reap as much as possible from it.

After an incredibly busy weekend with the parish, we were happy that Andrew had Monday and Tuesday off. We took the opportunity to sleep in! and get outdoors. Today was a gorgeously sunny day; these are far and few between during the Seattle winter, and so we made the most of it.

We started with breakfast - always nice to have Papa around to help and to make faces with...

 Notice the top teeth!

After participating in a 40 Days for Life prayer vigil at a Planned Parenthood, we set off to a couple of local parks.

Volunteer Park boasts a climbable water tower for some great views and a nice little exhibit on the historical background on Seattle's city parks. It appears we owe much to the Olmsted Family for many of these parks, as they insisted on the importance for places of greenery and solitude within the city so the working society would have places of respite.

"Landscapes move us in a manner more nearly analogous to action of music than to anything else...gradually and silently the charm overcomes us; we know not exactly where or how."
Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. 

 The Cascades were in full view.

 After enjoying the grounds, we drove to a few locations known for good Seattle city viewpoints. Michael fell asleep, so we took turns getting out of the car to snap photos. Kerry Park atop Queen Anne's Hill provides great views of the downtown area and the Puget Sound. I am starting to fall in love with this city...

Next we headed to Golden Gardens Beach to soak up the abundant sunlight! It was chilly with the wind coming right off the water, but the sun, ahhh...

 Getting an assist from Papa's sunglasses. I need to find him a little pair...

 We stopped at Uneeda Burger for dinner - this place uses 100% natural, hormone free beef and bison, with grass-fed options, and we had been there once before. We ordered Michael his own plate (first time), and of course "Paleo-ized" our burger meal with lettuce wraps and sweet potato fries.

We had such a lovely, fun day together! Thank you, Jesus!



More Paleo and a little {Lenten} challenge.

So you know we've been eating pretty clean the last 6 months. (Let's not factor in the holidays though. :) We've enjoyed better sleep habits, weight loss, energy increase, only 1 sickness (hmm, it sprang up right after the holidays), I'd also like to say more clarity of mind, although the husband may say otherwise. Grin. Here are a few more Paleo dishes I've made, and so easy and fast! (Laura):

My version of Paleo lasagna - spaghetti squash, spinach, and any tomato sauce mixed with whichever meat or shrimp I have on hand.

Sweet potato shepard's pie courtesy of Karen Kempf - check out her blog for yummy GF recipes and lots of nutritional info!

Red potato and leek soup.

Peach and blackberry crisp with coconut flour/almond topping.

Hmm, this doesn't look like something too delicious (taken with Andrew's phone camera) but it is the result of our first Paleo chocolate ice cream made with coconut milk and maple syrup for sweetener. I was out of town when Andrew whipped it up in my Christmas gift (which I have a very strong suspicion was more for him than I) but he said this ice cream is extremely delicious and he is looking forward to more. 

As sweets aren't found in our home, other then in the forms of dark chocolate and the occasional pint of ice cream, and the fact that meat is such a staple in our meals, I've been thinking about what food(s) to offer up this Lent. The fact that we are still eating Paleo style, makes treat or cheat foods all the more enjoyable, and so I figure, no treats/cheats for Lent and no evening wine glass for me. I've also decided to follow the Whole 30 "cleanse" which is basically Paleo in the strictest sense of the word. No occasionally safe add-in's like red potatoes, corn, cheeses, nut flours, Greek yogurt, cream, honey, dark chocolate, etc., and I will be keeping an eye out for added sugar in products. I feel it's a good sacrificial food choice for me to make, and one that will still allow me to get the nutrients I need as a nursing, active mama. Here are 30 reasons to do Whole 30 - most of these benefits apply to Paleo in general, but I am hoping these will be even more apparent as I complete this strict sugar cleanse. Also hoping that this will get me over the final little hurdle and back to my pre-pregnancy weight for good! I am starting today so that I will get 40 days of it in before Holy Week...not sure yet if hubby will participate 100%, but that's ok.  I will of course check in with my thoughts at the end of the 40 days and continue to share a few meal ideas along the way. Feel free to ask for any recipes that pique your interest!

We are thankful to have discovered this method of eating - it has worked so well for us and we enjoy it! So much so that it takes a very good restaurant to coax us to eat out, and we have decided to save eating out for the "cleaner food" restaurants. Thankfully we live in a more food-conscious city and can find quite a few places where I don't have to worry about what is in the meat. :) 

Paleo update.

 I've had a few requests about the Paleo regime we've been (mostly) following for the past few months, and so thought I'd provide a little update. So far I've lost close to 30 and Andrew 20 lbs, which we also attribute to being active. We've also noticed a significant energy increase, digestive clearness, and come to think of it, I haven't been sick at all, and Andrew only once, even during the cold weather shift. We have of course indulged in grains/sugars on occasion and notice its results, and so are learning to lessen our desire for those foods and/or counteract with smaller servings, and to up vegetable intake on the same day we indulge in a treat. :) 

Another benefit to eating this way, has been the ease of introducing Michael to solids. I didn't have to worry about a pre-mature allergic reaction to dairy or grains (although he has since been introduced to whole wheat). Since everything we eat is healthy and in its close natural state, we can mash/break it up and give it to him. He sits with us at mealtimes and we feed him off our plates the same fare we are eating. He quickly became accustomed to seasonings, and now will make a face if something is bland. He loves the taste of curry and chili, and his seemingly most enjoyed foods are squash, yams, tomatoes, and meat. He will eat banana and avocado, (he will eat anything because he wants to be like the cool kids) but doesn't seem to enjoy them as much as I thought he would, being a baby. Eggs were introduce last week...something I was a bit apprehensive about since he is only about 9 months. But I've seen Paleo moms give it to their babies as young as 6 months...so far so good here, but I plan to take it easy with those.

Clamoring for more food...

What's wrong with that?

Michael never got the hang of the sippy cup in the early days, so we've been using this trainer cup with careful monitoring at mealtimes. He still breastfeeds the rest of the day/night.

Some of our Paleo meals...sample lunches:

Eggs and salmon salad. And hot apple cider!

Gingered butternut squash soup. So easy and delicious.

Sample dinners:

Caldo de pollo. (The corn chips are not Paleo, of course).

Seasoned drumsticks, yam, and brussel sprouts w/bacon and apples.

Pork loin and braised red cabbage. The latter is so easy and delicious - I make it with red wine, apple cider vinegar, onions, apples, cinnamon and pepper.

Chicken mole over green cabbage.

Some easy substitutes I use for grain based products:

Noodles - zucchini strips, spaghetti squash

Rice - cauliflower, sauteed green cabbage (this is our favorite for curries and Mexican dishes) 

Bread - lunch meat, lettuce, spinach (fresh or sauteed) 

I make coconut tortillas, almond/coconut flour biscuits or muffins on occasion, but we really prefer to save on the heavy stuff for when we eat actual grains. :)

For snacks, we have Lara bars, nuts, apples/celery with almond butter, fruits/veggies, hard-boiled eggs, a piece of meat from the fridge, or dark chocolate (usually 65-70%ish). I also have this snack mix on hand, which is delicious.

Conclusion: I still have some ways to go to achieve my desired weight, but I now feel that I have the energy to start some intense workouts (my initial goal). Being a mother is hard, tiring work, and with lots of breastfeeding and the lack of a straight-through, good night's rest, I knew I needed to do something to assist my health and nutrient intake. I am inspired by the results of this gal and may go more hardcore like she did after the Christmas season to get closer to where I want to be.  Andrew and I have been impressed with the results of Paleo, and plan to continue eating this way, barring the occasional homemade or outing treat, especially on feast days and Sundays. The basic line: we feel good, are eating many more veggies than before, and I feel comfortable with my current health if I was to get pregnant anytime soon=done deal!