A day of Paleo eats.

Going on 2 months now, I have been cooking/eating Paleo. Paleo is a dairy free, grain/gluten free, sugar free lifestyle (I refrain from using the "d" word, because it really should be seen as a way of life, of healthy living!) Breastfeeding only took me so far in losing baby weight and since I did not want to go on a diet because I am still breastfeeding, I decided to tweak my cooking and eating habits. I have never felt my best when eating grains or starches and so was immediately drawn to Paleo recipes. I'm also a lover of strong and spicy flavors, and am impressed at how satisfying a deliciously seasoned meal is even sans the starchy carbs. And...it's working! I'm eating good lots of meat, all sorts of veggies, good fats, yams, some dark chocolate, and even a little wine, and those baby inches/pounds are slipping off. People question the regular consumption of fats within Paleo. Good, clean stable fats are used as fuel by the muscles and is a fast burning element, while it's those starchy carbs that eventually turn into glucose and are stored in the actual fat cells, spiking insulin levels, contributing to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the like.

Of course with any healthy lifestyle, one must keep active. I've bumped it up a notch by carrying Michael wherever I go instead of using the stroller or shopping cart. I've also made an effort to walk to the grocery store, to the post office or bank, and we live on the middle of a hill, just to give you an idea. And my load bundle of baby boy is no joking matter. ;) Andrew and I have also made it our goal to hike twice a week.

And so here is a sample day in my life of Paleo eats. 

First things first in the morning, I start either the coffee maker or the tea kettle.

I like to drink something warm in the morning to stimulate my "awake buds" and our chillier Seattle mornings invite just such a drink. As of late, it's been a toss up between TJ's French Roast, English Breakfast Tea, or some type of berry tea. Love putting a dollop of organic whole cream, yes whole (remember the fat deal) in my coffee/tea = delish!

Then I whip up some type of green smoothie for hubby and I. Usually a banana, spinach and/or kale, handful of berries or peach slices, and a little unsweetened coconut milk all topped with ice. Yum.

I pause to smile at this happy morning boy.

Next come the eggs - a staple source of protein. I cook them in a little coconut oil and top them with some type of veggie - this morning was tomato. Some mornings, I will serve a meat on the side. This morning, I finished off some eggplant bolognese leftovers and hubby had bacon. Those mornings when Andrew can't stay to eat, I try to send him to work with the smoothie and a few hard-boiled eggs.

Michael nibbled on some yam roasted in coconut oil/lil salt and chicken mashed together.

Lunch today consisted of ham/avocado/mustard wraps with a hearty side salad.

Some days, especially with breastfeeding, I will have a hunger strike in the afternoon and so go for a handful of nuts, a Lara bar (made from raw fruit and nuts), an apple with some almond butter, or a hard-boiled egg.

Dinner: chicken enchiladas topped with cilantro, avocado, olives, and lime juice w/roasted beets and yams on the side. Can I just say I am totally in love with beets these days? To me, they taste like sweet corn but with a potato-like texture. I did attempt some coconut flour tortillas for this dish; only half the batch came out in one piece - an art I must master. Although they were tasty, I still prefer my meat alone with veggies. Hubby appreciated them though. (I was just happy he didn't say he missed rice or corn tortillas or chips!)

And yes, some days we even have dessert, although I usually limit it to the weekends. This is one of our favs, being chocolate of course! Coconut milk chocolate pudding - simple, easy and decadent. I like to top it with berries; these blackberries were gathered from our private lane! Hope the neighbors didn't mind, but they weren't out there picking them. I even froze a bunch and have my eye on the next batch that should be ripening within the next 2 weeks. Free berries for the winter - score!

Recipe credits: http://everydaypaleo.com/ and Paleo Comfort Foods.  I have found many great websites/blogs with Paleo recipes and advice, some of course, gets a little too into the "caveman" mentality for me, but I'm able to apply some to aiding my baby weight loss. I'm feeling more energetic and stronger every day; am hooked for now. (Of course, I've slipped off the band wagon with a pastry or non-Paleo dessert here and there, but it's the getting back on track and sticking to it for the majority of the time that counts.) Perhaps in a later post, I'll compile some of the sites I've been accessing so you can try out a recipe or two. My one weakness is still...BandJ's coffee heath bar ice cream...but that's not in the budget now, right? :)

The many faces of a 6 month-old.

We had planned to do a little camping trip this weekend, but I woke up Saturday not feeling well and Michael, with a tickle in his throat, so we decided to stay home and give extra attention to our little man. :) I thought it also provided a good opportunity to do a 6 month update on said youngster.
Wow, here we are at 6 months already! Michael has grown to be such a happy, curious, and affectionate boy - as each day passes, we wonder how we could ever love someone more...

Here is Mr. Michael lately at his favorite pastimes at this 6 month mark.

 Waking up from his naps...

 and giving Mama a big smile.

 Chomping on some avocado... 

 and making funny faces, and a mess!

Spending time outdoors; so far, he really enjoys looking 

at water topography and playing with sand.

And of course, craning his neck to see the sights while being 

carried around by Mama either on hikes or for errands.

 Looking up at Daddy to see if he is making a funny face (which he inevitably is 95% of the time for Michael's reaction.)

 Giving Mama chubby handsome looks.

 He loves splash time after his bath...

 especially with Daddy.

I'm having such a fun time, Mama!

Michael has just been the best baby ever throughout our recent move, and while settling into a new home. Like all babies, he has a fussy day here and there, but does remarkably well for the majority of the time. He gnaws like crazy on anything he can get into his mouth. I can see his teeth through his gums, but no downward appearance yet. For the past month, Michael has shown an increasing interest in food, especially following each bite of ours with big eyes, opening his mouth and leaning forward. About 1.5 weeks ago, I finally gave in and gave him some banana. Since then, he has sampled cucumber, zucchini,  yams, apples, spinach smoothie and chicken. He mostly chews on a large stick of the firmer items, and the softer foods I have mashed up and fed to him. This food mill is wonderfully handy for grinding up freshly cooked veggies/meat and I like it because it doesn't puree the food, but leaves a little texture for Michael to experience (since he has the chewing part down). He loves drinking water and drinks it right out of a cup or glass. I tried a sippy cup, but he got frustrated as he only chewed on it (he still will only suck on one thing! ;) He even puts both of his hands on the sides of the glass to drink, drinks a sip and backs away to swallow, them brings the cup back to his mouth for more; so funny. It's hard for me to accept that he is at the food point already! He still wants to nurse, and so I haven't dropped any of his feedings yet, and only feed him a small amount of food after his breakfast and evening nurse. Some days, he shows less interest in food and so I'm not pushing the issue at this point. He does like to sit up on the table in his little chair and be near us at mealtimes, a habit I want to foster! :)

News flash! Michael is up and rocking back and forth on all fours - we should see some crawling action very soon! He often thrusts himself forward to grab a desired toy. He also enjoys sitting up to play. Favorite current toys: set of plastic cups from Ikea (thank you, Nana), his play-gym from Auntie Laura, and his Sophie teether. Any sort of tags fascinate him; he will spend lots of time examining one when he sees it attached to something. Once in a while he will re-discover his hands and turns them over and back in wonderment. This always makes his parents chuckle. 

We think Michael will be a very affectionate boy, as he often puts his forehead or check against ours while putting a hand on the opposite side of our face and holding us tightly that way. He will also reach up with both hands to touch our faces when he hasn't seen either of us for a little while - SO precious!! He loves coming in our bed for his early morning feeding and then lays between us looking back and forth at us both, and will smile big and usually stretch out a hand to each of us. 

Words Michael seems to affiliate with an object: tree, water, Daddy, and mama. I am working on "car" and "doggie," for we see many of those while out on our walks. When in our parish church, I will say, "Where is Jesus?" and he will look up to the huge icon relief of our Lord on the sanctuary wall. I am not sure if he knows that is Jesus or he is simply drawn to the bright colors, but it seems to be a start.

We can't believe how big our boy is now, and how far he has come from a 5.14lb peanut. Michael is at such a perfect, fun, good age now, that we want to pause time. (I especially, as I see the crawling/getting-in-to-everything stage draw near!) Will keep you updated on his progress!  

Labor Day weekend away.

 This past weekend, I had wanted to go camping somewhere on the Olympic Peninsula; however, surfing the web brought me to the conclusion that Labor Day weekend is not the best to attempt to nail down a first-come, first-serve campsite anywhere in the Seattle vicinity, and we could not leave our home until Sunday. (Catherine arrived from her tour de Spain/France/Italy/Dallas on Friday night, and Saturday we walked around Pike Place Market and the Seattle waterfront.) And so, we decided to go to Wenatchee for some hiking excursions, and my great uncle and aunt graciously allowed us to stay with them. It is always great to see extended family, share meals with them, and especially see them enjoy interacting with Michael. It was also nice for Mama and baby to have Andrew's undivided attention for 3 days straight!

On the way to Wenatchee, we stopped in Steven's Pass for a hike - very steep path up to the lookout point!

Future hiker!

Our quarters in the loft - broke in Andrew's birthday present, a queen size sleeping bag! :)

Good morning!

Monday's hike - Icicle Gorge River Trail

Every time Michael heard water sounds, he would look around for it and enjoyed peering over the bridges.

Beautiful canyon at the end of our loop hike.

After our hike, we spent some time relaxing on the shore of Lake Wenatchee - beautiful day!

 Then it was back to Frank and Patricia's for a cookout by the river.

It was nice to relax on the swing after a long day!

Cousins Greg, Allison, and their 2 children had recently returned from a 2 year hiatus in Australia;
we loved hearing their stories and trying out the didgeridoos!

 Tuesday morning we set off for home and stopped again in Steven's Pass for a hike.

 We hiked to Barclay Lake which is nestled in the shadow of Barclay Mountain.

 
The water level was quite low, but still made for a pretty and peaceful picture.

My boys 

Break for lunch - Michael chewed on an apple.

A wonderful weekend - I loved spending so much time outdoors with my little family.
God is good.