My mojito water

Well when I decided to go Paleo, I needed to find alternative to sweetened beverages. I could always do tea, but who needs all of that caffeine. So I decided to start experimenting with homemade flavored waters. My favorite one reminds me of one of the best alcoholic beverages. :) However, with this concoction I can drink a whole pitcher and not get hung over. The other favorite water I developed was strawberry water. I have some extra strawberries on the verge of going bad so I used those. You can use any fruit here. So pick your favorite, let it soak and enjoy a cold glass.

Paleo Beef Stew

My hubby and I have started our second Whole30, so you are going to find that my upcoming recipes are all Whole30 friendly.  This beef stew is so hearty and delicious.  My hubby licked his bowl clean after having his second helping.  I decided to try rutabaga as a sub for the traditional white potatoes found in beef stew.  They aren't an exact match, but the texture and flavor go nicely with stew.  I made this recipe using a dutch oven, but it could easily be done in a crockpot.  And as always, I made a ton of food.  If you do not need to feed 3 growing boys or do not want leftovers for days, then just cut the recipe in half.

 

Paleo Butternut Squash and Carrot Mash

I made this recipe a while ago when I wasn't on the Whole30.  I decided to give it another go and adapt it to make it Whole30 ready.  I know that orange juice sounds like a strange addition, but it makes a fantastic tart tangy flavor.  This would be a wonderful thing to serve with Easter dinner for anyone on a Whole30, living a paleo lifestyle or just looking for a tasty side dish!  If you don't like using half a cup of juice, you can use less juice and more water.

 

Paleo Tarragon Salad Dressing

I know for many people going paleo or doing a Whole30 means sacrificing many of your favorite foods.  One that frequently comes up is salad dressing.  Traditional bottled dressing is full of garbage and sugar.  Homemade dressings are simply delicious!  Here is a new one to add to your repertoire.  I based this dressing off of one my all time favorites that is at our family's favorite restaurant (the Tarragon dressing at Biergarten in Epcot, Walt Disney World).  If you have a chance, stop into the Biergarten, its super kid friendly and so fun to eat at.  Not the best for nutrition, but heck, its Disney World!

Paleo Blueberry Muffins

I shouldn't just call these amazing muffins, "paleo blueberry muffins", I should call them "the most fabulously delicious paleo muffins you will ever eat!". No seriously, they are that good. My 5 year old had to be cut off or he would have eaten himself sick over these. My hubby called after eating one and exclaimed "these are better that Otis Spunkmeyer!". Give them a try and let me know what you think. I have tried many muffin recipes and been completely unimpressed. I also don't want my muffins to be sugar laden. These are just perfectly sweet without using too much sweetener.

Paleo Snickerdoodles

Cookies are kind of my thing.  They have been for a long time.  I like making them and I love eating them.  Snickerdoodles are one of the few that I haven't tried making into a paleo-fied version of.  My four year old absolutely loved these.  Which is saying a lot, since he is not a sweets kind of kid.  He ate 5 cookies in one sitting and quite honestly I didn't mind, he is a skinny little man that could use the calories.  :)  Hope you like them at least half as much as he did.

 

Paleo Cuban Picadillo (meets Ropa Vieja) with Rutabaga Hash

When I set out to make this dinner, I had a craving for some delicious Cuban flavors.  I love Ropa Vieja but I did not have the right meat cuts to make it, nor the time.  So I made something with similar flavors, but with ground beef instead.  After making it a friend of mine mentioned that it looked like a picadillo.  I then looked at those recipes, and yes its similar to a picadillo, but it has slightly different seasonings.  I have also figured out that I love mine served up over a plate of rutabaga hash.  Extra vegetable bonus!  If you are not a fan (like my husband) then just skip the hash and have it plain.  Or maybe try a sweet potato hash.