75 Hard or Soft (fitness) challenge

I was on Instagram a few days ago and I saw one of my friends was doing the 75 Hard Challenge, only she was doing a soft version...I read through her description of the challenge and I am like, "I can do that!" I really need SOMETHING to get me back into a routine of working out and eating what I am supposed to eating. I got all out of sorts with all the traveling we have done this summer and I need some kind of motivation to get me started.

Strawberry Jam - Paleo

 On our second trip to pick strawberries I decided I was going to make my own strawberry jam. I have been looking for one that is natural, with no extra ingredients, without sugar! It's near impossible to find that in the stores. So, Kayla and I picked waaaay too many strawberries and I made a yummy strawberry jam and ended up freezing enough strawberries to make this recipe two more times! By the way, not only is it 3 ingredients, it is fairly simple!! Win-win!

Keto Deep Dish Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

 So, true confessions, I modified this recipe a lot, so it is Paleo and not that similar to the original! It has cauliflower in it, which I have grown to like (never plain!), and BOTH my kids ate it, and Kayla even requests it. If you know how picky my kids are you know this is a HUGE win!!! I will give my version of the recipe, followed by a modified college kid-friendly version for Kayla, followed by the link to the original recipe, which I am sure is great, I just can't have the eggs, cheese, pepper, or pizza sauce!

Paleo friendly Pizza Casserole, my version:

1 bag of riced cauliflower cooked to package directions

1 pound of ground chicken cooked with 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

16 slices of uncured pepperoni cut into smaller pieces

(Sometimes I mix in Pineapple)

Feel free to mix whatever ingredients you like

Directions: 

Drain the water out of the cauliflower.

Mix the ingredients together and dump into an 8 x 8 baking dish.

Cook @450 degrees for 20-25 minutes until slightly brown.

SUPER SIMPLE and so good!!! For Kayla and Elijah to eat it we mix in Colby and Monterey shredded cheese after it is cooked, and microwave between 15-30 seconds for the cheese to melt. Kayla will even eat this for leftovers and she has never been one to eat ANYTHING leftover, with the exception of Chinese food!

College-friendly version for Kayla: 

1 bag of riced cauliflower microwaved to package directions (find in the frozen vegetable section)

1 bag of cooked sausage (near lunch meat and bacon at Wal-mart)

1-2 tsp Italian seasoning 

Maybe some salt and pepper to season

16 slices of pepperoni cut (or torn) into smaller pieces (more or less depending on your desire)

You can even get a small can or jar of pizza sauce and add it in for more flavor

Colby and Monterey shredded cheese

Directions:

Drain the water out of the cauliflower.

Microwave sausage to package directions.

Mix the ingredients together in a big bowl (not the cheese)

Scoop the amount you want to eat, mix it with cheese and microwave 15-30 seconds, or until cheese is good and melted. 

Store the rest of the mix in smaller containers, adding the cheese in before you reheat. 

Enjoy 😀

Link to the original recipe here. 

Have you made something similar? Have you made this? Thoughts, comments? What would you do to make it better? I would love to hear from you! Also, if you are following a Paleo lifestyle, what are your favorite recipes?

 

Paleo Chili

I had not had chili in almost 2 years before I made this paleo pumpkin chili. With all my food allergies/intolerances, it is not something I thought I could have, I would have to leave too many ingredients out. However, I decided to try it with only the ingredients I could eat. I could not believe that it tasted like REAL chili!!! It had no tomatoes, pasta, pepper, or chili powder, which are some of the main staples of my chili. It was so good and made great leftovers. I told Matt that I should have
made his chili and he said "No need, this one is so good!" Even Elijah liked it, which is a MAJOR win in my book! I am looking forward to making it again next week when the temps get a little cooler again.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (sub turkey)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups carrot, chopped
• 1 cup sweet potato, chopped
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1–2 tbsp fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin  
• 1 avocado, diced  
  

 

Directions:

1. Using a large pot or dutch oven, saute the beef on medium heat until browned. Remove from the pot and set aside, reserving about half of the fat in the pot for cooking.
2. Saute the onions on medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add in the garlic and saute for another few minutes.
3. Add the carrots and sweet potato stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes or until slightly softened.
4. Pour the broth, pumpkin puree, and ground beef in and stir well. Add the seasonings (reserving half of the cilantro for garnish) and stir well.
5. Bring the chili to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste to ensure the veggies are cooked to liking and season further to taste.
6. Serve the chili topped with avocado and cilantro.

 The link to the Paleo Pumpkin Chili (AIP,  WHOLE 30) that we modified is here. Let me know what's in your favorite chili recipe and if this one sounds good to you 😋