paleo primal - best diet ever

"I'm on a diet," I said in an uncertain voice to a family member as she handed me the comically large serving spoon. The smell of the fresh homemade potato salad danced gracefully upon my olfactory receptors. I took my daughter's plate of leftover dried out hamburger meat, cut into toddler portions, and began to eat them. Eye on the prize, Rebecca, I told myself, eye on the prize. It's just potato salad. I mean, that was probably the first time I had ever turned down fresh potato salad, but I had to keep things in perspective. It was just one party, one day, one encounter. Was it really that hard? No. It was hard for about the four or five seconds I considered just having a little. But I did it.

Okay, so right off the bat you might be thinking this couldn't possibly turn into the "best diet ever" post I shouted from the rooftops last night. Yeah, that was me. No, I wasn't drunk. Don't let my prosaic intro set a dismal mood, however. Because we gotta be honest, any type of diet or lifestyle change, as this diet is often seen, always comes with some sort of change. I had to start somewhere, and that was my first public demonstration of my commitment to better health.

So what is this diet? It goes by a few names such as the Paleo diet, Paleolithic diet, Caveman diet, Primal diet, and a few others I'm sure. I refer to it as Paleo for both descriptive and comedic purposes. We crack a lot of jokes about it around here, that seems to be the way we deal with everything these days.

So, what are the basics? I will make this as simple as possible, because that is what attracted me to it. It is called the Paleo diet because it is supposed to closely mimic our hunter-gatherer ancestors. There is a whole slew of science related research to backup this premise, which I won't get into, but I will provide links to at the end of the post in case you are interested. I just don't have time to get into it myself. I am still reading a little every day though, and have been tweaking the diet to fit my needs, which I will also explain. Anyway, so the basic idea is to eat little to NO Processed Foods. That is what reeled me in. I am a big whole foods advocate by nature, but I found myself in the same place many people do, feeding my family more and more out of convenience. That will be another post in itself. In addition to the cutting of processed foods, we are cutting out Grains in every way shape or form. If you are cutting out processed foods, you end up cutting out a huge portion of grains you were consuming, almost without knowing it. Okay, so the basic foods are Meat and Fish, Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, eggs, and a few additions and exceptions. Some people include dairy, which I will in very small occasional amounts. Some also include legumes, but most agree that if you do, the cooking process needs special attention such as soaking and sprouting your beans. None of the canned, sodium filled, BPA exposed stuff you find in the store.

So, that's basically it. It is all about clean eating, really. I plan on writing about this new lifestyle change for my family. So far, I feel great, I have only had one slip up- but I am not taking on any negative thoughts when it comes to food. It is about providing myself and my loved ones with the BEST food I can. What can be negative about that? It is not as though I will never eat a bowl of pasta again, or that we will never have another pizza night movie party. We just will not make those things anything even close to a regular part of our diet.

Like I said, this is the best diet I have ever been on. Okay, it is the first, but it makes sense to me. I have been making great food, and so far, so good. Here are some examples of meals I've made, followed by pictures. There are dinners and snacks. The tiny portions are the kids plates. I eat a lot more than that. I will keep track of the recipes I make, too. Most of these are just off the top of my head or a slightly altered recipe I've made before to fit our needs.

*Wild Cod, steamed broccoli, and salad w/avocado and tomato
*Rolled fresh deli turkey with organic carrot stick
*All Natural italian sausage and peppers, and a spinach salad w/avocado, tomato and garlic olive oil dressing
*Six Vegetable chicken soup - with Green beans, red bell pepper, butternut squash, carrot, zucchini, and onion. I added some fresh cilantro and avocado on top. Free-Range chicken.
*Romaine salad w/ avocado, strawberry, cilantro, garlic olive oil dressing, and fresh turkey.
*Turkey roll up with fresh raspberries and strawberries
*All Natural Andouille sausage, tomato slices and brussel sprout chips
*Bacon, avocado, chicken wraps
*Chicken Pan roasted in white wine, garlic, and seasoning with zucchini, and prosciutto wrapped asparagus
*Breakfast berries - Blueberries, Raspberries, and Strawberries
-Not pictured- We've had lots of omelets and scrambles with a variety of veggies. Yesterday I made grilled steak with cauliflower mash, salad, roasted green beans, and a fried egg.




Here are some links to more information about this diet. I don't necessarily agree with every single thing these people talk about or do, but it is a good source of information on the basics and they give a lot links for further reading:
Why I Eat Paleo
The Beginner's Guide to the Paleo Diet
What Is the Paleo Diet?

Let me know what you think! I am still excited, and I am enjoying the food I'm making more than ever, because I know EXACTLY what I am eating and what I am feeding these precious loves of mine.

Goodbye Summer- Quick update

I honestly plan on writing something every few days, but it is quite hard to find the time to sit and focus on this sort of writing when I'm busy scheduling assignments for homeschool, planning meals, and just taking care of the day-to-day stuff around here. No complaints on my end, just wanted to share my intention. I am going to renew my commitment though, because I have a lot to share with family and friends. Life is good around here, not perfect of course, but it is pretty damn good. I would like to do all the bragging about how awesome my girls are as well as admit how ugly I feel on those days when I want to slip into a coma due to lack of oxygen from yelling at the little rebels.

On a seasonal note, summer is slowly coming to an end. I can feel the degrees, dropping off the thermometer like the leaves will soon be dropping off the trees. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite moments of summer that I actually caught on camera. I need to be better about including me and dad in the pics but here are some of my faves.

Roslyn's 2nd birthday special dinner with her favorite animal friends

Our first camping trip at Lopez Lake

Baby Keira started crawling and she's fast.

Pismo Beach for another year of our camping tradition

lots of outdoor activities this summer - emme's manuscript practice

Our first day of homeschool for our first year!

First foods for Keira

all four of my precious girls

all four of them again for a birthday morning surprise for Luciana, who turned 8 this summer.

On the beach

my oldest child and my brother's oldest child on 4th of July

we did so much nature art this summer, it was great

the girls spent way too many weekends at their papa's house. I think he had a little too much.

so much water play this summer!

it seems like they got wet every day

tin foil river

roslyn's birthday breakfast

dad and I went out way more than we ever have, but we had some good one on one date nights

we had a backyard campout and with a little more planning, we may try this again one day

nature collage by my 3 year old. I think she has a good eye

more nature art in our art journals.

Sorry for the pic heavy post, but I thought they all summed up the summer pretty  nicely. We had so much time outdoors, doing art, getting wet, playing, getting dirty, eating good food, traveling a bit, lots of lazy long days watching movies, and so much more. This summer was our first as a complete family of 6 and I think it will only get better as the girls are all able to enjoy everything together. I am looking forward to fall, but this summer was probably one of the best of my life.

tips to tackle parenting's messes and stresses

No parent leaves the journey of parenthood unscathed by messes and stresses. This is due to the fact that no parent is perfect, no child is perfect and most of us are just trying our best! Here on my blog and other social media, I get choose to share some of the fun, sweet, and most ideal moments of my day and the lives of my children. I do so, without the disclaimer that not all our moments are stress free, and certainly not mess free! These are KIDS we're talking about here. And MY kids, whew, they are professional mess makers. While I am happy to brag about some of the habits they do have, like always taking their plates to the sink without being asked, or executing a chore so thoroughly that I often fantasize about not ever having to do that particular chore again myself - they still have their moments which on certain days blend in to minutes and hours of stresses and messes. We are a real family, of real people who have bad habits and limits.

Here are some of my Tips to Tackle Parenting's Messes and Stresses which I made into a little handy ABC's format:

1. Always think ahead - This tip can apply to almost any part of your day with children. If you want to keep things as simple as possible, try to be one step ahead of your children. Instead of waiting until they whine and cry for food, keep track of your day and offer them their meals or snacks before they become too impatient. I know that even as an adult, if I don't have food in front of my face by the time I am seriously hungry- everyone better stay two steps back, because I am liable to eat them out of sheer desperation.

2. Be organized - This might seem like a no-brainer, but I'm surprised sometimes at the lack of organization I see when it comes to having large families. This applies to both having organized PEOPLE and SPACES. Having a large family of six, I keep my kids organized by having routines! There is plenty of literature about the benefits of routines- and I say this so much it will probably be etched into my headstone, but seriously- having a routine for your children is the best gift you can give yourself and your children. Children need predictability, and you need to be in control. Proper bedtimes are a family's best friend. Also, give yourself time and find the courage to get stuff organized! This not only consists of buying all the cool containers from Ikea, or fantasizing about the most awesome storage possibilities at Target- but also in getting rid of things on a regular basis. Whether its donating, re-purposing, or selling- keep things clutter free and organized as much as possible. I can pat myself on the back because 95% of my house is organized at all times. This makes life just a liiiiitle bit easier to handle.

3. Contain yourself - Don't be afraid to use a little strategy against the kids! In the game of child vs. parent, remember, while they might be smaller, more agile, and able to fit into tiny crawl spaces - we have the resources to conquer the little rebellious angels! Muah ha ha! So, here's what we do, we use baby gates for everyone! Most of the time, the house is a free open range, a safe place to do whatever you want within limits. During certain times of the day however, the baby gates go up on various parts of the house. In the morning, it blocks the kitchen, so my racoon-skilled child doesn't eat all the forbidden foods before I even realize she's up! During naptime, the baby gate is up blocking my room, so the little noisemakers don't find their way to undue all my hard work of getting her to sleep. The BEST setup we have though, is during the evening right before dinner where they are contained to the 2 kids rooms, the hallway, and the bathroom as one big open space for them. They can go back and forth freely between those areas while I am cooking. Not only does this keep them safe from boiling pots of water, but it keeps them safe from mom's short fuse at the end of the day. Everyone wins.

4. DTD - This handy little acronym is something that comes into play for me at just the right times. No , its not do the deed, DTD is Defer to Dad! I consider myself a patient person, but like anyone else, I have limits and days where I am ready to lock my kids in the house and take off to somewhere far and secluded, like an Native American sweatlodge where I can find my inner peace and make myself one with nature. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but you know what I mean. I hope that everyone has a supportive partner in their life like I do, because this tip saves a child the day all the time! Right when I'm about to scream like a domesticated banshee, Dad steps in to take over. Try it sometime if you can!

5. Enjoy life! - Easiest one of all- and the most rewarding. Don't forget to take time to enjoy these people in your life! Your little ones are only little for so long- we don't get to do this over. So, try not to stress over the mess and the mishaps so much. Just look into their little pizza sauce stained faces and remember that even though you could be wild and free backpacking through Europe with young men clamoring for your affections- THIS is your journey, THIS is your life, and THESE CHILDREN are your most important priority.

For another look into the Messes and Stresses of Parenthood- Huggies has partnered with Poncho De Anda and Lina Amashta to put Huggies to the test during the journey of parenthood and dealing with life's messes and stresses. Parents can visit the Huggies Latino Facebook Page to read and share stories about Huggies and their experiences. There is also a chance to win a fully-stocked Huggies diaper bag! Here is a video (sorry Spanish only!) to check out Poncho de Anda and Lina Amashta in one of their parenting moments!

I was compensated for this post in collaboration with Huggies and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions and words are my own.

my week in pictures

Instead of saving a million photos I may never print I thought I'd make a little visual post to sum up my week. That way they'll be used for something.

 We played outside a lot this week since it has been a little cooler. I taught Roslyn how to say she will be turning two next month. I love how she uses her thumb and pointer finger to show the number two. 

 My little Kiwi is six months now, and she is starting to crawl. She found the grass today and has started to push off with her little toes. All this week we've been watching her just roll around back and forth to get ANYWHERE she wants to go. She has her own little system of circumnavigating the living room floor. 

 I took a few pictures, but the funniest thing is that she was only interested in the wipes box, as usual. She is so enchanted with it and has been for at least a month now.

 To add a mix in a little art time with our nature studies we did nature collages. This was Emme's. She loved it and was so proud of her creation.

My nephew stopped by right when we were making our tin foil river. They had so much fun floating everything from leaves to small grapefruits down it. We have the perfect front yard for tin foil rivers. I just barely had enough foil and I need to find something better for a boat. I'm thinking of fashioning some from twigs and twine. 

Well, that's about it really. I've been scouring the web for birthday party ideas for Roslyn's upcoming big day and I've also been doing the usual homeschool research. I'm getting excited about that! Luciana is still away at camp til Saturday afternoon and I can't wait to hear about all her adventures. Although she will probably leave out all the details like most kids and just say, "it was fun". 

I've got a few beauty-related posts coming up this weekend. Yes, beauty! Don't be so shocked, I was bound to jump on that band wagon, I am getting older you know! :) 

Hope everyone enjoys their Friday and the weekend!

random rebellion

I have been meaning to post more often but with the time I have to write, I feel like I don't have anything to say. Maybe that's where the whole "Wordless Wednesday" theme came from. The midweek mental fog has me doing nothing productive so far today. (Don't tell Erik, please). Don't worry, before he comes home I"ll do my own personal housecleaning version of the old Supermarket Sweep show. And besides, I do all my "deep" cleaning on Thursdays because those are Erik's fridays and who wants to start their weekend in an unkempt house? Well, the entire cast of Hoarders maybe, but not this lady.

I'm literally grooving as I type to "Party Rock" a la the Chipmunks thanks to Emme's musical tastes. I wonder if my kids will ever choose to listen to classical music like we wish they would. I guess it could be worse, at least they don't cry when I force them to listen to NPR every single car ride. "Be quiet! I'm listening to MY radio show", I say with all the adult power I always dreamed of having. I wonder what they will make their kids listen to. Lady Gaga's greatest hits? Please, no! Poor grandbabies. I can hear them protesting already. Little rebels.

Here is some random advice that you may or may not find useful one day: The day after a grocery shopping trip is probably not the best day to be completely inspired (for the 9th time) to join the Food Revolution! (Jamie Oliver, be my bff). Viva fresh and whole foods! Viva! Darn, now I have to eat most of the crap I bought. How did I get here I wonder? I never saw myself buying so many frozen and boxed foods! The weirdest part? I usually don't even eat them! It's like I hoard them or something. Great, another thing to hoard- add that to the used books that harbor an insane amount of dust and the huge bin of craft supplies I may never use. Have I even crafted anything this year? Geeze. I craft children, yeah that's what I do. Any way, I know why I buy what I buy- because these grocery stores suck! Albertson's has one little sad darkened "organic and ethnic" aisle. And yes, that's how you spell aisle, take a mental note. That sad little aisle has some slight variety but it's nothing after you've had the chance to shop at a Whole Foods store. And now my main grocery store is Walmart. Walmart!!! For you bourgeoisie it's like going from caviar to ramen. Or from fine cuban cigars to quarter cigarettes (if you're from the streets). You catch my drift. I'd rather starve most days. But what do I do instead? I look in the refrigerator, the freezer, in my cabinets and see NOTHING that I want to prepare or eat. So, I order out. Gah! So, this isn't everyday but it was yesterday. I did order a salad, but still. At least my kids eat healthy, I will have to say that is one thing I will not compromise. I just often finding myself craving something different than I have had the courage to prepare for the family. They are so picky, but that's a whole other post in itself. I guess I have to make three grocery shopping trips a week out to Trader Joe's to try and get something worth eating. For me, someone who is supposed to cook every day, often multiple times a day- I need variety, inspiration, and resources. I need to move to a more happening city. Although, a true revolutionary would hit the streets and try to affect change here where it's needed. Maybe one day. Right now I'm too lethargic from the junk I've been eating!

sweet monday

We are having a very simple day today. Emme found her way to our bed again during the night, so she was there to wake the baby up a little early. I opened my eyes and she had picked a game for the baby to play on the iPad. I couldn't help but offer some praise about how sweet of a sister she is.

We did our first day of circle time after lunch. We did a few fingerplay songs, and I told them the most wonderfully received story off the top of my head about some fairies, and they were delighted. So delighted in fact, that I have already typed it out so I never forget it.

All three girls are sleeping, and I'm sitting here thinking of my oldest baby, off to her first solo adventure at a summer camp! I can't believe my little (Big) baby is off all on her own with this group of people. I am sure she is doing fine, and enjoying herself but I miss her. I tucked in her suitcase a little pack of letters. Each one is marked with a number, like 1 for day 1, 2 for day 2, etc. The letters are funny little reminders about hygiene, manners and of course about all the fun she's having and how much she's missed. Every day there is a special part of the letter that tells her what I miss most about her. I hope she enjoys them.

Hope everyone has a good day and a great week. I'll be keeping cool inside so I don't melt in a puddle of mama. Adios!

i'm starving

I am so hungry right now. Don't ask me why I think this is a good time to start a food post. All I know is I'm famished and it might not be an unreasonable assumption to think that I might just post anything that looks slightly edible. At this point, I may eat the baby.

Here are some great pinterest finds that I have tested myself! Yes, that means they are Rebecca approved. Booyah!

You can find all these and more by following me on Pinterest or just doing a little searching yourself!

 

Baked Ziti - This is definitely a family favorite. It tastes like Pizza!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp - Or Skrimps as we call em here! Dee-lish.

BBQ Comfort Meatballs - One of my little meatballs (I call her Luci) had been requesting meatballs for quite sometime so I made these for her and they came out so moist and delicious. How can anything with the word 'Comfort' in it be bad for you?

Okay, I had a few more to post but my stomach is eating itself. Time to go taste that Gouda I've been hiding in the back of the refrigerator.