Well, let me first tell you that no, you don’t have to eat raw meat.

I personally had no clue what Paleo even was before I started researching it. However, my attitude toward it drastically changed as I realized all it requires. While I’m not ready by any means to jump in and become a full fledge Paleo dieter (I’d have to give up my addiction to cheese, peanut butter, brownies, ice cream, and well…sweets), I do feel a desire to be a bit more conscious about what I put into my body.

Hopefully after reading this, you can nod along with your friends and actually understand what they mean when they say, “I’m going Paelo.” Whether or not you decide to join them is your choice.

The post “What is the Paleo Diet” may contain affiliate links. For more information, click to see our disclosure policy.

So What Is The Paleo Diet?

To put it simply, the Paleo diet includes eating foods that our hunter gatherer ancestors who lived in the Paleolithic era consumed. It’s all about taking it back to the basics.

According to Wikipedia, the main concepts of this diet have been around for some time (well obviously back to the stone age!), but it was Loren Cordain, Ph.D., who started the Paleo movement and popularized the diet with his published book, The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy By Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat.

Many athletes stick to this diet and it is even sometimes called the CrossFit diet. There are also many with Celiac Disease or a gluten allergy who prefer to eat Paleo. Others choose to go Paleo because of the health benefits associated with the diet.

Paleo followers may enjoy some of these health benefits:

• Weight loss
• Improvement in mental outlook
• Better cardiovascular and metabolic health
• More energy and better sleep

Other health benefits can be found here. The ultimate purpose of the Paleo diet is to enjoy a healthier, longer life.

However, there is the risk of calcium and vitamin D deficiency, as well as, a risk of toxins from consuming too much fish. Most people report experiencing a period of feeling sick for the first couple of weeks as their body adjusts to a new diet, but sometimes it is just a couple days.

So when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of it all, what can and can’t you eat? Now, not all experts agree on the same guidelines of what qualifies as Paleo and what doesn’t, but here is the general consensus from my research.

What Can You Eat?

Following this hunter-gather-diet can be a bit expensive – both in the money and time department. It takes planning, dedication, and creativity! So what’s ok to have on your Paleo menu?

• Lean meat
• Seafood
• Eggs
• Fruit
• Vegetables (non-starchy and roots)
• Nuts
• Seeds

Just so you could get a taste of what to expect in a day, I included this awesome example for a Paleo-delicious meal plan curtious of the folks over at Paleo Plan.

Breakfast
-Eggs, sausage, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and kale
-Sauteed and scrambled in coconut oil
-Avocado to top it off

Lunch
-Tossed green salad with tons of veggies (spinach, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.)
-Grilled chicken/beef/pork
-Olive oil, herb, and lemon juice dressing
-Cantaloupe, blackberries, and pecans

Snack
Leftover baked salmon and red peppers

Dinner
-Venison steak
-Steamed summer squash with lemon juice, coconut milk, and cinnamon
-Sauteed asparagus 

Dessert
-1 or 2 dates

Now, whether you are for or against diets similar to the Paleo diet, you have to give props to those who do follow them. It takes a lot of planning and preparation.

If you want to try some other great Paleo dishes, click on these recipes below.

*Disclaimer: There are some ingredients found in these recipes that don’t fully qualify as Paleo. So you can either take them out, find a replacement, or use them as part of your transitional recipe stage!

Baked Egg Tomato Cups

Roasted Squash Tacos

What Should You Avoid Eating?

Because the basic pretense of the Paleo diet originates from our great great great great great…well you get the picture…great ancestors in the Paleolithic era and what they would have eaten, there are quite a few foods we eat without thinking that are off limits.

So here is the low down on the no-nos:

• Grains
• Cereals
• Legumes
• Dairy products
• Processed foods
• Refined sugars

Obviously, this is a lot to cut out of your diet immediately. Those over at CrossFit Paradox explain nicely the idea behind this type of eating,

“It causes you to burn fat for fuel decreasing body fat, avoids storing excess glucose as fat, helps maintain hormonal balance and decreases inflammation in the body.”

So if you are trying to decide if this diet is for you, I’d highly recommend doing your own research before jumping on the Paleo bandwagon. I particularly loved reading about people’s experiences! Here is one of my favorite articles I found from Women’s Health Magazine, 7 Things No One Tells You About Going Paleo.

So now can you answer the question, “What is the Paleo diet?” Hopefully! I know I understand it a whole lot better! At least now I know what I could cook for my friends and family who are following the diet.

The Paleo diet is similar to clean eating. To learn more about the clean eating and how it differs from the Paleo diet click here.

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These roasted squash tacos are full of fresh ingredients like earthy butternut squash, black beans and a bright, spicy, and crunchy garden slaw.

Doesn’t the word fresh conjure up everything deliciously good in this world? Think about it…fresh as a daisy, freshmen, refreshments, fresh air, fresh bread, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Fresh Market, fresh fruit, fresh flowers, fresh sheets, and these fresh roasted squash tacos.

I love fresh starts! Doesn’t mean I didn’t like the old, it just somehow invigorates me to start fresh in all aspects of life. As crazy as it may sound (you are all thinking “So what’s new”, right?), on occasion I will drive half-an-hour to go to a different grocery store just to pretend I’m in a whole new local or on vacation somewhere new (one week my daughter and I found a Smith’s store we have named “One-Eyed Smith’s” and we go there whenever we need a pick-me-up… but that’s a story for another day).

Anyway….. back to fresh…these roasted squash tacos are full of fresh ingredients like earthy butternut squash, black beans, and a spicy garden slaw to drive up the heat. I know you are all as out of your minds with excitement as I am to eat this light, fresh and clean dish.

Enjoy!

For more delicious recipes for Cinco de Mayo, visit Jen at Bakerette.com

All-Star Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Mexican Potato Soup

Crazy Cake Wacky Cake

FIND BAKERETTE ON FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, TWITTER, GOOGLE+, AND INSTAGRAM

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Spicy Roasted Squash Tacos

These roasted squash tacos are full of fresh ingredients like earthy butternut squash, black beans and a bright, spicy, and crunchy garden slaw.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Southwestern

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 tacos

Author Bakerette.com

Ingredients

Roasted Squash

• 1 medium butternut squash peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

Black Beans

• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 garlic clove minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• Black ground pepper to taste

Garden Slaw

• 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red or yellow bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons dairy-free egg-free mayo (such as Vegenaise)
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

For Squash

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil; set aside.
• In a large bowl, toss together squash, oil, chili powder, salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and spread in a single layer.
• Roast for 20 minutes; stirring once after 10 minutes, or until tender and edges are crusty brown.

For Black Beans

• While the butternut squash is roasting, warm up vegetable stock over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Add more vegetable stock as needed to keep the onion from burning. Stir in cumin. Add beans, stock and pepper. Increase heat to medium high and bring mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until liquid evaporates (about 15 minutes).

For Garden Slaw

• Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Recipe adapted from Hobby Farms Vegetable Gardens Magazine, Volume 4G, 4th Edition, p95

This awesome post has been shared with Homestories A to Z and Whipperberry.

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My daughter had a little bit of a meltdown last night. It’s football season, she is in Colorguard, and the schedule is intense. The straw that broke the camel’s back was an online chemistry quiz. She was up at 5am, went to early morning religion class, school, practice, straight to piano, grabbed something to eat, came home, ate her dinner, and then finally had time to take her online quiz. It was an open notes quiz, but when you are mentally burned out, what does that matter?

She bombed it.

5 times.

That’s when she lost it, and started to cry. I don’t blame her. We talked it through, emailed the teacher, made a plan. It will all work out.

When I am feeling like she did last night, I am so tempted to eat some comforting junk food. And the holiday season, while I love it, can be very stressful. And there is lots of comforting junk food available during the holiday season. I was looking for a recipe to indulge in that was “holidayish” and comforting, but would still leave me feeling healthy. Man, I found it!

Sometimes when I find a new recipe that I love, I just don’t know how to do it justice here on the blog. This is one of those recipes that is better than good. This is wowzer! I would eat it as a main course for lunch and dinner. No sides. Okay, so I kind of did do that. Word of advice; make a double batch. I will make double next time, and I will be making it just for me and my man. One recipe each, and it will probably be just barely enough! It is definitely going to be on my holiday table. I really hope you try it and can’t wait to hear from you when you fall in love!

Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body introduced me to this wonderful Cold Rice Salad for Fall. It is chock full of healthy goodness that tastes so good it would appeal to anyone! This recipe is not just for health nuts! And it is such a great recipe for the holidays, because you can make it ahead and serve it cold.

I love the nutty goodness of wild rice. You could use brown, or even black thai, but wild rice is my choice. I love the cranberry, nuts and hint of orange. This Pin Rocks!

Print

Cold Rice Salad for Fall

Author Adapted by Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

• 1 cup wild rice
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted unsalted cashews
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

Dressing Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Instructions

• Combine 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rice. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Drain well and cool.
• While the rice is cooling, mix the dried cranberries, pecans, cashews, green onion, celery and red onion.
• Combine the vinegar, orange, garlic, mustard and sugar in a blender. While the blender is running, gradually pour in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the rice mixture and toss.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Check out some of our other holiday recipes!

Pumpkin Crunch CakeTexas Roadhouse Rolls with Honey Cinnamon ButterSweet Brown Sugar Baked Ham

This amazing post has been shared with: Living Well Spending Less and Whipperberry

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This arugula and grilled pear salad combines the peppery flavor of arugula with the sweetness of grilled pears tossed in tangy Dijon vinaigrette dressing.

I grew up with iceberg lettuce. I only thought lettuce was iceberg lettuce. I had no idea the wondorous varieties of lettuces in this vast world. After all, mom did the grocery shopping and we ate what she bought. When schools sold salad, it was iceberg. When we went to simple restaurants, they had iceberg salads. It’s no wonder I was naive to the vast quantities of lettuces out there.

It wasn’t until my early twenties when I lived in Europe was I introduced to a plethora of lettuces: dandelion, green leaf, red leaf, romaine, arugula, kale, bibb, radicchio, frisee, and so many more. So much healthier than iceberg. Iceberg lettuce has very little nutritional value compared to these other varieties.

I’ll never forget when I had dandelion greens as a guest in someone’s home in Vienna. I thought they were poor and had to go outside and pick dandelions to make a salad. LOL. True story!

Arugula has no shortage of nutritional value either! It has the fighting properties of phytochemicals to combat cancer-causing elements. It’s a great source of Vitamins A, C and K with a rich source of minerals, iron and copper making it a great alternative to spinach!

Don’t limit yourself to using arugula in just salads. Arugula ads great flavor to sandwiches, wraps, soups, pesto, pasta and more.

Since I’ve graduated from iceberg to arugula and more, I find that I no longer eat iceberg. The dark leafy greens pack more of a punch and are so much healthier for you.

The thing I love about this salad is the grilled pears. You toss them in the dijon vinaigrette dressing and lightly grill them on each side. I learned this simple trick from a master chef. This salad pairs well with salmon or chicken.

Enjoy!

If you like this dish, you might also like these other recipes by Jen at Bakerette.com

Avocado Tomato Salad

Cafe Rio’s Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Dressing

Cherry Whipped Salad

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Aragula and Grilled Pear Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

This arugula and grilled pear salad combines the peppery flavor of arugula with the sweetness of grilled pears tossed in tangy Dijon vinaigrette dressing.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Bakerette.com

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 pears sliced
• 6 cups Arugula
• 1 pint blueberries optional
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts optional

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together shallots, oiive oil, vinegar, salt, and Dijon. Toss quartered pears in dressing, remove and grill for a couple of minutes on each side to lightly toast and soften.
• Add arugula to remaining dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad onto 4 plates, fan pears to the side of the salad, sprinkle with walnuts and/or blueberries, if desired, and serve.

Recipe inspired by MyRecipes.com

This post is linked to Keeping It Simple, Skip to my Lou, and Making the World Cuter

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I do not like green eggs and ham.

That is the reaction I felt like I got when I first started serving fish to my kids.

I do not like it, Sam I Am.

They would take one look and wrinkle their noses. The decision was made way before it got anywhere near their mouths. I was never a big fan of forcing my kids to eat things they do not like. Or “think” they do not like. I was a very picky eater growing up. I know how all the coercion tactics work. And how they felt. And how my stubborn tastebuds rebelled. I once had to eat cold tacos for breakfast, because I was not allowed to have anything else, ever, until I finished my dinner. Tacos? Who doesn’t like tacos? Apparently 6 year old me didn’t.

None of the tactics really made me a more adventurous eater. That just came with time. I am not so picky now! You can tell by all the food posts, I love food!

A few tactics that did work on my kids was “Just try one bite for every year old you are.”. 3 years = 3 bites. How about this one? Divide the offending food into two equal portions and they get to choose which portion to eat. Reverse psychology by giving a false sense of control over their food destiny?

While these tactics didn’t necessarily win them over to a new recipe, it did get them to try new foods without it being an overly negative experience.One of my best tactics is to make healthy food that really tastes great. You can read more about one of my most successful tips get kids to eat healthy food and get a great recipe in Coconut Peanut Chicken Satay Stir Fry.

This fish marinade is flavorful without being overpowering. It is great on any mild white fish, as well as shrimp and…. Chicken. The real trick for the pickiest and most reluctant fish eaters is this fish marinade is also great on chicken! Once kids get used to the flavor of the marinade on chicken, the switch to fish is easier, because they are familiar with the taste. This recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen is simply good food and her site is full of great fish recipes! This one is now a regular in our dinner rotation.

This pin rocks!

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Fish Hater Marinade

Got picky eaters? This Fish Marinade will win over the most reluctant of fish eaters. But if they are really obstinate...it is good on chicken too!

Ingredients

• This marinade is good on halibut tilapia, or mahi-mahi (Any mild white fish, really.), shrimp, and chicken. Chicken can be marinated for longer.
• One piece per person

Marinade Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. Spike Seasoning optional, but good I found it with the spices
• 2 T garlic minced crushed or pureed
• 1 T dried basil - for this recipe I like dried better than fresh

Instructions

• If using frozen fish, thaw completely. Combine marinade ingredients. Put fish in ziploc bag and pour marinade over. This marinade makes enough for 4-6 pieces of fish. I keep leftover marinade in the fridge, it lasts for two weeks. Or make a smaller batch for less fish.
• Marinade for 2-3 hours, longer for chicken.
• When ready to grill, heat grill to high to preheat and take the fish out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Oil grates with grill spray or using a paper towel dipped in oil and rubbed over grates using tongs.
• Reduce heat to medium-high and cook each piece of fish about 10 minutes for each inch of thickness, turning over halfway through. To test for doneness, it should feel firm to the touch, but not hard and flake easily.
• This may also be cooked using the broiler. All the same rules apply :).

How about a little something for dessert?

Two Two Easy Peach Cobbler

Mini Apple Pie Cookies

We’re sharing this post with:

Living Well Spending Less

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One other thing that I REALLY want to remember about this summer is the recipe that we have to share with you today even though I don’t really like pickled things.  Pickled beets, Pickled eggs, Pickled Watermelon Rinds. Yeah, they don’t do anything for me.  So why would I choose to try out a recipe that calls for pickling vegetables?

.

Two reasons.

The first being that I was drawn to all of the vibrant summer colors of the fresh vegetables that this recipe calls for.

The second reason being the challenge that the author, Smitten Kitchen, says about this Sandwich Slaw.  And I quote:

“If you’re one of those people who saw the word “pickled” in the title and said “Ugh, no, sorry, not for me,” do know, I was the same not too long ago and encourage you to fight the good fight for as long as you can, because once your tastes cross over to the vinegar side, there’s little going back.”

That would be me.

Putting my pickled prejudice aside, I bravely embarked on attempting to make this Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw.

The recipe states that these will be lightly pickled within an hour and fully pickled within a day.  This will also last in your refrigerator for up to one month.

That is if no one eats it.

Which they will.

Because I did.

Yeah, me who doesn’t like pickled things.  This adds an uh-mazing zest to a sandwich and could also be eaten solo as a side dish.

It’s that good.

So try something brave today and make this Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw.   Just click on over to My Kitchen Escapades where I have shared the whole recipe.

You just may become a pickled fan.

Like me!

Hope everyone has a great Labor Day!

Monday Link Parties today!

I Should Be Mopping the Floor

The Princess and her Cowboys

Creating Really Awesome Free Things

Boogieboard Cottage

Pursuit of Functional Home

Rain on a Tin Roof

DIY Showoff

Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

A Pinch of Joy

Jam Hands

Flour Me with Love

 Check out these other great lunch ideas!

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If you don’t want to bring home leftovers, this Corn and Black Bean Salsa with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette  is the dish to bring. And you had better print out recipes and bring them with you. ‘Cause you are going to get asked. I recently made this for two events, a potluck and a family dinner. At the potluck, it was one of the first things gone. At dinner, everyone wanted the recipe, and have been waiting for me to post it to here at MFP.My niece introduced me to this terrific recipe she found on Pinterest from Once Upon a Chef. When she brought it, everyone asked for the recipe. When I bring it, I get asked for the recipe. And it is a good thing I had set some aside for taking pictures before I served it, or I would have had to make it again. Which would not have been such a bad thing. It is great on a salad of greens with Chicken. It is great for a quick lunch. I have had a few bites for breakfast. My gluten free friend was glad to have something yummy that she could eat.

I definitely recommend using the Magic Way to Cook Corn on the Cob for this recipe. It made it so quick and easy to put this recipe together. I love that this dish has a combination of colors, textures and flavors that are all ta-asty! We served ours with corn tortilla chips, but it definitely stands as a salad on it’s own. If fresh corn is out of season, frozen corn could be substituted.

Print

Corn and Black Bean Salsa with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

Author Adapted from Once Upon a Chef

Ingredients

• 2 15- ounce cans black beans rinsed and drained
• 3 ears fresh cooked corn kernels cut off the cob
• 2 red bell peppers diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots from one medium shallot
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil best quality
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
• 2 Hass avocados chopped

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients except Hass avocado. Let sit for a few hours and add avocado just before serving with extra cilantro as garnish.

Notes

I soaked my avocado chunks in a bowl water with a tablespoon of lime juice to prevent browning. Handle avocados gently so they don't get mushy.

This Pin Rocks!

Check out these great sites we are linked with today: Chase the Star, While He Was Napping, CraftBerry Bush, The Frugal Girls, Serenity Now Blog, Just Us Four, The Pin Junkie, Living Well Spending Less, The Shabby Nest, Six Sister’s Stuff

The post Corn and Black Bean Salsa with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

I know what you are thinking right now.

“What?  You don’t like watermelon? I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like watermelon!”

Yeah, I’ve heard that all my life.  I don’t know what it is, but watermelon does absolutely nothing for me.  People will tell me…Oh, if you just had a really good one, then you would like it!  Or….if you just had a really cold one, then you would like  it.  Put it in a cold river, then you would like it.

Nope.

Don’t like it.

So why would I be posting about watermelon?  Because my family loves it!  My favorite son LOVES watermelon!  He could eat an entire watermelon for dinner.  In fact, I think he might have tried that once.

P.S. In case you are worrying about me saying that I have a favorite son, truth is that I only have one son.  So he has been my favorite son for his whole life.  It’s kind of our thing.

So how do I pick a good watermelon for my family to eat?

Taking direction from The Food Channel I look for these five things:

1.  I look for watermelons that are nicely shaped and ones that feel firm.  Make sure that they don’t have any cuts in them either.

2.  Pick your watermelon up to see if it feels “heavy”.  Watermelons are 90% water, so the riper ones will have more water and weigh more

3.  I look for watermelons that have a bright skin and vibrant green color

4.  I used to not pick a watermelon that has a yellow side but have since found out that this yellow spot is a good thing and should be creamy looking.  This is where it laid on the ground to ripen instead of being picked too early.

5.  When “thumping” your watermelon, a solid sound means it’s not ripe enough, if it’s too ripe, it will sound thick but if it sounds hollow, that’s the one you want!

Below is a picture of the coveted “yellow spot”!

Now that you’ve found your perfect watermelon, how do you cut it?

Here are two EASY ways to get a beautifully cut watermelon!

The first method comes from a pin that I pinned from Fifteen Spatulas.  First cut the bottoms off both ends of the watermelon:

Then stand it on one end:

Taking a knife, slice down and cut off the rind:

After removing all of the rind, cut into disks and then into strips and then into cubes:

Look how beautifully cubed the watermelon turned out!

Next up is a great way to cut watermelon if you have little bodies with little fingers as this takes out all the mess of eating sliced watermelon!   This great idea comes  from Mama Say What.  The above method of cutting does a better job with larger melons.  This next method works best for small to medium sized watermelons.

Cut your melon in half:

Lay the watermelon flat side down and cut into strips about 1 to 1/2 inches wide:

Then turn your watermelon and cut in the same size strips in the opposite direction:

What you will end up with are  watermelon “strips” perfect for just picking up and eating!

Well, I’d love to sit around and eat watermelon with you (NOT) but my favorite son is calling.

Change the way you cut a watermelon, because This Pin Rocks!

It’s a Par-tay with these great sites today!

The Recipe Critic  – Home Stories A to Z – ShareAtopia – A to Z Celebrations – Lady Bug Blessings – Chef in Training – Memories by the Mile – Nap Time Creations – Hun What’s for Dinner? – Cupcakes and  Crinoline – Sugar Bee Crafts – Mandy’s Recipe Box

The post How to Pick a Good Watermelon AND 2 easy ways to cut one! appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Not all balsamic vinegar is created equal.  It’s a fact. I’m just sayin’. Some balsamic vinegar is just a step above red wine vinegar. Don’t get me wrong. Red wine vinegar is good stuff and has it’s place. But a good balsamic vinegar is…like…well…way better. Way, way, way, better. When it comes to balsamic, the old adage you get what you pay for, is sort of true. Except when it is isn’t. Here’s the thing, I have paid good money for bad balsamic vinegar. On the flip side, I have  never gotten good balsamic vinegar cheap. The good stuff costs money, but paying a lot of money doesn’t guarantee it will be fantastic. A good mid priced brand I like is Fini. Balsamic vinegar is amazing fresh. But reduced in a recipe like this Balsamic Pot Roast in a Crockpot, mmmmm! It takes an eh, so so, okay balsamic vinegar and turns into something special. So even if you don’t pay for the high end stuff, this will taste great. Find the best tasting balsamic to fit your budget and give it a go. I love this  is a twist on a crockpot roast, because the flavors concentrate and sweeten. The combination of savory and sweet is wonderful. This recipe from Add a Pinch says, if you like a stronger flavor, to use a fat separator to remove the fat from the juices and put them in a sauce pan and simmer until reduced to half. YES! DEFINITELY DO THIS! This where the flavor comes from and makes this dish something special.  Also, for this recipe, low and slow is the way to go! Don’t rush it. It says you can cook it on high for less time, but it really is better on low for longer. Give it plenty of time. And get the biggest roast you can. The leftovers are as good the next day as when you first make it.

And here is my favorite Crock-Pot to cook this dish in!

Print

Balsamic Pot Roast in a Crockpot

Ingredients

• 1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef chuck or round roast
• 1 cup beef broth
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic chopped

Instructions

• Place roast beef into the slow cooker.
• Mix together all remaining ingredients and pour over roast beef. Put the lid on and cook for 6-8 hours on Low.
• Once roast beef has cooked, shred the roast beef. If it won't shred, cook it longer. Remove fat from gravy with gravy separator. Put remaining liquid into a small pot and simmer until reduced by half. Pour 1/4 - 1/2 cup of gravy over shredded meat.
• Store remaining gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another use.

Love cooking in the crock pot? We do too! Take a look at these recipes: Mississippi Roast, Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast, Slow Cooked Pork Chops

We love parties! Here are some link parties we are hookin’ up with today – Jembellish – Say Not Sweet Anne – This Gal Cooks – All She Cooks – Sew Can Do – Making the World Cuter – Creatively Living  – Artsy Fartsy Mama – Keeping it Simple Crafts

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You know what I hate? I hate it when I go to make a salad, only to find out my lettuce has gone icky. Don’t you agree? I really enjoy a good salad, but I haven’t been having much of it lately, because it is winter. It is not because it is out of season that I haven’t been having salads, but because in the cold weather I am not in the mood for salad.

So I have been buying lettuce, but by the time I get around to making a salad, the lettuce has gone bad. I have been seeing pins for different ways to store lettuce all claiming to be wonderful and I wondered….which one is the most wonderful?

So, I hosted my very own longer lasting lettuce contest. The contestants  began as three heads of Romaine Lettuce.I washed and dried each leaf and then stored them four different ways. After two weeks, I found that all of the methods were effective, but one was my clear favorite.

Contestant number one was Lettuce in a Ziploc Bag with a paper towel wrapped around it.  This came from Pinch My Salt.This method was very efficient. It didn’t take up much room in the fridge, and there was very little browning after two weeks. I like this method for sandwiches, where you will be pulling out one leaf at a time. The remaining lettuce stays crisp and ready to go.

Contestant number two was Lettuce in a bag that you blow air into like a balloon and then tie it. This idea was from GrowVeg.comThis had pretty much the same result as the Ziploc bag, but you would have to have a larger bag for a larger amount of lettuce and it takes up more space.

Contestant number three was lettuce cut and prepped in a bowl with a paper towel laid on top and covered tightly with plastic wrap.I liked this method because the lettuce is ready to go. Again very little browning or wilting. What I didn’t like was that it takes up a lot of space in the fridge.

Contestant number four is the winner for making salads! Thank you Hickory Holler Farm for the idea of storing lettuce in a Mason Jar.While the results between all four methods were pretty similar, this lettuce stayed crisper than the others. But that is not why it won according to judge (me :)). It won, because you can pack quite a bit of lettuce in that jar! Since by design the jar is tall, it uses some of the vertical space. It even fits in the door of my fridge.

I love that the prep is done, and the lettuce is ready to go. That is really helpful to me on a busy weeknight.

If you will not be using all the lettuce in the jar for salad, I recommend putting the remaining lettuce in a ziploc bag with a paper towel, as shown above. Once the mason jar is open and the lettuce is exposed to more air, this method becomes less effective.

I now like having a jar or two ready to make a salad with dinner.

In anticipation of the warmer weather Spring is soon to bring us (and I’m counting on it. Man, I hate Winter), I wish you some happy salad making.

These Pins Rock!

Want your lettuce to last even longer? Try our Longer Lasting Fruit and Veggie Wash!

We love linking with:  The Hopeless Housewife – Kitchen Meets Girl –Housewives of Riverton – 733 Blog – Southern Lovely – Adorned From Above – The Life of Jennifer Dawn – Gooseberry Patch – Someday Crafts – Wonderful Wednesday – Lady Behind the Curtain – And Sew We Craft – Ginger Snap Crafts – Lil Luna

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Just a little info about my particular palette preferences.  (Say that ten times fast!) I don’t care for tomatoes.  Now I know that might surprise some people. Yeah, those people that LOVE tomatoes.  People who love tomatoes can’t understand why I don’t like them.  Once I had a friend who told me that if only I tried  a tomato straight out of the garden then she was positive that I would like tomatoes.  “They are SO much better than store bought” she said.

Months later someone gave me some tomatoes straight from their garden.  Remembering what my friend told me, I decided to try to cast my tomato prejudice aside and try yet one more time to like tomatoes.  I heartily took a bite. I heartily spit it out.

Do you spell tomatoes with just an “o” or do you add an “e”.  I think I like the “e”.   Random.  I know.

This gets weirder in that I like tomato soup, salsa and ketchup.  I think it must be the texture. Yuck.

But I digress.  What does this have to do with today’s post?  When looking for a new recipe for the Super Bowl, after I saw the recipe I almost didn’t make it.  Why?  You guessed it.  Because it had tomatoes in it.  But it looked so dang yummy that I mustered a gust of tomato energy and bought the ingredients to make Texas Caviar from Weekday Chef.   I was not disappointed.  Although this included tomatoes (with an “e”), it was fresh and had a great citrusy taste because of the lime juice and I LOVED IT!  I heart black eyed peas so I used those instead of black beans.It was my most favorite new recipe that I tried last Sunday.  I am so glad to report that This Pin Rocks!

Print

Texas Caviar

Course Appetizer/Dip

Author Weekday Chef

Ingredients

• 1 15 ounce can white corn, drained
• 1 15 ounce can black eyed peas, OR black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Roma tomatoes diced
• 1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons small red onion finely chopped (optional)
• 1/2 green or red pepper seeded and chopped
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 1 avocado - peeled pitted, and diced
• A dash of Lawry's or Johnny's seasoning salt
• A few shakes of chili pepper
• 3 Tablespoons Zesty Italian or House Italian Dressing

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.

We excited to be linking with these great sites today:

Katie’s Nesting Spot – The 36th Avenue  – Live Laugh Rowe – Glued to my Crafts – Gingerly Made

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I still need to make a cute label for them and wasn’t going to worry about it until it got a little closer to Christmas.  However, I was blog surfing the other day (Me? Spending hours on the computer? Really? No way!) and found this darling label for my vanilla bottles.  And the best part about it is that it is FREE!

I am so excited to just be able to print these off and Voila!  My bottles will be done.  Aren’t these cute?

Just hop on over to Live Laugh Rowe to print the label for your bottles. AND she’s offering a great giveaway to help encourage  you to make your own vanilla.

Thanks so much Kelly! You’ve just made my life a little less crazy around the holidays.

This Pin Rocks! 

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Only three things are needed.  Bottles, vanilla beans and Vodka.  So easy!I  bought my bottles online from Specialty Bottles for .74 cents a  piece, and the vanilla beans at Amazon.com.   I have never bought Vodka in my life so felt a little unsure of what I was supposed to get, but it all looked the same so I just got the cheapest that I could find.   While purchasing the Vodka, the cashier did the RUDEST thing!  I had gotten my I.D. out to prove that I was over 21 and old enough to purchase liquor and SHE DIDN’T EVEN ASK FOR IT!  Sigh. Note to self.  Time to dye my hair.

The directions from the pin said to use 2-3 beans for 4 oz of vodka.  I just used two and that worked out fine.  I cut the vanilla beans in half and then cut each half all the way up the middle to expose the fleshy inside of the bean.

Into the jar it goes and pour the 4 oz. of vodka in.After capping the first fifteen bottles,  I looked at them and it appeared that at the bottom they were already starting to “steep” and the vodka was turning a beautiful amber color. How exciting! The bottles are supposed to steep for at least a month before using so I have made these in plenty of time.  And one of the best things about this is that when the hectic-ness (is that  a word?) of the holidays hit,  I will have these all ready to go to give to neighbors and friends.  What a stress reliever!  In fact, I think this might turn into a yearly tradition for me.

This made me so happy today and I would definitely say that This Pin Rocks!

UPDATE:  Here is a quick pic of my vanilla after a week of steeping.  This is so fun to watch and I can’t wait to give them out as Christmas presents.

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