Off the Rails But Still Rolling (and a Meatza Recipe)

Well, I tried to stay on track, but I am just off now.  I'm somewhere on the prairie (heheheh).  I've accepted the fact that chocolate is always going to be a part of my life.  I just have to be satisfied with the really dark stuff.  Yes, I have eaten chocolate every day for the past week.  Okay, week and a half.  Whatever.  *Sigh*  I just have to keep pushing on and looking at how far I've come instead of how far I have to go.

Recent Eats
I think our meals have been very random this week, in part because I have been so busy reading all three books in the Hunger Games series that I have been neglecting some of my duties!  I have been bringing alot of meals down to our warehouse because the men have been hard at work on a big project.  One day I made a "meatza" (see recipe below) and served it with green beans and corn.  I thawed out a frozen Paleo Lasagna (uses zucchini instead of noodles) and baked that along with some corn.  I really didn't care for it because the zucchini had taken on a pickled flavor but our new hired man said it was good.  One day I brought down sausage and fried potatoes.  Another time I brought grilled pork chops and creamed new potatoes with peas (definitely not paleo).  Last night I grilled burned some pork patties, so the dogs had a treat.  I served those with, you guessed it, corn!  Yes, I have cooked alot of corn this week, because our contractor brought out several bags from town.  While I have abstained, I don't have a problem serving it to the family because it is a naturally gluten-free, whole food.  Plus it is only available for a short time, so might as well indulge and enjoy!


Paleo Successes
 My hubby has seen the light on starting his day with a primal meal!  He used to eat a breakfast burrito every day.  I would stuff it with bacon, egg, cheese, and avocado and tomato if we had those.  The past few weeks he has been happy to eat all the fillings without the tortilla!  Now I have 2 big packs of tortillas sitting in my fridge, unopened, but I am so excited he has seen the wisdom of starting his day with protein alone, without the carbs.

Another success: getting the kids to eat "vinegar salad" with me.  I have long enjoyed my spring mix salad greens with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.  I got my son to eat it with me a few times and told him he was my "salad buddy" (because I was the only one eating it before that).  I think that made it something special for him to share with me, and helped me convince him to eat it when he thought he didn't want it.  Now that my daughter is old enough to eat the lettuce without choking and she wants to eat whatever my son does, she has also been eating salad with me.  The past two days we've enjoyed vinegar salad topped with canned salmon.  I am so pleased that my kids eat veggies!



We harvested 2 cucumbers from our sad, dry garden.  They were actually really good!  We split one at lunch and one at dinner.  We have also started harvesting potatoes.  I am not eating them but my family has enjoyed them fried, mashed, and baked. 

And the biggest success, for me, is that I recently realized it has been a LONG time since I've had any Diet Coke.  I used to drink 2 or 3 a day!  I finally decided to quit because my son always wanted to drink it, and I knew it was horrible to give that to a 3 year old (he's 4 now, so that tells you how long it took me to quit).  I am so proud of myself for giving it up after years of being addicted.  Next up is coffee, but that is a loooong road too....


Failures 
 I made beef jerky last week and it molded before we ate it all.  So sad!  Also we haven't been eating as many veggies as we should.  But that is going to change!  I have a few zucchinis that need to be used, plus 2 big bags of baby carrots (I'm thinking skillet-roasted carrots, yummo!), and some kale.



Meatza
serves 6

2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
2 TBSP coconut flour (optional)
spices such as garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper
jarred spaghetti sauce (preferably gluten-free) or homemade pizza sauce
toppings: cheese, pepperoni, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes,  olives, etc

Mix ground beef, egg, coconut flour (if using), and any spices in 9 x 13 cake pan.  Pat down into a "crust".  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until meat is brown and done all the way through.  "Crust" will have shrunk considerably.  Drain grease.  Spread sauce over all and top with any toppings desired.  Bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve warm, with a fork. 


Happy Paleo Eating!