Tag Archives: dairy-free

Results of the Paleo Diet – a Review

The results are in!  Paleo works.

Was I successful in losing weight?  Yes.  I lost 10 pounds this month.  Did it make a difference in belly fat?  OMG – yes!  Was I 100% faithful to the tenants?  No.  Will I continue doing Paleo after this month?  Hmmm.  No.  Read on to learn why.

OneMonthPaleoResults

The Paleo Diet Review

Just as a quick recap here are links to all the previous posts in this series:

 Pros

  • I feel FANTASTIC!  I have energy and a clear mind.  I believe this is 100% due to the dietary changes I made this month.
  • I lost 10 pounds in one month.  ’Nuf said there.
  • My belly – after two kids and still technically “obese” – is nearly flat.
  • I didn’t have to workout nearly as hard as I have in the past to get the physical results I am enjoying in this one month on Paleo.
  • Using Paleo as an elimination diet, I was able to identify a gluten allergy/sensitivity in myself and my son.
  • I still believe in eating “real” and “whole” foods and removing all processed foods and sugars from my diet for health and ethical reasons.  Living Paleo honors those tenants.

Cons Continue reading

{Paleo Progress} Recipe Reviews

I LOVE PALEO! I LOVE THE RECIPES. I LOVE THE WAY I FEEL!
RecipeReview


I feel fantastic! My belly seems a lot smaller, but I forgot to measure at the beginning so I can’t *prove* it to you.  My pants fit way better, though.  Some that were tight right after Christmas are now loose – W00t!  I don’t get heartburn at night anymore and I have way more energy.  Come to find out that on top of all my other allergies I might just have a gluten sensitivity, too.  So this new diet – this new way of LIFE! – is perfect for me.  I’ve learned so much.  I can’t wait to share with you.

First, though, a recipe review.  Here are a few of my favorites. Continue reading

{Dairy-Free} Chocolate Smoothie for Meal Replacement

When I was EBF and looking for something to help me with healthy meal replacements to lose the baby weight I really struggled with finding something dairy-free. All the mainstream commercial protein shakes contain whey or, at the very least, casein.  Amazing Grass was one of the few protein powders that did not contain whey, casein or soy.  The Amazing Grass chocolate fusion meal replacement powder is organic, non-GMO, vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, raw and cold-processed.  Amazing, right?

Although now I am finally an affiliate (a process that was more difficult than I imagined it would be), I want you to know that Amazing Grass is not paying me for my opinion or testimony here.  If you buy something using one of my links I might make some commission, but that’s all.

I was just SO EXCITED to find a supplement that I could actually take that wouldn’t make my son scream for hours on end and not make my belly hurt all night, too. Continue reading

{Dairy-Free} Unprocessed Pumpkin Pie Recipe

When I was younger my grandmother always made pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, but I never liked it. Then a couple of years ago, when I was just beginning the whole foods lifestyle and trying to use up the pie pumpkins that I had been pureeing for baby food, I discovered that it wasn’t the pie I disliked but the taste of canned pumpkin!

Pumpkin pie made with real whole pumpkins that you clean, bake and scoop out yourself tastes *amazing* compared to that stuff in a can!

I also had a problem with the texture of pumpkin pie and the dairy in it made my belly hurt.  So, I did a bunch of research and testing to come up with this awesome dairy-free pumpkin/pecan pie combo that is absolutely delicious without any of the pain!  BulldozerBoy calls it ‘licious!more! but I’ve just called it the Dairy-Free Unprocessed Pumpkin Pie.  It even won accolades from great-grandpa!  I hope you like it, too.

Continue reading

{Dairy Free} Sweet Pumpkin Wontons


My latest feat in the kitchen was to fully utilize the whole 32 ounce can of pureed pumpkin in one setting. I ended up making three separate recipes and had a TON of food for not much money and not much time. All while the kids pretended to nap… for a whole hour and half. Fun!

The first two recipes were from Katie Kimball’s eBooks (Kitchen Stewardship.) I made half a recipe of pumpkin cookies from Smart Sweets and the bread version of pumpkin muffins from Healthy Snacks to Go. The pumpkin cookies were *awesome* and even got the RockstarDad seal of approval; I used cashews instead of walnuts and no spices except vanilla extract and they were *divine*! The pumpkin bread I actually followed all the directions for and it also is fabulous; I cut it up and laid it on wax paper in the freezer so I can defrost it in bits over the next month or so whenever I feel a craving for a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte come on ;)

Then I made the pumpkin “ravioli” using my own crazy non-measuring/taste-only method for the kids’ lunch tomorrow using the remainder of the pumpkin puree.  I’ve tried to replicate the recipe for you accordingly below. The flavor is slightly sweet with a satisfying crunch. I think if you were to shake a little bit of coarse-ground sea salt over the “ravioli” right after it came out of the oven they would be perfect.  What a great way for getting all those antioxidants, iron, zinc, vitamin A and fiber into the kiddos!

Sweet Pumpkin Wontons

Ingredients

  • 9oz canned pumpkin puree (This is the leftover from a 32oz can after the bread used 15oz and the cookies used 8oz.)
  • 1 Tbsp honey (or to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 dozen wonton wrappers
  • Olive Oil in Misto
  • 1 Tbsp water

Continue reading

{Dairy-Free} Samosas and Macaroons

It is a constant challenge for me to come up with meals that the whole family can eat and enjoy together.  Tonight we came upon another winner though!  I smooshed together a couple of recipes to come up with these ground-turkey samosas/hand-pies and then tweaked Katie’s recipe for coconut macaroons for dessert.  Check it out!

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Vegan Ravioli

I am still struggling with dairy-free meals for my daughter that all of us would be willing to eat.  I would not call this “ravioli” by any stretch of the imagination, however, it is a very good dish that we all enjoyed.  Even my husband liked this one!  (Note that for our toddler, we served it as dipping triangles and “sauce” since she appears to like anything colorful and dip-able – lol!) Continue reading

{Free Printable} Dairy-Free Meal Planning

Our family has all sorts of weird food allergies and dietary restrictions.  Cooking a single meal that caters to everyone’s limitations is a huge challenge – especially when I am busy and have baby-brain-drain.  Usually I spend an hour or so on Saturday morning planning out all of our meals for the week.  If I am doing really good, I finish all the grocery shopping and meal prep by Sunday afternoon.  But that doesn’t always happen.  If I am scrambling to make a meal last minute I often need a reminder of what we are allowed to eat.  In those instances, I resort to my fancy meal planning guide. Continue reading