Travel Tactics, Foodie Style

Our first road trip in years. Little G doesn't normally do well on long drives, so we keep the travel minimal. But sometimes travel is necessary, and this is one of those times. Now comes the predicament of real food. I cringe at the thought of gas station snacks and "chili's" type restaurant chains.

Reality check, we are going to have to eat some foods that normally we wouldn't. We are road tripping, it can't be completely avoided. So now the question is what can we do to reduce toxins, insulin sugar spikes, and keep regular eliminations, etc.? After putting in some good research I put together the kit pictured above. It is a compilation of our current regiment with a few new goodies!

We have some old faithfuls joining us, like our fermented cod liver oil.

Which is like the "nectar of the gods" for your body.

We are also bringing my all time favorite wildflower honey, for my morning coffee and J's Water ACV solution.

Another "regular" in our house is Kombucha; we are bringing about half a dozen of them to drink throughout the trip. I could go into a very long explanation of all the benefits they give, but that would take up the entire post. Google it, and be amazed.

In the event we get a case of the munchies/breakfast, I am packing our *new* favorite organic, sprouted cereals; the cinnamon raisin is for me!

Also part of our usual regimen, Activator X! We get ours from raw Gouda. Love me some K2! I am bringing a small brick of it in the ice chest. It will be nibbled on throughout the trip.

Since we will be eating a lot of acidic (restaurant) foods, I would normally want to bring a juicer; and pump out lots of green veggie drinks to help balance out our pH levels and mitigate the toxins. But J said I can't bring this with us.

He says it's too big and bulky. Psssshhhhh. SO, I am bringing these.

And this.

And fresh organic lemons and grapefruits (not all are pictured).

Our Green Variance travel packets will sub for our "green drinks" since we can't haul the juicer and produce. We just empty them into water and drink. Bye-bye toxins!

We will also be doing our lemon water cleanse every morning with a touch of cayenne pepper for an metabolic boost. We don't want any travel food sitting in our digestive organs longer than absolutely necessary. I am so thankful for my stainless steel lemon "juicer." It travels so easily. I love helping our livers help us!

Last, but not least; we have packed a few grapefruits. I will be juicing them by hand with my small citrus juicer (pictured above). After any meal that is sure to spike our insulin levels, we will be having a glass of it freshly squeezed. Grapefruit juice will bring the insulin levels down and settle them.

I am really excited about these additions to our excursion, getting some quality family time away from distractions, and a little road time. While "Real Food" is a significant part of our life, it isn't the focus of this trip. I will still be diligent with our "travel kit," make the best choices I can when we are eating out, and squeeze in some cardio when I can. But, I am also going to enjoy my meal (regardless where it came from), enjoy the fact that I did not have to cook it, and above all else; enjoy the company I am eating it with. :)

Buckwheat Scalloped Potatoes

Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, and  Easy on the Digestive System.

Ingredients List:
4 cups of thinly sliced organic potatoes
4 tablespoons of pasture raised butter
4 tablespoons of sprouted organic buckwheat flour
1 3/4 cups of pasture raised milk
1 teaspoon of pink himalayan salt
2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons of your favorite cajun seasoning mix
1 1/2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cups of grated raw cheddar cheese, to sprinkle on top
1 tsp of paprika

One bite and your hubby will love you forever.

Preparation Instructions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the buckwheat flour until smooth.
Let it sit for a minute off the heat.
Add all the milk, stirring with a whisk.
Whisk in the salt and cayenne pepper.
Whisk in the cajun seasoning mix.Cook sauce on medium low until smooth, and lightly boiling. Stir occasionally.
Reduce heat and stir in the cheese.
Place half of the potatoes in a six cup casserole dish.
Pour half the cheese sauce over the potatoes.
Repeat with second layer of potatoes with cheese sauce.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Sprinkle on the paprika for color.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Eat Anchovies???

They look SO Gross when cooked haha!!

This Happened.

Honest to goodness, happened.

I lived to tell the tale.

I am even going to serve them to my husband.

**Gasp!**

What?! "I'm off my rocker?!?!"

Hate to break it you, but you are way past fashionably late to that party. ;)

Now, you ask; "Why would I eat that.." Or recommend anyone else do so??

Two Words: CONTAMINATION & COST

Contamination: Being lower on the food chain, gives the anchovy the benefit of fewer toxins; since it mostly feeds on plankton. So while I love to cook up a gourmet meal with some of our bigger fish favorites... anchovies are something I can serve, with something even greater, peace of mind.

Cost: I get a lot of the same nutrients (and some different ones, like Choline) as I would from their bigger fish counterparts, for a fraction of the price. With the price of our grocery bill these days, this is beyond good news. SO, yes, you can feed your family well; even on a budget! :) Not to mention, all that wonderful unsaturated fat anchovies come with!! Hooray for heart health!

This was my first taste of anchovies. Jonathan (my wonderful hubby) sat and watched with chagrin as I ate my way through my first slice of Anchovy Pizza (I thought a familiar food might be the way to go with something WAY outside of my comfort zone). The experience was enlightening. AND I learned a few things.

Here's my Do's & Dont's of Anchovies:

#1. Turns out anchovies are realllllyyyy salty, don't add pepperonis; true story.

#2. For your first time, eat them alone. In a dark room. Or else, that really cute guy eating with you (albeit, he's eating something totally different) will describe those little anchovies in the most terrifying way.

"There is HAIR growing out of IT!! YOU ARE EATING HAIR!!!!"

This is not helpful. Granted, very humorous for said cute guy, but not helpful for the first few bites (don't worry, you can't even tell it has bones when you're chewing, I know that now). But since you heard the "hair" story, I suggest a dark/dim room for the first time around, sometimes it's just easier not to see them.

#3. They taste fishy. Yes, I know that's a given; but I kind of expected something different. So, I was shocked when it tasted like I bit into a fresh fish market; you know like the one on Free Willy. If there was a taste for the fresh fishy smell, this would be it.

#4. After you adjusted to the anchovy taste and finished off your dinner; give that stinker of a cutie one BIG fishy kiss, and sweetly remind him that the "hairy" fish will be popping up on the dinner menu in the very near future. ;) *goodtimes* :)

Overall, it was a good experience. And I look forward to the day that we look back and laugh at what anchovy novice's we were. :)

This is the jar of fun I have, packaged in Olive Oil; much better for you.

Organic Snickerdoodle Cheesecake

When my husband heard "snickerdoodles" and "cheesecake" in the same sentence, he practically did a 180. My man is serious about his food, especially my desserts lol! :) Needless to say, the first chance I had to whip up something sweet it was this...

Snickerdoodle Cheesecake

Seriously, I think snickerdoodle is one of our favorite holiday flavors. It is subtle, and offers us another option apart from the usual suspects. Alright, let's get down to the nitty gritty goodness of snickerdoodle cheesecake makin'!

In order to make the cheesecake crust, we need to bake a batch of snickerdoodles. There will be plenty of extras for snacking, silver lining! :)

Snickerdoodle Cookies
1 cup organic or raw butter, softened
1 1/2 cups organic raw cane sugar
1 teaspoon organic baking soda
1 teaspoon organic cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon organic salt
2 organic pasture raised eggs
1 teaspoon organic vanilla
3 cups organic all-purpose flour
1/4 cup organic raw cane sugar
2 teaspoons organic ground cinammon

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with a sturdy whisk until creamy. Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Mix in the flour 1/2 a cup at a time, with a sturdy spatula; until well incorporated. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 2 inch balls. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Makes 36 cookies.

Snickerdoodle Cheesecake
2 8-ounce packages organic cream cheese
3 organic pasture raised eggs, lightly beaten
13 Organic Snickerdoodle Cookies, finely crushed (recipe above)
3/4 cup organic or raw butter, melted
1 8-ounce carton organic sour cream
1 cup organic raw cane sugar
2 tablespoons organic all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons organic vanilla
1/2 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon organic raw cane sugar
1 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon

1. Allow cream cheese and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, in a medium bowl stir together crushed cookies and melted butter until combined. Press mixture onto the bottom and 1 3/4 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sour cream, the 1 cup sugar, the flour, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with a sturdy whisk until smooth. Stir in eggs.
3. Stir together the 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour cream cheese mixture into crust-lined pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place pan in a shallow baking pan.
4. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a 2 1/2-inch area around outside edge appears set when gently shaken. Cool in springform pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a small sharp knife, loosen crust from the sides of pan; cool cheesecake completely on wire rack. Cover and chill for at least four hours before serving. Makes 12 servings.

*adapted from BH&G fine cooking

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Repurposed Nightstand

My husband is always poking fun at my picky great taste in decorating our little house. He finds it incredulous that I will live in an empty house rather than decorate it with anything I do NOT love. I am one of those crazy people that believes you should surround yourself with things you love, have meaning, are aesthetic, practical, and can be well loved. Which has made "decorating" really hard. I have shopped at ridiculously overpriced furniture shops, and have found things I liked... But not loved. So being me, a crazy DIY-er, I began buying up furniture a few years back off of Craigslist (Yes, there was a big DIY community in the blogging world long before Pinterest lol!). :) It had to be real, sturdy hard wood, with beautiful details, and the potential to be a perfect fit for my heart's desire. I now have a small collection of ugly brown antique furniture that has been just waiting for me to have the time and room to give them new life. And by the grace of God, I have recently acquired a little of both. My sweet husband is very relieved happy to finally start seeing furniture in the house. However, until I finish all the major pieces; I won't hang anything on the walls. This is probably the bane of his existence. Thankfully, he loves me more than picture frames. :)

This is the nightstand I scored for like no money, and it had no knobs.

Desperately needing some TLC

After some sanding, primer, paint, glaze, sealant, new hardware, and love... This is what I now have!

My taste exactly, loving it!

I LOVE it more than anything I could buy, even from potterybarn (and I freakin' love PB!!)!! It matches my taste perfectly! And that hubby loves that it cost him almost nothing except patience. Well, maybe he does mind all that patience. ;)

SO, all you picky awesome decorators; never underestimate the power of working with your hands to create something so perfectly you. :)

Organic Chipotle Shrimp Tacos!!!

This is possibly my husband's FAVORITE dish! And it's nothing fancy, at all. It's just shrimp tacos. But according to him, they are almost "other-worldly" haha! Well apparently my husband LOVES them SO much that I feel bad not sharing them with you all! Since we are a real-food family, this recipe is too, but I promise it tastes SO much better! 

I suggest making the sauce, slaw, and tortillas ahead of time; for saving time and letting flavors marinate. :)

MOUTH WATERING!

To Assemble: Fill tortillas with shrimp, cover liberally with sauce, and then toss on the slaw. Enjoy!

Basic Tortilla Recipe

• 4 cups of sprouted organic flour
• 1 teaspoon of organic salt
• 2 teaspoons of organic baking powder
• 2 tablespoons of grass-fed, homemade rendered lard
• 1 1/2 cups of water

Preparation Instructions:
Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

Organic Chipotle Shrimp

• 2 lbs. Wild Caught Fresh Shrimp
• 2 C. Pasture Raised Butter
• 1/2 c.Organic Worcestershrire Sauce
• 2 Tbl. Ogranic Minced Garlic
• 10 slices of Pasture-Raised Bacon, diced and cooked
• 1 White Organic Onion, diced
• Organic Cayenne Pepper
• Organic Mexican Seasoning Mix

Preparation Instructions:
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Add the worcestershire sauce, and then add the minced garlic. Stir the mixture, letting it warm up over low heat. Peel and de-vein your shrimp while stirring intermittently. Lay the shrimp out flat in a shallow baking dish and cover both sides liberally with the seasonings. After they are well coated to your taste pour the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Let the shrimp "marinate" while the bacon cooks.

In a large, deep skillet fry the diced bacon over medium-high heat until done. Remove the bacon to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the shrimp and chipotle chiles; cook 4 minutes or until done (this may take a few batches so distribute the chipotle chiles evenly among the batches). Remove and place the shrimp into the same bowl as the bacon.

Now add the diced onion and saute it in the pan before placing it in the mixing bowl also. Then toss the mixture until it is evenly distributed.

Organic Cole Slaw

• 1/2 head Organic Cabbage, sliced thin
• 1/2 head Organic Purple Cabbage, sliced thin
• 1 whole organic jalepeno, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup organic or raw milk
• 1/2 cup Organic Mayonnaise or Fermented Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Organic White Vinegar
• 1 T Raw Cane Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt
• 1/4 tsp Organic Cayenne Pepper
• 1 bunch of Organic Cilantro, roughly chopped

Preparation Instructions:
Combine shredded cabbage and sliced jalepenos in a bowl. In a seperate bowl mix milk, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Pour over cabbage.  Add Cilantro. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
*By Ree Drummond

Organic Chipotle Sauce

• 1 organic chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 organic teaspoon cumin
• 4 teaspoons raw organic honey
• 1 cup organic plain greek yogurt 
• 4 tablespoons organic mayonnaise 
• 1 teaspoon organic salt

Preparation Instructions:
Place all ingredients in blender. Blend on high, until sauce is no longer lumpy. Store in a air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Organic "Starbucks" Pumpkin Scones Recipe

The most delicious scone on the planet. No lie.

With fall right around the corner I began a desperate search for pie pumpkins, yeah, that was a month ago. I had pumpkin scones on the brain BIG time, and they had to be these! I spent an afternoon pouring over different "starbucks" recipes, but none seemed just right. So, this is what I came up with. I hope the directions are clear, but if not, please ask questions; I love questions! And for all that is good and holy, please DON'T use pumpkin from a metal cylinder. Seriously, don't, or I will hunt you down; annnddd throw away your scones. Ok, not really, but your scones just won't be as awesome. Organic homemade pumpkin puree ya'll, it will change your life. I hope ya'll enjoy these as much as we have! Go Organic, or go home! :)

Ingredients for the Scones:

• 4 cups organic all-purpose flour
• 14 Tablespoons raw organic sugar
• 2 Tablespoon organic baking powder
• 1 teaspoon organic salt
• 1 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon organic ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon organic  ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon organic ground ginger
• 12 Tablespoons organic unsalted cold butter (I toss mine in the freezer for like 20 min.)
• 1 cup fresh organic pumpkin purée 
• 6 Tablespoons organic half-and-half
• 2 large organic brown eggs

Ingredients for the White Glaze:

•  2 cups organic powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoon organic powdered sugar
• 4 Tablespoons organic whole milk

Ingredients for Spiced Glaze:

•  2 cups organic powdered sugar
• 6 Tablespoons organic powdered sugar
• 4 Tablespoons organic whole milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 pinches of organic ginger
• 2 pinches of organic ground cloves

 Scones Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

3.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.

4. Cut butter into 1/2 in. cubes and sprinkle them into flour mixture.

5. With a pastry blender work the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and butter is no larger than the size of peas. Set aside.

5.  In a separate mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin, half and half, and egg.

6.  Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients with a rubber spatula, form the dough into two balls.

7.  Roll out dough balls onto a floured surface and form them into two separate 1-inch thick rectangles (about 9 inches long and 13 inches wide).

8.  Use a large knife to slice the rectangles into three equal rectangular portions (vertically). Cut each little rectangle into two squares, and then diagonally cut the squares to produce 12 triangular slices of dough (you should end up with a total of 24 rectangular slices).

9.  Place on prepared baking sheet, shake excess flour from the slices. I used a pastry scraper to pick up some of my slices, even with the flour some of the slices wanted to stick. I baked mine in two batches, so I could reuse the cookie sheet.

10.  Bake for 14–16 minutes until scones turn light brown.

11.  Place on wire rack to cool.

Sugar Glaze Directions:

1.  Whisk the powdered sugar and 4 Tablespoons of milk together until smooth (if mixture seems too thick add milk one tablespoon at a time until the texture reaches your satisfaction).

2.  Brush glaze over the top of each cooled scone.

Spiced Glaze Directions:

1.  As sugar glaze firms, combine the spiced icing ingredients.

2.  Use a fork to drizzle  the glaze over each scone and allow to dry before serving.

Makes 24 pumpkin scones.

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Free Pretty Things By You
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