Book Review and Giveaway: Against All Grain by Danielle Walker

I've known Danielle from Against All Grain for some time now and I can honestly say that I am consistently surprised and awed by her seemingly limitless talent and creativity. Her food creations somehow manage to be equal parts comforting, elegant, exotic and accessible, and the way she captures all that on film (or pixel) is simply stunning.



In her new cook book, Against All Grain,

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Poached Salmon w/ Coconut Cream Reduction & Arugula Micro Greens

Poached salmon is one of my favorite meals! Arugula micro greens.....my current obsession. Coconut cream and white wine reduction....do I even need to qualify THAT one? And so I give you this delicious salmon recipe that's super easy to make and yet designed to impress.



I used salmon from US Wellness Meats. In fact you'll find this recipe in it's entirety over on their site where I was the

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Easy Banana/Lime Pudding Freezer Pops (Paleo, No added sugar, Dairy/Egg/Nut Free)

Living in Texas, the summer can get a little, well.....steamy (at least for this Minnesota-raised northern girl). Don't get me wrong, summer gets plenty hot in the North too, sometimes upwards of 100 degrees. The difference is, it doesn't stay there....day and night for 30 (or 60 or 90) days straight (Gah!).



Despite the heat, I've really grown to love Texas. In fact, at this point I've

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9 Things That Make Me Feel Happy & Calm My Spirit

photo by Michael Forbes -  June 2013

1)     Listening to spiritual and/or inspirational acoustic music

Little in this world can change my mood like music can. Finding music that can reach your deepest, darkest places is pivotal. Figure out what is meaningful for your body and spirit. Whether it's hip hop, classical, death metal (my husband!), country, pop, celtic, kid's songs, christmas music... whatever genre it is, use it to help you feel better on rough days. 

2)     Going to the drug store and spending an hour reading funny birthday cards

There are always days when finding joy is hard. Simply going to the store and reading silly, funny, knee-slaping cards can ALWAYS bring a smile to my face. My husband and I often make a point of visiting the card aisle when we go grocery shopping. 

3)     Writing a real note and snail-mailing it to a friend

Because everyone, I mean EVERYONE, appreciates small hand-written notes. Whether it's a brief sentence or a full letter, you are sharing a small part of your day with someone else. It's an offering of love both to you and from you. 

4)     Slowly walking to my car in the hot, hot sunshine after spending all day in an overly air-conditioned office.

Learning to notice abundance, even in small, "everyday" things like the warmth of the sun is a priceless gift. Once you start noticing the gifts around you, others will notice them as well. Abundance is everywhere. 

5)     Reading the website: "What Money Cannot Buy"

The little things in life are truly the most valuable. When we learn to enjoy the smallest of blessings (finding a fork in my drawer at work during lunch time, when I thought I was completely out of utensils!), it makes the big blessings seem even bigger, and gives every single day endless possibilities. 

6)     Taking a LONG hot shower

The power of water can be unimaginably refreshing and rejuvenating. Soaking in hot water eases muscle tension, clears nasal sinus passages naturally (oh to breathe in allergy season!), and can clear your mind. 

7)     Making Michael an unexpected cup of hot chocolate or a batch of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.... just because

Doing small things for those who love us, especially on days when life seems blue, can be uplifting and energizing. Love the people who love you. Even when you don't feel like it. It can make a world of difference. 

8)     Baking bread or making cupcakes for other people... just because

I've always enjoyed baking and sometimes I just need the rhythmic physical-feel of baking bread or making cupcakes. Often, I don't even want to eat them, I just enjoy the act of making them. (However, don't leave me alone with a fresh loaf of bread and butter...) Sometimes, even for someone like me who rarely enjoys anything "physical fitness" related, the "physical-ness" of making something like cupcakes or bread is soothing and brings me a lot of joy. 

9)     Watching incredibly cheesy, happy-ending inspirational movies on Netflix

Need to watch something mindless, yet happy & heartwarming? Check out the inspirational movies on Netflix. Seriously, sometimes we just need to remember there ARE happy endings and not all pets die at the end of movies! Laughing at cheesy dialogue is also ridiculously fun!

What are things that make you happy & calm your spirit?? I'd love to how others relax and find peace!

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July 2013 Self-Care Retreat - Emotional & Spiritual Growth

How often do we begin a sentence with "I should have..." For instance, as I started writing this post, I wanted to say, "I should have written this post weeks ago..." And ideally that's what I meant to do.... but life is so rarely "ideal." Part of self-care is accepting and welcoming life when it isn't ideal.

Cheryl Harris (my nutritionista of awesomeness!) started the July Self-Care blogging event several years ago as a way to remember how important self-care is in our daily lives. We live such busy lives that we often forget how important it is to take care of ourselves, our-whole-selves. Generally, unless we take very good care of our whole self, it's very hard to take care of anyone or anything else!  And that means finding a way to put yourself first. I realize this sounds selfish. It kind of goes against a lot of what I learned growing up. But I've slowly learned that in order to take good care of my husband, my family, my friends, my furr-kids, my home, and my extended family... I HAVE to put myself first. I have to make sure that I am well cared for, so I can care well for everyone else in my life. 

Self-care means taking care of your whole self. Your body, your mind, and your spirit. Since we are all completely unique individuals this may mean something different for each person. You may need to focus more on your physical health, while other's may need to focus on their spiritual health or their emotional health. Finding the right balance of all three is a big part of self-care.

Over the past two years I've been really working on my journey to emotional health and spiritual health. I've done this in many different ways from coloring mandalas, to praying more, to journaling, to beginning the art of meditation... I also feel like in many ways I've been redefining my spiritual health and well-being. I've realized this plays so closely with my emotional health.

My personal religious & spiritual beliefs with God have morphed and changed a lot over the past few years. There were issues that for years and years never made sense to me as a Christian and I truly struggled with certain ideals. Over the past two-three years I've widened my beliefs and studied a lot about Buddhist practices and principles, along with traditional Catholicism, Native American spiritual beliefs, and even Judaism. I've realized that my own spiritual beliefs do not have to be boxed into any one specific category... and they never really have been. This has been a huge awakening for me.

Suddenly, I don't have to feel like I can't "believe" in a specific principle just because it doesn't fit within a certain religious guideline. In reality, I think I've always done this to a degree. There's a certain rebelliousness in believing what you want no matter what your specific religious background is... but to finally give yourself permission to change and grow and allow your beliefs to do the same is extraordinarily freeing.

It's also particularly fun and liberating to realize that you may NEVER stop growing and changing and redefining who you truly are as a person. I love having this new understanding of myself!

At the beginning of August I will share more about a few techniques I've been using to help myself grow, along with finding peace and joy in the "every day-ness" of life. It's been a life-changing few months for me, and I look forward to seeing the ways you have grown & changed too in the past few years of your life.

Many bloggers have participated in this year's July Self-Care Retreat. Please visit their websites and posts on the many different ways you can incorporate self-care into your life. 

• June 28th: Me! Cheryl of Gluten-Free Goodness
• July 6th: Valerie of City Life Eats
• July 13th: Shirley of Gluten Free Easily (GFE)
• July 20st: Iris of My Fairy Angel (you probably also know her from The Daily Dietribe)
• July 27th Kate of Eat, Recycle Repeat
• Aug 3rd Carrie of Ginger Lemon Girl 

Before we get into the “rules” (of the self-care retreat blog posts), know that the main “rule” is to relax, enjoy, take good care of yourself and have fun.

Why join us? Because self-care takes a village, too.

These posts are to inspire you all to make July a month of reflecting on self-care and the many ways to nourish ourselves. We encourage everyone to participate in this event in a way that feels appropriate to them, whether through making different choices around food, adding in movement, personal reflection, journaling or other self-care. If you would like to share your experience with self-care, we would love to include you in the experience, whether you join us for one week or every week. We ask that you link back to this post so that more people can learn about this retreat, and leave a comment for the weekly theme host, too! That way, we can make sure we see your post and that you’re entered into the drawing.

2013 Posts thus Far:

Cheryl's Self-Care Goals 2013 GF Goodness

Guest Post from Linda on Self-Care

July Self-Care Goals on City|Life|Eats

Wrap up and July Challenge on Eat, Recycle, Repeat

13 Self-Care Lessons from the Masters GF Goodness

Curious about past retreats? Recaps for July Retreats 2011 & 2012 are here:

http://www.gfgoodness.com/2012/08/05/a-july-self-retreat-recap/

http://www.gfgoodness.com/2011/08/11/4117/

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So we went camping this weekend...

It rained... A LOT....

Needless to say it was a very short camping trip!

Have any of your plans been rained out lately?? Did you do something fun anyway?

Before we decided to leave the campground on Saturday morning, we were able to use a small table top grill for dinner on Friday night. We grilled all-beef hotdogs, fresh corn on the cob, and of course marshmallows! It was delicious and simple and still fun despite being surrounded by water on all sides!

I hope to post more in the next few weeks. I've been on a blogging/social media hiatus of sorts and it always seems hard for me to get back in the swing of things when I've taken a break.

Here's hoping your summer hasn't been quite as rainy as ours! (On the good side, we are in NO danger of a drought this year!)

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the BEST Beef Enchiladas

The Best Beef Enchiladas

This is a wonderful dish full of flavour with mouth watering tender beef! It takes 3 hours to cook but is worth every minute.

Serves 4

Preparation time:  10 minutes

Cooking time:  3 hours

Ingredients

900g stewing steak, cut into 1 inch cubes

Sea salt & pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 red onions, peeled & blitzed in a food processor

1 tbsp chilli powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

4 cloves of garlic, peeled & crushed

900ml tomato passatta

60ml red wine

1 tbsp brown sugar

250g cheddar cheese, grated

8 flour tortillas

To serve

Sour cream

Mixed Salad

Preparation method

1.  Preheat the oven to 160°C/300°F/Gas mark 3.  Pat dry the beef with kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper.

2.  In a large oven proof casserole dish heat 1 tbsp of oil and add half the beef, brown all over and set aside.  Add another tbsp of oil and brown the remaining beef and then remove from the dish.

3.  Add the onions with ½ tsp salt, cook until softened.  Return the beef to the dish along with any juices, add the spices with ¼ tsp of pepper.  Cook until the spices become very fragrant, stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

4.  Add the tomato sauce, wine and sugar and bring to the boil.  Cover tightly and place in the oven for 2 – 2 ½ hours until the meat is very tender.

5.  Remove the casserole from the oven and scoop the meat out of the dish and place in a large bowl and shred it with two folks.  Add a couple of spoonfuls of sauce to the beef.

6.  Increase the oven temperature to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.  Spoon a large tbsp of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, spread it out to cover.

7.  Stir half the grated cheese into the shredded beef.  Spoon 1/8 of the beef filling into a tortilla, roll it up tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish.  Repeat this and once you have filled all the tortillas spoon the remaining sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and cover the baking dish with foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and allow to bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the topping has melted and is browning.

7.  Serve with a topping of sour cream and mixed salad, enjoy!

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Crock Pot Turkey Breast with Cranberry Gravy

Turkey the easy way!

 Put your turkey breast in the crock pot.

Combine sauce ingredients; pour over the top.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper or 

a house blend. 

Cover and cook for about 8 hours.

 Shake a little cornstarch and water in a jar.

Whisk into the sauce and let it thicken on high.

Whisk occasionally for about 10 minutes while the

turkey rests.

 slice

 This makes a very moist turkey. Perfect

leftovers for sandwiches during the week.

Serve with mashed potatoes and plenty
of cranberry gravy. Try this the next
time you're in the mood for turkey but
 not the work. You'll be thankful!

Crock Pot Cranberry Turkey

1 turkey breast, 5-7 lbs

1 pkg dry onion soup mix

15-oz can whole berry

cranberry sauce

1/2 C orange juice,

 chicken broth or wine

salt & pepper

Spray the pot with Pam. 

Put the breast inside.

Combine the ingredients and pour

over. Sprinkle with s&p.

Cover and cook on low for 

6-8 hours

Remove the breast to a platter and

let rest while you make the gravy.

Gravy

Turn the heat to high.

Combine 2-3T cornstarch with 1/2 C

water in a jar and shake to blend.

Add to the broth in the pot and

 whisk to combine. Cover and cook another

5-10 minutes, whisking a few times. 

Serve with the sliced turkey and

mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!

Links: Between Naps On The Porch,
Confessions Of A Plate Addict,
Coastal Charm, A Stroll Thru Life,
Savvy Southern Style

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Bubble & Squeak Cakes with Smoky Bacon, Poached Eggs and Hollandaise Sauce

A delicious brunch and a fantastic alternative to the “classic” Eggs Benedict!

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Bubble & Squeak Cakes

500g floury potatoes, peeled & chopped

125g green cabbage, shredded

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to fry the potato cakes

3 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped

1 shallot, peeled & chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled & crushed

3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

3 tbsp plain flour

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Hollandaise Sauce

3 large free-range eggs, yolks only

½ lemon, juice only

250g/9oz butter, melted

pinch white pepper and salt

For the poached eggs

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

4 large free-range eggs

To Serve

4 rashers of smoked bacon, grilled

Preparation method

1.  In a pan of lightly salted water boil the potatoes for 15 minutes, drain well and mash in the pan.  In another pan of boiling water blanch the cabbage for 2 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper.

2.  Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and fry until crisp, remove from the pan and set aside. Now add the shallot and garlic and fry gently until softened.

3.  Mix through the shallot and garlic to the potato, cabbage, bacon, chopped parsley and season to taste.  Set aside to cool.

4.  Divide the mixture into four and shape into cakes then toss in seasoned flour.  In a large frying pan heat 1cm of oil and fry the cakes for 3 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on kitchen paper and set aside in a warm oven.

5.  To make the hollandaise, place the egg yolks, lemon juice and one tablespoon of water in the bowl of a food processor. Turn on and mix for one minute. With the motor still running very slowly, trickle the warm melted butter through the funnel on the lid of the processor. The sauce will slowly start to thicken. When all the butter has been incorporated, scrape the side of the bowl and give one final pulse. Season with salt and a little white pepper. You should have a rich buttery sauce.

6.  To poach the eggs bring two litres of water to the boil with the vinegar. Lower the heat so the water is not bubbling.  Break the eggs into separate ramekins or cups. Slide the eggs into the water and leave to poach 2-3 minutes.

7.  To serve, place a bubble & squeak cake on a plate and top with bacon and a poached egg, spoon over some sauce.  Enjoy!

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Delicious Beef Kebabs

Beef Kebabs

These kebabs are absolutely delicious – juicy beef, crunchy nuts, oozing cheese and fresh herbs all encased in a crispy tortilla!

Serves 4

Preparation time:  10 minutes

Cooking time:  15 minutes

Ingredients

400g minced beef

1 tsp ground cumin

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing

4 tbsp natural yogurt

4 flour tortillas

50g walnuts, chopped

125g mozzarella, drained & sliced

1 handful fresh mint, roughly chopped

1 handful of flat leaf parsley

4 spring onions, finely sliced

1 lemon, zest only

To serve

Lemon wedges

Summer Salad

Preparation method

1.  Preheat the grill to high.  In a large bowl mix the minced beef with the cumin and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.  Divide the mince into 8 sausage shapes and brush with olive oil.

2.  Place the kebabs under the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and tender.

3.  Meanwhile place a tablespoon of natural yogurt onto each of the tortillas and spread with the back of a spoon.  Then add equal quantities of the walnuts, mozzarella, mint, parsley, spring onions, lemon zest and a good sprinkling of pepper.

4.  Place two kebabs on top of the tortillas and roll up tightly, tucking in the edges.  In a large frying pan heat the oil and add the kebabs frying 1 minute on each side until golden brown and crispy.

5.  To serve, cut the kebabs in half and serve with a summer salad and a wedge of lemon, enjoy!

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Crock Pot Sausage & Peppers

I usually make sausage and peppers on top of

the stove, but sometimes I like to assemble

everything late morning when I have the time

and l know I will be out or busy most of the day.

It's nice not to have to fuss with dinner when 

I arrive home late or tired. I let this 

 slow cook all day and then I just need to boil
the pasta when it's time for dinner while I unwind
 and enjoy a glass of red wine. 

To the crock pot add: the sausage and peppers cut
into bite-size pieces, the chopped onion and garlic,
the seasonings. Add the spaghetti sauce.

 Add a little wine to the jar and swish around.

 Add to the pot and stir it all to combine.

 tip: I love to reuse these Mason jars. HERE, HERE.

 Combine all the ingredients, cover and cook
on low for 6-7 hours. Cook your 1/2 box penne

and stir into the pot before serving.

Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Easy!

Crock Pot Sausage & Peppers

  with Penne

3/4- 1lb hot Italian sausage cut into pieces

1 large green pepper, diced

1/2 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, smashed or chopped

1 t Italian seasoning

(1/4 t red papper flakes only 

if using mild sausage)

Pasta sauce, 24-26oz jar 

(they keep changing the size!)

1/2C red wine

~~~~~~~~

Combine all ingredients, adding the wine to the

 empty pasta sauce  jar to swish out all the 

sauce before adding. Cover and cook on low for

 7 hours. Before serving add, 

 8oz cooked penne to the pot and stir

 to combine. serve with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Links: Between Naps On The Porch,
Coastal Charm, A Stroll Thru Life,
Confessions Of A Plate Addict,
Stone Gable, Savvy Southern Style,
Designs By Gollum, Common Ground,
My Romantic Home, The Charm Of Home

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Smoked Ham & Apple Butternut Squash Hash AND Beyond Bacon Book Review

At this point, if you follow our blog, there's a very good chance that you've already heard quite a bit about Beyond Bacon, either from us or from any number of other Paleo bloggers out there. You might even be asking yourself, "What's the point of another review on Beyond Bacon?" Well the point of this review is not just to tell you how amazing this book is, from it's gorgeous cover to

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All You Need is Love & Creamy Apricot Chicken Salad (Egg/Mayo Free)

For me, being with family after a long stretch is like coming home. Be it months, years, days or even hours......time with family conjures up all the weaving history of hardship and laughter and trials and joy that has shaped me into the person I am today. It's this sense of nostalgia that reminds me to be ever grateful for all that I have been blessed to have: precious healing, moments of

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Chicken & Mushroom Pasta Bake

Chicken & Mushroom Pasta Bake

A deliciously creamy comforting pasta dish that is full of flavour, perfect for a midweek meal.

Serves 4

Preparation time:  15 minutes

Cooking time:  45 minutes

Ingredients

25g dried porcini mushrooms

1 tbsp olive oil

6 chicken thighs, boned, skinned & cut into bite sized pieces

Sea Salt & freshly ground pepper

2 cloves of garlic, peeled & finely chopped

350g chestnut mushrooms, chopped

200ml white wine
500 ml double cream

500g dried linguine

200g Parmesan cheese, grated

10 basil leaves, torn

Preparation method

1.  Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

2.  Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl of boiling water that just covers the mushrooms.  Soak for a few minutes and set aside.

3.  In a large frying pan heat the olive oil, season the chicken and gently brown in the pan. 

4.  Now add the porcini mushrooms including the water, garlic and fresh mushrooms.  Add the wine and simmer gently until the wine has reduced slightly.

5.  Meanwhile cook the spaghetti as per packet instructions and drain well.  Add the cream to the chicken and bring to the boil the remove from the heat.

6.  Add the drained spaghetti, basil and add ¾ of the Parmesan cheese, stir through.  Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with ½ the remaining cheese.  Place in the oven and bake until golden & crisp.  To serve divide between warmed serving plates, enjoy!

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Thai Beef Curry

Thai Beef Curry

This is a delicious melt in the mouth Thai beef curry – a great alternative to Thai Green Curry! 

Serves 2-3

Preparation time:  20 minutes

Cooking time:  1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

500g braising steak, cut into 1cm slices

500ml coconut milk

Curry Paste

6 cloves of garlic, peeled & finely chopped

4 stalks of lemongrass, finely chopped

1 tbsp freshly chopped ginger

2 shallots, peeled & finely chopped

½ tsp dried chillies

1 green birds eye chilli, chopped

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp shrimp paste

1 tbsp palm sugar

60ml water

To Serve

Basmati rice, cooked as per packet instructions

1 lime, cut into wedges

Small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped

Preparation method

1.  Heat a large frying pan with a lid and add the braising steak.  Pour over the coconut milk and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on.

2.  Meanwhile place all the curry paste ingredients into a blender until you have a paste.

3.  When the steak has simmered for 45 minutes add the curry paste and mix through.  Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

4.  Remove the pan from he heat and let rest for 20 minutes whilst preparing the rice.  Reheat the curry and serve with the rice, wedge of lime and a sprinkling of coriander.  Enjoy!

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