September 17, 2013

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I’ve been cooking and drinking and eating up a ton lately.  With the start of my new bootcamp, I’ve had a veracious appetite, and to fuel my body with good food, and so I don’t fall prey to bad crap, I’ve continued to try new recipes and drink concoctions.  I’m trying to cut back on coffee and wine just a bit, so I’ve started making tea lattes and venturing into new drink territory.  I said I was trying to cut back on wine, not alcohol.  Here’s what I’ve whipped up lately. I used this cucumber jalapeno margarita recipe as a base, but it was weak sauce and way too sour. The jalapeno flavor was barely noticeable too, so I added a whole jalapeno cut lenghtwise, and let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes. I obviously added more tequila too, and a splash of soda would have set it off something fierce. But with the added tequila and extra jalapeno it was pretty spectacular. I’ve ordered tea lattes the last couple of times I was in Peet’s, and loved them, so ventured to make my own at home. Using your favorite tea of choice (I used earl grey because it’s high in flavor and caffeine and won’t get lost amidst the steamed milk), fill your mug with half hot water, half steamed milk and a good dose of foam, and some honey. Let steep for at least 3-5 minutes and enjoy. Just as good as the ones at Peet’s and cheaper. We have this frother by Keurig and love it. Last night I made my favorite dish from my childhood; Meat and Potato Tacos. I have been craving potatoes the past few days, probably because I need the extra starchy carbs you get from them. Anyhow, I used the lamb from Primal Pastures, and to save money only used 1 pound, and added in extra diced potatoes. You can use ground beef, ground turkey, or in this case ground lamb. Fry up the ground meat with half diced onion and salt and pepper until browned. Add 1-2 large russet potatoes, finely diced, and stir in. Cover your lid and let cook, stirring occasionally every few minutes, until potatoes are nice and soft, usually for at least 15 minutes. Using 2 large potatoes we fed 4 adults and 3 kids, and we each had 2 tacos, so adjust accordingly. The leftovers are plentiful and magnificent for lunch, so don’t worry about making extra. Grab some corn tortillas and heat up olive oil in a small skillet. Fry up each side of the taco until just slightly soft, allowing you to bend them in half easily. Once you can bend, fry up the taco shell for about 2-3 minutes per side so they’re a nice combo of soft yet crunchy. I don’t like mine really crunchy, so fry longer if you do. Line a plate with a few paper towels to absorb the grease. Serve alongside garnishes of lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and salsa.

Also, I’ve had quite a few questions about the meat I’m getting from Primal Pastures.  You place an order online and then choose your pick up spot based off of your location.  Obviously this is for Southern California residents only, but if you’re interested in finding similar type farms who are raising pastured meat in your area, check out Eat Wild. This morning I made these Nut Butter Breakfast Quesadillas, and the kids were all, “What is this mom?” Once they tried them though, they ate every last bite. I served some vanilla yogurt along side them and they dipped pieces of the quesadilla in teh yogurt. Grab 2 whole wheat tortillas and spread with the nut butter of your choice. Add in your seasonal fruit toppings; we used sliced bananas, blueberries and strawberries, and then sprinkle on some cacoa nibs, some chia seeds (both optional but both yummy and loaded with amazing nutrients for you all), and drizzle some maple syrup on top. Place the second tortilla on top, and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes, just to warm it up, then broil for 1 minute to get it nice and toasty on top. So so good and the kitchen smelled amazing first thing in the morning!

For all more food photos, please make sure to follow my Gwyneth Made Me Do It instagram account.

My Writing Elsewhere!

Been writing up a storm in September and about food topics I’m grown to be really passionate about.  I would appreciate it and love for you to read and share if you feel so inclined.  To be forthcoming, I have monthly page view goals to meet each month on my Gwyneth Made Me Do It column, so every little extra bit helps.  Now, off of the hard sell and onto the topics!

Confused by all those food labels on meat and eggs and poultry these days?  I was, and was really disappointed to learn that cage free eggs are just a marketing ploy really to get us to feel okay with spending more money on eggs that aren’t nutritionally better or from happy chickens.  Read all about labels in this post (I discuss grass fed/grass finished and all the other labels popping up all over these days). Need healthy food inspiration on Instagram?  Here are 10 beautiful accounts I’ve grown to love.  See them all in here in this post. At Disney Baby, I shared in photos Hayden’s 1st year.  It was so awesome to see how much he changed each month, and I talked about his development, milestones and physical changes month by month.  You can raed abotu Hayden’s 1st year in this post.  I also shared even more nursing style tips in this post.

I discuss 8 ways to help babies fight off flu and colds this season through food in this post.

Hayden is a changing, and here’s how.

Thank you for all your support and patience as I continue to figure out how to juggle these extra writing assignments.  I truly appreciate it.

Now off to get baby, he’s up from his nap!  Have a great day!