we've been having such a great time revamping our family eating habits. now i'm being honest - i'd let us get so far from where we should be that it has taken serious determination and genuine, consistent communication to begin re-educating our mindset and our palates.

i discovered, for instance, that our second (a teenage boy) does not like almonds.  he's tested sensitive to them in the past, too - go figure.  so in paring back grains and incorporating more nuts, i've started experimenting with pecan meal or walnut flour.  

i also got a talking-to from our three teen swimmers who didn't think they were eating enough.  i've had to get creative about snack options, and they're learning at the same time that with more nutrient-dense foods, they need to eat less at one sitting.

but we're getting somewhere.  we're eating more intentionally, and it's working.  skin is improving.  we're feeling fuller.  we're eating delicious foods!

like this one.  in partnering with "beef: it's what's for dinner" this month, i've bought some more pricey cuts of beef, and we're feasting.  try this recipe, for instance (click to go to allrecipes.com recipe link!).

Greek Seasoned T-Bone Steaks with Cucumber and Tomato Salad

i doubled the tomato and cucumber salad and actually ate leftovers for breakfast the next day with chopped turkey!

i'm thinking you could do a more inexpensive cut of meat with this seasoning, but oh man, the crispy marbled fat is delish.

eating nourishing food is a blessing.  let me know if you try this!

after a full week of being "back in the saddle" of choosing my foods for nutrition and flavor, i'm excited to partner with "Beef, It's What's For Dinner," to feature some delicious and nutritious recipes. 

as i've worked toward increasing our protein and whole foods, including lots of fresh produce, i found this little tidbit to be very educational...

 

over the next few weeks, i'll be sharing some delicious beef recipes, and this was really helpful to me, to see all the good stuff they'll contain.

do you have a favorite beef recipe?

 

 

on putting first things, first

over the last year i've noticed that the more i fail to put "first things, first," the less actually gets done. it goes something like this: 

stay up late trying to "get stuff done." get hungry so late, eat something yummy that's terrible for the body. go to bed exhausted. sleep fitfully. 

wake.  roll out of bed, sore and tired from the night before.

stumble into family devos, then off to the office to work more.

get distracted, hungry and tired, and eat something non-nutritious that may, if i'm lucky, feel good for the moment.  but not fill me for the day.

roll through the day in a blur, trying to "get it all done."

break for dinner with the fam, and begin again.

there are moments of sweetness...

we've gone from full-place-settings, cloth linens, to paper-plates-and-grab-it-fast.

on a good night, there is laughter and good food.  on an average night, it's scramble-and-gobble before or after a sporting event, or between editing photo galleries.

and i'm not "full."  i'm running after satisfaction, but i've got it out of order.
i'm trying to make "it" all happen myself.  work hard.  get more clients.  edit, edit, edit.
work, work, work.

but the sweetnesses are less and less, and the inspiration, creativity and passion begin taking a backseat to productivity.  the sparks of joy never burst into flame because they must be tamed to
get stuff done.

and the irony?  i'm never "done."  always running, never arriving.

the joy is in the journey, right?  i've forgotten!  the satisfaction is in knowing i'm celebrating as i run, listening for the voice of the Papa who made me to guide me, to remind me what the dance is all about.

i'm headed back to satisfaction in the One who can satisfy.

i'm starting with boundaries - no more settling for artificial foods, artificial fun... i'm going back to cooking what we know will nourish our bodies and our palates.  less burning the midnight oil, and more rising before the crew and spending time with my Papa, entering my day refreshed and ready.  for His agenda.  :)

just keepin' it real.  :)

summer grillin'

it's summer, and the grillin' is fine. except i'm no grill master, and i'd like to be! i enjoyed this lil' post with some basic tips. maybe i'll steal the grill tools from the men in the house and give it a go! i've been dying to try my hand at cedar planked salmon... 

for more grillin' tips and recipes, visit allrecipes.com at the grilling recipe hub!

 

spicy not-beef kabobs {perfect almost-grain-free summer dinner}

these were good. after we spent a day in the sun, and before we spent time with our friends/mentors, they were the perfect hearty but still not heavy, summer dinner.

here were my tweaks (because of course there always are some) to this recipe at allrecipes:

used venison instead of beef.

marinated the meat for several hours (venison needs it) before adding to the skewer with veggies, and drizzling more marinade over the top.

veggies we used were par-cooked sweet potato chunks, baby peppers, stems removed, quartered onions, and fresh zucchini.  

 in another-more-organized-life, with a little more planning, i'd have made cauliflower "rice" to serve with these.  instead, fresh fruit and sugar cream pie rounded out the meal.  (80/20 did NOT happen this evening.  :)  )

i should have remembered the venison can get tough if it cooks too long; i might consider skewering the veggies separately next time so i can pop the venison on at the last few minutes.

still, we'll make this again.  it was good!

summer gourmet {Florida Food Photography}

so i did a Pinterest cleanse... i knew my body had dragged way back to neglect and it was time to spruce it up. i want to feel good again and eating "clean" is a huge part of that. i needed to feel what "hungry" really feels like; to taste what "real" food really means again. now that i'm through seven days of pure, mostly raw eats, i find i'm actually craving the stuff healthy is made of. and it feels and tastes GOOD! 

last night for dinner we had this:

my mouth's watering just reliving it through a photo.  :)

we had received a treat from a new company called simple and crisp to sample (i've still got their pear and apple crisps to play with), so i wanted to incorporate the slightly bitter, slightly-sour dried orange slices into the recipe.  i found some great looking organic greens, fresh mint and in-season peaches, along with ripe avocado.  we made a spicy-sweet dressing, grilled up some chicken, and dove in.

i love that i have built-in critics taste-testers. there was no criticism this meal.  in fact, after he helped me stage this shot, Little instructed, "tell me when you're ready for me to be in the shot."

 and it was a hit.  in fact, everyone cleaned their plates, went back for seconds, and some even for thirds.  :)

 want the recipe?  click here.

make this!  like the recipe?  leave a comment!  :)

fast and decadent {butter rum} caramel corn

getting real here - there's not much i've found to satisfy the craving for caramel corn but, well... caramel corn. this recipe from allrecipes.com - my australian fellow home cooks - fit the bill for a saturday afternoon splurge. indulging in this and a little pioneer woman, quickly followed by a swim to make myself feel more productive burn off some sugar high, and my weekend's been off to the sweetest start.

so i did tweak it a bit (don't i always?!)  by swapping half the vanilla for rum extract.  except the rum extract (read the label, silly girl!!!) turned out to be mint.  so we called it "buttermint caramel corn."  and made another batch.  :)

you're feeling crave-ish, no?  find the recipe here.  you're welcome.  :)