Set the table the night before! I set out all the platters and put little post-its on each with what was to be in/on them for my own peace of mind.

Veggies cooked and potatoes roasted the day before makes for a delicious 20 minute frittata.

Also on the menu was bacon, fruit salad, and store-bought Trader Joe’s banana bread! It was nice being able to sit at home and chat and relax rather then being rushed around and shouting in a restaurant. It was a great morning. My mother in law took a pic with all the food on the table- I was shy to take my own so I’ll have to get it from her! 

15-20 Trader Joe’s “Teeny Tiny yellow potatoes” 

(cut in half, lightly coat with olive oil and S&P and roast on 350 for 20 minutes)

1 orange pepper (seeded and chopped)

1 zucchini (washed, sliced and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces)

2 cups of sliced baby bella mushrooms

6 whole eggs + 6 egg whites.

 1 cup shredded cheese (i used a Mexican 3 cheese blend)

While potatoes are roasting in the oven, Saute peppers and zucchini on medium-high heat until tender (about 15 minutes). Add mushrooms and saute an additional 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. 

I placed the veggies in  Tupperware to cool, draining occasionally as they cooled; then placed the potatoes on top for storage, and covered with the lid overnight. 

Morning of:  Reheat veggies and potatoes together in a large non-stick skillet. arragne evenly in the pan, whisk eggs together and pour over the top of veggies. while over medium heat. carefully lift up edges of frittata occasionally to allow the uncooked egg to seem underneath. Once the frittata is mostly set (will still have liquid on the top though) cover with cheese and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes (watch this so it doesn’t burn!)

plate and serve ASAP. warm frittata’s are best! 

Now, I know “Paleo” is a big fad right now, but if you look into some of the science and research behind it- there’s some sound reasoning there!  I read It Starts With Food and have thought about doing a 30 day challenge…

I just really love bread & pasta…

After reading the book, I do think it is good to cut back on processed carbs and grains however, so I made this pasta-less lasagna recently.
 Reality: the pasta was not missed. It was yum.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

1 jar of your favorite sauce (I used an organic tomato basil from Whole Foods)

2 yellow squash

grated almond cheese; mozzarella style ( also found at Whole Foods in the cheese section- you could use regular but it would not be true paleo)

1/2 tsp – 1 tsp garlic powder (depending on your taste)

salt & pepper

1. Brown the turkey in a heavy sauce pan with the garlic powder and salt and pepper. Then drain the turkey and add the jar of sauce. 

2. Cut squash into thin slices. (if you have a mandolin, awesome- and use it)

3. Lightly grease a baking dish (just to help with clean up really – I sprayed a little organic coconut oil- found at whole foods), and layer with squash then a layer of the meat/sauce. Repeat until the dish is full.

4. Top with “cheese”! and bake in 350 over for 20-30 minutes. I wanted the squash to still have some bite, so i baked it about 15 minutes then put it under the broiler for another 3-5 to brown the cheese.

5. Enjoy!!  

after straining, I knocked into this container during the second straining process and knocked nearly half of it down the sink unfortunately. This just meant there was a little less to churn, but there was plenty to fill some little jars for great presentation. I didn’t take anymore pictures after the spill though out of anger…

The flavor of this ice cream is funny at first, and is best enjoyed in a small amount. The Bi-rite book suggests a scoop of Salted Caramel to go along with it… so I also made them a batch of that as well just for good measure!

Recipe Here!!

Bi.Rite Creamery Honey & Lavender Ice Cream (From Sweet Cream & Sugar Cones)

 Ingredients 

1 3/4 cups heavy cream, at room temperature 

1/2 cups honey 

3/4 cup 1% or 2% milk 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons of dried lavender  

5 large egg yolks 

In a heavy saucepan, heat together the milk, cream, honey and salt. When it begins to bubble, remove from the heat, add the dried lavender, cover and allow to steep for 15-20 minutes (stir every 5 minutes to check the development of the flavor). 

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up. 

Once you’ve got the flavor you like, strain the milk through a fine mesh sieve, being sure to press the lavender to get all the milk and essential oils out.  Then, return the milk mixture to the pot  and heat over medium-high heat. When the mixture approaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium. 

Carefully scoop out about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture and, whisking the eggs constantly, add the cream to the bowl with the egg yolks. Repeat, adding another 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the bowl with the yolks. 

Returning to the pan of cream on the stove, use a heatproof spatula to stir the cream as you slowly pour the egg and cream mixture from the bowl back into the pan.  Continue to cook the mixture carefully over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened, coats the back of a spatula, and leaves a clear mark when you run your finger across it, 1 to 2 minutes longer.  

Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer and into a clean container. Set the container into an ice bath, wash your spatula, and use it to stir the base occasionally until it is cool. Then cover base with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. 

Freeze the Ice Cream: 

When the base is completely chilled, freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions (i loove my cuisinart machine; the bowl has to be kept in the freezer but it works so well and freezes everything in about 15 minutes). While the ice cream is churning, put the container you’ll use to store the ice cream into the freezer. Enjoy right away, or for a firmer ice cream, freeze for at least 4 hours.

This is really great served with a scoop of salted caramel!!