Completion Reflection

Soooooo, I completed my 30 day Paleo challenge and I think that I am hooked!

1)  I am still less hungry, more energized and overall just feel better.
2)  I will stick with Paleo eating but add some cheese here and there.  It is just a must.
3)  I fell off the Paleo wagon yesterday and ate some pizza....it was delicious.  I went out for Mexican with Bob and some friends.  I fell off again---darn  never ending baskets of tortilla chips.  And pizza of course led to drinking a soda---1st one in 31 days.  It tasted like syrup.  It was not as good as I remembered.
4) Superbowl Sunday is not easily Paleo modified, I sort of gave up trying.
5) I will be back on full Paleo tomorrow.
6) Just out of curiosity, I started counting weight watcher points to make sure that with all of the protein I am consuming that I am not blowing my daily calorie target out of the water.  Most days, I didn't even come close to using using all of my "points."
7)  My fitness class yesterday was one of the hardest that I have done.  Cardio Kettle bell.  I am feeling it today.  Any question of whether I had abs in their somewhere has been cleared up because I feel every single one.
8) When I tell people that I am eating Paleo, they look at me funny.  It makes me laugh.
9) I got a ricer to make cauliflower rice and a vegetable spiral slicer to make zucchini noodles.  I am really excited to try both.  I will post recipes.
10) My February goal is to eat Paleo 6/7 days a week and allowing cheese or other "treats" on 1 day.  We will see how that goes.

This is my story.  My slightly modified PaleOMG story :-)

Hail to the Kale

Mother Nature's wrath strikes again.  As a teacher, I have had way too much time to experiment with Paleo recipes due to the many late starts, early releases and cold days (notice not snow days).  I would rather be in school now while it is cold!  But, I have made the most of working from home and using time to look for and try out new recipes that I wouldn't normally have the luxury of extra time to do.

On the list of things I have wanted to try for some time now:  kale chips.  My sister-in-law posted a very yummy status on Facebook about the kale chips that she made.  She even said, and I quote, "Move over Lay's!"  So, Lara, thank you, I used your recipe!  They are actually quite good!  I don't know if I am as close to move over Lay's yet, but definitely a nice salty, crunchy snack packed with nutrition!

Here's how she and I both made kale chips.  It really was quite simple :-)

You'll need:
-Fresh Kale in bite sized pieces (I bought a big bag of pre cut, pre washed and dried kale at the grocery)
- 1/2-1 tsp of olive oil
-your choice of seasoning (I used garlic powder and sea salt)

Preheat the oven to 300.  Place the kale (enough to cover a baking sheet in 1 layer) in a bowl and coat well with the olive oil.  Lay on a greased baking sheet and then sprinkle with your favorite seasonings.  I am definitely going to play around with different flavors.....I am thinking spicy next time.  Heat for 11-12 minutes.   I put mine on a cooling rack and the were perfect.  Even hours later I just walked by and grabbed a few and they are still crunchy and good.

Tonight for dinner I am making sweet potato nachos again.  This time I am going to bake my chips rather than pan fry.  I found a a recipe on my bestie (Pinterest) that showed baking them 15-20 minutes at 350 and then flipping and reducing the oven to 300 and cooking another 15 minutes, so I am going to try that.

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

Oui Oui VEGETABLES!

I realized yesterday the extent of how much less I feel hunger.  I was home all day with my sick little one and in the past, being home all day brings on my boredom eating.  I am a pro at boredom eating. Walk past the cupboard, grab a snack.  Walk past the refrigerator, grab a snack.  Stand up, grab a snack, sit down, grab a snack.  I am really quite good at finding any reason to grab a snack.  I have never really been able to tell the difference between boredom and hunger.

Yesterday, I had my typical smoothie for breakfast and a handful of dried fruit and nuts mid morning.  I let the sick little one have ice cream for lunch 1) because her throat hurts and 2) because I am a total sucker for sick little ones.  Around 4:00 I realized that I forgot to eat lunch.  I don't think I have ever forgotten a meal in my life.  Been too busy, yes, but forgotten, NEVER!  My stomach usually screams at me if I miss feeding time!

For dinner I decided to make the "French" vegetables recipe that Bob brought back from his trip to Europe.  When he made them earlier in the week, he used mixed vegetables that included corn so I had to do a lot of picking.  I decided to bake chicken and use a California blend for the veggies.

• First, I pounded 3 chicken breasts and then cut slits on the top.  After placing them in a baking pan, I sprinkled basil, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder and then baked uncovered for 40 minutes at 375.  
• Then, I cooked the frozen California blend in the microwave and after the chicken was done, I was ready to make the yummy sauce for them.  
• Next, I poured the chicken drippings into a sauce pan and then added about 8 oz of plain tomato sauce.  I whisked it together over medium heat and added the same seasonings that I put on the chicken.  After it came to a light boil, I added the cooked California blend stirred until the veggies were all coated in  yumminess and then covered and turned to low heat for about 5 minutes.  

It was DELICIOUS!  A friend who is a self proclaimed vegetable hater tried them and even she couldn't deny that they were YUMMY GOOD EDIBLE (even this is big for this true vegetable hater)!  I was more excited than one should ever be that there were enough leftovers for a lunch this weekend :-)!!

Once again, I was up and at it early this Saturday morning for my hour of torture fitness.  I was even there EARLY and got in 20 minutes of cardio before the torture toning commenced.

My littlest one turns 6 today so the rest of the crew had our family's traditional birthday pancakes (pancakes with sprinkles).  I have a Paleo pancake recipe but I have not yet tried it so I enjoyed 2 scrambled eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon and a banana.  As I sit and write this, I am feeling quite stuffed.  Later on we will go out for a birthday dinner where I will do my hunting and gathering via a local restaurant menu.   I am adamant that I can make this Paleo eating work at home, at work and on the go....even eating out!

Day 25 and still going strong.  I still have more energy, I still feel less hungry, I still feel like I am sleeping better and I am down 19 pounds.

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

A Hit and a Miss

Tonight on the menu for dinner was meatloaf green pepper rings.  They were very tasty!

After I browned them on both sides, I baked them uncovered for 30 minutes at 350.  It was tasty and VERY filling, so this was a hit for me.

The miss.....mashed cauliflower.  Epic. Fail.  I was SO excited for them and they were just, well, nasty, there is no getting around that.  I used this recipe and it was just not what I expected.  Using both coconut milk and coconut oil gave them a coconut flavor that I did not think meshed well with the garlic and chives.  The consistency was too lumpy and it was just very disappointing.  After one bite, I opted for a small green salad.  Bob was brave and tried them too, he also opted for a green salad.

Also on the agenda today was Step and Pump class.  This is another torture session that I put myself through.  Although it was EXTREMELY tough, after this 4th class, I can feel it getting a little easier each time.  But, I'm not going to lie, it kicked my out of shape butt tonight!  Once again, I was introduced to more ways in which the weighted body bar can be used---who knew?

I also registered for the Dirty Girl race in Milwaukee on 8/16.  A group of friends and I will join together to run and take on whatever challenges this course brings our way.  It should be very fun and very interesting.  I envision many future stories starting with "Remember at Dirty Girl..."

So, a hit, a miss, an hour of cardio and weight torture, and registration for a goal to keep me motivated. Just another hump day.

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

Smoothies, and Wraps and Nachos, Oh MY!

Today was a superbly yummy food day.  Having a sick little one at home gave me a little extra time to try some new things.  I was also able to spend a little time with my bestie (Pinterest) and revisit some recipes that I had pinned that I really wanted to try.  

Breakfast:  'Smoothie' Sailing

Smoothies are something that I have always enjoyed, but they never used to fill me up.  Getting out of the house in the morning with 3 kids in tow typically means that I am running behind late screaming my head off for everyone to get in the van and therefore I NEED a Pale-on-the-go breakfast.  So, smoothies have been my Paleo go-to make and take breakfast.  I think I posted before that when asked to get frozen fruit at the grocery store, Bob brought home 1 of every kind, so I have had the opportunity to play around with a few flavors.  My base is always the same, coconut milk (1 cup), I typically add about a teaspoon of raw honey.  If I am not having another source of protein with my smoothie, then I add a scoop of RAW protein powder that I got at the Food Co-OP (it is Paleo friendly).  I also ALWAYS add a banana.  Some favorites have been my base with plain strawberries and base plus mango and peaches.  I learned the hard way that when I drink raspberry or blackberry smoothies on the go, I end up with chunks of seeds between my teeth as pointed out by my coworker and my students (1 of the many benefits of being an elementary teacher--complete honesty about boogers, zippers down, food on your face or in your teeth and my favorite "What is that big red thing on your face?") 

Lunch:  It's a Wrap!

I finally was able to make the Paleo wraps that I pinned weeks ago.  I ordered Arrowroot Flour on my last Digital Hunting and Gathering expedition and had a little extra time to prepare the wraps for my lunch today.  It was a lot like making crepes.  I found that the more I rolled the batter around in the pan, the thinner the wrap and I preferred the wraps that had a thinner texture.  Although the wraps were more spongy than I am used to, they were a nice change from salads and soups.   I made small wraps and had 2 of them for lunch paired with egg salad.  I only had 1 hard boiled egg on hand so I paired it with 1/2 smashed avocado and it was the perfect amount to fill my belly (in fact I could not finish both so the dog got a little treat).  I also added a little Dijon mustard and some romaine lettuce.  It was a yummy lunch!  

Nacho Normal Taco Tuesday

It's widely known that every Tuesday is taco Tuesday at our house.  The kids love it and it is a great meal for leftovers for the lunches.  We have found that the girls enjoy hard shell tacos, soft shell tacos and even nachos supreme.  Bob makes and cans yummy salsa from our garden 'harvest' and it is a delicious addition to our taco Tuesdays!  This morning a friend texted me a suggestion for a taco substitution, Sweet Potato Nachos.  I decided I would give it a try tonight since, again, I had a little extra time for meal prep today.  I thinly sliced the sweet potato into chips and then pan fried them in some olive oil.  When they were fresh out of the pan I added a little sea salt and some chili pepper.  I was a little leery because, I will admit, they didn't smell very yummy.  But I piled on 1/2 cup of lean ground beef that I seasoned with homemade taco seasoning again ( I have now tried 3 different recipes for the seasoning and this is my favorite).  On top of the 'chips' and beef, I added some shredded lettuce, green peppers, Bob's salsa and avocado dressing (1/2 avocado, 1/4 cup salsa, fresh lemon or lime juice and coconut milk in the blender...I added the coconut milk through the top as the other ingredients blended until it was creamy.  These nachos were CRAZY good.  The little big of crisp with the sweet potato chips was DEVINE!  Next week I think I will try baking them and see how that goes.

Today as I poured my little one gatorade, water, sprite, water, gatorade, water....I had a wave of nostalgia for pop....mmmmm, the yummy carbonation was calling to me.....but I held strong.  21 days no carbonation, no refined sugar, no artificial flavoring, no processed foods, no dairy, no wheat and no legumes.   I continue to  have more energy, I'm sleeping better, my mood seems better (although my husband and kids might disagree), I am less hungry and I have lost 15 pounds.  My 30 day challenge comes to an end in 9 days, but at this point, I definitely plan to continue.  I have a couple of colleagues who are checking into starting the Paleo way and I think it is fun to swap recipes! 

So that was my food day.  Smoothies and Wraps and Nachos, OH MY!  

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

Cooking Plans Take the Backburner

First of all, I would like to happily report that I DID in fact make it to fitness class on Saturday morning where I learned that body bars can be used to torture hurt tone EVERY muscle in your body.  Who knew?  I had big plans to cook this weekend but errands, laundry and ski lessons for kids took front seat, so this week should be interesting.

On the menu this week for dinner:
Chicken and vegetables 
Bob went to Europe last summer and enjoyed mixed vegetables cooked in chicken broth, tomato sauce and seasonings and it is one of his new favorites.

Tacos
This time I will tone down the red pepper flakes as to not blow the taste buds off the girls.

Sirloin and Fries 
Baked potato fries for Bob and the girls, and either zucchini or sweet potato fries for me.

Paleo Meatloaf Rings and Mashed Cauliflower 
I am tweaking a recipe that my sister shared with me years ago.  The link is not the actual recipe but it is the general idea.  Form meatloaf, sans breadcrumbs, into round patties and place in 1 inch green pepper rings. Pan fry to sear and then bake for 30-40 minutes in the oven.  I found a great recipe for Mashed Cauliflower that I can't wait to try!

I hope that I can find the time to make some of these delicious sounding wraps so that I can have breakfast burritos and chicken wraps for lunch and maybe even a taco wrap on taco Tuesday.

Day 19 and going strong.  Still down 13-15 pounds.  I feel good overall.  I am sleeping better, I have more energy, I am rarely hungry between meals and I am finding that I don't have to be afraid to eat out and about.  Although I am probably not a 'pure' Paleo, I am following the principal guidelines of this type of eating.

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

Peer Pressure

One of my closest friends is a fitness instructor and I have rejoined her Saturday morning torture chamber fitness class.  Two facts about me 1) I hate getting up early, not necessarily the waking up, it's the getting out of bed and heading out into the cold part that really gets me.  2) If I put out my clothes for class the night before, the likelihood of me actually going to class increases by about 75% (this of course is a rough estimate however I may run a test for more accurate results)  Well this afternoon, I made a comment that may have led this friend to think that I might not be coming to class (I believe the comment was "I don't think I am coming to class tomorrow").  That didn't go over so well with her. She not only cheered and badgered me, but also wrangled in another friend and I do believe that I have officially caved in to peer pressure.  Clothes are out.  6:15 torture chamber fitness class, I truly plan to make it.

Thank you to my friends for their encouragement and support.

This is my story.  MY PaleOMG story.

P.S.  In food news, there is little to report.  It was a pretty boring day of eats.  I need to make some yum yummy meals this weekend.

Digital Hunter and Gatherer

Living in a rural town , my grocery options are lacking, pathetic, quite limited.  But for many ingredients that are needed for yummy Paleo recipes, my grocery options are non-existent.  The nearest food co-op is 30 minutes and with this painfully annoying, Mother Nature of her rocker, interesting winter weather we have had lately, I haven't had time to make it to pick up what I need.

So, I decided I would try to bring hunting and gathering to the digital age.  I call it 'Digital Hunting and Gathering' (along with Pinterest, I also have a romance with Amazon).  We have had Amazon Prime forever and I thought I would search to see just what I could find.  When I told this story to some friends, they were a little shocked that I bought food on Amazon, but that I did!  I hunted and gathered from the comfort of my bed!

With Amazon Prime's fabulous free 2-day shipping, I ordered on Monday and my delivery was at my door yesterday...it was really quite magical.  For less than $25, I was able to get a 2-lb bag of Arroowroot Flour (I've been dying to make Paleo wraps with this), a case of 18 Larabars (a hopefully yummy on-the-goLEO snack/meal) and Kale chips.  Amazon's picture previews for food allowed me to read the nutrition label and the ingredients which was super helpful.

I plan to continue to use my new digital hunting and gathering method for supplies as well as recipes from my bestie,  Pinnie (we are officially on a nickname basis).

This is my story.  My PaleOMG story.

Paleo On-the-GoLEO

Titles I currently hold:
1.  Mom
2.  Wife
3.  Teacher
4.  Daughter
5.  Sister
6.  Friend

This is merely a few of the many "titles" I try to not completely mess up maintain on a daily basis.  I live an on-the-go life.  On any given day, I am working, coordinating or shuffling kids to gymnastics, piano lessons, basketball practice, girl scout meetings, 4-h meetings, trying to maintain a clean, organized, presentable, livable house,  and now on top of that, "hunting and gathering," and preparing Paleo meals for myself AND meals for Bob and the girls.

Bob and I both decided to go healthy and like I said, he went no C.R.A.P. but includes whole grains and non-processed carbohydrates in his daily meals.  For the girls, they obviously are now presented with meals that follow no C.R.A.P, but I am not having them follow the Paleo plan.  Soooo, on top of the on-the-go, often single parent daily life, I find myself preparing 2 meals (1 for the fam and 1 for me, although I try to pair up easy Paleo substitutes so that it is not an obnoxious amount of work for me). At the end of the post, see some family friendly no C.R.A.P. meals that I made easy substitutes to make Paleo for me.

As many wonderful things that I can say about Paleo so far, I can also say this.  IT AIN'T EASY.  It is not an on-the-go, no think way of eating.  It is a think ahead, prep ahead, have a lot of time to cook way of eating.  This lady ain't got time for none of that!  My lifestyle does not afford me the liberty to spend hours prepping dinner and making lunches.  I need quick meals and easy grab and go staples.   So basically, I have made Paleo more "On-the-GoLEO" (get it :-) )

My Paleo on the go MUST DOS and favorites:
1.  I have used the parts of the weekend that I am not spending at basketball tournaments, social engagements, church or doing laundry to think, plan, shop and prep for the week.  Even if it is just a mental plan, I have found that I always need a plan, otherwise I find myself frustrated.

2.  I've found easy go to, quick meals.  For instance, I almost always have a bag of nuts or dried fruit in my purse and a bottle of water.  Most days you will often find a packet of tuna in water and an apple (just in case I find myself in need of a meal).  Ask anyone, my Mary Poppins bag is filled with goodies....I had to drop the spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down---after all, sugar is not Paleo.

3.  Make ahead meals.  The past 2 weekends I have made soup in the crockpot on Sunday that serves as my lunch for the week.

4.  Pinterest is my friend.  My very best Paleo friend.  I find all kinds of great ideas and recipes that I can easily use.  I find that if I try new things, I don't get bored.  By day 3, I was already totally over salad every single day.   I am currently looking for a BFF necklace for Pinterest and me, we are that tight.

5.  Spices are necessary.  I love them.  I am trying all kinds of new ones.  I love the spices that I am trying and finding that I love experimenting with my own combinations.  However, last night I got a little red pepper flake happy with the homemade taco seasoning and about blew the girls' heads off (Ooops).


This week's family meals:
Spaghetti:  Whole wheat pasta  with lean ground beef and homemade spaghetti sauce (Bob grows all of the ingredients and cans enough each summer for the whole year....mmmm...so TASTY).

• Paleo substitute for me:  leftover roasted veggies from a weekend meals.  Reheat and add meat sauce over.  It was easy, yummy and very filling

Tacos:  Every Tuesday is taco Tuesday in our house.  The last 2 weeks I have made homemade taco seasoning.  The girls and Bob had theirs on whole wheat tortillas and I had mine on a bed of lettuce with veggies.  

• Paleo substitute for me:  Instead of the cheese and sour cream I used to enjoy on my taco/taco salad, , I threw 1/2 an avocado, 1/4 cup of homemade salsa, and a dash of coconut milk in the blender and it was so amazing!  It will be a new dressing for me....one can only take so much oil and vinegar!

Steak and Fries:  My family is a meat and potato loving family.  So along with the lean sirloin rubbed with garlic and onion powder, I used out super cool Perfect Fry Cutter to make some oven baked potato french fries for Bob and the kids.

• Paleo substitute for me:  I threw in a sweet potato for fries for myself.  I dipped them in a little Dijon Mustard and made Bob and the girls some homemade ketchup (I halved it).  It was super yummy and the my 9 year old said that the fries were better than McDonald's (she is unimpressed by all things mom so I take this as a huge compliment).

Just another day On-the-GoLEO :-)

This is my story.   My PaleOMG Story.  

What? No Cheese?

The idea to go Paleo didn't just happen over night. I am a frequent flyer on Pinterest and Paleo posts kept coming up, and I truly thought that it was some Hollywood fad. I opened up several recipes and thought they looked "OK." One day before Christmas, I found a blog that included a 30 day Paleo challenge and as I started to read, I started to think that I just MIGHT be able to do this. For the next couple of weeks, as the 1st of the year approached, I gathered information, recipes and created a game plan.....my Paleo Plan.

The first step was of course eating everything I absolutely love and after that basically everything else that wasn't nailed down because after all, just before starting a "diet" we all load up (you know it's true). I am what I call a true eater. As I said in my first post, this blog, everything I post, will be real. For anyone who reads it, and for me to just record my journey, this is real. I love food. Not just love, I rely on food. I am an emotional eater, a closet eater, a yo-yo dieter. For as long as I can remember, I was chubby, husky, big-boned, overweight, fat or down right obese. Whatever the PC word for having too much weight on your body was at the time, that is what I was. I have always been or been planning to be on a diet. Three years ago, when I was finally was successful with a "diet" and lost 80 pounds, I truly thought I had figured things out. But really, I still just loved to eat. With Weight Watchers, I carefully calculated my daily points, activity points, anytime points, and whatever else points I could grab so that I could eat the MOST amount for the points that I had. Most of the time, I was eating low-fat, fat free, sugar free, processed CRAP. If it was low points, I would eat it, because, like I said, I love food. No matter what, I always had to fight my hunger, I always had to resist to urge to eat. My hunger never seemed to be satisfied. I missed food. 

So here I am again, overweight, obese, at a weight and size I am not happy with. I love to eat. I love junk food. I live in Wisconsin and LOVE LOVE LOVE cheese (I firmly believe that melted cheese can make anything taste DEVINE). I love pizza. I love potato chips. I love mashed potatoes. I love butter. I love SODA! If you don't know already, Paleo is the caveman diet. Food that one can hunt or gather is considered Paleo. No CRAP (Carbonation, Refined Sugar, Artificial Sweetener, Processed Food), no dairy, no wheat, no legumes. It is a 'diet' that is lots of water, fruits, vegetables (no corn or potatoes), nuts, and meats (mostly lean). Sounds yummy, right? Even after all of my research I was skeptical. Pizza is not Paleo. Potato chips, yep, not Paleo, CHEESE, are you kidding me, NOT Paleo, and SODA, not Paleo. My favorite foods are not allowed. IS this really the type of eating for me?

Today is Day 14 of my Paleo journey and this is what I now know:
1. There is life without soda or cheese.
2. There are so many yummy food combinations that I had never tried.
3. I'm saying it...here I go.....My name is Alissa and I do not need nor do I crave carbs.
4. For the first time in the 34 years of my life that I remember, I am not hungry.
5. I have lost 15 pounds in 14 days.
6. I actually have more energy.
7. I can get out of bed easier in the morning (my husband and family can attest to this, for many years I would say that getting out of bed was the worst part of any day).
8. I eat less and feel more full.
9. There is no food that I truly miss.
10. I still drink wine on occasion because wine comes from grapes and grapes are fruit and I feel like some cave person somewhere must have left grapes in a bucket and forgot about them and came back to discover wine.....there just must of been a miscommunication in the oral history or writing on the cave walls....hey....I have to make wine OK sometimes.
11. I don't feel like I am not "allowed" to eat things, if I want to, I can, but I haven't wanted to.
12. I have already ventured out to a meal in a restaurant and it was successful.
13. I started this 30 day challenge as a trial, as a sort of cleanse, but I think I will extend the challenge...
14. I am also doing 3 group fitness classes per week (1 hour each of what I think is pure torture, but I feel pretty good after, at least I feel good that I can say I did it and it is over for at least 2 days until the next round of torture).
15. My goal is to lose the 80 pounds that I gained back.


 This is my story. My PaleOMG story.

And the Journey Begins...

January 1st. It is the most cliche time for change. Everyone makes lists of resolutions and usually by the end of January, all bets are off. I admit, I am one of those people. Each January 1st, I think up a list of all of the ways that I can be better. I am quite certain that I spend more time making the list than I do actually trying to do anything on it. However, as cliche as it may be, there is something about the idea of January 1st, that always just draws me in. I am a numbers girl. The idea of the 1st, the switch from one calendar year to another....it appeals to me. I have been setting New Year's Resolutions for as long as I can remember, yet only 1 year did I actually follow through.

Three years ago, I decided it was time to lose weight. After 3 kids, in 3 years and many extra pounds, I had had enough. And January 1, I started my Weight Watchers journey. Each week I saw the number on the scale decrease and I was exercising more and losing weight and was able to do things like boot camp and kick boxing class and train for a half marathon. I had stuck with something for the first time. In fact, that year, I lost nearly 80 pounds. It was a transformation both inside and out. But over the next three years, even though I swore I would never go back to "the old me," I started eating more, exercising less and slowly but surely, got right back to "the old me." Well this New Year, I embark on a new journey, a route I NEVER thought I would take, but this is why I also decided to blog along the way (that and a friend listening to me ramble on and on about failed recipes and successful recipes and my odd sense of humor as a twist told me I should blog about this).

So here's my new plan. Paleo. I know, I know. I first saw Paleo and was thinking more along the lines of PaleOMG! Caveman diet? Hunting and gathering? After months of pinning on pinterest and reading Paleo blogs, I began to think, "PaleOH, Wait, I think I could actually do this???" So this January first, I embark on my Paleo journey. I call this blog PaleOMG, because I still can't believe I am doing this. I am 12 days in, and I am hooked. I have already had some epic fails in the kitchen and I am quite certain that when I go to the food co-op, I look like an alien creature "hunting" for food on the wrong planet. Here's the deal. I'm a mom, a wife, a teacher, I'm not a hippie or an environmentalist or anything else extreme. I have a busy life teaching full time and being mom to three young daughters and wife to a busy man who is often gone on week nights leaving me in charge of running and meals.

So here is my story. My PaleOMG story. It will be funny (hopefully), probably boring at times, but most of all, it will be real. It will be me. Enjoy!