Among my many endeavors I recently added to my list the new task of being executive editor of Paleo Living Magazine. I really consider it more of a privilege than a job, just as I view running this blog and getting to reach so many of you, my precious and dear readers. I think any involvement in the Paleo community is both entertaining and fulfilling- holding the potential to help thousands, if not millions of people who are willing to make a change to better themselves. The aim of Paleo Living Magazine is to help those who are interested in the Paleo lifestyle and aid them in everyday queries and provide some helpful pointers, interesting tips, and tasty recipes.
You can get a free 3 month subscription by using my link here (and don't worry, there are no catches, no automatic renewals, or any traps- it's truly free): http://paleomagazine.com/salted-paleo
As of this moment Paleo Living Magazine is available only on iPhones and iPads but there should be an app for Android available soon. I will try to update this post when that is of avail.
Thanks for being a fan of Salted Paleo. I hope you enjoy Paleo Living Magazine as well.
Sometimes friends and family get Christmas Day dessert as a gift from our family on Christmas Eve. It has been a bit of a tradition at our house for the past few years. Putting too many on that list can turn into a logistical nightmare so a selection of the bounty from our annual November freezer cookie blitz is now most often what this lucky list now receives.
Invitations to parties and pot lucks however, still have us taking along a decadent dessert to grace the table and this year this particular cheesecake was a huge hit at several venues. The inspiration comes from homemade rum truffles that I sometimes make and once dipped fresh strawberries into to adorn the top of my very popular Strawberry Screech Black Forest Cake. Everyone loves that flavor combination so this new cheesecake was the result and another new dessert favorite was born.
Strawberry Compote Topping
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Combine in a saucepan and bring to a very gentle boil. Thicken with
1 1/2 tbsp corn starch dissolved in
¼ cup cold water
which is added to the strawberries while stirring gently. Boil gently for 1 additional minute, stirring constantly. Cool completely for several hours in the fridge.
Cookie Crumb Crust
In a small bowl, combine:
1 1/3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
Press into the bottom of a lightly greased or parchment lined 9 inch spring form pan. (Grease bottom only!) Parchment paper is ideal here because it makes it very easy to release the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan.
Cheesecake
Cream together:
3 eight ounce packages ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
Add, one at a time
3 eggs
beating well after each addition. Add:
3 tsp vanilla extract
Finally blend in:
1 cup whipping cream
Pour over the prepared base and bake in a bain marie at 300 degrees F for 60-70 minutes. (Learn about using a simple bain marie by clicking here.) The cheesecake does not have to brown at all in order to be fully baked; the surface of the cheesecake should lose any shine when the cake is properly baked. It can still be slightly wobbly just at the center at this point.
Remove the cake from the oven and run a sharp knife completely around the edge of the pan. This will allow for the cheesecake to shrink as it cools and hopefully not crack (but who cares if it does? I am never bothered by a crack or two in the surface) Allow the cheesecake to cool thoroughly on a wire rack at room temperature. (NOT in the fridge). Refrigerate after fully cooled. Chill for several hours or overnight.
Rum Truffle Ganache
The rum truffle ganache is used to cover the cheesecake and to dip the strawberries.
2 cups dark chocolate chips (or semisweet)
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp dark rum, optional (or 1 tsp rum extract)
Melt together, just until smooth in a double boiler. Do not over heat. Just as it is melted remove from the heat. Dip in:
10 -12 large strawberries
Place the dipped strawberries on a piece of parchment paper or wax paper and chill until ready to garnish. Pour the remaining ganache over the chilled cheesecake and spread very quickly and evenly over the top and sides with a flat spatula. Return the cheesecake to the fridge to chill again. Vanilla Whipped Cream
Combine and whip until stiff mounds form. Using a piping bag (or a large Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) pipe mounds of the vanilla whipped cream all around the border of the cheesecake, to form a sort of well for the strawberry topping. Spoon the Strawberry Compote Topping onto the center of the cheesecake and garnish with the chilled dipped strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
The great thing about having my Vitamix is that it's so powerful it not only pulverizes ice, it also creates incredibly smooth drinks even when cores, seeds, and skins are left on fruits. Apple seeds contain cyanide but I blend them into the smoothie anyways. I have heard that they actually have anti-cancer properties. While eating a bowlful of them is probably not encouraged, I think in small doses there's nothing wrong with ingesting them. Seems Paleo to me.
Ingredients:
1 apple, quartered 1/2 cup plain yogurt (for strict Paleo use coconut milk yogurt) 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or apple pie spice) 1/4 tsp allspice 1 Tbsp honey 1 cup ice
Directions:
In above order, put ingredients in high speed blender, like Vitamix. Blend on high for about two minutes, or until completely smooth. Enjoy!
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Today is a special day, it's Tiny Love's 1st BIRTHday! Wow, this year has gone by so fast, I can't believe she's 1! Thank you to all of my loyal readers who shared so much support during my pregnancy and postpartum ... I promised I would share her birth story, and here it is finally. This is my story, the homebirth of our daughter.
If you chose to comment here, please keep comments respectful. This story is very personal and dear to my heart. It's my personal experience. I know homebirth is not for everyone, but it was what was best for me and my baby.
"OUR CHILDREN WERE BORN AT HOME"
The sticker given to us by our midwives ... it hangs proudly in our home.
Homebirth is so special to me, both of our girls were born at home. I cannot imagine giving birth any other way. My two homebirths have been the most amazing experiences of my life. Birth is so sacred ... for me, being in my own home doing what I need to do without interruption is important. Being in my own space, wearing what I want to wear, eating and drinking what I want and trusting myself, my body, my baby, my husband and my midwives is all I need. Knowing that after my labor, I will have a beautiful gift in my arms, and I will be able to get into my own bed and rest ... there is just nothing like it.
I started preparing my mind for labor and the birth of Tiny Love in December. I collected birthing affirmations, I envisioned the birth I wanted before I fell asleep each night {in exact detail, up to the placenta coming out intact}, I started preparing and gathering things for my birth alter, I watched homebirth videos on YouTube, I read children’s books about homebirth to Little Love at night, I re-read parts of my favorite pregnancy book that I read during my first pregnancy, and on and on. I did my absolute best to make sure I was prepared for this birth. Two of my dear friends Kim and Moi, hosted a Mother’s Blessing for me. This was so sacred and really added to my emotional preparation for birth. I highly recommend this to other mommy's-to-be ... it's so amazing being surrounded by beautiful friends that truly care about and support you.
"Blessed be this gathering with the gifts of the East: communication of the heart, mind and body; fresh beginning with each rising of the sun the knowledge of the growth found in sharing silences. Blessed be this gathering with the gifts of the South: warmth of hearth and home; the heat of the heart's passion; the light to illuminate the darkest of times. Blessed be this gathering with the gifts of the West: the lake's deep commitments; the river's swift excitement; the sea's breadth of knowing. Blessed be this gathering with the gifts of the North: firm foundation on which to build; fertile fields to enrich our lives; a stable home to which we may always return." - Mother Rising: The Blessingway Journey into Motherhood
I envisioned that I would place some birth affirmations on the walls surrounding where the birthing tub was so I could read them during my labor. I thought I would light a candle during my labor and light another candle that Little Love made for me after Tiny Love was born. I decorated my birth alter with beautiful crystals, sea shells that my husband and I found, a picture of Little Love and a picture of her after she was born, a picture of Tiny Love from my only ultrasound, inspirational words that I painted on wood {Trust, Believe, Goddess, Gratitude, Blessings}, the beautiful birthing necklace made from charms and crystals from my dear friends and the big sister necklace they made for Little Love, the special birthing bracelets that bonded us all together at my Mother's Blessing, the rock that Kim painted for me, and other little treasures that Little Love gave to me to borrow. I hung beautiful silks on my wall from my dear friend Jennifer. I made sure I had everything ready for my homebirth kit. I stocked my pantry and refrigerator with the necessary labor and birthing foods like coconut water, Tropical Recharge, pudding, raw honey, cheese, Medjool dates, crackers, etc.
"Awakening Transformation" painted rock from my dear fried Kim
Onesie that Little Love made + Little Love's and my bracelet from the Mother's Blessing
I honestly thought I was all prepared ...
The holidays passed by, I was loving my pregnancy and my beautiful baby bump. Everything was going well and then my sweet Little Love got sick. The flu hit her hard - fever, no appetite, and a nasty, nasty cough. Luckily, my Little Love is a trooper. I fixed up as many natural remedies as I could and she got through it quick. Thank goodness for my Elderberry and Rose Hip Syrup, this kept me healthy through 4 colds and the flu that passed through my house. But then, I ran out of my syrup. Within a week I was hit hard with the flu too. It started with a fever and that nasty cough that Little Love had. It was yucky, yucky, awful, HORRIBLE. I drank lots of Hot Garlic Lemonade, took homeopathic belladonna for my fever and eventually had to purchase a natural cough syrup that is safe for pregnant moms. I could not get that darn cough to quiet. Before I knew it, not only was I having awful coughing fits, but I started to have contractions - but since it was 2 weeks before my estimated due date, I wasn't sure if I was in "real" labor or if it was just happening because of the coughing. Little Love however was sure, she kept telling me, "Mommy, I really think you're going to have her."
I decided it was a good idea to call one of my midwives. I was having frequent contractions, had an awful headache, fever and constant cough. Lets just say, I wasn't feeling my best. I decided to take a hot bath while I waited for my midwife Rachel to get to my house. The hot water helped me feel more comfortable during the intense contractions. My midwife came to check me out. She recommended rest and hydration along with Skullcap tincture to calm the contractions. I was barely dilated at this point, so we talked about calling her later if I needed to. My darn cough was so aggravating and causing deep coughs that made me bend over, so it was still really hard to tell if I was in early labor or just experiencing contractions due to the coughing. Sure enough, I had to call my midwife Rachel back. I was having stronger and more frequent contractions. I had dilated a bit more, but not a whole lot. We talked about continuing the Skullcap tincture, continuing the fever reducers, hydrating myself as much as possible, trying to rest and get some sleep, and again, to call her back if the contractions got stronger or closer together. I tried to move on with the evening, rest seemed impossible and was. My contractions were so intense and painful {I say painful because they did cause a lot of pain, but I do and did view it as life-giving pain, so I did not feel the pain in a negative way}. I tried to go on with our usual normal routine. My mom and I text from time so I could let her know how I was doing. I continued coughing like crazy and having major intense contractions. Finally, my husband and I decided to go to bed and get some sleep {he slept, I tried to rest}. For about 2 hours I was in bed lying on my left side squeezing the life out of my husband's hand while he slept {our midwife advised him to get some sleep if he could so he could be fully available to me if Tiny Love decided to come} during my contractions. All of a sudden I couldn't take it anymore, I was shaking and the pain was so intense. I woke my husband up and I said, "I feel like I need to push, call the midwives." I was short on words not wanting to talk, so I knew this was the real deal. My husband jumped out of the bed and called Rachel. I don't remember anything about their conversation, I just remember turning inward and focusing on getting through the pain. I wanted to push so bad and I kept telling myself, "Just hold off until they get here, you can do this". Rachel got to our house at 2:25 a.m. and I was still in bed lying on my left side having strong, crazy intense and frequent contractions. [Side Note: Here is where everything I envisioned went right out the window ... I never looked at my birth alter, I didn't light the candle, I didn't read any birth affirmations, etc. Things may not always go as planned, but they are beautiful none the less, however they unfold.] I remember telling Rachel I wanted to get into the birthing tub. She had started filling the birthing tub with hot water but it would take a while to fill since it's a large tub. I remember watching her get her birthing apron on and set up her stuff. She had told my husband that he should use the bathroom now so he can be available to me. I kept asking Rachel, "Can I get in yet?" and she so sweetly kept saying that it wasn't quite ready. At 2:55 a.m. Rachel asked if I needed to use the bathroom before getting into the tub so I got up and she helped me to the bathroom. She went back to the tub and tried to pee. My contractions were so painful, I said, "I need somebody," I braced myself with my hands on both walls and pressed them so hard {in my head I was thinking I am going to break these walls down because I am pushing them so hard}. Rachel quietly said some words of encouragement to me and I got through that contraction and was able to pee, followed by a crazy intense contraction and I pushed a little which released my mucus plug and my water broke and came exploding out of me and shot out of the toilet with force. I said in a worrisome tone, "Rachel it went everywhere" and before I could say anything else, Rachel said it's okay, your water broke and she'll clean it up. She came into check and my waters were clear. I remember hearing my husband come back upstairs and hearing my other midwife Tosi in the room. I remember hearing Rachel say she's doing great and her water broke. I told Rachel "I need to push" and my husband helped get me into the tub at 2:58 a.m. I put my head down on the edge of the tub as I kneeled forward and was becoming very vocal, moaning loud from the pain. I felt Tosi come up and quietly say, "Tosi's here" which were such calming words {because to me, Tosi is so special and is like family to me ... all of my midwives are like family ... it was really special having both Rachel and Tosi and both of my births, I was so grateful Tosi made it before Tiny Love was born}. I told Tosi I was so glad she was here and I grabbed her arm. She whispered some encouraging words to me and I joyfully cried a little. My contractions were so painful and intense. I knew I needed to push. At 3:02 a.m. I attempted my first push. At 3:03 a.m. Tiny Love's head was out and Tosi told me to feel her head. I reached down and felt the hair on her head. My husband was able to see her head from behind as he was partially in the tub behind me. He was able to see her little face. At 3:04 a.m. our beautiful Tiny Love was born. My husband caught her as she came out and he gently guided her through my legs. I picked her up and brought her to my chest. I was so overjoyed with love. She gave out a brief little cry and then was so content. I turned my head around to look at my husband and he told me he loved me and we kissed. We spent those few minutes just soaking in this blessing. At 3:09 a.m. they all helped me out of the tub and into the bed. Tiny Love tried to latch right away and I gazed into her eyes as she looked at me and went to sleep.
Minutes after Tiny Love was born ... a very tired mommy and daddy watching Tiny Love sleep.
At 3:19 a.m. my placenta came out intact and I had minimal bleeding. My midwives cared for me as all of this was going on, but all I really focused on was falling in love with Tiny Love. At 3:38 a.m. Tiny Love's cord was clamped and my husband cut the cord. By 3:55 a.m. Tiny Love was nursing like a pro. I was on this incredible babymoon high that helped my fever go away and calmed my cough for the time being. My midwives prepared a beautiful plate of food for me {fruit, cheese and date-almond-coconut rolls) with a purple candle in the middle. They sang Happy Birthday to Tiny Love. It was so special, and that fruit and cheese tasted better than it ever had before.
Enjoying our time with Tiny Love.
One of the amazing things about homebirth is my baby was in my arms the whole time after she was born. She wasn't taken away from me and we stayed together for over an hour and a half before her baby exam. This is true bliss. At 4:45 a.m. my midwives did her baby exam. She slept through the whole thing.
Tiny Love getting gently weighed, she slept through the whole thing.
My midwives took care of cleaning everything up and making sure I was cared for and had everything I needed. Tiny Love was nursing well and sleeping and everything else was fine. Around 6:30 a.m. they made sure I was tucked into bed and left. My husband and I stayed up for a while talking about our amazing experience. We lovingly stared at our daughter and enjoyed every little move and coo she made.
Tiny Love ... just minutes old
Little Love meeting Tiny Love, she was so dear holding her so gently.
Little Love was so excited and loving to her sister.
"Tiny Love's Placenta" Art by my midwife and Tiny Love's dried umbilical cord
The newest member of Recipes to Nourish ... Tiny Love.
Homebirth is not for everyone, but home is the only environment where the woman can control everything - how she births and what she wants to do. My hope is that young women and women at least know ALL of their options, do their own research and don't take one answer as the end all answer. Women are strong and capable, and our bodies were designed to birth babies. It's a woman's right to decide how she wants to give birth to her baby. It's also a woman's right to have ALL information available, so SHE can make a decision based on awareness and knowledge, not based on fear.
For more information on Homebirth, how to find a midwife, and info on VBAC's, check out Little Love's Birth Story {see the end for specific information}. Amazon links are affiliate links, prices are the same for you. Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish.
We love to experiment with pizza at our house and a trip to Philadelphia this past summer provided the inspiration for this simple but delicious version based, of course, on the sandwich that the city is so famous for. We had cheesesteak sandwiches at Campo's while we were in Philly and their simplicity is definitely their best attribute. The sandwich really is all about the beef but the rolls they were served on there were also perfect, not to soft, not too crusty, just right to carry the substantial amount of beef without being too heavy. I might try my hand at trying to make a similar roll one of these days but for now I'm happy to enjoy my cheesesteak ingredients on this thin crust pizza.
With the Superbowl around the corner and an oven tome of only 7 or 8 minutes per pizza, this would make a terrific addition to any big game day menu. I enjoyed this one with a tall cold beer myself and it was some pretty darn awesome. Why not have a pizza themed game day party featuring some of our other delicious pizzas like:
Thin Crust Pizza Dough (Makes enough for 6 twelve inch pizzas. You can freeze any of the dough balls that you do not immediately use.)
4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups lukewarm water
1 tbsp instant yeast (or proof regular yeast in half of the warm water with a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in it for 10 minutes before adding)
2 tsp sea salt
Add all ingredients except 1 cups of the flour to the bowl. Using the dough hook on your electric mixer, mix together well and allow to run on low speed for about 10 minutes. Start adding the rest of the flour a little at a time until a soft dough forms. The dough will be a little sticky but don't worry about that, just allow it to rise in a warm spot for a couple of hours or more before turning it out into a bread board and kneading by hand, adding more flour if necessary to firm up the dough.
You may have to use a little more or a little less flour depending factors like local humidity. Just use as much as it takes to form the dough, adding only a little at a time as you knead.
Form into 6 balls and allow the dough to rest at least a half hour before rolling out or stretching it to 12 inch circles.
NOTE: I think that pizza dough should be made a day or even two in advance and cold proofed, covered, in the fridge. It has better flavor and texture after this long proofing period.
garlic oil
caramelized onions, optional ( about 1/2 cup per pizza)
grilled peppers, optional (about 1/2 cup per pizza)
pan seared rare striploin or prime rib steak, thinly sliced (6 - 8 ounces per pizza)
Provolone cheese cut in 1/2 inch cubes (about 4 ounces per pizza)
Place the round on a wooden peel that has been well sprinkled with cornmeal. The cornmeal will allow the pizza to slide off the peel (I’ve even used a thin piece of cardboard in a pinch if you do not have a peel. You can also prepare the pizza on a pizza pan and when it has been baking for 4 minutes, slide it from the pan, directly onto the pizza stone to crisp the bottom crust well.) Make sure your pizza is sliding on the cornmeal base before adding your toppings.
Brush the pizza crust with garlic olive oil. Add the caramelized onions and grilled peppers if you are using them. Top witht he beef and scatter the cheese cubes evenly over the surface.
Shake your peel to make sure the pizza is not stuck. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone, shaking it slightly in a back and forth motion as you slowly retract the wooden peel. Bake for about 8 minutes or until the bottom is evenly brown.
Remove from oven and allow to stand for a couple of minutes before cutting and serving.
With Valentines Day fast approaching, Rock Recipes has again teamed up with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador, this time to create a 3 course meal for you and your sweetheart. The recipes and recipe videos will roll out once a week leading to the big day in February. Today we start with this delicious appetizer course inspired by Maryland crab cakes. I've chosen shrimp to make the crispy cakes this time, in a bit of a different and slightly more economical twist.
They are delicious served over a simple green salad where the homemade cilantro lime aioli serves not only as a tasty accompaniment to the shrimp cakes but as a dressing for the salad as well. You can make the shrimp cake mixture earlier in the day, then just roll them in the crumb mixture and take a few minutes to fry them on the night of your dinner.
Here are the links to the other two courses in this Sweetheart Dinner:
·2 tsp hot sauce (optional) or pinch of chili flakes
·1egg, lightly beaten
·1 tbsp chopped cilantro
·1/3 cup panko crumbs + 1/3 cup cracker crumbs mixed
·Approximately 2/3 cup canola oil for frying
Toss together the shrimp meat with the 1/2 cup cracker crumbs, mayonnaise, lime zest,Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, hot sauce, egg and cilantro.
Form into 6 balls by hand.Roll in the additional cracker crumb/panko crumb mixture.
Heat about a half inch of canola oil in a skillet or sate pan over medium-low heat. You want these to fry gently; they will burn quickly if the oil is too hot.
Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
Lime Cilantro Aioli
·1 clove garlic finely minced
·1 tsp dijon mustard
·1 large egg yolk
·Pinch salt
·Pinch black pepper
·½ tsp finely minced lime zest
·1 tablespoon lime juice
·½ cup olive oil
·1 tbsp chopped cilantro
Add the garlic, mustard, egg yolk, lime zest, salt, pepper and lime juice to a blender. Turn on the blender at medium to medium high speed. Pour in the olive oil very slowly in a thin, continuous stream until the aioli thickens. Pulse in the chopped cilantro at the end. Serve over the shrimp cakes.
