Krakens, krakens everywhere.
Even on the bed when it’s rapidly getting dark and I have yet to take my POD.
May 20, 2015
Who’s a cute little Borg?
Locutus’s a cute little Borg.
May 19, 2015
Dinner tonight (pulled pork with collard greens) couldn’t be much more Southern if it tried.
May 18, 2015
Dog selfie: Picture Of The Day plan B.
Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of May 11 – 17
This Week’s Menu
Monday
Breakfast: Green smoothie
Lunch: Pulled pork with pineapple rhubarb salsa and coleslaw mix
Dinner: Paleo shrimp scampi
Tuesday
Breakfast: Green smoothie
Lunch: Pulled pork with pineapple rhubarb salsa and coleslaw mix
Dinner: Roasted chicken with poblanos and potatoes
Wednesday
Breakfast: Green smoothie
Lunch: Leftover egg drop soup + leftover paleo shrimp scampi
Dinner: Ate out
Thursday
Breakfast: Green smoothie
Lunch: Leftover roasted chicken with poblanos and potatoes + green olives
Dinner: Roasted chicken with citrus herbed jicama
Friday
Breakfast: Green smoothie
Lunch: Leftover chicken with green olives & grapes
Dinner: Race fuel – ground beef with a tiny bit of rice (purchased mid-week, ~ $10)
Sunday
Breakfast: Out
Lunch: Out
Dinner: Out
This Week’s Grocery List
Pimento stuffed green olives, 0.60 lb. ($3.59 @ Fresh Direct)
Lemons, 2 ($1.78 @ Fresh Direct)
Epicurean Farms local heritage no-antibiotic whole chicken, 3.28 lbs. ($9.81 @ Fresh Direct)
Goya coconut milk, 13.5 oz. ($2.19 @ Fresh Direct)
Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin, 15 oz. ($2.29 @ Fresh Direct)
Sir Kensington’s all natural mayo, 10 oz. ($5.99@ Fresh Direct)
Pat LaFrieda dry aged beef burgers, 4pk., 1.50 lb. ($13.49 @ Fresh Direct)
Blue Foot fresh cleaned shrimp, 1.03 lb. ($16.47 @ Fresh Direct)
Organic carrots, 1 lb. ($1.99 @ Fresh Direct)
Diced jicama, 8 oz. ($2.99 @ Fresh Direct)
Garlic, 2 heads ($0.88 @ Fresh Direct)
Yellow onion, 0.79 lb. ($0.78 @ Fresh Direct)
Poblano pepper, 0.27 lb. ($0.94 @ Fresh Direct)
Rosemary ($1.99 @ Fresh Direct)
White cauliflower ($5.49 @ Fresh Direct)
Smoothie Supplies
Ginger, 6 oz. ($2.99 @ Fresh Direct)
4 Apples ($3.99 @ Fresh Direct)
Limes, 6 ($3.00 @ Fresh Direct)
2 Avocados ($4.00 @ Fresh Direct)
Satur Farms cut mixed kale, 1 lb. ($5.99 @ Fresh Direct)
Earthbound Farm organic baby spinach, 5 oz. ($3.99 @ Fresh Direct)
Totals
Fresh Direct: $100.80 (with delivery)
Budget Breakout
This week, I spent $100.80; .80 over budget. Boo overages. I need to have another cheap week soon!
Leftovers From This Week
At the end of the week, I have some limp broccolini, a red pepper, a pound of carrots, hand full of jicama, a few leeks, and 2 dinners’ worth of burgers left over. I need to incorporate these items into my menu for next week.
—
Think eating healthfully is too expensive for you? Think again. According to the USDA, to ensure a nutritious diet as of December 2014, a family of two aged 19-59 years should spend between $388.90 and $776.10 on food per month, or $89.80 – $179.30 per week. Source
For my family of two adults, I spend roughly $400 a month on groceries or $100 a week – and we eat well. Not caviar and lobster well, but I do manage to serve a predominately paleo diet with little to no processed foods, and I get to throw in a few luxuries here and there (like expensive snacks for the hubbs and the occasional ridiculously expensive bag of coffee). We even manage to buy “good” meat (grass fed beef and free-range chicken) most of the time – and I make this budget work even on the weeks we pay for convenience by getting delivery groceries. I make: 10 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 10 dinners a week – plus enough snacks to satisfy and fuel two active adults.
I’m hoping that this series will help shed a little light on the day-to-day things a “paleo” person really eats — and how that way of eating can work on a budget. I want to nudge anyone sitting on the fence right over the edge by showing that it *can* be done and that you don’t just eat meat, meat, meat and more meat.
May 17, 2015
Ooh. Pretty architecture.
May 16, 2015
Weekend fun.
Paleo Pork Tacos with Pineapple Rhubarb Salsa
Bright, punchy, and highly versatile, these tacos make a quick(ish) weeknight meal – or the beginnings of a spectacular Spring party.
I also may or may not have eaten this, or a variation on this, for the entirety of last week – and may or may not have posted a melodramatic memorial to said lunch variation as a Picture of the Day.
Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30 (check labels) 
Paleo Pork Tacos with Pineapple Rhubarb Salsa
About 6 ounces pulled pork per person – I slow-cooked mine simply for 6 hours with a liberal sprinkling of my favorite seasoning, but this slow roasted recipe would be fantastic, or this salsa verde Instant Pot version, or this “plain” Instant Pot version would all be fantastic here
Paleo crepes (I used this recipe from Running To The Kitchen, but cut the eggs down to 4) – when making, I ladled out 1 scoop per crepe to make tortilla-sized portions. Note: be careful when using fresh fat in this recipe, the first crepe-tilla of each fat addition always turns out wonky for me.
1 stalk rhubarb (1/4 c. when diced)
Pineapple (1/4 c. when diced)
2 Tbsp. cilantro
Pinch Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
1 tsp. lemon juice
To make the salsa: Dice the rhubarb and pineapple and add to a small bowl. Chop the cilantro and add, along with the salt, molasses and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
To serve: Place 2-3 ounces pork in the center of each crepe and top with salsa.
Serves 2, maybe 3 if you have a nice side.
May 15, 2015
Not large enough to be terribly filling, but damn delicious: roasted chicken, grapes & olives with a sprinkle of rosemary, thyme & lemon zest.
May 14, 2015
Up and up and up.
