If you’re looking for something that’s not too messy to keep your kids busy this week before Christmas, this may be the project for you!  If you’ve got little kids (or big kids) who like to play with hammers, then this is definitely the project for you!  I saw this on No Time For Flashcards, and knew it would be a good one for The Littlest Apple.

We used plastic hammers and real nails to hammer buttons onto a styrofoam cone to make a button Christmas tree.  The Littlest Apple stuck with this for longer than expected, but did get a little frustrated with some of our buttons that had extra-large holes (because they kept falling off the nails).  I went with a white cone because a) that’s all I could find and b) I thought it would make a pretty snow-covered backdrop for our green and red buttons since I knew we wouldn’t be completely covering the tree.  If you want it to look more like a Christmas tree, you could use a green styrofoam cone.

What activities do you have planned to keep your kids busy while they’re out of school for the Christmas break?

The Littlest Apple

I’ve had several emails and comments from the other tubie mommies out there wondering how The Littlest Apple has been doing.  Here’s an update for you!

A few weeks ago, we had a checkup with The Littlest Apple’s GI at Texas Children’s Hospital.  The Littlest Apple has been making excellent progress!  His appetite seems to have increased a little bit (for him anyway).  He actually eats breakfast now, which is probably the most telling of all.  He also seems to have what we think are hunger pains now-something he’s never experienced before.

We started The Littlest Apple on probiotics (Culturelle for Kids) in early October when he was on antibiotics for an ear infection and sinus infection.  An interesting development: he stayed healthy until this week (amazing for a kid who gets sick ALL the time)!  Our GI was all for the probiotics as well and recommended another brand (BioGaia) that has been proven to help some infants with gastroparesis.  I’ve been taking probiotics for over a month too, and I’ve also been feeling great.  Probiotics: get some!

The Litttlest Apple’s current weight is 34.6 pounds, and he’s 39 inches tall.  (He’s 4 years and 3 months old.)  That makes him “perfectly proportional” according to the GI.  He’s still small for his age, but he actually appears to have a little bit of body fat now, especially in his belly and cheeks.  Here he is with The Picky Apple after his preschool Christmas Program…

For comparison’s sake, here is The Littlest Apple a year ago (3 months into g-tube)….

And two years ago (a few months before he got his NG tube)….

Amazing difference, right?!

Now here’s the puzzling part…The Littlest Apple’s most recent gastric emptying study shows that his stomach emptying is extremely slow and worse than ever.  In fact, this was the slowest his stomach has ever emptied (and we’ve done 5 of these studies!).  It doesn’t quite add up with all of the great weight gain and increased appetite we’ve seen, but the doctor thinks we should just keep doing what we’re doing until we hit a wall.

In fact, we’re decreasing his night feeds via g-tube even further!  Woo hoo!

Now if we could just expand his food selection during the day….He still doesn’t eat any meat other than chicken nuggets (one brand only) and pepperoni.  Also, no veggies.  None.  He tried a tiny bite of sauteed red pepper the other day, which was nothing short of miraculous.  And he let us add chopped up pepperoni to his favorite meal of buttered noodles.  It’s the little things.

Mealtimes are still a huge, frustrating struggle for everyone involved.  Now that I’m more aware of how the food I eat affects me, I can’t help but wonder if The Littlest Apple is affected similarly.  He had an AWFUL afternoon yesterday after consuming bright green frosting by the spoonful at his preschool Christmas party.  So it would seem that sugar and/or food dyes certainly have an effect on him.  Gluten is another thing I wonder about, but it is such a huge part of his diet that I can’t imagine cutting it out completely (though we did experiment with this when he was younger and thought he might have Celiac).  At this point, I’m just trying to limit the sugar and junk and make more of an effort with his food during the day.  I’d also LOVE to go back to blending our own formula to use for his night feeds, but with a new baby on the way, I just don’t see that happening.

Baby Slinghsot

My C section is in LESS THAN 3 WEEKS!

Why the C-section?  My doctor (who is normally all for VBAC) feels very strongly that I need to have C-section because of the surgery I had with my ruptured ectopic pregnancy.  Not only am I having a C-section, but I need to have it at 37 weeks, because I am at a high (higher?) risk of rupture if I go in to labor naturally.

37 weeks is early, y’all, and as excited as I am to meet this little guy in a few short weeks, I certainly have my fair share of concerns.  The Littlest Apple was born at 36 weeks and spent 10 days in the NICU.  I guess my biggest concern is lung development, but I’m praying that all will be well.

My concerns were eased somewhat when I had a growth scan ultrasound earlier this week.  Baby Slingshot appears to be growing right on track.  No low amniotic fluid, no IUGR like I had with The Littlest Apple.  And even though the weight estimates provided by ultrasound are super unreliable, Slingshot is weighing a pound more than The Littlest Apple did when he was born.  And that’s a good thing!

As for the rest of our baby preparations….we’ve got LOTS to do, and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with Christmas PLUS getting ready for baby.  The nursery isn’t anywhere near finished and we still don’t have a name picked (though we’ve narrowed it down to 2).  Time to get busy!

Earlier this week, the women’s small group I co-lead had a Christmas Appetizer and Dessert Potluck.  I’ve been looking for an excuse to make this beautiful salad wreath I saw on Candace Cameron Burr’s new online women’s magazine, and decided this was the perfect event for such a pretty salad.  The concept is simple: you use a chip and dip bowl (the kind where the dip goes in the middle), fill the outside with greens and fruit and cheese, then put the dressing in the middle.

This salad looks absolutely gorgeous, and unlike some gimmicky food presentations, this one tastes delicious too!  Loads of greens, chopped apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries, nuts and gorgonzola.  (If you’re not a fan of the stinky blue cheeses, goat cheese or feta would also be excellent here).  Due to a small mishap (I forgot to buy poppyseeds), I wound up using a bottled dressing instead, but I will definitely be preparing the Lemon Poppyseed Dressing next time.

If you’re looking for something healthier to bring to a holiday party over the next few weeks, I’d definitely recommend this salad!

Winter Berry Salad Wreath with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

recipe from roomag.com

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Iceberg lettuce (Picky Apple note: I used red and green romaine)
• 4 cups mixed greens
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 bunches grapes
• 1 apple (chopped)
• 1 Pear (chopped and sliced for decoration)
• 6 Strawberries (2 whole for decorating the rest chopped)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup cashews (Picky Apple Note: I used walnuts.  Pecans would be yummy too!)
• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (Picky Apple Note: Feta or goat cheese would also work)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp diced fresh onion
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 2/3 cup olive oil

Place iceberg lettuce around a round plate.  Top with mixed greens.  On both sides of “wreath” make a decoration with spinach leaves, then add bunches of grapes to each side, fanned pears and whole strawberries. Be as creative as you wish.  To the salad add chopped apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries, dried cranberries, cashews and crumbled gorgonzola cheese.

For dressing: Squeeze the juice of one lemon (1/2 cup) and pour into food processor or blender. Add honey, onion, dijon mustard, poppy seeds, and olive oil. Pulse until well blended.

I’m sharing this post with:

The Creative Spark at Clean & Scentsible

Wow Me Wednesday @ Ginger Snap Crafts

I promised all of you that even though I gave up sugar and flour, I’d still have a few great holiday cookie recipes to share, and here is one of them!  The Littlest Apple and I made cookies to bring to his preschool Christmas Program earlier this week.  These tasted really buttery and minty and delicious.  How do I know?  Well, one of my biggest weaknesses is cookie dough, so of course I had a bite of the dough.  Or two.  Or ten.  And then I got an awful headache and was in a complete fog the next day from my cookie dough indulgences (yup, giving up flour and sugar has been the best choice for me, but boy was that cookie dough tasty!!).  It’s a good thing we gave all of these cookies away because I certainly would have been tempted if we’d had any laying around here.  So, if you’re searching for a decidedly yummy holiday treat, complete with festive holiday colors, you should give these a try!  The original recipe called for Guittard Smooth Melty Petit Mint Chips.  I couldn’t find those, so I used Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips instead, and I loved the way they turned out.

Buttermint Drop Cookies

recipe adapted from Your Homebased Mom

Ingredients:

• 1/4 C butter, softened
• 3/4 C sugar
• 3/4 C brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• green food color, liquid or paste
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (peppermint, not mint)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 C flour
• 8 oz. Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In your mixer beat together butter, sugars, and salt.  Add in eggs, food coloring, and extracts.  Add in baking powder and baking soda.  Mix in flour.  Add in 2/3 of baking chips reserving rest for the top.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until dough is chilled but not solid. (Picky Apple Note: I only let my dough chill for about 30 minutes, max, and they still turned out fine.  Just expect your cookies to spread out more if you don’t chill the dough.)

Scoop dough into balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Press 4-5 baking chips into each cookie .  Bake 9-10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden.  Let stand for 2 minutes and then move to cooling rack.

I’m sharing this post with The 2nd Annual Cookie Exchange at Tatertots & Jello.

This is yet another activity from our Activity Advent Calendar, inspired by similar activities at Come Together Kids and Little Pumpkin Grace.  I made a special North Pole Breakfast on Saturday morning.  We aren’t doing Elf on the Shelf this year, but a breakfast like this would be a great way to kick off the Christmas season with your Elf’s first arrival.  Or a great way to kick off the month of December, period!

Before we even get to the menu, it was very important to me to make this a “special” breakfast with a tablecloth, decorations, and special cups and plates.  However, the only NEW items I purchased were the red and white snowflake plates and the fun cup (from Target).  I spent around $10.  Since The Littlest Apple is very interested in Nutcrackers, I included the 3 we own on the table.  I recruited my husband to cut out some snowflakes which I hung (okay, taped haphazardly) from the light fixture along with some red and silver ornaments.

I also tied some red tulle to the back of the chairs.  I did all of this late the night before the breakfast, and The Littlest Apple was SO EXCITED when he came downstairs and saw the table all set up.  He couldn’t wait to wake Daddy up to have breakfast.  I think these few little decorative touches really made our North Pole Breakfast extra special.

The menu was festive too!  This was not the healthiest breakfast, but The Littlest Apple certainly enjoyed it.  In fact, it reminded me very much of the types of foods that Buddy The Elf likes to eat…

North Pole Breakfast Menu

Peppermint Pancakes-(recipe below)

Strawberry Santa Hats-strawberries dipped in white chocolate

Snowballs-mini-donuts covered with powdered sugar

Snowman Snacks-banana slices with pretzel stick arms, blueberry buttons and chocolate chip eyes

North Pole Punch-fruit punch served in a neat-o cup

There were also some candy canes and Winter Oreos on the table just for kicks.  It didn’t take very long to throw this all together.  The most time consuming part was the pancakes, and you could prep the batter the night before.

Here’s the recipe for those yummy pancakes….

Peppermint Pancakes

pancake recipe adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, topping inspiration from Come Together Kids

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil (I used coconut oil)
• red food coloring
• crushed peppermints/candy canes
• chocolate syrup
• whipped cream (I forgot to get mine out of the fridge…oops!)

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and then the buttermilk.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the buttermilk mixture into the well, and whisk very gently until the buttermilk mixture is just incorporated (a few lumps should remain).

Pour half of the batter into another bowl and add red food coloring until you reach your desired color.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.  Brush the pan bottom with 1 teaspoon oil.  Using 1/4 cup of batter per pancake, add the batter to the skillet (only 2 or 3 pancakes will fit at a time) and cook until large bubbles begin to appear, about 2 minutes.  Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 1 1/2 minutes longer.  Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the skillet with oil as needed between batches.

Serve alternating colors of pancakes topped with chocolate syrup, crushed peppermint candy, and whipped cream.

This is yet another activity I’ve seen all over Pinterest and the many blogs I read, and I made it part of our Activity Advent Calendar this year.  You cover ice cream cones in green frosting (or the color of your choice) to look like Christmas trees, then decorate them with candy.  We decorated ours with mini M & Ms, which stuck nicely to the frosting.  I intended to buy M &Ms in the regular colors and wound up with Christmas colors, but it was no big deal.  I also had lots of Christmas sprinkles on hand, but they didn’t stick well to our frosting.  The Littlest Apple enjoyed spreading the frosting onto the sugar cone and sticking the M&M’s on the tree…he stuck with that a lot longer than I expected!  I like how his M&M’s aren’t stuck flat to the tree.    Of course, his favorite part was eating his creation at the end!  This could be a great project for a larger group of kids!

I LOVE chili!  With beans or without beans, it doesn’t really matter to me. But TRUE Texas chili doesn’t have beans.  So as a Texas girl (and someone who recently gave up eating beans), I felt like it was high time to post a no beans chili recipe.  This recipe is supposedly an award winner, and I don’t doubt it!  It’s wonderful.  Not too tomato-y, and complex flavor through the addition of bacon, beer, and and unsweetened chocolate.  I also love that the recipe calls for beef brisket instead of ground beef.  I found some finely chopped stew meat at my grocery store and used that successfully, but dicing up your own brisket would probably be more cost effective.  The original recipe makes a HUGE batch (and was a little too spicy for us), so I’ve included my adjustments below.

True Texas No Beans Chili

recipe adapted from crazyhorseghost

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of bacon, cut into very small pieces
• 1 onion diced very fine (you can use red or white onion)
• 2 1/2 pounds of lean trimmed small cubes of beef brisket
• 1/6 cup chili powder
• 1/2 heaping tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (if you want spicier chili, add more!)
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon ground sea salt
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cans green chiles (each can is 4 ounces)
• 1 1/2 bottles Corona beer (you can also substitute apple juice)
• 14 ounces diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 3 ounces tomato paste
• 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, very coarsely chopped

Place your diced up bacon , your diced onion and your garlic in a large skillet. Cook until your bacon is well cooked and brown before you rake the skillet into a large stock pot.

Now you will want to add all your other ingredients and bring your large stock pot up to a boil. Then reduce your heat to a low medium and cook at least two hours stirring your pot up from the bottom often to be sure your chili does not stick. After two hours reduce your heat to a low simmer and cook two more hours stirring often up from the bottom of the pot.

Your chili should now be done and ready to eat. Test it out by trying a couple pieces of your meat. It should be tender by now and starting to come apart. If its not tender keep cooking on simmer until your meat is tender. Add another 12 ounce beer or 12 ounces of apple juice if your chili gets to thick. If you want more hot add more ground cayenne pepper.

Serve chili with a garnish of shredded cheddar cheese , fine chopped cilantro , sour cream, a side of cornbread!

This was our very first activity from our Advent Activity Calendar.  I was so excited about this project!  These suncatchers are easy to throw together and relatively mess-free.  I’ve done several variations of this stained glass/suncatcher project….there was the Easter Cross Suncatcher, the Valentine’s Suncatcher, and the Rainbow Suncatcher.

So, as I mentioned, I was super excited about this one, and pumped about our very first Advent Activity.  I got all our supplies out, and sat down with The Littlest Apple.  He wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with this project.  Sometimes if I get started on my own, he’ll decide he’s interested after all and join in.  Not this time.  So this one was all me.  He played with his Gingerbread Playdough instead.  Maybe your kiddos will enjoy this more than mine did.  I enjoyed it!

What you’ll need:

• Clear contact paper
• Tissue paper, cut into squares or small shapes
• Glitter
• Permanent markers
• Aluminum foil
• Scissors
• Ribbon

Trace a plate on the contact paper to get the basic circle shape for your ornament, then freehand the top of the ornament.  (Make 2 of those, you’ll be sandwiching them together). Then peel the backing off one circle, and stick the tissue paper squares on.  Add glitter if using.  Then cut the aluminum foil to cover the top part of the ornament you free-handed, and stick that in place.  Now take the backing off the other piece of contact paper, and carefully line them up, sandwiching the tissue paper and glitter inside.  I then took a black sharpie and hand colored the outline on my ornament.  (You could also use black construction paper as a border, as we did with the Easter version, but that’s a little more work!)  Cut out a hole at the top for your ribbon, then hang your ornament in the window.

Salad has become my go-to lunch these days.  I’ve been trying lots of different salads, but my default salad on a busy day is a Greek Salad.  I LOVE Greek Salad!  It’s the feta, the olives, and the dressing that I love the most.

Here’s what I put on my Greek salads: red and green romaine, spinach, red bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, kalamata olives, feta cheese, grilled chicken (using the marinade from this recipe), and pine nuts.  Occasionally I add cherry tomatoes.  Tomatoes are one of those things I’m learning to enjoy more.

A long time ago, my mom showed me how easy it is to make your own Greek Salad Dressing instead of purchasing a bottle of it.  I used to just throw my dressing together with no measuring, but recently I tried the recipe below.  It contains all the ingredients I was already using, but these measurements get the flavor just right.

Greek Salad Dressing

recipe from Make It Paleo

Ingredients:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a small mixing bowl.  Whisk in olive oil, minced garlic, and oregano.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

I’ve been writing this post in my head for a couple of weeks now, but I thought that if I posted it the week of Thanksgiving, many of you would click away or cover your ears (so to speak) and say, “Lalalalalala!  I can’t hear you!”

So I waited patiently until now.  And yes, Christmas is right around the corner.  Cookies.  Christmas parties.  Alcohol.  Decadent appetizers.  Christmas morning cinnamon rolls.  And general gluttony.

But there’s something I need to tell you….

I’ve been keeping a secret from you for about a month now.

About a month ago, I gave up sugar.

And gluten.

And grains.

And legumes.

I went Primal.

(Some people also call this Paleo, I’ll explain more about both of those terms in a minute).

I shared a link on Facebook a few weeks ago to a new Paleo cookbook I purchased, and several of you started asking questions, so maybe this isn’t news.  But I know I have some explaining to do….

What does it mean to be Primal?

Well, it means different things to different people, but essentially it means that I’m following the lifestyle explained in The Primal Blueprint, by Mark Sisson.

In a nutshell, my diet is centered around quality sources of protein and fat.  My diet consists of meat, fish, eggs, nuts, roots, fruits and vegetation. Grains, gluten, refined sugar, trans fats, and hydrogenated fats are to be avoided. This is a low-carb diet focused on the way we ate before the agricultural era….the way we ate when we were “hunters and gatherers” (Mark Sisson lovingly refers to the hunter -gatherer caveman guy as “Grok”).  I try to eat as much free range and organic food as possible, grocery budget permitting.

For exercise, you’re supposed move frequently at a slow pace (because Grok didn’t have a car…), lift heavy things, and sprint once in a while.  And make time to play.  Frisbee golf.  Kayaking.  Hiking.  Whatever things are fun to you that get you moving.

How is this different from Paleo?

“Paleo” is another term floating around out there that you may have heard more than “Primal.”  They are essentially the same thing.  Paleo is a little more strict, in my opinion.  The Primal Blueprint way of eating allows for some leeway with some types of dairy  and has fewer restrictions on saturated fat intake.  True Paleo means no dairy.  But they are essentially the same thing, and I may use “Primal” and “Paleo”  interchangeably on this blog.

Why did you decide to go Primal?

It’s something I’ve been reading about for close to a year now.  The concept of cutting out sugar and eating fewer grains isn’t new to me, but I just didn’t think I had the willpower to do it.  And did I really want to give up baked goods and pasta?  I was already limiting processed foods (somewhat). But after reading about this lifestyle in detail on Mark’s Daily Apple, I decided to give it a try for a few weeks and see whether a not it made a difference.

It absolutely did. (More on the benefits below…)

So what CAN you eat?

Here’s the Primal Blueprint Food Pyramid (click to enlarge):

Wait a minute!  Aren’t you pregnant?  Is it a good idea be doing this while you’re pregnant?!

I’ve got 5 weeks to go until Baby Slingshot arrives.  And that’s part of the reason I wanted to give this a go.  I spoke with my doctors about this new way of eating, and they were totally on board.  And really, what’s so bad about cutting out processed food, sugar, white flour, and eating more fruits, veggies and good fats?

I have no plans to cut out dairy anytime soon.  Not only do I love my cheese and yogurt, but I figured I was cutting out enough as it was.  I plan to breastfeed for as long as possible (a year is my goal at the moment).  Maybe once I’m through breastfeeding I’ll experiment with cutting back my dairy intake (like a true Paleo).  Or not.  We’ll see how I feel about it in a year.

What is a typical menu like each day?

Breakfast:  1 or 2 scrambled eggs (with cheese), 2 links of Applegate Farms Natural Chicken and Maple Breakfast Sausage, with Sweet Potato Hash or an orange.

If I get tired of eggs (which happens every 4th day or so), I have plain Greek yogurt with berries, slivered almonds and unsweetened coconut flakes.

Snack: Apple and Macadamia Nuts

Lunch: A BIG salad with romaine, spinach, grilled chicken, feta or goat cheese, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, homemade Greek dressing.  I’ve been experimenting with all kinds of salads.  Turns out salads are pretty awesome.  I’ll share some of those soon.  Or leftovers from dinner are another option.

Snack: Raw cheddar cheese and grapes

Dinner: Here are 2 recent dinners….Roast Chicken, Butternut Squash, Asparagus.  OR Pork Kebabs with Acorn Squash and a Spinach and Strawberry Salad.

Dessert: a little square of 85% dark chocolate OR a cup full of berries with cream and honey.  Or both.  🙂

Favorite Primal foods?

• Berries, especially with cream and honey
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• Spaghetti squash
• Spinach
• Kerrygold Butter
• Macadamia nuts
• 85% dark chocolate (I’ve always loved dark chocolate, but I had to work my way up to the 85%….just a tiny bite will definitely satisfy your chocolate cravings.)
• Frozen bananas
• Bacon!!

Are your husband and son eating Primal too?

Heck no, but it hasn’t made things too much more difficult than normal.  For instance, when I cook Spaghetti and Meatballs,  The Picky Apple has his meatballs with spaghetti noodles, I have mine with spaghetti squash, and The Littlest Apple has plain noodles with butter.  Since The Picky Apple is trying to be a bit more health conscious, it hasn’t been a big deal when I don’t serve garlic bread too.  We’ll have a salad instead.

I’m not sure if they’ve noticed or not, but I’ve been buying less junky snacks for them too.

How did you handle Thanksgiving?  How are you going to handle Christmas?

I’m adhering to the 80/20 Rule.  I eat Primally 80% of the time, and save the other 20% for times when I want to indulge or when I attend events where there just aren’t many Primal choices available.

For Thanksgiving, I enjoyed my favorites in moderation (which include my mom’s cornbread dressing).  I ate tiny slices of pie and cheesecake for dessert.  We attended 2 Thanksgiving dinners.  I felt a little bit sick after the first dinner (probably because I went back for more dressing and ate a particularly rich slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake).

As for Christmas….well, The Littlest Apple and I will still be baking some cookies together for the holidays, and I will enjoy an occasional treat.  For instance, I usually make Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas morning.  I can’t imagine Christmas without them, so instead of skipping them or trying to “Primalize” the recipe, I”m just going to eat a little and savor every bite.

I don’t ever want anyone to feel like they need to change what they are serving just because I’m coming over to visit.  That’s what the 20% is for.

What benefits have you seen from your new Primal lifestyle?

Overall, I feel fantastic (or as fantastic as I can feel for being 32 weeks pregnant)

• More energy-I have more energy than I’ve had my entire pregnancy.  Maybe even more energy that I had before I was pregnant.  I’ve been going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week (also something I didn’t do before I was pregnant).
• I’m sleeping better at night (something that’s notoriously difficult during pregnancy), and I’m taking fewer naps.
• Less illness-I haven’t had sinus pain, allergies, or any kind of cold in over a month.  For someone who is ALWAYS sick or suffering from sinus pain, this has been a welcome relief.
• I’ve managed to keep my pregnancy weight gain in check.  With 5 weeks to go, I would still need to gain another 15 pounds to be at the weight I was when I delivered The Littlest Apple.  I lost a couple of pounds when I first went Primal, and I didn’t gain any weight over Thanksgiving.  I’m measuring right on track for my pregnancy.

What foods were hardest to give up?  What foods do you miss the most?

I thought I would miss bread and pasta, but it has been surprisingly easy to pass them up.

Potatoes are technically a no-no on the Primal diet.  I LOVE potatoes and would eat them every day if I could.  Now I enjoy them once every 7 to 10 days OR substitute sweet potatoes instead.  I love sweet potatoes, so that’s an easy substitute.

As for sweets, when I crave ice cream, I eat a frozen banana (whipped up to a custardy texture in my food processor) topped with walnuts and unsweetened coconut flakes.

And when I crave chocolate, I eat…chocolate.  The really dark stuff.  85% or 90% cacao.  It definitely satisfies my chocolate craving.

I’m a coffee drinker, so I’m still enjoying a cup of decaf every day.  I used to be quite addicted to flavored creamers.  I still have creamer in my coffee, but I either make my own flavored creamer or use La Creme Creamer which is made with real cream and milk instead of hydrogenated oil and other yucky stuff.  It has a little bit of sugar, but I’m not using that much.

How will this affect your blog, especially all of those yummy recipes you post?

I’m certainly aware that most readers of this blog have no interest in the Primal lifestyle, and that many of you come here for the recipes! Don’t worry! There will still be plenty of delicious recipes. For starters, I’ve got a backlog of recipes from the past few years that I’ve yet to share. (Did you know I’ve been blogging for almost 4 years now?!) I was off my game earlier this year, when I was having awful morning sickness, so I’ve got lots of catching up to do. You’d also be surprised at how many delicious recipes are actually Primal/Paleo friendly already (example: chicken kebabs, salads, side dishes, frittatas). I may share new recipes and include notes for Primal modifications. Lastly, if I’m going to indulge in something non-Primal, it’s gonna be something good….and you’d better believe I’ll share the recipe! (I’m still pinning all kinds of baked goodies on Pinterest!) So there will certainly be some recipes for Christmas treats coming your way soon.

How does exercise factor in?  What kinds of exercise is part of the Primal lifestyle?

I mentioned toward the top of this post that exercise should include moving frequently at a slow pace, lifting heavy things, and sprinting occasionally.

The idea is to avoid chronic cardio-where you just do the same thing at the gym over and over 5-7 days a week.

Many of those following the Primal/Paleo lifestyle do CrossFit.  (Or maybe it’s the other way around…lots of Crossfitters are Paleo/Primal).  Crossfit is a strength and conditioning program that combines weightlifting, sprinting, gymnastics, powerlifting, kettlebell training, plyometrics, rowing, and more.  There are modifications available for every fitness level.   My husband heard about Crossfit online somewhere, joined our local Crossfit affiliate over a month ago, and he’s loving it.  I was reading about it at the same time through all of my Primal and Paleo resources, and if I wasn’t third trimester, I would have joined too.  As soon as I’m cleared by my doctor for exercise post C-section, I’m going to try it.

For now I do 35-45 minutes on the elliptical 3 times a week.  Sometimes I lift weights at the gym too.  On the 4th day I do squats, jackknife presses, pushups and planks (all modified for my growing baby bump) as outlined in the Primal Blueprint Fitness Plan.

I’m intrigued!  Where can I find out more info?

Here are some great resources about the Primal/Paleo lifestyle:

• Mark’s Daily Apple-This was my number one source for info on going Primal.  I spent hours/days/weeks looking through this site, and I still check out the forums almost daily.  Check out the Primal Blueprint 101 for lots of links with everything you need to know to get started.
• The Primal Blueprint and The Primal Blueprint 21 Day Total Body Transformation by Mark Sisson.  Read the 21 Day Transformation if you want to get started quickly (and need some step by step instructions).  The Primal Blueprint contains lots more detail about the science behind why this way of eating and exercising is so effective.
• Robb Wolf– great Paleo info.  I’ve learned tons from listening to his podcasts each week.
• EverydayPaleo-Sarah Fragoso’s blog: a busy mom of 3 with family friendly paleo recipes and tips.  I’ve got her cookbook on my wishlist.

Alrighty, who has questions?  If so, I’ll try to answer them in the comments!  🙂