Sloppy joes

So Sloppy, So Yummy, So Bad, but it's not out of a can!

Sloppy Joe's on an Udi's Gluten Free Hamburger Bun

Ingredients:

1- 1.5 lbs Ground Beef

1 finely chopped Onion

1 can Tomato Sauce

1/3 cup Ketchup

2 tablespoons Mustard

1 tablespoon Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Sage

 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Corn Starch as a thickener if needed I didn't use it.

Here are the ingredients, ohhhhhhh pretty!

Brown the beef over medium heat with the onions

like so, then add all the stuff in

and mix, and you get this!  Cook it till it's the thickness you like on low heat.  I let it simmer down for about 20 minutes and it was stout and tasted great!

Spoon it on a bun, throw some cheese on it if you eat dairy, or onions and pickles, I was out of pickles so I just did onion instead for the extra crunch.  If you are super paleo, then take the meat and wrap it in lettuce instead!  And you have a paleo sloppy joe.  I am eating pretty clean, but I allow a bun once a week for a burger or in this case a sloppy joe.  Grains are a very small part of my main diet.  But allowances are good once in a while as long as it's gluten free.

Enjoy!

Outside cabinet

After much thought and consideration, we decided to build a cabinet instead of buying something in plastic or having to spend over $8,000 on a stone unit with stainless steel doors.  This was much more in our price range.  So Dennis went off and got the wood we needed.  We got a laminate countertop, yeah we know it's not going to hold up well to weather.  We have a few things in place to help with that, and we are hoping that next year we can replace the top with granite.  

Here are some of the beginning shots the outside framing

More of the same. 

A wider look at where it goes in the oasis, yep, I'm calling my back yard the oasis.  It's got a name now!

We stored the top on top but didn't attach it til later, but here is the basic set up, left side is for Entertainment, three shelved spaces and on the right is where the fridge goes.

Another shot

More work on it

And more work

it was cold out when the doors were being built

and handles installed

I thought we were done, but oh wait!!!

He decided to stain and seal, not just seal.

That night after staining it.

the morning after staining

A wide shot so you can see it with everything else.  Now there is a fence over there, I'm still contemplating weather or not I want to stain or paint white.  Not sure now!  Loving the look of the stained wood!

The next evening with the sun at the west. Doing the final install and screwing the top down.

The backyard Oasis is coming together!!!

It's as easy as almond milk

Almond Milk...never buy store bought again!  No need to when it's this easy.

Ingredients:

1 C. Almonds

4 to 7 Cups Water

Vanilla (Optional)

Honey (Optional)

Equipment required:

Blender

Fine Mesh Strainer

Measuring Cup

Jars for storage

Nut Bag or Cheese Cloth

Almond milk is pretty simple to make but it does take a hot minute to accomplish. First thing is start with is 1 cup of organic high quality almonds. 

Soak your almonds in clean water for a full 24 hours, changing the water every 6-8 hours.  

After you soak them, then you simple take the one cup of almonds and add 4 cups of fresh clean water to the blender and let it do its thing.  The longer the better, and I actually don't add all 4 cups at the same time, I add about 2 1/2 cups and get the almonds chopped up and then add more water as it's blending.  After about 3 minutes on medium I start to strain out some almond milk through a small fine strainer.

I just strain it over a cup that my strainer fits in.  I use a spatula to get most of the moisture out of the almond pulp and then put the pulp in a bowl where I store it for round two in the blender. 

Then I transfer it to a big jar.

 

If you like it super strong then only use the 4 cup ratio, I think I can get way more then 4 cups out of these almonds, so I get another 3 cups of water and throw all the almonds BACK into the blender, add the water and let it go again, this time for even longer, 5 minutes or so.  I strain again, mix the two jars together to get a more even flavor from them both and I get 2 full big jars worth from 1 cup of almonds.  These last about 4-5 days in the fridge.  Mine never lasts that long, so I'm not really sure on the time table but I've read it will keep for 5 days.  

    I use Cheese Cloth to get all the moisture from the almond pulp and I save the almond pulp lay it out on a cookie sheet and let it dry out.  That my friends is first class almond meal that can be thrown into the food processor and made into almond flour which is HIGH DOLLAR, so keep that pulp, sell it, trade it or give it to your girlfriend who bakes if you don't. 

Now, to sweeten it's simple, add honey, about a tablespoon per jar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to each jar and shake till the honey is dissolved into the milk.

Homemade Almond Milk

In door start up pictures

A look at my indoor garden, before it goes outside.  I was very skeptical to start anything indoors with our current drought situation but you know what, I can do a few herbs and one of two choice items to put my energy into and then just pray for rain and see what happens.  If it grows, great.  If not, OH WELL.  Not much I can do, but try.

Here is the Thyme

And the Dill

The Broccoli is looking FANTASTIC!

A look at the Sage!

Here is the whole set up, pretty simple, I have a light, big enough for 4 trays under.

Yes it's not level, cause the dill is taller, lol, had to raise up one side :)  I have a fan pointed at the table moving air. 

My squash has flowers on it already.

Roasted cauliflower and chick pea soup.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chick Pea Soup

Ingredients: 

1 head of Cauliflower

2 cans of Chick peas

4-5-6 Cloves of Garlic

2 potatoes

Coconut Oil

Garam Masala 

Coconut Milk 1/2 cup

Salt and white pepper

Stock - your choice, I used Beef.  

Garnish, I used Cilantro, you can use whatever you wish!  

Bacon would be a good choice too and

 if I had some that would be what I would use.

Take your head of cauliflower and break it down like this.

Drain your chick peas and pat them dry if you wish.  

Peel your garlic and place it on the baking sheet with the cauliflower and drained chick peas.

Coat the cauliflower and the garlic with some coconut oil.  I also coated the baking sheet with coconut oil so that chick peas didn't stick to it. 

Sprinkle Garam Masala and SALT all over the whole thing.

Like so!

Place the whole thing in a 400 degree preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the cauliflower is browned. 

While that is baking,

Peel 2 potatoes and place in a large stock pot with some coconut oil so the potato doesn't stick.

Sweat the potato

After you sweat the potatoes add a little bit of broth, I used beef, you can use Vegetable, chicken or whatever stock you like, my only suggestion is that as a cook you start to make your own stock.  I make mine once every 3-4 weeks and I make enough for the month and freeze it in jars.  It makes things easy when you keep one jar full in the fridge and can just use it for whatever all the time.  

by the time you've sweat the potatoes and added some stock, the cauliflower, chick peas and garlic are done.  Takes about 20-25 minutes.

Add all of it to the stock pot

Add more stock until it's almost covering everything, if you run low on stock then add water until you have enough to almost cover all the ingredients.

Bring it to a boil

After it's done simmering, maybe another 20 minutes or so, I checked the potato to see if it was ready, and when it was, I started to puree the soup.  Took a few minutes and then I added the 1/2 cup of coconut milk.  mixed it in and checked the seasoning levels.  I then added more salt and some white pepper and a little more garam masala.  Let it blend for another 5 minutes or so and checked my seasoning again.  I found it was a bit thick so I starting thinning it down with water.  Got it to where I wanted it and covered for another few minutes to let all the flavors blend.  Here is the result!

Roasted Cauliflower and Chick Pea Soup!

Easy turkey chili

Easy Turkey Chili

Some meals can be VERY simple and EASY.  Turkey Chili on a winter afternoon for lunch is one of these things that should be simple.  Nothing fancy.  I know a lot of people are CHILI Freaks, with or without beans.  I like beans in mine, which makes it NON Paleo, but my cornbread has milk in it too, so the whole paleo is out the window on this one, BUT it is more of a Primal way of eating.  

Take some ground turkey and 1 whole white onion and brown it up

After it's browned, add 1 jar of diced tomato, 1 jar of tomato sauce.  I didn't have tomato sauce, so I just took my diced tomato and put it in the blender for a few seconds to get some tomato sauce.  Also add in your beans, you can use whatever kind you want. I used Pinto.  Drain if using canned.  Feel free to add in some bell pepper too if you want, I would have, but I didn't have any, I just used mine all up yesterday.

I make things really easy, buy some good quality chili powder I've tried a few organic brands and this one is NOT HOT, which Dennis prefers and since we have a small child eating this as well, it less spicy the better. 

Great brand of chili powder.

Here is the final product after a little while of simmering.  At least 30 minutes, if you want to let it simmer longer, be prepared and have some beef stock on hand to add back in for moisture if needed.  I did add about 2 ounces after about an hour.

And it's ready to eat.  I serve with gluten free corn bread that I made from scratch.

It's a hit on a winter afternoon!

Levi approves! 

Jan 14, 2014