Forest and Fauna

Paleo Picnic Foods and Wine Pairings

August 8, 2017

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. #WAWineTime #CollectiveBias

We were in the middle of a heat-wave here in Oregon right now. It reached 105*F last week, seriously *HOT* for those of us who are used to living in our generally cool, temperate rain forest here in the Oregon Coast. And anytime the thermometer even gets into the 90’s I go into summer picnic mode! This means easy to prepare, satisfying meals, that don’t require heating up the oven, or slaving away in a hot kitchen. And a good picnic basket also includes a fabulous bottle of wine (or two!)….

Savory Flax Waffles – Low Carb – Keto

June 7, 2017

I am currently all about savory flax waffles! With a side salad and yogurt for dipping. And if you really want to go all out, add a side of bacon or sausage to that plate. The cool thing about savory waffles is #1 they are so EASY to make. When you have a hankering for some “bread,” I have found that paleo waffles are the easiest grain-free “bread” option to add to your plate. They are ready in minutes, and they are foolproof. I’ve never had a batch of waffles disappoint. I wish I could say the same for all the “grain-free bread recipes” I have tried from Pinterest, cuz so many of those recipes have ended up in the compost bin rather than the dinner plate.

These savory flax waffles and a side salad make a great meal anytime of day. And if flax isn’t your thing, try spicing up your go-to waffle recipe with herbs instead of sweetener next time and see whatcha think. Pictured is a side of Cashewgurt which I am also obsessed with at the moment. It makes a wonderful dipping sauce in place of syrup, especially when you mix a few herbs into it. …

autoimmune paleo curry noodle bowl

May 31, 2017

This AIP Paleo Curry Noodle Bowl is one of my current go-to favorite recipes for enjoying the bounty of Oregon-grown spring produce that is available right now! Nearly all of the veggies you see pictured came from some of our favorite organic farms. The cilantro, microgreens, hidden pile of fresh field greens, and (non-AIP) snap peas, all came from SuperNatural Farms (just over the hill from us in Willamina, Oregon).

The sweet potato came from our friends at Denison Farms during the cooler winter weather. Can you believe they are growing sweet potatoes in Oregon? Heck ya! As well as fresh turmeric root and fresh ginger root! I tell ya, I am spoiled living here in the fertile Willamette Valley. Denison Farms can be found at the Saturday Farmers Market held at the McMinnville Grange Hall, and you can shop with SuperNatural Farms at the Thursday Farmers Market in McMinnville. Both farms have CSA’s and pick points elsewhere in Oregon too….

autoimmune paleo tacos – low/no starch

April 5, 2017

These simple crunchy (corn-free) taco shells are super easy to make. I fill them with seasoned grass-fed beef, wilted cabbage, pickled onions or kraut, and avocado, always avocado. This recipe was featured in my first low starch cookbook called “Pure and Simple Paleo” which I am in the process of rewriting to be an even more phenomenal and delicious healing foods cookbook! Now that I have healed my gut, my outlook on gut healing recipes has evolved, and I felt like the book needed a tune-up. Stay tuned… ♥ And until then, let’s eat some autoimmune paleo approved tacos!! …

Autoimmune Paleo Samoa Girl Scout Cookies

March 23, 2017

I realized the internet was seriously lacking when it came to Autoimmune Paleo Girl Scout Cookie recipes. So I reworked a recipe for a raw, vegan, Paleo Samoa Girl Scout Cookie I developed a few years ago, and came up with this new nut-free version that is every bit as amazing, and magical. And I cannot believe it’s also an auto-immune paleo friendly cookie, cuz it sure don’t taste like a cookie you would get to enjoy on a restricted diet!! So far this toasted coconut caramel cookie has received fabulous reviews from friends and family. And I have a feeling my starch-free Paleo AS friends will appreciate it too, as this cookie is as low-starch as you can get! (PS: “low starch” does not always mean “low carb” as starch is a carb, but not all carbs are starches. So while this version is not made with refined sugars or grains like a traditional cookie, this cookie does have some carbs as its sweetened with dates and a little maple syrup.) ♥…

AIP Paleo Banana Bread – Vegan

March 1, 2017

This vegan autoimmune paleo approved banana bread passed the test!! The test being, my husband loved it, I LOVE it, and it toasted up beautifully (in the toaster oven) so I could butter the heck out of it with non-aip goat milk butter. But even if you don’t slather this bread in butta, I think you are still gonna luuuuv it!! Especially if you are on the no-egg train.

I personally can eat eggs just fine, but I have a vegan streak that runs through me, that started when I first went vegan at 13, and sometimes I still just like baking up vegan delights. (Plus I love to share recipes that my egg-free friends can enjoy!) And in my early 20’s I used to dream of one day owning a vegan bakery, and it was that same passion that fueled me to run my raw food company “Betty Rawker” for a few years. And now I love the balance between a plate full of blissful vegan eats and with a little goat cheese, or a chunk of pastured raised meat, or wild caught fish on the side, and oh ya, gotta have the goat milk butter to slather on anything coming out of the toaster oven. At the heart of it though, the bulk of my diet these days is powered by plants.

If I had to come up with any complaints, I mean ya, it is a little dense, but egg-free banana bread honestly tastes great a little dense, you know? ♥…

Instant Pot Whole Roast Chicken – Paleo

February 23, 2017

Hello! And Happy New Year!! It’s kinda been awhile. I took a bit of a blogging & social media hiatus the past 2 months and it was really nice – peaceful – and full of refection and gratitude. I was able to put lots of time into a self-care & pampering myself a bit – turning a little part of each day into “spa day”. And I have so many juicy details to share about some MAJOR & WONDERFUL improvements I have made health wise as in relation to a new diagnosis I recently got, which I now believe has been at the center of my body falling ill to autoimmunity in the first place. OMG, eye opening revelations have been happening!! But that post will be up shortly. Until then, let’s talk chicken. Like the best damn roast chicken I’ve ever made!! Like this Instant Pot Whole Roast Chicken Recipe that is justification enough for you to run out the door, or more realistically click on over to amazon, and buy yourself an INSTANT POT….

The Best Paleo Christmas Cookies, Cakes, Fudge & Treats

December 4, 2016

Merry Christmas, Happy Hollydays, and Cheer’s to all of my Gluten-free, Dairy-Free, Paleo Friends out there!! This is a list of my personal favorite holiday recipes! Some of my personal favorites include the “Almond Roca”, my own “Grain-free Christmas Cookies”, the “Dark Chocolate Marshmallows”, the Macaroons, and my version of “Walnut Fudge”. YUMMM. Around here we do it right! We cut out the refined sugar, the grains, and indulge in treats that not only taste good, but actually make us feel good!! Wishing you are yours a warm & cozy winter season!! xo – Andrea

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Roasted Delicata Salad with Maple Balsamic

November 21, 2016

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EverydayBrilliance #CollectiveBias

I love enjoying fresh produce this time of year in fall & winter salads! These “cold weather” salads are usually more hearty and can even be warming, like with this roasted delicata squash salad. You want heat? Add in a little cayenne to the dressing & candied pecans, and serve this salad with the warm roasted delicata squash right out of the oven. Or if you’d rather have the convince that goes along with an easy to prep side dish, prep it all ahead the day before and store it in some nice food saver containers like the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers I have pictured and then simply assemble your salad at the office, at home, or take it with to to share at a holiday party.

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AIP Donut Holes w/ Cinnamon & Tigernuts

November 15, 2016

EVERYTIME I make these “donut holes” I am blown away by how delicious and satisfying they are. They totally take me back to memories of eating my favorite crumb donuts as a child. I have gotten the same reaction from those who attended my raw food “cooking” classes over the years where I would sometimes make up a triple batch of these too! If you feel guilty about eating “donut holes” for an afternoon snack, feel free to think of them as cinnamon bliss energy balls instead. These energy packed nuggets make a perfect grab n’ go snack or tasty healthy dessert. …

Paleo Thanksgiving Recipes – Gluten-free & Dairy-free

October 30, 2016

Get ready to dig into the most delicious Paleo Thanksgiving Recipes that exist on the internet, well at least in my humble opinion they are anyway!! With everything from the turkey to the gravy & mashed “faux-tatos”, crave-worthy casseroles and my two top favorite grain-free “cornbread” recipes EVER! If you have a favorite fall recipe not featured, please share it in the comments below! Wishing you happy days of cooking, rejoicing, and gratitude ahead. ♥
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Low Carb Paleo Stew – Instant Pot or Stove Top

October 16, 2016

The storms have been blowing into the Pacific Northwest quite fiercely the past couple of weeks and it is now soup, stew, and comfort food weather. Just like that. The apples have fallen from the trees, I’ve stocked up on my homemade rosemary applesauce, and I’ve had the Instant Pot earning it’s keep cooking away every day on my counter top. If you recently purchased an Instant Pot and aren’t sure what to cook with it, check out this fabulous new Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook I was a part of creating. Or simply stay tuned to my blog as I unroll more Instant Pot recipes then you can shake a stick at this fall! And if you don’t have an Instant Pot, it’s pretty easy to convert most recipes to your slow cooker or stove top, as I have done with this Low Carb Paleo Stew Recipe posted below….

Cranberry Ketchup

October 13, 2016

I’ve been pretty obsessed with cranberries lately! I mean they make such fabulous nightshade-free sauces like this cranberry ketchup (and my cranberry BBQ sauce featured in the new AIP Instant Pot Cookbook) it’s kinda hard not to get a little obsessed!

October is prime time for harvesting cranberries here in the NW. So last weekend hubby and I drove up the coast to Long Beach, Washington to pick our own cranberries at Cranguyma Farm for just 50 cents a pound u-pick! We also stopped by the super cool Cranberry Museum and Pacific Coast Cranberry Research Foundation located just down the road from Cranguyma Farm AND we visited the annual Cranberry Festival in Ilwaco, the next town over too! Oh, and if you are into cranberries as much as I am, be sure to bring some spending money to purchase all sorts of cranberry goodies in the museum gift shop, including my favorite no-white-sugar added cranberry jam, along with cranberry candles, cranberry lip balm (I bought this too!), cranberry ice cream, and fresh cranberries if you visit in October.

If you visit the Cranberry Museum you will learn all about how they grow and harvest cranberries in the NW. To sum it up short and sweet, you can harvest cranberries by dry picking (this is what we did) or flooding the area they are growing in to create a bog, use equipment to shake them loose from the small bushes so the cranberries will float to top of the water and then they are funneled out to a collection area in the corner of the bog. …

Perfect Paleo Sweet Potato Fries

October 13, 2016

Sweet potato fries are quickly becoming one of my favorite comfort foods (again). And this recipe is my current favorite way to make them. These Paleo Sweet Potato Fries make the perfect side dish to any grilled protein, and I’ll even admit to having them as a main dish sometimes! Especially wonderful with my cranberry ketchup and a side of homemade coleslaw. I’ve found that dusting the sweet potato fries in a little tapioca starch and seasoning provides a nice light almost crispy coating compared to simply baking the fries in oil. And

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Rosemary Apple Sauce – Paleo – Instant Pot

October 4, 2016

I gotta give my Instant Pot credit for renewing my love for homemade apple sauce. It’s sooooo easy to make apple sauce in the Instant Pot that it becomes a crime not to take advantage of all the free apples I have growing in our little orchard! We get hundreds of pounds of apples from our trees each year, and each year we do our best to harvest bushels of them which end up being made into hard apple cider, fresh apple juice, apple pies, applesauce, and add them to cheese & cracker snack plates. Of all the things we do with the apples, making apple sauce and fresh juice are the easiest!

There is something so magical about eating food you’ve watched develop from a delicate blossom to a delicious fruit, picked the fruit with your own hands, and used to create delicious recipes you and your family can enjoy! Being apart of the cycle of growing and enjoying nutrient dense organic foods is one of my favorite ways to celebrate life!!…

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