Paleo Pioneer Woman

It's no secret that I'm a fan of Ree, The Pioneer Woman. Almost three years ago, my dear friend Tiffany told me about this blog I HAD to check out. Her writing captured my attention and cooking her recipes kept me busy in the kitchen. At one point, I even contemplated a Ree and Jenn Marie Project where I cooked through all her recipes. HA! Anyone who knows how frequently she posts and how sporadically I do knows that is a mathematical impossibility. Anyhoo, I have cooked several of her recipes, taken awfully composed pictures of many, had my husband take better pictures recently, and still only a pitiful few made it into posts. What is it they say is paved with good intentions? Yes, so last week we started fully embracing the Paleo lifestyle, and I'm trying to incorporate some of our favorite dishes. Last night, I cooked her Chicken with Olives, making some modifications, and was pleased with the result. And as I scarfed the leftovers at lunch today, I remembered there was no photo, so I whipped out my Android and took a quick photo. Can someone please inject me with good photography skills so I don't have to think about it? I start reading posts about it, and then I see a link to recipes on the right, and I'm off on a rabbit trail, and I "save" the article for later. Squirrel!

The following changes Paleoized this recipe. Use coconut oil instead of butter. Remove the skin from the chicken thighs. Use coconut milk instead of cream, and increase to 1/2 cup. Serve over spaghetti squash instead of pasta. Last night, I forgot the olives. Ten minutes before I'm supposed to pull dinner from the oven, as I'm prepping other food for later this week and feeling pleased as punch with myself that I'm so with it on a Monday night, it struck me...I'm making Chicken with Olives and forgot the olives. So, I threw them in real quick like and then announced to hubby how duncelike I felt. Can you imagine if we had people over? Yes, I'm a great cook, I forgot the main ingredient. Oops. If you happen to have any leftovers, this dish tastes even better the next day. This is the fourth time I've made this dish, and it is now being elevated to "Showcase Dish." There are certain meals I cook for company, South American, Greek, Thai, Meatloaf, Pot Roast, and now this will be added to the list. Guess I need to evaluate and Paleoize the others. And post before and afters so that I preserve the recipes for posterity and friends.

Menu Plan Monday August 15

This is my menu for the week. For more menu ideas, go to the source Organizing Junkie.

Monday: Greek Salad
Tuesday: Cilantro Rice, Black Beans, Chipotle Steak Salad
Wednesday: Ree's Spinach Salad
Thursday: Meatloaf Muffins, Mashed Potatoes, random veggie
Friday: Southwell's
Saturday: Beans, Mac & Cheese, random veggie
Sunday: His Choice

Cards That Say What You Really Mean

Cleaning out my Inbox, I discovered an email from Foxy Blunt. PW had a post on them earlier this year. They have several new products, some of which I wish I had the courage to send.

For instance, this one.


Here is a milder version.


And speaking of family that you only see once or twice a year...


Which leads me to the following...


Have I mentioned how much I despise Snuggies? Happy shopping, folks!

Pioneer Woman Recipes

I had a brilliant idea to cook and blog all of the Pioneer Woman recipes. But since they are added so frequently, that creates a moving target. So I'll just start making at least one per week and see where that leads me...to the gym.
Two weeks ago, I made the pot roast. It was the best pot roast I have ever made. May potatoes and onion soup mix never grace my crockpot again. The juice poured over the mashed potatoes was sublime, and the whole meal made my lunch guests wax poetic. It was a promising start.
Last week, I tackled Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich. My man said, "You could make this every week!" The meat was a little tough for me, but I sliced in a hurry, so maybe the meat was sliced parallel instead of perpindicular.
My husband is now noticing friends' fb posts about her recipes, and I have been granted free rein cook any PW recipes.
Tonight, we had tacos. He cooked the meat, so I'd have plenty of time to make Pico de Gallo. I went ahead and made some guacamole, too. It took about twenty seconds. The plastic cup method has revolutionized my guacamole making forever. I used leftovers to make the Mexican Layer Dip.
I'm well on my way. :)