Two things I consistently hear from people who are having a hard time with Paleo are "it's too expensive" and "it takes too much planning." And I know; it's not cheap, and it's not easy if you have to just grab something and go. But don't give up!

No matter how much you spend or how long it takes you to prepare each week, though, your health is worth it. And isn't that what it's all about? Feeling good and eating well? But it doesn't have to be so costly and time-consuming.

I am so excited to announce that eMeals, a fabulous meal planning service, is launching a Paleo plan that is going to make your shopping and cooking and planning so ridiculously easy. Someone from eMeals reached out to me a few weeks ago and I have had so much fun learning about this company. I'm so excited about my new partnership with them! If you are in school, or you work full-time, or you feel lost about Paleo, or you just wish you had a personal assistant (I know that's not just me!), then this plan is going to be perfect for you.

They sent me a test plan and I was so impressed with the recipes and easy instructions--they even include a shopping list as well as a list of staples needed for the week that might already be in your pantry, so you don't go and accidentally buy a new bottle of olive oil or mustard if you already have some. And they leave little notes for you, like "marinate ahead," so you don't come home from a long day at work to make the Maple Glazed Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato Wedges and realize that you should have prepared the chicken the night before.

They've really thought of everything, and they offer more than just a Paleo meal plan--you can choose from a huge variety of different plans. And it's as low as $5 a month! I really can't say enough wonderful things about eMeals, so I thought I'd whip up a couple things from the menu they sent me and show you what we're working with!

Everything I've made so far has been delicious and so easy to prepare. I really hope you'll give it a try! 

It's cheap, it's easy, and it's Paleo--you've run out of excuses! It might be time to make the switch!

PS Use code PALEO for 10% off!

This past Monday, there was nothing in the world that I needed more than a chocolate chip cookie. You know what I mean? So, after daydreaming about cookies all afternoon, I did a search for "Paleo chocolate chip cookies" in the old Google machine and found a recipe, which looked awesome.

They really looked amazing, and I couldn't wait to make them. I followed the recipe and was rewarded with what looked and felt like chocolate chip sand. Is there really no liquid in this recipe? I wondered as a cloud of coconut flour dust floated through the air. The "batter" wouldn't stick together when I rolled it, but I was fully committed, so I finally just threw some almond milk in the bowl, gave it a stir, and hoped for the best. That helped.

In the oven, they smelled like cookies. That was a good sign. I have to say that in the kitchen, I'm pretty damn good. So by this time I was frustrated. It's not hard to follow a recipe, and it's annoying when you do and it doesn't work. I started to wonder if the blogger behind the recipe I had found just made a batch of cookies from one of those sausage-looking rolls of pre-made batter and then told us all that they were Paleo. Probably.

They finished baking and I tasted one to decide that I think they're pretty good. My mom, however, hates them. I proclaimed excitedly (because I'm always excited when I discover something new that's Paleo--you should have seen me when I realized what the hell a Larabar was), "I'm going to call them shortbread!" (because they're not cookies),  to which she very quickly responded, "Ew--no--I wish they were shortbread. They're more like crab cakes."

I don't know what she's talking about, because at least a crab cake is moist. I guess they kind of look like crab cakes. They are a little on the thick side, if that's what it really takes to be a crab cake. They're pretty decent dipped in coffee, though.

I understand that there are some things that coconut flour and honey just can't do. I get it. Paleo people don't get to eat cookies anytime like normal people. I'm okay with it, but some days I'm going to need a cookie.

So yeah, they look a little like crab cakes. But they taste a little like chocolate chip cookies.

And the search continues.

At the risk of seeming like a self-proclaimed food expert who, in reality, only knows how to wrap things in bacon (see here and here), I'm going to share another recipe with you in which I wrap something else in bacon.

Our garden at the lake yielded an insane number of jalapenos, and they're still coming. Do you know how wonderful that is? I decided that I wanted to make a Paleo rendition of a jalapeno popper, and instead of filling the pepper with cream cheese, I'd use goat cheese, which, although not entirely Paleo, is a bit more Paleo-friendly and one of my favorite foods. 

After filling them with the goat cheese, I was going to bread them in almond flour, but I started to feel disturbed about the breading, because let's face it, almond flour just doesn't always cut it. It tends to get soggy and not brown enough, and these jalapenos were beautiful and perfect and I wanted them to be wonderful in every way. So I filled them with goat cheese and then wrapped them in bacon instead.

Ingredients:

12 large, fresh jalapenos

One 4 ounce package of soft, plain goat cheese

One package of bacon

1. Take goat cheese out of fridge and let it get soft.

I like to take it out of the package and put it in a bowl so you can stir it around.

2. Wash the jalapenos, cut in half, and then cut each half in half again (as shown above).

3. Use a little spoon to scrape the seeds out of the peppers.

4. Wash your little spoon and use it to spread goat cheese into each pepper.

5. Wrap those babies in bacon! I used about half a piece for each popper.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. 

When the bacon looks about done, turn oven to the "broil" setting and keep an eye on them until they're crispy.