A new path – the Paleo path!

This past few months have been a lot of exploring for us at Rester Farms and now it’s spilling over into the kitchen for Home Cooking Mama! I do love our adventures when we have them!

Many of you know we are home educators. That, in and of itself is a huge adventure. Two years ago we got involved with a program called FIRST LEGO League. It’s a robotics competition that is beyond amazing. I’m in my second season as a Coach. Matthew is in the middle of his third and final season at the Junior level and Nathan is in his second season.

The foundation of the program is Core Values, one of which is Discovery. They have a Project to do based on the theme and it’s definitely fun to explore the theme. This year is Space and of course, the geek in me is loving it! The team decided to explore how they could help with the mental health of the astronauts during long-term space travel and they found gardening is extremely therapeutic! 

They worked a solution and in the process we discovered Microgreens. I’m not going to go into that in too much detail here, you can visit the Rester Farms Blog to find out more about our journey to becoming Microgreen Farmers. We have been eating them for less than 2 months now and we have noticed a huge difference.

This past weekend has found sickness visiting the house, yeah us! So while laying around I came across The Paleo Way on Netflix. It was extremely eye opening. We have been trying to move away from processed junk and eat healthier, but this opened up a whole new definition to ‘healthy’. Really at the end of the day what is healthy. I love how Dr. Sarah Ballantyne defines it in her book Paleo Principles.

Health encompasses feeling vibrant, having energy throughout the day, sleeping well and waking up refreshed, having proportional and balanced reactions of life’s stresses, feeling motivated at work and school, craving movement and activity, enjoying time spent with friends and family, laughing, feeling happy, having a sense of well-being, and loving life.

Paleo Principles by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne

That really doesn’t describe my life. I’m tired all the time. Yes, I’m the mother of 3 young boys so I should expect to be tired. I just don’t believe this is how it has to be. Plus I’ve lost count of the number of things the doctors have diagnosed me with that have no cure and are autoimmune diseases like psoriasis. I want to be Dr. Ballantyne’s kind of healthy.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1628609001/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=fullsteamtrai-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1628609001&linkId=51530f4d4f26def8d8c219b3a5abe009

Let the adventure begin!

I had looked at Keto and a few people had recommended it but it didn’t seem to be the right fit. Watching The Paleo Way I was sold. The food looked delicious and reading the Paleo Principles really breaks down the science behind it. Talking about science, I do have one part of Paleo that I don’t like. I believe in Creationism Science and not evolution so I don’t believe that we had a diet millions of years ago because I don’t believe we were around back then. So enough said on that matter. The science of nutrition is evidence enough.

Now let me get something really clear, just so you understand this is not some whim. Hi, my name is Lesley and I am addicted to carbs. This really is going to be a 12 step program for me because I love potatoes. I’m from Northern Ireland, google the Irish Potato Famine to find out what happened when the potato crop failed. I have never met a potato product or recipe I didn’t like! So saying goodbye to all things potato is not an easy choice.

Now let’s not forget pasta! I’m sure there must be some Italian blood in me somewhere because I love pasta! And let’s not forget bread! I did try for a few years by making it from scratch. I tell you this in case you are reading this going I could never give up carbs. I have said that time and time again.

Paleo Roast Chicken & Vegetables

Last night I cooked our first full paleo dinner. Roast Chicken and vegetables. It was simply delicious and I didn’t miss the mash potatoes one bit. It’s funny how things lose their appeal when the truth about them is revealed. I had a Wizard of Oz moment this weekend.

I place the chicken breast side down because white meat dries out quickly. By placing down all the juices drip down and the breast will rest in the juices that collect in the pan. The juice is so delicious over the vegetables. If you aren’t doing paleo you could add potatoes to this dish. I really like that it’s one pot, less dishes! 

Paleo Roast Chicken

A delicious roast chicken with vegetables paleo style.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time2 hrs
Total Time2 hrs 10 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: paleo
Keyword: chicken, paleo, vegetables
Servings: 6 people
Author: Lesley

Ingredients

  • 6 lb raw chicken
  • 1 bulb garlic cut in half
  • 1 onion cut into quarters
  • celery leaves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 lemon cut into quarters
  • 1 head cauliflower cut into large floret sections
  • 1 bunch brocolli cut into large floret sections
  • 6 whole carrots peeled and chopped into 3 or 4 large pieces
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • cayenne pepper to taste
  • fresh thyme
  • fresh rosemary

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Wash and pat dry the chicken. Place breast side down in large cast iron skillet or roasting pan. 
  • Pour olive oil over the chicken and rub into the skin. Rub in the salt, pepper and cayenne.
  • In the chicken cavity, add the quartered lemon, rosemary, thyme, celery leaves, garlic, and onion.
  • Toss the cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots in olive oil and season to taste. Place them around the chicken in the pan.
  • Place the pan, uncovered, in the oven and allow to cook for 45 minutes. Check the bird, if it is getting too dark, cover with foil to prevent burning. Return the oven for an additional 45 minutes. I go by 15 minutes a pound to get an idea of the cook time if you chicken is a different weight.
  • To check if the chicken is done place a meat thermometer in the thigh and when the temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit the chicken is done. Remove from the oven and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Carve and serve!

Happy Home Cooking!

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