Real Food
Fried Plantains
On a whim at the grocery store the other day, I picked up two plantains. I’m not exactly sure why, but they were calling to me, reminding me of the amazing fried plantains I enjoyed long ago at the home of a friend’s Puerto Rican grandmother. She actually allowed me to assist in the process,…
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Homemade Chicken Broth, What That “Free Range” Label Really Means, and My Complicated Relationship with Sally Fallon
I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Sally Fallon. Have you heard of her?  She’s like the Martha Stewart of “Real Food World”. When you need tips or a recipe, she’s the one you turn to.  But you simultaneously resent her high standards and image of perfection. I do own  Nourishing Traditions, and find…
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Sauteed Red Peppers
This recipe is SO EASY, it almost seems silly to post it as a recipe. But just in case you haven’t discovered the greatness of sauteing with coconut oil, and just in case you need a super-simple veggies-for-dinner (or breakfast!) idea, here you go! Mr. Native Texan and I love these for dinner (with some…
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Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon
Plain, steamed vegetables do not taste good. I recently ordered sauteed spinach at a restaurant, with no butter, please. Guess what they brought me: steamed spinach without a hint of oil, seasonings or flavors of any kind. Guess how it tasted: absolutely terrible! Note: In my experience, the chef at any decent restaurant will know…
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Make Your Own Chocolate Chips (and my favorite brand of chocolate)
Making these chocolate chips is not exactly rocket science, but I thought it might be helpful for those who are anything like I was at the beginning of our Strange New Dietary Journey: needing all the help I could get!
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World’s Easiest Guacamole
I love guacamole. Until Little Brother arrived on the scene, I was, alas, the only avocado-lover at the Yankee Homestead.  So sad. I made guacamole only for guests, because I was incapable of eating a whole batch on my own. Now I can whip up a small batch and even Mr. Native Texan will pitch in and…
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Pumpkin Nut Butter Brownies
One of my favorite easy recipes for a healthy treat, these yummy Pumpkin Nut Butter Brownies are gluten-free, dairy-free, and Paleo. They’re a staple at my house!
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Gingerbread Cookies (Babycakes Graham Crackers)
This recipe is adapted from BabyCakes Covers the Classics: Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes from Donuts to Snickerdoodles. (Clicking on the book’s title, above, will take you to googlebooks where you can view the contents of the book online, purchase the e-book or click through to a variety of online retailers to buy a hard copy. You can…
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Raw Cranberry Sauce (and more)
I love Elana’s Pantry! I do NOT love agave (more on that another time), which is heavily employed in many of her recipes. Â Her recipes are a great springboard, however, although some recipes-with-agave are harder to adapt than others. We’ve used her recipe for Raw Cranberry Sauce for several major holiday meals now and really…
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Marinated Steak Bites
Marinated Steak Bites are a new favorite amongst the menfolk here at the Yankee Homestead. Older Brother refers to it as “that steak cooked in lard.” Mr. Native Texan calls it “perfect.” And to think, just a few years ago I was still refusing to eat red meat, let alone buy it or cook it for…
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