My mother has a recipe for a killer non-Paleo carrot cake. She'll bake it for most social gatherings she goes to, taking it as a gift (she is so sweet and generous - love you, mom). That carrot cake is her signature dessert. Everyone always raves about it.  People will have second servings every time, because it is oh-so-good. I haven’t had it in years, but oh boy do I wish she could make some for me right now. Well, my mother in-law has a signature recipe herself. Hers is a savory recipe, Read more [...]

I am so excited! Let me tell you why... This last week, we finally started back up with the remodel of our new apartment in downtown Boise. The place had previously been destroyed by one of the contractors we had hired (him and his team had no clue of what they were doing...at all), and since then, we've had to work various roadblocks to get the apartment back up and ready to be remodeled by the right people. Now, we have a fantastic team of contractors working for us and just in one week, the've Read more [...]

About time I cooked something in the crockpot to share with you guys! I usually use the crockpot a lot in the wintertime, making flavorful recipes that seem to warm up the house with wonderful smells. Winters in Idaho are tough, and believe me when I say ANY little positive thing counts. If it wasn’t for the gym and my workouts, I think I would be depressed. I am not a cold-weather person at all, and trust me, it gets cold up in here. Overcast days are already a challenge for me, so you can Read more [...]

Coconut. What a delicious little gift from nature. I LOVE coconut. I think it’s because I grew up with fresh coconut. In Ecuador, we could find fresh coconut at any small market, grocery store and fruit stand. Its funny, sometimes coconut seemed to find us. While vacationing at the beach, you could see natives pushing little carts around jumping from one beach-tent to the next, trying to sell fresh coconuts they had just picked from nearby palm trees. It was wonderful. A buck fifty would Read more [...]

Following a 12-week trainer program and having to stick to a strict diet can be very challenging. Eating six to seven times a day is…well…difficult. Not because one has to eat a lot of food (I love to eat…the more the better!) or because cooking may seem like a chore (I love cooking, it relaxes me), but because it’s EXPENSIVE! Especially when you’re eating organic meats, free-range eggs and organic produce. In my household, we have switched to consuming all organic meats for about Read more [...]

I HAVE to eat grilled chicken breast  when I want to feel like I’m having a super lean/healthy meal. Everything else seems like it’s some sort of a cheat meal to me. Don’t ask me why…saying this out loud even sounds crazy. But it’s true. That’s how my brain works. It might be the fact that a simple grilled chicken breast has really low fat content, or the fact that whenever you hear diet, you hear the word chicken breast a few seconds later. I don’t know! Don’t get me wrong Read more [...]