Heeeeelllloooooo!!!

      Can I start today by saying I was grumpy today x 100000! For realz. I won't tell you exactly why, but I was headache, anger bubbling, couldn't focus, totally unmotivated grumpy! I was so grumpy, I forgot to make my morning coffee! What?!? I know! I also know that contributed to my headache, but it is what it is! 

     Anyway, I made myself feel better by baking a cake for a friends birthday that is tomorrow, singing really loud to show tunes, and working out (including doing yoga, which my new cat took as an invite to cuddle/attack!)  That was really funny actually, and made me laugh. Ever have a cat batting at your messy bun while doing a downward dog? It's funny!

    Well, over on my Health & Fitness page I talk (so short and sweetly) about starting to do better in eating well and working out by starting small! Starting big is ok too, but some days (.....like my day today....) you don't want to do anything! So, starting small is a great place to put your mind because you set a very achievable goal!

   One starting small tip I gave was this workout below. It's a quick one that'll leave you feeling a little more peppy, and if it's all you manage to do, it was still better than nothing! 
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​    So, start small! Don't be worried that what you're doing isn't "enough", because something is always more than nothing! So clever, right? 
     

   Potato salad is a classic make-to-bring-somewhere-dish. Am I right? It uses inexpensive ingredients, it's relatively quick & simple to put together, can be made ahead of time, and almost everyone likes it.

    My problem usually with potato salad is the disgusting amount of mayonnaise added to most recipes. Bleh. 

    So, this is a thing that has been around for a while, but I only recently stumbled upon German Potato Salad ("Kartoffelsalat") a potato salad recipe that uses vinegar & the fat from the bacon to create the dressing. Most traditionally this potato salad is served warm, but if you let it cool, the salad does get a little "creamier" as the bacon fat cools. 

   A potato salad that boasts a sweet & tangy dressing, and it's mayo free? Yes please! 
It's crazy delicious, it is a crowd pleaser, it is awesomesauce, as some people might say! And I like that saying for this because, well, it really is the "sauce" that makes this the best!  
      

German Potato Salad
Adapted from Bravo For Paleo

Ingredients:

• 6-8 Medium, white potatoes (or 10-15 small red potatoes), about 2.5 lbs
• 8 pieces of bacon
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tsp yellow mustard mustard*
• 2 Tsp Grainy dijon mustard* (can sub the 2 types of mustard for 1 Tbsp dijon) 
• 2 Tsp honey (can omit if restricting sweeteners for Whole30)
• Salt & pepper
• 2 Cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped up fine
• 1 Small onion, diced
• 3 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried)
• 2 Tbsp green onions, chopped

Method:

1. Make sure your potatoes are clean! Leave the skins on, but clean them well
2. Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes, and place into a large pot and add water just to cover
3. Bring water to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender 
4. Drain, and rinse the potatoes in cool water. Set aside
5. Whilst your potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, flipping as needed, until crispy
6. Leave bacon grease in the skillet!
7. Remove bacon onto a plate or cutting board and use paper towel or a clean dish towel to pat some of the grease off, then crumble the bacon and set it aside
8. To the bacon grease in the skillet carefully add the vinegar, & scrape up all the nice bits off the bottom of the skillet
   
9. Add the mustard & grainy dijon, honey, salt and pepper 
10. Bring to a low boil for 1 minute, then add garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute
11. Carefully pour the dressing from the skillet into a large bowl. Add in the cubed potatoes, crumbled cooked bacon, diced onion, rosemary, and green onions and gently toss to coat. If you prefer your potatoes to be a little more smooshed, toss to coat a little more vigorously! 
12. Serve hot or cold

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    I cannot cut any type of onion without my eyes burning!!! I'm not sure how many eye-burning selfies I've shared, but I'm gonna keep sharing them because I'm weird, and because I want to! ; )

    If you've got some (American) Thanksgiving festivities you're going to this weekend, bring this along!

    On that note, to my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving (yesterday), and I hope you have a great weekend visiting family & friends! 

    To the rest of us, happy regular weekend in November! 

    Take time, wherever you live, to stop and be thankful for something. To see whatever you have as a blessing, whether big or small, 


​xoxo

    Good day!
 
    Today on my Health & Fitness page I yammered on about yoga and why I used to hate it, and why I love it now! If you dislike yoga at all, head on over to that page and have a read, you may change your mind about it and give it a try! 

   For here though, I have more for "Motivational Mondays!". Oh, p.s. "Just Another Manic Monday" is a song (by The Bangles), I'm not really having a manic day! Fear not! 

    Oh yes, and for those who saw my post last Monday about cats....I am happy to announce we did get a cat! She's sweet (when she isn't hiding from us!), and I think she'll fit in well with our family! Her name is Bella (though, that's just the name she came with, and we might still change it), she's beautiful, and extremely kind (if I was her I would have taken a swipe at my kids by now!), and we're pretty happy to welcome her into our family!

    Anyway, for todays "motivation", I share with you a video! 

   This one  makes me laugh every time I watch it! It's called "Yoga Pants" by comedian Tim Hawkins. I thought it appropriate because of my post over at Health & Fitness land about yoga.!
​

    It's only 2 1/2 minutes, so just watch it! It'll make you happy! : )  

    Well, in case you haven't noticed, "Motivational Monday" clearly isn't your usual motivation! I like inspiring quotes (I've shared them, and I will share them again!), but more often than not, laughing out loud motivates me! It cheers me up and makes me want to get up and get going at something! This is just an FYI for those wondering about my strange "motivation".

   The End

xoxo
​

   A peach recipe?!? 

   Yes, I know, I know. Peach recipes are only for the summer months! 

   Ok, there is no real rule about when one can post peachy recipes, but generally bloggers like to post seasonally.....and, well, I would have posted this back in the summer, but I got behind because of travelling, enjoying the great outdoors, and wanting to post about other things. So, this very summery recipe got put on hold! I made it several times throughout the summer, with wonderful, fresh Ontario peaches, but it wasn't until canned peaches went on sale a few weeks ago, and I tried making it with those that I knew this recipe could not be contained by any season! 

   Finding canned fruit that is basically Paleo is tricky, but not impossible. I really and truly prefer fresh fruits and vegetables, but sometimes something is on such a great sale, and you know you might end up needing it, so you grab a can or two. In the end, I not only ended up trying this recipe with canned peaches, I also ended up using canned peaches to send with the kids to school one day (the day before grocery shopping, so fresh anything was scarce at our house!), and I even enjoyed (thoroughly) a bowl full of peaces as a bed-time snack on the same pre-grocery trip day! Canned peaches saved the day! : )  
 
   The canned peaches I bought were Del Monte 100% Juice halved peaches. The 100% juice kind are packed with water, peach & pear juice & ascorbic acid. So, while not a wonderful, fresh peach, they are a pretty fantastic second!

    N-E-who, the pictures for this post are from a fresh peach cobbler, but I wanted you to know it could be done with canned peaches too! 

​
Paleo Peach Cobbler​
Adapted from Center Cut Cook


​Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup coconut oil, ghee, or butter, melted 
• 1 Tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2 Cup maple (or coconut ) sugar 
• 1/2 Cup arrowroot starch/flour
• 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp almond flour
• 2 Tbsp coconut flour
• 1/4 Tsp baking soda + 1/2 Tsp cream of tartar (or 1 Tbsp baking powder if it is cornstarch free)
• 1/4 Tsp salt
• 1 Cup coconut or almond milk 
• 5 Cups peaches, washed & sliced (about 6-8 fresh)-If using canned, drain them
• 1/2 Cup maple (or coconut) sugar (this is not a typo, this is an additional 1/2 Cup sugar)
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon (yup, more cinnamon!)
• 1 Tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Method:

***The method may seem strange, but just do it!***

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees
2. Pour melted butter in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish
3. In a medium sized bowl sift or whisk together the cinnamon, sugar, flours, baking soda & cream of tartar (or baking powder), & salt
4. Add in 1 cup milk and stir just until all ingredients are combined
5. Pour the batter over the butter. DO NOT STIR!! Resist the urge! : )
6. Now, in a large saucepan, combine sliced peaches, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
7. Pour the peach mixture evenly over the batter. DO NOT STIR!!! I love how bossy I sound today. Hahaha, please do forgive me!  
8. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving

   Strange order, yes? Oil, batter, peaches, no stirring together? Crazy town!

   The batter bakes up and over the peaches, and the oil gets all saucy with the sugars & the peach  juices, and creates a caramel sauce of sorts. It is divine! Trust this lady!  

    Ya know what? Today in Tweed it is gloriously sunny! Still cool, obviously, because it is is the fall, but this day feels just as worthy of peaches as any other day! I'm liberating peaches from being stuck in the summer! Why am I so excited about this....? Hahaha...oh boy, perhaps I'm more tired than I realize? 

   I have mentioned many times before that I actually don't even really like baked fruit desserts at all, so if I'm tooting my horn about this here cobbler, well, you's better try it! "You's" is something people 'round here say. It's not a real word at all. It's "you" made strangely plural. More strange is that some people say "you's guys". Double plural?! I love this place! Seriously, I'm not judging, I love it!

   That was an interesting tangent I just wondered off to.....

   This weekend I'll be Belleville at an artisan sale, which I am excited about, though uncharacteristically unprepared for! So, I need to get my act together today and get ready! 

    I hope everyone had a good weekend! If you stopped by here on purpose or by accident, leave comment! Any random thought will do! : ) 

​

    Hello!

​   Today over on my Health & Fitness page you'll find 5 tips for recovery from a food binge! You should go check that out if you're inclined to having yourself a treat day and need some help to get you back on track afterwards! 

   As for us here, I bring you some laughter.

   We had a cat for years that was literally (literally!) the best cat ever! Sadly, she was run over by someone driving way too fast on our road at the house we used to live in. That was 5 years ago, and I've been pestering my husband for another cat ever since.

    My pestering has increased however with the mice that have been setting up camp in our home, but most recently....rats! Huge, sort of cute, but really gross rats!!! 

   My husband is away in China for 10 days, and this is a conversation we had shortly after he had left:

    Hahaha, oh boy, that is still making me laugh!

    But, seriously, we are getting a cat!  

    I strangely love cats, and our house sure could use someone to scare away the rodents! 

    Anyway, these strange and hilarious photos of where cats shouldn't be sums up a part of why I love them. They are unapologetically whacko! Just like me! :)  

   Yup, crazy cats! Love it!

    So, laugh at these cats and then go to my Health & Fitness page and pick up some tips on recovery from a treat day!  : )  

    This Friday my husband is travelling to China for 10 days with his work!!! Yikes! We're a mix of nervous & excited about this.
  
    China hasn't ever been a destination spot on our list of places we wanted to see, but getting this chance to go is really amazing! 

   It's funny though......ever since we found out he was going, I've wanted everything we ate to be Asian inspired! Apparently I am very easily influenced by ideas!

    For some reason though, Chinese style food isn't always on my radar as far as food flavours go, not because I don't like it (I really love it!), but usually because I've not been confident enough.

   In the 2 years of Bushel & A Peck, I've only once posted an Asian-type dish, and it was a simple and forgiving M00-Shu! So, that'll tell you how experimental I get with flavours from that part of the world! 

   But now, here I am, dreaming about Asian dishes.....so, I turn to Pinterest! People always be hatin' on Pinterest, but I really love it! I found this amazingly delicious looking Thai Cashew Chop Salad from The Recipe Critic, but had to change a few things up to make it Paleo, but it is just a great, fresh & tasty recipe! Simple, healthy, full of flavour, blah blah blah, just go and make it already! ; )     

Asian Chop Salad
Adapted from The Recipe Critic


For the Ginger Almond Dressing:

• ⅓ Cup natural almond butter
• 1 Tbsp honey (I've omitted this during a Whole30 and it was still great, fyi)
• 3-5 Tbsp freshly grated ginger (depending on how gingery you want it!)
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or a white wine vinegar)
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• Water to thin as needed

For the Salad:

• 4 cups Romaine, chopped
• 1 Bag Dole Classic Coleslaw Mix (it's just shredded cabbage & carrots)
• 1 Yellow bell pepper, cut into approximately 1 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into approximately 1 inch pieces
• 3 green onions, chopped
• ½ cup cashews (make sure they are raw or dry roasted for Paleo!)
• Sesame seeds for garnish (if that's how you roll)

 
Method: 

1. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together for the dressing except the water. You can also do this in a food processor for a very smooth dressing. Add the water a little at a time (if needed) to thin out the dressing to whatever consistency you prefer
2. Now add to the bowl with the dressing all the chopped veggies, and the nuts and use 2 large (preferably wooden) spoons to toss together
3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using), serve & eat! 

 
**If you are making this ahead of time, just prep the dressing and the salad, but don't toss together.  Toss before serving**
   

   
​    It's a really simple salad, isn't it?! And it just has such nice flavours, and the fresh crunchy veggies and cashews, mmmmm....so good. 

    I'm sure my husband will come home from his trip and say all Asian inspired food I make is inferior....and he will be correct! Haha, but for me here, in my little corner of the world, it's perfect. It's fresh and simple, and tasty and healthy! 

   I've got my sister and her family visiting here for a few days and for dinner tonight we made a deeee-lish zucchini "noodle" dish with garlic, tomatoes, fresh baby spinach, fresh basil, and topped it off with a mediterranean goat cheese.....gosh, that was tasty! 

   So, I shall say farewell for now, please feel free to leave a comment, and I hope you join me here again soon! : )  

​    

    Hello there!

   Today on my Health & Fitness page I share about "Gym Me, Myself, and I"! What is this crazy sounding gym, you may ask (or more likely, you didn't ask!), well, it's me at home, with the space I have, with my few bits of equipment (weights and a jump rope-which aren't even really needed to start out), my own body, and the desire to feel better!

   I don't want for anyone to feel discouraged about a lack of a gym membership, or a proper "home gym" with expensive (and usually really big!) equipment! You don't need it! 

   To see the poor quality video I made of a tour of my "gym", please do read my post today over at my Health & Fitness page!

   As for here, enjoy these bits of inspiration I've chosen for this motivational Monday!  

    So, grab ahold of today, and do your best! 


​xoxoxo

    Hello!

    Ever seen the baked ham & cheese sandwiches before? I have been seeing them on the world-wide-web for a long, long time, but just never got around to making them!

    Well, now I've gone and made them, and there's no going back! 

    So, hey, if you're going to a potluck and know the hosts, and know that you could use their oven once at the event....these make the best bring to a potluck food! 

   All the recipes I found called for Worcestershire sauce, which I've never owned and wasn't about to purchase, as well as poppy seeds. I suppose I could have gotten those, but it didn't seem essential. Oh, and you're supposed to use "King's Hawaiian Rolls", which if you live outside of Canada, you should apparently be able to find. Here in Canada? No such thing as this King and his rolls from Hawaii! : )  

   Let's be real though, this crazy delicious hot baked sandwich recipe isn't exactly rocket science, and there is lots of leeway! For instance, you can use whatever thin sliced meat you'd like & whatever kind of cheese, though a strong, sharp, or spicy cheese is the best (in my opinion)! 

Baked Meat & Cheese Sandwiches
​
Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• Mustard & Mayonnaise (optional)
• 12 mini sandwich rolls
• Thin sliced meat (at least 12 pieces)
• Sliced cheese (at least 24 pieces)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Prepare a baking pan with tin foil or parchment paper. Choose a pan that will fit the buns snuggly. If you don't have a pan to do that, make a false side using tin foil (as I did in the top right photo in the college below)
3. Put the butter, dijon mustard and brown sugar into a medium sized saucepan and warm up, stirring occasionally
4. While that mixture is warming, separate your buns, tops from bottoms (you don't need to separate each bun from each other), and place the bottoms into the pan
5. Now, top the bottoms (haha, that sounds weird!) with some mayonnaise (if using), then place half the cheese slices onto the bread
6. Place the meat slices onto the buns, making sure each bun has some meat, then top with remaining cheese
7. Spread or squirt some mustard (if using) onto the insides of the tops halves of the buns, then place the tops of the buns onto your giant assembled sandwich!
8. Pour the melted butter/mustard/sugar mixture onto the buns, trying to get it on every bun
9. Cover in tin foil and bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, then remove foil & bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown and crispy! Yummy!!
10. Slice sandwiches apart and serve! 

​

    These sandwiches are really simple to put together, but the results are faaab-u-lous! Seriously, you end up with a warm & soft sandwich, but with perfect crunchy tops and edges, as well as the crazy delicious taste from the butter/mustard/sugar mixture......mmmmmmmm......
 

   These fantastic sandwiches with a nice soup would be a perfectly delightful lunch with guests! Wouldn't you want to be invited to someones house with these?!?

   So, send this recipe to someone, and then super casual invite yourself over for a meal, then randomly mention how you soooo enjoy warm, baked sandwiches....and offer to bring the soup yourself  : )   

    I'm signing off now, it's family movie night and we're watching the 1930's production of "Peter Pan" and putting a dent into the Halloween candy we got last weekend! Hazaa!

   Have a great weekend!

​xo 
   

   It's Thursday! I used to post about autism each and every Thursday, but now, I post what I can, when I can, and when I feel I have someone worthwhile to share!

   So, today, I have Caleb for you, up close and personal, with an interview!

   In May 2014 I interviewed Caleb to try to show him for who he is, autism & all! 

   His answers were brilliant and hilarious! He said Tater Tots taste like factory, and mustard tastes like sunshine! : ) 

   He has grown and changed a lot (a lot!!!) in the year & a half since then! He doesn't think in colours quite like he used to, but he has improved verbally by leaps and bounds, and has really started to understand how to control how he reacts to situations (he still can get very, very upset, but much less frequently than he used to), and he is learning to communicate better at school verbally and through writing (we refer to his school journal in the interview).

   I hope you take the 3 1/2 minutes to watch the interview, you'll love it! Caleb is a goon! He is really so sweet and funny, and I love how hard he works to be the best he can be!

    I hope you enjoyed the video! Please comment (here or on YouTube) if you watched it! Share our own stories of people in your life with autism! Spreading facts and data is important for people to understand with their minds what autism is, but getting to know the people with autism, well, that will change peoples' hearts.

​xoxo

    So, a few weeks back I started a new Health & Fitness page, and decided that I would write articles on Mondays for it. I picked Monday because I know a lot of people (myself included) feel like Monday is a start-over day. 

   But, I didn't want this main 'hub' of my site being ignore by me, and I so I've decided that (well, for now, at least!), I'm going to make Monday's into "Motivational Mondays"! 

   I will post quotes that inspired me, things that made me laugh so gosh-darned hard, and things that made me stop and be thankful.   

   I like this quote because it's so true! You can't keep doing the exact same thing over and over and expect different results every time! This applies to relationships & friendships, health & fitness, even the way you make a meal! 

   I appreciate this quote because it feels like a validation for passions, if that makes sense? We're created with gifts, talents, passions in us, and and we're often unhappy because we push those things aside in pursuit of something forced, something that we're "supposed" to do. Don't get me wrong, you can't shirk proper responsibilities you may have, but find a way to work your passions into your life!  

   This last one is an encouragement to a healthier life. Don't get caught up and overwhelmed by the long road ahead, just stop and take the journey one workout at a time, one day at a time, one meal at a time. 

   To read my Health & Fitness post for today called "I'm On A Diet" and why I'm not a big fan of saying such a thing, please click the link! 

  Happy Monday friends, have a good start-over day!