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Lettuce Wrapped Chicken Souvlaki {Paleo, Keto, Whole30}
Blog Post from May 2017: After 4 weeks of loads of travel, I am back home and getting back into real life. Interestingly, I have never been more organized with my content when traveling, especially before 4 weeks of on and of travel. I had plenty of content to share posts just as regularly while I was gone. From this time last month, until right now, I have been in Mexico, Portland Oregon and finally, Buffalo, New York. I’ve been down the road and back again, to say the very least.
This final leg of travel, which I just returned from last night, began as an innocent surprise trip home to see my family. I somewhat randomly selected this week, though it was my Mother’s birthday and my nephew’s first birthday, but it was just all a good excuse to come home and surprise everyone.
Sadly as the trip crept closer, I received word that my Grandfather had fallen ill and it wasn’t looking great this time. His body was failing him and it was his time. He was in Hospice. I kept checking in with my mother, from my trip to Portland, asking how he was and managing the wonder of what would happen if he passed if I was in Portland, mere days before my scheduled surprise trip. Could I book a rush trip back to New York from Portland? I would also have to spoil the surprise that I had worked so hard on and it would be a challenge cancelling a non refundable trip, just to come a couple days sooner.
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Crispy Paleo Chicken Fingers {Buffalo-Style and Original}
These Crispy Paleo Chicken Fingers are a grain-free peek into my childhood. Buffalo-Style and Original with option for stove-top or baked. Growing up in Buffalo chicken fingers were a staple, but going gluten-free and consequently paleo, I have forever been on the hunt for the perfect, crispy tenders. I have perfected my recipe over the years and I am finally sharing with you.
We all had those foods we heavily mourned over, then forever lusted after when we first went gluten-free. Being a true Buffalo girl, growing up in the land of pizza, chicken wings and epic bar food, that food for me was chicken fingers. I have no shame in admitting that. I can fully remember the day I discovered my gluten intolerance, being so sad that I would never have chicken fingers again. A loss of great proportions. That said, I literally feel like I have spent the last nearly 13 years of being gluten-free, testing, making and perfecting my chicken finger game. I take my chicken fingers very seriously.
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Smoky Shoestring Sweet Potato Fries
You may have noticed that it’s been a bit quiet over here. I have been working on a few bigger projects that are taking up most of my time, but given the current state of the world, I have also needed to just take a big step back, where I can.
It’s strange to feel that I simultaneously have so very much to say, so so much, yet I am constantly finding myself at a loss for words. Dumbfounded. Instead of being glued to my computer and my phone, rather than refreshing my social media feeds minute after minute, I have instead chosen self care and comfort. I’ve chosen to march and to focus on action. I have surrounded myself with others feeling equally as devastated and at a loss, but also very fueled to do something about it. I have been volunteering my time and donating my dollars. I have been cooking for comfort and love rather than just for work. Serving others and nourishing myself. These are the things I can control and while the world is feeling increasingly more out of control, I find myself wanting to focus inward first, to take care of myself, then find ways I can use my voice, my power and my passion in my local community to help how there I can, as well.
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Whipped Sweet Potatoes
This Whipped Sweet Potatoes recipe is shared with permission from Diane Sanfilippo’s Practical Paleo 2nd Edition
For many of you that have followed Tasty Yummies and my ongoing health journey for some time, you know that this website, my passion and my recipes were all born of my own quest to find health. In discovering a severe gluten intolerance nearly 12 years ago, to my autoimmune disease diagnosis and a slew of other digestive troubles along the way – I have always chosen to let these challenges be the catalyst to me educating myself, empowering myself and in turn hoping to help others do the same.
From the very start, I have always embraced and preached the idea of nourishing your individuality, that there is no one-size-fits all approach to health and that if you can quiet down the outside influences enough and tap into your own intuition – all of the answers are there. When the paleo movement began to come to fruition and came more to the forefront, I admittedly found myself viscerally opposed to this idea – just as I always had been with any other diet that contained strict labels, rules and a very black and white approach to health. It wasn’t so much that I was against the idea that it could work for some, it was more that I was witnessing very dogmatic activity from many of it’s supporters, which turned me off. It was feeling to me like some vegans’ approach to health and their belief (and often consequent judgement) that “their way” was the only way. Despite following a diet fairly close to what was labeled as “paleo” and having some interest in the idea that it could continue healing my body using a paleo diet, I stubbornly rejected the notion of slapping a label on my heath journey, this blog and my continued autoimmune struggles.
