Happy Birthday Molly

While the general direction of my blog has changed recently (less of a "Look What We Did Today" and more towards "Life, Opinions and Look What I Ate Today"), I still believe sharing special moments with friends and family is exciting, helpful (mass communication) and relevant. It creates the ultimate journal of sorts, categorizing events in your life with both text and pictures. On my list of things to do is look into a company that will "blog to print" and get all this good stuff into a photo book. I would say blogging is the current, popular form of scrapbooking, which I have done since about the age of 12!!!

So that was my opinion... and here is my fun event to share...

This past Saturday we celebrated Molly's second birthday. Hallie and Chase hosted a Popsicle-themed party complete with a bounce house. Y'all know I love to host a good themed-party. And just as much I love attending one. In general, I love creativity, whether I am doing it or appreciating the work of others. The festivities started with a "Popsicle" invitation and went from there. 

Not one to miss out on any sort if dress-up opportunity, Matt and I made coordinating Happy Birthday T-shirts. (Because don't most people do things like this for a two year olds birthday party?) You might recall the Minnie and Micky T-shirts for Blake's first birthday party! Needless to say they were a hit and if there was an award for "most committed guests to the theme, I am pretty sure we would have won! 

My favorite part was the gift request: an unwrapped toy for Molly to donate to Toys for Tots. I love that Hallie and Chase decided family gifts were enough and that the rest can go to the less fortunate. I love buying gifts for the little ones in our life and I love buying gifts for the less fortunate, so either way it is a win!!!

So in a nutshell, the party was great, the company was great, the wagon of Toys for Tots was full and I captured some great pics for the special family. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday. 

Happy Birthday Molly!!!

Lunde (no carb) Lasagna

This little number has proven to be quite delicious. As much as it nearly killed me to make a lasagna without pasta. Wait, what am I saying ... (disclosure) I have never actually made a homemade lasagna before (all Italians gasp here). But it did make me really sad to initially think of eating a lasagna without pasta. Turns out the combo of zucchini and eggplant with Matt's incredible Tomato Passata hits the spot every.time. We have made this little guy about 3 times now - once making enough to freeze - kind of like our very own all natural, paleo friendly freezer meal. 

Breakfast for dinner (Sausage & Butternut Squash Frittata)

Breakfast for dinner is an all time fav. Why? Several reasons, and yes I will list them for you:

1. Breakfast meals are usually easier to make than dinner entrees
2. If you haven't had a good brunch in awhile it tastes SO good
3. You get to eat more calories for dinner than you do for breakfast so you can really dive right in!
4. If you get to eat pancakes with your breakfast-dinner meal, your food coma seamlessly transitions right into bed time

I would imagine there are way more than 4 reasons - but this is a good start. Matt accidentally tripled the sausage amount - but who is going to complain about that? Next time though we might stick with suggested serving of sausage so we can taste the rest of the frittata.

Did you know that this is a) What a Butternut Squash looks like and b)You can roast it. I mean, seriously - was I living under a rock! So many new foods. 

Buon Appetito!!!

Sweet Potato / Kale Hash

Here is another recipe for you. Matty made this one the other day for brunch. It was our very first time to not only purchase, but eat kale. I think we may try a little less kale next time (not that it is an acquired taste or anything) and ease into the concept! 

Here is the recipe. Give it a try and let me know what you think...

The Most Expensive (Pumpkin) Granola Ever

Yes, that is the title I am giving this new granola recipe I found online. Clearly all I do now in my free time is google #paleo #healthyeating #glutenfreedairyfree recipes. While I have never, EVER, been in to cooking pre (let's call it) the epiphany...I have decided that if I am going to commit, I need to really jump head first onto this bandwagon! So yes, I am pinning the crap out of recipes and, wait for it, actually making them! Matt is #sosurprised! We made an incredible pasta-free (gasp) lasagna for some friends the other night, a turkey chili last night (recipes to follow) and my incredible unique, frustratingly-expensive granola bars. I am not going to lie to you...the recipe sounds better than it tastes. But to caveat, this is coming from the girl that LOVES gluten and dairy. So for a no gluten/no dairy dessert - it is probably great. At least it had chocolate on it!

I feel like I could easily say - oh wow, paleo, you are just as good as my regular recipes. Two things: 1. That would be a lie, and 2. Please, like I had any recipes before now. But seriously, are we going to try to compare a chili with ground turkey, carrots and celery to the buffalo mac and cheese dish I ate in Chicago a mere 3 months ago!?!? No. Obviously mac and cheese wins every.time. But I have decided it isn't fair to just say "blah" to these delightful new recipes I am finding, and rather, enjoy the new flavors, foods and combinations I never even realize existed.

So - back to the granola. I call it "the most expensive granola ever" because, well this first batch really was. $67! Matt nearly had a cow when he realized the entire bill was for one "snack". But to be fair, and as I reminded him, (hopefully) these are ingredients we will now be using going forward for several different recipes. Ingredients such as...Coconut oil (did you know it comes in a solid form - yuck), pumpkin seeds (who knew you could buy these and not just get them from your carving pumpkin), flax seeds (don't get me started) and so on! We are Italians in Lundeland - so the only oil we were cooking with was olive oil. Honestly though, I could buy into these new ingredients. Everything I read about these "super healthy new, slightly less delicious" ingredients seems quite positive. Also, how can you dislike something that makes you feel better. So earthy grocery stores that used to make me uncomfortable because I didn't know any of the foods you were selling - watch out - I'm coming in, wallet and all!

Here is a look at - and recipe for - the granola. Hopefully you have more of the ingredients already in your pantry so it is just a Pumpkin granola - and not a budget breaking snack! It is growing on me though. I will probably switch out the golden berries next time and go with dried blueberries. Something a little less tangy! Thanks to the internet and all of the very talented chefs that make snacks like this a possibility!

Gluten: Fad or Forever

The Lundes are going Paleo. Well Lady Lunde is - Matt is just being a team player. Today I went to one of those "all natural" grocery stores and bought things I never even knew existed, such as...Coconut Milk, Flour and Sugar. This has been a long time coming for me and I think I have finally accepted the fact that gluten and dairy, while ah-mazing and unbelievably delicious, are not welcome in my digestive system. After a 2 month cleanse (cleanse in the truest sense of the word) I have been migraine and stomach-trouble free. I took two weeks "off" and went immediately back to a war zone of nausea, stomach trouble, headaches and so on.

So at some point - I guess a person just has to accept the truth, put their big girl pants on and suck.it.up. I used to think this whole gluten-free fad - was just that - a fad. To quote Seth Rogan in "The End of the World" when asked, "What is Gluten?"

"Gluten is Calories! It is fat!" IT IS EVERYTHING!

In a nutshell, it manages to be in everything that tastes good, and in some form or another seems to appear in almost every dish I have been eating the past 30 years of my life! And don't get me started on dairy withdraws. What is a good bottle of wine without cheese? A latte without milk? Chips without rotel?!?!?!? If I could pick between the two - I think I might choose cheese over gluten. But alas, I don't have that option and must resign myself to giving up both. (Insert small violin playing a pity party for me here!)

So for the girl who ate cereal for dinner when Matt was away and candy for lunch - this is a whole new world of having to "care" about what I eat. French fries at happy hours, donuts for breakfast, warm fresh bread at dinner - no more! Now I eat more lettuce than anyone can possibly need, have learned of at least 3 new vegetables and can make dark chocolate chips "feel" like an entire dessert plate!

Until now I spent the past two months sulking and eating the bare minimum - meat, veggies and fruit. Matt tried out several new recipes for me - but I just wasn't into it. Well after my two weeks off, feeling as though my head was going to implode and regularly curled up in the fetal position...I am going to face the facts. More importantly I am going to embrace the facts. So I have been researching recipes and am pleased to report - it might be okay. In fact, it could be better than okay, it could be great!

So Paleo - here I come. Sour patch kids, Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes, cereal, peanut butter/jelly sandwiches, soft drinks, and so on - adios! Healthy and delicious foods I have never heard of...let's do this!