I about died of laughter when I looked in the mirror at her..

I grew up eating canned, sliced, pickled beets. I could easily eat my weight in those. I love beets, and as I have become more aware of my diet over the past few years and try to eat food in it's least processed form, I tend to stray away from canned & packaged foods.

We live two miles away from two farms that open every summer and offer an amazing selection of local and northwest grown items. I end up out there at least once a week. The first summer we moved here I remember looking over the selection of veggies and realizing I didn't have a clue as to how to cook half of them.

That slowly changed. Every couple weeks I would select something I had never tried or cooked before and would learn how to. Once such example is fresh beets. Nutrient-rich, they now have a place in my veggie rotation.

"Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are the two best-studied betalains from beets, and both have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support." source

"In recent lab studies on human tumor cells, betanin pigments from beets have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth through a number of mechanisms, including inhibition of pro-inflammatory enzymes (specifically, cyclooxygenase enzymes). The tumor cell types tested in these studies include tumor cells from colon, stomach, nerve, lung, breast, prostate and testicular tissue." source

Beets are also a fantastic source of vital micro-nutrients such as manganese, potassium, fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C and iron. source

Paleo Balsamic Roasted Beets

Serves 4


I love these served with steak or grilled chicken. These are great to top a salad with too. Let me know if you try any variations or have any questions! I'd love to hear your feedback!

Sun-kissed cheeks & shoulders, the smell of a fresh cut lawn and hearing the sprinklers kick on as the sun comes up.. summer is here. And that means berries are ripe too.

The past couple years I haven't been able to enjoy the summer as much as I would have liked to. When you work in the wine industry coupled with being an event coordinator, weekends and summertime mean you're working overtime. It was a fun job, but I am so so happy I get to spend this summer with my family.

This past weekend we soaked up every minute of the 95 degree weather, spending time at the river, playing in the water in the backyard and picking super sweet strawberries. It was so fun showing Aria how to pick the berries, but her favorite part was us picking them and handing them to her to put in the bucket. Emerson just chilled in her stroller, enjoying the off-roading experience & soaking up the candy-like aroma of the strawberry patch. ;)

I haven't made jam in a long time, but having a flat of berries just hanging out in our kitchen inspired me. The same farm we collected berries from also offers the best raw honey. I picked up a fresh jar and some pectin and got to work, this recipe is so simple, you'll have jelly in an hour!

Paleo Strawberry Freezer Jam

makes 5-6 pints

• 6 dry pints of medium-sized ripe strawberries, washed & stems removed
• 1 cup raw honey
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 jar (4.7oz) Instant Pectin
• Have 6 pint jars & lids cleaned and ready to go and a funnel for easy filling. 

1.  Place your strawberries in a large pot over medium heat, add the lemon juice. Stir occasionally as berries soften and become juicy.

2.  In a bowl or large measuring cup, mix the pectin into the honey, it will become very thick, stir until there are no clumps of pectin.

3.  Bring the strawberries to a simmer, allow to simmer uncovered 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Using a masher - mash the berries. Mash less for chunkier jam. If you prefer, you can place all your berries in a blender or food processer for a puree.

4.  Stir in the honey & pectin mixture. Stir continuously for 3-4 minutes, you'll feel the jam start to thicken.

5.  Place your funnel into your first jar, then using a ladle or measuring cup, fill the jars. Leave about a 1/2" of space at the top. Seal and place in the freezer.. then snack on the remaining spoonfuls in the bottom of the pan ;).


The jam will last in the freezer many months, but once thawed, consume within 7-10 days as there are no preservatives. If your jars go straight into the refrigerator, the jam will thicken up overnight as it cools.

There's nothing better than homemade jam on oatmeal, or if you choose to eat gluten-free bread - peanut butter & jelly sandwiches are amazing!

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear how you enjoy the jam and your variations!




**Note: Depending on how strict you are in your Paleo diet, this recipe may conflict. For some, the inclusion of honey is too much sugar, as well as the adding pectin. Pectin is a form of fiber that solidifies at lower temperatures. Many fruits actually contain pectin on their own, strawberries do not, so pectin is needed for it to gel well. You can also use gelatin or simmer the berries another 45 mins until they thicken up a bit. 

With a toddler and a newborn, most days are filled with happiness, love & cuddles, I love it. There are also those days where I empty the dispenser of baby wipes and accept too many fistfuls of food that the toddler doesn’t want to eat.. on those days I need something to help keep my sanity intact. So here’s my list of favorites in case you need some sanity too.

1.  Music
Aria loves to dance. She has some serious moves for a two year old. So if the day is turning to shit in a bucket, I will turn up some music and we dance in the kitchen until daddy comes home.

2.  Sunshine
It helps so much, and sometimes I don’t even realize how much I need to get outside until we've been cooped up in the house for awhile. Going outside with a blanket, iced coffee and bubble solution will fix any toddler’s meltdown and make mom feel sane again. (Have you seen the spill-proof bubble containers?!)

3.  Target
I know, I know. But really, where else can I go in for toothpaste and come out the proud owner of so many things that are not toothpaste? Also, have you seen all the other moms & crying kids are in that store.. that’s camaraderie. See #6 below.



4.  Purging one thing in the house
When everything is out of control I’ll find the pile in the house that is bothering me most, whether that’s the junk drawer in the kitchen or the pile of laundry on the top shelf in my closet, and I’ll dump the whole thing on the floor, then organize it.  Having at least one thing that starts from scratch and feels nice and tidy makes a huge difference. It’s slightly OCD, but hey, it works.

5.  Coffee
I once tried to stop drinking caffeine, but that lasted about 2 hours.

6.  Camaraderie
Talking to women who are dealing with similar life challenges is probably the easiest way to help me feel like I’m not as crazy as my husband sometimes suspects I am.  I can’t stress the importance of adult conversation..

7.  A Hot Bath and a Locked Door
…and music to tune out the little knocks on the door.

Cribs work great for containing the little people while you finally put that pile of laundry away

8.  Exercise
I find that if I want to keep from flinging someone out a window, I need to have at least felt like I put some energy into throwing a barbell or kettlebell around a little bit. Plus the post-workout endorphins make a huge difference in how I handle coming home to witching hour.

9.  A Trip to the Grocery Store - Alone
I realize this is an odd and somewhat sad statement, that I now consider this as a luxury or vice. But there you have it.

10.  Wine
I used to work in the wine industry and would pride myself on my wine-hoarding abilities.. not anymore.. I now have more corks than full bottles.

11.  Ditch the plans
Sometimes just throwing an entire day’s plans out the window and going to get a flippin' ice cream cone can make life better, even if dog hair sticks to the toddler’s fingers afterward.


12.  Admit Defeat
Admitting defeat can be oddly freeing when you’re covered in baby vomit and have a crying toddler on your leg with cheerios on the floor and crayon marks on the TV screen. Do all of the above if needed..

Tomorrow is a new day.

How do you handle the crazy moments in life? I'd love to hear your tips!

Today is Day 1 of the 10,000 Swing Challenge! This a fun & grinding workout, and will be my second set of 10k when it's over. You can see the original posts on this here and here and the creator's article here.

These are Russian Kettlebell Swings, where the kettlebell only travels to about shoulder height. Even though these aren't full American Swings with the bell going overhead, efficiency is key. I've seen alot of poor swings - swings that make my back hurt just watching them. So today I'd like to go over the tips and tricks I've learned over the years to create an efficient, strong, and proper Russian Kettlebell Swing.