Are you anti-Monsanto/GMO like I am?  Are you tired of hearing my rants on that disgusting company?  Well, get ready for some more.

There’s so much information out there on how terrible Monsanto is and what they are doing to our food supply, so I’ll attach links and references for your viewing displeasure.

What I wanted to let you know about and hope that you will get involved in, is this March Against Monsanto happening THIS SATURDAY, MAY 25th at 2pm around the world!  Yup, that’s right; the entire globe is marching against this company to get them to go the truck away and STOP killing/contaminating us and our food supply.  If you don’t believe me, check out March Against Monsanto‘s (MAM) site and where the events are taking place.  It’s nuts I tell ya!

I have never done anything like this, but it is my intent to march with some of my family members, if they’ll support me.  Originally I thought I’d be here in Dallas marching, but it looks like we will be in Austin, which is awesome, because I know they will have a BIG event being the crunchy city that they are.  I’m so pumped to be a part of something that is potentially HUGE!

You know there’s something wrong with this company when there are countries outlawing Roundup, their seeds and food, etc. from being grown and sold there.  America can only try to get their GMO foods labeled rather than get them the truck out, period.  There was even a Monsanto rider that got passed a few months ago and it sounds like another rider is coming up later this year that supports them.  It literally gets my blood boiling!

If you’ve never done anything like this, I ask you to consider it.  I think it’s time we start evaluating what is important to us and take a stand.  If you like sitting idly by while the government decides what’s healthy for us and for our kids to eat, than by all means, ignore this post.  But, if you’re passionate like me, and tired of them slowly poisoning us, then take a stand.  Find where the closest march is and rally up the troops family.  Make it a point to show your kids that you care about what they are ingesting and that you want this company to stop this heinous crime.

You may think it’s a bit extreme, but check out the multitude of Facebook pages, websites, and articles dedicated to stopping this company.  I’m not alone in my utter dislike for this company and neither should you be.  Spread the word and let’s get marching!

Facebook groups:

• March Against Monsanto
• GMO-Awareness
• Occupy Monsanto

Documentaries:

• THRIVE
• GMO, Global Alert
• Monsanto: A Documentary
• The World According to Monsanto
• Genetic Roulette

There you have it.  Will you join me??

Note: Photos from here, here, here, and here.

Check it out.  It’s the pasta of all pastas!  Well, it is for us Paleo people.  As most of you know, grains, carbs, and dairy are a no-no when eating Paleo, so what does that mean?  No pasta.  Say what?  You’re telling a 100% Italian gal that she can’t have pasta?  Try again.

I’m only kidding.  I know that was part of the choice we made when deciding to go Paleo, and I honestly don’t regret it.  Do I miss pasta every now and then?  Sure.  Do I feel better without it?  You can bet your bottom dollar I do.  So, when I came across Cappello’s in my Paleo Magazine, I thought, this has to be a joke…Paleo-approved pasta at the click of a mouse?  Done!

It took me sometime to actually order it though.  Their pasta is pricey since it’s fresh made and shipped on dry ice, but I finally bit the bullet, and am here to blog about it.  I went for the Taste of Each and got 2 fettuccine, 1 gnocchi (say ‘in-yok-ee‘), and 1 lasagna.  Don’t get me started on all the wrong ways to say gnocchi.  My hubby drives me nuts on purpose by calling it ‘n0-kee.’  He knows better than to argue with this Italian girl.

After some deliberation, and trying all 3 kinds, I would have to say the gnocchi is a bit mushy.  Maybe because it’s been forever since I’ve had it, but Josh did agree and he’s the non-gluten eating guy.  The fettuccine and lasagna both have a bit of a mushy texture to it, but it’s not terrible.  Just slather it with sauce, veggies, sausage, and grass-fed beef and it’s all good.

You can always keep is simple with just some homemade pasta sauce and shredded chicken.

Or go all out.

Here’s the lasagna I made the other day.  It’s completely dairy-free, as in zero cheese on it, and has kale instead of spinach.  I’ll be back to post the recipe of this mouth-watering meal, complete with two meats.  The cool thing about it, was I made two small pans, so we could eat one that night and freeze one for later, so it will be ready when baby comes.  Winner, winner, lasagna dinner!

Well there you have it, gluten, dairy, and grain-free pasta delivered to your doorsteps.

Have you ever tried Cappello’s or heard of it before?  Or will you continue to enjoy your big bowl of carbs while laughing at me for giving up pasta?  It’s cool, I made my pasta-free bed and will continue to lie in it.

Note: Photos are from here and here.

I wanted to do a post talking about the way Emma eats.  Those crunchy people out there won’t really be surprised at what she eats, but most people I’ve encountered are shocked and maybe a little disgusted at what she eats, what she’s allowed to eat, and what is not mama-approved.  Don’t get me wrong, we don’t eat the way I would prefer 100% of the time, after all I am human (and prego) so I allow myself off the hook now and then.

During this first trimester, though, all I wanted was junk and tons of food.  My nutritionist told me my body wanted protein-I randomly craved grass-fed burgers and couldn’t seem to get enough of them!  Luckily, I’m not eating like a savage through the second trimester, but I do have to force myself to eat more greens.  I was told I should have 3 cups of greens a day (I think that goes for everyone), and still struggle to get that much in.

As for Emma, she’s pretty good at what I feed her.  When I make breakfast: eggs, bacon, and sautéed spinach, she usually steals my serving and ends up asking for more.  She’ll even go to the fridge and ask if we can have sardines for breakfast, knowing there are leftovers in the fridge from the day before.  Most will balk at the thought of sardines (and I even have to force myself to eat them) especially for a 2-year old, but she doesn’t know they’re supposed to be nasty.  I figure if I start her early on good sources of calcium, since we don’t do dairy, they we can stave off the osteoporosis that runs in my family.  I was devastated when I found out I had osteopenia at 28, so this mama could learn a thing or two from the wee little one.

What got me to this point in how I feed her were a few reasons.  When I read Primal Body, Primal Mind a year and a half ago, my world was turned upside down!  I learned what our food does to us, good and bad, and knew that I needed to start her on the right path STAT.  There seems to be too much junk in our food supply these days and I feel like we’re setting up our kids for illness down the road (or even sooner).  I wanted to give her a fighting chance at setting the stage now, knowing I can’t control what she eats forever.

The kicker for me was probably her first birthday.  Mind you, we were all still eating grains back then, but I struggled what to do when it came time to celebrate her turning one.  She never had sugar, unless it was fruit, in the first year of her life, so why in the world would I set a big, sugar-laden cake/cupcake in front of her for the sake of pictures?  It honestly was abhorrent to me.  I’m not here to judge what others do, this is the thinking that goes on in my over-analyzing brain.

So, I settled on making her a Hummingbird cake (read more in this post).  I fretted all the way until I set the homemade cake in front of her.  Would she like it?  Would she eat the whole thing?  Was I a terrible mother for offering this to her when her system was still so fragile?  Ironically, she wanted nothing to do with it!  It could have been that she wasn’t feeling well, was over-tired, or didn’t like getting dirty, like her daddy.  Either way, I was relieved.  Yes, I just admitted I was happy that my one-year-old didn’t want sugar on her birthday, what can I say.

I would even go to the extremes of bringing her food everywhere, or asking waiters for the best possible thing she could have on the menu, like sliced avocado or steamed veggies.  That’s not to say I ate the best then, but since she’s older and will want what I am having, I live by this motto:

“If I wouldn’t give it to my child, why should I eat it?”

Is it a bit extreme?  Maybe.  But that’s okay for me.  It’s actually made me eat and drink better.  Emma and I only consume water, hot herbal tea, and Kombucha.  I don’t care to have sodas or sweet tea, knowing they cost more when eating out and do ZERO things for my body.  I have to admit, once you kick the sugar habit you A) don’t want it anymore and B) will find sweet things are way too sweet.  It’s been a win-win for me.

My other motto is ‘Kids are blank slates, so why not expose them to the world?‘  They don’t know what’s supposed to be gross or nasty at this young age.  Just because some adults don’t eat Kipper, capers, or kale chips, doesn’t mean the child needs to dislike them without being exposed to them.  Emma doesn’t know what chicken nuggets, soda, or candy are and I intend to keep it that way for a long time.  I want to educate her that food is fuel for our bodies and can also hurt them at the same time.  I constantly tell her that water is good for us because it keeps us hydrated and cleans out the body.  Ya’ll know I over-explain things to her, but I guarantee she understands and is filing it away for the future.  It’s sometimes scary what kids will remember!

This way of thinking has led us down a really exciting road.  Our whole family is trying things I never had considered before: collard greens, sorrel, kohlrabi, sardines, bone marrow, Kombucha, organ meats, etc.  I have to say it’s been fun branching out into a world I never knew.  I know it helps going to Farmer’s Markets or local shops and asking the growers what certain foods are and how to prepare them.  What’s even better, is with Emma being so young I can set in her mind that these foods are good for her and actually tasty.  I know this will carry through with her as she starts cooking with me and when she goes out on her own.  I figure I owe it to her as her mother to set a solid foundation.  Maybe I’m a little obsessed with food, but that’s been my life ever since getting diagnosed with celiac disease over 30 years ago, so I can’t help it!

Yikes!  I had no idea this post would be this lengthy, but this topic is very important to me.  Food does so many positive and negative things for our body, that if I can give my family the best possible choices, we might have a fighting chance at not getting cancers and having good health in general.

What about you?  Am I alone in this venture?  Do you feed your kids any ‘crazy’ foods?  My hope is that this gets you thinking and exploring with your kids-I promise it’s never too late to set them on the healthy path!

PS-I’d like to send a shout out to my mama (Emma’s Nonna), who’s 35 years young today!  Happy Birthday to the most amazing and beautiful woman I know!

You’re probably saying, ‘Duh, you go to the supermarket and get what you need.’  Au contraire.  I hardly ever go to an actual grocery store, unless I need a few toiletries that I can’t get at Natural Grocers.  This seems like a no-brainer, but when you try to eat better, you have to do your research.

Here’s how I shop:

• Farmer’s Markets/CSAs

• Food Co-ops

• Natural Food Stores

Farmer’s Markets/CSAs

Remember this post about Farmer’s Markets and CSAs?  Well, that’s where I get the majority of my produce along with my meats.  And now that market season is in full swing, I try to go every weekend to stock up on what I need for the week.  My favorite place to go is called, Earthwise Gardens, in Denton, TX.  It’s a store started by Ryan Crocker who grows and sources exclusively Texas-grown organic fruits and vegetables. I am very lucky to have access to a place that has local produce, eggs, and meats, all in a one-stop shop.

What I get from there is pastured-raised eggs, fresh veggies, fruit, and meat from Local Yocal.  I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing, but when I went by their tent at the Denton Farmer’s Market last Saturday, they recognized me and said we’ll see you in the store soon.  Should I leave a note?  Ha.

For the past few weeks it’s been somewhat of a routine: Emma and I go by the chiropractor to both get adjusted, head to Earthwise Gardens to pick up eggs (and give back our empty egg cartons), then swing by Natural Grocers for anything else we might have missed.  I actually like the routine and think Emma does, too.  It couldn’t be that when I buy a carton of fresh strawberries (from Earthwise) we sit in the parking lot and eat the whole thing, could it?

I will also go down to the Dallas Farmer’s Market to pick up grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork from Northstar Ranch.  Apparently I like to drive as far as possible to get what I need.

Food Co-ops/CSAs

I used to be a member a few years ago of a CSA, but that was before I went Paleo, so I wasted a lot of good produce not knowing what or how to cook a lot of it.  CSAs are a great way to support local and organic in your community.  Plus, they’re an easy way to get all your produce for the week without having to go to the store.

Another idea is a food co-op.  This is kind of the same as a CSA, but they have different items besides food.  Through my holistic group on facebook, I have taken part in a coconut oil co-op along with a colloidal silver co-op.  This is basically where several people go in on an order to bring the cost down.  You could buy it yourself from certain sites or stores, but this saves you some money especially if you use it often.  The lady who organizes it has an ongoing co-op every month for both, so it’s a matter of picking it up when it comes in.

I’m lucky in that my chiropractor is part of the group, so I can just pick my goods up from her when we get adjusted. Check around online to find a local CSA or co-op in your area…I guarantee they are out there.

Natural Food Stores (Natural Grocers/The Cupboard/Etc.)

One of my favorite natural food stores was featured in this post.  You may recall that I professed my undying love for the new Natural Grocers in Denton, TX.  I can’t begin to tell you how much I love that store.  All the produce is organic and they only sell naturally raised meats.  I even buy recycled paper towels and toilet paper (don’t judge) from there, and recently bought some compostable straws that I can toss in my compost bin.  It makes me feel like I’m doing a little bit of good-trying to buy recycled, non-bleached items for our home when I can.  I know not everyone will switch to this, but I want to teach Emma to try and buy reusable items that get tossed so easily.

*Yesterday I just discovered The Cupboard in Denton, which is just like Natural Grocers, so I was super excited to find yet another local store to help support.

So, that’s pretty much how I shop: Farmer’s Markets/local produce markets, Food Co-ops, and Natural Food Stores.  I’m not trying to endorse these places, I just happen to have access to them and love what they stand for.  I will try my darndest to get the best foods I possibly can, even if that means spending a little more.

No excuses people…find local sources close to you here!

What about you?  How do you shop?  Have you discovered the beauty of Farmer’s Markets or ventured out to pick your own foods with the family?  Do some searching and support local-I promise you won’t be sorry and the farmers will love you.

Note: Photos from here, here, and here.

You can play around with the nuts and the type of chocolate you use.  The first time I made them, I used this dark chocolate from Whole Foods, and the second time, I used the good ‘ole Enjoy Life dairy free chocolate chips. As for the nuts, her recipe calls for almonds but I used cashews since that’s what I had-I was pleasantly surprised (even though cashews are my favorite nut).  Do check out her blog to see her step by step pictures to make sure you are doing it correctly.

Now on to the deliciousness!

Gluten Free Cookie Dough Bars (Paleo)

From Purely Thriving

• 1 ½ cup ground almonds
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup tahini
• ¼ cup raw cacao nibs (or chopped chocolate or chocolate chips)
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 C coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp raw honey
• 2 tsp vanilla

1. If you don’t already have ground almonds, place plain almonds in a food processor and process until you have ground almonds. Be sure not to process too much or you’ll end up with almond flour or butter.

2. Place ground almonds, unsweetened shredded coconut, tahini, salt and cacao nibs in food processor. Pulse approximately 10 seconds.

3. Carefully heat coconut oil in a sauce pan (not the microwave!), being careful not to burn.

4. Add honey and vanilla to coconut oil and mix well.

5. Add mixture in sauce pan to nut mixture in food processor and process until creamy.

6. Pour into an 8×8 pan. You can line with parchment paper or plastic wrap to make removal easier if you’d like.

7. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

8. Remove from refrigerator and slice into 16 squares.

Optional: Melt 1 oz of dark chocolate in a sauce pan.  Remove refrigerated cookie dough and drizzle melted chocolate over the top. Return to refrigerator for 30 minutes. If you don’t have any chocolate, don’t let that stop you from making these. They’re plenty sweet without it.

More options: Try almond butter or sunflower butter in place of tahini, or walnuts in place of almonds. Use what you like or what you have on hand and change it up until you find your favorite combination.

It wasn’t until I saw this post from Young House Love that I would have given a rain barrel a moment of thought; but alas it planted a seed.  My friend told me about the class, and since we just finished some landscaping in the back complete with garden, I thought this is a must.  I wanted to get the okay from Josh with the $50 price tag, before diving in.

When I got the green light, Emma and I loaded up the car and headed to the 2-hour class.  We were late and only caught the last half of it, so I’ll have to go back over my rainwater harvesting info to learn more on the topic…it was very informative in the 30 minutes I did catch.

I saw on one of the slides that you can DIY a rain barrel (like a composter) but decided to keep that in my back pocket for next time.  All the holes were predrilled for us, making for fast installation of the faucet and insect netting.  I was hoping to get to crawl in the barrel, to make for more entertaining photos, but that wasn’t an option (and probably a good thing being prego and all).

First, they put some caulk around the 6″ hole on top of the 55-gallon food grade drum.  Then, we placed the netting over the hole and smoothed the caulk towards the corners.  You don’t want bugs or any nastiness getting in your fresh, free water that will be used on plants and vegetables, so this is essential.

Next, we screwed in the faucet, and added a huge gob of caulk to make sure it got in all the crevices so there wouldn’t be any leakage.

Finally, we were done!  That was it.  I couldn’t believe how easy it was (not having to drill the holes, etc.), and thought maybe I should grab another while I was at it…but I restrained myself.

The fun part became how to get the ole girl home.  Josh has a big truck, and since he was at a meeting close by, I thought I’d have to wait for him for pickup.  But, knowing my trusty Honda and all the crazy things I’ve fit in there from back in my Barney & Friends days, I had an inkling that she might fit (with Emma in the back, no less).

Violà!  My car came through again.  I think Josh was the most surprised, but I reminded him that ole Betsy has been through a lot.  The guy that helped load her up said they’ve fit them in a Smart car, so I knew I had a fighting chance.

When we got the barrel home, I just tossed it in the back yard since it was already pretty late.  I knew the landscapers were coming back today to finish the vegetable garden and would have a better idea of where to place it.  I am planning to elevate it pretty high so gravity can do its magic and have easier access.  I also wanted to put it by the garden so we could hook up a soaker hose to leave there for no-fuss watering.  There are so many pluses for having a rain barrel and I can’t wait to harvest all the crazy rain we’ve been getting!  We are lucky here in Dallas to have non-acidic rain water, which is nice.

I do want to point out a few tips on maintenance, should you go for it and get one of your own:

• Brush off insect netting as debris falls
• Replace insect netting when necessary
• Re-caulk faucet when necessary
• Watch weather and distribute water before a rain event
• Do not collect water when leaves or catkins are falling
• Keep gutters and downspout clean
• If the barrel is full when a freeze is expected, lower the water height by about 2 to 3 inches

I’ll admit I didn’t realize what all went into keeping a rain barrel.  It didn’t help that I couldn’t totally focus during the presentation since I was trying to keep an eye on Emma and get her to be quiet while she sang ‘head, shoulders, knees, and toes’ to a complete stranger.  Ah, the joys of toddlerhood!

They also talked about decorating your barrel by either painting it or covering it with wood slats.  The guy even gave me the idea to do kid’s handprints on there, which I thought would be fun especially when bébé #2 comes along.  You know I’ll keep you posted on what we do in the end.  I’ll also be back when we finally do hook up the barrel to the downspout and get the barrel ball rolling.

What about you guys?  Do you have a rain barrel at home?  Did you do anything to connect with or celebrate Mother Earth?  It used to be a big deal when I was in college, but we have since let the day get away from us.  Maybe now with having kids, I’ll make a conscious effort to connect with nature more.

Note: Check out the AgriLife Extension classes here for more info on making your own.

Note: Photo from here.

Paleo Coconut Flour Waffles

Adapted from Wellness Mama

• 8 eggs
• ½ cup melted butter or coconut oil
• ½ cup coconut flour (plus a little more)
• heaping Tbsp of homemade applesauce
• Almond milk
• 1 tsp-1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• fresh or frozen berries (optional)

1. Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl and beat with a whisk or immersion blender.

2. Add the melted butter or oil, applesauce, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and baking soda and mix well.

3. Add the coconut flour and mix well (immersion blender is best for getting rid of clumps).

4. Batter should be thick. If it is too thin, add a little more coconut flour. *I added a splash or two of almond milk, because I did want it a little thinner and less dense.

5. Spoon into heated and greased waffle iron and cook until light brown and firm to the touch. My iron told me when they were done, but if you need to time it, it should be about 3 minutes.

6. Serve with a pat of butter and homemade strawberry syrup (heat frozen strawberries and blend) or pure maple syrup or almond butter and frozen berries.

Note: do yourself a favor and start making your own broth, it tastes 10x better and is more nutritional for you.

Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup

From Paleo Intensified

• 1 ½ Tbsp ghee, butter, or bacon grease
• 1 pound Organic Sausage
• 1 sweet potato or 3 medium-sized regular potatoes
• 2-3 carrot sticks
• 2-3 celery stalks
• 1-2 yellow onions
• 3 green onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ of a bunch of collard greens, Swiss chard, or kale, washed and torn into small pieces
• 1 ½ tsp curry powder (optional-I left it out since I don’t care for it)
• 7-8 cups homemade chicken broth
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Start by peeling the sweet potato (I leave the skins on regular ones), roughly chopping all the veggies, and mincing the garlic.

2. Heat ghee in a large skillet on medium-high.

3. Sauté the onion and garlic for a minute or two, then add the sausage. Use a big spoon or spatula to break up the sausage into chunks. Don’t make the chunks too small. You’ll want some bigger chunks that turn into delicious little meatballs when it’s finished. Cook the sausage until it’s just starting to brown.

4. Add all the veggies and sweet potato. Add the curry powder, using as much as you want.

5. Sauté everything together, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato and carrots start to soften. While that’s cooking, add the broth to a large pot and bring it to a boil.

6. Once the potatoes and carrots are soft, throw everything in the pot, add collard greens, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Once it’s ready, you can eat it as is or put it in a blender or food processor and puree it. I left it chunky.

8. Enjoy!

I’m super excited that it’s growing so well.  Now just a few more years and we might have some fruit…and I won’t have to spend so much on avocados every week.  Woo Hoo!

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JUST KIDDING!

This is more like it:

Yup, that’s right; Crunchy Hot Mama is having another baby!  According to BabyCenter, at 16 weeks, baby is the size of an avocado so I thought it fitting to put that in the title.

I’ve had several random strangers friends ask when? when? when? we were having another baby and I told them, I’m just not sure.  Emma definitely wasn’t planned (conceiving just one month after we got married), so it was hard to plan a second.  I’ve expressed my apprehension about another child, but have had several pleas to not let her be an only child.  I knew we would at some point, since I love having a sister, but kind of let it happen as it may.

I’m not sure what took me so long to blog about it, but now the word is out and it’s time to start rethinking what I’d do differently this time.  You’ve seen me post pictures of going to the chiropractor- which is new for both Emma and me.  I also found a Midwife through a local group on Facebook, so that’s definitely new, too.  I promise to let you know what I did before, what I will do this time, and my thoughts on it all.  My ‘plan’ is a water birth at home…but that could change depending on how I feel.  I owe ya’ll lots of posts, but will *try* not to make it all about bébés.

Come join me on my adventure and please to pass along any tips you may have.  I’m all ears as I go totally crunchy this pregnancy (I’ve already been adding raw pasture-raised eggs to my smoothie), so spread the love if you got it!

PS: Tomorrow we have a local plant nursery coming out to set up some landscaping and build me a garden, so needless to say…I’M SUPER STOKED!!!  Details to follow.

Note: Photos from here and here.

Olivia

We woke up Sunday morning, after a good night’s rest, and quickly packed our bags to leave our AirBnb house for good.  Knowing I’m at slow at getting ready for everything in the morning, I made sure to get as much done the night before.  We happened to come across Olivia after our first trip to Lick on Friday.  I drove across the street to see if they were open, but no dice. Casey heard about this place from her awesome contact, so we agreed to make it a Sunday morning brunch.  Can I just say we were both ecstatic when we were checking out the parking lot and came across this:

I’m pretty sure those eggs and veggies were meant for my future breakfast, and we both couldn’t wait to return when they were actually open.

When we arrived on Sunday, we were 30 minutes ahead of our reservation (that never happens with me) but they had no problem seating us.  We kindly notified our waiter about our gluten allergy, he said he was familiar with it, and that they could substitute items if need be.  Once again, we dove right into the menu and did our best to narrow down our choices.

After much drooling debate, Casey went with the Catalan lamb hash and I went with the South Austin Omelette.  They were both divine and totally had us licking our plates!

Wait, but we can’t forget the starters.  I ordered Chicken Liver Mousse, a first for me, and they subbed grilled apples for the toast, while Casey ordered a pound side of bacon.  I totally joked that she couldn’t eat that whole thing…um she totally did AND polished off her entire entrée!  I think I’ve met match in the eating world as well.  Can you tell we’re meant to be crunchy friends?

That pretty much wrapped up our morning, though I think Casey might have asked if we could stop by Lick for the 3rd time, but I can’t be sure.  She had the brilliant idea to stop at Whole Foods to grab lunch before we went to my parents to pick up Emma.  As Celiacs, you can never be too prepared for your next meal, especially when trying to stay away from crap eat Paleo.

If you couldn’t tell, I am in love with Austin and was a little depressed to come home to Dallas.  Not that I don’t think my city is awesome, but since going crunchy, I want more that just sub-par food choices and resources.  I want a city that embraces this lifestyle, where it’s just that, a lifestyle, not a fad.  So, until I can get my butt to Austin, I’ll just have to settle with weekend getaways.  If you live in Austin, give me a shout-I’d love to meet up at a Farmer’s Market and explore more of your beautiful city.

What about you?  Have you ever been to any of these places or have I inspired you to go?  If you live in Austin, do you realize all this is around you or is it your norm?  Give me the good, the bad, and the ugly.