I am on a quest to find what the average family spends a month on groceries! I polled a ton of people on Facebook and I would love input from my readers!

What do you spend a month on groceries for your house?

How many people do you feed?

Do you buy some, all or no organic foods?

Click the picture below and it will take you to Instagram so that you can be a part of the conversation! If you don’t have Instagram that is ok! Leave me a comment here!

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I’m doing a little research for my blog and would love for my readers to answer this question for me!! Leave a comment here or send me a dm please! Also knowing if you buy all organic would help too! #research #blogger #foodblogger #food #help #question #feedbackneeded #qa #answerthis #paleo #weightloss #budget

A photo posted by Jennifer Hodgkiss (@the_paleo_gypsy) on Sep 15, 2015 at 11:10am PDT

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The post What is your monthly food budget? appeared first on That Savage Life.

MMM. Brownies. Chewy, fudgy, thick chocolate goodness. We have tried several “paleo” brownies and just could not get into the texture or the taste of them so we decided to try our hand at Sweet Potato Brownies. We had an abundance of purple sweet potatoes lying around so we used those instead of the traditional orange ones. They don’t taste any different, but it does make the brownies LOOK darker instead of the orange tinge the traditional sweet potatoes give. I was a little skeptical of these when I was whipping up this recipe, but the results were awesome. The only regret is not having some raw milk on hand for these to go with!  My husband says he prefers these to any other brownies we have tried. We added chopped raw pistachios to ours, but you can omit those or add any nut or dried fruit of your choice! Try it out and let me know what you think!

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Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies!

Ingredients:
Two cups of sweet potato (cooked and peeled)
3 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup raw honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tbs coconut flour
3 tbs cocoa powder (we used special dark)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup Enjoy life chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped raw pistachios (optional)

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Instructions:
Bake and peel the sweet potato. Mash and measure out two cups.
Add egg, oil, honey, vanilla to a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Fold in coconut sugar, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and chocolate chips.
Pour batter in a 9×9 greased baking pan.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

The post Fudgy sweet potato brownies! appeared first on That Savage Life.

No-cook fresh cranberry salad!

This year we are not able to go home for the holidays so I decided to try to make a few of my mom’s Thanksgiving recipes Paleo! This recipe is one of our family favorites. Most people have some sort of cranberry dish on their thanksgiving table. Most of which are the canned, jello-like “cranberry” or a cooked cranberry dish. This cranberry salad is made with fresh ingredients and is served cold. It is sweet with a slight nutty flavor from the pecan. I actually eat it right out of the fridge. I find that this is better after it sits for a day in the fridge, so it is perfect as a make-ahead Paleo dish for Thanksgiving.

Fresh Cranberry Salad

Ingredients:
1 bag of whole cranberries
1 green apple
1 peeled orange
1/2 cup of raw honey (melted)
1/2 cup pecans
1 cup celery

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Instructions:
Pulse the cranberries, apple, orange, pecans and celery in a food processor until course, not fine. I would do this individually and combine all in a large bowl.
Pour melted honey in bowl and mix well with the rest of the ingredients.
Refrigerate at least two hours before serving. Stir, then serve.

The post No Cook Fresh Cranberry Salad appeared first on That Savage Life.

Purple Sweet Potatoes

Purple is probably one of my all time favorite colors. Boy was I surprised to find out that PURPLE sweet potatoes existed! We discovered them while looking through Pinterest and I asked our local grocery store to order them for me. It took them a few months to actually get them in, but I was so excited once I had them in my hands! These potatoes are so vibrant and fun to work with. Plus the kids think they are really cool!

Our favorite way to eat them is first baked, then pan-fried in coconut oil. Using this method to cook them does something magical to them. The outside gets a delicate, sweet crispy layer while the inside is bright and soft. They are crunchy, soft, sweet and we like to add a little salt to the outside to give it a little salty kick. These are so good that my husband request them for his lunch. He eats them cold right out of his lunchbox. Below is our method of cooking them, but I will also link you to some other amazing recipes that I am dying to try!

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Instructions:
1) Wash the purple sweet potatoes.
2) Slather coconut oil on the skin of the potatoes.
3) Place on baking sheet in oven.
4) Bake at 400 degrees until a knife is easily inserted into the potato. Usually this takes around an hour, but it will vary depending on the size of the potato.
5) Remove from oven and allow to cool.
6) Slice into round disks.
7) Put a few tablespoons of coconut oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
8) Fry purple sweet potatoes until the outside is darker and crispy.
9) Lightly salt if desired.
10) Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container.

Check out these other interesting recipes for purple sweet potatoes:

Mashed Purple Sweet Potatoes:
http://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/2013/11/mashed-stokes-purple-sweet-potato.html

Purple Sweet Potato Muffins:
http://jaybirdblog.com/purple-sweet-potato-paleo-muffins-with-rosemary-golden-raisins/

Sweet Potato Gnocchi:
http://sarahlynnsmile.com/2014/01/08/paleo-purple-sweet-potato-gnocchi/

Sweet Potato Soup:
http://balancingpaleo.com/2013/12/15/purple-sweet-potato-soup/

Sweet Potato Brownies:
http://morethanpaleo.com/sweet-potato-brownies/

The post Purple Sweet Potatoes appeared first on That Savage Life.

Silky Paleo Pumpkin Pie

It is that time of year when the leaves are changing, the weather is crisp and pumpkin EVERYTHING is available! I can only handle seeing so many pumpkin desserts before I have to try to make them myself! I made this pie and put it in the fridge to cool and set-up while I was at work. I got home and my husband and kids had devoured almost all of it leaving me a small piece to try. Luckily I was able to get pictures before they claimed it.

My goal here was to have a thick, silky pumpkin pie. The cream of the canned coconut milk really makes a huge difference in the way the pie turns out. It is easy to remove just the cream. When in the can the coconut milk will separate from the cream. Don’t shake it up or incorporate it at all. You want to pour off the liquid or just scoop out the thick, creamy part to use and discard the liquid. Once all the ingredients are mixed together put them in the blender or a food processor. This is the best way to fully puree’ all the ingredients and make your pie nice and smooth.

Ingredients for almond flour pie crust:
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup palm oil shortening
2 Tbsp raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions for the almond flour pie crust:
1) Combine all dry ingredients.
2) In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients. Be sure to melt palm oil before combining.
3) Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
4) Press into a round pie plate.
5) Fill with pie filling

Instructions for paleo pumpkin pie filling:
1) Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend very thoroughly until mixture is smooth and silky.
2) Pour into prepared pie crust.
3) Wrap pie crust with foil or pie crust protector.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min.
5) Remove from oven and allow to cool in refrigerator until pie is set firmly.
6) Slice and enjoy with some delicious coffee.

The post Silky Paleo Pumpkin Pie appeared first on That Savage Life.

Easy Paleo Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is one of those food items that I crave, but unfortunately store-bought mayo is usually made with canola oil and is not a healthy option for Paleo eaters! I was so worried about how long it would take or failing miserably that it was months before I even attempted to make mayonnaise! One day I decided to try it, assuming I would fail, and to my surprise it was so easy I could not believe I waited so long to try it!  I found a recipe online and converted it to a Paleo version the best I could.

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Ingredients:
1 Egg yolk at room temperature
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Juice from half a lemon
1 cup of Avocado oil (or Olive Oil)

Instructions: 
Add all ingredients to a cylindrical container. Insert a stick blender into the mixture and on low-speed begin to blend. Do not remove, move or speed up blender. Just be patient and allow the mixture to fully emulsify. I found the video below to be very helpful when I first attempted to make Paleo mayonnaise. This mayonnaise is also Whole30 and 21-Day Sugar Detoxcompliant.

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Did you make it? How did it turn out?

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Since starting our Paleo journey I have been on a hunt for the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie recipe. I wanted a cookie that was soft and chewy and that still tastes good the next day! I also wanted a cookie that took very little time to prepare and a recipe that was not full of complicated instructions or hard to find ingredients. I heard rave reviews about Against All Grain’s Real Deal Chocolate Chip cookies and decided to try them. I checked out the recipe, but I didn’t have all the ingredients. I substituted some ingredients and let me tell you, these cookies are blow-your-mind good!! My husband and kids ask for them often! My husband’s co-workers have tried them and friends of mine have had them and not a single person disliked them! They are THAT good. Just trust me and try them for yourself! The best part is these cookies are gluten, soy, grain and dairy free!

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup ghee (you can use grass-fed butter if you tolerate it)
• ¼ cup coconut palm sugar (We like Navitas Naturals Organic Coconut Palm Sugar)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons raw local honey 
• 1 large egg
• 1½ cups almond flour (We like Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour)
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour (We like Nutiva coconut flour)
  
• ½ teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips (We like Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips)

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Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-Using a food processor (or high powered blender) mix ghee, coconut sugar, honey, vanilla and egg until smooth and combined.
-Add almond flour, baking soda, salt and coconut flour and mix just enough to combine ingredients. If you over mix baked goods tend to get hard once they are cooked.
-Scrape sides down and add in chocolate chips of your choice. Mix with a wooden or rubber spoon.
-Form 1 1/2 inch dough balls and place on a cookie sheet. We use a Pampered Chef stoneware, but you can also add a Silpat or parchment to your cookie sheet and it will be fine.
-Cookie do not spread much so you will need to form them as you would like for them to come out.
-Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden browned. The cookie will still be soft to the touch in the center. Remove and let sit and cool on a baking rack.
-Best enjoyed right away, but if you need to save any cookies place them in an air-tight container.

The post Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies! appeared first on That Savage Life.

Here in Montana the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and we are pulling out our grill and dusting it off (before the cold comes back)! We are Texans and if you know anything about Texans it’s that we like our spices! These jalopeno poppers will hit the spot if you are looking for something spicy and Paleo friendly for your next barbecue get together or tailgate party! The traditional stuffed jalopenos have cheese of some sort in it. Pre-paleo we stuffed it with everything from Boursin to cream cheese to cheddar. Now that we don’t have dairy in our diets we were seeking a creamy alternative to the cheeses. That is how guacamole stuffed peppers were born! We already had guacamole made up (I can add the recipe later) so I sliced the peppers down the center, stuffed them with guacamole, wrapped in bacon and stuck a small skewer stick through them. My husband grilled these, but you could just as easily make them on the stove top in a skillet. We thought for sure that when they were cooked that the guacamole would turn brown, but we were surprised to see that it stayed green (and delicious)! What started as some kind of experiment turned out to be a hit! Now we will be making these for every get together! Here is our version of guacamole stuffed peppers.

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Ingredients: 
Large jalopeno peppers (As large as possible)
Guacamole (either pre-made or home made)
Bacon
Mini-Skewers or large toothpicks

What other Paleo friendly foods are BBQ must-haves? Leave us a comment and let us know!

The post Guacamole Stuffed Peppers appeared first on That Savage Life.

The readers of PoorPaleo.com asked for a meal plan and this is our response! Our family is big on simple, easy, inexpensive Paleo meals that our whole family will eat. You won’t find a lot of “Paleo-fied” breads, muffins, or desserts because I don’t always have time to make these and I really think these should be classified as treats when they ARE made. A lot of readers ask me if my kids eat the foods that I feature here. The short answer is yes. In our house I (Jennifer) am the one and only grocery shopper and meal preparer. Basically if I don’t want my family to eat it, I just don’t keep it in the house. We don’t have anything in our pantry that is processed or in a box unless it is Paleo friendly. My youngest has food allergies and cannot eat anything with artificial dyes so there is absolutely none of that in our home. I try really hard to keep fresh veggies cut up in the fridge, fruits on the counter, nuts and other easy, healthy snacks handy in the pantry. Believe it or not, after the first month of the whole family being Paleo the kids just stopped asking for the junk we used to buy. This is our simple and inexpensive approach to whole family health…

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Breakfast (any combo of these)-

Eggs scrambled dry (no dairy)
Eggs fried in coconut oil or ghee
Bacon
Ham
Avocado
Sautéed vegetables (we have veggies with every meal)
Omelet or scramble (egg, meat, veggies)
Pork sausage

Lunch-

Buffalo chicken tenders wrapped in romain lettuce
Tuna avocado boats
Chicken legs and veggies (My kids love this)
Ham and green beans (Another kid favorite)
Meat roll ups with lunchmeat (Applegate farms) and veggies like peppers

Snacks (any combo of these)-

Boiled Eggs
Avocado
Guacamole
Banana
Apple
Almond Butter
Cashew Butter
Grapefruit
Tomato
Ham
Pepperoni (Applegate farms)
Summer Sausage (Organic Prairie)
Sweet mini peppers
Almonds whole and slivers (raw)
Cashews whole and pieces (raw)
Snap peas
Dehydrated fruits

Dinner:

Monday– Spaghetti squash with ground grass-fed beef and marinara
Tuesday– Beef fajita bowl with a side of Spanish Cauli-rice
Wednesday– Baked chicken legs and asparagus
Thursday– Paleo pizza (meatza) and side salad with balsamic vinegar
Friday– Paleo Chili in the crockpot and a side salad
Saturday– Paleo Chili leftovers and a side salad
Sunday– Grilled chicken thighs with grilled zucchini and squash.

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What is on YOUR meal plan this week? Leave me a comment and share your ideas!

The post Paleo Meal Plan Week 2 appeared first on That Savage Life.

Do you normally buy the marinara or pasta sauce from the grocery store? Did you know that MOST of them contain sugar? When we started the The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally
we started REALLY reading labels. We love marinara so I had to come up with a better, quick alternative! Now, nothing is better than home-made sauce with fresh tomatoes, but not everyone has the time to make it! This is what we do…. and LOVE! In fact, we’ll never go back to store bough sauce again! The best part: It is cheaper than pre-made sauce! Most sauces are around $4.00 and I can make this for around $2.00! You save money AND save yourself from excess sugar!

Simple Marinara Sauce Ingredients:

6 ounce Canned Tomato Paste (Just tomato pulp)

14.5 ounce Canned Crushed Tomatoes (Just tomato and salt)

Italian seasonings

Garlic

Instructions:

Empty both cans into a pan.

Fill Tomato Paste can with water, empty into pan.

Add seasonings and garlic. We are Texans and LOVE our seasonings so add however much you like!

Boil and stir until the extra water boils out and it is the desired consistency! (We like it thick!)

Enjoy!

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