If you have questions, comments or want to work together, please email me at paleoinportland@gmail.com. Additionally, you can give me a shout-out via Facebook or Twitter. You can also find me on Instagram and Pinterest.
Also, if you live in the Portland, Oregon area and are interested in personal or semi-private training, please visit my training page at alisafairbanks.com.
Hi Alysa, it’s me, Jodi! After years of unhappy belly to very angry belly it was suggested that I have a candida yeast overgrowth. A low carb diet was suggested to me for re-balancing my microbs. Hey, I thought, that’s like going Paleo. I read Robb Wolf’s hilarious book, adjusted my diet and I have a happy tummy and a very happy carnivore husband. Um, that is all in two weeks time.
I am an engineer my education and avocation so I usually think linearly. OMG I have thought bubbles going in every direction (so much fun!)! I am a convert!! I’ve been trying to make a vegetarian diet work since 1980 too. I sat down with my husband and apologized to him, giggle.
Blah, blah, blah, anyway. I have this pasta maker in my pantry that I’m having emotional difficulties parting with. Not that I need have pasta. It is more the thought of never enjoying making pasta. And I was going to experiment making crackers with it… I can’t find any paleo pasta recipes on-line. Would you be willing to take on the mission of developing a recipe? I’ll let you play with this pasta press if you do 😉
kind regards, Jodi
Jodi, I am so happy to hear that you have a happy tummy again, and all in two weeks time! It’s truly amazing how foods can heal and how quickly it can make a difference. I understand because I use to have stomach aches and bloat every day, and it lasted for a consistent year or so. Prior to that, I experienced IBS and digestive upset a lot too. My vegetarian diet was not helping. I’m glad you read Robb’s book too – he explains the science behind things really well and in an amusing manner, as you know!
I wish I could say a homemade grain-free pasta recipe is possible, but unfortunately, it would just fall apart (using almond or coconut flour) and a pasta maker would mutilate the dough that much more. I do know of a grain-free cracker recipe. I haven’t tried it yet, but the crackers look great and the gal that made them (a fellow blogger) said they turned out really good. Again though, you wouldn’t be able to put it through a pasta press – it’s too delicate. If you want to see her recipe anyway, let me know and I’ll send you the link.
There are definitely “pasta” options with a grain-free diet (spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, kelp noodles), but obviously you don’t need a pasta press with these. My best advice is to reflect on your attachment to your pasta maker and ask yourself how bad it would really be if you chose to let it go (gift it to a friend, donate it to goodwill, etc.). Realize that letting go of your pasta maker is part of you improving your health, and getting rid of things you don’t need. Try replacing the hobby of making pasta with something else (in the kitchen), and experiment with the foods and recipes you can eat. There’s lots to try and play with! If you really can’t let go of your pasta maker, then keep it … you can always make pasta for friends and family 🙂
Hope this helps, Jodi. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am so, so glad you are feeling better.
HI! Just wanted to say that I am loving your blog. Keep the great content coming!
Thanks, Brandyn! I appreciate your kind and encouraging words … makes me smile. I’ve been enjoying reading your blog as well.
Hi, I am not able to find the donut recipe even though I went to the recipe link. All I am seeing are the pics. What am I doing wrong? Thank you.
Hi Cherry,
If you read the post, you’ll see that I linked to the recipe from the blog, Multiply Delicious. I modified the recipe to my liking and listed out my modifications in paragraph form. It isn’t an ideal way to post about a recipe, but it was in my very early days of blogging, when I was still figuring things out! I apologize for you having to search for what you’re looking for! Here’s the link to the recipe on Multiply Delicious’s blog and to see the changes I did, read my post, specifically the 3rd paragraph. http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2012/02/chocolate-coconut-doughnuts/
Have a fantastic Easter! I shared your blog with my sister-in-law & she loved your recipes. Now I’ll have 2 in our family working on our Paleo eating. Thanks again for sharing with all of us. 🙂
That’s wonderful, and thank you for sharing my blog! Your entire comment makes me smile 🙂 Happy Easter to you and your family too!
This turned out so good I knew I needed to share with you.
First the background bit. I have a volunteer grape vine in my back yard. All it has ever been is pretty. The grapes are little, green sour things and it doesn’t produce enough for me to make verijuice even. I’ve looked on line for recipes for cooking with leaves right off the vine with no success. Well heck, I thought.
Then I got this book on fermenting. I actually included how to brine grape leaves. Happy that it was spring time that I caught that section ’cause that is when the leaves are supple and tender.
Sunday I picked a stack of leaves, washed them gently and started boiling the brine. 3 T sea salt in one liter of water was more than enough for my 30 or so leaves. I let the water cool a bit, but still used it while hot to blanch the leaves. They immediately turned from pretty spring green to olive color. I then restacked them, rolled them tightly, placed them in a repurposed almond butter jar and poured enough brine in the jar to cover the leaf roll.
Wednesday (3 days later) I got to use them. I used 1/4 lb grass feed ground lamb with pine nuts and used a spice and herb combination that sounded good from the internet. Rolled a bit of meat mixture into each leaf just like a burrito. Tiny green burrito. Looked just like the Dolmas that you buy! I placed the Dolmas in the steamer bowl in a single layer and steamed them for 45 minutes.
We needed to decant (husband got involved at this point as he smelled food) the 1/4 cup (or less) of broth off of the Dolmas. It is tradition to serve Dolmas with lemon and yogart, but this was absolutely not necessary. These Dolmas already tasted lemony, the rice was NOT missed and they were scrumptious. We served them with a treat of fetta cheese – treat as cheese is a very occasional food for us.
Cheers! Jodi
Wow, that’s awesome, Jodi and so legit! Sounds like it was a bit of work, but totally worth it! They sound delicious!
This morning I put up 80 leaves. That will make the actual Dolma making short and sweet.
It was really 1/2 lb ground lamb, not the 1/4 lb that I reported originally (I quartered the 2 lbs of lamb that I bought and got into that mindset 😉
See ya bright and early some morning next week!
Very nice! See you soon 😉