My Recipes Archives - Page 5 of 20 - The Paleo Mama (2024)

Soon after we moved onto our farm and began investigating all the bountiful plants and vegetables already growing there I started observing how the cycle of life evolves in both our plants and insects’ lives. I already know one big secret—our honey bees are really attracted to our Echinacea plants, more so probably than to any other plant in our gardens. Now I’ll let you in on another little “Ritz farm” secret—I am really attracted to the wonderful homemade Echinacea tea that I can brew from my perennially blooming Echinacea plants!

Echinacea is one of the best-known herbal remedies, and Echinacea tincture was the first “snake oil” sold by old-time peddlers as a cure-all for everything from cancer to snake bites. There has been such a high demand for the plant, that two of the nine species are now listed on the endangered plant list.

Echinacea is a lovely perennial flower that can brighten up your garden and goes by the alternate name purple coneflower. Although some species may be other colors, purple is most common. Today, more than fifty hybrids have been developed from the nine distinct species.

Let’s look at five important things about this beautiful and beneficial garden plant.

1. The medicinal benefits of Echinacea
2. How to grow the Echinacea plant
3. Harvesting Echinacea
4. Making Echinacea tincture
5. Brewing Echinacea tea

1. The medicinal benefits of Echinacea

The benefits of consuming Echinacea (known also as the purple coneflower) have been known for hundred of years, but only studied recently by science. Historically it has been used as a antimicrobial to help fight infections, and to treat snake bites, and relieve pain. Native Americans used it to soothe coughs and sore throats. Some modern science studies have shown it to be effective in shortening or preventing colds, and that it boosts the immune system. Today you can find on WebMD that “Echinacea is also used against many other infections including the flu, urinary tract infections, vagin*l yeast infections, genital herpes, bloodstream infections (septicemia),gum disease, tonsillitis, streptococcus infections, syphilis, typhoid, malaria, and diphtheria.” (Here)

2. How to grow the Echinacea plant

It isn’t difficult to grow and cultivate Echinacea. You can purchase plants from a gardening center, or take cuttings or root divisions from a friend’s garden, or grow it from seeds, which will germinate in ten to twenty days. Hopefully you are interested in preserving these at-risk plants, and will make sure you are getting organically cultivated plants instead of wildcrafted ones.

Echinacea is an herbaceous perennial that tolerates droughts fairly well. The plants grow up to three or four feet tall, and have straight stems that do not branch. A light fertilizing when you plant is all that is needed, and you will rarely need to water well established plants. Weeds will not destroy your plants, but they will compete heavily for soil with Echinacea, so you need to pull out the weeds as they begin to grow around your plants.

The plant takes two years to flower and become large and potent enough to harvest when grown from seed, but may flower the first year if you plant indoors first or have an exceptionally long growing season. Pick a moist, sunny spot with room to grow. Your plants will self-seed and spread where you let it.

3. Harvesting Echinacea

You will have several options for benefiting from the medicinal properties of your plants. Tincturing the fresh plant is highly recommended for getting the most out of the herb. The amazing thing about the echinacea plant is that the entire plant plant can be dried (roots, stems, leafs, flowers) and used as tea, but you lose some of the benefits by drying. I’ve included some instructions for making Echinacea tincture in the next section. The flowers or leaves should be harvested right after the flowers begin to bloom. Cut each stem right where the first set of leaves is growing. Rinse the flowers, and hang them to dry or lay them flat on a screen. If hanging, tie a paper bag around the flower as the petals will drop. When the leaves and petals are completely dry, store them in a sealed glass jar, and keep them in a cool, dark, and dry location.

You can use your dehydrator if you like, and I’ve even heard of people using their car to dry herbs because, let’s face it, if your car is outside in the summer, it gets to be an oven in there.

4. Making Echinacea tincture

Making a concentrated liquid form of an herb (a tincture) is a great way to take advantage of the health benefits of that herb. Echinacea tincture is easy to make and easy to take. The tincture has a very long shelf life, and is ready to use when needed. Tinctures preserve and concentrate the properties of the herb, making them more effective and longer lasting.

All you will need to make your Echinacea tincture is:

• A clean glass jar (pint size) and lid
• A consumable alcohol (80 proof vodka, apple cider vinegar, or food grade vegetable glycerine)
• Your Echinacea herb (use the root, flower, and leaf)

Be sure you rinse all the dirt off your plant roots, and make sure no bugs are hiding under the petals or leaves. You can find the specific instructions of making your tincture here. The Wellness Mama website can also recommend three distinct kinds of tinctures (find here):

• Chamomile Tincture
• Digestion Tincture
• Sweet Dreams Tincture

5. Brewing Echinacea tea

You can use either fresh Echinacea herb parts or dried parts to make Echinacea tea. Echinacea tea is excellent for strengthening the immune system and fighting off infections, colds and flu.

There are many different kinds of Echinacea tea that you can make. They all start with a basic recipe, and then add additional items or essential oils to create healthy and beneficial flavors. I want to share with you my favorite recipe for making Echinacea tea. I’m sure I will be developing new and fresh recipes for Echinacea tea for as long as my wonderful perennial Echinacea plants continue growing. (Believe me, I plan to keep them growing!)

• Where to buy dried organic Echinacea
• Where to buyEchinacea Tincture
• Where to buy Echinacea Tea

Homemade Echinacea Tea:

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup Fresh or dried leaves, roots, flower (1/4 cup if using dried)
2. 8 oz of water
3. 1-2 teaspoons of raw honey

Directions:

1. Simmer 8 oz of water in a small pot over medium heat.
2. Add the fresh or dried Echinacea
3. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Strain tea into a mug and add honey!

Sources

1. https://www.offthegridnews.com/alternative-health/growing-and-using-echinacea/
2. https://homegrownandhealthy.com/grow-your-own-echinacea/
3. https://wellnessmama.com/25999/echinacea-benefits-uses/
4. https://loveplantlife.com/2012/02/echinacea-how-to-grow-and-use-this-powerful-antibiotic-and-immune-stimulant/
5. https://www.terranovanurseries.com/gardeners/echinacea-c-82_22.html

I have an obsession with making body butter. There’s something about putting together the simplest of ingredients and then whipping it up into this luxurious, natural, and nourishing lotion. This Lavender Body Butter does just that; it’s simple to make, only four ingredients and uses lavender essential oil.

I’ve listened to many of you in a few other of my whipped butter recipes and I see that many of you do not like the greasy feeling that coconut oil can leave. If you add in a few tablespoons of arrowroot powder into this recipe, it will cut the greasy feeling and absorb quicker into you skin!

CLICK HERE to see the 10 uses and benefits of lavender essential oil!

Lavender Body Butter

• 2 cups of coconut oil (where to buy)
• 1/2 cup of shea butter (where to buy)
• 2 Tablespoons of Jojoba or Almond oil
• 25 drops of Lavender (where to buy)
• OPTIONAL: 1 Tablespoon of Arrowroot (where to buy) – as mentioned above, it cuts the greasy feeling on your skin.
• BONUS RECIPE: Add 2 Tablespoons of Non-Nano Zinc Oxide and substitute beeswax for the almond oil and you got yourself a healthy sunscreen recipe!

Directions:

1. Melt the coconut oil and shea butter over medium – low heat.
2. Stick in a fridge (around 30 minutes) or a freezer (around 15 minutes) till the mixture becomes opaque and starts to harden along the sides.
3. Using a stand mixer, whip the mixture till it becomes creamy, light, and fluffy.
4. As you are mixing the mixture, drizzle the 2 tablespoons of almond or jojoba into the bowl.
5. Add the 25 drops of lavender essential oil and sprinkle the arrowroot into the bowl
6. Turn off mixer.
7. Store in a glass mason jar and lather all over your body!

Today I welcome Maria from Ten at the Table to the blog! Maria is going to share a delicious and Paleo-friendly recipe for Paleo Jambalaya Soup! This is one of those recipes you can throw in the crockpot and go! I know you will love it!

Spring is in the air but the weather has no idea if it is winter or summer around here. One day it is in the forties and the next in the eighties. I just start thinking about putting away all the winter clothes and then a cold wet snap of weather comes right on through. And the next day the kids are asking about bringing out the pool. This Paleo Jambalaya Soupis a great meal to have on both days. The crock pot won’t heat up the house but provides a nice warm meal on the cool ones. And this Paleo twist on a Louisiana classic can clear the sinuses better than any allergy pill I’ve tried!

Warning: This soup is not for those sensitive to spicy things!

Paleo Crockpot Jambalaya Soup

Ingredients

• 5 cups chicken stock (make your own like this)
• 4 bell peppers (one of each color), chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large can of organic diced tomatoes (with the juice)
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 bay leafs
• 1 lb large shrimp, raw and de-veined
• 4 oz. chicken, diced
• 1 package spicy Andouille sausage
• 1/2-1 head of cauliflower, riced
• 2 cups okra (optional)
• 3 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
• 1/4 cup hot sauce

Instructions

1. Put the chopped peppers, onions, garlic, chicken, cajun seasoning, hot sauce, and bay leafs in the crockpot with the chicken stock. Set on low for 6 hours.
2. About 30 minutes before it’s finished, toss in the cut up sausages.
3. While this is cooking quickly make cauliflower rice by pulsing raw cauliflower in the food processor until it resembles rice.
4. For the last 20 minutes, add in the cauliflower rice and the raw shrimp. Note: You can choose to quickly steam the cauliflower rice in the microwave and serve the jambalaya OVER it as well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maria Alison is family-focused Christian, who’s finding new ways to feed her family quality home-cooked food on a budget. She understands how difficult it can be to prepare a meal from scratch with such a busy schedule. On Maria’s blog,Ten at the Table, you will find time saving recipes that are friendly to your budget and your health.

You can find Maria here:

Today I’m welcoming Angie from Simplicity in Bloom to the blog to share with you all her delicious, mouth-watering, Paleo Lasagna recipe! Thank you, Angie, for sharing this dairy-free and gluten-free lasagna with my readers!

I love comfort foods and lasagna is one of the best! It’s always filling, satisfying and is actually very easy to make. One of my favorite things about lasagna is how many different ways it can be prepared. Various types of meat, different levels of spice, even adding vegetables can change a tried-and-true comfort food into to a dish that is sure to please any family.

I usually prefer spicy food so I’m always looking for ways to add a little zing! Recently I created a Paleo version of lasagna with lots of spice that I wanted to share. No worries if spicy food isn’t for you – I’ve added notes in the recipe to tone it down for those with a milder palate.

This recipe uses zucchini in place of traditional lasagna noodles and does not use cheese. My kids were a little skeptical when I told them about this particular version of lasagna but after the first bite, they were asking when we could have it again. BIG WIN!! Give this recipe a try. You will be pleasantly surprised!

Spicy Paleo Lasagna Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs ground Italian sausage
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• (2)14.5oz cans diced organic tomatoes (I used Fire Roasted for more zing)
• 6oz can tomato paste
• 24oz pasta sauce (I used a spicy variety)
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper – optional
• ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced slightly thicker than a lasagna noodle

DIRECTIONS:

STEP ONE: Brown the meat in a large skillet. Add the diced onions and garlic. Once the meat is fully cooked, stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings. Simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened.

STEP TWO: While the sauce is simmering, peel the zucchini and slice it length-wise. Make each slice a little thicker than a lasagna noodle. A mandoline slicer would work well for this. I don’t have one so my slices were less than perfect. As it turns out, it didn’t matter. Still tasted great!

STEP THREE: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease your favorite lasagna baking dish (I used a 9”x13” glass pan).

STEP FOUR: To assemble, spread a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Add a layer of zucchini slices. Spread 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the zucchini. Repeat layers ending with meat sauce on top. Mine had three layers of zucchini slices and four layers of sauce including the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.

STEP FIVE: Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Just to prepare you – without noodles and a cheese mixture, this lasagna doesn’t maintain a neat stacked form. It spreads out a bit on the plate. That did not cause a bit of concern – we had 100% clean plates! I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine did. Simply yours!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angie is a wife, mother of three teenagers, proud owner of two spunky black labs, graphic designer, and blogger at Simplicity in Bloom. She and her family enjoy an active lifestyle including sports, long walks with the dogs, and summer evenings in the backyard.

Because Angie feels that life has gotten too busy to appreciate “the here and now,” she is on a journey to find the simpler things. She enjoys sharing the new ideas and experiences she encounters on her journey. In her blog, Angie explores simplicity in many common areas: recipes, quick financial tips, thoughtful homemade gifts, home improvements, cleaning options, and using essential oils. Look for simplicity on Angie’s blog, Facebook page, Pinterest page, Twitter, and Instagram.

Are you thinking about trying Paleo but you aren’t sure how to make it work for your family?

Are you on a budget and think that eating Paleo is too expensive?

Or maybe you have been eating Paleo for awhile and would like some more guidance and simplicity on meal planning.

You are in the right place!

I’ve created a WHOLE MONTH of budget-friendly meal plans for you! The best part? These are EASY to make. You will not be in the kitchen forever…maybe 30 minutes max to prep a healthy and whole meal for your family!

To get 4 weeks of meals plans PLUS a printable grocery list, sign up below by leaving your name and email.

You will get your first week of meal plans TODAY and then, one email a week, for four weeks! If you don’t see the form below, click here.

Today I am so excited to welcome Ashley from Crowe About Farm on The Paleo Mama blog!Ashleyand her husband raise grass-fed beef and pastured chickens, turkeys, ducks and eggs. She is also taming her first milk cow. You are going to love this delicious recipe for Oxtail Soup!

Wait…don’t leave! I promise you this will be good. Three years ago I would have promptly clicked the “x” the second I saw the title of this post…but, my friends, my life is forever changed due to one pot of soup.

Do you know that cattle have boney tails? It’s true. Do you also know that those boney tails contain delicious, marbley chunks of meat that can be used to create one killer pot of soup? Also true!

Lucky for me I have a husband who pushes me to be the best version of myself, culinarily speaking, otherwise my palate would’ve never have had the pleasure of experiencing this tasty soup.

You see, we are beyond organic farmers who raise most of our own food. We become friends with the animals that bless us, and others, with nourishment. Out of respect for those animals, we don’t waste one. single. thing.

When I brought the first beef we raised home from the butcher, I stuck all of the “weird parts” in the back of the freezer. I didn’t know what to do with them, and I was secretly hoping my husband would forget they were in there.

That didn’t happen.

Instead, and fortunately for me, he would pick one “weird part” to cook each Sunday. Over the past 3 years, we have been experiencing some of the best, most nourishing meals of our lives…all from cuts that most people would never try.

That first Sunday, I reluctantly tasted the tail…and it was out of this world! I couldn’t wait for the next steer to make it home from the butcher. I needed another oxtail STAT!

Now, don’t worry. If you don’t have packages of tail residing in your freezer, you can easily substitute a roast or any other tough cut of meat. It will still be mighty tasty!

BUT…if you ever have the chance to get your hands on an oxtail, or any organ meat for matter, grab it, get yourself to the nearest kitchen and get cookin’!

Oxtail Soup

You Will Need:

• 3-4 lbs. Oxtail (Beef Tail) or Roast
• 1 Medium Onion
• 8 Carrots
• 6 Stalks of Celery
• 4 Cups Diced Potatoes (I used Yukon Gold & Red, but you can use any kind including Sweet Potatoes)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 4 Sprigs of Parsely
• 2 Tbs. Butter
• 4 Tbs. Ghee, Coconut Oil or Tallow-melted
• 8-10 Cups Beef Broth (see my recipe)
• 12 Oz. Dark Beer
• Salt & Pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Dice the onion. In a large pot, sauté the onion in 2 Tbs. of butter until translucent. Meanwhile, place the oxtail in a bowl and cover with melted oil (or ghee/tallow), salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands.

Step 2:Heat a skillet over high heat, add the oxtail and sear all sides (about 2 minutes per side).

Step 3:Add the seared oxtail to the pot. Add about a half of a cup of beef broth to the skillet and deglaze, scraping up all of those brown bits. Add to the pot and cover the oxtail with about 8 cups of beef broth and beer. Add bay leaves and parsley to the pot.

Step 4:Simmer on low for about 6 hours until the meat falls off the bones. Add more beef broth as necessary as it cooks down.

Step 5:When the meat is falling off the bones, remove the oxtail from the pot, pick off the meat and shred.

Wanna see what the bones look like?

Step 6:Add the meat, carrots, and celery to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer until potatoes are fork tender.

Step 7:Season with salt and pepper and ENJOY! CLICK HERE to print this recipe.

Will you be taking the “taste the tail challenge?” I double dog dare you ;)!! And if tasting the tail isn’t adventurous enough for you, I will be sharing my toddler approved tongue recipe on my blog very soon.