When my kids were little, we lived in the Hudson Valley of New York State, in a  fixer-upper house that never quite got fixed up. When my son had an allergic reaction to cow's milk, we were advised to start him on goat's milk. Back in the day, goat's milk was not readily available at the local grocery and health food stores were few and far between. So, we schlepped each week , recyclable bottles in tow, to a local farmer for our supply. Eventually, it seemed to make sense to milk our own goats (it didn't make that much sense in mid-winter when we trudged to the barn twice a day to milk them, though). Anyway, we had LOTS of milk, so I made yogurt and cheese. It was kind of a production, with precise temperatures and timing and special equipment. The kids didn't even like it. A lot of work for very little payback.

          Fast forward thirty-some odd years, and I am once again making yogurt and cheese (well, cream cheese, anyway), but this time with coconut milk and without all the paraphernalia. It's easy, fun, and, oh yes, delicious.

Coconut Yogurt
Makes about 1 pint

           This summer, my cousin Amy came for a visit and brought a rare and coveted gift, a container of Anita's Creamline Coconut Yogurt. I practically swooned when I tasted it and made up my mind to put in a standing order. Alas, Anita's is only available in New York City and they will not ship it no matter how hard you beg or grovel. When I looked up recipes for this yogurt, they all required hacking up baby coconuts to extract the meat. Way too labor-intensive, so I reconciled myself to no yogurt. But then I wondered what would happen if I used canned coconut milk, instead. And guess what, it's really, really good--not quite the amazing, sensual taste sensation of Anita's, but perfectly wonderful if you live in rural Maine and get to New York City maybe once every couple of years.

Ingredients
-Cream from the top of one can of coconut milk, plus enough coconut water from the can to make a smooth yogurt (I use Native Forest Unsweetened Organic Classic Coconut Milk. This brand contains organic guar gum, but when I tried this with a brand without guar gum, the texture was unacceptable. In any case, do not use reduced-fat coconut milk--unless you want to make kefir) If your kitchen is very warm, you can put the can in the refrigerator overnight before you use it so cream will thicken.
-Contents of one probiotic capsule

1. Scoop the cream from the top of the can and put it in a bowl. Add as much of the liquid from the bottom of the can as you like--if you want a thick, Greek-type yogurt, just add enough so you can stir the mixture; if you like traditional yogurt, add a little more liquid. Do not use the whole can or yogurt will not thicken properly.
2. Empty the contents of probiotic capsule into the cream and stir until well-combined. An immersion blender helps if there are lumps of coconut cream in the mixture.
3. Pour into sterile glass jar, cover, and place in a turned-off oven for 24 hours.
4. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Paleo Sour Cream
Makes about 1 pint

                 When my siblings and I were very young, sour cream and bananas was a favorite dinner choice. I don't remember if this was offered as the actual dinner, or maybe the alternative when we turned our noses up at what my mother put on the table (liver and onions, perhaps?). I actually loathed bananas, and this was the only way I would eat them. It still is, but now my sour cream is made with coconut milk. The bananas, however, are still made with bananas     
​ ( just slice them into a bowl and top with sour cream--voila, instant kid dinner. Or, even better, use coconut yogurt in place of the sour cream, add a tablespoon of raw organic hemp seeds, and you have a healthy adult breakfast).

Ingredients
1 can coconut milk (see yogurt recipe for information)
1 TBS fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt to taste

1. Scoop cream from top of coconut milk into bowl
2. Add lemon juice and salt to taste and mix thoroughly
3. Use in any recipe that calls for sour cream (like my Aunt Honey's Sorrel Soup, see below)

Paleo Cream Cheese

Ingredients
Same as for Paleo Sour Cream, above

1. Follow recipe for Paleo Sour Cream, above
2. Line a strainer with an unbleached coffee filter and place strainer over bowl, then add Paleo sour cream
3. Cover with a clean dish towel and leave on counter overnight so liquid can drain
4. Remove coffee filter and transfer to a small bowl. Refrigerate and use as you would any conventional cream cheese (yes, you can still have lox and bagels on Paleo--check out Elana Amsterdam's recipe for Paleo bagels on her website www.elanaspantry.com)

Aunt Honey's Sorrel Soup (Schav)
Serves 4

                  My mother was the oldest of 6 girls, and was 20 years older than her youngest sister, so I have several aunts who are not much older than I am. The following recipe, adapted for Paleo, is from my second youngest aunt, who always signs her letters to me FYAHWLY (from your Aunt Honey what loves you). As of mid-October, I still have sorrel (a lemony-tasting green) in the garden. It's a perennial and I planted it just for this soup (it also makes a great sauce for salmon).

Ingredients
3 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic (I omit this, because garlic doesn't like me)
1/4 cup ghee
Sorrel leaves (remove stalks and large veins), coarsely shredded, approximately 8-10 cups
2 TBS vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt, pepper to taste
4 cups low sodium chicken stock (I use Imagine brand)
1 egg, beaten
Paleo sour cream (see above) to garnish

1. Sauté onion (and garlic, if using) in ghee until golden
2. Add sorrel leaves, and cook, covered, until wilted (about 5 minutes)
3. Add stock, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook, covered, about 30 minutes
4. When ready to serve, beat egg in a small bowl, add a little hot soup to the bowl  and then return the mixture to the pot. Stir well. Do not allow the soup to boil or the egg to set.
5. Serve at once with a dollop of sour cream.

Before I adopted a Paleo diet, I loved breakfast. Then I didn't, and now I do again.
The following recipes are two of the reasons why:

Soft Scrambled Eggs with Paleo Sandwich Bread Toast
Serves 2

I have been making scrambled eggs practically my whole life. I thought I made the very best (which to me means soft scrambled eggs) by cooking the eggs over a relatively high heat for no more than 30 seconds. Then, recently, I visited my very dear friend, Linda Dickey, and her scrambled eggs blew mine out of the water (or out of the pan, as it were). So, I'm giving you Linda's recipe here.

4 eggs, preferably organic cage free
1 TBS ghee or olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

4 slices  toast, made from Paleo Sandwich Bread (see recipe, below)

1. Break 4 eggs into a bowl.
2. Whip with an immersion blender until eggs are frothy
3. Melt ghee (or pour olive oil) in non-stick frying pan over low flame.
4. Pour eggs into pan and keep flame low.
5. Stir eggs gently until soft curds form. This will take awhile, be patient.
6. Serve with Paleo toast spread with ghee.

Optional: You can serve this with a couple of slices of bacon. No-nitrate bacon is definitely Paleo BUT, save it for a special Sunday breakfast or for a delicious bacon, lettuce and avocado sandwich (on the Paleo toast from the following recipe). Add tomatoes to your sandwich, if they don't cause you distress. They're Paleo, but I don't tolerate them well, so even though I grew zillions of them in my garden this year, I didn't eat them. My husband ate them every night, and the rest we gave to friends and our local soup kitchen, so, all good.

But, back to bacon: My parents grew up in Orthodox Jewish homes. Although we didn't keep Kosher when I was growing up, we NEVER had pork in the house. But, we always had bacon in the refrigerator. I was in junior high before I learned that bacon came from a pig. Anyway, enjoy your bacon, but in moderation.

Paleo Sandwich Bread

I have baked many a loaf of Paleo bread. Some of them were good, some were so-so, and some of them I wouldn't even call bread. None of them came even close to being the bread that I dreamed about and missed so very much. Well, this one, from Paleoeffect.com, is not only the best Paleo bread I've ever had, but it holds its own with "real" bread. But, like other  baked goods, it's a once-in-awhile treat. Also, it's a rather expensive loaf (8 eggs!), so best saved for a special Sunday breakfast.

If you were a kid in the 1950's, you probably remember that iconic ad, circa 1956, for a maple-flavored oatmeal called Maypo. The animated ad featured an adorable little boy in an oversize cowboy hat whose dad was trying to get him to eat his oatmeal. The ad ended with the tag line, "I want my Maypo!" If you're feeling nostalgic, you can google I want my Maypo and watch it on YouTube. If you're feeling hungry, cook up the Maypo (maple chia porridge), below:

Cinnamon-Raisin variation:
Follow directions, above, but omit maple syrup. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and a small handful of raisins.

A word or two about sweeteners: maple syrup, honey, coconut/palm sugar and stevia are all acceptable on Paleo. Other sweeteners are not. The Paleo sweeteners are o.k. in moderation, because all of them with the exception of stevia have calories, and a calorie is a calorie, Paleo or not. In future posts, I will have recipes for baked goods and other yummy desserts. If you make a steady diet of them, despite the healthy ingredients, you will probably gain weight. So, again, all things in moderation.

Pesto
1. Combine all pesto ingredients except olive oil in food processor and pulse a few times to make a rough paste
2. With the motor running, pour the oil through the feed tube and process until the sauce is pureed. Pesto can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. It may darken a little, but this will not affect the flavor. To freeze, fill an ice cube tray with pesto and put in freezer. When frozen, put pesto cubes in a freezer bag and store in freezer until needed (round about January here in mid-coast Maine when I really need a taste of summer!).

Roasted Zucchini
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Arrange zucchini slices on baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Roast for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown. These keep, refrigerated, for several days and can be reheated in the microwave.

Fried Eggs
1. Melt ghee or heat olive oil in non-stick frying pan.
2. Carefully break eggs into frying pan
3. Continuously baste eggs with ghee or olive oil from the pan until done.

Assembly
Arrange four zucchini slices on a plate, top with eggs, then top with pesto. Add hot sauce if you like your eggs spicy.

    Congee is a classic Chinese breakfast porridge made with rice. Rice is a grain, so not Paleo. I've found that chia seeds make a healthy alternative. Here is the basic recipe with suggestions for variations:

1. Put coconut milk in a small pot and stir in seeds and salt. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring.
3. Add beaten egg by stirring with fork. Cook for 30 seconds, still stirring.
4. Top with ghee and serve.

Variations--After congee is cooked you can change it up by adding any of the followings:
Mint-walnut Pesto ( see recipe, above) or any pesto of your choice; or mushrooms and onions that have been sautéed in a little coconut oil or olive oil; or leftover cooked vegetables like spinach, kale or chard; or crumbled cooked bacon.