Kelly Trepp, Author

Okay folks, here it is. The moment you've all been waiting for... ...it's recipe time! Over the weekend I was experimenting with some new flavors. I have been trying to eat less red meat and more chicken and seafood to keep my triglycerides under control (I've determined red meat, egg yolks, and stress are the culprit of my higher-than-I-would-like triglycerides). But when you're accustomed to eating bacon every day, chicken is boring. There. I said it. Live chickens would be much more fun, but I still haven't gotten hubby on board with letting me have a chicken coop in the backyard. Not sure how the neighbors or the HOA would feel about that either... but I digress... I promise it tastes better than it looks. Sweet Potato Linguine Topped with Grilled Chicken Smothered in Sage and Mushroom Sauce (A working title) Serves 4, or 2 with leftovers for lunch Ingredients: 1 large Sweet Potato (or 2 medium), cleaned and peeled 4 tbsp organic Butter...

A Fish Fry is a meal which typically consists of a battered or breaded fish, french fries, coleslaw, hush puppies and dessert. Seeing as how I haven't tried any paleo hush puppy recipes yet (although now I'm determined to find one), my Sunday Fish Fry consisted of only the fish and fries with a side of sugar snap peas! Aw, snap! The Fried Fish recipe is fairly similar to my fried chicken recipe , but with a few tweaks. Fried Fish Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 pound cold water, wild caught fish (In this instance, I used Flounder) 1.5 cups of Blanched Almond Flour 2 tbsp Ground Lemon Pepper 2 tsp Paprika 2 tsp Parsley Flakes 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper 1 tsp Iodized Sea Salt 1 Egg Coconut Oil for frying Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl. Melt coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Dip the fish fillet in the egg, coating the fish. Lay the fish in...

It can be difficult to prepare meals during the week. I get that. Working full time, going to the gym daily, and trying to eat cleanly is something you have to be dedicated to and make time for ( yes, make time for; I'm sure you can find it somewhere ), but it doesn't have to be a chore. What follows is a recipe that I have modified to make an easy meal that can be quickly whipped together during the week (with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen) with enough leftovers to take to lunch the next day: cabbage "lo mein" prepared two ways. Shrimp Lo Mein Cabbage "Lo Mein" - 2 Ways Ingredients: 4 Tsp Toasted Sesame Oil 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic 1 Tbsp Minced Ginger 2 lbs Chicken, Cubed (Or Shrimp) 2 Cups Broccoli (Or Sugar Snap Peas) 1/4 Cup Celery, Chopped 1/2 Cup Mushrooms, Sliced 2 Cups Shredded Cabbage 1/3 Cup Green Onion, Chopped 1/4 Cup Coconut Aminos Variations: Chicken Lo Mein This recipe has been adapted from  Make it...

Alright. I've come out of hiding. By request. And by force. Lately, I've been hearing a lot of the question, "so what CAN you eat?!" Um... seriously? ANYTHING I WANT! ...but prepared differently. I said it. My hubby and I eat all the same foods those "regular" people eat, only we eat it grass-fed, free of antibiotics and growth hormones, and gluten/dairy free. Simple enough, right? Here are a couple simple recipes to prove how easy it is to create a comfort meal that won't cause you to feel completely guilty after you eat it. Fried Chicken - Paleo Style The Colonel's got nothing on this recipe! Ingredients: 1 cup Almond Flour Iodized Sea Salt Dried Parsley Garlic Powder Paprika Cayenne Pepper Ground Mustard Salt and Black Pepper Coconut Oil (For Pan Frying) 1 Egg 2 lbs of Cage-free, Grass-fed Chicken Breasts (sliced thin) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put a dollop of coconut oil in a frying pan on the stove at mediu...

Oh the deliciousness! I have an obsession with scallops. They're kind of my go-to seafood. They're super simple to cook, and quick too. You really cannot go wrong ordering them at a seafood restaurant because, really, how can you mess them up?! (Provided they're wild caught, of course) I don't have a picture of this recipe because it was way too delicious to let stand on the plate for a photo, but I guarantee you they look as delicious as they taste. Curried Scallop Kebabs 2 lbs Sea Scallops (Wild Caught) 1 Zucchini (sliced in 1/4-1/2 inch thick rounds) 1 Yellow Squash (sliced in 1/4-1/2 inch thick rounds) Dozen Grape Tomatoes (or more) 2 tsp Curry Powder 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin 2 tbsp Olive Oil Skewer all the ingredients and brush with olive oil. Mix all the spices in a small bowl and sprinkle over the skewers. Grill those beauties until cooked (about 5 minutes per scallop side)! I let my scallops char up a little bit for some ex...

On Independence day, we celebrate the birth of our nation and our Independence from the motherland. I celebrated our independence by baking this beautiful trifle recipe from The Urban Poser. Enjoy!

I think the reason I enjoy cooking on the weekends so much more than during the week is twofold: On the weekends, I have the focus and assistance of my favorite sous-chef, the hubster . He makes cooking complex meals a breeze, if he can keep up. I have so much more time on the weekends to focus on every aspect of the meal and I don't feel rushed to get it done. All in all, weekend cooking is just more enjoyable and less stressful. I get to experiment and discover new recipes. I find it therapeutic to have an involved baking or cooking session after a hard week at work, or in the gym. Hopefully that will all change since I started my new job this week. More on that later... It all starts with breakfast... Saturday's breakfast before heading to the gym needs to be filling, full of fiber, but nothing that will sit heavy in our stomachs while we motivate our butts to get in gear. Enter my new favorite item on our breakfast menu, my super special smoothie. Nom Nom Smoo...

Happy Summer Solstice! Today the sun will be at the highest point in the sky, we will experience the longest sunshine-filled day of the year, and we enter into the summer season. When it comes to cooking, there's no better way to represent summer than by grilling. Oh, how colorful! Grilling is one of the easiest ways to create a simple, summer supper -- Paleo style! So grab your skewers, any number of (organic) vegetables, and your cage-free chicken, and let's get grilling. These particular chicken kebabs feature onion, green and red bell peppers, squash, mushrooms and pineapple. Once the veggies are on the skewers, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle your spices. I use a blend of cumin, pepper and sea salt. We marinate our meats in homemade marinades to avoid any preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, or any other additives we find not delightful. These chicken breasts were marinated in freshly squeezed lime juice, garlic, and cilantro. Leave the s...

So I am obsessed with food. No surprise there. It nourishes the body. It comforts you when you feel low. It gives you the fuel you need to get through a long run or a tough workout. Food. Is. Awesome. As such, I figured I would show you a little of what I have been eating this week, the second week of the Paleo challenge, with a few recipes sprinkled in. Please remember, I am not a photographer. But I hope these photos make your mouth water anyway. I started my week with these beauties: Dairy Free Almond Flour Pancakes (with blueberries) Photo Credit to The Urban Poser These pancakes freeze and reheat later in the week marvelously, so prepare generous portions! Sunday evening's dinner left me with leftovers to reheat for lunch. Hubby prepared the stuffed peppers from the book Paleo Comfort Foods. Photo Credit to Paleo Comfort Foods I also sampled a crust-less quiche from the same book. Feel free to get creative with the vegetables you include. C...

So for a while, when I was planning our weekly meals, Wednesday became known as "Slow Cooker Wednesday" in our house. Since living a Paleo lifestyle is kind of a full time job and takes oober amounts of food prep (at least for me anyhow), I decided to bring Slow Cooker Wednesday back, Paleo style! Holy delicious pork loin! I don't have a picture because, well, I ate it already. My plate anyway. (The food that was on it, not the plate itself) And it's not amazingly attractive in the slow cooker itself. So, just, I don't know... use your imagination! I found the original recipe here . Sounds yummy, right? Too bad I really, really, really, was not in the mood for more tomato based foods. The meatballs we had earlier this week were delicious, but I did not want that acidity three days in a row. P.S. Those meatballs have some heat to them! Hubby made them earlier this week and I questioned his ability to follow the recipe, but apparently it really ca...

There are so many things I love about Sundays . Starting with Church . What better way to start the day than by spreading the word of God. Followed by groceries and flowers . I love keeping fresh flowers in the house! Hubby is a huge fan of protea (pictured above). I've made it a new habit to pick up fresh flowers every Sunday to brighten the entryway throughout the week. Photo and recipe courtesy A Couple Cooks. Another thing I love about Sundays is having time to try new recipes . I saw this Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese featured on Sacramento Street earlier this week and pinned it right away for Sunday lunch. It was subsequently re-pinned about 100 times. I love having a little extra time on Sundays to spend on crafts . This artwork featured above is a gift for a very special little baby girl named Blair. A tutorial for this craft and others like it can be found here . Adoption Day. And last, but certainly not least, I love spending Sundays with...

I promised I would get these recipes up, and who doesn't love to revisit a holiday? Better late than never, right? All of the recipes are included at the bottom of this post. Hubby and I don't usually go big for Valentine's Day, but we decided to make a change this year as it was our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. There is a local gourmet kitchen and catering store that offers cooking classes. Quality Street Kitchen & Catering offers classes in an array of cuisines. Valentine's Day found a DC based chef preparing a succulent Beef Tenderloin with a Port Wine sauce, and a side of Potato Gratin. Have I got your mouth watering yet? If not, feast your eyes upon the chocolate covered strawberry at the top of this post, then read on. When we arrived at Quality Street, we were greeted by glasses of sparkling Moscato and chocolate dipped strawberries. (We enjoyed the Moscato so much, we ended up taking two bottles home). Along with half a dozen oth...

I do not know how dinner decisions are made in your house, but usually when the topic of dinner comes up with my husband and I, there are roughly 40 texts exchanged throughout the work day that include suggestions and a lot of "IDK," "Ehh," and other indecisive forms of communication. We have been going through this dance for years. Eventually, we come to an agreement on what will satisfy both of us or one of us makes the decision and gets to cooking. When I was making my grocery list for this weekend's shopping trip, it suddenly hit me. Why don't I plan our meals out in advance? I know what you are thinking, isn't that what everyone does? But no. This had never occurred to me before. Thankyouverymuch. And if it works to keep me on track with my workouts, why not my meals? Not only will this BRILLIANT idea save me time trying to decide what to prepare during the week, but it also gives me the foresight to have the ingredients I need to try new re...

Image from PotteryBarn.com For my birthday this year, my sister outdid herself. She bought me these Mason Jar Mugs from Pottery Barn , one of the most magical places on earth. But beyond that, she provided me with the ingredients to make this fabulous, Hot Spiced Cider (recipe displayed above). It is too delicious not to share. This is certainly something you will want to try at any holiday parties or with family on Christmas Eve. This recipe serves 6. Hot Spiced Cider 6 Cups Apple Cider 3 Cinnamon Sticks 30 Whole Cloves 8 Slices Crystalized Ginger 3/4 cup Calvados or other Apple Brandy    In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cider, cinnamon sticks, cloves and crystalized ginger. (I crushed the spices with a mortar and pestle before throwing it in the saucepan.) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle the cider into mugs, adding some of the spices to each. Stir 2 tbsp Apple Brandy into each mug...

This past week has been a balancing act. Work, meals, cleaning, decorating, spreading Christmas cheer... the work is never done. I am so proud of myself and the way I have balanced all of my responsibilities, lately. I have not missed a beat with training. I am proud to report that I continue to increase my mileage and my pace on the treadmill. I completed a four mile run this weekend, which has been my longest treadmill run to date. It was a constant mental battle, but I finished, and the three miles I ran today were a breeze because of it. This week's training schedule: Now, my diet... or lack thereof ... well it is the season. But still, if you are going to consume holiday treats, you want to make sure they are worth every calorie. What follows is exactly that. A holiday treat that is worth every calorie and never fails to leave you with a smile. Consume in moderation, and at your own risk. (I have been allowing myself one, one-inch-square a day.) Creme de Menthe Brown...

Now that we are in the middle of the holiday rush, do you feel like the sky is falling down? Don't know what or when to cook dinner? Here is a slow cooker recipe that is quick to throw together and produces fall-off-the-bone, juicy chicken! Slow Cooker Chicken 2-3lb Chicken Paprika Garlic Thyme 1 Chicken Bouillon Salt and Pepper Aluminum Foil Slow Cooker (Crock Pot) Wad three to five pieces of aluminum foil into three to four inch balls and place them in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the chicken bouillon in the bottom of the slow cooker and pour over two cups of water. Clean the chicken with cool water and pat dry.  Season the chicken with the paprika, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the slow cooker on top of the crumbled aluminum foil. Set the slow cooker to High for 1 hour, then turn down to Low for about 8 to 10 hours, or until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear. This is the perfect recipe to prepare in the mornin...

Photo from bitsnbytesblog.com. Well it is no secret that I took the last week off to pack on the winter pounds. How else am I supposed to stay warm during the dark, cold winter months?! Thanksgiving provided a bountiful spread of mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, cranberries, pickled onions, homemade dinner rolls, yams, corn, stuffing and of course Turkey! Among other things... And let us not discuss the dessert. O the dessert! I made my first pumpkin roll, an apple pie; and then of course there was the pecan pie, the pumpkin pie, and the... but I digress... Drooling yet? Well don't wipe up that pool just yet. It's about to get worse... What is better than Thanksgiving dinner? Thanksgiving Leftovers! I stole this recipe from Everyday Food , a Martha Stewart Magazine. And of course, I put my own spin and flavor in it. As a disclaimer, this recipe is just as delicious with leftover turkey and potatoes as it is with the fresh stuff. Try it this or any week! ...

A photographer I am not. As the weather turns cooler with winter's approach, I turn to cold weather recipes to warm up the Hubby and I. I saw this recipe for Lightened Loaded Potato Soup on Pinterest , and I had to give it a try! I made my own modifications to the recipe, of course. For starters, sour cream had to be removed from the ingredient list as Hubby despises mayonnaise, salad dressings, and generally anything white and creamy. This includes sour cream, unfortunately. I argued it is an essential ingredient in a loaded potato, but we did not have any in the house and I did not want to go to the store for one item... but I digress . I also replaced green onions with garlic chives that were miraculously still growing in my garden, which I have long since ceased caring for this year (A wedding will force you to neglect other aspects of your life). The original recipe also calls for preparing the potatoes and bacon in a microwave, which we do not have. So my instructio...

First, let me start off with saying that I do not condone daily weigh-ins. As I have written before ( Choosing a Healthy Goal ), choosing a fitness goal measured by how you look and feel is far more important than limiting yourself to a number on the scale. Furthermore, your body weight may fluctuate anywhere from one to five pounds at any given point in the day. That is why it is important to only weigh yourself once a week at the same time of day. For me, that's Wednesday morning before work. So this morning was the first time I weighed myself since our return from the honeymoon. I weighed myself immediately upon our return, but we'll not discuss that here. It was unsettling. The first week after the honeymoon, I kept telling everyone I was on the newly married, "letting myself go" diet. It worked and I enjoyed indulging myself on the honeymoon and for the first few days we were back, but then I found myself feeling lethargic and all and all, not very healthy. ...

One of my easiest go to meals for dinner is Scallops over Fried Rice. It takes about 30 minutes , give or take rice cooking time, and is delicious every time. Trust me, the hubster was not very familiar with fish when we first started dating, but I've made him a believer in scallops. I've been working a lot of long days and, thanks to some road work, I have had a longer than usual commute time lately; so healthy, home cooked meals have been hard to come by since the wedding. I was thrilled to make it home in time to cook this meal for dinner. As a bonus, hubby had the rice ready and waiting for me when I got home. (Love you hubby!) To make things go quicker, I used frozen vegetables for this meal, though I typically peel carrots and chop onions and peppers. As you'll see from this recipe, I don't often use measurements in my dinner recipes (baking is a completely other story). I also don't like to tell people how to season their foods because different people...