O'derves for lunch get high praise

One of the difficulties of cooking Paleo for a newbie is, well, there is a lot of cooking! You start out with raw ingredients and 4 pans, 3 pots & 7 dirty bowls later, you have a meal. Seriously? Three meals a day? Yes, mom, I know, that's how you had to do it too. But I was very quickly overwhelmed.

Then I discovered "sliced bread" of Paleo! You know, those cute little things at corporate events and weddings that one just cannot resist? Really, how much does it truly matter what's in it when it's on this dainty little toothpick? One can pick it up, play with it, eat it - it's equally good for gray hair in tuxedos & bottomless toddlers running around the house.

Ingredients: cold meat, raw veggies, cheese.

Here are a few options I've created that got the most "orders" from the crowd:

• A slice of hot dog & a bell pepper square on a toothpick
• Ham and cheese melt: three squares: baked ham, cheddar cheese, baked ham. Toasted for 5 minutes. Yum!
• Alternating circular slices: hot dog, string cheese, hot dog... Looks as much fun as it tastes!
• Ham, avocado, bell pepper, ham

You get the idea. I had to make them again and again! I seriously needed a break from heavy cooking today. It was a blast!