Turkey Meatballs

These may not look like the most appealing meatballs you've ever seen; but do NOT judge a book by its cover. These puppies taste as delicious as the smell. 

Here's what y'all need:

-1 lb ground turkey

-bacon fat for cooking them in the skillet

-1/4 cup diced onion

-1/2 cup diced mushrooms

-Flavor God's Everything Seasonings

-5 tbsp Coconut Aminos 

Sear the mushrooms in skillet with a little bit of salt and pepper. Keep skillet on the heat-as you'll need it in a few minutes to cook the meatballs.

Remove mushrooms from skillet and put into a large bowl. Add the ground turkey, onion, seasonings, & coconut aminos into the bowl and mix it all together. 

Spoon the meat into balls and place on the skillet. Cook at low to medium heat until browned throughout and enjoy!! 

Dustin's Transformation

Starting weight: 225 lbs

Total weight loss to date: 65 lbs 

How did he do it you may ask? 

-completely eliminating soda, candy, & junk of all sorts

-replacing fast food lunches with a heaping cup of fresh mixed fruit, Clif Bar, & 1/4 cup of jalapeño chips or granola

-cooking dinner every night which usually consisted of chicken, fresh veggies & rice.

-eating breakfast every morning (he used to skip breakfast and just have a Mountain Dew!)

This worked well for him for a little while. He lost 45 lbs quick. BUT...there was still what I would call "healthy" junk in the diet. So upon starting our Crossfit journey last fall, we took our lifestyle a step further and he successfully eliminated all grains (rice, sprouted bread, granola, Clif Bars, etc) and is now eating a Paleo diet 95% of the time. It has been a very gradual process for us both to transfer to this lifestyle. It's something that cannot be done overnight successfully. It takes time, effort, planning and dedication to succeed. A lot of people see the way we eat or the results that we have experienced and say "Oh I wanna try it how do I do it?" It's more than just a clear, cut and dry answer of simple instructions. It took us lots of research and time to experiment what worked for us. So if you're interested in the Paleo lifestyle or just simply eating cleaner; do your own research. Don't take my word for it. It's your body; you have to live with it for the rest of your life and learn to love it. So put the time into it and it'll love you right back! 

A typical day of meals for us looks something like this: 

Breakfast: 

-water

-2-3 eggs cooked with coconut oil on a cast iron skillet with uncured bacon or turkey bacon tucked inside & topped with a little bit of seasonings 

-freshly squeezed juice

Lunch: 

-spinach & fruit salad 

-banana or apple

-paleo snack bar (mixture of nuts, shredded coconut, and dried fruit) 

Dinner:

-plate heaping full of vegetables & a lean meat cooked with vegetables & coconut Aminos 

Snacks in between meals:

-hempseed protein shakes

-vegetables

-fruit

-nuts 

We try and keep our meals constantly varied which has been a new challenge for us; as we like routine and are totally satisfied with eating the same meal day after day! It's important to keep it varied so that you can get all the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that all foods have to offer. Keep it colorful & best wishes!

Snacks

Lots of people ask for recipes for meals, but it's also important to stay fueled with nutritious choices in between those delicious main courses! Mostly because I'm still nursing my daughter, I eat pretty frequently (every 1-2 hours you will find me chewin on somethin!) but I've always been a "snacker".

Anyways...here's a few ideas as to some easy & healthy snacks! 

-organic apple (I really dig Gala) with heaping spoonful of nut butter (I really dig almond butter ;) 

-banana (you can always add nut butter to this too!) 

-citrus is a great snack when you're out & about since you have to peel it anyway, you can toss it in your bag or purse and not worry about it gettin smashed or dirty! 

-dark chocolate with probiotics (Probiotics are something that should be consumed daily, by everyone. Babies & adults! Most disease begins within the colon. The average American lifestyle is overloaded with antibiotics found in medications and our foods; which strip our intestines of all the good bacteria. Probiotics provide the good bacteria that our digestive systems require to function at a normal & healthy level) 

-for the sweet tooth lovers: dried fruit. It is best to find fruit that is dried naturally and unsulfured because most dried fruit sold in chain grocery stores are full of sugar! Always look at the ingredients before buying. 

-coconut strips (mommas, this is a great choice for babies, too! My daughter is obsessed with coconut meat. It's tough so it will usually last her all day...she just sucks and gums it until she loses interest. Great teething remedy!) 

-nuts & seeds (except for peanuts)

-good ol' H2O! I never leave my house without a gigantic water bottle or gallon of water. Water should be the first thing you consume in the morning and the majority (like 99.9%) of what you drink throughout the day. 

-hot tea. Traditional Medicinal makes a fantastic line of organic teas that you can enjoy! 

-baby carrots 

-celery and nut butter topped with chia seed or raisins 

-freshly juiced fruits & veggies 

"Orange" Juice

I've had tons of requests for some juice recipes. I don't follow any recipes for juicing, I just get creative. And when I say creative; I more or less just mean I use whatever is in my fridge that is either

A. Going to go bad quicker than we can eat it

B. We have a surplus of

So with that being said, I present to you this mornings "Orange" Juice!

-massive amounts of carrots (~2 cups)

-2-4 michigan apples

-1 lemon

-5-6 cuties

We use the Omega juicer! We love it! Before we started using the Omega, we had this one. 

Juice & pour it in a nice tall glass! Drink immediately. 

For added antioxidant/anti-inflammatory benefits we add ginger root and lime. It's spicy and FIRE goin down, but it's worth it if you have any aches & pains! 

Almond Crusted Pesto Chicken

This is just so delicious guys! You gotta try this and let me know what y'all think!

Almond Crusted Chicken

What you'll need:
-2 chicken breast
-1/2 c almond flour (did you know that you can make this yourself? Blend almonds in your food processor until it turns into flour! EASY!)
-1 egg
-5 tbsp garlic lovers seasoning
-2 tbsp olive or coconut oil

Preheat your oven to 375. Coat a baking dish with the oil. Put your seasoning and flour in one bowl and mix it up. Put your egg in another bowl. Dunk the chicken breasts into the egg and then toss it into the bowl with the almond flour and seasonings. Cook it for 20 minutes.

We served ours with a steamed vegetable medley of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots with a side of baked sweet potato chips. 

It's just that easy folks! We topped ours with a little bit of pesto (recipe found here) which was so amazing, the next time I will cover every square inch of the chicken with the pesto.

Baby Food

Don't kill yourself trying to make fancy baby food or buying the latest baby food gadgets. I've tried it all and this is easiest-Almost all the recipes I post, the kids can enjoy too. Toss some on their high chair and let them experiment-or add a tad bit of water to it and toss it in a food processor. There's no need to go out and get a baby food blender...they aren't that different! I have the Baby Brezza and like it; but it's not near as easy to use as our good ol' fashioned food processor. And I know Infantino makes a baby food pouch dispenser which seems nice in theory, but that is just one more appliance to store and clean. Rubbermaid containers work just as well :) be easy on yourselves, mommas! Our lives are chaotic enough!

We have been very fortunate. Our daughter eats just about anything we shove her way! That is one of the many good things about eating clean-you don't have to worry about it's quality or content harming your babes because you know what is going into it!

We usually cook our vegetables with steam or do them roasted-which results in a nice, soft food that our 10 month old has no problem eating. Now, for those with younger kids-you'll obviously need to mash it or blend it more for them. Try it out and see what consistency they prefer. All babies are different! Our daughter didn't like anything that wasn't of breast milk consistency in the very beginning (~8 months old)

Our daughters favorite food that I've made for her so far is Mango & Sweet Potatoes:

~1 cup diced mango

~1-2 c sweet potato

Steam or boil the sweet potato (peeled) until soft, then add the mango (also steamed for about 5-10 min) then blend together with about a tablespoon of coconut milk and a dash of cinnamon. It makes it nice & creamy! Then store in containers! This stuff was so good I was eating it out of the blender (surprise, surprise..I'm always eating)

Lately though, we have just been giving our daughter the same thing we have for dinner (we break it into small pieces or mash it up) & it's SO easy. She's also learning to feed herself (double easy). 

Or in the mornings, when we juice for breakfast; we will let her have a little bit of that out of our cup. Her reaction is always priceless. You can easily freeze the juice into Popsicle molds and use for a snack or as a teething treat! Our daughter LOVES this! (If you don't have a juicer, you can also blend this into a smoothie) A good juice frozen into popsicles recipe for kids is:

-1 Gala apple

-1 heaping cup of carrots 

-splash of Aloe Vera juice

-1 cup spinach 

-1 cup berries of your choice (avoid super seedy berries if your babe is young & try a very ripe banana instead-the more ripe it is, the easier it will be for their tummies to digest it)

Beef and Cauliflower Rice

I'll be the first to admit. I'm slightly un-American. I've never been a fan of beef. Until now! My husband bought some grass fed beef yesterday and came up with this beauty!

Here's what you'll need:

-beef (cut of your choice, the more tender the better)

-small to medium head of cauliflower

-mushrooms and bacon (if you want delicious rice exactly as we made it. Orrrr you can be boring and leave it plain)

-seasonings of your choice (we use this awesome stuff from Flavor God - paleo, gluten free...all herbs and spices, no B.S.!) 

To make it edible for your enjoyment:

-heat up your grill folks! Just because it's cold doesn't mean you can't kick your hubby or boyfriend outside to man the grill 

-do a dry rub all over that meat! Whatever seasonings your little taste buds desire. Rub it in good! (Again, we used Flavor God's seasonings. They're worth every penny and ship fast :) 

-throw it in the grill and cook it at a low temp. Low n' slow! 

For the cauliflower, break it into florets and then slowly send it through the food processor.

Once it's blended to a rice-like consistency, toss it in a skillet & cover with a lid. Let it simmer there for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Sprinkle with some seasonings if you would like and mix in the bacon and mushrooms.

My husband always sautées our mushrooms and bacon in Bragg's Liquid Aminos (you can see what our typical grocery lists "staples" looks like here) in a cast iron pan. Which is BOMB! It's an amazing combination-it creates the best flavor. Try it out! 

& Enjoy it! Xoxo

Paleo Pizza

Ya'll ready for this ridiculously long titled, delicious dinner?! Paleo Pesto Chicken Bacon & Mushroom Pizza. Heaven on earth. Make it now guys. If you don't have the ingredients, go get em, NOW. 

I've experienced two "firsts" in my life tonight: 

1. Not being able to eat the entire pizza in one sitting (I'm ashamed! But gave it a good fight) This is a seriously filling meal! Go all out with the toppings and you won't be disappointed...until you realize your eyes are bigger than your stomach and that you can't possibly eat another bite without exploding of delicious goodness.

2. There wasn't one second while I was eating this masterpiece that I felt guilty for eating my favorite meal---a pizza! Made from scratch, clean ingredients, protein, healthy fats, no grains....I could brag forever. 

Here's what you'll need to make the crust: (this is surprisingly easy to make even though it looks long and daunting)

-1 1/2 cups tapioca flour/starch

-1 cup water

-1/2 cup coconut flour

-2 eggs

-1/2 cup coconut oil

-about 1 to 2 tbsp of garlic seasoning (I'd recommend 1..2 tbsp was a bit too garlicky, and I even love garlic!)

-parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the oil, seasoning and water in a stove pot. Bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the tapioca flour. Let it cool for 5 minutes or so and then incorporate the eggs and coconut flour. Mix well! Dump it onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet and divide it into two chunks. Create two pizzas with it. I covered them with another piece of parchment paper (so that the dough is sandwiched between two pieces of parchment) and flattened the dough out with a plate instead of dealing with the annoyingness of a sticky rolling pin mess. It worked beautifully! 

Bake for 35 minutes or until golden & then remove from oven and top with your choice toppings! Don't forget to pop it back in the oven once you top it so it can heat and melt all nicely together. Just a few minutes is good. In this dinner, we added a few of our favorite things such as chicken, mushrooms and turkey bacon. You can do sooo many things with this recipe...add tomato sauce rather than pesto or beef or sausage or all vegetables....have fun! This was a super fun meal to make on a Saturday night with the family.

Also, this crust was so easy to make, had such great consistency, and flavor that it has given me some great, sinfully delicious recipe ideas for the future that I'll try out and share with y'all (assuming it's successful). 

Here's what you'll need for the pesto: (super easy) 

-1 cup organic spinach

-1 clove garlic

-1/4 cup of nuts (we used pecans; but pine nuts would work, or walnuts :)

-3 1/2 tbsp organic (or good quality) olive oil 

-1 tbsp of seasoning (your choice...I'd recommend one with no sodium or it'll taste way too salty. But you can get creative here. For example, my husband used cayenne pepper based spice and I chose a lemon-garlic. Next time I make this, I will do a different spice without garlic. It was overall pretty garlicky. I'll probably smell like a garlic clove for at least a month.  

Blend the nuts, spinach, and garlic in a food processor. Slowly incorporate the olive oil and seasoning until it's at a smooth consistency. Spread on top of fully baked pizza crust. Then add toppings. Broil in oven for an additional 5-8 minutes until warmed! 

Get cookin, and tell me how you chose to top your pizza! 

The Basics

I'm still getting lots of questions. "What should I eat? What should I avoid? What do I get rid of?"

The pyramid above is a good guideline. 

Frequently asked questions: 

Q: Can I have peanuts and/or peanut butter? 

A: No. Why? Because peanuts are in the legume family. Of which is eliminated in the Paleo lifestyle. Peanuts are also often farmed on the same plots of land that tobacco is farmed which leaves traces of tobacco in your peanut products! 

Q: Can I have bread?

A: No. Why? Bread and any type of grain (even the good grains such as oats, whole grain, quinoa, sprouted, rice, etc) causes a marked inflammatory response within your body which has a domino effect on everything else. It's just not worth it. And a lot of people say I can't give up grains (I'm guilty of saying those very words)...but I did it. If I can give them up, you can, too! Just try. See if you don't feel better. 

Q: Can I have dairy such as cows milk, cheese, butter? 

A: Avoid dairy as much as possible. It causes a mess of issues, including allergies. People ask, "Well how will I get my calcium?"

It makes me laugh!! Cows milk isn't the only source of calcium. Cows milk is intended for their young. Just as breast milk is intended for our young. For example: Almond milk is MUCH higher in calcium and your vegetables will give you plenty of that as well. If you're going to eat butter, consume "ghee" it's a grass fed butter but also expensive so I'd just recommend cutting butter out entirely and using coconut oil as a sub. It's perfect for baking and cooking. 

Q: Can I have diet drinks? (Crystal light, soda, etc)

A: No. Don't make me explain. Just give that crap up. H2O is the only way to go. Always. 

Q: I don't like vegetables, what should I do? 

A: Consider buying a juicer. (Different from a blender which makes smoothies) juicing your vegetables and drinking them is MUCH easier than eating them. You can add a few fruits to the juice which makes drinking it even more delicious.

Q: What kind of meats should I buy?

A: Consider stocking up on poultry, beef, bison, and fish. Pork should always be your last option. Swine is usually fed poorly and lives in poor situations (their own poo) which results in a nasty meat full of only God knows what. Buying frozen meats in this case is okay. But anything else in the freezer aisle is likely not a good choice! 

Q: I'm so busy, ain't nobody got time to eat healthy! What do I do?

A: Dudes. No one understands more than me. I am a working mom and my husband works an opposite shift of me. Find what works for you. Make it work. If you wana be healthy, change your priorities. How much time do you spend on social media? Watching tv? Going to the drive thru? Eating junk food? Rearrange your life and make healthy living at the top of your list! Meal prep if you don't have time to make dinner or lunch everyday. There's no excuses. If you still can't figure out how to make the time, ask me. I'll help you. 

Q: I don't like to cook. What then?

A: All the more reason to eat raw, whole foods. You don't even have to cook them to enjoy their benefits and flavor. Just toss some fruits and veggies in a bowl, lunchbox, blender, or juicer and you're good to go! 

Hope this helps! 

No Excuses

Quite a few people have led me to say this...there are no excuses for gettin healthy. If you're sick and tired of feeling sick, tired, & fat; then do something about it! Getting to a healthy state doesn't have to mean following a strict formula or plan. It's simple. 

Step 1: trash the junk in your house (if your spouse isn't on board with you, tell him/her to keep their junk out of the house-gettin the entire family on board will make this easier for you) 

Step 2: replace junk with raw foods 

Step 3: eat to your hearts content and enjoy the countless benefits 

Don't restrict yourself from eating fruits and veggies. Many people tell my husband and I that we eat too many fruits. News flash: no one ever got fat or died from eating fruit!!! Fruit is natures sweetness and is loaded with good stuff so eat up. As a matter of fact my husband lost almost 70# to date eating LOTS of fruit, veggies, nuts and meat. 

Tip: EAT the fruit raw rather than blending it into a smoothie as often as possible. You'll feel more satisfied; and blending the fruit to consume it on a regular basis may slow your progress. Confused? Take the fruit that you'd usually put into the blender and try to eat it in the time that you'd drink it. It's tough to do. 

Check your life. Are you spending more time making excuses than you are acting upon what you want? 

The Cost of Health

A lot of people tell me, "Well that's too expensive to eat healthy." To which I reply, it's worth it! Food is our medicine. We don't take any medications, are rarely sick, and eat deliciously. So call me crazy, but we cut back in other areas of our budget so that we can spend more on nutritious foods. 

Many think it's not feasible, but if you truly want health; you'll make it happen! No excuses. 

Some pointers on how to save money while eating clean: 

-know when to buy organic. Organic doesn't always necessarily mean better. EWG has a great guideline for what produce to splurge on organically

-use coupons or shop at stores that have good sales. You'll have to watch the ads and only purchase things when they're on sale. 

-buy things that are in season, they'll generally be cheaper 

-buy local or hit up some of your Amish friends :) I get eggs from my family friends for $2!!! 

-Target's Cartwheel app has 5-10% off on select produce! Try it out :) 

-look into a Costco or Sam's Club membership. You really can save buying in bulk. 

-see if a friend or family wants to go in on buying an entire cow with you from a local farmer. You can usually save money by buying the freezer beef and will always have some on hand! 

-garden! 

Hope this helps, friends!

Paleo Pumpkin Bars

I've had a can of pumpkin purée sitting in my cabinet since Thanksgiving 2012. I bought it with good intentions, but clearly failed. Until now! I decided to use it up before it expires (next month). 

*For the record, my husband does 99% of the cooking in our house (Praise God!) and I do 100% of the baking. Together, we can make a mean, full course meal.*

Here's what you'll need:

~1 cup pumpkin 

~3/4 c raw honey (melted)

~2 eggs

~1 tsp vanilla extract

~1/4 coconut oil (melted)

~1/4 arrowroot flour 

~1 cup (or just shy of 1 cup) coconut flour

~1 tsp baking powder

~1/2 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt

~1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

~cinnamon to sprinkle on top 

~cacao nibs or a couple chocolate chips to top it off (FYI: Nestle chocolate chips are not paleo approved. I'd go with the cacao nibs if you wana be a good girl-but I didn't have any on hand and we are currently snowed in!)

To bake: 

-preheat the oven to 350 degrees

-mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla, & honey until combined 

-in another bowl, mix the dry ingredients until combined 

-slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined

-plop the mixture into a 8x8 or 9x9 whatever floats your boat and spread it out so it looks pretty

-top with cacao nibs and sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon to taste

-bake 35-40 min (my oven took just about 35 min) until edges turn golden

Enjoy!! 

Grocery Shopping

Sometimes the most difficult part in being successful at a goal, is being prepared. That's the most important tip in eating clean & healthy. You've got to always be prepared! Don't ever get caught without healthy options, or junk will surely find its way into your life. I have an apple and banana on me at all times...you never know when you're gonna get hungry hangry! And as a breastfeeding mother, I find that I am hungry all. day. long. I can easily eat more than my husband and probably his entire favorite football team. (Go Eagles!) I am a cow-grazin' on delicious foods all day long!

The thing about eating clean, is that the food you consume is perishable. That's how food is supposed to be! Perishable. If your pantry and cabinets are full of food that you've had in there for a while, you may want to consider a good purge. That's just what my husband and I did about two years ago-and we haven't looked back ever since! As a matter of fact, our cabinets are just about empty all the time because most of our food is so fresh that the only place to store it, is in the fridge! Anyone that knew me several years ago knows that this is huge for me! I used to live on enriched foods, carbs and sugar. It's no wonder I felt so awful! So let me just tell you this. If I can eat clean, ANYONE can!

Because we go through our fresh foods so quickly; I go to the grocery about once a week. Here's a typical shopping list for us:

-Organic Coconut Oil

-turkey bacon (preferably uncured)

-eggs (we get ours from a local farmer)

-chicken & beef (preferably grass-fed)

-organic spinach

-apples (preferably organic)

-bananas

-sweet potatoes

-Bragg's Liquid Aminos

-berries (whatever is cheapest/in-season)

-coconut milk

-cauliflower 

-asparagus 

-mushrooms

-peppers
-broccoli
-your favorite spices (some ideas: Himalayan pink sea salt, black pepper, lemon, jalapeno, etc)
-almond flour
-coconut flour
-arrowroot powder
-raw honey
-nuts (any except for peanuts)
-nut butter (any except for peanut butter-my favorite is almond)

With this small grocery list, you can create so many different recipes that are delicious and healthy. We of course add a few specialty items each week depending on what new recipe we want to experiment with; but having these staples in your kitchen will help with most of the recipes I post.

Throw out any junk that's hiding in your pantry. If it's boxed; toss it or give it away! It'll make your life so much easier when making the "eating clean" transition. 

Grapefruit Juice

Today is a great day to juice! If you have a juicer, try this out. Here's what I had for breakfast:

-Tall glass of water, before anything else!

-Banana

Juice recipe:

  2 organic grapefruit

  Handful of organic spinach

  2 organic kiwis 

  Heaping cup of organic baby carrots

  1 apple

  1 clementine

  & a couple raspberries (they were about to go bad so I tossed em in)

This is a great way to get veggies in your diet if you can't seem to eat enough throughout the day. If you can't eat em, drink em! 

Coffee

I freakin love coffee. It makes me feel grown up and wired. For some though, it's tough to swallow it black so they add artificial sweeteners, sugar, and artificial flavorings just to enjoy it. Here's how I've been enjoying mine this holiday season!

Organic coffee (this is the best I've had so far for the Keurig)

Splash of Coconut Mint Chocolate Milk

It's tasty & festive. Take that Starbucks! I'm saving my money and my health. 

If you can't find the limited holiday coconut milk, just get the regular coconut milk and cream the coffee with that and a splash of vanilla extract. SO GOOD

Easy Fruit & Spinach Salad

This salad is easy to prep, eat and enjoy. It's light and filling! Chew away my little rabbits. 

-Gigantic bowl of organic spinach (this is the plus to eating 100% clean. You don't have to watch calories. I eat ALL day long. A raw, plant based lifestyle is easy folks)

-Mix in your favorite fruits (clementines, raspberries, pineapple, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, apple...whatever your taste buds like) the more sweet the fruit is, the better it makes the spinach taste, naturally ;) 

You could also add nuts to this, but I have chosen to follow the Auto-Immune Protocol (Google it) as closely as possible which excludes nuts (BUMMER!) but it's definitely makin me feel the best I've ever felt in years. (I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 21 years old and have been on a mission ever since to heal myself without medication). 

Back to the salad: that's it. Don't add dressing! There's no need! It takes so long to chew and eat this you'll likely be too tired to eat anything afterwards. This is easy to pack in my lunch in the morning for work or if I know I'll be runnin errands all day, I will pack this & an apple so I have no excuse to eat crap and waste my money. 

Spaghetti

Paleo Spaghetti

1 Spaghetti Squash

Chopped Mushrooms

Meat of your choice (we use grass fed beef)

Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Himalayan Pink Sea Salt 

Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 355 degrees 

Cut squash in half

Crack a little bit of black peppercorns on to each half of the squash

Place on baking sheet

Cook for 45-55 min depending upon the size of the squash

While the squash is baking, cook beef (our preferred meat for this dish) and mushrooms in skillet (we use cast iron, it provides awesome flavor) with a splash of liquid aminos & sea salt. 

When squash is finished baking, remove from oven and simply scrape it out with a fork onto a dish and then top with the meat and mushrooms. 

You can get super creative with this dish! Sometimes we add spicy homemade salsa, chicken, etc. The possibilities are endless. The spaghetti squash has amazing texture and flavor...you'll never go back to regular noodles again! This is truly guilt-free and so filling!

Snack Bars

These are great for those that are bad cooks (like me), or, so busy that a clone wouldn't help (like me), or those are so hungry that ya don't wana wait for food to be cooked (like me)! They take a little bit of prep, but once they're done the batch of bars lasts a while and provides a quick snack for days to come. Not to mention they're addicting! 

3 cups of your choice nuts and seeds

2 cups finely shredded organic unsweetened coconut 

1 cup dried fruit of your choice

1/2 cup raw honey (I usually add a tablespoon more)

1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (I usually add a tablespoon more of this, too)

1/4 cup organic coconut oil (okay, I'll be honest I like my healthy fats...I added a bit more of this as well) 

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon & salt to taste

Line a 9x13 with parchment or wax paper 

Blend nuts in a food processor until they're at the consistency you prefer (I like fine chops so that the bars resemble a granola bar)

Mix nuts, shredded coconut and fried fruit in a bowl

In  a small saucepan, melt the honey, seed butter, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon & sea salt over low-medium heat just until it starts to bubble like a witch's brew :)

Once bubbling, remove from stove and pour over dry ingredients 

Mix mix mix! Stir well so it's all coated.

Pour mix into pan and press it! 

The more firmly pressed, the better the bars will turn out

Let it sit on counter for an hour or two & then cut with a pizza cutter into desired shapes and then freeze for an hour or two

After frozen, remove it from freezer & let sit for a few on the counter for a few minutes to let them soften enough for you to store them.

I like to wrap ours in wax paper packaging and tape them shut and store in the fridge!

Creative ideas:

I put these into Christmas tree molds & added red and green choc chips (so not paleo) & gave as gifts to our Crossfit instructors. 

To add flavor, consistency and antioxidants: add things like goji berries, cacao nibs, chia seed, hempseed, etc) 

Sweet Potato Chips

These are a family favorite. Sweet potatoes have lots of potassium & vitamin A & much better for you than traditional white potatoes. Hope y'all enjoy as much as we do!

Preheat oven to 395 degrees

Wash 4-5 potatoes

Cut into medallions (~a poker chip in thickness. Using a mandolin creates even chip size & therefore better results) 

Melt a couple tablespoons of organic coconut oil in microwave for about 10-15 sec

Toss chips into a bowl with a lid or plastic bag & pour melted oil over chips

Shake bowl/bag until evenly coated in oil

Lay chips flat on cookie sheet & cook for 11 min then flip each chip onto other side & cook for an additional 10-11 min so each side is evenly browned

We usually give our chips a few cranks of Himalayan pink sea salt for extra flavor or sprinkle with cinnamon to enjoy as a dessert! 

Babies enjoy these too! We just peel the skin off the chips after they're cooked and give to our daughter! She is obsessed!