Cookies, Cookies, and More Cookies

So we are in Arizona for Thanksgiving at my Handsome Hubby's mom's house. She is on the same page as us in terms of eating so we didn't need to make a crazy grocery trip or anything. I did have a good friend ask me how we adapt when traveling and I realized one thing I am doing is keeping a stock of high protein cookies available for the kiddos along with fruit and veggies. 

However, when I am at someone else's house I don't want to have to go out and buy a ton of ingredients. So thanks to my lovely friend and neighbor I adapted this recipe to fit our needs. I do want to reiterate that I am not as "paleo" with our boys as I am with myself or my husband. We allow peanuts and some processed sugar in the form of white chocolate chips, etcetera from time to time. So keep in mind your needs. If the slightest amount of starches causes you to "fall off the wagon" then don't do it. Also...treats like cookies should be just that...TREATS. You need to limit yourself.  If it becomes too hard to stay away then don't make these.

So with that being said...here are my nut butter cookies. 

These would be great to prep and freeze for Christmas treats. They also traveled well on the airplane. They would be great for camping trips as well.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter

1 cup coconut sugar

1 egg

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Blend well...I use a food processor. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Enjoy!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

1 cup Justin's brand chocolate hazelnut butter

1/2 cup pecans

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1 cup white chocolate chips

Blend well...Again I use the food processor but you might want to chop the pecans ahead of time. Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes or until done. Enjoy!

Some things take time...

I love cooking. I love trying new recipes. I love waiting for the final product and seeing other's reactions. I love finding the perfect combination of flavor complexity even if it takes numerous attempts to get there. I love the challenge.

Yesterday, I made a crockpot marinara sauce from our leftover garden tomatoes that have been slowly ripening in our three season porch. I used the recipe from BudgetBytes with just a few minor alterations. I needed to add a bit of shallots since I didn't have enough yellow onion. Then in keeping with our unprocessed diet I added coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.  In the end, I went to bed while it cooked and I wish it didn't have as strong of an onion flavor.  I was able to add one can of organic tomato sauce and then I put it in 2 ziploc quart sized freezer bags to use for sauce later.

I also worked on making another variation of chocolate chip cookies.  I used recipes from a few sites.



Tweaking each to try to get the right flavor, texture, crispiness but chewiness.  You can see pictures of my final product.



So here's the final recipe.

Crispy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups blanched almond flour

2 TBSP. coconut flour

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 TBSP. honey

1/2 tsp. grassfed gelatin

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

6 TBSP. grassfed butter OR palm oil shortening OR melted coconut oil

1/4 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Move oven rack to middle position.  Mix above ingredients and using 1 inch cookie scoop place cookie dough balls on the parchment lined pan.  Press balls down to flatten.  Bake for 11-12 minutes until golden brown on the edges.  Allow to cool before removing from the pan.

So I had to wait for the sauce, I had to wait for the cookies.  It seems waiting is what I have been doing lately. My dad passed away last week unexpectedly from a heart attack. He was an honest, kind, generous, hardworking, intelligent man. He made time for everyone.  He valued his faith in Christ, family, and those he cared for above "stuff". 

As a child in a family with 6 kids we never had to do without but we also didn't always have all the materialistic things our peers had. We shared bedrooms. We wore hand me downs. We worked for what we had. We waited and it was good. 

We didn't eat out much and that was ok because when we did it was a huge treat.  We didn't get every toy we saw in the stores but when it was our birthday or Christmas...it was that much more special because my mom and dad didn't cater to our every whim. We waited and it was good.

Now as I wade through grief on my own and with my family I am reminded to wait. You can't rush grief just like you can't rush the sauce in the crockpot or the cookies in the pan.  They are only good if you wait.  You need to cry when the tears come and pick yourself up and move when you have the energy to. You keep stepping one foot in front of the other until you realize you're not as sad anymore.

When I was a kid waiting for Christmas I hated waiting. I was so impatient.  Yesterday, was a tough day for me and I was impatient with myself. But I let myself cry. I let myself remember his smile, his laugh, his mannerisms. I lay on the floor a little longer playing Legos with my Superheroes knowing that if today was my last day...I want them to remember me playing. I want them to have a mom who emulates the love my dad emulated. Who teaches the value of working, patience, waiting, and love.

But in order to not let the grief consume me I need to wait.  I need to grieve.  I need to cry.  I need to let my husband hold me and then...bit by bit...I also need to remember to live in the present and enjoy the life I have here.  At a pivotal point in my life, facing the loss of a job and a serious relationship, my dad asked, "If you could be doing anything in your life, what would it be?"  When I told him my answer he said, "So what are you waiting for?  Life is short...go do it."  So I will get through this grief and then I will remember him saying life is short and I will live.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles.  They shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint."  Isaiah 40:31

Chocolate Cherry Scones

So I wanted to use some cherries from my fridge before they went bad.  I started searching the web for scone recipes and decided to add my own twist, change multiple ingredients, and see what happened.  Here's the result...I hope you enjoy them like we did.  How can you go wrong with antioxidants from dark ripe cherries and antioxidants from the chocolate (depending on how dark you go.)

Chocolate Cherry Scones

1 cup blanched almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup arrowroot starch

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 TBSP. ground flaxseed meal

2 TBSP. honey

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1 egg

2 TBSP. water

1/2 cup chopped, pitted cherries

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (We use Enjoy Life Brand since they're free of soy and dairy)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Mix almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch, coconut sugar, salt, baking soda, and flaxseed oil well.

3.  Add vanilla, honey, coconut oil, egg, and water to dry mixture.  Mix well.

4.  Add chopped cherries and chocolate chips.  Mix well.

5.  Scoop onto parchment lined pan and pat down flat with your hand or a spoon.

6.  Bake 15-17 minutes (until centers are done and golden).

7.  Enjoy with a nice cup of coffee or tea!

Movin' to the country, gonna eat me a lot of peaches...

So it started out with some almost too ripe peaches from Costco.  I found a Paleo Peach Crisp recipe from Elana's Pantry but decided to tweak it some to our liking.  We loved it and then today I tipped over a flat of peaches.  So alas...I had 9 bruised peaches.  When life hands you bruised peaches...make more peach crisp!

9 peaches, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 cup blueberries

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbsp. arrowroot starch

1 Tbsp. coconut sugar

3 cups almond flour

1/2 cup raw honey

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

2.  Mix peaches, blueberries, lemon juice, coconut sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon and arrowroot starch.  Pour into 9x13  glass cake pan.

3.  Mix almond flour, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.  Crumble onto the top of the peach and blueberry mixture.  Try to break the clumps small.

4.  Bake for 45 minutes covered.  Then remove cover and bake a few more minutes until the crumble starts to brown.  Enjoy!

Paleo "Oatmeal" Cookies!

So I used to love making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for Superhero #1.  I loved the added texture and complexity of flavor of having more than one grain used.  Well...I stumbled upon a recipe from PaleoMom her mock Oatmeal cookies.  Here's the link to her recipe so you see the original and below is the way I altered it based on what was in my pantry and what I felt like doing.  Let me know what you think and give me some feedback folks!  Desserts are what we miss most right?  So lets put our heads together and figure out what you miss the most and we can search and try to create a recipe for those indulgences.  These are slightly chewy cookies and don't taste the same as every other almond flour cookie recipe out there.  I like the different textures and flavors in it.  Let me know what you think. 

3/4 cup of coconut oil melted and cooled (if you skip this step you have a puddle of oil on the bottom of the bowl.)

2/3 cup of coconut sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 TBSP sesame seeds (I had the light colored ones on hand)

2 TBSP Flaxseed meal

1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup raw pecans

2 TBSP raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raw sliced almonds

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand since they're dairy free)

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Mix oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla well.

3.  Add almond flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt to sugar mixture and blend well.

4.  Pulse pecans and sunflower seeds in food processor until they resemble coarse sand.  Then dump into batter.

5.  Pulse almond slices until they resemble oatmeal flakes.  Add to the batter.

6.  Add remaining ingredients (coconut, sesame seeds, and chocolate chips.  Mix well.

7.  Form 1 inch balls and flatten on a parchment paper lined pan.  

8.  Bake 9-10 minutes.  9 was perfect for me but every oven is different.

ENJOY!  These are flattened out by hand but you can bake them as balls...they'll just stay in that shape.

Camping food at it's best

So we love camping!  I jokingly say my hubby lucked out that his wife enjoys roughing it and everything that goes with it.  We have food allergies so prepping for any trip requires some amount of thinking ahead.  For this 4 day trip we have some premade things but mostly homemade stuff.  So today is food prep day.  Yesterday, I cleaned the house for the dog sitters, packed our clothing, and played with the boys.

Here's our list:

Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs with veggies and cheese

Banana Muffins (see Elana's Pantry recipe for Paleo Banana Muffins...I use honey)

Applegate Farms Chicken and Maple Breakfast Sausage

Milk (organic whole milk and Almond Milk)

veggie smoothies

Lunch

Spicy Black bean salad
Salsa
Avocado
Tortilla chips

raw veggies

veggie dip (see recipe below)

Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (Applegate Farms)

Supper

raw veggies

taco meat
Homemade salsa
Avocados
Black bean salad

organic corn chips (for the Superheroes)

Tillamook Cheddar Cheese

Hamburgers

Hot dogs from above

Snacks

70% Cacao Organic Dark Chocolate

Organic Apples

Organic Oranges

Organic grapes

Sunflower Seed Butter Blondies (Elana's Pantry...I use 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 honey for this recipe instead of the agave nectar)

Now...for the recipes!!!

Veggie Dip

8 ounces organic full fat sour cream

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 TBSP dried dill

1 TBSP dried parsley

Mix above ingredients and enjoy!

Hamburgers with Feta (Thanks to our friend Jana for this recipe...with some minor additions)

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

3/4 cup crumbled feta

3/4 cup finely chopped spinach

1 TBSP fresh minced basil

1 TBSP fresh minced garlic

1/2 cup minced red onion

1/3 cup finely minced red bell pepper

1 tsp. sea salt

Mix above ingredients and fry on griddle.  Sooo good!  Enjoy!

I Scream! You Scream! We all Scream for Ice Cream!

One of the challenges of being lactose intolerant is missing ice cream.  Sure, Breyer's has a great lactose free substitute for the chocolate and the vanilla versions...but what about all the flavors?  I miss having choices!

So with my Mother's Day gift (an ice cream maker) I am on a mission to create my favorite ice cream flavors.  This weekend, I made a pecan praline and a chocolate chip cookie dough version that met great reviews from our dinner guests.  Tonight...I'm making Chocolate Sunbutter Ice Cream.

I found a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream on DeliciouslyOrganic.net but didn't like using peanut butter since it is prone to mold and not the best for you.  Sunbutter is more allergen friendly so it makes this recipe more accessible to all.  I also like blending ingredients in the blender instead of heating because then I don't have to wait for the mixture to cool.  I'm not that patient when it comes to ice cream!  The banana adds smoothness but you can't taste it at all.

So here goes:

2 cups full fat coconut milk

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup Sunbutter

1/2 a banana

Blend well in blender until fully mixed.  Pour in ice cream machine and freeze according to your ice cream makers instructions!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

So we're baking ahead for a trip next week.  Cookies are an easy sweet treat in the car.  This will be my first trip since my heart attack without my Handsome hubby along and my first long road trip with the boys.  I'm nervous and scared.  But I'm praying like crazy and trusting God to watch over me.

Here's the cookie recipe I found on a new site I'm following called "Bakers Gal".  She takes several paleo recipes, tests the recipes in her kitchen, and posts a new and improved one based on those she tried.  I did not use the agave nectar since it has the same affect on your kidneys as high fructose corn syrup.  I used Grade B maple syrup instead.  Then instead of macademia nut oil I used coconut oil because it's more beneficial for you at high heat temperatures.  Nut oil benefits change when cooked at high temps.

Raw before I put them in the oven.  I flattened them out since they don't do that on their own in the oven. 

Final product!

They really turned out like normal cookies.  So if you have a craving for cookies I would try these.  But don't eat the whole pan!  I used the smallest melon ball scoop that we had and we each had 2 and then put them away.  Sugar is still sugar and impacts us.  

I haven't been as diligent as I should and have gained back some weight.  Sick kids and getting a little lax on exercising and diet will do that.  If I didn't have heart issues I wouldn't be as diligent on this but I need to take it seriously so cut back on sweets will have to happen. I can't slack because I can feel it physically.

Enjoy the treat and let me know what you think.

Chocolately Brownies!

Here it is...I wanted brownies.  It's rainy.  We're staying home due to some chest colds and the need to just "be" for today.  The boys are playing.  I'm reading.  Cleaning.  Baking.  Thinking up a pattern for sewing.  So, what to do?  I didn't want to go to the store to pick up what I was missing for my favorite recipe.  I didn't want to make one with coconut flour since they're a little too airy.

A close-up as they cool

Using all almond butter is too taxing for my son's body.  Almonds contain oxalates and can cause kidney stones in people with leaky guts so we try to limit the baking with almonds.  When he has a lot of baked almond flour or almond butter goods he has to pee all the time!  His body is trying to cleanse itself of the oxalates from the almonds.  His leaky gut developed from repeated exposure to antibiotics.  While we still use antibiotics when needed (last week they had strep throat.).  I try to avoid them if possible.

So...back to the brownies.  My fridge had a bit of almond butter.  A bit of sunbutter.  Some unsweetened apple sauce, eggs, maple syrup.  Hmmm...  My pantry had some of the essentials as well. So here's the creation.  They reminded me of box mix brownies...crusty outside...chewy inside.  The gelatin adds to the chewiness and is actually beneficial for healing leaky guts.  It also adds some protein to offset the sugar from the maple syrup.  One was plenty for me.  Delicious but not too sweet.  Perfect with a cup of decaf coffee.  Superhero #1 thought they were perfect too.

Chocolately Brownies

1/2 cup sunbutter (unsweetened)
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp decaf organic ground coffee
2 TBSP grass fed gelatin
1 TBSP unsweetened apple sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease 8x8 glass baking pan with palm oil shortening.  Mix above ingredients in food processor until fully blended.  Pour into baking pan.  It will be thick.  Don't worry...it works out.  Bake for 40 minutes of until toothpick placed in center comes out clean.  Enjoy!  We did and are!

Eleven Month Safari in the Suburbs

I grew up in a rural area.  LOVED IT!  I loved being outside.  Skiing down trails through our forest.  Canoeing in the summers.  Biking outside.  Perhaps this is why I've been gifted with boys.  When the air warms and the snow melts we are outside as much as possible.  Biking, blowing bubbles, playing in the sandbox, playing on our playset, gardening, etcetera.

As a result, our kids are fascinated by animals and all things outdoors.  If it's natural or "realistic"...then it's good.  That's according to Superhero #1.   When he had to decide what he wanted for his birthday cake he was torn between sharks and wild cats  (tigers, jaguars, lions...).  He decided on wild cats and I managed to shift it a bit to Safari so I could find some themed items for his party.

We've been on our unprocessed food journey for 11 months now.  In a way, it's like a safari in the suburbs.  It's unchartered territory.  Some friends, family, neighbors, smile at us like we're a bit crazy.  Some look like they want to but are scared.  Some see what's happening and decide to take the leap too.

Now you have to realize, I've set a high precedent in the cake decorating field for my kids.  However, ALL of the kids cakes have been processed sugar, processed flour, and artificial dye filled.  See the proof below.

So fast forward to today...how do you make a fun birthday cake for a 5 year old without food dyes?  How?  In reading about the natural food dyes I find it's hard to get as vibrant colors.  How do you make a safari cake without it being completely dye filled.

I'll be honest...I cheated a little but this cake is over 90% unprocessed.  I used the vanilla cake recipe and maple buttercream frosting recipe from Deliciously Organic to make the 3 tiers of vanilla cake.  The chocolate tier recipe came from Paleo Spirit website.  I still used the same maple buttercream frosting from Deliciously Organic.  I dyed the coconut "grass" using a kale smoothie and touch (1/8 tsp) of green dye.  I probably could have done just the kale and made it work if I had added more.  Then I sweetened it with maple syrup and had to dehydrate it in the oven.  The chocolate sunflower seed "rocks" were naturally dyed.  Then the fruit roll-up used for the river/pond has artificial dyes.  Then I used a gluten free graham cracker for the bridge. So overall...3 things with artificial stuff but the rest was unprocessed.  Not bad.

But more importantly...does my boy like it?  Yes.  He loves it.  He was so excited to see it complete.  The party is in 2 days.  The cake is in the freezer.  We've all tasted the samples and enjoyed it.  Now to see if others like it...

Not Your Lazy Saturday

Sometimes we have lazy Saturdays.  We don't have any commitments.  We play at home, do yard work, stay caught up on laundry, etcetera.  This was not your lazy Saturday.  My feet hit the floor running at 6:30 a.m. and stopped moving at 9:40 p.m.  I literally did not sit down for a single meal.  I do not recommend this for anyone.  Especially a heart attack survivor who is supposed to be "managing stress".  However, life is life.  Sometimes you find yourself packing it in.

I woke up this morning to my sweet Superhero #2 calling for me.  So we played a little on his car mat with him explaining types of cars to me while the oven heated.  Next, he helped me make two new muffin creations using coconut flour.  I have to admit, coconut flour has not been my favorite flour of choice.  So if you're like me and don't like the texture of coconut baked goods, you may want to consider these recipes.  I made pineapple-coconut muffins and mini blueberry muffins with my boy.  They were so good and everyone devoured them as soon as they cooled.  The pineapple ones reminded me of pineapple upside down cake.  Both were from two of my favorite food blogs on whole food eating...Elana's Pantry had the blueberry muffins and The Nourishing Home had the Pineapple-Coconut muffins.

I did adapt both recipes some.  With the blueberry muffins I used melted coconut oil and grade b maple syrup instead of the grapeseed oil and agave nectar.  Coconut oil is a natural anti-inflammatory, big in "healthy fats", anti-microbial, adds moisture to baked goods, and the list goes on and on.  I replaced the butter in the Pineapple-coconut muffins with melted coconut oil and then used lactose free whole milk that I had in the fridge since I didn't have any kefir or yogurt.  Some of us have dairy allergies here so I try to limit it as much as possible.  I'm not against dairy...just against my reaction to it.

After that we left for soccer and I met a friend to go whole food grocery shopping.  She is overhauling her family's eating and feeling a bit overwhelmed.  So we met at a local health food store, traveled to Costco and introduced her to the corporate wonderland there and then parted ways for me to complete my shopping.

I arrived home to hungry kids and a Handsome Hubby who needed food for his wild turkey hunting trip this weekend.  So...I put on my cooking hat (figuratively) and started cleaning up from breakfast.  Then I made a bean salad for him with my own recipe.

Huge bowl of Greek Bean salad...ready for the road

Greek Bean Salad
2 cans white canellini beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup chopped pepperocini
1 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
grape tomatoes (if you have them...I didn't today)
feta cheese to taste

Mix above ingredients together and enjoy!  It's so tasty!  High in carbs but when he's out hiking all day he needs them and burns through them.  He is meeting a hunting buddy so I made a HUGE bowl today.  All of the ingredients above are approximate.  Honestly...I just dump things in and taste until it seems right.

While I was chopping things up for that I started making my "secret spaghetti sauce".  It's really not a secret...it's natural sweet Italian sausage from the local health food supermarket that I bake and grind up in my food processor.  Next I found that the Kirkland brand spaghetti sauce has no added sugar or junk and as a bonus...IT'S CHEAP!  So I pour the 3 jars of that with my 3 pounds of sausage and we're set for spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, and breadsticks.  I sent a bag of mung bean noodles with him and some sauce so BAM another meal done.

Secret Spaghetti Sauce

Secret Spaghetti Sauce
3 lbs Italian sausage
3 jars Kirkland Marinara Sauce

Bake sweet Italian sausage at 350 for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.  Cut links in "chunks" and grind in food processor.  You'll have to do several small batches.  Place ground sausage into large stockpot with the marinara sauce.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes and enjoy!

So with the dishwasher running and the counter still a mess I decided to throw some laundry in and cook more!  I'm crazy I know.  I made some turkey sliders for him to take and for us to eat while he's gone.  It's a favorite recipe from The Food Network and while it does include cheese I just try to limit how much I eat.  Here's the link if you're interested...unfortunately I didn't get pics of these.

Then with Superhero #1 celebrating his birthday at school on Monday and us having a busy day at church tomorrow I decided to do the unthinkable...bake more!  They had to be nut free but coconut flour was ok.  So I made two different coconut flour recipes.  One is for a white cupcake with a maple buttercream frosting.  The recipe may look intimidating but trust me...it's worth it.  My son always wants chocolate cake and this one was his favorite.  It came from the website Deliciously Organic.  She has wonderful information on how she healed Hashimoto's disease by eating whole foods.

Blueberry muffins, Pineapple coconut muffins, White cupcake with maple buttercream frosting and Chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream frosting

The second was from Elana's Pantry.  I think she must live in the kitchen because she always has so many incredible recipes and this one hit the mark again.   I did exchange melted coconut oil for the grapeseed again and used honey instead of the agave nectar.  My husband loved these the best and I honestly don't know what I like more.  I used some of the whipped buttercream from the white cupcakes and mixed it with the chocolate ganache type frosting that I had and it made a light fluffy chocolate buttercream.

In the midst of all this Superhero #2 played with water on the floor next to me showing me how to pour things, blow bubbles with straws, measure marbles in the cup with water, and many other things.  I had to experiment on and off as well and that area on the kitchen floor is SO clean.  He also saw fit to experiment with how well marbles roll on the wood floor.  He was very successful with that endeavor too.

Some playdough and Hot Wheels cars later I am finally sitting.  WHAT  A  DAY!  But you know what? Tomorrow I can relax a bit more and there are enough leftovers frozen and saved in the fridge that I don't have to cook at all while Handsome Hubby is gone.  Maybe you can all pray with me that he gets his turkey the first morning and comes home early like last year!  Enjoy the recipes...I just wouldn't recommend making them all in one day!

Now on Bloglovin!

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Like Coffee...Creativity Brews

The Superheroes who wake me up early

Like coffee...I believe creativity brews.  I have a few projects in the works right now that tap into my creative side.  I have 4 knit hats on order.  I'm making children's hospital gowns for our pediatrician.  Then this morning I tried a new muesli scone recipe from Elana's Pantry.  So last night in my dreams I reworked a knitting pattern multiple times in order to make it fit the right sized head.  I sewed and redesigned hospital gowns, and I baked.  At 5:30 a.m. I heard our smallest Superhero talking loudly in his sleep so I carried him to our bedroom so Superhero #1 stayed asleep.  Then in my half awake state, I continued to allow my creativity to brew.


This breakfast is a result of that...Thanks to Elana's Pantry for the recipe.  She is a genius with baking Paleo gluten free treats that are tasty for all to eat.  I typed my altered recipe here but all the credit goes to her for creating the original.  I just used the fruit and nuts that I had on hand.

A great start to my day

Chocolate Fruit & Nut Scones

2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup pecans (chopped)
1/4 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
3 TBSP. Grade B maple syrup
2 small or medium eggs (or 1 Large egg...enough to wet dough and make it stick together)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Add nuts and fruit.  Mix together.  Add egg(s) and maple syrup.  Mix with hands or heavy stand mixer until completely wet and it forms a dough.  Flatten dough to 6 1/2" by 6 1/2" square.  Cut into 16 squares.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Enjoy!

Sometimes in the silence...

Sometimes in the silences of my life it's when the big stuff happens.  Right now I'm in one of those silences.  I can feel God holding me close, comforting me, reassuring me, and loving on me.  I am NOT a patient person.  But I know without a doubt that I am meant to wait Him out during this time.  I know at my core that big stuff is happening.  Patience is tough.  But God is good.  He's brought me through so, so much and reminded me that even when I can't see the forest in spite of the trees...He has a bigger picture.

So in that interim, I wait.  I pray.  I read my Bible.  I do my devotions (sometimes I read it twice just so it soaks in).  I bake.  I play with our kids.  I soak in my time with my Handsome Hubby.  And I pray some more.

Here is one of my baking successes this week during the wait.  I tweaked a few almond butter recipes that I found online.  It's so expensive in stores so I tried making my own.  You can leave the cinnamon and vanilla out and it will still be decadent to eat by the spoonful.  By adding the variety of nuts with the cinnamon and vanilla it's like eating apple pie (especially when you dip apples in it!).


Homemade Nut Butter

2 cups raw almonds
3 TBSP. flax seed meal
3 TBSP maple syrup

2 TBSP Coconut oil

optional ingredients:
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix almonds, flax, and maple syrup together.  Spread on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 300 F for 30 minutes total.  Stir once at the 15 minute point.  Remove from oven.  Cool.  Blend in high powered blender  (Vitamix) with coconut oil.  If you don't have a high powered blender you can use a food processor.  Add vanilla and cinnamon during this stage if you want the apple pie flavor.

You can also vary the taste by roasting other nuts with the almonds.  My favorite this week was 1 cup almonds combined with 1/3 cup pecans, 1/3 cup hazelnuts, and 1/3 cup walnuts.  I still had 2 cups of nuts total but it just had a different flavor.  Enjoy!

Toddlers, Tantrums, and Tasty Treats

Sometimes I sit down in  front of the computer knowing that I will be writing today but not knowing where to start.  I've had a Superhero with a ton of fluid in his ears the past few nights so I'm waking up at 4 a.m. and not getting back to sleep.  He's tired and a bit off and so am I.  Everyday, I've been praying for a good attitude and patience.  That I could parent my kids with the grace and patience that I want to be treated with.  And you know what?  It's worked for the most part.  I'm not at 100% right now but I do feel I'm being given divine patience and grace when I've needed it most.

Superhero #2 is in that lovely age of 2 when communication is just starting to cement itself.  He's learning how to say what he wants or needs and to express and identify his emotions in a healthy way.  This is being extrinsically taught by his Mama and Daddy. When he "gets" it I am so excited.  I praise him.  I reinforce the behavior.  I identify and label what he's done.  When he doesn't and a time-out ensues or his favorite toys are taken away and one by one put on top of the fridge for a period of time.  That's when the grace comes into play.

Today he was losing it.  One by one, he lost 2 trains, Lightning McQueen, his blankies, his school bus.  He was spiraling and I knew that he needed a time-out but it couldn't be one alone because he didn't have the capacity to rein himself in.  So I sat in the timeout chair.  I held him.  I quietly told him I loved him even when he's mad and throwing things.  I said, "I love you when you're mad.  I love you when your sad.  I love you when you're happy.  I love you when you're silly."  I kissed him and said he needed to calm down before he could leave the chair.  He needed to use words to tell me what he needed.  When I'm having a crummy day.  That's what I want.  I want someone to hold me and listen to me tell them what I need.  And he did.  Just by that simple act...he calmed down and was able to rejoin his brother for book time.

I love being a mom.  But that patience...that's from the Divine.  That's not me.

I can make some divine Pecan Coconut muffins with dried cranberries in them.   Here's a link to the site, Deliciously Organic that I got them from.  I changed the sweetener to maple syrup and the butter to coconut oil due to our lactose intolerance.  The maple added a great flavor complement to the pecans.  The only thing I added were the cranberries but you could do without them.  This takes them out of the paleo/primal category due to the sugar on the cranberries but I tried to use them moderately and you could use other dried fruit.   I had to throw a recipe in.  Parenting and finding new recipes are two of the things I live for.  Enjoy!

Traveling Food...Eating Healthy on the Road

For Thanksgiving, we traveled to my parent's house this year.  My Handsome Hubby and I were perfectly matched in the sense that we're hardcore road masters.  We get on the road, get to our destination, and then play.  We traveled about 15 hours to my parents house and if I'm recalling correctly we only stopped 3 times.  On our way back, we had a  10 1/2 hour drive and did it with just 2 stops.  All together our stops only added 30 minutes onto our trips.  We're crazy.  I realize that.  But we have 2 kids that are very content travelers and a potty chair in the back of the van.  We also stock up on cheap diapers to soak up the yuck, disinfectant wipes, Ziploc bags, and toilet paper.

One thing that we do need to calculate into the mix is food.  Now in the past, all health consciousness  was ignored.  We were on the road...the kids could eat pop, chips, candy, whatever made them happy.  The only problem is that now we realize that some of our health issues and behavior issues are directly related to the food we had been eating.  Superhero #1 is a smart cookie.  I was waiting for him to ask for pop for the trip before I bought any.  He didn't ask.  I thought for sure he'd want to pick out the chips like we've done in the past.  He didn't ask.  Candy?  No questions about it.

So what did we eat?  How can you travel 15 hours in the car without eating junk food or stopping for fast food?  What is there to eat?  How can a 4 year old and 2 year old be satisfied?  It's possible.  I do want to remind you that this is a process.  It takes some time for your taste buds to change but if you persist.  If you keep trying and keep getting back up when you fall down, you will succeed.  You can do it.  Take it one step at a time.  Today my sweet tooth kid tried a sample of candy from Costco.  I asked if he wanted more and he said no...."These are too sweet mom.  You can have them."  He ate the roast beef instead.

Here's a sample of what we had in our cooler for the road.  We haven't completely cut dairy out for our kids but at this point...only the 2 year old eats it.  Our 4 year old is lactose intolerant and seems to have lost his taste for everything that contains dairy but ice cream.

On the Road Menu/Kitchen items

homemade grain free pancakes with Grade B maple syrup (here's my favorite recipe from The Nourishing Home...we all LOVE THEM!)

nitrate free bacon or sausage (cooked at home ahead of time)

nitrate free, hormone free, organic thinly sliced turkey and ham

homemade hummus (here's a link for my recipe)

organic romaine lettuce

Loaf of paleo bread (here's a recipe we like from Elana's Pantry...everything I make from her website is fantastic!)

fresh veggies to snack on and put on open faced lettuce wraps or sandwiches (bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes)

homemade pickles (or store ones with nothing artificial added)

sulfate free, unsweetened dried fruit (use with Peanut Butter or Almond butter in place of jelly/jam)

Almond butter without sugar added (our kids are still adjusting to this but avoid peanut butter if possible or use in moderation it can contain carcinogens)

homemade chocolate (here's a recipe)

homemade blondies (Again from Elana's Pantry)

fresh fruit (apples, oranges, grapes (use sparingly)

ice water

almond milk

organic 2% milk for our 2 year old

cutting board

Swiss army knife

paper towel

Ziploc bags

vegetable peeler

wet wipes

small plastic bowls/plates

plastic cups

That's it.  That's what we brought and the kids gobbled up the pancakes and bacon in the morning (dipping their mini-cakes in the syrup).  Then at lunch they wanted more meat and by the end of the day they were content with open-faced nut butter and dried fruit sandwiches.  It worked great and we had enough variety we were all happy.  I admit it took a little prep work on my part but it wasn't outrageous.  I made one thing for the trip each day the week before so when it was time to leave we were ready and I didn't feel stressed.  With the pancakes I make a double batch and freeze them so I already had them ready.  I made extra bacon one day too.  The bread was leftover from our Thanksgiving meal and I had made the bars and chocolate that week too for sweet tooth cravings at my parents. 

The kids traveled a lot happier too.  I fully believe this diet is worth cleaning your pantry out for.  Get rid of the processed foods.  They only give you temporary happiness and then you end up kicking yourself for eating junk.  I know.  I've done it time and time again.  It's possible to eat well, enjoy your food, and take care of your body at the same time.  Just keep eliminating one thing per week.  Eventually, you'll get there.  Be patient with yourself...it takes time but you're worth it.

Making the Most of the Worst

So...in reclaiming life...I've had to prioritize daily what is important.  Last week was crazy.  Our dogs had fleas.  Anyone who has dealt with this knows the immense task that lies ahead in cleaning up EVERYTHING!  We spent Friday night in a hotel and since then I've had the job of re-washing all the bedding I had used to cover toys, books, etc from the toxic chemicals we used when we bombed the house.

I've also come to realize God has a funny way of prepping me for times like this.  I was pretending to be a dog, crawling on all fours chasing my 2 year old having a grand time the day before we discovered the fleas.  The next day, I realized that I shouldn't have been doing that when I'm on blood thinners because it created a huge hematoma in my knee (that is still healing).  As a result...running was out of the question so I decided to use the recumbent bike for my daily workout.  Since I'd be sitting, I decided to use that time to read.  Since I knew it'd be a stressful week, I chose my Bible.  It made all the difference in the world.

On the days I didn't work out, I read it before making breakfast.  Believe it or not...it seemed I got twice as much work done and was able to relax on the last day of "de-fleaing" our house.  So when we made it to the hotel early to go swimming...I didn't feel stressed.  Tired?  Yes...but not stressed.

My point in all of this is to try to make time for yourself no matter how busy things seem. I am worth that extra time in the morning to recenter myself and breath.  As a bonus...here's a new chocolate recipe I found from Paleo Belle on Facebook and tweaked a few times.  Enjoy!



Chocolate Crunch

1/2 cup roasted almonds
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup coconut

Pulse the top 3 ingredients in a food processor until desired consistency.  Then mix with below ingredients...

2 Tablespoons raw honey
3 squares 100% cacao
1/4 + 1/8 cup coconut oil

Melt the above 3 together.  Mix with nut/coconut mixture.  Spread onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer.  Break up into pieces and enjoy!




"Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder."  Matthew 26:36

This was a good reminder that even He took the time to pray...especially when things looked the worst.  We need to do the same to have His perfect peace.  Until next time...enjoy His word and your new chocolate treat!

Comfort food, knitting and family

So last week was an INSANELY busy week!  I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed.  Our dryer broke, more doctors appointments, family pictures, and general family life.  So I turned to the things that help me recenter.

My recipe for success:

•  Spend time with family
•  Knit
•  Make comfort food
•  Read my Bible and devotions.

 Spend time with family
It would have been easy to tell the boys "No...I can't play right now.  I have to (fill in the blank)." Yes, there were times I used the t.v. for a sitter or had them play while I worked to get caught up on stuff.  But I also reminded myself to include them in the work and to be patient when it took longer than I'd hoped.  So my kids helped me...vacuum, sweep, mop, wash mirrors/counters/windows, helped me cook, etc.  We also took time to build forts, play ball, make a nest and read books, play cars, build things, color, paint, etc.

Knit

I find joy in creating things and giving things to others.  So this past week I was able to do both and decompress at the same time.  It's easy to lose yourself when life gets too busy.  I'm reclaiming my life and trying to be as healthy as possible.  That means when my hubby went hunting on Saturday...I declared it a lazy day for our house.  The house was messy.  I played.  I knit.  I managed to finish 2 hats last week for my superheroes and they wear them with pride.

Make Comfort Food...

It's fall!  I love applesauce, apple crisp, apple pie, etc.  But we have been pretty successful at eliminating processed sugars.  As a result our inflammation is down.  Moods are better.  Digestion is better.  Life is WAY better.  So this is the applesauce I created yesterday.  Cheaper than the jar stuff and so much better!

6 cups peeled and diced mixed apples (I used Sweet Tango, Fuji, and Gala)

1 Tablespoon Grade B maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup water

Bring to boil on stove.  Lower to simmer until apples are soft. Stir occasionally.  When apples soften, empty contents of pot into the blender.  Blend until desired texture.  Enjoy!

Read my Bible

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the source of my strength.  God.  He has seen me through more than I can imagine and when I had clothes hanging all over the furniture in the house to dry He reminded me that "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me!" (Phillipians 4:13)  I can even live in a messy house that will be reclaimed once the dryer works again.  For now...there's a pile of clothes on the guest room bed that are dry and need to be put away.  Last night, Handsome hubby fixed the dryer.  Last week, God reminded me that I could let the laundry go and play more.  That in itself is worth more than anything else I accomplished.

Chocolate On the Go!

So anything with chocolate is good right?  I love chocolate and while we have reduced our intake of chocolate to some extent on this plan I can say we ALWAYS have organic dark chocolate in our house.  Organic is our choice because of the foods you eat...chocolate and coffee are two of the top pesticide sprayed items in our diet.  So organic chocolate and coffee are in our pantry.

I used to love baking.  It's one way I communicate my love to my family.  I feel joy in seeing them enjoy the fruits of my kitchen labor.  It's a challenge for me too to find new recipes that they want more of.  So while I don't bake much anymore...I still am in the kitchen creating new treats for my Superheroes.  Here's a favorite that I've adapted from reading different raw food blogs.  My boys like the Lara Bars but they're so expensive.  So we make our own.

16 oz. pitted dates
3/4 cup roasted almonds
1/3 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon organic cocoa
1 tablespoon coconut oil

1. Using a food processor, chop up almonds, coconut, and cocoa until you have a finely chopped "almond meal".
2. Remove almond mixture from food processor and set in separate bowl for later.
3. Using the food processor, chop up dates and coconut oil until it forms a "paste" ball in the container.  
4. Separate the ball into smaller chunks and pour almond mixture over top.
5. Replace lid and mix again until fully blended.
6. Roll into balls or roll out between parchment paper and cut with a pizza cutter into "snack bars".  Wrap in saran wrap and you have an easy on the go treat!

Enjoy!

A Sweet Treat!

So when I'm tired I want junk food.  The only problem now is that when I taste it my body doesn't get as excited as it used to and then I feel horrible afterwards.  So I'm starting to realize that it isn't worth it. Crazy!  So this morning Superhero #2 was talking LOUDLY in his sleep at about 3:45 a.m. and Superhero #1 desperately needed his sleep based on his exhaustion level the day before.  So at 3:45 a.m. I flew my tiny Superhero#2 out of their shared room and he landed in the guest room to sleep with yours truly.  The only problem with sleeping with a Superhero is that they talk and move a lot in their sleep.  The story could continue but you get the picture...

So I'm tired and I want something sweet.  Here's a favorite of ours that follows the paleo diet, gluten free diet, unprocessed food diet.  ENJOY!  Ours is cooking as we speak.  (This recipe was taken from the website NourishMD.  It's a great resource for parents in getting their kids and family to eat more REAL food!  They also have a new non-profit organization started called Get Real for Kids.  Check it out!)

Someone asked me why use Grade B maple syrup.  Here's a link from the Livestrong website that explains more.  In short, there are calorie benefits, weight loss benefits, and mineral benefits.

Coconut Bars

4 cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup finely chopped almonds (use a food processor)
1 cup Grade B maple syrup

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.  Grease a 10x13 pan.  Mix the above ingredients well.  Place in pan and press firmly.  Make sure they're packed well so they don't fall apart later.  Bake for 2 hours.

Remove.  Cool.  Cut.  Enjoy!