Sunday's Recipe Share -- French Macarons

I have a bad habit of trying new recipes for parties or when we have friends over.  So, for my son's college graduation party, I decided to have a go at making French Macarons.  I wanted to make these a little selfishly after discovering they were gluten free.  I almost chickened out though after reading about how hard they could be to make, but figured, if they didn't turn out, I had other things for back up.

Are these healthy?  Not exactly, but they are made from egg whites, almond flour and sugar--not horrible, and they are small--at least mine were.

Well, I got lucky and they came out pretty darn good. (much better than the picture shows)  Do they look like the those on Food Network?  No, but that's why they get paid the big bucks and I don't.

I followed the recipe from Food Network Magazine.  I did make two gutsy substitutions--I didn't have any superfine sugar, so I just ran what I had through a sieve (which really did nothing), and (after much research on the subject) I decided to use liquid egg whites--they whipped up beautifully.  Next time I want to experiment further and try making them with powdered coconut sugar--a choice I personally prefer over refined white sugar.

I also learned the difference between macaroons (which I also made) and macrarons in this article:  Macaroons vs Macarons

I used orange gel food coloring (mixed into the egg whites before whipping) and blackberry preserves for the filling (I was trying to go with the Illini theme). I was going to make a second batch in blue with apricot filling, but ran out of time.

I made them a couple days ahead (the entire filled cookie) and froze them.  They had that outside crunch and inside chew that a macaron should have--they were really delicious. I will definitely make these again.

One note that every source I looked at mentioned was this, "Do NOT skip the sifting--it is really important!"  So, I didn't.

Here's the recipe:  French Macarons (although they spell it Macaroons in the recipe).

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Pork Chop Cacciatore

For Easter, I bought some jarred Eggplant and Vegetables to use as an appetizer.  It was really good, it was a mix of eggplants, peppers and onions in a tomato sauce.  Regardless, I did end up having quite a bit of the jar leftover, so I decided to mix it with some marinara sauce that I also had in my pantry and make some really simple Pork Chop Cacciatore.

I simply heated the leftover eggplant mixture, mashing it with a fork along with the entire contents of the can of marinara sauce.

I heated up a large skillet and added some extra virgin olive oil to it (you could use a dutch oven as well).  I pan seared the pork chops--I had 4 or 5--I did two at a time.  Then I put all the chops into the pan and dumped the entire pot of sauce over the top.  I covered it and let it simmer on medium heat for an hour or so.  That's it. Tender and delicious!

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Grain/Gluten Free Chocolate Mousse Pie/Tart

This was another dessert that I made for Easter because I just had to have something chocolate.

Once again I forgot to take a picture before diving in!

I adapted this pie/tart from a couple of different recipes.  Here's what I came up with:

Chocolate Mousse Filling:

1 14 oz can full fat coconut milk
1/4 c pure maple syrup
1/4 c cocoa powder (I used fair trade dark chocolate)
pinch of salt
1/2 a carton of whipping cream

Topping
remaining 1/2 carton of whipping cream
1 T of honey or more to taste

In a medium saucepan, mix the coconut milk, maple syrup, cocoa powder and salt together.  Bring this to a boil then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 15-25 minutes depending on your stove.  When ready, the mixture should coat the back of a wooden spoon.  It will thicken as it cools.  Transfer this into a medium to large bowl.  Place plastic wrap directly onto surface. Once it's cooled a bit, put in the fridge for at least 1 hour to overnight.

Put a small to medium sized bowl and beaters into the freezer.  While pudding cools, make crust.

Crust:

1 cup of almond meal
1/4 c. of melted butter

I didn't add any sweetener to the crust--if you want it sweeter, add a tablespoon or two of coconut sugar or honey to it.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine crust ingredients in a bowl, if it's too wet, add more almond meal.  Press into tart or pie pan.

Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Put aside to cool.

Place 1/2 of the whipping cream into the bowl that was in the freezer.  Whip until stiff peaks form. Fold this into the pudding.  Spoon this into the baked crust.  Refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.

After washing, put the same bowl and beaters back into the freezer.

When ready to make topping, place the rest of the whipping cream and whip it same as above.  Add the honey and whip again.  You can frost the entire top of the pie/tart or dollop it on like I did in the photo.

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Grain Free Carrot Cake Cheesecake

For Easter, I made the most delicious Grain Free Carrot Cake Cheesecake!!!  It was inspired by a cheesecake that Rick had when we were at the Cheesecake Factory for Jeff's birthday.

I found several recipes on Pinterest and decided to make a grain free version because yes I'm selfish and I wanted to be able to eat it without having an upset stomach afterward.

Like I said, if you want a version with wheat flour--you can find several on Pinterest.

I really have to remember to start taking pictures of everything I make that I might want to share.  This picture wasn't taken until the next day:

It's a bit time consuming, but totally worth the effort.  It's also almost entirely free of white sugar (just a bit in the cheesecake)  I used honey and coconut sugar instead.

CHEESECAKE
16 ounces cream cheese (at room temp) (I used full fat)
1/4  cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tablespoon almond flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

GRAIN FREE CARROT CAKE
1/4 pound carrots, finely grated (It was about 2 cups worth)

2 eggs

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I used high fat)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup raw honey

2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

4 oz of cream cheese (again full fat)

1/2 cup of full fat coconut milk (cream from top of a refrigerated can)

1/4 cup of coconut sugar (you can add more if you want it sweeter)  You could also add some crushed pineapple or shredded coconut to it if you like that kind of topping.  I would have loved to have added some coconut but I know my mom doesn't like it so...

Directions 

To make cheesecake, 

In large bowl of electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and sugars until smooth. 
Beat in flour, eggs (1 at a time) and vanilla until smooth. It will not be very thick.  Set aside. 

To make carrot cake

In a large bowl beat the eggs with yogurt, oil, vanilla and honey.
In another bowl combine flour, coconut sugar, baking powder,salt,  pumpkin spice and cinnamon. Add to the egg mixture and mix well. Stir in carrots.

Spread 1 1/2 cups carrot cake batter over bottom of greased 9-or 9 1/2-inch springform pan (I used 10). 
Drop large spoonfuls of cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter; top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter. 
Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife. 
Do not marble with a knife. 

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 50-65 or until center is set but not real firm (like you would a plain cheesecake) (I used a convention bake setting--so it was 325 degrees)  If it cracks--you baked it too long--good thing there;or frosting!

Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. 

To make frosting

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.  Whip with a mixer until light and fluffy.  Put a layer just on the top of the cake--you may or may not have extra.

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Sweet Potato Tots + 31 Healthy Ingredient Swaps

I have loved tater tots every since my first bite.  However, they are not the healthiest way to eat potatoes.  Since I'm trying to eat less processed foods and less white potatoes, I was very excited to try the recipe I found on Pinterest for Sweet Potato Tots.  They are very simple and quite yummy!

They went really well with my deconstructed burger.

Here's the recipe:

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, baked and cooled
1-2 T. Parmesan cheese
flax seed meal

Peel the potatoes and grate into a bowl.  Add Parmesan cheese.  Mix well.

Form into tots, roll in flax meal.  Place on a baking sheet that is coated with coconut oil.  It made a full tray.

Bake 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, flip over bake 5-8 minutes more or until golden brown.

These would make great appetizers as well.

Here's a bonus that I found via facebook.  Notice it says instant swaps to "healthify" any recipe--it doesn't say 31 instant swaps to lower calories/fat.  Healthier doesn't necessarily mean lower in fat and calories--read the descriptions that go with each substitution for more information as to why that choice is considered healthier.

Empowered Sustenance

 

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Pumpkin Banana Baked Oatmeal

Breakfast for dinner, yay or nay?  In my family, it's a big YAY!!!  My family loves breakfast.  Last night I wanted to do a breakfast for dinner, but I wanted to do something different.  So, I looked through my multitude of Pinterest pins and found this recipe for Pumpkin Banana Baked Oatmeal.

I haven't really been eating much oatmeal since going gluten free, but I found some gluten-free oats at Trader Joe's and decided I could have these once in a while.  (Oats are naturally gluten-free, but they are usually processed on the same equipment as wheat products--the oats I bought are not).

This baked oatmeal is AWESOME.  I changed a couple of things from the original recipe, but not too many.

I got the recipe off of the Skinnytaste website.  The link to the recipe is below the picture (I totally forgot to take my own picture--it did look just like the one here though).

 Pumpkin Banana Baked Oatmeal

Here are the changes I made--First I used gluten free whole oats.  Second, I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.  Third, my version is dairy free--I used almond milk--that's what I had in the fridge--I'd also use coconut milk.  Lastly, I'd use less pumpkin pie spice next time, maybe just the 1 tsp--it was a little too much clove for my taste.

The family loved it.  I will definitely be making this again.

I served it with a side of bacon and a large family sized omelet that we shared among 4 of us.  For breakfast, I'd eat it with just the bacon...in fact, the leftovers are calling me....

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Layered Ratatouille & Baked Eggplant "Skins"

I absolutely love eggplant, but that was not always the case.  The only way I'd eat it when I was a kid was when it was breaded and fried and dipped in tomato sauce.  Truthfully, it's the only way I ever ate it, because it was the only way it was ever served.

A while back I shared an appetizer recipe for Load Eggplant Rounds on my Facebook page and on Pinterest.  I call them Baked Eggplant "Skins" because they remind me of potato skins.  I made them for my mom's 85th birthday party and they were a big hit.  I think these are my favorite way to eat eggplant now.  The link to the recipe is below the picture.

Loaded Eggplant Rounds

This post, however is about Ratatouille.  I found a recipe for it that was delicious and now that I finally have a mandolin, the slicing will be so much easier!

This version has eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, green peppers, tomatoes and onions in it.  The recipe that I followed used red peppers, but I didn't have any.  When I made this, the tomatoes, peppers and herbs came from my garden.  I can't wait for warmer weather to start up my vegetable garden again!

Here's the link to the recipe:  Layered Ratatouille

Sunday Recipe Share -- No Bake Trail Mix Bars

Today's recipe is a marriage of a couple of recipes that I found on Pinterest.  Jeff and I collaborated to try to mimic a trail mix bar that I had bought from the grocery store.  The problem was that that bar had peanuts in it (something I'm trying to avoid), so after reading the ingredient list on that bar--basically it was peanuts, raisins and honey, we decided to try making our own.

The quantities of ingredients was the only thing we needed help with.  One recipe used whole nuts/seeds and honey, but didn't make very many.  The other recipe used a food processor to chop the nuts (too finely for our liking.  So, we did a bit of both, we roughly chopped the chopped the nuts so that they weren't whole, but were still in pieces.

Here's what we came up with (the container was full--I just didn't think to take the picture until after some were already eaten.

Here's the recipe--change the nuts, fruits any of the ingredients to your personal liking.

2-1/2 c. chopped nuts/seeds (we used almonds, pecans and sunflower seeds
1/2 - 1 c. dried fruits (we used 1/2 c dried cranberries)
1/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (I'll use more next time)(if you don't like coconut, omit it and add more nuts/other fruits)
1/4 c. coconut oil
1/3 c. nut butter (we made and used cashew butter)
1/3 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
you can use optional spices as well--cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.--we kept them plain

Mix the nuts, fruits and coconut together in a large bowl.  Put remaining ingredients into a small saucepan.  Heat to melt and mix together.  Remove from heat.  Add to bowl mixing thoroughly with the nuts mixture.

Dump batter into an 8 x 8 inch square pan that has a piece of parchment or waxed paper bigger than the pan (this will make it easier to get out to cut into bars).  Place pan in freezer for 2 hours.  Cut into bars/squares.  Store in fridge.

Sunday's Recipe Share --Versatile Grain Free Crepes/Tortillas

I was so happy when I found this recipe! When I gave up gluten (and grains most of the time), I thought I'd never be able to enjoy things like manicotti, enchiladas, fajitas or crepes.  Happily, I was wrong.  This versatile recipe can play all those roles deliciously.

This is what they look like:

I have used them instead of the homemade "noodles" in my 3-Cheese Manicotti.  Delish! (sorry I had to)

I have used them instead of flour tortillas to make chicken fajitas (I just pan fry them a second time to crisp them up a bit), and enchiladas (your choice of fillings).

And more recently I used them as crepes.  I had some filling leftover from my chicken pot pies, as well as some leftover kale so......

I created these.  I sprinkled a little cheese on top, popped them into the microwave and...there you have it, a great nutritious lunch. A couple of dollops of full fat Greek yogurt finishes them off.  

The next day, I wanted something sweet, so I decided to make strawberry blintzes.  I took some cream cheese (full fat), added a dollop of Greek yogurt (full fat) and mixed in some leftover cut up strawberries and peaches....

a few more cut up strawberries and some pure maple syrup on top and presto, another great meal or a healthy dessert!

Here's the recipe for the crepes/tortillas:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup tapioca starch

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

large pinch salt

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups coconut or almond milk -- I used almond milk You may need to add more for thinner crepes

1 Tbls. olive oil or coconut oil (melted)--I used olive + more oil for cooking (I used a non-stick pan so I didn't need this)

Combine all dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and mix well. If using a cast iron or stainless steel pan, heat a little coconut oil in an 8 inch skillet. Again, I used non-stick so I didn't need this. You may need to repeat this after each crepe or every other depending on how seasoned you pan is.

I use a measuring cup (1/4 cup) to add the batter to the pan. Immediately swirl the batter to coat the pan. Let this cook for a minute or two--it will easily release from the pan when it's ready to flip. Flip after lightly browned and continue cooking until the other side is brown. Continue this process until all of the batter is used.

If you are making sweet crepes, you can add a bit of honey or maple syrup and a touch of vanilla to the batter. If you are making savory crepes or using as tortillas, you can add herbs like cilantro or oregano to taste.  

The recipe makes 10-12 crepes depending on how thick you make them.

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Healthy Chocolate Pudding

Okay, there's no question, I am a chocoholic.  It is one thing that I will never give up.  Thankfully, dark chocolate isn't considered bad, it's even considered good for you.  YAY!!!  However some desserts that are made with this healthy ingredient have some other not so healthy ingredients added to them.

I recently pinned a link to 24 Decadent Valentine's Day Desserts (grain free)--you can follow me on Pinterest by going to the link on the left.  This recipe was one of those 24 desserts.

It is for Chocolate Avocado Pudding.  Yes, I didn't name it that in the title because I wanted you to keep reading.  It is gluten free, grain free and dairy free--I used fair trade baking cocoa and almond milk in the recipe I made.

Doesn't it look yummy?

I had all the ingredients, so I thought I'd give it a try.  The results were so much better than I expected.  Thanks to the healthy avocado, it had the creaminess and mouth feel of chocolate pudding that was cooked on the stove for what seems like hours.   This took just a matter of minutes in my magic bullet.   

 It doesn't make a whole lot--it says two servings--really I could have eaten the whole thing in one sitting.  The above picture shows all of it.  I spooned half of it into a cute glass and added some sliced strawberries to garnish.  It was rich and delicious.  I will definitely be making this again--but probably a double recipe.  :)  The link to the recipe is below the last picture.

Enjoy!!!

 Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Gluten free, grain free Chicken Pot Pie

I had a very busy weekend, so I missed Friday and Saturday, but I didn't want to miss out in sharing this recipe with you.  I made these individual pot pies last week.  I've tried making a couple of different grain free pastry crusts and was not happy with the results.  Well, these are delicious!  I'm going to try making a sweet pie with this crust recipe--stay tuned for the results.

Here's the recipe:

Crust

1-⅓ c almond flour

½ c coconut flour

½ t. salt

2 eggs, whisked

10 T butter or coconut oil frozen

Filling

8 T butter or olive oil (I used a mix of the two)

1 c. diced carrots

1 med onion, diced (1 c.)

1 c chopped green beans (fresh or frozen and thawed)

2 celery stalks diced (1 c.)

1 t. salt + more if needed

½ t black pepper + more if needed

½ c arrowroot flour (or tapioca--I used tapioca starch/flour)

1 can full fat coconut milk

3 c. chicken broth, warm

1 T dried parsley

1 t. dried thyme

3 c. shredded or chunked cooked chicken

1 egg white

2 t water

Preheat oven to 400.

Make the crust: Combine 1st 3 ingredients in a food processor, pulse 4-5 times or til combined.  Add the eggs and blend until smooth--15 to 20 seconds.  Take butter from freezer and shred using a cheese grater.  Add half the grated butter to the processor, process for 10 seconds.  Add the other half and pulse a few times to just barely combine (small pieces of butter should be visible).  Remove this from the processor and divide into 4 equal pieces.  Press each piece into a ball and wrap individually with plastic wrap. I placed them into individual baggies.  Place in fridge to chill.

Make the filling:  Melt the butter in a large pot over med. heat.  Add the next 3 ingredients and cook for 5 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Add the celery and cook about 3-5 minutes more.

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper and flour and then sprinkle it over the vegetable mixture.  Stir until the flour is mixed in well--about 2 mins.  Pour in the coconut milk and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to med. and simmer until the mixture thickens to the consistency of gravy, about 10 mins. Add the parsley, thyme and chicken and simmer an additional 5-10 min. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed.

Assemble the pies:  Spoon filling into 4 12 oz measure cups/ramekins, filling them all the way to the top.  Remove the dough from the fridge and roll each ball between 2 pieces of parchment until it is just wider than the top of the baking dish (about ¼ inch thick).  Tip--I rolled the dough out right inside the plastic bag and then used a scissor to cut the bag down the middle to get the piece of dough out--it did not stick at all. Gently place the rolled dough over the top of each dish and press down the sides.  Whisk the egg whites and water in a small bowl.  Brush a thin coat of this over the entire crust.  Cut slits in the top of the crust to let steam escape.

Place pies on a jelly roll pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or til the tops are golden brown.  Remove from oven, let cool for 10-15 min. before serving. This is really important because that filling is HOT!

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Food for the Big Game

It's Super Bowl Sunday--the second biggest eating day behind Thanksgiving.  What will you be serving?

I thought I'd share a couple of recipes here.

The first one is for zucchini mini quiches/fritters.  They are gluten and grain free are quite yummy and very easy to make.  I made these last week as a side, but they would make great finger food for the big game.  Mine were more quiche-like.  These could be made a bit ahead of time and served at room temperature.

Here's the recipe:

Makes 12

1 medium zucchini, grated
2 T. coconut flour
2 T. grated Parmesan
2 lg. eggs, beaten
1 t. lemon zest
1 t. garlic, minced
salt, pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375.  Grease a mini muffin pan with coconut oil.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, stirring well.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing the mixture until it is well compacted.

Bake for 17-25 minutes (17 minutes will produce more quiche-like bites, longer will produce crispier, fritter-like bites).

Then, you've got to have chicken wings.  I just make a sauce with melted butter and Frank's hot sauce and marinate the wings in the sauce, then bake them and then pour more (not the marinate) sauce over the top.  Serve them with celery and carrot sticks and bleu cheese dressing of course.

I usually make a big pot of chili and corn dogs, but now that I'm following the paleo diet, I'm going to make my "corn" muffins in a mini pan and put a piece of hot dog in them.  Here's the recipe for the muffins:

Paleo Cornbread Muffins

Yield: 6-8 muffins

Ingredients

• (Double recipe if desired)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, butter or real lard, liquified
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tbs. unsweetened applesauce
• 1 Tbs. raw honey
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 6 muffin cups with liners. Mix together the coconut flour and oil until smooth, then beat in the eggs until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
2. Divide between the prepared cups and bake about 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.

I would use a greased mini muffin pan instead and bake for 10-15 minutes. Here's how they would look:

For dessert, I suggest chocolate "ice cream" shooters--also gluten/grain free.

I'd use the recipe for non-dairy chocolate "ice cream" but serve it in shot glasses and top with a bit of whipped cream.  Note--this has to be done at least 6-8 hours in advance so the "cream" can set up.

Here's a link to that recipe:  Dairy Free Ice Cream

Note--I don't use that much coffee when I make mine--I use maybe 1 Tbls and I really like coffee.  The first time I made it, I used the 3 Tbls. and it was too much.  And, make sure the coffee is really finely ground, or use a high powered blender or food processor to mix.  I use my nutri-bullet.

Here's how I would serve it (these are pumpkin pie shots, but you get the idea):

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Gluten free, grain free Gnudi

What's Gnudi you ask?  I didn't know what it was until I read last week's Food section of the Daily Herald.

Gnudi are ricotta dumplings--it's basically the yummy filling of a ravioli without the pasta shell.  The recipe published had soft bread crumbs as one of it's ingredients--I subbed that out with almond flour and flax seed meal.  I suppose I could have used a gluten free piece of bread, but then they would not be grain free.

Here's what they look like (I forgot to take a picture of mine--this one's from Google).

Mine didn't have any spinach in them--the next ones I make will for sure.

Here's my adaptation of the recipe:

(I doubled the recipe when I made it)

Step one:  Mix together 1 cup of whole milk ricotta, 1/2 c. of grated Parmesan (could use Asiago, pecorino Romano or combo of them), 1 egg, 2-3 Tablespoons of Almond Flour and 2-3 Tablespoons of Flax Seed Meal, and 1/2-1 full Tablespoon of Coconut Flour.  If gluten is not a concern, then you would use 5-6 Tablespoons of soft bread crumbs instead.  Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to take--be creative with your spices--the ricotta is really a blank canvas. Let this mixture sit for 20-30 minutes so the flour can absorb any liquid and thicken the mixture.

Step Two:  Heat a large pot of well salted water to boil over high heat.  Roll the dough into 20-30 small balls with well floured hands (I used coconut flour).  Place them on a floured baking sheet--roll them in the flour to coat them--this will provide a protective layer. (mine were bigger--I got this many from the double recipe).

Step Three:  Carefully slip them into boiling water.  After they bob to the surface, cook for 2 minutes--since mine were bigger, I cooked them for more like 4 minutes.  Remove from pot with a slotted spoon. Serve with more Parmesan or with a sauce of your choice.

I served these with eggplant parmesan--YUM!

I've also seen them fried in butter--I want to try that too.

Monday's Muscle Work -- Standing Pilates for Legs, Butt and Obliques + bonus recipe

Sorry I missed posting yesterday, my husband and I were taking our son back to school for his final semester!  Yay only one more to go--thankfully he's a junior, so we get a year off!

Today's muscle workout comes from blogilates.  It is a standing pilates routine that focuses on the legs, butt and obliques.

There is no warm up, please do a short one first--march in place, do some squats, swing your arms around, just to warm the muscles up a bit.

Here's your bonus recipe:  Pecan Crusted Mahi Mahi

I made this for dinner the other night--SO good!!!

It comes from Good Clean Fun which I guess is now A Whisk and a Hammer.

I omitted the cinnamon and nutmeg and just did straight salt and pepper for seasoning.

Pecan Crusted Mahi Mahi

Sunday Recipe Share -- Gluten Free, Grain Free Chocolate Coconut Cake

I made this cake for Christmas Day so that I could have a yummy treat like everyone else!

The recipe is from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations and man is it good!  This site is dedicated to sharing Paleo/Primal recipes. The "caveman's" name is George.  He also has a facebook page and can be followed on Twitter and Pinterest as well.

Gluten Free, Grain Free Chocolate Coconut Cake

It's moist and chocolatey and coconutty and just delicious!  I will be making this many, many more times!

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Paleo Breakfast Cookies + a Quick Stretch

I love cookies!!!  So, when I decided to give the Paleo/Primal lifestyle a try, I thought I'd never eat a real cookie again--or at least one that tasted good.  Was I ever wrong!

I was so happy when I found the recipe for these Paleo Breakfast Cookies from  the preppy paleo.

The first recipe I tried was for pumpkin breakfast cookies.  They are grain free and are sweetened with just 1/4 cup or pure maple syrup or raw honey.  I do use dark or semisweet chocolate mini chips--the sugar free ones are just too nasty and I only use a small amount.  There is no butter or oil either, they contain almond butter--I make my own in the food processor using blanched almonds with a little bit of maple syrup or honey for moisture--just process until it becomes butter.  If you eat peanuts--you could always sub out peanut butter, but this has a much stronger flavor.  I've also used sunbutter (from sunflower seeds).  Just a note--sunflower seeds and butter tends to turn green when it's baked--don't be alarmed!!!

I eat one or two of these cookies for breakfast when I don't have time for anything else.  And let me tell you, they are a much healthier alternative to most cereals out there.  I pack them with unsweetened shredded coconut, flax seed meal, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and more.  You can make them a little different each time by what you use as your "add -ins."  They are also a great snack.  I keep them in my fridge.

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

The recipe I made more recently was for Paleo Banana Breakfast cookies.  Instead of pumpkin, mashed banana is used and there is no added sweetener!  Again I used the chocolate chips, coconut and flax seed meal, but this time I added raisins and chopped pecans.  Yummy!

Paleo Banana Breakfast Cookies

Lastly, is the original recipe that contains 1 cup of almond butter ( a bit more $$$) along with the 1/4 c. of maple syrup or honey:

Paleo Breakfast Cookies

Sorry I missed yesterday--you know, crazy time of the year....

Anyway, here's the quick stretch from FitnessBlender:  "Kelli's Quick Cool Down and Stretch--Feel Good Stretching Routine for Morning or Night"

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Grain Free Maple Cinnamon Bundt Cake

I made this cake for Thanksgiving.  It's grain free and delicious!  The recipe comes from Life Made Full.

Grain Free Maple Cinnamon Bundt Cake

I'd recommend checking it at the 25 minute mark.  Mine got a little browner than I would have liked.

I decided to top it off with a variation of the Coconut Cream Glaze from the Pumpkin Bundt recipe that is linked on the same page as this cake--I refrigerated the coconut milk and just used the cream on top instead of buying concentrate and used honey instead of maple syrup.  I also didn't need to add any water.

Next time I will try a caramel glaze.

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Green Smoothies

As promised, here are some of my favorite green smoothie recipes--mine are all grain and dairy free, I usually add about 1 tsp of flax seed to each of my smoothies as well.  You can easily add some Greek yogurt if you tolerate it.  Please read my blog from Friday for some important info regarding green smoothies.

Mango Mint-jito

1 c. mango

2 c lettuce greens

5 large mint leaves

juice of ½ lemon

juice of ½ lime

1 banana (optional)

water/ice

Black Melon

½ c watermelon

½ c honeydew

½ c cantaloupe

½ c blackberries

2 handfuls fresh spinach

1 banana (opt)

water/ice

Tropical Sun

2 bulbs bok choy

1 orange, peeled

1 c coconut water

1 c pineapple

1 banana

Pumpkin Pie

1 c pumpkin

2 T. almond butter

2 c. spinach

1 c frozen blueberries

1 frozen banana

Chocolate Banana Sunbutter

1 frozen banana

1-2 Tbs. of sunbutter

1 Tbs. cocoa powder

1 handful of spinach

1 c. full fat coconut milk

1 pkg. powdered stevia or 1 Tbs. honey (opt)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (opt--no sweetener needed if using this)

Really, the sky is the limit--there are lots of recipes out there if you look.