RECIPE: In The Bag

I've been making almond milk for years. I like almond milk for the taste. I'm not dairy intolerant. I just don't really care for the taste of milk. I've tried many recipes and they all taste good. I've found that the secret though is in the bag.



Really it is.


I have three 'nut milk bags'. I've tried them all. I've even tried layering them. I still end up with grit in my almond milk when I use them.  I don't like that.  A few years ago I started using a small 100% organic cotton bag and I haven't turned back.


Homemade Almond Milk
1 cup of almonds soaked overnight
3 cups of water

Blend the almonds and the water for about a minute or two and then strain through a bag (whichever you prefer!). Refrigerate for up to three days.



The bag I use is from ecobags.  I found mine at Whole Foods but you can find it here.  To wash I just use an unscented dish soap and then let it drip dry.

RECIPE: Gluten Free Oatmeal Granola Bars

Y'all I was so excited that these turned out the way they did! I've been trying to nail this recipe down for quite some time.


My kids love granola bars and I just hate buying them. They usually have questionable ingredients and are kinda pricey.  These are similar to those quaker oats chewy granola bars but have ingredients you are familiar with.


Plus it's so simple to just mix them up.


They are perfectly sweet and hold together beautifully.


Gluten Free Oatmeal Granola Bars

1 1/2c gluten free rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1c gluten free brown rice cereal
1T chia seeds
1/3c no sugar added sunflower seed butter
1/3c honey
1T coconut oil
1t vanilla
1/2c chopped dried dates
pinch of salt

Mix together your dry ingredients- oats, cereal, chia seeds, and salt in a large bowl.  In a microwave safe bowl combine sunbutter, honey, and coconut oil.  Microwave for about 10-15 seconds.  This will just make it easier to mix into the dry ingredients.  Stir in the vanilla.  Add the wet into the dry and mix well.  Add the dates.  Press firmly into an 8x8 glass dish and refrigerate for a few hours or until set.  Cut into bars and store in the fridge.



You could also add chocolate chips... or dried cranberries... or raisins... or a chocolate drizzle (1T chocolate chips and 1/2t coconut oil melted).


What is your favorite granola bar?

RECIPE: Paleo Hot Chocolate

Why didn't I think of this sooner? I've been looking for something to sip of an evening while I'm winding down. Maybe the sugar isn't that great before bed… I don't really care. I'm not in to tea and coffee is pretty much out of the question.  This fills the void of needing 'something' after dinner and it's kind of like dessert.

Paleo Hot Chocolate

1.5 cups hot unsweetened almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2-4 large pitted dates (depending on how sweet you want it)*

Put everything in a blender and blend on high for a minute or two.  Serve immediately.

*I find dates in the produce section of the grocery store.  The best kinds are not pitted.  Don't buy the ones that are already pitted.  Trust me.  There's a difference!



Do you feel like you need 'something' after dinner?  If so, what do you have?  

RECIPE: Paleo Asian Meatballs

I hate recipes that have a million ingredients.  Seriously, if it has more than like 5 ingredients I move on.  This recipe may look complicated but it's really not.  When I made these last night for dinner I couldn't believe I hadn't posted this already.  These meatballs might be my husbands favorite paleo meal!  He asks me to make them all the time so they frequent our meal planning lists.


Zucchini Noodles With Asian Meatballs- makes about 12 meatballs
(I adapted this recipe from Skinnytaste to make it paleo)

Meatballs
1/4 cup almond flour
1lb ground turkey or pork
1 egg
1t ground ginger
1 clove garlic minced
1/2t salt
1T coconut aminos
2t sesame oil

Sauce
4T coconut aminos
2t sesame oil
2T fresh lime juice

Noodles
4 zucchini
coconut oil

Mix everything together for the meatballs.  Form into meatballs and put them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 500 for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.

While the meatballs are baking use a spiralizer to cut your zucchini into noodles.  Don't have a spiralizer? Just chop it up however you want.  

Add about a tablespoon of coconut oil to a pan set on medium heat.  When it's hot add the zucchini.  As soon as it starts to soften add your sauce mixture.  Toss the zucchini in the sauce and cook for about 3 minutes or until soft.  Serve with meatballs on top.

*You could really use any veggie in place of the zucchini.  Broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower rice... Any of them would be good cooked in that sauce!

NO RECIPE: Paleo Chicken Salad

I kind of designated Friday as a day to recap my eats for the week.  I had to share this recipe though because I literally ate it all week long.  I forgot to hit publish yesterday... Duh.

If you are on instagram you've seen this already.  I'm obsessed with this combination.  It's fatty, sweet, salty, and crunchy... and perfect for the summer!

Plus it's so simple.


No Recipe Paleo Chicken Salad 

-Cooked and chopped chicken breast
-Chopped almonds
-Red grapes cut in half
-Mashed avocado
-Lots of salt and pepper
-Bibb lettuce leaves (you could also use romaine)

Mix the first six ingredients together in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and then spoon onto lettuce leaves.  Roll up and enjoy!



What's your favorite summer lunch?

KID FOOD: Veggie Spaghetti

This is my kids favorite dinner.  It's simple, versatile, and requires minimal ingredients.


Pasta- use whatever you have on hand (my kids like whole wheat spaghetti noodles)
Veggies- use whatever you have on hand (my kid's favorite is broccoli and carrots)
Chicken
Olive oil
Coconut aminos or soy sauce

Cook the first three ingredients how they like them.  For me I cook the chicken ahead of time in the crockpot and keep it in the fridge for the week.  Then I boil the pasta while I steam veggies.


Combine the cooked pasta, veggies, and chicken in one pot and drizzle with olive oil and coconut aminos or soy sauce.


Really it's that easy and my kids inhale it.


What's one of your kid's favorite dinners?

KID FOOD: Cherry Chia Smoothie

I read somewhere that the transition to paleo with kids should be gradual.  The article also said to make those paleo treats for them.  Here's the thing... Kids don't like change.  They thrive on routine and like to know what's coming next.  Well at least that's the way my kids are.



My kids drink this smoothie several times a week.  It's paleo, delicious, and nutritious.  Squirrel likes it because it's 'pink' and LB likes it because it's 'yummy in my tummy'.  It does include a couple dates and quite a bit of fruit but if that's the kind of sugar you are adding to your kids diet then I'd say you aren't doing half bad.





Cherry Chia Smoothie
(makes enough for my two littles)

1 cup of milk (I use half full fat coconut and half almond milk in theirs)
1 frozen over ripe banana chopped into chunks
1 cup frozen cherries
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2-3 pitted dates depending on how big they are and how sweet you like your smoothie

Dump all of your ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth.  This makes a pretty thin smoothie only because it's easier to suck through a straw.  Cut back on the milk if you want a thicker smoothie.



I even like it and it's good if you had a handful of kale or spinach to it!


What's your favorite smoothie combination?

RECIPE: Banana Bread Paleo Pancakes

Y'all it's Sunday.  Do you know what Sunday is in my house?

Every Friday night is pizza, popcorn, and a movie.  Every Sunday is pancake and bacon day!

I've had banana bread pancakes on my brain for a few weeks now. I finally made it come to life this morning.


Banana Bread Paleo Pancakes

1/4 cup mashed banana
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

Grass-fed butter for the top

Make sure your banana is mashed really well in a bowl.  Whisk in your egg, egg whites, almond flour, and cinnamon.  Stir in your walnuts.  Melt a teaspoon of fat (I would use ghee or butter) in a pan on medium-low heat. Pour in the pancake batter to form three small pancakes.  Let the pancakes cook for about five minutes on one side.  You don't want to try to turn them too soon or they will fall apart.  Low and slow is the key.  You may have to peek and see if they are ready to flip.  When they look golden brown flip them over and let the other side cook for about two minutes.

These were so good topped with more walnuts, banana, and butter.
Someone made them already on Instagram and she used pecans.  Ahhh!  Why didn't I think of that.  Toasted pecans would be so good.


Nut butter would also be good on top or maybe just a drizzle of pure maple syrup if you want to get crazy!

RECIPE: Massaged Kale

I ate this every single day last week and I just made a new batch today so I could eat it all this week.  Kale is my favorite vegetable.  I love it made all ways but this way is my favorite.  This recipe/technique is simple, delicious, and so nutritious.  Such an easy way to get some greens in.


You pull all the leaves off of a big bunch of kale.  Take extra care to leave the stem behind and only pull off the leaves.  Also make sure you wash it really well.  Since it will be eaten raw you don't want any grit.

You make a simple dressing.


Then you literally massage it until it wilts.


Need the specifics?

Massaged Kale

About 10 cups of kale.  I just used a big bunch- stems removed, torn into bite sized pieces, washed, and dried
1T olive oil
1t fresh lemon juice
1/4t salt
1 garlic clove grated or minced

Put the kale into a large bowl.  Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and garlic.  You could also add a teaspoon of honey if you wanted.  Massage the dressing into the kale for a few minutes or until the kale changes color and becomes soft.

This is great to make ahead of time to let the flavors settle.  It lasts all week in the fridge for me and never changes texture.  Remember this is very basic so you might want to jazz it up a bit.  My favorite way is with toasted almonds and apple juice sweetened dried cranberries.


What is your favorite green to use for salads?

RECIPE: Blueberry Lemon Paleo Pancakes

It's obvious that I have a love for pancakes.  When you eat them more than five days a week you might call it an obsession.  I'm pretty much obsessed with pancakes.  Especially these.


Blueberry Lemon Paleo Pancakes

1/4 cup mashed banana
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
Grass-fed butter for the top

Make sure your banana is mashed really well in a bowl.  Whisk in your egg, egg whites, almond flour, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Stir in your blueberries.  Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil in a pan on medium-low heat. Pour in the pancake batter to form three small pancakes.  I've tried several times to make one big pancake but those blueberries won't let me.  It always falls apart.  Let the pancakes cook for about five minutes on one side.  You don't want to try to turn them too soon or they will fall apart.  Low and slow is the key.  You may have to peek and see if they are ready to flip.  When they look golden brown flip them over and let the other side cook for about two minutes.


Top with your grass fed butter.


See other paleo pancake recipes here!

RECIPE: Chocolate Almond Coconut Bars

I am addicted to the Kit's Organic chocolate almond coconut bars.  After buying countless bars I knew I had to make my own.

You blend dates, almonds, and coconut all together...


Into a fine powder.


Then add melted unsweetened chocolate and coconut oil.


Smash/roll it all out.


Let it sit in the fridge.


Then cut into bars.


Need a specific recipe?

Chocolate Almond Coconut Bars

20 dates
1/3 cup almonds
1/4 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1oz unsweetened chocolate melted
1 tablespoon coconut oil melted

Pulse the dates, almonds, and coconut until it makes a pretty fine powder in your food processor or blender.  Add the coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of the chocolate (save the rest for drizzling!).  Pulse until it is mixed thoroughly.  It will still be a little crumbly.  Press or roll the mixture onto plastic wrap (drizzle with chocolate if you want!).  Then let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour.  Cut into bars.

If you aren't following a paleo diet try my kids favorite granola bars/balls!


I make this batch once a week!


What are your favorite bars?

RECIPE: Paleo Bacon Brussels Sprouts

This is one of my favorite side dishes.  It's simple, flavorful, and looks kind of fancy!


Bacon Brussels Sprouts

1lb of brussels sprouts stems trimmed and halved
3 strips of good bacon diced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove minced
1 cup of chicken stock
Salt

Cook the bacon in a sauté pan until crispy and then remove it from the pan.  Cook the onion in the leftover bacon grease until soft.  Then add the garlic and brussels sprouts.  Let the brussels sprouts cook until they just start to get soft.  Then deglaze the pan with the chicken stock scraping up all of those lovely bacon bits.  Put the lid on a let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the brussels sprouts are tender.  Garnish with the bacon and salt before serving.