Hide Yo' Recipes, I'm Stealin' Everything Up in Here!

Okay, new recipes! I refer to them as stolen, because I have just not had the time to be a domestic goddess this summer. I DO have that potential, though. If someone would just pay me to stay home and cook, I know I’d be just darling at it. I am including a couple of paleo/primal dessert recipes. I feel the need to post a warning with these, though. Just because they’re grain and sugar free doesn’t mean they’re the best food choice you can make. They are healthier, but still meant as an occasional treat. Moderation is your friend. Got it? Okay then, enjoy!

Pizza Frittata

Ingredients:

12 eggs

Tomato sauce-I make my own (so easy), but if you can find some made without sugar or additives, go for it

Italian seasoning

Fresh mozzarella- buy it whole and shred it yourself. They coat that preshredded stuff with cellulose. I don’t know what that is, but it sounds nasty.

Toppings of your choice- peppers, onions, olives, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, whatever.

Directions:

Frittatas are fantastic, easy meals that feed a bunch with very little work. They’re also pretty cheap, so yay for that. I’ve got six people in my house that demand weird things like meals everyday. The nerve! Anyway, you need a nonstick pan that can also go in the oven for these. Actually, you need one for a lot of recipes, so just go invest in one. You won’t be sorry.

First, heat the pan on the stove on medium heat and preheat the oven to 375F. You can add a little oil or butter if you want, but if your pan is nonstick, you don’t really need it. If you're using sausage or meat, browning it in the pan first and removing it gives you some tasty oil to use! Scramble up the eggs until frothy, and then pour into the pan. Let it sit and cook for about 4-5 minutes. If you don’t let it set up, the toppings will sink to the bottom. When it looks almost cooked through (like an omelet), turn off the stove, sprinkle the frittata with Italian seasoning, and spread the tomato sauce over the top. Add toppings and cheese, and then move it into the oven. Bake just long enough to melt the cheese and heat the toppings (about 5 minutes). Cut into wedges and enjoy. This is even good reheated, and can be frozen. You can top a frittata with just about anything, so try it with chicken and red onion with smoked cheddar. I think smoked salmon and dill with goat cheese might be fabooboo, too. If you’re dairy free, leave off the cheese. Just experiment!

I took this picture. My pan is made by Berndes, and I've had it for AGES. I think it was an incentive from work when I worked in a gourmet kitchen shop twenty years ago. Holy crap, I'm old.

Pizza Crusts

Speaking of pizza, I have two different crusts I’ve used. One is primal, and is made of cheese. It’s unbelievably good. The other is paleo, and dairy free. It’s good, too. It just depends on your personal preferences as to which you’ll like better. Both require parchment paper, and I’ve found it comes in handy for other recipes, too. So, like the pan I mentioned above, it’s worth having some in the house.

Cheese crust ingredients:

2 c shredded mozzarella
1c shredded Cheddar
3 eggs
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp Basil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450F. Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Spread thinly on a 16 in. pizza pan or small rectangular cookie sheet lined with greased parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 min. Check after 10 min. If the edges start to get too dark, turn it back to 400. It needs to be golden brown and crispy. Take it out, top it, and broil for a few minutes. Done. Yummy!  I also make several individual pizza crusts with this recipe and store them until the kids want pizza for lunch. They freeze well. I get about 6 small crusts per recipe. These are really close to a thin crust pizza. It’s crunchy and sturdy enough to be held in your hand instead of having to use a fork.

Coconut Flour crust ingredients:

3 eggs

1 c water or coconut milk

½ c coconut flour

Italian seasoning

garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 385F. Mix the eggs and water or milk together. Slowly pour it into the flour and mix well. Add the spices to your taste. This should form a batter a bit like pancake batter. If it's thick and sticky, add more liquid. Pour over parchment paper (A MUST!) in metal pan of your choice. Bake for 25 minutes at 385F, check. It should be getting brown, maybe even a bit scorched on edges. You may have to bake longer, depends on your oven. Remove when golden brown. Add sauce, toppings, and spices to taste. I use Italian seasoning mix, covering the top of the crust after adding about 4 oz. of tomato sauce. Then add the toppings and cheese, if you use it, baking at 375F until cheese melts or toppings are heated through. This recipe is from my friend Brian, who has been primal WAY longer than I have. He’s gotten this thing down to an art form. When he sends a recipe and says, “Try this!” I know it’s going to be good. This crust can also be topped with ham or turkey and veggies and eaten like an open-faced sandwich. A little paleo mayo and you’re gold. You’re welcome.

 This is the cheese crust. I think I need to go make some. Now. Don't you love my fine china?

Spicy Chicken Legs

Ingredients:

6 chicken drumsticks-free range, if you can.

2 tsp Chili powder

3 Tbsp olive oil

1- 1 ½ tsp sea salt

¾ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450F. In a medium bowl, combine 1 Tbsp of the oil with the spices, salt, and pepper. Mix them to make a paste. Add the drumsticks and rub the spice paste over them, making sure to coat them thoroughly. Set them aside. On the stove, put a large ovenproof pan over medium heat. Allow the pan to heat up for 45 seconds or so before adding the other 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Heating the pan first before adding oil helps prevent sticking. Heat the oil for about 30 seconds before adding the drumsticks. Brown both sides of the chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side. Once you are done browning the drumsticks, put a lid on the pan and put them in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes.

These aren’t super hot, but they’ve got a great kick to them. I got some shredded cabbage, tossed it with a little diced pineapple, olive oil, and green onion, and served the chicken with that. My girls loved this, which means it is a “make again” meal.

 Originally found on jogogym.com. Just look at the spices on that. My mouth is watering. 

Lettuce Wraps

This is my new favorite lunch idea. Go get a package of those huge romaine lettuce leaves. Our HEB carries them already cleaned and stacked up, ready to go. Fill these with whatever your little heart desires. At the moment, I am obsessed with roast turkey, pear, walnuts, blue cheese, and dried cranberries. I’ve also used leftover pulled pork and broccoli slaw. Avocado with turkey and tomato is the bomb. Dice up chicken breast, add some matchstick carrots and sprouts, throw on some gluten free soy sauce, and add some chilies. Thai! Really, the variety is endless. It’s also a great way to use leftovers. Those chicken legs I posted above? Tear the meat off the bones and throw them in a wrap the next day with some of the pineapple cabbage salad I mentioned. Lunch in minutes, just like a sandwich but without the gut-killing grains and sugar. Woo hoo!

 Seriously, doesn't this look refreshing? It's hot outside at my house right now, y'all. If I can make something this fabooboo without turning on the stove, I'm going for it.

Paleo Brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (65% or more) or Enjoy Life Chips

1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk

1 1/4 cups almond flour

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate and coconut milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Once the chocolate is completely melted, remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and coconut milk to a mixing bowl, add in the eggs and mix well.  Now add in the almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Next, add in the shredded coconut and continue to mix. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with coconut oil. Pour batter into the baking dish then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sliced almond over the top. Get a small handful of shredded coconut and sprinkle over the top, as well. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Slice them into squares, and you have brownies. You can also find a paleo frosting recipe (they are out there, and delicious) and simply ice the thing and serve it as a cake.

           

We’ve made these for parties and things, and nobody ever guesses they’re paleo brownies. They are ridiculously rich. Like I said, this is a fantastic occasional treat. If you’re celebrating a birthday and want to avoid the awful sugar headache that will now accompany the craptastic, sugar and grain-based cakes traditionally served, go with this instead. If you’re really craving sweets and it’s come down to these or hitting up the local bakery for a dozen cream puffs, make these. Just don’t have them for breakfast every day.

Originally found on paleomg.com. You don't have to top it with the coconut, but don't leave it out of the batter. It helps hold it together. These are so rich, I really can only eat just one. At a time. :)

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sifted blanched almond flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (melted, not softened)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 whole egg

1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips, or dark chocolate (at least 73%) chips.

Directions:

In a bowl, mix your almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt. In a separate bowl mix together your melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, room temperature maple syrup, and room temperature egg (It makes a difference, I swear). Incorporate your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients, and then add your chocolate chips.

After everything is mixed, preheat your oven to 350F and refrigerate your batter for 30 minutes.

Once the 30 minutes are up and your oven is heated, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (see, I said you needed some!) and roll your dough into even balls-to whichever size you desire. I made mine pretty small, about silver dollar size.

Put them in the oven for about 5-7 minutes, then take them out and slightly flatten them with the back of a spatula. Put them back in the oven for about 5 more minutes, or until they look done. Take them out RIGHT when you see just a hint of golden brown. If you do that, they won’t look done, but they are-and they’ll be soft and chewy. Even after they’ve cooled off!  Remove from the oven and set on the counter to cool.

These taste almost exactly like regular chocolate chip cookies. They have a slightly nutty texture, and would be great with chopped pecans in them. This recipe makes about a dozen cookies, depending on the size you make them. The best thing is they DO NOT trigger cravings, and you can stop with one or two without devouring the entire batch. Same with the brownies. It truly is the flour and sugar in those things that gets you, and not the chocolate. That’s the best news ever. 

Originally found on fastpaleo.com. A glass of unsweetened vanilla almond milk goes with these PERFECTLY. The occasional splurge doesn't have to poison you. I keep telling myself this. 

Easter Memories and Today's Victory

Y'all won't believe this, but the Easters of my childhood have involved food.  Overcooked ham with brown sugar and mustard glaze, my mom's oven baked macaroni and cheese (always perfect), green beans and corn (straight from the can), rolls and the piece de resistance, lemon meringue ice box pie.  Oh my, how I loved that pie.  It seemed to take so long until it was time for lunch and there was nothing to do at my grandmother's house except stay out of the kitchen and watch King of Kings.

This was all served on my grandmother's green plastic plates, while we sat, scrunched, at the dining room table on chairs covered in plastic, smirking at each other because the overcooked ham was nothing, if not predictable.

And let's not forget the Easter baskets.  Filled full of the candy I loved.  Mom almost always got that right.

It would be safe to say that as an adult, I have tried to incorporate the traditions of my childhood into our holiday celebrations.  Minus the King of Kings.  And hopefully, the overcooked ham.  Except this year, I've been so busy taking care of my recuperating daughter and getting back on track, primally, that I didn't really think about the "special" meal Easter demanded until Saturday night about 10pm when I called my dad to see what he was doing.

And of course, he had a plan.  It was a great plan.  In fact, the best part was that he was willing to bring his plan to my house and leave me with a minimal amount of work to eat said plan.  Except for one problem.  He wanted to me to make a cake.

Oh, yes.  A cake.

After my tongue lashing from Stacey this week, I have been on the straight and narrow.  Because I am worth it.  I thought I could make this cake, a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, without any problems.  I had the box mix in the pantry.  The cake diversion purchased while planning Brian's surprise party.  Making a cake was the least I could do to contribute to a meal that I had nearly zero part preparing.

But I got a text this morning as I was getting ready for church:  Just wanted to encourage you to stick with it - especially on a chocolate covered holiday like today!  I promise you will feel so much control and pride by skipping that cookie today!

Oh.  My.  Word.

I made a decision right then and there.  There would be NO CHOCOLATE CAKE IN THIS HOUSE TODAY.  PERIOD.  I was certainly in control what I was going to eat and serve in my own house.  I would put together a dessert, but it wouldn't be that.  Talk about feeling empowered.  I wanted to feel in control at the end of this day.  Proud.

And then after church, when Brian suggested that we pick up something to eat at Whataburger on the way home before our Easter supper, I said, "Absolutely not.  I am not having a hamburger, fries and a Dr Pepper for lunch."  You gotta know, I love Whataburger.  It's my favorite fast place to get a burger.  But there was no way in the world I was going to eat something from there today.  I was working a Goal for the Day.

So we ended up at Chili's where I know exactly what I can eat.  Which is fine because it's a salad, I love salads, and it's a good one.  When we got home, I prepared my dessert which was NOT chocolate cake.  I made Cinnamon Swirl Muffins and Paleo Banana Bread and they were good, all things considered.  (They were collapsing like crazy.  I think they were still too hot for transporting.  But no matter, they were still good.)    

So another Easter in the books, but this time, I had a major victory over my life.  I am worth it.

And I can do it.

Recipes I've Been Meaning to Post

Okay, it's been a while since I've had the time, energy, or motivation to do some primal chick cooking. However, Spring Break has SPRUNG up in here, yo. I've done a little (read-very little) cleaning, some studying, a tiny bit of writing, and I took a whole afternoon to cook some new things! My tummy is full of primal deliciousness, and I'm a happy girl. Now I'm going to go curl up with a good book somewhere and pretend school doesn't start up again on Monday.

CINNAMON SWIRL MUFFINS

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c almond flour

1 tbsp. coconut flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 c plus 1 tbsp coconut milk

1/2 c honey

Topping Ingredients:

2 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp. melted coconut oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325F. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix well with a whisk. Divide evenly into 12 muffin cups. You can use muffin liners or wipe your silicone muffin pan with melted coconut oil and use that. They pop right out. Mix the topping ingredients together in a separate bowl and drizzle over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Okay, these smell like heaven when they're cooking. They are moist and chewy, and my girls all loved them. Definitely a win.

Original link here

PALEO MAYONNAISE from Everyday Paleo

Ingredients

2 eggs

1 tsp yellow mustard

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

1/3 tsp cayenne pepper

2 c olive oil (not extra virgin, just plain olive oil)

Directions

Use your food processor or blender for this one, and put on your big girl panties and grow some patience. It's easy, but you have to go sloooooowly.

Mix eggs, mustard, and vinegar in the blender until well mixed. Then, leave the blender or processor running and begin adding oil drop by drop or in a slow drizzle. This takes time, but it will begin to come together. I think all told, it took about 15 minutes or so. When all the oil is added and the mayo has the desired consistency, add in the salt and cayenne.

This made enough to fill two small mason jars and still have enough to make my egg salad recipe. They say it keeps up to a week or so in the fridge. It tasted SO much better than any store bought mayonnaise I've ever had, and there is no soybean oil in it. You can also get creative and add all kinds of things to make sauces or dips.

Originally from Sarah Fragoso's Everyday Paleo. This link will show you a demo of her making the mayo. Visuals are good.

PRIMAL BLUEPRINT TUNA SALAD W/CRANBERRIES

Ingredients

12 oz. tuna packed in water

2 stalks celery, diced

1/4 c. diced red onion

1/4. c homemade mayo

1/2 c. dried cranberries (no sugar added)

salt/pepper to taste

Directions

Mix it up. That's it. It's not neurosurgery up in here or anything here, people.

Originally from The Primal Blueprint cookbook

PRIMAL BLUEPRINT JALAPENO EGG SALAD

Ingredients

6 eggs, boiled, peeled, and chopped

1/2 c homemade mayo

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt/pepper to taste

Directions

To make the perfect boiled eggs, put raw eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water. Set them on the stove, and turn the heat on medium high. Bring them to a boil, then cover them and turn off the heat. Wait 15 minutes, pour out the hot water and add ice and water to shock them. They peel so easily after this. Seriously. Would I lie?

Again, mix all the ingredients. Voila!

This egg salad isn't overly spicy. It's got a little kick to it, but not mouth-burning. The lemon and jalapeno are a great flavor mix in this. I imagine adding some crumbled bacon into this mixture might be a taste of heaven.

Originally from The Primal Blueprint Cookbook

And if you're wondering what you're going to eat these fabooboo salads on, here's a recipe for a crepe-like wrap that can be used like a tortilla.

SWEET OR SAVORY WRAP

Ingredients

12 eggs (yes, a whole dozen. NO. LIE.)

4 tbsp coconut flour

1/8 tsp sea salt

coconut oil for frying

Directions

In a blender, mix eggs, flour, and salt. The blender takes out all lumps that coconut flour tends to have, especially since you store it in the fridge. Let it sit for a few minutes so the flour will soak up all the egg it will hold. It will look thin.

Heat a tsp of oil on medium-low heat in a nonstick skillet. I have an 8 in. crepe/omelet pan I got for about $15 and it is the BOMB for making these. Add 1/4 c of the batter to the pan and swirl it to coat the bottom of the pan. Let cook for about 2 minutes until batter sets. Carefully flip and cook for about 2 more minutes. Slide into a plate lined with wax paper, cover with another piece, and you can stack them this way as you go.

Flipping these little buggers takes practice. I broke the first 2, but then got the hang of it. A couple of thin spatulas does the trick.

These taste slightly eggy, and I've found a couple of other paleo/primal crepe recipes that use just egg whites or more coconut/almond flour that I may try. These were pretty yummy, though. You can wrap meat and salad greens, tuna salad, or almond butter with strawberries. It's just like a sandwich. NEW lunch ideas! YAY!

Originally from Keeper of the Home website

UPDATE:

I tried a different wrap/crepe recipe and loved it even more. The above recipe is very good, but it is very eggy tasting. This next one is more of a bread/tortilla texture. We had wraps with egg salad last night, and I used them for breakfast burritos this morning. For lunch, girl #3 put leftover pork loin, salad greens, and cheese with some homemade mayo. Fabulous!

Ingredients:

8 egg whites (I used the kind from Egg Beaters, but you could scramble the yolks with some butter and use them as a filling.)

2 tbsp melted butter

4 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 c coconut milk

butter or coconut oil for cooking

Directions:

These directions looked a lot more complicated, but I just threw the egg whites in the blender and got them frothy before adding all the rest of the ingredients. Heat skillet to medium and put in a little bit of oil or butter. Again, this depends on your pan. I have a nonstick that needs very little. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and swirl it to coat the bottom. Cook until the edges start to curl and it bubbles a bit. Using a wide spatula (or two), flip it and cook about a minute longer. These were tougher and easier to turn than the others. They also didn't break when wrapped around a lot of fillings. You could add vanilla and honey to this and make them sweet, but it isn't necessary. We filled some with almond butter, strawberries, and honey for dessert. Worked just fine for us!

The batter looks very thin and white at first.

Beautiful, aren't they? Recipe came from The Primal Blueprint Cookbook.

Happy Pancake Day!

Did you know today was Pancake Day in the UK? They have an actual holiday for these delicious treats. I could really get behind a country like that. Pancakes for everyone!!! However, if you're a primal chick, pancakes of the usual type are not on the menu. Full of flour and sugar, these are forbidden fruit for us. Or are they?

We are huge fans of breakfast for dinner around here. Bacon, eggs, and pancakes made the menu more than once a month, due to them being fabooboo (C'mon, admit it. That word is growing on you.), as well as quick and easy for this tired mama to make. The thought of no more pancake nights really made me so very sad, and so I began to do some searching through all of the online paleo/primal recipes. Thankfully, there are a million different pancake versions out there. The following two are the ones we've tried that have been delicious and made everyone happy.

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Found here on the nourishing days website

Ingredients

4 eggs, room temperature

1 c coconut milk

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 c coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

coconut oil or butter for frying

Directions

1. Preheat the griddle to medium low heat. Beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Add milk, vanilla, and honey.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Then slowly add wet mixture until all the flour is incorporated.

3. Grease pan with coconut oil or butter. Ladle out batter into small pancakes, flattening them out with the back of the spoon. The key here is to keep the pancakes small, no larger than 3 inches in diameter, and fairly thick. Cook for about 3 minutes until the sides and top start to look a little dry, and flip. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes to finish.

4. Slather in butter, coconut oil, honey, or fruit.

These were so good. The coconut flour really does not carry much of a coconut flavor, so if that's not your favorite you'll still enjoy these. Flipping these takes a little practice, because they are a thicker batter. Keeping them small is very helpful. They tasted pretty much like a regular pancake, and the kids really enjoyed them. I could see adding shredded coconut and walnuts to them, and topping with banana. That would be delish. The last time, I threw some fresh blueberries into a pot with a tablespoon of honey and reduced them until they made their own sauce. This was heaven on a plate.

coconut flour pancakes

Almond Meal Pancakes

These are more like IHOP's harvest grain and nut pancakes. They're a little denser, with a chewier, nutty texture. Still an excellent pancake, but not my girls' favorite. It was a huge hit with That Man, who adores the harvest pancakes at the aforementioned breakfast place. That makes sense, seeing as I found it on a website called Real Men Drive Minivans.

Ingredients

1 1/2 c almond meal/flour

1/2 c coconut milk

4 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla OR almond extract

Blueberries or your favorite fresh fruit (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients, portion out onto a medium heat griddle greased with coconut oil or butter, cook until golden brown on each side. Again, this is about 2-3 minutes per side.

I put blueberries in them, and just topped it with butter. You could also mash up a ripe banana and add some chopped nuts to this batter. Banana bread pancakes! Really, there's a lot you can do with these.

almond meal blueberry pancakes

NOTE-Both of these recipes are low carb and delicious. However, if this is one of those slippery slope kinds of foods for you, be careful. You may find you've eaten six of them without coming up for air. Everything in moderation, even the healthy foods. That's the key.

So, there you are. If you were unaware of the fabulous holiday that is Pancake Day, you can celebrate it tomorrow. Or this weekend. Or whenever the mood strikes you. Do you really need a holiday to have pancakes?

Weekly Recipes 4

I admit, I didn't do a lot of cooking this week. At least, not any earth-shattering, experimental cooking that had everybody gasping at my culinary expertise. Therefore, there aren't a lot of new recipes to post. I did make something for dinner tonight, though, that turned out really well. This is actually a twist on the fried chicken strips I made two weeks ago. Instead of almond meal, I used all the coconut products and then threw in the 5 spice on a whim.

Coconut Chicken Strips

Ingredients

2 c coconut flour

2 c unsweetened shredded coconut

3 eggs, beaten

Chinese 5 spice

coconut oil

3 lb. chicken tenderloins

Directions

Put chicken in a ziploc and add Chinese 5 spice. I think I added about 2 Tbsp. I know I said in my last post that I'm a bit OCD, but apparently it doesn't apply to cooking. I eyeball a lot of things like spices.

Mix the coconut flour and the shredded coconut together in a plate. Roll each strip in the mixture, dip in egg, and then roll in the coconut mixture again. Lay on wax paper to set for about ten minutes.

Heat about (again with the inexact measurements!) 3 Tbsp coconut oil in a nonstick pan at medium heat. When it's hot enough to fry, add strips to the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes per side and remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

During the cooking process, I had to add more coconut oil as the chicken soaked it up. Also, if your oil starts to get too dark, pour it out and wipe the pan. Add clean oil and begin again.

These had a great, coconutty flavor, and the Chinese 5 spice was fantastic. LOVE. Now, I have a burning desire to do this with shrimp.

I served the chicken strips with a sauce I created. I thought about coconut shrimp and the dips they serve them with in restaurants. That's all full of sugar, of course, but I began to put my mind to it. This is what I came up with.

Hot and Sweet Pineapple Sauce

Ingredients

2 c diced pineapple

1/2 green bell pepper

red pepper flakes

habanero Tabasco sauce

honey

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

I put the pineapple,bell pepper, salt, and pepper in the food processor and pureed it. I put in about a Tbsp of red pepper flakes, 1/4 c honey, and a tsp of habanero sauce. I mixed it and tasted it, and adjusted the heat and sweetness to taste. I honestly didn't measure, again, but kept working at it until it had a sweet taste with a good kick in the aftertaste. Paired with the coconut chicken, it really worked. The little kids wouldn't eat it, of course, but the rest of us loved it. I have plenty left over, and I think it'll be great with pork.

Other than that, I didn't do a lot of cooking. I have been adding different things to the famous egg muffins. Today I made some with sausage, mushroom, green peppers, and sharp cheddar. Then I made another batch with proscuitto, mushroom, spinach, and fresh mozzarella. Before you get amazed at the mad kitchen skillz, I have to tell you that egg muffins are about the easiest thing ever to make. Throw the meat in a pan, add some veggies, divide in the muffin pan with cheese, and put the beaten eggs on top. Bake 2o min. at 350F. Done. My oldest two have been helping me make them. It took about 30 minutes just to do 2 batches. By the way, I am in LOVE with my new silicone muffin pans. The muffins pop right out, and they're so pretty. I do like pretty food.

Weekly Recipes 3

This week's recipes are all stolen from much smarter, better cooks. That's okay. What's a little sharing between friends, even though they don't know me. They'd love me if they met me. ANYWAY...here we are.

Georgia's Mexican Pile On is really the most simple, delicious thing you can make in a hurry and have hungry Little People jump for joy.

Ingredients:

2 lb. ground meat (beef, bison, venison, chopped chicken)

taco seasoning (I made my own because some packaged spices have gluten and sugar. Weird.)

Lettuce

Tomato

Guacamole (I use an all natural, no preservative kind like Wholly Guacamole)

Sour Cream (optional)

Shredded Cheese (optional)

Black olives

Jalapenos

Salsa

Directions:

It's called "pile on".What do you think you do? Cook the meat with the spices, and then pile it on! It's like nachos without the chips. It's messy and yummy, and nobody turns up their noses. Winning!

The next one was actually discovered by That Man. He took a night of cooking and searched out something new and different. We both love Thai food and curry, so he researched until he found this fabulous meal on Paleo Diet Lifestyle. The kids even ate it without too much fuss. The only thing that bugged me was the recipe kept calling them 'shrimps' instead of simply 'shrimp'. I can't help it, I'm anal that way.

Ingredients:

2 lbs shrimps, peeled and deveined;

2 tbsp butter or coconut oil;

1 onion, chopped;

2 tsp curry powder;

2 tsp tomato paste;

1/2 cup chicken stock;

1 cup full-fat coconut milk;

2 tightly packed cups shredded spinach;

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over a medium-low heat and cook the onion in the ghee, butter or coconut oil until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes.

Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir in the curry powder and continue cooking for a minute.

Place mixture in a blender or a food processor, add the tomato paste as well as the chicken stock and coconut milk. Process or blend until smooth.

Pour the mixture back in the skillet and bring to a simmer.

Add the shrimps and spinach and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes, until the shrimps are just cooked. We served it over some really delicious spaghetti squash with butter and basil. The kids weren't sold on it, but we enjoyed it.

The last recipe I found in desperation. The Super Bowl is a time of picking teams, gathering with friends, and eating tons of carb loaded foods. I signed up to bring a dessert to the party. A dessert! What the hell?!?!?! So I searched for something that might not have the rest of the party goers looking at me like I'd lost my mind. These Almond Joy Bites from The Fit Cookie were perfect! I did label them as sugar and gluten free, but only so I could have some left over to take home with me. The menfolk weren't interested in the health food sitting beside their cheese dip. Be warned, though. These are a dessert and should be treated as such. Much like the sweet potato issue, they can be overdone if you indulge too much too often.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 c raw, unfiltered honey

4 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp coconut flour

12 oz. dark chocolate chips

Mix the coconut, honey, oil, and flour together in a bowl. You'll probably have to do this with your hands, but coconut oil is FABulous for your skin. Warm the mixture for a few seconds in the microwave if it is a little hard to deal with. When it starts to get stiff, roll it into balls. If you have a hard time, chill it for a few minutes and it will come together easier. Press an almond into the top and put in the freezer for about ten minutes to set. Melt your chocolate in the microwave. I do it in one minute intervals and stir, just to make sure I don't burn it. That's so nasty. Nothing like burnt chocolate! Take the coconut balls out of the freezer and dip them into the melted chocolate to coat. Place on wax paper and return them to the freezer for another ten to fifteen minutes. Done! These taste better than the candy bar of the same name, and won't give you a terrible headache.

Notes-raw, unfiltered honey is thicker than regular, so you may have to add a little more coconut flour to your mix if you use regular honey.

Use at least 60% dark chocolate. I used 72%, and it was SO good.

Again, don't overindulge in these. I had two, and put the rest away. If this type of food is your 'slippery slope', don't even go there. That's why you won't see me making the paleo/primal coconut milk ice cream. That's a disaster waiting to happen.

Recipes of the Week 2

This week, I have found some really incredible yummies. Really, it makes me wonder why everyone doesn't eat this way.

First, I found a paleo/primal recipe for fried chicken fingers. My kids ate them and begged for more! So much more tasty than McCrap, and with ingredients that we can pronounce and know where they come from.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts

½ cup of almond flour

2 eggs

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp dried thyme

3 tbs olive oil

Directions: Slice the chicken into similar sized strips and put into a plastic bag. Add the spices and shake to coat the meat. Beat eggs in a bowl. I added a few drops of Tabasco to them for spice. Dredge seasoned chicken strips in almond flour, egg wash, and back in almond flour. Place on wax paper to set for 10 minutes. This keeps the coating from falling off during frying.Heat the olive oil at medium high heat. Cook the chicken strips for 3 minutes, flip, and cook another 3 minutes. Don't crowd the pan, 3-4 strips at a time would probably fill the pan. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to cool. I mixed up some honey mustard for dipping. Seriously delicious. For alternate flavors, add unsweetened coconut flakes to the almond meal and use some Chinese 5 spice with some salt and pepper for seasoning. Fry in coconut oil instead of olive. Mix up a sweet/spicy chili sauce.

Next, I made some sweet potato latkes that were to die for. I started with an idea from Sarah Fragoso's Everyday Paleo. Then I added some of my own ideas and it came together like magic. Now, there is some debate about the sweet potato and whether it is paleo/primal or not. I think it comes down to personal choice. You have to know yourself and your body. Some people can eat them and not see the results they want to see, it spikes their blood sugars too much and slows weight loss because of the carb count. Some people can enjoy them without issues. I think I have to go easy on them, and save them for an after workout meal maybe once a week. But when I do have them, this is how I want to eat them!

Ingredients:

5 c shredded sweet potatoes

2 eggs, beaten

4-5 slices cooked bacon

2 tbsp minced onion

salt and pepper to taste

coconut oil

Directions:

I shred my potatoes in the food processor. So easy. Toss in a bowl with the beaten eggs, diced up bacon, onion, salt, and pepper. Heat a big spoonful (3-4 tbsp) of coconut oil in a cast iron or nonstick pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, drop 3-4 big spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the oil. Press them flat with your spoon and cook for 3 minutes on each side. You can top them with a fried egg for breakfast (or dinner, or lunch) or just eat them as a side dish. This was a huge hit at dinner. The five-year-old ate all of hers and then stole one of her sister's. It began a battle. Fun was had by all.

Last, I found a great marinade for beef, lamb, or pork. I used it on a venison backstrap and then again on a flank steak we threw on the grill. When you use this marinade while grilling, the fruit helps to form a fabulous bark on the meat that is just so good.

Ingredients:

1 c blackberries

1/4 c wheat free tamari (this is a gluten free soy sauce)

14 c rice vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

3-4 stalks of green onion, chopped

2-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour over meat and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

The Week's Best Recipes

I've decided to post each week with the recipes that my family liked most. This week it was very simple, which makes me very happy.

First, my oldest daughter and I are in LOVE with Sarah Fragoso's Chicken BLTA.

Ingredients:

1 grilled or broiled chicken breast

1 slice tomato

salad greens or baby spinach

1/2 avocado or an all natural guacamole

1 slice bacon

1 slice hard cheese of choice (optional)

Slice the chicken breast open lengthwise, so it opens like a sandwich. Layer in the rest of the ingredients on the bottom slice of chicken and top it off with the other half of the chicken breast. I wrap it in Cling Wrap and it gets all yummy by the time lunch rolls around. Heat it or eat it cold. FABulous.

The next recipe is the Famous Spinach I made that had the kids cheering. I know, right? That's just crazy talk! I'm sure this has been done a million times over, but I just threw this together.

Ingredients:

A big bag or container of fresh baby spinach

4 oz. pancetta or 6 slices of uncured bacon

1 cup baby bella mushrooms

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 c freshly grated parmesan

Throw the pancetta in a deep skillet on medium heat. Cook until almost crispy, and add the garlic. Continue for about a minute before adding mushrooms. Saute until soft. Add the spinach and toss to coat with the bacon grease. Cook until just wilted and remove from the heat. Sprinkle the cheese on top and serve immediately. This rocks, but it's just not that great cold.

Finally, the egg muffins we have all fallen in love with. These are the most versatile things ever. Whatever you want to throw in there, go for it! At the moment, our favorite is bacon, spinach, and fresh mozarella.

Ingredients:

1 egg per muffin you're planning (12 eggs for 12 muffins, etc)

cooked meat (natural sausage, cooked bacon, diced chicken, whatever)

chopped veggies-red peppers, mushrooms, spinach, green onion, diced zucchini, green peppers, jalapeno, onion, broccoli... you get it.

shredded cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325F. Cook the meat and vegetables and set aside. Grease your muffin tins really well. You can use olive oil or coconut oil to be really primal. I've gotten the all natural olive oil cooking spray with no propellants and used that. Divide the cooked goodies into your muffin tins. Scramble up all the eggs and pour over the ingredients. I use a 1/4 c measuring cup to do this. It's handy. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Let cool and remove from the pan. These can go into a ziplock and stay handy in the fridge, or you can stick them in the freezer. Reheat from the fridge for about 30 seconds in the microwave. Yum O.