Peanut Butter Cup Christmas Cookies

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You want to know the tragedy about peanut butter cup Christmas cookies?  The peanut butter cup is often gone in one bite!  I like cookies that have the goodness in every bite, personally.  This cookie recipe has peanut butter and peanut butter cups, so it is not paleo.  However, you could sub sunbutter for the peanut butter and replace the top with your favorite flavored chocolate bar….or….you could make paleo almond butter cups and chop those up if you are feeling really ambitious!  I tried a few different versions of this recipe, and I’m here to tell you that butter is where it’s at!  So, don’t mess with the butter!
Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cup Christmas Cookies
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup grassfed butter, room temp
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp salt
  • coconut sugar
  • 2 packages Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups, frozen, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix together almond flour, butter, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, salt until well-combined.  Create tablespoon balls and roll in a shallow dish of coconut sugar and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes or until the coconut sugar starts to brown.  Immediately after removing from oven, press peanut butter cup pieces into the top.  Let cool.  Enjoy!

Chocolate (Bone Broth) Protein Cookies (paleo, GF, DF)

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I am not a huge fan of people using powdered food in substitute for meals.  It’s just not the same as real food.  I am a fan of homemade bone broth and using it regularly, especially for those with certain health concerns.  When bone broth protein hit the market, I didn’t spend much time addressing it because it’s powdered food.  However, as my life became a little more hectic, and I was struggling to cook as often as I used to, I decided I would try it.  I NEVER recommend anything for anyone without trying it first, which has it’s pros and cons I must say.  I tried the bone broth protein in all flavors (some are sweet and some taste like bone broth), I tried them in standard liquid, smoothies, etc.  Then I decided I was going to try and bake with it.  Bone Broth Chocolate Protein cookies at your service.
Chocolate Protein Cookies
Ingredients:
1 scoop chocolate bone broth protein
2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup grassfed butter
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp pure maple syrup
pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix all the ingredients together until dough forms and roll into small balls, flattening with your hand.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.

 

Jerky (paleo, gluten-free)

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I am not a hunter, but my family members are; so, deer season usually means venison.  Recently, a processed deer came creeping into my freezer at home and I thought “this is it; I’m going to make jerky and if it doesn’t work, then I’m never using the dehydrator again!”  I took a frozen steak and sliced it into jerky strips after letting it thaw slightly through.  I put a marinade on it that I got from Primal Cravings cookbook (Jamaican jerk).  I let it sit overnight.  The next morning I turned on my dehydrator to 160 degrees and put the strips down on parchment paper for easy clean up.  I let it go from around 7:30 in the morning until around 2pm. Mine may have been a little hard for some people’s taste, so next time I may go for an hour or 2 less.  Check it periodically to find the texture you like.  Since it doesn’t have preservatives, I am storing it in the fridge; however, supposedly you can store it for 2 days at room temp.  It was really good!  Venison is an awesome option, too, because it is really lean.  You don’t want fat on your jerky strips because the fat will go rancid. ;(

This was the spice mix I used, but there are tons out there to choose from!  You can also do this in the oven. My dad used to make his in the oven when we were kids, but I have never tried it personally.  You can also use regular steak or turkey, as well! http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Beef-Jerky

Jerky Seasoning (variation on Primal Carvings Jamaican Jerk)

1tsp molasses

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp powdered ginger

1 tsp salt

Homemade Chicken Stock for the Lazy Folks

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Homemade month is moving along and next on the list is chicken stock.  I think this may be one of the easiest things you can do in your kitchen because it requires nothing but a crockpot and a chicken.  The picture is from a frozen chicken in the crockpot with veggie scraps from trimming them at other meals.  I believe I have onion tops, shallot tops, carrot ends, celery ends, etc.  I start a bag that goes in the freezer and accumulate scraps for the moment when I want to make a stock.  This is exactly what I did:  I put a frozen chicken in the crockpot with a little salt and cracked peppercorns and obviously veggie trimmings.  Cover for 10 hours (if thawed, 8 hours), and set crockpot on low.  Around 6 hours or so all the juices will begin to accumulate at the bottom of the crockpot.  After your 10 hours are up, remove the meat off the bone and put the carcass back into the crockpot.  Fill the crockpot with filtered water and let simmer for another 4 hours.  Strain your stock into containers!  That’s it.  I didn’t measure exactly but I want to say that it produced 10-12 cups of stock for me.  Typically, the ones you buy in the store come in 4 cup cartons.  So, that means I made the equivalent of 3 cartons of chicken stock with leftover bones from cooking a chicken.  I was already cooking the chicken and using the meat for tacos.  Therefore, it’s hard to estimate a cost savings when you are simply using leftover parts!  The cartons I buy of organic chicken stock at the store at $3-$4 bucks.  The entire chicken cost me $12 through Honored Praire.  For $12 bucks, I got about 3 lbs of meat and 3 cartons of chicken stock.  Not too shabby.  I put the stock that I will use that week in the fridge and the rest in the freezer.  I use the stock for everything from soups to simmering veggies.  It is packed full of minerals and healthy collagen for the joints.

Here’s my opinion on the whole homemade chicken stock ordeal: (1-5 with 5 being the best)

Ease: 5 (you put a chicken in pot and leave it for heaven’s sake!)

Price: 5 (I would have spent the same amount of money for 3-4 cartons of chicken stock at the store without the meat!)

Worth the touble: 5 (I am set now for weeks)

Taste: 5 (Way better tasting and way more nutritious than its processed counterparts!)

Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Pancakes

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I had some frozen strawberries that were literally staring at me for months from the freezer.  I didn’t feel very inspired to find a destiny until I found these peanut butter chips at the store!  Pancakes that are peanut butter and jelly?  Sold.  Peanuts are technically a legume, so these are NOT paleo.  However, you could make them strawberry and use sunbutter like in the picture for the same effect.
Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Pancakes
Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
4 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
Directions:
Place strawberries in a saucepan and cook until they breakdown and can be smashed into a thick jam consistency.
 Combine the pancake ingredients and add the strawberries and peanut butter chips. Cook about 3 minutes on each side.  Double the batch for freezing or for grab-and-go breakfast throughout the week.
 

Paleo Cinnamon and Cream Cheese Muffins

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Cheese is always a fading memory for those that have made a transition to dairy free, and many people are fine with that.  However, when there is a dairy free option that is still conducive to meeting their health goals, they wouldn’t mind partaking!  I ran across Kite Hill Almond Cream Cheese Spread and decided to try it out.  If you aren’t spreading it on a bagel, what on earth do you do with cream cheese?  I decided to try baking first to see if it would hold it’s own under heat.  I really enjoyed this cheater version of cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, and they are so much easier than making cinnamon rolls.  Stay tuned on FB and instagram for how the cream cheese story unfolds in different applications.
Paleo Cinnamon and Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cinnamon
7 Tbsp or so of almond cream cheese by Kite Hill (I didn’t measure)
Directions:
Preheat over to 325F.  Stir dry ingredients together.  Add the wet ingredients (except cream cheese) and combine.  Place batter in greased or lined muffin tins and dollop a Tbsp or 2 on top of muffin.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top springs back at you. The cream cheese will not melt but will be creamy to eat.

Paleo Pizza Popovers

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I am pretty sure every person reading this blog enjoys pizza.  I’m also fairly certain that most people reading this blog either eat unhealthy versions of pizza or go way out of their way to try and make a healthy version?  I may be wrong, but sometimes you really want PIZZA (and there are recipes for that), and sometimes you just want the pizza flavor.  This is for the time when you feel lazy, don’t necessarily need the bread texture, but do crave some Italian without the guilt.  These popovers can be made tons of different ways.  I currently have a sweet and savory option on the blog, but the pizza version gets it’s own post.
Paleo Pizza Popovers
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp arrowroot or tapioca starch
2 Tbsp coconut flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs, room temp
1/4 cup canned coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
5 slices pepperoni minced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F. In a small bowl combine the flours and salt.  In another medium bowl, whisk the eggs lightly and add the coconut milk and water.  Add the flour mixture and combine until smooth. Add in the seasoning and pepperoni. Put a little oil in each of the 6 muffin tins.  Put the muffin tin and oil into the oven for 5 minutes and remove.  Pour 1/4 cup batter into each muffin tin.  Cook for 15 minutes and reduce heat to 350F.  Cook until golden brown, which could be another 15 minutes. Serve over homemade basil pesto or red sauce.  Garnish with fresh basil.

Carb Challenge Part 3: White Rice

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Catch up with what this is all about. How may your body respond differently to the same amount of net carbs, but from different sources? Would it effect your blood sugar the same? The answer is “probably not.” I set out to experiment on myself, so you guys can see a personal experience of the differences! Having said that, unless you test yourself, you won’t know if you fit the same profile as myself.

First test: 50g net carbs from Oats
Second test: 50g net carbs from banana

Third test: 50g net carbs from white rice

Why white rice?
Rice is a gluten free grain that I consume on occasion, especially with sushi. Consuming white rice vs. brown rice means there is no bran present, which means it’s not high in nutrients or fiber, but it also doesn’t need to be soaked for safe consumption. That makes it a quick, easy, and safe starch for those that handle it well. Since it wasn’t a high fiber carb source, I only had to consume 1.14cups to get 50g net carbs. This made me happy because if you read my experience with oats, eating over 2 cups was hard and unpleasant. I did prepare the rice with bone broth as opposed to water because I would normally prepare it as such.

How did I feel with white rice?
It was super easy to eat this amount of rice! I may even say easier than banana. I didn’t feel full and wanted to eat more. I didn’t feel shaky or nauseous or any other reason to call it a negative reaction. I was ready to eat again fairy shortly though, and found myself staring at the clock waiting for the 2 hours until I could take my blood sugar.

What were the results?
My 2 hour post-prandial reading was 99. If you recall, oats was 122, and banana was 84. The one major difference in my opinion was I decided to do it on a Sunday as opposed to a work day. That means that I didn’t do it quite as early in the morning, and therefore my blood sugar prior to eating it was higher than the other challenges. For oats, my blood sugar prior to eating was 74. Banana fasted blood sugar was 69. This time, I started at 90. So, to have 99 means even though it wasn’t as low as the banana, it came much closer to the fasting level prior to consuming the carbs within that 2 hour window.
Oats: pre# 74- post# 122= 48
banana: pre#69- post# 84= 15
Rice: pre# 90- post# 99= 9

So, oats have still had by far the worst response in my body, but I can’t really determine which was ‘better” between rice and banana because while the blood sugar value was better with banana, the ability to come close to my fasting number was better with rice.

What does this mean for me?
I will honestly probably start incorporating more white rice in my days that I have intense workouts. I like rice. I can use it as an amazing way to get bone broth into my diet, and I know that my body responds nicely to it.

What’s next?
I will likely do a vegetable next. Maybe a potato or sweet potato. Potatoes are probably one of my go-to carb sources, so I’ll be interested to see how they stack up to rice. The one downfall to choosing sweet potato is the volume I have to consume on that one. ;( This is also a testament to which carbs are easiest to ingest in certain quantities. If you are a sedentary person that wants to feel full but not consume too many carbs, then go with those that are less refined. However, if you are trying to build mass or recover and have the need or double or triple the amount of carbs as an average person, then choosing those easy to consume without as much volume may be much better options to comfortably fit your macros.

Meyer Lemon Gummies (2 ingredients)

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There can never be enough opportunity to get more gelatin in your diet!  It’s an amazing soft tissue healer and sometimes bone broth can be inconvenient.  I still think bone broth is essential but this is a great addition to the repitoire. If you make these for kids, you may want to add a couple Tbsp of honey to make them a little sweeter.  I happen to like lemon!
Meyer Lemon Gummies
Ingredients:
1/3 cup fresh squeezed meyer lemon juice
2 1/2 Tbsp gelatin
Directions:
Place the lemon juice in a sauce pan on low and add the gelatin.  Stir until completely dissolved and pour into containers or molds and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.  Remove and enjoy!  I keep mine in the fridge.

Meyer Lemon Muffins

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When Meyer lemons are in season, you take full advantage!  I went through an entire bag in 2 days!  They are different from regular lemons in the sense that are sweeter and almost a cross between a lemon and an orange?  So, they tend to be a good option for baking. These muffins have no nuts, so that’s a plus for those that may be allergic or trying to save money.  They are pretty high in protein because of the egg content, but keep in mind these are still a treat!
Meyer Lemon Muffins
Ingredients:
2/3 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
8 eggs
1/4 cup coconut milk or almond milk
zest from 2 lemons
1/ cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Place all the ingredients, except the butter, in a bowl and mix until blended.  Once blended, start to slowly add the butter until incorporated.  Place in silicone lined muffin tins and bake for 22 minutes.