Almond Butter Coconut Cookies (Low Carb and Paleo)

It’s always nice to have an easy cookie recipe.  One of my go-to cookie recipes to make is Chocolate Dipped Almond Butter Cookies. One request I get a lot is from people wanting to substitute liquid sweeteners, such as Stevia, in the cookies instead of using Swerve.  The problem with that is the Swerve adds bulk to the cookies and soaks up the almond butter.  I decided to try out a new recipe, to make these cookies Paleo friendly by using unsweetened finely shredded coconut to add some bulk to the cookies.  Also, instead of dipping the chocolate I added chopped dark chocolate in the cookie dough (Note: the chocolate isn’t pictured). I’m happy to report that these are deliciously easy cookies that are every bit as good as my Chocolate Dipped Almond Butter Cookies. Read more

What I Made with My CSA Veggies: Week 2

Last week was Week 2 of participating in a Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA.  A CSA allows a group of people to buy a share of the farms expenses and in return you get a weekly, in my case, box of the farm’s harvest.  A CSA is the best way to get a variety of veggies that are locally grown in the peak of freshness (make sure they are organic too).  I’m so excited to see what veggies I’m going to be able to use to create delicious meals for the week.

 This week our CSA box contained:

• Curly Kale
• Yellow Squash
• Carrots
• Onions
• Golden Beets
• Green Beans
• Mixed Greens (not pictured)
• Lambs Quarter
• Squash Blossoms
• Dill
• Cucumbers Read more

Flourless Paleo Brownies with a Special Ingredient (Low Carb)

So lately my recipes have been centered around my CSA veggie box each week, which means lots of savory dishes to share with you guys.  Last week I found myself with a lot of yellow squash (or Crookneck squash) and as much as I was enjoying my squash noodles I wanted to make something sweet. How was I going to use up all of that yellow squash? Paleo brownies (and low carb too)…perfect!  I had seen different paleo brownies all over Pinterest that secretly snuck in veggies, so I decided to give it a try with my extra yellow squash.  If you’re skeptical, the good news is that you can’t even taste the yellow squash in the brownies.  The high water content and grating the squash helps it melt right into the low carb and paleo brownies.   Just so you know, these brownies are more cake like than dense and fudgy, but I still enjoyed them and it was a great way to use up my yellow squash. Read more

Marinated Golden Beets and Why Beets are Good Carbs

Ok, so apparently I’m not a beet expert.  I had high hopes of making Red Velvet Brownies using the beets that were in my CSA box this week.  Those ruby red beets were going to give my brownies the red color they famously have.  So to prepare the beets, I needed to roast them first. I wrapped those beets in foil and roasted them for 50 minutes in a 400 F oven.  I took them out and let them cool so I could peel them.  I was all prepared with running water so my hands wouldn’t get stained.  I picked up the first beet, placed it under the water and began to peel off the skin.  What??  They aren’t red!  Oh…they must be golden beets….and apparently I can’t tell the difference at first glance.  So those beets were going to be useless in my brownies without the bright red color so I decided to make another tasty dish….Marinated Golden Beets.

Now, I know some of you are saying that you wouldn’t go near a beet because they are high in sugar/carbs.  But I’m here to to tell you why you should add a few beets to your diet every now and then. Read more

Coconut Chips Two Ways and Why You Should Add Coconut to Your Diet

I’m always on the go, so in order to be prepared I always have snacks with me in case I can’t get somewhere to have a decent real food meal.  One of my favorite snacks is Coconut Chips!  Now I know there are a lot of coconut haters out there and believe me I totally understand because I used to be one of them.  But toasting the coconut changes the texture of the coconut so that it is crispy and crunchy instead of chewy.  These Coconut Chips are so easy and quick to make that you can easily fit these into your schedule.  No more reaching for the vending machine!  The seasonings are versatile, so use whatever you like (paprika, cayenne, turmeric, ginger, etc.)

You might have heard that coconut is HIGH in FAT!!!  Oh no!  Not to worry…it’s the quality, natural fat found from a real food source.  It also has amazing benefits!  Check out the list below on why I eat coconut. Read more

What I Made With My CSA Veggies: Week 1

So last week was my first time participating in a Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA.  A CSA allows a group of people to buy a share of the farms expenses and in return you get a weekly, in my case, box of the farm’s harvest.  A CSA is the best way to get a variety of veggies that are locally grown in the peak of freshness (make sure they are organic too).  It felt like Christmas when I went to pick up my CSA box!  I was excited to see what veggies I was going to be able to use to create delicious meals for the week.

 This week our CSA box contained:

• Broccoli
• Yellow Squash
• Carrots
• Onions
• Turnips
• Cauliflower
• Mixed Greens
• Arugula
• Pastured Eggs Read more

Arugula Pesto and Why You Should Eat More Arugula

Last week in my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box I had a mysterious bag of lettuce.  I wasn’t exactly sure what it was so I grabbed a leaf and began to chew.  Whoa!! It was peppery!  After many hours of watching the Food Network I knew that peppery lettuce had to be Arugula.  The only time I ever eat arugula is mixed in with salad greens.  Since I had a whole bag to experiment with, I decided to try something different and make Arugula Pesto.  The pesto ended up being a lot more mild on the pepper factor, which was just perfect.  I ended up spreading the Arugula Pesto on some wild salmon and pan searing each side until golden brown.  Delicious!  Before I get to the recipe I wanted to share some interesting health facts about Arugula. Read more

May Favorites

Can you believe May is over? This year is really flying by so quickly.  I wanted to share with you some of my favorites recipes and articles from May.

What I loved in May:

• I really want to give this Grain-Free Butternut Flatbread a try.  It seems so versatile!

• Do you know the health benefits of bone broth?  It is definitely worth making at home and is very easy to make.  I made a batch the weekend with the grass fed beef bones I got from the farmer’s market. Read more

Turnip Cauliflower Mash and the Health Benefits of Turnips

I was just thinking the other week how I hadn’t had turnips in awhile and that I should pick some up at the Farmer’s Market.  Luckily for me, my CSA box had turnips this week.  The first thing that comes to mind when I see turnips is Turnip Fries, but I wanted to make something a little different.  Since my CSA also featured cauliflower, I figured I might as well spice up my usual Cauliflower Mash.  Since I’ve been working on improving my slow metabolism and hormone issues through diet, I’ve become very interested in the nutritional info of all the different veggies….not just the carb count.

Health Benefits of Turnips:

• Excellent source of Vitamin C (great for adrenal healing), potassium, folic acid, magnesium, and Vitamins B6 and E.
• Contains phytochemicals with anticancer properties
• Promotes Bone Healthy with calcium (See Why Calcium isn’t the only factor in bone health) Read more

Ice Cream Maker Giveaway