Cranberry Orange Loaf (Grain/dairy/gluten Free and Paleo)

My photos are not the greatest at giving this cake/loaf what it deserves. This is by far my favorite paleo baked good I have tried so far. Very yummy and it's not even noticeable that it's grain-free! 

Mackynzie devoured this, and told me it was 'super delicious' It was really easy to throw together, and absolutely something you could bring to a family gathering. 

Let me know how it turned out if you try it!  

GET RECIPE HERE

Hearty Cold Weather Stew

   The cold weather is here, pumpkins are popping up everywhere, it could only mean one thing. Time to pull out the crock pot and make delicious hot dinners for the cold evenings. Not to mention that the whole being pregnant thing makes me not want to do a lot in the kitchen.

This recipe is completely clean eating friendly. Each ingredient is nutrient dense and hearty. It literally tastes like fall. Pair it with something pumpkin and sweet for desert and you have hit the fall eating jack pot. This is my favorite stew to date and I have been excitedly awaiting lunch time so I can eat leftovers. Make this, it's delicious.

This recipe is from Tosca Reno, however I changed a few things slightly to suit our family.

Get the recipe Here.

I changed/omitted the following ingredients:

* I chose not to coat the meat in the flour, and instead do what I usually do, which is cook the meat on a high heat to brown the outside and cook it about half+ way. (in coconut oil)

* Since I didn't do the flower mix, I added the seasonings to the whole stew. I used sea salt, pepper, and about a tablespoon  of Italian seasoning.

* I added a couple more carrots.

* I used 1 sweet potato instead of two, and replaced the second sweet potato with a large white potato.

* I did NOT add the nuts, as Cody has a nut allergy.

I did everything else to follow the recipe and changed only the above mentioned items. For those of you who have asked how I make stew It's exactly this, only this time I added the parsnips and sweet potato.

I hope you enjoy it! We certainly did.

Let me know how you liked it if you tried it, and if you changed anything!

Happy eating!

Almond Flour Pancakes

 I posted this picture on instagram:

 And said I would post the recipe if you wanted it. 

 These pancakes are super tasty! We have mostly avoided pancakes as primal peeps, because the ones I have tried have fallen short. And I really don`t like the texture and consistency of coconut flour, so I have never had success using it for pancakes or baking. I finally found some almond flour though, and this was the first thing I tried. 

They are delicious, pancake-sweet, and fluffy. they fill you up too. I recommend using a fine almond flour (I didn't. I used in between course and fine and they were still great.)

CLICK HERE for this recipe. 

Let me know what you thought if you make them. I think ill add a banana next time.

Easy Chicken Dinner in One Pan

 So easy. Really yummy. Perfect lazy day dinner.

• chicken breast
• potatoes
• green vegetable of choice (green beans, asparagus, broccoli, etc)
• mushrooms (if you choose. or whatever may be in your fridge. Like peppers or chives or onions or thinly sliced carrot.)
• butter (or coconut oil.)
• sea salt
• fresh pepper
• Optional but yummy: fresh or dried parsley, dry oregano or an Italian mix. pinch of garlic powder.

 Throw together like shown. Pop in the oven at 350 for an hour (or shorter if your oven is hotter.). Done. Easy peasy. Makes you feel like you spent way more time on dinner then you did. 

Make things easier by spending an hour or so after buying groceries, washing and pre-cutting veggies and fruits so it's grab and go for your entire week!

Bits + Pieces (Of Food!)

1. Making Kale chips. They go so fast!
2. Cauliflower `bread`sticks.
3. We made some paleo chocolate cupcakes.
4. We topped them with an avocado chocolate icing. They were really yummy!
6. We were in the city all day, so I tried the new Wendy`s bacon ranch flat bread. I was surprised! It was actually really good and probably as healthy as you`re going to get at a fast food place.
7.Green Smoothie
8. Dinner: Awesome salad with a cucumber dill dressing sprinkled with chia seeds and sesame seeds. Paired with a hot cup of home made bone broth with sea salt and ground pepper. YUM

Food and Health and My Take

 I don't know what it is about blogging about food that I don't particularly like... I think maybe it's because it's time consuming. I do love to share certain recipes etc, but I don't know that I could commit to talking about food daily. (but who knows, right?)

 Throughout this journey to a healthy life, food is always such a heavy weight. There are a million questions, opinions and answers. It can feel incredibly overwhelming, and leave you guiltily reaching for less than ideal foods. Then there are those cravings. Those horrid cravings that make you feel like a beast. The good news though? It really doesn't need to be like anything mentioned above. At all. In fact, if you let it, food can be a wonderful experience and make you feel like a new person at the same time.

  I have done a lot of trial and error when it comes to food. I have eaten a diet that would be considered healthy based on the standard western diet.I have eaten a very unhealthy diet. I have been Paleo. I have been vegan. Vegan and gluten free. Now, I am moving (and almost there full throttle again.) back to a Paleo diet.

 I have poured so much worry and stress over what I put into our bodies. I have cried and had moments of 'does it really matter anyway? Can't I just close my eyes and do what's easy?'. The bottom Line I have come to is this:  Food matters. It is crucial that we care what we put into our bodies. Food is not made the same as it was years ago, and just because it looks or says its healthy, doesn't mean it is. The work we put into our food pays off-big time, and it really doesn't need to feel like work. It can be easy. Anyone can eat healthy, and everyone can reap the benefits.

 After being sick and tired of  stressing and wondering about food, I sat down with a pen and a notebook and wrote. I asked myself questions like: What do I want from the food I eat? What is important to me when it comes to food? What do I want to accomplish with the food I eat?

My answer to those questions was this: I want to eat for my body. I want to listen to what it tells me. I want to eat good food when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I want to eat in a way that keeps me fit and strong (Physically, mentally and immune wise.). I also want to indulge now and then, but not make a habit of it (and not want to either.). I want to eat food that nourishes me, fills me up, makes me feel good, maintains a healthy body shape, satisfies me and tastes good, and be simple and relatively care-free. I want to eat food that is very healthy, while still being practical to my lifestyle (aka easy.). I want to eat minimal grains and minimal dairy. And finally, that I eat to sustain MY metabolism and body needs.

 That's quite a list, isn't it? When you really look at it though, it's very simple. Best of all, its very easy to accomplish.

The most important thing to focus on is what works for you. Not what you feel like doing- don't use 'what works for you' as an excuse to hide under. My body's needs are my own. They are not the same as my husband's, or my daughter's, or of that gorgeous woman with the six pack abs. I may need a little more of this, and a little less of that. And if you listen to your body (Your taste buds and cravings tell you a lot!) you can figure it out with no problem.  Just to throw out an example, I need to have a higher calorie intake because I am nursing (same goes for if you were thinking about/trying to conceive or already preg.). I also need to eat for the work outs and exercises that I do ( Also the body type I have/am aiming for.)

For my personal needs (and through all the research I have done) the paleo diet is the best choice for me. These are my personal beliefs on food that I wrote down with my list:
   Food is to nourish and fill you. It's not for fun, and it's not something to do (but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy what you do eat, or cooking it.). Eat plenty/as many as you want  of vegetables and fruits (with the veggies outweighing.). My body needs a high protein diet, but I dont care for red meats and want/choose to eat them sparingly. If I want to eat grains- do it- but choose sprouted/soaked 'healthy' grains and do it sparingly. My body needs carbohydrates (complex mostly.) so I need to do my best to get them from sources of foods that are grain free. I need to use my knowledge about food as a guideline, not a rule or source of fear. Stressing about food will get me nowhere that I want to be.

 My biggest advice? Educate yourself about what you are eating. Do what's right for your body (not your BFF's). For the love of god, don't calorie count. And forget about the scale. If you want to keep track of progress, use measurements and before/after photos. It will get you much farther and keep you on your course for the long haul. Move your body. Find something(s) you love and do them. A lot. Be active and learn to love the sweat and burn (I practically get a lady boner just thinking about it.). You choose what you will look and feel like. No one else, so be good to yourself and choose well. (And just because people look buff doing/eating certain things, doesn't mean you will or need to.)

 Create good habits, drink water, get 6-8 hours of sleep, and enjoy the ride. Feel it and love it. You really do only live once, so make it what you want it (it all starts with your health baby!). Be confident and work (and play) hard. It is SO incredibly worth it. And since I've already said it anyway...

YOLO!

There are so many sub topics and what-not about this sort of thing. This is just a basic cover of it. I hope this helps someone find a bit of clarity, relief and/or motivation.



Xxxx

If This is something that is super interesting, I don't mind sharing more at all. Just let me know and I can answer questions etc. I know I have gotten lots of questions about this in the past, so now that I'm on top of answering things, feel free!

Paleo Banana Walnut Bread

 I started Paleo baking again. The good thing about paleo baking is that once you get the hang of it, everything follows similar principals, so unlike regular baking you can create your own recipes. 

 The verdict? This was good. It's mild and sweet and has good consistency and shape. However, I personally don't love coconut flour in my baking. I don't know, it's a texture thing for me. I am going to start baking with almond flour, because I feel like It would have a closer texture to what I am looking for. Despite all this, it was good, so go HERE for the recipe. (To spare me from having to re right it) I used walnuts instead and 3 bananas.

 Happy Saturday everyone!

Do you like coconut flour??

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Yummy chia seed pudding recipe with a step-by-step tutorial from an adorable little girl. This is Really good and satisfies a sweet tooth perfectly.

Ingredients:

*1 full can ( 11/2 cups) full fat coconut milk (shake it well)
*4 tbsp pure maple syrup or raw honey (keep in mind that honey doesn't mix well as is, it clumps, so if you're going to use it, heat it a bit.)
*1 tbsp vanilla extract
* 2 tbsp cocoa powder
*1/3 cup chia seeds.


Extras:
*Berries for topping
*keep this 'vanilla' by skipping the cocoa

Directions:

 Mix together coconut milk, syrup, vanilla and cocoa powder. pour in chia seeds and mix well. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours if you wish to eat it soon, otherwise, chill in the fridge (covered tightly) for a few hours/overnight, but be sure to eat it within 24 hours.

This picture doesn't do it justice, so you will have to forgive me (it was late when it was ready.). It's creamy and perfectly chocolate. Make it, you won't regret it!

**note: this is not a smooth putting. More like a rice/tapioca consistency

I would totally tweak this to make into a moose like or freezer cake too. Om nom-wheels turning....

Eggs on toast

Meal: Breakfast/Lunch

Break down: 1 piece sprouted toast with coconut oil, 2 eggs (S&P), snap peas.

Info: Usually, I add chia seeds to just about everything but I forgot. Don't know what chia seeds are? They are little super food amazing tasteless things. Go buy them and put them on everything. Also, this is not paleo because there is bread, but since we are transitioning back to paleo, I figured ill post our transitional meals as well.

Sweet Buster

Meal: Snack

Break down: Organic dried coconut chunks, dried apricot

In My Fridge.

                         

                             

 I forgot the side of my fridge, but all that's in there (aside from pickles, ketchup and bbq sauce.) is chia seeds, nutritional yeast, ground flax and seaweed.

I also filmed the wrong way. oops!

Enjoy my awkwardness :)

Light Breakfast

Mackynzie's breakfast:

My breakfast:

Meal: Breakfast

Break down: Mackynzies: cut fruit and a probiotic yogurt. Mine: pre-made smoothie and 2 of my spinach cubes. 

Info: Our mornings usually start early, and we don't particularly like a big sit down breakfast first thing in the morning. We start out with something light and easy (I keep chopped and washed fruit on hand and ready to go.) and then later in the morning we eat something more nutrient dense, with a good amount of protein.

Green breakfast/snack smoothie with avocado

Meal: Breakfast/Snack

Break down: (instructions) 1 avocado, 1-2 handfuls of spinach (steamed), 1 ripe banana, handful or two of ice, orange juice to cover half way up ingredients. Blend. If too thick, add more O.J and a splash of almond milk until desired thickness.

Info: This is something I make when I am not satisfied with my veggie intake (green veggies specifically.). Packed full of awesome nutrients and easy peasy. I add coconut water if I have it too.

Why steamed spinach? Almost all greens should be cooked before consumption or they can be quite harmful for your system and can inhibit iron absorption. I can post more info on this, or 'the healthy home economist' has a good post with a break down of info. 

 To make this easier, I wash and steam ALL my spinach when I buy it, blend it together, and spoon/pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Once frozen, I place into baggy and add 1-3 cubes to my smoothies. (I usually add 2.)

Let's blog about food (easy lunch)

 I don't really know why I avoid posting about food on here. It's not that it's uninteresting for me, it's just such a routine part of life that it felt silly to blog about. But people are always asking for recipes  how/what we eat, my diet plan, fitness plan etc; so I figured since I wanted to record my meals anyway and let's face it, I suck at personally giving people recipes, I'll just add it to the ole' blog. And for the fitness thing, 75% of toning and looking great happens in the kitchen anyway.

 Anyway, the deal will be that I will post stuff we eat. Some of it might call for a recipe, some might be self explanatory and serve as more of an idea. Maybe I'll even post an 'I wanna make this because it looks freaking delicious' once in a while. Who know. So without further rambling, here's a picture of my food.

Meal: Lunch/Breakfast 

Break Down: 2 scrambled eggs (whipped with almond milk, cooked in coconut oil or butter), 1 slice of natural turkey with goat cheese inside, snap peas.

info: This was actually Mackynzie's lunch. So know now that every post should be kid approved and honestly, I probably only make stuff she is going to eat. This meal could actually be good for any meal of the day, when you eat it is up to you!

Food Friday: Very Easy Split Pea Soup

 It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday...

I now apologize for making you think of that terrible song. I will now make it up to you with an awesome recipe!

Split Pea Soup:

This recipe is so incredibly easy, quick and tasty! Mackynzie will eat an entire bowl of this, so that speaks for itself!

• 8 cups water
• 2 bullion cubes (we use veggie)
• 1 cup dried split peas
• salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. once boiling, turn down and simmer for approximately 45 mins. Blend with emulsifier, top with Parmesan or cheddar cheese, fresh chopped cilantro, or nothing at all and serve. That's seriously how easy it is!

OPTIONAL additional ingredients:

• 1 tbsp curry
• 1 tbsp turmeric 
• 3-5 medium sized carrots (chopped in large chunks)
• spinach added in last 10 mins or so

Happy tummies!

My version of vegan 'yogurt'

 I was looking for a quick, light snack or breakfast for those mornings when Mackynzie or myself just don't feel like eating much. I wanted it to still be nutritious and I soon found myself dreaming of being able to eat yogurt. It was the perfect solution in my mind, but the whole dairy thing was an issue. Then I remembered my love for coconut milk, and the versatility of coconut 'whip cream'. And with that, I give you:

 Rainbow's vegan 'yogurt'

I make them in single containers, so they are one serving. You can tweak the recipe to suit your desired serving size.

• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1-2 tsp (actual teaspoons you eat with) Organic jam OR purred/mashed fruit
• 1-2 tsp organic apple sauce (if you want some texture. skip if you're looking for completely smooth.)
• 1 single-serving container with lid

shake your coconut milk really well. you want to incorporate the water and cream. skip this step if you want a thick, Greek-like yogurt. If you want it thick, do not mix can. open and scoop the 'cream' out and save the water for another purpose.

 Make sure your coconut milk is well whipped (by either shaking or whipping with fork. especially if you are seperating it from the water.)

Pour into container. Add 1 teaspoon of jam and 1 teaspoon of apple sauce and mix well. taste, and add more if desired.

pop lid on and leave in fridge for preferably one day.

Enjoy!

I love that this has the consistency and creaminess of real yogurt. Its also super versatile as you can literally put any sort of fruit you want into it.  Also, how easy is that?!

Coconut milk is packed with awesome nutrition, so sit back and enjoy eating/feeding your little knowing you aren't filling up on 'nothing'!

Paleo Pizza

 Tonight, Mackynzie and I needed something fun to do, and I wanted something easy and delicious for dinner. I was in the mood for filling, carb-like food, so we decided to try out our first primal pizza with a more traditional crust (we have made it before using cauliflower 'rice').

 I grabbed some random ingredients from my-'I need to go to the store'- kind of stocked fridge, and made a simple, easy, yummy pizza!

PALEO PIZZA CRUST (and Pizza recipe):

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of full fat coconut milk Or approx 3/4 C of almond milk
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup coconut flour

 Mix eggs, milk, and both garlic's together gently. Add baking soda and coconut flour to egg mixture. (sift your coconut flour!) Mix until combined.

spread out into a pizza shape on your pan. (it will be more like a thick batter, not dough like.) *Remember that coconut flour recipes don't 'grow', so how thick you spread it, will be how thick your crust it!*

  Place on greased, non-stick pizza pan (or parchment paper)

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Once brown, take crust out, and carefully flip your crust.

 Spread pizza sauce on (we used tomato paste mixed with herbs, salt and pepper, and a bit of garlic powder.), and top with whatever your taste buds desire! (We had farmer sausage, tomatoes, black olives, avocado, and a tiny bit of cheese. The avocado acts as a cheese substitute, in my opinion, because it's so rich and creamy. (we only used cheese because that was the last of the block I needed to get rid of!) random toppings, but it was what was in the fridge!)

Turn oven to *broil* and place back in oven for approximately 10 minutes. *watch it though, you don't want to burn your edges!*

Take out, cut up, and ENJOY!

Banana-Chocolate Chip Paleo Muffins (Or just Banana...)

 Paleo muffins?! No way!

Don't be so shocked! Some of us on the caveman diet still love to bake! (I have quite a few baking recipes that I will be posting asap!!)

For those of you who were not shocked, and just want me to get to the dang muffins already, here we go:

Banana-Chocolate Chip Paleo Muffins (Or just Banana Muffins...):

• 2 large size eggs
• 4tbsp Melted coconut oil, or butter
• 2 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (add a bit more if you are not using chocolate chips. if you don't like sweet things all that much, don't add any. Or, add more if you like. OR you can use honey (if you don't have little ones under/around 1 year), or other natural sweeteners.)
• 2 pureed over-ripe bananas (I have a bullet, so I just popped them in there, and made them smooth. You can do this with a blender, OR you can just hand mash them. I didn't want any lumps of banana this morning, so this is just what I did!)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp crushed sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• handful of chocolate chips. (eye-ball it. You know what you like.)
• Nuts, if you like them. (we don't bake with nuts often, so we don't add them.)

Directions:

There are two ways you can do this. 

 1 - put everything in bowl and mix.

2 - (what I do.) Crack eggs into your bowl, and give a light whip so they are somewhat combined. Add your syrup and *melted* coconut oil/butter - give a little whip again to combine.

  Add your banana puree or mush (or, if you are not pureeing them, just put them in the bowl and mash them with the eggs etc in there... Or do it separately, its completely your call.)  and give a little whip to combine it all again.

 Sift in your coconut flour, then add your salt, and baking soda - mix with wooden spoon until combined.

Add your chocolate chips and/or nuts if you're adding them.

Preheat oven to 350.

use ice cream scoop, or spoon, to scoop a big dollop of batter into a **greased** muffin tin. (or use cupcake liners.)

Bake for 28-30 mins. Cool, pop out and eat them all... 

TIPS AND EXTRA INFO:

• If you have baked plaeo-style before, you will notice that I only use two eggs. This may confuse you, as paleo baking usually requires 6+ eggs. Worry not, this is not a typo. I have been playing around and making dozens of muffins to find the right consistency. I think I found it. (don't hold me to this yet, as I need to try and do a recipe without chocolate chips first, to see if what I did was right!)
• If you have baked with coconut flour before, you will noticed the muffins tend to come out mushy. This one is not mushy. (see above bullet.)
• These muffins don't rise, So fill your tins appropriately.
• The bake time is quite long for muffins, but they are mushy if you don't wait it out. Some ovens may be done in 17 mins, but I have a hot oven, and I leave mine in for 30 mins, or else i find my centers are just too moist.
• These freeze well, so make some, and freeze them!
• Paleo muffin batter doesn't make as many muffins as you may be used to, with wheat flour. Don't be fooled, these are FILLING because they are packed with so much goodness. Just 2 of these bad boys with my tea or green smoothie, and I am stuffed for breakfast! 
• Some people may be going "whoa, Rainbow. Chocolate chips are NOT paleo." -This is true. But, a little dark chocolate is A-okay in most paleo eyes, and you can get vegan/gluten free chocolate chips. (these in particular, are just normal chips. We don't always sweat the small stuff, and we are not crazy strict, so this is okay for us. It;s not like it's all the time ;) )

Eat, and enjoy! 

Please feel free to ask any questions (I may have let something out, you never know!) and be sure to keep an eye out for more muffin recipes!