Maple Pecan Walnut "cracker/cookies"

I wanted to bake another portable snack for the girls and whipped this up. Rory told me "you'd better write this one down"... If only you could have seen the look on his face after his first bite. Needless to say, all family members readily approved of this!

2 cup pecans

1 cup walnuts

2 tsp baking soda

scant 1/2 tsp sea salt

3-4 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tbsp water

3 tbsp grapeseed oil

1. In a blender or food processor, pulse the nuts, soda and salt until finely ground.

2. In a bowl mix together nut mixture, maple syrup, water and grapeseed oil until well combined.

3. Spread onto a parchment or silpat lines cookie sheet.

4. To help get a uniform thinness, I put a piece of saran wrap over the top and used my hands to pat it into a rectangle shape that was about 1/8 to a 1/4 inch thick.

5. Bake at 350 for ~15-17 minutes.

6. Let cool then cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Noatmeal

I love fall. I pretty much love everything about it: crisp air, changing leaves, and of course... pumpkins! Pumpkin anything makes me happy. I opted for a "fall" breakfast this morning and was so pleased with the results.

handful of walnuts

handful of pecans

2 tbsp ground flax

3 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin

1/2 c coconut milk

1/4 c water

2-3 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1-2 tsp vanilla

dash of nutmeg

dash of salt

In a blender, pulse the nuts until coarsely ground. Add in remaining ingredients and blend until mixed. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until thickened and heated through.

I served Aubrey's with some raisins, a pat of butter, and extra drizzle of maple syrup. She ate up the whole thing!

The importance of your Omega 6:3 ratio!

Found this great article about how a lower omega 6:3 ratio is good in many diseases of Western civilization. Read the abstract here. Basically, our typical American diets are too high in omega 6s and this promotes all kinds of diseases. We use Carlson's Very Finest Fish Oil in lemon in our household (Aubrey and Adria love it too!). Dr. Sears has a great article on the importance of Omega 3 acids in children's brain development. (Read it here.)

"Creamy" Chicken with Bacon and Zucchini

I've got a fridge full of stuff from my CSA, Carolina Grown, and I had to come up with something to use some of the goodies! I love zucchini and the apple in this gives it just a touch of sweetness.

1lb chicken, diced

1/2 onion, diced

8 strips of bacon

4 small zucchini

1/3 gala apple

3 tbsp salsa

4 tbsp mayo

salt to taste

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. (I cut mine into small pieces with a kitchen shears before cooking... then I don't have to crumble it later).

2. Remove bacon and cook onion in bacon fat (yum!).

3. Add zucchini and saute for a few minutes. Set aside veggies and bacon.

4. Into the same pan add chicken. When it is just about done, add in the apple and cook until the chicken is done.

5. Combine all ingredients in the pan and give it a good stir.

6. Serve and enjoy!

Paleo friendly mayo can be hard to find. Which leaves 2 options, find the best one you can and decided that is ok to use or make homemade, which is relatively easy to do. When I make mine, I use a blender.

No-atmeal

I enjoy No Oat Oatmeal from MDA, but I'm constantly switching things up based on what I have in my kitchen (you know me... I do that ALL the time!). Here's my little version this morning...

1 handful of pecans

1 handful walnuts

2 tbsp ground flax

generous dash of cinnamon

small dash of nutmeg

pinch of salt

3 eggs

1/3 c (ish... I eyeballed it) coconut milk (if you like yours a little runnier add a couple of tbsp water)

1/4 of an apple

1/2 peach (no need to peel)

1. In blender or food processor, grind nuts, flax, and spices until you get a nice pulp.

2. Add in remainder of ingredients and blend until desired texture. (I like mine fairly smooth with a few nice chunks of nuts).

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until desired thickness is reached.

Since I'm on a 30 day strict paleo challenge, I ate mine with some diced bananas on top on some melted coconut oil. Yum! For Aubrey, I did the same but drizzled honey on the top.

Caramelized onion and spinach frittata

I really do love eggs. To me, they are a breakfast/lunch/dinner option. Frittatas are a wonderful way to incorporate veggies into your eggs and have a beautiful presentation. Serve next to a huge salad and what could make a better lunch (especially when you have good company to share it with!)

9 eggs

1 small onion

1/2 red pepper

1 package fresh spinach

salt and pepper

oil

(feta cheese if you want a small cheat)

1. Caramelize your onions. (TAKE YOUR TIME... the results are worth it!) Slice onion thinly into rings and then cook over medium-low heat with a generous amount of oil. Resist the urge to stir frequently. The onions should take on a beautiful brownish-golden hue.

2. While onions are cooking whisk eggs (with cheese if desired) and salt and pepper.

3. Remove onions from pan and add in diced pepper. Saute pepper for a few minutes then add spinach. Allow spinach to wilt, but take off the heat before the spinach looses its brilliant green color.

4. Turn heat to low.

5. Add onions back to pan and stir. Then pour eggs into the pan.

6. Cover and let cook until mostly set. This can take up to 20 or more minutes.

7. Here's the tricky part. Slide eggs onto a plate and then flip over back into the pan to allow the rest of the egg to cook. Your frittata should look lovely and full of colors.

(You can also bake this or if you have the right kind of pan, broil it for a few minutes instead of trying to flip it over.)

Pumpkin Bread

This one is for my friend Anne!

1/4 c melted ghee or clarified butter

1/2 c (or a little less) honey

3 eggs

1/2 c pumpkin

1 cup almond flour

1/4 c (minus 1-2 teaspoons) coconut flour

2 tbsp arrowroot powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/8-1/4tsp nutmeg

Combine wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir until combined. Scoop into oiled pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Cake in a Jar!

I've been a little obsessed lately with baking cakes in jars. "Why?" you might ask... Well, with Rory gone I've had to find a way to ensure he still is the lucky recipient of home baked goods (paleo friendly, of course). For his birthday I baked coconut flour cakes and sent Maranatha Dark Chocolate Almond Spread as the frosting. Three weeks later, he received his birthday surprise and told me they tasted as if I had made them the day before.

Here is a link on instructions: Baking Cakes in Canning Jars.

In the oven right now are Nut Butter Blondies baked in jars! I prepare my jars a little differently than the link above. I do not grease my jars first. Rory eats them directly from the jar so it seems like a moot point to me. Also, baking times can vary quite a bit from original recipes, so keep an eye on them while baking.

The possibilities are endless! Have too many ripe bananas laying around? Make a batch of banana bread in jars and you'll have some 'fresh' banana bread to enjoy for weeks to come. Bored, but love to bake? Bake up a batch of your favorite cake. The single serving jars will help keep your will power in check! :) They also make great gifts and are suitable for fundraisers!

Enjoy!

Food for thought

Love, love, love babyfoodscoops! My friend Nicole has some really great ideas about all kinds of stuff! The other day they posted this interesting little piece about childhood obesity. It is thought provoking enough to share (albeit a controversial topic).

Broccoli Salad

1 head broccoli, broken into florets

handful of raisins or halved grapes

3 tbsp diced onion

3-4 slices bacon, cooked crisp

generous handful pecans, toasted

3 tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 cup mayo

2 tbsp cider vinegar

Toss all together and serve.

Banana Bread- best yet!

3 large ripe bananas

1/4 c agave nectar

1/4 c coconut oil, melted

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 c. almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

generous dash of cinnamon

4 tbsp arrowroot powder

1. Mash bananas.

2. Whisk eggs. Add in agave, oil, vanilla, salt and bananas. Mix well.

3. Add almond flour, arrowroot powder and baking soda. Mix well.

4. Scoop into a bread pan that has been greased with coconut oil.

5. Bake at 325 for ~25-30 minutes (toothpick should come out clean).

We enjoy this toasted with butter or coconut oil. I might try and make french toast in the morning!

Another great article...

From the Times...

A Food Manifesto for the Future

Eating this way can be expensive...

The Whole9 just had a great post about navigating your way around the grocery store while being conscientious about your budget.

Check it out here!

Please vaccinate your children!

We don't need outbreaks of preventable diseases!

Journal: Study Linking Vaccine To Autism Was Fraud

Curry Inspired Sauce

It is a well known fact that Rory very much dislikes curry. While peering into my cupboard I was inspired to make something with coconut milk that was laced with middle eastern flavors, but with NO curry! I thoroughly enjoyed it and... so did Rory! Hooray!

1 can coconut milk

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp each cumin, whole oregano, and paprika

1/4 tsp ginger

1-2 minced garlic cloves

dash of cayenne pepper

salt to taste

juice from 1/2 lemon

Mix all ingredients, except the lemon juice, together in a pot and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low and allow flavors to meld. Just before serving mix in lemon juice.

I served this poured over roasted brussel sprouts and a baked whole chicken. I could see it easily poured over any roasted veggies or with some type of fish. This was a nice change of pace from the flavors I usually use in my cooking.

Grain-free granola

Awhile back, Rory bought some GRAWnola from Whole Foods. It was so tasty and such a convenient snack, I bought some for my brother for Christmas. Now, it was tasty but at $12 a bag, it was also a little pricey! So after doing some internet searching I came up with my own granola recipe. Super easy and super good- a new staple in our house!

1 cup walnuts

1 cup almonds

Generous half cup of dried figs

1/2 c each sunflower seeds, shredded coconut

1/4 c almond oil

1/4 c honey

dash of cinnamon

1. In a food processor grind the figs until a paste forms (its OK to have some chunks still in it). Spoon into a large bowl and set aside.

2. Grind walnuts and almonds in a food processor until you have a course mixture. I grind mine until there are still a few whole nuts floating around. This makes for a variety of textures in the granola. Pour into bowl with figs.

3. Add sunflower seeds, coconut, oil, honey and cinnamon. With your hands work the mixture until the figs are well mixed with the nuts.

4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, stirring once.

5. Turn oven off and let sit inside for another 15-20 minutes, turning once in between.

6. Cool for 45 minutes to allow honey to harden and the granola to crisp up.

I got the thumbs up for this recipe from our friends at Crossfit Fort Bragg. Thanks, guys!