The cutest, little ice cream sandwich you ever saw

Yes, the title is a little gratuitous, but it really is so cute.  This tiny sandwich came about because Luke wanted donut holes, and I wanted him to have salmon and broccoli.  So, we settled in the middle, with this easy recipe for grain-free, dairy-free donuts (so Mom could eat them, too).  They popped out so perfectly, and then I noticed that a slice of frozen banana would fit just right, and voila!  Clean ice cream sandwich.  Tiny things make me happy.

Clean Donuts (makes 24 donut holes)

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

6 eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/8 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled)

32-40 drops liquid stevia (or sweetener of choice: 1/2 cup honey, or 1/2 cup organic cane sugar)

Optional: add in chopped pecans, walnuts, chocolate chips…all would be yummy.

Note: I went light on the stevia (as compared to honey/sugar equivalent measurement), because if you overdo it, it can have a bitter aftertaste.  Also depends on brand – I used the Whole Foods generic brand.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Blend all dry ingredients together, work out lumps as much as you can.
3. Whisk together wet ingredients.
4. Combine dry and wet ingredients together and whisk until there are no more lumps.
5. Scoop into mini muffin tin with a mini-ice cream scoop.  This part is fun.
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
7. Eat as is, or slice in half, spread on nut butter, and add a slice of frozen banana.  YUMMO.

Cauli-Fried Rice

So, this is one of Matt's favorite low carb meals.  It can feel restrictive to eat low carb sometimes, but this dish is really pretty awesome.  Hope your family likes it too! 

Cauli-Fried Rice
1 lb chicken breast, cut into cubes (I have them cube it for me at Whole Foods)
2 eggs
½ head of fresh cauliflower, grated (food processor shred wheel or with a cheese grater)
½ cup of frozen peas
1-2 carrots, diced small (same size as peas, and about 1/2 cup diced)
2 T Bragg’s liquid aminos, divided (basically a healthy, non-gmo sub for soy sauce, can sub regular soy sauce or teriyaki sauce)
1 T sesame oil, divided

Directions
1) Marinate the chicken in about half of the liquid aminos for 30 minutes (optional)
2) Head a large skillet to medium high, and brown the chicken in 11/2 tsp sesame oil.  If you didn't marinate the chicken, then add 1 T liquid aminos at this point.
3) Turn skillet down to medium and continue to cook the chicken through
4) Dump the chicken out on a clean plate, and put the skillet back on the heat to cook the veggies
5) Add the remaining sesame oil, peas, and carrots – heat still on medium. 
6) When veggies are crisp tender, and add the shredded cauliflower to the mix.  Put a lid on the pan for a minute or two to steam it.  Alternatively, you can steam the cauliflower in a zip and steam, and dump it in at this point.  Do not over cook – it will get mushy! 
7) Push the veggies to one side of the pan, and crack the eggs in the other side.  Use wooden spoon or spatula to break up the eggs, and semi-scramble them in the pan.  
8) Once the eggs are cooked, mix with the veggies, and add the remaining liquid aminos (1 T).
9) Add the cooked chicken, and taste for seasoning. Add more liquid aminos, if it needs it (if you're watching your sodium...be careful!)
10)EAT!

Paleo Sausage and Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

So, the next time you have a potluck and need to bring a casserole - MAKE THIS ONE.  I can't claim it as my own recipe, I adapted it from this gal here.  I do think there could be improvements in her method, and I'll mention those as I go.  I also used slightly different measurements.  This casserole is really a pretty balanced meal all in one - you've got tons of protein, healthy fat, greens, and healthy carbs with the sweet potato.  It's kind of perfect. So, without further ado...

Paleo Sausage and Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb breakfast sausage

1 tsp coconut oil

12 eggs 

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 cups power greens (kale, spinach, arugula) 

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt coconut oil in large skillet over medium heat and then add sausage. Brown and break up with a wooden spoon, and allow to drain and cool on a paper towel. Beat eggs in extra large bowl, and add coconut milk and seasonings. Shred sweet potatoes with your food processor shredding wheel, or by hand works too. Dice your onion.  Add sweet potato, onion, and greens (I used prewashed baby kale) into egg mixture. Last, add in the cooked sausage.  Pour the whole thing into a 9x13 pan and spread out. Bake for 45 minutes. Cover with foil and cook for 10 more minutes or until center is set.  Enjoy!

Brown your sausage

I diced the sweet potatoes first, but would just feed through in big chunks next time.

Let the shredder do its thing.

I tried putting the onion in the food processor also, as recommended in the other recipe...and, that was a NO GO.  Just dice it!

I kinda did it out of order...follow my instructions :)

Love this brand of coconut milk!

Ready for the oven...

And we're done!  So pretty!

Need help with your health and fitness journey?  Contact me HERE!

My Hopeful Halloween

I'll never forget Halloween of 2012, two years ago today.  After letting Luke answer the door and hand out candy (he didn't want to go trick-or-treating yet...hadn't figured out the fun), I went to the bathroom to take a pregnancy test.  I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I was a few days late, and it was time to see.

Positive.  Tried not to get overly excited.  Wasn't sure when or how to tell Matt, because I knew he would panic a little.  EXACTLY two years prior to that, we found out we were pregnant with our second baby, who we lost at eleven weeks on Christmas day of 2010.  When you go through something like that, fear and doubt creep in.  It's harder to enjoy the next pregnancy, because you are so scared that something is going to go wrong.  I showed the test to Matt, and he was cautiously optimistic.  Emphasis on the "cautious" part.  I remember he ran to the store to buy 2 more "expensive" pregnancy tests, to be sure.  Got some smiley faces that confirmed it.

I remember crying in the shower, praying for God to let us keep this baby.  It was happy/sad/gut wrenching cry.  Ugly cry.  But cleansing.  And the kind of prayer where your thoughts are not clear, but you know God understands what you're saying.  We had a few scares along the way, but delivered our precious Elizabeth 7 1/2 months later, happy and healthy.  She has been a joy ever since, and fills our house with love every day.  And not a Halloween will go by that I won't remember the day we found out she would be in our lives.  So blessed and grateful.  Stay hopeful, friends.