Blueberry Paleo Muffins

Merry Christmas Everyone!  We hope you are all enjoying your holiday with your family and friends.  Looking for something to take along to your gathering, try this breakfast or snack recipe from Cook Eat Paleo!

Ingredients

• 200 grams almond flour (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons ghee, melted
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease or line muffin tin.
2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in medium bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then fold in blueberries.
3. Using a large ice cream or cookie scoop, fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Yield: 8-9 muffins

Smoked Maple Butternut Squash

Try this side dish for supper over the weekend.  It's sure to be hit with the whole family.

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
2. Place squash cut side up in smoker and smoke for 2 - 3 hours, until squash is tender.
3. Scoop the squash flesh out of the skin and pulse in food processor with remaining ingredients.

Instead of smoking you can roast the squash.

 

How to Roast a Whole Squash or Pumpkin

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 whole squash or pumkin

Instructions

1. Set oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash squash, cut a few deep slits to release steam and place squash in baking dish.
3. Roast squash until soft and easily pierced, 1 to 1-1/2 hours depending on size of squash.
4. Cut squash open and allow to cool until cool enough to handle, then remove seeds and peel.

Simple Guacamole

Looking for a healthy alternative during snack time.  Try this recipe from Cook Eat Paleo! You can even try adding a chopped grilled poblano or jalapeno pepper, grilled pineapple, fresh tomatoes and cilantro, or roasted garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to this simple guacamole recipe.

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 Haas avocados
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 2 tablespoons lime juice, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the onion, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Peel and pit the avocados and add to the bowl.
3. Mash with potato masher until combined.
4. Taste and add more lime juice and salt if needed.

10-Minute Paleo Tomato Soup

Need a bowl of soup to warm you up, try this recipe from Cook Eat Paleo!

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon garlic infused olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to Vitamix or blender and blend on high until smooth.
2. Pour soup into saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to blend flavors.

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Paleo Brownie Recipe

Need a healthy snack for the kids/chocolate lover, try these brownies from Cook Eat Paleo!

 

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cocoa/cacao powder
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup creamy almond butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease an 8 x 8-inch pan.
2. Add dry ingredients to food processor and pulse to combine. Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Spread batter in pan.
3. Bake 20-25 minutes, until set but still slightly moist in center.

Every Buck is a Vote

Paleo Breakfast Sausage

Make your own breakfast sausage!  This recipe is from Cook Eat Paleo!  You can even make extra to freeze and use later.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 
  

Instructions

1. Combine spices in small bowl. Add to ground pork and mix until just combined. Form into 8 patties.
2. Cook patties in a skillet over medium-low heat until browned and cooked through.

Yield: 8 patties

Salad Dressing

Pecan Chocolate Chip Coconut Granola

Healthy and delicious snack recipe from Cook Eat Paleo!

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 1-1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 cup gluten-free, dairy-free, semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine pecans, coconut, almonds, and salt in large bowl. Combine coconut oil and honey in a small bowl, then stir into nut mixture until well combined.
3. Bake on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 15 - 20 minutes, until just lightly browned.
4. Cool completely, then stir in chocolate chips.

Sausage and Butternut Squash Frittata

Breakfast or dinner recipe from Cook Eat Paleo!  It was a hit with my husband and 2 year old!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon bacon fat, duck fat or fat of choice (I used coconut oil)
• 3 ounces cooked sausage, chopped or crumbled
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup red pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup butternut squash, cubed and roasted
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons mixed fresh herbs (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Beat eggs, salt and pepper and herbs until well-combined.
3. Add fat to 10-inch oven-proof skillet and sauté onions and peppers until soft. Add sausage and squash and cook until heated through. Pour eggs over filling and cook until edges start to set.
4. Put pan in oven and broil until frittata is puffed and brown on top, 3-5 minutes.

Yield: 2-3 servings

Roundup

Paleo Avocado Tuna Salad

Snack/Lunch recipe from Cook Eat Paleo!

Ingredients

• 1 avocado
• 1 lemon, juiced, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion, to taste
• 5 ounces cooked or canned wild tuna
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the avocado in half and scoop the middle of both avocado halves into a bowl, leaving a shell of avocado flesh about 1/4-inch thick on each half.
2. Add lemon juice and onion to the avocado in the bowl and mash together. Add tuna, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust if needed.
3. Fill avocado shells with tuna salad and serve.

Yield: 1-2 servings

Roasted Asparagus with Easy Hollandaise Sauce

This recipe is so delicious it's hard to believe it's good for you.  For anyone who doesn't like asparagus try this recipe, you will after you do!

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 tablespoon grass-fed ghee or butter, melted
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3 egg yolks
• Juice of half a lemon, or more to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste
• ½ cup grass-fed ghee or butter, heated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Toss asparagus with 1 tablespoon ghee, salt and pepper and roast until it starts to caramelize but is still crisp, about 10 minutes.
3. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper to blender and blend a few seconds until combined. With blender running, pour hot ghee or butter into blender in a slow steam until combined. Taste and add more lemon juice, cayenne pepper and salt if needed. Thin with a little warm water if desired.
4. Drizzle Hollandaise sauce over asparagus and serve remaining sauce on the side.

Yield: 4 servings

What are you Eating?

Is Kraft Mac & Cheese Made With Illegal GMO Wheat?

Another warning against Kraft Mac & Cheese.  They are labeling products in the UK warning about the harmful effects of the ingredients used but not the US.  Check out this short video.

Is Kraft Mac & Cheese Made With Illegal GMO Wheat?

Paleo Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Yummy take on a salad!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 head broccoli, cut into bite size florets
• 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine onions, vinegar and a good pinch of salt in bottom of large bowl. Stir in mayonnaise.
2. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Amazing Benefits of Cilantro

Try adding cilantro into your morning smoothie, soups and other meals.  It's strong so start small, especially with the smoothies.

What is that Ingredient?

So sorry for the lack of posts lately!  We all get busy and lose track of things sometimes but we hope to continue to post articles to help keep you informed as well as more and more recipes.  Today we just wanted to share this website that we came across from a friend's post on facebook.  Yes there are A LOT of us out there that care about what we are eating and feeding our families, you are not alone!  What is that Ingredient? is a website that tells you what those long, unpronounceable words on labels that companies call ingredients really are.  It lists products that contain those ingredients as well.  So please check it out and pass it on! 

Early Detection Breast Scan (Meditherm DITI)

Cancer affects so many of us in one way or another that we wanted to inform you of a new way of scanning for early signs of breast disease.  The Meditherm DITI, Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging, is a 15 minute non invasive test of physiology.  It is a valuable procedure for alerting your doctor to changes that can indicate early stage breast disease.  DITI can detect breast disease earlier than has been possible through breast self examination, doctor examination or mammography alone. Please read through the following brochure to learn more about DITI.  Tuesday, October 22nd, Meditherm will be at the office of Alternative Solutions in Aviston for anyone interested in having a scan completed.  The cost is $175.  Call today to reserve your spot, 618-228-7722.  Wouldn't it be great to know if you are at risk?

Flinstones Vitamins

Mid-Summer Vegetable Noodle Salad

Delicious salad recipe from Food Renegade.  Haven't tried it yet but it sure does look and sound good! 

Recipe Note: Feel free to exchange some of the squash or cucumber for bell pepper strips.

Ingredients

• 3 medium summer squash of any variety
• 1 large cucumber, peeled if desired
• 3 cups green beans, trimmed and snapped into bite-sized pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil (where to buy olive oil)
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (where to buy raw apple cider vinegar)
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 cup sunflower seeds (where to buy organic, raw sunflower seeds)
• sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Steam green beans until tender. Set aside to cool.
• Cut squash into noodles using either a spiral slicer (I use this one), a julienne peeler (this is mine), or by slicing long thin strips from the vegetables with your knife. Repeat using cucumber. If the cucumber doesn’t slice well due to the high water content, simply cut it into bite-sized pieces.
• Add sliced vegetables to medium-sized bowl and sprinkle with just a little bit of salt. Let stand 5-10 minutes. Squeeze as much excess moisture as you can out of vegetable noodles.
• Mix in green beans, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, turmeric, and sunflower seeds. Season gently with salt and mix well to combine.
• Taste and adjust salt and vinegar as desired. Serve as a main dish lunch salad or as a vegetable addition to a summer cook out spread.

Exposing Kashi Cereal For The Poison That It Is

Check out this article from Realfarmacy.com.  Just because the label says it's natural or even organic does not mean it is.  Companies are trying to fool you.  Read the ingredients!

Inspiration for the Week

Cinnamon Roll Balls

Here's another breakfast recipe from, you guessed it, paleomg.com.  These recipes are hard to resist.  Everything sounds and looks so good!

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 10 dried dates, pitted
• 12 ounces cinnamon roll cracked nut butter
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ tablespoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• melted coconut butter, to top

Instructions

1. Place dried dates in a food processor and pulse until broken down.
2. Then add nut butter, coconut, cinnamon and salt and pulse until well combined.
3. Use your hands to roll small bite-size ball shapes.
4. Top with melted coconut butter.

Makes 8-10 balls

Food Shouldn't Kill

Chocolate Mousse

We are definitely in love with paleomg.com.  Their recipes are so yummy and although we haven't tried this one yet it looked too good not to share!

Prep time: 3 hours

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 3 hours 5 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 ounce) full fat coconut milk left in the fridge overnight (it must be canned!)
• ¼ cup sunflower seed butter (or any nut butter)
• ⅓ cup raw honey
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (or more)
• pinch of salt
• 1 banana, sliced
• 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoons raw honey
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (or more)
• handful of chopped walnuts
• pinch of salt
• bacon (optional- optional because I had none at my house to make crumbles with)

Instructions

1. Place full fat coconut milk in your food processor. I used my blendtec because it’s absolutely amazing for this kind of thing. Be sure to add in the coconut water and pulp that may have separated while being in the fridge.
2. Then add in nut butter, raw honey, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and a bit of salt. Puree until smooth. Pour in ramekins and place in fridge for 3+ hours to completely set. If you want a even harder mousse, place in the freezer to help harden more.
3. Once mousse has set, place 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add in honey to melt just a bit then add in sliced bananas.
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon and pinch of salt.
6. Once the bananas have caramelized on one side (about 2 minutes or so) flip with a spatula, then toss in chopped walnuts, and let both caramelize even more.
7. Remove from heat to let cool just a bit then top your mousse off with this goodness.

Enjoy!

Dishwashers Contain Potentially Harmful Fungi

Came across this article on how 60% of dishwashers contain potentially harmful fungi that can cause lung problems and skin infections....say what? 

• Fungi thrive because of the warm, damp conditions
• These fungi can colonize the lungs and cause infections
• Particularly dangerous for people with poor immune systems such as those with diabetes or cystic fibrosis

It is recommended that once a month you should clean your dishwasher.

1. Remove the racks and wash with hot water before wiping down the inside and allowing to dry.
2. Then mix 1/2 cup of vinegar with 2 cups of warm water and use the mixture to scrub the inside of the dishwasher and the door seal.
3. Next, run the dishwasher on a hot setting with a small glass bowl of vinegar on the top rack.
4. Run again with a cup of baking soda poured on the floor of the machine.
5. Lastly, run the dishwasher with a normal dishwasher cleaner before using again.
   

Because Exercise, a Good Diet and Chiropractic Care are Just TOO Much Trouble

There are so many out there in this situation and there's such an easy fix.  Just ask yourself, do you really want to be taking so many different medications for the rest of your life?