Peanut Ginger Veggie Stir-Fry

Just delicious. 

Ingredients:

Cooking oil ( I used coconut, but olive oil would work well too)

1/3 medium zucchini, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large knob garlic, peeled & grated 

2 generous handfuls of baby spinach 

Dallop of smooth peanut butter 

Liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

Sesame seeds

Cayenne pepper

Method:

Heat oil in skillet on medium heat. Add garlic until just browned. Add ginger & zucchini, stir for a minute then add spinach. Once spinach leaves have wilted, add peanut butter and aminos. Stir until PB melts and becomes sauce-like. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cayenne pepper, mix once more & serve! 

Single serving 

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Date Truffles

Yet another, but delicious, date truffle recipe :)

Ingredients:

15 pitted dates

1/4 cup coconut oil - not melted

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup rolled oats 

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (heaping) teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

Splash of vanilla almond milk 

Method:

Combine all ingredients except for almond milk in food processor/high power blender until well mixed. Add splash of milk and blend again for another minute or so. Roll tablespoon size scoops in palms until a ball forms. Place in fridge for at least 20 minutes to allow coconut oil to harden, sealing all ingredients up in a delicious 70 calorie snack! Makes about 20 truffles :) 

Banana Bread Oatmeal

Yuuuummm!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats 

1/2 large, very ripe banana

3 T hemp seeds

Generous sprinkling of cinnamon

Almond milk 

Method:

Place rolled oats in mircrowave safe bowl. Add hemp seeds and cinnamon. Thinly slice bananas and place on top. Add almond milk to your preference; I like a nice thick oatmeal so I used about 1/2 cup. Microwave for about 3 minutes, mix together, add more milk or cinnamon if needed. 

The hemp seeds give it a nutty flavor, and also 10 grams of protein!

Chocolate Fudge Balls

Yep, another ball recipe. This is one my girls love! And I feel good about giving them :)

Ingredients:

20 pitted dates

1/2 cup coconut oil

2T flax seeds

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Dash of vanilla almond milk 

Dash of cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Heaping 1/4 cup rolled oats 

Method:

Combine all ingredients in food processor/blender until a sticky dough forms. It should be solid enough to mold into tablespoon size balls. 

Refrigerate until coconut oil hardens and you are left with a fudge-like texture that tastes like brownie batter! Yum!! 

Date and Seed Squares

Another delicious resulting experiment :)

Ingredients:

14 pitted dates

1/3 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

2 T coconut oil

1 T flax seeds

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Cinnamon, to taste 

Method:

Combine all ingredients in good processor/high quality blender until well mixed - you may have to stop as scrape down the sides once or twice. Mixture will be a bit crumbly. Press into 9x9 pan, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or freezer if you want faster results). Cut into 9 squares and eat up! 

110 delicious and healthy calories each :)

Sunflower Seed Hemp Bars

Ingredients:

14 pitted dates

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup hemp protein powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

Drizzle of honey, to taste 

Method:

In a food processor, (or high quality blender, thanks to our Ninja!) blend dates and coconut oil. Add other ingredients and blend well, stopping to scrape down sides a couple times. Press mixture into a 9x9 pan and place in refrigerator. Chill for about 20 minutes, until coconut oil hardens, and cut into 10 bars. 

167 calories each! Enjoy :) 

Simple Green Protein Smoothie

Simple, healthy & delicious :)

Ingredients:

3-4 kale leaves, tough stems removed

Almond milk (or soy, cows, rice or coconut...to your desired thickness) 

1/2 banana

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Generous sprinkling of cinnamon 

Chia seeds

Method:

Blend kale & milk until liquified. Add other ingredients & more milk if needed & blend away! Tastes more like a vanilla dessert than a green smoothie ;) 

With the 1 cup of almond milk I used, this smoothie came out to 277 calories! Enjoy :)

Quick Chicken & Spice Lunch

Yummo! 

Ingredients:

1 cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

Handful of baby spinach

Drizzle of olive oil

Ground turmeric

Crushed red pepper flakes

Ground cumin 

Garlic powder

Method: 

Steam baby spinach until wilted. Mix in brown rice, chicken & olive oil. Stir well, and add sprinkling of spices to your liking - stir until combined & enjoy! Easy and tasty!

335 calories :) 

Paleo Pumpkin Soup

Perfect for a cool, fall day :)

Ingredients:

4T coconut oil

3 (large) garlic cloves, minced 

2 cups chicken broth

2 1/2 cups canned puréed pumpkin (not pie filler)

1 can (13.5oz) light coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Method:

Melt coconut oil in large sauce pan. Add garlic until just browned, then add chicken broth. Once boiling, add pumpkin, coconut milk, and spices. Stir well, lower heat to medium-low & let cook for another 10 minutes. 

Pour into individual bowls, top with an extra sprinkling of pepper, and serve!

Makes 4 servings; 225 calories each :) 

Homemade Granola

Granola seemed easy enough to make myself, so I threw a bunch of stuff together, and, I was right! Came out delicious :)

Ingredients:

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup flax seeds

2 T honey

2 T maple syrup 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in medium mixing bowl & spread on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing & re-flattening a couple of times. Let cool & voila! 

Great mixed with yogurt or to simply eat as a snack :) 

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

Fresh seeds from 1 pumpkin; pulp removed

Olive oil

Ground cumin

Paprika

Garlic salt

Sea salt

Method:

Rinse & dry seeds. Place in small mixing bowl & drizzle with olive oil. Give a generous sprinkling of ground cumin, then add sprinklings of other spices & salt. Mix well, and place on aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake (in toaster oven) on 325 for about 20 minutes. 

Let cool & enjoy :)

Chocolate Coconut Cookies with Sunflower Seeds

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2/3 cups unsweetened natural applesauce

3/4 cups shredded coconut

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 cup raw sunflower seeds 

1 scoop vanilla protein powder 

Method:

Whisk egg & apple sauce together until well combined. Add other ingredients and mix. Drop round scoops onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet, flatten with palm. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes - makes about 12 cookies.

105 calories each :) 

Sweet Tooth Lunch

An easy & sweetly delicious lunch

Ingredients:

4oz chicken breast

1 medium sweet potato

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Sprinkling of cinnamon

Method:

Wash & bake sweet potato in microwave (7-9 minutes depending on size). Boil chicken until just cooked through. Mash sweet potato with fork until texture is whipped-like. Once chicken is cooked, cut into small chunks. Combine sweet potato, chicken & coconut oil until mixed. Mix in cinnamon to taste & voila! Does the trick for the ol' sweet tooth - protein & carbs keep you full too! 

385 calories

Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup almond milk

1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 teaspoon (heaping) cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

Few pinches of ground ginger

Place ingredients in microwaveable bowl, heat for about 2 minutes, stir & serve :)

300 calories

18 grams protein!

Protein Date Balls

Yes, mildly inappropriate name. Oh well, it's what they are :)

Ingredients:

14 pitted dates

2 tablespoons sunbutter (or nut butter of choice)

2 tablespoons of flaxseeds

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted 

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Raw Protein by Garden of Life) 

Method:

Let dates soak in hot water for about 10 minutes. Drain water & mash with fork. 

Once dates are a paste-like texture, add other ingredients one by one, mixing well. 

Roll into balls, about the size of golf balls. 

Keep refrigerated & enjoy!

108 calories each

Chocolate Coconut Brownie Pie

And the paleo dessert baking continues...

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, peeled & grated

2 large eggs

1/2 cup natural maple syrup

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon gluten-free baking powder

1/2 tablespoon baking soda 

2 tablespoons coconut flour

Unsweetened shredded coconut

Method:

Preheat oven to 370. 

Mix all ingredients except for shredded coconut in a large mixing bowl. When well combined, pour into greased pie dish (we used coconut oil for greasing). Sprinkle a generous amount of coconut on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Let cool, slice up & enjoy! 

Hard Pomegranate Juice

A (nearly) guilt-free hard beverage!

Ingredients:
1 pomegranate fruit
1 cup white grapes, seedless
Juice from 1/2 lemon, squeezed
2 shots tequila

Method:
Separate seeds from membrane of pomegranate (discard membrane). Put seeds, then grapes through juicer. Pour juice into shaker. Squeeze 1/2 lemon into juice, then add tequila. Refrigerate (or shake with a few ice cubes if serving right away) - and enjoy!

*For added sweetness, mix in 1T of honey or agave nectar

Hemp Almond Coconut Protein Bars

These define delicious & nutritious. Seriously. 

Ingredients:

20 pitted dates, chopped

6 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup hemp protein powder

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup raw almonds 

1/4 cup almond meal 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup shredded coconut

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons water 

Method: process dates, coconut oil, vanilla & almond butter until well combined. Add other other ingredients and pulse processor until just combined. 

Line 9x13 pan with wax paper & spread mixture. Press down until is it packed tightly, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut into bars & keep refrigerated. Grab me and go! Made about 14 bars. 

184 calories

6 grams of protein :)

My Daily Remedies

A few things I have daily for amazing health benefits:

-Garlic cloves: 1 if juiced, 2 or 3 if cooking.
Benefits: natural antibiotic, antioxidant effects, fights inflammation, detoxifies

-Apple Cider Vinegar: 1-2 Tablespoons
Benefits: aids in digestion, relieves exhaustion, helps relieve cold symptoms

-Fish & Cod Liver Oils: taken in capsule form
Benefits: increases metabolism, heart health, immune health

-Coconut Oil: at least a Tablespoon everyday.
Benefits: strengthens immune system, aids in digestion

Antioxidant Protein Smoothie

Ingredients: 

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 cup (packed) baby spinach leaves

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 very ripe banana 

1 (3oz) container vanilla coconut milk yogurt 

Method:

I like to blend the spinach & almond milk first to get a smooth texture, then add other ingredients & blend together! Full if protein, antioxidants & deliciousness :)