Bacon wrapped scallops

Ingredients 

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 T Dijon mustard

12 large scallops, halved

12 slices bacon, halved

24 toothpicks

2 T brown sugar

Stir together maple syrup, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard in a bowl until smooth. Add the scallops and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Arrange bacon pieces on baking sheet so they do not overlap. Bake in preheated oven until some of the grease has rendered out of the bacon; the bacon should still be soft and pliable, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon and pat with paper towels to remove excess grease. Drain or wipe grease from the baking sheet.

Wrap each scallop piece with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place onto baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake in oven until scallops are opaque and the bacon is crisp. 10-15 minutes turning once.

Cheesy bacon ranch ball

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese soften

1 1/2 cups cooked bacon, crumbled, divided

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 T Ranch dry dressing mix

1/4 cup green onions finely chopped

Combine cream cheese and cheddar cheese together in a large bowl.

Sprinkle in ranch dressing then fold in 3/4 cup bacon and green onions. Mix until everything is fully incorporated.

Butternut squash soup

Ingredients:

6 T chopped onion

4 T butter

6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 t dried marjoram

1/2 t ground black pepper

1/8 t ground cayenne pepper

2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

In a large saucepan, sauté onions in butter until tender. Add squash, broth, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil, cook 20 minutes or until squash is tender.

Purée squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan and heat through. Do not boil.

SIMPLE ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Ingredients:

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 garlic cloves
2 T olive oil
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Toss squash and garlic with oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Arrange in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Roast until squash is tender and lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Squeeze garlic out of its skin and sprinkle evenly over squash. Serve hot or at room temperature

Paleo Alcohol Guide

This list is taken from the book, The Paleo Happy Hour by Kelly Milton

Best Choice - these are not derived from grains and contain no added refined sugar

Tequila - from the agave plant

Rum - from sugar cane

Potato vodka

Good Choice - not derived from grains but have a higher carb content

Wine

Gluten free beer

Champagne 

Acceptable Choices - these are derived from grains but are gluten-free

Gin

Vodka

Whiskey

Scotch

Hard cider

Not So Great Choices

Liqueurs

Dessert wines (port)

Alcohol To Avoid

Beer

Wine Coolers

Pre-mixed cocktails 

General Tao's Chicken Wings

Found in Paelo Happy Hour by KellyMilton

If you like General Tao's chicken from Chinese restaurants, you'll like this appetizer

Ingredients:

4 T coconut amigos

4T rice vinegar

1 T sesame seed oil

1-2 T chili paste

3 cloves garlic minced

1/4 t. Ground ginger

1/8 cup honey

1/2 t arrowroot powder

2 pounds chicken wings

2 green onions sliced

1 t sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a small saucepan mix in first 7 ingredients and mix well. Bring mixture to a low boil over medium heat. Lightly sprinkle in the arrowroot powder while whisking continuosly to avoid clumping. Simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add a little more arrowroot powder if desired to,thicken the sauce further.

Rinse the chicken wings and pat them dry. Line a baking pan with foil. Place a wire rack on top of pan and oil with coconut oil.

Brush the sauce onto the wings and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the wings from the oven, turn them over, and brush on more sauce. Bake them for another 20-25 minutes or u tip skin is slightly crunchy. If necessary, broil them on high for 2 minutes to get skin crunchy.

Garnish the chicken wings with green onions and sesame seeds.

Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Sauce

Found in the book, Paelo Happy Hour by Kelly Milton 

Ingredients 

2/3 cup pork rinds

1/4 cup almond flour

1 T garlic powder

1 t arrowroot powder

1 t onion powder

1/4 t cayenne pepper

2 eggs

4 chicken breasts

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce 

Mayonnaise ( I use Hellmans)

2 T spicy brown mustard 

1 T honey 

1/2 t horseradish 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Using a food processor, grind pork rinds until they are crumbs 

In a bowl,,combine the pork rinds, almond flour, garlic powder, arrowroot powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with foil and coat light with coconut oil or spray with avocado oil.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs

Cut each chicken breast into 4-6 strips. Dip the chicken strips into the egg and then roll into the pork mixture and place them on the baking sheet. Bake the chicken for 25 minutes and then boil it on high for another 5-7 minutes until crispy. Watch the chicken carefully to make sure it doesn't burn while broiling.

Meanwhile make the dipping sauce. Combine dipping ingredients in a bowl and serve with chicken strips.

Salmon Glazed with Honey and Mustard

Found this on Epicurious. The crushed caraway seeds add an unique taste to the salmon.

Salmon Glazed with Honey and Mustard - 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of Salmon fillet with skin (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick)
1 garlic clove
3 T grainy dijon mustard
2 T mild honey
1/2 t cider vinegar
1/2 t. caraway seeds crushed (I love the taste of caraway seeds so I used more)

Preheat broiler. Line rack of a pan with foil and lightly coat with oil.

Pat salmon dry and put skin side down on pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then stir together with mustard, honey, vinegar, caraway seeds and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Spread mustard mixture evenly on top of salmon then broil 5 - 6 inches from heat until just cooked through, 12-15 minutes

Transfer salmon to platter.

Serve with a salad and or rice.

Peanut Butter Cookies - grain-free

This recipe was found in the Wheatbelly 30 minute cookbook by Dr. William Davis. You can substitute and nut or seed butter for the peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Cookies - makes 30

1/2 cup all-purpose baking mix (see recipe below)
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
Sweetener equivalent to 3/4 cup sugar
2 cups natural peanut butter at room temperature
1 T. molasses
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract




All purpose baking mix (makes 5 cups)
4 cups almond meal or flour
1 cup ground golden flaxseeds
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. ground psyllium seeds (optional)

Oven to 350 degrees

line baking sheets with parchment paper

In a large bowl combine baking mix, nuts, and sweetener. Stir in the peanut butter, molasses, eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the mixture into 1 1/2 inch diameter mounds on the baking sheets. flatten slightly with your hands or with the tines of a fork in a crisscross pattern. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly firm and very lightly browned. cool on the baking sheets for 1 minute and then place a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will harden as they cool.

Wheatbelly Low Carb Pork Fried Rice

This was found in the 30 minute or less Wheatbelly cookbook. Chicken, beef, shrimp can be used for substitutes for the pork.

Pork Fried Rice - Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, broken into large pieces
2 T coconut oil
4 scallions
2 cloves garlic minced
2 eggs whisked
1/2 pound pork tenderloin cut into 1/2 cubes
1/4 gluten free soy sauce (I use Braggs Liquid Aminos which is made from soy protein)

Using a food processor with a shredding disk attachment or the largest holes of a box grater, shred the cauliflower. place in a microwaveable bowl. Cover and microwave on high power for 4 minutes, stirring once or until tender.

In a wok or large skillet over medium high heat, heat 1 T. of the oil until hot. Cook the scallions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and stir continuously until cooked through and lightly browned. remove the egg mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 T. oil to the wok or skillet. cook the pork, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in the soy sauce, cauliflower and the egg mixture. cook stirring for 2 minutes or until heated through.

Strawberry or Raspberry Sorbet

Great recipe to serve on a hot summer day.

Strawberry Sorbert

Ingredients:

10 oz bag of frozen strawberries or other fruit
2 cups water
1/4 cup agave or honey

Place strawberries or fruit of your choice, water, and agave in blender. Blend on highest speed until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and process according to instructions.

Serve.

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

This is a great recipe that Tim discovered on the internet for one of our special Saturday evenings. It was so easy to prepare that I'm sure we will have this many more times. If you're looking for a quick dessert, this is a great one to try. Total prep time was 20 minutes and then you place in the freezer for 2 hours. Tim modified the sugar in the recipe. It calls for 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar. He replaced it with Splenda sugar, cup for cup. I've included the original recipe along with the changes that Tim made. To make grain-free, eliminate graham cracker crust and make in glass dish and serve like ice cream.

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioner sugar (Tim used Splenda Sugar)
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (16 oz) package cool Whip (Tim used no sugar Cool Whip)
2 9 inch prepared graham cracker crusts

Directions:

Beat together cream cheese and sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into pie shells; cover and freeze until firm.

Gourmet Shrimp Enchiladas

A great recipe found on Recipezaar by Jekase. Prep time was 45 minutes and cook time 15 minutes. I love Mexican food and seafood. These enchiladas combines both. I served these to Tim and Kristin and they were a big hit. Do not substitute the fontina cheese for something cheaper.....the taste of the fontina makes the meal.

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

4 T soft cream cheese
1/4 C sour cream
1/2 lb cooked baby shrimp (I used large shrimp and cut them up)
1/2 C grated fontina cheese
3 T finely chopped white onions
3 T finely chopped red peppers
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 t. chilli powder
1/4 dill weed
1/3 fresh lemon juice

Mader's Reuben Rolls

Mader's Reuben Rolls
3/4 cup Thousand Island dressing
1/4 cup Dusseldorf mustard
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup minced onion (divided)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot pepper sauce
8 ounces corned beef (ground or shredded)
6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
12 to 15 egg roll wrappers
Vegetable oil

Make dipping sauce by combining dressing, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon minced onion, the garlic, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Set aside.

To make rolls: Combine corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut and remaining 1/4 cup onion and mix well. Place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the center of an egg roll wrapper. Roll up as directed on package, sealing edges with a little water.

Deep-fry rolls in 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil, heated to 325 to 350 degrees, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, turning to brown evenly. When done, remove from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Serve with dipping sauce.
Makes 12 to 15 rolls.

No Potato Salad

I love this low carb version of potato salad made with cauliflower instead of potatoes. There are many similar cauliflower recipes on the internet. This one is from elanaspantry.com

No Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower
2 stalks celery diced
1 small onion chopped (3-4T.)
1 T parsley chopped (optional)
2 large eggs, hard boiled and diced
2 T. mayo (or as much as is needed to make creamy)
1 T. dijon mustard
1/2 sea salt

Chop cauliflower into small florets (1/2) inch

Steam cauliflower on the stove until fork tender (not more or a stronger cauliflower smell develops)

Allow cauliflower to cool then place in a large bowl

Add celery, onion, parsley and eggs

Stir in mayo, mustard and salt

serve

Original Irish Cream

Found this on all recipes.com Taste as good as Bailey at a fraction of the cost.

Original Irish Cream

Ingredients 

1 cup heavy cream

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 2/3 cups Irish Whiskey

1 t instant coffee

2 T chocolate syrup

1 t vanilla extract

1 t almond extract

In a blender combine all ingredients for 20-30 seconds. Store in sealed container in refrigerator. Shake we'll before serving.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Medallions

Found on allrecipes.com  

Since we don't eat grains, we'll serve this with a big salad. This is a delicious pork main meal. Use a meat thermometer so you don't over cook the medallions.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Medallions - makes 4 servings - ready in 40 minutes

Ingredients 

8 slices bacon

1 T garlic powder

1 t seasoned salt

1 t dried basil

1 t dried oregano

2 pounds pork tenderloin

2 T butter

2 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place bacon in large oven safe skillet and cook over medium-high heat turning occasionally until light browned and still flexible ( 6-7 minutes). Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel lined plate. Remove an excess grease from the skillet. Combine garlic powder, seasoning salt, basil, and oregano in a small bowel. Set aside.

Wrap the tenderloin with the bacon strips securing with 1 or 2 toothpicks per strip of bacon. Slice the tenderloin between each bacon strip to create the medallions. Melt butter and oil together in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook each medallion for 4 minutes on each side.

Place skillet into oven and bake until the pork is no longer pink in the center (17-20 minutes) an instant reading thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees.

Hearty Hot Flax Cereal

A wonderful nutty, grain- free cereal.

Hearty Hot Flax Cereal - 1 serving

Ingredients 

1/2 cup plus 1 T. Unflavored almond milk divided

1/4 t salt

1/2 cup ground golden flax seed

1/2 cup walnuts roughly chopped

2 T. Dried cranberries

1/2 t stevia or (use liquid stevia add drops until desired sweetness)

1/2 medium banana sliced

In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 cup almond milk and salt on medium heat just until it reaches simmer.

Add flaxseed, walnuts, cranberries and stevia and cook stirring constantly for 3 minutes.

To serve, ladle into a deep bowl and top with banana and 1 T. Almond milk

In the summer I like substituting fresh blueberries or raspberries in place of the cranberries and or banana.

Asian Noodle Bowl

Found this recipe in a wheat belly diet book. Perfect recipe for the grain-free way of living.

Asian Noodle Bowl - 2 servings

Ingredients 

1 t. Sesame oil

2 garlic cloves crushed

1 t. Fresh ginger, grated

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 T fresh cilantro chopped

12 medium cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 T. Low sodium soy sauce

1 cup bok choy chopped into inch pieces

2 8 oz packages of shirttail ramen style noodles, rinsed and dried

1 t. Hoisin sauce

Sesame seeds to garnish

In a medium saucepan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and bok choy, and cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes.

Add noodles and stir well to coat. Cook, continuing to stir frequently for 2 more minutes.

Add broth, cilantro and shrimp and simmer for 3-4 minutes until shrimp is heated through. Stir in hoisin sauce.

To serve use tongs to divide noodles, shrimp, and bok choy into deep bowls and ladle the broth over each. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Pizza Seasoning

I wish I remembered where I found this recipe so I could give the author credit. 

Homemade Pizza seasoning

Ingredients:

1 1/2 T dried oregano

1 t dried basil

1 t dried rosemary

1 1/2 T onion flakes

1/4 t dried thyme

1/2 t course sea salt

1/2 t chili flakes

1/4 t garlic powder

Combine all ingredients. Crush with mortar and pestle or run through a spice or coffee grinder.

Store in airtight container.

Paleo Brownies

This is one of my favorite brownie recipes. The brownies are very moist. Another recipe from elanaspantry.com

Paleo brownies

Ingredients 

1 cup blanched almond flour

1/4 t Celtic sea salt

1/4 t baking soda

4 oz baking chocolate (100 % cacao)

I've been using 60 - 70% cacao for less bitter brownies

7 dates pitted

3 large eggs

1/2 cup coconut oil melted

1/2 t vanilla stevia (I used regular stevia found at Trader Joes)

1. In food processor, pulse together almond flour, salt and baking soda

2. Pulse in squares of dark chocolate until the mixture of course sand

3. Pulse in dates until the mixture of course sand

4. Pulse in eggs

5. Pulse in coconut oil and stevia until mixture is smooth

6. Transfer mixture to a greased 8 x 8 baking dish

7. Mixture will be very thick, smooth with a spatula 

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes

9. Cool for 2 hours then serve

Notes: make sure dates are not Harland too dry or you will end up with a crumbly mess. 

Easy Cheeseburger Pie

Recipe found on Wheatbelly site.

Easy Cheeseburger Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 large onion chopped

1/2 - 1 T. Cajun seasoning or salt and pepper

2 T chicken or beef stock or water

4 oz. cream cheese

3/4 cup wheat-free all purpose mix (recipe on this blog)

2 T butter melted

2 large eggs

2 T sour cream

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Extra shredded cheese

Oven 350 degrees

In a large pan over medium heat brown the ground beef and onion. As soon as meat has cooked and onions are tender (drain excess oil if desired) add 1/2 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning , cream cheese and stock. Lower heat and stir until cream cheese has melted. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Pour meat mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate

In medium bowl blend mp baking mix,,eggs, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Pour batter over meat mixture and spread out evenly. Top with additional cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until biscuit layer begins to brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. 

Serve with sliced tomatoes or salad.

Basil Pesto

Recipe copied from Wheatbelly 30 minute cookbook

Basil Pesto - makes 2/3 cups

1 cup packed fresh basil
2 T pine nuts
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 sea salt
1 1/2 t. White balsamic vinegar

In food processor combine basil, pine nuts, and garlic. Process into a paste. Add the oil, cheese, salt and vinegar. Process until the ingredients are belonged and the pesto is bright green.

Tortillas

Found in Wheatbelly 30 minute cookbook by Dr. William Davis

Tortillas - makes 4

Ingredients

1 cup Tortilla Baking Mix ( recipe on this blog)
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

Pour baking mix into bowl. Whisk in the eggs until combined. Divide dough into 4 equal portions.

Roll each ball between 2 parchment paper until it is 6inches diameter. If you have a tortilla press, line with parchment paper (much easier)

Place on the baking sheet with both pieces of parchment paper and bake for 5 minutes or until golden.

Store in refrigerator.

Tortilla Baking Mix

Recipe found in Dr. William Davis 30 minute Wheatbelly cookbook.

Tortilla Baking Mix

Ingredients:

3 cups ground golden flaxseeds
1 cup almond meal/flour
2 T. onion powder
2 t. Garlic powder
1 1/2 t sea salt

Mix all ingredients together and store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Flaxseed Wrap

Recipe from Wheatbelly 30 minute cookbook

Flaxseed Wrap - makes one

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flaxseed wrap baking mix ( recipe on this site)
1 t coconut oil, melted, or olive oil
1 egg
1 T water

In medium bowl, combine ingredients u till a thin, pourable dough forms.

Grease 9inch glass pie plate. Pour dough into the plate. Tilt the plate to coat the bottom uniformly. Microwave on high power for 2-3 minutes or until cooked. Let cool for 5 minutes. If you use an oven, bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until center in cooked.

To remove the tortilla, lift up an edge with a spatula. If it sticks us a pancake turner to gently loose from plate. Turn the wrap over and top with desired ingredients or store in frig for later use.

To add a little flavor to wrap add some of your favorite spices before cooking.

Flaxseed Wrap Baking Mix

Use this mix to make sandwich wraps

Flaxseed Wrap Baking Mix

Ingredients:

2 cups ground golden flaxseeds
1 t. Aluminum free baking powder
1 1/2 t onion powder
1 t. Garlic powder
1/2 t sea salt

Mix together in a large bowl and store in airtight container in refrigerator.

All Purpose Baking Mix

This recipe comes from the Wheatbelly 30 minute cookbook by Dr. Wilłiam Davis.

All purpose baking mix

Ingredients:

4 cups almond flour/meal

1 cup ground golden flaxseeds

1/4 cup coconut flour

2 t. Baking soda

1 t ground psyllium seeds

Mix all together in a large bowl. Store in airtight container in the frig.

Grain-free Power Balls

 Power Bars from elanspantry.com . I get many of my grain-free recipes from this site.

GRAIN-FREE POWER BARS

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds (raw)

1/2 cup golden flax seeds

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup roasted almond butter ( i sometimes use peanut butter from Trader Joes)

1/2 t celtic sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

4 drops stevia

1 T honey

1 T vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chunks (I use chocolate chips)

Place almonds, flax seed, coconut, almond butter or peanut butter and salt in a food processor. Pulse briefly, about 10 seconds. In a small sauce pan melt coconut oil over low heat. Remove and stir in stevia, honey and vanilla. Add coconut mixture to food processor and pulse until ingredients form a coarse paste. Press mixture into an 8x8 inch baking dish. Chill in refrigerator for 1  hour until mixture hardens. In small saucepan melt chocolate over low heat stirring continuously. Spread melted chocolate over bars. Return to refrigerator until bars harden. Remove and cut into bite size bars. I then store in container in freezer.

Spinach salad with carrots, orange and sesame

Location:Salads

Argula Pizza with goat cheese

This is a simple pizza recipe that taste great. It's made with goat cheese, pesto sauce and tomatoes. Use your favorite recipe for the crust. On this blog I have 2 great recipes for crust. One with flour the other, grain-free. 






Ingredients:

One pizza crust
6 T pesto sauce
3 roma tomatoes
1 8oz goat cheese
1 1/2 mozzarella cheese
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1  C fresh argula
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven according to pizza recipe directions
2. Dab pesto onto the center of the pizza base, and spread towards the edges. Cut the goat cheese into thin slices and crumble over pizza. Arrange tomato slices over goat cheese. Sprinkle with garlic slices and mozzarella . Brush the crust with olive oil.
3. Place crust on oven rack. If you are using a grain-free crust you will have to keep crust on a parchment lined pan.
4. Bake for 5 - 10 minutes or until edges are golden.
5. After taking out of oven, cool for a few minutes so cheese has tome to set. Cover the pizza with arugula and serve.

Sweet Omelette with cinnamon and toasted pecans

I had no idea eggs could taste so good! I found this recipe on chowstakers.com   It is the perfect for a grain-free breakfast. Even thought the recipe called for blueberries, I'm sure you could use strawberries or any other fruit that is in season.







Ingredients:

For the omelette:

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
dash of cinnamon
butter for pan

For the pecans:
1/2 cup pecans
2 T. butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Serve with maple syrup
blueberries or other fresh berries

Directions:

Start with the pecans: In a small frying pan, melt butter. Add pecans and cinnamon a nd saute until the pecans look slightly softened. Remove from head and set aside.

In a bowl beat the eggs, vanilla and cinnamon. Melt the butter in the pan and pour the mixture in. When is starts to bubble on the sides, carefully flip it. Once cooked, remove from pan and fold over on your plate.

Spoon the cinnamon toasted pecans and add some berries on top. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve.

Almond crackers with garlic and rosemary

Recipe Notes: I've used almond flour and almond meal to make these crackers.  Almond meal gives the crackers a more grainy taste.  The key to making sure the crackers bake well and come off the sheet pan correctly is to use parchment paper. Be careful on cooking time, the crackers burn easily.

• 2 cups almond flour/meal
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped, dried rosemary
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, butter, ghee, or coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using butter or coconut oil, grease baking sheet very liberally.
2. In a medium-sized bown stir together almond flour, salt, garlic powder and dried rosemary.
3. In a separate, small bowl, whisk egg until frothy. Add desired oil and mix. Pour egg-oil mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is well blended.
4. Make the crackers: Roll the dough out on parchment paper until desired thickness. Remove the top sheet of paper and cut the crackers into 1-2 inch squares. 
5. Bake for 10 minutes or so, until firm and lightly golden brown. Allow to cool before removing from baking sheet.

Blueberry jam

These is a great recipe to try when blueberries are in season. It uses only 4 ingredients and does not use processed sugar or pectin. The recipe call for 3/4 cup of honey. I use around half of that when I made the recipe. I prefer less sweetness.


Ingredients (fills an 8 ounce jar) 3 cups blueberries (frozen and thawed or fresh) 3/4 cup honey (you can use more or less depending on how tart your berries are) 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest


Directions Place the blueberries in a medium sized sauce pan and crush them with the back of a fork or using a potato masher. Add the honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently while the mixture boils for 15-20 minutes and it starts to thicken. The best way to test if it’s done is to put a spoonful in the freezer for 5 minutes. If it won’t easily pour off of the spoon when you remove it from the freezer, then it’s done. Skim off any foam, then ladle the jam into a sterilized jar. Store tightly covered in the fridge for a couple of weeks or you can use canning methods to store in a pantry for longer storage.

Grain-free pumpkin pancakes

For the next year, Tim and I have basically gone a grain-free lifestyle eating a majority of our foods without any grains. I've tried a couple of different grain free pumpkin pancakes and this is our favorite. One batch makes 6 small pancakes. I usually double the recipe for Tim and I. Since these pancakes are made with almond flour, they're more filling than pancakes made with wheat flour

Ingredients: * pinch of baking soda * pinch of salt * 1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice * 1/2 cup almond flour * 1/2 tsp vanilla extract * 1/4 cup canned pumpkin * 1 tbsp honey * 2 eggs Combine the dry ingredients together in one bowl, then in another bowl combine the wet ingredients. Mix the wet with the dry ingredients.Let mixture sit for 2 or 3 minutes. Cook in a pan on medium-high like a normal pancake. Makes 6 medium sized pancakes. The pancakes will look a lot darker (and orange-er) than normal, but are still delicious!!

Grain-free waffles

This grain-free recipe was found on the fast Paleo site at fastpaleo.com

Last Christmas we bought a nice Belgium waffle maker. We experimented with a number of recipes to make the perfect waffle. In September of 2011 I decided to go grain-free based on a number of articles I read that caused me to believe the grains that we are now eating are no longer healthy. I found this Paleo recipe for a grain-free waffle. The texture is a little spongy because of the coconut flour used,  but it fills a need for waffles on a Sunday morning. We topped our waffles with fresh cut up strawberries and a little powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

2 whole eggs
1 Tbsp coconut milk
1 tsp melted coconut oil
1 and 1/2 Tbsp sifted coconut flour
1 Tbsp xylitol or pinch of stevia
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/16 sea salt
dash grain-free baking powder

Grease your waffles iron. Let it warm up for about 3 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs, coconut milk and melted oil or butter in a small bowl.

Sift all the dry ingredients in the liquid ingredients and whisk slowly and lightly until smooth.

After the waffle iron is warm, pour your batter into the center of the waffle iron and spread the batter out slightly. No need to spread all the way. Press the other half of the waffle iron down gently and let cook for 4-5 minutes

Carefully move a small spatula underneath the waffle to loosen. Serve with your favorite topping.

Grain-free pancakes

In my quest to live a grain-free, gluten-free lifestyle, I'm always on the look for new ways of preparing meals without all the grains. Yesterday I found this recipe on the internet and was anxious to make it for breakfast for Tim and I. They tasted great. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp flaxseed

1 tbsp coconut flour

4 tbsp almond milk

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tbsp stevia/sweetner

Mix together the ingredients and cook in a skillet. 

This recipe makes one serving, around 3-4 pancakes. 

Perfect bowl of popcorn

Throw away the bags of microwave popcorn, which is unhealthy, and go back to making popcorn the way your mom and dad made it when you were a kid. This is a recipe for the perfect bowl of popcorn. 


• Cook time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp canola, peanut or grapeseed oil (high smoke point oil)
• 1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels
• 1 3-quart covered saucepan
• 2 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1 Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat. If you add salt to the oil in the pan before popping, the salt will be well distributed throughout the popcorn.

2 Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.

3 When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.

4 Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a  bowl.

5 Salt to taste.

Homemade laundry detergents

Conventional laundry detergent typically contains a list of chemicals and many have not been proven safe. Most detergents contain sulfates, petroleum distillates and phenols, as well as artificial fragrances and dyes.

There are natural, homemade options for laundry detergent, stain treatment and even fabric softener. Most of the natural options work as well or better than the conventional alternatives and offer substantial savings.

Powdered Laundry Detergent:

You need:

• 1 cup Washing Soda (available in the laundry section of most stores)
• 1 cup Borax (available in the laundry section of most stores)
• 1 bar of natural bar soap (I use homemade soap or Dr. Bronner’s bar soap, which is available in the natural/organic section at many grocery stores)

How to Make:

1. Using a fine cheese grater or a small food processor, grate the bar soap until it is a fine powder (make sure it is not an overly moisturizing soap, or this will just make a big clump of soap)
2. Mix the grated bar soap with 1 cup of Washing Soda, and 1 cup of borax until evenly mixed.
3. Store in a 1 quart mason jar or similar sized container and use 1-4 tablespoons per load, depending on how dirty the clothes are.

I typically use 1 tablespoon per load for most clothes, though I have used up to 4 tablespoons on clothes that were muddy or stained.

Liquid Laundry Detergent:

I use this laundry soap 90% of the time and it works really well. One batch lasts months and it is very simple to make.

You need:

• 1 cup Washing Soda (available in the laundry section of most stores)
• 1 cup Borax (available in the laundry section of most stores)
• 1 bar of natural bar soap (I use homemade soap or Dr. Bronner’s bar soap, which is available in the natural/organic section at many grocery stores)
• A large 5-gallon plastic bucket with lid (the bakery section of most stores have these from the icing they use and will usually give you one if you ask)
• Gallon jugs (or other container) for storing the laundry soap

How to Make:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 quarts of water over medium high heat.
2. While it is heating, grate in the bar soap using a cheese grater.
3. Stir until soap has dissolved completely.
4. In the 5-gallon bucket, put 4 gallons of hot (not boiling) water and add the 1 cup of washing soda and borax and stir until dissolved.
5. Pour the dissolved soap mixture into the bucket and stir well until soap is mixed in.
6. Put the lid on the bucket and leave overnight. This will allow the soap to cool and gel.
7. After 24 hours, remove the lid, stir well (I use an immersion blender to make sure it is well mixed) and pour into clean, gallon size jugs for use.
8. Use 1/2 cup per load.

I have used both of the above recipes on cloth diapers and delicate fabrics without a problem.

Homemade Oxy clean

Homemade Oxy Clean

I found the idea for this recipe on Pinterest  and it works really well!

You Need:

• 2 parts water
• 1 part Hydrogen Peroxide
• 1 part baking soda

How to Make:

1. Pre-mix the ingredients and store in a dark colored opaque spray bottle for pre-treating stains (I just pour back into the hydrogen peroxide bottle and put a spray top on)
2. For entire loads that need extra cleaning or brightening, just add 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1/4 cup of baking soda to the wash load and let soak for 30 minutes before running through the full cycle.