chocolate chip almond butter bars

This is basically my brownie recipe minus the cocoa powder. I have been using this for "special occasion" treats and my family loves them. They are grain and dairy free and they could be a GAPS friendly snack if honey is used instead of maple syrup and if you leave out the chocolate.

1 jar of creamy, roasted, and salted almond butter(peanut butter could be used instead)
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup of maple syrup(honey or any liquid sweetener could be substituted)
2 tsp vanilla
1 bag dark chocolate chips
Put all ingredients in a large bowl except for the chips.
Mix w/ a hand mixer until smooth.
Fold chips into batter.
Scrape batter into a 13x9 baking dish.
Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes(I like my softer so I let them go for 30 minutes)

grain free granola bars

This is a great snack for kids(and anyone). Its high in fat and will keep them satisfied for a while.

2 1/4 cups of nuts(I like macademia and walnuts)
2 1/4 cups of sunflower and pumpkin seeds(You could use just 1 type or both in any ratio that
adds up to 2 1/4 cups)
1 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 cup melted coconut oil or butter(I use coconut oil esp. in winter because its a great immune
supporter)
1/3-1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup
1 cup dried fruit(optional)
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
-in a food processor, grind 1 1/4 cups of nuts, 1 cup of the seeds, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla-
do not over process or you will have nut butter-
-in a large mixing bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients w/ your ground nut and seed
mixture
-add the melted oil and the sweetener-mix well
-in a greased large baking dish, pour mixture and spread evenly
-bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until browned
-remove from oven and cool for about 20 minutes
-cut into bars in baking pan and let them completely cool before removing
ENJOY!!!
-

choocolate chocolate chip cookies

These are well, chocolatey!(is that even a word??)
-preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet w/ parchment paper
2.5 cups of almond flour(trader joes almond meal is what I use)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup melted fat(butter or coconut oil or mixture of both)
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon(optional- cinnamon brings out the chocolate flavor)
1/2 cup chocolate chips(I use grain sweetened ones-rice syrup)
-combine dry ingredients in medium bowl
-pour the melted fat into dry bowl along w/ sweetener and vanilla
-mix until combined
-chill for at least 10 minutes
-stir in choc. chips
-make tsp. sized balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheet(about 16)
-space them evenly and flatten into a cookie shape
-bake in a 350 degree oven for 7-9 minutes(the longer you cook them the
more crisp they will be)
-cool on a cooling rack

stuffed dates

Simple, simple, simple!! This is a great snack.
dried dated
nuts(any kind you have) coarsely chopped
shredded coconut
seeds(pumpkin or sunflower or both)
-for 4 dates you will need about 1 tsp coconut, 1 tsp nuts, and 1 tsp seeds
-make a lengthwise slit in the dates and remove the pit
-place a little less then a tsp of mixture(coconut, nuts and seed) into the date
-close date around the filling and form into a log or a ball
This is not a complex recipe. In fact I use really whatever I have and I am in the mood for. If I have lots of seeds I my use only seeds and coconut. Maybe I do not feel like coconut- so I leave it out. I have put almond butter in the dates and rolled them in shredded coconut.
-This really is a reminder to be creative and do not forget about the simple recipes!!

cinnamon-vanilla cookies

These are so satisfying!!! The buttery, cinnamon, vanilla, soft inside crisp outside.....YUM!!


2.5 cups of almond flour(I use Trader Joes almond meal)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter-melted(you could use melted coconut oil or 1/2 butter 1/2 coconut oil)
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup

-combine dry ingredients in a small bowl
-in a small saucepan-melt butter and honey over low heat-add vanilla
-pour liquid into the dry and mix well
-chill mixture for 15 minutes
-make balls using a tsp. and place about 16 on a parchment lined cookie sheet
-flatten cookies w/ your hand
-cook in 350 degree oven for 7-8 minutes

I have left them in for double the time by accident and they still tasted great. A little crisp but
still great!

sweet potatoe fries

I made these tonight as a side w/ dinner. Over the summer I did not make them so the kids havent had them in a while. Well they gobbled them up. I forgot how much we all liked them.

2 fat large sweet potatoes or 3 medium sized ones
3 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp salt(more if you like- I usually salt again when they are done)
2 tsp allspice(ground)
pepper to taste
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or balsamic
-line a baking sheet w/ parchment paper, preheat oven to 375 degrees and peel sweet potatoes
-cut length wise planks about 1/2" thick
-cut the planks into fries about 1/4"-1/2" thick
-place sweet potatoes on the parchment lines sheet and pour oil then add other ingredients
-toss until all fries are coated(try to make a single layer)
-bake for 45-60 minutes
-halfway through (about 25 minutes) flip the fries over

-these are great w/ ketchup or try my dipping sauce
-a couple of scoops of sour cream
-a couple of squirts of ketchup
-a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
-a crushed chopped piece of garlic
mix all together

chocolate biscotti

I got this idea from elenaspantry.com. She has a great gluten free recipe cite. Of course I changed the recipe just a bit and I know you will like them.
2 1/4 cups almond flour
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon(enhances the chocolate flavor)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup liquid sweetener(agave, maple syrup, or honey)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

-pulse all of the ingredients in a food processor except for the chips and the sweetener
-pulse in sweetener until dough forms a ball
-remove dough and work the chips in by hand
-divide the dough into 2 equal balls
-form 2 logs on a parchment lined baking sheet(logs are roughly 2"x 10" and 1" high)
-bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
-remove from oven and cool for 1 hour
-cut logs into 1/2" pieces, on the diagonal and place bake on baking sheet
-bake for 15 more minutes at 300 degrees
-cool and enjoy w/ coffee or milk.

crockpot oatmeal

How nice to wake up to a hot breakfast already made for you? Its so easy. Just throw a handful of ingredients into a crockpot and set on low- wake up to a wonderful pot of oatmeal.
*very important note*
you must use STEEL CUT OATS or IRISH OATS for this
rolled oats will not work

3 cups of steel cut oats
13 cups of liquid(I use 2 cans of coconut milk and the rest water)
1.5 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon(opptional)
-in a 6-7 quart crockpot-mix all ingredients together
-cook on low for 8-9 hours
-serve w/ honey or maple syrup, more cinnamon, butter, ground flax seeds, banana,dried fruit......

note- if you have a 2-3 quart(small) crockpot, you could make as little as 1 cup of oats.
I have only a 7 quart(very large) crockpot, so 3 cups or more works best.

baked oakmeal

This is another dish that freezes great. It makes plenty, so there will be leftovers.
6 cups of rolled oats
3/4 cup of honey or maple syrup
2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
5-6 cups of kefir or yogurt
4 eggs
1/2 cup melted coconut oil or butter
-you need to soak the oats for 12-24 hours before cooking.
-mix oats and kefir or yogurt in a large mixing bowl( you want the oats to be completely covered in the liquid) use more if you need to
-cover bowl w/ a clean dish towel and leave for12- 24 hours on your counter(this will make the nutrients in the oats more available)
-the next day, combine the eggs, sweetener, vanilla, salt and fat in a large mixing bowl.
-add soaked oats- mix well
-pour into a large cassreole dish or 2 small ones
-preheat the oven to 350 degree
-bake for 35-45 minutes

You could add many different things before baking
-nuts
-ground flax seeds
-berries
-dried fruit
-pumpkin pie spices

breakfast bread pudding

This is a yummy breakfast. It can easily be doubled or tripled(if you have enough freezer space).
1 loaf of sourdough bread or sprouted bread(cubed)
1 dozen eggs
2 cups of milk(coconut milk tastes great in this)
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon(optional)
1.5 cups of blueberries or any berry(frozen is fine- optional)
-in a large casserole dish, place all the bread cubes
-make the custard: in a large bowl blend the eggs, milk, sweetener, vanilla, and salt(cinnamon too
if using)
-pour the custard over the bread
-stir in berries now if using
-cover and refrigerate overnight(very important step)
-next morning: preheat oven to 350 degrees
-bake for 35- 45 minutes
-serve w/ fresh whipped cream if you like(and I LIKE)

my oldest son ate lettuce!!!

I am so excited about this! Salads are big in my house as meals and sides. My kids both eat salads w/ veggies but they never wanted salad. Well yesterday I called my son into the kitchen to help me make the salad. He tore the red leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce, cut the radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and garlic. Then he made the dressing(a quick run around the salad bowl w/ balsamic vinegar and 2-3 runs around w/ EVOO-some salt/pepper and oregano) All of this was done under my supervision. Then I tossed it and tasted.(those of you who know me understand my flair for drama) And w/ such excitement I exclaimed"Oh my goodness, thats great." Well my little love said ,"I want some, I want some!!" So before he tasted the lettuce he asked what it tasted like and I told him like the delicious dressing. So he tasted and loved it, even the softer darkest colored leaves and proceeded to eat a whole bowl. He had another bowl tonight also.
Besides all of the health and detox benefits of veggies, esp. greens and brightly colored ones, it makes life a little easier when I do not have to cook different meals. Now he could easily join in on a salad and meat lunch and dinner at home or on the go.

how to get kids to eat their veggies

In my house its never been a struggle to get my kids to eat their veggies. They have their preferences and I do honor that but sometimes creating a recipe that has hidden veggies is the way to go. One day, my son who always loved greens, decided that they were not good anymore
so I hide leafy greens in recipes now. And some days the kids just arent in the mood for what I made or their tastes change so I always offer one of their fall back veggies. I have some ways to make sure that along w/ lots of healthy fats and proteins, the veggies are part of their daily diet.
-snack time- cut up their favorite veggies and only offer these.
my kids like carrots, red peppers, radishes, and cucumbers
also when we are out and about we bring cut up veggies or homemade nut bars.
-chop spinach, kale, swiss chard or any other green, along w/ celery, garlic, onions, peppers,
ginger etc. very finely in food processor and add to ground turkey, beef, bison, or chicken.
Add in binders(eggs and sprouted bread crumbs , coconut flour, or almond meal) salt and
pepper and spices. Make patties, meat loafs, or meat balls.
-serve your veggie first. Before we sit down to eat, the kids and I eat either lightly steamed
asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflower w/ lots of raw garlic and butter, EVOO, and/or coconut oil.
-serve a salad as a meal. Do not assume that kids will not eat salads. You have to be
creative and try different combos. My kids love cucumber, red cabbage, onion, garlic, radish
and tomato w/ lemon juice and EVOO(extra virgin olive oil) Also they love feta, walnuts,
garlic, onion, tomato and radish w/ lemon juice and EVOO. One more favorite is chick peas,
garlic, onion, lemon juice and EVOO. The trick for all of these salads is to chop the veggies really
small.
-childrens tastes change and mature so revisit veggies(and any other food) on their "I do not
like list"
-puree veggies in tomato sauce and use on homemade pizza or over meat or pasta.
-use steam cauliflower in place of potatoes for mashed or roasted potatoes.
-and last but not least.....make them taste good!!! Do not be afraid of fat(except processed fats
like most veggie oils, margarines,and wanna be butter subs) Load up your salad w/ EVOO
or a homemade mayo dressing, put lots of EVOO, butter, or coconut oil on your steamed
veggies. Roasted veggies tastes so good(anything roasted really) that I bet even the pickiest
eater will like them. Add lots of veggies to soups, stews, stuffings, sauces and anything else that
you might make.

raw chocolate brownies

These are really great!! You can spread on a dish or a pyrex glass container or you can roll them into truffles.
1.5 cups raw walnuts
2/3 cup raw cocoa or unsweetened cocoa powder
12 dates soaked in warm water until soft
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp raw honey or more to taste
water if needed to thin batter a little
In a food processor, blend walnuts until very finely chopped. Add dates, vanilla, coconut, cocoa, and honey. Pulse until a fairly smooth mixture forms. If batter is too thick, then add water by the teaspoon until all is mixed well. Enjoy as truffles or as brownies.
-truffles: using a tsp., make balls and refrigerate to harden. You can roll in finely chopped nuts, coconut or cocoa. You also can eat as is!!!
-brownies: spread mixture on a parchment lined plate or pyrex container. Refrigerate until cold and hardened a bit. Remove the parchment paper and cut brownies into any shape you like.

salmon burgers

1 salmon fillet(1/2 of a salmon)
1/4 cup coconut flour
3 eggs
1 small onion finely chopped
2-6 cloves of garlic(I go for 6) finely chopped
1/2 red pepper finely chopped
1 handful of parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp coconut oil
In a medium sized skillet over medium heat, add veggies and coconut oil and cook for about 10 minutes. While veggies are cooking, process salmon(raw) in a food processor. Chop until fine. Put parsley, eggs, lemon zest, s and p in w/ the salmon and pulse until combined. Now add the coconut flour and pulse a few times. Transfer mixture to a plate or bowl. After veggies are cooked(soft and translucent) Let them cool for a few minutes, then mix them into the salmon mixture. Make patties and grill nor fry.
-place them on a platter and squeeze lemon juice over the patties. Drizzle w/ EVOO and decorate w/ fresh parsley.

popsicles

I am sure by now you all now that I do not give my kids packaged foods. Maybe on occasion, I will give them a store bough coconut milk ice cream sweetened w/ agave syrup, but 99% of the time their treats come right from my kitchen made by mama!! I strive to give them and my husband and myself, as much raw food as possible. So treats are usually raw cookies, raw dairy smoothie, fruit, grain free baked goods(I use almond flour or coconut flour) and stevia or raw honey are the only sweeteners I use.
When the nice weather comes around, I start making popsicles. I found some molds that are BPA free(safer plastic) You can buy them on amazon.com. Tovolo popsicle molds.
You can put just about anything in them. My basic recipe goes like this:
-kefir or yogurt
-blueberries
fill mold 1/2 way w/ blueberries
add in yogurt or kefir
pop top on and freeze
You can do this w/ any type of fruit you like.
I also will blend up a smoothie and fill the molds w/ the mixture.
-raw cream
-raw egg yolk
-kefir, yogurt, or coconut milk
-fruit
-sometimes stevia
-vanilla extract
I always have this on hand during the nice weather months. When the neighborhood friends are getting the ice cream mans ice cream(if you can even call it that) my kids get their ice pops.

cauliflower pizza crust

I haven't tried this recipe yet put it looked great and I love morphing cauli into "mashed potatoes", rice and tatter tots. Why not pizza?
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
1 cup of riced cauliflower(a ricer can be bought at any home store- they are used to make mashed potatoes-if you dont have one then just process cauli in a food processor)
1 egg
1 cup organic mozzarella cheese shredded
3 tsp Italian seasoning
-line a cookie sheet w/parchment paper
-combine all ingredients and spread thin and into a circle
-bake 12-15 minutes
-remove pan and add sauce and toppings
-put back into the oven under the broiler until cheese melts and/or the toppings are heated through
--I got this recipe from primalbody-primalmind.com!!!

spinach kuku

This is my version of a Persian egg omelet. The eggs are more of a binder than a main ingredient. This can be used as a bread sub(green bread)
4 eggs
1 10 oz box of thawed chopped spinach(all excess water squeezed out)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp allspice(you can sub 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg)
1-2 cloves of crushed, chopped garlic
preheat oven to 350 degrees
-scramble eggs in medium sized bowl
-mix in salt, pepper, allspice, and garlic
-break apart spinach and mix into eggs
note: the mixture should be very thick and well, green!
-grease a round pie plate or a square pyrex baking dish(w/ butter or coconut oil) Or do as I do, place a piece of unbleached parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spread mixture into either an 8" circle or an 8" square(there is no sticking w/ this method and the kuku cooks faster.
-cook for 20-30 minutes- you want the kuku to be firm.
serving suggestions:
-put kuku on serving platter(either square or round- depending on the shape of your kuku) Mix up a handful of cilantro or parsley or any herbs you like. Drizzle w/ cold pressed, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon or lime, 1 chopped tomato, thinly sliced red onion, salt and pepper and optional(not for me-I love raw garlic!!) chopped clove of garlic. Place this delightful salad over your kuku and cut into wedges!
-use as a pizza crust- Cook your kuku according to the parchment paper method. Spread it real thin and cook until firm. Take out of oven and put on your favorite pizza toppings. Put back into oven under broiler until cheese melts and/or toppings are heated through!
-my favorite way to eat kuku-cold w/ a squeeze of lime juice!

coconut flour bread

This is the basic recipe for the coconut flour bread. You can turn this recipe into so many other creations. Leave out the honey if you are sugar free
6 eggs
1/2 cup butter, coconut oil, or ghee-melted
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS honey
3/4 cup coconut flour
Beat the eggs and add the dry ingredients. Add the melted butter and honey(if using raw honey
you will need to melt it w/ the fat-its very thick and sometimes hard) and mix well-pour in a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
This is a basic recipe. You can go sweet w/ the toppings or savory.
** delicious toasted, w/ butter and raw honey or all fruit spread
** cream cheese and tomatoes
**dry in a 150-200 degree oven- and use as a cracker
**use as a base for pizza

coconut flour parmesan bread

This is such a delicious creation and a great stand in for regular bread.
6 eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 TBS butter, coconut oil, or ghee-melted
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup grated parm cheese
1/2 tsp each- onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Beat eggs and add all dry ingredients in w/ them-mix. Add the melted butter and pour in a loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
** I love to slice the bread thin and toast. Then I spread lots of raw butter on them!!
This is grain free and low carb

nut butter brownies

These are truly delish!! I got the idea from elanaspantry.com and changed it a little to make it my own.
1 jar smooth and roasted nut butter(I used almond butter but you could use peanut butter)
3 eggs(room temperature)
1 1/4 cups of honey
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup of unsweetened coco powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
opptional-1 bar of dark chocolate chopped or broken into chunks
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until pale yellow.Now add jar of nut butter and blend until smooth. Add the honey and vanilla, blend. Last blend in the coco, BS, and salt.(fold in the chocolate if using)
Bake in a 9 x 13 pyrex dish at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes.