can i get a refill?

Just a little advice...

The food was good, the entertainment was good, but I advise you not to go during early-bird dinner time unless you want to steal a snow-bird's cane and fight them for a table because, frankly, that's your only option.

We were like vultures trying to get a table, hovering around our prey, breathing down their necks until we were able to swoop in and snatch up a table.

Did I mention the organ is pretty stellar?

Lincoln puckering up for the camera...

I'm sure no one else will find this as hilarious as I do but as I was going through pictures I came across this number. One of those pictures you take when no one is paying attention and you happen to photograph something really funny but don't know it until later on..... yeah, one of those.

Ryan's sister and her family were in town visiting from Rexburg over N.Y.E weekend. I remember one time, when Ryan and I lived in Rexburg, we went over to their house to hang out. Ryan had brought over a Big Gulp soda and left it on their kitchen counter when we walked in. We were hanging out with Lorie in the living room and Ryan went back into the kitchen to grab his soda. Austin, the boy pictured below, was sneakily chugging Ryan's soda and was caught in the act!

Their kids don't get soda very much, so when they do, they consume as much as they can as fast as they can. So when I saw this picture of Ryan giving Austin some soda, Austin's face because he was getting soda, and then Austin's dad watching Ryan give his son soda..... I had to share. Funny stuff. I also like how Grandpa, who is right next to Austin, is smiling as he is watching the whole thing go down.

Oh! And that Ryan's mom is using a disposable camera. People still use those?

We miss you Cannons! Come back and visit!

for dessert AND breakfast?! I know. We're crazy.

I've been on cooking/ baking overload lately. My only complaint, the dishes. We finally have a nice dishwasher, but I'm like my mother-in-law. I prefer to do them by hand. I really just need to slap my hand and tell myself to enjoy the luxury of a dishwasher after going so many years without one.

Here's two recipes I baked this past week:

I made an Apple Cinnamon Cobbler. I bought a ridiculous amount of apples. Ridiculous, I tell ya. Like, 4 FULL bags of apples. Gala, Red, and Granny Smith. Why? Because it's fall and apples were ridiculously cheap. 3 pounds for $1? Yes, don't mind me while I impulsively buy lots of apples and then figure out what to do with them all later on.

Apple Cinnamon Cobbler
(Vegan and Gluten free substitutions, sugar free, dairy free)

Ingredients:
8-10 apples (any kind, peeled, cored, & chopped. Peeling the apples was a pain in the neck so the first 3 were beautiful and the rest looked disastrous)
1 tbs cinnamon
1tbs flax meal (optional)
lemon juice from half a lemon
1/4 cup agave
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 honey (or pure maple syrup)
1/3 coconut oil - melted
1.5 cups oats (gluten free)
2 tsp salt (and a little more sprinkled on top after baking)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, mix chopped apples, agave, lemon, cinnamon, and raisins in bowl and spread over 8x11 pan. In small bowl, mix honey until smooth consistency, and then add oats. Pour on top of apples and spread. I slightly mixed it all together instead of keeping oats just on top. Bake 30-40minutes or until apples become tender. Serve warm for dessert and then have next morning for breakfast. I ate it cold this morning and actually preferred it that way. I know. I'm weird. I also doubled the oat mixture to have more of the "crumble" with the apples. My dad came over to babysit on Friday and he had some. He loved it, but he said it needed a little more salt. We sprinkled more on top and he was right, much better. I made an executive decision to make some official alterations to the recipe. Thanks dad! Store in fridge.

Okay, this next recipe, I made last Sunday. And it was supposed to last us the week, but we ended up eating almost the whole dish in one evening. I made it again on Thursdsay, and we have one square left that I set aside for Ryan's lunch tomorrow. These babies go fast in this house.

Chocolate Pumpkin Bars 
(Vegan and Gluten free substitutions, sugar free, dairy free)

Ingredients:
3 cups old fashion oats, gf
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 can 100% pumpkin puree (15oz)
1/2 cup honey
1/8 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbs cinnamon (or 1/2 tbs cinnamon, 1/2 tbs nutmeg)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8× 9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Make oat flour: Place oatmeal into blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour. The second time I made this recipe, I made less oat flour and used more full oats (about 1.5 cups of flour, 1.5 cups full oats) to make it more of a granola bar. If you use more oat flour, it turns more into a cake. Place oat flour and remaining oats in a medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, honey, vanilla extract, oil, and applesauce for 1-2 minutes until the consistency is smooth and creamy. You can also add all of these ingredients to the food processor as well. Slowly add in oat flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in 1/5 cup of chocolate chips and dump all that goodness into your pan, and for safe measure, sprinkle on some more chocolate chips. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. 

Best part about these? Another dessert AND breakfast combo. Serve warm out of the oven for dessert or cut them up in bars and wrap individually for breakfast/snack throughout the week. PERECTO! And on a completely unrelated note, aren't these the cutest hind legs you've ever seen? :)

solution for all the veggies starting to go bad in your fridge.

Since we've started this month with Ryan's cleanse, I've really looked forward to dinner time. It's like the stars have aligned to make our evenings so enjoyable. I'm having the best time trying out new recipes (some great, some not so great). When I start preparing for dinner, I put Lincoln in his chair with some toys at the kitchen counter, I turn on Pandora to either Motown or Mana (Spanish station) and I'll start preparing food while singing and dancing for Lincoln. :He's too young to be embarrassed by his mother. :)

Before this month, we weren't the best at sitting down together and eating as a family at the table. But now, since the stars have aligned, we've been eating out on the patio every night. Dinner time is right at sunset, so we have beautiful skies and cool evening weather. We drag Lincoln's high chair outside and he'll jump in on conversation and steal the spotlight every night. Last night our food went practically cold because we were too busy laughing at Lincoln gnawing on an orange and making his puckered faces. :)

Dinner wasn't a planned meal. It was more like, we have a lot of stuff going bad, let's just grill it all and eat it all tonight. It was a double bonus, no food was wasted AND it tasted great!

Grilled Veggie Sandwich
Green Peppers
Red Peppers
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Avocado
Tomato
Salt & Pepper
Cooking oil
Toasted bread (gluten free optional)
And another other veggies your heart desires

I used a mandolin slicer to make long thin strips of zucchini and squash. Then just hand cut the peppers into large chunks that would lay on the grill. I drizzled oil, sprinkled salt & pepper on top, and put them on a med/high heat. Grilled until tender. 

While the veggies are grilling, I smashed up some avocado, chopped some tomatoes, and mixed them together with a dash of garlic salt. Toast some bread, spread the guacamole mixture on it, and throw on some veggies. I threw some leftover cooked potatoes and broccoli on the grill to reheat for a side. I put them on tin foil with oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bam. Delish. 

cha-cha-cha-chia

Gosh this kid is so dang cute. I know I'm bias but he REALLY is. It's the facial expressions.... and the hair. 

This weekend was absolutely AMAZING......not! It was the absolute worst!!!! It was one of those weekends where you actually wish Monday would hurry up and rear its ugly head. Those are few and very far in-between. But when you're sick... that happens. I actually started crying from being so tired---- scary flashback from when Lincoln was first brought home. Although this time I had my husband and Lincoln staring at me like, 'why you so emotional woman?' I slept like crap all weekend, my throat was killing me, and allergies, and I wanted some junk food. Not a good time to withhold sweets. I might have popped those cough drops like candy because of the sugar in them. 

But now look, it's Monday, I'm feeling so much better, and now I'd like the weekend to come back. 

And now for an update: Can we get a WOOT! WOOT! ??

Cause we just finished our first week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ryan and I were talking about it yesterday. The good and bad of it all. Here's what we discussed. 

The bad: it is more work. OBVIOUSLY. There is a lot more preparation that goes into everything. If you are out of food, it's not a quick drive to the closest fast food place. It's required detailed grocery lists and meal planning, lots of cutting and preparing and cooking what I can in bulk to have throughout the week. This is the big drawback for me, since I'm the one doing all of it. 

So what's the biggest drawback for Ryan? Yesterday I made pizza-- with a gluten free pizza crust might I add. I asked him what could make it better and you know what he said? It wasn't the crust, he actually thought it tasted good, but the one critique he gave me... it needs meat.

And the good? Ryan has told me he hasn't felt so tired in the mornings. He believes it's from eliminating the soda and aspartame. The headaches he had during the first week have gone away as well. Caffeine withdrawal? We also agreed we haven't felt like complete CRAP from anything we've eaten. We haven't seen any improvement with his joints, but he says he feels really good overall which is a HUGE perk. 

Saturday called for some special pancakes to celebrate the ending of our first week. Delish. 

Why did I think pancakes from scratch were difficult? Because they're definitely not.

Coconut Carrot Pancakes
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all purpose)
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs coconut oil
2 tbs agave
1 tbs cinnamon
pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon and half of the shredded coconut in a large bowl and whisk to combine. 
2. Pour almond milk into a large liquid measuring cup. Add oil, vanilla, and agave and whisk to combine. Add wet to dry and stir.
3. Stir in carrot and let batter rest for 5 minutes while preheating skillet to medium heat.
4. Once skillet is hot, lightly grease the surface with non-stick spray and spoon on 1/4 cup measurements of batter. 
5. Cook for another couple minutes on the other side. 
6. Serve with warm maple syrup or agave and sprinkle the other half of coconut on top. 

Adapted from Minimalistbaker

no need to fear, supermom is here!

well it's 620am and Lincoln is still sleeping. I know I should be joining him too, but I just got up to check on him as Ryan was leaving for work and now I'm wide awake. Last night was a rough one, poor guy might be getting sick. Not sure if it's just allergies, or a full on cold. But when your baby, who usually sleeps soundly, is waking up every 2 hours having a runny/congested nose and is having trouble breathing, your heart just breaks. He was so tired and wanted to sleep but that cute little button nose of his was not cooperating.

I had this vision of me as "Supermom" last night. Opening his bedroom door with my Supermom stance and my bulb syringe secured in some cool Supermom tool belt. Lincoln would only see my silhouette from the nightlight and my night-robe acting as my cape, but he would know it's me when I say, "No need to fear, your Supermom is here!"  And since every superhero has their sidekicks, the humidifier and bulb syringe will be mine for the next few days.

Yesterday was day 3 and for here's a small update on Ryan and our extremely wonderfully tasty healthy menu this month. Ryan has had a little headache and said he was really craving a soda yesterday. A headache was an expected side effect, but nothing this guy can't overcome.

We cut up one flat of our wheatgrass last night, juiced it all, and froze it in Lincoln's food trays. :) I've been reading a lot about wheatgrass and the best way to prepare and drink it. As always, drinking right after juicing is optimal. But let's be real here, juicing wheatgrass every day can get old real fast. Especially after 3 days. Some sites say you can juice, freeze, store in airtight containers, and when ready, place cube in cup and let warm water run on outside of cup to thaw, then drink right away. Did you catch all that? Yeah, I know. Anyway, that's what we've decided to do. We know we lose some nutritional benefits, but it's more than what he would be getting anyhow.

Yesterday was a repeat dinner of day 2 because I'm all about the leftovers. And when I'm getting food out of the fridge to serve up, Ryan tells me (out of nowhere) that he really likes the Almond Coconut milk in his breakfast. Those words were music to my ears. :)

Day 2
PB Banana Overnight Oats
Honey Apple Sandwich
Sweet Potato Burrito, Kale Cranberry-Seed Salad

Day 3
Blueberry Coconut Overnight Oats
Chickpea Mash Sandwich
LEFTOVERS!

Sweet Potato Burrito
Ingredients:
2 cups Cooked Brown Rice
2 cups Black Bean
Cooked sweet potato- 2 large potatoes, chopped ( I used leftovers from Sunday nights Sweet Potato fries)
Cilantro- handful
Lime
Chili powder- dash
Lettuce-Chopped
Wheat tortillas

I cooked a bunch of brown rice on Sunday to have throughout the week. I also soaked and cooked black beans and chickpeas for the week. Which makes these recipes so much easier to throw together. I threw the rice, beans, and leftover sweet potato fries from Sunday in pan to reheat. I sprinkled some chili powder on top and chopped up some lettuce and cilantro while that concoction was heating up. Guess what I did next.....Threw everything in a wheat tortilla and squeezed some lime on top! BAM!

Kale Cranberry-Seed Salad
Ingredients:
Kale 8-10 leaves, chopped
Broccoli florets, 1.5 cup chopped (i also grated the stems and threw them in too)
Small Cabbage, 1.5 cup chopped
Dried Cranberries 1/2 cup
Sunflower Seeds 1/4 cup
Pumpkin Seeds 1/4 cup

Dressing:
Apple Cider Vinegar 1/4cup
Coconut oil 1/4 cup
Agave 2 tbs
Poppy Seeds (optional) 2 tsp
Lemon 1/2 squeezed

I need to do better with measuring every item to give you... but until I pick up that habit you'll have to use your best guess. All those measurements were me thinking about how much I actually used, but the dressing is exact. Everything else is give-n-take. I'll make it again and repost correct and actual amounts. Place all salad ingredients in bowl. Mix dressing items together and pour over salad and toss all together.

ode to oats

The weather is gracing us with some cool crisp mornings and evenings. The night temperatures have finally lowered enough to open the windows at night. This morning I woke up to a breeze brushing across my face and the sunrise peering through our window. We have an amazing view of downtown from our bedroom window.. except that blasted telephone pole. Whenever I look out to admire the view I always imagine myself going out there with an axe and chopping this pole down. And to top off a beautiful Monday morning, Lincoln slept in. When you have a baby that wakes up like clock-work, those peaceful moments of silence in the morning are golden. I came downstairs to enjoy my breakfast that was waiting for me. Even better. My overnight oats were in the fridge calling my name.

This will be a staple breakfast this month for Ryan and I in all it's variety. Best thing, I can make enough for a few days and all we have to do is grab it out of the fridge and our healthy breakfast just got easy. My pretty pictures can't do it justice.
Here's one of many overnight oats recipes to come: Blueberry Coconut Overnight Oats. Super original name huh? Ha, I'll work on something more creative.

vegan Blueberry Coconut Overnight Oats
Mason jars with lids ( I prepare 4 for the week with wide mouth pint jars)
1 cup Oats 1 cup
1 1/4 cup Almond Coconut Milk 1 1/4 cup
Blueberries as much as your heart desires
Shredded Unsweetened Coconut as much as your heart desires
2 tablespoons Agave 
Vanilla- a dash---yes, that's how I measure things around here
flax & chia seeds- optional

You'll have to experiment but this is what I use. I put a little more agave in Ryan's, of course, with his flax and chia seeds too. And you can adjust milk if you like it more runny. Add it all in your jar, stir, put on lid, and place in fridge overnight. Bam! Easy peasy.

health, wealth, and happiness. Day 1

I've always despised the word DIET. (shutter). Whenever someone says they're going on one I cringe on the inside. Mostly because a majority of them have a connotation of a quick fix and just another fad that doesn't really help that person gain a healthier lifestyle. To say Ryan and I are going on a diet would be completely off target. To say we are aiming for a healthier lifestyle... well yeah, that's more like it. And here's the short version why:

4 years ago Ryan developed some health issues. It was right after our one year anniversary. I remember when he first started getting the symptoms. It started off with one hand falling asleep at night, then his whole arm. We figured he was just sleeping on his arm wrong and it would eventually go way. But then his other hand and arm soon followed. Eventually the numbness and tingling went away but his joints became extremely stiff and lost some range of motion.

Within the next year it spread to his lower extremities and throughout his body. He wasn't able to make a tight fist or grip certain objects tightly. He wasn't able to extend his fingers completely straight or do a push-up because his wrists would barely bend.

We saw neurologists and rheumatologists. We even had a plastic surgeon do carpal tunnel surgery to see if the release would allow more movement in his wrists. The only thing the surgery did for him was leave a scar...

Tests after tests, no doctor or surgeon could figure it out. They knew something was wrong (OBVIOUSLY) but couldn't explain what (go figure). All the tests came back normal. The only vague diagnosis we were given from one neurologist, after a CT scan, was possible early stages of multiple sclerosis.... but even then he was still unsure. After a long summer of tests and stumped doctors, we stopped searching for answers.

And here we are 4 years later. Ryan's joints have not improved, but they haven't worsened either. We see this as a blessing. Although sometimes it can be hard, we focus on all the things that he is able to do still, which is more than not, by far.

Which brings us to food. I've always believed what we put in our bodies plays a significant role in our health so when Ryan came home from work a few weeks ago and told me he wanted to dedicate the following month to eating healthier and cleansing his body my jaw dropped!! I'm so on board!!

Our guidelines:
No meat, dairy, sugar, processed foods, soda, or fast food.

Wow. What the heck are we going to eat for the next month. A good ole' plant-based diet! And even though it may not look like a lot, there is A. LOT. Trust me.

YES WHOLE WHEAT BREAD/PASTAS and GRAINS
YES VEGETABLES
YES FRUITS
YES NUTS, SEEDS
YES BEANS, LEGUMES
YES to natural sweeteners- HONEY, AGAVE

I wanted to blog about this next month, share the simple healthy recipes I'm making, and keep everyone updated on what this month has done for Ryan. We will take it one month at a time, figure out what works best for us and keep aiming for a healthier diet. Yesterday was day 1 which consisted of juicing for breakfast, lunch, and a Black Bean Oat Burger and cilantro-lime sweet potato fries for dinner. Why would I venture to take on a challenge of a meatless burger for my first meal when my husband grew up on a cattle ranch??? The dinner could have gone two ways..... he could have been scarred after ruining his favorite food and dreading every meal to follow.......... OR..... he could have been left pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was and a glimmer of faith would start growing that eating healthier does taste good!!!!

Can I just say how proud I am of this meat-lovin', soda-drinkin', chips-and-candy-munchin' husband of mine? He even put brown spicy mustard, tomatoes, and avocado on the burger even though he hates all three. AND GUESS WHAT? he ate 3. Okay 2 3/4 but still, he was surprised and I was tremendously relieved!!! SUCCESS! to our HEALTH, WEALTH in blessings, and true HAPPINESS.

Day 1
B- Wheatgrass/ Juiced
L- Juiced
D- Black Bean Oat Burger and Cilantro Limo Sweet Potato Fries

a step-up from last year

If there's two foods Ryan loves and you can never go wrong serving him, it's this: Cinnamon rolls or a cheeseburger. Last year for his birthday, I was so proud of myself because I got up super early to open a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and baked them for him before he left to work. I pretty much gave myself a pat on the back for being "wife of the year". I deserved something for enduring the dreadful 'POP' when opening the can. I HATE THAT!!!!!!!!! I'm pretty sure I never liked the Jack in the Box toys growing up---  No thank you.

This year though, being Ryan's FIRST father's day, I decided to be a big girl and just avoid the Pillsbury can all together and make my own cinnamon rolls from scratch. Whoa. I am a big girl now.

First time making homemade cinnamon rolls and I needed to find an easy recipe. I found one (thank you Pinterest) and followed the recipe to a 'T', making sure his morning breakfast wasn't a complete disaster. Having store bought cinnamon rolls on back-up would have been smart, but that's just setting me up for failure. Luckily, for Ryan's sake, there was pure success that morning with me, kitchen, and these cinnamon rolls.

I would call them easy-cheesy cinnamon rolls, but that might give the impression there's cheese in them. So I'll just say,  "easy-peasy cinnamon rolls for someone who's never made them homemade before and wants a safe recipe to try" :) yah, that's better.

rolls
2 & 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 pkg. red star yeast
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup milk
2.5 tbs butter
1 egg

filling
3 tbs butter- softened to room temperature
1.5  tbs ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla

1. Make dough: set aside 1/2 cup of flour. In Bowl, toss remaining flour, sugar salt, and yeast. Stir ingredients and set aside.
2. heat water, milk, and butter together in microwave until butter is melted and mixture is hot to touch. Mix butter mixture into flour mixture. Add egg and only enough of the reserved flour to make the dough soft. Dough is ready when it pulls away from side of bowl and has an elastic consistency.
3. knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. place in lightly greased bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes.
4. Make filling: Roll dough out to 14x8 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter on top. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the dough. Roll dough up tightly. Cut into 11 pieces and place in lightly greased 9 inch. round pan. Loosely cover rolls with aluminum foil and allow to rise in warm, draft free place for 60-90 minutes. OR (what i did) heat oven to 200F degrees. Turn oven off. Place rolls inside oven and allow to rise.
5. After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat oven to 375F. Bake 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. (Mine were ready at 20 minutes). Cover rolls last 10 minutes to avoid heavy browning.
6. Make the glaze: Right before serving, top cinnamon rolls with glaze. Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. You can add more powdered sugar to make a thicker glaze.

*Best eaten same day, but can store up to 5 days in container. Recipe fromsallysbakingaddiction.com

retiring

Here's my china cabinet!!! Remember what it looked like before? Like this! My first project will be the longest.project.EVER! And it will stay in my parent's garage for probably another year. But at least it's not such an eye-sore to whoever parks there car in there. It has some work to be done but I'll get around to it when I get around to it.

So I just got off the phone with Grandma. The one-sided conversation was me venting about having to work SUCKS and how Ryan and I want to retire ASAP and grandma laughing hysterically the entire time. She was able to get a few words in every time she would gasp for air saying, "oh my poor baby." Let's just say I'm not feeling much better about things.

Last night was a late one. We were viewing some houses and had car problems. So it was Ryan and I hanging out in a QT parking lot with an AutoZone employee working on our car until 1130pm last night. Ryan had to get up at 4 this morning and I was up at 5:20am. I'm typing this with my eyes closed right now; THAT'S how tired I am. Blah blah blah. Elizabeth, stop complaining. Ok. I guess we can't just be billionaires magically. And Grandma's tough love taught me, "Be grateful you have a job." And reality is, we are grateful for our jobs. But still, early mornings and running low on sleep SUCKS.

Anyhoo.

So, here's dinner for us tonight. No idea where I got the recipe but its got the perfect KICK. BOO YA! And it will be an early-bird dinner for us so we can get in bed and have a 12 hour sleep to be well rested for Friday's work day. :)

20-24 raw shrimps;

1 finely chopped small onion;

1/2 cup olive oil;

1 tbsp lemon zest;

3 gloves garlic, minced;

1/2 cup lemon juice;

2 small red chillies, seeded and finely chopped;

1 tbsp grated ginger;

1 tsp turmeric;

Mix all the ingredients other than the shrimps together in a bowl, add the shrimps and cover over night. When ready to cook, remove the shrimps from the marinade and stir-fry them until crispy with clarified butter or coconut oil. Once ready, add the marinade to the wok and bring to a boil while tossing.

Paleo crack for a rough Monday

I'm feeling a little rough today. We are in the process of buying a home and went hunting for "the one" on Saturday. We finally got another car since ole' red died on us and let me tell ya non-Arizonans: House hunting and car shopping in the middle of the AZ summer should be down right illegal. Trying to make big grown-up decisions with sweat dripping in your eyes and down your back is NOT what I had in mind for a Saturday. It is what it is though. We're grateful we're in a position to be buying but our 650 sq foot apartment seemed more appealing afterwards. 

 Plus, today was my first official day back in the operating room. Last week I was doing classroom work so you can imagine the stellar sleep I got last night. The OR nightmares are back. I go to work all day,so having to dream about work the night before should be double over-time right?? Hence, why I'm feeling a little rough on a Monday. Anyhoo, I wanna talk about food now.

I made these forever ago and am finally sharing them. And I had to share because this was a first-timer for me. First time making my very own crackers!!!!

I'm kindof a wheat-thin and triscuit finatic. Especially with some cottage cheese. I can clean out a box for a snack easy-peasy. So on my paleo 30day challenge, I made myself some of my own wheat-thins but paleofied and they are definitely better than that wheat-thin business. Just sayin.

recipe via Primal Palate

2 cups almond flour

1 cup flax seed meal

2 eggs

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp basil

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp cumin (didn't use)

2 tsp garlic powder (didn't use)

2 tsp onion powder (didn't use)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl combine flour, flax and spices. Whisk eggs and pour over flour mixture. Add in olive oil. Sitre all ingredients to form dough.

Roll dough into a large ball and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Cover dough with separate sheet of parchment and roll out in 1/4 inch-thick-layer.

Score dough with knife to desired cracker size.

Bake crackers 15 minutes. let cool, beak crackers into squares, and serve!

a great burger, without the cow

When it came time to decide where to go for Ryan's birthday, I thought I would give him two options. His options were Ruth's Chris Steak House or Zinburger. Ruth's Chris is not quite in our budget, but it was a special occassion and I thought if we were ever to splurge, this was the night. Could my husband be anymore of a burger lover though? He stayed true to his 2nd love (me being his 1st) and chose Zinburger-- a burger lover's paradise. They have burgers dressed up in so many different ways, you'll have to go back more than once to try them all.

Zinburger is less than 1/2 mile from our place so in effort of not being completely lazy, we walked in the warm Arizona evening heat to Zinburger. We got there, sat down, ready for our ice waters to be brought to us to moisten our parched mouths and realized we both forgot our wallets. Not the best way to start a birthday dinner. We walked back to our place, drove back to the restaurant, were seated, and finally got our waters! The hiccup was definitely worth it though. We both loved our burgers; I went for the veggie because I felt guilty having the cow on the wall stare right at me...... literally right at me.  

Ryan walked over and asked why I wasn't posting a picture of him on his birthday dinner night and just posting my burger and picture of the cow. So here it is. The Birthday Boy on the night of his birthday dinner. Ain't he precious?

cinnamon rolls for the birthday boy

Well, yesterday was the ole' husband's birthday.

The big kahuna, the big 2-8.

I wanted to make him a special treat. I remember one year for his birthday, the first time I thought I'd step out of my comfort zone, I baked him a blueberry pie. Store bought crust and canned blueberry filling. Man I thought I was so awesome.

I found these precious babies from The Urban Poser and had to HAD TO make them. I've been off of Paleo for only 3 days and every day I've felt disgustingly piggish. Yes, that's exactly how I've felt.

And there was some hesitation making Ryan's birthday treat Paleo style but they were made with love and that makes up for it right? Actually, he liked them. And it wasn't like, "Yah they're good, thanks". This is what he said, and I memorized it word for word because this time I really did feel awesome. "Wow! These taste really good! You should be so proud of yourself! You have become such a good cook. I bet they're really healthy and have zucchini or something in them, and they still taste really good!"

Oh Ryan. Stop it....Ok go on and tell me again. :)

And F.Y.I there is no zucchini in them. Here's the recipe to see for yourself. :) I dare you to make them. First time making cinnamon rolls and they were STELLAR! The directions may seem tedious but it's worth it. And if you just so happen to have a fort set up in your living room, eat them inside your fort like us. They taste better that way. ENJOY!

For the biscuit rolls

3 cups plus 2 Tbls super fine almond flour

1/2 tsp salt (or just slightly under that amount)

1/4 tsp baking soda

*2 tbs cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut oil (or oil of choice)

2 Tbls honey

2 large room temp eggs

For the filling

1/4-1/2 cup honey (depending on how much sweetness you like)

1- 2 Tbls ground cinnamon

1/2 cup ground pecans/walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

*I sprinkled some shredded coconut in filling as well

 

 

For the icing

1/4 cup coconut butter at room temp

optional honey for drizzling

(keep both separate for drizzling or you will get thick paste)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt and baking soda * I added 2 tbs of cinnamon to give cinnamon flavor in actual dough. In a seperate bowl, gently beat together the coconut oil, honey, and eggs. If the eggs are too cold, they might cause the coconut oil to harden. Add the egg mixture to the almond flour mixture. Mix (knead) until a decently smooth dough is formed.

 

 

On a large piece of parchment paper, roll the dough out into about a 9x13 rectangle. Use a little almond flour, if needed, to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin. Drizzle the 1/4-1/2 cup of honey evenly over the dough, then carefully spread it around to cover the whole surface. Honestly, I use my fingers to do this. I find that I am less likely to tear the dough this way. Sprinkle the raisins, grounds pecans, cinnamon and *shredded coconut over the surface of the honeyed dough.

 

 

Now your ready to roll it up! Starting at the end closest to you, begin to roll the edge of the dough away from you. Try to start a tight roll from the beginning. Continue rolling until you have a nice uniform log. Use the parchment paper to help you roll if needed. Be gentle and careful when rolling up the dough. It is not as workable as a gluten based flour would be. Now roll the whole log of dough gently, lengthening it out just a bit (like making a snake out of play-dough). It is a good size when it is about a 4 in ch round log.

 

 

With a good bread knife, cut the roll into about 2 inch thick slices. I use the width of two fingers as my guide. Then lay them cut side down on to a parchment lined cookie sheet. They do best spaced a few inches apart, but not connected.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 min. I suggest staying close to the stove and checking a few times while they are baking, as everyone's oven cooks a bit differently. The rolls should be golden with a little browning at the top and the dough toward the center of the roll should be soft but not to doughy. If they bake too long they WILL become like hockey pucks! If cooked just right though, they will be heavenly.

When ready, remove from oven and let cool for 10 min. If you try to move them before then, they might break up. But if you wait for them to cool they will hold together beautifully.Drizzle with coconut butter and/or honey just before serving.Makes about 9-10 cinnamon rolls. *Note, these are gluten free so they are more like biscuits.

oh no we "doughnut", oh yes we did!

Please excuse the title and my pathetic efforts to come up with something catchy. Creativity is not my 1st, 2nd, or 3rd nature. Moving on now....

My 30 day Paleo Challenge is coming to an end. Last night in bed Ryan asked me where I'd like to go eat to celebrate the commencement of this "caveman diet" and although we agreed we'd go get frozen yogurt, I told him I'm going to try and keep the Paleo-lifestyle up. I won't be as strict as I have been and the only reason I have been strict is because of the challenge and maybe the prize my CrossFit gym has been doing (come on baby, mama wants to win those lifting shoes).

To explain what I've felt this past month it's important to know my eating has had it's struggles like many others. I never ate super unhealthy, but when I did, I would eat A LOT ALOT of it. It's pretty bad when the hubby has to tell you, "Are you sure you want more of that? I don't want you to get sick." "OF COURSE I WANT MORE....GIMMME GIMMME!"

Then I would get sick and feel so gross. What we put in our bodies affects more than just a waist line. When we put good food in, we feel good. Same goes for bad. Going 30 days without processed foods, no added/refined sugar, focusing on lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, and peanuts....man i feel really good. Not once have I had the feeling , Man, I really shouldn't have eaten that. There definitely is more planning and work with cooking, but to feel great about everything I've put in my body has been SO worth it.

And can I say something about desserts and the baked Paleo goods I've been making? Everything is in moderation and the baked goods are okay to have but not every single day. With Paleo, raw honey or agave can be used as natural sweetners when used in moderation. With that being said, I've loved baking Paleo. My biff and I made these doughnuts from the Spunky Coconut and one thing about eating sweets that are grain/gluten free with natural sweeteners, I don't feel gross after eating it. (Eating a box of ding dongs from the grocery store, as yummy as they start out to be, leave me feeling BLAH!)Not that you should be binging on paleo sweets either. Although the biff and i did eat the whole batch but to my defense they are smaller doughnuts. Ha! You get my point.

As if this post couldn't get any longer, here's the recipe:

Chocolate Doughnuts with Coconut Cream Frosting

Add to blender:
1 egg

1/2 cup almond butter
2 tbsp honey

2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 to 1/4 tsp vanilla stevia (i didn't use)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp cocoa powder (or 2 tbsp coconut flour for vanilla doughnuts)

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup coconut milk, as needed

Note: The amount of milk you need depends on how thick your almond butter is. You want the batter to be fairly thick - almost too thick to pour from the blender. Add the milk gradually - you can always add more, but you can't take it out :-)

Puree the batter.

Add 1/2 tsp of oil (I use coconut oil, liquified) to each doughnut well. My doughnut pan holds six regular sized doughnuts, and it is non-stick. You really need the oil for these doughnuts even with the non-stick pan. Rub the oil all around each well.Pour the batter evenly between the six doughnut wells. There may be a little left over. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. They will continue cooking slightly as they cool in the pan. Cool the doughnuts in the pan for at least 10 minutes before carefully taking them out.

Coconut Glaze Ingredients:

1/3 cup warmed coconut butter (should be able to pour it)

2 tablespoons honey

Add 1 tsp of water as need till smooth and creamy. You can add more warmed coconut butter if it gets too thin.

Happy Friday!

a rough night but the pork helped

Last night was a little on the rough side.

From the point AFTER we had a fabulous dinner (recipe below) to the moment we went to sleep. I had a church event I was originally planning on attending but in lieu of buying a new car, I had to skip out to go see a car we were interested in. On our drive out, the seller canceled on us last minute. DOH! From that point on, I was a 'little' cranky the rest of the night. To my defense, and yes I will try and defend my irritable behavior, the night before I got 2 1/2 hours of sleep. Seriously, no exaggeration. (Watch, I'll prove it by telling you times) I didn't go to bed until 1am that night and when the hubby got up at 3:30 for work, I never fell back asleep. Let's just say, last night around 7pm I was doing everything I could to keep those eyelids open. It probably worked out that I didn't make the pool party. I would have been the one sleeping on the raft in the pool and everyone would be poking me to see if I was breathing....

Well, today, the hubby and I are taking off to Vegas with my little brother and his friend. My lil bro just graduated from high school and he's going to a three-day music festival. You can imagine my parents weren't the most thrilled about him going to Vegas for a senior trip, which is why Ryan and I tagging along. We aren't going to the music festival, we're just there to make sure they stay alive for the weekend. We're taking off this afternoon and we'll just be enjoying the"cooler" 90 degree weather by the pool and I will be doing some shopping :)

Before the lack of sleep had the worst of me last night, we did have a stellar dinner. We actually sat down together, TV off, and talked about our day and plans for the weekend. We've always been really good at eating dinner together at the table but have slacked these past few months. We've never had TV before but now watching the news and talking about how crazy people are during dinner has become the norm.

Anyway, I think, no wait, I know, this is the first time we've made pork chops. Almost 4 years of being married and we've never cooked pork chops. But, i got a killer deal on them yesterday (99cents/lb) so we'll be eating quite a bit of pork in the next few months.

Here's last nights dinner. :)

Paleo Almond and Herb Crusted Pork Chops and Roasted Carrots

recipes via easy paleo

Paleo Almond and Herb Crusted Pork Chops

4 pork chops

1/2 cup of almond meal

3 tbs italian seasonings

sea salt and pepper

Spread a little coconut oil on the chops.

Mix seasonings together and spread on a plate.

Firmly pack almond herb mixture to chops and set aside for 10 minutes

or coating will slip off during cooking.

Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or internal temp reaches 160.

Make sure to flip chops around the 30 minute mark.

*i needed more than the 1/2 cup almond meal because our chops were big! We also ended up frying them in a pan with some coconut oil so if you're not able to bake them, you can easily do the stove top method. :)

Roasted Carrots

carrots

oil

cilantro, finely chopped

sea salt and pepper

garlic, minced

Either use prepackaged baby carrots or small full carrots. I found these small skinny full carrots that were so cute, i just could chop them up into smaller pieces.

Lightly coat with olive oil or coconut oil.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20.

While baking, add finely chopped cilantro, garlic, salt/pepper, and just enough oil to make a little glaze you can pour of carrots.

Remove from oven and pour mixture over carrots.

Bake for another 5 minutes.

EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!