"Paleo-licious" Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

I made these little balls of joy last night and they were a HUGE hit!!! Even Mr. Picky Pants loved them (and that's saying something).

The original recipe came from The Frisky Lemon...great blog...check it out! I tweaked the recipe a tad...I was out of vanilla extract (my new batch won't be ready for a couple more months), so I scraped one whole vanilla bean and used the bean paste instead. If you are super strict Paleo, use the coconut oil instead of the butter...you know my motto..."do whatever makes you happy"! You also don't have to dip these in chocolate, they are amazing straight up plain...I had to shoo Tori away form the bowl, she kept stealing dough!

2 1/2 cups Almond Meal (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1/3 cup raw honey
3 tbsp coconut flour
8 tbsp salted butter (organic pasture fed is best), softened or 8 tbsp coconut oil (do not melt the oil)
1 tbsp vanilla or paste from one vanilla bean
1 cup chocolate chips/chunks*
Additional chocolate and coconut oil for dipping - optional

In a mixing bowl, cream butter (or oil), honey and vanilla until well blended and creamy. I used a rubber spatula and it worked great...no need to dirty your stand mixer :)

Once butter mixture is nice and smooth, add in the almond meal one cup at a time. Stir well after each addition. Next add the coconut flour 1 tbsp at a time, stirring well to combine. Stir in chocolate chips and using a small ice cream scoop (or a spoon) make walnut size balls. Place balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in freezer for 15-20 minutes.

While truffles are chilling, melt a cup of chocolate chips with a tbsp of coconut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Stir to combine.

Using a fork, dip each truffle into chocolate and coat. Tap fork on edge of bowl to remove excess chocolate and return truffle to baking sheet. Repeat until all are dipped. Return baking sheet to freezer 5 minutes to harden chocolate. Once chocolate is set, place truffles in resealable container and store in fridge...Enjoy!

*Use your favorite chocolate chips...I like Whole Foods semi sweet chocolate chunks, but use what makes you happy.

Everybody’s Favorite Banana Pudding

Here it is....everybody's favorite banana pudding. Tori calls it famous...Chris calls it the best ever...I call it an easy dessert that feeds a ton of people!  I made it for a function today and someone asked for the recipe...I pulled up the blog and realized that I  never put it on here...what the heck is wrong with that picture?! The orginal recipe is from Paula Deen...I tweaked it a tad and love the results.

 1 box vanilla wafers (regular ones...NO low fat or fat free)

3 to 4 bananas, sliced (depending on size of your bananas)

2 cups whole milk

2 -  3.4 oz boxes instant  vanilla pudding

1 -  8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1  - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 -  12 oz container cool whip, thawed

 Line the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish with vanilla wafers. Top cookies with a layer of bananas.

In a large bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well. In a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix with paddle attachment on medium high until smooth and creamy. Fold the cool whip into the cream cheese mixture.Next add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and gently stir until well blended. Spoon half the pudding mixture over cookie/banana layer. Place another layer of cookies and bananas on top of pudding. Spoon remaining pudding over the top and spread to cover completely. Cover with saran wrap and chill at least 12 hours before serving.

Serve pudding with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

"Happy-Happy" Paleo Pancakes

These are hands down my kids favorite pancakes! I made them for dinner the other night and Harrison kept telling me, "Mom these are the best pancakes...EVER"! He devoured six of them in record time :) The girls loved them too. My Tori girl thought pancakes were on the no-no list these days (we have found out she has a gluten intolerance)...she was super excited to know she could still enjoy "brenner" (that's what we call breakfast for dinner in our house). She named them "Happy-Happy Pancakes.

 

 

 

3  eggs

1 tablespoon water or coconut milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee

1 ½ cups almond flour ( I use Bob's Redmill brand) 

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Additonal coconut oil for frying

Fresh berries, maple syrup for serving (optional)

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, water (or coconut milk), vanilla and cinnamon. Add almond flour, salt and baking soda and mix until thoroughly combined, then add tbsp of melted coconut oil (or ghee) stir to combine. Let batter rest 10 minutes. When ready to cook, heat a couple tbsp coconut oil in  large skillet or griddle pan over medium heat.

Scoop scant 1/4 cups of your batter onto skillet, making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Cook pancakes until bubbles form on surface and edges are golden brown. Carefully flip pancakes with spatula and cook another couple minutes, until golden brown. Remove pancakes from skillet. Repeat process with remaining batter, add more oil to skillet as needed.

Serve with maple syrup (my kiddos fave) or topped with berries...whatever makes you happy!

A Letter From My Heart

I know these bullies will never lay eyes on  this post. I wrote to them as a means of coping with all of the hurt, anger, heart break and dismay I as a parent have been dealing with the past two weeks. Harrison is safe now. We are a strong family and will weather this storm...this too shall pass.

Jeremiah 29:11 has been my go-to verse.

Harrison is going to be okay...actually he will be better than okay :)

Dear Bullies:

 I don’t know you and you don’t know me (which for you is probably a good thing...I am a BIG ASS momma bear).You very well may be one of the many faces I see every day taking my son to school. I don't know your names, where you live or what you want to be when you grow up, what I do know is that two weeks ago ( because of your constant bullying)  my son wanted to end his life. He felt he had no other choice. Your abuse of my son pushed him to his limits and he was simply “done”. As I have found out, being bullied is not new to Harrison. He was also bullied throughout middle school. He never shared this with me or his dad…he didn’t want to worry us.

You use words not fists to batter Harrison. You tell him he is “stupid”…”a retard”…”worthless”…”an idiot”.  You tell Harrison “he’s a loser” and that “nobody wants to be his friend”.  During group work sessions, you tell him to “shut up...no one wants to hear what you have to say”.  These painful words crushed my child’s spirit, took his smile away and nearly took him from his family. SHAME ON YOU!!! SHAME ON YOU!!! SHAME ON YOU!!! You have broken my heart…you have rocked my world…you have made me madder than Hell!!!

You tell Harrison he’s stupid. Have you seen his grades? A’s and B’s, definitely not grades you would expect from someone “stupid”, right? Speaking of grades, how are yours??? You spend so much class time harassing him instead of paying attention; surely your grades have suffered.

The word “retard” comes from your mouth when talking about Harrison. Is Harrison retarded? No, and even if he was…who cares? What I really want to know is where did you receive your medical training and credentials? Only a highly trained medical professional could perform the necessary testing to determine if a person is “retarded”. I doubt you have such expertise.

“Worthless”? Nope, again you are wrong. Harrison‘s value in this life is truly priceless… not only to his family, but to all that have had the privilege to know him. It is your own lack of self-worth that makes you feel it acceptable to bully Harrison.

You insist that Harrison is a “loser” and “nobody wants to be his friend”.  Wrong again! Harrison is most certainly a winner. He always tries to  do the right thing…God is in his heart (just ask his little sister Emily). Harrison is a sensitive, witty, amazing young man. You are the loser because you will never get to call Harrison friend.

Speaking of friends, you claim nobody wants to be Harrison’s friend.  He not only has friends, he has some of the most amazing friends…EVER! When Harrison texted his three best friends to tell them goodbye and of his plan to take his own life, his friends not only begged and pleaded with him, but one of those friends was so afraid for his friends life that he called his own Mom at home. THANK GOD!!! His Mom then called the school and Harrison was pulled from class. I was called in and all of the sadness in my sweet son’s heart spilled out. Do you have any friends like that…friends that would reach out and save your life?

On a final note, my family (yes, even Harrison) has prayed for you. I pray that someday God will enter your heart. I pray that you will no longer speak with an evil tongue, but that words of kindness and beauty will spill from your lips. I pray that maybe just once in your life you will do the right thing…reach out and make a difference in our world.

Thanks for listening.

Rox

Balsamic Braised Short Ribs...To Die For!!!

I made this for dinner yesterday and it is definitely a dinner winner! Even Mr. Picky Pants (who was skeptical at first) gave it a two thumbs up. The original recipe comes from one of my favorite paleo cookbooks, Practical Paleo. I have modified it tad and am pleased as pie with the results. By the way,  if you don't already own this cookbook...GO BUY IT!!! I served this with roasted veg and sweet potatoes, but for my nonpaleo fans, I can so see this served on top of a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes!
I did this dish in a dutch oven and popped it in my oven (it has a slow cook mode). You can do this in the crockpot or pop your dutch oven in a 300 degree oven.

2 tbs Savory Spice blend ( see below for recipe)
3-4 lbs bone in beef short ribs
2 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used Glen Muir fire roasted)
1 6 oz can tomato sauce (Glen Muir again)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 whole dried dates, pit removed
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
6 carrots, scrubbed and quartered

Rub the spice mixture into the ribs, pressing gently to adhere to meat.

Heat the oil in a  skillet over medium high heat. Sear ribs (in batches to keep from crowing pan) 2-3 minutes per side or until nicely browned. Remove from pan.

Place dates, garlic, onion and carrots in slow cooker. Add beef ribs. Pour diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and vinegar on top. Cover and slow cook on high 5-6 hours or until meat is tender.

When meat is tender, remove bones from pot and skim excess fat. Taste for seasoning and correct with salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or whatever makes you happy!

Savory Spice Blend

2 tbsp Rosemary salt (2 tbsp kosher salt & 2 tbsp dried rosemary...mix together in a bowl...save remaining mix for another recipe)
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Onion Powder
1/2 tbsp Paprika (sweet not hot kind)
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a plastic container and stir to combine. You will have leftovers, try it on a flank steak, chicken breasts, pork chops, etc.

Gearing Up For Fall... With A Bowl Of Paleo Chili

I don't typically make chili during the summer months, but I was craving a big bowl of red the other day and thought that maybe, just maybe I could will the temp to drop, the leaves to change and the air to become crisp...I am oh so ready for Fall people!

This Paleo chili got two thumbs up the other night. Harrison did a happy dance when he realized there were no beans (not a big fan)...He ate two bowls!

3 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil...use what you have)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs grass fed ground beef
pinch kosher salt
3 tbsp chili powder
2 1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp Mexican oregano
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
28 oz can diced tomatoes (I use Glen Muir Organic fire roasted)
6 oz tomato paste (1 1/2 cans)
1 1/4 cups water

In a dutch oven or large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onions are soft. Add minced garlic and continue cooking until garlic is soft and barely browned, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and pinch of salt. Break up meat with back of large cooking spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally until beef is cooked through and browned, 7-10 minutes. Add next 6 ingredients to dutch oven. Stir well to coat with spices and cook 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook (covered) for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls and serve..enjoy!

My Classic Pot Roast Gets A Paleo Makeover

While the girls are away at camp, Harrison (aka Mr. Picky Pants) gets to help choose our dinner menus. One of his requests was for my pot roast...it is a family favorite. My classic roast isn't very paleo friendly at all...so, I decided it was time for a makeover :) Chris and Harrison both gave two thumbs up to my new and improved pot roast.  As you can see in the picture, I served roasted sweet potatoes along side this delish roast.

2 tbsp olive oil
one 2-3 lb round rump roast
Tommy's Brand Coffee Rub (Whole Foods...it is so worth the trip)
2 large parsnips - peeled, quartered & cored*
4 carrots -cut in half and cut large pieces in half again
4 stalks celery - cut each in half
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/4 cups beef stock
1 tsp Italian herb blend
2 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp potato flour (I use Bob's Red Mill Brand)
salt & pepper

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Season roast generously with coffee rub ( I probably used 2 tsp). Sear roast on all sides. Place veg in crock pot and top with roast. Cover and  cook on low 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. When roast is fork tender, remove meat from crock pot and set aside. Remove veg to a plate and cover. Turn slow cooker to high and add beef broth, sherry, vinegar and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Whisk in potato flour until smooth and stir until gravy has thickened a bit. Taste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Using a fork and tongs, shred meat into chunks. Add meat and veg back to slow cooker and cook on low 30 more minutes. Enjoy!!!

* Parsnips are truly an underloved vegetable! They look like overgrown white carrots and actually taste similar to carrots. Even Mr. Picky Pants likes them...and that's saying something!