If you’re ever feeling fancy or have that little itch to try something new in the kitchen: this recipe is for you. And the best part is, it cooks in the crock pot — so you can set it and forget it. Well, scratch that, you surely won’t forget it because your house will smell so good you will hardly be able to contain yourself. Cue Salivation.
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I have searched far & wide for the perfect Paleo Brownie Recipe, and alas, I believe I have found it. These brownies are rich, fluffy, and full of chocolatey goodness. Sometimes a girl just needs a chocolate fix, and these allow me to indulge guilt-free.
They are super quick & simple to whip up too. And I usually have the ingredients on hand, which is a plus (and also dangerous because I literally make them all the time).
Give ‘em a try and let me know what you think!
With Love,
Monika
Paleo Brownies
Ingredients
1 Cup Creamy Almond Butter
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Ghee (or sub melted grassfed butter)
1/3 Cup Raw Cacao (or sub unsweetened cocoa powder)
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Cacao Nibs (or sub dark chocolate chips)
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)
Instructions
Preheat Oven to 325.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, egg, maple syrup, vanilla, and ghee. Stir well, and then add in the cacao powder, baking soda, cacao nibs, and walnuts. Mix well.
Next, spoon batter into a greased (or parchment paper lined) 8 x 8 baking dish.
Bake approximately 21-23 minutes.
Let cool, serve & enjoy!
I’m not quite sure why, but I’ve always been a little intimidated by lamb. I’ve just never made it before and wasn’t quite sure the best way to go about it. And I hadn’t come across too many recipes for it either. But we’re currently on our third round of Whole 30, and I wanted to try something new to keep things interesting (the key to a successful Whole 30, in my opinion!). It was actually a lot easier to make than I thought, and Ryan and I both loved it! I served it over roasted veggies, and with a side of roasted green beans topped with caramelized onions. Oh, and can I just say that I love when meals “plate” well, because it allows me to pretend that I am a chef. And it makes meals look more complicated than they are, which is especially great when you have company! ;)
Roasted Rack of Lamb:
1 Rack of Lamb
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
¼ cup fresh rosemary
¼ cup olive oil
4-5 cloves minced garlic
Garlic Powder
Sea Salt & Pepper
1) Preheat oven to 400 2) Set out rack of lamb, and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, & garlic powder and let rest 20-30 minutes 3) In food processor or blender combine rosemary, olive oil, minced garlic, and salt & pepper and set aside 4) Heat ghee or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 5) Once butter is melted & hot, add your rack of lamb (fat side down) and sear 3-5 minutes. Flip and sear other side 1-2 minutes. 6) Spread your rosemary/olive oil mixture over the lamb and transfer it to the oven (I use a cast iron so I can transfer it easily, or you can just move it to a roasting pan) for approximately 18-20 minutes (for medium) or until it reaches desired doneness. 7) Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving. Voila! Delicious.
Serve with roasted potatoes or veggies for a complete & healthy meal!
Tomorrow officially marks two months since my brothers came to live with us. It is also their first day of school, signifying the end of summer. Which is a little mind boggling because I feel like summer just started and I barely accomplished anything on my summer bucket list. But I’m moving right along and diving head first into fall! And what better way to get into the fall spirit than the oh-so-delicious pumpkin spice latte!? But, unfortunately, for those of us trying to eat healthy, the pumpkin spice lattes you get at Starbucks are not the best option.
A few months ago I discovered Bulletproof coffee and the idea of using unsalted grassfed butter in my coffee instead of milk or creamer. It was life changing. The thought of butter in my coffee sounded disgusting BUT I finally tried it and it did not disappoint. It was rich, creamy, and delicious. So I played around with adding different flavors and mixes… usually I keep it simple. I typically add unsalted butter, honey & pure vanilla extract when I’m craving a latte-like coffee drink. A friend of mine then decided to expand on that and add in pureed pumpkin & pumpkin spice to create a healthy pumpkin spice latte! Yes, please. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte
4-6 oz. fresh brewed coffee
1 tablespoon unsalted grassfed butter or ghee
1 tablespoon pureed pumpkin (I use canned pumpkin)
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
splash of pure vanilla extract (to taste)
Directions: Combine all ingredients in blender (I like to use my magic bullet) until frothy. Voila! Healthy & delicious!
^^Pulled Pork Sliders on Sweet Potato Buns! Absolutely amazing. Pulled pork recipe here. For the buns, cut a thick sweet potato in ¼ inch slices, drizzle with olive, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika; roast on baking pan for 30-40 minutes at 425.^^
So, we made it!! We survived our first Whole 30! Monday we finished our 30th day of super clean eating – no processed foods at all! No sugar, dairy, bread, legumes, and alcohol. While at first we felt really limited, we discovered there are so many healthy & delicious recipes, and we really didn’t feel too deprived! It just requires great planning and being intentional about your meals and your grocery shopping.
The pictures are some of the foods & meals that helped get us through. So many yummy options! Pinterest & instagram were definitely great for meal planning & inspiration.
While we did not do it for weight loss, we both lost several pounds and are feeling great! It’s a great way to kickstart healthy eating and really just hit the reset button. Feeling more energized and definitely eating more purposefully.
The hardest part for me was not having any dessert of any kind. Not even “healthy” versions of dessert. I never realized just how bad my dessert cravings are! While on Whole 30 I literally had dreams of brownies & cookies & ice cream. The first week was definitely the hardest, but it did get easier. The cravings never really went away… but they feel more manageable. Another challenging part was how much money we spent on groceries. Wow. It’s definitely mind boggling. BUT we ate out A LOT less and had three awesome & wholesome meals a day.
Of course, now that it’s over it’s not just going to be back to junk. We’re switching to Paleo 80/20. It’s very similar, just a little less strict. So more maintainable on a long term basis.
Cheers to being healthy!
^^Simple Lettuce Wraps. Brown ground turkey over medium heat, then add in broccoli slaw, cilantro, and green onion. Top with fresh squeezed lime. Service with Iceberg lettuce pieces to make little wraps.^^
^^The breakfast of champions! Cut an avocado in half and make the seed hole slightly larger and crack an egg into it. Top with salt & pepper and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the egg is cooked through. Serve with Aidell’s Chicken Apple Sausage (one of our Whole 30 staples!) and fruit.^^
^^Chicken wings marinated in Frank’s Red Hot and grilled low & slow for a nice charred outer skin. Serve with grilled zucchini & squash.^^
^^A favorite lunch of mine. Mix a 12.5 oz can of chicken (or tuna) with ½ an avocado and mash together. Add in walnuts, sliced grapes, and salt & pepper and mix well. Serve on sliced cucumber to make little sliders.^^
