Crispy Paleo Pumpkin Seed and Almond Honey Cookies (Dairy free and egg free too)

Sometimes you just want to throw some ingredients in the food processor and make some cookies.  Minimal measuring, minimal ingredients, minimal bowls to clean.  Minimal.  It would be nice if life could be more minimal sometimes wouldn't it?  Well, with these cookies, you can start.

I've had a bag of salted pumpkin seeds in the pantry for awhile.  I snacked on them for a week or so and then got tired of them.  I'm more of a cashew kind of girl to be honest.   So into the food processor they went.  I've seen cookies made before with sunflower seeds, so why not pumpkin seeds? 

They came out great.  Thin and crispy, salty and sweet, the perfect snack or treat.

Try them!  Pumpkin seeds are much cheaper than nuts, and quite nutritive.

Crispy Paleo Pumpkin Seed and Almond Honey Cookies (Dairy and Egg Free)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sliced and blanched almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3 1/2 tbsp raw honey
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
3 1/2 tbsp walnut or coconut oil

Process your pumpkin seeds and almonds until you have a fine flour.  While the motor is running, pour in your honey, oil, vanilla, and pinch of salt.  Once the "dough" starts to form a ball, it's ready to be spooned onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  This will take a minute or two, perhaps longer, depending on the speed of your machine. 

Use a tbsp to form little balls, and flatten well with your fingertips.  These cookies will not spread, so flatten them out pretty good.  Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes, until the edges brown.  These will cook super fast!  Watch them carefully!

I am baking more with honey, since I don't eat baked goods anyways, may as well spare S and MKG all my sugar free concoctions and just feed them, whole, real foods, like molasses and raw honey, and dates.  I am quite sure you could sub dates for the honey in this recipe, 5 should do it.  Did you know that per tbsp, molasses has about 60 calories, and is a great source of potassium, B6, and magnesium?  It also has 15 grams of carbs, which may make a not so great choice for diabetics, but if you don't have any problems with sugar, this is certainly a better choice.

Were I to make these for myself, I would probably opt for about 20-30 drops of NuNaturals Alcohol Free Liquid Stevia, a wonderful, non-bitter, non-aftertaste giving sweetener that I just adore.  It has such a clean flavor. 

Hope you're all having a pleasant week.  Believe it or not, it got into the mid 70's here in KC yesterday, breaking all kinds of records.  I spent the day inside the office so don't have any fun outdoorsy stories to tell, but the weather sure is nutty right now.  I love spring as much as the next guy, but I can't say it isn't a little disconcerting. 

XoXoGFG

Macaroon Muffins- Grain-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free

Macaroons are delish.  Muffins are delish.  Muffins are easy and convenient, portable and have a decent shelf life.  These macaroon muffins are amazeballs peeps, and a complete and total accident.  I had just about nothing in the house to make my weekly batch of muffins for S and MKG.  Some leftover apple sauce that needed to be used up, and a sad old carton of plain greek yogurt.  No veggie purees, no diced fruit, nothing.  Oh well, experimenting is fun amiright?  YES!  Especially when it yields crazy good out of this world results like this.  These muffins have an amazing, buttery macaroon like flavor.  That is due to the butter extract in these.  Kind of a weird oddball ingredient, but so many other bloggers are baking with this stuff I had to try it for myself.  Without it, I doubt these muffins would taste so macaroon-y.  Try it and you'll see.  Imitation Butter Extract is inexpensive and lasts forever.

Macaroon Muffins, Free of Gluten, Grains, and Sugar
1 package Let's Do Organic Creamed Coconut (a package is 7 ounces, or use 7 ounces coconut butter, it's the same thing)
6 ounces plain greek yogurt (one individual carton.  Or, 6 ounces full fat coconut milk would probably work as well.)
4 ounces applesauce (which is equivalent to one baby food container if you like to keep these on hand for baking)
2 eggs
3 droppers NuNaturals Alcohol-Free Liquid Stevia (the dropper will not fill all the way, probably only halfway, that is what I mean by a full dropper)
2 teaspoons butter extract
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions are simple.  Mix all your ingredients together in a bowl.  Spoon into paper lined muffin tin.  Bake at 350 until nice and golden brown, as shown.  They will need to set up for a bit after you take them out, since they're so moist.  The creamed coconut will be hard, microwave it for one minute to melt it.  These muffins are awesome because you don't need to add oil, there is plenty from the coconut butter.  And no crazy amounts of liquid to deal with from coconut flour.  The batter will be very wet, and they'll need to bake awhile for that reason.  These aren't sturdy, big dense muffins, but rather light, spongy, and macaroony.

I hope you try them!

In other news, DOWNTON ABBEY starts tonight!!! Yayyyyyyyy!  I can't wait!  I originally wanted to make a fun British themed meal to commemorate it, but then remembered that a) I hate English food and b) there are two asian-inspired dishes I have been wanting to try. So nevermind the themed meal.  It will still be yummy and fun though!

On the menu this week are Asian Salmon with a Ginger and Sesame Broccoli Slaw, and later this week my first attempt at slow-cooked pulled pork.  I will basing my recipe off NomNomPaleo's kahlua pig, sort of, not really.  What else, I'm not sure yet.

Lastly, after taking a week or so off, I've decided to dive right back in to another detox.  Not a Whole30, since I need a bit more leniency than that, rather something in the middle of my sugar/sweetener detox and a Whole30.

4 Weeks, January 7 to February 4
1. No sugar
2. No fruit
3. No sweeteners
4. No treats/baked goods
5. No cheese
6. As always, no beans, legumes, peanuts

In addition to my usual no starch.  These are parameters for me and help keep me in line and hopefully will help keep my blood sugars under control.  Perhaps these parameters seem a bit strict for everyday life to some, but honestly, if I stray from this, my blood sugar goes crazy.  I am still not on insulin, so this is my life right now.  I HAVE to adhere and I have to be ok with it.  No crying!  This is life.  I can enjoy it with or without this stuff.  However, if I want to taste the batter for some muffins I'm making or take a bite of someone's food that has goat cheese in it, I won't fret over it either.

Enjoy your Monday folks!  XoXoGFG

Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Sugar Free Delectable Chocolate Cake

For anyone out there who got scared away by my crazy dark chocolate gingerbread cake this recipe is the perfect chocolatey cake recipe for you.  No funky flavors going on here, and best of all, absolutely no sugar.  This cake is sweetened with Chocolate Stevia drops only.  The particular brand I used is NOW but from what I have heard, NuNaturals Cocoa Stevia is the best by far, or SweetLeaf Chocolate drops.  This makes a small 8x8 cake and is not very thick.  Double the recipe for a layer cake or for a larger pan.  You could decorate it any way you like, I chose to glaze mine simply with 2 ounces of melted sugar free dark chocolate and about a tbsp of coconut oil.  This is very simple to make, but it does require you hang onto your leftover coffee from the morning!  Use decaf if you prefer.

Dark Chocolate Cake, Grain, Gluten, and Sugar Free
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 room temp eggs
1/4 butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp milk of choice
1 tsp instant coffee granules
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
50 drops chocolate stevia
3/4 cup coffee

Mix your coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl with a fork or whisk to break up any lumps.  In a small microwaveable bowl, place your unsweetened chocolate, 1/4 cup butter, and 2 tbsp milk of choice.  Melt chocolate, in 10 second increments to prevent burning.  When chocolate is melted, dissolve your instant coffee granules.  You can totally omit this, or purchase coffee extract instead.  While the chocolate cools off a bit, mix your room temp eggs with vanilla extract, stevia drops, and coffee.  Combine with chocolate and mix well.  At this point, I suggest that if sugar does not bother you, you add in 1 1/2 tbsp of molasses, just for a deeper, richer, more decadent flavor.  It is absolutely not necessary and you won't taste it, it will simply give the cake a more round flavor.

Mix wet into dry and pour into greased and lined 8x8.  Bake at 330 for 15-20 minutes, checking at 13 minutes or so.  You want a knife or toothpick to come out NOT QUITE clean.

To glaze, melt sugar free chocolate in the microwave with some coconut oil.  Add some more coffee granules or coffee extract to really bring out the chocolatey flavors.

This is a simple cake.  Nothing crazy going on here.  Despite all the coffee going on in here, it is not a mocha cake.  The coffee is not detectable, and neither is the cinnamon.  They just all work together for a harmonious blend of flavors.  The chocolate stevia drops work very well and I suspect NuNaturals cocoa drops would be even better!!  I couldn't find any in store and really wanted to buy some asap, so went with NOW.  I was able to purchase the two other most-oft cited stevia products, SweetLeaf English Toffee and NuNaturals Alcohol Free Liquid Stevia.  I purchased both of these products because they are alcohol free, as many reviewers had said the products with alcohol tasted off.  The one product I have yet to purchase is NuNaturals Alcohol Free Vanilla Stevia.  For now, english toffee will have to do.  Does anyone have any stevia recommendations for me?  Please let me know what you are using!

I hope you enjoy this cake!  Definitely try this out at the lower temperature!

Happy holidays to all, and a happy healthy New Year to you and yours!  Much love, XoXo GFG

Carrot Coconut Apricot Muffins, Grain/Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free

The winter solstice has officially passed!  Hallelujah!  Even though its mostly symbolic, I still love knowing that everyday the sun will shine just a minute or two longer than the previous day.  Did you celebrate the solstice?  One of these days I'd love to do 108 Sun Salutations to mark the occasion.

However, this year to mark the solstice, I instead chose to make these incredibly sunny little bites of summery muffins.  Only a handful of ingredients, super healthy, and comes together in a flash.

Carrot Coconut Apricot Muffins (Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Grain, and Gluten Free)
7 ounces of creamed coconut, or coconut butter (it's the same thing.  Let's Do Organic sells 7 ounce boxes of creamed coconut, or use just shy of a half 16 oz jar of coconut butter, or make your own.)
2 4 oz containers of organic carrot baby food
45-50 drops of Sweet Leaf English Toffee Stevia (or your fave vanilla stevia)
2 eggs
pinch salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup chopped dried apricot

This couldn't be easier.  Mix everything together in a bowl.  (You will most likely need to melt your coconut butter in the microwave first.  Make sure you've cooled it a bit before you add in your eggs.)

You don't need any oil because the coconut butter already has a good deal of oil.  This will be a super wet batter, spoon into paper lined muffin tin and bake at 350 until the tops are starting to turn golden brown.

This is an easy, incredibly healthy and delicious muffin.  This recipe makes 8 muffins.  Double or triple the recipe, or make a cake instead!  You can't go wrong.

Enjoy! XoXoGFG

Grain Free, Gluten Free Spicy Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

This cake is not playing around peeps.  This is some serious spicy ass cake.  If you are not into bold flavors, have a weak palate, or don't enjoy getting a little freaky with your ingredients from time to time, then move on!  This cake is cray cray.

I wanted a deep, dark chocolate cake, but I also wanted a super spicy gingerbread.  Every gingerbread recipe I've made thus far has not been nearly spicy enough.  Every recipe calls for like, a measly 2 tsp of ground ginger.  Sorry, that is not going to cut it!  Certainly not when you've also got 100% dark chocolate to contend with.  If you are an adventurous eater and enjoy teasing your palate, try this crazy cake.

Grain Free Gluten Free Spicy Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp instant coffee
5 eggs, room temp
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
1/4 cup butter
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup neutral liquid sweetener of choice

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large mixing bowl, using a fork or whisk to break up lumps.  In a separate, microwave safe bowl, microwave your unsweetened chocolate, butter, and milk of choice, until chocolate is melted.  Stir in instant coffee. Let cool and then mix with your room temp eggs, molasses, vanilla extract, and additional quarter cup of sweetener.  Add wet to dry and incorporate.  I fully encourage tasting of the batter at this point.  Add more spices if desired and stir well.  Pour into parchment lined and greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Start testing at 15 minutes because you do not want to overbake.  When a toothpick comes out almost clean, remove from oven.

If you like, frost with a quick chocolate glaze.  All I did was melt a bar of 90% dark chocolate with some coconut oil, and whipped for a minute or so until thickened.

A note about the pumpkin pie spice- it's a really great spice mix to have around as it already has all the spices necessary for gingerbread- cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice.  It's a wonderful shortcut.  Using it in this recipe allows me to get the right flavor combo, but then bump up the ginger and cinnamon as desired, without the whole recipe getting overpoweringly clove-y or nutmeg-y or allspice-y.

Regarding the additional sweetener, a SF sweetener will work of course, as will many other liquid sweeteners.  A mild honey, coconut nectar, date syrup, brown rice syrup, probably even maple.  If you use stevia powder or drops, you'll need to add enough liquid to cover the 1/4 cup called for.

This would make a fantastic Christmas dessert, and if you don't want to make frosting, a sprinkling of powdered sugar would be great.  I have seen a  zillion recipes for sugar free powdered sugar, most just calling for pulverized xylitol or erythritol in the high powered blender or food processor.

Yummy Toddler Breakfast Muffins- Grain, Gluten, Sugar, Dairy Free

These days, getting S to eat anything other than raisins is a struggle.  Veggies are especially difficult.  I am not complaining though, up until this moment she has been a great eater, ate fruit, veggies, and protein heartily, so if she's getting a bit pickier now as she turns two, I really can't complain.  That said, I still have to figure out how to get some dang nutrients in her in the mornings!  So, behold, my

Yummy Toddler Breakfast Muffins- Grain, Gluten, Sugar, and Dairy Free
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of salt
3 packets of stevia (i am using pure via right now)
1 4 oz container carrot baby food
1 4 oz container apple baby food (or apple sauce is fine too, half a cup)
1 egg
1/2 cup almond butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins (optional- or chopped walnuts would be great too, or berries, whatever!)

In a small bowl, mix your shredded coconut, baking powder, salt, spices, and stevia packets.  In a separate bowl, mix your carrot, apples, almond butter, egg, and vanilla extract.  Combine well, then pour wet into dry and mix.  Add your mix-ins if desired.  Bake in muffin tin at 350 until golden brown and a knife comes out barely clean.  For me this was 30 minutes, for a regular oven, probably more like 20.

Paleo Pumpkin Bars!!!

This recipe represents me getting over two irrational fears- well not fears exactly, just a couple things I have been avoiding, I don't know why.  Typically any recipe using almond butter as the base has always scared me away.  Call me crazy, but almond butter is not really my fave!  That's why another GREAT nut butter to work with for this would be cashew or pecan butter.  But if you don't have any- use almond butter.  It will not taste overwhelmingly almond butterish.  I have also never ever ever used coconut cream concentrate!  I know!  I am crazy!  That sh*t is incredible.  What was I thinking?  It's like the thickest whipped cream you could imagine, but sugar and dairy free and so gosh darn good for you!  The frosting for this recipe, which I highly recommend, is not much more than a little CCC, some pumpkin pie spice, and sweetener.  Get some.  TJ's now has it canned folks.

Paleo Pumpkin Bars
1 cup mild nut butter (almond, cashew, or pecan)
1 cup organic pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp maple extract (optional)
1 tbsp organic pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup liquid sweetener (like SF syrup, maple syrup, honey, coconut nectar, etc)
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Frosting:
5-6 tbsp CCC
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus a bit more for sprinkling
3 tbsp liquid sweetener

In a large bowl, mix up ALL your ingredients.  One bowl peeps, can't complain about that!  Save yourself some trouble though, and make sure your nut butter has no lumps in it before adding it to the bowl.  For instance, if you've had it for awhile and it has dried out a little.  Mix it all well and transfer to a parchment lined 9x9.  Bake at 350 until a knife comes out just clean.  25-30 minutes ish.  Let it cool while you mix the frosting.  If it is warm when frosting, you'll melt the CCC.  If you are in a rush, don't worry, because it will firm up in the fridge.  When finished, refrigerate and enjoy!  This could even be enjoyed for breakfast!

The Gluten-Free Birthday Party Series: Grain-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free Birthday Cake

Delicious half-eaten birthday cake shot.  Love my photography skills don't you?  Hopefully at the least this is a testament to the product being edible, if not downright yummy!

A big thanks goes to Joyful Abode as her recipe for her little one served as the jumping off point for this recipe.  Here is her recipe.  I wanted mine to also be SF and dairy free, and as free of added starch as possible.  If those aren't concerns for you, I urge you to check hers out!  Clearly her frosting was prettier than mine!

This cake could probably serve 15-16 people depending on how big the slices.  If they are toddler sized slices, than probably much more.  Indeed this cake is so not-bad-for-you, you could conceivably give it to your toddler for breakfast the next day.  Is that what I did?  I'll never tell.  But beware, this frosting does not last.  So don't expect it to look the same the next day or you'll be super disappointed!

Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Strawberry Cake with Marshmallow Frosting
1 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup chestnut flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 room temp eggs
1/4 cup walnut oil, or melted coconut oil
1 cup preferred SF liquid sweetener
1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1/2 cup preferred nut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:
4 egg whites, preferably chilled
pinch of cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup xylitol

Line two 9 inch cake pans with parchment and grease the sides.  Preheat your oven to 350.  If you have a convection oven, now would be the time folks.  In a large mixing bowl, combine your flours, baking powder, and salt, and stir well to get out any lumps.  In a separate bowl, break your eggs, and pour in your oil, liquid sweetener, extract, and nut milk.  Pour wet into dry and stir stir stir!  You want this to be a wet cake batter, not quite pancake batter consistency, but nice and pourable.  You may need to add a bit more nut milk depending on how dry your coconut flour is.  Then add in your chopped strawberries.  Pour equal amounts into your cake pans and bake until the tops are starting to turn golden and a knife comes out clean.  You do not want to over bake these so start checking the minute you see some color on the tops.  Remove them and let them cool on the counter thoroughly before you even think about frosting them!!!

For the frosting, get your double boiler out.  Once the water is simmering, add your egg whites, cream of tartar, and xylitol.  With your electric whisk, whisk until you have very stiff peaks.  7 minutes ish.  Then add in your extract and whisk just enough to distribute.  Use a spatula to carefully fold in your chopped strawberries.  If you are smart, you will do several things.  Get a cake plate.  Put paper towel down on the sides only.  Place one cake on the plate and frost it with one of those special frosting knives, I forget what they're called.  Place your second cooled cake on top, and frost the top, and then down the sides.  Once you've finished, remove the paper towel and you've got a clean cake plate.  Top with berries and serve as soon as humanly possible!

We had an entirely gluten-free party, and all the treats I prepared were sugar-free too.  Surprisingly, people seemed to enjoy the cake a lot!  Would the kiddos have preferred your standard white flour and buttercream frosting cake?  Duh.  Were there tears of protestation?  No.  And most importantly, S loved every bite.  And who am I kidding- who else do I care about?

This was my first layer cake and my first time making a meringue frosting.  It's a good dairy-free go to frosting, but if you need to frost your cake much in advance, this is not the frosting for you.  I don't know if a coconut cream frosting would hold up much better either.  If you have any frosting suggestions, please let me know!!!  And please, do not use erythritol in this frosting.  The cooling sensation would not be welcome in this instance.  Unless you get your hands on some of that special erythritol for baking- the powdered kind.  That might work better.

Stay tuned for more GF birthday party recipes, including brownies, and raw vanilla cake bites.  XoXoGFG

Paleo "Oatmeal" Cookies

Hey GF peeps.  Remember oatmeal cookies?  Those chewy, amazing, spicy, raisin-filled circles of awesomeness?  I've made a paleo approximation before here, but these are fourteen-thousand times better.  And don't require a bunch of annoying ingredients either.  And they taste much better.  Score!  They are basically this recipe, adapted.  Super easy.  Only dirties one bowl.  You'll need to make your paleo condensed milk first- which I do by simmering a can of light coconut milk with 1/2 cup of your preferred liquid sweetener- honey, maple syrup, sugar free simple syrup, etc.  This is not hard people.  Simmer it while you're doing other stuff in the kitchen.

Paleo "Oatmeal" Cookies
1 cup almond flour
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 can light coconut milk+1/2 cup liquid sweetener- condensed on the stovetop until thick
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Mix your flour, coconut, spices, and salt together, then dump in your condensed milk, it's ok if it's still hot/warm.  Then mix in your walnuts and raisins.  Using a tbsp scoop, place onto parchment lined baking sheet, flattening them with the palm of your hand.  These will not spread so get them nice and flat.  Bake at 350 until the edges are nice and dark and the tops are starting to brown.  They are crisp on the edges and chewy on the inside.  Just like the perfect oatmeal cookie should be.  These are truly a GFG slam dunk.  So easy to make, just a few ingredients, and totally paleo.  An indulgence to be sure, but a good one! 

Grain-Free, Sugar-Free Lemon Poppyseed (actually Chia Seed) Muffins

By far, this is the best muffin I have ever, ever, ever made.  Hands down, no contest.  And I have been making a lot of muffins lately.

MKG loves lemony treats and desserts.  I just bought a big bag of lemons, and with their fresh scent- so summery!  I also had recently purchased lemon extract, envisioning something just like this.  These muffins came out a zillion times better than I had hoped.  The Chia seeds are the perfect substitute for poppyseeds.  They look very similar and have so many wonderful health benefits.  You do not taste them either- and I would know if you could.  Chia seeds to me have a very floral taste, and these muffins are all lemon.

Grain-Free, Sugar-Free Lemon Poppyseed (CHIA!!) Muffins
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp chia seed
zest of one lemon
4 eggs (preferably cage-free, room temp)
1/4 cup walnut oil
1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1/2 cup sugar-free liquid sweetener *see below for note
2 teaspoons pure lemon extract

In a mixing bowl, combine your flour, salt, baking powder, and chia seed.  Use a fork or whisk to get out any lumps.  Zest your lemon over the mixing bowl and incorporate.  In a separate bowl, crack your room temp eggs (I always notice a big difference in my baked goods when I take the time to bring my eggs to room temp- or you can place them in lukewarm water for 10 minutes) and measure your liquid ingredients into a measuring cup.  Mix your wet ingredients together and then add wet to dry.  This will be a very wet mixture, but not so wet that it's a pourable batter.  Bake at 325 until the tops are verrry golden brown.  As I have said many times- my oven is ridonk in terms of cook times- this took 45 minutes!  But other bloggers regularly say their muffins cook in 15-20 minutes, so go figure.  Want to use poppyseeds? Go ahead! 2 tbsp will do.  Why did I use lemon extract you ask?  Well, I wanted these to be sweet, not acidic.  I felt using straight up lemon juice would just make these sour, instead of lemony.  So use the zest and save the juice for lemonade.  These little guys make a great breakfast for S- with 4 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and only about 125 calories- they are a great on the snack or quick toddler breakfast.  I got 8 decent-sized muffins out of this- so feel free to double your recipe.  Even better- make a lemon poppyseed loaf!

*Regarding the sugar-free liquid sweetener- I decided to try a little experiment today.  While I use my vanilla SF sweetener sparingly- it still bothers me that it contains sucralose.  Ick.  So I thought- it can't be that difficult to make my own sugar-free simple syrup with my own preferred sweeteners.  I chose to use an equal mixture of three sweeteners- stevia in the raw, xylitol, and erythritol.  In a deep sided pot- I added 3 cups of filtered water and 1 cup of each sweetener.  Brought to a boil and then simmered for about 10-12 minutes.  This resulted in 2 1/2 cups of SF syrup.  I wanted something totally unflavored- no vanilla, maple, nada- just a sweet simple syrup.  I used 1/2 a cup in this recipe and now have 2 cups to use in future recipes.  Stored in an airtight jar in the fridge, I think this will keep for quite some time.  This will probably be my go to SF liquid sweetener from now on folks.  It has no weird aftertaste, no odd mouth-feel, cooling affects, nothing.  So I'd encourage you to try making your own and combining different sweeteners. 

I'm so glad I tried this recipe for Fathers Day- because I know these muffins will be a big hit with M- whose only muffin related complaint is that they are too small.  Much love to all the dads, dads-to-be, grand-dads, step-dads, wannabe dads out there.  Happy Fathers Day to all! XoXoGFG

Grain-Free, Sugar-Free Blueberry Muffins

I am one of the few people that doesn't really like blueberries too much.  They are fine baked in things or dried, but raw? Eh, not so much.  I think it's their mealy texture that bugs me.  They are so squishy and mushy.  But, a good blueberry muffin?  Now that is hard to pass up.

I have been wanting to make a basic blueberry muffin for forever.  I was waiting around, until I found the perfect fresh blueberries to buy.  Which I never did.  And I've had a bag in my freezer for a long time, so what the hell- may as well try some out.  I also wanted to make them with 100% coconut flour, no mixtures of this and that- I wanted to prove to myself, after many many MANY coconut flour flops, that it could be done.

Well grain-free peeps, it CAN be done.  Behold, my coconut flour masterpiece!

Grain-Free, Sugar-Free Blueberry Muffins
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs, preferably pastured, room temp
1/4 cup walnut oil (or melted coconut etc)
1/2 cup preferred liquid sweetener (I used an SF sweetener but surely maple syrup or honey would be great)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk of choice, I had whole milk on hand so that's what I used
3/4 cup blueberries, preferably fresh (mine were frozen and I am sure that had I used fresh they'd been a million percent even more delish)

Preheat your oven to 350.  In a small bowl, add your flour, flaxseed, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, and use a fork or whisk to get all the lumps out.  In a separate bowl, mix your eggs, milk, sweetener, oil, and vanilla together.  Add wet to dry and incorporate.  You want this to be a very wet mixture, not thin, but wet, so you might need an additional tbsp of milk.  Then add in your blueberries and mix.  I have a 2 tbsp coffee scoop that is perfect for muffins and cupcakes.  This made 8 large muffins, one of which I ate immediately, to test it of course.  Pretty yummy, even straight from the oven!  Usually coconut flour baked goods take awhile to set up.  This will make a fun and healthy breakfast for the munchkin and a good snack for M.  Just out of curiosity- I ran the numbers on these little guys- only 110 calories per muffin!  Not bad!  If you are the calorie counting type, which I could not give two sh*ts about.  I was curious though, about the macros.  Not bad either!  9 grams of carbs, 4 of which are fiber, and 5 grams of protein.  Awesome!

On an unrelated note- it seems the vast majority of traffic from google relates to treats/desserts/baked goods.  Duh this shouldn't be surprising at all- but it does kind of make me wonder, why exactly?  It could be any number of things.  People having recently given up grains/sugar and searching for comfort where they can, regular CW folks that are just trying to cut back on treats, paleo peeps that get tired of all the MEAT EGGS BACON MEAT EGGS BACON from the paleoverse… so does this mean I stop posting recipes other than ones like the above?  For now, no.  This blog really was created so I could deposit all my recipes in one place.  I can't tell you how many times I've searched my own blog for a recipe I wanted to make again.  And I know that I am constantly searching other people's blogs for inspiration for the latest head of cabbage, or bunch of kale, or organic pastured beef liver, or pound of ground chicken hanging out in the fridge.  So yeah maybe the cabbage recipes and chicken recipes are boring and dull and the cookie and ice cream recipes are more fun and get like a zillion more hits, but hey, there are still 7 dinners to make every week, give or take, and a GFG has to cook something right?

Sugar-Free Macaroons

Another shiteous pic of something really super yum.  Sorry, I have not reached that level in food bloggingdom where I start to care about pics and do photo shoots and all that.  But rest assured, these are really freaking good.

There are a zillion macaroon recipes on the interwebs right now, some use honey, some use agave, maple syrup even, but none that I could find using SF sweeteners.  Until now!

This recipe worked awesome using a combo of xylitol and erythritol.  I did melt some SF choc chips for a few of them just for kicks.  SF chocolate chips are easy to find, hershey's makes them, but they are made with sugar alcohols which bother some people.

Really easy guys.  I made these using Let's Do Organic Coconut Flakes rather than shredded, which is great and they turned out really good, but take a bit longer to cook through I think.  I have also finally come to the realization that my oven is wayyyyyyyyyyy cooler (temp wise) than most.  I am almost scared to test it out and find out for myself.  But I really should, because my baked goods tend to take a lot longer to cook than they should.  Which is why I am always saying- bake until the knife comes out clean or until browned or whatever.  I don't even pay attention to the time anymore when I'm baking- something that should take 20 min takes 45.

So- back to the macaroonies.  Do you like them?  They seem to be quite divisive.  You love 'em or you hate 'em.  Coconut is the culprit.  How do you not love coconut.  I could eat it all day.

If you like them, try this recipe.  Don't be afraid of erythritol either.  I use it all the time.  It is not like splenda or equal or some god awful chemical

Sugar-Free Macaroons
10 ounces unsweetened coconut flakes
6 egg whites (i was using large eggs, not extra large)
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
3/4 cup granular sweetener (in my case, 1/2 cup erythritol and 1/4 cup xylitol)

Combine ingredients in a large sauce pan and cook until coconut loses that raw bite to it, stirring regularly, then refrigerate for an hour or so.  I have this awesome 2 ounce coffee scoop that works great as a cookie scoop, so thats how mine were shaped into these perfect little mounds.  Bake at 325 until golden and cooked through- probably 20 min.  Have a convection oven?  Even better.  This made I think 24 cookies.

Happy Valentine's Day GFG's!

Vday was never really my thing.   To me, it's right up there with Secretary's Day (or worse, Bosses Day) or Groundhog Day or something.  But since having a family and a little dolly who is my Valentine 365 days of the year, I have come around a little bit.

Valentine's Day used to mean plenty of chocolates, followed by a stomach-ache.  And I loooooooooove chocolate.  There has got to be a way to still have some chocolate candy on Vday, right?

Right.  Ok now maybe these candies don't look quite as pretty as the kind that come in a red heart-shaped box (ok so they look like ass) but who cares?  They're homemade.  And I suppose if I took more than three-seconds to form they'd look halfway decent.  Whatever.  They are chocolate, and they are candy, and I'm stoked!  Here's what you do-  first, make this.  That gives you sugar free chocolate, which can be made into bars, bites, or even chocolate chips.  Rather than use agave or stevia drops, I used my trusty sugar free vanilla syrup.  Ok- got your chocolate all ready?  If it's not melted already, re-melt it.  Then, you'll another tablespoon of coconut oil, and another tablespoon of SF vanilla syrup.  Quickly, dump in some shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and cut up dried fruit- like cherries, or apricots, or whatever.  Mix everything together, then form into little shapes on a piece of wax paper.  Let cool a few hours et voila!  Chocolate candy.

Pecan Chocolate Candies
melted SF chocolate, recipe here
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tbsp SF vanilla syrup
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped dried fruit

If you wanted to make them really special- you could dust them in some cocoa powder, or shape them into little hearts.  Or make a chocolate ganache to drizzle over.  Super yummy, no cooking involved.  Happy Vday, XoXoGFG

Grain-Free Sugar-Free Coconut "Rice" Pudding

O.  M.  G.  Who knew that simmering coconut milk and shredded unsweetened coconut (I actually prefer coconut powder from the indian market, cheaper and smaller flakes) for an hour could make such a yummy, filling, and satisfying dessert?  Last week's coconut porridge recipe was the inspiration for this treat.  I know I said I'm trying to detox a little bit right now and get away from treats, but this is just so simple and chock-full of magical coconut, I couldn't help it.

I used to love love love rice pudding.  In college one year instead of a birthday cake one of my roommates actually made me rice pudding, that's how much I loved it!  Knowing how thick and decadent canned full-fat coconut milk is, I thought it really shouldn't be too difficult to make some kind of coconut pudding.  I couldn't decide, eggs, or no eggs?  Custardy, or puddingy?  In the end I decided not to use eggs, and I'm so glad!  Besides being a little time-consuming, this is an awesome dessert/snack, and a great way to help you get more coconut in your diet.

Coconut "Rice" Pudding (makes 6-8 servings)
2 cans full fat coconut milk
2 cups coconut powder or unsweetened shredded coconut
1 empty can-full of water
1 1/2 tsp (or more) cinnamon
35 drops vanilla creme stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions are really not necessary!  Combine everything in your pot and simmer until thickened, about an hour, stirring regularly.  It will get even thicker in the fridge.  YUMMMMM!!!!!!!!!

Paleo Porridge

I like to make a big batch of oatmeal, buckwheat, quinoa, etc, for the week on Sundays so that S can have it every morning for breakfast.  Even though S is gluten, and not grain-free, I still get this twinge of guilt every morning when I give her oats or whatever.  It just bothers me.  She looooooves her oatmeal, I mix it with unsweetened applesauce and plain yogurt and she slurps it up, but am always thinking to myself, there's got to be something better.

So this Sunday, as I was pondering this question once again, I thought, there must be a way to make a coconut porridge/cream of wheat.  This recipe is incredibly easy, and really tastes just like cream of wheat, or what I remember it tasting like anyways.  I'm excited to try different versions of it.  I hope you try it too!

Paleo Porridge 
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp flaxmeal
1 cup liquid (water, nutmilk, or a combo, which is what I used)
1/4 tsp kosher salt (do not omit!)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
another 1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut, to add at the end


Add everything to a pot and bring to a simmer.  Stir continuously.  If you like, add more liquid to make it puff up even more, it will just take longer to cook down.  I know I've mentioned I don't like flax.  But you really do need it in this recipe, to bind everything together.  Don't worry, you don't taste it.  Once it's thickened up to your liking, turn off the heat, and dump in the rest of your coconut.  This will make it super thick and give it some good texture. 

Because I mix this with applesauce and yogurt, this amount yields enough for about 4 baby-sized servings.  If you were eating it yourself and not mixing in all that stuff, this would be plenty for at least 2 servings.  So yummy with a bit of melted butter, coconut butter, apple butter, or nothing!  This would even be great for those nights when there is nothing in the house to eat and it's 8 o'clock and and I'm spent from the day.  Try it out and let me know if you like it!

Bitter Chocolate, Cherry, and Sea Salt Coconut Bars

I am always looking for ways to incorporate more coconut into my diet.  I love the almost instant metabolism boost I seem to get from it and all those awesome medium-chain saturated fats.  Plus, I can get huge bags of unsweetened coconut powder (really just shredded coconut but a bit finer) at the Indian market for next to nothing.  I was a little skeptical about how these coconut bars would turn out, I had intended for them to be cookies but the mixture was so dry I decided to go for a bar instead.  What a happy accident it turned out to be!  With only a few ingredients and totally ridiculously yummy, you have got to get in the kitchen and try these out asap!

Bitter Chocolate, Dried Cherry, and Sea Salt Coconut Bars 
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 whole egg and 1 egg white
1/4 cup sweetener, like Stevia in the Raw
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup dried unsweetened cherries
1/3 cup unsweetened chocolate chunks, or dark chocolate chunks if you can tolerate a little sugar, or sugar free chocolate chips if you can find them
Optional- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips if you can have a little sugar, chopped pecans or walnuts, or other dried fruit
Sea Salt, for finishing

Preheat your oven to 350.  Grease a 9x9 pan.  In a large bowl, combine coconut, egg, vanilla, oil, and sweetener and mix well.  Add in cherries and chocolate and whatever else you're using.  Transfer to 9x9 and press down firmly to distribute in an even layer.  The mixture will be on the drier side but that's ok- the egg will pull it together.  Sprinkle sea salt over the top and bake for 25 minutes or so or until the top is golden brown.  Another idea would be to spread sugar free preserves over the top.  These bars easily fulfill all my requirements for the perfect homemade dessert.  One bowl, a handful of ingredients, hardly any clean-up, and soooooo yummy.  Do not omit the sea salt- that clean salty taste you get when you first bite into it is the best part!  I personally used 72% dark chocolate chunks but if you want to go sugar free all the way- use chopped unsweetened chocolate or sugar free chocolate chips, or even better, cocao nibs.  Enjoy!!

2-Minute Grain-Free Coconut Cookies

These cookies took all of 2 minutes to throw together, one bowl, and only a handful of ingredients.  20 minutes in the oven, and you're done.  Try them!


2-Minute Grain-Free Coconut Cookies
2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut (I used powdered, but flakes will work too)
2 tbsp oil (grapeseed, coconut, whatever)
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
25 drops vanilla creme stevia, or use 1/4 tsp vanilla and 2 stevia packets

Beat room temp eggs, then add in oil, stevia, cinnamon, and salt.  Once incorporated, add coconut in a little at a time until the mixture can be formed into balls easily.  Using 1 tbsp scoop, drop onto parchment lined baking sheet.  I sprinkled the tops of mine with extra cinnamon.  20 minutes later, you're done!  Enjoy!

Coconut Sorbet

So I got my Cuisinart ICE-21 Ice Cream, Yogurt, and Sorbet maker- and I do really like it- but obviously there is a slight learning curve involved.  I tried the coconut sorbet recipe right from the manual- it was incredibly simple.  I skipped the part about steeping a vanilla bean in simple syrup, and meant to add vanilla extract right at the end, but I forgot of course.  The result is pretty tasty, though not at all what I expected, and also much more like a granita than a composed sorbet.  I think I made a few critical errors that will hopefully make the next batch creamier and more sorbet-like, rather than a mixture of granita-ish icy stuff, and then the rest mostly liquid. 

I used two cans of light coconut milk, which of course regular full-fat would be much better for creaminess.  I mixed in 1/4 cup of stevia in the raw and a 1/4 cup sucralose.  Next time I would use 1/4 cup sweetener total- I just can't tolerate too much sweet these days.  Grosses me out.  All I did was mix the coconut milk and sweeteners together, and then poured into the freezer bowl.  Mistake numero uno.  You are supposed to pour in the base while the bowl is on the base and already in motion.  This probably contributed to the thick sheet of ice stuck to the bowl.  Secondly, I did some research and it seems like most people have better luck when they've chilled the base in the fridge for a couple hours.  I'll try that too.  And I'm sure a creamier base to begin with would have helped.

Next up is plain tart frozen yogurt.  There are a ton of videos on Youtube about using your ICE-21 to make tart frozen yogurt.  Most seem to use a combination of TJ's Greek Yogurt, and then some plain yogurt, with lemon zest and a bit of sweetener.  I have a feeling it will take awhile to tweak this recipe to my own preferences, but I can't wait!  I'll post recipes once I get a few that actually work well and are up to par!  And stay tuned for a few more recipes later today! :)
XoXoGFG

Protein Shakes, Homemade Coconut Butter, So Delicious Ice Cream, and more!

Discovering fun, delicious, and healthy new products is always a highlight in my day.  After several weeks of researching protein powders, I finally settled on Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder.  Many other blogs had mentioned his products, and I really did my research.  I wanted something with no sugar, but also no artificial sweeteners, and a huge protein punch.  Taste was also incredibly important, as was calories, and the quality of ingredients.  I wanted an isolate powder, with as few ingredients as possible.  Jay Robb really is exceptional stuff.  25 grams of protein per serving and no artificial sweeteners.  I prefer the vanilla flavor, chocolate wasn't my thing- I felt you could taste the licorice-y stevia flavor a bit more.  Mixed with some flax, frozen berries, and a bit of almond milk and ice in the blender, and you've got an incredibly filling and healthy breakfast.  It actually kept me full for over 4 hours!  That is insane.  I also did a lot of price comparing, and it was cheapest at my local Vitamin Shoppe. 

Next up on my list of items to try was So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream.  OMG!  An ice-cream type dessert that I can actually eat?????  It is sweetened with erythritol, and has an amazing and smooth coconut taste.  It is packed with fiber, and only 100 calories per serving, or 200 if you eat an entire cup!  The chocolate flavor is awesome!  But yikes, expensive!  $5.99 at my WF.  Although I suppose that's cheaper than getting yogurt at your local yogurt shop.  But this got me thinking- you can make coconut milk ice cream with only a few ingredients.  I need an ice cream maker!  And so the list of small kitchen appliances on my list grows longer.  Cuisinart makes one that a ton of people on Amazon really like. 

Another fabulous weekend discovery was a small Indian market close to my house.  Among other things, I've also been desperately searching for cheaper Artisana Coconut Butter, and/or a good homemade replica.  It is just so darn expensive!  As the blogosphere very often laments.  I stumbled across a comment on some low-carb forum that recommended buying Coconut Powder, not shredded coconut, but powder, from an Indian Market.  Wow- I am so glad I decided to go this route!  Not only did this market have enormous quantities of coconut oil, nuts, dates, and chickpea flour for half the price of WF, it had a huge 28 ounce bag of coconut powder (basically just shredded coconut more finely chopped) for $4.99.  That is wild!  This meant I had to get on home and try homemade coconut butter in the food processor that everyone and their moms seems to be making.  It took wayyyyy longer than anticipated.  From reading posts on HEAB and CCK I had expected it to take a couple minutes.  Well, after 30 minutes of processing and a steady stream of smoke/steam coming out of the machine, all I had was an incredibly gritty and pale imitation of the exalted stuff.  Not fun.  I resigned myself to spending $11.99 a jar for Artisana and put the concoction in a tupperware and left it on the counter.  BUT!  Reading a bit later some posts on Oh May, she recommends to put it in the blender for another 5 minutes or so to finish it and smooth out the grittiness.  What an enormous difference that made!  It's now so smooth, and almost indistinguishable from the jarred stuff.  Right now it's still a bit soupy, which I think is due to the fact that my house usually hovers right around 80 degrees. 

Here is why I think I had problems.  1) God knows how long that bag had been sitting on the shelf at the Indian market.  I'm not complaining, it was super cheap, but I don't think that helped matters.  2) I didn't measure how much coconut I threw in the processor.  But I absolutely put way too much.  This next time I'll stick with 2 cups (which sadly only yields about 1/2 cup of butter). 

I am so thrilled about this!  I've already made some yummy chocolate hazelnut freezer fudge with it, with my homemade nutella, and am going to be using it to make some strawberry frosting for my vanilla almond flour cupcakes I'm trying out in preparation for Baby S's first birthday party!  Next up, chocolate coconut butter, and cashew coconut freezer fudge!  Can't wait. 

I know I haven't posted too much this past week.  That's because one, I've been super ridiculous busy with work and SMG, but two, I've been compiling a huge list of fun recipes to try out in the next few weeks.  I don't think I'll ever have "nothing to make", ever again.  I need to do some formatting and tweaking to these, so stay tuned. 

Tonight's Sunday night dinner is going to be super simple.  Grilled spice-rubbed chicken thighs, with grilled veggies (Yellow Squash, grape tomatoes, red onion, mushrooms) and Skillet Socca with green onions. 

XoXoGFG

Grain-Free, Sugar-Free, Cocoa-nut Banana Bread

So I am completely drowning in work-related events right now and barely have the time to breathe but as a fledgling blogger/foodie/grain-free connoisseur I just had to try to come up with an acceptable banana bread that I might actually be able to indulge, in small amounts of course!  That is just how important banana bread is I suppose!  And thankfully, gratefully, I think I pretty much got it on the first try!  Now if that is not an enormous accomplishment for a crappy baker like myself, I don't know what is!  Next time, I will bake for an extra 3 or 4 minutes though, and I will also omit the eggs in place of 2 extra flax-eggs to make it vegan (and perfectly edible raw I might add!)

Cocoa-nut Banana Bread
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup coconut flour
4 Tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut
3 bananas
2 eggs
2 flax-eggs (meaning, 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal, mixed with 6 tablespoons of water, allow to sit for five minutes, or for Vegan just do 4 flax-eggs)
1/4 heaping teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup canola oil (or coconut oil)

Mash bananas until mushy but still clumpy- I prefer to use frozen very brown, overripe bananas that I've defrosted in the microwave.  Add vanilla, then beaten eggs with flax-egg mixture.  Add sugar substitute to canola oil and stir, then adding to wet mixture.  In separate bowl, sift cocoa powder, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda, then stir to combine.  Add in wet mixture and stir, careful not to overstir.  Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 325 for 45minutes, maybe even a touch longer.  Mine only baked for 42minutes and DEFINITELY needed the extra three minutes.  It's a bit undercooked, but should be good tomorrow.  OMG the raw mixture was so delish.  That's why next time I'd love for it to be vegan so I could eat it raw without getting a stomachache- but that would reduce its protein content a smidge.  Obviously this recipe is certainly NOT carb-free as it has 3 whole bananas.  It does have about 4 or 5 grams of fiber and about 4 or 5 grams of protein per serving, and about 180 calories, not bad!  Plus the Omega-3s!  Use Omega-3 eggs and you'll be in even better shape! 

The recipe was awesome!  I can't wait until I get an i-phone so I can start taking pics and uploading them!  It really is delish!  Try it out!