Paleo Friendly Bread

My husband and I have decided that in an effort to eat better, and feel better we are going to start eating following the Paleo way on September 1st. So I have been looking everywhere online to find paleo friendly recipes I can make for us. I came across this recipe on Pinterest and of course had to pin it to my new Paleo board.

Well, I decided after sending the husband to pick up the necessary ingredients I didn't have on hand (coconut flour, almond flour, raw honey...) that I would make it today.

It turned out really, really well.

I find it to be nutty, yet light and very flavorful and it's not at all dry, but in fact pretty moist! I am not a coconut person, and I don't taste it what-so-ever in this recipe. It is okay dry, but I'm going to try it with almond butter, or some kind of nut butter I think to see if I can even make it taste even better. I am usually a butter, peanut butter or gasp, a cheese whiz gal when it comes to my breads and toast.

I also made this bread in the wrong pan. I only have the normal bread pans, and it calls for the smaller 7.5x3.5 in pans! I also don't have a food processor and I left out an ingredient.. But, that's okay for testing purposes it turned out great!

Full Recipe Source 

/ / I left out the Flaxmeal and no food processor but it still turned out ~ oops.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 5 organic eggs
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions: 

1. Grease a normal loaf pan, or smaller 7.5 x 3.5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a bowl add the almond flour, coconut flour, salt and the baking soda and mix until fully mixed together.
3. Add in each egg, the coconut oil, raw honey and the apple cider vinegar. Continue to process until the ingredients are mixed very well.
4. Place the batter into the loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30  minutes or until the center is cooked completely.

Not everyone is Paleo - so I'd love to know what is your favorite treat to make paleo or not?

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes & Chocolate Loaf Cake!

Everytime I post a photo of these on Instagram I get asked for the recipe so I wanted to share this here. I've been making these for a little bit now that I found on Cupcake Fanatic. My kids absolutely love these, and actually request them. They are super quick to make and easy! I will even be making them to send to school for their lunches, that's how much they love them!

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked chicken breasts diced

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup frozen mixed veggies

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tablespoon of  dried thyme

1/2 tablespoon of dried basil

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 (10 oz) cans Pillsbury biscuits

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a bowl, combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, frozen veggies, cheese, herbs and spices.
3. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin and place the Pillsbury biscuits into each cup, pressing into the bottom and up the sides.
4. Evenly spoon the pot pie mixture into each biscuit cup. Slide into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Check at the 12 minute mark.

 Easy, Yummy and a huge hit with the kiddos! Need something for dessert? Why not try a chocolate loaf cake or two! My Grandma had this recipe in her book when she passed away and I got it, so I've been making it ever since. I'm not sure where she got the recipe but its delicious and super moist and good!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting: You can make any you want, I sometimes don't put a frosting on, but if I do it's usually a quick one I search online. The one above was leftover I had from cupcakes (and a jar! oops haha)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add melted chocolate chips, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with applesauce. Fold in miniature chocolate chips. Divide batter into 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

   

Recipe: Crock Pot Broccoli & Cheese Soup

I made this the other night and had a lot of requests for the recipe on Instagram so here it is. I combined a recipe from my Grandma's old cook book, with one I had from my mom and it turned out incredible! The crock pot was completely empty by the end of dinner. The kids even had seconds!

Ingredients:

• 1 head of broccoli (frozen or fresh, I used fresh), chopped
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 can cream of cheddar soup
• 1 cup of homemade chicken broth
• 2 cans EVAP milk
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Empty all soups into crock pot
2. Put in chopped brocooli
3. Add chicken broth, evap milk, cheddar cheese
4. Top off with garlic powder, and salt & pepper to taste
5. Stir
6. Place on low for 4-5 hours or until broccoli is soft

My Grandma always used homemade soups within her soups, but I didn't have any homemade mushroom or cheddar soup but can's did the trick. If you want to use homemade that is fine too and would probably taste better but its amazing as is.

Quick & Easy Apple Crisp!

There are so many versions of Apple Crisp. I find countless recipes every time I'm scrolling through Pinterest a lot of them look delicious but usually when I have the idea to make it I am on a time crunch so I found a really quick and easy recipe here - she's Brilliant by the way, all of her recipes are to die for! So I waned to share it with you all.. Yum!

I tweaked it a bit to make a big batch of it for our large family, but her original recipe is just as perfect!

• 8-10 Apples - peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 3 tablespoons of  flour
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• dash of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 butter

1.  Peel, Core and cut apples into chunks. Put in baking dish - sprinkle with 3 tablespoons flour and sugar...Sprinkle with cinnamon.
2. In a small bowl mix brown sugar, rolled oats. Add dollups of butter. Use fork to crush all around and make course chunks.
3. Place in oven on 375 for 30 minutes. 
4. ENJOY!

Easy right? I left out flour in the topping as I felt I didn't need it and this turns out amazing every single time.

Winter Sickness, AGAIN!

It's most definitely winter, not only outside but inside as well. I'm sick, again! This time instead of the flu I had a few weeks ago, I've got a horrible cold. It wouldn't be terribly bad except I now can't hear out of my right ear. That's never fun for anyone, at any given time.

3/6 kids also have the sniffles and are just feeling genuinely icky. What could be better than a big bowl of soup? What about home made Chicken Pot Pie soup?? Oh yes, I decided to make Skinny Taste's Chicken Pot Pie Soup the other night and it was amazing. It's the ultimate comfort food. It's creamy, loaded with veggies and big chunks of chicken.

 If you need some comfort food (who doesn't?) I highly suggest Skinny Tastes's Chicken Pot Pie Soup. My kid's even asked for seconds, and then wanted more the next day for lunch! It was really good, and easy to make! 

I've been doing my diet strictly for 5 days now, even though I started on the 1st (I didn't have a scale to start properly until 5 days ago!) and I have lost 8lbs in those 5 days. I feel amazing (minus this awful cold I'm battling) and I absolutely love how I'm eating now. I changed my diet 100% and I've started working out 20 minutes in the morning, and 20 minutes in the evening. Once the weather warms up I plan to go for runs, and jogs as well but right now that isn't an option in all the ice and freezing -35 temperatures we are having during the day right now.

Because of those awful temperatures we aren't getting out much, which can make a person go a little stir crazy. I've been keeping busy working, working out and making healthy, low cal snacks and treats for myself but I'd really love to go out for some walks, or perhaps a jog. I really can't wait for Spring to come. 

I have a wonderful review and giveaway coming up, have you ever heard of the Baby Shusher? Well, if you haven't you won't want to miss this. I will be reviewing one and giving one away. The baby shusher is a unique product that helps calmly soothe babies to sleep. Head on over to the website to have a little look! Stay tuned!

Day 1 of dieting... Oh what FUN!

Happy New year all! Yesterday I started my new diet. I want to shed all pregnancy weight completely. I haven't in the last 3 babies, so it's time. I don't have a ton of weight to lose but I'm not comfortable with where I'm at right now, and I want to feel better about myself so I've decided to change how I eat and start exercising daily. Yesterday was a bit of a challenge. I cut back on soda, and cut sweets out (besides some healthy snacks I will be introducing myself)  I also made a rule not to snack after 7pm which I hear is bad bad bad for you. So I was a bit overwhelmed yesterday but I got through it. During the day I decided to make a few snacks just to have in the fridge...

I made homemade apple sauce, 2 ingredient cookies and 2 loafs of banana bread. One with a handful of chocolate chips and one with strawberries!

Homemade apple sauce - in the crock pot is literally the easiest thing to make ever. Wash, Peel, and chop up 20 apples. Put 1/4 cup of water in the bottom of crock pot, add apples, top with as much cinnamon as your heart desires and cook on low for 6 hours. Mash, and ENJOY! Yum, so so so delicious and easy. Not to mention the house smells like amazing apples and cinnamon all day.

Then I made 2 ingredient cookies. There's an option to add extra ingredients so I decided to add a small handful of chocolate chips. All this takes? 1 cup rolled oats, 2 bananas mashed... You can add a handful of chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, cranberries.. Whatever you have. Bake on 350 for 15 (I did 13 as my oven is super hot) and enjoy! So good, my kids are now obsessed with these cookies.

 

Cookies all done! Easy, and quick for delicious cookies!

Lastly I had some more bananas left over so I make 2 loafs of banana bread. One with strawberries and one with a handful of chocolate chips (can you tell I miss chocolate already and need juts a little bit?) I used my normal recipe, and added the strawberries/chocolate chips at the end!

 

 2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten  

2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Add Chocolate Chips or Strawberries. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.  
4. This recipe yeilds 1 loaf.

Tonight for dinner I am making Chicken Pot Pie soup from SKINNYTASTE.COM which I couldn't be more excited about. I'm trying a bunch of new recipes from there, and I'll share after! I can't believe the amount of recipes she has on her website, and how easy they all look. Who said eating healthy had to be bland and boring? I'm excited to start eating healthier and work out everyday, day 1 was a complete success lets hope it continues!