Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

We enjoyed them hot, but actually preferred them frozen. Yumm!!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/2 C Almond Flour
1/2 C Coconut Flour
1/4 C Coco Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
3 Eggs
1/4 C Honey
2 tsp Mint Extract
1/3 C Coconut Oil- melted
1/3 C Enjoy Life Chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. In two separate bowls, combine dry and wet ingredients, excluding the coconut oil and chocolate chips.

Stir wet mixture into the dry. Once combine, add in coconut oil. (By adding it last it will not cool in the wet and harden). Once batter has come together, add in chocolate chips.

 Spoon by heaping tbsp onto parchment paper or a silicone baking liner on a cookie tray. Flatten the cookie slightly with the back of the spoon.

 Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.  This made 32 cookies for us. 

What is on our plate...

I've decided to give you all a glimpse into a day in our food life in hopes that it might help others with ideas of what to eat, and especially what to feed the kids. Also, I would love to hear your ideas on Paleo options that your kids like to eat. I am always looking for new options in incorporate fat, protein and veggies into my kids!

A couple of notes: 1) As you can see, we do give our kids minimal dairy in the form of cheese and sometimes homemade yogurt. 2) Our kids do drink about 4 oz of 100% Organic Apple Juice a day, 1 oz of juice in 4 containers of water a day. Though I know juice is not technically Paleo, by adding the minimal juice to their water it ensures they will drink the water throughout the day, so I have accepted it.

Steven

Leftover Seasoned Sauteed Zucchini Scramble with Sausage Links

Turkey Burger, Cauliflower Mash, hard boiled Egg

Walnuts, Pecan Pie Bar

Raw Egg Smoothie (egg, blueberries, Kale, banana)



Southwest Cabbage and Chicken w/ Homemade salsa (tomatoes from our garden)



Esther

Leftover turkey burger, caramelized onion scramble, w/ garden fresh tomato (which Colton ate half of off my plate)

During the day I also ate, but did not get pictures of:
~Hard boiled Egg
~Turkey Lunch meat
~Green beans
~Watermelon Cubes

2 Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Loralei

~Didn't get a picture of her breakfast- 1 scrambled egg, 2 slices of bacon, 1/2 banana

Left- Carrots, fresh peas from the garden, Pizza Chicken, Mock- PBJ (crepe, sun nut butter and crushed strawberries)

Pecan Pie Bar she snacked on while she was sitting in the stroller while I was running

Already ate her Turkey Roll-up (lunch meat turkey with Pepperoni), green beans, carrot sticks and cheese

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie

~She also had some watermelon cubes and pepperoni during the day.

Colton

Egg Scramble with leftover Cauliflower mash whisked in, bacon

Right- Pizza Chicken, carrot sticks, peas, Mock- PBJ (crepe, sun nut butter, smashed strawberries)

Turkey/Pepperoni Roll-up, carrot sticks

Pecan Pie Bar in the stroller

Crepe wrapped around turkey lunch meat and cheese and green beans

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie

~He also had a bowl of blueberries during the day

The Crepes I use for their mock-PBJ and Colton's Turkey roll-up are just egg with a bit of coconut flour to hold them together. 2 eggs, 1 tsp coconut flour, whisked together and cook in a fry pan about 30 sec per side. This amount makes 4 crepes.

Pecan Pie Bars

I like to have some kind of bars on hand to take with me when we go out, be it to the park or the store or where ever. It saves me from the grabby hands of the kids as we go through the grocery aisle, as well as from them wanting to share snacks with others on a play date. I would much rather have these type of snack on hand and not have them wanting to grab their hand into the box of goldfish crackers that other have provided.

This recipe is only sweetened with the dried dates, but it is still a treat in my book.  That being said,  I will absolutely give my kids Paleo treats all day over their processed garbage counterparts!

Pecan Pie Bars
2/3 C Dates
1 1/2 C Almond Flour
1/2 C Coconut Oil
3 Eggs
1 C Pecans Pieces

Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor, puree dates and coconut oil. 

Move mixture into a bowl and add in eggs and almond flour. Stir in pecan pieces and spread mixture into a coconut oil greased baking dish.

 Place in preheated oven and bake for 24-30 minutes.

(We like a chewyer bar over a cakey bar, so we did our for 24 minutes. ) Store bars in the fridge for them to last longer.

Pizza Chicken

This is a dish I make ahead for my kids, to have on hand in the fridge for 'snacks'. Loralei loves dipping things, be it carrots/celery in Sunflower seed butter, or anything in red sauce, so this works great. I call it pizza chicken because the oils from the pepperoni flavor the chicken enough to give it a pizza flavor, and then dipped in sauce, it is great! Plus, who doesn't love throwing frozen stuff in the slow cooker and coming back to delicious dishes?

Pizza Chicken
2 Chicken Breasts (frozen)
1/4 White Onion (diced)
1/4 C sliced Pepperoni (Applegate Farms is a Paleo Option)
Italian Seasoning
Salt
Garlic Powder
Red Sauce (For Dipping)

Place frozen chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Sprinkle seasonings over chicken and add in diced onions. 

Place pepperoni slices on top of chicken.

Turn on low for 4-6 hours (depending on chicken size). I cut mine into strips and serve with red sauce (whatever vegetables are in the house, with organic canned tomatoes and spices, pureed in food processor) for dipping.

Breakfast Casserole

This is an easy, make ahead, breakfast dish that I do when we have something early in the morning to get to. I can throw it together in no time as I'm making dinner, cook it while dinner is in the oven, and reheat slices in the morning as we head out the door. It is a great way to get good protein, veggies and fat in us without a lot of effort on those hectic mornings. I will even pack slices in the small cooler pack in my diaper bag for the kids to snack on while we are out. Easy, nutritious and delicious.

Breakfast Casserole
1 lb sausage
1 Medium Zucchini
Coconut Oil (sauteing zucchini)
7 eggs
1/4 C Coconut Milk
2 Tbsp Dill Weed
(2)1/2 tsp salt
(2)1 tsp onion powder
Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Form sausage into bottom of a casserole dish. Place sausage into oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, till almost cooked through.  While sausage is in the oven, shred zucchini and saute in coconut oil with salt and onion powder. 

Once cooked, and slilghtly browned, remove from heat. In a large bowl, crack eggs and mix in remaining spices and coconut milk. 

Once sausage is cooked, spread zucchini over it and pour egg mixture on top. Return casserole to oven for an additional 20 minutes  or until eggs are cooked through.

If you are using the cheese, place it on when there are 5 minutes remaining. Remove and serve hot, or if making ahead, allow to cool and then place in the refridgerator.

Blackberry-Apple Cobbler

This is a super simple cobbler I came up with on the fly.  We have wild blackberries growing on our back hillside, so I like to take advantage of the cheap, and nutritionally bountiful berries when they are in season. James, from FastPaleo.com recently talked a little about the nutritional benefits of blackberries HERE. Delicious and nutritious!!

Blackberry-Apple Cobbler
Blackberry Filling:
1 1/2 C Fresh Blackberries
1/2 C + 2 tbsp Water
3 tsp Arrowroot Powder
Apple Filling:
2 Large Apples
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp raw honey
Cobbler Topping:
1 C Almond Flour
1/4 C Coconut Oil
2 tsp Honey

In small sauce pot, combine blackberries and 1/2 C of water. Allow to simmer till reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.  Combine remaining (2 tbsp) water and arrowroot powder and stir into blackberries. Remove from heat. 

Preheat oven to 350. Peal apples and slice.  Add Cinnamon and honey to sliced apples in 9 inch pie plate.  Stir in blackberry mixture.

Combine cobbler topping ingredients in a small bowl.

Gently sprinkle topping over prepared blackberry apple mixture.

 Place in preheated oven for about 30 minutes till apples are to desired crispness and topping is browned slightly. Enjoy plain, or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

A workout just picking them!

Almond Joy-Like Ice Cream (DF)

I know many people say they have the best husband in the world, but really, it is only because they don't know mine! I am honestly so beyond blessed to have married this man! He is an incredible husband, the best father children could ask for, and ultimately the perfect match to me.

This week is big in our world. We are celebrating 5 years of marriage, and the end of his 8+ years in the Marine Corps. It is a scary time, but so exciting as we look and move into the next chapter of our lives. Happy 5 years my love!!

Almost 5 Ago! He looks like such a baby!!

USMC Ball 2008

With Loralei

With Colton

Additionally, he comes up with creative little creations like this gem. This is one he developed last night, and it will definitely be used again. This is one of the best ice creams, paleo or not, that I have EVER had!!

Almond Joy-Like Ice Cream
1 Can Coconut Milk
3 tsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp raw honey
1/4 C coconut flakes+ topping
1/4 C slivered almonds+ topping

In a mixing bowl, combine coconut milk, cocoa powder and honey.  Place ingredients in an ice cream maker and turn on. Once ice cream gets to soft serve consistency, stir in coconut flakes and slivered almonds. Allow ice cream to finish hardening and mix in.  Enjoy topped with additional coconut and almonds. Enjoy!!