Delicious Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Delicious Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

 

 

When you go paleo, you have to give up a lot of normal foods and desserts. A lot of the recipes we make may not taste as great as we'd like, but it's a treat so we'll take it regardless. Fortunately, I've been following a website for a while now and decided I'd try one of her recipes since the reviews have been pretty good. Check out the recipe for Against All Grain: Chocolate Chip Cookies.

My review is this:
I used ghee instead of palm shortening because I don't have it on hand. I also used dark chocolate chips because that's what I like. You can use whatever you have on hand and make this recipe your own. You can add pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews for an added crunch and/or leave out the chocolate chips and add some dried fruit like chopped dates, raisins, or cranberries. The base of the cookie is good on it's own so if you wanted to leave it plain, go for it. Drizzle on some melted chocolate and dip in crushed nuts? Heck ya!

These are the ingredients you'll need and make sure you check out her post on the recipe and photo. I'll be honest, her photo looks a heck of a lot better than mine.

 

Palm Shortening, I used Ghee
Palm Sugar
Honey
Salt
Egg
Vanilla
Almond Flour
Coconut Flour
Baking Soda

Chocolate

One other recommendation is to not flatten out the cookies if you use ghee. Mine spread a little too much.

 

Enjoy this pretty darn good treat!

~Angela

Paleo Mayo-Rubbed Baked Chicken

Paleo Mayo-Rubbed Baked Chicken

Printable Recipe

 

 

 

I'm a big fan of baked chicken when it's cooked right and not dry; which has been what my past baked chicken dishes have been. It's so sad when a great piece of chicken turns out dry. You miserably eat it and regret all the time you put into prepping it.

Thankfully, I made my own concoction of a delicious and simple mixture to spoon on top of chicken then bake it off. It was honestly as simple as putting a few ingredients in a bowl, stirring to combine, spreading on top of the chicken and baking. That's my idea of cooking right there.

 

 

In order to have this dish be paleo, please visit my other website Easy Peasy: Homemade Paleo Mayo. You'll be glad you tried a new recipe and you'll be happy to know exactly what's in your mayo. So, go there and make your mayo and then come back here for the recipe.

 

Ingredients:
Serves 4

4-6 chicken breasts, trimmed (bone in or out.. that's up to you)
1/2tsp salt

1/4tsp pepper

1cup fresh paleo mayo
1/2cup shredded mozzarella, chopped into tiny pieces

 

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, salt and pepper and 1/2 of the cheese. My mozz cheese is always frozen as I don't eat it a lot, so when it's nice and cold, I just chop it with a knife. It makes it much more pleasant to eat when it's in small pieces. Once the chicken is trimmed of the extra fat, pat dry and place in a baking dish. No need to spray the pan if you make your own mayo. Next, spoon the mixture on top of the chicken and spread to cover the entire chicken tops. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top of the mixture.

 

Bake approximately 45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked then broil on high, if you trust yourself to not let it burn, or low, for 5-10 minutes to get a nice golden-brown color.
Let cool slightly before consuming and enjoy!

 

This meal took 5 minutes to prepare and then I walked away.. didn't have to babysit something on the stove. It was amazing! I'll be honest with you, I was so afraid the chicken was going to taste tangy and sour from the mayo, but it didn't at all. It was savory and simply delicious. In fact, everyone scarfed it down, requested seconds and thirds and asked me to make it again the following night.

 

You will love this recipe as much as I do. I promise.

~Angela



Water. How much do you drink?

Water. How much do you drink?

Photo Courtesy here

Click on this link to watch the video concerning water consumption as well as an answer to countering caffeine consumption.

Did you know that our bodies need a lot of water to keep our muscles and joints lubricated? One 8oz. cup a day isn't going to cut it. Let's be real for a moment. If you sit at a desk at your job or are constantly on the computer, do you make the time to drink water? Do you drink a cup of coffee on your drive to work, then realize it's time for lunch and drink a soda or a cup of water and then not drink anything until late that night at dinner? Well, that's what I used to do and I can't believe that I functioned properly.. well, I functioned whether it was properly or not.

When we drink the right amount of water our bodies need, we help to ensure our entire body systems, inside and out, are functioning properly. I love how this website shows exactly what happens when we drink water and what happens when we don't drink enough water.

Some great benefits of drinking water are: detoxification, supplies moisture to the air in our lungs, and the one I like the most is is lubricates our joints.

Some bad things happen when we don't drink enough such as: dehydration, tiredness, headaches and/or migraines, and constipation. Check out that link above to visit the website and check this one out as well. I love this information!

So what happens when I don't drink enough water? I'm cranky, my head hurts, I'm hungry, I'm tired. Everything is more exaggerated when we don't feel well and most of our problems could be avoided if we simply drank enough water during the day.

"I don't like the taste of water" is what you'll tell me if you don't drink enough water... or... "It makes me pee too much." Well, DUH it's going to make you pee. Hey, that means your urinary system is working properly. Know how to rid the "yuckiness" of water? Squeeze a lime or a lemon in it.

DRINK. WATER.

"Well, how much do I drink?" is your next question, isn't it? If you're inactive (meaning not doing any exercise that day), you should drink half your body weight in ounces. So, if you're 150lbs., you should drink 75oz. of water a day. If you do exercise that day, add another 8-10oz. of water per hour of exercise.

If you're afraid you'll be up all night peeing, drink the majority of your water during the morning hours then have the last 10-20 ounces after lunchtime.

Maybe a goal for you to start with is drinking half your body weight in water daily. Start out by drinking 10-20oz. before eating breakfast then the rest will be easy from there. Personally, I like my water nice and cold but when I exercise, I like it to be room temp.

Try it. It may be hard at first. You may forget to drink enough several days in but just give it a try. Monitor how you feel before you start then monitor how you feel during the day when you are drinking enough water.

Either way, drinking water is by far the best liquid you can consume so just give it a try. You may like it!

~Angela

Perfect Red Potatoes, Two Ways

Perfect Red Potatoes, Two Ways

 

 

There are a lot of people who don't eat white potatoes because it may be a problem for them with the starch and glucose and what-not. There's a long post about potatoes here that you can read if you'd like. It's from Mark's Daily Apple and I happen to like some of the stuff he's written. Although he's primal, it seems that he agrees that a large part of our population can not internally handle tubers (potatoes).

I love potatoes and we eat red potatoes about twice a week. I can handle it and it seems that my boys handle it well, too. Only time will tell for them as they're little ones but when they get older, they can decide to continue eating potatoes or eliminate them from their diet.

So, for any of you red-potato-eating-folks, here's a double whammy recipe for you:
1) Baked red potatoes

and

2) Skillet fried red potatoes

 

Paleo Baked Red Potatoes:
Printable Recipe
One small bag of red potatoes washed and cut into quarters

Salt and pepper to taste, approximately 1tsp salt and 1/2tsp pepper
2Tbsp olive oil, or oil of choice
1Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400degrees.
Wash and cut red potatoes into quarters and place on a baking sheet. Coat generously with oil of choice and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake approximately (according to the size of the cut pieces) 25-35 minutes flipping the potatoes once half-way through the baking process.
When finished, sprinkle with rosemary and parsley and eat these delicious potatoes.

 

Paleo Pan-Fried Red Potatoes
Printable Recipe

Use remaining ingredients from the above recipe, which are the cooked red potatoes. In a cast iron skillet, heat 2Tbsp olive oil (or bacon fat, or any fat of choice) until the pan starts steaming. When it's hot, place the potatoes in the skillet and cook 15-20 minutes until browned on all sides. Stir and flip potatoes every minute or so. Keep your eye on this as it could burn easily.

Sprinkle with fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme or parsley. Eat with whatever condiment of choice you'd like (we prefer ketchup!) or sprinkle with cheese and melt then add some chili or sour cream. Yummy in my tummy!

The first recipe is great for a lunch or dinner while the second recipe is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Please enjoy and let me know how you like these two recipes.

~Angela

Ouch!

Ouch!

Today's workout at the box was hard. Going from 3-4 days a week of crossfitting to hardly anything in the past 4 months has taken a toll on my body. When we choose to eat poorly and make no time for exercise, we are destined to muscle fatigue very early on in our workout routine. I'll say that with the humidity and the lack of motivation in the past, today's WOD (Workout Of the Day) was hard. We were tasked with 24" box jumps, 85# deadlifts and hand-release push-ups. It was only a 12-minute WOD but it was hard.

If we want to achieve a certain physic, or mindset, or goal, we must give ourselves enough time to attain it. I remember working out last year and having to do push-ups on the wall because I couldn't do girlie ones and now I can do push-ups on my toes (aka, the male version). I remember not being able to lift 45# overhead a year ago and now I can do 85# on a good day. I remember not being about to do a 65# deadlift and now my PR is 185#.

With goals in place, we can achieve (in our minds) victories. So maybe you should write out your goals. Write out a daily goal of stretching or doing an ab routine or a quick 5 minute arm routine or do a weekly/monthly/yearly goal. Where do you want to be in a week? A month?? A year??? It can be anything from a monetary standpoint, a personal standpoint, a physical standpoint. Making yourself better all around is something we all need to work on.

For this week, my goal is to cook all paleo meals.

For the month of September, my goal will be to have the dishes cleaned/put away at the end of each night and to cook paleo meals. When I have cheat meals, it's usually when we eat out, which is typically once a week.
My second goal for the month of September is to work out at least 20 times.. might sound like a small amount of work outs but this is huge for me since I'm getting back in to it.
For the year.. Well, I'll have to think about that and post back later.

I think setting goals helps us all around in our lives. Personally, it helps me to plan great meals for my family, set a time to work out, set a time for quietness. Without goals, I don't look forward to things. I don't look forward to a cheat meal or a cheat dessert. I don't look forward to putting a big fat line through my goal and saying "I did it!"

I don't know about where you're at in life but I know we can always make ourselves better. I plan on bettering myself and my family this year by being at my best so they can be at their best. Goal-setting may not be 'paleo' ... but it is to me.

Do you have any goals? If so, write them down and share with me! I love hearing about goals and successes.

~Angela

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

Printable Recipe

 

 

 

It's another one of those hot summer days where the afternoon storms roll in to "sunny" Pensacola, Florida and I decided it is time for pumpkin. Pumpkin is great any time of year but it's especially great in the early fall when it's "new" again. Are you a yearly pumpkin or sweet potato eater? There are so many people who think I'm weird that I eat them yearly, like they're supposed to be only reserved for special occasions. Pfft.. Ya'll (oh ya, here comes the southern girl) don't know what you're missing every day by not eating these vitamin-enriched foods.

Us paleo/primal folks know what's up.

 

 

 

Ingredients:
Makes 10-12 large cookies
1/4cup canned pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie mix in a can)
1/2cup almond butter (or any nut butter you prefer)
1/2 cup honey
1tsp vanilla 
1cup almond meal/flour
1tsp pumpkin pie spice or 1tsp ground cinnamon
1/4tsp baking soda
1/2cup dark chocolate chips, or any dried fruit would be wonderful
1/2cup walnuts, or pecans, or whatever you'd like
 

Directions:Preheat oven to 350degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine all wet ingredients together then add the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Scoop batter to whatever size you'd like and flatten out to the desired thickness since these do not spread on their own. Bake approximately 10-15 minutes, according to thickness.
Remove from baking sheet 2 minutes after cooling and transfer to cooling wrack.
These are wonderful chilled; so I store mine in an airtight bag in the refrigerator and grab a snack when I need one. These can also be frozen on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bag and thaw before eating.

Note: There really isn't a strong pumpkin flavor to these but if you'd like it strong, add 1/2tsp-1tsp more of the pumpkin pie spice. The dough should be sticky and when you're ready to eat it, the cookie has a nice chewy texture. It's simply delicious!

Unfortunately, I'm terrible with nutrition information but I do plan on incorporating that on my recipes soon so bare with me. I'll update this recipe when I have it all figured out.

 

 

 

Naturally gluten free being paleo/primal, egg free, dairy free.

 

Eat well. Live well.

~Angela



How About It?

I love feeling my best. Waking up early; not hitting the snooze button; having a smile on my face instead of a frown. Life is good when we feel good. Am I right? You know I am.

 

I've been eating paleo since January 2012 when I experienced a Whole30 with my Crossfit box, CrossfitFiveFlags. This new learned eating pattern turned into a habit which you don't ever want to break. The behavior of eating whole foods: green, leafy vegetables; orange, red, purple, blue, yellow veggies and fruits. Eating zero grains. Eating zero sugars, unless is was in a vegetable or fruit already. Eating fats. Hey, guess what? You need fats to keep you going. They last longer than carbs do and keep you fuller longer. Avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, tree nuts - those are all fats that we should be eating at every meal, including snacks. Also incorporating healthy proteins such as eggs and lean meats at every meal.

 

So, the Whole30 that I mentioned earlier is a little bit different than paleo. When you've completed a Whole30 (and I totally recommend doing one before going paleo), you eliminate all the bad foods and drinks you normally consume. Hey, that whole wheat you think is so good for you will bloat your stomach, make you gassy, and could very well give you the sniffles (like having allergies or a cold.) When you transition into paleo eating, you can add back things like honey or maple syrup or dairy. You test each food for a few days and see if you have any negative reactions to it. If not, it may be safe for you to consume. What's 'safe' for you won't necessarily be safe for someone else. For example, I tolerate wheat (although I bloat after consuming it), but my sister's world turns upside down.. meaning, her stomach is heavily affected by wheat.

 

What I consider paleo, you may not because of your intolerance to what I'm tolerant to. I occasionally eat cheese. I occasionally eat a sugar-infested cookie. I occasionally eat a bowl of cereal. But most days, I try to be as paleo or as whole-food-eatin' as possible. This works for me and it may or may not work for you but I encourage you to try this lifestyle.

Everyone that I know who has tried the Whole30 or the paleo lifestyle absolutely loves it. They notice a change in their physique, their mentality, their alertness, their sleep is better, and they overall just feel great.

I staved off a cold this year when my kids were sick with fevers and ear infections by consuming honey and coconut oil. Sounds crazy to some, but to most of us paleo/homeopathic/whole-foods consuming folks.. well, we all know there's healing properties in foods.

Keep coming back to this blog, because I promise you'll learn something new. You'll get tid-bits of knowledge that you may not have thought about before. I also host a blog called Easy Peasy that has a lot of paleo recipes in it so feel free to browse it. I'll be posting paleo recipes here as well.

Are you living a paleo lifestyle? If you are, please let me know why you made that choice. If you aren't, wouldn't you like to start feeling better? Join with me! It's not only an investment in your health, it's an investment in your longevity and future.

I worked out today and I feel great. I did my kettle bell video today. What did you do to get stronger in case the zombies come?

 

~Angela