Sweet and Sticky Chex Mix

I've made this recipe quite a few times and each time I make it, it doesn't last long.  We went through the entire bowl on Thanksgiving Day.  Once you start eating this stuff it's so hard to stop because it's so deliciously crunchy, chewy and sweet.  This recipe is so easily made gluten free and that's how I typically make it.  You can can change up the candy and nut pieces for your favorites, but I'll just list how I made it. Really - I don't need to spend much time describing it.  Just make it!!  I PROMISE you won't regret it... or you will because you won't be able to stop eating it!

Sweet & Sticky Chex Mix

Ingredients:

3 cups rice Chex cereal

3 cups corn Chex cereal

3 cups gluten free small pretzels

1 cup cashew halves/pieces

1 cup m&m's

1 cup Reese's Pieces

2 sticks butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup white Karo syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

In a large bowl combine Chex cereals, pretzels and cashews.

In a small sauce pan melt butter with sugar and syrup.  Bring to a boil and turn town heat while still boiling, stirring constantly for about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour sweet syrup over Chex mixture and combine using a large rubber spatula to stir it all up and cover everything with the sauce.  Add the m&m's and Reese's pieces here - if you add them early and the sauce is still too hot, the chocolate shells will melt.  Stir in the candy pieces and then spread it all out over a sheet of waxed or parchment paper to cool and dry.  Let sit out for a couple hours then put into a Tupperware bowl.  The mixture will still be sticky inside the bowl and you may have to break it apart to eat.

ENJOY!!!

Flavor God Wing Sauce

Maybe you've used Flavor God seasonings before and maybe this is the first time you've heard of them.  They have some great seasonings and I have loved each one I have ordered so far!  They keep their seasonings low sodium and don't add any sugars.  I also follow them on Instagram:  @flavorgod and @flavorgodrecipeguide and that's where I found this recipe for this AMAZING wing sauce!!  So while this recipe isn't originally mine, it has become my absolutely new favorite wing sauce.  I adore spicy foods but sometimes things just aren't spicy enough for me but this was like the perfect amount of spice for me.

You can use this as a wing sauce for about 2 1/2 pounds of chicken wings or as a dipping sauce for chicken.  I top my eggs with it and put it in my Spicy Steak & Egg Scramble.  Be creative with it's uses!!  I hope you love it as much as I do!

This is a paleo, clean eating and whole 30 compliant recipe (if you use ghee).

Flavor God Wing Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup ghee (or butter)
2 1/2 tablespoons Flavor God Everything Spicy Seasoning
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon garlic
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce (original)

Instructions:
In a small saucepan melt ghee then add the spicy seasoning, lime juice and garlic.  Saute a bit then add the Frank's and bring up to a boil again.  You can either top chicken wings with it right away or store the refrigerator.  It makes about 3/4 cup of sauce.

Salted Dark Chocolate Latte

I hit it right on my very first try with this one.  Well - I guess that's my opinion.  I've never ordered a salted anything at any coffee shop.  I'm more of a mocha girl, but I so rarely go to any coffee shop anymore because of the amount of sugar that goes into those delicious concoctions.  Now that's not to say I don't enjoy them, because I sure do, but sometimes the sugar rush isn't worth my headache.  So I try to create my own mixtures at home.  If you haven't already made them, I also have a Bulletproof Pumpkin Spice Latte and a Dark Chocolate Mocha in my arsenal of delicious afternoon 'pick-me-ups'.  This is just another great one to enjoy!!  So - whip one up and savor!!  I love how the coconut oil gives you an energy burst and there are SO MANY health benefits to adding coconut to your daily food intake!!

This recipe is paleo & clean eating.

Salted Dark Chocolate Latte

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut milk (full-fat canned or unsweeted from the carton) heated up
10 ounces of your favorite coffee
2-3 teaspoons honey, depending on how sweet you like it
1 tablespoon cacao powder - I use this - Healthworks Cacao Powder, 1 lb
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, be careful with this, I prefer just a hare over 1/8th of a teaspoon in mine, if you over-salt it, it will not taste good!!

Instructions:
In a microwave safe mug heat up your coconut milk.  In another container combine the rest of your ingredients, without the coconut milk, and blend it for 10-20 seconds with an immersion blender or in a blender until it's frothy.  Pour in your heated coconut milk and blend a few more seconds.  Pour into a big mug and enjoy!!

Drink up that big cup!!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

This recipe was so simple to throw together.  I put my chicken breasts in frozen, you can brown yours before you put them in.  It's your choice.  If you brown them before, then there will be less liquid from the chicken later on, but that's easily remedied by leaving the lid off your crock pot for the last 30-50 minutes of cooking.  We enjoyed this served over mashed potatoes (you can kind of see them peeking out from underneath all that yummy meat!).  You could also eat it in a bun or even just plain!  This makes a large batch, so be prepared for some leftovers.  It would be a great meal to make freeze half of it for later use or just to have a ready supply of leftovers in your fridge!

This recipe is clean eating and paleo (as long as you use a paleo Worcestershire sauce or recipe).

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

Ingredients:
5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 small onion finely chopped (or 2-3 tablespoons dried minced onion)
1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons paprika (I use 1 tablespoon smoked paprika and 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 heaping tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt


Instructions:
Put all the sauce ingredients listed below the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 5-6 quart slow cooker and stir until very well mixed.  Add your chicken (and obviously the lid) and cook on high 4-5 hours or low 6-7 hours.  Make sure to move your chicken pieces around in the sauce at certain points.  About an hour before you are ready to eat, use a potato masher and mash all your chicken.  It should shred very nicely.  It may look like there is a lot of liquid, but once you get all the chicken shredded it should be better.  If there is too much liquid for your liking, place the lid on about 3/4 of the way so that it allows all the sauce to reduce nicely for a wonderfully flavored pulled chicken!

Pork Carnitas

*I'm having trouble with the pin-it button right now so please use the share icons at the bottom!!*

It's been a while!  Winter has been busy for us and I have put any blogging on the back burner. I've now got 2 new recipes to post!  My first one is pork carnitas.  Carnitas means 'little meats' and these little meats have big flavor.  This time around I broiled them after cooking them so they would be crispier.  My kids liked them crispy, my hubby and I would preferred them directly from the pot.  We thought broiling them dried out the meat a little bit.

This recipe is so simple and delicious.  Give it a try!

This recipe is whole 30 compliant, paleo & clean eating and just plain good.

Pork Carnitas

Ingredients:
4 pound pork loin or pork shoulder cut into 2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cilantro
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like things)
juice of 2 limes
2 cups of water

Instructions:
Put your pork chunks into a ziploc bag.  In a bowl combine all the spices and seasonings except for the lime juice and the water.  Pour all the seasonings over the pork and shake it all until every piece is covered with the mix.

In a large pot or dutch oven pour in a bit of olive oil and then warm to medium heat.  Then add the pork chunks and sear the edges just a bit, it doesn't have to be perfect, just 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.  Pour the lime juice into the bottom of the pot then add the 2 cups of water.  Bring the pot to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat so that it's still boiling just a little bit.  Do not cover this dish.  That water needs to evaporate and reduce out to create the delicious flavor of the dish and the lime will tenderize the meat.  Let the pot simmer over your stovetop for about 2 hours and then check it.  Your liquid should be reduced to almost gone.  When there is just a small thick layer of sauce in the bottom take turns flipping over each of the pork chunks so they darken a bit on each side.

Serve just the meat chunks with some baked sweet potatoes and delicious green veggies or shred the meat and serve in tortillas with some salsa and guacamole!!  

Slow Cooker Enchilada Meat Sauce

This was such a simple dish to create.  I hadn't thawed out any hamburger, so I threw it in my crock pot and cooked it, drained the drippings then added my sauce and seasonings.  I enjoyed my meat sauce over a potato with some lettuce, my 5 minute guacamole and some jalapenos.  The hubby and kids enjoyed it inside a flour tortilla with some shredded cheese, lettuce, black olives and sour cream.  Really yummy with a great flavor.  So simple to make - why would you buy a can of enchilada sauce?!  This makes a pretty nice sized batch of meat sauce.  It would be easy to keep half and put the other half in your freezer for later or just eat the leftovers for a day or two!

This recipe is paleo, whole 30 compliant (read your labels for compliance!!) and clean eating.

Slow Cooker Enchilada Meat Sauce

Ingredients:
3 pounds ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
32 ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
4.5 oz can chopped green chiles

Instructions:
If you're like me and don't think of what to make for supper the night before and have frozen ground beef, throw it in your crock pot (with the chopped onion) on high for about 2 hours.  Chopping it up a few times with a wooden spoon to crumble it.  Then drain the grease.  After ground beef and onion are cooked together add all the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Shredded Spicy Thai Cashew Butter Chicken

I first tried this recipe with just 2 chicken breasts because I wanted to get the right combination of the 'sauce' ingredients.  After adding a bit more of this and a bit more of that I got it on the first try, except when I wrote things down it was guessing.  I'm a dump-cook.  I have to remember to write down measurements when I'm creating a new recipe for my blog because I know a lot of people do not cook like me.  They require measurements (which is totally ok!!!).  The second time around when I made it I made a large enough batch so that my family could have some and also have a little bit for leftovers.  My husband thought it was too spicy, but ketchup makes him sweat, so he didn't eat it.  My kids all enjoyed it, but my youngest opted out after a few bites saying her mouth was on fire.  HAHA  You can definitely reduce the amount of spice to make it right for you!!  Since we typically eat paleo style in our home, I made this with coconut aminos instead of soy sauce (if you substitute soy sauce use a low-sodium version or reduce to 3/4 cup in the sauce instead of 1 cup) and cashew butter instead of peanut butter.  It's really good.  We enjoyed it over baked white potatoes, but I think it would be equally as delicious over a sweet potato and my kids liked to pour a bit of bbq sauce on top.  Another option would be to put it in a wrap with some finely chopped celery, onion and lettuce!  You can reduce the amount of chicken breasts for a smaller dish, just be sure to calculate out the proper measurements for other ingredients also!

This is a paleo, whole 30 compliant & clean eating recipe.

Shredded Spicy Thai Cashew Butter Chicken
**made in the crock pot**

Ingredients:
8 chicken breasts, frozen
1 cup plus 1/4 cup coconut aminos (I use this - Coconut Aminos (Three 8oz Bottles)
1/2 cup cashew butter (I use this - Kevala Cashew Butter 3.5 Lbs)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions:
Place frozen chicken breasts with 1/4 cup coconut aminos and cook on low about 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.  Drain out all juice and shred chicken with forks (in the crock pot) or use a potato masher since it should be soft enough to do so.  After chicken is shredded add 1 cup coconut aminos, cashew butter & red pepper flakes.  Stir around to combine.  Let heat 10-20 more minutes and stir again to make sure all the cashew butter has melted in.  Let heat another 10 or so minutes and serve!

Savory Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Our family enjoys pork roast but I'm always left with the question of how best to prepare it.  We prefer slow cooking our roasts just because it ends up being so tender.  So I found a few different pork roast recipes and ideas for what to cook mine in all day.  This recipe definitely had the flavor I was looking for.  I made a gravy out of the juices with arrowroot powder and served it over potatoes.  That was delicious as well.  Then shredded it for leftovers and mixed in the leftover gravy to be served again over potatoes or eaten plain.  Either way I hope you enjoy the recipe!  We enjoy leftovers so I always make a lot of the meat, but you can certainly cut this recipe in half.  We also use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, but if you prefer to use soy sauce you can substitute it.

This is a paleo & clean eating option.

Savory Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Ingredients:
4-5 pounds pork loin roast (I used 2 2-pound roasts)
1 whole onion cut into large chunks
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup coconut aminos
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
3 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup

Instruction:
Place pork roast and onion in a 4-5 quart crock pot and sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper.  In a small bowl or 2 cup glass measuring jar add coconut aminos, balsamic vinegar, mustard and maple syrup. Whisk well to combine then pour over top of roast.  Cook on low for 6-8  hours or high for 4-5 hours.  I did turn my roasts over halfway through cooking.

Bulletproof Pumpkin Spice Latte

I am so excited to share this recipe with you! I've seen all sorts of pumpkin spice latte type drink recipes lately and as I was looking for a recipe to try, NONE of them seemed to have the ingredients that I truly wanted in my own version.  I based my version off the Civilized Caveman's Pumpkin Spice Latte.  I thought it had too many steps and not the right combination of spices/pumpkin/sweetness or caffeine that I wanted.  I also enjoy bulletproof coffee and coconut oil is so beneficial to your health so I decided to just throw it in there also.  I adore this recipe and it's my absolute new fall favorite.  Since it makes a larger cup, you can share it, save half for later, or do what I did and just pour it all into an extra large coffee mug and drink it all!!  It's going to be almost 20oz, so make sure you've got a mug big enough to handle it!  You can also try different milk variations. I used full fat coconut milk, but you can try almond milk or dairy milk (if you can tolerate it).  You could also substitute the maple syrup for honey if you like.  I only used 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in my drink, but you could make it 2 if you're looking for a bit sweeter version.  I use my immersion blender cylinder to combine the coffee ingredients for blending, but you can just as easily use a regular blender or ninja.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!!

This is a paleo & clean eating option.

Bulletproof Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:
8 ounces of coconut milk, heated
10 ounces hot coffee
2 tablespoons pumpkin (I just use canned pumpkin)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1-2 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions:
Heat your coconut milk in a separate mug.  I usually just pour it into a coffee cup and heat it in the microwave for about a 1 minute to 1 minute 15 seconds until it's fairly warm.   In a tall cylinder (or blender cup) add all the ingredients except the coconut milk.

Blend about 20-30 seconds until coconut oil is melted and all ingredients are combined.

Then add the hot coconut milk and blend again.  Pour it into one large mug or two regular sized mugs if you're being generous and willing to share.

ENJOY!!

Pumpkin Pie 'Noatmeal'

I'm a week into another Whole 30 and I was craving something pumpkin for breakfast.  After all - it's the season of pumpkin spice EVERYTHING!!  This was a great new addition to my breakfast repertoire and I will definitely be eating it more.  This recipe uses the banana as the sweetener, but if you aren't trying to cut sugar out of your diet and want it a bit sweeter, I would add 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup or honey.  I topped my bowl with some unsweetened almond milk and cinnamon, but you don't have to add anything if you would rather not.

For those of you wondering what 'noatmeal' is - it's not oatmeal.  ;)

This is a paleo, clean eating & whole 30 compliant recipe.

Pumpkin Pie 'Noatmeal'

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana (the riper your the banana the sweeter it will be but the more banana flavor it will have)
1 tablespoon coconut butter (I use Artisana Coconut Butter 16oz)
1 tablespoon nut butter of your choice (my preference is almond or cashew - links below)
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
dash of sea salt
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
Optional additional sweetener:  1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup or honey

Instructions:
In a small pot mash up the banana, coconut butter, nut butter, pumpkin pie spice & salt over medium low heat until well combined, then add the pumpkin and mix well.  Add the eggs (and sweetener if you're using it) and whisk continually over low heat until everything is heated through.  You will know it's done when it starts pulling away from the bottom of the pan and it has sort of a 'chunkier' look to it.  It takes about 5 minutes.  Pour into a bowl and top with almond milk and a sprinkling of cinnamon.  Enjoy some fall in a bowl for breakfast!!

Almond Butter
Justin's Almond Butter, 16 Ounce

Cashew Butter
Kevala Cashew Butter 12 oz
Kevala Cashew Butter 12oz (3 Pack) (more cost effective)
Kevala Cashew Butter 3.5 Lbs (most cost effective)

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

The kids and I went apple picking at my Great Grandparent's old farm by Hensel, ND.  We stopped to visit my Grandparents for a while and Grandma was making homemade apple crisp. The kids begged to stay at her house for supper and dessert but I already had our meal in the crock pot so I said we could make some apple crisp to eat at home. Thankfully that satisfied them until we got home and I got a reminder that I promised to make one.  So I started whipping this up.  I based it on an old recipe that I had, but made changes to create a gluten free apple crisp that is free of refined sugars.  It turned out delicious on the very first try! The hubby and kids were happy with the result which made me happy. They did eat it warm with a scoop of whipped cream on top.  I just ate it plain.  Very delicious!

You can use other fruits for this recipe too.  7-8 peeled & sliced peaches, 8-9 cups of blueberries or 8-9 cups of chopped rhubarb would be good substitutes.  Adjust your honey topping accordingly.  You can also easily cut this recipe in half and put in an 8x8 square pan.  Just don't forget to reduce the cooking time! If you don't have coconut sugar and don't want to buy any, you can use brown sugar, but that defeats the purpose of it being free of refined sugars.  Completely your choice!!

I know many people who aren't paleo, but require a gluten free recipe.  This isn't a paleo recipe, but a simple gluten free dessert option.  It is also a clean eating recipe.

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
7 to 9 medium sized apples (I used Honeycrisp, but other baking apples or crab apple would work)
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup Coconut Palm Sugar (I have also found some at Super Target)
1/2 cup coconut flour (I use Nutiva Organic Coconut Flour)
1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Whole Grain Rolled Oats (I have also found this at Hugo's)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
honey, to your taste

Instructions:
Grease a 9x13 glass pan with butter or coconut oil and preheat your oven to 350.  I like to make my crumb topping first so the apples don't have a whole lot of time to get brown after slicing.  In a bowl cream the butter & coconut sugar then add coconut flour, oats, cinnamon & nutmeg.  Combine with a fork.  Set the bowl aside.  Peel and slice up the apples and arrange on the bottom of the 9x13 pan.  Drizzle honey on top of the apples.  How much you put on is dependent on how tart your apples are and how sweet you want your dessert to be.  I just squirted it right out of the bottle, but I would say I used between 1/4 & 1/3 cup.  Sprinkle the cinnamon over top of the honey.  I also sprinkled this right out of the container but I would say there was about a teaspoon sprinkled over the top of the apples.  Place your crumb topping evenly on top and bake in oven 50 minutes to an hour.  Let cool a bit before you eat.  It's even better the next day re-heated.
Enjoy!!

Cavatini

Every August & September when my husband is out harvesting wheat I take supper out to the guys in the field.

Yes - I know - how I choose to eat doesn't directly correlate with how my family earns a living, but I choose not to get into that type of debate.  I fully support the farming community and I'm sorry if I lose followers because of that, but I have grown up in the Red River Valley where agriculture is the main source of income for so many people and businesses.  I do occasionally eat grains, but because I have found they can give me headaches I just don't eat them very often.  I prefer homemade buns/bread to store bought and whole wheat noodles (if I eat them).  The less processed you can make your food, the better it is.

ANYWAYS - I got off subject.  Oh yeah, taking supper out to the field.  I like to choose something that makes a large batch so I can feed my kids first and then take the rest out to the guys; 4 of them.  This was a great dish to make.  It's an old recipe I had laying around and can be made with either pasta or zoodles (zucchini noodles).  I chose the latter, obviously.  While this isn't a true paleo meal because it has cheese, we don't eat dairy as often as we used to so having cheese occasionally isn't going to hurt any of us.  My food critic son even told me that it was 'actually pretty darn good' with the zoodles. SCORE ONE FOR MOM!  The guys in the field also enjoyed it, unless they're lying to me!!

So - here's the recipe!  Make it how you want, but I highly recommend zoodles.  They really absorb the flavors of the dish and taste so delicious.  Plus you can't even tell the difference!  If you prefer to make this a totally paleo dish, you can use cashew cheese.  There are many recipes online.  I have yet to make it myself so I don't have any to recommend.  This is a clean eating recipe.

If you need a spiralizer for your veggies, I highly recommend this one!!


Cavatini

Ingredients:
1/2 a large zucchini, peeled and made into raw noodles (about 6-8 fluffy cups worth - don't pack the noodles into a cup to measure - estimation works well with this recipe)*
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage (or pork sausage)
1/2 a medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
5 ounce package of pepperoni slices, chopped (Check the ingredients on your pepperoni!  I use Applegate uncured pepperoni and sometimes add extra pepperoni to the dish just because we like it!)
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce (or 1 28-ounce can)
1 pint fresh or homemade salsa
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Cook beef, sausage, onion and pepper until meat is browned in a large pot.  After meat is browned add pepperoni, tomato sauce, salsa & mushrooms.  Give a stir and let it simmer a little bit before adding the zoodles stirring to combine.  Then pour half the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.  Top with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.  Add the remaining meat mixture and sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  If the cheese gets too brown for you, you can cover the dish with foil at some point during baking.

*If you want to use wheat pasta, my original recipe was made with about 3/4 pound uncooked medium shell pasta.  Cook the noodles before you add them to the pasta and stir them in at the same time you would stir in the zoodles.

Dark Chocolate Mocha

It's chilly out today and as I wait for the kids to get home off the school bus I get hit with a bit of inspiration to make a mocha for an early afternoon pick-me-up.  This really hit the spot and was very delicious.  You can make it as sweet as you want. I prefer a minimally sweet flavor to my dark chocolate so I used right around 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons of honey.  You can sweeten it to your own liking.  I used my immersion blender along with the blender cup to make this.  A regular blender or ninja-type appliance would work as well.

ENJOY!
This is a paleo and clean eating food choice.


Dark Chocolate Mocha

Ingredients:
8 oz of your favorite coffee
2 tablespoons coconut cream - I use AROY-D Coconut Cream
2-3 teaspoons honey (depending on how sweet you want your mocha)
2 teaspoons cacao powder - I use Healthworks Raw Certified Organic Cacao Powder

Instructions:
Before you brew your coffee, put your coconut cream, honey and cacao powder in your immersion blender cup.  Pour in your hot coffee then use immersion blender for about 20-30 seconds to mix well.  Pour the mocha back into your coffee cup and savor it.

Fudgy Mug Cake

Ok - I find it really hard to take a 'pretty' picture of mug cakes.  They're not really that pretty and short of taking a photo of them inside the coffee mug, I'm not sure how I can help the fact that they truly are not a photogenic piece of food.  The good thing is that it tastes so much better than it looks!!!  I was so happy when this recipe turned out.  I've tried other chocolate mug cakes and they've ended up dry and with not much flavor.  Not worth the effort, but this is great and my kids never let me enjoy one for myself, so I usually have to make 4 coffee mugs. This is a great dessert that you can feel good about eating.

This is a paleo & clean eating food option.

Fudgy Mug Cake

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder - Healthworks Raw Certified Organic Cacao Powder
1 egg
2 tablespoons pumpkin (I just use canned pumpkin)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon almond milk (I use unsweetened)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips - I use these - Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips


Instructions:
In a smaller bowl (I use a cereal bowl) combine cacao, egg, pumpkin and baking powder.  Then add the milk and honey.  Pour into an 8-10 ounce coffee mug and add chocolate chips to the top (they will sink during cooking).  Microwave for 3 minutes.  I like to put mine on a plate to eat, but you can let it cool for a bit and eat it right from the mug.  Enjoy!!

**If you like a dark chocolate flavor, add an extra tablespoon of cacao and an extra tablespoon of almond milk.  Use the same cooking time.

Sweet Potato Smash

On our recent summer vacation I had something similar to this twice.  I asked for the recipe at one restaurant and they shared it with me.  I made my own changes (as I always do) and came up with my own version.  I hit it on the first try.  This is one of the few ways my son will eat sweet potatoes.  He's not a big fan of them normally, but he really like this sweet potato smash.  This dish is very delicious, super easy to prepare and the leftovers are even better.

This recipe is paleo, clean eating & whole 30 compliant.

Sweet Potato Smash

Ingredients:
2 medium or 3 smaller sweet potatoes
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:
Peel and cube sweet potatoes and put into a smaller saucepot.  Pour coconut milk over top and cook on medium heat for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through.

Before cooking

After cooking

Remove from heat.  (The coconut milk will have an orangeish color from the sweet potatoes.)  Mash with a potato masher until smooth then add your desired amount of cinnamon.  Start with just the 1/4 teaspoon and increase if you want.  Be careful with the cinnamon, too much and it will ruin your dish.

Enjoy with your favorite meat!  We had ours with grilled chicken, as pictured, but would be great with almost any kind of grilled meat.

Turkey Veggie Crock Pot Chili

I adore chili.  I could eat it almost daily.  There are so many different ways you can make a chili.  Since I've gone mostly paleo I've had to give up my usual chili recipe that included canned beans.  I do love beans so I will occasionally make my regular old chili recipe with them, which excites my family a lot since they love it so much.  This chili is so chock full of healthy veggies that you may not even miss the beans... well maybe just a little.  ;)

It may be kind of strange to share a chili recipe during the summer, but we've had an unusually cool summer up here in NW Minnesota.  Hope you find a day you can make and enjoy it!!

This is a paleo & clean eating recipe.  It is Whole30 if you use a W30 compliant Worcestershire sauce, make a homemade W30 compliant version, substitute it for coconut aminos or forgo it altogether.

Turkey Veggie Crock Pot Chili

Ingredients:
2 green peppers, chopped
2 onions, chopped
6-8 celery stalks, chopped (about half the package)
2 tablespoons ghee
salt & pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 28-oz can tomato sauce
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
2 pounds ground turkey*
heaping tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (if you follow a specific diet, please check the label ingredients before you use this)

Instructions:
In a larger skillet saute the green peppers, onions & celery stalks in ghee with some salt and pepper to taste for about 5 minutes.  Then add the chicken stock to the veggies and let reduce to no liquid.
In another skillet brown the turkey with the minced garlic.
In your 5-6 quart crock pot pour in all the tomato sauce, rinse the cans out with a bit of water to get all the sauce and add just a bit more liquid to the chili.
After the veggies and turkey are ready add them to the tomato sauce in the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on low for about 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

*I used 1 pound all white ground turkey and 1 pound dark meat ground turkey.

Oatmeal Buns

White Flour Oatmeal Buns

This is another recipe that I cannot take credit for except for the fact that I swapped out the sugar & oil for honey & coconut oil.  My friend  Jamie shared this recipe with quite some time ago and I finally made them today.  Buns are not something I have made in almost a year since I changed my eating habits to live a more paleo lifestyle.  I do believe, however, that if you're going to have bread or buns, they should at least be homemade!  No preservatives. Just real ingredients mixed with love.  :)
These buns are WONDERFUL!  I so appreciate Jamie sharing this recipe with me and I know others will enjoy them as much as we do!  Don't be freaked out by the fact that they are oatmeal. They are soft and fluffy to bite into and you don't even notice the oats. 
I love a good old fashioned oatmeal.  Something that is not stripped of all its nutrients.  When using oatmeal for this recipe, try and find one as whole as you can get.  I used Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, steel cut would also be great!  Just don't use minute oats - those are almost completely stripped of all nutrients.
This recipe can be made as white buns or wheat buns.  If you make wheat buns use half white flour and half wheat flour, just make sure the dough is a bit sticky.  I have tried to write quite detailed instructions because not everyone is a bun baker, but if you are, then you only really need to read through how the ingredients are mixed and how many times to let the dough rise.  I also know some people really prefer detailed instructions.  :)

If you're looking for a recipe for regular white flour buns here is one:  Buns

Oatmeal Buns

Ingredients:
2 cups boiling water
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
7-9 cups bread flour (the amount you use will just vary on any given day)*

Instructions:
I use a Bosch machine - you can use whatever you like for buns but I will give directions the way I make buns.
In the bowl of Bosch add the 2 cups of boiling water and oats.  Let sit in the bowl until cool to the touch.  In a smaller bowl combine honey, molasses, coconut oil, beaten eggs & salt.  In another bowl (I usually do this in a glass measuring cup) combine the 1/2 cup warm water, yeast & sugar.  After the oats have cooled add the sweet mixture and combine with your dough hook.  Then add the yeast mixture and combine.  Then add the flour - *here is how I add flour to my buns.  Add half of the flour you expect to use and then put the lid on the mixer and combine well.  Then add the rest of the flour minus probably a cup or two and combine again.  Then add another cup of flour at a time until the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl and it comes clean.  Stop the machine to check to make sure the dough is tacky to the touch.  Then turn your machine back on and keep it mixing your dough for about 10 minutes.

Wheat Flour Oatmeal dough in my mixing bowl.



In a large bread bowl add about 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil.  Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and put into the bread bowl, flip it around in the coconut oil so it's coated all around.  Cover with a flour sack cloth and let rise. I do a fast rise method where in I will heat my oven to 200 degrees.  I then shut it off before I put the dough in.  It will cut your rising time in half.  Let the big ball of dough rise once, then pan your buns (I put my bun dough on parchment paper to bake - super easy cleanup), cover with cloth and let them rise again. If you need to, you can reheat your oven again to rise the buns, just be sure to shut it off before you put the dough in.

Wheat dough after it's risen in my oven for about an hour.

Wheat Flour Oatmeal Buns panned up and ready to rise again in the oven.

My pans of buns rising in the oven.

Once the buns have doubled in size you can bake them at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 11 minutes was the perfect time for the size of buns I make.  Typically bigger than golf ball size when I pan them and then doubled when ready for baking.

After removing from the oven, remove the buns from your pan (and parchment paper if you use it) to your counter top and immediately brush with butter.  Keep covered with a flour sack cloth while they cool.  Once they're completely cool you can put in gallon Ziploc bags to either store (for a few days on your counter top, couple weeks in the fridge or freeze in your freezer for later use).
This makes approximately 3 dozen larger buns or 4-5 dozen smaller buns.  A lot of times I will make both sizes so the little kiddos can have their own size.