Category Archives: Recipes

Oat Flour Pumpkin Muffins with Cranberries and Chocolate Chips

17 Replies

Delicious and healthy oat flour pumpkin muffins with cranberries and chocolate chips! So good and wheat free and refined sugar free. Great way to start your morning.

I love all things pumpkin. Well, except for pumpkin pie. But everything else, bring it on!

I have a Pinterest board all things pumpkin that I occasionally like to drool over. There are even some healthy recipes on it. For the most part, though, when pumpkin recipes come along they are loaded with sugar and not exactly health food. Those are good for desserts or a special occasion breakfast, but day to day, I hate to admit it, they probably shouldn’t be a part of my diet. (So sad.)

In an effort to get pumpkin into my day (and have a make ahead meal for breakfast) I put together these yummy oat flour pumpkin muffins with cranberries and chocolate chips.

That’s right, there’s no wheat in them at all and they have unrefined sweeteners (and not too much of it). I suppose, if you really wanted to, you could leave out the chocolate chips (or cranberries if you are my daughter. She thinks she doesn’t like them. Good thing my boy will eat them for her.) and they’ll be even healthier. Do so at your own risk. The chocolate is a yummy addition.

These can be made gluten and dairy free is you use appropriate milk, chocolate chips, and oats!

5.0 from 3 reviews
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Cranberry Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups oat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • ⅓ cup milk (or dairy free milk)
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup cranberries, cut in half
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for a dark coated pan)
  2. Combine oat flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices in a small bowls
  3. In another bowl combine pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, oil, honey, coconut sugar, and milk. Mix well until smooth.
  4. Gently stir oat mixture into the wet ingredients.
  5. Fold in chocolate chips and cranberries.
  6. Put batter into 12 greased muffin tins.
  7. Bake for 18 minutes.
Notes
- I make my own oat flour using old fashioned rolled oats and blend them in the blender until a powder.
- If you omit the chocolate chips, increase sweeteners.
- I cut the amount of both sweeteners in half when making for our family!
- Can use 2½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice instead of the spices.

 

Delicious and healthy oat flour pumpkin muffins with cranberries and chocolate chips! So good and wheat free and refined sugar free. Great way to start your morning.
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Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash

24 Replies

Super yummy and easy Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash! My FAVORITE spaghetti squash recipe - must make while it's squash season. (Can be vegetarian too!!!)

Last month, during our Whole30 I cooked spaghetti squash for my first time. We’ve since made it on several different occasions with the recipes having varying levels of success.

Let me tell you, this recipe for Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash is my favorite! Black beans, cumin, paprika. So many tasty flavors combined together and when you add melted cheese it’s only going to get better. Even my 17 months old who never eats ate this up!

This dish can easily be vegetarian or have chicken added in (or add the meat to just half of it). Either way, it’s good! (My husband would tell you with meat is always better.)

You also have the option of using the spaghetti squash shell as your serving dish or putting it in a baking dish. One less dish to do is always nice. 🙂

Super yummy and easy Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash! My FAVORITE spaghetti squash recipe - must make while it's squash season. (Can be vegetarian too!!!)

If you are like me and are looking for a good first recipe to introduce spaghetti squash to your family or if you are a spaghetti squash veteran and wanting to try something new, this recipe needs to be on your menu. Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash is going to be my new standby during squash season.

Download the free menu planning template and guide to make your life easier and save money!

4.8 from 5 reviews
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Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 large spaghetti squash
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1½ cups black beans
  • 1½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1½ teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 2 cups diced cooked chicken - optional
  • 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • Oil
Instructions
Spaghetti Squash
  1. Carefully cut spaghetti squash in half. Scrape out the seeds and stringy insides. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt. Place cut side down on a pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle it. Turn squash over and use a fork to scrape across the squash short ways to make the spaghetti.
Everything Else
  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil or coconut oil.
  2. Add onions and jalapeno and saute a few minutes. Add garlic, bell pepper, salt, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Saute around 5 more minutes.
  3. Add corn and black beans (and chicken if using) and saute until heated through.
  4. Add spaghetti squash strands to skillet and carefully stir and toss everything together. Adjust salt and seasonings if needed.
  5. Transfer mixture into both halves of the squash or into an 8x11 glass baking dish.
  6. Sprinkle with cheese.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Super yummy and easy Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash! My FAVORITE spaghetti squash recipe - must make while it's squash season. (Can be vegetarian too!!!)

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Homemade Apple Pie Ice Cream

7 Replies

Oh my goodness! This homemade apple pie ice cream is incredible - all time favorite for our entire family. MUST make. (Plan for extra pie this Thanksgiving!)

Vanilla ice cream and apple pie, also known as my husband’s favorite dessert. Combine the two together and you have perfection. Creamy vanilla ice cream with a touch of cinnamon and real apple pie bites mixed in and you have the perfect fall dessert. Ice cream is the ideal ending to any meal, even as the outdoor temperatures cool down and this recipe proves it.

I have an addiction to homemade ice cream. In fact, my automatic ice cream maker is my favorite kitchen appliance.

After months of thinking about it, we finally experimented and made Homemade Apple Pie Ice Cream. Let me tell you, it should have happened a long time ago. This recipe is a winner. My husband declared the ice cream exceptional and a good friend said it was her favorite ice cream of the many I’ve made so far!

I made this ice cream lightly sweetened because I knew the apple pie was going to be added and we all thought it was perfect. You can make the pie from scratch or purchase one.

Also, if you have an immediate ice cream craving and don’t want to take the time to cook  and cool the ice cream, simply combine all the ingredients (making sure the cream and milk are thoroughly chilled – if you just bought it from the store, it won’t be cold enough) excluding the pie in the blender (or use beaters and a bowl) and combine well and pour into the ice cream maker. (If you don’t like eating raw eggs, you can leave the yolks out.) Freeze according to machine instructions and mix in pie at the end.

Don’t forget to check out my tips for using your automatic ice cream maker!

Oh my goodness! This homemade apple pie ice cream is incredible - all time favorite for our entire family. MUST make. (Plan for extra pie this Thanksgiving!)Plan to have extra apple pie after your Thanksgiving dinner this year, you won’t regret it!

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Apple Pie Ice Cream
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ¼ -1/2 cup honey (or ½-1 cup white sugar)
  • dash salt
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ of an apple pie
Instructions
  1. Put dairy, honey, arrowroot powder, cinnamon and a dash of salt in a pan over low heat. Use a whisk to stir as mixture heats.
  2. Combine egg yolks and honey in a small bowl.
  3. Slowly add ½-1 cup of the of heated cream to the egg yolks (stirring constantly). Then slowly add the egg mixture to the pan of cream, whisking constantly.
  4. Heat the ice cream mixture gently until it thickens slightly. (Don't let it come to a boil.) It will take around 5 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
  6. As the ice cream mixture cools, stir it occasionally to keep a skim from forming on the top.
  7. Put ice cream into the refrigerator and chill at least 6 hours.
  8. Put mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to your ice cream maker instructions.
  9. Chop apple pie into bite sized pieces and stir into the frozen ice cream.
  10. Serve immediately or put in freezer to have a more solid ice cream.
Notes
I used the ¼ cup of honey since the apple pie adds additional sweetness. If you like things sweeter, use the larger amount!

 

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Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole – Dairy and Wheat Free

70 Replies

I love sweet potatoes. They are amazing. When I first made this Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole, I was in love! It’s wheat free, dairy free, and is Whole30 approved. The perfect food to start your morning.

This sweet potato breakfast casserole is amazing and can even be made the night before! The leftovers taste amazing as well and it's #paleo and #whole30 approved. SO GOOD!

I made it once, ate leftover for the next three days. Made it again and ate the leftovers all week. It’s one of those dishes you don’t grow tired of – I enjoyed it just as much while finishing off the pan the second time. Yes, that means the leftovers taste just as good!

Let’s just pretend you don’t love sweet potatoes quite as much as I do. Don’t be scared away! My husband is not a fan and even he enjoyed this dish. The kiddos, they gobbled it up too.

If your mornings are anything like mine, you aren’t going to want to take time to brown pork and onions and roast the sweet potatoes in the morning. Let me fill you in on a little secret. The night before do all the prep work and layer the potatoes, meat, and veggies in the pan. Stick in the refrigerator. In a bowl, crack and whisk the eggs. Stick in the fridge. The next morning, pull the dishes out, whisk the coconut milk into the eggs and pour into the pan. Put the pan into the cold oven and turn onto 350 degrees. In just 30-35 minutes it will be ready for you!

4.7 from 7 reviews
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Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole - Dairy and Wheat Free
 
Ingredients
Sausage
  • 1 pound ground pork (or meat of your choice)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon powdered thyme
  • ½ teaspoon sage
  • ⅛ teaspoon fennel
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • black pepper
Everything Else
  • 4 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes (3-4 potatoes)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced (optional)
  • 8 eggs (large - extra large)
  • ½ cup coconut milk (canned) can sub other milk
  • Sea Salt and freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
  1. In a skilled combine all the sausage ingredients. Cook until almost done. Add the onions and finish cooking.
  2. Meanwhile, place sweet potatoes on a jelly roll pan and broil on high for 10 minutes, stir and broil another 5 minutes. I keep my pan in the middle of the oven, if yours is higher you may need to cut down on the time.
  3. Turn oven to 350 degrees.
  4. In a bowl, whisk together coconut milk and eggs and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Spread broiled sweet potatoes in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Top with meat mixture. Sprinkle with the bell peppers. Pour egg mixture over the top.
  6. Put in preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Notes
To make the night before, follow the steps for the sausage and sweet potatoes and layer those and the bell pepper in the pan. Place in refrigerator. Whisk eggs in a bowl and put in refrigerator. In the morning add the coconut milk to the eggs and whisk and pour over the pan. Place in cold oven and turn to 350. Bake for 35 minutes.

 

This sweet potato breakfast casserole is amazing and can even be made the night before! The leftovers taste amazing as well and it's #paleo and #whole30 approved. SO GOOD!

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Frozen Grapes The Easiest Snack Ever

39 Replies

Frozen Grapes! Such a genius idea and they make the easiest snack ever. Plus, they are Whole30 approved!

I can’t be the only one. I’m sure we’ve all had times we’ve tried to cut back on sweeteners (even honey and maple syrup). Other times wheat or dairy.  We are in the middle of a Whole30 right now, so that means we are doing without all of those.

Sure, things like ice cream and popcorn aren’t a necessary part of our diets but sometimes I just want something cold and refreshing or a snack I can sit down in front of a movie with to munch on. Dried fruit, fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts. All great options but none really have that special snack edge that ice cream does. 🙂

I remember discovering this super tasty way to eat grapes years ago when I was in high school and have used it every since. You need to try it! It might sound weird, but it’s sooo good and frozen grapes make the easiest snack ever. (Plus, they are Whole30 approved.)

Here’s your super easy instructions:

  1. When grapes go on sale, stock up! Buy pounds of them.
  2. Pick the grapes off the stem and place in a colander. Rinse well and then dump on a towel to dry.
  3. Then simply pour them onto rimmed baking sheets in a single layer and stick in the freezer.
  4. Once frozen, put in a zipped freezer bag and they’ll be sitting in the freezer waiting for you to fill up a bowl to munch on.

Unlike most fruit, you can eat these straight out of the freezer. No thawing necessary. They are the perfect texture. My husband says they taste like a slushy. 🙂

What’s your favorite frozen fruit? Have you had frozen grapes before?

5.0 from 3 reviews
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Frozen Grapes - The Easiest Snack Ever
 
Ingredients
  • Grapes
Instructions
  1. Pick grapes off the stem and put in colander.
  2. Rinse well and pour onto a towel to dry.
  3. Put grapes on rimmed baking sheets in a single layer and place in the freezer.
  4. Once frozen (give it several hours), transfer to zipped storage bags or containers.
  5. Eat directly out of the freezer.

 

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