WILD ORANGE DARK CHOCOLATE MELTAWAYS

I've been eating more of a Ketogenic diet lately and have been feeling great.  I'm not as tired as I have been, my workouts have been better and I feel way more focused. Maybe the new found perkiness has nothing to do with a Keto meal plan, but for now I'm going to just say it does. 

Low carb does not mean NO carbs and it also doesn't mean I can't have a treat here or there. 

These meltways are actually one of my pre-workout breakfast as well as a night time treat. Don't get me wrong, I don't have it twice a day, it's either or, but having a treat before a workout feels so naughty, yet so right. 

The recipe calls for doTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil, however you can omit.  Keep in mind when it comes to consuming essential oils you want an incredibly high grade. Not all oils are alike. Many of the less expensive oils you can pick up at health food stores are for external use only, so please be sure to read the label.  doTERRA's Wild Orange IS can be taken internally.  Like I said, you can omit if you want, but I like the hint of citrus with my chocolate. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 c. coconut oil, melted
• 6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 6-8 drops doTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil  
• 4 Tbsp. coconut butter (sunbutter with oil drained works well too)
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 packet Stevia (omit for 21DSD modification)
• Topping of choice (chopped nuts, shredded coconut, dried fruit etc)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium glass bowl, combine melted coconut oil, Wild Orange oil and cocoa powder until lump free
2. Add coconut butter , ground cinnamon and stevia to oil-cocoa mixture and blend thoroughly 
3. Divide mixture evenly into 4-6 silicone cupcake cases, top with chopped nuts, dried fruit or whatever you want, refrigerate until hard
4. Do not leave out because they WILL melt

3 WAYS TO PURCHASE doterra ESSENTIAL OILS

1. Purchase them from my online store.  

2. Order as a  Preferred Member
Preferred Members pay only $10 for a lifetime membership which allows them to purchase all products for 20% off retail price.
Preferred Members can also take part in the Loyalty Rewards Program. 
Click here to sign up as a Preferred Member.

3. Get Wholesale Prices
As a doTERRA Wellness Advocate you’ll receive the best discounts possible. Everything you purchase will be at wholesale price, which is 25% off retail. It costs $35/year to sign up as a Wellness Advocate.  Membership renewal is only $25 each year, PLUS you will receive a free bottle of Wild Orange Oil to perk your senses.   

CINNAMON PECANS

Oven roasted pecans coated in cinnamon are by far my new favorite snack.  It takes very little preparation, minimal dish washing, low carb, gluten-free and Paleo. 

This is a very basic recipe and when it comes down to it I only have to wash a bowl, spatula and my hand; I use my hand to toss the ingredients together.  This is the best lazy person treat and I say "lazy" proudly.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 8oz. pecan halves
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon, ground
• 1 pack Stevia In The Raw (or sweetener of choice)
• omit stevia for a 21DSD compliant treat

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper 
2. In a medium bowl toss the pecans and olive oil together until pecans are well coated
3. Add cinnamon and sweetener and continue to coat the pecans
4. Spread the coated pecans onto the parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 15 minutes; checking every 5 minutes to prevent burning
5. EAT

Wanna add a little zing to your pecans? Try adding a few drops of essential oils to the olive oil.  Wild Orange and Lemon pair really well with the cinnamon. 
It's another way of adding flavor, without the calories.

3 WAYS TO PURCHASE doterra ESSENTIAL OILS

1. Purchase them from my online store.  

2. Order as a  Preferred Member
Preferred Members pay only $10 for a lifetime membership which allows them to purchase all products for 20% off retail price.
Preferred Members can also take part in the Loyalty Rewards Program. 
Click here to sign up as a Preferred Member.

3. Get Wholesale Prices
As a doTERRA Wellness Advocate you’ll receive the best discounts possible. Everything you purchase will be at wholesale price, which is 25% off retail. It costs $35/year to sign up as a Wellness Advocate.  Membership renewal is only $25 each year, PLUS you will receive a free bottle of Wild Orange Oil to perk your senses.   

           

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PEPPERONI QUICHE MUFFINS

Things have been slightly different around the kitchen lately. I've found that I, personally, do a lot better in the mornings if I have a ketogenic based meal. Carbs early in the morning do not work for me and definitely do not carry me through my busy work day.  With that new development that also means you may see more recipes that include dairy, but I'll do my best to make sure they're not dairy based and removing any cheese from the recipe will be easy peasy.

I don't know what took me so long to make these guys. My love for pepperoni now runs deep and true.  Breakfast, snack, lunch AND dinner, these things are so tasty especially when dipped in a good marinara. Num num num!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. oregano, dried and chopped
• 2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 c. mozzarella, shredded
• 6-12 Applegate pepperoni slices
• marinara sauce (to dip - optional)
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F and grease 6 muffin tins (or line with foil liners)
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oregano and garlic salt
3. Stir in mozzarella
4. Divide evenly into the 6 tins
5. Top each with 1-2 slices of pepperoni
6. Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown
7. Serve warm with a side of marinara for dipping (optional)

What would you add to this recipe to make it even tastier?

Bell peppers, mushrooms, sausage...? 

 

          

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BAKED CHICKEN STRIPS

Today I'm sharing my quick chicken strip recipe. I'm sure there are more sophisticated ways of doing this, but the way I'm about to tell you about works for me and my family. All I do is toss everything together, throw it on a baking sheet, cook and eat.  After long work hours, the last thing I want to do is spend more time than I need in the kitchen; I  much rather get to the eating. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2lbs Organic Boneless Chicken Chicken Breast  
• 1/2 c coconut oil or bacon fat (melted)
• 3/4 c almond flour (fine ground)  
• 2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
• Salt (to taste)
• Homemade Catsup (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut chicken into thin strips, approx. 1/2" thick, place in a large glass bowl and set aside
2. In a medium bowl, mix almond flour and Old Bay Seasoning
3. Heat oven to 350°F
4. Pour melted oil onto chicken strips and carefully coat all the pieces, being careful not to burn yourself
5. Slowly add the almond flour to the chicken, tossing until coated
6. Once coated, place the chicken on a foil lined and lightly greased baking sheet 
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown
8. Remove from oven and eat while warm

What kind of dipping sauce would you use for this meal?

This post is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays

           

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GLUTEN-FREE BROWNIE TRIFLE

Today I'm sharing a super basic recipe.  This is something I love to make when I have leftover brownies, broken brownies or even cake bits.  A trifle is a great way to repurpose a dessert and is fun for the kids to make. 

You don't HAVE to make this difficult.  If you want to use boxed brownie and pudding mix and a jar of strawberry preserves go right on ahead. I've done it. No judgment here. 

Trifle is an English dessert dish made from thick (or often solidified) custard, fruit, sponge cake (often soaked in sherry or other fortified wine), fruit juice or jelly, and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers. - Wikipedia

INGREDIENTS:

Quantity is dependent on what you have handy

• Dark Chocolate Brownies
• Strawberry Chia Jam
• Dairy-Free Vanilla Pudding
• Coconut Cream or Whipped Cream

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Layer ingredients in a bowl or glass 
• Brownie
• Strawberry
• Pudding
2. Continue to layer until the glass is full OR until you've had enough
3. Top with cream
4. Eat!

This recipe is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays

           

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STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM WITH TOMATO BASIL AND SAUSAGE ~ Guest Post Tina of Oh Snap Lets Eat!

I'm so happy to have Tina, of "Oh Snap! Let's Eat!", as this weeks guest blogger. Tina's site is filled with amazing recipes, you most definitely need to try her chocolate chip cookies.  Today she shares her recipe for Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, a delicious, nutrient dense, Paleo meal. 

I love the taste of tomato and basil together, so I thought they would go perfectly well in a Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushroom!  What’s awesome is this is first time, I used the basil I planted in my backyard garden (thanks to my brother who gave me the seeds and what not) for a recipe!  I hope you enjoy this paleo stuffed portobello mushroom recipe :)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large portobello mushroom caps
• 1/2 lb. sausage
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 c. fresh basil
• 1 medium tomato
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Remove the stems from the portobello mushroom.  You can either throw these away or chop them up and use them as part of the stuffing.

 2.  Cook your sausage with chopped garlic and also the chopped mushroom stem if you decided to go that route.  Once done, put aside.

3.  Preheat your oven at 400°F.

4.  Chop up your tomatoes and basil.

6.  Rub each portobello mushroom with olive oil.

7.  Scoop your tomato basil sausage mixture in to each of the caps.  Try to cram it all in there, but if it doesn’t work you can still cook it on the side.

8.  Place on baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes.

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WEEKLY MEAL PLAN ~ 5/26/14

Here's another week of gluten-free meal plans. To keep the shopping list to a minimum I make meals stretch and repurpose leftovers. 

Most of the meals will be prepared Sunday and ready to re-heat. 

As usual, leftovers paired with a salad are typically lunch.

BREAKFAST

Italian Sausage Frittata
OR
Bullet Proof Coffee
There's going to be a lot of breakfast on the go for me this week

TREATS

Sunbutter Cookies

ENTREES 

Zingy Chicken and Veggies

Slow Cooker Chili and Cornbread

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Chicken & Spinach Salad
Leftover Zingy Chicken, mixed veggies and spinach

Chili Leftovers and Salad

Gluten-Free Spaghetti Marinara
with chopped leftover stuffed bell peppers (if any)

Steak and Yucca Fries

           

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WEEKLY MEAL PLAN ~ 5/19/14

Most of the meals will be prepared Sunday and ready to re-heat. 
As usual, leftovers paired with a salad are lunch. 

BREAKFAST

Apple Spice Coffee Cake and Sausage
Usually I have at least 2 options, but I love this meal so much I know I'll eat it all week. The coffee cake is not only gluten-free and Paleo, it's also 21 Day Sugar Detox compliant. 

TREATS

Paleo Baked Chocolate Raviloi

ENTREES 

Paleo Chicken Scallopini

Jambalaya and Salad

Baked Whole Chicken and Cilantro Watermelon Salad

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato

Using leftover chicken 

Baked Salmon & Crab Sriracha

Leftovers and Salad

           

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10 DELICIOUS GLUTEN-FREE CUPCAKES

Gluten-Free cupcakes are my favorite treat. There lots of bakeries around that now cater to those of us that can't have the conventionally made treat. If you can't find a bakery around you, fear not; here are
 10 amazing gluten-free cupcake recipes
 for you to try.

Why not 20? Because then I'd be making a pig out of us.

Apple Cupcakes ~ Paleo

Carrot Cupcakes ~ Paleo

Chocolate Cupcakes ~ Paleo

Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd Filling ~ Gluten-Free

Egg Nog Chocolate Chip Cupakes ~ Paleo

Mocha Cupcakes ~ Gluten-Free

Raspberry Cupcakes ~ Gluten-Free

Red Velvet ~ Gluten-Free

Tuxedo Cupcakes ~ Paleo

Yellow Cupcake ~ Paleo

Is there a bakery in your area that sells gluten-free goodies?  Leave a comment and I'll add it to this post!




ARIZONA
Gluten-Free Creations ~ Scottsdale


CALIFORNIA

Cuppies ~ Torrance
The Good Cookies ~ Torrance

INDIANA
Hannahs Healthy Bakery ~ Richmond
 

       

     

CILANTRO WATERMELON SALAD

I'm excited to welcome back Jennifer of Predominately Paleo.  Her recipes are easy to make, yet inventive, family friendly and most importantly DELICIOUS!  

Today she shares her recipe for Cilantro Watermelon Salad, a refreshing salad for all occasions. 

I have always claimed that sweet and savory did not belong together. I would pick fruit out of salads and turn my nose up at sophisticated pairings. Then something happened – I started eating real food. And slowly after gaining more of an appreciation for organic, pure, chemical free foods, these pairings started to become more desirable.

Well what do ya know?! I am now creating my own dishes incorporating both sweet and savory. This cilantro watermelon salad marries cilantro, watermelon, avocado, and red onion – it is both light and flavorful and perfect for taking outdoors during the warmer months. Despite it being a less likely combination, my children enjoyed it, even the 3 year old!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups balled or cut watermelon
• 1 avocado pitted and sliced/chopped
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup red onion
• Freshly squeezed lime juice to taste
• Optional: a sprinkle maple or coconut palm sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients (besides lime juice) and toss lightly, being careful to avoid mashing avocado too much
2. Squeeze lime juice once finished and serve!

Jennifer is a mother of 3 and wife in pursuit of better health for her family. 
After being gluten free for about 4 years, and having a multitude of chronic health issues, she realized there was still a lot of junk in her pantry and change was needed.  Jennifer began feeding her family more meals from WHOLE foods and less from boxes. Her recipes are predominantly paleo,  meaning they are free of grain, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar, but makes allowances for a few treat and sweets. She believes food can be medicine when used appropriately and that a few changes now can equate to huge benefits later. Healthy food does not need to be flavorless and void of personality, proven by all of her amazing dishes.  

Social media links:

www.facebook.com/predominantlypaleo

www.predominantlypaleo.com

www.pinterest.com/benniferobins

www.twitter.com/predominantlypa

www.instagram.com/predominantly_paleo

           

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