Grain-Free Sugar Cookies

I will preface this recipe by saying that grain-free, or paleo, baking is so not the same as regular baking. It is tricky to duplicate the buttery, sugary texture and taste of a regular sugar cookie. That being said, Charlie-girl and I had a blast rolling out the dough and cutting out cookies and that is more the point to me anyway- she has hardly ever, if ever, had a "real" sugar cookie and doesn't know that these aren't them. She doesn't need the overly sweetened buttery cookie to be happy- that's me. :) So we cut them out and watched them bake and then she dipped hers in her yogurt which was probably a good plan- I ate mine with coffee because they are a little dry, not going to lie, next time we will frost them!

I often get asked if I make mistakes or recipes don't turn out... yes, and these cookies are an example of that! The first time I tried to make a sugar cookie the dough so so sticky it was useless, the second time they were super dry and puffed up like biscuits... this is my final attempt and was good enough for me!
Fail....puffy cookies....

These nut-free, grain-free cookies are more like a sugar cookie in the sense that you roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter than anything. The dough is VERY sticky so putting it in the fridge overnight, or the freezer for at least 30 minutes is a must before you roll them out. I also used a lot of coconut flour in my rolling out process to keep it from sticking to the counter.

Grain-Free Sugar Cookies

(Printable Version)

- 2 Cups Raw Sunflower Seeds

- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil (or butter), melted
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- Coconut Flour (for dusting)
- Coconut Sugar (for on top of the cookies)

1. In a high-powdered blender pulse the sunflower seeds until they are a powder (like flour). I stop occasionally and stir to make sure I don't make seed butter on the bottom of the blender. (Yields about 2.5 cups flour)

2. Mix all of the ingredients, aside from the coconut sugar and flour with a hand mixture, or your strong arm. If the dough is really runny, add a tablespoon or two of coconut flour and mix- don't add more than that or your cookies will be dry!

3. Form the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill overnight in the fridge, or in the freezer for an hour.

When you are ready to bake...
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dust the counter, or use parchment paper, with coconut flour... flip the dough over a few times- it can be VERY sticky, rubbing coconut flour on it. Dust your rolling pin and roll it out about 1/4 inch thick. Use whatever cookie cutters you want and put the cookies on a cookie sheet. Rub a little water on each one and sprinkle with coconut sugar. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let them cool completely and decorate! There are a lot of good frosting recipes out there, we just ate ours plain!

Coconut Chicken Soup

Once winter hits in Michigan my go-to activity of playing outside all the time is ruined. My sister, Mara, made this for Charlie-girl last year and it's one of the things that is fun for her to play with in the winter so she doesn't always rearrange my tree. It is a felt Christmas tree with felt ornaments, no other things needed- the felt sticks to the felt and she can re-do it as many times as she wants, sorting by color on the tree is a favorite activity. She is also a big fan of plastic beads... she "cooks" with them, sorts them, puts them on pipe cleaner, etc. Best few dollars I have spent in a while- although she did put one up her nose once at 6am that took me a half hour to get out and I was late for work- that was not fun. Other favorite, non-electronic toys include mega-blocks (big legos basically), puzzles, and getting into every drawer and cupboard in my house.  My goal this year is to have more activities for us to do at home through the winter- although I am usually so tired a movie and cuddling sounds perfect. :) 

I made this soup after a craving for chicken chili... it turned out not even close to chicken chili but was tasty none the less... and really easy. The spicy-ness gets calmed down by the coconut milk if that was a concern for you. It was a great lunch for me all week- light and warming. 

Coconut Chicken Soup

(Printable Version)

- 1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded (about 1 lb)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion, diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Jalapeno, or 4-oz can of green chilies
- 1 Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne
- 3 Cups Low-sodium Chicken Stock
- 1 14-oz Can Coconut Milk

1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and jalapeno and saute another few minutes.

2. Add the spices, cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add the stock and and chicken, raise the heat until the soup is at a simmer, and cook 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk, stir. Taste to see if it needs salt. All done! I topped mine with cilantro- but avocado would be awesome too!

Simple Grain-Free Pancakes

This time of the year is so much fun- houses decorated with lights, Christmas trees in windows, fireplaces going.... love it! Charlie-girl and I decorated our Christmas tree, this is the first year we did it together because she has been too young. She put all of the ornaments in one spot and on about two branches, it was so cute I am leaving it. 

I try to make something more fun on the weekends for breakfast because that is when I have time and because we get up early! Flax seed pancakes are usually my go-to, but I wanted to eliminate the flax seed to make them easier to make for people who don't have it, or who have allergies. 

These are plain- tasting (in a good way) and I actually made extras to use as "bread" for egg sandwiches the next day- I put them in the toaster and it worked out really well! Shout out to my sister Mara for the awesome kettle bell coffee mug. :) Like all of my stuff, I mix everything in one bowl and cook without nut-flours or processed grains, they are very similar to the traditional pancake I am used to- my dad is famous for making pancakes. 

Simple Grain-Free Pancakes

- 3/4 Cup Tapioca Flour

- 1/4 Coconut Flour

- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

- 3 Eggs, whisked

- 1/4 Cup Water (or less)

- Pinch of salt

1. Whisk the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and whisk.

2. Slowly add the water, stopping to mix after a tablespoon or two, until the batter is as thick/thin as you like your pancakes.

3. Over medium heat, in a greased skillet, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake. Cook the pancakes on one sire until bubbles form, flip and cook a few more minutes. 

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

My mom hosted Thanksgiving this year and I was in charge of some of the side dishes. I usually make the cranberry sauce, and this year I was also making the sweet potatoes and I was trying a new brussel sprout and cranberry dish just for fun. Charlie and Henry shared a cake-pop on the way because we stopped at Starbucks. :)

For the sweet potatoes I was going for more of a savory thing- the marshmallow on top, cinnamon and sugar coated dish that is usually served is so not in my realm of tasty- I would prefer them be spicy actually because they are sweet enough. :) So to kind of appeal to other people's tastes and my own I topped mine with caramelized onions and I think crispy bacon would also be a great thing to add. 

Mashed Sweet Potatoes (serves a lot) 

- 8 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 Sweet Onion, cut in half, then thin slices
- 6 Tbsp Kerrygold Butter (or coconut oil), divided
- 1/4+ Cup Milk (More depends on what you want for consistency)
- Salt and Pepper
- 4-5 pieces of Bacon (optional)

1. In a large pot, add the sweet potatoes and cover them with cold water, an inch over the top of the potatoes. Add a big pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 8-10-ish minutes once boiling.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crispy- remove, but leave the grease and add the onions. Chop the crispy bacon into small pieces. If you are not using bacon, add the 2 Tbsp of Butter and the onions. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are brown and soft- about 15 minutes. Chop the crispy bacon into small pieces)
3. Drain and add the potatoes back to the pan. Add 4 Tbsp of Butter and milk. Mash with a potato masher until they are the consistency you want, use more milk or a hand-blender if you want them creamier. Taste for salt and pepper. 
4. Put the potatoes in whatever dish you are serving them in and top with the onions (and bacon too.)

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The cranberry sauce I usually make has bourbon in it. If you don't want bourbon, even though the alcohol cooks out, use orange juice like I did this year. :) Charlie LOVED the cranberry sauce- it is a little weird I thought, but I'll take it! 

Cranberry Sauce

- 2 12-oz Bags Fresh Cranberries
- 3/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 1 Cup Apple Juice
- 1/2 Cup Bourbon (or Orange Juice)
- 1 Tbsp Orange Zest

1. In a saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine all of the ingredients.

2. Onice it is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and sauce thickens. About 20-25 minutes. Cool before serving. 

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This next dish came about because I always make too much cranberry sauce and so I took some of the fresh cranberries and add them to one of my favorite vegetables. The end result isn't beautiful but I ate half of it in one sitting... oops! Next time I might top them with some pecans or bleu cheese. 

Cranberries and Brussel Sprouts

- 1 lb Brussel Sprouts, de-stemmed and cut in half
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3/4 Cup Fresh Cranberries
- 3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 Tbsp Honey (or Maple Syrup)
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- Salt and Pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat, add the brussel sprouts and cranberries. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until the cranberries start to burst and the brussel sprouts are tender, about 15-20 minutes. 

2. Turn off the heat, add the vinegar, honey and mustard. Toss to coat and check again for seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Simple Chocolate Chia Protein Shake

This past weekend was my dad's birthday. I am almost positive he loves my daughter more than he loves me. I am so grateful that my parents spend so much time with her and have such a great bond, because family is so important to me. Charlie helped make his cake with my mom...  the "Perfect Chocolate Cake."

I think I have mentioned my detest for wall balls before...well I got to do 150 of them at a 10 foot target tonight and what a good time that was. CrossFit has a way of showing your weaknesses and, in this case, I also got to get hit in the face with mine, literally. Stupid wall balls- I now must do them all the time. 

To cap off my night I got to have dinner with my friend Kelly, and of course my sidekick was along for the ride. Our conversation got me thinking... one of the worst things my parents could say to me growing up was that they were disappointed in me. They could ground me, take things away, whatever, but saying that was the worst. Now that I am an adult (apparently) one of the worst feelings is someone disappointing me- when you expect someone to do something, say something, or even not do something and they do it... changing who you thought they were and you are just left with disappointment. Ouch. On the way home I was checking my Instagram and I saw the quote, "We met for a reason, either you're a blessing or a lesson." Now I will disagree that sometimes people are both, but I feel like I have been learning a lot of lessons lately. Well played life, well played, I get it- smacked in the face again.  

This shake came out of my need to use up the mass amount of chia seeds I have and also get more protein/calories in my diet. I do better when I can drink my calories. Chia seeds are shown to curb hunger due to their fiber content and contain omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidents. Powerful little things! I have used them in previous recipes like chia seed jam and pudding if you are interested. In the shake if it is not blended well enough they are a little crunchy, but I don't mind that. :)  

Chocolate Chia Banana Protein Shake

- 1 Tbsp Chia Seed (heaping)
- 8 oz Milk (any kind, or water... or chilled COFFEE!)
- 1 Frozen Banana (or less milk and a few ice cubes if it is not frozen)
- 1 Scoop Protein Powder

1. Put everything in a blender (liquid first) and blend on high until smooth. Try it with some frozen strawberries too! 

Peppermint Brownies

Are you done with pumpkin? I'm done with pumpkin. I know that Thanksgiving is still four days away, but I'm over pumpkin recipes... onto other holidays! My friend Ashley suggested I make something with peppermint mainly because she likes peppermint- I don't care for it much, but since I care for Ashley I decided to make a few peppermint recipes. :) I am also done with everything and need a break... Friday I was really planning on getting to the gym and started my day with a little bulletproof coffee... but nope... I was dead. Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet also posted a similar "I'm exhausted" post and it's good to know people like her burn out too. 

 

Charlie and I have also had quite the week. She is now into make-up thanks to my sister and has been seeking it out. These pictures are one day apart... (sigh.) 

I made these two times in one day and I have two versions for you. Version 1 is more fudge-like and dense, Version 2 is, in my mind, more brownie-like and a bit drier. Both were liked by everyone so it's your call. The only difference is protein powder. Baking powder often contains corn starch- so if you are following a Paleo diet, find one that doesn't follow my note at the bottom, I am going to try just substituting baking soda and I'll make edits as needed. :)

Peppermint Brownies

- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 

- 4 eggs 

- 1/2 cup raw honey, melted 

- 1 tsp vanilla 

- 3/4 tsp peppermint (oil or extract) 

- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

- 1 tablespoon instant coffee

 - pinch of salt 

- 1 tsp baking powder**

 *** 1 scoop (1/4 cup ish) chocolate protein powder***

 - 1/4 cup enjoy life chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

1. Whisk wet ingredients really well. Add cocoa powder a little at a time until smooth. Batter is liquidy. Add coffee and stir.

2. Pour into a greased or parchment lined 8x8 pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake 20-25 minutes. 

3. Let it cool completely- I put mine in the fridge for an hour. Cut and enjoy :) store in the fridge. They are better after a day I think! 

*** This would be for version 2... you can omit this and they are more moist ***

** To make your own baking powder use 2 parts Cream of Tarter for every 1 part Baking Soda

Paleo Spinach and Artichoke Dip

It is really starting to feel like the holidays around here... my autumn candles are burning, I am getting antsy to put up my tree, and it just snowed on my state. Since all the family parties are coming up, I thought I would try out some new dishes to bring around that I don't feel guilty eating- let's be honest, I am going to standing at the cheese table, but I can try to stick to a relatively clean diet. I have also recently discovered Boulder Canyon potato chips- if you haven't heard of them they are potatoes, sea salt and avocado oil, which makes them paleo, right? Either way they are freakin' delicious and come in many flavors including my favorite Vinegar and Sea Salt. 

After making the spinach and artichoke dip once, I re-made it purely to eat an entire bag of chips by myself. This is why I'm single isn't it? :) hehehe... so good!

Paleo Spinach and Artichoke Dip

- 1 10-oz Frozen Package Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed

- 1 14-oz Can Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped

- 1 tsp Lemon Juice

- 1/2 tsp Salt

OPTIONAL- This eliminates the Paleo and Whole30- 1/2 Cup Raw Cheese (divided- 1/2 in it and 1/2 on top- Parmesan?!)

Mayo- 

- 2/3 Cup Avocado Oil (or Olive Oil)

- 1/2 tsp Salt

- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

- 1 Egg

- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard

- 1 tsp Lemon Juice

- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

1. Make the mayo. Using a lot of strength or an immersion blender, whisk or blend the mayo ingredients until mayo is formed. I just throw everything in a mason jar and blend away- other people like to slowly add the oil, up to you :) 

2. In a mixing bowl, add 3/4 cup mayo (should be almost all of it) and the rest of the ingredients. Mix. Pour into a greased pie pan or 8" by 8" greased baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes. 

 Before baking (left) after baking (right)