Spicy Dark Chocolate Bark

Something I learned sharing my experience of a divorce and being a working, single parent over social media and being completely honest and open about it with my friends is that there are a lot of people in my situation and a lot of us feel alone with all of our friends happily married or happily coupled and we often feel judged for our choices made, or that they were flippant decisions. As I have been talking to people in a similar situation to me I have realized that, not unlike myself, the choices made were in the best interest of the happiness of the child and the parents, they were not easy choices, and despite what a situation looks like from the outside, unless you are the people in that family, you don't really get to share your opinion that we should have "tried harder" "tried _____" "Did we do ____?" I recently met the "new person" in my ex's life which is obviously bound to happen- I didn't break up with him intending for him to live miserably, nor did I wish that I on him. Although it is hard to know my little girl will be around someone new, I have to keep in mind that the more people that love her the better for her and all I want is what is best for her. I also cannot be hypocritical because I was dating someone also and he is a part of her life in a positive way, just as I hope my ex's new person is. I am still wondering if saying good-bye to her even for a night will get any easier? Or if I will stop looking at pictures of her as I go to bed the nights I don't have her? I am guessing not. 

I made this for my friend Kelly who requested something with dark chocolate, a little heat, and almonds. I like the idea of all of those things so there will be something else along these lines soon too. This takes about 5 minutes to make and another 5 to set- really easy and really tasty as a morning snack with coffee or that sweet tooth in the afternoon.

Spicy Dark Chocolate Bark with Almonds* (*optional)

(Printable Version)

- 6 ounces of Dark Chocolate (I used Trader Joe's 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate- it's Vegan)

- 1/2 cup Almond Slices, or unsalted dry-roasted almonds chopped finely

- 1/8 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

- 1/8 teaspoon of Chili Powder

- 1/4 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon 

- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

1. Line the bottom of a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water, or in a microwave on low in 30-second increments. Stir often so it melts evenly- this took me about 2 minutes. Stir in the spices.

3. Pour the chocolate onto the baking sheet and smooth into a even, thin layer. Sprinkle with the almonds and sea salt. 

4. Chill in the refrigerator until completely set, about 20 minutes, or in the freezer for about 5 minutes. Break the bark into irregular pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Baked Oatmeal

My dad sent out an article to my siblings and me, and although he is notorious for sending forwards, I actually really liked this one. It was called, "I'm Done Making My Kid's Childhood Magical." If you don't have time to read it, the gist of it was that we are so caught up in making childhood everything that we see on social media and Pinterest and trying to top our friends' kid's birthday parties, that we forget that isn't necessary and that's not what they will remember. When I think about what I see on social media, I can't deny that I don't feel the pressure to entertain Charlie- to make stuff I see on Pinterest for her amusement, to make sure she is getting the perfect combination of educational play, and crafts, and skills, etc. But I agree with the author, "special nights" to me growing up were Friday nights with my cousins- splitting a can of pop and watching TGIF... I went to Disney, we took camping trips, etc... but when I think back to my favorite childhood memories it doesn't include a structured craft my mom set up for me or a planned-out trip... it was playing "magic carpet" at my Grandma's and running around outside with my friends. I think social media has done all of this... we see the "perfect" 2 year old's birthday party as a themed and coordinated event... we see the "perfect" body as this girl on Instagram who we wish we looked like- hell- SHE probably wishes she looked like that too because it took 1500 selfies and a million filters to get that picture. 

As a working, single parent I (unjustly) already feel bad that I won't be able to afford/have time to take her everywhere she will want to go, buy her what she wants, etc. but you know what? I need to remember she will look back and love the memories of doing puzzles with me on the floor, taking sled rides around the block and cooking with me in the kitchen no matter what it is we are making. Her birthday parties won't look like they came from Pinterest, her clothes are hand-me-downs, her room only looks like Pottery Barn Kids because of my mom :) and as much as I try to do the "500 things you can do in the Winter" with your kids- type of activity, bottom line is I am not that crafty and I have a lot to do around the house and can't always play with her- but does that mean she will think anything less of her childhood? Absolutely not. She will know she was loved, she will have an imagination from playing alone, and she will definitely know it takes a lot to run a household and money takes working. Anyone who does the great trips, themed parties, and lots of crafts I seriously applaud you... there is nothing wrong with that... there's just also nothing wrong with not doing that!

Onto the food!!! 
This oatmeal was a favorite with all of the Cross Country runners when we were in High School. One of my best friends Ashley's mom used to make it for us before the state meet. I adjusted it a little, but I have been taking it as my sweet mid-morning snack at work and it is perfect. 

Baked Oatmeal

(Printable Version)

- 2 Cups Milk (Almond, coconut, Raw, your choice :)
-  1 Cup Oatmeal- NOT the quick-cooking kind
- 1 Large Pear (or apple) unpeeled, grated
- 1/4 Cup Raisins (or any other dried fruit)
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla 
- 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup (or honey or coconut sugar)
- 1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds (optional)

Preheat the Oven to 400 degrees

1. Grease a 1.5 qt. baking dish. 

2. Mix all of the ingredients, except the almonds. Top the oatmeal with the almonds. 

3. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes. 

Hawaiian Chili

After one of the competitions we did a chili cook-off with the members of our box. My sister Mara's chili was one of the favorites and it was the Civilized Caveman's Spicy Pineapple Chili. I have been a fan of putting steak AND ground beef in chili, as seen in my Smokey Steak Chili, but putting fruit in chili, like his recipe, was so good that I decided to combine them! Due to the pineapple and the bacon I am going with the name Hawaiian Chili because Hawaiian pizza has those things on it :). Charlie was a BIG fan of this recipe- she didn't want the steak but more for me! Since I seeded the Serrano peppers it wasn't too spicy for her and she loved the pineapple. I made another big pot for us for dinner this week... this picture was the first time she ate it, I put it in a bowl the second time- Yes, I know she is a mess. 

Because my recipe requires browning the steak, and taking it out of the pan, before adding the other ingredients this is how I saved time: while my steak was browning I chopped all of my other ingredients- I also place my browned steak in the same container I plan on storing the chili in to save time on more dishes. If you are trying to do Whole30 make sure you find tomato sauce without sugar... if you can't... use tomato paste and crushed tomatoes in place of the sauce!

Hawaiian Chili

(Printable Version)

- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

- 1 pound Bacon, chopped in 1/2" pieces

- 1 pound Stew Beef, cubed in bite-sized pieces

- 1 pound Grass-Fed Ground Beef

- 1 Sweet Onion, finely chopped

- 1 Red Pepper, diced

- 2 Serrano Peppers, seeded (optional) and finely chopped

- 3 Garlic cloves, minced

- 3 Tbsp Chili Powder

- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika

- 2 tsp Ground Cumin

- 1 20-oz Can Diced Pineapple, in juice

- 1 29-oz Can Tomato Sauce

- Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a large dutch-over or pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and steak. Cook the steak until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. (it does not need to be cooked through)

2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bacon. When the bacon fat starts rendering add the peppers, onion, garlic and a little salt. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add the ground beef and brown, breaking it up as much as possible. If there is a lot of fat in the pan at this point I would drain it. My beef was lean so I didn't. Add the spices. 

4. After the spices are fragrant, add the pineapple (with juice), the browned stew beef and can of tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about an hour. Taste for salt. The chili will become darker as it cooks! 

** This can also be made in a crockpot... brown the meat and cook the vegetables the same way... add the meat/veggies and the sauces to a crockpot and cook 6-8 hours on low ***

Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 339
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17 g	25 %
Saturated Fat 6 g	30 %
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 82 mg	27 %
Sodium 844 mg	35 %
Potassium 602 mg	17 %
Total Carbohydrate 24 g	8 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g	16 %
Sugars 17 g
Protein 27 g	53 %
Vitamin A	36 %
Vitamin C	64 %
Calcium	4 %
Iron	28 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

"Peanut Butter" and Jelly Cookies

I got a couple really cool cooking things for Christmas this year. To top my list I got a brand new food processor from my parents... it is awesome! No longer will I battle and dread using my crappy one that got me through college until now- it is being donated to hopefully be "loved" by someone else. I have used it to make "Peanut Butter" Protein Bites for a friend and the cranberry dip for new years... I cannot wait to use all the attachments it came with!!!! The other cooking appliance I got was a dehydrator from Rudy- I started with pears and Charlie ate all of them (two whole pears) in one sitting. I want to make jerky next but my store didn't have flank steak that looked ok so I am going to wait a week. In the mean time I am dehydrating everything else... so much fun.  

Next up! Raisins!! 

These little gems got some rave reviews from the testers at the box. I think the jelly really helps give them a different texture/flavor and the normally drier paleo cookie could use some moisture. I think I am getting pretty good at baking with protein powder :) The pumpkin in this is purely for moisture- you won't taste pumpkin at all. 

"Peanut Butter" and Jelly Cookies

(Printable Version)

makes ~35 cookies

- 1/2+ Cup Chocolate Protein Powder (heaping)
- 1 Cup Sunbutter (or any nut butter)
- 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 Tbsp Instant Coffee Granules
- Jelly of your choosing-- I just used frozen raspberries heated and mashed with a little honey.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. 

2. On a parchment lined, or greased, cookie sheet make tablespoon-sized mounds of batter. Using the back of a spoon, and a "swirl" movement, flatten slightly and create small holes in the middle of each mound.

 Fill each hole with about 1 tsp of jelly. 

3. Bake 12-15 minutes, let them cool before enjoying! 

Servings 35.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 78
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4 g	6 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	3 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 12 mg	4 %
Sodium 217 mg	9 %
Potassium 21 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 7 g	2 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	5 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 3 g	5 %
Vitamin A	0 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	1 %
Iron	3 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

New Year's Appetizers!

Happy New Year! Last year I set a goal for myself (yes, goal, not resolution- semantics) to be more positive- look for the positive of every situation and just try to remove negativity. I know that I wasn't always a positive person, but I did legitimately try to remember that positive thoughts are more helpful than negative ones. This year I am going to try to worry less- I need to not worry about what my future will look like, I need to not worry what other people are doing or have done... stop it Ashley! Goal is set, can't wait for 2015... I really think this will be a great year! We started the year making mini coffee-protein muffins- she likes to help put everything in the blender and add the chocolate chips.

I spent New Year's with a small group of friends... we met through CrossFit, but our relationship goes beyond the box. My friend Kelly hosted and we all brought appetizers. Two of the ones I made were completely not healthy- who cares it is New Year's- but the other one I ended up making two homemade sauces for that turned out really well. I am using the same sauces to glaze salmon this week for dinner- they make WAY more than you need for this recipe. The recipe is from the following website... but with store-bought sauces- http://realhousemoms.com/glazed-kielbasa-bites/... therefore I am re-naming it :)

Glazed Hawaiian Bites

- 2 lbs Kielbasa

- 1 Can Pineapple Rings packed in juice

- Glaze

      - 3 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce

      - 2 Tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce

      - 2 Tbsp Pineapple Juice (from can)

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees. 

1. Cut the kielbasa and pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Stack one piece of pineapple on each kielbasa and secure with a toothpick. 

Put them in a glass baking dish and brush with the glaze. 

 Bake 20 minutes until the tops are caramelized.

Sauce #1- Teriyaki Sauce (makes about 1 Cup)

- 3/4 Cup Water (divided 1/2 cup + 1/4 Cup)
- 1 Tbsp Raw Honey
- 1/4 Cup Coconut Aminos (or Gluten Free Soy Sauce)
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar (or more honey)
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger, finely minced
- 1 Garlic Clove, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder

1. In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, whisk 1/2 cup water and all of the other ingredients except the arrowroot powder. 
2. Mix the 1/4 cup of water and arrowroot powder together to form a slurry. Once the liquid in the pan it bubbling, add the slurry as you whisk. The sauce will thicken fairly quickly and will even more as it cools. Thin it out with more water if needed. I store mine in the fridge in a jelly jar. 

Sauce #2- Sweet Chili Sauce (makes about 1 cup)

- 2 Garlic Cloves, peeled
- 2 Serrano Peppers, seeded and membrane removed
- 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar (or white distilled)
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 3/4 Cup Water
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- 1 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder + 2 Tbsp Water

1. Put all of the ingredients, except the arrowroot powder in a blender and blend until smooth. 

2. In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, whisk the sauce until it starts to thicken and boil.

3. Mix the 1/4 cup of water and arrowroot powder together to form a slurry. Once the liquid in the pan it bubbling, add the slurry as you whisk. The sauce will thicken fairly quickly and will even more as it cools. Add more red pepper flakes if it isn't spicy enough. I store mine in the fridge in a jelly jar. 

The other appetizers I made were directly from Pinterest and both very tasty! 

Pillsbury's Buffalo Crescent Ring

And Jalapeno Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Beware of this one! I didn't de-seed my jalapeno and it had a pretty good kick! The only change I made was using coconut sugar, and about 1/4 cup less, than the recipe called for because I don't have refined sugar in my house. :)