Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Latte, Paleo Style!

I found this recipe on pinterest from this website. These were extremely easy to make despite the 2 hour crockpot wait! You could make them as you would a normal latte but, in my opinion, they are much tastier when they've simmered in the crockpot! Here is my paleo version!

What you need:

• 7 Tbsp pumpkin puree
•  6 Tbsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp nutmeg
• 4 cups strongly brewed coffee
• 4 cups almond milk
• 8 Tbsp honey

 

What you do: 

1. Combine almond milk and coffee in the crockpot. Mix well. 
2. Mix all other ingredients together and transfer to crockpot. 
3. Let contents cook on high for 2 hours. 

I still ended up needing some more almond milk and honey in mine, but I like my honey & milk with coffee so you may not need it ;) 

Zucchini Tater Tots

I snagged this recipe from The Wellness Mama...check her out! She is amazing!

What you need:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 eggs
• 1 onion
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (optional, can replace with almond flour or 3 tablespoons of coconut flour if you are strict)
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, salt, pepper and basil leaf

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Grate the zucchini with a cheese grater or food processor. 
3. Add the salt and squeeze with a towel or some paper towels to get the excess liquid out. Be sure to get as much liquid out as possible! Put in a medium sized bowl. 
4. Grate the onion and add to the bowl. Add the eggs, parmesan cheese and almond flour. 
5. 
   Sprinkle the spices on top of the mixture and mix until evenly incorporated. 
6. Well grease a muffin tin and fill about 1/2 way with mixture
7. 
   Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes or until tops and sides are starting to brown. 

Paleo Cupcakes/Frosting!! (smash cake recipe too)

I don't have any pictures of these since I can't keep them around long enough to photograph! :) Trust me, they are awesome!

What you need:
Cupcake: 

•  1/2 cup coconut flour
•  1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
•  6 eggs
•  1/2 cup grapeseed oil (or EVOO but grapeseed is better!)
•  1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar
•  1 tbsp vanilla extract

*For chocolate cupcakes, add 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Chocolate Frosting:

• 1 cup of dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (can use EVOO, but not coconut oil...frosting will melt too easily)
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup, honey, agave nectar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• pinch of sea salt

What you do:
For cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a medium bowl, combine coconut flour, salt and baking soda
3. In a small bowl, combine eggs, oil, maple syrup and vanilla
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients and blend/mix together until smooth
5. Pour into muffin liners about 2/3 full (they won't rise a lot)
6. Bake for 16-18 minutes

For frosting:

1. Chop dark chocolate up and place in a saucepan
2. Pour grapeseed oil and mix with chocolate
3. Heat over low heat until melted and blended
4. Stir in maple syrup, vanilla, and salt
5. When melted, transfer chocolate to a mixing bowl and let cool on counter for 10 minutes. After it's cooled a bit, place bowl in freezer for 15-20 minutes. 
6. Use hand mixer to whip the frosting on high speed until smooth and creamy. Frosting will lighten in color. 
7. If the frosting isn't whipping well, you may need to freeze it for longer. 

**We are using the recipe for our son's smash cake. The pan we have (large cupcake pan) is huge so we are doubling the recipe. This recipe doubles perfectly!! 

ETA: Finally snagged a photo...before decorated:

Paleo Biscuits

I have tried COUNTLESS biscuit recipes since going paleo and was beginning to think I would never find one! So, I started taking ones that were ugh and changing stuff up and here we are! These biscuits are amazing!! They are also super easy to make! 

What you need: 

• 6 egg whites (you can use the yolks to make Paleo Ice Cream! )
• 1/4 c coconut flour
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, chilled (you can also use butter, if you choose)
• 3 tbsp honey

What you do:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 
3. Mix flours, baking powder, sea salt together in a mixing bowl. 
4. Using a fork, cut int the cold coconut oil until the mixture is crumbly. If you need to, add more chilled coconut oil. 
5. Place the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. 
6. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Use a whisk for a good workout ;)
7. Fold in the egg whites into the flour mixture until combined. 
8. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop 1/4 cup sized balls of dough onto the parchment paper. Use scoop or spoon to flatten the tops. 
9. Bake for 15-17 minutes.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies :)

We'll dive right in to this recipe...no intro needed!!

What you need:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (can substitute honey)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Mix almond flour, sea salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. 
3. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Add vanilla, pure maple syrup, and coconut oil.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. 
5. Stir in chocolate chips. 
6. I like to put my dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes to let it firm up. Otherwise, it's really loose and hard to spoon out. 
7. On a baking sheet with parchment paper (if you have it), drop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Dough will spread a little so leave space!
8. Bake for 10-13 minutes. My cookies always look a little light, but we like them SOFT!!
   
   

   

   Add some almond milk and you are set!!!

   
    

Kale Salad...the only recipe you will ever need!

I haven't posted in a LONG time! I have a good excuse...my husband and I are opening our own CrossFit gym and things have been busy!! Don't know what CrossFit is? Check it out! It's really the ONLY way to work out ;)
Back to food! I snagged this fantastic recipe from some good friends! Some of you may know this but I don't eat too many vegetables (3, I eat 3 vegetables: kale, lettuce, sweet potatoes. If I can survive on paleo, anyone can!!!). It used to be just lettuce...covered in non paleo dressing. Then, I was introduced to this kale salad and now it is my go to vegetable side! It is easy to make and REALLY REALLY GOOD!! The best part is that you can easily tailor the ingredients to suit your sweet/tangy preferences!

What you need:

• one bunch of kale, greens torn off the stalk (roughly 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, chopped apples or whatever other toppings you want! 

What you do:

1. Drizzle olive oil over kale. Massage oil into kale. What you are doing is breaking down the kale and eliminating the bitterness. Your kale will shrink considerably! See...
2. Add lemon juice and mix into kale. Mix well...this is key!
3. Add honey and massage into kale. Again, mix well or parts will taste sweeter than others!
4. Taste...if you want a tangier taste, add more lemon juice. If you want it sweeter, add more honey! 
5. Toss in whatever nuts/seeds you'd like as well as any other fruit that you want! 

Keeping a food journal? Kale Salad

Banana. Nut. Muffins. Enough said!

This recipe is so awesome, we are just going to jump right in! Wait, I'll post a picture of the end product in case you need more motivation....

OH. MY. GOODNESS!

What you need:

 DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup baking walnuts (chopped)

WET INGREDIENTS
2-3 over-ripe bananas
1 tbsp vanilla
3 eggs (at room temperature...I let mine sit on the stove while the oven was preheating)
1/3 cup honey
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp almond butter

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place walnuts on a baking sheet, and put them in the oven to roast. Watch them closely, as they do burn easily.
3. Mash bananas into a liquid. Mix in honey and almond butter.
4. Beat eggs, oil and vanilla. Add to banana mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients, including toasted walnuts.
6. Mix wet and dry ingredients.
7. Spoon batter into lined muffin cups.
8. Bake 15–20 minutes.

Makes between 12-16 depending on high you fill up the muffin cups!

Keeping a food journal? Paleo Banana Nut Muffins based on 16 muffins made.

Paleo Chili..in a crockpot!

I apologize, in advance, if you read crockpot as "simple". This is not one of those crockpot recipes where you can just dump everything in and forget it...sorry! I will promise you, however, that the preparation that goes into this meal is TOTALLY worth it in the end! Best. Chili. Ever. The original recipe that I got from my mom had less meat, so I fixed that ;)

What you need:

• 8 slices of applewood bacon (cut into 1/2" pieces)
• 1 pound of ground pork
• 1.5 pounds of beef or turkey 
• 4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 1 red pepper (cut into small pieces)
• 1 yellow pepper (cut into small pieces)
• 3 tablespoons Chili Powder
• 1 tablespoon Cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 tablespoon paprika (or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• salt and pepper, to taste 

What you do:

1. In a large pan, fry bacon pieces. 
2. Once bacon is browned, add garlic, onion, peppers, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook until all vegetables are tender. 
3. Add ground (beef or turkey) and brown with the above ingredients. 
4. Add pork and cook until it is no longer pink (about 4 minutes). NOTE: I don't have a pan big enough to do all of this, so I cook the pork separately and incorporate it in as it cooks. 
5. Remove pan from stove and pour into large crockpot.
6. Add beet, crushed and diced tomatoes. Stir until mixed. 
7. Taste for seasoning adjustments. This is where you can add more chili powder, salt or pepper, if needed. 
8. Turn crockpot to low for 1-2 hours. It doesn't really matter how long it sits for because everything is pretty cooked anyways. I leave it on for 2 hours because it gets more flavorful.

Paleo Condiments

Here is my take on our favorite condiments: ketchup and barbeque sauce!

KETCHUP 

What you need:

• 6 ounces of tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 dash ground cloves
• 1 dash ground allspice
• 1 dash cayenne pepper 

What you do:
1. Simply mix all the ingredients together until smooth and blended. Refrigerate overnight for a stronger flavor.


BARBEQUE SAUCE
What you need:

• 1 onion, minced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced (or 1 Tbsp minced garlic)
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 c water
• 1/4 c homemade ketchup
• 3 Tbsp mustard (you can make homemade mustard or use French's)
• 1 dash ground cloves
• 1 dash cinnamon
• 1 dash smoked paprika
• 1 dash hot sauce

What you do:

1. In a large sauce pan, brown onion. Add garlic and continue to brown for another minute. 
2. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for 30 minutes. 
3. Taste and adjust with hot sauce or paprika to taste. 

 For a complete list of condiments made paleo, check out this website.

Paleo Ice Cream...yep, ICE CREAM!

What if I told you you could make ice cream without the sugar, milk, cream? What if I told you that it tasted as good, if not better (better in my opinion)? I didn't think it was possible, but it is! And you don't need to just stick with plain old boring vanilla, either! In this post, you will find variations for vanilla, chocolate, chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip, strawberry, and strawberry banana.

A quick note before we get started: If you have an ice cream machine, awesome!! If you don't, fear not! You can still make paleo ice cream!! The trick if you don't have an ice cream machine is to fully let the custard cool (in refrigerator) before putting it in the freezer. Once in the freezer, you'll need to vigorously whisk the mixture every 30 minutes for 2 - 3 hours while it freezes.

So, without further ado...

What you need:
Base

• 1 can coconut milk, full fat (full fat = 9 - 14g/serving)*
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp vanilla extract (or seeds from 2 fresh vanilla beans) 
• 3 tbsp honey *

What you do: 

Pot + heat safe bowl= double boiler!

1. In a double boiler (or a pot filled a few inches with water and a glass bowl placed on top...see right), bring water to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
2. Add in coconut milk, vanilla, and honey. Whisk continuously and heat until hot, but not boiling. [If making mint chocolate chip ice cream, steep mint now (see below for instructions)]
3. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Add cupfuls of the now hot milk mixture to the eggs and whisk. This is called tempering. You are slowly bringing the temperature of the eggs up so they don't scramble.
4. Add the now tempered eggs to the coconut milk and continue to whisk for several minutes. [Add chocolate to melt if making chocolate ice cream]
5. Remove bowl from heat and allow to cool on the counter or in refrigerator. I do 30 minutes on the counter and 30 in the refrigerator. Prior to putting the ice cream in the machine or freezer, you want it to be cold to the touch. The colder, the better!
6. Once chilled, you can add flavors like strawberries, banana, or other berries.
7. If using an ice cream machine, follow the instructions as usual. If you don't have one, place the cooled mixture in the freezer for 2 -3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes.
8. Store ice cream in an airtight container.


Flavors
Chocolate: 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, melted (add to mixture prior to cooling)
Strawberry: 1 cup mashed strawberries (add to cooled mixture)
Strawberry-Banana: 1/2 cup mashed strawberries, 1/2 cup mashed bananas (add to cooled mixture)
Chocolate Chip: 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, chopped (ice cream machine: add as it is churning, freezer: add after one hour in freezer)

Steeping mint

Mint Chocolate Chip: steep 1 packet of mint (about a cup) in base (to steep: add mint to base in double boiler while on medium-low heat. As soon as the base is hot, turn the burner off and let it sit for 30 minutes. Turn burners on and let base get hot again. Once hot, turn burners off and let it sit for another 30 minutes. Strain mint leaves from mixture. I squeeze the mint leaves dry...I'm all about collecting every last bit of minty awesomeness!! Chop up 2 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips.





*Recipe Notes:
There are a ton of different brands of coconut milk out there. I have found that the Thai Kitchen brand works the best! It contains guar gum which keeps the milk from getting too hard. Gold Star Coconut Milk will produce a mixture that freezes very hard and is not easy to scoop out.  Thai Kitchen is a tad more expensive but the end result is smooth, creamy deliciousness!!
In other recipes, honey is listed as an optional ingredient. A "flavor", if you will. I have found it to be a necessity :)

Keeping a food journal? Mint Chocolate Chip & Chocolate chip, Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream, Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream

Almond Flour...CHEAP Almond Flour!

Almond flour is a fantastic alternative to wheat flour (not to mention way, WAY, healthier!). I use it for breading, pancakes, waffles, brownies, and cookies (recipe to come!!). Buying almond flour a pound at a time for $11-13/pound is a little (ok, A LOT) ridiculous, right? How about paying $3-6/pound? That sounds a lot better!!

At California Gold Almonds, you can buy blanched or natural almond flour for as low as $2.99/pound! They have a $5 flat rate shipping, too! However, anytime I have ordered (whether it's been a 10 pound bag or a 25# bag) shipping has always been free...yep, FREE! AND, my order always gets here within a week!
You can also purchase almonds, walnuts, and pistachios from California Gold Almonds. I have been ordering from CGA for awhile and I have never, ever, been disappointed!

Chicken & Mushrooms

Chicken, mushrooms, and that's it...well, a little salt and pepper and there you have it! One of the easiest paleo recipes out there! Yes, I know, you could add some thyme, a little basil, some garlic, or anything else you have floating around in your pantry. However, the point of this super simple recipe is to actually be able to taste the awesome flavor that comes from chicken and mushrooms....JUST chicken and mushrooms! And let me tell you...it is SO flavorful!

What you need:

• 4 chicken breasts
• salt and pepper (no measurements...just go with it!!)
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced thick
• 1/2 c water
• 1 tablespoon butter (grass fed, if you can find it! Check out Mark's Daily Apple for brands)

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Salt and pepper each chicken breasts on both sides. 
3. Use olive oil or coconut oil and coat an oven safe pan. Place pan over medium-high heat and let it get hot. 
4. Sear chicken breasts for 5 minutes on one side. 
5. Flip chicken, sear for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt while searing. 
6.  Place pan (with chicken and mushrooms in it) into the oven for 15 minutes. 
7. Remove pan from oven and place on medium-high heat. Place chicken on a plate and cover loosely with foil. 
8. Saute mushrooms for 5 minutes. 
9. Add water and butter. Let it simmer until the butter is melted. 
10. Pour over chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. 

 Keeping a food journal? Paleo Chicken & Mushrooms

Maple Walnut Chicken

This recipe was already paleo when I stumbled upon it! I did, however, change up a few measurements on the spices and maple syrup.

What you need:

• 4 (4-6 oz each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbs fresh thyme
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water

 What you do: 

1. Combine olive oil, thyme, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.
2. Rub chicken with seasoning and let stand for 10 minutes.
3. In a 12" nonstick skillet, toast walnuts over medium-low heat 4-6 min or until golden and fragrant, stirring constantly.
4. Transfer walnuts to dish, and turn heat up to medium under the hot skillet.
5. Add chicken to same skillet. Cook 10 min or until done. 
6. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
7. Add vinegar to the chicken drippings in the hot skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
8. Add maple syrup and water. Turn heat to low and simmer 6-7 min. Mixture will thicken slightly.  Stir in walnuts and serve on top of chicken.

Pair with steamed veggies and you are good to go!

 Keeping a food journal: Maple Walnut Chicken

Paleo Zucchini Chips

I wanted to post this recipe even though I am still tweaking it. The original recipe can be found here. These aren't quite crispy enough for my liking, so I am messing with the length of cook time/oven temperature. I'll update when I have it figured out!

What you need:

• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 cup almond milk or coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup almond flour/meal
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 zucchini, cut 1/4" thick
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (optional, depending on how paleo you are feeling!)

What you do:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. *

milk mixture & "breading" mixture

2. Combine coconut flour and milk in a small bowl.
3. Combine almond flour/meal, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cheese (if using) in a bowl and stir with a whisk until evenly mixed.
 4. Dip zucchini slices in milk/coconut flour mixture and dredge in almond flour mixture. *
5. Put coated slices on baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until browned and crisp.

**Recipe Notes:
1. Lining the baking sheet with parchment paper helps prevent the chips from getting too done on the bottom. I used foil once and the chips stuck, peeling the breading off. Cooking spray on a baking sheet worked better than foil but not as good as the parchment paper.
2. Almond flour/meal has the tendency to clump very easily. If you find this happening, you can hold the chips and sprinkle the "breading" mixture on.

This batch has cheese in the breading mixture.

Keeping a food journal? Check out the nutritional facts: Paleo Zucchini Chips

Chinese Honey Chicken...Paleo Style

I was having a severe craving for some Asian food...soy, teriyaki, anything! I found this recipe for honey chicken and was excited until I read "cornstarch", "flour", "rice vinegar"...none of which are paleo!! I'm often hesitant to take non-paleo recipes and attempt to make them paleo, mainly because I hate when I screw up dinner, but also because certain paleo ingredients (cough, cough, almond flour, cough, coconut flour!) are expensive and I hate to waste!! I'm also fairly new to the paleo world, so I usually just take a paleo recipe and change up some things here and there.
I am so glad I attempted this recipe because it was awesome. And by awesome, I mean AWESOME!!

So, here goes!
What you need:

• 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
• Coconut/Olive/Macadamia Oil (for deep frying) 

Batter:

• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• ¼ cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white (equivalent to 2 tablespoons egg white)

Sauce: 

• 1 ½ tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 2 teaspoons coconut flour

What you do: 
1. In a large bowl, mix all batter ingredients together until smooth. Add chicken and cover with plastic wrap or foil for 30 minutes. 
2. Heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees OR fill your pot of choice with a moderate amount of oil (olive, macadamia, coconut)...enough to cover the chicken. Fry chicken in small batches so as not to significantly lower the temperature of the oil. I used a pot on the stove and it took about 5 minutes per batch to fry. Using a deep fryer, allow to cook for about 2 minutes. For more info on deep frying without a deep fryer, check out this website. 
3. To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a wok, or similar saucepan. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add salt, honey, vinegar, and water. Add 2 teaspoons of coconut flour to thicken. Simmer for 2 minutes.  You can add more or less honey to achieve thicker or thinner sauce.
4. Coat your chicken with the sauce by pouring it over, or (which is what I did) toss the chicken in the wok and stir! 

Seriously...SO GOOD!

*NOTES about the recipe: when you deep fry the chicken, some of the batter will flake off. I have noticed that this happens when cooking with almond and coconut flour. It doesn't "stick" to the food as well as regular flour does. I just scooped the excess batter out with a slotted spoon and put in the saucepan for flavor! 
Keeping a food journal? You'll be pleasantly surprised at these facts: Paleo Honey Chicken

Paleo Pancakes/Belgian Waffles

One of the things I missed most when I first went Paleo was pancakes! My husband and I would have pancakes, waffles, or french toast every weekend. He would cook and I think that's why I loved it so much!! We went several months on the paleo diet before I found this fantastic recipe! The original Silver Dollar Pancake recipe calls for less honey. I added an extra tablespoon and found that the pancakes are more moist and less dense :) 

What you need:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar, real maple syrup, or honey (the nutrition facts below are figured with honey)
• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• olive oil or coconut oil for cooking

What you do:   

1. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, water, vanilla, and honey.

2. Add almond flour, salt and baking soda and mix until thoroughly until combined 

3. Heat olive/coconut oil on skillet over medium low to medium heat or on a griddle at 250 degrees

4. Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of batter at a time onto the skillet/griddle

5. I let pancakes cook for a couple of minutes on each side. Bubbles do not form with almond flour. I usually check one pancake and if it looks good, I flip the rest. If not, I wait another minute. :)

6. Remove from heat to a plate

7. Repeat process with remaining batter, add more oil to skillet as needed

 You can use the same batter in a waffle maker and make Belgian waffles:

Yields 16 pancakes or 4 Belgian waffles

Keeping a food journal? Paleo Pancakes or Paleo Belgian Waffles

Paleo Brownies

I have tried several paleo brownie recipes, and this is BY FAR the best one! They taste just like regular brownies! Here we go...
What you need:

• 1 lb of walnuts
• 1 egg
• 1 c honey
• 1/2 c baking cocoa
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 oz unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped *

What you do: 
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking dish.
2. Using a food processor or blender, grind up the walnuts until they are smooth...like this:

If there are a few pieces of walnut that don't get ground up all the way, it's ok...nuts are good in brownies!!

3.In a large bowl, beat an egg. Add in the walnuts, vanilla, and honey. Stir to combine.
4. Add in cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in chopped baking chocolate.
5. Pour batter in greased baking dish and bake for 25-35 minutes.
6. Let brownies cool for 10 minutes, cut and eat.

Brownies will puff up in the oven and settle once removed and cooled. They will look like this:

YUM!!

*Recipe Note: If you are feeling less than paleo when making these, or it's a cheat day, you can use 1 oz of baking chocolate and 1 oz of dark chocolate chips!


Keeping a food journal? Here is the nutritional 411: Paleo Brownies

Kale Chips

This recipe is really simple, but really delicious. It is a fantastic alternative when you need something salty. My husband LOVES these!! You can also change up the spices to whatever you are feeling (chili powder, pepper, onion powder...the possibilities are endless!).
What you need:

• kale, roughly 2 cups
• garlic powder, 2 tsp
• salt, 1 tsp
• cooking spray *
• cayenne pepper

What you do:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Tear off pieces of kale, leaving the stem attached. Place kale on a baking sheet lined with foil or      parchment paper
3. Lightly spray olive oil cooking spray evenly over kale pieces.
4. Sprinkle garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper (or whatever spices you choose). Don't over salt...trust me!
5. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes, until kale is crispy.

 *NOTE: Some recipes call for olive oil to be drizzled in lieu of cooking spray. You can use whatever you have on hand, just note that using olive oil will change the nutritional value considerably.

Keeping a food journal? Here is the nutritional info: Kale Chips

Hello world wide web!

Welcome to Cavegirl Kitchen! This is my very first blog post and, without lying, I'll say that it took me a good 20 minutes to come up with what you've just read!! I'm excited to finally have a blog up and running! This blog will, for the most part, be devoted to (amazing!) paleo recipes that I have tried, changed, and tried again! I will walk you through with pictures (who doesn't love pictures??) and suggestions on different ways to try the recipes.
If you landed here and are wondering, "What the heck is Paleo?", wander over to THIS SITE for lots of info! If you really want some great information on the Paleo diet, I suggest you read Dr. Loren Cordain's The Paleo Answer. You can buy it here! It is a fantastic read on what the Paleo diet is and why we should follow it!
I started my Paleo journey back in November of 2011. I was 3 months postpartum from having my son and desperate to lose the baby weight. I was working out consistently doing CrossFit with my husband, Ted. Working out alone was not cutting it! Ted suggested we do the Paleo diet as he had been reading The Paleo Solution, by Robb Wolf. At first, I was "sort of" doing the Paleo diet: I cut out grains (breads, rice, cereals) but continued with the dairy (I love milk!!).
In January, I went full Paleo! Honestly, it is really hard sometimes! I love carbs (pasta...drool), cheese, and chocolate...none of which are paleo! My solution to staying sane was to take all of my favorite recipes and make them paleo! Some work and some don't...I save the ones that don't for my cheat days!

ENJOY!