I just love J. Crew!  Have you seen their latest summer looks?  So adorable….love them.

Here are a few of my favorites….

Love the yellow….which is totally not natural for me but thinking I might have to change things this summer to wearing yellow.  What do you think?

Totally loving these red and blue’s for July 4th!

Go check them out, what is your favorite??

Ok, I’m a little behind because this beautiful online magazine has been around for  bit.  But here you go….S Magazine!  It’s beautiful….filled with lots of eye candy.  We love eye candy, right?  It’s revolved around weddings so it makes a girl wish she could do it all over again….of course without all the stress.  It’s filled with other things too even if you’ve already walked down the aisle.  So here you go, a look inside…

One of my very favorites were these!  Swoon….love them!

And one more…a table for any dinner party

You can read the whole issue for free right here, and see all the past issue of S Magazine on their blog. Beautiful….Lovely!

Hard to believe Easter is this weekend!  I’ve been loving all the beautiful Easter eggs on Pinterest.  Here are just a few of my favorites.  You can see my other Easter pins on Pinterest.  And if you are on Pinterest you can follow all my pins here.

Pictured Above: from Decor8

Do you dye your own eggs?  I’m seriously thinking I need to before Sunday.

Since tomorrow is St. Patty’s Day I thought I would share a little bit of green with all of you.  So here you go… just a few pretty green things that I found along the web.

Pictured Above: Flowers and Moss Menu from Poppies and Posies, Cactus Flowers from Decor8, and the green drawers I forgot to re-pin on pinterest….sorry.

Green Paper and Butterflies from decor8 and white flowers

Enjoy and Happy St. Patty’s Day!

I’m in love with this o so pretty pink ombre chandelier. From the color palette to the scalloped edges to the blush pink satin ribbon, this DIY project is totally up my alley.  Get the complete how-to at Hey Gorgeous.

And favorite DIY idea…..using paint chips to create something beautiful!

{Photos by Jenna McKenzie for Hey Gorgeous.}

Do you love Award Show season?….I do!  Love the dresses, the fashion, and oh….the awards!  Of course the awards, right?  No, really I just love seeing the dresses and all the beautiful people.  The awards are just a bonus.  Honestly these days I don’t have time to head to the movies so the award shows helpme to prioritize my netflix picks.  I have to say in college I used to torture my roommates into watching the shows with me, now I just torture my husband.  Luckily, he enjoys them…at least that’s what he tells me. 

Since the Oscar’s are this weekend, how about a little Oscar Party themes to get us in the mood?  Sound fun?  Well here we go…

Source for above: Oscar Party

Source for above Oscar Blush Party

Have fun this weekend!  Enjoy the Oscars….

And if you’re all out of time to print and send one of these out this year, you can still do something sweet for your Valentine by sending one of Mooo’s free Valentine e-cards.

Have fun!  And Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Images from Mooo.

Valentine’s is around the corner and I’ve been busy getting in the mood on Pinterest.  Here are some of my latest pins.

Pictured above: Love Garland

Love you More Printable

Valentine Heart Garland

Valentine Plate

Valentine Bookmarks

If you want to find me on Pinterest you can find me here.

Happy Pinning everyone!

I had to share this adorable DIY from Creature Comforts for Valentine Tea Bags and Tags. Creature Comforts also has a free printable and step by step instructions so you can make your very own for the special Valentine in your life. 

There are 4 ways to assemble the teabag wrappers.  The one shown in the tutorial below is the most time involved (stitching by hand) but the results are beautiful.  Other methods would include using tape, glue or a sewing machine.  

Head over to Creature Comfort to see what you’ll need to get started and have fun!

The past two days I have been walking the floors of the Atlanta Mart for the Home and Gift Show for my “real” work and today I happen to stumble across the cutest flats ever…..and because I thought they were so darn cute I had to share them with you.  They are from Oka b. – Shoes that Love You.  They have all types of shoes but my heart went pitter-patter for their adorable ballet flats.  Aren’t they the cutest?  They have several styles and several color combos.  The ones above are just a few of my favorite.  Want to see more?  Then head over to see more of Oka b. ballet flat collection. 

And guess what?! Until Sunday, January 15th they are having a sale!!!  Yippee!!  Happy Shopping!

I saw these super cute ABC Wall Art designs featured on Cool Mom Picks today.  Aren’t they fun!?

Boo and You is a brand new children’s wall art website based in Sydney Australia.  The website features personalized and non-personalized prints for boys and girls.  I fell in love with their super cute alphabet prints.  They each have a cute theme created by whimsical images and soft colors.  You can select your own color scheme and each print is hand signed by the artist.  Pretty darn cool, right?

Go check out the other designs from Boo and You

Well the creative folks at Mooo have done it again. This time they are giving away 12 pages of free Easter Printables. Yes, 12 pages!!! All you have to do is hop on over and download the sets you like (there are three to choose from), and your Easter prep will be nearly complete. Amazing right?!

Which is your favorite?  I love them all!

And if you’re looking for fabulous personalized goods for the little ones in your life (the iron-on name labels and personalized clothing are my current favorites), I need those labels for the girls for school.  Be sure to check out the rest of the Mooo site for more of their wonderful products.

I’m in love with these super cute Clover Leaf Lei’s over at Simple as That….and by the way a new favorite blog!  Her photography is beautiful….swoon!  Love her blog just as much as I love these super cute, super fun, and so easy lei’s.  Just in time for St. Patty’s Day too!

You have to jump over and see how Rebecca made these Clover Lei’s!!

{Photo’s by Rebecca Cooper Photography}

Aren’t these beautiful!?  These Valentine Crayon Hearts are from the super talented Heather from Whipper Berry.  I have to say she has a pretty cool name too….you know Heather….and my name happens to be Heather too.  Ha!

Heather guides you through on how to make these adorable glitter heart crayons over on her blog.  Click on the link above. 

And you have to check out her beautiful photo’s that are included in her DIY.

And if you are looking for other ideas on making heart crayons, last year I made similar crayon hearts for the girls friends as school

Along with the crayon I included a color page

If you want to print out a free page to hand out to your kids friends at school head over to my post last year for Kid’s Valentine Coloring Card

I thought I would feature a few posts I’ve done in the past and a few I’ve found out in internet world of holiday craft and projects you can do with the kids.  Some these projects your kids can do on their own while you finish those last minute holiday chores.  A big plus in my book as I try to finish up my own last minute Christmas chores.  Too much to do and too little time!

Now let the fun begin!

Holiday Kid Craft Ideas

Christmas Puppets

Gingerbread Houses

Winter Wonderland Snowglobe Ornament

Candy Cane Reindeers

Waterless Snowglobes – Tidy Mom

Have fun and Happy Holidays!!

 The girls and I have been busy making these super fun reindeer candy canes for their friends at school.  They are really easy to make and a whole lot of fun for the little ones to help…and even more fun for them to hand out to their friends. 

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Candy Canes

Brown yarn (try to pick a thicker yarn)

Wiggle Eyes

Small Pom Pom’s – red or black

Ribbon or Twine

Fabric Glue

 Here is how you make these little guys:

Step 1: Take two candy canes and place them so the arc of the candy cane looks like the reindeer antlers.  Tape the candy canes together so they stay in place.

Step 2: Take the yarn and start wrapping it around the candy canes.  In order to make them look more like a reindeer face, wrap the center of the candy cane with more yarn to make it thicker.  See pictures.  Once the candy cane is all wrapped up, place a drop of glue on the back side to stick the end piece of the yarn.

Step 3: Next glue the wiggle eyes onto the top part of the yarn to make the reindeer eyes.

Step 4: Place a red of black pom pom onto the face of the reindeer to make his (or her) nose. 

Step 5: Take the ribbon or twine of choice wrap around the “neck” of the reindeer and tie into a bow.  You could also tie a bell onto the front but I couldn’t find them anywhere at my craft store.

And there you have it, I fun little gift to hand out to your child’s friends at school. Or to use on a dessert table for Christmas.  Have fun!

It was a Monkey of a good time this weekend as we celebrated the girls 4th birthday party at our local play gym.  Barrel of Monkey’s is the gym so it was only appropriate to have a monkey birthday party filled with all things monkey!  The gym was filled with little people (and big people) and we all had fun celebrating the big day!

The kids got to run around the gym swing on monkey bars (only appropriate since it was a monkey party), flying through the air, jumping for bubbles, climbing a mini rock wall, and even stopping to have fun doing a monkey craft. 

After all the play time there was a quick stop for lunch.  The kids had their own table and the adults had their own table.  The kids lunch table was made up of fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cups of pirate booty of Annie’s Cheddar Rabbits, cheese, and chicken nuggets.  For the adults the table was filled with two varieties of chicken salad sandwiches, pasta salad, fruit salad, and mini cupcakes.

After lunch some more playing and running around the monkey gym only enough playing to work up their appetite for dessert….cupcakes.  Chocolate and Peanut Butter, Banana and Cream Cheese, and Chocolate and Vanilla Buttercream topped with monkey and flower fondant toppers.  Also on the table were monkey sugar cookies that went into the kids favor bags at the end of the party so they could take home to enjoy later.

Other items stuck inside the favor bags were: monkey bracelets, coloring book, crayons, play-do, organic lollipops, monkey erasers, bouncy ball, and the adorable monkey cookies.

We all had a good time….especially the birthday girls….

And even the resident monkey at the Barrel of Monkey’s had a monkey of a good time….

Vendors:

Gym – Barrel of Monkey’s

Tissue Pom Poms – I made using Martha’s Tissue Poms pack

Happy 4th Birthday Monkey Signs – I made

Monkey and Flower Fondant Toppers – Clementines Cupcakes

Monkey Sugar Cookies – Delicious Dozen

Monkey Centerpieces (only monkey on stick) – Sweet Heart Party Shop

Napkins, Cups, and Stripe Straws – Sweet Lulu

Plates – Target

Food Sticks – I made

Favor Tags – I designed

Need something to do with the kids on the days leading up to Thanksgiving?  Here is a fun craft that will keep them busy.  Turkey Pine Cones!  Helps clear some of those pine cones in the yard too.  Here in South Florida pine cones are rare to find, but on a wild hunt we were able to find some out and about.  These turkey’s are fun holiday craft for kids and adults and they can not only be used for decorations, but also as place holders, or even favors for guest to take home with them.  Have fun!

Here is what you’ll need:

Materials:

- Pine Cones

- Felt – Orange

- Wiggle Eyes

- Pipe Cleaners in fall colors (brown, tan, yellow, orange, red, etc.)

- Brown Pom Poms

Instructions:

1.) For each turkey, cut out a yellow beak. Then glue the beak and a pair of googly eyes onto a pom-pom to create the turkey’s head.

2.) Glue the pom-pom head to the tip of a pinecone. Allow the glue to dry.

3.) Wrap a pipe cleaner around the middle of the turkey’s cone body, starting from the top and twisting it together a few times on the underside. Separate the ends of the pipe cleaner (below the twists) and bend each tip into a 3-toed foot.

4.) For the turkey’s tail, individually wrap 3 or 4 pipe cleaners around the back of the pinecone, starting from the underside and twisting them together a few times on the top of the pinecone to secure them. Then loop both ends of each pipe cleaner to shape tail feathers.

You can see a video on Disney’s Family Fun that shows you how to make this fun little turkey too.

This turkey can not only be a fun decoration for Turkey Day, but it can also be a place card holder for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Happy crafting!  And most of all Happy Thanksgiving!!!

What a fabulous kids Thanksgiving table by The Savvy Moms Guide.  They outdid themselves with their play date to give thanks. With Thanksgiving right around the corner I had to share this adorable party with you. I’m hoping to use a couple of their great ideas for Thanksgiving with my little ones.

Like these super cute pinecone owls! 

They created the owls made from pine cones that also served as décor for the table. Their idea came to life with the help of a tutorial from Bristol Moms.  They added their our own Savvy touches to the owls too.

For the food, they selected a full meal for the kids to enjoy. First, an adorable turkey made from fruit, cheese and vegetables. And second “Cheese Pies” made from biscuits and cheese baked on a stick.

Visit The Savvy Moms Guide to get more details on this super “Whoot of Thanks” party!

In my house lately it’s been all about this one question, “Mommy, what starts with A…or B…or C”…and the list goes on.  I have two busy preschoolers that are learning their alphabet at school and every week they learn a new letter.  Another thing that is on the top of their list is coloring.  I came across these fabulous coloring animal alphabet pages from education.com and had to share.  If you are looking to help your little ones learn their alphabet (and animals that start with that letter) these are for you.  These would be fun to frame after the little ones are done and place on their walls.  That way you could practice every day and have a little artwork from your little ones on the walls.

Hop over and see the complete letter animal alphabet and print your own set for free.  Have fun and happy coloring! 

I know it’s Thursday and I’m late with this post but that’s what happens when life gets crazy….

So this past weekend was a mix of rain and sun but it didn’t stop us from having fun.  I’m currently a little obsessed with Instagram.  They finally came out with a version for all us uncool people who don’t have an iphone.  Yes, it’s something I admit to….I have an Android.  Maybe one day I will make the switch to being a cool person and get an iphone, especially now that I’m a ipad girl.  Anywho, come find me on Instagram I’m easy to find…Multiply Delicious.

So since I’m a little obsessed with Instagram I thought it would be fun to share a look at our weekend of fun.  And by the way I must have gone camera crazy because now my camera on my phone won’t work.  Ugh!  Maybe that is a reason to make a switch to an iphone!

The hubby had to head down to Miami to handle some work stuff so after my Saturday morning CrossFit WOD I had full duty with the little monkeys.  Saturday started as a sunny day but quickly changed into a rainy one.  That didn’t stop us in making a trip to a fun place close to us where they have nature walks, butterfly garden, sea aquariums and more.  The rain kept us mostly inside but we did venture out a little.  We actually ventured out between storms and found a hut right by the Intercoastal and had our picnic….even though the sign said no picnics.  I know bad example to break the rules but I didn’t think anyone would stop us because no one was to dare venture out in the rain like we did.  We sat and had our picnic and the weather/storms quickly approached which meant we stayed under the hut for while because making a mad dash for the car when the rain let up.

We came home and with the rain falling outside I decided it would be fun to have a baking session.  So we made the girls very favorite cookie recipe, the Dark Chocolate Cakies.  They have many reasons why they like these but I think their favorite is because they get to lick the batter (no eggs).

Then Sunday came and it turned out to be pretty darn beautiful.  In the morning the hubby took the girls back to their new favorite place so they could explore minus the rain while I stayed home and did my homework.  Wish I could have joined them but having two classes now has meant a lot more homework!

In the afternoon we all got to head to the beach and run in the water and build sand castles!  A pretty fun afternoon!

So there you have it folks a weekend filled with fun and my new obsession….Instagram!

On this Mother’s Day this is how I feel about being a mom….

Remember to breathe….deeply and often.  Name those feelings as they fly through your heart. 

When your children drive you crazy think of the warm sweetness of their bodies when they were just new.  THIS TOO SHALL PASS and far too quickly.  Let the dishes pile up and have a party instead.  Laugh aA LOT. 

Go puddle jumping and star watching.  Build forts and climb trees.  Spend rainy days in bed snuggling and sunny days outside adventuring.  Sing loudly and off-key.  Dance like MANIACS!  Butterfly kisses and bear hugs cure broken hearts. Tell them they can be ANYTHING….tell yourself that too.  Now believe it!  And don’t forget to breathe through it all…..

And here is another quote I found recently from Donna Bell and it spoke mountains to me.  Hope it does to all other moms out there….

Motherhood is a choice YOU make everyday to put someone else’s happiness and well-being ahead of your own

to teach the hard lessons

to do the right thing even when you’re not sure what the right thing is….

and to forgive yourself over and over again

for doing everything wrong.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there!!

Photo Source

Spring was in a full swing when we landed in Atlanta last week for our Spring Break.  The flowers were in full bloom (and the pollen too).  I was in love with all the flowers too and found myself clicking my camera left and right.  Here are just a few photo’s from our trip….Happy Spring!!

On our trip we when to the Botanical Gardens, simply beautiful.  A must visit if you are in Atlanta in the spring.  One of our favorite parts of the garden was walking through the orchid houses.  Here is just a few of the dozen photo’s I took of orchids alone.

I love spring!!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!!

This past weekend we all took a trip to the farm, Heritage Hen Farms.  A peaceful little place filled with love for their animals and for the land they graze on.  All the chickens and hens roam freely on the property as do the cows and the goats. 

Heritage Hens, sell their amazing eggs every Saturday at my local Green Market during season and rarely open their farm during this time of the year.  Saturday when arrived at the Green Market they were completely sold out of eggs.  It was my fought since I arrived late.  I decided to opt for my CrossFit class instead which meant no eggs for me.  You see their eggs are extra special….they taste amazing.  Honestly, you can see the difference and taste the difference from the eggs you pick up at Whole Foods.  It was music to my ears when they said they were opening the farm that night for a special event.  I knew exactly what we would be doing.  The girls were over the moon with excitement…and so was I.  As soon as we stepped onto the farm it was a magical place.

Here are just a few of the friends we met on our trip to the farm.

This is Jet, well we aren’t sure that is his name but that’s the name we gave this handsome guy.  He was quite interested in the girls and walked up to the fence to give them a personal hello.

And here is Mr. Goat, who munched on apple slices and greens most of the time we were there.  He was a handsome guy also.  He was joined with his other goat friends who were just as handsome too.

And the Turkey!  He was the boss of the farm.  Very vocal turkey, but very beautiful!  And I sware he posed for this photo for me.  Almost like he knew he was beautiful.

This is Roost, can you say handsome?  He was one of many that walked Heritage Hen Farms and they were all amazing in their own way. 

The girls favorite part of the farm visit was the chance to hold some of the residents.  My favorite part was just stepping foot onto this amazing farm….and of course picking up some of their pastured eggs. 

We are already looking forward to our next visit.  Thanks Heritage Hen’s Farm for opening your doors to your magical and peaceful farm.

Today was one of those days at work.  You know the ones where it might have been better if you just stayed home.  Around 11am my computer at work locked up and there was no turning back.  By 4:45pm it was still being worked on by the IT group so I decided to head out early and pick up the munchkins before making our way home.  Since I missed my 6am WOD (workout of the day) I decided to make up my own “homemade” version in the backyard when we got home.  I had two little people join in to do their own CrossFit WOD with me too.  The whole time they were doing their own workout I got a lot of this…..”mommy, do you do this in your CrossFit class?”  Then they would strike a pose of some sort or do some kind of crazy jumping move.  Pretty darn cute but I seriously doubt my coaches would classify them as CrossFit moves….but we will keep that between us because I told two little girls yes.  They seem to think they were pretty cool. 

Here is what my Homemade WOD was made up of:

15 burpees

20 KBS (20 pounds – only thing I have, could have used a heavier KB)

25 DB Walking Lunges (15 pounds each hand)

30 Air Squats

35 Push-ups

40 Sit-ups

50 Double Unders

for 4 sets

And because they were too darn cute I had to capture my little ones at their attempt to do some of the moves I was doing in my WOD.

Here is a burpee, looks more like a good plank move if you ask me but I was told in the most serious voice ever that ”mommy, this is a burpee”.  They think the name burpee is hilarious by the way….I disagree, but only because I hate burpees!

Now I would like to give this move a name but I have nowhere to start.  I was only told that “mommy, I’m doing CrossFit”.  So I will go with that…

She has the same facial expressions I give when I’m doing my WOD’s too.

By the end of our WOD I was a new person, but most of all we all had a bunch of fun.  They both told me they wanted to do it again tomorrow night.  Hmmmm….future CrossFit stars in the making?  And even at 4 years old!

This post is going to be very random as I just need to just write….or type in this case.  My head is a spinning mess as I ponder what direction I should be taking right now in my life.  Ok, let me step back.  Life is good don’t get me wrong.  I have a great family, a roof over my head, and I have my health.  What I’m really talking about is what should I be doing?  I’m in this rut in my career.  I find myself hating going to work every day.  It doesn’t bring me the same joy it once did.  Oh yes, I probably shouldn’t be typing these words since I do have co-workers who read my blog.  But seriously I have to get this off my chest.  Shouldn’t you be doing something you love?  Something that has a purpose?  And that you wake up excited to do?  YES!!!  100 times YES!  So with that being said that is why my mind is spinning messing!  And I’m left with the question “what should I do”.  So on a piece of paper I wrote down the things I love, which were….

Cooking/Baking – Duh!

Being creative

Primal Living

CrossFit

Blogging – the place I get to be creative

So what do I do with all that?  I’ve tossed around many ideas in my head, but this is the year I make changes.  I need to!  Not only for me but for my family because being unhappy in a place where I spend most of my time is running over into my family life.  NOT GOOD!  

So here is to figuring it all out.  And for finding that happiness! 

Any of you have any ideas for me?    

Thanks for letting me vent.  This post may come back in bite me in the rear…..but honestly I don’t care.  This is my space in this world to have my freedom of speech!  So here is to freedom too!!

Enough said…..

Here is to a good year!  And a year where I reach my goals plus more!

This post is a little late, but better late than never….right?  I’ll blame it on the food poisoning, but it’s the truth.  That stupid food poisoning really set me back.  But I still had to share our family Christmas in one very magical place…..Disney World!  The happiest place ever!  Ok, it is when you have 4 year old little girls and you see their faces when they see Mickey and the castle.  Every worry in the world disappears….and you are happy being with your kids and being kids with your hubby.  Pretty magical if you ask me. 

So our trip to Disney was filled with lights….and lots of them.  Hollywood Studios is pretty amazing at Christmas.  We happen to be there the night of Christmas Eve.  Imagine walking the corner and seeing nothing but this

….and with Christmas music blaring from speakers….pretty freakin magical.  Then you throw fake snow falling from the sky and you get pretty spectacular!!

And just when you think it couldn’t get any better you get to see a Disney Christmas parade

and see some of your favorite characters….

And you look up and you see this….

There is nothing like seeing your child happy!  Again, magical!

And of course seeing your children make these faces after just buying them Minnie hats

pretty great and pretty funny at the same time!  I love my two little munchkins!!

And what’s a trip to Disney World without a picture in front of the castle

Or a picture with Mickey and Minnie!!!

We had a wonderful time at Disney and our trip will forever be a memory.  Christmas 2011 + Disney = Family and a whole bunch of fun!! 

Hope you all had a magical Christmas and holiday too!

I’m thankful for many things….so much that I couldn’t put them all above.  Thank you to everyone for being such great readers!  I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!  And I hope you have a very special day with those you love!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Happy Friday!  I don’t know about all of you out there but I’m jumping up and down with the fact this weekend has one more day attached to it!  Woot!  Happy Memorial Day weekend!  Any plans!  All I plan on doing is hanging with the kiddos and the hubby maybe having our own little cookout and spending some time at the beach.  I’m only hoping the weather holds out and no rain is in the forecast.  I say this because yesterday morning as I was getting ready for work I always checkout the local weather man tell me how the day is going to be.  Yesterday he said there was a rare chance of rain…..do you know it rained the whole day!  Not just a shower but the whole day!  Something wrong with that right?  And it wasn’t like I looked outside and it was sunny and the next it was raining.  When I walked the pup it was pretty gosh darn cloudy and it looked like it was guaranteed to rain at any moment.  Now this morning Mr. Local Weatherman said it was going to be partly cloudy and warm….I walked outside and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  Seriously?  I guess I’m going to have to trust my little ones because they can predict the weather better than most.  Ok, enough of my weather talk!  I’m sure all you are interested in is this ice cream, right?  I know I am.  Now this ice cream has no added sugar…well depending on the dark chocolate you use.  Anywho, a ripe banana helps to add some sweetness to the ice cream without adding maple syrup or honey.  And let me warn you, this ice cream didn’t last long in my house.  I actually think this weekend is the perfect excuse to make it again.  Ha!  This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found on Against All Grains.  Have you checked out Danielle’s blog?  It’s super yummy and has some great Paleo and gluten-free recipes….oh and the photo’s make you drool!  All pretty good reasons why you should go check out her blog.  But come back and don’t leave me.  Kidding…

Ok my friends, enjoy the ice cream and have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend….be safe out there and try to rest and relax!  See you back here next week.

Chocolate Almond Butter Ice Cream

3 cups (2 cans) coconut milk

1/4 cup cacao powder

1 ripe banana, mashed

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup creamy almond butter

Topping: Toasted Almond Slices, Banana Slices, and Dark Chocolate Chunks

Instructions:

Warm the milk over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, then add the cacao powder, mashed banana, 4 ounce dark chocolate, sea salt, and coconut oil. Continue heating and whisking for another 5 minutes until the chocolate is melted and everything is incorporated. Make sure the mixture doesn’t boil.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a glass bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the mixture, then refrigerate for 2 hours until the mixture has cooled completely.

Stir in the vanilla extract, then using your ice cream maker  place mixture in the bowl and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  When ice cream is almost finished, add almond butter to ice cream maker, and continue to process.

Remove from ice cream bowl to an air-tight container and place in the freezer to set.  Or if you like it soft serve right away.

Serve with sliced banana and chopped almonds if desired.

And then try your best not to eat the whole bowl!

Enjoy!

Recipe Inspired from Against All Grains

I finally downloaded the Nom Nom Paleo app this weekend!  I probably would have done it sooner but I just got my new ipad for Mother’s Day.  I guess I’ve been a good mom!  I’m totally excited about having the new ipad but pretty darn excited to now have the new Nom Nom Paleo app on my ipad!  Have you seen it?  It’s beautiful!  I’ve already marked a handful of recipes I want to try ASAP.  This weekend I decided to try the Curry Chicken Salad from the app.  I’m usually not a huge curry powder fan.  Not sure why but it’s not something I consider a favorite spice.  After making this salad I might be changing my mind though.  I added a little cinnamon to the recipe and only because cinnamon pretty much rocks my world and I absolutely love it in almost anything.  That’s just a personal thing so feel free to leave it out if you make this salad.  BUT I shouldn’t say if because really it’s a MUST make.  It quickly disappeared from my house and I would like to put blame on my husband for eating it all but it was really all me.  He got a small bowl of it and went searching for more but it was gone.  With that being said I promised this weekend I would make it again.  I have a feeling this will soon be added to the favorite recipe box in my house.

So any cookout plans for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend?  No plans yet for us but that always changes as we usually decide on things last minute in my house.  I have to say one thing I’m super excited for a long weekend.  I need one!  Between work, school, and just being a mommy I’m looking forward to one extra day.  It will also give me one extra day to come to grips that my two munchkins are graduating from pre-school next Friday!  Seriously, where did this year go?!  I remember when they started school!  Time is going by too quickly folks!

Ok, babbling.  But I’m excited to share a Paleo Ice Cream recipe at the end of the week!  It’s yummy….like addicting yummy.  And it no longer exists in my house because it was consumed so quickly.  I guess that will be another one I’ll be making this weekend!  Stay tune folks.

And if you haven’t seen Nom Nom Paleo’s app you must see it.  It’s beautiful and pretty much has you drooling over every recipe.  Enjoy the salad and see you back soon!

Curried Apple Chicken Salad

½ cup Paleo Mayo (use this recipe minus the garlic and herbs)

¾ teaspoon curry powder

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

½ teaspoon sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

½ medium lime

1 small apple, cored and diced small

½ cup cilantro leaves, diced

2 scallions, diced

1 pound cooked chicken breast

¼ cup toasted almonds

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine Paleo Mayo, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste.

In another small bowl, combine diced apple and juice of lime.  This step ensures that the apples won’t oxidize (or turn brown).

Shred chicken and add to a bowl.  Toss in apples, cilantro, and scallions and toss to combine.  Add curried mayo and stir to mix well.

Top with toasted almonds and serve.  Can be served wrapped in lettuce or served over spinach or just eaten straight from the bowl.

Depending on your serving size (mine was big) it can make about 3 to 4 servings.

Happy Friday folks!  Ahhhh….so happy it’s Friday!  What a week!  This cold has knocked me on my rear!  I actually forgot what it felt like to be sick.  And I have no plans to be sick again anytime soon!  Ugh!  I am happy to say I’m on the road to recovery and got in this morning for a much needed workout.  My husband accused me of being a grumpy beast….yes folks he called me a beast.  We have a loving relationship where we can call each other fun names like that and not get hurt.  Anywho, the work out was what I seriously needed.  Maybe I should have done that earlier this week.  Speaking of earlier this week….guess who made a visit to our box?!  Rich Froning!  Yes, folks the man Rich Froning….you know the World’s Fittest Man.  That would be him!  I was so sick on Wednesday I didn’t make it in to see him but I heard and saw pictures posted on Facebook.  Boy I was jealous but I seriously had no energy to drag my sick butt to the gym and attempt to do the WOD scheduled for that day.  So hopefully Rich will make his way back to Florida again so I can meet him or at least see him.  Ha!  Back to today….what would a post be without a little rambling and jumping around. Right?  So today folks I’m super proud to say I climbed the rope.  I climbed it not once but 4 times to the top touching the black tape and made my way down.  I didn’t make it gracefully down but gosh darn it I made it down.  I have nice battle wounds to show for it too.  The rope climb is something I used to find incredibly intimidating!  Not sure why, but it was the one thing I thought I would never conquer.  Thanks to one of my fellow 6am ladies this morning, I did! Thanks Dysmar for your help and encouragement!!  You rock!  Now if I can finally get my kipping pull-up down I’ll be pretty gosh darn happy.  Baby steps I suppose.

Now gasp….Honey Mustard Chicken.  I know folks honey!  It’s a small amount don’t worry and yes I’m still classifying it as Paleo.  I might get some hate mail or comments because of it but I don’t care.  A little honey isn’t going to hurt and it makes this chicken taste gosh darn good.  It also makes for happy kiddies who gobble it up and proclaim…yummy mommy!  So score for everyone.  This recipe was actually a required test recipe from my class.  I am now taking two classes at a time which is probably why my immune system was down and got the stupid cold.  A lot to intake with working full-time and juggling school but I have to say I’m loving my holistic nutrition classes and even more the new class that involves cooking.  That also means I’ll be sharing the recipes we are making in class with you.  I did alter the recipe for the chicken to only include a ½ tablespoon of honey because the recipe actually called for 2 tablespoons.  I didn’t want you guys to freak on me.  Now I highly recommend a overnight marinade for the chicken.  Makes the chicken nice and moist and flavorable….is that a word?  I don’t think it is!  Well, then let’s just say it makes it taste darn good!  Good?

Ok, before I leave you here are some Paleo friendly recipes I’m drooling over lately and seriously need to get on my list to make soon.

Paleo Fish Tacos – Against All Grains

Ginger Citrus Salmon with Cucumber and Orange Salsa – paleOMG

Beet Chips – The Urban Poser

Meatloaf Mini’s – Nom Nom Paleo

And on another note, I totally want the Sweet Potato Power Cookbook. I love sweet potatoes!

Enjoy!  Have a nice weekend folks!

Honey-Mustard Chicken with Ginger

3 to 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (pastured/free range if you can)

2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup gluten-free dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Instructions:

Add chicken to a glass bowl or glass dish.  Mix marinade by combining all the ingredients above.  Pour over chicken and stir to coat the chicken.  Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight (I recommend overnight).

Heat grill pan over medium high heat.  Place chicken on grill pan and let cook on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve warm with sides of source of over a spinach salad.

Makes 3 to 4 servings

Ok guys I’m going to keep this post short.  The little monkeys got a horrible cold at the end of last week so while playing doctor to them I managed to pick this bug up from them and have a low gas tank.  Basically I feel like crap!!  So much so that I don’t want to do a darn thing!  I haven’t been sick in the longest time but I think with everything going on in my crazy life my immune system was down compared to normal so of course the bug got me.  I have to say I forgot what it feels like to be sick too.  I contribute the changes in my diet to keeping most of the many other bugs the little ones have brought home this year.  And they have brought home a couple yucky ones!  Any way I’m tired and I’ve got a box of tissues attached to my side.  I cut out of work early today actually just so I could get a nap in before picking up the munchkins from school.  I woke up from a 2 hour nap still tired.  Booo!  I don’t know when the last time I’ve been able to take a nap though and it was pretty awesome.  Especially on a overcast day…..ahhh

Now lets talk muffins.  I had zucchini and carrots on hand and wanted to make something with them, but somethign more in lines with a “treat”.  I actually attempted two versions of these muffins.  One using almond flour and one using coconut flour.  The coconut flour was by far the better muffin.  The almond flour was ok but nothing compared to the coconut flour version.  So with that being said I’m going to share the coconut flour version below, trust me it’s better….a whole lot better!  I made these especially for the little monkeys as a easy breakfast grab since lately breakfast has been quite the battle.  Actually, every meal is a battle these days.  Not sure what new leaf they have turned over these days but they are extremely picky and anything green that they used to love is no longer coming close to their mouth.  So I did something I never wanted to do as a parent, but I did….I shredded zucchini and carrots and added it to a muffin in the attempt to get some veggies into two little girls.  Oh well, got to do what you gotta do.  These are sweetened with only banana and dates and the added spice from the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves takes the muffins to a new level. 

Ok, my nose is off to the races so while I run to get tissue and head off to do my homework for this week I’m going to leave you with some interesting facts I came across last week while doing research on delayed food allergies for my class….

From an article from the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) it was revealed that more than 75% of the money spent on health care is spent on chronic conditions. It indicates that a great deal of these chronic conditions are the direct result of food toxicities; easily treatable by simply removing the foods from your diet.  BUT, with only 270 million people in this country more than 2.9 billion prescriptions are written every year (generating a whopping $131.9 billion for the pharmaceutical companies). Many of these prescriptions mask the conditions caused by food toxicity and rarely lead to a cure.  Scary information especially that our healthcare industry is eager to write a prescription instead of simply testing to see if a food allergy might be the culprit!

Interesting?  Right? 

I’ll be back later this week sharing more…stay tuned…

Zucchini Carrot Spiced Muffins

1/2 cup ripe banana

4 organic mejool dates, pitted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 eggs

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup carrot, shredded

1/2 cup zucchini, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12-cup pan with paper liners of grease with coconut oil.

In a microwave safe bowl place 4 dates and 1 tablespoon water and microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Remove from microwave and mash with a fork.  Add an additional 1 tablespoon water and microwave for another 30 seconds and mash. 

Add date mixture along with banana, vanilla extract, and eggs in a bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth. 

In a small bowl whisk together dry ingredients (coconut flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking soda).  Add dry ingredients into bowl of food processor with the wet ingredients and process until well combine.  Stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Remove blade in food processor and stir in shredded carrots and zucchini to the mixture as well as the melted coconut oil.  Stir until everything is incorporated. 

Using a ice cream scoop evenly distribute the batter into the prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle tops with additional zucchini and carrots and cinnamon.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.

Let cool and serve.  Enjoy!

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!  This weekend we had a visitor, my mom!  Always nice when mom comes into town.  She came into town to celebrate her birthday with us.  She has had a rough few months so it was a needed break for her and we always love having her here.  The girls adore her and she them….they have my mom wrapped around their finger.  Don’t most grandkids?  She was one of those mom’s that kept telling me to wait before having kids.  I didn’t know if it was her not wanting to face being a “grandmother” or what.  I’m telling you as soon as they were born she has been hooked.  We are very lucky to have her because she helps a ton when she comes in town to see us!  She even lets the hubby and I escape for a much needed date night.  We seem to need those more the older the munchkins get! Ha!  Anywho, the weekend was pretty busy but I got in the kitchen to make a fresh little salad using some awesome tomatoes and avocados I picked up at the market.  Did I mention that it’s super stinkin hot here?  After the rain we had last week our weather took a turn and it’s hot….I’m telling you it’s already summer hot!  The humidity is back and in full force.  At crossfit on Saturday morning I was sweating buckets before we even started our workout.  Talk about yuck!  Ok, I’m rambling and jumping around with random thoughts….but that’s usual.   I’m going to keep going with the random so bare with me.  Jumping back to CrossFit because it’s my other obsession lately well come to think of it, it has been for awhile now!  But anywho I was recently talking to one of my fellow 6am crossfitter and discussing how the other week I woke in a panic because I forgot to set my alarm clock to wake up for class.  I woke up in a full panic and utterly disappointed to the point where my husband actually thought something was wrong with me.  When I told him I didn’t set my alarm and I missed my class he rolled over and said, “I thought something was really wrong with you!”  I joke because I guess most people would think something is really wrong with me!  I was upset because my alarm didn’t buzz me awake at 5:30 so I could make it to my 6am WOD (workout of the day) which some might consider a bit of touchure but I find it my daily addiction.  I go through withdrawals without getting my daily WOD in and of course seeing my friendly fellow 6am crossfitters.  Call me crazy! 

Ok, I rambled….and rambled some more.  Now let’s get to the recipe.  This is a nice and refreshing salad.  Great for the quickly approaching summer weather.  I didn’t photograph it here but I added cooked diced bacon to the salad and it took it to another level.  Also, the tart I made using coconut flour.  I’m trying to stay away from over using my almond flour these days.  It’s a hard task but I like to think I’m becoming less addicted to my almond flour.  If you don’t mind using almond flour I would also suggest you try using my Paleo Herb Cracker batter to make the tart.  I’m sure it would be just as yummy.  Maybe next time I will try it and report back. 

Ok, enjoy everyone and I’ll try to be back later this week with another recipe.  Can’t make any promises though, my classes are kicking my butt. 

Tomato Avocado Salad Tarts

Tomato Avocado Salad:

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 to 2 avocados, diced

2 green onions, finely diced

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, diced

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste Instructions:In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, green onion, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.  Gently stir in avocado, basil, and oregano.  Serve immediately or store in air-tight container in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Herb Tart Crust

1/3 cup Grass-Fed Kerry Gold Herb Garlic Butter, melted

2 pastured eggs

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut flour

*You can substitute the grass-fed butter for coconut oil, but add 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic and minced herbs of choice to batter*

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease individual tart pans with grass-fed butter or coconut oil.  You can also use a large tart pan if desired.  If using small tart pans place them on a baking sheet.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with fork to incorporate.  Mixture should form into a dough like texture. 

In greased tart pans press mixture into tarts covering the bottom and up the sides.  Bake tarts for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly golden.  Allow tarts to cool in tins.  Remove carefully and let them come to room temperature. 

Fill tarts with tomato avocado salad and sprinkle with additional herbs.  Another delicious topper is cooked and diced bacon.  I had this after I had already photographed the above.  Everything tastes better with bacon….

Enjoy!

It’s been rainy here for several days which means no good natural light to take pretty food pictures for all of you.  We need the rain but rain is not good for a food blogger who needs to take pictures.  Especially to take pictures of my newest and possibly new favorite cakie recipe!  Are you excited!  I’ve been so excited to share but darn this weather!  It’s lead me not to be able to get this post out sooner.  I had to actually break out some of my “natural” light lights to help to get these up on the blog.  So they may not look as pretty as they would normally but I’m telling you these are super tasty in my book.

Before I get to the recipe I have to tell you that this past weekend the Southeast Regional Crossfit Games were held in my backyard.  Well not really in my backyard but my neck of the woods.  Exciting!  Also exciting was the fact that my box was one of the teams competing and we also had two of our coaches in the men’s division!  Woot!  They did awesome too!  The family and I headed out Saturday to get a couple hours in of watching and cheering everyone on.  Note to everyone with toddlers….the attention span is limited for little folks so if you are lucky enough to go to the other regional’s coming up and the kids come along expect to not to see key moments.  I can’t tell you how many times I had to run to potty breaks and missed something awesome.  Not cool!  But the little ones did tell me on the way home that they wanted to do crossfit when they grew up!  Cute…and awesome!  Sunday I was able to sneak away on my own to watch the team make it to the final cut and also one of our coaches!  AJ Moore, is one of the coaches at our gym and he did awesome!  He is an amazing athlete and a great coach but most of all a stand up person.  He finished in 6^th place after a tough WOD on Saturday afternoon set him back from a top 3 spot.  There were strong competition out there, but everyone did amazing!  The team ended up in 12^th place…they rocked it.  I’m hoping to get pictures up on the random side of the blog soon.  As always life is crazy and hectic so again…hoping is the keyword!  Anyone who is close enough to catch some of the other regional competitions…..it’s super awesome and makes you fall in love with Crossfit and the community even more (if that is even possible).  I HEART CrossFit!

Ok, let’s get to these cakies.  I’m sure your tired of me talking and rambling on with my random thoughts.  Right?  Oh my gosh wait though….I’m sorry one more thing I forgot to tell you!!!  I’m a huge lover of Steve’s Originals and they had a booth at the regional’s and guess who was there at the booth and I got the privilege to talk to!?  Liz from Cave Girl Eat’s!!  Pretty freakin awesome and she was super cool.  We talked Paleo and holistic nutrition.  I told her I wanted to be like her and Diane from Balanced Bites when I grow up.  Anyway, it was pretty awesome and made my day that I got the chance to chat with her.  She is super nice!  And Steve’s Originals pretty much rocks!  I ordered a bunch on Monday because the hubby ended up eating all the packs I got over the weekend.  Ok cakies….I promise this time I’ll shut up and let you read on to another version of my little Paleo indulgence!  Enjoy guys!

Apple Spice Cakies

6 organic medjool dates, pits removed

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons almond butter

1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or cinnamon)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of sea salt

1 ¼ cup blanched almond flour

½ cup shredded apple (about 1 small apple)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a microwave safe dish, place dates and 1 tablespoon water.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Remove and mash dates with fork.  Microwave for another 30 seconds adding ½ tablespoon water or maple syrup and remove and mash again.

In the bowl of a food processor place date mixture, unsweetened applesauce, almond butter, apple pie spice, and vanilla extract and process until smooth.

In a small bowl combine almond flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix date mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine together.  Add grated apple to bowl and stir until well incorporated into batter.

Using a ice cream scoop, scoop batter onto prepared baking sheet.  Once all cookies are on sheet slightly press down on the tops with damp fingers.  Sprinkle with additional apple pie spice or cinnamon.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Makes about 10 to 12 cookies.

Note: I used a honey crisp apple in my recipe but you could use just about any apple of choice.  Gala, Fuji, and Granny Smith would all work.

Enjoy!

I’ve been a bad blogger…I’ve been away and I haven’t been keeping the recipes or anything else for that matter flowing here on the blog.  Sorry but this girl has needed a little break.  I shared with you last week that I have tied on one more thing onto my already busy schedule.  Of course going back to school, being a mom, being a wife, working full-time, cooking, blogging, and crossfitting….they all add up.  With all that being said the hubby and I escaped on Thursday for a long weekend away without the kiddos and away from “life”.  Boy!  You really don’t know you need a break from it all until you are away from it all.  I got to sleep….something that has been seriously been neglected as of late!  I got to read my collection of magazines that have been gathering dust.  I didn’t have to cook….which by the way can be great but very hard when you are following a Paleo lifestyle.  I had many waiters and waitresses aggregated with me asking 101 questions about the menu.  Oh well!  Anywho, the hubby and I sat back and relaxed and enjoyed every minute of it.  By the way, I would highly recommend Gasparilla Innin Boca Grande.  Truly a fabulous getaway!  I didn’t get in the kitchen at all this weekend but luckily I have a recipe I cooked up last weekend to share with you all.  It’s a light take on a spring pasta dish but of course the paleo version of a pasta dish.  No pasta here…don’t worry I didn’t go crazy on my vacation.  The pasta is using one of my very favorite spring time veggies, asparagus!  Love it!  So here you have it.  A paleo spring veggie pasta that is great served topped with salmon, shrimp, or scallops….or anything of your choice.  Have fun but most of all enjoy!!

Spring Veggie Paleo Pasta

2 organic zucchini

1 organic yellow squash

1 bunch asparagus, chopped

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 or 2 green onion, diced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons Kerry Gold Garlic Herb Butter (or olive oil)

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Begin my cutting off the ends of the zucchinis and washing them. Using a vegetable peeler, peel one section at a time for 4 ribbons, then rotate and continue. Continue to rotate and peel until you hit the core of seeds, then stop. Save the core to dice up in another recipe. Do this for both zucchinis and the yellow squash, you should be lefts with a large bowl of ribbon pastas, depending on the size of your squashes. 

In a pan over medium- low heat add 1 tablespoon butter and allow to melt. Dump in your ribbons (you may need to do this in batches depending on how many ribbons you have and the size of your pan. Just don’t over crowd it). Stir constantly with a spoon and allow the ribbons to cook through and wilt a little. Since they are so thin it should only take 1-2 minutes, you don’t want them overcooked.

In a separate skillet, heat over medium heat, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter (or olive oil) and add tomatoes and asparagus until cooked and tender.  Add diced green onion and basil in the last 30 seconds of cooking veggies and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place squash ribbon “pasta” in a bowl and top with veggie mixture sprinkle additional basil and green onion and serve.

Makes about 2 to 4 servings

Ok, I’m back guys.  Sorry for the one and only post last week but I took a little break from cooking last weekend to spend time with the family for Easter.  I try to do most of my cooking and photographing during the weekend because in reality that’s the only time I have a little free time and it’s also when I try to do my cooking for the week.  Even then my time is a little limited these days between being a mommy, working full-time, being a wife, and crossfitting because….I’m going back to school!  Yikes, right?  I’m going back to school for Holistic Nutrition though so hopefully when I’m done I’ll be able to help all of you out there.  I’m already excited about it so much that I’m sharing this all with you now.  Ha!  So much for keeping a secret!  Obviously I’m so not good with secrets.   So there you have it folks some very exciting news for me!   That also means be knee deep in reading textbooks, researching, and everything else in between…so bare with me when posts are a little light and I can’t get back to your emails or facebook comments in a timely manner.  I promise it doesn’t mean I don’t love you guys, because I do!  I’m only hoping and dream that in the end great things will be on the other side.  At least that is my plan.

So this weekend I was back in the kitchen and for some reason I have been wanting something crispy and chip like.  Not sure why honestly, but I can now tell you that you can have a Paleo style chip and it be delicious.  These don’t take much time to prepare but do take awhile to bake, but in the end I promise they are worth it.  These are also super yummy for the little ones in your life too.  My little ones finished these in no time flat. 

Now a couple notes, if you don’t have apple pie spice you can use cinnamon or even pumpkin pie spice.  I’m sure that would be super yummy too.  Another thing, don’t be tempted to turn the temperature up….be patient!  I promise patience will pay off with these chips.  Ok, enjoy the chips guys!  Hopefully you enjoy them as much as my family did.

Apple Spiced Chips

4 apples (or two apples and two pears), cored

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

1/2 tablespoon apple pie spice

pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set side.

Thinly slice apples (and/or pears) into 1/8 thick slices.  You can use a knife or mandoline.  Place apple slices into a large bowl and toss with melted coconut oil, apple pie spice, and salt until evenly coated.  Place apple slices onto parchment paper and sprinkle with additional apple pie spice. 

Bake apple slices for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until apple slices are crisp.  Allow chips to cool and enjoy!

Store chips in a airtight container for 2 to 3 days (if they last that long).

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!  We had a fun filled weekend with some much needed time together hanging out at the beach and of course doing a little egg hunting.  With that being said I didn’t spend too much time in the kitchen.  I kept the cooking to a minimal so I could spend time with the hubby and the kids.  I have to say it was a nice break, but that also means I don’t have much to share this week.  BUT I do have this frittata!  Yay!  So frittata…a mix between a omelet and a quiche and a great breakfast/brunch option.  Even better you can get creative and mix in different veggies or even breakfast sausage.  It also provides great leftovers for the week ahead.  Plus, plus, plus!

Ok, I’m keeping this short and not very entertaining.  Sorry folks but I’m super tired.  Late to go to bed last night and early to rise so I could get my morning WOD in.  By the way….I hate Turkish Get Ups!!  They aren’t fun!  And I don’t foresee them ever being fun honestly.  Tomorrow mornings WOD is going to look pretty darn good….just because they won’t have Turkish Get Ups in the equation.  Ok, I’m off to get some much needed shut-eye! 

Veggie Egg Frittata

5 to 6 asparagus spears, washed and chopped

1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup packed spinach, chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons green onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 to 3 strips sugar-free nitrate free bacon, cooked and crumbled

10 eggs

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a oven-safe skillet, het 1/2 tablespoon coocnut oil over medium heat.

Saute asparagus, tomato, spinach, green onion and garlic until spinach is almost wilted down and asparagus is tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove veggies from heat and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs.  Stir veggies into eggs and season with salt and pepper.  Pour fritta mixture into the same skillet and slow cook on medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer frittata to the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the frittata has achieved a spongy firmness to the touch. 

Slice and serve with crumbled bacon and additional green onions on top, along with a couple dashed of fresh ground pepper.  Optional: Serve over some spinach with a side of sliced avocado or guacmole.

Serves 5 to 6 people

Ok, I’m in love…well I’ve been in love…ok, I’m in love with a new cakie.  You know those cookies that are in between a cookie and a cake, yes those are what I have now categorized in my baking world as being a cakie.  A soft cookie that melts in your mouth.  Ahhhh….soft cookies how I love you.   I seriously thought when I went Paleo I would never have a soft cookie again.  Who says you can’t have a little paleo cakie/cookietreat.  And yes folks I do have to warn you these are a treat.  You know those things that you only have occasionally.  I do have to say I’ve had my fair share of cakies lately.  You put a girl on a CrossFit Paleo challenge where she follows the rules 100% and then take her off and things go a little haywire.  A treat is good, a treat is needed, a treat makes you smile…well that is what I’m telling myself.  And really…these are for the kids and you….not me. Ha!  Anywho, these have no sugar in them.  All sweetened by dates and banana’s.  It’s truly a beautiful thing, right? Another beautiful thing is my little munchkins helped me in the kitchen making these.  Love it when that happens!  We got int he kitchen and added things here and there to the batter stopping only so I could write down how much of this and how much of that I was using. That way I could come back and report them to you if they turned out.  Well they turned out!  Yippee!!  And let me tell you these cakies/cookies are my new obsession.  They are my kids new cakie obsession too.  I had to keep little hands from reaching on “set” so I could photograph them.  Let’s just say this, these didn’t last long between everyone in my house. 

Now a few notes on the cakies/cookies because they do have some random add ins.  Pumpkin…yes pumpkin but if you don’t have pumpkin on hand add one more small ripe banana or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce.  And don’t worry the pumpkin won’t make the cakie taste like pumpkin.  It really just adds some fabulous moisture to the cookie which makes it that soft cakie that I happen to love.  Now, these are a little different from the DoubleChocolate Cakies and the Banana Chocolate Chip Cakies because they do have eggs.  I went back and forth about calling these cakies because of the egg add-in but I went with Cakie because they came out having the same texture as those previous recipes.  Now, you can add all kinds of things to these cakies too.  Nuts, dried fruit, no chocolate, etc.  Just have fun with it and hopefully you think they are as good as we thought they were. 

Enjoy everyone and have a wonderful Easter weekend!  Hope the Easter bunny is good to everyone!

Dark Chocolate Coconut Cakies (or the everything cookie)

Print Recipe

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup blanched almond flour

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus additional for topping

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

6 organic medjool dates, pits removed

1/2 cup smooth organic almond butter

1 small ripe banana

1/3 cup canned organic pumpkin

2 medium eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 to 4 ounces dark chocolate (anything over 70% cacao – and soy free), chopped – reserve some for topping cookies

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together coconut flour, almond flour, shredded coconut, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a small microwave-safe bowl add pitted dates and 1 tablespoon water.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Remove dish from microwave and mash dates into a paste using a fork or spoon.

Add the date paste to the bowl of a food processor along with almond butter, banana, pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Process until well combined.  Then add dry ingredients to food processor and process until everything is incorporated.  Remove blade and stir in chopped dark chocolate.  The batter will be sticky.

Using a ice cream scoop or large tablespoon, scoop dough into balls and place on prepared cookie sheet.  About 2″ apart.  With wet fingers press gently on tops of cookies.  Sprinkle additional dark chocolate and shredded coconut flakes onto the tops of cookies.

Bake cookies for 18 to 20 minutes or until cookies are golden.  Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack. 

The cookies are great after they are cooled and even better the next day.  If you don’t eat them all right away I would suggest storing them in a air tight container in the refrigerator. 

Enjoy!!

Makes about 1 dozen cakies