RACHAEL'S FAVORITE RECIPES

Peanut Butter Cup Krispies

2015-11-08T02:10:00.000-08:00

Peanut Butter Cup Krispies are like a regular rice crispy treat but on steroids.

Made with peanut butter, chocolate rice cereal, and peanut butter cups.

These will be a hit at any holiday pot-luck! You might want to make two pans!

Peanut Butter Cup Krispies

1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

Scant 6 cups chocolate rice cereal

2 cups chopped Peanut Butter Cups

Combine peanut butter, sugar, and corn syrup in large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from heat. Add cereal; stir until thoroughly coated. Mix in 1/2 cup of the peanut butter cups. Press into bottom of a greased 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish (or 9 x 9 if you want a thicker bar). Topped with remaining peanut butter cups. Cool and cut into bars.

Bacon Balsamic Vegetable Medley

2015-11-03T01:51:00.000-08:00

I love roasted vegetables. They're easy and they taste so good!

This combo is one of my favorites. I like to make a huge batch and eat the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Bacon Balsamic Vegetable Medley

1 lb Brussels sprouts

1 lb broccoli spears

1 small onion, sliced in half rings

4 pieces of bacon

2 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash sprouts and cut into fourths. Place the Brussels sprouts, broccoli spears, onion, and oil in to a large bowl. Toss to coat. Place evenly on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Dice bacon into small pieces and sprinkle on top of veggies. Roast in oven 15-20 minutes; stirring halfway, until bacon is fully cooked any veggies have some browning on them. Remove from oven and sprinkle balsamic vinegar over top. Serve immediately.

Meaty Chili

2015-10-29T01:37:00.000-07:00

This chili is chock-full of veggies, and had a secret ingredient that takes it over the edge.
It really hits the spot on a cold day!

Meaty Chili

2 lbs hamburger or ground turkey

small onion diced.

2 (15 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3-4 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup chicken or beef stock

2 cups vegetables

(I used a mix of green beans, diced bell peppers, and carrots)

salt and pepper, to taste

Brown meat with diced onion. Drain any fat. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low 4 hours or Place all ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook on low pressure for 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

2015-10-27T02:01:00.000-07:00

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Recipe from @wholemeg

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced peeled carrots

1 cup diced yellow onion

4 cups chicken or veggie broth

2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons arrowroot powder (optional to thicken)

3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

salt and pepper to taste

Add celery, carrots, onion, broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, and seasonings to a crock-pot. Cook low 6-8 hours or High 4-5. Remove bay leaf. Add coconut milk. Mix arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons water to make a slur. Mix into soup. Add more seasonings if needed. If you like a smoother soup, blend with an immersion blender and add a little more broth.

Texas Sheet Cake

2015-10-25T02:15:00.000-07:00

This recipe has been in my family for forever. I can remember my mom making this cake and bringing it into my 4th grade classroom to celebrate my birthday. That was back in the day when homemade treats were allowed. This cake is perfect if you need to feed a lot of people. You can also bake it in rounds to built a layer cake, pouring a little bit of frosting between each layer, then letting the frosting on top drizzle down the layers. MMMmmm!

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

4 tablespoon cocoa

1 cup water

1/2 cup sour milk*

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs, beaten

Sift flour and sugar together. Set aside. Bring butter, cocoa, and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil until butter melts. Remove from stove and allow to cool. Make sour milk*, and add baking soda to the milk. Stir until soda dissolves. Add salt, eggs, and vanilla . Add to cocoa mixture. Now add cocoa mixture to the flour/sugar. Mix well. Pour into a greased jelly-roll pan. Bake 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. While the cake bakes make the frosting (recipe below).

Frost cake the second it comes out of the oven.

*to make 1/2 sour milk, measure one tablespoon white vinegar and enough milk to equal 1/2 cup.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

3 tablespoons cocoa

6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Boil butter, cocoa, and milk until dissolved. Beat in powdered sugar, and vanilla. Stir in nuts (optional).

Sift flour.

and sugar together. Set aside

Bring butter,

cocoa, and water to a boil in a small saucepan.

Boil until butter melts. Remove from stove and allow to cool.

Make sour milk*, and add baking soda to the milk. Stir until soda dissolves.

Add salt, eggs,

and vanilla.

Add to cocoa mixture.

Now add cocoa mixture to the flour/sugar. Mix well.

Pour into a greased jelly-roll pan. Bake 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. While the cake bakes make the frosting by

Boiling the butter, cocoa, and milk until dissolved.

Beat in powdered sugar, and vanilla. Stir in nuts.

Frost cake the second it comes out of the oven.

This cake is good eaten warm or room temperature.

Paleo Waffles

2015-10-22T09:43:00.002-07:00

I adapted the recipe for My Favorite Whole Wheat Waffles and made them grain-free and dairy-free. However, these waffles taste exactly like the real deal! Promise.

Paleo Waffles

Yields: 4-6

depending on your waffle iron size

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

1-1/4 cups water

2/4 cups coconut flour

3/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup avocado oil or melted coconut oil

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.* Cook on preheated waffle iron until golden brown.

*The batter tends to thicken as it sits. Add more milk or water to thin it down.

No'tmeal

2015-10-08T02:08:00.000-07:00

No'tmeal is a great paleo alternative to oatmeal. I love to top mine with a nut milk, fresh fruit, and sometimes nuts. I've heard this categorized as a whole30 SWYPO, but for me oatmeal is not a treat! If you're doing a whole30 you'll have to decide what your intentions on this.

No'tmeal

1 banana

2 whole eggs

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon hemp hearts

1 tablespoon chia seeds

Blend all ingredients together. Cook over medium heat in a greased skillet until eggs are cooked to your liking.

Honey Mustard Bacon Chicken

2015-10-05T04:37:00.000-07:00

This is my healthified version of Outback Steakhouse's Alice Springs Chicken.

Basically it's grilled chicken smothered in bacon, cheddar cheese, and a honey mustard sauce.

I took out the cheese, and clean-up the sauce to make this dish whole30 and paleo approved.

I love this chicken. My family loves this chicken. Enough Said!

Honey Mustard Bacon Chicken

8 chicken tenderloins (boneless thighs would be yummy too)

4 pieces of bacon (sugar-free, nitrate-free)

2 tablespoon mayonnaise (I use homemade)

1/4 cup prepared mustard

1/3 cup honey or date paste

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Bake chicken or grill the chicken pieces until thoroughly cooked. While the chicken is baking, cut each piece of bacon in half. Fry the bacon until crispy. Prepare the sauce by mixing the mayo, mustard, honey (or date paste), and onion powder together. Once the chicken is done, top with half a piece of bacon, and a generous drizzle of sauce.

*If you eat dairy, you can top each piece of chicken with a thin layer of cheddar cheese, while it's still hot, then continue topping it with bacon and sauce.

Homemade Mayo

2015-10-01T02:40:00.000-07:00

Did you know store-bought mayonnaise is primarily made up of a little ingredient called soybean oil?

Let's talk about Soy for a minute.

Did you know that soy in all its forms is really bad for you?

I've been doing tons of research and have concluded that soy (aka - MSG, mono-diglyceride, soya, lecithin, TSF, soya, TVP, tofu, edamame, etc), and what the government has been telling us is so darn good about it, is pretty much a lie. Almost all soy has been genetically modified and is used as a filler in most processed foods. It messes with your thyroid, and your reproductive hormones (male and female).

I know, I know! I sound like a freak. Just trust me on this one. . . Soy is bad news! If you want to be healthy and balanced, stay away from it.

Making your own mayo is not only healthier (because you can control what goes into it), it's also cheaper. Much cheaper. Now don't get scared, It's really easy to make!

Homemade Mayonnaise

1 cup light tasting olive oil

(make sure it's light tasting regular and extra virgin will taste gross!)

1 whole egg, room temp

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Place all the ingredients in to a large jar. With an immersion blender, blend until everything is incorporated- 20-30 seconds. Store in the refrigerator in a non-metal jar until the expiration date of the egg you used.

(Eggs are usually good 3-5 weeks)

*If you do not have an immersion blender you can make this in a regular blender. To do this, add only 1/4 cup of oil along with the remaining ingredients into the blender. Blend everything together on low 1-2 minutes. Turn blender off and scrape the side. Turn blender back on and while its running, slowly add the remaining oil. Blend until consistency of mayonnaise.

Fajitas

2015-09-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

I love Mexican food. ONE, It's easy to make, and TWO, it tastes delicious!

However, and we all know it, Mexican food is not really very healthy.

(Insert Sad face)

When I began my lifestyle change, I stayed far far away from Mexican food. I didn't think there were any dishes I could eat, Everything was on flour or corn tortillas, layered with refried beans, deep fried, then smothered in three layers of cheese.

Delicious, yes, but nutritious, no.

After a few months of establishing healthy eating habits, and suffering from a lack of Taco Bell, it dawned on me that there was one Mexican dish I could eat- Fajitas!

I've been making this dish for almost 20 years. My family loves them.

They are simple to make with very basic ingredients.

Fajitas are usually served with tortillas, shredded lettuce, cheese, pico, guac, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

I eat them sans the tortilla, cheese, and sour cream, on a large bed of lettuce topped with fresh pico, guacamole, and a squeeze of lime juice.

They are delicious, nutritious, and really hit the spot when you have a craving for Mexican food, but are trying to watch what you eat.

Fajitas

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon seasalt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 medium onion (yellow or white)

2 bell peppers

1 tablespoon oil, divided

4 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1/2 lime (optional)

Combine oregano, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper together. Set aside. Cut onion and bell pepper (seeds removed) into strips. In a large skillet add 1/2 tablespoon (1-1/2 teaspoons) of oil. (I used avocado oil.). Over medium-high heat, saute onions and peppers until soft and tender. Remove veggies onto a plate. Add remaining oil and chicken strips to the skillet. Cook chicken thoroughly until done and it's beginning to brown a little. Add the veggies in with the chicken. Add the seasoning mix, stirring to coat. Cook 3-4 minutes more until veggies are warmed. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime over everything (optional, but super delicious). Serve immediately.

Broccoli Soup (Healthified)

2015-09-11T02:26:00.000-07:00

The temperatures in my neck of the woods have dropped this past week. Things are starting to look and feel like Fall around here. SO, this past Sunday I decided it was time to reinstate "Souper Sundays", a little tradition I started last winter of serving soup for Sunday dinner. One of my family's favorite soup is Broccoli Cheese . It's is chock full of broccoli which is super healthy and good for you. However, it is also full of butter, white flour, and cheese. Last week, I decided to try to makeover my original recipe into a healthier version. I substituted clarified butter for regular, arrowroot powder (sometimes called arrowroot starch or arrowroot flour) for the white flour, and coconut milk for the whole milk. I'm happy to report that I succeeded. In fact this version tastes identical to the original - really. Go ahead try it and see for yourself.

This recipe yields 6 large servings.

Broccoli Soup

(made-over)

2 (10 oz.) packages frozen chopped broccoli

3 tablespoons clarified butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons arrowroot powder

2 cups chicken broth

1 can full-fat coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Fill medium pot with one inch of water. Over high heat, bring water to a boil. Add broccoli. Cover pot and steam broccoli 5-6 minutes or until tender. Strain to remove excess water. Set aside. In a large soup pot, melt clarified butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until clear. Stir in arrowroot powder. Let cook for 1 minute before slowly add broth and coconut milk. Stir until slightly thickened. Add salt, ground nutmeg, and cooked broccoli and nutritional yeast, and stir to combine. Let simmer an additional 3-5 minutes.

STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS

1. Fill medium pot with one inch of water. Over high heat, bring water to a boil. Add broccoli. Cover pot and steam broccoli 5-6 minutes or until tender. Strain to remove excess water. Set this aside.

2. In a large soup pot, melt clarified butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until clear.

3. Stir in arrowroot powder and let it cook for 1 minute.

(This greatly improves the flavor.)

4. After the 1 minute is up, slowly stir in the chicken broth and

can of full-fat coconut milk.

4. Now it's time to add in the rest of the ingredients - the salt, nutmeg

nutritional yeast,

and broccoli.

5. Let the soup simmer 3-5 minutes to help incorporate all the flavors.

6. Ladle it up and enjoy!

Clarified Butter - Basics

2015-09-08T01:22:00.000-07:00

If you're doing a Whole30 or you just want to eliminate dairy from your diet, or maybe you are lactose intolerant, you'll want to know how to make clarified butter.

Clarified butter is butter from which all the milk solids have been removed.

Yes, you can buy it, most health stores sell it as ghee, but it's cheaper just to make it at home. It can be substituted one to one for any butter called for in a recipe. It also tastes really good by itself as a spread. It has higher smoke point than regular butter, which makes it really good for cooking, and it doesn't spoil as quickly.

This recipes yields 1-1/2 cups

Clarified Butter

1 lb. good quality butter

(the best you can afford)

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.

The butter will begin to bubble and get frothy on top.

Continue to let the butter bubble until the froth dissolves, and the mixture becomes a clear golden yellow color

You will notice that most all of the milk solids have sunk to the bottom.

Remove the pan from heat and allow it to cool slightly (about 5 minutes).

Place a piece of cheesecloth over a pint mason jar. I like to push it into the jar a little bit, like a bowl, and secure it with a rubber-band. Pour the butter through the cloth. The cheesecloth will act as a strainer. The milk solids will stay on top and all the butterfat will go through into the jar.

(You can also use a coffee filter as a strainer.)

Allow it to cool. Once the butter cools it will solidify into a creamy dairy-free butter that can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

2015-09-04T02:33:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from my mom. It is an old family favorite. I like to make up a batch to have on hand to use in my favorite recipes like in meatloaf, on BBQ chicken pizza, or the obvious, BBQ chicken.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

8 oz. apple cider vinegar

(I use the empty tomato sauce can to measure this)

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

2 tablespoon liquid smoke

3/4 cup honey
(Mom's original recipe calls for brown sugar. You can also substitute date paste if you're doing whole30)

1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tsp chipotle seasoning (optional)
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

Add all ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk until combined. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes (turn the heat to low if it starts to splatter). Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Changes

2015-09-01T06:27:00.001-07:00

Hi! Remember me? I use to post recipes here. Well, I'm back, and things might look a little different around here.

The past year, I've undergone a serious diet/lifestyle change. (If you're interested, you can READ more about that HERE.) It's now how I eat and for the most part how my family eats. We still have the occasional treat (after-all what would life be like without cake or cookies?), and I'll still be sharing the recipes for these, but mostly we also eat a lot of fruits and veggies. I have some really awesome, delicious, and healthy recipes to share with you. I can't wait! You're gonna love them!

Spinach Eggs

2015-09-01T02:37:00.000-07:00

The hardest thing for me when I began my first Whole30 was what to eat for breakfast. I am a cold cereal and milk person. In fact, I still to this day sometimes crave a crunchy bowl of cereal drowned in creamy cold milk. Unfortunately, the lactose from the milk and the grain from the cereal do not agree with me, and let's not even talk about all that sugar -there's a ton!

So, Spinach Eggs became my go-to breakfast. They're quick and easy and only require 3 main ingredients (2 if you want to leave out the sausage and go vegetarian)., and you can whip them up in less than 5 minutes.

Now let's talk about the health benefits of this dish. Did you know spinach ranks as one of the most nutrient-dense of all foods? This dark, leafy vegetable is an excellent source of folate, antioxidant carotenoids and vitamins K, C, A, E and B-6. It’s also a good source of magnesium, riboflavin and potassium. All sorts of good-for-you stuff! Eggs are incredibly nutritious as well. They're also high on the satiety index, which means they make you feel full longer -that's a good thing.

This recipe yields 1 serving

Spinach Eggs

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 Aidell's Chicken Apple Sausage

2 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup spinach leaves, washed and dried

In a non-stick skillet, melt coconut oil. Dice sausage into small bite-size pieces. Brown sausage pieces in oil over medium heat. Once sausage is brown, crack in the eggs, and add the spinach. Stir everything together. Continue stirring until spinach is wilted and eggs are fully cooked. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Hogs and Kisses - REPOST!

2015-02-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

Remember these Hogs and Kisses Cookies? These were one of the first recipe I posted 5 years ago! I thought it was time to give them a little make-over and a few other ingredients you can use to make the hogs.

HOGS AND KISSES COOKIES

1-3/4 c flour
1/2 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c shortening
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs milk
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
Chocolate Kisses
1/2 batch of butter-cream frosting (also found below)

red food coloring

Ingredients for hogs:

eyes- mini m&m's, mini chocolate chips, or raisins

nose- large marshmallow (white or pink), butterscotch, peanut butter, or white chocolate chips

ears- small conversation hearts or strawberry wafer cookies.

Combine all the ingredients, except the candy in a big mixing bowl until dough forms. Shape dough into 1" balls. Place on a ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Immediately top each cookie with a candy kiss; press down firmly until the cookie cracks around the edge.

For the hogs: Do not top with a candy kiss, leave these plain. Cool completely then frost with a little bit of frosting tinted pink. Add two mini M&M's, mini chocolate chips, or raisins for the eyes. For the nose: a marshmallow cut in half with two peanut butter or butterscotch or white chocolate chips for nostrils. And the ears are two conversation hearts or wafer cookies cut into triangles.

Frosting:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
2 Tbs cream cheese, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla (preferably clear)

4 cups powdered sugar

2-3+ Tbs Whipping Cream (or milk)*

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and cream. Whip until frosting reaches a light and airy texture (5 minutes)

*Add more cream to if frosting is too thick. If frosting is too thin, just add more powdered sugar, until you reach the consistency you're looking for.

Mint Oreo Magic Bars

2015-02-08T06:09:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is a Sugar Sunday / Dessert recipe in all its glory. This is a tasty one.

Oreos, mint, chocolate, more chocolate, and pretzels- drizzled with creamy sweet sugary sweetened condensed milk. Come to Mama!

Mint Oreo Magic Bars

1 stick of butter

2 sleeves worth (about 24 cookies) of chocolate sandwich cookies

1/2 cup mint chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or chunks

1/4 roughly chopped pretzels

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in an 8x8" baking dish. While butter is melting, crush cookies into fine crumbs. Sprinkle cookie crumbs on top of melted butter. Top with chips and pretzels. Drizzle entire can of sweetened condensed milk over everything. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until milk is slightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.

Notes: To speed up the cooling process put the pan into your freezer.

STEP-BY STEP

Melt butter in 8x8 baking dish

Crush cookies into fine crumbs. (You can use a rolling pin, but I find a blender or food processor is much easier.)

Sprinkle crumbs over melted butter.

Now for the delicious toppings: Mint Chocolate Chips

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Chunks of Milk chocolate

White Chocolate Chips

and pretzel pieces.

Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over everything.

It should be a white milky lake once you're done.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until milk slightly starts to brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.

Porridge

2015-02-04T05:44:00.000-08:00

After having recently completed my second Whole30, and feeling better than I have in a long time, I've switched over to a paleo (for the most part) lifestyle. I'm cleaning up a lot of my family's favorite meals, which I plan to post in the coming months. I've also discovered a whole new lifestyle which includes new favorite recipes. ( I feel like I've had to relearn how to cook.) I'll be sharing those as well. And just in case you're wondering, I'll still be posting the non-paleo, non-healthy stuff as well.

First up is this egg porridge:

This is a paleo oatmeal or porridge. I call it 'fakemeal' because it's not really oatmeal, but it sure taste like it. I love this stuff and have it for breakfast quite often. It's packed full of fruit and protein. It really hits the spot especially when you're not eating grains.

Paleo Porridge

3 eggs

1 banana

1 tablespoon hemp hearts

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon coconut flour

dash (or two) cinnamon

Toppings:

milk

chopped nuts

shredded coconut

fruit

Blend all ingredients together. Cook in a greased skillet (I use coconut oil) until it reaches desired consistency. Top with milk of choice, chopped nuts, shredded coconut, and fruit (optional-- but oh so good).

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Balls

2015-01-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

These chocolate covered cherry cake balls just scream "I love you".

These are a decadent treat - chocolate cake and cherry frosting balls with a yummy sweet maraschino cherry center, double-dipped in chocolate.

These do take some time to make, but, as with everything I make, they are super easy!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Balls

1 box Devil's Food chocolate cake mix

4 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 cup hot water

1 tub cherry or strawberry frosting

1 (10 oz) jar maraschino cherries

1 (24 oz) brick almond bark, divided

In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, oil, and water together 30 seconds on low-speed, and then 1 minute on high, until completely combined. Pour into a greased 9x13" baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes or until done (a toothpick inserted into the middle will come out clean).

Cool completely.

Once cool, crumble cake into a large bowl. Mix with 2/3 -3/4 of the tub of frosting. You want the cake and frosting mixture to be moist and able to stick together when formed into balls, but not super moist it's crumbly and falling apart. Start with 2/3 and add more if necessary. Form cake mixture into 1 inch balls. Make an indent in the center of each ball with your thumb. Insert a cherry. Cover up cherry and roll ball smooth. Place balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

Once the balls are ready, in a medium bowl, melt half the almond bark according to package directions. Dip cake balls into chocolate covering completely. Tap off extra chocolate and allow to set on a clean sheet of parchment paper. Once chocolate has set, melt remaining almond bark and repeat. Double-dipping each ball. Top with sprinkles or drizzle with left-over chocolate, if desired.

Notes: This is a great way to use up leftover cake. Instead of baking the cake and adding the frosting, just dump the remaining frosted cake into a large bowl, and stir until it comes together.

Step-By Step:

Once the cake has cooled, crumble into a large bowl. Mix crumbs with 2/3 -3/4 tub of frosting. You want the mixture to be able to stick together when formed into a ball, but not too moist it's falling apart, or too dry it crumbles.

Now for the yummy part-

Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough (you can make these smaller if you'd like)

Use your thumb to make an indent in the center.

Insert a cherry,

then close back up and roll smooth. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Freeze balls for at least 1 hour.

Once balls are ready, melt almond bark (I used white and dark).

Dip balls, covering completely. Use a fork to tap off excess -

Place on a sheet of parchment paper to until set. Once set, dip them a second time.

Sausage Potato and Kale Soup

2015-01-14T09:14:00.000-08:00

This is my take on the infamous Zuppa Toscana Soup. I think you'll really like it.

I've cleaned it up to make it healthy, and I've changed some ingredients to fit the tastes of my family.

Just a note: If you have bones left-over from a turkey breast or chicken you had for dinner last night- SAVE THEM and make your own broth. Bone broth is so beneficial and good for you.

Sausage Potato and Kale Soup

1 lb. Sausage (Italian or smoked- I usually use Aidell's Chicken Apple Sausage from Costco)

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices

1 large onion, diced

1 cup mushrooms, chopped (your favorite kind- I use button)

2 large russet potatoes, chopped in thin pieces.

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups kale (or spinach if you're not a kale fan), chopped

3 cups (24 oz.) chicken broth

6 cups water

salt and pepper, to taste

1-1/2 cups milk (I use coconut milk, but regular would work too)

Slice sausage into small pieces. Brown sausage in large soup pot. Add broth and water to pot and stir. Place carrots, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and garlic to pot. Simmer over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low. Add kale and milk. Stir together. Simmer another 10 minutes before serving.

Bone Broth- Basics

2015-01-14T09:04:00.001-08:00

Did you know making your own broth is really easy?

You can make vegetable broth using just the veggies, or if you want something super healthy, make broth using bones - chicken, beef, pork.

Bone broth helps heal the gut and contains super-charge nutrients that promote health and healing throughout the entire body. Don't let the lengthy simmer time scare you. It takes only minutes to throw all the ingredients into a pot. Then you're done.

I like to store my broth in 2 cup increments poured into canning jars in the freezer.

BONE BROTH

2-3 lbs of bones (chicken, beef, etc)

3 celery stalks, halved

3 carrots halved

3 onions, peeled and quartered

Handful of fresh parsley (optional)

filtered water

Place bones, celery, carrots, and onion, into a large stock pot. Fill pot with water until everything is covered and water is about an inch above the bones and vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer 24-72 hours.* The longer the better. The last 10 minutes of cooking, add parsley. Remove from heat, and cool. Once broth has cooled, strain the broth, removing all bones, veggies, and any little pieces of meat that might be floating around.

Store in the fridge 5-7 days or in the freezer up to 6 months.

*You can also make this in a slow cooker on low heat. If you do this on the stove top, turn off the heat before you go to bed and turn it back on in the morning -Safety first.

Key Lime Pie Bars

2015-01-11T04:38:00.000-08:00

Still cannot get enough of these bars. I'm having such a fun time making them and coming up with different flavors and combinations. This one is my variation of Key Lime Pie. The tangy and sweet combo of this bar will definitely leave your mouth happy. These bars make a healthy snack or a quick and easy breakfast.

Key Lime Pie Bars

1 cup nuts

(cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc)

1 cup dates, pitted

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 lime

Place nuts and dates into a food processor or heavy-duty blender. Blend, occasionally scraping down sides, until it forms a dough and starts to stick together. Add shredded coconut, and the zest and juice from one lime. Pulse until everything is incorporated. DO NOT OVER-MIX. Dump dough onto parchment paper. Form into 1-1/2 inch by 5 inch bars. Wrap each bar in wax or parchment paper. Store bars in an air tight container in the fridge.

Place nuts and pitted dates into a blender.

Blend, occasionally scraping down the sides until a dough forms and starts to stick together.

Add coconut

and the zest and juice from one lime.

Form into bars. Technically you can do them however big or small you would like. Mine were about 1-1/2 inches wide by 5 inches long.

Wrap in parchment or wax paper and store in an air tight container in the fridge.

Which Larabar flavor is your favorite?

Oriental Chicken Salad with Mango MAKEOVER

2015-01-07T05:57:00.000-08:00

Remember THIS recipe for Oriental Chicken Salad with Mango?

I've played around with it and recreated it to be even healthier. I omitted the Chinese noodles, and I also got rid of the sugar in the dressing while still keeping the sweet, tangy Asian flavors. After all, that's what makes it so good!

Healthy Chicken Salad with Mango

Lettuce, chopped

cabbage (red or green), chopped

mangos, cubed

red bell pepper, diced

cucumber, cubed

grilled chicken, diced

sliced almonds, toasted

Toss all ingredients together top with dressing.

Oriental Dressing

1 cup oil

4 dates

1/4 cup liquid coconut aminos or soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

In a small bowl, soak dates for a few minutes in warm water. Drain the water, remove the pit, and mash them with a fork. Combine dates and remaining ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.

Chocolate Coconut Bars

2015-01-05T14:51:00.003-08:00

These Chocolate Coconut Bars are my take on a Larabar. They have become a favorite around our house. I love them, and my kids love them. (They think they're chocolate dipped granola bars and there is no way I'm going to tell them differently.)

These bars are sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, preservative-free. They're a great source of fiber and healthy fats. They also have some protein going on which makes them a great snack or a healthy quick on-the-go meal when you're short on time.

Chocolate Coconut Bars

1 cup nuts

(cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc)

1 cup dates, pitted

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2-4 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Place nuts and dates into a food processor or heavy-duty blender. Blend, occasionally scraping down sides, until it forms a dough and starts to stick together. Add shredded coconut, cacao powder and oil. Pulse until everything is incorporated. DO NOT OVER-MIX. Dump dough onto parchment paper. Form into 1-1/2 inch by 5 inch bars. Wrap each bar in wax or parchment paper. Store bars in an air tight container in the fridge.

STEP-BY-STEP

Place 1 cup nuts

I'm using cashews

and 1 cup pitted dates into a food processor or heavy-duty blender.

(That equals to be about 10-11 dates)

To remove the pit, simply cut them in half

and pull the pit out.

Do not try mixing them with the pits still in. It will do bad things to your machine. Not that I would know or anything.

Blend

occasionally scrape down the sides so everything chops uniformly.

Keep scraping and blending until it forms a dough and starts to stick together.

Now add cacao or cocoa powder

unsweetened shredded coconut and coconut oil. Blend just until everything is incorporated.

Be careful not to over-mix or everything will turn to butter.

(Don't ask me how I know that either.)

Form into bars. Technically you can do them however big or small you would like. Mine were about 1-1/2 inches wide by 5 inches long.

Wrap in parchment or wax paper and store in an air tight container in the fridge.

Blueberry Coconut "Crepe"

2015-01-01T08:19:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year. This month I've decided to focus on some of my favorite healthy recipes.

The past month, I've changed my eating habits a bit while doing a Whole30, so I have quite a few new favorite recipes that are sugar-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and loaded with fruits and vegetables.

Eggs for breakfast have become my staple. I use to not be an egg person (whatever that is), but now I look forward to my morning egg. One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is to combine them with fruit. In all my almost 40 years, I had never heard of doing this. TRY IT! It is delicious and not weird at all. Scramble up some eggs with cut up pears or peaches. It's delicious.

This recipe is an egg "crepe" stuffed with blueberries and shredded coconut. I used blueberry, but any berry would be good. Try it and let me know what you think.

Blueberry Coconut Crepe

4 eggs

1 tablespoon coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 cup blueberries

1 tablespoon shredded coconut

In a small bowl, combine eggs and coconut milk. In a greased (I used coconut oil) omelet pan or small frying pan, pour the egg mixture. Cook the egg over medium heat. Once the edges start to firm up, run a spatula under the edges and allow any extra runny parts to slip under the cooked egg. Once the egg becomes sturdy, flip the egg over and allow that side to cook about a minute or two, until done. Slide it out onto a plate. Top with blueberries and shredded coconut. Roll it up.

For added nutrition, serve with veggie of your choice.

Yields 1