PUMPKIN!

It's FALL and the weather is starting to finally feel like the season.  There is a slight chill in the air and it makes me want to BAKE! Cold weather and baking go hand and hand, and there's nothing like the smell of fresh baked SOMETHING in my house!

That SOMETHING lately has been pumpkin and lots of it.  I'm in search of the perfect Paleo Pumpkin muffin/bread and have subjected my friends to be my Guinea Pigs taste testers.

The first one I tried was Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins from PaleOMG
These turned out pretty good but I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin and chocolate together. I was hoping for something very pumpkin-y and these didn't quite hit the spot

 I tried these again without the chocolate chips and I think they taste much better, however still not enough pumpkin.

The second recipe that I tried was Pumpkin Spice Bread from The Barefoot Cook.  These had a lot more pumpkin in them but the spices were overwhelming.  The lingering taste was Allspice and it masked the flavor of the pumpkin.  I plan to modify the recipe so that it has less spice and more pumpkin.

Do you have a favorite Paleo treat?  If so send me your recipes and I will test them out!

Pumpkin Spice Bread (modified)

Dry:

• 1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

Spice Mix:

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

Wet:

• 3/4 cup roasted pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients and spices together in medium-large sized bowl.
2. Mix wet together in smaller bowl.
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry and mix together until smooth.
4. Pour batter into muffin tins
5. Bake in 350 degrees oven for approximately 22 minutes.
6. Remove from pans and cool on rack

Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms...Oh Yum!

In the oven

Ok sooooo I found a recipe for Crab cakes and it looked really good but I thought to myself what if I stuffed some yummy mushrooms with this mixture and added Lobster (I actually cheated and used Imitation Lobster and seriously I couldn't tell the difference so that is a cheaper option) instead of Crab.....Yea it turned out amazing. I'm sure you can add any sea food meat of your choice to the base of this crab cake recipe and stuff any kind of Mushroom with it.
Here is the link to Allrecipes.com (thank you allrecipes for this amazing recipe)
 http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Paleo-Maryland-Crab-Cakes/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=paleo%20maryland%20crab%20cakes&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Use whatever cooked seafood your heart desires and Stuff some mushrooms. Place in a baking dish with some olive oil and bake at 350 for about an half hour or so.....Until the mushrooms are cooked and the filling is popping out of the top of the mushroom.
Make a side salad, I made a spinach salad with toasted sesame dressing and cranberries to accompany this yummy dish. I hope you guys enjoy this one

Finished yummy meal

Paleo Chocolate Truffles

I made these over the weekend for a BBQ at my box.  They turned out pretty good!  I used coffee, orange, peppermint, vanilla and raspberry extract and I have to say my favorite was the coffee!  The orange one was pretty good too and tasted like the chocolate oranges that you get around Christmas.

The most difficult part of making these was forming them into the balls as it is very messy, especially if you roll them by hand.  I think the coconut oil gives them a lower melting point, so if you make them for a party, keep them in the fridge or freezer until it's time for dessert!

Ingredients

• 10oz 60%-100% dark chocolate
• 3 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (skim from the top of a can of coconut milk)
• 1-3 tablespoons pure extract of your choice to taste 
• Coatings: 100% chocolate powder, unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped nuts or melted chocolate 

Instructions

• Place the chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl and melt using 30 second cycles.
• Melt the coconut oil in the microwave separately and add to the melted chocolate. Stir together.
• While the mixture is still warm, quickly add in the coconut milk (try to use milk that's at room temperature) and add extract. 
• Mix well.
• Place in freezer for 2 hours.
• Using a melon scoop or just using a spoon, scoop out small chunks of chocolate and form it into balls in your hands.
• Add the coating of your choice by rolling the chocolate ball through the coating or dipping in melted chocolate. 

Bitchin' Fresh Perfect for Summer Salad Too Delish to Provide a Photo

What is it about summer that makes us forget which day is which?

We here at Muscles, Madness, & Martinis not only work hard but PLAY HARD, too.  

And since it's summer, we're all playing twice as hard (and thus blowing off our blog posts). Stef is biking around and being a sexy new wife. Melissa is soaking up rays and rocking her hot CrossFit bod at the river. Kat, the beautiful seductress, is escaping the heat by beating her best run times in the morning and cooking delish new recipes. Andrea is coolly enjoying the temps by mermaiding it like a stunning little water nymph in her pool, but still maintaining her regular fitness routine.

Me?

If I'm not tearing at the man-candy's clothes (brings new meaning to playing hard, wink wink), I'm outdoors working in new veggies into our new backyard garden and now, the latest enterprise, re-doing our entire deck.  It's a 600+ square foot deck in an L-shaped formation on the second story of our house.  The wood (after several years of inadequate sealing & snow-shoveling & dogs scratching & thumping along the wall) so we're replacing it almost board-for-board.

What does this have to do with a "Bitchin' Fresh Perfect-for-Summer-Salad Too Delish to Provide a Photo"?

Well, a long day in the sun means I am NOT cooking.  Oven/stove will NOT go on.  Besides, my body craves water-dense foods.  Thus, I present:

The Bitchin' Fresh Perfect-for-Summer-Salad Too Delish to Provide a Photo

Directions:

1/2 Big Ass Bowl of Cut Romaine Lettuce
1/2 Big Ass Bowl of Baby Spinach
Handful of Blueberries
1/2 Apple, diced
Small Handful of Walnuts, chopped or halved
1/5 Avocado (depending on the amount of walnuts; healthy fats in moderation!)
2 Smatterings (teaspoon or tablespoon depending on the size of your big ass bowl) of Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Smatterings (teaspoon or tablespoon depending on the size of your big ass bowl) of Olive Oil

You can top with cold slices of leftover steak or chunks of chicken--any leftover, really.  There is something about the creaminess of avocado with the walnuts and blueberries that sends my tastebuds over the edge.

Note: I ate this too quickly to take a photo (the title of this blog makes sense now, eh?), plus I didn't want to be accused of being a hipster since I Instagrammed my lunch yesterday.


So, this is what my summer tastes like--what about yours?

Oh my yummy protein! Andrea's Shrimp Ceviche

Shrimp is AMAZING 

Packed with protein...without fat, hello what could be better than that? This is my favorite for the Summer months, I eat it straight from the bowl, like a salad...but it could of course be enjoyed with chips (if you wanna be BAD) So here is my recipe, I hope you enjoy it :) This makes a TON of Ceviche, so you could split the recipe in half, but I can eat on this for about a week.

• Two pounds of fresh shrimp meat, raw or cooked....I used the raw and let the lime juice cook it in the fridge overnight :) when it turns pink your good
• 8oz or so of lime Juice
• One large white onion 
• Two stalks of Celery
• Two huge jalapeño peppers, seeded or 4 small ones (I love jalapeño peppers) 
• 8 Roma tomatoes
• Garlic salt and pepper to taste 
• Cilantro as much as you like :)

Directions: I like to soak my shrimp overnight in the lime juice in the fridge. The shrimp will turn a pale pink. Be sure that the lime juice covers the top of the shrimp in a large bowl. Next all you do is dice up all the other ingredients, I use my salsa maker that chops it all perfectly. Add all your chopped ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some chopped cilantro and serve it over shredded cabbage for a yummy protein packed salad. I hope you love this cool summer dish as much as I do. 

Andrea's method of making Yummy Protein Bars

Soooo.... Melissa has talked about NEVER measuring things out before...yeah, well I'm totally guilty of this as well. So here is a recipe for all of you who don't like measuring cups, spoons or anything that takes thought.

I call this my Handful Protein Bar method.

So what does that mean you ask? I honestly grab all my ingredients that I want to make into a protein bar and throw them into a food processor to grind them down, stir them together and make some really-good-for-you stuff!

Today, we are making a protein bar for Blood Type O (I have been reading about the blood type diet which is really interesting...but more on this another day after I complete all my research.)

Ingredients:

One handful of each: prunes, dates, figs

Two handfuls of each: walnuts, pumpkin seeds

One handful of chia seeds

Three bananas 

And about one pound of almond butter (I like it already-made and I mix it with 3 bananas)

3 to 4 scoops of protein powder

So that's it--just use your hands and throw it together! Just put them in little by little, grind them up and transfer to a big mixing bowl, then stir until mixed. Line a baking dish with wax paper (this stuff is sticky), scoop it in, and press it to form the mold of whatever dish you use; a cookie sheet may work good as well. Freeze them so they harden and can be cut up and I keep mine frozen always because they are super gooey. 

That's it! Throw it, grind it, mix it, press it, and oh--I like to add dark chocolate chips pressed into the top! Yummy!!!!!!!

and here are the finished Bars! Yummy

I LOVE CABBAGE

Truth: I eat cabbage almost every day. Seriously.....I LOVE CABBAGE (and I'm not afraid to admit it.)
Here are some cabbage facts I found today and a little info on how good it is for you!  I have a couple  yummy recipes  using this amazing Super Food--one is even served at the famous and amazing Northwoods Inn restaurant!  So come on give cabbage a chance to make you feel alive from the inside out.

Health benefits of cabbage (Seriously EAT IT):

• Fiber: Cabbage is a stomach's best friend. Like its trendier cousins brussel sprouts, broccoli, and kale, cabbage is an amazing source of fiber. Raw cabbage has also been shown to help cure stomach ulcers.

• Antioxidants: Red cabbage is chock full of anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant commonly found in blue, purple, and red plants. Studies show antioxidants can reduce inflammation, provide cancer protection, and boost brain function.

• Lowers cholesterol: Look to this superfood for a natural and effective cholesterol reducer. Cabbage prevents bile from absorbing fat after a meal, which lowers the overall amount of cholesterol in the body.

• Glucosinolates: Cabbage contains sulfur-based compounds called glucosinolates that have anti-carcinogenic properties. In the body, glucosinolates become compounds called isothiocyanates, which some studies suggest inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

(info above courtesy of http://greatist.com/health/superfood-cabbage and there are more amazing recipes if you check out their site by following the link)

And of course when you consume cabbage raw the health benefits are the strongest. I do this--I EAT IT RAW most of the time. I love the angle hair shredded cabbage that you can find in the coleslaw area of your local grocery store, or you can shred it yourself (yes sometimes I'm super lazy and I buy it pre-shredded, that way I'm sure to eat it because its ready for me.)

I eat so much cabbage I have totally replaced lettuce in my diet with it. 

I use it in taco salads. I add it to chili, soups, any kind of cooked chicken! Almost anything I eat, I add cabbage to. It's super crunchy and just soooooo yummy, and it fills you up so you eat less.

HELLOOOOOO! High nutritional value and it helps you eat less?! no wonder its a SUPER FOOD.

Alright, so everyone is adding cabbage to their diets right? Ok good, you wont be sorry. Here is a recipe I totally made up inspired by my Chicken Jalapeno Poppers:

3 to 4 chicken breasts, ground up ( I use my food processor)
about 10 jalapenos, seeded and chopped up (again you can use a food processor)

One package of turkey bacon chopped

4 wedges (maybe more taste as you blend it up I believe I used four and made a ton of this stuff)  of Laughing Cow Cheese flavor of your choice I like the garlic herb one.

A few cloves of garlic chopped up

Olive oil

1 whole head of cabbage shredded or a bag or two of the Angel hair shredded cabbage

Directions:

Coat the bottom of a sauce pan with olive oil and cook the chicken with the garlic thoroughly. When cooked add the jalapenos and bacon cook them until the peppers are somewhat soft

Next add the laughing cow cheese and stir until mixed thoroughly over low heat.

When it's all mixed together turn off heat and add cabbage and stir. 

Cover pot and let cabbage soften a bit, maybe 15 mins. 

That's it! It looks a bit like a goolash but it is super tasty! I don't measure things so just add and subtract and taste as you go :) a small bowl of this stuff is super tasty and filling :)

Another recipe is for red cabbage, is tasty as well, and eaten raw. 

North woods Inn inspired Red cabbage recipe can be found here:

http://www.food.com/recipe/northwoods-inn-red-cabbage-salad-400656



As with other recipes, I substitute the sugar either with a little raw sugar, or agave...and use very little season salt and light olive oil. It's super yummy and packed with nutrients from the Red cabbage! Yummy! 

I hope you try some cabbage soon! Let me know when you do!

Apps that make life easy

There are ALL kinds of smartphone apps that help you keep track of your fitness.  Everything from running apps for beginners like Couch to 5k, My Fitness Pal that helps to keep track of your daily intake and exercise and one of my favorites is Nike Training Club, an app that times your exercises, walks you through each workout pulls music from your own library to workout to and gives you all the info on how many calories you burned.

With all these apps available, it is hard to decipher which are beneficial and which are just a waste of your money.  My newest download is the eMeals app.  So far, this app is AWESOME! So great in fact that I bought a subscription to the service.  What's the service you ask? It's a complete meal plan with an automatically generated shopping list.  Now I know there are apps out there that may provide this service for free, however, this one actually includes a PALEO meal plan! EEEK

For those of you who have other dietary lifestyles, there are 11 different meal plans to choose from including Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Clean Eating and Slow Cooker. (sorry there's no Vegan option)

This app includes all the recipes and shopping list for a week's worth of dinners.  You can also buy a subscription for Breakfasts and lunches as well.  The retail price is a little expensive for the average consumer, HOWEVER I am the queen of shopping and found a Groupon for 3 different subscription options - 12 Months of Dinner Planning ($29 regularly $58), 12 Months of Lunch and Dinner Planning ($39 regularly $106) or 12 Months of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner planning ($49 regularly $142). But hurry as I don't know when the Groupon will expire!

The recipes sound amazing and the website that goes with the app allows you to download the meal plans which includes the shopping list!

I'm in love with how easy this will be to eat Paleo.  Maybe I wont be 100% Paleo 80% of the time anymore!

Paleo Bang Bang Shrimp

This is a DELICIOUS, quick and easy recipe that is just plain yummy goodness! You can make it a main dish by serving it over cabbage, use it as a side dish with a big fat steak or even use it as a topping for a salad.

Ingredients
• 1 lb Shrimp (Peeled & Deveined)
• 3/4 cup of Paleo Mayo
• 3-4 Tbsp. Hot Sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
• Garlic Powder
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions
While heating the coconut oil in a skillet, sprinkle the shrimp with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the oil and cook to desired done-ness.

While the shrimp is cooking, mix the Paleo mayo, hot sauce and red pepper flakes. Taste and add additional heat if needed.

Add the cooked shrimp to the mayo and mix, coating the shrimp.


That's it! Easy peasy!

Chicken, Bacon and Jalapeños...need I say more?

Because I wanted Jalapeño Poppers, here is a wonderful recipe I made up this weekend and I NEEDED them to be healthy.  You're welcome.

Here is what you will need to make 8 poppers:

• 2 Chicken breasts marinated in your choice of marinade (I let mine sit in Italian dressing overnight.) 
• 8 Jalapeños washed and seeded (I cut the tops off and cut in half on one side leaving the other side attached so they are easy to stuff.) 
• 1 package of Bacon of your choice (I use maple smoked bacon yummy!! Center cut is a healthier option.) 
• Garlic powder 
• 4 triangles of Laughing Cow Original Cheese spread (Optional, but really makes it so good. You can also mix it with some goat cheese to give the poppers some creamy faux-cream cheese.)

Directions:
After the chicken was done marinating, I ground it up in my food processor. I fully cooked the chicken in a pan, adding the garlic powder for seasoning.  You can add other spices as well, but you do not have to add salt; the bacon makes this recipe salty enough! Next, I cleaned and seeded my jalapeños and used half a triangle of the Laughing Cow Cheese (yes...I realize that is not paleo lol, but I wanted a little but of a treat!) and spread the cheese on one side of the jalapeño. Then, I filled up the remaining space in the jalapeño with my cooked ground chicken and wrapped them in bacon.  Because I used huge jalapeños,  I wrapped them with two bacon slices each and secured the bacon with toothpicks.  I cooked these in a tray on my Rotisserie which is my FAVORITE thing in the world, but you can also cook these in the oven at 375 to 400 until the bacon is done. Or even smoke them....oh yum! And that's it! Amazing Jalapeño poppers with tons of protein! So yummy and easy, Enjoy, friends!

Pictured: The poppers in my Rotisserie, then the poppers when finished!

Irish Cake Bomb Cupcakes

Although this blog is for fitness and living the healthiest of lifestyles, sometimes we have slip-ups which I put in the category of MADNESS. This post is one of those slip-ups that I can't help but share. Being that it is St. Patrick's Day, I thought it was fitting to post this today.

 I have an absolute weakness for sweets; cakes, pies, cookies... You name it and I usually won't hesitate to have a serving--and sometimes seconds! I was invited to a party today and needed to bring some kind of dessert. My first thought was my friend Bonnie of Owl Have a Cupcake. Unfortunately she wasn't making her yummy cupcakes for the holiday so I had to come up with something on my own. The ultimate of St. Patty's Day desserts...Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.

For those who don't know, an Irish Car Bomb is a wonderful Alcoholic Beverage consisting of Guinness, Jameson Irish Whiskey and Bailey's Irish Cream. You pour two shots, one of the whiskey and the other of the Bailey's. You then add the whiskey to the Guinness and then quickly pour the Baileys in and CHUG! You HAVE to drink it fast as the Baileys will curdle in the beer AND YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN! It's deliciously smooth and tasty and will leave you wondering why you have never had it before.

With ALL that being said, I scoured the Internet for the best recipes and found this one for the cupcakes from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen's blog. The cupcakes turned out light and fluffy and so yummy! I combined the cupcake recipe with a modified recipe from The Brown-eyed Baker for Chocolate Whiskey Ganache (I added MORE whiskey). I modified my grandmothers Butter cream Icing recipe to include Baileys.

I'm not a baker, but love to try and recreate what the Pros make, and I think I came pretty close to perfection on these!

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 1½ sticks butter, room temperature
• 1¼ cups white granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 12 ounce Guinness stout
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Whiskey Ganache Filling:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon Irish whiskey

For the Baileys Frosting:

• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 1/2 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
• 1/2 Cup Shortening or butter
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 3/4 lb Powdered Sugar
• 1 Egg White
• Almond or Vanilla Extract (to taste)
  

Instructions:

For the cupcakes:
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcakes tins with cupcake wrappers.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.
Using your stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and airy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Starting and ending with the flour mixture, alternating between the Guinness mix in parts, making sure not to over mix the batter.
Scrape down the sides and bottoms of the mixing bowl, scoop into the prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Whiskey Ganache Filling:
Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.

To Fill the Cupcakes: 
Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a large decorating tip), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down. Transfer the ganache to a piping back with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

To Make the Baileys Frosting:
Dissolve powdered milk in Bailey's. Whip in mixer using whisk attachment until creamy.  Add ingredients one by one in order listed. Beat well until fluffy.  Add more extract to taste 1/2 tsp at a time.

 

I have to say, these really did turn out FANTASTIC, and I think they will become a staple for any St. Patrick's Day celebration!

Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing

Although it's not my day to post, I found this unique recipe from Eat Clean and Diet and had to share! I can't wait to try it.  I think it will be sweet and tangy and will add amazing flavor to any salad!

Ingredients

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 4 cloves garlic

Instructions:
-place all ingredients into a blender/magic bullet and blend well until garlic is completely crushed
-use about 2 tbsp on your salad
-store in an airtight jar Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 0

What did you eat tonight?

Hi it's me again...since it's Tuesday and it's MY blog day I want to share what I ate tonight :) Recipe will be posted soon as soon as I have accurate measurements of ingredients...yes I kinda just throw stuff together. :)
So tonight I ate Cashew Nut Chicken and Raw Cabbage..yummmmm! So good!

Lemon Cranberry Paleo Bread

This recipe is Amazing from Against All Grain.....Below are a few changes I made. Enjoy

Ingredients
2½ cups blanched almond flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup honey
1/3 cup palm shortening, or unsalted butter – room temperature
4 large eggs – room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen

Glaze
¼ cup raw cashews
4 teaspoons coconut milk
3 teaspoons expeller pressed coconut oil, melted
3 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons honey, liquid
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly coat an 8×4 loaf pan with coconut oil, then line with parchment paper.
Place all of the loaf ingredients, except the cranberries, in a blender. Blend on low for 20 seconds to get things moving, then increase the power to high and blend for 30 seconds, until very smooth.
*Tip: place the liquids on the bottom to help the blade move easily.

Mix in the chopped cranberries by hand, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place the loaf in the oven, then immediately reduce the oven temperature to 325. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf. Let the loaf cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then gently loosen the sides and remove it from the pan. Continue to cool until it has reached room temperature.

Meanwhile, make the lemon glaze. Add all of the ingredients to a small blender or food processor and process until smooth. Stop to scrape the sides if necessary to get all of the little bits of cashews.

*If you only have a large blender, you may need to double the glaze recipe so it fills it enough for the blade to work and doesn't just spread up the sides. You can store the extra glaze in the freezer for 2 months for later use.

*If you’re allergic to cashews, you can use the glaze from this iced pumpkin cookie recipe and add a little lemon to it instead of the vanilla beans and cinnamon.

Once the loaf has cooled completely, drizzle the icing over the top. You can also evenly spread a thin layer on top.

Store the leftover loaf tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.

** I made a few changes to the recipe and it was AMAZING. First off I LOVE lemon so I added the juice from one whole lemon as well as grated lemon peel off of a frozen lemon. I also added in 1/4 c. of unsweetened shredded coconut. This recipe turned out fantastic, even my Husband loved it. I made these into muffins and it made about 12 traditional sized muffins.

*** Oh yea I didn't blanch this, blend this or anything else...I mixed the dry ingredients and then blended the wet ingredients.....why make it difficult? It came out perfect so make it easy and throw it together :)

It's not a Diet, it's a Lifestyle!

We HATE the word diet, as a diet to most people is only a temporary change . . . We encourage you to change your lifestyle, as it is a change in your mindset, not just a change in what you eat!  This IS the way WE live.

We will have many delicious Paleo, Primal, Vegan and Vegetarian inspired recipes to share in the coming months. We all have different likes and dislikes that we will incorporate to give you the best possible nutrition for whatever fitness lifestyle you lead. 

Paleo Banana Bread

This recipe was hijacked from our beautiful Stefanie Lauer. And it is AMAZING! Thank you Stefanie for the great yummy recipe!

Makes: 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients
1 serving cooking spray
2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda

3 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup agave syrup 

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste


Notes / Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Mix together almond flour, ground cinnamon, and baking soda in a bowl.

3. Beat two eggs in a bowl. Mix in almond extract, agave syrup, mashed bananas, and vanilla bean paste. Add banana mixture to almond flour mixture; mix until no dry areas are visible. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.

4. Bake banana bread in the preheated oven until brown and crisp around the edges, about 45 minutes.


***You can do many variations of this recipe. I have been told Pumpkin or Cranberry is good. I experimented the other night and took out all the sweet stuff and seasoned it with garlic and Italian seasonings and it was delicious with my spaghetti sauce.