Mashed Avocado Deviled Eggs

Did you ever plan to make deviled eggs, with their lovely presentation, but then then eggs all crack and split? Me, too - today, in fact. I wanted to make paleo avocado deviled eggs but the eggs just weren't cooperating. Well, never fear!

I threw 8 (mangled) boiled eggs into a mixing bowl.
I added:
1 avocado, mashed or sliced
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chipotle chili pepper
3 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 tsp bacon grease
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

I mashed everything up with a fork and put it into the fridge for a few minutes.

This stuff is DELICIOUS and FASTER than the pretty avocado deviled eggs. Sometimes speed trumps presentation and sometimes the eggs just won't cooperate. We made it work!

You might want to try this recipe around Easter.......

Also, I downloaded an update on my phone and now it won't load photos into my iphoto... I'll figure that out later - this recipe is too good to wait. They are already saying if we eat it all tonight, they are making more for breakfast!

Blueberry Ginger Protein Balls

First things first : 14.4.  Cassie got 183 and is planning to hit it again Monday at Crossfit Countdown. Ger got 260 - - they said on the Games sight if you got back to the rower, you were the best of the best... and Ger got all 60 calories rowed when he got back to the rower. (Sorry  not sorry - proud mom moment - thanks for understanding!)

A while back I made Blueberry Ginger Protein Balls with big fresh blueberries. If you keep your protein balls in the freezer, you might want to know that the blueberries were frozen and hard, SO you can leave them out a few minutes before eating them, or just keep these in the fridge, OR mush the blueberries a bit when you make them.

I put all the ingredients in one bowl:
4 scoops vanilla protein powder ( I use Progenex and sometimes Myofusion)
1/2 cup coconut oil, NOT melted
2 TBSP local honey
2 TBSP almond butter
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (nuts.com)2 cups blueberries
4 TBSP coconut milk (once in a while a batch needs a little more...)
1/4 tsp ginger (or 1 TBSP minced candied ginger medallions that have had the sugar washed off of them

I stirred them up with a wooden spoon.  I used my cookie scoop to make them quickly into balls and placed them on parchment paper. Then I popped them into the freezer for 20 minutes. They were so good! 

Strawberry Chia Jam

I took really ripe strawberries and cored and sliced them. I mushed them up with a fork - just a fork because I wanted chunks of strawberry still in there. I did this until I had two cups of mushed strawberry.
 I added 2 TBSP of chia seeds, 1 TBSP maple syrup, and one tsp vanilla.  I stirred this all up, put the lid on, and placed it in the fridge for 20 minutes. I used my small Pampered Chef bowl.

This stuff is delicious, especially when swirled into some Snowville greek yogurt, or other organic yogurt from pastured cows.  I'm sure it would be fine in the fridge for 2-3 weeks, but it won't last that many days around here!

If your strawberries aren't quite as juicy as mine were, you may need a a tsp or two of water added so that the chia seeds do their amazing thickening thing.

                                                           Strawberries are so beautiful. 

Paleo Blackberry Pecan Butter

It's an absolutely beautiful Saturday and the weather is just perfect.  The blackberries I bought this morning were perfect, too, so I thought I would incorporate them into the toasted pecan butter I was planning to make today. We all liked it very much.  I think it will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. (if it lasts that long....)

I wanted lots of flavor, so toasting the nuts first was a step worth taking.

I took 1 lb of pecan halves and spread them out on a heavy cookie sheet.
 I put them in a 350 degree oven to toast for 10 minutes. (You might want to go 12, but watch them if you do...) 
I let them cool on on a rack and then put half of them into my food processor. I didn't put anything else in - nothing. It didn't need anything else. I turned it on and let it work for a minute or so. First it looked like chopped nuts, then it looked like almond flour (well, pecan flour, lol) and then it started to look oily and THEN it looked like perfect Paleo Toasted Pecan Butter.  I worked the pecan butter down off the sides of the food processor bowl with a spatula.
Then I added 10 blackberries and blended just until they were mixed - about 30 seconds. 

I scraped the Paleo Blackberry Pecan Butter into a container and then did it all again with the other half pound of toasted pecans and adding the blackberries in at the end.

 I'm thinking of lots of ways to use this!

Chewy Banana Goji Cookies

Sometimes I crave something with a little old-fashioned oats in it. Oats don't spike your insulin, so now and then, it's not going to be a big deal. These cookies are so healthy and so fast!

I put the following ingredients into a large bowl:

2 large ripe bananas
1  1/4 cup old-fashioned oats (we love McCann's quick oats - order from amazon.com)
1 cup unsweetened coconut  ( the coconut chips are the big chunks - order from nuts.com or tropicaltraditions.com)
1/4 cup goji berries  ( or other dried fruit you like, or dark chocolate chips....)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

I mashed this all up with my hands.
Then I washed my hands and used a cookie scoop and placed the cookies on a baking sheet.

I baked them in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes.  I think they made 18.... they were being eaten before I got a photo.....

Sweet Potato Nutmeg Rounds

Oh, the joy of sweet potatoes!  Here's what I did tonight:

I peeled and sliced 4 big sweet potatoes. The slices were all about 1/2 inch thick.
I rubbed them in coconut oil and placed them on a baking sheet.
Next, I lightly sprinkled them with:
nutmeg
cinnamon
sea salt

I baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Oh, this one is going to be around for a long time!!

The Sweet Potato Nutmeg Rounds paired very nicely with http://feedinggersasser.blogspot.com/2013/06/rotisserie-style-crock-pot-chicken.html and I knew Ger and Cassie would be very hungry tonight after everyone's 14.2 scores going onto the leaderboard!
(There's also http://feedinggersasser.blogspot.com/search?q=roasted+pineapple in the oven!)

Delicious Dinner!  We try to keep our cells working optimally around here. Eating PALEO keeps you from having confused biochemistry.

Paleo Pork Chops

I put 2 TBSP of almond flour and 1 tsp of coconut flour, along with smoked sea salt and black pepper into a container and stirred. I laid each pork chop into this mixture (for a paleo "breading") and cooked the chops in a skillet with 2 TBSP coconut oil on medium, until they were browned on both sides.

Then, I turned them down to a lower temperature and added maybe 1/4 cup of water (I didn't measure...) and put a lid on them so they become much more tender. I turned them over every 5-7 minutes, 2 or 3 times, until they looked perfectly tender.

Sometimes I add rosemary, but not this time.

Paleo Cinnamon Apples

I made this side dish tonight to go with our pork chops.  I got half of a nice healthy local farm pig yesterday so I'm pretty excited to be cooking some fine pork cuts along with all the trimmings!

Back to the apples.
I cored and sliced 6 organic red apples. I didn't peel them. I put them in a skillet along with:
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 tsp pasture butter
1/4 cup natural applesauce (with no added sugar - read the label...)
1 TBSP cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 TBSP water

I stirred now and then until the apples were tender.
OH, yum!

Paleo Salmon Croquettes

I was going to make salmon patties but I was in a big hurry and since smaller things cook faster, I made them small..... with a cookie scoop! It was fast, easy, and so tasty.

I put the following ingredients into a mixing bowl:
1  tsp dried mustard
1 TBSP minced garlic (you know I love garlicgold.com)
1  1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1  tsp Cherrywood Smoked Sea Salt (you know I love salttraders.com)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 eggs
3 TBSP almond flour (not blanched)
(2 TBSP diced onion, optional)

I stirred all of that up.
I added 4 small cans of very nice salmon. (It's the equivalent of 2 15 oz cans) I poured the juice off as much as possible before adding the salmon to the mixing bowl.

I mixed this all up with my hands. I washed my hands and used a cookie scoop to make the little croquettes.  I put them into a heated skillet with coconut oil.  I browned them on both sides.

All this was done while the kale chips cooked in the oven. Perfect combination!

Paleo Apple Raisin Cake in a Mug

I love our Paleo Cake in a Mugs. They're fast, moist, and healthy in an individual serving. (Put "cake in a mug" into the search box if you want to try the other two -  a cocoa version and a pumpkin, both pumpkin-based)

This one is applesauce-based and has organic raisins and was a wonderful breakfast with coffee. Hey, it has an egg in it!

I rubbed coconut oil inside a big coffee mug.  (This mug is from honeyvillegrain.com and so is the natural almond flour)
I added the dry ingredients and STIRRED:

1/2 cup almond meal ( I always use the unblanched, or natural)
1/4 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp cinnamon
just a dash of nutmegTHEN I just stirred the dry ingredients with the fork I was going to eat it with.Then added the wet ingredients:
2 TBSP real maple syrup (honey works, too)
2 drops real vanilla
1 egg
3 TBSP applesauce (with no added sugar)
1 heaping TBSP organic raisins (dried cranberries would be nice, too)

I stirred again, making sure I'd stirred all the almond flour up off the bottom of the mug.

I put it in the microwave for 1 minute and 50 seconds.  






And that's it. Breakfast! Or dessert! Or a mid-afternoon snack!  Look down into that mug......

Paleo Pancakes

Happy National (paleo) Pancake Day!  I have yet another snow day so I got to lazily drink my coffee, plan my day here at the house, and make bacon and paleo pancakes.  A lot of times I make my  pancakes with pumpkin (just put "pancakes" into the search box on this blog to see them) and Cassie makes great pancakes with banana, but today I wanted something really "egg-y."

So,  these pancakes were just the ticket! They were delicious with bacon on the side, and just a hint of real maple syrup drizzled across the top. I'm even going to make them again tonight, alongside a big pot of my Paleo Deer Chili recipe, but with grass fed beef this time. YUM!

I whisked the following items up with a fork:

3 eggs
1/8 cup coconut flour
a pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon

I put a little pasture butter in a small skillet (over medium low heat) and poured out about 1/3 of the batter. After 2 minutes (when it looked like I would be able to flip it and there were s few of those little bubbles in the batter) I flipped the pancake and cooked for 2 more minutes or so.
I added a little butter to the pan each time I made a pancake.
Yum!
Tonight I'm going to make them in one big skillet!  I'm going to leave out the cinnamon since I want them savory to go with the chili.

Paleo Chicken Stir Fry

So,  14.1 is in the books. I can't wait to find out what 14.2 is, and watch it at the box and then watch Dustin and John go head-to-head right there. ( I had to miss all the fun last week since Jess was put in the hospital that night. She's going home tomorrow!)
I knew Ger and Cassie would be HUNGRY tonight when they got home so I made this delicious Paleo Chicken Stir Fry for them.

I peeled and cut up 3 organic carrots. I boiled them in a small pan with water,  just make them tender faster.
Next, I cooked two packages of chicken cutlets in a large skillet over medium heat in 2 TBSP of coconut oil. When they were done, I took them out of the skillet and cut them into bite-sized pieces. (You might want to cut your chicken up before you cook it, but I would rather touch cooked chicken than raw chicken....lol)

In the same skillet I sauteed these vegetables, chopped, until tender:

1 orange pepper
1 bunch broccoli
1 small red onion
1 bunch asparagus
(feel free to tweak the vegetables here)

I put the chicken and the drained carrots back into the skillet with the vegetables.

I added:

1 TBSP black sesame seeds
2 TBSP honey
1/2 tsp smoked sea salt (salttraders.com - you have to try them!)
1/2 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1 TBSP coconut cream concentrate (optional - also called coconut butter)

                      Absolutely yummy. Everyone came back for more and we ate it all!

Paleo Snow Cream

If the weather where you are is anything at all like the weather where we are, then you might be able to try this recipe. PALEO Snow Cream!   I loved snow cream when I was a little girl - mom made it for my little sister and I - we didn't care if it was cold out - we'd go get clean fresh snow and she would do the rest.   You seriously have to try this while we have BIG clean fresh snow!


I stirred the following ingredients in a huge bowl:

1/3 cup coconut milk from a can, CHILLED ( or almond milk if you prefer)
1 tsp real vanilla
1/4 cup real maple syrup  ( you can also use 1/4 cup local honey instead if you prefer)

I added 4-5 cups of fresh snow and stirred it all up. (You will want to add 4 cups of snow and stir it up and taste it just to see if you need more. Different moisture levels in the snow make a big difference.

This was paleo - it wasn't as sweet as the sugar-laden snow cream in my memories, but you know what? I like this so much better!  If you like it sweeter, add more maple syrup or honey....

If YOU have any leftovers.... you could make them into popsicles. We don't want to waste this stuff! More on THAT later.

                             Thanks to Kerry for these photos - hers are always nicer than mine!

Paleo Skillet Chicken with Sun Dried Tomato

 I hope everyone who's doing the Open gets a great score on 14.1. I hope everyone can get to the box safely. I don't know where you are but the weather here in the Ashland area of Kentucky.. it's a mess! Ice, sleet, easily 7 inches of snow AND it's still snowing... so, if you're at home, cook something!


I put 2 heaping TBSP of coconut oil into a skillet and added:
1/2 of a red onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced

I cooked this for 3-4 minutes on medium.
Then I added 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes. ( I love the ones from nuts.com - they aren't in oil and are so moist and delicious)
I cooked the mixture another 3-4 minutes and then removed it from the pan and set it aside.

I put 2 more heaping TBSP of coconut oil into the skillet. (If you used sun dried tomato in oil, you may not need this much more oil)
I added 2  1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken tenders. (If you have chicken breasts, just slice them into 3 or 4 pieces to make your tenders - sometimes this saves you a lot of money)
I cooked the chicken on a little higher heat, turning them and making sure they were done on all sides.

Next, I added several stalks of asparagus, broken into bite-sized pieces.
I returned the onion-garlic-tomato mixture back into the pan to warm.

I added:
1 tsp dried basil ( fresh would be even better but I didn't have it)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp organic black sesame seeds (optional, but oh, so good and healthy!)

Please notice I did not salt this recipe - there's PLENTY of salt in sun-dried tomatoes.

MY, how you've grown!  BOTH of you!