Almond cookies (Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Yesenia, a fellow Slenderiiz user and friend, posted a link to some delicious cookies today! http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Flourless_-sugar-free-peanut-butter-cookies-309702

The recipe calls for peanut butter and peanuts, so I adapted to almond butter and chopped almonds. The only other substitute I made was instead of using a tsp of water I used a tsp of coconut milk.

(Makes about 2 dozen small cookies, recipe adapted from Flourless Almond Butter Cookies from Cookie Madness.)

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1 cup granular Splenda or Stevia-in-the-Raw Granulated Sweetener

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp.vanilla extract

1 cup creamy natural almond butter (check sugar content, the one I used had no sugar in the ingredients)

1 tsp. water (I used coconut milk)

1/3 cup chopped almonds (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

In mixing bowl, use electric beater to beat together the egg, Stevia, baking powder, and vanilla for about a minute. Add almond butter and water and beat together. (The mixture was fairly dry and broken apart. Just be sure the peanut butter is mixed well with the other ingredients.) Add peanuts if using, and blend into dough.

Use a large non-stick cookie sheet. Measure out a heaping teaspoon of batter for each cookie, then smash down with a fork. Bake 15 minutes, or slightly longer, until cookies feel firm and are slightly browned.

Tip: For easy clean up line your baking sheets with foil.

Yesenia's cookies look so beautiful I had to share =)

Chicken Fajita Salad (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Last night I made some homemade pico de gallo as I prepped for our lunches this week. This afternoon I stared in to the fridge and thought about how easy it would be to snag my toddler up and grab a bite to eat out instead. Haha! Talk about how we trick ourselves into making choices out of "convenience" when really not having to leave the home at all is way more convenient. On a whim I threw together this keeper, a recipe I will definitely be reusing time and time again.

Things you are going to need:
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast (fat trimmed) or 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs (fat trimmed)
season both sides well with:

• salt
• pepper
• cumin
• onion powder
• garlic powder

1/2 tbs of coconut oil (you can sub olive oil)
6 tbs pico de gallo
1 bell pepper (or 5 mini bell peppers)
1 cup mixed greens salad
1/2 a lime

In a medium sized nonstick skillet (this allows you to use less oil) heat up the coconut oil to medium/high heat. with tongs place your well seasoned chicken in to the skillet and brown both sides.

Cut the bell pepper in to strips and toss in to the skillet. Stir occasionally, after 2 minutes add 4 tbs of pico (save 2 tbs for a fresh garnish to dress your salad with) and toss and use the liquid to help pick up (de-glaze) the brownings on the bottom of the skillet (there is so much flavor in there!). Reduce the heat to medium /low) and remove the chicken and cut the chicken into strips then place back in to your skillet. Squeeze the 1/2 a lime into the skillet to help brighten the mix and coat the chicken in the yummy seasonings that have coated the bottom of the skillet.

Lay down a bead of spring salad mix on the plate and top with the fajita mix. Garnish with your remaining 2 tbs of pico de gallo. Enjoy!

4 oz serving of chicken fajita on salad is 220 calories.
6 oz serving of chicken fajita on salad is 338 calories.

Well balanced and delicious! Who needs to eat out? The secret to healthy eating is in your grocery cart.

Heirloom Tomato Pico de Gallo

We use a lot salsa in our home. Its a great salad dressing, garnish and marinade. Here is a Easy Pico de Gallo, no fuss,  recipe.

4 large tomatoes (I like to use heirloom tomatoes when they're in season)
1 sweet onion
2 Serrano peppers
1/4 bunch of cilantro
1 lime
Pinch of sea salt

Dice the tomatoes,  onion, cilantro, and peppers. If you don't care for spicy food make sure you remove the seeds before you dice the serrano peppers you can also reduce the amount of peppers you use. Mix all your diced ingredients and add the juice of one lime. Toss the mixture and sprinkle with a dash of sea salt if desired.

You can eat right away but the longer it sits in the fridge the more the flavors will marry together.

Vegan Ice Cream (Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free)

In a comment on my no bake cookie recipe a friend (Michelle B.) left a recipe for this delightful vegan ice cream in the comments. I had to try! The whole family approved =)

Things you need:
2 ripe bananas
2 tbs almond butter
2 tbs unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
(optional) 1/2 tbs Stevia in the raw
(optional) chopped almond for topping
(optional) 1 large strawberry (or other fresh fruit of your choice)

Servings: 2 (394 calories total)

Cut up 2 ripe bananas and freeze (takes at least 6 hours). When you're getting ready to prep take the bananas out of the freezer and let them thaw slightly on the counter top for 10 minutes.

I used a magic bullet instead of a blender but either will work. Put your banana's, coconut milk, almond butter and cocoa powder (also optional Stevia), and blend until smooth.

Should turn out the same exact texture as soft service ice cream. I topped ours with some fresh strawberries and chopped almonds for added brightness and crunch.

Delicious! Thanks Michelle!

Orange Chicken Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free

We used to frequent Thai food and Chinese food for take home meals quite a bit before making our life style change. We spent a lot of money to earn that unwanted weight ;) Karl has been missing Orange Chicken and typically when the temptation to fall off the healthy bandwagon happens its as he smells the Orange Chicken from the Deli in Safeway.  So today I did some experimenting and finally came up with a great alternative that really aligns with our better eating habits and fits in with the Slenderiiz program we've been doing to shed pounds quickly.

Things you need:
4 oranges juiced + (1 tablespoon of orange zest)
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 white onion
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 tablespoon ginger powder
1/2 tablespoon salt (salt and pepper to taste)
1 tsp of stevia
2 cloves of garlic minced
(Optional) pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
6 green onions
toasted sesame seeds (garnish)
1 bag of California Vegetable mix (or your choice of veggies)

In a sauce pan add all but a tablespoon of the orange juice and 1/2 a tablespoon of orange zest and 1 tsp of Stevia (and the red pepper flakes if you want the spice). Heat on the back burner and allow to reduce.

prepare for a quick stir fry in the wok by getting all your ingredients ready ahead of time

Slice the raw chicken in to thin slices as evenly as possible. I did mine about 2 inches long by 1/3 inch wide. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, ginger, garlic, and half of the green onions (leave some for garnish). Cut up the white onion in bite size pieces.

lightly salt the onions

In a hot wok or large skillet drop the coconut oil and onion, saute until the onions just start to brown on the edges. Add your seasoned chicken and brown. Throw the bag of veggies in the microwave to cook while finishing the rest of the dish, or add your raw (not frozen) veggies to the Wok as soon as the chicken starts to sizzle (you don't want the Wok to cool down and slow down the cooking process or end up with rubbery chicken)

De-glaze the wok with the apple cider vinegar. 

Pour the orange sauce (consistency of a thin syrup) out of the sauce pan and in with chicken. Toss in the sauce until the contents are evenly saturated. When the chicken is all evenly cooked (PINK IS BAD), and the coated in the sauce remove from heat and toss in the remaining tablespoon of fresh orange juice and 1/2 tablespoon of orange zest. 

Arrange the Chicken on top of your steamed or microwaved veggies and garnish with sesame seeds and the remaining minced green onions.

Voila! This serving is 320 calories. 

I kid you not when I say, the kids literally licked the bowl clean! and I was tempted to as well.

No Bake Cookies Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free

When you're making a life style change instead of just a "diet" you have to have options for treats so you don't feel like you're deprived and then binge on junk food. I adapted several different recipes in order to come up with this one great alternative to your traditional, calorie and sugar packed no bake cookie.

NOTE: Make sure you measure the coconut oil while in liquid form, and if you are using a loose almond butter reduce your coconut oil measurements by 2-3 tbs.

Things you need:
1 cup Almond butter (make sure it's sugar free)
1 3/4 cup Stevia in the Raw
3 cups Old Fashioned Oatmeal (make sure it's gluten free)
1/2 cup Coconut oil
1/2 cup Unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 tsp Nutmeg (or cinnamon)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa powder (if you want a chocolate cookie use 1/3 cup)
Wax paper / cookie sheet

In a large sauce pan melt the coconut oil on low, add the stevia. Stir in the coconut milk and turn the heat up to medium and stir in the almond butter, salt, nutmeg, cocoa powder. Heat mixture and mix thoroughly, add the oat meal and stir over heat for 30 seconds- 1minute until evenly incorporated. Remove from heat and drop on to two cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place in the freezer to set.

I like to store mine in the freezer for freshness and the extra crunch.

These awesome little cookies are packed with protein and fiber and are less than 150 calories per cookie!

Karl likes to grab these on the way out the door to work as a quick breakfast paired with either an apple or an orange.

Spaghetti Squash

I'm not a big fan of squash but I saw an episode of Diners Drive-in and Dives where a restaurant was serving half shell baked spaghetti squash and it looked amazing! So I took note of the ingredients and went to work making my own version with out beef or cow dairy. Incidentally it's gluten free as well!

Things you need

One whole spaghetti squash

One jar spaghetti sauce (I prefer Bella Vita)- preferably sugar free or you can make your own.

Ground Italian sausage- I use chicken sausage and take it out of the casing.

coconut oil

Salt and pepper

pine nuts

Ready set go!

Cute the squash in half length wise

Drizzle melted coconut oil (lightly!)

Salt and pepper the flesh

Pop in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, while that's in the oven brown up your sausage in a medium sautee pan or wok. add the sauce to heat up.

pull out of the oven (careful it's hot!)

Fork out the flesh into the length of angel hair pasta and toss gently into the sauce.

pack back into the squash shells and top with pine nuts. Now place back into the oven until the the pine nuts are just starting to turn golden brown.

Pull it out and either serve in the shell (I cut in half as is and serve like that as a nice presentation) you can also just pass it around family style. This makes about 4-6 hearty servings.

Quinoa Pancakes with Strawberry Basil Compote

I've heard so many great things about Quinoa as a replacement for rice, bread crumbs, cornmeal and etc. that this last time while I was at the store I grabbed a bag. Unsure what I was going to do with it I left it on the counter and started pondering.... My oldest asked if we could have breakfast for dinner (she wanted a bagel and banana) and it dawned on me that we haven't had pancakes in over a month! Pancakes used to be our staple breakfast, lunch or dinner if the cupboards were bare.

I started looking around and found a recipe from Martha Stewart as my foundation, but it required several alterations to be Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Sugar Free.

Things you need:

1 cup cooked Quinoa

1/2 tsp nutmeg (or cinnamon if you're going to top with apples)

• 3/4 cup almond flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder (Rumford is confirmed gluten free)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 medium sized eggs

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, plus more for skillet

• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon stevia (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut oil, unsweetened coconut milk, and stevia until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine.

1. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with coconut oil and heat over medium-high. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top, 2 minutes. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more coconut oil and remaining batter (reduce heat to medium if overbrowning). Serve with fresh fruit or preserves if desired.

Strawberry Basil Compote

Things you need:
1 package of frozen strawberries or 1 lb of fresh strawberries
2 sprigs of basil
1 tablespoon of stevia
1 tablespoon of stevia

Easy prep

Rough chop the basil leaves

Toss strawberries, basil, lemon juice, and stevia in a glass bowl and microwave for 7 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes to thicken.

or 

heat on stove in a pot until the strawberries reach the desired consistency.

Lettuce Wrapped Bison Burgers

We love Bison for it's lean qualities and flavor, and burgers were are go to staple for at least 2 meals a week...only before our lifestyle change we were eating them from Carl's Junior's drive thru instead of our grill.

You can have your burger and eat it too haha!

Bison is super lean, the suggested serving size is 4 ounces which grilled yields 190 calories.

I seasoned both sides of the 4 oz patties with black pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and dried onions. You can also use McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning (it's gluten free and sugar free).

Grill as usual I grill ours medium well (we're not pink meat people lol)

While your meat is resting off the grill wash your iceberg lettuce leaves and arrange, your toppings.

Our toppings:
Trader Joes low fat mayo (sugar free) 15 calories (1/2 tbs)
Mustard (0 calories)
Dill pickles (0 calories)
Cherry tomatoes (10 calories)
Iceberg lettuce (1 calorie)

Total burger was 216 calories and finger licking delicious!

P.s. Karl topped his burger with some salsa instead of tomatoes/pickles and raw red onions for some extra spice/sweetness. He had raving reviews.

(criteria meets Slenderiiz program approved foods)

Progress Update measured by PANTS!

Today was weigh in day and we didn't make it to the gym lol oops! We will do our official weigh in tomorrow morning.
BUT!!
Karl and I went shopping for jeans today, the progress is in the numbers!
Karl started out in 42x34 Silver brand jeans and as of today is wearing 36x34 Silver jeans!
Danielle started out in 33x32 Silver brand jeans and as of today is wearing 30x32 Silver jeans!

Karl and I have collectively almost lost 50lbs, not bad for only 37 days right?

This lifestyle change has been one of the best things to happen to us.

How are you all doing in your journey? Are you just getting started, starting over, or thinking about starting? Take it from us, there's never a time like now to save your life by making healthier choices with your food, activities, and fluids.

Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free Brownies

Craving for sweets? How about a guilt free brownie?

Things you need:

3/4 cup of Bob's Redmill All purpose gluten free flour (or 1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup sorghum flour)

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 tbs vanilla

5 ounces of pure Stevia (or 1/4 cup sweetener)

6 ounces of unsweetened cocoa powder 

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

(Optional) 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Preheat your oven 350 deg. F and lightly grease an 8x8 pan with some coconut oil

Mix your wet ingredients in a bowl (eggs, stevia, vanilla, applesauce, coconut oil), mix in a separate bowl your dry ingredient (salt, "flour", baking soda, cocoa powder).

Combine the two mixes thoroughly and pour in to your greased 8x8 pan.

Bake for 20-30 minutes

Top with your choice of fruit and enjoy!

Hidden sugars!

I thought we were doing so good with our new lifestyle of Dairy free, Gluten Free, Sugar free and no prefab or processed foods and then we hit a plateau  Nothing shakes your confidence like a plateau after you have such amazing results like we were seeing. Then on Easter I was getting ready to make a GF, DF, SF brownie when my mom pointed out that the original coconut milk we were using had cane juice in it.. I was blown away! We also had to change our coconut oil, sugar free chocolate bars, and our steak seasoning! There's hidden sugar where ever you look, so I've come to terms with you don't know what you're eating unless you make it yourself.

Common places where you might find sugar:
Drinks
Juice
Dairy Substitutes
Ketchup
BBQ sauce
Mixed Seasonings
jarred salsa
Canned fruits, vegetables and sauces
Sugar free candy (may contain malitol or sorbitol which is a sugar from alcohol)
chips
Crackers
popcorn

Know what you're eating and you can save lbs, inches, possibly disease from your future =)

Progress report on Karl After 29 days on the Slenderiiz program he is down 23 lbs, 29 days on the Slenderiiz program and Danielle is down 10lbs. I consumed the sugar loaded coconut milk at least 2-3 times a day this last month so with these adjustments I have a goal of being at a total loss of 30lbs by May 1st! and Karl's goal is to be down a total of 45 lbs by May 1st.

Stay tuned for a recipe for Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free Brownies.

Jeff's progress is amazing!

Remember our friend Jeff?! We are so proud of him and excited for the results he's seeing!
Jeff is down 26 lbs in 30 days! How incredible is that? He has made a complete lifestyle change for clean eating incorporating the Slenderiiz program to assist in his weight loss. We are truly amazed. That's nearly a pound a day!

This month we're going to have to incorporate work outs to catch up to you Jeff. =) Here we come month 2!