Coming soon...daily meals on a budget

Hey guys and gals!
Today my husband really inspired me to share a new strategy with my blogging.  The #1 thing we hear is "it's so expensive to eat clean". Karl and I feed our family of 4 on a $120 a week food budget. Eating healthy and on a budget can be done!

Look for some posts coming very soon on dollar for dollar expense on meals from breakfast to dinner including snacks. I'll also be working on helping put together a weekly meal plan broken down by cost.

Remember folks, keep it simple. Lean protein,  veggies and fruit.

Stay tuned!
Danielle :)

Almond flour pizza crust

The whole family enjoyed the crunch and toasty flavor of this gluten free, dairy free, sugar free pizza crust!

Serving size: 2

What you'll need:
Parchment paper to line your baking sheet or pizza stone.
1 cup almond flour
1 egg
2 tbs melted coconut oil
pinch of sea salt
1/2 tbs garlic powder
1/2 tbs Italian seasoning . 

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk your egg,  garlic, italian seasonings and salt. Then add in almond flour and melted coconut oil.

Lightly coat your hands in the coconut oil and roll the mixture in to a round ball.

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and a little oil on top to help not stick.

Press out your dough until about 8inches in diameter.

Pre-bake at 350 degrees with no toppings until golden brown.
Add a thin layer of sauce (I used Target's Simply balanced marinara because is sf/gf/df) bake until chosen toppings are hot.

We opted to top with salad instead of cheese ;) yum!

*Note* if you are topping with meat make sure it is cook all the way to safe temperature before adding to the pizza.

Easy one pot soup

It's finally fall time! Which means hot soup is on the menu.

If you need an easy dinner that makes for great left overs try this one out.

What you need:
2 bags frozen vegetables (I use the California vegetable blend)
2 boxes of chicken broth (read your ingredients to avoid gluten and sugar exposure)
1 lbs ground chicken

1 bag gluten free fusili pasta (I like the simply balanced brand from target)  

Italian seasonings
Sea salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
2 tbs coconut oil

Melt 2 tbs of coconut oil in the bottom of a large soup pot.  Brown the ground chicken in the oil over medium heat with 1 tbs italian seasonings,  1/2 tbs sea salt, 1/4 tbs pepper and 1/2 tbs garlic powder.

Once chicken in browned dump in the 2 bags of frozen veggies.  Stir together. Add the chicken broth and crank the heat up to high.

Once the broth is boiling pour in pasta and stir every couple of minutes until aldente. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit at least 4 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Whipped Cauliflower (faux potatoes)

My favorite part of any family meal used to be mashed potatoes. The high starch value of potatoes just kills my stomach and isn't Slenderiiz approved. My go to comfort food now is the whipped cauliflower! So good you barely miss the potatoes ;)

Yes that's cauliflower not potato!

Ready to get started?

Ingredients
32 oz frozen cauliflower
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbs crushed garlic
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetend coconut milk

Instructions
In a stew pot add all the ingredients (yes it's that easy!), cover with a lid and heat up on medium high heat (my stove has this as 6 out of 10). Stir semi frequently and add small splashes of unsweetened coconut milk if the liquid completely evaporates before the cauliflower is mashable with a manual masher/fork. If you like chunky potatoes then mash by hand. If you want light and airy then blend away! I use my Ninja on high and crack the little pour spout cover a little to make sure the seal doesn't pop from pressure. If you have a hand mixer you can use that too but be careful not to burn you self!

I like to top my light and airy cauliflower with a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Also super yummy with your favorite gravy recipe!

Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free)

Who wants a fiber and protein packed chocolate chunk cookie that could easily pass as breakfast on the go instead of dessert? Um yeah that's right, me!

Ready for some odd sounding ingredients that I promise will rock your world if blended like crazy?

Ingredients:
1 can drained and rinsed Garbanzo beans
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbs almond butter
1/4 cup agave or 1 tsp vanilla stevia plus 6 tbs of unstweened coconut milk (use stevia for Slenderiiz approved)
1 pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chunk I use "Coco Polo 70% dark chocolate"  because it's sweetend with stevia, gluten free and dairy free plus no GMO and great taste! We purchase it from Natural Grocers.
1/2 tbs coconut oil

Instructions:
In a high powered blender blend all the indredient except the chocolate until smooth and evenly integrated.
While still packaged smash the chocolate with something heavy (I use a tenderizing hammer or a full can of beans).
remove the blade from your blender or scrape mixture in to a bowl. Stir in the chocolate chunks (I also use the dough "blade" for my Ninja and it works great without over chopping the chocolate).

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Grease your hands with a little coconut oil and roll about 2 tbs of dough in your hands and then flatten and place on the parchment paper. You will probably have to reapply the coconut oil every 2-3 cookies to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.

Note: The cookies do not rise or spread so how you form them is how they will look once baked.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg.
Bake for 15-20 minutes and let set for a couple minutes before eating.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free)

 

 

Pie Crust:

Makes 8 or 9 inch crust
2/3 cup coconut flour
1 cup almond flour
1 eggs
1/4 cup arrowroot
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup softened coconut oil (unrefined)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs Stevia extract (or pure maple/honey)

1. In a small separate bowl, whisk the apple cider vinegar with the eggs (you can sub "flax eggs" by combining 6 tbs ground flax seed with warm water and set aside until it comes to a gel like consistency) until frothy.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a food processor or mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients, including eggs (or flax mixture) and mix well. The result will be a thick crumbly dough-like consistency.
3. Use extra coconut oil  to grease a 8 or 9-inch pie dish. Crumble the dough evenly over the pie dish. You will not roll out the dough with a rolling pin like traditional crusts. You will have to press the dough into the crust so it forms the pie dish shape.
4. Take a fork and puncture the crust a few times to avoid bubbling. Heat the oven to 350° and lightly pre-cook the crust for about 5-7 minutes.
5. Now you are ready to use your crust for pumpkin pie, pecan pie or any other treat you want to make!

Pie Filling:

(1) 15oz can of Pumpkin puree
1/3 cup of pure apple juice (no sugar added!)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 eggs
1 tbs pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, clove, ginger)
5 oz of pure maple or 1 tbs pure stevia extract

Bake 425 F for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown all over.

Cool for 15-20 min before serving =)

Karl's RESULTS to his 28 day commitment to fitness

RESULTS

August 16, 2013  /  Karl Marshall

Well the numbers are in!
In 28 days I lost 16.42 pounds of fat and gained 5.13 pounds of muscle. I also dropped my body fat percentage by 6%!  I'm not stopping here, I want to drop another 5% of body fat and build some excellent lean muscle to support my back while I play basketball! This is a huge leap forward in achieving my goals! Don't wait now guys and gals, start your Next 28 Days NOW!

 

Almond Joy bites (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

If it were possible to make RAW, VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE, SUGAR FREE candy on the large scale I would make these for the world and no one would be the wiser that these [in moderation] are nutritious and so good for you!
These are my favorite little morsels that are perfect for phase 3 (maintaining weight loss), I'm working on a quinoa based version that will be phase 2 (weight loss) approved for the Slenderiiz program.

Ingredients (for half dozen)

7 pitted dates

1 tbs flax seeds (or 1/4 tbs flax seed meal)
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (solid not melted)

3 tbs unsweetened coconut powder

1/4 cup raw almonds

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 unsweetened coconut shred

In a food processor or good blender pulse 7 pitted dates, 1 tbs flax seeds, 1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
3 tbs unsweetened coconut powder. When the mixture is crumbly add 1/4 cup raw almonds and 1/8 tsp salt and pulse a couple times so the almonds are chopped but not pureed. Cover a plate with 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, scoop a palm size mixture in your hand and roll into a ball then roll in the coconut. This should make about 6 truffles. Put in the fridge to firm up and enjoy =)

I intentionally did a small serving size for our family to enjoy, because with all things moderation is key!

Vegan Protein Bites

The recipe I'm about to share was inspired by a similar recipe that can viewed at http://chefambershea.com/2012/05/03/cake-batter-balls-raw-vegan-high-protein-glutengrainsoynutseedsugar-free/

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Pure Nourish (Vegan Protein Powder purchased HERE)
2 tbs coconut flour
1 tbs melted coconut oil
4-6 tbs canned whole coconut milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
(optional) blueberries

Mix all of the dry ingredients together first then mix in the coconut oil and vanilla extract. Use a spoon to stir in the coconut milk, start with 4 tbs add more if the mixture is too dry to hold together. Once the mixture is crumbly but comes together like play dough roll into 6 even balls. At this point you can  top with some blueberries or chopped nuts/seeds or you can leave them as is and put them in the refrigerator to set and chill.

These are a delicious treat or snack for before or after a workout or if you're craving a cookie. Remember, all things in moderation! Limit yourself to 2-3 per snack.

Zucchini "noodles" with Turkey Meatballs and Simple Marinara Sauce

          We love Italian food! Low carb, low calorie, but there's no skimping on the flavor, yum!

Ingredients:
32 oz ground turkey
1 can of 14.5 oz Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes
3 zucchini
1 minced clove of garlic
2 tbs melted coconut oil

Seasonings:
1/4 tbs onion powder
1/2 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs fennel seed
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs fresh basil (plus save 1 tbs of basil for garnish)
1/4 tbs fresh rosemary

Pre-heat the oven to 400 deg F.
Oil a 9x13 baking pan with 1.5 tbs coconut oil.
In a large bowl gently combine the ground turkey, and onion powder, garlic powder, fennel seeds, and about 1/2 tbs sea salt 1/4 tbs pepper seasonings using your hands. Roll golf ball sized meat balls and place in the baking pan. To get a nice outer crust roll each of the meat balls a little in the coconut oil so all the sides are slightly oiled. Each ball should be about 1.25 oz of turkey which will produce 24 meat balls (3 rows of 8 as seen in the picture). Place in the oven uncovered for 12-18 minutes (the meat should be a nice golden brown).

While the meat balls are baking, cut off the ends on the zucchini and use a potato peeler to peel off the outer skin on the zucchini. Toss the skin into your compost or garbage. Now we're going to make the "noodles" with the potato peeler run even ribbons of zucchini for all 3 zucchini. As you approach the seeds then rotate the zucchini. The core with the seeds will be used in the sauce but contain too much moisture to be noodles.

Toss the "noodles" with the remaining 1/2 tbs melted coconut oil and lightly salt and pepper then set aside for the last minute to warm through before serving.

In a blender combine the zucchini cores (chopped), 1 can of roasted tomatoes, minced garlic clove, rosemary and basil. Once evenly combined pour into a sauce pan and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Remove the meat balls from the oven and let them rest for 1-2 minutes out of the oven while you gently toss the zucchini "noodles" over medium heat just enough to warm them through. You don't want to COOK the zucchini just get it warm. Plate the "noodles" top with 3 meat balls (4 oz serving of turkey) and spoon on the sauce. Garnish with a little fresh basil and ENJOY!

A lighter more flavorful spin on a Chicken salad

Who doesn't love chicken salad? The problem is usually its full of mayo and chicken and bread which doesn't really provide much nutritional value to your day. Here's my absolute favorite chicken salad mix on a bed of spring greens. 

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast cooked and cooled (you can boil or bake or use left over rotisserie)

1/2 tbs olive oil based mayo or veganaise

1/2 an orange

4 dried apricots

1/2 cup red grapes

optional garnish** sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, Chopped basil

2 cups lettuce of greens of your choice (I like the spring mix with baby herbs and spinach)

Note: Don't like Mayo? no problem! Substitute greek yogurt, or 1/2 tbs mashed avocado, or 1/2 tbs of olive oil emulsified in the blender with 1/2 tbs lemon juice. 

Seasonings:

cumin

sea salt

pepper

Dice up your cooled cooked chicken, apricots, grapes (cut in half) and toss with the mayo and 1 tbs of fresh squeezed orange juice (save the rest of the orange to dress the greens with). season with 1/4 tbs cumin and salt and pepper to taste.

Plate the greens in a bowl and squeeze remaining orange juice on to the greens. Spoon the chicken mix on top of the greens and garnish with your choice of seed or basil. 

Voila! so delicious and healthy!

Vegan Faux Alfredo Pesto

I've used Cashews for creaminess in desserts and this evening I trimmed back my basil plant so voila it was time to make a pesto sauce which turned out to be the most delicious faux alfredo that I have ever had. My brother had some of the left overs and said he would have never guessed that the dish was vegan!

Ingredients for sauce:
1 1/4 cups raw unsalted cashews
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup warm water
1 large lemon (juiced)
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup chopped fresh basil
sea salt
pepper
*optional* crushed red pepper

Additional ingredients for pasta dish:
Quinoa pasta
broccoli
6 roma tomatoes
*optional* cooked chicken breast or shrimp

In a food processor or powerful blender/magic bullet
Puree the cashews, olive oil, lemon juice and slowly add warm water until mixture is creamy (similar to the texture of creamy almond butter) add basil, garlic and 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp ground pepper (or season to taste). Pulse and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy adding warm water as needed to keep the mixture loose. If like spicy Italian food then stir in crushed red pepper flakes for desired heat level.
 That's it! you can toss as is with any pasta, veggie, dip with veggies, gluten free snacks what ever you want. Here's the dish I made.

I boiled a whole package of Quinoa Pasta in salted water, when I drained the pasta I left about a 1/4 cup of starchy water in the pan, then folded in the pesto sauce. While the two were heating up I microwave steamed a package of broccoli that was salted and peppered. I tossed the cooked broccoli in and then diced up some roma tomatoes. I removed the mixture off heat and folded in 4 of the diced roma tomatoes. After plating the pasta I garnished with fresh diced roma tomatoes. My husband wanted meat for his dish so I grilled a salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder seasoned chicken breast on the bbq sliced it up and topped off the chicken and tomatoes.

Strawberry "Cream" pie (no bake)

It's finally summer! In Oregon that means its time to lather on the sunscreen and go berry picking. So I have a bunch of strawberries and a husband begging for dessert to replace his favorite full gluten full dairy full sugar summer treats. Tonight we're eating this delicious strawberry and "cream" pie. It's a no-bake treat that is paleo, vegan, gluten free, sugar free and soy free!

Crust Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped raw walnuts

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Filling Ingredients:

2 cups fresh chopped strawberries (about 24 medium sized strawberries)

1 cup raw pecans (or cashews)

15 drops of liquid stevia (about 1 ml)

1 cup melted coconut oil

2 tbs vanilla extract

a pinch of sea salt

In a food processor (or magic bullet) grind the walnuts and coconut into a paste/crumble. Use your fingers to press the crumble into the base of a 9 inch pie pan with your fingers - similar to how you would press a grahamcracker crust.

In a blender combine the pecans, melted coconut oil, salt, stevia and vanilla extract and whip until a light and fluffy cream base has been formed. Add in the chopped strawberries and blend/whip until the mixture is completely smooth.

Pour the strawberry mix into the pie dish over the crust and refrigerate for 3 hours. Cut and serve =)

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Pepper Halves

There are so many nights where I need to make dinner FAST and when it would be easy to give in to temptation. I have a few recipes that I can make in under 30 minutes and this is one of my favorites!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (this should be about 1 large lime squeezed)
2 bell peppers
1/3 cup chopped cilantro + 4 small sprigs for garnish
1 cup chopped white or red onion (should be about one small onion)
2/3 cup your favorite salsa
1lb ground chicken (or your choice of meat/ tofu)
1/4 tbs coconut oil
Seasonings: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the stems and seeds/membrane.
Place the bell pepper halves cut side down on to a hot grill or BBQ (about 375 degrees)
In a sauce pan combine the quinoa, chicken broth, and lime juice. Bring to a boil for 30 seconds then reduce the heat to low and cover. Let simmer covered until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Melt coconut oil in a saute plan on medium/high heat and season well and brown the ground chicken. Toss in the chopped onions once the meat is browned.
Once the onions are soft add the salsa, toss in the cooked quinoa and mix well. Take the saute pan off the heat and fold in the chopped cilantro.
Remove the bell peppers from the grill/ BBQ and spoon in the quinoa/chicken mix in to the bell peppers and garnish with the remaining cilantro sprigs.

Voila! Super easy and so delicious!

Easy Ground Chicken, Marinara and Sauteed Veggies

             Prior to our lifestyle change Spaghetti was a staple meal for our family, usually as an excuse to have garlic bread but none the less I had to figure out a healthier solution to this quick and easy meal.  First step was finding a marinara recipe and a pre-made sauce for easy nights that was also sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, and soy free.

             We will save my marinara from scratch recipe for another day and today let's focus on those ever so tempting "in a rush" nights where you just have to make something or your going to end up ordering pizza...

Here's what you need!

16 oz Ground chicken (or turkey)- 4 adult servings
1 jar of Marinara (I found O-Organics from Safeway was the most cost effective, Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Soy Free)
2 green bellpeppers
1 yellow onion
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp coconut oil
Seasonings
1/2 tbs onion powder
1/2 tbs garlic powder
3/4 tbs rosemary (dried) or 1/2 tbs (fresh)
sea salt
pepper

Ok here we go =)
Slice onions and bell pepper to thin strips (these are going to mimic the pasta) sprinkle with salt and pepper
Season the ground chicken with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and rosemary (if you can go fresh on herbs than do it!) and sprinkle it with salt and pepper..
In a saute pan (a wok works well too) over medium/high heat melt the coconut oil, then add the veggies. Saute the veggies until they are starting to caramelize on their sides. Add in the ground chicken and break into bite size pieces stirring as the meat browns and the veggies get soft and fully caramelized.
Deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar and loosen up all of the yummy brown stuff that has accumulated at the bottom of the pan.
Add the bottle of sauce (25 oz jar) I like to add a couple tablespoons worth of water to the jar, replace the lid, shake it up and get all the sauce out =)
Once the sauce has heated up to a low boil, reduce heat for 5 minutes and its ready to serve.

If you can't live with out pasta, I highly recommend Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta.

Note: You can use just about any vegetable to saute if you're not a fan of peppers and onion, try summer squash, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli or sliced carrots.

Carrot Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Note before you get started: This cake base DOES NOT RISE so make sure you fill the cake dish 85% of the way full. 

Cake base
Things you'll need:
4 eggs
1.5 cups stevia in the raw
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg (my family can't eat cinamon, you can do 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp cinamon)
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 cup coconut oil (plus some for greasing the cake pan)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp gluten free pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup bob's redmill all purpose gluten free flour mix
2.5 tsp baking powder

Frosting
Things you'll need:
2 egg yolks (I save the whites to use for scrambled eggs in the morning)
1/2 cup stevia in the raw
1/2 tsp gluten free pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Let's get started!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

In a mixing bowl cream the 4 eggs, stevia, vanilla, applesauce, coconut oil, coconut milk and salt. Once evenly incorporated add in the shredded carrots, walnuts, almond flour, all purpose gluten free flour and lastly the baking powder.

I know it's unappealing when raw ;) but trust me it tastes good!

Grease a pretty cake dish with coconut oil and fill 85% of the way full. This batter does not rise, so leave just enough room to top with frosting.

Bake in a preheated (350 deg F) oven for 35-50 minutes, timing will vary based on ovens and elevation levels.

While you're cake is baking let's get started on the frosting!

Chop up 1/2 cup walnuts
Separate 2 egg yolks from egg whites. You only need the yolks.
on very low heat whisk the eggs, 1/2 tsp of vanilla and 1/4 cup coconut butter. Stirring non-stop until the coconut butter is completely incorporated and add the 1/2 cup stevia in the raw and coconut milk. Continue to stir over low heat until the sauce is thick enough to where you can run your finger down the back of the spatula and there's a clean streak.

Remove from heat. If the mixture is still pretty loose then add back to low heat and stir. The coconut butter in the mixture will cause the sauce to thicken some after cooling.

Top the semi cooled cake with the frosting then garnish the top with the 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and let cool on the counter before wrapping and storing in the fridge (if you don't wait for it to cool you'll end up with condensation pooling on the plastic wrap and making your cake soggy).

Store covered in the fridge for freshness.

German Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Being sugar free doesn't mean you can't occasionally indulge on baked goods like this German chocolate cake. The chocolate cake base can be used with any topping (fresh strawberries would be awesome) it is super moist and decadent. This is a double hitter where I will give you the recipe for the cake and my mock German chocolate cake frosting =)

Note before you get started: This cake base DOES NOT RISE so make sure you fill the cake dish 85% of the way full. 

Cake base
Things you'll need:
4 eggs
1.5 cups stevia in the raw
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups unsweetened apple sauce
2/3 coconut oil (plus some for greasing the cake pan)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tsp gluten free pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup bob's redmill all purpose gluten free flour mix
2.5 tsp baking powder

Frosting
Things you'll need:
3 egg yolks (I save the whites to use for scrambled eggs in the morning)
1/2 cup stevia in the raw
1/2 tsp gluten free pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut butter
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (I prefer bob's redmill)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Let's get started!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

In a mixing bowl cream the 4 eggs, stevia, vanilla, applesauce, coconut oil, coconut milk and salt. Once evenly incorporated add in the cocoa powder, almond flour, all purpose gluten free flour and lastly the baking powder.

I had a skilled helper for the mixing part =)

Grease a pretty cake dish with coconut oil and fill 85% of the way full. This batter does not rise, so leave just enough room to top with frosting.

Bake in a preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, timing will vary based on oven's and elevation levels.

While you're cake is baking let's get started on the frosting!

Chop up 3/4 cup walnuts (or pecans)
Separate 3 egg yolks from egg whites. You only need the yolks.
on very low heat whisk the eggs, 1/2 tsp of vanilla and 1/3 cup coconut butter. Stirring non-stop until the coconut butter is completely incorporated and add the 1 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup stevia in the raw. Continue to stir over low heat until the sauce is thick enough to where you can run your finger down the back of the spatula and there's a clean streak.

Remove from heat and add 3/4 cup nuts, and 1/2 cup coconut flakes. If the mixture is still pretty loose then add back to low heat and stir. The coconut butter in the mixture will cause the sauce to thicken some after cooling.

Top the semi cooled cake with the frosting (while it's still warm), and let cool on the counter before wrapping in plastic wrap (otherwise you'll end up with condensation gathering on the plastic; creating a soggy top)

Store covered in the fridge for freshness. Karl enjoyed his slices cold, and I liked to heat mine up in the microwave. Either way it's delicious!

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.

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!