The Paleo Mama

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Chocolate Pecan Pie Energy Bars

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Chocolate Pecan Lara 2-1

Today I’m excited to share this guest post from Jennifer of Sweet Plantains. Please head over to Sweet Plantains and check out Jennifer’s amazing recipes and don’t forget to follow Sweet Plantains on Facebook! -Jackie 

We have a little grocery shopping tradition in our family. A light at the end of the tunnel, if you will. And believe me, you need a light when you attempt any sort of shopping with four kids. After we’ve gone through the whole store (and back again, since I inevitably forgot one thing all the way at the beginning), we head to the “bar aisle” for a Larabar.

We love Larabars. They’re chewy, fruity, and filling; and while so many bars in the health food store are masquerading as healthy, it’s like a breath of fresh air to find something a picky mommy like me can be happy to give her kids.

There are so many different flavors that I can grandly motion to a whole row, and say, “Pick one. Any one. Whichever one you want, you can have.” It feels good. Especially since chances are I just spent the last half hour explaining why we can’t get soy-ladened-this, or food-colored-that. And even though I have to stand there for a full five minutes while each child agonizes and debates the merits of each flavor before picking the exact same one as the sibling before them, I get to feel the thrill of allowing my children to get a store-bought goodie wrapped in a shiny, colorful, crinkly package. A rare treat, indeed!

I’d love to pack up a whole basket of those great little bars to take home. Unfortunately, they’re a little tough on the budget department. They’re such a great portable snack that I just had to decode the formula and start making my own larabars at home. Which, as it turns out, is even better than buying them – and not just for the money saved. Making homemade Larabars is so incredibly simple and easy, and when I make them at home, I get to create any flavor my little heart desires.

Like Chocolate Pecan Pie. Yes, I did say Chocolate Pecan Pie. Sweet and decadent, it tastes like the perfect combination of fudge and pecan pie – all rolled into one healthy, energy-packing little bar. And while I do love making these with my kids, I will forewarn you – it’s hard to share!

Chocolate Pecan Pie Energy Bars

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup toasted pecans
  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • 1/2 cup dried blueberries
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Put the pecans in the bowl of a food processor and process until they are the consistency of cornmeal. Set aside.

2.  Put the fruit in the food processor and puree until smooth.

3. Add in the cocoa and the pecans and process until well combined.

4. Line an 8″ square baking dish (or equivalent) with parchment or wax
paper, leaving a few inches of paper hanging over either side.

5. Spoon the fruit mixture into the parchment-lined pan and flatten – either with slightly
damp hands, or by pressing down with the overhanging paper.

6. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for a few hours until hardened.

7. Place the hardened mixture on a cutting board, peel off the paper, and cut into bars of desired size.

8. Wrap each bar individually in parchment, or layer them in an airtight container with parchment between each layer.

Enjoy!

Jennifer is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four. She is an avid cook, health enthusiast, and lover of all things homemade! At Sweet Plantains she shares original recipes, homeschooling tips, parenting thoughts, and anything else that strikes her fancy. In her spare time she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, reading nutrition books, and being barefoot outdoors with her little ones!

 

shared at: Mostly Homemade Mondays  and Holistic Squid

No Bean Paleo Pumpkin Hummus

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Don’t you just love that name…meatified!?!!! It just makes me want to search the Meatified website and make a big juicy and meaty pot roast!  Rach from Meatified has such a beautiful website with some delicious recipes. I get lost looking at her food photography on her page! She has put together a recipe that will satisfy that Pumpkin itch and leave your belly satisfied and full of Paleo Pumpkin Hummus…oh and with no beans! Cause we all know friends don’t let friends eat beans! Please welcome my friend Rach from Meatified!!!

I think if I ever wrote a memoir of my former vegetarian days, it would probably be titled something cheesy like “Hummus: A LOVE STORY”. Because, boy, could I chow down on the stuff. I think it’s safe to say that I was bordering on the obsessive. I can’t remember how I first came to the realization that a plain ol’ bean could be transformed into something creamy, tangy and ridiculously delicious, but once I did, I’d hazard a guess that approximately 347% of my meatless meals probably featured hummus.

Well, ok, that might be a teensy bit of an exaggeration. But only a little. I really, really liked the stuff. And then came Paleo. Well, actually, first came the misery of Hashimoto’s Disease. Paleo definitely helped to alleviate the symptoms of my thyroid problems, but it’s safe to say that it also destroyed my hummus dreams. If there was ever a reason to lament the loss of legumes, the absence of hummus in my life was it.

When people began telling me that you could make hummus from zucchini, I flat out refused to believe them. I mean, there was no WAY that a squash was going to replace a bean. Stop taunting me with your Paleo lies! And then one day, desperate for my dip-fix, I caved. I made zucchini hummus. And the hummus-afficionado in me became so ecstatic that it’s a good job I live in the middle of nowhere. The perks of country life? No one can see you dance around your kitchen like a flailing toddler. Yay.

Since Fall is supposedly coming but it’s still in the 90s for me temperature wise, I’m not quite ready to pumpkin spice ALL THE THINGS! But I did want to get my pumpkin habit started on time, so I flavored this batch of no bean Paleo hummus with pumpkin puree. It adds a gentle sweetness, a vibrant color and even a little extra snazzy creaminess to the original recipe. Top that with a little smoked paprika and this is one heck of a dip! Best part? It will take you all of 2 minutes to make if you’ve got a mini food processor. Let’s face it: nothing beats fast, healthy AND tasty in the kitchen!

No Bean Paleo Pumpkin Hummus
makes just over 1 1/2 cups

Pumpkin Hummus 3 WM

Ingredients

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a mini food processor.
  2. Process until everything is combined and the texture is as smooth as you like – that’s it! Drizzle with a little extra olive oil for prettiness before serving.

A former vegetarian, Rach at Meatified originally came upon the Paleo lifestyle while looking for a way to improve her health after years of Hashimoto’s disease. She writes original recipes that are grain and sugar free while trying to finally figure out how to work the camera she shamelessly “borrowed” from her husband. When she’s not in the kitchen, she can usually be found planning her perfect future mini farmstead in gloriously overly-exaggerated detail.

You can find Meatified on Facebook, Pinterest & Twitter, too!

Recipe shared on: Real Food Forager and Healthy Roots Happy Soul 

Make Ahead No-Oatsmeal

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Some days I’m just tired of eggs for breakfast. I need something else to satiate me for the morning and I just can’t stomach another egg breakfast recipe. Been there? I love oatmeal. It’s so healthy. It lowers cholesterol. Right? ….wrong. I’m not going to debate why I don’t eat oatmeal because it is a better option than many things, but I will list a few cons of eating oatmeal and share with you my alternative Paleo oatmeal recipe!

Cons of Oatmeal: 

  1. Oatmeal is a avenin protein from the prolamine family, which also includes gluten from wheat, rye, barley, and zein, from corn. Avenin causes the same problems as gluten.
  2. Oatmeal rates a 55 on the glycemic index.
  3. It’s very high in phytic acid which blocks the absorption of vitamins and minerals.
  4. ”When you eat Oats, they breakdown to glucose which causes an insulin spike in your blood – if you test your blood glucose an hour after eating Oatmeal, you’ll see a big increase (perhaps as high as 140). Regularly allowing your blood sugar levels to increase like is very damaging to your body (and can also lead to conditions like diabetes).”  – The Paleo Network .

So, out goes my love for oatmeal and in comes an alternative. This recipe was creative for the oatmeal-Paleo-lover in mind! The best part about it is that you can make a large batch ahead and just scoop out of the jar when you would like No Oatsmeal for breakfast!

Unlike traditional oatmeal, this recipe is packed with protein from the nuts, seeds, and the egg yolk (optional). And we all know how important protein is to start out day!

Make Ahead No-Oatsmeal

nooatsmeal

Ingredients: 

3 1/2  cups of desired nut/seed mix (use whatever variety you would like!)

(Makes 4 cups or 12 servings)

Optional Add ins: 2 pastured egg yolks, coconut oil, banana, grassfed beef gelatin, almond butter, coconut butter

Topping: maple syrup/honey to taste, extra cinnamon, raw cream or coconut milk

Directions: 

1. Throw the nuts and seeds (don’t add chia seeds or flax seeds if ground already) into a food processor. Pulse a few times till it resembles the size of real oats.

2. Store your No-Oatsmeal in the fridge!

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When Ready to Cook:  

(Makes 1 large serving or 2 small servings and you will be full. This No-Oatsmeal is very filling because it’s very high in protein)

1. When you are ready to eat your No-Oatsmeal, scoop out 2/3 cup of the No-Oatsmeal and add it to a saucepan.

2. Slowly add in 1 cup of coconut milk and heat on medium heat on your stovetop.

3. Stir frequently to prevent burning until the mixture begins to thicken.

4. If adding eggs: while the No-Oatsmeal is getting hot, add 2 egg yolks to a small bowl and whisk. Now add a little of the No-Oatsmeal to the eggs and whisk. This prevents the egg from curdling when you add them to the pot.

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5. Now stir in your egg/No-Oatmeal mixture into the pot. Continue stirring for about a minute. I don’t like to fully cook my egg yolks because they are pastured, but you can cook them a few extra minutes if you would like.

6. Add in spices and optional add-ins.

7. Top with nuts, butter, and maple syrup/honey!

ENJOY!!!

**You can add the seasonings to the seed/nut mix if you would like to save time adding them during cooking. Here is the ratio that you would add: 1/2 teaspoon salt, 6 teaspoons of cinnamon, 3 teaspoons of ginger, and 3/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.**

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Homemade Applesauce with Coconut Sugar: Sage & Cinnamon

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We recently moved to North Carolina and in a 5 mile radius around our new house is over 10 apple orchards! We are in apple heaven here and have been apple picking a few times already.

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I love fresh picked apples and I’m, also, a big fan of applesauce! I love applesauce on meat, veggies, and just straight out of the jar. However, it’s hard to find a Paleo-friendly applesauce without added sugar or preservatives so we made our own using coconut sugar. It came out beautifully! I made a fresh sage applesauce to pair with meat dishes and a cinnamon one that my kids LOVE!

You have the option to can or freeze your homemade applesauce. I’ve done both and both turned out perfect! Remember if you do can them, it loses some of it’s nutritional content (but still surpasses store-bought).

Homemade Applesauce with Coconut Sugar (Sage and Cinnamon)

applesauce

makes 3 Pints

Ingredients:

  • 6lb apples – a mixture of different kinds are best but not necessary
  • 6TB of lemon juice or juice of 2 fresh-squeezed lemons
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar/crystals
  • Cinnamon Applesauce: 1TB ground cinnamon
  • Sage Applesauce: 1TB freshly minced sage

Supplies Needed/Encouraged

Directions: 

1) If you are canning, clean the jars and have them hot and ready.

2) Pour the lemon juice into a large pot (I used my dutch oven). Peel and core each apple, then cut into chunks. I HIGHLY recommend this peeler if you want to save lots of time. Drop the chunks into the lemon juice and coat each apple piece with lemon juice.

3) Stir in the coconut sugar

4) Add about an inch of water to the bottom of the pot; just enough to prevent the apples from sticking.

5) Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Then uncover the pot and cook for another 5 minutes.

6) Take your immersion blender (if you don’t have one, you can use a blender or food processor) and smooth the apple mixture to your liking. You can leave it however chunky you want.

7) Now bring the applesauce to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook while stirring. You will see the sauce start to thicken.

8) This is where you stir in the cinnamon or sage. You can split the mixture in half and do half sage, half cinnamon or just use one.

9) If freezing: let the applesauce cook, then spoon into freezer bags and freeze! Should be good for a year or more in the freezer.

If Canning: ladle the hot applesauce into your pint-sized jars, leaving a little headspace. Seal the jars tight with the lids and process the jars for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath in your canning pot. The sealed jars are good for a year!

10) Enjoy your homemade, Paleo-friendly applesauce on anything and everything you can think of!

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This recipe is shared on: Small Footprint Family, Natural Family Today, Girl Meets Nourishment, Our Heritage of Health, Thank Your Body, Cultured Palate, Holistic Squid, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, The Prairie Homestead, and Real Food Forager.

8 Amazing Popsicle Recipes

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I almost forgot to share with you all that I had the opportunity to write a guest post for the infamous PaleoHacks website! Please click here to see 8 of my most popular and kid- friendly summer popsicle and smoothie recipes are! 

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Click here to see these amazing and very simple recipes: 

  1. Blueberry Cobbler
  2. Monkey Smoothie
  3. Tropical Creamsicle
  4. Fudgesicle
  5. Strawberry Watermelon
  6. Chocolate Dipped Strawberry
  7. Pumpkin Pie in a Cup
  8. Spirulina

Go over here to check out what I posted!

Click here to buy the popsicle molds I use. I love them because they are dripless so the kids don’t make a mess!

20 Recipes Using Bacon Fat!

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baconfat

Paleo is so liberating! Before Paleo, I used to shun away from fat and gave into the whole “low-fat” culture. I hung that up 2 years ago when I began my journey into eating whole, real, unprocessed foods and realized that saturated fat is not what’s killing us.  And the best thing Paleo has done for me is given me a love for BACON! Oh I heart bacon…and I no longer feel bad about eating it, as long as I do in moderation. I’ve continued to lose weight and I continue to feel amazing all the while eating bacon a few times a week. We cook it on our griddle which cooks it perfectly. We prefer thick sliced bacon and try to get bacon that comes from pastured pigs.

A few years ago, I would just throw the bacon fat away, but as I was becoming more aware that bacon fat is not bad for your body and it makes food taste even more delicious, I started saving it and using it in various ways.

How to Save the Fat: once the bacon fat has cooled, pour it into a little jar and store it in the fridge. Some people recommend straining it to prevent any larger clumps of bacon or fat from going into the jar. Scoop it out as needed.

In the fridge, bacon fat will last for months and months (especially if you are careful about making sure all the chunks of bacon are out of it) and even several YEARS!  Ask your grandparents! Just give it the “whiff” test before using. If you have large amounts of bacon fat to save, you can toss it in your freezer.

On the countertop, bacon fat will last for several weeks. It’s best to put it in the fridge to prevent it from becoming rancid.

20 Delicious Recipes Using Bacon Fat

1. Roasted Beet & Basil Salad with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette – Oh my!

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2. Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

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3. Make Bacon Mayo.

4. Use it to fry my Fishy Bites in…or anything else!

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5. Make these Silver Dollar Pancakes with it, subbing out the grapeseed oil for bacon fat! (We order our almond flour from here) 

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6. Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits – these are from my FAVORITE cookbook right now, Beyond Bacon! It’s a beautiful cookbook dedicating to the hog! Use bacon fat in place of lard (it’s really the same thing).

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7. Stir Fried Eggs!

8. Bacon Fat Vinaigrette Dressing – we make this all the time and it’s delicious!

courtesy of simply recipes
courtesy of simply recipes

9. Maple Bacon Aioli to dip Sweet Potato Fries in!

10. “Cornbread” – follow this recipe, BUT while putting the batter together, add a few TB of bacon fat to the 9″ baking square and melt in the oven. Then add the batter and bake according to directions. No joke…this tastes like cornbread and it’s a staple in our house. (We buy this almond flour)

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11. Bacon Cookies – substitute some bacon fat for the coconut oil!

12. Fry your steak in it!!! OMG!

13.  Yellow Lard Cupcakes (or Cake) – I made these and LOVED them. We substituted bacon fat for lard and it was incredible!

unfrosted cupcakes

14. Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms – if you do dairy, this is amazing!

stuffed-mushroom-recipe-bacon

15. Bacon Deviled Eggs – I have had these a few times and they are sooooooo good!

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16. Paleo Roasted Stuffed Tenderloin – doesn’t this look beautiful!

stuffed tenderloin

17. Saute your spinach, in bacon fat!

18. Saute your cabbage in bacon fat!

19. Saute your kale  in bacon fat!

20. Spinach Bacon Potato Frittato – eliminate feta if dairy-free. This is on the menu!

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So, don’t throw another drop of that delicious bacon fat away! You have no excuse now…eat up and enjoy! 

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You can find some of the ingredients for these recipes here:

Shared at Real Food Forager