Starting off with the glorious food photo, which was awkwardly taken in public. This smoothie bowl is from Robeks in Broadlands, VA. Growing up, I used to go to Robeks quite often – their peanut power shake was always my top pick! My son now drinks that smoothie, while I begin sampling Robeks new smoothie bowl collection. The first one I tried was a limited edition seasonal favorite: PUMPKIN Harvest! They have two other flavors during the fall time: Apple Orchard & Shake Your Carrot Cake. The Pumpkin Harvest bowl is a blend of pumpkin & banana as the smoothie base, on top are walnuts, chia seeds & spices. The taste is decadent! *When ordering make sure you always ask for the no turbinado or splenda option (translation no added sugar!!!).* This week I might have to have one of these for breakfast before I finish up all the holiday wrapping! Hope everyone is feeling festive & has the holiday spirit with them!
Go enjoy one of these treats this week!!!!
NOMaste 🙂
*looks like this post never posted (bounce back to 2016!)
Baby #2 arrived in August! I am back and ready to keep up with my blog again! I have a delicious treat for you to enjoy on these cooler fall days!! Everyone is starting to pick up pumpkin products now, so it only seemed right to try making Food Babe’s Roasted Pumpkin Spice Nuts :
Even my son had a great time helping:
… he’s getting into the paleo kick now too!
I have been spending more time making him more on-the-go foods that are not store bought. He just turned two and meal time is getting increasingly more challenging. He has only wanted to eat and move around, at the same time. I have become creative with my food delivery methods; which I will share with you as I post about foods we have made and liked! The above my son did not eat – he ate all the seasoning off and spit the almonds out – simply because he cannot chew them enough. My husband & I have been munching on this treat all afternoon – they’re delicious: sweet with a little kick from the cayenne pepper. Please make them so you can enjoy them while taking a nice walk on a fall day!
This morning I woke up and finished off a fresh batch of almond milk before going on a walk in this lovely 50-something degree weather!! When we get back I will begin making my weekly batch of energy ballz.
Finally tried these Macadamia Chocolate Chip Cookies which I found posted on The Coconut Mama’s website, however, I believe they are a PaleOMG recipe.
The batter was like a bowl of honey – I was not expecting that consistency!! I was pleased with the “gooeyness” of the cookie – I do not like crunchy/hard cookies. Essentially, my favorite part of baking is eating the batter. I hope you like macadamias if you are making these because these cookies taste like you are munching on some nuts. I was hoping for something a little sweeter, but my husband was clearly digging them – the batch lasted two days. **I used homemade macadamia nut butter, which is featured in my butter section under the vittles tab.
Next up are paleo oreos!! Yummmm! I do have to admit mine do not look as beautiful as the ones on the website posted below – I don’t have that much patience at this stage to make perfect oreos when we are going to gobble them down. Now if they were for other people to enjoy maybe I would take more time to prepare them as eloquently as displayed on Will Bake For Books’ website. Please go make these treats and enjoy them as much as we did!! The only thing I changed in the Raw Oreos recipe is using 1/2 cup cocoa with 1/2 cup carob powder. I have been trying to use carob powder, I know it is supposed to be good for you, but I honestly have zero idea what it is. I am going to do some research for myself and my readers and get back to you with some mind blowing facts!!
I will work on my presentation skills 😉 . Paired with the oreo is an energy ball, I enjoyed both after eating a salad for lunch one fine day.
And, to wrap up this wonderful dessert feast I have something festive for the holidays and winter hibernation months. Dig your teeth into these Paleo Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes for a light treat after dinner or a snack during the day. I apologize for my coconut whipped cream – I over whipped it and it lost it’s fluff.
I didn’t get a good picture of the inside mushiness – they are like raw banana bread slices. The pumpkin taste is subtle, the spice flavors compliment the pumpkin & banana nicely.
After indulging you might want to hit play on some of these videos!!
I really liked this video – it was a solid workout of the whole body. The only part that was super challenging was the oblique exercises when you are laying sideways on one elbow and one knee – at this point i was like oh my gosh this is really challenging at that point of the workout!!! I pushed through – there are some words of encouragement during the video, which is helpful. I just listened to the music and made some grunting noises as if I was in a meathead gym.
If you would like to keep it easy on your knees you can try this workout, which I also really enjoyed. If you look at the comments lots of people are skeptical of the low cardio workout, but they write they were sweating a lot and extremely tired at the end. I too thought this was going to be an “easy” day, however, my sweatshirt was nicely coated with sweat [sweat makes me extremely happy, I feel accomplished after a sweaty workout knowing my body is free of toxins].
Almond milk or as some like to say “mylk” has a sibling…
Soak the cashews overnight (8-12 hours) or until swollen.
Remove the water and add 5 cups of water – like the almond milk, I did this in two batches (half the almonds and 2.5 cups of water blended in the Nutribullet at a time and then mixed together through the cheese cloth to strain.
Before straining, add one date (pit removed) and cinnamon to your container.
Once fully strained – pour through funnel into your jar and label as desired (see above picture). You will also be left with some cashew “cheese” this can be used as a spread or eaten plain – great flavor and texture, just like a ricotta.
Cashew milk can be paired very nicely with a dessert or enjoyed by itself. As my husband says about them: they are light and refreshing! And, I couldn’t agree more – it’s like a liquid smoothie. You could even enjoy a cup with one of these…
PUMPKIN PIE ENERGY BITE:
1 cup dates
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp golden flax meal
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp maca powder
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
dash of cloves
splash of vanilla extract
*blend all ingredients together in food processor and roll into bite size balls.
If you eat a few too many, you could always run the stairs!!
I made it 60 minutes…working my way back to my fit level – slowly.
ALMOND MILK: check out the “shakes” tab above to reference the home-made process at any time.
For this drink I blended 1 cup of almonds (which were soaked in water for 8 hours prior) with 5 cups of water in a nutribullet (given the volume restrictions with the Nutribullet containers I did the process in two rounds and mixed both batches together during the next phase). After blending both ingredients I applied a cheesecloth over a bowl that would hold the large amount of liquid – I began straining the mixture through the cloth. Once the almond milk began to hit the cheesecloth I picked it up by the edges and wrapped it tightly around the almond meal. I began squeezing the excess milk out of the cloth (as pictured above) and once completely rung-out I was left with a batch of almond meal. I stored this byproduct in the Nutribullet container in the refrigerator for future use in other recipes. I added one date (pit removed and fruit sliced) and a splash of vanilla extract. Then, I poured the almond milk through a funnel into an air tight glass container (this bottle is from IKEA – another fab find!).
Another recipe I worked on today was some peppermint bark – this was always a favorite treat of mine during the holiday season.
My apologizes for the poor slicing skills. I found it very difficult to cut this bark into pieces, my husband assisted, but literally the chocolate was rock solid. We used many different knives & kitchen tools, but this is what we were left with. My husband had a great idea – let the chocolate sit out for a little bit to soften before slicing it into portions. To make this treat I melted 1/2 cup of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips in the microwave – I would remove the bowl every 15 seconds and stir the chips for a total of approximately 2 minutes. I then lined the bottom of a small Ziploc container with parchment paper, and poured the chocolate into the bottom of the container. I placed this into the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to solidify. While this was setting I prepared the next layer. I combined approximately 1/3 cup coconut butter (melted in microwave at 15 second increments for no more than 1.5-2 minutes), 1/2 tbsp honey (if that, this makes the mixture “doughy like” and easy to mold), 1/2 tbsp peppermint extract (or more to taste to your liking) and a dash of vanilla extract. Once the proceeding ingredients are mixed I added two drops of food coloring – to keep paleo you could add a few drops of beet juice (I didn’t have any beets on hand today). I gently kneaded the mixture to give the white “dough” more of a a peppermint appearance – don’t completely mix the food coloring or else you will end up with pink bark!!! After this step, remove the chocolate from the refrigerator, once it is solid, and even out the peppermint layer on top of the chocolate layer. Place the entire bark in the refrigerator until both layers are solid, remove and chop into pieces to serve to guests… that’s if you don’t eat it all before it makes it to their mouth.
Finally, the last thing I have to offer for my baking skills this evening are Pumpkin Pie Muffins from Elana’s Pantry. These muffins are heavenly – they are moist, mooshy inside, firm outside and taste like a piece of pie. They are satisfying enough as a dessert or an afternoon snack.
***Don’t forget to exercise to keep sane during the cold months!!***
It’s before noon, I can still say: GOOD MORNING READERS!
Here is some winter, I mean fall, uplifting photos to get your through the cold, actually warm, days here in the Mid-Atlantic!
PUERTO RICO (circa 2012 finale)
Don’t get me wrong I do love winter scenery, cold breezes while bundled up in a Canada Goose, fire place warmth and lounging on the couch covered in blankets beside your loved ones. However, I also enjoy the escape to a warmer climate; this getaway really helps anyone’s mental state during the shorter colder drearier days. The walks on the beach and rich healthy looking scenery helps put my mind at ease. I find true stillness and ultimate relaxation throughout my body while walking on the beach and listening to the ocean waves crash onto the white sand shoreline. One year I believe I managed to pack in a marathon distance walk on the beach all in a days work! Last year I didn’t take a trip to soak up the sun (or sit by my light box) probably since I was in diapers, and I SURVIVED!! I am looking forward to a view of paradise this year. Our baby already hates the cold weather; I think I’ve already conditioned him to being a summer lover too!
Let me change subjects here… FOOD!
The first thing I will cover is the mystery food that was featured on Instagram. This was a remake of an appetizer from Patowmack Farm, which would have been discovered in an earlier post – Kale Chips with Nutritional Yeast. Basically we ripped the meatier sides off the main steam of Tuscan Kale and placed the pieces in the dehydrator until completely crispy. After removing them from this device we sprinkled on Nutritional Yeast, which actually is not as hard, as we thought, to find. The taste is interesting, but a great rich flavor – if my husband will eat this then it isn’t too earthy and actually has a taste other than dirt. A recommendation: since the kale is very crunchy, when you bite into a bigger piece the yeast flies in the air and makes a mess. We quickly learned that making smaller bite size pieces rather than longer strips is actually easier to eat.
You could also use the nutritional yeast sprinkled on a kale salad and dressed with olive oil.
Following this kale treat, you could indulge in another kale app – might as well bulk up on your nutrients today!
This is a carrot paper wrapped skinny veggie roll for all you vegetarians and vegans out there! We sliced avocado and cucumber, ripped of the sides of Tuscan Kale into long strips and sprinkled on a Garden Mix of Sprouts. The carrot paper was bought at Wegman’s in a pack looking like this:
I do have to be honest though – there is some soy protein isolate in the ingredients. Now that we have experimented with this product and would use it again I will look for a paleo friendly version!
Following these random appetizers we enjoyed a roasted chicken from Wegman’s (please excuse the one legged chicken pictured below, someone got into it before we sat down for dinner) and a Creamy Paleo Bacon Pumpkin Soup from Fed & Fit.
We were not sure if the recipe called for bacon fat. We added some of the remaining lard to the soup just because we are obsessed with bacon, like the rest of mainstream Americans.
And to polish off a good meal you must indulge in dessert, no matter how full you are – am I right?!
I, yet again, doubled the recipe. I tend to do this so the treat will last for the whole week since it is hard to make a new batch every few days. The pictured dessert is Living Healthy with Chocolate’s Raw, No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie. I enjoyed the mixture of cookie and brownie flavors, however, I find myself eating the brownie first and then gobbling the cookie dough section. I am not one to mix all my foods, I like to savor each flavor. Both, cookie and brownie, are pretty much spot on with regard to resembling the taste of conventional Toll House Break n’ Bake products without the unhealthy aspects. This is a great item to make as it will keep in your refrigerator for quite some time without going sour – that’s if you can keep them around long enough to enjoy at a later point in time!
Before eating all this food you might want to engage in a workout because you will be couch bound after this feast!
I just found out that Safari does not support my videos all the time – if you see a blank black screen that reads blocked plug-in, try opening my webpage in another browser, such as, Google Chrome.
(i filled the muffin tray liners 3/4 full – they will rise, as you can note from the picture)
final product: and
The recipe for these Paleo Blueberry Muffins can be found at Living Healthy with Chocolate. They are divine!! These delectable treats are moist (not my fave word, but adequately describes the consistency) with a little crunch and sweet taste. The coconut milk really works well in these muffins.
DINNER:
Rack of ribs purchased from Costco, my husband rubbed the outside with a mixture of seasonings – including paprika as the main flavor. Our side this evening was broiled asparagus – cooked in a pan in the oven. Note: I consumed more than two ribs for sure!!!!!! 🙂
DESSERT:
the AMAZEBALLZ batter that I honestly ate raw.
I’m all about doubling the recipes of everything lately (including the “snack” recipe above). I made a batch of these cookies twice this week. My mom found the recipe, baked them – I ate, I enjoyed and I made them. Even after baked these cookies carry a consistency of an under cooked mushy cookie – basically they’re a cookie dough lover’s dream! So, let me share with you these Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen. Please make and eat responsibly AKA one or two at a sitting!!
As, I believe, everyone in America is aware of, it is rather cold outside. This evening I enjoyed a 45 minute stair run in the house. I have come to realize that it is not my endurance that is truly lacking (definitely far from my peak though). Rather it is my mental toughness. I find it harder now to push myself through a workout and stay focused after a day of taking care of the baby and doing tasks around the house. I know that I will get back in the groove by working out routinely; 15 minutes of exercise will not feel like eternity and I will want to keep going for two plus hours at a given time. For now, I’m happy I’m making progress and working out for 45 minutes instead of 20 – cheers to leaving perfection behind!
Hope everyone else is enjoying their Tuesday evening…
… he’s getting into the paleo kick now too!
Paleo For Your Soul 