Raw Honesty, and Alternative Devil's Food Cake

Well, I'm home today with a not sick kid, who happens to be napping right now, so I figured I'd take this moment to catch up on my blog a bit.  For those of you who check in and read this regularly, I'm sorry I've been MIA.  But, I do want to say thank you for checking in and reading what I post, and for the feedback you give me whether in emails or in person.  It makes me feel like I'm not so alone with my line of thinking.  Lately I've been feeling super lonely, so any of you like-minded friends out there, I could use a little extra love.  Justin sayin...

And that's why I've been MIA.  I've just felt sorta discouraged, like what's the point of posting this stuff?  My home remedies and whatnot, that is.  I know more and more people are checking out my recipes, which is super cool, and my first day of Alternative Market went over with flying colors, so that's awesome too.  But when it comes to eating healthy on a regular basis, or healing illnesses or ailments with natural remedies, or avoiding problems by watching our diet, it seems like I'm totally alone on that one.

RSV has been traveling around my boys' daycare, and we were afraid Elliot might have it as he's had the symptoms, which are mostly just common cold symptoms.  And basically that's what RSV is, the common cold, but it can be dangerous for babies and little kids if it gets out of control, and it can get out of control pretty quickly, which it did for my niece (who was playing quite a bit with Elliot the day she got it).  But it's super common, a lot of times it just goes undiagnosed because symptoms remain mild like that of a regular cold and there's no reason to go to the doctor about it.  I'm sure we've had it a ton of times.  Anyway.  It's super contagious, so I'm just keeping Elliot home away from the babies at the daycare, and preventing further spread to our family because I'm going away with my husband this weekend for my birthday and I would love to go guilt-free and not leave a sick kid with my parents!

I'm not sure if he's RSV positive or not, though.  We had him tested at our doctor's office (which is a horrible nasal swab!), but they don't keep rapid results tests there, which I didn't realize until after we did the swab.  Sorry Elliot.  We won't get results for a couple days, so what was the point of having it done, right?  They don't keep those tests there, though, because they'd expire before they got used, because that's not something they routinely check.  Because they treat people primarily homeopathically.  I'm among a certain group of people that don't go in looking for an ailment like RSV.  We think differently.  We take action differently.

And this whole thing has been yet another moment thrown in my face with flashing lights that I am very alone.  Because all the other daycare parents are getting their results for their kids within minutes and I have to wait a few days.  I was sent home with a homeopathic remedy to treat Elliot's cough, which should assist in preventing RSV symptoms from escalating if that is, in fact, what he has, and his cough diminished as the day went on and I used the remedy.  That's how it is every time I go there - we have an ailment, we get a remedy, it works.  On we go with our lives, no side effects, no complications to our organs because of foreign chemical substances in drugs, no damages to our gut flora (and in turn our immune systems) because of harmful antibiotics.  These doctors know what drugs can do to our insides, and they respect that they should be saved for worst-case scenarios.  They know that our around 80% of our immune system resides in our intestines, so antibiotics are also saved as a last resort, and probiotics are strongly encouraged.  They recognize the importance of diet to a healthy immune system and overall well-being, and recommend diet changes to assist in achieving optimum health.  They see the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies, which have been used for centuries, and they work.  It's amazing how they work.  And for those of you who don't know the difference between homeopathic and holistic/natural, there's a big difference, please look it up.  I'm not talking about crushing a plant with a mortar and pestle and making a tea.  That's not homeopathic.  This is homeopathic.  Make sure you know what I'm talking about.

So anyway.  I see this stuff work time and time again, so effectively and harmlessly, that I can't help but wonder, why is this not mainstream?  Why is this not conventional medicine?  Why oh why am I a minority?  Why would everyone willingly choose chemical drugs with potential side effects and put their organs at risk when there is a better way right here under their noses?  And I get so confused, wondering why I'm alone...

I've gotten to the point where I don't really talk much about my natural lifestyle in the open.  Still, a lot of people email me on a very regular basis wanting advice.  But it's getting frustrating because I don't know exactly what you're looking for.  I give what advice I can, what I would do in your situation, and I'm beginning to realize that what I'm suggesting - the things that are very normal to me - are totally "out there" for you.  And food is another thing - I'll find myself amongst people talking about the Fruit Loops they gave their kids for breakfast, and I'm trying to keep my jaw off the floor.  And I have to step back and say, No Jami, most people aren't aware that starting your day with processed sugar and food dye is a very bad idea.

And it makes me sad.  And I stop and have a moment of gratitude that I have the awareness that I have, and the open mind to continue to learn more and try new things that are safe, that I have the knowledge to treat the problems rather than the symptoms if we come down with any sort of ailment.  And I wish I weren't so alone.

Am I really that alone, you guys?  Or are all you natural lifestyle enthusiasts just keeping quiet in your own little world just like I've begun doing lately, and that's why I don't know about you?  I'm tired of being the crazy one for doing what I feel is safer and healthier for myself and my family.  I'm tired of being surrounded by people who just give into the fear tactics used by the medical field.  I'm tired of being surrounded by people who blindly trust their physician.  I'm not saying doctors or physicians are bad people, I know it totally sounds like that's what I'm saying, I know they're not, and I want to believe that a lot of them truly do care about your well being more than they care about their wallet, they just don't know how to treat holistically and weren't trained to do so.  They treat your symptoms because that's how they were trained.  Because that's the kind of world we live in.  You're willing to take drug after drug after drug to treat your symptoms and completely ignore the problem that your symptoms are trying to warn you about, and then you're willing to take on the side effects of those drugs that may have long term damages you'll have to deal with late into life.

I'm sorry, guys.  This is a depressing post.  I just wanted to share some honesty though.  And vent some frustration.  Because being alone in your lifestyle choices is very frustrating.  Like I said, I need a little love.  So if you don't mind, leave a comment or shoot me an email letting me know you care about my posts on here, you care that I share my first-hand experience with you, that you've learned something through all this.  I've got so much to share - more remedies for the common cold, how to heal pink eye, basic solutions for boosting the immune system safely, etc.  I know some people care, I've talked to you at my office and sent you on your way with information.  But sharing it here... I don't know.  I'm losing ambition to make my knowledge available to the public.  So please let me know if this blog makes a difference to you.  I'd really appreciate it.


In the meantime, the best way to combat the blues is chocolate, right??  I think so!  I whipped up this chocolate cake based on my cinnamon scone recipe, and made the icing from scratch, and it turned out amazing.  Harlee took a bite of it and moaned happily, it was so good.  Seriously, forget that these are "healthy".  Alternative, yes, as they're grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free, but they taste too good to be "healthy".  They're sinful.  I'm totally calling it a Devil's food cake.

Alternative Devil's Food Cake

1 ½ cups cashews (or 1 1/3 cups ground)
¼ cup arrowroot powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp organic maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9” metal cake pan with parchment paper.  Blend the cashews in a food processor until ground into a flour.  Add the remainder of the ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth.  You should have a thick, sticky batter.  Pour into the parchment-lined cake pan and spread out toward the edges.

Bake for 30 minutes, then top with prepared icing.  Let cool, cut into wedges, and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Icing

 

1/2 cup coconut butter, softened

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup almond or coconut milk

 

 

 Coconut butter works way better than coconut oil.  Oil would work just fine too, but you'd have to keep it cool as it can melt. 

Add all ingredients to a bowl and beat with a stand or hand mixer until thoroughly combined.  I found it easier to spread over a warm cake, as it melts and doesn't make the cake crumby.  Once cooled, it sets up well.

Everything in moderation, guys... Don't eat the whole cake...

Snow Day, Getting back on the Healthy Wagon, and Turtle Fudge Cheesecake

Both the boys are snoozing and the snow is still blowing around outside so I've finally got a moment of free time to share with you yet another AMAZING "cheese"cake recipe.  I'm addicted to these things!  It's my new favorite dessert.  I think I may have mentioned before that Elliot really doesn't seem to have a dairy intolerance anymore - I've been eating it and he's handled it just fine - but I can't stop making this dessert.  The first time I made it was because I wanted something to make me feel like I was still kind of eating a cheesecake even though I couldn't eat cheese.  And it turned out so freaking amazing that I just haven't stopped.  And there are so many different ways to make this, too!

So far the "cheese"cakes I have made include:
Cookie Dough
Pumpkin
Cherry
Chocolate Heath
Lemon-Blueberry

The lemon-blueberry has been my favorite so far.  But I'm a sucker for that flavor combination, and those flavors by themselves.  Girl Scout cookies came in and so far I've resisted busting into the box of Savannah Smiles and eating the whole thing all in one sitting...

On a side note, I actually haven't busted into the box because I've finally cracked down on my diet.  Like, gotten serious about it, for REAL this time.  Remember my first post of the new year?  I admitted that I'm human and have made mistakes, I totally fell off the Paleo wagon and have been gaining weight steadily and feeling crappier and crappier about myself.  And I said in that post that I'd try to do better, and I haven't.  It's March now, we're a quarter of the way into the year, and I haven't changed.  I've been slacking in my workouts more and more, still eating way more carbs and processed food than I care to admit, and it's been showing.  My skin is blotchy, I feel tired and run-down, and my "spare tire" keeps growing.

A few things finally hit me, which I'll probably write about in a future post, but I finally found the motivation to crack down and stick with it.  One thing that helped was starting up personal training again.  I'm just the type that needs that sort of exercise.  I need to be on someone's schedule, I need to have accountability, I need someone to tell me what to do and how to do it.  I'll put it on my calendar and show up.  This time, it's with a totally new trainer, in a totally new location, with a totally new system.  I got soooo much out of Flex and had such great success with Derek, but the timing just wasn't there this time, and I'll admit I've been nervous about trying something different, coming from knowing what he came up with for me worked so well.  But at the same time I'm excited about the change of pace, the different scenery, the different trainer - it's mixing things up a bit for me, giving me something new to look forward to, and that helps keep me motivated.  My first day was Tuesday and I'm sore today!  I felt so happy after I left - I'm back on track, getting back into the swing of things, and there's a light at the end of a tunnel that I dug myself into - a tunnel that just kept getting longer and darker the more I fell into the clutches of my bad habits.

And with this new exercise routine, I'm feeling a sense of motivation.  She took my weight, measurements, and body fat percentage, and being able to have tangible numbers in front of me made me feel determined to keep those numbers changing.  I want to burn off the body fat, regain my confidence, and most importantly, my good health.  But that's not a goal that's met in the gym, and I know that.  These are goals that will only be met if I behave in the kitchen too.  I guess the realization set in that I really do need to take the bull by the horns and crack down.  So all day yesterday I've been gluten-free, and all day today I've been 100% Paleo.  I'm going to focus primarily on gluten-free, as I'm sure non-paleo carbs will sneak in here and there, but I'm going to do my best to keep it as Paleo as possible.  I'm already feeling better, it's amazing what just two days have done.

Anyway.  That's where I am right now.  I'm excited and motivated and feeling really good about the future.  Bring on bikini weather!  (No seriously, please bring on bikini weather, this snow is getting OLD.)

Here are some snow pictures:

My brother Joel and I with our Buddha snow sculpture

Justin built a snowman

 Us with our friends Clay and Barbi with our igloo that we built in the front yard of my office

Alright, now for that "cheese"cake recipe!  It was Mom's birthday on Saturday (happy birthday, Mom!) and I told her I'd make her one of my cakes, and I threw some ideas out for what types I'd like to make, and she requested turtle fudge.  I was totally okay with that idea!  And ooooh my goodness it turned out great!!  We went over Sunday and played in the snow, then went inside for lunch and then to indulge in this fabulous dessert.  It tasted sinful.  I'm just blown away by how delicious it was, without having anything bad in it!  Of course it was chock-full of calories... I guess we can't get off THAT easy... but at least it contained a fraction of the carbs of what the SAD (Standard American Diet) version of this cake would be.

Doesn't that look heavenly??

So this was almost-vegan.  You can definitely make it totally vegan if you want, but I didn't want to.  It was also involved.  It took a few days of prep-work and had a lot of different steps involved.  But I'm telling you, it was SO worth it.  Plus Harlee got a kick out of helping me, as usual.

First, I made dairy-free sweetened condensed milk.  I found this recipe on The Detoxinista.  It's super easy to do, here's how:

Sweetened Condensed Milk being poured into fudge mixture

Dairy-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk

You need:
1 14oz can of full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup honey (or sweetener of choice)

Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, about 5 minutes.  Whisk it while it's heating so it doesn't burn, and watch closely so it doesn't boil over.

Reduce heat to a simmer, and pour in the honey, whisking until it's dissolved into the milk.  Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the milk is reduced by half and thick.  Let cool.

I put it in an airtight dish and kept it in the fridge til I was ready to make the cake.  This is an ingredient for the fudge, which I made after I made the crust for the "cheese"cake.  The crust was pretty much like all the other crusts, only this time I used both almonds and pecans:

Crust

You need:
2 cups pecans, ground into flour
1 cup almonds, ground into flour
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
4 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt

Mix all ingredients until combined.

Line a springform pan (or 8x8 glass baking dish) with parchment paper.  Spread the crust mixture out evenly on the bottom, pressing flat.

Now that the crust was done, I was ready for the next layer: Fudge.  I actually got this idea when I happened to catch an episode of Giada at Home on FoodNetwork, and she made Cinnamon Fudge.  I got online and realized, I can totally Paleo-ify this!

Yummy melting fudge

Paleo Fudge

You need:

1 recipe Coconut Sweetened-Condensed Milk (see above)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups dark or milk chocolate chips (I used a combo of both)
3 tbsp butter or coconut oil (I used butter)

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl, and place the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.  Stir the ingredients until melted and smooth.  Remove from the heat and, if you want just plain fudge, spread it out in a baking dish lined with parchment paper.

Or, in the case of this cake, spread it out over the crust mixture and let cool.

K, so you've got a crust, a layer of fudge, now you need the "cheese"cake!  That part hasn't changed, only this time I added an extra cup of cashews so I could have a little more :).

"Cheese"Cake

3 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt

Discard the water the cashews were soaking in and place in a food processor or blender along with the other ingredients.  Blend until smooth.

I spread this mixture out over the fudge, then I sprinkled on more chocolate chips as well as chopped and whole pecans.  Then came the last step.  Caramel.  I got this recipe from Simple Roots Wellness and modified it to what I had on hand.

Paleo Caramel

1 14oz can full fat coconut milk
⅓ cup honey (original recipe called for coconut sugar - that would have worked better but I didn't have any on hand)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter)
¼ tsp salt

In a small saucepan add coconut milk and honey.  Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring the whole time.  Once boiling turn down heat and stir continually at a slow boil, careful not to let it burn.  Continue boiling until sauce has reduced and thickened, about 25-35 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, oil or butter and salt.  Mine was light in color compared to regular caramel.  I'm sure using coconut sugar would have changed that.  But it still tasted awesome!

Drizzle this all over the top of the pecans and chocolate chips and pop the whole thing in the freezer for at least two hours.  Transfer to the fridge to thaw and soften, and dig in.  And marvel at how amazing it is.

More Vegan Cheesecake (Cuz It's My Birthday!)

I love birthdays.  I've probably mentioned that before.  I made two vegan cheesecakes for my birthday too and I'm SO happy with the turn-out!  By the way, I've been eating dairy little by little and Elliot has shown no adverse reactions to it.  So I'm thinking we are in the clear from his former dairy allergy!  I still don't eat it a LOT because I've noticed I personally feel better when I avoid it (and my skin is clearer, too, among other things), but sometimes it's hard to pass up (like in the form of cheese or milk chocolate...).  However, even though I don't HAVE to avoid dairy, I'm not going to stop making this dessert.  Seriously, it's THAT good.

This has been a great birthday weekend so far.  I couldn't have asked for better weather for February, thanks Mother Nature!  Friday night I had some friends over - I decided it's easier to just have everyone come to me rather than going out, that way we can hang out at our own leisure and nobody has to worry about getting sitters for their kids or anything like that.  Plus Justin makes pork steaks that rival anything I've had at a restaurant so I'm always happy to stay home if those are on the menu!  Everyone brought a dish and we had a great evening.  And I'm pretty sure everyone gave the thumbs-up on my "cheese"cakes!

Me, the girls, Elliot, and his two little buddies on the way :)

Saturday we took Rachael with us to the St. Louis City Museum, because you're never too old for that place, and I wanted to do something I don't normally get to do.  We got sushi for lunch and then played the rest of the day.  It was fun!  And a little rough on the knees... The weather was so perfect, though - which worked out great for playing outside!

Sunday Rachael and Cassie came over for a birthday party workout, which was so much fun!  I really liked this one - Rachael surprised me with the line-up, so it was nice to not have to make one up myself.  It was a rough one though!  We started out doing 86 lunges... which we immediately decided to change to 86 front kicks and did 19 lunges instead.  My butt is sore from all that leg work...  I really liked that it was a 29 minute AMRAP though (As Many Rounds As Possible).  It forced us to get a good half-hour workout in, when normally my crossfit workouts have been done in 5 minutes.

Later we took the Harleys out with Clay and Barbi and rode up to Bully's Smokehouse in Columbia for a late lunch.  Ooohhh I've missed the bike... We hardly rode at all in over a year, being busy with the house and me being pregnant with Elliot, so it was nice to finally get a good ride in.  Hope we can get more in the books this spring and summer!

Justin and I watched The Giver after the boys fell asleep.  Holy crap that movie was powerful.  Or at least I thought so.  I read the book a loooong time ago so I kinda forgot what it was about, but I remember liking it.  Don't remember it being that intense though...

After a busy weekend, I spent today, my actual birthday, not doing anything too exciting at all.  We went to the chiropractor, then I had to get blood drawn to check my thyroid and adrenals (more on that some other time), happy birthday to me... Then we did a little shopping.  We did eat at Olive Garden, per my request, and now I feel lazy and sluggish from the breadsticks and pasta.  Good reminder why I try to keep my diet clean...  Clay and Barbi are coming over again this evening for pizza (yeah, I'm doing it to myself again!) and that's a wrap for my birthday!  It was a great welcome into the last year of my 20s!

Here's the recipe for my "cheese"cakes!  I'll start with the lemon-blueberry.  That was originally going to be my only cake, as I'm a sucker for lemon and blueberry flavors, but it's not a favorite flavor combo for everyone, so I did a back-up cake with a chocolate-heath flavor.  It was way less healthy... but so freaking good regardless... haha :)

Lemon-Blueberry "Cheese"cake

For the crust:

2 cups pecans, ground into flour
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
4 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt

Mix all ingredients until combined.

Line a 7x11 (or 8x8, which is what I used) glass baking dish with parchment paper

Spoon in crust mixture and flatten evenly

For the filling:

2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
2-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt
2 tsp lemon extract

3 tbsp lemon juice

 

Discard the water the cashews had been soaking in.

Combine soaked cashews, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt in the food processor.

Blend until creamy and smooth.

 

 

For the topping:

2 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh
1/2 cup honey
1-2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the blueberries and honey in a sauce pan and bring to a boil while adding the lemon juice and vanilla.  Simmer about 5 minutes and add the arrowroot while stirring until it is all combined.  Simmer on low until thickened and take off the heat. 

 

Take half the filling a set aside.  Mix the other half of the filling with some of the juice from the blueberries.  Swirl the two halves of filling together and spread out in the baking dish.  Top with blueberries, place in the freezer for a couple hours to set, then move it to the refrigerator to soften before serving.  Enjoy!

 

 

Chocolate Heath "Cheese"cake

 

For the crust:

2 cups pecans or almonds, ground into flour
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
4 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt

Mix all ingredients until combined.

Line a 7x11 (or 8x8, which is what I used) glass baking dish with parchment paper

Spoon in crust mixture and flatten evenly

For the filling:

2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
2-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder

 

Discard the water the cashews had been soaking in.

Combine soaked cashews, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup, salt, and cocoa powder in the food processor.

Blend until creamy and smooth.

Spread filling out over the crust, top with melted chocolate and Heath toffee bits, and freeze for a couple of hours.  Move to the refrigerator to soften for a couple hours before serving.

Justin's Birthday, Brisket, and Cherry Cheesecake

How is January almost over already?  This is crazy!  I wanted to publish Justin's birthday cheesecake recipe back around his actual birthday, but now it's almost MY birthday!  Oh well, I'm the kind of person who likes to celebrate birthdays for weeks so we can still pretend it's his birthday :).

Hi birthday is January 11th, so in the days leading up to it I brainstormed what to do to celebrate.  I asked Harlee to ask Justin what kind of birthday cake he wanted.  That was entertainment:

Me: Harlee, ask Dad what kind of birthday cake he wants.
Harlee: What kind of birthday cake you want, Dad?
Justin: Tell Mom a cherry cheesecake.
Harlee: Dad wants a chicken cheesecake!
Justin: No, a cherry cheesecake
Harlee: He wants a cherry on top!

I shared that on Facebook so some of you may know this story already.  Hahaha it still cracks me up though.

I did not make a chicken cheesecake with a cherry on top, which I guess didn't disappoint Harlee.  I didn't make a conventional cheesecake, either.  I went with my vegan style cheesecake - dairy-free and paleo (well, almost... I did drizzle some melted white chocolate on top... but other than that it was paleo!)!

Fortunately this turned out amaaaazing.  Wow I was so happy with the outcome... And I'm glad too - last year Justin's birthday cake was a total flop - a very sad attempt at a paleo red velvet cake.  He deserved a damn good cake this year, so I'm very happy this turned out so well!  I don't really know how I got so lucky with him... usually winter is slow for him at work (he's a boilermaker) so he's been home a lot, and he's totally assumed the role of "super dad".  He's been cleaning, keeping up with laundry, dishes, watching the kids, running my errands... All I've had to do is go to work and cook dinner (which I enjoy doing anyway).  I wish it could be like this forever... I'm not really your typical female I guess, and I'd definitely fail miserably at being a 50's house wife - I much prefer being at work over being at home doing all the chores Justin's been keeping up with.  He doesn't seem to mind, though, which is kinda funny.  Definitely a big role reversal going on here!  But hey, we've got balance, and that's all that matters!  On top of being a great wife, he's also been finishing up some projects around the house - the stairs to the basement are now sealed and shiny with polyurethane, he's got an amazing hand-made gun rack set up in the vault in the basement along with the bones of a hunting room, he's started unpacking a lot of boxes that had been pushed to the side amidst the craziness of moving in, having a baby, moving my business, and then celebrating holidays.  I don't know how he's pulled everything off that he has, and on top of that he's had time to come pick me up from work and take me out to lunch quite a bit.  My stress levels have been, well, nil - I may have forgotten what the word "stress" even means... And that's come in super handy since Elliot had been pretty unhappy about his incoming teeth.  He's a lot better lately, which I just posted about, but for awhile there... whew!

 Justin is currently elbows deep in his next project - the chicken house.  The Papenberg Homestead is on its way to becoming just that - a homestead.  I've never raised chickens before, I have no idea what's involved with it... all I know is that they look creepy, but they taste good and so do their eggs!  I'm super excited about fresh eggs...  I'm also excited about the fact that they supposedly eat anything - so when I have cooking scraps (like rinds, peels, stems, cores, seeds, etc.), I can toss it to the chickens rather than feeling really bad about throwing it away and being wasteful.  I could start composting, but there's a lot of involvement in that, from what I understand, and I'm not seeing me sticking with that kind of project.  So, to the chickens it'll go!

I digress.  So anyway, we started the morning with Justin's birthday present, which Harlee was excited to help him open:

We got him a scope mount for his gun.  He was pleased with that gift and spent the rest of the morning attaching it to his gun while Harlee and I got to work on dinner for the evening.  We made brisket in the crockpot with all homemade ingredients.  Harlee loves helping me cook!

homemade ketchup

stirring the homemade Worcestershire sauce

 We also had roasted garlic Parmesan asparagus and a salad with mixed greens, apples, walnuts, and a simple balsamic vinaigrette dressing that anyone can make:

1 part balsamic vinegar
1 part olive oil
1/4 part honey
Garlic powder, salt and pepper, basil and oregano to taste

Shake it or whisk it together and enjoy!

Here's the link to the recipe I used for our brisket:  http://paleoleap.com/slow-cooked-beef-brisket/
And here's what dinner looked like:

Yum!

But I've kept you waiting long enough.  How about that "cheese"cake recipe, then?


Topping
2 cups sweet cherries, pitted
1/2 cup honey
1-2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the cherries and honey in a sauce pan and bring to a boil while adding the lemon juice and vanilla.  Simmer about 5 minutes and add the arrowroot while stirring until it is all combined.  Simmer on low until thickened and take off the heat.





Crust:

2 cups ground pecans
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
4 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt
Dark chocolate chips, melted (optional)

Mix all ingredients until combined.

Line a 7x11 (or 8" springform pan, which I used) glass baking dish with parchment paper

Spoon in crust mixture and flatten evenly.  Spread melted chocolate over the crust, if you'd like (and why wouldn't you?)

Filling (which I doubled)

2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
2-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt
1/2 cup prepared cherry topping

Discard the water the cashews had been soaking in.

Combine soaked cashews, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt in the food processor.

Blend until creamy and smooth.

Once blended, stir in the cherry topping and spread mixture evenly over crust

Spread the warm cherry topping over the cashew filling.
Place in freezer for 4-6 hours.

Move to refrigerator to thaw until ready to serve, then cut into bars or wedges.

I ended up melting about a half a cup of white chocolate chips and putting it in a ziplock bag, cutting the tip off, and  squeezing all that yumminess on top of the cheesecake.  So not paleo, yet soooo good...

Paleo Thanksgiving

Part Two of my Thanksgiving post!  So I left off Monday at our Paleo Thanksgiving, and while we finished cooking the last elements of our dinner Cassie and I chatted about the whole Paleo thing, which, as I said, gave me some ideas for a blog post.

So here I am!

One thing I've noticed and I said to Cassie that night was that it seems as though a lot of people tend to over-think the whole Paleo thing, assuming off-the-wall ingredients need to be purchased and a lot of thought needs to be put into it, when really it's not that difficult at all.  Odd ingredients need only be purchased if you intend to do a lot of baking, because that's where you start replacing wheat flour with nut flours, sugar with honey, vegetable shortening with palm shortening, or vegetable oil with coconut oil.  But really, that's not all that difficult either.  Or at least I thought it wasn't.  We've got the internet at our fingertips!  There are websites upon websites, blogs upon blogs created by people who are dedicated to this lifestyle and have tons of recipes to share.  Ditch your Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and look up some Paleo cakes and cookies.  Or look at my growing list of recipes - they're all tried and true and absolutely delicious!

But seriously, how often do you bake if it's not a special occasion?  So why bake up a storm on Paleo?  I usually buy a 5lb bag of almond flour on Amazon and that lasts me a good 3-5 months in the freezer.  Sure, almond flour is expensive up front, but considering how long it takes me to go through it, it's not that bad.

Before I get too much further, if you're not sure what the point of Paleo is, read this blog post I wrote awhile back on the science of healthy eating.  Paleo is basically eating whatever foods would have been available to our pre-agricultural ancestors.  Meats, vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, and seeds.  It's off-limits if it's been through some sort of process to get to your plate - so no grains, sugars, anything that's packaged in a box or a bag, etc.  Avoiding grains and sugars is a good idea, anyway, as they don't provide many nutrients that your body would need to process and use up all the carbohydrates that are in them.  They spike your blood sugar, putting your insulin to work, increasing your body's inflammatory response, and a whole slough of health issues can potentially arise, added to the fact that if weight-loss is your goal, it'll definitely impede your progress.

There's a bit of gray area to Paleo, though.  For instance, white potatoes.  Just a lot of carbohydrates and not a lot of nutrients to back them up.  Not good if you're trying to manage your blood sugar (which everyone should be doing, not just diabetics).  But, they're still grown in nature and not in a factory, which is why I consider it gray area.  Same with peanuts, beans and legumes.  Some Paleo "professionals" consider them off-limits, I personally think it doesn't hurt every now and then.  I haven't researched it much so don't quote me on that.  But, like potatoes, they're grown by nature and not in a factory.  Dairy is another questionable food.  Milk really isn't good for you.  It's been through way too much processing, most cows are given extra hormones and sometimes steroids to produce more, and that does get into their milk, which then we in turn drink.  Plus, it's just not natural for a mammal to drink another mammal's milk.  We're humans, not baby cows.  If you can find cheese and yogurt from clean sources then I don't have too much of a problem with that, but milk... ugh.  We replaced it a long time ago with almond milk and coconut milk and I haven't missed it.

As for dinner, it's really not that hard.  You can be as basic or as creative as you want.  Throw some chicken breasts in the oven with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper - that's Paleo.  Or get on Pinterest and find things like Peach Balsamic Rosemary Chicken - still Paleo.  And absolutely delicious, by the way!  See what I mean?  Don't be intimidated.  It's not hard.  Our dinners consist of a meat and two vegetable sides.  We're busy - I usually stick to easy, simple things, and if I find myself with extra time then I get on Pinterest and find creative recipes to experiment with.  But what it comes down to is meat and vegetables.

Sometimes it's chicken with green beans and cooked carrots.
Or we'll have pork steaks with salad and sauteed zucchini.
Maybe I'll make fish or shrimp with steamed broccoli and roasted asparagus.
Or maybe beef steaks with roasted tomatoes and brussels sprouts.

Or throw in some homemade applesauce - so easy, just roast some cored, sliced apples with a little cinnamon until tender and send it through the food processor.  Voila.  What's in season?  Butternut squash?  Roast that up like I did Sunday night.  Zucchini?  Saute it in a pan with some oil and spices.  Leafy greens?  Salads - make your own vinaigrette - half oil, half vinegar of choice (usually balsamic or red wine or apple cider is good), a little honey, lemon juice, herbs and spices of choice, boom.

Mix and match the above options.  Try new and different vegetables.  Remember my stir-fry post?  Doesn't get much easier than that!  Steaming, roasting, sauteing - if you've never done it before just look it up on YouTube, then give it a try.  If you've done it once you can do it again.  And sometimes we just don't have time to cook.  I admit, I'll open a can of green beans and boil them in a pot with salt and pepper.  It's fine!

If you have a little extra time and creativity, throw together some paleo tortillas (here's my flaxseed tortilla recipe but hang tight, I've got an even better recipe coming up soon), whip up some guacamole, brown some ground beef with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin, saute some onions and bell peppers, and you've got yourself paleo taco night.  Or cook a spaghetti squash, roll up some meatballs, find a pasta sauce with no added sugar (or make your own), and you've got classic spaghetti and meatballs.

See what I mean?  Paleo is not hard.  Eating clean is not hard.

Since converting to Paleo we've only had to go grocery shopping once a month.  I stock up on the basics, build our meat supply back up, and after that I rely on the local co-op for produce.  It comes twice a month (every other Thursday) and has a big enough variety of fruits and vegetables that I've got side dishes figured out for me and I didn't even have to think.  Get a meat out of the freezer in the morning to thaw for the evening, or the night before if I want to make it in the crock pot, and I'm good to go.

Breakfast is always some variation of bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, veggies, omelets, etc.  Easy.  Sometimes I'll make some pancakes and store them in the freezer if I'm wanting a break from bacon and eggs, but honestly I'm not interested in those kinds of breakfasts anymore - I've gotten myself to the point where the first thing I crave upon waking is some sort of protein.  It's nice to have more kid-friendly options on hand though.  Harlee loves scrambled eggs, but sometimes he's not interested in that.  I grew up eating Pop-Tarts and sugary cereal, like most kids I'm sure.  But there's no way I'd willingly start my kids' day on a heap of sugar like that.  Sometimes I'll cave and allow that stuff as a snack, but not very often, and not very much (but I have a little weak spot for that kind of stuff yet soooo... yeah.).  However, I can throw together some sweet potato brownies in my sleep, they're so easy, and they're GOOD for you while being sinfully delicious at the same time.  I have NO problem with Harlee eating those for breakfast!

Then lunch is usually something left over from the night before, or a salad, or tuna salad, or whatever.

Get it?  Paleo is easy.  Eating clean is easy.  You can do it.

Okay so I had a little Paleo Thanksgiving Sunday night and it turned out great!  It was just me and my kiddos and Cassie and her kiddos, but it was perfect.  I think she's been interested in the whole Paleo thing, so hopefully this gave her a good glimpse into what a Paleo meal might look like, and I'm going to share it with you so you can see, too!  I made a little more than I usually do, since it was a special occasion, but honestly I could make this meal any night of the week.

dinner!

The main entree was chicken drumsticks.  Since kids outnumbered adults 3:2 I figured creating a kid-friendly meat would be a good choice, and I know I always liked drumsticks as a kid!  Still do, honestly...  Anyway, this recipe was a Pinterest find and it looked yummy.  It's from GimmeSomeOven, and I must say, I was right!  It was yummy!

 Lemon, Garlic, & Thyme Drumsticks (with my modifications)

10 Chicken drumsticks, rinsed
5 tbsp olive oil
zest of one lemon plus 3 tbsp lemon juice
5-6 garlic cloves, minced (or 3-4 tsp garlic powder)
2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

I split everything in half into two ziplock bags (except the salt and pepper - save that for later) and tossed to coat.  Put the bags in the fridge and marinate for a few hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and arrange the drumsticks on a greased baking dish, then season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 55 minutes or until the juices run clear.  Serve hot and enjoy!


I prepped these earlier in the day and when Cassie and the kids arrived I popped them in the oven and we went downstairs to workout while they baked.  They were just about done when we were finished so it worked out perfectly!

I also made green beans, which I prepped earlier and sealed in a bag in the fridge until it was time to cook them.

Garlic Parmesan Green Beans





1lb green beans, trimmed and washed
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder or 1-2 minced garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss green beans with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until tender.  Sprinkle with cheese immediately after removing from oven.


So easy, and so yummy!  I chose this weekend to experiment a bit with Elliot's tummy... I know I consumed dairy at my parents' house and at Justin's family's house, and so far Elliot was doing just fine, so I thought maaaaaybe he was outgrowing his dairy intolerance.  I'm not so sure though.  I ate the Parmesan green beans and the next day he wasn't too happy.  But he is dealing with teeth too, so hard telling.

While the chicken was finishing up and the green beans were doing their thing, I made butternut squash in the skillet.  Usually I roast this too, but it worked out great on the stovetop so I'm thinking I may go this route in the future.  It was certainly easy enough!

Savory Butternut Squash

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into cubes
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tsp dried parsley

Toss ingredients together, transfer to a skillet and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until cooked through and easily pierced with a fork.


I'm not a huge fan of sweet vegetables, like the butternut squash or sweet potatoes, unless they're prepared more on the savory side.  Sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon and marshmallows?  Barf.  But as crunchy salty fries?  Sure, I can work with that!  Same with the butternut squash... I'm a bit picky... but prepared this way, they're delicious.

Cassie brought a quinoa dish, which was super yummy!  Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a grain, so it's technically not Paleo, but it's one of the healthiest grains you can consume, plus it's a naturally gluten-free grain, so that puts it on the nice list too.  I'm not really on a weight-loss mission, so avoiding carbs for that reason isn't high on my priority list, but instead I'm trying to get a few more healthy carbs into my diet for the sake of breastfeeding.  Quinoa is a good option!


Harlee was like a Snickers commercial after dinner.  He was such a monster up until he had something to eat, then he was his happy self again.  He and Cassie's kids chased each other around the house and had pillow fights in the living room, which I found quite entertaining to watch.  I love seeing Harlee interacting with other kids and having fun.  It's a great feeling as a mom :).

pillow fight!

Cassie's kids provided us with dinner music

That's when we decided to bust out dessert - I revisited my vegan pumpkin "cheese"cake.  In case you missed that post, here's the link!  You HAVE to make this.  It's easy, it's healthy, okay so it's a bit high in calories but - it's healthy!!  Just take it easy and don't eat the whole pan.  You'll want to, it's that good, so just try to have some self-control.  I can't wait to start experimenting with other varieties of this cheesecake.  Cherry... Turtle... Chocolate raspberry... So many possibilities!

So good I was halfway through before remembering to snap a picture!

I guess Cassie didn't get enough baby holding in during the workout :-)

Getting selfies with Harlee is hard - he hates the camera!

Stella, on the other hand... :-D

Helping Henry with dessert, or stealing it...?

 And that was our dinner!  Yummy, easy, and healthy.  Does it get much better than that?  I'm so grateful that I found Paleo.  That I started this journey a few years ago.  It really has been a journey, too, from Harlee's birth to Elliot's birth three years later.

On Thanksgiving Day I scrolled through Facebook reading everyone's declarations of gratitude, which made me think of everything I'm grateful for too.  Of course I'm grateful for my husband, my kids, the roof over my head, but it goes so much deeper than that too.  I'm grateful for the kind of person my husband is.  That I really, truly did marry my best friend - the person I'm excited to see every day, the person I can talk to about anything, the person I want to go out and have adventures with and experience new things with, my rock and supporter.  I'm grateful for the lessons my kids brought into my life.  I'm actually grateful for the difficulties and struggles - the postpartum depression after Harlee's birth, the struggle of becoming a new mom to a colicky baby, the anger and resentment that came with all that, questioning if I made a huge mistake somewhere and I was actually never meant to be a mother... It was so hard at the time.  It took me three years to really heal from all that, and the biggest healing element of it all was facing my biggest fear and doing the scariest thing I've ever done in my life - getting pregnant again.  I'm a totally different person than I was three years ago, and I love who I am today.  I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the struggles I faced.  And that has now become my encouragement for others going through struggles - hang in there, it's happening for a reason, and if you hold strong and pull through it, you're going to be an even stronger, more amazing, brilliant human being than you ever could have imagined.

I'm grateful for the things I discovered along the way on my journey towards healing.  Like Paleo, as I mentioned earlier.  A healthy lifestyle that's easy to follow and allows me to be just as creative in the kitchen as I was before.  Crossfit - a workout routine that's fun and invigorating that's developed strength in me that I never knew I had.  Even running - my need to get back in shape after having Harlee was what led me to try running, and I love it!  And the ultimate test of strength - my natural homebirth with Elliot.

I'm grateful I was raised with a natural mindset, and spent the early years of my life learning about herbal remedies and homeopathy, so that I had a good foundation of knowledge on natural healing to build from as began creating a family.  And I'm grateful that I get to share that knowledge through this blog!

 I could go on for days about things I'm grateful for.  This house that we designed ourselves, my job that I love and the clients that I get to help, and my amazing friends that have come into my life, especially my workout buddies!

I think focusing on the things we're grateful for only draws more things into our lives to be grateful for.  That's what I've found, anyway.  So, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend filled with lots of reflection on the good in your life, so that you continue to enjoy more of the wonderful things life has to offer!

Three Recipes in One! Two Vegan Cheesecakes and Glazed Mixed Nuts

I've gotta say, this whole dairy-free thing has led me to all kinds of wonderful discoveries!  These vegans, they sure know how to make some fabulous desserts!  Cheesecake in particular.  Justin and I both love that stuff.  It's so bad for you though... and now it's definitely off-limits for me since Elliot can't handle it when I eat any dairy products.  But that doesn't stop me!  Heck, that's what led me to the Paleo lifestyle over two years ago - I refused to give up indulging in guilty pleasures, so I found ways to replace them with healthier versions.  Same goes for this - I can't have dairy?  I'll find replacements!

In this case, cream cheese is replaced with cashews.  Oh my goodness, do they come to the rescue... I'm not even a big fan of cashews, but you really can't tell that's what this is made of!

Lucky you, I'm sharing three recipes with you in this post!  Two "cheese"cake recipes and an amazingly delicious (and equally amazingly simple) glazed mixed nuts recipe.

I'll start with the original recipe I discovered and tried for the first time.  We were having a couple friends over for dinner, Gordon and Sandy, whom we normally go out to Tequila's with, but now with two little ones it's just easier to have people over rather than hope the odds are in our favor that both babies are on their best behavior at a restaurant (not entirely likely, which makes going out to eat more stressful than it is enjoyable).  So I made this cornish hen recipe, with a salad and roasted potatoes on the side (okay so potatoes aren't Paleo but they're at least tolerable for Elliot!), but I wanted something for dessert too.  Gordon is a major chocoholic, so I knew chocolate had to be involved.  And cheesecake sounded really good... so off to Pinterest I went in search of a vegan cheesecake recipe, and voila, I found this one from Lexi's Clean Kitchen.  It did not disappoint!

So here's the recipe, with my tweaks:

Cookie Dough Cheesecake

For the crust:

2 cups almond flour
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
4 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt

Mix all ingredients until combined.

Line a 7x11 (or 8x8, which is what I used) glass baking dish with parchment paper

Spoon in crust mixture and flatten evenly

For the filling:

2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
2-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt
1/3 cup Enjoy Life's mini chocolate chips
Extra chocolate chips for sprinkling on top

Discard the water the cashews had been soaking in.

Combine soaked cashews, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt in the food processor.

Blend until creamy and smooth.

Once blended, add in chocolate chips and spread mixture evenly over crust.  (My mixture was a bit warm from the coconut oil having been freshly melted so the chocolate ships melted a bit, which turned out fantastic)

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
Place in freezer for 4-6 hours.

Remove, slice into bars, and store in refrigerator.

Lexi was kind enough to provide nutrition facts: (someday I need to go back through my recipes and include this info...)

1. Serving: 15 bars
2. Amount per serving: 1 bar
3. Calories: 253
4. Fat: 20g
5. Carbs: 16
6. Protein: 6g

This "cheese"cake successfully won the approval of Gordon the Chocoholic (well, all of us, really), and they couldn't guess what the main ingredient was that replaced the traditional cream cheese.  I knew I would definitely be making this again!

And today, I did!  Once again we found ourselves with an opportunity to go out to dinner with a couple friends, Clay and Barbi, but we didn't have anyone available to watch the boys.  So, instead, we ordered from Tequila's (which is where we usually go) and ate at our house instead.  Clay likes to order a cheesecake dessert they have on the menu, and I didn't want him to miss out on dessert!  But since it's pumpkin season, I decided to tweak the above recipe to make it a pumpkin cheesecake instead.  I also decided to top it with a fantastic, yet ridiculously simple recipe I had made for a friend's daughter's birthday party a couple months ago - maple glazed mixed nuts.  They're so good it's crazy.  And I still can't get over how easy they are to make.

Here's what I came up with for the Pumpkin Cheesecake:

Make the crust as explained above.

To make the filling: 

2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
2-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash sea salt
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Discard the water the cashews had been soaking in.

Combine soaked cashews, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt in the food processor.

Blend until creamy and smooth.

Once blended, add in the pumpkin and spices, and stir to combine.

Spread mixture on top of the crust.

 To make the topping:

Follow the recipe below, but instead of two cups of whole nuts use 3/4 cup of pecans, chopped, and 2-3 tbsp pure maple syrup.

Spread the glazed pecans over the cheesecake, place in freezer for 4-6 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator before serving.  Slice into bars, and enjoy!

Everyone loved the "cheese"cake!  Again, you can't even tell that cashews are the main ingredient!  The texture and flavor are amazing, and I love how I didn't feel weighted down and almost exhausted after eating it like I would normally feel after eating a real cheesecake.

And now, I leave you with the last recipe, which I got from Bit of the Good Stuff:

Glazed Mixed Nuts:

 

 2 cups of nuts (I used walnuts, pecans, and almonds)
4 tbsp pure maple syrup

Preheat a dry frying pan (skillet) on medium-high heat.
Add the nuts and dry fry for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.  Add the maple syrup and continue stirring for about 3 minutes, until the nuts are fully coated and the syrup has caramelized and become very sticky.
Spread the nuts on a piece of parchment paper.  As they cool, the nuts will dry and become shiny, and no longer sticky.  Store in an airtight container.

Postpartum Adventures and Vegan PB&J Cookies

I'm finally writing another post!  I'm at three weeks postpartum, which seems almost impossible and totally acceptable at the same time.  I'm certainly enjoying life with a newborn much better this time around than I did three years ago.  Harlee was terribly colicky and kept us up all. night. every. night.  And it wasn't just crying, it was screaming his head off.  And not just at night - all day as well.  It was maddening.  Coupled with some pretty strong postpartum depression and I'm surprised I didn't get admitted to an asylum.  It was pretty rough.  Elliot, however, sleeps all the time.  Naturally not ALL night long, since his tiny tummy can't and shouldn't allow for adult spans of time sleeping through the night, but I'm not feeling sleep-deprived so the amount of times he does wake certainly aren't affecting me!  It's wonderful!

No postpartum depression this time, either.  Not even baby blues.  Okay so at three days postpartum I did start randomly crying in the shower... not really sure where that came from or why, but other than that I've been feeling great.  Recovery has been smooth, too.  Frustrating, since there IS recovery to be done - I can't just bounce back into working out like I did before, and my hips are still a little unhappy about the birthing adventure they went through (but thankfully chiropractic care is helping out with that), and I really. really. miss working out.  But still, I can't complain, because all in all recovery has been smooth.  Plus I have a comparison - recovery after having Harlee wasn't NEARLY as pleasant whatsoever.  Oh, and let me just say, using lavender essential oil and frankincense essential oil in a sitz bath has helped tremendously with the healing process (and general comfort during that process too).

Life hasn't been entirely perfect, though.  Unfortunately, little Elliot started getting tummy aches shortly after a week old.  At a week and a half, he wound up constipated - no poop all day.  Then, we discovered a fissure during a diaper change.  Something was definitely going on with our little man's digestive system!

For the record, Young Living's DiGize essential oil blend has worked wonders in getting his belly calmed down and his elimination process moving again.  I'd mix one drop with some coconut oil and rub it clockwise on his belly, then rub the excess on the soles of his feet and massage the reflexology points for the stomach and intestines, along the arch of the foot.  He'd go from crying pretty hard and tensing up to relaxing and lying calmly shortly after applying the oil.  I kept this up twice a day until we were able to get him in to see the chiropractor, and she adjusted his low back and sacrum and got things moving again.  But because of the fissure and the tummy aches, she informed me that he may have a food intolerance, and beings that I breastfeed I'm going to have to consider an elimination diet, starting with dairy and eggs as those are the most common allergens in situations like this.  I quit drinking milk a long time ago, but I do enjoy cheese... and eggs are a staple in my life, plus not only do I enjoy them plain, they're in all of my paleo baked goods as well as my homemade salad dressings and all kinds of other things.  Dairy would be easy to part with... Eggs, however?

Well, anything to help the little guy out.  So I stopped eating anything that contained dairy or eggs (which was no fun when we went out to eat at the local Mexican restaurant one evening!) and within days he had fewer and fewer tummy aches.  Thank goodness!  Still, from my end of the struggle it wasn't nearly as difficult as dealing with a colicky baby - he still slept a LOT both day and night and his crying wasn't completely inconsolable like Harlee's was, but, regardless, you don't want to see your kiddo struggling no matter what level of discomfort they're in.  I wish I had my essential oil knowledge as well as the resources to know more about cause and effect of diet back when Harlee was a baby, that's for sure...  But at least I've got it now!  Harlee is a happy 3-year-old and anytime he hurts himself or has any kind of issue worth complaining about he comes to me, tells me about it, and immediately says, "Put oil on it, Mom!"

So, back to this dairy and egg-free lifestyle I've entered into.  I guess it's a blessing in disguise - I haven't been very paleo at ALL since Elliot was born.  It's like all my willpower went out the window.  Fortunately I think breastfeeding has kept my metabolism in good shape so I haven't gained anything, but the last 10lbs I needed to lose to get back to my pre-baby weight wasn't going anywhere, either.  Well, I have no choice but to go back to paleo now!  Of course my sweet tooth attacked me shortly after learning I need to do an elimination diet, and unfortunately a lot of my healthy paleo baked goods contain eggs.  So off I went to search for an egg-free recipe that looked like it would satisfy my sweet tooth.

And so I found vegan peanut butter cookies on Elana's Pantry.  Which would work perfectly with an idea I had - turning them into peanut butter and jelly cookies!  I had a jar of strawberry jalepeno jam from a friend of mine, and another jar of blackberry jalepeno jam from our local farmer's market, so I made a double batch of the peanut butter cookie recipe and baked half with the strawberry and half with the blackberry.  They were delicious!  However, I didn't have palm shortening on hand and used coconut oil instead, which made them spread out a little too much.  The intent was to make thumbprint cookies, but they weren't quite that style in the end.  Still delicious, though!

Here's the recipe:

2 cups almond flour
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup creamy natural peanut butter (I actually used almond butter, which has pretty much the same flavor)
1/2 cup honey
4 tbsp palm shortening (I used coconut oil but probably shouldn't have)
2 tsp vanilla extract
jam of choice - 1/2 tsp per cookie

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Mix in the wet ingredients.  Scoop the dough 1 tbsp at a time onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes to establish a firm base.  Remove from oven and press a well into each cookie with your finger or with the back of the measuring spoon.  Scoop 1/2 tsp of jam into each well and return cookies to the oven.  Bake for 10 more minutes.  Let cool and enjoy!