Made some meatballs for dinner…because, who doesn’t love meatballs!?

That’s a Spicy Meatball

For the meatballs

• 2 lbs. grass fed ground beef
• 1/2 onion
• 3 medium dried chipotle chilies, seeds out
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 TBSP EVOO
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 3 TBSP ghee

For the sauce

• ½ onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 medium dried chipotle chilies, seeds out
• ½ tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can diced tomatoes or tomato puree
• ½ tsp sea salt

If using dried chipotle chilies, place in hot water for at least an hour before using to rehydrate.

Sauté the onion in 2 tsp ghee for, until translucent. Use half of the onion in the meatball mix and use the rest for the sauce.  While onion is cooking, get the other ingredients ready for the meatballs.  Chop the chipotle chilies, removing the seeds.  Combine ground beef with half of the cooked onion, garlic, chilies, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and EVOO.  Combine with your hands.  Preheat ghee in the large frying pan until sizzling hot.  Roll the mix into small balls and cook for 3 minutes on each side, until well browned.  Add the rest of the cooked onion, garlic, two chopped chilies and sauce spices to the pan with the meatballs.  Stir, then add the diced tomatoes/tomato puree.  Cook for 10-12 minutes uncovered, stir occasionally.  Enjoy!

Serve over spaghetti squash or gluten free pasta (if you’re not paleo).

“The beauty of life does not depend on how happy you are, but how happy others can be because of you.”

This is what I made for breakfast today!  I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted.

Chocolate Almond Milkshake

• 1 C. almond milk
• ½ avocado
• 1 TBSP cocoa powder
• 4 large, soft dates (make sure you take the pits out)
• dash cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 TBSP almond butter
• pinch sea salt
• ice cubes

Blend everything together until smooth and creamy.  This recipe is my gift to you, friends.  Enjoy!

“Life is good.  Chocolate makes it even gooder.”

Another jam packed weekend in the books.

Last night I made some chicken parm.  This is something that you can make for non-paleo people, and they’d have no idea.  Nothing is really different, except you use almond flour to bread the chicken.

Chicken Parmesan

• 4 chicken breasts
• ¾ C almond flour
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 egg beaten

TOMATO SAUCE:

• 1 TBSP EVOO
• ¼ tsp oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 24 oz. tomato sauce
• 1/2 TBSP sea salt (add more to taste)

TOPPING: (optional)

• 1 cup grated mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 425F.

For the sauce:  Heat the olive oil, garlic, and oregano in a pan. Sauté a few seconds until fragrant, then add the tomato sauce and salt.  Simmer for 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour and sea salt.  In another bowl, beat the egg.  Preheat a skillet.  Dip the chicken cutlets one by one into the egg mixture, and then dredge them in the almond flour mixture.  Add a small amount of olive oil to the pan and fry cutlets until golden brown on each side.  Place the pan fried cutlets on baking sheet.  Place some mozzarella cheese (optional) over the top of each cutlet, and bake for about 7 minutes until cheese melts.  Serve immediately with tomato sauce.  You can make gluten free pasta (as a little treat), or spaghetti squash with it.

For Breakfast:

Blueberry Carrot Parfaits

• 2 large carrots, shredded
• ⅔ C. almond butter
• 2 eggs
• 3 TBSP honey
• 2 TBSP coconut flour
• 1 TBSP cinnamon
• ½ tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight (important!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 C. fresh blueberries
• 1 TBSP maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place carrots in blender and blend well.  Put shredded carrots in bowl and add almond butter and eggs and mix well.  Then add honey, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well.  Grease an 8×8 baking dish with coconut oil, pour batter into the dish and place in oven.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top of the cake has a nice crust.   Let cool before cutting in bite sized cubes.  Add fresh blueberries to a pan with maple syrup.  Place on stove, stir frequently, mashing blueberries.  You want to cook it down so it thickens a bit.  Takes about 15 minutes.  Then scoop out the coconut cream that has hardened and risen to the top of the can.  Place coconut cream in a bowl and mix with fork, then add vanilla extract and honey. It turns into whipped cream.

Now layer the parfaits. Carrot cake, coconut milk whipped cream, blueberry sauce, then repeat.

“Monday is the perfect day to correct last week’s mistakes.”

Because who doesn’t love chicken fajitas!

Chicken Fajita Salad

• 3 lbs. chicken breast, cut in thin strips
• 2 bell peppers, cut into strips
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 TBSP each oregano, cumin and coriander
• chili powder, to taste (I use about a tsp)
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 TBSP lime juice
• 4 TBSP butter
• butter lettuce, to serve
• Toppings: diced tomatoes, sliced avocados, salsa, and anything else you can think of!

Combine the chicken, bell peppers, onions, spices, garlic and lime juice in a large ziplock bag and mix well. Melt butter in a pan and pour in the contents of the ziplock bag.  Cook until the chicken is done and the peppers are soft.  Put lettuce on a plate and pour chicken over top.  Top with diced tomatoes, avocados, salsa, etc.!  Add a little Frank’s Red Hot.  Enjoy!

“Think a little less, live a little more.”

This was fun, and easy.  There’s enough for a few days!

Chocolate Breakfast Paleo Bars

• 2 C. of roasted almonds and cashews
• 2 handfuls of shredded coconut
• 1/2 C. raw cacao powder
• 1/3 C. almond butter
• 1/2 C. coconut oil
• honey, to taste

Blend the almonds and cashews in a blender until finely chopped, but don’t over do it!  You don’t want it really chunky though.  Put the blended nuts into a bowl, and add the coconut and cocoa powder.  Stir well.  Melt the coconut oil and almond butter – you can use the microwave or stove – I’m a microwave girl.  Pour into the dry ingredients and use a spoon to mix everything.  Taste and add honey to your likeness.  I added about a TBSP.  Mix in well.  If it’s too wet, add almond flour.  If it’s too dry, add more coconut oil.  I used a container with a top (9×11), and lined with with parchment paper.  Pour the mixture in and press it down.  Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes before eating.  Cut into squares and enjoy!  You can eat it over the next few days!

I’m down 7 lbs. since sticking to this plan again!

“You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.”

Hopefully you have some Chicken and Dumplings leftover for lunch today.  It was hard to resist eating it all!  Here’s a head start on lunch…

Avo-stuffed Burger

• 1 lb. grass fed ground beef
• 2 avocados
• 1 C sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil), chopped
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• 1 TBSP black pepper
• 2 tsp sea salt

Put your ground beef in a large bowl and add black pepper and 1 tsp of sea salt.  Mix well with your hands, form THIN patties all the same size (they need to be thin because you use two of them to make one burger).  In another bowl mash the avocados and combine with sun dried tomatoes, lemon juice, and the remaining teaspoon of sea salt.  In half the burger patties, create a little pocket in the middle and place your avocado mixture in it, but leave enough room around the edge to seal it.  Take the other half of the burger patties, and place them on top, sealing the edges with your fingers.  You can grill or cook on a stove top.  Let the burgers sit for a few minutes before you eat them.

“Good things happen when you distance yourself from negative people.”