smoothie pops

Popsicles have been a staple in my life for as long as I can remember. As a kid, the freezer was always stocked with popsicles for an afternoon break from the pool. It's no surprise that my own kids love the frozen, summer treat as well.

We make a lot of smoothies in our house, so I thought frozen smoothie pops would be a healthier alternative to regular popsicles. I ordered these reusable silicone popsicle molds from Amazon and they seem to work pretty well so far.

I found it a little difficult to fill them, so standing them up a few at a time in a cup seems to help. They do make a little holder, but the cup seems to work fine.

Once they are filled, pop the top on and store them flat in the freezer....no leaking so far! Once they are ready to eat, I run them under hot water just to loosen them up a bit.

Here is the recipe I've been using, but you can pretty much put anything in these molds to freeze.

Smoothie Pops

1 cup plain yogurt

2 cups frozen berries 

2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

1/2 cup water

Place yogurt, berries and syrup in blender and blend until fully mixed. Add water as needed while blender is still going until you reach the desired consistency. Pour into molds and place in freezer. Yum!

grain free banana muffins

I've been following the adorable Danielle from Against All Grain for quite some time now, but my love for her was confirmed when I got her new cookbook.  It's the best cookbook I've ever owned.  I was geeky giddy when I got a "like" on instagram from her when I posted this picture of my boys enjoying her grain free cookies.  Shhhhh, don't tell them they were free of any refined junk....they still don't know.

She has an incredible story about how going paleo basically saved her life.  Truly inspiring.  I've made her banana bread several times now and if these don't convince you that grain free food tastes delicious,  you're pretty much a hopeless cause.

Grain Free Banana Muffins

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

4 large eggs

3 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat from a can)

3 large ripe bananas

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin with coconut oil

2.  In a stand mixer, combine eggs, vanilla, coconut oil, and honey.  Mix for 30 seconds.

3.   In a separate bowl, combine the coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add this to the mixer and mix for another 30 seconds, or until completely combined.

4. In a separate bowl, mash bananas and coconut milk together until mixture resembles baby food.  Add this mixture to the other ingredients and mix until fully combined.

5.  Divide equally into 12 regular sized muffin tins and bake for 23 minutes or until they just start to brown on the tops.  

Variations:

*You can also use an 8x4 loaf pan - bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

*Add a 1/2 cup of optional mix-ins including chocolate chips, walnuts, dried cranberries, or raisins.

grain free biscuits

These biscuits were my first true Paleo goodie and boy were they delish.  Most of all, they kept me so full throughout the morning!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Tbs coconut flour, plus 1 Tbs for dusting

1 3/4 c almond flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 c softened coconut oil

2 eggs

2 Tbs honey

2 Tbs almond milk

Directions:

1.  Combine flours, salt and baking soda

2.  In separate bowl, cream together the coconut oil, eggs, honey, and almond milk

3.  Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until combined

4.  Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle coconut flour on parchment paper

5.  Divide the dough into 4 parts, then put some coconut flour on your hands to keep from sticking

6.  Roll each part into a ball, then place on parchment paper

7.  Sprinkle another tsp of flour on top of each ball

8.  Use your hand to flatten each ball to 1.5 inch thickness

9.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

I loved this with butter and jam (not so paleo!)

mango salsa

This has been my quick, refreshing, go-to recipe for all the delicious summer BBQs we've been attending.  This is a great side dish, yummy on tacos, or even throw on a salad.

Mango Salsa

1 large mango, peeled, seeded, diced (or use frozen, chopped mango...time saver!)

1/4 c finely chopped red onion

1 1/2 tsp minced cilantro

1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

2 Tbs finely diced red bell pepper

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients, mixing well.  Serve chilled

chunky (paleo) chocolate chip cookies

One of my favorite treats is a homemade chocolate chip cookie.  I've spent many a weekend trying to perfect the perfect cookie - butter vs. crisco, white vs. brown sugar ratio, adding oatmeal, etc. I got pretty close to making my idea of the perfect cookie.  I still enjoy making cooking with my boys, it's just not a once a week activity like it used to be.

I've been searching high and low for a grain-free, paleo cookie that would satisfy that need for something sweet, yet still remain compliant.  Enter the "Welcome to Chunky Town" chocolate chip cookie from Taylor Made It Paleo.  This girl is adorable and makes some pretty amazing looking treats.

So many of her recipes look delicious, but I decided to try these cookies because her mom said they were the best paleo treat she's ever made.  I'd say that's probably the truth because these are delicious!

The players:

Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup sunflower seed butter*

1/3 cup honey

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped walnuts**

1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips***

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Using a cookie scoop, spoon mixture into balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Press cookies down lightly with a fork.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Enjoy!!

*I used creamy, but chunky would be great, too. You could also sub any other nut butter.

**Any nut would be yummy

***Target now carries Enjoy Life chips!  They are soy, dairy, and nut free.  I'm sure you could substitute with any chocolate chip.

Yummy!!!

-Katie

sugar detox - done!

Another food challenge is in the books - hurrah!  I wish I could say I was 100% compliant during the 21 day sugar detox, but I certainly wasn't.  I had a few moments of weakness towards the end - one involving homemade pizza and the other involving beer (maybe a couple times).  Other than that, I did ok.

I will say I think this was harder than the Whole 30, even though it was shorter, because of the no fruit rule.  I sure do love me some berries and I really missed them over the past three weeks.  I had strawberries and blueberries yesterday and they tasted like candy.  So good!

I got to spend my last day of the detox with my cousin, Gretchen, at our semi-annual cousin day.  It was fun to chat about our experience and enjoy our taco salads together while everyone else ate theirs with shells.  We decided we wouldn't be very good 21DSD coaches because we kept convincing each other that it was ok to have a beer or glass of wine.  We both managed to steer clear of the dessert table, which included Gretchen's famous chocolate chip cookies.

I will definitely say that cutting out sugar and glutens makes you feel horrible at first, but then you feel amazing.  Clear head, less bloat, more energy, clearer skin, better sleep - these are just a few of the things Gretchen and I both experienced on the detox.  You do not know how bad some foods can make you feel until you eat only real food.  I will say that I overindulged a bit yesterday and I felt AWFUL last night.  There is something to be said about eating less sugar and glutens.

So, where to go from here?  I plan to have a few days to enjoy the foods I missed (hello bread) and then I hope to eat a mostly Paleo diet from here on out.  I will not be perfect all the time, but knowing how good it makes me feel is worth it most of the time.

-Katie

sugar detox - day 12

Well friends, we are over half way done with the 21 Day Sugar Detox. Yahoo!  Week two has certainly been a lot better than week one.  The first week was tough, I'm not going to lie.  Throwing a holiday right in the middle probably wasn't the best idea either.  This week I feel like I've gotten into a groove and this is just becoming the normal way to eat.

My super fun cousin, Gretchen, is also doing the detox with me, and it's been so fun to have someone along for the ride.  I'm lucky to be surrounded by a lot of amazing women in my family and Gretchen is no exception.  She is the mama of two adorable kiddos and has an incredible husband, Thad. She is the most amazing hostess and their house is party central when we all get together.

I asked her a few questions about how she's feeling on day 12.

Hi.....I'm Gretchen and I'm a sugar addict.  

What made you decide to do the 21 Day Sugar Detox?
Katie made me do it.  No really, I have been trying to get rid of gluten for a while, and just needed a boost.  Thought this would be a good way to get it out of my system!

What have been your go-to foods on the detox?  Any foods you didn't eat before that you now enjoy?
Avocado.  Easy, yummy and filling.  Nothing really new, but have been eating hard boiled eggs at breakfast even though eggs kind of creep me out.  Always ate veggies, but eating more now than I did.

What has been the hardest food (or drink) to give up?
Beer, which is weird because I don't really drink much.  But it is summer, and with friends by the pool, or down at the lake.....well...I may have had a slip up or two...."Happy birthday, America"

Do you plan to continue this lifestyle after the detox ends?  Or where are you hoping this detox takes you, in terms of food?
I plan to keep up the no gluten.  I will not go back to the Greek yogurt I used to have every morning.  I will add back in fruit - hello fresh peaches!!

I failed to formally ask Gretchen the biggest question of all - How are you feeling??  I do know that she is feeling great, sleeping "like a teenager" and not missing the desserts at all.  Like me, week one was tough and week two seems like a breeze.  I'd completely agree with all her answers and I cannot wait to dive into peaches (and berries!) when the detox is over.

If you've at all been thinking about doing a detox, or something similar, go for it!  You will not be disappointed!

-Katie