Carrot Cake Paleo Donuts

December just creeped up on us and it is really hard to even believe it is December since it's supposed to be in the 60s all this week. I mean, I am not complaining, but I am ready for some snow in the mountains so I can get up skiing. Though my skis still have no bindings on them and won't until I can actually start making money and not spend it all at lululemon...damn you amazing clothes I love so much. I mean that is all I wear all day everyday, so it;s justified, right? 

So its coming to that time of year where people start thinking more about their health and make stupid New Years Resolutions. Arrgh I hate those, why not just start right now, why wait. I feel like most people are more likely to fail if they wait until the beginning of the year to start on their goals then if they just make a choice and start now. Who says there has to be a date on it. I am a huge advocate of writing down your goals and what you want to achieve. You should never settle for just being mediocre and should continue to achieve your potential. I found that writing down your goals and telling everyone about them helps and keeps you more accountable. Yes my goals are big, scary, and I might not reach them all, but I know they are possible and I continuously change them to fit me. If you haven't done this, take an hour out of your day, make yourself some tea or coffee, sit down and write some 1 year, 5 year, and 10 year goals. I had to do this for Lululemon and it was eye opening. I stared at the paper for the longest time before I finally could write something down and get ideas to start flowing. Since that I am excited about life, my potential, and the future. Take some time, head here for help: Lululemon GoalSetting. You won't regret it. 

So I found this recipe and went out and bought a donut pan just so I could make it. Though I realized these are more like donut cakes then anything else. I knew when Juli over at PaleOMG put these on her blog I had to make them. For those that don't know, I am in LOVE with donuts. I know, they are horrible for you and a sugar attack, but I still love them. These were an ok substitute, but I'm sorry I still just love a maple glazed donut from King Soopers from time to time....gross Stef, gross. 

RECIPE: Carrot Cake Donuts

Ingredients

• 3 large carrots, shredded
• ½ cup sunflower seed butter (I used almond butter)
• 4 eggs
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• ⅛ cup chopped walnuts (optional-do not use for nut free version)- didn't use
• ⅛ cup raisins (optional)- didnt' use

For the frosting

• ¼ cup Coconut Cream Concentrate or homemade coconut butter, melted to be just a bit soft
• sprinkle of slivered almonds (optional- do not use for nut free version)
• carrots zested on top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Shred those carrots!! I just used a hand shredder that worked great.
3. Add your carrots to a large bowl and then add almond butter, vanilla extract, honey, and mix well.
4. Then add your eggs and mix into a soupy mess.
5. Lastly add your coconut flour, baking soda and powder, and the rest of your spices. If you’d like to use raisins and walnuts, add those as well.
6. Place mixture in your greased donut pan. Mine made around 8 donuts, with a few of them being on the smaller side. 
7. Bake for 23-25 minutes and then let cool
8. Top donuts off with coconut butter, almonds, and a bit of zested carrot.
9. EAT THEM! 

I thought these were pretty good, but if I were going to make them again, I would forgo the coconut butter and just use non paleo yummy cream cheese frosting or just keep them plain. I just didn't really fancy the coconut butter chalky taste, but the donut itself was fantastic! I think this recipe would be great as a muffin/cupcake also!! Even though I didn't really like the coconut butter on top, I still ate them all in three days...damn donuts!! 

Sweet Potato Casserole

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving. It comes and go so fast, but it was one of my favorite holidays because it allows you to take a step back and really be thankful for everything you have. This was the first Thanksgiving that I did not spend with my immediate family. Though it actually worked out great as I got to spend the holiday with my amazing aunt and uncle in Castle Rock along with spending time with a lot of friends. 

I also got to play in a hockey tournament this past weekend, which was a blast since I haven't played in over a year! It was just like riding a bike..kinda. I think I looked like a fool, but I had a lot of fun and the team I played with was a blast. We were a Co-ed team and focus more on fun then anything else. Why take sports too seriously..not worth it! 

So since I was heading to my aunt and uncles I had to find a recipe that I knew that they would enjoy along with being paleo. So I thought something with Sweet potatoes would work. I searched for a lot of recipes, but this one had the simplest ingredients and looked so yummy. It was not hard to make at all and I made it beforehand and just cooked it at their house. It was a HUGE hit, so much that my cousins wanted the recipe so their mom could make it for them again. I was excited it tasted so good and had lots of leftovers, which since has been demolished. So it is a little sweet so don't feel like you have to put in all the honey if you don't want too. I would make this anytime!

RECIPE: Sweet Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS: 

For the Potatoes:

• Around 3 cups of baked sweet potatoes (I used 2 large and 2 small)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (used grass-fed)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (or heavy cream) - I used cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the Topping:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons grass-fed butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Make sure you bake/boil/etc your sweet potatoes. You can bake them at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until soft. Make sure you remove the skin after you are done. 
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. Mix your sweet potatoes first and mash them then add the honey, beaten eggs, butter, cream, and salt in a bowl. 
4. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and put into a baking dish..yup that easy!!! I didn't have a 11x7 like the recipe said, so I had a 9x9 I believe that worked well. Just use what you got!
5. Place almond four, coconut flour, honey, salt, and butter in a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Then add the pecans and mix together. 
6. Spread the topping on top of the sweet potatoes. I now brought it over to my uncles house and cooked it there for 20 minutes
7. Check it and make sure the top is golden brown, it took about 25 minutes for mine to brown up. 
8. Eat it up!!! So tasty, and goes well with turkey :-) Happy Thanksgiving

Italian Meatloaf

So its official, cold weather is here. So maybe during the day it is still gorgeous, but in the morning and at night I am freezing! I seriously wore 2 pants and 4 layers going to Crossfit the other morning. Crossfit gyms are always freezing in the winter and I'm just not good with the cold. Yes, I love skiing and being outside, but I prepare since I can't control the cold! So even though I look like the stay puft marshmallow man at all times during the winter, I'm ok with it since I'm warm. I don't understand you girls that can go out at night wearing absolutely nothing and survive. I went out the other night and wore extra layers! To each their own I guess. I also just got all my ski stuff ready for the season and couldn't be more excited. Who wants to go skiing?! Though something I always have struggled with was eating paleo while skiing so I am going to think and find some easy recipes of things to make that people  can bring on the go. I know that when I ski, hike, etc, I go towards, candy bars and fries..whoops!

So I decided to spare all of you guys and make a recipe that doesn't have pumpkin in it. Though no worries, I made three more recipes that have pumpkin in them that you will see soon. You can blame sprouts for that, they had their can of pumpkin on sale for a dollar a can and I stocked up! Lucky you! 

I always loved meatloaf growing up. I know I'm weird, most kids hated it. I would slather it in tons of ketchup and would always ask for it. I know that version wasn't nearly as healthy as this one and this one is super easy and yummy. Great for leftovers also. I found it on the great paleomg.com site. She has lots of different takes on Meatloaf, so go ahead and try a different one or add whatever you want. I added a few more veggies to mine. 

RECIPE:Italian Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS:

• 1lb Grass Fed Beef (I get mine from Sprouts)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 roasted red pepper, diced (I left out, not a fan of peppers)
• ¼ cup tomato sauce
• 1 egg, whisked
• ¾ cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste
• olive oil, for sautéing
• I added on spinach and mushrooms, I just cooked them with the onion. 

For the sauce (I just used pre-made organic tomato sauce)

• ¾ cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh basil, chopped (to top-optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Heat up a skillet with olive oil or fat of your choice and add the onions. Cook them until they are almost  translucent and add the mushrooms and spinach or anything else if you'd like. 
3. Mix all of your other meatloaf ingredients in a bowl, I used my hands to mix it all together
4. After that your onion mixture is all done cooking. Add it to the meatloaf ingredients in the bowl and mix again with your hands if you'd like. Get dirty! 
5. Then press the whole mixture into a bread pan and bake for around 35-40 min. The sides and top should brown up. 
6. While the meatloaf is cooking you can make your sauce or just heat up some. Let the meatloaf cool a little when it is done and serve with the sauce on top or on the side. 
7. Eat up! I actually used ketchup with it, I know I know, but I got the organic with no high fructose syrup and no added sugar, so I think thats legit in my book! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Top of incline looking down.

 It's snowing!!! Ok not really just a little bit, so that means its really cold and we hardly have any snow. The other day my friend and I did the incline in the morning, I almost bailed. We started with it raining pretty hard, then that turning into sleet, followed by huge flakes of snow! I absolutely loved it, other than the other 50 people that had the same idea as us. Like the kid with the boombox in his backpack playing horrible music..is that really necessary? Headphones cost like a dollar. For those you that have no idea what the incline is, it is a bunch of railroad ties (or stairs) that go up a mile on the side of Pikes Peak. It is not for the faint of heart, but hands down is the best workout outdoors I have ever done! Natalie and I just chatted the whole way and took our time. The one time I did it for time and really pushed myself I wanted to puke everywhere at the top and it took me forever to recover, therefore doing it leisurely is much better! I know, what a horrible attitude, but that is pain I just don't one to revisit unless I have the weird urge again. So if you are in town and want to do it, let me know!! 

So last week was one of my friends, Eric Chin's bday! So I decided to make some pumpkin cookies for him. Little did I know he was baking his famous cookies and placed them right next to my pumpkin cookies. Therefore I had lots of leftovers, haha, but it's ok since Eric liked them and I ate them for breakfast the next few days. I wanted to find a recipe that was simple, but used pumpkin. I splurged and got some dark chocolate chips instead of the enjoy life since I knew the dark chocolate would go well with the pumpkin. They were simple and quite tasty. 

RECIPE: Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (I used honey)
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1  1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips 
• (I actually added an egg too so they would stay together better)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees
2. Mix the Pumpkin, melted butter, vanilla, and maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice) in a larger bowl
3. Mix coconut flour, baking soda, salt, and the spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger) in a separate bowl. 
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. I just did it little by little and beat it vigorously so there were no clumps. Its like a tabata beat, beat for 20 seconds and then 10 sec break! My arm was hurting..haha. 
5. Add the chocolate chips
6. I just used a regular cookie tray and no parchment like the recipe says and it worked just fine. Just make the cookies small or they won't cook all the way through. 
7. I baked for around 20 minutes. It is hard to tell when they are done, but they should look a little brown along the edges. 
8. Make sure to let them cool or they will fall apart! 

EAT EAT EAT!!! Might have to make these for my cookie exchange too, but I think I'll try a new recipe :-) Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cream Chicken Casserole

So let me just tell you how frustrated I am right now. Well I have been sick all day, puking my guts out this morning and just feeling like a truck ran over me the rest of the day. Yea it is no fun, I don't know anyone that actually enjoys being sick. Well in the midst of being miserable I decided to write a blog post since my ass was not moving off the couch today. So I wrote a fantastic one and went to save it and for some reason it did not work! So I lost it all...arrrgh! Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about other than complain and start over. So even though I was angry, I knew that it was probably my fault anyway and I shouldn't sweat the small stuff, so here I am again writing away.

When things do not go the way you want them too, instead of getting super mad, frustrated, and take it out on other people its important to really think if its something you can even control. Their was nothing I could do once it was gone, so I moved past it fast and started typing again and learned my lesson of copying the whole blog before I post. You really do not want the little stuff to take over your life. Once I took a step back and just realized I couldn't control all situations, I was amazed by how much my life got better. So next time some one cuts you off, someone is rude to you, etc etc etc, just brush it off and know that your life is worth to much to even stress about the little things! Life is just too short.

So I found this recipe on the amazing PaleOMG site when I was looking for a casserole recipe. Casserole recipes are really tough to find 'paleo,' but I think I scored on this one. I had all the ingredients needed and you can get them easily at a local store. And of course I wanted a recipe with pumpkin! I had an almond milk pumpkin latte the other day...I think I'm in love...

RECIPE: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1.5 lbs chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 1 medium sized spaghetti squash. cooked and shredded
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• ½ can canned coconut milk
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. So first thing first, chop the cauliflower and put in a 9x11 baking dish with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Also, cut the spaghetti squash in half and place face down on a baking sheet. Throw both in the oven for around 30ish minutes. The cauliflower should get roasted and the squash should get soft. 
3. While the squash and cauliflower are cooking, it’s time to cook up your chicken. Pull out either a LARGE saucepan or a large pot and put under medium-high heat.
4. Add olive oil to it along with your minced garlic. Once the garlic begins to smell, add your chopped onions and cook until translucent.
5. Then add the chopped up chicken to the onions. Cover and let steam for around 5 min.
6. After the chicken is almost done (you'll know!), add can of pumpkin, half can of coconut milk, and spices to the pan. Mix it all up as best you can. I had to add a little more salt. 
7. Once your squash and cauliflower is done cooking, and chicken saucey mixture is heated up, de-thread spaghetti squash with a fork, running the fork the opposite way of the threads. Be careful because it is going to be super hot and I may have burned myself a little bit. 
8. Add your spaghetti squash threads, and chicken saucey mixture to the 9x11 baking dish your cauliflower is in and add dish to the oven under the broiler. Cook for about 5 minutes, getting a little dark on the top.
9. Remove from oven, but let it sit for around 10 minutes so the sauces can get all sucked up! 
10. EAT IT!! It is really good, add any additional spices you need. I had lots of leftovers too. I overcooked the chicken a little, but it still tasted fine. I am still mastering that!

It looks gross, but my camera sucks and its good!