Broccoli Fritters

We finally got snow!! It is about time, even if its only a dusting it is something. And there is something about looking at Pikes Peak and finally seeing snow, along with driving and seeing snow around. Just feels more like Winter and Christmas. My annual Cookie exchange is this Wednesday also and I have a feeling this week might be a bad eating week. I just love cookies and when my friends make super great non-paleo cookies, I eat them up! Thursday might be a lazy sit on the coach day after ingesting a million cookies...I have no will power! I will be giving away a lot of cookies after Wednesday, come find me!


I feel like Christmas can be a stressful time. I need to find gifts and buy them and I just procrastinate on actually buying anything for my family. Knowing me, I'll wait until I actually get to Arizona and then just shop with the crazies the weekend before Christmas. Throwing elbows, fighting for parking spots, and swearing that I am NEVER going to wait this long to buy gifts again. I know there is always online shopping too, and I'll do a little bit of that, but for those that don't know me I get super distracted. So one minute I'll be shopping for gifts and the next I'm surfing Facebook, looking at the CrossFit journal, watching videos, and yea you get the point. My attention span on the computer is lacking. So I'm thinking I might head to Starbucks, get a naughty drink, and do some online shopping to try and keep my attention on that. Knowing me, I'll probably just end up people watching..argh, will anyone do my Xmas shopping for me??? Oh and I need to you pick out the gifts too. k thanks.


So this recipes is not Christmasy, nor very exciting. Though it is ingenious, so of course it comes from my favorite place PaleOMG. I love broccoli and here is recipe that used the stems of the broccoli into a tasty little cake. I wasn't sure how this was going to taste, but went with it and was pleasantly surprised. Super yummy and great with burgers, chicken, and as a side. They were good as leftovers also and could be used as a side at Christmas if you really wanted to!

RECIPE: Paleo Broccoli Fritters

INGREDIENTS:

• 6-7 broccoli stems, shredded (about 1.5-2 cups)
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1¾ cup almond meal
• ½ sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• lots of salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Send your broccoli stems through a shredder. If you have a food processor with the shredding attachment use that. I just had one of those little shredding tools and used that. Just a little more work. 
2. Add your shredded broccoli to a large bowl along with all other ingredients and mix well.
3. Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of fat in it. Use a large spoon and your hands to ball up a fritter and add to a skillet. It doesn’t need to be flat, you’ll flatten it out after you flip it.
4. Cook the fritter for about 3-4 minutes, then use a spatula to flip, then flatten out with the spatula. Cook for another 4 minutes or so.
5. Once the fritters are crisp on both sides, eat them. You can top with a burger, eat plain, or get creative! 

Super easy, but SOO good. I make these all the time now. 

Coconut Brownie Bars

It is December!! And it is going to be 65 degrees today...WTH?? I know, I am not complaining at all since I have lived in Colorado long enough to know that the cold is going to come soon. So bring it on, just please bring some snow with that, please! I'm getting the itch to go skiing, but can't with no snow. I'm thinking golf might be my winter sport..Let it snow!!

Is anyone good at Christmas shopping?? I really suck and I am trying to figure out what to get my family for Christmas because of course they don't want anything. Oh and they are opposite of me, they golf, drink wine, and enjoy the indoors. If my dad wants something, he buys it. My mom says she never wants anything, but of course she'll be mad if there is nothing under the tree for her from me. My brother is a little bit easier, but I usually get him clothes or a gift card and I his closet his bigger than mine. So I think I might resort to pinterest and see what I can find to make. How lame, but its the thought that counts right? I'm probably one of the least crafty people out there, which is why pinterest is out there, for lame people like me who can barely use a glue stick. I'll keep you updated on what I find, this could be super hilarious.

So I love paleo desserts. I really think for the most part they are better than regular full sugar, gluten full desserts. Of coures paleo desserts have the same rules, only in moderation. These brownies were close to impossible to have just one of! They are amazing and probably one of my favorite paleo desserts I have made to the day. On top of that, they are super easy to make too. Great dessert for Christmas, which I think I intend on making this one for my family. Especially, since my mom rocks and told me she bought some kitchen appliances I'll see soon in the mail. SCORE!! More cooking for all of you :-)

RECIPE: Magic Brownie Bars from PaleOmg

INGREDIENTS: 

FOR THE BROWNIE LAYER:

• 15 dried medjool dates, pitted
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 3 eggs, whisked
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt

For the top layer

• 1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Cream Concentrate or homemade coconut butter (I used the butter)
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 2 egg whites, whisked until foamy
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 365 degrees. I did 375, my little oven didn't go to 365 :-(
2. Now add your dates to the food processor and begin to pulse until you get a clumpy paste, it won't take long.
3. Then add your coconut oil and cocoa powder to the food processor and puree until well mixed and it has become smoother.
4. Then add your eggs, coconut flour, honey, vanilla, baking soda and powder, and salt and puree until smooth.
5. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with some extra coconut oil, then pour in your brownie mix and smooth out throughout the dish. I of course only had a circle baking dish, but it worked! 
6. Now make the top layer. Add your shredded coconut, coconut oil, coconut butter, and honey to a bowl and heat in the microwave. Just to heat it up so it can mix it up, around 30sec. 
7. Mix ingredients together ingredients until smooth then add your whisked egg whites and mix well.
8. Pour topping over your brownie batter and smooth out until covering the entire surface of the brownie.
9. Add dish to oven and baking for 20-25 minutes.
10. Let cool then cut into pieces.THEY ARE AMAZING..Thank you Juli!!!