I'm going to say this right off the bat, I'm not usually an advocate for smoothies, I would rather people ate the actual food. However, my hubby and I are are both struggling with fatigue and proper nutrition due to a hectic schedule. The past week, breakfast smoothies have saved us. This is a smoothie intended to replace a whole meal. (So don't make this and then eat!). This flavour combination is my hubby's favourite so I thought I would share!

P.S. The photo shows a half empty mason jar. It actually makes more. My hubby went hog wild on the smoothie before I could get the photo done. Can you tell he enjoys it??

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, peeled and cut into pieces

2-3 ice cubes

1 tbsp organic sunflower butter (nothing added!!)

1 tbsp MCT oil

1 tbsp Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate

1/4 avocado

3 dates/1-2 tbsp maple syrup (Totally optional, I find the banana adds a lot of sweetness and prefer it without the sweetner)

1 tbsp cocoa powder (find organic fair-trade stuff or use raw cacao powder)

8 oz coconut milk

1. Toss everything in your blender (or bullet!) and blend until smooth!

2. Enjoy!

Hello again! I came up with this recipe in an attempt to replicate an Asian dish. See...my hubby loves Chinese food. And when I say that...I don't mean real Chinese food. I mean, he loves the grossly-sweet, gloppy, cornstarch-laden chicken balls and fried rice kind of Chinese food. This is a cleaned up version that he LOVED! It's slightly sweet with lots of umami from the sesame oil! Hope you enjoy!!

Ingredients:

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 tbsp cooking fat of choice

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:

1/4 cup paleo ketchup

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp coconut aminos

Zest of 1 orange

1. Season both sides of chicken with sea salt and black pepper.

2. Heat oil, over medium, in large cast iron skillet. Add in chicken, skin side down and don't turn over until skin is golden brown.

3. While chicken is browning, whisk all sauce ingredients together and set aside.

4. Once chicken is browned, lower heat to low, and pour sauce over the chicken.

5. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked and sauce has thickened.

6. Add in sesame seeds and toss to coat chicken.

7. Serve and enjoy!!

We love a good sloppy joe!   It's been so long since we have had them and I had a pretty intense sloppy joe craving today! So... Ta da!! Sloppy joes!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 tablespoon avocado oil

1 pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch nutmeg

3/4 cup ketchup (this is my recipe)

1 tablespoon mustard

1/2 cup water or broth

Salt/pepper, to taste

1. Over medium heat, sauté pepper and onions until soft.

2. Add in ground beef and cook through.

3. Add in garlic powder, onion powder, and nutmeg.

4. Stir in water, ketchup, and mustard. Reduce to desired sauciness.

5. Season to taste and enjoy!!

Serve them with my tasty drop biscuits! Found here: http://www.northernlightsprimal.com/blog/drop-biscuits

Every now and then we miss something "bread-like". Whether it's for a burger, sloppy joes, or with some balsamic strawberries and coconut cream. These are a basic drop biscuit that can play both a sweet or savory role, depending what you top them with. Hope you enjoy them!!!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup coconut flour

1 tsp paleo baking powder (2:1 ratio of cream of tartar to baking soda)

1 tsp coconut sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup avocado oil

6 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Dump everything into a food processor and process until thoroughly combined. Let sit for a couple moments and then pulse again. (Stand or hand mixing works well too!)

3. Measure out 1/3 cup of batter and form into small discs. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!!

So... My hubby is a recovering junkfoodaholic. Pre-me, his food came out of bags or boxes. He has come so far!!! I'm so proud of his food choices now and he even eats Brussels sprouts(when I cook them with bacon lol).

His one downfall is the chewy, tangy, sour fruit candy/snack. This recipe has just broke him of that! I actually caught him trying to stuff three of the rolls into his pocket for a work snack. They are THAT good!!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups fruit (your choice! Our faves include a blueberry-cherry and strawberry-mango)

2 tbsp sweetner (I used coconut sugar**. I would omit/lessen this for in season fruit)

1 lemon, juice only

1. Add everything into a blender and blend until super smooth!!

2. Pour into parchment lined sheet (if using oven) or directly into a lightly oiled fruit leather dehydrator tray mat.

3. For oven, bake at 170 degrees for 4 hours. For dehydrator, 135 degrees for 6 hours. They are done when they are no longer wet/tacky on top!

4. Cut using a pizza cutter and roll up in parchment (a la fruit by the foot!!)

5. Try not to eat all in one day! Enjoy!

Since this is the second time I am writing this (thank you stupid weebly), all my wit was used up in the first round. But hey, who doesn't love butternut squash soup?? I was craving it and thought it was the perfect make-ahead lunch meal!!

Ingredients:

8 cups butternut squash, cubed

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp herbes de Provence

1 can coconut milk, just the

Salt & pepper, to taste

8 cups bone broth (or stock)

1. Over medium heat, sauté onions, carrots, celery and garlic until translucent.

2. Add in herbs, butternut squash, and broth.

3. Simmer for 30 minutes and the purée until smooth.

4. Add in coconut cream and season to taste.

5. Enjoy!

Well, first, a disclaimer! These are NOT Paleo! Some people, including my hubby, include quinoa in their diet because they tolerate it well (I am not one of those people!). These are his on-the-go breakfast bars that he can reach for instead of stopping at the dreaded drive-thru! I don't recommend using these as a regular breakfast item, but they make a "better" treat for those that live a Paleo(ish) lifestyle. Plus, these are nut, gluten, and dairy-free!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups roasted pumpkin seeds

1 1/2 cups coconut

1 cup quinoa

2 tbsp hemp seeds

1/2 cup ground flax seed

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

2 eggs

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp sea salt

2-3 tbsp Enjoy Life mini chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a food processor and process until the pumpkins seeds are crumbly and everything looks well mixed.

3. Add in coconut oil, maple syrup, and eggs. Pulse until thoroughly combined.

4. Place mixture into a parchment-lined 9x13 pan and press until even.

5. Sprinkle mini chips on top and lightly press them into the mixture.

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set.

7. Let cool, cut, and enjoy!!