Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Gluten Free & ~9g Protein per serving (depending on your slice ;)

🌰Nut Crust
2 cups pecan pieces
1/2 cup coconut flour (you can use almond flour if you like)
1 tbsp. raw honey
2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted

🎃Filling
1 can organic pumpkin puree (15 oz)
2 VERY ripe bananas
1/4 cup coconut milk
3 eggs
2 scoops undenatured whey protein (optional)
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
dash of pink salt

Preheat the oven to 350F. Add crust ingredients to the bowl of a food processor - add in order so the honey doesn't stick to the sides ;). Pulse the blades 8-10 times, until you get a crumbly mixture. Lightly spray a 9" deep dish pie plate with coconut/olive oil cooking spray. Add nut crumble to the dish, spread it out and press until firmly covering the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Set aside.

Add all filling ingredients to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until well blended. Pour filling into nut crust, bake for 45 minutes, or until set and slightly cracked. If the crust begins to brown too much, gently cover with foil. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until nicely chilled before serving!

You can use the remaining coconut milk and whip it with 1 tbsp. honey + 1/2 tsp. vanilla to make coconut whip - make sure the coconut milk is cold first! ;)Place ingredients in your mixer and whip on high with whisk attachment until creamy OR serve with a small scoop of vanilla gelato (we like Talenti). 

;)

Cran-Apple Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

🍎Cran-Apple Stuffed Pork Tenderloin🍎

What you need...
🌿Pork Tenderloin - there will be 2 in the package
🌿1 cup fresh cranberries, washed
🌿2 cups apples, chopped into ~1 inch cubes
🌿2 tbsp. fresh Rosemary, chopped
🌿olive oil or olive oil spray
🌿kitchen twine or toothpicks

❤️️Add cranberries and apples to a 3qt. pot and turn to medium-high. Cook for about 1 minute, as you begin to hear them start to sizzle and pop, continue cooking while stirring with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula for about 6-7 minutes. You will cook the mixture until the cranberries are cooked into a gel like form and the apples are softened.
🌿Remove from heat and set aside. Preheat oven to 400F. Place the pork tenderloin on a large piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Cut a deep slit down the center, taking care not to slice all the way through the meat. Fold it open, like a book, cover with second sheet of parchment or fold the plastic wrap over the meat to cover it. Using a meat mallet, pound the tenderloin until it is a uniform thickness of about 1-1 1/2 inches. 
🍎Light spray or grease a 9x13 pyrex dish. Add 3 pieces of kitchen twine per tenderloin (~8" lengths) to the pyrex dish, gently 1 tenderloin to sit in the dish on 3 pieces of twine. Fill the center with half the apple mixture, top with 1/2 the Rosemary. Gently, but tightly tie up each piece of twine, and secure with toothpicks if necessary. Repeat with second tenderloin. Cover with foil and add to the oven. Bake covered for about 25-30 minutes or until meat reaches 165F. 
*Make sure to find the center point when checking the temperature with a meat thermometer.*
Remove pork to rest for 5 minutes, slice into 2 inch pieces, top with sauce released from cooking the pork and drizzle with balsamic sauce (optional).

🍴This pairs beautifully with gently roasted asparagus, Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts (see Simple Sides section under photos>albums) and Garlic Rosemary Potatoes (also in Simple Sides but just reported too! ;))

For detailed pictures, see link - http://deannadoesit.blogspot.com/…/red-and-green-pork-tende…

Balsamic Sauce (Optional)
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. raw honey

Add to a jar and shake until well combined OR whisk together in a bowl. Drizzle over pinwheels or serve alongside! Enjoy! 😘

Holiday Hash

Someone snuck the last of this while I was gone to workout this morning! I guess I'll make more! 😉

Sooooooo good, simple, one pan wonder! Perfect for a chilly Holiday morning!

Holiday Hash
📍2 small sweet potatoes, peeled & diced
📍1 onion, chopped
📍1 poblano, cored & chopped
📍1 red bell pepper, cored & chopped
📍4 cloves garlic, chopped
📍20 oz. chicken sausage, removed from casings (I used Al Fresco Sweet Italian)
📍olive oil
📍5oz. clamshell organic spinach
📍7 eggs (you can use more or less I was aiming for 7 servings)

Preheat oven to 400F. Add first 6 ingredients to a large oven safe sauté pan with some depth. Drizzle with olive oil and turn to high heat. Saute while stirring well and breaking up the sausage, about 10 minutes. As potatoes begin to soften, remove from heat, top with spinach, allow to wilt for about 2 minutes, crack eggs over hash and place pan in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until eggs are set. Serve and ENJOY it's addictive!

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp w/ Spice Orange Dip

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp w/ Spicy Orange Dip

What you need...
~1 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled but tails left on
1 package uncured bacon
toothpicks
1/4 cup orange marmalade (look for one without corn syrup)
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more)

Preheat oven to 400F. Slice bacon in half. Line large baking sheet with foil. Lay out bacon slices on foil. Bake for about 5 minutes, then flip using tongs and bake for 5 more minutes. The bacon should be about 75% cooked, but still flimsy. Remove from oven and remove to drain on a paper towel. Cool for about 5 minutes. Wrap one slice bacon around each shrimp and secure with a toothpick. Place on NEW foil lined pan (I just trashed my original foil and replaced). Bake for about 7 minutes or until shrimp are pinked and bacon is done! Remove to serving dish. 
Add remaining ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Serve along side!

Slow Cooker Bread - YES!!!!!

Blew my MIND!!!! Bread in the slow-cooker! 1.5 hours, no rise time needed! I only used 4 ingredients + water 💦

Recently a friend was giving me some super smart inside on some of the ingredients in typical breads and how they actually masquerade under different names, but end up producing trans fats! So, I have been baking my own bread for the kids to keep it super clean, but THIS is a game changer! I did use Organic White Whole Wheat Flour, but am thinking that a Gluten Free blend will work too! *Testing this week*

What you need...
1 1/2 tbsp. dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp. raw honey
1/2 cup White Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp salt
2 cups warm water
6-6 1/2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour

In the bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment, add first 4 ingredients, turn to lowest setting for 30 seconds. Leave for 2 minutes to sit. Add in salt & water and turn to low/med setting and add in flour 1/2 cup at a time until it begins to come together as a shaggy dough. Allow to knead for about 45 seconds or until the bowl is fairly clean and it gathers into a ball. Remove from mixer, add to a light greased slow-cooker, turn to high heat, cover and cook for 1.5-2 hours. Done! You can finish in the oven for a crustier crust! Ummm....yeah...that easy!

Balance for Better

What does your Ideal Self look like during 2017? Are you more Patient, more Fit, more Positive, more Present, more Confident, Stronger, Faster, more Focused? Is your center on diet, exercise, self control? Are your goals physical, mental, health or wealth related? If you could channel your Ideal Self, what would that be? 

I have always looked at my New Year's Resolutions with a ho hum attitude, knowing that it probably wouldn't really last. 2016 has taught me different - that anything is possible with focus & consistency and to embrace each day as a new opportunity to #chasebetter However, there is something about a brand new year, a new number, a blank page that is really filled with Wonder, Possibility and Excitement!
2016 has held some highs and lows, a great deal of lessons learned. One big one for me: Change in Inevitable & Constant, it's what you do with Change that is Your Choice. This year my goal is for Continuous Improvement on my Self in all parts of Me.

The first blank page in the 365 page book of You 2017

12 chapters

365 pages 

#KaiZen2017 #Chapter1 #betterMe #Leterrip #readytorun #embracechange#patience #presence #positivity #less #more

Reflection

As we prepare to greet a New Year filled with possibility and promise, it's time to reflect on the past year and remember some of your accomplishments and what made you successful! If you know what works for you, reminders of those things are a fabulous point of self-talk as you plan for the New Year!

Personally, I do not believe in wasting time on your shortcomings, mistakes and setbacks, but now is also a good time to be truthful with yourself about your vices and hurdles - the things that consistently hold you back! Make a plan to keep from opening yourself up to those as often and reserve them for splurge events or rewards! #balance

For me, I know that I have no issue indulging on sweets, no sweet tooth here...but...if there are Tortilla Chips in my pantry, they literally beckon to me until I hammer through a jar of salsa! This is something I have to simply not set myself up for! 

 #makeaplan #helpyourself #cheersthenewyears#itsokaytothinkaboutyourself #setyourselfupforsuccess #receive #renew#rejoice #behonest

Paleo Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

This soup literal saved my life! Several years ago, when I was home sick, with all 4 kids sick, who were all under 2 at the time...a dear angel of a neighbor made me a similar soup and it was the turning point in our sickness. It literally opened up my head and gave me the will to fight again ;) Seriously, it was life changing and ever since, whenever I am sick with a head cold this is my go-to! Easy Peasy Crock-pot Squeezey!

The Chipotle in Adobo is totally optional, as is the cilantro garnish; however, I LOVE the really smokey profile that the chipotle gives as it enhances the curry flavors to me! Also, I stirred in 1 scoop of Collagen to mine just before serving, great for bones, joints and skin!

If you want to beef up the protein a little to even out your macros, I added 1/3 cup shredded chicken to my leftovers and it was delicious! (just slow-cooked skinless breasts for 3 hours and shredded).

*Tip - Whenever I open a can of Chipotle in Adobo, I use what I need and dump the rest into a quart sized freezer bag, lie it flat, seal it up and freeze. Then you can break off pieces as needed and toss them into anything! The smokiness goes a long way and can be used in all kinds of recipes!*

What you need...
2 cups bone broth (I used chicken broth that I had frozen)
2 cans Organic Pumpkin Puree
1 can Coconut Milk
2 tsp. Curry Powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp red curry paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp. chipotle in adobo sauce 

cilantro garnish (optional)
Collagen Peptides (optional) 

Slowcooker-
Dump all the ingredients in, stir to combine, turn to low and cook for 4 hours, whisk to thicken just before serving!

Pressure Cooker-
Dump all the ingredients in, stir to combine, pressure cook for 10 minutes, allow to keep warm for 10 minutes, release pressure (carefully), whisk to combine and serve!

Adaptogens, say what?

There's Magic in that there Gold!

Since discovering this amazing Adaptogenic Vitamin Blend, there is only ONE way to start my day!  #onescoopeveryday

This time of year can be especially stressful! Statistics show that depression and anxiety are at an all time high around the holidays and the first of the year! It's dreary and cold, it gets dark early, people are reeling from the $ they just shelled at and trying to set themselves straight for a better New Year! 

Adaptogens are natural herbs that assist your body in coping with all types of stress: internal, environmental, chronic, etc. Although Cortisol increase is a normal and healthy response to stressors, over time, increased levels begin to impact your brain and it's many functions! Adaptogens, especially paired with B vitamins can assist with mental performance, attention, response time and in turn drive energy! #theygivemethehappy #pepinmystep#wolfberry #ashwagandha #ioNIXthestress #Bionix