Kick Your Cravings to The Curb With (Almost) Calorie Free Chips!

I love salty, crunchy snacks and I especially love chips and dips! 

Unfortunately, even healthy, wholesome chips can be very high in calories. When you are as short as me, you don't get a lot of calories to play with in a day and those extra calories really add up. 

I found the perfect way to get the crispy texture I crave without the extra calories. In fact, I would venture to say that by the time I'm done chewing these chips, I've probably burned more calories in the process of eating them than the chips themselves contain! Brilliant!!! 

The best part of this chip recipe is that it is so simple to make. With just two ingredients, it couldn't get any better in my book! Watch this video to learn more - 

My Favorite Morning Smoothie for Weight Loss!

One of the ways that I stay focused on eating healthy (on most days that is...) is by starting my day with a simple breakfast that is easy to take on the go. 

Like most of you, my morning starts with getting the kids off to school and me off to work all the while running through the mile-long check list in my mind. If I don't plan ahead, it's very easy to forget about a healthy breakfast and set myself up for a day of crappy eating out of sheer desperate, on-the-run hunger. 

I keep some basics in my freezer and pantry to throw into my morning smoothie so no matter what, I can have a healthy breakfast whipped up in less time than it takes to go through the drive thru.

This is my favorite smoothie recipe for weight loss because it is full of ingredients to stave off hunger and maintain blood sugar levels until lunch time! Plus, the recipe makes more than two cups and is less than 300 calories - hard to beat that!  

Summer Squash Hummus Recipe Video - Paleo Friendly!

Sometime around mid July the summer squash and zucchini starts to produce bucket loads! It's an amazing feeling to pick all of those free, beautiful veggies but it can be a little overwhelming. I have really struggled with ways to preserve squash and my family can only take roasted squash, grilled squash and steamed squash for so long before they start to turn their noses up.  

In my journey to preserve squash I've made squash pickles, squash relish, squash pancakes, squash bread, squash mock apple pie, and squash butter. The other day I decided to experiment a little and created this yummy squash hummus dip! Watch this video to see how easy it is to make this delicious dip -

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How to Dehydrate Bananas - Easy and Healthy!

The dehydrator that I am using in this video is the Nesco FD-1040 1000-watt Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator.  It runs about $95 on Amazon and the link I connected has free shipping. The 1000 watts ensures that your food dehydrates as quickly and efficiently as possible and is best for larger batches. It comes with 4 trays and you can purchase additional trays for around $16 per two. To view the add on trays click this link -  Nesco TR-2 Add-A-Tray for FD-1010/FD-1018P/FD-1020, Set of 2.

If you are not ready to spend a $100 or more on a dehydrator there are other models available that are perfectly fine for dehydrating. 

Tasty Paleo Pasta - Gluten Free

Are you missing pasta dishes due to your Paleo lifestyle or a gluten sensitivity?  Look no further!  You CAN have pasta and you don't have to pay a fortune for it.  My entire family liked this pasta and that alone is impressive.  Best of all, this pasta is easy to make.  Adapt the recipe for lasagna, home style noodles, fettuccine, or even linguine dishes by changing the width of your noodles. 

To make your own Paleo noodles, you will need....

Paleo Tortillas - Delicious, Easy and Gluten Free

For the most part, eating Paleo approved foods has proven to be a tasty experience.   But I'm still preparing non-Paleo foods for my family members that aren't ready to jump on the bandwagon.  I'm still tempted by non-Paleo food items.  Ugh!  Hands down, the most difficult meal for me to pass up is burritos.  I can eat the meat and veggies but I feel deprived the whole time, watching my family eat my tasty homemade whole wheat tortillas.   

So I decided that it was time to try a Paleo tortilla recipe.  My friend gave the recipe and I'm so thankful that she did!  To make your own delicious Paleo tortillas you will need...

Paleo Chocolate Almond Pudding - Gluten Free

Even though we don't physically NEED dessert, sometimes our heart just craves it!  My friend gave me this easy pudding recipe to try.  

It's creamy and while it may not taste exactly like store-bought pudding, it is a welcome treat to this girl who thought desserts were off limits!  

This recipe also would be great for anyone staying away from gluten.  To make this delicious recipe....

Recipe makes 8 servings

You will need -

1/2 cup carob or cocoa powder

5 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch Flour

5 Tablespoons Tapioca Flour

2 cups Coconut Milk (canned)

2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other nut milk)

1 cup agave, pure maple syrup, or honey (or replace with stevia*)

1 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)

1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

*Please note, if replacing liquid sweetener with Stevia powder, you will need to add additional milk (3/4 cup milk for 1 cup of liquid sweetener replaced) to avoid making pudding too thick.

 

1) Stir together the cocoa or carob powder with the starches in saucepan.

2) Add 1 cup of the coconut milk and stir until it forms a smooth paste.

3) Stir in the rest of the milk(s) and sweetener(s).

4) Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil.

5) Remove heat and stir in the extracts.

6) For an added touch, toast unsweetened coconut and almond slivers under broiler.

7) Divide into 8 serving dishes and garnish with toasted almonds and coconut.  Serve warm or chilled. Delicious!

Tasty Raisin Nut Cookies - Paleo Friendly & Gluten Free

I've been trying to make eating Paleo feel good to the more "resistant" members of my household.  

Of course, the biggest protest has been, "What? No cookies?"  

So I played around with some of the Paleo acceptable foods in my pantry and came up with this recipe.  

While it is definitely NOT low fat and it does have natural maple syrup in the recipe, this cookie satisfies the urge for a treat in a healthy way.  

And because the ingredients are gluten free, the cookie works for those who are avoiding gluten!

Recipe makes approximately 30 cookies

~ To make this recipe you will need ~

* 1/3 cup coconut oil

* 3 eggs

* 1/3 - 1/2 cup real maple syrup

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

* 1 cup almond flour

* 1/2 cup coconut flour

* 1 tsp baking soda

* 1/2 tsp sea salt

* 1/2 cup raisins

* 1/4 cup almond slivers

* 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

Easy No Grain Granola - Great for Paleo or Gluten Free Diet

Avoiding grains can be a very difficult thing to do!  

For me, granola was always something that I enjoyed, especially if it came in the form of a handy little bar shape.

Convenient and tasty, granola is a mainstay for many busy families. 

I was given this recipe by a dear friend and love it so much that it will be a mainstay for healthy snacking or an on the go breakfast!

Delicious Grain Free - Sugar Free Banana Nut Muffins (Paleo Recipe)

What could be better than a delicious, warm banana nut muffin? Unfortunately for many people, either due to gluten sensitivity or by diet choice, treats like this are off limits. 

In my quest to feel better, yet NOT drive my family crazy at the same time; I found this tasty recipe. It fits the bill for anyone trying to avoid gluten or grains altogether!

Homemade Nut Butter

Recently, I've made a change in my diet. I was tired of feeling...well, tired! 

Even though I was eating healthy (for the most part), including whole grains, beans, fresh veggies, yogurt and all of the other foods recommended to get a well balanced diet, I just felt sluggish.

After eating a bowl of beans and rice, I felt like I needed to take a nap.  And I seemed to have lower intestinal cramping often.

A good friend of mine (I'll call her "Breeze", because an online test told her that "Breeze" would be her hippie name if she were to be a hippie) has followed the Paleo diet for two years now and I wanted what she has.  

She lost weight, her skin cleared up and she seems to have boundless energy.