High Protein, Non-fat "Ice Cream" Recipe

I am in love with ice cream! Unfortunately, ice cream is high in calories, fat and sugar. Bummer. 

Thanks to ice cream, (which apparently does NOT love me as much as I love it) and a few other tasty foods, I had packed on some pounds over the past few years. 

Last September, I decided I should drop a few pounds. I started to monitor my calories through the free version of MyFitnessPal app. I quickly discovered that ice cream is a little too expensive for my diet, calorie-wise. I'm only 5'2" and the 1200 calorie target that I needed to hit daily to shed some excess weight didn't allow for things like ice cream, or Twix bars, on a regular basis.

Easy Beef Stew & Dumplings - Cheater Series

To all my busy friends, I hesitated to share this recipe with you because it's so shamefully easy! If you had any respect for me at all, I'm quite certain you will lose it after watching this video. But my kids love it and it does come in very handy when I'm crazy busy. So here it is - Enjoy!

San Antonio Style Tortilla Soup Recipe (Cheater Version)

In an effort to help out my kindred spirits, those poor overwhelmed souls who want to make home-cooked meals every night of the week but sometimes have more demands than time, I've decided to share some of my family's favorite "cheater" versions of my home cooking. Hands down, my San Antonio Style Tortilla Soup is the fastest from start to finish. If I crank my burner up to high, I can have dinner on the table in 15 minutes flat! That's impressive in my house!

One of the nicest things about this recipe is that (except for garnishments) the ingredients can be kept on hand in your pantry or long term food storage indefinitely. This makes the meal perfect for unexpected company or a backup dinner!

Cheater Series - The Easiest Tortellini Bake in the World!

I'm so excited to share with you my next "Cheater" recipe! It's a delicious Tortellini bake that will knock your family's socks off. And like all my other Cheater series recipes, it has only a handful of ingredients and can be prepared in 5 - 10 minutes and on the table in less than an hour (45 minutes in my house - even with interruptions). 

Best Cheater Chicken Pot Pie Recipe In the World!

My best friend shared this recipe with me years ago and my family still loves it! It only needs four ingredients and takes less than an hour to make from start to finish -

 

Make This Delicious Relish with Almost Any Vegetable - Video Tutorial

One of the most prolific vegetables in my garden is summer squash. Usually by late July, we have more yellow squash and zucchini than we know what to do with! A delicious way to preserve squash (or any vegetable) is to make relish. 

You will only need a handful of ingredients to make this yummy preserve to enjoy all season -

You Can Make Pickles Out of Almost Any Vegetable!

One of my favorite ways to preserve my garden harvest or store buys is to make pickles! It's super easy to pickle a little or a lot using this basic brine recipe -  1 cup of vinegar (any type will do) to 1 cup of water plus 1 1/2 tablespoons of pickling or kosher salt (don't use iodized salt). 

You will only need some simple supplies which can be picked up at your local supermarket or online - For your convenience I've linked the supply list with items you can purchase online.

B3 & Rosemary Skin Serum Recipe - All Natural Anti-aging and Wrinkle Repair That Works!

 

I'm always interested in effective and natural skin care, especially anti-aging products. B3, or niacinamide has been reported to effectively treat a variety of facial conditions - including acne, rosacea and wrinkles.  

Niacinamide is an important ingredient in many pricey skin care lines.   I like skin care that does more than one thing.  Any ingredient that helps beat wrinkles and acne is a winner in my book!

You can read more about niacinamide as a skin care ingredient on multiple sites, but the summary of what I understand is that topically applied B3 has been shown to increase ceramide and free fatty acid levels in skin.  This helps to prevent your skin from losing water content.  

This water soluble vitamin also is believed to stimulate micro circulation in the dermis, which is the middle layer of your skin (the place where all the collagen is stored in your skin - important stuff going on in this layer that affects your skin's youthful appearance).  

Because I don't believe that we must spend a fortune to have beautiful, youthful skin, I went on a search to find a recipe to make my own B3 serum.  

I tried several recipes from various websites but the serums didn't feel all that.....serum-like.  They were too watery for my clumsy self (I need a serum that lets me get a head start on it) so I played around with just a few ingredients and came up with this....

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...

Make Your Own Healthy Deodorant - All Natural

I first became aware that commercially prepared deodorants and antiperspirants could be bad for us when I was a teenager. (Way back in the dark ages, as my kids like to say.)  

My mother worked for a chiropractor who sold supplements and healthy alternative beauty products.  I will never forget the day my mother brought home a big deodorant crystal from work.  She wet the crystal and rubbed it under her armpits.  I thought this was strange and vowed to never rub a rock under my pits. 

Fast forward many years later, and I am the crazy mom, making deodorant in the kitchen. 

All joking aside, the recipe I'm going to share is a good replacement for the commercially prepared, aluminum based products on the market.  

It may not work for everyone, but many people find this homemade version to be more than adequate for controlling stinky sweat.   

To me it is worth the time to make this deodorant to reduce the cancer risk and other health concerns.  To make this all natural deodorant....

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.

Pancakes Without Eggs or Milk - Photo Tutorial

I've always thought that you couldn't make pancakes without eggs or milk.  But as I've said before; some of the best dishes are the result of experimentation and necessity.   

This is a pancake recipe that I developed when it was snowing like crazy and I just didn't feel like leaving the house.  We don't have egg or milk allergies but this would be a good recipe for someone with allergies.

Black Bean & Chicken Layered Enchilada Casserole

Is your family bored with the same old meals?  Why not try this delicious economical dish tonight?

Serve This Ridiculously Easy Breakfast Casserole - Good Enough For Company

For a quick and easy meal that will impress even the pickiest eaters, keep just four ingredients on hand.  Our family loves this recipe anytime of day and we often make it for our daycare children (who can be pretty tough customers in the food department).  My husband was head chef today so I snapped some shots of him putting together this super easy recipe. 

Tasty Pizza Biscuit Bake - Easy and Delicious!

Are you trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight?  Feeling uninspired?  Look no further because this easy main dish is big on flavor and requires little effort.  You can even prepare it ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until it's time to bake it!  Our Tasty Pizza Biscuit Bake is good enough for company especially when served with a fresh salad.