Pumpkin Pie Dessert Smoothie

I call this recipe a dessert smoothie because that's exactly what it tastes like to me... dessert. Though not overly sweet, it has that hit-just-the-right-spot quality that makes it seem more luscious than just your average snack.

I make it thinner like a smoothie rather than thicker like a pudding because I prefer it to be drinkable. However, it you would rather eat it with a spoon, simply omit the water in this recipe and serve it in mugs with dollops of freshly whipped cream and sprinkles of cinnamon on top. (Maybe, just maybe, this will become your new favorite Thanksgiving dessert! Say goodbye to sugar-laden, calorie-laden, grain-laden pies for this light, refreshing take on the good ole' pumpkin pie!)

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Smoothie

1 1/2 cups whole milk yogurt
1 cup pureed pumpkin or other winter squash
1 cup water
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg, cloves, and ginger

Place all ingredients in a Vitamix and blend until creamy consistency.

Pour into glasses and drink as is for a refreshing smoothie. Or for a thicker dessert option, omit the water from the recipe and pour into small mugs, then top with whipped cream and cinnamon.

Slow Cooker Chicken Meatballs and Curried Veggies

Busy mom, busy young kids, busy days mean I need quick, easy, nutritious meal plans in my back pocket, oh, just about... everyday. I've been making versions of this recipe for weeks now. I sure hope my kids don't tire of it as I plan on making it at least once a week through the cold months when we all want a hearty, warm dinner for those busy nights.

This recipe calls for several kinds of veggies, because I like variety, but use what you have on hand: think butternut squash, parsnips, broccoli, kale, or cabbage... use grass fed ground beef in place of the chicken... use cumin or cinnamon in place of the curry... you get the idea. Experiment!

Whatever the combo you choose, I think you'll fall in love with the ease of preparation and the deliciousness of the meal, busy or not!

Slow Cooker Chicken Meatballs and Curried Veggies

1 lb. ground chicken
salt, pepper

1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2 inch stip of fresh ginger, peeled
4 carrots
6 small potatoes
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 stalks celery
1/2 cup dried fruit of choice (figs, dates, prunes, or raisins)

2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon curry powder

Cilantro and/or parsley

Place chicken in a bowl and add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Gently mix in the salt and pepper while forming the chicken into 1 inch size meatballs with your hands. Evenly distribute meatballs in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker.

Coarsely chop all vegetables and dried fruit and, in the order listed, place atop of the meatballs, spreading around the slow cooker so they are evenly distributed.

Whisk curry powder into chicken stock in a small bowl and pour over the meatballs and veggies.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3- 3 1/2 hours, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

Serve with cilantro/parsley as a garnish.

Honey Mini Muffins (grain and sugar free)

My kids have been begging me for mini muffins lately. So this past weekend, I went out and bought a mini muffin pan, knowing full well that it would get lots of use. Bright and early Monday morning, we set out to make our first batch in our new muffin pan.

Since I've been sticking to mostly GAPS friendly ingredients lately, I decided to make these with honey. I also know that honey is the sweetener of choice for my kiddos (they ask for it at least once a day), so I knew they'd go bonkers for "honey" muffins. (They've also been reading a lot of Berenstain Bears books lately; maybe that has something to do with the honey fettish?)

These turned out so good, I knew I had to blog about them. To prove just how good these muffins are, I'll tell you that I've already made them a couple of times this week (they go that fast!). And I know they'll be requested yet again by the time the weekend rolls around.

I don't mind my kids noshing on these yummy muffins one bit; not only are they delicious, but they are also nutritious. Try them for breakfast, as a simple snack, or as a side with some soup or chili.

Honey Mini Muffins

Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:
6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 24 cup mini muffin tray with paper liners.

In a bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk all liquid ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until completely incorporated (batter will become thicker upon standing).

Pour batter into prepared mini muffin try, filling about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until tops are golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip (or Raisin) Cookies- Grain Free/GAPS Option

We've been in GAPS mode for a few weeks now, after having completed the GAPS intro diet for 7 days. I'm loving this diet! It's completely free of grains and sugar, with the exception of honey, and the food on the diet is just so nourishing. My skin is loving it too. I don't think my face has ever been so soft as it was after the intro diet.

We began it as a way to jumpstart the renewing of our bodies through nutrition, to clean out our guts, and to hopefully just feel better overall. I can say that both my husband and I do feel better, lighter. For a few years now, I've been in and out of a grain-free phase and I seem to keep coming back to it time and time again. Using my body as my guide, it tells me that I do better on a meat-and-veggies-diet more than anything else, so for now, that is what I am going with.

The GAPS community is growing too. Any google search will prove that. I think more and more people are realizing the connection of nutrition and health and it is exciting to read about the amazing results people are having when they truly commit to healing their bodies through nutrition!

While the bulk of the GAPS program is bone broth-based meals, including meat and veggies, there are GAPS "legal" ways of getting to enjoy the occasional treat, such as these cookies. They are so good, it's hard to believe they are so good for you. My husband actual words were "so phenomenal" (a high praise for a no-holds-barred critic of my cooking!). So whether you are following a GAPS, grain free, paleo, primal, etc. diet or lifestyle or just want a tasty, healthy, high protein treat, these cookies are for you!

Chocolate Chip (or Raisin) Cookies- Grain Free/GAPS Option

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt

Wet Ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or raisins for GAPS option

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one extra large or two small cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate, smaller bowl, melt coconut oil and add honey. Stir. Add vanilla and stevia and stir again. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Add in chocolate chips (or raisins for GAPS option) and stir until fully incorporated.

Using you hands, shape dough into small rounds about an inch in diameter, place on prepared cookie sheets and flatten slightly with your palm. Repeat with remaining dough. You should have approximately 14 cookies.

Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before eating.

Chocolate Cupcakes (with Beets)

I have young ones, and don't all young ones love cupcakes? Well, mine do at least. They've been asking me to make cupcakes for a while now, and happily, I obliged them with this healthful version of the iconic kids dessert.

This recipe brings me back to the Deceptively Delicious days, when I was putting pureed veggies into nearly everything I cooked. I'm out of that phase now, mostly because I currently don't have any babies eating pureed foods. My focus now is on getting my children to eat veggies- whole- and this proud mama must say that they are really good veggie eaters. (Of course some days they still refuse, but I keep trying!)

But with these cupcakes, there's no need to coerce anyone to eat their veggies, as you can't even tell they're in here. The beet puree lends these cakes to their nice moist consistency (and added nutritional value). As noted, you can also use a squash or pumpkin puree in its place, or a combination of any of the three, without notice to the overall taste.

Cupcakes they may be, but indulge my friends, completely guilt-free, as these babies are so good for you!

Chocolate Cupcakes (with Beets)

Wet ingredients:
1 1/4 cups beet, squash, or pumpkin puree (or a combination of these)
1 cup dates, pitted
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
4 eggs
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla


Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon stevia powder
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.

Add all wet ingredients in the order listed in a Vitamix or other high powered blender. Blend until completely smooth.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add blended wet ingredients and stir to combine.

Pour mixture prepared muffin tin. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Let set for 15-30 minutes before eating.

Taco Pie

This recipe is an ode to my Minnesota heritage and our famous hot dish.

A simple, delicious one-pot meal that will leave you filled and satisfied.

I have served this dish to several friends and family and always have requests to make it again, from kids and adults alike. Gotta have those go-to, no-fail, crowd-pleasing recipes on hand, and this will hopefully become one of those for you like it has for me.

Taco Pie 

1 tablespoon coconut oil or grass feed butter
1 yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
1 pound grass fed ground beef
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
salt, pepper
1 14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup green olives, sliced

1/2 package Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix 
1 egg
1/3 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup almond milk or raw cow's milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 inch baking dish with coconut oil.

Melt coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Chop onion and add to pan. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Mince garlic and add to onions. Cook about a minute, stirring once or twice. Add beef and, using a wooden spoon, break the beef up as it cooks. While the beef is browning, add spices (cumin through salt and pepper), stirring occasionally. Once the beef is completely browned, add tomatoes and olives and stir to combine.

Pour contents of half a bag of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix into a bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk eggs with coconut oil and milk. Add to dry cornbread mix and stir to combine.

Pour beef mixture into prepared baking dish. Add cornbread mixture to the top, spreading out to evenly coat. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the cornbread mixture.

Cover hot dish with foil and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cornbread mixture is set and cheese is melted. Remove foil, let stand about five minutes before serving.

Raw Corn and Avocado Chowder

I've been waiting for over a year to make a raw corn chowder. I only eat corn in the summer, and it has to be locally and organically grown. My CSA (community supported agriculture) has had corn in our boxes the last few weeks and it is good. My son loves to eat it lightly cooked right off the cob with butter and salt (it is his favorite food of all, he says), but I love to eat it raw. The idea of a raw corn soup came from my raw, vegan days when raw food was all I ate for 6 months.

This soup is so great to eat in the summer, when produce is at its peak of freshness and the warm weather calls for some cooling foods. It's creamy and satisfying. I can eat a bowl of this all by myself in one sitting (and often times do), but if I leave a bit leftover I think it tastes even better the next day.

Raw Corn and Avocado Chowder

2 ears organic corn, husked, washed, and kernels removed
1/2 avocado
1 cup water, almond milk, or raw grass-fed milk
1/2 lemon, peeled
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Salt, pepper

Place corn kernels and remaining ingredients into a Vitamix or other high powered blender in the order listed. Turn on lowest setting (Vitamix- 1), then gradually increase speed to low-medium (Vitamix 3-4) and run at this speed for about 30 or so seconds until all but the corn kernels are fairly blended (the corn kernels should still be somewhat in tact). Either pour and serve in this chunky consistency or continue blending until desired consistency is achieved.

Serves 1-2.