Paleo Vegan Pumpkin Pie Balls

After a long hiatus...I'm back!  I apologize for falling off the radar, but the last several months have been jam packed, and I've forgone trying many new recipes - sticking, instead, to my "old faithfuls" for the sake of convenience.

Alas, I've been really missing experimenting in the kitchen and sharing new, yummy recipes with you guys as of late! Fall is my favorite time of the year for many reasons (amazing weather, comfy layers, holidays & family time...just to name a few), but one HUGE reason is the "flavors" of fall.  And it probably won't surprise you that, of those flavors, pumpkin is way up there on my list of favorites. In the last couple weeks alone, I've made pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, and, of course, these Pumpkin Pie Balls (twice!).

These little guys are just delightful...the perfect little pumpkin pie flavored, cakey bite. AND they're easy! You could definitely have them as a sweet addition to your breakfast, or like my husband and I have been doing, enjoy them as a treat after dinner :)  I made another batch for us again yesterday, and this time I added chocolate chips to the mix...because everything's better with chocolate, no?!

Paleo Vegan Pumpkin Pie Balls

Recipe yields 18-20 

Ingredients:

2 cups Almond Flour

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

2 Tbsp Tapioca Flour

1 cup Pumpkin Puree

2/3 cup Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Clove

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

Optional: 1/4 cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2) Combine dry ingredients, making sure to work out any lumps in the flours.

3) Add wet ingredients and mix into a sticky dough.

4) Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on lined cookie sheet.

5) Bake for about 20 minutes.

6) Serve plain or drizzled with additional maple syrup.

Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Holy hiatus, guys!  I apologize for my lack of posts in the last few weeks - life has just been BUSY. Good, but very busy.  Time to get back at it...with a new muffin recipe! :)

After avoiding a very tempting smorgasbord of muffins this past Sunday at church, I knew I had to make some for my husband and I this week to fulfill the craving.  Muffins are one of my favorites!

These Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins did not disappoint.  They're easy to make, come out of the oven soft and fluffy, and oh yeah, let's not forget the always amazing flavor combo of apple and cinnamon...mmmmmm.

They're also gluten free, vegetarian, and, unlike most of my other favorite Paleo muffin recipes, nut free.  I'll definitely be adding these babies into the regular muffin rotation!

Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins

*Recipe makes 10 muffins.

Ingredients:

1 apple of choice (I used a Pink Lady), cored and diced

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup applesauce

3 eggs, whisked

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and diced apple.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until combined.

4. Scoop mixture evenly into 10 muffin tins (I used an ice cream scoop).

5. Bake for 30 minutes.

Check out those little chunks of apple nestled inside...yum! 

Adapted from - http://paleomg.com/apple-cinnamon-muffins-nut-free/

Banana Walnut Bread

My husband, Steven, surprised me with a small gift recently - my first bread pan!!  I suppose you know you're an adult when bread pans as gifts excite you  ;)  My new toy needed some breaking in, so I started perusing some - what else? - Paleo banana bread recipes. Doesn't everyone love banana bread? This girl sure does. I'm especially fond of Starbuck's super sugary one, but for obvious reasons, that is not an indulgence I partake in often.

I am pleased to report that this Paleo version of a traditional banana bread is suuuuper convincing.  The hubby and I both agreed we couldn't tell much of a difference between it and the "real" thing. It's also ridiculously easy to make - throw your ingredients in a food processor, blend, pour, and bake - which makes it a definite keeper in my book.

A slice of this Banana Walnut Bread pairs perfectly with a morning cup of coffee, and is even better smeared with just a touch of grass-fed butter or almond butter (or other nut butter of your choice).  Healthy fats, FTW!

Banana Walnut Bread

Serving Size: Recipe makes one 5 x 9 - inch loaf (8 thick or 10 thinner slices)

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 Tbsp coconut oil

3/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup almond flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 large bananas)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Place all ingredients, except the walnuts and cinnamon, in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

3) Pour mixture into a loaf pan (don't forget your non-stick spray) and sprinkle chopped walnuts and cinnamon evenly across the top.

4) Bake for 45-50 minutes or until tester-toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

5) Cool for 10 minutes before inverting bread onto a cooling rack.  

Paleo Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

We survived Snowpocalypse!  This week we're thawing out with some pretty sunshine and much warmer temps... it's 72 degrees outside at the moment.  Thank you, Lord.  I'm so ready for spring!

The recipe I'm sharing today is one of my go-tos and has been for quite some time now. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I especially love a sweet breakfast - pancakes, waffles, muffins, french toast, banana bread...you get the idea.  These muffins satisfy me just like the real thing, but they're a whole lot better for me than the real thing. It's a win-win!

Still not sold?...

You only need 7 ingredients to make them.  Yep, 7. So easy.

These are best enjoyed with a cup of coffee and after being warmed in the microwave for about 20 seconds :)

Paleo Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

3 bananas, ripe

3 eggs

3 1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup of dark chocolate (or semi-sweet chocolate) chips

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1) Blend the wet ingredients.

2) Mix the dry in a bowl with a fork.

3) Combine the wet and dry, then scoop into a lined muffin pan and bake at 350 for 23-24 minutes (until lightly browned).

4) Remove and let cool.

There might be something wrong with you if you don't love these muffins ;)

Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Power Greens Breakfast Casserole

Call it the Week of the Casserole!  Today's recipe is for a delicious breakfast casserole, but I've also got a dinner casserole/"bake" for you later on in the week.  I LOVE casseroles.  They're easy to throw together, make several servings for easy leftovers, and are such a warm, undeniably comforting meal.

This breakfast casserole is full of meat, veggies, and eggs.  The flavors are spot on - savory sausage, thyme, and clove combined with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes - yum!  An added bonus?  FOUR CUPS (yes, four!) of filling, fibrous, vitamin-packed power greens.

A special thank you to my sweet husband, Steven, for helping me prep this weekend.  I am no-where close to matching his speed and skill with a knife yet, so he saved me a lot of time by helping me cut up veggies!  Anyone else love to spend time in the kitchen with their spouse?  Mine is a fabulous cook and continues to teach me so much.  A voracious appetite and love of food is one of the many traits we share, and I sure am thankful for it :)

Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Power Greens Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs breakfast sausage

12 eggs

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded (use food processor or cheese grate)

1/2 large sweet onion, cubed

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 cups spinach

2 cups kale

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Brown and break up sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.

3) Beat eggs in an extra large bowl.

4) Mix shredded sweet potato and onion into eggs with seasonings, coconut milk, and power greens.

5) Grease a 9x13 casserole dish with coconut oil.

6) Pour in egg mixture and stir in sausage. 

7) Cook for 45 minutes.  

8) Cover with foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

If you try this out (or if you tried any of the recipes from last week), I'd love to hear what you think! Drop me a line below :)  

Welcome to my blog!

Hello, friends!  First post on my first (ever!) blog -  I'm so excited to kick this thing off and have a space to share my culinary adventures with all of you.

As the title of the blog implies, I'm all about eating delicious, satisfying, nutritious, REAL food to fuel an active and healthy lifestyle.  Think of your body like a car - without first filling up your tank with gasoline, you won't get very far, right?  In the same way, you can't expect your body to perform and grow in ways that amaze you if you aren't putting good fuel in first.  Food for Fit; Fit for Food is a reminder that we get good out when we put good in!

My husband and I have followed a pretty strictly Paleo diet for ~6 months now, and it's been life-changing.  I've never had more energy, felt stronger, and experienced an all-around quality of life that is anything compared to the fullness of how I currently feel.  As a Personal Fitness Trainer and Crossfit addict, I've seen the changes in my eating impact my workouts in ways I didn't know possible.  I have more energy than ever before and have seen huge gains in my strength and muscle development.  I know these gains are a direct result of treating my body right and feeding it the kind of food it was designed to eat.  Per Paleo's principles, my diet is packed full of lean meats, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats.  I don't count calories and don't feel deprived.  The food I'm eating is nutrient dense and leaves me feeling satisfied and energized.

But going Paleo has given me another gift, and one that I didn't expect. I'm discovering in myself a love for cooking and experimenting in the kitchen.  Growing up, my kitchen tasks were limited mostly to clean-up, so I began adulthood with a very limited cooking arsenal (can you call boiling Ramen cooking?).  As I approach the last few years of my 20's, I'm now, finally, discovering the joy in not only eating incredible, healthy food, but also the joy that preparing this incredible food brings.

I still have SO MUCH to learn, which is partly what this blog is all about.  I'm committed to trying at least a couple new recipes each week so that I can share not only the really good ones with you, but also what I'm learning along the way.  The recipes I share here will all follow Paleo principles unless otherwise noted.  I do believe in the occasional cheat ;)

But enough jibber-jabber already...on to recipes!

This first recipe I wanted to share is for Paleo Banana-Raisin Breakfast Cookies.  The hubby and I are always looking for quick breakfast options, and this one is a no-brainer.  Assemble all the ingredients, mix 'em up, and bake for 12 minutes - voila!  Breakfast for the week!  These aren't a substantial source of protein, so have one with a couple scrambled eggs or some slices of bacon :)  My favorite thing about these cookies is how soft they are, especially if you warm them for a minute or two in the toaster before eating.

Paleo Banana-Raisin Breakfast Cookies 

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup almond butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1-2 cups raisins (or mix-ins of your choice)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  

2. Combine all ingredients until well blended.  

3. Drop by tbs. onto a greased or Silpat-lined baking sheet.  

4. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.  

(These will spread a good bit, so leave room between cookies!)

Can't wait to hear what you think.  Happy eating! :)

Allie