10 Fruit Sweetened Deserts!

I can't think of anyone who wouldn't benefit from expanding their arsenal of deserts sweetened only with fruit!  The nice thing about paleo friendly deserts is that, unless they have eggs, they are most often vegan as well, so many of them fit on almost any diet.  Most of these are super easy as well, so you have no excuse to give in to your sweet tooth with processed junk!

I've noted after the title of each one if it is vegan (V) or autoimmune (A) friendly.

Paleo Mug Cake - You heard it right, it's a mug cake, and it's paleo!  The first time I made it exactly as written with almond butter and it stuck pretty bad to the mug.  The next time I tried it with sunflower seed butter and it popped right out of the mug neatly, as pictured above.  I'm not a big fan of using microwaves, but sometimes it's so convenient.  I'm sure this would also work in muffin tins.

Avocado Banana (Chocolate) Pudding (V) (A if you leave out the chocolate) - This, and the banana "ice cream" are my absolute go-to deserts that kids love.  I've only made the chocolate one, and I found it needed more banana for sweetness, so now I do 2 bananas to 1 avocado and it's perfectly delightful!

Apple Sauce (A/V) - The first time I made apple sauce, I tried it without adding anything and was amazed that it was just apples.  It has a wonderfully buttery texture (for lack of a better descriptor) that you just don't get from store bought apple sauce.  I made mine with peeled apples, but you can keep the peels in as well.  I've also tried apple crumbles with a nut or seed flower mixture on top.

Paleo Everyday Cookies (V) - These are awesome!  They come from the "Eat Like a Dinosaur" book, which is a great resource for kids.  Since I seem to do better with nuts than seeds, I tried this with sunflower seed butter and pumpkin seeds.  They were a bit green, but tasty.  My nephew said they looked like something unappetizing, but then ate it up and asked for more!

Banana "Ice Cream" (A/V) - This is about as simple as it gets.  Freeze a banana, and put it in the food processor.  I like to add cocoa powder and frozen cherries!

Paleo Crepes with Banana - I tried this last weekend and it was pretty tasty, but I'm still not sure about eggs.  I might try adding a little more coconut flower next time so it's less egg-y and more flour-y.  It worked well with banana and nut or seed butter (if not autoimmune).

Fruit Rolls (V/A) - This is the one thing I haven't tried making yet, and I don't know why.  I guess it's because we like plain old dried fruit just fine, and it's one of the few fruit only sweetened deserts you can buy at the store (outside of fruit itself of course).  Still, it's a convenient thing to have handy.

Raw Truffles (V) - There are all kinds of raw date sweetened truffles out there that are good for a sweet tooth and a good compromise on sugar.  I'd go easy on them, but they are nice on occasion.

Macaroons (V) - This is similar to the raw truffles, but with coconut.  You could use carob powder to make it autoimmune friendly. I've also tried ones with fruit and coconut oil, but they needed a little honey to hold it together.

Fruit Popsicles (V/A) - These are great to have on hand in summer!  I just threw in whatever fruit I wanted in the blender and froze.  I added some veggies to mine according to color.  I believe the ones pictured included one that with avocado banana chocolate pudding, one with strawberries, banana, apples and carrot, and one with apples, banana and kale. Just make sure the veggies are good and blended so they aren't in chunks.  Fruit in chunks can be a fun surprise!

Playing with Food!

My first adventure with elimination diets started when I was nursing a colicky baby and thought that something I was eating might be contributing to his fussiness.  I went on the Total Elimination Diet, only at the time there were no potatoes, millet or lamb included, so there was basically one food from each food group I could eat.  I managed to stick to it successfully for two solid weeks, which was pretty impressive for a sleep deprived mom who was working full time.  It did nothing for the boy's colic!  I really saw no benefit from staying on it, so I went off "cold turkey."  That's when I realized it had done something - it moderately improved my own digestion, which I didn't really notice until I was eating everything again.  So, it didn't tell me what was bothering my son, or irritating my digestion.  What it did tell me was this: if I could stick strictly to a diet with one food from each food group for two weeks whilst staying up in the night with a screaming infant, working full time at a new job with several litigation issues and going through a divorce, I could do pretty much anything for two weeks!

Skip ahead three years and you'd find me at my fatigue rock bottom.  You'd think, how could I be more fatigued than when you weren't getting any sleep?  It's amazing the reserves of energy your body can produce to get you through the day when a baby is involved.  Last year, I realized that the Celexa I had been taking for anxiety was gradually sapping me of all motivation, and had made me gain a lot of weight. I decided to quit in the middle of the school year.  This was especially brave since it was my most stressful year ever, both personally and professionally, outside of the year described above.   I was exhausted both physically and emotionally and when I got home from work all I ever wanted to do was nap.  I knew I had to do something major to gain some healing momentum.

I started with an allergy elimination diet from Whole Life Nutrition, which I adhered to strictly, slowly introducing things until I finally reintroduced gluten after about 3 months.  I charted my energy level, my mood and all kinds of things you don't need to share with others on this Track & Share App. What it told me was SQUAT!  Nothing I reintroduced seemed to make any difference, or the difference it made was minor.  I concluded that it must just be stress and it didn't matter what I eat as long as it was moderately healthy.  What it did do for me though was teach me that I CAN make all of my own meals from scratch and to appreciate quality ingredients.  It also helped me to loose a lot more weight than what I'd started to loose on Weight Watchers.

Last summer, I learned that I have Adrenal Fatigue, which further corroborated my theory that it was "just stress" and not something I was eating.  I started a new round of supplements, but it was hard to tell if they were helping or if I was feeling better after a fantastically rejuvenating summer.  The first day back for the school year, I instantly regressed back to headaches and "brain fog" just at the association of work and the stressful year prior.  I'd been reading about paleo eating, and I decided I should give it a try (urged along by the fact that my pantry had been invaded by moths who infested all of my grains).

It's worth noting here, that I have done very little for my health that made an IMMEDIATE and DRASTIC change, or even a noticeable change worth continuing a consistent health habit.  This is part of the reason I have had notoriously bad willpower in the past.  When I started eating paleo, my headaches and brain fog went away immediately and I had more energy for the first few weeks than I can remember having in my adult life!  I planned on trying one cheat day a week, and indulged in a quality gluten free red velvet cupcake from one of my favorite healthy restaurants and almost immediately regretted it.  This told me that what was likely bothering most me was grains.  Of course the Whole Life Nutrition diet didn't help, since the whole first stage involves certain grains and small legumes for protein!  When I started paleo, I lost another 10 lb when I'd thought I'd settled in to a "comfortable" weight, loosing 40 lb in all.

My energy peak did not last forever due to a variety of factors.  Work got stressful, winter hit, I wasn't getting out and walking so much and I went off the supplements because they were too expensive for something I couldn't tell was helping.  I also believe that I may have gone overboard on eggs and almonds.  After the holidays, when I got a little more loose with my food, I decided to "reset" by trying the Autoimmune Protocol, which cuts out eggs, nuts, seeds and nightshades.   Once again, I didn't notice a huge difference, except (keeping it real here) for some reason I started getting some smelly gas (which is rarely an issue for me).  My best guess is from all the coconut I was eating in place of nuts etc.  After about a month, I jumped back into some of the forbidden food.  I also have played a bit with dairy, and though it doesn't seem to have an immediate digestive affect, I think it may be the cause of a recent breakout.  I'm not too sure about nuts (at least almonds), and eggs seem to be hit or miss (but I realized the miss times may have been hormone induced).

I'm still playing with my food to see how I react to things.  I've been researching to develop my own variation of a paleo elimination diet to see if there's something else bothering me.  Basically, there will be an Allergy Elimination Phase, an Autoimmune Elimination Phase and a Paleo Elimination Phase.  Stay tuned for details as I develop my plan!

Meanwhile, I'm avoiding grains almost entirely and most processed foods and sugar. I'm looking into the effects of different food preparation methods in reducing antinutrients in legumes, nuts and seeds.  I used to be "all or nothing" when it came to my diet, but now when I choose to eat something that's not "approved," I do it with full consciousness that the experience of eating it better be worth any result of eating something I shouldn't.  I believe that everyone is different in what works for them, and if you are thriving on the diet you're eating - keep at it!  If, on the other hand, you find that something is not quite right, keep playing with your food until you figure out what works and what doesn't.

Ten Uses for Shredded Chicken

A whole chicken is probably the cheapest way to get quality animal protein, but it can be a pain to use.  When I first joined C'est Naturelle Farms farm share and started getting whole chickens, I was ambitious enough to cut apart the chicken, use the breasts for chicken nuggets and grind the rest up to make sausages like these Chicken Apple Breakfast Sausages.  Then things got busier and I just started cooking a bird in the crock-pot about once a week.  Then I make chicken stock with the bones and 1 T vinegar and 1 t salt.  Usually I have a lot of shredded chicken leftover, so I decided to gather some ideas to use it more creatively.

Stir fry - This is my go-to option for a quick meal.  The other day when I was sick, I didn't want to think about dinner at all.  I swung by the grocery store to pick up a bag of pre-cut "stir-fry" vegetables and threw them in the wok with some oil and shredded chicken from the freezer.  Once they were almost cooked I added some coconut aminos, orange juice and a little flavored balsamic vinegar (Navidi's Honey Ginger Balsamic) and some seasoning salt.  Then I added a few mandarin oranges and heated through.  I was able to make a dinner that my son enjoyed and had time to do a few crossword puzzles with him between stirs.

Chicken Salad - I have literally just thrown some chicken in a dish, added some lemon juice and seasoning salt and eaten it on a bed of spinach.  If you want something more substantial, I'll be trying this Avocado Chicken Salad recipe that came highly recommended.

Chicken with Peanut Sauce - I made this tasty Zucchini Noodles with Chicken and Tangy Peanut Sauce recipe a while back and I'm not sure why I haven't made it since.  I wasn't expecting it to freeze well but it did.  It's also very pretty to look at.

Tacos/ Lettuce Wrap - I usually use ground beef in tacos, but chicken is a great option as well.  It can be as simple as throwing some salsa in with your chicken and putting it in a large lettuce leaf with olives, avocados and whatever else you like on your tacos.  I enjoy it on a bed of greens with some lime juice, but I'm eager to try making my own tortillas, such as these Primal Tex Mex Tortillas.

Pizza - One of my son's more frequent meal requests is pizza, despite the fact that we haven't found quite the right crust recipe yet.  Cauliflower only was a bit crumbly and coconut flower was way too dry. I recall almond flower was decent, but I've had to cut down on almonds recently.  I even tried a crust made mostly of cheese when I figured out that I do OK with dairy.  It was tasty, but didn't sit quite right - I guess I might have been pushing the dairy envelope on that one.  Today I tried one using cauliflower, carrot, kale and coconut flower.  I thought perhaps the combination of cauliflower and coconut flower might balance each other out.  It turned out way too floppy, so next time I'll try something with more dry flour than veggies.  I think that this was the almond flour recipe I used that worked pretty well: Gluten Free Thin Crust Pizza.  You can make it with pesto, marinara or make your own homemade BBQ sauce (which I plan on trying soon).

Fried "Rice" - I don't know how I've managed to get this far without trying cauliflower "rice." I've heard good things from friends about it, and I'm eager to try it soon.  This recipe looks like a good simple choice: Chicken Fried "Rice".

Chili - I modified this Pumpkin Chicken Chili with Garam Masala in place of some of the chili powder to make it less spicy.  It was a little heavy on the coriander, but it was pretty darn tasty overall and a good texture (I'd been leery of legume free chili recipes up to this point).  I will definitely plan on posting my final recipe once I work out the kinks!

Chicken Soup - You can combine your homemade chicken stock and leftover chicken into a tasty soup with just a few vegetables and seasonings.  I'd like to try something more adventurous like this Tom Kha Gai soup one of these days.

Cobb Salad - Make a salad with some chicken, egg, bacon, avocado and anything else that suits your fancy.  Use a vinaigrette dressing, or blue cheese if you eat dairy.

Squash Casserole - When we got a bunch of squash in the fall and I asked my son what he wanted to do with it, he said he wanted to make a squash casserole.  I hadn't really been making casseroles much since going mostly primal.  I used some chicken I had leftover and some homemade chicken broth and it turned out pretty well.  The boy wasn't too sure about it because he's not that big a fan of chicken, but it went over well at the potluck I brought it to.

4 cups winter squash
3 cups chicken
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups carrots
2 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
Almond or other nut or seed meal

Cook at 350 until squash is soft - about 30 min.  You can add some almond meal or something similar at the end if you'd like to give it a bread crumb texture.

And so it begins...

If you told me a year ago I'd be making almost all of my own food from scratch and stop eating grains entirely, I might not have believed you.  After years with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and poor absorption of nutrients, I knew that I should eat better, but as a single working mom who has the time? Well, it turns out when you don't feel the need to nap all the time - you have a lot more time to cook! Plus with a little planning and the right equipment, it doesn't even have to take all that much time.

The problem I find when researching paleo recipes and meal plans is that they often seem way more complicated than they need to be.  Meal plans often expect you to make three meals from scratch in one day, involve multiple course meals and require special ingredients you need to go out of your way for.  Those things can be fun to experiment with when you can, but day to day most people can't sustain that amount of time devoted to eating.

I know a lot of people interested in reducing processed foods and learning more about grain free, paleo or primal eating, but they don't think they have the time or energy needed to start.  I've spent a lot of time learning about it myself, but I think in the end we can make things more complicated than they need to be.  My goal is to give tips to simplify the process of eating well.  For me, that involves cutting out grains and eating whole minimally processed foods.

The following meal plan is what a typical week might look like for me.  I often eat leftovers for breakfast and lunch and rarely cook more than one involved meal in a day.  They are also mostly one dish meals, since I find that the simplest approach to mid week meals.  I also like to make big batches and freeze portions for future meals on the go.  The recipes aren't always exact because I often play things by ear with what I have on hand and tweak them as I go.  Most of them are fairly flexible with the specific kinds of meat, veggies and seasonings I use.  They are also mostly kid friendly.  I kept them Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) friendly, since it's easier to add in eggs, nuts, seeds and nightshades in than it is to take them out.

Realistic Paleo Meal Plan - Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) Friendly

Prepare snacks for the week including lots of veggies and fruit, trail mix with dried fruit and coconut (add nuts or seeds if not AIP).  If you have a dehydrator, beef jerky (you can find a recipe here) comes in mighty handy for emergency protein.  Also, making your own kale chips (recipe here) can give you a nice crunchy snack without the expense of the store bought kind.

A note on breakfast - eggs are a nice option if you can eat them, but be cautious going overboard.  I believe I did early on so I  had to take a break from them and am still not sure about them for me.  Another great addition to my breakfasts are mini waffles like this one here.  I'm working on an autoimmune friendly one, but I'm still working on the right density combination.  I'll post the recipe when I've gotten it consistently fluffy.  Also, I drink homemade broth every weekday morning since it's supposed to be good for healing and I make a chicken in the crockpot most weeks.

Sunday

Breakfast - Yam or sweet potato hash browns and ground sausage (or other seasoned meat).  Brown 1 lb of meat then take out of the pan.  Melt coconut oil to coat pan and add 3 large shredded yams or sweet potatoes (a food processor saves a lot of time here).  Cook on medium until soft (about 20 min) and turn up a bit to brown.  Add the meat and season with seasoning salt (such as Herbamare) to taste. You can probably get the hash browns crispier by blotting some of the moisture out with towels before cooking, but I don't mind them a little soft.

Lunch - Tuna Salad on Spinach.  Combine tuna with diced pickles and add some avocado and seasoning to taste. I've also used a touch of coconut oil, or mustard if not AIP.

Dinner - Stir Fry.  Slice meat of choice thin and stir fry with veggies.  Broccoli and mushrooms are some of my favorite.  You can also add greens or cabbage.  Season with coconut aminos, garlic, and a touch of powdered ginger.  My son likes when I squeeze mandarin orange juice in and add some mandarin slices toward the end. (For an extra speedy meal, try a pre-cut veggie mix.)

Monday

Breakfast - Hash Browns

Lunch - Stir Fry

Dinner - Crockpot Chicken.  Throw a chicken in the crockpot the night before with chunks of winter squash or root vegetables.  Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and onion powder or other seasonings of your choice.  Do not add extra water since the juice of the chicken will keep it moist.  Turn it on low in the morning. If frozen to start, check for doneness with a knife.  If it's still pink, turn on high for the last hour or so.  When ready to serve, pull the chicken out into a bowl so it doesn't fall apart in the pot.  Cut off what you need and let it cool to pull off the rest of the shredded chicken.  You can throw the carcass in with water to make broth and cook up to 24 hours with 1 T vinegar and 1 t salt.  If you don't have a crockpot, try roasting, but I recommend a crockpot to save a lot of time! (For an extra speedy meal, try baby carrots and/or a bag of pre-cut butternut squash.)

Tuesday

Breakfast - Hash Browns

Lunch - Crockpot Chicken

Dinner - Shepherd's Pie.  Brown ground meat of choice.  Add veggies of choice. I like green beans, peas, mushrooms, carrots and other shredded root veggies.  Season with garlic powder, onion powder and season salt, such as Trocomare, to taste.  Steam a head of cauliflower or three peeled and cut up sweet potatoes per lb of meat.  Mash with 1 T coconut oil and add garlic powder and season salt.  Top the meat veggie mix with mashed cauliflower or sweet potato and bake for 20-25 min at 350.  For a browner top you can brush with egg and/or broil for 5 min at the end, but make sure your dish is broiler proof.  (For an extra speedy meal, try a frozen veggie mix with peas).

Wednesday

Breakfast - Shepherd's Pie

Lunch - Chicken Salad - Mix shredded chicken with avocado and season to taste.  Eat over a bed of spinach or other green.  Garnish with other veggies such as carrots or bell peppers.

Dinner - Crockpot Roast - Same process as chicken - try different seasonings and veggies.  I'm still looking for my favorite roast recipe.

Thursday

Breakfast - Shepherd's Pie

Lunch - Crockpot Roast

Dinner - Taco Salad.  Brown ground meat.  Season with garlic powder, onion powder and salt.  Add to spinach or salad greens with olives, avocado and lime.  You can season with a little red pepper and add salsa if eating night shades.  This is a great option for group gatherings, since others can opt to add cheese, sour cream, tortillas etc. if they choose.  It's a game night favorite for me!

Friday

Breakfast - Crockpot Roast

Lunch - Taco Salad

Dinner - Ham & Pineapple Stir Fry. Heat about a half cup of chopped pineapple with juice then add 1-1.5 lb chopped ham.  Season with 1-2 T coconut aminos and 1 T maple syrup  When I made it, the boy thought it was too salty with 2 T coconut aminos, so I will only add 1 T next time. Add veggie of choice.


Saturday

Breakfast - Bacon and Sauteed Kale or Spinach (you can include egg if not AIP).  Season to taste.

Lunch - Sushi Salad - Chop cucumbers, bell peppers and mangoes and place on a bed of kelp noodles.  Add cooked shrimp and smoked salmon.  Season with coconut aminos and sushi vinegar or flavored vinegar (I use Navidi's Honey Ginger White Balsamic).  Top with ginger and sprinkle pieces of nori when ready to eat.

Dinner - Burgers, Broccoli Salad and Sweet Potato fries (or you can try parsnip fries).  I make the Big-O Burgers with bacon and mushrooms inside found in the Nom Nom Paleo app (burgers pictured here), but you can use any recipe with quality grass fed beef or ground turkey.  Combine broccoli with lemon juice or vinaigrette and raisins.  Cut sweet potatoes (or parsnips) in fry sized pieces, coat with olive oil and bake at 415 for 20 min, flipping half way.  Season with mustard or sugar free ketchup if not AIP.