AMAZING Paleo chocolate cake and raw vegan carmel sauce

I am sort of obsessed with this chocolate cake I made, I found a recipe on Pinterest and adapted it. It's seriously good. If you're craving chocolate this is the way to go!

For the cake:
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate (I used Sunspire 100% cacao bar)
3 large organic eggs (wisked)
1/2 cup palm shortening
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
3/4 cup raw local honey

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Start by melting the palm shortening and the chocolate bar together. You can use a double boiler or do what I did, stick in a microwave safe measuring cup and melt slowing stirring every 15-25 seconds so it doesn't burn. Let the mixture cool then slowing add the other ingredients, mixing until perfectly combined. Take a cake pan grease with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour in the batter and even with a spatula. Bake approximately 20 minutes. Be sure to cool before eating. This cake is very rich I would recommend small pieces! Top with this raw carmel for a little more decadence.

For the Carmel Sauce: (this sauce is great on anything, especially this cake and on apples) :)
Keep in mind, this is raw, all the ingredients have health benefits; but it's NOT low calorie, so eat sparingly.

1 cup cashew butter or sun butter (unsweetened)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. raw local honey
pink Himalayan sea salt (or regular sea salt) to taste.
2 pitted dates (make sure they are softened, to do this place in a bowl with piping hot water until they are soft to the touch)

Put all ingredients into a high-powered blender and process until smooth. Keep in the fridge to store.

Vegetable Soup

My soups are random, they sort are just whatever I have on hand. This one turned out great!

1 tbsp. Avocado oil
1/2 sweet onion (minced)
2 celery ribs (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
2 huge garlic cloves or 4 small (minced)
10-15 cremini mushrooms (ground in a food processor)
1/2 butternut squash cut into 1/4" cubes
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
14 oz. water
bunch of basil
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil to finish

Heat a Dutch oven to medium high heat
Add the avocado oil
When the avocado oil is hot add the mirepoix (the celery, carrot and onion) Sautee until soft
Add the garlic, Butternut squash and ground mushroom mix (grinding the mushrooms makes the soup thicker)
Season with Italian spices, salt and pepper
Add the tomatoes and fill the can 1/2 way with water and add to the pot
Stir and simmer (I simmered for 2 hours)
When You're ready to serve add chopped basil and a little fresh extra virgin olive oil.
I dipped an herby variation of my paleo bread in it. My bread recipe with garlic, thyme and rosemary from my garden...

Cheap and easy and super healthy!

My Fall Chia Pudding (3 minute breakfast made the night before)

Since yesterday was the start of September I am ready for all flavors fall. I love chia pudding and I have been wanting to master it especially since my kids also love it and it's the easiest breakfast ever since you make it the night before! I finally found one I am obsessed with and it's deliciously healthy!

Here's what I did: *note all flavors (cinnamon, syrup and vanilla are to taste, I did not measure so it's approximate)

1 can full fat coconut  milk (preferably from a BPA free can like Natural Value brand)
2/3 cup organic chia seeds
1 tbsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. grade B maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla

start by putting the coconut milk, maple syrup cinnamon and vanilla in a bowl, whisk together until combined. Then add the chia seeds and stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight, it will be perfect to eat in the morning for a filling, protein and healthy fat packed way to start the day!

Paleo Cinnamon Bread

Ok, I decided since it was rainy today that it would be fall preview day at my house. I made a little twist on my amazing paleo bread. It turned out really yummy, I topped it with some Nutiva coconut spread and a little cinnamon sugar sprinkle, not paleo but it was so good! It's great plain too or with a little coconut butter maybe? Would make great french toast as well!

Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a loaf pan like this, spray with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment, it makes it very easy to pull the loaf out. 

4 eggs

4 egg whites

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp. coconut oil 

1/4 cup grade b maple syrup

1 cup ground golden flaxseeds

1 cup of arrowroot powder

1/4 cup tapioca starch

2 tbsp. cinnamon

pinch of salt

4 tsp. gluten free baking powder

Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix, in a separate bowl add the wet ingredients making sure they are well incorporated. Once they are mixed separately begin adding the wet ingredients into the dry. Pour into the loaf land and cook about 25-30 minutes. 

Cashew Cream, My Current Obsession.

This has become something I literally keep in the fridge now, I have a major sweet tooth and this will satisfy it 80% of the time (the other 20% require chocolate, obviously). This is super easy to make, not loaded in calories and is super healthy and even more tasty. I have made an unsweetened version and used it in place of heavy cream in savory recipes and it works perfectly, I will blog some of those this fall when I am craving hearty dishes like that. But this is sweet and amazing especially over berries or any fruit.

Start by putting raw unsalted cashews in a bowl and cover completely with water let soak 6-10 hours in a cool place counters are fine, but not in the hot summer, so try the fridge. When they are done soaking, drain the water and put the cashews in a high powered blender, like a Vitamix with about 1/4 cup of water for each cup of cashews. To sweeten add about 1 Tbsp. of grade B maple syrup per cup of cashews and 1/2 Tbsp. of Gluten Free vanilla extract. Turn blender on and leave for about 2 minutes. Take out and store in a container in the fridge and use as you want, a little goes a long way and will totally become a staple when you want a cold healthy summer treat! 

Paleo Bison Lettuce Wrap Tacos

My husband LOVES bison meat, and I officially love it now too. It's very lean and has so much protein! The other night my mother-in-law and I were talking about what to do for dinner and we kept throwing ideas out there and came up with this super yummy, super healthy dinner.

1 pack of ground Bison (Buffalo) meat
2 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. garlic powder
pinch of salt and pepper

homemade guacamole or avocado
1 head of iceberg, romaine or butter lettuce

1-2 sweet potatoes, any variety
1/2 sweet onion

olive oil

To make the bison:

Brown the bison meat in a hot skillet (add a little avocado oil if necessary). Once it's browned add about 1 cup of water and the seasonings (all to taste, my amounts are rough since I don't measure). Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer stirring occasionally until the water is evaporated then remove meat.

To make the sweet potato topping:
Turn the oven to 450 degrees. Peel and dice your sweet potato and onion into about 1/2" chunks and toss with a little avocado oil, about 2 tsp. of cumin and a pinch of salt. Spread out flat on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden like the picture, I used Hannah sweet potatoes here, they are a white variety.

Once everything is done put on a clean piece of lettuce and top with guacamole or avocado and eat. It will probably fall apart but who cares!

The BEST PALEO BREAD EVER!

This is hands down the best paleo bread I've ever made, I found a recipe and tweaked it until I got it right! Here's the recipe!! Here's the original site: http://www.paleoeffect.com/recipes/fluffy-paleo-bread-paleo-effect/

Preheat Oven to 350.

Dry Ingredients:
1 Cup Flaxseed Meal or buy whole golden flaxseeds and grind in your Vitamix.
1 1/2 Cup Arrowroot Powder
4 tsp. Gluten Free Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Salt

Wet Ingredients:
4 Large Eggs
4 Egg Whites
4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. For the wet ingredients start with the eggs and whisk well, then add the rest of the wet ingredients, next slowly incorporate the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and put the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes until just barely golden (see picture). I dipped in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with minced rosemary and sea salt. So yum.

Grain free, refined sugar free blueberry muffins

Well, I just ate 4 of these, this is why I shouldn't be baking, I have no self control with sweets or baked items, at least these are 'healthy'. Not calorie-wise, but they are nutrient dense…that's what I keep telling myself, oh and I got my butt kicked at Bassline Fitness today, so there's that excuse too ;) Make these and try not to eat them all, ok. go. 

1 cup frozen organic blueberries 

1 cup almond flour 

3 tbsp. coconut flour 

3 eggs wisked

1/4 cup melted (but not hot) coconut oil 

3 tbsp raw local honey

1-2 tsp of cinnamon 

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt 

1 tsp. vanilla 

1. Preheat oven to 350 

2. Combine flours, salt, cinnamon, baking soda 

3. Add the eggs, oil, honey and vanilla

4. Fold in blueberries 

5. Line a muffin tin

6. Using an ice cream scoop evenly scoop 12 muffins

7. Bake for approx. 20 minutes