The Paleo Gingerbread Spice Mix you Need for Holiday Baking
The holiday season is in full swing which means holiday baking has also begun. I love baking for the holidays but since following a primarily paleo-style diet for many years now I am always looking for healthy alternatives to holiday sweet treats this time of year.
I have developed a homemade Paleo Gingerbread Spice Mix recipe. This mix makes all of your baking taste like the holidays and adds the most delicious flavor to my Paleo Hot Chocolate recipe, or a hot cup of coffee or tea.
When it comes to holiday baking, I find it difficult to find spice mixes that aren't full of fillers. Even during the holidays, I try to keep my diet as clean as possible which means always looking at the labels on the back of spice jars as these can have hidden ingredients like corn, sugar, soy, and even artificial flavors. However, this doesn't mean you can't enjoy the flavors of the holidays.
This homemade Paleo gingerbread spice mix is to die for. It has all the flavors you want in a holiday spice blend with a subtle hint of vanilla for a unique twist on the traditional gingerbread mix.
I love adding this to homemade paleo style holiday cookies (recipe to follow next week), paleo hot chocolate, and sprinkled in my optimal reset detox shakes.
This spice mix also makes an adorable gift. You can whip up a big batch, pour it into a glass jar with a ribbon and give it to your loved ones who are trying to eat a little healthier this year.
Here's how to make this Paleo Gingerbread Spice Mix...
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A Ridiculously Delicious Paleo Hot Chocolate
Traditional hot chocolate is always loaded with sugar, dairy, and artificial ingredients. However, this time of year it's nice to be able to cozy up with a warm drink. There is just something about the holiday season that makes hot chocolate that much more delicious. So…I created a good for you Paleo hot chocolate recipe that you can actually feel good about drinking and will be something the whole family can enjoy.
This recipe is:
- Dairy-free
- Gluten free
- Refined sugar-free
- Delicious!
Here's how to whip up a mug of this paleo hot chocolate in under seven minutes…
Want another Paleo-inspired recipe? Check out my Rosemary & Lemon Chicken Recipe here.
Rosemary & Lemon Chicken Recipe
In my house, making dinner needs to be quick, delicious, and nourishing. With three kids it can be difficult to find the time to make a healthy meal each night especially when recipes call for tons of ingredients and the cook time is longer than a half hour. Over the years, I have come up with some of my go-to recipes that I know are kid-approved, full of flavor, and are packed with health benefits. This rosemary & lemon chicken recipe is one of my favorites.
This recipe will only take about a half an hour of your time, 5 ingredients plus salt for seasoning, and can be made in one skillet which reduces your cleanup time. Win, win!
Rosemary & Lemon Chicken
Serves: 4
-4 bone-in chicken thighs with skin on (you can also use chicken breasts)
-2 TBSP fresh rosemary (chopped)
-3-4 garlic cloves, minced
-2 TBSP olive oil
-2 tsp salt
- 1 lemon, juiced and the zest
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix all the ingredients together and use as the marinade for the chicken.
3. Marinate for at least an hour.
4. Put the chicken in cast iron skillet, skin side down and brown.
5. Flip over and then remove from heat.
6. Stick the skillet in oven for 30 minutes if using chicken thighs. If using chicken breasts, you will need to increase the cook time to about 40 minutes or until the juices run clear.
The Healthiest Pumpkin Spiced Latte Recipe To Enjoy This Fall
Pumpkin season is in full swing which also means pumpkin spiced lattes are hitting the shelves of every coffee shop you find. While pumpkin spiced lattes may sound like a nice way to welcome in the fall season, they don't come without consequence. These lattes are loaded with sugar and unnecessary ingredients. The good news is that you can still enjoy a mug of this delicious latte by whipping up the healthiest pumpkin spiced latte recipe you will come across this season.
I have developed a recipe keeping flavor in mind while also boosting the nutritional value of this favorite recipe. Before I share it with you, I want to talk about why stopping at your local coffee shop and picking up one of these drinks may cost you more than just the $5 price tag.
Sugar in The Traditional Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Did you know that in a grande sized pumpkin spiced latte you will consume 50 grams of sugar? While many people may think that swapping certain ingredients such as milk or sugar for things like coconut milk or almond milk would cut down on sugar intake that's not always the case. Many cafes still use non-dairy milk options that contain added sugar as well.
The Healthiest Pumpkin Spiced Latte This Fall
Instead of downing a cup of sugar and unnecessary ingredients, try making a healthier version with ingredients that will actually benefit your health. My pumpkin spiced latte recipe contains the following superfood ingredients making it the healthiest pumpkin spiced latte recipe you can enjoy this fall.
Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is not only what makes this pumpkin spiced latte super creamy, but it also adds some impressive health benefits. Coconut milk is dairy free making it a great option for those with a dairy allergy or sensitivity, is a rich source of minerals, and is known to help improve digestion. Coconut milk is also great for the immune system as coconut milk is rich in lauric acid giving it its antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Pure Pumpkin Puree: Instead of using sweetened pumpkin puree, choose pure pumpkin puree for added health benefits. Pumpkin is great for digestive health, and it is also an excellent source of dietary fiber.
Pure Maple Syrup: Instead of sugar, this pumpkin spice latte is sweetened with pure maple syrup. While this natural sweetener should still be used in moderation, it is much better for you than regular table sugar. Pure maple syrup contains antioxidants, as well as zinc and manganese which are great for boosting the immune system.
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup of full-fat coconut milk (cream only, save the liquid portion to use in smoothies)
- 2 Tbsp. pure pumpkin puree
- 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions:
- Start by brewing the coffee and then adding all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend until combined.
- Pour into a stockpot and heat over low/medium heat whisking until warm.
- Sprinkle with extra pumpkin pie spice and enjoy right away.
*For a caffeine free version, use decaf coffee or swap with 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk.
If you are suffering from weight gain, fatigue, hair loss and more, click here to schedule a phone call with me, so I can find out where you’ve been, where you want to get to, and how I can help you get there.
I know exactly where you are because I've been there myself...I remember being so tired that I could barely function. I gained 30 pounds out of nowhere and had a severe case of brain fog. I also started to get severe anxiety and panic attacks. I was driven and motivated...until I wasn't. I didn't know what was happening to me. All I wanted was to get my life back...
Finally, I learned about functional medicine and found a practitioner that I hoped could help me. They ran specialized tests that were far different than I had ever had before. When I got the results back, it turned out I had candida, parasites, high cortisol, the Epstein Bar Virus and many food intolerances. I also had an issue with my thyroid that no one found before because they were using the conventional medicine lab ranges which are way too broad....which I now know is one of the leading causes of hypothyroid misdiagnosis.
I went through treatment of all of these things and it completely changed my life. I immediately lost the 30 pounds I had gained plus more, I had a lot more energy, and my brain fog was gone. I felt amazing and knew that I wanted to help people find the underlying causes of their symptoms and disease.
6 Healthy Guilt-Free Desserts
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=optin_2]Eating healthy doesn’t mean giving up everything decadent and indulgent. In fact, there are healthy ways to make some of the most delicious desserts guilt-free.
I often get asked if starting a Paleo style diet and removing gluten, dairy, and sugar from the diet leaves any room for some of my patient's favorite foods. The answer is yes, and I am going to share six of my favorite ways to make guilt-free desserts.
Life is too short not to enjoy delicious food so keep reading to learn how to do so while still staying on track with your healthy eating plan.
Six Healthy Guilt-Free Desserts
#1 Banana Ice Cream
This is one of my go-to guilt-free desserts. It is easy, perfect for the warmer months when those ice cream cravings kick in, and it only requires a handful of ingredients. Banana ice cream has also gained some serious popularity after people started to realize just how delicious it can be and how whipped bananas closely resemble soft serve ice cream.
The great thing about this guilt-free dessert option is that you can easily customize it to your liking. If you love chocolate ice cream, you can add in some raw unsweetened cocoa powder for a chocolatey twist. If you love mint chip ice cream, add in some pure peppermint extract and a handful of raw unsweetened cocoa nibs.
Banana ice cream is made by simply tossing a frozen banana into a food processor with a splash of unsweetened almond or coconut milk and blending until a soft serve ice cream consistency is formed. Customize it to your taste and enjoy.
#2 Berries & Coconut Cream
Another guilt-free dessert option is taking the standard berries and cream recipe and turning it into a healthy coconut cream and berry recipe.
To make this quick and healthy dessert, simply whip up some unsweetened coconut cream in a food processor to form a whipped cream consistency and serve with some fresh berries. That’s it! You now have a delicious guilt-free dessert that doesn’t add unnecessary amounts of sugar plus this recipe is dairy free and packs in a nice dose of fiber and antioxidants from the berries.
#3 Chocolate Covered Nuts
Another great option when you are craving something sweet is chocolate covered nuts. Now, I am not talking about the ones that you can buy from the store that are loaded with sugar. I am talking about making your own at home which is actually much easier than it sounds!
To make your own, all you need are some soaked almonds (you can soak the almonds overnight) some unsweetened dark chocolate, and just a small amount of coconut oil. Melt the coconut oil and dark chocolate together and drizzle this over the soaked almonds. Set in the refrigerator and then enjoy as a guilt-free treat.
#4 Sweet Potato Brownies
Who doesn’t love a good brownie for dessert? The problem is that traditional brownies are full of sugar, artificial ingredients, and gluten which is not something you would want to include as part of a healthy diet. However, this doesn’t mean that you can never enjoy a brownie again it just means that you have to get creative with how you make your brownie recipes.
My favorite way to make a guilt-free brownie is using sweet potatoes, unsweetened cocoa powder, coconut flour, and some other nutritious ingredients. See my full recipe below.
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato cooked and mashed
3 eggs
¼ cup pure grade B maple syrup
¼ cup sifted coconut flour
¼ cup melted coconut oil
1 ½ Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. cocoa nibs
½ tsp. baking soda
Directions:
1. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F and greasing a baking dish with coconut oil.
2. Next, add the cooked sweet potato to a mixing bowl and mash. Add in the eggs and maple syrup and whisk.
3. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
4. Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Allow the brownies to cool before slicing.
6. Enjoy.
#5 Coconut Flour Cookies
Another great way to use coconut flour is to make cookies. Coconut flour is a great alternative to traditional flour as it’s gluten-free and far more nutritious. You can get creative with your cookie recipes and swap regular flour out for coconut flour just keep in mind that you will need far less coconut flour as it is much more absorbent.
One of my favorite ways to use coconut flour in a cookie recipe is to make traditional chocolate chip cookies with coconut flour, unsweetened cocoa nibs, and pure grade B maple syrup instead of sugar.
#6 Vanilla Maple Bites
Energy bites are all the craze lately, and there are so many variations you can make. One of my favorite guilt-free dessert recipes are these vanilla maple bites. These are great for when you need a quick sweet treat or when you are craving something sweet after dinner.
This recipe calls for 20 soaked and pitted Medjool dates, ¼ cup pure grade B maple syrup, ¾ cup raw and soaked cashews, 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, and a pinch of sea salt. Simply place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the mixture comes together. Form into about 20 bite sized rounds roll in some unsweetened shredded coconut and store in the refrigerator.
If you find yourself craving something sweet try one of these quick, simple, and delicious guilt-free desserts instead. You will find that healthy eating doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the occasional sweet treat it just means that there are healthier ways to enjoy them. Give these recipes a try, and you may be surprised at how much they satisfy that sweet tooth craving. Plus, you won’t have to worry about feeling guilty after eating them. It’s a win, win!
If you are suffering from weight gain, fatigue, hair loss and more, click here to schedule a phone call with me, so I can find out where you’ve been, where you want to get to, and how I can help you get there.
I know exactly where you are because I've been there myself...I remember being so tired that I could barely function. I gained 30 pounds out of nowhere and had a severe case of brain fog. I also started to get severe anxiety and panic attacks. I was driven and motivated...until I wasn't. I didn't know what was happening to me. All I wanted was to get my life back...
Finally, I learned about functional medicine and found a practitioner that I hoped could help me. They ran specialized tests that were far different than I had ever had before. When I got the results back, it turned out I had candida, parasites, high cortisol, the Epstein Bar Virus and many food intolerances. I also had an issue with my thyroid that no one found before because they were using the conventional medicine lab ranges which are way too broad....which I now know is one of the leading causes of hypothyroid misdiagnosis.
I went through treatment of all of these things and it completely changed my life. I immediately lost the 30 pounds I had gained plus more, I had a lot more energy, and my brain fog was gone. I felt amazing and knew that I wanted to help people find the underlying causes of their symptoms and disease.
Healthy Paleo Mayonnaise and Salad Dressing in Less Than 5 Minutes!
https://youtu.be/cxBnN5DIalk
Here are my favorite healthy paleo mayonnaise and creamy Italian salad dressing recipes that will actually increase your health and will take less than 5 minutes to make. I use avocado oil when making my homemade mayonnaise and here is why; Just half of an avocado has 345 mg of potassium, 185mg of lutein, 19.5 mg of magnesium, 60mg of folate, 10mg of choline, 19mg of glutathione and 57 mg of phytosterols (which can lower bad cholesterol). Think about all of these benefits as you get to indulge in a delicious food that we have always been told to stay away from (mayo). Get ready to be obsessed, here are my two must have recipes!
Paleo Mayo
- 1 cup of avocado, extra light tasting olive oil or MCT oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- Organic mustard (I use spicy mustard or dijon), 1 tsp
- 1/2 tsp of pink Himalayan sea salt
- 1 egg
Paleo Creamy Italian Dressing
- 1/2 cup of the paleo mayo
- 2 TBSP of apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar, make sure it's gluten free)
- 1 tsp of oregano
- 1 tsp of basil
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- Add 1/4 of oil if you want it to be thinner, I keep the oil out and make it thick and creamy
Watch the video above to see how to make these!
I like to make these 1-2 times a week and then it's ready to be used for salads. The dressing makes a really good dipping sauce for veggies as well!
Enjoy!
Sausage, Peppers & Onions
Sausage, peppers and onions
Ingredients:
3-4 gluten free nitrate free chicken sausage links cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 sweet onion diced
1 orange pepper diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
White pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a large skillet heat up olive oil. Once heated add in onion and peppers. Cook until onions become translucent and remove from pan and set aside
In same skillet, add in sausage, garlic, and a pinch of white pepper. Make sure to flip the sausage every 5 minutes to ensure browning on both sides. Check sausage after desired browning to ensure cooked thoroughly
Once sausage is thoroughly cooked, add the onion and peppers back to the same pan and sir together for an additional 3 minutes.
Serve with sliced avocado and a simple greens salad for a tasty dish!
Rosemary Garlic Oven Roast Beef
Ingredients:
2 lbs Boneless beef chuck roast
1 sweet potato peeled and cubed
4 large carrots peeled and cubed
1 sweet onion cut into 4 large pieces
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup sulfite free red wine
1 cup unsalted beef stock
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of rosemary
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Course salt and pepper to taste
Zest of 2 lemons
Directions
Preheat oven to 325
In large roasting pan, mix together vinegar, wine, beef stock, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, carrots and onion.
Heat iron skillet or any large skillet on high, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and pan sear beef on both sides.
Remove meat from pan and lightly dust both sides with lemon zest, salt and pepper. Lightly press into the meat.
Nestle the beef in the center of the roasting pan pushing the carrots and onion to line the outside of the meat and cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 6 hours, no turning required.
The last 1 1/2 HR, add in the cubed sweet potatoes to the roasting pan.
Remove bay leaves and serve with small ladle of left over juice!
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Coconut Chicken Fingers
Coconut Chicken Fingers SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound chicken strips
- 3 eggs (for egg-free use ¼ cup olive oil)
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- Stone ground mustard
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- In 3 separate bowls, fill one with coconut flour, whisked eggs or (olive oil), and one with coconut flakes. Line the bowls up in this order.
- Dip each chicken strip into the flour, egg (or oil), then coconut and lay out on a greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then turn the strips over and bake another 10 minutes.
- Turn broiler on and bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the chicken is cooking, mix the mustard and the honey in a small bowl.
- Serve chicken strips with your favorite vegetable and serve with a nice stone ground mustard!
- 1 pound chicken strips
- 3 eggs (for egg-free use ¼ cup olive oil)
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- Stone ground mustard
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- In 3 separate bowls, fill one with coconut flour, whisked eggs or (olive oil), and one with coconut flakes. Line the bowls up in this order.
- Dip each chicken strip into the flour, egg (or oil), then coconut and lay out on a greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then turn the strips over and bake another 10 minutes.
- Turn broiler on and bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the chicken is cooking, mix the mustard and the honey in a small bowl.
- Serve chicken strips with your favorite vegetable and serve with a nice stone ground mustard!
Rosemary Lamb Lollipops
Rosemary Lamb Lollipops is one of our pre-fall favorite recipe's !
Rosemary Lamb Lollipops
Serving size: 2
Ingredients:
8-10 lamb chops
3 sprigs of rosemary
1 lemon
3-4 tbs olive oil
2 tbs chopped garlic
2 tbs cracked black pepper
Directions:
In a large zip-lock bag, combine all ingredients except the lamb. Toss all ingredients together. Add lamb and massage ingredients into the meat, set aside.
Heat grill to medium/high heat. Remove lamb from bag and place on grill. Rotate lamb every so often to avoid burning, about every 2-3 minutes until meat develops a nice hash mark (process takes about 10 minutes all together, keeping a small amount of pink in the center). Remove lamb from grill and set aside, let the meat rest about 5 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestions:
This dish pairs well with asparagus or brussel sprouts!
Enjoy!
- 8-10 lamb chops
- 3 sprigs of rosemary
- 1 lemon
- 3-4 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs chopped garlic
- 2 tbs cracked black pepper
- In a large zip-lock bag, combine all ingredients except the lamb. Toss all ingredients together. Add lamb and massage ingredients into the meat, set aside.
- Heat grill to medium/high heat. Remove lamb from bag and place on grill. Rotate lamb every so often to avoid burning, about every 2-3 minutes until meat develops a nice hash mark (process takes about 10 minutes all together, keeping a small amount of pink in the center). Remove lamb from grill and set aside, let the meat rest about 5 minutes before serving.