Paleo Chocolate Sauce or Ganache.

(Hello everyone :) I am alive! I've been busy (with medical school), but here I am again!)

Sauce or ganache? Why the fuss?

Well, technically, this is a "ganache" recipe... since ganache is composed of melted chocolate + cream (coconut milk here), which makes it spreadable and allows it to just barely harden into a lovely smooth chocolate experience.

Chocolate sauce, on the other hand, tends to be more of a more syrupy/sugary composition that is perfect for drizzling. Chocolate sauces commonly include corn syrup, or a simple syrup, which gives it a characteristic sweet smoothness that holds its shape when swirled and twisted on a spoon (and on top of your ice cream!)

This recipe rides in the middle. Best of both worlds, I'd say :)

And it's paleo, primal, gluten-free, soy-free, and barely sweetened (my favorite). Which by default makes it amazing. Obviously.

Paleo Chocolate Sauce.
    makes enough for a crowd, or some for one and enough for later!
    Time to prepare = < 10 minutes

    3 oz  unsweetened Baker's chocolate* - or 3 oz of your favorite
    8 oz  unsweetened coconut milk - this one is my favorite**
    1 tsp to 1 Tbsp  runny honey*** (or more to taste)
    splash  vanilla
    dash  unrefined sea salt
    stevia drops - (optional and to taste)

To make your chocolate sauce:
  1)  In a double boiler, or a heavy bottomed pan, add chocolate chunks, coconut milk, honey. Heat on medium / medium-low until chocolate is melted. Whisk whisk whisk until smooth and entirely incorporated.
***To measure out the honey in this recipe, I usually stick a regular eating teaspoon into the honey, to get it moderately coated, and then place it into the chocolate sauce pan; I am estimating this is about 2 tsp to a whole tablespoon of honey. Feel free to use more if you want more sweetness.
  2)  Add vanilla extract, stevia (if desired) and salt. Whisk again. Taste. Add more stevia or honey if desired.
  3)  Enjoy! Dip in some strawberries, apple slices, spread on unsweetened pumpkin bread use to make into chocolate bark, use it as cake frosting (pictured); or put in a jar to use on ice cream! This sauce can do anything! Stored in the fridge this should last 1-2 weeks.

*I used the old size Baker's chocolate squares which I stocked up on right after they changed / halved the sizing of their packages.
** This brand is 100% coconut milk, and I can get it locally (if you're in Seattle, look at Central Market or PCC) for a great price (and no yucky canned coconut milk flavor!)


PS. I am now officially a third year medical student! I finished second year today. This will be a busy summer, as I am taking classes, starting clinic, and taking BOARDS in August, but you should hopefully hear more from me! I've got some recipes I've been meaning to share you guys. I hope to have some more time to get you some more yummies :) I know I've been completely MIA, and I appreciate my readers who still subscribe and share and benefit from my recipes!

PPS. The first picture is this chocolate sauce over my favorite grain-free gluten-free chocolate cake! (The sauce has harded at this point, and is exactly like a ganache!) I halved the ingredients to the cake and topped it with chocolate sauce, for a yummy dessert that is only minimally sweetened. The second picture is this chocolate sauce after being made, so it is still warm and in "sauce" vs ganache form. I love how versatile this recipe is!

XOXOOXO
Happy Day!

Raw Milk Eggnog, no HFCS!

That title says it all. What could be better in a drink than full fat, rich raw milk from grassfed cows, raw honey to lightly sweeten and no preservatives or artificial colorings or flavors?

Nourishing Raw Milk Eggnog

    2 cups raw cream, from grass-fed cowies
    2 cups raw whole milk, also from grass-fed cowies
    8 real eggs, from pastured chickens and a farmer you trust
    1/4 - 1/2 cup raw honey - I used a full half cup
    1 full vanilla bean, open and scrape out seeds
    ~1/4 tsp nutmeg - fresh is best, but we had none and ran out of the regular ground nutmeg!

To make your eggnog:
    1.   Combine cream, milk, honey, eggs, vanilla bean seeds and nutmeg in a blender.
    2.   Blend until smooth and frothy.
    3.   Chill immediate or pour into glasses and enjoy. Make sure you shake the jar before pouring some more into your glass! The spices tend to settle.

Some people use only the egg yolks, but I accidentally used the whole egg! I really don't think it matters this time, but next time I will remember to only use the yolks since raw egg whites have enzyme inhibitors so raw egg white shouldn't be consumed raw, whereas egg yolks can.

It's really that easy! This recipe is so nourishing you can eat it all year round, breakfast lunch and dinner, for a snack, dessert or treat, or even after a hard workout at the gym! The eggs and milk provide lots of nourishing fats and proteins, which balance out the sugars from the raw honey. No sugar rush from this eggnog. Only real food goodness. Drink up! Good-bye store-bought eggnog.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Recipes

The BEST Cornbread

If it's your first gluten free Thanksgiving, you are probably struggling with knowing what you can eat, how to prepare it, and what is even going to taste good. Throwing other allergies into the mix, like soy and dairy, makes finding nourishing real food options even harder. Fortunately, with the right ideas, recipes and ingredients, Thanksgiving can be just as much as enjoyable as before.

Last Thanksgiving, the snack spread
where I spent Thanksgiving.

It doesn't matter if you follow a gluten free diet or just eat real food, these recipes are delicious and will certainly make your kitchen the most favorite spot of the house. Some of these are classics, and some are a spin on the original. Don't be overwhelmed this Thanksgiving. I encourage you to pick up a recipe and bake some good, wholesome, real food, with no odd ingredients. Real butter, cheese, meat, eggs, fruits, veggies. Enjoy food the way it was meant to be eaten, with family, friends and made with love from nourishing ingredients.

Photo credit: Tasteto.com
Gobble, Goooble.

All of these recipes would make great additions to your Thanksgiving meal.

Gluten free Cinnamon Scones

Thanksgiving breakfast:
Cinnamon Scones
Grain free Pumpkin pancakes
Goat cheese and zucchini frittata

Guacamole

Pre-meal snacks:
Apples and Caramel Dip
Pumpkin and Feta Muffins
Nourishing Protein bars
Organic Basil Grain free crackers
Veggies to dip in - Basic Guacamole

Beverages:
Hot Apple Cider
good ole H2O

Photo Credit: Annie's Eats
Turkey Turkey Turkey...

Main event: Turkey

Photo credit: Simply Recipes
Brussel sprouts

Sides:
Almost Grain-free Crusty Gluten free bread
Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts
Butternut Squash Gratin
Garlic mashed potatoes
Gluten free, grain free coconut flour bread - use this to make stuffing
The Best Cornbread - my most favorite recipe
Tossed green salad with Basic dressing
Root vegetables
Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes with parsnips and pecans
Sweet Potatoes with macademia nuts

French Vanilla Ice cream

Dessert:
Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream
Pumpkin Cake Bars with Cinnamon Icing
Spiced Coconut Macaroons
Apple Crisp


What are you thankful for?
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Summer in a Day

All my favorites in one day...

Friends, Rainbow sandals, new bathing suits, beach, sunshine, Sprinkles cupcakes, Whole Foods Market, good food, gelato.

GIANT sandal!

They're cute :)

View before the water.

Real FOOD + SALAD = delicious. delicious. NUTRITIOUS.

I know, I haven't been around much lately. So much has been happening and I haven't had any time to tell you about it! I finished up work and fun stuff at home, and am now back in California. This day was kind of like the last hurrah before the new semester begins. Tomorrow I start classes. My course load is quite full again. I am taking Physics + lab, Neurobiology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Theology I, and Bowling as a PE class. I am looking forward to most of my classes but NOT physics, since I know that math has never been my strong point and I will struggle with it. I would really appreciate your prayers as I start. I can do this if I set my mind to it, and get some good tutoring :)

Hopefully I will have a few moments in the coming week to get some more blog posts up, though I don't anticipate finding time. There is a lot of content that I've been wanting to share with you. I appreciate your patience and the fact that you keep stopping by, my lovely readers! I've also been having too much fun seeing friends and getting moved in to blog. Starting classes is always really hectic time.

Until next time,

How have you been ending your summer?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream.

(Holy Cow - I just found this post in my archives from JANUARY. I must have been waiting to post it because of a picture? Who knows!)

Sometimes making homemade ice cream can be a bit tricky. All of you who have tried it probably know what I mean. It takes a some time and some internet research to find out what works! The ice cream can come out too icy, freeze too hard, taste too sweet, taste too strong or be lacking in either flavor or texture. It's also disappointing when you spend so much time and dollars on ingredients, only to find that the batch did not turn out as you hoped.

Homemade Almond Joy Ice Cream on top with whipped cream and
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice cream on the bottom! Delicious.
Unfortunately I don't have a better picture than this!

I've been making homemade ice cream this whole month with my lovely ice cream maker I received for my birthday this summer. Some batches have been good, but others have been rock hard, and not in a good way!

One of my family's favorite ice cream flavors is chocolate peanut butter cup. I have not had this flavor of ice cream in years ever since learning about my allergies. So after doing some research, I finally mustered up the courage to tackle this ice cream flavor!

I could not be happier with the results, and I think you will like it too. It's hard not to eat the whole tub at once!! Chocolate and peanut butter. I cannot tell you how highly I regard the culinary combination of chocolate and peanut butter. To say that I love it, crave it and think it is so incredibly tasty is an understatement. I love chocolate and peanut butter.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

    makes 2 quarts, with inspiration from here

    4 cups  raw cream (or 2 cups cream, 2 cups raw whole milk)

    1/2 cup  raw whole milk

    1 cup  organic cane sugar - I use Whole Foods brand

    1  scant cup unsweetened cocoa powder (about 3/4s cup)

    2 Tbsp  organic maple syrup

    2 Tbsp  organic vanilla

    1 1/2  Tbsp arrowroot powder

    4  egg yolks

Peanut chunks:

    1 cup  smooth organic peanut butter - my (current) favorite is Maranatha

    1 cup  organic cane sugar or confectioners sugar

To make your ice cream:

  1.  Put your raw cream and freezing bowl (the tub you scoop the ice cream into- NOT your ice cream maker's freezer insert) into the freezer to get really cold as you prep the other ingredients.

  2.  Get out a sheet pan and place some plastic wrap on it. In a small bowl, mix together peanut butter and sugar. Using two knives, dip one into the peanut butter mixture and use the other to scrap off a small quarter sized dollop of peanut butter onto the cookie sheet. Repeat until you use up the whole bowl. Place the sheet pan in the freezer. The peanut butter "coins" will freeze and will make it easy to incorporate it into the ice cream later.

  3.  In a large bowl, crack out your egg yolks, add arrowroot powder and cocoa powder - sifting both through a metal strainer. Sprinkle sugar into the bowl. Drizzle in 1/2 cup milk, vanilla and maple syrup, and whisk all ingredients until well combined. It will look like flourless dark chocolate cake batter. Make sure these ingredients are well mixed, that there are no lumps, that it is slightly thickened and that the mixture is smooth.

  4.  Take the raw cream out of the freezer and slowly pour it into the bowl while whisking.

  5.  Rush to the freezer, grab the ice cream maker bowl, tear off the plastic wrap (protects the bowl from freezer burn), put it into your ice cream machine, turn it on and pour in your chocolate ice cream mixture.

  6.  Churn for 30 minutes until the machine sounds slightly labored and the ice cream is thick and creamy, or "freeze according to your manufacturers instructions."

  7.  Take out your peanut butter chips and ice cream freezing tub/bowl from the freezer. Scoop out the ice cream in layers, placing several peanut butter chips on top of the ice cream for each layer. It should look like this - bottom of the bowl, ice cream, peanut butter chips, ice cream, peanut butter chips, ice cream... continue this until ice cream and chips are gone. Freeze immediately and lick up the dribbles on the counter. The ice cream will be ready to eat after it has been in the freezer overnight.

  8.  Take out ice cream from freezer. Try. Spoon. Mouth. Swoon. Scoop into bowls. Spoon. Mouth. Eat. Gone. Enjoy!

This ice cream, if made with 4 cups cream, is rich. If your taste buds are accustomed to eating sugar, the amount of sugar listed will taste perfect to you, or if you are like me and do not eat much sugar at all, this will taste very sweet and you may want to decrease the sugar content a little.