How To Make Peanut Butter More Nutritious.

Despite what a lot of people say, I think it's really tough to eat real food on a budget. Sure, real food costs SO MUCH less than processed foods, but for a girl like me that's only learned to shop for real food, I feel like I pay so much each week and month! Even though this happens, my philosophy is that I would rather pay for food now, and take care of my body, than I would to pay the doctor later.

A few weeks ago I had an extreme craving for peanut butter. I generally avoid the stuff since peanuts are a legume, and legumes should be soaked and cooked before eating like their cousin the bean family. Peanut butter in general is also very hard to digest for many people, and those of us who are allergic to soy can cross-react with peanuts. Peanut butter also contains a good amount of aflatoxin, a toxic substance in the mold created by specific microorganisms that grow on peanuts. Buying organic peanut butter is best for limiting your aflatoxin exposure, but doesn't negate it entirely.

I have been learning how to listen to my body, so I bought some peanut butter.  I think I went through 2 jars in the next two weeks before my cravings for it subsided. And then the addictive cravings started to happen, and because I know the difference between those two types of cravings, I started to cut back. As the weeks of my last quarter of medical school wore on, I still ate the peanut butter here and there, and even started making some peanut butter smoothies in my Vitamix (= mistake, they are so good!). But around the same time I noticed my digestion starting to get worse. Could it be the peanut butter? I did some experimenting and found that it was indeed causing my painful cramping and bloating. Clearly my body can only handle so much peanut butter.

But back to my real reason for this post. Bottom line is that real food costs money. There are several ways to help alleviate the expense, like buying in bulk, sharing with other people, buying meat one from source and freezing it, buying lots of a certain item when it's on sale, buying from farmers markets, and my favorite: always asking "do I really need this?" I find that 75% of the time the answer is no. At the end of the day, all I really need is some good quality protein, lots of veggies, and some fat. One thing that can help the food budget is making compromises where you're comfortable. For many, peanut butter can be a cheap and decent source of protein and fat. But how do you make it even more nutritious? That's where this post comes in.

When I was buying peanut butter a few weeks ago, I had the idea of pouring off the naturally separated peanut oil and replacing the peanut oil with good quality coconut oil. The results were easy and delicious! With each spoonful I knew I was getting some good quality MCT's from the coconut oil, which are great fuel source for the body and keeping your metabolism strong. Removing most of the peanut oil also decreased the amount of Omega-6 fatty acids that my body was getting. Having a low Om6/Om3 ratio in our bodies is vitally important for staying healthy.

To make your peanut butter more nutritious:
  1.  Buy your favorite natural creamy unsalted peanut butter, organic is best. Make sure that the oil has separated on the top. If not, try reaching to the back of the shelf and grabbing one that has separated.
  2.  At home, take the lid carefully off the jar and gently pour off the separated peanut oil. I like to tilt my jar around a few times to get as much off as possible.
  3.  With a large spoon, take about the same amount of coconut oil and stir it into your peanut butter. STIR well! These are fun, or do it by hand. If you don't like the taste of coconuts, you're seriously at the wrong blog, but nevertheless I will tell you that it does NOT make the peanut butter taste coconutty.
  4.  Lastly, add your favorite unrefined sea salt to the mix. Stir well again.
  5.  Sample some off the spoon/knife to double check that it is delicious. Some people like more or less salt.
  6.  Then stick your peanut butter in the refridgerator! It will solidify a little and will spread just like Jiff! But without all the gunk! As it sits out at room temperature on your spoon it will start to melt a little and be more runny. ENJOY!

 
If peanut butter isn't your thing, or if you prefer almond butter, try this with storebought almond butter!

If you'd rather make your own homemade nut butter, check out this cashew cookie butter recipe. Or use either storebought or homemade almond butter to make some cinnamon honey almond butter, or what I like to call CHAB. Which my mom is obsessed with and she calls me every so often saying "Guess what I made today! CHAB!"

One final note: Adam's brand peanut butter is the PNW's equivalent to Smuckers on the East Coast, or Laura Scudders down in California. I've liked these kinds before, so it was cool to learn it's all the same company. Kind of like Dreyer's ice cream vs Edy's ice cream on the West Coast vs East Coast.

Happy mixing!

Grain-free Unsweetened Banana Cake.

Today is my birthday, so I thought sharing a cake today would be only appropriate.  I didn't make this cake today, however, but made it sometime early summer.

Banana bread has always been one of my favorites.  Since going gluten-free, I've made lots of different versions.  Up until now, my best recipe has been my original banana cake recipe.  Then there was a banana cake made with oatmeal.  There was also my gluten-free whole-grain banana bread, which I adapted from my favorite wheat-based recipe when I first went gluten-free.  And now there is this banana cake.  Made with grain-free flours, left-over soured milk, and bananas, this banana bread is easy to digest, primal and absolutely delicious!  I also love it because it give me a use for raw milk that has gone a little bit too sour to be palatable.  Raw dairy is so valuable nutritionally, it's such a waste to not use it!

I've made this recipe twice now, and it's been fantastic.  The first time I made a frosting over the whole cake made with peanut butter, butter, yogurt and coconut oils.  It was fantastic and I ended up eating it for breakfast because it had enough protein and fat to make my metabolism happy :)  The pictures you see here have one layer of a peanut butter-butter frosting in the middle, but not over the entire cake.  I hope to tweak my peanut butter recipe, get it just right, and then share it with you.  For now, feel free to mix equal parts, butter, fresh ground peanut butter, a few drops of Stevia clear, and vanilla extract together to make a wonderfully nourishing peanut butter filling for the middle of these cakes.  And be sure to share with family!  It's so good (and makes a lot) so sharing should be mandatory!  This cake is also completely unsweetened (bananas only) and it's Primal!

Grain-free Unsweetened Banana Cake.
    makes two 9" rounds

    1 cup  blanched almond flour - source
    1 cup  organic coconut flour - source
    3 cups  ripe bananas, mashed
    6 small  real eggs
    2 cups  soured raw milk
    1 Tbsp  warm spice blend (mine was a mix of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice)
    1 Tbsp  vanilla
    1 tsp  baking soda
    1/2 tsp  unrefined sea salt
    2 Tbsp  grassfed butter (to grease the pan) - source

To make your banana cake:
  1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (convection or non-convection, same results for this cake). Use your fingers to butter the cake pans liberally.
  2.  In a large bowl, mash bananas, whisk in eggs, sour milk, and vanilla.
  3.  In another medium sized bowl, combine flours, baking soda, and sea salt.
  4.  Mix wet ingredients into dry, using a spatula to incorporate.
  5.  Distribute batter evenly between both pans. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until sides have pulled away from the pan and top is golden brown. When the cakes have cooled, remove from pans by gently inverting them onto your hand or a plate.  Wait until cakes are completely cooled to frost, if desired.

Texture up close.

This cake has quickly become one of my favorites, I hope you enjoy it too!

Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt.

Happy August everyone!  As I type this post, it's July, and I anticipate some hot weather ahead for New Englanders in August.  But as you read this post, it's August, and I am busy busy studying Organic Chemistry.  I am completing my last pre-requisite before starting the ND program (naturopathic medicine program) in the fall at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington.   This East Coast girl, turned California girl, is now a Seattlite(?)  I never imagined this!  Now can say I've lived in all four corners of the USA.  I was born and raised in Florida, lived in New Hampshire until college, lived in Southern California for my undergrad, and now I am pursuing my doctoral degree in Washington state!  How cool.  Even though I haven't moved around "a lot" in comparison to some people, I still feel as if I have.  Am I an East Coaster now?  Or a West Coaster?  For the past four plus years the West Coast has been my home, and now for the next four plus years (at least) the West Coast will continue to be my home, only instead of the Southwest I'll be in the Pacific Northwest.  Once I was just starting to feel like a true CA girl,  I'm off to Seattle.  Sunshine to rain.  Dirty LA traffic, to clear Seattle roads.  It's a new adventure.

But enough about traveling.  Let's take a look at this yogurt.  YUMMY.  This recipe was inspired by a guest post over at Kimi Harris' blog The Nourishing Gourmet.  I didn't have exactly the right ingredients the original recipe called for, so I made some changes, and now instead of honey and tahini ice cream, it's more like peanut butter frozen yogurt.  The 1/2 cup of raw honey was a little sweet for my taste, so next time I will probably reduce to either 1/3 or 1/4 cup.  If you aren't partial to peanut butter, feel free to use tahini, cashini, cashew butter, almond butter, coconut butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.  But if you're a peanut butter fan (in moderation of course) like me, you'll love this recipe!  Chocolate chips would go great with this too!


Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt.
    Makes almost 2 quarts

    3 cups  raw milk yogurt
    1 cup  raw whole milk or full-fat coconut milk (mine was mixture of both)
    ½ cup  organic peanut butter
    ½ cup  organic raw honey
    2  real eggs
    1T  vanilla extract
    1T  arrowroot powder
    ¼ tsp  unrefined sea salt

To make your delicious peanut butter fro-yo:
  1.  Mix all ingredients in a blender.
  2.  Pour into ice cream maker and churn per manufacturers instructions.
  3.  When ready, scoop into reused plastic yogurt containers (or another vessel) and freeze for at least 12 hours.  Serve when frozen yogurt has hardened.  You may also want to remove from freezer a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!


Make this frozen yogurt as a healthy "cool-off" treat to beat the August heat.  East Coast humidity is something that I definitely don't miss on the West Coast!  You can also put this fro-yo into popsicle molds for yourself or the little kiddos in your life.  I can't wait to do this when my little nephews get older!

Question for you: how much does your location relate to your identity?

Cinnamon Honey Almond Butter.

Almond butter is one of my mom's favorite foods.  We enjoy using to make protein bars, waffles, and as a topping of one of our morning breakfast bowls.  It's a great primal peanut butter alternative, and it is much more digestible than peanut butter.  We've both tried lots of almond butter over the years, raw, roasted, organic, natural, salted, unsalted, fresh ground, homemade, either fresh or in jars of all forms.

After trying all the different varieties, I can definitely say that fresh ground, either raw or roasted, is the best.  Fresh ground almond butter comes just like fresh ground peanut butter from those nut grinders you can find at Whole Foods or your local health food store, except these grinders have dry roasted almonds in them instead of peanuts!

I have also found that fresh roasted peanut and almond butters from these machines (that you grind right in front of you! :) are much more digestible than the jars you can buy at the store.  I think that's because fresh ground is, well, fresh, and the stuff in the jar has been there for who knows how long.  The oils there have likely become old and rancid.  That said, I always stick to fresh ground nut butters.

One day I had some of fresh ground almond butter on hand and I decided to make it a little bit more exciting.  First I added coconut oil for some nourishing MCFA's, then some raw honey for some raw enzymes and probiotics, then molasses for flavor and iron, and then some cinnamon and sea salt to really make the sweetness of the honey and almond butter come out.  What I got was a lovely new take on almond butter.  Why try to buy this in the store when you can make it yourself?  This stuff is very flavorful, spreadable and delicious!  It's also Primal and paleo!

Cinnamon Honey Almond Butter.
    makes about 24 ounces

    16 oz  fresh ground dry roasted almond butter
    4 oz  organic coconut oil
    2 oz  organic raw honey
    1T  blackstrap molasses
    1 tsp  cinnamon
    1/2 tsp  unrefined sea salt

To make your almond butter:
  1.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together.  You can use less honey and it will be less sweet.  Personally, 2 ounces tastes very sweet to me.
  2.  Transfer to a jar of choice.  Eat within 2 weeks or store in the fridge for longer periods.

Try spreading cinnamon honey AB on homemade banana or zucchini bread for a delicious snack!  This would also go great with cacao nibs and celery to make celery logs snacks.  Or even on top of grain-free pancakes or yogurt and berry breakfast bowls!

Enjoy :D

Primal Pea(nut) Butter Cookies.

As soon as I typed the title to this post I realized what I had done.  I just called peanuts Primal!  Peanuts are actually a legume (which is like a bean), not a nut, and legumes are not Primal.  Oops!  But if you're like me, you are Primal, but you still eat peanut butter.  I don't eat gobs of it like I used to, but on occasion, it's great!  For those of you who are pure Primalists, try making these cookies with almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, tahini, the list goes on!

I love this recipe because it has barely 6 ingredients.  And it's so easy!  You can even let your kids help you make these!  I made the ones with MMs specifically for my brother, but his favorite was actually the chocolate/sea salt combination.

Primal Pea(nut) Butter Cookies.
    makes 14 cookies

    8 oz  (1 cup)  organic creamy unsalted peanut butter (best is fresh ground or homemade)
    4 oz  (1/2 cup)  organic coconut sugar
    4 oz  (1/2 cup)  blanched almond flour
    1  happy pastured egg
    1/2 tsp  baking soda
    pinch unrefined sea salt

    Optional toppings:  various candies, sea salt, dark chocolate, raisins

To make your cookies:
  1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (mine is convection).
  2.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl with a electric mixer.
  3.  Use your hands or a cookie scoop to make balls of the dough.  Place peanut butter balls on a silicone lined baking sheet.
  4.  Bake for 7 minutes, then remove from the oven and make criss-cross design with a fork.  This will flatten the cookies.  Add toppings if desired.
  5.  Bake for 5 more minutes or until golden brown and chocolate has melted.
  6.  Remove from oven and let cool on the sheet.  Carefully transfer to a wire rack when cool and place cookies in the fridge to set the chocolate.  Enjoy!

Don't forget to share! (It won't be easy :)

Grain-free Waffle Sandwiches

Turkey bologna, sharp cheddar, green leaf lettuce, mustard and homemade mayo @ mid-munch ;)

Last week I posted about my new favorite grain-free almond banana waffles.  They are really different than my original grain-free waffles, since they are not as dense and taste super great plain.

Sandwich close up

One of my most favorite things to do with leftover waffles is make grain-free waffle sandwiches!  I don't eat any gluten-free bread and so this has been a great option for me when I really want a sandwich, which happens occasionally but not very often.

Top view

The combinations are endless.  My pictures here show organic turkey bologna with real sharp cheddar cheese, dijon mustard, homemade mayo and fresh green lettuce.

Best of all, you can make GAPS safe sandwiches with these waffles!  What a great departure from squash and soups, yes?  To learn more about the GAPS diet and it's healing abilities for myriads of symptoms including poor digestion, click here.  For even more resources, here.

pb + j

Or you can make the classic peanut butter and jelly, or almond butter and jelly!  This picture shows peanut butter and fruit juice sweetened locally made strawberry rhubarb jam.  (Which is a FANTASTIC combo by the way, if you've never tried it :)

No pb + j is complete without a little bit of oozing ;)

Waffles shouldn't be limited to savory sandwiches and can easily be incorporated into a dessert dish for something sweet.  This is a waffle sliced in half topped with organic pink lady apple slices and organic chocolate sauce.  What a treat!

Don't let the pretty pictures fool you, they really are easy to make! 

Grain-free Waffle Sandwiches

    Directions: 
      Simply take a waffle quarter (I have a Belgian waffle iron that creates a round waffle divided into   four pieces), gently cut it in half, and fill with the ingredients of your choosing.  

More ideas:
         Freshly sliced cheeses, meats like bacon, roast beef slices, roasted chicken and turkey, as well as homemade meatballs add protein. 
         Veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce add some filling crunch.  
         Spread the insides with goat cheese, grass-fed butter, homemade mayonnaise, real guacamole, or nut butter and jam of choice. 
         Avocado slices and fried eggs would be a yummy option as well. 

Feel free to create the sandwich of your dreams!

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.