Grain-free Cinnamon Raisin Granola 1.0.

Granola is one of the things that I have missed a lot since giving up grains.  I've tried a few recipes here and there that don't use oats, but the ease of making them and the combination of ingredients just didn't agree with me.  Recipes were either too complicated, or just plain odd.  I wanted a recipe that had the same satisfying crunch that I remember from normal oat-based granola.  Finally I came up with this!  It's so delicious my mom and I ate it up in no time.  Primal, WAPFers, Paleo and ALL people will love this recipe.  It makes either a delicious breakfast, or a great snack on the go.  I also shared this with my sister-in-law who just had twin boys :)  She's a grain-free granola lover and this totally made her day!  I know that you'll love it too!

Grain-free Cinnamon Raisin Granola.
    makes a bunch! :)

    6  egg whites
    1/4 cup  coconut sugar
    3 tsp  cinnamon
    1 tsp  unrefined sea salt
    1/2 cup  sesame seeds
    1/2 cup  chia seeds
    1 cup (each): whole cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut chips, walnuts, chopped pecans, sliced almonds, raisins

To make your delicious granola:
  1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees convection.
  2.  Combine egg whites, sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Whisk until frothy.
  3.  Add all nuts and seeds, mix well with a wooden spoon.
  4.  On two silicone lined baking sheets, spread out the mixture evenly between two pans.
  5.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Stir.  Another 10 minutes. Stir.  Depending on your oven, you may need another 5 minutes.  The first time I made this I didn't, the second time, I did.

This granola keeps very well.  I store mine in an airtight container in the cupboard.  Eat within 2 weeks or store in the fridge.

My favorite way to eat this is in a bowl with freshly sliced banana and some cold raw whole milk.  What a nourishing breakfast!! Enjoy!

Real Chocolate Ice Cream.

I got an ice cream maker for my birthday a few years ago, and I've put it to good use!  It's been so fun to experiment with different ice cream recipes.  Some have been really good, and some have been, not so good.  Several batches have come out too sweet, not sweet enough, or too icy or crumbly and hard as rock.  But this summer I think I've got the whole process down!  I am so happy with this recipe.  It's incredibly scoopable and you don't need to remove it from the freezer for any amount of time before serving.  It's texture is fantastic and the sweetness is just right.  

Real Chocolate Ice Cream.
   makes 2 quarts

    1 pt  raw cream
    2 cups  raw whole milk
    4  egg yolks
    1 T  arrowroot starch
    1/2 cup  cocoa powder
    1/2 cup  raw honey
    1 T  vanilla
    5 dashes  unrefined sea salt

To make your ice cream:
  1.  Combine all ingredients in a blender.
  2.  Pour into ice cream maker and freeze per manufacturers instructions.
  3.  Freeze overnight until hard.
  4.  Serve  and  enjoy! Try it with fresh whipped cream and chocolate sauce.  Or top it with peanut butter!!

Mhmm. The goodness is beginning to melt! YUM.

I like to freeze my ice cream in leftover yogurt containers! They are the perfect size, and I can put equal amounts in two 32 ounce containers.  Eat one, save one (shove it in the back).  In a few months you'll have several types of ice cream to choose from waiting for you in the freezer!

Chocolate not your style? Check out my other flavors:

Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt

Cauliflower Garlic Mashed Faux-tatoes.

Like most people, I love mashed potatoes.  I think they are the best when the skins are left on, they are creamy but hold their shape, and they have a nice garlic flavor.  Every since going gluten-free, becoming healthy, and really changing my diet, mashed potatoes have gone out the window.  While they were a treat before, they are now a complete rarity.  Until now.

Since I found out about the Weston A. Price foundation and Primal eating, I have rediscovered mashed potatoes. Only now they aren't actually made of potatoes, they're made out of cauliflower!  I used to think cauliflower was ghastly, and I would say that it was just a bad tasting version of broccoli (I love broccoli).  Well I am a firm believer that vegetables must be tried in several preparations, and more than one time, before anyone can say they don't like them.  Because now, I love cauliflower.  And after trying several fruits and vegetables several times, I now like them.  Once I didn't like cucumbers!

Now that cauliflower has made it's way into my diet, I've decided to make them in mashed potatoes.  This idea has been floating around in the Primal community for a while, and while I have made "cauliflower mash" before.  This time was different.  I went all out.  Roasted garlic.  Butter.  Whole milk.  Food processor.  Super smooth texture.  Oh yeah! 


Cauliflower Garlic Mashed "Faux-tatoes."
   makes about 8 servings

    1 head of cauliflower, steamed or boiled
    1/4-1/2 cup  raw whole milk
    4T - 6T  real grass-fed butter
    8 cloves of home-roasted garlic
    1/2 tsp  unrefined sea salt
    1/2 tsp  black pepper

To make your mashed potatoes:
  1.  Place hot boiled or steamed cauliflower, in a food processor.  Add butter and roasted garlic cloves.  Blend until smooth. Add spices. Blend.  Lastly, add milk until desired consistency is reached.
  2.  Taste.  Modify if needed. (Becareful, these are really good, it was hard to stop eating them! ;)
  3.  Serve warm with some more butter (if desired) along with a nicely cooked protein, like grass-fed beef, chicken or turkey!


Leftovers (if there are any) keep really well in the fridge.  Eat within a week.  They are even great cold!  This recipe is a great side dish option for those of us who do best on low carb, low starch, Primal, paleo diets.