I think I just may have outdone myself with this recipe . No, really. I even got this recipe right on the very first try. That doesn’t happen very often. A peanut butter cheesecake with a brownie crust, covered in chocolate ganache… oh yes! And it’s gluten-free and sugar-free. Can you beat that?!

This cheesecake will take a bit of time, so be prepared. It’s not one of those throw-together-on-short-notice types of desserts. You’ll have to allocate a decent amount of time and make it the day before you’d like to eat it (cheesecakes really needs to sit overnight).

Are you ready? Let’s go! [Read more...]

These cinnamon muffins are divine! I originally found this recipe on The Nourishing Home (there are some great recipes there, you should check it out), but I had to tweak the recipe in order to fit our families dietary needs.

Right now several individuals in our family have to stay away from dairy and I try to limit our entire families sugar intake. Substitutions for the maple syrup in the muffin was easy to do and the muffins turn out superb using xylitol and stevia, but I really couldn’t see any way to substitute the honey in the streusel.  There is only 1/2 cup of honey in the whole batch. So it’s not bad for a very occasional treat, and my kids love these things! They make a fantastic substitute for sugar-filled donuts or traditional muffins. Or you could even make them as a dessert when company is over (they’ll never know you’re feeding them something healthy!) [Read more...]

I wanted to make broccoli and beef stir fry but I couldn’t find a recipe that would suit our families dietary needs, so of course, I decided to make up a recipe myself! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family has enjoyed this recipe.

There is one ingredient in this recipe you may not be familiar with: coconut aminos. Coconut aminos are a fantastic substitute for soy sauce. Just take a look at the ingredients listed on the back of a bottle of soy sauce: [Read more...]

My family has gone through food allergy testing, and can I tell you it’s caused quite a bit of change in our already-altered diet. I thought we were eating a pretty clean, healthy, real-foods diet, but found out different when Bradley, Cameron, and Luke all tested positive for a corn allergy.

Corn allergies have got to be one of the most difficult food allergies to deal with. Why? Because corn is in everything! You can’t even purchase breakfast sausage that is corn-free. I thought I found corn-free sausage. No corn syrup: check. No corn starch: check. No MSG: check. Dextrose…hold up, that’s a form of corn sugar! Back to the drawing board. [Read more...]

I’m not really big into chocolate (don’t be a hater, that is just the way it is), but my kiddos and husband really enjoy chocolate and occasionally I can enjoy nice gooey brownie batter ummm…I mean brownies. Ok, I admit it, I’d rather eat the batter than the brownies. I’d rather eat cookie dough and cake batter then the cookies and cake too. Why does it taste so much better in the raw state?

I’m happy to report that the batter for these gluten-free sugar-free brownies taste just as good (to me) as the sugar- and wheat-filled alternative. In the baked state, they’re a bit different than the brownies you probably remember, but nevertheless, a delightful treat.

I experimented many times trying to get the perfect brownies. You know, a brownie with a crunchy top and gooey insides. I never quite got them there. After much research and experimentation, I have concluded that it may be impossible to get that crispy top in a gluten-free, sugar-free brownie (but if you have any experience with this, please let me know). I think they are a nice balance between a fudgey and cakey type brownie, but you be the judge!  [Read more...]

We talked a lot about fat around here last month. There are plenty of reasons to eat animal fats. One of my favorite types of fats is beef fat. Rendered fat from grass-fed cows is an extremely nutritious food, high in omega 3 fatty acids. Beef fat is high in niacin, vitamins B6, B12, K2, selenium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and riboflavin. Fat rendered from grass-fed cows is a regular part of our family’s diet.

If you purchase grass-fed cow (or know someone who does), be sure to ask the butcher to save the fat so you can render tallow.

Step-by-Step: Rendering Tallow in the Oven

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Avocado is definitely one of my favorite foods. It only makes sense that I would figure out a way to make an avocado salad.

Not only does avocado taste fabulous on a burger, in an omlette, or as homemade guacamole, it’s also a powerhouse health food. This tasty creamy green fruit is rich in healthy fats, vitamin B6, potassium, and folate. Polyphenols and flavonoids are present in avocados as well, which are compounds that help decrease inflammation (the real enemy of your arterial walls, not cholesterol as some would have you believe).

This recipe for avocado salad makes use of another one of my favorite foods—bacon! I hope you enjoy.

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Have you ever fried sweet potatoes? If you haven’t, you need to try it. Today. This is one of my kids favorite dishes, and it is oh so easy to make.

This was my 8-years-old’s gateway-recipes to enjoying sweet potatoes. Prior to this recipe he insisted he couldn’t stand sweet potatoes. This continues to be his favorite sweet potato recipe, but he now enjoys sweet potatoes in many different forms.

If you are trying to keep your blood sugar low for weight loss (like me) or to control diabetes, or because you are trying to access one of the many of the benefits of a ketogenic diet, then I’d suggest staying away from sweet potatoes.

One of the keys to making sure you keep this a healthy dish is frying them in a healthy oil and one that doesn’t break down under heat. I would suggest using coconut oil, lard, or tallow you have rendered yourself, or bacon grease from a pastured pig. Our families favorite oil to fry sweet potatoes in is coconut oil. It seems to compliment the sweet potatoes very well. [Read more...]

Turns out that chicken noodle soup might be just what the doctor ordered. Bone broth is a fabulous addition to a healthy diet. When you make bone broth from the bones of a healthy animal it can offer a surprising number of benefits.

Not only is bone broth an excellent addition to your diet, it’s easy and cheap to make, too. 

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How can you improve upon a good broccoli cheese soup? Bacon of course! This is a creamy, cheesy favorite of my oldest son’s. If you’re trying to stick to a ketogenic diet it would be a fantastic addition to your meal plan. Try it out, and let me know how you like it!

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter (from grass-fed cows)
• 1 clove garlic
• small onion chopped finely
• 16 oz. softened cream cheese
• 6 cups of bone broth
• 2 bunches of chopped broccoli
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces mild cheddar (I used Grass Point Farms)
• 8 ounces aged cheddar (I used Kerry Gold)
• 1 pound cooked crumbled bacon

[Read more...]