Paleo Peanut Butter Cups!

This recipe for Paleo Peanut Butter Cups is super fast and easy to make.  They are a great snack for when you are craving something sweet. I have a huge sweet tooth and these hit the spot.  Ever since I was a kid I was obsessed with Resse's peanut butter cups. They were by all accounts my favorite food group.  These days I have adopted more of a clean eating lifestyle and stay away from highly processed foods and candy.  So with traditional Resse's being out I decided to create my own clean version of my favorite childhood treat.  They contain no hydrogenated oils or refined sugars, just natural clean ingredients.  This delicious snack only requires a few simple ingredients and about 10 minutes!  For more healthy snacks to help you get through the holiday season check out some of the ideas over at Nuts.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup smooth Almond Butter (or peanut butter if not Paleo)
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1 tablespoon Raw Honey
• 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (or Enjoy Life Chips)

For my cups I used a small chocolate mold, you however can use a muffin tin or even an ice cube tray.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl add your chocolate chips and microwave for 20-30 seconds or until melted.
2.  Evenly divide the chocolate into your mold/tray
3. In a small bowl place your almond butter, oil and honey, then microwave for about 30 seconds or until it's melted.
4. Pour your almond butter mixture on top of each of the chocolate bottoms.
5.  Place your mold/tin in the freezer for about an hour.
6. When you take your cups out of freezer you may be able to just pop them out of your mold/tray.  If not carefully go around the edges with a knife and they will pop out.

ENJOY!

Easy Homemade Apple Cider!

     
This is my simple recipe for homemade Apple Cider.  It's so easy, you make it in a crock pot! For this batch I used 6 apples of the same variety, but feel free to use a couple different types of apples if you want.  You can also mix together sweeter and tart varieties for a great flavor. You can also add a slice of orange for an unique citrus burst.   Besides being left with wonderfully delicious clean apple cider, making this will leave your home smelling amazing!

What you need: 
6 Apples
3 Cinnamon sticks or 2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1 clove
1 tsp ground allspice
1 Tbsp Raw Honey








Quarter your apples and place all of your ingredients in your crock pot.  Then cover with filtered water.  Place the lid on top and set the crock pot to high.

After a three hours your apples will be soft, using a wooden spoon you can stir the apples to help them break down.  Mashing up the soft apples will help their flavor absorb into the cider.  Now let the mash simmer on high for another three hours.

Once your apples have fully broken down it's time to strain your cider.  I used my NUT BAG to strain my cider but you can use a fine mesh sieve or cheese cloth.  I first transferred my cider to a large measuring cup so it would be easier to strain.  You may also want to allow the cider to cool for about 20 minutes or pop it in the fridge for a few minutes since you will need to squeeze the mash and you don't want to burn your hands.

After removing the cinnamon sticks slowly pour your cider through your strainer over a large bowl, then begin to squeeze the liquid out of the mash. Continue to squeeze until all the liquid has been removed, you will be left with very little mash.

Now you have fresh homemade Apple Cider!

Since I use no processed sugars in my kitchen, this recipe only contains a small amount of raw honey. If you want want a completely sugar free cider you can omit the honey.  Apples are sweet on their own so your cider will still taste wonderfully. 

Now you can serve your apple cider! I prefer it warm but this cider taste great served warm or cold! You can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for about a week. I also add the cinnimon sticks back to the cider after I strain it.

ENJOY!

Homemade Clean Apple Crisp!

Recently I have been overloaded with apples after an Apple Picking adventure, so I decided to create some new fall recipes.  First I took on the beloved Apple Crisp, or as some may refer to it, Apple Crumble.  At first I wasn't sure if I could create a Healthy Apple Crisp that would still taste great, so while I made my new creation I had my husband make a traditional apple crisp.  Once done we let our family be the judges!  Not only did everyone love my Apple Crisp, they actually preferred it to the traditional recipe.  Now, nothing against my husband's cooking skills, but I think the clean ingredients made the difference.  Below is my newest recipe for delicious Apple Crisp that is Gluten free, Grain Free, Dairy Free and contains no processed sugar!

For this recipe I used 6 apples of different varieties.  1 Jonathan, 1 Golden Delicious, 2 Red Delicious and 2 Cortland. I also did not peel the apples.  After Coring the apples I sliced them into small chucks and placed them in a medium sized mixing bowl.

  Filling:

• 6 Apples
• 2 Tsp Cinnamon 
• 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
• 2 Tsp Raw Honey
• 1 Tsp Pure Maple Syrup 

 Combine all the filling ingredients in your bowl and stir until all the apples are evenly coated.

  

 Once your apples are coated spread them out into a large baking dish.

 

Topping:

• 2 Cups Gluten Free Oats
• 1 Cup  Almond Flour
• 2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Cup Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 1/4 Cup Raw Honey
• 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup

Combine all the ingredients for the topping in your bowl and stir until mixed.

 

Crumble the topping over your apples until evenly coated.

 

 Bake the Apple Crisp at 350' for 45 Minutes.

 

ENJOY!

Homemade Clean Granola!

Yes its here! Another ridiculously easy and delicious clean recipe from my kitchen!  I love sprinkling granola on my yogurt in the morning or even as a snack, but I hate everything that is added to store bought granola. For instance preservatives, processed sugar, artificial coloring, corn syrup, Soy lecithin, hydrogenated oils, etc! Even the healthiest of store bought products contain some unwanted ingredients. For a while now I have been making my own granola at home and I love it! I know exactly what is in it and it is less expensive compared to store bought products.  I prefer a nut free granola, but this recipe can be adjusted to incorporate nuts, seeds and more.  I love this particular recipe because it is great for everyone.  It is gluten free, nut free, grain free and contains no processed sugars.




What you need:
Large Mixing Bowl
Large Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Spoon or Spatula










In a large mixing combine all your ingredients.

• 3 Cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil or Grape Seed Oil
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 2-3 Tbsp Maple Syrup (depending on desired sweetness)
• 2 Tbsp Raw Honey
• 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tbsp Flax Seed Meal 

Once your granola is evenly mixed spread it out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 300'F for 45 minutes, stirring after 30 minutes.

Again if you prefer you can add nuts, seeds, shredded coconut, whatever your heart desires!

Tip: If you have flax seeds you can grind them in a coffee grinder or small chopper to make flax seed meal.

 ENJOY!

Guilt Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies!

There's nothing better then fresh chocolate chip cookies! Even if you eat clean you can indulge in these sweet treats.  My Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe is so irresistible, everyone I know can't get enough and I am always asked to make them!  These cookies are grain free, dairy free and made without processed sugar.





What You Need

• 3 Cups Blanched Almond Flour THIS is my favorite brand, it is the finest almond flour I have found and is great for baking!
• 1/2 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Cup Unrefined Coconut Oil or Palm Shortening
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1.5 Cups Enjoy Life Mega Chunks

1.   Preheat the oven to 375'F
2.  In a mixer combine your melted Coconut Oil, Maple Syrup, Eggs and Vanilla
3.  While your mixer is on a low speed slowly add your dry ingredients

4.  Once the batter is combined stir in your Chocolate Chunks 

5. On a Silpat or Parchment Paper place balls of dough (I use a small ice cream scoop)

 6. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes or until golden brown

Serve your cookies with a glass of Fresh Homemade Almond Milk! 

Delicious Husband Approved Paleo Banana Bread!

My husband loves banana bread, and I try to avoid wheat and processed sugar!  So when it came to creating something out of a batch of bananas that had gone bad I decided to try something we both could enjoy.  That is how we ended up with a delicious grain free, sugar free, super moist banana bread. 

Bonus, it's totally easy to make!

3 brown bananas
⅓ cup palm shortening (can use coconut oil)
½ cup coconut flour
4 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt

(Feel free to add some of your favorite nuts or even some dark chocolate chips)

To make, mix all your ingredients in a bowl and transfer the batter in to your bread pan. (you can grease your pan with coconut oil but I didn't)  Then just bake in an oven that has been preheated to 350' for about an hour.  You want your bread to be set in the center and have a warm golden color!

Would you try this recipe?

How To Temper Chocolate!

I never really thought about tempering chocolate.  Even when I started to make chocolate covered snacks I didn't think it was necessary for the recipes I was creating... I was wrong.  The main reason I began to research tempering chocolate was because I couldn't get my chocolate covered berries not to melt within seconds of putting them in my hand.  Aside from raising the melting temperature so your chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hands, tempering has a few other advantages.

• You will avoid fat and sugar bloom, the unappealing white streaks and or blotches that can unattractively take over perfectly good chocolate.
• Tempered chocolate cools faster
• It gives your chocolate a shiny, glossy appearance.
• Your chocolate will have a clean snap when you break it.

It seems like a daunting task but it really isn't.  Also since I don't make large quantities at a time the heating and cooling process is very short. 

1. Use a double boiler or just rest a metal bowl over a saucepan with 1 inch of water.  Bring the water to a simmer, then add half of your chocolate to the bowl and stir till its smooth and melted. Put the other half of your chocolate to the side for later. Using a thermometer bring your chocolate to the correct temperature: 115°-120° then remove it from the heat.
2. Now you want to add the other half of the chocolate you put aside. This is the seeding process and helps to bring the chocolate temperature down. Continue to stir until smooth. 
   
3. The last step is to bring your chocolate back up to the perfect temperature, for most dark chocolate it's between 88° and 91°.  To do this just place the bowl back over your hot water and stir till you reach the desired temperature.  Then you are done and ready to create whatever chocolate creations you can dream of.

 *You can also temper chocolate using your microwave like in this instructional video below

Caramel Sauce!

I definitely have a sweet tooth!  This is an awesome quick (like 2 minutes!) and easy recipe for caramel i came across that is also Paleo.  The best part though is it requires no heat and no equipment to whip up this delicious treat. 

• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
• 2 Tablespoons almond butter
• 1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup (depending on the sweetness you want)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Sea salt (pinch)   

Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl and you are done!  Now you can top your favorite fruit or dessert and turn it into a tasty treat.  It is also great for dipping sliced apples into.  What I like best about this sauce is that it travels great, pack it in a school lunch or take it with you to work for a sweet fulfilling 3 pm boost!  

Here i fancied up a simple apple by slicing it thin (yes that's only 1 apple), topping it off with caramel sauce and macadamia nuts.  I also sometimes use walnuts.

It is easy to store too.  Just place your caramel in a glass jar or storage container and it store in your cupboard or pantry.  I keep mine in a recycled glass jar.

Tip: you can replace the maple syrup with honey or any other natural sweetener

Would you try whipping up this sweet treat?

The Bad Cow!

When you are trying to lose weight, maintain your weight or just indulge in a sweet treat without over doing it, you look to "healthier" options.  The ad executives and pr firms make a ton of money by marketing those "healthier" products to those kinds of people.  Lets be honest, most people who fit those categories are women!  My mother passed along a blog post to me recently about how particularly Un-"healthy" those skinny cow deserts you love actually are.

Don't get me wrong, I used to eat one probably every night.  I probably still have a few tucked in the back of my freezer somewhere.  I even blogged about them 3 years ago! When we set out to be healthy it is pretty apparent drastic changes don't work.  So I, like many, found easy substitutes and "cheats" that would allow me to cut back without depriving myself. What we don't always realize.. or want to face is that when we stray away from foods with a lot of fat, sugar or calories we end up replacing those ingredients with chemicals, additives and all sorts of nasty stuff.  Eating a Paleo diet has definitely allowed me to realize the kinds of things I was previously ingesting.  While it's scary to think about all the unknowns I actually consumed, it's comforting that I am more aware now and can make better choices.

While this is just one product line of many, it is a good wake up call and if nothing else can hopefully get you to look a little deeper at a label's nutrition facts.This isn't something that just plagues ice cream treats, it can be found throughout the grocery isles and particularly in those products labeled "low-cal" "low-fat" & "fat-free".  My mother loves to tell me that the biggest culprit are all those 100 calorie packs.

To check out the original article I mentioned from the blog My Whole Food Life Go Here

You can find another interesting post I found Here

Thoughts?

Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Pretzels!

I have come across a delicious new treat I can enjoy while eating gluten free.  As many of you know I don't like anything that tastes "diet-y" ESPECIALLY sweets.  I was nervous when I purchased this bag of Glutino fudge covered pretzels, but I was an instant fan at first bite. They are delicious and taste just like any other chocolate covered pretzel, which is one of my favorite treats.  If you didn't know they were a gluten free product you would guess.  I can’t even begin to describe how good these pretzels are! 

Have you tried these pretzels?

Strawberry Margarita Jell-o Shots!

  Strawberry Margarita Jell-o Shots!

 What you need:

• 2 lbs. of Strawberries
• 6 oz. of Margarita Mix
• 1 Cup of Tequila
• 3 oz. Strawberry Flavored Jell-O
• Sugar and/or Limes (for garnish) 

Step 1:

After washing the strawberries  cut off the tip so that they will stand upright on a flat surface.  Cut the top off the strawberries and using a small melon baller you want to scoop out the insides.  

 

 

 

 

 

You want to be careful to leave a even shell without puncturing it.

Step 2:

In a sauce pan bring 6 ounces of margarita mix to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in  the jell-o mix.  Once dissolved stir in the tequila.

 Step 3:

Place the hollow strawberries on a plate and fill to rim with jell-o.  The strawberries need to go in the fridge for at least four hours.

TIP: Keep any remaining jell-o at room temp, You may need it to refill some strawberries that leak. Some strawberries may leak.  Allow the initial jell-o to set before you try to refill the strawberries with more jell-o.  You can also salvage spilled jell-o on the plate with a spoon.

Step 4:

You can serve the strawberries as is or if you want to garnish them you can rub the rim of the strawberries with a lime wedge and then rotate them in sugar. You can also add a garnish of  lime. TIP: You want to serve the strawberries cold.

Make It Hungry For Living!

Here are some ways to make this recipe a little healthier.

1- Use sugar free Jello
2- Use a low cal margarita mix (like Skinny girl) or use 6 0z of lime juice mixed with 1Tblsp   of Agave
3- Use truvia (no cal sweetener) instead of sugar as a garnish
4- Use only limes or mint leaf for garnish
5- Don't use a garnish

Banana Bread!

If you are like me, some of your bananas seem to go bad before you can eat them all. I love keeping bananas in the house for a healthy mid morning snack but I don't like them once they start getting all brown.  A great way to avoid throwing out old bananas is to turn them into Banana Bread!  I have created a Low Fat, sugar free banana bread that is delicious and healthy!

 

What you need:

• A Large Bowl
• A Loaf Pan
• Wooden Spoon
• Cooking Spray
• Potato Masher & Hand Mixer (optional)

Ingredients:

• 3 Bananas
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1 & 2/3 Cups of Flour
• 1/4 Cup of Coconut Oil (any oil or butter product will work)
• 2/3 Cup of Truvia (or sweetener of your choice)
•  1tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2tsp Salt
• 4Tbsp Chocolate Chips (optional)

Pre-heat your over to 350

In a large bowl mash up your Bananas.  Mix in your eggs, water, brummel & brown and splenda.  You want a cake batter like consistency.

Then mix in  your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  If you are like me and have a sweet tooth you can add in 4tbsp of chocolate chips.  This also makes the banana bread a sweet chocolaty treat.

Spray your loaf pan with cooking spray.  I like to use PAM.  You want to fully coat the inside of the pan so that your bread will fall out easily.  Then pour your batter into you loaf pan.

 

Place your pan in your pre-heated oven for about an hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown. (TIP:  You can tell if your bread is fully cooked by inserting a knife into the center.  If your knife comes out clean your bread is done)

 

Once your bread has cooled you can turn your pan upside down and the bread should easily fall out.  Place on a plate, slice it up and indulge...

Enjoy!!

This banana bread yields 11 servings and is only 4 Weight Watcher Points Plus!

5 Points Plus if you add the Chocolate Chips!

 (If you don't want to make the recipe sugar free you can use the same amount of sugar instead of splenda)

Skinny Buns!

Those of you who regularly follow Hungry For Living, you know I LOVE sweets! You also know that I HATE fake sweets usually referred to as "diet".  One of my guilty pleasures is definitely Cinnamon buns.  As a kid I remember on special occasions we would have them for breakfast. They were always a special treat we looked forward to.
Now a days you can buy them in a can anytime you get a craving & then there are the ginormous ones that can be found at food stands in any local mall that probably contain more calories and fat than you should have in a week ;).
In my quest to still enjoy the foods i like and not feel guilty about indulging in them from time to time, I set out on a journey to create a "healthier" Cinnamon bun.  Now I'm not crazy, I know there is no such thing as a healthy Cinnamon bun, but over the last few months and numerous trials and errors I have created a yummy 3 point Cinnamon bun, that my mother has named the Skinny Bun!.

What you need:

Small bowl or mixer

Non stick pan

Rolling pin

Flour (for dusting)

Non stick cooking spray

Ingredients For Cinnamon Roll:

1/4 cup Splenda granulated sweetener

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 tsp Light butter spread (room Temp)

2 Tbs Cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1 tube of reduced fat crescent roll dough

I can't believe it's not butter spray

Ingredients for Icing:

1 tub of individual Weight Watchers cream cheese (room temp)

1/3 Cup Fat Free cool whip (thawed)

1 Tbs Splenda granulated sweetener

1 tsp powdered sugar
Vanilla extract (a few drops-to taste)


Directions for making the rolls:

1) In a small bowl add Splenda, brown sugar, butter, Cinnamon & salt.  Mix all ingredients together almost like you were "creaming" them, making sure all ingredients get evenly mixed together.

2) Hand kneed the crescent dough into a ball.  Sprinkle your surface with a light dusting of powder and using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle.

3) Using the butter spray, evenly coat the surface of the dough (about 20 sprays)

4) Spread the sugar mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.

5) Roll the dough into a long roll.  Pinch the seam and sides together to seal.

6) Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes or longer (this makes it easier to slice)

7) Gently cut the roll into 8 equal pieces.

8) Place rolls on a non stick pan that you have also coated with cooking spray.

9) Bake @ 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until brown.

To make the icing:

You can make it in a small bowl or small mixer.  I find it is easier to mix the cream cheese when using a mixer.

1) Mix WW cream cheese and 2/3's of the cool whip in a mixer.

2) Once the mixture is thoroughly creamy mix in splenda, powdered sugar & vanilla extract.

3) Right before you are done quickly mix in the remaining 1/3 of the cool whip.

4) After you remove the Cinnamon rolls from the oven, allow them to cool for a minute, then evenly distribute icing over the rolls.

1 Bun = 3 WW Points

Enjoy!