Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce
(Makes 1 quart)

8 large apples (I used a combination of Rome Beauty and Golden Delicious that we picked this weekend.)
1/2 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup water

Core and slice apples (Yes, you can leave the skin on.)
Place the apples in your slow cooker
Add in lemon and stir around
Add cinnamon and water
Combine all together
Cook on low for 6 hours
Then use an immersion blender (or place in blender carefully)
Blend well until desired consistency is reached

*If you don't want the cinnamon flavor, just leave it out, and you'll have traditional applesauce.
**Store this in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for 6 months.

Paleo Pesto Trapanese with Grilled Chicken

I was really wanting a comforting dish for dinner tonight. I came across a cooking show that was making a pesto trapanese over spaghetti with lots and lots of cheese. I knew that wouldn't do, but I thought I could recreate this recipe in a way that brought out all of the essential flavors while adding my own touch to it. I also wanted more protein from the dish, so I added some grilled chicken. It is now a delicious and complete meal. I saved time here by using pan-sauteed tomatoes instead of roasted ones. The entire meal can be made within 30 minutes. While the spaghetti squash and chicken are cooking, the sauce is quickly created. I am on Day 10 of another Whole30, and this meal follows all of rules. It is warm, filling, and creamy with a slight hint of spice. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Lemon-Blueberry Bars

I was feeling creative the other day, and I asked some friends to give me a conventional dessert recipe so that I could recreate it the way I wanted.  One friend mentioned a lemon and blueberry dessert. She didn't have a link, but I did a search on Pinterest and the first link I found was here. It looked beautiful and tasty, so I went with that. I didn't come up with my own graham cracker crust because Against All Grain already did that for me, and it has always been a tried and true recipe. I didn't want to mess with that. It came out fantastic! The topping could also be switched up a bit. Blackberries and raspberries would work well. My aunt also asked if Enjoy Life chocolate chips would work. I don't see why not, but I would just make sure that the lemon mixture is completely cooled before mixing those in.

Flour-less Chocolate Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream and Blackberries

A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to a restaurant and ordered a flour-less chocolate cake for dessert. It was amazing. He is a chocolate lover, so I decided to try and recreate this dessert at home for Father's Day. After researching typical flour-less chocolate cakes, I understood that the fluffiness comes from the whipped egg whites more than anything else. I felt that taking the liberty to mess around with the type of sweeteners, chocolate, butter, etc. would still give the same creamy, rich taste I was looking for. I was right. This cake was a hit. Kyle asked if this cake can happen for every special occasion. I don't see why not. I love the way the blackberries cut the sweetness of the chocolate. I recommend using them. If you're not a blackberry fan, then perhaps add in your favorite berry instead.

Coastal and Berry Grain/Dairy-Free Cups

I have been baking with grain and dairy-free ingredients for long enough that I understand how they work. I might not know the exact science behind the combination of ingredients, but I get that coconut and almond milk can be used as a 1:1 substitute for cow's milk. I understand that when choosing one milk over the other, the coconut milk has a creamier consistency versus the almond milk. I understand that grain-free flours (almond, coconut, etc.) cannot be used as a 1:1 flour substitute (not even for each other).

Grain-Free/Dairy-Free Berry Trifle

Berry Trifle

I have always loved a good trifle. It seems that my favorite part is how all of the pieces fit together. The trifle is essentially one giant mess consisting of layers of goodness that have been strategically placed in order to see the beauty of its preparation from a see-through serving dish. Nothing else does that. Nowhere else do you find a person wanting to throw together random ingredients, show you from the outside how they have been thrown together, and then hand you a spoon so you can scoop through all of the layers and dump them into a bowl for consumption. This happens with no other dessert. Sure, layered desserts are around, but these have boundaries. They have distinct lines of perfection. They come with the chocolate fudge layer evil-eyeing the chocolate mousse layer while it's on its way in for a landing. Then, the chocolate mousse layer holds tight while the clouds of white from the whipped cream fall delicately on top. The mousse holds its breath, desperately awaiting the moment of victory where all of the lines perfectly match in width. You see where I'm going with this, right?? Trifles are adventurous, as well as beautiful, even with all of their imperfections. (And I haven't even started talking about how delicious they taste.)

Easter Dinner

It was a rainy Easter here, but we ended up having a relaxing day with a couple of friends (and The Walking Dead marathon starting Saturday night to get them caught up for the season finale).
We had an early Easter dinner that included roasted citrus chickens, fruity spinach salad, roasted carrots, and asparagus soup. That was topped off by a key lime pie I began making on Saturday. I had high expectations for this pie, and they were exceeded. Here's a little picture/recipe recap of what went down.

Grain-Free Blueberry-Lemon Almond Cookies

I used to make these cookies. They were always so awesome. The combination of blueberries with lemon and almonds is amazing! I have been trying to figure out how to recreate them without grains and dairy for months. I would always get the taste right, but not with the texture of a cookie. It finally happened!
Here's what I did-