Banana "Pancakes" and More Pinterest Lovin'

I mentioned that my Pinterest pins far out number my Pinterest creations. I am determined to change that (and get my dining room back - it's mysteriously turned into a Pinterest holding cell). Here is my latest creation - the ornament wreath. I am really happy with how it turned out, it's a little mesmerizing to be honest, so sparkly. A word of caution to anyone tempted to make one - it uses a LOT of ornaments, I couldn't believe how many. In hindsight, I'd wait to make it after Christmas when ornaments are on clearance and bust this beauty out next year!

I have been a little hooked on these gluten-free, grain-free "pancakes" and thought you might enjoy them too. SUPER easy, and really satisfying. Top with fresh berries, yogurt, a little honey, or whatever your little heart desires! Enjoy!

Banana "Pancakes" (for one serving)


3 eggs (not egg whites, you WANT the yolk, don't let the egg white craze fool you!)
1 ripe banana
2 tbsp chopped pecans (I like to roast them in the oven for a few minutes to make them flavorful and crunchy)

In a bowl mash the banana until smooth, add eggs and beat together. Add pecans. Pour "batter" into a small skillet. Cook one side until the edges hold together, flip and cook other side.

Recipe Conversion Challenge - Bring it Baby....

It's almost a New Year. I love New Year's. There is something spiritual about it for me. It's very symbolic of the new mercies every morning idea. A wonderful, fresh beginning. While I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, I do like the idea of New Year's restorations. What in your life do you hope to see restored in the New Year? One HUGE area of restoration in my family will continue to be the quest for radiant digestive wellness for my husband. After much prayer, we have decided that our goal for him this year is to be medication free and thriving. After nearly losing him last year to the ravages of Crohn's Disease it's an exercise in both trust and faith that the Lord is bigger than this disease and that He has led us to a doctor (ND), nutritional therapies, and diet that WILL heal my husband. I can't wait to give praise this year as we journey together! I desire increased health for you in the coming year too. I am learning more and more about how much the right kinds of food, vitamins, and minerals can literally work miracles in the body. Give the body what it needs and it will do amazing things!! I will share more about that in the months to come as well. However, for now I'm inviting you to make small changes to your diet to improve your health. Send me your favorite recipe, dish, food, etc. that you want to enjoy in a healthier version. I will work on them and post the recipe conversions on New Years day (submit as many as you like). Come on I dare ya - bring it!

"Cheesy" Chicken and Rice So Good it Will Make Your Cheese Cry!

Are you addicted to Pinterest? Ummmm....hello, talk about daily inspiration! It's like inspiration overload! I was getting so hooked, I had to regulate myself with a few self-imposed Pinterest rules. Rule #1 - you may not pin indefinitely. There must be actual creation in conjunction with pinning. I decided that until I'd created, implemented, cooked, tied, smeared, dipped, glittered, mod-podged, or worn at least one item from each of my boards, I would take a pinning hiatus. Yep, that motivated me to get moving! I choose this little cutie from my "holiday decorating" board. This cute, easy, inexpensive Lima bean wreath took me two hours and ten dollars. Incidentally, I also discovered why in the world God made Lima beans. Turns out they're for wreaths, ahhhh, no wonder (never been a Lima-lover! Gag.)

OK, on to cheese, well sort of. Tonight's recipe will be photo-less, because it was inhaled before I could snap a shot (always a good sign!). This "cheese" recipe is flat delish and even the pickiest cheese sauce lover would be hard pressed to detect that there is not a lick of cheese or dairy in it. So good it will make your real cheese cry! I use it for a lot of different recipes, pour it over chips for nachos, thin it out for broccoli cheese soup, pour it over enchiladas, and more.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

"Cheese" Sauce  (adapted from Vitamix)

1/3 cup raw cashews

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (whatever non-dairy milk you prefer)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp arrowroot powder

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp lemon juice

3/4 tsp salt

Blend VERY well in Vitamix (or good blender) until completely smooth. Pour into a sauce pan over low/medium heat. Whisk constantly to desired thickness (it will be really runny and then all of a sudden get thick, don't stress). For this recipe, once thick and smooth, add 1/4 cup (or more if you like) sun dried tomatoes and stir into sauce.

Combine brown rice, chopped chicken, steamed broccoli, and sun dried tomato cheese sauce together and serve. Enjoy!

Nearly Sugar-free Peanut Butter Cups in Minutes!

There is one word in my vocabulary that evokes more conflicting emotions than I can number - chocolate. The love-hate relationship I have with chocolate has a plot thick enough to cast an impressive romantic drama. I really do love chocolate, I legitimately enjoy it. I often crave it. I sometimes indulge in it. However, it can also be a huge source of struggle for me. It is, without a doubt, the number one trigger that can lead me to a dangerous place. When you identify that you have an eating disorder, like any addiction, the most effective way to guard yourself from spiraling into an ugly (and sinful) place, it to avoid the source of addiction all together. I have learned about myself that I simply can't handle chocolate. In a few, well structured situations (mostly where there is a limited supply and I'm not alone) I can handle the indulgence. However, I have learned that I am setting myself up for failure if I have it in my house. That said, sometimes you just REALLY want something chocolaty right? Me too, so I've come up with a healthier, safer option that allows me the enjoyment without the risk. These are insanely easy to make and really, really good. I hope you enjoy them!

Nearly Sugar-free Peanut Butter Cups (adapted from a million places, renditions of this recipe are plentiful)

Here's the problem, I always sort of wing this recipe, so quantities will vary from batch to batch. If you desire more (or less) sweetness, adjust the amount of sweetener to your liking!

About 1/4 c coconut oil
About 1/2 c almond or natural peanut butter
About 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably raw cocoa)
About 2 tbsp honey (here's the almost sugar-free part, a little sugar in the honey)
About 2 1/2 - 3 squirts Vanilla Stevia
About 1 tbsp vanilla
(if you want add 2 tbsp real dark chocolate - this will add a little sugar)

*I've played around with flavors too, and would encourage experimentation. I've used orange extract, mint, added instant coffee, coconut extract - all yummy!

Melt all together in a saucepan on low heat until smooth and to taste. Pour into aluminum muffin pan liners. Freeze for as little as 10 minutes or keep in freezer for weeks.

What's for dinner when there's nothing for dinner? Refrigerator dump pizza.

I try to meal plan and most of the time I do a pretty good job. I find that it helps both my sanity and my grocery budget, but every once in a while I run a day or two behind and have to get creative. You know that feeling when it's 5 p.m., everyone is hungry, there's "nothing" in the fridge, and you find yourself standing in the kitchen desperately in need of inspiration and grasping for a dinner idea? That was me last night. Fortunately my desperation produced one of the most successful dinners I've offered my family and will definitely be a frequent "go-to" meal! When I have NO idea of what to make I usually start by inventorying what I DO have. Last night I had loads of veggies that were on the verge of going bad, so I started there. I didn't want to waste them. I also realized that I had a frozen gluten-free (vegan) pizza crust in the freezer from months ago (www.outsidethebreadbox.com) and a leftover chicken breast. Viola - inspiration! Sometimes it's when there's "nothing" for dinner, that you enjoy your greatest cooking triumphs! I hope this inspires you to get creative tonight!

Refrigerator Dump Pizza

• Pizza crust (frozen, fresh, whatever you have, get creative)
• I had a TINY bit of left over spaghetti sauce so I mixed that with a healthy portion of hummus and slathered it on the crust - YUMMY!
• Any and all veggies - I literally used any veggie I had that needed to be eaten. I food processed into thin slices broccoli, zucchini, and spinach. (The beautiful thing was there were extras! I tossed those babies into my eggs the next morning!)
• Then topped with a couple Roma tomatoes, fresh basil that was wilting, arugula, and black olives.
• One thinly sliced chicken breast

Make your own refrigerator dump pizza and let me know how it turns out!

The meal that makes my family do the "happy dance" - bison in a blanket!

The happy dance - you know the one - rapid clapping, quick feet, failing of arms, gleeful sounds of approval. Yep, that's the reward I get every time I serve this meal. It's frequently requested, but I sort of hold it as my ace. To give you an idea of how these are enjoyed in my home - this was my husband's requested birthday meal, I've seen my son inhale three of them, and there was once an "incident" over not having enough to go around for breakfast (yes, breakfast). Let me know if they are equally rejoiced over in your home!

Bison in a Blanket

1 package all natural, nitrate free bison hot dogs (from Costco)

Blanket recipe
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 cup boiling water
6 cups gluten free flour (I usually use a mixture of almond and millet)
2 tsp sea salt
2 eggs
1/4 c honey

Soak flax seed in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Mix all dry ingredients, add wet ingredients. Mix well, then kneed until formed into a firm ball (add more flour if it's sticky, you don't want sticky, it will be impossible to roll the hot dogs). Separate small (about 2 or 3 inch) balls and roll them between two pieces of parchment paper to form a tortilla shape. Place one uncooked (but defrosted) bison dog at one end of the dough and roll it up to completely cover it. Secure ends by pushing gaps together. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and crispy to the tap. I served these with carrot fries and a side salad. Enjoy!

Random Inspiration and Why Pomegranates are Like Pregnancy

What's inspiring me this week? Wowing my kids for a $1, protein packed & low sugar "fudge", seaweed for snacks, and pomegranates. Read on....
Inspiration #1: I saw this idea on Pinterest (considering Pinterest Anonymous, do you need it too?). I picked up a tube of glow sticks from the dollar rack at Target, cracked them all and tossed them into the tub while my kids waited for the "surprise" bath night. Oh my successfulness, you would have thought they just saw Santa. Seriously, I may never win Mom of the Year, but these little gems won we Mom of the night! Try it!

Inspiration #2: Low sugar, high protein, yumma-licious fudge.You have no idea how much I wish I could claim this BRILLIANT recipe as my own. I can't, but I can share it with you. It's so easy. I made this today in the time it took my little one to "do his business" - now that's efficient (am I the only one using serious restraint to withhold fudge jokes?). If you can get past that last comment, this gooey concoction is flat delish. Try it too!
(from iseefitpeople-everywhere.blogspot.com)
1/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/4 cup Chocolate Protein Powder (I used vanilla)
1/4 cup Natural Peanut Butter (I used almond butter)
1/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Melt all together in a pan, poured the mixture into 1/4 of the 9×13 glass dish sprayed with a bit of baking spray. Refrigerate several hours. Enjoy!!

Inspiration #3: Seaweed. Yes, seaweed. I am beginning to understand the aptly named snack. Worth checking out. They're an odd experience!

http://www.seasnax.com/

Inspiration #4: Pomegranates. Don't you want to love them? They're gorgeous, healthy, delicious, all things good. I cursed a little under my breath last night as I stood determined to serve my little ones a bowl of juicy seeds. However, as I pried, popped, and dodged squirts of red juice, I realized that they remind me of pregnancy. You forget how much work it is until you're laboring! No matter how much the shiny little brochure tries to convince me that they are easy to prepare, I know better! And yet, somehow every year I experience pomegranate amnesia and buy them again. Like pregnancy I know that at the end there is a sweet, beautiful reward, but there is a LOT of labor first.

What inspired you today?