Coconut Butter

In a previous lifetime I was a huge peanut butter fanatic, I could sit and eat a whole jar in one sitting and be perfectly happy. Nowadays I would feel slightly guilty about that! I've gone through many nut butter phases but right now I'm on coconut butter kick. I love coconut butter plain, I love it with flavors mixed in, I could eat it with anything! Unfortunately there is a very large price tag that goes along with the little jars of heaven. What is a girl to do? Well, she makes her own for a quarter of the price of course! It's so easy too!

You can mix it in with mashed acorn squash, use it as a topping for paleo cupcakes or doughnuts, eat it with fruit, mix it in with creamy soups to add extra texture and flavor, melt it and dip frozen fruit pieces and stick back in the freezer to make a shell, use it as a topping on ice cream. The uses are endless!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded coconut (or as much as you like, I like to use about 6-8 cups so I don't have to make it as often. Buy it in bulk at Whole Foods)
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

1. Place one cup of the shredded coconut in your food processor and turn on. Keep it running until it turns starts turning liquidy. Then add the rest of the coconut and continue blending until it is smooth all the way through, scraping down the sides several times. In the end it will look like thick milk. Don't try to scrape down the sides while the processor is running, you might lose your spatula...
2. If it doesn't blend all the way, add the coconut oil and continue blending until smooth. It will have a slightly grainy texture.

*I like to get creative and add flavors according to my mood, my favorite being what I call midnight mocha madness. After the coconut butter is done I add a Tablespoon of cocoa, a half teaspoon of instant coffee, and 1 tablespoon liquid Stevia, then continue blending until it is all incorporated.

Breakfast Sausage

I was never a sausage eater in my younger days because all I knew was the kind that came in a roll that you cut into slices and when you bit into it there was always a chance of chomping on some gristle. Bleh! Then I came across a recipe on www.civilizedcavemancooking.com for a breakfast sausage that changed my mind. His recipe uses a pound of bison meat as well but since I didn't have that on hand I improvised. This makes about 20 patties depending on how big you make them. I made a bunch of small ones so it would last a while. I just made them into patties and stuck them in the freezer. Whenever I want some I pull them out and fry them up from frozen.

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb Grass-fed Ground Beef
• 1 Lb Ground Pork
• 1 ½ Tsp Thyme
• 1 ½ Tsp Sage
• ¾ Tsp Rosemary
• 1 ½ Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• ¾ Tsp Nutmeg
• ½ Tsp Cayenne

Directions:

1. Combine all of your ingredients thoroughly with your hands in a large mixing bowl.
2. Form into 1-2 inch rounds and flatten into patties until all the sausage is used. If putting in tupperware, separate the layers of sausage with parchment paper to prevent from sticking together.
3. You can refrigerate the patties for up to 1 week and/or freeze for up to 3 months.
4. If you are going to eat them immediately, heat a skillet over medium-low heat
5. Saute until brown and cooked through, ~10-15 minutes
6. Serve with any other food you can imagine, breakfast, lunch or dinner
7. Enjoy

Crock Pot Chocolate Chili

With this being my first ever post and the beginning of the fall season, I thought I would start out with a recipe that has recently become my go to meal. I throw it in the crock pot in the morning and it is ready when I go home for lunch. I came across the recipe on www.theclothesmakethegirl.com, it is her favorite chili recipe and it is mine as well! I have made a few changes along the way to suit my taste (I like it spicy!).

(Shown here with mashed buttercup squash)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted, chopped tomatoes
• 1 can Hot Rotel (optional, but encouraged if you like spicy chili)
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) beef broth

Directions:

1. In a large pan, melt the coconut oil. When melted, add the onions, stir often and cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Crumble the meat into the pan, stir in with the onions and cook until no longer pink.
2. Add the meat mixture to your crock pot and add the rest of the ingredients. When adding the oregano, dump it in your hand and rub together to let the fragrance blossom.
3. Stir the chili until well combined. Set to low and cook 3-5 hours.

*Top with a Tablespoon of coconut milk and cauliflower rice for one of the most delicious meals you have ever tasted.

*If you are an athlete looking for extra carbs, peel and chop 2 sweet potatoes and add to the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients.