Baked Cinnamon Apples

Sometimes a girl just needs something sweet to eat. But truth be told, I don't keep much in the house in terms of "sweet treats" because if I know they're in the house, I will hunt them down and devour them. Last week I really wanted something easy to make and we had a bunch of leftover apples from a camping trip we took. I decided to slice them up and bake them, but I wanted more than just cinnamon on top. That's when I started raiding the pantry to see what sort of concoction I could come up with. Honey? Yum! Yep, that should happen. Almond butter? Absolutely. Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. Um, duh! You can really do whatever you want to the apples, but I recommend the combo of all three with the cinnamon and sea salt. It was super easy to make and made the perfect evening treat after a long day!

Baked Cinnamon Apples

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 10-15 minutes
Total Time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Special Tools:
Apple corer, or knife, to remove the seeds and hard center
Foil lined baking sheet
Small bowl

Ingredients:
Two medium apples, I used pink ladies
Sea salt
Cinnamon
Honey (optional)
Almond butter (optional)
1/4 cup Enjoy life chocolate chips
2 tbsp of full fat coconut milk

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325.
2. Core the apples and then slice them horizontally so that you have circles. I had a total of 12 slices with both apples. 
3. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and a little more than a pinch of cinnamon onto each slice.
4. Put in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. 
5.If you're going to use the chocolate, place them in a bowl with the coconut milk and microwave in 30 second increments until they're totally melted. Stir until you get a smooth consistency. Add a little more coconut milk if you prefer your chocolate more runny. 
6. Take the slices out of the oven. They should be soft, but not falling apart. 
7. Use a spoon to drizzle each slice with honey, almond butter, and chocolate. 
8. Make sure you have friends to share with, because these are easy to indulge in!

Chicken Wings

In my past life, wings and beer were a weekend routine. We have this place in Jacksonville called Gators Dockside. You could get some of the best wings in town and a pitcher of really crappy beer that was only like $5. I would hit that place up all the time, especially during football season. I still love a good sports bar. The energy there is always upbeat! However, I don't typically order wings for myself anymore, because I am painstakingly aware of the processed sugar content in wing sauce. Well, fortunately for me (and subsequently now for you too), I've been able to come up with a couple of wing sauce recipes that are paleo approved! Frank's buffalo wing sauce contains zero grams of sugar, making it the perfect pairing with any chicken wing. Teriyaki wings used to be my go-to flavor in college, so a substitute recipe had to be created. I'm also a big fan of honey mustard, and garlic parmesan. So pick your favorites, or make them all, but these wings are sure to be a hit during your next gathering.

____(insert flavor here)_____ Chicken Wings

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Special Tools:
Kitchen scissors or a wicked sharp knife
Foil lined baking tray
Large bowl
Sauce brush

Ingredients:

For the chicken:
1 pound of chicken wings and/or drumettes, separated and wing tips removed (this is where you might need the scissors)
1 tbsp of coconut oil, melted
1 tsp of course sea salt
1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of onion powder
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

Buffalo sauce:
2 tbsp of grass-fed butter, melted
1/4 cup of Frank's buffalo sauce

Sweet and spicy sauce:
2 tbsp of grass-fed butter, melted
1/4 cup of Frank's buffalo sauce
1 1/2 tbsp of honey
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

Teriyaki sauce:
1 tbsp of grass-fed butter, melted
2 tbsp of coconut aminos
2 tbsp of blackstrap molasses
1/2 tbsp of rice vinegar
1/2 tsp of fish sauce
1/2 tsp of toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp of freshly grated ginger

Honey mustard sauce:
2 tbsp of dijon mustard
2 tbsp of honey
1/2 tbsp of worcestershire sauce

Garlic parmesan sauce (this one is not strict paleo):
3 tbsp of ghee or grass-fed butter
1 tsp of tapioca starch (combine first with ghee before adding the rest of the ingredients)
2 tbsp of garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp of grated parmesan

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Prepare the wings by using kitchen scissors or a wicked sharp knife to separate the drum from the wing and the wing tip from the wing. You can discard the wing tips. If you already bought them separated, then you can skip this step. 
3. Toss the wings and drumettes into a large bowl with the coconut oil and seasonings, coat well, and lay them out on the foil lined baking tray.
4. Put them in the oven for 10 minutes and then flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. While the wings are cooking, prepare the sauce you want to use in a bowl.
6. For the remaining 20 minutes, brush the wings every 5 minutes, turning them each time to allow the sauce to cook into the wings.
7. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Note: If you double the batch of sauce, you can take the wings out and toss them into the bowl with the sauce to make it extra saucy!

Paleo Chocolate "Milkshake"

Nail polish is probably one of the most frustrating things. No seriously. I never wear it for several reasons. Mostly because I feel like it's a waste of time since it only lasts for a couple of days. I refuse to spend money putting fake nails on, because they just seem to get in the way anyway, or they break, and then I'm even more frustrated for having spent money on something that barely lasted 48 hours. (Side note: I'm not knocking those that get their nails done. My friend Lyndsey has BEAUTIFUL nails and I'm super jealous of how good they always look.) But even when I take an hour to file, buff, wash, and polish, it always seems that within a couple of days (if I'm lucky) the polish has chipped away. It's usually from washing the dishes and showering. Why? Why, water, must you ruin my nails?! And of course, once it chips, I don't have time to sit there and fix them. So now my nails start to look all gross, but I can't leave them alone. Oh no. What do I do? I begin to pick and scratch at them, and before I know it, half the polish is off each nail, making me look like a wild child with zero self-control. This goes on for several days, or until I have scratched off every last bit of polish, leaving me once again, with plain Jane nails. As I type this now, my entire left had has been scratched clean, while my right hand has three nails with partial polish. Oy vey. It's unfortunate, too, because I really liked the color I had on. 

Ok, enough about nail polish. There are certainly more important things in the world than what I have going on with my nails. Like this amazing milk shake I discovered last night. I altered the recipe to be less sweet, because coming off of a sugar detox makes everything taste sweeter than what it used to. If you want to try out the original, head over to The Spunky Coconut's website. She's an amazing pioneer in the world of paleo and I just love all of her ideas. This is my spin on her Choco-Chia "Milkshake."

Paleo Chocolate Milkshake

Prep Time: 3-5 minutes
Total Time: 3-5 minutes
Serves: 1

Special Tools:
Coffee grinder
Blender

Ingredients:
1 cup of full-fat coconut milk (I used the milk from the can, not the carton)
2 tbsp of ground chia seeds
1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp of raw honey
4-5 drops of chocolate Stevia
6 cubes of ice
1/2-1 tbsp of raw cocoa nibs

Instructions:
1. Grind your chia seeds in a coffee grinder. Otherwise, the seeds will expand and create a lumpy shake.
2. Blend all of the ingredients together except the cocoa nibs. I would add one or two cubes of ice at a time while it blends to help break it up better, but that could just be my blender!
3. Pour into a cup or glass and garnish with the cocoa nibs. Enjoy!

Chocolate Coconut Stuffed Dates

Well the 2014 CrossFit Open has come to a close, and let me just say, I am thrilled; thrilled that I got to experience the Open with so many friends, thrilled for working hard and coming in 44th overall in our fair city, but mostly thrilled that it's over! That last WOD was so incredibly daunting that I will admit a little piece of my soul died with it. If you don't know anything about CrossFit, then consider yourself lucky to have missed out on that workout. 

Here's what we had to do. For time:
21 thrusters (95/65)
21 bar facing burpees
18 thrusters (95/65)
18 bar facing burpees
15 thrusters (95/65)
15 bar facing burpees
12 thrusters (95/65)
12 bar facing burpees
9 thrusters (95/65)
9 bar facing burpees
6 thrusters (95/65)
6 bar facing burpees
3 thrusters (95/65)
3 bar facing burpees

Don't tell me that looks easy or fun, because you would be DEAD WRONG. The set of 21 and 18, while tough, are doable. Even the set of 15 thrusters wasn't so bad. But when I started on those 15 burpees, well, the wall I hit was unforgiving and made of steel. It was a total mind game. Yeah, you're more than half way, but you still have SO MUCH MORE TO GO! Thankfully, I survived. Sort of. 

If you made it through the WOD and are looking for a tasty treat to celebrate (or love dates, chocolate, and coconut like I do and just want a sweet treat), then these stuffed dates will make you taste buds do a happy dance!

Chocolate Coconut Stuffed Dates

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 1-2

Special Tools:
Mini food processor

Ingredients:
5 medjooled dates, pits removed
1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp of raw honey
a handful of enjoy life chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:
1. Take two dates and process them until they break down into a chunky paste
2. Add the coconut, cocoa powder, and honey and process until well combined. You may need to use a spoon to push down the sides so it mixes well. 
3. Spoon the mixture into the remaining dates and top with the chips. 

Chocolate Coconut Almond Butter Bark

I wish there were more hours in a day, or maybe that I just don’t need as much sleep as I do to function properly. People who say sleeping is overrated clearly have not had the pleasure of meeting me when I haven’t had at least seven hours of sleep. If I could squeeze in eight or nine, even better! Sadly, there is just so much that I need to get done in a day. And I won’t enjoy my seven hours if I do not get most of it done. I work a full-time job from early morning to mid-afternoon. Then I rush straight to CFTally to make the 3:30 class and then coach until 6:30. My husband and I quickly say hi and good-bye before I’m off again to get home, shower, and then get crafty in the kitchen for at least an hour. My husband finishes training at the gym by 8:30 (after he’s also put in a full day at his job), and if we’re lucky, we’re sitting down together by 9:00 PM to eat. Sometimes I will eat before he gets home so that I can clean up the kitchen early. If I’m really on top of my game, I’m washing dishes while I cook. Then I just have to worry about our plates, cups, and silverware. It really just depends on how involved the meal is. But day in and day out, this is my life right now.

Just so we’re clear, this is not a rant by any means, but a quick and dirty run down of my busy life Monday through Friday. My weekends are valued tremendously because of it. We love spending time with our friends (sadly, none of our family lives in the same city) and appreciate our ability to move leisurely through Saturday and Sunday. Sunday morning is probably my favorite part of the weekend. There is a restaurant in town called The Egg. Hands down, our favorite place to go! Breakfast, Brunch, or Lunch. Whatever you're in the mood for. If you're a crab cake fan and like eggs benedict, then you absolutely MUST try their Crab Cake Benny. They spice up the hollandaise with a drizzle of Cajun sauce. I've never had anything so enjoyable for breakfast. And I really don't even like eggs benedict that much. It's so rich that I get sleepy, but for the Crab Cake Benny, I will definitely make an exception!

Alright, on to the good stuff. This amazing little creation of mine came about because I was looking for a paleo treat that would satisfy my nightly sweet tooth, but that I didn't feel like I needed to eat a ton of to feel "sweetly satiated". The wonderful thing about this concoction is that it really can be altered in several different ways to appease a variety of people. While the original recipe is full of nuts, it could easily be altered to be a nut-free treat! The first picture has the most toppings I've ever added. You'll notice I only put sugar-free dried cranberries on half of it. That's because my husband is not a fan. The other picture is when I was first trying out the recipe and kept the ingredients to a minimum.

Chocolate Coconut Almond Butter Bark

Prep Time: 3-5 minutes

Cook Time: 3-5 minutes

Freeze Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Severs: 4-6

Special Tools:

Medium sauce pot

Spatula

8x8 baking dish or larger (the bigger the dish, the thinner the bark will be)

Parchment paper (optional)

Ingredients:

1 cup of almond butter (or other nut butter)

4 tbsp of coconut oil, divided

1/2 - 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut (depending on how coconut-y you like it)

4 tbsp of raw honey, divided

10 oz. of dark chocolate (or Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)

1/2 tsp of pink Himalayan sea salt

1/4 cup of crushed walnuts

2 tbsp of sunflower seeds

1/4 cup of sugar-free dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil in a medium sauce pot until its just melted on low heat. Then stir in the almond butter and continue stirring until its completely melted. 

2. Add the unsweetened shredded coconut. Stir for about a minute until it is well incorporated. 

3. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp of raw honey.

4. If you want to use parchment paper, then press it down into the glass dish. Spread the mixture out evenly with the spatula.

5. Place the dish in the freezer for about 15 minutes. 

6. Wash your pot and just before you pull out the dish from the freezer, melt the rest of the coconut oil in the pot and then add the chocolate. Keep the heat on low. Stir continuously until its melted. About 3 minutes. (*DO NOT leave this unattended. Chocolate can burn very easily. You can also use a double-boiler if you have one.)

7. Remove from heat and add the other 2 tbsp of raw honey. Stir well to combine.

8. Spread that over the hardened almond butter mixture. 

9. Sprinkle the sea salt, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit over the top and freeze for another 30-45 minutes (depending on which size dish you used). 

10. Use a sharp knife to break it up into bark pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.