Peanut Butter Cup Krispies

Peanut Butter Cup Krispies are like a regular rice crispy treat but on steroids.

 Made with peanut butter, chocolate rice cereal, and peanut butter cups. 

 These will be a hit at any holiday pot-luck! You might want to make two pans!

Peanut Butter Cup Krispies

1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

Scant 6 cups chocolate rice cereal

2 cups chopped Peanut Butter Cups

Combine peanut butter, sugar, and corn syrup in large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from heat. Add cereal; stir until thoroughly coated. Mix in 1/2 cup of the peanut butter cups. Press into bottom of a greased 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish (or 9 x 9 if you want a thicker bar). Topped with remaining peanut butter cups.  Cool and cut into bars.

Bacon Balsamic Vegetable Medley

I love roasted vegetables.  They're easy and they taste so good!

This combo is one of my favorites.  I like to make a huge batch and eat the leftovers for lunch the next day.  

Bacon Balsamic Vegetable Medley

1 lb Brussels sprouts

1 lb broccoli spears

1 small onion, sliced in half rings

4 pieces of bacon

2 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash sprouts and cut into fourths.  Place the Brussels sprouts, broccoli spears, onion, and oil in to a large bowl. Toss to coat.  Place evenly on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Dice bacon into small pieces and sprinkle on top of veggies. Roast in oven 15-20 minutes; stirring halfway, until bacon is fully cooked any veggies have some browning on them.  Remove from oven and sprinkle balsamic vinegar over top.  Serve immediately.

Meaty Chili

This chili is chock-full of veggies, and had a secret ingredient that takes it over the edge.
It really hits the spot on a cold day!

Meaty Chili

2 lbs hamburger or ground turkey

small onion diced.

2 (15 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3-4 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup chicken or beef stock

2 cups vegetables

(I used a mix of green beans, diced bell peppers, and carrots)

salt and pepper, to taste

Brown meat with diced onion. Drain any fat. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low 4 hours or Place all ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook on low pressure for 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Recipe from @wholemeg

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced peeled carrots

1 cup diced yellow onion

4 cups chicken or veggie broth

2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons arrowroot powder (optional to thicken)

3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

salt and pepper to taste

Add celery, carrots, onion, broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, and seasonings to a crock-pot. Cook low 6-8 hours or High 4-5.  Remove bay leaf. Add coconut milk.  Mix arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons water to make a slur.  Mix into soup.  Add more seasonings if needed. If you like a smoother soup, blend with an immersion blender and add a little more broth.

Texas Sheet Cake

This recipe has been in my family for forever.  I can remember my mom making this cake and bringing it into my 4th grade classroom to celebrate my birthday.  That was back in the day when homemade treats were allowed. This cake is perfect if you need to feed a lot of people. You can also bake it in rounds to built a layer cake, pouring a little bit of frosting between each layer, then letting the frosting on top drizzle down the layers.  MMMmmm!

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

4 tablespoon cocoa

1 cup water

1/2 cup sour milk*

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs, beaten

Sift flour and sugar together. Set aside. Bring butter, cocoa, and water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Boil until butter melts.  Remove from stove and allow to cool. Make sour milk*, and add baking soda to the milk.  Stir until soda dissolves. Add salt, eggs, and vanilla . Add to cocoa mixture. Now add cocoa mixture to the flour/sugar. Mix well.  Pour into a greased jelly-roll pan.  Bake 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  While the cake bakes make the frosting (recipe below).

Frost cake the second it comes out of the oven.  

*to make 1/2 sour milk, measure one tablespoon white vinegar and enough milk to equal 1/2 cup.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

3 tablespoons cocoa

6 tablespoons milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla

3-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Boil butter, cocoa, and milk until dissolved.  Beat in powdered sugar, and vanilla. Stir in nuts (optional).

Sift flour.

 and sugar together. Set aside

Bring butter,

cocoa, and water to a boil in a small saucepan.

Boil until butter melts.  Remove from stove and allow to cool.

Make sour milk*, and add baking soda to the milk.  Stir until soda dissolves.

Add salt, eggs,

 and vanilla.

Add to cocoa mixture. 

Now add cocoa mixture to the flour/sugar. Mix well.

Pour into a greased jelly-roll pan.  Bake 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  While the cake bakes make the frosting by

Boiling the butter, cocoa, and milk until dissolved.

Beat in powdered sugar, and vanilla. Stir in nuts.

Frost cake the second it comes out of the oven.

This cake is good eaten warm or room temperature.

Paleo Waffles

I adapted the recipe for My Favorite Whole Wheat Waffles and made them grain-free and dairy-free.  However, these waffles taste exactly like the real deal! Promise.

Paleo Waffles

Yields: 4-6 

depending on your waffle iron size

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

1-1/4 cups water

2/4 cups coconut flour

3/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup avocado oil or melted coconut oil

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.* Cook on preheated waffle iron until golden brown.

*The batter tends to thicken as it sits. Add more milk or water to thin it down.

No'tmeal

No'tmeal is a great paleo alternative to oatmeal.  I love to top mine with a nut milk, fresh fruit, and sometimes nuts.  I've heard this categorized as a whole30 SWYPO, but for me oatmeal is not a treat!  If you're doing a whole30 you'll have to decide what your intentions on this.

No'tmeal

1 banana

2 whole eggs

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon hemp hearts

 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Blend all ingredients together.  Cook over medium heat in a greased skillet until eggs are cooked to your liking.