No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheescake Bites 

from willcookforsmiles.com

Yield: About 15

Ingredients

• 8 oz of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of peanut butter (creamy) or any nut butter
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1/2 cup of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup of Ghirardelli dark candy making & dipping wafers (melted)

Instructions

1. In a bowl on an electric mixer (you can use a hand-held mixer as well), combine the cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar. Mix on medium to medium-high for about 2 minutes, until the consistently is lighter in color and lighter in texture.
2. Chop and fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for about an hour or two.
4. Cover a large cutting board with a sheet of parchment paper. Scoop the cheesecake dough with a standard cookie scoop onto the parchment paper (make sure to leave some space in between).
5. Pop them in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes to harden.
6. Melt the chocolate melts according to the package instructions.
7. Using a toothpick (or a fork) dip the cheesecake bites into chocolate, covering them completely (you can smooth over the cheesecake bites with your hands before dipping). Lay them back on the parchment paper. Give the chocolate a few minutes to harden.
8. Store in the refrigerator!

heartweed-I have used just plain Ghirardelli chocolate chips for dipping. You use what you have -turned out just fine. 

Crock Pot Pumpkin Applesauce 
Recipe adapted from Preppy Paleo

2 cups apple cider (or juice) I have used  water about 1/2 cups.
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
3 large apples -peeled and cubed
2 t pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
1 t vanilla (optional)
1/2 lemon juiced ( optional)
honey to taste if needed (if making for baby under 1 yr old  don't use honey- really is optional)

Place all (but honey) in crock pot and cook high 4 hours
Hand mash or puree in processor or blender
Add sweetener if desired

According to the USDA regulations new guidelines this is not safe to can in water bath method something about the puree not getting hot enough to kill the bacteria so either use the pressure canner method if canning or EASIER Method -Freeze. Place any amount you wish in a freezer container or bag and freeze.

• Simple Paleo Tortillas

• Recipe from s.easypaleo.com
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon melted ghee (sub: melted coconut oil)
• Update: 1 Tablespoon water makes the batter more spreadable / thin
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon coconut flour
• Pinch of salt
• If making crepes for a sweet application, add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions for Simple Paleo Tortillas:

1. Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl and whisk in the melted ghee and water.
2. Add the dry ingredients—baking soda, arrowroot, coconut flour and salt—and beat well to combine. 
3. In a small (8″) skillet over medium heat, pour in about 1/3 of the batter and immediately roll it around to evenly coat the bottom. The tortilla should start to pull away from the edges as it cooks.
4. Cook for 1 minute on each side.
5. If saving for later, cool completely and store in a plastic bag or airtight glass container.
6. Update from website that posted recipe: I rolled the tortillas up, froze them, and they thawed flexible and easy to fold!

note: makes 3- 8" tortillas 

. 

Meatloaf Muffins with Sweet Potato Topping 

From bloglovin.com 

Ingredients:

2 lbs of grass fed beef

3/4 cup of almond flour

2 eggs

1/2 a small onion

1 green pepper

a couple of cloves of garlic minced - or as many as you like

seasonings of your choice

salt/pepper

a few small sweet potatoes

Preheat your oven to 350.

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into large chunks and boil until soft. 

If you've never made meat loaf before, you basically throw all the ingredient in a bowl and mix it all up with your hands. You never wanna mix too much because the meat will get tough. I usually mix all the veggies and seasonings together first with the almond flour  and toss it onto the meat and eggs and mix.

Fill each spot of the muffin pan to the top with your meat mixture. And place them in the oven for 15-20 minutes. 

While the meat is cooking whip the sweet potatoes up , season with cinnamon , nutmeg salt and pepper or anything you like. Top each meat muffin with a dollop of sweet potatoes and cook 5 more minutes till heated through or brown on top if you like. Spoon them out and serve them up. 

Paleo Chocolate Frosting

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and coconut oil
2. Stir in vanilla extract
3. Place frosting in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to thicken
4. Remove from refrigerator and whip frosting with a hand blender until thick and fluffy

recipe from Elana's Pantry

The best melt in your mouth frosting ever! 

Gummy Bears

• 1 cup organic grape, or pineapple or pomegranate juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon stevia (heartweed- someone said you can use honey or the juice may be sweet enough to use no sweetener) 
• 3 tablespoons gelatin

Puppy Gummies : Can also make these for pets using broth instead of the juices and no stevia.

1. In a medium saucepan bring juice to a boil
2. Allow to cool for 3 minutes, then stir in lemon juice and stevia
3. Very gradually, whisk in gelatin
4. If you do not whisk gradually and thoroughly your bears will be lumpy
5. Allow mixture to cool almost to room temperature, then pour into gummy bear molds
6. Refrigerate for 2 hours
7. Serve

Makes 10 gummy bears –store in the refrigerator (heartweed- this makes 10 large ice cube size - can buy smaller candy, soap, silicone molds) 

Recipe from Elana's Pantry

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Real-Food-Beef-Gelatin-Powder-1-lb-454-g/400#p=1&oos=1&disc=0&lc=en-US&w=organic%20gelatin&rc=581&sr=null&ic=2

Trying to work on blog with a squirmy two year old in your lap is ...well... challenging. But she loves to "work" with her Mama. I have been looking at Paleo recipes lately because they have everything or maybe I should say they don't have anything that I am trying to cut from my diet for health reasons. I am finding my self more and more sensitive to "foods" - well things that they call food but really are not. I really think God did not intend us to eat some of the on the grocery store shelves. Maybe 90% of the foods. One nutritionist calls then Franken - foods- I love that - cause that is so true . they were not made by God they were made by chemist.
 Okay - so a lot of recipes for mainly soup (which is a staple this time of year)  are calling for chicken stock or chicken broth. I buy organic broth made by Imagine at Publix. One of the blogs I follow - https://www.facebook.com/RingAroundtheRosies hasa link for the webpage that has a recipe for homemade freezer broth. I just bought a  steroid, antibiotic free chicken whole chicken at Publix the other day so.....



http://www.mamaandbabylove.com/2010/08/11/liquid-gold-homemade-chicken-stock/

The recipe calls for vinegar - later on in the comments section she says she uses apple cider vinegar.

Heartweed: Regular white vinegar is normally made from wheat and is not gluten free. I always wondered why white vinegar made me cough when I smelled it until I learned this tid bit.