Coco-Three-Nutty Granola.

Clean eating | Gluten-free | Dairy-free | Soy-free

If you’re looking for a tasty new breakfast recipe for this holiday weekend–or want something to eat by the handful, because that’s what I’m doing right this second–look no further. My husband and I are currently obsessed with this granola. I now want a double oven, not just for big holidays, but so that I can make double batches of this stuff all the time.

We’re big cereal eaters, and we try to stick to the healthier stuff. In fact, we were on vacation last month and I let the girls buy a certain marshmallow-containing cereal branded with a certain popular Disney movie, just because it was vacation (and they’d been begging for it for awhile), and they didn’t like it! I was feeling all proud of myself until I read this article from 100 Days of Real Food about how bad boxed cereals really are for you. Besides being easy and eat-four-meals-a-day delicious, the greatest thing about this granola is that we know everything that’s in it, and it’s all good, healthy stuff.

My finicky middle child is still coming around to it (she doesn’t like coconut much, which could explain it), but my grade-schooler loves it on yogurt and my toddler eats it by the fistful. I’m going to need to find more tasty granola recipes to expand my repertoire!

Coco-Three-Nutty Granola

Adapted from here

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut (if you can only find larger shreds, increase amount to 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 3 fl oz (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp.) maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup raisins

1. Preheat your oven to 250 and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment. (I just learned that foil works in a pinch, but parchment is lots easier.)
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, and sugar.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, combine syrup, oil, and salt.
4. Slowly pour liquid into oat mixture and mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon until oat mixture is well coated.
5. Pour half onto each prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
6. Bake 70 minutes or until golden, rotating baking sheets halfway through.
7. Let cool, then break up chunks slightly and pour half of the raisins on top of each sheet. Use the parchment to pick up each batch and pour into a resealable storage container. I then give it a little shake to mix the raisins in further.
8. Enjoy as a breakfast cereal with milk of choice, over yogurt, or by the handful!

Paleo double chocolate muffins/cupcakes and coconut cream frosting.

Dairy-free | Soy-free | Gluten-free | Paleo | Clean eating

These cupcakes may be decorated for Halloween, but let me begin by sharing something that I just learned:

Paleo baking isn’t scary!!!

To keep the record straight, I have no intention of abandoning my beloved grains. But I had lately begun to notice that so much of my cooking was bordering on Paleo anyway–without being a buzzword–that it seemed like a logical experiment, especially when I learned that my oldest’s 1st-grade teacher is celiac.

So what is Paleo cooking? Basically the idea, and hence the name, is to eat what was available to our cave-dwelling ancestors (but a whole lot tastier and with more variety!): meat, eggs, seafood, veggies, fruits, nuts, and seeds. No dairy, grains, sugar, or artificial junk. (Obviously the sprinkles are NOT Paleo.)

So clean eating is basically Paleo + dairy and whole grains. And when you’re eating dairy-free anyway, the only thing you have left to cut out is the grains! Again, I don’t plan to cut out grains altogether, but occasional paleo choices have helped me lower my carb intake and see results around my waistline, even when indulging in occasional treats like this one.

These are really just muffins with frosting, and they taste just fine without the frosting. In fact, my coconut-averse middle child (is she really my child???) prefers them without the frosting, but they’re so much more fun to decorate with it!

The verdict? Let’s just say that her teacher asked to know my secret to successful gluten-free baking.

Double Chocolate Paleo Muffins/Cupcakes

(original recipe here)

• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder (darker is better if you like richer muffins)
• 3 Tbsp Enjoy Life or other allergy-friendly mini chocolate chips
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• dash salt
• optional: 1/2 scoop protein powder (we used Vega brand chocolate flavor)
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce or coconut oil
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 9 cups of a muffin tin with paper liners, or use a silicone muffin tin.
2. In a smallish bowl, combine dry ingredients.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce or oil, honey, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients, mix until well incorporated, then stir in chocolate chips.
5. Pour scant 1/4 cupfuls of batter into papers. Bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Coconut Cream Frosting

• can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated at least 24 hours
• 1/2 tsp (or to taste) vanilla
• 1 tsp (or to taste) honey

1. Keep can steady and DO NOT SHAKE while removing from the refrigerator and opening with a can opener. Skim the cream off the top and spoon into a small bowl.
2. Add vanilla and honey; whisk well for 2 minutes. If desired, place back in the refrigerator to firm up more.
3. Frost muffins and decorate as desired.