Garbage In, Garbage Out

Snow has started falling again here in the Windy City. The wind is blowing creating wind chill not fit for human or beast yet my silly 14 year old Beagle cant get enough of the outside. Do dogs have hot flashes? I can barely bring myself to open the door for her, as every time I do the temperature in the house drops.

I came up with a great solution! Baking...any Beagle worthy of their breed can't resist the aroma of freshly baked anything, in this case some Wedding Cake cookies, Paleo style. These cookies have multiple aliases, Russian Teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Snowball Cookies but whatever you call them, they are a favorite to many. 

I was searching the Internet, for some Paleo cookie recipes when I remembered this wonderful website: www.elanaspantry.com. I like the recipes as they are not difficult but you will need to revamp your pantry. Out with the white and wheat gluten containing flours and in with almond and coconut flours. Arrowroot replaces processed thickeners, coconut oil has become my go to oil (great on dry skin too) and a variety of raw nuts and nut butters. I substitute dark chocolate (70% cocoa) for milk chocolate chips, almond milk for pasteurized milk containing hormones and/or are corn feed (many produced with genetically modified organisms).

As I have gotten older and wiser...(no comments form the peanut gallery), I find my interest in providing quality fuel is necessary for a quality life. Like knitting, quality yarn produces a better product. This is not to say big bucks need to be spent, great deals are available. I check the Internet often and visit local yarn shops when they are having sales. www.knitpicks.com, www.herrschners.com, www.yarn.com are some sites I buy from often.

Side note: Purchasing fresh seasonal fruits and veggies will save $$ at the register. Freeze any unused produce for later use. I love to use in smoothies, YUM!

(Slice, peel, de-stem, wash, etc. before freezing)

Paleo Vegan: Banana Almond Butter Coconut Smoothies

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Total Time: 5 minutes 

Yield: 2 servings

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups

 Ingredients:

 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

 3 tablespoons almond butter

 1/2 cup frozen banana slices

 1 teaspoon vanilla 

 Blend ingredients in a blender or with an immersible hand blender. Drink and relax. :)

Additional Paleo recipes can be found at:http://veggieconverter.com

Give yourself the gift of health this Christmas, try a Paleo recipe, splurge (a little) on some quality yarn, take a walk and breath some fresh air! 
Come back and visit, let me know what Paleo or other healthy recipes you tried and recommend.
There's always room at The Knitted Nest!
Thanks,
CeCe