Frenchie Friday!

October 3, 2014 Happy WifeStyle

Happy Frenchie Friday everyone!! Stella loved her morning walk downtown this morning to our favorite coffee spot. It was still quite cool as we went as soon as we got up....it's supposed to hit the 90's here today!

I caught this photo of Stella and it made me laugh...I just had to put this caption to it....

"WHAT!?..... I AM BATMAN???"

Her shadow looks so big and tall too! She already has such a little "bully" attitude...this is actually how she imagines she looks, I'm sure!

Right after I took this picture, she saw a Rottweiler who actually looked a little afraid of her! LOL! This made me remember...It's all about confidence, how you present yourself, and your beliefs about yourself....it will show :) Have a happy Friday!!

Ode to Fall...& Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

October 1, 2014 Happy WifeStyle

It's time! It's time! This is my "Ode to Fall". It's officially been Fall for a couple of weeks, but I can feel it in my bones now that it's the first of October! I love all the seasons for the new-ness they bring...summer gets me just as excited, but I cherish Fall. It brings with it so many wonderful feelings.

It's the grateful season that brings the best holidays....it's the drop in temperature, the colored leaves, the smell of pumpkin spice & apple cinnamon, the pumpkin patch...

It's the soups & stews, the baking, the reading, the football, the knitting, the snuggling with blankets with a cup of tea...

It's the boots, the scarves, the nail colors, the sweaters...the layers.

-above sets of photos taken from Pinterest.

Being a California girl, born and raised, we don't get the distinct seasons that other parts of the country sees, but I love it just the same. I've been to Central Park and upper state NY in the height of Fall...it's absolutely beautiful.

One of my favorite parts of Fall is I get to take Stella for more walks...she can breathe so much better in the cooler weather. She even has a very fashionable reversible puffer coat...Martha Stewart featured this jacket on her French Bulldogs and Stella couldn't be outdone by Francesca & Sharkey...

She only wears this when it's very cold out as my husband gets embarrassed to have a dog that "wears" anything. She's small though and gets cold, and there's times when she needs it. So when she does....she's fashionable!

Oh, and it's the time of year I just get to entertain myself....at Stella's expense;) Halloween!!!!

That's my Ode to Fall....I'm so excited! I wanted to share a Homemade Pumpkin Spice recipe with you...I used to get these all the time at Starbucks until I learned how unhealthy they are!! Take a look at this....

-Starbucks photo taken from Food Babe.

Make it yourself! Fall still brings the quintessential Pumpkin Spice Latte...it just doesn't have to mean putting all that crap in your body;) Here's how...

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte: *dairy-free, soy-free

1 cup hot black coffee
3/4 cup canned coconut milk (look for BPA-free cans;)
2 - 3 Tablespoons raw pumpkin puree (depending on how much pumpkin flavor you want)
3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (I use Grade B)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ghee (optional...makes it creamier)

Blend it all together in a blender or with an immersion blender, and sprinkle cinnamon on top! "Fall"...in your cup!! Makes 1 serving (large cup) or 2 servings (small cups).

Great topped with Whipped Coconut Cream!

Enjoy...be healthy! Happy Fall! Pumpkins made their way onto my dining room table today....at least I waited until October;) Good ol' California...it's 90 degrees here this afternoon!! This morning when it was 48 degrees it felt more like Fall....oh well, I know it's coming. :)

-photos taken by me, unless otherwise noted.

Walnut Prawns

September 30, 2014 Happy WifeStyle

These Walnut Prawns are so yummy. My friend and I used to love getting takeout from this amazing Chinese restaurant when we were in our twenty's and as soon as I saw this recipe...I knew I had to try it to see how it compared.

If you've never had Walnut Prawns, they are slightly crunchy shrimp with candied nuts, all slathered in a creamy, tangy-sweet sauce. I LOVE that Nom Nom Paleo re-created these Walnut Prawns, because it took me back!! It's so delicious!!

You will need:

3 tablespoons Homemade Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound uncooked large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg white
2 tablespoons tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
1 cup ghee, or healthy fat of choice, for frying
1/2 cup Maple-Spiced Walnuts
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

I happened to get these large shrimp at Costco....they were big and already deveined! Bonus! I just had to peel them!

First, if you haven't already...make the homemade mayo, and prepare the Maple-Spiced Walnuts and sesame seeds.
Make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, honey, and lemon juice, and whisk to combine into a sweet, creamy dressing. Set aside.
Toss the shrimp in a separate bowl with the salt.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, and add the tapioca starch. Mix to form a smooth batter...no clumps!
Add the shrimp to the batter and mix well, making sure they are completely coated.
Melt the ghee in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once the ghee is shimmering, fry the shrimp in three separate batches. Cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until they're golden on the outside and no longer translucent on the inside. Transfer the shrimp to a wire rack.
When all the batches are done, place the shrimp in a bowl with the honey-mayonnaise sauce, and toss gently to coat the prawns before plating. Sprinkle the Maple-Spiced Walnuts and toasted sesame seeds on the prawns, and serve immediately.

-This recipe is from Nom Nom Paleo. The picture of the finished dish is also from the cookbook....I made these and I got so caught up in how yummy they were and serving them to my guests that I totally forgot to take a photo!!!! I'll be making these again...so I will add mine next time;)

Maple-Spiced Walnuts

September 30, 2014 Happy WifeStyle

These maple-spiced walnuts are so easy to make and are so delicious! They add the perfect sweet and spicy crunchy-ness to your dishes! I first made them to go with Walnut Prawns...and they are so amazing, I will be making these often just to snack on!

You will need...

6 oz raw walnuts
2 tablespoons maple syrup (I use Grade B)
1 tablespoon melted ghee or coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position the rack in the middle position.
Add the walnuts, maple syrup, melted ghee or coconut oil, salt, and cayenne pepper to a bowl, stir to combine the ingredients. Make sure the nuts are well coated, then spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake the nuts for 15 minutes or until fragrant, stirring often to ensure even cooking. Keep a close eye on them to prevent scorching, especially in the last few minutes.
Take the walnuts out of the oven, and give them on final toss. They'll be sticky but the coating will harden once the nuts cool down.

These nuts will be delicious on salads, sweet & spicy dishes, ice cream, or for anytime snacking! I've made them again, doubled the recipe, and did half walnuts/half pecans!! De-Lish!!!

This was my husband's favorite use....on coconut vanilla ice cream, with Coconut Whipped Cream, sprinkled with cinnamon. I have to agree....the sweet and spicy...with the ice cream...and the whipped cream...WOW. As soon as he was done, he said, "Can I have more?"

...Also fantastic combo for a light lunch or snack...Apples, Goat Brie with these nuts! We had a new neighbor bring us some delicious Fuji apples from their garden and all of these textures and flavors together were perfect!

-This recipe is from Nom Nom Paleo

Whipped Coconut Cream

September 29, 2014 Happy WifeStyle

In my opinion, whipped cream is kind of like bacon.... it makes things even better! I was so excited to find this whipped coconut cream recipe made from coconut milk!! It is even more delicious than the heavy cream version!!

Here's what you'll need to do...notice that you need to put the can of coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours, so plan ahead;)

1 14 oz can of full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon coconut sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Turn a can of coconut milk upside down, and refrigerate overnight. This will cause the coconut cream to separate from the liquid and rise. Chill a mixing bowl and a wire whisk in the fridge too.
Take the can out of the fridge, and turn it right side up. The coconut cream will now be on the bottom of the can. Using a can opener, cut 2 slits on the top of the can on opposing sides, and pour out the liquid (coconut water!), leaving only the thick coconut cream in the can.
Open the can the rest of the way and transfer the stiff coconut cream to the chilled bowl. Add the coconut sugar, if desired, and vanilla extract, and whisk until medium peaks form. Coconut sugar is still sugar, so I'd leave it out if the dessert I'm putting it on is already sweet.
Pipe it onto dessert, or just spoon it onto fresh berries like I did!

I definitely am excited to have found whipped coconut cream recipe in time for Thanksgiving! Paleo Pumpkin Pie time!! I also put a little dollop on our coffee - YUM.

-This recipe is from Nom Nom Paleo

Frenchie Friday!

September 26, 2014 Happy WifeStyle

Happy Frenchie Friday everyone! As you can see someone didn't want to get out of bed this morning! LOL! But she changed her mind quick once she heard a walk was in her future!!