Coconut Almond Butter

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I love raw almond butter...but I don't love the price!  Some small jars of rawalmond butter without sugar added can be up to $17.00!  Eeeek!  So I decided to finally try making my own.... what's better?  Why not add even MORE flavor with coconut!

This Coconut Almond Butter is full of healthy fats that will keep you satisfied... it's so delicious , my husband went "nuts" for this stuff...LOL.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw almonds
• 1 - 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (more or less depending on the consistency you want)
• 1/4 cup shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut
• 1 - 2 tablespoons melted raw honey (optional, leave out for Whole30)

Directions:

1. Preheat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat.  I used a my very large cast iron skillet.
2. Add the almonds to a dry pan and roast by stirring constantly so they don't burn.  Roast until they are fragrant, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.  This will take about 10 minutes.
3. Put the roasted almonds in a food processor, careful they're hot!  Turn on for 90 seconds.  Scrape the sides down and turn on again for 20-30 seconds.  Repeat this process of mixing and scraping the sides until the consistency becomes clumpy (see first food processor photo below) at first, then like peanut butter.  This will take time, about 5 minutes.  At first it seems like it's not going to change from a almond flour consistency...but it will ;) ...be patient.
4. Add the coconut oil, 1 tablespoon at a time and check consistency.  I add 2 tablespoons if I'm not adding any honey, or if it turns out very thick.  Blend for 30 seconds.  If adding honey, add 1 tablespoon and blend for 30 seconds.  Taste and add more honey if you want it sweeter.
5. Add the coconut and pulse for 15 - 20 seconds.  Shredded coconut will mix in more and flaked coconut will be more chunky.  Use whichever you prefer...I happened to have shredded on hand, so that's what I used this time.
6. Scoop it into a glass container with a lid.  I kept this on the kitchen counter to keep the consistency softer (we ate it fast enough that I didn't worry about it going bad) :)  If you're keeping it longer, put it in the fridge.

I love this stuff with bananas.  It's such a tasty snack.  Make "stackers" like this with 100% raw cacao nibs on top...perfectly satisfying bites!

My husband loves this treat with sliced bananas, cinnamon, coconut milk, a little bit of Coconut Almond Butter and 100% raw cacao nibs...YUM.

Note, if you find a great deal on almond butter you like, you can just add the coconut oil and unsweetened coconut to it in a food processor to get the coconut flavor....put it back in the jar, and Voilà!  Coconut Almond Butter!

This will last 2 weeks in a jar in the fridge...if it lasts that long;)

-This recipe is based on a recipe I found on Pinterest... from the blog annadventure.com.  Enjoy!

30 Day Plank Challenge

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You know I'm all about the 30 Day Discipline!!  :)  My newest is the 30 Day Plank Challenge!  Strengthen your core with me....here's the plan!

To read more about how a 30 Day Discipline can benefit you & for more ideas for 30 Day Disciplines...read my blog post about it here!

How to create fun Business Cards

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Want to know how to create fun business cards?  When I first started blogging, I would tell people about my site and hope they would remember the name of it.  This method doesn't work so well.  I knew there could be a better way, so I decided it would be a good idea to have cards on hand to make it easier for people to remember how to find me later.

One thing I've learned about bloggers is how helpful they are.  I mean this, everything I've learned from how to start my blog, how to take better photos, how to use plug-ins and widgets, all the stuff I knew absolutely nothing about when I started....I've learned through reading other blogs.  They are so forthcoming with tips and tricks to help other bloggers succeed.  I think that's so amazing.  My hope is that this post can help someone else!

I was only familiar with the old standby business cards...you know, rectangular, plain and boring.  I ordered some off of a template that were kind of cute, but still pretty boring.  I handed them out, but was I super excited about them?  No.  Here is my very first one...

Also, many of the templates have name, address, phone, etc.  I didn't need all that.  I later saw an add for MOO on Facebook.  I saw that they had cards in fun new shapes and sizes and it intrigued me.  I thought to myself, "bloggers are creative and colorful....my cards should be more artistic and fun!"  I decided to try the square cards and worked off of one of their templates and added my own picture to one side.  Here's how those turned out...definitely more personality than my originals....

When those ran out, I had a better idea.  I wanted to be able to hand someone a "blog post" essentially.  So I completely designed my own cards, front and back, to have 5 different photos on the back so people could get an idea of what my posts look like....and add variety.  I wanted people to WANT to go look at my site.  What I have found with these, is people LOVE them.  They want one of each!  Here's what those look like...

I've recently needed to order more, so I redesigned this new one to include a picture of me, where to find me on social media, and what I'm telling people about all the time...the Whole30!  I'm now an official Whole30 Nutrition Partner, I lead large groups through the Whole30 program and tell anyone and everyone about it, so this will make it easier for them to remember it...and me.

People throw away business cards every day.  Most end up in the trash.  People are less likely to toss a fun, colorful card with photos on it.  It peaks their interest.  They tend to save them.  Most often, someone hands someone a card and it barely gets glanced at and it goes in the pocket or purse...only to get tossed later.  Honestly, when I hand out my cards, people do a double take.  They look at them, front and back, and front and back again, and usually say "these are SO cute!"  I was in Costco recently and met this lovely older couple in the book section while we were both browsing Paleo cookbooks.  We struck up a conversation and by the end they wanted to know how to find my blog....so I handed them a few cards.  She said that my cards were so great, some of the cutest she'd seen...and they were in the printing business!

I thought this would help fellow bloggers out there to leave a lasting impression!  We need to express our creativity and personalities and we CAN do that on a business card!  Sometimes that's our first impression, so we might as well make it a great one! :)  Even for other professions, if you have the leeway to do so...have fun with your cards!  Try a different size, shape, color...and add photos!

So how did I make these?  I used Picmonkey.com to design them and ordered them through MOO.  Picmonkey is a free site that is amazing for creating all kinds of fun material.  It's also what I use to add text to photos that I use in my blog posts and social media (I get that question a lot)....like the text in the top photo.  It's user friendly and easy to learn.  I designed a front and a back of my card from scratch in the square "design" section, then added a border of white around them for the "bleed area" where they trim it.  That ensures none of your design gets trimmed off when they cut the cards.  This took a little adjustment my first try...but now I know how much border I need.  Once you're in the MOO website...you'll see what I mean.  It's pretty cool you can make cards that look like this without hiring a designer!  I know they're not perfect, but they display my vision of what my website is all about!  That's what's important... what do YOU want to "say" with your cards?

I ordered my cards from MOO.com.  They have great templates if you want to start with something more simple.  They also have darling "mini" cards!  Feeling brave and creative?  Design and download your complete design like I did!  Have fun with it and get out there and make a FABULOUS first impression!   Use this referral link from me and you'll save 10% off your MOO order!!!  How cool is that!?  I hope this inspires you to learn how to create fun business cards.   Enjoy....carry cards you're proud of and you'll hand out a lot more! :)  I even put my cute cards on gifts!

UPDATE:  Since I wrote this blog post, I won a logo and branding package from Dapper Fox Design by entering a contest put out to Paleo Entrepreneurs!  It included business card design so I told her how much I loved the square cards....she designed these and I'm thrilled with them!  So, these are my most recent cards!

Coconut Yogurt

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Ok, so I know many of you are waiting anxiously to see if my first attempt at making homemade Coconut Yogurt was a success...

Here's my verdict:  It wasn't a "fail" by any means, but I do think it could be improved upon.  I say this for two reasons...

1. It was too runny, so it's the consistency of drinkable Kefir.
2. When I read through the comments of the recipe I got it from (a guest blogger on Nom Nom Paleo's website), there were very mixed reviews on if this turned out for people.  It worked for some and failed for some.

So with that said, I liked it enough to want to share how I did it so you can try for yourself.  ...But this is my official disclaimer that I'm not guaranteeing this will work for YOU.  LOL ;)  The next time I try this I am going to use Trader Joe's Coconut Cream.  Many said by using that, it made it thicker.  By reading through reviews, I think this recipe really depends on the brand of coconut milk used AND the strength of their oven light...weaker lights many not bring the temp high enough (see below).

Ingredients:

• 1 can coconut milk (or coconut cream for a thicker result)
• 1 tablespoon inner-eco liquid probiotic (see pic, I found it a Sprouts)  I heard you can also use a probiotic capsule, but these can really vary, so I went with the exact liquid that was recommended in the recipe.  My guess is this may be why some people had a "fail".
• 1 clean glass jar with lid
• a free oven for 24 hours!

I happened to double the recipe only because I had a large jar.  This is the brand of coconut milk I used.  It was very smooth when I opened it, not separated.  I think this helps.

Directions:

1. Mix the ingredients together in the jar.  For thinner, Kefir-like yogurt, use the whole can of coconut milk.  For thicker yogurt use unsweetened Coconut Cream or refrigerate your coconut milk until it separates...and just scoop out the cream that rises.
2. Put the lid on the jar and place it in the oven with the light ON, and close the door for 24 hours.  Leave it undisturbed for 24 hours.  DO NOT TURN THE OVEN ON...just the LIGHT.  The light alone should get your oven to a temp of 105-110 degrees, perfect for the coconut yogurt to incubate.
3. Refrigerate when done.  It will last about one week in the fridge.

Mine was very good.  It was smooth and tangy like yogurt should be.  It had a nice coconut flavor.  I probably wouldn't eat it all alone though.  After Whole30, I think adding a little bit of raw honey to the mix would be good.  I think this would be wonderful added to some compliant granola and berries!  I smashed some blackberries and put them in the bottom of a fancy glass (like the original recipe did;)  I added some slivered almonds to the top, took my pretty pics, then stirred it all up!  It was quite good!  Do I think it would be better a little thicker?  Yes.  People also use this as a base in sauces or in place of sour cream...

Overall, I'm excited to experiment more with coconut yogurt.  I know there are a lot of different methods out there.  If you have any that I should try, let me know! If you would have told me a few years ago that I'd be incubating my own yogurt, I would have thought you were nuts.  LOL;)  I was reading the labels of all the coconut yogurt in the store a couple of days ago before deciding to try this...all had sugar in them, or carrageenan!

Give it a try!  Everyone love a science experiment, right?  :)  Enjoy!  I'd LOVE to hear how it turns out for you!  ...and I'll update this post when I try the thicker version to keep you posted;)

-For the original recipe:  find it here on nomnompaleo.com

Pan Fried Steak

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I loooove a good steak.  The trick to getting a "restaurant quality" steak that's juicy inside with a nice crust outside, is searing it.

In this pan fried steak recipe, you'll have that restaurant quality steak in under 10 minutes.  There are quite a few "pan fried" recipes out there....but this one is super simple.  Simple is good in my house;)

Ingredients:

• 2 NY strip steaks, about 1 inch thick (good quality grass-fed if possible)
• coarse salt (I use Diamond Crystal brand)
• black pepper
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ghee

Directions:

1. Bring the steaks to room temperature.
2. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat.  Season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper.  Seconds before adding a steak, drop 1/2 teaspoon of the ghee into the pan and immediately top with the steak.  Repeat with the remaining steaks.  Sear for 3 minutes without moving the steak (to form a crust).  Turn and cook for 2 minutes for rare or 3 to 4 for medium rare. Remove the steaks from the pan and let them rest on a board or platter for a few minutes before serving.

I set them on this rack, but moved them right away to a cutting board to rest, then sliced thin;)  Put a little extra dollop of ghee on top of the hot steak....ooohhhh.  (That's the sound my husband makes when something's really good.)My steaks were a little thinner than the recipe called for, probably 1/2 inch thick so they were a little overdone at 3 minutes each side, but still juicy and delicious.  I also made 4 steaks to have leftovers;)  I served them with steamed artichokes and homemade mayo for dipping!  Enjoy!

-This recipe is from the Martha Stewart website.

The Whole30 Book

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The Whole30 Book - The 30 Day Guide to TOTAL HEALTH and FOOD FREEDOM by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig is now available!!  I got my copy today in the mail because I pre-ordered it.  I immediately skimmed the whole thing and cannot wait to dive in and read it cover to cover.

This book is the complete guide to the Whole30.  It has everything you need to know to have success on this program.  It's also is beautifully laid out in an organized way...with gorgeous photographs.  I'm a sucker for gorgeous photographs.  :)

So what's inside?  It explains the program completely from A to Z.  It gives you a timeline of what you can expect during the 30 days.  It has FAQs.  It has shopping lists and a 7 day meal plan.  It addressing eating out and travel.  It talks about medical conditions, pregnancy and breast feeding.  It discusses kids.  It tells you about reintroduction of foods after the Whole30.  It tells you what you should have in your kitchen...the fundamentals.  It has RECIPES of all kinds, success stories....and much much more.  In other words, it's AWESOME.

I believe everyone should try the Whole30 Program at least once.  You will learn so much about yourself.  You will gain confidence for having the discipline to complete the program.  You will change your relationship with food.  Most quick-fix diets focus on weight loss.  The Whole30 takes the focus off the scale which I think is genius.  So many women's lives, and men's, are dictated by what that number on the scale says.  That has to stop because we are so much more than that number.  This program shows success in other ways, in #NonScaleVictories, that mean so much more.  With that said, people are losing serious weight on this program, and keeping it off.  I've taken 10 stubborn pounds off easily and my husband lost 25 pounds.  The most famous line about the Whole30?  "It's not hard."  This is so true.  You can do anything for 30 days.  All you need to do is decide, commit, and go.

I'm leading 61 people through the Whole30 right now.  56 of them through my local gym and the rest who have joined in on that same timeline.  I am so excited to have this book as a resource to help people through the Whole30 because I tell anyone and everyone about the program.

Are you ready for a Whole30?  I highly recommend you read this Whole30 Book and get started on this nutritional "reset".  It just might change your life in 30 days too...like it has for tens of thousands of others.

The Whole30 was featured on the Today Show this morning which was so exciting!  Melissa and Dallas Hartwig did such a wonderful job with this amazing opportunity to share the Whole30 with the world.  Matt Lauer made the comment "no fun" at the end of the segment which I think was unnecessary...but other than that is was great.  I LOVED that a main focus of the segment was about Tess, a woman who got off her diabetes medication after just two weeks of the Whole30.  THAT.  That is what the program is about...changing lives on that level. Bravo.  My husband is a Chiropractor and he has been recommending the Whole30 to his patients with amazing results...

One of his patients was on insulin and was losing his vision due to diabetes.  After the Whole30 he is completely off of insulin and he now has perfect vision.  He also lost a significant amount of weight.

Are you ready?  Just buy the book.  Right now.  Here...I'll make it easy for you.  The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom.  Then do the Whole30.  Trust me, you'll be happy you did;)

"Stella" was as excited as I was to get the mail....she got her BarkBox in the mail today too;)

I also highly recommend their first book, It Starts With Food.  Best book on nutrition I've ever read.  Explains the physiology, without being too "science-y" so it's easy to understand.  I think it's fascinating.

For a wealth of information I've put together for my groups, see my blog post on Whole30 Resources!

I'm going to go read now.... :)