Weekend mornings call for waffles! Growing up, my grandparents had two giant commercial waffle irons. My grandpa loved using them and used any excuse he could to convince my grandma to allow him to cook up a few batches of these ginormous delights.
You really couldn’t eat more than 1…maybe two, if you were starving and ready to over-indulge to the max. However, sneaky grandpa used to make 2-3 for each of the grandkids just so he had plenty of extras for himself. SMART MAN. Some of my fondest memories involve these waffles…and now I have one of this waffle irons in my own kitchen. I can’t wait to pass on the fun tradition with my own kids – hopefully the beast of a machine lasts forever!
EGG FREE BAKING – it can be a real struggle – particularly with bread-like things. Thankfully, the waffle iron does a lot of work here and cooks up this beloved breakfast item perfectly, free of eggs and gluten!
I’m currently working on a egg-free paleo version, but I want it to be perfect before sending it your way. The testing process has been VERY EXCRUCIATING. 😉
Preheat your waffle iron. You want it hot and ready!
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
To the mixing bowl, add the milk, melted butter, flax eggs, vanilla, and vinegar and stir until just combined. If it's a little lumpy from the butter hardening from cool milk, it will be fine.
Spray the bottom of the iron liberally with the spray oil.
Pour enough batter just to cover the griddle and fill the edges. You want enough, but not too much to wear it leaks out the edges.
Spray the top of the waffle iron right before closing.
Closing the iron (and flip if you have one like I do) and cook for 4 1/2 -5 minutes. This is for a LARGE belgium waffle. If you're making smaller ones, the cooking time will be about 3 minutes. The rule of thumb is the waffle is done when the steam stops coming (or almost - I've found a little steam is ok) out the sides of the waffle iron.
Serve with lots of butter and maple syrup...even some fruit if that is your thaaaang!
These keep great in the freezer! To heat up: bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes or toast them up in the toaster if you made small ones!
Convenient snacks are either expensive or not-so-healthy…or BOTH. That’s why I tend to make my own – like these Sugar Cookie Protein Balls. They’re full of healthy fats, carbs, protein, and fiber. That’s a pretty good balance when it comes to snacks in my opinion!
Protein balls are great to have on hand when you want a quick little snack, and they’re also great to pack in lunches! They’re a staple in my husband’s daily lunch.
These Sugar Cookie Protein Balls are festive for the season, but are still a great flavor year round! There may be a bit of a weird ingredient in these SUGAR COOKIE protein balls (I’ll give you a hint: it rhymes with kinnamon – LOL) … but it seriously does just the trick for giving these that sugar cookie flavor. Don’t ask me how – IT JUST DOES!
Grab the recipe below or pin this to your healthy snack board on Pinterest to save for later!
Print Recipe
Sugar Cookie Protein Balls {Dairy, Gluten, Grain Free}
In a food processor or high powered blender, blend almonds and coconut oil until fairly smooth. It's ok if it's still a little chunky. You just want it to be like runny nut butter.
In a mixing bowl, combine the almond/coconut oil mixture with remaining ingredients. Adjust the cinnamon (and salt, if you prefer things a little more salty - like my husband!) at this point.
Onto a lined baking sheet/tray, scoop out individual balls. I like to use a melon baller scoop. It makes things super easy and QUICK!
Freeze the protein balls for 20-30 minutes or refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
I store these in the refrigerator or freezer and just pop 3-4 into a bag or container for lunches each day, as needed.
I’m always brainstorming about making bite-sized snacks. I try to fill them with protein, healthy fats, and fiber, yet still keep them tasting like an indulgent little treat!
These Cherry Cobbler Protein Balls are just that! They’re packed with cashews, almonds, and collagen powder to up the protein factor, and they’ll keep you feeling full for longer with the healthy fats from the coconut oil, coconut butter, and grass fed butter. If you’re vegan, you can sub in your favorite mild-flavored protein powder for the collagen, and substitute more coconut oil for the butter!
Cherries were my choice of fruit for these, but any dried fruit would work! I’m thinking blueberries next!
In a blender or food processor, combine the cashews, almonds, coconut oil, coconut butter, maple syrup, and butter until a chunky butter has formed. This should only take a minute or so. You don't need it smooth.
Transfer butter to a mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients (except for the cherries), and combine.
Mix in the chopped cherries last.
With a spoon or a melon baller scoop, scoop out balls onto a baking sheet. I like to line mine with parchment paper - easy cleaning! (If the mixture is falling apart slightly, chill it in the fridge for 5 minutes or so - don't forget about it though!)
Freeze balls for 20 minutes or refrigerate for 2-3 hours until firm.
If you don't feel like making a bunch of individual bites, you can make bars by pressing the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Just chill the filled dish and cut them into bars after chilling! Super easy!
Recipe Notes
If you happen to have cashew butter and almond butter, you can substitute that for the raw nuts and some of the coconut oil. Start with 1/3 cup of each of the nut butters and 1/4 cup of coconut oil. Combine with the remaining ingredients. If the mixture is too dry, add another tbsp or two of coconut oil until it turns into a thick paste-like mixture that you can form into balls.
Chori Pollo has been a mexican favorite of mine since the first time I had chorizo. I almost always choose chicken over beef or pork, however, the combination of chicken with the spicy sausage is perfection and I can’t pass it up!
This dish combines all of those flavors with one of my other favorite things – SOUP! It’s also made in the Instant Pot – yet, ANOTHER one of my loves. However, you can make it on your stove top or in your crockpot, as well. It’s will just take a little bit more time.
Print Recipe
Instant Pot Chori Pollo Sopa (Chicken & Chorizo Soup)
With your instant pot set to "Saute", cook onions, jalapeños, chorizo, and chicken pieces for 3-5 minutes or until onions have began to soften. TIP: Sautéing your food for a couple minutes in the beginning will help the pot come to pressure quicker.
Add remaining ingredients to your Instant Pot and stir to combine. Hit the "Cancel" button to take it off of "Saute" mode.
Attach the lid and turn your valve to seal. Press the "Soup" button, adjust the time to 15 minutes, and let it cook!
When the timer goes off, turn the valve to vent, and do a QR.
Serve with chopped green onions, sour cream, avocado slices or my Pepperjack Cheese Sauce (dairy free). See recipes notes for a link to the recipe!**
Stovetop Instructions:
In a large soup pot over medium heat, sauté onions and jalapeños for 5-8 minutes until the onions have become translucent.
Add sausage and chicken to onions and peppers and cook for 5 minutes.
Add spices, broth, and cauliflower rice to your pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Turn your soup down to low and let simmer until ready to serve.
Crockpot Instructions:
Add all of the ingredients to your crockpot and stir to combine. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
Recipe Notes
*I thaw (or cook for a couple minutes) the frozen cauliflower and then pulse it in my blender for a few seconds to "rice" it. MUCH EASIER than breaking down a fresh head of cauliflower and "ricing" it. You can sub a bag of frozen riced cauliflower. It usually only comes in 12 oz bags; if you prefer not to use a partial second bag, reducing the cauliflower to 12 oz won't hurt the recipe.
Who else is obsessed with all things cookie butter? I’ve always been a huge lover of the speculoos cookies. They have the perfect crunch along with having a great balance of sweet and spicy. What’s not to love?! When I realized that there was a butter with all of those same flavors. I WAS DONE. GAME OVER. GIVE ME ALL OF THE JARS. The flavors and spices involved just scream comfort and holidays to me! There just isn’t anything better!
The cookie butter that I used to know and love was far from paleo. Therefore, I set out to make a healthier version of this creamy spread, and I’m pretty sure…I accomplished just that. This turned out ridiculously delicious. Thankfully, Simple Mills makes a Cinnamon Cookie that has just the right texture for this task! Stay tuned, if you can’t find these cookies. I’m going to try to come up with a recipe that doesn’t involve this particular brand, as some of you may not be able to get your hands on them. Sad day!
