Dried Fruit

Paleo Trail Mix, Cavegirl style!

02. May 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Snacks · Tags: Dairy Free, Dried Fruit, Grain Free, Kate, Nuts, Paleo, Trail Mix

I never know whether making trail mix is a good thing or not. Meaning if it’s made up, I devour it. I love the combo of nuts and dried fruits, chocolate with a little salty & sweet.

Trail mix is very handy as a “snack on the go”. I have hunted around for raw, paleo clean trail mix and I always fall short. Trader Joe’s has a decent one but I really like to make my own. Check all the ingredients on the dried fruit to ensure it’s “just” the fruit. It amazes me how many have added sugar.

Doesn’t it look pretty all layered? This method is very rewarding for a number of reasons. Call me silly, but my OCD kicks in and I really get a kick out of seeing the layers and what exactly I’ve put in. BUT THEN… I just love getting my bingo wings exercised and shake it all about. Mixes those ingredients and flavors up = UBER YUMMY!

My little girl did a great job getting an action shot

Here’s what’s in it:

Raw almonds
Raw walnuts
Raw pecans
Macadamias (dry roasted and unsalted)
Pistachios (roasted and salted)
Organic raisins
Dark sweet cherries (unsweetened and unsulfured)
All Fruit Bar Ends and Pieces (unsweetened dried fruit bars with no added sugar)
60% cacao chocolate chips

You can obviously add whatever you like and in whichever fashion. Have FUN making it and DON’T eat it all in one sitting!

I plan on taking some of mine to work tomorrow to share in the staffroom.

Date Cardamom Energy Balls – Paleo Sweets

26. February 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Dessert, Recipe, Snacks · Tags: Dairy Free, Dessert, Dried Fruit, Gluten Free, Nuts, Paleo, Primal, Recipe, Shredded Coconut, Snacks, Stephanie, Walnuts

Stephanie here: Before Paleo, one of my favorite new cookbooks, was The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre. This duo has created a lovely mix of delicious whole food recipes that are guaranteed to satisfy whole foodies. I currently don’t use all of the cookbook, as it’s carb intensive, but one of my favorites from this cookbook is the Raw Energy Balls on Page 354. They are a mix of nuts, fruit, and spicy goodness.

A dozen balls can be made by mixing my current favorite blend of these ingredients:
1 c. raw walnuts or almonds in your food processor until they are finely ground (not dust or butter, though)
then add in:
1 c. dates
1/4 c dried blueberries
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cardamom (freshly ground please, you’ll be so glad you did)
Pulse until it’s a nice mealy mixture, then add:
1/4 c. raw almond butter
Pulse again until the mixture is well blended and sticks together.

Roll into balls (I actually used a 1 t. scoop for cookies and got about 24 balls out of the batch). Roll each ball in raw coconut shreds or cocoa or ground nuts, whatever. EAT! These do not last long at our place. This is a recipe that it’s important to buy every ingredient organic. I’ve also doubled the spice, because I’m like that. I LOVE cardamom… and love it even more when I grind the little seeds myself in the spice grinder. The whole kitchen smells great afterward.

Sweet treats like this keep me swinging that club.

Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries

14. February 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Dessert, Recipe, Snacks · Tags: Chocolate, Dairy Free, Dessert, Dried Fruit, Gluten Free, Paleo, Primal, Recipe

What would Valentine’s Day be without a little chocolate? In my house growing up we would always get one of those heart shaped chocolate sampler boxes on Valentines day from one family member or another. But now, I want the really good chocolate rather than the cheap stuff in those heart shaped boxes from the grocery store. This year I decided to make dark chocolate covered Bing Cherries in the same manner that I made peanut butter cups for Christmas.

Dark Chocolate Covered Bing Cherries
about a dozen dried Bing Cherries From Trader Joe’s
2 Trader Joe’s 72% Dark Chocolate candy bars broken into bits

Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second intervals stirring between each interval until chocolate is melted. Using a candy mold, place a bit of melted dark chocolate in each cup, placed a dried Bing Cherry inside then cover them with more dark chocolate. Pop them in the fridge to harden, then voila, you have Chocolate Covered Cherries for Valentine’s Day! Enjoy.

Week of Paleo/Primal Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks

01. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Breakfast, Entree, Recipe, Salad, Side Dish, Snacks, Soups · Tags: Beef, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dried Fruit, Entree, Gluten Free, Leftovers, Nuts, Paleo, Recipe, Seafood, Side Dish, Snacks, Soup, Sweet Potato, Vegetables

OK, I really don’t like making meal plans. I can’t imagine what I might want to make throughout the week while sitting on my couch on Sunday afternoon. I have a freezer stocked with meat and get a veggie box delivered on Thursday. Sometimes they substitute different items in my box; so I don’t know what will be in it for certain until it arrives. That makes the meal planning a little hard. But really those are all just excuses because ultimately I don’t make meal plans because that’s just not the way I work. It’s counter to my personality, I think. BUT, I can make a retroactive meal plan; I can tell you what I ate LAST week rather than what I plan to eat NEXT week. That way you can get an idea of what a week of Paleo/Primal eating might look like if you’re having a problem coming up with ideas. Keep in mind that I eat Primal, so there are some dairy items thrown in here. If you don’t eat dairy, just omit those. Here ya go!

Week of Breakfasts

Saturday: Paleo/Primal Pancakes (make extra for eating throughout the week, Freezes well)

Sunday: Paleo/Primal Porridge (make extra for eating throughout the week)

Monday: Banana, 3 Eggs with cottage cheese

Tuesday: Orange, Paleo Porridge

Wednesday: Grapefruit, Breakfast sausage

Thursday: Pear, 2 primal pancakes without toppings

Friday: Smoothie, 3 eggs

Week of Lunches

Monday: leftover Beef Tarragon Soup from dinner

Tuesday: Natural sausage, bottled sauerkraut

Wednesday: leftover Spaghetti squash Bolognese from dinner

Thursday: 3 egg omelet with sauteed greens and sun dried tomatoes

Friday: Lunch meat, cheese, mustard wrapped rolled up in lettuce or chard

Saturday: Eat out (most salads without dressing or lettuce wrapped burgers are good choices)

Sunday: Leftovers from eating out Saturday and from the week’s dinners.

Week of Dinners

Saturday: Pork Shoulder with Spinach and Onions with Cauliflower Rice

Sunday: Beef Tarragon Soup

Monday: Salmon Fillet, Sweet Potato Fries, Steamed Broccoli

Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash Bolognese, Salad with homemade vinaigrette

Wednesday: Balsamic Chicken and Onions, Salad

Thursday: Braised Beef, Sweet Potatoes with Chive Butter, Salad

Friday: Seafood Skillet, Salad

Other Lunch or Dinner choices:

Natural Sausage with browned peppers and onions, salad

Chicken soup

Baked Talapia, sesame oil broccoli and mushrooms, sesame cucumbers

Baked Chicken Legs, sauteed greens and onions, Steamed Sweet Potatoes or fries

Jambalaya, Salad

Butternut Squash Soup

Snacks:

Pear/other fruit slices wrapped with prosciutto

Nut and raisin mix

Beef Jerkey

Pear /apple slices dipped in almond butter

Veggies with guacamole – baby carrots, cuke slices, broccoli

Cavegirl Snack! (suitable for cavemen too :)

27. December 2011 · Comments Off · Categories: Snacks · Tags: Chocolate, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Snacks

Got the munchies? Me too!

“What’s in that?”, I hear you cry…

raw walnuts
dry roasted macadamias
raw hazelnuts
raw cashews
raw brazil nuts
organic raisins
dried dark sweet unsweetened & unsulfured cherries
dried unsweetened & unsulfured apple rings
dried apricots
non-sorbate pitted prunes
Fearless raw organic chocolate 75% cacao

Don’t worry, I’m going to share!

Fruit and nuts are all from Trader Joe’s and this amazing chocolate is from PCC.

Fearless Raw Dark as Midnight This is a delicious example of raw chocolate bars that have started appearing on the market. It has 75% cocoa content with a lovely fruity flavor and almost milky taste. Because the cocoa is not heated above 118° when they make this, it has more of the nutrients and antioxidants then traditionally made chocolate. Interestingly, I did not notice much difference in the consistency of this chocolate bar compared to it’s non-raw counterpart.

Source: Health Gals

I fully agree with Krista and the Health Gals. They have an interesting post on their favorite “superfood” chocolate. Check it out

Their No. 1 Theo 93% cacao chocolate bar just happens to be one of my favorites too. My second would have to be another Fearless Raw organic Chocolate; 70% cacao Matcha Green Tea Peppermint ~ which is delicious!!

Northwest Cavegirls