Fall muffins

Happened upon a few pumpkin muffin recipes and have been trying them out. It's nice to have a Paleo treat that seems like a cheat. One recipe called for the use of fresh cranberries. Newsflash: fresh cranberries are tart as anything! They really overpowered the subtler flavors, made the consistency too mushy and now I have a bag of fresh cranberries but no clue how to use them up - suggestions?

Here's the winning muffies:

From PNW Fitness but altered for my tastes

1½ cups – Almond Flour
3/4 cup – Canned Pumpkin
3 – Organic Large Whole Eggs
1 tsp – Baking powder
1 tsp – Baking soda
1 tsp – Ground Cinnamon
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/8 tsp – Salt
1/4 cup – Organic Honey
1/3 scoop – Vanilla whey mix - Not sure if this really serves a purpose -

1. Grease 6 muffin tins with coconut oil or use a Silpat
   
2. Mix all ingredients. Pour mix into the 6 tins.
3. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes on the middle rack.

Preparation = success

Biggest hurdle I encounter when following Paleo is that is takes time to create good food. When I'm running to work or stuck at my desk through dinner time it's so easy to default to the processed crap that makes our lives "convenient." However, obesity and disease are a lot less convenient than a bit of prep work.

Yanked from one of the members at Arenal Fitness are these yummy breakfast cups with slight modifications.

Ingredients:

6 Organic eggs
6 slices turkey bacon
1 organic tomato
1/4 c. chopped onion
6 Baby Bella mushrooms
Paprika to taste

Using a silicone cupcake tray I put a slice of tomato at the bottom (makes for an easy exit after cooking) then placed a slice of cooked bacon around the ring, toss in some onion and sliced mushrooms then fill the cups with the beaten egg mixture, top with paprika.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes at 375 - give it a quick 1 minute broil at the end. Voila, breakfast for days!

Why Paleo? Because:

I'm Back

Summer was fun, romantic, adventurous, busy and not at all primal. But all things must come to an end so it's back to the basics for this chick.

A few new rules:

Paleo + dairy + dark chocolate

Last time I was freaking out because there was soy product in my non-stick spray. Not.That.Serious.

The goal is to stick to the Paleo guidelines but allow myself one (or 2 in a pinch) servings of dairy a day. My source of dairy will almost always be Greek yogurt. It's very low in sugar and packed full of protein. When I'm in a rush it's the perfect "go to" food source, especially for breakfast. For now I am also allowing myself to use whey protein. Again, the ideal is to only use one of these products once a day.

As for dark chocolate - come on people I'm a woman! Every now and then it needs to be paired with some fruit or just enjoyed for exactly what it is. No more than twice a week, and OBVIOUSLY, in small quantities.

I'm slipping back into the routine slowly so some whole grains will be in the meal plan for the next week as I clear the pantry out. Not really going to miss them (except quinoa), just need 'em out of the way.

There you have it and here we go~*