My Mayo Recipe

I have tried several mayo recipes and I have finally put together what I liked best about all of them. Here is the recipe I came up with for a creamy mayo that is not too lemony.

Ingredients:

1 egg at room temperature
1 TBSP of lemon juice at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup of light olive oil (you HAVE to use light or it will have an olive oil taste)*

*Macadamia nut oil or avocado oil works too, I have made it with expeller pressed avocado oil before with success)

I usually put the egg and lemon juice in my food processor and let it sit for about 30 minutes so it can come to room temperature.

Then I add in the mustards and salt. I get the oil in a cup ready to pour and then I turn on the processor and add the oil into the cup with the small hole in the bottom so it can slowly drizzle in. I usually only need to let it run for about a minute and then I have homemade mayo!

100% "Real"-ly Good Chicken Nuggets!

These nuggets are so moist and tasty you will think you are at a upscale cafe with gourmet nuggets on the menu when you sit down to a plate of these bad boys!

More good news: these nuggets are grain and dairy free and best of all they are easy to make!

Ma never made chicken nuggets but she did make lot of nugget like foods: cornmeal fried cornmeal mush, johnny cakes, and corn dodgers.(pages 21-23 of The Little House Cookbook).

She was also said to have sat down to a plate of Codfish balls which definitely qualify in the nugget department. (pages 31-31 of The Little House Cookbook). This recipe could actually work with fish too but I have not tried that yet. Please let me know how it goes if you do.

My kids have always loved chicken nuggets, heck I have always loved chicken nuggets too! When we went gluten free in our house chicken nuggets were definitely off the menu.

Little Pots of Gold (Veggie Meatballs)

What is at the end of this rainbow of veggies? Delicious little meatballs! Ma would have never been able to make these little pots of gold but thanks to my amazing food processor I can!

This recipe was inspired by the recipe Garden Fresh Meatballs from Sarah of  Everyday Paleo.

Here is the rainbow of veggies I include in my version. There is a lot of green for extra luck and good health!

Roasted Red Peppers

Orange Carrots

Yellow Yams

Yellow/Green Artichoke Hearts

Green Zucchinis

Dark Green Kale

Deep Purple Cabbage

Recipe: Egg "Brownies"

I don't think Ma ever made these. The idea came to me when I was dealing with an oven door that only opened up 1/3 of the way.

I usually make egg muffins every Sunday to have on hand for the week. This was not going to be an option with an oven door that would not open all the way.

Jonathan and I decided to beat the eggs anyway.

Toddler Recipe: Almond Banana Flax Meal (Dairy, Egg, & Grain free)

Ma probably never made this but I am sure she did serve her babies bowls of some kind of  mush. Why? Because it its easy and delicious and fun for toddlers to spoon into their mouths!

I came up with this the other day when I was looking for something new for Jad. The requirements were something that he could try eating by himself with a spoon and it also needed to have a good amount of fat and calories.

Babies and toddlers need lots of good fat for brain development so I have been looking for ways to get more fat into Jad's diet. The mainstream way is to give your baby lots of full fat whole milk products but that doesn't work for all of us. Some of us have allergies.

Easy & Delicious: Fritattas!

Here is the secret to the perfect easy Fritatta!  We eat these ALL the time since they are so easy and yummy.

Use a skillet that can go in the oven. We have a Kirkland brand enameled cast iron skillet. It only cost about $50 which is a steal when compared to other brands!

Preheat the oven by turning the broiler on so it is ready to go.


Chop/cut up everything that will be going in your fritatta and melt your oil of choice in the skillet (butter or expeller pressed coconut oil is best). With our cast iron we use medium/low heat (# 3 out of 10 numbers)

7 Layer Taco Dip (Dairy & Legume Free)

Ma definitely would NOT have made this but she did not grow up eating Taco Bell as a child so she doesn't have to battle those crazy cravings!

I avoid beans these days and limit dairy to a few times a week because honestly I just feel a lot better when I do! I had a BIG craving for a taco dip the other day so I got to work on making a healthy version of taco dip, healthy by primal standards.

Easy & Delicious: Baked Squash!

I love squash but honestly I do not have the time to wash it, cut it, gut it, peel it, chop it, just to be able to cook it! Luckily I figured out a way to get the same creamy hot baked goodness with limited prep time: just poke some holes it, throw it on a foil lined baking sheet, and bake the darn thing whole!

The results have been impressive! So far I have tried this with a BIG almost 6lb kabocha, a small pumpkin, and a HUGE spaghetti squash.

The baking time depends on its size and thickness of skin, but the temp I always use is 350 degrees.

For the kabocha I poked some deep holes in the top and cooked it for 1 hour. Then I flipped it over and cooked it for 30 minutes more.

When it came out I let it cool and then I sliced it like pie and easily scraped off the seeds and stringy parts. There was so much that I cut it all in slices and stored the extra in the refrigerator.

It was great for a quick snack for the baby, or a yummy treat for me. To warm it back up you can take out a slice and cover it in coconut oil or butter and throw it under the broiler for a little bit.

The other great thing about baking the squash whole this way it the benefit of warming your kitchen or in my case the kitchen and living room. There are some bonuses to having a small house sometimes!

This is also a great way to collect all of your squash seeds to save for roasting!

Last night I warmed our house baking one of our decoration pumpkins left over from Halloween. I poked some holes in the top and baked it 45 minutes and then turned it on one side and baked it for about 20 minutes more.

As you can see from the pictures below Jad was VERY happy about his fresh pumpkin treat this morning! I even threw some of it into an omelet I made him for his 2nd course and he happily gobbled that up too. I am sure Ma would approve!

Easy & Delicious: Hand Dipped Coconut Cinnamon Apples on a Stick

Ma would have used real homemade caramel but she didn't worry about things like too much sugar. For those of us looking for a dairy-free, sugar-free (well the apple has sugar ;0) ), alternative these coconut apples on a stick hit the spot!

Hand Dipped Coconut Cinnamon Apples on a Stick

small or mini sized apples
coconut butter
coconut oil
cinnamon
lolly pop sticks or wood skewers

Scoop coconut butter into a small prep bowl, custard cup, or small ramekin. The size depends on the size of your apples. You should be able to fit your apple all the way inside the bowl. Scoop enough coconut butter to fill the bowl as high as your apple will be when you are dipping it in the bowl.

Melt the coconut butter in the microwave. Start with a low power and only 20 seconds at a time, stirring it each time until you have the creamy consistency.

Add a little coconut oil to the mix to thin it out.

Sprinkle your desired amount of cinnamon into the coconut butter and mix well.

Pierce your apples with your stick of choice and get ready to dunk them in your mix! Coat them well and lay them on a plate or tray lined with wax paper. Put them in the refrigerator to let the mix harden. This usually only takes about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!