A Paleo Play Date :)

Hello Sweets,

It's finally the middle of the week, which you guys are probably more excited for than I did since I'm off work, but none the less it's a good day :)  I hope all of you are having a great week, and if it has been a little stressful maybe a good sweat will help you reset your happy clock ;)

I am going to go to the gym today, normally I workout at home or in my grandparents gym, but I am meeting up with my old roommate Mikey!  I am really excited to see him again, its been about 2 years since we've seen each other, but more so because he is the reason I became a gym rat (of sorts lol), he encouraged me to workout when I had fallen down some stairs and was having a rough recovery.  Well that was four and a half years ago, before my illness knocked me on my butt, I worked out five to six days a week either on my own, in a class, or with a trainer.  I was at the gym so much that they offered me a job lol and I am not kidding either!  Working out at the gym for me was a great way to deal with stress, and ironically it made me a super happy person (I really like a good sweat), this has probably been one of the hardest parts to deal with because I cannot workout like I used to.

It is actually weird that we decided to meet up today, because today is the day I made the Paleo Blackberry Bars, and boy does my house smell delicious.  I figured I would surprise him with a post workout snack, that is not only healthy but tasty too :)  Since I got some amazing news last night, Nathan and I are going on vacation together, possibly next month, I want to try and be aware of what I am putting in my body on the chance we will be somewhere warm and sunny. Eeekkkk so exciting!!  But for now lets get down to the business of blackberries (almost seems like a half week theme doesn't it lol).

Paleo Blackberry Bars (via recipe grazer app for the iPhone)

Ingredients

1C coconut flour (shredded coconut blended into powder)

1/2C shredded coconut

1Tsp cinnamon

1Tsp baking powder

1/2Tsp baking soda

1/2Tsp salt

1/4C honey (or sugar, agave, maple syrup, or NuNaturals baking blend)

2 bananas (about 1C)

2 eggs

2Tbs coconut oil (may use olive oil)

1Tsp vanilla extract

1/2-1C almond milk

1C blackberries, fresh or frozen (can use any other berry as well)

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8"x8" baking pan and set aside.

2)  In a large bowl, mix together the coconut flour, shredded coconut, cinnamon, baking powder and soda, and salt.

3)  Add in the honey or sugar sub, if using, mix again.

4)  In the same bowl, add in the bananas, eggs, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and 1/4C almond milk.  Mix until all ingredients are incorporated, adding in more almond milk, as needed for mixing.  Amount of almond milk varies as coconut flour does soak up liquids quickly, and using more or less coconut flour or shredded coconut will change the absorption of liquids.  Add in enough almond milk so the batter is the consistency of cookie batter (but will probably be slightly drier).

5)  Fold in blackberries and spoon the batter into the greased pan.  Bake for 40 minutes or until the sides are golden.

6)  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Toothpick will come out clean, but the bars are moist because of the bananas and berries, so don't be alarmed.  Cut into about 16 squares, and of course ;) enjoy!!

It's very moist, so don't be alarmed :)

I can proudly say that we have had yet another kitchen success!!  And what really gets me excited about this recipe is that it's not only simple, but healthy too.  So in addition to my water and protein, I will be throwing a few of the bars in too :), one for me and one for my friend :)  I hope you all enjoy this recipe, and I hope it reaches people that really could use a healthier alternative for a snack (I know my roommate and I are happy to have a healthier option lol).  Do you have a favorite go to healthy snack choice?  I would love to hear any suggestions from you guys, or even what you think of my blog thus far :)  I promise that any feedback will be taken as constructive criticism.

Oh and before I go, here is my Frosty Fitness Challenge daily achievement :)  

3.24 miles = 6.88 miles for the week (11.07 km)

Remember you guys can join in too, just click the above link to get all the details :)  Until next time......

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

Blackberry Goodness

Hello Sweets,

Are you having a terrific Tuesday?  I slept horribly last night (not unusual), and then had to be up early to run some paperwork to my lawyer, and then my grandfather took me to the grocery store for some bananas and more blackberries :) I was going to have a nap but ended up getting a second wind, so I decided to bake instead.  Last night after making the coconut macaroons, I started thinking about what I wanted today's post to be about, then a light went off in my head, and I remembered that I had bought blackberries last Friday, which meant they needed to be used sooner rather than later.

When I first got my iPhone I did what everyone does, downloaded lots of apps lol.  I was looking for apps that I would use somewhat regularly, and one little gem that I found is called "recipe grazer", it has TONS of recipe ideas, perfect for this canuckette.  It also has this really cool feature that allows you to input one key ingredient, then it spits out all sorts of different recipes, so obviously I used that app to find a new recipe for today's post, and I even found a paleo recipe for tomorrow (I'm on a roll)!  So the recipe I chose to do today, I chose for a couple of reasons; 1)  They sounded too good to pass up and 2)  I know these will freeze well, and that's a good thing because my roommate, her son, and I can't keep up with the eating that would be required for all these goodies :)  So are you dying to know what today's recipe is??  I have created  blackberry crumb bars, and let me tell you my house smells amazing.  No I have not tried them yet and that is only because they need to completely cool before cutting.  But you can bet that by the end of this post they will be cooled, cut, and tried by yours truly.  On to the recipe!

Blackberry Crumb Bars (via the recipe grazer app for the iPhone)

Ingredients

6Tbs unsalted butter, melted

1/2C unsalted butter, room temp

plus extra butter for the pan

1 3/4C all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

plus extra flour for the pan

1/2C packed light brown sugar

1/2Tsp salt

1/2Tsp baking powder

1C confectioner's sugar (powdered)

1/2Tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2-5 ounce containers of blackberries

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter an 8" square baking pan.  Line the bottom with parchment paper (I didn't have any so I opted this part out), leaving an overhang on two sides; butter and flour paper, tapping out any excess.

2)  Make topping:  In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 salt.

3)  Add 1 cup of the flour, and mix with a fork until large moist crumbs form.  Refrigerate topping until ready to use.

smells yummy :)

4)  Make base:  In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup of flour, baking powder, and remaining 1/4Tsp of salt; set aside.

5)  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat room temperature butter, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

6)  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

7)  Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture.

8)  Spread batter evenly in pan; sprinkle with blackberries, then chilled topping.

waiting is the hardest part!

9)  Bake until golden, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached (40-45 minutes).  Cool completely in pan.  Using paper overhang, lift cake onto a work surface; cut into 16 squares and enjoy!

They are soooo good, definitely try these!!!

I know what you're thinking; that I bake in an abundance, but it's something that picks up my mood when I'm feeling down.  Another way it is therapeutic for me, is that I feel the same way about my blogging too :)  Baking and blogging help me exercise my brain, and I feel like a productive member of society again, something that I took for granted before I got sick and had to go off of work.  Although I hate how my diagnoses have affected my life, I am grateful for a few lessons it has taught me; never take the people you care about for granted, to be thankful that I am only affected for now not forever, and most importantly that I have a wonderful life to wake up to each day.  I couldn't have done it without my amazing boyfriend Nathan, the loving family that has stood by me during this whole ordeal, and some amazing friends that really stuck by me when I needed it the most (y'all know who you are).  I am forever grateful and indebted to them for everything they have done and everything they will do in the coming months during my surgery and recovery.

If you take one thing away from my blog today, let it be that you know there is good in your life, no matter how small it may seem, if it makes you happy let it shine through :)

Oh and if you haven't joined in on the Frosty Fitness Challenge, what are you waiting for?  I am going to give this weeks challenge my best to try and hit the 20 km, and to help you guys with motivation, I am going to continue to share with you my daily achievements.

1.01 mile today, 3.64 miles so far = 5.85 km

I know it has been a hard road for me, going from personal training and prepping, to apply as an instructor, to being able to only do ROM (range of motion) and cardio training, and that's only if my body will allow it.  But I am determine to try and help my own situation by staying as active as possible, while listening to my body so I don't end up hurting myself for days (my knee protested today, which is why I only did 1.01 miles today), plus it will help with a quicker recovery after my surgery :)  Until next time............

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo