Month: November 2016

TOP TEN Thanksgiving MUST HAVES!

Turkey!

Y’all! The day is ALMOST HERE!!

If you are like me, you are pretty much giddy with happiness. Pumpkin + turkey + cranberry = JOY.

In honor of the best of holidays, here is my Top Ten List of the essentials- from coconut oil to the back buddy- you MUST HAVE to thrive this week.

    1. NUTIVA Organic Coconut Oil, butter flavor : This stuff is the jam. Literally. I put it IN MY COFFEE (gasp, it’s so flipping good); schemear it on toast for breakfast; stir it into quinoa to make it taste yummy; and pour it, melted, over popcorn. #yes

2. Libby’s Pumpkin Puree: The gold standard of all pumpkin purees. Others get a gold ribbon compared to Libby’s blue! It’s perfect, adds moisture to baked goods and is flawless in a smoothie. They even breed their own line of pumpkins so this tastes good. USE IT IN YOUR PIE or else. 😉

3. Kerrygold Salted Butter: Y’all. Y’all. The. Best. Butter. I love using the salted version as part of a brown sugar crumble on fall apples; in Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats; melted between stacks of warm chocolate chip pancakes.

4. Sun Warrior Chocolate Protein Plus Powder: Oh my geez. I LOVE this stuff. As you know, the holidays involve LOTS of activities and require your energy in a big way. This is the BEST to fuel you in the mornings in a Smoothie or as an afternoon snack!. This brand also sent me a brand new box of protein powder after I spilled mine all over the floor. Love them.

5. Sorta Awesome podcast. Y’all!! These ladies!! I absolutely adore them. This podcast is the perfect pick-me-up, stress reliever and hilarious distraction in the midst of cooking craziness. In the past week alone I learned from this podcast why you should take a bath surrounded by glow sticks, who makes the best spaghetti sauce and a natural remedy for travel anxiety (yes, it’s legal).

6. The Back Buddy: Speaking of stress reliever- get those kinks out y’all!! There is nothing like standing on your feet all morning cooking and lifting that hefty turkey, only to realize that your feet hurt and your shoulders are in knots. This is like the Lord’s gift to sore muscles.

7. Equal Exchange Panama 80% Dark Chocolate Bar: The most delicious dark chocolate bar I’ve ever had. It’s rich and roasty, with a hit of sweetness at the end. Nutritionally I think it probably saves your life. So good! And money from this bar goes to help the farmers who made it!

8. Dark roast coffee: Perk up everyone!! It’s 6 a.m. and time to put that bird in the oven. You know what you need? COFFEE. And dark roast is my fave- particularly Peet’s brand. It’s easy to find on Amazon or at your local grocery store. AND it’s super amazing with #1 on the list stirred in. Whole beans preferred:)

9. Yoga by Adrienne– I just discovered Adrienne on YouTube (after finding out about her via Sorta Awesome). She is great!! Her “strength” workout is one of my faves because she pushes you (you are definitely doing some toning) but it’s not so hard that you swear off the workout forever (uhhmmm, maybe I’ve done that a time or two). Anyway- you are bound to need some alone time over the holidays so roll out that mat.

 

10. Natural Calm supplement. THE BEST WAY TO FALL ASLEEP. I know, I know, you have been up late watching Gilmore Girls and are now so wired on sugar and coffee that you may be awake for another 6 hours. Have no fear, Natural Calm is here! It is one of my favorite products to gently and naturally help you wind down.

Alright you Thanksgiving warriors! I hope you have the best time cooking, laughing, loving, and snoozing this week. Blessings my friends!

Sweet Potato “Bread” Turkey Sandwiches

Sweet Potato Bread Sandwiches! from Callie Blount on Vimeo.

Who’s excited about Thanksgiving? Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP?

I hear Criss Cross pumped UP in the background of this post!

That’s right. Thanksgiving make ya wanna, “JUMP JUMP!”

And it’s so NOT “wiggly wiggly wack.” It’s where it’s AT!!

Ok, I will stop. But it’s not that I want to!!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons; one, it’s like Christmas without all of the gifting pressure; two, it involves CRANBERRY SAUCE SLICES, and three, you get to eat lots of carbohydrates with the ones you love. #signmeup

This week’s recipe is an easy way to eat the rest of that leftover turkey AND the sweet potato that didn’t make it into the casserole. Actually, come to think of it, if you tried really hard I bet you could smash up the mashed sweet potato and instead make a patty/bread slice of sorts. However, this way is much easier if you are like me and plan to binge-watch the new season of Gilmore Girls in your pajamas with your sister the day after Thanksgiving. So this way definitely appeals.

 

In case you missed it, Luv Cooks Sweet Potato Sammiches! (me making these tasty treats). You can always tune into Luv Cooks on Facebook Live to check out the week’s recipe; right now, my goal is post videos Tuesday afternoons.

Alright my friends! Happy almost Turkey Day and mad PROPs to you for doing your leftovers planning already. #winning

Sweet Potato “Bread” Sandwiches with Roasted Turkey and Cranberry Sauce

These roasted sweet potato slices act like bread in a delicious, post-Thanksgiving treat.

 

Thanksgiving Sandwiches❤️️?? from Callie Blount on Vimeo.

What You Will Need:

  • 1 medium sweet potato, sliced into about 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Olive oil mayonnaise (to taste)
  • Shredded turkey
  • Slices cranberry sauce (to taste)

What You Will Do:

  1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a dark metal baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray of choice.
  2. In a large bowl, toss sweet potato slices with olive oil, then add salt and pepper to taste and combine.
  3. Spread sweet potato slices on baking sheet, making sure to leave room around the edge of each slice so the air can circulate and ensure crispiness similar to a bread crust.
  4. Bake the slices for 10 minutes, then flip. Bake 10 minutes more, remove from oven, and allow slices to cool slightly.
  5. Once the slices are cool to the touch, spread each sweet potato slice with mayonnaise. Top one slice with shredded turkey, and the other with a cranberry slice.
  6. Sandwich the two slices together and chow down!

 

 

 

Taste Testing Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies from Callie Blount on Vimeo.

PALEO!!!!!!!!!!

For some reason I felt I needed to shout that OUT. In my mind, I also equate “Paleo” with the Geico Caveman at the Country Club.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Q5RE0q9Lo

 

Not sure where that correlation began, but Paleo eating (in my mind) equals Cross Fit equals foraging for grass-fed meat in my neighbor’s yard (they built a Cross Fit gym in their tool shed).

WOW have I been wrong!! But let’s be real- nutrition has never been my strong suit.

However, I also realize that lots of the people I love, and love to cook for, are eating like cave people these days. No bread, no cheese, no cheese puffs, no Pumpkin Spice Oreos. Alas, they are all eating how we are probably supposed to eat- like our ancestors did- but our ancestors also did not have access to Tootsie Rolls or The Best Nachos in the World List. I rest my case.

Anyway, because I want to ALWAYS make my table about bringing people in, making them feel comfortable and always welcoming anything food-wise that makes them happy, I decided to pursue this paleo business and learn more about it. I found Against all Grain (listed below). I bought it. The rest, as they say, is in the books.

I adore Danielle Walker, a Paleo recipe pioneer, for many reasons. One- she took her health seriously enough to make changes in her life that blessed her body. Two, her recipes are legit, and three- actually taste good. Four- ok one more- her Thai peanut dressing is life-changing and you must buy her cookbook if not for that recipe and the cookie recipe ALONE.

But the cookies. Ohhh, the cookies.

This cookie was the recipe that shook my knowledge of “health food” to the core. These Paleo chocolate chip cookies made with almond flour, coconut flour, vegan palm shortening, and dark chocolate chips. They were SO good, in fact, that I was actively comparing them to my alted brown butter chocolate chip cookies (which I dig SO hard.) Y’all, fresh out of the oven and warm- well, you’ll have to see my response on Facebook or Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Taste Test!.

So, check out This week’s Luv Cooks video for paleo chocolate chip cookies, make them, and everrrybody get your cave man on.

Here’s Danielle’s link to the recipe too!

Luv y’all and happy foraging!