Super Easy Frozen Yogurt

You may have seen a variation of this on Pinterest lately, I've seen many. I was inspired to put my own spin on these recipes.
Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
Peach Frozen Yogurt
I tried making the peach frozen yogurt a while back and was very impressed with it, however, when I stuck the leftovers in the freezer it froze solid as a rock(as most homemade frozen treats do). I decided to try and make a single serving at a time in my single serve blender cup.
Here's what I added:
1 cup frozen fruit (I like a strawberry, blueberry, cherry, and kale mixture I found at BJ wholesale club)
1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt
1 squirt Sweet Leaf Stevia drops in flavor of your choice (I like English Toffee or Vanilla Creme)
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T ground Flax meal
A splash of whole milk (just enough to get it to blend smoothly)
optional: 2 T raw potato starch(to feed your gut bacteria)

 Combine ingredients in a single serve blender and enjoy!

 

 Sometimes I top it with raw almond butter. Yum!  

<3 Baking Beauty

Amazing Baking Soda

 A while back I found this ginormous bag of baking soda while shopping at my favorite wholesale club. I remembered seeing several pins on Pinterest about all of the amazing uses for baking soda, so I picked it up thinking I'd give it a try around the house. It sat in the cupboard for a month or two before I finally got around to trying anything with it.

A post about using baking soda to clean your oven glass popped up in my Facebook newsfeed, so I gave it a try. You basically make a runny paste and apply it thickly to the oven glass. I left it on for about 40 minutes, even though the directions said you could do as little as 15 minutes. After about 40 minutes I used a sponge and a towel to wipe it all away and shine it up. It worked out pretty great! I was intrigued.

Then this past weekend my family and I took a day trip to a spring. We brought our new water cooler, which we'd never tested out before. Unfortunately, the cooler leaked all over our trunk and my van smelled pretty funky the next morning. I decided to try more baking soda. I used several cups and sprinkled lavender essential oil over the top of each cup before sprinkling it all over the carpet of the van. I let it sit over night and then vacuumed it all up. It's been days and my van still smells of fresh lavender. I'm thrilled!

A few days ago, I awoke to a nasty little surprise in my closet. The cat had peed on the only carpet left in the whole house! So I tried the carpet trick again in the house. I searched oils to deter cats from peeing(lavender and citrus) and added those to the baking soda this time. The baking soda soaked the cat urine right out of the carpet! The odor was a little too serious for it to be completely solved in one treatment, but it is still pretty amazing!
If you'd like to try cleaning with baking soda here is a link with 50 awesome ideas. I love that it is all natural and safe for my family and pets.  

<3 Baking Beauty

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies

From the Kitchen of the Veggie Vixen

A while ago I found this recipe for chocolate chip pumpkin cake cookies and I fell in love. Fall is my favorite time of year and I like to cook with fall flavor year round but this time I decided to follow the recommendation in the recipe and change it up with some banana instead of pumpkin. I always have bananas that get too ripe so I peal them and throw them in the freezer for an opportunity just like this!

 

3/4C of mashed, ripe banana

1/2C of coconut flour

1/2C of coconut oil, melted
1/4C flax meal

6 eggs

2t vanilla extract

1/4C honey

1t cinnamon

1t nutmeg

1t allspice

1/2t baking powder

3/4C semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together the mashed banana, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, and honey.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together the coconut flour, flax meal, baking powder, and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and combine until all clumps are gone. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until no longer wet and the bottoms are cooked. Cool for 5-10 minutes and serve warm.

 

 

Special thanks to the Civilized Caveman for the original recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake Cookies and the idea to make them using different variations! Be sure to visit his blog and check out countless Paleo recipes.

 

 

Nutritional Information for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies (approx 24 cookies):

serving size is one cookie	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Bananas, mashed	150	39	1	2	2	21
Coconut Oil	960	0	112	0	0	0
Coconut Flour	240	32	8	8	120	4
Eggs	441	2	30	38	420	2
Vanilla extract	24	1	0	0	1	1
Honey - Raw	240	68	0	0	0	64
Cinnamon	8	2	0	0	0	0
Nutmeg, ground	12	1	1	0	0	1
All Spice, Ground	5	0	0	0	0	0
Baking Powder	0	0	0	0	120	0
Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips	840	120	48	1	0	96
Flax Seed Meal	120	6	9	4	0	0

Total:	3,040	271	209	53	663	189
Per Serving:	127	11	9	2	28	8

 Nutritional information provided by http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Mini Mexican Style Meatloaf

From the Kitchen of Veggie Vixen

I LOVE Mexican food so of course I had to create some kind of Mexican inspired meatloaf. I usually try to mix up my meatloaf at least a day in advance to let all the flavors blend together but it is still good if mixed up right before you pop it in the oven.



Mini Mexican Style Meatloaf topped with medium cheddar cheese, Fajita Style Roasted Cauliflower & Mexican Style Squash.

Mini Mexican Style Meatloaf

1lb lean ground beef
2 eggs
1/4C almond flour
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2T Frank's Red Hot
1t chili powder
1/2t cumin
1/2t salt
1/2t fresh ground pepper
1/2c Herdez Salsa (I use medium or hot but it's up to you)
your favorite cheese - optional

1. Whisk eggs then add in Frank's Red Hot, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, fresh ground pepper, and Herdez Salsa. Mix well then add almond flour.
2. Add lean ground beef to your mixture and use your hands to mix it all up well without overworking the meat mixture. Let sit in a well sealed container overnight to let flavors blend.
3. Using your hands form 8oz mini loaves and arrange them on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet.
4. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Optional: during the last 10 minutes of baking I like to top my mini Mexican meatloaves with 1-2oz of cheese! Colby-jack or cheddar are my favorites.

I weight out my mini loaves to about 8oz each.

Since most ground beef packages are usually over one pound I tend to get 3 mini loaves from one package of ground beef. Each weighs just over 8oz.

Badia Fajita Seasoning, Frank's Red Hot & Herdez Hot Salsa. All three products have no additives - this includes no added sugar which is common in commercial fajita seasoning blends and salsas.

Below are my favorite side dishes to serve with my Mini Mexican Meat Loaves.

Fajita Style Roasted Cauliflower Florets
Toss one head of cauliflower, separated into florets, in 2-3T Badia Fajita seasoning mix and olive oil. Lay florets in an even layer on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, or until tender, in a 400 degree oven.

One medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets. I put them into a gallon size zip bag so they would be easy to coat with oil and seasonings.

Add enough olive oil to coat all of the florets well.

Sprinkle in 2-3T Badia Fajita seasoning, seal the bag and shake it well so that all florets are evenly coated. Make sure the fajita seasoning doesn't clump up on any of the florets or it may be unpleasant.

For even roasting, florets will need to be spread out in a single layer.

 

Mexican Style Squash
Sauté diced or sliced zucchini and yellow squash in a non stick skillet with a little olive oil. When squash begins to brown and become soft season with 1-2T Badia Fajita seasoning mix and about 1/2C Herdez Salsa. Continue to sauté until squash is tender and most of the liquid has cooked out of the pan.


By cutting all of my squash at one time with my kitchen mandolin I'll have plenty for lunches and dinners later in the week - time saver!

This squash will store in my fridge for a week or more.
  



Cook the zucchini and squash mixture until the veggies are nice and tender.

 



Sweet Leaf Stevia Drops

My favorite Paleo friendly sweetener, by far, is Sweet Leaf Stevia drops. This company began making the drops in 1996 and they are USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. They currently create 21 flavors. I use them in a myriad of ways including: sweetening my coffee, sweetening sparkling water to make my own "soda", sweetening baked good, sweetening yogurt, smoothies, etc. I have even added chocolate Sweet Leaf Stevia to plain hot water for a hot cocoa-like drink. I always have the coffee pack in my purse for impromptu Starbucks trips. They have so many tasty flavors and my goal over the past 6 months or so has been to try as many as I could get my hands on. I love to mix chocolate, vanilla creme, and English Toffee in my coffee. I also love pumpkin spice in my coffee, which I think is a fairly new flavor. I usually cycle through the cola, root beer, and fruity flavors for my sparkling water. My 3 year old loves chocolate sparkling water! 

This is my current collection. I have also tried chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, peppermint mocha, and Valencia orange.

Celebrating 100 Likes on Facebook

Lemongrass Body Spray Giveaway

 

When the Cave Girls reach their 100th like on Facebook they will be randomly giving away a fabulous travel size gift set of body spray from Lemongrass Spa. Everyone who has liked the page will be eligible to win the prize so start sharing, liking, and telling everyone you know about Cave Girl Shenanigans on BlogSpot and Facebook!

 

 

Enter to win* by liking our Facebook page here.

 

 

 

*Official giveaway rules:

• All giveaway participants that have liked our Facebook page release Facebook of any responsibilities.
• This giveaway is being held by Veggie Vixen and Baking Beauty through Cave Girl Shenanigans.
• This promotion is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Facebook.
• Winner must comply by providing their address to receive their Lemongrass Spa gift set within 10 days of contest end or another winner will be chosen.

Paleo Cranberry Almond Muffins

From the Kitchen of Veggie Vixen

I love fresh, whole cranberries so when they're in season I always buy some extra and freeze them for later. I was down to one last bag and was contemplating what to do with them - it had to be something good! That's when I came across this recipe for Paleo Cranberry Almond Muffins. MMMMM! They were very quick to whip up and are heavenly!




Thanks to just Jessie B. for the recipe!
Check out her other recipes here.

Nutrition Information (for 12 muffins)

 

Ingredients	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Almond Flour	1,440	54	126	54	0	9
Coconut Flour	120	16	4	4	60	2
Baking soda	0	0	0	0	315	0
Sea Salt	0	0	0	0	936	0
Eggs - Whole, raw	147	1	10	13	140	1
Coconut Oil	600	0	70	0	0	0
Honey - Raw	300	85	0	0	0	80
Cranberries - Raw	44	12	0	0	2	4
Sliced Raw Almonds	320	12	28	12	0	2

Total:	2,971	180	238	83	1,453	98
Per Serving:	248	15	20	7	121	8

Ketchup from your Kitchen

I've been making my own ketchup for over 6 months now and I can't imagine returning to commercially made ketchup. I saved an old ketchup bottle for my own batch(this was a double or maybe triple batch). It is so easy and very tasty!

 Here is the recipe I use:

Ketchup

6 oz can tomato paste
¼ to 1/3 C water
2 T apple cider vinegar
¼ t dry mustard
¼ t cinnamon
¼ t sea salt
1 pinch cloves
1 pinch allspice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4-6 T Stevia

In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients with a wire whisk. Blend well. Scrape the mixture into a pint-sized, re-sealable container. Chill overnight, to blend the flavors.

<3 Baking Beauty

Chicken Pot Pie

From the Kitchen of Cave Man Karl

Pie Crust:
2/3C arrow root flour
1/3C coconut flour
1/4t sea salt
1 large egg
1/3C coconut milk
2T ghee or lard
water, just enough to make dough ball

Sift together all dry ingredients then add ghee or lard until mixture begins to form crumbles. Continue to work crust, adding water, until mixture is crust consistency.

Filling:
1/2 butternut squash
1/2 acorn squash
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
2C raw spinach
5 baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
2t turmeric
2t sage
1t rosemary

Roast butternut and acorn squash, blend with water, turmeric, sage, and rosemary to make a smooth and pourable sauce. While squash is roasting brown chicken in a well greased cast iron skillet with garlic and onion. Continue to add spinach and mushrooms as the pan is ready, this will be your pie filling. Grease pie plate (or ramekins as used here) with coconut oil. Lay pastry into plate and fill with chicken filling leaving room for squash mixture. Add in squash mixture until crust is full. Top with remaining crust. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes or until crust is golden.

Adventures with Blackberries

I spent a lot of time in my kitchen yesterday creating yummy treats with the blackberries we picked earlier this week. I made some blackberry preserves and blackberry leather.

First I rinsed my berries in about 1 cup vinegar and half a pot water.

Next, I added the lemon juice and 1 cup swerve sweetener.

Then I juiced 3 lemons.

I started with about 5.2 pounds fresh black berries.

Bring to a bubble and watch closely for 30 minutes. It is very easy for it to boil over, so keep the heat just high enough for it to bubble vigorously. Be careful when stirring, as it might pop up to bite you! After the 30 minutes reduce heat to a simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool thoroughly before storing in air tight jars.

I ended up with about 5 or 6 cups preserves. This was after I used some to make leather.

I followed these directions to make blackberry leather with my preserves. I used plastic wrap to line my pan, like she says, and it was just hot enough to melt holes through the plastic around, but not where the fruit is. I also flipped the fruit over and dumped it off the plastic after 6 hours and left it in the oven off overnight, since it was still wet on the bottom.

Saturday 6/28

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Throw Down



A Field Trip to the U-Pick Farms

Early Morning Shenanigans with the Veggie Vixen & Baking Beauty

 

 

Baking Beauty & Veggie Vixen

 

This morning we took a one hour field trip to visit the Holland Family Farm and it sure was worth the drive. We arrived just after the farm opened and were happy to find that there were plenty of ripe berries ready to be picked.  Every once in awhile you could hear Baking Beauty call out, "berry down" meaning that one was accidently dropped. Of course this would be followed by giggles and we would get right back to picking. The farm quickly started to fill up with other pickers but there were plenty of berries for all and at only $4 a pound, cash only. Quite a deal!

 

The farm staff was very friendly, even sharing a yummy snack of fruit leather with Baking Beauty's younger daughter, Cake Pop. As we were getting our buckets of berries (buckets provided by the farm) we were told about another u-pick farm just across US1 called Sledd's U-Pick Strawberries. We were excited to find out that our field trip didn't have to be over and we quickly headed over.

 

Upon arriving at Sledd's we were greeted by the farm owner himself at his farm stand.  We were set on picking tomatoes and eggplants so he pointed us in the right direction giving us a bucket and loaning us a knife for cutting the eggplants off their bushes. The shenanigans and giggles continued as you could hear, "tomato down" from Baking Beauty once or twice.  After we finished picking, as Mr. Sledd was weighing our produce, staff from the farm were bringing in already picked beans and okra that were available for purchase.  Currently available at Sledd's for u-pick are peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, okra, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, and blackberries all for only $3 a pound. Sledd's accepts cash or checks.

 

Some tips if  you're heading out to pick:

• Wear closed toe shoes, water proof if you have them (like muck boots)
• Put on some sunscreen (Veggie Vixen got a little too much sun!)
• Take plenty of water to drink
• If  you're going to Sledd's, take a knife for cutting veggies off the vine
• Check Facebook before you go. Some hours are subject to change and you can also find out what crops are in. Holland Family Farm or Sledd's U-Pick Strawberries

 

Blackberries from the Holland Family Farm,
all other fruits and veggies from Sledd's U-Pick Strawberry Farm.

Triple Berry Smoothie

This morning I decided to try something new in my smoothie and WOW I'm in love! I started with my usual packet of Stevia in the Raw, whole milk and plain whole milk Greek style yogurt. I was feeling like so I peaked in the freezer and was happy to see black berries and blueberries from when my mother-in-law went picking at the Holland Family Farm a few weeks ago. The final touch was a dropper full of my new favorite SweetLeaf, Vanilla Crème. Enjoy! ~Veggie Vixen

Triple Berry Smoothie
From the Kitchen of The Veggie Vixen

1/2 C black berries*
1/2 C blue berries*
1/2 C strawberries*
1/2 C whole milk
1/2 C Cabot plain whole milk Greek style yogurt
1 packet Stevia in the Raw
1 dropper SweetLeaf Vanilla Crème
1 spoonful flax meal

Blend and enjoy!


*All measurements are approximate. 1/2 C = a small handful. As usual I just fill my Magic Bullet single serve mug and blend.

I don't eat a lot of dairy, but what I do enjoy is always full fat. Here is why(not to mention, it's delicious!) I also only buy blocks of cheese and shred/cut them myself. When cheese is sliced or shredded in a factory they add cellulose and other additives to keep it from sticking together. Thanks, I'll pass on the cellulose!
<3 Baking Beauty

Whole Milk Mozzarella. I use the leftover crumbles from shredding on my cream cheese pizza, since they will melt anyway!

 Full fat extra sharp cheddar is one of our favorites!

Baking Beauty's Favorite Kitchen Tools

There are so many tools I love in my kitchen, it was hard to decide which are my favorite. Here are some that I love and use often. You will find a lot of overlap between my collection and that of the Veggie Vixen.
 
(from left to right)
1. Kitchen aid food processor- I use this to process my own cheese blocks, make mashed cauliflower, and much more.
2. Keurig single cup coffee brewer- I use this every morning with a reusable K-cup so that I'm not contributing quite as much to the landfill.
3. Apple Peeler/Corer- I use this to cut and core my apple for snacks or baking. I usually leave the peel on since it is packed with fiber and nutrients, but I love having the slices to snack on.
4. Orgreenics pots/pans/bakeware- I was gifted the whole set of pots, pans, and utensils and I absolutely love them. I later bought the bakeware and it's all I use.
5. Collapsible strainer- I use this everyday to wash my berries.
6. Misto- I fill mine with olive oil to use for cooking.
7. Pyrex containers- I use these to store leftovers, serving, baking, freezing, they're amazing!
8. Soda Stream- I love drinking sparkling water flavored with Sweet Leaf Stevia drops.
9. Mandolin- I don't use this quite as often as these other gadgets, but it is irreplaceable for what it can do. With it fruits and veggies can be sliced thin enough to make tasty chips, "noodles", or Julienne to top a salad.

 

10. Knife Set- I love the convenience of the magnetic strip and the color this set brings to my kitchen.

 

11. Oven Gloves- maintain your dexterity while retrieving hot items from the oven. 

<3 Baking Beauty

Roasted Buffalo Style Cauliflower

From the Kitchen of The Veggie Vixen

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 C Frank's Red Hot
3T unsalted butter, melted
2-3 T olive oil
1T garlic powder

Mix melted butter, Frank's Red Hot, olive oil, and garlic powder. Toss cauliflower florets in buffalo sauce so that all florets are well coated. Spread florets evenly onto a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Roast in oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until florets are soft and golden.

Strawberry, Banana, & Chocolate Smoothie

From the Kitchen of The Veggie Vixen

1/2 banana
1pt sliced strawberries
1 packet Stevia in the Raw
1 large spoonful Hershey's Baking Cocoa
1/2 C whole milk
1/2 C plain whole milk yogurt
1 large spoonful flax meal

Blend all ingredients in blender and enjoy!

*All measurements are approximate - I just fill my single serve Magic Bullet mug and blend.

13 Things I Always Have on Hand

From the kitchen of The Veggie Vixen

1. Spices A well stocked spice rack goes a really long way and can transform anything from bla to wonderful with just a pinch or two of your favorite spice. My "go to" spice is a mix called Coastal Blend from Mickey's Pantry at Downtown Disney. It adds a little bit of dill and red pepper to veggies, chicken, or fish and is delightful.

Organize your spice cabinet with these spice rack clips available from Amazon.com.



Coastal Blend is available at Mickey's Pantry in Downtown Disney or from www.spiceandtea.com.

2. Almond Flour From baking to making breading on fish or chicken almond flour goes a long way. Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour in bulk on Amazon.

3. Flax Meal I often add flax to my smoothies, baking, and breading. It adds extra health benefits and I never even taste it. BONUS! Bob's Red Mill Flax Meal in bulk on Amazon.

4. Local Honey As a condiment, as a sweetener in baking, as a marinade or glaze. The possibilities for local honey are endless and there are numerous added health benefits too. In the Melbourne area check out Beez Bros Honey or The Flavored Honey Store.

5. Stevia In The Raw packets I buy them in bulk to save some extra money and use them to add a little extra sweet whenever needed.

Stevia in the Raw in bulk on Amazon.

6. Frank's Red Hot I use it on chicken, fish, veggies, and even as a salad dressing. It is my "go to" condiment.

7. Olive Oil I keep some in my Misto for use as a non stick spray. I use olive oil for all my cooking and non stick needs. It also works wonders for sauté or baking fish, chicken, or beef. You can even use it on your skin with salt or sugar as a scrub.

8. Cauliflower Yes, cauliflower. It's the perfect side dish for any meal.

9. Cheese I don't care what kind although I always keep a few varieties in the fridge. Always the kind with full fat! No lite or 2% cheese in this house.

10. Whole Milk Yogurt My favorite is Greek style but it doesn't matter if you prefer something a little more traditional. The key is looking for a brand that doesn't add sugar, that means the plain stuff.

This is my favorite! It's wonderful in a smoothie.

 

11. Whole Milk Our household recently made the switch from 2% milk to whole milk after learning the benefits of whole milk. It sure is yummy!

12. Fresh Fruit Seasonal fruit is great for making preserves, snacks, and my favorite - smoothies. I always keep fresh fruit in the fridge and some in the freezer. If you like quality fruits and veggies check out The Holland Family Farm, in Mims, where you can pick your own for great prices.

13. Lean Protein Even though I plan my family's dinner menu a week in advance (so I can get the best sales at the grocery store) I always keep a bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts as well as at least a pound of lean ground beef in the freezer. This keeps me ready for anything. When I find myself wanting something new I'll look up new recipies on the internet and play around until I find something that sounds like it'll "hit the spot." Click here for some Paleo Ground Beef Ideas & Paleo Chicken Ideas.