Lemon Blueberry Bread (Paleo & SCD)

If you've been following me on Instagram lately, you've seen that Nick and I have been doing the SCD (specific carbohydrate diet). SCD is a diet that eliminates complex carbohydrates from the diet as they are very difficult to digest, hence, SCD is wonderful for helping to treat digestive disorders. While I don't necessarily suffer from this, Nick does, so I hopped on the bandwagon to help him and also to cut sugar and white carbs out of my own diet. We already eat a diet high in protein and veggies, but eliminating carbs, grains, sugar, legumes, etc. hasn't been a walk in the park, that's for sure.

As a result, I'm always on the hunt for any type of "bread" recipes, since there is absolutely nothing you can buy in the store while on this diet. All store bought breads have some type of rice flour, gum, potato starch, arrowroot starch, etc. So, I stumbled across this lemon blueberry bread while googling SCD compliant recipes, and immediately decided to try it. It has very few ingredients and is super simple to throw together.

It's almost sugar free (we do add some raw, organic honey since that is allowed in moderation), full of dietary fiber, and loaded with protein as well. I used blueberries because they are my favorite, but you could sub raspberries or pretty much any kind of berry you want in this. I think doing both blueberries and raspberries would be a fun twist! I made this for a second time last night, so I just had to post the recipe on the blog since we love it so much. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups blanched almond flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 large organic/pastured eggs
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan or sea salt
• 1/4 cup (or less) organic raw honey
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond, cashew or coconut milk
• Juice from 1 full lemon
• 1-2 tsp lemon zest (estimated, this doesn't need to be exact)
• 1-2 cups blueberries (also an estimate - however many you prefer)

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan with some type of oil or butter. I used ghee to grease our pan.
3. Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix together.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously. Add milk, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest to eggs and continue to whisk.
5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Fold in the blueberries very gently - they squish easily!
7. Scoop the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
8. Cool for about 5-10 minutes before removing from pan and enjoying!

Warming Turmeric Latte

That comfort food season is upon us, and a warming turmeric latte is the just the trick to make you feel warm and cozy. Turmeric is what I like to call a super herb: it's a potent anti-inflammatory, meaning, taken regularly, it can help improve pretty much any ailment you may have. Since most diseases, skin conditions, aches and pains are caused by inflammation inside the body, turmeric helps to counteract that inflammation. 

Turmeric can be consumed in a variety of ways. I like to take it in capsule form to ensure that I get it in daily, but it is absolutely delicious in the form of a golden latte. Now, you can make your own golden mix from scratch, or you can do what I do and buy Gaia herbs mix. I'm the kind of girl who likes convenience, and making my own golden milk mix is NOT convenient in my opinion. It's a bunch of ingredients and precise measurements, and who has time for that in the morning!?

Now a bright yellow drink made with turmeric may sound disgusting, but trust me, it is far from it. Turmeric is mixed with warm fall spices and a hint of sweetness: Cardamom, Ashwagandha, dates, vanilla bean and of course, turmeric is what you'll find in the Gaia herbs mix. Oh and this isn't sponsored by the way... I just LOVE this mix and it makes it so so easy to make the most delicious drink in 5 minutes flat.

To make it is quite easy; no recipe needed if you're using the mix! Just heat any type of plant based milk over the stove top until it's almost at a boil. Stir n one heaping teaspoon of the golden milk mix, and whisk until completely dissolved/mixed. Pour and enjoy while hot!

I can't wait for you guys to try one of my favorite drinks! Please comment below and let me know how you like it. Also, if you're interested in getting a Thrive Market membership, click here for 25% and free shipping off your first purchase! xo

Avocado Egg Salad

I first discovered avocado egg salad in the Hamptons of all places. Sounds goofy right? Well it was a combo I never had thought of before I popped into a little local juice bar in Amagansett to grab a juice and a snack, and picked up a container of their avo-egg salad to try. Well, let me tell you, I INHALED that entire container on the train ride back to NYC, it was that good! Makes sense I would like it though... It's a combination of my favorite foods: eggs and avocado. I actually can't believe I never thought of this on my own.

Luckily, the little container had all the ingredients listed (as it was homemade) so it was quite easy to recreate on my own, which I did - immediately of course. Now it's a staple in my kitchen, as it's the perfect snack full of healthy fats and protein that you can grab and go anytime. As most of my recipes are, this is only a few ingredients, most of which a lot of you will have in your kitchen already, except maybe for the paleo mayo. Read on for this delicious recipe - and be sure to let me know how yours turns out!

So unfortunately, this recipe is a guesstimate, because as usual, I threw things into a bowl and added or adjusted until it tasted just right. I need to stop doing that for the blog's sake, so I can actually give you guys exact recipes to try! Below should be pretty darn close though.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 eggs, hard boiled
• 1 full avocado, ripe/decently soft and pit removed
• 1 bunch/2 handfuls of spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp paleo mayonnaise (you could use regular, but I highly recommend going paleo for this option - much healthier for you)
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• Drizzle of olive oil (as needed)
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. As mentioned above, make sure you hard boil the eggs prior to making this recipe of course. In a mixing bowl, chop or mash the eggs (with a potato masher), until the pieces are very small. 
2. In a separate bowl, mash up the avocado and add the dijon mustard, lemon juice, and mayo olive oil, and mix well. 
3. Add the chopped eggs and spinach to the avocado mixture and mix. Season with salt to taste.
4. Spread on bread, use as a side dish, or just eat it alone like I do!