AIP Pumpkin Pie and Crust: Baked Version (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Egg Free)

I am very excited to share this pie with you. Last year I posted my mini, no-bake pumpkin pies. I love those as a fun (and cute!) alternative to a regular pie and they are tasty, but this year I wanted to make a real pumpkin pie. Gluten is definitely out of the question since I discovered I can't eat it. And since I've been moving towards the autoimmune protocol (healing protocol for autoimmune disease and gut healing), I wanted to make an AIP pumpkin pie. Not an easy task! Especially for someone that prefers cooking to baking. :)

Tangy Marinated Slaw, No-Mayo (Paleo, Autoimmune Protocol, Whole30)

Cabbage has always been one of those vegetables that I have tried to learn to love many different times. But no matter what I do with it, even trying the undoubtedly delicious (for most) World's Best Braised Cabbage from Nom Nom Paleo, it's just not my favorite thing. Yet, over St. Patrick's Day weekend, I found myself with five, maybe six, heads of cabbage. I'm a sucker for a deal and at 39 cents a pound, I may have gone just a little overboard. Just a little. Don't worry, I only hoard cabbage (and avocados).

 

Carrot Top Pesto (nut-free) with Roasted Carrots

I didn't always like cooked carrots. My first memories are of those mushy, boiled ones. Probably from a can. They made their appearance at home and were a regular feature in school lunches. That was when my strong dislike for cooked carrots began. Once I hit adulthood, I was free. No more cooked carrots for me. Even when I moved into my first apartment and begin cooking everyday, carrots were off the menu. The blurry memory of sitting at the dinner table with nothing but carrots left on my plate was enough to make me swear them off forever.

Or so I thought...

It wasn't until I started following paleo over a year ago that I decided to try out roasted carrots. I was roasting every other vegetable known to man (I like to exaggerate), so there was no reason to leave out the carrot. At first, I sliced them and tossed them with coconut oil and cumin. They were divine and I was hooked. No mushy carrots are welcome here. But, although these roasted carrots are delicious on their own, this recipe isn't really about the carrots...

No Bake Mini AIP Pumpkin Pies with Coconut Whipped Cream (Paleo, Autoimmune Protocol, GAPS)

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen me post about a pumpkin recipe a few weeks months ago. I started working on this back in August or September (and neglected to take pictures until recently) and it took some time to get these as I imagined them. When I have an idea for creating desserts that are allergy-friendly and I have to try to make them. I'm a little obsessed. I'm also obsessed with mini desserts. See here and here. This recipe actually started as somewhat of a pumpkin fudge. I was making this almond butter fudge and decided to try it with pumpkin. It tasted similar to a pumpkin pie, but then I decided that I wanted to create something that really was like pumpkin pie. But without eggs and nuts, and of course without gluten and dairy. A perfect and fun substitute for traditional pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving!

Instant Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream (Banana Soft Serve)

My pumpkin consumption usually only involves pumpkin pie. Lots of pumpkin pie. (Last year, I made it using this crust from Mark's Daily Apple and it was delicious.) But...this "ice cream" might just change my mind. I'm putting pumpkin in everything from now on. (I'm kidding. But after eating this for several weeks, I'm tempted.)

Chocolate Truffle Cake from Indulge: 70 Grain Free Desserts

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen me rave about a coffee cake I made using a recipe by Carol Lovett from the popular blog, Ditch the Wheat. The recipe came from Carol's ebook, Indulge and Carol has graciously allowed me to share a recipe from her book with you (and give a copy to one of you!). Sorry, but it is not the coffee cake. Instead, I give you this amazing Chocolate Truffle Cake. Carol says, "This cake is a cross between a chocolate truffle and a brownie. The cake is so rich only a sliver is needed to satisfy your craving."

Oh, and it is...so rich but so good.

Indulge is available right now for 20% off the normal price! Check it out here.

Homemade French Onion Dip, Copycat Heluva Good (with Dairy Free Option)

without gelatin (It does get a little thicker than this after refrigeration)

My sister has been slowly transitioning her family to real food. While she has been eating real food and following a mostly paleo diet for awhile now, her husband has been reluctant to give up certain foods that he loves. One of these things -- Heluva Good® French Onion Dip. I mean, I get it. It's good stuff. It is helluva good. Once I discovered the stuff (through my brother-in-law actually), I ate tubs of it.

But once you learn about real food, you realize just how much non-food ingredients are in our food. Like what's in Heluva Good French Onion Dip (MSG, soybean oil):

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Finally. I know I teased you for far too long. I really didn't think that many people cared about Brussels sprouts (Did you catch my rant about that "s" in Brussels sprout? Still can't say it.) But that molten brownie was worth it, right? Did you try it?

It took me a long time to come around and try Brussels sprouts as an adult. I don't know if I ate them as a kid, but if I did, I can guarantee they were boiled or some other way to make sprouts not-at-all appetizing. (No offense, Mom.) Oven or pan roasted is definitely the way to go when learning to love Brussels sprouts. I'm a big fan of roasting them in the oven. It's quick and easy and really hard to mess up. If you don't like Brussels sprouts -- though you can't say that until you've had them roasted and you've tried them at least 10 times -- then stick around and make the vinaigrette. It's great on a salad as well. (And yes, you can use a regular lemon.)

Dairy Free Double Layer Peppermint Bark

I'm not going to talk much today -- mostly because I'm stuffing my face with peppermint bark. I love Christmas, but I can't wait until the New Year. Then I will be able to replace all this sugary indulgence with alcohol. Just a little. Champagne is a requirement for bringing in the New Year. For me, it is. You don't have to agree.

Almond Pomegranate Chocolate Bark

I made this last night. 

Balsamic Roasted Butternut Squash and Fennel (Paleo, AIP) and a mostly paleo Thanksgiving

Who wants to know how my mostly paleo Thanksgiving turned out? Okay, okay, you can put your hands down. Food is the last thing I want to think about after Thanksgiving, especially since I've been eating the leftovers for days. I originally planned to post about something non-food related, but I thought you guys might be interested in how to pull off a paleo Thanksgiving (or other special occasion).

Ah, who am I kidding? I didn't really pull it off.  Well, it did not go as perfectly as I had planned it in my head. If you’ve been following along, you know I try to tell it like it is. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

So first...I ate too much pumpkin pie. (And enjoyed every bite.)

My meal plan for Thanksgiving this year was not traditional. It wasn’t full of white rolls or green bean casserole or any type of casserole. (Sorry, but does anyone like that stuff? The casserole, not the rolls. I love the rolls.)  I tried to make vegetables that the kids would eat, while sticking with real food, and food that follows the paleo way of eating. After completing the Whole30 and having a family willing to allow me to cook a somewhat "different" kind of Thanksgiving, I went for it.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (with coconut milk)

Do you remember when I said I was planning a mostly paleo Thanksgiving? Well, first if you still don’t know what paleo is, you can read more here. 

My family hasn’t gotten together for Thanksgiving in many years. While all of us won’t be gathering this year, a large majority of us are planning dinner together. If I am around, I am always tasked to make the mashed potatoes (and everything else). While simple, mashed potatoes can be easy to mess up. Too lumpy, too watery, too buttery (that's possible, right?). But when you get it right, the taste of real mashed potatoes is unmatched. That boxed stuff is not the same thing. And the butter. You always want butter. Sorry, dairy-free people (I eat dairy-free but seem to have no issues with good quality butter); it’s just not the same without butter.  Now, I haven’t tried ghee, so that might work. Update: Ghee works and taste lovely! I like the Pure Indian Foods brand which you can read more about in this post.