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.)

Spaghetti Squash with Basil Avocado Sauce and Grilled Chicken

I actually made this recipe years ago...but with regular pasta (which you can do if you eat pasta). I was cooking up dinner for two and realized there wasn't much going on in the fridge. So, I smashed up an avocado and threw it on some penne pasta. I added sun-dried tomatoes and some grilled chicken breasts on top (at a time when the breast meat was all I ate) and dinner was served. At the time, I was certain I invented this creamy avocado sauce (you guys know how much I love using avocado to make things creamy like here and here). But now there are avocado cream pasta dishes all over the Internet. I knew I shouldn't have taken my leftovers to work...

Kale and Butternut Squash Breakfast Hash

Imagine this. You're doing the Whole30® program (and maybe you are) meaning you have already eliminated gluten, grains, sugar, and alcohol. Then, you decide to do the autoimmune protocol which also eliminates nuts, seeds, eggs, and nightshades. You wake up on Day 1 and realize you can't eat eggs. You can't eat eggs for breakfast.

What are you going to eat? Seriously.

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.