Almond Flour Applesauce Muffins, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, SCD

Almond Flour Applesauce Muffins    makes 12

3 Cups Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour
1 TSP Baking Soda
1/2 TSP Salt
1 TSP Organic Cinnamon
3 TBSP Organic or Local Honey
1/2 Cup homemade Yogurt
1/2 Cup Organic Eden brand Applesauce
1 TSP Vanilla
3 Organic Eggs, beaten

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
• Combine wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl with beaten eggs. 
• Add combined dry ingredients into wet ingredients mixing well by hand.
• Using naturally refined Organic Coconut Oil, grease muffin tin.
• Spoon mixture into muffin tins, makes 12 muffins.
• Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown (depending on the brand of almond flour, baking time may vary so start watching muffins at about 20 minutes so they don't over bake)

These muffins freeze well in freezer safe Mason Jars for one month.  Not all mason jars are freezer safe!!

Homemade Dark Chocolate

Homemade Dark Chocolate (not SCD legal)

1/2 cup Organic Cacao Powder
1/4 cup Organic Coconut Oil
2-4 TBSP Organic Honey or Pure Maple Syrup

Melt coconut oil in small saucepan. Remove from heat.
While coconut oil is still hot, add Cacao Powder and Honey or Maple Syrup.
Stir well until smooth.  The longer you stir, the creamier the chocolate.  You will see it thicken.
*Pour into a parchment paper lined 8x8 freezer dish, smooth out even across paper.
Place in freezer 30 minutes, then break into pieces.  Store sealed in a container in refrigerator.

EDITED: * Pour into candy molds.  Place in freezer 30 minutes then remove from molds and store in a mason jar in refrigerator.

This will taste sweeter once it cools.

This is my favorite brand Cacao Power HERE

NOTES:  I have seen several recipes on line to make dark chocolate.  Some add vanilla extract but mine got lumpy when I tried that. I usually use 3 TBSP of honey, and that tastes about like 70% dark chocolate to me.

ALMOND FLOUR ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

ALMOND FLOUR ZUCCHINI MUFFINS     makes 12 muffins
2 cups Blanched Almond Flour (Honeyville is by far the best that I have used)
1 TSP Baking Soda
1/2 TSP Sea Salt
1 TSP Organic Ground Cinnamon
2 TBSP Organic Coconut Oil, melted
3 Organic Eggs
1 TSP White Vinegar
1 TSP Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Organic Applesauce
3 TBSP Organic Honey or local honey
1 1/2 Cups Organic peeled, shredded Zucchini (about 1 medium)

 Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

• Lay peeled, shredded zucchini on paper towels and mash moisture from zucchini, zucchini needs to be as dry as possible.
• Mix Almond Flour, Baking Soda, Salt and Cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside. 
• Crack eggs into another bowl.  Whisk eggs by hand with a fork.  Add Vanilla Extract, White Vinegar, Honey and Applesauce.
• Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir.
• Add zucchini and stir in.
• Add coconut oil and continue to mix by hand until all the dry ingredients are mixed well.
• Prepare muffin tins with brushed on coconut oil.  Divide mixture into 12 muffins.  About 1/3 full.
• Bake 25 minutes.  Loosen edges and remove from pan while still hot.  Place on wire rack to cool.

I freeze these muffins in freezer safe mason jars.  I am not sure how long they will stay good in the freezer, they don't last long enough in this house to know.  LOL

Lemon Honey and Cinnamon for Weight Loss

Three of my favorite flavors might actually be beneficial for weight loss.  Lemon, honey and cinnamon can help with weight loss.  Too bad I didn't take Richard Simmons advice, way back in the 80's, and start each morning with a glass of warm lemon water instead of coffee.  I remember trying it, but after adding a huge spoonful of sugar, pretty sure it didn't help me very much! 

For me, this has been a much healthier option than taking appetite suppressants and shots for weight loss.  Believe me, I have already been down that road and it was great for getting the weight off in a hurry, which I think is great, but did nothing for keeping the weight off long term!  I am hoping for long term weight management and getting my guts healthy for overall health.  So until I find out otherwise, this is the healthiest option for me in my opinion. 

I squeeze a lemon every morning and get about 4 tablespoons of juice from it.  I use one tablespoon each morning and evening in my lemon and cinnamon tea.  The remaining two tablespoons I add to my filtered drinking water.  Lemon increases metabolism and has Vitamin C and folate as well as phytonutrients, with antioxidants and antibiotic effects.

Cinnamon is a good source of manganese, fiber and calcium plus blood sugar control.  Cinnamon helps with anti clotting by keeping platelets from unwanted clumping.  It is also beneficial for regulating blood sugar levels by slowing the rate the stomach empties which keeps blood sugar from rising and dropping too quickly as well as helps the cells respond to insulin which helps keep blood sugar levels normal.

Honey has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. But the quality of the honey is so important.  Try to buy local raw honey from reputable sellers.  Or buy organic raw honey.  If I had some property, I would find a bee keeper and let him use my land and he could pay me in honey!  Or maybe the hubs would learn how to become a bee keeper LOL!!  Maybe I need to check into that. 

LEMON HONEY AND CINNAMON TEA  makes 1 cup

1 TSP  organic ground Cinnamon or use Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks
1 TBSP organic raw Honey (optional)
1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup hot water

• Pour hot water over cinnamon and let steep, covered, about 5 minutes.  Strain through a fine mesh coffee / tea filter if you don't like the texture as cinnamon doesn't mix very well with water.  Or use cinnamon sticks.
• After cinnamon has steeped 5 minutes, add honey and lemon just before drinking.  Stir well.
• Drink every morning and about an hour before bed.

Organic Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Sticks

Organic Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Sticks (Recipe Makeover)  makes 6 bars

1 cup Organic Oatmeal, crushed loosely to measure 2/3 cup
1/2 cup Organic Smooth Peanut Butter
3 TBSP Organic Honey
1/3 cup Organic Powdered Milk

Crush 1 cup Oatmeal in food process or Bullet lightly to measure 2/3 cup.
Add peanut butter, honey and powdered milk.  Knead ingredients together.  It will look too dry but just keep kneading, it will eventually all come together.
Divide into 6 even pieces and roll into logs.  Wrap each individually in waxed paper and place all of them together in a freezer baggy.  Store in freezer or refridgerator. 

I keep mine in the freezer, they thaw to the perfect consistency by the time I fix my coffee.