Blog – Page 5 – Nourish Wild

Carbon (C) (The Foundation of Life)

February 6, 2015/in Blog, Nutrient Spotlight, Science/by Andrew Stakem

Carbon (C) (The Foundation of Life)

I’m sure you know a little bit about this all too important element of the Earth, carbon. I could probably write a few pages about it, but you won’t read it all because you probably don’t have the time. So unless you really want to change your lifestyle, and if so let’s chat, keep reading to learn the basic characteristics of this element. Carbon is the builder of life on Earth and possibly of the universe. Due to the recent probe, Philae, that landed on a comet and discovered the presence of carbon, we can reasonably conclude that this element is why life on Earth even exists to this day. Carbon can join with other carbon atoms and form things like diamonds. Ooo diamonds! Guys, they really do mean a lot to your girlfriend or wife so get her one if she means that much to you that you want to show her off and tell everyone you found your person. Carbon can also join forces with hydrogen atoms to form many different molecules, such as methyl derivatives (some combination of C and H atoms). In regards to human nutrition and food, carbon is attached to 3 other atoms of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, to create food. It is literally the backbone of all food sources. All proteins, fats, and carbohydrates contain carbon plus some combination of the other 3 atoms just mentioned above. Carbohydrates consist of exactly what it sounds like, hydrated carbon, or water logged carbon. Stop and think about that… I just said water logged carbon. How many of you are overweight, even slightly? Or how many have edema, or swelling of the body? Maybe diabetes? Am I painting a picture for you? I should be painting a clear one for you… Stop eating carbohydrates if you want to lose weight and regain your immunity! The liver knows PRECISELY how much sugar the body needs to keep it efficient and working optimally. Any more and you “build” yourself up too much which ultimately causes illness, dis-ease, inflammation, or worse, death. On the other hand, don’t freak out too much, because carbon is necessary. It can build things for you as mentioned, but only in the correct amount. When the body digests carbon, it has an affinity for oxygen, which when combined, form by products that are very easy to eliminate. These by products are water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). There is a line to be drawn though. When crossed and we start consuming and absorbing more carbon, it naturally prevents absorption of other minerals like calcium, iron, and potassium, leading to deficiencies. This road leads to all sorts of issues, including diabetes, arthritis, inflammation, and exhaustion of the nervous system, among many other possibilities. One last thing I feel I should point out is that excess carbohydrates, or sugars, leads to an imbalance in our electrolytes (magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium) but most importantly, it leads to an acidic environment. Parasites, bacteria, and viruses all thrive in a sugar filled, acid dominated environment. I don’t know about you, but that’s enough motivation for me to consume more high quality, complete proteins and good fats and to reduce carbohydrate intake. This simple change, as well as other lifestyle changes, will help restore the amazing and unique immune system that is crucial to our well being. A great immune system will allow you to live your life to its fullest!

Brownie and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, White Sugar-Free)

January 24, 2015/8 Comments/in Blog, Dessert, Food/by Morgan Carr

This is a brownie and mint chip ice cream cake treat with great credentials: gluten-free, dairy-free, and white sugar-free. And trust me, you won’t miss any of it. Creamy mint chocolate chip ice cream layered with dense, chewy brownie. Perfect for any celebration… especially a 27th birthday!

Happy birthday to my main man and partner in crime, Andrew! On the 22nd my favorite nutrition nerd turned 27, which of course called for a special birthday treat. He’s not much of cake fan and actually asked for mint chocolate chip ice cream instead, but I decided to take it a step further. Birthdays are supposed to have some form of cake, amiright? When I unveiled this creation, he literally did a happy dance and then threw me over his shoulder. I’d say I succeeded.

Yep, he’s loving it.

If you ask me, mint chocolate chip is the best ice cream flavor, best flavor combination, best thing ever. Add brownie and we’re done here, it’s a wrap. The brownie is dense and chewy, and the ice cream is creamy and fresh, even though it doesn’t have any of the “typical” ingredients. No gluten, no dairy. All the fun. Don’t have a birthday to celebrate? Celebrate any day that ends in a “y.” Done and done. Just make sure you share 🙂

Brownie and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake

Brownie

A double batch of my Flourless Classic Brownies recipe

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

two 16 oz cans of coconut milk
1/4 cup Arrowroot Starch
1/4 cup unfiltered honey or maple syrup
2 eggs
1 Tbsp Peppermint Extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
about 1 tsp of liquid chlorophyll (optional, gives green color. Can be found at health shops.)
about 1/2 cup of Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, finely chopped

Chocolate Ganache Drizzle

about 1/3 cup of Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 Tbsp canned coconut milk

Start by making a double batch of my Flourless Classic Brownies recipe. Line the bottom of two 8″ round cake pans with parchment paper (I traced the pans and cut out the circles so the paper fit exactly in the bottom of the pan). Coat the bottom and corners of the pan with coconut oil or another fat source, place the paper on top of the oil, then coat the paper with the same oil. You don’t want these to stick! Distribute the brownie batter evenly into the two pans. Bake these brownies at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until the tops are cracked and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place these brownies in the freezer to cool (they need to be cold before you put the ice cream on top).
Next, make the ice cream base. Place all of the ice cream ingredients in a medium saucepan, and stir until completely combined and the egg yolks are broken. Heat over medium-low heat, until the mixture is warm but not hot. Remove from the stove, cover with lid, then place in the fridge to cool for at least 1 hour.
Once the ice cream base is cooled, strain the mixture so there are no lumps, and follow manufacturer instructions for your ice cream maker to make your ice cream. About 5 minutes before the end of the cycle while the machine is still running, add your chopped chocolate chips.
Once your ice cream has finished, evenly distribute the ice cream over the brownies still in the pans. Don’t push the ice cream all the way to the edges of the pans because this will make it harder to remove– leave a gap between the ice cream and pan edges. Place the pans back in the freezer, and let the ice cream harden.
Once the ice cream is hardened, remove both brownie/ice cream cakes from the pan (I just flipped them upside down and they came right out), peel off the parchment paper, and stack them on a plate.
To make the ganache, place the chocolate chips and coconut milk in a double broiler, and heat until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and drizzle over the cake. Enjoy!

Please note that some of the links in the above post are affiliate links that will take you to an Amazon.com page. If you choose to purchase a product featured in this post using an affiliate link, you will be directly supporting You’re An Animal. Thanks!

Quinoa and Spinach Patties (Gluten-Free)

January 18, 2015/2 Comments/in Blog, Food, Main Dishes/by Morgan Carr

These meatless (and gluten-free) quinoa and spinach burgers are easy to make in a big batch and freeze. Reheat in only 15 minutes, perfect for when you don’t have time or energy to cook. Plant-based protein and greens in one neat little patty package! Meatless Monday anyone?

These little guys are something I used to make in college a lot, mainly because they freeze and reheat like a dream, so they’re awesome for making a big batch and having them stocked up and ready to go when you don’t feel like cooking. Now, Mr. Meat-Every-Meal Andrew wasn’t through the roof about the idea of a non-meat burger, but even he said it was good, so I’ll take it. I used sprouted quinoa, which is more easily digested than non-sprouted grains, but note that we do still monitor our grain intake. They aren’t something to go overboard with if you want to keep your gut health in check. Oh, and this is also a great way to get some extra greens in!

I particularly like these for lunch. They would pair perfectly with a big, fresh salad. Yuuummm.

Quinoa and Spinach Patties (Gluten-Free)

1.5 cups of sprouted quinoa (dry)
3 cups of water
1/2 cup white onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 eggs
2 Tbsp coconut flour
2 Tbsp potato starch
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
1/4 tsp each salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and italian seasoning
1 Tbsp + 1/4 cup avocado oil

In a medium saucepan, combine the dry quinoa and water, and cook as directed on the package until done.
In a large pot, add your onion, garlic, avocado oil, salt, black pepper, red pepper and italian seasoning. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach is wilted.
Once both the onion and quinoa are done, remove from heat and add the quinoa to the onion/garlic mixture in the large pot. To this mixture, add the eggs, coconut flour and potato starch. Mix until thoroughly combined. The mixture should stick together relatively well and should start to form a ball.
Heat the 1/4 cup avocado oil over medium to medium-high heat in a large skillet.
Drop 1/4 cup sized balls of your quinoa batter into the hot skillet, being sure to give each patty space to cook and not overcrowd the pan.
Cook each patty until it is firm, and golden brown on each side. Add more oil to the pan as needed. Repeat until no batter is left.

Makes about 14 patties.

Please note that some of the links in the above post are affiliate links that will take you to an Amazon.com page. If you choose to purchase a product featured in this post using an affiliate link, you will be directly supporting You’re An Animal. Thanks!

Freezer Meal: Breakfast Burritos (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)

January 8, 2015/in Blog, Breakfast, Food/by Morgan Carr

These powerhouse breakfast burritos are perfect for Sunday Meal Prep! Stick them in the freezer, and heat them up in the morning when you’re ready. With both veggies and protein, they are an easy way to get yourself going on those hectic weekday mornings.

You know those mornings when you get to sit down and have a wonderful, elaborate, healthy breakfast before work or school? No? Me neither. If you’re like me, on the mornings you need to get out the door, you’re scrounging for something that takes little-to-no effort, or can be taken on the go. Oh and yeah… it’s supposed to actually nourish my body for the start of the day. Let me introduce your mornings’ new best friend: the Freezer Breakfast Burrito. If you have about 30 minutes to spare on your Sunday afternoon, you can get yourself ready for every morning of the week mindlessly and painlessly.

Wrap these guys up in foil, stick them in the freezer, and then the night before you want to eat one (or two), put it in the fridge overnight to thaw. This will save you precious reheat time in the morning. Ten minutes of reheat time before you head out the door (or if you’re like me, once you get to work) and voila, you’re good to go to start your day!

Tell me that doesn’t look like something you want to eat in the morning sun. Peppers, bacon (!), potatoes, and kale all wrapped up in the grain-free, egg-based tortilla. I think that’s also spelled b-r-e-a-k-f-a-s-t.

Breakfast Burritos

Grain-Free Tortillas (from Stupid Easy Paleo):
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup of your choice of starch (arrowroot, tapioca or potato… I use potato because it has a mild flavor)
- 2 tsp of coconut flour
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper
2 cups of diced white potatoes (diced into about 1/2 inch chunks)
6 slices of nitrate-free bacon (sliced into about 1/2 inch pieces)
6 mini sweet peppers sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces (or 1 large green, yellow, orange, or red bell pepper)
2 handfuls of baby kale
hot sauce to taste (I used about 2 tsp) (I use Frank’s Hot Sauce)
1/4 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper
Avocado oil or olive oil to coat pan

Heat a large skillet with your avocado or olive oil over medium-high heat. Add your diced potatoes to the skillet, and allow them to start to cook.
Next, work on the tortillas. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of your tortilla ingredients. Use an electric mixer to combine the ingredients, in order to most effectively eliminate the lumps from your mixture, until very smooth but not to the point of frothing the eggs.
Use a 10-inch, non-stick skillet to make the tortillas. Heat the skillet on medium heat. Once heated, pour about 1/4 cup of the tortilla batter onto the skillet, and roll the batter around in the skillet so it is evenly coated (like making a french crepe). Cook about 1 minute on each side, until lightly browned. The edges will curl away from the pan. If you have any issues with this process, you can refer to the original recipe and instructions for these tortillas here. This will make 6 tortillas.
As you are working on the tortillas, check on the potatoes. As they are starting to brown and soften slightly (about 5-10 minutes into the cooking process), add your sliced peppers and sliced bacon. Allow these to cook, letting the peppers soften and the bacon crisp, stirring occasionally.
Once your potatoes, peppers, and bacon have cooked to desired texture, add the hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and kale to your mixture. Stir to combine, until the kale wilts into your mixture.
Evenly divide your potato/pepper/bacon/kale mixture onto your tortillas. Roll into burritos (they will be relatively small in size).
To make it a freezer meal: Wrap your burritos in tin foil, and store in the freezer. The night before you want to eat one, place your burrito in the refrigerator and allow to thaw overnight. In the morning, set your oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees F. Place your foil-wrapped burrito in the oven for 10 minutes. Now run off to whatever you’re (almost) late for!

Makes 6 burritos

Chocolate Covered Peppermint Marshmallows (Made with Honey)

December 30, 2014/in Blog, Dessert, Food/by Morgan Carr

This is a Christmas post, coming to you on December 30th. It was fully intended to be in perfect holiday timing, ready for you to make and take to your favorite host or hostess and share with your family and friends. However, last Tuesday, the 23rd, when I intended to create this post, I instead woke up with the flu and was completely derailed. No website, no last-minute Christmas errands, just me and my couch, my two blankets, my hoodie, and copious amount of Turmeric Tea. So now it is coming to you, in fully restored health, an entire week overdue. But, better late than never, right? It’s almost New Year’s Eve, and this would still make the perfect host/hostess gift. Use up the last of those candy canes, and indulge in one last sweet treat before the bewitching day of January 1st when the gyms are full of wide-eyed people looking to make a change, and healthy cookbook sales skyrocket.

Speaking of which, I should mention that this will be the last sugar-laden recipe I make for a little while. Sugar has always been my downfall, and I have tried and tried to give it up. However, the restrictive nature of a “detox” always makes me want it even more. So I’ve decided to take a different approach. Instead of telling myself that I am not making sugary treats, I have decided to see it as an opportunity to explore new recipes… you know, with actual veggies and meats and… stuff. I’ve always been a baker, but I want to try my hand at more actual “cooking.” And so, with the turn of the calendar, I start that adventure. Yay!

As for this recipe, making marshmallows probably sounds totally daunting and not worth it. But I can promise you, it is so much easier than you would think. And when you realize how much crappy HFCS and other who-knows-what ingredients go into your store-bought marshmallows, making your own, with just honey, water and gelatin, seems like the obvious choice. Homemade marshmallows, if you’ve never had them, are incredibly light and delicate. As trite as it may sound, they actually do just melt in your mouth. I love this version, because my favorite flavor combination is chocolate and peppermint. There is just something about that combo that says “holidays” for me. This is very reminiscent of chocolate bark, which is a beautiful holiday tradition in itself. Not to mention that all of your fellow guests will be totally impressed that you made your own candy. Who does that? You do, of course!

Chocolate Covered Peppermint Marshmallows

This recipe is adapted from this one by Urban Poser. If you have any issues, she has many trouble-shooting tips that can be very helpful.

1 cup unfiltered honey
1 cup water
2.5 Tbsp powdered gelatin
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
8 candy canes, crushed (I used TruJoy candy canes, which are organic, corn syrup free, and colored with fruit juice)
1.5 cups of chocolate chips, finely chopped (I use Enjoy Life, allergy-free chocolate)
Note: you will need a candy thermometer for this recipe

Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, add your gelatin, and 1/2 cup of water. Allow this to sit while you work with your sugar mixture. Also, have an electric hand mixer ready to go for when your sugar is ready.
To a medium saucepan, add your other 1/2 cup of water, and all of your honey. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring to a boil. The mixture will foam up significantly, so be very careful to not let it boil over. If it starts to get to close to the top, remove from the heat briefly. Stir consistently.
Using a candy thermometer (very important, you cannot do this without one. But good news is you can get one cheap at Walmart!), bring your sugar/water mixture up to the “soft ball” level, or 240 degrees F. This will take between 15-30 minutes. Continue stirring your mixture throughout the entire process, you do not want it to burn on the bottom. Watch your temperature very closely.
As soon as the temperature is exactly at the “soft ball” mark, remove it from the heat. Immediately start to drizzle your sugar mixture over the gelatin, and mix the two together with your electric mixer on medium. This is a relatively delicate process, because this means you are pouring hot, liquid sugar with one hand, and are using the electric mixer to mix the ingredients with the other. Slowly pour in all of your sugar, in a thin stream, until it is all in your bowl.
Now use your electric mixer, on high, to combine the gelatine and sugar. This process will take about 5-10 minutes, but as you continue to mix and incorporate, you will notice that the mixture will begin to froth up, slowly lighten in color, and then thicken into a fluff. Even if it seems like it isn’t doing anything in the beginning, just keep going!
Continue to mix until you have a fluffy, marshmallow-like texture. There will be ripples in your fluff, and it will easily coat your finger. At this point, add the vanilla extract, and peppermint extract, and continue to mix until combined.
Once you mixture is the consistency of marshmallow fluff, use a rubber spatula to transfer the mixture into your parchment-lined baking dish. Evenly distribute the fluff, and allow to sit for at least 2 hours, or until completely set. Note that this will be VERY sticky, even once set. Do not touch the top. (If you do, it will be like when Clark gets tree sap on his fingers in Christmas Vacation. Yep, I just went there.)
Once your mixture is set, use a pizza cutter to cut the marshmallows into equal-sized squares (whatever size you prefer). Again, the marshmallows will still be VERY sticky, so it may be helpful to grease the pizza cutter, or your fingers. However, you want them to remain sticky so you can easily coat them, so try not to get the marshmallows too oily.
Add the chopped candy canes and chocolate into a large bowl and combine. In small batches, add the marshmallows to the candy cane and chocolate mixture, and toss to coat. Repeat until all of the marshmallows are coated. Store in a jar or Tupperware container, and enjoy!

No-Bean Chili

December 13, 2014/in Blog, Food, Main Dishes/by Morgan Carr

Ah chili. The most soul-warming, hearty meal around. In college, I made chili often in the winter because it was cheap to make. I made it meatless with a store-bought packet of who-knows-what, a can of tomato sauce and a can of beans, and it was ready in 10 minutes after just throwing everything in a pot and heating it up. It got the job done, but little did I know the damage those kind of nutrient-lacking meals were doing to my body. Now, I’m cooking a tastier, healthier, heartier chili that is full of grass-fed meat and a bunch of veggies. The perfect meal to curl up next to the Christmas tree and snuggle up in a blanket with.

This is a completely customizable recipe. Change out the meat (turkey, chicken), add different veggies (squash, zucchini), make it spicier… whatever chili means for you! The reason we skipped out on the beans, however, is because beans are not that great for our intestinal system. You know what kind of reputation beans have, don’t you? Well, when a food creates an uncomfortable situation, it often is a signal that your body is having a hard time processing it. And for me, well, beans and I definitely do not get along. As we all know, all bodies are created differently, but if you’re interested in reading more about the potential harm of legumes, you can check out this write up, or do a google search about legumes and “leaky gut”!

No-Bean Chili

1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced (check out how to prepare garlic to maximize the health benefits here)
2 stalks of celery, chopped to your size preference
2 carrot sticks, chopped to your size preference
1 green pepper (or 5 mini sweet peppers), chopped to your size preference
1 cup chicken stock, or bone broth
1 16oz can of tomato sauce
1 8oz can of tomato paste
2 Tbsp dark chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp each: paprika, cumin, ground yellow mustard
1/4 tsp each: salt, cinnamon
cayenne to taste
2 Tbsp grass fed butter
2 Tbsp olive oil

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large sauce pot (one that has a lid) at medium/high heat.
Add all chopped veggies (celery, carrot, pepper, onion, garlic) to the heated oil. Saute for 2-4 minutes, or until they just start to soften.
Add the meat and all of your spices to the veggies. Brown the meat through, chopping with a spoon or spatula as it cooks to break up the meat and allow it all to get cooked evenly, and to distribute the spices. Saute until the meat is crumbled, and no pink remains.
Add the chicken stock, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Stir until combined.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and allow the flavors to meld for at least 10 minutes… but the longer it sits, the better the flavors combine.

Makes approximately 4 servings.

Zinc (The Body’s Battery and Healing Force)

December 12, 2014/in Blog, Nutrient Spotlight, Science/by Andrew Stakem

Zinc: The Body’s Battery and Healing Force

I think this element has something special to it and intuitively I cannot explain what it is, but there is definitely a necessity that zinc provides to the human body that is essential to human life. Without zinc, in my opinion, human life is a long and stressful battle that you cannot win. Yeah, that’s pretty bold and I’m pretty confident in making that statement considering Zinc’s effects on protein building, DNA replication, healing, and immunity. Let’s start with protein building. Zinc is a metal from the Earth that can be found in a wide range of foods, but only a few of them allow humans to extract zinc and utilize it’s healthy benefits. Zinc is very often coupled with Copper to produce a battery like power source to energize our cells as a battery would do for the inanimate objects of the world. When humans are outside getting some necessary sunlight the light or energy from the sun, known as photons, provides the electrical spark for zinc and copper to do their thing. Grass fed beef and seafood are great sources of zinc that humans can utilize and reap the benefits. Once digested and absorbed, which needs to be a significant amount every day, zinc is involved with numerous biochemical reactions one of which is the production of proteins which also involves vitamins B9 and B12. It helps amino acids form the necessary proteins for daily living. On the topic of daily living, let’s segue into DNA replication. Along with some of the B vitamins, zinc is used in the DNA process to make sure it runs smoothly, efficiently and without errors that cause mutations and therefore illness or decreased immunity. Which takes us to another function of zinc – immunity and healing. An easy sign of zinc deficiency is checking the fingernails for white spots. If you see even one on any of your nails, you should be cautious but not too concerned because that can be fixed. Something to note is that zinc, when combined with oxygen, forms the compound Zinc Oxide which protects our cells from ultraviolet radiation and therefore is used as a protective cover for our DNA and our all too important skin cells. With an excess of zinc, you will see your wounds heal in half the usual recovery time. I say “usual” because it’s estimated that nearly 2 in 7 people worldwide are deficient in zinc, and I’ll bet you it’s even more than that, so most people probably don’t know what the true healing time should be for wounds. Along the same lines as wound healing, our immune system uses zinc daily to fight off pathogens. This yields me to believe zinc is used in the manufacturing of or in conjunction with our macrophages and white blood cells of our immune system. Outside of meat and seafood, 2 of the best sources of zinc are ginger root and by far the best source are oysters with way beyond 100% of our daily value. My ultimate advice is to move to the beach where you can find oysters and zinc shouldn’t be an issue for you, but I can understand if that’s not an option cause you can’t afford a beach house or oysters for that matter. If that’s the case, then I would suggest cleaning up your eating habits and lifestyle and incorporate a little more ginger root in your diet and life won’t be as much of a health struggle as it is for nearly half of the Earth’s current population.

Vitamin K (K for Clotting)

December 9, 2014/in Blog, Nutrient Spotlight, Science/by Andrew Stakem

Vitamin K (K for Clotting)

Anyone know anything about Vitamin K? Not too many people do as it is often forgotten or neglected in regards to its importance. Because of that there is not much research out there on it so let’s just dive right in and back out in a quick paragraph. If you want a great quick read with some good humor to it, keep reading. Vitamin K has 3 different subscripts to it similar to that of the vitamin B family with K1, K2, and K3. All 3 forms help mostly with blood clotting, but K1 helps with bone development and formation by helping some of the bone proteins bind to each other. This could be why vegetarians have low rates of osteoporosis, but being a vegetarian can still create osteoporosis due to other reasons such as phytic acid and numerous other proteins that cause malabsorption in the intestinal lining. But getting back to vitamin K though, I personally feel like it’s super important for clotting the blood. I’m not trying to bleed to death over some paper cut. Vitamin K1 is also known as Phytonadione and is abundantly found in dark leafy greens such as kale, broccoli, spinach, watercress, and turnip greens. An interesting second way to obtain vitamin K2 is via the intestinal bacteria. Those guys are pretty damn good synthesizing vitamin K2, also known as menaquinone. If you have plenty of vitamin K1 and 2 then K3 will be sufficient since it is simply a derivative. The bonus of having lots of this vitamin K is that your microbiome and it’s bacteria will be extremely helpful in keeping your immune system in top shape plus all those green leaves will provide plenty of magnesium and fiber and therefore keep your poops looking just the way they should. So do yourself a favor and eat as many dark green leaves as you can. The fortunate side to vitamin K is that it is fat soluble so we have storage for it as humans, but let’s be honest, nothing beats the feeling of an awesome bowel movement every day. Here’s a true story: I had been visiting my friends the other day and was getting on him for needing to change his eating habits. When he had received some news from his doctor a month prior it scared him a bit so he made a simple change. I told him to quit eating his cereal bran due to the garbage it is made from including wheat (contains gluten) and to eat a lot more dark green salads. After 2 days with no bran and an increase in dark green leaf consumption he proceeds to walk into his roommates room and waits patiently for him to wrap up what he was doing. The roommate turns and says, “Yes? What’s up?” and his response… “I have an announcement. I just had the best poop I’ve had in 6 months!” Hahaha. A priceless moment, that couldn’t be more accurate. Your poop tells all. Lesson learned? Eat your leaves!

Fluffy Banana Pancakes (Grain-Free, Nut/Seed-Free)

December 7, 2014/1 Comment/in Blog, Breakfast, Food/by Morgan Carr

Sunday morning meant a pancake breakfast for my entire childhood. My dad was up every Sunday, making pancakes for the whole family, even if it was before a soccer tournament or family event. So now, although I don’t do it every week, I often will make a Sunday pancake brunch. It’s been quite a journey over the past year or so, trying to cut out grains and then also realizing I needed to cut out nuts and eventually seeds as well. I have one recipe, my 3 Ingredient Protein Pancakes, which was good for a while and is still a great recipe for those who can eat nuts or seeds. But unfortunately for us, it just isn’t a good choice anymore. Even using Sunbutter got to be too much for us, and Andrew was having a reaction on his tongue when he would eat too much. We think it was due to the high levels of phytic acid in sunflower seeds. But we still craved a pancake brunch, so I decided to go another direction that uses coconut flour and arrowroot starch instead.

I know that some people still can’t have coconut, but for us it’s been okay– at least much better than almond flour or sunbutter. These pancakes did not disappoint! Fluffy, yet dense at the same time, these pancakes are filling and satisfy that brunch craving perfectly. I like to add cinnamon, chocolate chips, and a little pure maple syrup… I think it’s the perfect complement to the banana flavor. You know what else would go great with these though? Mimosas, that’s what.

These also would make a great Christmas morning treat. Since I can’t stop thinking about Christmas. Falalala. Don’t you just want to demolish that stack?

Fluffy Banana Pancakes

4 pasture-raised eggs
2 medium bananas
3 Tbsp Coconut Flour
1 Tbsp Arrowroot Starch
1 tsp baking powder (Note that baking powder often has cornstarch in it. If this is an issue for you, use baking soda instead.)
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
grass-fed (Kerrygold) butter to grease skillet

Add all of the ingredients (except the butter) to a large mixing bowl. Mash the bananas roughly with a fork. Then use an electric hand mixer to thoroughly combine your ingredients into a smooth batter. The batter should be about the consistency of a muffin batter. You may have a few chunks of banana.
Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add a small slice of butter to your heated skillet, and allow it to melt.
Once the butter is melted, add about 1/4 cup of batter to your skillet.
Cook the first side of your pancake until the edges become dry looking, and the underside is golden brown. Flip with a spatula, and repeat on the second side until both sides are golden brown.
Remove your first pancake and place on a plate to rest. In between pancakes, I like to wipe the skillet down so the excess butter will not burn, and remove the skillet from the eye to let the pan cool down for just a few seconds. This helps to not burn the next pancake.
Repeat the process until the batter is gone. Add more butter with each new pancake.
Top with your choice of add ons, and enjoy!

Makes 6-7, 5″ pancakes

Please note that some of the links in the above post are affiliate links that will take you to an Amazon.com page. If you choose to purchase a product featured in this post using an affiliate link, you will be directly supporting You’re An Animal. Thanks!

Flourless (Pea)Nut Butter Blossom Cookies (White Sugar-Free)

December 5, 2014/in Baked Goods, Blog, Food/by Morgan Carr

Tis the season for Christmas cookies! I love making Christmas cookies, and when I asked Andrew what his favorite Christmas cookie is, he said “the peanut butter ones with the Hershey kiss in the middle.” Aka Peanut Butter Blossoms. Well, to be honest I’ve never made those before, so I don’t even know what the “normal” recipe is. But I do know that they often use some kind of flour, and they have a big ol’ processed chunk of chocolate in the middle. So in keeping with tradition, I used peanut butter and then subbed in coconut palm sugar to create an updated Peanut Butter Blossom. Now, that being said, we rarely (and I mean pretty much never) eat peanut butter. The main reason for this is because peanuts are highly inflammatory. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is off the charts. Not to mention peanuts have a reputation for harboring all kinds of mold and fungi. Yuuuu-mmy. So if you’d rather not use peanuts, you can certainly use any other kind of nut butter. Almond butter would work perfectly, and so would Sunbutter. This is your cookie, eat it the way you want! Whatever you use though, get a kind with nothing added. If possible, go to a store like Whole Foods that has it’s own peanut/almond grinder, that way you know for sure that you’re only getting the ground nut in your butter.

Oh hey, by the way, we put up our Christmas decor! Gotta love Gnomie.

Image from Instagram. Follow us at youreananimal

And also, I got a snazzy new DSLR camera for my birthday! Thanks mom and dad! I have no idea how to use it properly yet, but check out that picture quality:

Also, did I mention these cookies only have 5 ingredients? Because they do. Which makes them simple, yet scrumptious. Chewy, dense, and full of flavor. Everything you want from your Christmas cookie!

Nomz. I know Santa wouldn’t mind a big plate of these waiting for him next to the stockings. He needs some protein for all of those toy deliveries, right?

Flourless (Pea)Nut Butter Blossoms:

1 cup nut butter of your choice
1/2 cup Coconut Palm Sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
Enjoy Life Mega Chunk chocolate chips (at least enough for 1 per cookie)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of your ingredients until one consistent texture. The dough will be sticky.
Form balls of cookie dough, about 2 teaspoons of dough each. You should get close to 20 dough balls.
Place each ball of dough on your parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 1-2 inches of space in between.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and cracked.
Immediately after removing them from the oven, press a chocolate chunk into the middle.
Allow to cool, and enjoy!

Makes about 20 cookies.

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