Almond Butter Energy "Milkshake" (Whole30 Compliant!)

During Whole30, you aren't really supposed to indulge in anything sweet. In fact, the whole purpose of Whole30 is to "slay the sugar dragon", and detox your body from it's incessant desire for sugar. But if I hadn't made a few gateway "treats", I wouldn't have survived Whole30 either time I did it. This little recipe is a great trick to have up your sleeve if you're jonesing for something indulgent or seriously need a snack, especially if you're breastfeeding and need the extra calories and energy! All the ingredients included are Whole30 compliant, so it's technically safe, but be aware that these kind of snacks are sort of frowned upon if you're trying to do the program as strict as possible.

But doesn't it feel kind of good when you bend the rules a little? I'm not talking about shoplifting here, people. It's just a pretend treat.

Go ahead, have a milk shake and laugh in the face of DAIRY.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 banana
- 1 cup coconut milk (from a can)
- 3 ice cubes
- 1 pitted date
- 1 heaping tbsp. almond butter
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1/2 tbsp. chia seeds
- a dusting of cinnamon

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and mix on high until completely combined and smooth. The consistency should be thick and creamy, just like a milkshake. Makes one large glass or two smaller servings.

Go on with your bad self. Happy Whole30 to you!

P.S. - My 3 year old took this photo of me. He's either getting really good or he really wanted that milkshake, which I gave to him immediately after we photographed it ;) Treats for everyone!

P.S. - Looking for more Whole30 meals ideas? Check out my quick reference meal guide to my tried-and-true favorites!

The Simplest Banana Bread.

A cold front came through the south this weekend, just when we thought for sure that spring was in full force down here. Oh Georgia, make up your mind! With the burst of cold, I woke up craving something warm and home-y. Since Stevie was gone playing guitar at church, I decided to spend a little time in the kitchen with Everett while Dax napped. Everett has been quite the little helper lately, and he loves standing on his special stool and helping me dump all the ingredients for simple recipes like cookies and breads, or 1-pan dinners. He was begging for this one the entire time it baked. Let me just say that 55 minutes of a toddler begging for banana bread feels, well, longer than 55 minutes.

Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2 large bananas, browned, either mashed or sliced
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- Optional add-ins: dried cranberries, dark chocolate chips, shredded coconut, etc.

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9x5 loaf pan (my absolute favorite here).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Add in the eggs and beat well, followed by the almond milk and finally, the mashed/sliced bananas.
3. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon - blend lightly.
4. Slowly add in the flour while your mixer is still running (if you have an upright mixer like this), otherwise, slowly add and whisk to combine.
5. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow bread to cool for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling and slice.

A few notes:
- I didn't add any mix-ins because I was craving a really simple bread, but I think this would be almost sinful tasting with the ghirardelli dark chocolate chips.
- I never used to think a wire rack for cooling was necessary, but after purchasing this one, I can't believe how evenly everything cools. It's definitely worth the investment! I love using this bad boy.
- I doubled this recipe and froze the other loaf for later this week when we have family in town. I double most recipes these days and save half for another meal later - its so helpful.

What are your favorite comfort recipes? Its my goal to clean up our recipes so they still taste great but consist of more healthful ingredients. Happy cold front to all of you, my East Coast friends!

Prosciutto, Melon and Mozzarella Skewers.

I love party food. Don't you? I make excuses to have people over just so I can try out new recipes and force feed my friends my latest experiments. Beware if you're invited over! Just kidding. I don't make bad food. Most of the time, anyway :)

This was a fun little appetizer that I stumbled upon on Pinterest via The Comfort of Cooking, and I thought I would give it a try for my Dave Ramsey FPU small group's last meeting. It was a fresh, Spring-y appetizer that excellently combined the sweet melon flavor with the salty prosciutto, sandwiching the creamy mozzarella and earthy parsley. It was really the right combination of flavors in one small bite. As I was munching on a few of these, I began brainstorming, and I think this appetizer would be delicious if you subbed the cantaloupe for mango or even pineapple. It would add an even wider range of flavors, which is just pure fun.

So if you have a party coming up, you should definitely give this one a try. It is no-cook, no-bake and took me under 15 minutes to prep. In other words, it's the world's perfect appetizer.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 medium cantaloupe, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 lb. thinly sliced prosciutto
- 20 small mozzarella balls (found in the fancy cheese section of your grocery store)
- 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

Method:
1. Layer onto a toothpick in this order: a cube of melon, a folded slice of prosciutto and a mozzarella ball. Repeat this process with 20 toothpicks. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley. It's a simple as that!

There you have it! Your next party plate. Let me know if you decide to give this one a try, friends!