If It Has A Face...Eat It! (& a Paleo Blueberry Muffin recipe)

My husband started following a Paleo/Primal diet about a year and half ago at the suggestion of a cardiologist acquaintance.

He receives lots of questions (and often some weird looks) about the diet.

Without going into all the science crap-ola behind it I'm going to just sum it up with this flow chart that my friend, Tracy, sent me:

That's simple enough, right?

If it has a face...eat it!

If you want more info about the science part of Paleo/Primal and all the health benefits, blah blah blah, you can check out this link or this one, or this one.

These guys are smart.

And they tell you to eat good food that's pure and nutritionally dense and real
like butter (not margarine) and bacon,

and that hasn't been processed and turned into something it was never meant to be.

Like a jackalope.

via

Which is NOT a jack rabbit bred with a cantaloupe as some may believe.

It's a jack rabbit who mated with an antelope.

Which is also impossible because...

well, it just is.

But, if it were an actual non-mythical animal, you could eat it if you are Paleo.

Because it has a face.

When my husband first started eating Paleo I, as the family chef, was terrified about how I could possibly cook according to this plan.

I initially thought this was just another one of his schemes to drive me insane.
(I know...short drive.)

But it's actually been surprisingly easy and our entire family is eating healthier.

And my husband has lost 40 pounds!

via

Neither of these men are my husband.
I just wanted to show you how much of a difference an extra 40 pounds can make.
And a mustache.
And a giant gold cross.

But since the diet is anti-sugar and anti-flour, baked treats have been my one true nemesis.

(Every superhero has one!)

Not long ago I found this site called PaleOMG.

The author, Juli, is very funny (and never preachy about the whole Paleo thing) and has TONS of yummy recipes (including Paleo sweet treats) that we have incorporated into our regular rotation!

My absolute favorite is her recipe for Simple Blueberry Muffins which I have modified slightly 

(most likely because I was out of something the original recipe called for and too lazy and hungry to drive to the store to get it.) 

I also made additional changes to it so that we could have Banana Nut Muffins sometimes, too.

And when we're feeling super naughty we sometimes have chocolate chip muffins.

Made with dark chocolate.

Because that is still an acceptable Paleo food.

And so is wine.

Because our cave-people ancestors ate dark chocolate and drank wine
in between hunting buffaloes.

And chickens.

via

Simple PALEO Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup almond butter (I buy it at Sam's in bulk for really cheap!)

1 cup almond meal/flour (I make my own in a food processor by grinding up almonds)

3 eggs, whisked

1/2 cup raw honey (raw is better than the kind in the bear shaped bottle even though it's not as cute)

1/3 cup coconut powder (I buy mine at the Indian grocery store-they have good stuff!)

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of cinnamon

*1 cup blueberries (I use frozen but fresh is good, too!)

*For Banana Nut muffins, omit the blueberries and add 1 small bananas cut up into pea size bits and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

*For Chocolate Chip Muffins, omit blueberries and add dark chocolate chips (70% cocoa content or higher is best)

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Mix everything in a big bowl.  I like to mix my dry ingredients separately and then add the wet ingredients and mix together but usually I'm in a hurry so I just mix it all up at the same time.

3) Spoon muffin mixture into a muffin tin lined with paper or silicone baking cups.

4) Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine take 18.)  I usually do the toothpick test to make sure they are done because they tend to be gooey in the center if you don't cook them long enough.

5) Eat 'em!  Or hide 'em.  Because your family will try to eat them all before you get to have a second one.

And if you chose to make the Banana Nut Muffins instead, they look like this!

Enjoy!

À la vie et à l'amour

-Cortney