Avocado Lime Devils

I hope everyone had a great Easter!! The weather was beautiful for hunting Easter eggs & other than a finger getting shut in the door, the day was perfect. Also, thanks to Paleoing it for the last 2 weeks I have lost 7 pounds & felt a new Easter dress was necessary to celebrate!!! I have found eating the Paleo way to be a lot easier than I though it would be. Like any change in your diet, you have to get used to the adjustment of what you can & can't have, but with the Paleo diet you aren't "giving up" your favorite foods. We haven't bid farewell to sweets or comfort foods, we've just changed the recipe. With Easter this weekend I took an easy classic recipe & put a Paleo twist on it. I absolutely love deviled eggs & in our family they are a holiday staple but all the mayo & mustard is a big no-no. I used an avocado as replacement to get the creamy texture. The avocado lime deviled eggs were ridiculous!!! I'm not sure if I'll go back to the classic recipe.....ever!!

Paleo Avocado Lime Deviled Eggs

10 boiled eggs peeled

2 avocados

3 Tbs of fresh squeezed lime juice

Slap Ya Momma or other Cajun seasoning

Cut the eggs in half & put the yolks into a small bowl. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop the avocado out into the bowl with the yolks. Add the lime juice. Using a fork mash the yolks & avocados together until smooth. Season to taste then refill the egg whites with the yummy green goodness.

No More Ice Cream!!??

I first heard about the Paleo diet from a few of my customers who were on the diet but still looking to take advantage of the "night off from cooking" that my meals to go business offers. So I started my research on Pinterest (of course) & experimented with some different recipes until I was able to add in a few pre-made Paleo dinners to my menu rotations. I had a HUGE response & have continued adding Paleo dishes & even figured out ways to "Paleoize" menu favorites! 

I get a lot of questions from customers about the health benefits of eating Paleo  & how it compares to other diets out there, so I've decided to go a step farther than experimenting with recipes. We are going Paleo!!! Of course the thought of a life without ice cream was quite sad for Tracy....

 & me too because seriously who doesn't love ice cream!!??? 

We decided to kick off our Paleoism officially we'd start with a will power boosting Strawberry Banana Hazelnut "ice cream." To treat yourself for hitting weight loss, fitness, or other goals is necessary in my opinion. This recipe allows you to give yourself a little treat without the guilt!!!

 Strawberry Banana Hazelnut Paleo Ice Cream

Ingredients

4 bananas peeled & frozen

1/4c of almond milk

1 cup of sliced strawberries

1 Tbs of honey

1/3c hazelnuts

In a food processor or blender blend the bananas & almond milk until smooth. Pour into a medium size bowl & stir in the strawberries, nuts, & honey. We poured our mixture into a plastic throw away container then placed it into the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Then spoons up & enjoy!!

Guacamole Yummy

The warmth of summer is definitely on it's way, even though Mother Nature is having some slight mood swings. In South Louisiana crawfish boils are well underway & the backyard grilling days are here. Whether you're the party goer or the party thrower this recipe for homemade guacamole will make you the hero!!! It's easy, quick, & if you have little chefs running circles in your kitchen like I do, this recipe allows those little hands to help.

Guacamole

Ingredients
1 box of Wholly Guacamole (if you are crunched for time) or 5 avocados
1/4th of a red onion
6-8 roma tomatoes
2 limes
1 jalapeno pepper
4 Tbs of red wine vinegar
1 Tbs Slap Ya Momma seasoning

Begin by washing the tomatoes then cut them up & add to your medium size mixing bowl. Next using the Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor. This is a great step to let the kids help with, Tracy Lynn LOVES to use the processor. Once the onions are chopped up add them to your mixing bowl as well.

 

Juice the 2 limes & add to the bowl along with the vinegar & seasoning. Slice the end off of the jalapeno then slice in half longways. If you want a good kick to your guacamole add the whole pepper seeds & all the the processor & chop. If you want a really mild spice level scrape all the seeds out or just use the seeds in half of the jalapeno. Mix those ingredients together. Add the avocados last. If you are using fresh avocados peel, take the pit out & cut into little pieces. Once all the ingredients are mixed together in the bowl you may not even need chips!! This recipe is a family favorite that almost gets eaten by the spoonfuls by itself.

If you are feeling extra crafty, homemade tortilla chips are fun to experiment with. Here is the base recipe we use.

Homemade tortilla chips

Ingredients

1 pkg of tortillas

oil, for brushing

salt

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush each tortilla with a little oil then cut them into triangles. Sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven until browned and edges start to curl. (about 10 minutes, but check them often)