Hello there!

    I'm sharing a recipe today that was from Paleo Parents, who shared if from Julie Bauer's cookbook "Paleo Cookbook" So much sharing! 

    I like to do a syrup based breakfast for the kids on Saturday mornings - wait, what? You don't know what a "syrup based breakfast", is? Well, it's a food item that gives you an excuse to eat maple syrup!!! :)  I am truly Canadian.

   Anyway, making great paleo pancakes can be difficult, but I've made a few that I liked a lot (like these Chocolate Monkey Pancakes), but I was wanting to try something new, and also something I could make ahead.

    Well, I found this little dream of a recipe, and we loved it!

     I made the mini pancakes on Friday night (and wanted to eat them right then!), then I simply stuck 'em into an airtight container overnight, and got the rest whipped up in no time in the morning! 

    This is so good! If you make the mini pancakes and think "why can't I just eat these like this?". Well, you can if you want to! But, making them into a delightful little pancake bake just makes it seem more like a cozy bread pudding. It seems more filling and satisfying somehow. 

   I also changed the recipe slightly, and swapped out the coconut milk for applesauce in the mixture you make that gets poured over the mini pancakes before being baked. It made these a wonderful, apple cinnamon pancake bake!

    Anywho, it's the bees knees, and I think you should give it a whirl! 
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Mini Cinnamon Pancake Bake
From Paleo Parents, with some adjustments of my own


The Mini Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup coconut flour 
• 1/2 Cup tapioca flour
• 1 Tsp baking soda
• 1 Tsp cinnamon
• Pinch o' salt
• 3 Large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 Cup almond or coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tsp maple syrup or honey
• Grease for the pan (ghee, coconut oil or butter)

Method:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt
2. In a small measureing cup, mix the milk with the tablespoon of acid (lemon juice or applecider vinegar) and allow to sit for a moment.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup or honey, then add in the milk mixture
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. and blend until nice and smooth
5. Grease a large frying pan with your grease of choice, and place it over medium heat
6. Scoop about 1 1/2 tbsp  (use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop if you've got one-it'll make this easier!), pour the batter onto the warmed pan, cooking three or four pancakes at a time
7. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles begin to form in the batter, then flip and cook  the other side for another 2-3 minutes until the pancakes are fluffy and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside, then repeat with the remaining batter.
8. Serve the pancakes topped with maple syrup. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for one week and thaw them before reheating in the pan......or, make 'em into the lovely mini pancake bake! 

The Mini Cinnamon Pancake Bake

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp grease for the baking pan (ghee, coconut oil or butter)
• 1 batch Mini Cinnamon Pancakes
• 1  Cup unsweetened applesauce (you can also use 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, as the original recipe has)
• 3 Large eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tsp cinnamon

For the topping:

• 1/4 Cup ghee, coconut oil or butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp maple sugar (the delicious granulated maple sugar)
• 1 Tsp  Cinnamon
• ​Maple syrup

Instructions

1. Grease a an  8x8-inch baking dish or 9x5-inch small loaf pan with your choice of grease, and  stand the pancakes up in rows in the pant (as shown in the photo below)
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
3. Whisk together the applesauce, eggs and cinnamon, and pour the mixture over the pancakes, then press the pancakes down into the mixture to help them soak up the liquid
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the egg mixture has completely set in the middle and it doesn't look "wiggly" anymore
5. ***While the pancake mixture is baking, make the topping***
6. In a small bowl, mix together the ghee, coconut oil, or butter - whichever you have chosen, with the maple sugar and cinnamon.
7. Use a knife or spoon to spread the topping mixture on top of the pancake bake when it comes out of the oven. If the pancake bake is still nice and warm, the topping mixture will melt. If it doesn't melt, place the pan back in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes until the topping mixture has melted.
8. Serve with fruit, fruit syrups, coconut whipped cream, or maple syrup....um, or all of the items mentioned :)  

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    I have a very (VERY!) wiggly 6 year old on my lap while I'm writing this and when she saw the pictures she said, "Oooooohhhh! I looooove these french toasts!!!" : )

    So, I think that sums this up nicely!

    Have a wonderful weekend! 

     Hello there! 

     Until a few years ago I would not - nay - COULD not eat shrimp. Originally, this started from a place of growing up not eating a lot of shrimp, but also knowing that shrimp were bottom dwellers (garbage eaters!), made my stomach turn. This does not seem like a great intro to this post....hold on, it get's worse! Hahaha!

    So, after I got over that and tried shrimp again randomly as an adult (I just tried the cold shrimp with the classic seafood sauce), I came to realize that shrimp was pretty tasty and I actually liked it. And then, a set back.

   We showed up for an Easter meal at my in-laws, and my brother-in-law had something smelling so good on the BBQ. I asked what it was and he said he had been marinating jumbo shrimp for a few hours and was now grilling them. Well, yum-diddly! I had only really eaten "party shrimp", as mentioned, but this smelled so good, and I was willing to try!

     Well, didn't he just bring me one when they were ready.....and it was a large, frightening, unpeeled shrimp! I literally went, "OH NO! No, no, no, no, I can't eat that....". Like a baby. Like a giant baby.

     My father-in-law came to the rescue and offered to peel it for me (where I couldn't see him doing it!), and then I ate that shrimp. It was tasty. But I knew my shrimp limits then and there. If the shrimp is naked, I'm good. If it's got eyes, and creepy little legs. Good golly, keep it away from me!!! 

     For this post I wanted to find some useful links to help with the peeling and deveining process, and literally, out loud at my computer sat going, "Bleeeeh! Eeeewwwwwww!!" while making faces of disgust. I still can't handle shrimp that look like little sea creatures. Here's a link for those of you who can handle it though! 

     If all of this made you question eating shrimp at all....I'm sorry. Seriously, so sorry. 

     This coconut shrimp is so good though....you may want to reconsider your feelings. I shan't ever change my feelings about shrimp I'd need to peel and devein, but shrimp that's ready for fried coconutty goodness? That's a no brainer!     

      These tasty morsels come together easily and relatively quickly. They are great on a salad, served with sauce, eaten alone, and even eaten cold the next day! I usually eat mine next to a mountain of Moo-shu (I just make a meat free version).

Paleo Coconut Shrimp
​From Wiked Spatula

Ingredients:

• 1 lb medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined (here's that link again for help with this step if you can stomach it!)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 Tbsp coconut flour
• Pinch o' salt
• 1/4 Tsp paprika
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil

Method:

1. In a small bowl whisk the egg and the tapioca starch together
2. In a second bowl, combine the shredded coconut, coconut flour, salt and paprika.
3. Butterfly your shrimp by slicing down the back of them until they open up and could almost lay flat (check out the link for a more detailed instruction). If you want to, you can can leave the tails on. This does make flipping and eating considerably easier!
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil.
5. Dip the shrimp into the egg & starch mixture, let the excess drip off, and then dredge the shrimp through the coconut mixture, making sure it's well covered by gently pressing the shrimp into the mixture
6. In batches (so the pan isn't too crowded) fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes and golden brown on the outside. The exact time it may take for the shrimp to cook depends on the size of the shrimp. But remember that shrimp can get rubbery if overcooked!
7. If the pan runs out of oil simply add 1 or 2 more tablespoons before the next batch and let warm up before adding more shrimp
8. Transfer cooked shrimp to a newspaper or paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil while cooking the rest of the shrimp
9. Serve as is, or with a favourite sauce 

      Looks good, eh? It is. It so is. 

      Well, that's all for today! I didn't get a chance to post anything last Friday because it just turned into a day of busyness (not business), and then last minute my husband and I decided to go out for a late anniversary dinner, and well, the day just vanished. Poof! 

      Anywho, how do you feel about shrimp? I want to know! So, feel free to share with me your truest feelings about the little sea creature. : )

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    My sister sent me this, and I literally laughed out loud! 

    So, enjoy a good laugh this Monday on me (via my sister)! 

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      On my Health & Fitness page I share a new  workout that I'm loving lately. It's a Body By Simone workout created for Sweaty Betty's GetFit4Free campaign. 

​Happy Monday! 

 
      Hello!

     Over on my Health & Fitness space I talk about helping to keep kids active! Go and check it out!  Aww, go on, just go. : )  

     For a little Monday laugh, I wanted to share one of my all time favourite YouTube videos of a dear wee lass trying her darndest to get into first position in her ballet class. She's a freakin' hoot! 
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     I hope everyone had a great Monday!
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   Is it true?! Is it really real?!? Is spring finally, finally here?!?!?! : )  

   Our spring here has been warm...and then snowing! And then warm....and then snowing!!!! And then all the kids got sun-burnt one Saturday.....then we had an ice storm! I mean, good golly.

    Anywho, I'm washing the snow pants and winter coats for the third time to put away for the warmer months, and am hoping it'll stick this time! 

    Well, when the winter won't end, more and more cookies get made! These super simple gems are made using a cake mix, and we added some super fun mini candy covered chocolate chip thingies.....I honestly can't remember what they are really called...? 

    Anyway, enjoy!
   

Cosmic Cake Mix Brownie Cookies
I get approx. 22 cookies using a 2 Tbsp sized scoop from one batch


Ingredients:

• 1 - 400g boxed cake mix (gluten-free works too - it's what I've used in this posts photos!) ***Do note that every brands boxed cake mixes can have more or less in them, so be sure to check to see what you've got, and then adjust your wet ingredients accordingly*** 
• 1/3 Cup oil (plus 3-6 Tablespoons more as needed)
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup cosmo chips (I get these at the Bulk Barn in the section with all the sprinkles)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and prepare a baking sheet with parchment (if you don't trust your baking sheets non-stickiness factor!)
2. Combine the cake mix and wet ingredients together, adding additional oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a thick, but manageable dough. The dough won't be at sturdy as regular cookie dough, but you should be able to scoop it and have it keep it's shape (and not run)
3. Mix in the cosmo chips
4. Using a 2 Tbsp scoop, or a heaping tablespoon, scoop your cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart
5. Bake for 8-12 minutes. until the cookies look set, but still soft (you want a nice, fudgy centre - not a dried out puck!) : )  

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     I made this particular batch o' cookies with a President's Choice Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix. Someone at church gave it to me because their son who used to eat gluten free wasn't anymore, so she kindly gave us a bag of random gluten-free goodies!

    I basically never need a gluten-free cake though except for Caleb's birthday, and my homemade recipe is so darn good, so using the mix for cookies was definitely more up my alley. I was able to pack away a bunch of the cookies in the freezer and have them ready to take-along for my gluten-free Caleb if we went somewhere I knew there would be some treats he couldn't partake in.  

     Well, that's it, I guess. My mind feels like bleh....yesterday I was filling out a form for a police check, and I wrote my birthday year as 1893. Then I put a 5 instead of an S at one spot, and I also wrote my address one line above each line I was actually supposed to write it on. Golly gee willikers. Hopefully my brain is taking some sort of rest to get ready for some sort of awesomeness....? Yes? Fingers crossed? 

    Have a great weekend - and a great Mother's Day! Be sure to show some love to some motherly figure in your life! 


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    Well, I usually post about autism on a Thursday....and I missed the last Thursday in April (April being Autism Awareness Month) because last week turned into a week of unexpected things and being away from home, and then iMovie being a complete and utter jerk to me! : )  Well, maybe it wasn't as personal as it felt, but the video I had made was ready, and I was just going to post it on Friday, but gee golly, I couldn't get anything to co-operate for me! So, it was a huge lesson in patience, and also in letting things go -  like posting on the correct day and in the correct month......let it go, Amy-Lyn....let it go.....deep breathing....ok, I think I'm ok now. 

     Anyway, here's the video for this years Autism Awareness Month! Caleb picked the song again ("Feel It" by TobyMac), and it's a collection of photos from last April to this April! A year of funny faces, wonderful singing, and a back to school interview too!

   I hope you enjoy it!