Skillet Cookie

Ingredients
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons of milk (I used almond milk)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups GF all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 325. Spray 10 inch cast iron skillet. Beat sugars and butter in mixer until smooth. Add egg, milk, and vanilla until blended. Gradually add flour, baking soda, and salt until combined. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips then spread evenly across pan. Top with remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips and bake about 50 minutes or until set in the center.

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients
3 cups GF oats
3/4 cup GF all-purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 apple, diced

Preheat over to 350. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, add egg whites, maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add oats, flour, pumpkin spice and salt and combine until smooth. Add apple. Spoon onto baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake 14-16 minutes or until set.

Adapted from September 2016 Family Circle magazine recipe

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Thanksgiving morning consisted of sweat pants, Macy's parade, and the sweet smell of cinnamon buns in the over. These were AH-mazing. I added cinnamon and vanilla to the icing and would probably make more of the brown sugar filling next time but otherwise perfecto.

Recipe:  http://www.food-pusher.com/2014/01/gluten-free-cinnamon-rolls.html

Homemade Dog Biscuits

Because you can only bake for yourself so much without getting fat.

Ingredients
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup garbanzo bean flour (plus more for dusting)
1 cup oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 overflowing cup of pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
4 eggs
2 tablespoons tumeric

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl by hand. Add additional flour to help dough stick. Pat dough out to desired thickness and cut out with cookie cutters or cut into squares. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until slightly brown and hard. Allow to cool then let puppies dig in!

Favorite Things

Every once in a while it's fun to reflect on a few of my current favorite things. Lately I've been traveling every chance I get, hence the airplane. The marshmallows are from the James Island County Park annual Holiday Festival of Lights fun run that I do with my sister every year. The sushi is a cucumber wrapped roll at Zen Asian Fusion, and the amazing smelling bubble bath was gifted to me from Royal Labs, a plant that produces organic products for companies like Burt's Bees and is about 3 miles from my house. And all of the pictures were taken on my new iPhone (I've always been an Android user) which has a killer camera!

Paleo Turkey Butternut Squash Lasagna

I wish this looked prettier because it tastes OUTSTANDING. But no such luck. Next time I might make shredded zucchini noodles ("zoodles") instead of flat lasagna strips so I don't have to mess with the layering (as you can see, it doesn't really stay together). You could also layer them in single serve casserole dishes or ramekins (instead of one big dish like I tried) and it would probably hold together better. But either way, the flavors are great no matter how you present it. This has gluten free bread crumbs on top (not paleo) but you could easily leave them off.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cups leaf spinach, chopped
1 cup goat cheese (optional)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (optional)
1 lb gluten free lasagna noodles (I used zucchini strips)

1. Heat oil, add onion and allow to brown. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add turkey, sprinkle with dried herbs. Cook and stir until there is no more pink.
2. Remove from heat and add spinach and goat cheese to mixture. Cook lasagna noodles.
3. Preheat oven to 350 and make butternut squash filling:

    2 lb of cooked butternut squash, riced or mashed
    2 oz mascarpone cheese (optional)
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    2 oz goat cheese (optional)
    Salt and pepper

4. Using 9x9 inch dish, spread butternut squash filling on to bottom, line with noodles, then layer with turkey mixture, mozzarella, and squash filling. Add more noodles and repeat, finishing with squash filling and mozzarella. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until cooked all the way through.

Recipe by Emily Lane, Personal Chef

Paleo Veggie Plate

After realizing I could roast veggies at a high temperature (500 degrees) for a shorter amount of time and still get some great flavor, I tried some additional options. This mix is carrots, broccolini, and asparagus tossed in avocado oil, salt, pepper, and onion powder, then roasted for about 20 minutes. The cabbage is sauteed in bacon fat with salt and pepper (OMG) and it's all topped with some rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Delicious reheated too!