Chai Spice Butternut Squash Muffins

Not sure what to do with your butternut squash? I’ve got you covered, with this amazing recipe!!

Yield: 18

Author: Karin Nicole at Thrive Natural Nutrition

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Chai Spice Butternut Squash Muffins

Ingredients

Chai Spice Butternut Squash Muffins

• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups gluten free oats
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Peel, seed, and dice butternut squash.
3. Line muffin tins with muffin liners.
4. Bake butternut squash for 20 minute until soft. Set aside.
5. Turn oven to 375 degrees.
6. Add oats, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, baking soda, salt to food processor or blender. Process until it resembles flour. Add to mixing bowl.
7. To blender or food processor, add butternut squash, milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla and process until creamy. Add eggs and process until smooth.
8. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until combined.
9. Add to muffin liners, filling 2/3 full, and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

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Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

It’s a nutritional rock-star stew to get your year off to a phenomenal start!

Grass fed beef is lean and full of micronutrients- if you can get it, it's not the same beast as the conventional counterpart. Winter squash is a nutritional powerhouse with betacarotene (vitamin A) and high fiber good for you carbs. Kale... kales good for everything! Greens are a super food you should strive for daily! And it’s a cinch to throw together!

Start with your onions. Saute in a nonstick pot, or add a little bit of healthy oil (olive oil, avocado oil, or some untoasted sesame oil). Add the ground beef and brown until cooked through.

Next add in the minced garlic, tomato sauce, and broth. Combine with the winter squash.

Here’s the thing with this recipe… any kind of winter squash will do! We have quite the store of squash from this years garden. I chose a big sweet meat squash for this recipe that I had already prepared and diced for the freezer. Costco sells a cubed butternut squash that would be great. Other phenomenal choices could be acorn squash, pumpkin, or another winter squash. I would not use spaghetti squash for this recipe though, as the consistency would be much different.

When the squash is cooked through, add chopped kale.

Cook about 5 more minutes, and enjoy!

Yield: 8

Author: Karin Nicole at BeTheMasterpiece.com

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Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

Prep time: 45 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Ingredients

• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 pounds ground beef, grass fed 
• 29oz can tomato sauce
• 2 pounds chopped winter squash
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 Tbsp basil
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 16 oz. fresh or frozen chopped kale 

Instructions

1. Brown the onions.
2. Add beef, brown.
3. Add remaining ingredients through salt.  Cook until squash is desired softness.
4. Add kale in the last few minutes of cooking.
5. Serve and enjoy

Calories

333.13

Fat (grams)

11.42

Sat. Fat (grams)

4.80

Carbs (grams)

22.32

Fiber (grams)

6.42

Net carbs

15.89

Sugar (grams)

9.54

Protein (grams)

39.36

Sodium (milligrams)

1229.93

Cholesterol (grams)

83.35

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The Best Gluten Free Stuffing Recipe, in the Crockpot!!

I save making stuffing for the holiday, usually Thanksgiving. There’s no extra space in the oven on Thanksgiving day, so any opportunity to make-ahead, or cook in the crockpot is a win for me! This stuffing recipe is a cinch to prepare. Your guests won’t know that it is gluten free, so you won’t have to worry about modifying anything for your wheat-eating family members! You’ll need a loaf or two of your favorite gluten free bread. Those on a paleo diet can use their favorite store bought bread for this recipe to decrease the carb count and make it fit into your plan. For me, Thanksgiving is the day when I make more traditional gluten free options for my family, with all the added carbs!

Start by cutting your gluten free bread loaves into cubes. Place in the oven at 325 and lightly toast the cubes, just until dry, not brown. Make sure you stir your bread cubes every few minutes. You should find that this takes only 5 to 10 minutes at most.

Next, melt the butter in a saucepan and dice up 2 cups of celery and two onions. Lightly sauté your vegetables for a few minutes, just until slightly translucent.

Brown the sausage. Combine with your other ingredients, and add it to the crockpot.

Cook on high for 30 minutes, then shift to low for the remaining 3 to 4 hours. It’s important not to lift the lid while it’s cooking, and not to go beyond the 4 hours cooking time. So if you’re planning your holiday meal, you can prepare this all ahead of time, but just adjust when you start your slow cooker to cooking!

Enjoy!

Yield: 12 servings

Author: Karin Nicole at BeTheMasterpiece.com

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Best Gluten Free Stuffing

prep time: 20 Mcook time: 4 hourtotal time: 4 H & 20 M

Save the oven space on Thanksgiving day! Make the BEST gluten free stuffing in your crockpot!

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 cups celery chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds sausage (Italian elk sausage is my favorite)
• 10 cups cubed gluten free bread
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups chicken broth

instructions:

How to cook Best Gluten Free Stuffing

1. 1.  Place cubed bread on a cookie sheet and lightly toast in a 325 degree oven until dry, crouton-like texture.  Set aside in large bowl..  (This step can be done up to two days ahead!)
2. 2.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over low to medium heat.  Add in onions and celery and sauce until slightly translucent.  Add to cubed bread.
3. 3.  Brown the sausage.  Add spices.  Combine with the bread mixture.
4. 4.  Lightly whisk eggs, combine with chicken broth, and add to the bowl.
5. 5.  Gently mix all ingredients.
6. 6.  Place into a 6-8 qt. slow cooker.  Cook on high for 30 minutes, then turn down to low for 3-4 hours.
7. 7.  Enjoy!!

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Created using The Recipes Generator

Chocolatey Coconut Valentine Hearts

Treat your loved ones to Valentine’s treats that do not compromise on ingredients, support your efforts at health and healing,, and let you indulge, all at the same time!!

Chocolatey Coconut Valentine Hearts

Makes: about 15 small cookies

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: none

Ingredients:

For the cookie dough base.
• 1 1/2 cup unsweetned shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup raw honey
For the chocolate dip
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like the paleo ones, with coconut sugar and real cacao, from WildRoots!)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
Instructions:
1. Mix shredded coconut, honey, and the 1/4 cup coconut oil in a small bowl.
2. With lightly oiled hands, firmly pack cookie dough base to a thickness of approximately 1/4 inch on a parchment lined tray.
3. Cut out with small heart shaped cookie cutter, but do not disturb cookies
4. Place in freezer for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and remaining coconut oil over low heat in a saucepan.
6. Remove cookies from freezer. While still cold, dip as desired in the chocolate dip.
7. Place in cool location to allow chocolate and cookies to firm up, or keep stored in the refrigerator.
8. Enjoy with your loved ones!!

I love this recipe for its simplicity!! Love the simple flavors, and of course, love the chocolate.

Without binders and lots of extra ingredients, the prep might need a little explanation.

When you are preparing your cookie dough base, use lightly oiled fingers to firm the cookie dough together tightly, so that it doesn’t crumble when you work with it later. Heres what mine looked like!

While still at room temperature, use your cookie cutters to indent into the dough, but do not try and break it apart at this point, or it will crumble.

After you freeze for 5-10 minutes, then break cookies apart, dip in your chocolate dip. Place into cool spot for the chocolate to set. Then enjoy!!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your loved ones!!