(Paleo and Vegan) Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

When I was a kid I always ate raw dough when my mother was making cookies (just as I ate raw cake batter). I used to beg my mother to let me have a whole bowl of cookie dough when she was making cookies — just for the record, my mother made the Toll House cookie recipe on the back of the chocolate morsels bag.
She never let me. I had to be content with spatula, the beaters, the bowl, and whatever I could spoon off with my finger when her back was turned.

(Paleo) Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

 If you know anything about me, I guess you know that my love for cinnamon runs deep as my love for soup.
I actually keep two different kinds of cinnamon in my pantry.
Yup, that’s right. I have two kinds of cinnamon — please, don’t act like you’re surprised.
It’s no mystery that I'm a spice freak. I have more than a hundred spices in my pantry and like to grind my own spice mixes using whole spices. I even broke two coffee grinders trying to grind spices in them before buying myself an (almost) professional Electric Spice-and-Nut Grinder, that grounds hard and soft spices and breaks them all down in a few pulses.

(Paleo) Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

You guys, guess what?
As a thank you for being a TIY reader I made you a batch of warm, fresh, Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins.
I know, how kind of me.
Did I mention they’re paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free?
Meaning you can definitely eat more than one. Two, three, four, maybe even five.
Yes, plan to eat muffinS, plural.
They’re tiny and oh-so delicious, you won’t be able to stop just at one.
Trust me, they’re that good!

(Paleo) Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

This time of the year, I’m thankful for memories of family and food that I loved as a kid.
For me, Mom’s Caramel Apple Blondies and cookies like these chocolate crinkles are a trip down memory lane.
Chocolate crinkle cookies were, and definitely still are, one of my favorites, especially during this time of the year.
There’s something about the dense, chewy, chocolate loaded goodness that I just can’t resist.
And the powdered sugar on my fingers and face reminds me of good ‘ol times.

(Paleo) Gingersnap Cookie Sandwiches

 As we are already in a festive mood with Thanksgiving approaching fast, it’s time to bake some cookies.
If there was ever a good time of the year to get busy in the kitchen, this is it.
And arguably gingersnaps (or ginger cookies, or ginger crinkles, whatever you want to call them) are the best cookies to make from scratch during the holidays.
They literally scream “HOLIDAYS!”

Mom's Caramel Apple Blondies

Okay, maybe I’m jumping the gun, but the store across the street from where I live has had Christmas decorations in their windows since October 23, so I think it’s perfectly fine to officially declare November the beginning of the holiday season.
I love the fall/winter holidays more than anytime of the year.
I know it’s a busy time of year — between decorating, cooking shopping, and celebrations — and it’s definitely easy to get overwhelmed. But nonetheless it's an awesome time, except of course my birthday.

Pistachio Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Look, I know what you’re thinking. Cookie sandwiches on a (supposedly) healthy food blog?
Are you serious about it? How can you keep a straight face?
What can I say?
Sometimes a guy just needs his cookies and it was at such a moment on a recent afternoon that I made these Pistachio Chocolate Sandwich Cookies.

(Paleo) Pecan Sweet Potato Muffins

I am, without a better way to put it, swimming in pecans.
Dismayed by the price of nuts everywhere in my hood, but determined enough that this wasn’t going to keep me from baking with them, I asked a friend out in the ‘burbs — a place where people would never ever pay $6.99+tax for a microscopic 6 ounces of pecans — to see if he could better.
He came back with three pounds for less then $20 from Costco.
Which is, to put it mildly, awesome.

Sunny-Side Up Eggs with Provencal Tomatoes

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, everywhere!
Ripe and ready, the globes of goodness are now in full array at the farmers’ markets.
The almost unbearable summer heat has spurred the Cherries, Dates, Beefsteaks, Romas, San Marzanos, Oxhearts, Brandywines, etc. to an awesome state of rich, sweet succulence.
The availability of locally grown tomatoes is one of the reasons I love summer.

Farmers Market Hash with Eggs

One of my many escapes in life is to go to Farmers Markets.
It’s definitely one of my favorite weekly activity and a great way to get inspiration.
I love how people grow produce and share it with the rest of the world. And by shopping there I feel like I give back to the local community and receive the best in return.
I love the easy-going pace–browsing around, building meals vegetable by vegetable.
Ideally, I buy fruit and veggies and make something amazing with what I buy. Something similar to a “Chopped” challenge in which I’m the only contestant and where I get to choose my ingredients.

Raspberry Chia Jam

So the chia seed party jam isn’t the first party I’ve been late to, and it’s probably not going to be last.
However, I fully embrace the mantra “better late than never!”
Except for the Pokemon Go hype, trust me guys, I will never join in. NEVER! As if I needed another reason to bury my heads in my smartphone. No, thank you.
Anyways, chia seed jam has been around the block for quite some time now. And yes, this is my first time posting a recipe for it.
What can I say?
Oh yes, better late than never!

5-Minute Maple and Thyme Skillet-Roasted Apricots

Let me just get the obvious out of the way because I know what you’re thinking: what am I doing here? Shouldn’t I be at the beach or something?
It’s summer after all, so leaving home (even if it’s air conditioned) and spending time outside, in the shade, is (almost) mandatory.
So again, why am I sitting in front of my laptop on a sunny August afternoon?
These are valid questions, but you see, there is history here, a prolonged history of recipe testing/creating which cannot be stopped.
Not even by the call of the beach.

Cauliflower Bagels

You guys asked for this recipe.
And who am I to deny it to you?
You (yes, you, you know who you are!) specifically requested the recipe for the cauliflower bagels sans the BLT part.
Because you needed the calorie count for the bagels alone.
Because you didn’t care for the bacon (like really?), tomatoes (again, really?) or lettuce (okay, I get it).
Without further ado there you have ‘em, cauliflower bagels, in all of their glory!

Superfood Goji Berry Smoothie

Good news people: this smoothie is awesome!
And that’s a fact, whether you like it or not.
It’s ridiculously healthy and tastes delicious. Like there’s no need to talk about it because it’s a total no-brainer.
It fills your belly and helps keep you full. It’s a perfect on-the-go breakfast, snack or even a meal for lunch. Actually, this smoothie is so perfect the time of the day truly doesn’t matter.

(Flourless) Herbed Potato Waffles

Let me introduce you to my latest obsession: savory potato waffles.
Can I be honest with you? I am totally a sweet waffles person, so savory waffles are way out of the box for me.
But then I found out that I LUV these (Flourless) Herbed Potato Waffles, like a lot.
Maple syrup and butter, I’ll come back for you when the morning comes.

(Paleo) Brownie Bites

I made these Brownie Bites last night.
Why? Because I wanted chocolate.
Where? In my kitchen.
And you know what? They are awesome!

Antioxidant Berry Chia Seed Smoothie

I can see you rolling your eyes. (That's right, I can see you even from here, because I have a super powers!) You're thinking: What? NOT another smoothie! Is he on one of his smoothie marathons or something?
Well, don’t worry. The next recipe will be a NON-smoothie I promise. I just couldn’t resist sharing with you guys what I had for breakfast for the last month, and probably what I’m going to have for lunch for the next two months.
And isn’t it the point of a personal food blog to show you guys the food I’m actually making (and eating)?

Pina Colada Chia Pudding

I’m aware that there’s a time and place for everything, in the case of pina colada it’s a swim-up bar at a tropical resort or under a cabana while gazing at the turquoise water meeting the impossibly blue sky.
But I realize that not all us have the time or the means to fly to the tropics just to sip pina colada.
So what about a pina colada in pudding form that’s also super good for you?
Too good to be true?
Of course not.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (Homemade Nutella)

I know it’s a terrible idea to post a recipe for homemade Nutella right now. It’s June. You’re getting in a bikini/swim trunks in a couple of weeks and I know for a fact that all you’re focusing on is getting beach-ready.
You’re probably all about salads, smoothies, and juices. Yet here I am, presenting you with a luscious Chocolate Hazelnut Spread.
But you see this Chocolate Hazelnut Spread is made with only good-for-you ingredients and it’s so delicious it will make you feel better instantly.
And since it’s a known fact (or at least I like to believe it so) that happiness is one of the biggest factors in feeling and looking great you can understand why it totally makes sense to post a recipe for homemade Nutella right now.
Not to mention that it’s not like you have to eat more than a spoonful. It’s possible — though difficult — to exercise some self-control around chocolate and hazelnuts. Trust me.

Flourless Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

I made us some cookies.
I know, how kind of me.
It started as a quest for cookies that tasted like Nutella, if, say, you were the type of person who may or may not have bragged with his 7-year old niece that he could bake any cookie ever known to mankind. Including, but not limited to, a “cookie that’s as awesome as Nutella but does not have Nutella in it!”