Day One Online Training With Heidi Somers AKA BuffBunny

Hey everyone! It's been awhile since my last blog. Since I last posted a lot of new and awesome developments have taken place for me. First off I would like to note that I am still an avid paleo supporter in health and wellness, however, my goals have changed. Before, all I wanted to accomplish was finding new ways to eat wonderful sweets and tasty things in a much less devastating environment. Which is still amazing, and I believe that living Paleo can 100% help people that were in my predicament. My new goals are extremely fitness related, and therefore I cannot be 100% Paleo. This is not all bad news, given the fact that since going paleo I've lost over 10lbs and am down to 131lbs. I have been doing a lot of research into body building and competitions. It's not enough for me to just lose fat now, I want to sculpt beautiful lean muscle and definition too. Often times when seeing the Paleo transformations what you see are incredible body transformations, but they are lacking one thing usually, and that is muscle tone and definition. I decided to take my journey another step forward and enlist the help of bikini competitor and fitness guru (and my personal fitness role model) Heidi Somers AKA BuffBunny to customize a fitness regime and nutrition/supplement plan. Now, the plan that I chose was the 8-week plan. She offers several other options in length and, of course, a bikini competitor plan as well. (You can email her at heidisomers@hotmail.com to inquire about pricing and package options!!!)
Secondly, I decided to make a HUGE life change and I switched my college major from Biomedical Engineering to Dietetics, I have found lots of joy and happiness researching and pondering the different health benefits to eating a certain way, I definitely think I could do that as a job for life! Haha.
Back to the meat of this post. Today was my first day on the BuffBunny plan, and I have got to say, it was pretty intense at the gym, she had me doing a hefty combination of bodyweight cardio, abs, and weights. I had a great time working up a sweat and trying out exercises I have never done before. I wont be going over any specifics to the plan that she wrote up for me, because ethically I believe that she gives an important service and if you would like that information she deserves to be paid for it. Sorry about that guys, but it's only fair :) As far as the nutrition goes she added a few new supplements to my arsenal and so far I really like them. Food-wise she has me eating very clean and mostly paleo minus whey protein and the occasional quest bar as a snack. I am going to post my before pics so we can track my progress and hold me accountable! Whenever you do an online training program, it's extremely important to find ways to be accountable for the work you committed to putting in. Don't spend money on something that you aren't going to follow through with. Disclaimer, I have a very handsome 2 1/2-year-old son, I have been hanging on to at least 10lbs of baby weight that I cannot seem to shake. Hopefully at the end of this I can restore my confidence!

I will try to update with a new progress picture weekly! Thank you so much for reading! And I hope I can inspire and help others to get started on being healthy and happy with the bodies they work so hard to keep in good shape :) You can follow me on Pinterest, Instagram using the links in my blog or add me on snapchat CaveGoddess for up to date information on my progress! Happy healthy addictions!

The PaleoCaveGoddess
Amanda :)

I stumbled upon, FRENCH TOAST :)

French Toast Craving Fulfilled! 

I have been craving some awesome french toast for some time now. That being said I didn't actually look up a recipe to make it, I just had some ideas and just went with it. To my surprise, the french toast came out amazing! I made a PALEO version using the recipe that my mom passed to me when I was little, and just made some simple modifications to make it paleo friendly. I am not saying that you should pick this recipe up and eat french toast everyday...haha. Obviously this is a recipe to be used in moderation, as it still contains carbs and sugar. Without further adieu...here is the recipe (super simple):

• Tapioca Bread Loaf (or homemade bread of your choice)
• 4 eggs
• cinnamon (to taste)
• 4 tablespoons Almond/Coconut Milk Vanilla Unsweetened
• about 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
• Coconut Oil (to line the frying pan)
• Pure Maple Syrup (if desired)

Directions:

1. Crack eggs into a square container (Tupperware works pretty perfectly)
2. add Almond or coconut milk, vanilla, and cinnamon
3. whisk with a fork until well mixed
4. Pour some coconut oil onto a frying pan (I used a griddle)
5. Place 1 slice of bread into the mixture and let it sit for 30 seconds, then flip and let the slice soak for 30 more seconds.
6. After pan is heated place the slice into the pan and fry on both sides until golden brown
7. Top With maple syrup and enjoy :)

One of the things I was a little worried about was that the bread consistency would be off. Fortunately for me, I had no issues using tapioca bread. I found that it absorbed the moisture of the mix extremely well and took the flavor even better :) My husband took one bite and said "Wow! These taste EXACTLY like how French Toast should taste, maybe even BETTER!". I would definitely say that this was a HUGE success and will be using this recipe again for future cravings. 

As always from The Paleo Cave Goddess, happy healthy addictions! If you have any suggestions for new dishes for me to try, comment below!

IHOPP The International House of Paleo Pancakes!

3 Ingredient Pancakes

-OR-

5 Ingredient Pancakes

(mmmm...that IS the question now, isn't it?)

This post is going to be a little different from my previous posts. One, because I tried out an original recipe found of course...on Pinterest... haha. After trying that recipe out a few times on the family for breakfast, I noticed something was missing from the recipe. So I started to mess around with the ingredients, and I have now arrived at what I believe to be THE PERFECT Paleo pancakes! So, to start off, I am going to provide you with the 3 Ingredient Pancake recipe. 

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripened banana
• 2 eggs
• cinnamon added to taste

Instructions (Super Easy):

1. Place all ingredients into blender
2. Blend
3. Pour onto frying pan (greased w/ coconut oil)
4. flip after bubbles form
5. DONE (easy as that right?)

Review:

They tasted pretty good, however, they were a little bland (maybe my bananas weren't ripened enough). My biggest issue with them in specific was the texture. They didn't resemble pancakes enough for me to really enjoy them...they were a little flimsy and sometimes broke when flipping them and were too greasy and moist. Still a fast and easy recipe especially if you're on a budget!

Now, for my 5 Ingredient Pancakes :)

Ingredients:

• 2 large ripened bananas
• 4 eggs
• 3 tsp coconut flour
• cinnamon to taste
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• salt (optional)

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients in the blender
2. Pour onto greased griddle or frying pan (coconut oil)
3. when bubbles appear flip
4. Serve with fruit, syrup, or nothing and Enjoy!

Review:

This recipe (which I made up from testing out different combos of ingredients over this past week) is delicious! The pancakes are still moist, but the coconut flour really adds that substance and fluffy feeling that pancakes are supposed to have. I really feel like I can have my pancakes and eat them too (haha very punny!) This new recipe is a WIN!

But all in all, both recipes are delicious and you can pull off "paleo pancakes" with either recipe, and enjoy the whole process. My son absolutely loved both versions of pancakes, so it is great for your children. Don't forget to make the pancakes pretty small as you can see in the picture (they do tend to break and not hold together if you are not careful or make them too big! *This applies mostly to the 3 ingredient recipe*). 

I hope you all enjoy your pancakes! Happy healthy Addictions, everyone!

Three Ingredient Recipe thanks to:

http://www.recipebyphoto.com/3-ingredient-pancakes/

Everyone is welcome to use my 5 ingredient recipe :) Don't forget to share and subscribe!

Yours Truly,

The PaleoCaveGoddess

"Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf!"- Randy from movie "A Christmas Story"

How I became a Meatloaf Lover!

Anyone who knows me well, is aware that I don't really like eating meatloaf. Strange, but even though it is a classic American dinner entree, with recipes being passed down from generation to generation (my great-grandmother even had a go to recipe). I don't know what it is about it, whether it be the texture, taste, flavor combinations and so on, I just never liked it. That is, until tonight, when I decided to mix it up for dinner tonight. I did some research on, you guessed it...Pinterest, and found this Savory Sweet Potato Meatloaf recipe that promises to have great flavor. Of course, I know that when cooking a brand new recipe each individual and family will have different needs and taste preferences, and this recipe was great! I did substitute the flax meal in the original recipe for almond flour (I didn't have any flax at home) and instead of ground turkey, we opted to use ground beef instead.

So, without further adieu, on to the prep and baking process! 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (Either skin on or skin off, your preference)
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 Almond flour
• 1 Tbsp Sea Salt
• 2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

Preparation and Baking Process:

1. Wash sweet potatos, chop into 1"x1" cubes and steam until soft
2. Preheat your over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
3. While the sweet potatos steam, pull out your food processor, put your onion, garlic, honey, egg, sea salt, Italian seasoning and almond flour and process until well mixed and onions are finely chopped
4. In a large bowl combine contents of the food processor with the ground beef and combine (I prefer to use my hands but use whatever technique you like. Set aside for later.
5. My sweet potatos were almost done (needed about 5 more minutes steaming), so I took this opportunity to wash and cut up some fresh broccoli to serve as the vegetable portion of the meal.
6. Finally, the sweet potatos were done steaming so I took them out and mashed them in a new and smaller bowl with a fork.
7. I put my chopped broccoli into the steamer at this time.
8. Combine the mashed sweet potato with the large bowl of meat, onions, garlic, etc. 
9. Now, with the amount of meat I used, I prepared enough to make 2 meatloaves, so take out 2 bread bowls (I used 1 bread bowl and 1 Pyrex container). I put both on the center rack of my oven and set a timer for 55 minutes. 
10. When the timer had only 40 minutes left, I removed the broccoli from the steamer and put it into a Pyrex container and stored in the microwave until I was ready to serve dinner. 
11. Once the timer has gone off, you're ready to serve!

^^^Here is what mine looked like^^^

Official Review of the Recipe:

Overall, we thought this recipe was delicious! It was juicy, savory, and had great flavor! Here were the cons for my family. If you are like us, and you don't like overly sweet foods, don't include the honey. It was a touch on the sweet side for us, and we felt that the sweet potatos alone enhanced the sweetness enough. We also thought there was a little bit too much onion flavoring and not enough garlic. My husband is Filipino and LOVES HIS GARLIC...so do I though, so can you say match made in garlic heaven??? Hahaha! Next time I make this, I am going to cut the amount of onion to 1/2 an onion and increase the garlic to 5-6 cloves (sounds like a lot...but it still might not be enough for us though!!! Gotta keep those vamps away, right???) Other than those details, it was an awesome meal for super cheap $$$! I would highly recommend this to any family! Enjoy! That's all from me for now! Happy healthy addictions! 

I found this recipe courtesy of Pinterest and fellow blogger:

http://www.livehealtheasy.com/2013/12/sweet-potato-meatloaf.html

Thanks for the great meal! 

My love affair with Chia Seed Pudding

Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding OMG NOMNOMNOM!

So this was actually my first time consuming chia seeds ever! I ordered a three pound bag from Amazon (I was pretty excited!). I could hardly contain myself as I waited for my package to get delivered. Finally, the chia seeds arrived...I opened up the bag...and...."Ewwwww". They don't smell overly appetizing! I began to feel skeptical as to whether or not chia seeds could become a staple of my diet. Never the less, I carried on and gathered all of my ingredients. 

1. 1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, Vanilla
2. 1 container Plain (I used Vanilla) cultured coconut yogurt
3. 2 tbs maple syrup
4. 1 tsp vanilla
5. 1/8 tsp salt
6. 1/4 chia seeds

I followed the directions and whisked the almond milk and yogurt together, creating a very watery texture. Immediately following I whisked in the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until it was well mixed. Now to add the chia seeds and wait...a whole 30 minutes, and whisk every once in awhile. So while I waited, I did some research on chia seeds. I found that chia seeds are capable of absorbing up to FOUR TIMES their weight in liquid, ultimately forming into a gel-like substance that is supposed to slow down the rate at which your body processes carbohydrates into sugar.

After waiting the 30 minutes, I did one final stir to make sure all the seeds were evenly distributed in the mixture, then poured it into a glass Pyrex container to put in the fridge overnight for the chia seeds to make their final transformation into that gel-like substance.

When I woke up, my husband Jon was in a hurry to get out of the house for his first class of the day, and my son Liam was running around the house saying, "Nommies, Nom Nom Mommy!". I got some banana, strawberry, and blueberries to top the pudding, and served. I looked at the end product and though, "alright, down the hatch"... IT WAS AMAZING! I enjoyed every last bite! I can only describe it as a tapioca-like oatmeal or pudding. The fruit complimented the pudding so well. I think next time I am going to skip the maple syrup to further reduce the sugar in this dish, as we thought it was a tad too sweet for my families needs. But over all, I am absolutely IN LOVE with chia seeds, and cannot wait to try out some new flavored chia seed pudding! I am particularly interested in trying the pumpkin chia seed pudding and the cacao powder chia seed pudding! Yummy! Please, comment on any amazing recipes you have come across, or any questions you have about this chia seed recipe I found courtesy of Pinterest and http://www.simplyhappenstance.com/vanilla-chia-seed-pudding/. That's all from me for now! Happy healthy addictions!