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Grain Free Paleo Recipes and Healthy Living

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Clean Eating Side Dish: Carrot Purée

January 5, 2015 By Karen Sorenson

It’s always nice to have some different veggie options to turn to when you’re wanting something a little different.  When I first started posting recipes with carrots most people were shocked because they aren’t considered “low carb” (at least not very low carb).  One thing I have learned over the years is that you have… 

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Filed Under: Sides, Whole30 Tagged With: dairy free, egg free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, nightshade free, nut free, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, thanksgiving, Veggies

Bacon Wrapped Smokies (Low Carb and Paleo)

December 29, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

Yesterday was my 3 year blogiversary!  Wow, it’s so hard to believe that over 3 years ago I started my journey to health and then decided to document my recipes and journey through this blog.  What started out as a little hobby to fill some free time and to have a place to store recipes ended… 

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Filed Under: Paleo, Pork Tagged With: Atkins, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, low carb, nut free, paleo, party foods, primal, special diet, special diets, Swerve

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies (Grain Free and Low Carb)

December 17, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

If you’re still trying to finalize your holiday dessert selection these Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies may be the perfect choice.  They are simple to make..just whip up and bake the cookies, let them cool, and fill them with a cheesecake like filling.  You get some of the classic flavors of the holidays in an easy to… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: Atkins, egg free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, primal friendly, special diet, special diets, Swerve

Mini Cheese Ball Appetizer (Low Carb and Grain Free)

December 15, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

With the holiday season in full swing there are lots of parties and celebrations going on.  It’s always fun to share homemade recipes with family and friends..especially to let people know that going grain free (low carb and/or primal/paleo) doesn’t have to be tasteless.  Most of the recipes filling my newsfeed are for sweet treats… 

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Filed Under: Gameday Tagged With: Atkins, egg free, gameday, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, low carb, primal friendly, special diet, special diets

Caramel Pecan Clusters (Paleo and Low Carb Option)

December 8, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

With the holiday season upon us traditional desserts are popping up everyone.  Caramel Pecan Clusters (aka Turtles) are very popular during the holidays, but it’s one dessert I haven’t had in awhile.  I decided to create a paleo version to share with my family so that they can realize that healthy doesn’t have to be tasteless…. 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Paleo Tagged With: Atkins, chocolate, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, thanksgiving

No Bake Cranberry Cheesecakes (Grain Free)

November 26, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

When I think of Thanksgiving cranberries are always a part of the food celebration.  As I kid, I remember opening the can of gelled cranberry sauce.  When I think about it now, it’s kinda a gross, but I loved the taste of it.  Making cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries is so easy and it tastes… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Uncategorized Tagged With: Atkins, egg free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, primal, special diet, special diets, Swerve

Ginger Snap Cookies (Grain Free)

November 24, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

It’s nice to have a few different options for holiday desserts.  Some people like the traditional pies that are usually served during the holidays, but some people (like me) love cookies.  Cookies make a great addition to the holiday table, especially with the seasonal flavors like ginger and cinnamon.  And the good news is that… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo friendly, primal friendly, special diet, special diets, Swerve, thanksgiving

20 Thanksgiving Desserts (Paleo and/or Low Carb)

November 19, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

A big part of Thanksgiving dinner is the dessert.  Before I changed my diet the only foods I liked during Thanksgiving dinner were the turkey and the dessert. 🙂  The traditional Thanksgiving sides never really appealed to me.  Of course now I love real food sides like these so that makes a great addition, but… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: Atkins, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, Swerve, thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Side Dishes (Low Carb and Grain Free)

November 12, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

As Thanksgiving approaches we start to put together our meal plans.  For some of you it will be a little different this year because you decided to make a change to your diet and you want to continue with a delicious healthy meal on your Thanksgiving table.  What you might not realize is that there… 

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Filed Under: Paleo, Sides Tagged With: Atkins, cauliflower, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, low carb, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, thanksgiving

Chocolate Custard (Paleo or Low Carb)

November 3, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

After making the Crème Caramel from the Mediterranean Paleo Cooking cookbook I was inspired to make some more custard this time with chocolate.  Yum! I find it’s so easy to make custard and it’s delicious.  The good news is that the Chocolate Custard only has 5 ingredients!  I love dessert recipes that aren’t overly complicated or have… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Paleo Tagged With: Atkins, coconut, dairy free, essential oils, gluten free, grain free, holiday, low carb, nut free, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, Swerve, thanksgiving

Crème Caramel and a Review of Mediterranean Paleo Cooking

October 22, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

My friend Caitlin Weeks, from Grass Fed Girl, has been working for years to bring her vision to life.  Countless hours of recipe testing, photography, editing, etc. has led to the wonderful book, Mediterranean Paleo Cooking.  Caitlin, a Nutrition Consultant, teamed up with her husband Nabil, who is a chef to create delicious, paleo versions… 

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Filed Under: Paleo Tagged With: coconut, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, Mediterranean paleo, nightshade free, nut free, primal, special diet, special diets

Flourless Chocolate Peppermint Cake (Paleo and Low Carb)

October 15, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

I’m trying to be prepared and get a head start on planning.  So I wanted to put together some ideas for tasty paleo desserts for the holidays.  One of my favorite “food groups”  is chocolate. 🙂 Ok so it’s not a food group, but a little dark chocolate isn’t so bad around the holidays.  I… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Essential Oils, Paleo Tagged With: Atkins, essential oils, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, nut free, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, Swerve

Grain Free Thin Mint Mini Cupcakes

March 5, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

Grain Free Thin Mint Mini Cupcakes

This time of year is the season of Girl Scout cookies and probably over indulging in those cookies.  It’s so easy to overeat them.  The good news is that you can support your local Girl Scouts without giving into the temptation of eating the cookies.  Wouldn’t you love a grain free thin mint? Next time… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Paleo Tagged With: Atkins, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, low carb, nut free, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, St. Patrick's Day, Swerve

Grain Free Irish Soda Bread Biscuits

February 26, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

I’m continuing my St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with some Grain Free Irish Soda Bread Biscuits.  As a kid I remember helping my mom make Irish Soda Bread every year for St. Patrick’s Day.  It was a recipe passed down to her and I loved to help make it…even if I didn’t like the taste of… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: dairy free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, St. Patrick's Day, Swerve

Dairy Free Shamrock Shake

February 24, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

As the end of February quickly approaches that means St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner.  Since I’m part Irish, St. Patrick’s Day has always been a big deal and a great time for my family to celebrate our Irish heritage.  What better way to celebrate than with a festive, naturally green, Dairy Free… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: Atkins, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, low carb, nut free, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, St. Patrick's Day, Swerve

Paleo Chocolate Soufflé…a Guest Post from Gutsy by Nature

February 10, 2014 By Karen Sorenson

I’m currently doing a sugar detox so making desserts for the blog just isn’t in the cards for me right now, but I wanted to make sure you had a delicious option for Valentine’s Day, or any day you are craving some delicious chocolate. This recipe is a Paleo version of Chocolate Souffle. Today’s guest… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Paleo Tagged With: Atkins, chocolate, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, valentine's day

Five Ingredient Friday: Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Butter Swirl Cups

December 27, 2013 By LowCarbOneDay

Today I have a quick treat for when you you want to make something easy.  I first fell in love with Toasted Coconut Butter when I made it for a guest post a few month ago.  Now I make it all the time because it’s so easy to make. I either eat by the spoonful… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: 5if, coconut, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo, paleo friendly, primal, primal friendly, special diet, special diets, Swerve

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites

December 23, 2013 By Karen Sorenson

Today I’m sharing a guest post I did for Kyndra over at Peace, Love, and Low Carb.  I created a super easy no bake dessert that would make a great dessert any time of year, but especially for the holidays. I didn’t get a chance to try it, but if you need a dairy free… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Gameday Tagged With: Atkins, chocolate, egg free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, primal friendly, special diet, Swerve

Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Meringue Cookies

December 19, 2013 By Karen Sorenson

Making meringue cookies only requires a handful of ingredients and they’re really easy to make.  The great thing about meringue cookies is that they look really fancy. It almost looks  like it took a lot of effort to make.  These Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Meringue cookies will definitely impress your guests this holiday season. You can… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Paleo Tagged With: chocolate, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, nut free, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, Swerve

Hot Chocolate Holiday Gift Jars

December 18, 2013 By LowCarbOneDay

Making your own gifts to share with others on the holidays is nice way to show how much you care for and appreciate your family and friends.  I think it’s so cute to fill a jar with ingredients so the other person can easily make the recipe and know that it’s from the heart. Hot… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: chocolate, coconut, dairy free, gluten free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, nut free, paleo, paleo friendly, paleo pen pals, primal, primal friendly, special diet, special diets, Swerve

Lemon Meringue Cookies

December 16, 2013 By LowCarbOneDay

For the holidays I wanted to make some meringue cookies, but plain meringue cookies seemed a little boring.  I also wanted to have a try for those that don’t care for chocolate could also enjoy.  Not like chocolate?  That’s crazy talk! Alright, I know some people do not like chocolate and that’s perfectly normal.  Lemon… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Gameday, Paleo Tagged With: gameday, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, nut free, paleo, paleo friendly, paleo pen pals, party foods, primal, primal friendly, special diet, special diets, summer

No Bake Grain Free Chocolate Haystack Cookies

December 11, 2013 By LowCarbOneDay

I recently had a request for a grain free version of the no bake haystack cookies that are usually made with oats.  My first thought was that coconut would be a great substitute for the oats.  I decided to use a combination of the shredded coconut and the flakes to give it more of the… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: almond butter, coconut, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo, paleo friendly, party foods, primal, primal friendly, special diet, special diets, Swerve

Sesame Cookies A.K.A. Benne Wafers

December 9, 2013 By LowCarbOneDay

When I first started food blogging I participated in a monthly food swap with other food bloggers. Basically every month, I was assigned a blogger that I had to send a few food items that represented where I live.  For me, I had to send South Carolina related food items.  As a was searching for… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: almond flour, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo friendly, party foods, primal, special diet, special diets

Five Ingredient Friday: Chocolate Pudding

December 6, 2013 By Karen Sorenson

Today I am sharing with you an easy Chocolate Pudding recipe.  It only has four ingredients and just takes about 10 minutes to cook. Plus the pudding is divided out into portions so you don’t have to worry about overindulging. Let’s face it…we’re all busy.  Making good decisions in regards to our diets can often… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Paleo Tagged With: chocolate, coconut, gluten free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo, paleo friendly, primal, primal friendly, special diet, special diets

Toasted Coconut Muddy Buddies

December 4, 2013 By LowCarbOneDay

One of my all time favorite desserts around the holidays is Muddy Buddies or Puppy Chow.  If you’re not familiar with Muddy Buddies/Puppy Chow it’s a recipe that covers Chex Cereal with cocolate and peanut butter and then coats it in powdered sugar.  Of course I needed to lower the carbs on this holiday treat. … 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Paleo Tagged With: almond butter, coconut, egg free, gluten free, grain free, holiday, holiday desserts, paleo, paleo friendly, party foods, primal, primal friendly, special diet, special diets, Swerve

Pecan Pie Frozen Yogurt (Dairy Free)

November 25, 2013 By LowCarbOneDay

After making Dairy Free Yogurt, I was so excited to be eating yogurt again that I had to make lots of other recipes that featured it.  I overheard some people talking about their favorite frozen yogurt shop and I instantly knew that would be a perfect way to use Dairy Free Yogurt.  I polled the… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Paleo Tagged With: coconut, dairy free, desserts, egg free, holiday, ice cream, paleo, primal, special diet, special diets, Swerve

Paleo Green Bean Casserole

November 18, 2013 By LowCarbOneDay

For most people the holidays wouldn’t be complete without Green Bean Casserole.  I have say that I never really liked Green Bean Casserole, but ever since I discovered my love for onions this summer I decided to try my hand at a Paleo Green Bean Casserole.  I ended up using fresh green beans from my… 

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Filed Under: Paleo, Sides Tagged With: coconut, coconut aminos, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, grain free, health, holiday, low carb, paleo, paleo friendly, primal, primal friendly, special diet, special diets, Veggies

Almond Butter Balls

November 13, 2013 By LowCarbOneDay

One of my favorite recipes is No Bake Almond Butter Bars.  This time I wanted to go closer to the original recipe that uses graham cracker crumbs and use some of my Homemade Grain-Free Graham Cracker Crumbs.  If you make up the graham cracker crumbs ahead of time you can easily whip the Almond Butter… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Gameday, Paleo Tagged With: almond butter, almonds, chocolate, coconut, gluten free, grain free, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo, paleo friendly, primal, primal friendly, special diet, special diets

Low Carb "Puppy Chow" Almonds

December 22, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

[Updated 12-22-12] My latest cooking adventure is Low Carb “Puppy Chow” Almonds.  Puppy Chow was one of my favorite high carb desserts.  It is made with chocolate, peanut butter, Chex Mix, and powdered sugar.  I used to make it all the time around the holidays.  The Lean Green Bean had the wonderful idea of making Puppy… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: almonds, chocolate, dairy free, holiday, low carb, peanut butter, puppy chow, Swerve

Bacon Wrapped Butternut Squash Bites (Low Carb and Paleo)

December 19, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

I’ve been posting a lot of recipes for sweets lately so I decided to make a great low carb appetizer.  My favorite vegetable this winter has been butternut squash.  It has been perfect in some of my favorites side dishes (here and here).  I decided to pair my favorite vegetable of the moment with bacon. … 

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Filed Under: Misc, Paleo, Sides Tagged With: appetizer, bacon, egg free, gameday, gluten free, health, holiday, low carb, primal, special diet, special diets, Veggies

Chocolate Almond Butter Truffles (Low Carb and Dairy Free)

December 14, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

Are you ready for Christmas?  I just realized there is less than two weeks until Christmas and I haven’t even started my shopping yet.  What was I thinking?!?! I’ve really been in the mood to make holiday treats lately.  Maybe next week I’ll do some savory dishes.  There are just so many parties and gatherings… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: almond butter, chocolate, dairy free, gluten free, health, holiday, low carb, paleo friendly, primal friendly, special diet, special diets, truffles

Low Carb Peppermint Hot Chocolate (Dairy Free)

December 12, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

The holiday season always makes me want some hot chocolate.  Last year I never got around to making a low carb version of hot chocolate so this year it was on my must make list.  I add some peppermint extract to really bring in the holiday flavors.  It’s perfect for a cold day!  Or in… 

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Filed Under: Misc Tagged With: chocolate, dairy free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo friendly, primal friendly, special diet, special diets

Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Mash (Low Carb and Paleo)

December 10, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

Since mashed potatoes are not an option during the holiday season I’m always looking for substitutes.  This year I tried butternut squash for the first time and I’ve been experimenting with using it in some of my low carb recipes.  One of my favorites was the Butternut Squash “Risotto”.  I decided to add some roasted… 

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Filed Under: Paleo, Sides, Whole30 Tagged With: dairy free, egg free, garlic, gluten free, holiday, low carb, primal, side dish, thanksgiving, Veggies

Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

December 5, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

The holiday season is filled with parties and gatherings to celebrate this special time of year.  For a low carber this can be a season filled with temptation from all of the high-carb and sugar filled treats at these gatherings.  When I’m going to a party I like to be prepared with food I know… 

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Filed Under: Gameday, Misc Tagged With: Atkins, gameday, gluten free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, nuts, paleo friendly, party foods, primal friendly, special diet, special diets

No Bake Almond Butter Bars (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

November 28, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

No Bake Almond Butter Bars One of the desserts I used to make all the time was Peanut Butter Bars.  Last year I created a low carb version that was delicious, but still required baking to make the “graham cracker” crumbs.  This year I wanted to create a no bake version and I also wanted… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Gameday, Popular Tagged With: almond butter, almonds, coconut, gluten free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, special diet, special diets

Low Carb Thanksgiving: Stuffing (Gluten Free and Paleo)

November 19, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

I haven’t had Stuffing (or Dressing) in a long time. The last few years I’ve been trying to pretend like green beans or mushrooms would make me forget that I wasn’t having Stuffing with my Thanksgiving dinner.  This year I have a the perfect low carb solution! OK, you stuffing purists are probably saying that… 

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Filed Under: Misc, Paleo, Pork Tagged With: fall, gluten free, health, holiday, low carb, primal, special diet, special diets, thanksgiving

World Diabetes Day and Low Carb German Chocolate Cake Bars

November 14, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

Today is World Diabetes Day.  I first heard about diabetes when I was in middle school.  I had spent about a week running up to the grocery store for my older brother who was very ill.  He kept saying he was thirsty so my cousin and I would ride our bikes to the grocery store… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: almonds, chocolate, coconut, gluten free, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo friendly, primal friendly, special diet, special diets, Swerve, thanksgiving, world diabetes day

Low Carb Thanksgiving: Orange Cranberry Sauce (Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly)

November 12, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

When I shared my Roasted Turkey and Pan Gravy I mentioned that I had never made a turkey before.  Well, my experience with cranberry sauce is the jellied kind out of can.  At our Thanksgiving dinners, the cranberry sauce would take a back seat to stars like the Turkey and the Pumpkin Pie. I have… 

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Filed Under: Misc Tagged With: cranberry, fall, gluten free, health, holiday, low carb, orange, paleo friendly, primal friendly, side dish, special diet, thanksgiving

Low Carb Pumpkin Bars (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

October 31, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

Happy Halloween! When you think of Halloween or Fall one of the first things you probably think of is pumpkins. Thankfully for all of the low carbers pumpkin is low carb which makes it easy to enjoy holiday treats filled with pumpkin.  The filling for these Low Carb Pumpkin Bars is made up of pumpkin… 

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: cheesecake, comfort food, dairy free, fall, gluten free, Halloween, health, holiday, holiday desserts, low carb, paleo friendly, primal friendly, special diet, thanksgiving

Low Carb Pot Roast with Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

October 26, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

I was excited to pick up my shinny new Dutch oven.  I’ve been wanting one for a long time, but I wasn’t willing to spend the money on it. Well, since Winter time is right around the corner I knew it would get a lot of use, so I saved my pennies and picked one… 

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Filed Under: Beef, Paleo Tagged With: classics, comfort food, dairy free, fall, gluten free, holiday, low carb, nightshade free, primal, thanksgiving, winter

Low Carb “Apple” Crisp (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

October 17, 2012 By Karen Sorenson

Yum, “Apple” Crisp. Can’t you just smell the holidays? It’s hard to believe we are over halfway through October and the holidays will be right around the corner.  One of my favorite holiday memories is helping my Mom make the Apple Pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My job was to help peel and core all… 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Paleo Tagged With: apple crisp, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, health, holiday, low carb, nightshade free, primal, special diet, thanksgiving

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Welcome


Hi, I'm Karen! I follow a low carb and paleo diet as I try and reach my goal of losing 100 lbs. I'm also interested in all things healthy and healing my body through food and lifestyle. Read More

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