Stressed or anxious and not getting enough daily Magnesium?! I created this delicious Chill Pill Magnesium Chocolate recipe to help!

Okay, there’s some back story here. You’ve seen me talking about my taters and lady bits and that encouraged me to go deeper. Over 40 (hi that’s me), things start to shift: everywhere from metabolic efficiency, to recovery from fitness, to how you sleep, to menstruation patterns. The good news is I feel better than I have in years in terms of chronic mysterious (and not so mysterious) illnesses. The bad news is I am iron deficient, have disruptive monthly cycles, and feel less energetic. 

I started looking into metabolic shifts that can happen around this time, simultaneously with hormones that begin to shift away from “child bearer” to a more, let’s say, mature system. I have definitely noticed over the past few years my inability to burn fuel the same way as well as weight settling into my middle. While I’m not going to touch the topic of weight gain with a 10-ft pole, seeing a change in the collective whole warrants discovery of *what does my body need most right now*.

I am so grateful to have finally returned to regular screening and found a great OBGYN in Tampa. She is helping me with the physical aspects of fibroid treatment and the iron deficiency that has resulted from them. But I started getting extra curious about what my actual nutritional needs are right now as a 45 year old woman.

Would I need more Vitamin D to protect me from disease? What about vitamins and minerals specific to pre and perimenopause? There is not nearly enough easily-accessible information on the internet to break it all down. But I did come across a few experts that piqued my interest: one of whom is Dr. Mary Claire Haver, who is an OBGYN and founder of The Galveston Diet.

Now I hesitated to even write out the word “diet” because I feel like it triggers ideas around starvation and weight loss for *bikini season* and other unhealthy notions. And honestly, I haven’t signed up for “the diet” so I don’t follow it. But what got me curious is one of her Instagram reels that was particularly eye-opening ( THIS one), discussing 4 crucial nutritional elements for women my age. 

Dang! I had a real moment here in reflecting upon my last 2 decades of healing and how my goals had been two-fold:

• Avoiding inflammatory/trigger foods
• Eating nutrient dense foods

But here’s what I missed – I did not ever in my years of *lifestyle changes* look to meet specific nutritional goals. Even after learning of specific nutritional deficiencies, I only ever supplemented what was missing. Why? I don’t actually know. I don’t have an answer. It never occurred to me to try to get all of my daily magnesium or Vitamin D from food. LIKE WHAT?!

And to be honest, maybe it’s an impossibility to get every nutrient every day from food alone. But shouldn’t I be trying? Yes, 100% absolutely. So I made this recipe, because after looking into the big 4 nutritional components Dr. Haver recommends paying attention to initially, I dug into best food sources and started focusing on getting those regularly. I wrote this recipe because 1 bar (which is also a delicious treat), is PACKED with 20% of your daily magnesium. Easy and delicious way to pack it in – enjoy!

Chill Pill Magnesium Chocolate

Print Recipe

• Author: predominantlypaleo

Ingredients

• 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted. I used THIS brand because it is low/no sugar. You can also use a brand that is higher naturally in magnesium to give this recipe a boost!
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• 4 Brazil nuts crushed
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon flax meal

Instructions

1. Feel free to buy soaked/sprouted seeds or do that yourself if preferred
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl
3. Spoon the mixture into 5 equal sized candy molds or spread the mixture in an 8×4 bread pan if you don’t have a candy mold
4. Place the bread pan or filled molds into the refrigerator for an hour or until firm
5. Pop out of the molds or slice into 5 equal-sized bars

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What do you get when you combine all the best savory flavors in one recipe… you get this KETO PATTY MELT CASSEROLE, that’s what! 

I’d like to take a moment for a quick back-pat because it is nothing short of a miracle that I have created TWO new recipes in a week. I mean, it’s been a dry spell of several months and I’ve not been able to tap into my most creative self. Lots of distractions between health, moving, and my “haus frau” husband starting his second career post-military! Lots of exciting things but also the plate is extra full.

So I’m pretty pumped to have created this new HIGH PROTEIN ONION DIP and now this! I was falling asleep a few nights ago thinking about my PALEO STUFFED BURGER BUNS. And then I imagined making a keto version but slightly different with caramelized onions and cheddar and designed a little more like a casserole. So as I was falling asleep I thought through the logistics and I woke up with another item on my to do list!

Well I have very good news to report! I made it today and it worked amazingly well. I will say that I do recommend using leaner meat if you intend on using 2 layers of cheese because the additional fat will settle at the bottom of the casserole dish. You can also choose to do one layer of cheese only if you prefer. The only ingredient you have to cook outside of the casserole dish is the caramelized onions, but trust me, it’s so worth the extra step! The flavors just come alive together. 

I haven’t tried it with the Everything Dough Mix, Challah Bread Mix, or Original Sandwich Mix, though I suspect they MIGHT work (no guarantees).

KETO PATTY MELT CASSEROLE

KETO PATTY MELT CASSEROLE

Print Recipe

• Author: Jennifer Robins

Ingredients

• 1 bag Keto Blender Bread Mix by The Castaway Kitchen
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil,  melted coconut oil, or melted butter
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon cooking fat of your choosing
• 6–12 slices of cheddar
• 1/2 teaspoon each of sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder

Instructions

1. Start by sauteing/caramelizing your onion slowly over medium heat in the tablespoon of cooking fat, shifting the onion periodically over the next 10 minutes (you can season with a bit of sea salt and pepper)
2. Now blend the first 5 ingredients to make your bread batter (following bag instructions)
3. Preheat your oven to 350F while you line a casserole dish 10×6 or similar, and line it with parchment paper
4. Spoon about 1.5 cups of the bread batter into the bottom of the parchment-lined pan
5. Now place half the cheese slices down on top of the batter (like you would layer a lasagna)
6. Sprinkle the raw ground beef evenly across the top of the cheese slices
7. Now evenly distribute your cooked onions
8. Layer with an extra layer of cheese slices
9. Last use a large cookie or ice cream scoop to distribute the remaining bread batter into 6 portions (as if you were making 6 sliders)
10. Press the batter slightly and sprinkle with poppy seeds
11. Bake for 50-60 minutes, allow to cool once removing from oven, slice and serve

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Looking for an easy grab and go for the week? Make these Buttery Maple Oatmeal Squares ahead and start your day with a hug!

How is it only Tuesday? I have lived 6 lives already this week between solo parenting, OBGYN follow-ups and game plans, cooking, cleaning, breaking up sibling quarrels, and then of course wish away cold, dreary, wet days. If you’ve been following along on my Instagram, you may have seen me discussing mammograms, fibroids, possible perimenopause, and all the fun lady bits that nobody wants to discuss (or apparently hear about). Turns out, I may at 45, be very capable of pregnancy (double yikes), but have some uterine intruders that need evicting. 

I bet you’re really glad you came here looking for an oatmeal squares recipe aren’t you? 

Welp, that’s life folks. And as much as I love me a juicy burger or a maple sugary buttery breakfast, I also have real shit I’m working through, like all of us. So that’s life and thanks for doing it alongside me. 

Ok back to breakfast, shall we? It is so dang grey and rainy here which is very uncharacteristic for Florida except during the Summer rainy season.. and even then the sun pops back out quickly. But the past week or so it’s been having a Midwest moment (ummmm maybe minus the snow). But it is grey and yuck and I’m not having it.

So between medical appointments I decided it was gosh darn time I pull together a new recipe. Funny enough this has been written in my little journal (where I do my best work) for months. I just hadn’t gotten around to actually making them. Cold rain for the win I guess!

PS might I mention the maple sugar makes a crunchy crust on top that is sort of amazing!

So now my kids can have an easy warm and go breakfast each morning this week that will keep them full until lunch. Best part? You probably already have the ingredients. So make a batch, have breakfast for dinner, or pop these sliced in the fridge for an easy breakfast all week long. 

Buttery Maple Oatmeal Squares

Print Recipe

• Author: Jennifer Robins

Ingredients

• 2 cups GF oats
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup dairy free milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder like Legit Bread Company’s new AIP/GRAIN FREE one!
• 1/2 cup maple sugar – I love Primal Palate’s
• 8 pats butter (dairy or vegan)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Sprinkle oats in a casserole dish, mine was 10 x 7 (8×8 would also work)
3. Crack eggs on top
4. Pour milk and maple syrup on top
5. Sprinkle baking soda and salt
6. Stir altogether in the casserole dish
7. Sprinkle the maple sugar on top and spread evenly with a fork
8. Place pats of butter on top
9. Bake for 30 minutes
10. Remove, cool completely, and slice

The post Buttery Maple Oatmeal Squares appeared first on Predominantly Paleo.

Nobody wants to make the naughty list but with this AIP Paleo Lump of Coal Cookies, you might just ask to be added!

Well I’m not proud to admit that I haven’t blogged a new recipe in several months. And I could sit here and make excuses about “busy” or tell you how I’ve actually compiled a substantial list of the things I’m GOING to make, like these cookies; but honestly none of that matters. The pressure we create for ourselves by letting the thoughts and expectations of others infiltrate our own minds gets a little insane sometimes. 

But alas, here we are – made it through Thanksgiving (barely), made it through the launch of 3 new Legit Bread Company products (barely), survived Hanukkah (barely), breezed through my birthday week (barely), and now we’re on cruise control until the new year. JK it’s probably going to be more of the same, which is a lot of everything. 

Ok back to the recipe just in the St Nick of time! I had this idea months ago as well and thought it would be so fun and kitschy for Christmas. While I don’t personally observe, my father is Christian and we are fortunate enough to be able to spend the holidays together, we do all the things. Stockings are always my favorite; special thanks to Fritos and bean dip, a family tradition. So my idea with these is to drop a few in each stocking as edible lumps of coal – they can be kept completely AIP compliant with our new cookie mix from The Castaway Kitchen, or you can add some additional cocoa if tolerated. 

Looking for more holiday cookie recipes? I can help there too! Check out these SNOW GLOBE COOKIES or these BEST PALEO SUGAR COOKIES to add all your personal touches to!

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