And today, I’ve got to tell you about a new book by the lovely Jane Barthelemy, called Paleo Desserts. It is SCRUMPTIOUS in all ways. I was blessed enough to be one of Jane’s taste testers (and I could not get enough!) as well as one of the editors who worked on preparing her manuscript for her publisher. It’s a fun read and Jane does an incredible job of making Paleo baking quite simple.

Jane will also be touring throughout Portland, so be sure to meet her and her delicious food in person as well. (See her event schedule here.)

Once you’ve tried out some of her recipes, hit me up on the blog and let me know what you think (her cupcakes are TOO DIE for!).

Happy Eating!
xoHeather

Pick up your copy today!

And if you want more T-giving inspiration – check out some of my other infamous T-giving posts.

Gluten/Dairy/Soy/Refined sugar-free Pumpkin Pie (best EVER!)
Sweet Potato Casserole
Roasted Pumpkin seeds (try sprinkling cinnamon and stevia blend for a sweet treat!)
Crockpot Stuffing (as featured in The Best Thanksgiving Recipes from the Best Bloggers book)

Stay tuned for a gluten/dairy/soy-free macaroni and cheese recipe as a fun T-giving side dish!

What are your fave Thanksgiving recipes? Leave your comments below and let us know what you think of the recipes in this awesome cookbook!

Happy Eating!
xoHeather

Back to Eden Bakery
This is one of my fave spots. In fact, every time I visit, I get 2-3 goodies thinking I’ll give one to my partner or eat it later in the week. That never happens, as I usually eat all of them in one sitting. This raw cheesecake was especially good, although it was so rich it was the only thing I devoured that day.

Broder Portland
Their baked egg dishes ROCK. Light, fluffy and with goat cheese, you just can’t go wrong. Also, the staff couldn’t be nicer. They are the sweetest ever. So much so, you barely notice that you’re stuffed into a tiny table and a tiny seat and can almost eat your neighbors food by turning your head. Please get a larger restaurant Broder so I can love on your food some more.

Cravin Raven
I discovered their delicious cookies at People’s, but quickly found an excuse to visit their small bakery to sample more. I love their cookies because they add awesome ingredients like quinoa and almond flour which adds a lot of depth to the flavor. They do use agave, but I never find their goods too sweet. I love dough and their cookies are doughy yumminess. I also recommend their tarts. De-lish. Outdoor seating makes the small space manageable too!

EarthCafe Raw Cheesecake
Filled with all foods I can eat, this raw cheesecake blew my mind! It is rich, but totally delicious. I grabbed a slice at Whole Foods. And while I found the price to be somewhat appalling ($6.99), it turned out to be totally worth it. A great take-home treat for a hard day of being awesome.

Eena Kadeena Flourless Cookies
Another take-home treat, found at New Seasons – Eena Kadeena has done it again with her Chocolate Chew flourless cookies. There is brown sugar involved, but with no flour I had to give the cookies a shot. It was hard to just have one, and thank goodness they only come in packs of 7. Hold on to your cookies folks, these are my faves right now.

And, an hour and a half west of Portland…
Exists my fave gluten/dairy/meat-free dining spot – Blue Scorcher Cafe in Astoria, Ore.  They still have the best gluten-free chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever tasted (they even rival mine!) and every time I visit they have another gluten/dairy-free treat that is as tasty as it is gorgeous (who knew gluten-free flour could stay together so perfectly?!). It’s so very worth the drive. Their salads and pizzas are equally incredible and I also love their soups and lavender ice tea. But mainly, I just go there for dessert.

Have a fave Portland or coast gluten/dairy/soy-free spot? Leave your comments below!
Happy Eating!
xoHeather

2 eggs
1 c erythritol
2/3 c canola oil
1 1/4 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 c gluten-free flour
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1 t sea salt
1 large zucchini from Heather’s garden, grated (or 3 regular sized zucchini’s)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first four ingredients, in the order listed above.  Then add additional ingredients, leaving out the zucchini. Mix until smooth. Add grated zucchini and stir in until well-blended. Pour into non-stick loaf pan (or use olive oil/non-stick spray), about halfway full. Smooth out with spatula. Use rest of batter to make muffins or a small loaf of bread. Bake loaf pan 1 hour or until butter knife comes out clean from center of loaf.

Happy Eating!
xoHeather

P.S. Check out how huge my zucchini are! I didn’t know they could get this big!

Right now, you can get the complete LaraBar line (including uber & JOCALAT bars) for $1.00 OFF any three bars. Whole Foods is currently offering LaraBars for 4/$5 (which is pretty much the cheapest you can find them, although sometimes Target has a select few for 0.99 cents). That makes the bars roughly 0.75 cents with the coupon (for Lara only).

In any event, I purchased enough bars to last me through the entire summer because who knows when we’ll see this low price again. If you feel called – get down to your local Whole Foods. The coupon is in their Simply Summer guide and is located at the front of the stores or at the Customer Service desk. AND, you can use the coupon as many times as you want through September 30, 2012. Is that awesome or what??!

BTW – I have tried every LaraBar flavor (it’s the only gluten/dairy/soy-free/no refined sugar bar – except some of the chocolate ones – that I have discovered that is a reasonable price point for weekly consumption) and the following are my fave’s: Coconut Cream Pie, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, GingerSnap, Chocolate Peanut Butter & the uber Roasted Nut Roll.

Happy Eating loves!
xoHeather

Veritable Quandary (VQ as us locals call it)
Happy Hour – Malbec (only $6 – even off of HH) and bacon wrapped dates with chevre.
It is a small slice of heaven and I’m virtually speechless everytime I eat them.

My kyptonite: VQ Malbec & bacon wrapped dates with chevre.

Via Chicago Pizza – at the PSU Farmer’s Market
This gluten-free crust rivals my usual favorite at Mississippi Pizza. Thick, doughy goodness makes it so worth it I didn’t mind eating the cheese (it is dairy – but you can ask them to go light!). I had an asparagus pepperoni slice and it was pure HEAVEN. You gotta get to the Farmer’s Market this weekend and order one.

The most delicious gluten-free pizza you have not yet eaten.

And this is what the best enchiladas of your life look like...

1 lb. organic chicken, grilled and shredded
1 t garlic salt
1 t pepper
2 c goat cheddar cheese, grated
1 can organic pinto beans, drained
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cans green enchilada sauce
1 pkg La Burrita corn tortillas
1 container pre-made guacamole
1 container salsa
Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Grill chicken on skillet in kitchen, season with garlic salt and pepper (feel free to add more/less based on your taste). Shred chicken with fork. In saucepan on the stove, pour both cans of green sauce – heat on medium heat until slightly bubbling, then reduce to low. In separate saucepan and on low heat, mix spinach, pinto beans, onion and 1 cup of cheese. In 9×13 pan, spray non-stick spray. Lightly warm each tortilla on medium heat in skillet (no oil needed, just a minute max on each side). Scoop into tortilla a spoonful of enchilada sauce, chicken and the spinach/beans mixture (to give an added zing you can include a scoop of salsa and/or guac). Roll tortilla up and place in pan. Repeat this until pan is full. Then, pour remaining sauce over all of the rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Take off foil for last 5-10 minutes or until enchiladas are bubbling and cheese is melted. Serve with guac/salsa. Serves 4.

Happy Eating!
xoHeather

And while a bit pricey, I couldn’t say no. Besides, “love” is listed as one of the ingredients. Who could turn that down?!

So, here’s my sales pitch. Try Lulu’s chocolate if you 1) want to support indie businesses 2) you love chocolate 3) you need your chocolate to be free of emulsifiers, preservatives and chemicals 4) you eat organic 5) you like it when your food is made with love.

To make things even better, Lulu’s chocolate is also available in Oregon (where I live) and throughout the U.S.

Do you have a fave Lulu’s chocolate flavor? If so, list it below in the comments.

Happy Eating!
xoHeather

Be sure to order a decaf latte with your choice of milk alternative (I heart rice, but they also have oat!) – they use Stumptown beans – which everyone knows is the best! Then grab Betty Lou’s Just Great Stuff Organic Chocolate Dreams Green – it is amazingly yummy and gives you a shot of leafy greens, not to mention that it pairs perfectly with a latte.

For lunch, I ordered their Greek Salad with chicken breast and balsamic vinaigrette on the side. Delish does not do it justice! There are not many great eats on the Coast, and unfortunately the Pelican Pub’s food was disastrous the last two times I ate there, so Stimulus is definitely the place to eat.

In the meantime, be sure to pick up some of the Just Great Stuff whole food bars, which you can order online. They are pricey, but a great whole foods alternative.

Happy Eating!
xo

This time though I mixed it up with Kinnikinnick’s white, soft bread. At 70 calories a slice, it is tasty and there’s no need to worry about calories (as if you were anyway – calorie counting is so lame – I just couldn’t believe how low-cal the slices were!). Check out my quick and delicious breakfast go-to. This will last you from morning until noon.

Birthday Breakfast!

One slice of Kinnikinnick’s white, soft bread (gluten/dairy/soy-free of course)
1-2 T of Trader Joe’s Sunflower Seed butter
1 organic, sliced banana

Toast bread, spread on sunflower seed butter and top with sliced banana. Remaining banana can be sliced in half and coated with sunflower seed butter for an additional treat or if you’re still hungry.

Happy Eating!
xoHeather