Vincent Pennington Blog

Thursday, November 21, 2019

How to Make Anxiety One of Your Greatest Strengths

Feeling anxious isn’t fun. But what if, instead of wishing you didn’t have anxiety, you could see it differently and actually use it as one of your greatest strengths and sources of energy? That’s the whole premise of Notable Life founder Julian Brass‘ book Own Your Anxiety: 99 Simple Ways to Channel Your Secret Edge — and it’s damn inspiring. As one of the 45 million people in the United States and Canada who live with anxiety, Julian decided to embrace these challenges that come with anxiety, and view it as not an epidemic or weakness, but rather of his…

The post How to Make Anxiety One of Your Greatest Strengths appeared first on Fit Bottomed Girls.

from Tumblr https://vincentpennington.tumblr.com/post/189207818324

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, a healthier version of macaroni and cheese is so creamy and delicious, no one will ever guess it’s also good for you!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

A few weeks ago I posted this Cauliflower “Mac” and Cheese recipe that swapped out pasta for cauliflower. Today I bring you this guilt-free mac and cheese recipe that gives you all the comfort of the classic dish, but with an extra heaping of nutrients.

(more…)

The post Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese appeared first on Skinnytaste.

from Tumblr https://vincentpennington.tumblr.com/post/189191195399

My Kombucha Dreams Just Came True

I love kombucha. I also enjoy having a drink or two a few nights a week with my husband or my friends. And this can right here? Well, it put all my loves together and has made my sippin’ dreams come true. Yes, it’s HARD kombucha. Much like hard soda or hard sparkling water, alcoholic kombucha is now a thing, and with Flying Embers’ four flavors coming in at 4.5 percent alcohol per 12-ounce can with zero sugar and live probiotics, it’s a thing I really, really love (in moderation, of course). There are beginning to be more and more…

The post My Kombucha Dreams Just Came True appeared first on Fit Bottomed Girls.

from Tumblr https://vincentpennington.tumblr.com/post/189187662069

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Affordable Athleisure Shopping Tips

Been shopping for new workout or athleisure gear recently and done a double-take at the number on the price tag? via GIPHY Hey, us, too. via GIPHY Which is why we are psyched to bring you tips from style, beauty, and lifestyle influencer Sharron Clear that’ll help you to save big and score yourself affordable athleisure — each and every time you go shopping. via GIPHY Sharron is a strong, self-made single mom of three. Born in Tennessee, she was the youngest of four athletic girls and a self-professed “girly girl athlete.” With a love for fashion and an eye…

The post Affordable Athleisure Shopping Tips appeared first on Fit Bottomed Girls.

from Tumblr https://vincentpennington.tumblr.com/post/189167088674

Monday, November 18, 2019

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

These grain-free and gluten-free paleo pumpkin muffins are an amazing autumn treat. My simple and delicious almond flour pumpkin muffin recipe has a moist crumb and calls for just a few easy-to-find ingredients!

A collage of the cooking steps to make easy and healthy paleo pumpkin almond flour muffins

Almond Flour Muffins

These paleo pumpkin muffins are made with just almond flour as the base. Even though I love grain-free paleo treats, I don’t have the patience (or the expandable pants) required to test out every single substitution or alternative flour available. If I can nail a paleo dessert recipe with just one type of flour—in this case, almond flour—I call it a day and say “you’re welcome” to my waistline. Plus, I don’t need to spend tons of money on expensive flours and starches that I’ll rarely use.

Pro tip: The most accurate way to measure almond flour is by weight on a kitchen scale. No scale? You can also just use the “fluff, sprinkle, and scrape” method demonstrated here with dry measuring cups.

On the left, someone is weighing out almond flour on a kitchen scale. On the right, someone is measuring the almond flour in a measuring cup.

Nut allergy?

Need a nut-free version? I don’t have one (yet), so try this pumpkin bread recipe by my pal Danielle Walker instead!

Substitutions?

Unfortunately, my cooking skills are way stronger than my baking skills so I’m not sure how this recipe will work with different flours or how to substitute the eggs, sweetener, etc. If you try a substitution and it works out great, please leave a note in the comments so everyone can benefit from your baking prowess. Thanks in advance!

Can you use the paleo pumpkin muffin batter to make a cake or bread?

Yes! If you want to make a paleo pumpkin snack cake or pumpkin bars, pour the batter into a greased 8-inch by 8-inch square cake pan and bake it in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until cooked through. Love pumpkin bread? Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until cooked through. If the top is browning too quickly, tent the top of the loaf with a piece of foil at the 45 minute mark.

Get your kids to bake them!

These paleo pumpkin muffins are so dang easy to make, you should hand the recipe to your kiddos and tell them to bake a dozen! Before I finalized the recipe, I asked my favorite teenagers to bake a batch to see if the muffins would come out the right way…and the recipe passed with flying colors!

A teenage girl and boy are scooping paleo pumpkin muffin batter into the muffin tins and the next picture has them transferring the cooked muffins to a cooling rack.

Let’s make Paleo Pumpkin Muffins!

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2½ cups (280 g) super-fine blanched almond flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar (or 1 teaspoon lemon juice)
¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 cup (240 g) canned pumpkin purée
½ cup (170 g) honey
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment: All my favorite kitchen tools are listed on this constantly updated Amazon page.

Method:

Heat oven to 350ºF with the rack in the middle. Line a muffin tin with parchment muffin liners or grease it well with ghee or coconut oil.

A person is adding parchment muffin liners to a muffin tin to make paleo pumpkin muffins.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl: almond flour, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Whisk it all together.

Whisking the dry ingredients for paleo pumpkin muffins in a clear large mixing bowl.

In a separate large bowl, add the pumpkin purée, honey, eggs, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer or whisk to blend everything together.

Measuring out the wet ingredients for paleo pumpkin muffins and then mixing it together with a hand mixer.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and use a hand mixer to blend…

Adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and then using a hand mixer to blend the paleo pumpkin muffin batter.

…until well combined.

A teenage boy and a teenage girl are smiling as they are mixing a batch of paleo pumpkin muffins in a glass bowl.

Don’t dawdle because the baking soda has already been activated at this point and the muffins need to get in the oven!

The paleo almond flour pumpkin muffin batter ready to be scooped into the muffin tin.

Divide the batter evenly into each muffin liner. (I use a #20 disher to scoop the batter.)

Someone using a disher to scoop the paleo almond flour muffins into the lined muffin tin.

Bake the muffins in the oven at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the muffin tray at the halfway mark.

Baking the paleo pumpkin muffins in the oven and rotating them at the halfway point.

The muffins are done cooking when the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Checking the doneness of paleo pumpkin muffins by inserting a toothpick into the center of one.

Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer the muffins to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

A shot of the cooked paleo pumpkin muffins on a cooling rack.

Eat ’em up! Store the muffins in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

A closeup of the paleo pumpkin muffins on a wire rack.

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

2½ cups finely ground almond flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar (or 1 teaspoon lemon juice)
¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
½ cup honey
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350ºF with the rack in the middle. Line a muffin tin with parchment muffin liners or grease it well with ghee or coconut oil.
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl: almond flour, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Whisk it all together.
In a separate large bowl, add the pumpkin purée, honey, eggs, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer or whisk to blend everything together.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and use a hand mixer to blend until well combined.
Divide the batter evenly into each muffin liner. (I use a #20 disher to scoop the batter.) Don’t dawdle because the baking soda has already been activated at this point and the muffins need to get in the oven!
Bake the muffins in the oven at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the muffin tray at the halfway mark. The muffins are done cooking when the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer the muffins to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Store the muffins in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

The post Paleo Pumpkin Muffins appeared first on Nom Nom Paleo®.

from Tumblr https://vincentpennington.tumblr.com/post/189161933084

Paleo Thanksgiving Recipes

Looking for fabulous and easy paleo Thanksgiving recipes? This roundup of grain-free, gluten-free, and Whole30-friendly Turkey day recipes are perfect for your holiday gatherings and everyone will feel great the next morning!

A shot of a Paleo Thanksgiving table with a spatchcock turkey and all the side dishes.

Okay, U.S.-based Paleo procrastinators: It’s that time of year again, when you’re tasked with either:

Preparing an entire Thanksgiving feast
Bringing something to a Turkey Day potluck
Or figuring out what you’re going to eat at someone else’s decidedly non-Paleo-friendly Thanksgiving gathering

Well, it’s not too late to pick yourself up off the couch and plan your menu—and to that end, I’ve compiled a ton of nomtastic Thanksgiving ideas to help inspire you!

Free Nomtastic Paleo Thanksgiving E-Book

The cover of A Very Nomtastic Paleo Thanksgiving e-book filled with foolproof Nom Nom Paleo recipes

Some of my festive favorites are featured in my newly updated (and 100% FREE) Nomtastic Thanksgiving e-book for subscribers to my weekly email newsletter. If you haven’t already subscribed, do it now, and you’ll get access to a complete Paleo Thanksgiving primer featuring step-by-step recipes, a shopping list, countdown planner, and more. And if you’re already a subscriber, check your emails (including your Promotions and Junk folders if you don’t see it right away) for a downloadable link to the e-book!

Paleo Thanksgiving Recipes in this free e-book include:

BUTTERFLIED BIG BIRD

What’s Turkey Day without a turkey? As you can see, I prefer to spatchcock (a.k.a. butterfly) my turkey to make sure the entire bird cooks evenly, resulting in tender, juicy meat rather than dry, overcooked white meat and raw, undercooked dark meat. I dry-brine my turkey with kosher salt, and flavor the meat with an herb-infused ghee mixture that melts under the crispy skin. Once you’ve cooked (and eaten) a Butterflied Big Bird, you’ll never go back.

Get the recipe here!

MAGIC CROWN ROAST OF PORK

Not a turkey fan? Make this meaty—and incredibly easy—Thanksgiving centerpiece. Combining my Magic Mushroom Powder seasoning and J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s reverse-sear technique, this pork roast will have you seriously re-thinking whether Turkey Day should be renamed Porky Day.

Get the recipe here!

CRAN-CHERRY SAUCE + UMAMI GRAVY

On the left is an overhead shot of paleo Cranberry and Cherry Sauce and on the right is Autumn Vegetable mash with a gluten-free umami gravy.

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without the traditional sauces and gravies that accompany your feast, right? So don’t forget about my Cran-Cherry Sauce and Umami Gravy!

Get the recipe for Cran-Cherry Sauce here!

Get the recipe for Umami Gravy here!

ROASTED GARLIC AUTUMN MASH + INSTANT POT AUTUMN MASH

A closeup shot of paleo autumn root vegetable mash in a bowl with minced chives on top.

Thanksgiving dinner just wouldn’t be complete without a generous serving of mashed root vegetables. You can make this Autumn Mash on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot, but either way, this comforting, colorful alternative to boring old mashed potatoes will put a smile on your guests’ faces—guaranteed.

Get the recipe for Roasted Garlic Autumn Mash here!

Get the recipe for Instant Pot Autumn Mash here!

ASIAN CITRUS BRUSSELS SPROUTS SLAW

Best. Slaw. Ever. This Asian-inspired Brussels sprouts slaw isn’t exactly traditional, but its umami-packed punch will knock your socks off. In a good way.

Get the recipe here!

PUMPKIN + CARROT MUFFINS

My pal Chef Gregory Gourdet made these insanely delicious muffins for a Nom Nom Paleo brunch event at his restaurant a few years back, and they were an instant hit. If you make a batch for Thanksgiving, I bet you won’t have any left over. (This recipe is not Whole30.)

Get the recipe here!

PUMPKIN, COCONUT + MAPLE CUSTARD CUPS

A tray filled with cups of paleo pumpkin and coconut custards topped with crispy coconut chips.

Pumpkin lovers have yet another dessert option on my Paleo Thankgiving menu: Pumpkin, Coconut + Maple Custard Cups. Like the other sides and sweets on this list, these sweet and creamy cups can be made ahead of time, freeing you up to watch football or just sleep in on Thanksgiving Day. (This recipe is not Whole30.)

Get the recipe here!

If you subscribe to my newsletter and download my Nomtastic Thanksgiving e-book, you’ll be able to take advantage of a comprehensive shopping list and countdown meal planner to take the guesswork out of Turkey Day meal prep.

But WAIT! Let’s say you want to cook up some other dishes instead. Or what if you’re only celebrating with a small group or just need to bring a DIY hostess gift? What then?

As luck would have it, over the years, I’ve dreamed up a bunch of Thanksgiving-appropriate mains, sides, snacks, and treats that you can incorporate into your annual Turkey Day feast. Feel free to mix-and-match from these recipes to create your own Paleo Thanksgiving meal—or if you’re planning to just bring something to a friend or relative’s potluck, pick your favorite dish and get cookin’!