For instance: I have tried quite a few gluten-free bread recipes out there, and this one TAKES THE YEAST CAKE, hands down. It is so yummy, I guarantee you will be salivating by the oven door, counting down the seconds until you can get it out.

Gluten Free Sandwich Bread from Barefoot in the Kitchen.

Vegan/Paleo Fudge Brownies from PopSugar! (Note, as long as you don’t THINK of them as brownies, they make an amazing, “I can’t believe it!” dessert).

“Skinny Monkey” cookies from Once A Month Meals. These things are so healthy, I let the boys eat quite a few this morning. They are only made of gluten free oats, applesauce, bananas, peanut butter (we use the super healthy stuff at TJs), and get their chocolate flavor from a dash of cocoa powder and cinnamon. They take just 5 minutes to throw together, and only 10 minutes to cook!

It goes without saying that I am in no way being sponsored for these recipes. They are just so good, I had to share them with you all.

If you would like to follow my Pinterest board (with 3 other collaborators!), filled with all sorts of other gluten-free and healthy stuff, click here.

A Lovely Lark is doing a series called, “My Everyday”, starting with what typically counts as breakfast in your house.

For us, it would have to be these protein pancakes. I found a recipe of sorts on Pinterest, and my friend Stephanie recommended using a few tablespoons of almond flour to make the pancakes more “flippable”, and less sticky. They work like a charm! So easy, so cheap, and so filling!

Basically, the ratio goes like this: 1 banana, 1 egg and 1 tbsp. of almond flour per serving. That’s it. Blend them together, fry them up as pancakes!

The best part is that the bananas make the pancakes so sweet, you don’t need syrup! We top ours with blueberries. Also on the recommendation of Stephanie, we add Honey Greek Yogurt at the very end (which also serves to cool off the pancakes, since the boys can’t help but shovel them into their mouths like wild beasts).

Here are the boys’ servings, Round 1 of 4. I HAVE to get a small portion on their plates right away because they wake up ravenous. The moment they smell the butter on the pan, they book it into the kitchen and stand at my feet, whining like hyenas until I’m done. Breakfast is the hardest meal of the day, in my opinion!

This recipe is so yummy. We make it all the time on Wednesdays and Fridays (our vegan days), and it gets yummier every time. Because there is no actual “pasta” involved, it’s also Paleo! AND, because it’s entirely composed of veggies, fruits and nuts, it’s super healthy– around 200 calories/serving!

Vegan Creamy Power Pasta

Serves: 4-6

Cook Time: 45 minutes Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Spaghetti Squash (if you really want, rice pasta works too)

6 avocados

8-10 tomatoes (ours were homegrown here! SUPER yum!)

3 tbsp. olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1/4 cup seeds or nuts (we use sunflower seeds since they’re cheap, but if you have the $ splurge on some pine nuts!)

1. Just like with our pasta free Fettucine Alfredo recipe, slice the spaghetti squash lengthwise and get rid of all the seeds and stringy parts. Place the halves in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 40 minutes.

2. At the same time, slice 8-10 tomatoes into small slices and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle in olive oil and pepper, and place in the oven along with the spaghetti squash, as close to the broiler as possible.

3. When the tomatoes and squash are 5-7 minutes away from being done, blend the avocados, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic cloves in a food processor. For a thicker sauce, use less olive oil. We like ours nice and creamy– more liquid than guacamole.

4. Once the squash is done, scrape the halves with a fork. If cooked thoroughly, the squash should peel right out like noodles!

5.In a big bowl, stir the avocado mixture in with the squash noodles. Add the broiled tomatoes and the sunflower seeds! Enjoy!

How amazing does this look? Would you ever guess that there are no grains used? At all? It’s basically ALL veggies and ALL protein!

And the best part? I was able to put this together in less than 45 minutes, with two crying cranky kids scurrying around my feet (I feel like I deserve a medal…or at least some soy-free chocolate that won’t make me sick!).

Fettucine Alfredo with no grains, no cream or cheese, and under 45 minutes? Get ready to hold on to your hat!

Paleo Chicken Fettucine Alfredo– Cook/Prep Time: 45 minutes Serves: 5

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

4 cups of chicken broth/stock (mine’s $1.99 from Trader Joe’s)

2 large chicken breasts

1 medium spaghetti squash*

1/4 cup of ghee**

8 cloves of garlic

olive oil

parsley

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out all the seeds and string. Drizzle in olive oil, sprinkle in garlic powder and place face down on a cookie sheet. Cook for 35 minutes.

2. While the squash is cooking in the oven, cook the chicken in olive oil on a cast iron skillet on LOW (essential to keep the chicken from burning). As the chicken is cooking, season the side that’s facing up with parsley and garlic salt (I like to do this rather than a seasoning rub BEFORE frying it….I am super queasy about touching raw chicken!). Cook for 10-12 minutes.

3. While both the squash AND chicken are cooking, boil the cauliflower heads and chicken stock for 10 minutes.

4. While the squash, chicken AND cauliflower are cooking (multi-tasking is every mother’s middle name!), sautee the garlic cloves in the ghee. Don’t let it burn!

5.In small batches, transfer the cauliflower/chicken stock to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the garlic and ghee.

6. Add ALL of the creamy mixture back to the original pot, and season to your taste. Salt? Pepper? How much is all up to you! I tend to add these things, especially salt, AFTER I’ve served it up, so as not to overdo things.

7. Pull out the spaghetti squash and scrape them clean with a fork. The innards should come out looking like spaghetti noodles (it’s magic, I tell you!).

8. Serve it up and ENJOY your guilt-free veggies on veggies “pasta” dish!!!

* If you REALLY want some pasta, you can buy some organic gluten-free rice pasta from Trader Joe’s for $1.99. Some fringe-Paleo people might even be okay with it!

** Ghee is a dairy product, but according to both GAPS and most Paleo research I’ve seen, it’s the easiest dairy to digest. Most people with dairy intolerances can eat butter and ghee without a problem.

This recipe is a creation of a few separate recipes we’ve used before, fused into one. It’s AH-MAY-ZING. You will love it, I promise! This is our 2nd time making it, and we couldn’t love it any more than we do.

This dish has so many things to offer, including being:

*Vegan

*Gluten-Free (duh, but just thought I’d reiterate it!)

*CHEAP!! Depending on what you already have on hand, it will cost around $5 for 4 people

*Full of protein!

*Under 300 calories per serving

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of quinoa

2 red bell peppers

3 small jalapeno peppers

2 minced cloves of garlic

1 15 oz. can of black beans

1 15. oz can of coconut milk

1 cup of raisins

2 tbsp of coconut oil

1/2 tsp of salt

1 1/2 tsp of curry powder

dash of cayenne powder

dash of chili powder

1 cup of chopped cilantro

1/2 cup of chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly and boil for 7-10 minutes.

3. In a large skillet (cast iron, preferably), cook the garlic in the coconut oil on medium heat. After a minute, add the red bell and jalapeno peppers, cayenne, curry powder and chili powder. Cook for 6 minutes.

4. Add the sauteed mixture to the quinoa in a separate mixing bowl.

5. Stir in the black beans, cilantro, raisins, coconut milk and salt.

6. Transfer the mixture to an 8×11 dish and cook for 30-40 minutes.

When it comes out of the oven, it will be ready to go!! Top with more garnishes if you prefer!

So YUMM. Now, you know what to do. Make this tonight and thank me later!