holidays Archives -

November 1, 2017

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake (Grain-Free & Primal!)

The holidays call for decadence and this pumpkin pecan pie layered cheesecake delivers! Read on for the recipe.

Holiday baking is one of my favorite pastimes. Doing it with friends and family is just good for my soul. Last year, a sweet friend and I concocted several Thanksgiving-themed recipes and this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake was one of them! You’ll find my original recipe for pecan pie here.

Make sure to check out my new holiday cookbook, with over 50 grain-free, gut-healing recipes for the updated GAPS version of this recipe. You’ll also find honey “wheat” dinner rolls, turkey gravy, more pies, cakes, and cookies, and my mama’s sweet “corn”bread stuffing. It’s a must for the healthy holiday table and you can still grab it in time here.

If you’re here for the ridiculously good layered pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake, you’ll find that recipe below.

I think I just might break the internet with this one. Let me say it nice and slow: pumpkin cheesecake. Topped. With a layer of pecan pie. Flavor explosion. Deliciousness abounds. This needs to be on your Thanksgiving table. And also your dinner table tonight. And next week, and the following week. At least, I’ll be making it pretty often as we swing into the culinary fall season! Go grab this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake recipe and get busy!

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake (Grain-Free & Primal!)

Servings: People

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup cups Pecans 1for crust 1.5 cups of whole halves for the pecan pie topping
4 dates pitted for the crust, Medjool
1/2 cup Whole Flax Seed crust
3/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup 1/4 cup for the cheesecake 1/2 cup for the pie
4-6 Tbsp Salted Butter 2-4 Tbsp for crust 2 Tbsp for pie
3 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 1 tsp for crust 1for cheesecake, 1 tsp for pie
2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp for crust 1 Tbsp for cheesecake
8 oz Full Fat Cream Cheese pumpkin cheesecake
3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree pumpkin cheesecake
1/2 cup raw honey 1/4 cup for cheesecake 1/4 cup for pie
1 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder pumpkin cheesecake
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice pumpkin cheesecake
1 tsp Lemon Juice pumpkin cheesecake
2 whole Pastured Eggs pecan pie
1/4 cup Maple Sugar pecan pie, can substitute coconut sugar
1 pinch salt pecan pie

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
Crust: Place flaxseeds in high powered blender or food processor and blend on high until the flaxseeds are ground well.
Add 1 cup pecans and dates to the flaxseeds and pulse until you have a thick, smooth nut/seed butter. (Use a tamper if needed.)
Scrape the pecan/flaxseed mixture into a medium sized mixing bowl and add 2 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 tsp cinnamon, mixing well until it becomes a thick dough. Add more butter 1 Tbsp at a time if dough is too dry.
Grease a 9" springform pan well with butter (or line with parchment paper if you'd like, which is particularly helpful on the sides).
Press the crust evenly into the springform pan, going about an inch up on the sides. Set aside while you make the filling.
Pumpkin cheesecake: Combine cream cheese, pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup ea maple syrup and honey, 1 tsp cinnamon, arrowroot, pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp vanilla and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well with a mixer or stick blender.
Pour into the crust and cook for approximately 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and, after cooling for a few minutes, place in refrigerator to cool an additional 10-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the pecan pie layer:
Pecan pie: Turn oven down to 350F.
Place butter and maple (or coconut) sugar in mixing bowl.
Pour 1/2 cup maple syrup into a small pot and bring to a boil, then pour into mixing bowl, covering the butter and maple sugar, melting them.
Add 1/4 cup honey, eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, and salt and combine well with a hand mixer.
Gently pour on top of cooled pumpkin cheesecake. (If it begins to sink in instead of staying on top of the cheesecake, the cheesecake either did not cook long enough or did not cool long enough. Don't worry! By repeating a couple of steps, you can make it work! Pop it back in the oven for about 10 minutes, then cool again.)
Top with pecan halves and place back in the oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove and chill for 1-2 hours so that layers don't crumble when cut.

What do you do to stick with healthy food during the holidays, when the temptation to “cheat” is so great? I find that if I get creative and, especially for my kids, remake all of our favorites, plus come up with really fun recipes like this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake, that no one feels deprived. The best part is when my kids don’t complain about the junkie foods they’re “missing out” on, because I’ve provided them with an alternative they love.

Be sure to pin this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake recipe using our link below!

December 19, 2016

How to Use Essential Oils for Stress Relief: Try This Soothing Blend!

I’ve been candid about what a stressful holiday season it’s been so far for me, and how I like to use herbs to help my body handle stress better. Here, contributor Heather will tell us how to use essential oils for stress relief, which is a perfect example of how I personally like to use essential oils. -Jaclyn

During the busy holiday times of year, stress can take over. We can run ourselves into the ground by trying to do too much in too little time, eating more sugar in treats than normal, and getting less sunlight and rest than we do other times of the year. (Jaclyn’s note: a quality cod liver oil is perfect for making up for lack of vitamin D in the winter!)

There are often huge meals to shop for and make, kitchens to clean up, families and friends to host and a plethora of other things that keep our lives busy. We need to take time and relax.

And, that’s where aromatherapy comes into play here. Basically put, aromatherapy is the art and science of inhaling scents that are relaxing, comforting, calming, or even energizing. When you go into a coffee shop and smell the freshly roasted beans, or if you go into Bath and Body works and smell the lotions, you are essentially experiencing aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy is a great way to get the benefits of essential oils in a very safe manner. Although some may feel ingestion of oils are safe, I generally advocate that people shouldn’t take essential oils internally. And not all oils are safe to use on the skin, especially “neat,” or undiluted. Aromatherapy helps to avoid the possible reactions, such as sensitizing the skin, burning the skin or possible damage to inner tissues, while giving you the benefits of the oils.

I like this blend, because it’s calming and energizing at the same time. When life hands you lemons, make this essential oil blend!

Citrus oils are very energizing, as well as “cleansing” to the mind. Rosemary is great for helping to remember things, which is why many of us are stressed in the first place trying to get it all done, and lavender is a calming oil that helps to relax. Together, they create a beautiful blend that anyone can be around.

To use essential oils for stress relief, you’ll need:

a small bottle to keep the blended oil in
25 drops lemon essential oil (you can also try grapefruit, lime, or orange)
10 drops rosemary essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil

Carefully blend the oils in a small bottle and add 5-6 drops to a diffuser, diffusing for an hour at a time. OR, add 2-3 drops to an essential oil necklace that you wear. You can also place this blend in a roller bottle to roll on the skin. If you choose to do that, you will need to add 1 1/2 teaspoons of a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil.

Not sure which types of essential oils to use? I’ve been happy with these high-quality essential oils, many of which are organic!

What are your favorite essential oils for stress relief?

November 29, 2016

Learn How to Avoid Christmas Tree Toxins This Year

Every year as we approach Thanksgiving, I know it’s coming: the weekend after Thanksgiving. And everyone knows the weekend after Thanksgiving is the cue to begin decorating for Christmas. And decorating for Christmas stresses me out because I worry about Christmas tree toxins.

And before you’re all, “Hey Jaclyn, just relax; don’t be so neurotic,” let me just tell you why Christmas tree toxins stress me out, and why you might want to pay a little more attention to them too.

Don’t worry, I’ll tell you how to avoid Christmas tree toxins too!

Christmas tree toxins to be aware of

PVC

Many artificial trees are made from PVC, a known carcinogen. Our family avoids plastic in almost all areas of our life (yeah- I clean up a lot of broken glass. Worth it.), so I hate the idea of bringing it in via an artificial Christmas tree.

I especially avoid heating plastics if ever we use them, so not only is a new tree likely to off gas, but any artificial tree is likely to release fumes when placed up against warm Christmas lights.

Lead is also a concern because it’s often used as a stabilizer in PVC plastics.

To avoid PVC in artificial Christmas trees, look for newer trees that are made with PE- injection-molded polyethylene plastic, which is safer than PVC. This one and this one are safer options.

Learn more: how to find PVC-free Chrismtas trees.

Lead

Not only is lead a concern in PVC-based artificial trees, but lead is usually found in Christmas lights as well. It’s often used in vinyl, the material used to coat light wirings and bulb sockets.

Those cute pictures you see of babies wrapped up and chewing on Christmas lights? Shudder. Just say “no”, no matter how cute they are. Our kids have enough trouble avoiding heavy metals as it is.

Instead, look for LED lights like those sold by IKEA, which adhere to stricter safety standards, or consider skipping the lights (I know, the horror!) in favor of a nice garland like this.

Mold

Many live Christmas trees harbor mold, which is a big concern for our family, as our oldest has mold allergies. Trees are often chopped, loaded, and lined up in bulk with moisture on their branches and needles. Through the course of shipment and storage, that moisture is likely to grow mold spores, which are just waiting to escape into the air of your home upon arrival.

To avoid the mold problem, a local Christmas tree farm employee advised Mr. Incredible to buy your tree fresh (yay for buying local!), and spray it off in the backyard when you bring it home to be safe. Allow it to dry completely before bringing it indoors.

Flame Retardents

Most artificial Christmas trees are treated with flame retardants. I talked about the dangers of off-gassing in this post about mattresses, and, unfortunately, it seems to apply to Christmas trees as well.

Flame retardant chemicals are suspected carcinogens and can also affect air quality. They’re also often found in furniture and children’s pajamas.

Pesticides

Finally, be wary of pesticides and herbicides used on real Christmas trees. As with any conventionally-grown vegetation, Christmas trees may be sprayed with these harmful chemicals.

I cringe at the thought of disturbing the air quality in my home by bringing in the toxins found in pesticides and herbicides like glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round Up. These toxins are known carcinogens and have been found to cause a number of health problems.

To avoid pesticides and herbicides, look for organically-grown Christmas trees or call around to nearby Christmas tree farms to ask how they’re grown. We found a farm that uses minimal chemicals, sprayed around the trees (rather than directly on them), earlier in the year, which sounds a lot better than mass-produced trees that may be frequently or heavily coated in chemicals.

As with your food, it pays to know your farmer.

Are you concerned about Christmas tree toxins?

While it would be easy to decide to just not worry about these toxins, since it’s such a short time frame of exposure and sometimes it’s better to just enjoy the season and not stress, some people do not have the luxury of ignoring the fact that Christmas trees can harbor toxins. Many children, like my son, will react to the toxins in trees, and some of us don’t want to set our healing back due to exposure.

How do you plan to avoid Christmas tree toxins this year?

November 29, 2016

Gingerbread Man Immune-Boosting Gummy Recipe for the Holidays and Beyond

This may be the busiest holiday season I’ve had yet. Between writing a holiday cookbook, hosting Thanksgiving, preparing to go to New Orleans this week, keeping up a busy work-from-home schedule, and getting the boys through schoolwork before a Christmas break, I kind of feel like a chicken with my head cut off. This immune-boosting gummy recipe is just what the doctor ordered.

Last week while I was preparing my shopping list for Thanksgiving, I left the kids in the kitchen making some chocolate pudding (recipe here). By the time I returned less than five minutes later, mister two had dumped cocoa powder everywhere. But my nine-year-old had made a yummy snack for us all, so I’ll call it a win.

Today, when I sent the kids to clean up a massive Lincoln Logs mess in my littles’ room, I was met with a report of butter smeared all over the bed. Sure enough, there was, indeed, butter smeared all over the bed. At least it was just the wooden frame and not the bedding. I had found the block of butter with bites taken out of it on the floor outside the room last night. I guess I’ll also call that a win because my kids understand the importance of proper nutrition. Grassfed butter = good fat and vitamins K & D.

So I’m doing all the adrenal support I can, and making sure to support our immune systems, because stress and sugar. (Mostly natural sugars like honey and maple syrup, but less nourishing and more fun foods than usual, nonetheless.)

There are lots of herbs that are just perfect for supporting the immune system, gently but effectively.

A couple that I like to use (which you’ll find in my gummy recipe below):

Ginger

Ginger is very anti-inflammatory and works synergistcally with other herbs to support the immune system. It also:

reduces pain
soothes upset tummies
relieves headaches
improves digestion
contains a powerful oil, gingerol, a powerful medicinal compound
fights infections.

Elderberries

Elderberries are the small, dark berry from the elder tree. They’re a popular immune-boosting herb frequently used in the winter months. Elderberries:

are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants
are effective against viral and bacterial infections
increase resilience to stress
activate immunity by increasing cytokine production
have proteins which help regulate immune response

Ginger and elderberries are perfect to use in my gummy recipe to boost immune health! The best part is that these gummies are like candy to my kids, so they don’t care how healthy they are, just that they love them!

You can find this recipe and more healthy and cold season recipes in my digital cookbook Nourishing Holiday, which you can find here.

Mister two enjoying a gingerbread man immune-boosting gummy.

Gingerbread Man Immune-boosting gummy recipe

The holiday season can also mean a season for sickness if we’re not careful to protect ourselves. These fun gummies are irresistible to kids, who won’t even know how good the ginger and elderberries are for their immune system!

Ingredients

2 cups filtered water
2 bags ginger tea or 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
¼ cup raw honey
3 tbsp gelatin
1 tbsp whole elderberries

Directions

Place water, ginger tea, and elderberries in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and steep for about ten minutes before filtering into a medium mixing bowl.
Add the honey and gelatin and whisk vigorously until gelatin is melted and no lumps remain.
Pour into gingerbread man or other fun shaped silicone mold and place in the refrigerator for an hour to set up.
Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Makes about 3 dozen 2” gingerbread man gummies
Time: 10 min (+ setting time)

November 21, 2016

Sweet “No Potato” Casserole for the GAPS Diet

Anytime you embark on a strict dietary protocol, odds are, you’re going to miss your favorite foods. For most people this includes bread, sugary treats, and the like. For me, it’s sweet potatoes. This sweet “no potato” casserole makes me miss them a whole lot less.

You may be wondering what kind of a dietary protocol would require eliminating sweet potatoes. After all, aren’t they a health food? While sweet potatoes have tons of health benefits, for those with compromised gut health, they may pose some problems.

Sweet potatoes are starchy and can feed pathogenic bacteria and fungi. That’s why they are excluded on the GAPS (gut and psychology syndrome) diet, an intensive gut-healing diet which requires the removal of grains, sugar, and starchy foods, instead focusing on meat stocks and broths and probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut and milk kefir.

The diet can really benefit just about anyone, as most of us have symptoms of gut problems, whether big or small. From occasional seasonal allergies to autism, compromised gut health can manifest in any number of health conditions.

The GAPS diet heals and seals the gut lining and promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, improving digestion and eliminating a leaky gut.

My experience with GAPS

Our family was on the GAPS diet at the holidays last year, and we experienced so much healing! My son has recovered from behavioral disorders, and I have recovered from symptoms of Lyme disease, like chronic fatigue, joint pain, and lots more. GAPS was a huge step in healing for both of us.

The rest of our family has experienced tremendous healing thanks to GAPS as well, including healing from eczema, minor digestive issues, and overall health and well-being. It’s just such a comprehensive healing protocol.

If you’re on a restrictive diet, you may be worried about the upcoming holiday season. What will you eat? Will you stay committed to your health and healing? Will you compromise?

I found myself asking those same questions last year, and I determined that not only would I stick with GAPS, but I refused to feel deprived. With a little creativity, I remade all of our favorite holiday foods with ingredients we could eat. I got down to business, and we got to enjoy the holidays, strict diet or not!

You can enjoy healthy holiday foods, too!

If you’re wondering how you can stick with your healthy diet and still enjoy the holidays, you’re in luck- I’ve created a resource that I know you’re going to love! My new e-book Nourishing Holiday is the perfect cookbook for those on grain-free diets like GAPS, primal, and paleo.

With over 50 gut-healing recipes, you can have your grain-free cake and eat it too!

You’ll find recipes for cakes, pies, cookies, flavorful veggie sides, honey “wheat” dinner rolls and mama’s sweet “corn”bread stuffing, as well as turkey and gravy, ham, and classic casseroles like green bean and broccoli. I’ve even included some basics like making your own cream cheese, marshmallows, and cauli-rice so you’ll have all the staples to put into every recipe

Since I know you’re going to love every recipe that not only nourishes your body and makes sticking with a healthy diet through the holidays possible, I wanted to share a recipe for you, one which I’m pretty proud of: Sweet “No-Potato” Casserole.” It really does taste like sweet potato casserole, minus the sweet potatoes!

Enjoy the recipe below, then be sure to snag a copy of Nourishing Holiday! Grain-free holiday cooking never tasted so sweet.

Print Recipe

Sweet "No Potatoes" Casserole for the GAPS Diet

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Servings: servings

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

4 cups peeled butternut squash cut into 1” chunks
5 large carrots peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup honey to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 dozen homemade marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º.
Combine veggies in a large saucepan and fill with water.
Place on the stovetop over high heat and boil for 20-30 minutes, until soft.
Drain vegetables and transfer to a large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients.
Using a stick blender, blend until smooth.
Transfer to a large casserole dish and smooth with a spatula.
Top with marshmallows, then place in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool before serving.

Notes

Homemade marshmallows melt more easily than store-bought. They still taste amazing!