Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

  • Home
    • About
    • FAQs
  • Recipes
    • Bread and Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dairy
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes and Snacks
    • Desserts
    • Gluten Free
    • Instant Pot
    • Crock Pot
    • Heavenly Homemaker’s Weekly Menus
  • Homemaking
    • Real Food Sources
  • Store
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Simple Meals
  • Club Members!

Decadent Simple Paleo Pudding

February 22, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Decadent Simple Paleo Pudding

by Tasha Hackett

I was Surprised by my Love of Paleo Puddings 

I’ve been eating a paleo diet since December 20th. Do some math there—it’s been a few days! And for most of that time, there was no pudding. Truthfully, I was blindsided at first: No sugar of any kind, no grains of any kind, no legumes of any kind, and no dairy of any kind. Quickly I discovered a whole new world of food that has brought delight to my family as well. One of our favorites is Salisbury steak with a mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes and asparagus. I’m drooling just typing about it. 

coconut vanilla pudding

Yum

paleo vanilla pudding

And Then There was Coconut Vanilla and Pumpkin Pudding

Most winters I make Laura’s vanilla and other flavored soothers for my family. Instead of hot chocolate when they come in from the snow, they get a protein packed healthy version.

My paleo version, I believe is even healthier, doesn’t have any dairy, hardly any sweetener, and a solid amount of healthy fat for growing kids and all of us using up so much energy trying to stay warm this winter. 

Dairy-Free Paleo Pudding Special Ingredients

Coconut Cream  

I ordered a case of this from my local grocery store for a small discount. It’s not cheap. But I found I can get it for much cheaper from Azure Standard. (Currently $2.30/can.) Though I haven’t tried the Azure ordered cans yet, it will be coming on the truck in a couple weeks! Canned coconut milk has a higher percentage of liquid and less of the fat/oil. You can use that in this recipe instead of canned coconut cream, just factor in the extra liquid. You may need to add more thickener. 

Coconut Milk in a jug

I buy the jug in the cold aisle and go through about one a week. Be sure to buy unsweetened and check labels if there are options at your grocery and get one with the fewest amount of added ingredients. I use this in my coffee, smoothies, baking, and pudding! It is much yummier than almond milk. I’m just going to pretend I didn’t even mention almond milk, because I like to pretend it doesn’t exist. Almond Milk in my opinion is one of the most disgusting . . . blech. So, don’t even. Get yourself some unsweetened coconut milk from the jug. 

Egg Yolks

You can make this recipe with whole eggs, but I’ve had better luck just using the yolks. Egg whites will curdle and get chunky if you heat past 165* and nobody in my family wants to eat curdled pudding. Save the whites in another bowl because you can use them in baking or scramble with a few other eggs. Go ahead and store them in the fridge for a few days. 

Arrowroot Powder

I ordered a bag of this years ago and use it in place of cornstarch. If you’re not on a restrictive diet, cornstarch will work. Or you can skip this entirely if you want to drink your pudding. A healthy gelatin powder, or collagen works to thicken puddings, but they thicken upon cooling. To recap: if you use gelatin to thicken pudding, it will not thicken on the stovetop!

Sweetener

My preference is maple syrup. For the vanilla pudding recipe, I only used one tablespoon. I think the natural coconut cream is quite sweet. The vanilla extract needs the sweetener, I think. If you wanted to try this with NO syrup, I suggest going very easy on the vanilla extract. The pumpkin recipe calls for two tablespoons to counter the spices and vanilla. Start with less, you can always add more. Feel free to experiment with honey or stevia or other sweeteners of your choice. 

Simple Paleo Vanilla Pudding

  • Four egg yolks
  • One 13.6 oz can of coconut cream
  • 13.6 oz of coconut milk from the jug (use empty can to measure)
  • A couple dashes of salt

Mix those three together in a pot and then turn on the heat. Be careful not to boil.

Scoop out a ¼ cup of pudding and mix a slurry with ¼ cup of arrowroot powder and stir it back in the pot.

Once it begins to thicken, turn off the burner and add in:

  • One teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • One tablespoon of maple syrup. 

Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary. 

Either drink warm or chill for pudding. 

Frequently I serve this chilled for breakfast with toasted shredded coconut and pecans, blueberries, sliced bananas, apples, or any other toppings to create a full breakfast. We love this for a make-ahead breakfast. My kids can’t get enough. 

Simple Paleo Pumpkin Pudding

The same as the vanilla pudding, except add in:

  • A can of pumpkin,
  • 2-3 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
  • An extra tablespoon of maple syrup to counter the spices 

I poured this one in a paleo pie crust and pretended I was eating pumpkin pie for breakfast and had enough for six small servings for the next day. (No, it wasn’t as thick as a traditional pumpkin pie. But it was just as good!)

paleo puddingpumpkin puddingpumpkin paleo pudding

Psssst! All of these great ingredients can be purchased from Azure Standard!

Paleo isn’t a Prison

Clearly I’m not saying everyone must eat the way I do, but I have found it to be more freeing than I ever expected. My motivation for staying on this diet is different than most. If you’re curious about that, ask any questions you have! I’d love to chat about it. I’ll just briefly explain, though some people have found great success losing weight with this meal plan, that is not my goal. I’ve suffered headaches for over a decade, and recent lab results show evidence of chronic inflammation and infection among other things. In a nutshell, the paleo diet eliminates all foods that are prone to causing inflammation, as well as cutting out any processed foods that add toxins that prevent my body from healing itself. 

God is Greater than Paleo

While I 100% agree that love is better than food and who even cares about free-range chicken anymore? I know I’m on the right path. Laura spent years developing simple recipes and then they were there for her when she needed them! I believe the same has happened to me, for the first time in my life I have the budget to purchase more meat, vegetables, and nuts, to fill in the extra calories I’m no longer receiving from grains and beans and other “cheap” fillers.

Honestly, two years ago I fed my family on $200 a month. Six months ago it was about $450 a month. Paleo food for six (thankfully three of them are still tiny) is costing me $900 a month. If a doctor had told me to eat this way three years ago I would have cried. Point is: Food isn’t everything. Do what you can. Love your people. Love yourself.

Right now, for me, loving my people and myself means spending more time in the kitchen figuring out how to make paleo simple. For Laura, it means spending less time in the kitchen and more chicken nuggets. And we are not trying to confuse you. Ha! 

toddler messes

And just in case you think I have my act together, this salad-dumbing disaster, in some form, happens daily. Canned chicken on salad is a go-to lunch for us and that is not the face of a repentant toddler.

What’s your greatest struggle in the kitchen right now? Are you spending more or less time in the kitchen these days? Have you ever been put on an elimination diet of some form?

Paleo Coconut Vanilla Pudding
 
Save Print
Prep time
2 mins
Cook time
8 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 13.6 OZ can of coconut cream
  • 1 13.6 OZ of coconut milk from the jug (use empty can to measure)
  • A couple dashes of salt
  • ¼ C arrowroot powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Mix egg yolks, coconut cream, and coconut milk, in a medium-sized pan.
  2. Add a few dashed of salt.
  3. Heat mixture on the stove being careful not to boil. Stir constantly.
  4. Remove ¼ cup of the mix and make a slurry with the arrowroot powder. Mix it all together in the pot.
  5. Keep stirring and just as the mixture begins to thicken, turn off the burner and add in the vanilla, and maple syrup. Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary.
  6. Drink warm or chill for pudding.
  7. Serve chilled pudding with a variety of toppings for breakfast or snack: sliced apples, bananas, cherries, blueberries, toasted coconut, pecans, etc.
3.5.3251

Try both and tell us your favorite!

Paleo Pumpkin Pudding
 
Save Print
Prep time
2 mins
Cook time
8 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: Breakfast / Snack
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 13.6 OZ can of coconut cream
  • 1 13.6 OZ of coconut milk from the jug (use empty can to measure)
  • 1 can of pureed pumpkin
  • A couple dashes of salt
  • ¼ C arrowroot powder
  • 3 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Mix egg yolks, coconut cream, and coconut milk in a medium-sized pan.
  2. Add a few dashes of salt.
  3. Heat mixture on the stove being careful not to boil. Stir constantly.
  4. Remove ¼ cup of the mix and make a slurry with the arrowroot powder. Mix it all together in the pot.
  5. Keep stirring and just as the mixture begins to thicken, turn off the burner and add in the vanilla , spice, and maple syrup. Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary.
  6. Drink warm or chill for pudding.
  7. Serve chilled pudding with a variety of toppings for breakfast or snack: sliced apples, bananas, cherries, blueberries, toasted coconut, pecans, etc.
3.5.3251

 

 


Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura and author of Bluebird of the Prairie, a Christian romance releasing Spring 2021, is fueled by sunshine, paleo pudding, or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available. Though she often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women. Her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. You can connect with her at www.tashahackett.com or Instagram @hackettacademy or for Laura @heavenlyhomemaker.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Paleo Southwest Crockpot Chicken Supper

February 7, 2021 by Tasha Hackett 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Since when does Laura care about paleo foods? Oh, dear. Well, she doesn’t. But Tasha is trying a new thing with surprisingly great success. Paleo Southwest Crockpot Chicken Supper has been a favorite and it will definitely be added to the regular rotation.

I bet you’re wondering what’s with the trendy diet we’ve jumped on. Here’s the thing… I’ve never been inclined to jump on any type of diet because I didn’t believe in the idea of cutting out entire food groups. Let’s not even get into the details about how jumping is a high impact exercise and could be harmful if you are dealing with chronic achy joints and headaches. (I recommend yoga and stretching for beginners.) But elimination diets? I’m not here to argue the case of the paleo food choices. Except I will tell you, I paid a good amount of money to a doctor to get to the root of my achy joints and headaches and weird mood swings. He is making me eat paleo. At first, I was incredibly discouraged. I ranted and raved about how much I disagreed with the concept.

What is Paleo?

NO Dairy and NO Grains (including corn, oats, rice, quinoa, etc) and NO Legumes (including peanuts and soy) and NO sugar. WHAT IS LEFT!?!?!? BROCCOLI AND CHICKEN!? Poor Tasha. She can only eat broccoli and chicken. I was at Laura’s house (and we should have snapped a picture to document the momentous occasion) and I pulled a Laura and ate the spinach leaves directly out of the tub because I was so stinking hungry, but a few days later an amazing thing happened.

First, I must have gotten over the sugar craving hump because I wasn’t starving all the time anymore. Secondly, I discovered recipes that included a variety of flavors and foods I had never tried before. Dressing recipes with fresh squeezed orange juice, almond butter and garlic. Say whaaa? But it was amazing. I began making my own nut butters because all the ones I found in the store were too expensive and had added sugars.

Paleo supper isn’t always simple . . . so far.

paleo chicken supper

Yum

Because I’m still in the newish phase of this paleo food thing and I’m following a lot of other people’s recipes, food prep has been a priority of my life lately. Slowly I have been adapting the recipes I like to fit the simple standard that Laura has been teaching us. But the amount of chopping and sautéing that I’ve been doing the last 45 days is more than I would prefer. One important thing I’ve been learning is to start seeing onions and peppers as a solid filler, not a seasoning. Many of the paleo recipes call for a hefty amount of vegetables.

Southwest Crockpot Chicken Supper

paleo chicken

From start to finish this recipe took 5 hours. 10 minutes of chopping (but I use my nifty food processor for onions and garlic), leave it in the crockpot for four hours. Another 10 minutes of work to shred the chicken, chop the peppers and then let it simmer together for a few minutes. Work time for this paleo chicken supper? Perhaps 15 minutes. I served with avocados on top and ate it as-is. You could serve on top of a bed of greens or if you’re not on a restrictive diet, then you can add chips or tortillas and sour cream.

Paleo Southwest Crockpot Chicken Supper

Paleo Southwest Crockpot Chicken Supper
 
Save Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
4 hours
Total time
4 hours 15 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Southwest
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 2 red onions, chopped
  • 4 cups salsa
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
  • 2 jalapeño peppers (optional)
  • 4 bell peppers, chopped
  • 2 avocados, chopped
Instructions
  1. In a crockpot, combine everything except the bell peppers and avocados.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
  3. Remove chicken and shred with a fork and return to pot.
  4. Chop peppers and sear in a skillet for 4 to 5 minutes until roasted.
  5. Add peppers to crockpot.
  6. Stir and cover.
  7. Let simmer on high for another 20 minutes, adding water if needed for desired consistency.
  8. Top each serving with chopped avocados.
  9. Reheats well for left-overs.
3.5.3251

Paleo tricks

Did you know Laura already had a ton of paleo recipes on her blog? Or at least ones that are easily made paleo by adjusting only a few ingredients. Here are three treats that I have returned to a few times this year.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (subbing almond butter and I use double the cocoa powder and a pinch of salt)

Simple Almond Flour Muffins (either cheat and use the butter or sub coconut oil)

Vanilla Pudding (Sub coconut milk and top with fruit and nuts for a full breakfast)

Do you have any favorite dairy-free, grain-free, legume-free, sugar-free recipes?


Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura and author of Bluebird of the Prairie, (a Christian romance releasing Spring 2021), is fueled by sunshine or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available. Though she often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women. Her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. You can connect with her at www.tashahackett.com or Instagram @hackettacademy or for Laura @heavenlyhomemaker.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

From Traveling to Camping to Potlucks, Gardening, and Saving Money – These Are My Favorites, and It’s Not Too Late

February 11, 2016 by Laura 9 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Before I start writing this, let me remind you: I’m not going Paleo. An exclusive Paleo diet doesn’t work for me, for my family of growing sons, or for my already enormous grocery budget. I wrote all the details about how I love-paleo-recipes-but-am-not-going-paleo here.

What I also shared there and on almost every post I’ve written the past few years is my love of nourishing food. My focus is not on the DO eat and DON’T eats as much as it is on this: Our bodies need nourishment!!! Let’s not make it hard. Let’s just eat good food. And please somebody hand me a strawberry. (Seriously. Last night I dreamed I got a price-match on strawberries. I was so excited that I bought a cart-full and then I woke up and there were actually no strawberries in my entire house. I was so sad, but then I made coffee and all was right in my world again. But if strawberries don’t hurry up and be in season, I don’t even know what.)

strawberries

I dream of strawberries!!!!!

Today I want to remind you about the package of free resources being offered right now by PaleoDork. THEY ARE FREE and they are going away at midnight Friday. I’ve spent the last several days working my way through these books and videos – and you guys? It doesn’t even matter what you think about the Paleo diet. Maybe you eat that way or maybe you’re like me and eat those foods with a side of potato or bread. But these sources are worth having – and they are FREE so just go get them. There’s not even a catch.

If you’ve been waiting, I understand. But you can’t wait anymore because Feb. 12 is it for this offering. If you don’t get this now, you won’t be able to get it later. Want to see my favorites in this package so far?

Eat Beautiful ($0.00)

I can’t even believe we can get this for free. It has 273 pages of really great recipes. Some are more complicated than I choose to tackle – but many are amazing and perfect for my family. This is the book I’m most impressed with so far as I make my way through the list. The recipes list everything from sweets to main dishes.

eat beautiful

Family Camping Handbook ($0.00)

Katie’s books are always amazing. I’m struck not only by all the great recipes in this but even more with all the great tips and ideas she shares –  like camping with babies and toddlers, making homemade wipes, and ways to save money.

family camping

Apartment Gardening ($0.00)

This book shows that almost everyone can have some sort of garden!! I’m loving how simple this book lays out the basics of gardening. Plus, I’m really hungry for a fresh strawberry, but we’ve been through this already.

apartment gardening

$5 Meal Plan ($0.00)

This one includes 6-weeks worth of really simple recipe ideas that are very low in cost! Enough said, right? Of course I love this one.

5 meal plan

Eating Out and Traveling on the Paleo Diet ($0.00)

This resource is great for our family because we are on the go many Saturdays because of sports. We pack a lot of food to-go, and it’s great to have more sandwich-free options. My favorite part of this book is the fantastic list of 30+ foods to take to a potluck or party. What a great, healthy resource to have on hand!

eating out

I am really enjoying several of the other books too – but these rise to the top for me as I search out great tips and recipes for my fam!

There are over 50 resources in this package, all of which are free. I don’t need and won’t use about half of them, which of course doesn’t matter in the least – I simply won’t download the ones I don’t need.

Hurry to get your free package here – and have fun! Not having to pay a penny for these resources is like a big present handed to every single one of us as we work hard to put great food on the table for our families.

Remember, this offer expires midnight February 12!!!

paleodork.com

This post contains referral links.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Are Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free Diets a Fad? Healthy or Not Healthy? My Thoughts…

September 11, 2014 by Laura 31 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I decided it would make perfect sense for me to post about My Favorite Whole Wheat Recipes, and then follow it up the next day with a post about avoiding wheat and/or grains altogether. I like keeping you on your toes.

Coconut_Flour_Muffin

Seeing as the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle includes an entire section on Special Diets, I thought this might be a good time to address my thoughts on eating a gluten free, grain free, or paleo diet. Let’s chat, shall we?

A few weeks ago, I got this email from Deb:

I am just wondering what you think about all the gluten free, etc. rage? Some of my friends truly have celiac, but most just seem to be trying this as more of a fad, way to lose weight, etc. Don’t you think that the reason that they feel better is because they give up processed junk and sugar, not so much because of the actual gluten?

We just had a missionary stay with us from Australia, she is originally from Taiwan and has lived in Kenya as well. She says that Americans are the only ones who take supplements and vitamins and have all these food allergies. She thinks it is ridiculous to eat at McDonalds, then buy vitamins. She stayed with us 2 weeks and it was very interesting, even if she was out and about, she would NOT get fast food, she would go to the grocery and buy fresh meat and vegetables and come home and cook it, even though it costs more and was more time consuming. Also, a lot of my friends that are on these EXTREME diets cheat half the time anyway, so what is the point?

Ah yes. I too have watched people go from eating a basic diet of donuts, chips, fast food, and skittles – to eating a low fat or low-carb diet. They lose weight, feel better, and swear that the key is to cut out carbs, grains, gluten, eggs, beef, or butter.

Hey, hey, hey. Them’s fightin’ words to this girl. Nobody better be blaming my butter or beef on their poor health! Especially when we’re talking about the kind that comes from cows who are raised in a healthy environment. But enough about my beloved bovines. What is the healthiest way for all of us to eat?

annesfarm21

I hate to disappoint you, but I do not believe that there is a one-size-fits-all diet.  I believe real food, in balance, based on what your body can tolerate and thrive on is the right diet for you. Learn to listen to your body, and nourish it.

I love my beef, and in fact, I believe I personally need quite a bit of (grass fed, if possible) red meat in my diet in order to maintain a healthy level of iron in my body. You might not need much or any beef. You may not need much of any variety of meat. Okay by me – that means more cow for this girl. Learn to listen to your body, and nourish it.

While some can’t tolerate grains or gluten, I can. I can’t eat them in large amounts, and in fact, I believe most of us should cut back on the grains just to make more room in our diet for fruits and vegetables.  Learn to listen to your body, and nourish it.

Here are my Paleo, Gluten Free, and Grain Free thoughts in a nutshell:

  • When you give up processed foods and instead eat more wholesome, nourishing foods, you will feel better and look better. This has very little to do with the fact that the food might be gluten free, paleo, or grain free.
  • If you truly are allergic to a certain food or if a food makes you sick, by all means, you should not eat it.  You might want to check into NAET though. It is possible to re-program our bodies so that they no longer reject certain foods as allergens. My boys and I have experienced this, and it works. Where we used to have food allergies, we no longer do, praise God!
  • A Gluten Free label does not automatically make a food healthy.
  • Cutting down on grains is beneficial, especially if the majority of what you eat is grainy. Our bodies need a better balance, and grains can be difficult to digest. Bready foods should not be our main nourishment focus.
  • If we’re cutting down our grains, we should not replace them with loads of almond flour and coconut flour. I believe these flours are fantastic additions to our diets, and wonderful to use in baking – especially if your body can not tolerate grains. But to eat them by the pound every day? Well, what happened to balance?

Paleo, Gluten Free, and Grain Free diets can be healthy and beneficial. But if you’re focused on cutting out foods for the wrong reasons, and not focused on overall body nourishment – you’re right back where you started.

Share with me what you have found is best for you and your family when it comes to eating gluten and grains. Do you eat them? What grains are your favorites?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Join Our Community!

 Facebook Twitter RSS E-mail Instagram Pinterest

Popular Posts

~ Will All of the Real Moms Please Stand Up?
~ Easy! Stir-and-Pour Whole Wheat Bread
~ How to Make Gatorade
~ 31 Real Food Breakfast Ideas
~ Dear Teenage Girls...
~ When Mom Takes a Step Back
~ The Inexpensive Health Insurance We Love!
~ Let's Talk Real Food Grocery Budgets

Check out our latest posts!

  • How Can a Mom Take Care of Herself?
  • Club Member Exclusive Printable Pack for March
  • 10 Easy Food Items You Didn’t Know You Could Make at Home (Save $$!)
  • Decadent Simple Paleo Pudding
  • Join Our Surrendered Heart Marriage Builder Series!
Home  ~  Simple Meals  ~  Club Membership  ~  Shop  ~  Privacy Policy  ~  Disclosure  ~ Contact

Copyright © 2021 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in