I have a lot of favorite Easter candy, and each year I seem to consume less. I simply don't buy it because I don't want it in my house. My classic favorites are Reese's eggs, malted robin eggs, Cadbury mini eggs, and jellybeans - especially the licorice flavored ones.

A few years ago for one of my best friend's birthday, I made a little treat out of peanut butter (I know peanut butter isn't paleo), coconut flour, maple syrup, and chocolate. I made this filling/dough, melted chocolate, covered it, and boom. Delicious. Who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate?

I did the same for these eggs, I just made them to look like eggs. I topped them with my naturally dyed organic sprinkles that you can find at Kroger, Whole Foods, Amazon etc. These are gone pretty quickly in our house! Enjoy!

PALEO NUT BUTTER "REESE'S" EGGS
dairy free, gluten free, grain free, and soy free

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup nut butter (I would use organic peanut, almond, cashew, or sunflower butter)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon honey or coconut sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut flour (use 1 tablespoon to start)
• 1-2 cups dark chocolate for melting or dipping
• Coconut oil, ghee, or grass fed butter (optional)

METHOD

• Start a double boiler on the stove top and add the chocolate chips. You  might need to add more chocolate according to the dipping/chocolate needs. I sometimes like to double dip the eggs, which means more chocolate. IF you like a softer chocolate, consider adding additional fat, if you like a harder chocolate shell, don't add fat.
• Mix the nut butter, maple syrup, honey/coconut sugar, and ONE tablespoon coconut flour in a bowl. I suggest using a nut butter that doesn't have added oils or sugar - the consistency won't be the same. I also like to use smooth nut butters. Let the mixture sit for a good five minutes so the coconut flour can absorb any and all moisture. If the mixture still seems to thin, add more coconut flour. I usually don't have to.
• Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and take the mixture and make your eggs. I used my hands to form the eggs. Place the eggs on the paper and baking  sheet and put them in the freezer a good 5-10 minutes.
• The chocolate should be close to melted now. Remove the melted chocolate from the stove to cool off a bit before adding the eggs. 
• Add the eggs and cover well with chocolate. Put the eggs back in the freezer for five minutes between each chocolate layer.
• Store in the fridge for up to two weeks. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I was conflicted over dying Easter eggs this past week. Kind of silly, right? Well, I am passionate about eating real food and supporting my local friends who raise beautiful brown and blue eggs. The thought of buying eggs at the store made my stomach hurt, so I googled "can you dye brown eggs" and guess what? You sure can. Thanks for the confirmation, Martha Stewart!

I had never dyed eggs from natural dyes before this year. I usually bought the typical kit with the tablets of dye and went on our merry way. I had leftover ColorKitchen dye from Christmas cookies, but they informed me that their dyes for frostings and foods wouldn't work well on egg shells. BUT, they do have an Easter egg dye kit that you can get here. They also gave me a 15% off coupon code if you're interested - CKEASTER. Unfortunately, my kit wouldn't be here in time for dying eggs, so I decided to dye my own with vegetables and spices.

It was a fun experiment, and the girls loved it. I did some research, and it's super simple to do. I took one cup of a chopped veggie, and added it to a sauce pan with one cup of water. I brought it to a boil and let it simmer (covered) for 30 mins. I strained the water and added it to a glass Ball jar. I let the dye come to room temperature and added a few tablespoons of vinegar to the dye. I then added my cooked eggs to the dye and let them sit for a good four hours in the fridge. Scroll through photos below to learn more! If you'd like a video with instructions, visit my Instagram page and check out my highlights.

I used purple cabbage (for blue), beets (for pink/red), red onion skins (for rust/maroon), and tumeric (for yellow). I took a cup of each veggie, minus the tumeric, and added it to a cup of water to a sauce pan. I brought the mixture to a boil and cooked on medium/low, covered, for 30 minutes. I did the same with tumeric, but only used 2 tablespoons of ground tumeric. I strained the liquid and added the dye to glass Ball jars. I let the dye come to room temp and added a few tablespoons of vinegar to the dye. I then added my cooked eggs to the dye. I cooked them in my Instant Pot - 5 mins manual high, 5 mins natural release, and 5 mins in an ice bath. I let the eggs sit in the dye for a good four hours. Here's how they turned out...

This was such a fun dye! It almost looked purple in the sauce pan, but after four hours, the egg was blue and dried beautifully. There are hints of both purple and blue with a touch of green.

I read that red onion skins give a maroon or rust colored tint to the egg shell, depending on what color egg was being used. My red onion skins definitely dyed my egg a rust color.

I think I was most perplexed by this dye, and I wasn't expecting to be. When I took the egg out of the beet dye after four hours, it was a beautiful pink/magenta color. But, as it started drying, it started to speckle and marble. See for yourself below!

Tumeric is yellow. The tumeric made a very yellow dye, and a very yellow egg. No surprises here!

I really wanted to create a green egg, so I thought I'd mix the purple cabbage dye and the tumeric dye. What made me laugh was when I mixed the two dyes they made orange... I still added the egg to the mixed dye and thought I'd give it a shot. After four hours, I was surprised to see a perfectly green egg!

Perplexed at how the beet dye dried on the egg, I added a beet dyed egg to the purple cabbage dye and got this beautiful purple/blue/grey egg.

Overall, this was a lot of fun. It was also fun to do with the girls, and this is something we'll do with the girls each year. The unknown of how they'll turn out makes for an exciting, satisfying surprise. Give it a try and let me know how your eggs turn out!

​Happy Easter!

One of my favorite go-to sides is roasted root vegetables. There really is no rhyme or reason to this recipe. I simply chop sweet potatoes, beets, beet greens, and onions. Sometimes I add kale, asparagus... the possibilities are endless. I top them with fat - usually olive oil, bacon fat, or grass fed butter or ghee. I season them with garlic and onion powder, pepper, and I always salt them after they are cooked. It's a great side! Try it tonight, and let me know what you think! Recipe below!

PALEO ROASTED ROOT VEGGIES
dairy free, gluten free, grain free, and soy free

INGREDIENTS

• Root veggies - can include sweet potatoes, beets, beet greens, onions. The amount needed is based on your veggie intake, family members, etc.
• Garlic or garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Black pepper
• Sea salt

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Peel, cut, and wash all veggies.
• Cover with olive oil or fat of choice. Toss with seasonings. (I don't have specific amounts. If you're using a sheet pan full of veggies, I would probably say a good teaspoon of garlic and onion powder and a sprinkling of black pepper.)
• Bake for 45 mins - 1 hour. I like mine veggies slightly crispy.
• Remove from oven and season with sea salt. Enjoy with my paleo ketchup or condiment of choice!

Hi! I am back from vacation! It's crazy how a week of vacation mode kind of disrupts everything. While we enjoyed the sunshine and sand, we're happy to be home and settling back into our routines (YES!).

You all saw my previous post on Facebook and Instagram! I am super excited to work with Greener Grass Farms and Berry's Naturally Farm! They will be joining me live on my Facebook & Instagram pages on Saturday, March 31 @ 2 PM EST. You all know I am passionate about sustainable farming, and supporting local farmers who raise grass fed and pastured meats. They have abundant knowledge and "whys" to share with you. I'd love for you to tune in! I know it's the day before Easter, and some of you might be busy with family, but I will be sure to load our conversation to my pages if you can't make it live!

In the meantime, if you have any questions you'd like me to ask, please send them along to me! Nothing is off limits! Feel free to message me, or send your questions to stephgordonblog@gmail.com. I so look forward to hearing from you and hope you plan to join us on the 31st!

Happy spring!
Steph

St. Patrick's Day is near, and I love cooking traditional foods for certain holidays. It's also fun with the girls! Traditions are the best. As you know, I cook with Greener Grass Farms the first Sunday of every month. This month, they gave me a beautiful brisket. March is for celebrating St. Paddy's, and what's the best way to prepare a brisket this month? Corned beef.

Brisket is a cut of meat from the chest, and it's one of my personal favorites. I think most people love brisket, but some might be intimidated to prepare this cut of meat. The brisket sat in a brine for a good 3-4 days. My husband, the smoke master, smoked this cut of meat for nine hours. This step is completely optional. We smoked the meat first for more flavor. After smoking, I cooked the brisket in a dutch oven on the stove top for a few hours with carrots, onions, and cabbage. This brisket was beautiful and lean, and we have plenty of leftovers! Check out my recipe below! Click here to order your brisket from Greener Grass Farms.

STEPH'S CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
dairy free, gluten free, grain free, and soy free

INGREDIENTS

• 1, 3-5 pound grass fed brisket from Greener Grass Farms

For the brine

• 1 cup salt
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 2 bay leaves
• Filtered water to cover

For the dinner

• 1/2 - 1 head of organic cabbage, cut into eigths
• 10 organic carrots, peels and chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
• 5-7 organic russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (optional)
• 1 organic onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon pickling spice
• 1 bottle organic grainy mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

• Place the brisket in the brine. Add spices, meat, and cover with filtered water. Cover and place in the fridge for 3-5 days.
• Smoke meat for nine hours (completely optional)
• Clean and chop veggies. Set aside. 
• If you're cooking the meat straight from the brine, you can cook this in a slow cooker or in a dutch oven on the stove top. I suggest cooking the brisket and veggies (minus cabbage) on high for four hours, or on low for 8. If you smoke your meat, I suggest cooking the dinner in a dutch oven on the stove top for 2 hours.
• Place brisket in the dutch oven. Add carrots and onion, and cover with filtered water. Add the tablespoon pickling spice. Place lid on the dutch oven and cook over medium/high heat until liquid reaches a boil. Turn down a tad and let simmer for one hour.
• After the one hour of cooking, add the sliced cabbage. Add some salt if necessary.
• I personally don't always care for boiled potatoes, so I roasted mine in the oven with olive oil, Kerrygold butter, pepper, garlic and onion powders. I baked them at 350 for a good hour. I like a little crunch with my boiled dinner :)
• After the cabbage is cooked through, taste the broth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice the brisket. Serve with boiled vegetable and potatoes, lots of grainy mustard and Kerrygold butter, and a gluten free friendly rye bread. I used this brand, and you can kind it at Kroger in the frozen section!
• Enjoy! And cheers!