Homemade Paleo Applesauce

paleo, whole30, paleo dessert, homemade applesauce

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the kitchen these days and have been whipping up some really delicious treats! Today I want to share a super simple recipe that will make your house smell great and is paleo treat! 

I first tried this dish at a Whole 30 potluck brunch that my gym hosts and immediately got the recipe from my friend Brier. And it’s really easy.

  • 3 pounds of apples (I used Fiji)
  • 1 T vanilla extract
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Sprinkle of Cinnamon (I use Vietnamese Cinnamon)

Peal and chop your apples into half to one inch cubes and toss ‘em into your crockpot. Add all other ingredients. Turn onto low for 4-5 hours and let your house fill with an amazing aroma. Once cooked, stir and serve with an additional sprinkle of cinnamon. No added sugar or preservatives - just wholesome, delicious applesauce. I eat mine for dessert, but it would also be great for kids or really good with pork chops! Enjoy! 

2015 Whole 30 Results

Whole 30, Whole 30 Results

Well, we did it! Another (Almost) Whole 30 down for the Quirks! This time around, we gave ourselves a little more grace to bend the rules when it worked for our family. For example…

Why Almost? Going into this month, I knew I wasn’t going to be as strict as my first Whole 30. Our breakfast meats (sausage and bacon) had a little sugar. I’m ok with that. We had rice a couple of times with our stir fries. Again, not a big issue for me. When my sister was in town and we had the chance for a date night, you better believe I enjoyed every single sip of that glass of wine and chocolate dessert. That said, we only went off course a handful of times. Our day in, day out eating was pretty by the book. 

On Cooking A big difference for me is that I’ve taken on more responsibility for cooking. We did a meat CSA with a local farmer and the variety of meats really helped keep things different and interesting. On weekends we filled our grocery carts with a rainbow of fruits and veggies. I really upped the ante on my salad game. Variety really made this enjoyable!

Results Measurement wise, I’m down about 2 inches at my bust, an inch and a half at the waist and an inch at the hips. I lost 6.6lbs total and I’m into pants one size up from my pre-pregnancy size. Heck yea!

Clean Eating and Nursing Many of you have been curious as to whether my milk supply would hold up with a big change in eating habits. I’m thrilled to report that we had no problems and Felix actually gained over 2 pounds while I was on my Whole 30!

Our Future Plans We like the way we feel when eat a paleo diet, so we’re going to stick with it using an 80/20 balance. That’s roughly 4 meals a week to indulge in other things. For me that’s waffles and wine and chocolate. Adam likes crunchy chips and a cold beer. We do better with a plan and having treats worked into that works realy well for us!

Did you try a Whole 30 this January or have plans for one in 2015! I’d love to hear about your success!