Dare You To...

TGIF!  This Friday, I'm sending my link love to some tasty treats for your weekend.

Here are some yummy grain-free recipes to bring to your Super Bowl gathering!


Start your Sunday with paleo banana pancakes for breakfast.

Make your own guacamole - with Greek yogurt!

Try Jenn's Parmesan Pesto Whipped Feta as an alternative dip.

I love these Paleo Buffalo Wings, or you can try out these Paleo Glazed Chicken Wings.

Another interesting twist: Spaghetti Squash Pizza?!

How aboutgrain-free apple crisp for dessert!

Just a few ideas for you :)  Hope you have a great weekend -- Go Sports! 

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Grain Brain. As always, the opinions expressed are all my own!

So last month I told you I was starting theGrain Brain Challengebased on Dr. David Perlmutter's book: Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers.
Check out the initial post to learn all about the surprising effects carbohydrates may have on your brain health, and what the challenge entails.  It also contains some photos of foods that helped get me through!


Now, after four weeks have come and gone, the challenge is over and it's time to recap the experiences and outcomes regarding food, fitness, sleep, and general health:

Food:  As I discussed last time, the food didn't have drastic changes in selection; I just was more careful about my non-paleo, grainy/glutenous treats (namely, not choosing them), as well as carb-dense foods. About twice I went ahead and had a snack I wouldn't have usually c…

If you found Grain Braininteresting and began avoiding or limiting grains, then there's a valuable cookbook out there, ready to help you plan all your grain-free meals.  Even if you're NOT following a grain-free lifestyle, this cookbook has recipes that are savory, sweet, scrumptious, and sure to satisfy any taste buds.

Against All Grain

Danielle Walker's recipe book, Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well & Feel Great, just came out inSeptember.  I frequently checked her website as she traveled the country on her book tour, watching and waiting to see someplace in my vicinity appear on the list.  Last month, Danielle finally took her book tour to New York City, where I joined others in a cooking lesson at Sur La Table.  All day, I'd been looking forward to my grain-free meal, and Danielle did not disappoint.


It was thrilling to see the real Danielle in person!  Her pictures and demo videos came to life, her smile radiating the whole time.  She was …

This is something I wanted for a long time. I heard all the grain-free recipe bloggers raving about it, and quickly added it to my wish list. Just when I'd decided to bite the bullet and buy my own (it's really not that expensive--just $35!), I was lucky enough to win one from Amber's giveaway on Paleo Savvy! I was positively giddy and couldn't wait to get started with my new kitchen toytool.


The Spiral Vegetable Slicer: I can't sing this thing's praises enough. Now, I love my spaghetti squash.  Spaghetti squash bolognese (like this Balanced Bites recipe from Practical Paleo) is one of my absolute favorite, most often-cooked and consumed dishes. However, sometimes the time spent cooking, de-seeding, and scooping out that spaghetti squash is just too much.  I've also used a julienne peeler to shred up squash, but I've also found that to be a laborious, messy process.

Enter: the Spiral Slicer.


This thing takes regular ole vegetables and turns them into... …