Josiah and Christy are off!

Some might ask, "why would you want to live in a bus??".
Well, that is certainly not what Josiah and Christy are doing. Rather, they have taken a bus and transformed it into a home. A very nice home at that...with custom cabinets, custom hand tiled counters, and beautiful hardwood floors. It's still a work in progress but they are finally able to stay in it. I'm so excited for them, for this is their first home together as a family.
We've had the joy of spending time with them over the past few months as they transformed their bus right outside in our yard. They are a beautiful and creative family, and I'm so excited that they are settling for a bit in Dahlonega, GA.
It is a bit sad to see them go, it has been fun to have them around. But they will not be far and we will have many opportunities to spend time with them at their home as well!

The happy couple in front of their home :)

On their way!

Protein Bars

These snack bars are perfect for on the go and super easy to make!

Nourishing Protein Bars
(Recipe from Passionate Homemaking)

2 cups almonds
1/4 cup flax seeds, chia seeds or pumpkin seeds (ground in a coffee grinder or blender)  *I used flax seeds, if you're doing SCD you would want to do pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried prunes, dates or raisins *I used dates but may try raisins next time
½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
½ cup unsalted peanut butter *I used almond butter
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup coconut oil (melted)
1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey  *I used honey to make them SCD/GAPS legal
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract 
a few squares dark chocolate, less than half a bar needed for thin layer (optional)  *We are not doing dairy or refined sugars so I used this recipe for chocolate and poured on top of bars

Place almonds, ground seeds, dried fruit, shredded coconut, almond butter, and sea salt in a food processor, or high speed blender, and pulse for about 10 seconds. Melt coconut oil in a small saucepan then add honey and vanilla and mix well. Add oil mixture to food processor and pulse until it forms a course paste. Using wax paper press mixture into an 8x8 glass pan and place in refrigerator for about an hour or so. After it's cooled melt or make your chocolate and spread over top. Refrigerate or freeze and enjoy! (These are great for on the go if you individually wrap in plastic wrap!)

Mmmm...breakfast cookies!

Who doesn't love a good cookie? Now you can enjoy them for breakfast too! But forget the guilt, these cookies are both delicious and nutritious. I made these this morning for breakfast and they were so good I wanted to jump on here and share the recipe right away. Hope you enjoy them just as much as I did!

Breakfast Cookies
(Recipe from Comfy Belly)

2 1/2 cups almond flour, almond meal, or any nut flour *I used almond flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted (or 1/2 cup coconut oil or vegetable shortening, melted) *I used 1/2 cup spectrum vegetable shortening, melted
1/2 cup honey (or other sweetener) *I used honey
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
about 2 cups nuts, dried fruit, seeds (or whatever you desire) *I used 1 cup chopped pecans and 1 cup raisins, I think they would also be good with some cinnamon


Preheat oven to 350. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and blend with spoon. Add the wet ingredients and blend well with spoon. Drop about 1 tablespoon at a time onto cookie sheet, spacing about an inch apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until they're starting to brown around the edges. Let cool and enjoy!

Ranch Style Dressing/Dip

The addition of eggs to our diet has opened up a whole new world! We are able to enjoy mayonnaise again, something I came close to duplicating but nothing quite compares to the real thing. We have been using Spectrum Canola Mayonnaise since it's soy free, gluten free, and is sweetened with honey. I now use this as the base to make ranch dressing/dip and the girls love it! Sorry there are no pictures, my camera battery is dead and I keep forgetting to charge it. I will update with a pic when I get a chance!

Ranch Style Dressing/Dip

1 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2  cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice


Mash the sea salt and garlic together to form a sort of "paste". Add the rest of the ingredients together and stir well. Place in glass jar (I like to save reuse my mayo, almond butter, honey, etc. jars) and keep in refrigerator. You can enjoy right away or let sit in refrigerator for a while to let the flavors blend together. Also, you could experiment with adding different spices. I've seen chives and paprika added as well but have not tried it myself. Enjoy!