Serendipity is finding exactly what you’re looking for, without looking for it. Like this mural I happened upon while wandering Logan Square. It was serendipitous that 1.) the wall perfectly matched my fav new heels and 2.) it started pouring 2 seconds after this photo was taken. When it rains it pours and June was jam-packed with a flurry of activity. It’s those moments of joy before you even know what’s coming at you that make the journey though. Let’s flashback to a few of my June favorites over the last month below.

Every month I like to take a moment to reminisce on all the little discoveries that brought joy to my day, whether a workout that left me inspired or a meal that I’ll remember forever. Here’s the rundown on June Favorites:

1.) Favorite Fashion Finds: A New Day Michaela Pumps

Not sure whether it’s happenstance or the Target curse, but I found myself meandering through an array of cute new sandals at Target this past weekend and walked away with two pairs when all I really came for were some sandwich bags – oops. These bright red block heels can add a pump of color whether dressed up or casual. And get this, they’re less than $30! Plus, Target is running a 20% off sale now through July 4! Super comfortable, though note these run a bit narrow – so don’t feel shy to go with the wide cut.

2.) Favorite Breakfast: Purely Elizabeth Vibrant Oats

I LIVE for color and these bold, superfood-filled oats from Purely Elizabeth are EVERYTHING. I happened upon these while perusing Plum Market in Old Town after a Soul Cycle class. It was like the universe wanted me to try them with that bright “on sale” sign saying, try me! buy me! I’m a sucker for marketing (even though I work in marketing), so I bought every kind. The one above gets its vibrant blue hue from spirulina, a superfood loaded with antioxidants and known to detoxify, lower blood pressure and boost energy. They’re also relatively low in sugar (6g from coconut sugar) and come with a crunchy granola topping (the Purely Elizabeth granola is pure crack).

3.) Favorite Refreshment: Limitless Lightly Caffeinated Sparkling Water

Limitless Coffee is known for sourcing beans from farms that are wet washed so they’re free of contaminants (more on that here). I’m a big fan of their cold brew coffee and iced matcha, so I was thrilled to see a new offering when they exhibited at the asweatlife Fitness Festival a couple weeks ago. This sparkling water gets a bit of a caffeinated kick from green coffee beans. No calories, no sugar and no artificial ingredients makes this a hybrid between LaCroix and green tea, which has about the same amount of caffeine (35mg). I tried the Blood Orange and Cucumber Pear – both oh so good without being overpowering flavor-wise.

4.) Favorite Snack: Purely Pecans Sweet Potater Pecan Butter

I visited the Smart Foods Expo last week to explore the latest in the better for you and plant based food arena. There’s a lot of exciting stuff underway, but my favorite of the show was this Purely Pecan Sweet Potater Pecan Butter made with pecans, sweet potatoes and a touch of maple and cinnamon. Tastes just like pecan pie in a jar! Also, some fun facts: pecans are the most antioxidant-rich tree nut and the copper in pecans helps to reduce inflammation, like that caused by arthritis. I smothered these apples slices with pecan butter, shredded coconut and extra pecans for a healthy take on a “cookie” that was a super easy afternoon snack.

5.) Favorite Workout: 606 Workout with Shred415 and Lululemon

Every summer, Shred415 and Lululemon partner to offer free outdoor workouts across the city. The workouts are taught by Shred415 instructors and follow a similar high intensity interval training format, alternating between running exercises and body weight strength training. I went to the workout on the 606 trail in Bucktown last week and it was a scorcher – the weather and the workout! Four trainers split the group of 30-40 in half with one group focusing on running drills for the first half of the hour-long session while the other group did strengthening exercises like curtsies and split jumps for some cardio. Everyone who attended not only got the workout for free, but also got a free session at Shred415 – score! Plus, there was a burpee competition at the end and well, I’m always in it to win it, so I scored a bonus 5-pack. I’ll be going again next Thursday, July 12, if you want to join me!

6.) Favorite Recipe: Paleo Pop Tarts with Strawberry Chia Jam

This was my first foray into baking with alternative flours and it did not disappoint! Mashed banana added just the right amount of natural sweetness and stickiness to keep this dough together. The pop tarts are filled with a strawberry chia jam that takes roughly 10 minutes to make and can be added to everything from oatmeal to yogurt. The real eye pop is the Pearl Butter Smarty Pants coconut butter, which serves as the icing. This one’s a bit time consuming, but a fun morning activity and a definite show-stopper!

7.) Favorite Plant-Based Meal: Beyond Burger Lettuce Wraps

Before Beyond Meat came along, veggie burgers were mostly bean or soy-based flimsy patties that tasted nothing like the real thing. That’s fine and good for some, but if you’re craving a better version of a thick and juicy burger, Beyond Burger will straight-up fool you. The texture is on point and the beet juice gives it a tenderness and pink color before cooking that will leave you in awe. I paired mine with a butter lettuce “bun”, a juicy beef steak tomato and creamy avocado slices for a hearty plant-based meal that rivaled even the best burger joints.

8.) Favorite New Restaurant: Pacific Standard Time

I visited Pacific Standard Time in Chicago’s River North a few weeks ago for a work event and was awed by every bite, but especially the desserts from Natalie Saben, former pastry chef at Grace. Saben even earned a 30 under 30 award from Zagat at her prior gig, so it’s no surprise that she continues to bring it at Pacific Standard Time. This new American restaurant opened about 2 months ago under the helm of Erling Wu-Bower (opening chef of Nico Osteria) and Joshua Tilden (former director of strategic operations at One Off Hospitality). Favorites of the night were the bright sungold tomatoes with creamy burrata, crispy chicken with pistachio aillade and the toasted vanilla macaron with banana semifreddo and candied hazelnuts (shown above).

9.) Favorite Workout Jams: Spin Class – June 2018 on Spotify

This was my last month of teaching on the reg at Cycle X Studio before taking the summer off to do more outdoor biking. Just in time, Cardi B and Drake dropped some mega hits to add to my list of favorite songs for the month. Even though I’ll be taking the summer off from teaching, I’ll still keep my monthly playlists running. Follow me on Spotify (search for Meghan Shookman) to always have a fresh list of songs to power you through your workouts.

10.) Favorite Bar: Parson’s Chicken & Fish

There are three reasons I love Parson’s: 1.) it’s a dog-friendly patio, which means Moose gets to join in the fun 2.) it’s a block and a half from my house and 3.) they serve the best dang frozen beverages in town, including the negroni and an always-rotating specialty frozen cocktail. It’s a hipster scene for sure, but always filled with adorable puppies and their loving furparents on sunny days.

That’s a wrap on June! Can’t wait to see what July has in store!

The post June Favorites appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Poppin’ these paleo pop tarts like I’m back in the 5th grade skipping down the street with my Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper in clean white Keds. Except these aren’t your average sugar laden pop tarts. Made with clean ingredients so you can happily snack while you Skip-It. Totally aging myself at this point, but if you want to take a trip down memory lane, check out the dEATs for these Paleo Pop Tarts with Strawberry Chia Jam.

Lately I’ve been curious about all those newfangled grain-free flours, but also uber confused. Anyone else? Most white or wheat flours are bleached and tough to digest, whether you’re Celiac or not. And there are tons of alternatives that deliver the same results with added nutritional benefits. Here’s a quick overview of some of the most popular options:
1.) Coconut Flour is a good alternative for white or wheat flours in baked goods with the added benefits of healthy saturated fats, fiber to aid digestion and a low glycemic load so that your blood sugar won’t spike. It’s great for those interested in a paleo or vegan diet and is a main ingredient in these paleo pop tarts!
2.) Oat Flour is a gluten-free flour has a lot of the benefits of your morning oatmeal and those vitamins and minerals are even easier for your body to digest in flour form. Benefits including lowering cholesterol, fiber that keeps you pull longer and immunity-boosting power.
3.) Tapioca Flour is primarily used as a thickening agent (for example, a good replacement for cornstarch). It’s one of the purest forms of a starch, so while it has almost no sugar or fat and is low in calories, it doesn’t add much nutritional value beyond carbohydrates. Tapioca flour derives from the root of the cassava root and is bleached, so it’s a more processed version of cassava flour.
4.) Cassava Flour is made by grating and drying the cassava root. It’s high in vitamin C and low in fat, calories and sugar, without much more added nutrient benefit.
5.) Arrowroot Flour is another good thickening agent similar to tapioca flour (and used in this recipe). Unlike tapioca flour, it maintains more nutrients since it isn’t processed with high heat, which depletes a lot of the benefits. It’s a good source of fiber, potassium, iron and B vitamins. It’s great in sauces, baked goods or as a coating to add crispiness to veggie fries.
6.) Almond Flour is loaded with vitamins and minerals including magnesium, copper, potassium, calcium and heart-healthy L-arginine. Almonds have been shown to lower bad “LDL” cholesterol and are also high in fiber. It’s incredibly versatile and used in my 5-ingredient cacao pancakes.
7.) Buckwheat Flour, believe it or not, is wheat and gluten-free. It’s actually derived from a seed and is packed with B vitamins, manganese, zinc, iron and folate. It’s a high-protein option that is often used in pancakes.
8.) Rice Flour is often used in gluten-free pastas. Brown rice flour is always a better option over white rice flour since milling and polishing brown rice to convert it into white rices destroys much of the B vitamin, iron, manganese and phosphorus content, while completely depleting the fiber and essential fatty acids.
9.) Sorghum Flour is a heavier flour that delivers high quantities of fiber and antioxidants. It also contains tannins, which are thought to help obesity. However, it works best in small quantities or when paired with lighter gluten-free flours.
10.) Teff Flour was the least familiar to me. It’s the world’s smallest grain and is high in B vitamins, phosphorous, calcium and iron. It supposedly aids circulations, boosts the immune system and improves circulation as well as PMS symptons. Like sorghum, it is a heavier flour, so used alone can make baked goods heavy or course.

Now let’s dive into exploring some of these newfound flours! We never really had pop tarts growing up because they’re pretty nutritionally devoid. These paleo pop tarts are super clean and full of nutrients from a base of coconut flour, mashed banana, arrowroot flour and maple syrup for an added touch of sweetness. While you can load these with store-bought jam, I was also curious how hard (or easy!) it would be to make my own jam. And surprise, it was super simple and keeps for a few days in the fridge. I found other uses for the strawberry chia jam beyond just toast – it was a great addition to a bowl of creamy oatmeal and a perfect use for strawberries that otherwise would have gone bad in the next day or two.

Admittedly, these pop tarts do take time and patience, but are a fun afternoon activity, especially when decorating is involved! I’d suggest using plenty of coconut oil when rolling out this dough and cutting. You may also want to consider refrigerating the dough for 20-30 minutes to reduce the stickiness. I decorated these with Pearl Butter adaptogenic coconut butter for the fun colors and superfood boosters, but you could definitely use any raw coconut butter. I’d suggest heating over the stove vs the microwave since it is easy to burn coconut butter, which gets gritty when heated too quickly.

Now, let the fun begin! Hope you enjoy traveling back in time with these Paleo Pop Tarts!

Paleo Pop Tarts with Strawberry Chia Jam
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Pastry Dough
-1/4 C maple syrup
-1/4 C ghee (or unsalted butter)
-1/4 C water
-1 tsp vanilla
-1/4 tsp salt
-1 ripe banana, mashed
-1/2 C arrowroot flour
-1/2 C coconut flour

Strawberry Chia Jam
-2 1/2 C strawberries, chopped
-4 T maple syrup
-2 T chia seeds
-1 T fresh lemon juice

Icing
-Your favorite raw coconut butter, melted (shown: Pearl Butter Smarty Pantsuit)

Directions:
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the syrup, ghee (or butter), water, vanilla and salt to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil on the stove top, then remove from the heat.
Step 2: Add the arrowroot flour, coconut flour and mashed banana. Mix until it forms into a dough. Option to refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to make it easier to work with the dough (reduces the stickiness).
Step 3: Roll the dough on a piece of parchment paper to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut into rectangles with a pizza cutter or knife, greasing with coconut oil as necessary to avoid sticking. You should be able to make roughly 8 rectangles or 4 pop tarts.
Step 4: To make the jam, add the strawberries and maple syrup to a medium-sized sauce pan. Stir together over medium-heat on the stove top for roughly 5 minutes, or until the strawberry mixture becomes watery. Lower the heat and mash the strawberries until you obtain your desired texture.
Step 5: Add the chia seeds to the pot. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes on low heat until the jam thickens. Once thick, remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and allow to cool.
Step 6: Spoon 1-2 T of the jam over half the rectangles. Top the rectangles with the remaining pastry rectangles to form the pop tarts. Seal the edges with a fork. Place the parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
Step 7: Allow the pastries to cool. Heat a couple tablespoons of coconut butter over the stove top. I placed in a metal measuring couple directly over the heat, stirring frequently. You could also use a double broiler. Just make sure to heat at a low temp, stirring frequently to avoid burning or creating a gritty texture. Once viscous, drizzle the coconut butter over the top of the pop tarts and enjoy once fully cooled!

You may have extra dough and will likely have extra jam. Feel free to make thumbprint cookies with the extra dough/jam and store the jam in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

Recipe adapted from A Girl Worth Saving

The post Pop it like it’s hot appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Feelin’ that berry bliss. Just got my delivery of @pearlbutter Pearl Butter adaptogenic coconut butters and can’t wait to play. It’s all the wonders of rich coconut butter in fun colors like this vivid blue from superfood spirulina.

Check out my unboxing video below for more dEATs!

I first discovered the wonders of coconut butter on Pinterest when hunting down the elusive unicorn – a decadent treat without the guilt-laden sugars. I was hooked after making these Turmeric Glow Bars with the rich creamy flavor of coconut atop a naturally sweet crust made of dates and shredded coconut.

Coconut butter has oodles of benefits beyond its decadence.

• It’s rich in immunity-boosting lauric acid.
• It’s loaded with healthy fats to keep you feeling full longer.
• It’s jam-packed with other goodies like amino acids, calcium and magnesium.

Hello white unicorn! Except, the fun doesn’t end there.

Pearl Butter makes a line of raw coconut butters colored with superfood adaptogens like spirulina (blue), turmeric (yellow) and papaya (pink). The flavor and color are insane!

So what exactly do you DO with coconut butter? Lots!

• Drizzle over yogurt or berries for a delightful dessert
• Spread over toast, waffles or pancakes in place of boring butter
• Add a dollop to coffee or matcha for a rich flavor that will keep hunger at bay.
• Make your smoothie into a tropical treat
• Decorate your favorite dessert

It’s playtime, friends! Check back to see what I make next!

The post Butter Me Up appeared first on The Shooks Life.