homemade ranch dressing – Trading Paper Crowns

So you love ranch, but you are trying to eliminate dairy from your diet?

Yikes – how can you eat salad and your veggies without this delicious nectar from the ranch gods!?

Don’t freak out. You can make a copycat ranch that is yes, dairy free. It’s almost too good to be true. But, it is.

And, to add the little cherry on top – it’s gluten free too! Rejoice.

You will need: 1 cup almond milk, ¼ cup cashews, 1 clove garlic, ¼ tsp. black pepper, ¼ tsp. dill and a couple pieces of chopped onion {this really depends on how potent you want it!}

In a food processor, add all the ingredients and pulse until the cashews are chopped up and in liquid form.

Empty into a cute little jar or spread it over your mixed salad. Yum. Now, you have some amazing copycat ranch. And, there is no dairy present in this little dressing.

Make it. You’ll love it and your body will thank you. Promise.

Hello Beauties and welcome to day 2 of the challenge. How are you feeling? It is normal to feel hungry – but just think about how great your body is going to feel after this cleanse process!? YES. ABSOLUTELY GREAT.

Any way – follow this little eating plan today. This morning was tight on time for me, so I grabbed a Lara Bar. Love these because they are gluten free and are packed with protein. Yum. They will keep you full for a long while. No hungry tummies at work.

I will be snacking on grapefruit and nuts today. It is unbelievable how much these treats fill you up. Love the sweetness of the grapefruit and the crunch of the nuts {cashews are my favorite}.

Today – I made an Apple Chicken Salad {paleo} for lunch with homemade ranch dressing. It is so simple to make and so natural. I actually feel like I am filling up my body with goodness with every bite.

You will need: 2 small apples, 1 large chicken breast {you can use canned chicken too}, 2 tbsp. low fat mayo, romaine lettuce and salt and pepper to taste.

Fab Apple Chicken Lunch!

For the ranch, you will need: ½ cup cashews, 1 cup coconut milk {or skim – have not eliminated all dairy yet}, 1 tbsp. of chives, ½ tsp of garlic powder, ½ tsp of dill.

The salad is simple. Chop up the apples and the chicken in little chunks. Add mayo and fold this in with a large fork or mixing spoon. Sprinkle in salt and pepper {maybe a hint of garlic powder} and put on a bed of lettuce. You are done – and this is your yummy lunch.

For the dressing – you will need a food processor. Dump in the cashews – and pulse until it is a paste. Add in the milk and herbs and pulse again. Yay – your ranch is complete and it’s pretty darn good too.

Tonight, after your salad with veggies and grilled chicken, let’s focus on our legs and caboose.

Here is a good workout that will leave you sore – but the good kind of sore. Enjoy – and remember to drink your water. This is very important.