The Primal Princess Takes on SoCal!

So, last week I ventured to Southern California for a much-needed long weekend visiting family. 

I love visiting the West Coast because PALEO. Seriously. Cali offers everything I could possibly need or want when it comes to living a healthy, proactive lifestyle. Eating out is more carefree, there are Farmer’s Markets, tons of dairy-free options in coffee shops, gluten free options just about everywhere you turn, and WHOLE FOODS. Alllllll the hearts for Whole Foods. I found so many new gems to try.

But first, coffee. Y'all.... I fed my coffee addiction with no shame whatsoever. My absolute favorite was from JOi Café in Westlake Village. They only have one in-house brew called Pure JOi coffee. I'll just let their description do the talking for a hot minute: "100% Organic Longevity® Coffee: No acid, no crash, super smooth. Loaded with our Pure JOi antioxidant and immunity blend, lightly sweetened with pure cane crystals and stevia, topped with whipped coconut milk and fresh ground vanilla." Ahem. They had me at whipped coconut milk.

I did touristy things also, have no fear! We went to the Getty Villa, which I loved. It's this beautiful Italian Villa built by the Getty family (think oil tycoons). We went to the Getty Museum the last time that I was in LA and it was great, but the Villa....I loved it.

And, we also hit up the Santa Monica Pier just in time to watch the sun set over the ocean. Because, tourist. (And it was beautiful!)























After we went to the Santa Monica Pier, we went to this absolutely AMAZING restaurant called True Food Kitchen. Y'all. That place was incredible. From the moment we walked in, I was in Heaven. They had an open kitchen so you could watch them prepare all of the dishes, our waiter was very nice and helpful with menu recommendations, and the food. The Food! We ended up ordering 4 appetizers because...YOLO. I requested the Charred Cauliflower because where else can you order straight up Cauliflower and it be socially acceptable?!?! And it was crazy good too. My Aunt and I ordered this yummy gluten-free lasagna (it wasn't Italian, but it was gluten-free and I could eat it without fearing for my life). And then, as if we weren't full enough, we had dessert! I ordered the "squash pie" because it was actually completely Paleo - right down to the coconut whipped cream. And it was heavenly. Whenever you venture to or near Santa Monica, you have to check out True Food Kitchen!

I really want to get to the delicious butternut spinach salad that I made with a few of my Aunt's homegrown butternut squash, so let me just hit the highlights of the trip super fast:

• My Uncle works with the masterminds of Primal Kitchen. Translation: Primal Kitchen products All. Day. Long. (I finally got my hands on Extra Virgin Avocado Oil and PK RANCH dressing which is fabulous!)

• My Aunt goes to Whole Foods weekly. WEEKLY! Translation: I get to breathe the air in WF every time I come to visit. And y'all.....I love it so much.

• My Uncle loves talking all things healthy and “weird.” (Think cryotherapy, laser treatments, Paleo, algae, brain octane, almond butter.) So, I get to nerd out and no one looks at me like I have a third eye in the middle of my forehead. :)

• My Aunt loves making her own natural products and such. Translation: she shares her concoctions with me and I get to try them out! (I got to try toothpaste and facial cleanser this time.)

If the traffic would just improve a good bit, I'd move out to LA in a heartbeat!

Now, time for the Butternut Spinach Salad recipe! I got the idea from Pinterest, but changed a lot of the ingredients to fit what we had on hand. It was the perfect blend of flavors and it's the epitome of Fall! You want to make this. I promise. 

XOXO,

Heather

Butternut Squash & Spinach Salad
Serves: 4ish (maybe 5)
Inspired by Jaclyn's recipe over at CookingClassy.com

Ingredients:

Salad:
3 small Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
3 Tablespoons Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil
Himalayan Sea Salt and Black Pepper
2 bunches fresh Spinach, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces (no one need large leaves in their life. Keep 'em small, people.)
3 Red Apples, cored and chopped (I left the skin on, but you could peel them if you so wish.)
1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup Crumbled Goat Cheese (because goat dairy is life.)
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries (I didn't think about adding the cranberries until we were eating leftovers that night. They added so much color and flavor!!)

Dressing:
1/3 cup Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
1/4 cup Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (or another brand "with the Mother")
3 T. Red Onion, diced
2 T. Brown Mustard
2 T. Raw Honey
1-2 tsp. Fresh Thyme (if you use dried, you'll probably only need about 1/2 teaspoon)
Himalayan Sea Salt and Black Pepper

For the Salad:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread butternut squash out on a baking pan; sprinkle with avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool until you are ready to assemble your salad.

For the Dressing:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until combined and frothy(ish).

For assembly: Add spinach, apples, and butternut squash to a bowl. Top with walnuts, goat cheese, and cranberries. Drizzle vinaigrette over top or leave it off and let everyone add as much or as little as they like (that's what I did because we had multiple different diets going on at the table). Then dig in and let me know what you think!