Love At First Bite....Eating for a healthier life

Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:58:00 +0000

Let me start out by saying that this hummus recipe is really just a base for so many other flavor combinations. It is a simple, easy, low ingredient hummus, and you can enjoy as is, or take it in any direction. My boys absolutely love hummus, and I find it's the best way to get them to eat their veggies, plus they are getting extra protein with each bite. Now on to the recipe.

Your Basic Hummus

makes about 2 cups

2 cans no salt added chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
1/3 cup tahini sauce (sesame paste)
1 large clove garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
1-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (depending on consistency)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Thats it. Enjoy!

Grain Free Coffee Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:26:00 +0000

One thing I am passionate about is trying to live the most natural and healthy life we can, but it can be very challenging to eat, drink, sleep, and nourish our bodies naturally and healthfully. There are so many foods, products, and companies that use words to fool us into believing what we are putting in or on our bodies are "good" for us, when in reality half of those products have very harmful ingredients for our bodies. For me it starts with food. When feeding myself and my family, I try to feed us organic, natural whole foods. No packaged products with hidden ingredients. That being said it can be challenging and tedious and expensive to do so. One way I keep encouraged and reminded of these things is through a few blogs I read. They inspire me through food, life stories, and sharing their products they love as well. Also, it helps to have friends who are also doing the same. My closest friends are a good source for me on skincare products that are safe and natural, as well as vitamins and supplement referrals. One blog I love, and have been following for the past couple of years now is Roost Blog. She recently wrote a post about a skincare line that is natural and safe, and one that she loves. She has also collaborated with the skincare creator Tata Harper, and is giving away one of their products. I loved reading her post this morning because it reminded me of the importance of what we feed our skin as well. I hope you find it a good read, and find my natural recipes encouraging to you as well! Happy Monday! Update: If you are looking for a great line of makeup that is not toxic to your skin, Coco from Roostblog has also wrote a beautiful post about some great products as well!

Grain Free Coffee Cake

Serves 6

Adapted from The Nourishing Gourmet

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or butter an 8×8 baking pan.

2. Combine honey, butter, eggs and almond milk in a bowl until well combined.

3. Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.

4. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir well.

5. Pour HALF of the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out evenly.

6. Prepare streusel.

Streusel Ingredients:

1. Combine all the streusel ingredients in a bowl.

2. Distribute half of the streusel over the batter in the pan.

3. Pour the rest of the cake batter on streusel and top with remaining streusel.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-35 minutes. Remove from oven when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Harvest Muffins with Cashew Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 15:52:00 +0000

Quick update on the Fam, then back to the food: We are now at week 16 in our pregnancy. I am so thankful we have made it past the first trimester blah. I am thankful to be cooking again, and making much better health choices. I actually feel pretty great now, and have most of my energy back. Woohoo! Emory started Montessori School 3 weeks ago, and loves it! I could not be more happy with our decision to send him there. He is blossoming, and growing, and learning, and seems to be enjoying every second of it! They are an amazing school, and I feel blessed to be giving my son the best education he can have right now. Adlai is now 18 months and boy does this kid have a personality. He is my goofball, my clown. He loves attention, and seems to get plenty of it :). He loves his brother and copies EVERY single thing Emory does. The boys are best buds, and look out for each other already. As a mom, there is nothing more rewarding and heart-melting then watching your kids have so much love and adoration for each other. ASSUMING this next baby is most likely a boy :), I am very excited to see how (he or she) gets to grow in love just like the other two. And lastly, my wonderful and giving husband. When we met I knew Toby was an ambitious man. And throughout our marriage he has achieved and accomplished A LOT. We celebrate our fifth year of marriage this year (in August), and I could not be more proud of the man I married. He is on the brink of some awesome new business adventures. He is an extremely terrific people person, and has found himself in this amazing network of people who are all entrepreneurs and of the like. I love seeing him grow, inspire, and be inspired. He is my best friend, and I am so lucky he works so so so very hard so me and our boys can stay home together and make the best memories I could ever ask for. Life is wonderful :), and we are so blessed.

Now, back to the food. Seeing as how I am 16 weeks pregnant and need to be making smart health choices, I have been experimenting with a lot of grain free sweets, and have loved them all! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera for most of them. Finally yesterday I was able to photograph these delicious muffins. They are delicious and really moist. Packed full with carrots, apples and zucchini. Spiced with a hint of cinnamon, and finished with a dairy free cashew cream. Absolutely wonderful!

Harvest Muffins with Cashew Cream

Gluten/Grain/Refined Sugar Free

Adapted from Roost Blog

For the Cake

3 cups almond flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 melted butter, ghee, or oil of choice
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated apple
1 cup grated carrot

Preheat Oven to 350F. Grease a muffin pan, or use individual molds as pictured above. In a bowl combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients. Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir to incorporate. Pour into greased tins and cook for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

For the Cashew Cream (Makes almost 2 Cups)

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 3 hours, water discarded
1/2 cup fresh apple juice
2 medjool dates, pitted
1 TBS honey
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, pod discarded

In a high speed blender combine ingredients until very smooth. Spread on muffins.

Cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature, or refrigerated for a week.

Pumpkin & Green onion Coconut Flour Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 21:23:00 +0000

I don't know why but I am in a major blog block.. If that even makes sense. Life has been quite busy lately with two toddler boys, and 2 dogs (we added a new golden retriever puppy this month). Usually I have a long list of items to make for the blog, but I guess that list is lost in my mind somewhere.

These biscuits are really tasty. But, i have to give a warning not to expect them to taste or have the texture of a normal biscuit. They are made with coconut flour, and have a completely different taste and texture which I happen to love. Plus they are packed with fiber and protein, and leave you feeling anything but full and sluggish like normal biscuits do. Coconut flour can be expensive, but in most recipes you use such a small amount that it really comes out quite cost efficient. Plus, most health food stores sell it in bulk which makes the world of difference on price.

Despite the weather being still in the 90's here, I could not go another day without a pumpkin treat. Enjoy!

Pumpkin & Green Onion Coconut Flour Biscuits

Makes 10-12

I used THIS recipe as a base but didn't have bacon or shallots and really wish I had...

1/2 cups coconut flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
A scant less then 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons roasted or canned pumpkin puree, room temp(or butternut squash)
3 large eggs (best at room temp or the coconut oil will solidify)

1/4 cup green onions chopped or thinly sliced

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment.

Combine coconut flour (scoop & sweep method, not packed), baking soda and salt.

Add the coconut oil and beat till smooth. Note: This helps keep the coconut oil from hardening into little pieces later if your eggs/pumpkin happen to be cold. For best results though, let them come to room temp first. Try sticking the shelled eggs in a glass of hot water for about 3 minutes to speed up the process.

In a separate bowl combine the apple cider vinegar, pumpkin and eggs. Beat till smooth

Add the flour mixture, green onions and cheese to the liquid ingredients. Mix all the ingredients until the batter becomes thick and well combined. If your eggs and/or pumpkin were cold the dough will be quite thick. This is fine.

Drop mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a heaping 1/8 of a cup per biscuit. Makes 8-10 biscuits.

Bake for about 15-18 min or until slightly golden. Times will vary from oven to oven and the thickness of the biscuit. Do not over bake or they can become dry.

Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before moving transferring from the pan. I fine these best eaten the same day that I make them..

Kale Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:28:00 +0000

Kale chips. The new "healthy foodies" snack. I had to try.

I love kale. I have tried kale (among other hearty greens) pretty much anyway you can imagine. In soups, raw in salads, steamed, sautéed...you get my point. I was expecting these to be my new favorite way to eat kale, and although they were super delicious and crunchy, I think I prefer my kale raw. The chips were really good, and I will make them again, lots, because my boys loved them, and I love watching my boys experience food in a new way. Emory loves chips, but he only gets them on occasion, and now I have a way to let him eat his chips, but also create a healthy palate for him for the future. PERFECT. So go make some kale chips, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

On a side note: Hopefully you will be seeing posts more often now. I am so happy to say that my baby (He is 1, but he will be my baby for much longer than that :) is finally sleeping through the night! Praise the Lord! It only took a full year, but wow does it feel good to get some rest. Now I have more energy to keep up with everything.....

Kale Chips

I found that lacinto or dinosaur kale made the best chips because it is a lot more "crunchy" of a piece of kale, but has a more delicate, less bitter taste.

10-12 (or as many as you want) pieces of kale, stripped off the stem, torn or cut into whatever size pieces you want. (I know, not much of a recipe here)

Sea Salt

Olive Oil

Lemon juice (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wash and thoroughly dry kale. Lightly toss with a drizzle of olive oil. Lay flat on sheet pan. Sprinkle with sea salt and a small squeeze of lemon (if using). Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until kale is crisped and crunchy. Turn pieces over at halfway point.

Summer Vegetable & Rice Stir Fry

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 21:23:00 +0000

I can't even begin to tell you how incredible the past year has been. We went from having one precious little boy, to growing by another sweet little baby boy. I say baby boy, but anyone who knows Adlai knows he is anything but baby (he seemed big and mature from 2 months on ). He is my loud, rowdy, smart, fussy, and most adorable little one year old. I love him to death (I love Emory just as much, but he is not my little boy anymore :( . Adlai has been a very testing and trying baby. He just finally started sleeping through the night, and he is a year old! Holy cow I forgot how good you can feel when you get a little rest. AMAZING. I grew a lot this year. I had to learn how to be a mother to not just one energy packed boy, but two. I was constantly trying to figure out how to get him to sleep better, but it took weaning him from nursing to do so. I had to learn how to find that little bit of time for myself despite what seemed like a complete lack of time & energy. I had to ask God continually for patience and kindness to flow from mouth (like the time I finally got laundry folded after what seemed like a week, and I re-fill my water which I never could seem to drink enough of, and turn around to see Emory had just dumped over the laundry basket and completely un-folded everything..if thats even possible. Only to be followed by him running into his brothers room and waking him up from a nap that took me 3 hours to finally get him to sleep). You know what I am talking about.

Patience was hard to learn, and I am still continually needing the Lords help everyday from the second I wake up. BUT, despite the past year being a little hard to say the least, I learned how to be a better mom, still trying to learn how to balance time for my little boys, and time for my big boy (also known as my husband). That man is patient. SOmetimes annoyingly patient, but he has given me so much grace when I failed as a wife/mom. He continually loves me and encourages me, and is always there to help me through the rough days. He is my best friend, and this past year we have grown so much closer and I have the absolute most respect and love for my husband. I am so proud of him, and could not imagine a better father. This past year has been amazing. My heart is filled with joy every morning I wake up, knowing I will soon be greeted by two of the most precious boys I could dream of, and filled with love from a husband who world hard to give me and the boys everything we could every ask for. I could have never dreamed of a more fulfilling life. My sweet baby boy is 1 now, and well on his way to walking. I hate how time flys, and I wish more than anything that I could freeze time (except for the terrible 3's we seem to be facing right now) and soak up every second of time I have with my family. I can not even imagine how good life will be next year!

Happy birthday little man...

Summer Vegetable & Rice Stir-Fry

Makes 4-5 servings

I absolutely eat with my eyes, and using a fun variety of veggies here makes this dish so much more interesting. I love these little heirloom squash!

12-14 baby heirloom squash (or 2 large yellow summer squash), cut in half (or half moons for larger squash)
2 zucchini, cut into matchsticks (look at picture above)
4 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets
5-6 baby bok chou, roughly diced
4 cups cooked brown rice
olive oil for sautéing
Avocado and toasted sliced almonds for topping

In a large wok, or large pan (I use a cast iron pan). add 2 tablespoons oil and heat until very hot. Toss in veggies and sauté over high heat until veggies are tender but crisp. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Once veggies are just about done, toss in rice and saute a few more minutes. Drizzle in sauce, and toss though. Remove from heat and serve with sliced avocado and almonds. I like to add a little extra siracha on top. Enjoy!

For the sauce:
3 green onions roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, diced
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons honey (depending on desired sweetness)
juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon Siracha (the red spicy chinese chile sauce that is taking over the world...I guess any hot sauce will do..)
1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Can be made a day ahead.

Baked Zucchini Fritters

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 02:06:00 +0000

I love eating healthy and fresh. I especially love it when the food you cook tastes incredibly amazing. Let's face it, we want to enjoy the food we eat (and sometimes, but very rarely, that means chomping down on a ridiculously cheesy and greasy bite of pizza). I like to think I manage to cook healthy and keep it tasty most days, but there is that occasion when I try to re-create something "healthy" into an even healthier dish. I would like to say that this one is a winning meal. Not only is it packed full of veggies, but it tastes amazing and so full of flavor, not to mention they are baked not fried or sautéed.

I especially love it when my kids and husband enjoy the meal just as much. I encourage all of you to start, and grow, a small herb garden in your home or backyard. I use fresh herbs in nearly every meal I prepare, and save a lot of money, not to mention the fact that you can be proud it came from your very own plants. Do it. Make it. Eat it.

O, and because I was out of camera use (Toby has the camera cards full of wedding footage and I have yet to get them back :)), instagram has managed to supply me with decent enough pictures to give you an idea of how these fritters looked.

Baked Zucchini Fritters

Makes 10-12 fritters

3 large zucchini, grated, excess water squeezed out (place grated zucchini in a paper towel and gently squeeze to get liquid out)

1 red onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onion

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 cup to 1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon olive oil

salt and pepper as needed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium skillet, heat oil, and sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic until softened. Set aside to cool

In a large bowl mix all ingredients, making sure all water has been drained from zucchini first. Scoop into even sized patties, and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet, or parchment paper. Place in freezer for 20 minutes so everything can set and hold together. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until browned.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream (Vegan)

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:05:00 +0000

Summertime with kids can be rough. It's too hot to play outside, and a kid can only sit in front of a t.v for so long before even they get bored, plus I do not feel good about my kids watching that much T.V (seems so wasteful of their minds), so I don't allow that much time spent sitting idle like that. If I had girls I think it would be a little different. Maybe they would enjoy cooking and cleaning with me, or sitting and coloring for hours. Or maybe they would be just like my precious boys who love being outside just as much as their mommy. Adlai is still small enough that it is not too bad, but Emory is ready for cooler weather (or maybe just I am). Today we made ice cream together. Usually he is not interested in helping me cook or bake, but he always loves testing my creations, and probably more than anything loves the dessert ones. He was so sweet. He sat by the ice cream machine patiently (well as patient as he could) waiting for it to be done. When it finished and I scooped it all into a container, I gave him the ice cream machine bowl, and let him have at it. I usually don't encourage big messes, but today it was much needed, and I don't think there is many cuter things than a 3 year old, in his undies (when is he not??), completely covered in (healthy) chocolate ice cream! He loved it, and had no idea it was actually a dairy free, refined sugar free protein filled treat. This mommas heart was filled. I love seeing my boys get excited, especially when it is over something I have created!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Dairy Free/Refined Sugar Free

Makes about 2 cups

1 can full fat coconut milk

3 tablespoons honey or agave

2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ripe (but not overripe) bananas

3 tablespoons crunchy natural peanut butter (the kind with peanuts as the only ingredient)

1/4 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped

In a saucepan warm coconut milk, honey, cocoa powder, and cinnamon until all powder is dissolved.

Place the rest of the ingredients, and the coconut milk mixture in a blender and blend until fully mixed. Place in ice cream maker and make according to manufacturers instructions. When the ice cream starts to become solid, add in almonds, and let mix through a few more minutes. Scoop into a sealed container, and freeze for a couple hours until hardened. (or you can eat it right from the machine like we do :)

Raw Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:10:00 +0000

Please excuse the terrible photography. My camera was out of reach, and I used one that clearly does not focus. AT ALL. So, despite the fact that these brownies look extremely ugly in picture, know that they are extremely rich and delicious in person. Literally 5 ingredients, one machine, and voila! Raw chocolate brownies appear. They are insanely good and rich. Sweetened only with dates. They are gooey and full of chocolate flavor, just like I want a brownie. But, usually when I eat a (huge, greasy, sugar loaded brownie square) I am left feeling loaded with sugar, and honestly I feel like crap. These are nothing of the sort. In fact, because of the natural sugar in the dates, and the protein in the nuts, you feel energized and completely satisfied. So go on, give it a try.

Raw Brownies

Because there are so few ingredients here you really want to make sure and use the best of each you can find. You will really taste the difference.

Makes about 9-12 brownie squares

Adapted from My new roots

2 cups whole walnuts

2 1/2 cups medjool dates, pitted

1 cup raw cocoa

1 cup raw, unsalted almonds, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

In a food processor pulse nuts until finely ground

Add the cocoa, cinnamon and salt and pulse to combine. With the machine running, add dates one at a time. You should end up with a mixture that looks like cake crumbs, but when pressed, will easily stick together. If the mixture does not stick well, add more dates. Pour mixture into a bowl and add chopped almonds. Press mixture into a lined cake pan or mold. Place in the freezer or fridge until ready to use. Store in an airtight container, and Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:54:00 +0000

First note, please excuse the horrible photography. My camera is out of use, and I had to use a different camera, and we did not get along..

Today I am very thankful for my husband and children. I married a man who is so ambitious, so driven, so handsome, and so very talented. He is the father to our two beautiful boys, whom I can't possibly adore more. They bring so much love and joy into our home. I can't ask for a better job than being their mom and wife. Today I made a red pepper pesto. Simple but healthy, and homemade. As I was getting it all prepared I looked at the kitchen which at that moment was in utter chaos, kids were everywhere and getting into everything, and it could have been a moment of exhaustion and frustration, but this is the reason why I love my husband so much. (complete bunny trails on the sentence structure..sorry about that). He has showed me how to look at the decisions in life, which we have chosen to do, and feel no regret, but instead embrace them and find the good in everything. To look at what could be a stressful day, and see how perfect it really was. I did this while making pesto. I didn't at all like my messy kitchen, and the boys were a little loud for my head, and I had a moment where I thought, "why did I choose to make this dinner, I should have..." and I thought, what a beautiful thing that I am able to create delicious and healthy dinners for my wonderfully healthy boys.

What an amazing thing being a mom, especially a stay at home mom is. I get to experience so many moments I would never take back. This pesto is just the beginning of a great dinner for us tonight, and I can't wait to share this meal with my family. They are everything to me!

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

I like to take the extra step to roast the peppers myself, but if that's not your thing, or you are pressed for time (although it does not take that long) I would assume jarred red peppers would work just as well. Also I did not put garlic in mine, but if you want it to have a kick, 1-2 cloves would work perfectly.

Makes about 2-3 cups depending on how thin you make it and how big your peppers are

3 red bell peppers

1 cup walnuts, toasted

2 cups roughly chopped leeks (white and light green parts only), rinsed thoroughly

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

2 tablespoons fresh basil, (a good handful)

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to thin

1-2 tablespoons water, to thin

Put peppers (whole) on a foil lined baking sheet, and broil until skin is blistered and charred, about 20 minutes. Turn peppers as needed. Remove from oven and place in a sealed plastic bag, and let cool to room temperature (this will help the skin to steam off). Remove skin and seeds and roughly chop peppers.

While the peppers cool, saute leeks in a touch of olive oil, until tender and browned.

In a food processor, pulse walnuts, oregano, basil, sauteed leeks, and garlic if using. Pulse until mixture is fragrant and nuts are roughly ground. Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until desired smoothness. Add in more olive oil or water to thin to desired thickness. Salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Vegetable Spring Rolls with an Almond Dipping Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:11:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I have a huge binder (and pinterest board) full of recipes I want to try out, adapt, and keep my palate ever changing. The funny thing is, I know how to cook, and love it, yet still I find myself having the same meals every week, i guess out of habit. Thank goodness I like to blog because it helps me follow through with making new recipes.

I have made a recipe similar before, but instead of using rice paper to wrap it, I used lettuce. I really liked the rice paper, but Toby prefers the lettuce. He says the texture of the rice paper is too weird. Not me. It was a fun change to the usual Saturday lunch, and I will be making these again soon. They are so light and crunchy, and if you have all the veggies cut up ahead of time, it takes only seconds to prepare. You can really use any mix of veggies you like, but the list I included is quite tasty. The almond dipping sauce was so good, and I would imagine using peanut butter instead of the almond would be equally as delicious. So in welcome of summer, enjoy a nice light Spring Roll.

Vegetable Spring Rolls with an Almond Dipping Sauce

I got the dipping sauce idea from My New Roots

You Need:

Rice paper Wrappers

Vegetable Fillings (just make sure they are all cut in the same general small size)

Almond Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

Almond Sauce:
1/4 cup almond butter
1 small clove garlic, minced fine
2 -3 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey or agave
2 tablespoons water (plus more to thin to desired consistency)
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch of crushed chiles (I omitted this, but if you want it spicy add it in)

Filling Ideas: This is what I used, but you can add or omit and you desire
Avocados
Bean Sprouts
Carrots
Mango
Cucumber
Alfalfa Sprouts
Cilantro
Micro Greens
Spring Onions
Almonds

Directions:
1. Fill a shallow dish (larger than the rice paper wraps) with room temperature water.
2. Place one wrap in the water until it becomes soft and pliable (about a minute).
3. Transfer the wrap to a clean working surface and place your favorite ingredients in the center, plus a drizzle of the sauce.
4. Fold the top half of the wrap over the fillings. Then fold in both sides. Lastly, fold the bottom up to seal. If a breakage happens (which happened easily for me) or it seems like its going to all fall apart, you can simply wrap the whole roll in another sheet of soaked rice paper. Just roll and fold as before.

Chocolate "ice cream" Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:36:00 +0000

Fact 1: I love summertime (not so much the phoenix heat, but the concept of summer..pool time, BBQ's, relaxation!)

Fact 2: I love anything cold in summer. Ice cream, frozen yogurt, smoothies, you get the idea..

As much as my mouth thinks it wants a huge scoop of homemade ice cream, tucked perfectly in a homemade waffle cone, my health choices say otherwise. Thank Goodness.

It is really not that hard at all to create healthier choices when it comes to ice cream. I have made lots of ice cream using coconut milk and honey (I will do a post on it sometime soon), I make the boys popsicles using greek yogurt and fruit puree, or diluted fresh juice. But this recipe tastes indulgent, and indulgent is far from the actual reality of this popsicle. Good thing, since I easily polished them off in a week. It is simple really, and I don't know how I hadn't thought of anything like it before. I have made a chocolate mousse using pretty much the same ingredients, but never thought to freeze it.

These are the ideal summer treat. Super fast to whip up, cheap to make, super delicious to eat. I LOVE THEM. Also I happen to be fresh out, so I think I will be making some this afternoon.

Don't mind the small nub of a popsicle.. It broke coming out of the popsicle mold, and while I probably should have taken it out for pictures, could not throw it out because they are that tasty. The base is made with bananas, and while you do taste the banana, I was pleased and surprised with the subtleness of it. You knew it was banana, but it did not taste like a banana popsicle. I was in a bit of a rush (as always) when photographing these, so not only is it a quick job, but I totally forgot I wanted to roll the dipped chocolate in toasted coconut and almonds before it hardened. Oops. Next time.

I thought they stayed perfectly creamy, even after being in the freezer for a few days (I ate them too fast to see if they would taste freezer burnt or not). I want to also try to dip them in a coat of something that does not include processed sugar like these chocolate chips did. The inside mix is completely refined sugar free, but I did use chocolate chips (ones that are grain sweetened) for the outside coat. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make a tasty coat using coconut oil and something else, please leave me a comment!

Chocolate "ice cream" Bars

Makes 6-8 depending on the size of your mold

Original recipe found HERE

3 large bananas, sliced and frozen (i had to let mine thaw a bit before my cuisinart would blend it creamy
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons all natural almond or peanut butter (the kind that is just nuts, no sugar added)

11oz milk chocolate morsels (I used grain sweetened ones), or any other chocolate you like
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil

1. In a large food processor or blender, pulse bananas, cocoa powder, and almond butter until smooth. Spoon mixture into popsicle mold and insert wooden spoons. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

2. In a bowl, microwave chocolate chips and coconut oil until melted. Let cool before you dip ice cream bars. Once mixture has cooled, pop out the bars and spoon melted chocolate all over the bars. Lay on waxed paper and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. Place ice cream bars in a sealed container, and enjoy!

Blackberry - Basil Jam & Almond Flour Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Never have I ever tasted blackberries and basil together, and boy am I sorry it has taken so long. It is such a beautiful and sophisticated flavor. In fact, I am in the works for a cocktail recipe, maybe a blackberry basil mojito? Anyways, this jam is really delicious, and the hints of the sweet basil are so soft and refreshing. Personally, I love basil, and throw it into everything I can from chopped salads to braised zucchini, but I have never had anything sweet with basil before, and it was an unexpected success. I was watching Giada the other day while I was nursing Adlai, and she made a jam with blackberries and basil, but hers was sweetened (and thickened) with sugar, and I knew right away that I wanted to try this but with honey.

She spread hers over some delicious toasted baguette, but I decided to make an almond flour loaf to accompany mine, and I loved it! I will include the recipe below. I was expecting something different in the loaf, and wanted it to have more volume, but as disappointed as I was aesthetically, it tasted quite amazing and simple, and the perfect vessel for this jam. You can also use the jam in your yogurt (which is probably my favorite way), dolloped over ice cream, spread on your favorite bread or toasted baguette, or straight off a spoon!

Blackberry & Basil Jam

Because I used honey to sweeten this it did not thicken to a jelly like consistency, but I actually like it more runny, as it feels and tastes more natural.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups or so of jam

For the Almond Flour Loaf I used THIS recipe

3 (6 oz) pints of fresh blackberries (or you could use frozen, thawed ones)
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup honey (depending on sweetness of the blackberries)
pinch salt

In a food processor, gently pulse the basil and juices of the lemon and orange until the basil is almost completely incorporated into the juice. You don't want any big pieces of basil.
In a medium sized saucepan, add all ingredients and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil. Reduce to a (heavy) simmer, and simmer over medium heat for about 20-30 minutes until it thickens. Use a fork to mash the blackberries along the way so there are no whole berries. Take off the heat. At this point you can either put the super hot jam in jars, and can, or you can let sit at room temperature until it thickens for about an hour, and then refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Life as we know it...

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:36:00 +0000

I thought it might be refreshing to have a post on here just about how life has been going in the Farmer household. I have no new recipe updates as I have been a little too preoccupied to get any of my creations photographed, although the only thing we have been eating lately are Arugula salads packed full of veggies. And I have had a proud mommy moment with Emory every day when he willingly chooses and devours a healthy salad instead of a sandwich. Makes my heart happy.

Emory

This kid cracks us up every day. He is so smart and so independent. The other day he had to go potty while I was putting Adlai down for a nap and instead of coming and getting me he (on his own) knew he could not get on the potty by himself and went into his room and got a little chair, took it to the bathroom, and went potty all by himself. I was so proud of him, instead of having an accident or not knowing what to do, he thought all for himself, and is so self sufficient. He definitely takes after daddy. He loves being outside and plays in his sandbox all day long. He is an amazing little drummer, and can turn any and everything into drumsticks and a drum set, and a little birdie told me that he might be getting a drum set for his birthday. One of his (and our) favorite things to do is watch two of the Hillsong worship dvd's. Emory loves listening and playing along with them, and who does not love some hillsong worship time? He is full of energy, and definitely not lacking in the spunk department which can be quite a handful some days, but we love him more than anything!

Adlai

Aldai is my sweet little problem child. I decided that anything that could and should be easy, is just not easy for him. He has tested every ounce of my patience and energy these past seven months. He has been a very hard baby (at times), but he is also the happiest little thing, and chalk full of energy! He may not sleep (especially at night), and won't take a bottle for anything (leaving mommy and daddy on a very tight leash), and he seems to get sick a lot, BUT this kid has me wrapped around his finger tighter than I ever thought possible. He is the sweetest little baby I could ever ask for, and he melts my heart every day. He is so funny already, and does this fake laugh that cracks me up. He watched Emory like a hawk, and already has started imitating him. They are best buds already, and I get so much joy seeing the way they interact. Since he weighs a whopping 19 pounds already he is not anywhere near crawling yet. Can you blame him? He is too chunky to move, let alone get on all fours. Rolling over is his extent of working out right now. He loves being outside and loves playing with all of Emory's toys. He is already a daddy's boy which also melts my heart. All in all he has challenged us in every way, but being his parents has been the most rewarding thing ever. I also happen to think he is the cutest little boy I have ever seen!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:59:00 +0000

Ok so these are in now way "healthy", but they are "healthier" in the sense that 1: they are gluten free, making them easier for your body to digest, and 2: that they are made with all natural ingredients making them unprocessed and "better" for you. Too many quotations? This cookie was a complete splurge for us, and I will probably not be making them anytime soon, not because they were not delicious (trust me, I have declared these the best darn cookies I think I have ever had) but because we really do not need to be eating things with sugar and butter, but they were worth every bite. I really made these out of a pure desire to experiment with gluten free baking. I finally have accumulated random gluten free products and just wanted to test out some Babycakes recipes. While they keep their recipes vegan, I did not have coconut oil on hand and opted for butter , and who am I trying to kid, butter is just down right delicious in cookies. BUT, next time I would like to try these with coconut oil and agave instead of the butter an sugar, although more than likely my sister is going to inherit all of my gluten free baking items since I prefer to eat gluten/grain and refined sugar free when baking. Anyways, the cookies are amazing and really worth the effort to be gluten free. Not only is it easier on your body, but the oat flour (I just ground up whole oats myself) gives these a delicious texture and flavor. You must try them!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Babycakes NYC Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe found on Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All purpose Baking Flour Bag (whew that was a lot)

Makes 36 small cookies, or about 2 dozen bigger ones for me

1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour (you can just pulse gluten free oats in a food processor or blender until fine)

1 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour

1 cup organic sugar (I used natural cane sugar)

1/4 cup almond meal (or flaxseed meal)

1/4 cup Tapioca Starch (or arrowroot starch)

1 1/2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted butter, coconut oil, or canola oil

6 tablespoons unsweetened Applesauce

2 tablespoons gluten free Vanilla Extract (or regular if your not gluten sensitive)

1 cup gluten free, dairy free chocolate chips (I used regular old chips here)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, almond meal, tapioca starch, xnathan gum, baking soda and salt. Add the melted butter, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Drop the dough by the tablespoon-full on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 7 minutes, rotate baking sheets, and bake for 7 more minutes or until golden brown and firm. I like mine a bit more soft so I did not let mine get super firm. Let stand on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before eating. (Are you serious? this is really what it says, but who am I kidding..I singed my tongue devouring a hot cookie, which is just the way I like it!)

Blueberry-Lemon-Banana Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:57:00 +0000

This loaf (bread) is really delicious and will totally satisfy your sweet craving, especially if you are not eating refined sugars or flours. I really love baking with almond flour and honey (or maple syrup), and this is by far one of my favorite creations yet. A lot of recipes that use almond flour have a much different texture, but this bread is very similar to banana bread (or maybe it's not all that similar, I just have not tasted regular flour banana bread in so long) and I actually love it more made with almond flour and maple syrup than I do my original and not so good for you kind. Anyways, the combination of bananas, blueberries, and lemon zest blend extremely well together. Next time I would like to try it with a little less sweetener, but all in all the perfect ending to a night ( I know it's weird but I have always had banana bread as dessert), or for some of you, the perfect start to your day. Oh, by the way, please excuse the terrible photography on this one. I had planned on making the bread earlier in the day, but my two sweet boys decided I should wait until daylight was just about gone, so there goes any chance of a good shot..

Emory loves helping me bake!

Blueberry-Lemon-Banana Bread

This makes one normal size loaf, but you could always make muffins or even mini muffins, just adjust your cooking time according.

2 eggs
1/2 cup mashed banana (I used 3 bananas)
4 Tbsp Unrefined Coconut Oil, melted
1 teaspoon coconut or vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey (you may try using a little less if you want it less sweet)
1/2 cup to 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl mix all wet ingredients until combined. In another bowl mix all dry ingredients and then fold into wet. Mix until just combined and pour into loaf pan. Bake for 50-65 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. The top will get very brown, but trust me, that only makes for some crunchy goodness. Enjoy warm, at room temp, or fresh out of the fridge.

Chocolate Banana Brownie Bites

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:02:00 +0000

Chocolate.. My mouth starts watering just at the word. No seriously. I can honestly say I love chocolate. Chocolate cake, chocolate pie, chocolate ice cream, and just a small square of dove chocolate. But this year we have decided to make our best attempts at living and eating a life that is fulfilling and life giving, so needless to say chocolate is not on that list (at least not every night). I have done A LOT of researching of recipes that are gluten/grain and refined sugar free, and it is not easy to find food, especially desserts that meet these standards. Luckily there are a few blogs I follow (like Roostblog) who cook according to these guidelines. Baking is a challenge. I have been experimenting with almond flour desserts for about 7 months now, and have come to really love baked goods made with it. Toby however has been harder to convince. But, and this is a big but, these brownie bites are the first dessert I have made that he loves! Yes! Huge victory for me, his wife, who tries very hard to cook the healthiest foods but keep them exciting and tasty, and I finally did it.

These brownie bites could not be easier to make, and are made with ingredients that digest well in your body, and keep you thriving (aka no sugar rush). Me and Emory have a little brownie bite every afternoon with my coffee break. He loves them, and as his mom I could not be more happy to see him eating foods that are going to help fuel him for his day. I would encourage you to try them out, even if you think you would not like sweets made without refined sugars and flours. They are quite delicious!

Chocolate Banana Brownie Bites

Gluten/Grain/Refined Sugar Free

I adapted this recipe from This blog

2 ripe bananas
5 eggs (preferrably cage free and brown)
3/4 cup coconut oil, liquified ( I like to use unrefined)
1/2 cup Pure maple syrup (I like to use grade B)
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat all wet ingredients on medium speed until well mixed. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. You can make mini muffins, big muffins, mini loafs, or a large loaf. I made 4 dozen mini muffins and baked them for ten minutes. Make sure to spray pan, or use muffin liners, and bake until they feel set when touched. For mini muffins it was 10 minutes.

Pistachio & Herb Falafels

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:29:00 +0000

I realize this post is a little "bright" of a dish compared to most of the hearty soups and desserts that you are eating right now, but I meant to post this a month ago, and, well now it's late. But, this is the perfect light and delicious recipe to balance out all the richness going around. This just so happens to be a (sort of new) family favorite. I originally found this recipe on Green Kitchen Stories blog, and completely changed it up to adapt to my taste buds, and ended up making it with a greek twist. It is a really simple vegetarian dinner, but I promise you will not miss the meat, not even for a second.

The falafels are baked to perfection and burst with flavor from the nuts and herbs. Keeping ours gluten free, we wrapped it up in some delicious and crisp butter lettuce, but if you want a more hearty meal you could certainly wrap it all up in a good pita or flatbread. My mouth is actually watering as I write this because these are that tasty! It may seem like a strange dinner, and you may have doubts that your kids will eat this, but Emory absolutely loves them although he is a bit confused and call them waffles, but who cares, I was just glad he loved them so much. I hope you are having a great Holiday season, and enjoy this yummy meal!

Pistachio and Herb Falafels

This makes enough to feed 4-6 people. I used melon scooper, or a small cookie scoop to make them all an even size. You can make the dough mixture up ahead of time and keep in the fridge for a few hours before you start dinner. Enjoy!

For the Falafels:

1/3 cup fresh parsley (a handful)

1/3 cup fresh cilantro (a handful)

2 cups shelled pistachios, lightly toasted

1 can white (navy) beans , drained and rinsed well

2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed well

2 cloves garlic, peeled

3 Tbsp, Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch of cumin

Salt and Pepper

Toppings:

Feta cheese, crumbles

Cucumber Dressing (Recipe Below)

Caramelized Red Onions (Recipe Below)

Fresh Herbs

Cucumber Salsa (Recipe Below)

Diced Tomatoes

Sauteed Zucchini (cut as much zucchini as you want into small dices, heat pan, toss with evoo, salt and pepper, and saute until browned, a few minutes)

Butter lettuce or pitas for wrapping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a food processor, pulse the garlic and herbs together for a few seconds. Add in nuts and pulse a few times to break nuts down a bit. Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until mixture is almost smooth, leaving a few chunks for texture. Roll into balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Place in preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes, turning them every ten or so, until they are browned and warmed through. Wrap up in lettuce or pitas, and enjoy!

Cucumber Dressing

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 small cloves garlic

1/2 large cucumber, or 1 small, peeled

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/8 tsp dried oregano

pinch of cumin

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

pinch of salt and pepper

In a small pan, over medium to high heat, add in the 2 Tbsp of olive oil and saute (whole) cloves of garlic for a few minutes until fragrant and the bite is taken off.

In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Add more seasonings to taste.

Caramelized Red Onions

1 red onion , thinly sliced

2 Tsp olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

In a skillet over medium-low heat, saute onions , low and slow, until they turn a caramel color, anywhere from 25-35 minutes.

Cucumber Tomato Salsa

1/2 cucumber diced small

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

Pinch of salt and pepper

Pinch of cumin and oregano

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl toss all ingredients to combine. For best taste, let sit for at least 30 minutes for flavors to combine

Pumpkin Pecan Cakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:15:00 +0000

This is my favorite time of year. And this year is especially great because we get to enjoy it with not one but two amazing sons. Emory is old enough this year to really get excited about the holiday season, and it has been a blast watching him get excited about the festivities. It is also such a great time to share with him the story of Jesus. My mother-in-law bought him this adorable little tykes nativity set, and every night he makes sure baby Jesus is in his "home". It brings me so much joy seeing him learn about Jesus! I just can't believe how much joy my children and husband bring me, and how thankful I am for our health and well being. I honestly have everything I could ever want, and I am truly blessed.

On a complete side not, I LOVE PUMPKIN. I mean I really love it. Pumpkin desserts, soups, and we even tested out pumpkin risotto this year for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! In efforts to do our best at eating gluten/grain free I decided to make a pumpkin dessert for our first (of two) family Thanksgiving dinners. I was hesitant for everyone to taste them as almond flour desserts do have a special taste and texture, one which I just so happen to love. They were super easy to make, gave the house an amazing aroma of fall baking in the air, and tasted a million times better than I had hoped. Emory loved them, I loved them, and pretty much everyone else (dad and Toby decided they did not want to eat my pumpkin creation that night) who ate them thought the same. That is all that mattered. And the best part of it all is there was no guilt in enjoying this dessert, and no sugar crash. They were so rustic and beautiful, and I really can't wait to make them again! The frosting is not dairy free, so if you prefer you could make a cashew cream, or make some whipped coconut cream which I am definitely trying next time.

Pumpkin Pecan Cakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Gluten/Grain/Refined Sugar Free

The texture was very moist, and I found they tasted better when fresh from the fridge. Next time I think I will use one less egg for a better consistency. Also, special thanks to my Brother-in-law for taking some of these pictures!

Makes 12 cupcakes

For Cupcakes:
3 cups blanched Almond Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or any oil of choice)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. real vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners or cut pieces of parchment paper. In a medium bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients. Whisk in wet to dry, and mix until combined. Divide evenly between cupcake tin, filling each almost completely full. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, 25-35 minutes (more or less depending on oven or amount of eggs used). Let cool and then frost. Refrigerate for best consistency.

For Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened at room temp
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. real vanilla extract
3-6 tablespoons pure maple syrup (more or less to taste)
pinch of salt

Beat cream cheese and butter with a paddle attachment for a minute or so until light and fluffy. Add in maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt, and beat until desired consistency. Add more maple syrup to taste.

Honey Caramel Apples

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:24:00 +0000

I absolutely love this time of year. Although we don't really get four season here in Phoenix, the weather is definitely changing. And while some of you are enjoying freezing snowstorms, we are fully enjoying are near 60 degree weather here. To me that is the perfect temperature to enjoy a pumpkin spice latte, and bust out those tall boots I love so much but rarely get to wear. Usually that also means an abundance of sweet treats constantly being placed in my oven, warming the house and creating aromas that words can't describe. But, this year is a bit different.

We now have Emory on a completely gluten and sugar free diet, and eat a mostly grain free diet as well, which means there is not a whole lot of baking going on, and what little I do mostly consists on honey and almond flour. Don't get me wrong, I love the way we eat, but I am not super confident in baking with these ingredients and always having great results. It is hard to mimic flour and sugar in the same way. But this recipe for Honey Caramel tastes exactly like it was made with sugar, but with a deeper flavor. It still uses heavy cream so it is delightfully indulgent, and perfect when slathered all over a nice tangy apple.

Honey Caramel Apples

I used 101 cookbooks recipe for her honey caramel and loved it, but I think I will try sprinkling my caramel with some extra sea salt next time around.

6-8 small apples, cold, unwaxed (I accidently had waxed apples I think, hence the caramel not sticking to the apples)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup honey

*Candy Thermometer & Lollipop sticks*

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Push a lollipop or popsicle stick deep into each apple- in through the stem. Fill a large bowl 1/2 full with ice and water and set aside.

In a medium, thick-bottomed saucepan heat the cream and salt until tiny bubbles start forming where the milk touches the pan- just before a simmer. Stir in the honey. Bring the mixture to a boil. Now reduce the heat to an active simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 15-20 minutes or until the mixture reaches about 255-260 degrees F. To stop the caramel from cooking. Very, very carefully set the bottom of the saucepan in the bowl of cold water you prepared earlier - taking special care not to get any of the water in the caramel mixture.

Stir until the caramel begins to thicken up - you want the caramel to be thin enough that it will easily coat your apples, but not so thin that it will run right off. If the caramel thicken too much simply put the pot back over the burner for 10 seconds or so to heat it up a bit. Twirl your apples in the caramel and set on the parchment lined baking sheets. Allow the caramel to cool and set.

Vanilla Bean Nut-ola

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 02:58:00 +0000

This recipe is not much of a recipe in the fact that you can really go any direction with it. I used to make granola, but since going (mostly) grain & gluten free, oats were out of the question which is why I called this Nut-ola. It is a delicious mixture of nuts and dried fruits and more similar to nut clusters, but perfect on top of yogurt, fruit, or with a splash of unsweetened almond milk. I eat it pretty much every morning for breakfast with fruit and a splash of almond milk, and can't get enough of it! You can use any nuts, fruits or spices that suit the season or your taste buds. You can't go wrong with this recipe. I should note that it will seem very runny/watery, but the moisture will dry up as it bakes, and it will harden and crisp up as it sits out and cools.

Vanilla Bean Nut-ola

Don't overcook the nut mixture. Take it out when it seems to be close to browning, but not browned. It will harden and stiffen up as it cools.

1/4 cup honey
5-6 dates soaked in very hot water for 5 minutes or so, 3-4 Tbsp of water reserved for sauce
1 vanilla bean, soaked in the water with the dates for a few minutes, the seeds scraped out
1-2 tsp cinnamon or any other spice of choice, like pumpkin pie spice
pinch of salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups roughly chopped nuts ( I used 1 cup walnuts, and 2 cups almonds, but any nut would work great)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup craisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a blender, blend dates (pitted) vanilla bean seeds, water, honey, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a large bowl mix the rest of the ingredients with the wet, and spread onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. You may need two cookie sheets. Bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring every ten minutes or so. Let cool, and break into pieces and keep in a sealed container for up to two weeks.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:23:00 +0000

Let me preface this post by telling you about how amazing this sauce (pictured above) is. I got the recipe from Heidi of the 101cookbooks blog. I originally planned on making it to drizzle on some grilled vegetables (which I did and it was delicious), but the boys were being super cooperative one afternoon and took a long nap at the same time (Has not happened since), and I was able to make this sauce, and a roasted butternut squash soup the same day and accidentally stumbled upon a mix of flavors that made me a proud cook. If you know me you know it takes a lot for me to say what I made is really worthy of being delicious. Instead, I always have some form of critique and am never fully satisfied with the way something turned out. It is the perfectionist side of cooking that I have sometimes.

But this my friends left me speechless. I don't know if I was just happy to have created my own recipe and finally be in the kitchen cooking something new, but this soup is restaurant worthy in my opinion. Not a paradise bakery style soup, but the kind you would find at a little urban joint, the bowl of soup that feels as good for your body as it tastes. The soup itself is extremely health conscience as it contains no butters or creams. Instead a nice dose of coconut milk that gives it a delicious creamy flavor as well as an extra nutritional boost. How could you go wring with that? So please step out of the box here and try this soup.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This makes about 8 small servings. The roasting of the squash intensifies and sweetens the flavor making is O so delicious!

1 large butternut squash, cut in half, seeds scraped out

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, roughly minced

1 tsp honey

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1-2 cups chicken stock (depending on preferred thickness and size of squash)

1 cup coconut milk, fat skimmed off

Slivered almonds for topping

Magic Sauce for drizzling on top

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put squash skin side down, flesh side up, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with thyme. Roast for about an hour until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool 5-10 minutes and then scrape into a high speed blender. It should come right out of the peel.

In a medium sized skillet heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat, and saute onion for about 5 minutes until tender. Add garlic and saute about 3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in honey and apple cider vinegar. Saute about 1-2 more minutes to take the bite out of the vinegar. Add into blender.

To the blender add 1 cup chicken stock, coconut milk, and blend until smooth. Add more chicken stock as needed, and salt and pepper to taste.

Top with slivered almonds and Magic Sauce. Enjoy!

Rosemary Buttermilk Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:00:00 +0000

One of the best smells in the world to me is the smell of bread baking. The smell of yeast bread especially. It is comforting, inviting, and literally makes my mouth water. Honestly, I love anything carb related. It is a terrible and most annoying desire, especially when we do our best to eat gluten/grain free. Yeast breads just aren't on the menu (but then again neither are these biscuits).

The week before Addie was born I took Emory to the library to have some alone time before life got just a bit more busy. We played and read books, and picked out 5 books for him to take home. Then, as usual, I go to the cookbook section and look around to see if there are any books to give me a burst of inspiration. There were not a whole lot of books on the shelf but the one that stuck out to me was by Emeril Lagasse, a book called "Farm to Fork", that features recipes made seasonally and with local farmers market ingredients. Normally Emeril would never interest me, but this book is amazing. I made a roasted beet salad last week with dandelion greens and rainbow chard with a walnut dressing that was AMAZING! These biscuits were also in the book, and I am always looking for ways to use up fresh rosemary since we have insane amounts in our garden and never seem to make a dent to it. They are technically scones, but mine turned out more biscuits like and were out of this world! I can honestly say they were the best biscuits I have ever tasted. The orange zest and Rosemary just perfectly perfume the biscuits and give them a light and sophisticated flavor. Although they are not the healthiest recipe to make it on this blog, it is sure one of the best!

Rosemary Buttermilk Biscuits
These are very easy to make and require few ingredients, and are perfect for a dinner party or simply perfect for your mouth...p.s they are delicious fresh from the oven!
Makes 12-14 biscuits depending on size

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

in a medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Add the orange zest and rosemary, and combine with a fork. Add the butter and work it into the flour with your fingers , a pastry blender, or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the 1 cup buttermilk and stir with a fork until the ingredients are just moistened. Gather the dough together and press it gently into a rough ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it together. The dough may still be a crumbly mass. Knead the dough gently six to seven times; then use your hands to shape it into a rectangle measuring about 7 by 4 inches. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10 1/2 x 7-inch rectangle, 3/4 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter (or round cutter) cut out biscuits and place on prepared baking sheet. Brush them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown and puffed. Serve warm.

Blueberry Apple Crisp

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:36:00 +0000

What a crazy and amazing last month! As most of you know me and Toby welcomed our new baby boy Adlai Lee Farmer on August second. He weighed 6 lbs 7 oz and measured 20 inches long! We have been loving every second of having a second boy, but time has been...well actually I don't know where time has gone, in fact time is irrelevant at the moment. Between Emory and Aldai, our time is fully devoted to our kids, and I wouldn't have it any other way. They are the greatest boys on the planet, and I love them more than I thought possible. Emory is a great older brother, and very gentle with the baby. He loves kissing his head, which makes my heart melt. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing family!

Before Adlai was born I was wanting a dessert that was healthy and comforting, and this crisp hit the pot perfectly. Not only is it delicious (especially if you top it off with some honey whipped cream), but it is Gluten/Grain/Dairy/Sugar free which makes it all the better. If you don't have almond flour you can substitute any nut flour in it's place. Same goes with the fruit.

Blueberry Apple Crisp

Makes enough for an 8x8 inch pan

For the Filling:
3 cups blueberries
1 large apple, cored and cut into bite sized pieces
juice and zest of 1/2 an orange
Drizzle of honey

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3-4 Tbsp honey
2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl carefully toss all ingredients for the filling. Pour into an 8x8 inch pan (the small pyrex size). In a medium bowl mix all ingredients for the topping, and sprinkle on top of fruit. Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes until lightly browned and bubbling. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Missy) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:50:00 +0000

One part of eating a diet free of grains, gluten and processed sugar, is that it makes baking really challenging. I can't tell you how many cookie recipes I tried to make before I finally found one that actually tasted great. These cookies are as simple as they come, and are surprisingly sweet, and simply irrisistable, especially when they are eaten straight from the oven and warm. Since I have been pregnant I have not craved many sweet things, but when we were being very strict with our diet for that short while, these cookies were a life saver for Toby who loves something sweet after dinner. I would make the cookies into balls and stick them in the freezer, and pull them out every time we wanted some so that they were fresh and hot each time. I always made a few extra "just in case", and every time they were all eaten! So before you are super skeptical of a "healthier" cookie, give these a try, and you will be surprised at how delicious they are!

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/4 cup butter or ghee

1/3 cup honey

1 egg

3/4 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup almond flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter until smooth, then add each ingredient in the order listed, mixing about 15 seconds after each addition. The final dough will be fairly soft.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Drop tablespoon size cookies onto cookie sheet, with a cookie scoop or spoon. You can flatten them slightly with a fork. If the dough is too soft, stick in the fridge for a 1/2 hour to harden dough and then press gently with a fork.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the bottoms are just browned. Do not over-bake because they will get very dry. Transfer to cooling racks, and enjoy!