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Honey Lavender Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup and Martini
Homemade simple syrups have become a staple in my kitchen, much like homemade nut milks, nut butters and even sprouts. It’s a simple treat that you can easily make with your favorite fruits, herbs and/or botanicals. Occasionally, I will make them with organic raw sugar, but since I really adore the lovely the depth of flavor that you get when you use good local raw honey, I usually opt for that instead.
The possibilities are really endless for flavors, you can experiment with whatever you like best and expand your flavors and combinations from there. This particular flavor combination is one of my absolute favorites. Lavender and vanilla bean together are what dreams are made of, add in the honey and just forget it. It really doesn’t get any better.
Sweet, fragrant, earthy and unique. A few teaspoons of this syrup is wonderful topped with sparkling water for a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage. You can also use it as a traditional syrup, pouring it over yogurt or ice cream, cereals and granolas you can even add it to a homemade almond milk latte, which I am telling you – is life changing!! I am kind of obsessed.
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Winter Citrus Salad – Gluten-free w/ Vegan Option
I have to admit, I was never really one of those people that freaked out about citrus, I have never cared much about orange juice or sitting down to eat an entire grapefruit. That was until we moved out here to Southern California. The citrus here is just amazing. The oranges, especially, are just incredible, unlike any I have ever tasted before. The fact that we have an orange tree here in our yard is just icing on the cake. Plus we’ve been getting adorable Satsuma tangerines in our CSA box each week. Read the rest of this entry »
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Dark Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn Balls (Gluten-free & Dairy-Free)
I love the challenge of creating healthier versions of classic recipes. Earlier this week I asked my Facebook readers: what Halloween treat would they like a re-imagined healthier version of? Popcorn balls popped up (pun intended) quite often! Traditional popcorn balls are usually loaded with butter, sugar, corn syrup or marshmallows, etc. I figured the easiest way to hold these together without all the junk was honey! It worked perfectly and it gave the popcorn a nice caramel-like color and flavor, too. The dark chocolate drizzle on top is optional, but I do have to say it really makes these extra special and it shouldn’t be skipped if you can help it. Dark chocolate and salty-sweet is an amazing combo.
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Roasted Balsamic Fig Popsicles – (Gluten-free & Dairy-free w/Vegan Option)
I know to many of you, sharing a popsicle recipe in September might seem silly, it seems everyone has already made the switch to fall foods, but we had some seriously hot weather out here in Southern California last week, it was in the 90s for several days in a row. Even in spite of that, I am not looking to rush summer off so quickly. I love it, we have plenty of months ahead to enjoy pumpkin recipes and hot soups, let’s enjoy this while we have it.
We are back down to more manageable temperatures this week, but I am sure we will get more of that heat again before we totally settle into fall, so treats like this will be perfect. A great way to enjoy what is fresh and in-season, but appropriate to the temperatures. In the midst of that heat I was still picking figs from our tree and although I have tons of baked goods and other delicious recipes for the figs lined up, I wasn’t in the mood for any of them. I wanted something light, cooling and sweet. I was able to roast the figs for this recipe early in the morning when it was still cool out, so it didn’t affect the temperature of the house too much, you could also roast them at night and place them into the fridge until the next day.
After the popsicles had set and were totally frozen, I ended up waiting until mid-afternooon the next day to enjoy one outside on the deck in the sun, during the hottest part of the day and it was heaven! These popsicles are so creamy and rich, the perfect amount of sweetness with a lovely robust and almost savory flavor from the balsamic roasted figs. You could also roast the figs with a red wine or liquor, such as Grand Marnier, Chartreuse, or Cointreau, you just might want to take down how much honey you add, though, so they aren’t too sweet. Read the rest of this entry »
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Fig Honey Jam – Gluten-free + Refined Sugar-Free
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, it is likely that you have seen how figs are overtaking my life right now. Our huge black mission fig tree is producing so much fruit. I love it. I have been getting quite creative with the figs; making pizzas, muffins, cakes, smoothies, adding them to salads and more. Fig season begins as early as June in some areas and it can run as late as October. My tree didn’t really start producing until mid August, but given how much small unripe fruit is on there, I have a feeling that I am going to have figs for quite some time. Yay!
Figs are quite perishable so I have been doing everything I can to use them up as quickly as I can. Stored at room temperature fresh figs keep for about for 1-2 days or 2-3 days in the fridge. Besides what I have been using in recipes, I have been freezing them whole and even dehydrating some so I can enjoy them in the off season, still. Look for lots of fig recipes over the next few weeks, I am loving having so many to play with.
Besides being delicious and so beautiful, figs are a wonderful source of calcium and dietary fiber. Figs have the highest amount of calcium of any fruit. Just 1 cup of figs has as much calcium as a cup of milk. Figs are also a good source of iron, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, as well as vitamin K. Read the rest of this entry »
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Homemade Honey Lemon Lavender Face Scrub
As I mentioned in my recent post, I have switched to a brand new skin care regimen with Peacock Apothecary that is all natural, handmade to order, all of their products are free of any chemicals and preservatives and locally sourced when possible, etc. Additionally, as part of my routine I am still using my homemade apple cider ginger toner every time I wash and I added in a homemade exfoliant that I use twice a week, at the recommendation of the girls at Peacock Apothecary.
This recipe is something I can put together very quickly and simply. I make up this small batch and keep it in the shower for the week. I have been loving how my skin feels after this gentle scrub, it is smoother than ever and I feel like my skin is as clean as it ever could be. It is super gentle and the scent is so soothing and calming.
Here is my current skin care routine:
Daily in the morning:
Wash with Coconut Milk cleanser from PA,
Tone with homemade apple cider vinegar toner
Moisturize with citrus serum from PADaily in the evening: Wash, toner, serum (same products as above)
Twice a week I use this scrub in the evening (or morning if that works better with my schedule) and at least once a week, more if needed, I make a probiotic mask.
Also, when using my face cleanser, twice a week, in the evening, on opposite days of when I use this face scrub, I use my Clarisonic Mia.
[print_this]Homemade Honey Lemon Lavender Face Scrub
- Juice from 1/2 organic lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey (I used local raw honey, in its liquid state)
- 1/4 cup sea salt (I used pink Himalayan sea salt)
- 2 teaspoons dried lavender
- 15 drops lavender essential oil
Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl, mix well to combine. To use: Mix the ingredients until well blended and massage on a damp face. Rinse well with warm water and finish with a splash of cold. Though the scrub’s nicest when used fresh, you can keep leftovers for up to a week or so.
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Homemade Ginger Ale – Honey Sweetened – Gluten-free with Vegan option
As part of our Six Month Mindful Living Challenge I am going to be sharing recipes that follow that compliment the theme of the month, when possible. This month, with our plastic consumption being the focus, I wanted to share a recipe that is simple to make at home that is not only delicious but can single handedly cut down on your plastic use.
This homemade ginger syrup has a great kick to it from the fresh ginger and it is full of beautiful, bright flavors. Not only is it great for this refreshing and delicious homemade ginger ale, but it would also be great drizzled over homemade ice cream and yogurt or even over your morning oatmeal or other cereal. I sweetened this with local raw honey, since honey provides a variety of amazing benefits, but I also just love the flavor. If you are vegan, play with your favorite sweetener, anything will work. Granulated sugars to liquid, they’ll all work just as easily. For some of the amazing benefits of raw honey, check out this post from Body Unburdened. See the notes at the end of the recipe if you wish to retain the full benefits of the raw honey in this recipe.
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Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Gluten-Free)
It is pretty unbelievable to me just how much I love baking now. I actually used to despise it, I hated that seemingly every little measurement had to be perfect or you would pull it out of the oven to find it ruined, with no way to fix it. That is so different from cooking and it was way too much pressure for me. I love with cooking how no measurement has to be precise, there isn’t as much chemistry of ingredients involved so you can really play around. I got even more scared of baking when I found out I was gluten intolerant nearly 7 years ago. All the different flours, starches and gums made my head spin. I was always nervous that I would spend nearly $10 on a package of flour that I had never heard of, to just ruin the recipe and not even have a delicious treat after all that.
I have finally loosened up a bit with baking and I am really starting to enjoy it. There are so many wonderful bloggers sharing their delicious gluten-free baked good recipes that I just started out by making those, making subtle substitutions here and there. As I have done more and more baking and experimenting, I have started to see what works and what doesn’t. What flours react well together and which ones don’t. I am still far from being an expert and I very rarely just dive right in and create my own recipe completely from scratch, it still intimidates me quite a bit. However, I have started to play a lot more this year and though there have been some pretty rough flops and fails along the way, I am still enjoying it.
I decided I wanted to make a fun fall-inspired cookie this weekend. Beyond wanting something sweet but relatively healthy after my cleanse, oatmeal cookies have just sounded good for a while now. Plus, it was my birthday weekend and we had a really fun weekend of fall activities planned to celebrate my aging and the beautiful fall weather. On Friday, we played hooky from work a few hours early to head up to Niagara-on-the-Lake for the afternoon. We walked around and checked out the little shops, I did some wine tasting, we had a couples massage at the Shaw spa and we had an incredible dinner at Epicurean. It was such a fun night. On Saturday morning, I made some delicious concord grape jam (I am gonna try to get a post together, though I didn’t take any process photos since it was a very dark and rainy morning), these cookies and then we spent the rest of the day working. Saturday night my parents took us out to Mangia Ristorante to celebrate my birthday. (By the way, Mangia has some of the most delicious Italian food I have had and almost all of their pasta dishes are available with gluten-free pasta). On Sunday we woke up and went apple-picking in the morning at Blackman Homestead Farm with my sister, Vicky, and my niece, Teagan. We had so much fun. Then we came home and I made a delicious fall dinner for us – a roast chicken from Sojourner Farm, with roast acorn squash wedges and baby fingerling potatoes over arugula – all from local farms. For dessert, we had some hot spiced apple cider that I had picked up at Blackman Homestead when we were apple picking and we served it with a couple of these cookies on the side. Such a perfect way to end a perfect fall weekend. Yesterday was my actual birthday and when we were eating dinner Mark had mentioned feeling bad that we were eating cookies that I made for dessert and that there hadn’t been any cake or candles all weekend and no birthday gifts to unwrap. I explained to him that my birthday included absolutely everything that I love and I couldn’t ask for anything more. That really is the truth. I am not one for cake and to me being around the people I love is truly gift enough.
Me at Niagara-on-the-Lake
Mark and me at Blackman Homestead Farm
My niece, Teagan, enjoying an apple while apple picking at Blackman Homestead Farm
My sister, Vicky and Teagan sharing an apple.
Beyond all the awesomeness of the events surrounding these cookies, they also made me super happy because I didn’t use a recipe – I just planned my own recipe with ingredients I knew (well, probably more like hoped) would work together. I ended up adding more oats than I had originally planned, because I knew with how the dough felt in my hands that it would be too thin. This is huge for me. A year ago I would have slopped the dough onto the baking pan and had a little fit when they came out flat and too soft. My guessing and instincts overall paid off and these cookies turned out wonderful. They are so moist and chewy, not dry at all the way some oatmeal cookies can be. They have the perfect mix of spices and I love that there is no butter or sugar in them. Just grape seed oil and honey. You could certainly replace the raisins with dried cranberries or even chocolate chips, you could add nuts and of course, you could simply use your favorite egg replacer to make them vegan.
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend as well? Did you do anything fun?
Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Gluten-Free)
makes approximately 2 dozen cookies- 2 cups blanched almond flour (meal) – I use Honeyville brand, I don’t care for the Bob’s Red Mill almond flour
- 2 cups rolled oats (not instant) certified gluten-free if you are intolerant
- 1 cup fresh pumpkin puree (canned will work)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup organic local honey (maple syrup would be great here, too)
- 1 large farm fresh brown egg (or egg replacement of your choice)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup raisins (dried cranberries would also be delicious)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flaxseeds (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375º F, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and honey until smooth and well blended. Mix in the egg, pumpkin and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir to combine well, add in the oats, raisins and flaxseeds, stir until everything is well combined.
Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons 2-inches apart on the baking sheets, flatten the dough gently with a fork. Bake the cookies for 18-20 minutes until they are moist and soft but appear to be dull on the outside and are starting to lightly brown. Rotate the baking sheets during baking for even heating (I rotated mine every 6 minutes). Remove the cookies from the baking sheet after a few minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack. Or eat one while they are still warm, you know you want to.
Once the cookies are cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature.
