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Grain-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Tomorrow is the big day and if you are like me, you’ve already begun thinking about how to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers. In my humble opinion, the leftovers can be just as incredible as the main event. Less fuss, all the great food and you can get a little creative, veering away from the classic dishes, a little.
We’re headed down to Mexico to spend the holidays with our friends. We’ll be staying on the beach and making a traditional feast for 20, which means lots of leftovers. Rather than living off that same heavy meal for days, I am all about finding creative new ways to reimagine the various foods into new, healthier recipes.
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Gluten-free Thanksgiving for Two
We are a little more than a week out from Thanksgiving and I am, of course, so excited for the big day. Each year since we have moved out to California, our Thanksgiving celebration has been a bit different. We haven’t exactly created new solid traditions, yet. Often this was even the case back home in NY, too. Most of the time we are surrounded with friends and/or family, but there have been years, due to schedules, travel or other situations, where Thanksgiving dinner was just the two of us. This year we are headed just over the border to Mexico to celebrate the holiday with our friends and their families, where we’ll be together with tons of incredible people, fully submerged in the good vibes of the holiday.
As much as the holidays are about gathering with family and friends, we have all found ourselves on those less than busy holidays. Just two of us. Your spouse or your partner, a parent, your best friend, a loved one or neighbor you are caring for. I find while not as abundant in people, these more low-key holidays are really nice in their own right, quiet and simple – where brand new memories and traditions are created. I thought creating a feast of a meal, focused on this idea of less, might be useful to many of you.
Additionally, some of you may be joining a larger feast, as someone gluten-free, or serving a feast with one or two gluten-free guests. It can be scary being that person (and even the person serving them), when you aren’t sure of the food being made, if it’s safe for you, how it was prepared and so on. These smaller-serving sizes free from gluten, would be the perfect way for you to make and bring along a small dish just for you or as an option to serve to your guest.
I am so excited to share with you a simple, classic menu featuring gluten-free recipes meant for two. Smaller portions, simple preparations and less fuss!
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Real Food Halloween Treats
The last remnants of summer have all but disappeared, the sun is setting early, leaves are changing colors and the smell of fall is definitely in the air. Or maybe it’s the cloud of the pumpkin-spiced-everything obsession always wafting just above us. Either way, this is one of my favorite times of year. Jack O’Lantern carving, houses all throughout the neighborhood are decked out in their spooky accoutrements, and the very visceral excitement from all the kids for this year’s costume can be felt no matter where you go. Though it’s been quite sometime since I’ve thrown on a mask and taken to the streets for some good old fashioned trick or treating, I do still find myself wanting to indulge in the treats. I am only human, after all.
I am not so extreme or excessive in my approach to eating and food to that I think that Halloween should be celebrated with raw veggies and dollar store toys, rather I try to encourage the idea of homemade, real food options wherever possible. So, I thought a list of some of my favorite Real Food Halloween Treats would be a great idea and it might inspire you to try a few homemade options this year, rather than the creepy, scary packaged stuff, loaded with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and artificial colors and flavors! Also, I am really showing my cards here and you’ll clearly spot my obsession with chocolate.
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Grain-free Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
I’ve got a lot for you today. I have the first-ever pancakes on Tasty Yummies, a few life lessons, a #virtualpumpkinparty and one of my favorite healing superfoods! Here we go….
Have you ever had a day, or a stretch of days where you are overloaded with life lessons, messages and moments that stop you dead in your tracks, to smack you upside the head with a little nugget of goodness, before sending you on your way, again?
I have had a lot of those lately. Little lessons and hidden reminders, that bubble up to the surface within the most mundane of moments and oftentimes coming out in the midst of the most frustrating challenges. It could be that I have been attempting to be more aware in the present in the moment, being open to what’s around me, rather than living in my head and getting caught up in letting my mind wander (which is something I often do). Whatever the cause, these little reminders have been exactly what I need, lately, exactly when I needed them.
These beautiful and delicious, Grain-free Pumpkin Spice Pancakes, they were the culmination of so many reminders for me this past week. The first attempt at making these, I found myself swearing and angry. I had wanted to make waffles but they just weren’t working out, so I attempted to just make pancakes instead, as long as I had the batter. Pancakes weren’t what I had wanted and it wasn’t part of the plan – so, at first I really let it bother me. After a few deep breaths and in realizing that I had inadvertently created really delicious pancakes, I found myself really grateful for the mistake. On the second creation, I was super happy with how the pancakes came out again, but in editing the photos I realized that I should have chosen a smaller plate, the pancakes were getting lost in a sea of pattern from the large plate. I nearly scrapped the entire recipe and I found myself in tears, at my computer! In hindsight and in writing this out, I realize just how silly and insignificant this all seems and how ridiculous I may sound, but, as usual I am finding, in the simplest of moments, the biggest lessons are learned, so I wanted to share some of these sweet lessons that were brought to me this week.
1) Be OK with the Imperfections in Life.
I have to admit something to those that may not know me personally, I can be a bit of a perfectionist at times. Part of why you have never seen a pancake recipe here on Tasty Yummies, is my need for certain things to be perfect (in my own mind, that is). I worried that my pancakes wouldn’t be perfectly round and that people wouldn’t make them if they weren’t big and fluffy. I feared if I didn’t have the perfect shot of the perfect stack of pancakes, the syrup ever so delicately dripping over the edge, they would be a failure. So, although I make pancakes at home all the time, I had opted, in over 5 years of sharing recipes here on TY, to not share any of my pancake recipes, for not wanting to have to photograph them, worried that they would be wonky and imperfect.
As I was asking my food blogger friends for tips on making perfectly round, pristine pancakes, I was reminded by my dear friend Sherrie, to just ’embrace the imperfections!’ I recalled in her beautiful reminder, that I myself am drawn to the social media feeds and the blogs where life isn’t illustrated as “perfect”. To me, the authenticity of the creator shines through in the imperfections and those are most often where I find myself relating and connecting with someone vs. the perfection so often carefully crafted and curated for viewing in the public light.
I decided that like me, no one else reading this blog is “perfect”. You probably have lumpy, not-so-round, imperfectly perfect pancakes all the time at your house. I’d be willing to bet, however, even in their imperfections, like my homemade pancakes, that yours still taste incredible, and everyone that you serve them to are happy to eat them, just the same.
2) Less Really Can Be More.
It doesn’t always have to be about the big stuff in life. Bigger and more, they aren’t always better. Take these tiny, cute little pancakes – they may be dwarfed by the pretty patterned plate, they may be smaller than a traditional pancake, but these orange-hued, subtley-spiced, seasonal pancakes, they pack a punch, both in flavor and nutrition.
The Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, like these pancakes, it too packs a punch. With just one ingredient, in my mind, it beats out all other “superfood protein blends” you’ll find at most stores, often loaded with synthetic ingredients, unnatural “flavors” and colors and who knows what else. Collagen Peptides are not only a great source of clean protein and essential amino acids, they are also great for your skin, hair, nails, immune system, digestion and since I have added to my daily diet, they have played an integral role in healing my gut and my overall health, this year. This powerful, healing superfood doesn’t need anything added to it to boost it, it is tasteless and can be added to smoothies, baked goods, or simply to a glass of water.
3) It is Not Happiness That Makes Us Grateful. It is Gratefulness That Makes Us Happy.
Finding gratitude in the challenging moments of life, this can be hard at times. Next time you are in the midst of a challenge, stop to recognize that every moment is a given moment and that moment in itself, is a gift. We can’t buy moments, no one gives them to us, they are there for us and within each and every moment we have an opportunity to be grateful.
In the car three days ago, in a moment of stressful errand-running after the failed waffle debacle, I flipped the radio to local NPR affiliate and I caught the end of the TED Radio Hour, this past week’s theme was “Simply Happy”. I heard the end of this beautiful speech from David Steindl-Rast, that I have heard so many times before and the feelings of gratitude for the timing of this story, immediately flooded over me. Suddenly where I was struggling with feelings of failure and feeling stressed about the imperfections, my focus shifted to being so grateful and so happy that I get to do what I love every day, even in the moments of stress and challenge. When I left the house I was agitated and frustrated and by the time I returned home, my face was filled with a smile and my heart nearly exploding out of my chest.
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Spicy Butternut Squash and Kale “Cheezy” Mac
Let’s just get this out of the way right now, yes I ironically used a z in the word cheese and yes, I also put quotes around it. That’s happening and I am totally into it. OK onto the show.
My hubby is like most, a meat and potatoes man. He’s a no-frills, gimme what’s easiest, fastest and tastiest – kinda guy. Of course, being that I make most of the meals around here, I can keep his poor decision making and junk-food loving ways in check. Over the years I have proudly gotten him off soda, I have proven that a piece of good quality dark chocolate after dinner can be just as satisfying at 4 Oreos, I have convinced him that it’s possible to eat more than just meat and still eat well and my latest feat, showing him that we don’t necessary HAVE to have a starch or grain at every single meal.
Football season however, this is a tough time around here, it can be a hard sell on the plant-based, less processed foods. Mark LOVES football and he LOVES eating the worst foods while watching it. If he had it his way, he’d be munching on fried chicken, eating a pile of nachos, diving face first into pizza and Buffalo wings and I don’t even want to think about what sweet he’d finish it all off with. He’s always asking me to come up with fun football snacks for him and of course, I try to always deliver him a much more mindful, yet still comforting treat. He never asks me to make him something “healthier”, per se, but I am smart enough to read between the lines. He could easily go to the store and get the junk for himself, he certainly knows how to pick up the phone and order a pizza. I think deep down, though he may never admit it, he wants me to take care of him and make these better choices for him. No complaints here!
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Sausage and Kale Waffle Stratta
Just a little FYI, for those considering a move to California, or any other vacation-ready destination, be prepared for lots of house guests. At times your home will feel like a Bed and Breakfast. While it’s fun to have house guests and show them around Southern California, it can be a challenge to come up with meals to please everyone.
I absolutely, love to feed people but I put a lot of pressure on myself to create meals that not only work for me and my eating preferences and restriction, but foods that will also keep our visitors happy. I am a simple girl. I like to start my day with a green smoothie or some sautéed veggies. I know this type of eating doesn’t always fly for everyone else, so I am always challenging myself to create gluten-free recipes that will work for everyone.
With my husband’s family coming for two separate trips next month, I am already thinking about breakfasts that I can prepare that will work for us all. As a means to still sneak some veggies into the first meal of the day, I created my version of a stratta, with local farm fresh sausage, local pasture-raised eggs and some fresh organic kale from the farmers market – the highlight of this stratta, rather than the traditional bread, are these Gluten-free Ancient Grains Waffles from Van’s.
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Pineapple Coconut Energy Bars
It’s quite fitting that my fifth and final recipe for this series of healthy travel snacks, I created with Albertsons, is being written from around 37,000 feet in the air. I am flying from California to the East Coast where I will be spending a total of 10 days between Maine and New York. As usual, I have a large selection of healthy snacks packed away for my travels. While I find when flying I have to be a bit more selective with my snack choices, homemade energy bars are always a must. They are super travel-friendly and so simple to whip up the night before my trips.
By now I am sure you’ve caught my tutorial on how-to make your own homemade energy bars, but if you haven’t get to it. It’s the perfect formula to create the perfect bars for your favorite flavors. These bars were one of the few that I have made more than a few times and inspired the ideas of the adaptable tutorial.
These tropical-inspired bars are a great, healthy snack for bringing along on your vacation, but they are also a wonderful way to bring the vacation to you at home. Coconut and pineapple always summons the tropics. Think fancy frozen drinks with umbrellas on the beach.
These particular energy bars are made nut-free, but you can certainly add nuts to fill them out a bit more, if you prefer. Almonds, walnuts, pecans – these are all great options.
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Late Summer Farmers Market One-Pot Pasta (Gluten-Free)
Listen, I am not even going to try to claim any bit of this whole one-pot pasta thing, as my idea. If you have spent more than 5 minutes on Pinterest you will know that this phenomenon has swept the internet in the past few years and it’s definitely not going away. In fact, you can even read about the back story and learn where the trend originated.
But, just because I can’t have gluten and I prefer to avoid dairy, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be able to partake. In fact, I took it all a step further after a trip to the farmers market, adding as many end-of-summer veggies as I could, because duh – veggies are the best!!
This hearty, creamy, Late Summer Farmers Market One-Pot Pasta dish can be made in just about 20 minutes, from start to finish, with just one pot to clean. It’s gluten-free and naturally vegan, plus you can easily adapt it to what is most in-season and highlight your favorites! I love that without any dairy this pasta is creamy and rich. Of course, if you are a cheese-eater, go to town and top it with your favorite shredded cheese.For my paleo and grain-free friends, you can grab an alternative recipe today where I am sharing a version of this one-pot pasta dish featuring zucchini pasta (aka zoodles)
Late Summer Farmers Market One-Pot Pasta (Gluten-Free)
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, vegetarian, veganPrint Pin RateIngredients
- 12 ounces organic brown-rice spaghetti-style pasta, gluten-free
- 1 pound cherry or grape heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs basil, plus additional, roughly torn for serving
- 2-3 zucchini, thinly sliced and quartered
- 2-3 large handfuls kale, roughly chopped or torn, stems removed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ red pepper flakes, optional
- 4 cups water
- for topping: zest from 1 lemon
Options:
- top with Parmesan or Romano cheese, shredded
- sprinkle nutritional yeast on top for vegan cheesy flavor
- opt for leeks or shallots instead of onion
- try other veggies based on the season, peas, green beans, broccoli or cauliflower, bell pepper, mushrooms, etc
- if not dairy-free, add cream at the end for even more rich, creaminess
- if you are a meat-eater, you can add also add sausage or pepperoni
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large high-sided pan, a stock pot or Dutch oven. Cover and bring to a boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat, remove the lid and simmer uncovered for about 9-12 minutes, until the pasta is cooked through and the liquid reduced. While it’s bubbling away, be sure to stir often to keep it from sticking. The pasta will continue to absorb the liquid as it sits. Serve immediately topped with fresh basil, shredded cheese or nutritional yeast.
- PLEASE NOTE: The amount of water called for in this recipe was calculated using brown rice spaghetti. If you use normal pasta or a different gluten-free pasta, please be aware that it may alter the amount of liquid required. It is best to start with a smaller amount and add more, as needed.
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Cucumber Dill Refresher
Despite the fact that the calendar says September is mere days away and even with the kids going back to school, somehow Southern California hasn’t quite gotten the memo. We are smack in the middle of a good old fashioned heat wave and it’s so hot I can barely think straight.
As I create recipes each week, I not only try to think about what is in season and what I have access to, but also what foods I feel like eating. What sounds good, what will satiate my cravings, quench my thirst and all that good stuff. Right now all that sounds good is cooling foods, salads, juices, smoothies and all the water.
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Honey-Sweetened Strawberry Fruit Leather
As summer winds down, I am clinging to every last bit of the season that I can. I refuse to acknowledge it’s almost over. Keeping with the theme of healthy summer road trip snacks this Honey-Sweetened Strawberry Fruit Leather is the perfect way to take the sweet tastes of summer with you, wherever you go.
This fruit leather recipe calls for strawberries but you can use this as a guide to create fruit leather with whatever fruit you have an abundance of. Peaches, apricots, apples and so on. You can even create a blend of your favorite fruits.
Fruit leather gets a wrap for being a kids-only snack, but I can tell you, adults truly love the stuff, too. This could partially be the fact that it will instantly transport you to being a kid. It’s also great for travel and being on-the-go, just roll it up with a little parchment paper and pack it into your bag and you are ready to go. Sweet, summer berry goodness, wherever you are. Try out different berries or other seasonal fruit for additional variations. For a smoother leather, you can strain the seeds or any pulp before dehydrating, if you’d like. You can cook the fruit first if you’d like to intensify the flavor a bit.
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Honey Balsamic Roasted Fig and Toasted Pistachio Coconut Yogurt Parfaits
It’s here. It’s officially fig season and I couldn’t be happier. Though the season can seem somewhat short, when you have an over 20 foot fig tree in your yard, it honestly feels like it carries on forever and ever. I am not complaining. For the rest of the world, fig season usually feels like it is over in the blink of an eye. The season gone and done with, before you even fully begin to enjoy it. What a beautiful metaphor for life. Everything happening so quickly, whizzing right by us. The sweetest things, they come and go and if you don’t stop and slow down, if you don’t savor every bit of it, truly stopping to appreciate every little detail, it will pass you by.
Over these past three summers of being in this house, I have done my very best to not take this tree for granted, what a gift. Having only ever really eaten dried figs, I have learned to love figs in a whole new way and I have found myself getting creative, adding them to recipes anywhere that I can. If you have never had fresh figs, I can tell you that you are surely missing out.
Figs are delicious when fresh, sliced up and added to salads or pasta, they are wonderful just for a sweet bites, you can stuff them with goat cheese or blue cheese, but like many foods, I have a real thing for roasting them. The flavor and the sweetness shines even brighter this way and you end up with a delicious sauce of sorts, perfect for so many different recipes.
Roasting is also a great way to preserve the figs a bit longer. Many times if I pick figs that are perfectly ripe and ready for eating straight away, I try to nab them just before they fall to the ground or the birds get them, but they won’t last long when they are this ripe. Roasting gives me a few more days with them and it ensures not a single fig’s life is lost in vain! It’s also a great way to get the most out of the figs that aren’t as great. Maybe they were picked a little early or they are just less sweet. Roast them. Problem solved.
If you don’t have a tree, when buying fresh figs, always buy the more ripe ones. Unlike many other fruits, figs do not continue to ripen once picked. Soft and squishy is perfect, a little splitting skin with some juices oozing, even better. The ugliest figs, the ones many would likely pass right over, those are usually quite often, the tastiest figs. Possibly another metaphor for life? Heh.
These yogurt parfaits are one of my favorite ways to enjoy and savor the roasted figs. The tart and sweet flavor of the roasted figs, the beautiful syrupy sauce that is created, it pairs so perfectly with a creamy and tangy yogurt. I love the addition of the toasted pistachios, too. You can feel free to swap with whatever your favorite nut or seed is. I opt for my homemade coconut milk yogurt, but you can feel free to opt for any yogurt you’d like. Greek, goat’s milk an so on. Great as a breakfast, a dessert or a snack.
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Fresh Grape and Prosecco Sorbet
If we could go back in time just for one day to visit our younger selves, I can tell you that there would be an early 20-something Beth, disappointed to know that most opened wine in the house of her mid-30-something self, usually just gets used in a recipe or worse yet, to know that there is any leftover wine at all.
These days, I do such little drinking that I usually only open a bottle of wine if we have guests. On the rare occasion I imbibe just because, I have a glass, the bottle gets put in the fridge and usually it tastes bad before it ever gets finished. I know…. the shame, the horror. I love the way a good glass of wine tastes at the end of a busy day or with a delicious, robust home-cooked meal, but usually, the truth of it is most times I feel terrible before I ever even catch a buzz. My body just doesn’t like the stuff. It’s all “wait, this ain’t green juice. where’s my smoothie?” The other thing is, most mornings I get up so early, either for yoga or the gym, that a hangover, sans party, just never seems worth it. Yup, clearly I have rounded the corner to my mid-30s. These are all things, I swore I would never think or say.
I was at Trader Joe’s last week picking up a few things and I saw the bubbly wines from the corner of my eye, as I pushed my cart full of veggies past the wine section. It just sounded so good. The summer time always has a way of making me crave chilled bubbly wines. So, I treated myself and I bought a bottle, I had a glass once it was chilled, then instantly knew the rest would go to waste, so I decided to get crafty this time. Waste not, want not.
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Autoimmune Protocol Waffles (Cassava Flour)
I am aware that this is basically the least sexy name possible for a recipe, I think it sounds like something you would be served at a hospital as a means to hide some sort of treatment. My husband Mark said this sounds like some sort of superhero food. Regardless, for those that are following AIP and might be desperate for a different breakfast recipe, I wanted you to find it as easily as possible. Who knows, maybe you are even landing here on this page because of this very not-so-sexy name.
While I am personally no longer strictly following the Autoimmune Protocol, after following it very hardcore for over 30 days, I can tell you that it changed me. This diet rocked my world and healed me, in all the most amazing ways possible. It was everything that my body needed, right when I needed it most. As I was searching for ways to heal my gut and deal with my autoimmune condition, as well as the terrible fall off my health took after taking prescribed drugs for my condition, I was working with a naturopath, taking supplements and trying various elimination diets and nothing was quite dealing with this underlying condition of not feeling like myself and desperately wanting that to change. I took it up upon myself at the time to research all the various more extreme ways to help my gut, to remove foods and to get back to a place where my body could focus it’s energy on healing. I followed the protocol by way of Dr Sarah Ballantyne and Mickey Trescott and Angie Alt, their websites, the various books and cookbooks and any and all the other resources I could find.
While many people find themselves needing to follow AIP much longer than 30 days, I was fortunate that I wasn’t dealing with a severe condition nor debilitating or life-threatening symptoms, so I am grateful to have found great relief in that short time. As I continue my personal healing, I have also stuck to many of the principals of the protocol that have resonated with me and I have had great luck and results by continuing to listen to my body and what it is telling me it does and doesn’t need.
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Strawberry Lime Sorbet
It’s been a while since we’ve had a Foodie Friend Friday post, I can tell you this lapse in sharing definitely isn’t for lack of having incredibly talented friends put out incredibly talented books.
We are back at it today with this gem of a book, Everyday Detox, from Megan Gilmore, AKA The Detoxinista. I absolutely love Megan, her website and recipes and now this incredible book. She just “gets it”. Rather than the all-or-nothing approach of extreme short term detoxes, fasts and cleanses, diets that can set us up for failure, Megan is all about making healthy choices everyday, living life in a mindful way that we can maintain without intense deprivation followed by the post-diet binging.
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Grain-free Black Forest Tartlets
It’s here, it’s here! Cherry season is upon us. One of the tastiest times of the year, if you ask me. Naturally, to know me is to know that one of my favorite ways to pair them is with chocolate. Because chocolate seems to be my answer to all of life’s questions, even the ones not being asked.
I love chocolate so much that I have been known to keep a bar of 85 – 90% dark chocolate in the freezer or fridge at all times. A small square of that goodness after a delicious dinner, that’s really all I need in life. Except maybe these tartlets, these are pretty amazing, too! By the way, that 30+ days I did on the Autoimmune Protocol, skipping chocolate completely throughout the entire process was harder than anything else. I did it, but I wasn’t happy about it.
These pretty, naturally grain-free and vegan chocolate cherry mini tarts, have a delicious nut-based crust, filled with a rich and smooth, cherry-flecked ganache and topped with homemade coconut whipped cream.
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Savor the Summer: Gluten-free 4th of July Picnic Recipes
Schools out for summer! OK, well for some of us, it’s been out for like 10+ years, but whatever – it’s still a time to celebrate!! It’s the best time to focus on enjoying the long days of summer with family and friends. Barefoot temps, trips to the beach and the farmers market, making time for fresh and simple meals and doing as much as possible outdoors… there is just so much that is especially delicious about summer. To me, there is no better word for what it we need to be doing right now – than savoring!!
One of my personal favorite ways to Savor the Summer is with PICNICS!! We love packing up some goodies and heading to the beach, to a local park, farmers market or even just our own backyard for a some good old fashioned – dining al fresco! There truly is no better way to enjoy the flavors of the season than with your feet in the grass, your skin being kissed by the hot summer sun enjoying the freshest food the season has to offer.I am super excited to share with you today a bunch of great naturally-colored red white and blue 4th of July-inspired picnic recipes plus a ton of other summer-worthy recipes!
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Cantaloupe Mint Sorbet (Gluten-free and Vegan)
There is something about summertime and it’s fresh vibrant fruit that just makes me school-girl giddy!! Sitting in the sun, enjoying your favorite fruit, juice running down your face and your arms, that’s when you know it’s really summer!
We’ve been fortunate that for a few weeks now we’ve been getting some of the freshest, sweetest fruit in our weekly CSA box. Peaches, nectarines, watermelons, cantaloupes and so much more. I decided this year that rather than just cutting up the fruit and stuffing it into our faces, that I would get creative with some of it. Treat it like I do all of the many veggies we get.
I was dreaming up frozen summery desserts when I realized that I hadn’t pulled my ice cream maker out once since we moved to California last year. That feels like a MAJOR sin, considering I basically live in perpetual summer, here in Southern California. In discovering my terrible neglect of my ice cream maker, I also realized that I had never made a sorbet! Sacrilege isn’t it?
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Watermelon Hibiscus Lime Cooler
Having an organic farmer that shows up at your door every Wednesday afternoon with the freshest, yummiest and most in-season foods is literally a dream come true for this girl.
It’s like my own personal Food Network show where I am given a box of random ingredients and I have to create something delicious with them. I guess the only difference is, I don’t also have to use random canned weirdness, fish body parts or other strange things no one has ever heard of.
Basically, it just means I get to play with my food and I get to be creative with different delicious treats, each week. It really is so fun.
Lately, we’ve been getting all kinds of amazing fruit in our boxes and most excitingly we have been getting these big beautiful watermelons that are seriously the tastiest things I have ever had. So sweet, so juicy and just so perfect for these hot sunny days we’ve been having.
I created these non-alcoholic Watermelon Hibiscus Coolers simply because at one point we had more watermelon than we knew what to do with. They are soo refreshing, so perfectly sweet and aromatic and a beautifully impressive, refreshing treat when you have guests. I served these at the little Memorial Day BBQ we hosted here at our place. Some was even served as margaritas (recipe below) with silver tequila and a little extra fresh lime juice.
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Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars (made from almond milk pulp)
Every week I make at least one quart of homemade almond milk, if not more than that. For a while now I have been taking the leftover almond milk pulp and immediately placing it in the dehydrator and drying it out, then I give it a few quick pulses in the food processor before add it to a jar in the fridge.
I usually just add it to granolas or cereals, sometimes muffins or other baked goods, but mostly I have just been collecting a ton of this almond pulp flour, waiting to come up with the perfect use for it.
These raw chocolate chip cookie dough bars are the answer!! I have been making something kinda similar for a while now, with blanched almond flour and I would usually make a single serving in a bowl. A simple way to handle those sweet cravings at the end of the day. That is, until I came across this recipe on Pinterest, which gave me the idea to make it into bars. Which is also when I thought this would be the perfect use for all of the dehydrated almond pulp.
These cookie dough bars are grain-free, egg-free, easily made vegan, they are safe-to-eat raw, and they taste just like the real deal, usually made with eggs and butter. Now, I generally prefer to eat dairy-free, but since I am lucky to not have a dairy intolerance or allergy, I can be a bit lax on this. Good grass-fed organic butter is one of those things I keep on hand for special uses. If I am having a fried egg, I want it cooked in a teaspoon of butter, grilled corn just isn’t the same without a little melted butter and so on. But generally I prefer to bake dairy-free most of the time. That said, I have found that these bars are amazing and taste most like the real thing when they are made with some good quality grass-fed butter (local if you can find it) and for me, it is a fine time to indulge a little. I can tell you though that they are also insanely delicious with softened coconut oil, which I have made several times and really enjoy, as well. If you are vegan, you can also easily substitute your favorite vegan butter.
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Grain-free Mixed Berry Crisp (Vegan)
Going to the farmers market each week and being inspired by what is in season at that moment, is something I will never tire of. Walking the aisles, smelling the sweet aroma of what is most available – there really is no experience like it.
I have been dreaming of a delicious Spring inspired berry crisp for sometime now and I finally made it happen over the weekend. I have been making various fruit crisps for years, using all-purpose gluten-free flour and rolled oats, but I wanted to get creative and come up with a way to make the crumbly crisp topping topping be totally grain-free, in addition to dairy-free.
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Iced Dirty Chai Almond Milk Latte {Gluten-free and Vegan}
Many of you already know that I generally try to avoid most ALL dairy in my diet, but what you may not know is that I made the switch a long time ago to nut-based milks, even before I stopped consuming dairy in other places. The difference in how I feel consuming a plant-based milk versus regular dairy milk – is incredible. I find myself less bloated, I feel lighter and I can tell that it requires much less on my digestive system to process than cow’s milk dairy.
Most of you know, I generally prefer to make my own almond milk whenever I can, but there are times when our schedule is just so crazy – when we are traveling, we have house guests or I am just bogged down with work. When life gets busy like that, it usually means stopping to make my own almond milk, just isn’t in the schedule.
