1/2 cup grated apple (this is equal to 1 sm/m apple)*
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup oat flour*
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 scoops collagen peptides (totally optional)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper or grease the pan instead.
In large bowl combine applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, egg, vanilla and grated apple. Whisk until combined.
In a separate bowl combine oats, oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder collagen and salt - whisk together. Then add to the wet ingredients. Add in raisins and coconut and mix to combine. Pour into pan and smooth out. Bake for 30-40 minutes until slightly golden and toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into bars. I store mine in the refrigerator for up to a week.
*I leave the skin on my apple, but you can also peel it if you like. I usually don't measure out the apple, I just grate one apple on my box grater and call it a day.
*You can buy oat flour, or just put old fashioned oats into a high speed blender or food processor and blend until it looks like flour.
If you don't like raisins or coconut you can leave it out, or use any nut, dried fruit or even chocolate chips.
This is a new recipe I came up with a few weeks ago. I had a ton on zucchinis to use up and wanted to make a frittata of sorts for my husband to bring to work. This is a super versatile recipe...if you don't have an ingredient it can probably easily be swapped. It also reheats really well so it makes a great make ahead dish to eat throughout the week for breakfasts or lunches. With the holiday season fast approaching we really try to cram as many veggies into our meals to help balance out the extra treats we eat during these 2 months. My 2 boys loved this and I plan on making it often!
Easy Breakfast Bake
1 pound breakfast sausage or bacon
1 tsp. garlic, diced small
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 large zucchini, shredded on a box grater and squeeze out extra liquid
12-14 large eggs
1/2 cup canned coconut milk or heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (optional)
Crumble and brown breakfast sausage in skillet over medium high heat until cooked through. If using bacon - cut into pieces and cook through. Remove meat from pan and drain on paper towels.
Remove all but 1 TBS of the grease from the pan and add onions and peppers. Cook 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook another minute.
While veggies are cooking shred zucchini on box grater. Place into clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly until some liquid is removed it usually isn't a ton but this helps the eggs from being too spongey.
In large bowl whisk the eggs, milk or cream, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning together until combined well.
Place shredded zucchini, cooked meat and cooked veggies into a 9x13 pan and stir to combine. Add in the egg mixture and swirl around with fork to mix everything together. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until it is set and middle doesn't jiggle anymore.
Has it really been almost a year since I shared a recipe? I spent most of 2019 being pregnant and wasn't coming up with new recipes as much as I usually do. I'm back at it now that my baby is in my arms and not my belly! If you have been following my blog you know by now that I have an unhealthy obsession with real maple syrup...really, it is out of control. If I can find something to be a vehicle for maple syrup you better believe I'm going to make it! I started following a food blog called "The Natural Nurturer" this past year, I have loved most of the recipes I have tried from her. She tries to cram veggies into as many things as she possibly can. She has a really great apple and carrot pancake recipe that we love and I decided to try and find a good recipe for zucchini pancakes as well. This is a recipe I have played around with a few times and I think I finally got it right! Let me know if you try it out.
The base is ground oats and almond flour which results in a wonderfully textured pancake. There is a hefty amount of shredded zucchini in them as well! My 2 boys love them...and I'm a huge fan as well!! I have made these as waffles as well and they are equally as delicious!
Also mad props to food stylists. Haha placing a zucchini next to the pancakes was the best I could do. #momlife
Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Pancakes
Adapted from the Roasted Root
1 cup almond flour
1 cup ground oats or oat flour (just grind oats in a blender or food processor)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 TBS ground chia or ground flax seeds
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 scoops collagen peptides (optional)
2 eggs
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond, but you can use milk of choice)
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBS maple syrup
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (place in towel and squeeze out extra moisture after shredding)
Whisk together almond flour, oats, cinnamon, seeds, baking powder, salt and collagen. Add in remaining ingredients except zucchini and stir to combine. Add in zucchini and stir until well combined. Cook on well oiled pancake griddle or frying pan. Can also be made as waffles. Serve with maple syrup and lots of grass fed butter. Store leftovers in refrigerator - reheat in toaster oven.
I am currently sick. Yeck. Having a cold in the summer just seems so wrong. My house is a disaster zone since I am not up to cleaning, and my boys are out having a grand adventure at a park without me. Boo. When I have the house to myself I usually tackle some kind of project...but today I share this recipe with you.
My boys eat all day...and that is not an exaggeration...at all times at least one of them is eating...or me! I am constantly looking for new ideas for nutrient dense snacks that are not junk. I have made this recipe a few times now, and they inhale it every time! They eat it for breakfast/lunch/dinner or cold as a snack. Next time I make them I plan on doubling the recipe and freezing some of them.
My sister introduced me to another food blogger's site and I have slowly been trying out a bunch of her recipes. Her main goal is to "veggie load" as many of her recipes as possible. The other day I made some chicken burger patties from her blog that had zucchini, broccoli and spinach in them - and my boys loved them! So go check The Natural Nurturer when you get the chance! I tried her recipe for these waffles and and liked the flavor but thought they were too dense and too thick, so second time around I added some milk and increased the pumpkin amount. This yielded a much thinner batter and waffle which is what I was looking for.
1 cup single ingredient nut or seed butter (I use 1/2 almond butter and 1/2 sesame seed-tahini, not sugar added)
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk or milk alternative (I use almond milk)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-2 large handfuls of spinach
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato or pumpkin (I use canned pumpkin)
2 TBS ground chia or flax seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour onto hot waffle griddle that is clean and has been greased. If your waffle iron isn't clean the waffle will fall apart and get stuck to the griddle. Cook until done. Store uneaten waffles in the refrigerator.
During the Christmas season they sang the song "I Sing a Maid" at Church one Sunday and I was struck by one line: "...For God's own son became her child, And she his resting place." Even though her Son was the Savior of the world, she was still a resting place for her dear son. What an awesome gift and responsibility it is to be a mother and to strive to be that resting place for our children. Many days, like today, I fall short of this. Too many tantrums and whining from them, and from me, makes me feel like the opposite of a resting place for my boys. It is a constant struggle to strive for that peace in our day and to truly be a resting place to my boys and to anyone I encounter that day. So as we all carry on in this journey of life let us all strive to be a resting place for anyone we meet.
A few months ago I guest posted my favorite recipe for Paleo pumpkin muffins over on my friend Stephanie's blog. The pumpkin muffins have been part of my weekly baking for months now! I was getting kind of sick of them so I decided to play around with some apple muffin options. These turned out way better then I was hoping! Like most Paleo baked goods I store them in the fridge so they can last up to a week. Let me know if you try this recipe out! I love to hear feedback!
Paleo Double Apple Muffins 1 1/4 cups almond flour 2 1/2 TBS coconut flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 TBS cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 2 eggs 5 TBS melted coconut oil 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened 1 1/4 cup apple chunks, about the size of a marble* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 12 liners. In a medium sized bowl mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In another bowl mix together the eggs, oil, syrup, vanilla and applesauce. Add the wet ingredients to the dry one and mix until well combined. Add in the apple chunks and stir to combine. Scoop into 12 muffin liners. Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. *Use whatever kind of apple you like! I use Fuji and Kanzi apples.
These days I only get around to posting recipes when my husband works late. I can't get on the computer during the day because my kids need or want me, I can't get on it after they go to bed because then my husband suddenly wants to talk...haha...no seriously. He isn't one of many words, but as soon as I get on the computer he suddenly wants to talk! Of course : )
I was looking for a quick and easy paleo banana bread recipe that I could make fairly regularly - I like to have a paleo quick bread on hand for a somewhat healthy snack option to offer my toddler and me! This recipe was perfect! I will definitely be making it again! As you can see my son is pretty excited about this bread! He helped me make it. He loves to peel and mash the bananas, he cracks the eggs, he dumps the ingredients into the bowl, and he stirs! He is my little sous chef!
Let me know if you try it out!
Paleo Banana Bread From the Peanutbutter Runner Blog 3/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 3/4 cup almond flour 1/4 cup coconut flour 2 TBS melted coconut oil 2 large eggs 2 large ripe bananas mashed 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and flours. In a separate small bowl, mix together coconut oil, eggs, bananas, maple syrup and vanilla until very well combined.
Add wet ingredients to the dry and gently mix together until combined. Do not over mix!
Pour batter in prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until set in the center and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 15-20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
This week I really feel like I'm failing at my being a Mom job.
2.5 weeks ago my 2 year old broke his leg at the playground. He fell off one little - low to the ground step, just landed hard and funny on it. I was standing right there and didn't catch him. His first week in a cast he was great - so sweet and playing so nicely with his duplos all day, napping great, and just being a real trooper. This week he is a completely different kid. Says "no" to everything I ask of him, fights me tooth and nail on everything, won't nap, cries every time we put him to bed, whines all day long about every little thing. Yesterday he cried for 20 minutes because he said I was using Papa's cup and that made him mad. What? Toddlers...who knows! The last two days he has decided that kicking or hitting me and his little brother is funny. No, it is most definitely not.
This acting out of his has me acting out too. Ahh...I have definitely lost my cool more then once. I am so stressed and angry that I can't figure out what is going on with him. We go outside for play time every day. We eat healthy balanced meals. We play. We read. We snuggle. We sing. We have play dates. We pray. We get out of the house every single day. I talk him through everything. I tell him he is loved. I try to spend one on one quality time with him. Poor kid is probably just restless from not being able to walk or run!
All this, and I still fall short as a mom. Ugh. I take being a mom very seriously, and when I fall short - I am my biggest critic. Recently some unnamed person made some really horrible comments about me that really upset me. I know in my heart that these comments are not true and were said from a very hateful place...but still, they eat away at me even when I think I am over them. Then a few kind people - not meaning any harm - have said that my son broke his leg because he doesn't drink milk...again, something that is my fault. Words, so powerful and so painful.
Transitioning into being the mom of two has proved harder then I thought it would be. Every other day I tell myself I'm not cutting it. Then throw other people's words into my head and it worsens the blow. Some days I feel like I'm getting it right. Like today, the morning was going great. I put my baby down for a nap, and started my workout while my toddler did a puzzle. 5 minutes into it I was working out and felt peaceful and I realized everything was going right for once...haha...in that second my toddler started loosing it because he took personal offense at one of the puzzle pieces....then my baby woke up from his short nap mad. NOOOOO...peace lost.
I know what I need. I need Jesus. Problem is, I'm too tired to go to him. Face palm. I'm writing this not for pity, but to process and just be real. I know this is a phase in life, one of those rough sticky spots, but I also know it will get better. Until then I just have to keep moving forward, praying, silencing the negative words that linger in my head, and trying my hardest to find Jesus in all the moments - the good ones and the bad ones.
Life is tough people. Just reminding you...and me...that words are a gift, use them for good, use them to build other people up - not tear them down. Find someone in your life who is struggling and affirm them, USE YOUR WORDS AND BRING JOY INTO SOMEONE'S HEART.
Now, here is something I did get right this week. This bread is stellar. My toddler and I have pretty much finished off the loaf by ourselves in 2 days...eh, who am I kidding - I have pretty much eaten the whole loaf all by myself. Nursing a giant baby makes me fiercely hungry all the dang time!
1 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or whatever oil you bake with)
1/3 cup yogurt (I used plain organic yogurt - pretty sure whatever you have on hand will do)
1 large egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup peeled diced small apple tossed in a little bit of lemon juice
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat flour - just grind old fashioned oats in a food processor
Topping:
2 TBS brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and then line with parchment paper.
In large mixing bowl whisk the applesauce, vanilla, melted coconut oil and yogurt until combined. Add in the eggs and brown sugar. Mix until smooth. Add salt, spices, baking soda and powder. Whisk.
Toss chopped apple with 1/2 TBS flour and then add to bowl. Stir with spoon. Add the flours and mix gently to combine. Pour into prepared pan. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon for topping and sprinkle on top of bread. Bake 50-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
My husband makes fun of me because I can't remember important things...like his phone number...but I can vividly remember memories involving food. I can remember tastes from my childhood - not all good ones...spaghetti o's in a can...Vienna sausages in a can...how did I ever like those things? I remember food, of all things-that is what my brain is hardwired to do! Go figure!
I was thinking of these yummy almond marzipan scones my sister's friend made her one time while I was visiting. I often think of how yummy they were and how I needed to recreate them one day. Well thank goodness, that day has come! I found a recipe I liked, but simplified it and changed it up a little. I was super pleased with the end product and will be making them again!
Marzipan is a delicious combination of ground almonds and sugar that is made into a paste. In pastry school we made marzipan and it was quite easy, but these days I allow myself to take more shortcuts in my cooking since I am limited on time and more importantly...energy! I have to confess, these 3 scones sat on my counter for 3 days before I had time to photograph them...hopefully you cannot detect their staleness through the screen : )
If you are English, I apologize for the shape of my scones. I know this is not the traditional shape of a scone - but taking out the "rolling them out onto a counter" part saves so much clean up time, and honestly they taste the same to me!
Make these scones. Sit down to a cup of coffee or tea with a friend. Imagine you are at a little roadside cafe in Paris. Eat the scones. You are welcome.
Marzipan Scones
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter - cold and cubed
1 large egg
1 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup buttermilk (or cream, I used buttermilk)
7 oz package almond paste (marzipan) chopped into small chunks the size of peas
2 TBS chopped almonds
Glaze (optional)
4 TBS powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp milk
Preheat the oven to 400°F.* Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper - set aside.
Chop up the marzipan into pea sized pieces, set aside.
Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a large stand mixing bowl and mix to combine.
With the mixer running on low speed - Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture and mix until coarse meal. (or if you don't have a stand mixer - cut the butter in with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal.) Once the butter is mixed in nicely, add the chopped marzipan and mix for a few seconds.
in separate small bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk and almond extract. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture to brush the top of the scones later.
With mixer on low, add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones- mix just a few seconds - you don't want to over mix it, and there will be dry bits still. Remove from stand and using a spoon or spatula combine a little bit more.
Scoop batter into 12 racquetball size clumps and place onto pan...I used a large ice cream scoop to do this. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, lightly brush the reserved TBS of liquid over the tops of the scones. Sprinkle with chopped almonds.
Bake 15-18 minutes until lightly browned - watch the bottoms - don't let them get too dark.
Allow to cool completely. Mix together the powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle evenly over cooled scones. I just pour the glaze into a small plastic bag and cut a tip out of one of the bottom corners - or you can put it in a parchment paper piping bag.
*Our gas oven is way hotter then my old electric one, so I always heat my oven 15 degrees less then what a recipe calls for - so for this recipe I actually heated my oven to 385 degrees. You do what is best for your oven : )
Recently I received some bad news about someone and it really shook me up. You know the kind of news where you suddenly can't breath and are basically in shock mode? The kind of news where you start to question everything in your life and it just takes a while to process? Yeah, that kind of crappy news. When I received this news I basically spent 2 days shut in my house crying/processing while Charlie just played. I think he knew I was having a hard time, because for 2 days he played happily by himself, didn't really cry or whine all that much and was just so sweet to me. Every once in a while he would stop playing and just come over to me and give me a hug or kiss. Then when I picked him up from his nap he clung to me in a tight hug and wouldn't let go - this is something he has never done before. Also, once when I was crying he came up to me, looked me in the eye and wiped my tears away with his slimy little adorable hands.
How can one so little already know how to express such compassion? It was as if he was saying without words, "I love you Momma, I'm sorry you are hurting, and I am here for you." Made my Momma heart so happy to see him show this kindness to me.
If only we could all show this kind of compassion to others. I had a friend call me after receiving this news, and the first thing she said was that she was sorry she didn't call sooner, but she didn't know what to say to me, but then realized that was a terrible reason to stay away and called anyway to let me know she was praying for us and was here for me if I needed her. How many times have I done that? Known someone was grieving or going through a hardship and didn't know what to say or do so I just stayed away. Just because pain and suffering is uncomfortable and awkward doesn't mean we should stay away. Christ shows us what to do. He is on His cross suffering and uniting in our pain and suffering and calls us all to do the same to others. When we see someone walking through a storm in their life we should walk beside them and help them carry their cross. Knowing you are not alone in your pain and that people are there to help you through brings so much comfort.
Okay, I'll get off my soap box now and share this new recipe with you. As many of you know I eat paleo pancakes pretty much every day for breakfast. I was getting tired of my pumpkin and apple ones and started looking for some new options to add to my rotation. If you have a food processor with a grate option - then these come together really quickly. If you grate the carrots by hand it can be a bit tedious.
Terrible I phone pictures!
Carrot Cake Paleo Pancakes adapted from Paleomg.com 1 cup carrots, shredded 3 eggs ½ cup almond flour ½ cup milk (almond milk, coconut milk, real milk - whatever kind of milk you use) ¼ cup walnuts, chopped 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil 2 tablespoon coconut flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 3/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp ginger 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 cup raisins
Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl: almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and powder, and spices together. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients: carrots, eggs, milk, coconut oil, and raisins. Mix thoroughly.
Heat a skillet or pancake griddleup to medium-high heat and use coconut oil to grease the surface. Pour batter into small pancakes onto hot griddle. Cook on both sides for 3 minutes. Top pancakes off with coconut butter and maple syrup. Also, I make a double batch of these and store leftovers in the fridge and just eat them cold or toast them. Charlie loves them too as a nice and easy snack or breakfast option.
Who knew there were so many different parenting philosophies out there? My older sister introduced me to Montessori and RIE methods and that is loosely what I look to for inspiration. I'm constantly reading about different techniques and approaches to raising good children. Some of it I think is insane, other stuff I like. Some people say "don't praise your kids", others say, "Be sure to praise them a lot". Some say "never tell them no", others say "tell them no all the time". Haha so many different opinions out there. As parents I feel like we all just have to do what feels right for our families.
Every night Charlie and I have our own little routine. I kind of recap our day to him and talk about how it went. Every once in a while he chimes in with random words like "Waffle" or "Book". Then we say night prayers together...which, now that he can fold his hands in pray position it is even more precious : ) Then I take him to his crib and before I lay him down I tell him that "He is wanted, he is needed, he is appreciated and he is loved." Who knows if this is emotionally good for him or not, I am his mother and I plan on saying these things to him as often as I can. I think a lot of people out there feel unloved and unwanted and that makes me sad. If I can do one thing here on this earth, I want to be sure that I love my husband and kids as best as I can, and that they know without a doubt that they are loved by God and by me.
I heard a good homily this week and Father said something that really stuck with me: "Receive the love and joy of Christ and share it with others - this, this is your vocation."
One way I show people that I love them is by cooking. Anyways, as I type I have a double batch of this paleo banana bread in the oven - it is so tasty! Charlie and I love it as a healthy snack option. I have made it at least a dozen times in the last year.
A few tips to making this bread:
- We always have frozen bananas in our freezer. If they are a little over ripe and you don't plan on eating them before they are too far gone - peel them and stick them in a ziploc in your freezer. When you want to bake with them take them out of the freezer at least an hour before you need them so they can defrost.
- Almond butter is expensive! Whenever I make this bread I make my own. Super easy. Toast the almonds for a few minutes until they smell toasted. Place in a high powered blender or food processor with a little bit of coconut oil and process until smooth. Down here in Texas I can get almonds for as low as $3.99/pound - so it is a lot cheaper then buying the almond butter made already.
Paleo Banana Bread with Streusal Topping adapted slightly from the paleomg.com
Holy Guacamole! I haven't posted in over 5 months! I'm sorry dear Blog, I have neglected you so!
My almost 17 month old son doesn't like it when I get on my phone or computer - so I stay off of them a lot these days otherwise I have to deal with him hulking out - something I aim to avoid as much as possible. He does love helping me cook though. I need to buy him one of those kitchen helper stools so he can reach the counter and help me bake and cook more.
The other reason I haven't been posting is the baby growing inside of me has somehow sucked the desire to cook out of me. I don't cook/bake nearly as much as I did when I wasn't pregnant - but somehow I am still eating more : )
I had some mommy friends over the other day and made this cinnamon crumb cake. It comes together pretty quickly and doesn't necessarily call for any special creams or buttermilk, which I never have on hand. It is super moist and stays that way for a few days. You can totally make it ahead of time.
10 Tablespoons (1 and 1/4 stick) unsalted butter, firm and cold and cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk (I used almond milk with a splash of vinegar in it instead, or you can use any milk)
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350F. Generously spray a 8-9" square cake pan with cooking spray or grease with butter. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with 1 Tablespoon of flour and tap out the excess
In standing mixer bowl or large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together until combined. Using paddle attachment or hand held beaters - mix in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 cup of the butter/flour mixture in a small bowl.
Mix the baking powder and baking soda into the remaining large bowl of flour/butter mixture. Add the room temperature buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Vigorously mix everything together until the batter is smooth, fluffy, and resembles frosting - about 2 full minutes. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the reserved flour mixture in the small bowl. Toss with a fork until well blended. Sprinkle the crumbs over the batter, pressingly lightly so they stick. Bake the cake until the center is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean 45- 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving (about 2 hours).
Make ahead tip:Cake tastes best on day 1 or day 2. The cake may be made 1 day in advance. Store covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cake can be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
I don't sleep much at night. Our almost one year old is an epically horrible sleeper - most nights he wakes up every hour to hour and a half. Ugh. Praying this "phase" will end soon...does 6 months count as a "phase"?
You know what gets me up in the mornings? I mean besides my whining baby : )? Pancakes. Pancakes are powerful motivators! I start my mornings off like a zombie, but after my pancake fix I am good to go. I usually rotate between this recipe and my paleo pumpkin pancakes recipe. Let's just say, I spend waaay to much on maple syrup these days...someone plant me my own maple tree please! : )
What do you eat for breakfast? I'm curious as to what other people eat! I know I am a creature of habit and eat the same thing for breakfast for months, then switch to something else that I eat for months...and so it goes on and on! Plus, I never get comments on my blog...haha - just comments in person or on facebook from people saying they tried something...let me know if my comments section still works by letting me know what you eat for breakfast!
Clean eating Applesauce Pancakes
adapted from Fit Foodie Finds website
4 eggs
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce*
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS honey or maple syrup
Whisk eggs in bowl. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth and combined.
Heat a skillet pan or griddle. Coat generously with coconut oil or butter. Spoon batter onto pan, about 3-4 TBS worth. At this point I sometimes sprinkle nuts or coconut onto the batter. Cook 2-3 minutes until bubbles form and flip quickly. Pancakes are fragile - so just be brave and flip! Cook for additional 1-2 minutes on other side. Remove from pan.
Serving ideas: Whipped coconut butter, chopped nuts, maple syrup or honey, applesauce. Also, these taste great cold. I like to use leftovers for snacks on the go during the week - high in protein!
*I have used homemade and store bought applesauce with good results for both!
And...I decided to try and make some of my own, but a paleo version. Good news is they taste great! Bad news is they fall apart. Good news is - you can usually make a bad outcome okay with the right perspective :)
This is so yummy...I've been munching on it all day. Only down side is those darn little pesky chia seeds that get stuck in weird places in your teeth...but I can live with that : )
Sticky Seed and Nut Trail Mix adapted from Primal Bites Blog
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
2/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
3 TBSP sesame seeds
3 TBSP chia seeds
2 TBSP coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 13x9 baking pan with parchment paper and then grease the parchment paper.
Place the almonds and walnuts/pecans in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped (or just chop the nuts the good old fashioned way) In large pot on stove top melt the coconut oil and honey together and stir until smooth. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pot and mix until thoroughly combined.
Pour mixture into prepared pan and press firmly into pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before breaking up the mixture into large chunks. Store in airtight container.
* If you want to make these even more delicious add some chocolate chips...but then they aren't so good for you anymore : )
Gosh I love being a mom. Every time I look at my sweet baby boy my heart swells with pride, he is such a fun baby and he makes me smile so much. Sometimes we look into the mirror together and I don't even care that I look like a mess and my hair is all frizzy and crazy and I haven't had time to shower yet. His smile is so big it doesn't matter what mama looks like...not to say that I don't shower and I don't take care of myself because I do, but there are some days that we stay home and play, take long naps, eat, sing songs, and laugh and cry all day. He's teething and it's crazy how fast the days can go by and somehow it's like we haven't really accomplished that much, but I know we're accomplishing a lot because we are raising a little baby boy and that is a huge accomplishment.
It's funny and kind of annoying that sometimes you're the only thing that can make your baby stop crying and make him happy, but then it's oddly satisfying that you are the only one that can make him stop crying and make him happy. It's just an awesome bond to have with this kiddo, and I'm looking forward to raising him - it's going to be a fun adventure.
Growing up I always knew I wanted to be a mom. My mom has a picture of me when I was probably about two or three sitting in my little kid rocking chair trying to nurse my little dolls. I've always had a maternal instinct and just always want to have my own little family. I never really got too far in my career, mostly because I never wanted one. Call me old fashioned, but being a stay at home Mom has always been my end goal. I'm blessed to have an awesome partner in this parenting adventure that makes that possible for me. He is such an amazing Papa to our little buddy.
Recently I had a dear friend from college come down and visit. She said it was her vacation, and I responded that it was my vacation too. It was a real treat to have her here - she is such a sweet soul and so good with babies. Anyway she is on a real strict diet, kind of like the whole 30/ Paleo. Every morning she woke up and made us an amazing breakfast. She is into high protein pancakes made with banana and egg, and they are amazing. Then on another day she tried a new recipe of paleo pumpkin pancakes. Yummy. Pumpkin, egg and some spices - it is easy and delicious! It has no dairy or gluten, and it's filling and awesome. We had leftovers and they were great reheated in the toaster the next day. They are also portable too if you need take them on the go - you could spread some almond butter on them and make a sandwich with him. They are really good and these are definitely going into my breakfast rotation from here on out.
Was that enough alliteration in the title of this recipe for you? I know it isn't Fall yet, but I decided to jump the gun on this one : ) Paleo Pumpkin Protein Pancakes Makes 8 pancakes, serves 2 adults Adapted from the Practical Paleo cookbook 4 eggs 1/2 cup canned pumpkin 1 tsp vanilla 2 TBS maple syrup (optional) 1 1/2 tsp ground flax seed* 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/8 tsp. salt 2 TBS melted coconut oil or butter Chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) Whisk eggs, pumpkin, vanilla and maple syrup together. Add the spices, salt, baking soda and whisk. Add melted oil or butter and whisk until smooth and combined. Grease skillet with coconut oil or butter. Spoon batter in 1/4 cup increments onto pan, sprinkle with chopped nuts if using) once bubbles form on the surface flip to finish cooking. Serve with maple syrup and coconut butter or butter : ) *This is a change to the original recipe I posted - I found the ground flax seed made the pancakes thicker, less spongy, and more substantial feeling.
