Hot Chocolate

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I love a good cup of hot chocolate, but ever since I quit consuming dairy, there really hasn’t been a good substitute for the milk.  Until now….
I have seen cashew milk in the stores, but since I don’t eat cereal, drink glasses of milk, and use coconut milk for everything, I’ve never seen the need to buy it.  I decided to try it out one day and made some amazing things including hot chocolate!  It is creamy and sort of nutty.  Kind of like hazelnut creamer if I had to describe it?
Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
8 oz cashew milk, heated up
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
Directions:
Sitr until combined and enjoy!

Primal Ooey Gooey Cake

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I have a really good friend that moved to St. Louis years ago and has never moved back! I go visit her every year, and she always comes home for the holidays.  However, babies change everything!  She wasn’t able to come home over Thanksgiving like usual and I didn’t get down to see her because of my teaching schedule.  So, what do you do when you miss your friend?!  Make food that reminds you of the person, of course!  They have a brewery down in St. Louis called “Schlafly” and she would always bring me home a 6 pack of their coffee stout after returning from her travels abroad.  They carry that stout now at Chalet!  Just my luck!  She would also bring back a St. Louis gooey butter cake.  The cake that I remember has a thinner crust, but this cake is a marriage of that St. Louis gooey butter cake and my family recipe for ooey gooey cake.  This is indulgent to say the least.  Butter, Sugar, Cream Cheese, need I say more?  You can miss people, but having things that remind you of them makes it okay. ;)
Ooey Gooey Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup of butter, at room temp
1 cup coconut sugar
3 eggs, at room temp
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
16 oz cream cheese, at room temp
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
zest from 1 lemon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs one at time until combined.  Add the coconut milk and vanilla.  Slowly add the almond flour, tapioca, baking powder, and salt until combined.  Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and pour the batter into the dish.
Bake for 30 minutes at 375F, then turn the oven down to 350F and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  A toothpick should come out clean.
Make the cream cheese topping by whipping the cream cheese until slightly fluffed.  Add the honey and whip until creamy.  Add the vanilla until combined.  Fold in the lemon zest.
Once baked, allow the cake to cool slightly before adding the topping.
Allow the cake to cool before serving!

Limoncello

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Whenever holidays roll around, I think of all the things that I want to put special effort into.  It’s the one time of year to go the extra mile to make everything special.  Thoughtful gifts, foods that take a little extra effort, and cocktails that aren’t your everyday drink.  I decided to make limoncello this year because I love lemon everything these days!  This is fairly simple, but you have to think about it the day before.  It will stay in the fridge just fine for 3 months if you decide to make it now for your festivities. The recipe for a small batch.  If you want a big one, triple or quadruple it! Also, since we aren’t peeling the lemon, make sure it’s organic to avoid waxes and pesticides that sit on the outside of regular lemons. You can sip on this drink, take shots, or pour over ice and top with some soda water.  Cheers!
Limoncello
Ingredients:
1 lemon, sliced 1/4″ thick
5 oz vodka (Tito’s is gluten free)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
Directions:
Over a low heat on the the stovetop, dissolve the honey in the water.  This gives you your simple syrup.  From that syrup, use 5oz to add to the vodka and lemon slices in a mason jar.  Shake to combine.  Let sit at room temp for 12 hours and then strain out the lemon slices. You can use the leftover simple syrup for any other cocktails that call for it!

Thanksgiving Granola

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Everyone loves a good granola, and ESPECIALLY when you are traveling.  I always make sure I have granola with me when I travel, so I don’t get hangry!  When you’re traveling over Thanksgiving, you don’t want to miss out on all those holiday flavors either!  So, I took my original granola recipe and turned it into “Thanksgiving granola.”  What makes it Thanksgiving?  It is your pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and cranberry sauce all mashed up!  This is great for traveling, but it would also be great as a travel “send off” for anyone that will traveling back to their home after spending the holidays with you.  This is also a great idea for a snack that sits around the house when everyone comes over to watch the game on Thanksgiving!  I made a double batch, and if you like granola, you should too!
Thanksgiving Granola
Ingredients:
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup shredded or flaked coconut, unsweetened
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4-1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300F.  Cover baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.  Mix all of the ingredients together and spread on baking sheets.  Bake for 20-25 minutes. Mix the nuts up about halfway through. After removing from the oven, add as many dried cranberries as you like!  Enjoy!

Chicken, Avocado, Black Bean, Mango Salad

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I recently got black beans in my CSA box.  I don’t typically eat beans but I don’t oppose them if they are prepared correctly, which means soaked in an acidic environment for 24 hours and then cooked for 4 more).  I’m usually too lazy to do that, but when life hands you beans, you take the time to soak them.  I actually love black bean hummus, black bean burgers, etc, but this idea of Mexican chicken salad kept creeping into my mind.  I originally wanted to do this with shrimp but forgot to thaw them….so….chicken it is!  Use your imagination switching out ingredients and just use what you have on hand! I hadn’t thought about it prior but this would probably be amazing with a red onion, too!
Chicken, Avocado, Black bean, Mango Salad
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped into bite size chunks
1 mango, peeled, cored, and diced
1 avocado, diced
handful of cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup black beans (soaked and cooked)
1 red pepper, diced
Dressing Ingredients:
1/3 cup nut butter (I used cashew, but you could use almond)
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 2 lemons
2 Tbsp honey
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp brown mustard seed (optional)
Directions:
If you are starting from scratch, you will need to cook the chicken and beans.  However, if you have cooked chicken and beans, add all the ingredients to a bowl.  Then whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.  Pour over the  salad and toss to coat..  Eat like you’ve never eaten before!

Lemon Cheesecake

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Can you believe that I created this recipe months ago and totally forgot to share it?!  I’ve been busy that past 5 months to say the least!  I didn’t embrace lemon desserts in my younger years, but I have learned to not only embrace them, I LOVE LEMON DESSERT!  To me, its the perfect balance between bright and rich.  Since you all know how I feel about cheesecakes that don’t use cream cheese, you don’t have to ask why this dessert is “primal.”  This is one of my favorite cheesecake recipes I’ve ever come up with, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Lemon Cheesecake
Crust ingredients:
3/4 stick butter
2 1/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
Filling ingredients:
3 blocks of cream cheese (Room Temp!)
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp tapioca
zest from 2 lemons
3/4 cup honey
4 eggs
Directions:
Mix all the crust ingredients together in the food processor, and press into a springform pan.  Bake for 10 mintues at 325F.
Place a dish with water on the bottom rack.
While the crust is cooling, whip the cream cheese until its creamy and smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients one at a time until it’s all combined and pour over the crust. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Then turn off the oven and let it continue to sit in the oven for another hour. Get out of the oven and let cool to room temp before placing in the fridge to set and cool. Serve!

Orange Pistachio Cupcakes (grain-free, dairy-free)

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Where do I start with this recipe?  Well, a couple months ago, I visited some friends in Charleston, and to say they have a huge food scene there is an understatement.  Whenever I go there, I try so many new restaurants, visit some favorites, and take advantage of all the food inspiration.  One of the places they have there that my friend loves so much is a donut shop called “glazed.”  One morning after church, she went by Glazed and picked up pretty much a donut of every flavor they had that day.  This is a huge deal because they only make so many and when they are sold out, they close for the day!  Orange pistachio was one of the donut flavors du jour, and for some reason, I couldn’t get enough of this flavor profile!  I don’t think grain-free donuts are very appetizing, so I really wanted to use a different kind of recipe that would capture the essence of how orange and pistachio go together pretty perfectly.  I love a basic cupcake to play with flavors and it was a perfect vehicle to share this blissful Glazed flavor profile.
Orange Pistachio Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2/3 cup coconut flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
8 eggs
1/4 cup fresh pressed orange juice
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
zest from 1 orange (organic)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup pistachios, shelled and chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Put silicone cupcake liners into your muffin pan.  Use a mixer to mix together all the ingredients except the melted butter and pistachios.  As you are mixing, pour in the melted butter until incorporated. Then fold in the pistachios. Place the batter into 12 muffin tins.  Bake for 22 minutes and cool completely before icing.  For my frosting, I used a basic frosting and added more orange zest. Then I topped the cupcake with more chopped pistachios.

My Take on the Aging Process; Wrinkles vs. Passion Lines

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I am big on doing things when you are feeling passionate about them.  That passion and energy comes through, and it definitely makes a difference.  This is a topic that I have had sitting in my back pocket for over a year now.  I have had several moments where I got fired up about it and should’ve written a post then, but decided not to because sometimes strong energy around sensitive topics can cause drama.  This is a drama-free zone.  So, I kept deciding it wasn’t worth it.  Until now….

I was at the salon getting my hair done the other day and my hairstylist and I were talking about my grey hairs.  I have admitted this many times, so that is no surprise.  I definitely noticed them when I colored my hair black…can’t hide anything with black hair!  I told her that they really don’t bother me, and I meant it!  I have been highlighting my hair for years now, and I’m sure someone is thinking “if they don’t bother you, then why do you dye them?”  If you have colored your hair, you know it’s not that easy to just stop.  You have this weird half colored, half natural hair thing going on that is definitely not natural or cute looking. lol.  I started toying with my hair color in high school when it had nothing to do with grey hair; however, I am not in high school anymore!  So, until I figure out how to make that transition to natural in a way that I don’t have to cut off all my length, I will probably continue to highlight.

Having said that, when we were talking about my greys, I also brought up wrinkles.  I was watching some trashy tv show one day with 20 year olds sitting around laughing and one says “We need to stop laughing, we are going to get wrinkles.”  They all went silent and erased their smiles in an attempt to avoid those god awful wrinkles.  What is wrong with this picture?  It is an obvious sign that our culture is obsessed with looking young.  This is where my opinion starts….

There are no procedures that will make you look 20 again.  So, I would never want to chase such an unattainable goal.  Then I start asking myself, what if I could be 20 again, would I want that?  My answer is very strongly “no.”  Don’t get me wrong, college life was an amazing time, I had amazing personal growth during those times, and I had more life adventures than I can count.  However, now that I am well into my 30s, I know who I am, my purpose in life, confidence in my abilities, and what I want.  These things only come with life experience that you just haven’t had time to have when you are 20.

Within those years, I have laughed, I have passionately argued, I have stood up for causes, I have experienced.  Therefore, when you look at me, I have wrinkles that I call “passion lines.”  I eluded to this in an old post.  The lines on my face mean something to me, why would I want to erase them?  They tell me:

  1. I have laughed (with friends, family, at movies, with people)
  2. I have smiled (to greet everyone I see, when thinking about my blessings, for photos of experiences, when I’m happy)
  3. I have concentrated heavily (So much studying, working on patient cases, reading, etc)
  4. I have researched (I can’t count the hours of studying to be where I am)
  5. I have listened (when I do this I often furrow my brow…to patients, to friends, to teachers)
  6. I have practiced empathy (You make a face when hearing someone’s story….I promise)
  7. I have taught (When I teach, I get so fired up that I often have dramatic facial expressions when touching on important points)
  8. I have endured (look at anyone pushing their limits physically and you will see that you make a face when you endure something that makes you want to give up)
  9. I have had years to experience life
  10. I have had years to express my feelings

Why would I want to erase any of that?  Why would I want to portray to anyone that they things have never occurred?  Why would I want to minimize my life for a more naive version?  If I wouldn’t want to be 20, why would I want to look 20?

The lines on your face, scars on your body, and greying of your hair all have stories.  They are your own personal blueprint.  Take care of yourself in order to “look great for your age,” but don’t feel the need to erase your journey in the pursuit of youth.  That may mean erasing all the things so important to you….spouses, kids, careers, travels, etc.  Feel comfortable with aging.  Look forward to what the next 10 years will bring (inevitably it will include more lines, too if you are living).  Love yourself not just for how you look, but where you’ve been.  If not for your own happiness, for your future generation to appreciate what living entails.  I have hope that we will start to cherish age and quit running from it.  I hope my passion lines continue to develop because I fear if they weren’t, that I may have lost my way.

Pumpkin Pancakes (grain free, dairy free)

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Pancakes are a staple in many households and pumpkin just makes sense for fall.  Since you are adding a squash into this recipe, you are introducing some liquid.  Therefore, these pancakes tend to be more moist than some of my other pancakes, so don’t freak out if they are not exactly the same texture.
Pumpkin Pancakes (grain free, dairy free)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
Directions:
Mix together your dry ingredients and then add you wet ingredients until you have a batter.  Heat a nonstick pan over medium high heat and use coconut oil for the first batch to grease the pan.  Cook the batter on one side until the edges are firm.  Flip the pancake and cook for another 2 minutes or so.  After your first set of pancakes you can see how long you need to be cooking them on each side so they are cooked through since every stovetop is quite different!

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

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Let the pumpkin recipes begin. Pumpkin spice may be one of my favorite things about fall. If you try it in summer, it’s just not the same! So, I have been working on alternatives to pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. I love cheesecake…but don’t always want to make the splurge on the cream cheese from an unhealthy cow. ;( I am not a big fan of the texture of pumpkin pie. So, if pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake had a baby, it would be pumpkin mousse pie!
Remember how I told you about my chocolate mousse pie? Well it’s amazing and so easy that I couldn’t resist the idea of switching up flavors. Once again, this is no bake. You need a kitchen aid mixer. If you freeze it, it is like ice cream cake. K? Good.

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Crust:

  • 24 dates
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • pinch of salt

Filling:

  • 2 1/2 sticks grassfed butter (at room temp)
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 eggs (at room temp)

Instructions:

Run your sugar through the food processor just to make sure it’s fairly fine and not chunky. Place the butter and sugar in the mixer on high with the paddle attachment for 1 1/2 minutes until fluffy and incorporated. Add the vanilla and pumpkin until incorporated. Put the whisk attachment on and turn the mixer to 6-7 speed and add an egg. Wait 5 minutes before adding the next egg.
While the egg is whisking for 5 minutes, put all your dates and nuts in the food processor and process until you get a mealy texture that you can press into the bottom of a pie pan. Put the larabar-esque crust into the pie pan and press down until the bottom is covered. Place in the fridge.
Now add the 2nd egg, and wait another 5 minutes.
During those 5 minutes, start your dishes clean up.
Now add the 3rd egg, and wait another 5 minutes.
Keep doing dishes.
Now add your 4th egg, and let it whisk for another 5 minutes.
Fold laundry.
Once the last egg is done whisking, Pour the mousse filling over the pie crust and put in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Done!