what's on my mind + fudgy pumpkin brownies

so, life's been a bit of a hurricane lately
(and i use the term "lately" very loosely...as in, the last couple of months!)

between moving, a family wedding, Daniel's birthday (which we still haven't celebrated!),
photo shoots, hosting family...life in general

has made for a super busy season in our lives

plus i'm processing a lot in my head and my heart
the Lord's been working on me, slowly but surely
He's been showing me things in my life that need to be rooted out
i'm learning about truly trusting in Him,
about making Him the foundation and source of my joy
i've really been challenged by a lot of good stuff from this sermon, actually

i've never been one to understand deep concepts right away
i sort of have to mull over all the bits and pieces
so it takes a while, and it's actually quite a draining process
but i am thankful for it.

and between all the processing and busying and living,
i carved some time out to bake these amazing brownies
(you gotta fuel all that thought with something, right?  may as well be chocolate.)
not only are these grain free and delicious
(which is not always the case)
they include pumpkin puree!

now, if you are like my husband, that statement meant nothing to you
he always asks me at this time of year
"what is with you and all things pumpkin?  i just don't get it."
and neither do i
all i know, is that i LOVE pumpkin anything:
pumpkin pie, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin n'oatmeal, roasted pumpkin,
pumpkin fries, pumpkin ice cream...you get the gist 

anyway, back to the brownies
they're gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free, refined sugar free and dairy-free
sounds crazy, i know
but if you have a food allergy / sensitivity / intolerance,
you know it's possible to have "everything-free" food (as my family calls it) that still tastes good
hard to come by, maybe, but possible
so without further ado, here's the recipe, adapted from what runs lori

ingredients:

coconut oil, for greasing your pan
(or whatever other oil you like to use)

1 cup walnut butter
(i made my own, using a magic bullet + walnuts + some coconut oil)

1 cup pumpkin puree
(canned or roasted and pureed from scratch)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8(ish) cup honey - more if you like things a bit sweeter

4-5 pitted medjool dates
(soaked in hot water to soften for a minute or so)

1 tsp baking soda

a dash (or two) of himalayan pink salt

a chia egg
(1 tbsp ground chia + 3 tbsp water, let sit until it gels a bit)

a handful of chocolate chips (optional)*
* if you want to be 100% dairy/egg/other allergen free, use a brand that allows for that.  although i've not used it, i hear enjoy life is fantastic, and it's free of popular allergens including dairy, soy, nuts and eggs + more.

instructions:

- preheat your oven to 350* F

- grease an 8x8 glass baking dish with your oil of choice (i used coconut)

- puree or mash your dates really well.  i prefer to mash, because you get these really lovely sweet "bits" in your brownie vs. an overall sweetness boost

- in a large bowl, combine cocoa powder, baking soda and salt

- make a well in your mixed dry ingredients and add the chia egg, honey, date "paste", walnut butter and pumpkin puree;
alternatively, mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl altogether.  i went with the former option because i like to cut out extra clean-up wherever i can!

- try to get your liquids mixed together as best as possible in the "well" you carved out, then incorporate the dry ingredients.  if you went the separate bowl route, just mix your liquids then add them to the dry bowl

- fold in chocolate chips, if you chose to add them

- pour batter into prepared baking dish

- bake for 30-40 minutes, or until you poke it with toothpick and it comes out clean

- let cool a bit, and enjoy the fudgy goodness that they are! 

overnight pumpkin pie n'oatmeal - welcome, fall!

yesterday was all about firsts

first day of fall

first day of school (if you live in BC anyway)

first episode of the season for The Blacklist*

and first my first pumpkin-y meal of the season, 

the recipe for which i am sharing with you today!

overnight pumpkin pie n'oatmeal
grain free / dairy free / egg free / vegan

adapted from this recipe

ingredients:

1/2 cup mashed roasted pumpkin

1/2 cup coconut milk 

(i use the light can from Trader Joe's - no additives!)

2 tbsp coconut flour

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1-2 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped

1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

maple syrup, to taste

instructions:

- combine all ingredients except for coconut and maple syrup in a jar or other container.  cover and place in your fridge overnight

- when ready to eat, heat through (if desired) on stovetop...or just eat it cold like i did

- top with coconut and a drizzle of maple syrup (if desired...i used the tiniest little bit and it was perfect!) oh, and a splash of extra coconut milk before serving doesn't hurt either ;)

*my husband likes to follow tv shows that cause me to turn into a giant stress ball, but at the same time capture my undying attention.  he did this when we were in college with the first season of 24, now he's done it with The Blacklist - so intense, but i just can't stop watching!!

what we've been up to + a quick healthy lunch idea

hi friends!

since i last posted on here 

we've gone on vacation,

we got the never ending cold

(seriously, went strong for two weeks!)

we've moved
we've spent lots of time with my in-laws who are in town
(hooray!)

and i second shot my first wedding

(more on that later)

it's safe to say we've felt overwhelmingly busy
but, busy or not, a gal's got to eat!
and despite caving to take-out more than i'd like to admit
i did manage to throw together this salad last week
it was so quick and so easy to make, i just had to share! 

Quick Pad Thai Salad

gluten free / dairy free / vegan / paleo

serves 1

salad:

- 1 small zucchini, julienned 

- 3 broccoli florets, chopped tiny
(my trick:  start at the stem and chop towards the top of the "tree". as you move up, the florets get smaller. stop when you've reached a size you like)

- a handful of baby carrots, julienned 

(or just regular carrots, those are just what i hand on hand)

dressing:

- 1 tbsp almond butter

- garlic powder, to taste

- ground ginger, to taste

- 1 tsp fresh lime juice

- himalayan pink salt, to taste

- 1 drop honey (seriously, it makes a difference!)

- 1/4 tsp almond meal (optional, for "grit"...i'm a texture eater!)

directions:

- prep salad veggies and place into a bowl

- whisk dressing ingredients together

- pour dressing over veggies and top with a handful of crushed walnuts

mojito water

a few things you should know:

1)  we drink a lot of water at our house

2) we love water

3) sometimes water can get kind of boring on its own, especially in the summer when there are so many fresh flavors in season

4) infused water is our favorite way to remedy #3

5) mojito water is a current favorite

(thanks to my friend Nicki, who came up with the brilliant idea!)

aaaaaand, with that said, here's the recipe

because i know you're dying to try it too (right?)

mojito water

ingredients:

- a few leaves fresh mint, chopped
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges or coins
- ice
- fizzy (or regular) water

instructions:

- place lime in a cup, squeezing a bit of juice out as you go
- add mint and mix / muddle together
- top with ice and water

and just like that, you've kicked your water up to a whole new level

my current favorite green smoothie

i buy a big tub of organic baby spinach every week

partly to force me to eat my greens (true story!),

but also partly because spinach is super versatile:

i can throw it in a salad,

stuff it into an omelette, 

wilt it with some spices for a super easy side dish,

...or, one of my favorite it's-3pm-and-i-still-haven't-had-lunch "meals," 

blend it into a green smoothie!

i've posted a couple green smoothie (or "green monster") recipes here before

(here and here), 

but this is the one i've been going back to over and over lately

and even though i have it so often, i still find the flavor really interesting

plus it's dairy-free / sugar free (date sweetened) / perfectly paleo

and it's got a boost of hemp protein in it!

yes, it's that good

the kids even love it*

you're welcome.

*(bear in mind, these same kids chose a thai broccoli salad and a kale superfood salad for lunch the other day...i've been told those aren't your typical two year old choices!)

at any rate, here's the recipe

try it for yourself - let me know what you think!

ingredients:

2-4 ounces coconut milk

(i use trader joe's light coconut milk because it's free of additives)

 1 heaping tbsp vanilla flavored organic hemp protein powder

(i sometimes just sub raw shelled hemp seeds)

1-2 medjool dates

1 cup (packed) organic baby spinach

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups ice

instructions:

- place ingredients in a blender or mini food prep

- blend until well combined

- drink up

(it turns out pretty thick so i often start with a spoon then switch to a straw)

like i mentioned earlier, i often have this as a late lunch to get me to dinner without filling up too much

it works great as a light breakfast, a snack any time of day or even an add-on to a meal!

coconut cranberry orange muffins {paleo}

i've made these muffins a couple times in the past

and they've always been a hit

so it was no surprise that i decided to whip up a batch (or two!)

in an attempt to have something healthy to just "grab n go" 

while getting over our jetlag / battling hangry attacks earlier this week

i was a bit surprised, however, at how many people asked for the recipe

after i posted a picture of the finished product on my instagram and facebook

(plus a few who tasted them and really liked them!)

so this is for you, folks...and so that i don't have to google the recipe every time i want to make them too ;)

coconut cranberry orange muffins

grain / gluten / dairy / refined sugar free

wet ingredients:

6 tbsp coconut oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp pure vanilla

zest of 2 oranges 

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

(i used pink naval oranges)

dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almond meal

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

"final" ingredients:
1 cup frozen unsweetened cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

unsweetened shredded coconut (optional - for topping)

instructions:

- place coconut oil in a small saucepan and melt over medium / medium low heat (remove from heat once melted through).  meanwhile, whisk your eggs in a large bowl and combine with the rest of your wet ingredients; don't forget to add your oil once it's melted!

- in a smaller bowl, measure out and mix your dry ingredients together*

- add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until well combined then fold in your final ingredients

- preheat your oven to 350* F (325* F if using a convection oven)

- while your oven is preheating, line a muffin tin with some baking cups (i like to make or use store-bought parchment paper cups...it kills me when i lose half my muffin to the wrapper!)

- fill each cup about 3/4 of the way up; you should use up about half your batter (the recipe makes 2 dozen muffins)

- sprinkle some unsweetened shredded coconut on top if desired (optional)

- pop in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes (about 20 for a convection oven), or until your muffin tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. after taking them out of the oven, leave them in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack

- enjoy!

p.s.  this is one of those rare cases where i stick fairly close to the original recipe,

so this is our version, but if you follow the link to the original, i'm sure they'll taste just as good

also, i'm thinking of making another batch (they went quick!), but ran out of cranberries

i do, however, have frozen raspberries and lemons...may just have to try that tweak and see which we like better!

*p.p.s. i got the girlies to dump and mix the measured out dry ingredients in a bowl - makes for a fun toddler activity, plus they get really excited to try foods that they "helped" make...as you can probably tell from the pictures.  just a tip for you other mamas out there!

st patrick's day green x2

yesterday was st. patrick's day

which has always seemed to be an interesting 'holiday' to me

some people seem to go all out - green hair, green clothes, big green themed party...

and others...not so much

my family never really celebrated it growing up

in fact, i remember going to school those first couple years after moving to the states

and thinking what a coincidence it was that nearly every once in my class wore green on the same day 

what are the odds? i would think to myself

and why are these green-clad classmates of mine pinching those of us who didn't get the memo?

i eventually figured out what was going on

and started wearing something green on the day, just for fun

but that's about as much as i participate...and my family thinks i'm strange for even doing that!

ironically, i had a green smoothie for breakfast today

and thought to myself: 

darn - shoulda thought of this yesterday, then i could have put a st. patty's day post on the blog!

but then i figured, why not share it a day late - it's what all the cool kids are doing, right?

...ok, maybe not, but it's what i'm doing

i should note that i was feeling pretty lazy when i made this

which means this recipe is as simple as it gets:

3 ingredients, 1 step - easy, peasy

lazy day hemp protein green smoothie

ingredients:

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup mighty mango naked juice

(maybe this is cheating, but it was in my fridge so i used it!)

- 1 big fistful of organic baby spinach

- 2 tbsp raw shelled hemp seeds

(you could probably bump this up to 3 if you want, i only did 2 because i had some coconut coffee already and i figured the fat from that would fill me up a little bit)

directions:

- blend ingredients together and pour into a glass

oh, and if you want to see even more green, 

check out this picture from a recent newborn session i did with my sweet niece:

(more images here, if you're interested)

early mornings deserve good coffee

being a mom means lots of early mornings

which, in turn, means more coffee than i had in my pre-baby life

don't get me wrong, i've always loved a good cup o' joe

usually black

sometimes with a splash of cream or whole milk

but with so many more cups of coffee in my day-to-day now,

 i have that many more opportunities to try something new with my coffee

i've had mochas, lattes, macchiatos, flat out espresso...and the list goes on

i'm a creature of habit though, so most of the time it's still just black

that first cup of the day is definitely the most important, though

and my current favorite way to drink it is with coconut oil

weird, right?

i thought so when i first read about it

but after mulling it over for a while, i came up with a couple reasons to give it a shot:

1) it would start my day off with healthy fats

(which sends your brain happy, satisfied vibes and helps ward off sugar cravings)

2) i would get to enjoy the flavor of coconut in my coffee, 

without the addition of an unhealthy sugar-based syrup

3) it would help stabilize my wacko blood sugars (this was especially important since sometimes breakfast has to wait till the girlies are fed...and i am prone to getting hangry)

4) sort of related to the first benefit, but i wanted to incorporate more good fats in my diet, since it reduces inflammation in the body, helps your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients and does wonders for your hair and skin...among other benefits (i'm speaking from experience here!)

and if those reasons aren't enough to convince you to try it, this last one has to:

5) if i didn't like it, i could just pour my coffee down the drain and make a fresh cup

so, what are you waiting for?  go give it a try!

 ingredients:

- hot, freshly brewed coffee (enough for 1 cup)

- 1 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil 

special equipment:  
a milk frother 
OR 
a magic bullet / comparable single serve blender 

directions (frother method):

- pour coffee in your mug so that it is 1/3 - 1/2 full

- add coconut oil

- use frother to blend oil and coffee until it reaches a latte-like color and consistency*

- top with remaining coffee

- enjoy!

*this step helps avoid coffee and oil splatter everywhere...trust me, i speak from experience!

***

directions (magic bullet / single serve blender method):

- dump all ingredients into your blender

- blend until it reaches a latte-like color and consistency

- enjoy!

one thing i should note is that if you take too long to drink your coffee you might have to re-blend
just because after some time, the oil can separate from the liquid and form a layer on the top
which, as you can imagine, is not exactly appetizing
most people drink their coffee faster than it takes for the oil to separate
but i thought it was worth pointing out just in case!  :)

a pinch of weekending, a dash of parenting, a heap of grace and a grain-free pizookie!

hi friends!

how was your weekend?

my big event was hosting a "welcome baby!" party for my two week old niece on saturday

which meant a quick coffee with friends then a bunch of errand running on friday

followed by some great napping (on the girls' part anyway)

we kicked off saturday pretty early by bundling everybody up and heading to the beach

on a cold, windy, snow-in-the-forcast morning

because i'm crazy and my family loves me enough to play along

well, that and i had to pick up some macaroons for the party later that day 

(which were amazing, by the way!

if you're local, you have to pop by Spiritual Ingredients Bakery on East Beach and give 'em a try!) 

sadly, i was too busy playing hostess to get any pictures of said macaroons

or anything at the party, actually

but i did snap this shot from our beach outing:

there's so much i love about this picture, my heart is filled everytime i look at it

my best friend + my girlies + the ocean + early mornings = the stuff my dreams are made of!

i love that they were willing to come along and turn an errand into a family adventure

and i love having moments like this to flip back to on my phone

(technology these days can be such a blessing sometimes, can i get an amen?)

especially on the not-so-splendid days...like sunday

sunday actually wasn't all-bad, 

it was just heavy on the parenting-two-year-olds-is-exhausting/frustrating/sanctifying scale!

i'm learning that i'm much less patient than i thought i was

but i'm working on that

because grouchy mama isn't someone i like to be

and i'm pretty sure it isn't someone the girlies want me to be either

sometime in the afternoon i looked up from whatever i was doing at the kitchen sink,

saw one of my 50 promises and decided it was time to choose a better attitude

because seeking righteousness doesn't always come easy, but the reward is totally worth it

i know that in my head, but sometimes my heart forgets

later that night we had family over for a games / dessert night which was super fun

i tried my hand at a grain-free pizookie for us to enjoy

there was hot coffee for the girls and fancy beer for the boys

all of which was wonderful

but long after the coffee had grown cold, the pizookie was reduced to crumbs

and the game had been played (twice!)

 came my favorite part of the night:

we sat there, chatting away, 

sharing funny stories and insights,

learning about each other - our struggles, our loves, our plans...

i soaked up every minute of building community and deepening relationships,

beaming on the inside and thinking myself

"this here is evidence of grace, and i am so thankful for it."

so there you have it - my weekend in a bit more than a nutshell...

oh, and before i sign off, here's that pizookie recipe

this was the original recipe, below is my tweaked version! 

Paleo[ish] Pizookie

(grain free, dairy free and honey sweetened)

Ingredients:
1 cup almond meal / flour
2/3 cup cashew meal / flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chocolate chips1 egg, at room temperature
(my free-range, local eggs tend to be bigger than "regular" eggs. if you're using the latter, use a jumbo or extra large.  also, the easiest way to bring an egg to room temp is to stick it in a bowl or cup of room temp water for 10 minutes or so)
1/3 cup organic honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions:
- melt your coconut oil in a small pan on medium heat then remove set aside once it's melted


- meanwhile, combine your dry ingredients (almond meal through to sea salt) in a large bowl and mix using a fork


- stir in chocolate chips


- in a separate, smaller bowl, beat your egg then add the rest of the wet ingredients (honey, coconut oil, vanilla)
note: make sure the coconut oil is not hot enough to start cooking your egg! 


- add the wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and stir until just combined


- chill dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes


- once you're ready to bake the pizookie, preheat your oven to 350* F and turn the dough out into a greased 12" cast iron pan (i used bacon grease!).  

- press the dough into the pan evenly (it's totally normal for your dough to be quite a bit  thicker than typical cookie dough), give it a good sprinkle of sea salt then pop it into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and your pizookie is a nice golden brown.  


cut like you would a pizza and enjoy...but watch out for those hot chocolate chips!

signs that my life is in compete chaos

#1

i haven't blogged in over a month

(oops!)

#2

i STILL haven't looked through pictures from the girlies' birthday party

#3

things are getting crossed off my to do list because they're no longer relevant,

not because they're actually getting done

#4

valentines day included dinner out for my best friend's birthday 

followed by attending the home / water birth of my first niece

...all in the span of 3 hours (dinner, labor, delivery and all)!

#5
my on-again, off-again relationship with my espresso machine is very much back ON
she's temperamental and practically vintage,
but she makes a mean americano when she works
plus i got her for $2 at an estate sale...don't judge!

#6

i've done four photography sessions in just about four weeks:

one maternity, one Tiny Footprints,  one (my first!) birth and one newborn

plus i've got another session penciled in pretty soon

(so much for choosing to be very part time during this season of my life...!)

it's all good though - this was just a random busy stint, 

plus i'm thankful to be busy doing something that fires me up!  :)

#7

i can't remember the last time i went to bed before midnight

#8

we almost put in an offer on a house

...aaaand didn't, since we still had a few more numbers to crunch

i was in tears, but knew it was the wise thing to do

and now that we have taken a look at all the numbers, 

i'm super grateful to the Lord for giving me a wise (and number-savvy!) husband
so we're back to the drawing board for now
where the Lord continues to whisper to my fretful heart:  trust in me, I've got a plan

#9

i keep forgetting to eat breakfast,

and when i do finally get around to it, 

i'm finding i prefer to drink it, because it's that much quicker to "eat"

lucky for you, i actually remember what i threw into my most recent shake, 

and I carved out time to share it...you can thank me later!  ;)

a couple notes before i share the recipe:
- it has a really strong almond flavor, so if that's not your thing, you might want to pass on this one
- you don't really taste the banana in the shake, which is a BIG plus in my books since i don't like drinking bananas.  weird, i know.  when i order a smoothie on the go, i always ask for the banana on the side, for reals...talk about getting funny looks!
- the ingredient list looks long, but gathering them is the hardest part so don't let that keep you from trying it!

ingredients:

1/2 - 3/4 cup chilled coffee or espresso shots
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp pure almond extract
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsps hemp seeds
1 [heaping] tbsp cocoa powder
1 frozen banana
1-2 tbsp almond butter

dump everything into a blender and blend until smooth
presto, change-o
your mid-morning / afternoon pick me up is ready!

fact: peppermint hot chocolate makes being sick better

it's cold season x2 around here

as in, it's cold outside + it seems like everyone is catching a cold

and our family is no exception, unfortunately

we've been fighting a nasty cold for just over a week now

i keep thinking that we've got to be near the end of it, 

and yet, it lingers

the girlies are too young for cold meds

and i can't have them, since i'm still nursing the kiddos

(random nursing tip:  meds that dry up runny noses also dry up your milk supply!)

...yep, we're that strange family

anyway, one thing that has helped, 

is my homemade version of a peppermint hot chocolate

it's easy to make, very lightly sweetened and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand

because, let's be honest, nobody with a cold wants to get out of their bathrobe,

let alone their house 

just to pick up random ingredients

all you need is:

* 1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

* hot water

* 1 peppermint tea bag

* maple syrup, to taste (i probably used 1/2 a tsp or so - the peppermint helps sweeten it up naturally)

* unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice), optional  

instructions:

- place the cocoa powder in your favorite mug

- add a tiny bit of water and stir to make a paste and stir until smooth 

(this is the trick to getting non-clumpy homemade hot chocolate, by the way!)

- once smooth, add the rest of your hot water then steep the teabag in your cocoa-water

- add maple syrup, to taste

- top with some almond milk (or whatever milk you prefer) if you'd like a creamier hot cocoa

(i added a small splash)

- drink up!

here come ninjabread men!

in my last post, i mentioned making ninjabread men with my girlies
as one of our new Christmas tradtions

well today is the day that i share the recipe with you!
(note:  you should be very excited, this is the best gingerbread recipe i have ever tried...no joke, peeps!)

and it's quite fitting that i broke out the ninjabread man cookie cutters

not just because ninjas make everything more awesome, 

but because these guys are surprisingly both delicious + healthy!

imagine chewy, spicy, perfectly sweetened gingerbread men

that are free of grain, soy, dairy, egg and refined sugar

i wondered if it was too good to be true when i stumbled upon the original recipe

then i figured i'd give it a shot - if they didn't work out, i never had to make them again, right?

let's just say, i will be making these again....and again, and again!

dry ingredients:
2 1/4 cups (packed) almond flour
1/2 cup organic, non-gmo coconut sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt 

wet ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp organic applesauce
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp blackstrap molasses


directions:

- preheat your oven to 325* then line your biggest baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside

- combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well

- add wet ingredients and stir, stir, stir!
(at first, it'll look really dry, but just keep on stirring - eventually, you'll begin to see a dough forming...we used our favorite spoonula so the girlies could help stir, but i'm sure you could get your hands dirty and knead to help speed it up)

- roll out said dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it is about a 1/4 inch thick, then put your cookie cutters to work! (once again, i used ninjabread cookie cutters, but any will do) 

- repeat until you're all out of dough - try not to eat all the dough in the process (we had to convince the kiddos to save some for baking!)

- place the cookies on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes; try to let them cool completely before removing them from your tray
...we may or may not have snuck a couple before that point... 

the cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container
ours only lasted two days (oops), but i can vouch for their freshness that far!