Hold on to your hats, people!

I actually captured a photograph of something edible. Something delicious. Something for YOU!

You guys, I have to confess that I have been mentally opposed to #pumpkiningallthethings this season. It could be because I took a beach vacation at the end of September, or maybe because the food industry has really out-pumpkined itself this year. I mean, Pumpkin Spice Pringles is taking it past the point of no return. Put your thinking caps on, guys. You can do better!

Nevertheless, I had a can of pumpkin in the pantry and I remembered this old Oven Love recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Giants. I hadn’t pulled it up in a while, and when I did, I saw some ingredients in that recipe that I’m not really friends with anymore- namely white sugar and canola oil (all-purpose flour and I only see each other when absolutely necessary). So I embarked on some kitchen experimentation to see if I could substitute some pantry items and make it work.

I swapped out the white sugar for coconut sugar, used coconut oil instead of canola and substitute freshly-milled soft white wheat flour for the all-purpose. I knew by looking at the batter that they wouldn’t come out exactly the same, but I was hopeful.

The cookies bake up nice and puffy- no spreading, which I love. The texture isn’t quite as airy with the coconut sugar and whole grain flour,  but I kind of liked it that way. The cookies had a nice nutty flavor that they didn’t before. You’ll definitely need a glass of milk with these if you eat them straight out of the oven, but they will relax after resting for a day or two.

If you loved the original recipe, I’d encourage playing around with it and substituting your own favorite pantry items. Recipes are more flexible than you think!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Healthier Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Giants

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: dessert

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon milk, dairy or non-dairy
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole grain flour (I used soft white wheat that we grind at home, but you could use a store-bought whole grain flour of your choice. I would think you could substitute a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend here as well with no problem.)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups chocolate chunks or chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk pumpkin, coconut sugar, coconut oil, egg, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir the dry ingredients.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add chocolate and stir to combine.
4. Scoop batter with an ice cream scoop and drop onto the parchment paper, leaving space between the cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotate in the oven, then bake 8-10 minutes more until puffed and set in the center.
5. Let cool on wire racks before serving and store in an air-tight container.

3.1.09

I have had this idea in my head for so long. Carrot cake baked oatmeal… carrot cake baked oatmeal.. I just couldn’t shake it! I typically make this simple baked oatmeal and we just switch up our toppings, but it was high time I got to experimenting with the recipe.

Before we move on, can we just say “Hello, gorgeous!” to that pour shot up there? I actually had a spare minute to get out my tripod, only to realize it wasn’t really working properly.. but somehow I got a pour shot in the midst of it all. I’m a happy food blogger today!

Food blogging is a funny thing. There’s so much that goes into each post that you guys don’t see! I’d invite you to come hang out with me here for a day to see what goes on, but I never actually know what day I’ll be working on “blog stuff.”

Take this oatmeal for instance.

The idea popped into my head months ago. I wrote it down while I was brainstorming blog ideas back in January. I finally got around to making it earlier this week. I waited until mid-day to make it so that I’d be able to photograph it in the afternoon light.. so we didn’t actually eat it for breakfast that day. I waited until the little one took her nap and the big one started his quiet time to start shooting.

I pulled our coffee table over by the window with the best light, grabbed all the toppings and tiny dishes and utensils and set up my shot. I fumbled with the tripod for a while, gave up, got my shots. I hooked up the camera to download and ate one of the servings of oatmeal from the shot. Then I started to clean up.. and ate the other one, ha! (Because, you know, one for me and one for baby. Totally logical.) I looked through the pictures quickly, then I didn’t actually get around to editing them or writing this post until a few days later. Now here we are!

Sometimes the process isn’t drawn out like that, but there’s usually something around here that gets in the way of productivity. Usually my own laziness.. or lack of natural light.

Anyways, loves, this oatmeal is top notch. I’m so happy to share it with you, even if it took months for me to do it.

It’s not complicated to replicate that classic carrot cake taste. The big players are (of course) carrots, cinnamon, nutmeg if you’re feeling funky, raisins, walnuts and coconut, if you’re into it. I will say right now that I am not into pineapple in my carrot cake.. I think adding pineapple makes it more like hummingbird cake (which is also delicious, but is not carrot cake).

But let’s not forget the most important part- the cream cheese. Oh, you have got to have the cream cheese. The cream cheese makes it perfect. (Unless you are dairy-free, but you can top it with this delicious cashew cream instead!) I didn’t want to slather it with frosting (I mean, I did.. but it IS supposed to be breakfast, people), so I spun up an easy cream cheese topping in the blender and it was the best idea EVER, no joke.

You guys, this cream cheese topping.. it just kills it. The picture below explains perfectly. On the left side, you’ll see an appropriate amount of the cream cheese drizzle and toppings. On the right, the obscene amount I drowned my portion with after I took a bite. Then I took another bite and thought, “WHAT THE WHAT?! This stuff is insane!”

Maybe I’m over-reacting about oatmeal? But really, I’m obsessed.  Don’t wait too long to try this one!

P.S. You can make right away, the night before, or days ahead. You can also cut into squares and freeze for later!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with Cream Cheese Topping

 

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Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Serves: 9

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, room temperature
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil or grass-fed butter
• ½ cup applesauce (you can substitute carrot puree for extra carrot flavor)
• 2 medium carrots, grated (you can add more if you like)
• 1¼ cup milk, dairy or non-dairy
• 3 cups oats, gluten-free if necessary
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• For the cream cheese topping: 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• ¼ cup milk, room temperature (you may need a little more if you want the sauce thinner)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
• extras for serving- walnuts, raisins, shredded coconut or coconut chips, maple syrup

Instructions

1. Coat an 8×8 or 2 quart baking dish with butter or coconut oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, melted butter/coconut oil, applesauce and milk. Fold the oats, carrots nuts, raisins and coconut and combine well. Transfer the oat mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly around.
3. To bake right away: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Let oat mixture sit and soak for 20-30 minutes at room temperature while the oven is preheating. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until oatmeal is set and edges are brown.
4. To bake later in the day or the next morning: Cover your dish tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly on top of the oat mixture. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap oatmeal and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until oatmeal is set and edges are brown.
5. To make the cream cheese topping, combine the cream cheese, milk, honey and vanilla in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
6. Serve hot with: cream cheese topping, maple syrup, raisins, walnuts and coconut.

#version#

Oh hey, 2014!

How’s week one of the new year going for everyone? We are in hibernation mode here in Ohio, which has given me lots of time to reflect on what to do with my time in the next 12 months (or rather the next 5 months, since new babies have a way of shifting your priorities).

To help me get my head on straight, I have been going through Lara Casey‘s Make It Happen series; it’s a goal-setting series that I absolutely recommend. Especially if you’re like me, AKA you have a huge desire to get your act together for the new year but have no idea where to start. I’ve got a lot of ideas swimming around in this head and Make It Happen has helped me to organize it all. So, yay, new year! And hooray for a new recipe today! Finally got off my duff and picked up my camera.

This soup was inspired by a lovely lunch I had with my friend Jillian (see how awesome she is below) at Wheat Penny here in Dayton. We sampled a little cup of their curried carrot soup to start our meal; it was grand. I love that curry powder gives such a distinct, comforting taste but doesn’t make things too spicy. For my at-home version, I used all the orange veggies we had on hand- carrots, butternut squash and sweet potato. Pumpkin would also work well; you can use what you have in any combination.

This soup works for a whole variety of diets and is almost impossible to mess up. It would be great with some crumbled bacon on top, or even some homemade croutons. You could kick up the spice by adding some thai red curry paste, too.

And beyond tasting good, this soup has great nutritional benefits:

• Healthy, filling fats
• Cold/Flu-fighting onions, garlic and turmeric
• Orange veggies filled with Vitamin A to boost the immune system
• Bone broth; rich in gelatin, vitamins and minerals and anti-inflammatory

A special thanks to my sweet friends Jillian and Megan for making this post happen- they came over to my house today and did all my dishes PLUS cleaned my fridge! It was amazing, and it motivated me to pull out the camera and get this post up. A clean kitchen = no excuses for this lady. Thanks, girls- you are such a blessing to me! I am ready to re-pay you in soup.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Curried Winter Soup with Carrot, Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash

 

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Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Soup, Main Dish, Appetizer

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• a few tablespoons quality fat (grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, lard, tallow)
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• ½-1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon turmeric (optional)
• 6-8 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large butternut squash; peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (you can substitute more carrots or squash if you’re on GAPS or avoiding starches)
• 4-6 cups of bone broth (enough to cover the veggies in the pot)
• plain whole milk yogurt, for serving (optional, you can substitute full-fat coconut milk if you’re dairy-free)

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot or dutch oven, melt down the fat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until they begin to soften. Add the spices and let cook a few more minutes.
2. Add the carrots, squash and sweet potato to the pot, followed by the bone broth. Add enough broth to cover all of the vegetables. Bring it all to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes. When the veggies are soft, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
4. Serve warm with a generous drizzle of yogurt.

#version#

I miss you guys! What’s happening? What’s new? How’s your pumpkin carving/Halloween costuming/PSL consumption going this year?

We are a bit of a Halloween-neutral family. We will dress up if there’s a party to go to, take the kids trick-or-treating, buy a few pumpkins and hit the fall festival scene, but we don’t love Halloween. We like it just fine, but it’s not our favorite holiday. I am always last minute with the costumes and the candy and what not. This year E had planned on being a ghost (BEST DIY COSTUME EVER, SCORE!) but changed his mind and now wants to be a plane (!!?!?! How do I make that!?!) So now the plan is make a cardboard plane, and then little L can go along and dress as a cloud. We’ll see if this plan actually goes forward.

Making these cheesecake bites provided me the perfect opportunity to continue procrastinating on the costumes this week. There was a last minute opportunity to bring a dessert to our house church and I wanted to make something pumpkin-y, but not TOO pumpkin-y, if you know what I mean. Dessert spreads can really be pumpkin overkill this time of year.

The first thing that came to mind was to pumpkin-ize this old recipe for chocolate-covered cheesecake bites. I remember really loving them the first time around and I thought they’d be a great bite-size party treat. I tweaked the recipe a bit and everything turned out perfectly. I love when that happens!

If you are grain-free or gluten-free, you can still make this recipe. Try Carrie’s grain-free graham crackers or  Shauna’s gluten-free graham crackers. If you are dairy-free/vegan/paleo, I feel for you, I love you, but this one’s not gonna work for you. BUT, behold these amazing-looking vegan pumpkin cheesecake pops! They look very similar and would totally work for you, yay! Everyone’s tummies are happy.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

 

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Prep time

10 hours

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

11 hours

 

adapted from Handle the Heat makes about 36 squares

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 36

Ingredients

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (regular, gluten-free or grain-free as needed)
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 5 oz mascarpone cheese, at room temperature (substitute more cream cheese here if you prefer)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (I used coconut sugar, you could use date sugar as well)
• ½ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 16 ounces chocolate for melting (refined-sugar free, if necessary)
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• more crushed graham crackers, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 square baking dish with foil and grease with butter or non-stick spray.
2. To make the crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in a small dish. Press mixture evenly into your pan and bake 8-12 minutes, or until light golden and fragrant.
3. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees.
4. To make the filling: Beat cream cheese, mascarpone (if using) and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add in yogurt/sour cream, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and beat until just combined. Pour mixture over the crust and bake 35-40 minutes or until the cheesecake is slightly puffed and the center is set. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
5. Refrigerate until chilled (about 2 hours) then place in the freezer, 8 hours or overnight.
6. To coat: Once the cheesecake is frozen, lift it out of the pan and gently peel away the foil. Using a sharp knife, cut the cheesecake into 36 squares. Place in the freezer until you’re ready to dip them.
7. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave or double-boiler until smooth. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Dip the squares, one at a time, in the chocolate. Let the excess drip off and place on the prepared sheet. Top with graham cracker crumbs, if using. Then refrigerate or freeze until the chocolate is set.
8. Trim excess chocolate, if necessary, and serve cold. Store in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container.

3.1.09

I’m pretty much on a diet of chopped vegetable dishes. Every meal I’ve eaten in the past two weeks has either consisted solely of a) potato salad, b) green bean salad with basil, sautéed radishes, and hunks of mozzarella, c) citrusy coleslaw, or a hearty helping of one of those next to some protein that I was mostly eating just to stave off devouring a giant bowlful of one of those salads. Now that tomatoes are starting to come in? Oh boy. Watch out. Is it possible to eat all of your daily calories from tomatoes? Can I try? No? Okay, I’ll throw in some grilled corn on the cob slathered with homemade lime mayonnaise and queso añejo. And some peaches and cherries. That’s fine. God I love summer.

Gazpacho is a little difficult for me. On the one hand, it’s probably one of the best soups you can eat. On the other hand, it seems a little shameful to purée fresh, ripe, local (expensive) heirloom tomatoes. Maybe that’s because I don’t have any of my own in a garden in my back yard. I kind of feel that they’re like precious gems and to adulterate them with anything more than some coarse sea salt and a basil leaf is to somehow cheapen them. But when it’s terrible and hot and gross out, gazpacho is something to live for.

Since there’s not much to gazpacho, you must use good tomatoes. Don’t put off this recipe until the winter or something. Go out and splurge on some beautiful tomatoes. And if you have them in your garden, you are lucky and please send some to me. And as with most traditional and iconic recipes, there are a hundred versions, all hotly contested as being the one perfect one I’m sure. I don’t have too many strong opinions on what vegetables should or not should be included in gazpacho and what the levels of vinegar and oil should be. I do strongly feel, though, that using tomato juice is a no-no. I mean, you’re trying to celebrate gorgeous summer tomatoes. Why would you mix them with bottled tomato juice? Gah. But if you want to leave out the cucumber and red pepper, or add in some parsley, go for it. Topping gazpacho with a hard boiled egg is also extremely acceptable.

That’s it. That’s my gazpacho. It’s wonderful. You can certainly chill it if you need some extra cooling off, but I think room temperature allows the flavors to be their best. Unless room temperature means boiling, which it would be here if my air conditioner ever stopped working. Some garnishes you could use if you haven’t already started to dig in, are finely chopped cucumbers and red peppers, parsley, toasted almonds, and crumbled/chopped hard boiled egg.

Seriously gardeners, send me your tomatoes. I hear that you have wayyy too many to eat. Pretty sure.

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho (Guest Post)

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Julia Campbell, The Crankin’ Kitchen

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded (cut in half width-wise then in quarters length-wise and seeds cut off) and chopped
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, seeded, deveined, and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Instructions

1. Mix together the vegetables in a large bowl.
2. In a blender, purée garlic, salt, olive oil, and vinegar. Scoop about half of the vegetable mixture into the blender. Blend until smooth, in batches if necessary.
3. Pour blended veggies back into the bowl of chopped vegetables and mix.

3.1.09

Popsicles, again?
Yes, always.

Orange popsicles, that is, since I apparently that’s my specialty. (See these creamsicles and mango yogurt pops for the proof.)

While cleaning out the fridge last week, I came upon half a papaya that needed some love (aka I didn’t have the heart to throw it out.) Usually I buy papaya strictly for juices (it’s anti-inflammatory and ya’ll know I need some of that!) but it looked past it’s juicing prime. So popsicles seemed the obvious choice in the heat of summer and because for some reason I couldn’t just cut it up and eat it like a normal person.

I could have made them straight papaya, but I love to add a bit of creaminess to my pops. I was out of any useful coconut products, so I used the cream from the top of the raw milk jar. It was a wise choice, believe you me. A little bit of lime, vanilla and honey and BAM- papaya pops comin’ at ya.

Next time you have half a papaya sitting alone in your fridge, this recipe can be your go-to. I assume that probably won’t happen to most of you, but a girl can dream.. someone out there thinks my blog is useful and actually makes my recipes, right? haha

Really, though- I love you guys. Thanks for reading my crazy popsicle posts and sticking around Oven Love for all these years. You’re the bees.

1.0 from 1 reviews

Papaya Cream Popsicles (Papaya Paletas)

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

This recipe will make 4-6 large popsicles and 8-12 small popsicles, depending on the size of your mold.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Snack, Dessert

Serves: 4-12

Ingredients

• ½ large ripe red papaya, peeled and seeded
• ⅓ cup heavy cream, coconut cream, or full-fat coconut milk (or omit all together, if you like)
• juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons raw honey (optional)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour into popsicle molds and add popsicle sticks.
2. Freeze for 3-5 hours or until firm. Run warm water over the mold if the popsicles don’t come right out. Serve immediately.

3.1.09

Today, we’ll be making the marathon 10 hour drive from GA to OH (make that 14 with the kids?). I’m glad to be on our way to getting settled in our new home, but it will be a long and bittersweet day, for sure. While I’m listening to my “Leaving GA” playlist and sobbing on the road, you get the treat of meeting Allison from The Sprouting Seed!

Allison is a nutritionist with a B.S. in Nutritional Science and a full-time mom. She got her start as a nutritionist and breastfeeding counselor at WIC. This was before she moved half way across the world to live in Central Europe, where she learned about real food, vibrant health, and traditional methods of preparation. Allison has found a way to make friends with little old ladies around the world and loves to share their time-tested secrets of life.

So glad to have her here on the blog today. And with a dynamite recipe for broccoli salad, no less! I am normally not a mayo fan.. but I think I will have to try her homemade mayo recipe– it looks amazing.

Broccoli is my favorite veggie. But I’ll be honest, I usually like it one way and one way only: lightly steamed, then sautéed with garlic. It’s simple, delicious, and I rarely feel the need to broaden my broccoli repertoire.

Lately, however, things have changed. I’ve been jazzing up all my vegetable dishes and not even broccoli could escape my creative streak. I started by frying zucchini fritters and grating cauliflower into “rice”. Then, I broke away from the well-beaten path of my broccoli recipe and ventured into new terrain. What did I make? Well, Broccoli Salad, of course!

This salad is hearty and delicious. It features raw broccoli, a homemade mayonnaise dressing and, you guessed it, bacon! I originally made it as a side dish, but lately I’ve been loving a big bowl of Broccoli Salad for dinner. It’s easy to whip up and sure to please. As an added bonus–using homemade mayonnaise instead of the store-bought version turns this dish into a powerhouse of nutrients. Bon Appetite!

Broccoli Salad with Homemade Mayo (Guest Post)

 

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Author: Allison Jordan

Recipe type: SIde Dish, Salad

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 heads of broccoli, stalks removed, cut into small florets
• 6-8 slices of bacon
• ¼ purple onion, finely diced
• ½ cup crispy pecans, chopped
• ¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins
• ¾ cup homemade mayonnaise (recipe found here: http://thesproutingseed.com/homemade-mayonnaise/)
• 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp raw, local honey

Instructions

1. In a skillet, fry bacon over medium high heat until evenly crisp. Remove the bacon, drain excess grease and crumble the bacon into small pieces.
2. In medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar and honey and whisk until combined. Mix in broccoli florets, cranberries, and onion. Toss ingredients until the broccoli is thoroughly coated with the mayonnaise dressing.Just before serving, add the bacon and crispy pecans.

#version#

Jody Engstrom has been a personal chef for special needs clients such as cancer and diabetes patients and has also teaches food preparation classes. She has prepared raw/vegan, grain-free and paleo diet foods for health food stores, crossfitters, and bodybuilding clients as well. Currently she is a  mother of 1 darling and energetic little girl, prepares healthy delightful meals for her family and cooks, photographs, and posts to her health diet related blog, Living Nutrition @ mylivingnutrition.com. Jody writes:

These little morsels are a new family favorite. They have become commonly requested for tea and dinner parties as well!

The first time I made them was during naptime about 6 months ago, at an especially defiant stage of the munchkin’s life. I needed a “meditative moment”, so I decided to make these while she was sleeping, in hopes that we could have a relaxing tea party with Lily doll, Pooh Bear and Mr. Moose when she woke up.

The cookies were surprisingly easy to make and I had plenty of time to photograph my creation, when my husband came upstairs from working.I had him try one and he didn’t stop. Between every click of the camera, there was another cookie stolen. I managed to get the photo I wanted, but at the tea party in the aftermath, Lily, Pooh Bear, and Mr. Moose looked somber as Ariana and I chomped down on the last 2 cookies daddy was forced to save for us.

I learned from this “cookie massacre” that if I want any saved for us, I have to wrap a few in aluminum foil and hide them behind the frozen peas in the freezer. It’s sneaky…but it works.

Coconut Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free. Originally posted on livingnutrition.com.

Author: Jody Engstrom

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 8-12

Ingredients

• for the cookies:
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 TBS coconut nectar, honey or maple syrup
• 2 TBS softened coconut oil or butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt
• for the chocolate ganache:
• 2 TBS coconut oil, melted
• 1 TBS raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 1 TBS coconut nectar, honey or maple syrup
• a few grains of salt

Instructions

1. Put all of the cookie ingredients in the food processor and process until mixture sticks together. Scoop into 1 TBS sized balls. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes while you prepare the chocolate filling.Mix everything for the filling, in a shaker bottle or small blender until emulsified. Set aside.
2. Remove the coconut balls from the fridge and flatten them into more of a cookie shape. Create an indentation in the middle of each cookie for your chocolate ganache.
3. Carefully spoon the chocolate ganache into each indentation. Return to the fridge for 5 min for the ganache to set.
4. Enjoy! No Baking Required!

3.1.09

Can we all agree that popsicles are having a moment?

Maybe it’s the summer heat + all the gorgeous Pinterest inspiration, but I’ve had popsicles on the brain. When I saw a bag of ripe mangos in the Kroger dollar produce bin, my brain immediately said, “Popsicles. Probably with a yogurt swirl. Let’s do this.”

And here we are with mango swirl popsicles. Thank you, internal grocery store monologue.

Not much work to be done for these bad boys. Puree your mango with some lime juice, swirl with vanilla yogurt and freeze. Then try to forget they’re in the freezer for a few hours so you’re surprised when you remember you have popsicles waiting for you. I love knowing there’s a little treatsie in the freezer with my name on it, don’t you?

If you are a popsicle lover, check out my orange creamsicles and raspberry ice pops as well. Make them all, throw a popsicle party and then invite me to it, pleaseandthankyou.

Also, you should definitely eat any extra mango yogurt with a spoon. You’re welcome.

Mango Swirl Popsicles

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 15 mins

 

This recipe will make 4-6 large popsicles or 8-12 small popsicles, depending on the size of your molds. There will be about 4 cups total of your popsicle mixture. Any extra is delicious eaten straight from a spoon!

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 ripe mangos (makes about 2 cups puree)
• juice of ½ lime
• 2 cups plain yogurt (make homemade raw milk yogurt for GAPS or coconut yogurt for Dairy-Free/Vegan/Paleo)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can omit this if you’re using yogurt that’s already flavored with vanilla)
• 1-2 tablespoons honey (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut around the pit of your mango and scoop the flesh out of the skin and into a blender. Try to get as much of the mango flesh as possible off of the pit (this is easier when the mangos are really ripe, so look for soft ones). Add the lime juice and puree until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl, mix your yogurt and vanilla extract (and honey, if using).
3. Spoon the mango puree on top of the yogurt and gently fold the puree with just a few strokes. Try not to overmix- it will still taste great, but you’ll lose the “swirl” look if you mix it too much.
4. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze for about 30 minutes, add the sticks, and then freeze for 1-2 more hours or until firm.
5. When ready to serve, run the molds under warm water until the popsicles come loose and serve immediately.

3.1.09

I think my kids are getting sick of bananas.

They used to eat them up non-stop, but not lately. No interest at all. Whole bunches used to disappear in a day or two, but now all my bananas are sad, neglected and brown. But that means I get the chance to give them a new life as banana bread, so really, I’m not complaining. I just think it’s weird. I mean, who gets sick of bananas? They are awesome.

Well actually, you know what? I vaguely remember my mom telling me that I used to love bananas as a child and then I refused to eat them again until I was like 19. So.. maybe they were doomed from the start? Oh, and I also hated coconut forever and always, until like 3 years ago when it became my BFF. If you asked my pre-2010-self to eat this bread, I would have definitely said no.

If you asked me to eat this bread right now, I stop you mid-question and help myself.

This banana bread is like a coconut triple threat- coconut oil, coconut flour and shredded coconut all in one place. Drink it with a glass of coconut milk, slathered with coconut butter and you might explode. Or you can just be a normal person and eat it plain. Or toasted with some yummy grass-fed butter. Do what you want, no one’s watchin’!

Are you guys fans of baking with coconut flour? It took some getting used to for me, but now it’s my go-to flour. I love that a little goes a REALLY long way. I mean.. that stuff can suck up some liquid!

Wait! Before you go, this thought just hit me- this bread would be great for cutting into cubes, toasting and then making a parfait with coconut whipped cream, and maybe some fresh pineapple or mango? How great does that sound? I will definitely be looking into that for you ASAP. I want that in my belly now.

Anyone else have an inspired banana-bread-related idea? I’m all ears.

4.8 from 33 reviews

Coconut Banana Bread (GAPS, Paleo, Grain-free)

 

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adapted from- http://nourishedandnurtured.blogspot.com/2011/04/banana-bread-gaps-legal-grain-and.html

Author: Oven Love

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled (ghee can be used here as well)
• ½ cup raw honey
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• 6 eggs (room temperature is best)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)
• ¾ cup coconut flour
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 2 tablespoons shredded or desiccated coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a standard loaf pan with coconut oil.
2. In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the salt, eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract. Whisk in the coconut oil and honey mixture. Next, whisk in the coconut flour until completely combined with no lumps. Lastly, stir in the mashed bananas.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the shredded coconut.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If your coconut topping is browning fast, tent some aluminum foil on top to prevent burning.
6. Let cool completely (or as long as you can wait!) before removing from the loaf pan and serving. Keep refrigerated.

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