Pumpkin-Flax Crackers

I've always been a snacker. Growing up it was always a challenge for my mom to get me to eat an entire meal. {My favorite food day was always Sunday, when we would eat an assortment of veggies in the late afternoon.} Even as an adult I tend to eat five small meals a day instead of two or three larger meals {although I do love a good brunch}. So I knew that snacks would be an important part of this detox cleanse. Since wheat and dairy are out of the picture and I didn't want to rely on nut butters, I decided to try my hand at homemade crackers {with almond flour of course}.

The recipe is from this book, which I love and highly recommend. I used chia seeds in place of sesame seeds since that's what I had on hand. The end result was a perfect companion to this delicious butternut squash soup.

xoxo

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Southern Traditions: Cornbread

One of my favorite meals growing up included sweet potatoes, green beans, zucchini and squash with onions, okra {find a recipe here}, and cornbread. The leftovers were especially delicious. I remember my mom making the cornbread in a cast iron mold shaped like corn husks, and I always wanted one immediately out of the oven. While cornbread isn't exactly the healthiest side dish, its a wonderful treat when added to a bowl of chili on a cold winter night.

The traditional recipe is fairly straight-forward, and you can find one here or on the back of the cornmeal package.

I'm finally crossing it off my list.

xoxo

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Muesli Bread

Not too long ago I mentioned that I was on the hunt for new cookbooks with paleo and gluten free recipes. I finally settled on these two and have been devouring each of them for new recipes to share with you. The muesli bread from this book, however, is by far a favorite new addition to my almond flour repertoire. It's gluten-free, sugar-free and chock full of fiber, protein and antioxidants. I like it slightly toasted with a bit of organic butter or goat cheese on top.

Also, feel free to substitute other dried fruits and nuts to suit your individual tastes. I plan on adapting the recipe to make cinnamon raisin bread this fall.


Happy baking.
xoxo

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Non-Traditional Biscuits

I don't think I've ever mentioned this before, but husband and I eat what I refer to as a "modified" paleolithic diet. It amounts to "good" grains such as quinoa and brown or black rice a couple times a week, zero flour or refined sugar {we use local honey for sweetener}, limited dairy {cheese a couple times a week, grass-fed butter, but no milk}, and TONS of lean protein and vegetables. {You can read more about the Paleo diet here and here.}

All that being said, I obviously cheat sometimes, especially on the weekends. {Hello, cheddar-dill scones} Lately, however, I've really been making an effort to change my cheating habits. So, instead of making traditional biscuits for Saturday breakfast, we made paleo biscuits. Definitely a hit. The texture is more like a corn muffin and less like a biscuit, but the taste was spot on. Add in the knowledge that these lovelies are healthy alternatives to an otherwise indulgent breakfast, and you've got me hooked.

Mix:
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
in a small food processor.
Add in 1 tbsp cold grass-fed butter (or coconut oil if you prefer) & pulse
until butter is in small pieces.
In a separate bowl beat 4 eggs (or 6 egg whites) until frothy.
Add the eggs to the flour in the processor & pulse a few times to incorporate.
Transfer to the bowl and mix in about 2 tbl spoons of almond milk*
*You may need a bit more or less depending on the consistency of the batter. It should be somewhat doughy, but these biscuits don't rise, so they will be about the same thickness after baked. I like mine a bit thinner to make the biscuits less dense.
Grease 6-7 muffin cups with coconut oil & place batter into the cups.
Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.

Add your favorite all natural, sugar free preserves, some high quality turkey sausage & a side of fruit and you've got a delicious breakfast!

Happy biscuiting.
xoxo

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A Very Merry Christmas

{Gift making}

{Decorations around the house}

{Baking gooey chocolate cookies for the neighbors}

{The best gift of all & the true reason for our celebration}


Wishing you the merriest of Christmases.
xoxo

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Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake

Until recently, I had never made a cheesecake. Something about needing a special pan always made me wary of the process, assuming it was time consuming or difficult. In order to rid myself of my cheesecake timidity, I made this Barefoot Contessa cheesecake last weekend, and it was not only simple, but delicious.

Mine didn't turn out to be quite as lovely as Ina's as it cracked a bit in the middle, {any tips on how to prevent that?} but it tasted divine. And although I did enjoy the chocolate-espresso combination, it was a very decadent dessert. I think next time I will try something fruitier, perhaps blueberry. 

What is your favorite kind of cheesecake?

xoxo

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French Apple Tart

Although apples are traditionally a fall fruit, I can't help but munch on them all year round. There's something so very charming about the sweet simplicity of an apple. Not to mention how well the taste pairs with everything from sharp cheddar to peanut butter to pork. So when I stumbled upon this Barefoot Contessa recipe in my cook book the other day, I decided that a French Apple Tart was the perfect companion to a summer weekend.

I used gala apples instead of granny smith to give a slightly sweeter taste, and chose a dark rum at the advice of a good friend. The oven-baked apples came out golden, and the apricot & rum glaze gave the tart a delicious warmth that paired just as well with vanilla bean ice cream as it did with sharp cheddar.


xoxo

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Blueberry-Blackberry Crisp

One of my favorite things about summer is the vast array of fresh fruits and vegetables that it brings. From berries to zucchini to fragrant herbs, I try to incorporate seasonal produce into everything I make, but especially into desserts. It just doesn't get much better than a seasonal sweet treat.


This past weekend I took advantage of our local blueberries and blackberries and made a crisp. I used this simple recipe, and just substituted whatever berries I had to make a total of 6 cups.


The end result was the perfect blend of sweet and refreshing and paired quite wonderfully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.


What are some of your favorite summertime recipes?
xoxo


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happiness is...

this cake from our wedding shower this past summer.

because it was beautiful, delicious, and it matched the hand-made invitations
because it was so perfect that i didn't really want to cut it
because my mom & sister worked so hard to make every detail of the day absolutely perfect
and because it reminds me how lucky i am to have such a wonderful family.


sending a little bit of happiness your way,
xoxo


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oatmeal isn't just for breakfast

i love oatmeal. which is kind of weird considering that i just recently {as in this past summer, recently} began eating it in it's intended, breakfast cereal form. {we have husband to thank for that. i am now addicted to oatmeal with brown sugar and strawberries.}

even though i never had the taste for oatmeal cereal, oatmeal raisin cookies have been my favorite since i was a child. i still love the good old chocolate chip cookies {especially oatmeal chocolate chip cookies}, but there is something about the cinnamon-y, nutmeg-y taste of an oatmeal raisin cookie that just makes my day.


so recently i decided to try a couple martha stewart oatmeal cookie recipes. the first was a simple oatmeal, cranberry, and walnut variety that i made for a sweet friend's birthday. the recipe is pretty healthy since it calls for applesauce & whole wheat flour, and i love the combination of cranberries and walnuts in just about anything.


the second recipe that i am trying is for peanut butter-chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. these will be a bit more indulgent seeing as how the recipe calls for whole, salted peanuts {although i bought the ones that said lightly salted}, 1/2 cup of natural peanut butter, and chocolate chips. yum. i will let you know how they turn out!


what are your favorite types of cookies {besides chocolate chip}?
xoxo


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happiness is...

blueberry almond muffins on a rainy saturday morning.


where did you find happiness this weeked?
xoxo


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you know you're an adult when...

... you get super excited over the prospect of new cookware and appliances.


the background story:
lately our blender has been leaking from the bottom, spilling strawberry-banana-chocolate-soy-milk smoothies all over our white counter tops and into the blender base. it also has the tendency to spew chocolate soy milk out of the lid during its mixing process for no apparent reason. then, our saute pan decided to flake off into our scrambled eggs the other day. i guess that's what i get for buying the adorable, inexpensive pink pan from tj maxx.

i did a bit of research regarding which are the "safest" types of cookware {ones that won't flake off and give us cancer}, which are the longest-lasting, and which are the most eco-friendly. i basically found that stainless steel and cast iron are the way to go with pots/pans, and aluminum or glass is best for baking. as for cookies sheets, i would like to find one that is 100% aluminum, but i may just get a silicone liner for the cheap ones we have now.

so, husband and i are going to make a trek to macy's this weekend to use some of our gift card money from the wedding {it's a good thing we have gift cards. i never realized how expensive blenders and pans could be!} to purchase one/some of the following:

{a turquoise kitchenaid blender}

{a silpat liner for cookie sheets}

{stainless steel saute pan/deep skillet}

{cast iron skillet}
we received a martha stewart enameled cast iron casserole for our wedding that i absolutely love, so i am leaning towards the cast iron option. also, the idea of not having to replace them {at least for a reallllly long time} is incredibly appealing.

our need for new cookware really has me rethinking all of the cheap bakeware and pans from target and tj maxx that got me through college. i am really looking forward to investing in a few key pieces that will be healthier for us and will last much longer.


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first time follies

this holiday was the first time i attempted

to make a blueberry pie from scratch.

i have made pies with my mom before, but let's be honest,
she's a master baker/cook and told me exactly what to do.
this year i was completely on my own.
{with a little help from husband}

{my favorite part was the lattice top.}


it was definitely a fun adventure,
but i think that my pie-making skills need some polishing.
the blueberry pie i made tasted pretty good,
but it looked like a small disaster.

{the is the pre-baked version. it looks a lot better than its baked counterpart.}


the crust hung over the side of the pie plate a bit,
so when it baked, the crust burned and fell off the side.
apparently i was supposed to cover the crust with foil.
oops.


despite its slightly ragged appearance,
the first ever ashley-made blueberry pie tasted quite delish.


for more pie inspirations, watch this movie.
i love it.
happy baking.
xoxo


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handmade holidays

this year i gave homemade chocolate/peppermint sugar cookies
and creamy hot coca mix to husband's family as gifts.


baking the cookies was quite fun since husband helped out,
and the hot chocolate mix is my absolute favorite.
judging by the reactions, the combination was a huge success.


for the hot coca i mixed:
2 cups nestle hot cocoa mix
1 cup original coffemate creamer
1/2 cup confectioner sugar


the creamer makes the cocoa extra creamy and delicious.
next time i think i will use vanilla flavored instead.
yum yum yum.


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