09.10.2016

Quinoa Cinnamon Banana layer cake

Hi everyone! It’s Caroline finally and I’m writing from my new home in Colorado!

Like I said in my last update, my health got better and I took a giant leap of faith to drive across the country MN–>CO to become a live in Nanny for a great Catholic German Family. God has blessed me a thousand times, and am so happy here! Since I make healthy meals each day for the family, I may as well write them out for you to make too!

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Just a heads up, this recipe was made up at the last second because we had a lot of extra cooked quinoa and a bunch of school friends coming over in 1 hour. So we brainstormed a bit and decided on something sweet with premade cooked quinoa, caramel and cinnamon!

This recipe is pretty flexible and you could add some baked apples instead of bananas. Feel free to add more or less quinoa depending on how much you have on hand. You could switch almonds for walnuts too. At the end we had extra caramel sauce so the kids just drizzled it over their pieces.

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Ingredients:

 

Directions:

  • Pre-make quinoa and caramel sauce ahead of time.
  • In a large sauce pan combine cooked quinoa, cinnamon, butter, sea salt, and about 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce.
  • Turn the heat on medium and cook until the butter is melted and the quinoa gets coated with cinnamon and caramel and becomes sticky.
  • Line the bottom of a casserole dish with 1 layer of chopped bananas.
  • Spoon on a layer of the gooey quinoa mixture and press with a spatula until flat and even.
  • Layer more sliced bananas and again more of the quinoa mixture.
  • On the top, put on the rest of the sliced bananas.
  • Add walnuts and drizzle the top of the cake with the caramel sauce. (*you will have extra and can save it or drizzle more on later).
  • (aka bottom to top: bananas, quinoa, bananas, quinoa, bananas/walnuts/caramel)
  • Serve with a spoon because it tends to fall apart a bit!

*tip: Enjoy after nap time or else the sugar will keep you up! 🙂

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caroline

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08.29.2016

Delicious Peppermint Smoothie

Peppermint is one of my favorite flavors!  I have fond memories of indulging in York peppermint patties, Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, and those Christmas peppermint nougat candies … and, errr, not being able to stop myself from eating more and more and more.

Obviously those aren’t the most healthy food options out there …

BUT, what if you could combine this wonderful peppermint flavor with healthy eating?!!

Introducing: The Magnificent Peppermint Smoothie! IMG_3121

 

Last week I wrote about all the amazing benefits of the superfood kale.  (Click here to read.)  In this article I detail how the nutrients in kale will work for your body to fight against things like cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and eye-sight failure, and a myriad of other health conditions.  Today, I want to show you one of the many ways that my family has chosen to incorporate this awesome vegetable into our lives.  Let me share with you our peppermint smoothie!

Ingredients: IMG_2144

  • 1 cup coconut milk (I like full-fat coconut milk because it gives a thickness that resembles ice cream!  Mmmm)
  • 1 Tbsp honey (or more to reach desired sweetness)
  • 1-2 handfuls of kale
  • 30 peppermint leaves or 1-2 drops of Peppermint essential oil
  • Dark chocolate (or carob), chopped or shaved into small piecesIMG_3303
  • A dash or two of salt
  • about 10 ice cubes

 

 

 

 

Directions: 

I love using the Nutri Ninja individual cup for quick and easy blending and cleanup!  (Get yours here.)  You could always use a regular blender as well, but you may want to double the peppermint smoothie recipe to fill the blender a bit higher.

  1. Toss all of your ingredients, except the ice, into the cup and blend for about 10-12 seconds.  This should be enough to incorporate all the ingredients together.
  2. Add in the ice cubes and blend again.  This addition will make the shake nice and thick and ice-creamy!  (You don’t want to add the ice cubes right away, because it can cause the honey to solidify into one big glob, and not distribute the sweetness evenly) IMG_2145
  3. Stir in chocolate pieces or sprinkle on top.
  4. Enjoy this delicious smoothie while delighting in the fact that you’re feeding your body such nutritious food! IMG_3141

 

**Anne Warren is a wife & mother who loves blogging about healthy food (inside & out)!  She has had her own health struggles throughout the years, yet she is thankful that it has brought her to a place of better health.  He health struggles have helped her gain an understanding that the things she puts into her body – both physically and spiritually – will indeed have a huge effect on her overall energy and wellbeing.  She shares with you here today because encouraging others is a great passion! IMG_7579

If you are interested in getting more of her recipes, please check out her blog at www.foodthatsatisfies.com.

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05.24.2013

Rice flour chocolate chip cookies

Cookies with No Eggs!!

Here is a recipe I created when my mom asked for chocolate chip cookies on mothers day. She developed an egg allergy out of no where, so I had to compromise, but I bet these would be good with eggs too. I did not try it with eggs but I know that 1tbsp of chia seeds made into an “egg” = 1 real egg. Since I used 2 “chia eggs” it would make sense to use 2 eggs.

I was literally crossing my fingers the whole time these cookies were baking, because all recipes I looked up had a combo of flours and I could only use rice flour. So I just started to throw ingredients in a bowl and hope for the best–well isn’t that always what I do anyways? :). These cookies are almost like a shortbread cookie texture and taste. They are down-to-earth but sweet like any chocolate chip cookie should be. My family found they are much better on the second or third day because the butter flavor pops!

I find that making your own rice flour produces the fluffiest rice flour, even fluffier then store bought. I have just ground white rice before because I was too lazy to soak it and it turned out corse and yuck. So the trick is to soak, dehydrate, and then grind your own flour. The rice soaks in more water and puffs it up. I use a vitamix blender to blend the flour.

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INGREDIENTS:

2 cups rice flour (make your own here)

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup coconut syrup

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda
chocolate chips (GAPs chocolate drops–they will melt a lot in the cookies) or this brand (I used this one)
Chia “egg”  
2 tbsp chia seeds (ground)
1/2 cup hot water

cookie 1

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DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Boil hot water & 2 Tbsp of chia seeds.
  3. Mix 1/2 cup hot water and ground chia seeds in a bowl. Set in fridge for at least 15 min.
  4. Mix coconut sugar, sea salt, baking soda, & rice flour together in a bowl.
  5. Pour in melted butter, coconut syrup, and chia egg.
  6. Mix until combined.
  7. Mix in chocolate chips.
  8. Roll  out dough (it will be greasy so it will not stick to counter) until about 1 cm thick (make sure the dough is rolled out even so all the cookies cook evenly).
  9. Use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies.
  10. Place onto cookie sheet (since they don’t grow in size, you can place them close together). I like to sprinkle chocolate chips on top too.
  11. Cook for 12 minutes. They will seem undercooked but let them cool for 20 min and they will be just perfect.
  12. Store leftovers in a container and they will stay soft and good for many days.

 

~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

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04.05.2013

Homemade Honey Peeps

Celebrate Spring with some homemade honey peeps!

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Why make homemade honey peeps??

  • Free of yellow food coloring.
  • Made with 100% grass fed gelatin (I use this one —> grass fed gelatin).
  • Reduces allergy symtoms! Yellow coloring is made from powder quercetin.
  • Paleo/GAPS/allergy friendly.
  • Made with honey.
  • Because it is FUN!

 

Why gelatin?

  • Made from grass fed cows.
  • Help support hair, skin, and nail growth.
  • Helps your body detox!
  • Improves liver function.
  • Helps you digest food.
  • Decreases cellulite.
  • Good clean source of protein

learn more:

Read this post —> Food renegade

This post —> The Heathy Home economist

 

 

What is quercetin?

 

Where to buy? Use this powder or open up these capsules

 

INGREDIENTS:

Marshmallows: 

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(get specific amounts in this Wonderful recipe. Special thanks to the Urban Poser!)
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Sugar coating :
 
Mr. Peep’s eyes:

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the marshmallow base. Use this recipe. I would suggest to cut it in 1/2 because it makes alot!

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2. Let the marshmallow base sit for a bit after making it. This will allow you to pipe better fuller bodied peeps. Just watch the marshmallow cream to make sure it does not get too hard to work with. You can try piping a few but you will know when it is perfect consistency.

 

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3. Get a plastic baggie and fold edges over a cup. This makes it easier to scoop the marshmallow cream into the bag (like I did in this recipe with the chocolate). Cut a small hole at the bottom of the bag.

4. Make “sugar” coating.

SUGAR- If you want the traditional coating mix the quercetin and sugar until a nice yellow color.

COCONUT- If you are on GAPS or paleo, use shredded coconut and pulse it in the Cuisinart to make it finer. Blend in the quercetin. Sprinkle mixture (which ever one you choose) onto a cookie sheet.

 

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5. Pipe your Peeps. I have my own method of doing this. Start with the bottom. It should be the longest section (oval with a fuller front) You can try to make the tail pointed. Then sprinkle in sugar coating. Pipe the head (circle). Sprinkle with sugar. Pipe the beak (circle and swoop up!). Sprinkle with sugar.

If you are using the coconut shreds then I would suggest piping the peeps first without sprinkling the coconut in between. It is too heavy and will flatten the peeps more. Just pipe like I said. Wait until they harden a bit, but are still sticky and then sprinkle.

6. Make “eye” paste. Mix some cocoa powder in a bit of honey and use a toothpick to dab on the eyes. You can also use the vanilla bean seeds if you have any left over. The cocoa powder/honey works and looks better though.

 

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7. Let set out uncovered for a few hours or until they reach the hardness you like. Once they are just how you like them, store in an an air tight container (not in the fridge). Delicious!

 

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 These peeps are gooey. fresh. fluffy. sweet. and made with love.

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~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

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12.07.2012

Snowflake Peppermint Fudge (GAPS)

Hey Gutsy Readers!

Peppermint + Chocolate + Coconut = Snowflake Peppermint Fudge!

 

 

NAET updates

I will keep popping in and out until my health is a little more under control. Many of you know that I started NAET about a month ago. It has been quite a journey so far! You can follow my updates on Facebook for now. I’m detoxing a lot and my body is going though major changes so be patient with me 🙂

Way back when..

In the meantime, I remembered a year ago before I had my blog that I entered a contest on the WellFedHomestead blog (one of my favorites, especially because I was just starting GAPS). I was so excited when I won! I forgot about the recipe until now. I love thinking back that this is how I got started. I was so excited to have one of “my” recipes posted on a blog!!! That experience was so inspiring that how could I resist creating my own blog..

 

Tasty

Minty and festive, this fudge is almost like peppermint chocolate patties, but all combined into one. The extra coconut on top gives it a fun “snowflake” theme. These are fun to make together with siblings or as a family. The hardest part is waiting for them to become solid, but its worth it! Enjoy!

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Recipe:

Click here to get the recipe! 

 

* the “creamed coconut” is actually Coconut butter. I just was not familiar with the term “coconut butter” and the package I used was called “creamed coconut”. Don’t get confused with the cream on top of the coconut milk can-do not use this! . So use this recipe for the creamed coconut (aka. coconut butter).

 

~Stay Gutsy!

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