Posts in Category: Holidays
Paleo Pumpkin Pie
But why? Why on earth would I do that? Psh, you might be saying to yourself…’sure, you could make any baked good without all of those luxurious (necessary) things, but it won’t taste good.’
And after one failed attempt I might have agreed with you. But like any glutton for punishment, home cook who has a big Holiday table to feed, including a bevy of loved ones with food allergies…I knew I had to perfect this recipe. A pumpkin pie that tastes just as decadent and creamy as it’s traditional velvet-like ancestors…
(REFINED) SUGAR-FREE, STRAWBERRY LAVENDER CHIA SEED JAM
***2015 UPDATE! You can also make this into raw freezer or fridge jam! Simply put the chia seends into a high powered blender to make a POWDER (so genius, again, I love my Vitamix – it’s truly my boyfriend), and add that to the raw mashed strawberries with the honey. Jar and freeze or put into the fridge. SO EASY, SO YUM.
All of the exclamation points. To me, this is huge. Jam without all of the preservatives of pectin? Without more white sugar than actual fruit? Glory be indeed. Why might I take such a chance with my precious, organic strawberries picked from July, washed and hulled in freezer bags just waiting for the perfect jam?
Because I’m a lunar that way. I like taking culinary chances, in the name of delicious food that’s actually good for you. Healthy. Yet still TASTES GOOD. THAT’S MY JAM. All pun intended.
Clearly, in a house with two toddlers and an old-fashioned food loving man, with all of the substitutions and experimenting I do with (refined) sugar-free, low-carb or gluten free baking and cooking, stuff’s still gotta TASTE GOOD. For me too. I’m no birdie and I love food. So. When a friend of mine whispered sweet nothings into my ear about how she tried out some jam making with chia seeds instead of pectin, I was like, COME HITHER TELL ME MORE. And then one of the 3 children under our feet stuck a finger up someone else’s nose or something and the conversation was left by the wayside.
Fast forward to way past strawberry season, with frozen bags of deep crimson heaven just waiting to be turned into jam. It was this past weekend after just having gotten home from apple-picking that I decided I couldn’t very well make apple butter and apple pie filling without first making jam. Seasonally speaking, I was way late already.
I don’t even know with where to begin on how much I love this jam. It’s preservative free, because NO PECTIN. It requires waaaaaaay less sweetener, because NO PECTIN. (Pectin requires obscene amounts of white sugar to work.) All of the added health benefits that come from chia seeds most definitely make my culinary nerd brain do a little dance…
Baking With Toddlers: Gluten & Refined Sugar-Free Easter Cookies
This recipe is all about the toddlers and all about the coconut. It was messy yes, I mean obviously. Honestly? We had a ton of fun doing it and tossed the youngest in the tub afterward (you’ll soon see why). Toddlers + Messes Everywhere All The Time = normal.
These are the type of cut-out cookies that you can feed your little ones (and yourself), whenever an occasion calls for cut-out cookies. Without the guilt or the worry of hyped-up moods, sugar-crashes and fatty fatness. I mean – there’s still some of that (FAT!) in here, but without all of the processed white flour and refined sugar, there is a whole heck of a lot less. I love doing seasonal, themed activities that revolve around the holidays that are special to us. Enjoy the recipe and the pictures…
DIY: All Natural Food Dye
That Time We Went To Mexico & Spoiled Ourselves: Pictorial
* Disclaimer: Be prepared for lots and lots of pictures!*
So. We went to Mexico (Puerto Vallarta) in February. The first time we’ve taken a real, full-on all-inclusive vacation together as a couple during the entire tenure of our relationship!
I have excused our over indulgencies for this fact.
Obviously, I had time to take lots of pictures (kid-free!) and we even did that cheesy couples photo shoot thing that many all-inclusives offer with a promotional discount. Yea, we DID THAT.
Giant, Chewy, Dark Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies
The time has come. We are here. You know all those sugar free or gluten and sugar free baked goods that I make throughout the year? Wherein, I often state that I’m not hardcore about it and that holiday baking is the one time that I don’t mess?
DIY Duct Tape Holiday Banner (& Baby Shower!)
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That’s right. Duct tape. It’s all the rage, didn’t you know? So incredibly easy, perfect to be hung in a multitude of places. I made a few of them, one for our mantle, one for the dreamcatcher wreath on our door (DIY for that to come!) and another for some fun I had styling an adorable snow owl themed baby shower.
4 Sleeps Till Mexico: Baby,Toddler & Family Checklist
Whut whuuuuuut.
Lately I’ve teetering on this edge of a precipice leading to doom. The kind of doom that smells distinctly of burning. Or rather burn-out. Which is why I can barely contain my anticipation to borad a plane bound for the Riviera Mayan. It’s our first vacation as a family of four. It’s the first time the mister and I have ever ben to an all inclusive resort together. So thanks sister-in-law for having a destination wedding!
Packing up for a week of sun and sand with two littles is no easy feat, that which I can more or less glean. We’ve packed up our van many a time fore more local road-tripping, camping or touring with the mister with his band when accommodations and locations allow. This trip however – logically calls for some extra special organizing and planning. Which should all start from a list, right?
Lists are shiny, golden paths to success. For those who don’t know that…y’all get with the program! So, this shall be my own personal list that I share with all of you momma’s out there who are about to embark on a similar journey with smalls in tow.
Tour of My Holiday Home
Welcome. Mayhaps you found your way here from the Babbles, as I peaked your interest and you wanted more. More Holiday Home Tour action. Because that coffee and Bailey’s I told you to pour yourself is not quite finished and if you’re like me, you find small pleasure in A. Christmas and all things decor related and, B. Pilfering your time away on the internets 2 days before said holiday C. Drinking bailey’s during the holidays. ICed or on coffee. (I should be the Holiday spokesperson for Bailey’s with the amount that i go on about it. Seriously. Uhm, hello Gilbey’s of Ireland? Or Diageo? I’m right here. I’m your woman for 2012.
Triflin’ Baby
As in Abby made her first trifle with me today. Truthfully, it was my first trifle, and Abby did not do much except act a perfect angel and watch me while I trifled. (The puns just can’t be helped). I will say that she was very interested in the whole process, her interest in food in general is huge at the moment. She tries to grab it out of our hands and her eyes follow it wherever it goes. The drooling she does may or may not be in relation to salivating for a tasty morsel, I’d like to amuse myself with the notion that it does.
The trifle was the dessert for our out of hand pot luck feast last night, in celebration of Winter Solstice. Yesterday and today being for ceremony, lighting fires, giving thanks, praying, smudging, gathering with loved ones and feasting on traditional, seasonal food . The trifle is not seasonal except for the fact that it’s a Christmas trifle, and well – it is that time of year…
Everything else though, is all about wild meat and fish and roasted caramelized root veggies. Back to the trifle. I messed up the layers, created it totally off the top of my head and am lacking a proper trifle bowl. Chalk up one more item for the Wedding Registry. Here’s what you’ll need:
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER
CONNECT WITH SELENA
