moist & delicious grain-free blueberry muffins!

When i first started venturing into "healthy" baking, I experimented with whole wheat flour (like this banana bread). since then, I've read {some of} the book wheat belly (helpful summary here) and my eyes were opened to how wheat - whether it be white or whole - is actually detrimental to our health, in a number of ways (stemming from its uncommonly high glycemic index). Yikes.. that was not an easy thing to swallow! since then, i have mostly eliminated if from my diet, with some exceptions here and there of course (um hello, I can never say goodbye to bread or pizza altogether (the real stuff)... although i am excited to use this to make my own GF crust). I'm pretty sure that eliminating it has been the biggest contributor to my losing weight and feeling a million times better (I used to feel tired frequently, esp. late afternoon, plus I would usually wake up with a tummy ache and have frequent bloating issues).

I have since discovered the wonders of almond flour... it makes amazing baked goods (and is super healthy -- win-win)!! In my opinion, it's results are FAR superior to whole wheat flour.. so much more moist and delicate! I started out with the Trader Joe's brand but recently finally splurged on Honeyville's and will never go back. It is freaking amazing. Because it is made with blanched almonds, the texture is far finer and superior to the TJ's brand. And though i know it seems crazy expensive, because it is such a large quantity, it should last you several months. also, if you sign up for their newsletter, you'll get updates about special sales (they actually just finished having a storewide 20% off sale)!

I have been making muffins like crazy lately for the hubs and I for breakfast (we love them and they stay good for a few days). Some of my favorites so far have been raspberry chocolate chip (amazeballs), pumpkin chocolate, and banana chocolate). Finally made one without chocolate, haha. Plan on trying these and these next.

GRAIN-FREE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS 

(adapted from this recipe)

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/3 cup honey
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or pastured butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 2-3 lemons)
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease muffin pan with coconut oil or butter or use unbleached muffin liners.
2. In a medium mixing bowl use either a whisk to combine the eggs, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, baking soda, sea salt and lemon zest.
3. With a spatula, first mix in the almond flour, in batches, and then gently fold  in  and blueberries.
4. Batter will be very firm so you’ll need to use a spoon to evenly divide the batter amonst the 12 muffin cups. Place 2-3 blueberries on top and press down into the batter…just because it looks pretty!
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean and they should be a nice golden brown. 

This is a recipe I will be coming back to time and time again, for sure. I am craving them as I type this! 

how i got my husband to eat kale.

We had dinner at our friends' house recently & they made a delicious baked pasta dish with kale in it. It was perfect because Joel would have felt like a jerk not eating it, so he had to try it. And to my surprise and delight (hah), he didn't mind it. Which meant I needed to start sneaking kale into meals at home. This fritatta is the first I tried. And he loved it, yay!

Fritatta with Chicken Sausage, Kale and Ricotta (adapted from Bon Appetit)

(Served it with breakfast sweet potatoes & fresh fruit)

Ingredients

• 12 ounces chicken sausage or protein of choice, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup sliced shallots
• 12 cups (packed; 12 ounces) kale or other greens (such as chard and mustard greens)
• 10 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 12 ounces fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 2 Tbl + 1 Tbl butter (or oil)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook sausage in 12-inch-diameter ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Add 2 tablespoons butter to skillet. Add shallots and sauté over medium heat until golden, about 4 minutes. Add half of greens and toss until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Add remaining greens and sauté until wilted, tender, and dry, about 15 minutes. Transfer greens to plate; cool.
• Rinse and dry skillet. Beat eggs and salt to blend in large bowl. Whisk in 3/4 cup Parmesan, then greens and half of sausage. Stir in ricotta, leaving some clumps. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium heat. Pour in egg mixture; spread greens evenly. Sprinkle remaining bacon and 1/4 cup Parmesan over eggs. Cook over medium heat until frittata is just set at edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer to oven and bake until just set, about 20 minutes. Cut around frittata to loosen; slide out onto platter. Let cool. Slice into wedges and serve. 
  
  

Hooray for kale! Would like to find more ways to incorporate it into our meals.. I will probably try pasta next. I've been using brown rice pasta lately and it really tastes no different to me than whole wheat pasta. Curious to try quinoa pasta as well. I'm currently reading Wheat Belly and have already cut way back on wheat. Feels good! But the bread cravings that come with winter have definitely crept in.. Actually right now, I want some warm bread like crazy. It truly is addictive!! I still do splurge on it here and there, and it tastes even better than it used to because I really savor every bite :) But then I feel like taking a nap afterwards. 

This fritatta, on the other hand, will energize you and provide lots of stuff your body actually needs like protein, vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. And hopefully curb those carb cravings!

Summer Smoothie Recipe from Kelly of The Pretty Bee.

Hello, Meg's Musings readers!  I'm Kelly from The Pretty Bee and I'm honored to be posting for Meg while she's having a little getaway in Maine.  I am a long time reader of Meg's lovely blog and am following her healthy whole foods journey with interest. On that note, I thought I would share one of my favorite smoothie recipes with you today.  I love to make smoothies for breakfast or for a snack, especially in the summer when all the fruit is so nice and ripe.



Summer Smoothie
Serves 2.

10-12 strawberries
1/4 of a cantaloupe, cute into chunks
1 cup of orange juice
1 tablespoon of chia seeds

Put ingredients into a blender and blend.  Drink immediately...yum! Now you may be asking, what are Chia Seeds?  This graphic from Yummy Mummy Kitchen pretty much says it all:



They are an awesome super food, and you can't even taste them.  If you put them in a smoothie, they look like little kiwi seeds.  You can put them in baked goods or sprinkle them on top of salads.  If you have a limited diet like I do right right now due to my son's food allergies, chia seeds can be a great way to supplement your calcium and iron intake. Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe?  Share it in the comments!  I love to try out new combinations.

baking can be healthy!

since my big shift in how i eat, i have cut out white flour, replacing it with whole wheat. i was pretty wary about how baked goods would taste with all whole wheat (some people will do half all-purpose & half whole wheat, but not many substitute whole wheat altogether). but i have been pleasantly surprised on my whole wheat baking adventures thus far. my first attempt was with whole wheat blueberry muffins, and my hubby and i scarfed them down. they were certainly heartier than the muffin i was used to, but still moist and delicious.

with this bread, i went even healthier, leaving out sugar (well, with the exception of the dark chocolate chocolate chips.. but banana bread just isn't the same without chocolate!) i have to say i was a bit nervous about how it would taste, but my hubby will atest, it was pretty darn scrumptious. i actually think it was even better tasting than banana breads i've made in the past. i definitely won't be going back to all-purpose flour with breads & muffins. next, i will have to try whole wheat cookies (eep!)... thinking pastry flour will be a better bet for those.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP WHOLE WHEAT BANANA BREAD (adapted from this recipe)

INGREDIENTS ::

2 cups whole-wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 - 1/2 cup honey (i used 1/2 cup because i only had 2 bananas)

2 eggs

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS ::

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease bread pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, mix mashed bananas with honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
4. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until blended. Do not over-mix.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Mine took 40 minutes).

i hope you are inspired to try whole wheat baking! it is seriously so much better than you'd think. and, better yet, it is nutritious!! you can actually feel good about eating it.
(sidenote :: i didn't take the above photo until day 3, so it looked (and tasted) even more moist initially. sorry to those who are squirmish about the word moist, haha.)

the best grilled cheese i ever ate.

not only is this the best grilled cheese i've ever tasted, it is honestly one of the best things i've ever tasted. big statement, i realize, especially considering it's so basic, but there is something about the combination of flavors and textures that is just out of this world. and lately i've been discovering that simpler is better.

* in the sandwich above i used shredded cheese but found that it worked much better w/ slices the 2nd time around   

GRILLED CHEESE W/ BACON, AVOCADO & WHITE CHEDDAR 
inspired by this recipe (thank you pinterest)   

INGREDIENTS (for one sandwich) ::
1 small avocado or 1/2 of a large avocado, flesh removed and mashed
2 slices bacon (i used Trader Joe's organic, nitrate-free bacon)
2 slices fresh bread (is used whole wheat bread from my new fave bread maker -- Harvest Bread Co.) Aged white cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4 inch slices (around 4 oz. - as much as needed to cover the surface area) 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature  

DIRECTIONS ::   
1. Cook bacon until crispy. I prefer to roast it in the oven. To do this, arrange the bacon slices on a cooling rack placed on a baking sheet. Cook at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crispy, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Be careful when removing baking sheet, it will be filled with grease!  
2. Butter both pieces of bread (on one side). Cover the unbuttered side of the bread with half the cheese. Spread the mashed avocado on the cheese. Top the avocado with the two slices of bacon. Add remaining cheese. Top with other piece of bread, buttered side up.     
3. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and grill the sandwich for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until bread is nicely browned and cheese is melted. 

---------------------------

{you may also like my prosciutto and mozzarella grilled cheese recipe. just sayin'.} 

i am not afraid to admit i had this two nights in a row. (and thought about it the whole day leading up to my second encounter). i think it is going to become a serious craving for me. my mouth is watering just thinking about it again.  

{a delicious fall meal, all in one skillet}

it is a beautiful thing when a meal requires only one pot/skillet.
i am borrowing my mom's cast iron skillet right now & i love it.
it's so versatile! i'm hoping santa brings me one of my own!

i've recently started cooking with bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
in place of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
for one thing, they're generally cheaper. for another thing,
they are wayyy more flavorful & juicy!
season them with some smashed garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon juice,
salt & fresh rosemary  (luckily i still have some growing - that stuff is hearty)
& they will explode with flavor.

after browning the skin-side of the chicken on the stovetop, throw in some cooked
red potatoes & a couple handfuls of mushrooms, throw it in the oven at 450
for around 25 minutes & you've got yourself a easy, not to mention delicious, meal.
the potatoes & mushrooms become  sooo flavorful after soaking up the juices
from the chicken.  plus, it makes for a very elegant dinner
without costing you much.

and let me tell you, your house will smell like heaven.

{before it went in the oven. isn't is pretty?}

SKILLET ROSEMARY CHICKEN
(4 servings :: adapted from Food Network recipe)
INGREDIENTS ::


3/4 lb red potatoes
kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 clove garlic, smashed
pinch of red pepper flakes (depends on how spicy you want it)
juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 small or 2 large skin-on, bone in chicken breasts
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms
1/2 lb button mushrooms (any kind of mushroom will do)

DIRECTIONS ::


Preheat over to 450.
Cover potatoes with cold water in a pot and salt the water.
Bring to boil over medium-high heat & cook until tender; about 8 minutes.
Drain & set aside.

Pile chopped rosemary, garlic, 2 tsp salt, & red pepper flakes on cutting
board, then mince & mash into a paste using a large knife.
Transfer paste to a bowl.
Stir in the juice of 1 lemon & the olive oil. Add chicken & turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken,
skin-side down, cover & cook until skin browns, about 5 minutes.
Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms & potatoes to the skillet & drizzle
with the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add rosemary springs & reserved lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the
oven & roast, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through & skin is crisp,
about 20 to 25 minutes.

{food comas and new designs}

last night hubby and i had peruvian roasted chicken with aji verde sauce,

homemade spanish rice and sliced avocado.

{it was yummy. you should try it.}
{the recipe came from a fantastic food blog i just started following.}

 

next, hubby and puppy fell into a food coma and took a little siesta on the couch.

so.darn.cute.

i just showed this photo to joel and he said he has no recollection of this point in time.

----

that was last night. last night comprised of eating and relaxing.

today, however, i was busy, busy, busy taking lots of photos & packaging orders.

a little while ago, i posted a brand-new pair of earrings to my etsy shop:

the leaves of glass earrings pictured below.

i am in love with them.

 

they were actually already snatched up, BUT as soon as i get my hands on some more of the mint green vintage beads, i will surely make more {including a pair for myself}

they should be up again within the next week or so.

there are another NEW pair of earrings up for grabs in my shop.

a similar design was available sometime ago, but then i ran out of the beads i used.

luckily, i recently stumbled upon some even prettier beads to use.

they're amazonite {a mineral from the Amazon River}.

one last thing ---> you should give a looksie to the treasury i just created on Etsy!

it consists of a palette of shades of rose and turquoise,

two of my most favorite colors

(as if i really needed to tell you that... just look at my jewelry)!

goodnight all!

Another Tasty Recipe!

I tried a frittata recipe today that I decided is one of my new favorites, and I feel I must share it with you.

Frittata with Potato and Prosciutto

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis (my fave)

6 servings

Ingredients

* 4 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 (7-ounce) potato, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 6 large eggs
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
* 2 ounces sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
* 1 baguette, cut into 8 pieces
* 1/4 cup unsalted butter

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy 9 1/2-inch-diameter skillet over medium heat. Add the potato, onion, and garlic. Season the potato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute over medium-low heat until the potato is golden and crisp on the outside, tender inside, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Whisk the eggs, cream, Parmesan, prosciutto, and basil in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the egg mixture into the potato mixture in the skillet. Cook over medium-low heat until the egg mixture is almost set but the top is still loose, about 3 minutes. Place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the top is set and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata from skillet and slide the frittata onto a cutting board. Cut the frittata into 12 wedges.

Split open each bread piece. Toast the bread on a grill pan until golden. You can also broil the bread cut side up until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes, keeping a careful watch on the bread since they can easily burn. Butter the cut sides of the toasted bread. Arrange a frittata wedge on each bottom piece of bread. Cover with the bread tops and serve.





The fact that it has two of my favorite ingredients - prosciutto and basil - may make me a bit biased, but this is one tasty frittata. I substituted the French baguette for some artisan bread because that's what I had on hand.

Happy eating! (I know it makes me happy)

Good 'Ol Marv

So I spoke with my 'ol buddy MARVIN earlier this evening. It had been a few months. He hasn't changed much.. same 'ol questions, same robotic voice, and, apparently, absence hasn't made his heart grow fonder because he's doling out the same measly unemployment check. Which means I need a job REALLY soon or we will become homeless. And I am not exaggerating. (Well actually I am because we'll be in the comfort of my parent's basement). The problem is, as most of you already know, THERE ARE NO JOBS! Well there is that one job that I had a second interview for last week that I want really, REALLY badly, but I definitely can't depend on it, as there are several other people being interviewed and there's a chance I won't get a call back from them (if I do, period) until May. Yuck. I haven't even been able to find a babysitting job!!! If you are a pray-er, please pray for us.

On a more positive note, I have been keeping busy with my Etsy shop since my job went bye-bye because I've had a steady stream of sales and custom orders :) Thanks partly to the fact that a pair of my earrings made it to the front page of Etsy!!! I have often daydreamed about this happening, but did not foresee it happening anytime soon, if at all. So that was very encouraging, not to mention it brought some 300 visitors to my shop in the matter of a few minutes. These are the ones that were featured. They are actually my favorite :)



Well, I'm sure there's plenty more I could talk about, but I don't feel much like it at the moment. But before I go, I'm going to leave you with another recipe: Mediterranean Pasta. It is one of my favorites. Won't be having it anytime soon though. Right now, I'm going back to the basics. Thank you mom-in-law for all of the meat in our freezer!!!

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, sliced diagonally
* 1 (8 1/2-ounc) jar sun-dried tomatoes, julienned (1 cup)
* 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
* 1 pound fresh angel hair pasta
* 1/4 cup fresh basil
* 1 (8 1/2-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, quartered and drained (1 cup)
* 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted (1/4 pound)
* 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Boil water for pasta in a pasta pot, fitted with a strainer. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken strips until no longer pink -- about 3 minutes each side. Add sun-dried tomatoes and garlic to skillet. Saute for 2 minutes. In the meantime, add the fresh pasta to boiling water, cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.

Now add the basil, artichoke hearts, olives and feta cheese to the skillet. Saute 1 minute then stir in the cream. Strain the pasta and transfer to a large pasta bowl. Add the chicken saute to the pasta and toss. Season with oregano, salt and pepper before serving.



It is so freaking delicious.


Well I am going to go make some dessert crepes for me and my hubbs now. And then cuddle.

blessings.

i seem to keep coming back to the same message in Scripture. the last time i wrote about it (post #1), it came out of Matthew. this time, it came out of Luke. Luke 11:9-10, to be precise:

”So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

i knew it was by no accident that i stumbled upon this passage again, so i paused and pondered over it for a bit and asked God to reveal to me a specific area in my life that i need to be bringing to Him in prayer. and it was quickly apparent to me:

finances.

the terrifying 'f' word. something i often worry about and, moreover, feel completely helpless about. i realized that i have not at all been giving it to God. (Hellooooo.) i need to TRUST and have faith that God will provide for us, that he won't leave us hanging by a thread. this is no easy task, of course. it is SO hard to let go of financial worries. so i spent some time in prayer. this was just last week, and God has already responded in obvious ways. namely, i was asked today by my supervisor at work if i could work this thursday, which is typically my day off, because she is taking the day off, and there are only a few people in our department. heck yes, i'll work! adding to that, i have made four sales on Etsy in just the past few days :) i am reminded that God always responds to our needs, if we only ask Him. i am reminded of His faithfulness. i don't know how i forget these things, but i do. frequently. it is so easy to miss the ways God blesses us if we are not in tune with Him.


• • • • •

A quick glance at the past few days:

My wonderful mom-in-law, Connie, and bro-in-law, Gavin, stayed with us Friday and Saturday night :) I believe it was the first time Connie had been to our house since we got married. We had a fun, relaxing time. I made a special belated birthday dinner and dessert for Connie. It felt really good to serve her because she is always the one serving others. You could definitely tell she wasn't used to it. She kept asking if she could help and saying she felt bad for not helping. But I convinced her to remain seated and enjoy her book (for the most part. She couldn't quite keep herself from helping out with some post-dinner cleaning :))

Maggs is finally cone-free. And thanks to the warming temperatures, his daily walks have returned. And he is pumped. Realllly pumped. Pulling me on the leash, out-of-breath, sounds-like-he's-going-to-pass-out pumped. I realized that some serious leash training is in order. I'm hoping Joel is better equipped for this than I am. (I have no idea what I'm doing).

And, of course, I cannot end this post without a picture of food.



Chicken Tzimmers with Butternut Squash -- a meal traditionally served during the Jewish New Year :) Random, I know. I just love trying new recipes all the time. I don't imagine that I'll ever have a standard rotation of meals -- you know, meatloaf on Mondays, spaghetti on Tuesdays, hamburgers on Wednesdays, beef stroganoff () in Thursdays... Not gonna happen. I just gotta mix it up.