A Well Balanced Blog
Safer Makeup or a Cup of Coffee?
Would you pay $1.25 per day for safer makeup? How about $2.21? Because that's what these cleaner beauty looks cost you. Pretty sure I typically spend more than that on a hot tea or coffee while I'm out and about. And when I factor in the added investment in my health,...
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How to Nourish Your Skin in the Winter
It might surprise you, but I love winter. After spending the first 40 years of my life in mostly hot and humid weather, I finally moved to a place where I could actually wear all the cute coats I have accumulated over the years. No seriously, I have an absurd amount...
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Fruit & Feta Kabobs with Balsamic Glaze
These were just something I threw together for a 4th of July party, aren't they cute and pretty? I'm not gonna lie, I'm not one for fancy food that takes a lot of time to assemble. But these were worth the extra bit of effort.
Feel free to mix up the fruit choices, but I encourage you to keep the feta! The combo of the feta and basil with the balsamic glaze is OH SO GOOD with the sweetness of the fruit. And I can guarantee you people will be impressed if you bring this colorful dish to any gathering.
Ingredients
- Fresh organic blueberries, rinsed and dried
- Watermelon cut into 1-inch cubes (or use a cookie cutter for special shapes)
- Block of feta cheese (not the crumbles!)
- Basil leaves
- Long toothpicks or short skewers
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Cut the watermelon and feta cheese into cubes. I prefer the watermelon cubes to be a bit larger than the feta, I think it looks prettier when stacked.
- Assemble the skewers: basil leaf, blueberry, feta cheese, then watermelon. This is why you need the longer toothpicks! Pierce the pieces gently so they don't fall apart -- especially the cheese!
- Place the balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Liquid should reduce by about half.
- Let sit for about 10 minutes so it will cool and thicken.
- Drizzle on top of skewers or place in a small bowl for people to drizzle themselves.
Making the Switch to Safer Deodorant
You know what’s funny? Switching to safer deodorant was the very first safer product swap I ever made. I think I read something about the dangers of antiperspirants and aluminum, so I started using a natural deodorant. Now did it do the job? Not really. But I kinda...
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Grain Free Double Chocolate Loaf Cake
I'm not gonna lie, I like all the pretty baked goods in the glass cases at Starbucks. And aside from those little mini vanilla scones (OMG I love those!), the loaf cakes are my favorites. I've already created a paleo version of the pumpkin loaf, and this is my take on the Double Chocolate Loaf Cake.
This recipe isn't difficult at all, but you do have to be a little patient when it comes to letting the icing cool in the refrigerator. But it's SO worth the wait! It slices up so beautifully and no one will ever guess that the cake is actually gluten free, grain free, and dairy free. And just a reminder that the majority of the sweetness comes from the icing -- you can add more sweetener to the cake but I don't think it needs it.
I really need to invest in those little brown paper sleeves that Starbucks uses to serve their treats ... maybe have my logo put on them. Whaddya think???
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fine almond flour
- 1/3 cup arrowroot powder
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 cup melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- Dash of vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
- *You can double these ingredients for a thicker icing on top
Instructions
- Properly grease your loaf pan, this is so important! I melt 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil and swirly it around in the loaf pan to make sure the bottom and sides are well coated. Use a napkin to get any nooks and crannies. Pour out any excess.
- Add dry ingredients together in bowl (almond flour, arrowroot powder, coconut flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In large bowl, add eggs, melted fat, maple syrup, coconut milk, and vanilla. Use mixer to combine well.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until smooth.
- Pour batter into greased loaf pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean and edges are starting to pull away from sides of pan. (I'm always a fan of the lower baking times). Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- FOR THE ICING: Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in double boiler over medium heat. Stir often and remove from heat when chocolate is smooth. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Pour melted chocolate over top of loaf cake. Use spatula to make sure all surface area is covered. No worries if it slips into the sides! It actually makes the cake prettier AND tastier.
- Put loaf cake in refrigerator until icing hardens. This usually takes mine about 2 hours or so.
- Remove cake from refrigerator and carefully remove from pan. Even though the icing is a bit hard, the cake should slice easily. Store in refrigerator.
Gluten Free Overnight Oats
I know it's weird, but I love oatmeal. Not the instant kind in the little brown packets, but the real deal thick stuff with lots of toppings. And I love ordering it at an upscale breakfast place because it comes out with all the little containers of nuts, fruit, brown sugar, maple syrup, and real cream. Fancy place oatmeal is my jam.
When I was in college until about the time I had my older son, I would go to breakfast with my Dad every trip I made home. We would go to Le Peep, order the French roast coffee, chat about the amazing menu, and then order oatmeal ... with a side of extra crispy bacon for my Dad. And then we would talk for hours about any and all crazy plans I had in mind for my future endeavors. How I wish I had done that more in the past decade or so, but life got busier and the grandkids became more of the priority. But I'll always think of my Dad when I make or eat oatmeal.
So anyway, this stuff is yummy! No wonder everyone's been raving about it. I just want to give everyone a heads up -- if you do not make the effort to add fat and protein to this meal, it is an easy way to throw your blood sugar levels way out of whack. Without the fat and protein, this is just a big load of carbs and sugar that would have been touted as super healthy in the 90s. I personally add full fat coconut milk, collagen peptides, and some raw nuts to mine. You can heat it up, but I typically eat mine cold and it's delicious! And since we almost always have cooked bacon in our fridge, I like to have a piece of that on the side as a little morning shout out to my Dad. I miss him.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 1/2 cup milk or milk alternative (I ALWAYS use full fat coconut milk!)
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, or other favorite natural sweetener
- 1/2 scoop of Vital Proteins collagen peptides
- 1/4 tsp of spices (cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice are my faves)
- Toppings of choice: berries, fruit, nuts, seeds, nut butter, chocolate chips, more sweetener, etc.
Instructions
- Place oats, milk, sweetener, spices and collagen peptides in container and gently mix to combine. (I use small mason jars for convenience!)
- Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.
- Remove from refrigerator and uncover. Heat if desired.
- Add toppings of choice and devour!
Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Y'all, it's chocolate and peanut butter. What else is there to say?
One of the awesome things about this recipe is you most likely have all these ingredients in your kitchen right now. Staple ingredients thrown together that result in total yumminess. This is also one of those recipes that people devour and just can't believe there isn't any flour in them. And I don't know why, but that makes me SO HAPPY.
I really advise using the parchment paper as a liner and taking that extra step of refrigeration time before slicing these babies up! Especially if you want to surprise people with the whole "oh hey guess what these are gluten free AND grain free AND dairy free AND refined sugar free brownies" thing. Muahahahahaaaaa (that's my evil laugh).
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter (I use smooth)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp ghee or melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)
Instructions
- Mix together the peanut butter, maple syrup, egg, ghee/coconut oil and vanilla in a bowl. I like to use a mixer because the peanut butter is a bit tough to stir by hand.
- Stir/mix in the cocoa powder and baking soda. Mixture will be on the thick side.
- Pour batter into a 8x8-inch square baking pan coated with oil/spray or lined with parchment paper. (I prefer parchment paper for easier removal from the pan!) Because the batter is thick, you can use a spatula to press it into the corners and even it out.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
- Bake at 325 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. I prefer mine on the softer and gooier side, so i always go for the shorter baking time.
- Remove from pan (yay, parchment paper!) and let cool before cutting into squares. I like to put them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before cutting because the brownies slice so well this way!
Grain Free Chocolate Birthday Cupcakes
So these don't have to be birthday cupcakes ... but they're definitely delicious and pretty enough for a celebration!
You know, sometimes you just really need a cupcake. And not one of those healthy tasting cupcakes -- the REAL DEAL. So that's what I set out to do ... make a cupcake that has the taste and texture of a good old fashioned cupcake. And I think these are pretty darn close!
A few things about this recipe. The espresso powder is optional, but I promise it gives that chocolate a really rich and decadent taste. It's totally worth it. Also, you can add more maple syrup (or other sweetener if you would like) ... but I like my cupcakes slightly sweet with a really sweet icing on top. And lastly, dipping the cupcakes in the melted chocolate makes them absolutely beautiful! They don't need any other toppings ... but sprinkles make me happy. And they make the cupcakes more legit, especially for birthdays.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fine almond flour
- 1/3 cup arrowroot powder
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 cup melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- Dash of vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
- *Sprinkles are a fun topping! I like Color Kitchen Foods for a safer option.
Instructions
- Place parchment paper liners in muffin tins (this recipe usually makes me about 15 cupcakes).
- Add dry ingredients together in bowl (almond flour, arrowroot powder, coconut flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In large bowl, add eggs, melted fat, maple syrup, coconut milk, and vanilla. Use mixer to combine well.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until smooth. You might need to taste the batter at this point to make sure it's ok ...
- Fill lined muffin cups with batter about 2/3 full.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. (I'm always a fan of the lower baking times). Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- FOR THE GLAZE: Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in double boiler over medium heat. Stir often and remove from heat when chocolate is smooth. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Take each cupcake and turn upside down, then swirl it around to coat the top in the chocolate. Let chocolate drip off before flipping right side up.
- Add sprinkles if desired. Don't wait too long before doing this because the icing will begin to harden. The upside to this is the sprinkles stay on really well!
- Time to celebrate!
Gluten Free Mini Corndog Muffins
So before you do anything, I want you to head over to Amazon and buy the following cookbook: Fast and Simple Gluten-Free by Gretchen Brown, R.D. Because she's one of my bestest friends ever (we met in 6th grade), and the basis for this recipe is from her book! Check out the Butter Rolls on page 115.
Gretchen is basically the better and more glamorous version of me. She's tall and statuesque, has this long, thick and stunning brown hair, is a military spouse doing the single parent gig while her husband is deployed for the year, has a straight up GORGEOUS blog (www.kumquatblog.com) and honed her skills working in the Southern Living test kitchens. For real, you guys. SHE IS THE REAL DEAL. I'm like the watered down and much shorter version stumbling along as I go. But I'm totally ok with that because I love her so much -- she's always there for me. Always.
So back to the recipe. When G was writing her cookbook, this was the recipe I received for early testing! And I've been making it ever since. It doesn't really have corn in it and I've added a bit of sweetness to it, but it's always reminded me of sweet corn muffins. Add some hot dogs and you've got some kid-friendly treats that work great for lunches, snacks, or anytime yummies. My boys are ALWAYS asking for more food, so these are great to have on hand. I like mine with some good old fashioned mustard to really make it feel like I'm at the fair munching on a corndog. Because junk food is good, y'all.
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk or milk alternative
- 1/2 cup organic sour cream
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- About 3-4 hot dogs cut into 1/2 inch slices (I use Applegate Grass Fed All Beef Hotdogs)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- In separate bowl combine melted butter, milk, sour cream, egg, and maple syrup. Blend with mixer.
- Add in flour mixture and blend into wet ingredients until smooth.
- Add spoonfuls of batter into mini-muffin tins coated with cooking spray or melted coconut oil. (Use the good stuff! I use Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray) Make sure muffin cups are only about half full at this point -- adding the hotdog will fill it up a lot more!
- Take cut up hotdogs and push into batter until just the top is showing. This should cause the muffin mixture to raise up to the top of the muffin cup.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until edges brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Pretend you're at the fair and enjoy! (P.S. This recipes makes about 24 corndog muffins.)
Why All Bloggers Should Have A Side Gig
You guys, this is what I thought blogging would be like. Me with a laptop, looking put together and working from anywhere. Cranking out content, steadily getting lots of subscribers, taking pretty pictures for my social media accounts. In my mind, this gig sounded...
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