Now that Big Baby (aka my youngest son, who is 4 months old, 26.25 inches long, and 22 pounds of chunky baby-ness) is eating solids, I plan to post several recipes for homemade baby food. However, he's consuming it faster than I can make it (let alone take pictures of it), so for the moment I wanted to share the store-bought baby food I use for back-up. It's called Ella's kitchen and it's 100% Big Baby approved. He's a complete food snob already and will usually spit out jarred food and demand, quite vocally, I stop being so lazy and make him something to eat. Anyway, Ella's Kitchen baby food pounches are completely real, organic food, preserved with organic lemon juice. I'm a fan.
http://www.ellaskitchen.com/
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Chocolate Chip Cookies, Take One
I refuse to accept that healthy lifestyle changes equals never eating the foods I enjoy. It simply means I need to make the foods I choose to eat be the foods I want to eat. With that in mind, let's skip right to the main, shall we?
The holy grail of baking is the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie recipe. I never found chocolate chip cookie nirvana as a traditional baker. Sure, I turned out many fine batches of my family's favorite treat, but I never found what I was looking for. Now the search begins anew, this time with grain-free, refined sugar-free parameters. My first attempt was going to be a recipe I found online (here http://www.primal-palate.com/2010/12/chocolate-chip-cookies.html), but I didn't pay enough attention to what I was doing, so I ended up changing the recipe substantially. Oops. Apparently, the middle child in me has trouble following directions. The result is a soft, fragrant cookie full of tiny chocolate pieces. Works for me! I plan to try several more recipes and modifications, all in the name of research you understand, but for a first try? Wonderful. A bit sweet for my tastes, but for people not used to low-sugar, these are probably just about right.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups almond flour
.25 cups coconut flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon real vanilla
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
.5 cups grade b maple syrup
.5 cups melted grassfed butter (kerry gold)
1 bag of mini chocolate chips (enjoy life)
I'm pretty much a dump and mix type of baker, so I just put all the ingredients in the bowl of my kitchenaid and whipped it up, then plopped it on a baking sheet, using parchment liner, and baked at 350 for about 13-15 minutes.
*Next time, I will eliminate the maple syrup altogether, between the sweetness of the flours, vanilla, and the chocolate chips I don't feel it really needs it.
*I think the ratio of almond flour to coconut flour could be shifted a bit as well.
The holy grail of baking is the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie recipe. I never found chocolate chip cookie nirvana as a traditional baker. Sure, I turned out many fine batches of my family's favorite treat, but I never found what I was looking for. Now the search begins anew, this time with grain-free, refined sugar-free parameters. My first attempt was going to be a recipe I found online (here http://www.primal-palate.com/2010/12/chocolate-chip-cookies.html), but I didn't pay enough attention to what I was doing, so I ended up changing the recipe substantially. Oops. Apparently, the middle child in me has trouble following directions. The result is a soft, fragrant cookie full of tiny chocolate pieces. Works for me! I plan to try several more recipes and modifications, all in the name of research you understand, but for a first try? Wonderful. A bit sweet for my tastes, but for people not used to low-sugar, these are probably just about right.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups almond flour
.25 cups coconut flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon real vanilla
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
.5 cups grade b maple syrup
.5 cups melted grassfed butter (kerry gold)
1 bag of mini chocolate chips (enjoy life)
I'm pretty much a dump and mix type of baker, so I just put all the ingredients in the bowl of my kitchenaid and whipped it up, then plopped it on a baking sheet, using parchment liner, and baked at 350 for about 13-15 minutes.
*Next time, I will eliminate the maple syrup altogether, between the sweetness of the flours, vanilla, and the chocolate chips I don't feel it really needs it.
*I think the ratio of almond flour to coconut flour could be shifted a bit as well.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Hello, World
Welcome to my blog! I will be discussing my grain-free lifestyle as well as anything that pops into my head on any given day. :)
In 2012, I will...
1. Take tennis lessons. I've played a few times in the past and enjoyed it, but didn't *make the time to really learn or even to play often. That is about to change.
2. Go horseback riding once a week. Again, I have done and enjoyed this, but did not *make the time for it.
3. Eat food that enables me to live life free of illness and pain. No diets, no craziness, just eating to live. (Kicking things off with the 30 day paleo challange!)
4. Resume regular pilates and yoga practices. I miss the way I feel when I *make the time for this.
5. Balance my desire for a clean, uncluttered living space with my desire for my sons to be happy and comfortable. I will not sacrifice their well-being for my neurotic tendencies.
6. Stick to my budget, reminding myself that our long-term goals are more important than the short-term high of buying something I neither need or use.
7. Buy as much of our food from local farmers and markets as possible. Being the change I wish to see in the world.
8. Enjoy the homeschooling process, and find a wealth of love, kindness, and patience for my children. I will be the mom they deserve.
9. Appreciate my husband. He's so easy to take for granted, but he's so amazing that I don't want to.
10. Let myself be happy. I will let go of anger, refuse to hold grudges, embrace the people who come into my life and let go of those who choose to leave it.
*Notice I saidIi failed to MAKE the time. It's too easy to say "I don't have time for x, y, and z", but the reality is we make the time for the important things.
2. Go horseback riding once a week. Again, I have done and enjoyed this, but did not *make the time for it.
3. Eat food that enables me to live life free of illness and pain. No diets, no craziness, just eating to live. (Kicking things off with the 30 day paleo challange!)
4. Resume regular pilates and yoga practices. I miss the way I feel when I *make the time for this.
5. Balance my desire for a clean, uncluttered living space with my desire for my sons to be happy and comfortable. I will not sacrifice their well-being for my neurotic tendencies.
6. Stick to my budget, reminding myself that our long-term goals are more important than the short-term high of buying something I neither need or use.
7. Buy as much of our food from local farmers and markets as possible. Being the change I wish to see in the world.
8. Enjoy the homeschooling process, and find a wealth of love, kindness, and patience for my children. I will be the mom they deserve.
9. Appreciate my husband. He's so easy to take for granted, but he's so amazing that I don't want to.
10. Let myself be happy. I will let go of anger, refuse to hold grudges, embrace the people who come into my life and let go of those who choose to leave it.
*Notice I saidIi failed to MAKE the time. It's too easy to say "I don't have time for x, y, and z", but the reality is we make the time for the important things.
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